Certain select discourses on those most important subjects, requisite to be well understood by a catechist in laying the foundation of Christian knowledge in the minds of novitiates viz., First discourses on I. The doctrine of the two covenants both legal and evangelical, II. On faith and justification / by William Allen. Secondly, Discourses on I. The covenant of grace, or baptismal covenant, being chatechetical lectures on the preliminary questions and answers of the Church-Catechism : II. Three catechetical lectures on faith and justification / by Thomas Bray, D.D.

A DISCOURSE OF THE Nature, Ends, and Difference OF THE Two Covenants.

THE mistake of the unbelieving Jews, about the true im∣port of God's Promise to Abraham, and of the Law of Moses, was a principal cause of the rejecting Christ and his Gospel, and their own Salvation thereby. To rectifie which mistake, the Apostle St. Paul used various Reasonings, accord∣ing to the various Errors contained in it. In which Reasonings of his, there being some things hard to be understood; there are others again which probably mistaking the Apostles reasonings against the Jewish Notion of Justification by Works, ran into a contrary Extream, think∣ing they might be Saved by Faith, without Works; as on the con∣rary, the incredulous Jews thought they might be Saved by Works, without Faith. And if many in our days had not run into some∣what alike Extream, through a misunderstanding also of the Apostles Writings, labour and pains would not have been so necessary, as now they are, to rectifie their mistake, and to prevent it in others. To the end therefore that the plain Truth may the better appear, touching God's Promise to Abraham, touching the Law of Moses, and the Apostles ar∣guings about these; I shall very briefly endeavour these seven Things.

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• I. To open the Nature and Design of God's Promise to Abra∣ham, And to shew.
• II. For what end the Law was added to the Promise.
• III. By what Faith and Practice, the Iews under the Law were saved.
• IV. That the Law contained a Covenant, different from that with Abraham.
• V. The grand mistakes of the unbelieving Iews, and St. Paul's counter-arguings, touching both the Law and the Pro∣mise.
• VI. The Mistake of some pretended Christians in the Apostles days, Touching the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, without Works.
• VII. That the Doctrine of St. Paul, and St. James, about Faith and Works, in reference to Justification, do not differ. I shall begin with the first of these.

CHAP. I. The Nature and Design of God's Promise to Abraham.

I Shall endeavour to open the Nature and Design of God's Pro∣mise to Abraham: Which Promise is also called the Covenant, Act. 3.25. Gal. 3.17. In doing of which, these eight things will come under consideration. 1. What the Nature of this Promise is in ge∣neral. 2. What the Design of it is. 3. What are the special Benefits promised. 4. What the Extent of it is. 5. The Security given by God for the performance of it. 6. That this Promise was Condi∣tional. 7. What the Condition of it was. 8. What we are to un∣derstand by God's accounting Abraham's Faith to him for Righteous∣ness.

Sect. 1.

Of the Nature of it in general. This Promise I take to be of the same nature with that, which in the Gospel is called the New-Co∣venant. It's true indeed, they greatly differ in the Administration; the one being but general, implicite, and obscure; and the other, more particular, express, and perspicuous. But though in this they differ, yet in their general nature, they agree in one, and are the same. For,

1. This Covenant, as delivered to Abraham, was confirmed in Christ, as well as the Gospel afterwards, Gal. 3.17. and that's a Character of the New-Covenant, Mat. 26.28. 2. The Gospel is said to have been Preach∣ed to Abraham in the Promise that was made him, Gal. 3.8. 3. He was justified by Faith; which he could not have been, but by vertue of a New-Covenant: And it was by Faith in the Promise made to him by God, by which he was justified: Which two things supposed, it necessarily follows, That that Promise was of the Nature of the New-Covenant. 4. St. Paul argues against the erroneous Jews, in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, the necessity of Evangelical Faith unto Justification now under the Gospel, from Abraham's being justified by Faith, and from God's setting him forth for a Pattern and Example to all after-Ages, of his justifying both Jews and Gentiles upon the Condition of Believing. The strength of which arguing seems to de∣pend upon this supposition; That the Promise, by the belief of which Abraham was then justified; and the Promise in the Gospel, by the be∣lief of which Men are now justified, do both agree, and are one in the general nature of them. And upon these grounds, and under this no∣tion of the Promise to Abraham, I intend to discourse of it.

But when I consider for what reason he that is least in the Kingdom of God, is said to be greater than John the Baptist, (though not Abraham himself, nor any of the Prophets were greater than he) and when I consider likewise, how ignorant the Apostles were for a time, touch∣ing the necessity of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, notwithstand∣ing the many plainer Revelations thereof in the Prophets, than we find Abraham had; I cannot, I confess, think that Abraham had, or could have a distinct notion of all that was contained and implied in the Pro∣mise, as now it is opened and unfolded in the Writings of the New Testament, it does appear was wrapt up in it. And therefore, though I think I may well found a Discourse of the New-Covenant, upon the Promise made to Abraham, as it is now explained in the New Testament, yet I would not be understood to suppose Abraham's appre∣hension or Faith to have then been commensurate to the Promise, as it is so explained.

Supposing then the Promise to Abraham to be the New Covenant it self, in a more imperfect Edition of it than afterward came forth; I shall now a little farther consider what it was, and what the New-Covenant is, and ever hath been, in the general nature of it, since it first commenced. And it is a new Law or Covenant, made by way of Re∣medy against the rigour and extremity of the Law of Nature, under which Man was Created. For the Law of Nature, the Law of God's Creation, as well as his Instituted Law in Paradise, being violated, and impossible to be kept inviolable by Man in his Lapsed state, by reason of his moral Impotency, and the Pravity of his Nature derived from Adam; he must inevitably have sunk and perished under the Condemnation of it, unless there had been a new Law instituted to supercede the procedure of this Law against him, in its natural and proper course. If Salvation had been attainable by Man in his Lapsed state, without this remedy∣ing Law of Grace, there would have been no need of a New Covenant.

If there had been a Law given which could have given Life, verily righteous∣ness should have been by the Law, Gal. 3 21. But there was no such Law given besides this New Law. Nor could the Original Law be repealed for the relief of faln Man, it being founded in the nature of God, and the nature of Man, as he was created after God's own Image; and is no more changeable, than the nature of Good and Evil are changeable. And therefore, as I said, there was a necessity that Man must have Pe∣rished under the Condemnation of the Law of his Creation, as the lap∣sed Angels did under theirs, unless a Law of Indemnity had been Ena∣cted. But God, whose tender Mercies are over all his Works, to the end so great and considerable a part of his Creation, as Man is, might not be wholly lost and undone to all Eternity, out of his infinite Com∣passion, Mercy, and Love, did constitute a New Law or Covenant for Mans Relief, (which well may be called the Covenant of Grace) against the rigour and extremity of the first Law.

Which new Law was in some degree, though but obscurely, made known to Man not long after Adam's Fall, or else there would have been no ground for that Faith which we are assured was in Abel, Enoch, &c. Heb. 11. But it was doubtless somewhat more fully declared to Abra∣ham than to any before, and at last compleatly established and publish∣ed by Jesus Christ the Mediator of it, who was given for a Covenant to the people. And this new Law, in the last Edition of it under the Go∣spel, is variously denominated; being called, the Promise, the New Covenant, the Law of Faith, the Law of Liberty, the Gospel, the Grace of God, or the Word of his Grace. And so we come.

Sect. 2.

To consider what the design of God was in this New Covenant or Pro∣mise unto Abraham. Next to his own Glory, it was to recover the humane Nature from its degenerate state, to a state of Holiness, to that likeness to God in which Man was at the first made, and therein and thereby to a state of Happiness, both which were lost by the Fall. Holiness, Love, and Goodness, as they were once the Glory and Hap∣piness of Man before he lost them, so are still perfective of his Nature. And therefore it is impossible, in the nature of the thing, to recover Man to Happiness, without recovering his Nature to a conformity to God in these; or for Man to be perfectly Happy, whose Nature is not perfected in them. Sin is the Disease and Sickness of the Soul; and it's as possible for a Sick Man to enjoy the pleasure of Health, as it is for the sinful and corrupt Nature of Man, while such, to enjoy the pleasure, which the humane Nature did naturally enjoy, or was capa∣ble of enjoying in its Innocency and Purity. But when the Nature of Man is once recovered to perfection in Knowledge, Holiness, Love, and Goodness, it will then be matter of unspeakable delight to him, to love God, Angels and Men, and to do the will of God in every thing. It is so to the holy Angels: And it was so to our Blessed Saviour, who counted it as his meat and drink, to be doing the will of his heavenly

Father. And to what degree the Nature of Man is here in this World restored towards its proper perfection, to the same degree it is matter of pleasure and delight to him, to act holily and righteously, and to be doing good; It is joy to the Just to do judgment, Prov. 21.15. It is a pain to a Man to act contrary to the bent and inclination of his Nature, by compulsion, or fear. And therefore unless the corrupt Nature of Man were changed, Heaven would not be Heaven to him, in case he were there. Those Divine and Heavenly Exercises which are there the unspeakable delight of Saints and Angels, would be his Pain and Tor∣ment, as being contrary to his Nature; and the pleasures of that state, as having not what will satisfie the unsatiable lust of Mans cor∣rupt Nature, would not be such to him, but add rather to his an∣guish. For, as it would be a Torment to a Man to be in e••tremity of Hunger and Thirst, and to be without Meat and Drink, and all hopes of any to satisfie him: So will it be a grievous Torment to the corrupt Nature of Men in another World, to retain their lusts, and the violent cravings of them, and yet to be without all hope of having wherewith to satisfie them (which yet is like to be the condition of Men in Hell.) Here Mens unnatural Lusts are not such a Torment to them, because they can make provision to satisfie them, or live in hopes so to do; and in the mean while drown the noise of them, by diversion. But in Hell it will be quite otherwise. And therefore it's easie to imagine, that the Torment which will arise from the corruption of Mens Natures there, will be unspeakably great, besides the piercing sence of the Happiness they have lost, and the other in∣tollerable pains which they must indure; and therefore, as whoever hath not his Nature renewed in this World, is never like to have it renewed in another; so without renewing of it, it is impossible he should be happy there. Except a Man be born again, he cannot see the King∣dom of God, Joh. 3.3. That is, he cannot enjoy it, and why? It is not only from God's Decree, or established Law to the contrary that he cannot, but also from the utter incapacity of his Nature, as corrupt. Wherefore, all the Vessels of Mercy are such as God aforehand prepares unto glory, Rom. 9.23. They are such as are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. Such as God hath wrought for the self same thing, 2 Cor. 5.5. So that, as I said, there is a necessi∣ty in the nature of the thing, that if God would design the Resto∣ration of the Nature of Man to Happiness, that in order thereto he should design a Restoration of it to Holiness, as indeed he hath. He hath chosen us to Salvation, through Sanctification of the Spirit, 2 Thes. 2.13. And therefore the end of Christ's great undertaking for the Re∣demption and Restoration of Man, is described, by his saving his People from their sins: By his redeeming them from all iniquity, and purifying to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works. By his washing and san∣ctifying of them, that he might present them to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.

That this was the design of God's Promise to Abraham, appears, in that at the very first it was propounded to him by way of Motive, to quit the Idolatry of his Fathers, and the evil Customes of his Country

(for they served other Gods, Josh. 24.2.) Get thee out of thy Country, and from thy Kindred, and from thy Father's house; and I will make of thee a great Nation, and thou shalt be a blessing, and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed, Gen. 12.1, 2, 3. In which, God had a farther de∣sign than to reform Abraham only: His design in him, and by him, was to set on foot the Reformation of the World, and the recovering the Nations thereof from the dregs of Idolatry into which they were sunk. And therefore God said unto him, Thou shall be a Blessing. And this he designed, not only in giving him a numerous Issue, and making them a great Nation, whose Education in the Worship of the true God was founded in Abraham, but also in making both him and them eminent Examples of his special favour in the sight of the Nations, by which they might see how much better it was to serve the God of Abraham, than the Gods of the Nations: And thereby to invite and draw them from their Idolatry, Superstition and Ungodliness, to Worship and Serve the true God. And God in promising to Abraham, both the Messias in his Seed, and also that he would bless them that should bless him, and curse them that should curse him, and that his Seed should possess the gate of his Enemies; had, it should seem, this in design, viz. to encourage and quicken them to a holy Life, Luke 1.72, 73, 74, 75. To perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers, and to remember his holy Covenant: The Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham, that he would grant un∣to us; that we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

But besides all this, considering that the Promise made to Abraham was the New-Covenant as it was then exhibited, (as I have shewed be∣fore) the benefits therein promised had a proper tendency in them, to restore Man again to a likeness to God in the Moral perfections of his Nature. For the great and precious Promises contained in the New Co∣venant as such, are given for this very end, that by them we might be par∣takers of a Divine Nature; the glory whereof, is knowledge, purity and charity, 2 Pet. 1.4. And for God by such Promise to make overtures unto Man of Love and Good-will, and of desires of Reconciliation, is the direct way and method of recovering faln Man from a state of en∣mity against God, to a mind reconciled to him, to think well of him, to love him, and delight in him. For we love him, because he first loved us, 1 Joh. 4.19. And God was in Christ reconciling the world to him∣self; and how? by not imputing their trespasses to them; but being willing, upon their repentance and returning to their duty, to forgive them, 2 Cor. 5.19. God useth the same way of overcoming Mans enmity a∣gainst him, which he hath taught us to use to overcome Mans enmity against us; and that is, by overcoming their evil with our good, Rom. 12.21. David dealing so with Saul, though a bitter Enemy, melted him into Tears, and made him cry, Is this thy voice, my son David? 1 Sam. 24.16. And, to whom much is forgiven, the same Person loveth much, Luke 7. 42, —47. And if God by these methods do once recover Mans love to him, he will quickly recover him to his loyalty and duty; of which, Love is the proper Source and Spring. If a Man love me, he will keep

my Words, Joh. 14.23. Now that God's Promise to Abraham, did con∣tain expressions of wonderful grace and love, and consequently, what is most apt to beget in Man a love to God again, and all the desireable effects of it, will appear, if we consider the special benefits comprehended in that Promise; which is the third thing now to be considered.

Sect. 3.

The special benefits contained in the Promise made to Abraham, were such as these.

1. It contained a Promise of the Messias, a Promise of sending Christ into the World, and that he should come of his Seed: In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed, Gen. 12.3. and 18.18. and 22.18. which Seed is Christ, as is said, Gal. 3.16. And in this Pro∣mise of sending Christ, were implyed the things he was sent for, the things by which he should bless the World, as his Death and Re∣surrection, and what else pertained to his Mediatory Office; because these are the things by which the Nations of the Earth became bles∣sed in him, which was the thing expresly promised. That such things were implyed in the Promise, appears not only by the reason of the thing, but also from St. Paul's Testimony, Acts 13.32, 33. We de∣clare unto you glad tidings, how that the Promise which was made unto the Fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again. I do not say, that Abraham, from a Promise that was but so generally expressed as that was, could apprehend in par∣ticular what the Messias should both do and suffer, though they were wrapt up in it. He apprehended so much by it in general, that God Would send the Messias into the World, and that he would send him upon such terms, as that his coming should be matter of great be∣nefit to the World. Abraham had such a prospect of this, though at that distance, as made him rejoyce and be glad: So saith our Saviour himself, John 8.56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. And the Promise to Abraham, as it was a Promise of sending Christ to be the Saviour of the World, was ex∣pressive of the greatest love. For in this was the love of God manifested towards us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, 1 Joh. 4.9, 10. A Propitiation for our sins: That is, one that by his Death hath procured favour, having taken off that sore displeasure which God by his Law had declared against all the transgressors of it. For the wise and just God, did not think the Righteousness of his Government; and the Honour and Reputation of his Law, would be sufficiently saved, and his great hatred of Sin sufficiently manifested, without some considerable satisfaction given for the dishonour done to Him and his Law by Mans Transgression. And yet that this might not be ex∣acted at the hands of the Guilty, in executing the Curse of the Law on themselves; he was most graciously pleased to accept of the Sufferings of his own dear Son, instead of what the sinners themselves were to

have undergone. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us, Gal. 3.13. Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, or in their stead, 1 Pet. 3.18. Upon account of which un∣dertaking of Christ for us, all the benefits of the Covenant do accrue to Man. Whatever is required of Man by way of condition of his acceptation with God, becomes accepted to that end, upon account of Christ's suffering. And his Intercession in Heaven, through which all our sincere (though otherwise imperfect) performances, become accep∣table to God, and rewardable by him, is made in the virtue of it. For the whole Covenant itself, is founded in the Blood of Christ, which he shed for the remission of sins. Therefore it is called the New Testament in his Blood, Mat. 26.28. And his Blood, the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, Hebr. 13.20.

2. It contained a Promise of Justification or Remission of sin through Christ, unto all that should so believe, as thereupon to repent of their former folly, and become sincerely obedient for the future. For that is necessarily implyed in the Promise of Blessedness to the Nations in Abraham's Seed; it being impossible Men should be Blessed without Remission of sin, which consisteth in removing the Curse of the Law, in remitting the penalty. Blessed is the Man whose iniquity is forgiven, and whose sin is covered, Psal. 32.1. St. Paul acquaints us that this Blessing of the New Covenant, was declared to Abraham in the Promise, Gal. 3.8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith, preached the Gospel before unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed.

3. It contained in it tacitly, a Promise of Divine Assistance unto Men in their endeavours to fulfil the condition of the Promise. For God in promising Blessedness to the Nations through Abraham's Seed, therein promised all that was absolutely necessary for him to vouchsafe to make them blessed, and without which they could not be blessed. And if so, then he therein implicitly promised to assist the endeavours of Men to perform the condition of the Promise, without the assistance of whose Grace they cannot savingly Believe, Repent, and Obey. And so it should seem the Old Testament-Church understood God's subdu∣ing of sin, as well as his pardoning of sin, to be comprized in the Promise to Abraham, Mich. 7.19, 20. He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea: Thou wilt per∣form the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn to our Fathers, from the days of old. And Christ his turning Men from their iniquities, which he doth accomplish by appointing them means, and by assisting them in the use of them to that end, is part of the Blessing contained in the Promise made to Abraham, and was so reckon∣ed by St. Peter, Act 3.25, 26. Ye are the Children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Ʋnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus Christ, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniquities.

4. It implicitly, or somewhat obscurely contained in it a Promise of Eternal Life. I say, implicitly; For I do not find that Eternal Life

was expresly promised to Abraham. But yet that was expresly promised him, from which the hope of Eternal Life might well be inferred: As first, Blessedness through his Seed, the Messias: And secondly, That God would be a God to him and his Seed. For Blessedness is a Hap∣piness that runs parallel with the duration of Man's Immortal Soul. And God's Promise of being a God to Abraham, carried in it a Promise of a Happiness worthy of God to bestow, such as Everlasting Life or Happiness is. And therefore he was not ashamed to be called their God (meaning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) because he had prepared for them a City; meaning that in so doing, he had answered that title of relation of being their God, and done like himself Heb. 11.16. And upon these and the like Revelations of God's mind to him, Abraham looked for a City which hath Foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God, and a Heavenly Country, Heb. 11.10, 16. If Abraham did but use his reason about these Promises, as he did about reconciling God's Promise, that in Isaac his Seed should be called, with his command to Sacrifice him, (Heb. 11.17, 18, 19.) he might discern Eternal Life in them, though but very obscurely, in comparison of what is now revealed in the Gospel, by which Life and Immortality is brought to light, 2 Tim. 1.10. But how ob∣scurely soever a future Happiness was promis'd to Abraham, yet promised it was, for which we have the testimony of St. Paul, Gal. 3.18. If the inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of Promise: But God gave it to Abraham by Promise. He was here proving against the Pharisaical Jews, and Judaizing Christians, that Justification unto Life, was to be had by the Promise, and not by the Law; by Faith, and not by Works of the Law; that the Just should live by Faith, as vers. 12. And therefore by Inheritance here, which he saith God gave to Abraham by Promise, he doubtless means Eternal Life, which elsewhere he calls the Promise of eternal Inheritance, Heb. 9.15.

Consider now, how God carry'd on his design of restoring Man by the promise of those benefits. For if expressions of the greatest Grace and Love in God to Men, is the way to beget in them a love to God again, and in begetting that, to beget all the desirable effects of Love; (which are no less than a sincere conformity in Man's Nature and Life to the Divine Law) and if the giving of great and precious Promises, is the way of recovering Man again to a participation of the Divine Nature, (as I have shewed it is) then the Promise of God to Abraham, which was expressive of the greatest Grace and Love, and contained in it Promises, than which there are not materially greater, nor more precious, was a wise and gracious contrivance of God, to recover Man to a likeness to himself, wherein the glory and perfection of his Nature did first consist.

Sect. 4

The next thing to be considered, is, the extent of the Promise of God to Abraham. The greatness of God's Love and Good-will, was not expressed only in the greatness of the benefits promised to Abra∣ham, but also in the extent of the Promise; reaching not only to the

Jewish People and their Proselytes (to which another Covenant was restrained) but even to all Nations of the Earth, Gen. 12.3. and 22.18. Which shews it to be of the same nature with the general Promise in the Gospel, though it was not so intelligible then, as it is since made by the Gospel. But God, we see, so loved the world, as first to promise, and after to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life, Joh. 3.16. Christ gave his life for the life of the world, Joh. 6.8. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, 1 Joh. 2.2. He gave himself a ransom for all, 1 Tim. 2.6. And tasted death for every man, Heb. 2.9.

