A DISCOURSE of the Nature, Ends, and Difference OF THE Two Covenants. Evincing in special, That FAITH as Justifying, is not opposed to WORKS of Evange­lical Obedience. WITH An APPENDIX of the Nature and Difference of saving and in­effectual Faith, and the reason of that difference To which is prefixed a PREFACE, by Mr. Rich. Baxter.

2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your Faith, Virtue.
Jam. 2. 22. And by Works was Faith made perfect.

LONDON Printed by I. Darby, for Richard Chiswell, at the Rose and Crown in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1673.

TO THE READER.

Reader,

THeology is the Doctrine of the Kingdom of God: A King­dom is a State of Govern­ment: Government is by Laws: He therefore that will understand any thing in Di­vinity, must understand the Laws of God: And though there be many inferiour Particles, distinguished from the weighty things of the Law, which few do clearly understand, yet is it necessary that we know in general, what kind of Law, it is that we are under, and also that we know the most important parts: If we understand not the Law of Tything Mint and Cummin, we must not be ignorant of Iudgment, Mercy and Faith, Matth. 23. 23.

They that tell us we are now under no Laws, do tell us thereby that we are under no Go­verment, and consequently that God, and out [Page] Redeemer Jesus Christ, is not the Governour of Believers. And he that knoweth that the Name [GOD] doth signifie the Divine Relation to Man, as well as the Divine Na­ture, will know that this is to deny a God, and to deny Iesus Christ; and rather to be called Atheism, and Infidelity, than Antinomianism: Even they that had not the written Law of Moses, had a Law of Nature, partly written out upon their hearts: And Christians have both the Law of Nature Extrinsick, and the written Law of Christ, and both (acccording to the various measures of Grace) written out upon their hearts, that is, received by knowledge, Faith, Love, and readiness to obey.

But they that know that we are under a Law (as those in Heaven, even Angels are) yet do not all well understand what Law it is, and on what terms the World, or the Church are governed, and must be judged. That the first Law of Natural Innocency, as alone, or as to the Promissory part, or as to threatning without mercies or remedy, is it that any part of the Earth is now governed by, or under, is an intolerable Errour: God promiseth not sinners everlasting life on condition they be no sinners: That Promise ceased by a Cessa­tion of the Subjects capacity without any more ado, or possibility of reviving it. Nor doth God deal with any people according to the [Page] sole threatning of that Law, without mercy, dispensation, or remedy. The Law of Grace was as truly made with all men in Adam, Gen. 3. 15. as the Law of Innocency was. Though the Serpents Seed be mentioned in it, that in­timateth not that any were such as then in the Loins of lapsed Adam, but as consequently they would become such by rejecting and abu­sing Grace, and so contracting a further Ma­lignity. If Man, as in Adam's loyns, then was the Serpents Seed, then all God's Elect should be such, and so be bruised, and not saved by Jesus Christ: For all then were really alike in Adam. And to say, that God's meer Election and Reprobation, without any real inherent difference existent, or foreseen, is the reason of denominating, some the Seed of the Woman, and some the Seed of the Serpent, is an unproved fancy, and irrational corrupt­ing the Word of God.

All men therefore in lapsed Adam were at once under the guilt of Sin, and also under a remedying Law of Grace, so far as that it is enacted and offered, to save those that receive it. It saved not Adam himself meerly by the making of it, till by Faith he had received it. And no doubt but as the Covenant of Grace to us extendeth to the faithful and their Seed, so did the Covenant of Grace to Adam; for it was the same as was made to all the faithful before Christ [...]s Incarnation. The case of In­fants [Page] being obscure, clearer Truths are not to be reduced to it: And whether Cain and Abel as they were both born in Original Sin, so were both pardoned upon their Covenant-Dedica­tion to God by their Parents, and Cain after lost his Infant-state of Grace (as Davenant, Ward, &c. think Infant Grace may now be lost) or whether Adam and Eve neglected that Dedication of Cain to God which was needful to his Sanctification, or whether God past him by, and denyed him Infant-Grace of his meer will, I leave to Mens enquiry, and various judgments; (The controversie con­cerneth Children now, as well as then, and the difficulties every way are not small) But of these things I am past doubt:

1. That Cain was not the Serpents Seed meerly for Original Sin, and as born of Adam (as Abel was also) nor did God make him the Serpents Seed by Reprobation; but that he made himself so by superadded Sin against the Redeemer and Law of Grace.

2. That all Mankind are still under this Law of Grace, further than they forfeit the benefits of it by sins against it.

3. That most Writers, if not most Christi­ans, do greatly darken the Sacred Doctrine, by overlooking the Interest of Children in the actions of their meer Parents, and think that they participate of no guilt, and suffer for no Original Sin, but Adams only; and [Page] bring the Doctrine of Original Sin it self into doubt, by laying all upon Covenant-Rela­tion, and denying, or overlooking the Natural Proofs: Doubtless, through Scripture it is re­markable that God usually judgeth the poste­rity of new sinners to new punishments, and promises and threatnings are made (since the Covenant of Innocency ceased) to the belie­vers, and unbelievers, or wicked, with their Seed: For we may well say that the Seed of Cain, Cham, Nimrod, Ishmael, Esau, Saul, A­hab, &c. had more Original Sin than what they had from Adam. And Matth. 23. 35. Ex­pounds the matter. It was not in vain that Ezra, Daniel, &c. confessed their forefathers sin, nor doth our Liturgie pray for the dead, but the living, when it saith [Remember not Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our Fore­fathers, neither take thou vengeance of our Sins.

The Author of this Treatise beginning at the Promise made to Abraham, doth it to com­port with the Apostle Paul, who thought meet to call the Iews to no higher Observati­ons than the Case in hand (about the Non-obligation of Moses's Law to the Gentiles) did require. But this denyeth not, but sup­poseth the same Law of Grace in the main to have been made to all men in Adam, and Noah, and to have been in force to all Man­kind before it was renewed to Abraham; sa­ving [Page] that to him and his Seed there were many great priviledges added, above the rest of Mankind, upon his extraordinary obedien­tial Faith.

