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Quest.WHat manner of life did you lead▪ as you can well remember?
Answ.I continued in a course of some particular sins long.
Quest.Had you no fits of terrour of conscience in your continuance in those sins?
Answ. I had some gripings and accusations in my continuance in those sins; but they tarried not with me.
Quest. Had you any reluctancy in sinning, or did you it with full consent?
Answ. Yea; with full consent, to my remem∣brance.
Quest. Were you much delighted in those sins, so as you committed them with greedinesse, or were you over-powred partly through the strength of corruption?
Answ. I delighted in them, and felt no over-powring of that kinde.
Quest. In this your natural state, how far did the light of conscience check you or put you upon any Reformation?
Answ. Upon some duties of Prayer, and hearing the Word; and checks divers times I had.
Quest. Were not your checks such as put you upon some other religious duties?
〈21 pages missing〉〈21 pages missing〉Quest. Did you not see any need of Christ?
Answ. Yea; but it was I thought rather for my self-ends, then for love to Christ. One ask∣ed me, if I could be contented without Christ, if it were possible that I had my sins pardoned, and peace of conscience, and not have Christ: I answered, I did not know.
Quest. But after all these proceedings, and soul-conflicts, which I perceive you had, and your dealings with many concerning your conditi∣on: How came you to that assurance of your calling and the spirit, as you were once per∣swaded you had?
Answ. I shall relate unto you my experiences which I had (as I was then assured on) of my calling.
First, When I was minded to make away my self for my sin, the Lord sent into my minde this word, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: Ah thought I then, hath God loved me with such an everlasting love, and shall I sin against such a God!
Secondly, I had many doubts and fears,
but through the strength of Christ I over∣came all: These doubts and fears arose from the examination of my self how I could finde the work in my soul agreeable to that testimony; for I was much afraid of being deluded.
Thirdly, The promise in Isai. 55.1. did stay my heart, and Christ in my par∣taking of him in his Ordinances, did sweet∣ly witnesse, and exceedingly, that he was my Christ.
Fourthly, I went on for some time full of joy and of comfort, upon these pro∣mises, and another I had, Fear not, I will be with thee, I will never leave thee, I will never forsake thee.
Fifthly, I was in fears again, that I could not pray, but I had a promise, I will fulfill the desires of them that fear me: These, and many more, were my grounds and eviden∣ces, which I thought were right then when I had them.
Sixthly, Sometimes in hearing the Word, Christ did witnesse to my soul, yet but sel∣dom.
But, O how I did strive against this work, as I thought, of my being called, to put away all promises of mercy from me:
I may justly say, The Lord saved me whether I would or no.
Sometimes I was dead and could not pray, sometimes very much quickned and stirred up, and I could powre out my soul in much sorrow and remorse for sin. O me thought I could spend a whole night in praying for what my soul wanted!
That which I much desired in prayer, was still, that my sinful soul might be healed of sin; and that running issue of sin that ran and ceased not, might be stopped.
Yet in this my time, and those dayes, I seldom desired pardon of sin till I were fit∣ted for mercies: But now I see we are pardoned freely, I cannot even now but say this, O rest not therefore in your own duties, lest you perish in the sparks you kindle, as I had almost done.
I observed a good providence of the Lord to me, in providing me still many Christians to complain to in this my con∣dition.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quest. I Pray relate to me how long you continued in your back-sliding, till the Lord let you see it to the ter∣rour of your soul as you thought?
Answ. No long time; for I saw it shortly after; then I had great terrours almost in a de∣spairing way, and then I questioned all my assurances and evidences of Gods love I had, and promises I had received.
Then I went to my friend the Preacher,
full of terrour; who desired to know the cause, and I told him.
Then he asked me how it came to be so with me, I told him, through violence of temptation and natural corruption.
He told me, the sin was not mine, but so far as I consented; but that could not satis∣fie me.
He asked me, If God were not able to forgive it; I told him, I questioned not Gods ability, but his will.
I desired some particular instances of him of any falling into the same sin again. I knew the Saints of God had faln into di∣vers great sins, but not into the same: He then alleadged to me that of the Prophet of back sliding Israel; but because he could not clear to me that it was the same sin, I was not comforted by it. Many and divers promises, both he and all the rest applied unto me; I was sometimes refreshed, yet but for a while.
They chid me oftentimes, and said, I lookt for such a measure of grace, which I did not, but the truth of grace in me; and indeed they never told me of any promises, but still there was such qualifications in them as I questioned all.
Quest. It seems then this was your case, You could not perswade your self of the truth of your light, because of your returning to sin; nor finde such conditions in your self, upon which you could rightly as you thought, apply the promises. I pray let me know some particular temptations you have had, if you think good?
Answ. I was tempted to make away my self, lest the longer I lived, the more I should dis∣honour Religion.
Satan came again to me, to eat something with pins in it, to choak my self, that it might not appear how I died; which I did; but, in mercy, I found no harm; the Lord prevented it, I know not how.
Many times I have been tempted by di∣vers means to destroy my self, but was still prevented by several providences.
I have been much tempted to keep alone: The temptations I had, came in alwayes most violently, and furiously; I could scarce hold, I was not my self.
The Lord once when I thought to have stabbed my self, sent in a wicked fellow, who
brought a Book and read, by which I was mercifully prevented.
I found still in all my temptations I was prevented by some providence, and up∣held.
If in the temptation, I could but get to consider once, then it ended; and in this course I have lived and continued most.
I Observe, That Satan doth tempt our naturall corruption exceedingly to the same sins which have reigned most in us in the times of our unregenerate condition; for by that, he may the more easily draw us to unbeleef, and perswade us against the love of God in Christ, and to question our calling, because we are naturally apt to take measure of our graces and Gods love to us, first, by the mortification of sin in us, and dying to former lusts; and if we finde that other∣wise
then we would, we presently let go our hold upon the promises, and slaken our beleeving, and perswade our selves that because it is thus and thus with us, and cor∣ruption quickening again, we were decei∣ved in our selves, & that sure the Spirit was never in us, because we finde some goings back, and fallings again in the same way we did at first. I confesse in natural causes, and things, the outward working and effects do give the best assurance concerning the truth of their essence or being; but that is not the onely way of spiritual assurances; they are more by way of word and pro∣mise, then work and operation. Abraham beleeved in hope against hope, Rom. 4.
I observe, That the soul naturally exa∣mines its spiritual state or condition by cal¦ling to minde former wayes, and times of uncleannesse, and by comparing times and seasons, the latter with the former; and the
assurances and comforts of many, are raised upon this very foundation of comparison: Therefore if Satan can force them or entice them into any part of the former conversa∣tion, he knows he can exceedingly puzzle and perplex them, & keep them long under bondage. I know the Apostle sets forth the Churches state of Corinth, &c. by com∣paring times; Such were some of you, but ye are washed, &c. But this is not by way of putting true beleevers upon a method for assurance; but in describing and comparing the outward state of the Church-way with what they were before. And hence it is, that relapsing & fallings again into the same sins, do bring such anguish and terrour upon such souls, even almost to confusion of face; nay, he makes many souls by this one snare, go desperatly forward to sin upon a new score or tally; as if it were in vain for them to perswade themselves of Christ or the love of God, but rather to sin it out in this life, not considering that the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin, 1 Joh. 1.7. and that if we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, 1 Joh. 2.1. but go upon an empty and half despairing beleef for salva∣tion, like some bankrupts, that having once
broken, ran desperately into more and more debt; and finding themselves unable to dis∣charge some, they take no care for any; as they who said, It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordi∣nance? Mal. 3.
I observe likewise, That a soul which is once brought into these entanglements of back-slidings, & such as have no clear Gospel-light nor understanding to undeceive & un∣winde themselvs, fall under very sad tempta∣tions at length: For whither may not Satan roll such a poor soul that is tumbling down the Hill already? And they that weigh their state of grace onely in the scale of mortifi∣cation of sin, as it is commonly taken for dying to particular acts, cannot be so infal∣libly or certainly perswaded, as they that place their assurance most in Christ, in the free promises, because sin hath ever a strong∣er side in us then the spirit; And in this life,
the sin is more taken away then the lust, and our blessednesse is more in having the curse of it removed, then the corruption; and our justification is more glorious then our sanctification, and our forgivenesse from sin, more then our cleansing from sin. For the just shall live by Faith, which is not a life by sense and sanctification meerly, but a life by beleeving for life in another, in Christ; and therefore our life is said to be hid with Christ, and Christ is called our life; when Christ who is our life, &c. I speak now to the weak and wounded beleevers for sin, not to the carnal and unregenerate in sin.
I observe, That the temptations of self-murdering and self-destroying, are much from an inward perplexity & restlessenesse of soul for sin in an enlightned condition, so as a wounded spirit who can bear? And that a yeelding up the soul to the least violence of temptations is very dangerous; and that the fury of temptations is best allayed by con∣sidering
and gaining time upon the tempta∣tion, and not closing too soon. These are the fiery darts the Apostle speaks off; Darts, be∣cause they come as shot into the soul, and fiery, as enflaming the spirit. Now the spirit of God is a more pure, peaceable, and easie to be intreated spirit, and the workings of it more gracious; temptations being so quick, violent, & raging, are best resisted in Christs own way and method; he did not stand hearkning and parleying, but applyed the Word presently in his own power against them; It is written, thus and thus. And in the Apostles way, Resist the divel and he will flee from you; neither give place to the di∣vel. And amongst all the spiritual Artillery, the shield of Faith is the strongest; and we may sooner beleeve Satan from us, and be∣leeve unto victory, and conquering through Christ, In whom we are more then conque∣rours, as the Apostle saith, then by reasoning or arguing; for then we fight against a temptation in our own power; but, by be∣leeving, in Christs power.
I observe, That this one mistake in some Preachers and people, hath deceived many; That a soul converted, doth scarce fall back into the same sin; and that such a fall or re∣lapse is a ground for us to question all.
Now we must know, that the spring and fount••in from whence that sin flows which was a powerful sin in the unregenerate state, is lust, or the law in the members, or the body of sin, or the flesh; there are all these, and more names for sinful nature: Now the converting a soul to Christ, doth not heal this fountain of sinful nature wholly, nor take it away quite; but there is still a power in the flesh lusting against the spirit: so as it is both possible and easie for the same parti∣cular sin or act of corruption, to break out and appear upon the juncture of the same temptations, and Gods taking off for a time his power of restraint and spirit. We
know corruption may gather strength in the regenerate ones, and so the fountain may bubble at the same place after conversion as before.
Conversion takes not away corruption from the nature of man, but ingrafts or plants in a new nature of spirit into the na∣ture of man, which weakens and impairs and works out the flesh; and the inward growing of the new man, causeth a perish∣ing of the outward man; and we being now in the second Adam who is the quickning Spirit, the old man or Adam is put off daily with his former lusts; yet not so, but that we may be much lost in our account, as many are; for there is great deceitfulnesse in mortification of sin as it is commonly taken; for the not actings of sin, or concei∣vings of lust, is not pure mortification; be∣cause there may be lust or sinful nature; & yet that lust through the power of some Law, Covenant, Promise, or Legal watch∣fulnesse, as is usual with some under Legal conversion, may be so kept under, that it breaks not out, and yet it is there; as in the paring of the nails, or cutting of the hair, or pruning of the tree, there is a cutting off, but not a cutting out, nor an eradicating or
rooting up of such a nature; and so long there may be a breaking out, a springing a gain; and so in corruption or sinful nature: So as I conceive it is rather tradition then truth, that converted persons can scarce re∣lapse into the same particular sin; yet we have been told of a strange power which contrition or repentance brings with it to the melting away the former sin quite, or at least, to lay in such a spiritual restraint upon the soul, that it shall scarce ever commit the particular sin of its unregenerate state again. For my part, I like the notion well, if it did not cast a snare upon souls that are weak and of a back-sliding nature.
As for example, If one ride through a stony way where he hath often faln, his fals may make him ride more watchfully, and carefully; but they cannot secure him against falling again.
But surely, mortification of sin is not purely understood; it is not the restraint or legal watchfulnesse over a particular sin in which many a Papist as well as legal Pro∣fessors abound; and so a preserving the soul by a carnally-spiritual carefulnesse from tha•• sin, as a Keeper that hath a Lion in a chain who is onely tame, because he cannot
break out; nor is it onely a spiritual change or transforming power the spirit brings with it into our nature, but it is a more spiritual thing; yet it is an implanting or embodying with Christ in the fellowship of his sufferings, passion, death, and resurrection; and it is a dying to the dominion of sin, more then to the nature of sin, even to the sting, and strength of sin, which is the Law, as the Apostle saith: For if the not acting such or such a sin, or the spiritually-carnal change, as the sanctification of this life is, there be∣ing no pure in dwelling inherent righteous∣nesse in any, were pure mortification: Then not onely your Popish Anchorites, or Ere∣mites would excel, who live in their Cell and Wildernesse, and keep their corruptions, as Jaylours keep their prisoners in Irons and Grates, that they break not out and wan∣der so abroad as other mens corruptions that have more liberty; and yet they are as bad as the rest, as these in the prison, who are as very theeves in the dungeon, as they that are robbing by the high-way.
But further, there would be something of our sanctification, which we might call righteousnesse; and so in time be as confi∣dent, as they that will not lose the merit of their own works.
I speak here, you see, to further and ad∣vance a Gospel-mortification, or a dying to sin in the power and life of Christ, as well as the spiritual nature or new man: But I would not have the power of mortification and conversion from sin, mistaken to be in the not acting such or such a particular sin which was acted before, or meerly in the particoloured change or inchoative sanctifi∣cation onely; we know what an overvalu∣ing of that hath brought, because such a mortification is too low and legal for pure beleevers; but in that implantation and my∣stical ingrasting the soul into the glorious fellowship of Christ his death, &c. As for instance, We put not a mans living and ex∣cellency of reason in an outward motion of the body, or some one or two reasonable words spoken, but in the life, and soul, and glorious spirit within him. We put not the glory of the light in the Windows or panes of Glasse where it shines, and cleerly too: but in the body of the Sun, the Fountain of light below; So pure and spiritual mortifica∣tion, is radically or principally in our fellow∣ship and union with him who killed sin in our nature in the body; and thus we are spiritually and mystically dead to sin, and
that corruption which is within us, will not be able to live long under the power of such a spiritual death and nature as Christs is, but will waste and die daily, though still pure mortification consists not princi∣pally in the not indwelling of corruption, but in our implantation into fellowship with Christ; for if such dying of corruption were true mortification, then they that are dead in the Grave and can sin no more actually, or they that are on their sick bed and disabled to former sins, were mortified persons: No, it is an higher mystery to be mortified to sin, then to not sin or not act corruption, or to be spiritually changed by the spirit, or spiritual nature within; nor can any inter∣pret, as if they that were thus spiritually mortified, need not strive against sin or the strength, or the growing of it in the flesh or nature: No, that were a contradiction, and is an impossibility; for the cherishing cor¦ruption and fomenting or nourishing sin∣ful nature, will no more stand with such •• spiritually, mystically mortified beleever, then liberty to sin will stand with assurance of pardon for sin in the fame Childe of God. Shew me any taken into the fellowship of Christs death, that can make such provision
for sin: I speak not of some particular acts, and that is the reason we read in Scriptures of so little conversation in sin, or continu∣ing in sin in the Saints & former beleevers; nor do the Scriptures put the form of sin or wickednesse upon particular acts of sin, calling David an evil man for his unclean∣nesse, or Job for his passions, or Moses for his unbeleef, or Peter for his denial, but upon sinful and unregenerate nature, as in Cain, Esau, Jeroboam, Ahab, Judas; such are wicked men in the Scriptures account, who are wicked by nature, not from any particular action. A Tree is not evil, be∣cause it bears evil fruit, but because it is naturally an evil Tree.
In a word, to gather up this mystery of mortification of sin into a few plain words, that it may be more clear, both to the com∣forting weak beleevers that are wounded for sin; and to help all beleevers more power∣fully against sin, in the mortifying of it.
1. First let this be considered, That mor∣tification of sin is not in the not committing a sin; for then children, and civilly-moral men were mortified persons.
2. That the fountain of sin or sinful na∣ture, is not wholly taken away by the spiri∣tual nature begun in regeneration or the new birth.
3. That pure mortification of sin, is not in the meer absence of the body of sin; for then, dead or sick men were mortified per∣sons.
4. That the pure spiritual and mystical fountain of the mortification of sin, is the be∣ing planted together in the likenesse of Christs death, our old man being crucified with him, Rom. 6.6. Our union with Christ, our head, our righteousnesse, our Vine.
