The Puritans
The Covenant of Life Opened by Samuel RutherfordTHE
COVENANT
OF
LIFE OPENED Or,
A TREATISE OF THE
COVENANT
OF
GRACE
Containing something of The nature of the Covenant of Works, The Soveraignty of GOD, The extent of the death of CHRIST, The nature & properties of the Covenant of Grace:
And especially of
The Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption between the LORD and the Son JESUS CHRIST,
Infants right to JESUS CHRIST, and the Seal of Baptisme:
With some Practicall Questions and Observations.
BY SAMUEL RUTHERFORD, Professor of Divinitie in the University of S. Andrews.
ZECH 6. 12. And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of Hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose Name is the BRANCH, and he shall grow out of his place, and He shall build the Temple of the LORD.
- Even He shall build the Temple of the LORD, and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His Throne, &c.
EDINBURGH,
Printed by Andro Anderson, for Robert Brown, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the Sign of the Sun, ANNO 1655.
CHRISTIAN READER,
Many have written, to the edifying of the Godly, of this excellent Subject: Its not much I can do in this, but have added some thoughts to what is said, intending a more Practicall way of the last points in another Treatise, to nit, of the application of Covenant-Promises, and of the influences of the Spirit under the Covenant of Grace, of which, especially of the latter of these two, few have practically written: And it is of much concernment, to make out the Union of our Duty and the breathings of the LORD, and what can be done under deadnesse, to either fetch the wind, or to be put in a spirituall condition, that the soul may ly fair for the receiving of the influences of GOD. I desire in this to speak for Truth, not either for or against persons of whom I am silent, concealing the names of any Contradicent, judging Truth so much the more desirable, when it may possibly he had with peace, and as little blowing or stirring of the fire of contradiction as can be, What is here said in a may of Disputing, the Moderate Reader, who is not taken with that way, may passe by and read what is practicall. The Author hath been (lest Truth should suffer by him) a little darkned, as report bears, with the name, I know not what, of a Protester, as one who hath deserted the Government and Discipline of the Church of GOD in SCOTLAND; But my humble thoughts are the same they were before: though I can adde nothing to the Truth. I look on these men the world so names Protesters, Schismaticks, Separatists, as sinfull men who stand in need of a Saviour, and as such as desire to fear GOD and love His Name, and would gladly have our practise and walk come a little more near to the Rule of the Gospel, and that our Land might mourn for all the abominations committed therein, which I desire to be spoken without any reflection upon any of the Godly in the Land, who, in that point, are of another Judgement. It is my desire to the LORD, that he would let us hear experiencedly the reality of that: Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants sake, that I may not destroy them all. The LORD JESUS be with your Spirit.
Yours in the Lord Jesus,
- R.
Contents of the I. PART.
CHAP. I. and II.
The four particulars of the Treatise. pag.1.
Propositions touching ADAMS state. p. 1,2.
ADAM was predestinate to life eternall in Christ, and how. pag. 2,
CHAP. III.
What is the intent and sense of the threatning, Gen. 2. 17. and Gen. 3. 20. Dust thou art, &c. p. 3,4,5.
Threatnings of the Law reveal what the Law-giver may jure inflict, by justice and Law deserving, not what shall come to passe. p. 4.
Except it be both a threatning and a Prophesie. p. 5.
What is carnall security. ibid.
What Adam was to believe in that threatning: p. 5,6.
How the promises and the threatnings differ in this. p. 7.
How Law threatnings to the Elect are Evangelick. p. 8.
CHAP. IV.
The Elect before Conversion bear no part of the Law-curse, nor is the Law-curse devided between them and Christ. p. 10,11.
Faith is too near to be made a cause of satisfaction for sin by all who hold that Christ gave a satisfactory ransome for all and every one of mankind. p. 11.
Accepting or not accepting satisfaction is before saith, and so believing or not believing can be no ground of the sufficiencie of the price payed for the Reprobate, or of the laying of the sins of all upon Christ. p. 11,12,13.
God may accept the satisfaction of Christ without any condition required on our part. p. 13.
CHAP. V.
God intended a Law-dispensation, but for a time. 2. Adam how he was ordained for a Law life. 3. How predestinate to Glory, how not. 4. That the heathens have no more universall grace then Divels. 5. No ground for such grace. p . 13,14,15.
CHAP. VI.
It was condisccension in the Lord to enter in Covenant with man. 2. Temptations in fearing we are not chosen, discovered. 3. Beings and not-beings are debtors to God. 4. Self denyall required in sinlesse nature, as in sinfull. 5. Man considered three wayes.
How saith layes hold upon conditionall promises, and temptations of unbelief thereabout. p 16,17.
Of the Covenant of nature. p. 18,19,20.
CHAP. VII.
Its not written in the heart of man by nature, that God should promise life Eternall to man, upon condition of obedience. 2. The debt of justice cannot ty God. 3. God punisheth not sin, by necessitie of nature, 4. Nor defends he his own declarative Glory by necessitie of nature. 5. Nothing can be given to God All sufficient. 6. No meriting of the creature. 7. We are to have humble thoughts of free Grace. 8. Low thoughts of our selves. 9. Promises make no strict justice between the Lord and us. p. 20,21.
God falls in no sort from his naturall dominion, though he impose not penal Laws upon the reasonable creature. p. 25,26.
God loves his essentiall Glory by necessity of nature, but not his declarative Glory, by any such necessity p. 28,29,30.
In every Covenant there is some out goings of Grace. p. 35.
The passage 1 Chron.29. 11,12, cleared, and why none can give to God. p. 37,38.
Our vain boasting of self, my, and such proud pronoumes. p. 39,40.
How excellent to obey. p. 45.
Sanctified reason is not soft. p. 45,46.
How near are wee to justification by Works, and to be sick of love for proud (I.) p. 46,47.
CHAP. VIII.
What place death hath in the Covenant. 2. What Reprobates and the damned are to do. p. 47,48.
What Adam was to do in the Intervall between the fall and the publishing of the Gospel. p. 48.
How the Lord is Adams God. p. 49.
What life is promised in the Covenant of Works. p. 47,48.
Wilfulnesse of unbelief, Some doubts are to be left to GOD only to solve. p 48,49.
How the Lord is the God of Adam. p. 49.
No promise of influences is made to Adam. p. 49.
CHAP. IX.
What life is promised in the Covenant of Works. p. 49,50
Whether or no did Adam and all the Reprobates in him lose all right to the creatures. p. 50,51.
A threefold right. 1. Naturall. 2. Providentiall. 3. Spirituall. What right Reprobates and unbelievers have to the living, eating &c. p. 53,54.
What way God is ours. p. 55,56.
A furniture of Grace, and a want of Christ. p 56.
CHAP. X.
The Arminians ground that God was in a maner compelled to appoint the New Covenant. p. 56,57.
The naturall antecedent love of God a dream. p 57.
CHAP. XI.
The threefold Covenant of some considered. p. 57,58.
And of the Arminians, p. 64. considered, and rejected. The Law as propounded to Israel was the very Covenant of Grace, p. 60,61,62. and the Covenant
in the Old one with that of the New Covenant, but differenced in some accidents. p. 63, 64.
CHAP. XII.
Self-searching to know under what Covenant We are, a spirituall condition, and why? p 65,66.
The threatnings under the New Testament more spirituall. p 67,68.
What it is to be under the Law. ibid.
The combate between the flesh and the Spirit, and the combate in naturall men differenced. p 68.
Compelled convictions argue a Law Spirit. ibid.
Its easier to be sound in the saith, then to be Godly. p. 69.
Of the legall terrors. ibid.
Of literall and legall convictions and these of the Gospel. p. 70.
Marks of such as are under the Law. p. 70,71.
A sweetnesse in the hardest command, because holy. ib.
An heaven in duties. p. 71.
A new nature stands for a command. ibid.
CHAP. XIII.
Covenanting externall, visible, professed, conditionall, and Covenanting internall, invisible, reall, absolute, and how they differ. p. 72,73,74.
Infants are within the Covenant. p. 73,74,75,76.
And to be baptized, and invested with Covenant priviledges. p 76,77,78,79.
Its false that none are in Covenant under the New Testament but converts. ib.
The Covenant made with Abraham and us, the same. p. 80,81.
Nor is that Covenant a civill Covenant. p. 81,82.
The New Testament Kingdome is spirituall, though there be seals in it and externall worship. p. 82,83.
Of federall holinesse. ibid.
Externall Church priviledges of the Covenant are given to Nations and societies. p 83,84.
Its not the Physicall but the Morall root that is the first subject of the Covenant conditionall, and externall. p 84,85.
The formall ground of right to Baptisme. p 85,86.
The places Acts 8.37. Mark 16. 16. opened, and are nothing for, but much against Anabaptists. p 85,86.
The text, Acts 2. 39. opened, is strong for Infant baptisme. p. 86,87.
A conditionall Covenant is properly a Covenant, though it be not ever a fulfilled Covenant. p 90,91.
No means are proved, by Law, or Gospel, to save infants by the opposers of infant Baptisme. p 91,92.
Two diverse considerations of the Covenant, one in abstracts as a simple way
of saving sinners, and so all in the Visible Church are in the Covenants another in ionerets, as it contains the Lords will of pleasure, and as it is acted upon the heart, and so the Elect are only in Covenant. p 94.
The new heart is only commanded to some, and to others it is both commanded and promised. p 95.
CHAP. XIV.
The place Gen. 17. opened. p. 95.
Circumcision and Baptisme compared. p 95,96,97.
What blessings and priviledges must infants want, if they be without the Covenant. p 98,99,100.
The place Mark 10,15,16. Luke 18. Math. 19. Of such is the Kingdome of heaven, opened p. 100,101,102.
What blessing Christ bestowed upon the infants, whom hee took in his armes. p. 102,103,104.
A Covenanted seed is promised to be added to the Church of the Jews. 104,105
Considerable differences between external and internal Covenanting. 107,108
The place Rom. 1 1,6. If the root be holy, so are the branches. 110,111.
By the holy Root cannot be meant the predestinate to Glory only. 113,114.
But visible professors, fathers and children. p. 115,116.
The children are in Covenant not by birth, but by such a birth. p. 116,117.
Covenant holinesse is not the compleat and adequat cause of reall ingrafting in Christ. p. 116,117,118
CHAP. XV.
Other considerable differences between externall and internall Covenanting. p. 118,119.
There is no universall Grace Subjective or objective given to all, Rom. 10. 18. Psal. 19. 3. p. 119,120,121,122,123,124.
Nor power of believing given to all. p. 124,125,126.
CHAP. XVI.
The judgement of men esteeming such visible Covenanters to be reall converts before they can be admitted, makes all Egypt, Assyria, the Kingdomes of the world, all Judea Baptized, to be reall converts in the judgement of Iohn Baptist Paul and the Apostles. p. 129,130
The invisible Church is the full subject of the promises of speciall note, &c. p. 131,132
Hypocrites have no warrand to challenge the seals from any command of God, as M. Thom. Hooker saveth. p. 132.
CHAP. XVII.
Who are Hypocrites. p. 133,134
What Hypocrisie is. p. 135
Parties in the Covenant of Grace as acted upon in heart. p. 137 The Word and the Spirit. p. 138
Of God speaking himself. ib. Prophesies that now are differ from Scripture Prophesies, and how. p. 139
Revelations made to the Godly, when they are in much nearnesse to GOD p. 140, 141
Marks of a spirituall disposition. p. 142, 143, 144, 145.
To do a duty as a duty, and not as delightfull is a spirituall disposition. p. 144
Not as successefull, but as a duty. p. 145
CHAP. XVIII.
The nature, characters, properties of the new heart and the new spirit of Covenanters. p. 145, 146.
The heart the man. p. 146
The good heart. ib.
How rare a pecce the heart is. p. 147
Of the raigning evils of the heart. ib. Why we are more shamed of lying then of pride. p. 149
The concurrence of the Word to the act of infusion of a new heart a mysterie. p. 149, 150
The Atheisme and impossible lies of the heart. p. 150, 151
The signes of the new heart. p. 151, 152
CHAP XIX.
The place of Evangelick Works in the Covenant. 2. Possession of glory and right to glory different. 3. A twofold right to glory. 4. We are not justified by Works. 5. The place of declarative justification by Works, Jam. 2. discussed. 6. Faith and Works different. 7. Possession of life and right to life cleared. 8. Faith and finall beleeving both commanded in the Law. Finall unbeleef not the sin forbidden in the Gospel only. 9. How life is promised to our Works Evangelick, p. 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, & seq. Our mistakes of God, p. 151, 152
The faith that James speaks of is not true saith, p 160
The acts of saving faith, p. 161, 162
James must speak of two sorts of faiths, p. 162, 163
The Arminian Argument to prove that James speaks of declared justification, answered, p. 165, 166
How faith [foreign] only justifies, p 170, 171
The Socinian and Arminian faith, and Papists formed faith includes new obedience and repentance, p 172, 173
Contrari to the Scripture which differenceth between faith and new obedience, p. 174, 175, 176
Right to life eternall and possession of life eternal differ in their nature and causes, p. 176, 177
The necessity of Works, p. 177, 178
Possession of life and right to life differ, p 178, 179, 180
And contrare objections removed, ib.
CHAP. XX.
Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only, such as finall unbeleef, which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel. That Christ died not for all without exception. The unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine, how the Law commands justifying faith, and repentance, how not,p. 181, 182, &c.
Sins against the Gospel are also sins against the Law, p. 188, 189
CHAP XXI.
Whether the Lord Mediator as Mediator command the same good Works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the Covenant of Works, p. 192, 193
Christ layes one way Evangelick commands upon the Elect, and another way upon the Reprobate, p. 194 How the Reprobate are still under the Covenant of Works, how not, p. 194
CHAP. XXII.
No promise of perseverance to Adam, p. 194, 195
Nor any promise to him of influences of Grace, p. 195, 196
- Classes of obediences considerably compared among themselves. p. 196, 197, 198 Christs obedience most perfect, most of his own.p. 196
Most undue or least of debt coming from God man, & so most meritorious, p. 197
Angels obedience. 2. Of their own, but not so as Christs of his own, and so lesse meritorious, p. 198
- The obedience of Adammore of his own, then that of Angels, yet lesse obedience, ibid.
- Gospel-obedience hath least of the nature of obedience, p. 198, 199
CHAP. XXIII.
The Law of Works required not simplie doing, but doing to the end, p. 200, 208
CHAP. XXIV.
Whether faith as true, or faith as continuing to the end, be the condition of the Covenant of Grace, p. 201, 202.
Faith which endures to the end, but not quatenus as it indures to the end is the condition of the Covenant of Grace. p 201, 202
Faith in the first lively acts saves and justifies, p 202, 203
CHAP. XXV.
Whether is Christs righteousnesse imputed and made ours, because we believe and apprehend it ours, or do we believe, because it is ours, because we believe, p. 206, 207
Faith presupposeth three unions. 1. Naturall. 2. Legall. 3. Federal, and maketh a fourth, p. 208, 209
There be four or five sundry Adversaries against whom the holy Ghost in Scripture contends in the point of justification, p. 210, 211
The dominion of the Law. p. 211, 212
What is meant by the oldnesse of the letter. p. 213
How we are freed therefrom, ib.
A threefold bondage of the Law, ib.
Of the dignitie of the Gospel above the Law, p. 213, 214
CHAP. XXVI.
Of the perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace, and the considerable differences between it and the Covenant of Works. p. 214, 215, 216, 217.
How it continues with these that are asleep in the Lord, Mat. 22. Exod. 3. 6. p. 216
Of the graciousnesse thereof. p. 216, 217
CHAP. XXVII.
Of Law-fear and Gospel-fear, p. 217, 218.
Of the Law-fear of falling away, and the Gospel faith of persevering, p. 218, 219
Why feelings of sin seldome wants unbelief, and should have the saith of a payed ransome, p. 221, 222
CHAP. XXVIII.
Christ died not to blot out all sense of sin, but rather to quicken a godly sense thereof, p. 221, 222, 223
Contents of the II. Part.
CHAP. I.
Christs roome in both Covenants, p. 225
Of Christs active and passive obedience, how they concur as one satisfaction, p. 229, 230
CHAP. II.
WHerein stands our right to Christ, and the satisfaction made for us by Christ? 2. Faith is not the cause of our right. 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours merited by Christ. 4. How Adams sinne and Christs righteousnesse are ours, p. 230, 238.
CHAP. III.
How Christ suffered for us in our room and place. 2. He died not for all and every one. 4. How many wayes Christ may be said to die in our stead. 4. The Lords so dying for all makes not all saveable in Christ, nor the Gospel preachable to all Nations. 5. Christ died in the stead of the elect, p. 236, 237, 238, 239.
Though we did not substitute him in our place, p. 249, 250
The differences between Christs dying and the punishment due to the Elect, p. 250, 251, 252
The legall oneness between Christ and us, p. 253
To die [foreign] & [foreign] for us, is to die in our stead, in all eminent languages, p. 253
Christ died not for sins and in the stead of sins, as he died for sinners, p. 256
CHAP. IV.
How we are in Christ dying, and crucified in him. 2. A twofold crucifying of us with Christ. 3. A discourse of mortification. 4. The actings of the mortified. 5. That we are to be mortified in our affections, p. 257, 258, 259.
Though we die personally yet we died in Christ legally, p. 259
We are not to desire a Law-wakening, p. 259, 260
What mortification is, p. 261
The influence of Christs death on mortification, p. 262
Four sorts of actings in mortification, p. 265, 266
We must be mortified to all sort of created things, p. 268, 269, 270, 271
Forbidden desires. p. 270, 271
CHAP. V.
The Covenant of Suretyship or of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a meer witnesse, but the Author of the Covenant. 3. The Socinian way of Works cannot quiet the conscience. 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant. 5. Justice mediates not. 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin.
CHAP. VI.
That there is a Covenant of Suretyship between JEHOVAH and the Son, is proven by 11. Arguments. p. 290, 291, 292.
Christ calling to the Lord his God proves this. 291, 292
(2) Christ is a Servant, Messenger, Shepherd, not by nature, but free compact and agreement. p. 292
(3. Ar.) Christ offered his service freely. p. 293
(4. Arg.) There is giving and taking between God and Christ. p. 293, 294
(5. Arg.) Christ received the seals whither he needed seals, or not. p. 295, 296
(6) Christ with the Father dispensed with the Law. p. 296
(7. Arg) Rich promises that speak a Covenant made to Christ. p. 296
- Ar. The Prophesies of Christ and the promises of, and to him. p. 298
- Ar. Ask of me, Ps. 2. 10. Arg. The work and wages of Christ Prove it. p. 299
And, O how low a wager, and how high a designe. p. 300
- Arg. Christis admitted by an oath and the use of it against Apostacie of Believers. p. 300, 301, 302
CHAP. VII.
The Covenant of Redemption is explained in three eternal acts. 1. Designation of one. 2. Decree and destination. 3. Delectation in the work. p. 302, 303.
The attributes of God declared herein. p. 304, 305
The Fathers eternall delighting in the Son. 309, 307
The strength of Gods love to man. p. 306, 307, 308
CHAP. VIII.
The differences between the Covenant of Suretyship made with Christ, and the Covenant of Reconciliation made with sinners. 2. The conjunction of the Covenants. 3. How the promises are made to the Seed. The place, Gal. 3.16. opened. 4. Christ suffered and acted ever as a publike head, p. 308, 309, 310.
CHAP. IX.
The 13. Argument from the necessity of Gods call. 2. Of Typicall sprinkling of the blood of the Covenant, and of the Testament. The place, Heb. 13.20. opened. Of the place, Heb. 7. 22. the act of Suretyship, the assurance of our state, p. 316, 317, 318.
How the promises are made to Christ, p. 317
The peculiar nature of Christs Testament as such a Testament, p 318, 319
Of the Suretyship of Christ, p. 323, 324
Punishment suffered by the Surety can remove punishment from the guilty man but cannot remove formally the inherent guilt, and how this was done by Christ. p. 323, 324
Christs undertaking for all. p 326, 327
Of the place, Prov. 8, 22, 23, 24, &c. p. 306, 307, 308, 327
Arminius yeelds a Covenant between the Father and the Son, p. 327, 328
And how, for Jehovah cannot promise a seed to Christ as a reward of his work by their way, having no Soveraigne power over the will, p. 328, 329, 330
Of such as are his seed. Of the Covenant of the Lord with David, p. 836, 837
Ps. 89. opened, ibid. p. 338. 339. Mic. 5.2. p 339
CHAP. X.
Christ procures the Gospel to be Preached to Reprobates, but undertakes not for them. A necessary distinction of the Covenant as Preached according to the approving will of God, and as acted upon the heart according to the decree of God. The place, Jer. 31, Heb. 8. This is my Covenant, opened, p. 339, 340, 341, 342.
The distinction of the approving wil of God, & of his wil of pleasure, p. 342, 343
Antinomians confound the efficient cause of the obedience and the objective cause on the rule of the Word, p. 345, 346
The purpose and scope of the Holy Ghost is not, Heb. 8. and Jer. 31. to speak or treat of the Covenant of Grace as Preached in the letter, but as acted upon the heart, that so Christ may be advanced as a more spirituall and effectuall, teacher and Priest, the Moses, Aaron, &c. p. 346, 347, 348
Which two are confounded by Antinomians.
CHAP. XI.
Of the promises made to Christ in the Covenant of Mediation, p. 349, 350.
A twofold justification of Christ, p. 349
Christ had a promise of influences, Adam had none at all, p. 350, 351
Our mistake touching comforts and duties, p. 351
Christs satisfaction p. 351, 352.
We may flee to the Covenant, because of Christ, p. 352, 353
Rods are booked to the Covenant of Works, Deut. 28. and in the Covenant of Grace to both the Covenanters, Psal. 89.30,31. &c. p. 353
CHAP. XII.
The condition and properties of the Covenant of Redemption. p. 355, 356.
No such condition is required of Christ, as of Adam. p. 356
The paying of the price of blood and dying is the formall condition of the Covenant of Redemption upon the part of Christ. p 356, 357
The holy qualifications of Christ in the Covenant of Suretyship, p. 357, 358
These qualifications how to be followed by us, p. 354
Christs Grace of headship what force it may have upon us, p. 360, 361
The properties of the Covenant of Suretyship. 1. Freedom. 2. Graciousnesse. 3. Eternitie, p. 361, 362, 363
The exposition of that place, 1 Cor. 15.28. p. 363, 364
Christ even after that universall judgement, a mediatorie Head, King and Lord. p. 366, 367, 368
Errata.
Pag.2.lin.19.read Immortality. p.15.l.19.r. no-beings. p.17.l.29.r. no-beings. p.21.l.1,2.r. God therefore. p.22.l.31.r. God it. p.28 l.26.r. Isa 42. p 39.l.10.r. abiding Life p. 24 .l.24.r [foreign] p.51.l.27 r. is in the substance. p 53.l.2.r. no grinding of. p.55.l.16.r. floor.p.70.l.2.r. literally. p.92.l.10,11.r. decreed. p.96.l.5.r. ground. p.103.l.13.r. as symbolick. p.104 l.36.r that the. p.134.l.14.r. but cannot. p 136.l.21.r. here. p.40.l.13.r. seated no discursive. p.141.l.33.r. gnawing. p.160.l.26.r. Menochius. p.166.l.26. in mar. r. spectasset.p.168.l.17.r. it is not only. p.169.l.29.r. held. p.186.l.33.r. Gal. 14.p.195.l.1.r. thereof. p.201.l.20.r. partaker. p.206.l.11.r have it so. p.218.l.29.r steep for sharp p.2 .l.11.r. not only not quarrell. p.239.l.15.r. depends not upon p 249 l.1.r. Arminius. p.251.l. 9 r.acceptation. p.269.l.26.r. arts. p. .l.3.r. who are not dead to opinions. p.282.l.14. gave thee. p.299.l.29.r. in his hand. p.309.l.36 dele Joh. 8. p.314.l.24 r. are. p.316.l.10.r. be that said. p.333.l.18.r. agrees to be. p.334.l.15.r. and will have.
1
THE COVENANT OF LIFE OPENED.
CHAP. I.
What is to be spoken of the COVENANT of LIFE, shall be reduced to these Heads.
- The nature and differences of the Covenant of Works, and that of Grace.
- The Mediator of the Covenant of Life.
- The application of Covenant-Promises.
- Of Covenant-Influences of Grace under the Gospel.
Of the latter, especially of the last, not much hath been spoken by any in a practicall way.
CHAP. II.
Propositions touching ADAMS Covenant-state.
The Apostle, 1 Cor. 15. 47. The first man is of the earth, earthie, the second man is the Lord from Heaven, speaking of the two eminently publick persons, the noble heads of great Families; makes the condition of the first Adam to be animal and earthy, & that of the second Adamto be spiritual and Heavenly. And without doubt, to be born of the house and seed of the second Adam, John 1. 12, 13. must darken the
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glory of the first birth, so as there is no great ground to boast of the skin and empty lustre of Nobility and good blood; Although when the creature called (I) and (self) do creep in to lodge in a poor feeble piece of clay, that clay so lustred must be some God.
- The flower and choisest of Adamhis Paradise-state, is an earthly condition, as is evidenced by his eating, Gen.2. 9,16. sleeping, 21, his being placed in a Garden, to dresse it, 8,16,17, his marriage, 23, 24. his Lordship over birds, beasts, fishes, Gen. 1. 28. But in the second Adam, besides all these, we are gifted with a life of more worth then many acres of Vineyards. They declare therefore that there is much of the first Adam in them, little of the second; Who would conquesse again the many lands, that our first father Adam sold, and joyn house to house, and lay field to field, till there be no place, and disinherit all others, as if they were bastard heirs, and themselves the only righteous heirs of Adam, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth. Isa. 5. 8. And the more spiritual any be, the more are they above the nothing world.
- Mortality may be called supernaturall to the earthie part of Adam,since it is not naturally due to a body of earth, to claim, life for ever. Though immortality be due to whole Adamconsisting of soul and body and endued with the image of God. For the soul cannot die.
- But if we speak of such a life, to wit, of a heavenly communion with God, as Adamwas a comprehensor or one who is supposed now to have runne well, and won the Gold, and the Crown, such a life was due to Adam,not by nature, but by promise.
- Adamin his first state was not predestinate to a law glory, and to influences of God to carry him on to persevere: Nor could he blesse God, that he was Chosen before the foundation of the world to be Law- holy, as Eph. 1. 3. What? Was not then Adam predestinated to life eternall, through Jesus Christ? He was: But not as a publick person representing all his sons, but as another single person, as Abraham, or Jacob: for Gospel predestination is not of the nature, but of this or that person: Therefore were we not predestinat to life eternall in him, but in Christ, Rom. 8. 29, 30.
- Therefore Adamfell from the state of Law-life both totallyand
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finally, but not from the state of Gospel election to glory. For the Lord had in the Law-dispensation a love designe, to set up a Theatre and stage of free grace; And that the way of works should be a time dispensation, like a summer-house to be demolished again: As if the Lord had an aime that works and nature should be a transient, but no standing Court for righteousnesse: Hence it is now the reliques of an old standing Court, and the Law, is a day of assyse, for condemning of malefactors, who will acknowledge no Tribunall of grace, but only of works: And it is a just Court to terrifie robbers, to awe borderers and loose men, but to beleevers it is now a Court for a far other end.
CHAP. III.
What is the intent and sense of the threatning, Gen. 2. 17. In the day thou eats, thou shalt die. And Gen. 3. 20. Dust thou art, &c .
WE must distinguish between the intent of the threatener and the intent and sense of the threatening.
Law-threatnings may be well exponed, by the execution of them, upon persons, against, whom they are denounced: As, 1 King. 11. 30. compared with 1 King. 12. 15, 16. Ten Tribes are taken from Davids house according to the World of the Lord Because therefore the threatning of death was executed upon Christ, 1 Pet. 3. 18. Gal. 3. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. then must the threatning, Gen. 2. 17. Deut. 27. 26. have been intended against the Man Christ, and because beleevers die, as all do, Heb. 9. 27. the threatning must have been intended against them also, for that they sinned in Adam, and because it is out of question that the reprobate die the first and second death, the threatning must also have been intended against them. And therefore, in the intent of the threatner, the threatning was mixed, partly Legall, partly Evangelick; According to the respective persons, that the Lord had in his eye: He had therefore in his heart both Law and Gospel. It is therefore to no purpose to aske what king of death, and whether purely legall, which the Lord threatned to Adam: For the Question
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supposeth that the Covenant of Works was to stand, and that the Lord was to deny a Saviour to fallen man. But we may say what death the Lord actually inflicts, that death he intended to inflict, nor did the Lord decree to inflict, a meerly legall death personall first and second, upon Adam and all his race.
Obj. Adam was to believe he should certainly die; For so was the threatning, Gen. 2. 17. if he should sin, or then we must say, that Adam was to beleeve he should not actually die, the latter cannot be said, for then he was to believe the contradicent of the Lords true threatning, which was the lie of the Serpent, Gen. 3. Ans. He was to beleeve neither of the twain according to the event, for there are two sort of threatnings, some pure and only threatnings, which reveal to us, what God may, in Law, do, but not what he hath decreed and intended, actu secundo & quoad eventum, to do, and bring to passe; These threatnings contain some condition, either expressed in other Scripture, or then reserved in the mind of the Lord. 1. Because the Lord so threatned Adam, as he remained free and absolute either to inflict the punishment, or to provide an Evangelick remedy, even as Solomon, 1 King. 2. 37. saith to Shimei (in the day thou passest over the brook, Kidron, thou shalt surely die) that is, thou shalt be guilty of death, reus mortis: Yet it cannot be denyed, but Solomon reserved his own Kingly power, either to pardon Shimei, or to soften, or change the sentence. 2. The words of the Law do reveal, what the Magistrate may do, jure, and what the guilty deserves by the Law, but do not reveal the intention and absolute decree of the Law-giver, and what punishment actually, & quoad eventum shall be inflicted upon the guilty, and what shall come to pass as a thing decreed of the Lord: So, Gen. 9. 6. the Murtuerer shall die by the Sword of the Magistrate, and Exod. 22. 18, 19, 20. the Witch, the man that lyes with a beast, he that sacrifices to a strange god, shall die the death jure, morito, and by Law-deserving, but it followeth not, but such as commit these abominations, do live, as is clear in the Kings of Assyria, Chaldaa, and many of Israel, who were not put to death, but lived quoad eventum,though contrary to the Word of God. 3. The expresse Precepts of the Decalogue, Thou shalt have no other gods before, me, &c. Thou
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shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal, &c. do shew what in Law we ought not to do, but not what actually shall come to passe: For there be not a few who do actually, &c quoad eventum, worship strange gods, kill, and steal. But there are other threatnings which are both threatnings, and also Prophesies, and these reveal both the Law and the fact, and what the Law-giver may, jure, and, in Law, inflict, and what shall actually come to passe upon the transgressours, if they continue in impenitency, Rom. 2. 1. 2, 3, Rom. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10.
Obj. Then in all threatnings and promises we are not to believe, that though we sin, we shall actually & quoad eventum die, and though we obey and beleeve, wee are not to beleeve that GOD shall fulfill his promise, and that our salvation shall come to passe, only we are to believe jure, that we deserve to die, and that we shall have eternall life, jure promissionis, but not actually and according to the event. Answ. Something is to be said of the threatnings, then of the promises: As touching the sense, we are to beleeve. In the threatnings conditionall as (yet fourty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed) and (in that day thou eats thon shalt surely die, in thy person and all thine the first and second death) we are not to believe the event, nor is it carnall security, not to beleeve such an event, we are only to have a godly fear and to tremble, at the dreadfull deserving of such threatnings legall, as alway are to be exponed and beleeved by all within the Visible Church, with an Evangelick exception of repentance. If therefore Adam did beleeve that he and all his should in their own persons actually suffer the first and second death, and that irrecoverably, he had no warrand, for any such belief, and the like may be said of Nineveh. For when the Lord said, in the day that thou eats thou shalt die, the first and second death, thou and all thy children personally: His meaning was, except I provide an Evangelick remedy and a Saviour. Godly fear trembles more at the darkning of the glory of the Lord in a broken Law, then at the event of inflicted wrath, were it even Hells fire.
Obj. Adam was to beleeve no such exception. Answ. True. Because it was not revealed, nor was he to beleeve the contrary that he should irrecoverably and eternally perish, because that
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was not revealed: But the threatning of the Law doth not deny the Evangelick remedy, as it neither doth affirme it.
Obj. Then was Adam to believe, it was true which the Serpent said, ye shall not surely die, & quoad eventum, but ye shall be as Gods living and knowing good and evill.
Ans. Neither doth that follow, for in the meaning of the liar, it was not true, that they should not die, either by deserving (for Satan brangles the equity and righteousness of the Law and threatning) or actually and in the event, for both were false and neither revealed, and faith is not to go beyond what is revealed of God. And Sathan disputed against both the equity of the threatning, as if it had been unjust, in Law, and against the event, as a fiction and a thing that should not come to passe in the event, which indeed did not come to passe; but not according to the Serpents lying and false principles.
Obj. Was then Adam to despair and to beleeve nothing of a Saviour. Ans. He was not obliged to despaire, but to rely, by vertue of the first Commandement of the Decalogue, upon God infinitly powerfull, mercifull, gracious, and wise to save, for that was revealed and written in his heart, and that is far from despairing: But in the intervall between the fall and the Lords publishing the blessed Gospel, and news of the seed to come, he was so to trust in God for possible deliverance in generall (as the Law of Nature requireth) but he was to beleeve nothing of unrevealed particulars, far lesse of the mystery of the Gospel, which was kept secret, since the world began, Rom. 16. 25. Obj. Then may also the damned in Hell, who are not loosed from their obligation to the Law of Nature, and the first Command, be obliged to rely on an infinite and Almighty God, for their deliverance, for they are not obliged to despair, nor is there an obligation to any sin.
Ans. There is not the like reason, for though the damned be not loosed from the Law of Nature, but are to rely upon God in his whole al-sufficiency, yet with exception of his revealed Justice and Truth: Now he hes expresly revealed, that their worm never dieth, and their fire never goeth out. And to believe that, is not to despaire. Obj. What are then such Heathens to beleeve as
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touching that threatning, who never heard of the Gospel? Ans. They are under the Law of Nature, and to beleeve that sin deserves wrath, according to the infinitnesse of the Majesty, against whom it is committed, and to obey the Law of Nature, and read the Book of the Creation carefully: But and if the news and rumor of a Saviour come to their ears, their sin cannot but be Evangelick, in not pursuing the reality and truth of such a soveraign remedy. Yet it is not to be thought, that though the Gospel be come to all Nations Rom. 16. 26. that that is to be meant. 1. Of every Generation of all Nations. Or, 2. of the individuall persons, either young, or come to age, of every Nation under Heaven, experience and Scripture speaketh against both.
Obj. But is not the Covenant of grace contrary to the Law and Covenant of Works? Answ. A diversity there is, but contrary wills in the holy Lord cannot be asserted. Yea the Gospel may be proven out of the Law, and from first Commandement of the Decalogue, if any act of the Lords free will and infinite wisedome shall be added to prove the Assumption. So,
If the first Command teach that God is infinitely wise, mercifull, gracious, just, and able to save, then, if so it please him, he shall save;
But the first Command teacheth the former: And the Gospel revealing the unsearchable riches of Christ, Eph. 3. 8. expresly saith so much. Ergo.
As to the promises, they contain not only the jus, equity and goodnesse of the thing promised, but also that the Lord shall actually perform, yea and intends to perform, what he hath promised upon condition that we perform the required condition. And in this the promises differ not a little from these threatnings, that are only threatnings, of what God may do in Law, but not from these threatnings which are both threatnings and also Propheticall predictions of what shall come to passe, therefore must we here difference betwixt threatnings, and such and such threatnings.
The promises are considered as they are Preached and anunciated to all within the Visible Church, and as they are made in the intention of God with the Elect and Sons of the promise: The same way the threatnings admit of a two-fold consideration. The
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promises to the Elect as intended of God, reveal that both the Lord minds to give the blessing promised, and the condition that is grace to perform the condition, and so they are promises Evangelick both in the matter, and in the intention of the Lord; But as proponed to the reprobate, who are alwayes from their birth to their death under a Covenant of Works, really as touching the LORDS holy Decree, they are materially Evangelick promises, but formally and in the Lords intention legall, as every dispensation to them is legall, forasmuch as the Lord hath decreed to deny the grace, by which they may or can fulfill the condition of the promise, which is proper to the Law, as it is peculiar to the Gospel, that the Lord both gives the mercy promised and also the grace to fulfill the condition of the promise.
The threatnings to beleevers, especially such as are legall ( if you beleevers fall away. ye shall eternally perish) are to beleevers, though materially legall, peremptorie, and admit no exception, yet they are formally and in the Lords intention directed to them upon an Evangelick intention, nor do they say that the Lord intends and decrees that they shall eternally perish, for he hath predestinate them to the contrary, to wit, to grace and glory, Ephes. 1. 4. Nor that he wills that they should beleeve either their eternall damnation, or their finall and totall falling away, which inevitably leads thereunto. For they, knowing that they are in Christ, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 16,17. and freed from condemnation, Rom. 8. 1. are to beleeve the contraire of the former, to wit, life eternall, John 4. 24. 1 Thes. 5. 9. John 3. 16. and the contraire of the latter, to wit, the promise of perseverance made to them, Jer. 32. 39,40. Isa. 59. 21. John 10. 27,28. John 17. 20,21. 1 Pet. 1. 3,4,5. Mat. 16. 16, 17, 19. Therefore these threatnings are not to be beleeved by the regenerate, as certainly to come to passe in their persons, but only as Law-motives to presse them to work out their salvation in fear and trembling, and to cleave so much the closser to Christ, as the condition of such as are under the Law is apprehended to be dreadfull. But reprobats and unbeleevers are not to beleeve that God decrees and intends to them the thing promised, and grace to perform the condition, but only to beleeve their obligation to fiduciall relying upon, and Gospel faith
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in God, revealed in the Mediator; and that if they continue in a way of opposing Christ, they not only deserve by Law (which Law-deserving also beleevers are to apprehend) to be broken, but actually and quoad eventum shall eternally perish. Believers are to believe the Decree of God to save them, though they hear the threatnings, for its revealed. But the Reprobate are to beleeve only the sense and Law-deserving and event of the threatning, if they repent not, but are to beleeve no decree to save them.
CHAP. IV.
The Elect non-converted are not under Law-wrath. 2. Faith is no cause of satisfaction. 3. Christ can not have satisfied for the sins of the Reprobate.
WHETHER the Elect unconverted be under wrath is a doubt to many. It is true, they are servants of sin, Rom. 6. 17. Blind, and under the power of Satan as Reprobats are, Acts 26.18. By nature children of wrath, even as others, Eph. 2.3. Ans. Their sins committed before their Conversion, are according to the Covenant of Works, such as deserve everlasting condemnation, and they are jure and in relation to that Covenant, heirs of wrath, as well as others. 2. But we must distinguish between a state of election and everlasting, though unseen love, that they are under, as touching their persons: and a state of a sinfull way that they are born in, and walk in as others do, untill they be converted. As to the former state, it is true which is said, Ier. 31.3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. See also, Rom. 9. 12,13. Eph.1.4. so that God never hates their persons. 3. The punishment of their sins and the wrath they are under is two ways considered. 1. Materially in the bulke, and so they are under Law-stroaks and Law-wrath, that is Law-punishment, as others are, Eph. 2.3. and so the other places are to be taken. 2. The wrath is to be considered formally, and so it is denyed that the punishment of the non converted elect, because of their sinfull way is any part of the Law-vengeance or curse which Christ did bear for their other sins committed by them after conversion. 1. Because when Christ
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saith, Iohn 5. 4. The beleever hath passed from death, as it is a curse, and shall never come to judgement and condemnation, he cannot mean that they have half passed from the curse, and half not. 2. Beleevers are delivered, in Christ, from the victory, sting, power of sin, curse of the Law, and every curse, that is in affliction, and from condemnation not in part only, but in whole: Else their triumph were but in part, contrair to, 1 Cor. 15. 54, 55, 56. Hos. 13. 14. Isa. 25. 8. Nor should they be washen from all their sins and the spots thereof in his blood, if they might wash themselves from any spot, by bearing a part of the Law-curse in themselves, contrair to Can. 4. 7. Jer. 50. 20. Joh. 1.28. 1 Joh. 1.8. Rom. 8.1.3. What ever Christ was made for the redeemed ones, that he was made fully for them, in part, and in whole, for he is their perfect Saviour. But Gal. 3.13. He is made a curse for us, and able to save to the outmost all that come to him. Heb. 7. 25. Therefore the half or a part of satisfactory vengeance, cannot be upon us, and the other half on Christ, for this is to make men and Martyrs joint satisfiers of justice with Christ, by their own blood and sufferings, to prevent the scaddings of purgatory; For though we teach against Antinomians, that the Godly are punished for sins according to Justice, yet that is Evangelick, not law justice, for they bear not one dram weight of satisfactory wrath and curse jointly with Christ, Antinomians say that sin, root and branch is taken away in Justification, so that there is no sin nor punishment for sin in the justified man. 4. The beleevers are blessed through Jesus Christ, Gal, 3. 10,13. Psal. 32. 1,2. Rom. 4.6. Psal. 2.12, Psal. 119.1. Their afflictions and death blessed, precious in the eyes of the Lord, not qualified with any Law-curse, Job 5.17. Psal. 94. 12. Mat. 5.6. Luk. 6.22. 1 Pet. 1.6. 1 Pet. 4.13. Psal. 21. 3,4,5,6. Psal. 34.17,18,19. Rev.14.13. Psal. 116.15. Psal. 72. 14. Psal. 37. 37. and they are asleep in Christ, die in the Lord, 1 Thes. 4. 14,16. Nor can Antinomians and Socinians say this is under the New-Testament, for dying Jacob saith, Gen. 49,18. Lord I have waited for thy salvation, Isa. 57. 1,2. When the righteous man is taken away, he shall enter into peace, the Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob, when their bodies are rotten. Exod. 3.6. Mat. 22.32. (5.) This comes too
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near the opinion of these, who make faith a cause of satisfaction for sin, as they must teach, who hold that Christ payed a ransome on the crosse, for the sins of all and every one. For that which added, maketh satisfaction to be counted and formally reckoned as satisfaction, in order to the expiation of the mans sins, so that by no justice he can suffer for them, and which being removed, maketh the payed satisfaction and ransome, though never taken back again by the payer, no more a satisfaction for that man, not for Devils: Is too near to the nature and to being a part of the satisfaction. If one pay a summe that fully exhausts the debt of such a broken man, upon condition the broken man say Amen to the paying thereof, otherwise it shall be as not payed, he must take up the summe again, if the broken man refuse to say Amen to it, for if he take it not up again, but it be payed and fully satisfie for, and exhaust the debt, the mans debt is payed, and the Creditor in justice cannot exact one farthing from the broken man. Now nothing given to the Justice of God by way of satisfaction for the sins of unbeleevers, was every repeated or taken back again by Christ. Nay but, say they, the ransome was not payed at all for Judas, but only, upon condition that he beleeve: but he never beleeved, and therefore it was never payed for Judas. Answ. This is that we say, that Christ gave no reall ransome at all, for the sins of Judas. by way of satisfaction. But they say that there is as well a ransome payed for all the sins of Judas (sin all unbeleef excepted) to free him, in justice from eternall stroaks, as for all the sins of Peter to free him, only it is not accepted of by the Creditor, because Judas, by faith, assented not unto the bargain: But assenting or not assenting, accepting, or not accepting, that are posterior to the payment, are nothing up or down to the compleatnesse and perfection of the satisfaction made for the exhausting of Justice, for Justice receives not two satisfactions or ransomes for Judas, one upon the Crosse from Christ, another in Hell, from Judas, yea and it must follow, that reall payment was made to Justice for all the sins of Judas, upon the Crosse, and that he suffers for none of them, in Hell, but for only finall unbeleef, which is no sin against the Covenant of Works and the Justice thereof, but only and formally against the Covenant of Grace, so that as yet satisfying of
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Divine Justice for sins, must be halfed and parted between Christ, and Iudas, which the Scripture teaches not. Also the Father either accepts the ransome of Christ, because it is intrinsecally, and of it self sufficiently satisfactory: or because Iudas does beleeve it is so; The latter cannot be said, for beleeving adds nothing to the intrinsecall sufficiency of the satisfaction, as not believing diminishes nothing from the sufficiency thereof; Yea and so the Fathers formall reason of accepting of the satisfaction of Christ, must be terminated upon our poor act of believing, whereas the formal ground of the acceptation thereof is the intrinsecall excellency and worth of the Sacrifice, being an offering of a sweet smelling savour to God, Eph. 5.2. And because he offered the ransome of the blood of God-man, of the Prince of life,Act. 20.28. 1 Cor. 2.8. and offered himself to God, Eph. 5.25.26. Heb. 9.14. Mat. 20.28. 1 Tim. 2.6. Rev. 1.5. nor is there any sufficiency in his death from the worth of beleeving. And the reason why he accepts it for Peter, not for another, is the election of grace.