Of how great importance it is to have a right understanding of the difference between the Law of Innocency, and the Law of Grace, and in it, the Promise made to Adam, and Noah, and that to Abraham, and the peculiar Mosaical Law and Covenant, and the perfe­cter Edition of the Law, or Covenant of Grace by Christ Incarnate, a true Student of Theology may easily discern: Wherein I hope the Reader, will find that (among the many late Treatises on this Subject) the Authour here hath done considerable service to the Church of God. Of which Subject I have written long ago so much my self, and am at­tempting to make it yet more plain, that I need not here tell you what is my judgment; only, lest any who know not how to stop in Mediocrity, should be tempted by Socinians or Papists, to think that we countenance any of their Errors, or that our Differences in the Point of Justification by Faith or Works, are greater than indeed they are; and lest any weak Opiniative persons, should clamour un­peaceably against their Brethren, and think to raise a name to themselves for their differing Notions; I shall here give the Reader such evidences of our real Concord, as shall silence that Calumny.

[Page] Though some few Lutherans did upon peevish suspiciousness against George Major long ago, assert, that [good Works are not ne­cessary to Salvation] And though some few good men, whose zeal without judgment doth better serve their own turn than the Churches, are jealous, lest all the good that is ascribed to Man, be a dishonour to God; and therefore speak as if God were honoured most by saying the worst words of our selves; and many have uncomely and irregular Notions about these matters; and though some that are ad­dicted to sidings, do take it to be their godly zeal to censure and reproach the more under­standing Sort, when they most grosly erre themselves: And though too many of the people are carried about through injudicious­ness and temptations, to false Doctrines and evil lives; yet is the Argument of Protestants thus manifested:

1. They all affirm that Christ's Sacrifice, with his Holiness and perfect Obedience, are the Meritorious Cause of the forgiving Cove­nants, and of our Pardon and Iustification thereby, and of our right to Life Eternal, which it giveth us. And that this price was not paid or given in it self immediately to us, but to God for us; and so that our foresaid be­nefits are its effects.

2. They agree that Christ's Person and ours were not really the same, and therefore that [Page] the same Righteousness which is an Accident of one, cannot possibly be an Accident of the other.

3. They all detest the conceit that God should aver, and repute a Man to have done that which he never did.

4. They all agree that Christ's Sacrifice and Merits are really so effectual to procure our Pardon, Justification, Adoption, and right to the sealing gift of the Holy Ghost, and to Glory, upon our Faith and Repentance; that God giveth us all these benefits of the New Covenant, as certainly for the sake of Christ and his Righteousness, as if we had satisfied him, and merited them our selves: And that thus far Christ's Righteousness is ours in its effects, and imputed to us, in that we are thus used for it, and shall be judged accordingly.

5. They all agree that we are Justified by none but a Practical or working Faith.

6. And that this Faith is the Condition of the Promise or Gift of Justification, and A­doption.

7. And that Repentance is a Condition also; though (as it is not the same with Faith, as Repentance of unbelief is) on another apti­tudinal account; even as a willingness to be cured, and a willingness to take one for my Phy­sitian, and to trust him in the use of his Remedies, are on several accounts the Conditions on which that Physitian will undertake the Cure, [Page] or as willingness to return to subjection & thank­ful acceptance of a purchased parden, and of the Purchasers love and future Authority, are the Conditions of a Rebels pardon.

8. And they all agree that in the first instant of a Mans Conversion or Believing, he is en­tered into a state of Justification before he hath done any outward works: And that so it is true that good Works follow the justified, and go not before his initial Iustification: As also in the sense that Austin spake it, who took Justifica­tion for that which we call Sanctification, or Conversion.

9. And they all agree, that justifying Faith is such a receiving affiance, as is both in the In­tellect and the Will, and therefore as in the Will participateth of some kind of love to the justifying Object, as well as to Justification.

10. And that no Man can choose or use Christ as a means (so called in respect to his own intention) to bring him to God the Fa­ther, who hath not so much love to God, as to take him for his End [...]n the use of that means.

11. And they agree that we shall be all judged according to our Works, by the Rule of the Covenant of Grace, though not for our Works by way of Commutative, or Legal proper Merit. And Iudging is the Genus, whose Spe­cies is Iustifying and Condemning: And to be judged according to our Works, is nothing but to be Iustified or Condemned according to them.

[Page] 12. They all agree, that no Man can pos­sibly merit of God in point of Commutative Iustice, nor yet in point of Distributive, or Governing Iustice, according to the Law of Nature or Innocency, as Adam might have done, nor by the Works of the Mosaical Law.

13. They all agree, that no Works of Mans are to be trusted in, or pleaded, but all excluded, and the conceit of them abhorred.

1. As they are feigned to be against, or in stead of the free Mercy of God.

2. As they are against, or feigned, instead of the Sacrifice, Obedience, Merit, or Interces­sion of Christ.

3. Or as supposed to be done of our selves without the Grace of the Holy Ghost.

4. Or as supposed falsly to be perfect.

5. Or as supposed to have any of the afore­disclaimed merit.

6. Or as materially consisting in Mosaical observances.

7. Much more in any Superstitious Inven­tions.

8. Or in any evil mistaken to be good.

9. Or as any way inconsistent with the te­nor of the freely pardoning Covenant. In all these senses, Justification by Works is disclaim­ed by all Protestants at least.

14. Yet all agree that we are Created to good Works in Christ Jesus, which God hath [Page] ordained that we should walk therein, and that he that nameth the Name of Christ must de­part from iniquity, or else he hath not the Seal of God; and that he that is born of God sin­neth not, that is, predominantly. And that all Christ's Members are holy, purified, zealous of good Works, cleansing themselves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit, that they might perfect holyness in God's fear, doing good to all Men, as loving their Neighbours as them­selves: And that if any Man have not the Sancti­fying Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, nor without holiness can see God.

15. They all judge reverently, and chari­tably of the Antients that used the word [Me­rit of good Works] because they meant but a moral aptitude for the promised Reward, accord­ing to the Law of Grace through Christ.

16. They confess the thing thus described themselves, however they like not the name of Merit, lest it should countenance proud and carnal conceits.

17. They judge no Man to be Heretical for the bare use of that word, who agreeth with them in the sense.

18. In this sense they agree, that our Gos­pel-obedience is such a necessary aptitude to our Glorification, as that glory (though a free gift) is yet truly a Reward of this Obedience.