Now from these things thus considered, we may raise up this consideration con∣cerning mortification of sin,
That they who are mystically and spiritu∣ally planted into Christ, are partakers of the power of his death, which that highest, purest, and most mystical mortification that any have; and with this there goes a spiri∣tual power, transforming and changing the whole man from former lusts; & this latter
is called a putting on of the new man, and a being renewed in spirit and in minde, and a putting off the old man which is corrupt, Eph. 4.22, 23. Coloss. 3.10.
Now that power wherein we are per∣fectly mortified, is our union with Christ, our being planted in the fellowship of his death, &c. and that wherein we are im∣perfectly, or in part mortified, is in that transformed nature, or spiritual nature, the body of sin being in a beleever more or lesse, till he lay down this body, and take it up a more glorious one. So as a beleever is to consider himself dead to sin onely in the fel∣lowship of Christs death mystically, and to consider himself onely dying to sin in his own nature spiritually; so as in Christ he is onely compleat, and in himself imperfect at the best. We are compleat in him, saith the Apostle, Coloss. 2.10. Yet there is such •• power, and efficacy, and mighty working in this mystical union and fellowship with Christ, that he shall finde sin dying in him from this, the spirit working most in the vertue of this; this being like the spice or the spirit it in the wine that makes it power∣ful and quick: Therefore we are said to be risen with Christ and to die with Christ, and
our life to be hid in Christ, Coloss. 3.1, 2, 3. Christ being the life, power, vertue, and ener∣gy of the spirit; and the more of Christ we take against sin, the greater and surer will our Victory against corruption and sin be: And this would be well observed by those that are a little legally biassed, or carried to mortifie sin by vows, promises, shunning oc∣casions, removing temptations, strictnesse and severity in duties, fear of hell and judge∣ments, scarce rising so high for their morti∣fication as Christ.
Now these in themselves are but empty, weak means of prevailing against sin, like the mighty sails of a ship without either winde or tyde; many of those do well in their place and order, like Oares in a Boat, which though it be carried with the tyde, if well managed, they may help it to go the faster; as that of shunning occasions, strict∣nesse & severity in duties, and watchfulnesse: But it is Christ crucified, which is the power of all, and in all; it is Christ lifted up as Moses lifted up the Serpent, which strikes in more soundnesse into the wounded beholder, then any other meerly legal way or expe∣riment, wherein many beleevers have toyled and carnally fished all their time for
power over some corruptions; and like Peter and the rest, have caught little or no∣thing, because Jesus Christ was not in the company.
To conclude, I would have men tender now they make conversion such a mortifica∣tion to that particular sin or act which was the sin of the unregenerate condition, lest while they lay down a law to prevent a sin∣ning again, or a second wounding by the same sin, they make that sin if committed again, as it may be, wound the beleever more, even to the danger of unbeleef; then which, there cannot be a greater to hinder true mortifica∣tion; because that any unbeleef keeps the soul and Christ as it were asunder, and from closing in the souls own apprehension; and all that time, there can be little power brought home from Christ by Faith against that sin: My reasons are these:
1. Because that sinful nature is not whol∣ly healed in this life; so there remains a
natural inclination to that particular sin as well as another; nay rather, because nature is more byassed towards it then any other.
2. The wound, pricking, or sorrow that any soul enlightned by Jesus Christ, feels for that sin, is not of such an exceeding or rather infinite vertue, as to abolish it, or to lay in such a perpetual impression upon the soul, that the soul should live under the image of that remorse and wound, and so never dare or adventure to commit it again. I finde no such lasting and continuing, and firm or thorow work in the spiritual motions, opera∣tions, and impressions, but by degrees; Christ upbraided his Disciples how soon their hearts were hardned; and we finde the spi∣ritual affection and resolution of Peter, wherein his soul was raised up on high, wasting and flatting in his denial: The gales and breathings of the spirit are like the winde, Joh. 3. which makes a thing move or tremble while the power of the Air is upon it; but as that slakens, or breaths, so doth it.
3. There is no promise that I can finde for the present, against the never commit∣ting again such a particular act, or sin
which he lived in, in his unregenerate state. I know there are differences made, and cer∣tain works set down to know a sin by, that is committed in a regenerate state, & before, as the weaknesse, and contrary dispositions or reluctancy in which it is committed, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Paul implies in Rom. 7. &c. Though here, some of these Divines may be puzzled in this way of their differences too; for take a man in the strength of natural or common light, living under a powerful word or Preacher, by which his Candle, as Solomon saith, is better lighted then it was, such a man shall sin against as seeming strong con¦victions as the other, if not more.
But by the way, I humbly conceive there are certain dampings of Satan, and flesh and blood, together with the withdrawings of the Spirit on Gods part, that will puzzle the best that goes so exactly by marks and sense more then by Faith; for the way of the spirit is not so grosse, & carnal, & discerni∣ble, as the Divinity of former times, and of some of this present age would make it. It is as hard to trace and finde the impressi∣ons of the Spirit, as the way of a bird, as Solomon sayes, in the Air. The Spirit that is of God, knows only the way of the Spirit.
And the Apostle speaks many things too, as he says, because of the infirmity of our flesh; We must not therefore form up the things of the spirit too much for the feelings of flesh and blood: And they that write so of a regenerate mans estate, and set us down such infallible signes as we meet with common∣ly, do take their experiences too low, and carnally, and mistaking the Allegory, and way of the Word or Scriptures which speaks of things because of the infirmity of our flesh, write upon spiritual workings, as Philoso∣phers upon Moral vertues, and do bring down the spirit into the very Allegory, and so allegorize and incarnate or make fleshly the things of the spirit: And so do many, both preach and write of regeneration as a work of nature, though not a natural work.
4. The restraints of the spirit, or that Law of Jesus Christ in the soul, is not made sure to the soul, as concerning particular acts or sins, but onely concerning the power of sinful nature in general, and the weakning and destroying of that; Neither are the particular Laws or Commandments in the Gospel, always in their power upon the soul; but when the Spirit of Christ doth take them, and apply them, and quicken them
unto the soul, and put a spiritual Majesty upon them.
To conclude, The experiences of the spirit in those that are spiritual, are not all in one degree, some more, some lesse; and the Law of the spirit in those that are spiritual, will carry them against the law of sin and flesh; because it is both contrary to the flesh, and likewise of a spiritual and transforming nature; and so gathers strength in us against the body of sin, and is still working it self a greater part, and dominion in us, and fashi∣oning us like unto Jesus Christ, both in righ∣teousnesse and true holinesse; and the people of the Lord are very rarely found in the great sins of their unregenerate estate, espe∣cially if they were grosse ones, such as the light of their natural conscience abhors, as well as the purer light of the spirit, as adul∣tery, murder, &c. then they are doubly armed against them, and so may more rarely com∣mit them; but if they be such particular acts or sins as are not so clearly condemned
by nature, as some kinde of lustings, with hypocrisie, passion, lying, &c. they may the more easily be committed again, because the light in nature is but faint or little th•••• op∣poses them, or which takes part with the light of the spirit against them.
These things may be sufficient to let us see into the nature of back-sliding in the re∣generate ones, and to binde up the broken hearted that are faln, as well as to shew a more excellent way to keep from falling in the strength of Jesus Christ.
And therefore let this be written upon the heart, and on the palms of the hands of all, both wounded and whole beleevers.
That we are compleatly or perfectly mortified, or dead to sin, by our being planted into Christ, and the fellowship of his death: And we are but dying to sin in that spiritual mortification of our sinful nature in this life: And therefore let not any particular acts of sin discourage any, considering they are more excellently dead or mortified in Christ; nor let such an excellent and glorious way of mortification, tempt any to a neglect of mortification of sin in the body, no more then the free-grace of God in forgivenesse of sins ought to tempt any to take liberty to sin.
BUt for all this, there are certain Scrip∣tures which have a sound of much ter∣rour in them against back-sliders, as in Heb. 6.4, 5. For it is impossible for those that were once enlightned, &c. And in 2 Pet. 2.20, 21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way; and some others of this sort.
Now, these places are much misinter∣preted; for these concern not true be∣leevers, but such as fall from the common enlightning, as in Heb. 6.8. 2 Pet. 2.22. and form of Profession which never had the power of God and the spirit in it; but so far as to bring them into the number of belee∣vers, or Church of visible Saints, of which sort John speaks on, They went out from us, because they were not of us; yet the Apostles write this to the Churches, because they should know that a form of Profession meerly, cannot secure any, unlesse there be the power; and these Cautions, which do more immediately and directly belong to Apostates, and false Professors, yet have their
use upon true beleevers and Saints too, as of quickning and watchfulnesse, and close walk∣ing with God, and of praise, that they whom the Lord preserves from such Apo∣stacy, may be more awakened to glorifie his free-grace upon themselves that stand, as appears in Heb. 6.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. In which places the Apostle raises up their thoughts into the immuta∣bility of the Covenant in which they now stand, and that they cannot fall away now God having assured it by an Oath.
Yet if any shall object further, But these places shew how fair a Profession one may make, and how far one may go in the way of Christ, and then fall off: And here the soul may doubt, and say, But, O, am not I one of this kinde, because I am faln back? But I answer, No soul can make any such application in true a Gospel-sense, unlesse it fall or apostate from the Faith of Christ, which is here spoken on and meant, and not of particular sins, or failings commit∣ted. But against the power of these, and all other places which Satan would interpret, to the wounding of a spirit; we must know the onely remedy is beleeving, as Abraham did, in hope against hope; and that 〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉
can never fall away that can beleeve; and no sin can damn it, if it will but beleeve the pardon of that sin, which every be∣leever ought to do. This is the Command∣ment that ye beleeve, 1 Joh. 5. Not consider∣ing sins singly, and by parts, but consider∣ing himself a righteous person in Christ, and justified when Christ rose for our justi∣fication. For the consideration of the pardon of sin in this sense that our Divines have commonly taught and preached it, not minding the spiritual Analogy of the Word, concerning the righteousnesse of a beleever, breeds all this distraction; for some delt out Christs blood as the Pope his pardons, for one sin after another, never stating a be∣leever in the righteousnesse of Christ, and so in a fully pardoned condition, Ephes. 5.27. Revel. 1.5.
Quest. LEt me know now in order, what your doubts are, which you think, if you were satisfied in, your soul could be at peace?
Answ. I question whether I am in Christ.
Quest. What grounds have you to question your being in Christ?
Quest. Doubt 1. This is then your first Doubt: That you are not therefore beloved of God or in Christ, be∣cause you fell back again into your sin, so as you did.
Suppose I prove to you, that no sin can make one lesse beloved of God, or lesse in Christ!
Answ. Then I shall conclude that sin cannot hinder the love of God to my soul.
Quest. I shall prove, that no sin can make one lesse beloved of God or lesse in Christ.
1. The mercies of God are called sure mercies, his love an everlasting love, his Covenant an everlasting Covenant; I am perswaded, saith Paul, that neither death nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, &c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: So then, to whom he is once merciful he is ever mer∣ciful; whom he once loves he ever loves; whom he once takes into Covenant, he is ever theirs. I am the Lord, I change not.
2. Whom the Father loves, he loves in the Son in whom he is well pleased; and his Son is alwayes alike beloved of him; the
same yesterday and to day, and for ever; and whom he loves in his Son, he accounts as his son; he is made unto us righteousnesse, sancti∣fication, and redemption: So as we being not beloved for our own sakes, but for the Sons, nothing in us can make God love us lesse because he loves us not for our selves, nor any thing in our selves, but in and through his Son in whom he is well pleased.
3. If God should love us lesse or more, as we are lesse or more sinful, then he should be as man, and as the Son of man; and if be∣leevers stood upon these terms with God, then how are these Scriptures true, He rose again for our justification, who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? Who shall condemn? There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: The Foundation of God standeth sure: He ever liveth to make intercession for them. So as God is ever the same that loves, and his love is as himself, ever the same; and Christ in whom we are beloved, ever the same.
Doubt 2. Your other doubt is this. You finde not a change in the whole man.
What mean you by this change, in your own sense?
Answ. I mean not a perfect change, but a new∣nesse in all the powers and parts of soul and body, which I suppose to be sanctifi∣cation.
Quest. Is the end which you propound to your self in finding out this change of the whole man, for grounding any assurance on, of Gods love, and your being in Christ?
Answ. Yea, because they that are in Christ, are so changed, and there is such a work wrought; all things are become new, and old things are passed away: Now, I finde not this.
Quest. The scope of your doubt then is, that be∣cause you feel not your self sanctified, you think you are not justified.
I shall allow you your sanctification so far as the Scriptures do, as a lower motive, and more carnally mixed and uncertain way of perswasion and assurance of justification. But a little to note to you two sides sadly mistaking one another in points of this nature: The one cryes out against the other, as if they held we were justified partly from our being sanctified, or from our works;
the other on the contrary, cry out that such would cast out all sanctification: Now such opinions are in neither of them. Justly in them, I mean in those of both that can spi∣ritually judge: But there are some expressi∣ons on both parts, which make the one passe for legal Teachers, and the other for Antino∣mians; The one giving too much in their Sermons and Books to Faith and Works, in an unwarrantable jealousie lest holinesse should be sleighted; some other lesse then is fit, lest free-grace should lose her due; and both in an unwarrantable jealousie. And indeed, the latter I must prefer before the former: For if I must erre, I had rather cry down men to exalt Christ, then Christ to exalt men, though I would do neither; but let both have their place and order.
In this point I hope in the Lord, to keep from dashing against the Scriptures either way; the Spirit of the Lord lighting my candle.
The Doubt. Because I feel not my self sanctified, I fear I am not justified.
The Doubt being thus, I shall lay down these particulars.
1. If you suppose that God takes in any
part of your faith, repentance, or new obedi∣ence, or sanctification as a ground upon which he justifies or forgives you, you are clear against the Word; For if it be of works, it is no more of grace, otherwise work is no more work.
2. It must then be onely the evidence of your being justified that you seek for in your sanctification.
And these two things premised, I now proceed.
1. We must allow any to take in any thing of their sanctification to help their assurance, which the Word allows, as the Spirit, and the fruits of it, repentance, mor∣tification of sin, new obedience, &c. But then it must be done in the Scriptures own cau∣tions and way.
2. The Scriptures lay down these fol∣lowing things.
1. Christs sanctification to ours, or his true holinesse.
2. Faith about our own sanctification.
1. As first, Christ is revealed to be our sanctification: Christ is made unto us righte∣ousnesse, sanctification. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Ye are Christs; but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus, He hath quickned us together with Christ: We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith. That new man which after God is created in righteous∣nesse and true holinesse. We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. And be found in him, not having my own righteous∣nesse. I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me. That we present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. But Christ is all and in all. Your life is hid with Christ in God. See Heb. 13.20, 21. All these Scriptures set forth Christ, the sanctifi••ation and the ful∣nesse of his, the all in all. Christ hath beleeved perfectly, he hath repented perfectly, he hath sorrowed for sin perfectly, he hath obeyed perfectly, he hath mortified sin perfectly, and all is ours, and we are Christs, and Christ is Gods.
2. The second thing is faith about our own sanctification. We must beleeve more truth of our own graces then we can see or feel, which the Lord hath in his infinite wisdom and dispensation so ordered, that here our life should be hid with Christ in God; that we should walk by faith and not by
sight: So as we are to beleeve our repent∣ance true in him, who hath repented for us; our mortifying sin true in him, through whom we are more then conquerours; our new obe∣dience true in him, who hath obeyed for us, and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth; our change of the whole man true in him, who is righteousnesse and true holi∣nesse. And thus without Faith it is impossi∣ble to please God.
This is the Scripture-assurance for a childe of God, or beleever, to see every thing in himself as nothing, and himself every thing in Christ. Faith is the ground of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen, Heb. 11.1.
All other assurances are rotten conclu∣sions from the Word; and such things as true legal Teachers have invented, not un¦derstanding the mystery of the Kingdom of Christ.
The Scriptures bid you see nothing in your self, or all as nothing. These Teachers bid you see something in your self; so as the leaving out Christ in sanctification, is the foundation of all doubts, fears, and distracti∣ons: And he that looks on his repentance on his love, on his humility, on his obedience,
and not in the tincture of the Blood of Christ, must needs beleeve weakly and un∣comfortably.
But now, to propose some questions to you.
Quest. You say you feel not the change of the whole man.
Answ. Yea.
Quest. Then, I must prove your sanctification to you, not your justification.
Answ. Yea; for they that are justified, are san∣ctified too, which I cannot finde in my self?
Quest. Will you say a thing is not there because you feel it not there?
Answ. But I do not know it to be there.
Quest. But will you conclude it is not there because you know it not to be there?
Answ. Nay.