It is true the blood is a price refuseable, but it is this way refuseable, because the Lord might have followed a Law-way with Adam, and all his sons, and have denyed to give his Son a Ransome for us, but it is not refuseable, because of any insufficiency in the Ransome. Now faith is to satisfaction as the approximation of, and the laying on of dry fewell to the fire, which is only a condition of burning, but the fire is the formall cause of burning. Yea if we speak properly faith is not so much as a condition without the which offended Justice is not satisfied, nor is it a condition, by any Scripture of the world, without the which God laid not our iniquities on Christ, for whether we beleeve or not, God laid our iniquities upon him, and made him sin for us, Isa. 53.6. 2 Cor. 5.21. Therefore, by necessity of Justice, he must accept that Ransome intrinsecally so sufficient, which did restore more glory to God, then the sins of all, for whom Christ died, took from him. Nor is it imaginable to say that any act of obedience or beleeving, can perfect the satisfaction of Christ, and make it sufficient, yea, or causatively make it ours. For God, by no necessity of Justice, but of his own free pleasure, requireth faith as a condition of our actuall reconciliation; for beside, that he might have
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required any other act of obedience, as love, he might have accepted the Ransome without inquiring any act of obedience, on our part, as the Lord bestowed as calme Sea and deliverance from shipwrack, upon the Idolatrous Sea-men, upon the very act of casting Ionah in the Sea, without the intervention of any saving faith on their part; As a gracious Prince may send a pardon to free a condemned Malefactor from death, and may command that it be valid in Law for him, without the mans knowledge, and far more without his acceptance thereof, upon his knees, especially since by a speciall paction between the Father and the Son, he restored abundantly more Glory to God by suffering for all, for whom, he died, then they took from God by their sins, and that restitution was made to Justice without the interveening of any act of the creatures obedience. But the truth is, it is much to be doubted whether they, who hold such a satisfaction to be given of God, for the sins of all, Elect and Reprobate, but so as it shall not be valid in Law, nor effectuall of quiet Justice, but they must all suffer eternall vengeance, and perform personall satisfaction, in Hell, to Justice, except there interveen an act of obedience of the creature, to make it effectuall, do really and sincerely acknowledge, against Socinians, a reall satisfaction and compensation made to offended Justice by Christ: For how is it reall, and not rather scenicall and formall, which may and should be null and in vain, if the creature make it not reall, by beleeving. And especially, if God out of his grace which is absolutely free, work in us the condition of beleeving. Can God give his Son as a Ransome for us, upon condition that we beleeve, if he himself absolutely work the condition in us? They will not admit this.
CHAP. V.
God intended a Law-dispensation but for a time. 2. Adam, how he was ordained for a Law-life. 3. How predestinated to Glory in Christ, how not. 4. That the Heathens have no more Universall Grace then Devils. 5. No ground for such grace.
IT is apparent that God intended not a Law-dispensation in Paradise to stand for ever. For 1. nothing is spoken of Adam,
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after the fall, but of his procreating of children, of the Patriarchs, of Adams dying and of his actings before the fall, the place of Paradice beings scarce well known, which sayes the Lord had a farther design to lay a side the transient Law-dispensation and to set up Christ. 2. The Lord, of purpose, gave a positive Law, forbidding eating of such a Tree, added a threatning thereunto particularly, suffered the Serpent to tempt, and forsaw what frail nature would do, that he might deal with man, in a dispensation of free grace.
Obj. Did not God ordain that Adam should have life and righteousnesse, if he should continue in obedience. Ans. That was a decree conditionall of things, (the man that does these things shall live) and showes the equitie and holinesse of the Law, but it was not a decree of persons, by which God predestinated Adam to a Law-glory, as the end, and to Law-obedience as the effectuall means leading to that end.
- Was notAdam chosen? Ans. Adam, according to the Lords designe, finaliter & objective was created in the state of predestination to glory, and grace in Christ as touching his person, but according to his inherent condition, he was created in a legall dispensation, which was a gracious inlet to Christ; And according to his Law-state as he represented all mankinde, he was Created as a lubrick and frail Coppie of weak nature.
Many who are such as are not chosen are Created an live under a Covenant of Works, having onely some concomitant favours of the Gospel, as the Preaching thereof. 2. Common grace, inward warnings. 3. Protections of providence and forbearance, in regard they are mixed with the Elect. The heathen cannot be said to have any inward calling to Grace and Glory, because there be some remanents of the Image of God left in them, which no more can be called universall Grace, then the same sparkles that are left in Devils can be called Gospel Grace, for they believe, There is one God and confesse the Son of God, Jam. 2. 19. Luk. 4. 34. Mark. 1. 24. Only if this be called Grace, that the nature of man is so capable of Gospel mercy, and the nature of the fallen Angels morallie not so. 2. The offer is made to them of Christ, not so to Devils, we shall not contend: Reason may seeme to say that all
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should have a share of Gospel-Grace, but it may be replyed to reason, why should if seeme to be a part of the goodnesse and bounty of God to will and desire all and every one to be saved, and not to institute such a dispensation, as all and every one should actuallie be saved?
- How should that stand.(he hath mercy on whom he will)if free will of the creature absolutely dispose of Salvation and damnation? 3. How is it that the Calling, Adoption, and the offer of mercy is restricted to few, and was confined to the Jews only of old? But we are more ready to call the Lord to a reckoning, for his dispensation of Grace to others, then to use our own, as becomes, us. 2. We cannot judge aright of God and of his goodnes, except he be God our very way. 3. It is a matter of no small difficultie to make right use of the Lords freedome of Grace, and for clay humblie to adore Sovereigntie, and not to stumble at the highnesse of his wayes, who, in these points, hath wayes and thoughts above ours, as the heavens are above the earth, Isa. 55.
CHAP. VI.
It was condescension in the Lord to enter in Covenant with man. 2. Temptations in fearing we are not chosen, discovered. 3. Beings and not beings are debtors to God. 4. Self denyall required in sinlesse nature, as in sinfull, 5. Man considered three wayes.
Whither was God under an obligation, to make a Covenant with man?
Hardly can any maintain the dominion and Soveraigntie of God, and also assert an obligation, on the Lords part, of working upon the creature: The Lord is debtor to neither person nor things. He as Lord commands, but it is condescension that he commands Covenant-wayes, with promise of a reward to the obeyer. The Leviathan in strength is far above Job, he cannot command him. Job 14. 4. Will he make Berith a Covenant with thee, wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? That is, the Leviathan will not engadge as a servant to obey Iob as his master. A Covenant speaks
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something of giving, and taking, work, and reward, and mutuall engagements, betwixt parties, though there be something in the Covenant between God and man, that is, not in the Covenants, of men. The rationall creatures owe suitable, that is, rationall obedience to the Creator, but God is under no obligation to give life, especially so excellent a life as a communion with God, in glory, yet he does it. What a God must he be, who will come downe and put himself in a lovely and gaining capacitie to be a Covenanting debtour to our feeble obedience, whereas he ows nothing, and to make heaven and glory so sure to us, that the heavens should sooner break and melt, like snow before the Sun, then his promise can fail.
Obj. True, but faith is fixed upon the new Covenant-promise, if I believe. Ans. Yea, but faith here is to believe, that the condition it self is promised, as well as the reward.
Obj. The condition of a new heart and of faith is promised, but not to all, not to me, but to some few chosen only. Ans. There be here a number of errors. 1. Unbelief foments proud merite, that we are to believe as much of God promised, as there is conceived, to be worth in self, and in me to fulfill the condition; But true, faith, contrare to self-unworthinesse, relyes upon the Truth of God, the excellencie of Christ, and the absolutenesse of the promise. 2. Sathan like a Sophist drawes the dispute to the weakest conclusion from the strongest, to wit, from the promise of God, that is surer then heaven to the state, against which there is a greater number of Topick Arguments, then there can be against the promise of God. As 1. What am I? 2. Am I chosen or not? So Sathan to Christ, if thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread, in point of beleeving its better that faith expatiate in viewing God, Christ, the Ransome of the blood of God-Man, the depth of free grace, then upon self, and the state: in point of repenting and humble down-casting, we would read self, and our own estate. 3. Its Satan and the unbeleeving heart that would have our faiths greatnesse rising from selfs holinesse, and goodnesse. Whereas the greatest faith that Christ finds, Mat. 8. 10. looks away from self. v. 8. I am not worthy—and dwells much upon the Omnipotency of Christ in commanding diseases,
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as a Centurian his Souldiers. 4. When unbelief quarrels the Lord as untrue and weak, who faints and wearies, and one that is not the Creator of the ends of the earth, it alledges only and pretends self-guiltinesse to justifie unbelief: Yet Isa. 40. 28. though God be reproached as weak, we seem to resolve all in this; our own unworthinesse, but we cannot get our faith stately enough; and the truth is here, we quarrell with God and his decrees, under pretence of this, what if he have not chosen me? and I have no right to Covenant-mercies, except I take a Law-way to earne them, by fulfilling the condition. 5. When we beleeve a conditionall promise (if I beleeve, I am saved) faith relyes not fiducially upon the (if I beleeve) or upon the condition, Its a weak pillar to a sinner to stay his unquiet heart upon, to wit, his own beleeving, but faith rests upon the connexion (if thou beleeve thou shalt be saved) and it stayes upon the connexion, as made sure by the Lord, who of grace gives the condition of beleeving, and of grace the reward conditioned, so that faith binds all the weight upon God only, even in conditionall Gospel promises. 1. Man is to be considered as a creature. 2. As such a creature, to wit, endued with reason and the Image of God, in either considerations, especially in the former all that are created, are obliged to do and suffer the will of God though they never sinned. Its not enough to say, that Sun, Moon, Trees, Herbs, Vines, Earth, Beasts, Birds, and Fishes, cannot suffer the ill of punishment, which is relative to the break of a Law, for the whole Creation is subject to vanity for our sins, Rom. 8. 20, 21. The Servant is smitten and sickened, for the Masters sake, and God may take from them what he gave them, their lives without sense of pain and dollour, for all beings, yea defects and privations are debters to the glory declarative of God, Prov. 16. 4. Rom. 11. 36. yea and no beings are under this debt. God can serve himself of nothing, yea, that there are not created, Locusts, Caterpillars, more numerous, then that all the fruits of the earth can be food to them, Preach the Glory of the Lords goodnesse to man, and what are never to be, no lesse then all things, that have futurition, or shall come to passe either absolutely or conditionally, are under the positive decree of God, else we should not owe thanks to the Lord for many
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evils that never fall out, that the Lord turns away violent death, violence of men, and wilde beasts, and many possible mischiefs, contrair to Deut. 28. 11, 12. Lev. 26. 6. Psal. 34. 20. Psal. 91. 5,6,7,8. And all these beings or no beings owe themselves to God to hold forth the glory of goodnesse, wisedome, mercy, justice, &c. suppone there had never been sin: Far more now, who wants matter of meditation, or can write a book of all the pains, aikings, convulsions, pests, diseases that the Lord decreed to hold off? so that every bone, joynt, lith, hair, member, should write a Psalm Book of praises, Psal. 35. 10. All my bones shall say, Lord, Who is like unto thee? Nor can any man write his debts of this kind. But we are little affected with the negatives of mercies, except we read them upon others, and little then also; Self-pain Preacheth little to us, far more, the borrowed experience of fallen Angels, of Sodom, of the old world, &c. leaves small impression upon stony spirits. 2. Complain not, that you have not that share of grace, another hath, if ye (you think) had it, you would be as usefull to glorifie God, as they, but ye know not your self; swell not against him, that thou haft no grace, O vessell of wrath, thou owes that bit clay, and all thy wants to glorifie his Justice. 3. My sicknesse, my pain, my bands owe themselves to God, and are debtors to his glory, I, and every one of men should say, O that my pain might praise him, and my hell, and flamings of everlasting fire, might be an everlasting Psalm of the Glory of his Justice; That my sorrow could sing the Glory of so High a Lord: But we love rather that he wanted his praise, so we wanted our pain. 3. God hath made a sort of naturall Covenant with night and day. Jer. 31. 35. For all are his servants, Psal, 119. 91. that they should be faithfull to their own naturall ends to act for him, Ier. 5. 22. Ier. 31. 37. Psal. 104. 1,2,3,4. and they are more faithfull to their ends then men. Isa. 1. 3. Ier. 8.7. The oxe and the asse being more knowing to their owner, and the swallow and the cran being more discerning of their times, then men are. 2. They so keep their line, that there is more self-deniall in their actings, then in mans way: as if fire were not fire, and nature in it denied, the fire devours not the three Children, Dan. 3. 27,28 The Sun stands still, the Moons moves not, Iosh. 10. 12,13. The hungry
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Lions eat not Daniel, ch. 6.22. When the Lord gives a counter-command to them, and that is a clause in the Covenant, that the Lord entered with them, that they act or no act, as he shall be pleased to speak to them, John 2.10. Isa. 50.2. Mat. 8.16. It is a most humbling Theame, that an asse is more in denying nature, and the cran and the fire, then man, yea then a renued man in some cases. 4. But if man be considered, as such a man, endued with the Image of God, and withall the Covenant be considered as such a Covenant, as is expressed in the Ten-Commandements, in which one of seven is a Sabbath to the Lord, it will be found that many positives Morall are in the Covenant of Works, that are not in naturall Covenants.
- So man must come under a three-fold consideration.
- As a creature.
- As a reasonable creature.
- As such a creature reasonable, endued with the image of God.
In the first consideration, man comes under the Covenant naturall, common to all creatures; So is Peters body carried above in the water as iron swims.
- As a reasonable creature, he owes himself to God, to obey so far as the Law written in the heart carries him, to love God, trust in him, fear him. But this can hardly bear the name of a Covenant, except it be so called; in a large sense, nor is there any promise of life, as a reward of the work of obedience here.
- But man being considered as indued with the Image of God,so the Holy Godmade with him a Covenant of life, with Commandements, though positive and Morall, yet not deduced from the Law of Nature, in the strictest sense, as to observe such a Sabbath, the seventh from the Creation, the not eating of the forbidden tree, and with a promise of such a life. And therefore though Divines, as our solid and eminent Rollock, call it a Covenant naturall, as it is contradistinguished from the supernaturall Covenant of Grace, and there is good reason so to call it; Yet when it is considered in the positives thereof, it is from the free
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will of God, and though it be connaturall to man, created according to the Image of God, yet the Covenant came so from the Lords wisedom and free-will, as he might have casten it in a new and far other-frame: And it cannot be denyed, though it be most suitable to mans intire nature to love God, yet to love him so and so, by obeying the command of not eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and some other Commands, is not so connaturall, but God might have commanded the contrair, without any thing done contrair to mans nature. Yet from this it followes, no more that these are two Covenants, then that there be two Covenants of Grace, Because faith in God, and the Morall Law in an Evangelick way are therein commanded, and also some duties touching the seals by a positive Law are therein contained.
CHAP. VII.
Its not written in the heart of man by nature, that GOD should promise life eternall to man, upon condition of obedience. 2. And that the debt of Justice can not tye GOD. 3. GOD punisheth not sin, by necessity of nature. 4. Nor defends he his own declarative Glory by that necessity. 5. Nothing can be given to GOD Alsufficient. 6. No meriting of the creature. 7. We should have humble thoughts of free-Grace. 8. How low thoughts of our selves. 9. Promises make no strict justice between GOD and us.
Sure, it is not repugnant to the yet innocent and intire nature of man, to know, that God may reward all such as seek and serve him, but that he must reward obedience either in the generall, or so and so, is neither written in mans heart, nor hath it any truth: For it were nothing against justice, or bounty, or any attribute of God, not to reward his creature, which is obliged to serve him, and though there be a sort of quietnesse of conscience, which is the naturall result of obedience in Adam, and of all men, yet it cannot inferre, that there is an intrinsecall connexion, ex naturârei,
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between our obedience and a reward to be given of God. Therefore, nor will it be a good inference, because there is disquietnesse in the conscience, after sin, and that it is naturall to a sinner to apprehend a revenging power pursuing sin committed, that therefore it is naturall and essentiall to the Lord, to pursue sin with punishment in generall. For a naturall conscience may, and does know, that God doth freely create the world, and that he might not have created it, that he doth good freely to his creatures, and that he is not a debtor to his creatures; Will it follow by any Logick, that God creates the world by any naturall obligation? And because by force of a naturall conscience, all know that God is good and bountifull to his creatures, in giving, and doing good to them, we cannot therefore infer that actuall beneficence is so essentiall to the infinite Majesty, as he should not be God, if he did not extend that goodnesse to them. Common sense will say no more followeth, but goodnesse and bounty intrinsecall are essentiall to God, and these attributes are essentiall to him, and were from eternity in him, and are his good and bountifull nature; Though not either man, Angel, or any thing else had been created, to which he doth actually extend his goodnesse. Ergo, this actuall extension of goodnesse is not essentiall to God, so neither is the actuall punishing of sin essentiall to God, but free, though Adam apprehended God would punish his eating of the forbidden tree; Yet if he apprehended that he should not be God, if he did not punish it, his apprehension was erroneous. And this only followes that there is an intrinsecall and internall Justice in God, naturall and essentiall in God, but so that the out-goings of his Justice, the egressions are most free, and that is said by some without all reason, because the apprehensions we have naturally of God that he punisheth sin, Universales apprehensions, nequaquam sunt corum qua Deo vel adesse vel abesse possunt pro liberrimâ voluntate. Universall apprehensions, therefore they are not apprehensions of such things as may be, or not be in God, according to his free pleasure, if the apprehensions of Gods doing good to Angels, to men, to all his creatures freely, be in all by nature, and cannot be rooted out, and be universall, then these apprehensions cannot be of such things as are in God, according to his most free will, and may be in the Almighty or not be in him.
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But the conclusion hath neither reason nor sense; for there are universall apprehensions in all men, and they canot be rooted out, that God does good to Angels, men, and creatures freely: Ergo, by this Logick the doing of good freely to Angels, men, and creatures is not a thing that is in God according to his free-will, and may be in the Almighty or not in him. Then the so doing must be in God essentially. 2. Then must God not be God, if he do not good freely to them. 3. Then must God not be God, except he create men, Angels, and creatures. 4. But since he is God everlasting, he must from everlasting have created men, Angels, and the creatures, and from everlasting he must punish sin; Life may be considered. 1. As life. 2. As such an excellent life, to wit, a communion with God.
In the former consideration, life is either considered as the end, or secondly as a free reward. In the former respect. To live an intellectuall life in obeying God, was to Adam so created a connaturall end, as to burn, is to fire, and to give light, to the Sunne. And God may put the respect of a reward upon any obedientiall end. But that Adam should have such an eminent life, for the reward of his obedience as a communion with God, which is farre above his obedience, is the free donation of God: nor is there any necessary connexion between Adams perfect obedience, and so high and eminent a life, nor can this Covenant, as touching such a promise, be written in his heart. God then never loved to make any Covenant, yea even that of Works, without some acts and out-goings of grace, and the hyre was grace, how is he not to be served, who loves to hyre and allure us to be happy?
Arminius saith, the reward of keeping the Covenant of Works, cannot be spirituall, nor can the punishment be spirituall, because you teach (saith he) that the obedience is naturall. Ans. It followeth not, for the reward is spirituall, yea and supernaturall from the free promise of God: It was, that God should recompence our naturall obedience, coming from connaturall principles, with so eminent a Crowne as communion with God Creator, in a life of glory. And this came from no innate proportion between a naturall work and supernaturall reward; Otherwise we must say, first that there is such an intrinsecall connexion ex natuârei between
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Adams work and so high wages, as that glorious communion was, as the Lord could not but in justice, so have rewarded his obedience, except he would be unjust, but there is nothing in the creature, that can conclude, limite, or determine, his will and wisdome, who is infinite. 2. It had been nothing against justice, if the Lord had followed Adams obedience, with no reward at all; For man as a creature, owes himself to God, and as sweetly and pithily Anselme saith, as a redeemed one I owe my self and more then my self to thee, because thou gave thy self who art so farre more then my self, for me, and thou promises thy self to me. Now God, who is more and greater then Adam, promised himself, to be enjoyed by Adam, if he should continue in obedience. For what can the highest goodnesse (sayeth he) give to one that loves it, but it self?
- If God,of justice, give Adamlife, Adam might compell God to pay, what he oweth him, else he should be unjust: But the creature can lay no necessitie on the Creator, either to work without himself, nor can he cause him to will. 4. The proper work of merite (saith great Bradwardine) and of him that works must go before the wages, in time, or in order of nature. And if the worker receive its operation, and working for wadge from God first, and by his vertue and help continue in operation and working, he cannot condignely merit at the hand of God, but is rather more in Gods debt, after his working, then before his working, because he bountifullie receives more good from God, then before, especially, because he gives nothing proper of his own to God, but gives to God his own good; But no man first acts for God for God is the first actor and mover in every action, and motion. As that saith, Who gave first to the Lord, and it shall be recompensed him?
- If this was yesterday just, that life eternall is due to Adamfor his work before Godmade it just and due, then from Eternitie and before any decree of God it was just and due; Certainlie, God,
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upon the same reason, was debtour, to make such a Covenant, that was just, before he made it just. And this is no Covenant of God, for God, not making the justice of the Covenant, and the just connexion between work and wadge, he cannot be the Author of the Covenant: But neither is Adam the Author of the justice, nor of the just Covenant: Upon the same ground, it was then an everlasting justice without and before God from Eternitie. Non datur justum prius primo justo.
- If Goddid more for Adam,then he can recompence God for it, as the Father hath done to the Son, then he could not merit at the hand of God: But God did more to Adam in giving to him being, faculties, mind, will, affections, power, habites, his blessed Image, thenAdam can never be in a condition, in which he can recompence God, or give him more annuall and usurie, in his acting of obedience, then the stock was he received in proportion. As the Son can never give the Father, in recompence, so much or the captive ransomed from death, can never give to his ransome payer, who bought him so much, as the one and the other shall no more be under an obligation, and debt of love and service to father and ransomer, then to a stranger that they never knew: Nor could Adam thus be freed of God, so as he should be owing nothing to him. If any say, God may freely forgive all this obligation and debt: To which Bradwardine Answers well: 1. The forgiving of the debt, when the debtor hath nothing to pay is a greater debt taken on. 2. God (saith he) may forgive so in regard of actuall obligation, that he is not oblidged ad aliquid faciendum sub pœna peccati, to do any thing under the pain or punishment of sin, as the hireling is obleiged to work, when he hath made a Covenant to work, and so we are not oblidged to do, as much as we can for God. But in regard of habituall obligation, God cannot forgive the debt, that the reasonable creature owes to God for so he might dispence with this, that the reasonable creature owe no obedience to God, suppose he should command it, which is impossible.
They seeme therefore, with eyes of flesh, to look upon God, who say that God by necessitie of justice must punish sin, yea that the most High cannot be God, except he punish sin, and that he should
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not be God, if all his Lawes imposed upon men, were only promissorie and void of all threatnings.
What? could not God have said, eat not of the tree of knowledge, for if ye eat not, your obedience shall be rewarded with life eternall, and no more? might he not have laid aside all threatning? What Scripture or reason teacheth to say, that God, if he create a reasonable creature, and under a morall dependencie, which it hath and must have of God, then must God, by necessitie of nature, punish the sinner, yea so as, if he punish not, he should not be God, nor just, but must fall from his naturall dominion, except he make penall laws, and so he should not be God, except he say to Adam (if thou eat thou shalt die) or (shalt be punished for eating) but this is not proven by one word, except this, the reasonable creature is not, nor cannot be subject to God Creator, except god punish the sinner; But that is denyed: Adam should have had a Morall dependance upon God, and God should have been God, and essentially just, if sin had never come into the World, and if God have kept Adam under a Morall Law, as he did the Elect Angels, who never felt or knew the fruit of a Morall Law broken and transgressed. And God, if he imposed any penall Law upon the Elect Angels as penall (which shall be an hard work to prove) yet had a naturall dominion over the Elect Angels, and suppose no Law, but only a rewarding and remunerative Law, had been over their heads, should God be no God, in that case? and if any deny, that God hath a perfect dominion over that Elect Angels, he is not worthy to be refuted. 2. Shew me, in all the Old or New Testament, any penall Law of active obedience as penall, imposed upon the man Christ, or where is it written, If the Man Christ sin, he shall eternally die? I tremble at such expressions: Is the Lord therefore not the Lord, and hath the Lord fallen from his naturall dominion over his Son, the Man Christ? Or (3) will any man deny, but the Lord might justly have laid upon all men and upon the Elect Angels a Law only remunerative, not penall at all, a Law only with the promise of a reward, and void of all threatning of death, first or second, or any other punishment, and yet he should have been the Lord, and had a naturall dominion over Angels, the Man Christ, and all mankind?
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(3) Suppose the Lord had never imposed the Law penall forbidding the sin against the Holy Ghost, upon the Elect beleevers, nor any other penall Law, but by the vertue of the most sufficient ransome of the Blood of God payed for man, he had made them now after the fall, as the confirmed Angels, and holy as the Man Christ, and brought them so to glory, should he not have been God in that case, and should he have lost his naturall dominion over men in that case? 4. The dominion of God over men is not only in one particular, of penall Laws, it is in remunerative Laws also, in giving predeterminating influences to obey and persevere in obedience, in not leading into temptation, in hyring and alluring us to serve God, in terrifying men with examples of the Lords Judgements on others, he spared not the Angels, &c. 2 Pet. 2.4. Jud. 6. and therefore, to say, that God falls from his naturall dominion over man, and leaves off to be God, except he impose penall Laws upon men, is first an errour in Logick, à negatione speciei ad negationem generis, nulla est consequentia: If God have not a dominion over man, in one particular of penall Laws, he falls from his whole dominion naturall, in other things: It is an undue inference. 2. It cannot be but too darring to tye the blessed God-head, and his essentiall dominion over man, to only making of penall Laws: it smells of Scripturelesse boldnesse with the most High, and limits the Holy One, that he cannot be God, except he be God in our way: And saith, he hath no way to preserve his glory, but by creating a Hell: And therefore let that stand as an unproven position, since it hath no probation; The reason that is given is as weak as the weak conclusion; Though water may bear up water, yet it cannot support the earth. For 1. it saith, if man be created a reasonable creature under a Law, he may sin, intercidi potuit obedientiâ, and he may be created under a Law, with perfect morall dependence upon God Creator, as the Elect Angels and the Man Christ, and yet never sin, and yet God falls not from his dominion, and leaves not off to be God. (2.) This lookes somewhat the Arminian way, that man cannot be under the subjection of, properly so called, Morall obedience, except his will be indifferent as Adams was, to stand or fall, to run to Heaven or Hell, which indeed saith, that the most perfect obedience of Christ,
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who was obedient to the death, Phil. 2.8. and delighted to do the will of God, Psal. 40.8. John 4.34. is no proper obedience, that is, perfect obedience is not proper obedience. And that obedience of Elect Angels the samplar of our obedience, Mat. 6.10. Isa. 6.2,3. Psal. 103.20. is not proper obedience. 3. Whereas it is said, if man sin, his morall dependency cannot stand, except God punish him, but so not only God shall not be God, nor have dominion over man, except he impose a penall Law upon man, but he shall not be God except he actually punish man, or his surety Christ. But the same pen saith that the out-goings of justice are free, that is to say, it is free to God to punish sin; and yet he falls from his naturall dominion over man, and leaves off to be God, if he punish not sin. But we do deny that God falls from his naturall dominion over man, though he never impose a penall Law upon him, and never punish, and desire that this may be proven, nor is it imaginable, how God by necessity of nature, must punish sin; And yet, in the way, measure, and degree of punishment, and in the time when, he can use moderation. Which is as good as to say, the fire must, by necessity of nature, burn, the Sun cast light; But the fire hath free will to burn when it pleaseth, and at this time, and not at this time; and the Sun must shine, by necessity of nature, but it is free to shine at ten hours of the day, and not at twelve, and it may shine as bright as the Sun, or as dimme as the Moon. Or God the Father loves himself, but it is free to him to love himself to day, not to morrow, and to love himself so much, not so much. And so he may say, Godis so mercifull and just to day, as he may be no merciful, no just, to morrow; and God is infinitly mercifull and just, and yet he is lesse mercifull and more mercifull essentially according to his good pleasure, which are speaking contradictions. Yea this is that which misjudging Suarez saith, that the creature may do a reall injurie to God, and take away from God jus Dei ad gloriam, his right to glory, but the truth is, the creature by sin darkeneth or overcloudeth his declarative glory, but can take away no essentiall glory, nor any reall right or reall good from God, so Elihu, Job 39. 6. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? If thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou to him? To take his declarative glory from God,
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is no lose to him, no more then it is lose to the Sun, that ye hinder it to shine upon the wall, when yet ye take no light from the Sun, for it shines upon an interposed body. Job 35. 8. Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousnesse may profite the Son of man. It is needfull (say some) that God preserve his own glory safe, but if sin be without infliction of punishment, it is impossible that he can defend his own glory. Ergo, of necessity he must punish sin. The proposition is out of controversie, for all confesse that God most preserve his own glory, but by necessity, of nature he must do so, quoniam scipsum non potest non amare. Because he cannot but love himself, and he hath said, my glory will I not give to another.
To this is answered, the glory internall, eternall, and essentiall to God, the Lord must defend and love as he loves himself, by necessity of nature; and if any say that the egressions and out-goings of God to defend and love his own essentiall Glory, and his own holy Nature, so as he may use moderation in the degrees and time of these, and he may love himself and his own essentiall glory, more or lesse, and touching the time, he may delay to love himself, and he may love himself and his own essentiall glory to morrow, not to day, As the Author sayes, the out-goings of revenging justice are moderated in punishing; he speaks wonders and things unworthy of God. The place, Isa. 42. speaks not of this glory, for no idol, no creature, can more take away from the Almighty this essentiall glory of God, nor his blessed Nature can cease to be, but there is a glory declarative of pardoning mercie, as well, as of revenging justice; It must be a carnall conception and a new dream, that God by necessity of nature, loves himself as cloathed with revenging justice, or as just, and his own glory of revenging justice, but that God loves himself as mercifull and ready to forgive, or his own glory of pardoning mercie freely, and by no necessity of nature: Which the Author must say, for the place, Isa. 45. should otherwise bear this sense, my glory of revenging justice only, I will not give to Idol gods and creatures. But the place of Isa. ch. 42.8. should not conclude, but they might ascribe the glory of salvation and mercifull deliverances and victories over Judah, the Temple, the Sanctuary to their idol gods, the contrair where of is intended
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by the Prophet; But if the Lord, by necessity of nature, love his declarative glory, as he loves himself, then he must love glory of one attribute, as well as of another, and so as his Nature, not freedome or soveraignty puts him to it, to defend the glory of justice, when man sins; Yea so as he cannot be God and essentially just, except he vindicat his glory of justice; Yea so he must love the glory of saving and pardoning mercy, as himself, for the one glory is no lesse essentiall to God (if it be essentiall at all) then the other. And by this means,God, by necessity of nature, to preserve safe the glory of saving mercie, must send his Son, and by the like necessity, by which he loves himself, he must redeem man; Now the Lord does not love himself, of free grace, for he every way, for the infinite excellency of his Nature is love-worthy, and there is no interveening of freedome, of free grace, or soveraignty in the Lords loving of himself and his own essentiall glory. There is a declarative glory, which is not essentiall to God, of which the Scripture, Prov. 16. 4. The Lord made all things for himself, that is, for his glory, to be declared. Eph. 1.6. He hath chosen us to the praise of the glory of his grace, V. 11. In Christ we have obtained an inheritance. 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory. Rom. 11. 36. All things are to him, to his glory. Isa. 43. 21. This people have I formed for my self, they shall shew forth my praise. All these are to be understood not of the essentiall glory of God, but of the declarative glory of God, that shines ad extra. And this glory is not essentiall to God as so declared, for he was infinitly glorious from eternity, and should eternally be essentially glorious, though neither world, nor man, nor Angel, had been created. And the meaning of that, Isai. 42.8. is mistaken, the length of the Heaven, toto Cœlo. It is not this, as I love my self, so by necessity of nature I will, and desire that my glory due to me, as God, be not given to idol gods, and creatures. 1. What by necessitie of nature God wills, that certainly, and by necessitie of nature is and existeth, as he loveth himself, and his Son by necessitie of nature, and begets his Son by necessitie of nature so also by necessitie of nature Godis loved, and the Son of God is loved, and the Son is by necessitie of nature, begotten of the Father. But it is most untrue, that by necessitie of nature, the Glory
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of God is not transferred to Idol gods and creatures; The Scriptures cry the contrare. When ever Idolatrie is committed, Isa. 40. and 41. Isa. 46. Rom. 1. Acts 17. his Glory declarative is given, most sinfully to another against his approving will. 2. What ever sin God forbids, he forbids the existence of it, by his approving will, not by necessitie of nature, for if God essentially and by nature willed that sin and Idolatrie should never be, he would efficaciouslie hinder it; But what God wills by his commanding will, we see he does not efficaciouslie hinder the existence thereof: For then sin and Idolatrie should not be at all, nor have any existence, which is contrare to Scripture and experience; And surely, if God love his declarative Glory essentially as himself, he must essentially no lesse love to keep this glory, when Angels and men do obey him, and to hinder the taking away of this glory by punishment, for every sin against a positive Law, to eat of the tree of knowledge, or for the Jews to eat swines flesh, before Christ abolished such Lawes, as well as sins against the Law of nature, are contrare to the Glory of God, and so contrare to that essentiall love that God hath to his Glory, and to the Glory of the Lord, the Law-giver himself, Ergo, by necessitie of nature, because he cannot but love himself. he should preserve his legislative Glory, (it is as properly and essentiallie the Glory of God, which he requires of us, in doing his will, as the Glory of suffering punishment, for sin committed, is his Glory) therefore, by necessitie of nature, because God cannot but love himself, he should essentially hinder sin: And if Godabsolve the guiltie, where is the Glory of his justice? True, it should be lost, so when God suffers the Angles to fall, and Adam to sin, where is the Glory of his legislative Majesty? it is lost so far. God is obliged to defend the Glory of his Justice: say and prove that he is obliged by necessitie of nature to defend the Glory of his Justice, more then by the same necessitie he must defend his legislative Glory. 3. God must defend all his Glory with the same necessitie, except the Scripture make some exception of some Glory which he must preserve, as dearer to him then some other Glory, which is unwarrantable to say, and if God must, by necessitie of nature, and as God, because naturally he loves himself and
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his own Glory, defend his own Glory, then, by necessitie of nature he must defend the Glory of all his Attributes, of Holinesse, Graciousnesse, Greatnesse, Omnipotencie, Eternitie, Infinite knowledge, &c. that the Glory of not one of these be taken from him by sin: And because the Lord maketh, and worketh all, that he doth without himself, in the creature, for his own Glory. Prov. 16. 4. Rev. 4. 11. Rom. 11. 36. in all that he doth, he must by necessitie of nature love his own Glory, quoniam seipsum non potest non amare, because he loves himself. Ergo, by this ground the Lord doth nothing freely without himself, and so the Lord makes not the rain to fall, the tree to bud, the sea to ebbe, the wind to blow, the fowls to flee, the fishes to swim, for the declaration of the Glory of his goodnesse, or his power, or his mercy, his holinesse, with any freedome, but all these he must do for Glory to himself by necessitie of nature, which Glory he loves as himself, for his Glory in all the doth without, the loveth by necessitie of nature, as he loves himself saith the Author. And therefore as he cannot preserve the Glory of his Justice, but by punishing sin, and that by necessitie of nature, so he cannot preserve the Glory of the rest of all his Attributes (which Glory also he loves as himself) but by doing all without himself in like maner by necessitie of nature, which utterly destroyes the libertie and freedome of God in all his works of Providence and Creation, and so God shall be a naturall agent in all his works without himself, not a free agent in Creating and Redeeming. 4. The Scripture sayes, he works all things according to the counsell of his will, for his Glory, and therefore he intends not his own declarative Glory as he loves himself: For by necessitie of nature he loves himself, and cannot but love himself. But he might, if so it had pleased him, never have intended to shew forth his own Glory, and does not show it forth by necessitie of nature as he loves himself. Yea he might never have created the world, never have acted without himself: For have he was sufficient within himself and stood in need of no declarative Glory: Gen. 17. 1. Acts 17. 25. 5. Yea if by necessitie of Justice, God cannot but punish sin, especially this justice shall cary him to follow the Law of Works without any Gospel moderation, which is that the same person that sins, and the same soul, Ezek. 18. and
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no other, should die for sin: for all these. Thou shalt destroy all the workers of iniquitie. Thou art of purer eyes then that thou can behold iniquitie, and the like, are expressions of a pure legall proceeding in the Lord, against such as are out of Christ, under the Law, not under the Gospel, to wit, the workers of iniquity whom the Lord in justice shall punish in their person, not in their surety. And if there be such a connexion objective ex naturârei, between sin and punishment, it must be between punishment and the very person and none other, but the same that sinned: For among men this is justice. Noxa sequitur caput, so that by necessitie of nature, God shall not be God, nor essentially just, if he punish not eternally Adam and all mankinde in their own persons, and so by necessitie of justice, he cannot punish Christ; And it cannot be denyed but there is a dispensation of free Grace, and that it is no act of Justice but of Grace, that God make Christ sin, i.e. a sacrifice for sin for us, 2 Cor. 5. 21. And that the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all, Isa. 53. 6. and made him our surety. Nor let any man object, how could God make Christ a propitiation for sin to declare his righteousnesse? Or how could such justice, by that action be debarred? since justice did not exact such an action: If without violation of justice it might have been omitted, if God should have been infinitely just from Eternitie, if he had done no such thing? Shall a Prince get himself glory in the name of justice, by doing that which, by his absolute Soveraignety, he may leave undone without hurt of justice. It is Answered, this is to measure God by mortall men: Shall an earthly father freely for no reall good to himself beget hundreds of children, when he needs not, and yet he foresees the largest number of them shall perish eternally, and the eldest must die and be made a curse, to save the rest. The Lord punished Christ for us to declare the glory of his Justice in punishing sin in his own Son, who was the sinner by imputation, for out of the depth of infinite wisedome, the Lord freely imposes a law upon his creatures: He might have imposed no such law under such a punishment. By no necessity of nature did the Lord threaten death, for the eating the fruit of that tree, prove, that God should not have been God except the had threatned death for the eating of that fruit, and except he had punished
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that eating with death, either to be inflicted upon the eater or his surety. Quid heres? Prove that by the Word of God, it is sin to eat, when God forbids; but the Lords soul hates sin. True, but does the Lords soul hate sin naturally, as he loves himself and by necessity of his essentiall justice as contradistinguished from his immutabilitie, and his truth and faithfulnesse, according to which attributes, he decreed and said, that the soul that sins shall die, and (he that eats shall die) and he cannot change, nor alter, what he hath decreed, and cannot but be true in his threatnings. But the Question is, whether (laying aside the respect of Gods unchangeablenesse and truth) there be such a connexion internall, between eating and dying, or between eating forbidden of God, and punishment, as God cannot be equally and essentially just, nor can he be God, except he punish forbidden eating; for sure eating of that fruit, is not of its nature, sin, but it is sin, from the only forbidding will of God, for the Lord had been no lesse essentially just, had he commanded Adam to eat of the Tree of Knowledge. Ergo, it is punished from the forbidding will of God, for say that to be punishable or to be punished be essentiall to sin, if eating of such fruit be sin from the forbidding will of God, the essence thereof must be from the same forbidding will, then must it follow that God hates not all sin, by necessity of nature; And that he hates such eating only conditionally, if he forbid it; but he from his meer free will, did forbid it. So the Question shall not be, whether God in justice, punished Christ, and made him a propitiation to declare his justice, but what the relative justice ad extra is, by which God punisheth sin, and whether God should leave off to be God (hallowed be his high Name) if he should not make first penall Laws to threaten all sin with punishment. 2. Whether he should not be God, if he should not punish all sin, even the eating of the forbidden tree. 3. What can be said that is more weak and watrie, to enervat the glory of free Grace, then to confound the Glory of Gods Justice in giving Christ to die for sinners, and this glory as manifested and declared. For sure the manifestation of that glory is a work of free Grace, and most free, if God do any thing freely, he must freely, and by no necessity of Justice, Mercy, Omnipotency, Patience, Grace, &c. manifest the glory of all
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these to men Angels, and these attributes and the internall splendor, beauty, or (to speak so) the fundamentall glory of all the attributes of God is essentiall to God, and his very Nature. And they deny the Lord, who teach that any attributes or such glory are in God freely or contingently (if I durst so speak) for then might we say, these may go and come, ebbe and flow, in the Lord, and he should be God, though Mercy, Omnipotency, Gloriousnesse, Graciousnesse, were now and then wanting in him, as he punishes not alway, and yet he is eternally just, he saves not alwayes, and yet he is eternally mighty to save, and abundant in compassions, but as to the manifestation of Power, Mercy, Justice, that is freely in God: He sent his Son, and gave his Son to death for us, out of love, John 3. 16. But it is against common sense, to infer, Ergo, God sent his Son, by necessity of love, and mercy, and free Grace. So that he should not have been infinitly loving, mercifull, gracious, if he had never sent him. And it is as poor Logick to say, because of grace and free-love he sent his Son, and so might not have sent him, as to say he loved where there was no need, & it is in vain to shew the glory of Justice (saith the Author) when God can take away sin, out of free pleasure, and why should he expose his Son to shame, death, and a curse, whereas he might have taken away sin freely, because it is his pleasure? This is the very things that Socinians say, there is no need of blood, and satisfaction by blood, if God out of his absolute Soveraignty can take sin away without blood, and so there was no need of reall satisfaction; This is against the Holy Ghost, and we may hear it. All the Scriptures cryes that out of free grace the Lord sent his Son, and delivered him to death; By the grace of God He tasted death for every man, Heb. 2.9. Shall we infer there was then no necessity that he should die? It is safest to say the only wise God decreed that sin should be. 2. That the glory of his Justice should appear in taking away sin, not in our way, but in the way of God, to wit, in a way of justice, of mercy, of free grace, in incomparable love, of mighty power; and in all these so acts the Lord as he should not leave off to be the Lord, but acts most freely, though he had not taken that course. But far be it from the godly not to adore him in this, as the admirable way beyond the thoughts of men and Angels.