Sect. 5.

Consider we in the next place, the Security given by God, for the per∣formance of his Promise to Abraham and his Seed. For because men know∣ing how ill they have deserved from God, having made thems••lves E∣nemies to him, would be apt to question whether there were indeed so much Love and Good-will in God to them as the greatness of his Pro∣mise did import; therefore God, to remove all jealousie of this na∣ture, and to give them the greatest security and assurance he could, of the reality of his intentions, and of his heart and good-will towards them, confirmed his Promise by an Oath, swearing by himself, because he could swear by no greater. And this he did that they to whom the Pro∣mise did extend, might have strong consolation from God, such as might work in them strong and vigorous affections to him such as were in Abraham, through which he was wrought to an entire resignation of himself to God, and to his will, and by which he was denominated the Friend of God, Heb. 6.17, 28. Wherein God willing more abundant∣ly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel, confirmed it by an Oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lye, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Sect. 6.

The next thing I have to shew, is, That this Promise of God to Abra∣ham, was Conditional. If the Promise of sending Christ was Absolute, yet the actual collation of the great benefit of Remission of Sin, and Eternal Life by him, was not promised but upon condition of Faith and Repentance, as appears by the Scriptures frequent explanation of the general Promise. Abraham believed in the Lord, and it was counted unto him for righteousness, Gen. 15.6. If Abraham had not believed God, he had not been justified notwithstanding the Promise. So that this Justification depended as well upon his performing the condition of the Promise, as upon the Promise it self. And when God said to Abra∣ham, Walk before me, and be thou upright, and I will make a Covenant with thee, Gen. 17.1. The Lord made Abraham's upright walking before him, the condition of his keeping, as well as making Covenant with him. Besides, it is apparent that God made Circumcision to be the Covenant

to be kept on Abraham's and his Seed's part, as the condition of what God had promised on his part, Gen. 17.4, 7, 10. As for me, my Co∣venant is with thee, &c. Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore, thou and thy Seed after thee in their generations. And this is the Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, every Man-child among you shall be circum∣cised. By which is to be understood, not so much Circumcision in the Flesh, as in the Spirit; as I shall shew anon.

And the truth is, it would not suit with God's end and design in his Covenant, of restoring Man to the rectitude of his Nature (men∣tioned before) to do it without Man's endeavours in the use and ex∣ercise of his natural faculties, of Understanding and Will, as he is a rational Creature and free Agent. For God works that change in Man's nature, designed in his New Law or Covenant, not meerly Physically, but Morally also. 1. By proposing great and important Truths to his Mind and Understanding, and in assisting this natural faculty, in con∣sidering how his happiness is concerned in that which is proposed, in case it should prove true, and in considering likewise what reason there is to believe that it is true, and in discerning the truth of it upon consideration. And, 2. By proposing Motives to the Will, to incline it to follow the dictates of the enlightned mind, and by assisting the Will to be governed thereby. So that Man himself is not wholly pas∣sive in this change, or what goes to the making of it; but is so far active in it, as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance, to be his own act. So that the Man is said to Believe, to Repent, to obey, when he doth believe, repent, and Obey: For so he is every where in Scripture said to do. God doth not repent in Man, but Man repents through his grace and assistance. And therefore God's grace, and Man's endeavours in working this change are very con••istent. Phil. 2.12, 13. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. If Man do but what he can do, through the assistance of God's common Provi∣dence, (in whom we Live, and Move, and have our Being) God is most ready, through his good Pleasure, or out of the goodness of his will and pleasure, to work in him both to will and to do savingly, to carry the work quite thorow. Otherwise, if there were nothing that Man could do in a way of common Providence towards his Salvation, why should he be exhorted and perswaded to do that, which yet will not be done to effect and quite through, without the Assist••nce of God's Grace and good Spirit? The Co-operation of God's grace with Man's endeavours, in this change in the nature of Man, which is necessary to his Salvation, is a Doctrine that lies very fair and plain in the Scriptures. And therefore Men are called upon to make themselves new hearts, Ezek. 18.31. Make you a new Heart, and a new Spirit, for why will ye dye, O house of Israel? And God is said to make them new hearts also, Ezek. 36.26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you. Men are called upon to circumcise their own hearts, Deut. 10.16. And God is said to circumcise the heart, Deut. 30.6. Men are required to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit, 2 Cor. 7.1. And they are also said to be washed and sanctified by the Spirit of God,

1 Cor. 6.11. Men are commanded to repent, Acts 17.30. And God is said to give them repentance, 2 Tim. 2.35. Acts 5.31. It is by reason of this Co-operation of God's assistance, and Man's endeavours, that St. Paul expresseth himself as he doth once and again, Gal. 2.20. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, 1 Cor. 15.10. I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me He doth not by these last words so deny what he had said in the former, as if he had not spoke true, for he speaks the same things in effect in another place, without any such correcting himself, as here he useth, 1 Cor. 3.9. For we are la∣bourers together with God. And therefore by his so correcting himself, saying, Not I, but the Grace of God which was with me, he only in∣tends to magnifie God's Grace, as having the principal stroke in the work. It is a phrase of like import with that, 2 Cor. 3.10. For even that which was made glorious, had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. So Man's endeavour though it be somewhat in it self considered, yet comparatively, and in respect of the work of God's Grace by his Spirit which excels it is nothing. Therefore, in fine, as Men are said through the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the Body, Rom. 8.13. So they may be said through the same Spirit, to Believe, Repent, Obey; that is, through the assistance of the Spirit, who is said to help our Infirmities, Rom. 8.26.

Considering then that there is promise of divine assistance to Man using his endeavours in doing what he may, and can do towards the performing the condition of the Covenant, we may well conclude, that there is no Man under the Gospel doth perish, but through his own fault and neglect. It is true, God doth sometimes for special rea∣sons meet with, and convert sinners with a high hand of Grace, whilst they are pursuing their sins in a full career, and using no endeavours at all towards their own Salvation, as he did Saul before he was Paul. But such extraordinary instances are no Rules to us, by which to judge of God's ordinary proceedings in converting Men: Nor hath the Lord put Men in expectation, by any promise of his, of their being converted after that manner, and upon such terms. And therefore it will in no wise be safe for any Man to expect to be converted by such extraordi∣nary workings of Grace, and to neglect to do what he can do, and what God requires he should do, towards his own conversion.

There are many things which Men may, and can believe, and do, without any Supernatural Grace, and by vertue of God's common Grace. It is no Supernatural Act to believe the Being of God, and the Immor∣tality of the Soul, or future state: Or to know that we are sinners against God, and consequently that we stand in need of his Mercy: Nor is it a Supernatural Act for a Man to desire the future happiness of his own Nature or Being; or to hear the Word of God, which directs the way to that happiness; no more than it is to hear any other Doctrine, that only pretends to do so. Nor is it a Supernatural Act to consider the Doctrine of the Scriptures with as much seriousness, as Men do, or may, the contents of any other Books. Nor is it a Supernatural Act to consider how we are concerned in the Doctrine of the Scriptures, in case it

should prove true: No more is it a Supernatural Act seriously to con∣sider the strength and force of those Reasons that tend to perswade Men to believe that Doctrine to be true: Nor, under the natural desires which Men have to be happy in another world, is it a Supernatural Act for them to pray to God to direct and assist them in the use of means, that they may be happy. These I take to be no Supernatural Acts in Men. For though the depraved VVill of Man needs Special or Super∣natural Grace to do these so seriously and effectually, as is needful to true Sanctification, yet in some sort and measure they may be done by common help. And if Men would but go thus far (as they can) out of a real desire to be happy, I should make no question but that the Spirit of God would yield them his assistance to carry them quite through in the Work of Conversion. And whither our Saviour doth not by the Hearers, resembled by the good Ground, mean such Men as before their Conversion have some such Working of Heart about their future state, as doth incline them to hear and consider what with any fair probability may be said about the way to be happy in that state, and not to hear out of Curiosity, or for fashion-sake, or to carp, I submit to consideration.

It is doubtless then Mens Inconsideration, Carelessness and Negligence in those things which they do Believe, and which they can do, that un∣does them. It is because seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not; which is the reason why more is not given, but rather that taken away from them which they had. That is, The reason why God with-holds his special Grace, and many times with draws common Grace and Assistance from Men, is, because though they have understanding and considering Faculties, which they could (if they would) use and imploy about their being happy in another World, as well as they do about their happiness in this, yet they will not, though they are frequently called upon, and excited thereto: Whereas, those that take heed or consider what they hear, and how they are concerned in it; to them more shall be given: God will come into such with Supernatural Aid, Mark 4.24. And therefore God, to put Men upon a holy necessity of complying with his Grace, in acting diligently towards the working out their own Sal∣vation, hath wisely made the obtaining of the great Benefits of the Cove∣nant, Remission of Sin, and Eternal Life, Conditional; so that Men can have no farther assurance of pardon of Sin, and Salvation, than they are sure they sincerely endeavour to perform the condition on their part, upon which they are promised. Wherefore, we are greatly con∣cerned to be awakened by such Sayings as these; Strive to enter in at the strait gate: So run, that ye may obtain: Ʋse all diligence to make your cal∣ling and election sure: Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling: Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Sect. 7.

I come now in the next place to shew, What the condition of the Promise to Abraham was. In short it was a practical Faith. And under this Head,

I shall endeavour, 1. To give some account of the nature of Abraham's Faith in general. 2. To describe Faith. And, 3. To shew reason, why Faith is made the condition of the Covenant.

1. The condition of the Promise to Abraham, was Faith, and (as I shall after shew) a practical Faith. For that was it upon which the great Blessing of the Covenant, Justification, was conferred upon him, with the consequent benefits. In Gen. 15.6. it is said of Abraham, that he be∣lieved in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. But St. Paul reciting this Scripture, faith, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for Righteousness, Rom. 4.3. Gal. 3.6. If there be any dif∣ference between believing God, and believing in God, it seems to be this. To believe God, is to believe him upon his Word, to believe all that to be true, which he saith when he hath once spoken it. But to be∣lieve in God, is first, to believe him to be such an One, of such a Nature, as neither will, nor can at any time speak any thing but what is true: It is to believe him to be a God that cannot lye. For all true Faith, as Abraham's was, is founded in the Nature of God. Abraham did primarily believe in God, and consequently believed his Sayings, of what nature soever they were. And, secondly, To believe in God, is to believe that he can, and will perform whatever he promised, how unlikely soever the thing in its own nature otherwise be. And this was the nature of Abraham's Faith, as appears by St. Paul's Comment upon it, Rom. 4.20, 21. He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in Faith, giving glory to God: and being fully perswaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. He gave to God the glory of his Nature and Being, of his Truth and Faithfulness in his Promises, and of his Power and Ability to perform what he had promised, notwith∣standing its utmost improbability in Nature. And therefore, or for this reason, his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness, as we are told in ver. 22. of Rom. 4. And so it should seem it is not the believing of any one particular or single Promise, that is counted for Righteousness, other∣wise than as it is an instance of Faith in God in general, in reference to whatever he doth say, or shall declare. Which may be the reason why Faith is said to be counted to Abraham for Righteousness, as well when he had not the Messias in the Promise as the immediate Object of his Faith, but somewhat else, as when he had. The Promise, the be∣lieving of which was counted to Abraham for righteousness, in Gen. 15.6. was a Promise of a numerous Issue, [So shall thy Seed be] viz. as numberless as the Stars. But that which produced a Belief of this par∣ticular Promise, would, and doubtless did, produce in him a belief of the promise of the Messias and of every other Promise and Word of God, and declaration of his mind, so far as understood by him, and that was an habitual belief of God's Truth, and Faithfulness, Wisdom, Power and Goodness; his fixed belief in God. And so a believing God's Threat∣nings, so as to use means to escape them, is (it should seem) counted to one for Righteousness, as well as the belief of the Promises, as growing upon the same Root. Thus Noah's Believing God's threatning to bring a Deluge upon the World, and his Obedience to God's Command, in the preparing an Ark for the saving of his House, was that, or at least one

instance of that Faith, by which he became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith, Heb. 11.7. It was this general Faith in God that made Abraham so compliant with every intimation of his will and pleasure. By it he forsook his own Country and Kindred at God's command, to go he knew not whither, but depended on God's after-direction in that case, Heb. 11.8. By it he was ready to offer his Son Isaac, in whom the Promises were made: And he had such a firm Belief in God's Promise, That in Isaac his Seed should be called, that he concluded that God would raise him from the Dead, when he had Sacrificed him, rather than fail in the least of making good his Promise, Heb. 11.17, 18, 19. He had such a confidence in God; that is to say, in his Wisdom, Goodness, Truth, and Power, as wrought him to an entire Resignation of himself to God's will and pleasure. He believed God to be so Good and so Wise, as not to put him upon any thing, but what should be for his good in the issue: And so True and Powerful, as to promise nothing but, what he could, and would perform. In a word; this his Belief in God, made him believe all his Promises, and obey all his Precepts.

2. Come we next to some description of that Faith, which is the con∣dition of the Promise, or Covenant of Salvation: Wherein I shall have respect to the nature of Saving Faith in general, in reference to all Ages of the Church, and also to the Christian Evangelical Faith in special. Faith, strictly taken, is an assent unto the truth of any Proposition, upon the credit of the Speaker. But Saving Faith is of a more comprehensive nature, than is a meer assent unto the Truth of any one Proposition. And although Saving Faith is sometimes described by an assenting to the truth of one single Proposition, yet then it implies the belief of many more, and such a belief as draws in the Will to act according to the import and concernment of the thing believed. As for instance: The Belief of this Proposition [That Christ Jesus is the Son of God] by which, Faith is sometimes described, doth include in it a belief of the truth of his whole Doctrine, both concerning God's Grace, and Man's Duty, and the Will's concurrence, as to its concernment in it. For, if he be the Son of God, then he cannot lye or deceive in any thing he hath said. And again, the belief of this Proposition [That God raised Christ from the Dead] by which Faith is also described, Rom. 10.9. includes in it a belief, That all that Doctrine which he taught, is undoubtedly true: For if it had not, God would never have wrought such a Miracle, as to Raise Christ from the Dead, to confirm it. The belief then of such single Propositions, include a belief of the whole Doctrine of the Gospel, which is the proper Object of the Christian Faith, and for that cause is fre∣quently stiled Faith, or the Faith, in the New Testament.

But if we respect the nature of Faith in general, as answering the different degrees of God's Revelation of his Will in several Ages of the World, both under the Gospel, and before; I do not know how bet∣ter to define it, than thus: Faith is such a hearty belief of God's De∣claration, concerning his own Grace, and Man's Duty, as doth effe∣ctually cause a Man to expect from God, and to act in a way of sincere Obedience, according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration. Or, if you will take in the Belief of God's Threatnings against sinners

into the definition; then it will be thus: Faith is such a hearty belief of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace and Displeasure, and Man's Duty, as doth effectually cause a Man to expect from God, and to act in a way of sincere Obedience, according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration. Faith thus defined, we have already seen exemplified in Abraham, who is the great Exemplar of Believing, and the Father of Believers. And that it was his belief of God's Promise, or Declaration of Grace and Favour to him, as it is practical in produ∣cing Repentance, Self-denial, and sincear Obedience, by which he was justified and made happy, appears farther, not only in that it's said by St. James, That his Faith wrought with his Works, and was made perfect by them, and that he was justified by Works, as well as by Faith, (of which more anon) but also in that it's said, that he received the sign of Circumcision (which was the Condition upon which God Covenan∣ted with him to be his God, and upon the same terms to be the God of his Seed) a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had, while he was yet uncircumcised. For supposing (which is not denied) Circumcision to be an outward Sign of inward Grace, of the Circumcision of the Heart, consisting in Mortification, or a Penitential change of the Heart, which is the effect of Faith, his Circumcision, as such, was a Seal of con∣firmation to Abraham, that it was upon his former so believing God upon his Promise, as thereby to be induced to leave the evil Customs of his Country, and his Country it self, with his Kindred, and his Fa∣ther's House; that God would be his God indeed: In which Promise was implicitly promised, all that would make him Eternally Happy. And God's farther design of giving to Abraham this Covenant of Cir∣cumision, as a Seal to assure him the enjoyment of the benefit wrapt up in that Promise upon the terms aforesaid, was, that he might be the Father of all them that Believe, whether literally Circumcised, or not; that is, that he might be a great Example and Pattern to all others, of ob∣taining the same benefits, in the same way; and so might be a means of begetting others to Believe in God, and to Obey him, as he had done; to be a great Instrument to propagate the kind of New Creatures, of Men renewed to God, to the end they might be Blessed, as he was. This, or somewhat to this effect, is doubtless the meaning of Rom. 4.11, 12. And he received the sign of Circumcision, a Seal of the Rightous∣ness of the Faith which he had, being yet uncircumcised: That he might be the Father of all them that Believe, though they be not circumcised; that Righ∣tousness might be imputed to them also: And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only, but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircumcised; and it is not unlikely, but that as Heart-Circumcision, under the figure of Literal-Cir∣cumcision, was, together with Faith, made the condition of the Cove∣nant then; so Spiritual Baptism, which is a Death unto sin, and a living unto God, is under the Figure of Water-Baptism, joyned with Belie∣ving, as the condition of the Promise of Salvation, now. Mark, 16.16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved. According to which St. Peter having spoken of Noah's Ark, saith, The like figure whereunto Baptism now saveth us; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the

answer of a good conscience towards God, 1 Pet. 3.21. Now, as it was in Abraham, such a belief of God's Declaration of Grace and Favour, as did effectually induce him to Love and Obey God, by which he was Justified, so (I shall shew afterwards) it was the very same kind of Faith, working after the same manner, by which the Saints, under the Law of Moses, were Saved.

But Faith, as Evangelical and Christian, is such a hearty assent and consent unto God's Declaration in the Gospel by his Son, concerning Christ himself, and his Grace and Favour towards Men by him, and concerning their own Duty, as causeth a Man to expect from God, and to act in a way of duty, according to the Tenour of such a Declara∣tion, and his own concerns in it. And Faith, thus defined, is fully agreeable to the Tenour of the Gospel: Mark 16.15, 16. Go ye into all the world, and Preach the Gospel to every Creature: He that Believeth, and is Baptized, shall be saved. He that believeth What? Why, he that believeth that Gospel which was to be Pre••••hed to every Creature. Which Gospel contains a Declaration of God's ••••••••e, and Man's Duty, and of his Wrath against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men. For, 1. It declares from God that he hath given his Son Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the World, by being a Propitiation for the sin o fit, in becoming a Sacrifice to expiate sin. 2. It declares, That God, upon account of his Son's giving himself a Ransom for all, hath made, and doth establish a New Covenant with the World, to Pardon, and Eter∣nally to Save as many as shall Believe in his Son, and Repent of their sin∣fulness, in changing their Minds, and reforming their Lives, and be∣coming New Men, in yielding sincere Obedience to the Precepts of the Gospel. 3. It declares, That those that believe not, shall be damned; and such as repent not, shall perish; and that the unrighteous shall not in∣herit the Kingdom of God. This summarily is that which the Gospel declares concerning God's Grace and Displeasure, and Man's Duty.

Now it is the practical belief of all this, that is the saving Faith. It is not the bare belief that God hath given his Son to be the Saviour of the World, and a Propitiation for the sin of it: Nor is it a bare belief that he will for Christ's sake pardon and save as many as truly Repent and amend their lives, and become New Creatures; unless they so be∣lieve all this, as seriously and heartily to Repent themselves of their former folly, and to return to their duty in new Evangelical Obedience. For otherwise, for a Man barely to believe all this, and not act according to his own concerns in it, will be so far from being a believing to the sa∣ving of the Soul, as that it will rather plunge him the deeper in Destru∣ction, for living and acting contrary to his own light and belief, as holding the truth in unrighteousness; the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all such, Rom. 1.18.

A Man of this practical Faith which I have described, eyes as well the condition upon which the saving Benefits are promised through Christ, as the Promise it self of those benefits; and expects the enjoy∣ment of those benefits upon God's Promise and Christ's Purchase, no otherwise, than as he, with the assistance of God's Grace, is careful to per∣form the Condition. Which belief of his, makes him as careful to perform the Condition in discharge of his own duty therein, as ever he

hopes to enjoy the promised Pardon and Salvation by Christ, and to escape the Damnation threatned against those who perform not the condition. So that a Man by this practical Faith, belives one part of God's Declaration in the Gospel, as well as the other; and his own duty to be as well necessary to his Justification, as the condition appointed by God, as the Grace of God, through Christ, it self, is upon another account: And by this belief, he is effectually moved, as well to act in a way of duty to God, as to expect mercy from him; considering how his Happiness is concerned in both, when he hath the whole of God's Declaration in all the parts taken together, in prospect, as the Object of his Faith.