Quest. You say well; for David cryed out in the bitternesse of his soul, that his sin was ever before him, and then his sanctification was out of his sight, and that God had forgotten to be gracious: But I said, says he, this is my in∣firmity: You know in a house when it is dark, all things are there that were before; but you see them not till the candle be brought in: The womans groat in the Parable was in the house, but she found it not till she had lighted her candle: Therefore you must say as David, Light my candle O Lord; and the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.
Answ. But I feel corruption more violent which would not be if it were mortified.
Quest. You are mistaken in that, it is from life in you, and spirit in you, that you feel cor∣ruption; if you were dead in sins and tres∣passes, you could feel nothing no more then a dead man? These oppositions in you shew a twofold law within you, A law in your members, with the law of your minds: Two natures in you of flesh and spirit; the flesh lusteth against the spirit; nor is the light of a meer natural conscience, or a soul com∣monly
enlightned such a strange opposer and complainer against the law of sin in the flesh, as you seem to have in you; besides, John saith, If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves. But I dare not carry you on too far by signs of this nature without Christ, who is a beleevers sanctification as well as righteousnesse. But to stop the issu•• of the soul in these questions and scruples with this Question:
Quest. Can you have any assurance that the change that is in any childe of God, in this life, or their sanctification, is such in any particular act or work, as there is no spot of sin in it? Is it not mixt of flesh & spirit? Why then do you feel af∣ter it so as you do? Since the best and throrowst sanctification in any, is not pure enough for the eyes of the Lord; why make you it then any bottom for assurance? You see all the while you have so done, you can finde like Noahs Dove, no rest for the soal of your foot; for saith Christ, When you have done all you can, you are but unprofitable servants; and all our righteousnesse is but as filthy rags; and while you gaze on your work of sanctification, you finde a rottennesse in every part of it, and call all into question, and finde fault both with
your repentance, mortification, and new obedi∣ence and all; therefore you must take Christ in here for sanctification still, to settle and establish your spirit.
Answ. But what use is there then of my sanctifi∣cation? Are not the fruits and effects of the spirit in me, such as follow immediately upon my being justified?
Quest. Yea, they are the natural flowings and workings of your faith, they help to evidence your faith, and comfort your faith in their kinde and degree: But as I said before, they are given to be a light in some measure to your own, and others consciences: Let your light so shine before men; and glorifie God in your bodies, and in your spirits. Shew me thy faith by thy works; they are the bracelets of the Spouse, they are the beams of Christ the Sun of righteousnesse. Now, clouds may hinder the beams from enlightning a room, but the Sun is still where he was; the Tree you know is there where it was, when the Apples or Grapes may be blown down; so the glory of sanctifi∣cation may be often darkned, and the fruits of it blown down by the winde of temptation, spoken on in the Parable: Yet then, such pro∣mises
as these are laid in for such a season; Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darknesse, and hath no light? Let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God, Isai. 50.10. And the vision is for an ap∣pointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry, waite for it, waite for it, because it will surely come and not tarry: But the just shall live by faith, Habac. 2.3, 4.
Answ. But why do the Apostles presse sanctifi∣cation, and the new man so, and love, and new obedience, &c. in all their Epistles?
Quest. I answered this partly before. Sanctifi∣cation is the beginning of the forming of Christ here in this life in one part of him, which is Holinesse, which shall be perfected in the life to come, when we shall be fashioned like unto his glorious Body. Sanctification is the wit∣nesse to the Righteousnesse of Christ, which being a glory out of sight, to the soul and the world, is made clearer by faith and holinesse to both: So as in sanctification, both soul and body, flesh and spirit joyn to glorifie the riches of Christ. Ye are bought with a price, glorifie
God in your bodies, and in your spirits, and walk as children of the light, and of the day. So as the wisdom of the spirit is seen much in the Word, in pressing sanctification, and prai∣sing sanctification, both to set forth the nature of the spirit in beleevers, and to quicken flesh and blood against an empty formal Profession.
The third Doubt is WHether you do beleeve or no?
FIrst, I shall shew you my thoughts concerning the nature of this Doubt.
It is one thing to beleeve, and an∣other thing to know we beleeve.
I suppose, none ought to question whether they do beleeve or no, but to beleeve till they be perswaded that they do beleeve, & more and more of the truth of their faith or beleef, righ∣teousnesse being revealed from faith to faith.
My grounds for this, are these:
1. Christs command to beleeve, and this is his Commandment, That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ. Now, Commands of this nature are to be obeyed, not disputed. Good servants do not reason their duty out first with themselves, but fall to do∣ing as they are commanded.
2. I finde not any in the whole course of Christs preaching or the Disciples when they preached to them to beleeve, asking the questi∣on, Whether they beleeved or no, or whether their Faith were true Faith or no? I finde one saying, Lord, I beleeve, help my unbeleef: But not, Lord whether do I beleeve or no? And Lord encrease my faith: But not, Lord whether is this true faith I have or no? It would be a strange question in any that were bidden to a Feast, to ask the Master of the Feast whether his dainties were real or a delusion? would not such a question disparage him for a Sorcerer? So in the things of the Spirit, to be over-jealous of the Truth of them as many poor tempted souls are, doth not be come the faithfulnesse of Jesus Christ. The way to be sure of the truth of the good things, is to taste and see how good the Lord is. Spi∣ritual things are best felt and tasted with
feeding upon them. Eat O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
3. For any to doubt whether they do beleeve or no, I finde to be a question onely fit and pro∣portionable for Christ himself to satisfie, who is called the Author and finisher of our Faith. None can prove more properly to a soul it be∣leeves then he on whom it beleeves. Who can more properly shew one that he sees, then the light which enlightens him for that very pur∣pose?
4. Faith is truely and simply this; A being perswaded more or lesse of Christs love; and therefore it is called, A beleeving with the heart. Now, what infallible signe is there to perswade any that they are perswaded, when themselves question the truth of their perswa∣sion? There may be some things which may strengthen and help, which I shall hereafter shew you from the Word, which are by way of effects and properties of this faith and beleef; but none can simply perswade a soul that it doth beleeve, but he on whom it doth beleeve: God shall perswade Japhet. Who can more principally, and with clearer satisfaction per∣swade the Spouse of the good will of him she loves, but himself? Can all the love-tokens or testimonial Rings and Bracelets? They may
concur and help in the manifestation; but it is the voice of the beloved, My beloved spake and said unto me, rise up my Love, my fair one, saith the Spouse.
5. We ought to beleeve till we be per∣swaded that we do beleeve, because the more we do beleeve, the more we shall be perswaded to beleeve, according to that place in the E∣phesians, In whom also after ye beleeved, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise: And he that beleeveth hath the witnesse; though there is more to be said to this last Scripture. The way to be warm, is not onely to ask for a fire, or whether there be a fire or no, or to hold out the hands towards it, and away, and wish for a greater; but to stand close to that fire there is, and to gather heat.
6. We ought I suppose, no more to question our Faith, which is our first and foundation Grace, then we ought to question Christ the foundation of our Faith: For as all Christian Religion is destroyed by the one, so all the sal∣vation in that Religion to any soul in parti∣cular by the other: Therefore it is said, they entered not in because of unbeleef; And again, The Word did not profit being not mixed with Faith in them that heard it: And hence is the
Apostles caution, Take heed lest there be in any of you an heart of unbeleef.
7. It is Satans greatest policy to put a soul upon such a question: For by this he sets on the soul for evidence from things which he knows can afford little but a questionable assurance, as perswasion most upon marks and signes of our own sanctification, or works, which can∣not hold good without Faith it self, to bring down Christ upon them; For he puts us clean back if we observe. We are proving our faith by our works, when as no works can be proved solidly good but by our faith; for without Faith it is impossible to please God. We know that every piece of coyn or money is valued ac∣cording to the image and superscription that it bears; and if Cesar be not there, though it be still silver, yet it is not coyn, it is not so cur∣rant; and he that hath it, cannot make such use of it, and so assure himself to trade with it, as otherwise he might do. So there is not any thing of sanctification currant, and of true practical use & comfort to be a beleever, unlesse Jesus Christ be there, and the Image of Christ which is righteousnesse, &c. or true holinesse. While Satan puzzles us in question∣ing our faith or beleeving, he keeps us off from beleeving, knowing that this is the condemna∣tion.
He that beleeveth not, is condemned al∣ready.
HEre I cannot but wonder at any that keep souls in acts of preparation and qualification, from the act of beleeving, as if we could beleeve too suddenly; and many a one loses some degrees of faith while they are seeking it thus in the evidence of their works; for while faith is kept off from Christ, and the soul suspended, faith decayes, and becomes weaker and weaker; when as if it were still exercised upon Christ in the promises, it would soon bring a clearer and more undeceivable evidence with it, then can any other way be ministred unto it.
In the Gospel all are immediately called to beleeve; to day if ye will hear his voice: Sirs saith the Jaylor, what must I do to be saved? Beleeve say they on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the work, that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent, saith Christ; and saith Philip to the Eunuch, If thou beleevest
with all thy heart thou mayst; and he answered and said, I beleeve.
So as I shall draw this conclusion for many that are in the dark in this point, both Preach∣ers and people:
That none can beleeve too hastily in Jesus Christ our righteousnesse, because righteous∣nesse is revealed from faith to faith; and while we beleeve not, we live not properly; for the just shall live by faith; and while we beleeve not, we may after a sort be said to be under condemnation; for he that beleeveth not is condemned. So as we ought not to stay the exercise of our faith, either for repentance or humiliation, or any other grace; but we ought to beleeve, that we may have these; for faith worketh by love, &c. And adde to your faith vertue, saith the Apostle, and to vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godli∣nesse, and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse. All these, are to be added to faith, or work from faith; nor are we to stay our beleeving till we be assured by some signes that we do be∣leeve; we must beleeve that we may know that we do beleeve; for the witnesse comes by beleeving, The spirit bearing witnesse. Yet to these I allow you any examination
or tryal of your faith, which may consist with beleeving.
Well, I shall put some Questions to you after these grounds.
Quest. Is faith alwayes with full assurance?
Answ. Nay.
Quest. Can you conclude you have no faith, because you have no full assurance?
Answ. Nay.
Quest. You say well; for there are degrees of be∣leeving; one degree is to beleeve, another is to be assured you beleeve. There are in the Word beleevers of several ages; some are called little ones, weak ones, babes, children, strong men; some are such as have been sound beleevers, and are made weak through sin, and tempta∣tion, and ignorance of the Covenant of free-grace and their righteousnesse in Christ, and the glorious estate of a beleever under grace, as a man that is not perfectly healed of some infirmity.
For the nature and properties of true sa∣ving Faith, which I told you on, They are
better discerned in the Word & Christ, then in the soul that hath them, because they are not in the soul purely, but with mixture of corruption; which like mud in the water troubles the sight, and the spiritual discern∣ing; and that makes so many beleevers who can spiritually judge, care so little to see them∣selves in their own righteousnesse; but in Christs; as Paul, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousnesse.
The nature and properties of true saving faith, is almost the businesse of the whole new Testament.
1. The nature of faith is this, It is called the ground of things hoped for, and the evidence of things that are unseen.
2. The properties are everywhere described by repentance, and humiliation, and love, & godlinesse, and purity, and charity, & meek∣nesse, and all holy conversation, and prayer, and hearing, and obeying the Will of God. All these are with true faith; and a beleever is one, who though he hath all these, yet he will not behold them in himself, but in Christ, and as Paul, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
Now the great mistake which I finde in this and ages before, is, the singling out the proper∣ties
of a true faith, and sending a beleever for his assurance most thither, in himself; which caused the beleevers of former ages, to walk in bondage, though with the spirit of adoption; and to make up their assurance much like the beleevers under the Law, from their obedience and repentance, and humiliation in themselves, Christ being much in the dark to them, and little seen then. And much of the same dark∣nesse covers this age we live in, who are very dark in that mystery of glory which Paul speaks on in beleevers, as sorrowing, and yet alwayes rejoycing, as dying, and yet behold we live, as having nothing, and yet posses∣sing all things.
But I pray, what temptation had you con∣cerning your not beleeving?
Answ. I thought I was one of those that could not beleeve, and that I being such a sinner, it was not for me to beleeve.
Quest. For your being one of those that could not beleeve, I shall speak to it in these Questions.
1. Is there any exception against you in par∣ticular, in the whole Book of God? As to say, you, such a one, or such a one, cannot beleeve, you have no right to Christ?
2. Can the counsels of God, concerning the vessels of wrath be known? Can any say I am not elected, seeing his wisdom is unsearch∣able, and his wayes past finding out?
3. Are not some called at the eleventh hour of the day?
1. The thief upon the Crosse at the hour of his death?
Is not this Satans temptation then to per∣swade you to conclude any thing for your con∣demnation before hand?
2. For your other doubt of being such a sinner, and therefore not daring to beleeve, I shall put these Questions to you.
1. Do not they that would beleeve, onely if their sins were lesse or lesse hainous, beleeve rather upon some ground in themselves, then Gods command?
2. Do not the promises belong to sinners as sinners?
Answ. Yea; but as repentant sinners.
Quest. What were the Churches of the Corinthi∣ans, Ephesians, Colossians; and what was Paul before Christ came to him? Were they sinners or qualified? And what were all that beleeved, before they beleeved?
Answ. They were sinners.
Quest. Came not the promise to Adam, even then when he was dead in sin?
Answ. Yea.
Quest. Whether were not you in their condition or no, that is, a sinner, according to your own apprehension?
Answ. Yea.
Quest. Whether are not you then as free for Christ to come to, as they were?
Answ. Yea.
Quest. Whether are not the promises as free, and open to you, as to them: You being all alike sinners, and Gods will being revealed no more for ones election then anothers, no more for their election then yours?
Answ. Yea.
Quest. Whether are any promises made to any in
Christ, or out of Christ, onely in themselves? Is not Christ the onely qualified person for all promises? And so through Christ derived upon all his, we being said to be compleat in him; Doth not all fulnesse dwell in him, and all receive of his fulnesse? And are not all the promises in him, Yea and Amen?
These Conclusions then I shall draw forth.
1. Election and condemnation being secret things, belong to the Lord; and were not re∣vealed in the Word to the end to hinder any from beleeving; for that were against Gods goodnesse and mercy revealed; and they that make such use of them, serve not the Lords ends, but Satans; for such an end is against the sweet simplicity of the Gospel of Christ.
2. The onely ground for any to beleeve, is the Word or Promise, not any thing more or lesse in themselves. This is the Commandment that ye beleeve on the Son of God.
3. The promises of Christ are held forth to sinners as sinners, not as repenting sinners or humble sinners, as any condition in us upon which we should chalenge Christ; for then it is no more of grace, but of works. Now we are freely justified by his grace.
4. What ever promise there is, which hath any condition in it, it is ours in him, that is in Christ, who was the onely conditioned and qualified person for all promises, all being in him Yea and Amen; and all being compleat in him who is the fulnesse.
HAving thus far dis∣coursed occasion∣ally upon these Temptations, I shall adde a few Observations more for clearing the way of Salvation a little further, and then I shall open the several wayes of Revelation that the Mystery of Godlinesse hath been received in, and in what seekings, and in what degrees Free-grace hath been enquired for in this present age.
GOD hath revealed himself under several notions and names, and orders of work∣ing to man; and in them we are to rest, and not to form up Meditations be∣yond them; for beyond them is infinite∣nesse, and glory, and we may sooner be dazled then discern any thing of God or the workings in himself. There lie the depthes of the wisdom of God, and the unsearchablenesse of his wayes; and who can know the minde of the Lord? or who hath been his counsel∣lour?
God then that he might make himself out to the creature, first reveals himself in
goodnesse, and makes man according to some∣thing in himself; so as there is more Image of a God in him, then in any other thing below: For God said let us make man in our Image after our likenesse, Gen. 1.26. And herein is the goodnesse of God, that he gives any being to any thing but himself, and any glorious being to man, more then to any other; For what is man that he regardeth him, or the son of man that he visiteth him? He hath made him a little lower then the An∣gels, and crowned him with glory, Psal. 8.
Man being thus created, must know him∣self to be but man, and a creature; and therefore hath a law given out to live by, & to order his obedience to him that made him: But man being made meerly by the will of God, is made onely to continue by the same will, and not unchangeably good; that the creature might consider the glory he had, not to be his own, but onely at the pleasure of him that made him; which will and pleasure was revealed in the law of the Tree of life, and executed upon the obedi∣ence and disobedience in the creature or man to this law: And now man sins and diso∣beyes, and by this is brought to see the power of him that created him, who in this
beginning of things revealed himself onely in glory, power, and dominion, to the world, and in no other form or notion to the crea∣tures he made but of Lord, or Creator, or Law-giver.