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It were safest to draw holy practises by way of use from this. In all pactions between the Lord and man, even in a Law-Conant there is some out-breakings of Grace. Its true, there was no Gospel-Grace, that is a fruit of Christs merite in this Covenant. But yet if grace be taken for undeserved goodnesse: There are these respects of grace. 1. That God might have given to Adam something inferiour to the glorious Image of God, that consists in true righteousnesse, knowledge of God, and holinesse, Gen 1.26. Eph. 4.24. Col. 3.10. It was a rich enough stock, this holy Image to be so badly guided. And who looks spiritually to their receipts? Its either too much of grace and holinesse that another hath, and too little that I have, so arises virtuall sighing and grudging at the dispensation. Or 2. a swelling that it is so much, as if it were not receiving. I am holier then thou, Isa. 65. 5. a miskenning of him that makes me to differ, 1 Cor. 4.7. A blecking of others, Luk. 18.11. A secret quarrelling at God as too strick and hard in his reckoning, Mat. 25.24. And what pride is this, because I am a meer patient under gifted holinesse, to usurpe it as mine own? As if a horse should kick and fling, because he wears a borrowed sadle of silk for a day.
- Being and dominion over the creatures is of undeserved goodnesse. Who looks to a borrowed body and a borrowed soul, yea and to self,and to that which is called I,as to a thing that is freely gifted? So that though thou be in an high opinion of self, self is self, and what it is, from God. And when thou rides, whence is it that I am the rider, and the wearied horse the carrier, but from God? 3. The Covenant of Works it self, that God out of Soveraignty does not command, is undeserved condescending; that God bargains for hire, do this and live, whereas he may bide a Soveraign Law-giver and charge and command us, is overcoming goodnesse. Law is honeyed with love, and hire, it is mercy that for our penny of obedience, so rich a wadge as communion with God is given. 4. The influences to acts of obedience, come under a twofold consideration. 1. As congruous and suitable concurrences of God to Adams acts of obedience: And so they were free gifts to Adam not promised, as we shall hear in the New Covenant. 2. As such influences by which the standing Elect Angels (who
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were under this Covenant as well as Adam) were differenced from the Angels that fell, and were confirmed that they should not fall, in this latter respect. Absolute Soveraignty shines in Adams fall, so if a Sparrow cannot stir its wing without God, Mat. 10.29. nor a hair fall from our head, ver. 30. far lesse could Adam fall, and all his, without a singular providence; And farre lesse could Adam go on and act without influences from God. And if strong Adam and upright, created in holinesse, could not then stand his alone; Shall our clay legs now under the fall bear us up? What Godly trembling is required in us? 5. The gift of Prophesie, Gen. 2.23. seems to be freely given, besides the Image of God, and Adams knowledge, Gen. 1.19. of every living creature, according to their nature may be proven, but it appears to be naturall, and he is a lamentable example to us of abusing the Image of God, and good gifts; But no habite without the continued actings of God can keep us in a course of obedience: There is no ground to make habits of grace our confidence. 3. There can be no giving and taking between the creature and the Creator. Elihu pleads well for him, Job 35.7. If thou be righteous what gives thou to him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand, v.1. Thy wickednesse may hurt a man, as thou art, and thy righteousnesse may profite the Son of man. Job 22.2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself? Is it pleasure to the Almighty that thou are righteous? Or is it a gain to him that thou makest thy Wayes perfect? So Eliphaz. And David, Psal. 16.2. My goodnesse extendeth not to thee. Acts 17.25: Neither is the Lord worshipped with mens hands, nor with their spirits: as if he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life & breath and all things. What then is the glory of the creatures obedience to him? It is some shining of the excellency of God upon man and Angels, from the works of God, and our obedience to him. But suppose there were no creature to pay the rent of this glory to him, is the Lord a loser therefore? Hath he need of our songs of glory? Or that creatures should be Heraulds of his praise? Or needs he the workmanship or structure of Heaven, Sun and Moon to be a Printed Book to spell and sound his glory? If he need not the Book (as he needeth nothing created. Who sayeth I am the Lord Al-sufficient)
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he needs not one letter, nor any sense of the Contents of the Chapters of that Book. There is a secret carnall notion of God in us, when we act and suffer for God, that brings a false peace, and some calmes of mind, we have pleased him once, and beside that peace, a scumme and a froath smoakes up unsensible in the heart, we are profitable to God, it would be the worse with him, if he wanted our prayers and service: but had the Lord any missing of Heaven and of Angels and Men, in these infinite and innumerable ages of duration, that went before any created being? When he was upon these infinite and self-delighting thoughts, solacing himself in that infinite substantial fairenesse and love his Son Christ, Prov. 8.89.30. (2.) You can give nothing to God Creator of all, but it must be either an uncreated God-head, but he who perfectly possesseth himself, will not thank you for that, or your gift most be a created thing: But how wide is his universall dominion? can you give to one that, of which he was absolute Lord before? all the Roses are his, all the Vineyards, all the Mountains, he is the owner of the South and the North, of the East and the West, and infinite millions of possible Worlds, beyond what Angels and all Angels can number, for eternitie of ages, are in the bosome of his vaste Omnipotencie; He can create them if hee will.
And what ye give to another, it was out of his dominion, but all things are in his dominion, for who spoiled him of what he had? David blessed the Lord, when the people gave for the Temple, excusing himself and the people, that they took on them to give to the great Lord giver: 1 Chro. 29.11. Thine, O Lord, is the greatnesse, and the power and the glorie, and the victorie, and the majestie, for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine, thine is the Kingdome, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. vers. 12. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest, and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 14. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able, so willingly, to offer after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. Hence, none can give to Gd. 1. Because he is JEHOVAH the Eternall God, then he gives all and nothing can be given to him. 2. Because of the greatnesse
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and infinitenesse of God. Giving is an adding to him, to whom we give. But nothing can be added to him, for thine is the greatnesse, the power, and the majestie. 3. Nothing can be given to him who is universall and full Lord and Possessour of heaven and earth, and all things therein, for all that is in the heaven &c. are thine. 4. Nothing can be given to him, who is so Lord, that he is exalted as Head, Prince and King, above all created Kings, and their dominions over their own. 5. But all the goods of the Subjects are the Princes, or the Commonwealths. The Jurists distinguish as the Schoolman Theod. Smising, Tom. 1. de Deo, tractat. 3. disp. 4.9.5. fig. 65. a two-fold jus, jus altum & jus bassum: The Prince and Commonwealth, have a sort of eminent right to the goods of the Subjects, to dispose of them for the publick good, as they may demolish a castle belonging to a private man in the frontiers of the enemies land, because it hurts the country, and may be better made use of by enemies against them for the countrey; And they may compell him to sell it, but this hinders not, but every Subject hath a dominion and right to his own goods, to use them at his pleasure, which the Prince cannot do. Ahab the King hath no right nor dominion over the vineyard of Naboth to compell him to sell it or give it against his will to his Prince; For the earthly Prince, may the man himself, the just Proprietor before men cannot bear that, so as it may be said of God, vers. 12. both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all: For God created the being of gold and of every thing, that we can give to God, which no earthly Prince can do.
- Nothing can be given to him, in whose hand is power and might,and to make great and to give strength: For 1. Riches and things we give are of him. 2. Power, might and strength to give, either Physicall, to bear a burden to his house: Or, 2. Morall, a willing mind and heart to give is in his hand:Or, 3. A mixt power, the being of the act of giving is his. v. 7. Of thine own we give thee. Can we give to any that which is his own already? Can ye give to a Crowned King over such a Kingdom his own Crown? Can ye give to the righteous owner of his own land, his own Garden, and his own vineyard, in gift? but every being created is the Lords.
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- Saith David,v.15. We are strangers before thee, and sojourners as all our fathers were:And that saith, the Lord is the only Heritor, and we but Tennents at will, and strangers both fathers and sons, though for five hundreth or a thousand years fathers and sons have lineally and in heritage before men possessed such lands: yet before thee (saith he) we and our fathers have but Tennentright, and are strangers from thee. And what can a meer stranger to life and being give to the just Heritor and Lord of life and being?
- And our dayes(saith David) on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding life, and beingis a shadow of being, and God is the only first excellent being: and suppose we should give life and being to and for him, it is but a borrowed shadow that we give him; And we are not lords of our own being, we have not absolute right over our selves to give our selves to him. If Doeg will not give himself to God, and act for God, Psal. 51.2. God shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Job 27.21. the east wind of God carrieth him away, and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. Ye shall bestow life and being worse then upon God. God shall make morter of thee, O fool! who makes a god of borrowed I, great I and poor Nothing-self: Nay if there be a Pronoun in thee O let it be this: Oh if my separation from Christ and the blotting of my name out of the Book of Life, and my heaven might be a foot-stool to heighten the glory, the high glory of the Lord in the salvation of many. 2. This Pronoun self and mine is a proud usurper against God. Was he not an Atheist or a churle, and his name folly, who said, 1 Sam. 25.11. and breathed out so many my’s? Shall I take my bread and my waters, and my flesh which I killed for my shearers, and give it to men whom I know not whence they be? And he was as madde a fool who thus speaks, Isa.10.13. By the strength of my hand have I done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent: & I removed the bounds of the people —14. And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people, and as one gathereth eggs that are left, so have I gathered all the earth, and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. This is the fool-axe boasting against him that heweth with it. And another fool said: Make an agreement with me by a present, and
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come out to me, Isa. 36.16. And this mad-nothing is above God, chap. 37.10. Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee. The Tyrant of Egypt, the great Dragon that lyeth in the midst of the river said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for my self, Ezek. 29.3. God made the Sea and all the Rivers. There be three Pronouns in the mouth of another proud Monarch, Dan. 4.30. And the King spake and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom, by the might of my power and the honour of my Majesty? So soon as there falls from the great Lord of being a chip or shadow of created being, especially where being is rationall and under a Law, there follows and results (the Lord withdrawing) a proud supposed I and a vain conceit of self, and a dream of God-head comes in with borrowed being; And therefore created sinlesse self is to be denyed. Adam denyed not himself and thought in his sick imagination he should be like God knowing good and evill, Gen. 3. Christ the more excellent Adam pleased not that noble self, Rom. 15.3. [foreign] He denyed himself as man, as a gracious meer man, to be God or more then a man. And this self deniall is in elect Angels, who blush and are sinlesly ashamed of self, and cover their faces with wings before shining Infinitnesse of Glory, and proclaim him thrice Holy, holy, holy, Isa. 6.2,3. And who knowes not we owne grace as our own? my prayers my faith, my holiness, my tears, as if grace had a relish from self, not from God: but Paul, 1 Cor. 15.10. Not I, but the grace of God (not my grace in me) that was with me, [foreign]
- But is there no paction between GOD and the creature? Surely we must say that the covenant between GOD and Adamis of another nature, yea and promises also, then these that are between man and man; for there is proper giving and taking betwixt the creature. 2. The proper covenants between man and man require that both parties be free and independent one of another, there may interveen a jus,a right and a debt upon the promissor to him to whom the promise is made. Omne promissum ex ore fidelicadit in debitum.Jurists say there is no proper binding Covenants between the father and the son, the lord and the servant; for the son and the servant are not lords of themselves nor sui juris.
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The father by no paction can remove the foundation of the debt of nature that the son oweth to the father: for impossible it is, but if such a man be son to such a man, but he owe to his father as to an instrument, quod sit & vivat, being and living, and the son can not satisfie by paying the father for that summe, and the father can not cancell the band nor give him an acquittance. Far lesse can any recompence the Lord for life and being. The fallen Angels and damned in hell and all wicked men are in the Lords Compt-book everlasting debters to him for being. But God who is more then a Father (to whom men are but painted fathers) may thus farre loose the bond, as he may command the son to sacrifice the father, as well as once he commanded the father Abraham to offer up his son to God. But Godcannot resigne his right that he hath over the creature to a creature, because he cannot leave off to be Creator, and so cannot lay aside or make over Creator-right, jus Creator is, to any. 2. Say that a creature had a jus or right over the Creator, it is either an uncreated right or a created right, so to pursue God by Law, as to cause him do him justice; it cannot be an uncreated right; for that were near to blasphemie: For no created head can bear the royall Crown of the King of Ages. If it be a created right, this created right must be under the dominion of him who is universall Lord of all: then may the Lord make use of it at his pleasure; then may not the man make use of it at his pleasure: for an absolute dominion of one and the same thing cannot be in the hands of two absolute Lords, who may have contradictory desires concerning the same thing: such as the holy Lord and sinfull men often are. Let us correct the bold pleadings and the daring charges that our vain hearts put upon the Lord: Why dost thou strive against him (saith Elihu, Job 33.13.) for he gives not account of any of his matters? Men dare say, when they are under the vengeance of ordinary sufferings, The wayes of the Lord are not equal, Ezek. 33.10. If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how shall we then live? But upon whom should sins and transgressions and the punishment thereof be, if not upon the carcases of the Authors? Will ye raise letters to summond him? Where is the judge? Where is the Tribunall? But he promised so and so; But this is not the Question of strict justice:
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that saith something against the veracity and faithfulnesse of God, but nothing against the justice. But neither doth a promise as a promise raise a plea of unjustice against the holy and glorious Lord, suppose he should not fulfill his promise. For 1. A paction by promise creats no equality of justice between thing and thing, between wage and work: otherwise he that is called to the Vineyard, and labours from the third hour, hath a just plea, for he should have more wages then a penny, which he gets who labours but one hour. But the Lord makes not the equality or proportion between much labouring for many hours, and the quantity and degree of the wage his rule. But the Lord pleads the free Covenant for his standing rule. Mat. 20.13. Friend, I do thee no worng: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? And vers. 15.Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine own? Hence read our sickly queroulus nature. 1. Naturally we argue from much working, and would conclude God, much running, long sweating, and pains in keeping the Covenant of Works should binde God, except he be unjust, to give me as many ounces and pound weights of Glory everlasting, as I have fasted moments, and told over prayers upon beads, and uttered sighs: Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not? We work and keep the Covenant of Works, but God payes us not our wage. Though it be a doubt to me, if the Covenant of Works had stooden, and Adam and all his had fulfilled it perfectly; if the Lord should weigh in an even ballance, by ounce weights, our poor labour, and great reward of Glory, for had he entered such a market, the losse had been ours; we could not have obtained life eternall that way, for our stock of time working should have dryed up. The vertue of justice stands in the equality of that which is given and received. Now there is a two-fold equality, one rei ad rem between thing and thing, ane Arithmetick justice, so many ounces of naturall actings, and the same number of ounces of grace and glory: This commutative justice is not in God, as the soundest and learned’st School-men teach. There is another justice of proportion duarum rerum ad duas alias res, of two things proportionally answering to two things, distributive justice is this, and it keeps a Geometricall proportion, Augustine with Scripture saith, God is become our debter
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not by receiving any thing from us, but by promising what he pleaseth.
- It follows from the Parable, that Gods bargaining with us depends not upon the equality between thing and thing, the work and the wage; But upon his own free pleasure of disposing of his own: And it is the froathinesse of our nature to judge the penny of Glory, that we get by labouring to be our own, whereas after the promise, and after we have fulfilled the condition, it is not ours, but Gods, and he calls it his own, and it is to be disposed on by the Lords free-grace. Friend, may not I do with mine own, what I please? Mat.20.15. 2. No promise as a promise can give us a proper right, by way of strict justice, to plead with God. 1. A promise of grace is a free promise, and no man can say, because Godpromises the new heart to most undeserving men, that are of a stony heart, and doe profane his holy name, amongst the Gentiles, that therefore it is just by condignitie of the thing, that a new heart should be given to them, that are foolish, disobedient, and serving diverse lusts.The farrest that hard faced Jesuits go in this, is to tell us of the poor penny of the merit of congruity, for the right weight of the summe and thousands of saving grace which Papists have refused as ashamed thereof.
- If a promise as a promise should make an equalitie between one thing and another, and so lay a band of strict commutative justice upon God, then should every promise do the like, quod convenit [foreign] convenit [foreign],but that cannot be said: For then if God should promise glory of ten thousand millions of degrees above the glory that Angels and men now injoy, for speaking one good word, that should be a free promise, but that promise should not make an equality between so hudge and rich a reward of glory, and so hungry and poor a work as the speaking of a good word, so as God should fail of justice, if he should deny a reward so great, for so small a work: For the denying thereof should be against the veracitie and faithfulnesse of God, if he should not fulfill his promise, but he should not fail against strict justice either in not rewarding the work with a condigne reward, or in not giving to the man that spake the good word his own. For there is no just equality between work and wage here. Nor can ever so feckless
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a work, or all the works of men and Angels, make the glory of life everlasting our own. For glory remains ever the proper gift of God, and under his dominion.
- A promise is, by order of time or nature, latter and posterior to the good thing promised, as words of truth are latter to things, and things have the same valor and worth, before and after the promise, yea if one promise to give for a plot of ground, a summe of money of value, five hundred times above the worth of that plot of ground, that promise can not make the unequall and unjust price to be a just and equall price. Even so the promise of Godto give eternall life to the obedience of Adamcan make no equality of strict justice between the reward and the wage; For the reward promised for the wages is equall and just before the promise and ex naturâ rei; and so must lay bands on the Lord, so as he cannot do contrair unto it, which is against all reason.
And who gave first to the Lord, and it shall be recompensed to him, and he that gave first to him, man or Angel, must give his own (or then it is no giving) which he received not from God, either created being, or gift, or work (for any uncreated gift none can give to him) as is said. 2. What is given is amongst the all things that are of him, as the efficient, and to him, as the last end, and through him, as the conserver of all, and so can be no gift to him, Rom 11.36.
And what God of free goodnesse, decrees to do, that he may decree not to do; and things falling under his decree, are not necessary, he cannot decree that man should be a reasonable creature, for it involves a contradiction to be a man, and not to be a reasonable creature. But no shadow of contradiction there is for the Lord to forbid to eat; and to forbid to eat under a punishment: And the not created world (it being from eternity nothing and a non ens) could not have any jus or right to plead that God would stand to what he decreed, and give being and create a world, for if the Lord should not give being to it, and-create what he had decreed from eternity to create, he should fail against his own unchangeable Nature, but should do no unjustice to an uncreated world, except we say God should be unjust, if he had not created the world: For being of justice is due to the world, and God refuses
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to pay the debt of being to the uncreated world, which is non-sense. And upon the same ground, if he should annihilat the world or take away life from living things, he should be unjust; It is safer therefore to say that God oweth the creature nothing, but we are his debtors, for service and praises, while we have any being.
- Use. If God,of his free will, so placed Adamto reward his obedience: We think hard to serve God for wages, and to be placed in a condition of obedience. Evah, and we with her, sucking the same milk, thirst after such lawlesse Independency to be from ( Gen.3.5,6.) under God; Whereas Adam and Angel -courtiers that have wings to obey, and the Noble and High Heir who learned obedience through the things he suffered were in this condition, and Christ a King in the shape of a Servant was obedient to death, to the death of the Crosse, Phil.2. Hence, to weary of submitting to God, speaks much unnaturall pride, yea will not be under God. 2. There is little of Christ in such, for it was life to Christ and meat and drink, Psal. 40.8. Heb. 10.8. John 4.34. Act. 10.38. to obey, and it is the Angels life, Jsa. 6.2,3. Psal.103.20. Rev. 4.8. and they are neer him, who both at once serve and Raigne, Rev. 22.3,5. much delight to obey, speak much of God in the heart. Tyre not of your Master; examine more, untowardnesse to pray, to confer, to give, &c. if it be not a cause of deadness and be not a way of backsliding.
- Use. If creatures keep their Covenant-naturall with God,shal not the oxe, the cran, Isa.1.3. Jer. 8.7. the asse, 2 Pet. 2. 16. who never had a design of rebellion, depon against us in Judgement? Ah! what an unnaturall policie, the first evill wit of him that sinned from the beginning, John 8.44. and whom we follow at the heels, it is to please our own wit, in Covenant breaking. Such as are sick of love for their own wylie time-serving custome; If all naturall men in their death bed damne not this folly, aske them and they shall speak.
- Use. If GodCovenant with us for hyre, when his absolutenesse may bear him to command, how sinfully soft are our spirits, and weak is reason, that is broken with a straw, when an apple conquers Evahseye and heart? Talents of Silver, and a wedge of
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Gold Achan, and Gehazi; A drink of water, if not at hand, in time of thirst, make the people murmure against God; the more sanctified, defecat and spirituall reason be, the farther it is above that which cursheth Balaam and Judas; The first heavens motion, the primum mobile,which draws all the rest, must be the most excellent, and the moving power must be most spirituall; its neither heavinesse which is in stones or clay, nor lightnesse in the aire and fire, but a more heavenly force, which throws about that body, so the motions of sanctified reason which is sweyed and driven by no Argument, but from eternity, communion with God, a Kingdom above time, must be most spirituall. The dogge is moved with a bone, the oxe with hay.
- If no law and poor obedience of ours can buy a communion with God,let us examine the peace that flowes from obedience; Its purer and more solid peace, that flowes from Justification, and more immediatly removes the warre between Godand us, Rom. 5. 1. and comes by a purer and nearer emanation from God and from the ransome of Redemption that is in Christ, then that which flowes from created acts of inherent holinesse. (2.) Our first Adams Element is Justification by works, in which we love to live and die. The Law is an home-born Idol in us: Our apprehensions of our own actings are lively and vigorous, the 3000. Acts 2. 37. Saul. Acts 9. 6. and the Jayler, Acts 16. 30. aske what we shall doe? [foreign]. But it is not the law word of working, Rom. 4. 2,4,5,6. Rom. 3. 20, 28. Its much to be dead to the Law, and to Law-righteousnesse: Gal. 2. 19, 20. I live not, but Christ lives in me. Christ (2.) is a stranger to us, and comes from without, gifted righteousnesse come from heave. Grace only makes us willing debters to grace. The pride of self, will neither begge nor borrow from, nor be debter to a Crucified Saviour, when it despiseth him untill the roof of the house fall. 3. Seldome do these two concurre, deadnesse to works of grace, and lively activity in the doing of them. Paul attained to both (but every man is not Paul) 1 Cor.15. 9, 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all. But fearing and trembling at that (I) [foreign], he strikes sail to Christ, yet not I, but the grace of God in me. This pride Paul notes in the Jewes, they stouped not, nor bowed (as inferiours to their Master, King, or
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Lord, or Father and Husband, so the word) to the righteousness of God. When (I) (self) or nature meets with working, yea with grace often, there followes some loftinesse, except it be humbled and mortified (I) which can weep and say. Lord what am I?
CHAP. VIII.
What place death hath in the Covenant. 2. What such as Cain and Judas are to do in their desperate state. 3. And why the LORD is no where called the GOD of Adam.
- What room hath death in the Covenant?
- Death hath room in the broken Covenant of Works, as the Pursevant and Sergeant of revenging justice. Hence deaths reign. [I must die whether I will or not]Unwillingnesse to die and bondage through fear of death is the Law-sting in death, from which Christ hath delivered us, Heb. 2. 15. Original sin and death came and entred the world by the Covenant of Works. The Covenant of Grace made not death, but found it in the world, Christ made of an old enemy death a new servant: its now the Kings ferry-boat to carry the children over the water. Its a sutable condition to a spirituall state to die being sent for, not legally summon’d, and to die, because I desire to be dissolved. Ph. 1. 23. not because I must. And better it is to summon our selves then to be summoned. Though we love heaven too much as a place of pleasure, rather then a place of holinesse, yet most men would wish a better causey to it then to sleep through the cold grave or a dark hole in the earth.
- What room hath life in the Covenant? Ans.The Administration of the Law-Covenant is first habituall holinesse of works, and then a crown. The Administration of grace is first faith and a title to Christ our life and hope of glory, and then habituall holinesse, begun here and perfected hereafter. The Gospel-life is both a reward and a duty of praising and loving eternally in place of all the ten Commands, yea of Law and Gospel. The Law-life
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(for ought that is revealed) is a reward to be purchased by our legall obedience.
- IfAdam in the intervall betwixt his fall and the publishing of the blessed Seed, was not to despaire, but to rely upon God as mighty to save; What should such as Judas or Cain do?
- The conscience of Cainand of despairers, being no authentick Bible nor Judge, which can carry the controversie between them and God, so long as they are in the way, or are viators, the Gospel treaty betwixt them and Christ yet standing and not broken off upon the part of Christ, they are to cherrish and hold up the Treaty, and (as it were) to force speech out of Christ, and to pursue the news of an offered salvation. 2. There is no Spirit of God that suggests to them despaire, and bids them write themselves in the black roll of Reprobates, for though they beleeve hell, as the Devils haply beleeve there is a God, yet they blow the coals of that hellish furnace, and kindle a fire before night. 3. They being under the Law of Nature, are to rely on infinite mercy able to save. Their witty darknesse of unbeleef faith they beleeve, but they hate mercy in the generall toward others, as to themselves. 2. For a doubting child of God, because the light of evidence (which to them, in that case is dimme) comes nearer to the naturall light of reason, then to spirituall light, therefore, faith must be set on work to act as faith, and faith acts most strongly when reason is weakest. Naturall causes work more strongly under opposition, the fire burns most vehemently in winter frost, and the internall heat of the body is most mighty for concoction, when the coldness of the air is most piercing without, faith sees God most piercingly at midnight in Job, when rottennesse and deadness speaks the contrair, Job 19. I know surely (so the word, Exod. 8.1. Psal. 31.8. that my Redeemer lives. Isa. 50.10. He that walks in darknesse, and hath no light (of evidence) let him trust on the Name of the Lord, and let him stay himself upon his God, Rom. 4.19,20. (2.) There is a peece of unseen wilfulnesse in unbeleef, and two refusalls in it, as we see in Thomas, Joh. 20.25. as there is a masse of sanctified will required in sincere faith, Rom. 10.9,10. Mark. 9.24. and so resistance must be made to that blind impulsion of will in unbeleef, by which we please our selves in doubling our doubting.
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(3.) Should the commanding of killing the Son, Gen. 22.2. seem to contradict the whole Gospel of the promised Seed, Gen. 25. 4. yet knowing both to come from God, Abraham did well to leave the supposed contradiction to be solved by God, and beleeve both as we are to beleeve food, in no food, and in famine.
- Where was there a word that God wasAdams God? Ans. Not directly. For 1. that Covenant was like Letter of the King raised to such a day, and the date being expired, the Letter cease to be in force. 2. Adam was to winne and purchase (as it were) God to be his God.by consumate obedience. God never said that he would be Adams God by giving him influences to obey, and to obey to the end, all influences granted to Adam, to will and to do, were granted to him. 1. By God Creator, not by the grace of a Redeemer, as in the Covenant of Grace, to walk, Ezek. 36.27. to love. Deut. 30.6. to persevere, Jer. 32.39,40. 2. These influences were free gifts, but not promised. 3. They seem to be ordinis naturalis, naturall, though they did bow and previously inclince the will, but not so in the New Testament, for the whole Covenant is called by the promise of the giving of a new heart, Heb. 8.10. Isa 54.9.13. Jer. 31. 31,32,33. Ezek. 11. 19,20. Hos. 2. 18,19. And therefore better it is that God be Lord of my heart, and it be his, then that I be lord of it, and my heart be mine own heart, the lesse of our heart be upon our heart, the more upon God, the better. Ah! we cannot skill to guide a heart. 3. The threatning of death to Adam, if he should sin, Gen. 2.17. may infer a Covenant of life, and that God should be Adams God, if he should obey.
CHAP. IX.
What life is promised in the Covenant of Works. 2. Whether all we, especially the Reprobate, by the fall, lost all right to the creatures. 3. How the Lord is our God.
- WHat is meaned by life promised in the Covenant of Works! A.1. Not a life in Christ and the fruit of the merit of blood, as our life is in the New Covenant, Joh. 10.11.
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Joh. 3.16. For Adam was not Mediator of reconciliation here, he was a sort of publick Law-head in whom he was to stand or fall, if any please to call him so a Mediator [foreign] but it is a Law-life happily a communion in glory. 2. But the life the lived, and the creatures for his service seems not to belong to this life, for the creatures were given to Adam, he not working for them. Yet I should not oppose, if any say that earthly blessings were given to Adam, as a reward of an actuall obedience, as they are given to such as keep the Law, Deut. 28. But sure our gain in Christ of such a life, bought by so noble a Ransome as the Blood of God-man, is not little. Its rawnesse and greennesse of wit, to value it so low as we do. Children see not what a hireing and taking apple Heaven is.
- Whether or no didAdam and all the Reprobats in his loyns, by sin, losse right to the creatures?
- There is a three-fold right.
- Naturall.
- Providentiall.
- Spirituall.
A naturall right may be conceived two wayes. 1. Absolutely, so creature, and man not created, can have no jus or claime to being or life, the Creators free gift is our best Charter to life and being. 2. This right may be conceived, conditionally, as if God create the Sun, a power to give light is congruous, and debita naturae Solis suteable to the nature of the Sun, nor can the creature plead for this, as debt: but if the Lord give being, to injoy this being can not be sin, because there is no law and command to nothing to receive or not to received being and life from the Creator: And where there is no Law, there is no transgression. And therefore to have being and life cannot be in it self a sin.
- Providentiall right is but a continuating of life and being, untill the same power that gave it, shall remove it, by way of punishment; For Godas Creator,of his Soveraignty, gives being and life, and the comfortable use of the creatures; but as a Judge ordinarily for sin he removes it, though he, I deny not, out of his Soveraignty, may, and possibly doth, annihilate the meat that the
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Angels in assumed bodies, and which the Man Christ, after the Resurrection, did eat.
- The spirituall right is that new supernaturall Title, which the Elect beleevers have, in order to a supernaturall end, and all these being made theirs, to promove their salvation, 1. Cor.3.21. All things are yours. Rev.21.7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, by Covenant-right, for he adds, And I will be his God, and he shall be my Son, Psal. 37 10. A drink of cold water, by this Charter, is better then a Kings Crown, and hath refreshed some more then all the choise wine the earth yeelds. The love of the Giver is better then wine, Cant.1.2. and here the Charter is, by many thousands, more precious then the Land. For nature common to all is over-gilded with free-Grace. And the naturall life and being, and the materiall heavens we shall injoy, are blessed in another manner to the glorified, then these they now injoy, 1. Cor. 15. 40,41,42,43, &c. 2. Pet. 3.13. Rev. 21.1. Isa. 65.17. and they shall be above the heavens that are, when the mysticall body shall be perfected, yea, and the dust into which the bodies of the Saints are resolved, keep a spirituall Covenant relation to God in Christ: As Exod. 3.6. Mat. 22.32. Joh. 6.39. Rom. 8.21,22,23. for no joint or part of the body, but it must share of Covenant glory. We look little to any thing but to have and injoy the dead lump and body of Gold, dead lands without Christ. See Hos. 2.18.22.Ezek. 34.25.27. Ezek. 36.29. Lev. 26.6. Psal. 37.9,11, 29. 1 Tim. 4.8. Heb. 13.5,6. Math. 6.25,26. Psal. 34.10. O fair inheritance. 4. As to the second (which is the main controversie) to injoy life and being, is the substance of the act, no sin. Men contraveen a Law to be so and so born, to wit, in sin, for its forbidden by a Law: But to be born and live, is no sin, but by order of nature, before Originall sin. Nor is it forbidden more to man to be born and live, then its forbidden to beasts, nor to eat, sleep, wake, then to them: So neither is it commanded by a Law to die, but it is commanded and commended to die well, to fall asleep in Christ, 1 Thes. 4.14.16. to be faithfull to the death, Acts 7.60. Rev. 2.10. Rev 14.13. (2.) The Elect who are born heirs of wrath, as others, Eph 2.3. And all the Reprobate should kill themselves, or be killed, from the birth, if to live and eat were sin,
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in it self. But only the Lord of life and death, and his Minister, the Magistrate hath power to take away life and being, no man can be his own burrio. But if it were sin in it self to live, they ought to expire and restore an usurped life, which they possesse, malâ side, to the owner the Lord, as a theef is oblidged to restore stollen goods (3) The dominion of Reprobats over the creatures, is a part of the good Image of God, Gen. 1.26,27. and they breath, live, ride, sail, and are no more then the Elect to lay these aside, then they are to lay aside the naturall knowledge of God, by which they are to glorifie God as God, Rom. 1.19,20,21. Rom. 2.14,15. Act. 14 16,17. Now the Reprobates have not utterly lost the Image of God, as to know there is a God, to honour their parents, to hurt no man.
- This opinion looks the rather like a fancie, that it is a temptation in weak ones, under a sad desertion, Sathanriding upon their Melancholie (a complexion not sanctified, usefull to Sathan, and if sanctified, a seat of mortification and humble walking) for they judge it sin to eat, and drink, and sleep, they having no right thereunto, but so they have no right to live, and are oblidged to kill themselves, and upon the same ground, it was sin to Adamto speak, to answer God, to breath, to hear the news of the blessed seed, which all are acts of life, and so acts of sin, and upon the same ground, that they cannot perform these without sin, they should not pray, for in praying, they cannot but take the Name of God in vain. For we are not to abstaine from a duty, because of the sinfulnesse, which adheres to the duty, by reason of our corruption, for in Christ the sinfulnesse is pardoned, and the duty accepted.
- It necessarily must follow, if it be sin to eat, because the nonconverted have no right spirituall in Christ, to bread, the converted may spoil by their grounds, all the non-converted, of their goods, houses, gold, gardens, vineyards, lands, and upon the same ground, for the crime of non-regeneration, they must also deprive them of their lives, and kill them; For they have alike right, that is, no right (these men being Judges) to either life or goods. And so, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self,must be meant of the converted neighbour: but with fire and sword all other neighbours may be killed and spoiled, and so there should
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be no stealing, no oppressing, no crushing of the widow, the stranger, the fatherlesse, the weaker; not grind the faces of the poor, though their Redeemer be strong, contrair to the Scripture, Prov. 23.11. Jer. 50.33,34. Psal. 94.5,6,7,8. Psal. 14.4. Exo. 22.26,27. Isa.3.12,13,14,15. Mic. 2.3. and so it were lawfull to take Crowns, Kingdomes, inheritances, lands, dignitie, and honour, from all the unregenerate Princes, powers, and rulers on earth, to cut off with the sword all the heathen Nations who as yet know not Christ, and it were lawfull for the regenerate sons and brethren to kill and spoil Father, Mother, Brethren, Sisters, Kings, Potentates, Countrey-men, strangers, Orphans, exiled, captives, prisoners, sick, weak, imprisoned, all infants that are by nature the heirs of wrath, upon this ground, the converted ones judge all non-converts to be void of all due right to life, or goods, and so in these men, the societies, Churches of Christ must cease.
Obj. These who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived, have no due right to that of which they deserve to be deprived, but are usurpers, and so sin. But all the non-regenerated are such, or, they who use that to which they have no right, do sin in the act of using it.
Ans. 1. They who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived, they sin, and have no due right to use it; Is not universally true. They who injoy that which they may and ought by their own private power, restore, such as ill conquished goods. They sin in using that, true,Prov. 3.27. Exod. 22.26,27. Luke 19. 8. Its a sin to withhold the rayment though laid in pawnd, which should cover the poor mans skin in the night, and they have no right to injoy that.
But they who injoy that, what ever it be, of which by sin, they deserve to be deprived, they have no due right to that, it is denyed: For if it be life, being, eating, sleeping, and such things, as only can be taken away, by a judiciall power, and by God the Lord of life and death, and cannot be taken away by themselves, (for it is lawfull for no man to punish himself and take away his own life) nor by any other, except for capital crimes, they have due providentiall right to keep and injoy all such things untill the same power that gave them remove them, nor do they sin in using
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them. And it is most dangerous to say, that Devils and the damned in Hell who dishonour the Majesty of God by their living and being, and so by sin, deserve to be annihilated and deprived of their being, do sin, in that they live and are not annihilated, and that all the Elect before their conversion, sin in that they injoy being and life. A judge sentenceth a man to die for killing his father within 24. houres, but by invincible providence he is rescued out of the hand of the Magistrate, and lives diverse years after, the sentenced man sins not beforeGod nor against the law of the land, in that he lives, nor can be called an usurper and unjust, malæ sidei, possessour of his life: For the sentence was not that he should take away his life with his own hand, but that it should be taken away by the judiciall hand and executioner of the Magistrate. Nor is this Providentiall right, a right of meer permission but of positive donation and free-gift, for then we might by the same reason, say that Reprobate men have of meer permission to keep and injoy the knowledge of these, that God is: Superiours, Parents are to be honoured: the whole is more then the part; Yea they have the same naturall and providentiall right by nature that other sinners have to the one as to the other. 2. These who injoy that, of which they deserve to be deprived, they sin in the act of using; as touching the substance of the act of living, being, eating, drinking: That is most false. These who injoy that, of which they deserve to be deprived, they, in modo, in the way, maner, and end of living, eating, &c. do sin: It is true: and such have and spirituall and supernaturall right in Christ (which they ought to have, if they be in the Visible Church and hearers of the Gospel) to life, being and the creatures, and they sin in not believing, Rom. 14. not eating for the Glory of God, 1 Cor. 10. 31. Naturall men care not if they have and injoy things so they have them: They have being, so have earth, stones, &c. they live, so doe trees and hearbs, they have health, so have beasts and birds, they swallow up many years, so do Ravens, and Harts and other beasts, a long lump, many thousand yairds and miles of life are sought, diu sunt, non diu vivunt. But who lives for God, who sleeps, who wakes, who eats for God and his Glory? and they who make themselves their last end, Idolatrously put self in the roome of God, who only
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is the last end of all, Rom. 11. 36. Rev. 4.11. Prov. 16.4. and as good make self the first Author of Heaven and Earth and Creator as the last end. Ye who eat and drink, who pays your reckoning? Christ? Or are you usurpers? Have you any Charter? Or do ye robbe the Lord?
- What way is God ours?
- BY Covenant, Ezek.34. 24. Genes. 17. 7. Jere. 32. 38. Zech. 13.9. But he is not ours as if we had some gifted right and dominion over him, as we have over the creatures. 2. Nor is he ours as we are his, the clay hath no soveraignty over the Potter. Nor 3. is Godsimply as God ours, but God as it were coming down in Christ to us Covenant-wayes as God incarnate, to make out his goodnesse, grace, mercy to and for us. 4. Its true God incarnate, Christ, is principally Gods, 1 Cor. 3. 21. not ours. He is all for God, he is Immanuel, ourImmanuel in order to save us, and so is more ours then the God of Angels.
- Godis the fluier of the Saints desire, more to them then all heaven in the length and breadth thereof, and all the inhabitants thereof, Psal. 73.25. Isa. 63.16. more then all the Angels and Saints, 1 Thes. 4.16. (2.) There is no hell to Christ but afar off God. Psal. 22.1. Math. 27.45. no heaven but the glory he had with the father, John 17.5. (3.) There is nothing more like a spiritual disposition then when the Spouse, Cant. 3. hath soul-love to Christ: I sought him whom my soul loved. (2.) She hath an ardent desire after him, I sought him but I found him not. 3. There could not be such diligent search after she found him, if there had not been strong faith. 4. And her conference with the watchman, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? saith, She enjoyed Ordinances and means, yet there may be (which is to be observed) a furniture of grace and a want of Christ, I went a little further, I found him whom my soul loveth, Cant. 5. There is 1. a waking heart. 2. A discerning of the Beloved, and a telling over again of his words, Open to me, my sister, &c. 3. A stirring of Christs hand upon the key-hole of the heart. 4. A moving of the bowels for him. 5. A seeking of him and a praying, but no finding nor answer. 6. A love-sicknesse for him, and yet a missing of himself, I sought him but I found him not. So compare Cant. 1.1,4. with
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Cant. 2.3,4. with v. 6,8. and other places, it will be clear a Godhead can only quiet the spirit, and that its a question whether we know the field where the Pearle is, and the Rubies, Saphirs, precious stones that are hid here, which do in worth exceed the capapacity of Angels and Saints.
Therefore should his glory be the last end and stirrer of us in all our actings, and grace the only efficient in all, and so much of God (if he be ours by Covenant) as our wayes, intentions may smell of him. But there is much of the creature, of self, of gain, of empty glory, in our spirituall actings. God weights nor down the creature nor heaven and union with Christ: as Exod. 32.32. Rom. 9.3. (2.) Its a spirituall soul that mi$$eth God, rather then the train of all the graces of faith, love, hope, desire of and joying in him. And know he is away though heaven were in the heart, and can discern when the Ordinances are empty. 3. It engages all we are, hands, knees, body, Exo. 20.5. Psal. 44.20. 1 Cor. 6.19. self to before God, and to live wholly in him, not in our selves. 4. We are not to believe in believing, nor to be sick of love with the love of Christ, nor to make a god of faith or love. Its a spirituall condition to have grace and to misse Christ.
CHAP. X.
- WHat are the false grounds of the Lords making the Covenant of Grace?