When he hears, that God so loved the World, that he gave his only be∣gotten Son, that whosoever believes in him, should not perish, but have ever∣lasting life. When he hears, that God hath set forth Christ to be a Propitia∣tion through Faith in his Blood: And when he hears again, that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; he believes all this to be true, as coming from God that can∣not lye; and accordingly, is incouraged to hope in God's Mercy, and is comforted thereby. But then when he hears again, that except we repent, we shall all perish; that except a man be born again, he cannot see the King∣dom of God: That without holiness, no man shall see the Lord; and that the pure in heart shall see God: That not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the will of the Fa∣ther which is in Heaven: That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angles in flaming fire, to render vengeance to all those that know not God, and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: But that he is the Author of eternal Salvation to all those that obey him. I say, when he hears all this, he as verily believes this part of God's Declara∣tion in the Gospel, to be the faithful and true Sayings of God, as he acounted the other to be. And accordingly, doth as seriously, and sin∣cerely set upon the Work of Repentance, and as carefully useth God's appointed means for the changing of his Heart, and renewing of his Nature, for the purifying of himself, as God is pure; and doth as carefully obey all the Precepts of the Gospel; as he hopes upon the account of Christ's Sufferings, and God's Promise, to be Pardoned and Saved; as be∣living that those Benefits are neither promised, nor can be obtained, but in this way of performing the Condition. And I doubt not to say, that this practical Faith, as it respects God's Declaration, touching Man's duty, in conjunction with his own Grace in Christ, is, where the Gospel comes, the only saving justifying Faith.

3. Come we now to shew Reason, why Faith is made the Condition of the Promise.

1. It is of Faith, that it might be of Grace, saith the Apostle, Rom. 4.16. It is that the Grace of God to miserable Men, might the more shew it self. For so it doth, not only in promising unspeakably great things through Christ to Man, who is not only undeserving, but illdeserving also; but also, in that these are promised upon such a possible, practical, easie Condition as Faith is, considering the means and assistance promi∣sed by God to work it: And considering also, that the Promise is made

to the truth, unfeignedness and sincerity, and not to perfection of Faith, Repentance, and new Obedience, in their utmost degree. So that Christ might well say, my Yoke is easie, and my Burden light, Matth. 11.30. Whereas the old way of promising the Inheritance on the Law-terms, would have been to have promised it upon impossible conditions, as the case now is with fallen Man. And if God should have promised never so great things to Man, in his impotent and miserable state, upon an impossible condition, he would have been so far from manifesting abundance of Grace, Compassion, and Love to him in that condition, as that he would rather have seemed to insult over him in it. And therefore, if the Promise should have run upon the Law-terms, and not of Faith, it would utterly have frustrated God's design of manifesting his Grace to Man, and of recovering Man's Love and Loyalty to him thereby. Rom. 4.14. If they which are of the Law be Heirs, Faith is made void, and the Promise made of none effect. But it is of Faith, that it might be by Grace, to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed, not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham, ver. 16.

2. This may be another reason, why such a Faith, as I have described, is made the condition of the Covenant of Salvation, viz. Because it, best answers God's design in this Covenant, of renewing the Nature of Man in Holiness and Righteousness, and by that means restoring it to Happiness. For, by Faith Men are born of God, or made the Chil∣dren of God. Gal. 3.26. Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus. Joh. 1.12, 13. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to those that believe on his Name. Which are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Now, to be born of God, or, which is the same, to be made the Child of God, is to have ones Nature restored to the likeness of God, in which Man was first made, and is the same thing with that which is called Regenera∣tion, and a being born again, and a new Creature. Which new Creature, or the Nature of M••n renewed by Faith, is also called the new Man, which after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness, Ephes. 4.24. To be born again, is to have the Faculties of Mans Nature restored to a rectitude in their motions and operations, in reference both to God and Man, to be restored to their proper moral use for which they were made. It is, in a word, that which is called a being made partakers of a Divine Nature. For those which are begotten of God, are begotten in, or to his likeness. Men can adopt those which are not their natural Children to inherit their Estates, but they cannot adopt them to a par∣ticipation of their Moral Endowments. But God adopts his Children to a participation with him in the Inheritance, by adopting them to a participation of the Moral Perfections of his Nature; that is, to a con∣similitude to him in them.

And this we say is done by Faith; that is, by Faith in God, and by Faith in his Word. For, in order of Nature, God is first believed to be a God of Truth, before his Word is believed to be the Word of Truth. And the creditableness of his Word depends upon the knowledge or belief or the fidelity of his Nature. And this Truth of God, and of his Word, is

the immediate Object of Faith. By Faith, a Man believes that to be true, which God reveals or declares as his Mind and Will, let the Import of it be what it will. But then, this Faith operates upon the Will and Affections, according to the Tenour and Import of that which is Re∣vealed. If it be matter of sad import, it works a hatred to him that threatens it, and a fear of the thing threatned, if it be apprehended to proceed from an enemy. And this is the effect of the Faith of Devils, who believe, and hate God, who believe and tremble, Jam. 2.19. But if that which is Revealed by God, and Believed by Man, betoken unspeak∣able love and good-will in God to Man, and matter of the greatest bene∣fit to him, as a proof of such love, then it worketh love to him that expresseth such love, (for Faith worketh by Love, Gal. 5.6.) and a long∣ing desire after the promised benefit. And as the Soul grows more and more in love with God, because of his love; in love with his Blessed Na∣ture and Divine Perfections; such as are his Love and Goodness, Truth and Faithfulness, Purity and Patience, Mercifulness, and readiness to For∣give, which render him altogether lovely; so it contracts a likeness to God in these upon the Soul, and so changes and renews the Moral habit and constitution of the Soul, and consequently the whole Life. There is an aptness and promptness in Men to imitate that in others (and so in God) for which they love them. And frequent imitating Acts, beget Habits, Custom changing Nature. And hence it is, that through Faith we are made partakers of a Divine Nature. We all with open face, behold∣ing as in a Glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same Image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2. Cor. 3.18. This be∣holding the glory of the Lord, is by Faith, (For we walk by Faith, and not by sight, 2. Cor. 5.7. and by it Moses saw him who is invisible, Heb. 11.27.) And the medium by which this Prospect is taken, is the Gospel, by which the Lord in his lovely Perfections is now openly revealed: And Faith being from time to time busied in beholding of, and conversing with these Perfections, it transforms the Soul into the same Image or likeness, from glory to glory, (that is gradually) as by the Spirit of the Lord; that is, through the co-operation of God's Spirit with Man's Faith. To compre∣hend the breadth, length, depth, and heighth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, is the way to be filled with all the fullness of God, by transcribing all his imitable Perfections upon the Soul, Ephes. 3.18, 19.

And it is by virtue of their Relation to Christ, and being thus be∣gotten and born of God, and made partakers of a new Nature conform∣able to God's, that Men can with confidence call God Father: This blessed effect of God's Spirit, is the Spirit of Adoption, by which they cry, Abba, Father. And it is this new Nature, that is the Spring and Fountain of a good Life, of all pious and virtuous Actions. As it is said of God, Thou art good, and dost good; so it is true of all those that are born of him. A good Man, out of the good treasure of his heart, (thus renewed) bringeth forth good fruit: The Tree being good, the Fruit will be good. And as this new Creature groweth up to strength and maturity, so doing of good, and acting worthily, will become natural and pleasant to him in whom it is. To such an one the Commandments of God

are not grievous, but he will be able in some good measure to say I delight to do thy will, O God, yea thy Law is in my heart. And for sin, it being contrary to this New Nature, there is a kind of Moral Im∣potency in him in whom it is, to commit sin: He cannot sin, because he is born of God, 1 Joh. 3.9. Or if such an one be overtaken in a fault, it will work a disturbance in the Soul, just as that will in the Stomach, which a Man hath eaten, against which he hath an antipathy in Na∣ture. But as for such as perform Religious Duties, and do things materially good, only by the strength of extrinsecal Motives, and not from an inward Principle of this New Nature, or love to the things themselves; to such, those Actions, being unnatural, become grievous and burdensome, and will be continued in no longer, than those Mo∣tives continue in their strength.

Sect. 8.

The last thing I proposed to consider about God's Promise to Abra∣ham, is, What we are to understand by God's counting Abraham's Faith to him for Righteousness. And I take it to signifie thus much: That God in a way of special Grace, or by virtue of a New Law of Grace and Favour which was established by God in Christ, (Gal. 3.17.) that is, in refe∣rence to what Christ was to do and suffer in time then to come, did reckon his Practical Faith to him for Righteousness; that is, that which in the eye of the New Law should pass in his estimation for Righteous∣ness, subordinate to Christ's Righteousness, which procured this Grant, or Law. For otherwise, Faith, neither as it is the Condition of the Promise of Remission of Sin through Christ, nor as it works Repentance for sins past, or sincere Obedience for time to come, is Righteousness in the Eye of the Original Law. For that accounts no Man that hath, though but once, transgressed it, to be Righteous, either upon the ac∣count of anothers suffering for his sin, or his own Repentance or sin∣cere imperfect Obedience; but Curseth every Man that from first to last continueth not in all things which are contained in that Law. But it is, as I said, an Act of God's special Favour, and by virtue of his New Law of Grace, and as it is established in Christ, that such a Faith as I have described, comes to be reckoned, or imputed to a Man for Righteous∣ness, and through God's imputing it for Righteousness to stand a Man in the same, if not in better stead, as to his Eternal Concerns, as a perfect fulfilling of the Original Law from first to last, would have done; Christ's Righteousness being presupposed the only Meritorious Cause of this Grant or Covenant.

And thus indeed the Faith which I have described, is a Man's Right∣eousness in the Eye of this New Law, because it is summarily all that is required of him himself to make him capable of the Benefits promised by it; which, as it is now revealed, is the Gospel. Justification is a Law-term: And no Man shall be Justified in Judgment, or upon Tryal, but he that is Just in the Eye of this New Law of Grace, as every one that rightly Believes, Repents and sincerely Obeys, is; because that is all that it requires of a Man himself to his Justification and Salvation.

And yet every Believer's Justification will be all of Grace, because the Law by which they are Justified, is wholly of Grace, is wholly a Law of Grace, and was Enacted in meer Grace and Favour to undone Man, that was utterly undone by the Fall.

There are two things which I conceive do constitute and make up the Righteousness of the Law of Grace; (presupposing all to be procured by the Purchase which Christ hath made) first, The Righteousness which consisteth in the forgiveness of sins; and secondly, The Righte∣ousness of sincere Obedience. And in reference to both these, Faith is imputed for Righteousness, by virtue of the Law of Grace.

First, Faith, as practical, is imputed to a Man for Righteousness, as it is That, and all That which is required of him himself by the Law of Grace, to entitle him to the Righteousness which consisteth in the Remis∣sion of sins through Christ. Now, that remission of Sins is part of the Righteousness which is by Faith, is evident from Rom. 4.5, 6, 7, 8. Where the Apostle, to prove that a Man's Faith in God who justifyeth the ungodly, is counted to him for Righteousness, he citeth a passage out of Psalm the 32d, Even as David also (saith he) describeth the bles∣sedness of the man to whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man, to whom the Lord will not impute sin. The Righteousness imputed in this sense, doth consist in the non-imputation of sin. Not to impute sin, is not to reckon a Man not to have sinned; but it is to deal with him, not according to the demerit of his sin, it is to pardon him, for Christ's sake, upon his penitential Faith, and not to punish him for his sin; and this by vertue of a New Law or Act of In∣demnity, or Covenant of Grace. For although pardon of sin is obtained for Man by Christ's Sufferings for sin, (In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, Ephes. .1 7. and though God, for Christ's sake doth forgive us, Ephes. 4.32.) yet the actual collation of this great Benefit, is not promised, but upon condition of Man's Faith. Him hath God set forth to be a Propitiation; but it is through Faith in his blood, Rom. 3.25. By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses, Acts 13.39. and 10.43. Although Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole World, (1 Joh. 2.2.) yet that saying of Christ must and will take place; If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall dye in your sins, Joh. 8.24. And that also, Mark 16.16. He that believeth not, shall be damned. So that Faith is imputed for Righteousness, partly as it is the Condition upon which Pardon of sin is granted.

Secondly, That Faith is imputed for Righteousness, which is practical, or productive of sincere Obedience, without which property it is not a fulfilling of the Law of Grace as a Condition of the promised Benefits: and consequently, cannot justifie a Man in the Eye of that Law. For,

1st, Repentance, and likewise forgiving Men their Injuries (for in∣stance) are such Acts of Obedience, as without which a Man cannot be Pardoned; and if not Pardoned, then not Justified. And therefore, Faith is not imputed for Righteousness, unless it be productive of Obedience.

2dly, No Faith is available to Justification, but such as worketh by Love, Gal. 5.6. Which to say, is all one as to say, no Faith is imputed for Righteousness, but such as worketh by keeping the Commandments of God, and fulfilling the Law; for that is the interpretation of Love, both to God and Men, 1 Joh. 5.3. Rom. 13.10.

3dly, Abraham who was set forth by God for a Pattern of his ju∣stifying Men by Faith, was Justified by such Works as were the fruits of his Faith; and not only by his Faith, which was the Root of them: And therefore his Faith as practical, was imputed to him for Righteous∣ness: And such must be the Faith of all others that shall obtain Justifi∣cation upon their Believing as he did, Jam. 2.21, 22, 23. Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works, when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar? Seest thou how Faith wrought with his Works; and by Works was Faith made perfect. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham Believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness. Where note these four things. 1. That Abraham's Faith wrought with his Works about the same End, as a Condition of obtaining it; to wit, his Justification. 2. That by his Works his Faith was made perfect; to wit, in its aptitude by God's Institution, to justifie him; without which, it would not have reached that End. 3. Note, further, That it was his Faith, as it wrought with his Works, and as it was compleated and made perfect by them, that was imputed to him for Righteousness. 4. Note, That in the Imputation of his Faith for Righteousness, as it was thus accompanied with, and perfected by Works, was the Scripture fulfilled, which saith, Abraham Believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness. And if so, then the Justification by Works, together with Faith, of which St. James speaks here, is a Justification before God, and not before Men only, and to a Man's own Conscience: For of such a Justification doth the Scripture in Gen 15.6. speak, which is here cited by St. James.

Nor doth this, that Faith accompanied with Obedience is imputed for Righteousness, at all derogate from the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ, in reference to the Ends for which they serve. Because the whole Covenant, and all the parts and terms of it, both promises of Benefits, and the Condition on which they are promised, are all foun∣ded in Christ his undertaking for us, and all the Benefits of it accrue to us, upon our Believing and Obeying, upon his account, and for his sake. We are in him, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, Righteousness, San∣ctification, and Redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30. For which cause also he is called the Lord our Righteousness. Not as if his Personal Obedience to the Law, was so formally imputed to us, as that we should be reckoned to have kept the Law in his keeping of it, (which hath been the Opinion of some) for if that had been so, there would have been no more need that Christ should have Suffered for us, than there was that he should have Suffered for himself, who had no sin; for neither should we, if we had perfectly kept the Law in him, or in his keeping of it.

CHAP. II. For what Ends the Law was added to the Promise.

I Now come to shew, in the next place, for what end the Law of Moses was added to the Promise. And before I do this in particular, I shall note only in general, That it was not added to cross or confront the Promise, or God's Design in it, but to be subservient to it, Gal. 3.21. Is the Law then against the Promises? God forbid. For it is not to be thought that God would prevaricate in his Design, so that when he had once made a New Law of Grace for the Saving of faln Man, he would yet afterwards give any Law, but what should one way or other subserve to the same End, if Men do not deprive themselves of the in∣tended Benefit, by perverting it. And therefore, to be sure, God did not intend to revive the Old Covenant of Works made with Adam in Para∣dise, in the after promulgation of the Law of Nature (which we call the Moral Law) already broken. He did not therein come to demand his full Debt of Innocency in Mans Broken and Bankrupt Condition, or to let him know, that he would, without any other Condition than perfect Innocency, cast him into Prison, until he had paid the utmost farthing. For if he had, then the Law indeed would have been against the Promise, which declares quite otherwise. It is true, the Law of Nature, as it is a perfect Rule of natural Righteousness, founded in God's Nature and Man's Nature, doth of it self require perfect Innocency, and can require no less, being suited to the Nature of Man in its perfect State: But when God brings this Law forth, and sets it before Men that are now faln from that state, as he doth in the promulgation of it, it is to let them know indeed what they once were, and from whence they are fallen, and how unhappy their Condition now is, according to the Tenour and Terms of that Law; and that it would have continued so for ever, if God had not made a New Law of Grace, to over-rule that Law; and to let all know that they shall still remain in that Condition, that wilful∣ly exclude themselves from the benefit of the Law of Grace, by not performing the Condition of it: But not to let them know, they should have no better terms from him than that Law affords them, nor to make their perfect keeping of it the condition of their Justification. But the Law of Moses, entirely taken in all its parts, was rather given as an Appendix to the Promise, both as a Rule of the material part of that Obedience, which God would now require of the Israelites in con∣junction with their Faith in the Promise, and as a Motive to that Obedi∣ence: This in general.

The Question is put, Gal. 3.19. Wherefore then serveth the Law? And the Answer there is, That it was added because of transgression, until the

Seed should come. And it was added because of transgression in more respects than one.

1. It was added to discover Sin, to make that known to be Sin, which was so of it self, and in its own nature, before the promulgation of the Law. For by reason of that grievous Wound which Man got in his Understanding by the Fall, and by reason also of a progressive De∣generation in Mankind, the natural Sense of Moral Good and Evil, was to a great degree worn out of the minds of Men. For the repai∣ring of which decay, a promulgate Law (the Ten Commandments) an∣swerable to the Law of pure Nature in the Spirituality of it, was set on foot in the World. And by this Law came Sin and Duty to be more clearly known than they were before. Rom. 3.20. By the Law is the knowledge of Sin. Rom. 7.7. I had not known Sin, but by the Law: For I had not known Lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not Covet.

2. The Law was added, not only barely to make known that to be Sin, which was so of it self before, but to set it out in its Colours, to make it known in the horrid nature and consequence of it, that Men might be the more afraid to have to do with it, The Law entred, that the offence might abound: That is, that by that means it might be rendred the more Criminous and Demeritorious: That Sin by the Command∣ment, might become exceeding sinful, Rom. 5.20. and 7.13.

3. The Law as it discovered Sin, and made it more criminous, and the People the more sensible of guilt, and more apprehensive of their ob∣noxiousness to punishment, was given to set off so much the more, the Glory, Beauty, and Desirableness of God's Grace in the Promise of Pardon and Salvation. Rom. 5.20. The Law entered that the offence might abound: But where Sin abounded, Grace did much more abound. By how much the more Sin appeared Sin, and was enhanced, and ag∣gravated, and rendred manifestly mischievous by a Promulgate Law; by so much the more Grace appear'd to be Grace, in all its Glory, that brought Deliverance from it. Rom. 5.21. That like as Sin hath reigned unto death, (viz. by the Law, that being the strength of Sin, 1 Cor. 15.56.) Even so Grace might reign through Righteousness unto eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. After Christ came, the Rest which he gave, was so much the more sweet to those Jews who received him, by how much they had been weary and heavy-laden under a Spirit of Bondage before.

4. The Law (saith St. Paul) was our Schoolmaster, to bring ••s unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith, Gal. 3.24. That is, It was a lower sort of Institution, accommodated to the weak and more imperfect state of the Church, until afterward it should deliver them over to a more perfect Institution under Christ. Parents first teach their Children to Speak, and after put them to School to learn Letters, Syllables, Words, and Sentences; the use and design of all which they do not understand while they are Children, as they do when they come to be Men. In proportion to this hath God dealt with his Church in the World, begin∣ning with a lower and more imperfect sort of Instruction, Precepts, and Promises, and so proceeding to those that are higher and more perfect, and so by certain gradations, to lead on, and build up his

Church to a more perfect Spiritual and compleat state of Faith and Holiness; To all the riches of fulness of understanding of the Mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ, Col. 2.2. And thus the Law, as Schoolmaster, had a double end and use: The one respecting the time then present: The other that which was then future and to come.

The then present use of it was twofold also.

1. To reclaim and restrain them from the Superstitious Customs of the Heathen, to which they were addicted; in which respect also it was added because of transgression. The Heathen-Worship, stood in divers Superstitious Rites or Ceremonies: And because the Israelites were addicted to a bodily Worship like theirs, (for they said, Let us make us Gods to go before us, Exod. 32.1.) and were in danger thereby of being drawn to Worship their Gods, therefore to prevent this (as Pa∣rents put their Children to School, partly to keep them out of harms way) the Lord by way of condescention to their childish humour, did ordain a Worship consisting much in bodily Exercise, and Instituted divers Laws, which stood in Meats and Drinks, and divers Washings, and carnal Ordinances, until the time of Reformation; till he should, by sending his Son, appoint more excellent Laws for Reforming both them and the rest of the World. Lev. 18.3, 4, 5. After the doings of the Land of E∣gypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do; and after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their Ordinances. Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgments: Which if a Man do, he shall live in them, Ezek. 20.6, 11.