I finde there was infinite wisdom of God appeared in the suffering the fall and dis∣obedience of man; for by this, the creature came to see and acknowledge it self under the power of a law, and in subjection, and dependency to him that created it: So as the glory of God was much advantaged by such a change; which if the creature had never experienced, could not have been so evident nor clear: And hence it is, that the Angels or spirits of an higher order fell too, as well as man; so as by this, the power of God was made known to the creature, and the crea∣tures subjection or dependency upon God, to it self: This change running through the order of the whole Creation, Rom. 8.
The creature being thus brought by it self under a change of condition, God raises him∣self advantages and glory from hence, to make out himself before the creatures in his power, will, mercy, love, &c. that the world may know him more, and know that there is yet an infinitenesse in him not to be known;
and all our knowledge is bounded in those things which he hath made out for himself to be known by.
To the time of sinning then, or the first disobedience, the Lord revealed himself only in glory and goodnesse; his glory was in the creating and commanding; his goodnesse in giving any thing a created being or subsist∣ence for obeying and laying out his Image or resemblance upon one creature above all the rest, and making man to have dominion under him, yet for him, over the Crea∣tion.
But man now failing under the power and curse of a law, God reveals himself in mercy, and in a notion of compassion and pitty, and seeks out man who was now a sinner, and brings to him the tydings of something in a promise; which though it might be dark to him, who was now in the region and shadow of death, yet God made it something clearer by his dealings and carri∣age towards him, making coats for him, and cloathing him, and taking care for him; and so holding forth something of compas∣sion towards him; yet mingling it so with the curse and change in the creation, and his condition, that he might live as well under
the anguish of the curse, as the power and comfort of the promise: And how much of Christ Adam knew, how much the first Adam knew of the second, is not revealed, not much surely; for this time and that un¦der the law, was the time of the hiding of this Mystery in promises and sacrifices, and the keeping it secret till that which was called the Fulnesse of time was come, and Christ was manifest in the flesh.
WE find the Scriptures set forth God in a notion of Free-grace; and there∣fore we must so order our apprehensions and conceptions of God, that we may know him in his Free-grace, as well as in his Love, and look on him and consider him in this order of working. God first and more properly, had mercy upon man faln and under the curse; and he is called a God shewing mercies, and great in mercy, and rich in mercy, and plenteous in mercy, abundant in mercy, and
father of mercies, and the Lord God merciful and gracious: So as sinful man, who by the power of sin and the curse, was under con∣demnation (for death entered by sin,) yet by a power more infinite then that of sin and the curse, was raised up to be the subject of this mercy, and that onely thing about which this free-grace or mercy was exercised: And thus light was wrought out of darknesse, and good out of evil. And now a work of redemption, more glorious then that of crea∣tion, is beginning to the world; and Gods work of mercy is exceeding the work of his power, and yet infinitenesse in both; for God himself was to become a creature, or the son of man in this second work, which he was not in the first. And thus we see how this change in the creature makes only way and liberty for the fulnesse of God to work out to the sons of men, as well in a work of redemption as creation; and saving those that were made, as well as making them; yet this work of redemption was carried at first in a Mystery, rather of mercy then love; for there was little but a promise of the wo∣mans seed revealed; so as here was rather mercy appearing as yet then love, and a remedy propounded to man for sin, by that
time the sin was committed, to shew that God was never an enemy, though man was. And so much of Gods good will onely re∣vealed, as man might rather conceive him∣self not destroyed then saved, and rather not damned then redeemed; And that in the Pro∣phet, sets forth God rather at first in mercy and compassion to us, None eye pittied thee, to have compassion of thee; when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee Live, Ezek. 16.6. And the Apostle cals us vessels of mercy, that he might make known the riches of his glory on his vessels of mercy. Rom. 9.23. So as in this manner of revealing the infinite work of Salvation, we may be better satisfied, then by going out into the glory of Gods counsels, where we may lose our selves rather in the ful∣nesse of Truth then finde any. So as thus God hath drawn out things more to our rea¦son; for how can we think God who is infinitely pure, whose eyes are purer the•• to behold iniquity, can love a sinner as a sinner? All love is from something amiable in the thing loved; But what is there in man faln, and corrupted, for God to love or delight in, to make his delight with the sons of men; where is the comelinesse? There∣fore
God must from m••er grace more proper∣ly then love, order some righteousnesse or new glory for man; in which, he may beau∣tifie, adorn, and love him. And this is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ, in which we are said to be chosen and predestinated to the adoption of sons. Thus God in free-grace had mercy on us, and gave Christ for us; and in him we are made capable of the love of God, and ••ccepted in the beloved, Ephes. 1.6. and not as some, that man was elected before Christ, the body before the head, and Christ for man, as shall appear more fully in an∣other place.
THe Scriptures reveal to us a pure God, a just God, a perfect Law, the first man sinning, a Law broken, a Curse entering, mercy working in a promise of life, a way of salva∣tion
darkly discovered, Jesus Christ this way, this Jesus Christ given for sinners, and yet purchasing sinners; all this wrought in time, and yet a predestination and election of grace before all time, God loving us and giving Christ for us, and yet loving us in the same Christ. These things are thus brought forth in the Word, and the Spirit of God can onely guide us into safe constructions of the my∣stery thus revealed, and how to draw the work of Redemption into such order, that sin & death by the first man may appear, and righteousnesse and life by the second, and something of the counsels of God concerning both, before either was brought forth to the world; and yet but something, and not all.
I finde, before sin and righteousnesse did thus appear in the world, that God is said to predestinate, and elect, and chuse us. I finde that all this work, thus wrought in time, yet is said to be present before God in all time; and therefore he is called the Lamb slain so long ago; and we are called chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid.
So as all I can finde out of this glorious mystery, which is made up of such con∣trary wayes, and workings, of sin, and
grace, justice, and mercy, an old Adam and a new, and predestination or election of grace, will onely amount to this; That man sin∣ned, God had mercy, and gave his Son, which was God with him from everlasting, to be that for man, and in man, which he could not be in himself, righteousnesse and true holinesse: And thus man becomes a new creature to God again, not in himself, but in another.
God still is the same, but man was not; nor is God the lesse unchangeable because of some several carriages or distributions of the same work about man; mans falling, and redemption in Christ; mans sin and Christs suffering, may be said to be but the love of God ordering man to the praise of his free-grace through several conditions, of innocency, sin, and righteousnesse.
Yet this I finde further, that the main and glorious work of Redemption, was that full and final work, ordered by God the Father with himself. So as mans sin was onely serviceable to this, and was but for the bringing about of this, though not decreed of God, but occasioned by man. God fore-knowing the changeablenesse of his creature, and so working by that, not taking any
new counsels upon this change in man which he took not before, but ordering this to that salvation he had ever ordained; nor is the revealing of Gods predestination or election in Christ, so much to let us see into the order of his Counsels (for who hath known the minde of the Lord) as to set up God in the glory of his power, will, and wisdom, before our eyes, that we may not look at any thing as happening from its own causes, and to order us from conceiving any change in God, as if our sin and Christs suffering had wrought any alteration in him, either to enmity or love.
If you would know this Mystery with∣out confusion, & yet in admiration, know that all this work of free-grace, and mans salvation in Jesus Christ, was ever the same with God, who calleth things that are not, as if they were; and mans sinning, and Gods revealing Christ in promises, and in the flesh, and in the Gospel, is, That the creature may partake of it; and whereas there is a work of sin, of time, of persons, of order, of Scripture-notions, of manifestation; These are but so many several ways by which the work of grace, love, sin, Christ, and salva∣tion, is finished in the things themselves.
and all these several parcels of Law, Gospel, Sin, Righteousnesse, Free-grace, Election, &c. go to the making up this Body of Christ the Elect; the law could not have been wanting, for then there had been no transgression; and sin could not, for then there had been no free-grace; and righteous∣nesse could not, for then there had been no redemption; and free-grace could not, for then there had been no mercy; and election could not, for then there had been no ever∣lastingnesse of purpose of God. So as this one infinite work of salvation is manifested in many parts to us, who could neither en∣joy it, nor know it otherwise, not in that fulnesse nor infinitenesse as it is in God. And these many parts make up that one work of our Redemption in Jesus Christ; nor can we know any thing of it but thus in parts, not in the whole or glorious intirenesse of it, We know but in part.
THere are certain Scriptures which contain the Mystery; yet in the letter of them, hold it forth under a divers notion or word.
1. God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son, &c. Joh. 3.16. with other Scriptures of this kinde, as 1 Joh. 4.9, 10. &c.
2. Of the other sort are these Scriptures, God hath chosen us in him before the founda∣tions of the world, Ephes. 1.4.
God hath saved us according to his own pur∣pose and grace, which was given to us through Jesus Christ, before the world was, 2 Tim. 1.5. with other Scriptures of this kinde.
Now these words say, that God loved us, and gave Christ, and that he loved us in Christ. And these may be both true, accord∣ing to the manifestation of this mystery to us; for one Scripture contains not all of this mystery of Gods love to sinners. Some
holds forth onely so much of it, as to make power and will in it appear; some, so much of it as to make free-grace appear in it; some, so much of it as to make love appear in it; some, so much of it as to make pre∣destination and election appear in it; some, so much of it as to make Jesus Christ ap∣pear as the Lamb slain before the world for sinners; some, so much as to make Jesus Christ crucified in time for sinners; some, so much as to make Gods love appear in giving Christ; some, so much as to make Christs love appear in giving himself; some, so much as to make Gods love appear compleat to us in Christ; some, so much as to make Jesus Christ appear the Son of God; some, so much as to make him appear a son of man, and a saviour of men; some, so much as to make him appear to die for all, and for the world; and some, so much as to make this all, and this world such onely as were his before the world, and onely all such as he had loved and chosen.
And thus is the Mystery opened to the sons of men in each part of Scriptures, which like so many several Stars give out their beams and light for the manifestation of this Mystery of godlinesse, God manifested in the flesh.
Now we must be sure in our conceptions and notions concerning this redemption, that we raise not up nor form any thing to comprehend this mystery which God him∣self would not fold up in any single word or notion, there being so many discoveries and appearances of God; who though he be but one simple, pure, glorious essence, yet his creature man cannot behold him so, but as in so many scattered parts and beams of glory. Man cannot take God nor the myste¦ry of God in, but by way of parts and se∣veral kindes of excellency, and so view him in one thing with another, and so in Jesus Christ.
So as when we would consider the work of salvation in and by Jesus Christ, we must take heed of straitning it into any such thing as the effect of Gods love onely, lest something be left out by our narrow conception, whereby the mystery is but in part represented; and the other parts of the work have no room, by which, though we may know more of one part, yet we may know lesse of another; like one who pump∣ing water through a narrow pipe, fils not his vessel, while another that works through a larger, filleth his: And indeed, the not
taking in Scripture notions in their spiritual extent and variety, but going out into some one notion more then another, which a∣grees better with some principle in us, may make us rather opinionated then spiritually wise.
But in the work of salvation, we must consider Jesus Christ as he is revealed with∣out his incarnation, before his incarnation, & in it; without it he is revealed to be the Word of God, the Wisdom of God, God with God, &c. Before it, he is revealed to be the seed of the woman; the Promise, the Elect, the Cove∣nant, the Angel of the Covenant, &c. In the Incarnation, he is revealed to be Emma∣nuel, or God with us, Jesus, Christ, the Re∣deemer, the Mediator, the Priest, the Propi∣tiation, the Son, and the Son of man, &c.
Now these several notions will direct us, & order us to a Scripture-revelation of this Mystery; for when we read of this Son of God, under the names or notions last spoken of, as the Son, or Jesus, or Redeemer: Then we are to consider of this work of Re∣demption in the flesh manifested, and amongst us; and then consider what part of the work comes under that notion.
And when we read of his other names,
we are to consider what part of the mystery fals under those, either without incarnation, or flesh, and so he was one with the father, &c. or else before incarnation, and so he was in the time of the Law of ceremonies and types; and from all these we may safe∣ly draw this:
That the Son of God, as Jesus and Christ, and so manifested in the flesh, was sent out, and given as it were of God; foretold and figured before he was given, ever with God, being God himself, & everlastingly present, both as God, and as God and man in the election of grace, being the elect in whom we are chosen, and whose body we are.
These notions of God as the Word, and as Jesus, Christ, and Redeemer, and Mediator, is but the drawing forth the Mystery of Redemption in its several parts and degrees: And all this is true, that God loved us, and gave Christ, and we were chosen in Christ, and he was the Lamb slain, both before the world in purpose, and in the world accord∣ing to this purpose; nor are we to con∣sider Gods love to us without Christ, nor Gods love to us before Christ, nor ourselves out of Christ, in whom we are chosen; But rather thus, God loved us in Christ, and
yet gave Christ: And all this is true in the way and order of manifestation, beyond which we cannot see; nor can we in a Scripture-way consider any act of grace from God but in the Son, there being no way of Ʋnion and Communion with God for man, but by him who is both God and man.
WHereever there is any appearance of God in mercy, or grace, or love, there is Gospel; and whereever there is any Gospel, there are such expressions and ap∣pearances of God: As in the old Testa∣ment we finde him under these names, the Lord thy God, the Lord, the Lord merciful, and gracious, long suffering, and of much goodnesse: A Lord passing by the transgression of his people, loving His freely, counting them the Apple of his eye, the signet upon his hand, his Jewels, his Vineyard, his Children.
And in the new Testament, where God ap∣peared in the fulnesse of love, there he is called a father of mercies; and his grace, free-grace; and his love, a love manifested, and unsearchable.
And thus the soul is to look on him, and consider him in grace, not in glory; in love, not in righteousnesse: And this is that which will draw on the soul to have communion with him. We have onely to do with him now in the Gospel-appearances and expressi∣ons. In our first man Adam we had to do with him onely in a way of subjection and righteousnesse; But now in our second Adam, in a way of sonship, or adoption, and free-grace.
GOd makes no Covenant properly under the Gospel as he did at first; but his Covenant now is rather all of it a Promise. Man is not restored in such a way of Cove∣nant
and condition as he was lost, but more freely, and more by grace and mercy; and yet God covenants too, but it is not with man onely, but with him that was God and man, even Jesus Christ; he is both the Co∣venant, and the Messenger or Mediator of the Covenant. God agreed to save man, but this agreement was with Christ, and all the conditions were on his part: He stood for us, and articled with God for us, and per∣formed the conditions for life and glory; and yet because we are so concerned in it, it is called A Covenant made with us, I will make a new Covenant with them; and yet that it may not be thought a Covenant onely with us, as the first was, it is called a new Covenant, and a better Covenant; and Christ is called the Mediator of it. And lest we should think some conditions were on our parts, as in the first, it is added, I will write my Law in their hearts, I will put my spirit within them: So as in this new Covenant, God is our God of free-grace and righteousnesse on his part, not for any con∣ditional righteousnesse on ours; yet in Scrip∣ture it is called still a Covenant, because God is our God still in a way of righteous∣nesse, though of Redemption too, and of con∣dition
too; yet not on ours, but on Christs part for us; and yet it is a Covenant with us, because we are Christs, 1 Cor. 3.
GOD takes us into Covenant, not upon any condition in us before; he brings with him Christ, and in him all the condi∣tions, and makes us as he would have us; not for the Covenant, but in it, or under it; we are not his people before he be our God first. I will make a new Covenant with thee, I will be thy God, and thou shalt be my people. I will write my Law in your hearts, and put my spirit within you, Heb. 8.10. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.
WHile we are out of Covenant with God, we are in our own judgement and others, under the curse for any breach of law or disobedience: But when we are once under grace revealed, we are ever under grace, and no more under the Law: The Law can only tell a beleever he sins, but not tax him for any. We are not under the law, but under grace. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? Who shall condemn? It is Christ that died. Rom. 8.33.
A Soul is then properly, actually, or expresly in Covenant with God, when God hath come to it in the promise, and
then when it feels it self under the power of the promise, it begins onely to know it is in Covenant; and yet to yeeld and obey, as if it were but to enter into that Covenant which God hath made with it in Christ, before it could do any thing; so as they that beleeve, do rather feel themselves in that Covenant which God hath made with them without any thing in themselves either faith or repentance, &c.
A Person justified or in Covenant, is as pure in the sight of God as the righte∣ousnesse of Christ can make him, (though not so in his own eyes, that there may be work for faith) because God sees His onely in Christ, not in themselves; and if they were not in such a perfect righteousnesse, they could not be loved of him, because his eyes are purer then to behold iniquity, or to love a sinner as a sinner.
NO sins can make God who loves for ever & unchangeably, love us lesse; and yet a beleever will grieve for sin, because it grieves the Spirit of his God; and though he know sin cannot now separate from God, yet because it once separated, he hates it; and because it separates still; though not from God, yet from Communion with God, grieving the holy Spirit of God.