- There are two bastard grounds devised by Arminians.1. Because the Covenant of Works cannot oblidge both to active and passive obedience, but to one of them only (say they) and the Covenant of Works was so rigid, that God could not follow it out, and cast infants in hell for a sin which is theirs, only by imputation, and was pardoned to the first man that committed it. Therefore he was necessitated to make a Covenant of Grace with all mankind, none excepted. But the Covenant of Works is broken, and can now be a way of Justification and salvation to none, but yet it oblidges all. And sin cannot make us lawlesse, for the spirituall Law is of an eternall obligation. 2. They that never heard of Christ, perish by the Law, and not by the Covenant of Grace of
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which they never heard, and the Gospel is written in the heart of none. 3. The first Covenant was holy and spirituall, and God should unjustly threaten death upon infants, if they be not guilty of eternall condemnation, as Arminius, disp. pub. 7. th. 16.3. and the Scripture saith, infants are guilty of this sin, Eph. 2.3. Rom. 5. Psal. 51.5. Job. 14.4. As also Christ must not have died for the sins of Infants, if there be no sin in them, they need not the ransome of Christs Blood. The other bastard ground is, the naturall antecedent desire and love ofGod to have all saved, moved him (say they) to make this Covenant of Grace with all. But this makes away free-grace, and changes God as the blind Talmud, which faith God hath a secret place in which he afflicts himself, because he burnt the Temple, and delivered the Jews to captivitie. As also, the Lord remembring the captivity of the Jews, and their desolation, he powres out two tears every day, in the Sea or Ocean, and for grief, stants his breasts with both his hands. And the Alcoran faith, that God and the Angels wish well to Mahomet, but cannot free him from death. So made the Heathen their Jupiter to deplore the destinies which he could not amend. And what is this, but to say, God hath passionate desires to have all, Elect, and Reprobat, Men, and Angels, to obey and be eternally saved, but he cannot help the matter; and therefore must upon the same account, be sorrowfull and mourn that he cannot get all saved, which destroyes the power of grace and restrains the out-goings of free-love.
CHAP. XI.
The three-fold Covenant considered. 2. The Law pressed upon Israel was not a Covenant of Works, but a darker dispensation of Grace. 3. The three-fold Covenant of Arminians refuted. 4. Diverse considerations of the Law and the Gospel.
THere be who hold that there be three Covenants. 1. A Covenant of Nature, whereby God as Creator required
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perfect obedience from Adam in Paradice, with promise of life, and threatning of death.
- The Covenantof Grace,whereby he promises life and forgivenesse in Christs Blood to believers.
- A subservient Covenant,made 1. With Israel,not with Adam, and all mankinde. 2. For a time with Israel, not for ever, as the naturall Covenant. 3. In Mount Sinai, not in Paradice 4. To terrifie and keep in bondage (the other from an inward principle required, obedience.) 5. To restrain Israel from outward sins, to prove the people, that the fear of God might be before their eyes, that they should not sin. So they expound Exo. 20.20. the other Covenant was to restrain from all sin. Yea and so was that on Mount Sinai, to do all that are written in the Book of the Law, Deut. 27.26. Deut. 28. 1,2,3,4. &c. to that same end, to love God with all the heart, and with all the soul, Deut. 10.12. Deut. 5.1,2,3. Deut. 6.1,2,3. Deut. 5.29. Deut. 6.5. With all the heart, with all the soul, with all the might, which is expounded by Christ, Mat. 22.37. Luke. 10.27. in as full as hight of perfection as ever was required of Adam. 6. It was written to Israel in tables of stone: The naturall Covenant was written, in the heart, $$$$ there a circumcised heart promised to Israel, Deut. 30.6. though sparingly. 7. It was (say they) given by the Mediator Moses, as that of nature was without a Mediator. Yea, Moses was the Typical Mediator of the young Covenant of Grace.
The differences between the subservient Covenant, and that of Grace.
- In the subservient, Godonly approves righteousnesse and condemnes sin in that of Grace he pardons and renues. Ans. Acts.15. 11. We beleeve through the Grace of the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved even as they under that Covenant. Acts 10. 43. To him gave all the Prophets witnesse, that through his Name, whosoever beleeveth in him, shall receive remission of sins. Abraham and David were justified, in that sin was not imputed to them, not by works, Rom. 4.1,2,3,—6,7,8,9, &c. Gen. 15.6. Psal. 32. 1.2.5. I said I will confesse my transgression, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Isa. 43 25. I, even I am he that blots out
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thy transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins. So David was a man according to the heart of God, so Asa, Josiah, Jehoshaphat, Samuel, Baruch, Gedeon, Daniel, the Prophets, under that subservient Covenant (except they be under a fourth Covenant) were renued, justified, saved by faith, Heb. 11. as under a Covenant of Grace.
- The former was, do and live,this was, believe and live, Ans. Doing and livingwas but a shuting them up under the Law, that they might flee to Christ in whom they beleeved; else the fathers must be saved and justified by works contrair to Rom. 2. Rom. 4. Heb. 11.
- In antiquity, the former came in as added 430, years after the promise of grace, Gal.3. 17.
Ans. True, but he speaks of the Covenant in Sinai, according to the strict Law part, which could not save, and so its different. But that proves nor two Covenants.
- In the former is compulsion and the Spirit of bondage, in this heart inclining freedom and the Spirit of Adoption. Ans.Yet the differences are accidentall, there was a legall awing of the hearts, as if they had been Servants, yet Hens and Sons they were, Gal.4.1,2. The whole Book of the Proverbs spake to the Godly as to Adopted Son. They were beleevers, Heb. 11. Rom. 4. Acts. 10. 43. and so Sons as touching a spirituall state, John. 1.11,12. In regard of Oeconomie, it was somewhat more rigid and legall, they were restrained as servants; Yet it was the Covenant of Grace, by which beleeving Jews were justified and saved, Acts 15. v. 11. Acts. 10. 43.
- In the former man is dead, in this man is humbled for sinne? Answ.Legally dead, except they would flee to Christ, and legally condemned, but there, was true humiliation for sins under that Covenant, As David, Josiah, Hezekiah,and all beleevers then, as now, were pardoned and justified.
- In the former there are commands, not strength, but here there be promises and grace given? Ans.The full abundance of grace and of a new heart, was reserved untill now. And the Law could not make perfect nor give pardon, in the blood of beasts; as touching that legall dispensation: But both grace, the Spirit,
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pardon, righteousnesse and life were received and beleeved; by looking on Christ to come.
- In the former, Canaanwas promised, in this, Heaven. Ans. Canaanis promised only but sacramentally, and that was a pœdagogicall promise for the infancie of that Church, but a type which was then in that Covenant, and is not now, make not two Covenants, one then, and another now? Except ye say, there was then a Lamb in the Passeover, which was a Type of Christ to come, and there is now no such Type, because the body is come, and Christ the true High Priest offered himself. Therefore there are two Christs, one then to come, another now who hath come already. The Lords dispensation with Israel is often called a Covenant, now it must either be a Covenant of Works, or of Grace, or a third Covenant.
But the truth is, the Law as pressed upon Israel, was not a Covenant of Works.
- The Law as the Law or as a Covenant of Works is made with perfect men who need no mercy; But this Covenant is made with sinners, with an expresse preface of mercy: I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the land of Egypt,&c. It is made with stiff neckedIsrael,Deut.29. Deut.30.c.31.c.32. and that is called a Covenant from the end and object, as motions are denominate from their end: for the end of the Lords pressing the Law upon them was to bring them under a blessed necessity to seek salvation in their true City ofRefuge Christ Jesus, who redeemed them out of the spirituall bondage of sin. 2. It was the Covenant made with Abraham, which was a Covenant of Grace: and though, it be called, Deut. 29.1. a Covenant beside that which was made in Horeb: Because 1. Renued again after their breach. 2. Repeated a litle before the death of Moses, Deut.31.28.29.30. (3.) Because there were some additions of speciall blessings, cursings, Ceremoniall Commands that were not on the formerly proposed Covenant, Exod. 20. yet the same it was in substance, to love the Lord with all the heart, Deut. 2.10,12,13,14. The same with that of Abraham, Deut. 8.18. That he may establish but Covenant, which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. When he is to deliver them out of Egypt, Exod. 2.24. And God
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heard their groaning, and remembred his Covenant with Abraham and Isaak and Jacob. So the Lord expones it in his appearing to Moses. Exod. 3.6. Jer. 31.32. Not according to the Covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the Landof Ægypt. Now that was the Covenant which God made with Abraham, of which Circumcision, was a seal, Gen. 17. not of temporary Canaan only, but of heart Circumcision, Col. 2.11. For the Lord expresiy tells them, when he took them by the hand as his married people, to bring them out of the Land of AEgypt, and out of the house of bondage, Exod. 20. He meant no other Covenant then he made with Abraham, of believing, Gen. 15. and of walking before him and being perfect, Gen. 17.1,2. which is somewhat more legall, as Moses and the Lord himself expones it, Exod. 2.24. Exod. 3.6. Exod. 20.1,2. And he showes them, Lev. 26. if in their enemies land they repent and shall come out and meet the rod, and their uncircumcised hearts shall willingly accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42. Then (saith the Lord) I will remember my Covenant with Jacob, and also my Covenant with Isaac, and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember, Beside there are not here three Covenants, but one, there is no word of the subservient Covenant with Israel in Sinai. Except that when he mentions the one, he excludes not the other. For to walk before the Lord required in Abrahams Covenant Gen. 17.1. is to walk in all the ways of the Lord, to fear and love him, Deut. 10.12,13, and Samuel, 1 Sam. 12.22. Joshua, Josh. 24.22,23,24,25. And Mary; Luke. 1.55. And Zacharie, ver.70,72,73. refer to the Covenant made with Abraham, and Deut. 6. the Covenant at Horeb, the Lord made with Abraham to give Canaan to his seed, ver. 10. Deut. 7.12. If thou hearken to these judgements to do them, it shall come to passe that the Lord thy God will keep unto thee the Covenant of mercy that he sware unto thy fathers, &c.
- This Covenant hath the promise of a circumcised heart, Deut.30.6. and of the word of faith that is near in the mouth,and of the righteousnesse of faith clearly differenced from the righteousnesse of the Law by doing. For so Paul, Rom. 10.5,6,7, &c. expones, Moses, Deut. 30.11,12,13,14.
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- The Covenant of Works taught nothing of the way of expiation of sin by blood typifying the Ransome of blood that Christ was to pay for our sins, as this Covenant, all along had sacrifices and blood to confirm it. Exod.24.8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, behold this is the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you, concerning all these words.Now the words were the ten Commandements. See Heb. 9. v. 18,19,20,21,22,23,24. (5.) This Covenant is made with Israel only, Exod. 20. Deut. 5.0.6. Deut.6.5,6,7.12. The Covenant of Works is made with all mankind. (6.) No people under the Law can be justified and saved thereby, nor have their sins pardoned, Rom. 3.9,10,11.—19,20. Rom. 4.1,2,3,4. Rom. 9. Rom. 10. Psal. 130.3. Psal. 143.2. Gal.3.1,2,3.—10,11,12,13. But in this Covenant, Abraham, David, Gen. 15. Psal. 32. Rom. 4.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. And the Jewes by faith, have remission of sins and salvation, as also the Gentiles have, Acts 10.43. Acts. 15.11.
(7.) The Lord minds to lay aside the Law as inconsistent with the Covenant of Grace, Gal. 3.18. If the inheritance be by the Law, then it is not by promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise; For to live by this Covenant, is a life of promises, all being here promised, both faith the condition, and perseverance therein, and a new heart, righteousnesse, pardon, and life. A man that hath his estate in papers and in good words that are transient things, may seem a poor man, but to live by promises here is the rich life of the heirs of hope, this is strong consolation under deadness, absence, faith working under-ground in the dark, Gal. 3.21. If there had been a Law which could have given life, verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law.
Though he commanded them to do the Law, it was not that they should live thereby, and though he commanded us the same, it is another command, as it were, it is not so much now that we obey from the Authority of God Law-giver under pain of damnation (though that be not laid aside, but urged in a Gospel intention upon heirs) as from the love of God, Grace giver; as also there is an intrinsecall amænitie in Christ drawing, and obedience now becomes connaturall, free, delightfull. Let these consider, to whom the yoak of obedience is a torment and a man-mill.
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- The Passeover and Circumcision, Gen.17.7. all along were seals of the Covenant, as Baptism one with Circumcision in substance, Col.2.11. is the seal of the same Covenant, Acts. 2.39,40,41. Now the Law required no Circumcision, no shedding of blood, no Repentance, no new heart, but eternall condemnation followed the least breach thereof, Paul saith indeed, Gal. 5.3. If ye be Circumcised (as the false Apostles would have, that thereby you may be justified & saved) you are debters to keep the Whole Law perfectly, as the only way to life, and by no other Covenant can you be justified and saved, now Abraham was not circumcised that way, circumcision did bind Abraham to keep the Law, as a Ceremonie and Seal of the Covenant of Grace commanded of God. But the Law as a Covenant of Works doth command no Ceremonie, no Sacrifice, no Type of Christ Mediator at all.
Its true that first Covenant had Moses for its mediator, but as he was a Type of Christ, so Christ yesterday and the day was the reall Mediator, but vailed. The New Covenant hath better promises, Heb. 8.6. Heb. 7.22. its a better Covenant, Heb. 7.22. hath a better reall, not a Typicall suretie, a better Priest who offered himself through the eternall Spirit, Heb. 9.14. a better Sacrifice, because of the plainenesse, Iohn 16.29. 2 Cor. 3. 18. because the reall promises are made out to us, because of a larger measure of Grace, 2 Cor.3.1,2,3,4. And the first Covenant is faultie, Heb. 8.7. not because there was no Salvation by it, the contrare is Heb. 11. but that is comparatively spoken: because the blood of beasts therein could not take away sins, Heb. 10.1,2,3,4. because forgivenesse of sins is promised darkly in the first Covenant, but plainly in the other, because Grace is promised sparingly in the former, but here abundantly, the Law being written in the heart, John 7.39. Esa. 54.13.
And it is true, Gal. 4.22,23,24,25. &c. they seeme to be made contrare Covenants: But Paul speaks, Gal. 3. of the Law as relative to that people, and so it pressed them to Christ, and keeps them as young Heires under nonage. 2. He speaks of the Law absolutely, as contradistinguished from the Gospel, Gal. 4.21. so it is a Covenant of Works begetting children to bondage: 2. Who come short of righteousnesse and the inheritance, and shall not be
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saved. 3. Who are casten out of the Kingdome of Grace. 4. Who persecute the Godly the Sons of promise, so is the Law as it was in Adams dayes, and is now to all the Reprobate; so the Godly are not under the Law and the Covenant of Works. The Covenant urged upon Believers is to prove them, when they stand afar off and tremble, Exod. 20.20. Fear not (saith Moses) God is come to prove you (not to damne you) and therefore Calvine solidely observeth that Paul, 2 Cor. 3. speaks with lesse respect of the Law then the Prophets do, for their cause, who out of a vain affectation of the Law-Ceremonies, gave too much to the Law and darkned the Gospel, and sayeth the one was 1. Literall. 2. Written in stone. 3. A Sermon of death and wrath. 4. To be done away and lesse glorious, whereas the Gospel is Spirituall. 2. Written on the heart. 3. The Ministrie of life. 4. And glorious: and praises put upon the Law, agree not to it of its own nature, but as it was used by the Lord to prove them, Exod. 29.20. and chase them to Christ.
The Arminians also (especially Episopius) make three Covenants. 1. One with Abraham, in which he requires sincere worship and putting away strange gods: Beside 2. Faith and Universall obedience, and promised Canaan to his seed and Spirituall blessings darkly. 2. One in Mount Sinai in these three Laws Morall, Ceremoniall and Judiciall, with a promise of Temporall good things, but to no sinners promise of life Eternall. 3. A Covenant of Grace, with a promise of pardon and life to all that believe and repent, to all mankind, but he denyes 1. All infused habits, contrare to Isa. 44.1,2,3. Isa. 59.20,21, Zach 12.10. Joh. 4.14. Joh. 7.37. John 16.7,8. 1 John 3.9. he sayeth that 2. all commands are easie by Grace. 3. That the promise of earthly things in their abundance is abolished, in that we are called to patient suffering. 4. That there is no threatning in this Covenant, but that of Hell fire. But the Covenant made with Abraham is that of Grace made with all the Seed, Deut. 30.6. Deut. 7.5,6,7,12. Lev. 26.40,41. and made with all Believers, who are Abrahams children, Gal.3.13,14,18,19. Rom. 4.1,2,3,4. Luke 19.9. yea with the whole race of man without exception. (2.) The second Covenant which promiseth only blessings is made rather with beasts, than
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$ell fed, then with men, contrare to Psal. 73.25. Isa. 57.1,2,3. Psal. 37.37. and it must build some Chalmer in hell, where the fathers were before Christ, a dreame unknown to Scripture. The third Covenant makes the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works, and holds out life and pardon, upon condition that freewill repent and believe and stand on its own feet, for there is neither faith, nor a new heart nor repentance promised contrare to Deut. 30.6. Ezek. 11.19,20. Ezek. 36.26,27. Isa. 59.19,20,21. Isa. 44.1,2,3,4,5. Zech. 12.10.
CHAP. XII.
- All are to try under what Covenant they are.2. Threatnings under the New Testament are more spirituall 3. Desertions under both are compared. 4. Considerable differences of such as are under the Covenant of Works, and such as are under the Covenant of Grace. 5. Of legall terrors. 6. Of convictions compelled, free, legall, &c.
Quest. 1. WHether should not all try under what Covenant they are.
Answ. Self-searching is a reflect act upon the state (and such acts are more spirituall, then direct acts) and therefore it should be the work of all, to try, under what reign they are, whether of the first or second Adam. And where as Angels cover their faces and their feet with wings. Isa. 6. before God and are full of eyes, as without, so also within Rev. 4.8. We may hence learn, such come nearest to the nature of these pure and heavenly Spirits, who have eyes within to see what they are, and their blacknesse of face and feet, when they compare themselves either with the Holy God, or his Holy Law. 2. The Carnall man is a beast, Psal 49.20. and beasts have no reflect acts upon their own beastly state. 3. The more of a spirituall life is in any the more stirring in communing with their own heart, the Law makes, the more of life that is in the worme when tramped on, the more stirring it makes, deadnesse and stupiditie in not being versed and well read and skilled in our selves and our own heart, argues little of the
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Spirit, and estrangement to a spirituall Covenant, nor can any lay hold on the Covenant of Grace in a night dream.
Quest. Whether are there rarer threatnings of Temporall evils under the New Covenant, then under the Old?
Answ. It cannot be denyed, except the threatnings of the Sword, Famine Pestilence on Jerusalem, and the desolation upon the Jews, Math. 23. Math. 24. but in place of all the diseases of Egypt, Levit. 26. and the long Roll of dreadfull judgements and curses temporall, Deut. 28. denounced against the transgressours of the former Covenant, Christ and the Apostles are more sparing in denouncing temporall plagues in the New Testament. Christ sayeth the worme never dieth, the fire never goeth out, the Hypocrite is to be bound hand and foot and causten into utter darknesse, Math. 22.12. and the Holy Ghost such shall not inherite the Kingdome of Heaven, 1 Cor. 6.2. Eph. 5.5. the Apostate is near a curse, his end burning, Heb. 8.6. he is to look for judgement and firie indignation, Heb. 10.27. to some is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever, Jude 7. the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, Rev. 21.8. Because 1. Temporall blessings and curses are more legall, and more easily believed, when the light was dimmer then now, when light is larger, convictions stronger, and men are more apt to believe Everlasting wrath. 2. Its a more Gospel way to bear in the threatning of Everlasting wrath then of Temporall rods. 3. Desertions and tryalls under the Law were more legall and sharp and sad upon David, Ezekiah, Job, Jeremiah, Heman, Psal. 6. Psal. 38. Psal. 77. Psal. 102. Psal. 88. Isa. 38. Jer. 20. But it is to be thought, that in regard the day now hath dawne, the Gospel desertions cœteris paribus for the aboundance of light, are more sharp nearer to dispaire, see 2 Cor. 1.8. We were pressed out of measure above strength, in so much that we despaired even of life, having received the sentence of death. Its a doubt if Paul should be so pressed by a sentence of temporarie death. Though there be a larger measure of faith, to bear up the soul under the New Testament: but it would appear there is more of hell now then under that dispensation, and that the Gospel despair of Judas and of these that cry for mountains and hills, to cover them, Luke
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- 29,30. is more intollerable under the Gospel. (4.) There is a more numerous company of these who have not loved their lives to the death,and the Martyres that suffered more exquisite torments for Christ, under the persecuting Emperoursand reigne of Antichrist, then ever before; the constraining love of Christ, which is stronger then death or hell hath so swallowed up all temporarie sufferings, the Spirit hath such influence on the flesh. (5.) When the world seeks wisdome, 1 Cor. 1. and Rabbies of the Jews and learning and artes abound all the world over, as the profound Philosophers of the Gentiles, the wonders of nature prove, yet not many wise are called, 1 Cor. 3.21,26,27. and unlettered and ignorant, are, in number, for Godly spirituall knowledge, farre beyond the Godly learned; and make that true,Esa. 11.9. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea, and Isa. 30. 26. And the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun shall be as the light of seven dayes, so hath the Lord darkned carnall learning, though of it self the good gift of God, with the shining of spirituall wisedome in the fools of the world, for so are they judged, 1 Cor. 1.27.
- 3. What are the speciall differences of one under the Covenant of Works, and of one under the Covenant of Grace?Answ.1. The dominion and kingly power of sin, to condemn and judge to eternall wrath, and also to command against all shaddow of reason such crying sins, 1Cor. 6.9,10. Rom. 1.29,30. Gal. 5.20,21. Eph. 4.17,18,19. Col. 3.5. 1 Tim. 1.9. Rev. 21.8. Rev. 22.15.16. without exception makes an universall slave; for as far as the lusts of sin go, as far goes the dominion of sin, and this is to be under the Law, Rom. 6.14. (2.) There is subjection to the Law when men are agents in resigning and giving themselves over, or offer themselves as sacrifices at the alter, or servants that tender their service to their masters, Rom. 6.16. to sin, which hath strength from the Law to condemne, 1 Cor. 15.56. and to be a captive is not intended, but comes on by occasionall force, Rom. 7. such are patients as it were. But 3. Then they are sinnes servants, when there is a Law of sin and a Covenant, as there is between a master and a servant, And 2. full consent, and men give themselves,
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and willingly commit and deliver themselves (the word spoken of Christs willingnesse to offer himself for us, Eph. 5.25. and to God the Judge, 1 Pet. 2.23.) to commit filthinesse [foreign] in aboundance, with greedinesse, Esa. 9.19. when the renued part enters not a spirituall protestation on the contrare, see Rom. 7.19. the carnall protestation entered by naturall reason is not the protestation of the renued will and affections against the will and affections, but will against will makes a division of the practicall act, and division weakens, the half is lesse then the whole, especially when half and half are contrare, half fire and half water makes the burning lesse, half light, half darknesse makes twylight, its not perfect day light, yea and it not only lesseneth, but weakneth, yea and the alters the kind of the morall act, no reason can admit that when a merchand casts his goods in the sea for fear of shipwrake, that he does an act of prodigalitie or wastrie: It wants delight and full consent. Herods killing of John Baptist, though he did it with sorrow, yet was no compelled not devided action between renued affection and unrenued affection. And so it was no protestation in favour of the Law of God, for he was not grieved, because murthering of the man of God was against the honour of God, but because not murthering of him was against his supposed credit, he should appear before men perjured, and to kill was a torment of conscience, it was then a protestation in favour of his own credite and conscience naturall. Hence the formall objects of action and action, show the clear difference between the combate between sense and reason, or between a naturall conscience and the flesh, (for a naturall conscience cannot plead for, and protest in favour of the spirituall Law of God) and the combate between the flesh and the Sprit. 2. The second speciall difference is in the Law convictions and the Gospel convictions, convictions under the Gospel, are stronger and more solide, for they have more of sanctified reason: 2. Will. 3. Inclination of heart and affection: A believer accuseth himself and joines actively with the Spirit to convince himself, and hightens his own guiltinesse, Psal. 51. 1,2,3,4,5,6. Dan. 9. 5,6,7,8,9,20. but a Law conviction comes upon Divels and they tremble, John 2.19. and upon such as are under the Law, and are unsent for, by resultance from a
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naturall conscience, as heat from fire, light from the Sun: Compelled convictions speak a Law state.
- It is easier to be sound and Orthodox, then to be Godly, Sathan in a manner soundly believes there is one God, Jam.2.19. and that Christ is the Son of God, Luke4.34. and so doeth the carnall Jew teach that it is not lawfull to steal, to commit adultery, Rom. 2. 21, 22. But in the Old and New Testament, Devils never accuse themselves of sin, but tempt to it; and challenge the Law and God. Gen. 3. 4,5. of unjustice, never themselves; Divels are most properly under the Covenant of Works, and by no command is the Gospel Preached to them, and next to them are such as are sound in the letter of the Gospel, but never convinced of sin: Such are most under the Law, as have least Law-work and Law-condemnation upon their Spirits, these that are under the Law most, as touching their state, are most under the letter, least under the Spirit, as touching any penall awaking. To be under Law-bondage is, a more punishment to Divels and men under a Law state, for legall terrors are upon Divels, Math. 8.29. Jam. 2.19. and Cain Gen. 4.14. punishment as such neither maketh nor denominateth any gracious, it is but accidentall to prepare any for Christ, many tormented with the Law, have believed such a case to be the pain of the second birth, when it was but a meer Law-feaver, and have returned to their vomit and become more loose and profane. 1. Because the Law as the Law can convert none. 2. Wrestling with Law-bondage without any Gospel. Grace is but a contradicting of God, and his justice; and God recompenceth opposing and blaspheming of him in hell, with more sinfull loosenesse. 3. Law-light under legall terrors shines more clearly, and the guiltinesse in not making use of rods of that nature is so much the more grievous. Ye that have been scadded and burnt in this furnace, and are come back from hell, are taught by sense to believe there is a hell, and though hell torment can convent no man, yet it renders men more unexcusable: Humbling, wakning, and sanctifying Law-bondage is more then a work of the Law when it brings forth confessing, praying, believing, humble submitting to God in Job, David, Hezekiah, Heman, and what a Physician is Christ who can heal us with burning and coals of hell.
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- A man under a Law work may give a legall and dead assent to both the truth and goodnesse of the promises liberally conceived, as temporaries doe, and Simon Maguswonders, but Saul, Acts9. the Jaylor trembles, Acts 16. but that is in regard of the conviction not of the mind only, but of the conviction of affection and the yeelding to what shall I do? But Fœlix trimbleth, but only in regard of literall conviction on the mind, but neither he nor Magus comes to what shall I doe? they differ as the burning light of a fire, which both casts light and with it shining heat also, and the light that precious stones cast in the night, which is both little and hath no heat. Fyrie and piercing convictions are good, there is a dead conviction of the letter that doth not profite.
- There is a strong Law-conviction that vengeance followeth the scaddings of Sodomie, and the killing of parents, because naturall instinct kindles and fires the soul with Law-apprehensions, when the minde hath engraven snarpnesse to discerne undenyable principles, but the conscience is more dull in apprehending that spirituall vengeance followeth such spirituall sins as unbelief, because untill there be some supernaturall revelation, we are dead to the Gospel truths, and Gospel sins, but when a common Grace hightens the soul to a supernaturall assent that Christ is a Teacher sent of God, Joh.7.28. Joh.3.2. the conviction is more strong: But because it is more supernaturall, and instead of kindly affection of love which it wants, it is mixed with hatred and anger and so degeners into fierie indignation against the Holy Ghost, as Joh. 15. 24. compared with Math. 12. 15, 26.31. cleareth. 5. Conviction which is no more but conviction, is no godly principle, nor makes any heart change, yea it goes dangerously on to wonder and a despise, except it send down coals of fire to the affections. 6. He who is under the Covenant of Grace findes a threefold sweetnesse in obedience. 1. An inbred sweetnesse in the commands 2. In the strength by which he acts. 3. An inbred sweetnesse in a communion with God. No man is any other way under the Law, then under a yoak, what is only written seems the oldnesse of the letter, Rom. 7. and is dead of it self, and layes on a burden, but gives no back to bear. He that is under Grace findes sweetnesse of delight in a positive Law though the thing commanded be as hard to
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flesh and blood as to be crucified, Joh. 10.18. yet it obtains a sweetnesse of holinesse from Gods will, Psal. 40.8. I delight to do thy will, O God, (even to be made a curse and crucified) Thy Law is within my heart, and he would but fulfill all righteousnesse, even that which seems to be the outside of the Gospel, to be sprinkled with water, Math. 3.15. and this Christ would doe as under the Covenant of Grace.
- The stirrings and breathings of the Spirit makes the work sweet, hearing brings burning of heart, Luke24.32. willing gladnesse, Acts2.41. and some sweetnesse of stirred bowells comes from the Lords putting in his hand through the Key hole of the door of the heart, Cant. 5.4. where as to an naturall man under the Law, to lift up a Prayer is to carie a milstone on his back, every syllabe of a word is a stone weight which he cannot bear. 3. Were there no more in praying, but a communion with God, how sweet is it? when Christ prayeth, the fashion of his countenance is changed, Luke 9.29. There is a heaven in the bosome of Prayer, though there were never a granting of the sute, sure there is a sin in making heaven a hire, and in making duty a relative thing, a horse for a journey, a ship for a voyage to fetch home gold, where as there is heaven in praising God before the Throne, such as is both work and wages, and so in spirituall duties here.
- Suppose there were no letter of a command, because there is suteablenesse between the Law ingraven in the heart, and the spirituall matter commanded, a childe of Grace under Grace sets to out duties, so that (in a maner) there is no need to say to David, Get thee to Jerusalem and to the house of God,for he sayeth, Psal.122.1. I was glad when they said, let us go to the house of the Lord. As there needs no command that the Father love the child, nor is there need to exhort the Sea to ebbe and flow, or the Sun to shine: nor are many arguments usefull to presse the mother to give suck to the child, nature stands for a Law here, the strength of the ingraven Law in the heart, over powreth the letter. So the new nature, the indwelling anointing, as a new instinct putteth the $$$$ of Grace to act. But here we are to beware, that we separate not the Word and the Spirit, the Father of Spirits loves to work with his own tools, and sow with his own seed the Word of
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God, these three agree in one 1. The Spirit acting. 2. The habit of Grace acted upon by the Spirit, who blows away the ashes, and 3. The word of exhortation: nor doe we extoll dead letters and livelesse formes, as Libertines say, for we take in with the letter the quickning sense and convincing meaning of the Word, and in considerable that the Spirit drawes sweetly after him, the nature, faculties of will, minde and affections, and they need no other allurement but the Word, the Spirit, and the new nature: But when they barbarouslie slew their children and made them passe through the fire, they must put out of their ears and hearts the crying and howling of the murthered Babies, with the noise of the beatting of drums; nature serves the Divell often weeping, and Sathan deadenes nature, Grace so mortifies as the consent of delegation goes alone, Psal. 1.2. Psal. 119. 72. 97.
CHAP. XIII.
There are two sorts of Covenanting, on externall, professed, visible, conditionall, another internall, reall, absolute and the differences betwixt them. 2. Infants Externally in Covenant under the New Testament 3. Some Questions touching infants.
Persons are two wayes in Covenant with God, externally by Visible profession, and conditionally, not in reference to the Covenant, but to the thing promised in Covenant, which none obtains, but such as fulfill the condition of the Covenant: For consent of parties, promise and restipulation whether expresse, by word of mouth, Deut. 5. 27. We will hear and do, Josh. 24. 24. And the people said unto Joshua, the Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey. Or yet tacit and implicit by profession. I will be thy God, and the God of thy feed, makes parties in Covenant. The keeping or breaking of the Covenant, must then be extrinsecall to ones being confederate with God. And 2. Infants born of Covenanted Parents are in Covenant with God, because they are born of such Parents, as are in Covenant with God, Gen. 17. 7. I will be a God to thy seed after thee.
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(2.) The Covenant choise on Gods part is extended to the seed, Deut. 4.37. And because he loved thy Fathers, therefore he choise their seed after them. Deut. 10. 15. Only the Lord had a delight in thy Fathers, to love them, (and) he choise their seed after them, (even you (Fathers and Children) above all people, (as it is) this day. And the Covenant choise of seed is extended to the seed in the New Testament. Act. 2. 39. For to you, and to your children is the promise made. He speaks in the very tearms and words of the Covenant, Gen. 17.7. [foreign], every one of you be baptized, he faith not every one of you, old and young, Parents and Children, repent. For that command of Repentance is given only personally to them who moved the Question, What shall we do, Men and Brethren? 37. For we are under great wrath, and crucified the Lord of Glory. The Answer is, you aged, Repent. 39. True. But ah, we prayed, his blood be upon us and our Children. He Answers to that, every one of you be baptized. Why, that must be every one of you who are comanded to repent? No. It must be every one of you to whom the promise is made, but the promise is made [foreign]. Observe the very two Pronouns that are, Gen. 17.7. Deu. 4.37. Deut. 10.15. to thee and thy seed. To you and your seed, and children. Now the Answer had been most impertinent, if he had mentioned their children, except in order to their Baptism, and their being in Covenant. For 1. their Children crucified not the Lord Jesus; Nay by Anabaptists grounds, their Children not being visibly in Covenant with their Parents, and not capable of actuall hearing the Word, of actuall mourning for, and repenting of their sins, as Zech. 12.10. Mat. 3.8,9,10. they were not concerned either in the evill of their Parents, who crucified the Lord of Glory, nor in the good of their Repentance more then stones. So that (every one of you be baptized, for the promise is to you and to your Children) should be impertinent, and also false; for Covenant promises are no more made to Children, then to stones, say the opposites of Infant Baptism. Yea also, as the Lord in the Old Testament, calls Israel his people. My people old and young. Saul shall be Captain of my people. David shall feed my people, old and young, and shall punish with the sword the murthering of Infants. 2. Because he choise (with a Covenant choise) the
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Jews and their seed, Deut. 4.37. Deut. 10.15. Gen. 17.7. then he must be the God of their seed. But he choiseth with a Covenant choise, and calling all the Nations, Isa. 2.2,3. All the kindreds of the earth under the New Testament, Psal. 22.27. All Egypt and Assyria under the New Testament. Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hand, Isa. 19.29. All the Kingdomes of the World are the Lords, and his Sons, and he reigns in them, by his Word and Gospel, as the seventh Angel soundeth, Revel. 11.15. All the Gentiles are his, Isa.60.1,2,3,4. Mal. 1.11. All the ends of the earth, and the heathen, Psal. 2. 8,9. Psal. 72, 7,8,9,10. Now if they be not his by visible and externally professed Covenant, they must be the Lords Kingdoms only, because some in these Kingdomes. 1. Are come to age. 2. Professe the truth. 3. Given a signification that they are converted and chosen, and so baptized. But so infants and all the rest of these Kingdomes who fixedly, in a Church, hear the Word, professe they are followers, and by so doing are witnesses against themselves that they have chosen the Lord to be their God, and have consented to the Covenant, as Joshua saith, Josh, 24.22. must be under the New Testament cut off from the Covevant, and a place must be shown where God hath now under the New Testament, broken the staves of beauty and bands, and hath laid this curse upon all the Infants of Egypt, Assyria, of all the Kingdomes of the earth, that the Lord is now no God to them, and feeds them no more, and therefore that which dies, let it die, and that which is cut off, let it be cut off, as it is, Zech.11.9. And the like must be said of all that are come to age, and not baptized, or as good as not baptized. And Covenant promises are not to the Children of Beleevers, contrair to Acts 2.39. nor to the aged, untill they be converted visibly and Baptized; This then hath never yet been fulfilled, that the Gentiles and Heathen are become to Lords people. Sure, it is (2.) and was a mercy for the seed to be in Covenant, Exod. 20.6. I am the Lord shewing mercies unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my Commandements. Psal. 89. 28. My mercy will I keep with David and his seed. What mercy? My Covenant shall stand fast with him. Hence they are called the sure mercies of David. Isa. 55. The Lord following the seed of the Godly
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with real mercies (so that it cannot be called the favour of a ceremony and instituted or positive priviledge belonging only to the Jews) as that his seed is blessed, Psal. 37.26. Psal. 112. 2. This mercy must be taken away either in mercie or in wrath: but that a real mercy of a blessing should be taken away in mercy, except a spirituall mercy of saving grace in Christ were given in place thereof, cannot be said, far lesse hath it any truth that a real mercy can be removed in wrath from Infants in Jesus Christ, in whom the Nations are blessed. And we see, Deut. 28. the blessing of an observed Covenant, and the curses of a broken Covenant are extended to the fruit of the body to the sons and the daughters, v. 4 18.32. Job 21. 19. Job 29. 14. Job 18.15,16,17. And that this is not a New Testament dispensation, who can say? And that outward positive favours are bestowed on Infants, is clear. (1.) That Christ laid his hands on them and blessed them, making them a fixed copy of the indwellers of his Kingdom. (2) The promises of the Covenant are made to them, Act. 2. 39. (3.) They are clean and holy by Covenant holinesse, 1 Cor. 7.14. which cannot be meant of being born of the marriage-bed. For Paul, Rom. 11. 16. saith the same, of the Jews, root and branches, Fathers and Children: And no man dreamed that Paul, Rom. 11. intends to prove that the Jews shall be insert in again, because they are free of bastardie Father and sons. Now Infants understand no more any of these to be blessed by the laying on of the hands of Christ, and to be such as have title to the promises, Acts 2. 39. and to be Covenant-wise holy, 1Cor. 7. then they understand Baptism. (4.) The same Covenant made with Abraham is made with the Corinthians, 2. Cor. 6. 16. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Which is Prophesied of the Gentiles under the New Testament, Ezek 11.17,18,19,20. Ezek34.23,24,25. Jer. 31,31,32,33,34,35,36. Jer. 32.36,37,38,39,40. Zech. 13.9. Hos. 1.10,11. 1 1 Pet. 2.9,10. And it is made to the Gentiles with an eke of a new heart, and a larger extent of the Covenant under the New Test, for which cause it is called a better Covenant,hath better promises, Heb. 7.22. Heb. 8 6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Now that were a strange eke and excellency of the New Testament Covenant above the Old, to forfeir, without farther processe, all Infants under the New Testament
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of all Covenant-right, which was due to them of old under the Covenant which the Lord calls faultie: Egypt shall be my people, except their 1. Infants. 2. And except their aged, and their non-Saints. (5.) Infants in the former Covenant had right by birth to the means of salvation, to be taught and Catechised in the Law of the Lord, because born of Covenanting Parents within the Visible Church, and so had title to Covenant calling, and GODS Covenant choising, Mat. 22.4. as is clear, Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham will command his Children and his houshold after him, and they shall keep they way of the Lord, Exod.20.10. Deut.6,6,7. And thou shall teach them diligently unto thy Children, Exod. 12.26,27. Ps. 78.4,5,6. Now if Infants be without the Covenant as the Infants of Pagans, then they have no more Covenant-right to the hearing of the Gospel, and a treatie with Christ, and Covenant, then Pagans have. Its not enough to say their Father owe that much naturall compassion to their souls, as to teach them, it being a Parents duty; Yea, but what warrand hath a Father as a Father to make offer of a Covenant of Grace in the Name of GOD to one Pagan more then to another, since all are equally without the Covenant, if there be a Covenant-call warranted to them, where is the Fathers command to propone and ingadge the Covenanters consent, if the Children by Pagans? but as they have a right by birth to the call, they being born where the call foundeth, they must have some visible right to the Covenant it self, more then other Pagans. Its but of small weight to say that, Rom. 9. Paul expoundeth that in the New Testament, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, only of the spirituall seed, such as Jacob, who was predestinated to Glory, not of those that are carnally descended of Abraham, otherwise it should follow, that these that are in the Covenant, might believe that they should be saved, though void of Faith and Repentance. Answ. The purpose of the Apostle, Rom. 9. is to Answer a sad Objection: if the Jews be cast off, and rejected of God, as Paul, by his extreame desire to have them saved, insinuates, then the Word of God takes no effect, and his calling and choising of them for his people, takes no effect, v. 6. He Answers, it is not failed, though the body of Israel be rejected. For there are two kinds of Israelits, some only carnall and born
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according to the flesh: Others sons of promise, and chosen of God. Now the word of promise takes effect in the latter sort, to wit, in the chosen, and in the sons of promise, for they are not cast off of God, and so the Word of God takes effect, v. 6. (2.) But the truth is, if there be none Covenanted with God, but the chosen under the New Testament, then there is no such thing as an externall and visible Covenanting with God, under the New Testament, then must all the Nations. Isa. 2. 1, 2. Kingdomes of the World, Rev. 11.15. all Egypt, Assyria, Isa. 19. 25. all the Gentiles, Isa. 60. be internally Covenanted and sons of promise, and predestinated to life? And that, 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, under the New Testament, must infer, that all in Covenant under Christ must be spiritually, in Covenant, and the Visible Church of Corinth, and of all the Kingdomes of the world, Rev. 11.15. must be the invisible and chosen Church, and as many as are called, must be chosen, contrair to Mat. 22.14. Hence Q. 1. Have Infants now under Christ no priviledge nor Covenant Grace externall by their birth and discent from beleeving Parents? Ans. Sure they have. For Acts 2. 39. the promise is to you and to your children. Either to all children or to some, the Text makes no exception. If it be said to all conditionally, if they beleeve, not absolutely? Ans. That must be an internall covenanting proper to the elect, and the promise is not made to the aged but conditionally, so they beleeve. And yet the promise shall be made to Infants and Children, but not while they come to age. 2. To be cut off and casten out of Covenant is a dreadfull Judgement, Zecha. 11.9. Hos. 2.3,4,5. Rom. 11. 20. well, because of unbeleef they are broken off. Then because the Jewes beleeve in Christ already comed, all their children, for no fault, but for the beleef of their Parents, must be cut off. (3.) Whereas Paul makes it a misery that the Ephesians, 2. 12. were strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope and without God, without Christ. And Peter, that the Gentiles were no people, 1 Pet. 2. then that misery lyes upon the Infants of Christians and all within the Visible Church, untill they be converted and baptized, and the Gospel is no favour to them, that they are within the net, and in the office-house of Grace the Visible Church,
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where the word is Preached to children, who are to be taught, Gen. 18.19. Deut. 6. 7. Exod. 12. 26, 27. Psal. 78. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 2 Tim. 3. 15. and the Lord reckons it among the favours, that hee bestowes not on every Nation, but onely on his owne Covenanted Ifrad,that the Word of the Gospel to gather them and their Children, Math. 23. 37. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Psal. 78. 1,2,3,4,5. and his Statutes and his Judgments are declared and Preached to them, Psal. 147. 19, 20. Deut. 5. 1,2,3,4. 5.6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7. Psal. 81. 4. and that the Oracles of God, and the promises are committed to them, Rom. 3. 1,2. Rom. 9. 4. the promises and the giving of the Law, and the Covenants and the service of God.And that this is a special blessing in the New Testament to old and young is clear from Acts 13. when Paulturnes from the blaspheming Jewes to the Gentiles. 47. I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the end of the earth. Now this Covenant salvation is, Isa. 49. 6. I wil give thee to restore the preserved of Israel.—8. I will give thee for a Covenant to the people to establish the earth.—9. That thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth, &c. Now if it be said, it was indeed a singular priviledge to the Jews, but what places of the New Testament make it a Covenant priviledge to the Gentiles and their seed, if the Word of the Covenant Preached to the aged under the New Testament, can the same wayes, by accident, be Preached and promises come to the ears of the unbaptised Children, now growing to be capable of hearing the Gospel, Acts 2. 39. 2 Tim. 3. 15. as to Pagans, and such as are no lesse stranges to the Covenant, and void of all right by the Covenant made with their Parents, them Indians and their children who worship Satan? Paul not without a command Preacheth the Word of the Covenant to the discerning Gentiles, Acts 13. 47. from Isa.49.6,9,10. must not the fathers have command to speak the Gospel to their children? Or doth not the warrand that Parents and Pastors have to take within the Covenant the fathers, warrand them to preach the same Covenant to the children? where as, otherwise the Apostles should have said, we have no warrand to offer the Covenant to any or to Preach Christ a given Covenant to any: But 1. To such as are come to age. 2. Such as are Converts. 3. To such as can
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give signification by confession, that they are not onely visible but also invisible and chosen confederates, and they should have said all children are now by Christ excluded as prophane Gentiles and heathen from the Covenant of Grace, because there can be none (say Anabaptists) but reall Believers under the New Testament in Covenant with God.
