Part 5

Part 5

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righteousness of God without the Law is manifested. What righteousness of God? ver. 22. Even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ unto all. Now if the righteousness of God is manifested without one Law, to wit, of works, why not without another Law, of faith, of inherent Gospel-righteousness? And what need that Christ should die, if the act of believing should be that precious righteousness of God, and that according to the Law of faith? This by the way. As hope is put for the object hoped for; As Rom. [8.] 24. Hope that is seen is not hope, that is, the thing possessed, the salvation which we have in present possession, is not hoped for. Col. 1. 5. For the hopes sake laid up in heaven, that is, the thing hoped for. For the grace of hope is not laid up in heaven. ver. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory. So faith here put for thing believed; so saith the Martyr, my love is crucified, that is, Christ my loved or beeleved one is crucified: So by faith in his name is this man made whole. It were strange to say, by faith, and repentance, and mortification is this man made whole. And it must be said, if so be that faith includes repentance. Now Peter denies, Acts 3. 12. this, why marvel ye, as if we by our power and holiness had made this man to walk? It's not our holiness, but Jesus Christ hath done it, even God, the God of Abraham, c. ver. 13. hath done it: And yet, ver. 16. faith in his Name hath made him strong: That is, faith, or believing in his Name, that is, in his Power, Authority, Godhead, hath made him strong. Ergo, faith is put for the thing or righteousness believed: So Heb. 11. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, that is, by love, the soul and form of faith, say Papists, and by repentance and new obedience, which is all one with faith, say Socinians, the walls of Jericho fell. So by faith they subdued  Kingdoms, stopped the mouthes of Lions. What influence real or physical had faith in slaying men, in refraining the hungry Lions to eat Daniel? None at all: But thus the mighty God believed in by these men, subdued Kingdoms, stopped the mouthes of Lions; if it be replied there is not a like reason of justifying faith, which is dead as touching the influence and causality to justify, as there is of the faith of miracles in these points; it is replied, there is every way the same reason: For as Abrahams dead faith, if it

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had been dead could no more have justified and saved him, then the hypocrites dead faith can save and justify him, as James saith, 2. 14, 15, 16, c. So could not these worthies recorded, Heb. 11. have casten down the walls of Jericho, subdued Kingdoms, stopped the mouths of Lions by faith, if that faith had been as dead in its nature, as the faith of the vain Gnostic and Hypocrite, who saith to the brother or sister naked, depart in peace, be thou warmed and filled, and yet gives him not these things that are needful to the body, Jam. 2. 15, 16. And this we must say, except we admit that the fancied faith of the Hypocrite can remove mountains, nor is it place to dispute whether Reprobates as Judas have saving faith in working miracles, it is sure their faith of miracles cannot be a Hypocritical faith, such as is, Jam. 2. 14, 15, 16. (3.) The Scripture differenceth between faith and love, and faith and repentance. As 1. we are not once said to be justified by faith, but are never said to be justified by love, repentance, almes deeds. It's easy with an active engin to labour to prove how faith includes love; And so doth hope and love include many other works and gifts of the  Spirit, but the Holy Ghost distinguisheth them. As (2.) by faith as from a saving principle, Abraham sojourned in the Land, by faith Noah builded an Ark, Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, Moses would not be called the Son of Pharoahs daughter, yet to build an Ark is not to believe in God; we pray in faith, hear in faith, yet these are not the same.

(3.) Mar. 1. 15. Repent and believe, Acts 20. 21. Testifying repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus, Heb. 6. 1. Not laying the foundation of repentance from dead works, and faith toward God, 1 Tim. 1. 5. Love and a good conscience and faith unfained, Phil. 5. Love and faith, 1 Thes. 1. 3. We thank God, remembering your work of faith, and labour of love, Heb. 6. 10. Labour of love. 11. The full assurance of hope. 12. Faith and patience. We believe in Christ: but do we repent in Christ? 4. Faith is a leaning on God, Isa. 10. 20. Isa. 26. 3. Isa. 50. 10. love is not so. Faith is a coming to God by way of affiance, Joh. 5. 40. Matth. 11. 28. Joh. 6. 37. a receiving of Christ, Joh. 1. 11. an eating of his flesh, and drinking of his blood, Joh. 6. 54, 55, 56.

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not any of these can be said of love, of repentance, of new obedience.

(4. If to believe in Christ as Lord and Law-giver be formally (for effectively and practically we may with that Learned and Pious D. Preston say it is) a consenting to Christs Dominion and Government over us to obey him (though to consent at the Coronation and to swear an oath of loyalty to a King be widely different from obeying his Laws) as unbelief is a rebellion against his Government, Luk. 19. 17. then well may Adam in the Covenant  of Works, be said to be justified and saved by fatth; for if to believe in God-Redeemer, be to give ourselves to obey him as Lord-redeemer, and if this surrendering be the obedience of works by which we are justified and saved and perfectly righteous before God upon the same reason to believe in God Law-giver and Creator in the Covenant of Works, and for Adam to surrender himself Covenant ways, by a legal faith shall be the Law-obedience of works by which Adam is justified and saved, and so he is saved by Law-faith, as we are by Gospel-faith.

And this is to be remembered, that for one to give himself to Christ as his Lord to be governed and commanded, and to be willing to obey him is neither formally faith (though it may be conjoined with believing) nor obedience, but an intention or purpose to obey. And 1. shall we then be justified by works, that is, by a purpose and intention to work? 2. There are in us May resolutions and purposes like May blossomes, that wither before Harvest, as some are willing but not obedient, Isa. 1. 19. One saith he will go work in his fathers Vineyard, it may be he purposes to work, but yet he works not, Mat. 21. 30. nor is a practical purpose of heart to obey either obedience or faith formally.

5. If to be justified by faith in Christ as not only Jesus who saves, but as Lord who commands, then we are justified by love, for we are to love him not as Jesus only, but also as Lord, 1 Cor. 16. 22. Eph. 6. 24. especially since all the works of the Law come under the comand of love, Matth. 22. 3. 7. Luk. 7. 27. Deut. 6. 5. Rom. 13. 8.

(6.) All these, thy faith have hath saved thee, Matth. 9. Luk. 7. only believe, must be of this truth, thy good works have saved thee:

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only do good works. And it is strange that Paul saith, Eph. 2. 8. By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast Nor could Paul make an opposition between grace and works (as in Rom. 11. 6.) if the grace of believing and good works were one in the New Testament, for so we should be saved by works, and not by works. and Paul by an ἀντάνακλασις, takes that away. Yea but we are saved, that is, justified and delivered from obligation to wrath by the works of free-grace. He answers, nay, but neither  are we saved or justified by these works of grace as by means or causes. For we are first saved and justified before we can do good works, for good works are the fruits of free-grace, since v. 10. we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus (and so justified and saved in Christ Jesus) to good works, that we should walk in them. Yea, and Paul undeniably removed this doubt, 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by myself (that is, by his grace I am free of such sins as bring condemnation, and so he must abound in works of grace) ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τοῦτῳ, yet thereby (and notwithstanding all my inherent holiness by works of grace) I am not justified. (7.) There should be no ground of gloriation and boasting more then this, by the Socinian and Arminian way, if we should be justified by works which come from free-will not determined by any grace either habitual or actual, which is merited by the death of Christ, but do proceed from pure free-will, which separateth the believer from the non-believer: Then might we glory and boast that we are not in the debt of Christ or of his grace for that which is our formal righteousness before GOD, and so no flesh can say they are justified by grace, but that we are justified by nature the same way that Adam should have been justified, without being beholden to CHRIST, or to his death.

Asser. 3. There are not properly the same causes of the possession  of Life Eternal, and of the righteousness of Life Eternal: The ransom of Christs blood is only the cause of the right. For ius or right to Life Eternal is a legal and a moral thing, ens morale, and hath a moral cause, as a man hath right to such a City being the Lord and owner thereof by birth, or money, or

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conquess or by gift or grant of a Prince or of the Citizens themselves, but possession and enjoying the houses and rents of the City is a Physical thing, ens Physicum, and hath a Physical cause, as eating, drinking, lodging, sleeping, wearing of clothes to defend the body from the cold. So the legal right a man hath to the bread and lodging he hath in an Inn, but the Physical causes, are hunger, appetite, bodily necessities so require and his pleasure  to make use of such necessities. Hence the eating, drinking, may be Physically good, and the right, ius legale, very bad, he may have no right to the bread, when he comes to it only by spoil and rapine. So the legal right, ius legale, to life eternal is the ransom of blood that Christ paid, our Goal, our friend and kinsman, to make the inheritance ours; but that great (I may say) almost Apostolic light, Mr. John Calvin saith good works, are, as it were, the inferior causes of the possession of life. So simple possession, is one thing, and quo iure aut titulo, but by what Law-right he possesseth, is another thing.

But 1. Good works are necessary, necessitate praecaepti, by the command of God and promise, 1 Thes. 4. 4. 1 Cor. 6. 20. Eph. 2. 10. Matth. 28. 20. and where it is said, 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness is profitable to all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. ἐπαγγελία the promises is opposed to the Law. And that is a strong Argument, Gal. 3. 18. Ἐι γὰρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομια, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας If the inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise, Covenant promise: What is that to the Galatians and to us Gentiles? Much every way. For three notable points are therein. 1. The heavenly inheritance promised to the seed, to Christ and his, ver. 16. not a poor earthly Canaan, as Socinians and Papists say, were promised to Abraham and his seed, except they say that an earthly Canaan was promised to Christ. 2. That Covenant-promise of an heavenly inheritance made to Abraham, the Z

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same is made to the believing Galatians, the Gentiles and their seed, else Paul saith nothing for the Doctrine of Justification by faith to the Gentiles, contrary to the purpose of the Apostle. 3. There is an inheritance by Covenant-promise a promise, of eternal life made not to works as the price that buyes the right: for, sure, then Christ must have died in vain. 3. Works are not necessary simply, necessitate medii: for then we must exclude all Infants; But the necessity of a Precept inferreth a necessity of means ordinary to all capable of a Command, that they do good, and sow to the Spirit, that they may reap of the Spirit life everlasting, Gal. 6. 8. (3.) They are necessary for the Glory of God, Matth. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 1, 2. 1 Pet. 2. 12. (4.) They are necessary by the law of gratitude, which is common both to the Covenant of Works and of Grace, as we are debtors to God for being, so to God-incarnate as ransomed ones for everlasting life, 1 Cor. 6. 20. Luk. 1. 65. 1 Pet. 1. 18. and eternal well-being.

But such as will have our works the formal cause of our justification, they put them in the chair of Christs merit, and they must be meritorious as Adams legal obedience should have been: yea but not, but by and of gracious estimation, God so esteeming them, say they. True: but, as is proven, neither was Adams obedience meritorious, but by Gods estimation: Yea and Calvin gives a  power of meriting expacto to our works. But our works of grace are died and washen in Christs blood, and justified that they may justify us. But the Scripture speaks nothing of justifying of works, or not imputing sin to our works. Antinominians dream of a freeing of both the person and works of a justified man from Law-obligation, and that is a way indeed to justify works of murder and adultery in David, or any justified man from being sins against the Law of God. But because our works of grace have an intrinsical power of meriting and justifying communicated to them by the merits of Christ, they must be far more our formal righteousness before God, then Adams righteousness was his justification and life before God. And if our works of grace have no power of merit or worth communicated to them from Christs death, then must it follow, though Christ had never died, our works may have the same gracious esteem of God, the same power of meriting, of justifying

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stifying and saving they now have. Yea, and since Christ hath redeemed us from our vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1. 18. by his blood:  Why but, as he hath redeemed us from hell, and purchased salvation to us, by giving us grace by our own good works after conversion to redeem and justify and save ourselves, so he hath redeemed us from our vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1. 18. by giving us grace to do such works, before we be redeemed from our vain conversation, and before we be converted, as we may merit our conversion and Redemption from our vain conversation? If it be said, he absolutely and without any condition that is required, on our part, by his blstod redeems all, whom he hath given his Son Christ to die for, from their vain conversation. 1. All mankind without exception (for by their way he hath died for them all) must be redeemed from their vain conversation and converted: nothing can be more false. 2. The Gospel to no purpose, and the Gospel-commands shall in vain crave obedience, or so much as the duty of hearing the Gospel, from such as are not yet redeemed from their vain conversation, or not yet converted: For that Redemption is promised to them absolutely, without any condition required of them, saith this way.

