The Marrow of modern divinity

THE

MAEEOW

OP

MODERN DIVINITY:

IN TWO PARTS.

PART I.

THE COVENANT OF WORKS AND THE COVENANT OF GRACE.

PART II.

AN EXPOSITION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

y

BY EDWARD FISHER, A.M

WITH NOTES

BY THE REV. THOMAS BOSTON.

MINISTKR OF THE GOSPEL, ETTRICK.

PHILADELPHIA :
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION,

NO. 821 CHESTNUT STREET.

STEREOTYPED B

J E S P E R IT A R D I N G A S 0 N,

INQUIREK BUILDING, SOUTH THIRD STREET, PHILADELPHIA.

CONTENTS.

PART I.

The Preface, . . - Page 9

The Dedication, 13

Address to the Reader ] 5

lutroduction. — Sect. I. Difference about the law, 21. — 2. A threefold law, 22

Chap. I. — Of the Law of Works, or Covenant of Works.

Sect. I. The nature of the covenant of works, 27. — Sect. II. Adam's fall,
33. — Sect. in. The sinfulness and misery of mankind by the fall, 34. —
Sect. IV. No recovery by the law, or covenant of works, 36. — Sect. V.
The covenant of works binding, though broken, 39,

Chap. II. — Of the Law of Faith, or Covenant of Grace.

Sect. I. Of the eternal purpose of grace, 40. — Sect. II. Of the promise,
44. — 1. The promise made to Adam, ib. — 2. The promise renewed to
Abraham, 49. — 3. The law, as the covenant of works, added to the pro-
mise, 53. — 4. The promise and covenant with Abraham, renewed with
the Israelites, 6.5. — 5, The covenant of grace under the Mosaic dis-
pensation, 68. — 6. The natural bias towards the covenant of works 84.
— 7. The Antinomian faith rejected, 94. — 6. The evil of legalism, 98. —
Sect. III. Of the performance of the promise, 100. — 1. Christ's fulfilling
of the law in the room of the elect, 101. — 2. Believers dead to the law
as the covenant of works, 109. — 3. The warrant to believe in Christ.
126. — 4. Evangelical repentance a consequent of faith, 142. — 5. The
spiritual marriage with Jesus Christ, 150. — 6. Justification before faith,
refuted, 156. — 7. Believers freed from the commanding and condemning
power of the covenant of works, 158.

Chap. III.— Of the Law of Christ.

Sect. I. The nature of the law of Christ, 172.— 2. The law of the ten
commandments a rule of life to believers, 176. — 3. Antinomian objec-
tions answered, 180. — 4. The necessity of marks and signs of grace,
186. — 5. Antinomian objections answered, 190. — 6. Holiness and good
works attained to only by faith, 192. — 7. Slavish fear and servile hope
not the springs of true obedience, 200. — 8. The efficacy of faith for
holiness of heart and life, 207. — 9. Use of means for strengthening of
faith, 216. — 10. The distinction of the law of works, and law of Christ,
applied to si.x paradoxes, 217. — 11. The use of that distinction in prac-
tice, 221. — 12. That distinction a mean betwixt legalism and Antino-
iriianism, 233. — 13. How to attain to assurance, 234. — 14. Marks and
evidences of true faith, 237. — 15. How to recover lost evidences, 239. —
16. Marks and signs of union with Christ, 240.

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4 CONTENTS.

Chap. IV. — Of the Heart's Happiness, or Soul's Eest.

Scot. I. No rest for the soul till it come to God, 244. — 2. How the soul
is kept from rest in God, 247. — 3. God in Christ the only true rest for
the soul, 254.

The Conclusion, 260

PART H.

Dedication, 265

The Author to the Eeader, . . 267

Introduction, 269

Ignorant men confine the meaning of the ten commandments, . . 270

The ten commandments an epitome of the law of God, .... 271

Six rules for the right expounding of the ten commandments, . . 271

The sum of the first commandment, (fee, 272

Wherein the first and second commandments differ, &c., . . . 278

Wherein the second and third commandments difier, &c. . . . 283

The difference between the third and fourth commandments, &c., . . 291

The sum of the fifth commandment, 294

The sum of the sixth commandment.
The sum of the seventh commandment.
The sum of the eighth commandment.
The sum of the ninth commandment.
The sum of the tenth commandment,

302
305
307
310
312

The Lord requireth perfect obedience to all the ten commandments, . 315

All men by nature under sin, wrath, and eternal death, .... 317
Christ hath redeemed believers from the curse of the law, . . .317

Every man's best actions are corrupted and defiled with sin, . . . 320

The least sinful thought makes man liable to eternal damnation, . . 323
Though man cannot be justified by his obedience to the law, yet shall not

his obedience be in vain, 325

Man is naturally apt to think he must do something towards his own jus-
tification, and act accordingly, 327

Christ requires that believers do desire and endeavour to yield perfect

obedience to all the ten commandments, ...... 331

Believers shall be rewarded for their obedience, and with what, . . 332
After what manner believers are to make confession of their sins upon a

day of humiliation, 334

Why and to what end believers are to receive the sacrament of the

Lord's Supper, 336

Thk Difference Between the Law and tue Gospel, . . . 337

RECOMMENDATIONS.

I HAVE perused this ensuing Dialogue, and find it tending to peace
and holiness ; the author endeavouring to reconcile and heal those un-
happy differences, which have lately broken out afresh amongst us, about
the points therein handled and cleared ; for which cause I allow it to be
printed, and recommend it to the reader, as a discourse stored with
many necessary and seasonable truths, confirmed by Scripture, and avowed
by many approved writers : all composed in a familiar, plain, moderate
style, without bitterness against, or uncomely reflections upon others, —
which flies have lately corrupted many boxes of otherwise precious
ointment.

May 1, 1645. Jos. Caryl.

The marrow of the second bone is like that of the first, sweet and
good. The commandments of God are marrow to the saints, as Avell as
the promises ; and they shall never taste the marrow of the promise who
distaste the commandments. This little treatise breaketh the bone, the
hard part of commandments, by a plain exposition, that so all, even babes in
Christ, yea, such as are yet out of Christ, may suck out and feed upon the
marrow by profitable meditation.

Sept. 6, 1648. Jos. Carvl.

If thou wilt please to peruse this little book, thou shalt find great
worth in it. I'here is a line of a gracious spirit drawn thi'ough it, which
has fastened many precious truths together, and presented them to thy view :
according to the variety of men's spirits, the various ways of presenting
known truths are profitable. The grace of God has helped this author iu
making his work. If it in like manner help thee in reading, thou shalt have
cause to bless God for these truths thus brought to thee, and for the labours
of this good man, whose ends, I believe, ai'C very sincere for God and thy
good.

Jer. Burroughs.

Occasionally lighting upon the dialogue, under the approbation of a learned
and judicious divine, I was thereby induced to read it, and afterwards, on a
serious consideration of the usefulness of it, to commend it to the people iu my
public ministry.

Two things in it especially took with me : First, The matter ; the main
substance being distinctly to discover the nature of the two covenants,
upon which all the mysteries, both of the law and gospel, depend. To
see the first Adam to be primus faderafus in the one, and the second Adam
in the other : to distinguish rightly betwixt the law standing alone as a
covenant, and standmg in subordination to the gospel as a servant : this I
assure myself to be the key which opens the hidden treasure of the gospel.
As soon as God had given Luther but a glimpse hereof, he professes that
he seemed to be brought into paradise again, and the whole face of the
Scripture to be changed to him : and he looked upon every truth with another
eye.

Secondly, The manner ; because it is an ircnicum, and tends to an accommo-
1* (5)

6 RECOMMENDATIONS.

dation and a right understanding'. Times of reformation have always been
times of division. Satan will cast out a flood after the woman, as knowing
that more die by the disagreement of the humours of their own bodies, than by
the sword ; and that, if men be once engaged, they will contend, if not for
truth, yet for victory.

Now, if the diSereuce be in things of lesser consequence, the best way to
quench it were silence. But if the difference be of greater concernment than
this is, the best way to decide it, is to bring in more light, which this
author has done with much evidence of Scripture, backed with the authority
of most modern divines. So that whosoever desires to have his judgment
cleared in the main controversy between us and the Antinomians, with a
small expense, either of money or time, he may here receive ample satis-
faction. This I testify upon request, professing myself a friend both to truth
and peace.

W. Strong.

This book, at first well accommodated with so "valuable a testimony as
Mr. Caryl's, besides its better approving itself to the choicer spirits every
where, by the speedy distribution of the whole impression ; it might seem
a needless or superfluous thing to add any more to the praise thereof;
yet meeting with detracting language from some few, by reason of some
phrases, by them either not duly pondered, or not rightly understood, it
is thought meet, in this second impression, to relieve that worthy testi-
mony, which still stands to it, with fresh supplies, not for any need the
truth therein contained hath thereof, but because either the prejudice or
darkness of some men's judgments does require it. I, therefore, having
thoroughly perused it, cannot but testifv, that if I have any the least
judgment, or relish of truth, he that finds this book finds a good thing,
and not unworthy of its title ; and may account the saints to have ob-
tained favour with the Lord in the ministration of it, as that which, with
great plainness and evidence of truth, comprises the chief, if not all the
differences that have been lately engendered about the law. It has, I
must confess, not only fortified my judgment, but also warmed my heart
in the reading of it ; as indeed inculcating, throughout the whole dia-
logue, the clear and familiar notion of those things by which we live, as
Ezek. xvi. speaks in another case ; and it appears to me to be written
from much experimental knowledge of Christ, and teaching of the Spirit.
Let all men that taste the fruit of it confess, to the glory of God, he is no
respecter of persons ; and endeavour to know no man henceforth after the
flesh, nor envy the compiler thereof the honour to be accounted, as God has
made him in this point, a healer of breaches, and a restorer of the overgrown
paths of the gospel. As for my own part, I am so satisfied in this testimony
1 lend, that I reckon whatever credit is thus pawned, will be a glory to the
name that stands by and avows this truth, so long as the book shall endure
to record it.

Joshua Sprigge,

I HAVE, according to your desire, read over your book, and find it full
of evangelical light and life ; and I doubt not but the oftener I read it, the
more true comfort I shall find in the knowledge of Christ thereby ; the
matter is pure, the method is apostolical, wheiein the works of love, in the
right place, after the life of faith, be efft'ctually required. God has endowed
his Fisher with the net of a trying understanding, and discerning judgment and

RECOMMENDATIONS. 7

judgment and discretion, whereby, out of the christaline streams of the
•well of life, you have taken a mess of the sweetest and wholesomest fish that
the world can afford, which, if I could daily have enough of, I should not care
for the flesh, or the works thereof.

Samxjel Prettie.

This book came into my hand by a merciful and most unexpected
disposure of providence, and I read it with great and sweet complacence.
It contains a great deal of the marrow of revealed and gospel truth,
selected from authors of great note, clearly enlightened, and of most di-
gested experience ; and some of them were honoured to do eminent and
heroical services in their day. Thus the Christian reader has the flower
of their labours communicated to him very briefly, yet clearly and
powerfully. And the manner of conveyance, being by way of amicable
conference, is not only fitted to afford delight to the judicious reader, but
lays him also at the advantage of trying, through grace, his own heart
the more exactly, according to what echo it gives, or how it relishes, or
is displeased with the several speeches of the communers. Here we
have the greatest depths, and most painted delusions of hell, in opposi-
tion to the only way of salvation, discovered with marvellous brevity and
evidence, and that by the concurring suffrages of burning and shining
lights, men of the clearest experience, and honoured of God to do eminent
service in their ^day, for advancing the interests of our Lord's kingdom and
gospel.

The reluctance of gospel light has been the choice mean blessed by the
Lord, for the effecting of great things, in the several periods of the
Church, since that light brake up in paradise, after our first sin and fall ;
and ever since, the balance has swayed, and will sway, according to the
better or worse state of matters in that important regard. When gospel
light is clear, and attended with power, Satan's kingdom cannot stand
before it ; the prince and powers of darkness must fall as lightning from
heaven. And upon the contrary, accordins? to the recessions from thence,
Christian churches went, off, by degrees, from the only foundation, even
from the rock Christ, until the man of sin, the great antichrist, did mount
the throne. Nevertheless, while the world is wandering after the beast,
behold ! evangelical light breaks forth in papal darkness, and hereupon
antichrist's throne shakes, and is at the point of falling ; yet his wounds
are cured, and he recovers new strength and spirits, through a darkening
of the glorious gospel, and perversion thereof, by anti-evangelical errors and
heresies.

That the tares of such errors are sown in the reformed churches, and by
men who profess reformed faith, is beyond debate ; and these, who lay to
heart the purity of gospel doctrine. Such dregs of antichristianism do
yet remain, or are brought in amongst us. Herein the words of the apostle
are verified, viz : " Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things to draw away disciples after them :" and as this renders the
essays for a further diffusion of evangelical light the more necessary and
seasonable, so there is ground to hope, that in these ways the churches
of Christ will gradually get the ascendant over their enemies, until the
great antichrist shall fall, as a trophy before a gospel dispensation. For
the Lord will " destroy him by the breath of his mouth, and with the
brightness of his coming." That this excellent and spiritual piece may be
blessed to the reader, is the prayer of their sincere well-wisher and servant in
the work of the gospel,

Carnock, December 4, 1717. James Hog.

8 RECOMMENDATIONS.

The Act about the " Marrow" occasioned great thoughts of heart among
us. I have been acquainted with that book about 18 or 19 years, and many
times have admired tlie gracious conduct of holy Providence which brought it
to my hand, having occasionally lighted upon it in a house of the parish
where I was first settled. As to any distinct uptakings of the doctrine of the
gospel I have, such as thev are, I owe them to that book. — Extract of a Letter
from Mr. Boston to Mr. tiog.

I NEVER read the " Marrow" with Mr. Boston's Notes, till this present
time, 1755 ; and I find, by not having read it, I have sustained a considera-
ble loss. It is a most valuable book ; the doctrines it contains are the life
of my soul, and the joy of my heart. Might my tongue or pen be made
instrumental to recommend and illustrate, to support and propagate such
precious truths, I should bless the day wherein 1 was born. Mr. Boston's
Notes on the " Marrow" are, in my opinion, some of the most judicious and
valuable that ever were penned. — Extract of a Letter from Mr. Hervey to
Mr. William Hog.

I HAVE frequently perused, with great satisfaction, the " Marrow of
Modern Divinity," first and second parts ; and, as far as I can judge, it
will be found, by those that read it, very useful for illustrating the dififer-
ence between the law and the gospel, and preventing them from splitting,
either on the rock of legality on the one hand, or that of Antinomianism on
the other ; and, accordingly, recommend it [by desire] as a book filled
with precious, seasonable, and necessary truth, clearly founded upon the
sacred oracles.

Falkirk, December 9, 1788. John Belfrage.

It is considered necessary to add the following account of the author of
" The Marrow of Modern Divinity" from Wood's Athenie Oxonienses, vol. ii.
p. 198 : — " Edward Fisher, the eldest son of a knight, became a gentle-
man-commoner of Brasen-nose College, August 25, 1627, took on his degree
in arts, and soon after left that house. Afterwards, being called home
by his relations, who were then, as I have been informed, much in debt,
he improved that learning which he had obtained in the university so
much, that he became a noted person among the learned, for his great
reading in ecclesiastical history, and in the fathers, and for his admirable
skill in the Greek and Hebrew languages. His works are, — 1. ' An Ap-
peal to the Conscience, as thou wilt answer it at the great and dreadtul
day of Jesus Christ.' Oxford, 1644. Quarto.— 2. ' The Marrow of Modern
Divinity.' 1646, Octavo. — 3. ' A Christian Caveat to Old and New Sabba-
tarians,' 1650. — 4. ' An Answer to Sixteen Queries, touching the Rise and
Observation of Christmas."

PEEFACE.

Whosoever thou art into whose hands this book shall
come, I presume to put thee in mind of the divine command,
binding on thy conscience, Deut. i. 17 : " Ye shall not respect
persons in judgment ; but ye shall hear the small as well as
the great." Eeject not the book with contempt, nor with in-
dignation neither, when thou findest it entitled The Marroiu
of Modern Divinity, lest thou do it to thine own hurt. Re-
member, that our blessed Lord himself was " accounted a
friend of publicans and sinners," Matt. xi. 19. — " Many said
of him, He hath a devil, and is mad ; why hear ye him ?" John
X. 20. The apostle Paul was slanderously reported to be an
Antinomian ; one who, by his doctrine, encouraged men to do
evil, and " make void the law," Eom. iii. 8, 31. And the first
martyr, in the days of the gospel, was stoned for pretended
" blasphemous words against Moses and against the law,"
Acts vi. 11, 13.

The gospel method of sanctification, as well as of justifi-
cation, lies so far out of the ken of natural reason, that if all
the rationalists in the world, philosophers and divines, had con-
sulted together to lay down a plan for repairing the lost image
of God in man, they had never hit upon that which the divine
wisdom has pitched upon, viz : that sinners should be sancti-
fied in Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. i. 2, by faith in him. Acts xxvi.
18 ; nay, being laid before them, they would have rejected it
with disdain, as foolishness, 1 Cor. i. 23.

In all views which fallen man has towards the means of his
own recovery, the natural bent is to the way of the covenant
of works. This is evident in the case of the vast multitudes
throughout the world, embracing Judaism, Paganism, Maho-
metanism, and Popery. All these agree in this one principle,

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10 PREFACE.

that it is by doing men must live, thougli they hugely difi'er as
to the things to be done for life.

The Jews, in the time of Julian the Apostate, attempted to
rebuild their temple, after it had lain many years in ruins, by
the decree of heaven never to be built again ; and ceased not,
till by an earthquake, which shook the old foundation and
turned all down to the ground, they were forced to forbear, as
Socrates the historian tells us. But the Jews were never more
addicted to that temple, than mankind naturally is to the build-
ing on the first covenant: and Adam's children will by no
means quit it, until Mount Sinai, where they desire to work
what they do work, be all on a fire about them. Oh, that those
who have been frightened from it were not so ready to go back
towards it !

Howbeit, that can never be the channel of sanrctification,
whatsoever way men prepare it and fit it out for that purpose,
because it is not, by divine appointment, the "ministration of
righteousness and life," 2 Cor. iii.

And hence it is always to be observed, that as the doctrine
of the gospel is corrupted, to introduce a more rational sort of
religion, the flood of looseness and licentiousness swells propor-
tionably ; insomuch that morality, brought in for doctrine, in
room and stead of the gospel of the grace of God, never fails
to be, in effect, a signal for an inundation of immorality in
practice. A plain instance hereof is to be seen in the grand
apostasy from the truth and holiness of the gospel, as exem-
plified in Popery. And on the other hand, real and thorough
reformation in churches is always the effect of gospel light,
breaking forth again, from under the cloud which had gone
over it ; and hereof the Church of Scotland, among others,
has, oftener than once, had comfortable experience.

The real friends of true holiness, then, do exceedingly mis-
take their measures, in affording a handle, on any occasion
whatsoever, for advancing the principles of legalism, for bring-
ing under contempt the good old way in which our fathers

PREFACE. 11

found rest to their souls, and for removing the ancient land-
marks which they set.

It is now above fourscore years since this book made its
first entrance into the world, under the title of The Marrow
of Modern Divinity^ at that time not unfitly prefixed to it ; but
it is too evident it has outlived the fitness of that title. The
truth is, the divinity therein taught is now no longer the
modern, but the ancient divinity, as it was recovered from un-
derneath the Antichristian darkness ; and as it stood before the
tools of the late refiners on the Protestant doctrine were lifted
up upon it — a doctrine which, being from God, must needs be
according to godliness.

It was to contribute towards the preserving of this doctrine,
and the withstanding of its being run down, under the odious
name of Antinomianism, in the disadvantageous situation it has
in this book, whose undeserved lot it is to be everywhere
spoken against, that the following notes were written.

And herein two things chiefly have had weight : one is, lest
that doctrine, being put into such an ill name, should become
the object of the settled aversion of sober persons, and they be
thereby betrayed into legalism. The other is, lest in these
days of God's indignation so much appearing in spiritual judg-
ments, some taking up the principles of it, from the hand of
this author and ancient divines, for truths, should take the
sense, scope, and design of them, from (now) common fame ;
and so be betrayed unto real Antinomianism.

Eeader, lay aside prejudices, — look and see with thine own
eyes, — call things by their own names, and do not reckon Anti-
Baxterianism or Anti-Neonomianism to be Antinomianism,
and thou shalt find no Antinomianism taught here ; but thou
wilt be perhaps surprised to find, that that tale is told of Luther
and other famous Protestant divines, under the borrowed name
of the despised Mr. Fisher, author of The Marrow of Modern
Divinity.

In the Notes, obsolete or ambiguous words, phrases, and

12 PREFACE.

things are explained ; truth cleared, confirmed, and vindicated ;
the annotator making no scruple of declaring his dissent from
the author, where he saw just ground for it.

I make no question but he will be thought by some to have
constructed too favourably of several passages ; but, as it is
nothing strange that he inclines to the charitable side, the book
having been many years ago blessed of God to his own soul ;
so, if he has erred on that side, it is the safest of the two for
thee and me, judging of the words of another man, whose in-
tention, I believe, with Mr. Burroughs, to have been very sin-
cere for God and the reader's good. However, I am satisfied
he has dealt candidly in that matter, according to his light.

Be advised always to read over a lesser section of the book,
before reading any of the notes thereupon, that you may have
the more clear understanding of the whole.

I conclude this preface, in the words of two eminent pro-
fessors of theology, deserving our serious regard : —

" I dread mightily that a rational sort of religion is coming
in among us : I mean by it, a religion that consists in a bare
attendance on outward duties and ordinances, without the
power of godliness : and thence people shall fall into a way of
serving God, which is a mere deism, having no relation to Jesus
Christ and the Spirit of God."*

" I warn each one of you, and especially such as are to be
directors of the conscience, that you exercise yourselves in study,
reading, meditation, and prayer, so as you may be able to in-
struct and comfort both your own and other's consciences in
the time of temptation, and to bring them back from the law
to grace, from the active (or working) righteousness, to the
passive (or received) righteousness ; in a word, from Moses to
Christ." t

* Memoirs of Mr. Halyburton's Life, page 199.
f Luth. Comment, in Epist. ad Gal. page 27.

TO THE

HON. COLONEL JOHN DOWNES,

One of the Members of the Honourable House of Commons, &c., E. F. wishes
the true knowledge of God in Jesus Christ.

Most Honoured Sir,

Although I do observe that new editions, accompanied
with new additions, are sometimes published with new dedica-
tions ; yet so long as he who formerly owned the subject does
yet live, and has the same affections towards it, I conceive there
is no need of a new patron, but of a new epistle.

Be pleased then, most honoured sir, to give me leave to tell
you, that your eminency of place did somewhat induce me,
both now and before, to make choice of you for its patron ; but
your endowments with grace did invite me to it, God having
bestowed upon you special spiritual blessings in heavenly
things in Christ : for it has been declared unto me, by them
that knew you when you were but a youth, how Christ met
with you then, and by sending his Spirit into your heart, first
convinced you of sin, as was manifest by those conflicts which
your soul then had both with Satan and itself, whilst you did
not believe in Christ ; secondly, of righteousness, as was mani-
fest by the peace and comfort which you afterwards had, by
believing that Christ was gone to the Father, and appeared in
his presence as your advocate and surety that had undertaken
for you ; thirdly, of judgment, as has been manifest ever since,
in that you have been careful with the true godly man, Psalm
cxii. 5, to " guide your affairs with judgment," in walking ac-
cording to the mind of Christ.

I have not forgotten what desires you have expressed to
know the true difference between the covenant of luorks and the
covenant of grace; and experimentally to be acquainted with
the doctrine of free grace, the mysteries of Christ, and the life
of faith. Witness not only your high approving of some heads
of a sermon, which I once heard a godly minister preach, and
repeated in your hearing, of the life of faith; but also your
earnest request to me to write them out fair, and send them
to you into the country ; yea, witness your highly approving
2 (13)

14 PREFACE.

of this dialogue, when I first acquainted you witli the contents
thereof, encouraging me to expedite it to the press, and your
kind acceptance, together with your cordial thanks for my love
manifested in dedicating it to your honourable name.

Since then, worthy sir, it has pleased the Lord to enable me
both to amend and enlarge it, I hope your aJSection will also
be enlarged towards the matter therein contained, considering
that it tends to the clearing of those forenamed truths, and,
through the blessing of God, may be a means to root them
more deeply in your heart. And truly, sir, I am confident,
the more they grow and flourish in any man's heart, the more
will all heart-corruptions wither and decay. O sir, if the truths
contained in this dialogue were but as much in my heart, as
they are in my head, I were a happy man ; for then should I be
more free from pride, vain glory, wrath, anger, self-love, and
love of the world, than I am ; and then should I have more
humility, meekness, and love, both to God and man, than I
have. Oh 1 then should I be content with Christ alone, and
live above all things in the world ; — then should I experimen-
tallv know both how to abound and how to want ; — and then
should I be fit for any condition : nothing could come amiss
to me. Oh, that the Lord would be pleased to write them in
our hearts by his blessed Spirit !

Most humbly beseeching you still to pardon my boldness,
and vouchsafe to take it into your patronage and protection, I
humbly take my leave of you, and remain, your obliged servant
to be commanded,

EDWARD FISHER.

TO ALL SUCH HUMBLE-HBAETED EEADEKS,

AS SEE ANY NEED TO LEARN EITHER TO KNOW THEMSELVES, OR GOD IN CHRIST.

Loving Christians,

Consider, I pray you, that as the first Adam did, as a
common person, enter into covenant with God for all mankind,
and brake it, whereby they became sinful and guilty of ever-
lasting death and damnation ; even so Jesus Christ, the second
Adam, did, as a common person, enter into covenant with God
his Father, for all the elect,* that is to say, all those that have,
or shall believe on his name,f and for them kept it ; :j: whereby
they become righteous, and heirs of everlasting life and salva-
tion ; § and therefore it is our greatest wisdom, and ought to be
our greatest care and endeavour, to come out | and from the
first Adam, unto and into the second Adam ; ^ that so we
" may have life through his name," John xx, 31.

And yet, alas ! there is no point in all practical divinity that
we are naturally so much averse and backward to as unto this ;
neither does Satan strive to hinder us so much from doing any-
thing else as this; and hence it is, that we are all of us na-
turally apt to abide and continue in that sinful and miserable
state that the first Adam plunged us into, without either
taking any notice of it, or being at all affected with it, so far
are we from coming out of it. And if the Lord be pleased by
any means to open our eyes to see our misery, and we do

* " The covenant (viz : of works) being made with Adam, not only for
himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by or-
dinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first trans-
gression." Shorter Catechism, quest. 16. — " The covenant of grace was made
with Christ, as the second Adam, and in him, with all the elect, as his seed."
Larger Cat., quest. 31.

f See chap. 2. sect. 3. note.J

i Namely, by doing and dying for them, viz : the elect.

i Thus the impetration or purchase of redemption, and the application
of it, are taught to be of the same extent ; even as Adam's representation,
and the ruins by his fall are : the former extending to the elect, as the latter
unto all mankind.

II Of.

^ Uniting with Christ by faith.

(15)

16 TO THE READEB.

thereupon begin to step out of it, yet, alas ! we are prone
rather to go backwards towards the first Adam's pure state,*
in striving and struggling to leave sin, and perform duties, and
do good works ; hoping thereby to make ourselves so righteous
and holy, that God will let us into paradise again, to eat of the
tree of life, and live for ever : and this we do, until we see
the " flaming sword at Eden's gate turning every way to keep
the way of the tree of life," t Gen. iii. 24. Is it not ordinary,
when the Lord convinceth a man of his sin (either by means
of his word or his rod) to cry after this manner : Oh ! I am a
sinful man ! for I have lived a very wicked life, and therefore
surely the Lord is angry with me, and will damn me in hell!
Oh ! what shall I do to save my soul ? And is there not at hand
some ignorant, miserable comforter, ready to say. Yet do not
despair, man, but repent of thy sins, and ask God forgiveness,
and reform your life, and doubt not but he will be merciful
unto you ; J for he has promised, you know, " that at what
time soever a sinner repenteth him of his sins, he will forgive
him." §

* That is, to the way of the covenant of works, which innocent Adam was
set upon.

f That is, till we be brought to despair of obtaining salvation in the way
of the covenant of works. Mark here the spring of legalism, namely, the
natural bias of man's heart towards the way of the law, as a covenant of
works, and ignorance of the law, in its spirituality and vast extent, Rom. vii.
9 ; X. 2, 3.

J There is not one word of Jesus Christ the glorious Mediator, nor of faith
in his blood, in all the advice given by this casuist to the afflicted ; and
agreeable thereto is the effect it has upon the afflicted, who takes comfort
to himself, without looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ at all, as appears
from the next paragraph.

Behold the Scripture pattern in such a case : Acts ii. 37, 38, " Men and
brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them. Repent and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins." Chap. xvi. 30, 31, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? and they
said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'' And thus
the Directory, title " Concerning Visitation of the Sick." " If it appear that
he hath not a due sense of his sins, endeavours ought to be used to convince
him of his sins — to make known the danger of deferring repentance, and of
salvation at any time offered, to awaken the conscience, and to rouse him
out of a stupid and secure condition, to apprehend the justice and wrath of
God ; " — here this miserable comforter finds the afflicted, and should have
taught him concerning an offended God, as there immediately follows —
" before whom none can stand but he that, being lost in himself, layeth hold
upon Christ by faitli."

§ This sentence, taken from the English service-book, is in the Prac-
tice of Piety," p. 122, cited from Ezek. xxxiii. 14, 16, and is reckoned
amongst these Scriptures, an ignorant mistake of which keeps back a sinner

TO THE READER. 17

And does he not hereupon comfort himself, and say in his
heart at least, Oh ! if the Lord will but spare my life, and
lengthen out my days, I will become a new man ! I am very
sorry that I have lived such a sinful life ; but I will never do
as I have done for all the world ! Oh ! you shall see a great
change in me ! believe it ?

And hereupon he betakes himself to a new course of life ;
and, it may be, becomes a zealous professor of religion, per-
forming all Christian exercises, both public and private, and
leaves off his old companions, and keeps company with reli-
gious men ; and so, it may be, goes on till his dying day, and
thinks himself sure of heaven and eternal happiness ; and yet,
it may be, all this while is ignorant of Christ and his righteous-
ness, and therefore establisheth his own.

Where is the man, or where is the woman that is truly come
to Christ, that has not had some experience in themselves of
such a disposition as this ? If there be any that have reformed
their lives, and are become professors of religion, and have
not taken notice of this in themselves more, or less, I wish they
may have gone beyond a legal professor, or one still under
the covenant of works.

Nay, where is the man or woman, that is truly in Christ,
that findeth not in themselves an aptness to withdraw their
hearts from Christ, and to put some confidence in their own
works and doings ? If there be any that do not find it, I wish
their hearts may not deceive them.

Let me confess ingenuously, I was a professor of religion at
least a dozen of years before I knew any other way to eternal
life, than to be sorry for my sins, and ask forgiveness, and
strive and endeavour to fulfil the law, and keep the command-
ments, according as Mr. Dod and other godly men had ex-
pounded them ; and truly, I remember I was in hope I should
at last attain to the perfect fulfilling of them; and, in the mean
time, I conceived that God would accept the will for the deed;
or what I could not do, Christ had done for me.

And though at last, by means of conferring with Mr. Thomas
Hooker in private, the Lord was pleased to convince me that
I was yet but a proud Pharisee, and to show me the way of

from the practice of piety. But the truth is, it is not to be found in the Old
or New Testament ; and therefore it was objected against, as standing in the
service-book under the name of a " Sentence of Scripture," pretended to be
cited from Ezekiel xviii. 21, 22.— Reasons Showing the Necessity of Re-
formation, &c. p. 26.
2*

18 TO the' READER.

faith and salvation by Christ alone, and to give me, I hope, a
heart in some measure to embrace it ; yet, alas ! through the
weakness of my faith, I have been, and am still apt to turn
aside to the covenant of works ; and therefore have not at-
tained to that joy and peace in believing, nor that measure of
love to Christ, and man for Christ's sake, as I am confident
many of God's saints do attain unto in the time of this life.
The Lord be merciful unto me, and increase my faith !

And are there not others, though I hope but few, who be-
ing enlightened to see their misery, by reason of the guilt of
sin, though not by reason of the filth of sin, and hearing of
justification freely by grace, through the redemption which is
in Jesus Christ, do applaud and magnify that doctrine, follow-
ing them that do most preach and press the same, seeming to
be, as it were, ravished with the hearing thereof, out of a con-
ceit that they are by Christ freely justified from the guilt of
sin, though still they retain the filth of sin ? * These are they
that content themselves with a gospel knowledge, with mere
notions in the head, but not in the heart ; glorying and rejoic-
ing in free grace and justification by faith alone ; professing
faith in Christ, and yet are not possessed of Christ ; — these are
they that can talk like believers, and yet do not walk like be-
lievers ; these are they that have language like saints, and yet
have conversation like devils ; — these are they that are not
obedient to the law of Christ, and therefore are justly called
Antinomians.

Now, both these paths f leading from Christ, have been
justly judged as erroneous ; and to my knowledge, not only
a matter of eighteen or twenty years ago, but also within these
three or four years, there has been much ado, both by preach-
ing, writing, and disputing, both to reduce men out of them,
and to keep them from them ; and hot contentions have been
on both sides, and all, I fear, to little purpose : for has not the
strict professor according to the law, whilst he has striven to
reduce the loose professor according to the gospel out of the
Antinomian path, entangled both himself and others the faster

* Mark here the spring of Antinomianism ; namely, the want of a sound
conviction of the ocliousness and filtliiness of sin, rendering the soul loath-
some and abominable in the sight of a holy God. Hence, as the sinner
sees not his need of, so neither will he receive and rest on Christ for all
his salvation, but will go about to halve it, grasping at his justifying blood,
neglecting his sanctifying Spirit, and so falls short of all part or lot in that
matter.

t Namely, legalism and Antinomianism.

TO THE READER. 1&

in the yoke of bondage ? Galatians v. 1. And has not the
loose professor according to the gospel, whilst he has striven
to reduce the strict professor according to the law out of the
legal path, " by promising liberty from the law, taught others,
and been himself the servant of corruption ?" 2 Peter ii. 19.

For this cause I, though I be nothing, have by the grace of
God endeavoured, in this Dialogue, to walk as a middle man
betwixt them both, in showing to each of them his erroneous
path, with the middle path, (which is Jesus Christ received
truly, and walked in answerably,)* as a means to bring them
both unto him, and make them both one in him ; and Oh 1 that
the Lord would be pleased so to bless it to them, that it might
be a means to produce that effect !

I have, as you may see, gathered much of it out of known
and approved authors ; and yet have therein wronged no man,
for I have restored it to the right owner again. Some part of
it my manuscripts have afforded me ; and of the rest I hope I
may say, as Jacob did of his venison. Gen. xxvii. 20, " the
Lord hath brought it unto me." Let me speak it without
vain glory, I have endeavoured herein to imitate the laborious
bee, who out of divers flowers gathers honey and wax, and
thereof makes one comb : if any souls feel any sweetness in it,
let them praise God, and pray for me, who am weak in faith,
and cold in love.

E. F.

* A short and pithy description of the middle path, the only pathway to
heaven — "Jesus Christ (the way, John xiv. 6) received truly (by faith, John
i. 12 ; this is overlooked by the legalist) and walked in answerably," by holi-
Dess of heart and life, Col. ii. 6 ; this is neglected by the Antinomian. The
Antinomian's faith is but pretended, and not true faith, since he walks not in
Clu'ist answerably. The legalist's holiness is but pretended, and not true holiness,
since he hath not " received Christ" truly, and therefore is incapable of walking
in Christ, which is the only true holiness competent to fallen mankind. 'I'hus,
both the legalist and Antinomian are each of them destitute of true faith and
true holiness ; forasmuch as there can be no walking in Christ, without a true
receiving of him ; and there cannot be a true receiving of him without walking
in him : so both of them are ofl' the only way of salvation, and, continuing so,
must needs {jerish. Wherefore it concerns every one who has a value for hia
own soul, to take heed that he be found in the middle path.

A Catalogue of those Writers' Names, out of lohora I have col-
lected much of the matter contained in this ensuing Dialogue.

Mr. Ainsworth,
Dr. Ames,
Bishop Babington,
Mr. Ball,
Mr. Bastingius,
Mr. Beza,

Mr. Eobert Bolton,
Mr. Samuel Bolton,
Mr. Bradford,
Mr. Bullinger,
Mr. Calvin,
Mr. Careless,
Mr. Caryl,
Mr. Cornwall,
Mr. Cotton,
Mr. Culvervvell,
Mr. Dent,
Mr. Diodati,
Mr. D. Dixon,
Mr. Downham,
Mr. Du Plesse,
Mr. Dyke,
Mr. Elton,
Mr. Forbes,
Mr. Fox,
Mr. Frith,
Mr. Gibbons,
Mr. Thos. Godwin,
Mr. Gray, jun.,
Mr. Greenbam,
Mr. Grotius,
Bishop Hall,

Mr. Thos. Hooker,

Mr. Lsestanno,

Mr. Lightfoot,

Dr. Luther,

Mr. Marbeck,

Mr. Marshal,

Peter Martyr,

Dr. Mayer,

Wolfgangus Muscuhis,

Bernardine Ochiu,

Dr. Pemble,

Mr. Perkins,

Mr. Polanus,

Dr. Preston,

Mr. Reynolds,

Mr. Pollock,

Mr. Bouse,

Dr. Sibs,

Mr. Slater,

Dr. Smith,

Mr. Stock,

Mr. Tindal,

Mr. Robert Town,

Mr. Yaughan,

Mr. Yaumeth,

Dr. Urban Regius,

Dr. Ursinus,

Mr. Walker,

Mr. Ward,

Dr. Willet,

Dr. Williams,

Mr. Wilson.

(20)

THE

MAEEOW

OP

MODERN DIYINITY.

•*IKI'

EvANGELisTA, a Minister of the Gospel.
NoMisTA, a Legalist.
Antinomista, an Antinomian.
Neopuytus, a Young Christian.

INTRODUCTION.

Sect. 1. DifiFerences about the Law. — 2. A threefold Law.

Nomista. Sir, my neighbour, Neophytus and I having lately
had some conference with this our friend and acquaintance,
Antinomista, about some points of religion, wherein he, dif-
'fering from us both, at last said he would be contented to be
judged by our minister : therefore, have we made bold to
come unto you, all three of us, to pray you to hear us, and
judge of our differences.

Evan. You are all of you very welcome to me ; and if you
please to let me hear what your differences are, I will tell you
what I think.

Sect. 1. — Nom. The truth is, sir, he and I differ in very many
things; but more especially about the law: for I say, the law
ought to be a rule of life to a believer ; and he says, it ought not,

Neo. And surely, sir, the greatest difference betwixt him
and me, is this ; — he would persuade me to believe in Christ ;
and bids me rejoice in the Lord, and live merrily, though I
feel never so many corruptions in my heart, yea, though I be
never so sinful in my life ; the which I cannot do, nor, I think,
ought to do ; but rather to fear^ and sorrow, and lament for
my sins.

(21)

22 THE MARROW OF

Ant. The truth is, sir, the greatest difference betwixt my
friend Nomista and me, is about the law ; and therefore that is
the greatest matter we come to you about.

Evan. I remember the Apostle Paul willeth Titus to " avoid
contentions and strivings about the law, because they are un-
profitable and vain," Tit, iii. 9 ; and so I fear yours have been.

Nora. Sir, for my own part, I hold it very meet, that every
true Christian should be very zealous for the holy law of God;
especially now, when a company of these Antinomians do set
themselves against it, and do what they can quite to abolish it,
and utterly to root it out of the church : surely, sir, I think
it not meet they should live in a Christian commonwealth.

Evan. I pray you, neighbour Nomista, be not so hot, neither
let us have such unchristian-like expressions amongst us ; but
let us reason together in love, and with the spirit of meekness,
1 Cor. iv. 21, as Christians ought to do. I confess with the
apostle, " It is good to be zealously affected always in a good
thing," Gal. iv. 18. But yet, as the same apostle said of the
Jews, so I fear I may say of some Christians, that " they are
zealous of the law," Acts xxi. 20 ; yea, some would be doctors
of the law, and yet neither understand " what they say, nor
whereof they affirm," 1 Tim. i. 7.

Nom. Sir, I make no doubt but that I both know what I say,
and whereof I affirm, when I say and affirm that the holy law
of God ought to be a rule of life to a believer ; for I dare
pawn my soul on the truth of it.

Evan. But what law do you mean ?

Nom. Why, sir, what law do you think I mean ? Are there
any more laws than one ?

Sect. 2. — Evan. Yea, in the Scriptures there is mention made
of divers laws, but they may all be comprised under these
three, viz. — the law of works, the law of faith, and the law of
Christ ; * Eom. iii. 27, Gal. vi. 2 ; and, therefore, I pray you,

* These terms are scfiptural, as appears from the whole texts quoted
by our author, namely, Eom. iii. 27, " Where is boasting then ? it is ex-
cluded. By what law? of works? nay: but by the law of faith." — Gal.
vi. 2, " Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfll the law of Christ." By
the law of works is meant the law of the ten commandments, as the co-
venant of works. By the law of faith, the gospel, or covenant of grace ;
for justification being the point upon which the apostle there states the
opposition betwixt these two laws, it is evident that the former only is the
law that doth not exclude boastitig ; and that the latter only is it, by
which a sinner is justified in a way that doth exclude boasting. By the

MODERN DIVINITY. 23

tell me, when you say the law ought to be a rule of life to a
believer, which of these three laws you mean.

Nom. Sir, I know not the difference betwixt them ; but
this I know, that the law of the ten commandments, com-
monly called the moral law, ought to be a rule of life to a
believer.

law of Christ, is meant the same law of the ten commandments, as a rule
of life, in the hand of a Mediator, to believers already justified, and not
any one command of the law only ; for " bearing one another's burdens"
is a " fulfilling of the law of Christ," as it is a loving one another : but,
according to the Scripture, that love is not a fulfilling of one command
only, but of the whole law of the ten commands, Rom. xiii. 8-10. — " He
that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not com-
mit adultery, Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear
false witness, Thou shalt not covet ; and if there be any other command-
ment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." It
is a fulfilling of the second table directly, and of the first table indirectly
and consequentially : therefore, by the law of Christ is meant, not one
command only, but the whole law.

The law of works is the law to be done, that one may be saved ; the
law of faith is the law to be believed, that one may be saved ; the law of
• Christ is the law of the Saviour, binding his saved people to all the duties
of obedience. Gal. iii. 12 ; Acts xvi. 31.

The term law is not here used univocally ; for the law of faith is neither
in the Scripture sense, nor in the sense of our author, a law, properly so
called. The apostle uses that phrase only in imitation of the Jews' man-
ner of speaking, who had the law continually in their mouths. But since
the promise of the gospel proposed to faith, is called in Scripture " the
law of faith," our author was sufficiently warranted to call it so too. So
the law of faith is not a proper preceptive law.

The law of works, and the law of Christ, are in substance but one law,
even the law of the ten commandments — the moral law — that law which
was from the beginning, continuing still the same in its own nature, but
vested with different forms. And since that law is perfect, and sin is
any want of conformity unto, or transgression of it, whatever form it be
vested with, whether as the law of works or as the law of Christ, all com-
mands of God unto men must needs be comprehended under it, and par-
ticularly the command to repent, common to all mankind, pagans not ex-
cepted, who doubtless are obliged, as well as others, to turn from sin unto
God ; as also the command to believe in Christ, binding all to whom the
gospel revelation comes, though, in the meantime, this law stands under
different forms to those who are in a state of union with Christ by faith,
and to those who are not so. The law of Christ is not a new, proper, pre-
ceptive law, but tJie old, proper, preceptive law, which was from the beginning,
under a new accidental form.

The distinction between the law of works and the law of faith cannot
be controverted, since the apostle doth so clearly distinguish them, Rom.
iii. 27.

The distinction between the law of works and the law of Christ, as
above explained according to the Scriptures, and the mind of our author,
is the same in efiect with that of the law, as a covenant of works, and as

24 THE MARROW OP

Evan. But the law of the ten commandments, or moral law
may be either said to be the matter of the law of works, or the
matter of the law of Christ : and therefore I pray you to tell me,
in whether of these senses you conceive it ought to be a rule
of life to a believer ?

Nom. Sir, I must confess, I do not know what you mean

a rule of life to believers, and ought to be admitted, (Westm. Confess,
chap. 19, art. 6.) For, (1.) Believers are not under, but dead to the law
of works, Rom. vi. 14, " For ye are not under the law, but under grace."
— Chap. vii. 4, " Wherefore my brethren, ye also are become dead to the
law, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised
from the dead." — 1 Cor. ix. 21. " Being not without law to Grod, but under
the law of Christ." Some copies read here " of God," and " of Christ ;"
•which I mention, not out of any regard to that different reading, but that
upon the occasion thereof the sense is owned by the learned to be the
same either way. To be under the law to God is, without question, to
be under the law of God ; whatever it may be judged to import more, it
can import no less ; therefore to be under the law to Christ, is to be under
the law of Christ. This text gives a plain and decisive answer to the
question, " How is the believer under the law of God ?" namely, as he is
under the law to Christ. (2.) The law of Christ is an " easy yoke," and
a " light burden," Matt. xi. 30 ; but the law of works, to a sinner, is an
insupportable burden, requiring works as the condition of justification
and acceptance with God, as is clear from the whole of the apostle's
reasoning, Rom. iii. (and therefore it is called the law of works, for other-
wise the law of Christ requires works too,) and cursing " every one that
continues not in all things written in it to do them," Gal. iii. 10. The
apostle assures us, that " what things soever the law saith, it saith to thera
who are under the law," Rom. iii. 19. The duties of the law of works,
as such, are, as I conceive, called by our Lord himself, " heavy burdens,
and grievous to be borne," Matt, xxiii, 4. — " For they," viz : the Scribes
and Pharisees, " bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay
them on men's shoulders ; but they themselves will not move them with
one of their fingers." These heavy burdens were not human traditions,
and rites devised by men ; for Christ would not have commanded the
observing and doing of these, as in this case he did, verse 3, " Whatsoever
they bid you observe, that observe and do ;" neither were they the Mo-
saic rites and ceremonies, which were not then abrogated, for the Scribes
and Pharisees were so far from not moving these burdens with one of
their own fingers, that the whole of their religion was confined to them,
namely to the rites and ceremonies of Moses' law, and those of their own
devising. But the duties of the moral law they laid on others, binding
them on with the tie of the law of works, yet made no conscience of them
in their own practice : the which duties, nevertheless, our Lord Jesus
commanded to be observed and done.

" He who hath believed on Jesus Christ, (though he be freed from the
curse of the law,) is not freed from the command and obedience of the
law, but tied thereunto by a new obligation, and a new command from
Christ. Which new command from Christ importeth help to obey the
command." — Practical Use of Saving Knowledge, title, The Third Warrant
to Believe, fig. 5.

MODERN DIVINITY. 25

by this distinction ; but this I know, that God requires that
every christian shoukl frame and lead his life according to
the ten commandments; tlie which if he do, then may he ex-
pect the blessing of God both upon his own soul and body ;
and if he do not, then can he expect nothing else but his
wrath and curse upon them both.

Evan. The truth is, Nomista, the law of the ten command-
ments, as it is the matter of the law of works, ought not to be
a rule of life to a believer. But in thus saying, you have af-
firmed that it ought; and therefore therein you have erred
from the truth. And now, Antinomista, that I may also know
your judgment, when you say the law ought not to be a rule
of life to a believer, pray tell me what law you mean ?

Ant. Why, I mean the law of the ten commandments.

Evan. But whether do you mean that law, as it is the
matter of the law of works, or as it is the matter of the law
of Christ ?

Ant. Surely, sir, I do conceive, that the ten commandments

What this distinction amounts to is, that thereby a difference is con-
stituted betwixt the ten commandments as coming from an absolute God
out of Christ unto sinners, and the same ten commandments as coming
from God in Christ unto them ; a difference which the children of God,
assisting their consciences before him to " receive the law at his mouth,"
will value as their life, however they disagree about it in words and man-
ner of expression. But that the original indispensable obligation of the
law of the ten commandments is in any measure weakened by the be-
liever's taking it as the law of Christ, and not as the law of works ; or
that the sovereign authority of God the Creator, which is inseparable
from it for the ages of eternity, in what channel soever it be conveyed
tinto men, is thereby laid aside, — will appear utterly groundless, upon an
impartial consideration of the matter. For is not our Lord Jesus Christ,
equally with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jehovah, the Sovereign,
Supreme, Most High God, Creator of the world? Isa. xlvii. 4 ; Jer. xxiii.
6; with Psalm Lxxxiii. 18; John i. 3; Kev. iii. 14. Is not the name (or
sovereign authority) of God in Christ? Exod. xxiii. 21. Is not he in the
Father, and the Father in him ? John xiv. 11. Nay, doth not all the
fulness of the Godhead dwell in him? Col. ii. 9. How, then, can the
original obligation of the law of the ten commandments, arising from the
authority of the Creator, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be weakened by
its being issued unto the believer from and by that blessed channel, the
Lord Jesus Christ ?

As for the distinction betwixt the law of faith and the law of Christ,
the latter is subordinated unto the former. All men by nature are under
the law of works ; but taking the benefit of the law of faith, by believing
in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are set free from the law of works, and brought
under the law of Christ.— Matt. xi. 28, 29, " Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden — take my yoke upon you."
3

26 THE MARROW OF

are no way to be a rule of life to a believer ; for Christ hath
delivered him from them.

Evan. But the truth is, the law of the ten commandments,
as it is the matter of the law of Christ, ought to be a rule of
life to a believer ;* and therefore you having affirmed the con-
trary, have therein also erred from the truth.

* The law of the ten commandments, being the natural law, was writ-
ten on Adam's heart on his creation ; while as yet it was neither the law
of works, nor the law of Christ, in the sense wherein these terms are
used in Scripture, and by our author. But after man was created, and
put into the garden, this natural law, having made man liable to fall away
from God, a threatening of eternal death in case of disobedience, had also
a promise of eternal lite annexed to it in case of obedience ; in virtue of
which he, having done his work, might thereupon plead and demand the
reward of eternal life. Thus it became the law of works, whereof the
ten commandments were, and are still the matter. All mankind being
ruined by the breach of this law, Jesus Christ obeys and dies in the room
of the elect, that they might be saved ; they being united to him by faith,
are, through his obedience and satisfaction imputed to them, freed from
eternal death, and become heirs of everlasting life ; so that the law of
works being fully satisfied, expires as to them, as it would have done of
course in the case of Adam's having stood the time of his trial : howbeit it
remains in full force as to unbelievers. But the natural law of the ten
commandments (which can never expire or determine, but is obligatory
in all possible states of the creature, in earth, heaven, or hell) is, from
the moment the law of works expires as to believers, issued forth to them
(still liable to infirmities, though not to falling away like Adam) in the
channel of the covenant of grace, bearing .a promise of help to obey,
(Ezek. xxxvi. 27,) and, agreeable to their state before the Lord, having
annexed to it a promise of the tokens of God's fatherly love, for the sake
of Christ, in case of that obedience ; and a threatening of God's fatherly
displeasure in case of their disobedience. John xiv. 21, "He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that
loveth me, shall be loved of my Father ; and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him." — Psalm Ixxxix. 31 — 33, "If they break my sta-
tutes, and keep not my commandments ; then will I visit their trans-
gression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my
loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithful-
ness to fail." Thus it becomes the law of Christ to them ; of which law
also the same ten commandments are likewise the matter. In the threat-
eniugs of this law there is no revenging wrath ; and in the promises of it
no proper conditionalty of works ; but here is the order in the covenant
of grace, to which the law of Christ belongs ; a beautiful order of grace,
obedience, particular favours, and chastisements for disobedience. Thus
the ten commandments stand, both in the law of works and in the law of
Christ at the same time, being the common matter of both ; but as they
are the matter of [i. e. stand in) the law of works, they are actually^ a
part of the law of works ; howbeit, as they are the matter of, or stand in,
the law of Christ, they are actually a part, not of the law of works, but
of the law of Christ. And as they stand in the law of Christ, our author
expressly asserts, against the Antinomian, that they ought to be a rule of

MODERN DIVINITY. 27

Nom. The truth is, sir, I must confess I never took any
notice of this threefold law, which, it seems, is mentioned in
the New Testament.

Ant. And I must confess, if I took any notice of them, I
never understood them.

Evan. Well, give me leave to tell you, that so far as any
man comes short of the true knowledge of this threefold law,*
so far he comes short both of the true knowledge of God and
of himself ; and therefore I wish you both to consider of it.

Nom. Sir, if it be so, you may do well to be a means to in-
form us, and help us to the true knowledge of this threefold
law ; and therefore, I pray you, first tell us what is meant by
the law of works.

CHAPTER I.

OF THE LAW, OR COVENANT OF WORKS.

Sect. 1. The Nature of the Covenant of Works.— 2. Adam's Fall— 3. The
Sinfulness and Misery of Mankind by the Fall. — 4. No Eecovery by
the Law, or Covenant of Works. — 5. Tlie Covenant of Works binding,
though broken.

Sect. 1. — Evan. The law of' works, opposed to the law of
faith, (Rom. iii. 27,) holds forth as much as the covenant of
works ; for it is manifest, says Musculus, that the word which
signifies covenant, or bargain, is put for laiu: so that you see
the law of works is as much as to say, the covenant of works ;
the which covenant the Lord made with all mankind in Adam
before his fall ; the sura whereof was, " Do this, and thou
shalt live," Lev. xviii. 5 ; " and if thou do it not, thou shalt
die the death," Gen. ii. 17. In which covenant there was
contained first a precept, " Do this ;" secondly a promise
joined unto it, " If thou do it thou shalt live ;" thirdly, a like

life to a believer ; but that they ought to be a rule of life to a believer, as
they stand in the law of works, he justly denies, against the legalist. Even
as when one and the same crime stands forbidden in the laws of different in-
dependent kingdoms, it is manifest that the rule of life to the subjects in that
particular is tlie prohibition, as it stands in the law of that kingdom whereof
they are subjects respectively, and not as it stands in the law of that kingdom
of which they are not subjects.

* Not of the terms here used to express it by, but of the things thereby
meant, viz : the covenant of works, the covenant of grace, and the law as a
rule of life to believers, in whatever terms these things be expressed.

28 THE MAEROW OF

threatening, "If thou do it not, thou shalt die the death,"
Imagine, says Musculus, that God had said to Adam, Lo, to
the intent that thou mayest live, I have given thee liberty to
eat, and have given thee abundantly to eat : let all the fruits
of paradise be in thy power, one tree excepted, which see thou
touch not, for that I keep to mine own authority : the same is
" the tree of knowledge of good and evil ;" if thou touch it, the
meat thereof shall not be life, but death.

Nom. But, sir, you said, that the law of the ten command-
ments, or moral law, may be said to be the matter of the law
of works ; and you have also said, that the law of works is as
much as to say the covenant of works, whereby it seems to me,
you hold that the law of the ten commandments was the mat-
ter of the covenant of works, which God made with all man-
kind in Adam before his fall.

Evan. That is a truth agreed upon by all authors and inter-
preters that I know. And indeed the law of works (as a
learned author says) signifies the moral law ; and the moral
law, strictly and properly taken, signifies the covenant of works.*

* The moral law is an ambiguous term among divines. (1.) The
moral law is taken from the decalogue, or ten commandments, simply.
So the law in the ten commandments is owned to be commonly called the
moral law, Westm. Confess, chap. xix. art. 2, 3. And thus our author
has hitherto used that term, reckoning the moral law not the covenant of
works itself, but only the matter of it. (2.) The moral law is taken for
the ten commandments, having the promise of life, and threatening of
death annexed to them ; that is for the law, or covenant of works. Thus
the moral law is described to be, " the declaration of the will of God to
mankind, directing and binding every one to personal, perfect, and per-
petual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition
of the whole man, soul and body, and in performance of all these duties
of holiness and righteousness, Avhich he oweth to God and man, promising
life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it."
Larger Catech. Quest. 93. That this is the covenant of works, is clear
from Westm. Confess, chap. xix. art. 1, " God gave to Adam a law, as a
covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to per-
sonal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience ; promised life upon the
fulfilling, and threatened deatli upon the breach of it." And this our
author owns to be the sense of that term, strictly and properly taken ;
the reason whereof I conceive to be, that the moral law, properly signi-
fying the law of manners, answers to the Scripture term, the law of
works, by which is meant the covenant of works. And if he had added,
that in this sense believers are delivered from it, he had said no more
than the Larger Catechism doth, in these words : " They that are regenerate,
and believe in Clirist, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works,"
Quest. 97. But, in the raea'utime, it is evident he does not here use that term
in this sense ; and in the next paragraph, save one, he gives a reason why he
did not so use it.

MODERN DIVINITY. 29

Nom. But, sir, what is the reason you call it but the matter
of the covenant of works ?

Evan. The reason why I rather choose to call the law of
the ten commandments the matter of the covenant of works,
than the covenant itself, is, because I conceive that the matter
of it cannot properly be called the covenant of works, except
the form be put upon it ; that is to say, except the Lord re-
quire, and man undertake to yield perfect obedience thereunto,
upon condition of eternal life and death.

And therefore, till then, it was not a covenant of works be-
twixt God and all mankind in Adam ; as, for example, you
know, that although a servant* have an ability to do a mas-
ter's work, and though a master have wages to bestow upon
him for it ; yet is there not a covenant betwixt them till they
have thereupon agreed. Even so, though a man at the first
had power to yield perfect and perpetual obedience to all the
ten commandments, and God had an eternal life to bestow upon
him ; yet was there not a covenant betwixt them till they were
thereupon agreed.

Nom. But, sir, you know there is no mention made in the
book of Genesis of this covenant of works, which, you say,
was made with man at first.

Evan. Though we read not the word " covenant" betwixt
God and man, yet have we there recorded what may amount
to as much ; for God provided and promised to Adam eternal
happiness, and called for perfect obedience, which appears
from God's threatening, Gen. ii. 17 ; for if man must die if
he disobeyed, it implies strongly, that God's covenant was with
him for life, if he obeyed.

Nom. But, sir, you know the word " covenant" signifies a
mutual promise, bargain, and obligation betwixt two parties.
Now, though it is implied that God promised man to give him
life if he obeyed, yet we read not, that man promised to be
obedient.

Evan. I pray take notice, that God does not always tie
man to verbal expressions, but doth often contract the cove-

* Not a hired servant, for there is a covenant betwixt such an one and
the master, but a bond-servant, boujrht with money, of another person, or
born in the master's house, who is obliged to serve his master, and is liable to
punishment in case he do not, but cannot demand wages, since there is no cov-
enant between them.

This was the case of mankind, with relation to the Creator, before the cov-
enant of works was made.
3*

30 THE MAKROW OF

nant in real impressions in the heart and frame of the crea-
ture,* and this was the manner of covenanting with man at
the first ;f for God had furnished his soul with an understand-
ing mind, whereby he might discern good from evil, and right
from wrong : and not only so, but also in his will was most
great uprightness, Eccl. vii. 29 ; and his instrumental parts:}:
were orderly framed to obedience. The truth is, God did en-
grave in man's soul wisdom and knowledge of his will and
works, and integrity in the whole soul, and such a fitness in
all the powers thereof, that neither the mind did conceive, nor
the heart desire, nor the body put in execution, anything but
that which was acceptable to God ; so that man, endued with
these qualities, was able to serve God perfectly.

Nom. But, sir, how could the law of the ten commandments
be the matter of this covenant of works, when they were not
written, as you know, till the time of Moses ?

Evan. Though they were not written in tables of stone until
the time of Moses, yet were they written in the tables of man's
heart in the time of Adam : for we read that man was created
in the image or likeness of God, Gen. i. 27. And the ten
commandments are a doctrine agreeing with the eternal wis-
dom and justice that is in God ; wherein he hath so painted
out his own nature, that it does in a manner express the very
image of God, Col. iii. 10. And does not the apostle say,
(Eph. iv. 24,) that the image of God consists in knowledge,
righteousness, and true holiness ? And is not knowledge,
righteousness, and true holiness, the perfection of both the
tables of the law ? And indeed, says Mr. Eollock, it could not
well stand with the justice of God, to make a covenant with
man, under the condition of holy and good works, and perfect
obedience to his law, except he had first created man holy and
pure, and engraven his law in his heart, whence those good
works should proceed.

* The soul approving, embracing, and consenting to the covenant ; which,
■without any more, is plain language, though not unto men, yet unto God, who
knoweth the heart.

t The covenant being revealed to man created after God's own image, he
could not but perceive the equity and benefit of it ; and so heartily approve,
embrace, accept, and consent to it. And this accepting is plainly intimated
in Eve's words to the serpent, Gen. iii. 2, 3, " We may eat of the fruit of
the trees of the garden ; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of
the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest
ye die."

X Executive faculties and powers, whereby the good known and willed was
to be done.

MODERN DIVINITY. 81

Nom. But yet I cannot but marvel that God, in making the
covenant with man, did make mention of no other command-
ment than that of the forbidden fruit.

Evan. Do not marvel at it : for by that one species of sin
the whole genus or kind is shown ; as the same law, being
more clearly unfolded, doth express, Deut. xxviii. 26; Gal. iii.
10. And, indeed, in that one commandment the whole wor-
ship of God did consist; as obedience, honour, love, confi-
dence, and religious fear ; together with the outward abstinence
from sin, and reverend respect to the voice of God ; yea,
herein also consisted his love, and so his whole duty to his
neighbour ;"* so that, as a learned writer says, Adam heard as
much (of the law) in the garden, as Israel did at Sinai ; but
only in fewer words, and without thunder.

Nom. But, sir, ought not man to have yielded perfect obe-
dience to God, though this covenant had not been made be-
twixt them ?

Evan. Yea, indeed ; perfect and perpetual obedience was
due from man unto God, though God had made no promise
to man ; for when God created man at first, he put forth an
excellency from himself into him ; and therefore it was the
bond and tie that lay upon man to return that again unto God ;f
so that man being God's creature, by the law of creation he
owed all obedience and subjection to God his Creator.

Nom. Why, then, was it needful that the Lord should make
a covenant with him, by promising him life, and threatening
him with death ?

Evan. For answer hereunto, in the first place, I pray you
understand, that man was a reasonable creature ; and so, out
of judgment, discretion, and election, able to make choice of
his way, and therefore it was meet there should be such a co-
venant made with him, that he might, according to God's ap-
pointment, serve him after a reasonable manner. Secondly^
It was meet there should be such a covenant made with him,

* That one commandment was in effect a summary of the whole duty of
man, the which clearly appears, if one considers that the breach of it was a
transgressing of all the ten commandments at once, as our author afterwards
distinctly shows.

f God having given man a being after his own image, a glorious excellency,
it was his natural duty to make suitable returns thereof unto the Giver, in a
way of duty, being and acting for him ; even as the waters, which originally
are from the sea, do in brooks and rivers return to the sea again. Man, being
of God as his first cause, behoved to be to him as his chief and ultimate end,
Rom. xi. 36.

32 THE MARROW OF

to show that he was not such a prince on earth, but that he
had a sovereign Lord : therefore, God set a punishment upon
the breach of his commandment ;* that man might know his
inferiority, and that things betwixt him and God were not as
betwixt equals. Thirdly^ It was meet there should be such a
covenant made with him, to show that he had nothing by per-
sonal, immediate, and underived right, but all by gift and
gentleness : so that you see it was an equal covenant,t which
God, out of his prerogative-royal, made with mankind in Adam
before his fall.

Nom. Well, sir, I do perceive that Adam and all mankind
in him were created most holy.

Evan. Yea, and most happy, too : for God placed him in
paradise in the midst of all delightful pleasures and contents,
wherein he did enjoy most near and sweet communion with
his Creator, in whose presence is fulness of joy, and at whose
right hand are pleasures evermore. Psalm xvi. 11. So that
if Adam had received of the tree of life, by taking and
eating it, while he stood in the state of innocency before his
fall, he had certainly been established in a happy estate for
ever, and could not have been seduced and supplanted by
Satan, as some learned men do think, and as God's own words
seem to imply, Gen. iii. 22.:}:

* The punishment of death upon the breach of his commandment touching
the forbidden fruit.

f That is, an equitable covenant, fair and reasonable.

j The author says, that some learned men think so, and that the words,
Gen. iii. 22, seem to imply so much ; but all this amounts not to a posi-
tive determination of the point. The words are these, " Behold, the man
is become as one of us, to know good and evil ; and now, lest he put
forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever,"
&c. Whether or not these words seem to imply some such things, I leave
to the judgment of the reader, whom I incline not to entertain with mine
own or others' conjectures upon this head ; but three things I take to be
plain, and beyond conjecture, in this text, (1.) That there is no irony
nor scoff here, as many think there is ; but, on the contrary, a most pa-
thetic lamentation over fallen man. The literal version and sense of the
former part of the text runs thus : " Behold the man that was one of us,"
(fee, compare for the version. Lam. iii. 1 ; Psalm iii. 7 ; and for the sense,
Gen. i. 26, 27, " And God said. Let us make man in our image. — So
God created man in his own image," &c. The latter part of the text I
would read thus, "And eat that he may live for ever." Compare for this
version, Exod. iv. 23 ; 1 Sam. vi. 8. It is evident the sentence is broken
off abruptly ; the words, " I will drive him out," being suppressed ; even
as in the case of a father, with sighs, sobs, and tears, putting his son out
of doors. .(2.) That it was God's design, to prevent Adam's eating of the
tree of life, as he had of the forbidden tree, " lest he take also of the tree

MODERN DIVINITY. 33

Sect. 2. — Nom. But it seemeth that Adam did not continue
in that holy and happy estate.

Evan. No, indeed ; for he disobeyed God's express command,
in eating the forbidden fruit, and so became guilty of the
breach of the covenant.

Nom. But, sir, how could Adam, who had his understanding
so sound, and his will so free to choose good, be so disobedient
to God's express command ?

Evan. Though he and his will were both good, yet were
they mutually good ; so that he might stand or fall, at his own
election or choice.

Nom. But why then did not the Lord create him immutable?
or, why did he not so over-rule him in that action, that he
might not have eaten the forbidden fruit ?*

Evan. The reason why the Lord did not create him immu-
table, was because he would be obeyed out of judgment and
free choice, and not by fatal necessity and absolute determina-
tion ;t and withal, let me tell you, it was not reasonable to
restrain God to this point, to make man such an one as would
not, nor could not sin at all, for it was at his choice to create
him how he pleased. But why he did not uphold him with
strength of steadfast continuance ; that resteth hidden in God's

of life ;" thereby mercifully taking care tbat our fallen father, to whom
the covenant of grace was now proclaimed, might not, according to the
corrupt natural inclination of fallen mankind, run back to the covenant
of works for life and salvation, by partaking of the tree of life, a sacra-
ment of that covenant, and so reject the covenant of grace, by eating of
that tree now, as he had before broken the covenant of works, by eating
of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (3.) That at this time Adam
did think, that by eating of the tree of life he might live for ever. Farther I
dip not here in this matter.

* These are two distinct questions, both of them natively arising from
a legal temper of spirit : and I doubt if ever the heart of a sinner shall
receive a satisfying answer as to either of them, until it come to embrace
the gospel-way of salvation ; taking up its everlasting rest in Christ, for wis-
dom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

t Immutability, properly so called, or absolute unchangeableness, is an
incommunicable attribute of God, Mai. iii. 6; James i. 17 ; and mutability,
or changeableness, is so of the nature of a creature, that it should cease
to be a creature, or a dependent being, if it should cease to be mutable.
But there is an immutability, improperly so called, which is competent to
the creature, whereby it is free from being actually liable to change in
some respect; the M'hich, in reference to man, may be considered two
ways. 1. As putting him beyond the hazard of change by another hand
than his own. 2. As putting him beyond the hazard of change by him-
self. In the former sense, man was indeed made immutable in point of
moral goodness ; for he could only be made sinful or evil by himself, and

34 THE MARROW OF

secret council. Howbeit, this we may certainly conclude, that
Adam's state was such as served to take away from him all
excuse ; for he received so much, that of his own will he
wrought his own destruction ;* because this act of his was a
wilful transgression of a law, under the precepts whereof he
was most justly created ; and under the malediction whereof he
was as necessarily and righteously subject, if he transgressed :
for, as being God's creature, he was to be subject to his will,
so by being God's prisoner, he was as justly subject to his
wrath ; and that so much the more, by how much the precept
was most just, the obedience more easy, the transgression
more reasonable, and the punishment more certain.

Sect. 3. — No7n. And was Adam's sin and punishment im-
puted unto his whole offspring ?

Evan. Yea, indeed ; for says the apostle, Rom. v. 12,
" Death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned ;" or, " in
whom all have sinned," that is," in Adam. The very truth is,
Adam by his fall threw down our whole naturef headlong
into the same destruction, and drowned his whole offspring in
the same gulf of misery,:}: and the reason is, because, by God's
appointment, he was not to stand or fall as a single person only,
but as a common public person, representing all mankind to
come of him :§ therefore, as all that happiness, all those gifts,
and endowments, which were bestowed upon him, were not
bestowed upon him alone, but also upon the whole nature of
man, and as that covenant which was made with him, was
made with the whole of mankind ; even so he by breaking

not by any other. If he had been made immutable in the latter sense,
that immutability behoved either to have been woven into his very nature,
or else to have arisen from confirming grace. Now God did not create
man thus immutable in his nature ; which is it that the first question
aims at ; and that for this very good reason, viz : that, at that rate, man
would have obeyed by fatal necessity and absolute determination, as one
not having so much as a remote power in his nature to change himself.
And neither glorified saints, nor angels, are thus immutable ; their im-
mutability in goodness entirely depending on confirming grace. As for
immutability by confirming grace, which is it that the second question
aims at, it is conferred on glorified saints and angels ; but why it was not
afiforded to Adam at his creation, our author wisely declines to give any
reason. " The reason, says he, why the Lord did not create him immu-
table was, because," &c. ; but why he did not uphold him with strength of
steadfast continuance, that resteth hidden in God's secret counsel.

* That is, he received so much strength, that it was not of weakness, but
wilfulness, that he destroyed himself.

f That is, all mankind. % "With himself.

I By virtue of the blessing of friiitfulnesa given before the fall.

MODEKN DIVINITY. 85

covenant lost all, as well for us as for himself. As he re-
ceived all for himself and us, so he lost all both for himself
and us.

Nom. Then, sir, it seemeth by Adam's breach of covenant,
all mankind were brought into a miserable condition?

Evan. All mankind by the fall of Adam received a twofold
damage: First, A deprivation of all original goodness.
Secondly, An habitual natural proneness to all kind of wicked-
ness. For the image of God, after which they were created,
was forthwith blotted out ; and in place of wisdom, righteous-
ness, and true holiness, came blindness, uncleanness, falsehood,
and injustice. The very truth is, our whole nature * was
thereby corrupted, defiled, deformed, depraved, infected, made
infirm, frail, malignant, full of venom, contrary to God ; yea,
enemies and rebels unto him. So that, says Luther, this is
the title we have received from Adam : in this one thing we
may glory, and in nothing else at all ; namely, that every in-
fant that is born into this world, is wholly in the power of sin,
death, Satan, hell, and everlasting damnation. Nay, says Mus-
culus, " The whirlpool of man's sin in paradise is bottomless
and unsearchable."

No7n. But, sir, raethinks it is a strange thing that so small
an offence, as eating of the forbidden fruit seems to be,
should plunge the whole of mankind into such a gulf of
misery.

Evan. Though at first glance it seems to be a small offence,
yet, if we look more wistfullyf upon the matter it will appear
to be an exceeding great offence ; for thereby intolerable in-
jury was done unto God ; a,s, first, His dominion and authority
in his holy command was violated. Secondly, His justice,
truth, and power, in his most righteous threatenings, were
despised. Thirdly, His most pure and perfect image, wherein
man was created in righteousness and true holiness, was
utterly defaced. Fourthly, His glory, which, by an active
service, the creature should have brought to him, was lost and
despoiled. Nay, how could there be a greater sin committed
than that, when Adam, at that one clap, broke all the ten
commandments ?

Nom. Did he break all the ten commandments, say you ?
Sir, I beseech you show rae wherein.

Evan. 1, He chose himself another God when he followed
the devil.

* That is, all mankind. ^ifr' ^ '^^^^^ is, earnestly,

36 THE MARROW OF

2. He idolized and deified his own belly ;* as the apostle's
phrase is, " He made his belly his God."

3. He took the name of God in vain, when he believed him
not.

4. He kept not the rest and estate wherein God had set him.

5. He dishonoured his Father who was in heaven ; and
therefore his days were not prolonged in that land which the
Lord his God had given him.

6. He massacred himself and all his posterity.

7. From Eve he was a virgin, but in eyes and mind he com-
mitted spiritual fornication.

8. He stole, like Achan, that which God had set aside not
to be meddled with ; and this his stealth is that which troubles
all Israel, — the whole world.

9. He bare witness against God, when he believed the wit-
ness of the devil before him.

10. He coveted an evil covetousness, like Amnon, which
cost him his life,t and all his progeny. Now, whosoever con-
siders what a nest of evils here were committed at one blow,
must needs, with Musculus, see our case to be such, that we
are compelled every way to commend the justice of God,:}:
and to condemn the sin of our first parents, saying, concerning
all mankind, as the prophet Hosea does concerning Israel,
" 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself," Hos. iii. 9.

Sect. 4, — Nom. But, sir, had it not been possible for Adam
both to have helped himself and his posterity out of his mis-
ery, by renewing the same covenant with God, and keeping it
so afterwards ?

Evan. No, by no means; for the covenant of works was a
covenant no way capable of renovation.§ When he had once
broken it, he was gone for ever ; because it was a covenant

* That is, as the apostle's, &c. f 2 Sam. xiii.

X That is, to justify God.

i The covenant of works could by no means be renewed by fallen Adam,
so as thereby to help himself and his posterity out of his misery, the which
is the only thing in question here ; otherwise, indeed, it might have been
renewed, which is evident by this sad token, that many do actually renew it
in their covenanting with God, being prompted thereto by their ignorance of
the high demands of the law, their own utter inability, and the way of sal-
vation by Jesus Christ. And from the same principle our legalist here
makes no question but Adam might have renewed it, and kept it too, for the
after-time ; only, he questions whether or not Adam might thereby have
helped himself and his posterity too, out of the misery they were brought into
by his sin.

MODERN DIVINITY. 87

between two friends, but now fallen man was become an ene-
my. And besides it was an impossible thing for Adam to have
performed the conditions which now the justice of God did
necessarily require at his hands ; for he was now become lia-
ble for the payment of a double debt, viz : the debt of satis-
faction for his sin committed in time past, and the debt of
perfect and perpetual obedience for the time to come ; and he
was utterly unable to pay either of them.

Noun. Why was he unable to pay the debt of satisfaction for
his sin committed in time past ?

Evan. Because his sin in eating the forbidden fruit (for
that is the sin I mean)* was committed against an infinite and
eternal God, and therefore merited an infinite and eternal
satisfaction ; which was to be either some temporal punish-
ment, equivalent to eternal damnation, or eternal damnation
itself. Now Adam was a finite creature, therefore, between
finite and infinite there could be no proportion ; so that it was
impossible for Adam to have made satisfaction by any tem-
poral punishment ; and if he had undertaken to have satisfied
by an eternal punishment, he should always have been satis-
fying, and never have satisfied, as is the case of the damned in
hell.

Nom. And why was he unable to pay the debt of perfect
and perpetual obedience for the time to come ?

Evan. Because his former power to obey was by his fall
utterly impaired ; for thereby his understanding was both en-
feebled and drowned in darkness ; and his will was made per-
verse, and utterly deprived of all power to will well ; and his
affections were quite set out of order ; and all things belonging
to the blessed life of the soul were extinguished, both in him
and us ; so that he was become impotent, yea, dead, and
therefore not able to stand in the lowest terms to perform the
meanest condition. The very truth is, our father Adam fall-
ing from God, did, by his fall, so dash him and us all in pieces,
that there was no whole part left, either in him or us, fit to
ground such a covenant upon. And this the apostle wit-
nesseth, both when he says, " We are of no strength ;" and,
" The law was made weak, because of the flesh," Eom. v. 6,
and viii. 3.

Nom. But, sir, might not the Lord have pardoned Adam's
sin without satisfaction ?

That being the sin in which all mankind fell with him, Rom. v. 15.
4

33 THE MARROW OP

Evan. O no ! for justice is essential in God, and it is a
righteous thing with God, that every transgression receive a
just recompense:* and if recompense be just, it is unjust to
pardon sin without satisfaction. And though the Lord had
pardoned and forgiven his former transgression, and so set him
in his former condition of amity and friendship, yet having no
power to keep the law perfectly, he could not have continued
therein .f

Nom. And is it also impossible for any of his posterity to
keep the law perfectly ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, it is impossible for any mere man in the
time of this life to keep it perfectly ; yea, though he be a re-
generate man ; for the law requireth of man that he " love the
Lord with all his heart, soul, and might ;" and there is not the
holiest man that lives, but he is flesh as well as spirit in all
parts and faculties of his soul, and therefore cannot love the
Lord perfectly. Yea, and the law forbiddeth all habitual con-
cupiscence, not only saying, "Thou shalt not consent to lust,"
but, " Thou shalt not lust :" it doth not only command the bind-
ing of lust, but forbids also the being of lust : and who in this
case can say, " My heart is clean ?"

Ant. Then, Nomista, take notice, I pray, that as it was al-
together impossible for Adam to return into that holy and
happy estate wherein he was created, by the same way he went
from it,:j: so is it for any of his posterity ; and therefore, I re-
member one says very wittingly, " The law was Adam's lease
when God made him tenant of Eden ; the conditions of which
bond when he kept not, he forfeited himself and all for us."
God read a lecture of the law to him before he fell, to be a
hedge to him to keep him in paradise ; but when Adam would
not keep within compass, this law is now become as the

* 2 Thess. i. 6, " Seeing it is a righteous thing with God, to recom-
pense tribulation to them that trouble you." — Heb, ii. 2, " Every trans-
gression and disobedience received a just recompense."

f But would have sinned again, and so fallen under the curse anew.

X Walking back by the way of the covenant of works, which he left by
his sinning.

Object. " Do we then make void the law," (Rom. iii. 31,) leaving an
imputation of dishonour upon it, as a disregarded path, by pretending to
return another way ? Ans. Sinners being united to Christ by faith, re-
turn, being carried back the same way they came ; only their own feet
never touch the ground ; but the glorious Mediator, sustaining the per-
sons of them all, walked every bit of the road exactly. Gal. iv. 4, 5. Thus,
in Christ, the way of free grace, and of the law, sweetly meet together j
and through faith we establish the law.

MODERN DIVINITY.

m

flaming sword at Eden's gate, to keep him and his posterity
out.

Sect. 5. — Nom. But, sir, you know, that when a covenant
is broken, the parties that were bound are freed and released
from their engagements ; and therefore, methinks, both Adam
and his posterity should have been released from the covenant
of works when it was broken, especially considering they
have no strength to perform the condition of it.

Evan. Indeed it is true, in every covenant, if either party
fail in his duty, and perform not his condition, the other party
is thereby freed from his part, but the party failing is not freed
till the other release him ; and, therefore, though the Lord be
freed from performing his condition, that is, from giving to man
eternal life, yet so is not man from his part ; no, though strength
to obey be lost, yet man having lost it by his own default, the
obligation to obedience remains still ; so that Adam and his
oflfepring are no more discharged of their duties, because they
have no strength to do them, than a debtor is quitted of his
bond, because he wants money to pay it. And thus, Nomista,
I have, according to your desire, endeavoured to help you to
the true knowledge of the law of works.

CHAPTER II.

OF THE LAW OF FAITH, OR COVENANT OF GRACE.

Sect. 1. Of the eternal Purpose of Grace.— 2. Of the Promise.— 3. Of the Per-
formance of the Promise.

Ant I BESEECH you, sir, proceed to help us to the true
knowledge of the law of faith.

Evan. The law of faith is as much as to say the covenant
of grace, or the gospel, which signifies good, merry, glad, and
joyful tidings; that is to say, that God, to whose eternal
knowledge all things are present, and nothing past or to come,
foreseeing man's fall, before all time purposed,* and in time

* 2 Tim. i. 9, " Who hath saved us according to his own purpose and grace,
•which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." — Eph. iii. 11,
" According to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord."

40 THE MARROW OF

promised,* and in the fulness of time performed, f the sending
of his Son Jesus Christ into the world, to help and deliver
fallen mankind.:}:

SECTION I.

OF THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GRACE.

Ant. I beseech yon, sir, let us hear more of these things ;
and first of all, show how we are to conceive of God's eternal
purpose in sending of Jesus Christ.

Evan. Why, here the learned frame a kind of conflict in
God's holy attributes ; and by a liberty, which the Holy Ghost,
from the language of holy Scripture, alloweth them, they speak
of God after the manner of men, as if he were reduced to
some straits and difficulties, by the cross demands of his seve-
ral attributes.! For Truth and Justice stood up and said,
that man had sinned, and therefore man must die ; and so
called for the condemnation of a sinful, and therefore worthily
a cursed creature ; or else they must be violated : for thou
saidst, (said they to God,) " In that day that thou eatest of the
tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt die the death."
Mercy^ on the other side, pleaded for favour, and appeals to

* Kom. i. 1,2, " The gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his
prophets iu the holy Scriptures."

f Gal. iv. 4, 5, " But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth
his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were
under the law."

X These are the good tidings, this is the law of faith, i. e. the law to
be believed for salvation, which the apostle plainly teacheth. Rom. i. 16,
" The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth ;" and, verse 17, " For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith." In this last text, clouded with a great variety of
interpretations, I think there is a transposition of words to be admitted,
and would read the whole verse thus : " For therein is revealed the
righteousness of God by faith unto faith ; as it is written, But the just by
faith shall live." The key to this construction and reading of the words
in the former part of the verse, is, the testimony adduced by the apostle
in the latter part of it, from Hab. ii. 4, where the original text appears to
me to determine the version of that testimony as here offered. The sense
is, the righteousness which is by faith, namely, the righteousness of
Christ, the only righteousness in which a sinner can stand before God, is iu the
gospel revealed unto faith, i. e. to be believed. See a like phrase, 1 Tim. iv.
3, translated after this manner.

^ " How shall I give thee up, Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee,
Israel ? How shall I make thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee as Ze-
boim ? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together."
Hosea xi. 8.

MODERN DIVINITY. 41

the great court in heaven : and there it pleads, saying, "Wisdom,
and power, and goodness, have been all manifest in the crea-
tion ; and anger and justice have been magnified in man's
misery that he is now plunged into by his fall : but I have not
yet been manifested * O let favour and compassion be shown
towards man, wofully seduced and overthrown by Satan ! Oh !
said theyt unto God, it is a royal thing to relieve the dis-
tressed ; and the greater any one is, the more placable and
gentle he ought to be. But Justice replied. If I be offended,
I must be satisfied and have my right ; and therefore I require,
that man, who hath lost himself by his disobedience, should,
for remedy, set obedience against it, and so satisfy the judg-
ment of God. Therefore the wisdom of God became an um-
pire, and devised a way to reconcile them; concluding, that
before there could be reconciliation made, there must be two
things effected; (1.) A satisfaction of God's justice. (2.) A
reparation of man's nature : which two things must needs be
effected by such a middle and common person that had both
zeal towards God, that he might be satisfied ; and compassion
towards man, that he might be repaired : such a person, as,
having man's guilt and punishment translated on him, might
satisfy the justice of God, and as having a fulness of God's
Spirit and holiness in him, might sanctify and repair the nature
of man.:}: And this could be none other but Jesus Christ,
one of the Three Persons of the blessed Trinity ; therefore

* Mercy requires an object in misery.

f Favour and compassion.

% As man lay in ruins, by the fall guilty and unclean, there stood in the
way of his salvation, by mercy designed, 1. The justice of God, which
could not admit the guilty creature ; and, 2. The holiness of God, which
could not admit the unclean and unholy creature to communion with him.
Therefore, in the contrivance of his salvation, it was necessary that provi-
sion should be made for the satisfaction of God's justice, by payment of
the double debt mentioned above ; namely, the debt of punishment and the
the debt of perfect obedience. It was also necessary that provision should
be made for the sanctification of the sinner, the repairing of the lost image
of God in him. And man being as unable to sanctify himself, as to satisfy
justice, (a truth which proud nature cannot digest,) the Saviour behoved,
not only to obey and suffer in his stead, but also to have a fulness of the
Spirit of holiness in him to communicate to the sinner, that his nature
might be repaired through sanctification of the Spirit. 'J'hus was the
groundwork of man's salvation laid in the eternal counsel ; the sanctification
of the sinner, according to our author, being as necessary to his salvation
as the satisfaction of justice ; for indeed the necessity of the former, as well as
of the latter, ariseth from the nature of God, and therefore is an absolute ne-
eessity.
4*

4Si THE MARROW OP

he, by tis Father's ordination, his own voluntary offering, and
the Holy Spirit's sanctification, was fitted for the business.
Whereupon there was a special covenant, or mutual agree-
ment made between God and Christ, as is expressed, Isa,
liii. 10, that if Christ would make himself a sacrifice for sin,
then he should " see his seed, he should prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper by him," So
in Psalm Ixxxix. 19, the mercies of this covenant between
God and Christ, under the type of God's covenant with
David, are set forth : " Thou spakest in vision to thy holy
One, and saidst, I have laid help upon One that is mighty :"
or, as the Chaldee expounds it, " One mighty in the law."
As if God had said concerning his elect, I know that these
will break, and never be able to satisfy me ; but thou art a
mighty and substantial person, able to pay me, therefore I
will look for my debt of thee.* As Pareus well observes,
God did, as it were, say to Christ, What they owe me I re-
quire all at thy hands. Then said Christ, " Lo, I come to
do thy will ! in the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do thy will, O my God I yea, thy law is in my
heart," Psalm xl. 7, 8. Thus Christ assented, and from ever-
lasting struck hands with God, to put upon him man's person,
and to take upon him his name, and to enter in his stead in
obeying his Father, and to do all for man that he should re-
quire, and to yield in man's flesh the price of the satisfaction
of the just judgment of God, and, in the same flesh, to suffer
the punishment that man had deserved; and this he under-
took under the penalty that lay upon man to have undergone.f
And thus was justice satisfied, and mercy by the Lord Jesus
Christ ; and so God took Christ's single bond ; whence Christ
is not only called the "surety of' the covenant for us," Heb.
vii. 22, but the covenant itself, Isa. xlix. 8. And God laid all

* That is, the debt which the elect owe to me. Thus was the covenant made
betwixt the Father and the Son for the elect, that he should obey for them,
and die for them.

t The Son of God consented to put himself in man's stead, in obeying his
Father, and so to do all for man that his Father should require, that satisfac-
tion should be made: farther, he consented, in man's nature, to satisfy and
suffer the deserved punishment, that the same nature that sinned might satisfy ;
and yet farther, he undertook to bear the very same penalty that lay upon
man, by virtue of the covenant of works, to have undergone ; so making him-
self a proper surety for them, who, as the author observes, must pay the sum
of money that the debtor ovveth. This I take to be the author's meaning ;
but the expression of " Christ's undertaking under the penalty," &c., is harsh
and unguarded.

MODERN DIVINITY. 4S

«pon him, that he might be sure of satisfaction ; protesting
that he would not deal with us, nor so much as expect any
payment from us ; such was his grace. And thus did our
Lord Jesus Christ enter into the same covenant of works that
Adam did to deliver believers from it :* he was contented to
be under all that commanding, revenging authority, which that
covenant had over them, to free them from the penalty of it ;
and in that respect, Adam is said to be a type of Christ, as
you have it, Rom. v. 14, " who was the type of him that was
to come." To which purpose, the titles which the apostle
gives these two, Christ and Adam, are exceeding observable :
he calls Adam the " first man," and Christ our Lord the
" second man," 1 Cor. xv. 47 ; speaking of them as if there
never had been any more men in the world besides these two ;
thereby making them head and root of all mankind, they having,
as it were, the rest of the sons of men included in them. The
first man is called the "earthy man ;" the second man, Christ,
is called the " Lord from heaven," 1 Cor. xv. 47. The earthy
man had all the sons of men born into the world included in '
him, and is so called, in conformity unto them, the "first
man :"f the second Man, Christ, is called the " Lord from
heaven," who had all the elect included in him, who are said
to be the " first born," and to have their " names written in
heaven," Heb. xii. 23, and therefore are appositely called
" heavenly men ;" so that these two, in God's account, stood

* Our Lord Jesus Christ became surety for the elect in the second cove-
nant, Heb. viii. 22 ; and in virtue of that suretyship, whereby he put him-
self in the room of the principal debtors, he came under the same cove-
nant of works that Adam did ; in so far as the fulfilling of that covenant
in their stead was the very condition required of him, as the second Adam
in the second covenant. Gal. iv. 4, 5, " God sent forth his Son ; made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law." Thus Christ
put his neck under the yoke of the law as a covenant of works, to redeem
them who were under it as such. Hence he is said to be the " end of the
law for righteousness to every one that believeth," Rom. x. 4 : namely,
the end for consummation, or perfect fulfilling of it by his obedience and
death, which pre-supposeth his coming under it. And thus the law as a
covenant of works was magnified and made honourable ; and it clearly
appears how " by faith we establish the law," Rom. iii. 31. How then is
the second covenant a covenant of grace ? In respect of Christ, it waa
most properly and strictly a covenant of works, in that he made a proper,
real, and full satisfation in behalf of the elect ; but in respect of them,
it is purely a covenant of richest grace, in as much as God accepted the
satisfaction from a surety, which he might have demanded of them ; pro-
vided the surety himself, and gives all to them freely for his sake.

t And so, in relation to them, is called the " first man,"

44 THE MARROW OF

for all the rest.* And thus you see, that the Lord, willing to
show mercy to the fallen creature, and withal to maintain the
authority of his law, took such a course as might best mani-
fest his clemency and severity. Christ entered into covenant,
and became surety for man, and so became liable to man's
engagements : for he that answers as a surety must pay the
same sum of money that the debtor oweth.

And thus have I endeavoured to show you, how we are to
conceive of God's eternal purpose in sending of Jesus Christ to
help and deliver fallen mankind.

SECT, n.— Of the Promise.

Sect. 1. The Promise made to Adam. — 2. The Promise renewed to Abra-
ham.— 3. The Law, as the Covenant of Works, added to the Promise.—
4. The Promise and Covenant with Abraham renewed with the lsraelite.s.
— 5. The Covenant of Grace, under the Mosaic Dispensation. — 6. The
natural bias towards the Covenant of Works. — 7. The Antinomian
Faith rejected. — 8. The evil of Legalism.

Sect. 1. — Ant. I beseech you, sir, proceed also to the se-
cond thing ; and first tell us, when the Lord began to make a
promise to help and deliver fallen mankind.

Evan. Even the same day that he sinned,f which, as I
suppose, was the very same day he was created.:}: For Adam,

* Thus Adam represented all mankind in the first covenant, and Christ
represented all the elect in the second covenant. — See the first note on
the Preface.

f This, our author does here positively assert, and afterwards confirm.
And there is plain evidence for it from the holy Scriptures, which deter-
mines the time of our Lord's calling our guilty first parents before him,
at the which time he gave them the promise. Gen. iii. 8, " And they
heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day ;" {Heh, " At the wind of that day," as Junius and Tremellius, Pis-
cator and Picherellus, read it ;) the which, as soon as it began to blow,
might convince them that their aprons of fig-leaves were not fit covers for
their nakedness.

X Our author is far from being singular in this opinion. The learned
Gataker, (apud Pol. Synop. Crit. in Gen. iii. 23,) owns it to be the com-
mon opinion, though he himself is of another mind, " That man fell, and
was cast out of paradise, the same day in which he was created." And
he tells us, (Ibid, in Psalm xlix. 13,) that " Broughton does most confi-
dently assert Adam not to have stood in his integrity so much as one day ;
and that he saith, out of Maimonides, This is held by all the Jews, as also
by the Greek fathers." That this opinion is less received than formerly,
is, if I mistake not, not a little owing to the cavils of the Deists ; who, to
weaken the credit of the inspired history, allege it to be incredible that
the events recorded, Gen. i. 24 — 26, and ii. 7, 18, to the end of the third
chapter, could all be crowded into one day. (See Nichol'a Conference

MODERN nVlNITY. 45

by his sin, being become the child of wrath, and both in body
and in soul subject to the curse, and seeing nothing due to him
but the wrath and vengeance of God, was " afraid, and
sought to hide himself from the presence of God," Gen. iii. 10,
whereupon the Lord promised Christ unto him, saying to the
serpent, " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed ;" he (that is to say, the seed
of the woman, for so is the Hebrew text) " shall break thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This promise of Christ,
the woman's seed, (ver. 15,) was the gospel ; and the only com-
fort of Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, and the rest of the godly
fathers, until the time of Abraham.*

•with a Theist.) The reasons to support it, taken from the learned Sharp,
one of the six ministers banished in the year 1606. (Curs. Theol. Loc.
de Peccato.) 1. " Because of the devil's envy, who, it is likely, could not
long endure to see a man in a happy state. 2. If man had stood more
days, the blessing of marriage would have taken place, Adam would have
known his wife, and begot a child without original sin. 3. The Sabbath
was not so much appointed for meditating on the works of creation, as
on the work of redemption. 4. It appears from the words of the serpent,
and of the woman, that she had not yet tasted any fruit. 5. When the
Holy Ghost speaks of the sixth day, Gen. i, and of the day of the fall, it
is with He emphatic. (Compare Gen. i. ult. and iii. 8.) 6. He fell so
soon, that the work of redemption might be the more illustrious, since
man could not stand one day without the Mediator's help." How the
Sabbath was broken by Adam's sin, though committed the day before,
may be learned from the Larger Catechism, on the fourth commandment,
which teaches, that " The Sabbath is to be sanctified — and to that end we are
to prepare our hearts — that we may be the more fit for the duties of that day ;"
and that " the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment, are all omissions of
the duties required," &c.

* In this promise was revealed, 1. Man's restoration unto the favour of
God, and his salvation ; not to be effected by man himself, and his own
works, but by another. For our first parents, standing condemned for
breaking of the covenant of works, are not sent back to it, to essay the
mending of the matter, which they had marred before ; but a new cove-
nant is purposed, — a Saviour promised as their only hope. 2. That this
Saviour was to be incarnate, to become man, " the seed of the woman."
3. That he behoved to suffer ; his heel, namely his humanity, to be
bruised to death. 4. That by his death he should make a full conquest
over the devil, and destroy his works, who had now overcome and de-
stroyed mankind ; and so recover the captives out of his hand : " he shall
bruise thy head, viz : while thou bruisest his heel." This encounter was
on the cross : there Christ treading on the serpent, it bruised his heel,
but he bruised its head. 5. That he should not be held by death, but
Satan's power should be broken irrecoverably : the Saviour being only bruised
in the heel, but the serpent in the head. 6. That the saving interest in him,
and his salvation, is by faith alone, believing the promise with particular ap-
plication to one's self, and so receiving him, forasmuch as these things are re-
vealed by way of a simple promise.

46 THE MARROW OF

Nom. I pray you, sir, what ground have you to think that
Adam fell the same day he was created ?

EvoM. My ground for this opinion is, Psalm xlix. 12 ; which
text Mr. Ainsworth makes to be the 13th verse, and reads it
thus, " But man in honour doth not lodge a night ; he is likened
unto beasts that are silenced."* That may be minded, says
he, both for the first man Adam, who continued not in his
dignity, and for all his children.

Ant. But, sir, do you think that Adam and those others did
understand that promised seed to be meant of Christ ?

Evan. Who can make doubt, but that the Lord had ac-
quainted Adam with Christ, betwixt the time of his sinning
and the time of his sacrificing, though both on one day ?

Ant. But did Adam offer sacrifice ?

* " From this text the Hebrew doctors, also in Bereshit Kabba, do ga-
ther, that the glory of the first man did not night with him, and that in
the beginning of the Sabbath his splendour was taken away from him,
and he was driven out of Eden." — (Cartwright apud Pol. Synops. Crit. in
Loc.) The learned Leigh, (in his Crit. Sacr. in voc. iwri,)* citing this
text, says, " Adam lodged not one night in honour, for so are the words,
if they be properly translated." He repeats the same in his annotations
on the book of Psalms, and points his reader to Ainsworth, whose version
does evidently favour this opinion, and is here faithfully cited by our
author, though without the marks of composition — " lodge a night," there
being no such marks in my copy of Ainsworth's version or annotations,
printed at London, 1639. However the word lun may signify, to abide or
continue, it is certain the proper and primary signification of it is, to-
night (at, in, or with). I must be allowed the use of this word to express
the true import of the original one." Thus we have it rendered, Gen.
xxviii. 11, " tarried all night." — Judges xix. 9, 10, 13, " Tarry all night —
tarry that night — lodged all night." And since this is the proper and
primary signification of the word, it is not to be receded from, without
necessity ; the which I cannot discover here. The text seems to me to
stand thus, word for word, the propriety of the tenses also observed :
" Yet Adam in honour could not night ; he became like as the beasts,
they were alike." Compare the Septuagint, and the vulgar Latin ; with
which, according to Pool, (in Synop. Crit.,) the Ethiopic, Syriac, and
Arabic, do agree, though unhappy in not observing the difference between
this and the last verse of the Psalm. Nothing can be more agreeable to
the scope and context. Worldly men boast themselves in the multitude
of their riches, verse 6, as if their houses should continue for ever, verse
11 ; and yet Adam, as happy as he was in paradise, continued not one
night in his honour ; it quickly left him ; yea, he died, and in that respect
became like the beasts ; compare vmse 14, " Like sheep they are laid in
the grave, death shall feed on them." And after showing that the worldly
man shall die, notwithstanding of his worldly wealth and honour, veise
19, this suitable memorial for Adam's sons is repeated with a very small
variation, verses 20, 21, " Adam was in honour, but could not understand ; he
became," &c.

MODERN DIVINITY. 47

Evan. Can you make any question, but that the bodies of
those beasts, whose skins went for a covering for his body,
were immediately before ofifered in sacrifice for his soul ?
Surely these skins could be none other but of beasts slain, and
ofifered in sacrifice ; for before Adam fell, beasts were not sub-
ject to mortality nor slaying. And God's clothing of Adam
and his wife with skins signified, that their sin and shame were
covered with Christ's righteousness. And, questionless, the
Lord had taught him, that his sacrifice did signify his acknow-
ledgment of his sin, and that he looked for the Seed of the
woman, promised to be slain in the evening of the world,
thereby to appease the wrath of God for his offence ; the which,
undoubtedly, he acquainted his sons, Cain and Abel, with,
when he taught them also to ofifer sacrifice.

Ant. But how doth it appear that this his sacrificing was the
very same day that he sinned ?

Evan. It is said, John vii. 3, concerning Christ, " That they
sought to take him, yet no man laid hands on him, because
his hour was not yet come ;" but after that when the time of
his sufifering was at hand, he himself said, John xii, 23, " The
hour is come ; " which day is expressly set down by the Evan-
gelist Mark to be the sixth day, and ninth hour of that day,
when "Christ, through the eternal Spirit, ofifered up himself
without spot to God," Mark xv. 34, 42. Now, if you compare
this with Exod. xii. 6, you shall find that the paschal lamb, a
most lively type of Christ, was ofifered the very same day and
hour, even the sixth day, and ninth hour of* that day, which
was at three of the clock in the afternoon: and the Scripture
testifies, that Adam was created the very same sixth day ; and
gives us ground to think that he sinned the same day. And
do not the before alleged Scriptures afford us warrant to be-
lieve that it was the very same hour of that day. Gen. i. 26 ;
when Christ entered mystically and typically upon the work
of redemption, in being offered as a sacrifice for Adam's sin ? ^

* That the promise was given the same day that Adam sinned, was
evinced before : and from the history, Gen. iii, and the nature of the thing
itself, one may reasonably conclude, that the sacrifices were annexed to the
promise. And since the hour of Christ's death was all along the time
of the evening sacrifice, it is very natural to reckon that it was also the
hour of the first sacrifice ; even as the place on which the temple stood
was at first designed by an extraordinary sacrifice on that spot, 1 Chron.
XX. 18 — 28, and xxii. 1. "At three o'clock in the afternoon, Christ yielded
up the Ghost, ( Mark xv. 34,) the very time when Adam had received the
promise of this his passion for his redemption." — Lightfoot on Acta ii. 1.

48 THE MARROW OF

And surely we may suppose, that the covenant ( as you heard)
being broken between God and Adam, justice would not have
admitted of one hour's respite, before it had proceeded to ex-
ecution, to the destruction both of Adam and the whole crea-
tion, had not Christ, at that very time, stood as the ram ( or
rather the lamb) in the bush, and stepped in to perform the
work of the covenant. And hence I conceive it is, that Saint*
John calls him the " Lamb slain" from the beginning of the
world,t Rev. xiii. 8. For as the first state of creation was
confirmed by the covenant which God made with man, and all
creatures were to be upheld by means of observing the law
and condition of that covenant ; so that covenant being broken
by man, the world should have come to ruin, had it not been,
as it were, created anew, and upheld by the covenant of grace
in Christ.

Ant. Then, sir, you think that Adam was saved ?

JEJvan. The Hebrew doctors hold that Adam was a repent-
ant sinner, and say, that he was by wisdom, ( that is to say, by
faith in Christ,) brought out of his fall ; yea, and the Church
of God doth hold, and that for necessary causes, that he was
saved by the death of Christ ; yea, says Mr. Yaughan, it is
certain he believed the promise concerning Christ, in whose
commemoration he offered continual sacrifice ; and in the
assurance thereof, he named his wife Hevah, that is to say,

* This word might well have been spared here ; notwithstanding that
we so read in the title of the book of the Revelation in our English
Bibles ; and in like manner, in the titles of other books in the New Tes-
tament, St. ( i. e. Saint) Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, &c. ; it is evident,
there is not such a word to be found in the titles of these books in the
original Greek ; and the Dutch translators have justly discarded it out of
their translations. If it is to be retained, because John, Matthew, Mark,
Luke, &c., were, without controversy, saints, why not on the same ground,
Saint Moses, Saint Aaron, ( expressly called " the Saint of the Lord," Psalm
cvi. 16.) &c.? No reason can be given of the difference made in this
point, but that it pleased Antichrist to canonize these New Testament
saints, but not the Old Testament ones. Canonizing is an act or sentence
of the Pope, decreeing religious worship and honours to such men or
women departed, as he sees meet to confer the honour of saintship on.
These honours are seven, and the first of them is, " That they are enrolled
in the catalogue of saints, and must be accounted and called saints by
all."— Bellarmin DLsp. tom. 1. Col. 1496.

t ITie benefits thereof (viz : of Christ's redemption) " were communi-
cated unto the elect from the beginning of the world in and by those pro-
mises, types, and sacrifices, wherein he was revealed, and signified to be
the Seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent's head, and the
Lamb slain from the beginning of the world." — Westm. Confess, chap. 8,
art. 6.

MODERN DIVINITY. 49

life* and he called his son Seth, settled or persuaded in
Christ.

Ant. Well, now, I am persuaded that Adam did understand
this seed of the woman to be meant of Christ.

Evan, Assure yourself, that not only Adam, but all the rest
of the godly fathers did so understand it, as is manifest in that
the Targum^ or Chaldee Bible, which is the ancient transla-
tion of Jerusalem, has it thus : " Between thy son and her
son ;" adding further, by way of comment, " So long, O ser-
pent, as the woman's children keep the law, they kill thee !
and when they cease to do so, thou stingest them in the
heel, and hast power to hurt them much ; but whereas for
their harm there is a sure remedy, for thee there is none ; for
in the last days they shall crush thee all to pieces, by means
of Christ their king." And this was it which did support and
uphold their faith until the time of Abraham.

Sect. 2 — Ant. What followed then ?

Evan. Why, then, the promise was turned into a covenant
with Abraham and his seed, and oftentimes repeated, that in
his seed all nations should be blessed,t Gen. xii. 3 ; xviii. 18 ;
and xxii. 18 ; which promise and covenant was the very voice
itself of the gospel, it being a true testimony of Jesus Christ ;

* So the Septuagiiit expounds it. Others, an enlivener, not doubting
but Adam, in giving her this name, had the promised life-giA^ing Seed,
our Lord Jesus Christ, particularly in view, amongst the " all living " she
was to be mother of.

f The ancient promise given to Adam vi^as the first gospel, the cove-
nant of grace ; for man, by his fall, " having made himself incapable of
life by the covenant of works, the Lord was pleased to make a second,
commonly called the covenant of grace," Gen. iii. 15. Westm. Confess.
chap. 7, art. 3. When that promise or covenant, in which the persons it
respected were not expressly designed, was renewed, Abraham and his
seed were designed expressly therein ; and so it became a covenant with
Abraham and his seed. And the promise being still the same as to the
substance of it, was often repeated, and in the repetition more fully and
clearly opened. So Jesus Christ, revealed to Adam only as the seed of
the woman, was thereafter revealed to Abraham as Abraham's own seed ;
and thus was it believed and embraced unto salvation in the various reve-
lations thereof. " God did seek Adam again, call upon him, rebuke his
sin, convict him of the same ; and, in the end, made unto him a most
joyful promise, viz : that the seed of the woman should break down the
serpent's head ; that is, he should destroy the works of the devil ; which
promise, as it was repeated, and made more clear from time to time, so
was it embraced with joy, and may constantly [i. e. most steadfastly) be
received of all the faithful, from Adam to Noe, and from Noe to Abra-
ham, from Abraham to David, and so, forth to the incarnation of Christ
Jesus." Old Confess, art. 4.
5

50 THE MARROW OF

as the apostle Paul beareth witness, saying, The Scripture fore-
seeing that God would justify the Gentiles through faith,
preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, Gal. iii. 8, say-
ing, "In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."
And the better to confirm Abraham's faith in this promise of
Christ, it is said. Gen. xiv. 19, that Melchisedec came forth
and met him, and blessed him. Now, says the apostle, Ileb.
vii. 1 — 3, and vi. 20, " This Melchisedec was a priest of the
most high God, and king of righteousness, and king of peace,
without father and without mother ; and so like unto the Son
of God, who is a priest for ever, after the order of Melchise-
dec ;" and both king of righteousness and king of peace, Jer,
xxiii. 6; Isa. ix. 6; yea, and without father as touching his
manhood, and without mother as touching his godhead.
Whereby we are given to understand, that it was the purpose
of God that Melchisedec should, in these particulars, resemble
the person and office of Jesus Christ, the Son of God ; and so,
by God's own appointment, be a type of him to Abraham, to
ratify and confirm the promise made to him and his seed, in
respect of the eternal covenant,* namely, that he and his be-
lieving seed should be so blessed in Christ, as Melchisedec had
blessed him.f Nay, let me tell you more, some have thought
it most probable, yea, and have said, if we search out this
truth without partiality, we shall find that this Melchisedec,
which appeared unto Abraham, was none other than the Son
of God, manifest by a special dispensation and privilege unto
Abraham in the flesh, who is therefore said to have " seen his
day and rejoiced.":}: John viii. 56. Moreover, in Gen. xv., we
read that the Lord did again confirm this covenant with Abra-
ham ; for when Abraham had divided the beasts, God came
between the parts like a smoking furnace and a burning lamp^

* That passed betwixt the Father and the Son from everlasting.

t Melchisedec was unto Abraham a type, to confirm him in the faith,
that he and his believing seed should be as really blessed iu Christ, as he
■was blessed by Melchisedec.

J This seems to me to be a more than groundless opinion, as being in-
consistent with the Scripture account of Melchisedec, Gen. xiv. 18 ; Heb.
vii. 1 — 4 ; howbeit it wants no patrons among the learned ; the declaring
of which is no just ground to fix it on our author, especially after his
speaking so plainly of Christ and Melchisedec as two different persons, a
little before. 'J'he text, (John viii. 56,) alleged by the patrons of that
opinion, makes nothing for their purpose : " for all (we mean the faithful
fathers under the law) did see (viz : by faith) the joyful day of Christ
Jesus, and did rejoice." Old Confess, art. 4.

MODERN" DIVINITY. 51

wbich,* as some have thought, did primarily typify the tor-
ment and rending of Christ ; and the furnace and fiery lamp
did typify the wrath of God which ran between, and yet did not
consume the rent and torn nature. And the blood of circum-
cision did typify the blood of Christ ;f and the resolved sacri-
ficing of Isaac on Mount Moriah, by God's appointment, did
prefigure and foreshow, that by the offering up of Christ, the
promised seed, in the very same place, all nations should be
saved. Now this covenant, thus made and confirmed with
Abraham, was renewed Avith Isaac, Gen. xxvi. 4, and made
known unto Jacob by Jesus Christ himself; for that man
which wrestled with Jacob was none other but the man Christ
Jesus ; for himself said, that Jacob should be called Israel,
a wrestler and prevailer with God ; and Jacob called the name
of the place Peniel, because he had " seen God face to face,"
Gen. xxxii. 28, 30. And Jacob left it by his last will unto
his children in these words, " The sceptre shall not depart
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, till Shiloh
come," Gen. xlix. 10 ; that is to say, of Judah shall kings
come one after another, and many in number, till at last the
Lord Jesus come, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords ;
or, as the Targum of Jerusalem and Onkelos do translate it,
until Christ the Anointed come.