2. The Lord did Institute divers Temporary Laws for tryal and ex∣ercise of their Obedience in those lesser things for a time, as being such as they were as yet best capable to receive, thereby to lead them on to higher instances of Obedience afterward. Those many Ceremonies which they were obliged to observe, were not things of any natural or intrinsick Goodness, but only made use of by God for a present turn, which when that was served, they (as to practise) were of no value, but became beggerly Elements. But yet while they continued commanded of God, their Obedience in the use of them, was Rewardable, as well as their Obedience to any other Laws.

The other end and use of the Law, as it was a Schoolmaster, respected the time then to come. For the High Priesthood, and Sacrifices of the Law, as they were Types of what Christ should be, do, and suffer, as Mediator, were of great use to the Jews after Christ had Suffered, and was Risen again, and Ascended into Heaven, to facilitate both the knowledge and belief of the Mystery of Redemption by Christ.

1. To facilitate the knowledge thereof, and to beget in them a right Notion of those things in Christ, by which forgiveness of sins, and ac∣ceptance with God, is obtained on our behalf. For those who had long seen and known the effect of Legal Sacrifices, as how they did pro∣cure Legal Impunity for Offences commited, God accepting the Life of a Beast that had not sinned, instead of the life of a Man that had, might soon come to understand, by parity of reason, that God would much more accept of his own Sons offering himself in Sacrifice for us, so as to excuse us from suffering Eternal Punishment for our sin. For if the blood

of Bulls, and of Goats, and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean, sancti∣fieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your Con∣science from dead works, to serve the living God? Heb. 9.13, 14. And so the High Priest's entering into the Holy of Holies in the behalf of the People with the Blood of the Sacrifice, and burning Incense there, doth greatly assist the mind in understanding the nature of Christ's Intercession for us in Heaven, in virtue of his Bloodshed for us on Earth, Heb. 9.

2. The Law, in the Typical nature of it, was of great use to the Jews, to facilitate and strengthen their Belief in Christ; and so were the Predictions of the Prophets in conjunction with it: For these and the accomplishment of them in Christ, did so answer each other, as in Water, Face answereth to Face, that those who believed the Law and the Prophets, had a great advantage by means thereof, to believe in Christ. And therefore our blessed Saviour, when he would satisfie his Disciples touching himself, that he was indeed the Christ, and of the necessity of his Death, (which Death occasioned at first a stag∣gering in their Faith) beginning at Moses, and all the Prophets, he ex∣pounded to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself, Luke 24.27. And St. Paul, when he laboured the Conversion of the Jews at Rome, to Christianity, as the chiefest way to effect it; he expounded to them, and testified the Kingdom of God, perswading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses, and of the Prophets, from morning to evening, Acts 28.23. Had ye believed Moses (Saith our Saviour to them) ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me: But if ye believe not his Writings, how shall ye believe my Words? Joh. 5.46, 47. And thus in both the forementioned respects, the Law was a Schoolmaster indeed, to bring them to Christ, that they might be Justified by Faith.

5. The Law was given to the Jewish Nation, not only for their be∣hoof and benefit, but also for a general Good to the World: That the Nations round about, hearing of such excellent Laws, and percieving how happy and prosperous those People were, so long as they observed them; might thereby be invited to quit their Idol Gods, and to take hold of the Covenant, and to join themselves to the people of the God of Abraham, even as it came to pass in such as were Proselited. And upon this account it seems to be, that the Psalmist prayed thus: God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause thy Face to shine upon us: That thy way may be known on Earth, thy saving health unto all Nations, Psal. 67.1, 2. and concludes ver. 7. That if God should so do, his fear would be propagated through the World: God shall bless us, and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him, Deut. 4.6, 7, 8. Keep therefore and do them, for this is your Wisdom, and your Ʋnderstanding in the sight of the Nations, who shall hear all these Statutes, and say, surely this great Nation is a Wise and an Ʋnderstanding People. For what Nation is there so great, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what Nation is there so great, that hath Statutes and Judgments so Righteous, as all this Law which I set before you this day? To them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3.2. They were com∣mitted in trust to them as Feoffees for the World, to communicate the

knowledge of God and of his Laws to the Nations; to carry on further the Reformation of the World, begun in their Father Abraham, and which was promised to be more compleatly effected by the Messias, in that all Nations of the Earth should be Blessed in him. And as God's Judgments on the Jews for breaking his Laws, was Admonitory to the Nations about them, Deut. 29.24,—28. so his famous Deliverances wrought for them upon their Repentance for breaking his Laws, made God known abroad to be a great favourer of such as repent of their worshipping and serving other Gods, and such a one as could and would Save, Deliver and Bless them, that turned to him, to serve him only. Which seems to be his meaning, when he saith, he will be sanctified be∣fore the Heathen, when he should gather them from among the people where they were Captives, and that the Heathen should know that he was the the Lord, Ezek. 20.41. and 36, 23. And by this means he brought them to fear and worship the God of Israel. Psal. 102.13, 15. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord; and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion, they said among the Heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them, Psal. 126.1, 2.

6. The whole Law was given to be a Political Instrument of Gover∣ning the Israelites, (according to that state of their minority) as a peculiar Republick, of which God himself was the Soveraign Legislator. But of this more afterward.

CHAP. III. Shewing by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved.

I Come now to shew by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved.

And doubtless whatever it was, it became available to that end, upon the account of what Christ was to suffer, when he should come. For, as I shewed before, that God's Covenant with Abraham and his Seed, (by virtue of which the Faithful then were saved) was confirmed in Christ; was established with them in reference to what he was to do, and suffer, as Mediator afterwards, Gal. 3.17. And by means of his Death, there was Redemption for the transgressions that were under the first Testament, Heb. 9.15. And the Sacrifices and Priesthood, were a Figure for the time then present, of what Christ should afterwards do, and suffer, and for what end.

But when I say so, I do not say that all that were Saved, did under∣stand so much. For we see the Apostles of Christ, though they did believe him to be the Messias, which the Jews expected, yet they did not understand or expect that he should suffer Death as a Sacrifice, till

he told them so: Nay, the thing was so far from their thoughts, as that they did not understand him, when he plainly foretold them of his Death, Luke 18.32. And if the Doctrine touching the resemblance that is between the Priesthood of Melchizedech, and the Priesthood of Christ, was not in the Apostles sense, Meat which Babes in Christianity could well digest in their Understandings, but was Meat for strong Men, Heb. 5.10.—14. we may well guess by that, how little the Jews under∣stood the Typical and Spiritual sense of those Types about which they were frequently conversant; and therefore it's said, that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, is greater than John the Baptist, though he was so great, that there was none greater before him. Hence we may see, that one reason why those Jews were all their life-time under a Spirit of Bondage to fear, was the great Obscurity of the Declaration of God's purpose of Grace to the World through Christ, and the Way and Method of Salvation by him. Moses was but a servant for a Testimony of those things, which were [after] to be spoken, and so declared afterwards, as that the Typical meaning of them might be understood, Heb. 3.5. In the mean while, as touching those things, they were shut up unto the Faith which should [afterwards] be revealed, Gal. 3.23. It is said of the Prophets, whereof Moses was one, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto us, by them that have preached the Gospel to us, 1 Pet. 1.12. Add we to all this, Heb. 9.8. where having spoken in ver. 7. of the High Priests entering alone into the Holy of Holies with the Blood of the Sacrifice in behalf of the People once every Year, he saith, The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the Holiest of all, was not yet made manifest, while as the first Ta∣bernacle was yet standing. By the Holiest of all, here, is meant Heaven, signified of old by the Holy of Holies, as appears, ver. 12, 24. And the plain meaning seems to be this, That the peoples entring into Heaven by the Sacrifice, and Blood, and Intercession of Christ, was not made manifest, while the Tabernacle-worship continued. For Christ is our Way into Heaven, (to the place within the Veil) by his Blood shed as a Sacrifice, Heb. 10.19, 20. Having therefore, Brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil, that is to say, his Flesh. But this Way, he tells us, was not made manifest, while the first Taber∣nacle was standing.

But as obscure as this way was, as to what was to be done and suf∣fered in particular by the Messias, yet they had some general grounds of Faith and Hope; That upon their Faith, Repentance, and sedulous Endeavours to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, they should obtain remission of their sins, and a future Happiness in another World. Among which gounds these were not the least:

1. They had the knowledge of the Promise of Blessedness to all Na∣tions in Abraham's Seed, and of the Promise of those other Benefits which were promised to Abraham and his Seed.

2. They had an addition of several other Predictions concerning the Messias, both by Moses and other Prophets, that perhaps were

somewhat more express, such as in Deut. 18.16. Isa. 53. Dan. 9. and others. These Promises and Predictions, put them in great expecta∣tions of Special Benefits by the Messias, and wrought in them a longing after his Day. Upon which account, our Saviour said to his Disciples: Blessed are your Eyes, for they see; and your Ears, for they hear. For I say unto you, that many Prophets and Kings, and Righteous Men, have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them, Mat. 13.16, 17. Luke 10.23, 24.

3. They had large significations from God of his special Favour to them above all people, as in chusing them to be his peculiar People, and in declaring himself to be their God; in giving visible signs of his Pre∣sence among them, and excellent Laws and Promises to them, and sending his Prophets amongst them, and working many Wonders for them, and casting out the Nations before them, to make room for them, and the like, Deut. 7.6, 7, 8. and 26.18, 19. Psal. 147.19, 20. Rom. 9.4, 5.

4. They had express Declaration from God of the Goodness of his Nature, and of his Compassion towards Sinners, and of his readiness to Pardon such as should Repent and return to their Duty, in loving him, and keeping his Commandments. As for instance, Exod. 34.6, 7. The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keep∣ing mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. And when he delivered them his Law, with the greatest terrour and astonishment to them; yet even then he assured them, That he would shew Mercy to Thousands of them that love him, and keep his Commandments; as in the Second Commandment. And in ease of their miscarriage to the draw∣ing down of God's Judgments upon them, he bespeaks them thus: When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient to his Voice, (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God) he will not forsake thee, nor for∣get the Covenant of thy Fathers, Deut. 4.31. and 30.1, 2, 3. Levit. 26.39, &c.

From all which grounds, the Faithful among them, had such a hope and confidence of pardon of Sin, and of a future Happiness in another Life, upon their Repentance and sincere Obedience, as did effectually induce them to have good thoughts of God, to love him, and to en∣deavour to please him, by having respect unto all his Commandments. This made him say, Psal. 130.4. There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. And under this hope and confidence, the twelve Tribes did instantly serve God day and night, and grounded this Hope of theirs upon the Promise made of God unto their Fathers, as St. Paul tells us, Acts 26.6, 7.

And indeed, it was the unanimous Faith of the most eminent among them from Age to Age, that God had both made, and would keep a Covenant to shew Mercy to those that love him, and keep his Com∣mandments, or that walk before him with all their Heart: For that they looked upon as the Condition of God's Promise of shewing Mercy. This we may see in Moses, David, Solomon, and in Daniel, and

Nehemiah, Deut. 7.9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him, and keep his Commandments. So David, Psalm 103.17, 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to such as keep his Cove∣nant, and to those that remember his Commandments to do them. And thus Solomon, 1 Kings 8.23. And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, who keepest Covenant and Mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart. So Daniel, in his 9th Chap. 4th ver. O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the Covenant and Mercy, to them that love him, and to them that keep his Commandments. And Ne∣hemiah likewise, Chap. 1.5. I beseech thee, O Lord God of Heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth Covenant and Mercy for them that love him, and observe his Commandments. This we see was the serious and constant Profession of the Faith of the Servants of God in those Times. And in this Faith and Practice doubtless it was, that they lived, and died, and were saved.

CHAP. IV. That the Law contained a Covenant different from that with Abraham.

IN the next place, I am to shew, That the Law of Moses did contain a Covenant distinct, and of a different nature from the Covenant which God made with Abraham and his Spiritual Seed.

Besides the general Promise which God made to Abraham, respecting the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, (In thee all Nations of the Earth shall be blessed) he made a Special Covenant with him, as a Reward of his sig∣nal Faithfulness, to give unto his Natural Seed the Land of Canaan: Nehem. 9.8. Thou foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a Covenant with him, to give the Land of the Canaanites — to his Seed. In order to the fulfilling of which Promise, after he had brought them out of Egypt, he united them under himself, as Head, in one Political Body, by a Political Covenant, Exod. 19. &c. which is the Covenant I am now to discourse of. In which discourse I would, 1. Shew in what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different na∣ture from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham. 2. Prove that it did contain such a different Covenant. 3. For farther illustration, consider it in its parts, and their relation one to another. 4. And in what respect this Covenant is called the first Covenant, when as the Covenant of Grace was made before it.

1. In what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different nature from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham. The Law of Moses comes under a twofold consideration. 1. As in conjunction with the Promise to Abraham, to which it was annexed,

it made up one entire Law, by which the Israelites were to be governed and directed in the way to Eternal Life: And in this conjunction, the Promise was the Life and Soul as it were of the Body of the Mosaic Law, properly taken. And in this sense, as the word Law signifies the Pentateuch, or five Books of Moses, (which contain the Promise, as well as the Law) it is sometimes used in the New Testament, Gal. 4.21, 22. 1 Cor. 14.34. Luke 16. And in this sense doubtless we are to understand the Law upon which David bestowed so many glorious Encomiums as he did, saying, The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the Soul, &c. Psal. 19.2. We are to consider the Law of Moses, as given at Sinai, in a stricter sense, as it was an Instrument or Rule of Government in the Commonwealth of Israel. The Law, in the former sense of it, promised Eternal Life (though but obscurely) to those that did believe its Promises, and sincerely obey its Precepts. In the lat∣ter sense, it promised only temporal Blessings to those that strictly ob∣served it in all the parts of it; and threatned those with temporal Ca∣lamities that did not. The same Laws materially of this Political Cove∣nant, related to both the Covenants. As Eternal Life was promised in the Covenant of Grace, upon condition of sincere Obedience to those Laws, as an effect of Faith in the Promise; so those Laws, in conjun∣ction with the Promise, were, as I may so say, Evangelical. But as temporal Benefits only were promised in that Covenant upon condition of strict Obedience to those Laws; and as those Laws were enjoyned un∣der temporal Penalties, as they were Commonwealth-Laws; so that Covenant, containing those Laws, was Political, and in this Political respect, it was another Covenant. If the Law of God, and the Law of Man command or forbid things materially the same; yet if the one command or forbid them under pain of Damnation, and the other only under temporal Penalties; these Laws are not formally the same. The Commonwealth of Israel had no Commonwealth-Laws, but what God himself gave them, the which Laws they also Covenanted with him to observe; by which Covenant they were united under him as Head of that Political Body. And therefore, when they would needs choose them a King like other Nations, God told Samuel, saying, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not Reign over them, 1 Sam. 8.7. Ye said unto me (said Samuel) nay, but a King shall Reign over us, when the Lord your God was your King, 1 Sam. 12.12. I conclude then, that as the Law of Moses did serve to this Political end; so it was a distinct Covenant, and different from the Covenant of Grace.

2. Let us see how this may be proved to be a Covenant so distinct and different, as I have said, from the Covenant of Grace declared to Abraham. And to this purpose, these things are considerable.

First, They are called the two Covenants, by St. Paul, Gal. 4.24. And if they are Two, then there is a real difference between them, else they would be but one and the same.

Secondly, They bear distinct denominations; the one is called the first and the Old Covenant; and the other, the second and the New, Heb. Chap. 8. and 9.

Thirdly, There were some sins pardonable by one of those Covenants, which were not so by the other; and that shews that they were quite of a different nature. The Murder and Adultery which David was guilty of, was not pardonable, according to the terms of the Political Covenant, if there had been any Superiour Power on Earth to have executed that Commonwealth-Law; and yet, according to the terms of the Covenant of Grace, they were pardonable upon Repentance, and upon those terms were pardoned unto him. The like might be said perhaps of Manasseh.

The unbelief of Moses and Aaron, in not Sanctifying God in the eyes of the Children of Israel, was, according to the terms of the Covenant of Grace, pardoned as to the Eternal Penalty, but yet was not wholly pardoned, according to the terms of the Political Covenant, as to tem∣poral Punishment. For the Lord told them, that for that cause they should not bring the Children of Israel into the Land of Canaan, Numb. 20.12. And in reference to this case, the Psalmist saith, Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions, Psal. 99.8.

Fourthly, The Covenant of Grace never ceaseth, but it is of perpe∣tual duration throughout all Generations; and therefore is called the Everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13.20. But this Mosaical Political Cove∣nant is vanished long since, Heb. 8.13. by which also it appears to be a Covenant essentially different from the other.

3. For a farther illustration of the nature of this Covenant, we will consider it in its parts, and in the relation which those parts bear one towards another. And in general, it did consist of two parts. 1. Of Laws; and, 2. Of the Sanction of those Laws. The Laws likewise were of two sorts: 1. Laws of Duty. 2. Laws of Indemnity.

1. Laws of Duty. And in them we may consider, 1. What those Laws were. 2. What manner of Obedience to those Laws it was, which would free Men from the Penalties of them, and entitle them to the promises of Reward annexed to them.

First, The Laws of Duty, of which this Covenant did in great part consist, were those which pass under the various denomination of Moral, Ritual, or Ceremonial, and Judicial. Some of which Laws, (viz. the Decalogue especially and almost wholly) for the matter of them, were natural; that is, such as were founded in the Nature of Man, forbid∣ding things which of themselves were Evil, and commanding things which in their own nature were Good, and might be discerned to be so, by Man in his pure Naturals, and in great part since the Degeneration of his nature, whether they had been expresly forbidden, or comman∣ded, or no. But these Laws became part of the Political Covenant, only as they were expresly and externally declared to the Jews by a Promulgate Law. For if this had not been so, the Gentiles could not have been said to be without the Law, as they were, Rom. 2.14, 11. 1 Cor. 9.21. For they had the force and effect of the Law in their hearts, and were in that respect a Law unto themselves, Rom. 2.14, 15. But because the Decalogue, as well as the other Laws, was delivered to the Jews only, and to none else, from Mount Sinai, therefore they only (and Proselytes that joyned with them) were said to be under the

Law, and all the rest without Law. And therefore is the giving of the Law reckoned to the Jews among their peculiar Privileges, Rom. 9.4. Psal. 147.19, 20. And in this sense only, as the Decalogue was a part of the Political Law, can the Ministration ingraven in Stones be said to be done away, as it is, 2 Cor. 3.7, to ver. 11. For so much of it as was a Copy of the Law of Nature, or is by Christ incorporated into his Laws, remains in force to all Men.

The other Laws of which this Covenant did consist, were Arbitrary; the force of which did wholly depend upon Divine Institution: And such were the Laws Ceremonial; and a great part of those we call Judicial.

Secondly, That Obedience which would be sufficient to secure a Man from the penalty of the Political Law, and to entitle him to the promised Reward annexed thereto, was no less than a strict Obedience to it in all the parts of it. For it is written, Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them: And all the people shall say, Amen, Deut. 27.26. And this extended to Heart-obedience, and Heart-sinning, as well as to the outward Act, commanding Love to God, for∣bidding to Covet, as under the Heart-searching Political Soveraign, who reserved to himself the final Judgment and Execution, even in temporal respects, in many cases.

2. Laws of Indemnity (of which also this Covenant did consist) were partly those which ordained Sacrifice and Offerings for the Expiation of many Sins made pardonable by those Laws, so far as to exempt the delinquent Person from the temporal Penalty threatned for breach of those other Laws, which for distinction sake, I call Laws of Duty; for otherwise, these also were Laws of Duty, as well as of Privilege. There were other Laws of Indemnity likewise for the purification of Persons legally unclean; which being observed, the Persons unclean became delivered from the penalties they suffered while their unclean∣ness was upon them; such as was their Separation from the Congre∣gation.

Consider we next the Sanction of these Laws; and that did consist in Promises annexed to the observing of them, and in a Curse denounced against the transgressors of them. And for our better understanding the nature of the Promises of this Covenant, we will consider them Negatively, and Affirmatively.

1. Negatively; The Promises of this Political-Covenant, as such, were not Promises of Eternal Life; And when I say so, I do not deny but that, first, the Jews in Moses's time, and before, had Promises of Eternal Life implyed in the Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed. And accordingly, the faithful ones among them, sought after the Heavenly Country, and looked for a City which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, Heb. 11.10, 14, 16. Nor secondly, will I deny but that there are some passages in the Law of Moses, if you take the Law of Moses in a large sense, which look somewhat like a renewal of the antient Covenant with Abraham to his Seed. As when, for instance, God made a conditional Promise to the Israelites in Moses's time, to be their God, and that they should be his People, as in Levit. 26.12. Deut.

29.13. Which form of words is interpreted sometimes to imply a future Happiness in another World, Heb. 11.16. Matth. 21.31, 32. And I do not deny, but the Jews had by Moses, as express a Promise of the Messias, as Abraham had, Deut. 18.15. — 19. But St. Paul doth not speak of the Law in this large sense, when he opposeth the Law and the Promise, the Law and Faith, one to another. But if we understand by the Law of Moses, the Law as Political, the Law of the Commonwealth; so the Promises of it were not Promises of Eternal Life; For Promises of this nature did pertain to another Covenant, to wit, that made with Abraham, and his Spiritual Seed as such.