Obj. If works have a causative influence on the possession of glory,  as working on wages, and fighting on victory, then must they have influence on just possession, also: for possession except it be just, is no possession, but usurpation.

Answ. Possession is essentially the enjoying of any thing pleasant, gainfull, yea or honest, whether the title be just or unjust. The Title is accidental to the possession.

Obj. 2. He that possesseth the Crown, possesseth the Diomands and  precious stones and the worth of the Crown; Therefore he that possesseth life, possesseth the right and title to it.

Answ. True: but hence it followeth not but possession and right to what they possess do differ in their nature. Nor do we properly possess the right of possession: for the right or title is modus rei, non res, the maner of, and the due or the undue way of the possession thereof.

Obj. 3. * Is not possession of eternal life from Christ, as well as the  title or right to the Crown from Him? Z2

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Ans. True, both are from Christ, but not the same way. Possession of the Crown is the enjoying thereof, and is from free grace, and we as willing and sanctified agents, make use thereof: But Christ alone bought with his blood the title and right to it. And when he gave his life for the rightful and due possession of glory to us, we did contribute nothing either request or help to procure the title, and the grace to enter in to the possession by faith is the fruits also of free grace; nor can it be denied but our good works, by which we enter into possession of the Crown, are also the fruit of Christs death: but yet not so as there is any meritorious or federal power of deserving the possession communicate to our works; Only they are made by Christs death the obliged way to the possession of life.

Obj. 4. How then is there a promise of the life to come made to Godliness, 1 Tim. 4 8?

Answ. That promise is neither a promise of the covenant of Works, for by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be saved: Nor is it a federal promise of the Covenant of grace, strictly so called,  except any would say that it is called a promise especially for faith which is especial Godliness, and the acknowledging of the truth, which is according to godliness, Tit. 1. 1. and so a promise made to the Godly in so far as he is in Christ by faith, and in Christ is the promise of life, 2 Tim. 1. 1. Nor. 3. is the promise of a title and right which is made to Christ our Ransom-payer, made to our Godliness, as if it did buy our right to life eternal, or were the price thereof. 4. Life is promised to Believers who work, not because they work: And 5. the Lord in these only showeth the order of bringing men to glory, not the causes of the right and title to glory, except we say the mowing of the first quarter of the Medow is the cause of the mowing of the second, because it makes way to the mowing of the second, and the mowing of the second quarter is a cause of the mowing of the third, and so forth until all be mown. As, because God gives grace to works, to run, to use means, therefore he giveth of free grace, the crown of life in the possession thereof.

Obj. Adams Law-obedience should only have so, and by this way been the cause or way to the possession?

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Answ. Not so, if Adam had perfected his obedience, he should have claimed life by right of sinless, federal merit, ex pacto, without suiting of it by any title of grace merited by CHRIST, not so we. Its true believers are called ἄξιοι, worthy, Rev. 3. but that is legally in Christ the Head, not that the meritorious worth of Christ goeth out of himself and renders our works intrinsically meritorious.

CHAP. XX.

Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only, such as unbelief final, which is conceived to be only sin against the Gospel; that Christ died not for all within exception. The unwarrantableness of that Doctrine how the Lord commands justifying faith and repentance, how not.

It may appear that Christ suffered not for any sin which is only against the Gospel, such as final unbelief: If any sins be considered in any other respect as against the Gospel only, then Christ was not to suffer for any such sin so considered, for where no death is threatened, none is explicitely due, and where it is not so due to the sinner, nor should have been executed upon him, there it could not have been due to Christ nor executed upon him. For the Gospel threatened not death to any sin, but final unbelief and rebellion (and for that Christ never died) therefore Christ died not for any sin as against the Gospel, nor suffered that which is no where threatened. But this is most doubtsome and cannot well stand. Its true that Christ suffered not for sin all unbelief, it being the proper sin of some reprobates, to wit, of such as hear the Gospel, Joh. 8. 21, 24. 2 Thes. 1. 7, 8. but it seems against all scripture that Christ should die for these for whose sins he dies not: And so that 1. Christ should half and part with the sins of Reprobate, and Scrippture, I judge shall not admit that Christ bare in his own body, on the tree, some sins of the Reprobate, to wit, all their sins against the Law, absolutely, or conditionally, and he that bears not either absolute, or conditionally their other sins against the Gospel,

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to wit, their final unbelief and rebellion, for Christ was wounded  and bruised for the transgressions and inquities of these for whom he died; He must then have been wounded for some of their transgressions and not wounded for other of their trangressions. And so the sins of the Reprobates are divided between Christs satisfaction upon the Cross, and their own satisfaction in Hell: But he suffered (one may say) conditionally only for the Reprobates sins against the Law upon the Cross, if they believe, not otherwise? Answ. The same real satisfaction conditionally that he performed on the Cross, for the elect, the same (say the Authours) he performed for the Reprobate, conditionally, if either believe, but because the one believes it is accepted for payment for them, and the other believes not, it is not accepted for them.

2. As there is a satisfaction performed for some sins, not for all, not for final unbelief, that sin then must be in the same case with the sin of the fallen Angels, there is no sacrifice for it, nor is Christs death applicable by divine ordination to purge men from final unbelief more then to purge Devils from any sins they commit. 3. the same incorruptible price of the blood of the Lamb that is given to ransom all from wrath, Matth. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 2. 6. conditionally, is given to buy all, for whom Christ died, from their vain  conversation, also, 1 Pet. 1. 18. that is to merit faith to them conditionally. Show us the condition of the one more then the other. If a condition cannot be shown, Christ must have paid the price of blood upon the Cross, for some upon intention, for others upon another unlike intention. 4. If Christ died for all, not because they did will and believe, but that they might will and believe; and if Jesus suffered without the Camp that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, Heb. 13. 12. Heb. 10. 10. That he might wash them from their sins, and make them Kings and Priests to God, Rev. 1. 5, 6. That they might offer up themselves holy living sacrifices to him, Rom. 12. 1. upon a great design of love to cleanse them with the washing of water by the Word, and present them a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5. 26, 27. If he gave himself for them, that they should live to righteousness, being dead to sins, 1 Pet. 2. 24. That they might be delivered from the present-evil world, Gal. 1. 4. If Christ gave himself

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for these, for whom he died, that he might redeem them from  all iniquity, and might purify them to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. Then did he die to redeem all men from iniquity, even from final unbelief the great iniquity, and from the vain conversation of final unbelief, and that they might be dead to sins, especially the sin of unbelief: Except it be said that Christ gave a price to buy faith to all Reprobate and Elect, and to redeem them from final unbelief, if all would be willing.  But to commit to their free-will the efficacy of Redemption, which Prosper saith, maketh the will of God valid and effectual, and unvalid and weak, according as the will of man: which Davenantius, Bishop of Salisbury (if that opus posthumum have been written by him in his riper years, and revised by himself) justly censures as the boil of Pelagian Doctrine, which Faustus Rhegiensis did covertly teach: The Lord (saith he) redeems such as are willing, being a rewarder of their good or evil wills. Now hardly can these eschew this Pelagianisme who teach, that the death of Christ is an universal salve applicable, by the decree of God, to save all and every one of mankind, Christian and Pagan, so they actually believe: For it cannot be said, that Christ hath died to make all mankind saveable, upon condition of actual faith to receive Christ preached: for so Infants, to whom Christ preached is no tolerable sense applicable, that way, by any ordination of God, if they actually believe, shall be no parts of the world, they must be excluded from Baptism. And it cannot be said that this argument shall militate against us: for we do not defend such a conditional applicability of Christ upon condition of faith actual in preached Christ even to infants in the Visible Church, yet we teach they are in Covenant with God, and so God hath his decree of election to Glory and Redemption in Christ among infants as among aged professors. 2. There is a providential, and to many thousands of Pagans, who never heard; nor could hear of Christ, an invincible impediment, and so Christ is not applicable by Gods decree to them, upon condition of actual believing, Rom. 10. 14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? It

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seems to me physically impossible, that there is such a thing as the Indians worship Satan under, such a name and in such rites, if I never heard of the Indians, or of their God, or their worship: So neither can they worship Christ in a Gospel-way, who never heard of him. It's impossible to believe a non ens, Christ offered in the Gospel is very nothing and so not applicable to thousands by any decree of God. 3. This is not written in Scripture, God hath decreed that Christ be Preached and life be offered actually to all and every one of all and every Nation under Heaven, and this opinion saith that Christ died and satisfied offended Justice for the sins of all and every one of all and every Nation under heaven, except for our final unbelief. The Antecedent is clear by Scripture and experience. God fulfills his decrees irresistibly: But he never sent the Preached Gospel to as many as these  Authors say he died for. Nor can they themselves teach any such thing: Nor is this true, God hath decreed that Christ in the Preached Gospel and salvation may be offered to all and every one, old and young, of all and every Nation, in all Generations, upon condition of actual believing. And yet for all these, without exception, Christ died, say they. For not to say, God never decreed that such may be offered to infants of Pagans, for whom they say Christ died. To make a thing that physically is possible, the object of a decree of God, we must say that God hath decreed to give the gifts of tongues to all Professors and Pastors to speak to all and every Nation in their own Language, and to make an offer of Christ: For there be many Nations, who never heard of Christ, and understand not writing or any of the commonest Latin and Greek, and there is not any such decree revealed in the word, and we can not but know such gifts of Tongues are not bestowed on men, and without this it is physically impossible to communicate the Gospel. It shall not help to say that Chrstians should travel to all Countrys learn their Tongues, so that they may communicate the Gospel; and that it is their sin they do not so. And therefore God hath decreed that the Gospel may be offered and Christ applicable. Ans. 1. What shall become of the aged, and of multitudes, for whom Chrst died, who must die in Paganism, before Christians can be so mixed learn the Tongues of all Nations

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under Heaven? 2. Did ever the Apostles to whom the Lord gave the gift of the tongues, go to this Nation and not to this but by the call of the spirit, to Macedonia, not to Bythinia, Act. 16. Is there no call of God now required for spreading of the Gospel? Some nations would kill them, some would persecute Christians to death and not receive them: in the mean time, many for whom Christ died, perish. 3. Show from Scripture that it is the duty of Christians to mix themselves with all Nations, and to learn their Language, and that they sin in not doing so. Nor let it be said into what Nation soever I come, I may say, if thou believe in Christ thou shalt be saved. Answ. 1. You cannot say that, except you Preach the Gospel to them. For they are not obliged to believe upon one sentence, and if you Preach the Gospel to the Nation, God hath some chosen ones there, and it is no more a Pagan-Nation. 2. You are to say to any one by your way (thou art obliged to believe that Christ satisfied for all thy sins, and for the sins of the whole world) but that is a lie which you teach Pagans as a principle of the Gospel. 3. Its false that I may say and Preach truely such a thing to every Nation, and all in it. 4. Nor it is physically possible that Christians can so speak to all and every old and young. Also all is indeed referred to the free-will, except the Authors say that God doth insuperably determine the will of the Elect to believe, and the places speak of the efficacious redemption  of the Elect only: But so God had two intentions in Christs dying, one general to render all mankind saveable; another special, actually to save the elect. But 1. who can believe multiplied intentions in God of half-redemption from wrath, and of whole redemption from both vain conversation and wrath upon their bare word, when the Scripture saith Christ in suffering without the Camp, suffered for the world of Jews and Gentiles, that he might sanctify them he died for? 2. what warrant to separate these two conjoined by God, to wit, that CHRIST should bear on the Cross the sins of reprobate, and not intend that they should die to sin, be redeemed, but not from all iniquity: be loved and washed, and not made Kings and Princes to God? That Christ should be wounded for the transgressions of many, and yet the chastisement of his peace not be upon them? 3. The dying for all and Aa