Yea but the New Testament offers Christ a Covenant, in the preached promises, alike to fathers and sons. Math. 4. 16. The people (fathers and sons) that sate in darknesse saw great light, &c. Math. 19. 43. Therefore I say unto you, the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the froots thereof. And is it not a punishment to be deprived of the Kingdome? If the Kingdome of God come where the Preached Covenant is, Math. 3. 2. Math. 12. 28. and the Bridegroome among them, and so cause of joy, Math. 9.15. and the Golden Candlesticks be there and the Son of God walking in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks, Rev. 1. 20. c. 2. 1. sure this is much to children. If it be said, it is very nothing, for children understand nothing of this. What then is meant by the Prophecie of the incoming of the Gentiles, Psal. 87. 3, Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. 4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me; behold Phylistia and Tyre, with Æthiopia, that man was born there. 5. And of Zion it shall bee said, this and that man was born in her. 6.The Lord shal count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. And Christ Prophecying of the desolation extends the judgement of a despised Covenant to the children and the house, Math. 23.37.38. Luke 19. 44. Luke 22. 24. how should there be under the New Testament Covenant wrath, for the fathers Covenant breaking derived to the children, if in their fathers the sucking children brake not the Covenant, then they have been in Covenant with their parents, especially since a Visible Covenanting, by borrowed allusions to altars, speaking the language of Canaan, offering incense, swearing by the Lord, is spoken of Egypt and of five, that is, of many cities of Egypt, and of all the Gentiles, Esa. 19. 18. 19, 20. 21. Mal. 1. 18. and Covenant blessings shall be derived from fathers to children. The Lord shall say, 25, Blessed be Egypt my
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people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. It must be a narrow blessing of Covenanted Egypt, Assyria, Israel, if it be a blessing of these come to age. 2. Professing the faith. 3. And baptised. How can the Lord say, blessed be Egypt, and though the whole seed be visibly in Covenant, old and young, yet it followeth not that therefore every promise that is absolute, that is, that of a new heart is made to all and every one within the Visible Covenant: for it is promised, Deut. 30. 6. to the Jews, and was given to them and undenyably the visible body of the Jews and their seed were the chosen and externally Adopted and Covenanted people of God, Deut. 29. 10, 11, 12, 13. Deut. 7.6. Deut. 10. 19. and the Lord calls them those whom he delivered out of Egypt, his people, Exod. 3. 7. I have seen the affliction of my people, Ezek. 37. 12. O my people, I will open your graves, as many as Saul and David did feed, whether they have a new heart or not, the Lord calls them his people, 1 Sam. 9. 16. 2. 2 Sam. 7. 8. See Psal. 50.7. Hear O my people, Psal. 81.13. Jer. 9. 26. and so the Church of Corinth, 2 Cor. 16. is called his people, and the Kingdomes of the world the Lords Kingdomes in Covenant, Rev. 11. 15. and there were many of them uncircumcised in heart, Jer. 9. 26. Isa. 1. 10. Amos 9. 7. and with many of them, God was not well pleased, 1 Cor.10. 5. and so it is most false that none are in Covenant under the New Testament, but only Believers; For Judas, Demas, Simon Magus, and all the externally called (for they cannot be baptized but as in Covenant with God) Math. 22. 10. are by their profession in Covenant externally, as the Jews profession sayeth they accepted of, and consented unto the Covenant of Grace, for 1 Cor. 10. 7. Be not ye Idolaters, as some of them, commit not fornication, tempt not Christ, murmur not, as some of them, v. 8.9. these and the like say we are the same way in Covenant as they were and our Visible Church, now, and the Visible Church then are of the same constitution.
- And may we not say, that the same Covenant of Grace, we are under, is the same in nature and substance with that Covenant made with Abraham? Ans.The same Christ was their Mediator, as ours, Heb. 13. 8. their Rock and our Rock, Christ. 1 Cor. 10. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Ioh. 8. 56.
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(2.) We are justified as Abraham, and David. Rom, 4.1,2,3,4,5. Gen. 15.6. Ps. 32.1,2.
- They were saved by Grace, the Gentiles as well as they, Acts15.11. by faith, Acts10.43. Heb. 11. 1,2,3,4. 13.&c.
- There is no more reason to say, it was a civill Covenant made with Abraham,because it distinguished Abrahamsseed from other Nations, and an earthly Covenant, because Canaan was promised to them, not to us, then to say there be two Covenants of Works, one made to Adam, with a promise of an earthly Paradice, and another Covenant of Works to the Jews, with an earthly Canaan; And a third to these who in the Gospel time are under a Covenant of Works. Yea upon the same account, the Covenant of Grace made, Psal 89. 2Sam. 7. with David, having a Throne promised to him, should be yet another Covenant different from the other two; And since a Covenant here is a way of obtaining salvation up in condition of obedience, John Baptist should be under another Covenant of Grace, then theApostles: For to their faith is promised the working of miracles, Mark 16. 16, 17, 18. But John wrought no miracles, and many thousands of beleevers work no miracles, and they must be under a third Covenant: For though Canaan was promised to Abrahams seed, there is no reason to call it an earthly Covenant, or another different covenant, for to all beleevers the blessings of their land are promised, Ezek. 36. 25,26,30,31. Jer. 31.31. compared with 38,39,40,41,42,43. Mat. 6.33. Luke 12.31. 1 Tim. 4.8. Heb. 13. 5,6. 5. What if we say the Covenant made with Abraham, Exod. 3. proves by our Saviours reasoning, Mat. 22. 31, 32, 33. that Infants shall not rise again and be in Angel state and saved, otherwise if Infants and all beleevers in the Saduces time be not under the same Covenant with Abraham, no Infants shall have a Covenant-Resurrection, nor a Covenant-Salvation; Or then there is some other salvation for Infants that are saved, to wit, some Pagan heaven without the Covenant, and without Christ, and if Infants be Pagans without the Covenant, either none of them are saved and chosen to life. Contrair to Christ, Mat. 18.2,3,4. Mark 10.13,14, 15, 16. and the Anabaptists grant. Or there is a salvation 1 without a Covenant, and so without the New and Old Testament. 2. Without
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the Name of Jesus and the Blood of the Covenant: Contrair to Acts 4.12. 1 Joh. 1.8. Rev. 1.5. (3.) they shall be saved without the Visible Church, the way that Pagans are saved.
Q 3. Are they not saved all of them? Is not this enough? But because the Kingdom of Christ is spirituall, the Element of water can do them no good, except they beleeve?
Ans. If his Kingdom be not spirituall, because his wisedom hath appointed externall signes, then no promise (which is but good words) shall be made to Children, contrair to Acts 2. 39. for they can do them no good untill they beleeve. 2. Then should there be no Preaching of the Gospel to all Nations, as Mat. 28.20. for impossible it is that all Nations can be profited by the Gospel. 3. The doubt suppones that it is legall servilitie and Jewish to be under the Gospel Preached and the dispensation of signes and seals, even to the aged, such as are Baptism, the Supper, rebukes, censures. 4. To be a visible member, and visibly is Covenant, and to be baptized, except all be sound beleevers, must be Jewish. Now certain, it is a new Testament Ordinance that Ministers Preach and baptize all nations, though the greatest part beleeve not.
- 4. Is faith sanctifie as faith, then an unbeleeving whore might be sanctified by a beleeving fornicator:For faith will do its formall work in every subject?
Answ. Paul never meant that faith doth sanctifie in every subject, but in subjecto capaci. Faith sanctifieth not incest and sin, they are not capable to be separated to a holy use: If fire as fire burn, then might all the water in the Ocean be dryed up with the least sparkle of fire. If prayer as prayer obtain all things, shall it obtain that the sacrificing of your son to God, shall be accepted of him as holy and lawfull worship? Mr. Baxter saith excellently upon this subject. A thing must be first lawfull, before it be sanctified; God sanctifieth not sin in, or to any.See the Argument 1 Cor. 7. learnedly and solidely vindicated by him, so as the dispute is at an end now.
- 5. What holiness is it that is called federal, or Covenant holiness which is in Infants?
Ans. It is not so much personall holinesse (though it may so
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be called, because the person is a Church member, separated from the world to God) as holinesse of the seed, Society, Family, or Nation, which is derived from father to son, as if the father be a free man of such a City, that priviledge is so personall, as it is by the Law hereditarie freedome derived from father to son, if the father have jus ad media salutis right to the means of salvation, so hath the son. Hence this was first domestical, God made the Covenant with Abraham and his family: I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, Gen. 17. it was extended to him, not as a father only, but as to the head of the family; the children of Servants born in Abrahams family were to be circumcised and to be instructed as having right to the means of salvation. Gen. 17.12. He that is eight dayes old shall be circumcised among you, every man-child in your Generations (so it is Generation-holinesse) he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, that is not of thy seed. So God showes clearly that in Abraham he chosed the Nation and the house, Gen. 18 19. I know Abraham, that he will command his children (that is too narrow a Church Visible) and his houshold after him, that they shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Afterward he choosed the Nation to be a peculiar people holy to himself, Deut. 7.6,7. but not with another new distinct Covenant, but in the same Covenant. 8. But because the Lord loved you, and would keep the oath that he had sworn to your fathers, to wit, to Abraham. Deut. 10.15. He chose their seed after them, even you, above all people, not above all houses. Amos 3.2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth. So the externall ChurchCovenant and Church right to the means of grace is given to a society and made with Nations under the New Testament, Isa. 2.1,2,3. Psal. 2.8,9. Psal. 22.27. Psal. 87. 2,3,4. Rev. 11.15. Matth. 28. 19,20. And not any are baptized in the New Testament, (except theEunuch, and Saul, Acts 8.39.) who were baptized firstly, but they were baptized as publick men representing a seed; also, societies are baptized. All Judea, Mat. 3. 3. All the land of Judea, Mark 1. 5. All the multitude, all the people, Luke 4.7.21. Sure the fathers were so Christianed and Baptized as their children had right to the same seal. So Joh. 3.22,23,26. Cornelius his house and all with him were baptized,
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Acts 10.33.47. Three thousand at once, Acts 2. 39,40,41. The Jayler and his house, Acts 16.33. servants and friends. The houshold of Stephanas, 1 Cor. 1.16. was Baptized. And this 3. is holden forth as the Church, as the houshold of Narcissus which are in the Lord, Rom. 16.11.Aquila and Priscilla, and all the Church at their house. v. 5. The Church at the house of Philemon, Phil. v.3. which teacheth that the Covenant holinesse is of societies and house under the New Testament as in Abrahams house, and as Abrahams house was Circumcised, so are whole houses under the New Testament Baptized. 4. Paul aptly calls it the holinesse of the lump, or Nation, and the first fruits, root-holinesse, the holinesse of the root and the branches. Of the Olive Tree and the branches, Rom. 11. 16,17. (5.) The speciall intent of God in sending the word of the Covenant must evidence this; he sends not the Gospel unto, and for the cause of one man, to bring him in, but to gather a Church and his elect ones, by a visibly and audibly Preached Covenant to a society, to a City; to Samaria. Acts 8. To theGentiles, Acts 13. To all Nations, Mat. 28. 19,20. that they and their children may have right to salvation and to the means thereof, and to the Covenant, and therefore we are not curiously to inquire whether the faith of the father be real or not, if the Gospel be come to the Nation, to the House, to the Society. The Lord in one Abraham, in one Cornelius, in one Jayler, (whom he effectually converts as far as we can gather from the Scriptures) choises the race, house, society, nation, and gives them a Covenant-holinesse, the mans being born where the call of God is, does the turn, as much as the faith of the Parent. For by the root is not necessarily meant the Physicall root the father. For Abraham was not the Physicall root and father, nor Cornelius of all the servants and friends in the house. But if a friend be in the house, or society, and professe the Gospel, he and his obtain right to Baptism and the means of salvation. But as touching real holinesse, it is not derived from a beleeving father, to make the son a beleever, Scripture and experience say the contrair. Nor 2. is internall and effectuall confederacie with God, that, by which one is a son of promise, Rom. 9. and predestinate to life, a nationall favour. For 1. no man is chosen to life in his father, because the father is
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chosen: A chosen father may have a reprobate son. 2. Election to life is not of nations or houses or societies, but of single persons. It is not said, before the nation had done good or evill, I chosed this nation all and whole, not this, but I loved this man, not this man.
- What is the formall reason and ground that any hath right to Baptism?
Ans. If we speak of a passive right, if the Eunuch beleeve, Act. 8. and if such have received the Spirit, Acts 10. they may receive baptism, The Eunuch moves not the Question whether Philip should sin in baptizing him or not. The Eunuch was troubled to make sure his own, not Philips Conversion. They who bring that Argument, [foreign] Acts 8. and that, Mark 16. to prove that only such should be baptized, who beleeve actually and are come to age: They prove that the Church sinneth, if they baptize any, but such as are predestinated to life and really beleeve. For the faith that Philip asked for, was reall, with all the heart, not as the faith of Simon Magus: And the faith, Mark 16.15. is real saving faith, that brings salvation; he that beleeves is saved. 2. It can not be visible faith only, for that is in Simon Magus, he doth visibly so beleeve and is baptized. Yet upon that faith he was not saved, being in the gall of bitternesse (3.) He that beleeves not, is damned. The meaning must be, he that beleeves not savingly is damned: Or then he that beleeves not visibly, as Magus, and Judas, is damned, but this is most false, for Peter beleeves not as Judas, and yet he is not damned: Or then the meaning must be, he that beleeveth both really, savingly, and also professedly and visibly, is saved. And that is true, but it conclude that none are to be baptized, but both real and visible believers. 4. If it be true that none are to be baptized but Covenanted ones, as Acts 2.39. And if none be Covenanted ones under the New Testament, but real beleevers and such as are predestinated to life, as our Anabaptists teach from Rom. 9. then must the Church without warrant of the Word baptize Magus, Demas, Judas. (5.) Then must also all Judea; all the Generations of vipers baptized have been both real and visible beleevers, for they were all baptized, Mat. 3.3,4. Mark. 1.5. Luke 1.7.21. Let Independents consider this, and what D. Fuilk, and Mr. Cartwright,
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Paræus, Calvin, Beza; and our Divines speak on these places against the auricular confession of all the huge multitude. (6.) It is a wonder that any man should dream that the Eunuch made a case of conscience, Acts 8. whether it was lawfull to Philip to baptize, and not whether he himself did beleeve and could worthily receive the seal, Act. 8. 36. here is water (saith he) [foreign] (7.) So none can warrantably baptize any but persons dying in faith, and its not certain these have the faith that is, Acts 8.37. Mar. 16.16. But for the formall warrand of such as baptize: neither are the aged as the aged, nor Infants as Infants to be baptized; for so all the aged and all Infants even of Pagans are to be baptized. Nor 2. are all in Covenant, to be baptized: For such as are only really and invisibly in Covenant, and do make no profession of Christ at all, are not warrantably by the Church to be baptized. Only these whether old or young that are tali modo visibili federati, such as professedly and visibly in Covenant, and called, Acts 2. 39. are warrantably baptized. Hence they must be so in Covenant, as they be called by the word of the Covenant, for they cannot be baptized against their will, Luke 7.29.30.
- What warrand is there,Act. 2.39. for Infant Baptisme?
Ans. I shall not contend for the actuall baptizing of them at that instant. But every one of you be baptized [foreign] father and sons. Why? the promise is to you and to your children, break the Text into an hundred pieces, and blood it as men please, the Genuine Thesis which cannot be neglected, is, These to whom the promise of the Covenant does belong, these should be baptized, [foreign] But the promise of the Covenant is to you and to your children. Ergo, you and your children should be baptized. The assumption is the expresse words of Peter and the Proposition is Peters. Every one of you be baptized, [foreign] for to you is the promise of the Covenant. Calvin, Bullinger, Brentius, Gualther clear it. 2. Who they are, who are in the nearest capacity to be baptized, he explaines, when he showeth, that the Covenant promise is made to these who are far off, to the Gentiles, whom the Lord shall call, then all that are under the call and offer of Christ in the Preached Gospel, as Prov. 9. 1,2,3,4. Math. 22
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bid them come to the wedding, Luke 14. 16, 17, 18. &c. are externally in Covenant, and such to whom the Covenant is made, and should be baptized, its presumed they give some professed consent to the call and do not right down deny to come, else they should be baptized against their will. 3. Calvine showes Acts 2. 39. that the Anabaptists in his time, said, the promise was made to Believers only, but the Text saith, it is made to you and to your children, to infants, to the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant made with the fathers, Acts 3.25. Now what ground doc Anabaptists give that all infants believe, or that some believe, since to them, their children were as Pagans without Christ, without the Covenant? if to the children when they come to age and shall believe? but what need to adde, and to your believing Children? for these are not children but men of age, their fathers and they both being believers. Now Peter sets down two ranks, the aged who heard the word with gladnesse, and were pricked in the heart, v. 37.41. and the children, and to both the promise is made, and what ground is their to exclude sucking children? for the word, Acts 2. 39. is Math. 2.18. 1 Cor. 7.14. where sure the word is taken for sucking children of whose actuall faith the Scripture speaks not. 2. The promise is to you and to your children, can have no other sense then, the promise and word of the Covenant is preached to you and to your children in you, and this is to be externally in Covenant, both under the Old and New Testament. If it have another sense it must be this, the Lord hath internally Covenanted with you the 3000, who have heard the word and with your children, and you are the spirituall seed, and sons of promise, predestinate to life eternall: as Rom. 9. they expone the seed in Covenant: But 1. Were all the 3000. Ananias and Saphira and their children the spirituall and chosen seed? for he commands all, whom he exhorts to repent, to be baptized: And 2. Now to Simon Magus and Demas, and numbers of such, Peter could not have said, the promise is made to you and to your children, if it be only made to reall and actuall believers, as they say, Peter therefore must owne them all whom he exhorts to repent, as the chosen seed. But if the former sense be intended (as how can it be denyed?) to wit, the word of the Covenant is preached to you, an offer of Christ
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is made in the preached Gospel to you. Then it cannot be denyed, but the promise is to all the Reprobate in the Visible Church whether they believe or not, for Christ is preached and promises of the Covenant are preached to Simon Magus, to judas and all the Hypocrites who stumble at the Word, to all the Pharisees, as is clear, Math. 13. 20,21,22,23. Acts 13. 44,45. Acts 18. 5,6. Math. 21.43, 1 Pet. 2.7,8. (3.) The promise, I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, must be one way expounded in the Old Testament, to wit, you are externally only in Covenant with God. But in the New Testament, it must have this meaning, I wil be your God, 2 Cor. 6.16. that is, you are all predestinate to life, and the sons, by promise, and the spirituall seed, to whom I say, I will be your God: But so it may well be said, there were no internall Covenanters in the Old Testament, and there be none but only internall Covenanters in the New Testament, so that when the Lord sayeth, Rev. 11.15. The Kingdomes of the earth are mine, and my sons. He must say, the Kingdomes, Egypt, Assyria, Tyrus, Ethiopia, &c. are chosen and the spirituall seed, and these Covenanted Nations and the Kingdomes of the Gentiles are all internally and effectually called, and there are no Visible Churches in the New Test, but only all invisible and saved. 4. If these words, The promise is to you, and to your children, be limited, to as many as the Lord shall effectually call, either fathers or children. But Mr. Stev. Marshel judiciouslie observes; there is no more a Covenant favour holden forth to their children, then to the children of Pagans; for the children of Pagans, if God effectually call them, have the promises made to them. 5. Its clear that externall Covenant-holinesse, is to these men ceremoniall holiness now out of date; and then externall calling the only means of internall and effectuall calling, Math. 22.14. 1 Cor. 1.18.23,24. Luke 15. 1,2. and the fixed Church-hearing of the Preached Gospel is a ceremony. 2. That God should be the God of Infants of the seed of the Jews, a mercie to fathers and sons coming from free love, Deut. 10.15. Gen. 17.7. Deut. 7.6.7.8. and Prophesied as a mercy
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to the Gentiles by all the Prophets was a ceremony removed now in Christ. Yea 3. externall Covenanting, and adopting, and choising of Israel is no mercy, except that a Pedagogie of the Law is a mercy for a time. 4. The promise is to you and to your children, must be in a contradictorie way expounded, to wit, the promise is no more made to your children so long as they are Infants, then to Devils. Yea fathers and children not beleeving, though chosen to life, are excommunicated from Visible adoption, calling, hearing the Gospel promises, for there is no Covenanting now under the New Testament, but only internall Covenanting of the elect. 5. Young Timothy and children of believing Parents, and all the aged within the Visible Church, have no right to hear the Preached Gospel, before they beleeve and be the holy seed, more then Pagans. Yea 6. they can have no command of God, to hear the Gospel, nor any Covenant or Gospel warrand, untill they be believers, for if there were no promise made to hearing and considering the word, if they shall beleeve, while as yet they beleeve not, and untill they be effectually called, there can be no command, and no Law, to hear the Gospel and the Covenant-offer made in Christ. It shall then be no more sin for unconverted persons to turn away their ears from the Law, and not to hear the Gospel. 7. It were non-sense to say to men under the externally proposed Covenant, repent, hear the Gospel, use the means, receive the seals, and yet you have no right to hear, nor have we any warrand to baptize you, untill ye beleeve; for there is no promise made to you, nor to your seed and children, untill first you beleeve. And it must say there was no threatning to Adam, Gen. 2.17. before he sinned, and no promise to Adam nor to any now, do this and live, untill Adam first sinned, and first obeyed the Covenant; and so, if John Covenant to labour in Peters Vineyard, and Peterpromise to him four pence, so he work twelve hours, otherwise he shall not pay him four pence, though John accept of the Covenant, and work but one hour, whereas his Covenant is to work for twelve hours, then no man can say to John (work, for there is a promise made of four pence to you) the other might deny; no such promise was made to me, except I work twelve hours. It were, sure, unfaithfull dealing to John to say
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- For the four pence ought not, by this Covenant, to be given to him, except he work twelve hours: but he cannot, without palpable falshood, say, I have broken no Covenant, in not working twelve hours: For though I consented to the Covenant, and began to work an hour, yet the promise was to be simply, but to me as working twelve hours; but there is neither face nor faith in this Answer: For the fulfilling of the Covenant is only to give four pence to John,if he work twelve hours; But the promise and Covenant was made to him, and he hath foully broken, Yea a conditionall Covenant agreed unto and accepted, is a Covenant, if we shall distinguish between a Covenant, in its essence and nature, and a Covenant broken or fulfilled, a Covenant or threatning, is a Covenant and threatning oblidging Adam,if it shall be agreed unto, by silence, as Adamaccepted the threatning, Gen. 2. 17. by silence, and Professours within the Visible Church, by their professing of the Doctrine of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace, their receiving of the seals and professed hearing of the Word, are under the Covenant of Grace, and engadge themselves to obey commands, promises, threatnings, and therefore promises are as properly made to them. Acts 2.39. as commands, and threatnings, exhortations, invitations, and Gospel requests are made to them. But tho the Anabaptists ignorantly confound the promise, and the thing promised; the Covenant, and benefits Covenanted. The promise is to you, and so are the commands, & threatnings, whether ye beleeve or not, the command is to you, and layes an obligation on you, whether ye obey or obey not, and the threatnings are to you, whether ye transgress, or transgresse not. It is true, indeed, the promise, that is, the blessing promised, righteousnesse and eternall life is not given to you, untill ye first beleeve. Object. Is not the promise made the same way to the aged as to the children, and the same thing required of both: The promise is to you and to your children. But the promise is made to the aged only, if they actually beleeve. Ergo, the promise is made to the children only, if they actually beleeve, and so not to Infants. Answ.Neither proposition nor assumption can bear weight. For the proposition, when God saith, I will be thy God O Abraham, and the God of thy seed. Is it needfull
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that God require the same conditions, that is actuall beleeving, that he may save Father Abraham, and also actuall beleeving from hearing the word of the Covenant Preached from all Infants born of Abraham and dying in Infancy, or then all these Infants so dying must be eternally damned? Nay. We beleeve many Infants (we reserve to the Holy and Glorious Lord his liberty of election and reprobation, Rom. 9.11,12.) among the Jews were saved by the Covenant of Grace, though they died Infants. And this we condemn in Anabaptists, that they show no revealed way of God of saving Infants of beleeving Parents dying in Infancy, more then of saving Pagans and their Infants, for to them both are alike without the Covenant of Grace and without Christ; and therefore beleeving Parents have no word of faith or of the Gospel to pray for the salvation of their Children dying in Infancie, for such prayers have neither warrant in the Covenant of Works, nor in the Covenant of Grace, by their way. And yet that we are to pray, is to be gathered from Gen. 19.18. 2 Sam, 12.16. Job 1.5.Mark 10.16. Psal. 28.9. and if we pray for their salvation, they must be saved by either Law or Gospel. Its not enough, to say that we may pray for savages that never heard of the Gospel, nor of the Covenant of Grace, that they may be saved. For seeing there is no name under Heaven by which men may be saved, but by the Name of Jesus, Acts 4.12. Joh. 14.6. There is no other warrand of praying for such, then that God would send them the Gospel; and since Christ prayed for Infants and blessed them, which is a praying for them, Gen. 48.15,16.Deut. 33.1.6,7,8. &c. Eph. 1.2. Gal. 1.3. 1 Cor. 1.3. 1 Tim. 1.2. 2 Tim. 1.3. See Mar. 10.16. he must own them as blessed in Christ in whom all the Nations of the earth are blessed, and so Covenanted with God in Christ.
- It is false that the promise is made only to the aged, upon condition of actuall beleeving. 1. It is made to their children expresly in the Text, and for the way of their beleeving, we leave it to the Lord. Nor is it true, that the promise is made to the aged, upon condition of beleeving.The promise is made to them absolutely, whether they beleeve or not. But the blessing of the promise and Covenant of Grace is given and bestowed only conditionally,
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if they beleeve. The promise is absolutely made: its called conditionall from the thing conditionally given.
Obj. But is not this an approven distinction, that persons are within the Covenant, either externally, professedly, visibly, or internally, really, or according to the intention of God? Ergo, such as are externally within the Covenant, are not really & indeed within the Covenant of Grace.
Ans. The Adverbe (really) relates to the reall fruit of the fulfilled Covenant, and so such as are only externally within the Covenant, are not really within the Covenant, for God never directed, nor intended to bestow the blessing Covenanted, nor grace to perform the condition of the Covenant upon them? But they are really Covenanted and engadged by their consented profession to fulfill the Covenant. And as the Commands and threatnings of the Covenant of Grace lay on a reall obligation, upon such as are only externally in Covenant, either to obey or suffer, so the promise of the Covenant imposes an ingagement and obligation upon such to beleeve the promise, but some times, we say the promises of the Covenant of Grace are not really made to the Reprobate within the Visible Church, because God intends and decrees to, and for them, neither the blessing promised, nor the saving grace to fulfill the condition or to beleeve. And therefore these words are figurative, Heb. 8.10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, I will write my Law in their minds, &c. that is, this is the speciall and principall Covenanted blessing, I will give them a new heart: which must not be called a simple prediction, though a prediction it is, but it is also a real promise made absolutely to the elect, which the Lord fulfills in them: And this is called the Covenant. Because 1. they are no better then non-Covenanters upon whom the Lord bestowes not this part and blessing of the Covenant. 2. The truth is, the promise of a new heart is not made to the Visible Church, which is only Visible: but to the Elect and Invisible Church. And if Anabaptists shall expone these words, Acts 2.39. The promise of a new heart is made to you and to your children , upon condition that you and your children beleeve, which they cannot do untill first they have a new heart, its as good as Peter had said, God promiseth to you
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and to your children grace to beleeve, and a new heart to obey him, upon condition that you first beleeve. And that is, Gods promise to you to beleeve upon condition that ye beleeve, which is ridiculous, and therefore we cannot say that this promise of a new heart is made to all that are commanded to beleeve and repent and be baptized. For Elect and Reprobate and all are under these commands, if they be members of the Visible Church: But the promise of a new heart is not made to all within the Visible Church.
Quest. How then? Must the promise of a new heart be here excluded? And shall nothing be meant in the Word, but a promise of forgivenesse and life is made to you and your Children.
Ans. I should judge it hard, to say, that were the only promise here made, the promise of a new heart is made to you all, therefore repent and be baptized. The Antecedent is not true. 2. Therefore because Peter speaks unto, and of a mixed multitude, Fathers, Children, Elect and Reprobate, who must first understand, the promise of life and forgivenesse is made to you. Ergo, all come to age, repent and be baptized. And because the promise is made to your children, therefore let them be baptized. And 3. the promise of new heart is not to be excluded, because there were in the company to whom, and of whom the Apostle Peter speaks, many Elect, in whom the old Prophesie, Jer. 31. Ezek. 11. was to be fulfilled; For he saith, The promise is made to as many as the Lord shall call; to the Gentiles, it were a sense too narrow, to exclude that promise, and therefore, as the great promise, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed (which chiefly is meant, Acts 2.39.) requires not the same condition in fathers and infants, nor the same condition in fathers, wives, hewers of wood, officers and Commanders, litle ones, and such as were not born, Deu. 29. with whom the Covenant is made. For the same faith in fathers and in infants, and faith working in the same duties cannot be required of husbands, wives, Magistrates, and hewers of wood) so neither is the promise made the same way to fathers, children, Jews near hand, and Gentiles farre off, to Elect and Reprobate.
- How can the promise of the Covenant, to write the Law in
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the heart, be made absolutely, and not to the Reprobate, but to the Elect only? For the Elect are only these to whom that promise is made, and yet the Reprobate are really in the Covenant of Grace and the promise is made to them, as hath been said.
Answ. It is no inconvenient that the Reprobate in the Visible Church, be so under the Covenant of Grace, as some promises are made to them, and some mercies promised to them conditionally, and some reserved speciall promises of a new heart, and of perseverancebelong not to them. For all the promises belong not the same way, to the parties visibly and externally, and to the parties internally and personally in Covenant with God. So the Lord promiseth life and forgivenesse shall be given to these who are externally in the Covenant, providing they beleeve, but the Lord promiseth not a new heart and grace to beleeve, to these that are only externally in Covenant. And yet he promiseth both to the Elect.
Hence the Covenant must be considered two ways, in abstracto and formally, in the letter as a simple way of saving sinners, so they believe, so all within the Visible Church are in the Covenant of Grace, and so it contains only the will of precept. 2. In the concret, as the Lord caries on the Covenant in such and such a way, commensurably with the decrees of Election and Reprobation; As the Lord not only promises, but acts and ingraves the Law in the heart, commensurably with his decree of Election, so the Elect only are under the Covenant of Grace. The word tells of no condition or work, or act to be performed by any, which if he do he shall have a new heart: and therefore the promise of the ingraven Law in the heart, is not a simple promise made to the Covenanters as Covenanters, for so it should be a promise to all visible Covenanters (for visible Covenanters are essentially Covenanters) but it is both a promise and a prediction, yea a reall execution or an efficacious way of fulfilling the decree of Election to such and such chosen, and specially loved of God Covenanters.
- A new heart hath a twofold consideration, one as a duety commanded.2. As a blessing promised,as to the former, Ezech. 18.31. make you a new heart and a new spirit, Jer. 4.4. Circumcise your heart to the Lord, take away the foreskin of your
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heart, ye men of Judah, Eph. 4.23. be renued in the Spirit of your minde, Eph. 4. 14. Awake thou that sleeps and rise from the dead, these are either bare commands, without any Gospel strength given to obey, and so they are legall commands in the letter oboblidging all visible Covenanters to obedience, and so, all Letter all Law, no Gospel strength to performe speaks poor unmixed Law. In this case, God repeats and craves back again from broken men a sound heart, which they sinfully lost in Adam, and may justly seek heart conformitie to his holy Law from all men. Or then these commands are backed with Gospel strength to obey, and so they are both commands and blessings promised, as Jer. 31.33. This my Covenant (a Covenant and something more) shall bee—I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts —34. Ezech. 11. 19. Ezech. 36. 26. Heb. 8.6,10,11.12. so the more strength promised the more Gospel. Neither is there any inconvenience, to say that the Reprobate visible Covenanters are not thus, as touching the speciall promises of a new heart and perseverance of the Saints, really in the Covenant of Grace.
- Who are they, who are to believe God shall give them a new heart Ans.No man is positively to believe it while God work it in him, for no man is to believe that he is predestinated to Glorie, while he first have the effects thereof in him, the hid Manna, the white Stone, the new Name. But no man is to despare or to create fatall inferences that he is Reprobate, since God begins kindly with him with a Gospel call.
CHAP. XIIII.
Considerations of the Arguments from Gen. 17. Mark 10. 15, 16. Luke 18. Math. 19. Rom. 11. for Infant Baptisme.
IF God be the God of Abraham and of his seed, Gen. 17. therefore every male child shall be entered in the Covenant, by the
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initiall seal of Circumcision, and so women also who eat the Passeover, which the uncircumcised might not do: and Peter was sent to the Circumcision, that is, to all the Jews men and women, and so the women is some way in the men, and they might be circumcised in them upon the same gound, because the same promise is made to fathers and to children, must infants be baptized, Acts 2.39. 1. This is the Lords own Argument, Gen. 17.7. there were multitudes of differences between Circumcision and Baptisme as we grant, but in the substance nature and Theologicall essence, and in the formall effects they are the same. We grant that Christ revealed in Types, Sacrifices, to come, darkly offered may differ from Christ as clearly offered Preached without these already abolished shaddows and who is now come. Yet he is the same Saviour to them who believed in him then and now, Act. 10.43. Act. 15. 11. And we 2. argue not simply from the letter of the Covenant. I am your God. Ergo, be baptized, for one might reply. I am your God. Ergo, offer such beasts to me, it shall not follow, But I am your God, and the God of your seed offering to you the same Christ and righteousnesse that was offered to Abraham in the same Covenant: Ergo, all of you be baptized who are under the same Covenant. For,
- Circumcision of the flesh was a seal of the Circumcision of the heart promised in the Covenant of Grace, Deut.30.6. and of the cutting of the foreskin thereof, Jer.4.4. Jer. 9.26. Ezech. 36,26,27. and baptisme is the same, Col. 2.11,12. Tit. 3.5.
- Circumcision is a seal of the righteousnesse of faith, Rom.4.11. so is baptisme, as 1 Pet.3.21. Rom. 4.24.
- Circumcision is a seal of the Covenant, and by a metonymic called the Covenant of God in the flesh, Gen.17.7,13. so is baptisme a solemn installing of all Samaria, Acts8. in the Christian Covenant, and so Acts 2. 39.
- Circumcision is a solemne way of instituting any in the Church of Israel,so we are by one Spirit baptized into one body 1 Cor.12. 12,13.
- The command of Circumcising is as large as Covenanting, but that is with Abrahamthe father, and his seed, Acts2.39. make the command of being Baptized, [foreign] every one of you be Baptized,
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as large as the promise of the Christian Covenant, and call: For the promise is to you and to your children, and to as many as the Lord shall call.
- The command supposes that all the Circumcised, the males of eight dayes old understand not the promise of the Covenant, the nature, use, signification, and end of the seal, and the command to be baptized, supposeth that the children to whom the Covenant promise is made do not understand the same as touching baptisme and the Covenant promise, Acts2.39.
- If the positive command be generall that all these in Covenant should be marked with the initiatorie seal of the Covenant: As Gen.17. 7,8. I am thy God, and the God of thy seed:Therefore old and young be Circumcised, then there was no other command in particular, to baptize old or young, but the institution of Baptism in place of Circumcision needfull. As touching the application of it to persons, old or young, except the ground of externall Covenanting stand as warranting to administrate the seal to all, so Covenanted; Yea, and if there be a positive command and warrand in the New Testament to tender the Seal of Baptism to none but to the aged, that can give an account of their faith, and do actually beleeve; then should there be an expresse command in the New Testament concerning Baptism as concerning the Lords Supper, that every one before they be Baptized, try and examine themselves whether they savingly beleeve or not, before they be Baptized, otherwise they receive their own damnation, as in the Lords Supper, for self judging and self examination, if actuall beleeving and being internally in Covenant, as these in whose heart and inward part the Law of Grace must be ingraven, be the necessary condition required in all these to whom the Church can warrantably tender Baptism as the seal of the Covenant: And we require a positive command in the New Testament, see that ye Baptize none though they professe they be in Covenant, except such as can try and examine whether they savingly beleeve or not: and here Anabaptists must flee to the consequences of the Word and reasons drawn from the Covenant of Grace, as well as we, and an express command they cannot flee unto, nor is it in Old or New Testament: It should not move us, that Infants understand neither command
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nor seal, nor Covenant, for the Argument is against the Holy Ghost, and they are oblidged to answer it; for Infants are as ignorant of the promises the speciall mysteries of the Gospel, as of Precepts of the Gospel. And yet the promises of the Covenant of Grace are expresly to Infants of the New Testaments Acts 2. 39. promise, [foreign], The Gospel promise made to Abraham, Gal. 3. 16. The Gospel and promise of righteousnesse of the Spirit of Life, Gal. 3.17,18,22,29. 23.28. Gal. 6.2. Rom. 4.13.16.20. Rom. 9.8. 1 Tim. 4.8. Heb.4.1. Heb. 6.12.15. Heb.8.6. Heb. 9. 14. 1 John 5.1. is made [foreign] to your children of the New Testament, to your Infants, if they beleeve (say they) 1. Can Infants actually beleeve? 2. Is not the promise so made to Turks, if they beleeve?
But it were an easier way to Anabaptists to say, infants under the New Testament are externally in Covenant, where as Parents beleeve, and members of the Church are followed with Covenant mercy, only because they understand not, and the administration is more spirituall under the New Testament, and faith more urged, God requires not the dipping of Infants in Rivers (a ceremony more onerous, more, truely, in women with child, virgins, diseased persons, in winter, in cold countreys, against the word, the second Command, the third, the fourth, the sixth, the seventh, then that it needs to be refuted) it being only a ceremony which they may well want. But now Infants of beleevers are casten out, for no fault, of the Covenant of Grace.
(2.) From Covenant mercy to the thousand Generation. Contrair to Gen. 17.7. Exod. 20. 5.
(3.) From Covenant-prayers and Church-prayers: Contrair to 1 Sam. 12. Ps. 28.9. Ps. 67. 1,2. Ps. 103 4,5.
(4.) From the blessing of the Lords Covenant-presence, who dwels in the Nation, in the Kingdom, Ps. 135.21. Ps. 132. 13,14. Rev. 11.15. Isa. 19.25. Isa. 2. 1,2,3. 2 Cor. 6.16. I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and be their God, and they shall be my people. 18. And I will be a father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty. Though this be spoken to all the Covenanted people of God, yet are Infants casten out of the bosome of a Covenant Father and God?
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(5.) Infants are debarred from Covenant-calling and gathering in under the wings of Christ: Contrair to Matth. 28. 19,20. Matth. 23.37. Psal. 147.19.20. and excluded from Gods Covenant-choise: Contrair to Deut. 7.6,7,8,9. 13,14. Deut. 10.15. and left being heirs of wrath, a prey to Satan.
(6.) They are Excommunicated from Covenant-blessings earthly, and the Tabernacle-protection promised in the Old and New Testament: Contrair to Deut. 28.4. Lev. 26.6,7.8,9. Psal. 37.18.22.25.26. Psal. 92.10. Psal. 112. 1,2,3. Ezech. 34.24,25,26. Ezech.36.29.35,36,37. Ezech. 8.7,8. And in the New Testament. Matth. 6.27,28.33. 1 Tim. 4 8. Heb. 13. 5,6. which were nothing if our Heavenly Father provide bread, protection, safety, dwelling in the land, and our houses, to the fathers, but the children had no charter but to beggery, to the sword, to be devoured by wilde beasts and the diseases of Egypt: And the Infants have nothing from the Covenant but what Infants of Amaleck, and Babylon, 1 Sam. 15. 1,2. Ps. 137.5. and of Sodom have, Gen. 19.
(7.) They are members of Satan, of the Kingdom of the Prince of darkness, not members of Christs Body, since there be but two Kings, two Gods, Satan, 2 Cor. 4.4. Eph. 2 1,2. Eph. 6.12. Matth. 12.29. and Christ the King and Head of his body. And it is known that Infants within the Visible Church, suffer incursions of Devils, dreadfull diseases, death; and being without the Covenant, as Pagans; these evils must either be acts of revenging justice, and preparatorie to the judgement of eternall fire, or blessed in Christ: But if the former, they are damned, if the latter, what blessing is there without Christ?
(8.) Being without the Covenant. 1. Infants cannot be chosen and predestinate in Christ to salvation, as Eph. 1.4. Rom. 9.11. nor given to Christ to be saved Covenant-wayes, as John 17.2. John 6.39. nor loved from eternity, nor in time, as Arminians teach, and so must be carried in Christ to Heaven or Hell, or rather to a mid place, without God or providence, or decrees, or fore-knowledge, or counsel of God. 2. They being without the Gospel-Covenant, cannot be redeemed by Jesus Christ his Blood, but some other way: Contrair to Acts 4.12. 3. If Infants be born without sin, as Anabaptists teach, they die, and go either to Heaven,
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and so Christ took not on him their nature, and is not their Saviour: or they go to everlasting torment, and yet never sinned, which is repugnant to Divine Justice: Or to some third place of which the Scripture speaks not. And yet the word saith, Rev. 20. 12. that the dead small and great shall stand before God, and shall be judged. And the Scripture saith Infants are capable of punishment, and of being cut off, and the Parents punished in them, and they bear Covenant-wrath in their Parents: As is clear in the seed of Jeroboam, of Achab, of others,Ezod. 20. 5. Gen. 17.14. 4. Neither remission of sins, Justification, nor life eternall, nor Sonship, nor Adoption in Christs suffering death, and in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant, can belong to Infants if they be without the Covenant.