Nom. But, sir, are you sure that this promised seed was
meant of Christ ?

Evan. The apostle puts that out of doubt. Gal. iii. 16, say-
ing, " Now unto Abraham and to his seed were the promises
made. J He says not — and to seeds, as of many, but as of
one, and to thy seed, which is Christ."§ And so no doubt but
these godly patriarchs did understand it.

Ant. But, sir, the great promise that was made to them, as
I conceive, and which they seemed to have most regard to,
was the land of Canaan.

* Namely, the passing of the furnace and burning lamp between the pieces.

f Heb. ix. 22, " And almost all things are by the law purged with blood :
and without shedding of blood is no remission." Compare Gen. xvii. 14,
" The uncircumcised man-child shall be cut off from his people : he hath
broken my covenant."

X Namely, the promises of the everlasting inheritance, typified by the land
of Canaan : the which promises see in Gen. xii. 7, and xiii. 15.

I That is, Christ mystical, Christ and the Church, the head and the mem-
bers ; yet so as the dignity of the head being still reserved — he is to be un-
derstood here primurilij, which is sufficient for our author's purposes ; and his
members secondaribj only.

5% THE MARROW OF

Evan. There is no doubt but that these godly patriarchs
did see their heavenly inheritance (by Christ) through the
promise of the land of Canaan, as the apostle testifies of
Abraham, Heb. xi. 9, 10, saying, " He sojourned in a strange
country, and looked for a city having foundations, whose
builder and maker is God." " Whereby it is evident," says
Calvin, (Instit. p. 204,) *' that the height and eminency of
Abraham's faith was the looking for an everlasting life in
heaven." The like testimony he gives of Sarah, Isaac, and
Jacob, saying, "All these died in the faith,"* Heb. xi. 13;
implying that they did not expect to receive the fruit of the
promise till after death. And, therefore in all their travails
they had before their eyes the blessedness of the life to come ;
and which caused old Jacob to say at his death, " Lord, I
have waited for thy salvation," Gen. xlix. 18. The which
speech the Chaldee paraphrase expounds thus, " Our father
Jacob said not, I expect the salvation of Gideon, son of Joash,
which is a temporal salvation, nor the salvation of Samson,
son of Manoah, which is a transitory salvation, but the salva-
tion of Christ, the Son of David, who shall come, and bring
unto himself the sons of Israel, whose salvation my soul de-
sireth." And so you see that this covenant, made with
Abraham in Christ, was the comfort and support of these and
the rest of the godly fathers, until their departure out of
Egypt.

Ant. And what followed then ?

Evan. Why, then, Christ Jesus was most clearly manifested
unto them in the passover lamb ; for, as that lamb was to be
without spot or blemish, Exod. xii. 5, even so was Christ,
1 Pet. i. 19. And as that lamb was taken up the tenth day
of the first new moon in March, even so on the very same day
of the same month came Christ to Jerusalem to suffer his
passion. And as that lamb was killed on the fourteenth day
at even, just then, on the same day, and at the same hour, did
Christ give up the ghost ; and as the blood of that lamb was
to be sprinkled on the Israelites' doors, Exod. xii. 7, even so
is the blood of Christ sprinkled on believers' hearts by faith,
1 Pet. i. 2. And their deliverance out of Egypt was a figure

* That these three, together with Abraham, are here meant by the apostle,
and not these mentioned in the first seven verses of the chapter, if it is con-
sidered, that of them lie spoke last, ver. 9. 11. To none before them was the
promise of Canaan given ; and they were the persons who had opportunity
to have returned to the country whence they came out, ver. 15.

MODERN DIVINITY. 53

of their redemption by Christ,* their passing through the Red
Sea was a type of baptism, f when Christ should come in the
flesh, and their manna in the wilderness, and water out of the
rock, did resemble the sacrament of the Lord's Supper ; and
hence it is that the apostle says, 1 Cor. x. 2 — 4, " They
did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same
spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that fol-
lowed them, and that Rock was Christ." And when they
were come to Mount Sinai, the Lord delivered the ten com-
mandments unto them.

Sect. — 3. Ant. But whether were the ten commandments,
as they were delivered to them on Mount Sinai, the covenant
of works or no ?

Evan. They were delivered to them as the covenant of
works. X

* That is, the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt was a figure
of the redemption of believers by Christ.

f Not that it prefigured or represented baptism as a proper and pro-
phetical type thereof, though some orthodox divines seem to be of that
mind ; but that, as the author expresses himself, in the case of the manna
and the water out of the rock, it resembled baptism, being a like figure
(or type) thereunto, as the apostle Peter determines, concerning Noah's
ark with the waters of the deluge, 1 Pet. iii. 21, even as the printer's
types of the letters impressed on the pa|}er, both signifying one and the
same word. For the ancient church is expressly said to have been " bap-
tized in the sea," 1 Cor. x. 1, 2, and as the rock, with the waters flowing
from it, did not signify the Lord's Supper, but the thing signified by that
New Testament Sacrament, namely, Christ, ver. 4, so their baptism in
the sea did not signify our baptism itself, but the thing represented thereby.
And thus it was a type or figure answering to and resembling- the bap-
tism of the New Testament-church ; the one being an extraordinary sa-
crament of the Old Testament, and the other an ordinary sacrament of
the New, both representing the same thing.

X As to this point, there arc diSereut sentiments among orthodox di-
vines ; though all of them do agree, that the way of salvation was the
same under the Old and New Testament, and that the Sinai covenant,
whatever it was, carried no prejudice to the promise made unto Abraham,
and the way of salvation therein revealed, but served to lead men to Jesus
Christ. Our author is far from being singular in this decision of this
question. I adduce only the testimonies of three late learned writers.
" That God made such a covenant ( viz : the covenant of works) with our
first parents, is confirmed by several parts of Scripture," Hos. vi. 7 ; Gal.
iv. 24, — Willison's Sacr. Cat. p. 3. The words of the text last quoted
are these : " For these are the two covenants, the one from the Mount Sinai
which gendereth to bondage." Hence it appears, that in the judgment
of this author, the covenant from Mount Sinai was the covenant of works,
otherwise there is no shadow of reason from this text for what it is ad-
duced to prove. The Rev. Messrs. Flint and M'Claren, in their elaborate
5*

54 THE MARROW OF

Nom. But, by your favour, sir, you know that these people
were the posterity of Abraham, and therefore under that cove-
nant of grace which God made with their father ; and therefore
I do not think that they were delivered to them as the cove-
nant of works ; for you know the Lord never delivers the cove-
nant of works to any that are under the covenant of grace.

Evan. Indeed it is true, the Lord did manifest so much
love to the body of this nation, that all the natural seed of
Abraham were externally, and by profession, under the cove-
nant of grace made with their father Abraham ; though, it is
to be feared, many of them were still under the covenant of
works made with their father Adam*

Nom. But, sir, you know, in the preface to the ten com-
mandments, the Lord calls himself by the name of their God

and seasonable treatises against Professor Simpson's doctrine, ( for which
I make no question but their names will be in honour with posterity,)
speak to the same purpose. The former having adduced the fore-cited
text, Gal. iv. 24, says. Jam duo fadera, ^c, that is, " Now here are two
covenants mentioned, the first the legal one, by sin rendered ineffectual,
entered into with Adam, and now again promulgate." [ Exam. Doctr. Joh.
Simp. p. 125.] And afterwards, speaking of the law of works, he adds,
Atque hoc est illud fondus, ifc, that is, " And this is that covenant promul-
gate on Mount Sinai, which is called one of the covenants," Gal. iv. 24.
Ibid. p. 131. The words of the latter, speaking of the covenant of works,
are these, " Tea, it is expressly called a covenant," Hos. vi. and Gal. iv.
And Mr. Gillespie proves strongly, that Gal. iv. is understood of the cove-
nant of works and grace. See his Ai'k of the Testament, part 1. chap. 5.
p. 180. The New Scheme Examined, p. 176. The delivering of the ten
commandments on Mount Sinai as the covenant of works, necessarily in-
cludes in it the delivering of them as a perfect rule of righteousness ; for-
asmuch as that covenant did always contain in it such a rule, the true
knowledge of which the Israelites were at that time in great want of, aa
our author afterwards teaches.

* The strength of the objection in the preceding paragraph lies here,
namely, that at this rate, the same persons, at one and the same time,
were both under the covenant of works, and under the covenant of grace,
which is absurd. Ans. The unbelieving Israelites were under the cove-
nant of grace made with their father Abraham externally and by profes-
sion, in respect of their visible church state ; but under the covenant of
works made with their father Adam internally and really, in respect of
the state of their souls before the Lord. Herein there is no absurdity ;
for to this day many in the visible church are thus, in these different re-
spects, under both covenants. Farther, as to believers among them, they
were internally and really, as well as externally, under the covenant of
grace ; and only externally under the covenant of works, and that, not aa
a covenant co-ordinate with, but subordinate and subservient unto, the
covenant of grace : and in this there is no more inconsistency than in the
former.

MODERN DIVINITY. 59

in general ; and therefore it should seem that they were all of
them the people of God*

Evan. That is nothing to the purpose ;t for many wicked
and ungodly men, being in the visible church, and under the

* As delivered from the covenant of works, by virtue of the covenant of
grace.

f That will not, indeed, prove them all to have been the people of God
in the sense before given, for the reason here adduced by our author.

Howbeit, the preface to the ten commandments deserves a particular
notice in the matter of the Sinai transaction, Exod. xx. 2, " I am the
Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage." Hence it is evident to me, that the covenant of
grace was delivered to the Israelites ou Mount Sinai. For the Son of
God, the messenger of the covenant of grace, spoke these words to a select
people, the natural seed of Abraham, typical of his whole spiritual seed.
He avoucheth himself to be their God ; namely, in virtue of the promise,
or covenant made with Abraham, Gen. xvii. 7, " I will establish my cove-
nant— to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee :" and their God,
which brought them out of the land of Egypt ; according to the promise
made to Abraham at the most solemn renewal of the covenant with him.
— Gen. XV. 14, " Afterwards shall they come out with great substance.
And he first declares himself their God, and then requires obedience, ac-
cording to the manner of the covenant with Abraham, Gen. xvii. 1 ; " I
am the Almighty God, (?'. e., in the language of the covenant. The Al-
mighty God TO THEE, to make thee for ever blest through the promised
SEED,) walk thou before me, and be thou perfect."

But that the covenant of works was also, for special ends, repeated and
delivered to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, I cannot, refuse, 1. Because of
the apostle's testimony. Gal. iv. 24, " These are the two covenants ; the
one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage." For the children
of this Sinai covenant the apostle here treats of, are excluded from the
eternal inheritance, as Ishmael was from Canaan, the type of it, ver. 30,
" Cast out the bond- woman and her son ; for the son of the bond-woman
shall not be heir with the son of the free woman ;" but this could never
be said of the children of the covenant of grace under any dispensation,
though both the law and covenant from Sinai itself, and its children, were
even before the coming of Christ under a sentence of exclusion, to be
executed on them respectively in due time. 2. The nature of the covenant
of works is most expressly in the New Testament brought in, propounded,
and explained from the Mosaical dispensation. The commands of it from
Exod. XX. by our blessed Saviour, Matt. xix. 17 — 19, " If thou wilt enter
into life keep the commandments. He saith unto him. Which ? Jesus
said, Thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery," &c.
The promise of it, Rom. x. 5, " Moses describes the righteousness which is
of the law, that the man which doth these things shall live by them."
The commands and promise of it together, see Luke x. 25 — 28. The ter-
rible sanction of it, Gal. iii. 10. For it is written, (viz : Deut. xxvii. 26,)
" Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them." 3. To this may be added the opposi-
tion betwixt the law and grace, so frequently inculcated in the New Testa-
ment, especially in Paul's epistles. See one text for all. Gal. iii. 12, " And
the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them."

5^

THE MARROW OF

external covenant, are called the chosen of God, and the people
of God, though they be not so. In like manner were many of
these Israelites called the people of God, though indeed they
were not so,

4. The law from Mount Sinai was a covenant, Gal. iv. 24, " These are the
two covenants, the one from the Mount Sinai ;" and such a covenant as
had a semblance of disannulling the covenant of grace, Gal. iii. 17, " The
covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was
430 years after, cannot disannul ;"' yea, such a one as did, in its own na-
ture, bear a method of obtaining the inheritance, so far different from
that of the promise, that it was inconsistent with it ; " For if the inhe-
ritance be of the law, it is no more of promise," Gal. iii. 18, wherefore
the covenant of the law from Mount Sinai could not be the covenant of
grace, unless one will make this last not only a covenant seeming to
destroy itself, but really inconsistent : but it was the covenant of works,
which indeed had such a semblance, and in its own nature did bear such
a method as before noted ; howbeit, as Ainsworth says, " The covenant of
the law now given could not disannul the covenant of grace," GaL iii. 17.
Annot. on Exod. xix. 1.

Wherefore I conceive the two covenants to have been both delivered on
Mount Sinai to the Israelites. First, The covenant of grace made with
Abraham, contained in the preface, repeated and promulgate there unto
Israel, to be believed and • embraced by faith, that they might be saved ;
to which were annexed the ten commandments, given by the Mediator
Christ, the head of the covenant, as a rule of life to his covenant people.
Secondly, the covenant of works made with Adam, contained in the same
ten commands, delivered with thunderings and lightnings, the meaning of
which was afterwards cleared by Moses, describing the righteousness of
the law and sanction thereof, repeated and promulgate to the Israelites
there, as the original perfect rule of righteousness, to be obeyed ; and yet
were they no more bound hereby to seek righteousness by the law than the
young man was by our Saviour's saying to him. Matt. xix. 17, 18, " If thou
wilt enter into life, keep the commandments — Thou shalt do no murder," &c.
The latter was a repetition of the former.

Thus there is no confounding of the two covenants of grace and works ;
but the latter was added to the former as subservient unto it, to turn their
eyes towards the promise, or covenant of grace : " God gave it to Abra-
ham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law ? it was added, because
of transgressions, till the Seed should come," Gal. iii. 18, 19. So it was
unto the promise given to Abraham, that this subservient covenant was
added ; and that promise we have found in the preface to the ten com-
mands. To it, then was the subservient covenant, according to the
apostle, added, put, or set to, as the word properly signifies. So it was
no part of the covenant of grace, the which was entire to the fathers, be-
fore the time that was set to it ; and yet is, to the New Testament
church, after that is taken away from it : for, says the apostle, '• It was
added till the seed should come." Hence it appears that the covenant of
grace was, botli in itself, and in God's intention, the principal part of the
Sinai transaction : nevertheless, the covenant of works was the most con-
spicuous part of it, and lay most open to the view of the people.

According to this account of the Sinai transaction, the ten commands,
there delivered, must come under a twofold notion or consideration ;

MODERN DIVINITY. S^

Nom. But, sir, was the same covenant of works made with
them that was made with Adam ?

Evan. For the general substance of the duty, the law de-
livered on Mount Sinai, and formerly engraven on man's heart,
was one and the same ; so that at Mount Sinai the Lord de-
livered no new thing, only it came more gently to Adam
before his fall, but after his fall came thunder with it.

Nom. Ay, sir, but as yourself said, the ten commandments,
as they were written in Adam's heart, were but the matter of
the covenant of works, and not the covenant itself, till the
form was annexed to them, that is to say, till God and man
were thereupon agreed : now, we do not find that God and
these people did agree upon any such terms at Mount Sinai.

Evan. No ;* say you so ? do you not remember that the

namely, as the law of Christ, and as the law of works : and this is not
strange, if it is considered, that they were twice written on tables of stone,
by the Lord himself, — the first tables the work of God, Exod. xxxii. 16,
which were broken in pieces, ver. 19, called the tables of the covenant,
Deut. ix. 11, 15, — the second tables, the work of Moses, the typical
Mediator, Exod. xxxiv. 1, deposited at first (it would seem) in the taber-
nacle mentioned, chap, xxxiii. 7, afterward, at the rearing of the taber-
nacle with all its furniture, laid up in the ark within the tabernacle, chap.
XXV. 16 ; and whether or not, some such thing is intimated, by the double
accentuation of the decalogue, let the learned determine ; but to the
ocular inspection it is evident, that the preface to the ten commands,
Exod. XX. 2, and Deut. v. 6, stands in the original, both as a part of a
sentence joined to the first commands, and also as an entire sentence,
separated from it, and shut up by itself.

Upon the whole, one may compare with this the first promulgation of
the covenant of grace, by the messenger of the covenant in paradise,
Gen. iii. 15, and the flaming sword placed there by the same hand, "turn-
ing every way to keep the way of the tree of life."

* Here, there is a large addition in the 9th edition of this book, Lon-
don, 1699. It well deserves a place, and is as follows : " I do not say,
God made the covenant of works with them, that they might obtain life
and salvation thereby ; no, the law was become weak through the flesh, as
to any such purpose, Rom. viii. 3. But he repeated, or gave a new
edition of the law, and that, as a covenant of works, for their humbling
and conviction ; and so do his ministers preach the law to unconverted
sinners still, that tliey who ' desire to be under the law may hear what
tlie law says,' Gal. iv. 21. And as to what you say of their not agreeing
to this covenant, I pray take notice, that the covenant of works wa« made
witli Adam, not for himself only, but as he was a public person repre-
senting all his posterity, and so that covenant was made with (he whole
nature of man in him, as appears by Adam's sin and curse coming upon
all, Rom. V. 12, &c.. Gal. iii. 10. Hence all men are born under that
covenant, whether they agree to it or no ; though, indeed, there is by
nature such a proneness in all to desire to be under that covenant, and
to work for life, that if natural men's consent were asked, they would

58 THE MARROW OF

Lord consented and agreed, wlien he said, Lev. xviii. 5,
"Ye shall therefore keep ray statutes and my judgments, which
if a man do, he shall live in them ;" and in Deut. xxvii. 26,
when he said, " Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words
of this law, to do them?" And do you not remember that
the people consented, Exod. xix. 8, and agreed, when they
said, " AH that the Lord hath spoken we will do ?" And
doth not the apostle Paul give evidence that these words were
the form of the covenant of works, when he says, Rom. x. 5,
" Moses describeth that righteousness which is of the law, that
the man that doeth these things shall live in them ;" and when
he says, Gal. iii. 10, " For it is written, Cursed is every one
that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law
to do them?"* And in Deut. iv. 13, Moses, in express terms,
calls it a covenant, saying, " And he declared unto you his
covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten
commandments, and he wrote them upon tables of stone."
Now, this was not the covenant of grace ; for Moses after-
wards, Deut. V. 3, speaking of this covenant, says, " God
made not this covenant with your fathers, but with you ;" and
by "fathers" all the patriarchs unto Adam may be meant,
(says Mr. Ainsworth,) who had the promise of the covenant of
Christ.f Therefore, if it had been the covenant of grace, he
would have said, God did make this covenant with them,
rather than that he did not.:}:

readily (though iguorantly) take upon them to do all that the Lord re-
quireth ; for do you not remember," &c.

* That the conditional promise, Lev. xviii. 5, (to which agrees Exod.
xix. 8,) and the dreadful threatening, Deut. xxvii. 26, were both given to
the Israelites, as well as the ten commands, is beyond question ; and
that according to the apostle, Eom. x. 5 ; Gal. iii. 10, they were the form
of the covenant of works, is as evident as the repeating of the words, and
expounding them so, can make it. How, then, one can refuse the cove-
nant of works to have been given to the Israelites, I cannot see. Mark
the "Westminster Confession upon the head of the covenant of Avorks ;
" The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein
life was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, upon condition
of perfect and personal obedience." And this account of the being
and nature of that covenant is there proved from these very texts among
others,<lom. x. 5 ; Gal. iii. 10 ; chap. 7, art. 2.

t " But the covenant of the law [adds he] came after, as the apostle
observeth, Gen. iii. 17. — They had a greater benefit than their fathers ;
for though the law could not give them life, yet it was a schoolmaster
tmto, i. e., to bring them unto, Christ." Gal. iii. 21 — 24. Ainsworth on
Deut. v. 3.

J The transaction at Sinai or Horeb (for they are but one mountain)
was a mixed dispensation ; there was the promise or covenant of grace,

MODERN DIVINITY. OV

Norm. And do any of our godly and modern writers agree
with you on this point ?

Evan. Yes, indeed. Polonus says, "The covenant of
works is that in which God promiseth everlasting life unto a
man that in all respects performeth perfect obedience to the
law of works, adding thereunto threatenings of eternal death,
if he shall not perform perfect obedience thereto. God made
this covenant in the beginning with the first man Adam,
whilst he was in the first estate of integrity : the same cove-
nant God did repeat and make again by Moses with the people
of Israel." And Dr. Preston, on the New Covenant, (p. 317,)
says, " The covenant of works runs in these terms, ' Do this
and thou shalt live, and I will be thy God.' This was the
covenant which was made with Adam, and the covenant that
is expressed by Moses in the moral law." And Mr. Pemble
(Yind. Fid. p. 152) says, "By the covenant of works, we
understand what we call in one word ' the law,' namely, that
means of bringing man to salvation, which is by perfect obe-
dience unto the will of God. Hereof there are also two several
administrations ; the first is with Adam before his fall, when
immortality and happiness were promised to man, and confirmed
by an external symbol of the tree of life, upon condition that
he continued obedient to God, as well in all other things, as
in that particular commandment of not eating of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. The second administration of
this covenant was the renewing thereof with the Israelites at
Mount Sinai; where, after the light of nature began to grow
darker, and corruption had in time worn out the characters of
religion and virtue first graven in man's heart,* God revived
the law by a compendious and full declaration of all duties
required of man towards God or his neighbour, expressed in
the decalogue ; according to the tenor of which law God

and also the law ; the one a covenant to be believed, the other a covenant to
be done, and thus the apostle states the diiference betwixt these two, Gal. iii.
12, "And the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in
them." As to the former, viz : the covenant to be believed, it was given to
their fathers as well as to them. Of the latter, viz : the covenant to be
done, Moses speaks expressly, Deut. iv. 12, 13, "The Lord spake unto you
out of the midst of the fire, and he declared unto you his covenant, which he
commanded you to perform (or do) even ten commandments." And chap.
V. 3, he tells the people no less expressly, that " the Lord made not this cove-
nant with their fathers."

* That is, had worn them out, in the same measure and degree as the light
of nature was darkened ; but neither the one nor the other was ever fully done.
Kom. ii. 14, 15

60 THE MARROW OF

entered into covenant with the Israelites, promising to be their
God in bestowing upon them all blessings of life and happi-
ness, upon condition that they would be his people, obeying
all things that he had commanded; which condition they ac-
cepted of, promising an absolute obedience, Exod. xix. 8, 'All
things which the Lord hath said we will do;' and also sub-
mitting themselves to all punishment in case they disobeyed,
saying, 'Amen' to the curse of the law, ' Cursed be every one
that confirmeth not all the words of the law : and all the peo-
ple shall say. Amen.' " And Mr. Walker, on the Covenant, (p.
128,) says, that " the first part of the covenant, which God
made with Israel at Horeb, was nothing else but a renewing
of the old covenant of works,* which God made with Adam
in paradise." And it is generally laid down by our divines,
that we are by Christ delivered from the law as it is a cove-
nant.f

Nom. But, sir, were the children of Israel at this time
better able to perform the condition of the covenant of works,
than either Adam or any of the old patriarchs were, that God
renewed it now with them, rather than before?

Evan. No, indeed ; God did not renew it with them now,
and not before, because they were better able to keep it, but
because they had more need to be made acquainted what the
covenant of works is, than those before. For though it is true
the ten commandments, which were at first perfectly written
in Adam's heart, were much obliterated ^ by his fall, yet some
impressions and relics thereof still remained ; § and Adam him-
self was very sensible of his fjall, and the rest of the fathers
were helped by tradition ; I and, says Cameron, " God did

* Wherein I differ from this learned author as to this point, and for what
reasons, may be seen, p. 55. note f.

f But not as it is a rule of life, which is the other member of that distinction.

X Both in the heart of Adam himself, and of his descendants in the first
ages of the world.

^ Both with him and them.

II The doctrine of the fall, with whatsoever other doctrine was necessary
to salvation, was handed down from Adam, the fathers communicating
the same to their children and children's children. There were but eleven
patriarchs before the flood ; 1. Adam, 2. Seth, 3. Enos, 4. Cainan, 5.
Mahalaleel, 6. Jared, 7. Enoch, 8. Methuselah, 9. Lamech, 10. Noah, 11.
Shem. Adam having lived 930 years. Gen. v. 5, was known to Lamech,
Noah's father, with whom he lived 66 years, and much longer with
the rest of the fathers before him ; so that Lamech, and those before him,
might have the doctrine from Adam's own mouth. Methuselah lived
with Adam 243 years, and with Shem 98 years before the deluge. See

MODERN DIVINITY. 61

speak to tlie patriarchs from heaven, yea, and he spake unto
them by his angels ;"* but now, by this time, sin had almost
obliterated and defaced the impressions of the law written in
their hearts ;t and by their being so long in Egypt, they were
so corrupted, that the instructions and ordinances of their
fathers were almost worn out of mind; and their fall in Adam
was almost forgotten, as the apostle testifies, Rom. v. 13, 14,
saying, " Before the time of the law, sin was in the world, but
sin is not imputed when there is no law." Nay, in that long
course of time betwixt Adam and Moses, men had forgotten
•what was sin ; so, although God had made a promise of bless-
ing to Abraham, and to all his seed, that would plead interest
in it,:j; yet these people at this time were proud and secure, and
heedless of their estate ; and though " sin was in them, and
death reigned over them," yet they being without a law to
evidence this sin and death unto their consciences, § they did
not impute it unto themselves, they would not own it, nor
charge themselves with it ; and so, by consequence, found no
need of pleading the promise made to Abraham ;| Rom. v. 20,
therefore, " the law entered," that Adam's offence and their
own actual transgression might abound, so that now the Lord
saw it needful, that there should be a new edition and publi-
cation of the covenant of works, the sooner to compel the elect
unbelievers to come to Christ, the promised seed, and that the
grace of God in Christ to the elect believers might appear the
more exceeding glorious. So that you see the Lord's inten-
tion therein was, that they, by looking upon this covenant

Gen. V. And what Shem, who, after the dehige, lived 502 years, Gen.
xi. 10, 11, had learned from Methuselah, he had occasion to teach Ar-
phaxad, Salah, Eber, Pelep:, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abraham, Isaac,
Gen. xxi. 5, and Jacob, to whose 51st year he (viz: Shem) reached. Gen.
xi. 10, and xxi. 5, and xxv. 26, compared. [Vid. Bail. Op. Hist. Chron.
p. 2, 3.] Thus one may perceive, how the nature of the law and cove-
nant of works given to Adam, might be far better known to them, than
to the Israelites after their long bondage in Egypt.

* That is, and besides all this, God spake to the patriarchs immediately
and by angels. But neither of these do we find during the time of the
bondage in Egypt, until the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the
bush, and ordered him to go and bring the people out of Egypt, Exod. iii.

fThe remaining impressions of the law on the hearts of the Israelites.

I By faith ; believing, embracing, and appropriating it to themselves,
Heb. xi. 13 ; Jer. iii. 4.

g Inasmuch as the remaining impressions of the law on their hearts
were so weak, that they were not sufficient for the purpose.

II By faith proposing it as their only defence, and opposing it to the
demands of the law or covenant of works, as their only plea.

6

62 THB MARROW OP

might be put in mind wliat was their duty of old, when they
were in Adam's loins ; yea, and what was their duty still, if
they would stand to that covenant, and so go the old and
natural way to work; yea, and hereby they were also to see
what was their present infirmity in not doing their duty ;*
that so they seeing an impossibility of obtaining life by that
way of works, first appointed in paradise, they might be hum-
bled, and more heedfully mind the promise made to their father
Abraham, and hasten to lay hold on the Messiah, or promised
seed.

Norn. Then, sir, it seems that the Lord did not renew the
covenant of works with them, to the intent that they should
obtain eternal life by their yielding obedience to it ?

Evan. No, indeed ; God never made the covenant of works
with any man since the fall, either with expectation that he
should fhlfil it,t or to give him life by it ; for God never ap-
points any thing to an end, to the which it is utterly unsuit-
able and improper. Now the law, as it is the covenant of
works, is become weak and unprofitable to the purpose of sal-
vation ;:}: and, therefore, God never appointed it to man, since
the fall, to that end. And besides, it is manifest that the pur-
pose of God, in the covenant made with Abraham, was to give
life and salvation by grace and promise; and, therefore, his pur-
pose in renewing the covenant of works, was not, neither could
be, to give life and salvation by working ; for then there would
have been contradictions in the covenants, and instability in him
that made them. Wherefore let no man imagine that God
published the covenant of works on Mount Sinai, as though
he had been mutable, and so changed his determination in that
covenant made with Abraham ; neither yet let any man sup-
pose, that God now in process of time had found out a better
way for man's salvation than he knew before : for, as the cove-
nant of grace made with Abraham had been needless, if the
covenant of works made with Adam would have given him and
his believing seed life ; so, after the covenant of grace was
once made, it was needless to renew the covenant of works, to
the end that righteousness of life should be had by the obser-

* How far they came short of, and could not reach unto the obedience
they owed unto God, according to the perfection of the holy law.

t Nor before the fall neither, properly speaking ; but the expression is
agreeable to Scripture style, Isa. v. 4, " Wherefore when I looked it
should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?"

X Rom. viii. 3, " For what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh ; God sending his own Son," &c.

MODERN DIVINITY. &St

vation of it. The which will yet more evidently appear, if we
consider, that the apostle, speaking of the covenant of works
as it was given on Mount Sinai, says, " It was added because
of transgressions," Gal. iii. 19. It was not set up as a solid
rule of righteousness, as it was given to Adam in paradise, but
was added or put to ;* it was not set up as a thing in gross by
itself.

N'om. Then, sir, it should seem that the covenant of works
was added to the covenant of grace, to make it more complete.

Evan. 0 no ! you are not so to understand the apostle, as
though it were added by way of ingrediency as a part of the
covenant of grace, as if that covenant had been incomplete
without the covenant of works ; for then the same covenant
should have consisted of contradictory materials, and so it
should have overthrown itself; for, says the apostle, "If it be
by grace, then it is no more of works ; otherwise grace is no
more grace : but if it be of works, then it is no more of grace ;
otherwise work is no more work," Eom. xi. 6. But it was
added by way of subserviency and attendance^ the better to ad-
vance and make effectual the covenant of grace ; so that al-
though the same covenant that was made with Adam was
renewed on Mount Sinai, yet I say still, it was not for the same
purpose. For this was it that God aimed at, in making the
covenant of works with man in innocency, to have that which
was his due from man rf but God made it with the Israelites
for no other end, than that man, being thereby convinced of
his weakness, might flee to Christ. So that it was renewed
only to help forward and introduce another and a better cove-
nant ; and so to be a manuduction unto Christ, viz : to discover
sin, to waken the conscience, and to convince them of their
own irapotency, and so drive them out of themselves to Christ.

* It was not set up by itself as an entire rule of righteousness, to which
alone they were to look who desired righteousness and salvation, as it
was in the case of upright Adam, " For no man, since the fall, can attain
to righteousness and life by the moral law," Lar. Cat. ques. 94. But it
was added to the covenant of grace, that by looking at it men might see
what kind of righteousness it is by which they can be justified in the
eight of God ; and that by means thereof, finding themselves destitute of
that righteousness, they might be moved to embrace the covenant of grace,
in which that righteousness is held forth to be received by faith.

f This was the end of the work, namely, of n)aking the covenant of
works with Adam, but not of the repeating of it at Sinai ; it was also the
end or design of the worker, namely of God, who made that covenant
with Adam, to have his due from man, and he got it from the Man Christ
Jesus.

64 THE MAEROW OF

Know it then, I beseech you, that all this while there was no
other way of life given, either in whole, or in part, than the
covenant of grace. All this while God did but pursue the
design of his own grace ; and, therefore, was there no incon-
sistency either in God's will or acts ; only such was his mercy,
that he subordinated the covenant of works, and made it sub-
servient to the covenant of grace, and so to tend to evangelical
purposes,

Nom. But yet, sir, methinks it is somewhat strange that the
Lord should put them upon doing the law, and also promise
them life for doing, and yet never intend it.

Evan. Though he did so, yet did he neither require of them
that which was unjust, nor yet dissemble with them in the
promise ; for the Lord may justly require perfect obedience at
all men's hands, by virtue of that covenant which was made
with them in Adam ; and if any man could yield perfect obe-
dience to the law, both in doing and suffering, he should have
eternal life ; for we may not deny ( says Calvin) but that the
reward of eternal salvation belongeth to the upright obedience
of the law.* But God knew well enough that the Israelites
were never able to yield such an obedience : and yet he saw it
meet to propound eternal life to them upon these terms ; that
so he might speak to them in their own humour, as indeed it
was meet : for they swelled with mad assurance in themselves,
saying, " All that the Lord commandeth we will do," and be
obedient, Bxod. xix. 8. Well, said the Lord, if you will
needs be doing, why here is a law to be kept ; and if you can
fully observe the righteousness of it, you shall be saved: send-
ing them of purpose to the law, to awaken and convince them,
to sentence and humble them, and to make them see their own
folly in seeking for life that way ; in short, to make them see
the terms under which they stood, that so they might be brought
out of themselves, and expect nothing from the law, in relation
to life, but all from Christ. For how should a man see his
need of life by Christ, if he do not first see that he is fallen
from the way of life ? and how should he understand how far
he had strayed from the way of life, unless he do first find
what is that way of life? Therefore it was needful that the
Lord should deal with them after such a manner to drive them
out of themselves, and from all confidence in the works of the

* That is, the perfect obedience of the law ; as it is said, Eccl. vii. 29,
" God made man upright."

MODERN DIVINITY. 65

law ; tbat so, by faith in Christ, they might obtain righteous-
ness and life. And just so did our Saviour also deal with that
young expounder of the law, Matt. xix. 16, who it seems, was
sick of the same disease: "Good Master," says he, "what
shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" He doth not,
says Calvin, simply ask, which way or by what means he
should come to eternal life, but what good he should do to get
it ; whereby it appears, that he was a proud justiciary, one
that swelled in fleshly opinion that he could keep the law, and
be saved by it ; therefore he is worthily sent to the law to
work himself weary, and to see need to come to Christ for rest.
And thus you see that the Lord, to the former promises made
to the fathers, added a fiery law ; which he gave from Mount
Sinai, in thundering and lightning, and with a terrible voice,
to the stubborn and stiff-necked Israel ; whereby to break and
tame them, and to make them sigh and long for the promised
Eedeemer.

Sect, 4. — Ant. And, sir, did the law produce this effect in
them ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, it did ; as will appear, if you consider,
that although, before the publishing of this covenant, they were
exceeding proud and confident of their own strength to do all
that the Lord would have them do ; yet when the Lord came
to deal with them as men under the covenant of works, in
showing himself a terrible judge sitting on the throne of justice,
like a mountain burning with fire, summoning them to come
before him by the sound of a trumpet, (yet not to touch the
mountain without a mediator,) Heb. xii. 19, 20, they were not
able to endure the voice of words, nor yet to abide that which
was commanded, insomuch, as Moses himself did fear and
quake ; and they did all of them so fear, and shake, and shiver,
that their peacock feathers were now pulled down. This ter-
rible show wherein God gave his law on Mount Sinai, says
Luther, did represent the use of the law : there was in the
people of Israel that came out of Egypt a singular holiness ;
they gloried and said, " We are the people of God ; we will
do all that the Lord commandeth." Moreover, Moses sancti-
fied them, and bade them wash their garments, and purify
themselves, and prepare themselves against the third day :
there was not one of them but was full of holiness. The
third day, Moses bringeth the people out of their tents to the
mountain in the sight of the Lord, that they might hear his
voice. What followed then ? why, when they beheld the hor-
rible sight of the mountain smoking and burning, the black
6*

66 THE MARROW OP

clouds and tlie lightnings flashing up and down in this horri-
ble darkness, and heard the sound of the trumpet blowing long,
and waxing louder and louder, they were afraid, and standing
afar off, they said not to Moses as before, " All that the Lord
commandeth we will do; but talk thou with us, and we will
hear, but let not God talk with us, lest we die." So that now
they saw they were sinners, and had offended God ; and, there-
fore, stood in need of a mediator to negotiate peace, and en-
treat for reconciliation between God and them ; and the Lord
highly approved of their words, as you may see, Deut. v. 28,
where Moses, repeating what they had said, adds further :
" The Lord heard the voice of your word, when ye spake to
me, and the Lord said unto me, I have heard the voice of the
words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee, they
have well said, all that they have spoken," viz : in desiring a
mediator. Wherefore, I pray you, take notice, that they were
not commended for saying, " All that the Lord commandeth
we will do." " No," says a godly writer, " they were not
praised for any other thing, than for desiring a mediator ;"*
whereupon the Lord promised Christ unto them, even as Mo-
ses testifies, saying, " The Lord thy God shall raise up unto
thee a prophet like unto me, from among you, even of your
brethren ; unto him shall you hearken, according to all that
thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the day of the
assembly, when thou saidst. Let me hear the voice of the
Lord my God no more, nor see this great fire any more, tliat
I die not : and the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken,
I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like

* I see no warrant for restraining the sense of this text to their de-
siring a mediator. The universal term, "All that they have spoken," in-
cludes also their engaging to receive the law at the mouth of the mediator,
■which is joined with their desire, ver. 27 : " Go thou near, and hear
all that the Lord our God shall say ; and speak thou unto us all that the
Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear and do," ver. 28.
And the Lord said, " They have well said all that they have spoken."
But there is a palpable difference between what they spoke, Exod. xix.
8, and what they spoke here, relative to their own practice. The for-
mer runs thus : " All that the Lord hath spoken we will do ;" the lat-
ter thus : " And we will hear and do ;" the original text bears no
more. The one relates to obedience only, the other to faith also, —
" We will HEAR," i. e , believe, Isa. Iv. 3 ; John ix. 27. Hence the object
of faith, that which is to be believed, is called a report, properly a hear-
ing, Isa. liii. 1 ; Rom. x. 16. The former speaks much blind self-confi-
dence ; the latter a sense of duty and a willing mind, but with all a sense of
duty and fear of mismanagement.

MODERN DIVINITY. 67

unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall
speak unto them all that I command him ;" and to assure us
that Christ was the prophet here spoken of, he himself says
unto the Jews, John v. 46, " If you had believed Moses, you
would have believed me ; for he wrote of me ;" and that this
was it which he wrote of him, the apostle Peter witnesses,
Acts iii. 22 ; and so doth the martyr Stephen, Acts vii. 37.
Thus you see, when the Lord had, by means of the covenant
of works made with Adam, humbled them, and made them
sigh for Christ the promised Seed, he renewed the promise
with them, yea, and the covenant of grace made with Abraham.*

Ant. I pray, sir, how doth it appear that the Lord renewed
that covenant with them ?

Evan. It plainly appears in this, that the Lord gave them
by Moses the Levitical laws, and ordained the tabernacle, the
ark, and the mercy-seat, which were all types of Christ.
Moreover, Lev. i. 1, "The Lord called unto Moses and
spake unto him out of the tabernacle,"f and commanded him
to write the Levitical laws, and the tabernacle ordinances ;
telling him withal, Exod. xxxiv. 27, " that after the tenor of
these words, he had made a covenant with him, and with
Israel.":j: So Moses wrote those laws, Exod. xxiv. 4, not in

* Making a promise of Christ to them, not only as " the seed of the
woman," but aS' " the seed of Abraham," and yet more particularly, as " the
seed of Israel : the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet, from the
midst of THEE, of THY BRETHREN," Deut. xviii. 15. And here it is to be ob-
served, that this renewing of the promise and covenant of grace with them
was immediately upon the back of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, for
at that time was their speech which the Lord commended as well spoken :
this appears from Exod. xx. 18, 19, compared with Deut. v. 23—28, and upon
that speech of theirs was that renewal made, which is clear from Deut. xviii.
17, 18.

f From the mercy-seat, which was within the tabernacle. The tabernacle
was an eminent type of Christ, Heb. ix. 11, as the temple also was, John ii.
19, 21. So this represented God's speaking in a Mediator, in Jesus Christ.
Here was a change agreeable to the people's desire on Mount Sinai. God
speaks, not from a burning mountain as before, but out of the tabernacle : nor
with terrible thunderings as at Sinai, but in a still small voice, intimated to
us, and intimated by the extraordinary smallness of one letter in the original
word rendered called, as the Hebrew doctors do account for that irregularity
of writing in that word.

X Moses exceedingly feared and quaked, Heb. xxii. 21, while he stood
amongst tlie rest of the Israelites at Mount Sinai during the giving of
the law, Exod. xix. 25, with chap. xx. 21. But here he is represented as
Israel's federal head in this covenant, he being the typical mediator ;
which plainly intimates the covenant of grace to have been made with
Christ, and with him in all the elect : " I have made a covenant with thee

68 THE MARROW OF

tables of stone, but in an authentical book,* says Ainswortb,
called the Book of the Covenant, which book Moses read in
the audience of the people, Exod. xxiv. 7, and the people
consented unto it. Then Moses having before sent young
men of the children of Israel, who were f]rst-born,f and there-
fore priests until the time of the Levites, to offer sacrifices of
burnt-offerings and peace-offerings unto the Lord, " took the
blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said. Behold the
blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you
concerning these things ;" whereby they were taught, that by
virtue of blood, this covenant betwixt God and them was con-
firmed, and that Christ, by his blood shed, should satisfy for
their sins ; for, indeed, the covenant of grace was, before the
coming of Christ, sealed by his blood in types and figures,:}:

Sect. o. — Ant. But, sir, was this every way the same cove-
nant that was made with Abraham ?

Evan. Surely I do believe, that reverend Bullinger spake
very truly, when he said that God gave unto these people no
other religion, in nature, substance, and matter itself, differing
from the laws of their fathers ; though, for some respects, he
added thereunto many ceremonies and certain ordinances; the

and with Israel," says the text. — See the first note on the preface, in the
Larger Catechism, quest. 31.

* Moses was twice on the Mount with God forty days. In the time of
the second forty days he received the order to write, mentioned Exod.
xxxiv. 27, as appears by comparing ver. 27 with 28. This comprehended
his writings of the Levitical laws, but not of the decalogue or ten com-
mandments ; for these last, God himself wrote on tables of stone, veise
28 compared with verse 1. This peremptory divine order, Moses, no
doubt, did obey ; understanding it of writing in a book, since he was not
commanded to write another way. So, in a like case, before he went up
into the Mount for the first forty days, he wrote Levitical laws in a book
called the Book of the Covenant, Exod. xxiv. 4, 7, "And Moses wrote
all the words of the Lord. And he took the book of the covenant and read."
Compare verse 18. This writing also comprehended Levitical laws, but not
the ten commandments. For all the words of the Lord which Moses wrote,
were all the words of the Lord which Moses told the people. And what these
were, appears from his commission received for that effect : chap. xx. 21, 22,
"And tlie people stood afar ofiF, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness
where God was ; and the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the
children of Israel," «fec. So " all the words" were these which follow to the end
of the 23d chapter.

f In the original text, [verse 5,) they are called emphatically the young men
(or ministers, or servants, 1 Sam. ii. 13, 15 ; Esth. ii. 2,) of the children of
Israel, to signify that they were first-born. And so Onkelos reads it, "the
first-born of the children of Israel."

X The blood of the sacrifices representing the precious blood of Christ.

MODERN DIVINITY. 6»

which he did to keep their minds in expectation of the coming
of Christ whom he had promised unto them ; and to confirm
them in Rooking for him, lest they should wax faint. And as
the Lord did thus by the ceremonies, as it were, lead them by
the hand to Christ ; so did he make them a promise of the
land of Canaan, and outward prosperity in it, as a type of
heaven, and eternal happiness; so that the Lord dealt with
them as with children in their infancy and under age, leading
them on by the help of earthly things, to heavenly and spi-
ritual, because they were but young and tender,* and had not
that measure and abundance of the Spirit which he had be-
stowed upon his people now under the gospel.

Ant. And, sir, do you think that these Israelites at this
time did see Christ and salvation by him in these types and
shadows ?

Evan. Yes ; there is no doubt but Moses and the rest of
the believers among the Jews did see Christ in them, " For,"
says Tindal, "though all the sacrifices-and ceremonies had a
star-light of Christ, yet some of them had the light of the
broad day, a little before the sun-rising;" and did express him,
with the circumstances and virtue of his death, as plainly, as
if his passion had been acted upon a scaffold : " Insomuch,"
says he, " that I am fully persuaded, and cannot but believe,
that God had showed Moses the secrets of Christ, and the very
manner of his death aforehand ;" and, therefore, no doubt but
that they offered their sacrifices by faith in the Messiah, as
the apostle testifies of Abel, Heb. xi. 4. I say, there is no
question but every spiritual believing Jew, when he brought
his sacrifice to be offered, and, according to the Lord's com-
mand, laid his hands upon it whilst it was yet alive, Lev. i. 4,
did, from his heart, acknowledge that he himself had de-
served to die ; but by the mercy of God he was saved, f and
his desert laid upon the beast ;:{: and as that beast was to die,
and be offered in sacrifice for him, so did he believe that the
Messiah should come and die for him, upon whom he put his
hands, that is, laid all his iniquities by the hand of faith.§ So

*The church was in her minority under the law, Gal. iv. 1 — 3.

f From the death he had deserved by his sin.

t'l'jT)ically.

^ " The mystical signification of the sacrifices, and especially this rite,
some think the apostle means by the doctrine of ' laying on of hands,'
Heb. vi. 2, which typified evangelical faith." Henry on Lev. i. 4. It
is evident that the offerer, by laying his hand on the head of the sacrifice,
did legally unite with it; laid bis sin, or transferred his guilt upon it, in.

70 THE MABROW OF

that, as Beza on Job i. says, "The sacrifices were to them
holy mysteries, in which, as in certain glasses, they did both
see themselves to their own condemnation before God,* and
also beheld the mercy of God in the promised Messiah, in time
to be exhibited:" "And therefore," says Calvin, Instit. p.
239, " the sacrifices and satisfactory ofierings were called
Ashemoth^ which word properly signifies sin itself, to show that
Jesus Christ was to come and perform a perfect expiation, by
giving his own soul to be an asham, that is, a satisfactory
oblation."

Wherefore, you may assure yourself, that as Christ was
always set before the fathers in the Old Testament, to whom
they might direct their faith, and as God never put thera in
hope of any grace or mercy, nor ever showed himself good
unto them without Christ ;t even so the godly in the Old Tes-
tament knew Christ by whom they did enjoy these promises of
God, and were joined to him.:}: And, indeed, the promise of
salvation never stood fi-rm till it came to Christ.§ And there
was their comfort in all their troubles and distresses, according
as it is said of Moses, Heb. xi. 26, 27, " He endured as seeing
him who is invisible,! esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect to the
recompense of reward."

And so, as Ignatius says, the prophets were Christ's ser-
vants, who, foreseeing him in spirit, both waited for him as
their master, and looked for him as their Lord and Saviour,
saying, " He shall come and save us."

And so says Calvin, Institut. p. 207, "So oft as the pro-
phets speak of the blessedness of the faithful, the perfect image

a typical or ceremonial way, Lev. xvi. 21 ; the substance and truth of
which cerenjonial action plainly appears to be faith, or believing on Jesua
Christ, which is the soul's assenting, for its own part, to, and acquiescing
in the glorious device of, " the Lord's laying on him the iniquities of us
all," Isa. liii. 6.

* That is, they saw themselves, as in themselves condemned by the
holy law.

f That is, as an absolute God out of Christ, but always as a God in
Christ.

X To Christ, by faith.

§ It stood, at first, on man's own obedience : which ground quickly
failed: then, it came to Christ, where it stood firm. Gen. iii. 1.5. It
(namely, " the seed of the woman ") " shall bruise thy head," viz : the ser-
pent's head.

II " Faith presenting to his view at all times the great angel of the cove-
nant, God the Son, the Redeemer of him and Israel." Suppl. Poole's
Annot. on the Text.

MODERN DIVINITY. 3^

that they have painted thereof was such as might ravish men's
minds out of the earth, and of necessity raise them up to the
consideration of the felicity of the life to come ;" so that we
may assuredly conclude, with Luther, that all the fathers, pro-
phets, and holy kings, were righteous, and saved by faith ia
Christ to come ; and so, indeed, as Calvin says, lustitut. p.
198, " were partakers of all one salvation with us."

Ant. But, sir, the Scriptures seem to hold forth as though
they were saved one way, and we another way ; for you know
the prophet Jeremiah makes mention of a twofold covenant ;
therefore it is somewhat strange to me, that they should be
partakers of one way of salvation with us.

Evan. Indeed, it is true, the Lord did bequeath unto the
fathers, righteousness, life, and eternal salvation, in and through
Christ the Mediator, being not yet come in the flesh, but pro-
mised : and unto us in the New Testament he gives and be-
queaths them to us in and through Christ, being already come,
and having actually purchased them for us ; and the covenant
of grace was, before the coming of Christ, sealed by his blood
in types and figures ; and at his death in his flesh,* it was
sealed and ratified by his very blood, actually, and in very deed
shed for our sins. And the old covenant, in respect of the
outward form and manner of sealing, was temporary and
changeable ; and therefore the types ceased, and only the sub-
stance remains firm ; but the seals of the new are unchange-
able, being commemorative, and shall show the Lord's death
until his coming again. And their covenant did first and
chiefly promise earthly blessings,f and in and under these it did
signify and promise all spiritual blessings and salvation ; but
our covenant promises, Christ and his blessings in the first
place, and after them earthly blessings.

These, and some other circumstantial difi*erences in regard
to administration, there were betwixt their way of salvation, or
covenant of grace, and ours ; which moved the author to the
Hebrews, Heb. viii. 8, to call theirs old, and ours new ; but,
in regard to substance, they were all one and the very same \X

* " Christ — being put to death in the flesh," 1 Pet. iii. 18.

t Chiefly ; in so far as, in that dispensation of the covenant of grace, the
promises of earthly blessings were chiefly insisted on ; and the promises of
spiritual blessings and salvation more sparingly.

I " There are not, therefore, two covenants of grace, differing in sub-
stance ; but one and the same under various dispensations." Westm.
Confess, chap. 7, art. 6. And their covenant of grace, confirmed by the
sprinkling of blood, E.xod. x.xiv ; Heb. ix. 19, 20, (the which covenant

72 THE MARROW OF

for in all covenants this is a certain rule, "If tlie subject
matter, the fruit and the conditions, be the same, then is the
covenant the same :" but in these covenants Jesus Christ is the
subject matter of both, salvation the fruit of both, and faith
the condition of both :* therefore, I say, though they be called
two, yet they are but one ; the which is confirmed by two
faithful witnesses : the one is the apostle Peter, who says,
Acts XV. 11, " We believe, that through the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they ;" meaning
the fathers in the Old Testament, as is evident in the verse
next before. The other is the apostle Paul, who says. Gal.
iii. 6, 7, ''Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to
him for righteousness, know ye, therefore, that they which are
of faith, the same are the children of Abraham :" by which
testimony, says Luther, on the Galatians, p. 116, " we may
see that the faith of our fathers in the Old Testament, and
ours in the New, is all one in substance.

Ant. But could they that lived so long before Christ, ap-
prehend his righteousness by faith for their justification and
salvation ?

Evan. Yea, indeed; for as Mr. Forbes, on Justification,
p. 90, truly says, it is as easy for faith to apprehend righteous-
ness to come, as it is to apprehend righteousness that is past :
wherefore, as Christ's birth, obedience, and death, were in the
Old Testament as effectual to save sinners, as they are now ;
so all the faithful forefathers, from the beginning, did partake
of the same grace with us, by believing in the same Jesus
Christ, and so were justified by his righteousness, and saved
eternally by faith in him. It was by virtue of the death of

they brake, by their unbelief frustrating the manner in which it was ad-
ministered to them,) was given to them when the Lord had led them out
of Egypt, and at Sinai too, as well as the ten commandments delivered to
them as the covenant of works. This is evident from Exod. xx. 1 — 17,
compared with Deut. v. 2 — 22, and Exod. xx. 20, 21, compared with chap,
xxiv. 3 — 8. See page 68, note.*

* Not in a strict and proper sense, as that, upon the performance of
which the right and title to the benefits of the covenant are founded and
pleaded ; as perfect obedience was the condition of the covenant of works.
Christ's fulfilling of the law, by his obedience and death, is the only con-
dition of the covenant of grace, in that sense. But in a large and improper
sense, as that whereby one accepts and embraces the covenant and the
proper condition thereof, and is savingly interested in Jesus Christ, the
head of the covenant. •' The grace of God is manifested in the second cove-
nant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a Mediator, and
life and salvation by him ; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them
in him," &c. Lar. Cat. quest. 32.

MODERN DIVINITY. 73

Christ, that Enoch was translated that he should not see death ;
and Elias was taken up into heaven by virtue of Christ's re-
surrection and ascension. So that from the world's beginning
to the end thereof, 'the salvation of sinners is only by Jesus
Christ ; as it is written, " Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and
to-day, and for ever," Heb. xiii. 8.

Ant. Why, then, sir, it seems that those who were saved
amongst the Jews, were not saved by the works of the law ?

Evan. No, indeed ; they were neither justified nor saved,
either by the works of the moral law, or the ceremonial law.
For, as you heard before, the moral law being delivered unto
them with great terror, and under most dreadful penalties,
they did find in themselves an impossibility of keeping it ; and
so were driven to seek help of a Mediator, even Jesus Christ,
of whom Moses was to them a typical mediator ;* so that the
moral law did drive them to the ceremonial law, which was
their gospel, and their Christ in a figure ; for that the cere-
monies did prefigure Christ, direct unto him, and require faith
in him, is a thing acknowledged and confessed by all men.

Nom. Bat, sir, I suppose, though believers among the Jews
were not justified and saved by the works of the law, yet was
it a rule of their obedience ?

Evan. It is very true, indeed ; the law of the ten command-
ments was a rule for their obedience ;t yet not as it came from
Mount Sinai ;:{: but rather as it came from Mount Zion ; not
as it was the law or covenant of works, but as it was the law
of Christ. The which will appear, if you consider, that after
the Lord had renewed with them the covenant of grace, as
you heard before, (Exod. xxiv. at the beginning) the Lord
said unto Moses, verse 12, " Come up to me into the mount,
and be there, and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law
that thou mayest teach them ;" and after the Lord had thus
written them the second time with his own finger, he delivered
them to Moses, commanding him to provide an ark to put
them into ; which was not only for the safe keeping of them,
Deut. ix. 10, X. 5 ; but also to cover the form of the covenant
of works that was formerly upon them, that believers might
not perceive it ; for the ark was a notable type of Christ ; and

* That is a type, he being to them a typical Mediator.

f The obedience of the believing Jews.

% That is, in the sense of our author, not as the covenant of works, but of
the twofold notion or consideration under which the ten commandments were
delivered from Mount Sinai. See page 55, note.f
7

74 THE MARROW OF

therefore the putting of them therein did show that they were
perfectly fulfilled in him, Christ being " the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth," Kom. x. 4. The
which was yet more clearly manifest, in that the book of the
law was placed between the cherubim, and upon the mercy-
seat, to assure believers that the law now came to them from
the mercy -seat ;* for there the Lord promised to meet Moses,
and to commune with him of all things which he would give
him in commandment to them, Exod. xxv. 22.

Ant. But, sir, was the form quite taken away, so as the ten
commandments were no more the covenant of works ?

Evan. Oh no ! you are not so to understand it. For the
form of the covenant of works,t as well as the matter, (on
God's part,):}: came immediately from God himself, and so con-
sequently it is eternal, like himself ; whence it is that our Sa-
viour says. Matt. v. 18, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot
or one tittle shall in no ways pass from the law, till all be ful-
filled." So that either man himself, or some other for him,
must perform or fulfil the condition of the law, as it is the
covenant of works, or else he remains still under it in a damn-
able condition : but now Christ hath fulfilled it for all be-
lievers ; and therefore, I said, the form of the covenant of
works was covered or taken away, as touching the believing
Jews ; but yet it was neither taken away in itself, nor yet as
touching the unbelieving Jews.

Nom. Was the law then still of use to them, as it was the
covenant of works ?

* From an atoned God in Christ, binding tliem to obedience with the
strongest ties, arising from their creation and redemption jointly ; but not
with the bond of the curse, binding them over to eternal death in case of
transgression, as tbe law or covenant of works does with them who are
under it, Gal. iii. 10. The mercy- seat was the cover of the ark, and both
the one and the other types of Christ. Within the ark, under the cover
of it, were the tables of the law laid up. Thus was the throne of
grace, which could not have stood on mere mercy, firmly established in
Jesus Christ ; according to Psalm Ixxxix. 14, " Justice and judgment are
the habitation \;inarg. " establishment"'] of thy throne." The word pro-
perly signifies a base, supporter, stay, or foundation, on which a thing
stands firm, Ezra ii. 68, and iii. 3 ; Paalm civ. 5. The sense is, 0 God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Psalm Ixxxix. 19, justice satisfied,
and judgment fully executed in the person of the Mediator, are the found-
dation and base which thy throne of grace stands vipou.

t Namely, the promissory and penal sanction of eternal life and death, in
which God's truth was engaged.

X Man's part was his consenting to the terras set before him by hia
Creator.

MODERN DIVINITY. ^

Evan. Yea, indeed.

Ant. I pray you, sir, show of what use it was to them.

Evan. I remember Luther (on the Galatians, p. 171) says,
" There be two sorts of unrighteous persons or unbelievers :
the one to be justified, and the other not to be justified : even
so was there among the Jews." Now, to them that were to be
justified, as you have heard, the law was still of iise to bring them
to Christ : as the apostle says. Gal. iii. 24, " The law was our
schoolmaster until Christ,* that we might be made righteous
by faith ;" that is to say, the moral law f did teach and show
them what they should do, and so what they did not; and this
made them go to the ceremonial law \X and by that they were
taught that Christ had done it for them ;§ the which they be-
lieving,! were made righteous by faith in him. And to the
second sort it was of use, to show them what was good, and
what was evil ; and to be as a bridle to them, to restrain them
from evil, and as a motive to move them to good, for fear of
punishment,^ or hope of reward in this life; which, though it
was but a forced and constrained obedience, yet was it neces-
sary for the public commonwealth, the quiet thereof being
thereby the better maintained. And though thereby they
could neither escape death, nor yet obtain eternal life, for want
of perfect obedience, yet the more obedience they yielded
thereunto, the more they were freed from temporal calamities,
and possessed with temporal blessings, according as the Lord
promised and threatened, Deut. xxviii.

Ant. But, sir, in that place the Lord seemeth to speak to his
own people, and yet to speak according to the tenor of the
covenant of works, which has made me think that believers in
the Old Testament were partly under the covenant of works.

Evan. Do you not remember how I told you before, that
the Lord did manifest so much love to the body of that nation,
that the whole posterity of Abraham ** were brought under a

* That is, to bring us unto Christ, as we read it with the supplement.

f As the covenant of works ; so the author uses that teim here, as it is used,
Larg. Cat. quest. 93, above cited.

X Broken under the sense of guilt, the curse of the law, and their utter inabil-
ity to help themselves by doing or suffering.

§ Christ's satisfying the law for sinners by his obedience and death, being the
great lesson taught by the ceremonial law, which was the gospel written in
plain characters, to those whose eyes were opened.

II Appropriating and applying to themselves by faith Christ's satisfaction
held forth and exhibited to them in these divine ordinances.

\ Both in time and eternity.

** Which were of that nation, according to Gen. xxi. 12, " In Isaac shall thy

76 THE MARHOW OF

state-covenant or national church ; so that for the believers'
sakes he enfolded unbelievers in the compact ; whereupon the
Lord was pleased to call them all by the name of his people^ as
well unbelievers as believers, and to be called their God ?
And though the Lord did there speak according to the tenor
of the covenant of works, yet I see no reason why he might
not direct and intend his speech to believers also, and yet they
remain only under the covenant of grace.

Ant. AVhy, sir, you said that the Lord did speak to them out
of the tabernacle, and from the mercy-seat ; and that, doubt-
less, was according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, and
not according to the tenor of the covenant of works.*

Evan. I pray you take notice, that after the Lord had pro-
nounced all those blessings and curses, Deut. xxviii. in the be-
ginning of the 29th chapter, it is said, " These are the words
of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make
with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the
covenant which he made with them in Horeb." Whereby it
doth appear to me, that this was not the covenant of works
which was delivered to them on Mount Sinai ;* for the form
of that covenant was eternal blessings and curses,f but the
form of this covenant was temporal blessings and curses.:): So
that this rather seems to be the pedagogy of the law, than the
covenant of works ; for at that time these people seemed to be
carried by temporal promises into the way of obedience, and

seed be called." And chap, xxviii. 13, " I am the Lord God of Abraham thy
father, and the God of Isaac ; the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give
it, and to thy seed."

* The author does not make the covenant at Horeb distinct from that at Si-
nai ; for he takes Horeb and Sinai for one and the same mountain, according
to the holy Scriptures, Exod. xix. 20, compared with Deut. v. 2, and there-
fore, because the text speaks of this covenant in the land of Moab as another
covenant beside that in Horeb, he infers that it was not the same ; not
the covenant of works delivered on Mount Sinai, otherwise called Horeb. And
howbeit there are but two covenants containing the only two ways to happi-
ness, the author cannot, on that account, be justly blamed for distin-
guishing this covenant from them both, unless temporal blessings do make men
happy ; the which blessings, with curses of the same kind, he takes to be the
form of this covenant.

t Deut. xxvii. 26, " Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of
this law to do them." Compare Gal. iii. 10, " For as many as are of the
works of the law are under the curse ;" for it is written, " Cursed is every
one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do
them."

X See Deut. xxviii. throughout. Chap. xxix. 9, " Keep, therefore, the
words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do."
And here ends a great section of the law.

MODERN DIVINITY. 77

deterred by temporal threatenings from the ways of disobe-
dience, God dealing with them as in their infancy and under
age, and so leads them on, and allures them, and fears them,
by such respects as these, because they had but a small mea-
sure of the Spirit.

Nom. But, sir, was not the matter of that covenant and this
all one ?

Evan. Yea, indeed ; the ten commandments were the mat-
ter of both covenants, only they differed in the forms.

Ant. Then, sir, it seems that the promises and threatenings
contained in the Old Testament were but temporary and ter-
restrial, only concerning the good and evil things of this life.

Evan. This we are to know, that like as the Lord, by his
prophets, gave the people in the Old Testament many exhor-
tations to be obedient to his commandments, and many dehor-
tations from disobedience thereunto ; even so did he back them
with many promises and threatenings, concerning things tem-
poral, as these and the like Scriptures do witness : Isa. i. 10,
" Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom ; give ear
unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah :" ver. 19, 20,
" If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good things of
the land ; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with
the sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." And
Jer. vii. 3, 9, 20, "Amend your ways and your doings, and I
will cause you to dwell in this place. Will ye steal, murder,
and commit adultery, and swear falsely by my name? There-
fore, thus saith the Lord God, behold mine anger and my fliry
shall be poured out upon this place." And surely there be two
reasons why the Lord did so : first^ because, as all men are
born under the covenant of works, they are naturally prone to
conceive that the favour of God, and all good things, do depend
and follow upon their obedience to the law,* and that the
wrath of God, and all evil things, do depend upon and follow
their disobedience to it,t and that man's chief happiness is to
be had and found in terrestrial paradise, even in the good
things of this life. So the people of the Old Testament being
nearest to Adam's covenant and paradise, were most prone to
such conceits. And secondly, because the covenant of graCe
and celestial paradise were but little mentioned in the Old Tes-

* Not a saving interest in the Lord Jesus Christ by faith.

f Not considering the great sin of unbelief; and that the wrath of God,
due to them for disobedience, may be averted by their fleeing to Christ for
refuge.

78 THE MARROW OF

tament, they, for the most part,* had but a glimmering know-
ledge of them, and so could not yield obedience freely as
sons.f Therefore the Lord saw it meet to move them to yield
obedience to his laws by their own motives,J and as servants
or children under age.§

Ant. And were both believers and unbelievers, that is, such
as were under the covenant of grace, and such as were under
the covenant of works, equally and alike subject, as well to
have the calamities of this life inflicted upon them for their
disobedience, as the blessings of this life conferred upon them
for their obedience ?

Evan. Surely the words of the preacher do take place here,
when he says, Eccl. ix. 2, "All things come alike to all ; there
is one event to the righteous and to the wicked." Were not
Moses and Aaron, for their disobedience, hindered from enter-
ing into the land of Canaan, as well as others ? Numb. xx. 12.
And was not Josiah, for his disobedience to God's command,
slain in the valley of Megiddo ? 2 Chron, xxxv. 21, 22. There-
fore assure yourself, that when believers in the Old Testa-
ment did transgress God's commandments, God's temporal
wrath II went out against them, and was manifest in temporal
calamities that befel them as well as others. Numb. xvi. 46.
Only here was the difierence, the believers' temporal calami-
ties had no eternal calamities included in them, nor following
of them ;^ and the unbelievers' temporal blessings had no eter-
nal blessings included in them, and their temporal calamities
had eternal calamities included in them, and following of them.**

* For the more eminent saints in the Old Testament times are to be ex-
cepted, such as David and others.

f Having but a small measure of knowledge of the celestial paradise,
the eternal inheritance, and of the covenant of grace, (the divine disposi-
tion containing their right to it,) they could not yield obedience freely,
in the measure that sons do, who are come of age, and know well their
own privileges ; but only as little children, who, in some measure, yield
obedience freely, namely, in proportion to the knowledge of these things, but
(that measure being very small) must be drawn also to obedience by motives
of a lower kind. And this the apostle plainly teaches, Gal. iv. 1 — 5. Cora-
pare Westm. Confess, chap. 20, art 1, " The liberty of Christians is further en-
larged, in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under
the law did ordinarily partake of."

X Promises and threatenings concerning things temporal.

§ By fear of punishment and hope of reward.

II That is, God's fatherly anger, whereby temporal judgments fall on his own
people.

^ By virtue of the covenant of grace which they were under.

** By virtue of the covenant of works which they were under.

MODERN DIVINITY. 79

Ant. Then, sir, it seems that all obedience that any of the
Jews did yield to God's commandments, was for fear of tem-
poral punishment, and in hope of temporal reward?

Evan. Surely the Scriptures seem to hold forth, that there
were three several sorts of people amongst the Jews, who en-
deavoured to keep the law of God, and they did all of them
differ in their ends.

The first of them were true believers, who, according to the
measure of their faith, did believe the resurrection of their
bodies after death, and eternal life in glory, and that it was to
be obtained, not by the works of the law, but by faith in the
Messiah or promised seed ; and answerably as they believed
this, answerably they yielded obedience to the law freely, with-
out fear of punishment or hope of reward : but, alas ! the spirit
of faith was very weak in most of them, and the spirit of bond-
age very strong, and, therefore, they stood in need to be in-
duced and constrained to obedience, by fear of punishment
and hope of reward.*

The second sort of them were the Sadducees and their sect,
and these did not believe that there was any resurrection.

* The author does not say, of believers under the Old Testament, sim-
ply, and without any qualification, that they " yield obedience to the law,
without fear of punishment or hope of reward," as if he minded to assert,
that they were not at all moved to their obedience by these ; the scope
of these words is to teach just the contrary. Compare page 78. But on
good grounds he affirms that " answerable to their faith, their obedience
was yielded freely, without fear of punishment or hope of reward." And
thus, the freeness of their obedience always bearing proportion to the
measure of their faith, the greater measure of faith any Old Testament
saint had attained unto, his obedience was the less influenced by fear of
punishment or hope of reward, and the smaller his measure of faith was,
his obedience was the more influenced by these ; accordingly, such aa
had no saving faith at all, were moved to obedience only by fear of pu-
nishment or hope of reward ; and the meanest saint's faith, being once
perfected by the beatific vision in heaven, these ceased altogether to be
motives of obedience to him, though he ceases not to obey from the
strongest and most powerful motives. And thus the apostle John teaches
concerning love which flows from faith, 1 John iv. 18, " Perfect love
casteth out fear, because fear hath torment ; be that feareth, is not made
perfect in love." The more there is of the one, there is still less of the
other. In the meantime, according to our author, the measure of faith
in the most part of believers under the Old Testament was very small,
(and the strongest faith was imperfect,) and the servile and childish dis-
position, which moves to obedience from fear of punishment and hope of
reward, was very strong in them. Gal. iv. 1 — 5 ; and, therefore, as they
stood in need of such inducement and constraint, there could not fail to
be a great mixture of the influence of fear of punishment and hope of reward in
their obedience.

80 THE MARROW OF

Matt. xxii. 23, nor any life but the life of this world ; and
yet they endeavoured to keep the law, that God might bless
them here, and that it might go well with them in this present
life.

The third sort, and indeed the greatest number of them in
the future ages after Moses, were the Scribes and Pharisees,
and their sects ; and they held and maintained, that there was
a resurrection to be looked for, and an eternal life after death,
and, therefore, they endeavoured to keep the law, not only to
obtain temporal happiness, but eternal also. For though it
had pleased the Lord to make known unto his people, by the
ministry of Moses, that the law was given, not to retain men
in the confidence of their own works, but to drive them out of
themselves, and to lead them to Christ the promised seed ; yet
after that time, the priests and the Levites, who were the ex-
pounders of the law, and to whom the Scribes and Pharisees
succeeded, did so conceive and teach of God's intention in
giving the law, as though it had been, that they, by their obe-
dience to it, should obtain righteousness and eternal life ; and
this opinion was so confidently maintained, and so generally
embraced amongst them, that in their book Mechilta, they say
and affirm, that there is no other covenant than the law ; and
so, in very deed, they conceived that there was no other way
to eternal life than the covenant of works.

Ant. Surely, then, it seems they did not understand and
consider that the law, as it is the covenant of works, does not
only bind the outward man, but also the inward man, even the
soul and spirit; and requires all holy thoughts, motions, and
dispositions of the heart and soul?

Evan. O, no ; they neither taught it nor understood it so
spiritually ; neither could they be persuaded that the law re-
quires so much at man's hands. For they first laid this down
for a certain truth, that God gave the law for man to be justi-
fied and saved by his obedience to it ; and that, therefore, there
must needs be a power in man to do all that it requires, or else
God would never have required it ; and, therefore, whereas
they should have first considered what a straight rule the law
of God is, and then have brought man's heart, and have laid
it to it, they, contrariwise, first considered what a crooked
rule man's heart is, and then sought to make the law like it :
and so indeed they expounded the law literally, teaching and
holding, that the righteousness which the law required was
but an external righteousness, consisting in the outward obser-
vation of the law, as you may see by the testimony of our Sa-

MODERN DIVINITY. 8l

viour, Matt, v ; so that, according to their exposition, it was
possible for a man to fulfil the law perfectly, and so to be jus-
tified and saved by his obedience to it.

Ant. But, sir, do you think the Scribes and Pharisees, and
their sect, did yield perfect obedience to the law, according to
their own exposition ?

Evan. No, indeed ; I think very few of them, if any at all.

Ant. Why, what hopes could they then have to be justified
and saved, when they transgressed any of the commandments ?

Evan. Peter Martyr tells us, that when they chanced to
transgress any of the ten commandments,* they had their sa-
crifices to make satisfaction (as they conceived); for they
looked upon their sacrifices without their significations, and so
had a false faith in them, thinking that the bare work was a
sacrifice acceptable unto God ; in a word, they conceived that
the blood of bulls and goats would take away sin, and so
what they wanted of fulfilling the moral law, they thought to
make up in the ceremonial law. And thus they separated
Christ from their sacrifices, thinking they had discharged their
duty very well, when they had sacrificed and offered their of-
ferings ; not considering that the imperfection of the typical
law, which, as the apostle says, made nothing perfect, should
have led them to find perfection in Christ, Heb. vii. 19 ; but
they generally rested in the work done in the ceremonial law,
even as they had done in the moral law, though they them-
selves were unable to do the one,t and the other was as insuf-
ficient to help them. And thus " Israel, which followed the
law of righteousness, did not attain to the law of righteous-
ness, because they sought it not by faith," but, as it were, by
the works of the 1 aw. For they being ignorant of the righteous-
ness of God, and going about to establish their own righteous-
ness, did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God,
Bom. ix.'Sl, and x. 3.

Ant. Then, sir, it seems there were but very few of them X
that had a clear sight and knowledge of Christ ?

Evan. It is very true indeed ; for generally there was such
a veil of ignorance over their hearts, or such a veil of blind-
ness over their minds, that it made their spiritual eye-sight so
weak and dim, that they were no more able to see Christ, the

* That is, according to their own exposition,
f To do any work of the moral law aright.
X Namely, of the Jews in general.

82 THE MARROW OP

Sun of righteousness, to the end of the law,* Mai. iv. 2, than
the weak eye of man is able to behold the bright sun when it
shineth in its full strength. And therefore we read, Exod.
xxxiv. 30, that when Moses' face did shine, by reason of the
Lord's talking with him, and telling him of the glorious riches
of his free grace in Jesus Christ, and giving unto him the ten
commandments, written in tables of stone, as the covenant of
works ;t to drive the people out of confidence in themselves,
and their own legal righteousness, unto Jesus Christ and his
righteousness, the people were not able to behold his face ; that
is to say,:}: by reason of the weakness and dimness of their
spiritual eye-sight, they were not able to see and understand
the spiritual sense of the law : namely, that the Lord's end or
intent in giving them the law as a covenant of works, and as
the apostle calls it, " the ministration of condemnation and
death," 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9, was to drive them out of themselves
to Christ, and that then § it was to be abolished to them, as
it was the covenant of works, verse 13, and therefore Moses
put the cloudy veil of shadowing ceremonies over his face.
Exodus xxxiv. 35, that they might be the better able to be-
hold it : that is to say, that they might be the better able to
see through them, and understand, that " Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,"
Romans ix. 4. For Moses' face, says godly Tindal, is the
law rightly understood. And yet, alas ! by reason that the
priests and Levites in former times, and the Scribes and
Pharisees in after times, " were the blind leaders of the blind,"
Matt. XV. 14, the generality of them were so addicted to the
letter of the law, (and that both moralf and ceremonial,)
that they used it not as a pedagogy to Christ, but terminated
their eye in the letter and shadow, and did not see through
them to the spiritual substance, which is Jesus Christ, 2 Cor.
iii. 13, especially in the future ages after Moses : for at the

* That is, having in himself a fulness of righteousness, answering the law to
the utmost extent of its demands ; as the sun has a fulness of light.

f Therefore, they are called by the apostle, the " ministration of death, writ-
ten and engraven on stones," 2 Cor. iii. 7. Now, it is evident, the ten com-
mandments are not the ministration of death, but as they are the covenant of
works. And, as such, they were given to Moses to be laid up in the ark,
to signify the fulfilling of them by Jesus Christ alone, and the removing of that
covenant-form from them, as to believers ; and so they served to drive sinners
out of themselves to Christ.

% That is, this is the mystery of that typical event.

\ When they should be driven out of themselves to Jesus Christ by it.

II As the covenant of works.

MODERN DIVINITY. 83

time of Christ's coming in the flesh, I remember but two,
namely, Simeon and Anna, that desired him, or looked for
him as a spiritual Saviour to save them from sin and wrath.
For though all of them had in their mouths the Messiah, says
Calvin, and the blessed state of the kingdom of David ; yet
they dreamed that this Messiah should be some great monarch
that should come in outward pomp and power, and save and
deliver them from that bondage which they were in under the
Romans, of which bondage they were sensible and weary ; but
as for their spiritual bondage under the law, sin, and wrath,
they were not at all sensible ; and all because their blind guides
had turned the whole law into a covenant of works, to be done
for justification and salvation ;* yea, and such a covenant as
they were able to keep and fulfil, if not by the doing of the
moral law, yet by their offering sacrifices in the ceremonial
law. And for this cause, our Saviour, in his sermon upon the
mount, took occasion to expound the moral law truly and
spiritually, removing that false literal gloss which the Scribes
and Pharisees had put upon it, that men might see how im-
possible it is for any mere man to fulfil it, and so consequently
to have justification and salvation by it. And at the death of
Christ, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to
the bottom, to show, says Tindal, "that the shadows of Moses'
law should now vanish away at the flourishing light of the
gospel," Matt, xxvii. 51. And after the death of Christ, his
apostles did, both by their preaching and writing, labour to
make men understand, that all the sacrifices and ceremonies
were but types of Christ ; and therefore he being now come,
they were of no further use : witness that divine and spiritual
epistle written to the Hebrews. Yet, notwithstanding, we may
say of the Jews at this day, as the apostle did in his time,
" even until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in
the reading of Moses." The Lord in mercy remove it in his
due time.f

* And so they quite perverted the great end of the giving of the law to
them.

f The history of the veil on Moses' face, is famous in the Old Testa-
ment, and the mystery of it in the New. The former, as I gather it from
the words of the inspired penman, Exod. xxxiv. stands thus briefly.
There was a shining glory on the' face of Moses in the Mount ; but he
himself knew it not while God spake with him there, ver. 29, and that by
reason of the excelling divine glory, 2 Cor. iii. 10 ; Gr. even as the light
of a candle is darkened before the shining sun : but when " Moses, being
come forth from the excelling glory, was coming down from the Mount,
with the tables in his hand, his face shone so as to send forth rays like

34 THE MARROW OF

Sect. 6 — Ant. Well, sir, I had thought that God's cove-
nant with the Jews had been a mixed covenant, and that they
had been partly under the covenant of works ; but now I per-
ceive there was little difference betwixt their covenant of grace
and ours.

Evan. Truly the opposition between the Jews' covenant of
grace and ours was chiefly of their own making. They should
have been driven to Christ by the law : but they expected life
in obedience to it, and this was their great error and mistake.

Ant. And surely, sir, it is no great marvel, though they in
this point did so much err and mistake, who had the covenant
of grace made known to them so darkly ; when many amongst
us, who have it more clearly manifested, do the like.

Evan. And, truly, it is no marvel, though all men naturally
do so : for man naturally doth apprehend God to be the great
Master of heaven, and himself to be his servant ; and that
therefore he must do his work before he can have his wages ;
and the more work he doth, the better wages he shall have.
And hence it was, that when Aristotle came to speak of bless-

horns," Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30, so that he could not but be conscious of it.
" Aaron and all the people perceiving Moses returning to them, went to
meet him ; but seeing an astonishing glory in his countenance, which
they were not able to look at, they were afraid, and retired," ver. 30, 31.
But Moses called to them to return, and goes into the tabernacle ; where-
upon the multitude not daring to return for all this, Aaron and the princes
alone return to him, being now in the tabernacle, ver. 31, the middle
part of which, I think, is to be read thus, " And Aaron and all the princes
returned unto him in the testimony," i. e., in the tabernacle of the testimony,
as it is called, chap, xxxviii. 21 ; Rev. xv. 5. From out of the tabernacle
Moses speaks to them, ordering (it would seem) the people to be gathered
together unto that place, ver. 31, 32. The people being convened at the
tabernacle, he preached to them all that he had received of the Lord on
the Mount, ver. 32. But in the meantime, none of them saw his face,
forasmuch as the tabernacle, within which he was, served instead of a
veil to it. Having done speaking, he puts a veil over his face, and comes
out to them, ver. 33. Marg. Heh. "And Moses ceased from speaking
with them, and put a veil on his face." Compare ver. 34, " But when Moses
went in before the Lord to speak with them, he took the veil off until he
came out."

The mystery of this typical event the apostle treats of, 2 Cor. iii. The
shining glory of Moses' face did not prefigure nor signify the gloiy of
Christ ; for " the glory of the Lord Christ," ver. 18, is evidently opposed
to the glory of Moses' countenance, ver. 7, and the open (or uncovered)
face of the former, ver. 18, (as Vetablus seems to me rightly to under-
stand it,) to the veiled face of the latter, ver. 13. The glory of the one is
beheld as in a glass, ver. 18, the sight of the face itself being reserved for
heaven ; but the glory of the face of the other was not to be beheld at
all, being veiled. But that glory signified the glory of the law given to

MODERN DIVINITY. 85

edness, and to pitch upon the next means to that end, he said,
" It was operation and working ;" with whom also agrees Py-
thagoras, when he says, " It is man's felicity to be like unto
God, (as how ?) by becoming righteous and holy." And let us
not marvel that these men did so err, who never heard of
Christ, nor of the covenant of grace, when those to whom it
was made known by the apostles of Christ did the like ; wit-
ness those to whom the apostle Paul wrote his epistles, and
especially the Galatians : for although he had by his preach-
ing, when he was present with them, made known unto them
the covenant of grace ; yet after his departure, through the
seducement of false teachers, they were soon turned to the
covenant of works, and sought to be justified, either in whole
or in part by it ; as you may see if you seriously consider that
epistle. Nay, what says Luther ? It is, says he, the general
opinion of men's reason throughout the whole world, that
righteousness is gotten by the works of the law ; and the reason
is, because the covenant was engendered in the minds of men
in the very creation,* so that man naturally can judge no other-
wise of the law than as of a covenant of works, which was
given to make righteous, and to give life and salvation. This

the Israelites, as the covenant of works, the glory of the ministration of
death, ver. 7, agreeable to what the author tells us from Tindal, namely,
that Moses' face is the law rightly understood. This Mosaic glory, while
it was most fresh, was darkened by the excelling glory of the Son of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, ver. 18, compared with Exod. xxxiv. 29, howbeit,
the discovery of it to sinners makes their hearts to tremble, they are not
able to bear it. That glorious form of the law must be hid in Christ the
true tabernacle, and from thence only must the law come to them, or
else they are not able to receive it ; though before that discovery is made
to them, they are ready to embrace the law under that form, as the peo-
ple were to receive Moses with the tables in his hands, till they found
themselves unable to bear the shining glory of his face. The veil which
Moses put on his face, keeping the Israelites from beholding the glory of
it, signifies that their minds were blinded, ver. 14, not perceiving the glory
of the law given them as a covenant of works. And hence it was " that the
children of Israel fastened not their eyes, Luke iv. 20 ; Acts iii. 4, on [Christ]
the end of that which is abolished," 2 Cor. iii. 13, Gr. for had they seen that
glory to purpose, they would have fastened their eyes on him, as a malefactor
at the stake would fix his eyes on the face of one bringing a remission. And
that is the veil that is upon Moses' face, and their hearts, unto this day, ver.
14, 15, which nevertheless, in the Lord's appointed time, shall be taken away,
ver. 16.

* This is not to be understood strictly of the very moment of man's
creation, in which the natural law was impressed on his heart, but with
some latitude, the covenant of works being made with man newly created ;
and so divines call it the covenant of nature. See Dickson's Therap. Sacr., book
1, chap. 5, p. 116.
8

86 THE MARROW OF

pernicious opinion of the law, that it justifieth and maketh
righteous before God, says Luther again, "is so deeply
rooted in man's reason, and all mankind so wrapped in it, that
they can hardly get out ; yea, I myself, says he, have now
preached the gospel nearly twenty years, and have been exer-
cised in the same daily, by reading and writing, so that I may
well seem to be rid of this wicked opinion ; yet, notwith-
standing, I now and then feel this old filth cleave to my heart,
whereby it cometh to pass that I would willingly have so to
do with God, that I would bring something with myself, be-
cause of which he should give me his grace." Nay it is to
be feared, that, as you said, many amongst us (who have more
means of light ordinarily, than ever Luther, or any before him
had,* yet notwithstanding) do either wholly, or in part, expect
justification and acceptation by the works of the law.

Ant. Sir, I am verily persuaded, that there be very many
in the city of London that are carried with a blind prepos-
terous zeal after their own good works and well-doings, secretly
seeking to become holy, just, and righteous, before God, by
their diligent keeping, and careful walking in all God's com-
mandments ;t and yet no man can persuade them that they do
so : and truly, sir, I am verily persuaded that this our neigh-
bour and friend, Nomista, is one of them.

Evan. Alas ! there are thousands in the world that make
a Christ of their works ; and here is their undoing, &;c. They
look for righteousness and acceptation more in the precept than
in the promise, in the law than in the gospel, in working than
in believing ; and so miscarry. Many poor ignorant souls
amongst us, when we bid them obey and do duties, they can
think of nothing but working themselves to life ; when they

* This is not to insinuate, that Luther had arrived but to a small mea-
sure of the knowledge of the doctrine of justification and acceptation of
a sinner before God, in comparison with those of later times ; 1 make no
question but he understood that doctrine as well as any man has done
since ; and doubt not but our author was of the same mind anent him :
but it is to show, that that great man of God, and others who went before
him, found their way out of the midnight darkness of Popery in that point,
with less means of light by far than men now have, who notwithstanding can-
not hold off from it.

t By which means they put their own works in the room of Christ,
" who of God is made unto us — righteousness and sanctification," 1 Cor.
i. 30. According to the Scripture plan of justification and sanctification,
a sinner is justified by his blood, Rom. v. 9, sanctified, in Christ Jesus, 1 Cor.
i. 2, through sanctification of the Spirit, 2 Thess. ii. 13, sanctified by faith,
Acts xxvi. 18.

MODERN DIVINITY. 87

are troubled, they must lick themselves whole, when woumled,
they must run to the salve of duties, and stream of perform-
ances, and neglect Christ. Nay, it is to be feared that there
be divers who in words are able to distinguish between the law
and gospel, and in their judgments hold and maintain, that
man is justified by faith Avithout the works of the law ; and
yet in effect and practice, that is to say, in heart and conscience,
do otherwise* And there is some touch of this in us all ;
otherwise we should not be so up and down in our comforts
and believing as we are still, and cast down with every weak-
ness as we are.f But what say you, neighbour Nomista, are
you guilty of these things, think you ?

Nom. Truly, sir, I must needs confess, I begin to be some-
what jealous of myself that I am so ; and because I desire your
judgment touching my condition, I would entreat you to give
me leave to relate it unto you.

Evan. With great good will.

Nom. Sir, I having been born and brought up in a country
where there was very little preaching, the Lord knoweth I
lived a great while in ignorance and blindness ; and yet, be-
cause I did often repeat the Lord's prayer, the apostles' creed,
and the ten commandments, and in that I came sometimes
to divine service, as they call it, and at Easter received the
communion, I thought my condition to be good. But at last,
by means of hearing a zealous and godly minister in this city,
not long after my coming hither, I was convinced that my
present condition was not good, and therefore I went to the
same minister, and told him what I thought of myself; so he
told me that I must frequent the hearing of sermons, and keep
the Sabbath very strictly, and leave off swearing by my faith
and troth, and such like oaths, and beware of lying, and all
idle words and communication ; yea, and said he, you must
get good books to read on, as Mr. Dodd on the Command-
ments, Mr. Bolton's Directions for Comfortable Walking with
God, Mr. Brinsley's True Watch, and such like ; and many
similar exhortations and directions he gave me, the which I

*It is indeed the practice of every unregenerate man, whatever be his know-
ledge or professed principles ; for the contrary practice is the practice of the
saints, and of them only, Matt. v. 3, " Blessed are the poor in spirit." — Phil,
iii. 3, " We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice
in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

f For these flow from our building so much on something in ourselves, which
is always very variable ; and so little on the " grace that is in Christ Jesus," 2
Tim. ii. 1, which is an immovable foundation.

88 THE MARROW OF

liked very well, and therefore endeavoured myself to follow
them. So I fell to the hearing of the most godly, zealous, and
powerful preachers that were in the city, and wrote their ser-
mons after them ; and when God gave me a family, I prayed
with them, and instructed them, and repeated sermons to them,
and spent the Lord's day in public and private exercises, and
left off my swearing, and lying, and idle talking ; and, accord-
ing to exhortation, in few words, I did so reform myself and
my life, that whereas before I had been only careful to per-
form the duties of the second table of the law, and that to the
end I might gain favour and respect from civil, honest men,
and to avoid the penalties of man's law, or temporal punish-
ment, now I was also careful to perform the duties required
in the first table of the law, and that to gain favour and respect
from religious, honest men, and to avoid the penalty of God's
law, even eternal torments in hell. Now, when professors of
religion observed this change in me, they came to my house,
and gave unto me the right hand of fellowship, and counted
me one of that number : and then I invited godly ministers to
my table, and made much of them ; and then, with that same
Micah mentioned in the book of Judges, I was persuaded the
Lord would be merciful unto me, because I had gotten a
Levite to be my priest, Judges xvii. 13. In a word, I did
now yield such an outward obedience and conformity to both
tables of the law, that all godly ministers and religious, honest
men who knew me, did think very well of me, counting me to
be a very honest man, and a good christian ; and indeed I
thought so of myself, especially because I had their approba-
tion. And thus I went on bravely a great while, even until I
read in Mr. Bolton's works, that the outward righteousness of
the Scribes and Pharisees was famous in those times ; for, be-
sides their forbearing and protesting against gross sins, as
murder, theft, adultery, idolatry, and the like, the}'^ were fre-
quent and constant in pra3'^er, fasting, and alms-deeds, so that,
without question, many of them were persuaded that their do-
ing would purchase heaven and happiness. Whereupon I con-
cluded, that I had as yet done no more than they ; and withal
I considered, that our Saviour says, " Except your righteous-
ness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees,
ye cannot enter into the kingdom of God," Matt. v. 20 ; yea,
and I also considered that the apostle says, "He is not a Jew
that is one outwardly ; but he that is one inwardly, whose
praise is not of men, but of God," Rom. ii. 28 29. Then did

MODERN DIVINITY. 89

I conclude that I was not yet a true Christian ; for, said I in
my heart, I have contented myself with the praise of men,
and so have lost all my labour and pains in performing duties ;
for they have been no better than outside performances, and,
therefore, they must all fall down in a moment. I have not
served God with all my heart ; and, therefore, I see I must
either go further, or else I shall never be happy. Whereupon
I set about the keeping of the law in good earnest, and la-
boured to perform duties, not only outwardly, but also in-
wardly from my heart ; I heard, and read, and prayed, and
laboured, to bring my heart, and forced my soul to every
duty ; I called upon the Lord in good earnest, and told him,
that whatsoever he would have me to do, I would do it with
all my heart, if he would but save my soul. And then I also
took notice of the inward corruptions of my heart, the which
I had not formerly done, and was careful to govern my
thoughts, to moderate my passions, and to suppress the mo-
tions and risings of lust, to banish pride and speculative wan-
tonness, and all vain and sinful desires of my heart ; and then
I thought myself not only an outside Christian, but also an
inside Christian, and therefore a true Christian indeed. And
so I went on comfortably a good while, till I considered that
the law of God requires passive obedience as well as active :
and therefore I must be a sufferer as well as a doer, or else I
could not be a Christian indeed ; whereupon I began to be
troubled at my impatience under God's correcting hand, and
at those inward murmurings and discontents which I found in
my spirit in time of any outward calamity that befel me ; and
then I laboured to bridle my passions, and to submit myself
quietly to the will of God in every condition ; and then did I
also, as it were, begin to take penance upon myself, by absti-
nence, fasting, and afflicting my soul; and made pitiful lamen-
tations in my prayers, which were sometimes also accompanied
with tears, the which I was persuaded the Lord did take notice
of, and would reward me for it ; and then I was persuaded
that I did keep the law, in yielding obedience both actively
and passively. And then was I confident I was a true Chris-
tian, until I considered, that those Jews, of whom the Lord
complains, Isa. Iviii. did as much as I ; and that caused me
to fear that all was not right with me as yet. Whereupon I
went to another minister, and told him that though I had done
thus and thus, and suffered thus and thus ; yet v/as I persuaded,
that I was in no better condition than those Jews. 0 yes!
8*

m THE MARROW OF

said he ; you are in a better condition than they : for they
were hypocrites, and served not God with all their hearts a3
you do. Then I went home contentedly, and so went on in
my wonted course of doing and suffering, and thought all was
well with me, until I bethought myself, that before the time
of my conversion, I had been a transgressor from the womb ;
yea, in the womb, in that I was guilty of Adam's trangres-
sion : so that I considered that although I kept even with God
for the time present and to come, yet that would not free me
from the guiltiness of that which was done before ; whereupon
I was much troubled and disquieted in my mind. Then I went
to a third minister of God's holy word, and told how the case
stood with me, and what I thought of my state and condition.
He cheered me up, bidding me be of good comfort: for how-
ever my obedience since my conversion would not satisfy for
my former sins ; yet, inasmuch as, at my conversion, I had
confessed, lamented, deplored, bewailed, and forsaken them,
God, according to his rich mercy and gracious promise, had
mercifully pardoned and forgiven them. Then I returned
home to my house again, and went to God by earnest prayer
and supplication, and besought him to give me assurance of the
pardon and forgiveness of my guiltiness of Adam's sin, and
all my actual transgressions before my conversion ; and as I
had endeavoured myself to be a good servant before, so I would
still continue in doing my duty most exactly ; and so, being
assured that the Lord had granted this my request, I fell to
my business according to my promise; I heard, I read, I
prayed, I fasted, I mourned, I sighed, and groaned ; and
watched over my heart, my tongue, and ways, in all my doings,
actions, and dealings, both with God and man. But after a
while, I growing better acquainted with the spiritualness of
the law, and the inward corruptions of my own heart, I per-
ceived that I had deceived myself, in thinking that I had kept
the law perfectly ; for, do what I could, I found many imper-
fections in my obedience ; for I had been, and was still sub-
ject to sleepiness, drowsiness, and heaviness, in prayers and
hearing, and so in other duties ; I failed in the manner of per-
formance of them, and in the end why I performed them,
seeking myself in everything I did: and my conscience told
me I failed in my duty to God in this, in my duty to my
neighbour in that. And then I was much troubled again : for
I considered that the law of God requires, and is not satisfied
without, an exact and perfect obedience. And then I went to

MODERN DIVINITY. 91

the same minister again, and told him how I had purposed,
promised, striven, and endeavoured, as much as possibly I
could, to keep the law of God perfectly ; and yet by woful
experience I had found, that I had, and did still transgress in
many ways ; and therefore I feared hell and damnation. " Oh !
but," said he, " do not fear ; for the best of Christians have
their failings, and no man keepeth the law of God perfectly ;
and therefore go on, and do as you have done, in striving to
keep the law perfectly ; and in what you cannot do, God will
accept the will for the deed ; and wherein you come short,
Christ will help you out." And this satisfied and contented
me very much. So I returned home again, and fell to prayer,
and told the Lord that now I saw I could not yield perfect
obedience to his law, and yet I would not despair, because I
did believe that what I could not do Christ had done for me :
and then I did certainly conclude, that I was now a Christian
indeed, though I was not so before : and so have I been per-
suaded ever since. And thus, sir, you see I have declared
unto you, both how it hath been with me formerly, and how
it is with me for the present ; wherefore I would entreat you
to tell me plainly and truly what you think of my condition.*

* It is not necessary, for saving this account of Nomista's case from
the odious charge of forgery, that the particulars therein mentioned should
have been real facts ; more than (not to speak of scripture parables) it ia
necessary to save the whole book from the same imputation, that the
speeches therein contained should have passed, at a certain time, in a real
conference of four men, called Evangelista, Nomista, Antinouiista, and
Neophytus ; yet I make no question but it is grounded on matters of fact,
falling out by some casuist's inadvertency, excess of charity to, or shifting
converse with, the afflicted, as to their soul exercise, or by means of cor-
rupt principles. And as the former are incident to good men of sound
principles at any time, which calls ministers on such occasions to take
heed to the frame of their own spirits, and to be much in the exercise of
dependence on the Lord, lest they do hurt to souls instead of doing them
good ; so the latter is at no time to be thought strange, since there were
found, even in the primitive apostolical churches, some who were reputed
godly, zealous gospel ministers, especially by such as had little savour of
Christ on their own souls, who nevertheless, in their zeal for the law, per-
verted the gospel of Christ, Gal. i. 6, 7, and iv. 17. Whether Nomista was
of opinion that the covenant of works was still in force or not, our Lord
Jesus Christ taught that it was, Luke x. 25 — 28 ; and so does the apostle,
Gal. iii. 10 ; and unbelievers will find it so to their everlasting ruin. For,
" our Lord Jesus, who now offers to be Mediator for them who believe
on him, shall, at the last day, come armed with flaming fire, to judge,
condemn, and destroy all them who have not believed God, have not re-
ceived the oflFer of grace made in the gospel, nor obeyed the doctrine
thereof, but remain in their natural state, under the law or covenant of
works.'' — Practical Use of Saving Knowledge, tit. For convincing a man of
Judgment by the Law, part. 2.

9% THE MABROW OP

JEJvan. Why, truly I must tell you, it appears to me by this
relation, that you have gone as far in the way of the cove-
nant of works as the apostle Paul did before his conversion ;
but yet, for aught I see, you have not gone the right way to
the truth of the gospel ; and therefore I question whether you
be as yet truly come to Christ.

Neoph. Good sir, give me leave to speak a few words.
By the hearing of your discourse concerning the covenant
of works, and the covenant of grace, I was moved to fear
that I was out of the right way ; but now having heard my
neighbour Nomista make such an excellent relation, and yet
you to question whether he truly be come to Christ or no,
makes me conclude absolutely, that I am far from Christ.
Surely, if he, upon whom the Lord hath bestowed such ex-
cellent gifts and graces, and who hath lived such a godly life
as I am sure he hath done, be not right, then woe be unto
me!

Evan. Truly, for aught I know, you may be in Christ be-
fore him.

Nom. But, I pray you, sir, consider, that though I am now
thoroughly convinced, that till of late I went on in the way of
the covenant of works ; yet seeing that I at last came to see
my need of Christ, and have verily believed that in what I
come short of fulfilling the law he will help me out, methinka
I should be truly come to Christ.

Evan. Verily, I do conceive that this gives you no surer
evidence of your being truly come to Christ, than some of
your strict Papists have. For it is the doctrine of the Church
of Eorne, that if a man exercise all his power, and do his best
to fulfil the law, then God, for Christ's sake, will pardon all
his infirmities, and save his soul. And therefore you shall
see many of your Papists very strict and zealous in the per-
formance of duties, morning and evening, so many Ave
Marias and so many Pater Nosters ; yea, and many of them
do great deeds of charity, and great works of hospitality ; and
all upon such grounds, and to such ends as these. The
Papists, says Calvin, cannot abide this saying, "By faith
alone ;" for they think that their own works are in part a
cause of their salvation ; and so they make a hotch-potch and
mingle-mangle, that is neither fish nor flesh, as men say.

Nom. Bat stay, sir, I pray ; you are mistaken in me ; for
though I hold that God doth accept of my doing my best to
fulfil the law, yet I do not hold with the Papists, that my
doings are meritorious ; for I believe that God accepts not

MODERN" DIVINITY. 93

wliat I do, eit"her for the work or worker's sake, but only for
Christ's sake.

Evan. Yet do you but still go hand in hand with the Pa-
pists ; for though they do hold that their works are meri-
torious, yet they say it is by the merit of Christ that they
become meritorious ; or, as some of the moderate sort of
them say, " Our works, sprinkled with the blood of Christ,
become meritorious." But this you are to know, that as the
justice of God requires a perfect obedience, so does it re-
quire that this perfect obedience be a personal one, viz: it
must be the obedience of one person only ; the obedience of
two must not be put together, to make up a perfect obe-
dience ;* so that, if you desire to be justified before God,
you must either bring to him a perfect righteousness of your
own, and wholly renounce Christ; or else you must bring
the perfect righteousness of Christ, and wholly renounce your
own.

Ant. But believe me, sir, I would advise him to bring
Christ's and wholly renounce his own, as, I thank the Lord,
I have done.

Eva7i. You say very well ; for, indeed, the covenant of
grace terminates itself only on Christ and his righteousness ;
God will have none to have a hand in the justification and
salvation of a sinner, but Christ only. And to say as the
thing is, neighbour Nomista, Christ Jesus will either be a
whole Saviour, or no Saviour ; he will either save you alone,
or not save you at all. Acts iv. 12, " For among men there
is given no other name under heaven, whereby we must be
saved," says the apostle Peter; and Jesus Christ himself
says, John xiv. 6, " I am the way, the truth, and the life ; and
no man cometh to the Father but by me." So that, as Lu-
ther truly says, " besides this way Christ, there is no way but
wandering, no verity but hypocrisy, no life but eternal death."
And verily, says another godly writer, " we can neither come
to God the Father, be reconciled unto him, nor have any-
thing to do with him, by any other way or means, but only
by Jesus Christ; for we shall not anywhere find the favour
of God, true innocency, righteousness, satisfaction for sin,
help, comfort, life, or salvation, anywhere but only in Jesus

* For in that case the obedience both of the one and of the other is im-
perfect, and so is not conform to the law ; therefore it can in no wise be
accepted for righteousness ; but according to justice proceeding upon it,
the soul that hath it must die, because a sinful soul, Ezek. zviii. 4.

tl( THE MARROW Or

Christ ; he is the sura and centre of all divine and evangelical
truths : and therefore as there is no knowledge or wisdom so
excellent, necessary, or heavenly, as the knowledge of Christ,
as the apostle plainly gives us to understand, 1 Cor. ii. 2, that
he ' determined to know nothing amongst them, but only
Jesus Christ and him crucified ;' so there is nothing to be
preached unto men, as an object of their faith, or necessary
element of their salvation, which doth not in some way or
other, either meet in Christ, or refer unto him."*

Sect. 7. — Ant. O, sir, you please me wondrous well in
thus attributing all to Christ : and surely, though of late you
have not been so evangelical in your teaching as some others
in this city, which has caused me to leave off hearing you to
hear them, yet 1 have formerly perceived, and now also per-
ceive, that you have more knowledge of the doctrine of free
grace than many other ministers in this city have ; and to tell
you the truth, sir, it was by your means that I was first brought
to renounce mine own righteousness, and cleave only to the
righteousness of Jesus Christ.f And thus it was: after that
I had been a good while a legal professor, just like my friend
Nomista, and heard none but your legal preachers, who built
me up in works and doings, as they did him, and as their
manner is ; at last, a familiar acquaintance of mine, who had
some knowledge of the doctrine of free grace, did commend
you for an excellent preacher ; and at last prevailed with me
to go with him and hear you ; and your text that day, I well
remember, was Titus iii. 5, " Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us;"
whence you observed, and plainly proved, that man's own

* Eph. iv. 20, 21, " But ye have not so learned Christ ; if so be that yc have
heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus."

f What this is, in the sense of the speaker, he himself immediately
explains at large. In a word, in his sense, it is to be an Antinomian indeed.
The sum of his compliment made 1o IJvangelista, or the author, which
you please, lies here ; namely, that he had left off hearing him, because
he did not preach the gospel so purely as some others in the place ; yet
in his opinion, he understood it better than many others ; and (to carry the
compliment to the highest pitch) it was by his means he turned downright
Antmomian. One would think, that whatever was the measure of the au-
thor's pride or humility, self-denial or self-seeking, he had as much
common sense as would render this address not very taking with him, or
at least would teach him, that the publishing of it was none of the most
proper means for commending of himself. So that the publishing of it
may rather be imputed to the author's self-denial than to the want thereof ;
though I presume the considering reader will neither impute it to the one cor
to the other.

MODERN DIVINITY. 95

righteousness had no hand in his justification and salvation ;
whereupon you dehorted us from putting any coniidence in
our own works and doings, and exhorted us by faith to lay
hold upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ only ; at the hear-
ing whereof it pleased the Lord so to work upon me, that I
plainly perceived that there was no need at all of my works
and doings, nor anything else, but only to believe in Jesus
Christ.* And indeed my heart assented to it immediately, so
that I went home with abundance of peace and joy in believing,
and gave thanks to the Lord for that he had set my soul at lib-
erty from such a sore bondage as I had been under. And I
told all my acquaintance what a slavish life I had lived in, be-
ing under the law; for if I did commit any sin, I was presently
troubled and disquieted in my conscience, and could have no
peace till I had made humble confession thereof unto God,
craved pardon and forgiveness, and promised amendment.
But now I told them, that whatsoever sins I committed, I was
no whit troubled at them, nor indeed am I at this day ; for I
do verily believe that God, for Christ's sake, has freely and
fully pardoned all my sins, both past, present, and to come ;
so that I am confident, that whatsoever sin or sins I commit,
they shall never be laid to my charge, being very well assured,
that I am so perfectly clothed with the robe of Christ's
righteousness, that God can see no sin in me at all. And

* The preacher taught, according to his text, That man's own righteousness
had no hand in his justification and salvation ; he dehorted, from putting
confidence in good works ; and exhorted, by faith to lay hold on Christ's
righteousness only. And this hearer tlience inferred, that there was no
need at all of good works ; as if one should conclude, that because it is
the eye only that seeth, therefore there is no need at all of hand or foot.
So the apostle Paul's doctrine was misconstrued ; Rom. iii. 8, " Some affirm
that we say, Let us do evil that good may come." Yea, in the apos-
tles' days, the doctrine of free grace was actually thus abused to Antino-
mianisni, by some " turning the grace of God into lasciviousness," Jude
4. The apostle was aware of the danger on that side, through the corruption
of the hearts of men ; Gal. v. 13, " Brethren, ye have been called unto
liberty ; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh." And ministers of
Christ, (who himself was accounted " a friend to publicans and ."sinners," &c.,
Matthew xi. 19,) followers of Paul's doctrine, which, in the eyes of
carnal men, had a show and semblance of favouring sinful liberty, ought
to set the apostles' example in this matter before them in a special manner ;
•with fear and trembling, keeping- a jealons eye on the danger from that
part ; especially in this day, wherein the Lord's indignation is visibly going
out in spiritual strokes, for a despised gospel ; knowing that the gos-
pel of Christ is to some " the savour of death unto death," 2 Cor. ii. 16, and
that " there are who wrest the Scriptures (themselves) unto their own destruc-
tion," 2 Pet. ii. 17.

96 THE MARROW OF

therefore now I can rejoice evermore in Christ, as the apostle
exhorts me, and live merrily, though I be never so vile or sin-
ful a creature ; and indeed I pity them that are in the same
slavish condition I was in ; and would have them to believe
as I have done, that so they may rejoice with me in Christ *
And thus, sir, you see I have declared unto you my condition;
and therefore I entreat you to tell me what you think of me,

Evan. There is in this city, at this day, much talk about
Antinomiaus ; and though I hope there be but few that do
justly deserve that title, yet, I pray, give me leave to tell you,
that I fear I may say unto you in this case, as it was once said
unto Peter in another case, " Surely thou art one of them, for
thy speech bewrayeth thee," Matt. xxvi. 73. And therefore, to
tell you truly, I make some question whether you have truly
believed in Christ, for all your confidence ; and indeed, I am
the rather moved to question it, by calling to mind, that, as I
have heard, " your conversation is not such as becometh the
gospel of Christ," Phil. i. 27.

Ant. Why, sir, do you think it is possible for a man to have
such peace and joy in Christ as I have had, and I thank the
Lord have still, and not to have truly believed in Christ ?

Evan. Yes, indeed, I think it is possible ; for does not our
Saviour tell us, that those hearers, to whom he resembles the
" stony ground, — immediately received the word with joy, and
yet had no root in themselves," Mark iv. 16, 17, and so indeed
were not true believers? and does not the apostle give us to
understand, that as there is a form of godliness without
the power of godliness, 2 Tim. iii. 5, so there is a form of
faith, without the power of faith ? and therefore he prays that
God would grant unto the Thessalonians " the work .of faith
with power," 2 Thess. i. 11. And as the same apostle gives
us to understand, " there is a faith that is not feigned," 1 Tim.
i. 5, so, doubtless, there is a faith that is feigned. And surely
when our Saviour says, Mark iv. 26-28, " the kingdom of
God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and
should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should

* How easy is the passage from legalism to Antinomianism ! Had this poor
man, under his trouble and disquiet of conscience, fled to Jesus Christ
for the purging of his conscience from guilt by his blood, and the sanctifying
of his nature by his Spirit ; and not put his own confessions of sins, prayers
for pardon, and promises of amendment, iu the room of Christ's atoning blood ;
and his blind and faithless resolutions to amend, in the room of the sanctifying
spirit of Christ ; he had escaped this snare of the devil, Heb. ix. 14 ; Rom.
vii. 4 — 6.

MODERN DIVINITY. -^

spring up and grow, he knoweth not how, first the blade,
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear ;" he giveth
us to understand, that true faith is produced by the secret
power of God, by little and little ; so that sometimes a
true believer himself neither knows the time when, nor the
manner how, it was wrought. So that we may perceive, that
true faith is not ordinarily begun, increased, and finished, all
in a moment, as it seems yours was, but grows by degrees,
according to that of the apostle. Bom. i. 17, " The righteous-
ness of God is revealed from faith to faith," that is, from one
degree of faith to another ;* from a weak faith to a strong
faith, and from faith beginning to faith increasing towards
perfection ; or from faith of adherence to faith of evidence ;
but so was not yours. And again, true faith, according to
the measure of it, produces holiness of life ; but it seems
yours does not so ; and therefore, though you have had, and
have still much peace and joy, yet that is no infallible sign
that your faith is true ; for a man may have great raptures,
yea, he may have great joy, as if he were lifted up into the
third heaven, and have a great and strong persuasion that his
state is good, and yet be but a hypocrite for all that. And
therefore, I beseech you, in the words of the apostle, " examine
yourself, whether you be in the faith, prove your own self:
know you not your own self, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except you be a reprobate ?" 2 Cor. xiii. 5. — " And if Christ
is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life
because of righteousness,"f Rom. viii. 10.

Ant. But, sir, if my friend Nomista went wrong in seeking
to be justified by the works of the law, then, methinks I
should have gone right in seeking to be justified by faith ; and
yet you speak as if we had both gone wrong.