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every one cannot be conditional, in so far as the condition is referred to dying, to wit, if they believe; for so believing must go before dying, either really, which is manifestly false: for multitudes for whom Christ died had neither being nor believing, when he  died for them; Or in the prescience of God, and that destroys their principles: for so Christ cannot have died for all and every one, foreseeing that all and every one would believe: for he never foresaw that the Reprobate should believe. Then must the condition of dying or Redeeming, or of paying the ransom of His blood (these being all one) be referred to Gods accepting of Christs death for so many, or for all, if they should believe. And the same way the Argument is as formerly: For God accepted the paid ransom for all and every one, if they all really believe, or if they all and every one be foreseen of God to believe before the Lords accepting of them. Both are false, as is evident, and so they say in the issue what we say, and contradict themselves, to wit, that believers and only believers, are these for whom Christ died. We before said, the promises are conditionally to all within the Visible  Church, but so as the condition relates only to the benefit promised, we shall have remission and life, if we believe, but not otherwise: But now the Covenant-promise, which is accepted of, and assented unto by Professors, in their very profession in themselves or their parents, is absolutely made to all within the Visible Church, and they are Covenant-ways engaged and say, and professed they are the Lords people, and they take him, and no other for their God, whether they obey and believe, or no: for a people, not right in heart may bind themselves in Covenant with God, Deut. 29. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. compared with 21, 22, 23. Deut. 1. 27. Josh. 24. 22. compared with Judg. 2. 12, 13. So God absolutely intends to save all for whom Christ dies, and by his death intends to give a price to redeem them from hell and from unbelief, or their vain conversations 1 Pet. 1. 18. from all iniquity, Tit. 2. 14. from this present evil world, Gal. 1. 14. Ergo, from final unbelief the greatest iniquity of a present evil world. But here the case widely varies, upon no condition, that we can read in holy Scripture, gave Christ a price, a ransom of blood to redeem men from unbelief and from all iniquity, this price must be

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absolutely given, and grace purchased to all whose sins Christ did bear in the Cross that they may believe, that they may be sanctified,  Heb. 13. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 24. 2. Sins of Thomas, refusing to believe the resurrection of Christ, and of Peter denying the Lord before men, and the Gospel-sins of believers, after they are justified, and are inlightened, must be sins against the Covenant of Grace, as well as against the Law. And the denying of Christ before men hath a sad threatening of everlasting death, Matth. 10. 32. Mar. 8. 38. annexed to it, if they repent not. And shall these within the Visible Church, who receive not Christ, be in a harder condition then Sodom and Gomorrah, Matth. 10. 14, 15. if no sins against the Gospel be punished with eternal death but only unbelief? Yea the Scripture saith, such as live in the Visible Church and are in Covenant with God, not only for final unbelief are condemned, but because they are unrighteous, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, 1 Cor. 6. 9. whoremongers, unclean, covetous persons, Eph. 5. 5, 6. murderers, sorcerers, dogs, liers, Rev. 21. 8. Rev. 22. 15. for all their ungodly deeds and hard speeches, Jude v. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 17. for all disobedience, 1 Cor. 4. 5. Matth. 12. 36, 37. they are everlastingly punished. And if Christ have suffered on the Cross for all the sins of the Reprobate, how are they judged and condemned for these sins, as the Scripture saith? And what Scripture saith they are condemned for the guilt of only unbelief: or that Pagans are condemned for Gospel-unbelief, where as Sodom, Gomorrah, Mat. 10. 15. the men of Niniveh Mat. 12. 41. Tyrus and Sidon, Mat. 11. 21. and such as have sinned without the Law, Rom. 12, 13, 14, 15. are freed of Gospel-guiltiness, and condemned for sins against the Law, and yet this same way saith, that there is a Gospel-Covenant made with all, even thousands of Pagans who never heard of a Gospel, never engaged themselves by any profession to take the Lord for their God in Christ, yet Christ bare their sins on the Tree, and made his blood applicable to them by a Gospel-Covenant, if they shall believe. Whence they must all break the Covenant of Grace, which many of them never hear, and be condemned for no sins but the last act of Sodomy, gluttony, parricide, for the Gospel threateneth not death to any sin but to final unbelief, say they. There are not any sins Aa2

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committed against the Gospel, but they are also sins against the  Law: because God incarnate and Immanuel is God, and leaves not off to be God consubstantial with the Father, because he assumes the nature of man. Then as the first Command obligeth Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, when God shall reveal that Command, and Moses and the people are by that first Command to believe their deliverance out of Egypt, and so if the first Command oblige us to believe and obey all Commands and Promises and Threatenings of God, revealed and to be revealed, because the Lord is God, then must Christ God-Redeemer and Immanuel be believed by this Command, and so final unbelief and final despising of Christ God-Redeemer is as directly against the first Command (and so not a sin only threatened and forbidden in the Gospel) as simple unbelief and simple despising of Christ God-Redeemer; For the believing and final believing, unbelief unbelief, continuing to the end, differ in the accident of duration, not in nature and essence; As a Rose that grows for a moneth only, and a Rose of the same nature that groweth and flourisheth for three moneths. Otherwise Christ could not have pronounced Peter blessed, μακαριος εἶ, Mat. 16. 17.  in the present, for believing in the present: for he should not have been blessed to the end: as Solon said of his blessed man. And this cannot but subvert our faith, crush the peace, hope, consolation of weak Believers, to whom undoubtedly the promise of perseverance is absolutely made, Jer. 31. 31, 35. Jer. 32. 39, 40. Isai. 54. 10. Isai. 59. 20, 21. Joh. 4. 14. Joh. 10. 27, 28.

2. If there be as formal a transgression of the first Command in final unbelief, as in unbelief simply considered, and in the other sins of Judas and other Apostates; Why but as Christ bare in his body the sins of unbelief and satisfied for them, he must so also bear the sins of final rebellion and unbelief? And shall we believe that Christ paid a satisfactory ransom of blood upon the cross for the yesterdays unbelief of Judas, and not for the days unbelief?

If it be said, No man can break the Gospel-Covenant, for it is an everlasting Covenant. Ans. It's an everlasting Covenant, but yet all who sin against the commanding love and authority of our Immanuel, especially they so professing to be his, do truly break the Covenant: but they so break it, as it leaves not off to be the

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Covenant of life both to the breakers, if they repent and believe,  and to others: for so is the nature of this Covenant, and so it is everlasting, but the Covenant of Works if once broken, ceases to be a Covenant of life for ever, because the nature of it is, to admit of no repentance at all. Obj. Does not the Law command the sinner offending God to mourne and be humbled, and confess? Ans. It doth. But it enjoins not repentance as a way of life, with a promise of life to the repenter, as the Law, or as a Covenant of  Works commands to its native and proper Covenanters obedience and every single act of obedience as a way to obtain the reward of a Law-life, nor does the Law as a Covenant of works command justifying faith and reliance upon God-Redeemer, or Immanuel: but rather as the Law of Nature, or as the Law of thankfulness to a Ransoming and Redeeming God, the Law does this. Though in a special Covenant-way the Gospel command faith in Christ.

Obj. But final unbelief as against God-Redeemer and so considered is the only breach of the Covenant of of Grace: He that believes not is condemned, as the man that rejects the only remedy of sin.

Ans. The only breach of the Covenant of Grace, is too narrow to be the adequat cause of damnation, for many Pagans who  never heard of Christ and are under no Covenant, but that of Works, are condemned not for not believing in him of whom they never heard, Rom. 10. 14. nor for breach of the Covenant of Grace, but for breach of the Covenant of Works. 2. Unbelief may be called the nearest cause of damnation to such as perish within the Visible Church, as the wilfull refusing of medicine which only and infallibly would heal the sick man of such a disease, is the cause of his death, but is the Moral cause. For the disease itself is the Physical cause, or the material cause of the mans death. And without doubt, uncleanness, covetousness, sorcery, lying, idolatry, c. and many the like sins, beside unbelief, are, 1 Cor. 6. 9. Eph. 5. 5, 6. Rev. 21. 8. Rev. 22. 15. Jud. 6. 7, 8. 2 Pet. 2. 17. 10, 11, 12, 13. 2 Thes. 2. 9, 10. 1 Pet. 4. 3, 4, 2 Pet. 2. 2, 3, 4, 5. the causes of the damnation of many visible professors, where as this way saith Christ did satisfy upon the Cross for all these sins, and the damned of visible professors suffer in hell only for final unbelief. And it seems unjust that both Christ and they should

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suffer satisfactory punishment for these same sins done against the Law: And as strange that Christ should die for any, and not die for their sins, since the Scripture useth the word of dying for sins, Rom. 4. 25. delivered from our sins, Christ is a propitiation  for our sins, and (the same way) not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world; he died for sinners, Heb. 2. 17. that he might make reconciliation for the sins of the people: that is, for the sinful people, or sinners, Heb. 9. 28. so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: That is, to bear the sins of the sinful many that he died for, Heb. 10. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, sat down on the right hand of God: that is, after he he had offered a sacrifice for sinners. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Christ once suffered for sin, that is, for sinners, 1 Cor. 15. 3. I delivered unto you how Christ died for our sins, that is, for the persons of us sinners. 1 John 3. 5. He was manifested to take away our sins. 1 John 4. 10. Herein is love—that he sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Rev. 1. 5. To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins—be glory. Gal. 1. 4. He gave himself for our sins. Now it must not be asserted, but proven that in all these places where he is said to be a propitiation for the sins of the world; and hath taken away our sins speaking (as these Authors say) of the whole Visible Church, and not of the elect only that Christ hath died and by his death hath taken away some sins, and hath suffered for some sins, and not for all sins, not for the final unbelief of sinners, if it be said, that we cannot teach that Christ suffered for final unbelief, we grant it: But then we say that Christ suffered not for final unbelievers and for the other sins of final unbelievers, since suffering for sins and for persons that are sinners, to bring them to God, 1 Pet. 3. 18. are conjoined. And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. 5. 19. Therefore there must be a pardoned and a justified world, and so a truely blessed world, as Paul and David teach, Psal. 32. 1, 2. Rom. 4. and so a loved, Joh. 3. 16. and chosen world followed with the separating love of God to man which saves some foolish ones and serving diverse lusts, and saves not others; and so there must be a love and mercy of predestination, amor εὐδοκίας, not common

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to all the world; as is clear, Tim. 3. 3, 4, 5. Eph. 2. 1, 2, 3. 4, 5.  We seek a warrant of Gods not imputing to this loved world their trespasses against the Law, and of his imputing to the same world the trespasses of rebellion and final unbelief: And how Christs blood, shed for persons, both reconciles them to God, and leaves them in wrath, imputes not their trespasses to them, and makes them blessed, as David says, Psal. 32. 1. and imputes their final unbelief to them, and leaves them under a curse: Nor shall it help the matter to say, that final unbelief may be considered as both against the Law, and as only forbidden in the Gospel. And in the former respect Christ hath suffered for it, not in the latter. For if the ἀνομία, the contrary between final unbelief and the first Command, as it is a rebellion against God manifested in the flesh, be satisfied for by Christ on the Cross; How can it condemn the person as sure it doth? Joh. 3. 18, 36. Joh. 8. 21, 24. It cannot be said that Christ died not for final unbelief, so we believe.

2. What special ἀνομία and repugnancy to the Law of God is there in final unbelief, that is not a repugnancy to the Covenant of Works and Grace both? And what repugnancy to the Covenant of grace which is not also contrary to the Law? This I grant  (which I desire the Reader carefully to observe) the Law and the Covenant of Grace do not one and the same way command faith and forbid unbelief. I speak now of the Covenant of Works and of the Covenant of Grace as they are two Covenants specifically and formally different.

For 1. The Law as the Law Commands 1. Faith in the superlative degree, as it doth all acts of obedience, and so doth it Gospel repentance. Because the Law commands all obedience most exact and perfect, and condemns faith in the positive-degree, though sincere and lively, as sinfully deficient. The Gospel doth only require sincere faith, and condemneth not for the want of the degrees of faith most perfect, though the Law of thankfulness to the Ransom-payer (which Law is common to both Covenants) require that we believe in the highest degree, because Christ hath expressed to us the greatest love, Joh. 3. 16. Joh. 15. 13.

