Free grace, or, The flowings of Christs blood free to sinners being an experiment of Jesus Christ upon one who hath been in the bondage of a troubled conscience ... / by John Saltmarsh.

OBSERVATIONS on the former Discourse.

I. Of the Preachers several dealings with this Party to settle them, and not in a way of beleeving first.

I Observe, That now this soul question∣ing the truth of all their assurances, they labour to perswade it to faith or beleeving, upon a ground of Sanctification in them∣selves, which hath no evidence, nor for the present can bring any demonstration to the spirit: For Satan and the Parties own suspecting heart, will not let them beleeve any truth in that which they have found so faulty; As for instance, a man that hath had cause to be jealous of his wife, & hath seen some miscarriages, all the friends she can make, are not able to satisfie and take away all grounds of fear & jealousie from him by their perswasion, but he will still suspect, because he once had some real ground; and unlesse they can take away this, they cannot

perswade him to that: So in that soul where there hath been real failings, and a spiritual discerning of its own unrighteous∣nesse, all the perswasions of others, cannot make it have any good opinion of it self, nor perswade it of its righteousnesse, unlesse they can take away that unrighteousnesse & sin, and make it to be no sin and no unrigh∣teousnesse; For the soul which is onely troubled for sin, must be setled upon some thing which is not sin; and upon a righte∣ousnesse, either in it self, or some other, or there can be no setlement, peace, or com∣fort in that soul: And yet this is the com∣mon way of dealing with souls, and bring∣ing them up into assurance, as thus, Repent and pray, and live an holy life, and walk according to the Law of God; and if they answer, they cannot do thus, O then say they, can you not desire to pray, and repent? and if they say they cannot desire, O but then say they, can you not desire that you may de∣sire? And thus they winde them up by acts of their own spirit, and run them out to the end of their own workings; when alas, these desires of desires, and the spining of such fine threds in divinity, are not strong enough to binde up a broken spirit:

This is but the broken work of a soul; for how many have desired to enter in & have not been able? Nay, Who is there not that have a desire? All the world of common beleevers are carried on by this principle of a desire. We see now the vanity of such reasonings with a soul troubled for sin, and questioning the truth of the spiritual work in themselves: Such kinde of arguing may give some hints to the soul that hath the Spirit of God in it, & some spiritual actings to pacifie and perswade it a while, because it findes something in it self agreeable to such a discourse; but these are too narrow and weak to bear up the burden of sin, and legal terrours; like the bottom and point of a top, which being so small, may for some time that it is in motion bear up the body of the top as wee see; but when the motion is done, the top fals having nothing proportionable to support it: So the soul turns upon some hints of comfort a while, but flattens again. And this is the furthest and strongest satisfaction the discourse of such Divines can give; yet I despise them not in this Light they have, so they contend not against the more glorious light of truth; but the Lord (if he please) reveal more unto

them. But you will say, how will you deal then with a soul thus puzzled; and questi∣oning? I answer, I shall not dare to place them on any bottom of their own righte∣ousnesse, or to satisfie themselves by some∣thing only in themselves; that were to take the disease for the Physitian, & to give them no oyntment but blood of their own wound to heal them; nor should I take that other way which many do that are of this legal strain too, as to apply promises to them first, which many times instead of drawing the soul to Christ, puts it further off, bringing some conditions, which the soul questioning in themselvs, dares not meddle with before it be prepared by Christ and his freenesse. But you will say, what way will you take then? I answer, That way which the Scriptures reveal to me; First, the laying down, and establishing, and bringing forth a perfect righteousnesse, even the righteous∣nesse of Christ, and then shewing forth the way of common right and interest to this righteousnesse, which is contained in the freest promises for bringing souls to close with and partake of this perfection, and righteousnesse; more plainly thus; Christ crucified is the foundation, and corner-stone,

and rock, for sinners. The righteousnesse of this Christ is every way perfect and com∣pleat: This righteousnesse is that which hath taken away the sins of the world, so as no sin is now to be satisfied for, nor no new righ∣teousnesse to be wrought by any for salvati∣on; onely, all that will be saved are to be∣leeve their interest and right in this righte∣ousnesse and already purchased salvation: And for the way of coming by a right or purchasing an interest in this righteousnesse or salvation; it is held out without price or works in the freest, clearest promises of sal∣vation to sinners onely, for taking and re∣ceiving, & beleeving in, all being wrought to our hands: So us this is as good a ground for one to beleeve on as another, without exception; and in this way of salvation, to beleeve is life eternal, and not to beleeve is condemnation; He that beleeveth hath ever∣lasting life, and he that beleeveth not is con∣demned; and this being a Scripture way, I would leave the soul upon these principles, and under this Commandment, Beleeve on the Lord Jesus Christ; for this is the Com∣mandment that ye beleeve on his Son, &c.