First; Therefore St. Paul doth downrightly deny that the Promise of th•• Inheritance, (which in Heb. 9.15. is called the Eternal Inheri∣tance) was by the Law, which yet it would have been, if by Law he had meant the Law in that large sense, in which the Law and Promise to Abraham are conjoyned; and not in that strict sense, by which he means the Political Law distinctly. And if the Inheritance had been promised upon the same terms as temporal Blessings were in the temporal Covenant, the Inheritance might have been obtained by the Law, as well as temporal Blessings were. Rom. 4.13. For the Promise that he should be Heir of the World, was not through the Law, but through the Righteousness of Faith.

Secondly, St. Paul evinceth the badness of that Opinion, to think that Eternal Life was promised upon the Law-terms, from the absurd consequence of it; shewing that if it were, that then it would make void the Promise of God to Abraham, and the way of saving Men by Faith in that Promise, of none effect: Gal. 3.18. For if the inheri∣tance be of the Law, it is no more of Promise: But God gave it to Abraham by Promise. Rom. 4.14. For if they which are of the Law be Heirs, Faith is made void, and the Promise made of none effect. It was altogether unrea∣sonable to think that the Inheritance should be promised upon such di∣stant and inconsistent terms, as are Faith in the Promise, and by Works of the Law.

Thirdly, The Law, saith the Apostle, is not of Faith, but the man that doth them, shall live in them, Gal. 3.12. meaning, that what the Law promised, it did not promise it upon condition of Believing, but upon condition of Doing. And Eternal Life is not since the Fall promi∣sed upon condition of Doing, without Faith, but upon condition of Be∣lieving; For the Just shall live by Faith, Vers. 11. And therefore Eternal Life is promised by the Law.

Fourthly, Wherefore else are the Promises of that better Covenant, Heb. 8.6. said to be better Promises? But because they are Promises of better things than were promised in the first Covenant; which yet they could not be, if Eternal Life had been promised in that Covenant, because that is the best of all Promises.

To say they are better only in respect of Administration, and clear∣ness of Revelation, will not satisfie such as shall well consider, That if the betterness of the Covenant and Promises lay only in that, the difference would not be so great as to denominate them two Covenants, and two so vastly distant as the Scripture represents them to be. The

difference then would be but only gradual, as that is, which is found in the same Covenant of Grace, in the several Editions of it, to Adam, to Abraham, to David, and now to all Nations since Christ's coming; and not Essential, as that between the two Covenants seems to be, as it is represented in Gal. 4.24. Besides, St. Paul represents the Admi∣nistration of the two Covenants, to differ as much, as Righteousness and Condemnation, Life and Death differ, which sure is more than a gradual difference. The one is the Ministration of Death and Condem∣nation; the other, the Ministration of Righteousness and Life, 2 Cor. 3.6, 7, 8, 9. The Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, Heb. 7.19. By which it appears again, that the hope of the Gospel in which the things hoped for upon the Promises of the Gospel (are not the least) is better than what the Law promised the observers of it. This is the Promise which he hath promised us, even Eter∣nal Life, John. 2.25.

2. And Affirmatively; It was then a long and prosperous Life in the Land of Canaan, that was promised in the first Covenant. Deut. 28.11. The Lord shall make thee plenteous in Goods, in the fruit of thy Body. and in the fruit of thy Cattel, and in the fruit of thy Ground, in the Land which the Lord sware unto thy Fathers to give thee. Deut. 11.21. That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your Children, as the days of Heaven upon Earth.

A great variety of outward Blessings is promised, as the Reward of keeping that Covenant. And therefore Wisdom under that Dispensa∣tion is described, as having length of days in her right hand, and in her left hand Riches and Honour; whose ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace, Prov. 3.17. And as this Covenant was National, so there were Promises of National Blessings; such as was the setting them on high, above all the Nations of the Earth; making them the Head and not the Tail: The giving them victory over enemies; multiplying the Nation, and bestowing on it, Health, Peace, and Plenty, Deut. 28. Lev. 26.

When it's said once by Moses, thrice by Ezekiel, and twice by St. Paul, that the Man that doth them, shall live in them, (Lev. 18.5. Ezek. 20.11, 13, 21. Rom. 10.5. Gal. 3.12.) thereby Epitomizing the first Covenant; I conceive that by Living, is meant a long and prosperous Life in this World. As on the contrary, the condition of one greatly afflicted, is in Scripture-Dialect, a kind of Death, and such an one said to be free among the Dead, Psal. 88.••. And that which inclines me so to think, is not only the reasons already given to prove that no other Life was promised in the first Covenant, but also the congruity of this sense with other passages in the Writings of Moses. As Deut. 30 15. See, I have set before you this day, Life and Good, Death and Evil. If you would know what is meant by Life here, the next Verse will in∣form you: That thou mayest live and multiply, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess it. The contrary where∣unto is the Death he had set before them, saying, I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the Land, &c. Deut. 32.46, 47. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day, for it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life; and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the Land

wherein ye go. The latter words are exegetical of the former: Through this thing ye shall prolong your days, is the interpretation of those; it is your Life. And it may be considered also, whether this Particle [in] (which if a Man do, he shall even live [in] them) may not determine the nature and kind of that Reward which was promised in the first Co∣venant, as it was a present Reward, a Reward which was received even while the Work was doing, according to that, Psal. 19.11. In keeping them there is great reward. And this is agreeable to what fell out in the event. The Lord was with them, to prosper them, while they were with him; but when they forsook him, presently Troubles overtook them. The pouring out of God's Fury on them to consume them in the Wil∣derness, being put in Ezek. 20 13, 21. as the direct contrary to those words, which if a Man do, he shall even live in them, seems greatly to favour this Notion. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the Wilderness: They walked not in my Statutes, and they despised my Judg∣••ents, which if a man do, he shall even live in them: Then I said, I would ••••ur out my fury upon them, to consume them in the Wilderness.

And indeed, one main difference between the two Covenants, (which I ••ould have here observed) lies in this, to wit, the presentness of the R••ward promised in the first, and the futurity of that promised in the se••ond. St. Paul in his Allegorical description of the two Covenants, Ga••. 4.24, &c. represents those that adhered to the first Covenant, by the Children of the Bond-servant, to whom Abraham gave Gifts in pres••••t, and sent them away, as in Gen. 25.5. and those that adhered to th•• second, by the Son of the free-woman, Isaac, who was Abraham's Heir, ••o whom he gave the whole Inheritance at last And the A∣doptio•• of Sons, as the Privilege of the New Covenant, is opposed to the condition of Servants under the Old, Gal. 4.7. And what are they ad••pted to, but to an Inheritance for the future? For by Adoption they are made Heirs: If a Son, then an Heir of God through Christ: An Heir of what? of an Inheritance for the future; an inheritance incor∣ruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven, 1 Pet. 1.4. And therefore they are said to wait for the Adoption, to wit, the redem∣ption of their Bodies, at the Resurrection, Rom. 8.23. Sons and Heirs serve their Father with a free and ingenuous Spirit, though they have but little for the present, in confidence of what he will do for them ••ereafter in another World, when they shall come to Age. But those under the Old Covenant, were like Servants, who serve with a servile Spirit, because they do it with expectation of present pay. The one walk by Faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen; the other were influenced in their Obedience, by the expectation of present Reward, because that was it which the first Co∣venant promised to the observers of it.

These Promises now insisted on, were promises of Reward to the observers of this first Covenant: But besides these, there was another sort of Promises exhibited in the first Covenant, and they were Promises of Pardon, in many cases, when the Laws of that Covenant were broken. There were (as I have shewed) Laws of Indemnity, which made many of the breaches of the Laws of Duty, pardonable upon

certain conditions. And such were all Sins of Ignorance and Inadver∣tency; and some of those also which were committed wittingly. But presumptuous Sins, and such as carried in them a kind of contempt of the Law, these were exempted from Pardon: Heb. 10.28. He that despised Moses's Law, died without mercy, under two or three witnesses. But for the other, there were promises of pardon upon certain conditions; which conditions were not always the same. In some cases, the offering of a Sin-offering, or Trespass-offering, was the condition. In other cases, that with confession of Sin, was the condition. And in some other cases, Sacrificing, Restitution, and Satisfaction, were the condition. And afflicting of the Soul, as well as the Sacrifice for Atonement o•• the day of general Expiation, was always a condition of forgiveness These things, in the particularities of them, you have in the 4, 5, 6, 1•• and 23d Chapters of Levit. And then the condition of the Promis••s of Purgation of Legal Uncleannesses, and the penal effects from the••, was the observing the Rules prescribed for purifying the Uncle••n.

Now the forgiveness promised by these Laws of Indemnity, did ••ot free the Conscience from all obligation to Eternal Punishment, but ••n∣ly freed the Person from suffering those temporal Evils, which ••ere threatned in this Covenant against those which did not contin•••• in all things written in the Book of it. Neither Sacrifices, nor ••egal Purifications, Sanctified, but unto the purifying of the flesh, and to their temporal Concerns only, Heb. 9.9, 10, 13.

And here we may observe a five-fold difference in reference ••o Re∣mission of Sin, between the first Covenant, and the Cove••ant of Grace.

1. They differ in the nature of those Sacrifices by which Atonements were made, and upon which Forgiveness was promised. The Blood of the Sacrifice of the first Covenant was but the blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the like, Heb. 10.4. But the Blood of the Sacrifice of the second Covenant, is the Blood of Christ, the Eternal Son of God. So that the nature of the Sacrifices of the two Covenants, upon which the Promise of the pardon of Sins was granted, doth differ as much as the Blood of Beasts and the Blood of the Son of God differ.

2. Those two sorts of Sacrifices pertaining to two kinds of Covenants, differ in the proportion of Efficacy and Virtue to accomplish their re∣spective Ends and Effects. There is a greater Richness of proportion in the Blood of Christ to free the Conscience from the guilt of Sin, or obligation to Eternal Punishment, than there was in the Blood of Beasts to free the delinquent Person from temporal Punishments. This is plainly intimated in Heb. 9.13, 14. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the ashes of an Heiser sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; [how much more] shall the Blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your Conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?

3. They differ in the nature of the pardon promised in each of the Covenants respectively. The Redemption granted in the first Cove∣nant, was but Temporal, as the Covenant it self was; it was but from Evils temporal: But Christ Jesus, by his Atonement, hath obtained Eternal Redemption for us, Heb. 9.12.

4. They differ in respect of the Sins made pardonable by each Cove∣nant respectively. There were many sins for which the first Covenant granted no Pardon, upon any terms whatsoever. They that despised Moses's Law, died without mercy, Heb. 10.28. But the Covenant of Grace makes promise of the pardon of the Greatest Sins upon Repentance. All manner of Sin and Blasphemy, except the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, are pardonable upon Repentance. This difference is set down, Acts 13.39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses. We may well suppose, that the first Covenant did finally Condemn some, which the Covenant of Mercy Pardoned. David, in the matter of Ʋriah, did that which was unpardonable by the first Covenant; it was a Fact to have been punish∣ed with Death by the Law, but that there was none but God that could duly inflict it upon him, in his capacity; and yet, upon his Repentance, it was pardoned as to his Eternal Concerns, as well as Temporal, by virtue of God's Covenant of Mercy. On the other hand, a Man pro∣bably might be so Righteous in the Eye of the first Covenant, as not to be visibly blameable, and yet even then be obnoxious to the Curse of the Everlasting Covenant. Paul, while he was Saul, and in the state of Unbelief, was even then, as touching the righteousness which is in the Law, blameless, as he himself saith, Phil. 3.6. So different were these two Covenants, that him whom the one Condemned, the other might Justifie; and likewise Justifie him, whom the other Condemned.

5. They differed in respect of the condition to be performed on Man's part for the obtaining of pardon. Pardon was promised in the first Covenant upon condition of Doing only, without reference to Faith; but so are not the pardons of the New Covenant. Gal. 3.11.12. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident; for the Just shall live by Faith: And the Law is not of Faith; but the man that doth them shall live in them. So much concerning the first Part of the Sanction of the first Covenant. Come we now to the second.

The other part of the Sanction of this Covenant, did consist in the Curse of it denounced against the breakers of it. Though it's true, that every Man is under a Condemnation that would be Eternal, unless he comes to be absolved by virtue of the Law of Grace; yet more than temporal Death was not expresly threatned for breach of the Political Covenant, as such.

1. For first, a violent Death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate, for Capital Offences, is called the Curse, Deut. 22.23. He that is hanged, is accursed of God, or is the Curse of God.

2. Christ who did not suffer Eternal Punishment for Man's Sin, did yet suffer the Curse of the Law, in that he was hanged on a Tree, Gal. 3.13. It is true indeed, that by that temporary Sufferings of his, he re∣deemed us from Eternal Punishment, which we were obnoxious to.

3. Those who Apostatize from Christ, and reject his Gospel, merit sorer punishment than what was inflicted on them that despised Moses's Law; and yet sorer Punishment (for kind) they cannot suffer, if Eternal punish∣ment had been the penalty of that Covenant, as such, Heb. 10.28, 29.

4. As the Promises of that Covenant, when particularly expressed, did appear to be but temporal, so the Curses of it appear to be no other in the particular enumeration of them. As for instance, a violent Death inflicted by the Hand of the Magistrate, was the punishment threatned for many Capital Offences; Such as was Idolatry, Blasphemy, Witchcraft, Working on the Sabbath, invading the Priests Office, and for being a false Prophet; and also for Murder, Adultery, Sodomy, Buggery, Man-stealing, Cursing, or Smiting of Parents, or being stub∣bornly Rebellious against them, and some other. And a cutting off from among the People, (whither by God's hand immediately, or by Man's, I determine not) was the penalty threatned for eating Leavened Bread within the time prohibited; for not Purifying ones self, when Un∣clean; for profaning holy things; for ones eating of the Sacrifice, with his Uncleanness upon him; for offering Sacrifice any where but at the Tabernacle; for eating of Blood, and for eating of the Fat of the Sacrifice; for neglecting to keep the Passover, and for not afflicting the Soul in the Day of general Atonement; and for several other Offences. And those Offences, for which cutting off from among the People is threatned, being less criminous than the former, we have no reason to think the penalty of cutting off from among the People, to signifie more (if so much) than the suffering of a temporal Death. We may ob∣serve how the Israelites various Punishments are exprest for their mani∣fold Crimes in the Wilderness, by God's overthrowing them in the Wilder∣ness, by Pestilence, and otherwise, 1 Cor. 10.

In brief, The temporal Evils threatned in this Covenant, were either Personal, Domestick, or National. The Personal and Domestick Evils, were no less, than whatsoever tended to the infelicity of Man's Life, as Diseases in Body, Perplexity of Mind, Unfruitfulness in Body, in Cattel, in Ground; Scarcity, Poverty, Oppression, loss of Relations, fewness of Days, and an untimely cutting off from the Promised Land. The National were wild Beasts, Pestilence, Sword, Famine, Captivity, and such like. These were inflicted when the breach of the Cove∣nant became National in the generality of the People: But especially, when those who had the management of Publick Affairs, Civil and Ec∣clesiastick, did not restrain the People by a due Execution of Laws; but rather led them into sin by their Example, and sometimes by their Commands; corrupting Religion, and perverting Justice, Levit. 26. Deut. 28. And the Evils threatned being National, as the Covenant it self was, they must needs be but Temporal; because there is no Judging, Con∣demning, and Executing Nations, as Nations, but in this World.

4. Come we now to shew reason, why this Covenant is called the first Covenant, since there were others made before it; as that with Adam in Paradise, and that Covenant of Salvation with Adam after his Fall, and with Noah, and Abraham. And,

1. Negatively; It is not so called, as if it were the same for substance with that which was first made with Adam in Paradise, as many have thought, or because it was proposed upon the same terms. For,

First, That Covenant was established upon the terms or condition of perfect Innocency; no provision being made in it for pardon, in case

of failure, upon any condition whatsoever. But it was otherwise in this Mosaick Covenant, as I have shewed, in that it contained several Laws of Indemnity for the Relief of delinquent Persons, upon certain possible and practicable Conditions.

Secondly, If this and the Paradisical-Covenant had been of the same nature, then it and the Promise made to Abraham, and his Spiritual Seed, would have been inconsistent; the one promising Eternal Life upon Believing, the other only upon condition of sinless Obedience. If this had been the case, the Law would have been against the Promise, which God forbid it should, Gal. 3.21. and the one would have ex∣cluded the other, according to St. Paul's reasoning. Rom. 11.6. If by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work. But,

2. Affirmatively. It is called the first Covenant, because it is the first of the two under question and dispute between the Apostles and unbelieving Jews. The Question and Controversie between them was, which of the two Covenants, that by Moses, or that by Christ, was to be finally adhered to, as the way of Salvation. In the handling of which Controversie, that by Moses is called the first, and the Gospel-Covenant established by Christ, as was Prophesied by Jeremiah, is called the second: Even as the one is called the Old Covenant, not because it was the oldest of all Covenants, but because opposed to that which was Prophesied of under the name of a New Covenant. It is observable, that where we meet with the first mention of the first Co∣venant under that denomination, it is not stiled [the] first Covenant absolutely, but [that] first Covenant, as pointing at that under Dispute. Heb. 8.7. For if (that) first Covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

CHAP. V. The grand Mistakes of the Jews about the Law and Promise; and how St. Paul counter-argues these Mistakes.

I Am now in the next place to shew the fatal mistakes of the unbelieving Jews, about God's Promise to Abraham, and the Law of Moses; and how St. Paul doth counter-argue these mistakes. A distinct understanding of which Errors, and of St. Paul's arguings against them, sometimes severally, and sometimes conjunctively, and in the gross, will be as a Key to open many passages in his Epistles, which otherwise will be hard to be understood.

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1. They held Circumcision in the Flesh to be the condition in special, upon which all the Blessings of God's Covenant with Abra∣ham were promised; but did not understand that Spiritual Circum∣cision, viz. the Mortification of sinful Affections and Lusts, was prin∣cipally intended, when God made Circumcision the condition of his Covenant. For they were it seems grosly ignorant of the necessity of Regeneration, and so of the Spiritual design of Circumcision; which was the reason why Nicodemus, though a Ruler among the Jews, answered Christ so aukardly as he did, when he Preached to him the necessity of being born again, Joh. 3. An Ignorance that some allowance possibly might have been made for, had not the Circumcision of the Heart, and the making themselves a new Heart, been expresly called for, as it was Deut. 10.16. Jer. 4.4. Ezek. 18.31. Now this Ignorance of theirs in the Doctrine of the Circumcision of the Heart, and the sense they put upon God's making Circumcision to be the condition of his Covenant of being their God, was doubtless the reason why they placed so very much as they did in Literal Circumci∣sion. For, although Circumcision first given to Abraham by way of Co∣venant, was afterwards incorporated with the body of Moses's Law, yet it should seem these Jews considered it not so much as it was a part of that Law, but chiefly as a Condition of God's Covenant with them in Abraham, as they were his Seed. And therefore, St. Paul where he rec∣kons up his Jewish Privileges, whil'st he was a Pharisee, puts Circum∣cision in the head of them all, and as accounted by him while a Pharisee a Privilege distinct from his being blameless, touching the Righteousness which was in the Law, Phil. 3.5, 6. Whence also the Judaizers said, it was needful to Circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses, Acts 15.5, 24. As if Circumcising did import something different from, or at least something more, than keeping of the Law did, though otherwise it was a part of the Law. Upon this account doubtless it was, that we find them more zealous for Circumcision, than for any other Point of the Law besides.

Against this Erroneous Opinion of theirs, touching Literal Circum∣cisions being the condition of the Spiritual Benefits of the Covenant, St. Saul argueth several ways. First, By maintaining that the Co∣venant did chiefly respect Circumcision in the Spirit. Rom. 2.28, 29. He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that Circumcision, which is outward in the flesh, (that is, it was not that Circumcision which would savingly avail them, as they thought it would) but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and Circumcision is that of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter; whose praise is not of Men, but of God.

Again, by shewing that Abraham could not have been Justified before Circumcision, if the great Benefits of the Covenant (of which Ju••ti∣fication was one) were suspended upon that as a necessary condition. And yet that he was Justified, vvhen not Circumcised, there is the express Authority of Scripture for. This he asserts. Rom. 4.9, 10. For we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in Circumcision, or in Ʋncircumcision? Not in Circumcision, but in Ʋncircumcision.

Afterwards, he proceeds to undeceive them in the apprehension they had, that the Benefits of the Covenant were entailed upon Abraham's Natural Seed as such; or at least as such, with the addition of a Literal observation of Circumcision, and the Law, without respect to the Spiritual and New Birth: Rom. 9.6, 7, 8. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel, (as they thought they were) neither because they are the Seed of Abraham, are they all Children: But in Isaac shall thy Seed be called: That is, those shall be called Abraham's Seed, which are born as Isaac was, by Faith in the Promise, which are therefore called Children of the Promise. For so the Apostle expounds it, saying, They which are the Children of the flesh, these are not the Children of God; but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed; to wit, such as are born after the Spirit, as it is explained, Gal. 4.28, 29. And this agrees to what he had said before, Rom. 2.28. He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, &c. Against which corrupt Opinion, John the Baptist did oppose himself, when he admonished the Pharisees, to bring forth fruit meet for Repen∣tance, and think not to say within your selves, we have Abraham to our Fa∣ther, Mat. 3.7, 8.