Evan. I remember Luther says, that in his time, if they
taught in a sermon, that salvation consisted not in our works
or life, but in the gift of God, some men took occasion thence
to be slow to good works, and to live a dishonest life. And
if they preached of a godly and honest life, others did by and
by attempt to build ladders to heaven.:}: And moreover, he
says, that in the year 1525, there were some fantastical spirits
that stirred up the rustical people to sedition, saying, That the

* See note J, page 40.

t This doctrine of our author is far from cherishing of presumption, or
opening of a gap to licentiousness.

J That is, to scale and get into it by their own good works.
9

■96 THE MARROW OP

freerlom of the gospel giveth liberty to all men from all man-
ner of laws ; and there were others that did attribute the force
of justification to the law. Now, says he, both these sorts
ofi'end against the law ; the one on the right hand, who would
be justified by the law, and the other on the left hand, who
would be clean delivered from the law. Now, I suppose, this
saying of Luther's may be fitly applied to you two ; for it ap-
pears to me, friend Antinomista, that you have offended on the
left hand, in not walking according to the matter of the law ;
and it is evident to me, neighbour Nomista, that you have
offended on the right hand, in seeking to be justified by your
obedience to it.*

Sect. 8. — Nom. But, sir, if seeking justification by the
works of the law be an error, yet it seems, that, by Luther's
own confession, it is but an error on the right hand.

Evan. But yet I tell you, it is such an error, that, by the
apostle Paul's own confession, so far forth as any man is
guilty of it, he makes his services his saviours, and rejects
the grace of God, and makes the death of Christ of none
effect, and perverts the Lord's intention, both in giving the
law and in giving the gospel ; and keeps himself under the
curse of the law, and makes himself the son of a bond-
woman, a servant, yea, and a slave, and hinders himself in the
course of well-doing. Gal. v. 4 ; iii. 19 ; i. T ; iii. 10 ; iv. 25 ; v.
7, and ii. 11 ; and in short, he goes about an impossible thing,
and so loses all his labour.

Nom. Why then, sir, it would seem that all my seeking to
please God by my good works, all my strict walking accord-
ing to the law, and all my honest course of life, has rather done
me hurt than good ?

* The offences of these men here taxed, were both against the law (or
covenant) of works ; for they must needs have been against that law
which they were under, and not another ; and both of them were as yet
under the law, or covenant of works, as being both unbelievers, the
which was told to Antinomista, page 97, as it was to Nomista, page 92 ;
wherefore it is manifest, that by the matter of the law here, is not meant
the law of Christ, but the matter of the law of works, that is, the ten
commandments, as they stand in the covenant of works, which Antinomista
had no regard to in his conversation, though they had all the authority
and binding force upon him found in that covenant. And as he oflFended
against the matter of it, so did Nomista against the form, in seeking to
be justified by his obedience ; for the covenant of works never bound a
sinner to seek to be justified by his obedience to it ; but, on the contrary,
always condemned that as presumption, staking down the guilty under the
curse, without remedy, till satisfaction be made by another hand.

MODERN DIVINITY. 99

Evan. The apostle says, that " without faith it is impossible
to please G-od," Heb. xi. 6 ; that is, says Calvin, (Instit.
p. 370,) "Whatsoever a man thinketh, purposeth, or doeth,
before he be reconciled to God by faith in Christ, it is ac-
cursed, and not only of no value to righteousness, but of certain
deserving to damnation." So that, says Luther, on Galatians,
p. 63, " Whosoever goeth about to please God with works
going before faith, goeth about to please God with sin ; which
is nothing else but to heap sin upon sin, to mock God, and to
provoke him to wrath. Nay, (says the same Luther, on the
Galatians, p. 23,) if thou be without Christ, thy wisdom is
double foolishness, thy righteousness is double sin and ini-
quity." And, therefore, though you have walked very strictly
according to the law, and led an honest life, j^'et if you have
rested and put confidence therein, and so come short of Christ,
then hath it indeed rather done you hurt than good. For, says
a godly writer, a virtuous life, according to the light of nature,
turneth a man further off' from God, if he add not thereto the
effectual working of his Spirit. And, says Luther, " they
which have respect only to an honest life, it were better for
them to be adulterers and adulteresses, and to wallow in the
mire."* And surely for this cause it is that our Saviour tells
the strict Scribes and Pharisees, who sought justification by
works, and rejected Christ, that " publicans and harlots should
enter into the kingdom of God before them," Matt, xxi. 31.
And for this cause it was that I said, For aught I know, my
neighbour Neophytus might be in Christ before you.

Nora. But how can that be, when, as you know, he hath
confessed that he is ignorant and full of corruption, and comes
far short of me in gifts and graces ?

Evan. Because, as the Pharisee had more to do before he
could come at Christ than the publican had, so I conceive you
have more to do than he hath.

Noni. Why, sir, I pray you, what have I to do, or what
would you advise me to do ? for truly I would be contented to
be ruled by you.

Evan. Why, that which you have to do, before you can
come to Christ, is to undo all that ever you have done already ;

* This comparison is not stated betwixt these two, considered, simply,
as to their different manner of life ; but in point of pliableness to receive
conviction, wherein the latter hath the advantage of the former ; which
the Scripture ofteuer than once takes notice of, Matt. xxi. 31, quoted in
the following sentence, " I would thou wert cold or hot," Rev. iii. io. The
passage is to be found in his Sermon upon the Hjmn of Zacharias, page 50.

100 THE MARROW OP "

that is to say, -whereas you have endeavoured to travel to-
ward heaven by the way of the covenant of works, and so
have gone a wrong way ; you must go quite back again all the
way you have gone, before you can tread one step in the right
way. And whereas you have attempted to build up the ruins
of old Adam, and that upon yourself, and so, like a foolish
builder, to build a tottering house upon the sands, — you must
throw down and utterly demolish all that building, and not
leave a stone upon a stone, before you can begin to build anew.
And whereas you have conceived that there is some sufficiency
in yourself, to help to justify and save yourself, you must con-
clude, that in that case there is not only in you an insufficiency,
but also a non-sufficiency :* yea and that sufficiency that
seemed to be in you, to be your loss. In plain terms, you
must deny yourself, as our Saviour says. Matt. xvi. 24, that is,
" you must utterly renounce all that ever you are, and all that
ever you have done ;" all your knowledge and gifts ; all your
hearing, reading, praying, fasting, weeping, and mourning ; all
your wandering in the way of works, and strict walking, must
fall to the ground in a moment : briefly, whatsoever you have
counted gain to you in the case of justification, you must now,
with the apostle Paul, Philip, iii. 7 — 9, " count loss for Christ,"
and judge it to be " dung, that you may win Christ, and be
found in him, not having your own righteousness, which is of
the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by laith."

SECT. in. — Of the Performance of the Promise.

Sect. 1. — Christ's fulfilling of the Law in the room of the Elect. — 2. Be-
lievers dead to the Law as the Covenant of Works. — 3. The warrant to
believe in Christ. — 4. Evangelical Kepentance a consequent of Faith. —
5. The spiritual Marriage with Jesus Christ. — 6. Justification before Faith
refuted. — 7. Believers freed from the commanding and condemning Power
of the Covenant of Works.

Neo. But, sir, what would you advise me to do ?

Evan. Why, man, what aileth you ?

Neo. Why, sir, as you have been pleased to hear those two
declare their condition unto you, so I beseech you to give me
leave to do the same ; and then you will perceive how it is with

* That is, you are not only unable to do enough, but also, that you are not
able to do anything. " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any-
thing as of ourselves," 2 Cor. iii. 5.

MODERN DIVINITY. lOl

me. Sir, not long since, it pleased the Lord to visit me with
a great fit of sickness; so, that, indeed, both in mine own
judgment, and in the judgment of all that came to visit me, I
was sick unto death. Whereupon I began to consider whither
my soul was to go after its departure out of my body ; and I
thought with myself, that there were but two places, heaven
and hell ; and therefore it must needs go to one of them.
Then my wicked and sinful life, which, indeed, I had lived,
came into my mind, which caused me to conclude, that hell
was the place provided for it ; the which caused me to be very
fearful, and to be very sorry that I had so lived ; and I desired
of the Lord to let me live a little longer, and I would not fail
to reform my life, and amend my ways ; and the Lord was
pleased to grant me my desire. Since which time, though,
indeed, it is true I have not lived so wickedly as formerly I
had done, yet, alas ! I have come far short of that godly and
religious life which I see other men live, and especially my
neighbour Nomista ; and yet you seem to conceive that he is
not in a good condition, and therefore surely I must needs be
in a miserable condition. Alas ! sir, what do you think will
become of me ?

Sect. 1. — Evan. I do now perceive that it is time for me
to show how God, in the fulness of time, performed that which
he purposed before all time, and promised in time, concerning
the help and delivering of fallen mankind. And touching
this point, the Scripture testifies, that God " did, in the fulness
of time, send forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
the. law, to redeem them that were under the law," &c.. Gal.
iv. 4. That is to say, look how mankind by nature are under
the law, as it is the covenant of works ; so was Christ, as
man's surety, contented to be ; so that now, according to that
eternal and mutual agreement that was betwixt God the Father
and him, he put himself in the room and place of all the faith-
ful,* Isa. liii. 6, "And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all."

Then came the law as it is the covenant of works, and
said; "I find him a sinner,f yea, such an one as hath taken

* Tbat is, all those who have, or shall believe, or all the elect, which is
one and the same in reality, and in the judgment of our author, expressly
declared in the first sentence of his preface.

f By imputation and law-reckoning ; no otherwise, as a sinner believ-
ing in him is righteous before God. (Thus Isaac Ambrose, speaking of
justification, says, " This righteousness makes a sinner sinless ;" i. e., as
to guilt.) This must be owned to be the meaning of this expression,
9*

102 THE MARBOW OF

upon him the sins of all men,* therefore let him die upon the
cross." Then said Christ, "Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me ; in burnt-

unless one will shut one's eyes to the immediately foregoing and following
words, — I find him a sinner, said the law ; such an one as hath taken sin
upon hira. They are the words of Luther, and he was not the first who
spoke so. " He made him who was righteous to be made a sinner, that
he might make sinners righteous," says Chrysostom, on 2 Cor. v. Horn.
11. cit. Owen on Justification, p. 39. Famous Protestant divines have
also used the expression after him. " When our divines," says Ruther-
ford, " say, Christ took our place, and we have his condition, — Christ was
made us, and made the sinner ; it is true, only in a legal sense. He
[Christ] was debitor factus, — a sinner ; a debtor by imputation, a debtor
by law, by place, by office." Trial and Triumph of Faith, p. 245, 257.
Charnock argues the point thus : " How could he die, if he were not a
reputed sinner ? Had he not first had a relation to our sin, he could not
in justice have undergone our punishment. He must, in the order of
justice, be supposed a sinner really, or by imputation. Really, he was
not ; by imputation then he was," vol. ii. p. 547. Serm. on 1 Cor. v. 7.
" Though personally he was no sinner, yet by imputation he was," says
the Contin. of Poole's Annot. on 2 Cor. v. 21. " What Illyricus wrote,"
says Rivet, " that Christ might most truly be called a sinner, Bellarmine
calls blasphemy and cursed impudence. Now Bellarmine himself con-
tends, that Christ might attribute our sins to himself, therefore he might
also truly call himself a sinner, while in himself innocent, he did repre-
sent our person. What blasphemy, what impiety is here ?" Comment, on
Psalm xxii. 1. The Scripture phrase to this purpose is more forcible ; 2
Cor. V. 21, " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him." For as it is more
to say we are made righteousness, than to say we are made righteous,
since the former plainly imports a perfection of righteousness, if I may be
allowed the phrase, righteousness not being properly capable of degrees ;
so it is more to say. Christ was made sin for the elect world, than to say he
was made a sinner, since the first of these doth accordingly point at the
universality and complete tale of the elect's sins, from the first to the
last of them laid on our spotless Redeemer. Compare Lev. xvi. 21, 22,
" And Aaron shall confess over him (viz : the scape-goat, which the apostle
hath an eye to here) all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all
their transgi-essions, and all their sins, putting them upon the head of the
goat. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities," Isa. liii. 6.
" And the Lord {marg.) hath made the iniquity of us all to meet on {Heb.
in) him." These two texts give the just notion of the true import of that
phrase, " He was made sin for us."

* Our Lord Jesus Christ died not for, nor took upon him the sins of,
all and every individual man, but he died for, and took upon him the
sins of, all the elect, John x. 15, and xv. 13 ; Acts xx. 28 ; Eph. v. 25 ; Tit.
ii. 14, and no other doctrine is here taught by our author touching the
extent of the death of Christ. In the preceding paragraph, where was
the proper place for giving his judgment on that head, he purposely de-
clares it. He had before taught, that Jesus Christ did from eternity be-
come man's surety in the covenant that passed betwixt hira and the
Father, p. 22 — 24. A surety puts himself in the place of those for whom
he becomes sui-cty, to pay their debt, Gcu. xliv. 32, 33 ; Prov. xxii. 26, 27.

MODERN DIVINITY. 103

offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast no pleasure. Then
said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 Lord !" Heb. x. 5 — 7.
And so the law proceeding in full scope against him, set upon

And our author tells us, that now, when the prefixed time of Christ's ful-
filling the eternal covenant, paying the debt he had taken on him, and
purchasing man's redemption by his sufferings, was come, he did, accord-
ing to the tenor of that covenant, which stated the extent of his surety-
ship, put himself in the room and place — he says not, of all men, but—
of all the faithful, or elect of God ; (see n.* p. 101 ;) Jesus Christ thus stand-
ing in their room and place, actually to take on the burden. " The Lord
laid on him the iniquities of us all ;" the which Scripture text can bear no
other sense in the connection of it here, than what is the genuine sense
of it, as it stands in the holy Scripture, namely, that the Father laid on
Christ the iniquities of all the spiritual Israel of God, of all nations, ranks,
and conditions ; for no iniquities could be laid on him but theirs in whose
room and place he put himself to receive the burden, according to the
eternal and mutual agreement. These iniquities being thus laid on the
Mediator, the law came and said, I find him such an one as hath taken
on him the sins of all men. This is but an incident expression on the
head of the extent of Christ's death, and it is a scriptural one too. 1 Tim.
ii. 6, " Who gave himself a ransom for all," i. e., for all sorts of men, not
for all of every sort. Heb. ii. 9, " That he, by the grace of God, should
taste death for every man," i. e., for every man of those whom the apostle
is there treating of, namely, sons brought or to be brought unto glory,
verse 10 ; those who are sanctified, Christ's brethren, verse 11 ; given to
him, verse 13 ; and the sense of the phrase, as used here by the author, can
be no other ; for the sins, which the law found that he had taken on him,
could be no other but the sins that the Lord had laid on him ; and the
sins the Lord had laid on him were the sins of all the faithful or elect,
according to the author ; wherefore, in the author's sense, the sins of all
men which the law found in Christ were the sins of all the elect, accord-
ing to the genuine sense of the Scripture phraseology on that head. And
an incident expression, in words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, and
determined in its connection to the orthodox scriptural meaning, can
never import any prejudice to his sentiment upon that point purposely
declared before in its proper place. It is true, the author, when speaking
of those in whose room Christ put himself, useth not the word aloiie ;
and in the holy Scripture it is not used neither on that subject. And it
may be observed, that the Spirit of God in the word, doth not open the
doctrine of election and reprobation, but upon man's rejecting or em-
bracing the gospel offer ; the which different events are then seasonably
accounted for, from the depths of the eternal counsel of God. See Luke
X. 17 — 22 ; Matt. xxii. 1 — 14 ; Rom. ix. throughout ; Eph. i. 3 — 5. To
every thing there is a season. The author hitherto hath been dealing
with the parties, to bring them to Christ ; and particularly here, he ia
speaking for the instruction and direction of a convinced trembling sin-
ner, namely, Neophytus ; and, therefore, like a wise and tender man in
such a case, he useth a manner of speaking, which hdng warranted by
the word, was fitted to excite the awakening of the ordinary scruples in
that case, namely, " It may be I am not elected,— it may be Christ died
not for me :" and which pointed at the duty of all, and the encourage-
ment that all have to come to Christ. And all this, after he had in his
very first words to the reader, sufficiently provided for his using such a

104 THE MARROW OF

him, and killed him ; and, by this means, was the justice of
God fully satisfied, his wrath appeased, and all true believers
acquitted from all their sins, both past, present, and to come.*

manner of expression, without prejudice to tbe truth. Further, the law
adds, " Therefore let him die upon the cross." Wherefore ? For their
sins, of the laying of which upon him there is no mention made? or for
the sins of those in whose room he is expressly said to have put himself,
according to the eternal agreement betwixt the Father and him? Then
said Christ, " Lo ! I come ;" viz : actually to pay the debt for which I
have become surety in the eternal compact ; the which, whose it was,
according to our author, is already sufficiently declared. The law then
set upon him, and killed him ; for whom, according to our author ? For
these, surely, in whose room and place he put himself, and so stood. If
one considers his account of the effect of all this, one does not find it to
be, as Arminians say, " that Christ, by the merit of his death, hath so
far forth reconciled God the Father to all mankind, that the Father, by
reason of the Son's merit, both could and would, and did enter and esta-
blish a new and. gracious covenant with sinful man, liable to condemna-
tion." (Examination of Tilenus, p. 164, art. 2, sect. 2.) " And obtained
for ail and every man a restoration into a state of grace and salvation ;
so that none will be condemned, nor are liable to condemnation for ori-
ginal sin, but all are free from the guilt of that sin." (Teste Turret, loc.
14. ques. 14. th. 5.) Neither does he tell us, that Christ died to " render
sin remissible to all persons, and them savable," as the Continuator of
Poole's Annotations on Hebrews, chapter ii. 9, says, with other Univer-
salists. By this means, says our author, " was the justice of God fully
satisfied, his wrath appeased, and all true believers acquitted." Compare
Westm. Confess, chap. 8. art. 4, 5. " This office (viz : of a surety) the
Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which that he might discharge,
he was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfil it, endured most
grievous torments, &c. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience, and
sacrifice of himself — hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father ; and
purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the
kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.
Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all
those that are thus justified," Chap. xi. art. 3. Wherefore the author does
not here teach an universal redemption or atonement. Of this more
afterward.

* Pardon is the removing of the guilt of sin. Guilt is twofold : 1. The
guilt of eternal wrath, by which the sinner is bound over to the eternal
revenging wrath of God ; and this, by orthodox divines, is called the guilt
of sin by way of eminency. 2. The guilt of fatherly anger, whereby the
sinner is bound over to God's fatherly anger and chastisements for sin.
Accordingly, there is a two-fold pardon : the one is the removal of the
guilt of eternal wrath, and is called legal pardon ; the other the removal
of the guilt of fatherly anger, and is called gospel pardon. As to tbe
latter, the believer is daily to sue out his pardon, since he is daily con-
tracting new guilt of that kind ; and this the author plainly teaches after-
wards in its proper place. As to the former, of which only he speaks
here, all the sins of a believer, past, present, and to come, are pardoned
together, and at once, in the first instance of his believing ; that is to say,
the guilt of eternal wrath for sin then past and present is actually and
formally done away ; the obligation to that wrath which he was lying

MODERN DIVINITY. 105

So that tbe law, as it is the covenant of works, hath not
anything to say to any true believer,* for indeed they are
dead to it, and it is dead to them.

under for these sins is dissolved, and the guilt of* eternal wrath for sins
then to come is eflfectually prevented from that moment for ever, so
that he can never come under that kind of guilt any more ; and this pardon,
as it relates to these sins, is but a pardon improperly so called, being ra-
ther a not imputing of them, than a formal remission, forasmuch as a
formal remission being a dissolution of guilt actually contracted, agrees
only to sins already committed. Therefore our author here uses the
word acquitted, which is of a more extensive signification. All pardon
of sin is an acquittance, but all acquittance of sin is not a formal pardon
of it : " For at the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall
be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment." Short.
Cat. But they will not then be formally pardoned. Now, this is the
doctrine of the holy Scriptures, Rom. iv. 48, " Even as David also de -
scribeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteous-
ness without works, saying. Blessed are they whose iniquities are for-
given, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord WILL NOT IMPUTE sin." — Chap. viii. 1, " There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." That is, not only
they shall never be actually damned, i. e., sent to hell, as that phrase is
ordinarily taken, for that is the privilege of all the elect, even before
they believe, while yet they are under condemnation according to the
Scripture ; but there is no binding over of them that are in Christ to
eternal wrath, no guilt of that kind to them. Compare John iii, 18, " He
that believeth on him is not condemned ; but he that believeth not is
condemned already." — " The one [viz : justification] doth equally free all
believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this
life, that they never fall into condemnation." Larg. Cat. quest. 77. " Al-
beit sin remain, and continually abide in these our mortal bodies, yet it
is not imputed unto us, but is remitted and covered with Christ's justice,"
[i. e., righteousness.] Old Confess, art. 25. Q. " What then is our only
joy in life and death ? A. That all our sins, bypast, present, and to
come, are buried ; and Christ only is made our wisdom, justification, sancti-
fication, and redemption." 1 Cor. i. 30. Craig's Cat. quest. 43. " The lib-
erty which Christ hath purchased for believers, under the gospel consists in
their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the
curse of the moral law." Westm. Confess, chap. xx. art. 1. See xi. art. 5 ; chap,
xvii. art. 3. " 'J'hey [the Arminians] do utterly deny, that no sins of the faith-
ful, how great and grievous soever they be, are imputed unto them, or that all
their sins present and future are forgiven them." Exam, of Tilen. p. 226, art.
5. sect. 5.

* " What things soever it saith, it saith to them who are under it,"
Rom. iii. 19. But believers are not under it, nor under the law of the
covenant of works, chap. vi. 14, therefore it saith nothing to them. As
such, it said all to Christ in their room and place ; and, without the Me-
diator's dishonour, it cannot repeat its demands on them which it made
upon him as their surety. Meanwhile the law, as a rule of life to be-
lievers, saith to them all, in the name and authority of God, the Creator
and Redeemer, Matt. v. 48, " Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect." Howbeit, they are under a covenant, under

106 THE MARROW OF

Norn. But, sir, how could tbe sufferings of Christ, whicli in
respect of time were but finite, make full satisfaction to the
justice of God, which is infinite ?

Evan. Though the sufferings of Christ, in respect of time,
were but finite, yet in respect of the person that suffered, his
sufferings came to be of infinite value ; for Christ was God
and man in one person, and therefore his sufferings were a
sufficient and full ransom for man's soul, being of more value
than the death and destruction of all creatures.

Nora. But, sir, you know that the covenant of works re-
quires man's own obedience or punishment, when it says, " He
that doeth these things shall live in them ;" and " Cursed is
every one that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them :" how then, could believers
be acquitted from their sins by the death of Christ ?

Evan. For answer, I pray you consider, that though the
covenant of works requires man's own obedience or punish-
ment, yet it nowhere disallows or excludes that which is done
or suffered by another in his behalf; neither is it repugnant to
the justice of God : for so there be a satisfaction performed by
man, through a sufficient punishment for the disobedience of
man, the law is satisfied, and the justice of God permitteth
that the offending party be received into favour ; and God
acknowledges him, after such satisfaction made, as a just man,
and no transgressor of the law ; and though the satisfaction be
made by a surety, yet when it is done, the principal is, by the
law, acquitted. But yet, for the further proof and confirma-
tion of this point, we are to consider, that as Jesus Christ,
the second Adam, entered into the same covenant that the
first Adam did,* so by him was done whatsoever the first
Adam had undone. So the case stands thus, — that as what-
soever the first Adam did, or befel him, was reckoned as done
by all mankind, and to have befallen them, even so, whatso-
ever Christ did, or befel him, is to be reckoned as to have been
done by all believers, and to have befallen them. So that as
sin Cometh from Adam alone to all mankind, as he in whom
all have sinned ; so from Jesus Christ alone cometh righteous-
ness unto all that are in him, as he in whom they all have
satisfied the justice of God ; for as being in Adam, and one
with him, all did, in him and with him, transgress the com-

which, though no less is required, yet less is accepted, for the sake of Christ
their covenaut head.
* See note, f page 55.

MODERN DIVINITY. 107

mandment of God ; even so, in respect of faith, whereby be-
lievers are ingrafted into Christ, and spiritually made one with
him, they did all, in him and with him, satisfy the justice of
God in his death and sufierings* And whosoever reckons

* Namely, in the sense of the law ; for in the law-reckoning, as to the
payment of a debt, and fulfilling of a covenant, or any the like purposes,
the surety and the original debtor, the federal head or the representative,
and the represented, are but one person. And thus the Scripture deter-
mining Adam to be the figure (or type) of Christ, Rom. v. 14, teaches
upon the one hand, that all mankind sinned in Adam, verse 12, and died
in him, 1 Cor. xv. 22 ; and on the other hand, that believers were cruci-
fied with Christ, Gal. ii. 20, and raised up in him. Bph. ii. 6, " The co-
venant (of works) being made with Adam as a public person — all man-
kind— sinned in him." Lar. Cat. Quest. 22. " The covenant of grace
was made with Christ as the second Adam," Quest. 31. " He satisfied
divine justice, the which he did as a public person, the head of his
Church," Quest. 52. " that the righteousness of the law," says the apostle,
"might be fulfilled in us," Rom. viii. 4; so believers satisfied in him, as
they sinned in Adam. "The threatening of death, Gen. ii. 17, is fulfilled
in the elect so that they die, and yet their lives are spared : they die,
and yet they live, for they are reckoned in law to have died when Christ
their surety died for them." Ferguson on Gal. ii. 20. " Although thou,"
says Beza, " hast satisfied for the pain of thy sins in the person of Jesus
Christ," Beza's Confess, point 4, art. 12. " What challenges Satan or con-
science can make against the believer — hear an answer ; I was condemned,
I was judged, I was crucified for sin, when my surety Christ was con-
demned, judged, and crucified for my sins. — I have paid all, because my
surety has paid all," Rutherford's Trial and Triumph of Faith, serm. xix.
p. 258. " As in Christ we satisfied, so likewise in Adam we sinned,"
Flint. Exam. p. 144. This doctrine, and the doctrine of the formal im-
putation of Christ's righteousness to believers stand and fall together.
For if believers be reckoned in law to have satisfied in Christ, then his
righteousness, which is the result of his satisfaction, must needs be ac-
counted theirs, but if there be no such law-reckoning, Christ's righteous-
ness cannot be imputed to them otherwise than as to the effects of it, for
the judgment of God is always according to truth, Rom. ii. 2. This the
Neouomians are aware of, and deny both, reckoning them Antinomian
principles as they do many other Protestant doctrines. Hear Mr. Gib-
bons : " They (viz : the Antinomians) are dangerously mistaken in think-
ing that a believer is righteous in the sight of God, with the self-same
active and passive righteousness wherewith Christ was righteous, as though
believers suffered in Christ, and obeyed in Christ." Morn. Exer. Method,
sec. 19, p. 423. On the other hand, the Westminster divines teach both
as sound and orthodox principles, affirming Christ's righteousness, obe-
dience, and satisfaction, themselves to be imputed to believers, or rec-
koned their righteousness, obedience, and satisfaction. " Justification is
an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accept-
eth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ im-
puted to us." Short. Cat. — " Only for the perfect obedience and full
satisfaction of Christ by God imputed to them," Large. Cat. quest. 70. — " By
imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them," Westm. Confess.
chap. xi. art. 1.

108 THE MARROW OF

thus reckons according to Scripture; for in Rom. v. 12, all
are said to have sinned in Adam's sin ; in whom all have sin-
ned, says the text, namely, in Adam, as in a public person : all
men's acts were included in his, because their persons were
included in his. So likewise in the same chapter it is said,
" that death passed upon all men ;" namely for this, that
Adam's sin was reckoned for theirs. Even so, Rom. vi. 10,
the apostle, speaking of Christ, says, "In that he died, he died
unto sin ; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God :" so like-
wise, says he in the next verse, " Reckon ye yourselves to be
dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord." And so, as touching the resurrection of Christ, the
apostle argues, 1 Cor. xv. 20, that all believers must and shall
arise, because " Christ is risen, and is become the first fruits
of them that sleep." Christ, as the first fruits, arises, and that
in the name and stead of all believers ; and so they rise in him
and with him ; for Christ did not rise as a private person, but
he arose as a public head of the church; so that in his
arising all believers did virtually arise. And as Christ at his
resurrection was justified, and acquitted from all the sins of all
believers, by God his Father, as having now fully satisfied for
them, even so were they.* And thus you see the obedience
of Christ being imputed unto believers by God for their right-
eousness, it puts them into the same estate and case, touching
righteousness unto life before God,t wherein they should
have been, if they had perfectly performed the perfect obe-
dience of the covenant of works, " Do this and thou shalt
live.":}:

* Virtually justified, not actually, in his justification, even as in his
resurrection they did virtually arise. That this is the author's meaning
is evident from his own words, when speaking of Neophytus, he says ex-
pressly, " He was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of
Christ, but yet he was not justified actually, till he did actually believe in
Christ."

f So called to distinguish it from inherent righteousness, which is righteous-
ness from life.

I This is a weighty point, the plain and native result of what is said,
namely, that since Jesus Christ hath fully accomplished what was to have
been done by man himself for life accorduig to the covenant of works,
and that the same is imputed to believers ; therefore, believers are in the
same state, as to righteousness unto life, that they would have been
in if man himself had stood the whole time appointed for his trial. And
here is the true ground in law of the infallible perseverance of the saints ;
their time of trial for life is over in their Head the second Adam— the
prize is won I Hence the just by faith are entitled to the same benefit
which Adam by his perfect obedience would have been entitled to. Com-

MODEKN DIVINITY. 109

Sect, 2. — Nom. But, sir, are all believers dead to the law,
and the law dead to them, say you ?

Evan. Believe it, as the law is the covenant of works, all
true believers are dead unto it, and it is dead unto them ;^ for,
they being incorporated into Christ, what the law or covenant
of works did to him, it did the same to them ; so that when
Christ hanged on the cross, all believers, after a sort, hanged
there with him. And therefore the apostle Paul having said,
Gal. ii. 19, " I through the law am dead to the law," adds
in the next verse, " I am crucified with Christ ;" which words
the apostle brings as an argument to prove that he was dead
to the law, for the law had crucified him with Christ. Upon
which text, Luther on the Galatians, (p. 81,) says, " I like-
wise am crucified and dead to the law, forasmuch as I am
crucified and dead with Christ." And again, " I believing in
Christ, am also crucified with Christ." In like manner, the

pare Rom. x. 5, " The man which doeth these things shall live," with Hab.
\\. 4, " The just by his faith shall live ;" the which is the true reading
according to the original. And here, for clearing of the following pur-
pose of the believer's freedom from the law, as it is the covenant of
works, let it be considered, that if Adam had stood till the time of his
trial had been expired, the covenant of works would indeed from that
time have remained his everlastmg security for eternal life, like a contract
held fulfilled by the one party ; but, as in the same case, it could have no
longer remained to be the rule of his obedience, namely, in tlie state of
coiifirmation. The reason is obvious, viz : that the subjecting of him still
to the covenant of works, as the rule of his obedience, would have been a
reducing him to the state of trial he was in before, and the setting hira
anew to work for what was already his own, in virtue of his (supposed)
fulfilling of that covenant. Nevertheless it is absolutely impossible but
the creature, in any state whatsoever, must be bonud to and owe obe-
dience unto the Creator ; and being still bound to obedience, of necessity
"he behoved to have had a rule of that obedience ; as to which rule, since
the covenant of works could not be it, what remains but that the rule of
obedience in the state of confirmation, would have been the law of nature,
suited to man's state of immutability, improperly so called, and so di-
vested of the form of the covenant of works, namely, its promise of eter-
nal life, and threatening of eternal death, as it is, and will be in heaven,
for ever ? The application is easy, making always, as to the rule of believers'
obedience, suitable reserves for the imperfection of their state, in respect
of inherent righteousness ; the which imperfection, as it leaves room for
promises of fatherly smiles, and thi-eatenings of fatherly chastisements,
80 it makes them necessary ; but these also shall be done away in heaven
when their real estate shall be perfect, as their relative state is now.

* Rom. vii. 4, '• Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to
the law." — Gal. ii. 19, "I through the law am dead to the law." And
this, according to the nature of correlates, concludes the law, as it is the
covenant of works, to be dead also to believei's. Col. ii. 14, " Nailing
it to his cross."
10

110 THE MARROW OP

apostle says to the believing Eomans, " So ye, my brethren,
are dead also to the law by the body of Christ," Eom. vii. 4.
■ Now, by the body of Christ, is meant the passion of Christ
upon the cross, or, which is all one, the sufferings of Christ in
his human nature. And, therefore, certainly we may conclude
with godly Tindal on the text, that all such are dead concerning
the law, as are by faith crucified with Christ.

Nom. But, I pray you, sir, how do you prove that the law
is dead to a believer ?

Evan. Why. as I conceive, the apostle affirms it, Eom.
vii. 1—6.

Nom. Surely sir, you do mistake ; for I remember the
words of the first verse are, " how that the law hath dominion
over a man as long as he liveth ; " and the words of the sixth
verse are, " but now we are delivered from the law, that being
dead wherein we were held," &c.

Evan. I know right well, that in our last translation the
words are so rendered ; but the learned Tindal renders it
thus: "Eemember ye not, brethren, that the law hath do-
minion over a man as long as it endureth?" And Bishop
Hall paraphrases upon it thus, " Know ye not, brethren, that
the Mosaical law hath dominion over a man that is subject
unto it, so long as the said law is in force?" So likewise
Origen, Ambrose, and Erasmus, do all agree, that, by these
words, while " he" or " it" liveth, we are to understand, as
long as the law remaineth. And Peter Martyr is of opinion,
that these words, while "he" or "it" liveth, are differently
referred, either to the law, or to the man ; for, says he, " the
man is said to be dead," verse 4, "and the law is said to be
dead," verse 6. Even so because the word "he" or "it"
mentioned verse 1, signifies both sexes in the Greek, Chrysos-
tom thinks, that the death both of the law and the man is in-
sinuated. And Theophylact, Erasmus, Bucer, and Calvin, do
all understand the sixth verse, of the law being dead. And as
the death of a believer to the law was accomplished by the
death of Christ, even so also was the law's death to him ; as
Mr. Fox, in his sermon of Christ crucified, testifies, saying,
"Here have we upon one cross two crucifixes, two of the
most excellent potentates that ever were, the Son of God and
the law of God, wrestling together about man's salvation —
both cast down and both slain upon one cross ; howbeit, not
after a like sort. First, the Son of God was cast down, and
took the fall, not for any weakness in himself, but was content

MODERN DIVINITY. Ill

to take it for our victory. Bj this fall, tlie law of God, in
casting him down was caught in his own trap, and so was fast
nailed hand and foot to the cross, according as we read in
Paul's words," Col. ii. 14. And so Luther on the Galatians,
(p. 184,) speaking to the same point, says, " This was a won-
derful combat, where the law, being a creature, giveth such an
assault to his Creator, in practising his whole tyranny upon the
Son of God. Now, therefore, because the law did so horribly
and cursedly sin against his God, it is accused and arraigned,
and, as a thief and cursed murderer of the Son of God, loses
all its right, and deserves to be condemned. The law, there-
fore, is bound, dead, and crucified to me. It is not only over-
come, condemned, and slain unto Christ, but also to me, be-
lieving in him unto whom he hath freely given this victory."*

*This is cited from Luther on the Epistle to the Galatians, according
to the English translation, and is to be found there, fol. 184, p. 1, 2, fol.
185. p. 1, fol. 82, p. 1. His own words from the Latin original, after he
had lectured that epistle a second time, as I find them in my copy, printed
at Frankfort, 1563, are here subjoined. " Hoc profecto mirabile duellum
est, ubi lex creatura cum Creatore sic congreditur, et praeter omne jus,
omnem tyrannidem suam in Filio Dei exercet, quam in nobis filiis iras
exercuit," Luth. Comment, in Gal. iv. 5, p. 598. " Ideo lex, tanquam
latro et sacrilegus homicida Filii Dei, amittit jus, et meretur damnari,"
Ibid. p. 600. " Ergo lex est mihi surda, ligata, mortua et crucifixa," Ibid,
cap. ii. 20, p. 280. " Conscientia apprehendens hoc apostoli verbum,
Christus a lege nos redemit — sancta quadam snperbia insultat legi, dicens
— nunc in posterum non solum Christo victa et strangulata es, sed etiam
mihi credenti in eum, cui donavit hanc victoriam," Page 600. That great
man of God, a third Elias, and a second Paul, (if I may venture the ex-
pression,) though he was no inspired teacher, was endued with a great
measure of the spirit of them both, being raised up of God for the extra-
ordinary work of the Reformation of religion from Popery, while all the
world wondered after the Beast. The lively savour he had of the truths
of the gospel in his own soul, and the fervour of his spirit in delivering
them, did indeed carry him as far from the modern politeness of expres-
sion, as the admiration and affectation of this last are likely to carry us off
from the former. What he designed by all this triumph of faith is sum-
med up in a few words, immediately following these last cited : " This,
the law, (viz : as it is the covenant of works,) is gone for ever as to us,
providing we abide in Christ." This he chose to express in such figura-
tive terms, that that great gospel truth might be the more impressed on
his own heart, and the hearts of his scholars, being prompted thereto by
his experience of the necessity, and withal of the difficulty of applying it
by faith to his own case, in his frequent deep soul exercises and conflicts
of conscience. " Therefore," says he, " feeling thy terrors and threateniugs,
O law ! I dip my conscience over head and ears, into the wounds, blood,
death, resurrection, and victory of Christ ; besides him I will see and
hear nothing at all. This faith is our victory, whereby we overcome the
terrors of the law, sin, death, and all evils, but not without a great con-
flict," Ibid. p. 597. And speaking ou the same subject elsewhere, he

112 THE MAREOW OF

Now, then, although according to the apostle's intimation,
(Rom. vii. at the beginning,) the covenant of works, and man
by nature, be mutually engaged to each other, so long as they
both live ; yet if, when the wife be dead the husband be free,
then much more when he is dead also.

has these remarkable worcis, " It is easy to speak these things, but happy
he that could know them aright in the conflict of conscience." Com-
ment, on Gal. ii. 19, p. 259. Now, to turn outward the wrong side
of the picture of his discourse, to make it false, horrid, profiine, and
blasphemous, is hard. At this rate, many Scripture texts must suffer,
not to speak of approved human writers. I instance only that of Elias,
1 Kings xviii. 27, " He [Baal] is a god ; either he is talking, or he is
pursuing, or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must
be awaked." Yet I compare not Luther's commentary to the inspired
writing ; only where the holy Scripture goes before, one would think
he might be allowed to follow. Here is an irony, a rhetorical figure,
and there is a prosopopceia, or feigning of a person, another rhetorical
figure ; and the learned and holy man tells us withal, that Paul used it
before him on the same subject, representing the law " as a most potent
personage, Avho condemned and killed Christ, whom he (having overcome
death) did in the like manner conquer, condemn, and kill ;" for which he
cites Eph. ii. and iv., epistles to the Rom. Cor. Col. p. .599. Now, albeit
the law, as it is the covenant of works, not being a person indeed, but a
most holy law of God, was incapable of real arraignment, sin, theft, or
murder : yet one being allowed to speak figuratively of it, as such a per-
son before mentioned ; and finding the Spirit of God to teach that it was
crucified, Jesus Christ " nailing it to his cross," Col. ii. 14 ; what im-
piety— what blasphemy is there in assigning crimes to it for which it was
crucified — crimes of the same nature with its crucifixion, that is, not really
and literally so, but figuratively only ? And the crucifying of a person, as
it presupposeth his arraignment, accusation, and condemnation, so it
implies his binding and death ; all which the decency of the parable re-
quires. And the same decency requiring the rhetorical feigning of crimes
as the causes of that crucifixion, they could be no other but these that are
assigned ; forasmuch as Jesus Christ is here considered, not as a sinner
by imputation, but as absolutely without guilt, though in the meantime
the sins of all the elect were really imputed to him, the which in reality
justified the holy law's procedure against him. Moreover, upon the cru-
cifixion, it may be remembered how the apostle proves Christ to have been
" made a curse for us ;" for, says he, it is written, " Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree," Gal. iii. 13 ; the which if any should apply to the law,
as the covenant of works, in a figurative manner, as its crucifixion must
be understood, it could import no more by reason of the nature of the
thing, than an utter abolition of it with respect to believers, which is a
great gospel truth. And here one may call to mind the Scripture phrases,
Rom. vii. 5, " The motions of sins which were by the law ;" — chap. viii. 2,
" The law of sin and death :" — " The covenant of works, called the law of sin
and death," Confess, p. 382, fig. 3 ; " The strength of sin is the law," 1 Cor.
XV. 56.

After all, for my part, I would neither use some of these expressions of
Luther's, nor dare I so much as in my heart condemn them in him : the
reason is one ; because of the want of that measure of the influences of

MODERN DIVINITY. 113

Nom. But, sir, what are we to understand by this double
death, or wherein does this freedom from the law consist ?

Evan. Death is nothing else but a dissolution, or untying
of a compound, or a separation between matter and form ; and,
therefore, when the soul and body of man are separated, we
say he is dead ; so that by this double death, we are to under-
stand nothing else, but that the bargain or covenant, which
was made between God and man at first, is dissolved or un-
tied ; or that the matter and form of the covenant of works is
separated to a believer. So that the law of the ten command-
ments neither promises eternal life nor threatens eternal death
to a believer, upon condition of his obedience or disobedience
to it :* neither does a believer, as he is a believer, either hope

grace which I conceive he had when he uttered these words. And the
same I would say of the several expressions of the great Rutherford, and
of many eminent ministers, in their day signally countenanced of God in
their administrations, Hear Luther himself, in his preface to that book,
page {mihi) 10, " These our thoughts," says he, " on this epistle do come
forth, not so much against those, (viz : the church's enemies,) as for the
sake of our own, (viz : her friends,) who will either thank me for my dili-
gence, or will pardon my weakness and rashness." It is a pity the just
expectation of one, whose name will be in honour in the church of Christ,
while the memory of the Reformation from Popery is kept up, should
be frustrated.

* The law of the ten commandments given to Adam, as the covenant
of works, promised eternal life, upon condition of obedience, apd threatened
eternal death in case of disobedience ;. and this was it that made it the
covenant of works. Now, this covenant frame of the law of the ten com-
mandments being dissolved as to believers, it can no more promise nor
tlireaten them at any rate. The Scripture indeed testifies, that " godli-
ness hath the promise, not only of the life that now is, but also of that
which is to come," 1 Tim. iv. 8, there being an infallible connection be-
tween godliness and the glorious life in heaven established by promise in
the covenant of grace ; but in the meantime, it is the obedience and satis-
faction of Christ apprehended by faith, and not our godliness, that is the
condition upon which that life is promised, and upon which a real
Christian in a dying hour will venture to plead for a share in that life.
It is likewise certain that not only are unbelievers, in virtue of the covenant
of works which they remain under, liable to eternal death as the just re-
ward of sin, but there is by that covenant a twofold connection established,
the one betwixt a state of unbelief, unregeneracy, impenitency, and un-
holiness, and eternal death ; the other, betwixt acts of disobedience and
eternal death. The former is absolutely indissoluble, and cannot but
eternally remain ; so that whosoever are in that state of sin, while they
are in it they must needs be in a state of death, bound over to the wrath
of God by virtue of the threatening of the law ; but then it is impossible
that believers in Christ can be in that state of sin. So these and the like
sentences, " He that believeth not shall be damned," Mark xvi. 16. — " Ex-
cept ye repent ye shall all likewise perish," Luke xiii. 3. — '• If ye live af-
ter the flesh ye shall die," Rom. viii, 13 ; do indeed bind over unbelievers
10*

114 THE MARROW OF

for eternal life, or fear eternal death upon any sucli term?! *
No ; we may assure ourselves, that " whatsoever the law saith,"
on any such terms, it " saith to them who are under the law,"
Rom. iii, 19 ; but believers " are not under the law, but under
grace," Rom. vi. 14, and so have escaped eternal death, and
obtained eternal life, only by faith in Jesus Christ ;t "for
by him all that believe are justified from all things, from Avhich

to eternal death ; but they do no otherwise concern believers than aa
they set before them a certain connection of two events, neither of which
can ever be found in their case ; and yet the serious consideration of
them is of great and manifold use to believers, as a serious view of every
part of the covenant of works is, particularly to move them to grow up
more and more into Christ, and to make their calling and election sure.
As to the latter connection, viz : betmxt acts of disobedience and eternal
death, it is dissoluble, and in the case of the believer, actually dissolved ;
so that none have warrant to say to a believer, If thou sin, thou shalt die
eternally ; forasmuch as the threatening of eternal death, as to the be-
liever, being already satisfied in the satisfaction of Christ, by faith appre-
hended and imputed of God to him, it cannot be renewed on him, more
than one debt can be twice charged, namely, for double pajTnent.

* But on the ha^^ng, or wanting of a saving interest in Christ.

f This is a full proof of the whole matter. For how can the law of
the ten commandments promise eternal life, or threaten eternal death,
upon condition of oVjedience or disobedience, to those who have already
escaped eternal death, and obtained eternal life by faith in Christ ? The
words which the Holy Ghost teaches, are so far from restraining the
notion of eternal life to glorification, and of eternal death to the misery
of the damned in hell, that they declare the soul upon its union with
Christ to be as really possessed of eternal life as the saints in heaven are ;
and without that state of union, to be as really under death, and the
wrath of God, as the damned in ^ hell are, though not in that measure.
(The terra " eternal death" is not, as far as I remember, used in Scrip-
ture.) And this agreeable to the nature of things ; for as there is no
medium betwixt life and death in a subject capable of either, so it is evident,
the life communicated to the soul, in its union with Christ, the quickening
Head, can never be extinguished for the ages of eternity, John xiv. 19 ;
and the sinner's death under the guilt and power of sin, is in its own na-
ture eternal, and can never end but by a work of Almighty power, which
raiseth the dead, and calleth things that arc not, to be as if they were.
1 Thess. i. 10, " Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come." —
1 John iii. 14, " We know that we have passed from death unto life." —
John iii. 36, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; and he
that believeth not on the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of G(kI
abideth on him." — Chap. v. 24, " He that believeth, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto
life." — Chap. vi. 47, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." —
Verse 54, " Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal
life." — 1 John v. 12, 13, " He that hath the Son hath life ; and he that
hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I Avritten unto you
that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have
eternal life." — See Rom. viii. 1 ; John iii. 16 — 18, and xvii. 3.

MODERN DIVINITY. 115

they could not be justified by the law of Moses," Acts xiii. 39.
— " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life," John iii. 16.

And this is that covenant of grace, which, as I told you,
was made with the fathers by way of promise, and so but
darkly ; but now the fulness of time being come, it was more
fully opened and promulgated.

Ant. Well, sir, you have made it evident and plain, that
Christ hath delivered all believers from the law, as it is the
covenant of works ; and that therefore they have nothing at all
to do with it.

Evan. No, indeed ; none of Christ's are to have anything
to do with the covenant of works, but Christ only. For al-
though in the making of the covenant of works at first, God
was one party, and man another, yet, in making it the second
time, God was on both sides: — God, simply considered in his
essence, was the party opposed to man ; and God, the second
person, having taken upon him to be incarnate, and to work
man's redemption, was on man's side, and takes part with
man, that he may reconcile him to God, by bearing man's
sins, and satisfying God's justice for them. And Christ paid
God* till he said he had enough ; he was fully satisfied, fully
contented. Matt. iii. 17, " This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased." Yea, God the Father was well pleased, and
fully satisfied from all eternity, by virtue of that covenant that
was made betwixt them. And thereupon all Christ's people
were given to him in their election. Eph, i. 4. " Thine they
were,"t says Christ, " and thou gavest them me," John xvii. 6.

* All the demands of the covenant of works on the elect world.

f That he, taking on their nature, might answer the demands of the
covenant of works for them, Eph. i. 4, " According as he has chosen us
in him." We are said to be chosen in Christ, not that Christ is the cause
of election, but that electing love, flowing immediately from God to all
the objects of it, the Father did, in one and the same decree of election,
choose the head and the members of the happy body ; yet Christ the
head first, (in tlie order of nature.) then all those who make up his body,
who were thereby given to him, to be redeemed and saved, by his obe-
dience and death ; the which, being by him accepted, he, as Elect-Me-
diator and Head of elect-men, had full power and furniture for the work
made over to him. And thus may we conceive the second covenant to
have been concluded, agreeably to the Scripture account of that mystery.
ITiis, tlie author says, was done thereupon, not upon the Father's being
well pleased and fully satisfied, by virtue of the covenant made ; the
which is the effect of the covenant, whereas this is one of the traasac-
tiona or parts of the covenant, as all the following words brought to

116 THE MARROW OF

And again, sajs he, " The Father loveth the Son, and hath
given all things into his hands," John iii. 35 ; that is, he hath
intrusted him with the economic and actual administration of
that power in the Church, which originally belonged unto him-
self. And hence it is that Christ also says, " The Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the
Son," John v. 22. So that all the covenant that believers are to
have regard to, for life and salvation, is the free and gracious
covenant that is betwixt Christ (or God in Christ) and them,*
And in this covenant there is not any condition or law to be
performed on man's part, by himself ;t no, there is no more
for him to do, but only to know and believe that Christ hath
done all for him.:};

illustrate it do plainly carry it ; but upon God the Son being on the
other side in making of the second covenant, the which is the princi-
pal purpose in this paragraph, the explication whereof was interrupted
by the adding of a sentence concerning the execution and effect of the
glorious contrivance. In making of the second covenant, the second
person of the ever blessed Trinity, considered simply as such, is one of
the parties. Thereupon, in the decree of election, designing, as is said,
both head and members, he is chosen Mediator and Head of the election,
to be their incarnate Eedeemer ; the which headship accepted, he, as
Mediator and Head of the election, took upon him to be incarnate, and
in their nature to satisfy the demands of the covenant of works for them,
Isa. xlii. 1 ; Eph. i. 4 ; Psalm xl. 6 ; Westm. Confess. Chap. viii. art. 1 ; "It
pleased God in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus,
his only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man — the
Head and Saviour of his church — unto whom he did, from all eternity, give
a people to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed," &c. Chap. iii. art.
5 ; " Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life — God hath chosen in
Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love." Compare
what the author writes on this subject, pp. 41 — 45.

* That is, the covenant of grace only, not the covenant of works.

f Namely, for life and salvation ; the same being already perfonned
by Jesus Christ ; he, having in the second covenant undertaken to satisfy
all the demands of the covenant of works, did do all that was to be done
or wrought for our life and salvation. And if it had not been so, life
and salvation had remained eternally without our reach ; for how is it
possible we should perform, do, or work, until we get life and salvation ?
what condition or law are we fit for periforming of, while we are dead, and
not saved from, but lying under sin, the wrath and curse of God ? See the
following note.

t Namely, all that was to be done for life and salvation. And neither
repentance, nor sincere (imperfect) obedience, nay, nor yet believing it-
self, is of that sort : though all of these are indispensably necessary ia
subjects capable of them. This expression bears a kind of imitation,
usual in conversation, and used by our blessed Saviour on this subject.
John vi. 28, 29, " Then said they unto him, "What shall we do, that we
might WORK the works of God ? Jesus answered and said unto them,
This is THE WORK of God, that ye believe." The design of it plainly is.

MODERN DIVINITY. 117

Wherefore, my dear Neophytus, to turn my speech particu-
larly to you, (because I see you are in ' heaviness,) I beseech
you to be persuaded that here you are to work nothing, here
you are to do nothing, here you are to render nothing unto
God, but only to receive the treasure, which is Jesus Christ,
and apprehend him in your heart by faith, although you be
never so great a sinner ;* and so shall you obtain forgiveness

to confront the humour that is naturally in all men, for doing and work-
ing for life and salvation, when once they begin to lay these things to
heart ; there is no more, says the author, for him to do, but only to know
and believe that Christ hath done all for him ; and therefore the expres-
sion is not to be strained besides its scope. However, this is true faith,
according to the Scripture, whether all saving faith be such a knowledge
and believing or not ; and that knowledge and believing are capable of
degrees of certainty, and may be mixed with doubting, without over-
turning the reality of them. Isaiah liii. 11, " By his knowledge shall my
righteous Servant justify many." — John xvii. 3, " This is eternal life, that
they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou
hast sent." — Gal. ii. 20, " I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me." — Rom. x. 9, " If thou shalt believe in thine
heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." To
believe that God hath raised him from the dead is to believe that he has
perfected the work, and done all that was to be done for life and salva-
tion to sinners : but is this enough to constitute saving faith ? Surely it
is not ; for devils may believe that : therefore, it must be believed with
particular application to oneself, intimated in the phrase, " believing in
thine heart ;" and this is what devils and reprobates never reach unto ;
howbeit these last may pretend to know and believe, that Christ is raised
from the dead for them, and so hath done all for them, even as they also
may pretend to receive and rest on him alone for salvation. But in all this,
one who truly believes may yet have ground to say with tears, " Lord, I believe I
help thou mine unbelief," Mark ix. 24.

Nevertheless, under this covenant there is much to do ; a law to be
performed and obeyed, though not for life and salvation, but from life and
salvation received ; even the law of the ten commandments in the full
extent thereof, as the author doth at large expressly teach, in its proper place,
in this and the second part.

This is the good old way, (according to the Scriptures, Acts xvi. 30, 31 ;
Matt. xi. 28, 29 ; Tit. ii, 11, 12,) if the famous Mr. John Davidson under-
stood the Protestant doctrine, " Q. Then the salvation of man," says he,
" is so fully wrought and perfectly accomplished by Christ in his own
person, that nothing is left to be done or wrought by us in our per-
sons, to be any cause of the least part thereof? A. That is most certain."
Mr. John Davidson's Catechism, Edin. edit. 1708, p. 15. " So we are
perfectly saved by the works which Christ did for us in his own person,
and no ways by the good works which he works in us, with and after
faith. \Marg. Here is the main point and ground of our disagreement
with the Papists.] Rests, then, anything for us to do after that we are
perfectly justified in God's sight by faith in Christ? Disciple. Yes, very
much ; albeit no ways to merit salvation ; but only to witness, by the
effects of thankfulness, that we are truly saved." Ibid. p. 46, 48, 49.
■ * See the two foregoing notes. And hear another passage from the

118 THE MARROW OF

of sins, righteousness, and eternal happiness ; not as an agent
but as a patient, not by doing, but by receiving* Nothing
here comes betwixt but faith only, apprehending Christ in the
proraise.f This, then, is perfect righteousness, to hear nothing,
to know nothing, to do nothing of the law of works; but only
to know and believe that Jesus Christ is now gone to the Fa-
ther, and sitteth at his right hand, not as a judge, but is made
unto you of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption.:}: Wherefore, as Paul and Silas said to the jailor,
so say I unto you, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved ;" that is, be verily persuaded in your heart
that Jesus Christ is yours, and that you shall have life and
salvation by him ; that whatsoever Christ did for the redemp-
tion of mankind, he did it for you.§

same book whence this is taken, namely, the English translation of Lu-
ther's Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, fol. 75 : " Good
works ought to be done ; the example of Christ is to be followed— Well,
all these things will I gladly do. What then followeth ? Thou shalt
then be saved, and obtain everlasting life. Nay, not so. I grant, indeed,
that I ought to do good works, patiently to suffer troubles and afflictions,
and to shed my blood also, if need be, for Christ's cause ; but yet am I not
justified, neither do I obtain salvation thereby."

* This is the style of the same Luther, who useth to distinguish be-
twixt active and passive righteousness, i. e., the righteousness of the law,
and the righteousness of faith ; agreeably to Rom. iv. 5 : " But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness."

f The passage at more length is this : " The marriage is made up with-
out all pomp and solemnity : that is to say, nothing at all comes betwe^ ;
no law nor work is here required. Here is nothing else but the Father promis-
ing, and I receiving ; but these things without experience and practice, cannot
be understood." Luther, ubi sup., fol. 194.

X These words also are Luther's, in his argument on the Epistle to the
Galatians, p. 24 of the Latin copy, and fol. 7 of the translation ; but what
our author reads, " Nothing of the law of works," is, in Luther's own
words, " Nothing of the law, or of works ;" the sense is the same. AVhat con-
cerns the assurance in the nature of faith, which these words seem to bear, we
will meet with anon.

§ In this definition of saving faith, there is the general nature or kind
of it, viz : a real persuasion, agreeing to all sorts of faith, divine and hu-
man,— " Be verily persuaded ;" the more special nature of it, an appro-
priating persuasion, or special application to oneself, agreeing to a Con-
vinced sinner's faith or belief of the law's curse. Gal. iii. 10, as well as to
it. — " Be verily persuaded in your hearts ;" thus, Rom. x. 9, '" If thou shalt
believe in thine heart that God, &c. thou shalt be saved :" and, finally,
the most special nature of it, whereby it is distinguished from all other,
namely, an appropriating persuasion of Christ being yours, &c. And as
one's believing in one's heart, or appropriating persuasion of the dreadful
tidings of the law, imports not only an assent to them as true, but a

MODERN DIVINITY. 119

horror of them as evil ; so believing in the heart, or an appropriating persua-
sion of the glad tidings of the gospel, bears not only an assent to them as true,
but a relish of them as good.

The parts of this appropriating persuasion, according to our author,
are, 1. " That Jesus Christ is yours," viz : by the deed of gift and grant
made to mankind lost, or (which is the same thing in other words) by the
authentic gospel offer, in the Lord's own word ; the which offer is the
foundation of faith, and the ground and warrant of the ministerial offer,
■without which it could avail nothing. That this is the meaning, appears
from the answer to the question immediately following, touching the
Avarrant to believe. By this offer or deed of gift and grant, Christ is ours
before we believe ; not that we have a saving interest in him, or are in a
state of grace, but that we have a common interest in him, and the com-
mon salvation, which fallen angels have not, Jude 3 ; so that it is lawful
and warrantable for us, not for them, to take possession of Christ and
his salvation. Even as when one presents a piece of gold to a poor man
saying, " Take it, it is yours ;" the offer makes the piece really his in the
sense and to the effect before declared ; nevertheless, while the poor
man does not accept or receive it ; whether apprehending the offer too
great to be real, or that he has no liking of the necessary consequents of
the accepting ; it is not his in possession, nor hath he the benefit of it ;
but, on the contrary, must starve for it all, and that so much the more
miserably, that he hath slighted the offer and refused the gift. So this
act of faith is nothing else but to " believe God," 1 John v. 10 ; " to be-
lieve the Son," John iii. 36 ; " to believe the report " concerning Christ,
Isaiah liii. 1 ; or '* to believe the gospel," Mark i. 15 ; not as devils be-
lieve the same, knowing Christ to be Jesus, a Saviour, but not their Sa-
viour, but with an appropriating persuasion, or special application believ-
ing him to be our Saviour. Now what this gospel report, record, or
testimony of God, to be believed by all, is, the inspired penman expressly
declares, " This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life ; and
this life is in his Son." 1 John v. 11. The giving here mentioned, is not
giving in possession in greater or lesser measure, but giving by way of
grant, whereupon one may take possession. And the party to whom, is
not the election only, but mankind lost. For this record is the gospel,
the foundation of faith, and warrant to all, to believe in the Son of God,
and lay hold on eternal life in him ; but that God hath given eternal life
to the elect, can be no such foundation nor warrant ; for that a gift is
made to certain select men, can never be a foundation or warrant for all
men to accept and take it. The great sin of unbelief lies in not believing
this record or testimony, and so making God a liar : " He that believeth
not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that
God gave of his Son. And this is the record," &c. 1 John v. 10, 11. On
the other hand, " He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his
seal that God is true," John iii. 33. But the great sin of unbelief lies,
not in not believing that God hath given eternal life to the elect ; for the
most desperate unbelievers, such as Judas and Spira, believe that, and
the belief of it adds to their anguish and torment of spirit ; yet they do
not set to their seal that God is true ; but, on the contrary, they make
God a liar, in not believing that to lost mankind, and to themselves in
particular, God hath given eternal life in the way of grant, so as they, as
well as others, are warranted and welcome to take possession of it, so
fleeing in the face of God's record and testimony in the gospel, Isaiah
ix. 6 ; John iii. 16 ; Acts iv. 12 ; Pro v. viii. 4 ; Rev. sxii. 17. la believ-

120 THE MARROW OP

ing of this, not in believing of the former, lies the diflBculty, in the agonies
of conscience ; the which, nevertheless, till one do in greater or lesser
measure surmount, one can never believe on Christ, receive and rest upon
him for salvation. The truth is, the receiving of Christ doth necessarily
presuppose this giving of him. There may, indeed, be a giving where
there is no receiving, for a gift may be refused ; and there may be a taking
where there is no giving, the which is a presumptuous action without
warrant ; but there can be no place for receiving of Christ where there is
not a giving of him before. "In the matter of faith, (says Rollock, Lect.
X. on 2 Thess. p. 126,) there are two things : first there is a giver, and
next there is a receiver. God gives, and the soul receives." The Scripture is
express to this purpose : " A man can receive nothing, except it be given him
from heaven," John iii. 27.

2. " And that you shall have life and salvation by him ;" namely, a life
of holiness, as well as of happiness, — salvation from sin as well as from
wrath, — not in heaven only, but begun here and completed hereafter.
That this is the author's notion of life and salvation agreeably to the
Scripture, we have had sufficient evidence already, and will find more in
our progress. Wherefore this persuasion of faith is inconsistent with an
unwillingness to part with sin, a bent or purpose of heart to continue in sin,
even as receiving and resting on Christ for salvation is. One finds it
expressed almost in so many words: Acts xv. 11, We believe that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved." It is fitly placed
after the former, for it cannot go before it, but follows upon it. The
former is a believing of God, or believing the Son : this is a believing
on the Son, and so is the same with receiving of Christ, as that receiving is
explained ; John i. 12, " But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
It doth also evidently bear the soul's resting on Christ for salvation ; for it is
not possible to conceive a soul resting on Christ for salvation, without a
persuasion that it shall have life and salvation by him ; namely, a persuasion
which is of the same measure and degree as the resting is. And thus it appears,
that there can be no saving faith without this persuasion in greater
or lesser measure. But withal, it is to be remembered, as to what concerns
the habit, actings, exercise, strength, weakness, and intermitting of
the exercise of saving faith, the same is to be said of this persuasion in all
points.

3. " That whatsoever Christ did for the redemption of mankind, he did
it for you." — " I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me," Gal. ii. 20. This comes in the last place; and I
think none will question, but whosoever believes in the manner before
explained, may and ought to believe this, in this order. And it is believed,
if not explicitly, yet virtually, by all who receive and i-est on Christ for sal-
vation.

From what is said, it appears that this definition of faith is the same,
for substance and matter, though in different words, with that of the
Shorter Catechism, which defines it, by " receiving and resting upon Christ
alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." In which,
though the ofifer to us is mentioned last, yet it is evident it is to be believed
first.

Object. But the author's definition makes assurance to be of the essence of
faith ? f

Amw. Be it so ; however, he uses not the word assurance or assured
in his definition ; nor will anything contained in it amount to the idea

MODERN DIVINITY. 121

now commonly afGxed to that word, or to what is now in our days com-
monly understood by assurance. And, (1.) He doth not here teach that
assurance of faith whereby believers are certainly assured that they are
in the state of grace, the which is founded upon the evidence of grace, of
which kind of assurance the Westminster Confession expressly treats,
chap. 18, art. 1 — 3 ; but an assurance which is in faith, in the direct acta
thereof, founded upon the word allenarly, Mark xvi. 15, 16 ; John iii. 16 ;
and this is nothing else but a fiducial appropriating persuasion. (2.) He
doth not determine this assurance or persuasion to be full, or to exclude
doubting : he says not, be fully persuaded, but, be verily persuaded, which
speaks only the reality of the persuasion, and doth not at all concern the
degree of it. And it is manifest, from his distinguishing between faith of
adherence, and faith of evidence, (p. 99,) that, according to him, saving faith
may be without evidence. And so one may have this assurance or per-
suasion, and yet not know assuredly that he hath it, but need marks to
discover it by ; for though a man cannot but be conscious of an act of his
own soul as to the substance of the act, yet he may be in the dark as to
the specifical nature of it, than which nothing is more ordinary among
serious Christians. And thus, as a real saint is conscious of his own
heart's moving in affection towards God, yet sometimes doth not as-
suredly know it to be the true love of God in him, but fears it to be an
hypocritical flash of affection ; so he may be conscious of his persuasion, and
yet doubt if it is the true persuasion of faith, and not that of the
hypocrite.

This notion of assurance, or persuasion in faith, is so agreeable to the nature
of the thing called believing, and to the style of the holy Scripture, that some-
times where the original text reads faith or believing, we read, assurance, ac-
cording to the genuine sense of the original phrase ; Acts xvii. 31, " Whereof
he hath given assurance ;" orig. " faith," as is noted in the margin of our
Bibles. Deut. xxviii. 66, " Thou shalt have none assurance of thy life ;" orig.
" Thou shalt not believe in thy life." This observation shows, that to believe,
in the style of the holy Scripture, as well as in the common usage of mankind
in all other matters, is to be assured or persuaded, namely, according to the
measure of one's believing.

And the doctrine of assurance, or an appropriating persuasion in saving
faith, as it is the doctrine of the holy Scripture, Rom. x. 9 ; Acts xv. 11 ;
Gal. ii. 20, so it is a Protestant doctrine, taught by Protestant divines against
the Papists, and sealed with the blood of martyrs in Popish flames ; it is the
doctrine of Reformed churches abroad, and the doctrine of the Church of
Scotland.

The nature of this work will not allow multiplying of testimonies on all
these heads. Upon the first, it shall suffice to adduce the testimony of
Essenius, in his Compendium Theologia;, the system of divinity taught
the students in the College of Edinburgh, by Professor Campbell. " There
is, therefore," says he, " in saving faith, a special application of gospel
benefits. This is proved against the Papists, (1.) From the profession of
believers, Gal. ii. 20, ' I live by that faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me.'— Psalm xxiii. 1,'The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want ; in cotes of budding grass he makes me to lie down, &c.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear
evil ; for thou art with me,' &c. And Job xix. 25 ; Phil. i. 21—23 ;
Rom. viii. 33—39, x. 9, 10; 2 Cor. v. 1—6, with 2 Cor. iv. 13, &c."
Essen. Comp. Theol. chap. ii. sect. 12. And speaking of the method of
faith, he says, it is " 4. That according to the promises of the gospel, out

11

123 THE MARROW OF

of that spiritual desire, the Holy Spirit also bearing witness in us, we ac-
knowledge Christ to be our Saviour, and so receive and apply him, every
one to ourselves, apprehending him again, who first apprehended us,
2 Cor. iv. 13; Rom. viii. 16 ; John i. 12 ; 2 Tim. i. 12 ; Gal. ii. 20 ; Phil,
iii. 12. The which is the formal act of saving faith. 5. Furthermore,
that we acknowledge ourselves to be in communion with Christ, par-
takers of all and every one of his benefits. The which is the latter act of
saving faith, yet also a proper and elicit act of it. 7. That we observe all
these acts above mentioned, and the sincerity of them in us ; and thencr
gather, that we are true believers, brought into the state of grace,"
&c. Ibid. sect. 21. Observe here the two kinds of assurance before distin-
guished.

Peter Brulie, burnt at Tournay, anno 1545, when he was sent for out of
prison to be examined, the friars interrogating him before the magistrate, he
answered, — " How it is faith that bringeth unto us salvation ; that is,
wlien we trust unto God's promises, and believe steadfastly, that for Christ his
Son's sake our sins are forgiven us." Sleid. Comment, in English book 16, fol.
217.

Mr. Patrick Hamilton, burnt at St. Andrews about the year 1527. " Faith,"
says he, " is a sureness ; faith is a sure confidence of things which are hoped
for, and a certainty of things which are not seen. The faith of Christ is to
believe in him, that is, to believe in his word, and to believe that he will help
thee in all thy need, and deliver thee from all evil." Mr. Patrick's Articles,
Knox's History, 4to. p. 9.

For the doctrine of foreign churches on this point, I shall instance only in
that of the Church of Holland, and the Reformed Church of France ; " Q.
What is a sincere faith ? A. It is a sure knowledge of God and his promises
revealed to us in the gospel, and a hearty confidence that all my sins are for-
given me for Christ's sake." Dutch Brief Compend. of Christian Religion,
Vra. 19, bound up with the Dutch Bible.

" Minister. Since we have the foundation upon which the faith is grounded,
can we rightly from thence conclude what the true faith is ? Child. Yes ;
namely, a certain and steady knowledge of the love of God towards us,
according as, by his gospel, he declares himself to be our Father and Saviour,
by the means of Jesus Christ." Catechism of the Reformed Church of
France, bound up with the French Bible, Dimanche 18. To obviate
a common prejudice, whereby this is taken for an easy effort of fancy and
imagination, it will not be amiss to subjoin the question immediately following
there.

" M. Can we have it of ourselves, or cometh it from God ? C. The Scrip-
ture teacheth us that it is a singular gift of the Holy Spirit, and experience
also shovveth it." Ibid.

Follows the doctrine of the Church of Scotland on this head.

" Regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, working in the
hearts of the elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God, revealed to
us in his word ; by which faith we apprehend Christ Jesus, with the graces
and benefits promised in him." Old Confess, art. 3.

" This our faith, and the assurance of the same, proceeds not from flesh and
blood, that is to say, from no natural powers within us, but is the inspira-
tion of the Holy Ghost." Ibid. art. 12.

For the better understanding of this, take the words of that eminent
servant of Christ, Mr. John Davidson, minister of Salt-Preston, alias
Preston-Pans (of whom see the fulfilling of the Scripture, p. 361,) in his
Catechism, p. 20, as follows : " And certain it is, that both the eulight-

MODERN DIVINITY. 123

ening of the mind to acknowledge the truth of the promise of salvation
to us in Christ, and the sealing up of the certainty thereof in our hearts
and minds, (of the which two parts, as it were, faith consists,) are the
works and effects of the Spirit of God, and neither of nature nor art."

The Old Confession above mentioned is, " The Confession of Faith, pro-
fessed and believed by the Protestants within the realm of Scotland, pub-
lished by them in Parliament, and by the estates thereof ratified and
approved, as wholesome and sound doctrine, grounded upon the infallible
truth of God," Knox's Hist. lib. 3. p. 263. It was ratified at Edinburgh,
July 17, 1560, Ibid. p. 279. And this is the Confession of our Faith,
mentioned and sworn to iu the national covenant, framed about twenty
years after it.

In the same national covenant, with relation to this particular head of
doctrine, we have these words following, viz : " We detest and refuse the
usurped authority of that Roman antichrist^ — his general and doubtsome
faith." However the general and doubtsome faith of the Papists may be
clouded, one may, without much ado, draw these two plain conclusions
from these words : 1. That since the Popish faith abjured is a doubtsome
faith, the Protestant faith, sworn to be maintained, is an assured laith,
as we heard before from the Old Confession, to which the covenant rel'ers.
2. That since the Popish faith is a general one, the Protestant faith must
needs be an appropriating pei'suasion, or a faith of special application,
which, we heard already from Essenius, the Papists do deny. As for a
belief and persuasion of the mercy of God in Christ, and of Christ's
ability and willingness to save all that come unto him, as it is altogether
general, and hath nothing of appropriation or special application in it,
so I doubt if the Papists will refuse it. Sure, the Council of Trent,
which fixed and established the abominations of Popery, affirms that no
pious man ought to doubt of the mercy of God, of the merit of Christ, nor
of the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments." Concil. Trid. cap. 9. I
hope none will think the council allows impious men to doubt of these ;
but withal they tell us, " It is not to be affirmed, that no man is ab-
solved from sin and justified, but he Avho assuredly believes, that he him-
self is absolved and justified." Here they overturn the assurance and
appropriation, or special application of saving faith maintained by the
Protestants ; and they thunder their anathemas against those who hold
these in opposition to their general and doubtsome faith. " If any shall
say, that justifying faith is nothing else but a confidence of the mercy of
God pardoning sins for Christ's sake, or that confidence is it alone by
which they are justified, let him be accursed." Ibid. cap. 13, can. 12. "If
any shall say, that a man is absolved from sin, and justified by that, that
he assuredly believes himself to be absolved and justified, let him be
accursed." Ibid. can. 14.

Moreover, in the national covenant, as it was renewed in the years
1638 and 1639, mention is made of public catechisms, in which the true
religion is expressed in the Confession of Faith (there) above written,
(/. c, the national covenant, otherwise called the Confession of Faith,)
and former Large Confession, (viz : tlie Old Confession,) is said to be set
down. The doctrine on this head, contained in these catechisms, is here
subjoined.

" 31. Which is the first point ? C. To put our whole confidence in
God. M. How may that be ? C. When we have assured knowledge
tlrat he is almighty, and perfectly good. M. And is that sufficient ? C.
No. M. What is then further required ? C. That every one of us be

124 THE MARROW OP

fully assured in his conscience, that he is beloved of God, and that he
■will be both his Father and Saviour." Calvin's Cat. used by the Kirk of
Scotland, and approved by the First Book of Discipline, quest. 8 — 12.
This is the catechism of the Eeformed Church of France, mentioned
before. " M. Since we have the foundation whereupon our faith is
builded, we may well gather hereof what is the right faith ? C. Yea,
verily ; that is to say, it is a sure persuasion and steadfast knowledge of
God's tender love towards us, according as he hath plainly uttered in his gospel,
that he will be both a Father and a Saviour unto us, through the means of
Jesus Christ." Ibid, quest. 111.

"M. By what means may we attain unto him there? C. 'By faith,
which God's Spirit worketh in our hearts, assuring us of God's promises
made to us in his holy gospel." The manner to examine children before
they be admitted to the supper of the Lord, quest. 16. This is called
the Jjittle Catechism, Assembly 1592, sess. 10. " Q. What is true faith?
A. It is not only a knowledge, by which I do steadfastly assent to all
things which God hath revealed unto us in his word ; but also an
assured affiance, kindled in my heart by the Holy Ghost, by which I rest
upon God, making sure account, that forgiveness of sins, everlasting
righteousness, and life, are bestowed, not only upon others, but also upon
me, and that freely l)y the mercy of God, for the merit and desert of
Christ alone." The Palatine Catechism, printed by public authority, for
the use of Scotland. This famous Catechism is used in most of the
Keformed Churches and schools ; particularly in the Eeformed Churches
of the Netherlands, and is bound up with the Dutch Bible. " As for
the Church of Scotland, the Palatine Catechism," says Mr. Wodrow, in the
dedication to his History, " was adopted by us, till we had the happiness
to join with the venerable Assembly at Westminster. Then indeed it gave
place to the Larger and Shorter Catechisms in the Church : nevertheless it
continued to be taught in grammar schools."

" Q. What thing is faith in Christ ? A. A sure persuasion that he is the
only Saviour of the world, but ours in special, who believe in him." Craig's
Catechism, approved by the General Assembly, 1592.

To these may be added the three following testimonies. " Q. What is
faith ? A. When I am persuaded that God loves me and all his saints, and
freely giveth us Christ, with all his benefits." Summula Catechismi, still
annexed to the Kudiments of the Latin tongue, and taught in grammar schools
to this day, [1726,] since the Eeformation.

" What is thy faith ? My sure belief that God both may and wQl save me
in the blood of Jesus Christ, because he is almighty, and has promised so to
do," Mr. James Melvil's Catechism, in his Propine of a Pastor to his People,
p. 44, published in the year 1598.

" Q. What is this faith, that is the only instrument of this strait con-
junction between Christ crucified and us ? A. It is the sure persuasion
of the heart, that Christ by his death and resurrection hath taken away
our sins, and, clothing us with his own righteousness, has thoroughly re-
stored us to the favour of God." Mr. John Davidson's Catechism,
p. 46.

In the same national covenant, as it was renewed, 1638 and 1639, is
expressed an agreement and resolution to labour to recover the purity of
the gospel as it was established and professed before the (there) fore-
said novations ; the which, in the time of Prelacy, then cast out, had
been corrupted by a set of men in Scotland addicted to the faction of
Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury. In the year 1640, Mr. Eobert Baily,

MODERN DIVINITY. 125

tlicn minister of Kilwinning, afterwards one of the Commissioners from
Scotland to the Westminster Assembly, wrote against that faction,
proving them guilty of Popery, Arminianism, &c. : and on the head of
Fopery, thus represents their doctrine concerning the nature of faith,
viz: "That faith is only a bare assent, and recpiires no application, no
personal confidence; and that that personal application is mere pre-
sumption, and the fiction of a crazy brain." Hist, Motuum in Regno
Scotia;, p. 517.

Thus, as above declared, stood the doctrine of the Church of Scotland,
in this point, in her confessions, and in public catechisms, confirmed by
the renewing of the national covenant, when, in the year 1643, it was
anew confirmed by the firet article of the Solemn League and Covenant,
binding to (not the Reformation, but) the preservation of the Reformed
Religion in the Church of Scotland, in doctrine, &c., and that before the
Westminster Confession, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, were in being.

When the "Westminster Confession was received, anno 1647, and the
Larger and Shorter Catechisms, anno 1648, the General Assembly did,
in their three acts, respectively approving them, expressly declare them to be
hi nothing contrary to the received doctrine of this Kirk, And put the case
they were contrary thereto in any point, they could not in that point be
reckoned the judgment of the Church of Scotland, since they were received by
lier, as in nothing contrary to previous standards of doctrine, to which she
stands bound by the covenants aforesaid. But the truth is, the doctrine is the
same in them all.

" This faith is different in degrees, w^eak or stroBg ; growing in many to the
attainment of a full assurance." Westm. Confess, chap. 14, art. 3. Now, how
faith can grow in any to a full assurance, if there be no assurance in the nature
of it, I cannot comprehend.

" Faith justifies a sinner — only as it is an instrument, by which he receiveth
and applieth Christ and his righteousness." Larg. Cat, Q. 73. — " By faith
they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of
his death." Ibid. Q.'l70.

"Q. AVhen do we by faith receive and apply to oui-selves the body of
Christ crucified ? A. While we are persuaded, that the death and cruci-
fixion of Christ do no less belong to us, than if we ourselves had been
crucified for our own sins ; now this persuasion is that of true faith." Sum.
Catech,

" Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest
upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." Short.
Cat.

Now, to perceive the entire harmony betwixt this and the old defini-
tions of faith, compare with it, as to the receiving therein mentioned,
the definition above cited from the Old Confession, art. 3. viz : " An as-
sured faith in the promise by which they apprehend Christ," &c. Mr.
John Davidson joins them thus : " Q. What is faith ? A. It is an hearty
assurance, that our sins are freely forgiven us in Christ. Or after this
njanner : It is the hearty receiving of Christ offered in the preaching of
the word and sacraments, by the working of the Holy Spirit, for the re-
mission of sins, whereby he Ijecomes one with us, and we one with him,
he our head, and we his members." Mr. John Davidson's Catechism,
p. 24. As to the resting mentioned in the Westminster definition, com-
pare the definition above cited from the Palatine Catechism, viz : '• A
sure confidence whereby I rest in Cod, assuredly concluding, tliat to
me is given forgivcuej-s," &c., quest. 21. See also Larger Catechism,

11*

126 THE MARROW OF

Sect. 8. — Neo. But, sir, hath such a one as I any warrant
to believe in Christ ?

Evan. I beseech you consider, that God the Father, as he
is in his Son Jesus Christ, moved with nothing but with
his free love to mankind lost, hath made a deed of gift and
grant unto them all, that whosoever of them all shall believe
in this his Son, shall not perish, but have eternal life.* And

quest, last. " We by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he
would, and quietly to rely upon him that he will, fulfil our request ; and
to testify this our desire and assurance, we say, Amen." In which words,
it is manifest, that quietly to rely upon him that he will, &c. (the same
with resting on him for, &c.) is assurance in the sense of the Westminster
divines.

* Mr. Culverwell's words, here cited, stand thus at large : " The mat-
ter to be believed unto salvation is this, that God the Father, moved by
nothing but his free love to mankind lost, hath made a deed of gift and
grant of his son Christ Jesus unto mankind, that whasoever of all man-
kind shall receive this gift by a true and lively faith, he shall not perish,
but have everlasting life." Dr. Gouge, in his preface to this treatise of that
author, has these remarkable words concerning him, " Never any look such
pains to so good purpose, in and about the foundation of faith, as he hath
done."

This deed of gift and grant, or authentic gospel-ofier (of which see the
preceding note) is expressed in so many words, John iii. 16, " For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Where
the gospel comes, this grant is published, and the ministerial offer made
and there is no exception of any of all mankind in the grant. If there
was, no ministerial offer of Christ could be warrantably made to the party
excepted, more than to the fallen angels; and without question, the
publishing and proclaiming of heaven's grant unto any, by way of minis-
terial offer, pre supposeth the grant, in the first place, to be made to
them : otherwise, it would be of no more value than a crier's offering of
the king's pardon to one who is not comprehended in it. This is the good
old way of discovering to sinners their warrant to believe in Christ ; and
it doth indeed bear the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ for all, and
that Christ crucified is the ordinance of God for salvation unto all man*
kind, in the use-making of which only they can be saved ; but not an
universal atonement or redemption. " What is thy faith ? My sure
belief that God both may and will save me, &c. Tell me the promise
whereon thou leanest assuredly? 'Whosoever (says God) will believe in
the death of my Son Jesus, shall not perish, but get eternal life.' " Mr.
James Melvil's Cat. vbi sup, " He freely offereth unto sinnep.s life
and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they
may be saved." Mark xvi. 15, 16; John iii. 16; Westm. Confess, chap. 7.
art. 3. "The visible Church hath the privilege of enjoying offers of
grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel,
testifying that whosoever believes in him shall be saved." Larger Ca-
techism, quest. 63. " This general offer, in substance, is equivalent to a
special offer made to every one in particular, as appears by the apostle
making use of it, Acts xvi. 31. The reason of which offer is given, John

MODERN DIVINITY. 127

hence it was, that Jesus Christ himself said unto his dis-
ciples, Mark xvi. 15, " Go and preach the gospel to every
creature under heaven :"* that is, Go and tell every man
without exception, that here is good news for him ; Christ
is dead for him ; and if he will take him, and accept of his
righteousness, he shall have him.f Therefore, says a godly

iii. 16." Pract. Use of Sav. Knowledge ; Conf. p. 380. The Synod of
Dort may be beard without prejudice on this head. "It is the promise
of the gospel [say they,] that whosoever believeth in Christ crucified
should not perish, but have life everlasting ; which promise, together with the
injunction of repentance and faith, ought promiscuously, and without dis-
tinction, to be declared, and published to all men and people, to whom God in
his good pleasure sends the gospel," chap. 2, art. 5. But forasmuch as
many, being called by the gospel, do not repent nor believe in Christ, but
perish in their infidelity, this comes not to pass for want of, or by any insuffi-
ciency of, the sacrifice of Christ offered upon the cross, but by their own de-
fault," art. 6.

* That is, from this deed of gift and grant it was that the ministerial offer
was appointed to be made in the most extensive terms.

f That the reader may have a more clear view of this passage, which
is taken from Dr. Preston's Treatise of Faith, I shall transcribe the whole
paragraph in which it is found. That eminent divine, speaking of that
righteousness by which alone we can be saved, and having shown that it
is communicated by gift, says, " But when you hear this righteousness is
given, the next question will be, to whom is it ^iven ? If it be only given
to some, what comfort is this to me ? But [which is the ground of all
comfort,] it is given to every man, — there is not a man excepted ; for
which we have the sure word of God, which will not fail. When you
have the charter of a king well confirmed, you reckon it a matter of great
moment : what is it then when you have the charter of God himself?
which you shall evidently see in those two places, Mark xvi. 15, ' Go and
preach the gospel to every creature under heaven ;' What is that ? Go
and tell every man, without exception, that here is good news for him ;
Christ is dead for him ; and if he will take him, and accept of his right-
teousness, he shall have it ; restraint is not ; but go tell every man under
heaven. The other text is, Rev. xxii. 17, 'Whosoever will, let him
come, and take of the water of life freely.' There is a quicunque vult,
whosoever will come (none excepted) may have life, and it shall cost
him nothing. Many other places of Scripture there be to prove the
generality of the offer ; and having a sure word for it, consider it," p. 7, 8.
The words ' under heaven' are taken from Col. i. 23. The scope here
is the same with that of our author, not to determine concerning the ex-
tent of Christ 's death, but to discover the warrant sinners have to believe
in Christ, namely, that the offer of Christ is general, the deed of gift or
grant is to every man. This necessarily supposeth Christ crucified to be
the ordinance of God for salvation, to which lost mankind is allowed
access, and not fallen angels, for whom there is none provided : even as
the city of refuge "was the ordinance of God for the safety of the man-
slayer, who had killed any person unawares. Numb. xxxv. 16 ; and the
brazen serpent for the cure of those bitten by a serpent, chap. xxi. 8.
Therefore he says not, ' Tell every man Christ died for him ;' but, Tell
every man ' Christ is dead for him ;' that is, for him to come to, and

128 THE MARROW OF

writer, "Forasmuch as the holy Scripture speaketh to all
in general, none of us ought to distrust himself, but believe

believe on ; a Sayionr is provided for him ; there is a crucified Christ for
him, the ordinance of heaven for salvation for lost man, in the use-making
of which he may be saved ; even as one had said of old, Tell every man
that hath slain any person unawares, that the city of refuge is prepared
for liim, namely, to flee to, that he may be safe ; and every one bitten
by a serpent, that the brazen serpent is set up on a pole for him,
namely, to look unto, that he may be healed. Both these were eminent
types of Christ ; and upon the latter, the Scripture is full and clear in this
very point. Numb. xxi. 8, ' And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a
fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole ; and it shall come to pass, that
KVERY ONE that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.' — John iii. 14 —
16, ' And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son
of man be lifted up ; that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but
have eternal life.' • For God. so loved the world, that he gave his only begot-
ten Son, that whosoever,' " &c.

Thus, what (according to Dr. Preston and our author) is to be told
every man, is no more than what ministers of the gospel have in commission
from their great Master, Matt. xxii. 4, " Tell them which are bidden. Behold,
I have prepared my dinner : my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things
are ready, come unto the marriage." There is a crucified Saviour, with all
saving benefits, for them to come to, feed upon, and partake of freely. See also
Luke ii. 30, 31 ; Prov. ix. 2—4 ; Isa. xxv. 6.

To confirm this to be the true and designed sense of the phrase in
question, compare the following three passages, of the same treatise,
giving the import of the same text, Mark xvi, " Christ hath provided a
righteousness and salvation, that is, his work that he hath done already.
Now, if ye will believe, and take him upon these terms that he is offered,
you shall be saved. This, I say, belongs to all men. This you have ex-
pressed in the gospel in many places : ' If you believe you shall be saved :'
as it is, Mark xvi, ' Go and preach the gospel to every creature under
heaven ; he that will believe shall be saved.' " Preston on Faith, p. 32.
" You must first have Christ himself, before you can partake of those
benefits by him : and that I take to be the meaning of that in Mark xvi,
' Go preach the gospel to every creature under heaven ; he that believeth
and is baptized, shall be saved ;' that is, he that will believe, that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh, and that he is offered to mankind for a Saviour,
and will be baptized ; that will give up himself to him, that will take his mark
upon him, shall be saved." Ibid. p. 46. " Go and preach the gospel
to every creature : go and tell every man under heaven, that Christ is ofl'ered
to him, he is freely given to him by God the Father ; and there is nothing re-
quired of you but that you marry him, nothing but to accept of him." Ibid,
p. 75.

Thus, it appears, that universal atonement, or redemption, is not taught here,
neither by our author. But that the candid reader may be satisfied as to his
sentiments touching the question, — ■" for whom Christ died ?" let him weigh
these two things :

1. Our author puts a man's being persuaded that Christ died for him
in particular, in the definition of saving faith, and that as the last and
highest step of it. But Arminians, and other Uuiversalists, might as well
put there a man's being persuaded that he was created, or is preserved by
Jesus Christ ; siuce in being persuaded that Christ died for him, he applies

MODERN DIVINITY. 129

no more to himself than what, according to their principles, is common to
all mankind, as in the case of creation and preservation. Hear Grotiua
upon this head : " Some," says he, " have here interpreted faith to be
persuasion, whereby a man believes that Jesus died for him in particular,
and to purchase salvation all manner of ways for him, or (what with
them is the same thing) that he is elected ; when, on the contrary, Paul
in many places teacheth, ' that Christ died for all men ;' and such a faith
as they talk of, has not in it anything true or profitable." Grotius apud
Pol. Synop. Those whom this learned adversary here taxes, are Protes-
tant anti-Armiuian divines. Those were they who defined faith by such
a persuasion, and not the Universalists. On the contrary, he argues
against that definition of faith from the doctrine of universal atonement
or redemption. He rejects that definition of it, as in his opinion having
nothing in it true, namely, according to the principles of those who gave
it, viz : that Christ difed, not for all and every man in particular, but for
the elect only, and as having nothing in it profitable ; that being, according to
his principles, the common privilege of all mankind.

2. He teaches plainly throughout the book, that they were the elect,
the chosen, or believers, whom Christ represented, and obeyed, and suf-
fered for. See among others, pages 22, 23, 54, 86. I shall repeat only
two passages ; the one, page 81 : " According to that eternal and mutual
agreement that was betwixt God the Father and him, he put himself in
the room and place of all the faithful." The other in the first sentence
of his own preface, viz : " Jesus Christ, the second Adam, did, as a com-
mon person, enter into covenant with God his Father for all the elect,
(that is to say, all those that have or shall believe on his name,) and for
them kept it." What can be more plain than that, in the judgment of
our author, they were the elect whom Jesus Christ, the second Adam,
entered into covenant with God for ; that it was in the elect's room he
put himself when he came actually to obey and suffer, and that it was
for the elect he kept that covenant, by doing and suffering what was re-
quired of him as our Redeemer ? As for the description, or character he
gives of the elect, viz : that by the elect he understands all that have or
shall believe in it, he follows our Lord himself, John xvii. 20, " Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me ;" and
so doing, he is accompanied with orthodox divines. " Thus did the sins
of all God's elect, or all true believers," (for of such, and only such, he
there, viz : Isa. liii. 6, speaks,) meet together upon the head of their com-
mon surety, the Lord Christ," Brinsley's Mesites, p. 64. " The Father
is well satisfied with the undertakings of the Son, who entered Redeemer
and Surety to pay the ransom of believers," Pract. Use of Saving Knowl.
tit. 4. " The invisible church is the whole number of the elect that have
been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head," Larg.
Cat. quest. 64. " Christ's church, wherein standeth only remission of
sins, purchased by Christ's blood to all them that believe," The Confess.
of Faith used in Geneva, approved by the Church of Scotland, sect. 4.
sect. vlt. But Arminians neither will nor can, in consistency with their
principles touching election and the falling away of believers, admit that
description or character of the elect, else they are widely mistaken by
one of their own, who tells us that, " Upon the consideration of his [viz :
Christ's] blood, as shed, he [viz : God] decreed, that all those who should
believe in that Redeemer, and persevere in .that faith, should, through
mercy and grace, by him be made partakei"s of salvation," Exam, of Tilen.
p. 131. " Brought unto faith, and persevere therein ; this being the

130 THE MARROW OF

that it doth belong particularly to himself* And to the end,
that this point, wherein lies and consists the whole mystery of
our holy faith, may be understood the better, let us put the
case, that some good and holy king should cause a proclama-
tion to be made through his whole kingdom, by the sound of
a trumpet, that all rebels and banished men shall safely return
home to their houses : because that, at the suit and desert of
some dear friend of theirs, it has pleased the king to pardon
them ; certainly, none of these rebels ought to doubt, but that
he shall obtain true pardon for his rebellion ; and so return
home, and live under the shadow of that gracious king. Even
so, our good King, the Lord of heaven and earth, has, for the
obedience and desert of our good brother Jesus Christ, par-
doned all our sins,f and made a proclamation throughout the

condition required in every one that is to be elected unto eternal life,"
Ibid. p. 139.' Behold the Arminian election : " They do utterly deny
that God did destine, by an absolute decree, to give Christ a Mediator
only to the elect, and to give faith to them alone," Ibid. p. 149. As for
Universalists, not Arminian s, " They contend, that the decree of the
death of Christ did go before the decree of election, and that God, in
sending of Christ, had no respect unto some, more than others, but de-
stined Christ for a Saviour to all men alike." This account of their prin-
ciples is given us by Turretine, loc. 14, q. 14, th. 6. I leave it to the impartial
reader to judge of the evident contrariety betwixt this and our author's words
above repeated.

* Namely, the deed of gift and grant, or the offer of Christ in the
word, of which our author is all along speaking. And if there be any
man to whom it doth not belong particularly, that man hath no warrant
to believe on Jesus Christ : and whosoever pretends to believe on him, without
believing that the grant or offer belongs to himself particularly, does but
act presumptuously, as seeing no warrant he has to believe on Christ, whatever
others may have.

f So far as he hath made the deed of gift and grant, or authentic
gospel-offer of the pardon of all our sins, as of all other saving benefits in
Christ. Such a thing, among men, is called the king's pardon, though,
in the mean time, none have the benefit of it but such as come in upon
its being proclaimed, and accept of it ; and why may not it be called the
King of heaven's pardon ? The holy Scripture warrants this manner of
expression. " And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life," 1 John v. 11 ; in which life, without question, the pardon of all our
sins is included : " Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins," Acts xiii. 38. The preaching of the gospel is the proclaiming of
pardon to condemned sinners. But pardon of sin cannot be preached or
proclaimed, unless, in the first place, it be granted, even as the king's pardon
must be, before one can proclaim it to the rebels.

That this is all that is meant by pardon here, and not a formal per-
sonal pardon, is evident from the whole strain of the author's discourse
upon it. In the proposal of the simile, whereof this passage is the appli-
cation, he tolls us, that after it hath pleased the king (thus) to pardon the
rebels, they ought not to doubt but they shall obtain pardon ; and in the

MODERN DIVINITY. 131

whole world,* that every one of us may safely return to God in
Jesus Christ : wherefore I beseech you make no doubt of it,
but " draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,"
Heb. X. 22.t

Neo. Oh, but, sir, in this similitude the case is not alike.
For when the earthly king sends forth such a proclamation, it may
be thought that he indeed intends to pardon all ; but it can-
not be thought that the King of heaven does so : for do not the
Scriptures say, that " some men are ordained before to condem-
nation?" Jude 4. And does not Christ himself say, that
" many are called, but few are chosen ?" Matt. xxii. 14. And,
therefore, it may be, I am one of them that are ordained to
condemnation ; and, therefore, though I be called, I shall
never be chosen, and so shall not be saved.

Evan. I beseech you to consider, that although some men
be ordained to condemnation, yet so long as the Lord has con
cealed their names, and not set a mark of reprobation upon any
man in particular, but offers the pardon generally to all, without

following paragraph he brings in Neophytus objecting, that in such a case
an earthly king doth indeed intend to pardon all, but the King of hea-
ven doth not so ; the which Evangelista in his answer grants. So that,
for all this general pardon, the formal personal pardon remains to be ob-
tained by the sinner, namely, by his accepting of the pardon offered. And
in the foresaid answer, he expounds the pardon in question, of the Lord's
offering pardon generally to all. This, one would think, may well be
admitted as the fruit of Christ's obedience and desert, without supposing
an universal atonement or redemption. And to restrain it to any set of
men whatsoever under heaven, is to restrain the authentic gospel-offer : of
which before.

* Col. i. 2 3 : " The gospel -which ye have heard, and which was preached to
every creature which is under heaven."

f Make no doubt of the pardon offered, or of the proclamation, bear-
ing, that every one of us may safely return to God in Christ ; but there-
upon draw near to him in full assurance of faith. That there can be no
saving faith, no acceptance with God, where there is any doubting, is
what can hardly enter into the head of any sober Christian, if he is not
under a grievous temptation, in his own soul's case, nor is it in the least
insinuated here. Nevertheless, the doubting mixed with faith is sin, and
dishonoureth God, and believers hai-e ground to be humbled for it, and
ashamed of it, before the Lord ; and therefore the full assurance of faith
is duty. The Papists indeed contend earnestly for doubting, and they know
very very well, wherefore they so do ; for doubting being removed, and the
assurance of faith in the promise of the gospel brought into its room, their
market is marred, their gain by indulgences, masses, pilgrimages, &c., is gone,
and the fire of purgatory extinguished. But, as Protestant divines prove
against them, the holy Scripture condemns it. Matt. xiv. 31, " 0 thou of little
faith ! wherefore didst thou doubt?" Luke xii. 29, " Neither be ye of doubt-
ful miud." 1 Tim. ii. 8, " Lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubt-
ing."

132 THE MARROW OF

having any respect either to election or reprobation, surely it is
great folly in any man to say, It may be I am not elected, and
therefore shall not have benefit by it ; and therefore I will not
accept of it, nor come in :* for it should rather move every
man to give diligence " to make his calling and election sure,"
2 Pet. i. 10, by believing it, for fear we come short of it,t
according to that of the apostle, " let us, therefore, fear, lest a
promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should
seem to come short of it," Heb, iv. 1. Wherefore, I beseech
you, do not you say. It may be I am not elected, and therefore
I will not believe in Christ ; but rather say, I do believe in
Christ, and therefore I am sure I am elected.:}: And check
your own heart for meddling with God's secrets, and prying
into his hidden counsel, and go no more beyond your bounds,
as you have done, in this point : for election and reprobation
is a secret ; and the Scripture tells us, " that secret things be-
long unto God, but those things that are revealed belong unto
us," Deut. xxix. 29. Now this is God's revealed will, for, in-
deed, it is his express command, " That you should believe on
the name of his Son," 1 John iii. 23 ; and it is his promise,
" That if you believe, you shall not perish, but have everlast-
ing life," John iii. 16. Wherefore, you having so good a
warrant as God's command, and so great an encouragement
as his promise, do your duty ;§ and by the doing thereof you
may put it| out of question, and be sure that you are also one
of God's elect. Say, then, I beseech you, with a firm faith,
The righteousness of Jesus Christ belongs to all that believe,
but I believe,^^ and therefore it belongs to me. Yea, say with.
Paul, " I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me,

* Had the author once dreamt of an universal pardon, otherwise than that
God ofiFers the pardon generally to all, all this had been needless ; it would
have furnished him with a short answer, viz : That God hath pardoned all
already.

f By believing the offered pardon, with particular application to himself;
without which one can never accept of it, but will undoubtedly come short
of it.

X Like that man mentioned Mark ix. 24, who at once did and said.

§ Believe on the name of Christ.

II Namely, your believing.

iy This is what is commonly called the reflex act of faith, which presupposes,
and here includes the direct act, namely, a man's doing of his duty, in obe-
dience to the command to believe on Christ ; by reflecting on which, he may
put it out of question that he is a believer, one of God's elect, and one of
those for whom Christ died ; the which he insists upon in the following words,
See the foregoing notef. This passage is taken out of Dr. Preston's Treatise
of Faith, p. 8.

MODERN DIVINITY. 133

and gave himself for me," Gal. ii. 20. " He saw in me (says
Luther on the text) nothing but wickedness, going astray, and
fleeing from him. Yet this good Lord had mercy on me, and
of his mere mercy he loved me, yea, so loved me, that he gave
himself for me. Who is this me? Even I, wretched aud
damnable sinner, was so dearly beloved of the Son of-God that
he gave himself for me."

Oh ! print this word " me" in your heart, and apply it to
your own self, not doubting but that you are one of those to
whom this " me" belongs.*

Neo. But may such a vile and sinful wretch as I am be per-
suaded that God commands me to believe, and that he hath
made a promise to me ?t

Evmi. Why do you make a question, where there is none
to be made? "Go," says Christ, "and preach the gospel to
every creature under heaven," that is. Go tell every man with-
out exception, whatsoever his sins be, whatsoever his reljellions
be, go and tell him these glad tidings, that if he will come in,
I will accept of him, his sins shall be forgiven him, and he
shall be saved ; if he will come in and take me, and receive
me, I will be his loving husband, and he shall be mine own
dear spouse. Let me, therefore, say unto you, in the words
of the apostle, " Now, then, I as an ambassador for Christ, as
though God did beseech you by me, I pray you, in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled unto God ; for he hath made him to be
sin for you, who knew no sin, that ye might be made the
righteousness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 20, 21.

Neo. But do you say, sir, that if I believe I shall be espoused
unto Christ ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, shall you : for faith coupleth the soul
with Christ, even as the spouse with her husband ; by which
means Christ and the soul are made one: for as, in corporal
marriage, man and wife are made one flesh, even so in this
spiritual and mystical marriage, Christ and his spouse are
made one spirit. And this marriage, of all others, is most per-
fect, and absolutely accomplished between them ; for the mar-
riage between man and wife is but a slender figure of this

* " This manner of applying," says Luther, " is the very true force and power
of faith."

f He had told him, that for his warrant to believe on Christ, he had God's
command, I John iii. 23. And for his encouragement, God's promise,
John iii. 16. Thereupon this question is moved; the particular application
to oneself being a matter of no small difficulty in the experience of many
who lay salvation to heart.
12

134: THE MARROW OP

union ; wherefore, I beseech you to believe it, and then you
shall be sure to enjoy it *

Neo. But, sir, if David said, " Seeraeth it to you a light
thing to be an earthly king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a
poor man and lightly esteemed ?" 1 Sam. xviii. 23 ; then
surely I have much more caase to say, Seemeth it a light thing
to be a heavenly King's daughter-in-law, seeing that I am
such a poor sinful wretch ? Surely, sir, I cannot be persuaded
to believe it,

Evan. Alas ! man, how much are you mistaken ! for you
look upon God, and upon yourself, with the eye of reason ;
and so as standing in relation to each other, according to the
tenor of the covenant of works : whereas, you being now in
the case of justification and reconciliation, you are to look both
upon God and upon yourself with the eye of faith ; and so
standing in relation to each other, according to the tenor of
the coyenant of grace. For, says the apostle, " God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
sins unto them," 2 Cor, v. 19 ; as if he had said. Because as
God stands in relation to man, according to the tenor of the
covenant of works, and so out of Christ, he could not, without
prejudice to his justice, be reconciled unto them, nor have any
thing to do with them, otherwise than in wrath and indignation ;
therefore to the intent that Justice and Mercy might meet
together, and Righteousness and Peace might embrace each
other, and so God stand in relation to man, according to the
tenor of the covenant of grace ; he put himself into his Son
Jesus Christ, and shrouded himself there, that so he might
speak peace to his people. Psalm Ixxxv. 8 — 10, Sweetly,
says Luther, " Because the nature of God was otherwise
higher than that we are able to attain unto it, therefore hath
he humbled himself for us, and taken our nature upon him,
and so put himself into Christ. Here he looketh for us, here

* Believe the word of promise, the offer of the spiritual marriage, which is
Christ's declared consent to be yours. Believe that it is made to j'ou iu
particular, and that it shall be made out to you ; the which is, to embrace
the offer, to receive Christ, as the evangelist teaches, John i. 12 ; [which
was adverted to before ;] so shall you be indeed married or espoused to
Christ. Thus the holy Scripture proposes this matter, Isa. Iv. 3, " Hear
and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with
you ;" to persuade us of the reality of the covenant betwixt Cod and the
believer of his word, " the Father hath made a fourfold gift," &c., Pract,
Use of Sav. Knowl. tit. ; Warrant to Believe, fig. 7 ; Compare Isa. liii. 1 ;
Heb. iv. 1, 2.

MODERN DIVINITY. 135

he will receive us ; and he that seeketh him here shall find
him."* " This," sajs God the Father, " is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased," Matt. iii. 17 ; whereupon the
same Luther says in another place, " We must not think and
persuade ourselves that this voice came from heaven for Christ's
own sake, but for our sakes, even as Christ himself says, John
xii. 30, ' This voice came not because of me, but for your
sakes.' The truth is, Christ had no need that it should be
said unto him, ' This is my beloved Son,' he knew that from
all eternity, and that he should still so remain, though these
words had not been spoken from heaven ; therefore, by these
words, God the Father, in Christ his Son, cheers the hearts of
poor sinners, and greatly delights them with singular comfort
and heavenly sweetness, assuring them, that whosoever is
married unto Christ, and so in him by faith, he is as accept-
able to God the Father as Christ himself ;t according to that
of the apostle, " He hath made us acceptable in his beloved,"
Eph. i. 6. Wherefore, if you would be acceptable to God,
and be made his dear child, then by faith cleave unto his be-
loved Son Christ, and hang about his neck, yea, and creep
into his bosom ; and so shall the love and favour of God be
as deeply insinuated into you as it is into Christ himself; and
so shall God the Father, together with his beloved Son, wholly

* An eminent type of this glorious mysterj' was that tabernacle so
often mentioned in the Old Testament under the name of the tabernacle
of the congregation, or rather the tabernacle of meeting, as the original
word bears ; and the Lord himself seems to give the reason of the name,
Exod. XXX. 36, " In the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will
meet with thee ;" or, " in the tabernacle of meeting, where I will be met
with by thee." — Chap, xxxiii. 7, " And it came to pass, that every one
which sought the Lord, went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation," or
meeting.

f The acceptation, love, and the favour of God here treated of, do not re-
fer to the real state of believers, but to the relative state, to their justifi-
cation, reconciliation, and adoption : and so they have no respect to any
qualities inherent in them, good or evil, to be increased by the one, or
diminished by the other ; but they proceed purely upon the righteousness
of Christ, which is theirs in virtue of their union with him, and is im-
puted to them ; the which righteousness is the self-same righteousness
wherewith Christ, as Mediator and Surety for elect sinners, pleased the
Father. And therefore, says one, whom nobody suspects of Antino-
mianism, " AVe are as perfectly righteous as Christ the Righteous," citing
1 John iii. 7 : "He that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is
righteous," Isaac Ambrose's Media, chap. 1, sect. 2, p. 4. This I take to
be the true meaning of these passages of our author and Isaac Ambrose,
expressed in terms stronger than I would desire to use. There is a dan-
ger in expressing concerning God even what is true.

136 THE MARROW OF

possess you, and be possessed of you; and so God, and Christ,
and you, shall become one entire thing, according to Christ's
prayer, " that they may be one in us, as thou and I are one,"
John xvii. 21*

And by this means you may have sufl&cient ground and
warrant to say, (in the matter of reconciliation with God at
any time, whensoever you are disputing with yourself, how
God is to be found, that justifies and saves sinners,) I know
no other God, neither will I know any other God, besides
this God, that came down from heaven, and clothed himself
with my flesh,t unto " whom all power is given, both in

* The original word here rendered " one," indeed signifies " one thing."
And it is evident from the text, that believers are united to God as well
as to Christ. " Faith is that grace by which we ai'e united to, and made
one with, God and Christ," saya the author of the Supplement to Poole's
Annot. on the place. See 1 John iv. 16 ; 2 Cor. iv. 16, compared with
Eph. iii. 17. And whosoever owns Jesus Christ to be one with the Father,
must needs grant this, or else deny believers to be united to Christ. This
derogates nothing from the prerogative of our Lord Jesus, who is one
with the Father ; for he is one with him, as the Holy Ghost also is, by
the adorable substantial union ; but believers are so only by mystical
union. Neither does it intrench upon God's supremacy, more than their con-
fessed union with Christ does ; who, notwithstanding of believers' union with
him, remains to be, with the Father and Holy Spirit, the only supreme, and
most high God.

" Whosoever, therefore, cleaveth to Christ through faith, he abideth in
the favour of God, he also shall be made beloved and acceptable as Christ
is, and shall have fellowship with the Father and the Son." Luther's
Chosen Sermons, Sermon of the Appearing of Christ, p. 23. " Here I
will abide in the arms of Christ, cleaving inseparably about his neck, and
creeping into his bosom, whatsoever the law shall say, and my heart shall
feel," Ibid. Sermon of the Lost Sheep, p. 81. " Seeing, therefore, that
Christ, the beloved Son, being in so great favour with God in all things
that he does, is thine ; without doubt, thou art in the same favour and
love of God that Christ himself is in." And again, " the favour and love
of God are insinuated to thee as deeply as to Christ, that now God, together
with his beloved Son, does wholly possess thee, and thou hast him again
wholly ; that so God, Christ, and thou, do become as one certain thing, — that
they may be one in us, as thou and I are one, John xvii." Ibid. Sermon of the
Appearing of Christ, p. 25.

t Luther, from whom this is taken, in the place quoted by our author,
confirms it thus ; " For he that is a searcher of God's majesty, shall be
overwhelmed of his glory. I know [adds he] by experience, what I say.
But these vain spirits, which so deal with God, that they exclude the
Mediator, do not believe me." And on Psalm cxxx, he has these re-
markable words, " Ego saepe, et libenter hoc inculco, ut extra Christum,
oculos et aures claudatis, et dicatis nullum vos scire Deum nisi qui fuit
in gremio Mariis, et suxit ubera ejus :" that is, " Often and willingly do
I inculcate this, that you should shut your eyes and your ears, and say,
you know no God out of Christ, none but him that was in the lap of

MODERN DIVINITY. 137

heaven and in earth," who is my judge ; " for the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the
Son," John v. 22. So that Christ may do with me whatso-
ever he liketh, and determine of me according to his own
mind ; and I am sure he hath said, " he came not to judge the
world but to save the world," John xii. 47. And therefore I
do believe that he will save me.*

Neo. Indeed, sir, if I were so holy and so righteous as some
men are, and had such power over my sins and corruptions
as some men have, then I could easily believe it ; but, alas !
1 am so sinful and so unworthy a wretch, that I dare not pre-
sume to believe that Christ will accept of me, so as to justify
and save me.