2. The Law as the Law requires faith not final only, but faith in Immanuel for ever, and that we be born with the Image of God

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that we believe at all times, under the pain of damnation. But the Covenant of Grace, because it remits of repentance, and holds forth the meekness, forbearance, and longanimity of Christ, is satisfied with faith at any time, or what hour of the day they shall be brought in.

3. The Law requires faith, with the promise of Law-life: The Covenant of Grace requires faith, promises of grace to believe with promise of a Gospel-life.

4. The Law requires not faith in Christ with sinners Covenant- ways as a work to be legally rewarded, for it finding all sinners, all by nature, Covenant-breakers, cannot indent with them that have broken the Covenant, to promise life to them by tenour of the Covenant, which now ceaseth to be a Covenant of life, and cannot but condemn, and is now rendered impossible to justify and  save by reason of the weakness of the flesh, Rom. 8. 3. All the reprobate then are this way under the Covenant of Works, that they are (as it were) possible Covenanters liable to suffer the vengeance of a broken Covenant, but not formally active Covenanters as Adam was. But if Christ suffer for final unbelief as it is against the Law as the Law, how is it charged upon Reprobates as a sin against the Gospel only? Since no wrong done to God-redeemer can be any thing but a sin against God, and a breach of the first Command. I deny not but final unbelief hath an aggravation that it is the nearest bar and iron gate between the sinner and the only Saviour of sinners; but yet the putting of such a bar is a sin against the Law. Neither can it be said that only final unbelief is the only meritorious cause of damnation to such as hear the Gospel. For beside final unbelief, there is also a contrariety betwixt the murders, Sodomies, c. of professors and the Law, for which they suffer in hell eternally, Rev. 21. 8. c. 18. 7.

Quest. Whether doth the Lord-Mediator as Mediator, command the same good-works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the Covenant of Works?

CHAP. XXI.

Ans. According to the matter of the thing commanded, quoad rem mandatam, he commands the same, and charges

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upon all and every one the moral duty even as Mediator, for he cannot loose the least of these Commandments, but simply they are not the same, quoad modum mandandi. It shall not be needful to dispute whether they be commands differing in nature: For not only doth the Mediator command obedience upon his interposed Authority as Law-giver and Creator, but also as Lord-Redeemer upon the motive of Gospel-constraining love. In which notion he calls love the keeping of his Commandments (if they love him, Joh. 14. the new Commandment of love.

Quest. 2. Doth the Lord-Mediator, in the Covenanant of Grace command the same good works to all, the same way?

Ans.Rom. 3. 19. The Lord, in the Law, must speak one way to these that are under the Law that is under the jurisdiction and condemning power of the Law: and a far other way to these that are not under the Law.

CHRIST speaks to reprobates in the Visible Church, even when the matter of the command is Evangelic, as to non confederates  of grace in a Law way, and in a Law intention. For he cannot bid them obey upon any other ground then legislative authority, not upon the ground of redemption-love bestowed on them, or that he died out of love to save all and every one: For we disclaim that ground; or because he died out of a special design to save them as his chosen ones. For there is no ground for that until we believe. But they are to obey upon the ground of Redemption-love, so they first believe and fiducally rely upon Christ the Saviour of all. But he commands Law-obedience to his chosen even as Mediator. (1.) Upon a Gospel-intention to chase them to Christ, Gal. 3. 23. (2.) When they are come to hedge them in, with Law-threatening to adhere, in a godly fear, more closely to Christ. But the Lord commands no believer to believe hell in the event to be their reward, but to believe perseverance and life, but hell in the deserving. Hence that, 1 Tim. 1. 9. The Law οὐ κεῖται, is not made for the righteous (to condemn them: as if God thereby opened up to them their doom) but for the lawless, c. to let them be damned and see their damnation. Bb

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CHAP. XXII.

The differences in the promise of the Covenants.

Quest. What is the special difference of the promise of the two Covenants?

Ans. It is known that only life eternal is promised in the Law, if a right to the things of this life was promised to Adam, it is like he behoved to complete his course of obedience, and merit a right legal to the herbs and fruit of the earth, beside the right he had by gift of Creation, ex dono Creatoris, non iure operum.

But 2. There was no promise made to Adam of perseverence, and so no promise made to him of influences to work in Adam to will and to do; so the influences by which he obeyed was, purum donum Creatoris, a mere gift of the Creator, not a gift of either the grace of Christ, or a promised grace, though in a large sense, it may be called a grace, or donum gratis datum: For God gave that influence upon no obligation. Now that it was not a grace promised is evident by Adams fall: for God, who is true fulfills his promises. 2. Augustine and our Divines teach, Dedit Deus posse ut vellet, non velle ut posset, a power to stand, but not the gift of actual perseverance. if any say that the Lord promised to Adam perseverance conditionally (which in one sense is true, in another false) if he pleased, in that he gave to him all necessaries required for actual standing. Ans. 1. This is to teach that perseverance was promised the same way, in the Covenant of works, that Arminius saith it is promised in the Covenant of Grace, and that the free-will was absolute lord of standing and falling, and to deny God to be the nearest cause of our standing and persevering in either the one or the other, and to bid us first and last sacrifice to  our own free-will. 2. Willing perseverance actual cannot be promised conditionally: for the question should be, Upon what condition doth the Lord promise to work in Adam actual perseverance, if he should be willing to persevere? But the question shall remain, whether that willingness to persevere, since it is the greatest part, if not whole Perseverance be promised or not; If it be not promised,

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the contrary whereof they hold, if it be promised conditionally, the question shall recur, what shall be the condition, and another condition then the willingness of the will to persevere cannot be given, and so the argument shall rise against itself, and the issue must be God gave to Adam actual perseverance, if he should be willing to persevere, that is, he gives to Adam perseverance, if he give him perseverance; for willingness to persevere is perseverance, or a very large part thereof.

3. But persevering grace and so influence of grace to persevere is  promised in the Covenant of Grace, Jer. 31. 35. that they shall continue in Covenant, more sure then the night and the day. Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. The meaning cannot be, I will give them a power never to depart from me, if they will: For so nothing is more promised in Christ to the second Adams heirs, then to Adam and the Angels that fell, for the like, say, was promised to them.

And 2. If notwithstanding of that fear both promised and put in the heart, and in the will, yet lubric free will may stand or fall and remain indifferent to either, then the sense shall be thus. I will make an everlasting Covenant, I will put my fear in their heart, by which they may either depart from me, and turn Apostates, or not depart from me, but persevere: But so the Covenant, made with Adam and the fallen Angels, should be an everlasting Covenant, and yet it was broken. For the image of God of itself inclined Adam and the fallen Angels, never to depart from God: For sure, Adams fear, being a part of that Image, which sanctified his affections, inclined him (but not undeclinably and immutably) not to depart from God, and not to hearken to the lying Serpents suggestions. But it is not that new Covenant-fear promised and given in the second ADAM, Jer. 32. 39, 40.

4. That these influences were purchased by Christs death is clear, because they are the nearest causes of our actual believing and coming to Christ, of faith and perseverance that are given freely, and repentance and faith are given of Christ, Acts 5. 31. Zech. 12. 10. 2 Tim 2. 25. Phil. 1. 29. Ephes. 2. 1, 2, 3. Ezek. 36. 26, 27. Eph. 1. 17, 18, 19, 20. John 6. 44, 45.

5. So obedience to the Covenant of Works was Adams own. Bb2

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(2.) And came from his concreated self (the Image of God that was his own) by a common influence, and neither was the Image of God, nor the influencies of God acts of free grace, or the purchase of grace properly so called.

(2.) Adam had a Law-claim to the Crown without sin, if he  had continued in obedience, and did merit ex pacto life eternal, our new Covenant obedience in habitual and actual performance is so a duty, that it is also promised and a benefit merited to us by the death of Christ, whereas Adams obedience was purum officium, non officium promissum, as our Gospel-obedience is.

6. Hence in obedience distinguish two. 1. The nature of obedience. 2. The worth and excellency of obedence. The more the obedience be from ourselves, the more it partakes of the nature of obedience. Hence four kinds of obedience are to be considered.  1. Christs obedience was the most legal obedience, and also the most perfect, for he obeyed most of his own, of any, from his own will purely, Joh. 10. 18. Mat. 26. 39, 42, 44. His own blood, Hebr. 9. 14. Rev. 1. 5. My blood, saith he, Matth. 26. 28. He gave his life a ransom, Matth. 20. 28. He gave himself a ransom, 1 Tim. 2. 6. By himself he purged our sins, Heb. 1. 3. Gave homself for his Church, Eph. 5. 25. Offered himself, Heb. 9. 14. And therefore the satisfaction that he made was properly his own. It's true the life, flesh and blood which he offered to God, as common to the three Persons, was equally the life, flesh, blood of God by way of Creation and efficiency: For God as God created His Man-hood, and gave him a body, but that Man-hood, in abstracto, was not the offering, but all these, in concreto, and the self,  including the value and the dignity, was not the Fathers, not the Spirits, but most properly his own, and the Sons only by way of personal termination and subsistence. 1. There are contradictory terms affirmed of this holy self the Son, and of the Spirit and the Father. The Son was God incarnate. 2. The son offered himself his own life, his own blood to God for our sins. Neither the Father nor the Spirit at all is God incarnate, neither Father nor Spirit offered his own life, his own blood to God; Neither the Father nor the Spirit hath (to speak so) a personal or terminative dominion

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over the flesh and blood of Christ. 2. Christ was in no sort obliged to empty himself, and cannot be under a ius or obligation to the Creator or the creature. Of free love and his own will he became Mediator God-Man, and being created man, and having said (here am I to do thy will) having stricken hands with God as Surety of the Covenant, none more obliged, being holy and true;  And therefore though Christ-Man was most strictly tied to give the Father obedience, yet he was not obliged to give him such and such obedience, so noble, so excellent, from a personal Union: for Christ God cannot properly come under any obligation. Hence the obedience of Christ is most meritorius, because maxime indebita, in regard of the Godhead most undebtfull, and yet obedience most debtfull in regard of the Man-Christ. 3. Most from his own will personally considered, the affection, love, the bended will, highest delight to obey, lay personally near to the heart and holy will of Christ God: With desire have I desired to eat this Passover. He went foremost in the journey to Jerusalem, when he was to suffer. Much of the internal propension of the will makes much and (as it were) heightens and in intends the nature of obedience, so that Christs and our obedience have scarce an univocal definition. 4. He gave and restored more glory to offended justice, by such a noble, incomparably excellent death, then Adam and all his Sons took of glory from God: therefore  against impure Socinians it is a most real satisfaction and compensation, where glory by obeying and suffering is restored in lieu of the glory taken away. All that Socinians say, that God cannot be a loser, and needs not glory, and nothing can be taken from him, and nothing can be given to him, proves nothing but that it is not such a satisfaction as one creature performs to another, nor is it a satisfaction that brings profit to God: For can a man be profitable to the Almighty? Nor such a satisfaction as eases a disquieted mind; Which proves not Christ to be a Saviour painted in a mere copy to us, and only a godly Martyr who saveth only by preaching and witnessing, and not by a most real an eminently clear satisfaction.

2. The elect Angels next to Christ gave obedience in their Law course, but not so properly of their own as Christ, for some

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discriminating and strengthening grace they had from Christ Mediator  their head, Col. 2. 10. that they shonld not fall, and something from the Election of Grace, which do not necessarily agree to the Covenant of Works, which they performed without sin, and the more extrinsical help from grace, the less merit, so far is grace from being, as Jesuits say, the essential requisite of merit, that the work is less ours, and so the less meritorious, that it hath grace. Let not any say then Christs obedience that came  from the fulness of the Spirit without measure οὔκ ἐκ μέτρου, must so be less meritorious, which is absurd, for the reason why grace in Angels, and men who are mere creatures diminishes the nature of merit, is, because grace is not their own, nor their proper due, but supernatural or preternatural, and so hurts the nature of the merit, but to the meriting person Christ-God-Man nothing is supernatual, nothing extrinsical, nothing not his own: Grace is his own as it were by sort of a personal dominion, not to say that the Man Christ as man did not merit, yet as man he was born sinless and with the full image of God.