CHRIST in the flesh was God himself▪ who that he might reveal his love to us, made us partakers of the divine nature by fashioning our nature for his own glory to live in, and by being both God and man amongst us and for us; and herein is the mystery of reconciliation: None but the
nature of God could reconcile God, and no nature but mans that had sinned could pro∣perly suffer for man; therefore there is one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
CHRIST was love, mercy, and riches of free-grace manifested in the flesh, and in our nature, that they might slow out more abundantly upon our nature, on the vessels of mercy, chosen in this Christ before the foundations of the world.
CHRISTS love must needs exceed all the love of the children of men; for he was the very love of God clothed in flesh and blood. This is he that was red in his apparel, as he that treadeth in the wine-presse.
CHRIST came into the world, that he might do what we could not do to the fulfilling of the Law, and suffer what we could not suffer for the breach of the Law.
CHRIST standing now as a Person be∣twixt God and the children of men, takes in the fulnesse of righteousnesse and sin from both natures; righteousnesse from God, and sin from men, whereby all the sins of his people are fully done away by the infinite glory of that righteousnesse, both from him∣self and us.
CHRIST is the second Adam, in whom all are made alive, as all in the first A∣dam were dead; but not so as if all who were dead in the first Adam, were made a∣live in the second; but as the first Adam was the person in whom all that are dead did die, so Christ is the second Adam in whom all that are alive do live; for Christ is the common nature of the living mankinde who live un∣to righteousnesse, as Adam was the common nature of the dead mankinde who die unto unrighteousnesse: For as by one mans disobe∣dience many were made sinners, so by the obe∣dience of one many are made righteous: God hath concluded all under sin, That the pro∣mises by faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that beleeve, Gal. 3.22.
THe love of Christ exceeded in this, that he gave himself to die for us when we were enemies to him, and crucified him our selves, who came to be crucified for us; and could neither love him, nor pitty him for what he did; For while we were as yet sin∣ners, Christ died for us; and greater love then this hath no man. This is the mystery that man could not live in Christ, till he had kil∣led Christ first: And thus he was wounded in the house of his friends. O all ye that passe by the way, behold and consider if ever there were mystery like unto this mystery.
THe blood of Christ was not the blood of man onely, but the blood of the Son of God, and therefore it was a price for sin: the very power of the Godhead as it were bleeding for sin; by which it is called, The
Redemption of his blood, and the blood of the Son of GOD.
THe Blood of CHRIST powred out, wrought greater compassion in GOD towards men (I speak as a man) then the sufferings of all the men in the world could do, because he being begotten of GOD himself, and the expresse Image of his person, though he could not suffer being so infinite a glory, yet because that person suffered which was GOD and man, or the Son of GOD in man, the Father in an unspeakable way beheld the travel of his soul and was satisfied.
CHRISTS Garment which he was de∣scribed in by the Prophets under the Law, is of a colour to set forth love and suffering under the Gospel; for this is he that came from Bozra with his garments died red.
THe comelinesse of Christ in the Gospel is a most desireable comelinesse for the sons of men to love; it is the glory of the onely begotten Son of God, full of grace, the ••weetest object for those in misery to de∣light in. This is that beloved which is more then another beloved.
CHRIST hath both the form and power of love in him, and therefore it is that his Spouse, or His, behold him as white and ruddy, and the fairest amongst ten thousands; white in the glory of his Godhead, and ruddy in the sufferings of his Manhood; and be∣cause of his sweet oyntments or powrings out of spirit, the Virgins follow him; for his hands drop myrrhe upon the soul, even spiri∣tual graces upon the handles of the Lock.
CHRIST will be known to His by no other names but names of love and grace, a Lover, a Bridegroom, a Physitian, a Saviour, an Emmanuel, or God with us, an onely begotten Son of God, the brightnesse of his glory, a merciful and faithful high Priest, a Sacrifice for sin, a Mediator, an Advocate for sin, a Beloved; and he brings a soul to the banquetting house of spiritual things, and his banner over it is love.
CHRIST having adorned his in the riches of his righteousnesse, looks on them and loves them in his own glory, so as they both love one another; Christ and His, delight in one another, Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes, with one chain of thy neck, saith Christ; and
saith the Spouse, My beloved is the fairest a∣mongst ten thousands.
THe love of Christ is more now in Heaven towards us, by how much more the love of God is gloriously shed abroad within him, yet his nature is the same; for he is no lesse man, nor more God then he was; but more excellently God and man, even the man Christ Jesus.
THe Gospel is Christ himself and love re∣vealed, or the Word of God in the Word, or the glad tydings of what he hath done and suffered for sinners, and over whom he hath conquered, being Captain of our salva∣tion, having spoiled principalities and powers, making a shew of them openly, and triumphing over them, Col. 1.15. It is the ministery of
life and peace, and glory, or God speaking to men from Heaven, and intreating them to be∣leeve, that he was born of the seed of David, suffered, died, and rose again for their justifi∣cation; and that they are sitting together with him in heavenly places.
THe whole businesse of Christ as it was begun in love, and brought forth in love unto the world, and all the actings and workings of it from Gods being in Christ, to Christs sitting at the right hand of God, are but a Gospel or Story of unspeakable love revealed to the world; so, the carrying on of all yet, is in love; man in this Gospel is only to be perswaded of such love in love, and sweetly tempted and drawn to love again in the ministery of the Gospel; and the Spirit of love and adoption is shed abroad by the Gospel in the souls of men, to reconcile them who are otherwise enemies in their mindes by wicked works, and to make them love
him, who never was an enemy to them in Jesus Christ, in whom they were chosen, though the mystery is revealed to us under a particoloured work of sin and grace.
THe Spirit of Christ sets a beleever as fr••e from Hell, the Law, and bondage here on Earth, as if he were in Heaven; nor wants he any thing to make him so, but to make him beleeve that he is so; for Satan, sin, sinful flesh, and the Law, are all so neer, and about him in this life, that he cannot so walk by sight, or in the clear apprehension of it; but the just do live by faith, and faith is the evidence of things not seen.
THere is no sin to be committed, which Christ did not pay down the price of his Blood for upon the Crosse; making peace
through the blood of his Crosse; and yet a be∣leever will sin as tenderly, as if all his sins were to pay for yet; knowing that he is not redeemed to sin, but from sin; not that he may sin, but that sinning he may not suffer for sin; Christ is risen for our justification.
CHRIST in the Gospel cals out of Hea∣ven to sinners by that very name, and tels them he hath salvation for them if they will beleeve him. Nor doth he stand upon what sins, lesse or more, greater or smaller; so as none can say they are not called on, and proffered salvation, be they never so sinful.
A Beleever hath a twofold condition; (yet as a beleever but one) in Christ, in himself; yet he ought ever to consider him∣self
in Christ by faith, not in himself; in Christ he hath perfectly obeyed the whole Law, perfectly suffered and satisfied for all his sins to the Justice of God, and in Christ is perfectly just and righteous; and there∣fore it is said that our life is hid with Christ in God, and we are raised up with Christ, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, even already; but in himself there is a body of lust, corruption, and sin; and there is a Law revealing sin, accusing, and condemning; So as if a beleever live one∣ly by sense, reason, and experience of himself, and as he lives to men, he lives both under the power and feeling of sin and the Law; but if he live by faith in Christ, beleeving in the life, righteousnesse, obedience, satisfacti∣on, and glory of him, he lives out of the power of all condemnation, and unrighteous∣nesse. And thus a beleever is blessed onely in a righteousnesse without, not within; and all his assurance, confidence, comforts, are to flow into him through a channel of faith, not of works, beleeving himself happy for what another, even Christ, hath done for him, not what he hath done or can do for himself.
ALL the ground of a beleevers righte∣ousnesse and salvation, and exemption from the Law, sin, and the curse, is from the nature, office, and transaction or work of Christ, and Gods accounting, or imputing; Christ stood clothed in our nature, betwixt God and man, and in that with all the sins of beleevers upon him, God having laid on him the iniquities of us all: In his Office he obeyed, suffered, satisfied, and offered up him∣self, and now sits as a Mediator to perpetu∣ate or make his sacrifice, obedience, suffer∣ing, and righteousnesse everlasting; and thus bringing in everlasting righteousnesse: And God he accounts, reckons or imputes all that is done in our nature, as done by us, calling things that are not, as if they were; and in his person, as in our person: And thus he is made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him.
A Beleever in all his dealings with God, either by Prayer, or other way of drawing neer, is to state, and consider him∣self thus in Christ in the first place, and to put on the relation of Sonship and Righte∣ousnesse, and to look at or consider sins no otherwise in himself then as debts paid and cancelled by the blood of Christ; and by this all bondages, fears, and doubtings are re∣moved, and his Spirit is free; For the Son hath made him free: And now he comes in the spirit of adoption, and calls God Father; and here begins all faith, hope, confidence, love, liberty, when as others dare not be∣leeve themselves in such a condition till upon terms of humiliation, sorrow for sin, works of righteousnesse, they have as they think, a reasonable measure, price, or satis∣faction to come with, and then begin to be∣leeve, hope, and be confident: And thus in
way of compounding and bargaining with God, deal with him at all occasions; but such submit not to the righteousnesse of God, and the free-gift of justification by grace, and give not glory to God: For they that be∣leeve upon something first in themselves, shall as they have kindled a fire, lie down in the sparks of their own kindling, and have no∣thing in Christ, because they will not have all in him; for we must either have all in him, or nothing: And though some will have all in Christ for salvation, yet they will have something in themselves to be∣leeve their interest in this salvation; and though this be not to reject Christ for righ∣teousnesse, yet it is to reject his free-promise or Word of assurance for this righteousnesse, and rather to be perswaded upon sight then faith, and sense then promise, and something in our selves them in himself.
THe Gospel is both a perfect law of life and righteousnesse, of grace and truth; and therefore I wonder at any that should contend for the ministery of the Law or Ten Commandments under Moses, which is of lesse glory then that which is now revealed and exceeds in glory; and should strive for a Law without the Gospel, which is in the Gospel; Nor is the holinesse and sanctification now such as is fashioned by the Law or outward Commandment, but by the preaching of faith, by which the Spirit is given, which renews and sanctifies a be∣leever, and makes him the very Law of Commandments in himself, and his heart the very two Tables of Moses: And though the Law be a beam of Christ in substance and matter, yet we are not to live by the light of one beam now when the Sun of righte∣ousnesse is risen himself; that was a sitter
light for those who lived in the region and shaddow of death: And it is with the Law now or light of righteousnesse, as it was with the light in the Creation, when that which was scattered, was gathered into one body of light: So Christ now being reveal∣ed, holinesse and righteousnesse, as well as grace and love, is revealed in him, and ga∣thered up in him. And what need we light up a Candle for the children of the day to see by? What, is there any striving for a stream in the channel, when the fountain is open? Nor doth it become the glory of Christ revealed, to be beholding to any of the light upon Moses face. The word is now made flesh, and dwels amongst us, and we be∣hold his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son, full of truth as well as grace.
GOspel-Commandments and Legal Commandments, do not commandin the same power, in the same manner, or to the same end; The Law commands us to
obey, to love, to fear, to be holy, that God may be our God, & we his people; the Go∣spel commands us to obey, & love, because we are the people of such a God; The Law commands us in the power of God as a Law∣giver, and Tutor, or Minister; the Gospel in the power of a Father; the Law commands by promises and threatnings, blessings and cursings; the Gospel perswades rather then commands, and rather by promises; and ex∣horts rather then bids, and reasons us to duty rather then enforces, and rather draws us then drives us; and by setting forth pro∣mises, and priviledges, and prerogatives, and works done on Gods part, and Christs part for us, and in love, rather argues us into do∣ing & working, & loving reflections again; and Christ is chiefly propounded, both for holinesse and obedience, for mortification and newnesse of life: So as the Gospel commands us rather by patern then precept, and by imi∣tation then command, Heb. 12.1, 2, 3.
Nor to the same End. The end of the Law was to bondage, fear, tutorship, re∣vealing of sin, outward obedience and con∣formity: The end of Gospel-laws is to love, newnesse of spirit, praise and thanks∣giving for righteousnesse, and life received,
and testimony to our righteousnesse received in Christ. Having these promises, let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit, Rom. And thus, Christs yoke is easie, and his burden light, and his Commandments are not grievous; for they are Commandments that carry life and power, & quicken to that duty they command, like the Sun who warmeth us in the very shining upon us; and we work, and walk and live under the Go∣spel, as being saved already, and redeemed, and bringing, forth the power of this re∣demption and salvation, though the spirit of adoption, freely working to the praise of that free-grace, and freely obeying for such free redemption, and doing every thing in love, because of the love shed abroad in our hearts; and neither taking in judgements, nor hell, or damnation; nay, nor Heaven, nor glory, to force on the work, or quicken the duty; but doing all from the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, except when corruption or temptation hinders the free∣nesse and spiritualnesse in the duty.
THere is doctrine of holinesse in the Go∣spel, as well as grace & love; and there are commands for obedience, as well as tydings of forgivenesse: The grace of God that bring∣eth salvation, hath appeared to all, Teaching us, that denying ungodlinesse, &c. we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, Tit. 2.12. And this kinde of Gospel is such in the re∣velation of it, as fits both God and man: God the Father may be seen in commanding holinesse, and the Spirit in forming the holi∣nesse commanded, and the Son in redeeming us to holinesse, even to the will both of the father and the spirit. And this Gospel fits man, who is made up both of flesh & spirit, and so hath need of a law without, and in the letter, as well as in the heart and spirit; The Law is spiritual, but we are carnal, Rom. 7. Nor can such a state of flesh and spirit, be ordered by a law onely within; for the Word and Law of the spirit meerly is for a spiritual condition or estate of glory, as Angels,
who onely live by a law spiritual, or word of Revelation: But our estate here being partly carnal, must needs be ordered yet in part by the Law of a carnal Commandment; and yet this Law is not such as it was be∣fore, a meer Law in the letter, but it is now under the Gospel a law of life, spirit, and glory; it is a Law in the hand of Christ, and with the promises of Christ about it to make it spiritual indeed. And this is according to the just, wise, and righteous distribution which God hath made to our divers estate of flesh and spirit, by dealing out to us both the word and spirit, the letter and life. There∣fore the Word is called Scriptures given by inspiration, and is profitable for doctrine, &c. 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. And the Spirit is cal∣led the anointing, and teacheth all things, 1 Joh. 2.27. And I will put my Law in their mindes, Heb. 8.10.11. And the comforter whom I will send, he shall teach you, Joh. 14.26. 1 Thes. 4.9. Acts 2.17.
Thus, whatever doctrine of holinesse is in the new Testament, we are to receive it, be∣cause it is now the doctrine of him who is the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Lord as well as Jesus Christ, and one who commands as well as saves: Nor is there any Covenant of
works in such kinde of obedience: Life is given us to make us obey, but not for obey∣ing.
THe Covenant that is called the new Co∣venant that God makes with his now under the Gospel, is all on his own part, without any thing on mans; he makes him∣self ours, and makes us his; all is of his own doing; though a Covenant in the strict legal common sense, is upon certain articles of a∣greement and conditions on both sides to be performed: Thus stood the old Covenant, there was life promised on condition of obedi∣ence; and so in covenants and contracts be∣twixt man and man, but now there is a Covenant or rather promise in Jesus Christ, who is called the Mediator, or Mannager of the Covenant, in which God gives him∣self freely in Christ, to be the God of a poor sinner; Christ undertaking all, both with the father and the soul; such a kinde of
covenant was established with Noah, Gen. 9.11. Behold I establish my covenant, &c. nothing required on mans part: This is cal∣led a new Covenant; for it is clear against the strain of the old, wherein man was to have his life upon condition; yet it were good, that we did not rest too much in the notion of a covenant; nor is it the way of a covenant that the Gospel uses, but ra∣ther the promise, or grace, or salvation; for the Spirit uses the word Covenant onely by way of allusion; and because the soul being under the power of the spirit, doth it self contract and covenant with God to obey, though God gives no life in such a way of a covenant or obedience. And I observe, that the usage of this word hath a little cor∣rupted some in their notion of free-grace, & makes them conceive a little too legally of it: And I conceive, that the Doctrine of it in Heb. 8.10, &c. I will write my law, &c. And I will take away your stony heart, &c. And put a new spirit within you, Jer. 31.31. Hezek. 36.26. doth clear it to be onely promise and grace, and free-love to a sinner; for if any thing were to be done for life or salvation, we should darken the glory of free-grace, and make it a promise neither
wholly of grace, nor wholly of works. And if it be of grace, it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace, Rom. 11.6. Nor is this promise of salvation given to sinners as sinners, barely, simply, and singly; nor as qualified or conditioned; not to sinners as sinners, for God can onely love in Christ; nor as qualified and conditioned; for so life should be purchased by us rather then for us; so as we are onely sinners in our own and others judgements, but truely loved in Christ when the promise comes. And thus the Scripture cals us ungodly, and sinners, and children of wrath: Not that we are so, but seem so; or not so in Gods account, but the worlds: So as here is ground enough for any to offer salvation to the veriest sinners, and for the veriest sinners to receive; for God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed to us the word of reconciliati∣on, 2 Cor. 5.19.