But you will say, what if a soul answer, I cannot beleeve, I am not elected? I shall

answer then to such a soul thus, You are bound to beleeve, because it is a Command∣ment, and you are not to make an objection from election or reprobation, against your be∣leeving; for that were to set one part of the truth against the other: And thus you mis∣interpret both God and his Word.

But you will say, How if a soul answer, I cannot beleeve for all this? I answer, This being a Scripture-way, and the clearest way revealed to salvation, I shall commend such to the Lord, who is the onely Author and finisher of Faith, Heb. 12.2. And for esta∣blishing souls upon any works of their own, as a way, means, or ground of assu∣rance, as that upon such a measure of repent∣ance or obedience, they may beleeve by, I dare not deal in any such way of our own righteousnesse, because I finde no infallible mark in any thing of our own sanctification, save in a lower way of perswasion, or mo∣tive I finde in the Old or New Testament scarce any beleever that stood the surest, but they had some cause through sin and cor∣ruption, and that unregenerate law in their members to suspect their righteousnesse, as David, and Peter, and Paul, &c. And like∣wise the stream of the Word runs all

against our own righteousnesse. But you will say, What are all the divers Scriptures which set us upon trial and examination of our saith and works? I answer, There is an∣other kinde of analogy and rule to interpret these by more principal, and not of assu∣rance for salvation. These are rather marks for others, then our selves, to know us by; as in the Epistles of John and James, &c. And for those other few Scriptures they are rather to be interpreted to the testimony of the Spirit of God witnessing and per∣swading, then to the mixt, spiritually car∣nal works of our obedience and holinesse, which can give but a mixed act of assurance at the best, being of a mixed nature of flesh and spirit. But you will say, What way of assurance would you commend to a soul thus troubled? I answer, Christ in the Word and Promise to beleeve in for assu∣rance. This was that way the Lord him∣self commended to his Disciples, as to Peter, when he knew he should deny him, and foretold him of it, and knew how it would discourage him and wound him; yet he puts not Peter to this course, saying, Peter, thou art an holy, obedient, loving A∣postle; remember this to comfort thy self

under thy denial: But he says, Peter, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And thus he laid him in an encouragement from a word or promise to beleeve by, and not from any thing in himself; and so to his Disciples when he was to leave them, he laid them not in assurances thus, O my Disciples, though I am from you, yet ye have been thus and thus penitent, humble, loving, obedient; and let this be your ground and assurance when I am gone: But he layes in words and promises, You beleeve in God, beleeve also in me, I will s••••d the Comforter, and I will see you again: And these are the grounds for their assurance to beleeve by; and this was Abrahams way, He beleeved the promise in hope against hope: And so all that walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham.

II. The unstablenesse of such as are not con∣verted in a pure Gospel-way.

I observe, that the calling and conversion which souls have in a legally-Gospel-way, not from a pure and clear apprehension of

Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospel, Cove∣nant, or Promises, though there may be truth in such a calling, and Christ received, yet the manner being not in the way of pure Gospel-dispensation, the soul may be exceedingly puzzled and perplexed; so though Christ may be truely there, yet being not in a Go∣spel-form, but a legal, the soul may mistake and lose the knowledge of Christ, as when Christ was in the habit of a Gardiner, ma∣ny knew him not, and when he walked with the two Disciples to Emans, they knew him not. And thus many under the Law, though they had Christ as truely then as now, yet not in that form, not manifest∣ed in the flesh, and the free Promises, as now: And Christ observes this to his Disciples, Ye beleeve in God, says he, implying how their Faith was more carried out to God as then, then to himself; and therefore he addes, Beleeve also in me, that is, Now let me manifested in the flesh be the truth whom you beleeve.

III. The several wayes which the Lord makes use on to salvation.

I observe, That the Lord doth improve many ways and means to bring a soul under the power of the Gospel, as several accidents and occasions, though those things are not properly or principally to be called the mini∣stery of Christ, or the Gospel-Ordinance for revealing Jesus Christ; but they are like the Chariot in which the Eunuch rid, which was onely an outward accommodation to his receiving Christ; but the proper and more immediate means, was the Book of the Pro∣phets which he had with him in his Chari∣ot. We see Paul was by a sudden accident brought into a way for the Gospel, to have the free passage to his soul; nor did that ac∣cident or occasion serve as the means of his receiving Christ, but Ananias was sent to him, the means instituted by the Lord to be a way of conveying the power of Christ upon his soul. Faith cometh by hearing, and the Gospel is that Power of God unto salva∣tion, and the Spirit comes by the preaching of Faith.