19. And they agree that our final Justifica­tion by sentence at the day of Judgment, doth [Page] pass upon the same Causes, Reasons, and Con­ditions as our Glorification doth

20. They all agree that all faithful Ministers must bend the labour of their Ministry in pub­lick and private, for promoting of Holiness and good Works, and that they must diifference by discipline between the obedient and the dis­obedient. And O! that the Papists would as zealously promote Holiness and good Works in the World, as the true serious Protestants do, whom they factiously and peevishly accuse as enemies to them; and that the Opinion, Dis­puting and name of good Works, did not cheat many wicked persons into self-flattery and per­dition, while they are void of that which they dispute for. Then would not the Mahometans and Heathens be deterred from Christianity, by the wickedness of these nominal Christians that are near them: Nor would the serious practice of that Christianity which themselves in ge­neral profess, be hated, scorned, and persecuted by so many, both Protestants and Papists; nor would so many contend that they are of the true Religion, while they are really of no Religion at all, any further than the Hypocrites Picture and Carkass may be called Religion. Were Men but resolved to be serious Learners, serious Lovers, and serious Practisers, accord­ing to their knowledge, and did not live like mockers of God, and such as look towards the life to come in jest or unbelief, God would [Page] vouchsafe them better acquaintance with the true Religion, than most Men have.

Having prefaced this much, for the rest I refer thee to the perusal of this Treatise, which will give thee much light into the nature of the Gospel, and especially help thee to the right understanding of the meaning of the Apostle Paul in all his Epistles, about the Law, the Gospel, and the Justification of a sinner. O pray, and labour for A CONFIRMED PRACTICAL FAITH, as daily doth

Your fellow Disciple, Ri. Baxter.
Iune 4th 1672.

The chief Heads of Discourse.

1. THe nature of the Promise to Abraham.

2. Why the Law was added to the Promise.

3. How those under the Law were saved.

4. The nature of the Legal Covenant.

5. The mistakes of Iews about the Law and Promise, and how St. Paul counter-argues those mistakes.

6. How St. Paul's Doctrine of Iustification by Faith, and not by Works, was then mistaken by some.

7. That the Doctrine of St. Paul, and of St. James, about Faith and Works, do not differ.

8. With an APPENDIX touching the difference, and the reason of the difference, between saving and ineffectual Faith.

A DISCOURSE Of the Nature, Ends, and Difference OF THE TWO COVENANTS.

THe mistake of the unbelieving Iews, about the true import of Gods Promise to Abra­ham, and of the Law of Moses, was a principal cause of their rejecting Christ and his Gospel, and their own salvation thereby. To rectifie which mistake, the Apostle St. Paul used various reasonings, according to the various Errors contained in it. In which reasonings of his, there being some things hard to be understood; there were others again which probably mistaking the Apostles reasonings against the Jew-Jewish [Page 2] Notion of Justification by Works, ran into a contrary extream, thinking they might be saved by Faith without Works; as on the contrary the incredulous Iews thought they might be saved by Works without Faith. And if many in our dayes had not run into somewhat alike extream through a misunder­standing also of the Apostles writings, labour, and pains would not have been so necessary, as now they are, to rectify their mistake, and to prevent it in others. To the end therefore that the plain Truth may the better appear, touching Gods promise to Abraham, touch­ing the Law of Moses, and the Apostles argu­ings about these; I shall very briefly endea­vour these seven things.

1. To open the Nature and Design of Gods promise to Abraham. And to shew

2. For what ends the Law was added to the promise.

3. By what Faith and Practice, the Iews un­der the Law were saved.

4. That the Law contained a Covenant, dif­ferent from that with Abraham.

5. The grand mistakes of the unbelieving Jews, and St. Paul's counter arguings, touch­ing both the Law and the Promise.

6. The mistake of some pretended Christians in the Apostles days, touching the Doctrine of Iustification by Faith without Works.

7. That the Doctrine of St. Paul, and St [Page 3] James about Faith and Works, in reference to Iustification, do not differ. I shall begin with the first of these.

CHAP. I.
The Nature and Design of Gods Promise to Abraham.

I Shall endeavour to open the Nature and Design of Gods Promise to Abraham: Which Promise is also called the Covenant, Act. 3. 25. Gal. 3. 17. In doing of which, these eight things will come under consideration. 1. What the nature of this Promise is in ge­neral. 2. What the design of it is. 3. What are the special benefits promised. 4. What the extent of it is. 5. The security given by God for the performance of it. 6. That this Promise was conditional. 7. What the con­dition of it was. 8. What we are to under­stand by Gods accounting Abrahams Faith to him for Righteousness.

Sect. 1.

Of the nature of it in general. This Promise I take to be of the same nature with that which in the Gospel is called the New Covenant. It's true indeed they greatly dif­fer in the Administration, the one being but [Page 4] general, implicite, and obscure; and the other more particular, express, and perspicuous. But though in this they differ, yet in their ge­neral nature they agree in one, and are the same. For, 1. This Covenant, as delivered to Abraham, was confirmed in Christ as well as the Gospel afterwards, Gal. 3. 17. and that's a Character of the New Covenant, Mat. 26. 28. 2. The Gospel is said to have been preached to Abraham in the Promise that was made him, Gal. 3. 8. 3. He was justified by Faith; which he could not have been, but by vertue of a New Covenant: And it was by Faith in the Promise made to him by God, by which he was justified: Which two things suppo­sed, it necessarily follows that that Promise was of the nature of the New Covenant. 4. St. Paul argues against the erroneous Iews in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, the necessity of Evangelical Faith unto justi­fication now under the Gospel, from Abra­ham's being justified by Faith, and from God's setting him forth for a pattern and example to all after-ages, of his justifying both Iews and Gentiles upon the condition of believing. The strengh of which arguing seems to de­pend upon this supposition; That the Promise, by the belief of which Abraham was then justi­fied, and the Promise in the Gospel, by the belief of which men are now justified, do both agree, and are one in the general nature of [Page 5] them. And upon these grounds, and under this notion of the Promise to Abraham, I in­tend to discourse of it.