THe surest knowledge that any one hath that they have received the promise, is, the closing of their heart with Christ; the real receiving and beleeving; the relying and going out of the heart upon Christ; The just shall live by faith, Rom. 1.17. We walk by faith, and not by sight. This was the assu∣rance the Father of the faithful had, who staggered not at the promise, but gave glory to God: Yet this assurance is such, as the soul cannot be content with onely; there is something in man beside faith to be satisfied; reason will have more light to see by; and therefore the working of the spirit in new obedience, and love, and repentance, and self-denial, are such glimmerings as the soul may be refreshed by, though not strengthned by, and comforted by, though not supported by: Works though they cannot assure by them∣selves, yet raised up by faith, may with it cheer up the soul; if we beleeve more of
those works then we see or feel, and so strengthen them by faith, they may be like the tokens and change of raiment by which Jacob was perswaded that Joseph was alive; by these we may be better perswaded that we live, and live in Christ: Therefore the soul being a reasonable and discoursive spirit, is much satisfied in such a way, when the Spirit of God helps it to reason, and draw conclusions, as thus,
The Word sayes, Whosoever beleeves, shall not perish.
But, I beleeve, saith the Soul; and therefore according to this Word, shall not perish.
The Word sayes, To beleeve, is to receive, or put confidence in, or trust, as in John 1.12.
But, I receive Jesus Christ for mine, I trust in him for salvation; therefore I be∣leeve.
The Word sayes, Repentance, love, self-denial, obedience to the Will of God, are all the fruits of the spirit; but these are in me; I can repent and love, and deny my self, and obey.
The Word sayes, That we are compleat in Christ, and righteous in Christ; but when I repent, or love, or obey, I beleeve I am in
Christ; and therefore, my love, and repent∣ance, and obedience is such as I may beleeve, though not in themselves, yet in him to be good and spiritual.
And thus a beleever may beleeve for assu∣rance, and yet reason for assurance; and some other questions a beleever may put to his own spirit, and draw it out into more conclusions for beleeving; Am I Christs, or my own? If I be Christs, do I walk with Christ? And live to Christ? And obey Christ? Do I delight in Christ, and those that are Christs? Or do I live to my self? to my lust? To my profit, or credit? To others or the world?
THe ministration of the Gospel exceeds in glory; for now under the ministery of Jesus Christ himself, the heavenly things themselves are brought forth; the free-love of God in Jesus Christ, and the free-love of Jesus Christ himself, all the powrings out of
spirit, and the full discoveries of love, were reserved for Christs own day; the Kingdom of God, the righteousnesse, the justification, the forgivenesse of sins, the spirit of comfort, the glorious liberty of peace, and joy unspeak∣able, are the glory of Christ come in the flesh, the treasures that went with his own person; they under the Law saw this day but afar off, they saw but the blood of bulls and goats, and grace and peace afar off: but blessed are our eyes, for we see; and our ears, for we hear that which many Kings & right∣eous men have desired; we see the Son of God bleeding himself, and are under a more spi∣ritual sprinkling then they; they were un∣der a fleshly purifying; they were as children and servants that were not at age, & so had neither the use, nor freedom of the heavenly inheritance; they were subject to death and bondage; we are delivered to serve him with∣out fear; they were kept under the school-mastership of the Law; we (now the fulnesse of time is come) enjoy the pretious liberty of the sons of God; the light which they lived in before, was glorious compared with the darknesse the Nations lived in even under a region and shadow of death; but it was dark∣nesse compared with the light of the Go∣sp••l;
now light covers the earth, and it is not such an enlightening as that of mount Sinai to bondage and fear, a light with smoak in it, and thunder in it, or a light with types and terrour in it; but a more clear, com∣fortable, and soul-refreshing light; the beams of Christ now shine with grace and love up∣on the souls of his people, like the Sun in the Spring-time, in whose light there goes a vertue which causes the earth to spring and blossom: so do the souls of the Saints under the Sun of righteousnesse now; grace, mercy, and salvation is in the light thereof; and love, joy, peace, with all the fruits of the spirit do appear.
So as Gospel-times, have the substance and body of Christ, and all that is Christs; the Gospel-ministery hath the flowings of the spirit Act. 2.17, 18. Joh. 16.17. hath power and life in it, to change the soul from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 5. Joh. 5.25. hath spiritual freedom to set souls at liberty from death and the curse; & ever∣lasting righteousnesse is brought in, Dan. 9. and the fulnesse of age is come, so as the se∣verity of the Law, the Schoolmaster, hath done whipping us; we are now under grace, Gal. 4.5, 6. the Gospel-ministery
hath Jesus Christ himself, no signe of him, no type of him; here is no sacrifice now, no Moses now, but the very Son of God, and with him a whole change of the Priest∣hood and Ordinances; now no more Priests to reconcile God, but God reconciled, and Ministers of reconciliation; the Ordinances, few, clear, and spiritual, and the ministery free and large; no more to Jew onely, but to Jew and Gentile, even to the world. God so loveth the world now, that whosoever be∣leeveth, shall have life, Isai. 54.1.
THough the Gospel tels of glorious things, yet they that overlook, this glory may soon see little of it; for in the word, there is but a little noise: A sad story of one crucified, dead, and risen; all the out-side is but mean; the ministery onely a plain busi∣nesse of tydings, or the foolishnesse of Preach∣ing, 1 Cor. 1.18. The other wayes of it, plain and homely, some water for Baptism,
a little bread and wine for food. The meanest and poorest most commonly for followers and friends of it; not many noble, nor many mighty, 1 Cor. 1. The Ministers of it, or preachers and publishers of it, but homely; What is Paul or Apollo's, but Ministers by whom we beleeve? 1 Cor. 2.5.
The House of God, or family, or Church; some poor ones called Saints in fellowship; the Officers but few and plain, Pastors, Dea∣cons, Elders; the Laws, some bare words of entreaty, as well as command; all, both Word, Ministery, Officers, with all the doings and administrations that concern Christ, all suited to a poor crucified, dying Jesus, to a state of humiliation: And thus, all so mean, as to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishnesse, 1 Cor. 1.23.
Thus the Gospel looks on the worldly side of it, Thus Christ neither striving, nor cry∣ing, nor any one hearing his voice in the streets. Matth. 18.19, 20. Thus is the work of sal∣vation carried in a mystery: This is the wisdom of God in a mystery, 1 Cor. 2.7, 8. And yet great is this mystery of godlinesse.
First, In Jesus Christ himself, though he look like the Carpenters Son, yet he is the onely begotten Son of God, full of grace and
truth: The brightnesse of his glory, and ex∣presse image of his person, John 1.14. Heb. 1.2.
The Word it self or Scriptures, though a Word or Book like a common writing, yet it is a Word of truth, The power of God unto salvation, Rom. 1.16.
The Ministery, though but a little plain teaching, yet mighty to save, to cast down high imaginations, to reconcile; and the Mini∣sters of it, Stewards of the Mysteries of God, Ambassadours in Christs stead; their feet beautiful, with glad tydings to sinners, 2 Cor. 47. 2 Cor. 5.20.
The people of God, or friends of this Gospel, though counted the off-scouring of the world; yet a spirit of glory resteth on them, 1 Pet. 4.14. As dying, and yet behold they live; as sorrowful, and yet alwayes re∣joycing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things, 2 Cor. 6.10, 11.
The Kingdom of God, though a thing not seen, yet righteousnesse, peace, and joy, Rom. 14.17.
THe Gospel is formed up of exhortations and perswasions. We beseech you to be reconciled, &c. And suffer a word of exhor∣tation, &c. And of conditional promises &c. As, Whosoever beleeveth shall not perish, &c. Of threatnings, as, he that beleeveth not is condemned, &c. Of Commandments; If ye love me, keep my Commandments, &c.
Now this Gospel thus fashioned, is on purpose for the better dispensing of it to the souls of his people, that his divine and spiri∣tual things might be more naturally con∣veyed, in a notional and natural way; as the Key is made fit to the Wards of the Lock. And this is the end rather of this Gospel fashion, then any supposed free-will in man as some imagine; for the Gospel is offered not upon freedom of will in any; but that those who are made to receive it, should be wrought on in a way as neer to their own condition and nature or reason, as can be;
for none are converted against their will, but their will is spiritually changed, and so they are made willing in the day of his power. God doth not break up the hearts of his peo∣ple, but doth open them, and stands and knocks. Lydia's heart was opened; and he stands at the door and knocks, Revel. This is the Gospel-way of his enterance; He doth not strive nor cry, nor doth any one hear his voice in the streets; He doth not force in himself, nor any thing of his into the soul, but brings in spiritual things so naturally as they cannot, nay, will not resist.
THe promises are but words of Gods in∣gaging himself to man freely, and of grace; and as his promises are of grace, so his performances are in faithfulnesse: And in these promises, the love of the Father, Son, and Spirit, are conveyed, and the trea∣sures and riches of salvation to sinners. And thus in this life, all is passed over upon Word to us, and for our beleeving this Word, and taking in the things of Jesus Christ thus
upon Gods bare ingagement; he hath bound himself freely to give all hereafter, and yet all is of free-gift too, things freely given to us: And in this time of our waiting, and beleeving, and relying, we have one earnest, even a spiritual and glorious earnest, given to us here; even the holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance; though some promises speak of conditions, as of faith and repentance, &c. Yet they are onely ours upon this condition that they were Christs before; for in him all the promises are Yea and Amen.
The promises that God makes thus in Christ are free, and being made in Christ are more free; for Christ is all that to God that we should be unto him; and we are in Christ so as Christ takes away all discou∣ragements and excuses in any that dare not beleeve them to be theirs; and therefore, The spirit and the bride say, come, and whose∣ever will let him come, and take of the waters of life freely, Revel. 22.
BEfore Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and offered up himself, God offered him be∣forehand in Types and Sacrifices of blood, &c. and the whole Ministery was a Priest∣hood, so as the Priesthood and Sacrifices of the Law did set forth and shadow Christ in way of offering, or sacrifice, to God the Father; and therefore God under that dis∣pensation, did appear rather under a condi∣tion of reconciliation then reconciled, though all were saved then actually in the same Christ who was to suffer: But how much of this salvation they knew, is a question; it is very likely, and something clear from the Word, That God was very sparing in that time of the discoveries of himself in Christ; and they rather saw him in his glory above then below; and possessed the inheritance of the Redemption, rather then the Ministration or Gospel of it.
God appearing thus, the whole ministery of the Law was taken in as agreeable to this manner or patern; and the Law of Commandments revealed on Mount Sinai, did help to the form of this ministery, and made sin appear and abound more; for which, such sacrifices were prepared. And thus the whole frame of the old Testament, was a draught of Gods anger at sin; the Law revealing sin, and Jesus Christ offering for sin: And so God in this time of the Law, appeared onely as it were upon terms and conditions of reconciliation; and all the worship then, and acts of worship then, as of prayer, fasting, repentance, &c. went all this way, and according to God under that appearance; and every thing of worship seemed to bring something of peace and a∣tonement in relation to the great atonement to come by Jesus Christ: And in this strain runs all the Ministery of the Prophets too, in their exhortations to duties & worship; as if God were to be appeased and entreated, and reconciled, and his love to be had in the way of purchase by duty, and doing, and worshipping; so as under the Law, the effi∣cacy and power was put as it were wholly upon the duty and obedience performed;
as if God upon the doing of such things, was to be brought into terms of peace, mer∣cy, and forgivenesse; so as their course then, and the service then, was as it were a work∣ing for life and reconciliation.
But now under the new Testament, God appears in Christ, & reconciliation is finish∣ed; peace is made by the blood of his Crosse; and now the Ministery of the new Testa∣ment, is not a Priesthood of any more offer∣ing Christ to God in sacrifice, but of offering and tendering the tydings of a fully reconciled God in Christ to man, and of a sacrifice al∣ready accepted for sin; so as now there are no Priests, but Ministers, or Stewards, or Ambassadours for dealing out, and dispensing the love of God to man, and for publishing the glad tydings of peace; so as all worship now, and spiritual obedience, is to run in the way of this dispensation; not for procuring love or peace from God, nor for pacifying; but for love procured, and peace purchased by Jesus Christ.
If these things thus stated, were more fully & spiritually opened, there would be more Gospel-teaching and obeying; for mans obedience towards God is not so notionally, nor orderly carried, nor so purely as the
Gospel calls for, but they run in a legal strain, and would work God down into his old and former way of revealing himself as under the Law, when he seemed to be onely in the way to reconciliation and peace, rather then pacified; and thus in prayer, and fasting, and other acts of obedience they deal with God as they did under the old Testa∣ment, not considering the glorious love re∣vealed in Christ crucified, and how all Go∣spel-Ordinances are onely wayes and means for God to reveal this love and grace by the spirit of adoption, not any wayes and means of ours for getting some love from God which Christ himself hath not gotten for us.
THey that have received the word of re∣conciliation, are in a very pretious, and comfortable and peaceable condition: they are lovers of God and Christ, they are no more such enemies in their mindes by wicked works, they oppose not the will of God as they did, they resist not the Word of the Gospel,
they sleight not the communion of the spirit of God; they are tender of any thing that is Gods; they count not any thing their own for God; he shall be welcome to all; if he call for their credit, he shall have it; they know they have a spirit of glory resting on them; if he call for their possessions, they leave father, and mother, and brethren, and sisters, and lands, for his Names sake; they know these are not to be compared to the glo∣ry which shall be revealed, and they shall have an hundred fold in this life; if he call for their life, he shall have it; they know, he that will lose his life for his sake, shall finde it.
And being thus reconciled to God, they are friends with every thing of his; every Gospel-Mystery they know they receive; and every thing of his they know not, they wait till he reveal even this unto them: and though they do not receive it, because they know it not yet to come from God, yet they do not reject it, because it comes in the likenesse of his Word, lest they be found fighters against God, and crucifie the Lord of glory in ignorance, like the Jews.
And being thus reconciled to God, they are lovers of all his; they love the brethren;
and if there be a naked disciple, they cloath him; if an hungry disciple, they feed him; if an imprisoned disciple, they visit him: I was naked, and ye cloathed me, &c.
And being thus reconciled, they behold God reconciled to them too; they are now in the way of his love; for now God freely communicates with them, and meets them in Christ; he shines on them in the face of Je∣sus Christ.
Now God and the soul thus reconciled, are in a full enjoyment of each other, as the husband and the spouse, the father and the son; there is no parting rights and pro∣priety; God hath not any thing in Christ, in Heaven, or Earth, but it is theirs: all things are yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods, and every thing of theirs is his.
WEak beleevers are like melancholy people, who think things far other∣wise
then they truely are; right smoaking flax where there is more smoak then light, more ignorance then true discerning.
The fears they are in, are of this kinde:
1. They cannot be perswaded their sins are pardoned indeed; they would, and they would not beleeve it; they cannot, from the spirit that is in them, but close with Christ, and clasp about him for salvation; yet then they are not sure they have him; they may be deceived they think in that.
2. If Faith carry them on to beleeve a little more or better of their condition; yet the pride of some sins will not down with them: some of their sins which they have made their darlings more then others, and cherished themselves in, Oh, these they think are either too great, or too often com∣mitted to be all forgiven, and at once. The remainders of these sins lie like dregs in the bottom, and their conscience cannot be satis∣fied that God hath fully pardoned.
3. They look not upon God in the pure simplicity of his Word, and promise; but they suspect and are jealous God hath some rec∣koning still behind, because they are sin∣ful, and God is purer then to behold iniquity; and they cannot beleeve that God can bear
with all those corruptions and transgres∣sions in them.
4. They think, though God may be re∣conciled with them and love them at some∣times, (for they (poor souls) onely rec∣kon the seasons of the spirits comforting and breathing for the times of forgivenesse;) yet God may be provoked again, and angry again for new sins and failings: and then they are as much troubled how to come at any peace again as they were before: and then it must be onely another Sunshine of the like comfort must warm them into peace and beleeving.