Evan. Alas I man, in thus saying, you seem to contradict
and gainsay both the apostle Paul, and our Lord Jesus
Christ himself ; and that against your own soul : for whereas
the apostle Paul says, " that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners," 1 Tim. i. 15, and doth justify the ungodly,
Eom. iv. 5, why, you seem to hold, and do in effect say, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save the righteous, and
to justify the godly. And whereas our Saviour says, the
whole need not a physician, but the sick ; and that he came
not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Matt. ix.
12 ; why, you seem to hold, and do in effect say, that the
sick need not a physician, but the whole : and that he came,
not to call sinners, but the righteous to repentance. And in-
deed, in so saying, you seem to conceive, that Christ's spouse
must be purified, washed, and cleansed from all her filthi-
ness, and adorned with a rich robe of righteousness, before
he will accept of her; whereas he himself said unto her,
Ezek. xvi. 4 — 8, " As for thy nativity, in the day that thou
wast born, thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed
with water to supple thee ; thou wast not swaddled at all,
nor salted at all. No eye pitied thee to do any of these things
unto thee ; but when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee,
behold thy time was a time of love. And I spread my skirt
over thee, and covered thy nakedness; yea, and I sware unto

Mary, and suckled her breasts." He means none out of him. Burroughs on
Hos. iii. .5. p. 729.

* This is the conchision of that, which one, " by faith cleaving unto Christ,
and hanging about his neck," has by that means warrant to say, according to
our author. Whether or not there is sufficient warrant for it, according to the
Scripture, let the reader judge : what shadow of the doctrine of universal
atonement, or universal pardon, is in it, I sec not.
12*

138 THE MARROW OF

thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest
mine." — Hos. ii. 19, " And I will marry thee unto me for ever;
yea, I will marry thee unto me in righteousness, and in judg-
ment, and in mercy, and compassion."

Wherefore, I beseech you, revoke this your erroneous opinion,
and contradict the word of truth no longer ; but conclude for
a certainty, that it is not the righteous and godly man, but
the sinful and ungodly man,* that Christ came to call, justify,
and save : so that if you were a righteous and godly man, you
were neither capable of calling, justifying, or saving by Christ;
but being a sinful and ungodly man, I will be bold to say unto
you as the people said unto blind Bartimeus, Mark x. 49,
" Be of good comfort ; arise, he calleth thee," and will justify
and save thee.f Go then unto him, I beseech you ; and if he
come and meet thee, (as his manner is,) then do not you un-
advisedly say, with Peter, " Depart from me, for I am a sinful
man, O Lord !" Luke v. 8 ; but say, in plain terms, 0 come
unto me ; for I am a sinful man, O Lord ! Yea, go on fur-
ther, and say, as Luther bids you. Most gracious Jesus and
sweet Christ, I am a miserable, poor sinner, and, therefore,
do judge myself unworthy of thy grace; but yet I, having
learned from thy word that thy salvation belongs unto such a
one, therefore do I come unto thee, to claim that right which,
through thy gracious promise, belongs unto me.:j: Assure
yourself, man, that Jesus Christ requires no portion with his
spouse ; no, verily, he requires nothing with her but mere
poverty : " the rich he sends empty away," Luke i. 53 ; but
the poor are by him enriched. And, indeed, says Luther,
" the more miserable, sinful, and distressed a man doth feel
himself, and judge himself to be, the more willing is Christ to
receive him and relieve him." So that, says he, in judging thy-
self unworthy, thou dost thereby become truly worthy ; and so,
indeed, hast gotten a greater occasion of coming to him.
Wherefore, then, in the words of the apostle, I do exhort and
beseech you to " come boldly unto the throne of grace, that

* That is, such as are really so, and not, iu their own opinion, only respect-
ively.

t As the people, observing Christ's call to Bartimeus, bid him be of good com-
fort, (or be confident) and arise ; intimating, that upon his going so unto Christ,
he would cure him ; so one, observing the gospel call, may with all boldness
bid a sinner comply with it confidently ; assuring him that thereupon Christ
•will justify and save him.

+ See the note on the Definition of Faith, fig. 1.

MODERN DIVINITY. 139

you may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,"
Heb. iv. 16.

Neo. But, truly, sir, my heart, as it were, trembles within me,
to think of coming to Christ, after such a bold manner ; and
surely, sir, if I should so come unto him, it would argue much
pride and presumption in me.

Evan, Indeed, if you should be encouraged to come unto
Christ and to speak thus unto him, because of any godliness,
righteousness, or worthiness, that you conceive to be in you ;
that, I confess, were proud presumption in you. But to come
to Christ, by believing that he will accept of you, justify, and
save you freely by his grace, according to his gracious pro-
mise, this is neither pride nor presumption :* for Christ having
tendered and offered it to you freely, believe it, it is true hu-
mility of heart to take what ChrLst offers you.

Nom. Bat, by your favour, sir, I pray you give me leave to
speak a word by the way. I know my neighbour, Neophytus,
it may be, better than you do ; yet I do not intend to charge
him with any sin, otherwise than by way of supposition : as
thus, suppose he has been guilty of the committing of gross
and grievous sins, will Christ accept of him, and justify and
save him for all that ?

Evan. Yes, indeed; for there is no limitation of God's
grace in Jesus Christ, except the sin against the Holy Ghost.f

* It is to believe the offer of the gospel, with particular application ;
to embrace it, and therein to receive Christ. And no man can ever re-
ceive and rest on Christ for salvation, without believing, in greater, or
lesser measure, that Christ will accept of him to justification and salva-
tion. Remove that gospel truth, that Christ will accept of him, and his faith
has no ground left to stand upon. See the note on the Definition of Faith,
fig. 1,2.

1 1 doubt if the sin against the Holy Ghost can justly be said to be a
limitation of God's grace in Jesus Christ. For in the original authentic
gospel-offer, in which is the proper place for such a limitation (if there
was any) that grace is so laid open to all men without exception, that no
man is excluded ; but there is free access to it for every man in the way
of believing, John iii. 15, 16; Rev. xxii. 17; and this offer is sometimes
intimated to these reprobates, who fall into that sin, else they should not
be capable of it. It is true, that sin is a bar in the way of the guilty, so
as they can never partake of the grace of God in Christ ; for it shall never
be forgiven. Matt. xii. 31 ; Mark iii. 29 ; and any further ministerial appli-
cation of the offer to them seems to cease to be lawful or warranted, 1 John
V. 16. But all this arises from their own Avilful, obstinate, despiteful, and
malicious rejecting of the offer : and figlitmg against the Holy Ghost, whose
office it is to apply the grace of Christ ; and not from any limitation, or exclu-
sive clause in the offer, for still it remains true, " Whosoever shall believe, shall
not perish."

140: THE MARROW OF

Christ "stands at tlie door and knocks," Kev. iii. 20. And if
any murdering Manasseh, or any persecuting and blaspheming
Saul, 1 Tim. i. 13, or any adulterous Mary Magdalene, " will
open unto him, he will come in," and bring comfort with him,
" and will sup with him." " Seek from the one end of the
heavens to the other," says Hooker ; " turn all the Bible over,
and see if the words of Christ be not true, * Him that cometh
unto me, I will in no ways cast out,'" John vi. 37.

Nom. Why, then, sir, it seems you hold, that the vilest sin-
ner in the world ought not to be discouraged from coming unto
Christ, and believing in him, by reason of his sins.

Evan. Surely, if " Christ came into the world to seek, and
call, and save sinners, and to justify the ungodly," as you
have heard ; and if the more sinful, miserable, and distressed
a man judge himself to be, the more willing Christ is to re-
ceive him and relieve him ; then I see no reason why the
vilest sinner should be discouraged from believing on the name
of Jesus Christ by reason of his sins. Nay, let me say more ;
the greater any man's sins are, either in number or nature, the
more haste he should make to come unto Christ, and to say
with David, " For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine ini-
quity, for it is great !" Psalm xxv. 11.

Ant. Surely, sir, if my friend Neophytus did rightly consider
these things, and were assuredly persuaded of the truth of
them, methinks he should not be so backward from coming to
Christ, by believing on his name, as he is ; for if the greatness
of his sin should be so far from hindering his coming to Christ,
that they should further his coming, then I know not what
should hinder him.

Evan. You speak very truly indeed. And therefore I be-
seech you, neighbour Neophytus, consider seriously of it ; and
neither let your own accusing conscience, nor Satan the accuser
of the brethren, hinder you any longer from Christ. For
what though they should accuse you of pride, infidelity, covet-
ousness, lust, anger, envy, and hypocrisy ? yea, what though
they should accuse you of whoredom, theft, drunkenness, and
such like ? yea, do what they can, they can make no worse a
man of you than a sinner, or chief of sinners, or an ungodly
person ; and so, consequently, such an one Christ came to
justify and save; so that in very deed, if you do rightly con-
sider of it, they do you more good than hurt by their accusa-
tions.* And therefore, I beseech you, in all such cases or

* WTiich may put you in mind, that you are one of that sort which

MODERN DIVINITY. 141

conflicts, take the counsel of Luther, who, on the Galatians,
(p. 20,) says, " When thy conscience is thoroughly afraid with
the remembrance of thy sins past, and the devil assaileth thee
with great violence, going about to overwhelm thee with heaps,
floods, and whole seas of sins, to terrify thee, and to draw thee
from Christ; then arm thyself with such sentences as these:
Christ the Son of God was given, not for the holy, righteous,
worthy, and such as were his friends ; but for the wicked sin-
ners, for the unworthy, and for his enemies. Wherefore, if
the devil say. Thou art a sinner, and therefore must be
damned ; then answer thou, and say. Because thou sayest I am
a sinner, therefore will I be righteous and saved. And if he
reply, Nay, sinners must be damned ; then answer thou, and
say. No, for I flee to Christ, who hath given himself for my
sins ; and, therefore, Satan, in that thou sayest I am a sinner,
thou givest me armour and weapons against thyself, that with
thine own sword I may cut thy throat, and tread thee under
my feet."* And thus you see it is the counsel of Luther, that
your sins should rather drive you to Christ than keep you
from him.

Nom. But, sir, suppose he hath not as yet truly repented
for his many and great sins, hath he any warrant to come unto
Christ, by believing, till he has done so ?

Evan. I tell you truly, that whatsoever a man is, or what-
soever he hath done or not done, he hath warrant enough to
come unto Christ by believing, if he can ;f for Christ make's

" Christ Jesus came into the world to save," 1 Tim. i. 15 ; and in pleading
for mercy, may furnish you with such an argument as David used, Psalm
XXV. 11, and the woman of Canaan, Matt. xv. 27, " yet the dogs eat of the
crumbs," &c.

* He adds, in the place quoted, these weighty words, " 1 say not this
for nought ; for I have often-times proved by experience, and I daily find
what an hard matter it is to believe (especially in the conflict of con-
science) that Christ was given, not for the holy, righteous, worthy, and such
as were his friends ; but for wicked sinners, for the unworthy, and for his
enemies."

f It is not in vain added, " if he can ;" for there is, in this matter, a
great difiFerence betwixt what a sinner may do, in point of warrant, and
what he will or can do, in point of the event. " If we say to a man, the
physician is ready to heal you ; before you will be healed, you must have
a sense of your sickness : this sense is not required by the physician (for
the physician is ready to heal him) ; but if he be not sick, and have a
sense of it, he will not come to the physician." Preston on Faith, p. 12.
I make no question, but before a sinner will come to Christ by believing,
he must be an awakened, convinced, sensible sinner ; pricked in his heart
with a sense of his sin and misery ; made to groan under his burden, to

142 THE If ARROW OF

a general j^^oclamation, saying, " Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters ; and he that hath no money, come, buy
and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and
without price." This, you see, is the condition, "buy wine and
milk," that is, grace and salvation, " without money," that is,
without any sufficiency of your own ;* only " incline your
ear and hear, and your souls shall live ;" yea, live by hearing
that " Christ will make an everlasting covenant with you, even
the sure mercies of David."

Sect. 4. — Nom. But yet, sir, you see that Christ requires a
thirsting, before a man come unto him, the which, I conceive,
cannot be without true repentance.

Evan. In the last chapter of the Revelations, verse 17,

despair of relief from the law, himself, or any other creature, and to desire
and thirst after Christ and his righteousness ; and this our author teaches
afterwards on this subject. These things also are required of the sinner
in point of duty. And, therefore, the law must be preached by all those
who would preach Christ aright. But that these, or any other things
in the sinner, are required to warrant him, that he may come to Christ by
believing, is what I conceive the Scripture teaches not ; but the general
ofiFer of the gospel, of which before, warrants every man that he may
come. And in practice, it will be found, that requiring of such and such
qualifications in sinners to warrant them to believe in Christ, is no great
help to them in their way toward him ; forasmuch as it engages them in
a doubtful disputation, as to the being, kind, measure, and degree of
their qualifications for coming to Christ ; the time spent in which might
be better improved in their going forward to Christ for all, by believing.
And since no man can ever believe in Christ, without knowing that he
has a warrant for believing in him, otherwise he can but act presump-
tuously : to tell sinners, that none may come to Christ, or have warrant
to believe, but such as have a true repentance, must needs, in a special
manner, entangle distressed consciences, so as they dare not believe, un-
til they know their repentance to be true repentance. This must in-
evitably be the issue in that case ; unless they do either reject that prin-
ciple, or else venture to believe without seeing their warrant. For, how-
beit they hear of Christ and his salvation offered in the gospel, these will
be to them as forbidden fruit, which they are not allowed to touch, till
once they are persuaded, that they have true repentance. And before
they can attain to this, it must be made out to their consciences, that
their repentance is not legal but evangelical, having such characters as
distinguish it from the repentance of the Ninevites, Judas, and many re-
probates. So that, one would think the suggesting of this principle is
but a bad ofiBce done to a soul brought to " the place of the breaking
forth of children." Let no man say, that, arguing at this rate, one must know
also the truth of his faith, before he can come to Christ ; for faith , is
not a qualification for coming to Christ, but the coming itself, which will
have its saving effects on the sinner, whether he knows the truth of it or
not.

* Take them freely, and possess them ; which every one sees to be no proper
condition.

MODERN DIVINITY. 143

Christ makes the same general proclamation, saying, "Let
him that is athirst come ;" and as if the Holy Ghost had so
long since aaswered the same objection that yours is, it follows
in the next words, '• And whosoever will, let him take of the
water of life freely," even without thirsting, if he will ; for
"him that coraeth unto me, I will in nowise cast out,"* John
vi. 37. But because it seems you conceive he ought to repent
before he believe, I pray tell me what you do conceive repent-
ance to be, or wherein does it consist ?

Nom. Why, I conceive that repentance consists in a man's
humbling himself before God, and sorrowing and grieving for
ofiending him by his sins, and in turning from them all to
the Lord.

Evan. And would you have a man to do all this trulyf
before he come to Christ by believing ?

* That gospel-offer, Isa. Iv. 1, is the most solemn one to be found in
all the Old Testament ; and that recorded, Rev. xxii. 17, is the parting
oflFer made to sinners by Jesus Christ, at the closing of the canon of the
Scripture, and manifestly looks to the former ; in the which I can see no
ground to think, that the thirsting therein mentioned does any way re-
strict the offer ; or that the thirsty there invited, are convinced, sensible
sinners, who are thirsting after Christ and his righteousness ; the which
would leave without the compass of this solemn invitation, not only the
far greater part of mankind, but even of the visible church. The context
seems decisive in this point ; for the thirsting ones invited, are such as
are " spending money for that which is not bread, and their labour for
that which satisfietli not," verses 1, 2 ; but convinced, sensible sinners
who are thirsting after Christ and his righteousness, are not spending their
labour and money at that rate ; but, on the contrary, for that which is
bread and satisfieth, namely, for Christ. Wherefore, the thirsting there
mentioned, must be more extensive, comprehending, yea, and principally
aiming at that thirst after happiness and satisfaction, which, being na-
tural, -is common to all mankind. Men pained with this thirst or hunger
are naturally running, for quenching thereof, to the empty creation, and
their fulsome lusts ; so " spending money for that which is not bread,
and their labour for that which satisfieth not," their hungry souls find no
food, but what is meagre and lean, bad and unwholesome, and cannot
satisfy their appetite. Compare Luke xv. 16. In this wretched case
Adam left all mankind, and Christ finds them. Whereupon the gospel-
proclamation is issued forth, inviting them to come away from the broken
cisterns, filthy -puddles, to the waters of life, even to Jesus Christ, where
they may have bread, fatness, what is good, and will satisfy that their painful
thirst, John iv. 14, and vi. 35.

f That is, in such a manner as it shall be true evangelical repentance,
■a gracious humiliation, sorrow and turning, acceptable in the sight of
God. 'J'his question (grounded on Nomista's pretending that Neophytus
had no warrant to believe, unless he had truly repented) supposes that
there is a kind of repentance, humiliation, sorrow for sin, and turning from
it, which goes before faith, but that they arc not " after a godly sort," as the
apostle's phrase is, 2 Cor. vii. 11.

144 THE MARROW OP

Nom. Yea, indeed, I think it is very meet he should.

Evan. Why, then, I tell you truly, you would have him to
do that which is impossible.*

For, first of all godly humiliation, in true penitents, pro-
ceeds from the love of God their good Father, and so from the
hatred of that sin which has displeased him ; and this cannot
be without faith.f

2dly. Sorrow and grief for displeasing God by sin, neces-
sarily argue the love of God ; and it is impossible we should
ever love God, till by faith we know ourselves loved of
God.t

* I think it nothing strange to find the author so very peremptory in
this point, which is of greater weight than many are aware of. True re-
pentance is a turning unto God, a coming back to him again ; a return-
ing even unto the Lord, according to an usual Old Testament phrase,
found, Hos. xiv. 1, and rightly so translated, Isa. xix. 22. But no man
can come unto God " but by Christ ;" Heb. vii. 25, " He is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." — John xiv. 6,
" No man cometh unto the Father but by me." We must take Christ
in our way to the Father, else it is impossible that we guilty creatures
can reach unto him. And no man can come unto Christ, but by believ-
ing in him, John vi. 35, therefore it is impossible that a man can truly
repent before he believe in Christ. " Him hath God exalted with his
right hand, to be a Prince {or leader) and a Saviour, for to give repent-
ance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins," Acts v. 31. One would think
this to be a sufficient intimation, that sinners not only may, but ought to
go to him for true repentance ; and not stand off from him until they get
it to bring along with them ; especially since repentance, as well as re-
mission of sin, is a part of that salvation, which he as a Saviour is exalted
to give, and consequently, which sinners are to receive and rest upon him
for ; and likewise that it is that by which he, as a leader, doth lead back
sinners even unto God, from whom they wei-e led away in the first Adam,
the head of the apostasy. And if one inquires anent the way of his
giving repentance to Israel, the prophet Zechariah showed it before to be
hy faith, Zech. xii. 10, " And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,
and they shall mourn."

f This the Scripture teacheth, determining in the general, that with-
out faith one can do nothing acceptable in the sight of God, John xv. 5,
" Without me," i. e. separate from me, " ye can do nothing." — Heb. xi. 6,
" Without faith it is impossible to please him :" and particularly with re-
spect to this case, Luke vii. 37 — 47, " And behold a woman in the city,
which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat, stood at his
feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did
wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet. And he turned
to the woman, and said unto Simon : Her sins which are many, are for-
given, for she loved much ; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little." — It is an argument gathered of the effects fuUovving, whereby anything
is proved by signs ensuing." Calvin. Inst. lib. 3. cap. 4. sect. 37.

X There is a knowledge in faith, as our divines teach against the Papists,
and the Scripture maketh manifest. Isa. liii. 11, " By his knowledge

MODERN DIVINITY. 145

ddly. No man can turn to God, except he be first turned of
God : and after he is turned, lie repents ; so Ephraim says,
" After I was converted, I repented,"* Jer. xxxi, 19. The
truth is, a repentant sinner first believes that God will do that
which he promiseth, namely, pardon his sin, and take away
his iniquity ; then he rests in the hope of it ; and from that,
and for it, he leaves sin, and will forsake his old course,t be-

shall my righteous Servant justify many." — Heb. xi. 3, " Through faith
we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God." Now,
saving faith being a persuasion that we shall have life and salvation by
Christ, or a receiving and resting on him for salvation, includes in it a
knowledge of our being beloved of God : the former cannot be without
the latter. In the meantime, such as the strength or weakness of that
persuasion is, the steadiness or unsteadiness of that receiving and resting,
just so is this knowledge, clear or unclear, free of, or accompanied
with doubtings. They are still of the same measure and degree. So that
this is no more in effect, but that faith in Christ is the spring of true love
to God ; the which, how it is attained by a guilty soul, men will the bet-
ter know, if they consider well what it is. The true love of God is not a
love to him only for his benefits, and for our own sake, but a love to him
for himself, for his own sake ; a liking of, and a complacency in, his glo-
rious attributes and perfections, his infinite, eternal and unchangeable
being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. If a con-
vinced sinner is void of any the least measure of persuasion of life and
salvation by Christ, and of the love of this God to him ; but apprehends,
as he cannot miss to do in this case, that he hates him as his enemy, and
will prove so at last ; this cannot fail of filling his whole soul with slavish
fear of God ; and how then shall this love of God spring up in one's heart,
in such a case ? for slavish fear and true love are so opposite the one to
the other, that, according to the measure in which the one prevails, the
other cannot have access. 2 Tim. i. 7, " God hath not given us the spirit
of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind." 1 John iv. 18,
" There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear ; because fear
hath torment." But when once life and salvation, and remission of sin,
is with application believed by the convinced sinner, and thereby the love
of God towards him is known ; then, according to the measure of that
faith and knowledge, slavish fear of God is expelled, and the heart is
kindly drawn to love him, not only for his benefits, but for himself, having
a complacency in his glorious perfections. " We love him, because he
first loved us," 1 John iv. 19. The love of God to us is the inducement
of our love to him : but love utterly unknown to the party beloved can
never be an inducement to him to love again. Now, in consequence
hereof, the sinner's bands are loosed, and his heart, which before was still
hard as a stone, though broken in pieces by legal terrors, is broken in
another manner, softened, and kindly melted in sorrow lor displeasing this
gracious (iod.

* God's turning of a sinner first brings him to Christ, John vi. 44, 4.5, " No
man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."
And then he comes to God by Christ, John xiv. 2G, " No man coraeth unto
the Father but by me."

f In a right manner, in the manner immediately after mentioned.

13

146 THE MARROW OF

cause it is displeasing to God ; and will do that which is pleas-
ing and acceptable to him* So that, first of all, God's favour
is apprehended, and remission of sins believed ;f then upon
that Cometh alteration of life and conversation.:}:

* Faith cometh of the word of God ; hope cometh of faith ; and charity
springeth of them both. Faith believes that word ; hope trnsteth after
that Avhich is promised by the word ; and charity doth good unto her neigh-
bour. Mr. Patriclt Hamilton's Articles in Knox's Hist. p. 11.

f Not as that they are pardoned already ; but that one must so appre-
hend the favour of God, as to believe that God will pardon his sin, a3
the author speaks expressly in the premises from whence this conclusion
is drawn ; or that God doth pardon his sin in the present time. See
note, chap. 3, sect. 6. Now, ren^ission of sin is a part of that salvation
which faith receives and rests on Christ for. See the note on the Defini-
tion of Faith, fig. 2. As for the phrase the author uses to express this, it is
most agreeable to the Scripture phrase, " Remission of sins preached," Luke
xxiv. 47 ; Acts xiii. 38.

X Namely, such an alteration as is pleasing and acceptable in the sight of
God, the which he has described in the preceding sentence. Otherwise, he has
already taught us, that there are notable alterations of life and conversation
which do not proceed from faith ; and therefore are not accepted of God. And
of these we shall hear more anon.

It will not be amiss here to observe how our author, in his account of the re-
lation betwixt faith and repentance, treads in the ancient paths, according to
his manner.

" It ought to be out of question," says Calvin, " that repentance doth
not only immediately follow faith, but also spring out of it. As for them
that think that repentance doth rather go before faith, than flow or spring
forth of it, as a fruit out of a tree, they never knew the force thereof, and
are moved with too weak an argument, to think so. Christ and John,
[say they] in their preachings, first exhort the people to repentance, &c.
A man cannot earnestly apply himself to repentance, unless he know him-
self to be of God : but no man is truly persuaded that he is of God, but
he that hath first received his grace. No man shall ever reverently fear
God, but he that trusteth that God is merciful to him : no man will will-
ingly prepare himself to the keeping of the law, but he that is persuaded
that his services please him." Instit. b. 3. chap. 3. sec. 1, 2.

" How soon that ever the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, which God's elect
children receive by true faith, takes possession in the heart of any man, so
soon doth he regenerate and renew the same man. So that he begins to
hate that which before he loved, and begins to love that which before he
liated ; and from thence comes that continual battle which is betwixt the flesh
and the spirit." Old Confess, art 13.

" Being in Christ, we must be new creatures — so that we must hate
and flee that which before we loved and embraced, and we must love and
follow that which before we hated and abhorred. All which is impossible
to them that have no faith, and have but a dead faith." Mr. John Davidson's
Cat. p. 29.

" Quest. When I shall ask you then, What is craved of us, after that we are
joined to Christ by faith, and made truly righteous in him ? ye shall answer.
A. We must repent and become new persons, that we may show forth the vir-
tues of him that hath called us." Ibid. p. 35.

MODERN DIVINITY. 147

Nom. But, sir, as I conceive, the Scripture holds forth,
that the Lord has appointed repentance to go before faith ;
for, is it not said, Mark i. 15, " Eepent and believe the gos-
pel?"

Evan. To the intent that you may have a true and satisfac-
tory answer to this your objection, I would pray you to con-
sider two things :

First. That the word "repent" in the original, signifies a
change of our minds from false ways, to the right, and of our
hearts from evil to good :* and as that son in the gospel said,
" He would not go " work in his father's vineyard : yet after-
wards says the text, " he repented and went," Matt. xxi. 29 :
that is, he changed his mind and went.

Secondly. That in those days, when John the Baptist and
our Saviour preached, their hearers were most of them erro-
neous in their minds and judgments; for they being leavened
with the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees, of which
our Saviour bade his disciples take heed and beware. Matt,
xvi. 6, 12, the most of them were of opinion, that the Messiah

" What is thy repentance ? The effect of this faith, working a sorrow for
my sins by-past, and purpose to amend in time to come." Mr. James Melvil's
Cat. in his Propine, «kc. p. 44.

" Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner out of a true
sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth with
grief and hatred of sin, turn from it unto God." Shorter Cat.

" M. This is tlien thy saying. That unto the time that God hath received us
to mercy, and regenerated us by his Spirit, we can do nothing but sin ; even
as an evil tree can bring forth no fruit but that which is evil, Matt. vii. 17. C.
Even so it is." Calvin's Cat. quest. 117. " He doth receive us into his favour,
of his bountiful mercy, through the merits of our Saviour Christ, accounting
his righteousness to be ours, and for his sake imputeth not our faults unto us."
Ihid. quest. 118.

" Quest. What is the first fruit of this union ? (namely of union with Christ
by faith.) A. A remission of our sins, and imputation of justice. Q. Which
is the next fruit of onr union with him? A. Our panctification and regenera-
tion to the image of God." Craig's Cat. q. 24, 25. " Q. What is sanctifica-
tion ? A. Sauctificatiou is a work of God's grace, whereby they are renewed
in their whole man, after the image of God, having the seeds of repentance
unto life, and of all other saving graces, put into their hearts." Larger Cat.
quest. 7.5.

" AVe would beware of Mr. Baxter's order of setting repentance and works
of new obedience before justification, which is indeed a new covenant of works."
Rutherford's Influences of the Life of Grace, p. 346.

* This is taken word for word out of the English Annotations on Matt. iii.
2 ; which are cited for it by our author under the name of the Last Anno-
tations, because they were printed in the year 1645, about which time
this book also was first published. How the author applies it, will appear
onoD.

148 THE MARROW OF

■vvhora they looked for should be some great and mighty
monarch, who should deliver them from their temporal bond-
age, as I showed before. And many of them were of the
opinion of the Pharisees, who held, that as an outward con-
formity to the letter of the law was sufficient to gain favour
and estimation from men, so it was sufficient for their justifi-
cation and acceptation before God, and so, consequently, to
bring them to heaven and eternal happiness ; and, therefore,
for these ends, they were very diligent in fasting and prayer,
Luke xviii. 12 — 14, and very careful to pay tithes of mint,
anise, and cummin, and yet did omit the weightier matters of
the law, as judgment, mercy, faith, and the love of God, Matt,
xxiii. 23 ; Luke xi. 42. And so, as our Saviour told them,
Matt, xxiii. 25, " they made clean the outside of the cup, and
of the platter, but within they were full of extortion and ex-
cess."

And divers of them were of the opinion of the Sadducees,
Acts xxiii. 8, who held " that there was no resurrection, nei-
ther angel, nor spirit;" and so had all their hopes and comfort
in the things of this life, not believing any other.

Now our Saviour, preaching to these people, said, " The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand : repent
ye and believe the gospel." As if he had said. The time set
by the prophets for the manifestation of the Messiah is fully
come ; and his kingdom, which is a spiritual and heavenly
kingdom, is at hand ; therefore change your minds from false
ways to right, and your hearts from evil to good ;* and do not
any longer imagine, that the Messiah you look for, shall be
one that shall save and deliver you from your temporal ene-
mies ; but from your spiritual, that is, from your sins, and
from the wrath of God, and from eternal damnation ; and
therefore put your confidence no longer in your own right-
eousness, though you walk, never so exactly according to the
letter of the law ; but believe the glad tidings that are now
brought to you, namely, that the Messiah shall save you
from sin, wrath, the devil, and hell, and bring you to eternal
life and glory. Neither let any of you any longer imagine,
that there is to be no resurrection of the dead, and so have
your hopes only in this life : but believe these glad tidings,

* The word rendered repent, is, " To change one's mind, and to lay aside false
opinions, which they had drunk in, whether from the Pharisees, concerning the
righteousness of works, traditions, worship, &c.; or from the Sadducees, con-
cerning the resurrection," &c. Lucus Brugensis, apud Pol. Synop. Crit. in
Matt. iii. 2.

MODERN DIVINITY. 149

that are now brought unto you, concerning the Messiah ;
and he shall raise you up at the last day, and give you an
eternal life. Now, with submission to better judgments, I do
conceive, that if there be in the book of God any repentance ex-
horted unto, before faith in Christ ; or if any repentance go,
either in order of nature or time, before faith in Christ, it is
only such a like repentance as this*

Nom. But, sir, do you think that there is such a like re-
pentance, that goes before faith in Christ, in men now-a-days ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, I think thei'e is. As, for example,
when a profane sensual man (who lives as though, with the
Sadducees, he did not believe any resurrection of the dead,
neither hell nor heaven) is convinced in his conscience, that
if he go on in making a god of his belly, and in minding only
earthly things, his end shall be damnation ; sometimes such a
man thereupon changes his mind, and of a profane man, be-
comes a strict Pharisee, or (as some call him) a legal pro-
fessor; but being convinced, that all his own righteousness
will avail him nothing, in the case of justification, and that it
is only the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is available in
that case, then he changes his mind, and, with the apostle,
" desires to be found in Christ, not having bis own righteous-
ness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, even the righteousness which is of God through faith,"
Philip, iii. 9. Now I conceive, that a man that does this,
changes his mind from false ways to the right way, and his
heart from evil to good ; and so, consequently, doth truly
repent.f

* That the reader may further see how little weight there is in the
objection raised from Mark i. 15, I subjoin the words of two learned
commentators on the text. " Repent ye, turn from the wickedness of
your waj's and believe. There is a repentance that must go before faith,
that is, the applicative of the promise of pardoning mercy to the soul ;
though true evangelical repentance, which is a sorrow for sin, flowing from
the. sense of the love of God in Christ, be the fruit and effect of faitli." Contin.
of Poole's Annot. on the place. — " Faith or believing, in order of the work of
grace, is before repentance, that being the first and mother grace of all others ;
yet is here and in other places, named the latter : first, because though faith be
first wrought, yet repentance is first seen and evidenced," &c. Lightfoot's
Harmony, part 3. p. 164. 4to.

fTliat is, his repentance is true in its kind, though not saving. There
is a change of his mind and heart, in that, upon a conviction, he turns from
profanity to strictness of life, and upon farther conviction, from a conceit of his
own righteousness to a desire after the righteousness of Christ : nevertlieless,
all this is but selfish, and cannot please God while the man is void of faith,
Heb. xi. 6.
13*

150 THE MARROW OF

Kom. But, sir, do not you hold, that although repentance,
according to my definition, goes not before faith in Christ, yet
it follows after ?

Evan. Yes, indeed ; I hold, that although it go not before
as an antecedent of faith, yet it follows as a consequent. For
when a man believes the love of God to him in Christ, then
he loves God because he loved him first ; and that love con-
strains him to humble himself at the Lord's footstool, and to
acknowledge himself to be less than the least of all his mercies ;
yea, and then will he " remember his own evil ways and do-
ings, that were not good, and will loathe himself in his own
sight for his iniquities, and for his abominations," Ezek. xxxvi.
31 ; yea, and then will he also cleanse himself from all filthi-
ness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God,
having respect unto all God's commandments,* 2 Cor, vii. 1 ;
Psalm cxix. 6.

Nom. Well, sir, I am answered.

Sect. 5. — Neo. And truly, sir, you have so declared and
set forth Christ's disposition towards poor sinners, and so an-
swered all my doubts and objections, that I am now verily
persuaded that Christ is willing to entertain me ; and surely I
am willing to come unto him, and receive him ; but, alas ! I
want power,

Evan. But tell me truly, are you resolved to put forth all
your power to believe, and so to take Christ ?t

* See the note J, p. 144.

f His conviction of his lost and undone state was before represented in
its proper place. After much disputing whether such a vile and sinful
wretch as he had any warrant to come to Christ, he appears, in his imme-
diately foregoing speech, to be so far enlightened in the knowledge of
Christ, that he is verily persuaded that Christ is willing to entertain him ;
and to have his heart and will so overcome by divine grace, that he is willing
to come unto Christ: yet, after all, he, through weakness of judgment,
apprehends himself to want power to believe ; whereas it is by these very
means that a soul is persuaded, and enabled too, to believe in Jesus Christ.

Hereupon the author, waving the dispute anent his power to believe,
wisely asks him. If he is resolved to put forth the power he has? for-
asmuch as it was evident from the account given of the present condition of
his soul that it had felt " a day of power," Psalm ex. 3, and that he was
" drawn of the Father, and, therefore, could come to Christ," John vi. 44.
For " effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of
our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and
renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesns Christ."
Shorter Catechism. — " Savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and
powerfully determining their wills, so as they are hereby made willing and
able." Larg. Cat. quest. 67.

MODERN DIVINITY. 151

Neo. Truly, sir, methinks my resolution is mucli like the re-
solution of the four lepers, who sat at the gate of Samaria;
for as they said, " If we enter into the city, the famine is in
the city, and we shall die there ; and if we sit still here, we
die also ; now, therefore, let us fall unto the host of the Sy-
rians ; if they save us, we shall live, and if they kill us, we
shall but die," 2 Kings vii. 4; even so say I in mine heart, If I
go back to the covenant of works to seek justification thereby,
I shall die there ; and if I sit still and seek it no way, I shall
die also ; now, therefore, though I be somewhat fearful, yet
am I resolved to go unto Christ ; and if I perish, I perish *

Evan. Why, now I tell you the match is made ; Christ is
yourSjt and you are his, " this day is salvation come to your
house," (your soul I mean :) for, what though you have not
that power to come so fast to Christ, and lay such firm hold
on him, as you desire ; yet coming with such a resolution to
take Christ, as you do, you need not care for power to do it,
inasmuch as Christ will enable you to do it ;:{: for is it not said,
John i, 12, " But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name?§ O therefore, I beseech you, stand no longer
disputing; but be peremptory and resolute in your faith, and

* See the foregoing note. This is the concluding point in this matter ; the
man being drawn by efficacious grace, though he is not without doubts and
fears as to the event, yet is no more in doubt, whether to embrace the offer
or not. And the inward motion of his heart breaking through the remaining
doubts and fears, after a long struggle, unto Jesus Christ, in the free
promise, being in itself indiscernible, but to God and one's own soul, it is
agreeably enough to one's way in that case : discovered in that expression of
a conquered soul. Now am I resolved to go unto Christ, now am I deter-
mined to believe ; the which cannot but present to him who deals with
the exercised person, the whole soul going out unto Jesus Christ. Hence
the match may justly thereupon be declared to be made, as our author
does in the words immediately following. Thus Job, in his distress, expresa-
eth his faith. Job xiii. 15, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."
Compare Acts xi. 33, " That with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the
Lord."

f In possession.

X That is, you need not, holding back your hand, stand disputing with your-
self how you will get power ; but with the power given, stretch forth the
withered hand, and Christ will strengthen it, and enable you to take a firm
hold. John xii. 32, " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me." — Isa. xl. 29, " He giveth power to the faint ; and to them that have
no might he increaseth strength."

?i The power here mentioned, seems rather to denote right or privilege (as the
original word is rendered in the margin of our Bibles) than strength or
ability.

152 THE MARROW OF

in casting yourself upon God in Christ for mercy ; and let the
issue be what it Avill. Yet let me tell you, to your comfort,
that such a resolution shall never go to hell* Nay, I will
say more ; if any soul have room in heaven, such a soul shall ;
for God cannot iind in his heart to damn such a one. I might,
then, with as much true confidence say unto you, as John
Careless said to John Bradford, in a letter to him, " Hearken,

0 heavens, and thou O earth, give ear, and bear me witness,
at the great day, that I do here faitlifully and truly declare the
Lord's message unto his dear servant and singularly beloved
John Bradford, saying, 'John Bradford, thou man so specially
beloved of God, I do pronounce and testify unto thee, in the-
word and name of the Lord Jehovah, that all thy sins what-
soever they be, though never so many, grievous, or great, be
fully and freely pardoned, released, and forgiven thee, by the
mercy of God in Jesus Christ, the only Lord and sweet Saviour,
in whom thou dost undoubtedly believe ; as truly as the Lord
liveth, he will not have thee die the death ; but hath verily
purposed, determined, and decreed, that thou shalt live with
him for ever.' "

Neo. O, sir, if I have as good warrant to apply this saying
to myself as Mr. Bradford had to himself, then I am a happy
man !

Evan. I tell you from Christ, and under the hand of the
Spirit, that your person is accepted, your sins are done away,
and you shall be saved ; and if an angel from heaven should
tell you otherwise, let him be accursed. Therefore, you may
(without doubt) conclude that you are a happy man ; for by
means of this your matching with Christ, you are become one
with him, and one in him, you " dwell in him, and he in you,"

1 John iv. 13. He is " your well beloved, and you are his,"
Cant. ii. 16. So that the marriage union betwixt Christ and
you is more than a bare notion or apprehension of your mind ;
for it is a special, spiritvial, and real union : it is an union be-
twixt the nature of Christ, God and man, and you ;t it is a
knitting and closing, not only of your apprehension with a
Saviour, but also of your soul with a Saviour. Whence it
must needs follow that you cannot be condemned, except
Christ be condemned with you ; neither can Christ be saved,

* See the preceding note, *.

t That is, an union with the whole Christ, God-Man ; 1 Cor. vi. 17, « He
that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit." — Bph. v. 38, " JFor we are members
of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."

MODERN DIVINITY. 153

except you be saved with him * And as by means of corporeal
marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife;
even so, by means of this spiritual marriage, all things become
common, betwixt Christ and you; for when Christ hath mar-
ried his spouse unto himself, he passeth over all his estate unto
her ; so that whatsoever Christ is or hath, you may boldly
challenge as your own. *' He is made unto you, of God, wis-
dom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," 1 Cor.
1. 30. And surely, by virtue of this near union it is, that as
Christ is called "the Lord our righteousness," Jer. xxxiii. 6,
even so is the church called, " the Lord our righteousness,"
verse 16. I tell you, you may, by virtue of this union, boldly
take upon yourself, as your own, Christ's watching, abstinence,
travails, prayers, persecutions, and slanders ; yea, his tears,
his sweat, his blood, and all that ever he did and suffered in
the space of three and thirty years, with his passion, death,
burial, resurrection, and ascension ; for they are all yours.
And as Christ passes over all his estate unto his spouse, so
does he require that she should pass over all unto him. Where-
fore, you being now married unto Christ, you must give all
that you have of your own unto him ; and truly you have no-
thing of your own but sin, and, therefore, you must give him
that. I beseech you, then, say unto Christ with bold confi-
dence, I give unto thee, my dear husband, my unbelief, my
mistrust, my pride, my arrogancy, my ambition, my wrath,
and anger, my envy, my covetousness, my evil thoughts, affec-

* Jesus Christ and the believer, being one person in tlie eye of the law,
there is no separating of them in law, in point of life and death. John
xiv. 19, "Because I live, ye shall live also." I have adventured this
once to add one syllable to the text of the author ; and so to read " con-
demned" for " damned." The words are of the same signification ; only,
the latter has an idea of horror affixed to it, which the former has not ;
and which perhaps it had not either, in the days of our forefathers, when
godly Tindal used the expression, as our author informs us. And I take
this liberty, the rather that a like expression of John Careless, in a letter
to William Tyms, seems to me to run more smooth, by means of the
same addition, though I doubt if the word stood so in tlie original copy.
" Christ," says he, ' is made unto us hohness, righteousness, and justifica-
tion ; he hath clothed us in all his merits and taken to himself all our
sin — so that, if any should be now condemned for the same, it must needs
be Jesus Christ, who hath taken them upon him." The Sufferer's Mirror,-
p. 66. And in the Old Confession of Faith, art. 9, according to the ancient copies,
it is said, " The clean, innocent LaTnb of God was damned in the presence of
an earthly judge, tliat we should be absolved before the tribunal seat
of our God." But in the copy standing in Knox's History, reprinted at
Edinburgh, anno 1644, it is read " condemaed."

154 THE MARROW OP

tions, and desires ; I make one bundle of these and all my
other offences, and give them unto thee* And thus was
Christ made "sin for us, that knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him,"t 2 Cor. v. 21. "Now
then," says Luther, " let us compare these things together, and
we shall find inestimable treasure. Christ is full of grace, life,
and saving health ; and the soul is freight-full of all sin, death,
and damnation ; but let faith come betwixt these two, and it
shall come to pass, that Christ shall be laden with sin, death,
and hell ; and unto the soul shall be imputed grace, life, and

* This gift would indeed be a very unsuitable return, for all the bene-
fits received from Christ by virtue of the spiritual marriage, if he did not
deal with us in the way of free grace ; like unto a physician who desires
nothing of a poor man full of sores, but that he will employ him in the
cure of them. But this gift, such as it is, as it is all we have of our own
to give, so one needs make no question but it will be very acceptable,
Psalm Iv. 22, " Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee ;"
not only thy burden of duty, suffering, and success, but of sin too, where-
with thou art heavy laden. Matt. xi. 28. We are allowed, not only to
give him our burden, but to cast it upon him. He knows very well that
all these evils mentioned, and many more, are in the heart of the best :
yet doth he say, Prov. xxiii. 26, " My son, give me thine heart ;" not-
withstanding of the wretched stuff he knows to be in it. In the language
of the Holy Ghost, these things, black as they are, are a gift by divine
appointment to be given. Lev. xvi. 21 : speaking of the scape-goat, an
eminent type of Christ, he says, " And Aaron shall confess over him all
the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, and
all their sins : and he shall give them upon the head of the goat." Thus the
original expresses what we read, " putting them," &c. [ View again p. 69,
and note, g]

Now, the end for which the sinner is to give these to Christ is twofold :
(1.) For removing of the guilt of them. (2.) For the mortifying of them.
And though this is not an easy way of mortification, since the way of
believing is not easy, but more difficult than all the Popish austerities,
forasmuch as these last are more agreeable to nature, yet indeed it is the
short way to mortification, because it is the only way ; without which,
the practice of all other directions will be but as so many ciphers, with-
out a figure standing at their head, signifying nothing, for true Christian
mortification. Acts xv. 9, " Purifying their hearts by faith." — Rom.
vi. 6, " Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him." And
viii. 13, " If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live."— Gal. v. 24, " And they that are Christ's, have crucified the
flesh, with the affections and lusts ; namely, nailing them to the cross of Christ
by faith.

f Thus, namely, by the giving of our sins to him, not by believers, but
by his Father, as says the text, " He [not wc] made him to be sin for us."
Nevertheless, the Lord's laying our iniquities upon Christ is good warrant
for every believer to give his sins in particular upon him ; the latter being
a cordial falling in with, a practical approbation, and taking the benefit of
the former.

MODERN DIVINITY. 155

salvation. Who then is able to value the royalty of this mar-
riage accordingly ? Who is able to comprehend the glorious
riches of his grace, where this rich and righteous husband,
Christ, doth take unto wife this poor and wicked harlot, re-
deeming her from all devils, and garnishing her with all his
own jewels ? So that you, through the assuredness of your faith
in Christ, your husband, are delivered from all sins, made safe
from death, guarded from hell, and endowed with the ever-
lasting righteousness, life, and saving health of this your hus-
band Christ." And, therefore, you are now under the cove-
nant of grace, and freed from the law, as it is the covenant of
works ; for (as Mr. Ball truly says) at one and the same time,
a man cannot be under the covenant of works and the covenant
of grace.

Neo. Sir, I do not well know how to conceive of this free-
dom from the law, as it is the covenant of works ; and there-
fore I pray you make it as plain to me as you can.

Evan. For the true and clear understanding of this point,
you are to consider, that when Jesus Christ, the second Adam,
had, in the behalf of his chosen, perfectly fulfilled the law as
it is the covenant of works ;* divine justice delivered that
bond in to Christ, who utterly cancelled that hand-writing,
Col. ii. 14 ; so that none of his chosen were to have any more
to do with it, nor it with them. And now, you, by your be-
lieving in Christ, having manifested that you are one, who was
chosen in him " before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4,
his fulfilling of that covenant, and cancelling that hand-writ-
ing, is imputed unto you ; and so you are acquitted and ab-
solved from all your transgressions against that covenant, either
past, present or to come ;f and so you are justified, as the

* Namely, by doing perfectly what it demanded to be done, by virtue of its
commanding power, and suffering completely what it demanded to be borne, by
virtue of its condemning power.

f Although believers in the first moment of their union with Christ by
faith, are delivered from the law, as it is the covenant of works, and
therefore their after sins neither are, nor can be, formally transgressions
of that covenant ; yet they are interpretatively so, giving a plain proof of
what they would have done against that covenant, had they been under
it still. And forasmuch as they could never have been freed from it, had
not the glorious Mediator wrought their deliverance, by fulfilling it in
their room and stead ; all their sins whatsoever, from their birth to their
death, after as well as before their union with Christ, Avere charged upon
him, as transgressions against that covenant ; and such as are pardoned
to them in their justification. Even as he who redeems a slave must pay
in proportion to the service which it is supposed he would have done his

156 THE MARROW OF

apostle says, " freely by his grace, througli tlie redemption that
is in Jesus Christ," Kom. iii. 24.

Sect. 6. — A7iL I pray you, sir, give me leave to speak a
word by the way ; was not he justified before this time ?

Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time, as I
conceive he did not, then certainly he was not justified before
this time.

Ant. But, sir, you know, as the apostle says, " It is God that
justifieth ; and God is eternal ; and, as you have shown, Christ
may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all
eternity, and if he be Christ's now, then was he Christ's from
all eternity. And therefore, as I conceive, he was justified
from all eternity.

Evan. Indeed, God is from all eternity, and in respect of
God's accepting of Christ's undertaking to fulfil the covenant
of works, he fulfilled it from all eternity : and in respect of
God's electing of him, he was Christ's from all eternity. And
therefore it is true, in respect of God's decree, he was justified
from all eternity ;* and he was justified meritoriously in the

master during life ; and the slave is loosed from all obligation to these
several pieces of service unto that master, upon the ransom paid, in com-
pensation of all and every one of them. And thus our author saj's, that
a believer, in his justification, is acquitted from all his transgressions
against the covenant of works, not only past and present, but to come.
So that he leaves no ground to question, but Christ satisfied for all the
sins of believers whatsoever, whether in their state of regeneracy or unre-
generacy. Nor does he make the least insinuation, that the sins of be-
lievers, after their union with Christ, are not properly transgressions of
that law which was (yea, and to unbelievers still is) in the covenant of
works : but, on the contrary, expressly teaches, that it is the very same
law of the ten commands which is the law of Christ, and which the be-
liever transgresseth, that was and is in the covenant of works. And al-
though the revenging wrath of God and eternal death are not threatened
against the sins of believers after their union with Christ ; and that for
this one reason. That that wrath and that death (the eternity whereof
rose not from the nature of the thing, but the infirmity of the sufferer, and
therefore could have no place in the Son of God) were not only threatened be-
fore, but executed too upon their surety Jesus Christ, to whom they are
united : it is manifest, that there was great need of Christ's being made a
curse for these sins of believers, as well as for those preceding their union with
him.

* " The sentence of justification was, as it were, conceived in the mind
of God by the decree of justifying, Gal. iii. 8, 'The Scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith.' " Ames. Med. cap.
xxxvii. sec. 9, — " In which sense grace is said to be given us in Christ
before the world began." 2 Tim. i. 9. Turret, loc. 16. q. 9. th. 11. — "Sins
were pardoned from eternity in the mind of God." Rutherford's Exer.
Apolog. ex. 1. cap. 2. sec. 21. p. 53. The same Rutherford adds, " It is

MODERN DIVINITY. 15T

death and resurrection of Christ ;* but yet he was not justified
actually, till he did actually believe in Christ ; for, says the
apostle, Acts xiii. 39, "By him all that believe are justified." f
So that in the act of justifying, faith and Christ must have a
mutual relation, and must always concur and meet together ;
faith as the action which apprehendeth, and Christ the object
which is apprehended ; for neither doth Christ justify without
faith, neither doth faith, except it be in Christ.

Ani. Truly, sir, you have indifferently well satisfied me in
this point ; and surely I like it marvellously well, that you con-
clude no faith justifies, but that whose object is Christ.

Evan. The very truth is, though a man believe that God is

one thing for a man to be justified in Christ, and that from eternity : and an-
other for a majj to be justified in Christ in time, according to the gospel-cove-
nant. Faith is not so much as the instrument of eternal and immanent justifi-
cation and remission of sins." Ibid. p. 55.

* " Justification may be considered as to the execution of it in time ;
and that again, either as to the purchase of it, which was made by the
death of Christ on the cross, concerning which it is said, Rom. v. 9, 10,
' That we are justified and reconciled to God by the blood of Christ ; and
that Christ reconciled all things unto God by the blood of the cross,'
Col. i. 20. And elsewhere, Christ is said to be ' raised again for our jus-
tification,' Rom. iv. 25. Because, as in him dying, we died, so in liim
raised again and justified, we are justified ; that is, we have a certain and
undoubted pledge and foundation of our justification. Or as to the ap-
plication of it," &c. Turret, ubi sup. " 1'he sentence of justification
was pronounced in Christ our head, risen from the dead," 2 Cor. v. 19.
Ames, ubi sup. — " We were virtually justified, especially when Christ
having finished the purchase of our salvation, was justified, and we in
him as our head," 1 Tim. iii. 16 ; 2 Cor. v. 19. Essen. Comp. cap. xv. sec.
25.

f " Actual justification is done in time, and follows faith." Turret, loc. 16.
q. 9. th. 3. — " Justification is done formally when an elect man, effectually
called, and so apprehended of Christ, apprehends Christ again," Rom. viii. 30.
Essen, ubi supra. — " The sentence of justification is pronounced virtually
from that first relation which ariseth from faith," Rom. viii. 1. Ames, ubi
supra.

Upon the whole, it is evident our author keeps the path trodden by
orthodox divines on the subject ; and though, in order to answer the ob-
jections of his adversary, he uses the school terms, of being justified in
respect of God's decree, meritoriously, and actually, agreeably to the
practice of other sound divines ; yet otherwise he begins and ends his
decision of this controversy, by asserting in plain and simple terms, with-
out any distinction at all, " That a man is not justified before he believes,
or without faith." So his answer amounts just to this, " That God did,
from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect ; and Christ did, in the
fulness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification:
nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth in due
time actually apply Christ unto them." "Westm. Confess, cap. 11.
art. 4.
14

158 THE MARROW OF

merciful and true to his promise, and that he has his elect
number from the beginning, and that he himself is one of that
number, yet if this faith do not eye Christ, if it be not in God
as he is in Christ, it will not serve the turn : for God cannot
be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our Mediator;
"for if we find not God in Christ," says Calvin, lustit. p. 155,
"salvation cannot be known." Wherefore, Neophytus, I will
say unto you, as Mr. Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in
your case, " Thus, then, if you would be quiet, and certain in
conscience, then let your faith burst forth through all things,
not only that you have within you, but also whatsoever is in
heaven, earth, and hell ; and never rest until it come to Christ
crucified, and the eternal sweet mercy and goodness of God in
Christ."

Sect. 7. — Neo. But, sir, I am not satisfied coj^cerning the
point you touched before ; and therefore, I pray you, proceed
to show me how far forth I am delivered from the law, as it is
the covenant of works.

Evan. Truly, as it is the covenant of works, you are
wholly and altogether delivered and set free from it ; you are
dead to it, and it is dead to you ; and if it be dead to you, then
it can do you neither good nor hurt ; and if you be dead to it,
you can expect neither good nor hurt from it.* Consider,

* Concerning the deliverance from the law, which, according to the
Scripture, is the privilege of believers purchased unto them by Jesus
Christ, there are two opinions equally contrary to the word of God, and
to one another. The one of the Legalist, That believers are under the
law, even as it is the covenant of works ; the other of the Antinomian,
That believers are not at all under the law, no, not as it is a rule of life.
Betwixt these extremes, both of them destructive of true holiness and
gospel-obedience, our autlior, with other orthodox divines, holds the
middle path ; asserting (and in the proper place proving) that believers
are under the law, as a rule of life, but free from it as it is the covenant
of works. To be delivered from the law as it is the covenant of works,
is no more but to be delivered from the covenant of works. And the
asserting, that believers are delivered from the law as it is the covenant
of works, doth necessarily import, that they are under the law, in some
other respects thereto contra-distinguished. And forasmuch as the author
teaches, that believers are under the law, as it is the law of Christ, and a
rule of life to them, it is reasonable to conclude that to be it. He must
needs, under the term, " the covenant of works," understand and com-
prehend the law of the ten commandments : because no man, under-
standing what the covenant of works is, can speak of it, but he must,
under that term, understand and comprehend the ten commandments,
even as none can speak of a man, with knowledge of a sense of that word,
but under that term must understand and comprehend an organic body,
aa well as a soul. But it is manifest, that the law of the ten command-

MODERN DIVINITY. 159^

man, I pray you, that, as I said before, you are now under
another covenant, viz : the covenant of grace ; and you cannot

ments, without the form of the covenant of works upon it, is not the
thing he understands by that term, " the covenant of works." Neither
is the form of the covenant of works (which is no more the covenant
itself, than the soul without the body is the man) essential to the ten
commandments, so that they cannot be without it. [See p. 6, note.*J If
it be said, that the author, by the covenant of works, understands the
moral law, as it is defined, [Larg. Cat. q. 92.] it is granted ; but then it
amounts to no more, but that, by the covenant of works, he understands the
covenant of works ; for by the moral law there, is understood the covenant of
works, as has been already evinced.

The doctrine of believers' freedom from the covenant of works, or from
the law as that covenant, is of the greatest importance, and is expressly
taught. [Larg. Cat. q. 97.] " They that are regenerate, and believe in
Christ, be deliyered from the moral law, as a covenant of works," Rom. vi.
14 ; Eom. vii. 4, 6 ; Gal. iv, 4, 5. Westm. Confess, chap. xix. art. 6. —
" True believers be not under the law as a covenant of works." To these
I subjoin one testimony, from the Prac. Use of Saving Knowledge, tit.
" For Strengthening the Man's Faith," &c. Rom. vii. fig. 3, " Albeit
the apostle himself (brought in here for example's cause) and ail other
true believers in Christ, be by nature under the law of sin and death, or
under the covenant of works ; (called the law of sin and death, because it
bindeth sin and death upon us, till Christ set us free ;) yet the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, or the covenant of grace, (so called be-
cause it doth enable and quicken a man to a spiritual life through Christ,)
doth set the apostle, and all true believers, free from the covenant of
works, or the law of sin and death." See more, ibid. fig. 4. As also tit.
" For convincing a man of Judgment by the Law," par. 2, and last.
And tit. " Evidences of true Faith. And tit. " For the First," &c.
fig. 4.

Now, delivering from a covenant being the dissolution of a relation
which admits not of degrees, believers being delivered from the covenant of
works, must be wholly and altogether set free from it.

This appears also from the believer's being dead to it, and it dead to him,
of which before at large.

There is a twofold death competent to a believer with respect to the
law, as it is the covenant of works ; and so to the law as such, with res-
pect to the believer. (1.) The believer is dead to it really, and in point
of duty, while he carries himself as one who is dead to it. And this I
take to be comprehended in that saying of the apostle. Gal. ii. 19, "I
through the law am dead to the law." In the best of the children of God
here, there are such remains of the legal disposition and inclination of
heart to the way of the covenant of works, that as they are never quite
free of it in their best duties, so at sometimes their services smell so rank
of it, as if they were alive to the law, and still dead to Christ. And
sometimes the Lord for their correction, trial, and exercise of faith,
suffers the ghost of the dead husband, the law, as a covenant of works, to
come in upon their souls and make demands on them, command, tln-eatcn,
and affright them, as if they were alive to it, and it to them. And it is
one of the hardest pieces of practical religion, to be dead to the law in
such cases. This death to it admits of degrees, is not alike in all be-

160 THE MARROW OF

be under two covenants at once, neither wholly nor partly ;
and, therefore, as, before you believed, you were wholly under
the covenant of works, as Adam left both you and all his
posterity after his fall ; so now, since you have believed, you
are wholly under the covenant of grace. Assure yourself
then, that no minister, or preacher of God's word has any
warrant to say unto you hereafter, " Either do this and
this duty contained in the law, and avoid this and this
sin forbidden in the law, and God will justify thee and save
thy soul : or do it not, and he will condemn thee and damn
thee."* No, no, you are now set free both from the com-
manding and condemning power of the covenant of works.f
So that I will say unto you, as the apostle says unto the

lievers, and is perfect in none till the death of the body. But of this
kind of death to the law, the question proceeds not here. (2.) The
believer is dead to it relatively, and in point of privilege; the relation
betwixt him and it is dissolved, even as the relation between a husband
and wife is dissolved by death; Rom. vii. 4, "Wherefore, ray brethren
ye also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ, that ye should
be married to another." This can admit of no degrees, but it is perfect in all
believers ; so that they are wholly and altogether set free from it, in point of
privilege, upon which the question here proceeds, and in this respect they can
expect neither good nor hurt from it.

* See p. 113, and note.* " Believers be not under the law, as a covenant
of works, to be thereby justified or condemned." Westm. Confess, chap. 19.
art. 6.

f From the general conclusion already laid down and proved, namely,
That believers are wholly and altogether set free from the covenant
of works, or from the law as it is that covenant, this necessarily follows.
But to consider particulars, for further clearing of this weighty point, (1.)
That the covenant of works hath no power to justify a sinner, in regard
to his utter inability to pay the penalty, and to fulfil the condition of it,
js clear from the apostle's testimony, Rom. viii. 3, " What the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
Son," &c. (2.) That the believer is not under the condemning power of
it, appears from Gal. iii. 13, " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law. being made a curse for us." — Rom. viii. 1, " There is, there-
fore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." — Verses 33,
34, " It is God that justifieth ; who is he that condemueth ?" (3.) As to
its commanding power, believers are not under it neither ; for,

1. Its commanding and condemning power, in case of transgression,
are inseparable ; for by the sentence of that covenant, every breaker of
its commands is bound over to death ; Gal. iii. 10, " Cursed is every
one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of
the law, to do them." — " And whatsoever it saith, it saith to them that
are under it," Rom. iii. 19, Therefore, if believers are under its command-
ing power, they must needs be under its condemning power, yea, and
actually bound over to death ; forasmuch as they are, without ques:
tion, breakers of its commands, if they be indeed under its commanding
power.

MODERN DIVINITY. 161

believing Hebrews, Heb. xii. 18, 22, 24, " Ye are not
come to Mount Sinai that might be touched, and that
burned with fire ; nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tem-
pest ; but ye are come unto Mount Zion, the city of the
living God : and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant."
So that (to speak with holy reverence) God cannot, by virtue
of the covenant of works, either require of you any obedience,
or punish you for any disobedience ; no, he cannot, by virtue
of that covenant, so much as threaten you, or give you an

2. If, as to any set of men, the justifying and condemning power be
removed from that law which God gave to Adam as a covenant of works,
and to all mankind in him, then the covenant form of that law is done
away as to them ; so that there is not a covenant of works in being unto
them, to have a commanding power over them ; but such is the case of
believers, that law can neither justify them, nor condemn them ; there-
fore, there is no covenant of works in being betwixt God and them, to
have a coinmanding power over them ; our Lord Jesus " blotted
out the hand-writiug, took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross,"
Col. ii. 14.

3. Believers are dead to the law, as it is the Covenant of works, and
" married to another," Rom. vii. 4. Therefore they are set free from the com-
manding power of the first husband, the covenant of works.

4. 'i'hey are not under it ; Rom. vi. 14, " Ye are not under the law,
but under grace :" how then can it have a commanding power over
them?

5. The consideration of the nature of the commands of the covenant
of works may sufficiently clear this point. Its commands bind to per-
fect obedience, under the pain of the curse, which, on every slip, is bound
upon the transgressor ; Gal. iii. 10, " Cursed is every one who continueth
not in all things," &c. But Christ hath redeemed believers from the
curse, verse 13, and the law they are under speaks in softer terms, Psalm
Lxxxix. 31, 32, " If they break my statutes, then will I visit their trans-
gression with the rod," «fec. Moreover, it commands obedience upon the
ground of the strength to perform, given to mankind in Adam, which is
now gone, and affords no new strength ; for there is no promise of strength
for duty belonging to the covenant of works : and to state believers under
the covenant of works, to receive commands for their duty, and under
the covenant of grace, lor the promise of strength to perform, looks very
unlike to the beautiful order of the dispensation of grace, held forth
to us in the word ; Rom. vi. 14, " Ye are not under the law, but under
grace."

Lastly. Our Lord Jesus put himself under the commanding power of
the covenant of works, and gave it perfect obedience, to deliver his
people from under it ; Gal, iv. 4, 5, " God sent forth his .Son, made of a
woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law."
That they then should put their necks under that yoke again, cannot but
be highly dishonouring " to this crucified Christ, who disarmed the law
of its thunders, defaced the obligation of it as a covenant, and, as it were,
grinded the stones upon which it was wrought to powder." Charnock,
vol. 2. q. 531.

162 THE MARROW OF

angry word, or sliow you an angry look ; for indeed he can
see no sin in you, as a transgression of that covenant ; for,
says the apostle, " Where there is no law, there is no trans-
gression, Rom. iv. 15.* And therefore, though hereafter
you do through frailty transgress any of all the ten command-
ments, f yet do you not thereby transgress the covenant of
works: there is no such covenant now betwixt God and you.:}:
And therefore, though hereafter you shall hear such a
voice as this, " If thou wilt be saved, keep the command-
ments ;" or " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all
things which are written in the book of the law to do them ;"
nay, though you hear the voice of thunder and a fearful noise ;
nay, though you see blackness and darkness, and feel a great
tempest ; that is to say, though you hear us that are preachers,
according to our commission, Isa. Iviii. 1, " lift up our voice
like a trumpet," in threatening hell and damnation to sinners
and transgressors of the law ; though these be the words of
God, yet are you not to think that they are spoken to you.:j:
No, no ; the apostle assures you that there is no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus, Rom. viii. 1. Believe it,
God never threatens eternal death, after he has given to a man
eternal life. Nay, the truth is, God never speaks to a be-

* And therefore since there is no covenant of works (or law of works, ag
it is called, Rom. iii. 27,) betwixt God and the believer, it is manifest
there can be no transgressing of it, in their case. God requires obedience
of believers, and not only threatens them, gives them angry words and looks,
but brings heavy judgments oo them for their disobedience ; but the promise
of strength, and penalty of fatherly wrath only, annexed to the commands
requiring obedience of them, and the anger of God against them, purged of
the curse, do evidently discover, that none of these come to them, in the chan-
nel of the covenant of works.

t And though all the sins of believers are not sins of daily infirmity,
yet they are all sins of frailty ; Gal. v. 17, " For the flesh lusteth against
the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so that ye cannot do the things that
j-e would ;" — Rom. vii. 19, " The evil which I would not, that I do." See chap,
v. 15 17, and vi. 12.

X Thus far of the believer's complete deliverance from the covenant of
works, or from the law, namely, as it is the covenant of works. Follows
the practical use to be made of it by the believer. And, 1. In hearing of
the word.

I Though they are God's own sayings, found in his written word, and
spoken by his servants, as having commission from him for that eSect ; yet;
forasmuch as they are the language of the law, as it is the covenant of works,
they are directed only to those who are under that covenant, Rom. iii. 19, and
not to believers, who are not under it.

II And to believers he hath given eternal life already, according to the Scrip-
ture. See p. 114, note f.

MODERN DIVINITY. 163

liever out of Christ ; and in Christ he speaks not a word in
the terms of the covenant of works* And if the law, of
itself, should presume to come into your conscience, and say,
" Herein and herein thou hast transg-ressed, and broken me,
and therefore thou owest so much and so much to divine
justice, which must be satisfied, or else I will take hold on
thee ;" then answer you and say, " O law ! be it known unto
thee, that I am now married unto Christ, and so I am under
covert ; and therefore if thou charge me with any debt, thou
must enter thine action against my husband, Christ, for the
wife is not sueable at the law, but the husband. But the truth
is, I through him am dead to thee, O law ! and thou art dead
to me ; and therefore Justice hath nothing to do with me,
for it judgeth according to the law."t And if it yet reply,

* Follows, II. The use of it, in conflicts of conscience with the law in
its demands, sin in its guilt, Satan in his accusations, death in its terrors.

t He begins with the conflict with the law ; for, as the apostle teaches,
" the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law," 1- Cor. xv.
56. While the law retains its power over a man, death has its sting, and
sin its strength against him ; but if once he is dead to the law, wholly
and altogether set free from it, as it is the covenant of works ; then sin
hath lost its strength, death its sting, and Satan his . plea against him.
That the author still speaks of the law as it is the covenant of works,
from the commanding and condemning power of which believers are de-
livered, and no otherwise, cannot reasonably be questioned, since he is
still pursuing the practical use of the doctrine anent it as such ; and hav-
ing before spoken of it as acting by commission from God he treats of it
here, as acting, as it were, of its own proper motion, and not by any such
commission. To those who are under the law, the law speaks its demands
and terrors, as sent from God : but to believers, who are not under it, it cannot
so speak, but of itself. Rom. viii. 15, " For ye have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear." See p. 159. note*, fig. 4.

Now, in the conflict the believer has with the law or covenant of works, the
author puts two cases ; in which the conscience needs to be soundly directed, as
in cases of the utmost weight.

The first case is this, The law attempting to exercise its condemning
power over him, accusing him of transgression, demands of him satis-
faction to the justice of God for his sin, and threatens to hale him to
c.vecution. In this case, the author dare not advise the afllicted to say,
with the servant in the parable, Matt, xviii. 26, " Have patience with
mc, and I will pay thee all ;" but he teaches him to devolve his burden
wholly upon his surety : he bids him plead, that since " he is married to
Christ," whatever action the law may pretend to be competent to it, for
the satisfaction of justice, upon the account of his sin, it must lie betwixt
the law and Christ, the husband ; but that, in very deed, there remains
no place for such action, forasmuch as, through Jesus Christ's suffering
and satisfying to the full, he is set free from the law, and owes nothing to
justice, nor to the law upon that score. If any man will venture to deal
in other terms with the law in this case, his experience will at length

164 THE MARROW OF

and say, " Aye, but good works must be done and the com-
mandments must be kept, if thou wilt obtain salvation ;"* then

suflSciently discover his mistake. Now it is manifest that this relates to the
case of justification.

* Here is the second case, namely, the law attempting to exercise its
commanding power over the believer, requires him to do good works, and
to keep the commandments, if he will obtain salvation. This comes in
natively in the second place. The author could not, reasonably, rest
satisfied with the believer "s being delivered from the curse of the cove-
nant of works, from the debt owing to divine justice, according to its
penal sanction ; if he had, he would have left the afflicted still in the
lurch, in the point of justification, and of inheriting eternal life : he would
have proposed Christ to him only as a half saviour, and left as much of
the law's plea behind without an answer as would have concluded him
incapable of being justified before God, and made an heir of eternal life ;
for the law, as it is the covenant of works, being broken, has a twofold
demand on the sinner, each of which must be answered, before he can
be justified. The one is a demand of satisfaction for sin, arising from,
and according to its penal sanction : this demand was made in the pre-
ceding case, and solidly answered. But there remains yet another, namely,
the demand of perfect obedience, arising from, and according to the set-
tled condition of that covenant ; and the afflicted must have wherewith
to answer it also ; otherwise he shall still sink in the deep mire, where
there is no standing. For as no judge can absolve a man, merely on his
having paid the penalty of a broken contract, to which he was obliged,
by and attour the fulfilling of the condition, so no man can be justified
before God, nor have a right to life, till this demand of the law be also
satisfied in his case. Then, and not till then, is the law's mouth stopped
in point of his justification. Thus Adam, before his fall, was free from
the curse ; yet neither was, nor could be justified and entitled to life, un-
til he had run the course of his obedience, prescribed him by the law as a
covenant of works. Accordingly, we are taught that " God justifies sin-
ners, not only by imputing the satisfaction, but also the obedience of Christ
unto them." Westm. Confess, chap. 11. art. 1. And that " justification is
an act of God's free grace, Avhercin he not only pardoneth all our sins, but
accepteth us as righteous in his sight" Short. Cat.

Here then is the second demand of the law, namely, the demand of
perfect obedience, respecting the case of justification, no less than the
demand of satisfaction for sin. And it is proposed in such terms as the
Scripture uses to express the self-same thing. Luke x. 28, " This do,
and thou shalt live." — Matt. xix. 17, " If thou wilt enter into life, keep
the commandments." In both which passages our Lord proposeth this
demand of the covenant of works, for the conviction of the proud legal-
ists with whom he there had to do. And the truth is, that the terms in
which this demand stands here conceived, are so very agi-eeable to the
style and language of the covenant of works expressed in these texts, and
elsewhere, that the law, without receding in the least from the propriety
of expression, might have addressed innocent Adam, in the very same
terms ; changing only the word salvation into life, because he was not
yet miserable ; and so saying to him, Good works must be done, and the
commandments must be kept, if thou wilt obtain life. What impropriety
there could have been in this sajing, while as yet there was no covenant

MODEKN DIVINITY. 165

answer you, and say, " I am already saved before thou earnest ;*

known in the world, but the covenant of works, I see not. Even innocent
Adam was not, by his works, to obtain life, in the way of proper merit ; but ia
virtue of compact only.

Now, this being the case, one may plainly perceive, that in the true answer
to,il, there can be no place for bringing in any holiness, righteousness, good
works, and keeping of the commandments, but Christ's only ; for nothing
else can satisfy this demand of the law. And if a believer should acknowledge
the necessity of his own holiness and good works, in this point, and so
set about them, in order to answer this demand ; then he should grossly
and abominably pervert the end for which the Lord requires them of him ; put-
ting his own holiness and obedience in the room of Christ's imputed obe-
dience ; and so should fix himself in the mire out of which he could never
escape, until he gave over that way and betook himself again to what Christ
alone has done for satisfying this demand of the law. But that the excluding
of our holiness, good-works, and keeping of the commandments, from any
part in this matter, militates nothing against the absolute necessity of holiness
in its proper place, (without which, in men's own persons, no man shall see the
Lord,) is a point too clear among sound Protestant divines, to be here insisted
upon.

And hence our author could not instruct Neophytus to say, in this con-
flict with the law or covenant of works, " It is my sincere resolution, in
the strength of grace, to follow peace with all men, and holiness." Neither
would any sound Protestant divine have put such an answer into the mouth
of the afflicted in this case ; knowing that our evangelical holiness and good
works (suppose we could attain unto them before justification) would be re-
jected by the law, as filthy rags ; forasmuch as the law acknowledges no
holiness, no good works, no keeping of the commandments, but what is every
way perfect, and will never be satisfied with sincere resolutions, to do, in the
strength of grace to be given ; but requires doing in perfection, in the
strength of grace given already. Gal. iii. 10. Therefore our author sends the
afflicted unto Jesus Christ, the surety for all that is demanded of him by the
law or covenant of works : and teaches him in this case, to plead Christ'3
works, and keeping of the commands ; and this is the only safe way, which all
true Christians will find themselves obliged to take at the long run, in this con-
flict.

The difficulty raised on this head is owing to that anti-scriptural principle,
" That believers are under the commanding power of the covenant of works ;"
which is overthrown before.

The case itself, and the answer to it at large, is taken from Luther's Sermon
of the Lost Sheep, pp. 77, 78, and Sermon upon the Hymn of Zacharias,
p. 50.

* Saved, namely, really, though not perfectly ; even as a drowning man
is saved when his head is got above the water, and he, leaning on his
deliverer, is making towards the shore ; in this case, the believer has no
more need of the law, or covenant of works, than such a man has of one,
who, to save him, would lay a weight upon him, that would make him
sink again beneath the stream. Observe the manner of speaking and
reasoning used on this head. Tit. iii. 5, " Not by works of righteous-
ness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
— Eph. ii. 8 — 10, " For by grace are ye saved, through faith, not of
works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship,

166: THE MARROW OF

created in Christ Jesus, unto good works." Here (1.) It is undeniable,
especially according to the original words, that the apostle asserts believers
to be saved already. (2.) Denying that we are saved by works which
we have done, he plainly enough intimates, that we are saved by the
works which Christ has done. (3.) He argues against salvation by our
works, upon this very ground, that our good works are the fruit following
our being saved, and the end for which we are saved. Thus he at onpe
overthrows the doctrine of salvation by our good works, and establishes
the necessity of them, as of breathings and other actions of life to a man
saved from death. (4.) He shows, that inherent holiness is an essential
part of salvation, without which it can no more consist, than a man
without a reasonable soul ; for, according to the apostle, " We are saved
by our being regenerated, renewed, created in Christ Jesus, unto good
works." And so is our justification also, with all the privileges depend-
ing thereupon. In one word, the salvation bestowed on believers, com-
prehends both holiness and happiness. Thus the apostle Peter disproves
that principle, Acts xv. 1, " Except ye be circumcised after the manner of
Moses, ye cannot be saved," from his own observation of the contrary,
namely, that God purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith, ver. 9, adding for
the part of the Jews, who were circumcised, ver. 11, " We believe, that
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they ;"
that is, even as they were saved, namely, by faith without the works of the
law. And the apostle Paul, encountering the same error, carries on the dis-
pute in these terms, that a man is not justified by works, Gal. ii. and iii.
From whence one may conclude, that justification does no further differ
from salvation, in the Scripture sense, than an essential part from the
whole.

This is the doctrine of holy Luther, and of our author after him, upon this
head, here and elsewhere. And the disuse of this manner of speaking, and the
setting of salvation so far from justification, as heaven is from earth,
are not without danger, as leaving room for works, to obtain salvation
by.

" They that believe, have already everlasting life, and therefore un-
doubtedly are justified and holy, without all their own labour." Luther's Chos.
Sermons, Serra. 10, page [mihi] 113. " How has God, then, remedied
thy misery ? He has forgiven all my sins, and freed me from the reward there-
of, and made me righteous, holy, and happy, to live for ever, and that
of his free grace alone, by the merits of Jesus Christ, and working of the
Holy Ghost." Mr. James Melvil's Cat. Propine of a Pastor, p. 44. —
" Now, being made truly and really partakers of Christ, and his righteousness,
by faith only, and so justified, saved, and counted truly righteous, we are
to see what God craveth of us in our own part, to witness our thankful-
ness." Mr. John Davidson's Cat. p. 27. See Palat. Cat. q. 86. —
" God delivereth his elect out of it [viz : the estate of sin and misery] and
bringeth them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant." Larg. Cat.
q. 30. And surely one cannot be in a state of salvation who is not really
saved ; more than one can be in a state of health and liberty, who is not
really saved from sickness and slavery. " Those whom God hath predestinated
unto life, and those only he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, ef-
fectually to call, by his word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in
which they are by nature, to grace and salvation — effectually drawing them to
Jesus Christ." Westm. Confess, chap. 10, art. 1. Whence one may easily
perceive, that a sinner drawn to Jesus Christ, is saved ; though not yet carried
to heaven.

MODERN DIVINITY. l$f

and therefore I have no need of thy presence,* for in Christ I
have all things at once ; neither need I any thing more that is
necessaryf to salvation. He is my righteousness, my treasure,

*A good reason why a soul united to Jesus Christ, and already saved
by him really, though not perfectly, hath no need of the presence of her
first husband, the law, or covenant of works : namely, because she hath
in Christ, her head and present husband, all things necessary to save her
perfectly, that is, to make her completely holy and happy. If it were
not so, believers might yet despair of attaining to it : since Christ shareth
his oflBce of Saviour with none ; neither is their salvation in any other,
whether in whole or in part, Acts iv. 12. But surely believers have all
that is necessary to complete their salvation, in Jesus Christ : forasmuch
as he " of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctifi-
cation, and redemption ;" in the compass of which, there is sufficient pro-
vision for all the wants of all his people. It is the great ground of their
comfort, that " it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness
dwell," Col. i, 19. And it becomes them, with their whole hearts, to ap-
prove of the design and end of that glorious and happy constitution,
namely, that " he that glorieth, glory in the Lord," 1 Cor. i. 31. It is
true, that fulness is so far from being actually conveyed, in the measure
of every part, into the persons of believers at once, that the stream of
conveyance will run through all the ages of eternity, in heaven, as well
as on earth. Nevertheless, whole Christ, with all his fulness, is given
to them at once, and therefore they have all necessary for them at once,
in him as their Head. 1 Cor. iii. 21, "All things are yours." — Philip, iv.
18, " I have all, and abound." — 2 Cor. vi. 10, " As having nothing, yet pos-
sessing all things." — Col. ii. 10, " And ye are complete in him, which is the
Head."

f But are not personal holiness, and godliness, good works, and perse-
verance in holy obedience, jostled out at tliis rate as unnecessary ? No,
by no means. For Christ is the only fountain of holiness, and the cause
of good works, in those who are united to him ; so that, where union
with Christ is, there is personal holiness infallibly ; there they do good
works, if capable of them, and persevere therein ; and where it is not,
all pretences to these things are utterly vain. Therefore are niinisters di-
rected to prosecute such doctrines, and make choice of such uses, espe-
cially, " as may most draw souls to Christ, the fountain of light, holi-
ness, and comfort." Directory, tit. " Of the Preaching of the Word."
— " As we willingly spoil ourselves of all honour and glory of our own
creation and redemption, so do we also of our regeneration and sanctifi-
cation ; for of ourselves we are not sufficient to think one good thought ;
but he who has begun the work in us, is only he that continues us in
the same, to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace. So that the
cause of good works, we confess to be, not our free will, but the Spirit of the
Lord Jesus, who, dwelling in our hearts by true faith, bringeth forth
such works, as God has prepared for us to walk in. For this we most
boldly affirm, that blasphemy it is to say, that Christ abideth in the
hearts of such, as in whom there is no spirit of sanctification." Old
Confes. art. 12, 13.—" M. What is the effect of thy foith ? C. That Jesus
Christ his Son came down into this world, and accomplished all things,
which were necessary for our salvation." The ^Manner to Examine Chal-
dreu, &c., quest. 3. — " Whether we look to our justification or sanctifi-

168 THE MARROW OF

and work ;* I confess, 0 law ! that I am neither godly nor
righteous,! but yet this I am sure of, that he is godly and

cation, they are wholly wrought and perfected by Christ, in whom we
are complete, howbeit after a diverse sort." Mr. John Davidson's Cat.
p. 34. The truth is, personal holiness, godliness, and perseverance, are
parts of the salvation already bestowed on the believer, and good works
begun, the necessary fruit thereof. See the preceding note, and p. 114,
notef. And he hath, in Christ his head, what infallibly secures the con-
servation of his personal holiness and godliness : his bringing forth of
good works still, and perseverance in holy obedience, and the bringing
of the whole to perfection in another life, and so completing the begun
salvation. If men will, without warrant from the word, restrain the term
salvation to happiness in heaven, then all these, according to the doctrine
here taught, are necessary to salvation, as what of necessity must go be-
fore it, in subjects capable ; since, in a salvation carried on by degrees,
what is by the unalterable order of the covenant first conferred on a
man, must necessarily go before that which, by the same unalterable
order, is conferred on him in the last place. But in the sense of Luther
and our author, all these are comprehended in the salvation itself. For
justifying of which, one may observe, that when the salvation is com-
pleted, they are perfected ; and the saints in glory work perfectly good
works, without interruption, throughout all eternity ; for they were the
great end God designed to bring about by the means of salvation. To
the Scripture texts adduced in the preceding note, add 2 Tim. ii. 10,
" I endure all things, for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the
salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." Here is a spirit-
ual salvation, plainly distinguished from eternal glory. Compare 1 Pet.
i. 8, 9, " Believing, ye rejoice. Receiving the end of your faith, even
the salvation of your souls." This receiving of salvation, in the present
time, is but the accomplishment of that promise, in part ; Acts xvi. 31,
" Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ;" which, I
make' no question, bears a great deal of salvation, communicated on this
side death, as well as beyond it ; Matt. i. 21, " He shall save his people
from their sins." Thus, salvation comprehends personal holiness and
godliness. And the Scripture holds out good works, as things that ac-
company salvation, Heb. vi. 9, and as the fruit of it, Luke i. 71 — 75,
" That we should be saved from our enemies — being delivered out of the
hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear, in holiness and
righteousness before him, all the days of our life." For it is an ever-
lasting salvation, Isa. xlv. 17, importing a perseverance in holy obedience to
the end.

* My righteousness, upon which I am justified, my treasure, out of which
all my debt to the law, or covenant of works, is paid, and my work,
whence my righteousness arises, and which I can, with safety and comfort,
oppose to the law-demand of work. " The law of God we confess and ac-
knowledge most just, most equal, most holy, most perfect, commanding these
things, which being wrought in perfection, were able to give life, and able to
bring man to eternal felicity. But our nature is so corrupt, so weak, and so
imperfect, that we are never able to fulfil the works of the law in perfection —
and therefore it behoves us to apprehend Christ Jesus, with his justice, i. e., his
righteousness and satisfaction, who is the end and accomplishment of the law."
Old Confess, art. 1.5.

f Namely, in the eye of the law, which acknowledgeth no godliness

MODERN DIVINITY. 169

righteous for me * And to tell the truth, 0 law ! I am now
with him in the bridechamber, where it maketh no matter
what I am,f or what I have done ; but what Christ, my sweet
husband, is, has done, and does for me ::{: and therefore leave
off", law, to dispute with me, for by faith 'I apprehend him
who hath apprehended me,' and put me into his bosom.
Wherefore I will be bold to bid Moses with his tables, and
all lawyers with their books, and all men with their works,
hold their peace and give place :§ so that I say unto thee, 0

nor righteousness, but what is every way perfect ; Rom. iv. 5, " Be-
lieveth on him that justifieth the ungodly." And to plead any other sort of
godliness or righteousness, in the conflict of conscience with the law, is vain.
Gal. iii. 10.

*That is, Christ hath perfect purity of nature and life, which is all
that the law can demand in point of conformity and obedience to its
commandments ; he was born holy, and he lived holy in perfection.
Now, both these are imputed to believers, not in point of sanctification,
but of justification ; for without the imputation of them both, no flesh
could be justified before Grod, because the law demands of every man
purity of nature, as well as purity of life, and both of them in perfection ;
and since we have neither the one nor the other in ourselves, we must
have both by imputation, else we must remain under the condemnation
of the law. So, the Palatine Catechism. " Q. How art thou righteous
before God ? A. The perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of
Christ is imputed and given unto me, as if I had neither committed any
sin, neither were there any blot or corruption cleaving unto me. Q. 60.
The use — If Satan yet lay to my charge. Although in Christ Jesus thou
hast satisfied the punishment which thy sins deserved, and hast put on
his righteousness by faith, yet thou canst not deny, but that thy nature
is corrupt, so that thou art prone to all ill, and thou hast in thee, the seed of
all vices. Against this temptation this answer is sufficient. That by the good-
ness of God, not only perfect righteousness, but even the holiness of Christ
also, is imputed and given unto me," &c. Ibid. — " The satisfaction, righteous-
ness, and holiness of Christ alone is my righteousness, in the sight of God."
Ibid, quest. 61.

t Namely, to the law or covenant of works, which has no power over me,
who am now married to another.

X Luther expresses it thus, " What I am, or what I ought to do, and what
not to do ; but what Christ himself is, ought to do, and doth."

§ Moses with his tables, here, is no more, in the sense of Luther and
our author, but the law, as it is the covenant of works ; the which, whoso
in the conflict of conscience with it, can treat at this rate, he is strong in
faith, and happy is he. Consider the Scripture phrase, John v. 45,
" There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.' Com-
pare Rom, ii. 17, " Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the
LAW." By Moses here, is not meant the person of Moses, but Moses'
law, which the carnal Jews trusted to be saved and justified by ; that is
plainly, by the law, as it is the covenant of works. And in our author's
judgment, the law was given on Mount Sinai as the covenant of works.
And he shows, that although Luther, and Calvin too, do thus exempt
a believer from the law, in the case of justification, and as it is the covenaut of
15

170 THE MAKROW OF

law ! be gone." And if it will not be gone, then tbrust it out
by force, says Luther.*

And if sin offer to take hold of you, as David said his did
on him. Psalm xl. 12; then say you unto it, "Thy strength,
O sin, is the law, 1 Cor. xv. 66, and the law is dead to me,
So that, O sin, thy strength is gone ; and therefore be sure
thou shalt never be able to prevail against me, nor do me any
hurt at all."t

And if Satan take you by the throat, and by violence draw
yoa before God's judgment-seat, then call to your husband,
Christ, and say, "Lord, I suffer violence, make answer for
me, and help me." And by his help you shall be enabled to
plead for yourself, after this manner : O God the Father ! I
am thy Son Christ's ; thou gavest me unto him, and thou hast
given unto him "all power, both in heaven and in earth, and
hast committed all judgment to him ;" and therefore I will
stand to his judgment, who says, " he came not to judge the
world, but to save it ;" and therefore he will save me, accord-

works, yet do they not so out of the case of justification, and as it is the law of
Christ. P. 184—186. And so, at once, clears them and himself from that
odious charge which some might find in their hearts to fix upon them from
such expressions.

* Luther's words are, " Then it is time to send it (the law) away, and if it
will not give place," &c. See the preceding note.

t Here is the use to be made of the same former doctrine, in the con-
flict of conscience with sin. Guilt, even the guilt of revenging wrath is
the handle by which, in this conflict, sin offers to take hold of the be-
liever, as it did of David, Psalm xl. 12. Who, in that Psalm, speaks as
a type of Christ, on whom the guilt of the elect's sin was laid. " Now, in
respect of that guilt, the strength of sin is the law, or covenant of works,
with its cursing and condemning power, from which, since believers are
delivered, that strength of sin is gone as to them ; they are free from the
guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God." Westra. Confess, chap.
20. art. 1. — " The revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this
life." Larg. Cat. quest. 77. Whence it necessarily follows, that sin, in
this attack, can never prevail nor really hurt them in this point, since
there neither is, nor can be, any such guilt remaining upon them. How
sin may otherwise prevail against a believer, and what hurt it may do him
in other respects, the author expressly teaches here and elsewhere. In
the manner of expression, he follows famous divines, whose names are
in honour in the church of Christ. " God saith unto me, I will forgive
thee thy sin, neither shall thy sins hurt thee." Luther, Chos. Serm.
p. 40. — "Forasmuch as Jesus Christ hath, by one infinite obedience,
made satisfaction to the infinite majesty of God, it followeth, that my
iniquities can no more fray nor trouble me, my accounts being assuredly
razed by the precious blood of Christ." Beza, Confess, point 4. art. 10. —
" Even as the viper that was upon Paul's hand, though the nature of it
was to kill presently, yet when God had charmed it, you see it hurt him

MODEEN DIVINITY. 171

ing to his office. And if the jury* shouldf bring in their ver-
dict that thev have found you guilty, then speak to the Judge,
and say. In case any must be condemned for my transgres-
sions, it must needs be Christ, and not l;^ for albeit I have
committed them, yet he hath undertaken and bound himself
to answer for them, and that by the consent and good-will of
God his Father: and indeed he hath fully satisfied for them.

And if death creep upon you, and attempt to devour you ;
then say, " Thy sting, 0 death 1 is sin ; and Christ my hus-
band has fully vanquished sin, and so deprived thee of thy
sting; and therefore do I not fear any hurt that thou, O
death ! canst do unto me." And thus you may triumph
with the apostle, saying, "Thanks be unto God, who hath
given me the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor.
XV. 56, 57.

And thus have I also declared unto you how Christ, in the
fulness of time, performed that which God before all time
purposed, and in time promised, touching the helping and
delivering of fallen mankind.

And so have I also done with the " Law of Faith."

not ; so it is with sin, though it be in us, and though it hang upon us, yet
the venom of it is taken away, it hurts us not, it condemns us not. Dr. Pi-eston
on Faith, p. 51. Hear the language of the Spirit of God, Luke x. 19 ; " And
uothing shall by any means hurt you." — " Nothing shall hurt their souls, as to
the favour of God, and their eternal happiness," says the author of the Supple-
ment to Poole's Annot. on the Text.

* The tea commandments.

t By your own conscience.

X See page 153, note*.

THE MARROW OF

CHAPTER III.
OF THE LAW OF CHRIST.

Sect. 1. The nature of the Law of Christ. — 2. The law of the ten com-
mandments a rule of lite to believers. — 3. Antinomian objections an-
swered.— 4. The necessity of marks and signs of grace. — 5. Antinomian
objections answered. — 6. Holiness and good works attained to only by
faith. — 7. Slavish fear and servile hope not the springs of true obe-
dience.— 8. The efficacy of faith for holiness of heart and life. — 9. Use
of means for strengthening of faith. — 10. The distinction of the law of works,
and law of Christ, applied to six paradoxes. — 11. The use of that distinction
in practice. — 12. That distinction a mean betwixt Legalism and Antinomian-
ism. — 13. How to attain to assurance. — 14. Marks and evidences of true
faith. — 15. How to recover lost evidences. — 16. Marks and signs of union
with Christ.

Sect. 1. — Nora. Then sir, I pray you, proceed to speak of the
law of Christ ; and JBrst, let us hear what the law of Christ is.

Evan. The law of Christ, in regard of substance and
matter, is all one with the law of works, or covenant of works.
Which matter is scattered through the whole Bible, and
summed up in the decalogue, or ten commandments, com-
monly called the moral law, containing such things as are
agreeable to the mind and will of God, that is, piety towards
God, charity towards our neighbour, and sobriety towards
ourselves. And therefore was it given of God to be a true
and eternal rule of righteousness, for all men, of all nations,
and at all times. So that evangelical grace directs a man to
no other obedience than that whereof the law of the ten com-
mandments is to be the rule.*

Nom. But yet, sir, I conceive, that though (as you say)

* The author here teaches, that the matter of the law of works and of
the law of Christ, is one, namely, the ten commandments, commonly
called the moral law. — See p. 28, note*. And that this law of the ten
commandments was given of God, and so of divine authority, to be a
rule of righteousness for men to walk by ; a true rule agreeable in all things
to the divine nature and will ; an eternal rule, indispensable, ever to con-
tinue, without interruption for any one moment ; and that for all men,
good, bad, saints and sinners, of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, and at all
times, in all ages, from the moment of man's creation, before the fall, and
after the fall ; before the covenant of Avorks, under the covenant of works,
and under the covenant of grace, in its several periods. Thus he asserts this
great truth, in terms used by orthodox divines, but with a greater variety of
expression tlian is generally used upon this head, the which serves to
inculcate it the more. And speaking of the ten commandments, he
declares in these words, "That neither hath Christ delivered believers
any otherwise from them, than as they are the covenant of works. The
scope of this part of the book, is to show that believers ought to receive

MODERN DIVINITY. 173

the law of Christ, in regard of substance and matter, be all one
with the law of works, yet their forms do differ.

Evan. True, indeed ; for (as you have heard) the law of
works speaks on this wise, " Do this and thou shalt live ;
and if thou do it not, then thou shalt die the death :" but the
law of Christ speaketli on this wise, Ezek. xvi. 6, "And when
I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I
said unto thee, when thou wast in th}' blood, live." — John xi.
26, " And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never
die."* — Eph, v. 1, 2, " Be ye therefore followers of God, as

them as the law of Christ, whom we believe to be with the Father, and
the Holy Ghost, the eternal Jehovah, the Supreme, the most High God ;
and consequently as a law having a commanding power, and binding force,
upon the believer, from the authority of God, and not as a simple pas-
sive rule, like a workman's rule, that hath no authority over him, to
command and bind him to follow its direction. Nay, our author owns
the ten commandments to be a law to believers, as well as others,
again and again commanding, requiring, forbidding, reproving, condemn-
ing sin, to which believers must yield obedience, and fenced with a
f)enalty, which transgressing believers are to fear, as being under the
aw to Christ. These things are so manifest, that it is quite beyond my
reach to conceive how, from the author's doctrine on this head, and es-
pecially from the passage we are now upon, it can be inferred that he
teaches, that the believer is not under the law as a rule of life ; or can
be affirmed that he does not acknowledge the law's commanding power,
and binding force upon the believer, but makes it a simple passive rule
to him ; unless the meaning be, that the author teaches, " That the
believer is not under the covenant of works as a rule of life ?" or, " That
the law, as it is the covenant of works, is not a rule of life to the believer ;
and that he does not acknowledge the commanding power, and binding
force of the covenant of works upon the believer ; nor that obedience is
commanded him upon the pain of the curse, and bound upon him with
the cords of the threatening of eternal death in hell." For, otherwise, it
is evident that he teaches the law of the ten commandments to be a rule
of life to a believer, and to have a commanding and binding power over
him. Now, if these be errors, the author is undoubtedly guilty ; and if
his sentiments on these heads were proposed in those terms, as the thing
itself doth require, no wrong would be done him therein. But that these
are gospel-truths, appears from what is already said : and the contrary
doctrines do all issue out of the womb of that dangerous position, " That
the believer is not set free both from the commanding and condemning
power of the covenant of works," — of which before. See p. 22, note*, and p. 26,
note*.

* These texts are adduced to show, that they to whom the law of the
ten commandments is given, as the law of Christ, are those who have
already received life, even life that shall never end ; and that of God's
free gift, before they were capable of doing good works ; who therefore
need not to work for life, but from life. '• Tiie preface to the ten com-
mandments teaches us, that because God is the Lord, and our God, and
Redeejier, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments."
15 *

174 THE MAEROW OF

dear children: and walk in love, as Christ hath loved us."
And " if ye love me, keep my commandments," John xiv, 15.
And "if they break my statutes, and keep not my command-
ments, then will I visit their transgressions with a rod, and
their iniquity with stripes ; nevertheless my loving-kindness
will I not utterly take away from him, nor suffer my faithful-
ness to fail," Psalm Ixxxix. 31—33. Thus, you see, that
both these laws agree in saying, " Do this." But here is the
difference; the one saith, "Do this and live;" and the other
saith, "Live, and do this;" the one saith. Do this /or life;
the other saith. Do this from life : the one saith, " If thou do
it not, thou shalt die ;" the other saith, " If thou do it not,
I will chastise thee with the rod."* The one is to be delivered
by God as he is Creator out of Christ, only to such as are
out of Christ ; the other is to be delivered by God, as he is
a Redeemer in Christ, only to such as are in Christ.f Where-
fore, neighbour Neophytus, seeing that you are now in Christ,

Luke i. 74, " That we being delivered out of the hands of our ene-
mies, might serve him without fear." — 1 Pet. i. 15, " As he that hath
called you is holy, so be ye holy ; because it is written, Be ye holy for I am
holy. Forasmuch as ye know, that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things — but with the precious blood of Christ." Short. Cut. with the Scrip-

* See pages 113, 114, notes*, \. Of this penalty of the law of Christ, the
author treats afterwards.

t To direct the believer how to receive the law of the ten command-
ments with application to himself, he assigns this difference betwixt the
law of woiks and the law of Christ. The one, namely, the law of works,
is the law of the ten commandments, but supposed to be delivered by
God as he is Creator out of Christ; and so standing in relation to man,
only as Creator, not as Redeemer ; the other, namely, the law of Christ,
is the same law of the ten commandments, but supposed to be delivered
by God, as he is not only Creator but Redeemer in Christ. And al-
though the notion of Creator doth not imply that of Redeemer, yet the
latter implies the former ; as he is Redeemer, he is sovereign Lord Crea-
tor, else we are yet in our sins, for none of inferior dignity could remove
our offence or guilt ; but the word of truth secures this foundation of be-
lievers' safety and comfort ; Isa. xliv. 6, 24, '* Thus saith the Lord, the
King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I am the First, and
I am the Last, and besides me there is no God. Thus saith the Lord,
thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord
that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that
spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." — Chap. liv. 5, " Thy Maker is thine
Husband."

Now, the law of the ten commandments is given, the former way, only
to unbelievers, or such as are out of Christ, the latter way to believei-s,
or such as are in Christ. And to prove whether this be a A-ain distinc-
tion or not, one needs but to consult the conscience, when thoroughly
awakened, whether it is all a case to it, to receive the law of the ten

MODERN DIVINITY. 175

beware that you receive not the ten commandments at the
hands of God out of Christ, nor yet at the hands of Moses, but
only at the hands of Christ ; and so shall you be sure to re-
ceive them as the law of Christ *

Nom. But, sir, may not God out of Christ deliver the ten
commandments, as the law of Christ?

Evan. O no ! for God out of Christ stands in relation to
man, according to the tenor of the law as it is the covenant of
works ; and, therefore, can speak to man upon no other terms
than the terms of that covenant.f

commandnients in the thunders from Mount Sinai, or in the still small voice,
out of the tabernacle, that is, from an absolute God, or from a God ia
Christ.

It is true, unbelievers are not under the law, as it is the law of Christ;
and that is their misery, even as it is the misery of the slaves, that the com-
mands of the master of the family, though the matter of them be the very
same to them, and to the children, yet they are not fatherly commands to them,
as they are to the children, but purely masterly. And they are not hereby
freed from any duty, within the compass of the perfect law of the ten com-
mandments ; for these commands are the matter of the law of works, as well
as of the law of Christ. Neither are they thereby exempted from Christ's
authority and jurisdiction, since the law of works is his law, as he is with the
Father and the Holy Ghost, the Sovereign Lord Creator : yea, and even as
Mediator, he rules in the midst of his enemies, and over them, with a rod of
iron.

* The receiving of the ten commandments at the hands of Christ, is
here opposed, (1.) To the receiving of them at the hands of God out of
Christ. (2.) To the receiving of them at the hands of Moses, namely, as
our Lawgiver. The first is a receiving of them immediately from God,
without a Mediator ; and so receiving of them as the law of works. The
second is a receiving of them from Christ, the true Mediator, yet imme-
diately by the intervention of a typical one, and so is a receiving of them
as a law of Moses, the typical Mediator, who delivered them from the
ark or tabernacle. To this it is, and not to the delivering of them from
Mount Sinai, that the author doth here look, as is evident from his own words,
page 18L The former manner of receiving them is not agreeable to the
state of real believers, since they never were, nor are given in that manner
to believers in Christ, but only to unbelievers, whether under the Old or New
Testament. The latter is not agreeable to the state of New Testament be-
lievers, since the true Mediator is come, and is sealed of the Father, as the
great Prophet, to whom Moses must give place. Matt. xvii. 5 ; Acts iii. 22.
See Turret, loc. 11. q. 24, th. 15. However, the not receiving of Moses as the
lawgiver of the christian church, carries no prejudice to the honour of that
faithful servant ; nor to the receiving of his writings, as the word of
God, they being of divine inspiration, yea, and the fundamental divine
revelation,

f This plainly concludes, that to receive the law of the ten commandments
from God, as Creator out of Christ, is to receive them as the law (or covenant)
of works ; unless men will fancy, thivt after God hath made two covenants, the
one of works, the other of grace, he will yet deal with them neither in the way
of the one, nor of the other.

176 THE MARROW OF

Sect, 2. — Nom. But, sir, why may not believers amongst the
Gentiles receive the ten commandments as a rule of life, at
the hands of Moses, as well as the believers amongst the Jews
did?

Evan. For answer hereunto, I pray you consider that, the
ten commandments being the substance of the law of nature *
engraven in the heart of man in innocency, and the express
idea, or representation of God's own image, even a beam of his
own holiness, were to have been a rule of life both to
Adam and his posterity, though they never had been the cove-
nant of works ;f but being become the covenant of words, they
were to have been a rule of life to them, as a covenant of
works.:}: And then, being as it were raised out of man's heart
by his fall, they were made known to Adam, and the rest of
the believing fathers, by visions and revelations, and so were a

* Calling the ten commandments but the substance of the law of na-
ture, he plainly intimates, that they were not the whole of that law, but
that the law of nature had a penal sanction. Compare his speaking of
the same ten commands, still as the substance of the law of works, and of
the law of Christ, pages 170, 171. Indeed, he is not of opinion, that a
penal sanction is inseparable from the law of nature. That would put the
glorified saints, and confirmed angels in heaven, (to say nothing more,)
under a penal sanction too ; for without question, they are, and will re-
main for ever, under the law of nature. The truth is, the law of nature is
suited both to the nature of God, and to the nature of the creature ; and
there is no place for a penal sanction, where there is no possibility of trans-
gression.

fThe ten commands being the substance of the law of nature, a
representation of God's image, and a beam of his holiness, behoved for
ever unalterably to be a rule of life to mankind, in all possible states,
conditions, and circumstances ; nothing but the utter destruction of hu-
man nature, and its ceasing to be, could divest them of that office, since God
is unchanging in his image and holiness. Hence, their being a rule of
life to Adam and his posterity, had no dependence on their becoming
the covenant of works ; but they would have been that rule, though there
never had been any such covenant : yea, whatever covenant was introduced,
whether of works or of grace, whatever form might be put upon them, they
behoved still to remain the rule of life ; no covenant, no form whatsoever,
could ever prejudice this their royal dignity. Now, whether this state
of the matter, or their being the covenant of works, which was merely
accessory to them, and might never have been at all, is the firmer foun-
dation, to build their being a rule of life upon, is no hard question to deter-
mine.

J And would have been so always to them all, till they had perfectly fulfilled
that covenant, had they not been divested of that form, unto believers, through
Jesus Christ their surety. To them they remain to be a rule of life, but not
under the form of the covenant of works ; but to unbelievers they are, and
still will be, a rule of life under that form.

MODERN DIVINITY. l77

rule of life to him ;^ yet not as the covenant of works, as
they were before his fall, and so continued until the time of
Moses. And as they were delivered by Moses unto the be-
lieving Jews from the ark, and so as from Christ, they were a
rule of life to them, until the time of Christ's coming in the
flesh.f And since Christ's coming in the flesh, they have
been and are to be, a rule of life both to believing Jews and
believing Gentiles, unto the end of the world; not as they are
delivered by Moses, but as they are delivered by Christ : for
when Christ the Son comes and speaks himself, then Moses
the servant must keep silence; according as Moses himself
foretold, Acts iii. 22, saying, "A prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto yoa of your brethren, like unto me; him
shall ye hear in all things which he shall say unto you.":}: And,
therefore, when the disciples seemed to desire to hear Moses

* And to them. One will not think strange to hear, that the ten com-
mands were, as it were, razed out of man's heart by the fall, if one
considers the spirituality and vast extent of them, and that they were, in
their perfection engraven on the heart of man, in his creation, and doth
withal take notice of the ruin brought on man by the fall. Hereby he
indeed lost the very knowledge of the law of nature, if the ten commands
are to be reckoned, as certainly they are, the substance and matter of
that law ; although he lost it not totally, but some remains thereof were
left with him. Concerning these the apostle speaks, Rom. i. 19, 20 ; and
ii. 14, 15. And our author teaches expressly, that the law is partly
known by nature, that is, in its corrupt state. See page 181. And here
he says, not simply, that the ten commandments were razed, though in
another case (page 44,) he speaks after that manner, where yet it is evi-
dent he means not a razing quite; but he says, "They were, as it were,
razed." But what are these remains of them in comparison with that
body of natural laws, fairly written, and deeply engraven, on the heart of
innocent Adam ? If they were not, as it were, razed, what need is there
of writing a new copy of them in the hearts of the elect, according to the
promise of the new covenant ? " I will put my laws into their hearts,
and in their minds will I write them," Heb. x, 16, and viii. 10 ; Jer.
xxxi. 33. What need was there of writing them in the book of the Lord,
the Bible, in which they were made known again to us, as they were to
Adam and the believing fathers, the author speaks of, by visions and re-
velations ? the latter being as necessary to them as the former is to us, for that
end, since these supplied to them the want of the Scriptures. As for those,
who neither had these visions and revelations given to themselves, nor the
doctrine thereby taught communicated to them by others, it is manifest they
could have no more knowledge of those laws, than was to be found among the
ruins of mankind in the fall.

f As to the delivering of the ten commandments from the ark, or the
tabernacle, see the sense of it, and the Scripture ground for it. Page 74, note*,
and page 83, note f.

X See page 175, note *.

178 THE MAKROW OF

and Elias* speak on the mountain Tabor, thej were presently
taken away ; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, " This
is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him,"
Matt. xvii. 4, 5. As if the Lord had said, You are not now to
hear either Moses or Elias, but my " well-beloved Son ;" and,
therefore, I say unto you. Hear HiM.f And is it not said,
Heb. i. 2, " That in these last days God hath spoken to us by
his Son?" and doth not the apostle say, "Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly ; and whatsoever you do, in word
or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." The
wife must be subject unto the husband, as unto Christ ;:{: the
child must yield obedience to his parents, as unto Christ ; and
the believing servant must do his master's business, as Christ's
business; for says the apostle, "Ye serve the Lord Christ,"
Col. iii. 16 — 24. Yea, says he to the Galatians, " Bear ye one
another's burdens, and so fidfil the law of Christ," Gal. vi. 2.

Ant. Sir, I like it very well, that you say, Christ should be
a Christian's teacher, and not Moses ; but yet I question whe-
ther the ten commandments may be called the law of Christ ;
for where can you find them repeated, either by our Saviour,
or his apostles, in the whole New Testament ?

Evan. Though we find not that they are repeated in such
a method as they are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomy,
yet so long as we find that Christ and his apostles did require
and command these things, that are therein commanded, and
reprove and condemn those things that are therein forbidden,
and that both by their lives and doctrines, it is sufficient to
prove them to be the law of Christ.§

* The former, the giver of the law, the latter the restorer of it.

f " Which words establish Christ as the only doctor and teacher of his
church ; the only one whom he had betrusted to deliver his truths and will to
his people ; the only one to whom Christians are to hearken," Sup. to Poole's
Annot. on Matt. xvii. 5.

X " Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands as unto the Lord,"
Eph. V. 22.

I Whether or not this be suflBcient to prove them to be the law of
Christ, having a divine, authoritative, binding power on men's consciences,
notwithstanding of the term doctrines here used by the author, one may
judge from these texts : Matt, vii, 28, 29, " The people were astonished
at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the
sci'ibes." — John vii. 16, "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me."
— Heb. i. 1 — 3, " God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake
in time past unto the fathers, by the prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds ; who being the brightness of his glory,
and the express image of his person," &c. — Matt, xxvii. 18 — 20, " All

MODERN DIVINITY. 179

Ant. I think, indeed, thej have done so, touching some of
the commandments, but not touching all.

Evan. Because you say so, I entreat you to consider, —

Is^, Whether the true knowledge of God required, John iii.
19 ; and the want of it condemned, 2 Thess. i. 8 ; and the true
love of God required. Matt. xxii. 37 ; and the want of it re-
proved, John V. 42 ; and the true fear of God required, 1 Pet.
ii. 17 ; Heb. xii. 28 ; and the want of it condemned, Eora. iii.
18 ; and the true trusting in God required, and the trusting
in the creature forbidden, 2 Cor. i. 9 ; 1 Tim. vi. 17 ; be not
the substance of the first commandment.

And consider, 2dly^ Whether the " hearing and reading of
God's word," commanded, John v. 39 ; Rev. i. 3 ; and " prayer,"
required, Rom. xii. 12 ; 1 Thess. v. 17 ; and " singing of
psalms," required, Col. iii. 16 ; James v. 13 ; and whether
" idolatry," forbidden, 1 Cor. x. 14 ; 1 John v. 21 ; be not the
substance of the second commandment.

And consider, 2tdly^ Whether " worshipping of God in
vain," condemned. Matt. xv. 9 ; and " using vain repetitions
in prayer," forbidden. Matt. vi. 7 ; and " hearing of the word
only, and not doing," forbidden, James i. 22 ; whether " wor-
shipping God in spirit and truth," commanded, John iv. 24 ;
and "praying with the spirit and with understanding also;"
and " singing with the spirit" and " with understanding also,"
commended, 1 Cor. xiv. 15 ; and " taking heed what we hear,"
Mark iv. 24 ; be not the substance of the third command-
ment.