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

Supposing then the Promise to Abraham, to be the New Covenant it self in a more im­perfect Edition of it than afterward came forth. I shall now a little further consider what it was, and what the New Covenant is, & ever hath been, in the general nature of it, since [Page 6] it first commenced. And it is a new Law or Covenant, made by way of remedy against the rigour and extremity of the Law of Nature, under which Man was created. For the Law of Nature, the Law of Gods Creation, as well as his instituted Law in Paradise, being vio­lated, and impossible to be kept inviolable by Man in his lapsed state, by reason of his mo­ral impotency, and the pravity of his Nature derived from Adam; he must inevitably have sunk and perished under the condemnation of it, unless there had been a new Law instituted to supercede the procedure of this Law against him, in its natural and proper course. If Sal­vation had been attainable by Man in his lap­sed state, without this remedying Law of Grace, there would have been no need of a New Covenant. If there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily righ­teousness should have been by the Law, Gal. 3. 21. But there was no such Law given be­sides this new Law. Nor could the Original Law be repealed for the relief of faln Man, it being founded in the Nature of God, and the nature of Man, as he was created after Gods own Image; and is no more changeable, than the Nature of good and evil are changable. And therefore, as I said, there was a necessity that Man must have perished under the con­demnation of the Law of his Creation, as the lapsed Angels did under theirs, unless a Law [Page 7] of Indemnity had been Enacted. But God whose tender mercies are over all his works, to the end so great and considerable a part of his Creation, as Man is, might not be wholly lost and undone to all eternity, out of his infinite compassion, mercy, and love, did constitute a new Law or Covenant for mans relief (which well may be called the Cove­nant of Grace) against the rigour and ex­tremity of the first Law.

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

Sect. 2.

To consider what the design of God was in this New Covenant or Promise unto Abraham. Next to his own glory, it was to recover the Humane Nature from its degenerate state, to [Page 8] a state of holiness, to that likeness to God in which Man was at the first made, and therein and thereby to a state of happiness, both which were lost by the fall. Holiness, love, and goodness, as they were once the glory and happiness of Man before he lost them, so are still perfective of his nature. And therefore it is impossible in the nature of the thing to re­cover Man to happiness, without recovering his nature to a conformity to God in these; or for Man to be perfectly happy, whose na­ture is not perfected in them. Sin is the dis­ease and sickness of the Soul; and it's as pos­sible for a sick man to enjoy the pleasure of health, as it is for the sinful and corrupt na­ture of man, while such, to enjoy the pleasure, which the humane nature did naturally en­joy, or was capable of enjoying in its inno­cency and purity. But when the nature of Man is once recovered to perfection in know­ledge, holiness, love, and goodness, it will then be matter of unspeakable delight to him to love God, Angels and Men, and to do the will of God in every thing. It is so to the holy Angels: And it was so to our bles­sed Saviour, who counted it as his meat and drink, to be doing the will of his heavenly Fa­ther. And to what degree the nature of man is here in this world, restored towards its pro­per perfection, to the same degree it is mat­ter of pleasure and delight to him to act holily [Page 9] and righteously, and to be doing good▪ It i [...] joy to the Iust to do judgment, Prov. 21. 15. It is a pain to a man to act contrary to the bent and inclination of his nature, by compulsion or fear. And therefore unless the corrupt▪ nature of Man were changed, Heaven would not be Heaven to him, in case he were there. Those Divine and Heavenly exercises which are there the unspeakable delight of Saints and Angels, would be his pain and torment, as being contrary to his nature; And the plea­sures of that state, as having not what will sa­tisfie the unsatiable lusts of mans corrupt na­ture, would not be such to him, but add rather to his anguish. For, as it would be a torment to a Man to be in extremity of hunger and thirst, and to be without Meat and Drink, and all hopes of any to satisfie him: So will it be a grievous torment to the corrupt nature of Men in another morld, to retain their lusts and the violent cravings of them, and yet to be without all hope of having where­with to satisfie them (which yet is like to be the condition of men in Hell.) Here mens unnatural lusts are not such a torment to them, because they can make provision to satisfie them, or live in hopes so to do; and in the mean while drown the noise of them by diver­sion. But in Hell it will be quite other­wise. And therefore its easie to imagine that the torment which will arise from the corrup­tion [Page 10] of mens natures there, will be unspeak­ably great, besides the piercing sence of the happiness they have lost, and the other intol­lerable pains which they must indure; and therefore as whoever hath not his nature re­newed in this World, is never like to have it renewed in another; so without renewing of it, it is impossible he should be happy there. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, Joh. 3. 3. That is, he cannot enjoy it, and why? It is not only from Gods Decree, or established Law to the contrary that he cannot, but also from the utter incapa­city of his Nature, as corrupt. Wherefore all the Vessels of Mercy are such as God aforehand prepares unto glory, Rom. 9. 23. They are such as are made meet to be partakers of the in­heritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1. 12. Such as God hath wrought for the self same thing, 2. Cor. 5. 5. So that, as I said, there is a necessity in the nature of the thing, that if God would design the Restoration of the Nature of Man to happiness, that in order thereto he should design a Restoration of it to holiness, as in­deed he hath. He hath chosen us to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, 2 Thes. 2. 13. And therefore the end of Christs great under­taking for the Redemption and Restauration of Man, is described, by his saving his people from their sins: By his redeeming them from all [...]niquity, and purifying to himself a peculiar [Page 11] people, zealous of good works. By his washing and sanctifying of them, that he might present them to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.

That this was the design of Gods promise to Abraham, appears, in that at the very first it was propounded to him by way of Motive, to quit the Idolatry of his Fathers, and the evil customes of his Countrey (for they served other Gods, Iosh. 24. 2.) Get thee out of thy Countrey, and from thy Kindred, and from thy Fathers house; and I will make of thee a great Nation, and thou shalt be a blessing, and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed, Gen. 12. 1, 2, 3. In which God had a farther design than to reform Abraham only: His design in him, and by him, was to set on foot the Re­formation of the World, and the recovering the Nations thereof from the dregs of Idola­try into which they were sunk. And there­fore God said unto him, Thou shalt be a bles­sing. And this he designed, not only in gi­ving him a numerous Issue, and making them a great Nation, whose Education in the wor­ship of the true God was founded in Abra­ham, but also in making both him and them eminent examples of his special favour in the [...]ight of the Nations, by which they might see how much better it was to serve the God of Abraham, than the Gods of the Nations: And thereby to invite and draw them from [Page 12] their Idolatry, Superstition, and Ungodliness, to worship and serve the true God. And God in promising to Abraham, both the Messias in his Seed, and also that he would bless them that should bless him, and curse them that should curse him, and that his Seed should possess the gate of his enemies; had, it should seem, this in design, viz. to encourage and quicken them to a holy life, Luke 1. 72, 73, 74, 75. To per­form the mercy promised to our Fathers, and to remember his holy Covenant: The Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham, that he would grant unto us; that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