IV. The want of pure Gospel knowledge in Jesus Christ, is the cause of many distractions in beleevers.

I observe, When the Lord sends the light of Jesus Christ into a soul that hath former∣ly been in darknesse, and in the shadow of death, then it begins to see its corruptions and lusts; and if there were any master-sin, or chief-sin which had dominion, as lust in some, pride in others, revenge in others, worldly mindednesse in others, then the soul presently is pricked upon the discovery of that, and there is a remorse and perplexity in the soul: They in the Acts, after Peter had laid open their sin of shedding the blood of Christ, were pricked to the heart for it, and were inwardly troubled, and wounded, saying, Men and Brethren what shall we do? And if there be not a clear understanding of Jesus Christ and the Gospel, the soul thus wounded, will groan under many legal con∣victions, & the soul will hardly distinguish its condition from a worse or more mise∣rable, even that of sorrowing under the

power of the Law. Had not Peter been assu∣red of the love of Christ, and had his word that his faith should not fail; his tears, and Judas sorrowing, had been all of one colour and kinde, to the present and not clearly enlightned apprehension: as Joseph, who till he had opened himself to his Brethren, was mistaken by them for a cruel and a harsh Governour; but when they saw it was their Brother Joseph, O what meltings and embracings were then amongst them! Many a soul convinced by that Spirit which Christ hath sent to reprovo the world of sin, walks sadly under the wound or burden, not know∣ing the nature or condition of such a spiri∣tual wound; and many Preachers like some Chirurgions who keep their Patients from healing too soon, that they may make the cure the more admired, do accordingly keep such souls with their wounds open; and if they powre in any thing, it is rather Wine then Oyl, rather something of the Law then the Gospel; so as they are not onely long in healing and getting peace through Jesus Christ: But they carry a scar with them still, and are as it were lame in their consci∣ences a long time after, like some poor Pa∣tients that have had as much of the sound

flesh cut a way as the rotten, and so have been healed, though but to a bodily infirmity all their life time. All this is for want of the knowledge of the Spirit of Adoption being in such a soul, and the spirits work∣ings in the clear apprehensions of Christ, (as it is not enough to enlighten the world that there is a Sun, but there must be a clear body of Air for this Sun to shine through) and of the application of Gospel-promises, of perswading to faith and beleeving in Jesus Christ for the pardon of sin, which settle, and assure, and establish a soul more; and the light that comes in through such Gospel-applications, and power, will exceedingly melt a soul, and wound a soul: But they are the woundings and meltings of love, and the Spirit of Adoption, not of fear and bondage, but of power, love, and of a sound minds. Mary wept, and washed Christs feet; Peter wept bitterly, not in fear, but in love; wit∣nesse her Box of Oyntment, & Peters pro∣fession, Lord, thou knowest I love thee. The passions which this Gospel-way works in the soul, are such as bring inlargements, and flowings, and powrings out of Spirit: But the passions which the Law works, bring in a straightning, a contraction, or gathering up,

or narrownesse into the Spirit; and there∣fore it is called bondage and fear.

V. The opening Jesus Christ in the Gospel, is the best and surest way to deal with sinners.

I observe, They that are wounded for sin and are enlightned to discern it, and are so wrought on by the spirit as to feel and be sensible of it, being taken into Covenant with God in Christ, & their stony heart taken out, and yet dark in the purer conceivings of the Gospel; such are ready rather to put away Gospel-promises, then receive them, and imagine themselvs rather in fitnesse for judgement, then mercy or grace: And then if Preachers run to the Law in their dealing with such souls for their thorow humilia∣tion, as they say or pretend, and not to the Gospel, & Faith in Jesus Christ; they bring fire, and not water to quench them, and so kindle them the more; and setting the ever∣lasting burnings of the Law before their souls, put them all into a spiritual fla••m and vexation. Nathan delt otherwise with

David, though under the Old Testament, where there was more priviledge for the Law, 2 Sam. 12.13. I have sinned (saith David:) The Lord hath put away thy sin (saith Nathan.) This is as Solomon saith, To give strong drink to him that is ready to pe••ish, and wine unto those that be of an heavy h••art, Prov. 13.6. If any one sin, saith John, we have an Advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus the righteous. Here is Gospel applyed to the very sin, and the Physitian brought home to the sick, and Jesus Christ brought to the very gates of a groaning spirit.