Consider, 'ithly^ Whether Christ's rising from the dead the
first day of the week, Mark xvi. 2, 9 ; the disciples assembling,
and Christ's appearing unto them, two several first days of the
week, John xx. 19, 26 ; and the disciples coming together and
breaking bread, and preaching afterwards on that day. Acts
XX. 7 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 2 ; and John's being in the Spirit on the
Lord's day. Rev. i. 10 ; I say, consider whether these things do
not prove, that the first day of the week is to be kept as the
Christian Sabbath.

Consider, bthly, Whether the apostle's saying, " Children,

power is given unto me in heaven and earth : go ye, therefore, and teach
all nations, to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." The
original word, in the Old Testament, rendered law, doth properly signify a doc-
trine, Hence, Matt. xv. 9, " Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,"
'. e., the laws and commands of men, for the laws and commands of God.
Compare verses 4 — 6.

180 THB MABROW OF

obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right : honour thy
father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with
promise," Eph. vi. 1, 2, and all these other exhortations, given
by him and the apostle Peter, both to inferiors and superiors,
to do their duty to each other, Eph. v. 22, 25 ; Eph. vi. 4, 5,
9 ; Col. iii. 18—22 ; Tit. iii. 1 ; 1 Pet. iii. 1 ; 1 Pet. ii. 18 ;
I say, consider whether all these places do not prove that the
duties of the fifth commandment are required in the New Tes-
tament.

Here you see are five of the ten commandments ; and as
for the other five, the apostle reckons them up altogether, say-
ing, " Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou
shalt not covet," Eom. xiii. 9. Now, judge you whether the
ten commandments be not repeated in the New Testament ;
and so consequently whether they be not the law of Christ,
and whether a believer be not under the law to Christ, or
" in the law through Christ," as the apostle's phrase is, 1 Cor.
ix. 21.

Sect. 3. — Ant. But yet, sir, as I remember, both Luther and
Calvin do speak as though a believer were so quite freed from
the law by Christ, as that he need not make any conscience at
all of yielding obedience to it.

Evan. I know right well that Luther on the Galatians,
p. 59, says, " The conscience hath nothing to do with the law or
works ;" and that Calvin, in his Instit. p. 403, says, " The con-
science of the faithful, when the affiance of their justifica-
tion before God is to be sought, must raise and advance them-
selves above the law, and forget the whole righteousness of
the law, and lay aside all thinking upon works." Now, for
the true understanding of these two worthy servants of Christ,
two things are to be considered and concluded. First, That
when they speak thus of the law, it is evident they mean only
in the case of justification. Secondly, That when the con-
science hath to do with the law in the case of justification, it
hath to do with it only as it is the covenant of works ; for as
the law is the law of Christ, it neither justifies nor condemns.*

* That is, the law of the ten commandments, commonly called the moral
law, as it is the law of Christ, neither justifies nor condemns men's per-
sons in the sight of God. How can it do either the one or the other as
such, since to be under it, as it is the law of Christ, is the peculiar pri-
vilege of believers, already justified by grace, and set beyond the reach
of condemnation ; according to that of the apostle, Rom. viii. 1, " There

MODERN DIVINITY. I81

And so, if you understand it of the law, as it is the covenant
of works, according to their meaning, then it is most true
what they say ; for why should a man let the law come into
his conscience? That is, why should a man make any con-
science of doing the law, to be justified thereby, considering it
as a thing impossible ? Nay, what need hath a man to make
conscience of doing the law to be justified thereby, when he
knows he is already justified another way ? Nay, what need
hath a man to make conscience of doina: that law, which is

is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus?"
But to say that this makes the law of Christ despicable, is to forget the
sovereign authority of God in him, his matchless love in dying for sin-
ners, the endearing relations wherein he stands to his people, and upon
the one hand, the enjoyment of actual communion and fellowship with
God, and the many precious tokens of his love, to be conferred on them,
in the way of close walking with God ; and upon the other hand, the
want of that communion and fellowship, and the many fearful tokens of his
anger against them for their sins. (See sec. 11.) All these belong to the law
of Christ, and will never be despicable in the eyes of any gracious soul ; though
I doubt if ever hell and damnation were more despised in the eyes of others,
than they are at this day, wherein believers and unbelievers are set so much on
a level with respect to these awful things.

As to the point of condemnation, it is evident from Scripture, that no
law can condemn those " who are in Christ Jesus," Rom, viii. 1, 33, 34.
And the law, as it is the covenant of works, condemns all those who are
not in Christ, but under the law. Gal. iii. 10 ; Rom. iii. 19. And par-
ticularly, it condemns every unbeliever, whose condemnation will be fear-
fully aggravated by his rejection of the gospel offer ; the which rejected
offer will be a witness against him in the judgment ; in respect whereof
our Lord says, John xii. 48, " The word that I have spoken, the same
shall judge him in the last day." Compare chap. xv. 22, " If I had not
come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin ; but now they have no cloak
for their sin." Therefore the law, which unbelievers still remain under,
as a covenant of works, will condemn them with a double condemnation.
John iii. 18, " He that believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And
hence it appears that there is as little need of, as there is warrant for, a
condemning gospel. The holy Scripture states it as the difference betwixt
the law and the gospel, that the former is the ministration of condemna-
tion and death, the latter, the ministration of righteousness and life. 2
Cor. iii. 6 — 9. Compare John xii. 47, " If any man hear my words, and
believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge the world, but to
save the world."

As to the point of justification ; no man is, nor can be justified by the
law. It is true, the Neonomians or Baxterians, to wind in a righteous-
ness of our own into the case of justification, do turn the gospel into a
law, properly so called ; and do tell us, that the gospel justifieth as a
law, aud roundly own what is the necessary consequent of that doctrine,
namely, that faith justifieth, as it is our evangelical righteousness, or our
keeping the gospel law, which runs thus : He that believeth shall not
16

tS^ THE MARROW OF

dead to liim, and he to it ? Hath a woman any need to make
conscience of doing her duty to her husband when he is dead,
nay, when she herself is dead also ? or, hath a debtor any need
to make any conscience of paying that debt which is already
fully discharged by his surety? Will any man be afraid of
that obligation which is made void, the seal torn off, the writing
defaced, nay, not only cancelled and crossed, but torn in
pieces ?* I remember the apostle says, Heb. x. 1, 2, That
if the sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament
" could have made the comers thereunto perfect, and have
purged the worshippers, then should they have had no more
conscience of sin ;" that is, their conscience would not have
accused them of being guilty of sins. Now, the " blood of
Christ" hath " purged the conscience" of a believer from all his
sins, chap. ix. 14, as they are transgressions against the cove-
nant of works ; and, therefore, what needs his conscience be
troubled about that covenant ? But now, I pray you, observe

perish. (Gibbon's Ser. Morn. Ex. Meth. p. 418 — 421.) But the holy Scrip-
ture teaches, that we are justified by grace, and by no law nor deed, (or work
of a law, properly so called,) call it the law of Christ, or the gospel law, or
what law one pleaseth ; and thereby faith itself, considered as a deed or work
of a law, is excluded from the justification of a sinner, and hath place there-
in, only as an instrument. Gal. iii. 11, " That no man is justified by a law
in the sight of God, it is evident." — Chap. v. 4, " Whosoever of you are jus-
tified by a law, ye are fallen from grace." — Rom. iii. 28, " Therefore we con-
clude that a man is justified by faith, without deeds of a law." Gal. ii. 16,
" Knowing that a man is not justified by works of a law." I read, a law, deeds,
works, simply ; because so the original words, used in these texts, do undeni-
ably signify.

To this agrees Westm. Confess, chap. xi. art. 1, " These whom God
efifectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not for any thing wrought in
them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone ; not by imputing
faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience, to
them, as their righteousness ; but," &c. Larg. Cat. quest. 73. — " Faith
justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not as if the grace of faith, or any
act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification ; but only as it ig
an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his right-
eousness. West. Confess, chap. xix. art. 6. — " Although true believers
be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or
condemned, yet it is of great use to them, as well as to others, in that, as
a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs
and binds them to walk accordingly." From this last passage of the con-
fession, two important points plainly offer themselves. (1.) That the law
is a rule of life to believers, directing and binding them to duty, though
they are neither justified nor condemned by it. (2.) That neither justi-
fying nor condemning belong unto the law, as a rule of life simply, but
as a covenant of works. And these are the very points here taught by our
author.

* Col. ii. 14, " Blotting out the hand-writing, nailing it to his cross."

MODERN DIVINITY. 183

and take notice, that although Luther and Calvin do thus ex-
empt a believer from the law, in the case of justification, and
as it is the law or covenant of works, yet they do not so, out
of the case of justification, and as it is the law of Christ.

For thus saith Luther, on the Galatians, p. 182, "Out of
the matter of justification, we ought, with Paul, Kom. vii. 12,
14, to think reverently of the law, to commend it highly, to
call it holy, righteous, just, good, spiritual, and divine. Yea,
out of the case of justification, we ought to make a God of
it."* And in another place, says he, on the Galatians, p. 5,
" There is a civil righteousness, and a ceremonial righteous-
ness ; yea, and besides these, there is another righteousness,
which is the righteousness of the law, or of the ten command-
ments, which Moses teacheth ; this also we teach after the
doctrine of faith." And in another place, he having showed
that believers, through Christ, are far above the law, adds,
" Howbeit, I will not deny but Moses showeth to them their
duties, in which respect they are to be admonished and urged ;
wherefore such doctrines and admonitions ought to be among
Christians, as it is certain there was among the apostles,
whereby every man may be admonished of his estate and
office."

And Calvin, having said, as I told you before, "That
Christians, in the case of justification, must raise and advance
themselves above the law," adds, "Neither can any man
thereby gather that the law is superfluous to the faithful,
whom, notwithstanding, it doth not cease to teach, exhort, and
prick forward to goodness, although before God's judgment-
seat it hath no place in their conscience."

Ant. But, sir, if I forget not, Musculus says, " That the law
is utterly abrogated."

Evan. Indeed, Musculus, speaking of the ten command-
ments, says. If they be weak, if they be the letter, if they do
work transgression, anger, curse, and death : and if Christ,
by the law of the Spirit of life, delivered them that believed in
him from the law of the letter, which was weak to justify, and
strong to condemn, and from the curse, being made a curse
for us, surely, they be abrogated. Now, this is most certain,
that the ten commandments do no way work transgression,
anger, curse, and death, but only as they are the covenant of

* That is, raise our esteem of it to the highest pitch, and give it illimitable
obedience. Compare this with what is cited from the same Luther concerning
the law, page 113.

184 THE MARROW OF

works * Neither hath Christ delivered believers any other-
wise from them, than as they are the covenant of works. And
therefore we may assuredly conclude, that they are no other-
wise abrogated, than as they are the covenant of works.f

* According to the holy Scripture, it is certain, that the law of the
ten commandments has an irritating efiFect, whereby they increase sin ; and
a condemning and killing effect, so that they work curse, death, and wrath,
called anger (it would seem) in the language of our forefathers, when
Musculus's commonplaces were Englished. And it is no less certain,
that Jesus Christ hath delivered believers from the law as it hath these
effects, Rom. xiv. 1 5, " For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is
made void, and the promise made of none effect, becau.se the law worketh
wrath." — Chap. vii. 5, 6, " For when we were in the flesh, the motions of
sins which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth
fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law that we should
serve in newness of spirit," &c. — Chap. viii. 2, " For the law of the spirit
of life, in Christ Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and
death." — Gal. iii. 13, " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us." If then the ten commandments have these effects,
not only as they are the covenant of works, but as they are the law of
Christ, or a rule of life, then believers are altogether delivered from them,
which is absurd and abominable doctrine. Therefore it evidently follows, that
the ten commandments have these effects, only as they are the covenant
of works. The truth is, unto a gracious soul, the strongest possible
temptation to Antinomianism, or casting off the ten commandments for
good and all, would be to labour to persuade him, that they have these effects,
not only as they are the covenant of works, but as they are the law of Christ ;
so that, take them what way he will, he shall find they have not only a
cursing, condemning, and killing power, but also an irritating effect, in-
creasing sin in him. Nevertheless, a Christian man's doing against them
(which is the reverend Musculus's phrase, as cited by the author in the fol-
lowing page,) may be a transgression, for a man may transgress the law,
though the motions of his sins be not by the law. And how such a man's
sinning is more outrageous than an ungodly man's will convincingly appear, if
one measures the outrageousness of sinning, by the obligations to duty lying
on the sinner, and not by his personal hazard, which is a measure more becom-
ing a slave than a son.

f Thus our author has proved, that the law of the ten commandments
is a rule of life to believers ; and hath vindicated Luther and Calvin
from the opposite Antinomian error, as he does Musculus also, in the follow-
ing words : and that from their express declarations, in their own words.
And here is the conclusion of the whole matter. To show the judgment of
other orthodox Protestant divines, on this head, against the Antino-
mians, it will not be amiss to adduce a passage out of a system of divinity,
commonly put into the hands of students not A-ery many years ago, I am
sure. " It is one thing (says Turretine, disputing against the Antino-
mians) to be under the law as a covenant ; another thing, to be under
the law as a rule of life. In the former sense, Paul says, ' That we are
not under the law, but under grace,' Rom. vi. 14, as to its covenant rela-
tion, curse, and rigour ; but in the latter sense we always remain bound
onto it, though for a different end ; for in the first covenant man was to
do this, to the end that he might live ; but in the other, he is bound to

MODERN DIVINITY. 185

Neither did Musculus intend any otherwise ; for says he, in
the words following, it must not be understood, that the points
of the substance of Moses' covenant are utterly brought to
nothing ;* God forbid. For a Christian man is not at liberty
to do those things that are ungodly and wicked ; and if the do-
ing of those things the law forbids, do not displease Christ ; if
they be not much diflferent,f yea contrary ; if they be not re-
pugnant to the righteousness which we received of him ; let
it be lawful for a Christian man to do them; or else not,:}:
But a Christian man doing against those things which are
commanded in the decalogue, doth sin more outrageously
than he that should so do, being under the law ;§ so far off is

perform the same thing', not that he may live, but because he lives."
Turret, loc. 11. quest. 24. thes. 7. View again, Westm. Confess, chap.
19. art. 6, the words whereof are cited page 166. note 7. Hereunto
agreeth our author's conclusion, viz : That believers are no otherwise,
not any otherwise delivered from the law of the ten commandments, but
as they are the covenant of works, Now, how can those who oppose
Antinomianism, on this head, contradict the author thereupon but by
asserting, " That believers are not delivered from the law, as it is the
covenant of works, but that they are still under the power of the covenant of
works ?" The which are principles as opposite to the received doctrine of or-
thodox Protestant divines, and to the Confession of Faith, as they are to the
doctrine of our author.

* That is, that the particular precepts of the law of the ten commandments,
called by Musculus the substance of the law-covenant, are disannulled, and no
more to be regarded.

f That is, very unsuitable.

j That is, or if they be, as certainly they are, displeasing to Christ : most un-
suitable, contrary, and repugnant to the righteousness which the believer hath
received from Christ, then they are by no means to be done.

§ These are the words of Musculus still, adduced by the author to
show, that that famous divine was no Antinomian ; and if they will not
serve to clear him, but he must still be on that side, I apprehend ortho-
dox Protestants will be sorry for their loss of that great man. But though
it be observed, that he speaks of doing against the things commanded in
the law, but not against the law itself, there is no hazard : for it is evi-
dent, that by the law, Musculus understands the covenant of works, or, in
his style, Moses's covenant ; and since he was not of the opinion tliat be-
lievers are under the covenant of works, no, nor under the commanding
power of that covenant, he could not say that they sinned against it.
However, he still looks on the ten commandments, the substance of that
covenant, to be also the law of Christ, binding the Christian man to obe-
dience. From his saying. That a Christian doing against these things,
sins more outrageously than one who is under the law ; it does, indeed,
follow, that a Christian's sin is more displeasing to God, and deserves a
heavier curse in itself, though in the mean time, the law of Christ has no
curse annexed unto the transgressions of it. For, sin's deserving of a
curse, arises not from the threatening, but from its contrariety to the
precept, and consequently, to the holy nature of God ; since it is raani-
16 *

186 THE MARROW OF

he from being free from those things that be there com-
manded.

Sect. 4. — Wherefore, friend Antinomista, if either you, or
any man else, shall, under a pretence of your being in Christ,
exempt yourselves from being under the law of the ten com-
mands, as they are the law of Christ, I tell you truly, it is a
shrewd sign you are not yet in Christ ; for if you were, then
Christ were in you ; and if Christ were in you, then would he
govern you, and you would be subject unto him. I am sure
the prophet Isaiah tells us, that the same Lord, who is our
Saviour, " is also our King and Lawgiver," Isa. xxxiii. 22 ;
and, truly, he will not be Jesus a Saviour to any but only to
those unto whom he is Christ a Lord ; for the very truth is,
wheresoever he is Jesus a Saviour, he is also Christ a Lord ;
and, therefore, I beseech you, examine yourself whether he be
so to you or no.

Ant. Why then, sir, it seems that you stand upon marks
and signs ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, I stand so much upon marks and signs,
that I say unto you in the words of the apostle John, 1 John iii.
10, "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children
of the devil ; whosoever does not righteousness, is not of God."
For says Luther, ''He that is truly baptized, is become a new.
man, and has a new nature, and is endowed with new disposi-
tions; and loveth, liveth, speaketh, and does far otherwise than
he was wont, or could before." For says godly Tindal, " God
worketh with his word, and in his word : and bringeth faith
into the hearts of his elect, and looseth the heart from sin, and
knitteth it to God, and giveth a man power to do that which
was before impossible for him to do, and turneth him into a
new nature."* And, therefore, says Luther in another place,
" Herein works are to be extolled and commended, in that they
are fruits and signs of faith ; and, therefore, he that hath no
regard how he leadeth his life, that he may stop the mouths of
all blamers and accusers, and clear himself before all, and tes-

fest that sin does not therefore deserve a curse, because a curse is threatened ;
but a curse is threatened, because sin deserves it. And the sins of believers
do in themselves deserve a heavier curse than the sins of others. Yet
the law of Christ has not a curse annexed to the transgressions of it ; because
the heavy curse, deserved by the sins of believers, was already laid on
Christ, to whom they are united, and he bare it for them, and bore it away
from them ; so that they catmot be threatened with it over again, after their
union with him.

* That is, makes him a new man.

MODERN DIVINITY. 187

tify that he has lived, spoken, and done well, is not yet a Chris-
tian. How then, says Tindal again, "dare any man think
that God's favour is on him, and God's Spirit within him, when
he feels not the working of his Spirit, nor himself disposed to
any good thing?"*

Ant. But, by your favour, sir, I am persuaded that many
a man deceives his own soul by these marks and signs.

Evan. Indeed, I must needs confess with Mr. Bolton and
Mr. Dyke, that in these times of Christianity, a reprobate
may make a glorious profession of the gospel, and perform
all the duties and exercises of religion, and that, in outward
appearance, with as great spirit and zeal as a true believer ;
yea, he may be made partaker of some measure of inward il-
lumination, and have a shadow of true regeneration ; there
being no grace effectually wrought in the faithful, a resem-
blance whereof may not be found in the unregenerate. And
therefore, I say, if any man pitch upon the sign, without the
thing signified by the sign,f that is, if he pitch upon his
graces (or gifts rather) and duties, and conclude assurance
from them, as they are in him, and come from him, without
having reference to Jesus Christ, as the root and fountain of
them ; then are they deceitful marks and signs :% but if he
look upon them with reference to Jesus Christ, then are they
not deceitful, but true evidences and demonstrations of faith
in Christ, And this a man does, when he looks upon his out-
ward actions as flowing from the inward actions of his mind,
and upon the inward actions of his mind as flowing from the
habits of grace within him, and upon the habits of grace with-
in him as flowing from his justification, and upon his justifi-
cation as flowing from his faith, and upon his faith as given by
and embracing Jesus Christ : thus, I say, if he rests not till

* Namely, habitually.

f Namely, Christ in the heart.

% Because all true grace and acceptable duty flow from Jesus Christ,
dwelling in one's heart by his Spirit ; and whatsoever comes not that way,
is but a show and semblance of these things, Rom. viii. 9, " If any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." — John xv. 5, " Without
me ye can do nothing," — Chap. i. 16, " And of his fulness have we all
received, and grace for grace." — Gal. ii. 20, " I live, yet not I, but Christ
llveth in me." — " The cause of good works we confess to be, not our free-
will, but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, who, dwelling in our hearts, by true
faith, bringeth forth such works as God has prepared for us to walk in."
Old Confess, art. 13 — " So good works follow as effects of Christ in us
possessed by faith." Mr. John Davidson's Cat. p. 30.

188 THE MARROW OF

he comes to Christ, his marks and signs are not deceitful, but
true.*

* Here is a chaio, serviug to lead a child of God unto assurance, that
he is in the state of grace ; wherein duties and graces, being run up unto
their tnie spring, do so shine after trial of them, as one may conclude as-
surance from them, as the author phrases it. And here it is to be ob-
served, that these words, " outward actions — actions of the mind — habits
of grace — justification — faith — embracing of Christ," are, in the progress
of the trial, to be taken in their general notion, agreeing both to what is
true, and what is false, in each particular ; as faith feigned and unfeigned,
justification real and imaginary, grace common and saving, &c. For the
special nature of these is still supposed to be undetermined to the person
under trial, until he come to the end of trial. This is evident from the
nature of the thing : and from the author's words too, in the sentence
immediately preceding, where he says, "If he pitch upon his graces, or
gifts rather ;" the which correction he makes, because the former word
is ordinarily restricted to saving grace, the latter not so. And hence it
appears that the author was far from imagining that a man must have
the assurance he speaks of, before he can conclude it Irom his graces or
duties.

. The links of this chain are five. The first, Outward actions, or works
materially good, flowing from the inward actions of the mind : otherwise
they are but pieces of gross dissimulation, as was the respect and honour
put upon Christ by the Herodians and others, when they asked him, if
it was lawful to give tribute unto Caesar. Matt. xxii. 16 — 18. The
second, These actions of the mind, flowing from the habits of grace,
within the man ; otherwise they are but fair flowers, which, " because
they have no root, wither away," Matt. xiii. 6 ; like the Israelites, their
seeking, returning, inquiring after, and remembering God, when he slew
them, Psalm Ixxviii. 34 — 37. The third, Those habits of grace within
the man, flowing from his justification ; otherwise they are but the habits
of common grace, or of mere moral virtues, to be found in hypocritical
professors, and sober heathens. The fourth, The man's justification,
flowing from his faith ; otherwise it is but as the imaginary justification
of Pharisees, Papists and legalists, who are they which justify themselves.
Luke xvi. 15. H\\q fifth, His faith given by Christ, and embracing Christ :
otherwise it is but feigned faith, which never knits the soul to Christ, but
leaves the man in the case of the fruitless branch, which is to be " taken
away," John xv. 2.

This chain is not of our author's framing, but is a Scriptural one. 1
Tim. i. 5, " Now (1.) the end of the commandment is charity, (2.) out
of a pure heart, (3.) and of a good conscience, (4.) and of faith, (.5.)
unfeigned." — " Wherein the apostle teacheth, that the obedience of the
law must flow from love, and love from a pure heart, and a pure heart
from a good conscience, and a good conscience from faith unfeigned ;
thus he maketh the only right channel of good works." Practical Use of
Saving Knowledge ; tit. " The third thing requisite to evidence true faith,
is, that obedience to the law run in the right channel, that is through faith in
Christ."

If one examines himself by this infallible rule, he cannot safely take his obe-
dience for a mark or evidence of his being in the state of grace, until he
run it up unto his faith, embracing Christ. But then finding that hig
faith made him a good conscience, and his good conscience a pure heart,

MODERN DIVINITY. 189

. Ant. But, sir, if an unbeliever may have a resemblance of
every grace that is wrought in a believer, then it must be a

and his pure heart produced love, from whence his obedience flowed ; in
that case, his obedience is a true mark of the unfeignedness of his faith ;
from whence he may assuredly conclude, that he is in the state of grace.
Our author's method being a copy of this, the objections against it must
affect both.

Let us suppose two men to put themselves on a trial of their state, ac-
cording to this method, and to pitch upon some external duties of theirs,
or some graces which they seem to discern in themselves, as to the substance
thereof ; though, as yet, they know not the specific nature of the same, namely,
whether they be true or false,

The one finds, that his external duties proceeded not from the inward
actions of his mind ; or if they did, that yet these actions of his mind did
not proceed from habits of grace in him ; or if they did proceed from
these, yet these flowed not from his justification, or, which is the same,
followed not upon the purging of his conscience ; or if they did, that yet
his justification, or good conscience, such as they 'are, proceeded not from
his faith ; or if they did proceed from it, that yet that faith of his did not
embrace Christ, and consequently was not of the special operation of
God, or given him by Christ in him, by bis Spirit. In all, or any of these
cases, it is plain that the external duties, or the [so called] graces, which
he pitched upon, can be no true marks from which he may conclude himself
to be in a state of grace.

The other finds that his external duties did indeed flow from the in-
ward actions of his mind, and these from habits of grace in him, and
these again from his justification or good conscience, and that from his
faith, and that his faith embraced Christ. Here two things are observa-
ble : (1.) That neither the duties nor graces pitched upon, could be sure
marks to him, before he came to the last point ; in regard of the flaw
that possibly might still be found in the immediate or mediate springs of
them. And therefore the looking, mentioned by the author, is indeed a
progressive knowledge and discovery, but still unclear and uncertain, till
one comes to the end, and the whole evidence is put together ; even as it
is in searching out some abstruse point, by observation of the depend-
ence and connection things have one with another. Wherefore our
author does by no means suppose, that I must know certainly that I am
in Christ and justified, and that my faith is given me by Christ, before
these duties or graces can be true marks or evidences to me. (2.) That
the man perceiving his embracing of Christ, as to the substance of the
action, is assured of the saving nature of it, (namely, that it is a faith
uniting him to Christ, and given him by Christ in him) by the train of
effects he sees to have followed it, according to the established order in
the covenant of grace : 1 Tim. i. .5. From which effects of his faith em-
bracing Christ, that which might have deceived him, was all along gra-
dually removed in the progress. Thus he is indeed sent back to the
fruits of his faith, for true marks and evidences of it ; but he is sent~
back to them, as standing clear now in his regress, though they were not
so in his progress. And at this rate he is not left to run in a circle, but
has a comfortable end of his self-examination, being assured by his du-
ties and graces, the fruits of his faith, that his faith is unfeigned, and himself
io the state of grace, Of the placing of faith before the habits of grace, see p»
210 notef.

190 THE MARROW OP

hard matter to find out the difference : and therefore I con-
ceive it is best for a man not to trouble himself at all about
marks and signs.

Evan. Give me leave to deal plainly with you, in telling
you, that although we cannot say, every one that hath a form
of godliness hath also the power of godliness, yet we may
truly say, that he who hath not the form of godliness, hath not
the power of godliness ; for though all be not gold that glit-
ters, yet all gold doth glitter. And therefore, I tell you truly,
if you have no regard to make the law of Christ your rule, by
endeavouring to do what is required in the ten command-
ments, and to avoid what is there forbidden, it is a very evil
sign : and, therefore, I pray you consider of it.

Sect. 5. — Ant. But, sir, you know the Lord hath promised
to write his law in a believer's heart, and to give him his Spirit
to lead him into all truth : and therefore he hath no need of
the law, written with paper and ink, to be a rule of life to
him ; neither hath he any need to endeavour to be obedient
thereunto, as you say.

Evan. Indeed, says Luther, the matter would even so fare
as you say, if we were perfectly and altogether the inward
and spiritual men, which cannot be in any wise before the
last day at the rising again of the dead :^ so long as we be
clothed with this mortal flesh, we do but begin and proceed
onwards in our course towards perfection, which will be con-
summated in the life to come : and for this cause the apostle,
Eom. viii. doth call this the " first fruits of the Spirit," which
we do enjoy in this life, the truth and fulness of which we shall
receive in the life to come. And therefore, says he in another
place, it is necessary so to preach to them that have received
the doctrine of faith, that they might be stirred up to go on in
good life, which they have embraced ; and that they suffer
not themselves to be overcome by the assaults of the raging
flesh ; for we will not so presume of the doctrine of faith, as
if, that being had, every man might do what he listed : no, we
must earnestly endeavour ourselves, that we may be without

* We would have no need for the law written without us, if, as we are
spiritual in part, in respect of sauctification bej^un iu us, we were per-
fectly and altogether spiritual, both in body and soul. But that is not
to be expected till the resurrection ; when that which is now " sown a
natural body, is raised a spiritual body," 1 Cor. xv, 44 ; being re-united
to the spirit or soul " made perfect at death ;" Heb. xii. 23 ; the which
doth therefore no more, from the moment of death, need the law written
without it.

MODERN DIVINITY. 191

blame ; and when we cannot attain thereanto, we must flee to
prayer, and say before God and man, " Forgive us our tres-
passes." And, says Calvin, Instit. p. 162, one proper use and
end of the law, concerning the faithful,* in whose hearts liveth
and reigneth the Spirit of God, is this : namely, although they
have the law written and engraven in their hearts by the
finger of God, yet is thef law to them a very good means,
whereby thej'^ may daily, better and more assuredly, learn what
is the will of the Lord : and let none of us exempt himself
from this need, for no man hath hitherto attained to so great
wisdom, but that he hath need to be daily instructed by the
law. And herein Christ diflfereth from us, that the Father
hath poured out upon him the infinite abundance of his Spirit:
but whatsoever we do receive, it is so by measure, that we
have need one of another.

Now mind it, I pray you, if believers have the Spirit but in
measure, and know but in part, then have they the " law
written in their hearts" but in measure and in part,ji. 1 Cor.
xiii. 9 ; and if they have the law written in their hearts but in
measure and in part, then have they not a perfect rule within
them ; and if they have not a perfect rule within them, then
they have need to have a rule without them. And therefore,
doubtless, the strongest believer of us all, had need to hearken
to the advice of Tindal, who says, " Seek the word of God in
all things, and without the word of God do nothing." And
says another godly and evangelical writer, " My brethren, let
us do our whole endeavour to do the will of God as it be-
cometh good children, and beware that we sin not, as near as
we can."

Ant. Well, sir, I cannot tell what to say, but, methinks,
when a man is perfectly justified by faith, it is a very needless
thing for him to endeavour to keep the law, and to do good
works.§

* That is, respecting believers.

t Written.

JThey have not the law written completely and perfectly in their
hearts.

gThis Antinomian principle, That it is needless for a man, perfectly
justified by faith, to endeavour to keep the law, and do good works, is a
glaring evidence that legality is so engrained in man's corrupt nature,
that until a man truly come to Christ, by faith, the legal disposition will
still be reigning in him ; let him turn himself into what shape, or be of
what principles he will in religion ; though he run into Antinomianism ho
will carry along with him his legal spirit, which will always be a slavish and

192 THE MARROW OP

Evan. I remember Luther says, that in his time there were
some that did reason after the like manner : " If faith, say
they, do accomplish all things, and if faith be only and alone
sufficient unto righteousness, to what end are we commanded
to do good deeds ? we may go play then, and work no work-
ing at all." To whom he makes an answer, saying, " Not so,
ye ungodly 1 not so." And there were others that said, "If
the law do not justify, then it is in vain, and of none effect."
*' Yet it is not therefore true, says he ; for like as this conse-
quence is nothing worth, money doth not justify or make a man
righteous, therefore it is unprofitable ; the eyes do not justify,
therefore they must be plucked out ; the hands make not a
man righteous, therefore they must be cut off; so is this naught
also, the law doth not justify, therefore it is uprofitable.
We do not therefore destroy and condemn the law, because
we say it doth not justify ; but we say with Paul, 1 Tim. i. 8,
' the law is good, if a man do rightly use it.' And that this
is a faithful saying, that they ' which have believed in God
might be careful to maintain good works ; these things are
good and profitable unto men,' " Tit. iii. 8.

Sect. 6. — Neo. Truly, sir, for mine own part, I do much
marvel that this my friend Antinomista should be so confident
of his faith in Christ, and yet so little regard holiness of life,
and keeping of Christ's commandments, as it seems he does.
For I give the Lord thanks, I do now, in some small measure,
believe that I am, by Christ, freely and fully justified and ac-
quitted from all my sins, and therefore have no need either to
eschew evil or do good, for fear of punishment or hope of re-
ward; and yet, methinks, I find my heart more willing and
desirous to do what the Lord commands, and to avoid what
he forbids, than ever it was before I did thus believe.* Surely,
sir, I do perceive that faith in Christ is no hinderance to holi-
ness of life, as I once thouajht it was.

unholy spirit. He is constrained, as the author observes, to do all that he
does for fear of punishment, and hope of reward ; and if it is once fixed in his
mind that these are ceased in his case, he stands still like a clock when the
weights that made her go are removed, or like a slave when he is in no hazard
of the whip ; than which there cannot be a greater evidence of loathsome le-
gality.

* It is not the scope or design of Neophytus here, to show wherein the
essence of faith consists, or to give a definition to it. But suppose it was
so, his definition falls considerably short of some given by famous ortho-
dox Protestant divines, yea, and churches too. See the note on the de-
finition of faith. I repeat liere Mr. John Davidson's definition only, viz:

MODERN DIVINITY. 193

"Faith is an hearty assurance that our sins are freely forgiven us in
Christ." From whence one may clearly see, that some time a-day, it
was reckoned no absurdity that one's justification was made the object
of one's belief. For the understanding of which ancient Protestant doc-
trine, grown almost quite out of ken with unlearned readers, I shall ad-
duce a passage out of Wendeline's Christ. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 24, p. 542,
543. He proposes the Popish objection thus, " Justifying faith must go
before justification ; but the faith of special mercy doth not go before
justification ; if it did, it were false ; for at that rate, a man should be-
lieve that his sins are forgiven, which as yet are not forgiven, since they
are not forgiven but by justification ; therefore the faith of special mercy
is not justifying faith." In answer to which, he denies the second of
these propositions, with the proofs thereof, and concludes in these words :
" Justifying faith, therefore, hath for the special object of it, forgiveness
of sins, future, present, and past." He explains it thus, " By the faith
of special mercy, as it goeth before justification, a man doth not believe
that his sins are forgiven him already, before the act of believing ;" this,
by the by, is the Antinomian faith, justifying only declaratively. Follows
the true doctrine of faith : " But that he shall have forgiveness of sins ;
in the very act of justification, he believes his sins are forgiven him, and
so receives forgiveness ; after justification, he believes the past applica-
tion," viz: forgiveness, that is, that his sins are now already forgiven
him.

But the design of Neophytus is, to make a profession of his faith, and, by
an argument drawn from Christian experience, to refute the Antinomian pre-
tended faith, whereby a sinner, at first brush, believes his sins to be
ah'eady forgiven him, before the act of believing, and thereafter hath no re-
gard to holiness of life ; a plain evidence that that persuasion is not
of God. And in opposition to it, is this profession made, which consists of
three parts :

(1.) He professes that he believes himself to be justified and acquitted
from all his sins ; and this is the belief of the past application, after jus-
tification, which we heard before from Wendeline. For we have already found
Neophytus brought unto faith in Christ, and the match betwixt Christ and
him declared to be made, though his faith was accompanied with fears, p, 150.
And now he finds his faith grown up in some small measure unto the height
which Antinomista pretended his faith to be at, namely, unto believing himself
to be already justified ; but withal he intimates, that his faith had not come
to this pitch all of a sudden, as Antinomista's had done, p. 94 — 97 ; but that
it was some time after he believed, ere he did thus believe. And now,
indeed, his believing thus, only in some small measure, was his sin, and argued
the weakness of his faith : but such a man's believing, in any measure, great
or small, that he was justified and acquitted from all his sins, must be com-
mended and approved, unless we will bring back the Popish doctrine of doubt-
ing.

(2.) He professes. That therefore, namely, since he was justified, and
believed himself to be so, he had no need to eschew evil, or do good for
fear of punishment or hope of reward ; the which Antinomista pretending
to likewise, had cast ofi" all care of keeping the law, or doing good works,
having no other principle of obedience within him. This does not at all
look to punishments and rewards, improperly so called, that is, fatherly
chastisements and favours, of which the author afterwards treats ex-
pressly ; but it is plainly meant of rewards and punishments taken in a
proper sense, as flowing from the justice of God, remunerative and vin-
17

194 THE MARROW OF

Evan. Neighbour Neophytus, if our friend Antinomista do
content himself with a mere gospel knowledge, in a notionary
way, and have run out to fetch in notions from Christ, and
yet is not fetched in by the power of Christ, let us pity him,
and pray for him. And in the mean time, I pray you, know
that true faith in Christ * is so far from being a hinderance
from holiness of life and good works, that it is the only further-
ance ; for only by faith in Christ, a man is enabled to exercise
all Christian graces aright, and to perform all Christian duties
aright, which before he could not. As, for example, before a
man believe God's love to him in Christ,t though he may have
a kind of love to God, as he is his Creator and Preserver, and
gives him many good things for this present life, yet if God
do but open his eyes, to see what condition his soul is in, that
is, if he do but let him see that relation that is betwixt God
and him, according to the tenor of the covenant of works,
then he conceives of him as an angry Judge, armed with jus-
tice against him, and must be pacified by the works of the law,
whereunto he finds his nature opposite and contrary ; and
therefore he hates both God and his law, and doth secretly
wish and desire there were neither God nor law. And though
God should now give unto him ever so many temporal bless-
ings, yet could he not love him ; for what malefactor could
love that judge or his law, from whom he expected the sen-
tence of condemnation, though he should feast him at his table
with ever so many dainties? "But after that the kindness
and love of God his Saviour hath appeared, not by works of

dictive, and proceeding upon our works, good and evil ; and particularly it is
meant of heaven and hell. This is the sense in which that phrase is commonly
used by divines ; and that it is so to be taken here, is evident from its being
inferred from his justification, which indeed leaves no place for fear of punish-
ment and hope of reward in the latter sense : but not so in the former
sense. And thus, it appears, Nomista understood it, as shall appear afterwards,
p. 200.

(3.) He professes, That he was so far from being the less inclined to
duty, that he believed himself to be fully justified, and that the fear of
punishment and hope of reward were ceased in his case : that, on the
contrary, he found, as his faith grew, his love to and readiness for holi-
ness of life, grew : he was more willing, and more desirous to do the
Lord's commandments than he had been Isefore his faith was advanced to
that pitch. And herein, I conceive, the experience of the saints will not
contradict him. Thus he gives a plain testimony against the Antinoraiau
faith.

* Namely, the faith of special mercy, or a faith of particular application,
without which, in greater or lesser measure, it is not saving faith.

•) See page 144, notej.

MODERN DIVINITY. 195

righteousness that he hath done, but according to his mercy
he saved him," Titus iii. 4, 5 ; that is, when as by the eye of
faith, he sees himself to stand in relation to God, according
to the tenor of the covenant of grace,* then he conceives of
God as a most merciful and loving Father to him in Christ,
that hath freely pardoned and forgiven him all his sins, and
quite released him from the covenant of works ;t and by this
means " the love of God is shed abroad in his heart, through
the Holy Ghost which is given to him," and then " he loves
God because he first loved him," Rom. v. 5 ; 1 John iv. 19.
For as a man seeth and feeleth by faith the love and favour
of God towards him in Christ his Son, so doth he love
again both God and his law ; and indeed it is impossible for
any man to love God, till by faith he know himself beloved
of God.t

Secondly^ Though a man, before he believe God's love to
him in Christ, may have a great measure of legal humiliation,
compunction, sorrow, and grief, and be brought down, as it
were, to the very gate of hell, and feel the very flashing of
hell-fire in his conscience for his sins, yet it is not because he
hath thereby offended God, but rather because he hath thereby
offended himself, that is, because he hath thereby brought
himself into the danger of eternal death and condemnation.§
But when once he believes the love of God to him in Christ,
in pardoning his iniquity, and passing by his transgressions,!
then he sorrows and grieves for the offence of God by sin ;
reasoning thus with himself: And is it so indeed ? Hath the
Lord given his own Son to death for me who have been such
a vile sinful wretch ? And hath Christ borne all thy sins ? and
was he wounded for thy transgressions? Oh then, the working
of his bowels, the stirring of his affections, the melting and
relenting of his repenting heart ! " Then he remembers his
own evil ways, and his doings that were not good, and loathes

* His soul resting on Christ, whom he hath received for salvation.

t Thus he conceives of God according to the measure of his faith, or of his
souls resting on Christ, which admits of various degrees.

X See page 144, note J.

§ A man's believing God's love to him, is woven into the very nature of
saving faith, as hath been already shown. Wherefore, whatsoever humilia-
tion, compunction, sorrow, and grief for sin, go before it, they must needs
be but legal, being before faith, " without which it is impossible to please
God," Heb. xi. 6.

II The belief of which, in some measure, is included in the nature of Mth.—
See note on the definition of faith, and p. 192, note *.

196 THE MAKROW OF

himself in his own eyes for all his abominations ;" and looking
upon Christ, " whom he hath pierced, he mourns bitterly for
him, as one mourneth for his only son," Ezek. xxxvi. 31 ;
Zech. xii. 10. Thus, when faith has bathed a man's heart in
the blood of Christ, it is so mollified that it quickly dissolves
into tears of godly sorrow ; so that if Christ do but turn and
look upon him. Oh then, with Peter, he goes out and weeps bit-
terly ! And this is true gospel-mourning ; and this is right
evangelical repenting.*

Thirdly^ Though, before a man do truly believe in Christ,
he may so reform his life and amend his ways, that as " touch-
ing the righteousness which is of the law," he may be, with
the apostle, blameless, Philip, iii. 6 ; yet, being under the cove-
nant of works, all the obedience that he yields to the law,
all his leaving oS" of sin, and performance of duties, all his
avoiding what the law forbids, and all his doing what the law
commands, is begotten by the law of works, of Hagar the
bond-woman, by the force of self-love ; and so, indeed, they
are the fruit and works of a bond-servant, that is moved and
constrained to do all that he doth, for fear of punishment and
hope of reward.f " For," says Luther, on the Galatians, p.

* This is the springing up of the " seeds of repentance put into the
heart in sanctification," Larg. Cat. q. 75 ; a work of sanctifying grace,
acceptable to God ; the curse being taken off the sinner, and his person
accepted in the Beloved, and like to the mourning and repenting of that
woman, Luke vii. 47, " who, having much forgiven her, loved much."
Betwixt which repentance and pardon of sin, there is an inseparable con-
nection, so that it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect
pardon without it. Westm. Confess, chap. 15. art. 3. — See also p. 146,
note %.

f This can have no reference at all to the motives of a believer's obe-
dience, unless believers, as well as unbelievers, are to be reckoned to be
under the covenant of works ; for it is manifest, that the author speaks
here of such only as are under that covenant. But, on the contrary, if a
man is under the covenant of works called the law, in the style of the
Holy Ghost, he is not a believer, but an unbeliever, Rom. vi. 14, " Sin
shall not have dominion over you ; for ye are not under the law, but
under grace." This reasoning proceeds upon this principle, viz: Those
who are under the covenant of works, and they only, are under the do-
minion or reigning power of sin. And if men, being under the covenant
of works, are under the dominion of sin, it is evident that they are not
believers, but bond-servants, that the love of God dwelleth not in them,
but corrupt self-love reigns in them ; and, therefore, unto the good they
do, they are constrained, by fear of punishment and hope of reward,
agreeable to the threatening and promise of the broken covenant of
works they are under ; that their obedience, conform to their state and
condition, is but servile ; no better than it is here described to be, having
only the letter, but not the spirit of true obedience, the which, before any

MODERN DIVINITY. 197

218, " the law given on Mount Sinai, which the Arabians call
Agar, begetteth none but servants." And so indeed all that
such a man doth is but hypocrisy ; for he pretends the serving
of God, whereas, indeed, he intends the serving of himself.
And how can he do otherwise ? for whilst he wants faith, he
wants all things : he is an empty vine, and therefore must
needs bring forth fruit unto himself: Hosea x. 1. Till a man
be served himself, he will not serve the Lord Christ.* Nay,
while he wants faith, he wants the love of Christ, and there-
fore he lives not to Christ, but to himself, because he loves
himself. And hence, surely, we may conceive it is that Dr.
Preston says, " All that a man doeth, not out of love, is
out of hypocrisy. Wheresoever love is not, there is nothing
but hypocrisy in such a man's heart."

But when a man, through the "hearing of faith, receives
the Spirit of Christ," Gal. iii. 2, that Spirit, according to
the measure of faith, writes the lively law of love in his
heart, (as Tindal sweetly says,) whereby he is enabled to
work freely and of his own accord, without the co-action or
compulsion of the law.f For that love wherewith Christ, or

man can attain unto, he must be set free from the covenant of works, as
the apostle teaches ; Rom. vii. 6, " But now, we are delivered from the
lata, that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in new-
ness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter:" and finally, that as
is the condition and the obedience of those under the covenant of works,
so shall their end be, Gal. iv. 30, " Cast out the bond-woman and her
son : for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-
woman."

* 'Jliat is, till the empty vine be filled with the Spirit from Jesus Christ,
it will never bring forth fruit unto him. Till a man do once eat by faith
he will never work aright. The conscience must be purged from dead works,
else one is not in case " to serve the living God," Heb. ix. 14. The covenant
of works says to the sinner, who is yet without strength, " Work, and then ye
shall be filled ;" but the covenant of grace says to him, " Be filled, and then
thou must work." And until the yoke of the covenant of works be taken off
a man's jaws, and meat be laid unto him, he will never take on and bear the
yoke of Christ acceptably.

t The words co-action and compulsion signify one and the same thing, viz :
forcing ; so that to work without the co-action or compulsion of the law, is to
work without being forced thereto by the law.

One would think it so very plain and obvious, that the way how the
law forceth men to work, is by the terror of the dreadful punishment which
it threatens in case of not working, that it does but darken the matter to say,
The co-action or compulsion of the law consists in its commanding and
binding power or force ; the which must needs be meant of the com-
manding and binding power of the covenant of works, or of the law, as
it is the covenant of works. For it cannot be meant (as these words seem
to bear) of that power which the law of the ten commandments, as a rule

n *

198 THE MARROW OF

God in Christ, hath loved him, and which by faith is appre-
hended of him, will constrain him to do so ; according to that
of the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 14, " The love of Christ constrain-
eth us." That is, it will make him do so, whether he will or

of life, hath over men, to bind them to obedience, under which, I think,
the impartial reader is by this time convinced that the author denies not
believers still to be ; for to call that co-action or compulsion, is contrary
to the common understanding and usage of these words in society. At
this rate, one must say. That the glorified saints and angels (to ascend no
higher) being, as creatures of God, under the commanding and binding
power of the eternal rule of righteousness, are compelled and forced to their
obedience too ; and that when we pray, " Thy will be done on earth, as it
is in heaven," we pray to be enabled to obey the will of God, as the an-
gels do in heaven, by co-action and compulsion in the height thereof ; for
surely the angels have the sense of the commanding and binding power
of the eternal rule of righteousness upon them in a degree far beyond
what any believer on earth has. Wherefore that exposition of the co-ac-
tion or compulsion of the law, and so putting believers under the law's co-
action or compulsion, amount just to what we met with before, namely,
That believers are under the commanding power (at least) of the cove-
nant of works, having obedience bound upon them with the cords of hell,
or under the pain of the curse. Accordingly, the compulsion of the law
is more plainly described to be its binding power and moral force, which
it derives from the awful authority of the sovereign Lawgiver, command-
ing obedience to his law, and threatening disobedience with wrath, or
with death, or hell. And so our author is blamed for not subjecting believers
to this compulsion of the law.

In the preceding paragraph he had shown, that the obedience of unbelievers
to the law of the ten commandments is produced by the influence of the
law (or covenant) of works upon them, forcing or constraining them thereto
by the fear of the punishment which it threatens. Thus, they work by the
co-action or compulsion of the law, or covenant of works, being destitute of
the love of God. Here he affirms, that when once a man is brought unto
Christ, he having the sanctifying Spirit of Christ dwelling in him, and being
endowed with faith that purifies the heart, and with love that is strong as
death, is enabled to work freely, and of his own accord, without that co-action
or compulsion.

This is the doctrine of the holy Scripture. Psalm li. 12, " Uphold me
with thy free spirit." Compare Gal. v. 18, " But if ye be led by the Spirit,
ye are not under the law." So Psalm ex. 3, " Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power." Compare 1 Pet. v. 2, " Not by constraint but will-
ingly." And believers are declared to be " not under the law," Rom. vi. 14. —
'• To be made free from the law of death. Not to have received the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption," Chap. viii. 2, 15. How
then can they still be under the co-active and compulsive power of the law,
frightening and forcing them to obedience by its tireatenings of the second
death, or eternal wrath ?

And it is evident that this is the received doctrine of orthodox divines, which
might be attested by a cloud of witnesses, if the nature of this work did permit.
" Not to be under the law," says Luther, " is to do good things, and abstain
from wicked things, not through compulsion of the law, but by free love,
and with pleasure. ' Chos. Ser. xx. x>. 232.

MODERN DIVINITY. 199

no ; he cannot choose, but do it* I tell you truly, answer-
ably as the love of Christ is shed abroad in the heart of any
man, it is such a strong impulsion, that it carries him on to
serve and please the Lord in all things, according to the say-
ing of an evangelical man :f " The will and affection of a

"The second part {viz: of Christian liberty) is," says Calvin, " that con-
sciences obey the law, not as compelled by the necessity of the law, but bein^
free from the yoke of the law itself, of their own accord they obey the will of
God." Instit. book iii. chap. 19, sec. 4.

" We would distinguish betwixt the law, considered as a law and as a
covenant. A law doth necessarily imply no more than, (1.) To direct. (2.)
To command, enforcing that obedience by authority. A covenant doth further
necessarily imply promises made upon some condition, or threatenings added,
if such a condition be not performed. The first two are essential to the law,
the last two to believers, are made void through Christ ; in which sense it
is said, that by him we are freed from the law as a covenant ; so that believers'
lives depend not on the promises annexed to the law, nor are they
in danger by the threatenings adjoined to it." Durham on the Commands,
p. 4.

" What a new creature doth, in observance of the law, is from natural free-
dom, choice, and judgment, and not by the force of any threatenings annexed to
it." Charnock, vol. ii. p. 59.

See Westminster Confession, chap. 20, art. 1. of which afterwards.

And thus is that text, 1 Tim. i. 9, " The law is not made for a righteous
man," generally understood by divines, critics, and commentators, the
law, threatening, compelling, condemning, is not made for a righteous
man, because he is pushed forward to duty of his own accord, and is no
more led by the spirit of bondage, and fear of punishment." Turret, loc.
2, q. 24, th. 8. — " By the law is to be understood the moral law, as it is
armed in stings and terrors, to restrain rebellious sinners. By the righteous
man is meant one in whom a principle of divine grace is planted, and who,
from the knowledge and love of God, chooses the things that are pleasing to
him. As the law has annexed so many severe threatenings to the
transgressors of it, it is evident that it is directed to the wicked, who will only
be compelled by fear from an outrageous breaking of it." Continuation of
Poole's Annotations on the Text. " The law is not for him, as a master
to command him, to constrain him as a bondman." Lodovic de Dieu. " The
law doth not compel, press on, fright, lie heavy upon, and punish a righteous
man." Strigelius. — " It lies not on him as a heavy burden, compelling a man
against his will, violently pressing him on, and pushing him forwards ; it
doth not draw him to obedience ; but leads him, being willing ." Scultetus
— " For of his own accord he doth right." Castalio, apud Pol. Synop. in
Loc.

* " It is a metonymy from the effect, that is, love makes me to do it in that
manner, as a man that is compelled ; that is the meaning of it. So it has the
same effect that compulsion hath, though there be nothing more different from
compulsion than love." Dr. Preston, ibid. p. 29.

f If one considers that the drift and scope of this whole discourse,
from p. 192, is to discover the naughtiness of Antinomista's faith, ob-
served by Neophytus, one may perceive, that by the author's quoting
Towne, the Antinomian, upon that head, he gives no more ground to sus-
pect himself of Antinomianlsm, though he calls him an evangelical man,

200 THE MARROW OP

believer, according to the measure of faith and the spirit
received, sweetly quickens and bends, to choose, affect, and
delight in whatever is good and acceptable to God, or a good
man ; the Spirit freely and cheerfully moving and inclining
him to keep the law, without fear of hell or hope of heaven."*
For a Christian man, says sweet Tindal, worketh only because
it is the will of his Father ; for after that he is overcome with
love and kindness, he seeks to do the will of God, which is in-
deed a Christian man's nature ; and what he doth, he doth it
freely after the example of Christ. As a natural son, ask him
why he does such a thing. Why, says he, it is the will of my
Father, and I do it that I may please him ; for, indeed, love de-
sireth no wages, it is wages enough to itself, it hath sweetness
enough in itself, it desires no addition, it pays its own wages.
And therefore it is the true child-like obedience, being begotten
by faith, of Sarah the free-woman, by the force of God's love.
And so it is indeed the only true and sincere obedience : for,
says Dr. Preston, " To do a thing in love, is to do it in sincer-
ity ; and, indeed, there is no other definition of sincerity ; that
is the best way to know it by."

Sect. 7. — Nom. But stay, sir, I pray you, would you not
have believers to eschew evil and do good, for fear of hell, or
for hope of heaven ?

Evan. No, indeed, I would not have any believer to do
either the one or the other ; for so far forth as they do so,
their obedience is but slavish.f And therefore though, when

than a Protestant gives in point of Popery, by quoting Cardinal Bellar-
inine against a Papist, though withal he call him a Catholic. And the
epithet given to Towne, is so far from being a high commendation, that, really,
it is none at all ; for, though both these epithets, the latter as well ag
the former, are in themselves honourable, yet in these cases, a man speaking in
the language of his adversary, they are nothing so. Evangelista could not
but remember that Antinomista had told him roundly, " That he had not
been so evangelical as some others in the city, which caused him to leave
hearing of him, to hear them," viz: those evangelical men ; and why
might not he give him a sound note from one of those evangelical men, even
under that character, so acceptable to him, without ranking himself with
them?

* See p. 197, note f, and the following one.

t As for what concerns the hope of heaven, the author purposely ex-
plains that matter, (p. 205,) that he would not have any believer to eschew
evil or do good for fear of hell ; the meaning thereof plainly is this, you
being a believer in Christ, ought not to eschew evil and do good, for fear
you be condemned, and cast into hell. So far as a believer doth so, the
author justly reckons his obedience accordingly slavish. This is the
common understanding and sense of such a phrase, as when we say, The
slave works for fear of the whip. Some meo abstain from stealing, rob-

MODERN DIVINITY. 201

they were first awakened and convinced of their misery, and
set foot forward to go on in the way of life, they, with the

bing, and the like, for iear of the gallows ; they eschew evil, not from love
of virtue, but for fear of punishment, as the heathen poet says of his pretender
to virtue,

Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore,

Tu nihil admittes in te formidine poenae.

HoRAT. Epist. 16.
Which may be thus Englished :

Hatred of vice, in generous souls,
From love of virtue flows.

While nothing vicious minds controls
But servile fear of blows.
This is quite another thing than to say, that a believer in doing good, or
eschewing evil, ought not to regard threatenings, nor be influenced by
the threatening of death. For though believers ought never to fear that
they shall be condemned and cast into hell, yet they both may and ought
awfully to regard the threatenings of the holy law : and how they ought
to regard them, one may learn from the Westm. Confess, chap. xix. art.
6, in these words, " The threatenings of it [viz : the law] serve to show
what even their sins deserve ; and what afflictions in this life they may
expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the
law." Thus they are to regard them, not as denunciations of their doom,
in case of sinning, but as a looking-glass wherein to behold the fearful
demerit of their sin ; the unspeakable love of God in freeing them from
bearing it, his fatherly displeasure against his own for their sin, and the
tokens of his anger to be expected by them in that case. So will they
be influenced to eschew evil and do good, being thereby filled with hatred
and horror of sin, thankfulness to God, and fear of the displeasure and frowns
of their Father, though not with a fear that he will condemn them, and destroy
them in hell ; this glass represents no such thing.

Such a fear in a believer is groundless. For (I.) He is not under the
threatening of hell, or liable to the curse. See p. 113, 114, notes* andf.
If he were, he behoved that moment he sinneth to fall under the curse.
For since the curse is the sentence of the law, passing on the sinner, ac-
cording to the threatening, adjudging, and binding him over to the punish-
ment threatened ; if the law say to a man, before he sinneth, " In the day
thou eateat thereof, thou shalt surely die," it says unto him, in the mo-
ment he sinneth, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things
written in the law, to do them." And forasmuch as believers sin in every
thing they do, their very believing and repenting being always attended
with sinful imperfections, it is not possible, at this rate, that they can be
one moment from under the curse ; but it must be continually wreathed
about their necks. To distinguish in this case, betwixt gross sins and
lesser sins, is vain ; for as every sin, even the least, deserves God's wrath
and curse, [Short. Cat.,] so, against whomsoever the curse takes place,
(and by virtue of God's truth, it takes place against all those who are
threatened with hell or eternal death) they are cursed for all sins, smaller
or greater : " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things :"
though still there is a difference made betwixt greater and lesser sins, in
respect of the degree of punishment, yet there is none in respect of the
kind. But now believers are set free from the curse. Gal. iii. 13^

202 THE MARROW OF

prodigal, would be hired servants ; yet when, by the eye of
faith, they see the mercy and indulgence of their heavenly

" Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us." (2.) By the redemption of Christ already applied to the believer,
and by the oath of God, he is perfectly secured from the return of the
curse upon him,'' Gal. iii. 13, [see before,] compared with Isa. liii. and
liv. 9, " For this is as the waters of Noah unto me : for, as I have sworn
that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I
sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." Therefore
he is perfectly secured from being made liable any more to hell or eternal
death. For a man, being under the curse, is " so made liable to the
pains of hell for ever." Short. Cat. (3.) He is justified by faith, and so
adjudged to live eternally in heaven. This is unalterable, " for the gifts
and calling of God are without repentance," Rom. xi. 29. And a man
can never stand adjudged to eternal life, and to eternal death, at one and
the same time. (4.) One great difference betwixt believers and unbe-
lievers lies here, that the latter are bound over to hell and wrath, the
former are not : John iii. 18, " He that believeth is not condemned : but
he that believeth not, is condemned already ;" not that he is in hell al-
ready, but bound over to it. Now, a believer is still a believer, from the
first moment of his believing ; and therefore it remains true concerning
him, from that moment for ever, that he is not condemned or bound over
to hell and wrath. He is expressly secured against it for all time to
come, from that moment. John v. 24, " He shall not come into con-
demnation." And the apostle cuts off all evasion by distinctions of con-
demnation here, while he tells us in express terms, " There is no condem-
nation to them which are in Christ Jesus," Rom. viii. 1. (5.) The be-
liever's union with Christ is never dissolved. Hosea ii. 19, " I will betroth
thee unto me for ever :" and being in Christ he is set beyond the reach
of condemnation, Rom. viii. 1. Yea, and being in Christ, he is perfectly
righteous for ever ; for he is never again stripped of the white raiment of
Christ's imputed righteousness ; while the union remains, it cannot be
lost : but to be perfectly righteous, and yet liable to condemnation before a
just Judge, are inconsistent.

Neither is such a fear in a believer acceptable to God ; for, (1.) It is
not from the Spirit of God, but from one's own spirit, or a worse ;
Rom. viii. 15, "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;"
namely, to fear death or hell. Heb. ii. 15, " Who through fear of death
were all their life-time subject to bondage.' (2.) It was the design of
the sending of Christ, that believers in him might serve God without that
fear, Luke i. 74. That " we, being delivered out of the hands of our
enemies, might serve him without fear." Compare 1 Cor. xv. 26, " The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." And for this very cause
Jesus Christ came, " That through death he might destroy him that had
the power of death, that is the devil ; and deliver them, who, through
fear of death, were all their life-time," namely, before their deliverance by
Christ, " subject to bondage," Heb. ii. 14, 15.

(3.) Though it is indeed consistent with, yet it is contrary to faith ;
Matt. viii. 26, " Why are ye fearful, 0 ye of little faith !" And to love too ;

1 John iv. 18, " Perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment." —

2 Tim. i. 7, " God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love,
and of a sound mind."

MODERN DIVINITY. 203

Father in Christ, running to meet them and embrace them ; I
would have them, with him, to talk no more of being hired
servants, Luke xvi. 1 would have them so to wrestle against
doubting, and so to exercise their faith as to believe, that they
are by Christ *' delivered from the hands of their enemies,"
both the law, sin, wrath, death, the devil, and hell, " that
they may serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and right-
eousness all the days of their lives," Luke i. 74, 75. I would
have them so to believe God's love to them in Christ, as that
thereby they may be constrained to obedience *

Nom. But, sir, you know that our Saviour says, "Fear
him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,"
Matt. X. 28. And the apostle says, " We shall receive of
the Lord the reward of the inheritance," Col. iii. 24. And

(4.) As it is not agreeable to the character of a father, who is not a re-
venging judge to his own family, to threaten to kill his children, though he
threaten to chastise them : so such a fear is no more agreeable to the spirit of
adoption, nor becoming the state of sonship to God, than for a child to fear
that his lather, being such a one, will kill him. And therefore, " the spirit of
bondage to fear" is opposed to " the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father," Rom. viii. 15.

" Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, whereby all those that
are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name
put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, (receive the spirit
of adoption, Westm. Confess, chap. 12,) are under his fatherly care and
dispensation, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God,
made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory." Larg.
Cat. q. 74.

" The LIBERTY which Christ has purchased for believers under the
gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning
wrath of God, the curse of the moral law, as also in their free access
to God. and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear,
but a child-like love and willing mind. All which were common also to be-
lievers under the law." Westm. Confess, chap. 20, art. 1. By the guilt of
sin here, must needs be understood obligation to eternal wrath. See p. 87,
note 4.

" The end of Christian liberty is, that being delivered out of the hands of
our enemies, we might ' serve the Lord without fear.' " Ibid. art. 3.'

" The one (viz : justification) doth equally free all believers from the reveng-
ing wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into con-
demnation." Larg. Cat. q. 77.

" Though a soul be justified and freed from the guilt of eternal punishment,
and so the spirit is no more to be afraid and disquieted for eternal wrath and
hell." Rutherford's Trial and Triumph, &c. Ser. 19, p. 261.

" The believer hath no conscience of sins ; that is, he in conscience is not to
fear everlasting condemnation, that is most true." Ibid. p. 266.

See more to this purpose, p. 108, note * ; 11.3, note * ; 197, note f.

* And no marvel one would have them do so, since that is what all the
children of God with one mouth do daily pray for, saying, " Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven."

20^ THE MARROW OF

is it not said, that "Moses had respect unto the recompense of
reward ?" Heb. xi. 26.

Evan. Surely the intent of our blessed Saviour, in that
first Scripture, is to teach all believers, that when God com-
mands one thing, and man another, they should obey God,
and not man, rather than to exhort them to eschew evil for
fear of hell* And for those other Scriptures by you al-
leged, if you mean reivard, and the means to obtain that re-
ward, in the Scripture sense, then it is another matter ; but
I had thought you had meant in our common sense, and not
in Scripture sense.

* There is a great difference betwixt a believer's eschewing evil for fear
of hell, and his eschewing it from the fear of God, " as able to destroy
both soul and body in hell." The former respects the event as to his
eternal state, the latter not. To this purpose the variation of the phrase
in the text is observable, — " fear not them that kill the body :" this
notes the event, as to temporal death by the hands of men, which our
Lord would have his people to lay their account with ; but with respect
to eternal death, he says not, fear him which destroys, but, " which is able
to destroy both soul and body in hell." Moreover, the former is a
slavish fear of God as a revenging judge ; the believer eschewing sin
for fear he be damned : the latter is a reverential fear of God as of a
Father with whom is awful dominion and power. The former carries in it
a doubtfulness and uncertainty as to the event, plainly contrary to the
remedy prescribed in this same case : Prov. xxix. 25, " The fear of man
bringeth a snare ; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."
The latter is consistent with the most full assurance of one's being put
beyond all hazard of hell, Heb. xii. 28, 29, " Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may
serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a
consuming fire." A believer, by fixing his eyes on God, as able to de-
stroy both soul and body in hell, may be so filled with the reverential
fear of God, his dreadful power and wrath against sin, as to be fenced
against the slavish fear of the most cruel tyrants, tempting him to sin ; though
in the mean time he most firmly believes that he is past that gulf, can
never fall into it, nor be bound over unto it. For, so he hath a lively represen-
tation of the just deserving of sin, even of that sin in particular unto
which he ' is tempted ; and so must tremble at the thought of it, as an evil
greater than death. And as a child, when be seeth his father lashing hia
slaves, cannot but tremble, and fear to offend him, so a believer's turning
his eyes on the miseries of the damned, must raise in him an awful apprehen-
sion of the severity of his Father against sin, even in his own ; and cause
him to say in his heart, " My flesh trembleth for fear of thee ; and I am
afraid of thy judgments," Psalm cxix. 120. Thus also he hath a view of
the frightful danger he has escaped ; the looking back to which must
make one's heart shiver, and conceive a horror of sin ; as in the case
of a pardoned criminal, looking back to a dreadful precipice from which
he was to have been thrown headlong, had not a pardon seasonably prevented
his ruin ; Eph. ii. 3, " We were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others."

MODERN DIVINITY. 205

Nom. Why, sir, I pray you, what difference is there be-
twixt reward, and the means to obtain the reward, in our com-
mon sense, and in the Scripture sense ?

Evan, Why, reward, in our common sense, is that which
is conceived to come from God, or to be given by God ;
which is a fancying of heaven under carnal notions, beholding
it as a place where there is freedom from all misery, and
fulness of all pleasures and happiness, and to be obtained by
our own works and doings* But reward in the Scripture
sense, is not so much that which comes from God, or is
given by God, as that which lies in God, even the full frui-
tion of God himself in Christ. " I am," says God to Abra-
ham, " thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward," Gen.
XV. 1, and " Whom have I in heaven but thee?" says David;
"and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee,"
Psalm Ixxiii. 25; and "I shall be satisfied when I awake with
thy likeness,"f Psalm xvii. 15. And the means to obtain this
reward is, not by doing, but by believing ; even by " drawing
near with a true heart, in the full assurance of faith," Heb.
X. 22 ; and so indeed it is given freely .:{: And therefore you
are not to conceive of that reward which the Scripture speaks
of, as if it were the wages of a servant, but as it is the inherit-

* Thus, to eschew evil and do good for hope of heaven, is to do so in
hope of obtaining heaven by our own worlds. And certainly " that hope shall
be cut off, and be a spider's web," Job viii. 14 ; for a sinner shall never ob-
tain heaven but in the way of free grace ; " But if it be of works, then it is no
more grace," Rom. xi. 6. But that a believer may be animated to obedience
by eyeing the reward already obtained for him by the works of Christ, our
author no where denies. So indeed the apostle exhorts believers to run their
Christian race, " looking unto Jesus, who, for the joy that was set before him,"
(to be obtained by his own works, in the way of most proper merits) "endured
the cross," Heb. xii. 1 , 2.

" Papists," says Dr. Preston, " tell of escaping damnation, and of get-
ting into heaven. But Scripture gives other motives \yiz : to good works] :
Thou art in Christ, and Christ is thine ; consider what he hath done for
thee, what thou hast by him, what thou hadst been without him, and thus
stir up thyself to do for him what he requireth." — Abridg. of his Works,
p. 394.

f " Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever." Short. Cat.
— " Believers shall be made perfectly blessed in full enjoying of Cod to all
eternity." Ibid.

J Rom. iv. 16, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace ; to the
end the promise \yiz: of the inheritance, verses 13, 14,] might be sure to all the
seed." Otherwise it is not given freely ; for " to him that worketh is the re-
ward not reckoned of grace, but of debt," verse 4.
18

20$ THE MARROW OF

ance of sons* And when the Scripture seemeth to induce
believers to obedience, by promising this reward, you are to
conceive that the Lord speaks to believers as a father does
to his young son. Do this or that, and then I will love thee ;
whereas we know, that the father loveth the son first, and so
does God ; and therefore this is the voice of believers, " We
love him, because he first loved us," 1 John iv. 19. The
Lord doth pay them, or at least gives them a sure earnest of
their wages, before he bid them work;t and therefore the
contest of a believer (according to the measure of his faith)
is not, what will God give me? but, what shall I give God?
"What shall I render unto the Lord for all his goodness ? For
thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in
thy truth," Psalm cxvi. 12, and xxvi. 3.

Nom. Then, sir, it seems that holiness of life, and good
works, are not the cause of eternal happiness, but only the
way thither ?

Evan. Do you not remember that our Lord Jesus himself
says, " I am the way, the truth, and the life ?" John xiv. 6 ;
and doth not the apostle say to the believing Colossians, "As
ye have received Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk in him?"
Col. ii. 6 ; that is, as ye have received him by faith, so go
on in your faith, and by his power walk in his command-
ments. So that good works, as I conceive, may rather be
called a believer's walking in the way of eternal happiness,
than the way itself; but, however, this we may assuredly
conclude, that the sum and substance both of the way, and
walking in the way, consists in the receiving of Jesus Christ

* The apostle's decision in tliis case seems to be pretty clear : Rom. vi.
23, " For the wages of sin is death ; but the gift of Goid is eternal life :''
he will not have us to look upon it as the wages of a servant too. The
joining together of both these notions of the reward was, it seems, the
doctrine of the Pharisees ; Mark x. 17, " Good Master, what shall I do,
that I may inherit eternal life ?" And how unacceptable it was to our
blessed Saviour, may be learned from his answer to that question. " The
Papists confess that life is merited by Christ, and is made ours by the
right of inheritance : so far we go with them. Yea, touching works, they
hold many things with us ; (1.) That no works of themselves can merit life
everlasting. (2.) That works done before conversion, can merit nothing at God's
hand. (3.) That there is no merit at God's hand, without his mercy, no
exact merit as often there is amongst men. The point whereabout we dissent
is, that with the merit of Christ and free promise, they will have the merit
of works joined, as done by them who are adopted children." — Bayne on
Eph. ii. 8.

t Namely, in the way of the covenant of grace.

MODEEN DIVINITY. 207

by faith, and in yielding obedience to bis law, according to the
measure of that receiving*

Sect. 8. — Neo. Sir, I am persuaded, that through my neigh-
bour Nomista's asking you these questions, you have been in-
terrupted in your discourse, in showing how faith enables a
man to exercise his Christian graces, and perform his Chris-
tian duties aright : and therefore I pray you go on.

Evan. What should I say more ? for the time would fail
me to tell, how that, according to the measure of any man's
faith, is his true peace of conscience ; for, says the apostle,
' being justified by faith, we have peace with God," Eom. v. 1.
Yea, says the prophet Isaiah, " Thou wilt keep him in per-

* Our author, remembering Nomista's bias towards good works, as se-
parated from Christ, puts him in mind, that Christ is the way ; and that
the soul's motion heaven-ward is in Christ ; that is, a man being once
united to Christ by faith, moveth heaven- ward, making progress in be-
lieving, and by influences derived from Jesus Christ, walking in his holy
commandmeuts. The Scripture acknowledges no other holiness of life,
or good works ; and concerning the necessity of these the author moves
no debate. But as to the propriety of expression, since good works are
the keeping of the commandments, in the way of which we are to go, he
conceives they may, with greater propriety, be called the walking in the
way, than the way itself. It is certain that the Scripture speaks of
" walking in Christ," Col. ii. 6, " walking in his commandments,"
2 Chron. xvii. 4, and " walking in good works," Eph. ii. 10 ; and that as
these terms signify but one and the same thing, so they are all metaphor-
ical. But one would think the calling of good works the way to be
walked in, is further removed from the propriety of expression, than the
calling them the walking in the way. But the author waiving this, as a
matter of phraseology, or manner of speaking only, tells us, that assuredly
the sum and substance, both of the way to eternal happiness, and of the
walking in the way to it, consists in the receiving Jesus Christ by faith,
and in yielding obedience to his law, according to the measure of that
receiving. Herein is comprehended Christ and holiness, faith and obe-
dience ; which are inseparable. And no narrower is the compass of the
way and walking mentioned, Isa. xxxv. 8, 9, " It shall be called the way
of holiness — the redeemed shall walk there." — "The way of holiness, or
the holy way, (according to an usual Hebraism,) as it is generally under-
stood by interpreters, is the way leading to heaven, says Piscator ; namely,
Christ, faith, and the doctrine of a holy life." Fererius apud Pol. Synop.
in loc. And now that our author, though he conceives good works are
not so properly called the way, as the walking, yet does not say, that in
no sense they may be called the way, but does expressly assert them to b
the soul's M-alking in the way of eternal happiness ; he cannot justly be charged
here (more than any where else in his book) with teaching, that holiness is
not necessary to salvation, unless one will, in the first place, say that though
the way itself to eternal happiness is necessary to salvation, yet the walking
in the way is not necessary to it ; which would be Autinoraian with a wit-
ness.

208" THE MARROW OF

feet peaee, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trust-
eth in thee," Isa. xxvi. 3. Here there is a sure and true
grounded peace: " Therefore it is of faith," says the apostle,
*' That it might be by grace, and that the promise might be
sure to all the seed," Eom. iv. 16. And answerable to a
man's believing that he is "justified freely by God's grace,
through that redemption that is in Jesus Christ,"* Rom. iv.
3, 24, is his true humility of spirit. So that, although he be
endowed with excellent gifts and graces, and though he per-
form never so many duties, he denies himself in all ; he does
not make them as ladders for him to ascend up into heaven
by, but he desires to " be found in Christ, not having his own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ," Philip, iii. 9. He does not think himself
to be one step nearer to heaven, for all his works and per-
formances. And if he hear any man praise him for his gifts
and graces, he will not conceive that he has obtained the
same by his own industry and pains-taking, as some men have
proudly thought ; neither will he speak it out, as some have
done, saying ; These gifts and graces have cost me something —
I have taken much pains to obtain them ; but he says, " By
the grace of God I am what I am ; and not I, but the grace
of God that was with me," 1 Cor. xv. 10. And if he behold
an ignorant man, or a wicked liver, he will not call him
" Carnal wretch !" " or, " Profane fellow !" nor say, " Stand by
thyself, come not near me, for I am holier than thou," Isa. Ixv.
5, as some have said ; but he pities such a man, and prays
for him ; and in his heart he says concerning himself, " Who
maketh thee to differ ? and what hast thou that thou hast
not received ?" 1 Cor. iv. 7.

And thus I might go on, and show you how, according to
any man's faith, is his true joy in God, and his true thank-
fulness to God, and his patience in all troubles and afflictions,
and his contentedness in any condition, and his willingness to
suffer, and his cheerfulness in suffering, and his contentedness
to part with any earthly thing. Yea, according to any man's
faith, is his ability to pray aright, Rom. x. 14, to receive the sac-
rament with profit and comfort : and to do any duty either to God
or man after a right manner, and to a right end, Heb. iv. 2.
Yea, according to the measure of any man's faith, in his love

* And not for any thing wrought in himself, or done by himself.
p. 192. note*.

MODERN DIVINITY. ^ 209

to Christ, and so to man for Christ's sake ; and so, consequently,
his readiness and willingness to forgive an injury ; yea, to for-
give an enemy, and to do good to them that hate him ; and
the more faith any man has, the less love he has to the world
or the things that are in the world. To conclude, the greater
any man's faith is, the more fit he is to die, and the more wil-
ling he is to die.

Neo. Well, sir, now I do perceive that faith is a most excel-
lent grace, and happy is that man who has a great measure of
it.

Evan. The .truth is, faith is the chief grace that Christiana
are to be exhorted to get and exercise ; and therefore, when
the people asked our Lord Christ, " what they should do to
work the works of God," he answered and said, " This is the
work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent," John
vi. 29 ; speaking as if there were no other duty at all required,
but only believing ; for, indeed, to say as the thing is, believ-
ing includes all other duties in it, and they spring all from it;
and therefore says one, " Preach faith, and preach all." —
" Whilst I bid man believe," says learned RoUock, " I bid him
do all good things ;" for, says Dr. Preston, " Truth of belief
will bring forth truth of holiness ; if a man believe, works of
sanctification will follow ; for faith draws after it inherent
righteousness and sanctification. Wherefore," says he, " if a
man will go about this great work, to change his life, to get
victory over any sin, that it may not have dominion over him,
to have his conscience purged from dead works and to be made
partaker of the divine nature, let him not go about it as a mo-
ral man ;" that is, let him not consider what commandments
there are, what the rectitude is which the law requires, and how
to bring his heart to it ; but " let him go about it as a Chris-
tian, that is, let him believe the promise of pardon, in the
blood of Christ ; and the very believing the promise will be
able to cleanse his heart from dead works."*

Neo. But I pray you, sir, whence has faith its power and
virtue to do all this ?

Evan. Even from our Lord Jesus Christ ; for faith doth
ingraft a man, who is by nature a wild olive branch, into
Christ as into the natural olive ; and fetches sap from the root,

* The sum thereof is, that no considerations, no endeavours vvliatsoever, will
truly sanctify a man, without faitii. Howbeit, such considerations and endea-
vours are necessary to promote and advance the sanctification of the soul by
faith.

18*

210 THE MARROW OP

Christ, and thereby makes the tree bring forth fruit in its
kind ; yea, faith fetcheth a supernatural efficacy from the death
and life of Christ; by virtue whereof it metamorphoses* the
heart of a believer, and creates and infuses into him new prin-
ciples of action. f So that, what a treasure of all graces Christ

* That is, transforms or changes. Rom. xii. 2, " Be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind."

f Namely, instrumen tally. It cannot be denied that our author places faith
before the new principles of actions in this passage, and before the habits
of grace, and yet it will not follow, that, in his opinion, there can be no gra-
cious change in the soul before faith. What Le does indeed teach, in this
matter, is warranted by the plain testimony of the apostle, Eph. i. 13,
" After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise."
And what this sealing is, at least as to the chief part of it, may be learned
from John i. 16, " And of his fulness have all we received, and grace
for grace." For as sealing is the impression of the image of the seal on the
wax, so that it thereby receives upon it point for point on the seal, so,
believers being sealed with the Spirit of Christ, receive grace for grace in
Christ, whereby they are made like him, and bear his image. And as it is war-
ranted by the word, so it is agreeable to the old Protestant doctrine, that we
are regenerate by faith ; which is the title of the 3d chap, of the 3d book of
Calvin's Instit. and is taught in the Old Confess, art. 3, in these words : " Re-
generation is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, working in the hearts
of the elect of God an assured faith ;" and art. 13, in these words : " So soon
as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus (which God's elect children receive by true
faith) takes possession in the heart of any man, so soon does he regenerate and
renew the same man."

Nevertheless, I am not of the mind, that, either in truth, or in the
judgment of our reformers, or of our author, the first act of faith is an
act of an unregenerate, that is to say, a dead soul. But to understand
this matter aright, I conceive one must distinguish betwixt regeneration
taken strictly, and taken largely ; and betwixt new powers and new habits
or principles of action. Regeneration, strictly so called, is the quickeu'-
ing of the dead soul, by the Spirit of Christ passively received, and goes
before faith, according to John i. 12, 13, •' But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that be-
lieve on his name ; which were born not of blood, but of God." This
is called by Amesius, the first regeneration, Medul. lib. 1, cap. 29, sect. 6 ;
see cap. 26, sect. 19. And it belongs to, or is the same with effectual
calling ; in the description of which, in the Shorter Catechism, one finds
a renewing mentioned, whereby sinners are enabled to embrace Jesus
Christ ; and, says the Larger Catechism on the same subject, " They, al-
though in themselves dead in sin, are hereby made able to answer his call."
Regeneration, largely taken, presupposing the former, is the same with
sanctification, wrought in the soul by the Spirit of Christ, actively re-
ceived by faith, and so follows faith. Acts xxvi. 18, " Among them which
are sanctified by faith, that is in Me :" the subjects of which " are the
redeemed, called, and justified." Essen. Com. cap. 16, sect. 3. And ac-
cordingly, in the description thereof in the Shorter Catechism, mention
is made of a second renewing, namely, " Whereby we are renewed in the
■whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die
unto sin, and live unto righteousness.' And thus I conceive regeneration

MODERN DIVINITY. 211

hath stored up in him, faith draineth, and draweth them out
to the use of a believer ; being as a conduit-cock, that water-
eth all the herbs of the garden. Yea, faith does apply the
blood of Christ to a believer's heart; and the blood of Christ
has in it, not only a power to wash from the guilt of sin, but
to cleanse and purge likewise from the power and stain of sin •,
and therefore, says godly Hooker, " If you would have grace,
you must first of all get faith, and that will bring all the rest ,
let faith go to Christ, and there is meekness, patience, humil-
ity, and wisdom, and faith will fetch all them to the soul ;
therefore, (says he,) you must not look for sanctification till
you come to Christ in vocation."

Nom. Truly, sir, I do now plainly see that I have been de-
ceived, and have gone a wrong way to work ; for I verily
thought that holiness of life must go before faith, and so be
the ground of it, and produce and bring it forth ; whereas I
do now plainly see, that faith must go before, and so produce
and bring forth holiness of life.

Evan. I remember a man, who was much enlightened in

to be taken in the above passages of the Old Confession. The which is
confirmed by the following testimonies : " Being in Christ, we must be
new creatures, not in substance, but in qualities and disposition of our
minds, and change of the actions of our lives, all which is impossible
to them that have no faith." Mr. John Davidson's Catechism, page 29.
— " So good works follow as effects of Christ in us, possessed by faith,
who beginneth to work in us regeneration and a renewing of the whole
parts and powers of the soul and body. Which begun sanctification and
holiness he never ceases to accomplish. Ibid. p. 30. — " The effect [viz :
of justification] inherent in us, as in a subject, is that new quality
which is called inherent righteousness or regeneration." Grounds of
Christian Religion, by the renowned Beza and Faius, 1586, chap. 29,
sect. 11. — " that new quality, then called inherent righteousness and regenera-
tion, testified by good works, is a necessary effect of true faith." Ibid. chap.
31, sect. 13.

Now in regeneration taken in the former sense, new powers are put
into the soul, whereby the sinner, who was dead in sin, is able to discern
Christ in his glory, and to embrace him by faith. But it is in regenera-
tion taken in the latter sense, that new habits of grace, or immediate
principles of actions are given ; namely, upon the soul's uniting with
Christ by faith. So Essenius, having defined regeneration to be, the put-
ting of spiritual life in a man spiritually dead, [compare chap. 14, sect.
11,] afterwards says, "As by regeneration new powers were put into the
mail, so by sanctification are given new sph-itual habits." Theological
Virtues, ibid. cap. 16, sect. 5. And as the Scriptures are express, in that
men are " sanctified by faith," Acts xxvi. 18, so is the Larger Catechism in
that it is in sanctification they are " renewed in the whole man, having the
seeds of repentance unto life, and of all other saving graces, put into their
hearts," quest. 75. • ■

212 THE MARBOW OF

the knowledge of the gospel,* who says, " There may be
many that think, that as a man chooses to serve a prince, so
men choose to serve God. So likewise they think that as
those who do best service, do obtain most favour of their lord ;
and as those that have lost it, the more they humble them-
selves, the sooner they recover it ; even so they think the
case stands between God and them ; whereas, says he, it ia
not so, but clean contrary, for he himself says, ' Ye have not
chosen me, but I have chosen you,' John xv. 16. And not
for that we repent and humble ourselves, and do good works,
he gives us his grace; but we repent and humble our-
selves, do good works, and become holy, because he gives us
his grace." The good thief on the cross was not illumi-
nated, because he did confess Christ ; but he did confess
Christ, because he was illuminated. For, says Luther, on
Galatians, p. 124, " The tree must first be, and then the fruit ;
for the apples make not the tree, but the tree makes the apples.
So faith first maketh the person, which afterwards brings forth
works. Therefore to do the law without faith, is to make the
apples of wood and earth without the tree, which is not to
make apples, but mere fantasies." Wherefore, neighbour
Nomista, let me entreat you, that whereas before you have
reformed your life that you might believe, why, now believe
that you may reform your life ; and do not any longer work to
get an interest in Christ, but believe your interest in Christ,
that so you may work.f And then jou will not make the

* This man, Bernardine Ochine, an infamous apostate, was at first a
monk ; but as our author says, being much enlightened in the knowledge
of the gospel, he not only made profession of the Protestant Religion,
but, together with the renowned Peter Martyr, was esteemed a most
famous preacher of the gospel, throughout Italy. Being in danger on
the account of religion, he left Italy by Martyr's advice ; and being much
assisted by the Duchess of Ferrara in his escape, he went first to Geneva,
and then to Zurich, and was admitted a minister in that city. But dis-
covering himself there, (as Simon Magus did, after he had joined himself
to the church of Samaria) he was banished ; and is justly reckoned
among the forerunners of the execrable Socinus. See Hoornbeck, appar.
ad. contr. Soc. page 47. Hence one may plainly see how there are ser-
mons of his which might safely and to good purpose be quoted. And as
for the character given him by the author here, if one is in hazard of reckon-
ing it an applause, one must remember that is no greater than what the
apostle gives to the guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost, Heb. vi. 6,
" Those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift," &c.,
which I make no question but our author had his eye upon, in giving this man
this character very pertinently.

f That is, by believing, get a saving interest in Christ ; whereas, be-

MODERN DIVINITY. 213'

change of your life the ground of your faith, as you have
done, and as Mr. Culverwell says, many do, who being asked.
What caused them to believe ? answer, "Because they have
truly repented, and changed their course of life."*

Ant. Sir, what think you of a preacher that, in my hear-
ing, said, he durst not exhort nor persuade sinners to believe
their sias were pardoned, before he saw their lives reformed,
for fear they should take more liberty to sin ?

Evan. Why, what should I say but that I think that preacher
was ignorant of the mystery of faith ?f

For '\tX is of the nature of sovereign waters, which so wash
off the corruption of the ulcer, that they cool the heat, and
stay the spreading of the infection, and so by degrees heal the
same. Neither did he know that it is of the nature of cor-
dials, which so comfort the heart and ease it, that they also
expel the noxious humours, and strengthen nature against
them.§

Ant. And I am acquainted with a professor, though, God

fore, you hare set yourself, as it were, to work it. See the note on the
Definition of Faith.

* " Which [adds he] if it proceed not from faith, is not so much as a
sound proof of faith, much less can it be any cause to draw them to believe." — •
" The only firm ground .of saving faith is God's truth, revealed in his word ; as
is plainly taught," Rom. x. 17. Ibid. p. 20, 21.

t This censure, as it natively follows upon the overthrowing of that
doctrine, viz : " That holiness of life must go before faith, and so be the
ground of it, and produce and bring it forth ;" so it is founded on these
two ancient Protestant principles: (1.) That the belief of' the remission of
sin is comprehended in saving, justifying faith ; of which see p. 192. note
*, and the note on the Definition of Faith. (2.) That true repentance,
and acceptable reformation of life, do necessarily flow from, but go not
before saving faith; of which we see p. 144. note*, and 146. note J,
Hence it necessarily follows, that remission of sin must be believed, be-
fore there can be any acceptable reformation of life ; and that the preacher's
fear was groundless, reformation of life being so caused by the faith of
remission of sin, that it is inseparable from it : as our author teaches in the
following passages. Calvin's censure in this case is fully as severe : " As
for them [says hej that think that repentance does rather go before faith,
than flow or sprmg forth of it, as a fruit out of a tree, they never knew
the force thereof" Instit. book 3. chap. 3. sect. 1. — " Yet when we refer
the beginning of repentance to faith, we do not dream a certain mean space
of time, wherein it brings it out : but we mean to show, that a man cannot
earnestly apply himself to repentance, unless he know himself to be of God."
Ibid. sect. 2.

% Namely, faith.
. I Even so, faith not only justifies a sinner, but sanctifies him in heart and
life.

214? THE MARROW OF

knows,* a very weak one, that says, If he should believe be->
fore his life be reformed, tlien he might believe, and yet walk
on in his sins : — I pray you, sir, what would you say to such
a man?

Evan. Why, I could say, with Dr. Preston, let him, if he
can, believe truly, and do this ; but it is impossible : let him
believe, and the other will follow ; truth of belief will bring
forth truth of holiness : for who, if he ponder it well, can fear
a fleshly licentiousness, where the believing soul is united and
married to Christ ?t The law, as it is the covenant of works,
and Christ, are set in opposition, as two husbands to one wife
successively, Eom. vii. 4 ; whilst the law was alive in the con-
science, all the fruits were deadly, ver. 5 ; but Christ, taking
the same spouse to himself, the law being dead, by his quick-
ening Spirit doth make her fruitful to God, ver. 6 ; and so
raises up seed to the former husband : for materially these are
the works of the law, though produced by the Spirit of Christ
in the gospel.:}:

Ant. And yet, sir, I am verily persuaded, that there be
many, both preachers and professors, in this city, of the very
same opinion, that these two are of.

Evan. The truth is, many preachers stand upon the praise
of some moral virtue, and do inveigh against some vice of the
times, more than upon pressing men to believe. But, says a
learned writer, " It will be our condemnation, if we love dark-
ness, rather than light, and desire still to be groping in the
twilight of morality, the precepts of moral men, than to walk
in the true light of divinity, which is the doctrine of Jesus Christ;
and I pity the preposterous care and unhappy travail of many
well-affected, who study the practice of this and that virtue, ne-

* I think this expression might very well have been spared here.

t " Q. Does not this doctrine [viz : of justification by faith without works]
make men secure and profane ? A. No, for it cannot be, but they who are
ingrafted into Christ by faith, should bring forth fVuits of thankfulness."
Palat. Cat. q. 64.

J Aa a woman married to a second husband, after the death of the
first, does the same work for subsistence in the family, that was required
of her by the first husband ; yet does it not to, nor as under the dead husband,
but the living one ; so the good works of believers are materially, and
but materially, the works of the law, as a covenant, the first husband, now
dead to the believer. In this sense only the law is here treated of : and to
make the good works of believers formally the works of the law as a
covenant and husband, is to contradict the apostle, Eom. vii. 4 — 6, to
"make them deadly fruits, dishonourable to Christ, the second husband, and
unacceptable to God."

MODERN DIVINITY. 215

glecting this cardinal and radical virtue ; as if a man should
water all the tree, and not the root. Fain would they shine in
patience, meekness, and zeal, and yet are not careful to establish
and root themselves in faith, which should maintain all the rest ;
and therefore all their labour has been in vain and to no
purpose."

Nom. Indeed, sir, this which you have now said, I have
found true by my own experience ; for I have* laboured and
endeavoured to get victory over such corruptions as to over-
come my dulness, and to perform duties with cheerfulness,
and all in vain.

Evan. And no marvel ; for to pray, to meditate, to keep a
Sabbath cheerfully, to have your conversation in heaven, is as
impossible for you yourself to do, as for iron to swim, or for
stones to ascend upwards ; but yet nothing is impossible to
faith ; it can naturalize these things unto you ; it can make a
mole of the earth a soul of heaven. Wherefore, though you
have tried all moral conclusions of purposing, promising, re-
solving, vowing, fasting, watching, and self-revenge ; yet get
you to Christ, and with the finger of faith touch but the hem
of his garment ; and you shall feel virtue come from him, for
the curing of all your diseases. Wherefore I beseech you,
come out of yourself unto Jesus Christ, and apprehend him by
faith, as, blessed be God, you see your neighbour Neophytus
has done ; and then shall you find the like loathing of sin,
and love to the law of Christ, as he now does ; yea, then shall
you find your corruptions dying and decaying daily, more and
more,* as I am confident he shall.

Neo. Aye, but, sir, shall I not have power quite to overcome
all my corruptions, and to yield perfect obedience to the law
of Christ, as, the Lord knows, I much desire ?

Evan. If you could believe perfectly, then should it be even
according to your desire ; according to that of Luther, on the
Galatians, p. 173, "If we could perfectly apprehend Christ,
then should we be free from sin :" but alas ! whilst we are
here, we know but in part, and so believe but in part, and so
receive Christ but in part, 1 Cor. xiii. 9, and so, consequently,
are holy but in part ; witness James the Just, including him-
self, when he says, " In many things we sin all," James iii. 2.
John the faithful and loving disciple, when he says, " If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us," 1 John i. 8. Yea, and witness Luther, when he

* After that manner.

216 THE MARROW OF

says on the Galatians, p. 144, " A Christian man hath a body,
in whose members, as Paul says, ' sin dwelleth and warreth,'
Eom. vii. 15. And although he fall not into outward and
gross sins, as murder, adultery, theft, and such like, yet is he
not free from impatience and murmuring against God ; yea,
(says he) I feel in myself covetousness, lust, anger, pride, and
arrogancy, also the fear of death, heaviness, hatred, murmur-
ings, impatience." So that you must not look to be quite
without sin, whilst you remain in this life ; yet this I dare
promise you, that as you grow from faith to faith, so shall you
grow from strength to strength in all other graces. " Where-
fore," says Hooker, " strengthen this grace of faith, and
strengthen all ; nourish this, and nourish all," So that if you
can attain to a great measure of faith, you shall be sure to
attain to a great measure of holiness ; according to the saying
of Dr. Preston, " He that hath the strongest faith, he that be-
lieveth in the greatest degree the promise of pardon and re-
mission of sins, I dare boldly say, he hath the holiest heart,
and the holiest life. And therefore, I beseech you labour to
grow strong in the faith of the gospel," Philip, i. 27.

Sect. 9 — Neo. O sir, I desire it with all my heart ; and
therefore, I pray you, tell me, what you would have me to do,
that I may grow more strong.

Evan. Why, surely, the best advice and counsel that I can
give you, is to exercise that faith which you have, and wrestle
against doubtings, and be earnest with God in prayer for the
increase of it. " Forasmuch," says Luther, " as this gift is
in the hands of God only, who bestoweth when, and on whom,
he pleaseth, thou must resort unto him b}'' prayer, and say
with the apostles, * Lord, increase our faith,' " Luke xvii. 5.
And you must also be diligent in hearing the word preached ;
for as "faith cometh by hearing," Eom. x. 17, so is it also in-
creased by hearing. And you must also read the word, and
meditate upon the free and gracious promises of God ; for the
promise is the immortal seed, whereby the Spirit of Christ
begets and increases faith in the hearts of all his. And lastly,
you must frequent the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and
receive it as often as conveniently you can.

Ant. But by your favour, sir, if faith be the gift of God, and
he give it when, and to whom he pleases, then I conceive that
a man's using such means will not procure any greater measure
of it than God is pleased to give.

Evan. I confess it is not the means that will either beget or

MODERN DIVINITY. 217

increase faith ; but it is the Spirit of God in the use of means
that doth it : so that as the means will not do it without the
Spirit, neither will the Spirit do it without the means, where
the means may be had. Wherefore, I pray you, do not you
hinder him from using the means.

Neo. Sir, for my own part, let him say what he will, I am
resolved, by the assistance of God, to be careful and diligent
in the use of these means which you have now prescribed ;
that so, by the increasing of my faith, I may be the better
enabled to be subject to the will of the Lord, and so walk as
that I may please him.

Sect, 10. — But forasmuch as heretofore he hath endea-
voured to persuade me to believe divers points, which then I
could not see to be true, and therefore could not assent unto
them, methinks I do now begin to see some show of truth in
them ; therefore, sir, if you please to give me leave, I will tell
you what points they are, to the intent I may have your judg-
ment and direction therein.

Evan. Do so, I pray you.

Neo. 1. Why, first of all, he hath endeavoured to persuade
me that a believer is not under the law, but is altogether de-
livered from it,

2. That a believer does not commit sin.

3. That the Lord can see no sin in a believer.

4. That the Lord is not angry with a believer for his sins.

5. That the Lord doth not chastise a believer for his sins.

6. Lastly^ That a believer hath no cause neither to confess
his sins, nor to crave pardon at the hands of God for them,
neither yet to fast, nor mourn, nor humble himself before the
Lord for them.

Evan. These points which you have now mentioned have
caused many needless and fruitless disputes ; and that be-
cause men have either not understood what they have said, or
else not declared whereof they have affirmed ; for in one sense
they may all of them be truly affirmed, and in another sense
they may all of them be truly denied ; whereof if we would
clearly understand the truth, we must distinguish betwixt
the law as it is the law of works, and as it is the law of
Christ.*

* The Antinoniian sense of all these positions is, no doubt, erroneous
and detestable, and is opposed and disproved by our author. The posi-
tions themselves arc paradoxes bearing a precious gospel truth, which
he maintains against the legalist ; but I doubt it is too much to call them
19

218 ' THE MARROW OF

Now, as it is the law of works, it may be truly said, that

all Antinomiau paradoxes. But to call them simply, aud by the lump, An-
tinomian errors, is shocking : one might as good say, it is a Popish or Lu-
theran error, " That the bread in the sacrament is Christ's body ;" and that it
is a Sociuian, Arminian, or Baxterian error, " That a sinner is justified by
faith ;" for the first four of the paradoxes are as directly scriptural as these
are ; though the Antinomian sense of the former is anti-scriptural, as is the
Popish, Lutheran, Socinian, Arminian, and Baxterian sense of the latter, re-
spectively. At this rate, one might subvert the very foundations of Christian-
ity, as might easily be instructed, if there were sufficient cause to exemplify
it here. How few doctrines of the Bible are there that have not been
wrested to an erroneous sense by some corrupt men or other ! yet will not
their corrupt glosses warrant the condemning of the scriptural positions them-
selves as erroneous.

The first four of these paradoxes are found in the following texts of Scrip-
ture, viz:

1st. Rom. vi. 1^, " Te are not under the law, but under grace." — Chap. vii.
6, " Now we are delivered from the law."

2d. 1 John iii. 6, " Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not." — ^Verse 9,
" Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, and he cannot sin."

3d. Numb, xxiii. 21, " He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath
he seen perverseuess in Israel." — Cant. iv. 7, " Thou art all fair, my love, there
is no spot in thee."

Ath. Isa. liv. 9, " So have I sworn, that I would not be wroth with thee nor
rebuke thee."

The case standing thus, these paradoxes must needs be sensed one way
or other, agreeable to the analogy of faith, and so defended by all who
own the divine authority of the holy Scripture. And as an orthodox di-
vine would not condemn the two propositions abovementioned, brought in
for illustration of this matter, but clear the same by giving a sound sense
of them, and rejecting the unsound sense, as that it is true that the
bread is Christ's body sacramentally ; false, that it is so by transubstantia-
tion, or consubstantiation : that it is true, sinners are justified by faith as an
instrument, apprehending and applying Christ's righteousness ; false, that they
are justified by it as a work, fulfilling the pretended new proper gospel law :
so our author gives a safe and sound sense of these scriptural para-
doxes, and rejects the unsound sense put upon them by Antinomians ;
and this he does, by applying to them the distinction of the law, as it is
the law of works, i. e., the covenant of works, and as it is the law of Christ,
i. e., a rule of life, in the hand of a Mediator, to believers. Now, if this dis-
tinction be not admitted here, neither in these nor equivalent terms, but the
law of Christ, and law of works, must be reckoned one and the same thing ;
then believers in Christ, whom none but Antinomians will deny to be under
the law, as it is the law of Christ, or a rule of life, are evidently
staked down under the covenant works still ; forasmuch as, in the sense
of the holy Scripture, as well as in the sense of our author, . the law of
works is the covenant of works. And since it is plain from the holy
Scripture, and from the Westminster Confession, that believers are not
under the law as a covenant of works ; a way which, by this distinction, our
author had blocked up, is, by rejecting of it, and confounding the law of
Avorks and law of Christ, opened for Antinomians to cast off the law for good
and all.

The two last of these paradoxes are consequently scriptural, as neces-

MODERN DIVINITY. 219.

a believer is not under the law, but is delivered from it,*
according to that of the apostle, Eom. vi. 14, " Ye are not
under the law, but under grace;" and Eom. vii. 6, "But
now we are delivered from the law." And if believers be
not under the law, but are delivered from the law, as it is
a law of works, then, though they sin, yet do they not
transgress the law of works ; for " where no law is, there
is no transgression," Eom. iv. 15. And therefore, says the
apostle John, " Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not,"
1 John iii, 6 ; that is, as I conceive, whosoever abideth in
Christ by faith, sinneth not against the law of works.f And
if a believer sin not against the law of works, then can God
see no sin in a believer, as a transgression of that law ;:}: and
therefore it is said, Numb, xxiii. 21, " He hath not be-
held iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in
Israel ;" and again it is said, Jer. 1. 20, " At that time the
iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none ;
and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found :" and
in Cant. iv. 7, Christ says concerning his spouse, " Behold
thou art all fair, my love, and there is no spot in thee."
And if God can see no sin in a believer, then assuredly he
is neither angry nor doth chastise a believer for his sins, as
a transgression of that law ;§ and hence it is, that the Lord
says concerning his own people that were believers, Isa. xxvii.

sarily following upon the former, being understood in the same sense as they
are, and as our author explains them.

* " True believers be not under the law as a covenant of works." Westm.
Confess, chap. 19, sect. 6. — " The law of works," says our author, " is as much
as to say, the covenant of works."

t " As the world is altogether set upon sin, and can do nothing but sin, so
they that are born of God sin not ; not that their sins of themselves are not
deadly, but because their persons are so lively in Christ, that the deadliness of
sin cannot prevail against them." Mr. John Davidson's Cat. p. 32. What
he means by the deadliness of sin, appears from these words a little after :
" Howbeit the condemnation of sin be removed from the faithful altogether,"
&c. The penalty which the law of works threatens, says our author to Neo-
phytus, (page 222,) is " condemnation and eternal death ; and this you have no
cause at all to fear."

X Mr. James Melvil to the same purpose expresses it thus : —
But God into his daughter dear sees nane iniquitie,
Nor in his chosen Israel will spy enormitie :
Not looking in hir bowk, whilk is with frenticklcs replete
But ever into Christ her face, whilk pleasand is and sweet.

Morning Vision, dedicated to James VI. p. 85.
g Such anger is revenging wrath, and such chastisement is proper punish-
ment inflicted for satisfying offended justice ; in which sense it is said, Isa. liii,
5, " The chastisement of our peace was upon him," namely, ou Jesus Christ ;
and therefore it cannot be on believers themselves.

220 THE MARROW OF

4, " Anger is not in me :" and again, Isa. liv. 9, the Lord
speaking comfortably to his spouse the Church, says, " As I
have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the
earth, so have I sworn that I will no more be wroth with thee,
nor rebuke thee." Now, if the Lord be not angry with a be-
liever, neither doth chastise him for his sins, as they are any
transgression of the law of works, then hath a believer neither
need to confess his sins unto God, nor to crave pardon for
them, nor yet to fast, nor mourn, nor humble himself for
them, as conceiving them to be any transgression of the law,
as it is the law of works * Thus you see, that if you con-
sider the law in this sense, then all these points follow : ac-
cording as you say our friend Antinomista hath endeavoured to
persuade you.

But if you consider the law, as it is the law of Christ, then
they do not so, but quite contrary. For as the law is the law of
Christ, it may be truly said, that a believer is under the law,
and not delivered from it ; according to that of the apostle, 1 Cor.
ix. 21, " Being not without law to God, but under the law to
Christ," and according to that of the same apostle, Eom. iii. 31,
" Do we then make void the law through faith ? God forbid ! yea,
(by faith) we establish the law." And if a believer be under the
law, and not delivered from it, as it is the law of Christ, then if he

* Our author does not indeed here refute the Antinomian error, that
the believer ought not to mourn for his sins ; he does that effectually in
the next paragraph. But here he refutes the legalist, who will needs
have the believer still to be under the law, as it is the covenant of works ;
and therefore to confess and mourn, &c. for his sins, as still committed against
the covenant of works. But it is evident as the light, that believers are
not under the covenant of works, or, in other terms, under the law, as
that covenant ; and that principle being once fixed, the whole chain of
consequences, which our author has here made, does necessarily follow
thereupon. It is strange that nothing can be allowed in believers to be
mourning for sin, unless they mourn for it as unbelievers, as persons under
the covenant of works, who doubtless are under the curse and condem-
nation for their sin. Gal. iii. 10. But " as our obedience now is not the
performance, so our sinning is not the violation of the condition of the
old covenant. Believers' sins now, though transgressions of' the law,
are not counted violations of the conditions of the covenant of works,
under which they are not." Brown on Justification, chap. 15. p. 224. — " If
sense of sin be taken for the unbelieving feeling of, and judging myself cast
out of his sight, and condemned ; whereas yet I am in Christ, and ' it is God
that justifies me ; who is he that shall condemn ?' Rom. viii. 33, 34 ; we shall
agree with Antinomians. This is indeed the hasty sense of unbelief Psalm
xxxi. 22 ; John ii. 4. Hence let them be rebuked, who say not that Christ
in his gospel hath taken away this sense of sin." Rutherford on the Cove-
nant, p. 222.

MODERN DIVINITY. 221

sin, he doth thereby transgress the law of Christ ; auA hence I
conceive it is that the apostle John says, both concerning himself
and other believers, 1 John i. 8, " If we say we have no sin, Ave
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ;" and so says the
apostle James, chap. iii. 2, " In many things we offend all."
And if a believer transgress the law of Christ, then doubtless
he seeth it : for it is said, Prov. v. 21, " that the ways of man are
before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings ;"
and in Heb. iv. 13, it is said, " All things are naked and open
unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." And if the
Lord sees the sins that a believer commits against the law, as
it is the law of Christ, then doubtless he is angry with him ;
for it is said. Psalm cvi. 40, that because the people " went a
whoring after their own inventions, therefore was the wrath
of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he ab-
horred his own inheritance ;" and in Deut. i. 37, Moses says
concerning himself, "' The Lord was angry with me." And
if the Lord be angry with a believer for his transgressing the
law of Christ, then assuredly, if need be, he will chastise him
for it: for it is said. Psalm Ixxxix. 30 — 32, concerning the
seed and children of Jesus Christ, " If they forsake my law, ■
and walk not in my judgments, then will I visit their trans-
gressions with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes." And
in 1 Cor. xi. 30, it is said concerning believers, " For this
cause," namely, their unworthy receiving of the sacrament,
" many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."
And if the Lord be angry with believers, and do chastise them
for their sins, as they are a transgression of the law of Christ,
then hath a believer cause to confess his sins unto the Lord,
and to crave pardon for them, yea and to fast, and mourn, and
humble himself for them, as conceiving them to be a trans-
gression of the law of Christ.*

Sect. 11. — And now, my loving neighbour Neophytus, I
pray you, consider seriously of these things, and learn to dis-
tinguish aright betwixt the law, as it is the law of works, and
as it is the law of Christ, and that in effect and practice ; I
mean, in heart and conscience.

Neo. Sir, it is the unfeigned desire of my heart so to do ;
and therefore, I pray you. give me some direction therein.f

* Thus our author hath solidly refuted in this paragraph the Antinoraian
sense of all the six positions above mentioned.

f Namely, how to improve these points of doctrine in my practice. There
lies the great difficulty : and according as unbelief or faith has the ascendant,
19 *

222 THE MARROW OP

Evan. *Surely the best direction I can give you is, to labour
truly to know, and firmly to believe, that you are not now
under the law, as it is the law of works ; and that you are
now under the law as, it is the law of Christ ; and that there-
fore you must neither hope for what the law of works pro-
mises, in case of your most exact obedience ; nor fear what it
threatens, in case of your most imperfect and defective obe-
dience : and yet you may both hope for what the law of Christ
promises, in case of your obedience, and are to fear what it
threatens, in case of your disobedience.

Neo. But, sir, what are these promises and threatenings ?
and, first, I pray you, tell me what it is that the law of works
promises.

Evan. The law of works, or, which is all one, as I have
told you, the covenant of works, promises justification and
eternal life to all that yield perfect obedience thereunto : and
this you are not to hope for, because of your obedience.
And indeed, to say as the thing is, you, being dead to the law
of works, can yield no obedience at all unto it ; for how can
a dead wife yield any obedience to her husband ? And if
you can yield no obedience at all unto it, what hope can you
have of any reward for your obedience ? Nay, let me tell
you more, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, hath purchased
both justification and eternal life by his perfect obedience to
the law of works, and hath freely given it to you, as it is
written. Acts xiii. 39, " By him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law
of Moses :" and " Verily, verily," says our Saviour, " he that
believeth in me hath everlasting life." John vi. 47.

Neo. And I pray you, sir, what does the law of works
threaten, in case of a man's disobedience unto it ?

Evan. Why, the penalty which the law of works, in that
case, threatens, is condemnation and death eternal : and this
you have no cause at all to fear, in case of your most defec-
tive obedience ; for no man hath any cause to fear the penalty
of that law which he lives not under. Surely a man that
lives under the laws of England, has no cause to fear the penal-
ties of the laws of Spain or France : even so you, that now live
under the law of Christ, have no cause to fear the penalties of the

60 will the soul in practice carry itself ; confessing, begging pardon, fasting,
mourning, and humljling itself either as a condemned malefactor, or as an
offending child.

MODERN DIVINITY. 223

law of works * Nay, the law of works is dead to you ; and
therefore you have no more cause to fear the threats thereof,
than a living wife has to fear the threats of her dead husband,t
nay, than a dead wife has to fear the threats of a dead husband.
Nay, let me say yet more, Jesus Christ, by his condemnation
and death upon the cross, has delivered you and set you free
from condemnation and eternal death ; as it is written, Rom.
viii. 1, " There is therefore now no condemnation to them
that are in Christ Jesus." And, says Christ himself, John xi.
26, " Whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never
die."