But besides all this, considering that the Promise made to Abraham, was the New Co­venant as it was then exhibited, (as I have shewed before) the benefits therein promised had a proper tendency in them, to restore Man again to a likeness to God in the Moral per­fections of his Nature. For the great and pre­cious Promises contained in the New Covenant as such, are given for this very end, that by them we might be partakers of a Divine Nature, the glory whereof is knowledge, purity and charity, 2 Pet. 1. 4. And for God by such pro­mises to make overtures unto Man of love and good-will, and of desires of reconciliation, is the direct way and method of recovering faln [Page 13] Man from a state of enmity against God, to a mind reconciled to him, to think well of him, to love him, and delight in him. For we love him because he first loved us, 1 Joh. 4. 19. And God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself, and how? by not imputing their tres­passes to them; but being willing, upon their repentance and returning to their duty, to forgive them, 2 Cor. 5. 19. God useth the same way of overcoming mans enmity against him, which he hath taught us to use to over­come mans enmity against us; and that is, by overcoming their evil with our good, Rom. 12. 21. David dealing so with Saul, though a bitter enemy, melted him into tears, and made him cry, Is this thy voice, my son David? 1 Sam. 24. 16. And, to whom much is forgiven, the same person loveth much, Luke 7. 42,—47. And if God by these methods do once recover Mans love to him, he will quickly recover him to his loyal­ty and duty, of which, Love is the proper Source and Spring. If a man love me, he will keep my words, Joh. 14. 23. Now that God's promise to Abraham, did contain expressions of wonderful grace and love, and consequent­ly what is most apt to beget in Man a love to God again, and all the desirable effects of it, will appear, if we consider the special bene­fits comprehended in that Promise; Which is the third thing now to be considered.

Sect. 3.

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

1. It contained a Promise of the Messias, a promise of sending Christ into the world, and that he should come of his Seed: In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed, Gen. 12. 3. and 18. 18. and 22. 18. which Seed is Christ, as is said, Gal. 3. 16. And in this pro­mise of sending Christ, were implyed the things he was sent for, the things by which he should bless the world, as his Death and Re­surrection, and what else pertained to his Mediatory Office; because these are the things by which the Nations of the Earth became blessed in him, which was the thing expresly promised. That such things were implyed in the promise, appears not only by the reason of the thing, but also from St. Paul's testi­mony, Acts 13. 32, 33. We declare unto you glad tidings, how that the Promise which was made unto the Fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children, in that he hath rai­sed up Iesus again. I do not say that Abra­ham, from a Promise that was but so generally expressed as that was, could apprehend in particular what the Messias should both do and suffer, though they were wrapt up in it. He apprehended so much by it in general, that God would send the Messias into the World, and that he would send him upon such terms, [Page 15] as that his coming should be matter of great benefit to the world. Abraham had such a prospect of this, though at that distance, as made him rejoyce and be glad: So saith our Saviour himself, Iohn 8. 56. Your Father A­braham rojoyced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. And the promise to Abraham, as it was a Promise of sending Christ to be the Saviour of the world, was expressive of the greatest love. For in this was the love of God manifested towards us, because God sent his on­ly begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, 1 Joh. 4. 9, 10. A Propitiation for our sins: That is, one that by his Death hath procured favour, having taken off that sore displeasure which God by his Law had declared against all the transgressors of it. For the wise and just God, did not think the righteousness of his Government, and the honour and reputation of his Law would be sufficiently salved, and his great hatred of sin sufficiently manifested, without some considerable satisfaction given for the dishonour done to Him and his Law by Mans transgression. And yet that this might not be exacted at the hands of the guil­ty, in executing the curse of the Law on them themselves; he was most graciously pleased to accept of the sufferings of his own dear [Page 16] Son, instead of what the sinners themselves were to have undergone. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us, Gal. 3. 13. Christ suffered for sins, the Iust for the unjust, or in their stead, 1 Pet. 3. 18. Upon account of which undertaking of Christ for us, all the benefits of the Covenant do accrue to Man. What ever is required of Man by way of condition of his acceptation with God, becomes accepted to that end, upon account of Christ's suffering. And His Inter­cession in Heaven, through which all our sin­cere (though otherwise imperfect) performan­ces, become acceptable to God, and rewardable by him, is made in the virtue of it. For the whole Covenant it self is founded in the Blood of Christ which he shed for the remission of sins. Therefore it is called the New Testament in his Blood, Mat. 26. 28. And his blood, the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, Hebr. 13. 20.

2. It contained a Promise of Iustification or remission of sin through Christ, unto all that should so believe, as thereupon to repent of their former folly, and become sincerely obedient for the fu­ture. For that is necessarily implyed in the Promise of blessed [...]ess to the Nations in Abra­hams Seed; it being impossible men should be blessed without Remission of sin, which con­sisteth in removing the curse of the Law, in [Page 17] remitting the penalty. Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven, and whose sin is covered, Psal. 32. 1. St. Paul acquaints us that this bles­sing of the New Covenant, was declared to Abraham in the Promise, Gal. 3. 8. The Scrip­ture foreseeeing that God would justifie the Hea­then, through Faith, preached the Gospel before unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed.

3. It contained in it tacitly, a Promise of Divine assistance unto men in their endeavours to fulfil the condition of the Promise. For God in pro­mising blessedness to the Nations through A­brahams Seed, therein promised all that was absolutely necessary for him to vouchsafe to make them blessed, and without which they could not be blessed. And if so, then he there­in implicitly promised to assist the endeavours of men to perform the condition of the Pro­mise, without the assistance of whose grace they cannot savingly believe, repent, and obey. And so it should seem the Old Testament-Church understood Gods subduing of sin, as well as his pardoning of sin, to be comprized in the Promise to Abraham, Mich. 7. 19, 20. He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea: Thou wilt perform the truth to Iacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn to our Fa­thers, from the days of old. And Christ his turning men from their iniquities, which he [Page 18] doth accomplish by appointing them means, & by assisting them in the use of them to that end, is part of the blessing contained in the Pro­mise made to Abraham, and was so reckoned by St. Peter, Acts 3. 25, 26. Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Iesus Christ, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniqui­ties.