- Nor can children be capable of being blessed of Christ, or of his laying on of hands.As Mark10. if they be not under the N. Test. capable of Covenant grace: And it is to be minded, that Covenanting Parents, Luke 18.
- Such as came to him to be cured of their diseases, and beleeved him to be the Messiah,the Son of David,as the blind call him, Mat. 20. and the woman of Canaan, Mat. 15. Luk 18.15. [foreign] brought to him little Children, as Mat. 8.16. Mat. 9. 2. Luk. 4.40. they brought the sick.
- The children were not diseased, nor possessed: And the Parents being desirous they might be blessed, as the event proved, it is clear they were not children of heathen, but members of the Visible Church.
- [foreign] Of such is the Kingdom of God,Luk. 18.16. we cannot think that his meaning is of such as such, is the Kingdome of God, as if all Infants of Jew and Heathen, belonged as subjects to the Visible Church, for then the Infants of all Heathen should be Covenanted members of the Visible Church, and yet their Parents are without the Visible Church, and when they grow to age, they should without any scandall be Excommunicate, which were monstruous, nor can the Invisible Kingdom of God be of such, as if all Infants, because Infants were saved. Nor,
- Can the taking of them be a meer Embleme that such were blessed, for so, beside that Doves and Lambs, for meeknesse are
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capable of being taken in the armes of Christ and blessed, Christ bids them, in all times coming, be suffered to come, and not forbidden, v. 16. which saith he desired the whole spece of Infants of the Visible Church to be brought to him. Nor doth Christ make acts of Emblems ordinary, but he will have children at all time to come to him: forbid them not: He once cursed the fig tree, that was an Embleme: and did but once wash his Disciples feet, and that was an Embleme. And,
- He could not mean, that only Infants predestinate to glory, should be suffered to come: For the saith indifferently [foreign] suffer little children to come:Now he should then have given marks to discern predestinate children and suffer them. (2.) And receive them only as Disciples, in my Name, Mar.6.36,37. (3.) He should have laid his hands upon some Infants, as predestinate to glory, and forbidden others to come. And the Parents should have known what children are predestinate to life, and should come, and what not.
- The Text evidences that the Disciples had a prejudice and a carnall one, at infants, thinking, they understood nothing of Christ and of the Kingdom of Grace. The Disciples [foreign] rebuked these that brought them:as Anabaptistsdo. And Christ rebukes them and instates infants of beleeving Parents as members of the Visible Church.
- Nor was it extraordinary, when Christ said suffer little children to come,but he would have the spece instated members of such a Kingdom. Ergo.some of the kind must be saved and examples must be verified (saith Mr. Cobbet judiciously) in some particulars.
- Of such is the Kingdome of God,of such in Covenant relation is the Kingdome of God, of such subjects. For if Christs reason be, of such for humilitie, meeknesse, want of malice, and invy, as 1 Pet. 2. 1,2,3. Math. 18. Psal. 131. 1, 2. is the Kingdome of God: he must mean by the Kingdome of God, the Kingdome of Glory and the triumphing Church, this sense is refused by Anabaptists. 2. The Infants of Pagans and of all men, by nature, within and without the Church are as well marked resemblances of converts, as they. And we must say that Christ would have taken
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in his arms, and blessed all the Pagan Infants, and when they grow to age they should be for no fault, but for age only. Excommunicate from the blessing, for Pagan Infants as well resemble humility and harmlessenesse (if only the personall qualifications of converts, and heart converts, not the Covenant and Church holinesse of visible Professours, be here meant) as Infants within the Visible Church.
- There was no other designe and purpose in Christ, in that emphatick expression, forbid them not to come [foreign] Math.19.14. [foreign] Luke18. 16. to me their Saviour, as well as the Saviour of the aged, but to hold forth the common interest of the whole spece of infants ([foreign]) within the Visible Church, their Covenant interest in Christ, for there is no imaginable reason, but the conceit of want of understanding (the prejudice of Anabaptists only) why the Disciples should have aimed to debar them or any poor sinners from accesse to the Saviour of sinners.
- Christ took them in his armes, layed his hands on them, blessed them.Now this was a personall reall favour bestowed upon infants, had infants been meer symbolick and doctrinall resemblancesof the humilitie of reall converts, and the young ones as much without the Covenant as Pagans, and as uncapable of Covenant grace and Covenant seals, because void of actuall faith now under the new Gospel administration, as horses or beasts, let the opposites of their Baptisme show what sort of blessing it was, that Christ bestowed upon them, if it be not: 1. Of more value then Jacobs blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, or at least as reall, and certain, Christ the Lord from heaven must as Soveraigne, who had power to curse the fig tree and it withered, by his Soveraigne power have blessed, in them, the whole race of infants in the Visible Church, and declared them Covenanted Church members under the New Testament in this eminent act of blessing the children and in commanding that all such might have free accesse to him as King, since the young ones were Subjects of the Kingdome of God, as well as the aged, and expressely forbids, that in time to come, they be hindered to come to him, Mark 10.14. Luk. 18.16. Math. 19.14. and three Evangelists are three sufficient witnesses. (2.) Christ the Lord is the Supreme and Soveraigne Lord of blessing and cursing:
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for in him all the Nations of the earth, and with them, young ones a considerable part of the Covenanted Nations, must be blessed, (3.) If Isaac blessed Jacob, and he must be blessed, Gen. 27. 29. 33. and Jacob blessed the twelve Tribes, Gen. 49. 28. and Moses the man of God blessedIsrael, before his death, Deut. 33. 1,2. &c. with Covenant blessings, and they were really blessed, Christ must as really with Covenant blessings, have, in this blessed the whole race of infants of Covenanting parents, except Anabaptists say that it was some complementall salutation, for the fashion that Christ bestowed upon infants, when the Evangelists say, he blessed them, Math. 19.13. [foreign] Mark 10.16. [foreign] 4. by the glosse of the Adversaries. Christ blessed them symbolick and doctrinall resemblances of the humilitie and docility of reall converts, and they were blessed as meer signes, as the Elements in the Sacraments are blessed, or as new made crucifixes are blessed and dedicated to divine worship, as resemblances of Christ crucified; and as Popish Images are symbolicallie blessed, a strange devise are rather a strong delusion. 4. If Christ prayed for infants as Matthew sayeth the mothers or parents sought that of him, Math. 19 13. his prayers must be grounded upon the word of the Covenant, and what could he seek for infants peace in these, but Covenant mercies and salvation: for Christ was not to work a miracle upon them, and he satisfied the desires of these, who brought them on their armes, and therefore could not go on their feet nor give a confession of their faith, they were born as the man sick of the palsie, Math. 9.2. (5.) Now as Christ is always hard in his prayes, Joh. 11.42. so his blessing he bestowed upon them (though Anabaptists will have them without Christ and the Covenant and under the curse of God) must either be a blessing of the Covenant of Grace, or of the Covenant of Works, for a third sort of blessing the Scripture knows not: Moses takes all blessings up in these two, Deut. 27. 12,15,16. Deut. 28. 2,3,15,16. Deut 30.19. I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, and so doeth Paul, Gal. 3.10,13,14. Heb. 6,7,8,14,15. But Christ could not bestow the Law blessing of Works upon these infants, for they had not fulfilled the Law in their persons, nor can infants or any flesh be justified by the Law, Rom. 3.20.therefore must Christ
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have bestowed upon them the blessing of the Covenant of Grace, Gal. 3.14. Heb. 6.14. let it be the blessing of remission and life, or reall right to the Kingdome of God, its a blessing of the Covenant. 6. The faith of the parents that brought them is holden forth, Math. 19. 13. Then were little children brought unto him, that he might lay his hands on them and pray: then had they faith in Christ, that his praying and blessing should be availeable to infants, its a conjecture that they came with a may be, or as Mr. Cobbet well sayeth, a faith grounded upon a possibilitie of Election separated from the Covenant, that is secret, and the Covenant revealed, and so this, not election abstracted from that, can be the ground of faith, Deut. 29. 29. and when Christ saith, Math. 18. 4,10. that little ones Angels behold the face of his Father, and the Holy Ghost saith, Heb. 1.13. that Angels are Minstring Spirits, [foreign]. For these that shall by heritage or lot injoy salvation. Its clear infants have their share of salvation, and by Covenant it must be. As also the blessed seed is promised to Adam before he have a child, and to his seed: To Seth, Japhet, Isaac, Jacob, Abraham, when Cainan, Cham, Ishmael, Esau, Abrahams Idolatrous house, to David, when his brethren are refused, and to these as heads of Generations, when contrare Generations, and the houses of Cainan, Cham, Ishmael,are rejected: Hence the house of Israel, the seed of Israel, the seed of Jacob, and there shall be added to the Gentiles, Isa. 49. who shall bring in to the Church their sons and their daughters upon their shoulders, 22. Isa. 54.1. Sing O barren—for moe are the children of the desolate then of the maried wife saith the Lord, Isa. 60.4. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see, all they gather themselves about, they shall come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy sons shall be nourished at thy side. Israel marying and Israel according to the flesh is the holy seed, Neh. 7.61.Neh. 9.2. the holy seed have mingled with the heathen. 1 Chron. 16.13. O ye seed of Israel his servants, ye children of Jacob whom he hath chosen, be mindfull of his Covenant. And this holinesse by externall Covenanting is extended to the Gentiles, 1 Cor. 7.14. But now are your children holy; and its holinesse the Jews to be called in, Rom. 11.16. If the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy:
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and if the root be holy, so are also the branches. So it is prophecied, Isa. 61.9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their off-spring among the people: All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed. 6. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord, (holy by Covenant as was Aarons house, because in Covenant visibly with God) men shall call you the Ministers of our God: Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles; and in their glory shall ye boast your selves. Isa. 62.2. Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord hath named. v. 12. And they shall call them the holy people, the Redeemed of the Lord: And thou shalt be called, Sought out. A City not forsaken. Isa. 65.22. As the dayes of a tree, are the dayes of my people: and mine Elect (by called) shall long injoy the work of their hands. Sure he Prophesies of a visibly Covenanted people under the New Testament: For he adds, v. 23. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth in trouble: for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their off-spring with them. Now to any Godly Reader, there is here. 1. a Prophesie to be fulfilled of the Gentiles brought in, as is clear, Isai. 61. 1,2,3,4. Christ, Luke 4. applyes that Text to himself. And 9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles. Isa. 62.2. The Gentiles shall see thy Righteousnesse. And for Chapter 65. 1,2,3,4. Paul expounds it of the in-coming of the Gentiles, Rom. 9.24.26. Rom. 10.20. Eph. 2.12.13. Rom. 15.20. (2.) He speaks of a Visible Church and of their seed, known among the Gentiles, all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed, Isa. 61.9. But they did not see the white stone (the seal of their election) and a new Name which none can read but he that receives it, Rev. 2.17. And they see them a seed and off spring of the Covenanted people of God. Isa. 62.12. They shall call them the holy people: then they must judge them a Visible Church. But a Church of such as are predestinate to glory, they cannot see them to be. (3.) Isai. 55. They are a Visible Church 21. They shall build houses and inhabite them —22. They shall not build and another inhabite, They shall not plant and another eat. And the reason is, 23— (foreign) Because they are (they shall be, its a Prophesie under the New Testament) the
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seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their off-spring with them. Jer. 23.22. As the Host of Heaven cannot be numbred, neither the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of David, What seed? The visible seed: And the Levits that Minister unto me, will I multiply: He alludes to the promise made to Abraham, of multiplying his seed, Gen. 13.15. Gen. 15.5. Gen. 2.17. And this promise made to Abraham (saith Calvin) belongs to them all, and he would have them not to doubt of the restitution of the people to their own Land. Now the people and Levits, and house of David were never so multiplied in the Jews, after the deliverance from Babylon, and therefore must be extended to the New Testament. And if God establish Davids seed for ever, Psal. 89.4. And the seed of his people shall possesse the gates of their enemies, Gen. 24.60. And if he powre his Spirit upon the seed of Jacob, Isai. 44.3. and Circumcise the heart of the seed of his people, Deut. 30.6. and put his words in the mouth of the seed of his people, and their seeds seed for ever, Isai. 59.21. And the seed of the righteous be blessed on earth, Psal. 37.26. not simply because they are a seed (for the whole seed of man should be blessed, if so) but because they are the seed of his servants, Psal. 69.36. of the Jews, Esther 6.13. the Children of his Servants, Psal. 102.28. See Jer. 31.35,35.37. Isa. 6.13. because the seed of Abraham, and in the Covenant made with Abraham, Exod. 2.24, 2 Kings 13.23. Psal. 105.8,9. Psal. 111.5.9. Gen. 17.2,7,9. Lev. 26.42,45. Ezek. 16.60. Luke 1.72. Exod. 6.4. Deut. 8.18, &c. Then must the Covenant be established under the New Testament with the Visible seed; and if there were an abridging and contracting of this favour to the Elect only, it would have been shewed, and the Charter of reservation and exception must have been penned in the Old or New Testament. 2. Otherwise the seed of all Gentiles called in to Christ by the Preached Gospel, must be visibly cursed of God, cut off from the people of God, separated from the Lord, from the Congregation of his people, not to the tenth Generation only as the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Bastard, Deut. 23.1,2,3. and Excommunicated out of the Camp as unclean, nor should Christians marry or Covenant with them: As Deut. 23.14. Lev. 13.43,44,45,46. Deut. 7.1,2,3. Exod. 34.15,16.
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1 King. 11. 2. Ezra 9.2,12. Nehem. 13.23. Judg. 3.6,7. Judg. 42. 3. Except there be some middle between a cursed and a blessed seed, a seed in the Church, and in Covenant, and the seed of the Serpent, of Heathen, without the Covenant. 2. A middle between the Kingdom of darknesse, of Satan, and the Kingdom of God of his dear Son: Contrair to Eph. 2.2,3,4. Acts 26.18. Col. 1.13,14. 1 Pet. 2.9,10. Eph. 5.8. which is unknown to Scripture. Yea the Covenant is made to Christ and his seed, Gal. 3.16. and the same blessings ofAbraham, comes on us Gentiles, Gal. 3.13,14. But he and all his seed were blessed and in grace by the externall call of the Covenant. Ezek. 16. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Deut. 7,7,8. Rom. 10.23. I will call them my people that were not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved.And this externall calling is of Grace and so Grace, no merit, as well as predestination to life is grace or for grace. For whosoever are called, not because Elect, but because freely loved of such a God and without merit called, Father and Son, they are in a state of grace: But so are all within the Visible Church. If any object, by Christs comming all the Nations old and young are not become the Nations of the Lord and of his Christ, but only true Believers, even by our Doctrine.
Answ. They are become the Kingdoms of the Lord, not only because they are truely converted, but because they are the chosen of God in the Office house of Christ, and Christ reigns over them by the Scepter of his Word whom he is to convert. And external Covenanting with God is of it self free Grace and a singular favour bestowed of God, Psal. 147.19,20. Deut. 5.1,2. Mat. 21.42,43. Luke 14.16.21.
- It is free Grace that God will have hypocrites and real infidels to beget children to him that are internally in Covenant with him; and fills up the number of the Elect by Reprobate Parents who are instrumentall to the in-coming in the world, and into the Visible Church, of many Heirs of Glory: and in so doing there is a Church right communicated from Reprobate Parents to their Children, that are Heirs of Glory.
- Externall Covenanting goes before internall Covenanting, as the means before the end, and the cause before the effect: for
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faith comes by hearing of a sent Preacher, Rom. 10.14. and the Preaching of the Gospel is a saving means of begeting a new heart, and of a new spirit: Hence 1. All must be first externally in Covenant, before they can be internally and really in Covenant. 2. God is a Godsimply to some, and no more but a God to them in regard of outward Church priviledges, as the Word, Seals, Protection, Peace, Hedge of Discipline, his planting and watering by a Ministry. But he is, to speak so, more then a God to others, Hos. 2.19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse, in judgement, and in loving kindnesse, and in mercy. Now the Lord is joyned to back sliding Israel, in an externall marriage Covenant: But Jer. 3.14. not in righteousnesse, in loving kindnesse and mercy, in reference to the rotten party. In regard of which he saith, v. 2. Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband. Zech. 8.7. Thus saith the Lord, I will save my people from the East Countrey, and from the West Countrey. 8. And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst ofJerusalem, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousnesse. Then he is not to all a God in truth and righteousnesse, fulfilling the first and substantiall promise of ingraving the Law in the heart, not that he keeps not Covenant even to external confederats, to wit, the conditionall Covenant, for if they should beleeve they should be saved; but he promised not a new heart, and faith to them. 3. Because he is a God externall to the Elect, and that of free Grace, therefore he is a God in truth and righteousnesse, to ingrave his Law in their heart. But externall confederation is not the adequate cause, for then he should give a new heart to all, with whom he externally Covenants, but the adequate cause is confederation external tali modo, out of his discriminating love and free grace he is a God to some. 4. He is a God to his Elect that he may ingrave his Law in their heart and inward parts; so that the promising to be a God tali modo, is the cause, and the ingraving of a new heart is the effect. Jer. 31.33. Jer. 32.38. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. That is the cause. 39. I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may sour me for ever; for the good of them and of their children
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after them. See the same order, Ezech. 11. 19, 20. though the words ly not in that order there and here. And Heb. 8. 10. 5. God is not then a God to any, because they have a clean heart, and the Law ingraven therein, for then they should be in Covenant, before they be in Covenant; And so this is true (because he is our God in truth and righteousnesse, therefore we beleeve) but this is not true (because we beleeve, therefore he is our God) except we argue from the effect to the cause.
But to return: Calvine on Matth. 19.14. We hence gather that the grace of Christ is extended to Infant age, for whole mankind had perished. Beza, Infants are also comprehended in the free Covenant. Pareus, its unlawfull to debarre these from baptism and the Church, whom Christ bids come to him, &c. Obj. But Christ commands not they be baptized. Answ. Nor doth Christ in this place command the Parents to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: Nor speak the Evangelists of any Parentall duty; shall we from that conclude, it was not Christs mind that the Parents take care of the fourth & fifth Command? Pareus saith, it was neither time nor place. Mat. 28.19. he bids baptize all. 3. He who prayed for them, blessed them, laid his hands upon them, invited them to bring Infants to him (of all which Infants were as uncapable, as of the use and ends of Baptism and of actuall confession of sin and of beleeving) judged they ought be Baptized. 4. Its never to be found where any are Baptized, but the Head of the Family is Baptized: And when we read that houses were Baptized, 1 Cor. 1.16. Acts 16.33. There is no more ground to say Infants are not Baptized, then to say when the Lord saith to Abraham, Gen. 12.2. I will blesse thee, and make thy name great. And 22.17. in blessing I will blesse thee. And when the Lord saith, Isai. 19.25. blessed by Ægypt my people; he should mean, he would blesse Abraham, not his seed, and that he minds to blesse the aged of Ægypt, and of Assyria, but not their seed and infants, because they understand not what a blessing of God means; and yet the fruit of the womb and the seed are said to be blessed, Psal. 37.26. Deut. 7.13. and God so intreated to blesse Israel, and to blesse Davids house, Psal. 28.9. Psal. 67.1. Deut. 26.16. 2 Sam. 7.29. the meaning should
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not be that God would blesse the young Infants and Children in Israel and in Davids house: And when Jacob is said to provide for his own house, Gen. 30.30. And the beleever to provide for his Family, 1 Tim. 5. 8. the meaning should be that they should provide for the aged of the house, who understood what provision is, but should not provide for the young ones, who can not know what it is to be hungry to morrow. To say young ones are not capable of Baptism, is to begge the Question. For (1.) all Israel were Baptized in the Sea and in the Cloud, old and young, 1 Cor. 10.1,3. (2.) All Israel old and young are capable of the blessing Covenanted, Psal. 28.9. Psal. 67. 1,2. and so of the seal: Anabaptists grant (as they must) if Infants be in Covenant they ought to receive the Seal of the Covenant. Lastly, how is it that by baptized houses, must be meant only these come to age who can actually beleeve?
The Jews, Rom. 11.16. are holy root and branch first fruit and lump, fathers and children, and the Jews shall he brought in again. Why? The Generation to come in is holy, for the Covenant made with their fathers. Well say Anabaptists, but notwithstanding of the federall holinesse you talk of, Rom. 11 16. that gives not right to the casten off to be Baptized, and admitted to Church priviledges; for the casten off are no Church, and have no Church priviledge, your federall holinesse then must be a dream?
Ans. But these to come in, and to be re-ingrafted are holy, intentionally, in the decree of God, because of their beloved fathers, and when God shall call them, the same Covenant made with Abraham gives them right; and these branches not in being, and the unborn Generation are only intentionally holy by this federall holinesse, and they shall be actually holy, when they shall be born, but it followeth not, but the present Generation not broken off through unbeleef, as Paul and others called by the name of election, Rom. 11.7. have right, because of their fathers. For God hath not cast off his people, whom he hath fore-known. For I am an Israelite (saith Paul, v. 1,2.) of the seed of Abraham, and there are thousands of Jews now hid, as in Elias his time, who bowed not their knee to Baal; but the body of them, the great bulk is fallen away and cut off. Hence the Jews are holy federally,
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and not holy, beloved of the fathers federally, and not beloved federally, holy and keep Church-right to Baptism, and Ordinances, in regard of the sounder and invisible part: And not holy federally nor having any Church right to Baptism, in regard of the wilfully broken off body, that crucified Christ and stand to their fathers bloody deed, these have no more Church-part nor portion to Ordinances, then Simon Magus, Acts 8. notwithstanding of their carnall discent from Abraham.
And when God made the Covenant with Abraham, Gen. 17. and renewed the same, Deut. 29. he made it with these who were not there standing, v. 14,15. not with you only, &c, but virtually, radically with us Gentiles, who were not then born, as touching the substantialls, for Priest-hood, Law-service, Types, Sacrifices, Circumcision, yea Baptism, the Lords Supper, Pastors, Teachers, Elders to rule, Deacons, were all accidents, to the substance of the Covenant, to wit, to beleeve in Christ and to obtain righteousnesse and life by Christ: As the same way to the same City hath other hedges, way-marks, bridges, this year which it had not 500. years agoe. And look as a father that knowes he shall beget so many hundreth sons who shall all be Kings, and have the same royall inheritance, writeth a Charter intituling them all, before they be born to the same inheritance: They have all virtuall and radicall right, ere they be born, with the first heir; And when they are born, he makes not another Covenant with them. So Deut. 29.14,15. he sayeth not, He shall make another Covenant with these when they shall be born: but I make a Covenant with you, and with these that are not here, not born. Hence by way of excellency he calleth it the Covenant, the Covenant of the Lord, Jer. 22.9. Deut. 4.23. Josh 23.11. My Covenant, saith the Lord, Gen. 17.7, 9,10. Exod. 19.5. Psal. 50.16. His Covenant, Psal. 105.8. He remembred his Covenant for ever, Psal. 111. 5. He will remember his Covenant for ever, 5.9. His Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 2 King. 13. 23. When Hazael King of Syria oppressed Israel, in their saddest afflictions, Levit. 26. 42,43. The Scripture is called the Book of the Covenant, Exod. 24. 7. 2 King. 23. 4. 2 Chron. 34. 30, 21. The Question is easily determined, it can be the Book of no Covenant, but of that made with Abraham, the
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oath $$$ Jacob, 1 Chron. 16. 16,17. Psal. 105.9. Jer. 11.5. Dan. 9. Luke 1.73. Heb. 6. 15,17. and to the fathers, the ever lasting Covenant, Gen. 9.16. Gen. 17. 9,13. which relates to Adam also, Levit. 24.8. 2 Sam. 23.5. made unto David, 1 Chro. 16.17. Psal. 105.10. Isa. 61. 8. Heb. 13.20. which cannot be, if there be so many Covenants, as some speak of: the new Covenant, and the better Covenant, Heb. 8. 8,13. Heb 12. 20. Jer. 3. 81. Heb. 7.22. which newnesse and excellency is all expounded of the Mediator now God, the Word made Flesh, Heb. 7.c.8.c.9.
And we would remember that Rom. 11. Paul proves 1. God hath not casten off the Jewes wholly. 1. Arg. Because I Paul am a Jew, and he hath not casten me off: Ergo in one the Covenant may stand. 2. From his unchangeablenesse, God hath foreknown them. 3. From the example of the Church in the dayes of Elias. By way of preoccupation, it is true many are fallen off: but as then seven thousand were in Israel who bowed not their knee to Baal, so now; Because the election of grace doth not fall now, or then. Then saith he, not of works. He reconceals that he saith with what before, by a preoccupation: And have all the Jewes fallen short of righteousnesse? and he answers, All are not fallen short. The election, that is, the elected have obtained righteousnesse, the rest not. 2. To make way to exhort the Gentiles to walk worthy of the place and room of the Jews. He speaks some more of the doctrine of Reprobation, as he spake, Ch. 9. of eternall predestination, and of 2. The casting out of the Jews, and of their blinding and hardning. They have fallen in Gods decree, not that they may utterly fall. 2. That the Gentiles may be provooked by their fall.
Hence by diverse Arguments he proves that the Jewes shall be brought in again to Christ 1. From four ends of the Jews fall v. 11. (2.) To provoke them to come in, v. 11. (3.) That some may be saved. 4. For the riches of the worlds salvation. Whence the magnifying of Pauls Ministry, v. 13, 14. 2. Arg. From the great fruit; If their fall be the riches of the world, their incoming again must be the resurrection from the grave of the buried unbeleeving world, v. 15.
- Arg.They must be brought in. These who are holy separated
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from the world for the Covenant-call of God, must be brought in again: But so is Israel. The Assumption he proves by parts. 1. The masse and root of Israel is holy, the Fathers were the Covenanted visible stock, line, root, as all the Old Testment sayeth: then the posterity, the first fruits, the branches partly born, partly to be born, must be holy Covenant-wayes: The tree, root and branches are holy and of the same nature; Therefore the branches have right to Christ, to the Covenant, to Baptisme and the seals. Hence Anabaptists,without all reason, say that he speaks not of federall and externall holinesse, but of reall, internall and true holinesse, only of the invisible body predestinated to life: for though invisible holinesse cannot be excluded, except we exclude the holinesse of Abraham, Isaac andJacob, who were without doubt a part of the root: yet he must be taken to speak of that holinesse of the Covenant and Church, as made visible and of the visible collective body of the Jews, not of only reall and invisible holinesse. 1. Because this was true in the dayes ofElias, If the root be holy the branches are holy; And it is a New Testament-Truth of perpeall verity, If the Fathers be holy so must the Sons. The Fathers have Church-right to Circumcision, to Baptism, to the Passeover, and to the Lords Supper, so have the Children: but it is most false of the invisible mysticall body and root only, and of reall and internall holinesse; For neither in Old or New Testament is it true, If the Fathers be predestinated to life, justified and sanctified and saved, so must the Children be. Ishmael, Esau, Absalom, and all the world of Hypocrites called from their prophanenesse Sodom and Gomorah, Isai. 1. 10. uncircumcised in heart, as Egypt, Moab and Ammon. Jerem. 9.26. as the Philistines, Amos 9.7. Then should that (2.) Distinction of Jewes in the heart, and inward, and of Jews in the flesh, Rom. 2. 28. and of the children of the flesh, that are not of the spiritual seed, and of the children of the promise, Rom. 9.7.8. and of the persecuting children of the bond woman not justified by faith, and of the children of the promise, Gal. 4.23,24. &c. fall to the ground. Yea 3. If by the root and the lump be understood only Believers and chosen to life the whole Israel, which is as the sand of the sea, should be saved, whereas the Word of God saith, a remnant only shall be
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saved, [foreign] LXX. Tecla. A part taken out shal be saved, Rom. 9.27. Isai. 10. 22,23. Hos. 1.10. 4. By the branches must be meant all the visible body of the Jews, old and young. Now if Anabaptists give us a Visible Church of the Jewes of all reall believers, even the branches and Infants, (which shall hardly! be proven by the Scripture) these infants at least being visible Believers may lawfully be baptized, being both internally and visible, and externally in Covenant. For this Scripture is expresly expounded by them of reall and inherent holinesse, and so Infants must be reall Believers and in Covenant. Ergo they must be baptized: What can be replied is not imaginable: but they have not actuall faith, and possibly that is not known to the Church. But this Scripture saith that the branches and root both are holy. 2. It shall be new Divinity, that none are to be baptized but such as are under the actuall exercise of their faith, a thing that cannot be discerned by the Church, in these that are come to age. 5. Here shall also be this new Divinity, that predestination to life and glory must be propagated and derived from the lump to the first fruits, from the root and parents to the branches and children.
- Its against the whole current of the Text, that Paulspake abstractly of the only invisible body really sanctified, and not of the visible body. For 1. The body invisible is an elect seed that cannot fall away; But the body that here he speaks of are such, of which a part are hardned and blinded, and under the spirit of slumber, and a part elect and chosen. 7. The election have obtained, the rest are hardned,and of such a body, compared with the body in the time of Elias, of which multitudes fell away, slew the Prophets, digged down the Altars, and a good number were beleevers, that bowed not their knee to Baal, and so is the body now, saith, Paul, 1,2,3,4,5. [foreign], which is a mixt body. 3. He speaks of the body that is fallen and stumbled, v. 11. and these whom he preaches unto, to provoke them to a holy emulation, to come in to Christ, by the incoming of the Gentiles, v. 13, 14. which is sure a visible body, and which shall be ingraffed in again, v. 23. which includes a visible body of diverse generations. 4. Yea he must speak of a Nationall election and externall calling, asDeut. 7. 7,8,9. Deut. 10.15. Psal. 132.13. Isai. 41. 2. Not
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of a personall election of some certain persons who fell, were blinded, rejected fully and totally in their persons, and received in and ingraffed as sound believers again: for the Scripture speaks of no such boating in and out, but of a huge numerous body of which some fell, some stand and includes diverse generations. 5. The collective visible body of Jews and Gentiles are such as Paul preacheth unto, v. 13,14. such as are ingraffed in in the room of the Jews, and ingraffed into the Olive of the visible Body, and partake of the fatnesse Of Ordinances, Baptism, Covenant-comforts, promises. Now if any say that this proves not that Infants are ingraffed, then must they say that Infants of the Jews before Christ partaked of no fatnesse of the Covenant, Circumcision, Blessings, Presence, Protection. 2. That they were not broken off with their fathers, and so that they now stand. 3. That the Infants of the Jews are not holy branches, as the root is holy, as v. 16. and that none but the fathers, shall be ingraffed in, and only 4. The aged and the baptized actuall believers of the Gentiles are the ingraffed ones, not their Infants, they are all Heathen and Pagans, as well as the casten off Jewes. 5. That the Jewes ingraffing in again shall be to their great hurt, so as God was long agoe their God, but shall no more in time coming be their God, then of the Pagans and the lately cut off fathers: Nor can the Adversaries say that Jewish Infants were broken off through unbelief, because they are capable neither of belief nor of unbelief to them. Then they remain in the Olive tree, members of the Church as before, and God must be still theirGod, when the fathers are cut off, vers. 17. And again, when the fathers shall be reingraffed and they made Christians, the Infants shall be out of Christ, and have no more Covenant right or Church-right to Baptisme, then the Infants of Egyptians and Philistines had to Circumcision.
Obj. Shall not, by this means, all the Infants of all the Gentiles be ingrafted in, and baptized?
Answ. The Text warrants us to say it only of the Children of the ingrafted and called Gentiles, that they have right to baptism.
Obj. This Text is spoken of these that have hereditary Covenant-right, from their naturall Father Abraham. We Gentiles
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have not that naturall relation to Abraham, nor are we his naturall sons, nor branches?
Answ. Its false, that the Jews by birth as birth, had hereditary right to Church-priviledges, they had right by such a birth from Abraham taken in out of free-love to Covenant fellowship with God, and his children are naturall, that is, kindlie. 2. First branches and sprigs, before us Gentiles, to beleeving Abraham, but we beleeving are made Abrahams by proportion, and are secondary and so wild branches. 2. Abraham is not the Physicall, but a Morall root. For the Covenant was made with Abraham, not as a beleeving Father, but as a beleeving Head of Children, of Servants, and strangers under him, as the Covenant is laid as an Heavenly depositum, upon Zacheus, in relation not to his children only, but to his house, Luke 19. For when he is made a sonne of Abraham, salvation, that is, the Covenant of Life comes to him and to his house: and so to Cornelius, Acts, 10. and to the Jayler, Acts 16. and to their houses, and the same way I distinguish seeds.
- How can the Jews that are come in, be federaly holy for their fathers? Since now it is about fifteen hundreth years since their fathers were broken off from Church and Covenant: May not all the world Jews and Gentiles be federally holy branches, by the same reason, because the Covenant was made with, and Preached unto Adama beleeving root and father in Paradice? So it would appear once in the Covenant of Grace, and all the seed to the coming of CHRIST, are federally holy, as well as they. Answ. This is as great a difficultie to the Adversaries (and insuperable) as to us, for the Jews unborn by their way, are no more holy in their branches and off-spring then Turks and Indians, and their children, untill they grow to age and actually beleeve, and so are the Infants of Americans, and such as worship the Sun, or Satan, that way holy. And so the branches of the Jews have no holiness from the root, nor are they beloved for the fathers, as vers. 28. 2. All the Jews leave not off to be members of the Invisible Church; For Paul saith Rom. 11. 25. blindnesse in part is happened to Israel [foreign] to a part of Israel: For howbeit, the visible masse and body of the Jews rejected Christ and wrath be come upon them
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to the out most, 1 Thes. 2.16. yet that is not said universally of all the Jews, 14 [foreign]. Yea Paul wrote to the Jews the Epistle to the Hebrews. James to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad, Jam. 1.1. and Peter, 1 Pet. 1.1. and John to the Jews: I judge, not in a visible body, and these are not broken off the Olive, and do, though not in a Visible Church way, derive Covenant right to the branches that shall be ingrafted in. But many Nations descended of Adam have universally rejected Christ, and know not the Name of Christ the blessed seed.
- May we not say that the root is Christ as mysticall Head, from whom we partake of the sappe of grace and life and fatnesse.
Answ. The intent of Paul is to prove that the Jews cut off, because of their unbeleef, shall be ingrafted in again, in the Lords own time, because, of the holinesse of the Covenant, that was in the root, and in the first fruits Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is true, their Covenant-holiness is not the adequat cause, why they shall be ingrafted in really into Christ, for so all the carnall children, who had this relative holinesse must be really ingrafted in Christ, but it is with the Lords free love, both the cause of their personall, and of their Church ingrafting, and the continued deriving of that relative holinesse being a continued free favour in its kind, is the Lords love in the same kind to root and branches, otherwise it should not bear truth, which, is said, v. 28. which expones this, ver. 28. that they are beloved for the fathers, not as if they were predestinate to life, because Abraham was so chosen, but because of the Fathers Covenant holinesse, which was holinesse from Christ not as root and head, through influence of saving grace, but as a politick head which yet is, what we say. For because Christ is holy as root, head and Redeemer, the Jews once his Church Visible and to be so again, the branches are not really holy by faith, because all of them were not in Christ: But if all Jews and Gentiles, and also Infants who are Jews and Gentiles and parts of the body be baptized into the visible body, so are Infants. See more of this in Mr. Cotton, Mr. Black, Mr. Cobbet, Mr. Rich. Baxter, who have closed the dispute learnedly.
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CHAP. XV.
The differences of externall and internall Covenanting. 2. No Universall Grace, Rom. 10. 18. Psal. 19. 3. nor in Scripture. 3. Nor power of beleeving to all given by Christ.
HEnce, the clear differences betwixt the externall visible and Nationall Covenanting of the people of old, when they were brought out of the Land of Ægypt; And the internall and personall (though it may be visible also) Covenanting with God.
- This under the New Testament is a new Covenant, and all the old shadows are abolished: The former is the old.
- This is with the house of Israel and Judahchosen persons, and so personall with single men. You shall not give a Nation, Kingdom, or Land, with which the Covenant internally is so made, as if all and every one, without exceptions, must know the Lordsavingly (what may be the converted Jews case, whether the whole body of them, all the every one shall be visible, real, and personall Covenanters, as the place, Rom. 11.26. seems to say, I cannot determine) and all and every one be saved: for then must all the visible house of Israel be saved, and not the chosen only.
- The visible externall Covenant was broken, Jer.31.32. The other personall and internall is never broken.
- The promise of a new heart is really fulfilled, in all the persons and single branches of the house of Judah,so that all and every one are taught of God,none excepted, Jer. 31.33.34. Isa. 54.13. Joh. 6.45. not so in the visible externall Covenant, if it be but externall: not any is taught of God, but all are taught of men.
- The reall personall Covenant is everlasting, like that Covenant with the Moon and Stars; 2. The night and the day; 3. Of the motion of the Sea, Jer.31.35,36,37. There is perseverance absolutely promised, Jer.32.40. I will make an ever lasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good. Its sure in Gods part, for he changeth not. Nay, but we change and turn away from God, he obviats that: I will put my
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fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. So Isai. 54.10. Isa. 59.21. but all such as Nationally, visibly only, and in profession only, are in Covenant, may fall away.
- Jer.31.38. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord, that the City shall be built to the Lord, &c. There is promise of spirituall right in Christ made to the blessings of this life, to these that are personall Covenanters; As Jer. 32.41. Ezek. 11. 17,18,19. Ezek. 36. 26,27,28,29,30,33. Ezek. 37. 24,25,26. Ezek. 34. 23,24,25,26,27. which promise, though not repeated in the New Testament, when the Prophesies of the Covenant are cited, Heb. 8.8. Heb. 10. 16,17. but of purpose omitted, because the promise of temporal blessings, is not so expresse now; Yet in other places of the New Testamant, it is clear that we have bread by Covenant-promise, Matth. 19.29. 1 Tim. 4.8. Heb. 13,5,6. 1 Pet. 3. 10,11,12. which promise is made not to these only that are in Covenant externally, &c. These six differences are clear, Jer. 31.33, &c. so that it is evident that all and every one of the Visible Church are not really and personally confederates, so that though the Lord say to both: I will be their God, and they shall be my people, yet not one and the same way.
Hence there is no ground at all, nor truth in what Arminians say, that the Covenant of Grace is made with all the every one of mankind, as was the Covenant of Works. For this must be true, that in Paradice, the Covenant of Grace was made with Adam, and all his seed: But a Covenant so universall ought to be proclaimed to all the Covenanters, but thus was not: For the Lord published and made it to Abraham and his seed, and the Lord choised Israel above all the people on earth, Deut. 5. 1,2,3. Deut. 7.6. Deut. 10.15. and shewed his judgements and statutes to them & not to other Nations: And therefore there can be no subjejective revealing of Christ, by universall grace, given to Heathen and all others, and by an objective revealing of Christ in the works of Creation, the heaven and earth, night and day, as some teach, citing the Ps. 19. 1,2.
For so 1. God choised Americans, Indians, and all the wild Savages to be his people, as well as he choised the Jews: and if the sound of the Gospel went out to the ends of the earth, that is, to
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all and every one, as they expound, Psal. 19. 3,4. Rom. 10.18. then it must be the purpose of David and Paul, that the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace, and of Christ crucified, by whose alone name men are saved, and by whom only men come to the Father, Acts 4.12. John14.6. is written in the Firmament, which must declare the glory of God manifested in the flesh, day unto day, and must preach Christ crucified to all Nations, who see the Sun rise and go down; For sure that sound, Psal. 19.4. goeth through all the earth. Sure Paul must give a dark interpretation, Rom. 10. of that Psalm, as ever was imagined. 2. If the hearing, Rom. 10.18. (but I say have they not heard?) be the hearing of God Creator, his sounding glory in the Firmament, Night. Day and Sun, as it is Psal. 19. by all that see the Sunne, and also the hearing of the joyfull sound of Christ Preached in the Gospel, written and objectively declared in Sun and Moon, Night and Day, as Amyrald and his do expound it; Then may all that see the Sun call upon the name of the Lord revealed in Christ, and believe in Christ (for of their beleef Moses speaks, Deut. 30.14. and Paul, Rom. 10.9,14.) and all have the benefite of the Preached Gospel, and sent Prophets, whose feet are beautifull upon the mountains, publishing glad tidings of peace, vers. 15. as Nah. 1.15. Isai. 52.7. and all that see the Sunne are the same way saved by Jesus Christ, that Jewes and Gentiles are, who hear the Gospel. But Paul strangely crosseth this, How shall they call upon him (as God revealed in Christ) in whom they believe not? [foreign] How shal they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a Preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? Now if the sound of the Preached Gospel be to be heard in the Firmament, Sun rising and going down (as Amyrald and some Libertines do say, whom I heard Preach the same things at London) Paulmight receive an easie and a short answer: The Gospel of Christ crucified written on the Firmament Sun and night and day, is as lawfull an Ordinance, and a book upon which Americans, and all that see the same, may read the glad tydings of salvation, and so may call upon, and beleeve in God, and winne and earn, by their industrie, and hearing of the Gospel by sent Preachers, as the Preached Word of God, and therefore, Paul
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cannot deny but faith comes by hearing of some other Preacher then a Gospel-Preacher or one that is sent; for Paul, Rom. 1. 16,17,18,19. and David, Psal. 19. 1,2,3.—v. 7,8,9. distinguish the two Books.
There is not such an Objection dreamed as Amyrald imagines of Rom. 10.18. If God will have mercy on the Gentiles, how is it that they have not heard the Gospel? For the Lord hath not declared his minde to them. He answers: God did not so keep up his good will to the Gentiles in former times, but by the Ministery of the Heavens, ac veluti voce providentiæ, and as it were by the preaching of the Word of Providence he spake to them: which things should be spoken to no purpose by Paul, if they be understood of a revelation of God as Creator only, and not as Redeemer: for what bath that revelation to do with the Gospel? Therefore Calvine (saith he) speaketh of the revelation by the creatures preparatory to the Gospel. It is true there is an Objection in these words, v. 18. But I say have they not heard? A learned Countrey-man, Charles Fermin: But the Israelites (saith he) have not heard the Gospel? Then if faith be from hearing, and saving calling upon God be from faith, then believing Israelites shall be of the number of them that call upon the name of the Lord, and shall be saved. He not only yeelds that the Israelites have heard, but he confirms it from Psal. 19. Yea their sound, &c. It is an argument à minore, from the lesse to the more, The whole world hath heard of God, either by the preaching of the creatures from the beginning, or by the Apostles in the revealed Gospel, far more then the Jewes to whom the Oracles of God were committed, and to whom first the Gospel must be preached, have heard: And therefore not all that hear do believe (though faith come by hearing) nor do all call upon God and are saved. So Pet. Martyr: so Calvin, Hyperius, Faius. It’s not strange that the Gospel is preached to the Gentiles: for God spake to them by the knowledge of the creature. Pareus observes that Paul cites not the place, Psal. 19. and saith not, As it is written, but alludes to it only.