And thus you see your freedom and liberty from the law
as it is the law of works. And that you may be the better
enabled to " stand fast in this liberty, wherewith Christ has
made you free;" beware of conceiving that the Lord now
stands in any relation to you, or will any way deal with you
as a man under that law. So that if the Lord shall be pleased
hereafter to bestow upon you a great measure of faith, whereby
you shall be enabled to yield an exact and perfect obedience
to the mind and will of God ;:{: then beware of conceiving that
the Lord looks upon it as obedience to the law of works, or
will in any measure reward you for it, according to the pro-
mises of that law. And if in case, at any time hereafter, you
be, by reason of weakness of your faith, and strength of temp-
tation, drawn aside, and prevailed with to swerve from the
mind and will of the Lord, then beware of conceiving that the
Lord sees it as any transgression of the law of works. For if
you cannot transgress that law, then it is impossible the Lord
shonld see that which is not ; and if the Lord can see no siu
in you, as a transgression of the law of works, then it is im-
possible that he should either be angry with you, or correct
you for any sin, as it is a transgression of that law. No, to

* See pages 113, note *, and 117, note f , " The law, as it condemneth and
curseth, is to the believer a mere passive and a naked stander-by, and
has no activity, nor can it act in that power upon any in Christ ; as the
law of Spain is merely passive in condemning a free-born man dwelling in Scot-
land." Rutherford's Spirit. Antichrist, p. 87. — ■ " 'J'he law being fully
satisfied by Christ, it neither condemneth, nor can it condemn, to eternal
sufferings, for that is removed from the law to all that are in Christ."
Ibid.

f For, according to the Scripture, the believer is dead to the law, and
the law is dead to the believer ; namely, as it is the law of the covenant of
works. See page 109, note*, and pages 110, 111.

X Exact and perfect, comparatively, not absolutely. See pages 215, 231.

224 ■ THE MARROW OP

speak witli holy reverence, as I said before, the Lord cannot,
by virtue of the covenant of works, either require any obe-
dience of you, or give you an angry look, or any angry word;
much less threaten and afflict you for any disobedience to that
covenant.* And, therefore, whensoever your conscience shall
tell you, that you have broken any of the ten commandments,
do not conceive that the Lord looks upon you as an angry
Judge, armed with justice against you; much less do you
fear that he will execute his justice upon you, according to the
penalty of that covenant, in unjustifying of you, or depriving
you of your heavenly inheritance, and giving you your portion
in hell fire. No, assure yourself that your God in Christ will
never unson you, nor unspouse you : no, nor yet, as touching
your justification and eternal salvation, will he love you ever
a whit the less, though you commit ever so many or great
sins ; for this is a certain truth, that as no good either in you,
or done by you, did move him to justify you, and give you
eternal life, so no evil in you, or done by you, can move him
to take it away from you, being once given.f And, therefore,

*See page 162, note*.

f The author speaks expressly of the love of God, touching believers'
justification, and eternal salvation, which, according to the Scripture, he
reckons to be given them ah-eady. And he asserts, That as no good in
them, or done by tliem, did move him to love them, so as to justify them,
and give them eternal life, so no evil in them or done by them, shall
lessen that love, as to their justification and eternal salvation ; that is, as
himself explains it, move him to take eternal life (which includes justi-
fication) away from them, being once given. This is most firm truth ;
howbeit, the more and the greater the sins of a believer are, he may lay
his account with the more and the greater effects of God's fatherly indig-
nation against him ; and the corruption of human nature makes the add-
ing of such a clause in such a case very necessary. What our author
here advances, is evident from the holy Scripture, Psalm Ixxxix. 30 — 34,
" If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments, if they
break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their
transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes : nevertheless,
my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him ; nor suffer my faith-
fulness to fail ; my covenant will I not break ; nor alter the thing that is
gone out of my lips." And to deny it, is in effect to afiirm that God
loves believers, as touching their justification and eternal salvation, for
their holiness ; contrary to Titus iii. 5, " Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us." — Rom.
vi. 23, " The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord ;" and that that love of his to them
changeth according to the variations of their frame and walk ; contrary
to Rom. xi. 29, "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
But while the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints stands, viz: That
true believers can neither fall away totally, nor finally, neither from rela-

MODERN DIVINITY. 225

believe it whilst you live, that as the Lord first loved you
freely, so will he hereafter "heal your backslidings, and still
love you freely," Hos, xiv. 4. Yea, " he will love you unto
the end," John xiii. 1. And although the Lord does express
the fruits of his anger towards you, in chastising and afflicting
of you, yet do not imagine that your afflictions are penal, pro-
ceeding from hatred, and vindictive justice ; and so as payments
and satisfaction for sins ; and so as the beginning of eternal
torments in hell ; for you being, as you have heard, freed from
the law of works, and so consequently from sinning against it,
must needs likewise be freed from all wrath, anger, miseries,
calamities, afflictions, yea, and from death itself, as* fruits and
effects of any transgression against that covenant.

And therefore you are never to confess your sins unto the
Lord, as though you conceived them to have been committed

live grace, nor from inherent grace, our author's doctrine on this point
must stand also ; and the sins of believers, how great or many soever
they be, can never be of that kind which is inconsistent with a state of
grace, nor of another than that of infirmities. See p. 168, note *. And
liow low soever grace is brought in the soul of a believer at any time,
through the prevalence of temptation, yet can he never altogether lose
his inherent holiness, nor can he at any time " live after the flesh." For,
according to the Scripture, that is not the spot of God's children ; but he
who so lives, neither is, nor ever was, one of them. Rom. vi. 2, 14, " How
shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ? Sin shall not have
dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace." —
Chap. viii. 1, "Them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit." See verse 4 ; 1 John iii. 9, " Whosoever is
born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot
sin, because he is born of God."

" God foresaw what infirmities thou wouldst have, before he gave Christ
this commision ; and Christ foresaw them before his acceptance of the
charge. If their prescience could not stop God in his gift, nor cool Christ
in his acceptance, why should it now? While they do continue, the love
of God to thee is not hindered by them." Charnock, vol. ii. p. 749.

" Observe a twofold distinction : 1st. Between God's love in itself, and
the raanifestatiouj of it to us. That is perpetual and one, without change,
increase, or lessening : but the manifestation of this love is variable, ac-
cording to our more or less careful exercise of piety. 2d. Between God's
love to our persons, and God's love to our qualities and actions, A dis-
tinction which God well knows how to make. Parents, I am sure, are
well skilled in piitting this difference between the vices and persons of
their children ; those they hate, these they love. The case is alike be-
tween God and the elect ; his love to their persons is from everlasting the
same. Nor doth .their sinfulness lessen it, nor their sanctity increase it ;
because God in loving their persons, never considered them otherwise
than as most perfectly holy and unblamable in Christ," Pemble's Works,
p, 23.

* They are.

226 THE MARROW OF

against tte law of -works : and so making you liable to God's
everlasting wrath, and hell-fire; neither must you crave pardon
and forgiveness for them, that thereupon you may escape that
penalty ; neither do you either fast, or weep, or mourn, or
humble yourself, from any belief that you shall thereby satisfy
the justice of God, and appease his wrath, either in whole or
in part, and so escape his everlasting vengeance. For if you
be not under the law of works, and if the Lord see no sin in
you as a transgression of that law, and be neither angry with
you, nor afflict you for any sin, as it is a transgression of that
law, then consequently you have no need either to confess
your sins, or crave pardon for them, or fast, or weep, or mourn,
or humble yourself for your sins, as conceiving them to be any
transgression of the law of works *

Neo. Well, sir, you have fully satisfied me in this point ;
and therefore, I pray you, proceed to show what is that reward
which the law of Christ promises, which you said I might
hope for, in case of my obedience thereunto.

Evan. Why, the reward which I conceive the law of
Christ promises to believers, and which they may hope for,
answerably to their obedience to it,f is a comfortable being in
the enjoyment of sweet communion with God and Christ, even
in the time of this life, and a freedom from afflictions, both
spiritual and corporeal, so far forth as they are fruits and effects
of sin, as it is any transgression of the law of Christ.:}: For
you know, that so long as a child does yield obedience to his
father's commands, and does nothing that is displeasing to him,
if he love his child, he will carry himself lovingly and kindly
towards him, and suffer him to be familiar with hira, and will
not whip nor scourge him for his disobedience. Even so, if
you unfeignedly desire and endeavour to be obedient unto the
will and mind of your Father in Christ ; in doing that which
he commands, and in avoiding that which he forbids, both in
your general and particular calling ; and to the end that you
may please him ; then, answerably as you do so, your Father
will smile upon you. when you shall draw near to him in prayer,
or any other of his own ordinances ; and manifest his sweet pre-

* See page 220, note *.

t Though uot for their obedience, but for Christ's obedience.

X I read the last word of this sentence, Christ, not ivorks, judging it
plain, that the latter is a press error. See the last clause of Neophytus's
speech above, and the reason here immediately following, with the first
paragraph, page 228.

MODERN DIVINITY. 227:

sence and loving favour towards you ; and exempt you from
all outward calamities except in case of trial of your faith and
patience, or the like ; as it was written, 2 Chron. xv. 2, " The
Lord is with you, while ye are with him ; and if ye seek him,
he will be found of you." And so the apostle James says,
James iv. 8, " Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."
And " Oh," says the Lord, " that my people had hearkened unto
me, and Israel had walked in my ways ! he should have fed
them with the finest of the wheat, and with honey out of the
rock should I have satisfied thee," Psalm Ixxxi. 13, 16. And
this may suffice to have shown you what you may hope for,
answerably to your obedience to the law of Christ.

Neo. Then, sir, I pray you, proceed to show what is the
penalty which the law of Christ threatens, and which I am to
fear, if I transgress that law.

Evan. The penalty which the law of Christ threatens to
you, if you transgress the law of Christ, and which you are to
fear, is the want of near and sweet communion with God in
Christ, even in the time of this life, and a liableness to all
temporal afflictions, as fruits and effects of the transgressing
of that law.*

* An awful penalty, if rightly understood, as comprehending all man-
ner of strokes and afflictions on the outward and inner man, called by
our author " temporal and spiritual afflictions on the outward man ;" not
to speak of the reproach, disgrace and contempt, successless labour and
toil, poverty, misery, want, and the like, which the believer is liable to for
his disobedience, as well as others. His sins lay him open to the whole
train of maladies, pains, torments, sores, diseases, and plagues, incident
to sinful flesh ; by which he may become a burden to himself and others.
And these may be inflicted on him, not only by the hand of God, but by
the hand of the devil ; as appears in the case of Job. Yea, and the Loid
may, in virtue of this penalty annexed to his law, pursue the controversy
with the offending believer, even to death ; so that his natural life may go
in the cause of his transgression, 1 Cor. xi. 30, 32. To this may be added
the marks of God's indignation against his sin, set upon his relations ;
witness the disorders, mischiefs, and strokes on David's family, for his
sin in the matter of Uriah, more bitter than death, 2 Sam. xii. 10 — 14 ;
chap. xiii. and xv. In the inner man, by virtue of the same penalty,
he is liable for his transgression, to be deprived of the comfort, sense, ex-
ercise, and some measure of his graces ; of his sense of God's love, his
peace, joy, actual communion with God, and access to him in duties ; to
be brought under desertion, hiding of God's face, withdrawing the light
of the Lord's countenance : and left to walk in darkness, to go mourning
without the sun, agd to cry and shout while the Lord shutteth out his
prayer ; to be thrown into agonies of conscience, pierced with the arrows
of the Almighty in his spirit, compassed about and distracted with the
terrors of God, seized with the fearful apprehensions of God's revenging
wrath against him, and thereby brought unto the brink of absolute

22S THE MARROW OF

Wherefore, whensoever you shall hereafter transgress any
of the ten commandments, you are to know that you have
thereby transgressed the law of Christ, and that the Lord sees
it and is angry with it, with a fatherly anger ; and, if need be,
will chastise you, 1 Pet. i. 6, either with temporal or spiritual
afflictions, or both. And this your heavenly Father will do in
love to you ; either to bring your sins to remembrance, as he
did the sins of Joseph's brethren. Gen. xlii, 21, and as the
widow of Zarephath confesseth concerning herself, 1 Kings
xvii. 18, or else " to purge or take away your sins," according
to that which the Lord says, Isa. xxvii. 9, " By this therefore
shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit,
even the taking away of sin." " For indeed," says Mr. Cul-
verwell, " afflictions, through God's blessing, are made special
means to purge out that sinful corruption which is still in the
nature of believers ; and therefore are they, in Scripture, most
aptly compared to medicines, for so they are indeed to all
God's children, most sovereign medicines to cure all their
spiritual diseases. And indeed we have all of us great need
thereof; for as Luther, on the Galatians, p. 66, truly says,
" We are not yet perfectly righteous ; for whilst we remain

despair. Besides all this, he is liable to the buflfettings of Satan, and horrid
temptations ; and, for the punishment of one sin, to be suffered to fall into
another. And all these may, in virtue of the penalty annexed to the law in the
hand of Christ, meet in the case of the offending believer, together and at once.
Thus, howbeit God no where threatens to cast believers in Christ into hell, yet
he both threatens and often executes the casting of a hell into them, for their
provocations.

Only the revenging wrath and curse of God are no part of the penalty to be-
lievers in Christ, according to the truth and our author. But whether or not
this penalty, as it is without these, leaves the most holy and awful law of the
great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, most base and despicable, the sober-
minded reader will easily judge for himself.

" The one, viz : justification doth equally free all believers from the
revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life." Larger Cat.
q. 77. — "They can never fall from the state of justification, yet they
may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have
the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble them-
selves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repent-
ance." Westra. Confess, chap. xi. art. v. — " They may fall into grievous
sins, and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure,
and grieve his holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces
and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded ; hurt
and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves." lb.
chap. 17. art. 3. — " The threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins
deserve ; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although
freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law." lb. chap. 19. art. 6. See
page 200, note f .

MODERN DIVINITY. 229

in this life, sin dwells still in the flesh, and this remnant of sin
God purgeth." — " Wherefore," says the same Luther in
another place,* " When God hath remitted sins, and received
a man into the bosom of grace, then doth he lay on him all
kind of afflictions, and doth scour and renew him from day to
day." And to the same purpose, Tindal truly says, " If we
look on the flesh, and into the law, there is no man so perfect
that is not found a sinner ; nor no man so pure, that hath not
need to be purged. And thus doth the Lord chastise believers
to heal their natures, by purging out the corruption that re-
mains therein."

And therefore, whensoever you shall hereafter feel the
Lord's chastening hand upon you, let it move you to take the
prophet Jeremiah's counsel, that is, to " search and try your
ways, and turn unto the Lord," Lam. iii. 40, and confess your
sins unto him, saying, with the prodigal, Luke xv. 21, " Fa-
ther, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am
no more worthy to be called thy son ;" and beg pardon and
forgiveness at his hands, as you are taught in the fifth petition
of the Lord's prayer. Matt. vi. 12. Yet do not you crave
pardon and forgiveness at the hands of the Lord, as a male-
factor doth at the hands of a judge, that feareth condemna-
tion and death, as though you had sinned against the law of
works, and therefore feared hell and damnation ; but do you
beg pardon and forgiveness as a child doth at the hands of
his loving father ; as feeling the fruits of his fatherly anger,
in his chastising hand upon you ; and as fearing the continu-
ance and augmentation of the same, if your sin be not both
pardoned and subdued :f and therefore do you also beseech
your loving Father to subdue your iniquities, according to his
promise, Micah vii. 19. And if you find not that the Lord
hath heard your prayers, by your feeling your iniquities sub-
dued,:}: then join with your prayers, fasting and weeping, if
you can ; that so you may be the more seriously humbled
before the Lord, and more fervent in prayer. And this, I
hope, may be sufficient to have showed you what is the penalty
which the law of Christ threatens.

* Chos. Sermons, Serm. Of the Kingdom of God, page 120.

f Mat. vi. 9, 12, " After this manner therefore pray ye : Om* Father which
art in heaven ; forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

J The subduing of sin is the mark of God's hearing prayer lor the pardon of
it ; if cue feels not his iniquity subdued, he cannot find that God hath heard his
prayers for pardon.

20

230 THE MARROW OT

Neo. 0, but, sir, I should think myself a happy man, if I
could be so obedient to the law of Christ, that he might have
no need to inflict this penalty upon me.

Evan. You say very well ; but yet, whilst you carry this
body of sin about you, do the best you can, there will be need
that the Lord should, now and then, give you some fatherly
corrections : but yet, this let me tell you, the more perfect
your obedience is, the fewer lashes you shall have; "for the
Lord doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men,"
Lam. iii. 33. And therefore, according to my former exhor-
tation, and your resolution, be careful to exercise your faith,
and use all means to increase it ; that so it may become eflfec-
tual* working by love. 1 Thess. i. 3 ; Gal. v. 6. For, ac-
cording to the measure of your faith, will be your true love to
Christ and to his commandments ; and according to your love
to them, will be your delight in them, and your aptness and
readiness to do them. And hence it is that Christ himself
says, John xiv. 15, "If ye love me, keep my command-
ments :" and " this is the love of God," says that loving disci-
ple, " that we keep his commandments, and his commandments
are not grievous," 1 John v. 3. Nay, the truth is, if you have
this love in your hearts, it will be grievous unto you, that you
cannot keep them as you would. Oh, if this love do abound
in your heart, it will cause you to say with godly Joseph, in
case you be tempted as he was, " How can I do this great
wickedness, and so sin against God?" How can I do that
which I know will displease so gracious a Father, and so mer-
ciful a Saviour ? No, I will not do it ; no, I cannot do it : no,
you will rather say with the Psalmist, " I delight to do thy
will, O my God! yea, thy law is within my heart," Psalm xl. 8.

Nay, let me tell you more, if this love of God in Christ be
truly, and in any good measure, rooted in your heart ; then,
though the chastising hand of the Lord be not upon you, nay,
though the Lord do no way express any anger towards you,
yet if you but consider the Lord's ways towards you, and your
ways towards him, you will mourn with a gospel-mourning, rea-
soning with yourself after this manner : Was I under the law
of works by nature, and so, for every transgression against any
of the ten commandments, made liable to everlasting damna-
tion ? and am I now, through the free mercy and love of God

* To the producing of boly obedience, acccording to the measure and degree
of it.

MODERN DIVINITY. 231

in Christ, brought under the law of Christ, and so subject to
no other penalty for my transgressions, but fatherly and loving
chastisements, which tend to the purging out of that sinful
corruption that is in me ? Oh what a loving Father is this ! Oh
what a gracious Saviour is this ! Oh what a wretched man am
I, to transgress the laws of such a good God, as he hath been
to me! Oh the due consideration of this will even, as it were,
melt your heart, and cause your eyes to drop with the tears of
godly sorrow ! yea, the due consideration of these things will
cause you to " loathe yourself in your own sight for your trans-
gressions, Ezek. xxxvi. 31, yea, not only to loathe yourself for
them, but also to leave them, saying with Ephraim, " What
have I to do any more with idols?" Hos. xiv. 8. and to "cast
them away as a menstruous cloth, saying unto them, Get ye
hence," Isa, xxx. 22. And truly you will desire nothing
more, than that you might so live, as that you might never sin
against the Lord any more. And this is that "goodness of
God which," as the apostle says, "leadeth to repentance;"
yea, this is that goodness of God which will lead you to a free
obedience. So that if you do but apply the goodness of God
in Christ to your soul, in any good measure, then will you an-
swerably yield obedience to the law of Christ, not only with-
out having respect either to what the law of works either pro-
miseth or threateneth ; but also without having respect to what
the law of Christ either promiseth or threateneth ; you will do
that which the Lord commaudeth, only because he com-
mandeth it, and to the end that you may please him ; and you
will forbear when he forbids, only because he forbids it to the
end that you may not displease him."* And this obedience is

* The author doth here no otherwise exhort the believer to yield free
obedience, without respect to what either the law of works, or the law of
Christ, promises or threatens, than he exhorts him to perfection of obe-
dience, which, in the beginning of this answer, he told him not to be
attainable in this life. And the truth is, neither the one nor the other is
the design of these words. But he had exhorted him before, to use all
means to increase his faith ; and for his encouragement, he tells him here,
that if he by faith applied the goodness of God in Christ to his own soul,
in any good measure, then he would, answerably, yield obedience, with-
out respect to what either the law of works, or the law of Christ promises
or threatens, and only because God commands or forbids. 'I'he freeness
of obedience is of very different degrees ; and believers' obedience is never
absolutely free, till it be absolutely perfect in heaven ; but the freeness
of their obedience will always bear proix)rtion to the measure of their
feiith, which is never perfect in this life ; thus, the more faith, the more
freeness of obedience, and the less faith, the less of that freeness. See page 79,
note*.

232 THE MARROW OF

like unto that which our Saviour exhorts his disciples unto,
Matt. X. 8, saying, " Freely ye have received, freely give."
And this is to " serve the Lord without fear " of any penalty,
which either the law of works or the law of Christ threateneth,
"in holiness and righteousness all the days of your life," ac-
cording to that saying of Zacharias,* Luke i. 74, 75. And
this is to " pass the time of your sojourning here, in fear" of
offending the Lord, by sinning against him : as the apostle Peter
exhorts, 1 Peter i. 17. Yea, and this is to " serve God ac-
ceptably, with reverence and godly fear :" as the author to

"The believer obeys with an angel-like obedience; then the Spirit
seems to exhaust all the commanding awsomness of the law, and supplies
the law's imperious power, with the strength and power of love." Ruther-
ford's Spirit. Antichrist, p. 318. — " The more of the Spirit, because the
Spirit is essentially free, Psalm li. 12 ; 2 Cor. iii. 17, the more freeness ;
and the more freeness, the more renewed will in the obedience ; and the
more renewed will, the less constraint, because freeness exhausteth constraint."
Ibid.

" "When Christ's blood is seen by faith to quiet justice, then the con-
science becomes quiet also, and will not sufifer the heart to entertain the
love of sin, but sets the man on work to fear God for his mercy, and
obey all his commandments, out of love to God, for his free gift of justi-
fication, by grace bestowed upon him ; for ' this is the end of the law '
indeed, whereby it obtaineth of a man more obedience than any other
way." Pract. Use of Sav. Knowledge, tit. The Third Thing Requisite, &c.

fig. 7.

Promises and threatenings are not, by this doctrine, annexed to the
holy law in vain, even with respect to believers ; for the law of God is, in
his infinite wisdom, suited to the state of the creature, to whom it is given :
and therefore, howbeit the believer's eternal happiness is unalterably secured
from the moment of his union with Christ by faith ; yet, since sin dwells
in him still while in this world, the promises of fatherly smiles, and
threatenings of fatherly chastisements, are still necessary. But it is
evident that this necessity is entirely founded on the believer's imperfection ;
as in case of a child under age. And, therefore, although his being influenced
to obedience by the promises and threatenings of the law of Christ, is
not indeed slavish, yet it is plainly childish, not agreeing to the state of
a perfect man, of one come unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ. And, in the state of perfection, he shall yield such free obe-
dience as the angels do in heaven, without being moved thereto by any
promises or threatenings at all : and the nearer he conies in his progress to that
state of perfection, the more will his obedience be of that nature. So
by the doctrine here advanced, the author doth no more disown the necessity
of promises to influence and encourage the believer's obedience, nor say
that he ought not to have regard to promises and threatenings, than one is to
be reckoned to say. that a lame man has no need of, and should not have
regard unto the crutches provided for him : when he only says, That tiie
stronger his limbs grow, he will have less need of them, and will lean the less
on them.

* See the preceding note.

MODERN DIVINITY. 2?3

the Hebrews exhorts, Heb. xii. 28. And thus, my dear friend,
Neophytus, I have endeavoured, according to your desire, to
give you my judgment and direction in these points.

Neo. And truly, sir, you have done it very effectually ; the
Lord enable me to practise according to your direction I

Sect. 12. — Kom. Sir, in this your answer to his question,
you have also answered me, and given me full satisfaction in
divers points, about which my friend Antinomista and I have
had many a wrangling fit. For I used to affirm with tooth
and nail, (as men use to say,) that believers are under the
law, and not delivered from it ; and that they do sin, and that
God sees it, and is angry with them, and doth afflict them for
it, and that, therefore, they ought to humble themselves, and
mourn for their sins, and confess them, and crave pardon for
them ; and yet truly I must confess, 1 did not understand
what I said, nor whereof I affirmed ; and the reason was, be-
cause I did not know the difference betwixt the law, as it is
the law of works, and as it is the law of Christ.

Ant. And believe me, sir, I used to affirm, as earnestly as
he, that believers are delivered from the law, and, therefore,
do not sin ; and, therefore, God can see no sin in them ; and,
therefore, is neither angry with them, nor does afflict them for
sin ; and, therefore, they have no need either to humble them-
selves, or mourn, or confess their sins, or beg pardon for them ;
the which I believing to be true, could not conceive how the
contrary could be true also. But now I plainly see that by
means of your distinguishing betwixt the law, as it is the law
of works, and as it is the law of Christ, there is a truth in
both. And, therefore, friend Nomista, whensoever either you,
or any man else, shall hereafter affirm, that believers are under
the law and do sin ; and God sees it, and is angry with them,
and does chastise them for it ; and that they ought to humble
themselves, mourn, weep, and confess their sins, and beg par-
don for them : if you mean only, as they are under the law of
Christ, I will agree with you, and never contradict you again.

Nom. And truly, friend Antinomista, if either you, or any
man else, shall hereafter affirm, that believers are delivered
from the law, and do not sin, and God sees no sin in them,
nor is angry with them, nor afflicts them for their sins, and
that they have no need either to humble themselves, mourn,
confess, or crave pardon for their sins ; if you mean it only as
they are not under the law of works, I will agree with you, and
never contradict you again.
20*

"234 THE MARROW OP

Evan. I rejoice to hear you speak these words each to other:
and truly, now I am in hope that you two will come back from
both your extremes, and meet my neighbour Neophytus in the
golden mean ; having, as the apostle says, " the same love, be-
ing of one accord, and of one mind."

Nom. Sir, for my own part, I thank the Lord I do now
plainly see, that I have erred exceedingly, in seeking to be jus-
tified, " as it were, by the works of the law."^ And yet could
I never be persuaded to it before this day ; and indeed should
not have been persuaded to it now, had not you so plainly and
fully handled this threefold law. And truly, sir, I do now
unfeignedly desire to renounce myself, and all that ever I have
done, and by faith to adhere only to Jesus Christ ; for now I
see that he is all in all. Oh, that the Lord would enable me so
to do! And I beseech you, sir, pray for me.

Ant. And truly, sir, I must needs confess, that I have erred
as much on the other hand ; for I have been so far from seek-
ing to be justified by the works of the law, that I have neither
regarded law nor works. But now I see mine error ; I purpose,
God willing, to reform it.

Evan. The Lord grant that you may.

Sect. 13. — But how do you, neighbour Neophytus ; for
methinks you look very heavily.

Neo. Truly, sir, I was thinking of that place of Scripture,
where the apostle exhorts us "to examine ourselves whether
we be in the faith or no," 2 Cor. xiii. 5 ; whereby it seems to
me, that a man may think he is in the faith, when he is not.
Therefore, sir, I would gladly hear how I may be sure that I
am in the faith.

Evan. I would not have you to make any question of it, since
you have grounded your faith upon such a firm foundation as
will never fail you ; for the promise of God in Christ is of a
tried truth, and never yet failed any man, nor ever will.f

*This Scriptural phrase is here aptly used, to intimate how men de-
ceive themselves, thinking they are far from seeking to be justified by the
works of the law, because they are convinced they cannot do good works
in the perfection which the law requires : meanwhile, since God is mer-
ciful, and Christ hath died, they look for the pardon of their sins, and
acceptance with God, upon the account of their own works, though attended
with some imperfections : that is, " as it were, by the works of the law," Rom.
ix. 32.

fThis answer proceeds upon taking Neophytus to speak, not of the
grace but of the doctrine of faith ; namely, the foundation of faith, or
ground of believing ; as if he had desired to know whether the founda-
tion of his faith was the true foundation of faith, or not. This is plain

MODERN DIVINITY. 235

Therefore I would have you to close with Christ iu the pro-
mise, without making any question whether you are in the
faith or no ; for there is an assurance which rises from the ex-
ercise of faith by a direct act, and that is, when a man, by
faith, directly lays hold upon Christ, and concludes assurance
from thence.*

Neo. Sir, I know that the foundation whereon I am to
ground my faith remains sure ; and I think I have already
built thereon ; but yet, because I conceive a man may think
he has done so when he has not, therefore, would I fain know
how I may be assured that I have so done ?t

Evan. Well, now I understand you what you mean ; it
seems you do not want a ground for your believing, but for
your believing that you have believed 4

Neo. Yea, indeed, that is the thing I want.

from the two following paragraphs. And upon the supposition that he had
grounded his faith on the promise of the gospel, the tried foundation
of faith, the author tells him, he would not have him make a question of
that, having handled that question already at great length, and answered
all his and Nomista's objections on the head, p. 117 — 119, where Neo-
phytus declared himself satisfied. And there is no inconsistency betwixt
the author's advice in this case given to Neophytus, and the advice given
in the text last cited unto the Corinthians, unreasonably and peevishly
demanding a proof of Christ speaking in the apostle. Whether, with
several judicious critics and commentators, we understand that text con-
cerning the doctrine of faith, as if the apostle put them to try whether
they retained the true doctrine or not ; or, which is the common, and, I
think, the true understanding of it, concerning the grace of faith ; I see
nothing here determining our author's opinion, as to the sense of it ; but
whether he seems here to be against selfexamination, especially after he had
urged that duty on Antinomista, and answered his objections against it, let the
candid reader judge.

* See the note on the Definition of Faith.

" The assurance of Christ's righteousness is a direct act of faith, appre-
hending imputed righteousness : the evidence of our justification we now
speak of, is the reflex light, not by which we are justified, but by which
we know that we are justified." Rutherford's Christ Dying and Drawing,
p. 111. — "We had never a question with Antinomians touching the first
assurance of justification, such as is proper to the light of faith. He
might have spared all his arguments to prove, that we are first assured of
our justification by faith, not iiy good works, for we grant the arguments of
one sort of assurance, which is proper to faith ; and they prove nothing against
another sort of assurance, by signs and eSects, which is also divine." Ibid.
p. 110.

f A good reason why this assurance, in or by the direct act of faith, is to be
tried by marks and signs. There is certainly a persuasion that " cometh not
of him that called us ;" which obliges men to examine their persuasion,
whether it be of the right sort or not.

X This is called assurance by a reflex act.

236 THE MARROW OF

Evan. Why, the next way to find out and know this is to
look back and reflect upon your own heart, and consider what
actions have passed through there ; for indeed this is the be-
nefit that a reasonable soul has, that it is able to return upon
itself, to see what it has done ; which the soul of a beast can-
not do. Consider, then, I pray you, that you have been con-
vinced in your spirit that you are a sinful man, and, therefore,
have feared the Lord's wrath and eternal damnation in hell ;
and you have been convinced that there is no help for you at
all in yourself, by anything that you can do ; and you heard
it plainly proved, that " Jesus Christ alone is an all-suificient
help ; and the free and full promise of God in Christ has been
made so plain and clear to you, that you had nothing to object
why Christ did not belong to you in particular ;* and you
have perceived a willingness in Christ to receive you, and to
embrace you as his beloved spouse ; and you have thereupon
consented and resolved to take Christ, and to give yourself
unto him, whatsoever betides you ; and I am persuaded you
have thereupon felt a secret persuasion in your heart, that God
in Christ doth bear a love to you ;f and answerably your
heart hath been inflamed towards him in love again, manifest-
ing itself in an unfeigned desire to be obedient and subject to
his will in all things, and never to displease him in anything.
Now tell me, I pray you, and truly, whether you have not
found these things in you, as I have said?

Neo. Yea, indeed, I hope I have in some measure.

Evan. Then I tell you truly, you have a sure ground to lay
your believing that you have believed upon ; and, as the apos-
tle John says, " Hereby you may know that you are of the
truth, and may assure your heart thereof before God," 1 John
iii. 19.

Neo. Surely, sir, this I can truly say, that heretofore, when
I have thought upon ray sins, I have conceived of God and
Christ, as of a wrathful judge that would condemn all unright-
eous men to eternal death : and, therefore, when I have thought
upon the day of judgment, and hell torments, I have even
trembled for fear, and have, as it were, even hated God. And
though I have laboured to become righteous, that I might
escape his wrath, yet all that I did, I did it unwillingly. But
since I have heard you make it so plain, that a sinner that sees

* In virtue of the deed of gift amd grant. See the note on the Definition of
Faith, fig. 1.
t See page 144, note f.

MODERN DIVINITY. 237

and feels his sins is to conceive of God, as of a merciful,
loving, and forgiving Father in Christ, that hath commit-
ted all judgment to his Son, who came not to condemn
men but to save them ; methinks I do not now fear his
wrath, but do rather apprehend his love towards me ; where-
upon my heart is inflamed towards him with such love,
that, methinks, I would willingly do or suffer anything that
I knew would please him ; and would rather choose to suffer
any misery than I would do anything that I knew were dis-
pleasing to him.

Evan. "We read in the seventh chapter of Luke's gospel,
that when that sinful yet believing woman did manifest her
faith in Christ by her love to him, in " washing his feet with
her tears, and wiping them with the hairs of her head," verse
38, he said unto Simon the Pharisee, verse 47, "I say unto thee,
her sins, which are many, are forgiven her, for she loved
much;" even so I may say unto you, Nomista, in the same
words concerning our neighbour Neophytus. And to you
yourself, Neophytus, I say, as Christ said unto the woman,
verses 48 — 50, " Thy sins are forgiven thee, thy faith hath
saved thee, go in peace."

Ant. But I pray you, sir, is not this his reflecting upon
himself to find out a ground to lay his believing that he hath
believed upon, a turning back from the covenant of grace to
the covenant of works, and from Christ to himself?

Evan. Indeed, if he should look upon these things in him-
self, and thereon conclude, that because he has done this, God
had accepted of him. and justified him, and will save him, and
so make them the ground of his believing ; this were to
turn back from the covenant of grace to the covenant of
works, and from Christ to himself. But if he look upon these
things in himself, and thereupon conclude, that because
these things are in his heart, Christ dwells there by faith,
and therefore he is accepted of God, and justified, and shall
certainly be saved, and so make them an evidence of his
believing, or the ground of his believing that he has believed;
this is neither to turn back from the covenant of grace to
the covenant of works, nor from Christ to himself. So
that these things in his heart being the daughters of faith, and
the offspring of Christ, though they cannot at first produce,
or bring forth their mother, yet may they in time of need
nourish her.

Sect. 14. — Nom. But, I pray you, sir, are there not other
things besides these,, that he says he finds in himself, that a

238' THE MARROW OF

man may look upon as evidences of his believing, or, as you
call them, as grounds to believe that he has believed ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, there are divers other effects of faith,
which if a man have in him truly, he may look upon them
as evidences that he hath truly believed; and I will name three
of them unto you :

Whereof the first is, when a man truly loves the word of God,
and makes a right use of it ; and this a man does, 1st. when
he hungers and thirsts after the word, as after the food of his
soul, desiring it at all times, even as he does his " appointed *
food," Job xxiii. 12. Secondly, when he desires and delights
to exercise himself therein day and night, that is, constantly,
Psalm i. 2. Thirdly, when he receives the word of God
as the word of God, and not as the word of man, 1 Thess. ii.
13 ; setting his heart, in the time of hearing or reading it,
as in God's presence : and being affected with it, as if the Lord
himself should speak unto him being most affected with that
ministry, or that portion of God's word, which shows him his
sins, and searches out his most secret corruptions ; denying
his own reason and affections : yea, and his profits and plea-
sures, in anything when the Lord shall require it of him.
Fourthly, This a man does, when he makes the word of God
to be his chief comfort in the time of his afflictions ; finding
it, at that time, to be the main stay and solace of his heart,
Psalm cxix. 49, 50.

The second evidence is, when a man truly loves the children
of God, 1 John v. 1 ; that is, all godly and religious persons,
above all other sorts of men ; and that is, when he loves them
not for carnal respects, but for the graces of God which he
sees in them, 2 John i. 2 ; 3 John 1. And when he delights
in their society and company, and makes them his only com-
panions. Psalm cxix. 63, and when his well-doing (to his pow-
er) extends itself to them. Psalm xvi. 3. In being pitiful and
tender-hearted towards them, and in gladly receiving of them,
and communicating to their necessities with a ready mind,
Philem. 7 ; 1 John iii, 17. And when he has not the glo-
rious faith of Christ in " respect of persons," James ii. 1, 2,
but can make himself equal to them of the lower sort, Eom.
xii. 16 ; and when he loves them at all times, even when they
are in adversity, as poverty, disgrace, sickness, or otherwise in
misery.

* So the Margin reads it.

MODERN DIVINITY. 239

The third evidence is, when a man can truly love his ene-
mies, Matt. vi. 14. And that he does, when he can pray
heartily for them, and forgive them their particular tres-
passes against him ; being more grieved for that they have
sinned against God than for that they have wronged him ;
and when he can forbear them, and yet could be revenged of
them, either by bringing shame and misery upon them,
1 Pet. iii. 9 ; Rom. xii. 14 ; and when he strives to overcome
their evil with goodness, being willing to help them, and
relieve them in their misery, and do them any good in soul
or body ; and, lastly, when he can freely and willingly ac-
knowledge his enemy's just praise, even as if he were his dear-
est friend.

Sect. 15. — Neo. But, sir, I pray you, let me ask you one ques-
tion more touching this point ; and that is, suppose that here-
after I should see no outward evidences, and question whether
I had ever any true inward evidences, and so whether ever I
did truly believe or no, what must I do then ?

Evan. Indeed it is possible you may come to such a con-
dition ; and therefore you do well to provide beforehand
for it. Now then, if ever it shall please the Lord to give
you over to such a condition, first, let me warn you to take
heed of forcing and constraining yourself to yield obedience
to God's commandments, to the end you may so get an evi-
dence of faith again, or a ground to lay your believing, that
you have believed, upon ; and so forcibly to hasten your as-
surance before the time :* for although this be not to turn
quite back to the covenant of works, (for that you shall never
do,) yet it is to turn aside towards that covenant, as Abra-
ham did, who, after that he had long waited for the pro-
mised seed, though he was before justified by believing the
free promise, yet, for the more speedy satisfying of his faith,
he turned aside to go in to Hagar, who was, as you have heard,
a type of the covenant of works. So that you see, this is not

* This forcing one's self to yield obedience, which the author warns
Christians against, when they have lost sight of their evidences, and would
fain recover them, is by pressing to yield obedience, without believing, till
once by their obedience they have recovered the evidence of their having
faith. To advise a Christian to beware of taking this course, in this case, is
not to favour laxness, but to guard him against beginning his work at the
wrong end, and so labouring in vain ; for obeying, indeed, must still spring
from believing, since " without fiaith it is impossible to please God," Heb. xi. 6.
And " whatsoever is not of faith, is sin," Rom. xiv. 23. The following advice
seta the matter iu full light.

240 THE MARROW OF

the right way ; but the right way for you, in this case, to get
your assurance again, is, when all other things fail, to look
to Christ ; that is, go to the word and promise, and leave off
and cease awhile to reason about the truth of your faith ; and
set your heart on work to believe, as if you had never yet done
it ; saying in your heart, Well, Satan, suppose my faith has
not been true hitherto, yet now will I begin to endeavour
after true faith ; and therefore, O Lord, here I cast myself
upon thy mercy afresh, for in thee the fatherless find mercy,
Hos. xiv. 3. Thus, I say, hold to the word ; go not away,
but keep you here, and you shall bring forth fruit with pa-
tience,* Luke viii. 15.

Sect. 16. — Neo. Well, sir, you have fully satisfied me con-
cerning that point : but as I remember, it follows in the same
verse, " Know ye not your own selves, how that Christ is in
you, except ye be reprobates ?" 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Wherefore, I
desire to hear how a man may know that Jesus Christ is in
him.

Evan. Why, if Christ be in a man, he lives in him : as says
the apostle, " I live not but Christ liveth in me."

Neo. But how, then, shall a man know, that Christ lives in
him ?

Evan. Why, in what man soever Christ lives according to
the measure of his faith, he executes his threefold office in him,
viz : his prophetical, priestly, and kingly office.

Neo. I desire to hear more of this threefold office of
Christ ; and therefore, I pray you, sir, tell me, first, how a
man may know that Christ executes his prophetical office in
him?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows that
there was a covenant made betwixt God and all mankind in
Adam; and that it was an equal covenant,f and that God's
justice must needs enter,+ upon the breach of it ; and that all
mankind, for that cause, were liable to eternal death and
damnation ; so that if God had condemned all mankind, yet
had it but been the sentence of an equal and just judge, seek-
ing rather the execution of his justice, than man's ruin and
destruction ; and thereupon takes it home, and applies it
particularly to himself. Job v. 27, and so is convinced that he
is a miserable, lost, and helpless man ; I say, so far forth as

* Namely, obedience, whereby you shall recover your evidence,
t See page 12, note *.
X Demanding satisfaction.

MODERN DIVINITY. 241

a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him,
in teaching him, and revealing unto him the covenant of
works. And so far forth as any man hears and knows that
God made a covenant with Abraham, and all his believing
seed in Jesus Christ, offering him freely to all to whom the
sound of the gospel comes, and giving him freely to all that
receive him by faith ; and so justifies them, and saves them
eternally ; and thereupon has his heart opened to receive this
truth, not as a man takes an object or a theological point into
his head, whereby he is only made able to discourse : but as
an habitual and practical point, receiving it into his "heart by
the faith of the gospel," Philip, i. 27, and applying it to him-
self, and laying his eternal state upon it ; and so setting to his
seal, that God is true : I say, so far forth as a man does this,
Christ executes his prophetical office in him, in teaching him
and revealing to him the covenant of grace. And so far forth as
any man hears and knows, that " this is the will of God, even
his sanctification," 1 Thess. iv. 3, and thereupon concludes,
that it is his duty to endeavour after it ; 1 say, so far forth as
a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him,
in teaching and revealing his law to him. And this I hope is
sufficient for answer to your first question.

Neo. I pray you, sir, in the second place, tell me, how a man
may know that Christ executes his priestly office in him ?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows that
Christ has given himself, as that only absolute and perfect
sacrifice for the sins of believers, Heb. ix. 26, and joined them
unto himself by faith, and himself unto them by his Spirit,
and so made them one with him ; and is now " entered into
heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for them," Heb.
ix, 24 ; and hereupon is emboldened to go immediately to*
God in prayer, as to a father, and meet him in Christ, and
present him with Christ himself, as with a sacrifice without
spot or blemish ; I say, so far forth as any man does this,
Christ executes his priestly office in him,

Neo. But sir, would you have a believer to go imme-
diately unto God? How then does Christ make interces-
sion for us at God's right hand, as the apostle says he does ?
Eom. viii, 34.

Evan. It is true indeed, Christ, as a public person, repre-
senting all believers, appears before God his Father ; and

* That is, even unto.
21

242 THE MARROW OF

willeth according to both his natures, and desires as he is a
man, that God would, for his satisfaction's sake, grant unto
them whatsoever " they ask acccording to his wilh" But yet
you must go immediately to God in prayer for all that*

You must not pitch your prayers upon Christ, and termi-
nate them there, as if he were to take them, and present them
to his Father ; but the very presenting place of your prayers
must be God himself in Christ. Neither must you conceive,
as though Christ the Son were more willing to grant your re-
quest than God the Father, for whatsoever Christ willeth, the
same also the Father, being well pleased with him, willeth. In
Christ, therefore, I say, and no where else, must you expect
to have your petitions granted ; and as in Christ and no place
else, so for Christ's sake, and nothing else. And therefore I
beseech you to beware you forget not Christ when you go unto
the Father to beg anything you desire, either for yourself or
others ; especially when you desire to have any pardon for sin,
you are not to think, that when you join with your prayers,
fasting, weeping, and afflicting of yourself, that for so doing
you shall prevail with God to hear you, and grant your peti-
tions ; no, no, you must meet God in Christ, and present him
with his sufferings ; your eye, your mind, and all your confi-
dence, must be therein ; and in that be as confident as possible
you can ; yea, expostulate the matter, as it were, with God the
Father, and say, " Lo ; here is the person that has well deserved
it ; here is the person that wills and desires it ; in whom thou
hast said thou art well pleased ; yea, here is the person that
has paid the debt, and discharged the bond for all my sins ;
and, therefore, O Lord ! now it stands with thy justice to for-
give me." And thus, if you do, why, then you may be as-
sured that Christ executes his priestly ofiice in you.

Neo, I pray you, sir, in the third place, show me how a man
may know that Christ executes his kingly ofl&ce in him ?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows "that
all power is given unto Christ, both in heaven and on earth,"
Matt, xxviii. 18 ; both to vanquish and to overcome all the
lusts and corruptions of believers, and to write his law in
their hearts ; and hereupon takes occasions to go unto Christ
for the doing of both in him ; I say, so far forth as he does
this, why Christ executes his kingly ofiice in him.

* But you yourself were not to come near unto him, nay, we must " come
unto God by Christ," Heb. \ii. 25.

MODERN DIVINITY. 243

Neo. "Why then, sir, it seems that the place where Christ ex-
ecutes his kingly office, is in the hearts of believers ?

Evan. It is true indeed ; for Christ's kingdom is not tem-
poral or secular over the natural lives or civil negotiations of
men ; but his kingdom is spiritual and heavenly, over the souls
of men, to awe and over-rule the hearts, to captivate the affec-
tions, to bring into obedience the thoughts, and to subdue and
pull down strong holds. For when our father Adam trans-
gressed, he and we, all of us, forsook God, and chose the devil
for our lord and king ; so that ever}'- mother's child of us is,
by nature, under the government of Satan ; and he rules over
us, till Christ come into our hearts, and dispossess him ; ac-
cording to the saying of Christ himself, Luke xi. 21, 22,
" When a strongman armed keepeth his palace, his goods are
in peace :" that is, says Calvin, Satan holds them that are in
subjection to him in such bonds and quiet possession, that he
rules over them without resistance ; but when Christ comes to
dwell in any man's heart by faith ; according to the measure
of faith, he dispossesses him, and seats himself in the heart,
and roots out, and pulls down all that withstands his govern-
ment there; and, as a valiant captain, he stands upon his
guard, and enables the soul to gather together all its forces
and powers, to resist and withstand all its and his enemies, and
so set itself in good earnest against them, when they at any
time offer to return again ; and he doth especially enable the
soul to resist, and set itself against the principal enemy, even
that which does most oppose Christ in his government ; so that
whatsoever lust or corruption is in a believer's heart or soul
as most predominant, Christ enables him to take that into his
mind, and to have most revengeful thoughts against it, and to,
make complaints to him against it, and to desire power and
strength from him against it, and all because it most with-
stands the government of Christ, and is the rankest traitor to
Christ ; so that he uses all the means he can to bring it before
the judgment-seat of Christ, and there he calls for justice
against it, saying, " 0 Lord Jesus Christ, here is a rebel and a
traitor, that does withstand thy government in me, wherefore,
I pray thee, come and execute thy kingly office in me, and sub-
due it ; yea, vanquish and overcome it." Whereupon Christ
gives the same answer that he gave to the centurion, " Go thy
way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee,"*
MaU. viii. 13.

* Namely, believed the promise of saiictidcation, Ezek. xxxvi. 27; Micah

244 THE MARROW OP

And as Christ doth thus suppress all other governors but
himself in the heart of a believer, so doth he raze out and de-
face all other laws, and writes his own there, according to
his promise, Jer. xxxi. 33, and makes them pliable and willing
to do and suffer his will ; and that because it is his will. So
that the mind and will of Christ, laid down in his word, and
manifested in his works, is not only the rule of a believer's
obedience, bat also the reason of it, as I once heard a godly
minister say in the pulpit ; so that he does not only do that
which is Christ's will, but he does it because it is his will.

Oh that man, which hath the law of Christ written in his
heart ! according to the measure of it, he reads, he hears, he
prays, he receives the sacrament, he keeps the Lord's day holy,
he exhorts, he instructs, he confers, and does all the duties
that belong to him in his general calling, because he knows it
is the mind and will of Christ he should do so ! yea, he pa-
tiently suffers, and willingly undergoes afflictions for the cause
of Christ, because he knows it is the will of Christ ; yea, such
a man does not only yield obedience, and perform the duties
of the first table of the law, by virtue of Christ's command, but
of the second also. Oh that husband, parent, master, or ma-
gistrate, that has the law of Christ written in his heart ! he
does his duty to his wife, child, servant, or subject, willingly
and uprightly, because Christ requires it and commands it.
And so that wife, child, servant, or subject, that has the law of
Christ written in his or her heart, they do their duties to hus-
band, parent, master, or governor, freely and cheerfully, be-
cause their Lord Christ commands it. Now, then, if you find
these things in your heart, you may conclude that Christ rules
and reigns there, as Lord and King.

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE heart's HAPPINESS, OR SOUL'S REST.

Sect. 1. No rest for the soul till it come to God. — 2. How the soul is kept
from rest in God. — 3. God in Christ the only true rest for the soul.

Sect. 1. — Neo. Sir, be pleased to give me leave to tell you
some part of my mind, and then I will cease to trouble you

vii. 19, which belief brings always along with it the use of the means, that are
of divine institution, for that end.

MODERN DIVINITY. 24S

any more at this time. The truth is, I have, ever since I
could remember, felt a kind of restless discontentedness in my
spirit, and for many years together, I fed myself with hopes
of finding rest and content in persons and things here below,
scarce thinking of the state and condition of my soul, or of any
condition beyond this life, until, as I told you before, the Lord
was pleased to visit me with a fit of sickness ; and then I began
to bethink myself of death, judgment, hell, and heaven, and to
take care and seek rest for my soul, as well as for my body ;
but, alas ! I could never find rest for it before this day ; be-
cause, indeed, I sought it not by faith, but, as it were, by the
works of the law; or, in plain terms, because I sought it not in
Christ but in myself. But now, I bless God, I see that Christ
is all in all ; and therefore, by the grace of God, I am resolved
no longer to seek rest and content, neither in any earthly
thing, nor in mine own righteousness, but only in the free
love and favour of God, as he is in his Son Jesus Christ ;
and, God willing, there shall be my soul's rest. And I be-
seech you, sir, pray for me, that it may be so ; and I have
done.

Evan. This point, concerning the heart's happiness, or
soul's rest, is a point very needful for us to know ; and indeed,
it is a point that I have formerly thought upon ; and therefore,
though my occasions do now begin to call me away from you,
yet, nevertheless, since you have begun to speak of it, I shall,
if you please, proceed on, if you shall, or any of you, give
occasion, and as the Lord shall enable me.

Ant. With a very good will, sir ; for indeed it is a point
that I much desire to hear of.

Evan. First, then, I would entreat you to consider with
me, that when God at first gave man an elementish body,* he
did also infuse into him an immortal soul of a spiritual sub-
stance ; and though he gave his soul a local being in his body,
yet he gave it a spiritual well-being in himself; so that the
soul was in the body by location and at rest in God by union
and communication ; and this being of the soul in God at first
was man's true being, and his true happiness. Now man
falling from God, God in his justice left man, so that the actual
union and communion that the soul of man had with God at
first is broken oft"; God and man's soul are parted; and it is

* That is an elementary body, made np, as it were, of tlic fmir elements, as
they are called, namely, fire, air, oarth, and water.
21 *

246 THE MARROW OF

in a restless condition. Howbeit, the Lord having seated in
man's soul a certain character of himself, the soul is thereby
made to re-aspire towards that summum honum, that chief
good, even God himself, and can find rest no where, till it
come to him*

Nom. But stay, sir, I pray you ; how can it be said that
man's soul doth re-aspire towards God the Creator, when it is
evident that every man's soul naturally is bent towards the
creature, to seek a rest there ?

Evan. For answer hereunto I pray you consider, that na-
turally man's understanding is dark and blind ; and therefore
is ignorant what his own soul does desire and strongly aspire
unto. It knoweth, indeed, that there is a want in the soul ;
but till it be enlightened, it knoweth not what it is which the
soul wanteth. For, indeed, the case standeth with the soul as
with a child new born, which child, by natural instinct, doth
gape and cry for nutriment ; yea, for such nutriment as may
agree with its tender condition; and if the nurse, through ne-
gligence or ignorance, either give it no meat at all, or else such
as it is not capable of receiving, the child refuses it, and still
cries, in strength of desire, after the breast ; yet does not the
child, in this estate, know by any intellectual power and un-
derstanding what itself desires. Even so man's poor soul doth
cry to God as for its proper nourishment ;t but his under-

* The soul of man has a natural desire of happiness : nothing can make
it happy but what is commensurable to its desires, or capable of affording
it a full satisfaction. Nothing less than an infinite good is such : and
God himself only is an infinite good, in the enjoyment of which the soul
can rest, as fully satisfied, desiring no more. Now, since by reason of
the vast capacity of the soul, nothing but God himself can indeed satisfy
this its desire of happiness, the which is so woven into the very nature
of the soul, that nothing but the destruction of the very being of the soul
can remove it ; it is evident, that it is impossible the soul of man can
ever find true rest, until it return to God, and take up its rest with him ;
but must still be in quest of, or desiring its chief good and happiness,
wherein it may rest, and this in reality is God himself only; though the
practical understanding being blinded, knows not that, and the per-
verse will and affections carry away the soul from him, seeking the de-
sired good and happiness in other things. This is what the author calla
the soul's re-aspiring towards the chief good, even God himself; and it
is so consistent with the total depravation of man's nature, that it will
remain for ever in the damned in hell ; a chief part of whose misery will
lie in that this desire shall ever be rampant in them, but never in the
least satisfied ; tliey shall never be freed from this scorching thirst there, nor
yet get a drop of water to cool the tongue.

t Man's poor soul, before it is enlightened, naturally cries to God, as
the" young ravens cry to him," Job xxxviii. 41, not knowing to whom:

MODERN DIVINITY. 247

standing, like a blind, ignorant nurse, not knowing what it cries
for, offers to the heart a creature instead of a Creator ; thus,
by reason of the blindness of the understanding, together with
the corruption of the will, and disorder of the affections, man's
soul is kept by violence* from its proper centre, even God
himself.

Sect. 2. — Oh, how many souls are there in the world that
are hindered, if not quite kept, from rest in God, by reason
that their blind understanding presents unto their sensual ap-
petites varieties of sensual objects !

Is there not many a luxurious person's soul hindered, if not
quite kept, from true rest in God, by that beauty which nature
hath placed in feminine faces,f especially when Satan secretly
suggests into such feminine hearts a desire of an artificial
dressing, from the head to the foot ; yea, and sometimes paint-
ing the face, like their mother Jezebel ?

And is there not many a voluptuous epicure's soul hin-
dered, if not quite kept, from rest in God, by beholding the
colour, and tasting the sweetness of dainty delicate dishes, his
wine red in the cup and his beer of amber colour in the glass?
In the Scripture we read of a " certain man that fared deli-
ciously every day," as if there had been no more than one so
ill disposed ; but in our times, there are certain hundreds, both
of men and women, that do not only fare deliciously, but vo-
luptuously, twice every day, if not more.

And is there not many a proud person's soul hindered, if
not quite kept, from rest in God, by the harmonious sound of
popular praise which, like a loadstone, draws the vain-glorious
heart to hunt so much the more eagerly, to augment the echo
of such vain windy reputation ?

And is there not many a covetous person's soul hindered, if
not quite kept, from rest in God, by the cry of great abund-
ance, the words of wealth, and the glory of gain ?

And is there not many a musical mind hindered, if not

and it cries for him as its proper nourishment, as the new-born infant for the
breast, not knowing for what. Only it feels a want, desires supply proper for
filling it up, and can never get kindly rest till it be supplied accordingly, that
is, till it come to the enjoyment of God : then it rests, as the infant set to the
full breast. Isa. Ixvi. 11, " That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts
of her consolations."

* Namely, violence done to its natural make and constitution (if I may so
express it) by the blindness, corruption, and disorder, that have seized its
faculties.

f That is, women's faces.

^4S THE MAEROW OF

quite kept, from sweet comfort in God, by tbe harmony of
artificial concord upon musical instruments ?

And how many perfumed fools are there in the world, who,
by smelling their sweet apparel, and their sweet nosegays, are
kept from soul sweetness in Christ? And thus does Satan,
like a cunning fisher, bait his hook with a sensual object, to
catch men with : and having gotten it into their jaws, he
draws them up and down in sensual contentments, till he has
so drowned them therein, that the peace and rest of their souls
in God is almost forgotten. And hence it is that the greatest
part of man's life, and in many their whole life, is spent in
seeking satisfaction to the sensual appetite.

Nom. Indeed, sir, this which you have said, we may see
truly verified in many men, who spend their days about these
vanities, and will afibrd no time for religious exercises ; no, not
upon the Lord's-day, by their good will.

Evan. You say the truth ; and yet let me tell you withal,
that a man by the power of natural conscience, may be forced
to confess that his hopes of happiness are in God alone, and
not in these things ; yea, and to forsake profits and pleasures,
and all sensual objects, as unable to give his soul any true con-
tentment, and fall to the performance of religious exercises,
and yet rest there, and never come to God for rest. And if
we consider it, either in the rude multitude of sensual livers,
or in the more seemingly religious, we shall perceive that the
religious exercises of men do strongly deceive, and strangely
delude many men of their heart's happiness in God.

For the first sort,* though they be such as make their belly
their best god, and do no sacrifice but to Bacchus, Apollo, or
Yenus ;f though their conscience do accuse them that these
things are naught, yet in that they have the name of Chris-
tians put upon them in their baptism, and forasmuch as they
do often repeat the Lord's prayer, the apostles' creed, and the
ten commandments, and in that, it may be, they have lately
accustomed themselves to go to church, to hear divine service,
and a preaching now and then, and in that they have divers
times received the sacrament ; they will not be persuaded but
that God is well pleased with them ; and a man may as well
persuade them that they are not men and women, as that they
are not in a good condition.

* Namely, sensual livers, who yet perform religious exercises,
t That is, give up themselves to drunkenness, music, and lascivious-
nees.

MODERN DIVINITY. 249

And for the second sort,* that ordinarily have more human
wisdom and human learning than the former sort, and seem to
be more holy and devout than the former sort of sensual igno-
rant people ; yet how many are there of this sort, that never
pass further than the outward court of bodily performances :
feeding and feasting themselves, as men in a dream ; supposing
themselves to have all things, and yet indeed have nothing but
only a bladderfull, or rather a brain full, of wind and worldly
conceptions ?

Are there not some who give themselves to more special
searching and seeking out for knowledge in Scripture leamed-
ness and clerk-like skill, in this art, and that language, till
they come to be able to repeat all the historical places in the
Bible ; yea, and all those texts of Scripture that they conceive
do make for some private opinion of theirs concerning cere-
monies, church-government, or other such circumstantial points
of religion, touching which points they are very able to reason
and dispute, and to put forth such curious questions as are not
easily answered ?

Are not some of these menf called sect-makers, and be-
getters or devisers of new opinions in religion ; especially in
the matter of worshipping God, as they use to call it, wherein
they find a beginning, but hardly an end ? For this religious
knowledge is so variable, through the multiplicity of curious
wits and contentious spirits, that the life of man may seem too
short to take a full view of this variety ; for though all sects
say they will be guided by the word of truth, and all seem to
bring Scripture, which, indeed, is but one, as God is but one ;
yet, by reason of their several constructions and interpretations
of Scripture, and conceits of their own human wisdom, they
are many.

And are there not others of this sort of men that are ready
to embrace any new way of worship, especially if it come under
the cloak of Scripture learning, and have a show of truth,
founded upon the letter of the Bible, and seem to be more
zealous and devout than the former way ? especially if the
teacher of that new way can but frame a sad and demure coun-
tenance, and with a grace lift up his head and his eyes towards
heaven, with some strong groan, in declaring of his newly

* Namely, the more seemingly religious.

f Namely, of those spoken of in the paragraph immediately preceding, whom
he begins to distribute here into three classes or sorts ; all belonging to the
Becond sort, viz : the more seemingly religious.

250 THE MAHROW OF

conceived opinion ; and that he frequently use this phrase of —
the glory of Ood! Oh, then, these men are, by-and-by, of
another opinion ! supposing to themselves that God has made
known some further truth to them ; for by reason of the blind-
ness of their understanding, they are not able to reach any
supernatural truth, although they do, by literal learning, and
clerk-like cunning, dive ever so deep into the Scriptures ; and
therefore they are ready to entertain any form of religious ex-
ercises, as shall be suggested unto them.

And are there not a third sort, much like to these men,
that are excessive and mutable in the performance of religious
exercises ? Surely St. Paul perceived that this was the very
God of some men in his time, and therefore he willeth Timothy
to instruct others, that "bodily exercise profiteth little," or,
as some read it, " nothing at all ;" and doth oppose thereunto
"godliness," as being another thing than "bodily exercise,"
and says that it " is profitable," &c.

And do not you think that there are some men at this day
that know none other good than bodily exercise, and can
hardly distinguish betwixt it and godliness ? Now these bodily
exercises are mutable and variable, according to their conceits
and opinions ; for all sects have their several services, as they
call them, yet all bodily, and for the most part, only bodily ;
the which they perform to establish a rest to their souls, be-
cause they want rest in God. And hence it is that their peace
and rest are up and down, according to their working better or
worse. So many chapters must be read, and so many ser-
mons must be heard, and so many times they must pray in one
day, and so many days in the week, or in the year, they
must fast, &c., or else their souls can have no rest. But mis-
take me not, I pray, in imagining that I speak against the
doing of these things, for I do them all myself, but against
resting in the doing of them, the which I desire not to do.

And thus you see that men's blind understanding doth not
only present unto the sensual appetite sensual objects, but also
to the rational appetite rational objects ; so that man's poor
soul is not only kept from rest in God by means of sensuality,
but also by means of formality. If Satan cannot keep us from
rest in God by feeding our senses with our mother Eve's apple,
then he attempts to do it by blinding our eyes, and so hinder-
ing us from seeing the paths of the gospel. If he cannot keep
us in Egypt by the flesh-pots of sensuality, then will he make
US wander in the wilderness of religious and rational formality :

MODERN DIVINITY. 251

SO that if he cannot hinder us more grossly, then he attempts
to do it more closely.

Nom. But sir, I am persuaded that there be many men that
are so religiously exercised, and do perform such duties as you
have mentioned, and yet rest not in them but in God.

Evan. Questionless there be some Christians that look upon
such exercises as means ordained of God both to beget and
increase faith, and all other graces of his Spirit, in the hearts
of his people ; and therefore, to the intent that their faith, and
love, and other graces, may increase, they are careful to wait
upon God, in taking all convenient opportunities to exercise
themselves therein, and yet have their soul's rest in God, and
not in such exercises.

But, alas ! I fear the number of such men is very few,
in comparison of them that do otherwise. For do not the
most part of men that are so religiously exercised, rather con-
ceive, that as they have offended and displeased God by their
former disobedience, so they must pacify and appease him by
their future obedience ? And therefore they are careful to
exercise themselves in this way of duty, and that way of wor-
ship, and all to that end ; yea, and they conceiving that they
have corrupted and defiled, and polluted themselves, by their
falling into sin, they must also purge, cleanse, and purify them-
selves, by rising out of sin, and walking in new obedience:*
and so all the good they do, and all the evil they eschew, is to
pacify God, and appease their own consciences. And if they
seek rest to their souls this way, why, it is the way of the co-
venant of works, where they shall never be able to reach God ;
nay, it is the way to come to God out of Christ, where they
shall never be able to come near him, he being a " consuming
fire."

Nom. But, sir, I pray you, would you not have our senses
to be any longer exercised about any of their objects ? would
you have us no longer to take comfort in the good things of
this life ?

Evan. I pray you, do not mistake me ; I do not speak as
though I would have you stoically to refuse the lawful use of
any of the Lord's good creatures, which he shall be pleased to

* Neglecting to wash, by faith, in the blood of Christ, the " Fountain opened
for sin, and for uncleanness," Zech. xiii. 1. — " The blood of Jesus Christ, his
Son, cleanseth us from all siu," 1 John i. 17. — "How much more shall the

blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works ?" Heb. ix. 14.

" Purifying their hearts by faith," Acts xv. 9.

252 THE MARROW OP

afford you, neither do I prohibit you from all comfort therein ;
but this is it which I do desire, namely, that you would endea-
vour to attain to such a peace, rest, and content in God, as he
is in Christ, that the violent cry of your heart may be re-
strained, and that your appetites may not be so forcible, nor so
unruly as they are naturally, but that the unruliness thereof may
be brought into a very comely decorum and order : so that your
sensual appetites may, with much more easiness and content-
edness, be denied the objects of their desires, yea, and con-
tented (if occasion be) with that which is most repugnant to
them, as with hunger, cold, nakedness, yea, and with death it-
self. For such is the wonderful working of the heart's quiet and
rest in God, that although a man's senses be still exercised in
and upon their proper objects, yet may it be truly said, that
such a man's life is not sensual. For indeed his heart taketh
little contentment in any such exercises, it being for the most
part exercised in a more transcendent communion with God, aa
he is in Christ. So that indeed the man that has this peace and
rest in God may be truly said to " use this world as though he
used it not," in that he receives no cordial contentment from
any sensual exercise whatsoever, and that because his heart is
withdrawn from them. Which withdrawing of the heart is not
unaptly pointed at, in the speech of the spouse. Cant. v. 2, " I
sleep," says she, "but my heart waketh." Even so may it be
said, that such a man is sleeping, looking, hearing, tasting,
smelling, eating, drinking, feasting, &c., but his heart is with-
drawn from the creature, and rejoicing in God his Saviour,
and his soul is magnifying his Lord ; so that in the midst of
all sensual delights, his heart secretly says, Aye, but my happi-
ness is not here.

Nom. But, sir, I pray you, why do you call rational and re-
ligious exercises a wilderness ?

Evan. For two reasons ; first, Because that as the children
of Israel, when they were got out of Egypt, did yet wander
many years in the wilderness, before they came into the land
of Canaan ; even so do many men wander long in rational and
religious exercises, after they have left a sensual life, before
they come to rest in God, whereof the land of Canaan was a
type.*

_ * Such a wanderer our author himself had been for a dozen of years. See
his Preface, and compare that heavy word, Eccl. x. 15, " The labour of the
foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the
city."

MODERN DIVINITY. 25$

Secondly^ Because, as in a wilderness men often lose them-
selves, and can find no way out, but supposing, after long
travel, that they are nearer the place whither they would go,
are in truth, farther off ; even so fai-eth it with many, yea, with
all such as walk in the way of reason ;* they lose themselves
in the woods and bushes of their works and doings ; so that
the longer they travel, the farther they are from God, and
true rest in him.

Nom. But, sir, you know that the Lord hath endowed us
with reasonable souls ; would you not then have us to make
use of our reason ?

Evan. I pray you, do not mistake me : I do not contemn
nor despise the use of reason ; only I would not have you to
establish it tof the chief good ; but I would have you to keep
it under ; so that, if with Hagar, it attempt to bear rule, and
lord it over your faith, then would I have you, in the wisdom
of God, like Sarah, to cast it out from having dominion.
In few words, I would have you more strong in desire than
curious in speculation, and to long more to feel communion
with God than to be able to dispute of the genus or species of
any question, either human or divine ; and press hard to know
God by powerful experience. And though your knowledge
be great, and your obedience surpassing many, yet would I
have you to be truly nullified, annihilated, and made nothing,
and become fools in all fleshly wisdom ; and glory in nothing,
but only in the Lord.:}: And I would have you, with the eye
of faith, sweetly to behold all things extracted out of one
thing ; and in one to see all,§ In a word, I would have in
you a most profound silence, contemning all curious questions
and discourses ; and to ponder much in your heart, but prate
little with your tongue. " Be swift to hear," but " slow to
speak," and " slow to wrath," as the apostle James advises
you, James i. 19 ; and by this means will your reason be sub-
dued, and become one with your faith, for then is reason one

* Namely, of reason, as the judge and rule in religion. The holy Scrip
ture is the rule, and the Spirit of God therein speaking is the judge ; it ia
the business of our reason to discern what they teach, and to submit thereto
without reserve.

t That is, for, or to be.

X 2 Cor. xii. 11, " Though I be nothing."— 1 Cor. iii. 18, " Let him be-
come a fool, that he may be wise." — Chap. i. 31, " He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord."

I According to that saying of our Lord, Matt. xix. 17, " There is none good
but one, that is God."
22

254 THE MAKROW OF

witli faith, when it is subjugated unto faith ; and tnen will
reason keep its true lists and limits, and you will become ten
times more reasonable than you were before. So that I hope
you now see that the heart's farewell from the sensual and ra-
tional life is not to be considered absolutely, but respectively ;
it does not consist in a going out of either, but in a right use
of both.

Sect. 3. — Nom. Then, sir, it seems to me, that God in
Christ, apprehended by faith, is the only true rest for man's
soul.

Evan. There is the true rest indeed ; there is the rest which
David invites his soul unto, when he says, " Return unto thy
rest, O my soul ! for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with
thee," Psalm cxvi. 7. — " For we which have believed," says
the author to the Hebrews, " have entered into his rest,"*
Heb. iv. 3. — And " Come unto me," says Christ, " all ye that
labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,"f Matt.

* " Do enter into rest," or that rest, viz : " his rest." He means, that we
even now enter into that rest by faith. Compare verse 10.

t This is one of the most solemn gospel offers to be found in all the
New Testament ; and our author seems here to point at what I conceive
to be the true and genuine sense of it. The words " labour and heavy
laden," do not restrict the invitation and offer to such as are sensible
of their sins, and longing to be rid of them, though indeed none but such
will really accept ; but they denote the restlessness of the sinful soul of
man ; a qualification (if it is so called) to be found in all that are out of
Christ, whether they have, or have not, any notable law work on their
consciences.

I say notable, to distinguish it from that which is common to all men,
even to heathens, Rom. xi. 15. Our father Adam led his whole family
away out of their rest in God ; and so left them with a conscience full of
guilt, and a heart full of unsatisfied desires. Hence his children soon
find themselves like the horse-leech, having " two daughters, crying. Give,
give ;" namely, a restless conscience, and a restless heart ; and to each of
these the poor soul must needs say, as Naomi said to Ruth, " My daughter,
shall I not seek rest for thee ?" so the blinded soul falls a labouring for
rest to them. And it labours in the barren region of the fiery law for a
rest to the conscience, and in the empty creation, for a rest to the heart :
but, after all, the conscience is still heavy laden with guilt, whether it
has any lively feeling thereof, or not ; and the heart is still under a load
of unsatisfied desires ; so neither the one nor the other can find rest indeed.
This is the natural case of all men. And to souls thus labouring, and
laden, Jesus Christ here calls, that they may " come to him, and he will
give them rest ;" namely, a rest for their consciences, under the covert
of his blood ; and a rest to their hearts, in the enjoyment of God through
bim.

This is most agreeable to the Scripture phraseology, Eccl. x. 15, " The
labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knows not

MODERN DIVINITY. 255

xi. 28. And truiy, my neighbours and friends, believe it, we
shall never find a heart's happiness, and true soul's rest, until
we find it here. For howsoever a man may think, if he had
this man's wit, and that man's wealth, this man's honour and
that man's pleasure, this wife, or that husband, such children,
and such servants, his heart would be satisfied, and his soul
would be contented ; yet which of us hath not, by our own
experience, found the contrary ? For, not long after that we
have obtained the thing we did so much desire, and wherein
we promised ourselves so much happiness, rest, and content,
we have found nothing but vanity and emptiness in it. Let a
man but deal plainly with his own heart, and he shall find,
that, notwithstanding he hath many things, yet there is ever
one thing wanting : for indeed man's soul cannot be satisfied
with any creature, no, not with a world of creatures. And
the reason is, because the desires of man's soul are infinite,
according to that infinite goodness which it once lost in losing
God. Yea, and man's soul is a spirit ; and therefore cannot
communicate with any corporal thing ; so that all creatures,
not being that infinite and spiritual fulness which our hearts
have lost, and towards the which they do still re-aspire ; they
cannot give it full contentment.

Nay, let me say more ; howsoever a man may, in the midst
of his sensual fulness, be convinced in his conscience that he
is at enmity with God, and therefore in danger of his wrath
and eternal damnation ; and be thereupon moved to reform
his life and amend his ways, and endeavour to seek peace and
rest to his soul ; yet this being in the way of works, it is im-
possible that he should find it ; for his conscience will ever be
accusing him, that this good duty he ought to have done, and
has not done it ; and this evil he ought to have forborne, and
yet he has done it ; and in the performance of this duty he
was remiss, and in that duty very defective ; and many such
ways will his soul be disquieted.

But when a man once comes to believe, that all his sins

how to go to the city." — Hab. ii. 13, "The people shall labour in the very
fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity." — Isa. Iv. 2,
" Wherefore do ye spend your labour for that which satisfieth not ?" See page
143, note *. The prophet laments over a people more insensible than the ox or
the ass, saying, " Ah, sinful nation! a people laden with iniquity,"Isa, i. 3,4.
And the apostle speaks of " silly women laden with sins, led away with divers
lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth," 2
Tira. iii. 6, 7.

256 THE MARROW OF

both past, present, and to come, are freely and fully pardoned *
and God in Christ graciously reconciled unto him, the Lord
doth thereupon so reveal his fatherly face unto him in Christ,
and so make known that incredible union betwixt him and the
believing soul, that his heart becomes quietly contented in
God, who is the proper element of its being; for hereupon
there comes into the soul such peace, flowing from the God of
peace, that it fills the emptiness of his soul with true fulness,
in the fulness of God, so that now the heart ceases to molest
the understanding and reason, in seeking either variety of ob-
jects, or augmentation of degrees, in any comprehensible
thing ; and that because the restless longing of the mind which
did before cause unquietness and disorder, both in the variety
of mental projects, and also in the sensual and beastly exercises
of the corporal and external members, is satisfied and truly
quieted. For when a man's heart is at peace in God, and
is become truly full in that peace and joy passing understand-
ing, then the devil hath not that hope to prevail against his
soul as he had before ; he knows right well that it is in vain
to bait his hook with profits, pleasures, honour, or any other
such like seeming good, to catch such a soul that is thus at
quiet in God ; for he hath all fulness in God, and what can
be added to fulness but it runneth over ? Indeed, empty
hearts, like empty hogsheads, are fit to receive any matter
which shall be put into them ; but the heart of the believer
being filled with joy and peace in believing, doth abhor all such
base allurements ; for that it hath no room in itself to receive
any such seeming contentments. So that, to speak as the
truth is, there is nothing that doth truly and unfeignedly root
wickedness out of the heart of man, but only the true tran-
quillity of the mind, or the rest of the soul in God. And, to
say as the thing is, this is such a peace, and such a rest to the
creature in the Creator, that, according to the measure of its
establishment by faith, no created comprehensible thing can
either add to it, or detract from it ; the increase of a kingdom
cannot augment it, the greatest losses and crosses in worldly
things cannot diminish it ; a believer's good works do all flow
from it, and ought not to return to it ;t neither ought human

* Namely, in respect of the guilt of eternal wrath. See page 104, note *
t Namely, to be any part of the fomitain of it, for the time to come : as the
rivers return unto the sea, whence they came, making a part of the store for
their own fresh supply ; nay, it is the Lord alone that gives and maintains it, as
our author afterwards expresses it.

MODERN DIVINITY. 257

frailties to molest it.* However, this is most certain, neither
sin nor Satan, law nor conscience, hell nor grave, can quite
extinguish it ; for it is the Lord alone that gives and maintains
it. *' Whom have I in heaven but thee ?" says David, " and
there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." Psalm
Ixxiii. 25. It is the pleasant face of God in Christ that puts
gladness into his heart, Psalm iv. 7. And when that face is
hid, then he is troubled. Psalm xxx. 7. But, to speak more
plainly, though the peace and joy of true believers may be
extenuated or diminished, yet doth the testimony of their
being in nature f remain so strong, that they could skill to say,
yea, even when they have felt God to be withdrawing himself
from them, — " My God ! my God ! why hast thou forsaken me?"
Psalm xxii. 1 ; yea, and in the night of God's absence to re-
main confident, that though sorrow be over night, yet joy will
come in the morning. Psalm xxx. 5; nay, though the Lord
should seem to kill them with unkindness, " yet they will put
their trust in him," Job xiii. 15 ; knowing that for all this
" their Redeemer liveth," Job xix. 25 ; so strong is " the joy of
their Lord," Nehem. viii. 10. These are the people that are
kept in perfect peace, because their minds are stayed in the
Lord, Isa. xxvi. 3.

Wherefore, my dear friends and loving neighbours, I be-
seech you to take heed of deeming any estate happy, until you
come to find this true peace and rest to your souls in God. Oh,
beware, lest any of you do content yourselves with a peace
rather of speculation than of power ! Oh, be not satisfied with
such a peace as consists either in the act of oblivion or neglect
of examination ! nor yet in any brain-sick supposition of
knowledge, theological or divine ; and so frame rational con-
clusions, to protract time and still the cries of an accusing con-
science. But let your hearts take their last farewell of false
felicities, wherewith they have been, all of them, more or less,
detained and kept from their true rest. Oh, be strong in reso-
lution ! and bid them all farewell ; for what have your souls
to do any longer among these gross, thick, and bodily things

* For these we are never free from in this life. And true repentance, and
gospel mourning for sin, are so consistent with it, that they flow from it, accord-
ing to the measure thereof. Psahii Ixv. 3, " Iniquities prevail against me ^
as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away." — Zech. xii.
10, "They shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and they shall
mourn." -

fThat is, the evidence, that they (viz : the peace and joy of believers) are
still in being {in renim natuni) aud not quite extinct.
22*

258 THE MARROW OF

here below, that you should set your love upon them, or see
happiness in them ? your souls are of a higher and purer na-
ture ; and therefore their well-being must be sought in some-
thing that is higher and purer than they, even in God him-
self.

True it is, that we are all of us, indeed, too unclean to
touch God in immediate unity ; but yet there is a pure coun-
terpart of our natures,* and that pure humanity is immediately
knit to the purest Deity ; and by that immediate union you
may come to a mediate union ; for the Deity and that human-
ity being united, make one Saviour, head, and husband
of souls. And so you being married to him, that is, God in
him, you come also to be one with God : he one by a personal
union, and you one by a mystical. Clear up then your eye,
and fix it on him, as on the fairest of men, the perfection of a
spiritual beauty, the treasure of heavenly joy, the true object
of most fervent love. Let your spirits look, and long, and seek
after this Lord : let your souls cleave to him, let them hang
about him, and never leave him, till he be brought into the
chambers of your souls ; yea, tell him resolutely, you will not
leave him, till you hear his voice in your souls, saying,
" My well-beloved is mine, and I am his ;" yea, and tell him,
you are " sick of love." Let your souls go, as it were, out
of your bodies and out of the world, by heavenly contem-
plations ; and treading upon the earth with the bottom of your
feet, stretch your souls up, to look over the world, into that
upper world, where her treasure is,t and where her beloved
dwelleth.

And when any of your souls shall thus forget her own
people, and her father's house, Christ her King shall so desire
her beauty. Psalm xlv. 10, 11, and be so much in love with
her, that, like a loadstone, this love of his shall draw the soul
in pure desire to him again ; and then, " as the hart panteth
after the rivers of waters, so will your soul pant after God,"
Psalm xlii. 1.

And then, according to the measure of your faith, your souls
shall come to have a real rest in God, and be filled with joy
unspeakable and glorious.

Wherefore, 1 beseech you, set your mouths to this fountain
Christ, and so shall your souls be filled with the water of life,
with the oil of gladness, and with the new wine of the king-

* Namely, the pure and spotless human nature of Christ,
f Your soul's.

MODERN DIVINITY. * 259.

dom of God ; from him you sliall have weigTitj joys, sweet
embracemeuts, and ravishing consolations. And how can it
be otherwise, when your souls shall really communicate with
God, and by faith have a true taste, and by the spirit have a
sure earnest of all heavenly preferments ; having, as it were,
one foot in heaven, whilst you live upon earth ? Oh then, what
an eucharistical love* will arise from your thankful hearts,
extending itself first towards God, and then towards man for
God's sake ! and then, according to the measure of your faith,
will be your willing obedience to God, and also to man for
God's sake ; for obedience being the kindly fruit of love, a
loving soul bringeth forth this fruit as kindly as a good tree
bringeth forth her fruit ; for the soul, having tasted Christ in
a heavenly communion, so loves him, that to please him is a
pleasure and delight to herself: and the more Christ Jesus
comes into the soul by his Spirit, the more spiritual he makes
her ; and turns her will into his will, making her of one heart,
mind, and will, with him.

So that, for a conclusion, this I say, that if the everlasting
love of God in Jesus Christ be truly made known to your
souls, according to the measure thereof, you shall have no
need to frame and force yourselves to love and do good works,
for your souls will ever stand boundf to love God, and to keep
his commandments, and it will be your meat and drink to do
his will. And truly this love of God will cut down self-love
and love erf the world, for the sweetness of Christ's Spirit will
turn the sweetness of the flesh into bitterness, and the sweet-
ness of the world into contempt. And if you can behold
Christ with open face, you shall see and feel things unutterable,
and be changed from beauty to beauty, from glory to glory, by
the Spirit of this Lord, and so be happy in this life, in your
union with happiness, and happy hereafter in the full fruition
of happiness 4 whither the Lord Jesus Christ bring us all in
his due time. Amen.

* A love of thanksg^ivin":, bearin^r thankfulness in its nature,
f Or constrained by the force of that love,
j That is, of God himself in Christ.

260 THE MARROW OF

CONCLUSION.

" And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to tte
"word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give
you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified,
Acts XX. 32.

Neo. Well, sir, at this time I will say no more, but that it
was a happy hour wherein I came to you, and a happy con-
ference that we have had together. Surely, sir, I never knew
Christ before this day. Oh, what cause have I to thank the
Lord for my coming hither, and my two friends as a means of
it ! and, sir, for the pains that you have taken with me, I pray
the Lord to requite you ; and so beseeching you to pray the
Lord to increase my faith, and to help my unbelief, I humbly
take my leave of you. praying, *' the God of love and peace to
be with you."

Nom. And truly, sir, I do believe that I have cause to speak
as much in that case as he has ; for though I have outstript
him in knowledge, and it may be also in strict walking, yet do
I now see, that my actions were neither from a right principle,
nor to a right end ; and, therefore, have I been in no better a
condition than he. And truly, sir, I must needs confess, I
never heard so much of Christ and the covenant of grace, as
I have done this day.* The Lord make it profitable to me ;
and I beseech you, sir, pray for me.

Ant. And truly, sir, I am now fully convinced that I have
gone out of the right way, in that I have not had regard to
the law, and the works thereof, as I should ; but, God willing,
I shall hereafter (if the Lord prolong my days) be more care-
ful how I lead my life, seeing the ten commandments are the
law of Christ ; and I beseech you, sir, remember me in your
prayers. And so, with many thanks to you for your pains, I
take my leave of you, beseeching the " grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ to be with your spirit." Amen.

Evan. " Now, the very God of peace that brought again
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the
sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make

* This is here fitly put into the mouth of Nomista, the prevailing of legal
principles and practices among professors being much owing to legal preaching ;
the success whereof is not to be wondered at, since it is rowing with the stream
of nature.

MODERN DIVINITY. 261

you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in
you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amenr Heb.
xiii. 20, 21. — John viii. 36, "If the Son make you free, you
shall be free indeed." — Gal. v. 1, 13, "Stand fast therefore in
the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Only use
not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve
one another." — Chap. vi. 16, "And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the
Israel of God."— Matt. xi. 25, " I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes." —
1 Cor. XV. 10, " I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet
not I, but the grace of God that was with me." — Psalm xxxvi.
11, "Let not the foot of pride come against me."

THE

MARROW

OP

MODERN DIVINITY.

PART SECOND,

« We know that the law is good^ if a man use it lawfully, " 1 Tim. i. 8.

(263)

TO
THE EIGHT HON. JOHN WAENER,

LORD MAYOR OF THE MOST RENOWNED CITY OF LONDON.

E. F. wisheth a most plentiful increase of spiritual wisdom, and all
necessary graces for the discharge of his duty, to the glory of
God, and the good of his people.

Right Honourable,

The rod of God's judgments hath been now long upon us,
which we by our manifold sins have procured, according as it is said concern-
ing Jerusalem, Jer. iv. 18, " Thy way and thy doings have procured these
things unto thee." And have we any just ground to hope, that till the cause
be taken away, the effect will cease ? Can we expect that the Lord will turn
away his judgments, till we turn away from our sins ? And can we turn away
from our sins before we know them ? And can we come to know our sins any
otherwise than by the law ? Doth not one apostle say, that " sin is the trans-
gression of the law ?" 1 John iii. 4. And doth not another apostle therefore
say, that " by the law is the knowledge of sin ?" Rom. iii. 20. Surely, then,
a treatise, wherein is shown what is required, and what is forbidden, in every
commandment of the law, and so consequently what is sin, must needs be for
this cause, and at this time, very seasonable. But yet, alas ! that although
there be ever so many treatises written, or ever so many sermons preached
upon this subject, yet do they either remain wilfully ignorant of their sins, or
else, though they know them, they will not forego them, but rather choose wil-
fully to wallow on in the mire of iniquity, so sweet and dear are their sins unto
them. But what, then, must they be suffered to go on without restraint ? No ;
God forbid. Such persons as the law and love of God will not constrain, such
must the execution of justice restrain ; upon such must the penalty of the laws
of the land, being grounded upon God's laws, be by the civil magistrate in-
flicted. And for this cause it is that the king is required, " when he sitteth
upon the throne of his kingdom, to write him a copy of the law of God in a book,"
Deut. xvii. 18. And for this cause it is that the civil magistrate is called " the
keeper of both tables ;" for says Luther, on Galatians, p. 151, "God hath or-
dained magistrates, and other superiors, and appointed laws, bounds, and all
civil ordinances, that if they can do no more, yet at least they may bind the
devil's hands, that he rage not in his bond slaves after his own lusts." And
hence it is that the apostle, speaking of the civil magistrate, says, " If thou do
that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain," Rom. xiii.
23 (265)

266 DEDICATION.

4. Wherefore, Eight Honourable, God having called you to wield the sword of
authority in the most famous city of this kingdom, I, a poor inhabitant thereof,
the author of the ensuing Dialogue, have, through the advice and persuasion
of some godly ministers, and through the consideration of the suitableness of
the subject with our place, been moved to take the boldness to ofifer this work
to your worthy name and patronage ; not that I do conceive your Honour is
ignorant of your duty, nor yet that I see you to neglect your duty, for your
Christian integrity in your place, and your zealous forwardness to reform things
amiss, by punishing of evil doers, doth to me witness the contrary ; but rather
to encourage your Honour to continue your godly course in the ways of well-
doing, and to advance forward in paths of piety, being more swift in your
motion now towards the end of your race — your year I mean, that so your
Master, Christ, may have cause to say concerning you, as he once did concerning
the church of Thyatira, " I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith,
and thy patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the first," Rev. ii.
19. Tea, and that it also may be said concerning you, " Well done, thou good
and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," Matt. xxv. 21.

And so most humbly begging of your Honour that these my poor labours
may be accepted, and that under your Honour's name, they may go forth into
the world, and praying the Lord of power, and the God of all grace, to mul-
tiply his Spirit upon your Honour, with all the blessed fruits of the same, I
take my leave, and rest your Honour's most humble servant to be commanded,

E. F.

THE AUTHOR TO THE WELL-AFFECTED READER.

GfooD Reader :

I DO confess there are so many godly and learned expositions upon
the ten commandments already extant, that it may seem needless to add any
more unto that number. Nevertheless, I pray thee, do not think it impossible
but that God may, by such a weak instrument as I myself am, show his power
in doing something more, touching this subject, than hath yet been done. I do
confess, I have had good helps from the labours of others, and have made much
use thereof, especially for matter, yet have I not confined my discourse within
the compass of what I have found in other books, but have, from the warrant
of the word of God, taken the boldness to enlarge it, both as touching the
matter and manner, and especially touching the application, wherein I have en-
deavoured to give both believers and unbelievers their distinct proportion, by
distinguishing betwixt the ten commandments, as they are the law of works,
having the promise of eternal life, and the threatening of eternal death annexed
to them, and so applying them to the unbeliever ; and as they are the law of
Christ, having the promise of eternal life, and the threatening of eternal death
separated from them, and so applying them to the believer. I have not denied,
but acknowledged, yea, and proved, that the law of the ten commandments,
truly expounded, is to be a perpetual rule of life to all mankind, yea, to be-
lievers themselves ; for though the Spirit of Jesus Christ do, according to his
promise, write this law in their hearts, as their inward rule, yet, in regard that
whilst they live in this world, it is done but in part, they have need of the ten
commandments to be unto them as an outward rule : for though the Spirit have
begotten in them a love to this law, and wrought in them a willing disposition
to yield obedience thereunto, yet have they need of the law to be unto them as
a glass, wherein they may see what the will of God is, and as a rule to direct
them how to actuate their love and willingness, so that, as a precious godly
minister of Jesus Christ truly says, the Spirit within, and the law without, " is
a lamp unto their feet, and a light unto their path," Psalm cxix. 105.

But yet I do conceive, that expositors on the commandments should not only
endeavour to drive on their designs to that end, and there terminate their en.
deavours, as if there were no further use to be made of the law, neither in be-
lievers nor in unbelievers ; but they should aim at a further end — an end beyond
this, especially in unbelievers, and that is to discover to them how far short they
come of doing that which the law requireth, that so they may not take up their
rest in themselves, but hasten out of themselves to Jesus Christ ; and that be-
lievers, by beholding their own imperfections, should take occasion to humble
themselves, and cleave the more close unto him by faith.

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268 THE AUTHOR TO THE READER.

For -when, by way of exposition, it is only declared what is required, and
what is forbidden in every commandment, with exhortations, motives, and means
to do thereafter, it has been observed that divers both profane and mere civil
honest people, upon the hearing or reading of the same, have concluded with them.
selves, that they must either alter their course of life, and strive and endeavour to
do more than they have done, and better than they have done, or else they shall
never be saved ; and hereupon they have taken up a form of godliness, in hear-
ing, reading, and praying, and the like, and so have become formal professors,
and therein have rested, coming far short of Jesus Christ, yea, and believers
themselves have sometimes taken occasion thereby, to conceive that they must
do something towards their own justification and salvation.

Wherefore I, yet not I by any power of my own, but by the grace of God
that is with me, have endeavoured not only to show what is required, and what
is forbidden in every commandment, but also that it is impossible for any man,
whether he be an unbeliever or a believer, to keep any one commandment per-
fectly, yea, or to do any one action or duty perfectly, that so by the working
of God's Spirit in the reading of the same, men may be moved ; not only to
turn from being profane, or mere civil honest men, to be formal professors, but that
they may be driven out of all their own works and performances unto Jesus
Christ, and so become Christians indeed, and that those who are Christians
indeed, may thereby be moved to prize Jesus Christ the more ; and if the Lord
shall but be pleased to enable either myself or any other man or woman, to
make this use of this ensuing Dialogue, then shall not ray labour be in vain :
but my heart's desire and prayer to God shall be, that many may receive as
much good by the " Marrow" which is contained in this second bone, as they
say they have done by that which is contained in the first ; that so God may
be glorified and their souls edified, and then have I my reward. Only let me
beg ot thee, that for what good thou receivest thereby, thou wilt beg at the
throne of grace for me, that my faith may be increased, and so my love inflamed
towards God, and towards man for God's sake, and then I am sure I shall
keep the law more perfectly than I have yet done. The which that we may all
do, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all our spirits. Amen.

Thine in the Lord Jesus Christ,

September 21, 1648. E. F.

PART SECOND.

EvANGELisTA, a Minister of the Gospel.
NoMOLOGiSTA, a Prattler of the Law.
Neofhytus, a Young Christian.

Neo. Sir, here is our neighbour Noraologista, who, as I sup-
pose, is much mistaken, as touchiDg a point that he and I have
had some conference about; and because I found you so ready
and willing to inform and instruct me, when I came to you
with my neighbours Nomista and Antinomista, I have pre-
sumed to entreat him to come along with me to you : assuring
both myself and him, that we shall be welcome to you, and
that you will make it appear he is deceived.

Evan. You are both of you very kindly welcome to me,
and as I have been willing to give you the best instruction,
when you were formerly with me, even so, God willing, shall
I be now ; wherefore, I pray you, let me understand what the
point is, wherein you do conceive he is mistaken.

Neo. Why, sir, this is the thing : he tells me he is persuaded
that he goes very near the perfect fulfilling of the law of God ;
but I cannot be persuaded to it.

Evan. What say you, neighbour Nomologista, are you so
persuaded ?

Nom. I. Yea, indeed sir, I am so persuaded ; for whereas
you know the first commandment is, "I am the Lord thy God,
thou shalt have none other God before my face," I am confi-
dent I have the only true God for my God, and none other.

II. And whereas, the second commandment is, " Thou shalt
not make to thyself any graven image," &c. I tell you truly, I
do defy all graven images, and do count it a great folly in any
man, either to make them, or worship them.

III. And whereas, the third commandment is, " Thou shalt
not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," it is well
known that I am no swearer, neither can I abide to hear others
swear by the name of God.

IV. And whereas, the fourth commandment is, " Eemember

23* (269)

270 THE MARROW OF

that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day," I am sure I do very
seldom either work or travel on that day ; but do go to the
church both forenoon and afternoon ; and do both read, and
hear the word of God read, when I come home.

V. And whereas, the fifth commandment is, " Honour thy
father and mother," &c., I thank God I was very careful to do
my duty to my parents when I was a child.

VI. And whereas, the sixth commandment is, " Thou shalt
not kill," I thank God, I never yet murdered either man,
woman or child ; and I hope I never shall.

YII. And whereas, the seventh commandment is, "Thou
shalt not commit adultery," I thank God I was never given
to women, God has hitherto kept me from committing that
sin, and so I hope he will do whilst I live.

YIII. And whereas, the eighth commandment is, " Thou
shalt not steal," I do not remember that ever I took the worth
of twelve pence of any man's goods in all my life.

IX. And whereas, the ninth commandment is, " Thou shalt
not bear false witness against thy neighbour," I thank God, I
do abhor that sin, and was never guilty of it in all my life.

X. And whereas, the tenth commandment is, " Thou shalt
not covet," I thank God, I never coveted anything but what
was mine own, in all my life.

Evan. Alas ! neighbour Nomologista, the commandments
of God have a larger extent than it seems you are aware of;
for it seems you do imagine that the whole moral law is con-
fined within the compass of what you have now repeated ; as
though there were no more required or forbidden, than what
is expressed in the words of the ten commandments; as though
God required no more but the bare external, or actual per-
formance of a duty : and as though he forbid no more than
the bare abstinence and gross acting of sin. The very same
conceit of the law of God, the Scribes and Pharisees had; and,
therefore it is no marvel though you imagine you keep all the
commandments even as they did.

Nom. Well, sir, if I have been deceived, you may do well
to instruct me better.

Evan. I shall endeavour to do it with all my heart, as the
Lord shall be pleased to enable me. And because I begin to
fear that it is not your case alone to be thus ignorant of the
large extent, and the true sense and meaning of the law of
God, I also begin to blame myself for that I have not taken
occasion to expound the commandments in my public ministry,
since I came amongst you ; and, therefore, do I now resolve,

, MODERN DIVINITY. 271

by the help of God, very speedily to fall about that work ; and
I hope I shall then make it appear unto you that the ten com-
mandments are but an epitome or an abridgment of the law of
God, and that the full exposition thereof is to be found in the
books of the prophets and apostles, called the Old and New
Testament.

Neo. Indeed, sir, I have told him that we must not stick
upon the bare words of any of the ten commandments, nor rest
satisfied with the bare literal sense, but labour to find out the
full exposition and true spiritual meaning of every one of them,
according to other places of Scripture.

Evan. If you told him so, you told him that which is most
true ; for he that would truly understand and expound the
commandments must do it according to these six rules,

Eirst, He must consider that every commandment has both
a negative and affirmative part contained in it ; that is to say,
where any evil is forbidden, the contrary good is commanded ;
and where any good is commanded, the contrary evil is for-
biden ; for, says IJrsinus's Catechism, page 329, " The lawgiver
does in an affirmative commandment comprehend the negative ;
and contrariwise, in a negative he comprehends the affirma-
tive."

Secondly, He must consider that under one good action
commanded, or one evil action forbidden, all of the same kind
or nature are comprehended, yea, all occasions and means
leading thereunto; according to the saying of judicious Virel,
" The Lord minding to forbid divers evils of the same kind,
he comprehendeth them under the name of the greatest."

Thirdly, He must consider that the law of God is spiritual,
reaching to the very heart or soul, and all the powers thereof,
for it charges the understanding to know the will of God ; it
charges the memory to retain, and the will to choose the better,
and to leave the worse ; it charges the affections to love the
things that are to be loved, and to hate the things that are to
be hated, and so binds all the powers of the soul to obedience,
as well as the words, thoughts, and gestures.

Fourthly, He must consider, that the law of God must not
only be the rule of our obedience, but it must also be the rea-
son of it ; we must not only do that which is there commanded,
and avoid that which is there forbidden, but we must also do
the good, because the Lord requires it, and avoid the evil, be-
cause the Lord forbids it ; yea, and we must do all that is deli-
vered and prescribed in the law, for the love we bear to God,

272 THE MARROW OF

the love of God must be the fountain, the impulsive, and
efficient cause of all our obedience to the law.

Fifthly, He must consider, that as our obedience to the law
must arise from a right fountain, so must it be directed to a
right end, and that is, that God alone may be glorified by us ;
for otherwise it is not the worship of God, but hypocrisy, says
Ursinus's Catechism ; so that according to the saying of
another godly writer, the final cause or end of all our obe-
dience must be, God's glory, 1 Cor. x. 13 ; or, which is all
one, that we may please him, for in seeking to please God,
we glorify him, and these two things are always co-incident.

Sixthly, He must consider, that the Lord does not only
take notice of what we do in obedience to this law, but also
after what manner we do it ; and therefore we must be careful
to do all our actions after a right manner, viz : humbly, rever-
ently, willingly, and zealously.

Neo. I beseech you, sir, if you can spare so much time,
let us have some brief exposition of some, if not all the ten
commandments before we go hence, according to these rules.

Evan. What say you, neighbour Nomologista, do you desire
the same ?

Norn. Yea, sir, with all my Heart, if you please.

Evan. Well, then, although my occasions at this time might
justly plead excuse for me ; yet, seeing that you do both of
you desire it, I will for the present dispense with all my other
business, and endeavour to accomplish your desires, according
as the Lord shall be pleased to enable me : and therefore, I
pray you understand and consider, That in the first command-
ment there is a negative part expressed in these words : " Thou
shalt have none other gods before my face." And an affirma-
tive part included in these words: "But thou shalt have me
only for thy God ;" for if we must have none other for our
God, it implies strongly, that we must have the Lord for our
God.

Neo. I pray you, sir, begin with the affirmative part, and
first tell us what the Lord requireth of us in this command-
ment,

COMMANDMENT I.

Evan. In this first commandment, " The Lord requireth
the duty of our hearts or souls," Prov. xxiii. 26 : that is to
say, of our understandings, wills, and affections, and the effects
of them.

MODERN DIVINITY. 273

Neo. And what is the duty of our understandings ?

Evan. The duty of our understandings is to know God, 2
Chron. xxviii. 9. Now the end of knowledge is but the ful-
ness of persuasion, even a settled belief, which is called faith,
so that the duty of our understandings is, so to know God, as
to believe him to be according as he has revealed himself to
us in his word and works, Ileb. xi. 6.

Neo. And how has the Lord revealed himself to us in his
word ?

Evan. Why, he has revealed himself to be " most wise,"
Eom. xvi. 27 ; " most mighty," Deut. vii. 21 ; " most true,"
Deut. xxxii. 4 ; " most just," Neh. ix. 33 ; and " most merci-
ful," Psalm cxlv. 8.

Neo. And how has he revealed himself to us in his works ?

Evan. He has revealed himself in his works to be '• the
Creator of all things," Exod. xx. 11 ; and " the Preserver of
all things," Psalm xxvi. 6 ; and " the Governor of all things,"
Psalm cxxxv. 6 ; and " the Giver of every good gift, James
i. 17.

Neo. And how must our knowledge of God, and our belief
in him, be expressed by their eftects ?

Evan. We must express, that we know and believe God to
be according as he has revealed himself in his word and works,
by our remembering and acknowledging him whensoever there
is occasion for us so to do.

As, for example ; when we read or hear those judgments
that the Lord in his word has threatened to bring upon us for
our sins, Deut. xxviii. 16, we are to express that we do re-
member and acknowledge him to be most mighty, true, and
just, by our fearing and trembling thereat. Psalm cxix. 120 ;
Hab. iii. 16. And when we read or hear of blessings, that
the Lord in his word has promised to bestow upon us for our
obedience, Deut. xxviii. 2, then we are to express, that we do
remember and acknowledge him to be most true, and merciful,
by our obedience unto him, and by our trusting in him, and
relying upon him. Gen. xxxii. 9. And when we behold the
excellent frame of heaven and earth, and the creatures con-
tained therein, then we are to express, that we do remember
and acknowledge the Lord to be the Creator and Maker of
them all, by our praising and magnifying his name. Psalm cvi.
5, and cxxxix. l4. And when the Lord does actually inflict
any judgment upon us, then we are to express that we do re-
member and acknowledge him to be the Governor of all

274 THE MARROW OP

things, and most mighty, wise, and just, by humbling ourselves
under his mighty hand, 1 Pet. v. 6. And by judging our-
selves worthy to be destroyed, for our iniquities, Ezek. xxxvi.
31. And by bearing the punishment thereof. Lev. xxvi. 41,
with willing, patient, contented submission to his will and
pleasure. Psalm xxxix. 9. And when the Lord does actually
bestow any blessing upon us, then we are to express, that we
do remember, and acknowledge him to be the most merciful
Giver of every good gift, by our humble acknowledging that
we are unworthy of the least of his mercies, Gen. xxxii. 10 ;
and " in giving him thanks for all things," 1 Thess. v. 18.
And thus have I showed unto you what is the duty of our un-
derstandings.

Neo. I pray you, sir, let us, in the next place, hear what is
the duty of our wills.

Evan. The duty of our wills is to choose the Lord alone for
our portion. Psalm xvi. 5, and cxix. 57.

Neo. And how must we express that we have chosen the
Lord for our portion ?

Evan. " By our loving him with all our hearts, with all our
souls, and with all our might," Deut. v. 6.

Neo. And how must we express that we do thus love the
Lord ■/

Evan. We must express that we do thus love the Lord by
the acting of our other affections, as by our desire of most
near communion with him, Philip, i. 23, and by our delight-
ing most in him. Psalm xxxvii. 4; and by our rejoicing
most in him, Philip, iv. 4 ; and by our fearing most to offend
him. Matt, x. 28 ; and by our sorrowing most for offending
him, Luke xxii. 62 ; and by being most zealous against sin,
and for the glory of God, Rev. iii. 19. And thus have I showed
you what the Lord requires in the affirmative part of this com-
mandment.

Neo. I pray you, sir, proceed to the negative part, and show
us what the Lord forbids in this commandment.

Evan. In this first commandment is forbidden, " ignorance
of God," Jer. iv. 22 ; so also is unbelief, or doubting of the
truth of God's word, Isa. vii. 9. And so also is the want of
fearing the threatenings of God, Deut. xxviii. 58, and the
fearing the threatenings of men, either more, or as much as the
threatenings of God, Isa. li. 12, 13 ; and so also is the want of
trusting unto or relying upon the promises of God, Luke xii.
29, and the trusting or relying upon ourselves, men's promises,
or any other thing, either more, or as much as we do upon

MODERN DIVINITY. 275

God, Jer. xvii. 5 ; Luke xii. 20. And so also is the want of
acknowledging the hand of God, in the time of affliction, Isa.
xxvi. 11 ; and acknowledging that the rod can smite without
the hand of God, Job xix, 11 ; and so also is the want of
humbling ourselves before the Lord, Daniel v. 22 ; and pride
of heart, Prov. xvi. 5. And so also is impatience and dis-
contentedness under the chastising hand of God, Exod. xvii.
2 ; and not returning unto him that smiteth us, Isa. ix. 13 ;
and so also is our forgetfalness of God in not acknowledg-
ing his merciful and bountiful hand in reaching forth all
good things unto us in the time of prosperity, Psalm Ixxviii.
11 ; Deut. xxxii. 18 ; and so also is our sacrificing to our
own nets, Hab. i. 16, in ascribing the coming in of our riches
to our own care, pains, and diligence in our callings, Deut.
viii. 17 ; and so also is unthankfulness to the Lord for his
mercies, Eom. i. 21 ; and so also is our want of love to God,
1 Cor. xvi. 22 ; and our loving any creature either more than
God, or equal with God, Matt. x. 37 ; and so also is our want
of desiring his presence. Job xxi. 14 ; and our desiring the
presence of any creature either more or so much as God,
Prov. vi. 25; and so also is our want of rejoicing in God,
Deut. xxviii. 47 ; and our rejoicing either more, or as much
in anything as in God, Luke x. 20 ; and so also is our want
of fearing to offend God, Jer. v. 22 ; and our fearing to ofiend
any mortal man, either more or as much as to offend God,
Prov. xxix. 25 ; and so also is our want of sorrow and grief
for offending God, 1 Cor. v. 2 ; and our sorrowing more, or
as much, for any worldly loss or cross, as for our sinning
against God, 1 Thess. iv. 15 ; and so also is our want of zeal,
or our lukewarmness in the cause of God and his truth, Eev.
iii. 16 ; and our corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal, Luke ix.
55. And thus have I showed unto you what the Lord re-
quires, and what he forbids in this commandment. And now,
neighbor Nomologista, I pray you, tell me whether you think
you keep it perfectly or no.

No7n. Sir, before I tell you that, I pray you tell me how
you prove that the Lord in this commandment requires all
these duties, and forbids all these sins.

Evan. First, I know that the Lord in this commandment
requires all these duties, because no man can truly have the
Lord for his God, except he have chosen him for his portion ;
and no man can truly choose the Lord for his portion, before
he truly know him ; and he that does truly know God, does
truly believe both his threaten ings and his promises; and he

276 THE MARROW OP

that does truly believe the Lord's threatenings, must needs
fear and tremble at them ; and he that does believe the Lord's
promises, must needs truly love him, for faith always produces
and brings forth love ; and whosoever does truly love God,
must needs desire near communion with him ; yea, and re-
joice in communion with him ; yea, and fear to oftend him ;
yea, and sorrow for offending him ; yea, and be zealous for
his glory.

Secondly, I know that all these sins are forbidden in this
commandment, because that whatsoever the mind, will, and
affections of a man are set upon, or carried after, either more
or as much as after God, that is another god unto him; and
therefore, if a man stand in fear of any creature, or fear the
loss of any creature, either more than God, or equal with God,
he makes that creature his god : and if he trust unto, and put
confidence in any creature, either more than God, or equal
with God, that creature is his god ; and hence it is that the
covetous man is called an idolater, Eph. v. 5 ; for that he
makes his gold his hope, and says to the fine gold, " Thou art
my confidence," Job xxxi. 24. And if any man be proud of
any good thing he has, and do not acknowledge God to be
the free giver and bestower of the same, or if he be impatient
and discontented under the Lord's correcting hand, he makes
himself a god ; and if a man so love any creature as that he
desires it being absent, or delights in it being present, either
more than God, or equal with God, that creature is another
god unto him. And hence it is, that voluptuous men are said
to make their belly their god, Phil. iii. 19. In a word, what-
soever the mind of man is carried after, or his heart and affec-
tions set upon, either more, or as much as upon God, that he
makes his god. And therefore we may undoubtedly conclude,
that all the sins before mentioned, are forbidden in this com-
mandment,

Nom. Then believe me, sir, I must confess that I come far
short of keeping this commandment perfectly.

Evan. Yea, and so we do all of us, I am confident ; for
has not every one of us sometimes questioned in our hearts,
whether there be a God or no ? And as touching the know-
ledge of God, may we not all three of us truly say with the
apostle, 1 Cor. xiii, 9, " We know in part ?" And which of
us has so feared and trembled at the threatenings of God, and
at the shaking of his rod, as we ought? Nay, have we not
feared the frowns, threats, and power of some mortal man,

MODERN DIVINITY. 277

more than the frowns, threats, and power of God ? It is well
if it have not appeared by our choosing to obey man rather
than God : and which of us has so trusted unto, and relied
upon the promises of God in time of need, as he ought ? nay,
have we not rather trusted unto and relied upon men and
means, than upon God? Has it not been manifested by our
fearing of poverty, and want of outward things, when friends,
trading, and means begin to fixil us ; though God has said, " T
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee ?" Heb. xiii. 5. And which
of us has so humbled ourselves under the chastening and cor-
recting hand of God as we ought : nay, have we not rather
expressed abundance of pride, by our impatience and discon-
tentedness, and want of submitting to the will of God ; and by
our quarrelling and contending with his rod? And which of
us has so acknowledged God in the time of prosperity, and
been so thankful unto him for his blessings, as we ought ?
Nay, have we not rather at such times forgotten God, and
sacrificed to our own nets, saying in our hearts, if not also
with our mouths, " I may thank mine own diligence, care, and
pains-taking, or else it had not been with me as it is ?" And
which of us hath so manifested our love to God, by our de-
sire of near communion with him in his ordinances, and by our
desire to be dissolved and to be with him, as we ought? Nay,
have we not rather expressed our great want of love to him,
by our backwardness to prayer, reading, and hearing his word,
and receiving the sacrament, and by our little delight therein,
and by our unwillingness to die ? Nay, have we not manifested
our greater love to the world, by our greater desires after the
profits, pleasures, and honours of the world, and by our greater
delight therein than in God? Or which of us have so mani-
fested our love to God, by our sorrow and grief for offending
him, as we ought? Nay, have we not rather manifested our
greater love to the world, by our sorrowing and grieving more
for some worldly loss or cross, than for offending God by our
sins ? Or which of us have so manifested our love to God, by
being so zealous for his glory as we ought ? Nay, have we not
rather expressed greater love to ourselves, in being more hot
and fiery in our own cause than in God's cause? And thus
have I endeavoured to satisfy your desires concerning the first
commandment.