4. It implicitly, or somewhat obscurely contained in it a Promise of eternal Life. I say, implicitly; For I do not find that eter­nal Life was expresly promised to Abraham. But yet that was expresly promised him, from which the hope of eternal Life might well be inferred: As first, Blessedness through his Seed, the Messias: And secondly, That God would be a God to him and his Seed. For blessedness is a happiness that runs parallel with the duration of Man's immortal Soul. And God's Promise of being a God to Abra­ham, carried in it a Promise of a happiness wor­thy of God to bestow, such as everlasting Life or happiness is. And therefore he was not ashamed to be called their God (meaning Abraham, I­saac, and Iacob) because he had prepared for them a City; meaning that in so doing, he had answered that title of relation of being [Page 19] their God, and done like himsel, Heb. 11. 16. And upon these and the like Revelatio [...]s of of God's mind to him, Abraham looked for a City which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God, and a heavenly Countrey, Heb. 11. 10, 16. If Abraham did but use his reason a­bout these Promises, as he did about reconci­ling God's Promise, that in Isaac his Seed should be called, with his command to sacri­fice him, (Heb. 11. 17, 18, 19.) he might discern eternal Life in them, though but very obscure­ly, in comparison of what is now revealed in the Gospel, by which Life and Immortality is brought to light, 2 Tim. 1. 10. But how ob­scurely soever a future happiness was promised to Abraham, yet promised it was, for which we have the testimony of St. Paul, Gal. 3. 18. If the inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of Promise: But God gave it to Abraham by Pro­mise. He was here proving against the Pha­risaical Iews, and Judaizing Christians, that Justification unto Life, was to be had by the Promise, and not by the Law; by Faith, and not by works of the Law; that the Iust should live by Faith, as vers. 12. And therefore by In­heritance here, which he saith God gave to Abraham by Promise, he doubtless means e­ternal Life, which elsewhere he calls the Pro­mise of eternal Inheritance, Heb. 9. 15.

Consider now, how God carryed on his de­sign of restoring Man by the promise of those [Page 20] benefits. For if expressions of the greatest Grace and Love in God to Men, is the way to beget in them a love to God again, and in be­getting that, to beget all the desirable effects of Love; (which are no less than a sincere con­formity in Man's Nature and Life to the Di­vine Law) And if the giving of great and pre­cious Promises, is the way of recovering Man again to a participation of the Divine Nature, (as I have shewed it is) then the Promise of God to Abraham which was expressive of the greatest Grace and Love, and contained in it Promises, than which there are not materially greater, nor more precious, was a wise and graciovs contrivance of God, to recover Man to a likeness to himself, wherein the glory and perfection of his Nature did first consist.

Sect. 4.

The next thing to be considered, is, the ex­tent of the Promise of God to Abraham. [The greatness of God's love and good-will, was not expressed only in the greatness of the bene [...]its promised to Abraham, but also in the extent of the Promise; reaching not only to the Iew­ish people and their Proselytes (to which ano­ther Covenant was restrained) but even to all Nations of the Earth, Gen. 12. 3. and 22. 18. which shews it to be of the same nature with the general Promise in the Gospel, though it was not so intelligible then, as it is since made by the Gospel. But God we see, so loved the [Page 21] world, as first to promise, and after to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. Joh. 3. 16. Christ gave his life for the life of the world, Joh. 6. 8. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, 1 Joh. 2. 2 He gave him­self a ransome for all, 1 Tim. 2. 6. And tasted death for every man, Heb. 2. 9

Sect. 5.

Consider we in the next place, the security given by God, for the performance of his Promise to Abraham and his Seed. For because men knowing how ill they have deserved from God, having made themselves enemies to him, would be apt to question whether there were indeed so much love and good will in God to them as the greatness of his Promise did im­port; Therefore God, to remove all jealousie of this nature, and to give them the greatest security and assurance he could, of the reality of his intentions, and of his heart and good will towards them, he confirmed his Promise by an Oath, swearing by himself, because he could swear by no greater. And this he did, that they to whom the Promise did extend, might have strong consolation from God, such as might work in them strong and vigorous affections to him, such as were in Abraham, through which he was wrought to an entire resigna­tion of himself to God, and to his will, and by which he was denominated the friend of God, [Page 22] Heb. 6. 17, 28. Wherein God willing more abun­dantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the im­mutability of his Counsel, confirmed it by an Oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lye, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Sect. 6.

The next thing I have to shew, is, That this Promise of God to Abraham, was conditional. If the Promise of sending Christ was absolute, yet the actual collation of the great benefit of Remission of Sin, and eternal Life by him, was not promised but upon condition of Faith and Repentance, as appears by the Scrip­tures frequent explanation of the the general Promise. Abraham believed in the Lord, and it was counted unto him for righteousness, Gen. 15. 6. If Abraham had not believed God, he had not been justified notwithstanding the Promise. So that this Justification depended as well upon his performing the condition of the Promise, as upon the Promise itself. And when God said to Abraham, Walk before me, and be thou upright, and I will make a Cove­nant with thee, Gen. 17. 1. The Lord made Abrahams upright walking before him, the condition of his keeping, as well as making Covenant with him. Besides, it is apparent that God made Circumcision to be the Covenant to be kept on Abraham's and his [Page 23] Seeds part, as the condition of what God had promised on his part, Gen. 17. 4, 7, 10. As for me, my Covenant is with thee, &c. Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore, thou and thy Seed after thee in their generations. And this is the Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, every Man-child among you shall be circum­cised. By which is to be understood, not so much Circumcision in the flesh, as in the Spi­rit; as I shall shew anon.