The Apostle labours to cure this grand Error about Literal Circum∣cision as disjoyned from Spiritual, in many other places; and shew••, how that Circumcision availeth nothing, but a New Creature, such as Spiritual Circumcision makes a Man to be. Gal. 6.15. Not Circumcision, but Faith. Gal. 5.6. Not Circumcision, but keeping the Commandments, is that which would only reach those great Ends which they sought after in Literal Circumcision, 1 Cor. 7.19. But I shall have occasion to im∣prove these Scriptures further upon another Head of this Discourse. And by the way, we may observe, that those who build their hopes of future Happiness upon their having been Baptized, and their being of the Church, without the inward Grace signified by Baptism, which is the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, they are much a-kin to those miserable mistaken Jews.

2. They not understanding the Typical and Spiritual use of the Legal Sacrifices, as they did prefigure the Death and Suffering of Christ, and the general Atonement which was to be made thereby, nor yet the Predictions of the Prophets touching his Death, they ran into a∣nother gross Error, and that was, That the promised Messias should not, by suffering death, become a Sacrifice for sin. And therefore they said to him, when he spoke to them of his Death; We have heard out of the Law, that Christ abideth for ever; and how sayest thou the Son of Man must be lift up? Joh. 12.34. They did not dream of his Dying, but of his Reigning visibly as a Mighty Monarch among them, and subduing all Nations under them; Because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath-day, they have fulfilled them in con∣demning him, Acts 13.27. Their Ignorance in the meaning of the Types and Predictions touching the Death of the Messias, would have been the more excusable, if they had not wilfully and obstinately per∣sisted in that Error after those Types and Prophecies were fulfilled and explained to them. Ignorance in this matter was found in Christ's own Disciples a great while; but their slowness to believe those Types

and Prophecies after they were fulfilled, was a thing which our Saviour rebuked them for, saying, O fools, and slow of heart, to believe all that the Prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? Luke 24.25, 26. But the unbelieving Jews were tenacious of this Opinion, after they had sufficient means to have been convinc'd of their Error in it. In opposition to which Opinion, the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, argues at large the necessity of Christ's Suffering by Death. As first, he argues it from his Priest∣hood. For having proved him, according to Prophecy, to be a Priest, not after the Order of Aaron, but of Melchizedeck, and so a Priest of greater Dignity, Chap. 5. and 7. He infers, Chap 8. that as a Priest, he must have something to Offer in Sacrifice, and that of greater value than what was Offered by Priests under the Law, that were but of an inferiour Order; and that he shews to have been Himself, and his own Blood, as the Antitype of all those Legal Sacrifices, Chap. 9. Secondly, He proves his Death necessary for the confirmation of the second and New Covenant, as he was Mediator of it. As the first Testament was not dedicated without Blood, so neither is the second: For where a Testa∣ment is (saith he) there of necessity must also be the death of the Testator, Chap. 9.15,-23. Thirdly, His Death was necessary for the obtaining of Remission of Sins; a Benefit promised in the New Covenant: For without shedding of Blood (saith he) there is no Remission of Sin, Chap. 9.22. with Chap. 10.5-18.

And indeed, it was a good part of the Apostle's work to beat down this Opinion, that the Messias was not to dye. Acts 17.3. St. Paul, as his manner was, went into them; and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. Yea, this Opinion had so generally obtained among them in our Saviour's time, that it seems the Apostles of Christ at first were not free from it. For when our Saviour told them, that at Jerusalem he should be delivered to the Gentiles, and that they should scourge him, and put him to death, and that the third day he should rise again; it's said, they understood none of these things, and that this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken: Though they were spoken plainly, and in no Parable, Luke 18.32, 33, 34. Christ's being Crucified, became a stumbling-block to the Jews through this Error of theirs, and that which they insisted upon, as a Reason why they would not receive him as the Christ of God, 1 Cor. 1.23.

3. They held another Error which probably was Mother or Daugh∣ter of the former, and that was, That the Legal Sacrifices did expiate and take away Sin, not only so as to free them from Legal Penalties and Temporal Punishments, as in many cases they did; but so also as to free them from all obligation to Eternal Punishment. And so they did attribute to those Sacrifices, the same atoning Virtue and purging Efficacy, as is proper only to the Blood of Christ. In opposition to this Opinion, it is maintain'd,

1. That those Legal Sacrifices, were but Figures of the great Sacri∣fice, Christ Jesus, Heb. 9.10, 11, 12. and 10.1.

2. It was argued, that it was impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away Sin, because these were offered year after year, over and over in the day of general Atonement for the same sins. And that if the former Sacrifices which were first offered, had taken away sin, the latter could not have been necessary to the same purpose, Heb. 10.1, 2, 3, 11. The often repetition of Sacrifices for the same sins, argues that the Worshippers had a secret sense in their Conscience, that those Sacrifices were not of a competent Value, nor a sufficient Price to Redeem their Souls from Sin, as it exposeth to Eternal Punish∣ment; however, they might sanctifie as to the purifying of the flesh, yet they could not make any perfect as pertaining to the Conscience, Heb. 9.9. and 10.1, 2.

3. It was argued from a Prophetical passage in Psal. 40. in which Christ is brought in speaking thus; Sacrifice and Offering thou would'st not, but a Body hast thou prepared me: In burnt Offerings and Sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. From whence he infers, that the first sort of Sacrifices were taken away as insufficient, that the second might be established. By the which will, saith he, we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus once for all, Heb. 10.5.—10.

This Opinion of theirs, that Legal Sacrifices did expiate all their Sins, did keep up in them a hope of Impunity here and hereafter, under many Immoralities and great Transgressions in the course of their Lives. Though they multiplied Transgression, yet if they multiplied Sacrifices too, they thought they should escape well enough. Amos 4.4, 5. Come to Bethel and transgress, at Gilgal multiply transgression, and bring your Sacrifice every morning, and your Tythes after three years, and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with Leaven, and proclaim and publish your free-Offerings, for this liketh you, O Children of Israel, saith the Lord God. And much after this rate do carnal Christians bear up themselves in hopes that all their sins are done away by the Sacrifice of Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World, though they live from day to day in ungodliness. Only indeed they sin at a cheaper rate for the present, than the wicked Jews did. The Jewish sinners were at the cost of many a Sacrifice to stop the mouth of Conscience; but these are at cost only in making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof, and depend upon Christ to pay all their Scores.

4. Another of their Errors, as consequent upon the former, was this; That without Circumcision and observing of the Law of Moses, the Gentiles could not be saved. This Opinion the Judaizing Christians retained after their Conversion to the Christian Profession. Acts 15.1, 5, 24. Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. There rose up certain of the Sect of the Pharisees which believed, say∣ing, that it was needful to Circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.

In opposition to which Opinion, St. Paul taught that the Righteous∣ness of God by Faith without the Law is manifested unto all, and upon all that believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, and that there is no difference,

Rom. 3.21, 22. And that a Man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law, though never Circumcised: And that God is the God of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jews, and that he doth justifie the Ʋncircum∣cision and the Circumcision; those that had observed the Law of Moses, and those that had not, upon the same terms, viz. of Evangelical Faith, Rom. 3.28, 29, 30. Whereunto agrees the words of St. Peter, Acts 15.9, 11. He put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by Faith; i. e. us Jews, and they Gentiles: But we believe that through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they, and upon no other terms, though we have observed the Law, and they have not, Gal. 2.15, 16. Upon the same account St. Paul again affirms, Rom. 4.5. That to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness. That is, the Idolatrous Gentiles that never had observed the Law, but lived without God in the World, should yet have their practical belief of the Gospel imputed even to them for Righteousness. And he further exemplifies this in Abraham, Ver. 9.10, 11, 12. whose Faith was reckoned to him for Righteousness before he was Circumcised, that he might be the Patern and great Example of God's justifying the Heathen upon their believing and obeying as Abraham did, in leaving his Idolatry and his Country upon God's Promise and Command, though he never had been Cir∣cumcised. And upon the like account he saith again, Gal. 3.8, 9. That the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed. And from thence he concludes, that those Gentiles that be of Faith, that believe as Abraham did, are blessed as Abraham was, are blessed with faithful Abraham.

5. Another Error which was held by some Judaizing Christians was this; That Faith in Christ and Literal Circumcision, with a Literal observation of the Law of Moses, jointly, were the Condition of Justification. Though they were such as Believed, yet they taught, that except Men were Circumcised, and kept the Law of Moses, they could not be saved, Acts 15.1, 5. They seem to have retained the same false Opinion of Justification by the Law, as the unbelieving Jews did, but held the Death of Christ necessary to be super-added.

To convince them of which Error, St. Paul sets before them the bad consequence of it in two respects. 1. In that they hereby rendred the Death of Christ needless in it self. Gal. 2.21. If Righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain: There would then have been no need of Christ's Death to accomplish it, as the unbelieving Jews indeed did hold. 2. In that this Opinion of theirs made Christ and his Death useless unto them, and cut them off from receiving any benefit by him, Gal. 5.2, 4. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be Circum∣cised, Christ shall profit you nothing: Christ is become of none effect unto you: whosoever of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from Grace, And hereto agrees that in Hebr. 13.10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle: Those Judaizers who stand for the necessity of Mosaic Observations, have no right to, nor shall

receive benefit by Christ, who is the only Christian Altar to which we bring all our Sacrifices.

6. They held the Law of Moses to be unalterable, and of perpetual obligation. In opposition to which, the Author to the Hebrews im∣proves to great purpose that Prophesie, Jer. 31.31, 32. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Judah: Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, &c. For in that he saith, a new Covenant, he hath (saith he) made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old, is ready (saith he) to vanish away. And St. Paul shews how that the Legal Ministration, how glorious soever it was, was yet done away, when that which was far more glorious did appear, 2 Cor. 3.7, 11. And again, that we are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ, and de∣livered from the Law, Rom. 7.4, 6.

7. The last of their Errors I shall insist on, was this: They held the first Covenant as alone, or separated, to be the Covenant of Salvation, only taking in with it the Covenant of Literal Circumcision, which also was made a part of their Law. That first Covenant which I have already described as a Temporal Covenant, and the Promises and the Threatnings of it but Temporal, they took to be established for perpe∣tuity, and the Promises of it to contain Promises of Eternal Redem∣ption, or Remission, as well as Temporal; and Eternal Life and Felicity as well as Temporal: And such a Literal observation of the Laws of it to be the condition of those Promises, as would render them inculpable in the eye of the Magistracy; such a Righteousness sufficient to justifie them before God, as St. Paul saith he had while he was a Pharisee, Phil. 3.6. As touching the Righteousness which is in the Law blameless; which then he accounted to be his gain.

Now that they did peremptorily adhere to this first Covenant, and the terms of it, for Justification and Eternal Life, it doth plainly ap∣pear by the mighty opposition which the Apostle made against them in it. For they did still oppose another Covenant, as the Covenant of Justification and Eternal Life, unto this Mosaical Covenant; and Faith, as the Conditon of that, in opposition to Works as the Condition of this, as will appear if we come to Instances.

1. St. Paul argues it with them, that the Promise of God to Abra∣ham and his Seed, was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of Faith, Rom. 4.13. Not through the Law, that is, not upon the terms upon which the benefits of the first Covenant were promised to the Nation of the Jews, but upon quite other terms, express'd by the Righteousness of Faith.

2. He argues it farther with them, That God's way of accounting Men Righteous by Faith, and their way of seeking Righteousness upon the terms of the first Covenant, were utterly inconsistent, and the one destructive of the other, and that but one of these ways could possibly stand. For if they which are of the Law be Heirs, Faith is made void, and the Promise made of none effect, Rom. 4.14. And again, If the In∣heritance be of the Law, it is no more of Promise: But God gave it to

Abraham by Promise, Gal. 3.18. And if by Grace, then it is no more of Works, otherwise Grace is no more Grace, &c. Rom. 11.6.

3. And that the Law did not exclude the Promise to Abraham, he farther argues, in that the Covenant with Abraham was confirmed, and unalterably setled and established in the Messias 430 Years before the Law by Moses was given, and that therefore for them to go about to in∣troduce the Law in the room of the Promise to Abraham so confirmed, would be as unreasonable and unjust, as for one Man to alter or make void anothers Covenant, after he hath confirmed it. Gal. 3.15, 17. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: though it be but a Mans Cove∣nant, yet if it be confirmed, no Man disannulleth or addeth thereto. And this I say, that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the Law which was 430 Years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the Promise of none effect.

4. St. Paul argues it impossible in the nature of the thing, that they should be justified by the Law, because one main end of God's pro∣mulging the Law of Nature, (which yet was a great part of the first Covenant) was to convince Men of their Guilt, and of their obnoxi∣ousness to Wrath, and to stop their Mouthes, and to leave them with∣out any plea of defence as from it. Rom. 3.19, 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law: That every mouth may be stopt, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the Law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin. And if the Law doth convict Men, it cannot justifie them: For the same Law cannot both Condemn and Justifie the same person, in reference to the same Charge. If all are Cast and Condemned by the Original Law, as they are, (for he hath concluded all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all, Gal. 3.) then so many as come to be justified after this, must needs be justified by another Law superceding that, and that is none other than the Law of Grace. The Law of Nature Curseth every one that hath broken it, though but once, and therefore it cannot justifie them too: Out of the same mouth (in this case) doth not proceed Blessing and Cursing.

5. He argues this Opinion of theirs to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Prophets many hundred years after, as well as contrary to the Promise to Abraham long before the Law. That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: For the just shall live by Faith: and the Law is not of Faith; but the man that doth them, shall live in them, Gal. 3.11, 12. from Heb. 2.4. The Law is not of Faith, that is, it doth not promise Pardon, or any other Blessing upon Believing, but upon condition of Doing the things therein required: the man that doth them, shall live in them, Levit. 18.5.

6. The insufficiency of the first Covenant to make Men Eternally Happy, and the necessity and validity of the second to that end, as further argued in Heb. 8. from another famous Prophecy in Jer. 31.31. &c. of God's making a New Covenant with Israel and Judah in the latter days, not according to that he made with their Fathers, when, he brought them out of Egypt. 1. It's argued that the first Covenant was but Temporary, and being old, was ready to vanish, and to give place t••

a New and Everlasting Covenant, Chap. 8.13. 2. That the first Cove∣nant was faulty, or defective, or else there would have been no place sought for a second, ver. 7. 3. That the Promises of that first Covenant were not of such things as Men stand in need of, to make them ever∣lastingly Happy, as those better Promises of the second Covenant are, ver. 6. 4. And yet more particularly, that in this New Covenant, there is promise of such a forgiveness of sins, as that iniquity shall be remembred no more, ver. 12. whereas the first Covenant did not pro∣mise any such Pardons: All that it promised, was a forgiveness only as to the concerns of this Life, otherwise their sins were still kept upon the File to be taken away (if ever taken away) by the Mediator of the New Testament, by means of his Death, for the redemption of the trans∣gressions that were under the first Testament, Chap. 9.15. But in those Sacrifices, (which were but the Sacrifices of the first Covenant) there was a remembrance again made of sins every year, Heb. 10.3.

And now, by all these reasonings of the Apostle put together, it sufficiently appears that the unbelieving Jews did expect Justification and Eternal Life, only upon the terms of the first Covenant, and that they held that Covenant, as comprehending the Covenant of Circum∣cision, to be the Covenant of Eternal Life. And indeed, this last mentioned Error of theirs, in holding the first Covenant to be the Co∣venant of Salvation, did in a manner contain in it all the rest men∣tioned before, which did naturally grow out of it. For if that had been the Covenant of Salvation, then it would have followed, that the Sacrifices of that Covenant had been sufficient, and the Death of Christ needless; and that Circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses would have been necessary to the Salvation of the G••ntiles, &c.

And now after all this, considering what Erroneous Opinions the incredulous Jews held about the Law, and about Circumcision; and considering in what sense they asserted Justification by the Law, and by Circumcision, it will be no difficult thing to understand exactly, in what sense the Apostle doth every where deny Justification to be by the Law, or by the Works of the Law.

For doubtless St. Paul's denial of Justification and Salvation to be by the Law, or Works of the Law, is to be understood in the very same sense in which the incredulous Jews, against whom he Disputed, did hold these to be attainable thereby. For else, his Reasonings would have been beside the Question under debate between them. And there∣fore we must take our measure of St. Paul's sense in the Negative part of the Question, by his Adversaries sense of it in the Affirmative. And if so, then in his denying Justification and Salvation to be by the Law, or by Works of the Law, we must understand him to deny a freedom from the Eternal Punishment to be attainable by Legal Sa∣crifices: And also to deny that the, promise of Eternal Life was made upon condition of Literal Circumcision, and a Literal observation of the Mosaical Law, without being by Faith renewed in the inward frame and moral constitution of the Soul: and likewise, to deny Eternal Life to be attainable by the terms of their Political Covenant, the Promises whereof were not made upon condition of Believing, but of Doing.

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The Law is not of Faith, but the man that doth those things, shall live in them, Gal. 3.12. For these and such-like were the Opinions which those Jews did hold, (as I have shewed) and these were the things in which St. Paul opposed them. They divided and separated Circum∣cision and the Law in the Letter of them, from the Spirit of them both; claiming Justification by the Letter alone. And they divided the Law from the Promise rightly understood, and looked to be Justified by Works of the Law, without Faith in the Promise rightly understood. They looked for the Messias indeed, but not to become a Propitia∣tion for Sin, or to establish a New Covenant of Salvation, but to further their Temporal and Eternal Felicity in the way of their Obe∣dience to the Political Law.

But then it doth not in the least appear, that St. Paul in denying Justification to be by the Law in the sense thus explained, doth also thereby deny Works of sincere Obedience to God, to concur with Faith in Man's Justification in all respects.

And if any shall yet suppose, that St. Paul in denying Justification by Works, in the Jews corrupt sense, doth also, on the by, deny all Works of Evangelical Obedience to bear any part of the Condition on which God promiseth to justifie Men through Christ; such a Supposi∣tion, if admitted, would make his Doctrine herein inconsistent, not only with the Faith of the holy Men of Old, who were wont to ex∣press the Condition of the Covenant of Mercy, by loving God, and keeping his Commandments; but it would also make him inconsistent with himself and his own Doctrine, and the Doctrine of other Apo∣stles, as I doubt not but plainly to make appear, before I have done with this Discourse.

There is one Character of Works given, by which you may certain∣ly know what Works they were which St. Paul denied Men were justi∣fied by; and they were such Works which were apt to occasion boast∣ing. Ephes. 2.9. Not of Works, lest any man should boast. Rom. 4.2. For if Abraham were justified by Works, (to wit, in the Jews sense, by Cir∣cumcision in the Flesh, to which St. Paul alludes, ver. 1.) he hath where∣of to glory, but not before God, but only before Men, who were not Cir∣cumcised as he was. For the unbelieving Jews, who sought and ex∣pected Justification by Circumcision, and other Legal Observations, did glory over the poor Gentiles, that were destitute of those Works, which consisted in the outward Privileges which the Jews had, and looked down upon them with contempt, though some of them were much better than themselves, such as Cornelius, whom they looked upon as unclean. This boasting humor of the Jews over the Gentiles, is de∣scribed and reproved, Rom. 2. from ver. 17. to 29. Now the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, of obtaining pardon by anothers Undertaking for us, to wit, Christ Jesus, and of being accepted with God through him, upon our sincere, though otherwise imperfect Obedience, (which sincere Obedience too, is not performed without his special Grace and Assistance) takes away all occasion of boasting, in reference both to God and Men, and laid the Jews as low as the Gentiles, and made St. Peter a Jew to say, But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus

Christ we shall be saved, even as they, Acts 15.11. And therefore vvhe•• St. Paul had said, that now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested, even the righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference; mean∣ing, betvveen Jews and Gentiles, Rom. 3.21, 22. he thereupon de∣mands, in ver. 27. saying, Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what Law? Of Works? Nay, but by the Law of Faith. Therefore we find the holy Men of old among the Jews, who expected Acceptance with God upon other terms than the Pharisaical Jews did, who placed their Confidence (called trusting in the flesh, Phil. 3.4.) in their Ex∣ternal Privileges and Performances alone, were so far from glorying in such a Righteousness as that, that they cryed out in reference to that, All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa. 64.6. Thus Rege∣nerating Grace made David so far from boasting, either of Privileges, or of his Performances, that he said unto God, Who am I? and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee, 1 Chron. 29.14. This made St. Paul to say, We are not sufficient of our selves, as of our selves, to think any thing, but our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. 3.5. And by the grace of God, I am what I am, 1 Cor. 15.10. And of him are we in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, Wisdom, Righteous∣ness, Sanctification, and Redemption, that he that gloriet h, may glory in the Lord, having nothing but what he hath received from: him gratis, and without all desert, yea contrary to his demerits, 1 Cor. 1.30, 31. The good Works which the Saints do, they do them by vertue of their being created in Christ Jesus in order thereunto, Ephes. 2.10. and all that is good, is through Christ strengthening them, Phil. 4.13. From whence therefore we may well conclude, that if the Works which St. Paul wholly excludes in the matter of Justification, were only such as were apt to occasion boasting, that then Acts of Evangesical Obedience were none of those Works.