3. Adam gave more faintly obedience more indeed of his own,  but it was less obedience, and less will in it, tben the obedience of Angels, and had he continued, his obedience had been proper obedience; but this is to be observed, none did ever, Actu secundo, and by the only help of simple nature attain Justification and Salvation by the simple Covenant of Works, but men and evil Angels fel under both, though that was a possible Covenant and holy and spiritual, yet God set it up to be an inlet to pure Justice in the reprobate Angels, and so to free grace in elect men.

4. The obedience of faith, or Gospel-obedience, in the fourth  place, hath less of the nature of obedience, then that of Adam, or of the Elect Angels, or rhat of Christs. It's true we are called obedient Children, and they are called the Commandments of Christ, and Christ hath taken the Moral Law and made use of it in an Evangelic way, yet we are more (as it were) patients in obeying Gospel-Commands, not that we are mere patients, as Libertines teach, for grace makes us willing, but we have both supernatural habits and influences of grace furnished to us from the Grace of Christ, who hath merited both to us, and so in Gospel- obedience

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we offer more of the Lords own, and less of our own, because he both commands and gives us grace to obey. And so  to the elect believer the Law is turned in Gospel, he by his Grace fulfilling (as it were) the righteousness of the Law in us by begun new obedience, Rom. 8. 4. and to the reprobate the Law remains the Law, and the Gospel is turned in the Law, for all conditional promises to the Reprobate, though in termes Evangelic, yet are Law to them (if Cain do well he shall be saved) (if Judas believe he shall be saved) because God by Grace fulfills not the promise in them. Obj. 1. Then shall Gospel obedience be of less worth then Law-obedience which sloweth not from Grace, which Christ hath merited by his death? Ans. Its not denied, but it is obedience, so the Scripture, Heb. 5. 9. Rom. 1. 5. Rom. 6. 17. Rom. 16. 19. 2 Cor. 10. 5. 1 Pet. [1.] 15. Act. 6. 9. Act. 5. 32. 37. But (2) It hath less of the nature of obedience but more excelency. Who would say Peter labouring in the Viniard of John for wages, does properly obey, if we suppon that Peter hath from John, not only soul, will, body, arms, and legs, but the inward infused principle of willingness, the habit and art of dressing Vines the nearest propension and determination of will to work, so have we in the Gospel, but in the Law though the Lord who gives being does also give his Image to Adam, and his influence to obey, yet the Image of God is concreated, and Adams own, grace especially merited by Christ is supervenient and a mere stranger to us, and the influence, though it did predetermine Adams will, yet it is connatural as it were, natura debita, not merited by Christs death and so we give more of our own, when we give the fruit of Creation which God hath bestowed on the Pismire and the Worm, then when we give the obedience of Grace, 2. The obedience of Adam though rational and persuasive, there being a lamp of light in the mind, yet came from the feared authority of the Law-giver under the pain of damnation, the Gospel-obedience  is by the word, Act, 2. 37. is by way of pesuasion: Christ saith not, Peter, thou art afraid of hell, feed my Lambs, but, Peter, loves thou me, feed my Lambs: For a Law-obeyer is not to believe life eternal but in so far as he shall keep the Law perfectly, the Gospel obeyer so obeyes as he believes deliverance from wrath

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and life eternal, hut his believing is not reconed to him, κατὰ το ἐφίλημα, of Law-debt, but of love and Grace-debt: See Rom. 4. 4. Matth. 6. 12. these promises, 1 Tim. 4. 8. Luk. 12. 31. Matth. 19. 29. are expounded by the promises made to the overcomer, Rev. 2. Rev. 3. which is by faith, 1 Joh. 5. 4. 5. 3. But it is most true, Gospel-obedience hath these excellencies. 1. it is a plant of a more noble Vine coming from the merit of blood, yet is not our obedience comparable to Christs; for a work of Law or Gospel Grace hath a necessary reference to no wages of its own nature, but only by the intervening of the free pleasure of God. But Christs obedience intrinsically from the excellent dignity of  the person hath a meriting virtue. 2. It works more eminently then nature: It is a pillar to support sowuing nature, and acts in more excellent subjects, in CHRIST, in the elect Angels, in the Redeemed ones and makes them stones of another nature, and this is the handi-work of CHRIST, Isai. 54. 11. I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with Saphirs. v. 12. I will make thy windows of Agates, and thy gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones: What do moral men that work on clay and make clay pots all their life and know nothing of the actings of saving Grace. Fairest civility is but rusty iron the basest of Metals: and they sweat and hammer upon Law-works being strangers to Christ, and his gold. O! what a difference between praying and hearing out of discretion, and by necessity of the office and paying in the Holy Ghost, and hearing in faith.

CHAP. XXIII.

Q. What sort of doing the Law requireth?  The Scripture is clear, that consumate, and continued in doing to the end is required by the Law. Paul interpreting Moses, Deut. [27. 26.] Gal. 3. 10. Cursed be every one, ὁς οὐκ ἐμμένοι ἐν πάσι, who continueth not in all that are written in the Law to do them. Deut. [27. 26.] Cursed is he who shall not confirm. It is a word they use in inacting of Laws, when we say, Be it statuted and ordained: the word in Piel is three times in the Book of Esther, to ordain by a Law, Which clearly saith that

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the Covenant of Works was a work of justice and such a time God set to Adam, so as to the end he was to run it out, but how long he  was a viator or traveller in his course of obedience no man knows.

CHAP. [XXIVa.]

Whether faith as lively and true, or faith as continuing to the end, be the condition of the Covenant of Grace?

These, who in all points, as in this, make this new Covenant a Covenant of Works, contend that faith as enduring to the end, must be the condition of the new Covenant. 1. Because the promise of the reward. 2. The reward is given to him that endures to the end. And this faith (say they) is the adequate and complete condition of the Covenant of Grace as full and consummate obedience to the end in degrees and parts.

2. But faith as lively and sincere is the condition of the Covenant, the nature and essence of this faith is to continue to the end, but continuance to the end is an accidental condition of this only essential condition of the Covenant, faith quae, which endures to the end, but not qua aut quatenus, as it endures to the end is that which saves us and justifies us as the condition of the Covenant. Faith as lively unites us to Christ and justifies, whether it be come to the full perfection or not. Otherwise 1. no man should be ingrafted in Christ as branches in the Vine Tree, no man partakers  of the Divine nature, no man quickened, but he that dies in final believing: Whereas, Joh. 5. 24. he that believeth before his final continuance to the end, μεταβέβηκεν ἐκ τοῦ θανατου, hath passed from death to life and shall never come to condemnation. And in this is the difference of the condition of the Covenant of Works, that Adam had no right to life by one or two the most sincere acts and highest in measure, except he continue, ἐμμένοι (as the Law saith Deut. [27. 26.] Gal. 3. 10.) to the end, otherwise at the first act of Cc

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obedience perfect in degrees and parts, God behoved by Covenant (except the Lord should break the first Covenant himself, before man sin, which [is] blasphemous) to have given him confirming grace and the reward of life; but the condition of the Covenant of Grace is that, He that believes, Joh. 3. 36. οὐκρινεται, is not condemned, yea is freed from all condemnation, Rom. 8. 1. and ἐχέι. hath life being really united as the member to the head, as the branch to the tree, mystically, as the wife to the husband, legally, as the debtor and the surety becomes one person in Law, the sum one and not two. 1 Joh. 5. 11. And this is the witness that ἐδωκε he hath given us life eternal, and this is in the Son. 12. He that hath the Son hath life: He that believeth hath the Son dwelling in his heart by faith, Eph. 3. 17.

2. Faith, before it come to seed and full harvest brings solid  peace and comfort and saveth: So Christ to the blind man, Luke 18. 42. thy faith σὲι σεσώκε, hath saved thee, not a bare miraculous faith, but that which apprehends remission of sins, as he speaks to the woman who did wash his feet with tears, Luke 7. 50. and to the paralytic man, Mat. 9. 2. seeing their faith, be of good cheer, go in peace, thy sins are forgiven. If they be but forgiven conditionally, so they believe to the end, whereas they may fall away. 1. What comfort and good cheer? 2. What peace being justified by faith, Rom. 5. 1.? 3. What glory in tribulation, Rom. 5. have they more then Judas the son of perdition? What Covenant of life and of peace are we in? What difference between our Religion and the Religion of Cicero, Seneca, and of all Pagans, if Christ furnish not to us solid unshaken help and consolation? And what a trembling hope have they that they be, and are to fear they shall be in the condition of apostate Angels tomorrow? What saith then Christ, Matth. 9, 22. Mark 5. 34. Mark 10. 52. Luk. 8. [56.] Luk. 5. 20, 24. Mark 5. 34. Mark 9. 24. yea and much more saith the Holy Ghost of our case, even of everlasting consolation, 2 Thessal. 2. 16. strong consolation, Hebr. 6. 18. all comfort, 2 Cor. 1. 4. lively hope, 1 Pet. 1. 4. Heb. 6. 18. 19. then Heathens can say, Nay otherwise not so much, for they promise not so much. 3. Our lively faith is to believe our perseverance in lively faith as promised to us, Jer. 32. 39, 40. Isai. 54. 10. Isai. 59. 20, 21.

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Joh. 10. 27, 28. Joh. 4. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 3, 4, 5. Joh. 11. 26, 27. As we believe life eternal, and that purchased by the merit of Christs death, the one as well as the other, then faith as final cannot be the condition; And who can think that God commands faith in God Immanuel in the Covenant of Works? But faith in God Immanuel to the end is not commanded in the Covenant of Works, but only in the Covenant of Grace. 4. Faith justifies and saves as sincere, be of it great or small: but it justifies not and saves not, but as it endures to the end, then no man is completely justified and saved and united to Christ until he die.

Since faith (as all other graces in a child of God) is imperfect and still growing, 2 Pet. 3. 18. and we are to pray, Lord increase our faith, none shall be justified and saved, but he that hath the greatest faith, if faith only, which endures to the end, be the condition of the Covenant, and such a faith as groweth and endures to the end: For take one who for twenty years believeth the first two years, he being united to Christ, hath right to Christ, Joh. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Joh. 17. 21, 22. Joh. 14. 16. Joh. 16. 7, 8, 13. Joh. 4. 14. Joh. 7. 37, 38, 39. he shall not be judged, nor condemned, hath passed from death to life, shall never die, Joh. 3. 36. 1 Joh. 5. 11, 12. Joh. 4. 24 Joh. 11. 25, 26. then should he die the end of the first year of his believing, by the Scripture, he must be saved, else he must be damned, who yet died in true faith and yet never fell away, which were strange: But by this opinion either the remnant sound believing should be no condition of justification and salvation, because the man is justified and saved without it, and the faith of one or two years gave him right to Christ and saved him? Ergo the remnant faith is not a condition of the Covenant, but a persevering by grace promised and a persevering in that faith, as also by their way who make persevering faith the only condition of the Covenant of Grace. 1. Faith and works are confounded: whereas to be saved by faith is to be saved before, and to be justified before we can do good works, and the ius or title to righteousness and salvation coming only from the price and Redemption that is in Jesus Christ, is not more or less, and grows not more then the worth of the ransom of the blood called the blood of God, Acts 20. 28. does grow; and it is to be justified by grace and by Cc2

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faith, and then works come in as the fruit of our justification and  salvation, Eph. 2. Ye are not saved by works, least any man should boast, in a righteousness of his own, coming from no merit of Christ, which buyeth determinating grace, and indeclinably leads and bows the will; Otherwise we may boast, that is, glory in the Lord, who worketh all our works for us, Psal. 34. 2. Isa. 41. 16. Isa. 26. 12. The salvation and righteousness is the gift of God. What then shall be the room of Works? He answers, no room at  all as causes of justification salvation, by an excellent antanaclasis as learned Trochrig: for he answers, We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Then by grace we have the full right to righteousness and salvation by the ransom of blood, which is Christs. Papists and Arminians dare not bring in Evangelic works or faith as an Evangelic work here, though they be too bold. 2. Being once made the creation of God in Christ, and having obtained right by the blood of Christ to salvation, we walk by his grace in good works as leading us to the possession of the purchased inheritance. 3. The Authors of this stand for the Apostacy of the Saints, and they cannot eschew it who make this final faith that takes in its essence good works as the soul of it, or charity (as Papists say) as the form of it, the only condition of the Covenant.