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Spanhemius. If it be well said that the sound of the heavens is gone to the end of the world, that may be said truly of the Preaching of the Gospel. Junius to that sense. But 1. the place saith not that God called with a will, to save the Gentiles: The Scripture saith, he winked at them, and called them not, Acts 14.16. But now God commandeth all men every where to repent, Acts 17.30. and he revealed not his Testimonies to them. Now was not the same Gospel-book in the Pages of the works of Creation, as legible to the Gentiles before, as after the coming of Christ in the flesh? Nor can the Gospel which never came to the ears of many Indians and millions of people, it being to them a non ens, and an un heard of Doctrine, explain the book of Creation; as the thing that shadows out Christ, as the New Testament clears the Types of the Old: Nor doth the Scripture any where tell us, what work of Creation or Providence, expresseth Christs dying for our sins, rising for our righteousnesse: Nor doth the Scripture tell us of an Embleme, in nature, of God Incarnate, of the Man Christ in glory pleading at the right hand of God for us; And no doubt, the Lords naturall desires of saving all, calling and inviting all to Repentance, of Christs dying for all, his naturall willingnesse that all and every one should obey, do not ebbe and waxe and decrease, as the Sea and Moon do, and therefore his taking such a course with all the Gentiles, that no word of the Covenant comes to their ears, so that then at that time, they were without Christ, being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, Eph. 2.12. And in time past were no people (in Covenant) and had not obtained mercy, 1 Pet. 2.9,10. and were far off, Acts 2. 39. must evince, that the sense of the Gospel was not written in Sunne and Moon; and the book of Creation is not the Gospel; and therefore he hath been shewing that the Gentiles were not in Covenant before the Incarnation, and since no word of the Gospel comes to millions now, they are yet not in Covenant. And this is a Gospel-truth now, that stands after the Incarnation, as before, Rom. 9.18. He hath therefore mercy upon whom he will, and hardens whom he will. And he said it in the Old Testament, Exod. 33.19. and
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repeateth it to us, Rom. 9.15. I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion. And if any may say that he hath the like antecedent naturall good-will, to save eternally all these whom he calleth and moveth finally to obey, and the greatest part of mankind whom he so moveth and calleth as he knoweth they shall never obey, whereas he can move all finally to obey, without straining their naturall liberty: He speaks things that cannot consist with both the wisedom and liberty of God.
And if amongst these to whom the word of the Covenant comes, some are externally only, and never saved, Matth. 22. 14. Rom. 9.6,7. Others internally personally and really in Covenant and saved; why but some may be neither wayes in Covenant, if they never heard the word of the Covenant, and if the Heathen and Americans were under the Covenant of Grace Preached to them in that sound, that goes to the end of the world. Why, but Moab, Ammon, and Assyrians, Philistines, Chaldeans, Persians, are the Israel of God, his chosen people, his Sion, and must not the principall promise of the Covenant be made to them? and are we not to beleeve that God will write his Law in the hearts of Cain, Pharaoh, Saul, Doeg, Ahab, Judas, Magus, and of Moabites, Ammonites, Ægyptians, and of all and every one of mankinde, if they be in Covenant with him? Contrair to Psa. 147. 19,20. Hos. 8.12. Exo. 20.1.
Neither can it be said, that all mankind have received a subjective power to beleeve and receive Christ holden forth in the Gospel to us, Printed to be read and heard in the book of Creation, called the objective Gospel, as Adam had power to fulfill the first Covenant, forAdam had the Image of God concreated in his soul by which he was able to fulfill the Law, then must they give us a Scripture to prove that all Adams sons are converted, and restored to the Image of God, born over again, for by no other power but by a new heart, and the actings of God, can men beleeve the Gospel objective, or come to Christ, and do good works Evangelicall by which they are justified, and if it be a remote power that may grow, it is not the like power which Adam had to keep the Law. 2. This
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power is either naturall, or supernaturall: Naturall it cannot be, for then flesh and blood might beleeve, and the wisedom of the flesh might be subject to the Law of God, which the Scripture denies, Mat. 16.16,17. Rom. 8.7. 2. There should be no need that Christ die, except only to satisfie for our breach of the Law, not to purchase new grace to us by his merits, and such a power should be no grace of Christ. If it be a supernaturall grace merited by Christ, then have Pagans, and all the Heathen that supernaturall inherent grace to beleeve in the Son of God, and yet the object thereof, the Gospel is not revealed to them, which is an incongruous dispensation not warranted by the Scripture, that the Lord should give a supernaturall power, to beleeve they know not what. 2. A supernaturall power to beleeve is saving grace, and a power to love Christ, and can saving grace be in Pagans or in any, and they know not of it? 3. Yea sins of Pagans, for which they are condemned, must be the Gospel-sins, for they cannot be Law-sins, for if all mankind be under the Covenant of grace, there can none at all be under the Law: For there can be none under the Covenant of Works, and also under the Covenant of Grace, for they are contrair dispensations, and contrair wayes of salvation. He who is under the Law is not under Grace, and he who is under Grace, is married to Christ, as to another Husband, Rom. 7.4. and not under the Law.
- Saving grace is not in vain, but effectuall, 1 Corinth.15. 10. 1 Tim.1.14. And wee are saved by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 15.11. and no greater mercy can be wished to any, then the grace of our Lord Jesus, Rom. 16.20. 2 Cor. 13.14. Rev. 22.21. by which we are called, justified and glorified. If it be said that this grace is not that effectuall saving grace, bestowed upon the Elect, but a generall remote gracious power, by which we may acquire the saving grace proper to the Elect. But so 1. that grace saving proper to the Elect by this means is in the power of all Pagans, and all must be gifted with a power to purchase that grace proper to the Elect: That must be strange conquishing, we must all be made our own efficacious Redeemers, and Christ is a Saviour by merit, not by efficacy; For if this saving grace be infused, it is
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either infused, we doing nothing to which they cannot stand: Or then it is acquired, and so we make the generall grace saving and proper to the Elect, which everteth the nature of saving grace, and makes it the purchase of works. And they must say that Christ hath merited a generall ineffectuall power to some, and that he dyed to merit a speciall saving grace to others. Let us have a warrant for this, that Christ both died equally to save all, and yet with two contrary intentions, to purchase a power of believing which should be effectuall to some to save them, and ineffectuall to others. If it be said that Christ dyed to merite the same generall power to all, but some make it ineffectuall, some not; This saith thus. 1. That Christs death might have it’s fruit and effect, though all perish. 2. That Christ dyed to merite a far off, lubrick and possible venture of heaven, such as was the case of the first Adam. 3. Christ dyed not to purchase a new heart more to one then to another, whereas 1 Pet. 1. 18,19. the blood the Lord shed is to Redeem us from our vain conversation, in a naturall state as well as to save us from the wrath to come; Then must Christ have died to buy Pagans from Paganism and Idolatry: and that either absolutely, and then why should multitudes so die in their sins? If conditionally, what can be the condition going before conversion, to wit, that we should be delivered from our vain conversation, so we be willing, before our conversion, to be delivered from our vain conversation. And shall not the Question recur concerning that condition? In a word they will have Christs death to buy Heaven, but not to buy faith, without which Heaven is impossible. Yea he no more bought to men a grace sweetly and strongly inclining the will to believe, then he bought such a grace to the damned devils. He purposed to give to all Pagans a power by which they should be made fit to perform all that the Gospel requires, and be fit to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints, Col. 1. And yet Paul gives thanks to God for that bestowed on the Colossians, and God must by this call all men to Christ, either mediately or immediately. And say that God is prepared ever to give more and more as we use the former
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well, and that all by sufficient grace (saith Corvinus) are disposed to conversion, but that sufficiency is not habituall grace, but actuall assistance conveying the Preached Word, which is to bring all to free-wills power, rejecting all infused power, and to make an influence of grace, which is in the power of free will to use or not to use, and to stand in two. 1. In a measure of heavenly Doctrine. 2. In the stirring upon the heart; Whence 1. Grace habituall so is denyed; then the will needeth no healing. 2. Grace universall is limited to the Word Preached, then it is not universall; For Pagans hear not the Word Preached. 3. There is no other help given to free will in every act, but 1. Information by the Word, that was the grace of Pelagius. 2. Some influence of God in every act: But that addes not new strength to the will. Shortly they say, Any man may know, understand and believe the Gospel, if the object be sufficiently proposed and revealed. And so the naturall man can no more know and receive the things of the Gospel, then he can understand the Metaphysicks, the Acromaticks of Aristotle:for these he cannot receive, but judgeth them folly; And so we are the same way blind, dead, stony-hearted to believe the Gospel, as we are to know and believe the mysteries of Aristotles Philosophy.
Lastly, this power of believing and coming to Christ cannot be in all men, since the Scripture saith of all men (even these within the Visible Church not excepted) that untill the light of the Gospel savingly enlighten them, they sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death,Isa. 9. 1. Math. 4.15,16. And [foreign] No man can come to Christ without the Fathers drawing, and God teaching the heart, Joh. 6.44,45. The naturall man, [foreign], cannot understand the things of God, but judges them foolishnesse, 1 Cor. 2.14. His wisedome cannot be subject to the Law of God. Rom. 8.7. He cannot ([foreign]) call the Lord, Jesus, except by the Spirit of Jesus, 1 Cor. 12.3. He is a withered branch
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being out of Christ, and can do nothing, Joh. 15.3.4. It shall be clear to any, that the Holy Ghost denyeth any such power, as they affirm. It reckons not much to tell that Jesuites, as Martmez de Ripul, Swarez, Alphonsus Curiel, Duvallius, Lod. Molma, Did. Ruiz, Vasquez, Bellarmine, Phili. Samachæus, Sorbonicus, Gulie. Estius, Dominica, Toletus Cardinalis, Pirerius, Salmeron, teach that, without saving grace, men may, and can first know morall truths, shining vertues, as heathens, be free of sin, as touching these vertues in their due circumstances. 2. Keep the Commandements and Law of Nature. 3. Dispose themselves for, and obtain the grace of Conversion by their own industrie. 4. Be victorious over this or that weighty temptation singly taken. 5. That there is no intrinsecall hurt of free-will, that it is wounded a little, because of the darknesse of the mind, and langour of nature, but not dead to actions supernaturall. 6. That we may love God as the Author of nature, and Creator sincerelie; And Arminians teach that we may without the Spirit of God know all truth, quantum sufficit ad salutem, sufficiently to salvation, and so may will, love, and beleeve without the infused supernaturall habit or grace, so their Apologie.
And the Socinian Catechism, c. 6. pag. 212. and Socinus himself, Prælect. Theol. Cap. 4. Fol. 15,16. Et de officio hominis Christi: Cap. 5. Smalcius on Joh. 1. Hom. 3. Give to us man-whole, sound, sinlesse, as he came from the first Adam. 2. That man can do all that Cod commands him with little help of God. 3. Its an errour (saith Smalcius) that a man hath no strength in spirituall things, there is no need of the inward gift of the Spirit of God to beleeve (saith the Raccovian Catechism) for we read not that such a gift in Scripture is bestowed upon any but upon beleevers:
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such as are born of Adam (saith Socinus) are all born in the same condition, and nothing is taken from such a man, which he naturally hath or was to have. Ostorodius Justi. Relig. Christ. cap. 21. Prædicatio sola Euangelis potest hominem absq, internâ Spiritus illuminatione, & operatione à peccatis convertere. The only Preaching of the Gospel without the inward illumination by the Holy Spirit, and his working is able to convert a man from sin. All which is Printed and taught, and many other abominable errours to us.
To this Objection against universall grace (as I judge unanswerable) Corvinus Answers, that all the places of Scripture brought to prove mans inability to beleeve in Christ, and to worship him, conclude well that a man hath not strength of himself without Christ and his grace; but this is but to cloud the truth, and to mock the reader, for if all and every man (even the Infants of Pagans) be in Covenant through Christ, and be made able by a gifted grace common to all, within, and without the Church, by which they are able by degrees to do all that the Gospel requires, what avails it to discourage them, and to tell, they are not masters of a good thought, without grace; for they are no lesse masters of good thoughts and good words, and of good actions then Adam was; for they are not hearers of the Gospel by nature, but as gifted with universall grace, they are hearers, and before their conversion, and before they receive the Spirit of Regeneration, can please God, and prepare themselves for Regeneration: Yea there is no animal and naturall Pagan de facto existing in the world (by their way) who cannot receive the things of God, and cannot come to Christ, except he be drawn, for all Pagans and others are drawn, and by this it might have been said, Adam as wanting supernaturall grace, and as a naturall man (for the Image of God was supernaturall grace to Adam, as Arminius and Corvinus teach) so, was not able to think a good thought, as 2 Cor. 3.5. nor able to receive the things of God, as the naturall man, 1 Cor. 2.14. and Adam so was also dead in trespasses and sins, and must come to Christ the same way to wit, drawn by the grace super-added to nature, as we fallen sinners do.
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CHAP. XVI.
Cases from the former Doctrine.
- The differences betwixt such as are externally, visibly, and conditionally, and such as are internally and personally in Covenant with God. 2. Gods esteem, not mens, make Nations Visible Churches. 3 The first and prime subject of speciall Church-priviledge. 4. Gods command to receive seals, no warrand to all members to challenge them.
- 1. IF multitudes and people externally Covenanted with God, though not internally, whom the Lord calls his people and chosen by him, Deut.7.6. Deut. 10.15. be the rightly constitute and Visible Church, as Mr. Thomas Hooker granteth, then Kingdoms must be his Visible Church. Answ. No doubt, Egypt, Assyria, all Nations, all the ends of the world, all the Kingdoms of this world, are Prophesied to be the Kingdomes and Covenanted people of God, and the Lord challengeth them as his, (Isa. 19.25. blessed be Egypt my people) Isa. 2. 1,2,3. Psal. 22.27. Rev. 11.15. Psal. 96. Psal. 97. Psal. 98. Isal. 42.10. Isai. 49. 7,8. 20,21. Cant. 8.8.—Act. 13. 46,47. Rom. 15. 8,9,10,11,12. must be the visible Covenanted Churches of God, to whom the seals of the Covenant are due; But that none in Ægypt, Assyria, of all the called Gentiles, though visibly and professedly in Covenant, and affirmed by the mouth of the Lord to be his people, the Sister of the Jewish Church, and his Kingdoms, are members of the Visible Church, or hath right to membership and seals, except men judge them to be reall converts, sound beleevers, and so internally called and chosen, is to preferre the judgement of men, to the Word of God. And since he saith that Kingdomes, fathers, children, are his in Covenant, and chosen to be his people, in regard the Lord calleth them by his Word, as he did Israel, Deut. 7.6. Deut. 10.15. Psal. 147. 19,20. they must be all Visible Churches in Gods esteem; except he say they are not
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Visible Churches, except men also esteem and judge them not only externally, but really and internally justified and effectually called. 2. These we are to judge in Covenant visibly, whom the Lord so calls, and to these the seals do belong Ecclesiastically, though we see not signes of their inward conversion; Except we say that our judgement is surer then the Lords; But the Lord calls Nations, the Gentiles so, and so must Paul and Church members judge all the Kingdomes, and all the Gentiles reall converts; Else the seals are not due to them. 3. If we must judge them all really redeemed and sanctified, who are fed by Pastors, as Mr. Hooker teacheth from Acts 20.28. seed the stock, then are we to esteem all the fathers who were baptized unto Moses in the Cloud, and in the Sea, and did eat the same spirituall meat, and did all drink of the same spirituall Rock Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 1,2,3,4. to be really redeemed, reall beleevers, and the whole world to be really redeemed, and yet the world is not the Church, yet they were Idolaters, murmurers, visibly known to be such; And John ‘Baptistwas oblidged to esteem the multitudes, all Judea who were baptized of him, Mark 1.5. Luk. 3.7. Matth. 3. 2,3,4. really sanctified and redeemed, yea and since there be Prophesies under the Messias, that all the Kingdomes of the world, Rev. 11.15. Ægypt, Assyria, Isa. 19.25. all Nations, Isa. 2.2. all the Gentiles, Isa. 60. shall be the confederate people of God, we must believe that all these Kingdomes are visible Saints, chosen to life as the Corinthians and Ephesians were, 1 Cor. 1.1. Eph. 1.4. So argues Mr. Thomas Hooker from confederacie. 4. Let one word in Old or New Testament be given of a Judicature giving judicially sentence on earth of a number that professedly are hearers, that so many are to be admitted as due members of the Church, because conceived of men to be regenerated, and so many rejected, because conceived to be non-converts; or what word of Christ there is that doth regulate the judiciall sentence, as touching the time how long the Church member hath been so. 2. What motives or inducements led Simon Magus, and the generation of vipers, the multitude and all the people baptized, Luke 3.7. compared with Luk. 3.2. Matth. 3.5,6. Mark 1.5. (for as many as went out to be baptized were baptized, but all Jerusalem, and all Judea went out,
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Mat. 3. 5,6. and were baptized, saith Mark 1.5.) what motives I say, led and induced them to join? For they joined but for a season, Joh. 5.35. Matth. 21.32. and what rule of the word there is to regulate us in judging of these motives? 3. What outward marks the word gives of outward regeneration, and consequently of predestination to glory, justification, Effectuall Calling, made visible, which we must see in others, before Pastours can feed them as Pastours, for the word is in all the like a perfect rule.
Quest. 2. What is the first principall and only proper subject of the promises of speciall note, in the Mediator, of the promise of a new heart, of the styles, properties and priviledges of speciall note; That is, to be called the body of CHRIST, the Anointed ones, and such as shall never fall away, Jer. 32. 39,40. Jer. 31. 35,36. Answ. Only the invisible and Mysticall body of Christ for a promise of a new heart, of the Law ingraven in the inward parts, of the anointing, Jer. 31.33. Isa. 54.13. Heb. 8.10. of perseverance, Jer. 31. 35,36. Isa.54.10. Isa. 59. 20,21. Jer. 32. 39,40. Joh. 10. 27,28,29. are promises of speciall note in the Mediator; And if any say that the Visible Church as such, as visible, whereof Simon Magus is a member, is the first principall subject of these promises or of priviledges of speciall note in the Mediator, they must join (it may be mistakenly) with Arminians. Mr. Thomas Hooker did not so ingenuously as need were, refute this Thesis of mine, as he ought to have done, but framed an other of his own, and refuted it, to wit, which is not owned by me. The InvisibleChurch is not the prime and only subject of the seals, that is, of the externall seals. I grant all the externall seals is not a priviledge of speciall note in the Mediator, for it is a priviledge of Ishmael, Magus, and of all prophane Hypocrites. And it is not to be said that Hypocrites and gracelesse men, Ishmael, and Esau, have a command of God to receive the seals, and a warrand and from his Word to require them, as that pious and grave man Mr. Thom. Hooker saith in his Survey, Part. 1. Cap. 3. pag. 41,42. For (saith he) there can be no better right then Gods command to injoin, and his Word to warrand us to challenge any priviledge. The command
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of God is a good warrand to the Church and Ministers to conferre the seals to Ishmael, Simon Magus, Judas, though no Word of God warrand us judicially to sentence them to be regenerate, before the Ministers can confer the seals, as Mr. Hooker and his teach, but that the command of God is a good right and warrand to Esau, and Simon Magus, to require and to challenge the seals is not written in the Scripture, with the good leave of that pious man, no more nor usurpers have warrand to challenge that to which they have no right, or a robber hath warrand to require the purse of an innocent traveller. Can the sorcerer Magus say, there can be no better right then I have to challenge Baptism and the Lords Supper? Why? I have the command of God. Nay but an answer is soon returned to the witch: The Church of Samaria hath Gods warrand to confer the seals, so long as the witches skill fails him not to act fairly the part of the painted professour, but the conditionall command of an externally Preached Covenant, is not the best right, nay, no right at all for him to challenge the seals, except he come beleeving and discerning the Lords Body, and mourning for sin, and fulfill the condition: Indeed if the Lord had commanded Magus and all the visible members, with an absolute command, Come and receive the seals whether ye professe, know Christ, or beleeve and repent, or not; that command should warrand all to challenge, but I trust Mr. Hooker will not stand to such a command. And therefore distinguish betwixt jus activum, ane active right in the Church to confer the seals, and jus passivum, a passive right in Magus to challenge: The latter requires that Magus have right as a beleever, and in foro Dei, both to the seal and interest in Christ, by the grant of Adversaries; Else he hath no right, no command of God to challenge the seals. And therefore we must distinguish betwixt the Covenant of Grace, qua factum & initum, & qua annunciatum, the Covenant, I say, as made with some, and yet Preached to all. And whereas Mr. Hooker saith, 38,39.pag. that he cannot see how the will of purpose, and the will of revealed command, do not contain apparent contradictions. This Godly man hatedArminians, when he saw them in daylight. I cannot now insist to answer him and Papists and Arminians who object the very same thing. It is clear they differ much,
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but they are not contradicent, more then the decree of God, and the morall obligation of men are contrair. Hypocrites and such, are only visible members and no more, and have no true and internall right and interest in the seals according to the inward grace signified or the promises of a new heart, which are absolute and made to the Elect and beleevers, who are the only principall prime and proper subject of such promises of speciall note in the Mediator.
Quest. 3. What be these principall reall Covenanters to whom onely, the new heart is absolutely promised, and how are they known.
CHAP. XVI.
- Of the hypocrisie, of formall Covenanters.2. Selfdeceit. 3. The new Spirit. 4. Revelations and Prophecies. 5. Markes of a Spirituall disposition.
Answ. THis toucheth the differences of the old and stony heart in such as are externally only in Covenant with God, and are Hypocrites: And the new and soft heart of such as are internall, reall, and absolute Covenanters: Hence these propositions.
- An Hypocrite is he who in the stage represents a King, when he is none, a begger, an old man, a husband, when he is really no such thing, Luke20.20. They sent out spies, faining themselves to be just men:To the Hebrews they are [foreign] faciales, facemen, men of the face and vizard and [foreign] colorati, dyed men, rid men, dipped, baptized, from the root [foreign] to dye, dip, wash, baptize, Jer. 12.9. mine heritage is to me as an speckled bird, or a pyed bird, and hath casten off my simple liverie, and so is a bird of many sundrie colours: The Hypocrite is dyed and watered with a hew and colour of godlinesse. Coneph noteth hypocrisie, Isa. 32. 6. from [foreign] simulavit, fraudulenter egit. The noune [foreign] Chald. [foreign] a dissembler, an Hypocrite, who is sometimes just, sometimes wicked, the root by a Metaphore is to pollute,
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and defile, Psal. 106. the land was defiled with bloods: Hence the Hypocrite is all things, and all men, and nothing, and no man but himself.
Hypocrisie is considered in it self, and so it is opposed to sincerity. Or in relation to these graces and duties which it fenzies, and so it is opposed to all the true vertues which it lyingly and feinzedly represents, as painting is opposed to realitie in nature, being a counterfeiting of nature, and it is opposed to things that are painted, so a living man, and a growing rose, things obvious to the eyes of sense are most easily painted as colours lineaments, as a mans body, but things that fall under the understanding only, as the soul, and under the sense of smelling and touching, are hardly pictured. Ye may paint the man, the roses, the colour, figure, and the fires red flaming, but he cannot paint the soul, the smell of the rose, or the heat of the fire: It is hard to counterfite spirituall graces, as love of Christ, sincere believing intending of the Glory of God, Its hard to get a coat, or put painture on spirituall graces, and the more ye counterfite the Spirit, the more Divell-like is the forgerie, for he changeth himself into an Angel of light. There is some use for painted men, for they serve for ornament, but there is no use for faith but resting upon Christ, nor for love, but to cleave to God, and please him and our neighbour: In all duties we counterfite but the outward bulk of graces and actions, and would seeme to do what we do not: If the colour of graces and godlinesse be desireable, it self is more desireable, but to imitate only the externalls of the Covenant of Grace to keep a roome in the Church, is to put a lie and mock upon the Lord, and to reproach him with dimnesse of sight: And such as hate Christand the Godly in their heart, and first cloath them with the coat of hypocrites, lyers, Samaritanes, seditious men, they much more hate Godlinesse, he that would have the picture of the man stobbed or hanged, would much more have the living man in person stobbed or hanged.
Hypocrisie is a resembling of a morall good for vaine glory: In not hypocrisie to suppresse tears in Prayer, least the man seeme to seek himself, nor for a father to seeme to be angry at his childe or servant when he is not angry, nor to put on deafnesse at reproaches,
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Psal. 38. 12. They speak mischievous things, 13. But I as a deaf man heard not: It was prudencie, not hypocrisie in Saul to hold his peace and misken when the sons of Beliall despised him, it being the beginning of his reigne, 1 Sam. 10. 27. Nor is it hypocrisie in a Magistrate orJoseph to put on an other person to his brethren, though if the ground be unbelief, it is not lawfull for David to feinzie himself mad: Nor for Ammon to counterfite sicknesse, or to put a lie upon providence: And yet it is not hypocrisie for Solomon to seeme to divide in two the living childe with a sword, or for the men of Israel to flie before the men of Ai. A lawfull end and a right end and motive, contributes goodnesse to actions that are not intrinsecally evill.
There is a naturall hypocrisie in all, every man in both sides of the Sun is a lyar, he that said he would wish that he might dwell in the land beyond the dawning of the morning, where they are all sincere, wished to dwell where there are no men; for whereever men are, there are hypocrites and hypocrisie. There is an acquired hypocrisie in all, lesse or more, and an habit thereof in not a few.
According to mens wayes so are men white and painted Hypocrites; Herod professeth to worship Christ and mindes to kill him, Math. 2. And Absolom covers treason and rebellion against his father and prince, with the whitenesse of a vow at Hebron, what better is the whoore and what more devoute to say, Prov. 7. 14. I have peace offerings with me, to day have I payed my vowes? under the vail of zeal (they think it) service to God to kill the Apostles, Joh. 16.
But the worst of Hypocrites is he who makes himself a Hypocrite, not before God onely, and before men, but whitens and paints himself before himself, and deceives himself, 1 Joh. 1. 8. It is strange a man hath such a power over himself, as to perswade himself that he hath no sin, not only in point of faith, as such as deny any originall sinne in themselves or others; as many seducers now do, Socinians, Arminians, diverse Anabaptists, and such as say, the Law may be fulfilled by Grace, we are justified by Works: It is possible to be free of sin in this life and to be perfite, so as they cannot sin: But also practically a mans heart may deceive
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his heart, and may perswade himself that he is Godly and Religious, Jam. 1. 26. and that his wayes are right, Prov. 14. 12. and may say within his heart, and so think not only, I am holier then thou, and yet not be so much as ceremonially holy, but remaine in the graves and eat swines flesh, Isa. 65. 45. but I say I am rich (and which is above admiration) I have need of nothing, Rev. 3. 17. that I have no need of forgivenesse, of saving Grace, of the Redeemer Christ, of Salvation. And this is so much the more dangerous, that the prejudice and blindnesse of self-love, doth more strongly perswade self-godlinesse then any godlinesse of the world, and begets a more strongly radicated and fixed habite of believing self-godlinesse, then Ministers the godliest of them, and Professors, and Angels, and the Lord immediatly speaking (so long as the revelation is literall) Numb. 22.12,24,28. and Christ Preaching in his Person, Math. 8. 9, 14. Math. 21.43,44,45. Luke 16.13,14. Ioh. 10.24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31. and the Apostles, Acts 24.25,26. Acts 26.2,3,4 5 6, &c. 24. can be able to root out, for they can fence and ward off, and can let out blowes at all that ye can say, and cary this habite of a false opinion of self-holinesse to Eternitie with them, and stand to what conceited lamps they hear on earth, did glister withall; and plead against the Lord in his face, that the sentence of condemnation is unjust, Matth. 25. 44. and that they deserve for their profession to be admitted in to the Bride-groomes chamber, Math. 7. 22. Matth. 25. 11. Luke 13. 25. and all such fairded Professors, are externally only in Covenant with God. And therefore these are sad marks, when first ye hid your lusts and nourish them, and feed upon the East wind of some created last end, and have not God for your last end, Luke 12. 19. Psal. 49.11. Psal. 4. 6. Ier. 22. 17. 2. When ye know not that ye are poor, miserable, blind, naked, Rev. 3. 17. Math. 9. 11, 12,13. Luke 15. 2. Luke 19. 7. and ye were never in Christs hospitall, and are whole and need no Physick. 3. Ye loath Christ but knows it not, Luke 7. 44. 45. ye love Christ as a supposed Prophet, and loath him as a Redeemer. One may deadly hate Christ, and not know it. 4. Ye cannot compare the two states together, the state of nature and the state of Grace, as 1 Tim. 1. 13. ye idolize your own choise, to bear down Achabs Idolatrie,
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but choose not the will of God to oppose. Ieroboams Idolatrie. 5. Ye want Christ, and ye were not born with Christ in the heart. 2. Yea ye are eternally lost without him, and know neither the one nor the other.
Quest. 4. Whether or not are beleevers the parties of the Covenant of Grace. Ans. These are parties to whom the Covenant-promise is made, not these who already have the benefit promised in the Covenant, but beleevers must have a new heart, and consequently faith already, therefore they cannot be parties with whom the Covenant is made. As because the Image of God is not promised to Adam in the Covenant of Works, but presupposed to be in him by order of nature, before God make with him the Covenant of Works, else he could not be able to keep that Covenant, which we cannot say, for God created him right and holy, Gen. 1.26,27. Eccles. 7. 29. Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Therefore Adam in his pure naturalls, as not yet indued with the Image of God, cannot be the partie with whom the Covenant of Works is made, for then the Image of God must either be a reward, which Adam by his pure naturalls and strength thereof must purchase by working, which the Scripture and nature of the Covenant cannot admit, or then the Image of God must be promised of Adam in the Covenant of Works, which is no lesse absurd. And if faith be promised in the Gospel, the Covenant of Grace must be made with some Israel and Judah as predestinated to life eternall and yet wanting a new heart: For God cannot Covenant-ways promise a new heart to such as have it, but to such as have a stony heart and beleeve not, Ezek. 36. 26. Deut. 30.6. Ezek. 11.19. nor can he promise faith to such as have faith this way.
Quest. 5. Who are these that have the new heart, and so are personally and really within the Covenant of grace. Ans. Because the new spirit is given, when the new heart is given, Ezek. 36.27. Ezek. 18.31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit, and many in our times boast of the spirit, it shall be fit to speak of the new spirit, and who are spirituall.
Hence these Questions of the new spirit.
Quest. 1. What is the seed of the new spirit?
Ans. The word of the Gospel, therefore before Adam could
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have the Gospel-spirit, the Lord must reveal the Doctrine of the Gospel, the seed of the woman must tread down the head of the serpent, Gen.3. So the word and the spirit are promised together, Isa. 59.21. Isa. 30.21 Thy teachers shall not be removed, and thine ears shall hear (this is the inward teaching) a voice behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye in it. Isa. 51.16,17. Mat. 28. 20. Go teach, that is the word: Loe I am with you to the end of the world, that is the Spirit to make it effectuall, by my Spirit, Joh. 14.16,17.
Object. But Adam when he heard first the Doctrine of the blessed seed, could not try the Doctrine or speaker, by any new Doctrine.
Ans. The first Doctrine can be tryed by no other rule, because it was the first rule it self, nor can these principalls written in the heart naturally (That God is) (God is just, holy) &c. be tryed by any other truths, because they are first truths; As the sense of seeing cannot try whether the Sun be the Sun by the light of some other Sun, that is before this Sun, which is more lightsome. For there is not another Sun before this, the Gospel it self hath God shining in it, to these who are enlightened, as Adam was, a Rubbie doth speak that is a Rubbie.
Obj. How then should Adam know what God spake to him and not to another, are we not to try all spirits that speak?
Ans. There is a word immediatly spoken by the Prophets, and Apostles, that is to be tryed, partly by the first Preaching the Lord made in Paradise, partly by the effects, that it converteth the soul, Psal. 19.7. and smells of that same Majesty, and the divine power of another life, which is in the first Sermon, Gen. 3. 15. this is Verbum Dei immediatum. But when God himself speaks in his own person to Adam, to Abraham, Gen. 22. to Moses, Isaiah, the Apostles, that is Verbum Dei immediatissimum, the fountain-word; neither word nor speaker is to be tryed. The Patriarchs and Prophets are never bidden try the visions of God, for when God speaks them himself, he makes it evident that it is he, and only he who speaks, and we read not of any in this deceived, Angels or men cannot counterfeit God.
Obj. There have, after the Canon of the Scripture is closed,
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been some men, who have Prophesied facts to come, that fell out as they foretold, just as Isaiah, Elias, and other Prophets, then something is to be beleeved, that is not written, and such may have the Spirit, and yet no word of Scripture goes along with it.
Ans. 1. Such men may have (I confesse) a Propheticall spirit, but first, they were eminently holy and sound in the faith, and taught that the Catholick Church should beleeve nothing, nor practise nothing, but what is warranted by the Word. Such as boast of Spirit or Prophesie, and reject the word, are therefore not to be beleeved.
- What these men of God foretold, is a particular fact concerning a man, what death he should die, or a Nation, or a particular, such a man shall be eternally saved, but no dogma fidei,nor any truth that lays bands on the Catholick Church to believe that to the end of the world, as all Scripturall truths do, and a doubt it is, if we are to beleeve these, in the individuall circumstances of fact, sub periculo peccati,upon hazard of sinning against God, we may, I judge, without sin suspend belief, and yeeld charity to the speaker.
- If any object, the Prophets did foretell particular facts concerning the death of Ahab,the birth of Josiah,which concerned particular persons: I, but they so were the maters of fact (as the crucifying of Christ was a mater of fact) as also they did by the intent of the Holy Ghost contain Historicall, Morall and dogmatically divine Instructions, so that the whole Catholick Church must believe them, with certainty of divine faith, they being written and spoken for our Instruction, and they sin who believe not.
Quest. 2. What are we to judge of these truths revealed to Professors, when they are in much nearnesse to God, and the Lord is pleased to shine upon them in some fulness of manifestation of himself to their souls, especially in particular facts? Answ. There is a wide difference betwixt revelations, which speak what is lawfull or unlawfull, agreeable unto or repugnant to the Word; And what is good in jure, and what in facto, shall come to passe or not come to passe, what ever is given to revelations of the former sort, is taken from the Scripture, whose peculiar perfection it is to show
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what is good and just, what not; Therefore to say that revelations now do guide us in disobeying higher Powers or killing men, &c. is a wronging of the Word, especially of the first, second and sixth Commands. As to the other, God may and doth lead his owne, especially when they are near glory, under fewest prejudices touching time and eternity, to speak what shall be, but it is not our rule. It’s an Argument of nought, Such a thing was mightily born in upon my spirit as lawfull and as certainly to come to passe, when I was most near to GOD in a full manifestation of himself: therefore such a way is right, or such a way shall come to passe; For not to say 1. that this is a wronging of the perfection of Scripture, and 2. That there is a bastard Logick in the affections where God and nature hath seated discursive power; And we often prophesie, because we love, not because we see the visions of God. 3. Peter might, the same way, reason, I saw the glory of heaven at the transfiguration, and the Peers of the higher house, Moses and Elias, and this was then mightily born in upon my spirit, It is good for us to be here, let us build three Tabernacles; therefore this is true, It is good for us to be here: But the Conclusion is a dream; who should preach the Gospel as witnesses and suffer for it, and write Canonick Scripture, if these Disciples should be for ever there? And if they should be separated from the whole glorified body, and make up a Church eternally glorified in that Mount, of only six persons: And the word saith, Peter being drunk with glory, Mark 9. 6. [foreign] knew not what he said, and the Disciples were sleeping, not prophecying, Luke 9. 32. which saith they were in heaven, but cloathed with bodies of sin, and not led by Scripture-light (as that good Prophecie of Peter was contrair to the Gospel of suffering and dying, that Christ prophesied was abiding himself, and all his, Math. 16. 21, 22.) we should reel and sin: for there may be no connexion between the present nearnesse to God and the thing suggested in the spirit; and they cohere by accident. So one in prayer is near God in respect of sweetnesse of accesse, and yet the individuall favour which ye pray for conditionally, never granted; Ye may be saved, and God more glorified in the sufficiency of his grace, without granting it to you, as is clear 2 Cor. 12. 9. Sorrow and desire can suggest such an
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answer to the fasting of Israel, as they may say and think, they shall be victorious now over the children of Benjamin, and yet they are deceived. The heart would be silent and let God speak here. The fight may be dazled in nearnesse to God, and we take our marks by the Moon; And the liberty of praying is terminated upon the fiduciall acts, and we think it is fastened upon the particular thing we seek: And here the Antecedent is true, as heaven, and the Consequence folly and darknesse. So John, Rev. 19. and cap. 22. seeth Heaven opened, and behold a white horse and him who sate on him. and he heard the, voice of many, saying, Halelujah, and saw the pure river of water of life, the tree of life, the Throne, and Him that sate thereupon, &c. But he did not rightly infer that he might therefore fall down and worship a created Angel. All which saith they vainly boast of the Spirit who reject the light of Scripture, which is a surer day-star then the light of glory, for our direction. The light of glory is for our perfection of happinesse, in seeing and enjoying the last end, but not for our instruction in leading to the end, and the means. The Candle-light, and Sun-light in the City comes not without the City to direct us in the way, the lights and torches in Jerusalem and the new City serve not to guide the way to these Cities.
- The spirituall man judgeth all things, but by the word. In one particular, Samuel,in another, Tertullian,dottes upon Montanus, some of the prime fathers, otherwise Godly, are blacked with Platoes purgatory, and some of them with invocation of Saints, yet speaking to them doubtingly [foreign],say; the spirit may be, where some particular errours are, but if the judgement be rotten and unsound in the matters of God, rottennesse in the one side of the Apple creeps through the whole, and so doth corruption from the minde sink down to the heart. A godly heretick I cannot know.
- Any bone or hurt member in walking, actually pains and breedeth aiking, if there be a piercing and a graving conviction, in a Christian motion, that untowardnesse and opposition from the flesh, pains the spirit and new man, and hinders the stirrings of the Spirit, it saith the Spirit is there, as water cast upon fire speaketh there is fire, Rom.7.15,16,23,24. It were good to try the untowardnesse
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to spirituall duties, and severall kinds of delight, whether it be borrowed delight from the literall facilitie of the gift, from gaine and glory, adhereing to the office and calling, or from the inbred sweetnesse in honouring God, crooking and pain in walking is a token of life-walking.
- Its a spirituall disposition in the Church, Cant.2. in a particular soul, to know and be able to give an exact account of all the motions, goings and comings of Christ, where he lyeth as a bundle of myrrhe all the night,even betwixt the breasts,Cant. 1. 13. when the King brings you into his house of new wine, Cant. 1.4. Cant. 2.4. when he speaks, Cant. 2.8,10.–My beloved spake and said to me, arise, my love, my fair one, and come away, when he knocks, know ye his knock, to tell over again his words, open to me my sister, &c. where he is. Cant. 2. 8.Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills, where he is in his dispensation to his Ancient Church? Cant. 2. 9. Behold he standeth behind our well, he looketh forth at the windows. 16. He feedeth among the Lillies: when, and how he imbraceth, Cant. 2.6. His left hand is under my head, his right hand doth imbrace me: when he withdrawes, Cam. 5.6. and is not to be found, I sought him, but I found him not, I called him, but he answered me not. Cant. 5.6. Cant. 3.1,2. how hard he is to be found, and how easie he is to be found, Cant. 3.1,2.3,4. what spirituall stirrings he makes in the heart, Cant. 5,4. My beloved put in his hand by the key-hole. For (1.) this speaks much soul-love to be where he is. Cant. 1.7. (2.) To be able to write a spirituall Chronicle and History of all Christs stirrings towards your soul saith ye have letters daily, and good intelligence of the affairs of the Spirit, and of the Kings Court, and that he writes to you, as Cant. 5.1. I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice, I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: Then will Christ write a letter to spirituall ones, and (as it were, with reverence to his Holinesse) give a sort of account where he is, what he does, what thoughts he hath to us: O! how few know this?
- Godly missing of Christ must be a gracious disposition, Cant.5.6. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself,
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Cant. 3.1. I sought him but I found him not, vers.2. I sought him but I found him not. Such as are pleased with a bare literall missing and are not also in a holy manner anxious and are not
- Restlesse in rising and going through the City,in the streets and the broad wayes, seeking and asking, saw ye him whom my soul loveth?Cant. 3.1,2,3. are not so spirituall, as is required. Cant. 5.6. My beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone, my soul failed when he spake, remembring his speeches, when he knocked. v. 2. There may be some too longsome securitie under sad falls, when he is not soon missed, 2 Sam. 11. 1,2,3. Psal. 26.15. Yea a spirituall soul having regard to all the Commandements misseth the spirits acting in all the wayes in eating, Pro. 3.6. Act. 27.35.1 Cor. 10.31. Job 1.5.
- Frequent convictions (which are the connaturall actings of the Spirit) Joh.16.9. and of the most spirituall sins, as of unbeleef, and Gospel ignorance, Joh.16.9. prove a spirituall state: as flaming prove fire to be fire. Unbeleef is more contrair to the Spirit, then carnall sins being most contrary to the flower and bloomings of the Spirit in his sweetest operations, and most against the Mediator-love of Christ. For as by the fall, Christ hath a new Office to redeem us, Matth. 1.21. I Tim. 1.15. Luke 19.10. Isa. 61.1,2. Isa. 44.6,9. So the Spirit hath a new Office, which he should not have had, if man had not sinned, to apply the blood of sprinkling as a sort of Mediatory intercession, to dippe us in the fountain of his blood. John 16. 14. He shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you. Joh. 14.16. to be the Comforter, Joh. 14.16. the Leader, Joh. 16.13. the Witnesse, Joh. 15.26. Rom. 8.15,16. The Spirit in his Office cannot step one foot with the unbeleever. Hence much tendernesse and smiting of heart where the Spirit, Sam. 24.5. is. Yea conscience to weep as one over his mothers grave, for his enemies, Ps.35.13,14. and strict doubling of faith in greatest deeps: In which Christ proves himself to be more then a believing man, Mat. 26.39. Luk. 22.42,44. for no man that is only man can both drink hell & believe heaven at once. 8. In duties there be these. 1. The end. 2. The delight in them. 3. The successe. As to the first, the lesse of the creature and self, and the more of God in the second, so much the more denyed and spirituall is the doer, when purely
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for God [foreign] we do, 1 Cor. 10.13. Col. 3.23. we are sick for God, and in health for God, and wake to him, Psal. 119. 62, 147, 148. and sleep to him, Psal. 16. 7. Psal. 139. 18. live to him, 1 Pet. 2. 23. live and die to him and to Christ, Rom. 14. 7. 8. and pray to him, even when we speak to God, Eccles. 5.1,2. and preach to prepare a Bride to him, 2 Cor. 1. 14. 2 Cor. 4.25. we may be not speaking to God, or for God and his honour, 1 Cor. 11. 2. 1 Thess. 2.19,20. How miserable and carnall to doe all for the creature, the flesh, Rom.13.14. Jer. 22. 15. Isa. 5.8. for self, Dan. 4. 30. Heb. 2.5,6. and this speaks much of the Spirit when the man is sick and hungry, for the exalting of God, and the will is so capaciously wide in this, that he would his eternal glory were a foot-stool for the highting of his glory,Exod. 32 Rom. 9. 3. the will is a most spirituall and capacious facultie, and O! what acceptable service when the mans will looks right toward an infinite Majestie, as thirsting for and panting after this: O! $$ all beings, millions of Worlds, Angels and men, and all created beings, Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moone, Stars, Clouds, Air, Seas, Floods, Beasts, Birds, Fishes, and all the drops of Raine and Hail, Snow, Dew, so many Worlds of Angels would sing his praises? What wonder then, he accept the will for the deed? And what is to be thought of the will averse from God, and which hates him, and wishes that God were not? How contrair to a Spirituall disposition is this?