According to the sense explained then, I presume we may well un∣derstand that Text, Rom. 3.28. which of all others seems in the Phrase and Expression to be most Exclusive of Works in the point of Justification; the Words are these, Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by Faith, without the deeds of the Law. Which words (if you consider the context) seem to import no more but this, viz. That a Man is justified in the Gospel-way, which in the verse before is called the Law of Faith: And not by the deeds of the Law, or upon the terms of the first Covenant, which in the verse before likewise is called the Law of Works. Which two, the Gospel-terms, and the first Covenant-terms, are still opposed to each other in the point of Justification. Now although the conclusion here laid down is true, in reference to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles, yet it seems to be written here with special reference to the Gentiles. Intimating, that upon their Belief, they might be Justified, without turning Proselytes to the Jewish way, as appears by that Interrogation in the very next words follow∣ing, ver. 29.30. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the

Gentiles? yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith, and Ʋncircumcision through Faith. And the words in the 31, ver. do intimate that the words in the 28th ver. are to be understood in such a limited sense, as I have assigned in my Explication, viz. as excluding the deeds of the Law; in the act of Justification, only in the Jews corrupt sense of the Law: because St. Paul therein affirms his foresaid Doctrine of Justification by Faith, without the deeds of the Law, not to be at all destructive of the Law, but contrariwise, tending to establish the Law, if we take the Law not in that distorted sense in which those Jews held it, but as it was ap∣pointed by God to promote Holiness in the World, which is the end and scope of all his Laws. In which sense, the Apostle was so far from excluding the Works of the Law from having any thing to do in the Justification of Men, as that he had expresly affirmed before, That though the hearers of the Law were not just before God, yet the doers of the Law should be justified, Rom. 2.13. M••aning by doers, such as do sincerely obey that Law of God under which they are, and not such as do perfectly fulfil it, as some would s•••••• to understand it. For I have shewed before, that God never made promise of Justification upon naturally impossible Conditions, as ••••at would be, and they are disho∣nourable thoughts of God to think he ••••ath; and therefore the Apostle may not be understood to promise Justification to the doers of the Law upon any such terms.

There is one vein of Texts more, wherein the opposition is made in such a form of words betw••en the Jews way of seeking Justification by the Law, and the Gospel-way of seeking it by Faith: That being a little opened, will both illustrate and confirm what I have been representing to you: And they are such in vvhich the Jews erroneous vvay is called their own Righteousness; and the true Christian way of Justification, the Righteousness of God by Faith, and the Righteousness of God. Rom. 10.3. For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness, and going about to establish their own Righteousness, have not submitted them∣selves to the Righteousness of God. Phil. 3.9. And be found in him, not having mine own Righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith This Righteousness is called their ovvn Righteousness, in opposition to the Righteousness of God, upon a three-fold account, as I under∣stand it.

1. Because they sought the pardon of their sins by that only vvhich vvas their ovvn; their ovvn Sacrifices, Sacrifices vvhich they them∣selves brought to be offered. Whereas the Christian Justification is called the Righteousness of God, because the Sacrifice by vvhich par∣don of sin, and acceptation vvith God is obtained, vvas from God, and given by God, to vvit, Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, Rom. 3.25. and Christ hath given himself an Offering and a Sacrifice for us, Ephes. 5.2. And he is made unto us of God, Wisdom, Righteousness, &c. 1 Cor. 1.30.

2. It vvas called their ovvn Righteousness, because they did not think Regeneration, or Supernatural Grace necessary to the obtaining

of it, but a Literal observation of the Lavv and Circumcision, such as passed for a Righteousness among Men, and such as they, vvithout Supernatural Aid, vvere able to perform. As for those Precepts vvhich commanded the loving of God vvith all the Heart, and the Circumcising the Heart, because these vvere not enjoyned under express penalties, as those things vvere of vvhich the Rulers vvere to take cognizance, therefore the Pharisees counted them but Counsels only, and not direct Precepts. But the Christians-Righteousness, vvhich is by Faith, may be said to be of God, because by Grace they are saved through Faith in Christ Jesus, and that not of themselves, it is the gift of God: And we are his Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, Ephes. 2.8, 10.

3. It vvas called their ovvn Righteousness, because it vvas a vvay of seeking to be justified of their ovvn devising, and not of God's appointing. And on the contrary, the Gospel-Method of Justi∣fication is called the Righteousness of God through Faith, because it is of God's Institution and Appointment: It is the substance of God's New Law or Covenant.

The result of all then is, That they were the Works of the Law, as exclusive of Faith in Christ and his Death; which the Apostle de∣nied any Man to be justified by; and not those Works of the Law, which are the immediate effects of Faith in Christ, in his Death, and in his Doctrine.

CHAP. VI. How St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification by Faith, and not by Works, was then mistaken by some.

I Come in the next place to shew how that St. Paul's Reasonings about Faith and Works, in reference to Justification, were pro∣bably mistaken by such Solifidians as St. James reasoned against. For he having taught that God did justifie the ungodly Gentiles upon their Believing, and without the deeds of the Law, but denying Justifi∣cation to as many of the Jews as did not Believe, though they were observers of the Law; there were some who thereupon through mistake, laid the whole stress of Salvation upon Believing, to the neglect of a holy and virtuous Life. And St. Paul being sensible how apt some were to make a bad use of his good Doctrine, and to draw bad Conclusions out of good Premises, he frequently mentions such Inferences, on purpose to caution Men against them. As for Instance: He having said in Rom. 5.20. That where sin abounded, grace did abound much more: In Chap. 6.1. he saith, What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? as some it seems were ready to infer; God forbid, saith he; how shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? You may consult to like purpose in general, Rom. 3.5.

6, 7, 31. & 6.15. Gal. 2.17. and find that St. Paul and others were slanderously reported to have said, Let us do evil, that good may come.

That there were such as did misrepresent St. Paul's Doctrine touch∣ing God's Grace and Long-suffering, and wrest several passages in his Epistles, and other Scriptures, to their own destruction, we are told by St. Peter also, 2 Pet. 3.15, 16. And account that the long-suffering of the Lord is Salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, hath written unto you; as also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things: In which are some things hard to be un∣derstood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction.

And after St. Paul in his 2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4, 5, verses, had by many black Characters, described a sort of Christians that had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof: In ver. 8. he further describes them by that which was the cause of the forementioned unsavoury fruits of the Flesh, to wit, that they were men of corrupt minds or un∣derstandings, and reprobate concerning the Faith, or void of Judgment concerning the Faith, as the Margin hath it. They were Men of cor∣rupt Principles, and injudicious concerning the Doctrine of Faith: They did not discern Faith to be necessary in the operative and pra∣ctical nature of it: But as they did satisfie themselves with a form of Godliness without the power: so they did likewise with a formal inefficacious and liveless Faith, which made them so unsavoury in their Lives.

And St. John, after he had in his first Epistle antidoted the Chri∣stians against the pretentions of the Gnosticks, who held a bad Life consistent with Communion with God through illumination of mind, and the Christian Faith, deceiving themselves, and labouring to de∣ceive others, in thinking they might be Righteous without doing Righteousness, 1 Joh. 3.7. He towards the conclusion of that Epistle, sums up his general scope in it in these words: These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have Eternal Life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God, Chap. 5.13. His meaning is, as I conceive, that he wrote this Epistle, first, to the end they might be the better assured of Salvation by Christ upon their rightly Believing on him. And secondly, To the end they might not be drawn into mistakes in the point of Believing, as if any Faith less than such as is accompanied with a constant ad∣herence to Christ's Doctrine and Example touching a holy Life, would give them that Assurance. He wrote to them that did Believe, that they might Believe; that is, that they might Believe yet more under∣standingly, more groundedly, and so perseveringly against all tempta∣tions to Apostacy from the profession of the Faith, or to loosness in the profession of it.

St. Jude also, ver. 3, 4. stirred up the Christians to contend earnes••ly for the Faith, the Doctrine of saving Sinners in the way of Believing; because, as he told them, there were certain Men professing Faith, but of ungodly Lives, that were among them, that turned the grace of God into lasciviousness; so understanding the Law of Grace, the

Gospel, as if it had been a Proclamation from Heaven of a general Pardon for Christ's sake, and through Faith in him, of as many sins as Men had a mind to commit. The which Error, led them into those Monstrous Impieties charged upon them in that Epistle: By reason of which, the way of Truth, the right Faith they pretended to, was evil-spoken of in the World, (as St. Peter notes) they being indeed Spots and Blemishes to the Christians and Christian-profession, so long as they were admitted to their Feasts of Charity, as owned by them to be of their Number. This was indeed an ungodly Faith: But the Faith which he exhorted them to contend for, and to build up themselves upon, as on a sure Foundation, he calls their most holy Faith, vers. 20. such a Faith as is an Operative Principle of a holy Life.

And they were such Christians as St. James in his Epistle did ex∣postulate with, that did lean so much upon a meer Believing, upon a meer Assent of the mind unto the truth of certain Propositions, as that they were careless in the subduing of their Passions, and bridling their Tongues, and regulating their Actions; as if these had not been necessary to Salvation: But thought themselves safe upon account of their barren Faith, though they were Proud and Conceited of their Knowledge and Attainments, Censorious and Contentious, Unmercifull and Uncharitable. In a word, they were such as were injudicious concerning the Faith that will Save, and under mistakes of the Apostles Doctrine about it. All this will easily appear to any that shall but with a competent measure of Understanding, view and consider the scope and contents of that Epistle.

And thus you see how plainly it appears by the Epistles of the Apostles, that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, without Works, in the sense in which the Apostles asserted it, was misunderstood by many Gnosticks, carnal Gospellers, or Solifidians. The sense in which the Apostles did assert it, was, that Faith justifies without Works Antecedent to Believing, and without Works, as the Works of a literal observation of Moses's Law, which was opposed by the Jews to Faith, as having Christ Crucified for its Object, and Repen∣tance, Regeneration, and sincere Obedience in a holy Life, for its inseparable Effects. But these deceived Souls, that deceived their own Hearts, seem to have understood the Apostles, as if they had taught Justification by Faith, considered only as having the Death of Christ and the Atonement made thereby, for its Object, without respect to Regeneration and new Obedience, as any part of the Condition.

And it had been much better for the Christian World, if those cor∣rupt Notions about the Doctrine of Faith as Justifying, had died with those Men, which in the first Ages of the Christian-Church were in∣fected with them. But alas, it is too apparent, that the same, or much of the same dangerous and destructive mistakes, have been trans∣mitted to, or revived in these latter Ages of the Church. For we find by experience in this present Age, that very many of those who are called Christians, presume themselves to be Christians indeed, and such as shall be saved by Christ, though their Lives declare them to be far from being New Creatures, from being renewed in the Spirit of

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their Minds, Wills, Affections, and Conversations, as those are that have been taught as the Truth is in Jesus, Ephes. 4.21,—24. For they are confident they Believe all the Articles of their Creed; and in doing so, they are confident they shall be Saved; and so they would, if that Belief of theirs were but so effectual and operative as to produce such a change in Heart and Life, as would denominate them New Creatures. But the mischief is, they deceive themselves in the nature of their Faith; it being but an Opinionative, Inoperative and dead Assent to the Truth of the Gospel, such as is only an Act of the Mind or Understanding, and doth not powerfully influence the Will, and so it is not a believing with all the Heart, but is the act only of one such faculty of the Soul. A Belief it's probable may be found in the Devil himself: And such a Belief was found in some who were so convinced by the power of Christ's Miracles, in concurrence with his Doctrine and Life, that they could not choose but believe him to be an extraordi∣nary Person sent from God; though their carnal Interest prevailed so much in them, as that it would not suffer them to confess him openly, because they loved the praise of Men, more than the praise of God, Joh. 12.42, 43. And besides, these Men deceive themselves about their Faith in this also; that they do not heartily Believe the whole Doctrine of the Gospel, but are partial in their Faith. They in a sort believe Christ to be the Son of God, and that he came into the World to save sinners, and that he Died for our sins, and the like. But then they do not heartily believe his Doctrine, touching the necessity of Repen∣tance, of being born again; of denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and of living righteously, godly, and soberly in this present world. Or else they frame such Notions of these things unto themselves, of Re∣pentance and Regeneration, as that they think they believe Christ's Doctrine touching them, when they believe only the lying Imagi∣nation of their own Brains.

And there is too much ground to fear, that many Mens ill managing the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, hath not a little strengthened Men in this vain confidence. For while Evangelical Obedience it self, under the Notion of those Works to which Faith is opposed, hath been decryed as Popish, when interessed in Justification, and Justification asserted to be by Faith alone, in opposition to all Works whatsoever, Inward and Outward, as well Evangelical as Legal, as well those after Conversion, as those before, yea, and the disposition thereunto; the Flesh and the Devil to help it, hath got great advantage thereby to perswade Men against the necessity of a holy Life, in such a sense of a holy Life, as the Scripture makes absolutely necessary to Salvation. For though it's true that good Works have been acknowledged and pressed too as necessary to Salvation; yet when withal, they have been denied to be necessary to Justification, and Men have been taught, that when once they are Justified, they can never fall away from a State of Justification, they have easily been drawn to believe, that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation, no more than to Justi∣fication, but Faith only. And upon supposition that the other two Points of Doctrine are true, it would be but rational for them so to

believe. For if good Works be not necessary to Justification at all: And if it is impossible but that those who are once justified should be saved; how should Men chuse but infer from hence, that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation? Unless it shall be said, that Men are not put into an immediate capacity of Salvation by being justified: Which to affirm, would be to say Men are not freed from Condemnation, by being freed from Condemnation, which would be a contradiction in terms: For to be justified, is to be freed from Condemnation, Rom. 8.33, 34, and 5.16, 18. and therefore Justi∣fication must needs put Men into an immediate capacity of being saved.

And as there is great reason to think that the Doctrine of Justifi∣cation by Faith alone, in opposition to the Works of Evangelical Obe∣dience, hath been a stumbling-stone unto many, and a back-friend to the power of Godliness; so there is another which hath been wont to be joyned with it, that hath rendred it the more dangerous, and it self no good friend to holy Living; and that is the Doctrine of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness unto Justification, in that way in which it hath been managed by very many: For otherwise, there is a sense (as I have shewed) in which it is a great and a comfortable Truth. For when Men have been taught to esteem their own Righteous∣ness but as filthy rags (not only because of its utter insufficiency to justifie instead of Christ, or as he justifies, in which respect indeed it is no better; but also as any part of a Condition of Justification, or of our acceptance with God:) And when they have been taught also, that upon their Believing only, Christ's Righteousness in fulfilling the Law for them, becomes imputed to them in it self, and not only as the procuring cause of their Justification upon the terms of the Gospel, so that they are looked upon as having themselves perfectly kept the Law in him, it hath doubtless infeebled their endeavours after an in∣herent Righteousness, and proved a temptation to them, to think that so long as they have such anothers Inherent Righteousness es∣sentially in it self imputed to them as Christ's is, they have no great need to find it in themselves; considering also, that if they had it, they must rather loath themselves for it, than take any comfort in it: But let no man deceive you, (saith St. John) he that doth righteousness, is righteous, as he is righteous, 1 Joh. 3.7.

I do acknowledge, that many of them have been worthy Men, who yet have propagated these Opinions: But that makes the Opinions never the better, but have done more hurt, in gaining thereby the more credit. It is true also, that those worthy Men have zealously pressed the necessity of Repentance, Regeneration, and a Holy Life: Which proved indeed an Antidote against the Poyson of the other Opinions, so that they did not become Mortal to many, as otherwise they would have done. And indeed, they would have made mad work, if they had not been yoaked with wholesomer Doctrine, as we see they did among Antinomians, Ranters, and other carnal Christians that have followed the Ducture of those Opinions, but have been shy of letting the Doctrines of Mortification and strict Living, to have

any power over them. But then if the preaching of those sounder Doctrines of Repentance, Regeneration, and a holy Life, have done much good, notwithstanding they have been clogged with Opinions of another tendency; it is easie to imagine that they would have done much more good, if they had not been checkt by those unsound Princi∣ples.

But I shall say no more of this, (though more might be said) be∣cause I hope I may say, that most of those who have formerly imbibed these Opinions, are now come to deliver themselves with more caution than heretofore. And so I shall proceed to the last thing I propounded to touch upon, and that is, to shew,

CHAP. VII. That the Doctrine of St. Paul, and of St. James, about Faith and Works, in reference to Justification, do not differ, but are wholly one.

IT is true indeed, though the Doctrine of St. PAƲL, and St. JAMES, was in nothing opposite the one to the other, yet the nature of the subject-matter of their Epistles, did differ, just as the Errors they engaged against, did differ. The Errors of the unbeliev∣ing Jews consisting much in denying Justification to be by Christ, and Faith in him, and in placing it in their own Works of Circumcising, Sacrificing, and other Mosaical Observations. And St. Paul, designing in some of his Epistles, to antidote the Christians against the Infection of them, and to establish them in the saving Doctrine of the Gospel, was led of course to bend his Discourse in great part against Justification by Works of the Law; and on the contrary, to assert it to be by Faith in Christ, in his Death, and in his Doctrine, without those Works. Whereas St. James having to do in his Epistle, with such as professed the Christian Faith and Justification by it, but erring dangerously about the nature of Faith, as justifying, thinking that opinionative Faith would save them, though destitute of a real change in the moral frame and constitution of their Souls, and of a holy Life: Hereupon it became in a manner as necessary for him to plead the Renovation of Man's Nature, and Evangelical Obedience to be some way necessary unto Justification, as it was for St. Paul to contend for Justification by Faith, without the deeds of the Law. And therefore, though their Doctrines in this respect did in great part differ, yet they did not differ as Truth differs from Error, nor as opposites, but only as one Truth differs from another. For otherwise, when St. Paul had to do with the like Erroneous and Scandalous Christians, as those were which St. James expostulated the matter with: When he had to do with such

as had a form of Godliness, but denyed the power thereof, he could, and did decry a reprobate Faith, and plead the necessity of a Faith that is unfeighned, and of a holy Life, as well as St. James; as appears in part by what was said in the former Chapter, and will, I doubt not, be made sufficiently evident in this. In order whereto, I shall re∣commend to consideration these ten things.

1. That Works of Evangelical Obedience, are never in Scripture opposed to God's Grace.

2. That St. Paul, in speaking against Justification by Works, gives sufficient Caution not to be understood thereby to speak any thing a∣gainst Evangelical Obedience in reference thereto.

3. That Regeneration, or the New Creature, as including Evangelical Obedience, is opposed to Works in the business of Man's Justification, as well as Faith is, and as well as the Grace of God it self is.

4. That Evangelical Obedience, as well as Faith, and together with Faith, is opposed to the Works of the Law, in reference to Justification.

5. That Evangelical Obedience alone, is opposed to the Works of the Law.

6. Faith it self is an Act of Evangelical Obedience.

7. By Evangelical Obedience, Christians come to have a Right to Salvation.

8. The Promise of benefit by the Blood of Christ, is made to Evan∣gelical Obedience.

9. Repentance. And 10. Forgiving Injuries, are both Acts of Evan∣gelical Obedience, without which a Man cannot be justifyed. And if these things be made out, they will (I think) amount to such a demonstration, as that we cannot well desire a clearer or fuller proof, that St. Paul, together with others the Apostles, taught Justification by Evangelical Obedience, as the effect of Faith, as well as St. James.

1. The Works of Evangelical Obedience, as the effects of Faith, and Regeneration by Faith, are never in St. Paul's Epistles, or any other the holy Scriptures, opposed to God's Grace, in reference to Justification and Salvation. Works and Grace indeed are opposed to each other: But then, by Works we are to understand either Works antecedent to Conversion, or as they are denied to merit at the hands of God: Or the Works of the Law of Moses, as Erroneously contended for by the Jews: Or the Works of the Law, as Typical, and as op∣posed to things Typify'd: Or the Works of the Law, as the Law is in its rigour opposed to the milder Oeconomy of the Gospel: But the Works of Evangelical Obedience are never opposed to Grace, no more than Faith it self is. And there is no reason why they should, because Evangelical Obedience is the effect of Divine Grace, as well as Faith it self is, and tends to the praise of it, and is accepted, and will be rewarded through Grace.