And the truth is, it would not suit with God's end and design in his Covenant, of restoring Man to the rectitude of his Na­ture (mentioned before) to do it without Man's endeavours in the use and exercise of his natural faculties of Understanding and Will, as he is a rational Creature and free A­gent. For God works that change in Mans nature, designed in his New Law or Cove­nant, not meerly Physically, but Morally al­so. 1. By proposing great and important Truths to his mind and understanding, and in assisting this natural faculty, in considering how his happiness is concerned in that which is proposed, in case it should prove true, and in considering likewise what reason there is to believe that it is true, and in discerning the truth of it upon consideration. And 2. By proposing Motives to the Will to incline it to follow the dictates of the enlightned mind, and by assisting the Will to be governed there­by. [Page 24] So that Man himself is not wholly pas­sive in this change, or what goes to the ma­king of it; but is so far active in it, as to de­nominate what he doth by God's assistance, to be his own act. So that the Man is said to believe, to repent, to obey, when he doth be­lieve, repent, and obey: For so he is every where in Scripture said to do. God doth not repent in Man, but Man repents through his grace and assistance. And therefore God's grace, and Man's indeavours in working this change, are very consistent. Phil. 2. 12, 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trem­bling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. If Man do but what he can do, through the assistance of God's common Providence (in whom we live, and move, and have our being) God is most ready, through his good pleasure, or out of the goodness of his will and pleasure, to work in him both to will and to do savingly, to carry the work quite thorow. Otherwise if there were nothing that Man could do in a way of common Providence towards his sal­vation, why should he be exhorted and per­swaded to do that, which yet will not be done to effect and quite thorow, without the as­sistance of God's Grace and good Spirit. The co-operation of God's grace with Man's en­deavours, in this change in the nature of Man, which is necessary to his salvation, is a Do­ctrine [Page 25] that lies very fair and plain in the Scrip­tures. And therefore men are called upon to make themselves new hearts, Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new Heart, and a new Spirit, for why will ye dye, O house of Israel? And God is said to make them new hearts also, Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you. Men are called upon to circumcise their own hearts, Deut. 10. 16. And God is said to circumcise the heart, Deut. 30. 6. Men are required to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. And they are also said to be washed and sanctified by the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 6. 11. Men are commanded to repent, Acts 17. 30. And God is said to give them re­pentance, 2 Tim. 2. 35. Acts 5. 31. It is by reason of this co-operation of God's assistance, and Man's endeavours, that St. Paul expres­seth himself as he doth once and again, Gal. 2. 20 I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all: Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. He doth not by these last words so deny what he had said in the former, as if he had not spoke true, for he speaks the same thing in effect in another place, without any such correcting himself, as here he useth, 1 Cor. 3. 9. For we are labourers together with God. And therefore by his so correcting himself, [Page 26] saying, Not I, but the grace of God which was with me, he only intends to magnifie Gods grace, as having the principal stroke in the work. It is a phrase of like import with that, 2 Cor. 3. 10. For even that which was made glorious, had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. So mans indeavour though it be somewhat in it self considered, yet comparatively, and in respect of the work of Gods grace by his Spirit which excels, it is nothing. Therefore in fine, as men are said through the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the bo­dy, Rom. 8. 13. So they may be said through the same Spirit, to believe, repent, obey; that is, through the assistance of the Spirit, who is said to help our infirmities, Rom. 8. 26.

Considering then that there is promise of Divine assistance to Man, using his endeavours in doing what he may, and can do towards the performing the condition of the Covenant, we may well conclude, that there is no Man under the Gospel, doth perish, but through his own fault and neglect. It is true, God doth sometimes for special reasons meet with, and convert sinners with a high hand of grace, whil'st they are pursuing their sins in a full career, and using no indeavours at all towards their own salvation, as he did Saul before he was Paul. But such extraordinary instances, are no Rules to us by which to judge of God's ordinary proceedings in converting [Page 27] men: Nor hath the Lord put men in expe­ctation by any promise of his, of their being converted after that manner, and upon such terms. And therefore it will in no wise be safe for any man to expect to be converted by such extraordinary workings of grace, and to neglect to do what he can do, and what God requires he should do, towards his own con­version.

There are many things which men may, and can believe and do, without any superna­tural grace, and by vertue of God's common grace. It is no Supernatural Act to believe the Being of God, and the Immortality of the Soul or future state: Or to know that we are [...]inners against God, and consequently that we stand in need of his mercy: Nor is it a Supernatural Act for a man to desire the fu­ture happiness of his own Nature or Being; or to hear the Word of God which directs the way to that happiness; no more than it is to hear any other Doctrine that only pretends to do so. Nor is it a Supernatural Act to consi­der the Doctrine of the Scriptures with as much seriousness, as men do or may, the con­tents of any other Books. Nor is it a Super­natural Act to consider how we are concerned in the Doctrine of the Scriptures, in case it should prove true: No more is it a Supernatu­ral Act seriously to consider the strength and force of those Reasons that tend to perswade [Page 28] men to believe that Doctrine to be true: Nor, under the natural desires which men have to be happy in another world, is it a Superna­tural Act for them to pray to God to direct and assist them in the use of means, that they may be happy. These I take to be no Superna­tural Acts in men, For though the depraved wil of Man needs special or Supernatural grace to do these so seriously and effectually, as is need­ful to true Sanctification, yet in some sort and measure they may be done by common help. And if men would but go thus far (as they can) out of a real desire to be happy, I should make no question but that the Spirit of God would yield them his assistance to carry them quite through in the work of conversi­on. And whether our Saviour doth not by the hearers, resembled by the good ground, mean such men as before their conversion have some such working of heart about their future state, as doth incline them to hear and consider what with any fair probability may be said about the way to be happy in that state, and not to hear out of curiosity, or for fashion-sake, or to carp; I submit to consi­deration.

It is doubtless then mens inconsideration, carelesness and negligence in those things which they do believe, and which they can do, that undoes them. It is because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, which is [Page 29] the reason why more is not given, but rather that taken away from them which they had. That is, The reason why God with-holds his special grace, and many times withdraws common grace and assistance from men, is, be­cause though they have understanding and considering faculties, which they could if they would use and imploy about their being hap­py in another world, as well as they do a­bout their happiness in this, yet they will not, though they are frequently called upon, and excited thereto: Whereas those that take heed or consider what they hear, and how they are concerned in it; to them more shall be given: God wil come into such with supernatural aid, Mark 4. 24. And therefore God, to put men upon a holy necessity of complying with his grace, in acting diligently towards the working out their own salvation, hath wise­ly made the obtaining of the great benefits of the Covenant, remission of Sin, and eteternal Life, conditional, so that men can have no farther assurance of pardon of sin and Salvati­on, than they are sure they sincerely indeavo [...]r to perform the condition on their part, upon which they are promised. Wherefore we are greatly concerned to be awakened by such sayings as these; Strive to enter in at the strait gate: So run that ye may obtain: Vse all dili­gence to make your calling and election sure: Work out your salvation with fear and trem­bling: [Page 30] Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Sect. 7.

I come now in the next place to shew, What the condition of the Promise to Abraham was. In short it was a practical Faith. And under this Head, I shall endeavour, 1. To give some account of the nature of Abrahams Faith in ge­neral. 2. To describe Faith. And 3. To shew reason why Faith is made the condition of the Covenant.