5. They cannot perswade themselves how they can sin as they do daily, but that they are accountable for all the breaches; and so set up new scores of sins in their con∣sciences, and keep reckoning for God, and disquiet themselves in vain.
6. They think every affliction or trouble that befals them, is a punishment for some sin they have committed, and they look on them as messengers of wrath from God, sent upon them in judgement, as if God were satisfying himself upon them, and powring out some wrath to appease his Justice for such sins.
7. They mistake the Gospel in the do∣ctrine of it; and every Scripture that threatens for sin, they interpret to belong to them, because they have committed that sin.
In a word, these are the fears summed up:
1. They are, and they are not perswaded their sins are pardoned.
2. They are perswaded some sins are par∣doned, but not some others which they have most sinned in.
3. They fear still God doth not intend them such grace as he profers and speaks; and suspect the Gospel.
4. They think if God do pardon them, yet they may provoke him again soon after.
5. They suppose they cannot sin as they do, and not be accountable; and they can∣not but be sinners in Gods sight as well as their own.
6. They think afflictions are sent upon them for their sins; and they cannot con∣sider God in them but as angry, and so help the afflictions to afflict them.
7. They interpret every curse in the Law and new Testament for sin, their own, if it be against their sin.
FIrst, We are commanded to beleeve forgivenesse of sins in Jesus Christ throughly, and not in part; Through his Name whosoever beleeves in him, shall re∣ceive remission of sins, Act. 10.43.
2. We are to consider that one sin can∣not be forgiven but all is forgiven: Jesus Christ hath done away all sins, For this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sate down on the right hand of God. Heb. 10.12.
3. We are to beleeve God in the plain∣nesse and simplicity he speaks in, in Gospel-promises, and words of grace even to our souls, as if he spoke out to us by name from Heaven, He that beleeveth not God, hath made him a lyer, because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son. 1 Joh. 5.10.
4. We must know, God is not as man, that he should be angry, and pleased, as we carry our selves: I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse, and their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more. Heb. 8.12. I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. v. 10.
5. We must remember our sins are no more ours, but Christs; and his righteous∣nesse is ours: God reckons and accounts us as one now: so though we sin, yet every sin was accounted for in him; and now, there is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ. Rom. 8.1.
6. And for afflictions, though they come in with sin, and for sin, and are the wages of sin; yet to the righteous, and beleevers, they are no judgements for sin; for every thing of Justice against sin was spent upon Christ: so as to us they are onely trials: Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Jam. 1.2.
They are chastenings of love to prevent sin, As many as I love I rebuke and chasten. Revel. 3.19,
They are in a word, a divers way or dispensation of love and grace; love work∣ing by that which is evil in it self: We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Rom. 8.28.
7. We are to consider that though the Scriptures do often set forth the righteous∣nesse
of God against sin, and his justice a∣gainst sin; yet that unrighteousnesse being sa∣tisfied by Jesus Christ, it hath no power against those that are in Christ; no more then the pursuer had to do with the mur∣derer in the City of Refuge: For sin shall not have dominion over you, Rom. 6.14. Ye are not under the Law, but under Grace.
THere is much mistake in the businesse of conversion or regeneration. For while it is lookt upon meerly as a change in affe∣ction, or conversation, there is much deceit∣fulnesse; there are means which can work that, and yet that shall be no spiritual work neither; the pressing things legal, and as meer commands from the Word, may; there is something of the Law in the heart be∣forehand and by nature to side with the Commandments in the Word, and so to work something within as well as without; and so there may be an obedience or conformity of the spirit of man, and yet no spiritual obedi∣ence nor conformity.
2. There are Gospel-terrours as well as legal, as Hell and Hell-fire, and the worm that never dies, and condemnation, and Jesus Christ Judge of quick and dead, &c. All these in the Word carry such an Image of wrath, as they work fear and passions, &c. which force on the soul to reform, and yet but to a form of godlinesse, not to the power.
3. There are certain ends nature pro∣pounds to it self for conforming, as life eter∣nal, &c. and reputation, and men-pleasing; there are exhortations, perswasions of preack∣ers, or friends, or acquaintance; there is edu∣cation; there is examples of judgement upon sinners, godly society, &c. All these carry in them a power to make men do something, and but something in the way of Religion.
All these being of an operative and work∣ing nature, may bring forth a thing like con∣version; which indeed is but a restraint at best, or a more purely natural condition: Nature is of it self excellent, and if not originally corrupted, more excellent. We see how temperate, meek, just, wise, liberal, mer∣ciful many have been; and amongst Papists, how self-denying, contemplative, divinely practical, and morally excelling; and a∣mongst
Formalists in Religion, how severe, strict, professing and practising in Religious duties. So as the way for pure conversion, and to be spiritually renewed, is by Jesus Christ: He that hath the Son hath life: Faith and not works quicken us.
WHen they put something of satis∣faction towards God, upon any thing they do, upon any performance, or obedience, as if God were prevailed with by any thing of their own.
When they take in Christ for a Mediator but by the way, not resting wholly on him, and in him; but as it were to make up all sure with God, they look rather on the by upon his intercession.
When they are in bondage to some out∣ward circumstances of worship, as time, or place, or persons, that they cannot pray but at such hours, or in such places, &c.
When they do things meerly as commanded
from the power of an outward command∣ment or precept in the Word, that brings forth but a legal, or at best but a mixt obedi∣ence, and service of something a finer hypo∣crisie.
When they do because of some Vow, or Covenant they have made, &c. it is more properly the service of the old Testament, and part of their bondage; for wanting the power and fulnesse of the Spirit of adoption to work them to obedience freely from with∣in, they were under the power of outward principles to put them on from without.
When they come to God in any act of worship, as prayer, &c. as to a Creator ra∣ther then a Father; and as a God rather then a God in Christ, they put themselves under such an infinite glory, purity, and justice, as they can neither have accesse with Faith nor boldnesse.
When they take any outward thing to move them, rather then apply to Christ for strength, life, and spirit; for the more any motion or obedience is caused from things without, the more forced and unnatural is all such obedience, and the lesse from a spiri∣tual power within.
When they measure their forgivenesse by
their sin and sanctification, and can beleeve no more then they have peace for; and that peace upon something of their own per∣formed, and not from beleeving on him who hath performed all. God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound minde, 2 Tim. 1.8. or of a minde not corrupted with any of these.
THere are certain principles by which some are religious, which carry them off much from the Gospel-way of obedi∣ence.
1. Men naturally think it impossible that they should be accepted of God, and justified, and do nothing themselves for it, and in it; Hereupon flesh and blood can hardly be brought off to beleeve forgivenesse of sins, nakedly and freely for nothing in them∣selves.
But to take a way this, consider that for∣givenesse of sins is of a meer grace, and mercy,
and gift. By grace ye are saved; it is the gift of God, Eph. 2.8. and through Jesus Christ; through the Redemption of his blood, Rom. 3.24. As a Prince raises up a beggar, and Pharaoh's daughter brought up Moses; so are we raised up freely, and in mercy.
2. Men think that whatsoever they per∣form in obedience to God, that God cannot but approve it, because they themselves ap∣prove it for good; hereupon men come to look on themselves as doing something for life and salvation.
But to take off men from any such self-love and opinion in the work os salvation; consider there is sin in every thing they do. 1 John 1 8. If we say we have no sin, we de∣ceive our selves: And there is none righteous, no, not one, Rom. 3.10. Neither doth God judge as man judgeth. God seeth not as man seeth; man looketh on the outward appearance, but God beholdeth the heart, 1 Sam. 16.7. God hath ballances to weigh thy actions; and to be laid in the ballance, they are altogether lighter then vanity, Psal. 62.9.
3. Men naturally think it impossible to be damned for good works, and serving God in a mans own fashion; and surely none are condemned simply for good, but as that good
is evil in some kinde or degree; and here∣upon men raise up hopes and comforts to themselves from such a course of life as they live in with God. Thus from some∣thing they fansie good in their own way, and from something they fansie in God of mercy and forgivenesse to sinners, upon this they venture themselves.
But to take away this, consider though God be merciful, yet he is onely merciful of his own fashion, not of ours, not in the way we may corruptly think him: Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self, Psal. 50.21. Gods love, and grace have wayes and fashions of their own they move in; and if we be not in their way, we shall not receive of his fulnesse: The Jews were very zealous after God, yet not in Gods fashion, but went about to establish their own righteousnesse. The Papist is a fol∣lower after God; and the legal, formal, poor ignorant Protestant, runs in a course of obe∣dience and serving God; yet it is not in Gods way of righteousnesse; and so they misse of ••alvation for not seeking it purely in Christ their righteousnesse.
THe Apostle hath a pretious doctrine, and it is this, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of which I am chief, 1 Tim. 1.15. As if he should say, doth any of your hearts tell ye you are sinners? Let not that be any ground at all to keep you from Christ, let not any despaire because of that; I my self was thus and thus, a blasphemer, a persecutor; nay, as if that were not enough, I was the chief of sinners, or the sinner in chief; the grand and supreme sinner, as if there could not well have been a greater; and I (says he) obtain∣ed mercy. So as here the Spirit hath laid in answers to the objecting or doubting soul.
If the soul should object, If I were not such a sinner as I am, I could beleeve; the Spirit answers, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners: As if he should say, to save even just such as thou art.
If the soul should object further; but there is not such a sinner as I am; the Spirit answers, yea: But here is one greater then thou; here is the chief of all sinners, the Prince of sinners obtaining mercy, of which I am the chief.
So as none can be such a sinner to whom Christ, and the blood of Christ, may not be tendered and offered; and that upon these grounds.
1. From the order of Gods decree, he loved us, and gave Christ for us when we were sinners. God commendeth his love to∣wards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom. 5.8. God so loved the world, that he gave his onely begotten Son, John 3.
2. The offering the Gospel and Jesus Christ to a sinner as a sinner, is but the bring∣ing out this glorious love of God in time and dispensation; it is but the offering that love which God loved them with from everlasting: Neither is it any more to offer Christ to a sinner, then to manifest God in his first love, when he gave Christ for sin∣ners in his own decree.
3. It exalteth grace more, and sheweth as a gift indeed; what can be more of grace,
then that Jesus Christ should receive a sinner. one who hath no money nor price, no works nor righteousnesse to bring for him.
4. It is the right lifting up Jesus Christ as Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wilder∣nesse; not for the healed to look upon, but the stung and wounded.
5. It leaves men without all excuse, and brings the greater condemnation; for when Christ is brought home to the very soul, and the blood offered at every ones door for re∣ceiving, then there can be no objecting; Lord, had I been thus and thus fit and pre∣pared, then I should have received thee; but I was a foul sinner at that very time, so and so guilty. O, will the Lord answer, I come therefore to pardon thee, and to wash thee in my blood, because thou wert so foul; and that is no excuse.
6. It is most agreeable to the Gospel-way of dispensation, and Christs own preaching, The whole need not a Physitian, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
7. All that ever received Christ in the Gospel, received him in a sinful condition; the many beleeving Jews in the sin of cruci∣fying Christ; all the Churches of Corinth,
Ephesus, and Colosse, Such were some of you, but ye are washed, &c. And ye were sometimes darknesse, but are now light in the Lord, Ephes. 5. Ye who were dead in trespasses and sins; and were enemies in your mindes by wicked works, yet now hath he quickned, Co∣loss. 1.
So as to offer Jesus Christ to sinners as sinners, is but
1. To offer him in time, as God gave him before all time; God gave him to us because we were sinners, and now he is but offered as he was given.
2. There is more of grace in it to offer him to a sinner as a sinner, that where sin hath abounded, grace may abound much more.
3. There is a clearer lifting up Christ as Moses, for the wounded to look on as well as the whole.
4. Men are left without excuse, because when he is held out to sinners as sinners, all are in a condition for him; sin and a saviour are most suteable.
5. It is as Christ himself did, who both calls sinners, and converses with sinners; with Mary Magdalen an harlot, and with the Publicans, and with the woman of
Samaria, who lived in uncleannesse when the pure Messiah preached himself to her.
6. It is as all that ever received him, both in Jerusalem, Corinth, Ephesus, &c. who had they not been foul, had never been washed; had they not been darknesse, had never been light in the Lord.
But you will tell me of conditions in the Gospel, of faith, and repentance, &c. and certain legal preparations before Christ should be offered and brought to the soul.
Yea; but that ye may not be puzzled as many are.
In the Gospel-way or dispensation, faith and repentance is to be preached, but Jesus Christ still with it. Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ: And you are not to consider re∣pentance from beleeving, nor beleeving from repentance, nor either from Jesus Christ, nor Jesus Christ without them; and yet neither of them as bringing in Christ to the soul, but Christ bringing in them, and working them more and more in the soul, and that upon these grounds.
1. Christ is not ours by any act of our own but Gods, God imputing and account∣ing: To make Christ ours, is an Almighty work, & not the work of any thing created;
So as Christ is ours without faith, by a power more glorious and infinite; but we cannot here know him to be ours but by beleeving; nor partake of him as ours but by beleev∣ing.
2. If faith should give us our interest in Christ, then as our faith increases, our inter∣est should increase, and we should be more and more justified and forgiven, which none allow, calling these other acts of faith faith of assurance, and acts of manifestation; and if faith be thus in its other degrees of work∣ing, why not in its first? It is the evidence of things unseen, Heb. 11.
3. If Christ should be ours by faith in this sense, then when faith ceases, shall we cease to be justified. Shall faith begin our interest here, and not be able to continue it hereafter?
4. Can a sinner be too foul for a Saviour, and too wounded for a Physitian to heal, and too filthy for a fountain opened to wash?
5. He that offers Christ, offers all the conditions in him, both of faith and repent∣ance; For Christ is exalted to give repent∣ance, &c. And faith is called the faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.
6. It is no more to offer Jesus Christ, then any grace of Christs or gift of Christs to a sinner; for a sinner is as unprepared and unfit for the one as the other, equally in sin and pollution to both.
7. This spiritual work is a new creation; and so works of preparation are not so pro∣per in that: We are (saith the Apostle) his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, Ephes. 2.10.
And now, why shall any servant of Christ refuse to give out that blood of his Masters which runs so freely to sinners? And any sinner refuse to receive it, because their vessels are not clean enough for it, when it is such a blood as makes the vessels clean for it self?
JEsus Christ, and forgivenesse of sins in his Name, and redemption through his blood, is the first and onely thing held forth in the
Gospel to sinners; the other Mystery of righteousnesse, is revealed to beleevers; for∣givenesse of sins is first taught, that they may beleeve; and the other glorious Mysteries are taught, that they may know what they do beleeve: they are first to see Gods love, and afterwards his glory: Jesus Christ cru∣cified is the best story for sinners, and Jesus Christ exalted for Saints; and therefore it is that in all the Apostles Sermons, the story of blood, and redemption, was first preached; and when they did beleeve that, then they wrote Epistles and Revelations of greater things unto them, so as they spake of Christ onely to make them beleeve, and wrote to them of him when they did beleeve.
Salvation is not made any puzzeling work in the Gospel; it is plainly, easily, and simply revealed; Jesus Christ was crucified for sinners; this is salvation, we need go no further; the work of salvation is past, and finished; sins are blotted out; sinners are justified by him that rose for justification. And now if you ask me what you must do to be saved, I answer, Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. All that is to be done in the work of salvation, is to beleeve there is such a work, and that
Christ died for thee, amongst all those other sinners he died for.
To beleeve now, is the onely work of the Gospel; This is the work that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent. Joh. 6.29. This is the Commandment, that ye beleeve on his Son Jesus Christ. 1 Joh. 3.23. That is, that ye be perswaded of such a thing, that Christ was crucified for sins, and for your sins; and we are called on to beleeve, because they onely that can beleeve, are justified; By him all that beleeve are justified. Act. 13.39.
So as salvation is not a businesse of our working, and doing; it was done by Christ, with the Father; sin, and Satan, and Hell, were all triumphed over by Christ himself openly for us; and all our work is no work of salvation, but in salvation; in the sal∣vation we have by Christ, we receive all, not doing any thing that we may receive more, but doing because we receive so much, and because we are saved: therefore we work not that we may be saved, and yet we are to work as much as if we were to be saved by what we do; because we should do as much for what is done already for us and to our hands, as if we were to receive it for what we did our selves.
This is short work, Beleeve and be saved; and yet this is the onely Gospel-work and way. Christ tels ye in few words, and his Apostle in as few; As Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wildernesse, so must the Son of man be lift up; That whosoever be∣leeves on him should have life, Joh. 6. Paul tels you, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend unto Heaven? That is to bring Christ from above. Or who shall descend into the deep? That is to bring up Christ from the dead. But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, the Word of Faith which we preach. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, Rom. 10.6, 7, 8 9, &c.