Contrary hereunto, those words in Titus 3.5. Not by works of Righteous∣ness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, are wont to be alledged to prove that Works, after Conversion, as well as those be∣fore, are opposed to the Mercy of God in the saving of Men. But whether this be duly collected from these words, will best appear

by opening the scope and meaning of the words with the Context. The words in the 3, 4, and 5, Verses, are these; For we our selves also were sometimes foolish, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared: Not by Works of Righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. By their being Saved here, is meant their being rescued and delivered from their sinful state, mentioned vers. 3. In that this is said to be done, not by Works of Righteousness which they had done, but ac∣cording to God's Mercy: The plain meaning (I doubt not) is, that this change of their condition, and deliverance from their sinful state, was not effected, or so much as begun among them by any Reforma∣tion of their own, till the Gospel came to work it, (which is meant by the appearing of the Kindness and Love of God, vers. 4. and is of like import with that Chap. 2.11, 12.) which God of his Mercy, and not of their Desert, sent among them to that end. And if this be the meaning of the words, the Apostle was far from intending by Works of Righteousness in this place, Works after Conversion. I might rather well argue on the contrary from this place: That Baptism, which is an act of Evangelical Obedience in the Person Baptized; and Re∣generation, which is Evangelical Obedience in the Root and Principle, are, together with the Mercy of God, and, as subordinate to it, op∣posed to the Works of Righteousness here mentioned, in the Work of Salvation. For it is probable, that by the washing of Regeneration here, is meant Baptism, as the Figure of Regeneration; and by the Re∣newing of the Holy Ghost, Regeneration it self. By both which, as subordinate to God's Mercy therein, they were said to be saved, and not by the Works of Righteousness, which they had done before these. There is another place in 2 Tim. 2.9. which is wont to be urged with this to Titus, to the same purpose: But it being of the same nature with this, the same Answer may serve both with a little variation.

2. St. Paul, in speaking against Justification by Works, gives suffi∣cient caution not to be understood thereby to speak against Evangelical Obedience in the case. When he had asserted Justification to be by Faith, without the deeds of the Law, and that the Gentiles might be Justi∣fied by Believing, without ever observing Moses's Law, Rom. 3.28. lest he should be understood thereby to favour Gentilism, or loose living in Men, provided they would but turn Christians; he frames and answers on Objection thus vers. 31. Do we make void the Law through Faith? God forbid: Yea, we establish the Law. And how did they so? Certainly they did not thereby establish the Ceremonial Law in the Letter of it, but in the Spirit of it they did, in as much as in Preaching Justification in the Gospel-way, they Preached in plain Precepts the necessity of that Spiritual purity unto Salvation, which was but darkly, and in a figure taught by the Ceremonial Law: And this they did, in Preaching the necessity of Mortification instead of Circumcision. And by the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, they

established the Moral Law, both in the Letter and ••pirit of it, in teaching the necessity of Evangelical Obedience to it 〈…〉〈…〉 more spiritual and forcible manner than had been taught be••••••••. 〈…〉〈…〉in, when he had charged the unbelieving Jews with a great Erro••, in going about to establish a Righteousness of their own, in oppos••••i•••• to God's, in adhering to their Law against the Gospel, Rom. 10.3. to the end it might not be thought that he would take them off their Law, that they might be Lawless, or less Religious, he adds, vers. 4. that Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that belie∣veth. For so he is in his Doctrine, having therein taught that Righ∣teousness of living which the Law it self taught, but in a far more excellent, spiritual, and effectual manner, than was taught by the Law. So that all that he designed in taking them off from their Law, was but to put them under a better conduct: To make them dead to the Law, that they might be married to another, viz. to Christ by his Gospel, that they might bring forth fruit unto God, as it is, Rom. 7.4. And likewise in ver. 6. he saith, We are delivered from the Law, but not to be Lawless, but that we might serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the Letter; that is, according to the Spirit, Scope, and Design of the Law, now expressed in plain Precepts, and not in the oldness of the Letter and Ceremony. And so he saith of himself, Gal. 2.19. I through the Law am dead to the Law, i, e, he through a better understanding of God's design in the Law, became dead as to all his former expectations of Justification by it. But then, if he were dead to the Law, it was, as he saith, that he might live unto God, live a life in the flesh through the Faith in his Son, through believing his Gospel in its Precepts and Promises; the one directing, and the other quickning unto a most excellent Life, ver. 20.

And if St. Paul were thus careful in denying Justification by Works, to assert the necessity of Evangelical Obedience, we may well conclude that he never intended, under the notion of Works of the Law, to exclude Evangelical Obedience from having any hand sooner or later in Justification.

3. Regeneration, or the New Creature, as including Evangelical Obedience, is opposed to Works of the Law, in the business of Man's Justification, as well as Faith is, and as well as the Grace of God it self is. Gal. 6.15. For in Christ Jesus, neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor Ʋncircumcision, but a new Creature. Circumcision is here as elsewhere by a Synecdoche, put for the Works of the Law in general. For there were none that were for Circumcising, but who were also for keeping the Law of Moses: Only Circumcision is mentioned fre∣quently instead of all the rest, because they held it to be not only a part of the Law, but more; and because they laid the greatest stress upon it, as I shewed before, Chap. 5. Now in that which the Apostle denies Circumcision and the Works of the Law to avail a Man, in that he affirms the becoming a New Creature will avail him, and that was in the business of Justification and Salvation: For in that sense the unbelieving Jews and Judaizers held Circumcision and other Works of the Law available. And this New Creature thus opposed to Works,

and thus available to Justification, consisteth in a new frame of Spirit, and the Vital Operations thereof, and which we can have no right notion of, without Evangelical Obedience in will and resolution at least (which are really inward acts of that Obedience, and are a con∣formity of the renewed Will to the Divine Law).

4. Evangelical Obedience, as well as Faith, and together with Faith, is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justification and Salvation. Gal. 5.6. For in Christ Jesus, neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor Ʋncircumcision, but Faith which worketh by love. Here again Circumcision, by the same Figure, and for the same reason as before, is put for the Works of Moses's Law. And as these are denied to avail any Man to Justification and Salvation, so on the other hand it is affirmed, that that Faith which worketh by Love doth avail to these great ends. For to say that Faith which worketh by Love doth so, is the same in sense, as to say, that Faith which worketh by fulfilling the Law, and by keeping the Commandments, doth so avail: For so Love is said to be, Rom. 13.10. 1 Joh. 5.3. The Assemblies Annotations upon the place give notice, that the Word here translated [Worketh] (Faith which worketh by Love) being in the mean, or middle voice, may be taken either Actively or Passively. And several other Learned Men (among whom Dr. Hammond is one) do render and understand it passively; as if the Apostle should have said, Faith which is wrought, or perfected, or consummate by Love, and so make it directly parallel with that in St. James, Chap. 2.22. By Works was Faith made perfect. So far is the Scripture we see from opposing acts of Evangelical Obedi∣ence to Faith in the Works of Justification, as that it conjoyns them with Faith in the title to it, and in opposition to false pretentions to it.

5. Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justification; so far is it from being true, that where the Works of the Law are excluded, there Evangelical Obedi∣ence is excluded from having any share in the Work of Justification. 1 Cor. 7.19. Circumcision is nothing, and Ʋncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the Commandments of God. Circumcision is here again, as before, put for the whole Law: And indeed, he that was Circumcised, was bound to keep the whole Law, as this Apostle noteth in Gal. 5.3. And when he saith Circumcision is nothing, he means here doubtless, as in those other places already opened, that it avails nothieg to any Mans acceptation with God, or to his Justification and Salvation, as the Judaizers of those Times thought it did. But then the keeping of the Commandments of God will avail to these ends: For that I conceive was intended, and ought to be understood by the opposition that is made between Circumcision and keeping the Commandments.

6. Faith it self is an act of Evangelical Obedience; this as well as Love is an act of Conformity to our Lord's Commands; and therefore a Man cannot be justified by Faith, but in being so, he must be justifi∣ed by Evangelical Obedience. 1 John 3.23. This is his Commandments, that we should believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one an∣other, as he gave us Commandment. This by our Saviour is called a

work, Joh. 6.29. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. And there is so much of the nature of Evangelical Obedience in Faith it self, as that to Believe and to Obey are promiscu∣ously put one for another; and so is Unbelief and Disobedience. Ac∣cordingly you have in many places the one reading in the Text, and the other in the Margin, as Acts 5.36. Rom. 11.30, 31. Ephes. 5.6. Heb. 4.11. and 11.31. And Belief and Disobedience are in Scripture opposed to each other as direct contraries, Rom. 10.16. 1 Pet. 2.7. 2 Thes. 2.12.

So that since Faith is an act of Evangelical Obedience, it follows that to say the Works of Evangelical Obedience do justifie, does no more derogate from the Grace of God, or the freeness of his Grace in justiying, than to say Faith justifies. First, Because other acts of Evangelical Obedience are the effects of God's Grace, and produced by it, as well as Faith. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13. And secondly, Because it is meerly of the Law of Grace, that Faith and other Acts of Evangelical Obedience, are made the condition of the Promise of Salvation. Ephes. 2.8. By grace are ye saved, through Faith in Christ Jesus; and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God. As Men do not Believe or Obey of themselves without supernatural Assistance, so neither is it of themselves that they are Justified or Saved upon their Believing, but both the one and the other, is the Gift of God. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. It is by virtue of God's New Covenant, that a promise of Pardon is made to Repentance, or to Faith; for the primary Law, the Law of Na∣ture, promised no such thing upon Repentance. And it is by virtue of the same Law of Grace, that a Promise of Justification and Reward is made to sincere Obedience in other Acts of Obedience, as well as those of Faith and Repentance.

That which hath made many afraid of interessing Evangelical Obedience with Faith, in justifying Men, hath been an Opinion, that so to do would derogate from God's Grace, and attribute too much to Man. But you see there is no ground for such an Opinion. It's true indeed, the proper merit of Works, and God's Grace are incon∣sistent: And therefore are opposed to each other in Scripture. But Evangelical Obedience, and Grace, are no more opposite or incon∣sistent, than Cause and Effect, or than Causes principal and subordi∣nate. And as it doth not follow, that because we are justified freely by God's Grace, that therefore we are not justified by Faith: So neither doth it follow, that because we are justified by Faith, that therefore we are not justified by sincere Obedience. For these and the Blood of Christ, do all concur in producing many of the same Effects, though not in the same respect.

7. By Evangelical Obedience, Christians come to have a right to Salvation. Revel. 22.14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, ••hat they may have a right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the City. This is left on Record as a special Memorandum ••or Christians in closing up the Canon of the New Testament; and

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therefore is to be taken special notice of. This right to the Tree o•• Life, and of entring into this blessed City upon keeping the Command∣ments, is from a New Covenant, or Law, Act, or Grant from God: For otherwise Man that had transgressed the first Law h•• ••as put un∣der, would have been far from having any right to such Happiness upon the terms here mentioned, viz. of sincere, though imperfect Obe∣dience. But seeing that a Right to Salvation doth accrue to Men upon a sincere keeping of God's Commandments, notwithstanding their forfeiture of their first Right by Man's first Fall, it evidently follows, that Evangelical or Sincere Obedience, is part of the condition of the Promise of Blessedness in the New Law or Covenant, and is here put for the whole of it, as at other times Faith is put for the whole of the Condition. And that Moses, David, Solomon, Nehemiah, and Daniel received it in this sense, and understood all along that sincere Obedience flowing from Love, was the condition of God's Covenant of Mercy when they stiled him a God keeping Covenant and Mercy with those that Love him, and keep his Commandments, Deut. 7.9. 1 Kings 8.23. Neh. 1.5. Dan. 9.4. I have before shewed.

If it shall be here said, that sincere Obedience is indeed a condition of Salvation, but not of Justification, and that it is so made here in this 22d of the Revelation, I have I think sufficiently answered this Ob∣jection in the former Chapter; but shall here add, That such as thus say, are more curious and nice in distinguishing between Justification and Salvation, than St. Paul was. For he calls Justification, the Justi∣fication of Life, Rom. 5.18. Whom he justified, them he also glorified, Rom. 8.30. and proves that Men shall be justified by Faith, because it is written that the Just shall live by Faith, Gal. 3.11. Thus with him to be justified, and to be blessed are all one, Gal. 3.8, 9. Rom. 4.7, 8, 9. And to confirm this Righteousness or Justification and Life, are used by him as Synonimous terms, Gal. 3.21. For if there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily Righteousness should have been by the Law. And Justification and Condemnation are but in direct opposition to each other, Rom. 5.18. and 8.33, 34. And to be freed from Condemnation (which is Justification) and to be Saved, are as much one, as not to Dye, is to Live. In short, Sal∣vation as well as Justification, is promised to Believing, Joh. 3.16. Act. 3.31. Heb. 10.39. And therefore Salvation, as well as Justifi∣cation, must needs be the immediate effect of Faith; if we take Sal∣vation, as begun here in this Life (as the Scripture represents it to be,Joh. 5.24. 1 Joh. 3.14. and 5.12.) From all which we may conclude, That what is absolutely necessary to Salvation, must needs also be necessary to Justification.

Add we hereto, that to be justified, and to be saved, is the same thing with St. James, as well as it is with St. Paul, according to the tenour of his Reasoning, Chap. 2. from ver. 14. to the end. What doth it profit my brethren (saith he) though a man say he hath Faith, and have not Works? Can Faith save him? Vers. 14. This Interrogation implies an Emphatical Negation; and the meaning is, that such a Faith can by no means save a Man; and he gives the reason of it twice

over in vers 17, 20. because Faith without Works is dead. And then afterwards argues the necessity of Works, together with Faith, unto Justification, or unto Salvation (which was the thing he began with) by God's justifying Abraham by Works, together with his Faith, who was the great Pattern or Example of God's justifying all others. If then to be justified, and to be saved, amounts to the same in St. James's Dis∣course here, then by the way, they do not rightly understand St. James, who think he doth not speak of a Justification before God in this his Discourse about Justification by Works, together with Faith, but of a Justification before Men, and to their own Conscience only. Which supposition of theirs, doth directly thwart the very scope and design of his whole Discourse, which is to set forth what will, and what will not avail a Christian-Professor in the sight of God, to the saving of his Soul, as abundantly appears. So that the Scripture which saith A∣braham believed God, and it was accounted to him for Righteousness; and which St. James saith was fulfilled in Abraham's being justified by Works as well as by Faith, was not fulfilled in Abraham's being justi∣fied to others, and to his own Conscience, but in his being justified before God; and so St. Paul understood it, Rom. 4.3. Gal. 3.6. But this was touched before in Chap. 1.

The result then of what hath been argued in Answer to the Obje∣ction, is this, viz. That all that are justified, are thereby put regularly into an immediate capacity of Salvation; so that if they should dye the very next moment after they are once justified, they would un∣doubtedly be saved. And therefore Evangelical Obedience can be no more necessary to Salvation, than it is to Justification; and it is as necessary to the one as to the other. And if to say Evangelical Obe∣dience is necessary to Justification, be injurious to Christ, and to the Grace of God, as some would pretend, how comes it to pass then, that to say Evangelical Obedience is necessary to Salvation, is not so too? For our final Salvation is as much the effect of God's Grace, and of Christ's Undertaking for us, as our Justification it self is, and of as much Value. And therefore if the one be not injurious in this kind, neither is the other.

8. As the Promise of forgiveness of sins by the Blood of Christ, or the Promise of an interest in his Blood to the pardon of Sin, is some∣times made unto Believing; so sometimes again it is made unto Evan∣gelical Obedience, or a holy Life, as in 1 Joh. 1.7. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, (that is, endeavouring to be holy, as God is holy) then have we fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin; but otherwise, it doth not. And so the Christians to whom St. Peter wrote, were said to be elect ac∣cording to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through Sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1.2. But they were not elect to the benefit of being sprinkled with the Blood of Christ without Obedience. And therefore by this

we see also, that Evangelical Obedience is part of the Condition of the Promise of Justification by the Blood of Christ.

9. To forgive Injuries is an act of Evangelical Obedience to that Precept of our Lord, Mar. 11.25. And yet without this act of Obe∣dience, Men that have been injured, cannot be justified, because they cannot be pardoned, according to the Word of our Lord, Mark 11.26. Mat. 6.15. and 18.35. Therefore Evangelical Obedience must needs be part of the Condition of Justification.

10. Repentance is an eminent Act of Evangelical Obedience, Acts 17.30. and yet pardon of sin, which is essential to Justification, is not to be obtained without it, Luke 13.3, 5. Therefore again it follows, that Evangelical Obedience is necessary to Justification, and part of the Condition of it.

And now by this time I suppose it fully appears to any unprejudiced Reader, that the Doctrine of St. Paul, yea, and of St. Peter and John too, do fully accord with the Doctrine of St. James, touching the necessity of Evangelical Obedience unto Justification. The oppo∣sition then which some have made between Faith and all Internal and External Works in reference to Justification, as well Evangelical, as Mosaical, hath not been only without Scripture-ground, but against Scripture-evidence; and looks more like that which was made by the Gnosticks, or other Solisidians, opposed by St. James, (if it be not the very same) than any the Scripture any where maketh. And how much injury the Christian Religion and the Souls of Men may have suffered thereby, is a thing to be thought on, and sadly laid to Heart.

It is a pleasant Doctrine, and the worst of Men called Christians are glad to hear that they may be justify'd by Christ, only upon their Believing in him, without any Works of Righteousness or Self-denial of their own. And upon that account (presuming verily that they do Believe) they are confident that they are justify'd, though they are unsanctify'd. But those especially are in great danger of deceiving their own Souls, by building their Confidence upon this Doctrine, who, together with this Belief, have more of the form of Godliness than the other have, and are found much more in the use and exercise of the external Devotional part of Religion, and are zealous for this or that Opinion, Party, or Way, which they think most Orthodox; though they be greatly destitute of Love to the Nature of God, and of Humility, Charity, strict Justice, Fidelity, Peaceableness, Sobriety, Temperance, Modesty, and Meekness, and of that renewed frame of Soul which would make them like Christ Jesus, wherein the power of Christianity doth consist: The external Duties of Hearing, Reading, Praying, and the rest, being in great part but means referring to the other as the end. So that no Man is to account himself truly Religious,

further than he attains to these truly Christian Qualifications, by the use of the External M••ans, and Internal Aids. Yea, the ••••••shly part even in M••n good in the main, is very apt to make an advantage of such a Doctrine as aforesaid, to the lessening of their Care, Dili∣ence, and Zeal, in working out their Salvation, in striving to enter in at the straight Gate, in governing their own Spirits and Appetites, in cleansing themselves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, and in per∣fecting holiness in the fear of God.

And therefore there is great need for those that are Spiritual Guides to the People, to insist much upon the necessity of Repentance, Re∣generation, and a holy Life, as well as Faith, in order to their be∣ing justified and saved by Christ Jesus. For the People, yea, the bet∣ter sort of them, stand most in need, as of being well-grounded touch∣ing the Truth of the Christian Religion, so especially of having the Doctrines of Morality inculcated upon them, the Precepts of the Go∣spel being almost all of that Nature, (thought some speak diminutively of moral Preaching) and tend to the perfecting of the Nature of Man, in regulating the Internal Operations of the Soul, and the External Actions of Life, in reference both to God and Man, our Selves and Others: The recovering of Men to which, is God's great Design by the Gospel, in order to their being made perfectly Happy at last, as I have shew∣ed in Chap. 1.

There is indeed an absolute necessity of Believing the Gospel in or∣der to Christian Practice: And therefore our blessed Saviour did not only Preach the necessity of Faith in him and his Doctrine, but also wrought abundance of Miracles to beget this Faith in Men. And yet he knowing the great danger of Men's miscarrying in point of Mo∣rality in the disposition of Soul and actions of Life, insisted chiefly in his Preaching, upon Doctrines of that nature; as you may see in his Sermon on the Mount, and elsewhere. He taught the necessity of being born again: Of making the Tree good, that the Fruit might be good. And to inforce this Doctrine of his, he was not wont to tell his Auditors that every Man shall be Rewarded according to his Belief, but that when the Son of Man shall come, every Man shall be rewarded accor∣ding to his Works: That those that have done good, shall come forth to the resurrection of life; and those that have done evil, to the resurre∣ction of damnation: That by their words they shall be justified (which are no more Faith than Works are) and by Their words they shall be condemned: That in the Great Day of the Tryal of all Nations, e∣very Man shall be Acquitted or Condemned, according to the Good they have done, or neglected to do, Mat. 25 And that then not every Man that had Faith enough to Cry, Lord, Lord, or, to Prophesie, cast out Devils, or do wonders in his Name, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but such and such only as have done the will of his Father.

Great need there is therefore of Peoples examining themselves impar∣tially, and of being often admonished to take heed, lest they mistake

and dec••ive themselves in the nature of Religion, and in what is abs••∣lutely necessary to be done on their part; ••ecause Men are very a••t to flatter and deceive themselves in that, and to think that wh••n their Faith is right in the object of it [as w••en they ••elieve in the true God, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and expect Salvation by him alone] that then they are true Believers, and such as shall be saved; especially if therewith they joyn the frequenting of God's Ordinances, and the paring off of some of the grosser Enormities of their Lives, though in the mean while they make no Conscience of cleansing their Hearts, and governing their Spirits, of subduing their Passions and in∣ordinate Affections, and of bridling the Tongue. For this cause it is that Christians are so often in Scripture cautioned to take heed lest they should be deceived. Be not deceived, God is not mocked: For whatsoever a Man sows, that also shall he reap, Gal. 6.7, 8. Little Children, let no Man deceive you: He that doth Righteousness, is Righteous, even as he is Righteous, 1 Joh. 3.7. 1 Cor. 6.9. Ephes. 5.6.

FINIS.