- For delight, it is a spirituall disposition, to go about the duty as duty, ut bonum honestum,and not upon this formall account because it delighteth us; Except the delight be in the Law of the Lord, night and day, as it glorifieth him. 2. It’s spiritualnesse, when abstractedly from private consolation we go about the duty for God, and can rest upon suffering and burning quick as it is duty, though the sufferer should be deserted all the while; We often feed our selves with the bonum secundum,the pleasantnesse in the duty, which is our sin, except the sweetnesse of the holinesse of the duty be our delight, and the beauty of pleasing God allure us, but feeling being away, we find how hard it is, to delight our selves in the Lord. 3. We do duties too often, for the success not for the duty: We pray, the Lord hears not, we wearie
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we rebnke men, they care not, and we wearie; Sucesse and not duty, self-delight and not the honouring of God, which should be all our delight, take us up. I pray and weep for my enemies (Ah! if it could be done) saith David, they are worse, Psal. 35. 13. but my prayer returned to my bosome, that is, the sweet peace of God, which is the fruit of the duty of praying came to my soul, and cheered me. We consider not that the promise of peace, and consolation is made to the duty it self, Psal. 119.165. Psal. 19.11. Prov. 3.21,22,23,24,25. not to successe of the duty, and wee consider not that we are to be quieted in the duty, and to be armed with patience, against the temptation of the duty. Often it in-rages Pharisees against CHRIST and the Apostles, yet the Spirit bids them Preach. Therefore whether successe in praying, and the suggar of delight in duties hire us, or not; We are to know that though Abrahams offering of Isaac to God had neither in it the one nor the other, nor our Saviours offering himself to God, for the sinnes of the world; If reason weigh the one and the other, yet because both were performed upon the motive of the love of God commanding, both was most spirituall obedience, especially, because the duty is both work and wage, and the more of the Word of God is in the obedience; I mean not the letter only, but the word including the love. 2. The authority of the Commander. 3. The beauty apprehended to be, and the peace in obedience; the more spirituall is the obedience: The letter only may show you duty, your obligation, and the penaltie of disobeying, and all these three in a literall way, and yet upon that account, the obedience is not spirituall, but Gospel-love added to the Laws-letter makes spirituall obedience.
CHAP. XVIII.
The new heart of Covenanters, the Nature, Characters, Properties thereof, hitherto of the new Spirit.
Quest. 6. WHen are we to judge, that we have a new heart? And when do we know that it is not the old heart?
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Ans. 1 Propos. As Physically, so also Morally, the heart is the man, the good heart, the good man, the evill heart, the evill man, and God weights men by the weight, not of the tongue, of the hands, of the outward man, but by the weight of the heart: Asa his heart was perfect, 2 Chron. 15.17. the heart of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 17.3. was perefect. And Psal. 78. 37. their heart was not right: the froward heart is the froward man, Pro. 3.32. For there is a man speaking within a man, and a heart within a heart acting, as if it were a man made up of soul and body. Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend up to Heaven, so the King of Babylon, Isa. 14.13. So the heart acts Heaven or Hell within the man, Psal. 14.1. Luk. 12.19. they have a heart [foreign] busied in the Colledge, studying and reading covetousnesse, 2Pet. 2. 14.
- Propos.When the Lord tryes the man, he tryes the heart and the reins, Prov. 15.11. Hell and the heart both are naked before him. Prov. 17.3. Theodoret. God acteth the noon-day-Sun meridionaliter in every heart: The man himself is without, and God within, Jer. 17.9. Man searcheth not his own heart and reins, for there be plottings and inclinations to evill in the heart, which the heart knows not, 2 King. 8.12,13. Peter hath a better heart then all men in the books of his own heart, Matth. 26.33. but its not so indeed.
- Propos.The washen heart that lodges not vain thoughts, Jer. 4.14. purged from dead works, by the blood of Christ (above all the blood of bullocks and goats) Heb. 9.14. purified by faith, Act. 15.14. is the good heart. It is a better heart according to the heart of God, 1King. 15. 5. that turneth not aside, 1 Sam. 13.14. of Gods seeking out and finding, then the first heart created of God, Eph. 4.24. Col. 3.10. And ah! we seek a good Ruler, a good Physician, when we are sick, a good house to dwell in, and (which is strange) a good horse, but not to have a good heart.
- Propos.The excellent acts of God, in a manner (with glory to his Highnesse) to mind his first work, to create a better heart then the first which he created, saith, that there is great need of a good heart, Psal. 51.10. of a new heart, Ezek. 36.26. Its beyond
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all admiration, to create so rare a peece as the Sun out of nothing, and a beautifull Lillie out of mire and dirt, out of common clay to bring forth Saphirs, Carbuncles, and in liew of a stony heart (for grace is not educed out of the potencie of any created thing) to create a new heart, which God loveth to dwell in, rather then in heaven, the high and holy place, Isai. 57.15. which so ravisheth the heart of Christ, Cant. 4.7,9. and is of more price with God, then gold, or any corruptible thing, even a meek and quiet spirit, 1 Ptt. 3.3,4. is the rarest peece of the works of God.
Its an excellent act of God to keep the vessell in a spirituall season, as David prayes, 1 Chron. 29.18. To make roome for Christ dwelling by faith, and for love to comprehend love, Eph. 3.17,18. and who puts such a thing in the heart, Ezra 7.27. when a sparkle of fire from flint falls on water or green timber, there is no fireing from thence. But when actuall influences fall upon an heavenly habit, as the Lord can cast in a coal, or a lump and flood of love, Cant. 2.5,6. Luk. 24.32. Cant. 6.12. there are most heavenly actings of the soul.
- He bows and inclines the heart to the Lords testimonies, and to cleave to him without declining, Jer.32.39,40. Ps.119.39. Cant. 1.4. Ps. 141.4.
- We are to beware of 1. the reigning evils of the heart, of a rotten and unsound heart, 1 Tim.6.5. Psal.119.82. 2. Of an unsavoury stinking heart, that smells of hell and the second death, of all sort of unrighteousnesse and malice, like a green opened grave, Psal.5.9. 3. Of an uncured heart, that never came through the hands of the Physician (Prov. 14.13. A sound heart is the life of the flesh.) Of an unsound, unsavoury and a rotten heart, Eph. 4.29. compared with vers. 23. from whence issue rotten words, borrowed from rotten and worm-eaten trees which speak an uncured heart.
- We are to look to deadnesse of heart in all the branches of it. As (1.) fullennesse and dumpish sadnesse, in refusing comforts, and being full of unbeleeving heavinesse, in David,Psal. 69. 20. Psal. 42.11. whereas we are alwayes to rejoice, Psal.119.52. Phil. $.4. (2.) Fainting at the greatnesse of the affliction, Isa. 20.3. ch. 14.1. whence comes withering of heart, Psal. 102.4. Psal.
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27.13. (3.) An overwhelmed and unbeleeving sowning heart, Psal. 61.2. Psal. 142.3. Psal. 143.3,4. (4.) Deadnesse in going about the service of God, Psal. 119.37. Quicken me in thy way, of this else where. (5.) Narrownesse to take in God, opposed to an inlarged and wide heart, Psal. 119. 32. Psal. 81.10. and straitening of heart, when the soul is so hampered, that he cannot speak, Psal. 77.4. unbeleef clipps the wings of the Spirit, and layes on fetters, which may come from the wicked company, and may be laid on by our selves, Psal.39.1,2. (6) There is an Atheist heart to hate the existence of God, of Christ, of a Gospel, Jam. 2.19. Matth. 8.29. Compared with Psal. 14.1. Eph. 2.12. Some beleevers are near to say, I take my leave of Christ, I’le pray no more, for it is in vain, Jer. 20.9. Ps. 73.13,14. but it is not a fixed resolution: of this else where.
- There is an evill heart of unbeleef to depart from the Living God,Heb. 3.12.
- A heart that deviseth, ploweth, or delveth wicked imaginations, Prov.6.18. As Prov.3.29. Plow not evill against thy neighbour. Hos.10 13. You have plowed iniquity, Such plots are forged against the people of God, Matth. 27.1. Nah. 1.11.
- A proud heart (1.) resisted of God. (2.) Farrest from the lowly and meek heart of Christ, Matth.11.29. Phil.2.5,6,7. (3.) Most near to Satans heart, 1 Tim. 3.6.
- Why are we more ashamed of an unclean lustfull heart, then of a proud heart? Ans.A proud heart is deeper guiltinesse, and nearer to Satans nature; And pride and unbeleef are sins more reproachfull to God, and incroach more upon his Throne, but there is more flesh in us then Spirit, and we think that there is more of a beast in uncleannesse.
Quest. But we are more ashamed of lying, falshood, and stealing, then of pride? Ans. There’s more of being ashamed before men, it being a carnall sort of passion, then of being ashamed before God, and falshood and lying to men are fleshly evils against common honesty, but pride is a more Angel-sin, or a more God like sin, a spirituall sin, and pride is a sort of heart-heresie, by which we judge but blindly, we have reason to ascend and climb aloft to
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Gods roome, Gen. 3.5,6. Isai. 14. 13. because of knowledge, parts, power.
- There is deceitfulnesse and self-deceiving in the heart, Isa.44.20. the idolater feeds on ashes, a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, is there not a lie in my right hand,Obadiah 3. The heart is the greatest liar on earth, to say and gain-say.
- There is a wicked fearfulnesse in the heart to do evill, Jude12. feeding themselves without fear,3 Sam. 1. 14. was thou not affraid (saith David to the Amalekite) to put out thine hand to destroy the Lords Anointed? Its a godly fear to tremble alwayes, at feasting, speaking, hearing, sleeping, company, Prov. 28.14. 1 Pet.1. 17. Phil. 2.13. Job. 1.5. And in all there ly snares within, and without the house.
- There is a wicked flintinesse of heart, we shall have peace,though we both hear cursing and walk loosly, Deut.29.19. we are fallen, but Ephraims stout heart (2.) will rise whether God will, or not, Isa. 9.9. And (3.) the King of Assyria’s stout heart will be as strong as God, Isa. 10.12,13. And (4.) its wicked stoutnesse to say godly mourning before the Lord is in vain, Mal. 3.13,14. (5.) Its wicked stoutnesse to rest upon your own righteousnesse and refuse to treat with God, Isa. 46. 12, 13. (6.) And vain stoutnesse to darre God in his own quarters and fight him, Exod. 14. 8. 23. Exod. 23 8.13. Isai. 36. 10, 11, 36, 37. if it were in his own seas as Pharaoh and the Ægyptians would do.
- There is a wicked hardening of the heart, when men make the Lord his word and mighty works the contrair party, Exod.5.1,2,3. Exod.7. 10,13,16,20,23. Exod. 8.5,6,7,15,17,18,19. Isai. 6. 9, 10. Zech. 7. 8, 9, 11, 12. Ezek. 2. 3, 4. Ezek. 3.7,8. Mat.13.13,14,15. Act. 13.44,45,46. and oppose God in his word and works.
- There is a sinfull dulnesse upon the heart, by which men are as weaned children, line upon line, line upon line,can do them no good, Isai.29. 9, 10, 11. Here it is to be observed that we cannot Preach Omnipotency, nor perswade a world to be created, nor a new heart to be infused, nor can we Preach to a Wolf to become a meek Lamb, nor threaten the Sun to rise at midnight, we but
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speak words about the new birth, the husband-man but breaks the earth with his plough, but God makes the corn to grow, and he only, not that the word is not the instrument of conversion of souls, Rom. 1.16. Rom. 10. 14. but how to the act of infusion of a new heart the word concurres as a morall and suasory instrument, is above my capacity.
- There is a froward heart, Pro.17.20. that perverteth and is crafty [foreign] to pervert.
- A wicked heart,Pro.26.23. set on evil,Eccl. 8. 11.17. foolishnesse is bound to the heart, Pro.22.15. a dissembling heart, when seven abominations are in it, Pro. 26.25. (1.) We take not heed to the imaginations, and are not grieved for the constitution of the heart, for actuall sins make originall sin to swell, as two floods running into one maketh a hudge River. (2.) We take not heed to the young births of the heart, with the concurrence of the mind, fancie and imagination, there are multitudes of forgeries, claypots, and imaginations framed, as a potter deviseth vessels of earth of many quantities, figures, shapes, great, small, narrow, wide, round, cornered, for the word is a potters word, Gen. 6.5. 1 Chr. 28.9. with all keeping keep thy heart, Prov. 4.23. the word is to keep as the keepers of the walls,Cant. 3.5. as sheepheards, for its in danger to be stollen away, Hos. 4.11. 2 Sam. 17.6. Hos. 7. 11. Ephraim is like a silly dove without heart, but we take no heed to the entry, to see what goes in, what comes out. (1.) What if there be no God? Psal. 14.1. (2.) What if God see not? Ezek. 9.9. (3.) What if man perish as the beasts? Eccl. 3. 19. It may be there is no heaven, nor hell. (4.) What if there be no Christ, nor Gospel, but only questions of words? Such clay-pots were framed by Gallio, and Festus, Act.18.14,15. Act. 25.11,19. Hence come imaginations of things impossible, Isa. 14.13. I’le ascend to heaven, saith Babylon, I will set my nest among the stars. Oba.4. Tyrus saith, I am god, I sit in the seat of God. And new-wild-fire flights which are indeed old heresies, are of this kind; such are dreamers, who see seven lean kine eat seven fat kine, in re, its a lie. (5.) A new heart is the Office-house of Christ, and a heart delighting in Gods wayes is a new heart, where the Law is imprinted and ingraven in the heart, Isa. 51.7. Hearken
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ye people in whose heart is my Law. Psal. 40.8. I delight to do thy will, O God, thy Law is within my heart. Its true there is a new delight in the heart, but not a delight of the new heart, Isa. 58.2. Joh. 5.35. for a delight in the Gospel as a good thing, not as a good Gospel, a delighting in Christ as a Prophet that feeds them, not in Christ as a Redeemer,Joh. 6.26. that saves them, is not a new heart.
- The new heart is a heart universall, wholly for God as God, there is an inteernesse in it, when the whole spirit and soul and body is kept blamelesse,1 Thess.5.23.1 Pet. 1.18.[foreign] in holy conversations and godlinesses, 2 Pet. 3. 11. Half a globe, though exquisitely plained, or half a cart wheell, is not a globe nor a cart wheell. Externall things may be devided, one may be an hearing Professor, and a drunken Professor, and a praising, a singing Professor in publick, and not a praying nor a believing Professor in private, spirituall duties, cannot be devided: half a faith, half a love, is not faith, no love, saving grace is an essence that consists in indivisibili, and cannot be parted.
- A new heart is a fixed and established heart by Grace, it’s a new state, not a new transient flash, a new heart, Deut.5. 27. All that the Lord our God will speak unto thee, we will hear,but the Lord saith, verse 19. O! that there were such a heart in them, but it is not in them.
- 1 Sam.10. 9. God gave Saul an other heart,then a changed heart is not a new heart, a new spirit or a new gift in Jehu is not a new heart; It’s not newnesse that makes the heart new, but Gods new ingraving, Jer. 31.33.
- A heart keeped with all keeping is a new heart, Prov.4.23. both the words note exact diligence in keeping as watchmen and sheepherds with all keeping, at all times, Psal.119. 119. some pull their hearts to pray and hear, but not while the sabbath, or under a storme of conscience: and the heart is a word in some company, not at other times and in other company.
- The heart is new, where the affections are all faith (as it were) and all sanctified, reason and zeal is a lump of angry reason, and fear a masse of shining reverence; and love only soul sicknesse and pure adherence to God,the instinct of faith wholly on God,as the last and only end. (2.) The heart is new when the
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affections are equivocally, or at least, at the second hand set upon the creature, but as nothing can be seen, but what either is colour, or affected with colour, so nothing is fixedly sought after, but God, he onely feared and served, Mat. 4. 10. Deut. 10. 20. only desired,Psal. 73. 25. only loved, Deut. 10. 12. Cant. 3.2,3. the soul sick of love for only only Christ, Cant. 2. 5. Cant. 5. 8. he only trusted in, Jer. 17.5,7. Psal. 62. 5. (1.) Nothing is all good and all desirable but God, and God in Christ, Mat. 19. 17. Cant. 5. 16. the shadow of the Sun in the fountain is not the reall Sun: the stirrings of the pulse of the affections towards the shadowed good of the creature, should be lent, and like the beating of the pulse of a dying man, with a godly contradiction, loving and not loving, joying and not joying, 1 Cor. 7. 29,30. mourning and not mourning.
CHAP. XIX.
- The place of Evangelick works in the New Covenant.2. Possession of glory and right to glory considerably different. 3. A twofold right to life. 4. We are not justified by Works. 5. The place of declarative justification by Works, Jam. 2. discussed. 6. Faith and Works different. 7. Possession of life and right to life cleared. 8. Faith and finall believing both commanded in the Law, finall unbelief not the sin forbidden in the Gospel onely. 9. How life is promised to works Evangelick.
It’s a grave and weighty Question to rid marches between the two Covenants in their conditions, the one requiring the obedience of Works, the other Faith: It’s not to be said that for fifeteen hundred years no man did doubt of the necessitie of good Works, Paulpropones the objections of the Antinomians, Shall we sin and continue in sin, that Grace may abound? Rom. 6. 1. this they spake through the occasion of what he taught, chap. 5. some have said they are hurtfull, because we abuse them, some arbitrarie and indifferent,, because they are not necessary to justification.
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O! what pronnesse in us to suck out of the doctrine of free Grace poyson, how kindly to desire there were no Law against treason, because the Prince pardons; All sin is virtually Atheisme, to wish the existence of a Law, and so of a just holy and unchangeable God were not, and we can hardly believe this. And 2. what rising of heart and carnall reason is there against the first acts of providence, why, and what necessity was there to make a Law to forbid the eating of an Aple, God foreseeing that thence should come the ruine and endlesse damnation of all. It had been good God had never created such a Tree. 2. That the eating thereof had never been forbidden. 3. That it had never had such a name, as the the tree of knowledge, for it deceived Evah. 4. That God had not given free-will to Adam. 5. That he had given him confirming grace in the first moment of Creation. But,
Observe 1. Satan started first the dispute concerning the equity of the Law, and that we are Disciples of and apprentises to Satan, when we tosse and rackot arguments in our carnall heart-Logick against the holy Law of God, Gen. 3. 2. and make the heart a ferrie boat to cary messengers and divellish thoughts hither and yonder, in questioning the goodnesse of the Law, and the acts of providence, and therefore it is speaking Grace, to close with the sweetnesse not only of the Law written in the heart, and these inbred principles of honesty and truth, to hurt none, to obey God, (for Satan raised not the first dispute about these) but with all the judgements and testimonies of God, as David, Psal. 119.127,128. vers. 86. All thy commandements are faithfull, 1 Sam. 12. 7. Stand still that I may reason with you of all the righteous acts of the Lord. Its a mind like Christs that hath an heart-prejudice at no one command, by an other, and is sweetly friended with all that God commands, Math. 3. 15. It becomes us to fulfill all rightenesse, and O! how sweet to have no heart quarrell, but a sweet stouping of soul unto, and an adoring of God in all providences, and acts or decrees he hath concluded or done in time or from Eternitie. These draw deep in the decree of Reprobation, God had an hatefull designe against me. 2. The Gospel is an untrue and fabulous dispensation. What a spirit is Galænus who reproacheth Moses because he teacheth not that God works ever and by necessity
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of nature, what is most good for the creature. And that Prince who said, that if he had been Counsellour to God in the time of the Creation, many things should have been created ordinatrius & melius, in a better order and state, then they were. Let the man be remembred who called the Gospel a fable, and the spirits who reproach the Scripture as inkie wisedom. 1. A bare dead forme bare flesh, &c. and weak ones under desertion, who feed upon reports and lying news from Satan, God hated me before time, and carries on a design of eternall ruine to me, therefore I have no right to hear, to pray, to eat, to sleep. 2. Yet the necessity of good works is asserted by Luther, the Augustine Confess. and Apol. Arti. 20. doc$nt nostri, &c. Evangelick works are necessarie, not to merite, but by the will and commandement of God:Calvin calleth them inferiour causes of the possession of our salvation. The dispute began upon occasion of the book called Interim Anno–M. I$LXVIII. and in Colloquie at Altenburge, Malanthone and the Divines of Wittenberge assented to the necessitie of good works, but the followers of Flaccius Illyricus dissented: The Authors of the book of Concord condemne these of Flaccius their way, and deny a necessity of efficiency in works to deserve salvation, but yeeld a necessity of their presence, that the work of salvation be not hindered.
- These distinctions are necessary. 1. There is ajus and right to Gospel life eternall. And2. there is actuall possession of life eternall.
- There is a twofoldjus, One by the purchase of merit, and the payed ransome of blood; There is a right secundary by promise, every promise giveth a right in a manner: but its unproper.
- There is promise of life formally federall.2. There is a promise of life consequenter federall.
- There is an order of things, one going before the other as the Antecedent and the Consequent, and in order of cause and effect.
- Law-obedience doth much differ from Gospel-obedience, as Law-commands from Gospel-commands.
- GOD sent his Sonne to justifie persons, but not to justifie works, not to make inherent obedience perfect or our righteousnesse before God.
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Asser. 1. If the new Covenant be considered strictly and formally in its essence, he that beleeveth whether his faith be weake or strong is justified and saved, Joh, 3.18,36. Joh. 5.24. Act. 15.9,10,11. Rom. 3.16. Rom. 4.1,2,3,4,5. Rom. 5.1. for faith justifieth as lively faith, and not as great or small: Otherwise none should be justified and saved but the strong beleever, whereas Christ died for the weak in the faith, Rom. 14.
Hence Mr. Sibs excellently, Know that in the Covenant of Grace God requires the truth of Grace, not any certain measure, and a spark of fire is aswell fire as the whole element thereof, we must look to Grace in the sparkle as well as the whole flame, all have not the like strong, yet the like precious faith, whereby they lay hold and put on the perfect righteousnesse of Christ, a weak hand may receive a rich Jewell, a few grapes will shew that the plant is a vine not a thorne: There is a roome in heaven for thee who judges thy self; for the number of lambes, and babes weak in the faith in this Kingdome, do far exceed the number of the strong and aged in Christ; for the Scripture names the whole flock, little ones, babes, his sheep, they are not a flock of fathers and strong ones.
Asser. 2. There is a right to life by promise, he that beleeves shall be saved. Promissio facit jus, & creat debitum: Godlinesse hath the promise of this life, and of that which is to come; And because a promise as a promise cannot create an equality betwixt the work and the wages, as is proven, this is an unproper right, and not proper debt, and takes not away the nature of a free gift: This is no consequence at all, the performing of the condition of the Covenant of Works doth justifie Adam by Law-works, so as he is no sinner, hath fulfilled the Law, hath right to life eternall; Ergo, to beleeve to the end, and fulfill to the end, and fulfill the condition of the Covenant of Grace doth justifie the beleever, by Evangelick works, make him no sinner, but a perfect fulfiller of the Covenant of Grace, and one who hath due right by working to life eternall. Certainly then, 1. doing Evangelick gives us as good right to eternall life, without the price and ransome of blood, as doing legall gives to the same life. 2. When we sin and fall in atrocious offences, Adulteries, Paricide, Robbing,
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we have as good right to justification by works, and life eternall by Evangelick works, suppose he be a robber all his life, as was the repenting theef, as Adam, suppose he had perfectly fulfilled the Law. Now though believing be the condition of the Covenant of Grace, it is of a farre other nature then perfect doing, to the end, and constant fulfilling of the whole Law, in thought, word, and deed with all the heart, and the soul and mind, and all the strength. For there is no sin here, and so no place for punishing justice, or wrath, none can so believe, but he sins and so deserves everlasting wrath. If it be said, that by the Covenant of Works he doeth deserve it, but not by the Covenant of Grace, for Christ hath merited to him life eternall. Ans. 1. We speak now of the right that a Believer hath by Evangelick works to justification and life, as contradistinguished from the merits of Christ, this opinion saith that a man is justified by Evangelick doing, because God hath made the like promise, and the like jus and right by promise, to doing Evangelick, that he made to Law-doing, if Christs merits be added to qualifie Evangelick works, to adde to them the worth that they have, then Christs merits must give life eternall by way of merit, or a vertue of meriting condignly to our Evangelick doing, as Papists say, and so Christ hath made us saviours and redeemers of our selves, and this is a right to life ex condig no more then Adams most perfite Law-obedience had. 2. The Covenant of Grace commanding faith, doeth by this opinion command all that the Law of Works doeth, but in an Evangelick way, that they be done sincerely: Ergo, it must forbid all sin which the Law forbids; But the Law forbids not only unbelief, finall unbelief, but all the works of the flesh: Also Christ must come [foreign] to louse and dissolve the Law, which he denyes, Math. 5. for if the Covenant of Grace condemne nothing but finall unbelief, Christ in this Covenant must dissolve the Law; but Christ sayeth, he that breaks or teacheth men to break these is the least of the Kingdome of God.
But there is an other jus and right to life eternall, by which Christ dying hath satisfied the Law, expiated our sins, restored as much and more glory to God by passive obedience, by his sufferings, as we had taken glory from God by our evill doing, and so merited to us life eternall. If any say abusing that place, Rev. 22.
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- that we obtain this [foreign] and right to the Tree of Life, and to Christ our life and everlasting glory (which is our only right, the only Charter of blood) by keeping the Commandements Evangelically; he must say that we first may keep the Commandements Evangelically before we have right to life, to Christ, and so before we beleeve. 2. That we merit Christs right or merite by doing, and that by Evangelick works, we buy right to Christ and Christs merits, and so Christ hath not merited to us a jusand right and title to life everlasting by dying, and grace and a gracious right to do his Commandements by his death, but that we, by doing his Commandements, do earne and sweat for a right to Heaven, which is to say, that we by doing, merite and deserve the price of Redemption, and that we merite Christ to our selves, by doing, whereas it is he and he alone, that hath merited to us Grace and Glory, and all title to Heaven. Not to say that a Charter of life from such a noble Superiour as Christ by the purchase of blood, and of such blood, the blood of God, Act.20.28. is some better then to have eternall liveliehood and free-hold from our duty and lubrick best works, which are polluted with sin, and by which, though we were Evangelically conscious to our selves of nothing, yet should we not be therefore justified,1 Cor. 4.4. for the righteousnesse in which is Davids blessednesse before Christ, and Abrahams before the Law, and ours under the Gospel, is in forgiving of iniquity, covering of sin, not imputing of sin, Rom. 4.1,2,3,4,5,6,7. But in all the Scripture our sins are never said to be pardoned and not imputed to us, by our own most Evangelick doing, for we are justified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Rom. 3.24. not by the Redemption that is in us, and are washen from our sins in his Blood, Eph. 1.7. Col. 1.14. Mat. 26.28. Rev. 1.5. and sufferings, not by our Evangelick doings, and if such a case could stand, the Martyrs, sure, might well be justified by their own blood, and since no pardoning, washing, Law-satisfying vertue, can be in faith, works, or our Evangelick deservings, they can not justifie us nor keep and occupy the Chair of Christ. And the fault were the lesse, if our works were onely called the way to the kingdom, not the cause of raigning, but they are called perfect, both in their nature, and conforme to the rule,
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and also in order to the end, to justifie us before God, and to save us. And if so, all in Christ may say, we have no sin, contrary to Scripture, Jam. 3.2. 1 King. 8. 16. Eccles. 7.20. Prov. 20.9. Jam. 2.10. Yea though he that is guilty in one offends in all, yet in the sight of God, all flesh shall be justified, this way, Psal. 143.2. Nor can it be said that such works are perfectly conform to the Gospel, because the doers beleeving in the lowest degree fulfills the condition of the Gospel. But where it is said that the Gospel commands only faith in the lowest degree; Then the Centurions faith, the faith of the woman of Canaan, and the greatest saith shall not be required in the Law. For the condition of the Covenant of Grace cannot (say they) be required in the Covenant of Works, and it is not required in the Gospel under the pain of sinning against the Covenant of Grace, and of damnation, for then all who have not faith in the highest degree should be damned, and violate and break the Covenant of Grace, contrary to the whole Gospel, which saith that these who have weak faith are justified and saved, and so the greatest faith shall be will-worship and a work of supererogation. And because this way saith that all and every one of mankind are under the Covenant of Grace, then 1. there shall be none living under the Law. 2. no Law, but only to beleeve in CHRIST, shall lay an obligation on any, Jews, Christians, under pain of wrath.
And if James be to prove that we are justified by works, and yet mean, that both faith and works concur as causes, though faith more principally, how can Paul deny that we are justified by works, If Peter and John jointly work a miracle and heal the creeple man, suppose the influence of Iohn in the miracle be more, yet it is not to be denyed, that Peter wrought the miracle. Nor doth the Scripture say that we are more principally justified by faith, and lesse principally justified by works, but the places alledged for salvation by works (if works have a causative influence) specially Matth. 25. speaks more for the preheminence of works. Nor doth the Scripture insinuate any thing of the first and second Justification, or of growing in Justification, in having our sins not imputed to us to our very day of death; and the Question must be, Rom. 4. whether Abraham was justified by works done before
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circumcision, or not, Rom. 4. when as faith was not reckoned to Abraham, when he was in uncircumcision, and the blessednesse of righteousnesse by faith cometh both upon circumcision and uncircumcision, vers. 9. and he had faith and righteousnesse and was in Christ and regenerated, when he was justified. Though some taught Justification by the works of the ceremoniall Law, yet Paul Gal. 3.10. states the Question of works agreeable to the Morall Law, that are absolutely perfect, and must be done by Grace. And Paul might justly in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians have excepted himself, David, Abraham, and all the regenerate, for they are justified by giving almes to the poor, Mat. 25. as was Rachab, by receiving and lodging the spyes. The English Divines say, How could the Scripture conclude fromAbrahams being justified by works, whence he offered his Son Isaac, unlesse by works here we understand a working faith, the Apostle must mean the same by works, vers. 21. that he meaneth by faith, 23. for he cannot say vers. 23. the Scripture was fulfilled (in Abrahams being justified in the work of offering his son, v. 21.) which saith, Abraham beleeved God, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse: Except it must be meant, that the work of offering his son Isaac was counted to him for righteousnesse. Now the letter of the Text expresly vers. 23. saith that beleeving God was counted to Abraham for righteousnesse, then the work of offering his Son must either be the beleeving declared by offering his son, and faith working by that act of offering, or if they be two sundry things, he must then say this in effect, Abraham was justified by the work of sacrificing, vers. 21. causatively before God, Ergo, the Scripture is fulfilled, vers. 23. and Abraham is justified by beleeving causatively before God, vers. 23. which we cannot ascribe to the Apostle, according to their minde who make faith and works the two collaterall and joint causes of Justification before God: as if one would say Peter wrought the miracle. Ergo, the Scripture is fulfilled that Iohn wrought the miracle. So Abraham was justified by works, vers. 21. Ergo, Abraham was justified by faith, vs. 23 2. The faith whichJames debarres from Justification must be $$ faith, Iam. 2. by which Paul strongly proves, Rom. 3. c. 4. we are justified without works. If faith and works concurre as
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collaterall causes in our Justification before God, as the Papists contend; but the faith which James excludes from Justification, is no faith at all. But only (1.) fair words to the hungry and naked, and giving them supply for no necessity either of hunger or nakednesse, and which cannot save, and so is no faith, and so can have no saving influence with works to justifie and save, but such is the faith which James excludes v. 14, v. 15. the faith of Paul, saves, Rom. 4. Rom. 5. purifies the heart, Acts. 15. 9. (2.) A dead faith is no saving and living faith, no more then a dead corps is a living man, v. 17. (3.) A faith that cannot be shown to others in good works, as this v. 18. is no faith, for it hath no motions of life. (4.) A faith of the same nature, with the faith of the Devils, who beleeve and tremble, v. 19. (5.) A faith which a vain empty professour imagines to be a living faith, when it is dead, without works, as this v. 20. can have no joint influence of life to justifie and save with good works; all which saving influences contrair to this, saving faith hath.
- It is to be observed that Jamesmaketh mention of two sorts of faiths,ch. 2. which the Adversarie confounds. 1. All alongs, v. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. he gives vive characters of a dead painted faith, which is in [foreign] in the vaine empty boaster, ver. 20. 2. He showes us of a lively faith of Abraham, which wrought with his Works, now it is a lewd error to make Abrahams faith, and the faith of believing Rahab of the same nature with the faith of the vain empty Hypocrite, who’s faith is nothing but fair words, and with the faith of Divels. So the Papists, Lorinus, Estius, Stapleton, Mavochius, Bellarmine make it an Hypocriticall and dead faith, and lively faith as Abrahams was, a vitall receiving of Christ and a believing the Lord, so as believing is counted
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for righteousnesse, to differ not in nature and essence from the faith of the Devils, whereas in the faith of sound Believers there is a Godly submitting and leading captive of the understanding to the obedience of Christ, because it is the Lord that speaks, and so a receiving of the Word as the Word of God, 2 Cor. 10.5. 1 Thes. 2. 13. Math. 22. 32. which is not in the faith of Divels. (3.) There is in it a receiving of Christ, Joh. 1. 11. a fiduciall resting of the heart upon God in Christ. And the word [foreign] is to conside, to betake himself to a lurking place, where one may be safe from a storme, Psal. 2. 12. Psal. 11. 1. Psal. 31. 2. Deut. 32. 37. Psal. 118 9. Judg. 9.15. come and trust under my shaddow. And this is contradistinguished from the Divels and Hypocrites who cannot seek their lodging nor a hiding place against wrath in the Lord.
- It is to lean and rest the body, 2 Sam.1. 6. Saul leaned upon his spear,and by a Metaphore it is to cast the burden upon the Lord, Isa. 50.10. Psal. 55. 22. hence the word that notes a staffe, 2 Sam. 22. 18. Isa. 3. the Lord hath broken the stay and the staffe of bread, Isa.30.1. and this is to be done often, when there is no present duty to be done, nor any work required of us, but only a fiduciall relying upon the Lord alone, as at the Red Sea Moses and the people were to leane upon JEHOVAH only, not to act, which cannot be said of the faith of Divels and Hypocrites. (3.) It is to look with delight and confidence, Isa. 17. 7. as oppressed servants, Psal. 123. 1, 2. (4) There is a word that notes to be silent, not to speak, not to move, Josh. 10. 12, 13. the Sun was silent, it moved not: It notes a Godly submission that the soul dar not speak against God, Psal. 37. 7. rest in the Lord: LXX. subditus esto Domino, Psal. 62.6. whence faith teacheth us to submit and hold our peace and lay the mouth in the dust, as a spirit dantoned of God, Lev. 10. 3. Joh. 1. 21. Lam. 3. 28. Ezek.16. 63. which is far from Hypocrites. (5.) To believe is to cleave to God, from a root that signifies to adhere as things glewed together with pick or glew, Psal. 63. 9. Josh. 23.8.
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Deut. 11. 22. so we become one Spirit with the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. (6.) It is a word of near adherence [foreign] to lean firmly upon any with hope of securitie, 2 King. 18.5. hast thou leaned upon this reed? Hos. 10.13. Psal. 13. 6. Psal. 31. 7. Deut. 12. 10. Thou shalt dwell safely,confidently, it places the soul under the Rock of Omnipotencie. (7) It is to roll thy self upon God, and is borrowed from heavy bodies, losh. 10. 18. Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, Genes. 29. 3. Psal. 22. 9. he trusted in the Lord, rolling himself on the Lord. Prov. 16. 3.commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. Cart-wright sayeth it is a Metaphore from men who, being oppressed with a burden, transfer it off themselves upon one who is mightier and stronger: it is excellent when the heart rolles all its cares upon the Lord, and disburdens it self upon him. (8.) There is a word that noteth to leane, to stay or stablish, to strengthen, Isa. 48. 2. 2 Chron. 32. 8. the people rested themselves upon the word of Ezekiah, Cant. 2. 5. stay me with flagons, Psal. 71. 6. I have leaned upon thee from the womb,and it notes to draw near, Ezek. 24. 2. so it is to strengthen and make strong the heart that is trembling and shaking if it be not stayed upon God. And shall all these excellencies of faith, be in the faith of Divels and Hypocrites? and therefore it is most absurd to make the faith of Abraham all one in nature with the faith of Divels and Hypocrites, and to make the difference only in having Works, and no Works, as if there were the same heart leaning, soul rolling, and cleaving to the Lord by faith in Abraham, and in Hypocrites and Divels who tremble.
- The Scripture, Abraham believed and it was counted to him for righteousnesse:Is not Gen.22. when he did justifie himself by the work of sacrificing Isaac: But it is Gen. 15.6. when the son of promise Isaac, a type of Christ is promised to him: at which time there was no work at all required of Abraham, but only believing the promise, for what should Abraham act or do to further the fulfilling of that promise, for he believed that Gospel promise in the mean time, with a faith lively, and having with it as a concomitant a resolution to walk before God and be perfect, but then the Text shall say, Gen. 15. 6. Abraham resolved to be fruitfull
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in good works, when he heard the promise, and that resolution of good works was counted to him for righteousnesse which is most violent.
- Who so are justified causally and in the sight of Godby Workes, as Jamessaith, to him workes are counted as the formall cause, for so James from Scripture, ver. 23. Abraham, [foreign], believed God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse. Which sayeth, by that faith he was declared or by that he was justified, which was imputed to him for righteousnesse. But his beleeving or his faith living and working like the body quickened with the Spirit, was counted to him for righteousnesse. Now except it be yeelded that James speaks of two faiths, one dead and empty, ascribed to the hypocrite, ver. 14, 15, 16. another lively and working, ascribed to Abraham, ver. 23. and except this be denied, that Abraham was justified, ver. 23. not by that same faith; It must follow that Abrahams empty beleeving, ver. 23. was that which was counted to him for righteousnesse, Gen. 15. 6. but James cannot be so understood, but when he saith, the Scripture Gen. 15.6. was fulfilled; for his faith in beleeving the promised seed, Gen. 15. he shows that Abraham was justified by faith without works, as Paul, Rom.4. and when he saith he was justified by works in offering his son, as Gen. 22. he saith he was not declared just, or not justified by the empty and idle faith of the hypocrites; but by a faith that did prove it self to be lively. So that James proveth that we are not justified by a dead faith that neither hath, nor can have good works. As his Adversaries said, and Paul proves, Rom. 4. that we are not justified and saved by works, that is by our own inherent perfect righteousnesse, because, Rom. 3. all have sinned, Jew and Gentile. Because Abraham then should boast as a perfect man, free of sin, and he needed no Redeemer, the Law of works should save him, and so he needed not remission of sins, nor the non-imputation of iniquity. But there is a mids between these, and Iames saith that is to be justified by faith, by a metonymie of the effect, by faith made known to be lively, not to the world only, but to their own conscience, for if Iames should mean that we are justified by works properly as counted to us for righteousnesse, he could not say, vers. 21.
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Abraham was justified by works, when he offered his son, vers. 22. he cannot infer, vers. 22. thou sees that his faith wrought with his works: What faith? He had spoken of works, vers. 21. not one word of Abrahams faith, yet he saith, because Abraham was justified, that is declared to be really, before God, to his own conscience and others justified, his faith did work in a lively way as reall in and by his works, and you see that Abrahams faith, Gen. 15.6. was perfected by works, Gen. 22. when he offered his son. Now it was not perfected as touching the nature of it, and the act of justifying, for Paul, Rom. 4. cites Gen. 15. 6.to prove that Abraham was justified by that faith in beleeving the promise of the blessed seed, some 25 years, as others reckon 30. years before he sacrificed Isaac, Gen 22. so that it must follow that Abraham was not justified by works, nor his faith perfect in its lively operations untill he offered his son Isaac: when the contrair of this, the Scripture tells us, for by faith he left his Countrey, C. 12. By faith beleeving the promise he was justified, Rom. 4. many years before: Therefore these words, seest thou his faith, must mean that his faith came out to view by his works.
But there be learned and godly Protestants who grant that James must speak of Justification reall and before God, and not of declared Justification before men only? Answ. Its true, and easie to name them. But these are subordinate: James speaks not of a faith only declared, nor of a justification onely declared to the world: But of a declared Justification that is reall before God. 2. That is declared to the man himself, and to the world. And that James speaks of a Justification before God, the Text saith: Because he saith, ver. 14. What can that faith profite? Which is empty, he must mean, what can it profite before God, to save and justifie? As the word, 1 Cor. 13.3. if I have not love [foreign], it profits me nothing before God. 2. Can that faith (it is not well translated leaving out the particle in the new Translation, can faith save him?) save him? Then he must speak also of reall faith, and so reall salvation and so of justification before God. 3. The examples of the Justification of Abraham, of Rahab, which were reall, must say something to the same purpose. 2. That he speaks of reall Justification to the mans own conscience as
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well as to the world if clear in the Text also. For James speaks to the conscience and privitie of the man who saith that he is justified, and hath faith, vers. 18. [foreign] 19. [foreign], thou hast faith, thou beleeves, the Devils also beleeve, he would have the hypocrite to discusse his own conscience, and solidely to know, whether his Faith and Justification be reall or not; And James wakens all visible professours in this Epistle (as Iohn also doth) to try his Religion whether it be true and solide, or vain: by Chap. 1. being a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only, 23, 24. by visiting the fatherlesse. vers. 27. by loving and respecting the poor that are Godly, as well as the rich, Ch. 2. by trying his faith whether it be dead or lively, by bridling the tongue, Ch. 3.
And therefore the Arminians and others do but lose their labour, who say Iames doeth not speak here of Justification declared to the world, because the world cannot judge infallibly whether our works by which we are declared to be justified, are sincere or not. For 1. we say that Iames doth speak of Justification dec