So as here is but looking up on Jesus Christ, and salvation is in thy soul; and be∣leeving with thy heart, and thou art saved; thou wert saved by Christ before, but now in thy self.
There are yet these grounds why salva∣tion is so soon done.
1. Because it was done before by Christ, but not beleeved on before by thee till now.
2. Because it is the Gospel-way of dis∣pensation, to assure and passe over salvation in Christ to any that will beleve it.
3. There needs no more on our sides, to work or warrant salvation to us, but to be perswaded that Jesus Christ died for us, be∣cause Christ hath suffered, and God is satis∣fied. Now suffering and satisfaction is that great work of salvation.
4. Because they, and they onely are justi∣fied, who can beleeve: Righteousnesse is revealed from faith to faith; and all that beleeve are justified, Rom. 1.17. Acts 13.39.
5. That it may be by grace, and not of works. Being justified freely by his grace, Rom. 3.24.
THere is not any thing of Jesus Christ, but it should be matter for a Beleevers faith to be exercised in, from his divine
nature to his incarnation, and so to his exal∣tation; that they may be able to comprehend with all Saints, the height, and depth, and bredth of the love of God; for God was in∣finitely influencing into every passage of his birth, his growing up, his infancy, his circumcision, his baptism, his preaching, his praying, his temptations, his fasting, his obedience to the whole Law, his sufferings, his reproaches, his poverty, his humiliation, his bloody sweating, his judgement and Judges, his condemnation, his crucifying, his peircing, his nailing, his drinking Vina∣gar and Gall, his strong cryes and tears, his crown of thorns, his blood flowing out from his feet, hands, and side, his giving up the ghost, his death, burial, resurrection, ascen∣sion, exaltation, and sitting on the right hand of God, his Priesthood, Mediation, Inter∣cession, Dominion: There is infinite vertue in all these, and the Gospel is made up of these; in these are those unsearchable riches of grace, love, and Redemption. These are to be the subjects of every Beleevers meditation, and he is to seek into the spiritual extent of these, and deepnesse of these: Out of these he is to draw strength, power, love, holinesse, spiritualnesse, regeneration, mortification,
new obedience, faith, repentance, humiliation, meeknesse, temperance, &c. Christ and every thing of Christ, is to be matter for him, and meditation for him. These are those mini∣sterial and instrumental means of grace and life to sinners; not an historical or tra∣gical use of these, but a beleeving use, a re∣lying, resting, comforting, spiritualizing use: These were all but parcels of the work of redemption, but parts of the whole; and to all these, there is an infinite depth of sin and temptations opposed; And therefore the more we are improving our selves in these things of Christ, the more spiritual and in∣finitely provided shall we be against the other: It is not enough to look on Jesus Christ in his single person glorified and ex∣alted, but to study every part and parcel, and passage of Jesus Christ: And thus to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified.
FRee-grace is conveyed to us under several notions in these times; and I shall in few words gather up the conceptions, intending a larger draught of it hereafter.
The first way of Free-grace, free with∣out all condition of Grace. THe first and purest conceive of the Mystery thus:
That God the Father for manifestation of his mercy and love, purposed some to glory whom he loved freely, and gave his Son to be a way to them 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 and righteousnesse, knowing that th•• ••ould fall under sin and condemnation in the first Adam (where he might justly have left them, as the rest, in their blood and pollution) had it not been
for that free-grace in himself; and therefore that Son is called the second Adam or quick∣ning spirit, and this mystery of salvation is free, infinitely free; the Father loving freely, and giving his Son; the Son loving freely, and giving himself freely; and the spirit working from them both freely for the manifestation of this salvation in the souls of his elect, and through the ministery of a free Gospel, even to sinners as sinners, and children of wrath in themselves.
A second way of Free-grace, free onely with conditions.THe second sort hold, which is called the Reformed opinion, and is the more general:
That God did freely decree or purpose some to salvation in Christ, through the inter∣vening and instrumental assistance of faith, &c. And that none are actually justified, nor partakers of this free salvation but by faith; and the Go•••••••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ministery of con∣ditions or qualificatio•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this salvation: And this I call a Decr••e with Graces.
A third way of Free-grace, free onely upon condition. THe third sort hold, That God did freely purpose some to salvation, and there∣fore gave Jesus Christ, but it was onely to those whom he foresaw through the help of a Gospel-ministery and other spiritual suffi∣ciency would embrace Jesus so given, yea given for all, if all would have embraced him. And this I call a respective Decree for Graces.
A fourth way of Free-grace, free meerly in the extent. THe fourth sort hold, That God pur∣posed some to glory and salvation in Jesus Christ, without respect to any thing but the intervenings of faith. &c. and gave this Jesus Christ to die for all, not that all should have sa••••••••••on by him, but onely the elect who are onely made to beleeve; and that the Gospel-ministery reveals such a kinde of general Redemption; otherwise the
Gospel could not justly be tendred to all; nor any be condemned for not beleeving, nor unbeleeving be any sin.
This last I shall onely speak on.
This is in part the general point, and it is answered thus:
Some do it by a way of interpreting the general Scriptures; as these of Gods loving the world, &c. Interpreting the world in opposition to Jews, and by that understand∣ing the Gentiles who were called the world. And so of sending Jesus Christ to be a pro∣pitiation not for ours, but the sins of the whole world, &c. Rom. 11.11, 12. And so where ever the word all is, that God will have all saved, &c. they interpret it with restriction to some of all, &c. Matth. 3.5. And so for the general tenders of the Gospel, they interpret that by way of dispensation for the better gathering up the elect from all sorts and places, Matth. 24.31. And so for not beleeving, they say men are not damned for not beleeving simply, but from the condemnation 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••re left under, though their not bele•••••••••• may make their condemnation greater.
Some answer it by shewing forth the con∣tradiction in this of Christ dying for all, and
saving some, that it is as much as Christ died for all, and not for all.
Some answer, by turning it into immor∣tality for all, but not salvation for all.
Some answer, by revealing Gods love, and Jesus Christ as the effect of this love, as it were the instrument and minister of this love; and this love of God going out onely to the elect, for whom Christ is given: This way they conceive takes off general Redem∣ption. But we must take heed of making Christ more instrumental and ministerial then the Father hath made him, and will stand with the honour of the Son, who is the first born of the elect the head of the body: And we must be spiritually wary in distin∣guishing too curiously upon Jesus Christ as Son and Mediator, &c. but onely in a Scripture-way; for Christ is but one, and salvation is one.
Thus far some worthy beleevers go in op∣posing the general point, but we must go a little further in finding out the Mystery of the general point, and meet with it there. Now I humbly conceive the mystery lies onely in a rational way of justice, and Gospel-dispensation, That God will not meer∣ly, and arbitrarily damn any because he will.
So as he hath put every one under a state of Redemption, and power of salvation; and they are damned from their own will, not from Gods: Thus go the deepest and most notional of that way.
And the other part of the mystery which is lowest, and most argued for, in these times, and by most, is onely, that the Gospel can∣not rationally be tendred but upon some such general ground as Christ dying for all.
Thus I have opened, though weakly, the mystery; and the opening it may be enough, and the whole building of the universal Grations, is all upon a rational notion strengthned with some general terms in the Word: Now let them see whether meer Reason is a Principle high enough for a spi∣ritual mystery. And if bringing salvation down upon such a ground, be proportionable to so glorious a work as that of Redemption, besides all the intervenings it hath with free-grace, and free-justification and election of grace, &c.
Now let the Mystery be lookt on in their way, which is this, Christ died for all, else the Gospel cannot be preached to all.
And in the other way, which is this, Christ died onely for his, and it is offered to all,
that his who are amongst this all might be∣leeve; and though he died not for all, yet none are excepted, and yet none accepted but they that beleeve, and none beleeve but they to whom it is given. And in this way of salvation there lies more mystery, which is more sutable to a divine work. Great is the mystery of godlinesse.
And this ground, That none are excepted, is as clear, and spiritually rational for the Gospel to be preached to all, as this ground, That he died for all.
Seeing upon both grounds, Some onely are saved, and not all, and a decree of meer grace and of faith foreseen, do equally imply an impossibility of all to be saved; and therefore why is it so contended for that all are redeemed?
Dr. Preston in his Serm. on the new Coven. Comment. in Galat. 3.5. which he quotes Pag. 347.IF I should onely preach to you the Commandments, &c. I might preach long enough ere you could keep them: Do you receive the Spirit by the preaching of the
Law? No, but by preaching promise of pardon and forgivenesse.
Page 333.2. If a man would desire to change his course to be made a new Creature, the way is not to consider the Commandments what he ought to do; but my beloved, the way is to get assurance that thy sins are pardoned, to consider the Covenant of Grace, Heb. 9.14.
Master Rogers in his Book of the right way to be saved, &c. P. 54.DIvers mistake, and look for something to ground on in themselves, and so are wofully bewildered, and in great per∣plexity: It is as if one should not set a young Tree, but let it lie above the ground till they see what it will bear.
Dr. Sibbs his Book of the excellen∣cy of the Gospel above the Law, Pag. 241.DO ye wonder why the Free-grace of God hath found such enemies, &c. The heart of man is in a frame of enmity against God, and sets it self most against that God will be most glorified in. Let us vindicate nothing so much as grace.
We must live by grace, and die by grace, and stand at the day of judgement by grace; not in our own righteousnesse.
Master Perkins Commentary on the Galathians. P. 157.THe Gospel called by Paul the Promise, offers and gives life freely, without the condition of any work, and requires no∣thing
but the receiving of that which is offered. It may be objected, that the Go∣spel promiseth life upon the condition of our Faith. Answ. The Gospel hath in it no moral condition of any thing to be done of us: Indeed Faith is mentioned after the form and manner of a condition; but in truth, it is the free gift of God as well as life eternal, &c.
Pag. 184. We have all in Christ.Thou must not receive the Promise im∣mediately of God, but Christ must do it for thee; though thou be unworthy, yet there is dignity sufficient and worthinesse enough in him. If thou say that thou must at the least receive the promise at the hand of Christ; I adde further, That he will not quench the smoaking flax, &c. And ou•• salvationg stands in this, not that we know and apprehend him, but that he knows and apprehends us first of all.
Mr. Calvin in his Book of Instituti∣ons, Book 2. chap. 16. P. 167.8.WE must take heed of drawing any part of Salvation but from Christ: If we seek Salvation, let it be in the Name of Jesus Christ; if the Spirit, or any gifts or graces, let us seek them in his Unction; if strength, let us seek it in his power; if purity, in his conception; if mercy, in his nature, which was touched with our in∣firmities; if redemption, in his passion; if forgivenesse, in his condemnation, or being a curse for us; if satisfaction, in his sacri∣fice; if cleansing, in his blood; if mortifi∣cation, in his Sepulcher and death; if new∣nesse of life, in his Resurrection; if immor∣tality, in the same; if an heavenly inheri∣tance, in his entering into Heaven; if all good things, in his Kingdom and Domini∣on here: All treasures are in him, and they who are not content onely with him, shall have no rest anywhere; although too they may look principally at him.
Nor can there be any unbelief, nor doubt∣ings where his fulnesse is thus known.
Calvin quoting Augustine in his Book of Institut. Tract. in Evangel. Jo∣han. 110.2. Chap. 16. P. 106.1.INcomprehensible and unchangeable is the love of God, not that love which we obtain from reconciliation by the Blood of Christ, but wherwith he loved us before the foundations of the world; therefore when it is said, Christ reconciled us, it is not to be understood as if then he begun to love those whom he hated before, but he reconciled us even to that love wherwith he loved us, Rom. 5.8. therefore in a wonderful manner he loved us when it is said he hated us.
Mr. Gattakers Testimony in a late Treatise Gods eye, &c. in Epist. to the Reader. P. 10.THe matter in controversie between us and these men, is not how far forth sin is removed or abolished in Beleevers, or how far forth it is by Justification
abandoned, or in what sense God is said to see or not see sin, or to take notice of it in beleevers and justified persons, &c. As if all these things were granted on both sides.
Note. Men of learning you see and judgement, do not cry out Antinomianism on Free-grace, or free justification, as others do, &c. But acknowledge a consent in all these, &c.
LƲther I could quote, but he is now lookt on by some as one that is both over-quoted, and over-writ Free-grace, and bending himself against works, which was the Popery and Antichristianism of those times. He raised up grace, rather in opposi∣tion (as some think, to whom I dare not so fully agree) to the excesse of works, then to the just advantage of grace; and yet they can allow him in other things. Thus we can pick and chuse from a Reformer what fits to the standerd of our own Light and Reformation, and cast the other by: I shall therefore quote some later.
Mr. Tho. Goodwin in his Book Christ set forth, in Epist. to the Reader. Pag. 1, 2.AN immoderate recourse unto signes, though barely considered as such, is as unwarrantable, when therby we are divert∣ed, & taken off from a more constant actual exercise of daily thoughts of faith towards Christ immediately, as he is set forth to be our righteousnesse, &c. And yet the mindes of many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts, that as the Psalmist sayes of God, Christ is scarce in all their thoughts· But let these consider what a dishonour this must needs be unto Christ, that his trai•• and favourites, our graces, should have a fuller court, and more frequent attendance from our hearts then himself who is the King of glory; and likewise, what a shame also it is for beleevers themselves, who are his Spouse, to look upon their husband no
otherwise but by reflections, and at second hand, through the intervention and assist∣ance of their own graces, as mediators be∣tween him and them.
Now to rectifie this errour, the way is not wholly to reject all use of such eviden∣ces, but to order them, &c.
We are justified in Christs Justification, when he rose. Pag. 202.Christ his Resurrection was the original act of Gods justifying us in Christ, we were virtually justified then in Christ his being justified, as in a common person.
God remembers not our sins. P. 207.As by reason of his Intercession God re∣members not old sins, so likewise he is not provoked by new.
Mr. Bolton in his Book of the true bounds of Christian freedom. P. 74.OThers say we are freed from the Law as given by Moses, and are onely tied to the obedience of it as given by Christ; and
as Christ renews it, and as it comes out of the hand and from the authority of Christ; and we have it immediatly from the hands of Christ. I shall not much dislike this, &c.
Beleevers and God are never at enmity. P. 14.As none of our sins shall condemn us, so none of our sins shall put us into a state of ••ondemnation more; none of our sins shall ever put us under the curse, under wrath again.
God doth not punish Beleevers for sin. P. 14.We are freed from all miseries, afflictions, punishments, which yet are the fruits of sin as they may be conceived to be fruits of wrath or have wrath in them.
Mr. Rogers on the Articles, Art. 13. P. 57.WOrks done before Justification please not God, before men do please; nothing that they do; can please him; hereby the vanity of them is perceived who think before mans justification, his deeds do please God.
Note. What, is faith then to be accounted before Justification, according to this principle?
Mr. Herbert Palmer in his Charact. of a Christian in Paradox, &c. P. 10.HE beleeves the God that hates all sin, to be reconciled to himself, though sinning continually, and never making, nor being able to make him satisfaction.
We are justified though ungodly. P. 11.He beleeves the most just God, &c. To have justified himself though a most ungod∣ly sinner.
We are not saved by any thing we do. P. 58.He knows he shall not be saved by his works, and yet doth all the good works he can.
A beleever sins not. P. 68.He cannot sin, yet he can do nothing without sin.
A beleever beleeves against hope. P. 74.He beleeves like Abraham, in hope against hope.
God freely pardons. P. 12.He beleeves himself freely pardoned.
Beleevers are pure in Gods sight. P. 13.He beleeves himself to be pretious in Gods sight.
Master Tho. Goodwin in his Book of Christ set forth. P. 30.THere are absolute promises made to no conditions, as when Christ is said to come to save sinners, &c. Now in these it is plain, Christ is the naked object of them, so that if you apply not him, you apply nothing; for the onely thing held forth in them is Christ.
We are justified in Christs justification. P. 122.Even so it is in the matter of our justifi∣cation; it was done virtually in Christ; and afterwards when we beleeve it is actually passed in, and upon our selves.
So by Christs being justified, we are all virtually justified, and in Law, through a secret, yet irrepealable Covenant between
God and Christ, who onely did then know who were his.
Mr. Perkins in his Comment. on the Gal. P. 128.THey which are true Beleevers are a free and voluntary people obeying God, as if there were no law to compel them; they have Christ to live in them; the Spirit of life that is in Christ, is in them, and that is their Law. It is the property of a childe of God to obey God, as it is the na∣ture and quality of the fire to burn, &c.
Thus in the quoting or citing these Di∣vines concerning some pretious truths of Christ, I have done as Paul said to the A∣thenians when he would prove a God, As certain also of your own Poets have said. So the truths which are abroad mistaken by many, are truths, as also some of your own Divines have said.