I know the Divinity of some former ages to these present times, made up all their receipts for distempered souls of so much Law, and so much Gospel, and usually but a grane or dram of Gospel to a pound of Law; not being then clear enough in judge¦ment, to unmingle things which Antichrist had confounded and put together, as the two Testaments, and two Covenants, and not rightly discerning Christs manner or way of preaching, and the Apostles, both in their holding forth Law and Gospel. Now we know that the Apostle saith, Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law, or the preaching of Faith? Gal. 3.2. And

therefore, they that would make the Law the Ministery of life, and of the spirit, are not of such a spiritual discerning as the Lord hath now revealed: and such put a soul upon a legal method of conversion, or coming to Christ. First, they must be kept so long under the Law for humiliation, and contrition, and confession, and then brought to the Gospel, as many Books and Teachers do: when as the Law is not of any power to infuse such gracious passions into the soul as the Gospel cals for. Blessed are they that mourn, and they that are poor: But this is not the mourning spirit under the Law, nor the poor spirit under the curse of the Law for sin: But the Gospel-mournings, and Gospel-poverty, even mournings of love, like the groanings of the Turtle, Cant. 2.12. If they be onely such as the Law brings forth, and presses the soul into, they are no better then the contritions of Esau and Judas; but if they be such as the Law or Spirit of Jesus Christ, or the Law of life works in the soul, then they are of a more spiritual and pretious nature; but this is from the Gospel and the preaching of Faith. What Law did Peter preach to Cornelius, or Phi∣lip to the Eunuch, or Ananias to Paul, or

Paul to the Jaylor, and his houshold, but on∣ly Jesus Christ? nor can you finde the Law, I mean the Law in its form, or Covenant, preached, but to those that were under the Law, and pretended to stand by the Law, and to set up a righteousnesse by the Law, as the Pharisees and Jews, &c. Though in all this, I esteem no lesse of the Law then any other, as it was a Law for the people of God under Moses, and hath something of the Image of God in it: But now we are under a better Law, a more excellent Law, and a more spiritual Commandment. Even that Law which was but a few single beams of righteousnesse, even ten, but a decalogue of righteousnesse; yet now in the Gospel, the righteousnesse of God is brought forth in more glorious and spiritual Commandments; and for ten, there are scores; and with this righteousnesse of God, the righteousnesse of Christ is brought forth, which makes the condition of Gods people a blessed condi∣tion; so as they stand righteous now in all their obedience to the righteousnesse of God, which is the more pure, transcending, and excellent Law of the Commandments of the Gospel, or the more perfect Rule of the righteousnesse of God in the righteousnesse of

Christ; so as the New Testament is both the Law and Gospel, or the righteousnesse of God and Christ more excellently manifested. Do we therefore make voide the Law by the preaching of Faith? Yea, We establish the Law, Christ being the end of the Law for righteousnesse.

VI. A further opening of the doubtings of a soul not clearly discerning the power of the Gospel.

I observe, A soul that is not informed by a pure Gospel-light, nor apprehends not clearly the way of Faith, of Christ, and the Promises, and the glory of the New Testa∣ment, is ever unsetled, unstable, full of fears, doubtings, distractions, questioning; and the more such a soul is reasoned with con∣cerning their condition, the more they question the truth of every spiritual work∣ing in them; and this comes from the power of the Law still upon their consci∣ences, which is more powerful to convince and accuse them, then the Gospel is to excuse or acquit them, having more of the ministery

of condemnation before them, or in their eye, then of the ministery of life, & Jesus Christ; and Satan he takes advantage of their legal condition, and stirs up jealousies and doubts; and so much as there is of legal apprehensi∣ons, so much there is to hinder the bringing in of the Kingdom of God into the soul, which is not onely righteousnesse, but peace and joy; and therefore under the Old Testa∣ment, where they saw the Blood of Christ onely, through the blood of Bulls and Goats, and heard the Apostles afar off in the Pro∣phets, and were brought to the Mountain that smoaked, they lived in much bondage, and being under the Law till the fulnesse of time that the Seed came, were like servants, though they were heirs too; the heir as the Apostle saith, then differing nothing from a servant, though he was lord of all.