Quest. But is not life eternal given and promised only to faith which continues to the end? Ans. Faith is considered two ways. In its nature. 2. In its duration and existence. As to the former saving faith is of that nature that it is apt to endure, it hath a sort of immortality, so the promise in titulo iure, is made to that faith only which is of that nature that it must endure to the end, and the promise of life and remission is not made to a saving faith under the accident of enduring to the end, or for the years, suppose thirty or forty years, or eight hundred years, or above, that Adam and the Patriarchs lived in the state of believing, for a faith of some hours only shall save the repenting thief as well as a faith of many years. And 2. life eternal in the possession is promised and given only to the faith that continues to the end not because of the duration, because a longer enduring faith hath merit,

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but that is by accident, in regard of the right to life, and because God hath commanded persevering in faith, life is given only in possession to such a faith as endures, but we cannot say that the accidental endurance and existence of faith for so many years doth save and justify, as the living so many years makes a Child an heir to a great estate, for his being born the eldest son, makes him his fathers heir.

CHAP. [XXIVb.]

What faith is required in the Gospel.

There is a legal faith, a duty commanded, the object of which is twofold. 1. Truth relating to the mind revealed and to be revealed. So Adam had a habit or habitual power to believe the Law and the Gospel upon supposition, it should be revealed. As a whole man believes skill in his Physician to prevent diseases ere they come, and to remove them when they come. Its folly to say Adam stood in need, be he fell, of a supernatural power to believe Evangelic truths, if he believed God to be true, he had such a power as to believe all was true, that God should reveal. 2. Adam had a faith of dependency, to rely upon God in all possible  evils feared.

2. The promise of life is not made to Law-faith more then to Law-love, or Law-fear, or Law-desire, more then to any other, but the promise is made to Evangelic-faith that lays hold on CHRIST as our righteousness. But for obeying the Commands Adam was to live, Gal. 3. 13. ἐν αὐτοῖς בהז in them by doing  them, Ezek. 20. 11. As Lavater, there is no absurdity if it be said men shall live, that is, merit by free paction, life eternal: but then (saith Calvin) if a man keep the Law he needs not the Grace of Christ. Obj. If faith be imputed, as it lays hold on Christs Righteousuess, it must be the meritorious cause of justification and by its inherent dignity, for there is nothing more essential to faith, then to lay hold on Christs Righteousness. Answ. If faith were imputed as righteousness according to the act of laying

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hold on Christ, it were true, but the act of faith is not imputed but that which faith lays hold on, it being an instrument, to wit, the Righteousness of Christ, it is not an act of believing saith a Jesuit. And though they say the works Evangelic are from the habit of grace, so was Adam a patient, when God concreated his Image, and habitual righteousness in him. But Arminians and  Jesuits do not say, nor dare not, that predeterminating Grace is from Christs merits, therefore yet the sinner may more boast then Adam, and say I have justified myself by the Acts of free-will which is indifferent and from under all the bowing and determining or swaying of the Grace of Christ, for the free-will should have so whether Christ had died or not died.

CHAP. XXV.

Q. Whether is Christs righteousness imputed and made ours; because we believe and apprehend it ours; or do  we believe, because it is ours first before we believe?

Ans. There is a twofold imputation, one legal, another which for Doctrines cause we call application or real (though the legal imputation be also real; but not to us as the former) the Lords act of laying the iniquity of us all upon Christ, Isa. 53. 6. and the Lords making him sin for us, that is a sacrifice for sin, 2 Cor. 5. 21. evinces necessarily the truth of this, the former imputation. For 2 Cor. 5. 21. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. If it be expounded of actual reconciliation of persons, it may say something for the other imputation, but the other imputation is clear, Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness, v. 7. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered, v. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin, v. 9. Faith (that is, that which faith believed, as hope is put for the thing hoped for, Col, 1. 5. Rom. 8. 24. was imputed to Abraham for righteousness, though Gomarus give another exposition, to wit, that by faith or the act of believing we obtain this to

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be reputed righteous, and it suits better with the Text. And as to the former imputation, God could not in justice wound Christ for our trangressions, nor bruise him for our iniquities, nor could the Lord break him, nor deliver him to the death for us all, except God had both made him the sinner, that is, imputed and reckoned him the sinner in Law (for intrinsically and inherently he was not the sinner, but holy, harmless, c.) and laid our debts upon him, Isa. 53. 6. and except he had been willing to have been counted the sinner, and had said, (thou hast given me a body, here am I to do thy will, Psal. 40. 7. Heb. 10. 6, 7.) this reckoning of Christ to be the sinner is not only in the eternal decree, but also a laying of our iniquities upon him in time, Isa. 53. 6. or a dealing with him in Law in punishing him as the sinner. And 2. by using the humane nature as an instrument of our Redemption on the Cross. Antinomians take this imputing of our sins to Christ, and reckoning  Christ to be the sinner, to be the justifying of the sinner, which is a gross mistake; for so without believing all that Christ died for should be justified upon the Cross. But the Scripture is so far from ascribing Justification to any but to a believer, that it saith Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousness. Now the faith of multitudes for whom Christ died when he suffered on the Cross, is a very nothing: Many are not born, and a nothing or a non ens cannot be counted for righteousness.

It is to be observed that payment made by the surety absolveth the debtor, so as the Law, except it be the General Law of gratitude requireth no act of love, of faith, of service from the debtor, nor doth the Law of suretyship in its essence and nature require that the Creditor, sub eo titulo should pay the homage of faith, indeed when the Creditor is both the creditor and the offended  Party, and also the supreme Law-Giver GOD, he may require of the captives the obedience of faith. So would justice which saith, we should hurt none, give to every man his own, press, that the debtor repay to the surety, so far as he is able to make up his losses, but to pay the obedience of faith as a part of the ransom due to offended Justice, is no Gospel-Law, nor any part thereof, nor can it bear truth, except we deny the real satisfaction made by Christ which both Papists do weaken when they mix the merit of faith therewith, and Socinians deny.

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4. The satisfaction performed upon the Cross for sinners, though it be for a certain particular number, determined of God, quoad numerum numerantem, quoad numerum numeratum, both as touching the number, so many, not all and every one, and such pesons by head, name, birth, c. Yet it is not the justifying of me, or John, or Paul, for I, nor no man can know that Christs satisfaction stands for you or me, by name and person, while first I or you believe, because it is the hid Decree of God. 3. Nor is this legal imputation believable, nor is it revealed, as it is terminated to single persons, to me or to you, until by faith we apprehend it.

5. But the imputation of application is that in which our justification standeth.

And the faith by which as by an instrument we are justified,  presupposeth three unions, and maketh a fourth union.

It presupposeth an union,

1. Natural.

2. Legal.

3. Federal

1. Natural, that Christ and we are not only both mankind, for CHRIST and Pharoah, Judas, the traitor and all the sons of perdition are one, specie natura, true men, but one in brotherhood. He assuming the nature of man with a special eye to Abraham, Heb. 2. 16. that is, to the elect and believers, for with them he is bone of their bone, and is not ashamed to call them brethren, Heb. 2. 11, 12. Psal. 22. 22.

2. It presupposes a legal union between Christ and them, that God made the debtor and the Surety one in Law, and the sum one in so far as he laid our debts on Christ, Isa. 53. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 21.

3. It presupposes an union Federal, God making Christ our Surety, and he was willing to be our Surety, and to assume not only our nature in a personal union, but also our state, condition, and made our cause his cause, our sins his sins, not to defend them, nor to say Amen to them, as if we might commit them again, but to suffer the punishment due to them. And our faith makes a fourth union betwixt Christ and us, whether natural, as between head and members, the branches and the Vine Tree, or mystical, as that of the spouse and beloved wife, or artificial, or mixed between

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the imp and the tree. Or 4. Legal, between the Surety and the Debtor, the Advocate and the Client, or rather an union above all, is hard to determine, for these are but all comparisons, and this Christ prays for, Joh. 17. 23. I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.

6. Now to the Question, as the Law condemns not a man but him who is first a sinner, and an heir of wrath by nature in the first Adam, for the Law is essentially just: So God justifies not a man, but the man, who by order of nature, is first by faith in CHRIST, Rom. 5. 18. Therefore as by the offense of one (judgement) came upon all men unto condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men (in Christ, as the other were in the first Adam) unto the justification of life: And so we must say, that all ere they be justified, and before God impute faith to them, that is Christs believed righteousness to be theirs, must have faith and so believe, and so be one with Christ. And this imputed righteousness is ours, because we believe, and not until we first believe, and the other imputation goes before faith: So the faith of Gods special mercy is two ways so called. 1. As it leaneth upon and apprehendeth God in Christ, for the obtaining of mercy and remission of sins, and imputed righteousness: So faith goes before justification, and we believe that our sins may be pardoned, and that our sins may not be imputed, and that we may be justified and freed from condemnation: so by the act of believing righteousness is imputed to us. And thus justification and remission, i. e. relaxing of our persons from a state of eternal condemnation, as is meant, Rom. 8. 1. are not the object of faith, but  the effect and fruit of faith. 2. The faith of special mercy to me is considered as it apprehendeth and believeth, or rather feelingly knoweth special mercy, imputation of Christs righteousness now given to me, and as Christ both paid a ransom for me, and satisfied justice for me, and so imputed righteousness and justification are the object of faith; Or rather the object of the sense of faith, which is most carefully to be observed. To answer Bellarmines unsolid Argument, we either believe remission of sins past, or to come, c. But remission is liberation from punishment eternal or temporal, but justification is freedom from the fundamental Dd

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guilt-deserving punishment, and remission is a consequent thereof.

Q. Whether or not, is Justification taken one and the same way in the Old and and New Testament?

Ans. The Apostle is clear, Rom. 4. where he proves both Jews and Gentiles are justified as Abraham and David. But 2. Justification  by Grace hath not in iisdem apicibus in the same points, the same adversaries. 1. Moses and the Prophets contend most with Ceremonial hypocrites, who sought righteousness much in Ceremonies, Washings, Sacrifices, New-Moons, and also their own inherent godliness, Deut. 5. Deut. 7. Deut. 10. Deut. 11. Isai. 1. 10, 11, 12, c. Mic. 6. 6, 7, 8. Psal. 50. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Psal. 4. 2. 3, 4, 5. 1 Sam. 15. 22, 23. Isai. 66. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Jer. 7. 1, 2, 3,-21, 22, 23.

2. Paul had other adversaries, Rom. ch. 3. ch. 4. ch. 5. ch. 9. ch. 10. especially Antinomians, who drew the Doctrine of free Justification by Grace licentious loosness, then we may sin, if so and so, we be justified (said they) then is the Law of none effect, Rom. 6. 1. But his chief Adversaries, on the other extreme were men that stood much of Justification by the works of the Moral Law: And Paul, Rom. 3. proves that all Jews, Gentiles, David, Abraham, could be Justified neither by works of Nature nor of Grace, and casts down the Jews righteousness by Law-doing, Rom. 9. Rom. 10.

3. There were a third Class of Adversaries to free Justification, Galatians, seduced and false Apostles, who contended for Justification by Circumcision and the necessity of keeping the ceremonial Law if they would be saved, Act. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4, c. Gal. 2. Gal. 3. Gal. 4. Gal. 5. ch. 6. Who mixed the Gospel and Moses his Law, and Paul proves, Gal. 3. that we are not justified by the works of the Moral Law, for that Law, Deut. [27. 26.] involves all that omit the least duty of the Law, Gal. 3. 10, 11, 12, 13. under a curse, and Christ was made a curse for us. And Paul proves in the general, we are justified by neither the works of the Moral, nor of the ceremonial Law.

4. James had to do with another gang of loose livers, the Gnostics, who contended for justification by a bare nominal faith without love or good works. And James proves that we are justified

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before men and to ourselves by faith working by love, and not by a dead faith.

5. John contends much for real and speaking marks of justification and conversion, against dead Professors void of love to the Brethren.