Neo. I beseech you, sir, proceed to do the like concerning
the second commandment, and first tell us how the first and
second commandments differ the one from the other.
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278 THE MARROW OP

COMMANDMENT II.

Evan. Why, as the first commandment teaches us to have
the true God for our God, and none otlier ; so the second com-
mandment requireth that we worship this true God alone,
with true worship : and in this commandment likewise, there
is a negative part expressed in these words, " Thou shalt
not make to thyself any graven image," &c. And an affirma-
tive part included in these words, "But thou shalt worship me
only and purely, according to my will, revealed in my word."

Neo. T pray you then, sir, begin with the affirmative part,
and tell us what be the means of God's worship, prescribed in
his word.

Evan. If we look into the word of God, we shall find that
the ordinary means and parts of God's worship, are invoca-
tions upon the name of God, ministry and hearing of the word
of God, administration and receiving the sacraments, with all
helps and furtherances to the right performance of the same.

But to declare this more particularly, First of all, prayer
both public and private is required in God's word, as you may
see, 1 Tim. ii. 8 ; Acts ii. 21, 22 ; Daniel vi. 10. Secondly,
Reading the word, or hearing it read, both publicly and pri-
vately, is required in God's word, as you may see. Rev. i. 3 ;
Deut. v. 6. Thirdly^ Preaching, and hearing of the word
preached, is required in the word of God, as you may see,
2 Kings iv. 2 ; 1 Thess. ii. 13. Fourthly^ The administration
and receiving the sacrament is required in the word of God,
as you may see, Matt. iii. 6, and xxvi. 26 ; 1 Cor. x. 16.
Fifthly^ Praising of God, in singing of psalms, both publicly
and privately, is required in the word of God, as you may see,
Col. iii. 16 ; James v. 13. Sixthly^ Meditation on the word
of God is required in the word of God, as you may see.
Psalm i. 2 ; Acts xvii. 11. Seventhly, Conference about the
word of God is required in the word of God, as you may see,
Mai. iii. 16. And, Lastly, For the better fitting and stirring
us up to the right performance of these duties, religious fast-
ing, both in public and in private, is required in the word of
God, as you may see, Joel i. 14, and ii. 15. And so also is a
religious vow or free promise made to God, to perform some
outward work, or bodily exercise for some end, as you may
see, Eccl. v. 3, 4. And thus have I shown you what be the
means of God's worship which he has prescribed in his word.

MODERN DIVINITY. 279

Neo. I pray you, sir, then proceed to the negative part,
and tell us what the Lord forbiddeth in this commandment.

Evan. Well then, I pray you understand, that in this com-
mandment is forbidden, neglecting of prayer, as you may see,
Psalm xiv. 4, And so also is absenting ourselves from the
hearing of the word preached, or any other ordinance of God,
when the Lord calls us thereunto, as you may see, Luke xiv.
18 — 20. And so also is our rejecting the sacrament of bap-
tism, as you may see, Luke vii. 80. And so also is our slight-
ing the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, as you may see, 2
Chron. xxx. 10. And so also is the slighting and omitting any
of the other forenamed duties, as you may see. Psalm x. 4 ;
John iii. 31 ; Isa. xxii. 12 — 14. And so also is praying to
saints and angels, as you may see, Isa. Ixiii. 16 ; Rev. xix. 10.
And so also is the making of images for religious uses, as you
may see, Lev. xix. 4. And so also is the representing God by
an image, as you may see, Exod. xxxii. 8. 9. And so also are
all carnal imaginations of God in his worship, as you may see.
Acts xvii. 29. And so also is all will worship, or the worship-
ping of God according to our own fancy, as you may see, 1
Sam. ix. 10, 13 ; Col. ii. 23. And thus have I shown unto
you both what the Lord requireth, and what he forbiddeth in
this commandment, and now, neighbour Nomologista, I pray
you, tell me whether you keep it perfectly or no.

Nom. Yea, sir, I am persuaded that I go very near it. But,
I pray you, sir, tell me how you prove that all these duties are
required, and all these sins forbidden in this command-
ment?

Evan. For the proof of this, I pray you consider, that the
worshipping of false gods is flatly forbidden in the negative
part of this commandment, in these words, " Thou shalt not
bow down thyself to them, nor serve, nor worship them,"
Exod. XX. 5. And the worshipping of the true God is im-
plied and expressed in these words. Matt. iv. 10, " Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve."

Nom. But sir, how do you prove that these duties which you
have named are parts of God's worship ?

Evan. For answer hereunto, I pray you consider, that to
worship God, is to tender up that homage and respect that is
due from a creature to a Creator; now, in prayer we are said
to tender up this homage unto him, and to manifest our pro-
fession of dependence upon him for all the good we have, and
acknowledge him to be the Author of all good ; and indeed

280 THE MARROW OF

prayer is such a great part of God's worship, that sometimes,
ill Scripture, it is put for the whole worship of God. " He
that calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," Rom. x.
13 ; that is, he that worships God aright : Jer. x. 25, " Pour
out thy wrath upon the heathen that know thee not, and on
the families that call not upon thy name," that do not pray,
that do not worship God.

And that hearing the word is a part of God's worship is
manifest; because that in hearing we do manifest our depend-
ence upon God, for knowing his mind, and the way to eternal
life, every time we come to hear the word of God, if we know
what we do, we do thus much, we profess that we depend upon
the Lord God for the knowing of his mind, and the way and
rule to eternal life ; and besides, herein we also come to wait
upon God in the way of ordinance, to have that good conveyed
unto us by way of an ordinance, beyond what the thing itself
is able to do, and therefore this is worship. And that the re-
ceiving the sacrament is a part of God's worship, is manifest,
in that when we come to receive these holy signs and seals, we
come to present ourselves before God, and come to God for a
blessing, in communicating unto us some higher good than
possibly those creatures that we have to deal with, are able of
themselves to convey to us ; we come to God to have commu-
nion with him, and that we might have the blessing of the cove-
nant of grace conveyed unto us through these things : and
therefore when we come to be exercised in them, we come to
worship God. The like we might say of the rest of the duties
before mentioned, but I hope this may suffice to satisfy you
that they are parts of God's worship.

Nem. But, sir, you know that in this commandment there is
nothing expressly forbidden but the making and worshipping
of images, and therefore I question whether all those other
sins that you have named be likewise forbidden.

Evan. But you must know, that when the Lord condemneth
the chief, or greatest and most evident kind of false worship,
namely, the worship of God at, or by images, it is manifest
that he forbids also the other kinds of false worship, see-
ing this is the head and fountain of all the rest ; where-
fore, whatsoever worships are instituted by men or do any way
hinder God's true worship, they are contrary to this command-
ment.

Nom. Well, sir, though that these things be so, yet for
all that, I am persuaded I go very near the keeping of this

MODERN DIVINITY. 281

commandment ; for I do constantly perform the most of these
duties, and am not guilty of doing the contrary.

Evan. But thou must know, that for the worshipping of
God aright, it is not only required that we do the good which
he commands, and avoid the evil which he forbids, but
also, that we do it in obedience to God, to show that we ac-
knowledge him alone to be the true God, who has willed
this worship to be thus done unto him ; so that, as I told
you before, the word of God must not only be the rule of our
actions, but also the reason of them : we must do all things
which are delivered and prescribed in the ten commandments,
even for the love we bear to God, and for the desire we have
to worship him : for except we so do them, we do them
not according to the sentence and prescript of the law, neither
do we please God therein. Wherefore though you have
prayed and heard the word of God, and received the sa-
crament, and done all the rest of the forenamed duties, yea,
and though you have not done the contrary, yet if all this
has been either because the laws of the kingdom require
it, or in mere obedience to any superior, or to gain the
praise and esteem of men, or if you have any way made
yourself your highest end, you have not obeyed nor worship-
ped God therein; for, says a judicious writer, "If any man
shall observe these things in mere obedience to the king's
laws, or thereby to please holy men, and not through an
immediate reverence of that heavenly Majesty who has com-
manded them, that man's obedience is non-obedience ; his
keeping these laws is no keeping them ;" because the main
thing here intended is neglected, which is the setting up
God in his heart; and that which is most of all abhorred
is practised, viz : the " fear of God taught by the precepts
of men," Isa. xxix. 13. And to this purpose that worthy
man of God has this saying, " Take heed, says he, that the
praises of men be not the highest end that thou aimest at ;
for if it be, thou worshippest men, thou dost make the praise
of men to be thy god; for whatsoever thou dost lift up in the
highest place, that is thy god, whatsoever it be ; wherefore,
if thou liftest up the praise of men, and makest that thy end,
thou makest that thy god, and so thou art a worshipper of
men, but not a worshipper of God." (Mayer's Catechism.)

Again, says he, " Take heed of making self thy end. That
is, take heed of aiming at thine own peace, and satisfying
thine own conscience in the performance of duties." It is
24*

282 THE MABROW OP

true, says he, when we perform duties of God's worship, we
may be encouraged thereunto by the expectations of good
to ourselves, yet we must look higher, we must look at the
honour and praise of God ; it is not enough to do it merely
to satisfy conscience ; thy main end must be, that thou maj'est,
by the performance of the duty, be fitted to honour the name
of God, otherwise we do them not for God but for ourselves,
which the Lord condemns, Zech. vii, 5, 6. And now, neigh-
bour Nomologista, I pray you, let me ask you once again,
whether you think you keep this commandment perfectly
or no,

Nom. No, believe me, sir, I do now begin to fear I do
not.

Evan. If you make any question of it, I would entreat you
to consider with yourself, whether you have not gone to the
church on the Lord's day to hear the word of God, and to
receive the sacrament, and do other duties, because the laws
of the kingdom require it, or because your parents or masters
have required it, or because it is a custom to do so, or, be-
cause you conceive it to be a credit for you to do so. And
I pray you also to consider, whether you have not abstained
from worshipping of images, and other such idolatrous and
superstitious actions which the Papists use, merely because
the laws of the land wherein you live do condemn such
things. And I pray you also consider whether you have not
been sometimes zealous in prayer in the presence and com-
pany of others, to gain their praise and approbation ; have
you not desired that they should think you to be a man of
good gifts and parts? And have you not in that regard
endeavoured to enlarge yourself? And have you not some-
times performed duties merely because otherwise conscience
would not let you be quiet ? And have you not sometimes
fasted and prayed, and humbled yourself, merely or chiefly
in hopes that the Lord would, for your so doing, prevent or
remove some judgment from you, or grant you some good
thing which you desire? Now, I beseech you, answer me
truly and plainly, whether you do not think you have done
so.

Nom. Yea, believe me, sir, I think I have.

Evan. Then have you in all these things honoured and
worshipped your parents, your masters, your magistrates, your
neighbours, your friends, and yourself, as so many false
gods, instead of the true God ; and therein have been guilty
of a breach of the second commandment.

MODERN DIVINITY. 283

Neo. I pray you, sir, proceed to speak of the third com-
mandment, as yon have done of the first and second ; and first,
tel] us how the second and third commandments differ.

COMMANDMENT III.

Evan. Why, as the Lord in the second commandment
doth require that we worship him alone by true means, so
does he in the third commandment require that we use the
means of his worship after a right manner, that so they may
not be used in vain, Matt. xv. 9. And in this commandment
likewise, there is a negative part expressed in these words,
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."
And that is, thou shalt not profane it, by using my titles,
attributes, ordinances, works, ignorantly, irreverently, or
after a formal, superstitious manner. And an affirmative
part, included in these words, " But thou shalt sanctify my
name," Isa. viii. 13 ; by using my titles, attributes, ordinances,
works, and religion, with knowledge, reverence, and after a
spiritual manner, John iv. 24,

Neo. I pray you, sir, begin with the affirmative part, and
first tell us what the Lord requires in this commandment.

Evan. The Lord in this commandment doth require, that
we sanctify his name in our hearts, with our tongues, and in
our lives, by thinking, conceiving, speaking, writing, and
walking, so as becomes the excellency of his titles, attributes,
ordinances, works, and religion.

Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in
regard to his titles ?

Evan. By thinking, conceiving, speaking, and writing holily,
reverently, and spiritually of his titles, Lord and God,
Deut. xxviii. 58. And this we do when we meditate on them,
and use them in our speeches and writings with an inward
spiritual fear and trembling, to the glory of God and good of
men, Jer. v. 22.

Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord, in
regard of his attributes ?

Evan. By thinking, conceiving, speaking, and writing holily,
reverently, and spiritually of his power, wisdom, justice, mer-
cy, and patience, Psalm civ. 1, and ciii. 6, 8. And this we do
when we think, speak, and write of them after a careful, re-
verent, and spiritual manner, and apply them to such good uses
for which the Lord has made them known, Psalm xxxvii. 30.

284 THE MARROW OF

Neo. And in which of God's ordinances are we to sanctify
his name ?

Evan. In every one of his ordinances, and especially in tho
three great ordinances, prayer, preaching, and hearing the
word, and administering and receiving the sacraments.

Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in
prayer ?

Evan. In prayer we are to sanctify the name of the Lord
in our hearts, and with our tongues, in calling upon his name
after a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner ; and this we do
when our prayers are the speech of our souls, and not of our
mouths only ; and that is, when in prayer we lift up our
hearts unto God, Psalm xxv. 1 ; and pour them out unto him,
Psalm Ixii. 8 ; and when we pray with spirit, and with un-
derstanding also, 1 Cor, xiv. 15 ; and with humility. Gen. xviii.
27, and xxxii. 10 ; Luke xviii. 13 ; and with fervency of
spirit, James v. 16; and out of a sense of our own wants,
James i. 5; and with a special faith in the promises of God,
Matt. xxi. 22.

Neo. And how are you ministers to sanctify the name of
the Lord in preaching his word ?

Evan. We are to sanctify the name of the Lord in our
hearts, and wnth our tongues, in preaching after a holy, re-
verent, and spiritual manner ; and this we do when the word
is preached, not only outwardly, by the body, but also
inwardly with the heart and soul : when the heart and soul
preaches, then is the ministry of the word, on the minister's
part, used after an holy and spiritual manner, and that is,
when we preach in demonstration of the Spirit, 1 Cor. ii. 4;
and in sincerity, 2 Cor. ii. 17 ; and faithfully without respect
of persons, Deut. xxxiii. 9 ; and with judgment and discre-
tion. Matt, xxiv. 49 ; and with authority and power. Matt,
vii. 29; and with zeal to God's glory, John vii. 18; and with
a desire of the people's salvation, 2 Cor. xi. 2.

Neo. And how are we hearers to sanctify the name of the
Lord in hearing his word?

Evan. In hearing it after an holy, reverent, and spiritual
manner; and this you do when your heart and soul hears the
word of God ; and that is when you set yourselves in the
presence of God. Acts x. 33 ; and when you look upon the
minister as God's messenger or ambassador, 2 Cor. v. 20,
and so hear the word as the word of God, and not as the
word of man, 1 Thess. ii. 13 ; with reverence and fear,

MODERN DIVINITY. 285

Isa. Ixvi. 2 ; and with a ready desire to learn, Acts xvii. 11 ;
and with attention, Acts viii. 6 ; and with alacrity, without
wearisomeness or sleepiness, Acts xx. 9.

Neo. And how are you ministers to sanctify the name of
the Lord in administering the sacraments ?

Evan. By administering them after an holy, reverent, and
spiritual manner ; and that is, when we administer them with
our hearts or souls, according to Christ's institution. Matt.
XX vi. 26 ; to the faithful in profession at least, 1 Cor. x.
16 ; and with a hearty desire that may become profitable to
the receivers.

Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in
receiving the sacraments?

Evan. This we do when we rightly and seriously examine
ourselves aforehand, 1 Cor. xi ; and rightly and seriously
mind and consider of the sacramental union of the sign, and
the thing signified, and do in our hearts perform those inward
actions which are signified by the outward actions. Acts viii.
37, 38 ; 1 Cor. x. 6.

Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in
regard of his works ?

Evan. In thinking and speaking of them after a wise, re-
verent, and spiritual manner ; and this we do when we medi-
tate and make mention, in our speeches and writings, of the
inward works of God's eternal election and reprobation,
with wonderful admiration of the unsearchable depths thereof,
Eom. xi. 33, 34 ; and when we meditate in our hearts of the
works of God's creation and administration, and make men-
tion of them in our words and writings, so as that we acknow-
ledge therein his wisdom, power, and goodness, Rom. i. 19,
20; Psalm xix. 1; and acknowledging the workmanship of
God therein, do speak honourably of the same, Psalm cxxxix.
14 ; Gen. i. 31.

Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in
regard of his religion ?

Evan. By holy profession of his true religion, and a con-
versation answerable thereunto, to the glory of God, the good
of ourselves and others. Matt. v. 16 ; 1 Pet. ii. 12.

Neo. And, sir, are we not also to sanctify the name of God
by swearing thereby ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, that was well remembered; we are to
sanctify the name of the Lord in our hearts, and with our
tongues in swearing thereby, after a holy, religious, and spi-

286 THE MARKOW OF

ritual manner ; and this we do when the magistrate requires
an oath of us by the order of justice, that is, not against piety
or charity. Gen. xliii. 3 ; 1 Sam. xxiv. 21, 22 ; and when we
swear in truth, Jer. iv. 2 ; that is, when we are persuaded in
our conscience the thing we swear is truth, and swear simply
and plainly, without fraud or deceit, Psalm xv. 4, and xxiv. 4 ;
and when we swear in judgment, that is, when we swear with
deliberation, well considering both the nature and greatness
of an oath, viz : that God is thereby called to witness the
truth, and judge and punish us if we swear falsely, Gal. i. 20 ;
2 Cor. i. 23 ; and when we swear in righteousness, that is,
when the thing we swear is lawful and just, and when our
swearing is, that God may be glorified, Joshua vii. 19 ; our
neighbour satisfied, controversies ended, Heb. vi. 16 ; our own
innocency cleared, Exod. xxii. 11 ; and our duty discharged, 1
Kings viii. 31.

Neo. Well, sir, now I pray you, proceed to the negative
'part, and tell us what the Lord forbiddeth in this command-
ment.

Evan. As the Lord in the affirmative part of this com-
mandment doth require that we sanctify his name in our
hearts, with our tongues, and in our lives, by thinking, con-
ceiving, speaking, writing, and walking, so as becomes the
excellency of his titles, attributes, ordinances, and religion ;
so doth he in the negative part thereof forbid the profanation
of his name, by doing the contrary.

Neo. Well then, sir, I pray you first tell us how the titles
of God are profanely abused.

Evan. They are profanely abused divers ways ; as first, by
thinking irreverently of them, or using them in our common
talk, or in our writings, after a rash, careless and irreverent
manner. Psalm 1. 22 ; Eom. i. 21 ; as when in foolish admira-
tion we say. Good God ! Good Lord ! Lord have mercy on us,
what a thing is this ? and the like ; or when by the way of
idle wishes or imprecations we say, " The Lord be my
judge !" Gen. xvi. 5 ; or, I pray God I may never stir, if
such a thing be not so, and the like ; or when by way of
vain swearing, we mingle our speeches, and fill up our sen-
tences with needless oaths, as, Not so, by my faith ! and
the like. Matt. v. 34; James v. 12; or when by way of
jesting, or after a formal manner we say, God be thanked,
God speed, God's name be praised, and the like, 2 Sam.
xxiii. 21.

MODERN" DIVINITY. 287

Neo. And I pray you, sir, how are the attributes of God pro-
fanely abused ?

Evan. The attribute of God's power is profanely abused,
either by calling it into question, 2 Kings vii. 2, or by thinking,
speaking, or writing of it carnally, carelessly, or contemptu-
ously. Psalm xii, 4 ; Exod. v. 2, And the attribute of God's
providence is abused either by murmuring thereat in our
hearts, Deut. xv. 9, or by speaking grudgingly against it under
the name of fortune or chance, in saying. What a misfortune
was this ! What a mischance Was that ! and the like. Deut.
i. 27 ; 1 Sam. vi. 9. And the attribute of God's justice is pro-
fanely abused, either by thinking or saying, that God likes sin
or wicked sinners. Psalm 1. 21 ; Mai. iii. 15. And the attri-
bute of God's mercy is profanely abused, either in presuming
to sin, upon hopes that God will be merciful, or by speaking
basely and contemptuously thereof, as when we say, speaking
of some trifling thing, It is not worth God-a-mercy. And
the attribute of God's patience is profanely abused by thinking
or saying upon occasion of his forbearance to punish for a
time, that he will neither call us to an account, nor punish us
for our sins. Kom. ii. 4.

Neo. Now, sir, I pray you proceed to show how God's name
is profanely abused in his ordinances ; and first of all begin
with prayer.

Evan. God's name is profanely abused in prayer, either by
praying ignorantly, without the true knowledge of God and
his will, Acts xvii. 23 ; Matt. xx. 22 ; or when we pray with
the mouth only, and not with the desires of our hearts agree-
ing with our words, Hos. iii. 14 ; Psalm Ixxviii. 36 ; and when
we pray drowsily and heavily without fervency of spirit, Matt,
xxvi. 41 ; and when we pray with wandering worldly thoughts,
Rom. xii. 12 ; and when we pray with any conceit of our own
worthiness, Luke xviii. 9, 11 ; and when we pray without faith
in the promises of God, James i. 6.

Neo. And how is God's name profanely abused in hearing or
reading his word?

Evan. God's name is hereby abused, when we hear it or
read it, and do not understand it. Acts viii. 30 ; and when we
hear it only with the outward ears of our bodies, and not also
with the inward ears of our heart and soul ; and this we do
when we read it or hear it with our hearts full of wandering
thoughts, Ezek. xxxiii. 30 ; and we read it, or hear it with
dull, drowsy, and sleepy spirits ; and when in hearing of it we

288 THE MARROW OF

rather conceive it to be the word of a mortal man that deli-
vers it, than the word of the great God of heaven and earth,
1 Thess. ii. 13 ; and when we do not with our hearts believe
every part and portion of that word which we read or hear,
Heb. iv. 2 ; and when we do not humbly and heartily subject
ourselves to what we read or hear, 2 Kings xxii. 19 ; Isa. Ixii.
2.

Neo. And how is the Lord's name profanely abused in re-
ceiving the sacrament of the Lord's supper ?

Evan. This we do when we either through want of know-
ledge cannot examine ourselves, or through our own negligence
do not examine ourselves, before we eat of that bread, and
drink of that cup, 1 Cor. xi. 28 ; and when we, in the act of re-
ceiving, do not mind the spiritual signification of the sacra-
ment, but do either terminate our thoughts in the elements
themselves, or else suffer them to rove and run out to some
other object, Luke xxii. 19 ; and when, after receiving, we do
not examine ourselves what communion we have had with
Christ in that ordinance, nor what virtue we have found flow-
ing out from Christ into our own souls, by means of that ordi-
nance, 2 Cor, xiii. 5.

Neo. And how is the name of the Lord profanely abused in
taking of an oath ?

Evan. This we do, when we call the Lord to be a witness
of vain and frivolous things, by our usual swearing in our
common talk, Hos. iv. 2 ; Jer. xxiii. 10 ; and when we call God
to be a witness of our furious anger and wicked purpose, as
when we swear we will be revenged on such a man, and the
like, 1 Sam. xiv. 39, and xxv. 34 ; and when we call God to
be a witness to our swearing falsely. Lev. xix. 12 ; Zech. v. 4;
and when we swear by the mass, or by our faith, or troth, or
by the rood, or by anything else that is not God, Jer. v. 7 ;
Matt. V. 34—37.

Neo. And how is the name of God profanely abused as
touching his works ?

Evan. When we either take no notice of his works at all,
or when we think and speak otherwise of them than we have
warrant from his word to do ; as when we do not speak of the
inward works of God's election and reprobation, and are called
thereunto, and when we murmur and cavil thereat, Rom. ix.
20 ; and when we either do not at all mind the works of
his creation and administration, or do not take occasion
thereby to glorify the name of God, Psalm xix. 1 ; Rom.
i. 21.

MODERN DIVINITY. 289

Neo. And how is the name of God profanely abused in re-
spect of his religion?

Evan. When our conversation is not agreeable to our pro-
fession, 2 Tim. iii. 5; and that either when in respect of
God it is but hypocrisy, or in respect of men we walk offen-
sively ; for if we live scandalously in the profession of religion,
we cause the name of God to be profaned by them that are
without, Rom. ii. 24, and become stumbling blocks to our
weak brethren, Rom. xiv. 13.

And now, neighbour Nomologista, I pray you, tell me
whether you think you keep this commandment perfectly or
no.

Norn. Sir, to tell you the truth, I had not thought that the
name of God had signified any more than his titles. Lord and
God.

Evan. Aye, but you are to know that the name of God in
Scripture signifies all those things that are affirmed of God, or
any thing whatsoever it is, whereby the Lord makes himself
known to men.

Norn. Tlien believe me, sir, I have come far short of keep-
ing this commandment perfectly, and so does every man else,
I am persuaded.

Evan. I am of your mind, for where is the man that hath
and doth so meditate on God's titles, and use them in his
speeches and writings, with such reverence, fear and trem-
bling, as he ought? Or what man is he that can truly say,
he never in all his life thought on them, or used them in his
common talk, either rashly, carelessly, or irreverently ? I am
sure, for my own part, I cannot say so ; for, alas ! in the time
of mine ignorance, I used many times to say, by way of foolish
admiration, Good Lord ! Good God ! Lord have mercy on me,
what a thing is this ? Yea, and I also many times used to say,
I pray God I may never stir if such a thing be not so ! Yea,
and I have divers times said. The Lord be with you, and speed
you ! and, The Lord's name be praised ! after a formal cursory
manner, my thoughts being exercised about something else all
the while.

And where is the man that has always thought, conceived,
spoken, and written so holily, reverently, and spiritually, of
the Lord's power, wisdom, justice, mercy, and patience, as he
ought ? Nay, what man is he that can truly say, he never in
all his life called the attribute of the Lord's power into ques-
tion, nor ever murmured at any act or passage of God's pro-
25

290 THE MARROW OF

vidence, nor ever presumed to sin, upon hopes that God would
be merciful unto him ? 1 am sure I cannot truly say so.

And where can we find the man that can truly say, he has
always read and heard the word of God after a holy, reverent,
and spiritual manner ? Nay, where is the man that has not
sometimes both heard it and read it after a formal, cursory,
and unprofitable manner ? Is there any man that can truly
say he has always perfectly understood whatsoever he has read
and heard — and that has not sometimes heard more with the
outward ears of his body, than with the inward ears of his
heart and soul — and that was never dull and drowsy, if not
sleepy, in the time of hearing and reading — and that had never
a worldly, nor wandering thought to come in at that time — and
that never had the least doubting or questioning the truth of
what he had read or heard ? I am sure, for my own part, I
have been faulty many of these ways.

And is it possible to find a man that can truly say, he has
always called upon the name of the Lord after a holy, re-
verent, and spiritual manner, or has not rather many times
prayed after a carnal, unholy, or sinful manner ? Where
is the man that has always had a perfect knowledge of God
and of his will in prayer, and whose heart has always gone
along with his w.ords in prayer, and that never was drowsy
nor heavy, never had wandering thoughts in prayer, and
that never had the least conceit that God would grant him
anything for his prayer's sake, and that never had the
least doubting or questioning in his heart, whether God
would grant him the thing he asked in prayer. I am sure,
for my own part, I can scarce clear myself from any of
these.

And can any man truly say he has always received the sa-
crament after a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner ? Nay,
has not every man rather cause to acknowledge the contrary ?
Is there a man to be found that has always seriously and
rightly examined himself beforehand, and that has always,
rightly, with his heart, performed all those inward actions that
are signified by the outward; or has not every man and
woman rather cause to confess, that either for want of know-
ledge, or through their own negligence, they have not so ex-
amined themselves as they ought, nor so actuated their faith,
nor minded the spiritual signification of the outward elements,
in the time of receiving the sacrament as they ought, nor so
examined themselves, after receiving, what benefit they have

MODERN DIVINITY. 291

got to their soul thereby ? I am sure I have cause to confess
all this.

And where shall we find a man that has always sanctified
the name of the Lord in his heart, and with his tongue, by
swearing after a holy, religious, and spiritual manner; or
rather, have not most men that have been called to take an
oath, profaned the name of the Lord, either by swearing igno-
rantly, falsely, maliciously, or from some base and wicked
end ? And 1 think it is somewhat hard to find a man that
never in all his life did swear, either by his faith, or by his
troth, by the mass, or by the rood. I am sure I am not the
man ; and he is a rare man that can truly say, he has always
sanctified the name of God in his heart, and with his tongue,
by admiring and acknowledging the wisdom, power, and
goodness of God manifested in his works, for it is to be feared
that most men do either take no notice at all of the works of
God, or else do think and speak of them otherwise than the
word of God warrants them to do. I am sure I am one of
these most.

And he is a precious man that has always so sanctified the
name of the Lord, by a holy and unblamable conversation as
he ought ; for, alas ! many professors of religion, by their
fruitless and offensive walking, do either cause the enemies of
God to speak evil of the ways of God, or else do thereby cause
their weak brother to stumble : it is well if I never did so ;
and thus have I also endeavoured to satisfy your desires con-
cerning the third commandment.

Neo. 1 beseech you, sir, proceed to speak of the fourth com-
mandment as you have done of the other three.

COMMANDMENT IV.

Evan. Well, then, I pray you consider, that as the Lord in
the third commandment doth prescribe the right manner how
he will be worshipped, so doth he in the fourth commandment,
set down the time when he will be most solemnly worshipped,
after the right manner ; and in this commandment there is an
afiirmative part, expressed in these words, "Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy," &c. : that is, remember that
the seventh day in every week be set apart from worldly things
and business, and be consecrated to God by holy and hea-
venly employments ; and a negative part, expressed also in
these words, " In it thou shalt not do any work," &c. That
is, thou shalt not on that day do any such thing or work as
doth any way hinder thee from keeping an holy rest unto God,

292 THE MARROW OP

Neo. I pray you, sir, begin with the affirmative part, and
first tell us what the Lord requires of us in this command-
ment.

Evan. In this fourth commandment the Lord requires that
we finish all our works in the space of six days, Deut. v. 13,
and think on the seventh day before it come, and prepare for
it, Luke xxiii. 54, and rise early on that day in the morning,
Psalm xcii. 2 ; Mark i, 35, 38, 39. Yea, and the Lord re-
quires that we fit ourselves for the public exercises by prayer,
reading, and meditation, Eccl. v. 1 ; Isa. vii. 10 ; and that we
join with the minister and people publicly assembled, with as-
sent of mind, and fervency of affection in prayer, Acts ii. 42 ;
in hearing the word read and preached. Acts xiii, 14, 15, 44;
in singing of Psalms, 1 Cor, xiv. 15, 16; Col. iii.l6; in the
sacrament of baptism, Luke i. 58, 59 ; and in the sacrament
of the Lord's Supper, so often as it shall be administered in
that congregation whereof we are members, 1 Cor. xi. 26.

Then afterwards, when we come home, the Lord requires
that we seriously meditate on that portion of the word of
which we have heard. Acts xvii. 11, and repeat it to our fam-
ilies, Deut. vi. 7, and confer of it with others, if there be oc-
casion, Luke xxiv. 14, 17 ; and that we crave his blessing when
we have done all this, John xvii. 17.

Neo. And is this all that the Lord requires us to do on that
day?

Evan. No ; the Lord also requires that we do works of
mercy on that day, as to visit the sick, and do them what good
we can, Neh. viii. 12 ; Mark iii. 3 — 5, and relieve the poor and
needy, and such as be in prison, Luke xiii. 16, and labour to
reconcile those that be at variance and discord. Matt. v. 9.

And the Lord doth permit us to do works of instant neces-
sity on that day, as to travel to places of God's worship, 2
Kings iv. 23 ; to heal the diseased, Hos. vi. 6 ; Matt. xii. 7,
12 ; to dress food for the necessary preservation of our tem-
poral lives, Exod. i. 1 ; to tend and feed cattle, Matt. xii. 11 ;
and such like.

Neo. I pray you, sir, proceed to the negative part, and tell
us what the Lord forbiddeth in this commandment.

Evan. In this commandment the Lord forbiddeth idleness
or sleeping more on the Lord's day in the morning, than is of
necessity, Matt. xx. 6 ; and he also forbiddeth us to labour in
our particular callings, Exod. xvi. 28 — 30 ; and he also for-
biddeth us to talk about our worldly affairs and business on
that day, Amos viii. 5 ; Isa. Iviii. 13 ; and he also forbiddeth

MODERN DIVINITY. 293

US to travel any journey about our worldly business on that
day, Matt. xxiv. 20 ; or keep any fairs or markets on tliat day,
Neh. xiii. 16, 17 ; or to labour in seed time and harvest on
that day. In a word, the Lord on that day forbiddeth all
worldly works and labours, except works of mercy and instant
necessity, which were mentioned before. And thus have I also
declared, both what the Lord requires and what he forbids in
the fourth commandment. And now, neighbour ISTonwlogista,
I pray you tell me, whether you think you keep it perfectly or
no.

Nom. Indeed, sir, I must confess, there is more both required
and forbidden in this commandment than I was aware of;
but yet I hope I go very near the observing and doing of all.

Neo. But, sir, is the bare observing and doing of
these things sufficient for keeping of this commandment per-
fectly ?

Evan. Oh no ! the first commandment must be understood
in all the rest, that is, the obedience to the first commandment
must be the motive and final cause of our obedience to the rest
of the commandments, otherwise it is not the worship of God,
but hypocrisy, as I touched before ; wherefore, neighbour No-
mologista, though you have done all the duties the Lord re-
quires in this commandment, and avoided all the sins which
he forbids, yet, if all this has been from such grounds, and to
such ends, as I told you of in the conclusion of the second com-
mandment, and not for the love you bear to God, and the de-
sire you have to please him, you come short of keeping this
commandment perfectly.

Neo. Sir, whatsoever he does, I am sure I come far short
not only in this point, but in divers others ; for though it is
true, indeed, I am careful to finish all my worldly business in
the space of six days, yet, alas ! I do not so seriously think on
and prepare for the seventh day as I ought ; neither do I
many times rise so early on that day as I ought ; neither do I
so thoroughly fit and prepare myself by prayer and other ex-
ercises beforehand as I ought ; neither do I so heartily join with
the minister and people, when I come to the assembly, as I
ought, but am subject to many wandering worldly thoughts
and cares even at that time. And when I come home, if I do
either meditate, repeat, pray, or confer, yet, alas ! I do none of
these with sucli delight or comfort as I ouglit ; neither have I
been so mindful nor careful to visit the sick, and relieve the
poor, as I ought : neither can I clear myself from being guilty
25*

294 THE MARROW OF

of doing more worldly works or labours on that day, than the
works of mercy and instant necessity. The Lord be merciful
unto me ! I pray you, sir, proceed to speak of the fifth com-
mandment, as you have done of the rest. But first of all, I
pray you, tell us what is meant by father and mother.

COMMANDMENT V.

Evan. By father and mother is meant, not only natural
parents, but others also that are our superiors, either in
age, in place, or in gifts, 2 Kings v. 13 ; and vi. 21 ; and xiii.
14.

Neo. And why did the Lord use the name of father and mo-
ther to signify and comprehend all other superiors ?

Evan. Because the government of fathers is the first and
most ancient of all others ; and because the society of father and
mother is that from whom all other societies do come.

Neo. And are the duties of inferiors towards their superiors
only here intended ?

Evan. No, but also of superiors towards their inferiors, and
of equals amongst themselves ; so that the general duty re-
quired in the affirmative part of this fifth commandment,
" Honour thy father and thy mother," &c,, is, that every man,
woman, and child, be careful to carry themselves as becomes
them in regard to that order God hath appointed amongst men,
and that relation they have to others, either as inferior, supe-
rior, or equal.

Neo. 1 pray you, sir, proceed to the particular handling of
these things ; and first tell us what is the duty of children to-
wards their parents.

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that children do reverence their parents, by thinking and es-
teeming highly of them. Gen. xxxi. 35 ; and by loving them
dearly, Gen. xlvi. 29 ; and by fearing them in regard of their
authority over them, Lev. xix. 3. And this inward reverent
esteem of them is to be expressed by their outward reverent
behaviour towards them. Gen. xlviii. 12. And this outward
reverent behaviour is to be expressed in giving them reverent
titles, Gen. xxxi. 35, and by bowing their bodies before them,
1 Kings ii. 19, and by embracing their instructions, Prov. i. 8,
and by submitting patiently to their corrections, Heb. xii. 9,
and by their succouring and relieving of them in case of want
and necessity. Gen. xlvii. 12, and by making their prayers unto
God for them, 1 Tim. ii. 12.

MODERN DIVINITY. 295

Neo. And, sir, what be the duties of parents towards their
children ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment does require,
that parents be careful to bring their children, with all conve-
nient speed, in due order, to be admitted into the visible church
of God by baptism, Luke i. 59 ; and that they, according to
their ability, do yield and give unto their children such com-
petent food, clothing, and other necessaries, as are fit for them,
Matt. vii. 9, 12 ; 1 Tim. v. 8.

And that they train them up in learning, instruct them in
religion, and endeavour to sow the seeds of godliness in their
hearts, so soon as they be able to speak, and have the use of
reason and understanding, Deut. iv. 10 ; and vi. 7, 20, 21.
And that they be careful to check and rebuke them when they
do amiss. Pro v. xxxi, 2 ; and that they be careful seasonably
to correct their faults, Prov. xiii. 24 ; and xix. 18 ; and that
they be careful in time to train them in some honest calling,
Gen. iv. 2 ; and that they be careful to bestow them in mar-
riage in due time, Jer. xxix. 6; 1 Cor. vii. 36, 38; and that
they be careful to lay up something for them, as their ability
will suffer, Prov. xix. 14 ; 2 Cor. xii. 14 ; and that they be
earnest with God in prayer, for a blessing upon their children's
souls and bodies. Gen. xlviii. 15, 16.

Neo. And what be the duties of servants towards their
masters ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that servants have an inward, high, and reverent esteem of
their masters, Eph. vi. 5 — 7 ; yea, and that they have in their
hearts a reverent awe and fear of them, 1 Pet. ii. 18 ; and this
reverence and fear they are to express by their outward reve-
rent behaviour towards them, both in word and deed, as by
giving them reverent titles, 2 Kings v. 23, 25, and by an
humble, submissive countenance and carriage, either when
their masters speak to them, or they speak to their masters,
Gen. xxiv. 9 ; Acts x. 7 ; and by yielding of sincere, faithful,
willing, painful, and single-hearted service to their masters in
all they go about. Col. iii. 22 ; Tit, ii. 10 ; and by a meek and
patient bearing of those checks, rebukes, and corrections which
are given to them, or laid upon them by their masters, without
grudging stomach, or sullen countenance, though the master
do it without just cause, or exceed in the measure, 1 Pet.
ii. 18, 20; and by being careful to maintain their master's
good name, in keeping secret those honest intents which he

296 THE MARROW OF

would not have disclosed ; and, as mucli as may be, to hide
and cover their master's wants and infirmities, not blazing them
abroad, 2 Sam. xv. 13 ; 2 Kings vi. 11.

Neo. And what is the duty of masters towards their ser-
vants ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that masters be careful to choose unto themselves religious
servants, Psalm ci. 6 ; and that they do instruct them in reli-
gion and the ways of godliness. Gen. xviii. 19 ; and that they
be careful to bring them to the public exercises, Joshua xxiv. 15 ;
and that they do daily pray with them and for them, Jer.
x. 24 ; and that they do yield and give unto them meat, drink,
and apparel fitting for them, Deut. xxiv. 14, 15 ; and that
they see to them that they follow the works of their callings
with diligence, Prov. xxxi. 27 ; and that they be careful to
instruct them, and give them direction therein, Exod. xxxv. 34;
and that they be careful to give them just reproof and correc-
tion for their faults, Prov. xxix. 29 ; and xix. 29 ; and that
they look carefully unto them when they are sick. Matt,
viii. 5, 6.

Neo. And what is the duty of wives towards their husbands ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that wives do carry in their hearts an inward opinion and
esteem for their husbands, Eph. v. 33 ; the which they are to
express in their speeches, by giving them reverent titles and
terms, 1 Pet. iii. 6 ; and in their countenance and behaviour,
by their modesty, sharaefacedness, and sobriety, 1 Tim. ii. 9 ;
and in being willing to yield themselves to be commanded,
governed and directed by their husbands in all things honest
and lawful. Gen. xxxi. 4, 16, 17 ; 2 Kings iv. 22 ; and they
are also required to love their husbands. Tit. ii. 4, and to ex-
press their love by their chastity and faithfulness to their hus-
bands, both in body and mind. Tit. ii. 5 ; 1 Tim. iii. 11 ; and
by their using the best means they can to keep their husbands'
bodies in health. Gen. xxvii. 9. They are also required to be
helpful to them in the government of the family, and to be
provident for their estate, by exercising themselves in some
profitable employment, Prov. xxxi. 13, 15, 19 ; and they are
also required to stir up their husbands to good duties, and
join with them in the performance of them, 2 Kings iv. 9, 10 ;
and to pray for them, 1 Tim. ii. 12.

Neo. And what is the duty of husbands towards their
wives ?

MODERN DIVINITY. 297

Evan. Why, the Hord in this commandment requires that
husbands be careful to choose religious wives, 2 Cor. vi, 14
and that they dwell with them as men of knowledge, 1 Pet
iii. 7 ; and that they cleave unto them with true love and af-
fection of heart, Col. iii. 19 ; yea, and that they content them
selves only with the love of their own wives, and keep them
selves only to them both in mind and body, Prov. v. 19, 20
they are also to be careful to maintain their authority over
them, Eph. v. 23; and to live cheerfully and familiarly with
them, Prov. v. 19 ; and to be careful to provide all things
needful and fitting for their maintenance, 1 Tim. v. 8 ; and to
teach, instruct, and admonish them, as touching the best things,
1 Sam. i. 8 ; and to pray with them and for them, 1 Pet. iii. 7 ;
and to endeavour to reform and amend what they see amiss in
them, by seasonable and loving admonition and reproof, Gen.
XXX. 2 ; and wisely and patiently to bear with their natural
infirmities, Gal. vi. 2.

Neo. And what is the duty of subjects towards their ma-
gistrates ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that subjects do think and esteem reverently of their magis-
trates, 2 Sam. X. 16, 17 ; and that they carry in their hearts a
reverent awe and fear of them, Prov. xxiv. 21 ; the which they
are to express by their outward reverent behaviour towards
them, both in word and deed, 2 Sam. ix. 6, 8 ; and by an
humble, ready, and willing submitting of themselves to their
commands, either to do, or to suffer, 1 Pet. ii. 13 ; and by
yielding a loyal and sound-hearted love to them, in not shrink-
ing from them when they have need, but defending them with
their goods, bodies, and lives, if occasion require, 2 Sam.xviii.
3, and xxi. 27 ; also they are required to make their prayers
unto God for them, 1 Tim. ii. 12.

Neo. And what is the duty of magistrates towards their
dubjects ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that magistrates be careful to establish good laws in their king
doms, and good orders among their subjects, 2 Kings xviii. 4
Rom. xii. 17 ; and that they be careful to see them duly and
impartially executed, Jer. xxxviii. 4, 6 ; Rom. xiii. 3, 4
and that they be careful to provide for the peace, safety
quietness, and outward welfare of their subjects, Rom. xiii. 4
1 Tim. ii. 2, and not to oppress them withtaxationsandgriev
ances, 1 Kinss xii. 14.

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Neo. And wliat duties are people to perform towards their
minister ?

Evan. Why, tlie Lord in this commandment doth require,
that the people have their minister in reverent account and
estimation, 1 Cor. iv. 1 ; and that they humbly and willingly
yield themselves to be taught and directed in their spiritual
affairs by him, Heb. xiii. 17 ; and that they pray for him, that
the Lord would enable him to do his duty, Kom. xv. 30, 31 ;
and that they do their best to defend him against the wrongs
of wicked men, Rom. xvi. 4 ; and that they yield unto him
double honour, that is, both singular love for their work's sake,
and sufficient maintenance, both in regard of his person and
calling, 1 Tim. v. 17, 18 ; GaL iv. 15.

Neo. And what is the duty of a minister towards the
people ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that ministers do diligently and faithfully preach the pure
word of God unto their people, both in season and out of
season, 1 Cor. ix. 16 ; 2 Kings iv. 2 ; and that they do so
truly and plainly expound the same, that the people may un-
derstand it, and that they pour out their souls to God in
prayer, for the spiritual good of the people, 1 Thess. i. 2 ; and
they go before the people, as a pattern of imitation to them,
in all holiness of conversation, Phil. iv. 9.

Neo. And what is the duty of equals ?

Evan. Why, the Lord in this commandment doth require,
that equals regard the dignity and worth of each other, and
carry themselves modestly one towards another, and in giving
honour to one before another, Eph. v. 21 ; Rom. xii. 10. And
thus having showed you the duties required in this command-
ment, I pray you, Nomologista, tell me whether you think
you have kept it perfectly or no.

Nom. Sir, though I have not kept it perfectly, yet I am per-
suaded I have gone very near it ; for when I was a child, I
loved and reverenced my parents, and was obedient unto them ;
and when I was a servant, I reverenced and feared my master,
and did him faithful service; and since I became a man, I
have, I hope, carried myself well towards my wife, and to-
wards my servants ; yea, and done my duty both to magis-
trates and ministers.

Evan. Aye, but I must tell you, the Lord doth not only
require you to do them, but also that you do them in obe-
dience unto him ; that is, in conscience to God's command-

MODERN DIVINITY. 299

ment, or for his sake, even because lie requires it. Therefore,
although you did your duty to your parents, when you were a
child, and to your master when you were a servant, yet if you
did it either for the praise of men, or for fear of their correc-
tions, or to procure a greater portion, or greater wages, and not
because the Lord says, Eph. vi. 4, " Children, obey your pa-
rents in the Lord ;" and because he says to servants, " What-
soever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto
men," you have not in so doing kept this commandment ; and
though you have loved your wife, and every way carried your-
self well towards her, yet if it have been either because she is
come of rich parents, or because she is beautiful, or because
she brought you a good portion, or because she some way
serves and pleases you after the flesh, and not because the Lord
says, Eph. v. 25, " Husbands, love your wives ;" you have not
therein kept this commandment : and though you have car-
ried yourself ever so well towards your servants, yet if it have
been that they might praise you, or to make them follow your
business more diligently and faithfully, and not because the
Lord says, " Masters, give unto your servants that which is
just and equal," you have not therein kept this command-
ment : and though you have done your duty ever so well to-
wards your magistrate, yet if it has been for fear of his wrath,
and not for conscience' sake, viz : because the Lord says,
" Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers," you have
not therein kept this commandment : and though you have
given your minister his due maintenance, and invited him
often to your table, and carried yourself ever so well towards
him, yet if it have been that he or others might think you a
good Christian, and a kind man, and not because the Lord says,
Gal. vi. 6, " Let him that is taught in the word, communicate
unto him that teacheth, in all good things," you have not there-
in kept this commandment.

Neo. Well, sir, I cannot tell what my neighbour Nomolo-
gista hath done, but for mine own part, I am sure, I have
come far short of doing my duty in any relation I have had
to others ; for when I was a child, I remember that I was
many times stubborn and disobedient to my parents, and vexed
if 1 might not have my will, and slighted their admonitions,
and was impatient at their corrections, and sometimes despised
and contemned them in my heart, because of some infirmity,
especially when they grew old ; neither did I pray for them,
as it seems I ought to have done ; and the truth is, if I did

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yield any obedience to them at all, it was for fear of their cor-
rections, or some such bye respects, and not for conscience to-
wards God. And when I was a servant, I did not think so
reverently, nor esteem so highly of my master and mistress as
I should have done, but was apt to slight and despise them,
and did not yield such humble, reverent, and cheerful obe-
dience as I should have done ; neither did I patiently and con-
tentedly bear their checks and rebulces, but had divers times
risings and swellings in my heart against them ; neither was I
so careful to maintain their good name and credit as I ought
to have been ; neither did I pray unto the Lord for them as I
ought to have done ; and the very truth is, all the obedience
and subjection which I yielded unto them, was for fear of their
reproofs and corrections, or for the praise of men, rather than
in conscience to the Lord's commandment.

And when I entered into the married estate, I was not care-
ful to choose a religious wife ; no, I aimed at beauty more
than piety ; and I have not dwelt with my wife as a man of
knowledge ; no, I have expressed much ignorance and folly in
my carriage towards her ; neither have I loved her so as a
husband ought to love his wife, for though it be true I have
had much fond affection towards her, yet I have had but little
true affection, as it hath been evident in that I have been
easily provoked to anger and wrath against her, and have not
carried myself patiently towards her ; neither have I been
careful to maintain mine authority over her, but have lost it
by my childish and indiscreet carriage towards her ; neither
have I lived so cheerfully and delightfully with her as I ought
to have done, but very heavily, discontentedly, and uncom-
fortably have I carried myself towards her ; neither have I
been careful to instruct and admonish her as I ought ; and
though I have now and then reproved her, yet for the most
part it has been in a passion, and not with the spirit of meek-
ness, pity, and compassion ; neither have I prayed for her either
so often or so fervently as I ought ; and whatsoever I have
done, that has been well done, I have been moved thereunto, in
former times especially, rather by something in her, or done
by her, than by the commandment of God. And since I be-
came a father and a master, I have neither done my duty to
my children nor servants as I ought, for I have not had such
care, nor taken such pains for their eternal good, as I have done
for their temporal. I have had more care, and taken more pains
to provide food and raiment for them, than I have to admonish,

MODEEN DIVINITY. 301

instruct, teach, and catecliize them ; and if I have reproved
or corrected them, it has been rather because they have some
way offended me, than because they have offended God ; and
truly, I have neither prayed for them so often, nor so fervently
as I ought. In a word, whatsoever I have done by way of
discharging my duty to them, I fear me, it has been rather out
of natural affection, or to avoid the blame, and gain the good
opinion of men, than out of conscience to the Lord's will and
commandment.

And if I have at any time carried myself well, or done my
duty either to magistrate or minister, it has rather been for
fear or praise of men, than for conscience' sake towards God ;
so far have I been from keeping this commandment perfectly :
the Lord be merciful unto me !

Evan. Assure yourself, neighbour Neophytus, this is not your
case alone, but the case of every man that has stood in all
these relations to others, as it seems you have done, as I am
confident any man that truly knows his heart will confess, yea,
and any woman that is well acquainted with her own heart, I
am persuaded, will confess, that she has not had such a rev-
erent esteem and opinion of her husband as she ought, nor so
willingly yielded herself to be commanded, governed, and di-
rected by him as she ought, nor loved him so truly as she
ought ; nor been so helpful to him any way as she ought,
nor prayed either so oft or so fervently for him as she ought;
and I fear me, most women do all that they do rather for fear
of their husband's frowns, or to gain his favour, than for con-
science to the Lord's will and command.

And where is the magistrate that is so careful to establish in
his dominions such good and wholesome laws as he ought, or
to see them executed or put in practice as he ought, or that is
so careful to uphold and maintain the truth of religion as he
ought, or that is so careful to provide for the peace, safety, and
welfare of his people as he ought ? Or where is the magistrate
that does not do what he does for some other cause, or some
other end, rather than because God commands them, or to the
end he may please him ?

And where is the minister that does his duty so in his place
as he ought? I am sure, for mine own part, I have neither so
diligently nor faithfully preached the pure word of God as I
ought ; nor so fully nor truly expounded it and applied it to
my hearers as I ought ; nor so poured out my soul to God for
them in prayer as I ought ; neither have I gone before them as
26

302 THE MARROW OF

a pattern of imitation in holiness of life and conversation, as
I ought : the Lord be merciful to me !

Neo. Well, sir, now I entreat you to proceed to speak of the
sixth commandment as you have done of the rest.

COMMANDMENT VI.

Evan. Well, then, I pray you consider, that in the sixth
commandment there is a negative part expressed in these
words : " Thou shalt do no murder." That is, thou shalt nei-
ther in heart, tongue, nor hand, impeach or hurt either the
life of thine own soul or body, or the life of any other man's
soul or body ; and an affirmative part included in these
words : " But thou shalt every way, by all good means, seek
to preserve them both."

Neo. I pray you, sir, speak of these things in order, and first
tell us what is forbidden in this commandment, as tending to
the murdering of our own souls.

Evan. That we may not be guilty of the murdering of our
own souls, in this commandment is forbidden all sinning
against God, Pro v. vi. 2 ; and so also is the careless neglect-
ing and wilful rejecting of the means that God has ordained to
salvation, Heb. ii. 3.

Neo. And what is forbidden in this commandment, as tend-
ing to the murdering of others' souls ?

Evan. That we may not be guilty of murdering the souls
of others, in this commandment is forbidden all giving occa-
sion to others to sin against God, either by provoking of them,
1 Kings xxi. 25, or by counselling of them, 2 Sam. xvi. 21, or
by evil example, Rom. xiv. 15.

Neo. And what is forbidden in this commandment, as tend-
ing to the murdering of our own bodies ?

Evan. That we may not be guilty of murdering our own
bodies, in this commandment is forbidden excessive worldly
sorrow, 1 Cor. vii. 10 ; Prov. xvii. 22 ; and so also is the ne-
glect of meat, drink, apparel, recreation, physic, or any such
refreshments, Eccl. v. 19 ; vi. 2 ; and so also is excessive eat-
ing and drinking, Prov. xxiii. 29, 30 ; Hosea vii. 5 ; and so
also is laying violent hands upon ourselves, 1 Sam. iii. 14 ;
Acts xvi. 28.

Neo. Well, sir, now I pray you, tell us what is forbidden in
this commandment as tending to the murdering of others'
bodies ; and, first, what is forbidden in respect of the heart ?

Evan. That we may not be guilty of murdering others with

MODERN DIVINITY. 303

our hearts, in this commandment is forbidden all hasty, rash,
and unjust anger, Matt. v. 22 ; and so also is malice or hatred,
Lev. xix. 18 ; 1 John iii. 15 ; and so also is envy, Psalm
xxxvii. 1 ; Prov. xxiv. 1 ; and so also is desire of revenge,
Lev. xix. 18.

Neo. And what is forbidden in respect of the tongue ?

Evan. That we may not be guilty of murdering others with
our tongues, in this commandment are forbidden all bitter and
provoking terms, Eph. iv. 31 ; and so also are all wrangling
and contentious speeches, Prov. xv. 1 ; and so also is crying
and unseemly lifting up of the voice, Eph. iv. 31 ; and so also
is railing or scolding, Prov. xvii. 19 ; 1 Peter iii. 19 ; and so
also are all reviling and threatening speeches. Matt, v. 22 ; and
so also are all mocking, scoffing, and deriding speeches, 2
Kings ii. 23 ; John xix. 3.

Neo. And what is forbidden in respect of the whole body,
and more especially of the hand ?

Evan. That we may not be guilty of murdering others with
our hands, in respect of the other parts of the body, in this
commandment is forbidden all disdainful, proud, and scornful
carriage, Gen. iv. 5 ; Prov. vi. 17 ; and so also are all provoking
gestures, as nodding of the head, gnashing with the teeth, and
the like. Matt, xxvii. 39 ; Acts vii. 45 ; and so also is all fro-
ward'and churlish behaviour, 1 Sam. xxv. 17 ; and so also is
brawling and quarrelling, Tit. iii. 2, And more especially in
respect of the hand is forbidden striking and wounding, Exod.
xxi. 18, 22 ; and so also is all taking away of life, otherwise
than in case of public justice, just war, and necessary defence,
Exod. xxi. 12 ; Gen. ix. 6.

Neo. I pray you, sir, proceed to the affirmative part of this
commandment, and first tell us what is required of us in re-
spect of the life of our own souls.

Evan. In respect of the preservation of the life of our own
souls is required a careful avoiding of all sorts of sin, Prov.
xi. 19 ; and so also is a careful use of all means of grace, and
spiritual life in our souls, 1 Peter ii, 2.

Neo. And what is required of us in respect of the preserva-
tion of the life of others' souls V

Evan. In respect of the preservation of the life of the souls
of others, is required, that according to our place and calling,
and as present occasion is offered, we teach and instruct others
to know God and his will. Gen. xviii. 19 ; Deut, vi, 7 ; and so
also that we do our best to comfort others that are in distress

304 THE MARROW OF

of conscience, 1 Thess. v. 14 ; and that we pray for the wel-
fare and comfort of others' souls, Gen. xliii. 29 ; and that we
give others good examples by our Christian-like walking, Matt.
V. 16.

Neo. And what is required of us in respect of the preserva-
tion of the life of our own bodies ?

Evan. In respect of the preservation of the life of our own
bodies, is required in this commandment, that we be careful
to procure unto ourselves the use of wholesome food, clothing,
and lodging, and physic, when there is occasion, 1 Tim. v. 23;
Eccl. X. 17 ; 2 Kings xx. 7 ; and also that we use honest and
lawful mirth, rejoicing in an holy manner, Pro v. xvii. 22 ;
Eccl. iii. 4.

Neo. And what is required of us in respect of the preserva-
tion of the life of the bodies of others ?

Evan. In respect of the preservation of the life of the bodies
of others, in this commandment is required a kind and loving
disposition, with tenderness of heart towards them, Eph. iv.
31, 32 : and so also is a patient bearing of wrongs and inju-
ries. Col. iii. 12, 13 ; and so also is the taking of all things in
the best sense, 1 Cor. xiii. 5, 7 ; and so also is the avoiding of
all occasions of strife, and parting with our own right some-
times for peace' sake. Gen. xiii. 8, 9 ; and so also are all such
looks and gestures of the body as do express meekness and
kindness, Gen, xxxiii. 10 ; and so also is the relieving the
poor and needy. Job xxxi. 16 ; and so also is the visiting of
the sick, Matt. xxv. 36. And now, neighbour Nomologista, I
pray you tell me, whether you think you keep this command-
ment perfectly or no.

Nom. No, indeed, sir, I do not think I keep it perfectly, nor
any man else, as you have expounded it.

Evan. Assure yourself, neighbour Nomologista, that I
have expounded it according to the mind and will of God
revealed in his word, for you see I have proved all by Scrip-
ture : I told you at the beginning, that the law is spiritual and
binds the very heart and soul to obedience ; and that under
one vice expressly forbidden, all of the same kind, with all
occasions and means leading thereunto, are likewise forbid-
den ; and according to these rules have I expounded it.
Wherefore, I pray you, consider, that so many sins as you
have committed, and so many times as you have carelessly
neglected, and wilfully rejected the means of salvation, so
many wounds you have given your own soul.

MODERN DIVINITY. 805

And so many times as you have given occasion to others
to sin, so many wounds you have given to their souls.

And so many fits of worldly sorrow as you have had,
and so many times as you have neglected the moderate use either
of meat, drink, apparel, recreation, or physic, when need
hath required, so many wounds have you given your own
body.

And so many times as you have been either unadvisedly
angry with any, or have borne any malice or hatred to-
wards any, or have secretly in your heart wished evil unto any,
or borne envy in your heart towards any, or desired to be
revenged upon any, then have you been guilty of murdering
them in your heart. And if you have given others any
wrangling and contentious speeches, or any reviling and
threatening speeches, or have carried yourself frowardly and
churlishly towards others, and have not borne injuries and
wrongs patiently, and expressed pity and compassion towards
others, then have you been guilty of murdering them with
your tongue. And if you have quarrelled with any man, or
stricken or wounded any man, then have you murdered them
with your hand, though you have not taken away their lives.
And thus have I endeavoured to satisfy your desires concern-
ing the sixth commandment.

Neo. I beseech you, sir, proceed to speak of the seventh
commandment as you have done of the rest.

COMMANDMENT VII.

Evan. Well, then, I pray you, consider that in the seventh
commandment there is a negative part expressed in these
words, " Thou shalt not commit adultery ;" that is, thou
shalt not think, will, speak, or do anything whereby thine
own chastity or the chastity of others, may be hurt or
hindered. And an affirmative part included in these words,
" But thou shalt every way, and by all good means, preserve
and keep the same."

Neo. I pray you, sir, begin with the negative part, and first
tell us what is that inward unclean ness that is forbidden in
this commandment.

Evan. That we may not be guilty of the inward unclean-
ness of the heart, in this commandment are forbidden all filthy
imaginations, unchaste thoughts, and inward desires and mo-
tions of the heart to uncleanness, Matt, v. 28 ; Col. iii. 5 ;
26*

806 THE MARKOW OP

with all causes and occasions of stirring up and nourishing of
these in the heart.

Neo. And what are the causes and occasions of stirring up
and nourishing these things in the heart which we are to
avoid ?

Evan. That we may not stir up and nourish inward un-
cleanness in our hearts, is forbidden in this commandment
gluttony, or excess in eating and pampering of the belly
with meats, Jer. v. 8 ; and so also is drunkenness, or excess
in drinking, Prov. xxiii. 80, 31, 33 ; and so also is idleness,
2 Sam. xi. 12 ; and so also is the wearing of lascivious,
garish, and new fangled attire, Prov, vii. 10 ; 1 Tim. ii. 9 ;
and so also is keeping company with lascivious, wanton,
and fleshly persons. Gen. xxxix. 10 ; and so also is immodest,
unchaste, and filthy speaking, Eph. iv. 29 ; and so also
is idle and curious looking of men on women, or women on
men, Gen. vi. 2 ; xxxix. 7; and so also is the beholding of love
matters, and light behaviour of men and women represented
in stage plays, Ezek. xxiii. 14; Eph. v. 8, 4; and so also is
immoderate and wanton dancing of men and women together,
Job xxi. 11, 12 ; Mark vi. 21, 22 ; and so also is wanton
kissing and embracing, with all unchaste touching and dalli-
ance, Prov. vii. 13.

Neo. And what is that outward actual uncleanness which is
forbidden in this commandment ?

Evan. The actual uncleanness forbidden in this command-
ment is fornication, which is a fleshly defilement of the body,
committed between man and woman, being both of them
single and unmarried persons, 1 Cor. x. 8 ; and so also is
adultery, which is a defilement of the body, committed be-
tween man and woman, being either one or both of them
married persons, or at least contracted, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 18 ;
Hos. xiii. 4.

Neo. I pray you, sir, proceed to the affirmative part, and
tell us what the Lord requires in this commandment.

Evan. The Lord in this commandment requires purity of
heart, 1 Thess. iv. 5 ; and he also requires speeches savour-
ing of sobriety and chastity. Col. iv. 6 ; Gen. iv. 1 ; and he
also requires that we keep our eyes from beholding vanity
and lustful objects, Psalm cxix. 37 ; Job xxxi. 1 ; and he
also requires that we be temperate in our diet, in our sleep,
and in our recreations, Luke xxi. 34 ; and he also requires
that we possess our vessels in holiness and honour, 1 Thess.

MODERN DIVINITY. 307

iv. 9 ; and if we have not the gift of chastity, he requires that
we take the benefit of holy marriage, 1 Cor. vii. 29 ; and that
the man and wife do in that estate render due benevolence each
towards the other, 1 Cor. vii. 5. Thus have I also endeavoured
to satisfy your desires concerning the seventh commandment ;
and now, neighbour Nomologista, I pray you tell me whether
you think you keep it perfectly or no.

Nom. Sir, I thank the Lord I am free from actual unclean-
ness, so that I am neither fornicator nor adulterer.

Evan. Well, but though you be free from the outward act,
yet if you have had in your heart filthy imaginations, unchaste
thoughts, or inward desires, or motions of the heart to unclean-
ness, you have notwithstanding transgressed this command-
ment ; or if you have been guilty of gluttony, or drunkenness,
or idleness, or delight to keep company with lascivious and
wanton persons, or have with your tongue uttered any unchaste
or corrupt communication, or have been a frequenter of stage-
plays, or have used immoderate dancing with women, or have
used wanton dalliance with kissing and embracing, then have
you broken this commandment.

Neo. I beseech you, sir, proceed to speak of the eighth com-
mandment, as you have done of the rest.

COMMANDMENT VIII.

Evan. Well, then, I pray you, consider, that in the eighth
commandment there is a negative part expressed in these
words, " Thou shalt not steal ;" that is, thou shalt by no unlaw-
ful way or means hurt or hinder the wealth and outward estate
either of thyself or others: and an affirmative part included in
these words, " But thou shalt by all good means preserve and
further them both."

Neo. I pray you, sir, begin with the negative part, and first
tell us what is forbidden in this commandment, as a hurt or
hinderance of our own outward estate.

Evan. That we may not hurt or hinder our own outward
estate, in this commandment are forbidden idleness, sloth, and
inordinate walking, Prov. xviii. 9 ; 2 Thess. iii. 11 ; and so
also are unthriftiness and carelessness, either in spending
our goods, or in ordering our affairs and businesses, Proverbs
xxi. 17 ; 1 Tim. v. 8 ; and so also is unadvised suretyship,
Prov. xi. 15.

Neo. And what is forbidden in this commandment, as tend-
ing to the hurt or hinderance of our neighbour's estate ?

308 THE MARROW OF

Evan. That we may not hurt or hinder our neighbour's
outward estate, in this commandment is forbidden covet-
ousness and discontentedness with our estate, Heb. xiii. 5 ;
and so also is enviousness at the prosperity of others, Prov.
xxiv. 1 ; and so also are resolutions or hastening to be rich,
as it were, whether the Lord aftbrded means or not, 1 Tim.
vi. 9 ; Prov, xxviii. 20 ; and so also is borrowing and not paying
again, Ave being able. Psalm xxxvii. 21 ; and so also is lend-
ing upon usury, Exod.xxii.25 ; and so also is the not restoring
of things borrowed, Psalm xxxvii. 21 ; and so also is cruelty
in requiring all our debts, without compassion or mercy,
Isa. Iviii. 3 ; and so also is the praising of any commodity
we sell, contrary to our own knowledge, or the debasing
of anything we buy, against our own conscience, Isa. v. 20;
Prov. XX, 14 ; and so also is the hoarding up, or withholding
the selling of corn and other necessary commodities when we
may spare them, and others have need of them, Prov. xi. 26 ;
and so also is the retaining of hireling's wages, James v. 4;
and so also is uncharitable inclosure, Isa. v. 8 ; and so also is
the selling of any commodity by false weights or false
measures, Lev. xix. 35 : and so also is the concealing of
things found, and withholding them from the right owners
when they are known ; and so also is robbery, or the lay-
ing of violent and strong hands on any part of the wealth
that belongs unto another, Zech. iv. 3, 4 ; and so also is
pilfering and secret carrying away of the wealth that belongs
to another, Joshua vii, 21 ; and so also is the consent-
ing to the taking away the goods of another, Psalm xc, 18 ;
and so also is the receiving or harbouring of stolen goods,
Prov. xxix. 24.

Neo. Well, now, sir, I pray you proceed to the affirmative
part of this commandment, and tell us what the Lord therein
requires.

Evan. In this commandment is required contentedness of
mind with that part and portion of wealth and outward
good things which God, in his providence, has allotted unto us,
Heb. xiii. 5 ; 1 Tim, vi. 6 — 8 ; and so also in resting by
faith upon the promise of God, and depending upon his pro-
vidence, without distrustful care. Matt. vi. 20, 26 ; and so
also is a moderate desire of such things as are convenient
and necessary for us. Matt. vi. 21 ; Prov, xxx, 8 ; and so also
is a moderate care to provide those things which are needful
for us, Gen. xxx. 30 ; 1 Tim. v. 8 ; and so also is an honest

MODERN DIVINITY. 309

calling, Gen. iv, 2 ; and so also is diligence, painfulness, and
faithful labouring therein, Gen. iii. 19 ; and so also is frugality
or thriftiness, Prov. xxvii. 23, 24 ; John vi. 12 ; and so also is
borrowing for need and good ends, what we are able to repay,
and making payment with thanks and cheerfulness, Exod.
xxii. 14 ; and so also is lending freely without compounding
for gain, Deut. xv. 8 ; Luke vi. 35 ; and so also is giving, or
communicating outward things unto others, according to our
ability and their necessity, Luke xi. 41 ; and so also is the
using of truth, simplicity, and plainness in buying and selling,
in hiring and letting. Lev. xxv. 14; Deut. xxv. 13 — 15; and
so also is the restoring of things found, Deut. xxii. 2, 3 ; and
so also is the restoring of things committed to our trust, Ezek.
xviii. 7. And thus have I endeavoured to satisfy your desire
concerning the eighth commandment; and now, neighbour
Nomologista, I pray you, tell me whether you think you keep
it perfectly or not.

Nom. I can say this truly, that I never in all my life took
away, or consented to the taking away, of so much as a penny-
worth of any other man's goods.

Evan. Though you did not, yet if there ever have been in
your heart any discontentedness with your own estate, or any
envious thoughts towards others in regard of their prosperity
in the world, or any resolution to be rich, otherwise than by
the moderate use of lawful means, or if ever you borrowed
and paid not again, to the utmost of your ability, or if ever
you lent upon usury, or if ever you did cruelly require any
debt above the ability of your debtor, or if ever you praised
anything you had to sell above the known worth of it, or if
ever you did undervalue anything you were to buy, contrary
to your own thoughts of it, or if ever you hoarded up corn in
the time of dearth, or if ever you retained the hireling's wages
in your hands, to his loss or hinderance, or if ever you did sell
any commodity by false weights or measures, or if ever you
did conceal anything found from the right owner, when you
knew him ; then have you been guilty of theft, and so have
been a transgressor of this commandment.

And though you never have done any of these things, and
it is strange if you have not, yet if ever you were guilty of
idleness, sloth, or any way unwarrantably neglected your call-
ing, or if ever you did unthriftily mispend any of your own
goods, or ever were negligent and careless in ordering your
own affairs and business, or if ever you sustained any loss by

310 THE MARROW OP

your unadvised suretyship, or if ever you borrowed upon
usury, except in case of extreme necessity, then have you been
guilty of robbing yourself, and so have been a transgressor of
this commandment.

Neo. Now, I pray you, sir, proceed to speak of the ninth
commandment, as you have done of the rest.

COMMANDMENT IX.

Evan. Well, then, I pray you consider, that in the ninth
commandment there is a negative part expressed in these
words : " Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neigh-
bour ;" that is, thou shalt not think or speak anything con-
trary to truth, or that may tend to the hurt or hinderance
either of thine own or thy neighbour's good name. And an
affirmative part included in these words : " But thou shalt by
all good means seek to maintain them both, according to truth
and a good conscience."

Neo. Well, sir, I pray you, begin with the negative part ;
and first tell us what is forbidden in this commandment, in
respect of our own good name.

Evan. That we may not be guilty of bearing false witness
against ourselves, either by overvaluing or undervaluing our-
selves, in this commandment is forbidden too high a conceit
or esteem of ourselves, Luke xviii. 9 — 11 ; and so also is too
mean a conceit, in underweening the good things that are in
ourselves, Exod. iv. 10, 13 ; and so also is the procuring of
ourselves an evil name, by walking indiscreetly and offen-
sively, Rom. ii. 24 ; and so also is the unjust accusing of our-
selves, when we, in a way of proud humility, say, " We have
no grace, no wit, no wealth," &c. Prov. xiii. 7 ; and so also is
the excusing of our faults by way of lying, Lev. xix. 11.

Neo. And what is forbidden in this commandment, in re-
spect to our neighbour's good name ?

Evan. That we may not be guilty of bearing false witness
against any other man, in this comniandment is forbidden con-
temning or thinking basely of others, 2 Sam. vi. 16 ; and so
also is wrongful suspicion, or evil surmisings, 2 Sam. x. 3 ; and
so also is rash, uncharitable, unjust judging and condemning of
others, Matt. vii. 1 ; and so also is foolish admiring of others,
Acts xii. 22 ; and so also is the unjust reviving the memory
of our neighbour's crimes, which were in tract of time forgot-
ten, Prov. xvii. 9 ; and so also is the forbearing to speak in
the cause and for the credit of our neighbours, Prov. xxxi.

MODERN DIVINITY. 811

8, 9: and so al?o are all flattering speeches, Job xxxii. 21, 22:
and so also is tale-bearing, backbiting, and slanderous speeches,
Lev. xix. 16 ; Prov. xx. 19 ; and so also is listening to tale-
bearers, Prov. xxvi. 20 ; and xxv. 28 ; and so also is falsely
charging some ill upon another before some magistrate, or in
some open court, Amos vii. 10 ; Acts xxv. 2. *

Neo. I pray you, sir, proceed to the affirmative part of this
commandment, and first tell us what the Lord requires of us
for the maintenance of our own good name.

Evan. For the maintenance of our own good name, the Lord
in this commandment requires a right judgment of ourselves,
2 Cor. xiii. 5 ; with a love to, and care of our own good name,
Prov. xxii. 1.

Neo. And what does the Lord in this commandment require
of us for the maintenance of our neighbour's good name?

Evan. For the maintenance of our neighbour's good
name, in this commandment is required a charitable opinion
and estimation of others, 1 Cor. xiii. 7 ; and so also is a
desire of, and rejoicing in the good name of others, Rom.
i. 8 ; Gal. i. 24 ; and so also is sorrowing and grieving for
their infirmities, Psalm cxix. 136 ; and so also is the covering
of others' infirmities in love, Prov. xvii. 9 ; 1 Pet. iv. 8 ; and
so also is the hoping and judging the best of others, 1 Cor.
xiii. 5 — 7 ; and so is the admonishing of others before we be-
wray their faults, Prov. xxv. 9 ; and so also is speaking of the
truth from our heart simply and plainly, upon any just occa-
sion. Psalm XV. 2 ; Zech. viii. 16 ; and so also is the giving of
sound and seasonable reproofs for known faults, in love and
with wisdom. Lev. xix. 17; and so also is the praising and
commending of those that do well, Rev. ii. 23 ; and so also is
the defending of the good name of others, if need so require.
And thus have I also endeavoured to satisfy your desires con-
cerning the ninth commandment : and now, neighbour Nomo-
logista, I pray you, tell me whether you think you keep it per-
fectly or not.

Nom. The truth is, sir, I did conceive that nothing tended
to the breaking of this commandment, but falsely charging
some ill upon another before some magistrate, or in some
open court of justice: and that, thank God, I am not
guilty of.

Evan. Though you have not been guilty of that, yet, if you
have contemned or thought too basely of any person, or have
had wrongful suspicions, or evil surmisings concerning them,
or have rashly and unjustly judged and condemned them, or

312 THE MAEROW OF

if you have foolisWy admired them, or unjustly revived the
memory of any forgotten crime, or have given them any flat-
tering speeches, or have been a tale-bearer, or a backbiter, or
a slanderer, or a listener to tale-bearers, you have borne false
witness against your neighbour, and so have been guilty of
the br«ach of this commandment.

Or if you have not had a charitable opinion of others, or
have not desired and rejoiced in the good name of others, or
have not sorrowed and grieved for their sinful infirmities, or
have not covered them in love, or have not hoped and judged
the best of them, or have not admonished them before you
had discovered their faults to others, or have not given to
others sound and seasonable reproof, or have not praised them
that do well, then have you also been guilty of false witness-
bearing against your neighbour, and so have transgressed this
commandment. And though you never have done any of
these things, and it is strange if you have not, yet if you have
had too high a conceit of yourself, or have after a proud hum-
ble manner unjustly accused yourself, or have procured your-
self an evil name, by walking indiscreetly and offensively, or
have excused any fault by way of lying, then have you borne
false witness against yourself, and thereby have transgressed
this commandment.

Neo. I beseech you, sir, proceed to speak of the last com-
mandment as you have done of the rest.

COMMANDMENT X.

Evan. Well, then, I pray you consider, that in the tenth
commandment there is a negative part expressed in these
words, "Thou shalt not covet," &c. : that is, thou shalt not
inwardly think on, nor long after, that which belongs to
another, though it be without consent of will, or purpose of
heart to seek after it ; and an affirmative part included in
these words, "But thou shalt be well contented with thine
own outward condition, and heartily desire the good of thy
neighbours."

Neo. Well, sir, I pray you, begin with the negative part ;
and first tell us what the Lord forbids in this command-
ment.

Evan. I pray you take notice, and consider, that this tenth
commandment was given to be a rule and level, according to
the which we must take and measure our inward obedience to
all the other commandments contained in the second table of

MODERN DIVINITY. 313

God's law. For the Lawgiver having, in the rest of the
commandments, dealt with those sins especially which stand
in deeds, and are done of purpose, or with an advised consent
of will, although there is no doubt but that the law of re-
straining concupiscence is implied and included in all the for-
mer commandments ; now, last of all, in this last com-
mandment deals with those sins which are called only
concupiscences, and do contain all inward stirring and conceit
in the understanding and affections against every command-
ment of the law, and are, as it were, rivers boiling out of the
fountain of that original sin ; for to covet, in this place, signi-
fies to have a motion of the heart without any settled consent
of will. Briefly, then, in this commandment is forbidden, not
only the evil act and evil thought settled, and with full and
deliberate consent of will, as in the former commandments, but
here also is forbidden the very first motions and inclinations
to every evil that is forbidden in any of the former command-
ments, as it is evident, Eom. vii. 7, and xiii. 9 ; for it is not
said in this commandment, Thou shalt not consent to lust, but
" Thou shalt not lust." It does not only command the binding
of lust, but it also forbids the being of lust ; which being so,
who sees not that in this commandment is contained the per-
fect obedience to the whole law ? for how comes it to pass, that
we sin against every commandment, but because this corrupt
concupiscence is in us, without which we should of our own ac-
cord, with our whole mind and body, be apt to do only good
without any thought or desire at all to the contrary ? And
this is all I have to say touching the negative part of this com-
mandment.

Neo. Well, then, sir, I pray you to proceed to the affirma-
tive, and tell us what the Lord requires in this commandment.

Evan. Why, original justice or righteousness is required in
this commandment, which is a disposition and an inclination
and a desire to perform unto God, and to our neighbour, for
God's sake, all tlie duties which are contained both in the first
and second table of the law ; whence it does evidently appear,
that it is not sufficient, though we forbear the evil, and do the
good which is contained in every commandment, except we
do it readily and willingly, and for the Lord's sake. As for
example, to give you a few instances, it is not sufficient though
we abstain from making images, or worshipping God by an
image ; no, though we perform all the parts of his true wor-
ship, as praying, reading, hearing, receiving the sacraments,
27 t'

314 THE MAREOW OF

and the like, if we do it unwillingly or in obedience to any
law or commandment of man, and not for the Lord's sake.
Neither is it sufficient though we abstain from the works of
our callings on the Lord's day, and perform never so many
religious exercises, if it be unwillingly, and for form and cus-
tom's sake, or in mere obedience to any superior, and not for
the Lord's sake. Neither is it sufficient though a child show
never so much honour, love, and respect to his parents, if he
do it by constraint and unwillingly, or to gain the praise of
men, and not for the Lord's sake. Neither is it sufficient
though a servant do his duty, and carry himself never so well,
if it be for fear of correction, or for his own profit and gain,
and not for the Lord's sake. Neither is it sufficient though a
wife carry herself never so dutifully and respectfully towards
her husband, both in word and deed, if it be unwillingly, for
fear of his frowns, or to gain the applause of them that behold
it, and not for the Lord's sake. Neither is it sufficient though
a husband show much love and respect to his wife, if it be be-
cause she is amiable or profitable, or to gain the praise of men,
and not for the Lord's sake. In a word, it is not sufficient,
though any man or woman do all their duties, in all their re-
lations, if they do them merely for their own sake, and not for
the Lord's sake.

Neither is it sufficient though a man abstain from kill-
ing, yea, and from striking, if it be for fear of the law, and
not for the Lord's sake. Neither is it sufficient though he bri-
dle his anger, and abstain from expressing any wrath, if
it be because he would be counted a patient man, and not
for the Lord's sake. Neither is it sufficient though a man
visit the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, or in never
so many ways seek to preserve the life of his neighbour,
if it be for the praise of men, and not for the Lord's sake.
Neither is it sufficient though a man abstain from commit-
ting adultery, if it be for fear of the shame or punishment
that will follow, and not for the Lord's sake. Nor though we
also abstain from idleness, gluttony, and drunkenness, if it be
for our own gain's sake, and not for the Lord's sake. Neither
is it sufficient though we abstain from stealing, and labour
diligently in our callings, if it be for the fear of shame or pun-
ishment, or for the praise of men. Neither is it sufficient
though we have abstained from false witness-bearing, and have
spoken the truth, if it have been for fear of shame, or merely
to do our neighbour a courtesy, and not because the Lord re-
quires it.

MODERN DIVINITY. 315

Ttus miglit I have instanced in divers other particulars,
wherein, though we have done that which is required, and
avoided that which is forbidden, yet if it have been for our
own ends, in any of the particulars before mentioned ; yea, or
if it have been merely or chiefly to escape hell and to obtain
heaven, and not for the love we bear to God, and for the de-
sire we have to please him, we have therein transgressed the
Lord's commandments. And now, neighbour Nomologista, I
pray you consider, whether you have gone near to the keeping
of all the commandments perfectly or no.

Nom. But, sir, are you sure that the Lord requires that
every man should keep all the ten commandments according
as you have now expounded them ?

THE USE OF THE LAW.

Evan. Yea, indeed he does ; and if you make any question
of it, I pray you, consider further, that one asking our Sa-
viour, which is the " great commandment in the law ?" he an-
swered, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This,"
says he, " is the first and great commandment ; and the second
is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,"
Matt. xxii. 87—39.

Whereupon, says a famous spiritual expositor, " God will
have the whole heart;" all the powers of our souls must be
bent towards him, he will have himself to be acknowledged
and reckoned as our sovereign and supreme good ; our love to
him must be perfect and absolute : he requires, that there be
not found in us the least thought, inclination, or appetite of
anything which may displease him ; and that we direct all
our actions to this very end, that he alone may be glorified by
us ; and that for the love we bear unto God, we must do well
unto our neighbour, according to the commandments of God.
Consider, also, I pray you, that it is said, Deut. xxvii. 26 ;
Gal. iii. 10, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all
things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
Now, if you do consider these things well, you shall perceive
that the Lord requires that every man do keep all the ten
commandments perfectly, according as I have expounded
them, and concludes all those under the curse that do not so
keep them.

Nom. Surely, sir, you did mistake in saying that the Lord

316 THE MAKROW OF

requires that every man do keep all the ten commandments
perfectly ; for 1 suppose you would have said, the Lord re-
quires that every man do endeavour to keep them perfectly,

Evan. No, neighbour Nomologista, I did not mistake, for
I say it again, that the Lord requires of every man perfect
obedience to all the ten commandments, and concludes all
those under the curse that do not yield it ; for it is not said,
Cursed is every man that does not endeavour to continue in
all things, but "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all
things," &c.

Norn. But, sir, do you think that any man continues in all
things, as you have expounded them ?

Evan. No, no ; it is impossible that any man should.

Nom. And, sir, what is it to be under the curse ?

Evan. To be under the curse, as Luther and Perkins do
well agree, is to be under sin, the wrath of God, and everlast-
ing death.

Nom. But, sir, I pray you, how can this stand with the jus-
tice of God, to require man to do that which is impos-
sible, and yet to conclude him under the curse for not
doing it ?

Evan. You shall perceive that it does well stand with the
justice of God, to deal so with man, if you do consider, that
this law of God, or these ten commandments, which we have
now expounded, are, as Ursinus's Catechism truly says, " A
doctrine agreeing with the eternal and immortal wisdom and
justice that is in God ;" wherein, says Calvin, " God hath so
painted out his own nature, that it doth in a manner express
the very image of God." And we read, Gen. i. 27, that man
at the first was created in the image or likeness of God ;
whence it must needs follow that this law was written in his
heart, that is to say, God did engrave in man's heart such
wisdom and knowledge of his will and works, and such in-
tegrity in his soul, and such a fitness in all the powers thereof,
that his mind was able to conceive, and his heart was able to
desire, and his body was able to put in execution, anything
that was acceptable to God ; so that in very deed he was able
to keep all the ten commandments perfectly.

And, therefore, though God do require of man impossible
things, yet is he not unjust, neither does he injure us in so
doing, because he commanded them when they were possible,
and though we have now lost our ability of performance,
yet it being by our voluntary falling from the state of inno-

MODERN DIVINITY. 317

cence in whicli we were at first created, God has not lost his
right of requiring that of us which he once gave us.

Nom. But, sir, you know it was our first parents only that
did fall away from God in eating the forbidden fruit, and none
of their posterity ; how then can it be truly said, that we have
lost that power through our own default ?

Evan. For answer to this, I pray you consider, that Adam,
by God's appointment, was not to stand or fall as a single per-
son only, but as a common public person, representing all man-
kind which were to come of him ; and therefore, as in case if
he had been obedient, and not eaten the forbidden fruit, he
had retained and kept that power which he had by creation, as
well for all mankind as for himself; even so by his disobe-
dience in eating that forbidden fruit, he was disrobed of God's
image, and so lost that power, as well for all mankind as for
himself.

Nom. Why then, sir, it should seem that all mankind are
under sin, wrath, and eternal death!

Evan. Yea, indeed by nature they are so, "For we know,"
says the apostle, "that whatsoever the law saith, it saith to
them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped,
and all the world may become guilty before God," Rom.
iii. 19 ; and again, says he, "We have proved both Jews and
Gentiles, that they are all under sin," Rom. iii. 9. And in
another place he says, "We were by nature children of wrath
as well as others." Eph. ii. 3 ; and, lastly, he says, " So death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned," Rom. v. 12.

Novi. But, sir, I pray you, tell me whether you think that
any regenerate man keeps the commandments perfectly, ac-
cording as you have expounded them.

Evan. No, not the most sanctified man in the world.

Nom. Why then, sir, it should seem, that not only natural
men, but regenerate men also, are under the curse of the law.
For if every one that keepeth not the law perfectly be concluded
under the curse, and if regenerate men do not keep the law
perfectly, then they also must needs be under the curse.

Evan. The conclusion of your argument is not true; for if
by regenerate men you mean true believers, then they have
fulfilled the law perfectly in Christ, or rather Christ has per-
fectly fulfilled the law in them, and was made a curse for them,
and so has redeemed them from the curse of the law, as you
may see. Gal. iii. 13.

Nom. Well, sir, now do I understand you, and have ever
been of your judgment in that point, for I have ever concluded
27*

818 THE MARROW OF

this, that either a man himself, or Christ for him, must keep
the law perfectly, or else God will not accept of him, and
therefore have I endeavoured to do the best I could to keep
the law perfectly, and wherein I have failed and come short,
I have believed that Christ has done it for me.

Evan. The apostle says. Gal. iii. 10, " So many as are of
the works of the law, are under the curse." And truly, neigh-
bour Nomologista, if I may speak it without offence, I fear
me you are still of the works of the law, and therefore still
under the curse.

Nom. Why, sir, I pray you, what is it to be of the works of
the law ?

Evan. To be of the works of the law, is for a man to look
for, or hope to be justified or accepted in the sight of God, for
his own obedience to the law.

Nom. But surely, sir, I never did so; for though by reason
of my being ignorant of what is required and forbidden in
every commandment, I had a conceit that I came very near
the perfect fulfilling of the law, yet I never thought I did do
all things that are contained therein ; and therefore I never
looked for, nor hoped that God would accept me for mine
own obedience, without Christ's being joined with it.

Evan. Then it seems that you did conceive, that your obe-
dience and Christ's obedience must be joined together, and so
God would accept you for that.

Nom. Yea, indeed, sir, there has been my hope, and indeed
there is still my hope.

Evan. Aye, but neighbour Nomologista, as I told my
neighbour Neophytus and others not long since, so I tell you
now, that as the justice of God requires a perfect obedience,
so does it require that this perfect obedience be a personal
obedience, that is, it must be the obedience of one person
only. The obedience of two must not be put together to
make up a perfect obedience : and indeed, to say as the thing
is, God will have none to have a hand in the justification
and salvation of any man, but Christ only ; for, says the
apostle Peter, Acts iv. 12, "Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we may be saved." Believe it then, I
beseech you, that Christ Jesus will either be a whole Saviour,
or no Saviour ; he will either save you alone, or not save you
at all.

Nom. But, sir, if man's obedience to the law do not help to
procure his justification and acceptance with God, then why

MODERN DIVINITY. 319

did God give the law to the Israelites upon Mount Sinai, and
why is it read and expounded by you that are ministers ? I
would gladly know of what use it is,

Evan. The apostle says, Gal. iii. 19, " that the law was
added because of transgression." That is, as Luther expounds
it, "That transgressions might increase and be more known,
and seen ;" or as Perkins expounds it, " For the revealing of
sin, and the punishment thereof; for by the law comes the
knowledge of sin," as the same apostle says, Rom. iii, 20 ; and
therefore when the children of Israel conceived that they were
righteous, and could keep all God's commandments perfectly,
as it is manifested by their saying, Exod. xix. 8, " All that the
Lord commandeth we will do, and be obedient," the Lord gave
them this law, to the intent they might see how far short they
came of yielding that obedience which is therein required, and
so, consequently, how sinful they were. And just so did our
Saviour also deal with the young expounder of the law. Matt.
xix. 16, who, it seems, was sick of the same disease, "Good
Master," says he, " what shall I do that I may inherit eternal
life?" "He does not," says Calvin, "simply ask, which way,
or by what means he should come to eternal life, but what good
he should do to get it." Whereby it appears, that he was a
proud justiciary, one that swelled in fleshly opinion that he
could keep the law, and be saved by it ; therefore he is wor-
thily sent to the law to work himself weary, and to see his need
to conife to Christ for remedy.

Now then, if you would know of what use the law is, why
first let me tell you, it is of special use to all such as have a
conceit that they themselves can do anything for the procu-
ring of their own justification and acceptation in the sight of
God ; to let them see, as in a glass, that in that case they can do
nothing. And, therefore, seeing that you yourself have such
a conceit, I beseech you, labour to make that use of it, that
so you may be hereby quite driven out of yourself unto Jesus
Christ.

Nom. Believe me, sir, I should be glad I could make such a
good use of it, and, therefore, I pray you, give me some direc-
tions how I may do it.

Evan. Why, first of all, I would desire you to consider, that
in regard that all mankind were at first created in such an
estate as I have declared unto you, the law and justice of God
requires that the man who undertakes, by his obedience, to
procure his justification and acceptation in the sight of God,

820 THE MARROW OF

either in whole, or in part, be as completely furnished with
the habit of righteousness and true holiness, and as free from
all corruption of nature, as Adam was in the state of innocen-
cy, that so there may not be the least corruption mingled with
any of those good actions which he does, nor the least motion
of heart or inclination of will towards any of those evil ac-
tions which he does not do.

Secondly^ I would desire you to consider, that neither you
nor any man else, whilst you live upon the earth, shall be so
furnished with perfect righteousness and true holiness, nor so
free from all corruptions of nature, as Adam was in the state
of innocency ; so that no good action which you do shall be
free from having some corruption mingled with it : nor any
evil action which you do not do, free from some motion of
heart or inclination of will towards it ; and that therefore you
can do nothing towards the procuring of your justification and
acceptation in the sight of God ; the which the prophet David
well considering, cries out, Psalm cxliii. 2, "Enter not into
judgment with thy servant, O Lord! for in thy sight shall no
man living be justified." Yea, and this made the apostle cry
out, " Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from
the body of this death !" Kom. vii. 24. Yea, and this made
him desire to be found in Christ, not having his own righteous-
ness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith
of Christ, Philip, iii. 9.

Nom. But, sir, I am persuaded there- be some good Actions
which I do, that are free from having any corruption at all
mixed with them ; and some evil actions which I do not do,
towards the which I have no motion of heart, or inclination of
will at all.

Evan. Surely, neighbour Nomologista, you do not truly
know yourself, for I am confident, that any man who truly
knows himself, sees such secret corruptions of heart in every
duty he performs, as causes him unfeignedly to confess, that
whatever good action he does, it is but a polluted stream of a
more corrupt fountain. And whatsoever you or any man else
do conceive of yourselves, it is most certain, that whatsoever
sin is forbidden in the word, or has been practised in the world,
that sin every man carries in his bosom, for all have equally
sinned in Adam, and therefore original lust is equally in
all.

Nom. Sir, I can hardly be persuaded to this.

Evan. Well, neighbour Nomologista, I cannot so well tell
how it is with you, but for mine own part, I tell you truly, I

MODERN DIVINITY. 321

find my knowledge corrupted and defiled with ignorance and
blindness, and my faith corrupted and defiled with doubting
and distrust, and my love to God very much corrupted and
defiled with sinful self-love and love to the world ; and my joy
in God much corrupted and defiled with carnal joy ; and my
godly sorrow very much corrupted and defiled with worldly
sorrow.

And I find my prayers, my hearing, my reading, my receiv-
ing the sacrament, and such like duties, very much corrupted
and defiled with dulness, drowsiness, sleepiness, wandering,
and worldly thoughts, and the like.

And I find my sanctifying of the Lord's name very much
corrupted and defiled, by thinking and speaking lightly and
irreverently of his titles ; and by thinking, if not by speaking,
grudgingly against some acts of his providence.

And I find my sanctifying of the' Lord's day very much
corrupted and defiled, by sleeping too long in the morning,
and by worldly thoughts and words, if not by worldly
works.

And I find that all the duties that I have performed, either
towards my superiors or inferiors, have been corrupted and
defiled, either with too much indulgence, or with too much
severity, or with base fears, or base hopes, or some self-end
and by-rospect.

And I find that all my duties that 1 have performed, either
for the preservation of mine own or other's life, chastity,
goods, or good name, have been very much corrupted and de-
filed, either with a desire of mine own praise, own profit here,
or to escape hell, and to obtain heaven hereafter ; so that I
see no good action which I have ever done free from having
some corruption mixed with it.

And as for motion of heart, and inclination of will towards
that evil which I have not done, it is also manifest, for though
I have not been guilty of idolatry, either in making or wor-
shipping of images, yet have I not been free from carnal ima-
ginations of God in the time of his worship nor from will-
worship.

And though I have not been so guilty of profaning the name
of the Lord after such a gross manner as some others have
been, yet have I not been free from an inclination of heart,
and disposition of will thereunto ; for I have both thought
and spoken irreverently both of his titles, attributes, word, and
works, yea, and many times do so to this day.

And though I do not now so grossly profane the Lord's day,

322 THE MARROW OF

as it may be others have done, and do still, yet have I for-
merly done it grossly, yea, and do still, find an inward dispo-
sition of heart, and inclination of will, both to omit those du-
ties which tend to the sanctifying of it, and to do those worldly
actions which tend to the profanation of it.

And though when I was a child and young, I did not so
grossly dishonour and disobey my parents and other superiors,
as some others did, yet I had an inclination of heart and dis-
position of will thereunto, as it was manifest by my stubborn-
ness, and by not yielding of willing obedience to their com-
mands nor submitting patiently to their reproofs and correc-
tions.

And though it may be, I have done more of my duty to
my inferiors than some others have done, yet have I found an
inclination of heart, and a disposition of will, many times to
omit those duties which I have performed, so that I have as it
were, been fain to constrain myself to do that which I have
done.

And though I have not been guilty of the gross act of mur-
der, yet have I had, and have still an inclination of heart and
disposition of will thereunto, in that I have been, and am still,
many times subject to rash, unadvised, and excessive anger;
yea, I have been and still am divers times wrathful and envious
towards others that offend me.

And though I never was guilty of the foul and gross act of
fornication or adultery, yet have I had an inclination of heart,
and disposition of will thereunto, in that I have not been free
from filthy imaginations, unchaste thoughts, and inward motions
and desire to uncleanness.

And though I was never guilty of the gross act of stealing,
yet have I had an inclination of heart, and a disposition of will
thereunto, in that I have neither been free from discontented-
ness with mine own estate, nor from covetous desire after that
which belongs to another.

And though I never did bear false witness against any man,
yet have I had an inclination of heart and disposition of will
thereunto, in that I have not been free from contemning, de-
spising, and thinking too basely of others ; neither have I been
free from evil surmisings, groundless suspicions, and rash judg-
ing of others.

And now, neighbour Nomologista, I pray you tell me whe-
ther you do think that some of these corruptions are in you,
which you hear are in me.

MODEEN DIVINITY. 823

Nom. Yea, believe me, sir, I must needs confess that some
of them are.

Evan. Well, though you have but only one of them in you,
yet I pray you consider, that you do hereby transgress one of
the ten commandments ; and the apostle James says, that
" Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all," James ii. 10. And call to mind, I
also pray you, that a curse is denounced against all those that
continue not in " all things which are written in the book of
the law to do them." Mind it, I pray you, " that doth not
continue in all things :" so that although you could for a
time do all that the law requires, and avoid all that it forbids,
and that never so exactly, yet if you do not continue so doing,
but transgress the law once in all your life, and that only in
one thought, you are thereby become subject to the curse,
which, as you have heard, is eternal damnation in hell.

Nay, let me tell you more, although you never yet had trans-
gressed the law in all your life hitherto, not so much as in the
least thought, nor ever should do whilst you live, yet should
you thereby become far short of the perfect fulfilling of the
law, and so consequently of your justification and acceptation
in the sight of God.

Nom. That is very strange to me, sir, for what can be re-
quired more, or what can be done more, than yielding of per-
fect and perpetual obedience ?

Evan. That is true indeed ; there is no more required,
neither can there be more done ; but yet you must understand,
that the law does as well require passive obedience as active,
suffering as well as doing ; for our common bond entered into
for us all, by God's benefits towards the first man, is by his
disobedience become forfeited, both in respect of himself and
all mankind ; and, therefore, ever since the fall of man, the
law and justice of God does not only require the payment of
the debt, but also of the forfeiture ; there is not only required
of him perfect doing, but also perfect suffering. " In the day
that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death," says the
Lord, Gen. ii. 17. Nay, let me tell you yet more ; in order of
justice, the forfeiture ought to be paid before the debt ; per-
fect suffering should go before perfect doing, because all man-
kind, by reason of that first and great transgression, are at
odds and enmity with God ; they are all of them children of
his wrath, and therefore God, as we may speak with holy re-
verence, cannot be reconciled unto any man, before a full

324: THE MARROW OF

satisfaction be made to his justice by a perfect suffering, Col.
i. 21 : perfect suffering, then, is required for the reconciling
of man unto God, Eph. ii. 3, and setting him in the same con-
dition he was in before his fall, and perfect doing is required
for the keeping of him in that condition.

Nom. And, sir, is man as unable to pay the forfeiture as
he is to pay the debt ? I mean, is he as unable to suffer per-
fectly, as to do perfectly ?

Evan. Yea, indeed, every whit as unable ; forasmuch as
man's sin in eating of the forbidden fruit was committed
against God, and God is infinite and eternal, and the offence
is always multiplied according to the dignity of the person
against whom it is committed : man's offence must needs be
an infinite offence, and the punishment must needs be propor-
tionable to the fault ; therefore an infinite and eternal punish-
ment is required at man's hands, or else such a temporal
punishment, as is equal and answerable to eternal. Now,
eternal punishment man cannot sustain, because then he
should never be delivered — he should ever be satisfying, and
never have satisfied ; which satisfaction is such as is the
punishment of the devils and damned men in hell, which never
shall have an end. And for temporal punishment, which should
be equivalent to eternal, that cannot be neither, because the
power and vigour of no creature is such that it may sustain a
finite and temporal punishment, equivalent to an infinite and
eternal ; for sooner should the creature be wasted, consumed,
and brought to nothing, than it could satisfy the justice of
God by this means ; wherefore we may certainly conclude, that
no man can satisfy the law and justice of God, either by ac-
tive or by passive obedience, and so consequently no man
shall be justified and accepted in the sight of God by his own
doings or sufferings.

Nom. Sir, I see it clearly, and am therein fully convinced,
and I hope I shall make that use of it. But, sir, is there no
other use to be made of the law than this ?

Evayi. Yea, neighbour Nomologista, you must not only
labour thereby to see your own insufficiency to procure your
own justification and acceptation in the sight of God, though
that indeed be the chief use that any unjustified person ought
to endeavour to make of it, but you must also endeavour to
make it a rule of direction to you in your life and conver-
sation.

Nom. But, sir, if I cannot by my obedience to the law do

MODERN" DIVINITY. 825

anything towards the procuring of mine own justification,
and acceptation in the sight of God, or, which as I do con-
ceive is all one, if I can do nothing towards the procuring of
mine own eternal salvation, then methinks all that I do
should be in vain, for I cannot see any good I shall get
thereby.

Evan. No, neighbour Nomologista, it shall not be in vain ;
for though you cannot by your obedience to the law, do any
thing towards theprocuringofyour own justification or eternal
salvation ; yea, and though you should never make such a use
of it, as to be thereby driven out of yourself unto Jesus Christ
for justification and eternal salvation, but should be everlast-
ingly condemned ; yet, this let me tell you, the more obedi-
ence you yield unto the law, the more easy shall your con-
demnation be ; for although no man, walk he ever so exactly
and strictly according to the law, shall thereby either escape
the torments of hell, or obtain the joys of heaven, yet the
more exactly and strictly any man walks according to the law,
the easier shall his torments be. Matt. xi. 22. So that although
you by your obedience to the law cannot obtain the uneasiest
place in heaven, yet may you thereby obtain the most easy
place in hell : and therefore your obedience shall not be in
vain. Nay, let me tell you more, although you by your obe-
dience to the law can neither escape that hell, nor enjoy that
heaven that is in the world to come, yet you may thereby
escape that hell, and enjoy that heaven which is to be had in
this present world ; for the Lord dealeth so equally and justly
with all men, that every man shall be sure to receive his due
at his hands ; so that as every man who is truly justified in
the sight of God, by faith in Christ's blood, shall for that
blood's sake be sure of the joys of heaven, though his life may
even after his believing be in many respects unconformable to
the law; yet the more unconformable his life is thereunto, the
more crosses and afflictions he shall be sure to meet withal in
this life. Psalm Ixxxix. 30 — 32. Even so, though no man
that is not justified by faith in Christ's blood shall either
escape the torments of hell, or attain the joys of heaven, be
his life never so conformable to the law, yet the more con-
formable his life is thereunto, the less of the miseries and the
more of the blessings of this life he shall have ; for it is not to
men unjustified, though I suppose not only to them that the
Lord speaketh, Isa. i. 19, saying, "If ye be willing and obe-
dient, ye shall eat the good things of the land." And does
not the Lord in the fifth commandment promise the blessing
28

326 THE MARROW OF ^

of long life to all inferiors tliat are obedient totlieir superiors?
And may we not observe, and is it not found true by experi-
ence, that those children who are most careful of doing their
duties to their parents, are commonly more free both from
their parents' corrections and the Lord's corrections ; and are
likewise blessed with obedient children themselves, and do also
taste of their parents' bounty and the Lord's bounty, as
touching the blessings of this life, more than others that are
disobedient ? And may we not observe, and is it not found
true by experience, that those servants that are most faithful
and diligent in their places are commonly more free either
from the Lord's or their masters' corrections, and are likewise
rewarded with such servants themselves, and with other tem-
poral blessings both from their masters and from the Lord,
than others that are not so? And may we not observe, and is
it not found true by experience, that those wives that are obe-
dient and subject to their husbands, are commonly more free
from their frowns, checks, and rebukes ; at least they are
more blessed with peace of conscience and a good name
amongst men, than others that are not so ? And may we not
observe, that our mere honest men, who for the most part live
without committing any gross sin against the law, are com-
monly more exempted from the sword of the magistrate, and
have many earthly blessings more in abundance than such as
are gross sinners? And the Scribes and Pharisees, who were
strict observers of the law, in regard of the outward man, were
no losers by it, " Yerily," says our Saviour, " I say unto you,
they have their reward," Matt. vi. 2. So that still, you see,
your obedience to the law shall not be in vain ; wherefore,
I pray you, do your best to keep the ten commandments as
perfectly as you can. But above all, I beseech you, be careful
to consider of that which has been said touching the special
use of the law to you, that so through the powerful working
of God's Spirit, it may become an effectual means to drive you
out of yourself unto Jesus Christ.

Oh, consider, in the first place, what a great number of duties
are required and what a great number of sins are forbidden
in every one of the ten commandments! And in the second
place, consider, how many of those duties you have omitted,
and how many of those sins you have committed. And in the
third place, consider, that there has been much corruption
mixed with every good duty which 5^ou have done, so that you
have sinned in doing that which in itself is good ; and that you

1^ MODERN DIVINITY. 827

have hfid an inclination of heart and disposition of will to
every sin you have not committed, and so have been guilty of
all those sins which you have not done. And in the fourth
place, consider, that the law denounceth a curse unto every
one which continueth not in all things which are written in
the book of the law to do them. And then, in the fifth place,
make application of the curse unto yourself, by saying in your
heart, if every one be cursed which continueth not in all
things, then surely I am cursed that have continued in nothing.
And then, in the sixth place, consider, that before you can
be delivered from the curse, the law and justice of God re-
quires that there be a perfect satisfaction made both by paying
the debt and the forfeiture to the very utmost farthing ; per-
fect doing and perfect suffering are both of them required.
And then, in the last place, consider, that you are so far from
being able to make a perfect satisfaction, that you can do
nothing at all towards it, and that therefore, as of yourself,
you are in a most miserable and helpless condition.

Nom. Well, sir, I do now plainly see that I have been de-
ceived, for I verily thought that the only reason why the
Lord gave the law, and why you that are ministers do show
us what is required and forbidden in the law, had been, that
all men might thereby come to see what the mind and will
of the Lord is, and be exhorted, and persuaded to lead their
lives thereafter. And I also verily thought that the more
any man did strive and endeavour to reform his life and do
thereafter, the more he procured the love and favour of God
towards him, and the more God would bless him, and do him
good, both in this world and in the world to come ; yea, and
I also verily thought, that it had been in the man's power to
have come very near the perfect fulfilling of the law, for
I never read nor heard any minister show how impossible
it is for any man to keep the law, nor ever make any mention
of any such use of the law, as you have done this day.

Evan. Surely, neighbour Nomologista, these have not only
been your thoughts, but also the thoughts of many other men;
for it is natural for every man to think that he must and can
procure God's favour and eternal happiness by his obedience
to the law, at the least to think he can do something towards
it ; for naturally men think that the law requires no more but
the external act, and that therefore it is in man's power to
keep it perfectly. Is it not an ordinary and common thing
for men when they hear or read that there is more required

328 THE MARROW OF

and forbidden in the law than they were aware of, to think
with themselves, Surely, I am not right, I have transgressed
the law more than I had thought I had done, and therefore
God is more angry with me than I had thought he had been ;
and therefore to pacify his anger, and procure his favour to-
wards me, I must repent, amend, and do better ; I must re-
form my life according to the law, and so by my future obe-
dience make amends for my former disobedience ? And if there-
upon they do attain to any good measure of outward con-
formity, then they think they come near the perfect fulfilling
of the law ; and if it were not that the doctrine of the Church
of England is, that no man can fulfil the law perfectly, and
that none but Papists do say the contrary, they would both
think and say they did, or hoped they should keep all the
commandments perfectly. And upon occasion of this their
outward reformation according to the law, they think, yea,
and sometimes say, they are regenerate men and true converts,
and that the beginning of this their reformation was the time
of their new birth and conversion unto God. And if these
men do confess themselves to be sinners, it is rather because
they hear all others confess themselves so to be, than out of
any true sight and knowledge, sense, or feeling they have of
any inward heart-corruption. And if they do acknowledge,
that a man is not to be justified by the works of the law, but
by faith in Christ, it is rather because they have heard it so
preached, or because they have read it so in the Bible, or some
other book, than because of any imperfection which they see
in their own works, or any need they see of the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. And if they do see any imperfection in their
own works, and any need of the righteousness of Jesus Christ,
then they imagine that so long as their hearts are upright and
sincere, and they do desire and endeavour to do their best to
fulfil the law, God will accept of what they do, and make up
their imperfect obedience with Christ's perfect obedience, and
so will justify and save them ; but all this while, their own
works must have a hand in their justification and salvation,
and so they are still of the works of the law, and therefore
under the curse. The Lord be merciful both to you and them,
and bring you under the blessing of Abraham !

Nom. Sir, I thank you for your good wishes towards me,
and for your great pains which you have now taken with me
and so I will for this time take my leave of you ; only, I could
wish, if it might not be too much troubleto you, that you would

MODERN DIVINITY. 329

be pleased at your leisure, to give me in writing a copy of
what you have this day said concerning the law.

Evan. Well, neighbour JSTomologista, though I can hardly
spare so much time, yet because you do desire it, and in hope
you may receive good by it, I will, ere long, find some time to
accomplish your desire.

Neo. I pray you, neighbour Nomologista, tarry a little lon-
ger, and I will go with you.

Nom. No, I must needs be gone ; I can stay no longer.

Evan, Then fare you well, neighbour Nomologista, and the
Lord make you to see your sins I

Nom. The Lord be with you, sir.