There is nothing but the taking in of the Law, and accusings or condemnations of it, which can trouble the peace & quiet of any soul; for where there is no law, there is no transgression, and where there is no trans∣gression, there is no trouble for sin, all trouble arising from the obligement of the Law, which demands a satisfaction of the soul for the breach of it, and such a satisfaction

which the soul knows it cannot give, and thereby remains unquiet like a debtor that hath nothing to pay, and the Law too be∣ing naturally in the soul, as the Apostle saith, the conscience accusing or else excusing: It is no marvel that such souls should be trou∣bled for sin, and unpacified, the Law having such a party & ingagement already within them; which holding an agreement with the Law in Tables or Letters of Stone, must needs work strongly upon the spirits of such as are but weakly & faintly enlightned, and are not furnished with Gospel enough to answer the indictments, the convictions, the terrours, the curses which the Law b••ings; therefore all the power of Christ, and the Gospel, is to be applyed to raise up such souls from under the power of those stones and burdens which the Law would ••oll upon them: Such are to have more Gospel then ordinary applied, because they have so much Law naturally within them. Such are to know, they are not now under the Law, but under Grace; and the Law hath no more dominion over them, and they are dead unto that Husband, and they are now upon a new foundation, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; and we should

say to such, Let not your hearts be troubled, ye beleeve in God, beleeve also in Jesus Christ.

VII. The working of the Spirit of Christ in a soul though not so clearly enlightned.

I observe, That in a soul though legally en∣lightned, or receiving Christ, yet there are certain Gospel-workings, whereby it will appear that Jesus Christ is there.

1. There is a closing or fastning, or clasping about Christ in the Promises of the Gospel, especially some of the freest and fullest of Grace; for such souls can onely finde some freedom of going out to Christ in them, as some who delights most in men of easiest and hearty behaviour, and can sooner make a friend of them then any other; and if there be but any promises with the least con∣dition of repentance, &c. they dare not meddle with such, suspecting themselves not enough prepared for them, and suspect∣ing the promises like strangers of too nar∣row behaviours for them to be familiar with, like some modest homely Maide that

is unwilling to go abroad into company of greater quality then her self, lest she should not be well thought on, or received as too mean or ill-bred for their society: So are the souls of such as cannot close with the conditional promises.

2. There is in such, some breathings of soul to God, some flowings out of Spirit, some meltings of heart in prayer and dispo∣sitions; like a birth newly quickned, where there are many motions of life, so where Christ is new formed; like a Lock in tune, where there is in every wheel put turnings and stirrings. My beloved, saith the Spouse, put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with Myrrhe, and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the lock.

3. There is in such, a secret working a¦gainst sin and lust, or corruption; the spirit that is come in, is a pure, a clean, an holy spirit; and all the motions and operations of it, are to make the soul and body clean, and spiritual; as they that are of a neat and finer disposition, they will not live in a room un∣swept, and ungarnished: I have put off my

coat, saith the Spouse; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? And he that hath this hope, saith the Apostle, purifieth himself, even as he is pure; and having received such promises, there will be a cleansing themselves from all filthinesse, both of flesh and spirit: What communion hath light with darknesse?

4. There is in such, some acts of Com∣munion with God in his several Ordinances, and with the Spirit, and Christ; such will finde a power and efficacy, a rellish and sweetnesse, a stirring and awakening in the Word preached, in prayer, in spiritual confer∣ence, in every Ordinance, which others that are yet meerly carnal, do not experience: though it fares often with such, as with Samuel when he was young, and the Lord called him; he thought it had been Eli that had spoken; he was not acquainted with the voice and speakings of the Spirit, or of God: So the souls of such, know not the Word not Spirit in their souls many times; the voice of Christ is not heard for the voice of Moses; nor the voice of Grace for the voice of the Law; and they know not when the Lord breathes or comes as Eliah, whether in the winde or in the fire, when

as he is in the still and small voice of the Gospel; there are many things which hin∣der such in their discernings and perceivings of the Spirit of Christ; not onely things without, as the Law, &c. but something within, the Passions and legalnesse of their own spirits, which troubles both their spi∣ritual hearing and seeing; and that makes many souls walk so little in the Spirit, and be at such a losse in their Communion with God; and all this is for want of bringing the soul more out into the glory of the Go∣spel, being called the Ministration which ex∣ceeds in glory, till with open face they behold, as in a glasse, the glory of the Lord; Which glory would exceedingly force away the darknesse, and clouds of ignorance, fears and doubts from the soul, which like smoak a∣rises from the fire and kindling of the Law, in weak beleevers. We know green wood with any fire in it will set all the room on a smoak; so beleevers whose spiritual Princi∣ples are but green, and have any sparks of the Law and the curse for sin kindling in them, will be fuller of smoak then light; there∣fore they are called smoaking flax. I will not quench the smoaking flax.