Q. 3. What is the dominion of the Law over a sinner?

A. It is the legal power to condemn all such as are under the Law, as the Covenant of Works; as marriage is dissolved, if either of the parties be dead: So Rom. 7. 4. Ye are dead to the Law through the body of Christ, and it is not every commanding power that  Paul, Rom. 7. denies to the Law, but a Lordly dominion, such as Lords of life and death have and exercise, νόμος κυρίευει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, and we are dead to the Law through the body of Christ, which mortification or dying is not understood subjective, as if it were in us, but legally and objectively in Christ, because Christ in his body on the tree did bear our sins, 1 Pet. 2. 24. and was made a curse for us, in our place, Gal. 3. 13. For Christ (saith Ambrose,  clearing the place) giving his body as a Saviour, overcame death and condemned sin: Hence these two words, Rom. 7. 4. Wherefore ye also my brethren, are become dead to the law. Gal. 2. 19. For I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God; As the death to the Law is legal, I am no more under Law-condemmation then a dead man, so the living to God is a Law-living to God on a Law-absolution (as the absolved malefactor cleared of a capital crime which might have cost him his head, liveth, and so is set free) so there is another most emphatic word which insinuates that Christ is dead to the Law, as Paul was, for after Paul saith, Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law, he adds, v. 20. I am crucified with Christ legally, that is, as Christ was crucified for sin by the sentence of the Law, so I am crucified with him. Rom. 6 8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, which is not only to be expounded of mortification and inherent newness of life, but also of legal dying with Christ: For Christ died no death but legal death, there is no inherent mortification or slaying of a body of sin in him as in us, though from his death there also flow an merited an inherent [personal] mortification in us, for it is added, v. 9. knowing that Christ being raised Dd2

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from death dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him, then Christ, by Law, cannot die twice, so Christ being once crucified, the Law and death, which had once dominion over him, hath now no more dominion over him. Then, first, as Christ died a Law-death, and was under death, because under the Law, so are we legally in him freed from the Laws dominion, and death following thereupon. 2. As Christ defies the Laws dominion and  death, so do we. 3. As Christ cannot twice satisfy the Law by dying (for then the first had not been sufficient) so neither can we ever be under Law-death and Law condemnation, for we were once in Christ legally condemned crucified in our Surety, and so cannot suffer in our persons legal condemnation and legal death. 4. As Christ is dead to the dominion of the Law, and death having once died and come out from under both, so are we dead and come legally out in him, which answereth the several tentations we can be under in Christ. Obj. But then may we not sin, because we are freed from the dominion of the Law and death? as Rom. 6. he had said, ye are not under the Law but under Grace, v. 15. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under Grace? God forbid, ver. 16, 17. He answers from an absurd, then we that are ransomed by Christ should not be our ransom-payers servants, but the servants of sin. Now except the meaning had been, we are not under the Law, that is, the Law dominion and the Laws condemning power, there had been no place for such an Objection, nay, nor any shadow; but the true Objection is, we are not under the Law to be thereby condemned and eternally punished, therefore what is the hazard of sin? We may sin at  will, there is no fear of hell. Paul answers not from that evil of servile fear that followeth sin, but from the woeful ingratitude to our ransom-payer. O then we should not be under Christ and the directing light and rule of our Lord Ransomer, if we sin at will, but still servants and slaves to sin, so not redeemed, by which we gather that there are two things in the Law. 1. The condemning power of it. 2. The directive commanding power: As to the former, Christ by being condemned and suffering a cursed death for us, took that wholly away. We are not then under the Law as condemning yea neither as saving and justifying, for then should

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we be married to the Law and under conjugal power, as wife and husband living together, which Paul refutes, Rom. 2. 1, 2, 3, 8.

(2.) There is a directive commanding power that CHRIST takes in hand, and commands us to obey our Lord Ransomer, and we should sin against his love, if we should live loosely, because we  are freed from condemnation. Hence also there is a twofold dominion of sin, one legal, to condemn us eternally, another (as it were) physical, to keep us under the superlative power of lusts, if Christ had not died, we had been under both.

Q. 4. What is meant by the oldness of the letter in which we are not to serve? Rom. 7.

A. He means the idle, fruitless, and bare knowledge of the Law in external discipline, that reigns in an unrenewed man, by which he remaining in nature under the Law, foments an opinion pharisaical (for he points at the false and literal glosses of the Law  given by Pharisees and refuted by Christ, Mat. 5.) Of merit, external worship, ceremonies without any inward heart-renovation, to which is opposed the newness of the Spirit, or true new Evangelic obedience and holiness wrought by the Spirit.

Object. Is not the letter of the Law a bondage, since we are freed in heaven from the letter and from awing threatening?

Ans. To serve God is liberty, not bondage, Psal. 119. 45. Rev. 22. 3. compared with ver. 5. serving of God and reigning suit well together. See Luk. 1. 74, 75. Joh. 8. 34, 35, 36. Rom. 6. 16, 17. but there is a threefold bondage of the letter. 1. Accidental in regard of our corruption, the service is wearisome to unrenewed nature: This we are saved from in CHRIST, not fully in this life, but it comes not from the Law which is spiritual. 2. A bondage to the dominion of the condemning Law. 3. There is a bulke of Ordinances hearing, reading, praying, meditating, repenting, receiving the seals, we are freed from the one in this, and shall be freed from the other in the life to come.

Q. What is the dignity of the Gospel above the Law?

A. By the hearing of faith, that is, of the Gospel we receive the Spirit, Gal. 3. though the Law in the letter be also spiritual and lively, and seek of us the lost Image of GOD by way of commanding, yet there is no promise of the Spirit, made in the Law

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neither gifts nor grace, and both are given by the Preaching of the Gospel.

2. No miracles are wrought by the Law to confirme the Doctrine  of the Law, for it is not new, nor is the gift of miracles given as a reward of Law-obedience, miracles ingenere causae finalis, are wrought to avenge Pharaoh and the Egyptians Law-obedience; but the miracles are wrought by the name of Jesus, Acts 4. and for the confirming of the Gospel, and for the good of the Church: See Gal. 3. 1, 2, 3.

CHAP. XXVI.

Of the property of the Covenant of Grace, the perpetuity thereof.

Quest. Wherein stands the eternity of the Covenant of  Grace? And what other properties there be of the Covenant?

Ans. The Law and the Covenant of Works is a rule of everlasting righteousness, and so may be called an everlasting righteousness containing precepts of the Law of nature intrinsically good, such as to know, love, fear, trust in him as the only true God: and in this sense it is an eternal Covenant

But 1. it is not eternal in the positives of the second, and fourth, and fifth Commands, the way of worship, the means, as Ceremonies,  Sabbath, Magistracy, and such like, which are not to continue in the life to come, and so neither faith nor hope in God through Christ, 1 Cor. 13. 13. Rom. 8. 24. 25. 2 Cor. 5. 7. nor a Temple, nor Ordinances, nor the Kingdom of Christ as now dispensed, are to be the binding rule for eternity to such as are confederates of the Covenant of Grace, Rev. 21. 22, 23. 1 Cor. 15. 24. though more of the smell and remnants of the Covenant of Grace, of the Lamb, of praises to him who was slain, Rev. 5. 9, 11, 14. be in the life to come, then of the Law-Covenant, in regard of our standing in a state of glory for evermore, by the Mediator, to keep the nature in an eternal union, for evermore, by the Lord Christ his being clothed with our nature, glorified for ever, Rev. 3, 21.

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Rev. 5. Rev. 7. Rev. 20. Rev. 21. Ch. 22. And in that we shall  be ever with Christ God-Man, Luk. 23. 42. Joh. 17. 24. 1 Thess. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Phil. 1. 13, 17. in an eternal state of glory, though not in regard of an advocation and intercession for fallen sinners. As 1 Joh. 2. 1, 2. or of praying that our faith fail not, when winnowed, as Luk. 22. 31, 32. In a word there is a mediation of the triumphing reign for the standing of the glorified nature, and a mediation for the reconciling of, and interceding for of sinners. The latter must cease when the Kingdom is given up by the Son to the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. The former is eternal and shall never cease.

2. The Law as a possible and standing way of justifying and saving sinners is not eternal, but is now ceased to all flesh, the Man- Christ  only excepted, but the Covenant of Grace stands as the only way under heaven, by which sinners may be saved, and after the Covenant of Grace there is no dispensation, which Libertines and Familists call more spiritual without Ordinances and a way as they speak of all spirit, of pure spirit.

3. The Covenant of Grace is eternal, in regard in it there is promised actual Grace, and continual influences of Grace from the Head Christ, the High-Priest, to keep the confederates in obedience and in perseverance to the end. And no such influences either for the habit of grace or for the continued acts thereof, are promised in the Covenant of Works, in regard Adam a man, and poor men in him do undertake to obey. Whereas Christ-Man binds and undertakes as head-Covenanter and Surety for all the under-confederates, and for sinners in the Covenant of Grace. Which difference is much to be observed, between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace: And for that cause the Covenant of Works is, 1. more independent, and requires more of mans strength and less grace then the other.

2. It stands more by precepts, less by promises, having only one promise of a reward and hire to the obeyer, and consists all of precepts, the other though it want not precepts, especially, it is his command that we believe in the Son of God, yet stands most by promises, and this Covenant gets the name of a promise or the promise, Acts 2. 39. Rom. 8. 9. compared with Acts 3. 25. Gen. 12. 3.

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3. The Covenant of Works hath more of hire, more of man, of nature, of earning and working, and more of mans Covenant, where he binds for himself, and the other party for himself, without the mutual help of any of the confederate parties.

4. The Covenant of Grace is, thus, also eternal, in that the  buried and dead parties Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still in the Covenant of Grace, and there remains a Covenant-union between Christ and their rotten flesh sleeping in the dust, which is not an union, by faith, or by any actings obediential of dead men, as is most evident, if we compare our Saviours words, Matth. 22. 32. with the Lord speaking out of the Bush to Moses, Exod. 3. 6. and God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, nor is the rising of the body promised in the Covenant of Works, nor is there a standing Law-Covenant between the Lord and dead Abraham requiring the condition of faith from buried men. Only there is a warrant to say that the Covenant is everlasting, because it goes beyond time, and stands with the dead in Christ, Matth. 22. 32. (2.) Because two great promises of the Covenant, the rising of the body and life everlasting, are fulfilled after time is ended, Joh. 6. 38, 39. 1 Thess. 4. 14, 16, 17. and add to this the public owning the confession of the Saints before the Father and the holy Angels; which is public remission and declared justification before the world of Elect Men and Angels, Luke 12. 8. Matth. 10. 32. (3.) Because after all these, to walk among them as their God, and dwell among them, Rev. 7. 15, 16, 17. when they are clothed in white Robes, and are before the throne serving him night and day, and that the Lord should be their God. Rev. 21. 7. after they have overcome all temptations, is fulfilled eternally in heaven. Now for God to walk among the people and be their God, is to be a Covenanting God to them, as is evident from 2 Cor. 6. 16. Lev. 25. 11, 12. Jer. 32. 38. Zech. 13. 6.

2. The second and principal property of the Covenant is the graciousness and freedom thereof, therefore it is made with sinners,  without hire or price, and every article and lith of it is Grace. 1. The whole Gospel is the word of Grace, Acts 20. 32. Col. 1, 6. the Bargain a paction of Grace, and the new Covenant, Heb. 8. 8. for Grace is a new thing, and nature of old thing, the condition

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of the Covenant, to believe is a gift of grace, Phil. 1. 29. the mercies bestowed and promised are, all of free grace, for we are justified by his Grace Rom. 3. 24. freely, and are saved and called with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, 2 Tim. 1. 9. For by grace (saith Paul) are ye saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, Eph. 2. 8. and the new creation is framed in us of grace. But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ, Eph. 2. 4, 5. and the new heart promised, Ezek. 36. 26. is given upon this account, v. 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord, be it known unto you, be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. We have remission of sins freely of his grace, Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, Col. 1. 14. Perseverance is promised of free-grace, Jer. 31. 35. Jer. 32. 39, 40. Isa. 54. 10. as life eternal is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. 6. 23. and every influence of grace is of free grace, Phil. 1. 13. Joh. 15. 5. and CHRIST the Surety of the Covenant, of free-grace and love, is given, Joh. 3. 16. to taste of death for every man, Heb. 2. 9.