Neo. Well, sir, now I hope you have fully convinced him
that he comes far short of keeping all the commandments per-
fectly : I hope he will no longer be so well conceited of his
own righteousness as he has formerly been. But now, sir, I
pray you tell me before I depart, whether you would have me
to endeavour to make the same use of the law, which you have
advised him to make.

Evan. No, neighbour Neophytus, I look not upon you as an
unbeliever, as I did upon him, but I look upon you as one who
has already b^en by the law driven out of yourself unto Jesus
Christ ; I look uj)on you as a true believer, and as a person
already justified in the sight of God, by faith in Christ, and so
as one who are neither to question your inheritance in heaven, '
nor fear your portion in hell. And therefore I will not per-
suade you to labour to yield obedience to the law, by telling
you, that the more obedient you are thereunto, the easier tor-
ments you shall have in hell, as I did him ; neither would I
have you to make application of the curse of the law to your-
self, as I advised him to do ; for if you do truly and thoro«^ly
believe, as God requires you, that Jesus Christ, 1 John iii. 23,
the Son of God, and your Surety, has, by his active and pas-
sive obedience, fully discharged and paid both the debt and
the forfeiture which the law and justice of God obliged you to
pay, then will not you yield obedience to the law, to pay that
which you do truly believe is full}'- paid and discharged al-
ready ; and if you do not yield obedience to the law to dis-
charge that, then do you not yield obedience to the law, in
hopes to be thereby made just, or justified in the sight of God ;
and if you yield not obedience to the law, in hopes to be
thereby made just, or justified in the sight of God, then are
you not of the works of the law ; and if you are not of the

28*

330 THE MARROW OF

works of tlie law, then are you not under the curse of the law ;
and if you be iiot under the curse of the law, then must you
not make application of the curse unto yourself. And there-
fore, whensoever you shall either hear or read these words,
" Cursed is every one which continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them," and
your conscience tells you that you have not, and do not con-
tinue in all things, and that therefore you are accursed; then
do you make so much use of the curse, as thereby to take oc-
casion by faith to cleave more close unto Christ, and say, O
law, thy curse is not to come into my conscience I my con-
science is freed from it! for though it is true I have not con-
tinued " in all things which are written in the book of the law
to do them," yet this my Surety, Jesus Christ, has continued in
all things for me, so that although I am unable to pay either
the debt or the forfeiture, yet he has paid them both for me,
and so has discharged me from the curse ; and therefore I fear
it not,

Neo. But, sir. though I be a believer, and so be set free
from the curse of the law, yet I suppose I ought to endeavour
to do somewhat that is required, and to avoid whatsoever is
forbidden in the law.

Evan. Yea, neighbour Neophytus, that you ought indeed,
for mind it, I pray you, thus stands the case ; so soon as any
man does truly believe, and so is justified in the sight of God,
then, as the holy Ghost, from the testimony of holy writ, does
warrant us to conceive, Jesus Christ, or, which is all one, God
in Christ, does deliver unto him whatsoever is required and
forbidden in the ten commandments, saying, Col. ii. 14 ; Eph.
ii. 15, " This hand-writing, even this law of commandments
which was against thee, and contrary to thee, whilst it was in
the hands of my Father, as he stood in relation to thee as a
Judge, and was not cancelled, but had the curse or penalty
annexed to it, Isa. xxxviii. 14, and so had power to convince,
Heb. vii. 22, accuse, condemn, and bind thee over to punish-
ment; I, who undertook for thee, and became thy Surety,
have paid the principal debt, and have also answered the for-
feiture which did lie against thee for the breach of that bond ;
and my Father has delivered it into mine hands, and I have
blotted out the curse or penalty, so that one letter or tittle re-
mains not for thee to see ; yea, I have taken it out of thy
way, and fastened it to my cross, yea, and torn it in pieces with
the nails of my cross, so that it is altogether frustrate, and has

MODERN DIVINITY. 331

no force at all agaiust thee. Yet notwithstanding the matter
contained in this law, even those precepts and prohibitions
which I have now delivered unto thee, being the mind and
will of my Father, and the eternal and unchangeable rule of
righteousness, and that which is in my heart, Psalm xl. 8 ;
yea, and that which I have promised to write in the hearts of
all those that are mine, Jer. xxxi. 33 ; yea, and that which I
have promised to make them yield willing obedience unto,
Psalm ex. 3 ; I and my Father do command it unto thee, as
that rule of obedience whereby thou art to express thy love
and thankfulness unto us for what we have done for thee.
And therefore I will say no more unto thee but this, ' If thou
love me, keep my commandments,' John xiv. 15. And thou
art my friend, 'If thou do whatsoever I command thee,'"
John XV. 14.

Neo. But, sir, does God in Christ require me to yield per-
fect obedience to all the ten commandments, according as you
have this day expounded them ?

Evan. I answer, yea, for though God in Christ do not re-
quire of you, or any true believer, any obedience to the law
at all by wa}'^ of satisfaction to his justice, for that Christ has
fully done already ; yet does he require, that every true be-
liever do purpose, desire, and endeavour to do their best to
keep all the ten commandments perfectly, according as I have
this day expounded them ; witness the saying of Christ him-
self. Matt. V. 48, " Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which
is in heaven is perfect."

Neo. But, sir, do you think it possible, that either I, or any
believer else, should keep the commandments perfectly, ac-
cording as you have this day expounded them ?

Evan. O no ! both you, and I, and every believer else,
have, and shall have cause to say with the apostle, Philip iii.
12, " Not as though I had already attained, or were already
perfect."

Neo. But will God in Christ accept of obedience, if it be not
perfect ?

Evan. Yea, neighbour Neophytus, you being a justified per-
son, and so it not being in the case of justification, but in the
case of child-like obedience, I may, without fear of danger,
say unto you, God will accept the will for the deed, and " will
spare you as a man spares his own son that serves him," Mat
iii. 18. Yea, like as a father pities his children, so the Lord
will pity you, " for he knoweth your frame, he remembereth

332 THE MARROW OF

that you are dust," Psalm oiii, 18, 14. Nay, he will not only
spare you and pity you for what you do not, but he will also
reward you for what you do.

Neo. Say you so, sir ? then I beseech you tell me what this
reward will be.

Evan. Why, if there be degrees of glory in heaven, as some
both godly and learned, have conceived there is, then I tell
you that the more obedient you are unto the law, the more
shall be your glory in heaven ; but because degrees of glory
are disputable, I cannot assure you of that. Howbeit, this you
may assure yourself, that the more obedience you yield unto
the ten commandments, the more you please your most gra-
cious God and loving Father in Christ, 1 Sam. xv. 22 ; and
the more your conscience witnesseth that you please God. the
more quiet you shall feel it to be, and the more inward peace
you shall have, according to that of the Psalmist, " Great
peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend
them." For though faith in the blood of Christ has made your
peace with God as a Judge, yet obedience must keep your
peace with him as a Father; yea, the more your conscience
witnesseth that you do that which pleases God, the more en-
couragement you will have, and the more confidently you will
approach towards God in prayer. " Beloved," says the loving
apostle, " if our hearts condemn us not, then have we boldness
towards God in prayer," 1 John iii. 21 ; for though faith in
the blood of Christ takes away that guilt which subjects you
to the legal curse, yet obedience must take away that guilt
which subjects you to a fatherly displeasure. Furthermore,
you are to know, that the more obedience you yield unto the
ten commandments, the more temporal blessings, outward
prosperity, and comfort of this life, in the ordinary course of
God's dealing, you shall have: " Oh !" says the Lord, "that
my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in
my ways ! he should soon have fed them with the finest of the
wheat, and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied
thee." Besides, the more obedience you yield unto the ten
commandments, the more glory you will bring to God, accord-
ing to that of our Saviour, John xv. 8, " Herein is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit." To conclude, the more
obedience you yield unto the ten commandments, the more
good you will do unto others, according to that of the apostle,
Tit, iii. 8, " This is a faithful saying, and these things I will
that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in

MODERN DIVINITY. 333

Christ might be careful to maintain good works ; these things
are good and profitable unto men."

Keo. But, sir, what if I should not purpose, desire, and en-
deavour to yield obedience to all the ten commandments, as
you say the Lord requires ; what then ?

Evan. Why, then, although it is true you have no cause to
fear that God will proceed against you, as a wrathful judge
proceeds against a malefactor, yet have you cause to fear that
he will proceed against you as a displeased father does against
an offending child ; that is to say, although you have no cause
to fear that he will unjustify you, and unson you, and deprive
you of your heavenly inheritance, and inflict the penalty of
the law of works upon you, and so condemn you, for says the
apostle, " There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ
Jesus," Eom. viii. 1 ; yet have you cause to fear that he will
hide his fatherly face, and withdraw the light of his counte-
nance from you ; and that your conscience will be ever accusing
and disquieting of you, which if it do, then will you draw
back, and be afraid to ask anything of God in prayer ; for
even as a child whose conscience tells him that he has angered
and displeased his father, will be unwilling to come into his
father's presence, especially to ask of him anything that he
wants, even so it will be with you ; and besides, you shall be
sure to be whipped and scourged with many bodily and tem-
poral chastisements and corrections, according to that which
is said concerning Jesus Christ and his seed, even true be-
lievers, and justified persons. Psalm Ixxxix. 31 — 33, " If his
children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments ; if
they break my statutes, and walk not in my commandments,
then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their
iniquities with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving kindness
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness
to fail."

Wherefore, neighbour Neophytus, to apply these things a
little more closely to you, and so to conclude, let me exhort
you, when you come home, call to mind and consider of every
commandment according as you have heard them this day ex-
pounded, and resolve to endeavour yourself to do thereafter;
and always take notice how and wherein you fall and come
short of doing what is required, and of avoiding what is for-
bidden ; and especially be careful to do this when you are
called to humble yourself before the Lord in fasting and
prayer, and upon occasion of going to receive the sacrament

334 THE MAKROW OF

of the Lord's Supper, and so shall you make a right use of
the law.

Neo. And, sir, why would you have me more especially to
take notice of my sins, when I am called to humble myself
before the Lord in fasting and prayer ?

Uvan. Because the more sinful you see yourself to be, the
more humble will your heart be ; and the more humble your
heart is, the more fit you will be to pray, and the more the
Lord will regard your prayers : wherefore, when upon occa-
sion of some heavy and sore affliction, either felt, or feared to
come upon yourself, or some sore judgment and calamity either
felt, or feared to come upon the nation or place where you
live, the Lord calls you to humble yourself in fasting and
prayer, then do you thereupon take occasion to meditate, and
consider seriously what duties are required, and what sins are
forbidden in every one of the ten commandments, and then
consider how many of those duties you have omitted, and how
many of those sins you have committed ; consider also the
sinful manner of performing those duties you have performed,
and the base and sinful ends which you have had in the per-
formance of them ; consider also how many sinful corruptions
there are in your heart, which break not forth in your life,
and the disposition of heart which you have naturally to every
sin which you do not commit ; and then consider, that although
the sins which you do now commit are not a transgression of
the law of works, because you are not now under the law,
Rom. vi. 14 ; yet are they a transgression of the law of Christ,
because you still are under that law, 1 Cor. ix. 81 ; and though
they be not committed against God as standing in relation to
you as a wrathful Judge, yet have they been committed against
him as he stands in relation to you as a merciful loving Father ;
and though they subject you not to the wrath of a Judge, nor
to the penalty of the law of works, yet they subject you to the
anger and displeasure of a loving Father, and to the penalty
of the law of Christ.

Whereupon, do you draw near to God by prayer, saying
unto him after this manner :

" O merciful and loving Father ! I do acknowledge that
the sins which I did commit before I was a believer, were a
transgression of the law of works, because I was then under
that law ; yea, and that they were committed against thee,
as thou stoodest in relation to me as a judge, and that there-
fore thou mightest most justly have inflicted the curse or

MODERN DIVINITY. 335

penalty of the law of works upon me, and so have cast
me into hell ; but seeing that thou hast enabled me to be-
lieve the gospel, viz : that thou hast been pleased to give thine
own Son Jesus Christ to undertake for me, to become my
Surety, to take my nature upon him, and to be made under
the law, to redeem me from under the law. Gal. iv. 4, and
iii. 13 ; Rom. v. 10 ; and to be made a curse for me, to
redeem me from the curse, and to reconcile me unto thee
by his death ; now I know it stands not with thy justice to
proceed against me by virtue of the law of works, and so
cast me into hell. Nevertheless, Father, I know that the sins
which I have committed since I did believe have been a
transgression of the law of Christ, because I am still under
that law : yea, and I do acknowledge, that they have been
committed against thee, even against thee, my most gracious,
merciful, and loving Father in Jesus Christ, and that it is
therefore meet thou shouldest express thy fatherly anger and
displeasure towards me, for these sins which thy law has
discovered unto me, in bringing this affliction upon me, or
this judgment upon the place or nation wherein I live : how-
beit, Father, I, knowing that thy fatherly anger towards thy
children is never mixed with hatred, but always with love,
and that in afflicting of them thou never intendedst any satis-
faction to thine own justice, but their amendment, even the
purging out of the remainder of those sinful corruptions
which are still in them, and the conforming of them to thine
own image ; I therefore come unto thee this day, to humble
myself before thee, and to call upon thy name, not for
any need, or power that I do conceive I have to satisfy thy
justice, or to appease thy eternal wrath, and to free my soul
from hell ; for that I do believe Christ has fully done for
me already; but I do it it in hopes thereby to pacify thy fa-
therly anger and displeasure towards me, and to obtain the
removal of this affliction or judgment which I feel or fear;
wherefore I beseech thee to pardon and forgive these my
sins, which have been the procuring cause thereof; yea, I
pray thee not only to pardon them, but also to purge them,
that so this may be all the fruit, even the taking away of
sin, and making me partaker of thy holiness ; and then,
Lord, remove this affliction and judgment when thy will and
pleasure is."

And thus have I showed you the reason why I would
have you more especially to take notice of your sins, when

336 THE MARROW OP

you come to humble yourself before the Lord in fasting and
prayer.

Neo. And, sir, why would you have me to take notice of
my sins, upon occasion of my going to receive the sacrament
of the Lord's Supper ?

Evan. Because the more sinful you see yourself to be, the
more need you will see yourself to have of Christ ; and the
more need you see yourself to have of Christ, the more will
you prize him ; and the more you prize Christ, the more you
will desire him ; and the more you do desire Christ, the more
fit and worthy receiver you will be.

Wherefore, when you are determined to receive the sacra-
ment, then take occasion to examine yourself as the apostle
exhorts you, behold the face of your soul in the glass of
the law, lay your heart and life to that rule, as I directed you
before; then think with yourself and commune with your
own heart, saying in your heart after this manner, " Though
I do believe that all these my sins are for Christ's sake
freely and fully pardoned and forgiven, so as that I shall
never be condemned for them, yet do I not so fully and
comfortably believe it as I ought, but am sometimes apt
to question it : and besides, though my sins have not do-
minion over me, yet I feel them too prevalent in me, and
I would fain have more power and strength against them;
I would fain have my graces stronger and my corruptions
weaker ; wherefore I, knowing that Christ in the sacrament
of the Lord's Supper, seals up unto me the assurance of the
pardon and forgiveness of all my sins ; yea, and knowing
that the death and bloodshed of Jesus Christ, which is there
represented, has in it both a pardoning and purging virtue;
yea, and knowing that the more fully I do apprehend Christ
by faith, the more strength of grace, and power against cor-
ruptions I shall feel : — wherefore I will go to partake of that
ordinance, in hope that I shall there meet with Jesus Christ,
and apprehend him more fully by faith, and so obtain both
more assurances of the pardon of my sins, and the more
power and strength against them ;" which the Lord grant you
for Christ's sake. And thus having also showed you the rea-
son whv I would have you more especially to take notice of
your sins before you come to receive the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper, 1 will now take my leave of you, for my other
occasions do call me away.

Neo. Well, sir, I do acknowledge, that you have taken

MODERN DIVINITY. 337

great pains botli with my neighbour and me this day, for
the which I do give you many thanks. And yet I must en-
treat you to do the lil^e courtesy for me which you promised
my neighbour Nomologista, and that is, at your leisure, to
write me oiit a copy of the conference we have had this day.

Evan. Well, neighbour Neophytus, I shall think of it, and
it may be, accomplish your desire. And so the God of peace
be with you.

Neo. The Lord be with you, sir.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LAW AND THE
GOSPEL.

There is little more in all this, viz : " The Marrow," to
be attributed to me than the very gathering and composing
of it. That which I aim at, and intend therein, is to show
unto myself and others that shall read it, the difference
betwixt the law and the gospel, — a point, as I conceive,
very needful for us to be well instructed in, and that for
these reasons : —

First, Because, if we be ignorant thereof, we shall be
very apt to mix and mingle them together, and so to con-
found the one with the other ; which, as Luther on the
Galatians, p. 31, truly says, " doth more mischief than
man's reason can conceive;" and therefore he doth advise
all Christians, in the case of justification, to separate the
law and the gospel as far asunder as heaven and earth are
separated.

Secondly, Because if we know right how to distinguish
betwixt them, the knowledge thereof will afford us no small
light towards the true understanding of the Scripture, and
will help us to reconcile all such places, both in the Old
and New Testament, as seem to be repugnant; yea, and
it will help us to judge aright of cases of conscience, and
quiet our own conscience in time of trouble and distress;
yea, and we shall thereby be enabled to try the truth and
falsehood of all doctrines ; wherefore, for our better instruc-
tion on this point, we are first of all to consider and take
notice what the law is, and what the gospel is.

Now, the law is a doctrine partly known by nature, teaching

us that there is a God, and what God is, and what he requires

us to do, binding all reasonable creatures to perfect obedience,

both internal and external, promising the favour of God, and

29

338 THE MARROW OF

everlasting life to all those wlio yield perfect obedience there-
unto, and denouncing the curse of God and everlasting
damnation to all those who are not perfectly correspondent
thereunto.

But the gospel is a doctrine revealed from heaven by the
Son of God, presently after the fall of mankind into siu and
death, and afterwards manifested more clearly and fully to the
patriarchs and prophets, to the evangelists and apostles, and
by them spread abroad to others ; wherein freedom from sin,
from the curse of the law, the wrath of God, death, and hell, is
freely promised for Christ's sake unto all who truly believe on
his name.

2dly, We are to consider what the nature and office of the
law is, and what the nature and office of the gospel is.

Now, the nature and office of the law is to show unto us
our sin, Rom. iii. 20, our condemnation, our death, Rom.
ii. 1 ; vii. 10. But the nature and office of the gospel is to
show unto us, that Christ has taken away our sin, John i. 29,
and that he also is our redemption and life, Col, i. 14 ; iii. 4.
So that the law is a word of wrath, Rom. iv. 14 ; but the
GOSPEL is a word of peace, Eph. ii. 17.

Bdly, We are to consider where we may find the law writ-
ten, and where we may find the gospel written.

Now, we shall find this law and this gospel written and re-
corded in the writings of the prophets, evangelists, and apostles,
namely, in the books called the Old and New Testament, or
the Scriptures. For, indeed, the law and the gospel are the
chief general heads which comprehend all the doctrine of the
Scriptures ; yet we are not to think that these two doctrines
are to be distinguished by the books and leaves of the Scrip-
tures, but by the diversity of God's Spirit speaking in them :
we are not to take and understand whatsoever is contained in
the compass of the Old Testament, to be only and merely the
word and voice of the law ; neither are we to think that what-
soever is contained within the compass of the books called the
New Testament, is only and merely the voice of the gospel ;
for sometimes in the Old Testament, God does speak comfort,
as he comforted Adam, with the voice of the gospel ; some-
times also in the New Testament he does threaten and terrify,
as when Christ terrified the Pharisees. In some places, again,
Moses and the prophets do play the evangelists; insomuch that
Hierom doubts whether he should cafl Isaiah a prophet or an
evangelist. In some places, likewise, Christ and the apostles
supply the part of Moses : Christ himself, until his death, was

MODERN DIVINITY. 339

under the law, wliicli law he came not to break, but to fulfil ;
so his sermons made to the Jews, for the most part, run all
upon the perfect doctrine and works of the law, showing and
teaching what we ought to do by the right law of justice, and
what danger ensues in the non-performance of the same. All
which places, though they be contained in the book of the
New Testament, yet are they to be referred to the doctrine of
the law, ever having included in them a privy exception of re-
pentance and faith in Jesus Christ. As for example, where
Christ thus preaches, " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God," Matt. v. 8. Again, " Except ye be converted,
and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the king-
dom of heaven," Matt, xviii. 3. And again, " He that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven," Matt. vii. 21. And again, the parable
of the wicked servant, cast into prison for not forgiving his
fellow. Matt, xviii. 30 ; the casting of the rich glutton into hell,
Luke xvi. 23. And again, " He that denieth me before men,
I will deny him before my Father which is in heaven," Luke
xii. 9 ; with 'divers such other places, all which, I say, do ap-
pertain to the doctrine of the law.

Wherefore, in the fourth place, we are to take heed, when
we read the Scriptures, we do not take the gospel for the law,
nor the law for the gospel, but labour to discern and distin-
guish the voice of the one from the voice of the other ; and
if we would know when the law speaks, and when the gospel
speaks, let us consider and take this for a note, that when in
Scripture there is any moral work commanded to be done,
either for eschewing of punishment, or upon promise of any
reward, temporal or eternal — or else when any promise is made
with the condition of any work to be done, which is com-
manded in the law — there is to be understood the voice of the
law.

Contrariwise, where the promise of life and salvation is
offered unto us freely, without any condition of any law, either
natural, ceremonial, or moral, or any work done by us, all
those places, whether we read them in the Old Testament, or
in the New, are to be referred to the voice and doctrine of
the gospel ; yea, and all those promises of Christ coming in
the flesh, which we read in the Old Testament ; yea, and all
those promises in the New Testament, which offer Christ upon
condition of our believing on liis name, are properly called the
voice of the gospel, because they have no condition of our

340 THE MARROW OF

mortifying annexed unto them, but only faith to apprehend
and receive Jesus Christ ; as it is written, Eom. iii. 22, *' For
the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all, and upon all that believe," &c.

Briefly, then, if we would know when the law speaks, and
when the gospel speaks, either in reading the word, or in
hearing it preached ; and if we would skilfully distinguish
the voice of the one from the voice of the other, we must con-
sider : —

Laiu. The law says, " Thou art a sinner, and therefore thou
shalt be damned," Eom. vii. 2 ; 2 Thess. ii. 12.

Oos. But the gospel says. No ; " Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners ;" and therefore, " believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, 1 Tim. i. 15; Acts
xvi. 31.

Laio. Again the law says, " Knowest thou not that the un-
righteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ; be not de-
ceived," &c. 1 Cor. vi. 9. And therefore thou being a sinner,
and not righteous, shalt not inherit the kingdom of God.

Gos. But the gospel says, " God has made Christ to be sin
for thee who knew no sin ; that thou mightest be made the
righteousness of God in him, who is the Lord thy righteous-
ness," Jer. xxiii. 6.

Law. Again the law says, " Pay me that thou owest me, or
else I will cast thee into prison," Matt, xviii. 28, 30.

Gos. But the gospel says, " Christ gave himself a ransom
for thee," 1 Tim. ii. 6; "and so is made redemption unto
thee," 1 Cor. i. 30.

Law. Again the law says, " Thou hast not continued in all
that I require of thee, and therefore thou art accursed," Deut.
xxvii. 6.

Gos. But the gospel says, " Christ hath redeemed thee
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for thee," Gal.
iii. 13.

Law. Again the law says, " Thou are become guilty before
God, and therefore shalt not escape the judgment of God,"
Rom. iii. 19 ; ii. 3.

Gos. But the gospel says, " The Father judgeth no man, but
hath committed all judgment to the Son," John v. 12.

And now, knowing rightly how to distinguish between the
law and the gospel, we must, in the fifth place, take heed that
we break not the orders between these two in applying the
law where the gospel is to be applied, either to ourselves or
to others; for albeit the law and gospel, in order of doc-

MODERN DIVINITY. 34J

trine, are many times to be joined together, yet in the case
of justification, the law must be utterly separated from the
gospel.

Therefore, whensoever, or wheresoever, any doubt or ques-
tion arises of salvation, or our justification before God, there
the law and all good works must be utterly excluded and stand
apart, that grace may appear free, and that the promise and
faith may stand alone : which faith alone, without law or
works, brings thee in particular to thy justification and sal-
vation, through the mere promise and free grace of God in
Christ ; so that I say, in the action and office of justification,
both law and works are to be utterly excluded and exempted,
as things which have nothing to do in that behalf The rea-
son is this : for seeing that all our redemption springs out
from the body of the Son of God crucified, then is there no-
thing that can stand us in stead, but that only wherewith the
body of Christ is apprehended. Now, forasmuch as neither
the law nor works, but faith only, is the thing which appre-
hendeth the body and passion of Christ, therefore faith only is
that matter which justifies a man before God, through the
strength of that object Jesus Christ, which it apprehends ; like
as the brazen serpent was the object only of the Israelites'
looking, and not of their hands' working ; by the strength of
which object, through the promise of God, immediately pro-
ceeded health to the beholders : so the body of Christ being
the object of our faith, strikes righteousness to our souls, not
through working, but through believing.

Wherefore, when any person or persons, do feel themselves
oppressed or terrified with the burden of their sins, and feel
themselves with the majesty of the law and judgment of God
terrified and oppressed, outweighed and thrown down into ut-
ter discomfort, almost to the pit of hell, as happens sometimes
to God's own dear servants, who have soft and timorous con-
sciences ; when such souls, I say, do read or hear any such place
of Scripture which appertains to the law, let them, then, think
and assure themselves that such places do not appertain or
belong to them ; nay, let not such only who are thus deeply
humbled and terrified do this, but also let every one that does
but make any doubt or question of their own salvation, through
the sight and sense of their sin, do the like.

And to this end and purpose, let them consider and mark
well the end why the law was given, which was not to bring us
to salvation, nor to make us good, and so to procure God's
29*

342 THE MARROW OF

love and favour towards us : but rather to declare and convict
our wickedness, and make us feel the danger thereof; to this
end and purpose, that we seeing our condemnation, and being
in ourselves confounded, may be driven thereby to have our
refuge in the Son of God, in whom alone is to be found our
remedy. And when this is wrought in us, then the law has
accomplished its end in us ; and therefore it is now to give
place unto Jesus Christ, who, as the apostle says, " is the end
of the law," Rom, x. 3. Let every true convicted person,
then, who fears the wrath of God, death, and hell, when they
hear or read any such places of Scripture as do appertain to
the law, not think the same to belong to them, no more than
a mourning weed belongs to a marriage feast ; and therefore,
removing utterly out of their minds all cogitations of the law,
all fear of judgment and condemnation, let them only set be-
fore their eyes the gospel, viz : the glad and joyful tidings of
Christ, the sweet comforts of God's promises, free forgiveness
of sins in Christ, grace, redemption, liberty, psalms, thanks,
singing, a paradise of spiritual jocundity, and nothing else ;
thinking thus within themselves, the law hath now done its
office in me, and therefore must now give place to its better ;
that is, it must needs give place to Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, who is my Lord and Master, the fulfiller and accom-
plisher of the law.

Lastly^ As we must take heed and beware that we apply not
the law where the gospel is to be applied, so must we also take
heed and beware that we apply not the gospel where the law
is to be applied. Let us not apply the gospel instead of the
law; for, as before, the other was even as much as to put on
a mourning-gown at a marriage feast, so this is but even the
casting of pearls before swine, wherein is great abuse amongst
many ; for commonly it is seen, that these proud, self-conceited,
and unhumbled persons, these worldly epicures and secure
mammonists, to whom the doctrine of the law does properly
appertain, do yet notwithstanding put it away from them, and
bless themselves with the sweet promises of the gospel, saying,
" They hope they have as good a share in Christ as the best
of them all, for God is merciful and the like." And contrari-
wise, the other contrite and bruised hearts, to whom belongs
not the law, but the joyful tidings of the gospel, for the most
part receive and apply to themselves the terrible voice and
sentence of the law. Whereby it comes to pass, that many do
rejoice when they should mourn ; and on the other side, many

MODERN DIVINITY. 343

do fear and mourn when they should rejoice. Wherefore, to
conclude, in private use of life, let every person discreetly dis-
cern between the law and the gospel, and apply to himself that
which belongs to him. Let the man or the woman, who did
never yet to any purpose (especially in the time of health and
prosperity) think of, or consider their latter end, that did never
yet fear the wrath of God, nor death, nor devil, nor hell, but
have lived, and do still live a jocund and merry life ; let them
apply the curse of the law to themselves, for to them it be-
longs: yea, and let all your civil honest men and women, who,
it may be, do sometimes think of their latter end, and have
had some kind of fear of the wrath of God, death, and hell,
in their hearts, and yet have salved up the sore, with a plaster
made of their own civil righteousness, with a salve compounded
of their outward conformity to the duties contained in the
law, their freedom from gross sins, and their upright and just
dealing with men ; let these hearken to the voice of the law,
when it says, *' Carsed is every one that continueth not in all
things which are written in the book of the law to do them ;"
but let all self denying, fearful, trembling souls, apply the gra-
cious and sweet promises of God in Christ unto themselves, and
rejoice because their names are written in the Book of Life.

??^

APPENDIX

The Occasion op the " Marrow " Controversy, stated by the late Rev.
John Brown, of Haddington.

While the Church of Scotland was clear and exact in her standards, and
many of her preachers truly evangelical, a flood of legal doctrine filled many
pulpits about the time of the Revolution.

The Arminian errors of Professor Simpson were also prevalent after
this time ; but the Assembly used him with great tenderness. However,
they were far from being equally kind to such as earnestly endeavoured
a clear illustration of the doctrines of God's free grace reigning through
the righteousness of Christ. Mr. Hamilton of Airth having published a
catechetical treatise concerning the covenant of works and grace, and the
sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, in a more evangelical
strain than some wished, the Assembly, 1710, prohibited all ministers or
members of this church to print, or disperse in writ, any catechism, with-
out the allowance of the Presbytery of the bounds, or the Commission.
The Presbytery of Auchterarder having begun to require candidates for
licence, to acknowledge it unsound to teach that men must forsake their
sins in order to come to Christ, the Assembly, 1717, on the same day they
had dealt so gently with Professor Simpson, declared their abhorrence of
that proposition as unsound and most detestable — as if men ought only to
come to Christ, the alone Saviour from sins, after they have got rid of
them by repentance. Mr. James Hog, one of the holiest ministers in
the kingdom, having published or recommended a celebrated and edifying
tract of the Cromwellian age, called Tlie Marrow of Modern Divinity, the
Assembly, 1720, fell upon it with great fury, as if it had been replete with
Antinomian errors, though it is believed many of these zealots never read
it, at least had never perused it, in connection with the Second Part of it,
which is wholly taken up in the manifestation of the obligation, meaning,
and advantage of observing the law of God. They condemned the offer-
ing of Christ, as a Saviour to all men, or to sinners as such, and the doc-
trine of believers' full deliverance from under the law as a broken cove-
nant of works. They asserted men's holiness to be a federal or condi-
tional mean of their obtaining eternal happiness. They condemned
these almost express declarations of Scripture, that believers are not
under the law, — that they do not commit sin, — that the Lord sees no sin
in them, and cannot be angry with them, as Antinomian paradoxes, — and
condemned the distinction of the moral law as a covenant of works, and as
a binding rule of duty in the hand of Christ. In order to explain these
expressions, Messrs. James Hog, Thomas Boston, Ebenezer and Ralph
(344)

APPENDIX. 345

Erskines, Gabriel Watson, and seven others, remonstrated to the next
Assembly against these decisions as injurious to the doctrine of God's
grace. And in their answers to the Commission's Twelve Queries, they
illustrated these doctrines with no small clearness and evidence. Perhaps
influenced by this, as well as by the wide spread detestation of their acts
(1720) on that point, the Assembly, 1722, reconsidered the same, and
made an act explaining and confirming them. This* was less gross and
erroneous. Nevertheless, the twelve representers protested against it as
injurious to truth ; but this protest was not allowed to be marked. . The
Moderator, by the Assembly's appointment, rebuked them for their re-
flections on the ALSsembly, 1720, in their representation, and admonished
them to beware of the like in all time coming ; against which they
protested.

Queries agreed unto by the Commission op the General Assembly,

AND PUT TO those MINISTERS WHO GAVE IN A REPRESENTATION

AND Petition against the 5th and 8th Acts of Assembly 1720,
WITH the Answers given by these Ministers to the said Queries.*

Adhering to and holding, as here repeated, our subscribed Answer
given in to the Reverend Commission, when by them called to receive
these Queries, we come to adventure, under the conduct of the faithful
and true Witness, who has promised the Spirit of truth to lead his people
into truth, to make answer to the said Queries. To which, before we
proceed, we crave leave to represent, that the title thereto prefixed, viz :
" Queries to be put to Mr. James Hog, and other Ministers, who gave in
a Representation in Favours of the Marrow, to the General Assembly,
1721," as well as that prefixed to the Commission's overture anent this
aflair, has a native tendency to divert and bemist the reader, to expose
us, and to turn the matter off its proper hinge, by giving a wrong colour
to our Representation, as if the chief design of it was to plead, not for
the precious truths of the gospel, which we conceive to be wounded by
the condemnatory act, but for " The Marrow of Modern Divinity," the
which, though we value for a good and useful book, and doubt not but
the Church of God may be much edified by it, as we ourselves have been,
yet came it never into our minds to hold it, or any other private writ-
ing, faultless, nor to put it on a level with our approved standards of
doctrine.

Query. I. — Whether are there any precepts in the gospel that were not actually
given before the gospel was revealed ?

Answer. — The passages in our representation, marked out to us for the
grounds of this query, are these : — " The gospel doctrine, known only by

* " A masterly production," says the judicious Mr. Fraser, of Kennoway,
" which has undergone many impressions, and which discusses the points at
issue with a perspicuity and energy that has commanded the esteem and admi-
ration of Mr. James Hervey, and many others who had no immediate concern
in the controversy."

846 APPENDIX.

a new revelation after the fall. Of the same dismal tendency we apprehend to
be the declaring of that distinction of the law, as it is the law of works, and as it
is the law of Christ, as the author applies it, to be altogether groundless. The
erroneous doctrine of justification, for something wrought in, or done by the
sinner, as his righteousness, or keeping the new and gospel law." Now, leaving
it to others to judge if these passages gave any just occasion to this question,
we answer, —

1st, In the gospel, \aken strictly, and as contradistinct from the law,
for a doctrine of grace, or good news from heaven, or help in God
through Jesus Christ, to lost self-destroying creatures of Adam's race,
or the glad tidings of a Saviour, with life and salvation in him to the
chief of sinners, there are no precepts ; all these, the command to believe,
and repent, not excepted, belonging to, and flowing from the law, which
fastens the new duty on us, the same moment the gospel reveals the new
object.

That in the gospel, taken strictly, there are no precepts, to us seems
evident from the holy Scriptures. In the first revelation of it, made in
these words, — " The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the
serpent," we find no precept, but a promise containing glad tidings of a
Saviour, with grace, mercy, life, and salvation in him, to lost sinners of
Adam's family. And the gospel preached unto Abraham, namely,
" In thee," i. e., in thy seed, which is in Christ, " shall all nations be
blessed," is of the same nature. The good tidings of great joy to all
people of a Saviour born in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord,
brought and proclaimed from heaven by the angels, we take to have been
the gospel, strictly and properly so called ; yet is there no precept in
these tidings. We find, likewise, the gospel of peace and glad tidings
of good things are in Scripture convertible terms ; and the word of the
gospel, which Peter spoke to the Gentiles, that they might believe, was
no other than peace by Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and exalted to be
Judge of quick and dead, with remission of sins through his name, to be re-
ceived by every one believing in him. Much more might be added on this
head, which, that we be not tedious, we pass. Of the same mind, as to this
point, we find the body of reformed divines, as to instance in a few, Calvin,
Chamier, Pemble, Wendelin, Alting, the professors of Leyden, Witsius, Maes-
trick, Maresius, Troughton, Essenius.

That all precepts, (those of faith and repentance not excepted,) belong
to, and are of the law, is no less evident to us ; for the law of creation, or
of the ten commandments, which was given to Adam in paradise, in the
form of a covenant of works, requiring us to believe whatever God should
reveal or promise, and to obey whatever he should command ; all pre-
cepts whatsoever must be virtually and really included in it. So that
there never was, nor can be, an instance of duty owing by the creature
to God, not commanded in the moral law, if not directly and expressly,
yet indirectly, and by consequence. The same first commandment, for
instance, which requires us to take the Lord for our God, to acknow-
ledge his essential verity, and sovereign authority ; to love, fear, and
trust in Jehovah, after what manner soever he shall be pleased to reveal
himself to us, and likewise to grieve and mourn for his dishonour or
displeasure, requires believing in Jehovah, our righteousness, as soon as
ever he is revealed to us as such, and sorrowing after a godly sort for
the transgression of his holy law, whether by one's self or by others. It
is true, Adam was not actually obliged to believe in a Saviour, till,
being lost and undone, a Saviour was revealed to him ; but the same

APPENDIX. 347

commandment that bound him to trust and depend on, and to believe
the promises of God Creator, no doubt obliged him to believe in God
Redeemer, when revealed. Nor was Adam obliged to sorrow for sin
ere it was committed. But this same law that bound him to have a
sense of the evil of sin in its nature and effects, to hate, loathe, and flee
from sin, and to resolve against it, and for all holy obedience, and to
have a due apprehension of the goodness of God, obliged him also to
mourn for it, whenever it should fall out. And we cannot see how the
contrary doctrine is consistent with the perfection of the law ; for if the law
be a complete rule of all moral, internal and spiritual, as well as external
and ritual obedience, it must require faith and repentance, as well as
it does all other good works. And that it does indeed require them, we
can have no doubt of, when we consider, that without them all other
religious performances are, in God's account, as good as nothing ; and
that sin being, as the Scripture and our own standard tell us, any want
of conformity to, or transgression of the law of God, unbelief and im-
penitency must be so too. And if they be so, then must faith and re-
pentance be obedience and conformity of the same law, which the former
are a transgression of, or an inconformity unto ; unbelief particularly be-
ing a departing from the living God, is, for certain, forbidden in the first
commandment, therefore faith must needs be required in the same com-
mandment, according to a known rule. But what need we more, after our
Lord has told us, that faith is one of the weightier matters of the law ? and
that it is not a second table duty which is there meant, is evident to us, by
comparing the parallel place in Luke, where, in place of faith, we have the
love of God. As for repentance, in case of sin against God, it becomes
naturally a duty ; and though neither the covenant of works nor of grace
admitted of it, as any expiation of sin, or federal condition giving right to
life, it is a duty included in every commandment, ou the supposal of a
transgression.

What moves us to be the more concerned for this point of doctrine is,
that if the law does not bind siiuiers to believe and repent, then we see not
how faith and repentance, considered as works, are excluded from our
justification before God, since in that case they are not works of the
law, under which character all works are in Scripture excluded from the
use of justifying in the sight of God. And we can call to mind that, on
the contrary doctrine, Arminius laid the foundation of his rotten prin-
ciples, touching sufficient grace, or rather natural power. " Adam," says
he, " had not power to believe in Jesus Christ, because he needed him not ;
nor was he bound to believe, because the law required it not. Therefore,
since Adam by his fall did not lose it, God is bound to give every man
power to believe in Jesus Christ." A,nd Socinians, Arminians, Papists,
and Baxterians, by holding the gospel to be a new, proper, preceptive
law, with sanction, and thereby turning it into a real, though milder
covenant of works, have confounded the law and the gospel, and brought
works into the matter and cause of a sinner's justification before God.
And, we reckon, we are the rather called to be on our guard here, that
the clause in our representation, making mention of the new, or gospel-
law, is marked out to us, as one of the grounds of this query, which we
own to be somewhat alarming. Besides all this, the teaching that faith
and repentance are gospel commandments, may yet again open the door
to Antinomianism, as it sometimes did already, if we may believe Mr.
Cross, who says, " History tells us that it sprung from such a mistake,
that faith and repentance were taught and commanded by the gospel

348 APPENDIX.

only, and that as they contained all necessary to salvation, so the law was
needless."

On this head also, namely, that all precepts belong to the law, we
might likewise adduce a cloud of witnesses beyond exception, such as
Perable, Essenius, Anth, Burgess, Rutherford, Owen, Witsius, Dickson,
Fergusson, Troughton, Larger Catechism on the duties required, and
sins forbidden in the first commandment. But, without insisting further, we
answer, —

2dlii, In the gospel, taken largely for the whole doctrine of Christ and
the apostles, contained in the New Testament, or for a system of all the
promises, precepts, threatenings, doctrines, histories, that any way con-
cern man's recovery and salvation, in which respect, not only all the
ten commandments, but the doctrine of the covenant of works belong to
it, but in this sense, the doctrine is not contradistinct from the law ; —
in the gospel, taken thus at large, we say, there are doubtless many
precepts that were not actually given (that is, particularly and expressly
promulgated or required) before the gospel was revealed. Love to our
enemies, to instance in a few of many, mercy to the miserable, bearing
of the cross, hope and joy in tribulations, in prospect of their having a
desired issue, love, thankfulness, prayer, and obedience to a God Redeem-
er, zealous witnessing against sin, and for truth, in case of defection from
the faith or holiness of the gospel, confessing our faults to and forgiving
one another. All the ceremonial precepts under the Old Testament,
together with the institutions of Christ under the New, faith in Jesus
Christ, repentance unto life, with many more, to say nothing of personal
and particular precepts, were not actually given before the gospel was
revealed ; all which are nevertheless reducible to the law of the ten com-
mandments, many of them being plain duties of the law of nature,
though they had no due and proper objects, nor occasions of being exer-
cised in an innocent state. It is true, there are many of them we had
never heard of, without the gospel had been revealed ; yet are they not,
therefore, in any proper sense, precepts of the gospel, but of the law,
which is exceeding broad, extending to new objects, occasions, and cir-
cumstances. The law says one thing to the person unmarried, and
another thing to the same person when married ; one thing to him as a
child, another thing to him as a parent, &c., yet is it the same law still.
The law of God being perfect, and like unto its Author, must reach to every
condition of the creature ; but if for every new duty or new object of
faith there behoved to be a new law, how strangely must laws be multi-
plied ! The law itself (even as in the case of a man) may meet with any
changes, and yet remain the same as to its essence. Now, as to faith
and repentance, though ability to exercise them, and acceptance of them,
be by the gospel, yet it is evident they must be regulated by the same
law, the transgression of which made them necessary. The essence of
repentance, it is plain, lies in repeating and renewing, with a suitable frame of
spirit, the duties omitted, or in observing the law one had violated. For
as the divine perfections are the rule and pattern of God's image in man,
as well in his regeneration as in his creation, so the holy law of God is the
rule of our repentance, as well as of our primitive obedience. And why faith,
when it has God Mediator, or God Redeemer, for its object, may not be
from the same law as when it had God Creator, or God Preserver for its ob-
jects, we cannot see.

APPENDIX. 849

Query II. — Is not the believer now bound, hy the authority of the
Creator, to personal obedience to the moral law, though not in order to
justification ?

Ans. — What is given us for the ground of this query, is the following
clause of our representation, viz : — " Since believers are not under it, to
be thereby justified or condemned, we cannot comprehend how it con-
tinues any longer a covenant of works to them, or as such to have a com-
manding power over them, that covenant form of it being done away in
Christ with respect to believers." This clause of the representation being
so much one, even in words, with our Confession, we could never have
expected the Reverend Commission would have moved a query upon
it ; but since they have been pleased to think otherwise, we answer
affirmatively : —

The believer, since he ceases not to be a creature by being made a new
creature, is, and must ever be bound to personal obedience to the law of
the ten commandments, by the authority of Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, his Creator. But this authority is, as to him, issued by and from
the Lord Jesus Christ, at whose mouth he receives the law, being as well
his Lord God Creator, as his Lord God Redeemer, and having all the
fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him ; nor can nor will the sinful
creature ever apply himself to obedience acceptable to God, or com-
fortable to himself, without the Creator's authority come to him in that
channel.

We are clear and full of the same mind with our Confession, that the
moral law of the ten commandments does for ever bind all, as well justi-
fied persons as others, to the obedience thereof, not only in regard of the
matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the
Creator who gave it, and that Christ does not in the gospel any way dis-
solve, but much strengthen this obligation ; for how can it lose anything
of its original authority, by being conveyed to the believer in such a
sweet and blessed channel as the hand of Christ, since both he himself is
the supreme God and Creator, and since the authority, majesty, and
sovereignty of the Father is in his Son, he being the same in substance,
equal in power and glory ? " Beware of Him," says the Lord unto Israel,
concerning Christ the angel of the covenant, " and obey his voice, pro-
voke him not : for my name is in him." That is, as we understand it,
my authority, sovereignty, and other adorable excellencies, yea the whole ful-
ness of the Godhead is in him, and in him only will I be served and obeyed.
And Then it follows, " But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that
I speak." The name of the Father is so in him ; he is so of the same nature
with his Father, that his voice is the Father's voice : " If thou obey his voice,
and do all that I speak."

We desire to think and speak honourably of Him, whose name is
" Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and
the Prince of Peace." And it cannot but exceedingly grate onr ears,
and grieve our spirits, to find such doctrines or positions vented in this
Church, especially at a time when the Arian heresy is so prevalent in our
neighbour nations, as have an obvious tendency to darken and disparage
his divine glory and authority, as that, if a believer ought not to receive
the law of the ten commandments at the hand of God, as he is Creator
out of Christ, then lie is not under its obligation, as it was delivered by
God the Creator, but is loosed from all obedience to it, as it was enacted
by the authority of the Lord Creator ; and that it is injurious to the in-
finite majesty of the Sovereign Lord Creator, and to the honour of his
30

350 APPENDIX.

holy law, to restrict the believer to receive the ten commandments only
at the hand of Christ. What can be more injurious to the infinite
majesty of the sovereign Lord Redeemer ; by whom all things wei-e
created that are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, •whether
they be thrones or dominions, principalities or powers, than to speak as
if the Creator's authority was not in him, or as if the receiving the Crea-
tor's law from Christ did loose men from obedience to it, as enacted by
the authority of the Father ? Wo unto us, if this doctrine be the truth,
for so should we be brought back to consuming fire indeed ; for, out of
Christ, " He that made us will have no mercy upon us ; nor will he that
formed us show us any favour." ~We humbly conceive, the Father does
not reckon himself glorified, but contemned by Christians offering obe-
dience to him as Creator out of Christ. Nor does the offering to deal
■with him after this sort, or to teach others so, discover a due regard to
the mystery of Christ revealed in the gospel ; for it is the will of the
Father, the Sovereign Lord Creator, that all men should honour the Son,
even as they honour himself ; and that at, or in the name of Jesus every
knee should bow ; and that every tongue should confess Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father, who having in these last days
spoken imto us by his Son, by whom also he made the worlds, and with
an audible voice from heaven has said, " This is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased hear ye him." Were it not we would be thought tedious, Perkins,
Durham, Owen, and others, might have been heard on this head. But we pro-
ceed to —

Query III. — Doth the annexing of a promise of life, and a threatening of death
to a precept, make it a covenant of works ?

We answer, as in our .representation. That the promise of life, and
threatening of death, superadded to the law of the Creator, made it a
covenant of works to our first parents, proposed ; and their own consent,
which sinless creatures could not refuse, made it a covenant of works ac-
cepted. " A law," says the judicious Durham, *' doth necessarily imply no
more than, first, to direct ; secondly, to command, enforcing that obe-
dience by authority. A covenant doth further necessarily imply pro-
mises made upon some conditions, or threatenings added if such a con-
dition be not performed. Now, says he, this law may be considered
without the consideration of a covenant ; for it was free to God to have
added or not to have added promises ; and the threatenings, upon sup-
position the law had been kept, might never have taken effect." From
whence it is plain, in the judgment of this great divine, the law of nature
was turned into a covenant by the addition of a promise of life and threa-
tening of death. Of the same mind is Burgess and the London ministers,
Vindicise Legis, page 61. " There are only two things which go to the
essence of a law, and that is — 1st, direction ; 2d, obligation. First, direc-
tion : therefore a law is a rule : hence the law of God is compared to
light. Second, obligation ; for therein lieth the essence of sin that it
breaketh this law, which supposes the obligatory force of it. In the next
place, there are two consequents of the law, which are ad bene esse, that
the law may be the better obeyed ; and this indeed turneth the law into
a covenant. First the sanction of it by way of promise ; that is a mere
free thing : God, by reason of that dominion which he had over man,
might have commanded his obedience, and yet never made a promise of
eternal life unto him. And, secondly, as for the other consequent act of
the law, to curse and punish, this is but an accidental act, not necessary

APPENDIX. 351

to a law, for it comes iu upon supposition of transgression. A law is a
complete law, obliging, though it do not actually curse ; as in the con-
firmed angels it never laid any more than obligatory and mandatory acts
upon them ; for that they were under a law is plain, because otherwise
they could not have sinned, for where there is no law, there is no trans-
gression."

Though there is no ground from our representation to add more on
this head, yet we may say, that a promise of life made to a precept of
doing, — that is, in consideration or upon condition of one's doing, be the
doing more or less, it is all one, the divine will in the precept being the
rule in this case, is a covenant of works. And as to believers in Christ,
though in the gospel, largely taken, we own there are promises of life,
and threatenings of death, as well as precepts ; and that godliness hath
the promise, not only of this life, but of that which is to come, annexed
to it, in the order of tiie covenant : yet we are clear no promise of life is
made to the performance of precepts, nor eternal death threatened in
case of their failings whatsoever in performing, else should their title to
life be founded not entirely on Christ and his righteousness imputed to
them, but on something in or done by themselves ; and their after sins
should again actually bring them under vindictive wi-ath and the curse
of the law ; which, upon their union with Christ who was made a curse
for them, to redeem them from under it, they are, according to Scripture
and our Confession, for ever delivered from. Hence we know of no
sanction the law, standing iu the covenant of grace hath with respect to
believers besides gracious rewards, all of them freely promised on Christ's
account for their encouragement in obedience, and fatherly chastisement
and displeasure, in case of their not walking in his commandments;
which to a believer are no less awful and much more powerful restraints
from sin than the prospect of the curse and hell itself would be. The
Reverend Commission will not, we hope, grudge to hear that eminent
divine, Mr. Perkins, in a few words, on this head, who having put the
objection, " In the gospel there are promises of life upon condition of
our obedience, as Rom. viii. 13, ' If ye through the Spirit,' " &c. ; an-
swers, " The promises of the gospel are not made to the work, but to
the worker ; and to the worker, not for his work, but for Christ's sake
according to his work : e. g., The promise of life is not made to the work
of mortification, but to him that mortifies his flesh ; and that not for his
mortification, but because he is in Christ, and his mortification is the
token and evidence thereof." This, as it is the old Protestant doctrine,
so we take it to be the truth. And as to the believer's total and final
• freedom from the curse of the law upon his union with Christ, Protestant
divines, particularly Rutherford and Owen, throughout their writings, are
full and clear on this head.

Query IV. — If the moral law, antecedent to its receiving the form of a cove-
nant of works, had a threatening of Ml annexed ?

Ans. — Since the law of God never was, nor will ever in this world be
the stated rule, either of man's duty towards God, or of God's dealing
with man, but as it stands in one of the two covenants of works and grace, we
are at a loss to discover the real usefulness of this query, as well as what
foundation it has in our representation.

As to the intrinsical demerit of sin, we are clear, whether there had
ever been any covenant of works or not, it deserves hell, even all that an
infinitely holy and just God ever has or shall inflict for it; yet what be-

352 APPENDIX.

hoved to have been the Creator's disposal of the creature, in the sup-
posed event of sin's entering, without a covenant being made, we incline
not here to dip into ; but we reckon it is not possible to prove a threat-
ening of hell to be inseparable from the law of creation, the obligation
of which, because resulting from the nature of God, and of the creature,
is eternal and immutable : for confirmed angels, glorified saints, yea, and
the human nature of Christ, are all of them naturally, necessarily, and
eternally obliged to love, obey, depend on, and submit unto God, and to
make him their blessedness and ultimate end ; but none, we conceive,
will be peremptory in saying, they have a threatening of hell annexed to
the law they are under. And we can by no means allow, that a believer,
delivered by Christ from the covenant of works, is still obnoxious, upon
every new transgression, to the threatening of hell, supposed to be inse-
parably annexed to the law of creation, or of the ten commandments ;
which law every reasonable creature must for ever be under, since this
would, in effect, be no other than, after he is delivered from hell in one
respect, to bind him over to it in another. Whatever threatening one
may suppose belonged to the moral law of the ten commandments, an-
tecedently to its receiving a covenant form, all was, for certain, included
in the sanction of the covenant of works : so that Christ, in bearing the
curse of it, redeemed believers from the hell, vindictive wrath and curse,
their sins in any sort deserved ; the hand-writing that was against them
he cancelled, tore to pieces, and nailed to his cross. Hence the threat-
ening of hell and the curse are actually separated from the law of the
ten commandments, which believers are under as a rule of life ; and to
hold otherwise is the leading error, yea, the very spring and fountain-head
of Antinomianism ; on all which, Burgess, Rutherford, and others, may
be heard.

Query V. — If it be peculiar to believers to be free of the commanding power
of the law, as a covenant of works ?

Though our saying Ave cannot comprehend how the covenant of works,
as such, continues to have a commanding power over believers, that
covenant form of it being done away in Christ with respect to them,
gives no sufficient foundation to this query, since we affirm nothing con-
cerning any but believers, whose freedom from the commanding power
of that covenant, the query seems, as much as we do, to allow of; we
answer afiBrmatively : for, since it is only to believers the Spirit of God in
Scripture says, " Ye are not under the law," the main import of which
phrase is, subjection to the commanding power of it, as a covenant, —
" but under grace ;" and since they only are, by virtue of their union
with Christ, actually freed from being under the law, by Christ's being
made under it, i. e., under its command, as above, as well as under its
curse for them ; and since according to our Confession, it is the peculiar
privilege of believers, which, therefore, believers have no interest in, not
to be under the law as a covenant of works, to be justified or condemned
thereby, we can allow no other, besides believers, to be invested with that
immunity.

All unbelievers within, as well as without, the pale of the visible
church, since they seek righteousness only by the works of the law, and
are strangers to the covenant of grace, we always took to be debtors to
the whole law, in their own persons. And this their obligation, under
the DO, or commanding power of that covenant, we took to be inviolably
firm, till such time as by faith they had . recourse to him who is " the

APPENDIX. 353

end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth ;" else -we
thought, and do still think, if their obligation to the command of that
covenant be dissolved, merely by their living under an external gospel-
dispensation, they would be cast quite loose from being under any co-
venant at all, contrary to the common received doctrine of the Protestant
churches, namely, that every person whatsoever is in and under one or other
of the two covenants of works and grace ; nor could they, unless they be
under the commanding power of the covenant of works, be ever found trans-
gressors of the law of that covenant, by any actual sin of their own, nor be
bound over anew under the covenant-curse thereby.

The covenant of works, it is true, is, by the fall, weak and inefifectual,
as a covenant, to give us life, by reason of our weakness and disability to
fulfil it, being antecedently sinners, and obnoxious to its curse, which no
person can be, and yet at the same time have a right unto its promise.
Hence, for any to seek life and salvation by it now, is no other than to
labour after an impossibility ; yet does it nevertheless continue in full
force, as a law i-cquiring of all sinners, while they continue in their natural
state, without taking hold, by faith, of Christ and the grace of the new
covenant ; requiring of them, we say, personal and absolutely perfect obe-
dience, and threatening death upon every the least transgression. From
the commanding power of which law, requiring universal holiness in such
rigour, as that, on the least failure in substance, circumstance, or degree,
all is rejected, and we are determined transgressors of the whole law ; be-
lievers, and they only, are freed, as we said above. " But to suppose a
person," says Dr. Owen, " by any means freed from the curse due unto sin,
and then to deny that, upon the performance of the perfect sinless obe-
dience which the law requires, he should have right to the promise of
life thereby, is to deny the truth of God, and to reflect dishonour upon hig
justice. Our Lord himself was justified, by the law; and it is immutably
true, that he who does the things of it, shall live in them." "It is true,"
adds the same author, •' that God did never formally and absolutely re-
new, or give again this law, as a covenant of works, a second time ; nor
was there any need that so he should do, unless it were declaratively only.
And so it was renewed at Sinai ; for the whole of it being an emanation
of eternal right and truth, it abides, and must abide in full force for ever.
Wherefore, it is only so far broken as a covenant, that all mankind having
sinned against the command of it, and so by guilt, with the impotency
to obedience, which ensued thereupon, defeated themselves of any inte-
rest in its promise, and possibility of attaining any such interest, they
cannot have any benefit by it. But as to its power to oblige all mankind
unto obedience, and the unchangeable truths of its promises and threat-
enings, it abides the same as it was from the beginning. The introducing
of another covenant, (adds he again on the same head,) inconsistent
with, and contrary to it, does not instantly free men from the law as a
covenant ; for, though a new law abrogates a former law inconsistent
with it, and frees all from obedience, it is not so in a covenant, which
operates not by sovereign authority, but becomes a covenant by consent
of them with whom it is made. So there is no freedom from the old
covenant, by the constitution of the new, till it be actually complied with.
In Adam's covenant we must abide under obligation to duty and punishment,
till by faith we be interested in the new.

From all which it appears to be no cogent reasoning to say, if the un-
believer be under the conmianding power of the covenant of works, then
would he be under two opposite commands at once, viz : to seek a perfect

30*

354 APPENDIX.

righteousness in his own person, and to seek it also by faith in a surety ;
for, though the law requires of us now, both active and passive righteous-
ness in our own persons, and likewise, upon the revelation of Jesus Christ
in the gospel, as Jehovah our righteousness, obliges us to believe in and
submit to him as such, yet, as it is in many other cases of duties, the law
requires both these of us, not m sensu composito, as they say, but in sensa
diviso. The law is content to sustain and hold for good the payment of
a responsible surety, though itself provides none ; and wills us, being in-
solvent of ourselves, cheerfully, thankfully, and without delay, to accept
of the non-such favour offered unto us. But till the sinner, convinced
of his undoneness otherwise, accept of, use, and plead that benefit in his
own behalf, the law will, and does go on in its just demands and diligence
against him. Having never had pleasure in the sinful creature, by rea-
son of our unfaithfulness, it can easily admit of the marriage to another
husband, upon a lawful divorce, after fair count and reckoning, and full
satisfaction and reparation made for all the invasions upon, and violations
of the first husband's honour ; but, when the sinner, unwilling to hear of
any such motion, still cleaves to the law, its first husband, what wonder
the law, in that case, go on to use the sinner as he deserves ? In short,
this pretended absurdity, at worst, amounts to no more than this, — Make
full payment yourself, or find me good and sufficient payment by a
surety, till which time I will continue to proceed against you, without
mitigation or mercy. Wherefore, the unbeliever is justly condemned by
the law, both because he did not continue in all things written in the book
of the law to do them, and because he did not believe on the name of the Sou
of God.

Query "VI. — If a sinner, being justified, has all things at once that are neces-
sary for salvation? And if personal holiness, and progress in holy obedience, is
not necessary to a justified person's possession of glory, in case of his continuing in
life after his justification ?

Ans. — The ground of this query, marked out to us, is, in these words
of holy Luther, — " For in Christ I have all things at once, neither need I
anything more, that is necessary unto salvation." And to us it is evi-
dent, that this is the believer's plea, viz ; Christ's most perfect obedience
to the law, for him, in answer unto its demand of good works for obtain-
ing salvation, according to the tenor of the first covenant, which plea the
representation alleges to be cut off and condemned by the Act of Assem-
bly, But, without saying any thing of the old Popish reflection on the
doctrine of free justification by faith, without works, as it was taught by
Luther and other reformers, or the hardship of having this question put
to us, as if we had given ground of being suspected for enemies to gos-
pel holiness, which our consciences bear us witness, is our great desire to
have advanced in ourselves and others, as being fully persuaded, that
without it neither they nor we shall see the Lord ; we answer to the first part
of the query —

That, since a justified person, being passed from death to life, trani^-
lated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son,
and blest with all the spiritual blessings in Christ, is, by virtue of his
union with him, brought into and secured in a state of salvation ; and
therefore, in the language of the Holy Ghost, actually, though not com-
pletely, saved already ; and since, in him, he has particularly a most per-
fect, law-binding, and law-magnifying righteousness, redemption in his

APPENDIX.

blood, even the forgiveness of sins, peace with Glod, access, acceptance,
■wisdom, sauctiGcation, everlasting strength, and, in one word, an over-
flowing, ever-flowing fulness, from which, according to the order of the
covenant, he does, and shall receive whatever he wants ; hence, according
to the Scripture, in Christ all things are his and in him he is complete.
Considering, we say, these things, we think a justified person has in
Christ at once all things necessary to salvation, though of himself he has
nothing.

To the second part of the query we answer, that personal holiness, and
justification, being inseparable in the believer, we are unwilling, so much
as the query does, to suppose their separation. Personal holiness we
reckon so necessary to the possession of glory, or to a state of perfect
lioliness and happiness, as is the morning light to the noon-day warmth
and brightness, — as is a reasonable soul to a wise, healthy, strong, and
full grown man, — as an antecedent is to its consequent, — as a part is to
the whole ; for the difference betwixt a state of grace and of glory, we
take to be gradual only, according to the usual saying, " Grace is glory
begun, and glory grace in perfection." So necessary, again, as motion is
to evidence life, or in order to walking, not only habitual, but actual
holiness and progress in holy obedience, one continuing in life, we are
clear, are so necessary, that without the same none can see the Lord.
And as it is not only the believer's interest, but his necessary and indis-
pensable duty, to be still going on " from strength to strength, until he
appear before the Lord in Zion ;" so the righteous, we believe, " will
hold on his way, and he who is of clean hands will grow stronger and
stronger :" for though the believer's progress in holy obedience, by rea-
son of the many stops, interruptions, and assaults he frequently meets
with from Satan, the world, and in-dwelling corruption, is far from be-
ing alike at all times, yet " the path of the just," though he frequently
fall, will be " as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the
perfect day." Though he may, at times " become weary and faint in his
mind," yet shall he, by waiting on the Lord, " renew his strength, and mount
up as with eagles' wings," &c. But still the believer has all this in and from
Christ : for whence can our progress in holiness come, but from the supply
of his Spirit ? Our walking in holy obedience, and every good motion of ours,
must be in him, and from him, Avho is the Way and the Life, who is our head
of influences, and the fountain of our strength, and who " works in us both to
will and to do." "Abide in me," says he, " and I in you. For without me
ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered."

But if the meaning of the query be, of such a necessity of holy obedi-
ence, in order to the possession of glory, as imports any kind of causality,
we dare not answer in the affirmative ; for we cannot look on personal
holiness, or good works, as properly federal and conditional means of obtaining
the possession of heaven, though we own they are ^necessary to make ua
meet for it.

Query VII. — Is preaching the necessity of a holy life, in order to the
obtaining of eternal happiness, of dangerous consequence to the doctrine of
free grace 7

Ans. — The last of the two clauses of the eighth act of Assembly, being
complained of in the representation, is the first and main ground of this
query. And ere we make answer to it, we crave leave to explain our-
Belvea more fully as to the oflence we conceive to be given by that act ;

356 APPENDIX.

namely, that, in opposition to, and in place of the believer's plea of
Christ's active righteousness, in answer to the law, demanding good
works, for obtaining salvation according to the tenor of the first covenant;
cut off, as we apprehend, by the fifth act ; ministers are ordered, in the
eighth act, to preach the necessity of our own personal holiness, in order
to the obtaining of everlasting happiness. As also, that our inherent
holiness seems to be put too much on the same foot, in point of necessity,
for obtaining everlasting happiness, with justification by the Surety ;
which the frame of the words, being as follows, will well admit, viz : " Of
free justification through our blessed Surety, the Lord Jesus Christ, re-
ceived by faith alone ; and of the necessity of an holy life, in order to
the obtaining of everlasting happiness." Moreover, that the great fun-
damental of justification is laid down in such general terms, as adver-
saries will easily agree to, without mention of the Surety's righteousness,
active or passive, or the imputation of either ; especially since a motion
in open Assembly for adding the few, but momentous words, — imputed
righteousness, was slighted. And, finally, that that act is so little adapted to
the end it is now given out to have been designed for, viz : — a testimony to
the supreme Godhead of our glorious God and Saviour Jesus Christ, and against
Arianism, especially since not the least intimation or warning against that
damnable heresy is to be found in the act itself, nor was made to that Assembly,
in passing of it.

To the query, we answer, that we cordially and sincerely own a holy
life, or good works, necessary, as an acknowledgment of God's sove-
reignty, and in obedience to his command : for this is the will of God,
even our sanctification ; and, by a special ordination, he has appointed
believers to walk in them : necessary, for glorifying God before the world,
and showing the virtues of him who hath called us out of darkness into
his marvellous light : necessary, as being the end of our election, our re-
demption, efiectual calling, and regeneration ; for " the Father chose us
in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy ;
the Son gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works ;" and by
the Holy Spirit are we created in Christ Jesus unto them : necessary, as
expressions of our gratitude to our great Benefactor ; for being bought
with a price, we are no more our own, but henceforth, in a most peculiar
manner bound, in our bodies and in our spirits, which are his, to glorify,
and by all possible ways, to testify our thanksgiving to our Lord Re-
deemer and Eansomer ; to him " who spared not his own Son, but gave
him up to the death for us all ;" to him " who humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, for us :" neces-
sary, as being the design, not only of the world, but of all ordinances and
providences ; even that as he who has called us is holy, so we should
be holy in all manner of conversation : necessary, again, for evidencing
and confirming our faith, good works being the breath, the native off-
spring and issue of it : necessary, for making our calling and election
sure ; for they are, though no plea, yet a good evidence for heaven,
or an argument confirming our assurance and hope of salvation : neces-
sary, to the maintaining of inward peace and comfort, though not as
the ground and foundation, yet as effects, fruits, and concomitants of
faith : necessary, in order to our entertaining communion with God even
in this life ; for, " if we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in
darkness, we lie, and do not the truth :" necessary, to the escaping of
judgments, and to the enjoyment of many promised blessings j particu-

APPENDIX. t&t

larly there is a necessity of order and method, that one be holy before he
can be admitted to see and enjoy God in heaven ; that being a disposing
mean, preparing for the salvation of it, and the king's highway chalked
out for the redeemed to walk into the city : necessary, to adorn the gos-
pel and grace our holy calling and profession : necessary, further, for the
edification, good, and comfort, of fellow-believers : necessary, to prevent
offence, and to stop the mouths of the wicked ; to win likewise the un-
believing, and to commend Christ and his ways to the consciences : neces-
sary, finally, for the establishment, security, and glory of churches and
nations. Though we firmly believe holiness necessary upon all these and
more accounts, and that the Christian ought to live in the continued ex-
ercise of gospel repentance, which is one main constituent of gospel holi-
ness, yet we dare not say a holy life is necessary in order to the obtaining
of eternal happiness ; for, to say nothing of the more gross sense of these
words, (manifestly injurious to the free grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by faith in whose righteousness alone we are appointed to obtain salva-
tion, from first to last,) which yet is obvious enough, though we are far
from imputing it to the Assembly ; we cannot, however they may be ex-
plained into an orthodox meaning, look upon them as wholesome words,
since they have at least an appearance of evil, being such a way of ex-
pression as Protestant churches and divines, knowing the strong natural
bias in all men towai'ds seeking salvation, not by faith in our Loi'd Jesus
Christ, but by works of righteousness done by themselves, and the danger
of symbolizing with Papists and other enemies of the grace of the gospel,
have industriously shunned to use on that head ; they choosing rather to
call holiness and good works necessary duties of the persons justified and
saved, than conditions of salvation ; consequents and effects of salvation
already obtained, or antecedents, disposing and preparing the subject for
the salvation to be obtained, than any sort of causes, or proper means of
obtaining the possession of salvation ; which last honour, the Scripture,
for the high praise and glory of sovereign grace, seems to have reserved
peculiarly unto faith ; and rather to say, that holiness is necessary in them that
shall be saved, than necessary to salvation ; that we are saved, not by good
works, but rather to them, as fruits and effects of saving grace ; or that holiness
is necessary unto salvation, not so much as a mean to the end, as a part of the
end itself ; which part of our salvation is necessary, to make us meet for the
other that is yet behind.

Wherefore, since this way of speaking of holiness with respect to sal-
vation, is, we conceive, without warrant in the holy Scripture, dissonant
from the doctrinal standards of our own and other reformed churches, as
well as from the chosen and deliberate speech of reformed divines treat-
ing on these heads ; and since it being at best but propositio male sonans,
may easily be mistaken, and afterwards improved, as a sliade or vehicle,
for conveying corrupt sentiments, anent the influence of works upon sal-
vation ; we cannot but reckon preaching the necessity of holiness in such
terms to be of some dangerous consequence to the doctrine of free grace.
In which apprehension we are the more confirmed, that at this day the
doctrine of Christ, and his free grace, both as to the purity and efficacy of the
same, seems to be much on the wane, and Popery, with other dangerous errors
and heresies destructive of it, on the waxing ; which certainly calls aloud to the
churches of Christ, and to his ministers in particular, for the more zeal, watch-
fulness, and caution, with reference to the interests of truth ; and that especially
at such a time, cum hereticis nee nomina habeamus commimia, ne eorum errori
favere videumur.

858 APPENDIX.

If in any case, certainly in framing acts and standards of doctrine, there
is great need of delicacy in the choice of woids ; for the words of the
Holy Ghost in Scripture, under which we include such as in meaning and
import are equivalent to them, being an ordinance of divine institution,
for preserving the truth of the gospel, if these be once altered or varied,
all the wisdom and vigilance of men will be ineffectual to that end. And
it is well known, by costly experience to the churches of Christ, that
their falling in with the language or phrase of corrupt teachers, instead
of serving the interest of truth, which never looks so well as in its own
native simplicity, does but grieve the stable and judicious, stagger the
weak, betray the ignorant, and, instead of gaining, harden and open the
mouths of adversaries. And that it is said in a text, " They do it to ob-
tain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible," will not warrant the
manner of speech in the query ; for the word, in the original, signifies
only to receive or apprehend, being accordingly rendered in all Latin ver-
sions we have seen, and in our own translation in the verse immediately
preceding, viz : " One receiveth the prize ;" and though the word did
signify to obtain, in the most strict and proper sense, it could not make
for the purpose, unless it were meant of the believer's obtaining the in-
corruptible crown, not by faith, but by works. And that an ill chosen
word in a standard may prove more dangerous to the truth, than one not
so justly rendered in a translation, with several other things on this head, might
be made very evident, were it not that we have been, we fear, tedious on it
already.

Query VIII. — Is knowledge, belief, and persuasion, that Christ died for
me, and that he is mine, and that whatever he did arid suffered, he did and
suffered for me, the direct act of faith, whereby a sinner is united to
Christ, interested in him, instated in God^s covenant of grace ? Or, is that
hwwledge a persuasion included in tlie very essence of that justifying act of
faith ?

Ans. The query, it is evident, exceedingly narrows the import and de-
sign of the Representation in the place referred to ; for there we assert
nothing positively concerning the passages relating to faith, but remon-
strate against condemning them, as what to us seemed to hurt the appro-
priating act of faith, and to fix a blot upon the Reformation, reformed
churches, and divines, who had generally taught concerning faith, as in
the condemned passages; all which we might say, without determining
whether the persuasion spoke of in the query was the very direct and
formal act of justifying faith, yea or no. But now, since the query is put so
close, and since the matter in question is no other than the old Protestant doc-
trine on that head, as we shall endeavour to make appear, the Reverend Com-
mission, we humbly conceive, cannot take it amiss, if we, in the first place, in-
quire into the true sense and meaning of this way of speaking of faith, that we
are now questioned about.

The main of the condemned passages the query refers to, runs not in
the order therein set down, but as follows : " Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved ;" that is, " Be verily persuaded in your
heart that Christ Jesus is yours, and that you shall have life and salvation
by him ; that whatever Christ did for the redemption of mankind, he did
it for you :" being in matter the same with what has been commonly
taught in the Protestant churches, and, in words of the renowned Mr.
John Rogers, of Dodham, (a man so noted for orthodoxy, holiness, and
the Lord's countenancing of his ministry, that no sound Protestants in

APPENDIX. "859

Britain or Ireland, of what denomination soever, would, in the ape wherein
he lived, have taken upon them to condemn as erroneous) his definition of
faith, which we have as follows : " A particular persuasion of my heart
that Christ Jesus is mine, and that I shall have life and salvation by his
means ; that whatsoever Christ did for the redemption of mankind, he
did it for me." Where one may see, though the difference in words be
almost uoi^e at all, yet it runs rather stronger with him than in the
Marrow.

In which account of saving faith, we have, first, the general nature of
it ; viz : a real persuasion, agreeing to all sorts of faith whatsoever ; for it
is certain, whatever one believes, he is verily persuaded of. More parti-
cularly, it is a persuasion in the heart, whereby it is distinguished from a
general, dead, and naked assent in the head, which one gives to things that
no way affect him, because he reckons they do not concern him. But
with the heart man believes here ; " If thou believest with all thine
heart," says the Scripture. For as a man's believing in his heart the
dreadful tidings of the law, or its curse, imports not only an assent to
them as true, but a horror of them as evil ; so here, the being per-
suaded in one's heart of the glad tidings of the gospel, bears not only an assent
unto them as true, but a relish of them as good.

Then we have the most special nature of it, viz : an appropriating per-
suasion, or a persuasion, with application to a person's self, that Christ is
his, &c. The particulars whereof are, first, that Christ is yours ; the
ground of which persuasion is the offer and grant of Christ as a Saviour
in the word, to be believed in for salvation, by all to whom the gospel is
made known. By which offer and setting forth of Christ as a Saviour,
though before we believe, we wanting union with him, have no actual or
saving interest in him, yet he is in some sense ours, namely, so as it is
lawful and warrantable for us, not for fallen angels, to take possession of
him and his salvation by faith ; without which, our common interest in
him as a Saviour, by virtue of the offer and grant in the word, will avail
us nothing. But though the call and offer of the gospel, being really
particular, every one, both in point of duty and in point of interest, ought
to appropriate, apply, or make his own the thing offered, by believing,
they having good and sufficient ground and warrant in the word so to do ;
yet is it either neglected and despised, or the truth and sincerity of it
suspected and called in question, until the Holy Spirit, by setting home
the word of the gospel, with such a measure of evidence and power as is
effectual, satisfies the convinced sinner, that, with application to himself
in particular, " it is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, that
Jesus Christ came to save sinners," and enables him to believe it. Thus
the persuasion of faith is begotten, which is always proportioned to the
measure of evidence and power from above that sovereign grace is pleased to
put forth for working of it.

The next branch of the persuasion is, " that you shall have life and
salvation by him," namely, the life of holiness as well as of happiness ;
salvation from sin as well as from wrath, not in heaven only, but begun,
carried on here, and completed hereafter ; — the true notion of life and
salvation, according to the Scriptures, and as Protestant divines are wont
to explain it. Wherefore this persuasion of faith is inconsistent with an
unwillhigness to part with sin, a bent or purpose of heart to continue in
it. There can be little question, we apprehend, whether this branch of
the persuasion belongs to the nature of justifying faith ; for salvation
being above all things in a sensible sinner's eye, he can never believe any

360 APPENDIX.

thing to his satisfaction, unless he sees gi-onnd to believe comfortably
concerning it. Few therefore will, we conceive, differ from Dr. Collins,
laying it down as a conclusion on this very head, namely, that " a Chris-
tian cannot have true, saving, justifying faith, unless he doth (I do not
say, unless he think he doth, or unless he saith he doth, but, unless, he
doth) believe, and is persuaded that God will pardon his sins." Further
this being a believing on the Son for life and salvation, is the same with
receiving of him, (as this last is explained by the Holy Spirit himself,
John i. 12,) and likewise evidently bears the soul's resting on Christ for
salvation ; for it is not possible to conceive a soul resting on Christ
for salvation, without a persuasion that it shall have life and salva-
tion by him, namely, a persuasion of the same measure and degree aa
resting is.

The third branch of the persuasion, " that whatsoever Christ did for
the redemption of mankind, he did it for you," — being much the same,
in other words, with these of the apostle — " Who loved me, and gave
himself for me ;" and coming in the last place, we think none will ques-
tion but whosoever believes, in the manner before explained, may and
onght to believe this in the like measure and in the same order. And
it is certain, all who receive and rest on Christ for salvation, believe it, if not
explicitly, yet virtually and really.

Now, as this account of justifying faith runs in terms much less strong
than those of many eminent divines, who used to define it by a persua-
sion of God's love, of his special mercy to one's self, of the remission of
his sins, &c ; so it is the same for substance and matter, though the
words be not the same with that of our Shorter Catechism, viz : " A re-
ceiving and resting upon Christ alone for salvation, as he is offered to ua
in the gospel :" where it is evident the offer of Christ to us, though
mentioned in the last place, is to be believed first ; for till the soul be

Eersuaded that Christ crucified is in the gospel set forth, offered, and ex-
ibited to it as if expressed by name, there can be no believing on him.
And when the offer is brought home to a person by the Holy Ghost, there
will be a measure of persuasion that Christ is his, as above explained.
And that receiving, or believing in, and resting on him for salvation, can-
not be without some measure of persuasion that one shall have life and
salvation by him, was said already. But more directly to the query.

We answer, 1st, Since our reformer and their successors, such as
Luther, Calvin, Melaucthon, Beza, Bullinger, Bucer, Knox, Craig, Mel-
vil, Bruce, Davidson, Forbes, &c., — men eminently endowed with the spi-
rit of truth and who fetch their notions of it immediately from the foun-
tain of the holy Scripture ; the most eminent doctors and professors of
theology that have been in the Protestant churches, such as Ursinus,
Zanchius, Junius, Piscator, Rollock, Dangeus, Wendelinus, Chamierus,
Sharpius. Bodius, Parens, Altiugius, Triglandii, (Gisbertus and Jacobus)
Arnoldus, Maresius ; the four professors of Leyden, viz : Walteus, Rive-
tus, Polyander, Thysius ; Wollebius, Heideggerus, Essenius, Turretinus,
&c. ; with many eminent British divines, such as Perkins, Pemble, Wil-
let, Gouge, Roberts, Burgess, Owen, &c. ; the churches themselves of
Helvetia, the Palatinate, France, Holland, England, Ireland, Scotland, in
their standards of doctrine ; all the Lutheran churches, who, in point of
orthodoxy on the head of justification and faith, are second to none ; the
renowned synod of Dort, made up of eminent divines, called and com-
missionate from seven reformed states and kingdoms, besides those of
the several provinces of the Netherlands ; since these, we say, all of them

APPENDIX. 361

stand for that special fiducia, confidence, or appropriating persuasion of
faith spoken of in the condemned passages of the Marrow, upon which
this query is raised ; the synod of Dort, besides the minds of the several
delegates on this head, in their several suffrages anent the Five Articles,
declaring themselves plainly both in their final decisions concerning the
said articles, and in their solemn and ample approbation of the Palatine
Catechism, as agreeable to the word of God in all things, and as con-
taining nothing that ought either to be altered or amended ; which Cate-
chism being full and plain as to this persuasion of faith, has been com-
mented upon by many great divines, received by most of all the reformed
churches, as a most excellent compend of the orthodox Christian doc-
trine, and particularly by the Church of Scotland, as the Rev. Mr. Robert
Wodrow lately told his Majesty King George, in the dedication of hia
history ; and since we, with this whole church and nation are, by virtue
of the awful tie of the oath of God in our national covenant, bound ever
to abhor and detest the Popish general and doubtsome faith, with all the
erroneous decrees of Trent ; among which, in opposition to the special
fiducia of faith therein condemned this is established ; being by Protest-
ants, so called, mainly for their denying and opposing the confidence and
persuasion of faith, with application to one's self, now in question ; by
which renunciation our forefathers, no doubt, pointed at, and asserted to
be held and professed as God's undoubted truth and verity, that particu-
lar and confident, or assured faith, then commonly known and maintained
in this church, as standing plain and express in her standards, to the
profession and defence of which they in the same covenant promising and
swearing by the great name of the Lord our God, bound themselves
and us : and since the same persuasion of faith, however the way of speak-
ing on that head is come to be somewhat altered, was never by any judi-
catory of a reformed Church, until now, denied or condemned : considering
all these things, we say, and of what dangerous consequence such a judi-
cial alteration may be, we cannot, we dare not consent unto the condemna-
tion of that point of doctrine ; for we cannot think of charging error and
delusion in a matter of such importance upon so many Protestant divines,
eminent for holiness and learning ; upon the Protestant churches ; and
upon our own forefathers, so signally owned of the Lord ; and also on
the standards of Protestant doctrine, in this Church, for nigh an hundred
years after her reformation : else, if we should thus speak, we are per-
suaded we would offend against the generation of his children. Nor can
it ever enter into our minds, that Hie famous Assembly of Westminster
had it so much as once in their thought, to depart in this point from the
doctrine of their own, and of this church, which they were all of them
by the strongest ties bound to maintain ; or to go off from the synod of
Dort, which had but so lately before them settled the Protestant principles
as to doctrine ; and by so doing yield up to Sociuians, Arminians, and
Papists, what all of them have a mortal aversion to, namely, the special
fiducia, or appropriating persuasion of faith, which Protestant divines before
and since that time contended for to their utmost, as being not only a precious
truth, but a point of vast consequence to religion. And we are sure the As-
semblies of this Church understood, and received their confessions and cate-
chisms larger and shorter, as entirely consistent with our confessions and cate-
chisms before that time, as we have already made evident in our representation,
from the acts of Assembly receiving and approving the Westminster Confession
and Catechisms.

Answer 2d, It is to be considered, that most of the words of the Holy
Ghost, made use of in the Old and New Testament, for expressing the
31

362 APPEITDTX.

nature of faith and believing, do import the confidence or persuasion in
question ; and that confidence and trust in the Old Testament are ex-
pounded by faith and beUeving in the New ; and the same things attri-
buted to the latter, as were wont to be attributed to the former ; that
diffidence and doubting are in their nature acts and effects contrary to
faith ; that peace and joy are the native effects of believing ; that the
promises of the gospel, and Christ in his priestly office therein held forth,
are the proper objects of justifying faith ; that, faithfulness in God, and
faith in the believer, being relatives, and the former the ground of the
latter, our faith should answer to his faithfulness, by trusting his good
word of promise for the sake of it ; that it is certain a believer in the ex-
ercise of justifying faith does believe something with reference to his own
salvation upon the ground of God's faithfulness in the promise ; that no
other person whatsoever does or can believe ; which if it be not to this
purpose, that now Christ is and will be a Saviour to him, that he shall
have life and salvation by him, we are utterly at a loss to conceive what
it can be ; that persuasion, confidence, and assuredness, are so much at-
tributed to faith in the Scripture, and the saints in Scripture ordinarily
express themselves in their addresses to God in words of appropriation ;
and finally, that according to our Larger Catechism, faith justifies a sinner
in the sight of God, as an instrument, receiving and applying Christ, and
his righteousness held forth in the promise of the gospel, and resteth
thereupon for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting ones per-
son righteous before God for salvation ; the which, how faith can do without
some measure of the confidence, or appropriating persuasion we are now
upon, seems extremely hard to conceive. Upon these considerations, and
others too long to be here inserted, we cannot but think, that confidence,
or trust in Jesus Christ, as our Saviour, and the free grace and mercy of
God in him as crucified, offered to us in the gospel for salvation, (includ-
ing justification, sanctification, and future glory,) upon the ground and
security of the divine faithfulness plighted in the gospel promise ; and
upon the warrant of the divine call and command to believe in the name
of the Son of God ; or, which is the same, in other words, a persuasion
of life and salvation, from the free love and mercy of God, in and through
Jesus Christ, a crucified Saviour offered to us, upon the security and
warrant aforesaid, is the very direct, uniting, justifying, and appropi-ia-
ting act of faith, whereby the convinced sinner becomes possessed of
Christ and his saving benefits, instated in God's covenant and family ;
taking this always along, as supposed, that all is set home and wrought
by the Holy Spirit, who brings Christ, his righteousness, salvation, and
whole fulness, uigh to us in the promise and offer of the gospel ; clearing
at the same time our right and warrant to intermeddle with all, without fear
of vicious intromission, encouraging and enabling to a measure of confident
application, and taking home of all to ourselves freely, without money and
without price.

This confidence, persuasion, or whatever other name it may be called
by, we take to be the very same with what our Confession and Cate-
chisms call accepting, receiving, and resting on Christ offered in the
gospel for salvation ; and with what polemic and practical divines call
" Fiducia specialis miser icordice," " fiducial application," " fiducial appre-
hension," " fiducial adherence," " recumbence," " affiance," " fiducial ac-
quiescence," " appropriating persuasion," &c. All which, if duly ex-
plained, would issue in a measure of this confidence or persuasion we
have been speaking of. However, we are fully satisfied this is what our
fathers and the body of Protestant divines, speaking with the Scriptures,

APPENDIX. 863

called " the assurance of faith." That once burning and shining light of
this church, Mr. John Davidson, though in his Catecliism he defines
faith by a " hearty assurance" that our sins are freely lorgiveu us in
Christ ; or, a sure persuasion of the heart that Christ by his death and
resurrection has taken away our sins, and clothing us with his own per-
fect righteousness, has thoroughly restored us to the favour of God ; which
he reckoned all one with a " hearty receiving of Christ offered in the gos-
pel for the remission of sins ;" yet in a former part of the same Catechism
he gives us to understand what sort of assurance and persuasion it was
he meant, as follows : " And certain it is," he says, " that both the en-
lightening of the mind to acknowledge the truth of the promise of salva-
tion to us in Christ, and the sealing up of the certainty thereof in our hearts
and miuds, (of the which two parts, as it were, faith consists,) are the
works and effects of the Spirit of God." In like manner, in our first
Confession of Faith, Art. 3, 12, it is called, "An assured faith in the pro-
mise of God revealed to us in his word ; by which faith we apprehend
Christ Jesus, with the graces and benefits promised in him." — " This
faith, and the assurance of the same, proceeds not from flesh and blood."
And in our first Catechism, commonly called Calvin's Catechism, faith
is defined by a " sure persuasion" and " steadfast knowledge" of God's
tender love towards us, according as he has plainly uttered in his gospel,
that he will be a Father and Saviour to us, through the means of Jesus
Christ ; and again, " faith which God's Spirit worketh in our hearts, as-
suring of God's promises made to us in his holy gospel." In the Sum-
mula Catechismi, or Rudimenta Pietatis, to the question, " Quid est
fides?" the answer is, " Cum mihi persuadeo Deum me omnesque sanctos
amare, nobisque Christum cum omnibus suis bonis gratis donare ;" and
in the margin, " Nam in fide duplex persuasio, 1. De amore Dei erga
DOS ; 2. De Dei beneficiis quae ex amore fluunt, Christo nimirum, cum
omnibus suis bonis," &c. And to that question, " Quomodo fide percipi-
mus, et nobis applicamus corpus Christi crucifixi ?" the answer is, " Dura
nobis persuademus Christi mortem et crucifixionem non minus ad nos
pertinere quam si ipsi nos pro peccatis nostris crucifixi essemus. Per-
suasio autem hajc est verge fidei." From all which it is evident, they
held, that a belief of the promises of the gospel, with application to one-
self, or a confidence in a crucified Saviour, for a man's own salvation, is
the very essence of justifying faith ; or, that we become actually pos-
sessed of Christ, remission of sins, &c., in and by the act of believing, or
confidence in him, as above explained. And this with them was the as-
surance of faith, which widely differs from the Antinomian sense of the
assurance or persuasion of faith which is, that Christ, and pardon of sin,
are ours, no less before believing than after ; a sense which we heartily
disclaim.

Whether these words in the query, viz : " Or, is that knowledge a per-
suasion included in the very essence of that justifying act of faith ;" be exe-
getic of the former part of it, or a new branch of the query ; we answer, that
we have already explained the persuasion of faith by us held, and do think,
that in the language of faith, though not in the language of philosophy, know-
ledge, and persuasion, relating to the same object, go hand in hand in the same
measure and degree.

It is evident that the confidence or persuasion of faith for which we
plead, includes, or necessarily and infallil^ly inl'ers consent and resting,
together with all the blessed fruits and effects of faith, in proportion to
the measure of it. And that we have mentioned consent, we cannot but

364 APPENDIX.

be the more confirmed in this matter, when we consider, that such a
noted person as Mr. Baxter, though he had made the marriage consent
to Christ, as King and Lord, the formal act of justifying faith, as being
an epitome of all gospel obedience, including and binding to all the du-
ties of the married state, and so giving right to all the privileges : and
had thereby, as well as by his other dangerous notions about justification,
and other points connected therewith, scattered through his works, cor-
rupted the fountain, and endangered the faith of many ; yet after all,
came to be of another mind, and had the humility to tell the world so
much ; for Mr. Cross informs us (Serm. on Rom. iv. 2. p. 148,) that Mr.
Baxter, in his little book against Br. Crisp's errors, says, " I formerly be-
lieved the formal nature of faith to lie in consent ; but now I recant it.
I believe," says he, " it lies in trust : this makes the right to lie in the object ;
for it is, 1 depend on Christ as the matter or merit of my pardon, my life, my
crown, my glory."

There are two things further, concerning this persuasion of faith, that
would be adverted to : one is, that it is not axiomatical, but real ; that
is, the sinner has not always, at his first closing with Christ, nor after-
wards, such a clear, steady, and full persuasion that Christ is his, that his
sins are forgiven, and that he eventually shall be saved, as that he dare pro-
fess the same to others, or even positively assert it within himself; yet,
\ipon the first saving manifestation of Christ to him, such a persuasion
and humble confidence is begotten, as is real and relieving, and particu-
lar as to himself and his own salvation, and which works a proportion-
able hope as to the issue ; though, through the humbling impressions he
has of himself and his own guilt at the time, the awe of God's majesty,
justice, and holiness on his spirit, and his indistinct knowledge of the
doctiine of the gospel, with the grounds and warrants of believing there-
in contained, he fears to express it directly and particularly of himself.
The other is, that whatever is said of the habit, actings, strength, weak-
ness, and intermittings of the exercise of saving faith, the same is to be
said of this persuasion in all points. From all which it is evident, the
doubts, fears, and darkness, so frequently to be found in true believers,
can very well consist with this persuasion in the same subject ; for though
these may be, and often are in the believer, yet they are not of his faith,
which in its nature and exercise is as opposite to them as light is to dark-
ness, the flesh to the Spirit ; which though they be in the same subject,
yet are contrary the one to the other. Gal. v. 17. And, therefore, faith
wrestles against them, though with various success, it being sometimes
so far overcome and brought under by the main force and much superior
strength of prevailing unbelief, that it cannot be discerned more than
the fire is when covered with ashes, or the sun when wrapt up in thick
clouds. The confidence and persuasion of faith being in many, at first
especially, but as the grain of mustard-seed cast into the ground, or like
a spark amidst the troubled sea of all manner of corruption and lust,
where the rolling waves of unbelieving doubts and fears, hellish tempta-
tions and suggestions, and the like, moving on the face of that depth, are
every now and then going over it ; and, were there not a divine hand and care
engaged for its preservation, would effectually extinguish and bury it.
What wonder that in such a case it many times cannot be discerned ? yet
will it still hold so much of the exercise of justifying faith, so much per-
suasion. Yea, not only may a believer have this persuasion and not
know it for the time, (as say Collins, Roberts, Amesius, and others, who
distinguish the persuasion from the sense of it,) but he, being under the

APPENDIX. 365

power of temptation and confusion of mind, may resolutely deny he has
any such persuasion or conscience ; while it is evident to others at the
same time, by its effects, that he really has it : for which, one may. among
others, see the holy and learned Haliburton, in his " Inquiry into the
Nature of God's Act of Justification," p. 27. And if one would see the
consistence of faith's persuasion with doubting, well discoursed and il-
lustrated, he may consult Downham's " Christian Warfare." But we —
Answer, Zdhj, There is a full persuasion and assurance, by reflection,
spiritual argumentation, or inward sensation, which we are far from
holding to be of the essence of faith ; but this last, being mediate, and
collected by inference, as we gather the cause from such signs and effects
as give evidence of it, is very different from that confidence or persuasion,
by divines called the assurance of faith. " Sanctification," says Eu-
therford, " does not evidence justification, as faith doth evidence it,
with such a sort of clearness, as light evidenceth colours, though it be no
sign or evident mark of them ; but as smoke evinces fire, and as the
morning star in the east evinces the sun will early rise, or as the streams
prove there is a head-spring whence they issue, though none of these
make what they evidence visible to the eye ; so doth sanctification give
evidence of justification, only as marks, signs, effects, give evidence to
the cause." He calls it a light of arguing and of heavenly logic, by which
we know that we know God, by the light of faith, because we keep his
commandments. " In effect," says he, " we know rather the person
must be justified, in whom these gracious evidences are, by hearsay re-
port or consequence, than that we know or see justification, or faith it-
self, in ahstrado ; but the light of faith, the testimony of the Spirit by
the operation of free grace, will cause us, as it were, with our eyes, to see
justification and faith, not by report, but as we see the sun-light." Again
he says, " We never had a question with Antinomians touching the first
assurance of justification, such as is proper to the light of faith. He
(Cornwall) might have spared all his arguments to prove that we are
first assured of our justification by faith, not by good works, for we grant
the arguments of one sort of assurance, which is proper to faith, and
they prove nothing against another sort of assurance, by signs and ef-
fects, which is also divine." Further, as to the difference between these
two kinds of assurance : the assurance of faith has its object and founda-
tion without the man, but that of sense has them within him. The as-
surance of faith looks to Christ, the promise and covenant of God, and
says, " This is all my salvation ; God has spoken in his holiness, I will
rejoice ;" but the assurance of sense looks inward at the works of God,
such as the person's own graces, attainments, experiences, and the like.
The assurance of faith giving an evidence to things not seen, can claim
an interest in, and plead a saving relation to a hiding, withdrawing God.
Zion said, " My Lord hath forgotten me ;" and the spouse, " I opened to
my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone." So
he may be a forgetting and withdrawing God to my feeling, " and yet to
my faith, my God and my Lord still," says holy Rutherford ; " even as
the wife may believe the angry and forsaking husband is still her hus-
band." But on the other hand, the assurance of sense is the evidence
of things seen and felt. The one says, " I take him for mine ;" the
other says, " I feel he is mine." The one says with the church, " My
God, though he cover himself with a cloud, that my prayer cannot pass
through, yet will hear me ;" the other, " My God has heard me." The
one says, " He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold hia
31*

366 APPENDIX.

righteousness ;" the other, " He has brought me forth to the light, and I
do behold his righteousness." Tlie one says, "Tliough he should kill
me, yet will I trust in him ;" the other, " He smiles and shines on me,
therefore, will I love him and trust in him."

Upon the whole, we humbly conceive, were the nature and grounds of
faith's persuasion more narrowly and impartially under the guidance of
the Spirit of truth, searched into and laid open, it would, instead of dis-
couraging weak Christians, exceedingly tend to the strengthening and
increase of faith, and consequently have a mighty influence on spiritual
comfort, and true gospel holiness, which will always be found to bear
proportion to faith, as effects do to the efficacy and influence of their
causes.

Query IX. — What is that act of faith, by which a sinner appropriates Christ
and his saving benefits to himself?

Ans. — This question being plainly and fully answered in what is said on the
immediately foregoing, we refer thereto, and proceed to the tenth.

Query X. — Whether the revelation of the divine will in the word, affording a
warrant to offer Christ unto all, and a warrant to all to receive him, can be naid
to be the Father' s making a deed of gift and grant oj^ Christ unto all mankind 7
Is this grant to all mardcind by sovereign grace ? And whether is it absolute or
conditional !

Ans. — Here we are directed to that part of our representation where
we complain that the following passage is condemned, viz : " The Father
hath made a deed of gift or grant unto all mankind, that whosoever of
them shall believe in his Son, shall not perish ;" and where we say,
" That this treatment of the said passage seems to enroach on the war-
rants aforesaid, and also upon sovereign grace, which hath made this
grant, not to devils, but to men, in terms than which none can be ima-
gined more extensive ;" agreeable to what we have already said in our
representation. We answer to the first part of the question, that by the
" deed of gift or grant unto all mankind." we understand no more than
the revelation of the divine will in the word, a&brding warrant to offer
Christ to all, and a warrant to all to receive him ; for although we believe
the purchase and application of redemption to be peculiar to the elect,
who were given by the Father to Christ in the counsel of peace, yet the
warrant to receive hira is* common to all. Ministers, by virtue of the
commission they have received from their great Lord and Master, are
authorized and instructed to go preach the gospel to every creature, i. e.,
to make a full, free, and unhampered offer of him, his grace, righteous-
ness, and salvation, to every rational soul to whom they may in provi-
dence have access to speak. And though we had a voice like a trumpet,
that could reach all the corners of the earth, we think we would be bound,
by virtue of our commission, to lift it up, and say, " To you, 0 men, do
we call, and our voice is to the sons of men. God hath so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And though this
" deed of gift and grant, that whosoever believeth in Christ shall not
perish," &c. is, neither in our representation, nor in the passages of the
book condemned on that head, called a " deed of gift, and grant of
Christ," yet, being required to give our judgment in this point, we think,
that agreeable to the Holy Scripture, it may be so called, as particularly
appears from the text last cited, John iii. 16, where by the giving of

APPENDIX. 367

Christ, we understand not only his eternal destination by the Father to
be the Redeemer of an elect world, and his giving him unto the death
for them, in the fulness of time, but ixiore especially a giving of him in
the word unto all, to be received and believed in. The giving here can-
not be a giving in possession, which is peculiar only unto them who actu-
ally believe, but it must be such a giving, granting, or offering, as war-
rants a man to believe or receive the gift, and must therefore be anterior
to actual believing. This is evident enough from the text itself: he gave
him, " that whosoever believeth in him should not perish," &c. The con-
text al-^o, to us, puts it beyond controversy : the brazen serpent was
given, and lifted up as a common good to the whole camp of Israel, that
whosoever in all the camp, being stung by the fiery serpents, looked
thereunto, might not die, but live. So here Christ is given to a lost
world, in the word, " tliat whosoever believes in him should not perish,"
&c. And in this respect, we think, Christ is a common Saviour, and his
salvation is a common salvation; and it is "glad tidings of great joy
unto all people," that unto us (not to angels that fell) this Son is given, and
this Child is born, whose name is called Wonderful, &c. Isa. ix. 6.

We have a Scripture also to this purpose, John vi. 32, where Christ,
speaking to a promiscuous multitude, makes a comparison between him-
self and the manna that fell about the tents of Israel in the wilderness,
and says, " My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." As the simple
raining of the manna about their camp is called a giving of it, {ver. 21,)
before it was tasted, or fed upon ; so the very revelation and offer of Christ is
called (according to the judicious Calvin on the place) a giving of him, ere he
be received and believed on.

Of this giving of Christ to mankind lost, we read also, 1 John v. 11,
" And this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son." This giving in the text is not, we conceive, a
giving in possession, in greater or lesser measure, but a giving by way of
grant and offer, whereupon one may warrantably take possession, and
the party to whom is not the election only, but lost mankind ; for the
record of God here must be such a thing as warrants all to believe on
the Son of God, But it can be no such warrant to tell, " that God hath
given eternal life to the elect ;" for the making of a gift to a certain
select company of persons, can never be a warrant for all men to receive
or take possession of it. This will be further evident, if we consider that
the great sin of unbelief lies in not believing this record of God, — " He
that believes not hath made God a liar," says the apostle, ver. 10, "be-
cause he believes not the record that God gave of his Son ;" and then it
followeth, vei: 11, " And this is the record, that God hath given to us
eternal life," &c. Now, are we to think that the rejecting of the record
of God is a bare disbelieving of this proposition, "That God hath given
eternal life unto the elect ?" No, surely ; for the most desperate unbe-
lievers, such as Judas and others, believe this ; and their belief of it adds
to their anguish and torment. Or do they, by believing this, set to their
seal that God is true ? No ; they still continue, notwithstanding of all
this, to make him a liar, in " not believing this record of God," that to
lost mankind, and to themselves in particular, God hath given eternal
life, by way of grant, so as they, as well as others, are warranted and
wt'lcoine, and every one to whom it comes, on their peril, required by
faith to receive or take possession of it. By not receiving this gifted and
offered remedy, with application and appropriation, they fly in the face
of God's record and testimony ; and therefore do justly and deservedly

368 APPENDIX.

perish, seeing the righteousness, salvation, and kingdom of God, was
brought so near to them, in the free offer of the gospel, and yet they
would not take it. The great pinch and strait, we think, of an awakened
conscience, does not lie in believing that God hath given eternal life to
the elect, but in believing or receiving Christ, offered to us in the gospel,
with particular application to the man himself, in Scripture called " an
eating the flesli, and drinking the blood of the Son of man." And yet,
till this difficulty be surmounted, in greater or lesser measure, he can
never be said to believe in Christ, or receive and rest upon him for salva-
tion. The very taking or receiving must needs presuppose a giving of
Christ ; and this giving may be, and is, for the most part, where there is
no receiving ; but there can be no receiving of Christ for salvation where
there is not revelation of Christ in the word of the gospel, affording war-
rant to receive him, and then, by the effectual operation of the Spirit,
persuading and enabling the sinner to embrace him upon this warrant
and offer. "A man," says the Spirit of God, John iii. 27, "can receive
nothing, except it be given him from heaven." Hence Mr. Rutherford,
in his " Christ Dying and Drawing," &c., page 442, says, that " reprobates
have as fair a warrant to believe as the elect have."

As to the second part of this question, i.e., "Is this grant made to all
mankind by sovereign grace? and. Whether is it absolute or condi-
tional?" we answer, that this grant, made in common to lost mankind,
is from sovereign grace only ; and it being ministers' warrant to offer
Christ unto all, and people's warrant to receive him, it cannot fail to
be absolutely free ; yet so as none can be possessed of Christ and his benefits,
till by faith they receive him.

Query XI. — Is the division of the law, as explained and applied in the
Marrow, to be justified, and which cannot be rejected without burying several
gospel truths ?

Ans. — We humbly judge the tripartite division of the law, if rightly
understood, may be admitted as orthodox ; j'Ct, seeing that which we are
concerned with, as contained in our representation, is only the division of
the law into the law of works and the law of Christ, we say, that we are
still of opinion, that this distinction of the law is carefully to be main-
tained ; in regard that by the law of works we, according to the Scripture,
understand the covenant of works, which believers are wholly and alto-
gether delivered from, although they are certainly under the law of the
ten commandments in the hand of a Mediator. And if this distinction
of the law, thus applied, be overthrown, and declared groundless, several
eweet gospel-truths must unavoidably fall in the ruins of it. For in-
stance, if there be no difference put between the law as a covenant, and the
law as a rule of life to believers, in the hand of Christ, it must needs
follow, that the law still retains its covenant-form M'ith respect to be-
lievers, and that they are still under the law in this formality, contrary
to Scripture, Rom. vi. 14, and vii. 1 — 3, and to the Confession of Faith,
chap. xix. sect. 6. It would also follow, that the sins of believers are
still to be looked upon as breaches of the covenant of works, and con-
sequently, that their sins nOt only deserve the wrath and curse of God,
(which is a most certain trutii,) but also make them actually liable to
the wrath of God, and the pains of hell for ever, which is true only of
them that are in a state of black nature; Less. Cat. quest. 19, and con-
trary to Confess, of Faith, chap. xix. sect. 1. It will likewise follow,
that believers are still to eye God as a vindictive and Avrathful Judge,

APPENDIX. 369

though his justice be fully satisfied in the death and blood of their blessed
Surety, apprehended by faith. These and many other sweet gospel
truths, we think, fall in the ruins of the foresaid distinction condemned as
groundless.

Query. XII. — Is the hope of heaven and fear of hell to be excluded
from the motives of the believer's obedience ? And if not, how can the Marrow
be defended, that expressly excludes them, though it should allow of other
motives ?

Ans. — Here we are referred to the third particular head, wherein we
thinli the Marrow injured by the Assembly's act, which for brevity's sake
we do not transcribe : but agreeable both to our representation and the
scope of the Marrow, we answer, That taking heaven for a state of end-
less felicity in the enjoyment of God in Christ, we are so far from think-
ing that this is to be excluded from being a motive of the believer's obe-
dience, that we think it the chief end of man, next to the glory of God ;
Psalm Ixxiii. 25, " Whom have I in heaven but thee ?" &c. Heaven, in-
stead of being a reward to the believer, would be a desolate wilderness to
him without the enjoyment of a God in Christ. The Lord and the
Lamb are the light of that place. God himself is the portion of his peo-
ple ; he is their shield and exceeding great reward. The very cope-stone
of the happiness of heaven lies in being " for ever with the Lord, and in
beholding of his glory ;" and this indeed the believer is to have in his eye,
as the recompense of reward, and a noble motive of obedience. But to form
conceptions of heaven as a place of pleasure and happiness, without the former
Yiews of it, and to fancy that this heaven is to be obtained by our own works and
doings, is unworthy of a believer, a child of God, in regard it is slavish, legal,
mercenary, and carnal.

As for the fear of hell being a motive of the believer's obedience, we
reckon it one of the special branches of that glorious liberty wherewith
Christ hath made his people free, that they yield obedience to the Lord,
not out of slavish fear of hell and wrath, but out of a child-like love and
willing mind. Confess, chap. xx. sect. 6. " Christ hath delivered us out
of the hands of our enemies, that we might serve him without fear, in
holiness and righteousness, all the days of our lives," Luke i. 74, 75. A
filial fear of God and of his fatherly displeasure, is worthy of the believer,
being a fruit of faith, and of the spirit of adoption ; but a slavish fear of hell
and wrath, from which he is delivered by Christ, is not a fruit of faith, but of
unbelief. And in so far as a believer is not drawn with love, but driven on
in his obedience with a slavish fear of hell, we think him, in so far under a
spirit of bondage. And judging this to be the Marrow's sense of rewards
and punishments with respect to a believer, we think it may and ought to be
defended.

And this doctrine, which we apprehend to be the truth, stands sup-
ported not only by Scripture and our Confession of Faith, but also by
the suffrages of some of our soundest divines ; for instance Mr. Kuther-
ford : — " Believei-s," says he, " are to be sad for their sins, as offensive to
the authority of the Lawgiver and the love of Christ, though they be not
to fear the eternal punishment of them ;" for sorrow for sin, and fear for
sin are most different to us. Again, says the same author, " Servile
obedience, under apprehension of legal terror, -was never commanded in
tlie spiritual law of God to the Jews, more than to us." Durham, {loco
citato,) "The believer (says he) being freed from the law as a covenant,
hia life depends not on the promise annexed to the law, nor is he in dan-

370 APPENDIX.

ger by the threateninga adjoined to it, both these to believers being made
void through Christ." And to conclude, we are clearly of Dr. Owen's "•
mind auent the use bf threatenings of everlasting wrath with reference unto
believers, who, though he owns them to be declarative of God's hatred of
sin, aud his will to punish it, yet in regard the execution of them is in-
consistent with the covenant, and God's faithfulness therein, says, " 'J'he use
of them cannot be to beget in believers an anxious, doubting, solicitous
fear about the punishment threatened, grounded on a supposition that the
person fearing shall be overtaken with it, or a perplexing fear of hell-fire ;
which, though it ofttimes be a consequence of some of God's dispensations
toward us of our own sins, or the weakness of our faith, is not any where
prescribed unto us as a duty, nor is the ingeuerating of it in us the de-
sign of any of the threatenings of God." His reasons, together with the
nature of that fear, which the threatening of eternal wrath ought to beget
in believers, may be viewed among the rest of the authorities.

These are some thoughts that have offered to us upon the queries, which
we lay before the Reverend Commission with all becoming deference, hum-
bly craving, that charity, which thinketh no evil, may procure a favourable
construing of our words, so as no sense may be put upon, nor inference
drawn from, them which we never intended. And in regard the tenor of
our doctrine, and our aims in conversation, have, though with a mixture of
much sinful weakness, been sincerely pointed at the honour of the Lord
Jesus as our king as well as priest, as our sanctification as well as our
righteousness, we cannot but regret our being aspersed, as turning the grace
of our God into lasciviousness, and casting off the obligation of the holy
law of the ten commands ; being persuaded that the damnation of such as
either do or teach so, is just and unavoidable, if mercy prevent it not.
But now if, after this plain and ingenuous declaration of our principles, we
must still lie under the same load of reproach, it is our comfort, that we
have the testimony of our conscience clearing us in that matter, and doubt
not the Lord will in due time bring forth our righteousness as the light,
and our judgment as the noon-day. We only add, that we adhere to our
representation and petition in all points ; and so much the rather that we
have already observed the sad fruits, and bad improvement made of the
Assembly's deed, therein complained of.

These answers, contained in this and the preceding pages, (viz : of the
manuscript given in,) are subscribed at Edinburgh, March 12th, 1722,
by us,

Messrs. JAMES HOG, Carnock.

THOMAS BOSTON, Etterick.
JOHN WILLIAMSON, Inveresk.
JAMES KID, Queensferry.
GABRIEL WILSON, Muxton.
EBENEZER ERSKINE, Portmoack.
RALPH ERSKINE, Dunfermline.
JAMES WARDLAW, Dunfermline.
HENRY DAVIDSON, Galashiels.
JAMES BATHGATE, Orwel.
WILLIAM HUNTER, Lilliesleaf.

THK END.

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