CHAP. XXVII.

Of cases of Law-fear, and Gospel-faith: How a child of God fears Law-threatenings.

From these properties flow diverse cases touching the stability of the Saints, their perseverance, their temptations, their standing in grace.

1. If they cannot fall away, who are thus seated in the Covenant, is not free-will left to much looseness of security? Answ. Not at all: for a principle of Godly fear is fixed in the heart, and so in free-will, never to depart from God, Jer. 32. 39, 40. and where this Godly awe is, the heart is in a Godly trembling and fear, and dare not be loose, wanton, and secure to fear nothing, but fears Ee

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alway. Prov. 28. 14. and fears and trembles at the Lord and his goodness, Hos. 3. 5. A Godly heart trembles more for fear of grace and the debt of grace then of justice and wrath; and fears sin more, as it is against the bands of grace, and against Christ and Gospel-love who can save, then as it is against Law the Law- giver, and him who eternally destroys. And so the awe of heaven hath a stronger impression then the terror and awe of hell.

Quest. 2. How can the fear of falling away, and the faith of  perseverance absolutely promised and absolutely given consist together?

Answ. The Law-fear of falling away, and the Gospel-faith of persevering are not consistent: the fear legal of the least sin is  a fear of hell and of eternal wrath to be irrecoverably inflicted, but because the person is under grace, the believer cannot fear this fear, except the Law-fear be letten out against him as a temptation, but it is not his obliged duty so to fear.

2. The Law-fear upon a believer is conditional, and not absolute, as he fears hell and falling away, jure, as his deserving, if God should enter in judgement with him, and if he were not in CHRIST: But he is obliged to a Gospel-faith which lays hold on Christ, righteousness, and deliverance from condemnation, and if Christ and interest in him be hid from him, and nothing on but Law-fear, that is a trial, not a duty of Law-fear. * But there is a Godly Law-fear, or a Gospel-Law-fear, which is a Godly horror condition all for that which is never to be inflicted, but yet according to deserving may be inflicted, and this is the terror of the Lord, which breedeth Gospel-persuasion, 2 Cor. 5. 11. and so may well stand with Gospel-faith and assurance of deliverance from falling away, and of being stablished and confirmed to the end. As a child in the fathers arms threatened to be cast over a sharp Rock in the Sea, may have horror and fear, and cry out for fear, and yet believe so his fathers compassion as he will not throw him in the Sea, because the threatening is ordained not to be exercised, but that the child may so much the more thrust his arms about his fathers neck.

Quest. 3. What is the best victory over temptations from such fears?

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Ans. As in all temptations, so here, overcoming is attended  with precious promises, which are to be read, Rev. c. 2. 7. 17. 26, 26, 28. c. 3. 5. 12. 21. Rev. 21.

For 1. Fevers of the Law that have no kindly cools, and relenting by the promises of the Gospel, tend not to the strengthening of the life of God, but only when they leave a standing self-loathing, and loving of Christ.

2. It argues the strength of faith, after many, yea six foiles to stand; as the Army that is broken six times, yet rallies and draws up again, is often at the seventh time victorious.

3. Such as stand against a strong and mighty tentation, being pressed out of measure, above strength, as Paul was, 2 Cor. 1. 8, 9 in so much (saith he) that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, do prevail to the being taught of God, not to trust in ourselves, but in God who quickens the dead: For here there comes real strength from fighting: As he, who, by strength of nature, lives and convalesceth after a running botch and strong pestilence, goes through pest-houses and is never infected again. So the worthies by faith who overcame strong temptations, Heb. 11. to the end, keep the fields and prevail til death.

4. Godly fear of self-weakness and trembling as sin which may darken the feelings of received mercies and sweet influences addeth strength. Something of that is here, 2 Cor. 12. 10. when I am weak, then am I strong.

5. A fixed peace in assurance of deliverance from condemnation, and quietness in believing pardon and righteousness in Christ, ought always to be, as touching the state of Justification: for the questioning of this in a believer, if Antinomians will yield to truth, is contrary to faith, and no warrantable assurance. But 2. a fixed peace in David, immediately after blood-shed and adultery, before  believing of the remission of these particular sins be, in the Lords order, renewed, is security, and not Godly peace. Psal. 32. 3. While I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day. 5. I acknowledged-and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 51. 1, 2, 3, c. prove this. But it may be said, doth not this holy feeling of, and trouble for Ee2

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the particular heinous guiltiness, brangle the fixed peace and the  persons faith and confidence that he is in a state of justification? Ans. Not at all: for the outcries of the child of God, Rom. 7. 24. under, not a finger, or an arm, or a leg, but a body of sin: O wretched man, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? are good, and much feeling of pain argues much life. And such as in this regard say, I thank God, I was plagued and pained, but now nothing ails me, I have peace, I am rich, I have need of nothing, Revel. 3. 17 I am all whole, must be in a dangerous case. Indeed the complaining of want of justification and of the righteousness of God in a believer, and a razing of the foundation, as Psal. 31. 22. Jonah 2. 4. I am cast out of thy sight: are both false and bastard-feelings, and hasty unbelief: for this is a reflection upon, and a reproaching of the Office of the Healer of sinners. This is contrary to faith, and the former is a complaining of the body of sin that can hardly be slandered; so a complaining of self, and the feeling of inherent corruption weakens not, but strengthens faith. And complaining thus, and triumphing in a believed justification, do well consort in Paul, Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man, c. v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord: and Rom. 8. 1. Then every feeling of sin is not contrary to faith, as Mr. Town and other Antinomians teach, some godly tender feeling foments faith.

Q. 6. How cometh it to pass that seldom feeling of sin wanteth unbelief?

Ans. Our looking, in a Legal, not in an Evangelic way,  upon sin, doth occasion unbelief: for looking to the sickness of the sinner is but abused, when this use is made of it, that the question which Christ hath abundantly answered; Ah, he hath not, who satisfied and paid my ransom, justified me also by the Redemption that is in him: but the strong body of sin which leads me captive, Rom. 7. 23. doth also lead, rather mislead me to doubt whether the ransom was sufficiently paid, and I sufficiently and freely, by his grace, and the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, justified, as Rom. 3. 24. And because the sinner feels the stirring and too vigorous acting of a body of sin, which is his own work, he removes the foundation-stones laid by Christ, and questions the well done work of Christ, and thrusts in his sickle into Christs harvest:

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which is upon the matter to say, Ah my sanctification is nought  or small: Therefore Christs satisfaction is weak, so the man, laying the burden upon the wrong back, will take and pull off the burden that Christ in his own body did bear on the tree, as 1 Pet. 2. 24. and wrestle under his own body of sin himself, and he thinks he will do the business better himself then Christ. This is that which Antinomians impute to us groundlesly, but it is our sinful weakness so to be troubled at the indwelling of a body, of sin, as we doubt of and call in question the work of Justification and the satisfaction of Christ. But there is good cause why the sinner quarrel with himself and complain of a body of sin, and yet not only quarrel with Christ, but exalt Christ, and by faith close with the absoluteness of his gifted satisfaction and righteousness. And this is as easy by the Grace of God, as we see the more that a gracious soul abases himself, as one carnal and sold under sin, Rom. 7. 14. as one in whom there dwells no good, as touching the flesh, v. 18. in whom sin dwells, v. 20. as one brought into captivity to the Law of sin, and a wretched man, 24. so much the more doth he exalt Christ the only deliverer, Rom. 7. 25. Rom. 8. 23, 33, 34, 35. and why should not our blackness commend Christs beauty, our deadness exalt his life, our sinful wretchedness his glorious office in saving, and our emptiness and dryness his fulness of the anointing who is all fulness?

CHAP. XXVIII.

Christ died not to blot out the sense of sin, but rather to quicken a Godly sense thereof.

The more of Christ and his sufferings be apprehended, the more  godly sense of sin, so far is Christs death from blotting out all sense of sin: for if sense of sin be all one with a simple reflecting knowledge that we once sinned, then the godly in this life from grace, not from the stirring of the Law, do both know and acknowledge what they were. 1 Tim. 1. 13. I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, c. I was before a blasphemer, and a persecuter, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, Tit. 3. 3. We ourselves were

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also sometimes foolish, disobedient, c. Yea the glorified cannot before the Throne sing the glory of the Lamb slain and the price of Redemption paid, Rev. 5. 12. to redeem them from sin, but there must be even in glory, this sense of their debt, though without heart-break or sorrow. Then it cannot be a Doctrine of the Gospel that paying of our debt, and the ransom, doth score out of a gracious memory the counts of a paid debt: The more I know what Christ hath done, the more I should kiss and embrace the gracious surety, and these kisses of Glory, and that song, worthy is the Lamb, c. say that grace and the faith of the price paid do enlarge rather the holy memory and sense of sin, then obliterate it. Hence the translated out of sense of grace, cast back their eye to the pit, the drudgery of bondage they were once in, Eph. 2. 3, 4, 5. Tit. 3. 3, 4, 5. Tim. 1. 13, 14. with loving and praising the riches of grace. And must it not be good to read old counts, and weep for joy, and cast and dart up praises to him who is at the right hand of the Father, and sorrow for old debts, and love much him who freely pardons?

2. If sense of sin be taken for the unbelieving feeling of, and judging myself cast out of his sight and condemned, whereas yet I am in Christ, and it is God who justifies me, who is he shall condemn? Rom. 8. 33, 34. We shall agree with Antinomians, this is indeed the hasty sense of unbelief, Psal. 31. 22. Joh. 2. 4. Hence let them be rebuked who say not that Christ in the Gospel, hath taken away this sense of sin. Yea, many redeemed of the Lord, are weary and laden, but they render themselves weary, and then sinfully complain that Christ will not ease them. In which unconverted ones in the dead-throw are more to be justified then they, the one being under a real burden, and the Spirit of the Law acting upon them, the other act the Law at their own hand, and will receive the [spirit] of bondage to fear again, whether it be reason or not. He is the less to be pitied, who casts himself with his own hand in prison.

3. There is a Gospel-sense of in-dwelling of sin bringing forth the mourning of the dove, and tears that are so innocent as they wrong not Christ, or his work of redeeming and justifying: Of this, Rom. 7. 24. Christ, sure, takes not this away. Believers

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lodge a body of sin in them, as sighing parents and captives half against their will, at least their renewed will, does contradict this  guest, Rom. 7. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, c. 23, 24. It is sinful Doctrine to say that CHRIST takes away this sense of sin. For 1. this is the very true tenderness and gracious smitings of heart under any guiltiness. As 1 Sam. 24. 5. 2 Sam. 24. 10. Davids heart smote him after he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment, and numbered the people. 1 Joh. 3. 20. Job. 27. 6. and in some the natural conscience accusing and challenging after sin is committed; Now CHRIST came not to extirpate conscience, nor the power of feeling and discerning the obligation to wrath, that the conscience apprehendeth after sin is committed, nor the legal evil discerning of sin, nor the contrariety between it and the Law. 2. Christ by his death gives repentance and mourning for sin, Acts 5. 31. Eze. 12. 10, 11. (3.) Christ commends this Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, 2 King. 22. 19. Because thine heart was tender-and thou hast wept before me, I have also heard thee, saith the Lord. Luk. 7. 44. She hath washed my feet with tears. (4.) If Christ by his death should remove this, he should bring on, by his death, a heart passed feeling, and burnt with a hot iron, which is condemned, Eph. 4. 19. 1 Tim. 4. 2. (5.) It speaks a graceless rockiness of heart to sin, and not care for it, Act. 18. 17, 18. Pro. 30. 20.

Far less would the Lord have us to dream that a Christian is annihilated and melted into God, where they leave off to know, will, desire, feel, act, or do any thing, but God is all and all in this life, and that, to the eye of faith, though not to the eye of reason all sense of sin is destroyed; this is a destroying and overturning of all, of Law, Gospel, of all humble walking with God, and removes all necessity of fearing, hoping, believing, praying, hearing, and changes us over into blocks.

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