1. The condition of the Promise to Abra­ham, was Faith, and (as I shall after shew) a practical Faith. For that was it upon which the great blessing of the Covenant, Justi­fication, was conferred upon him, with the consequent benefits. In Gen. 15. 6. it is said of Abraham, that he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. But St. Paul reciting this Scripture, saith, Abraham belie­ved God, and it was counted to him for righte­ousness, Rom. 4. 3. Gal. 3. 6. If there be any difference between believing God, and be­lieving in God, it seems to be this. To be­lieve God, is to believe him upon his Word, to believe all that to be true, which he saith when he hath once spoken it. But to be­lieve in God, is first, to believe him to be such an one, of such a Nature, as neither will, nor can at any time speak any thing but what is [Page 31] true: It is to believe him to be a God that can­not lye. For all true Faith, as Abraham's was, is founded in the Nature of God. Abraham did primarily believe in God, and consequent­ly believed his sayings, of what nature soever they were. And secondly, to believe in God, is to believe that he can, and will perform whatever he promised, how unlikely soever the thing in its own nature otherwise be. And this was the nature of Abrahams Faith, as ap­pears by St. Pauls Comment upon it, Rom. 4. 20, 21. He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in Faith, giving glory to God; and being fully perswaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to per­form. He gave to God the glory of his Na­ture and Being, of his truth and faithfulness in his Promises, and of his power and ability to perform what he had promised, notwith­standing its utmost improbability in nature. And therefore, or for this reason, his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness, as we are told in ver. 22. of Rom. 4. And so it should seem it is not the believing of any one particular or single Promise, that is counted for righteous­ness, otherwise than as it is an instance of Faith in God in general, in reference to what­ever he doth say or shall declare. Which may be the reason why Faith is said to be counted to Abraham for righteousness, as well when he had not the Messias in the Promise as the im­mediate [Page 32] Object of his Faith, but somewhat else, as when he had. The Promise, the be­lieving of which was counted to Abraham for righteousness, in Gen. 15. 6. was a Promise of a numerous issue, [So shall thy Seed be] viz. as numberless as the Stars. But that which produced a belief of this particular Promise, would, and doubtless did produce in him a be­lief of the Promise of the Messias, and of every other Promise and Word of God, and declarati­on of his mind, so far as understood by him, & that was a habitual belief of God's Truth, and Faithfulness, Wi [...]dom, Power, and Goodness; his fixed belief in God. And so a believing God's threatnings so as to use means to escape them, is (it should seem) counted to one for righteousness, as well as the belief of the Pro­mises, as growing upon the same Root. Thus Noahs believing God's threatning to bring a Deluge upon the World, and his obedience to God's command in the preparing an Ark for the saving of his house, was that, or at least one instance of that Faith, by which he became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith, Heb. 11. 7. It was this general Faith in God that made Abraham so complyant with every intimation of his will and pleasure. By it he forsook his own Countrey and Kindred at God's command, to go he knew not whither, but depended on God's after-direction in that case, Heb. 11. 8. By it he was ready to offer [Page 33] his son Isaac, in whom the Promises were made: And he had such a firm belief in God's Promise, that in Isaac his Seed should be cal­led, that he concluded that God would raise him from the dead when he had sacrificed him, rather than fail in the least of making good his Promise, Heb. 11. 17, 18, 19. He had such a con­fidence in God, that is to say, in his Wisdom, Goodness, Truth, and Power, as wrought him to an entire resignation of himself to God's will and pleasure. He believed God to be so good & so wise, as not to put him upon any thing but what should be for his good in the issue: And so true and powerful, as to promise nothing but what he could and would perform. In a word; this his belief in God, made him be­lieve all his Promises, and obey all his Pre­cepts.

2. Come we next to some description of that Faith, which is the condition of the Promise, or Covenant of Salvation: Wherein I shall have respect to the nature of saving Faith in general, in reference to all Ages of the Church, and also to the Christian Evangelical Faith in special. Faith strictly taken, is an assent unto the truth of any Proposition upon the credit of the Speaker. But saving Faith is of a more comprehensive nature than is a meer assent un­to the truth of any one Proposition. And al­though saving Faith is sometimes described by an assenting to the truth of one single Pro­position, [Page 34] yet then it implies the belief of ma­ny more, and such a belief as draws in the Will to act according to the import and con­cernment of the thing believed. As for in­stance: The belief of this Proposition [That Christ Iesus is the Son of God] by which Faith is sometimes described, doth include in it a belief of the truth of his whole Doctrine, both concerning God's Grace, and Mans Du­ty, and the Will's concurrence as to its con­cernment in it. For, if he be the Son of God, then he cannot lye or deceive in any thing he hath said. And again, the belief of this Pro­position [That God raised Christ from the Dead] by which Faith is also described, Rom. 10. 9. includes in it a belief that all that Doctrine which he taught, is undoubtedly true: For if it had not, God would never have wrought such a Miracle as to raise Christ from the dead to confirm it. The belief then of such single Propositions, include a belief of the whole Do­ctrine of the Gospel, which is the Proper Object of the Christian Faith, and for that cause is frequently stiled Faith, or the Faith, in the New Testament.

But if we respect the nature of Faith in ge­neral, as answering the different degrees of God's Revelation of his Will in several Ages of the World, both under the Gospel, and be­fore; I do not know how better to define it than thus: Faith is such a hearty belief [Page 35] of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace, and Man's Duty, as doth effectually cause a man to expect from God, and to act in a way of sincere Obedience, according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration. Or, if you will take in the belief of God's threatnings against sinners, into the definition; then it will be thus: Faith is such a hearty belief of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace and Displeasure, and Man's Duty, as doth effectually cause a man to expect from God, and to act in a way of sincere Obedi­ence, according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration. Faith thus defined, we have already seen exemplified in Abraham, who is the great Exemplar of believing, and the Father of Believers. And that it was his belief of God's Promise, or Declaration of grace and favour to him, as it was practical in producing Repentance, Self-denial, and sin­cere Obedience, by which he was justified and made happy, appears farther, not only in that it's said by St. Iames, that his Faith wrought with his Works, and was made perfect by them, and that he was justified by Works, as well as by Faith (of which more anon) but also in that it's said, that he received the sign of Circumcision (which was the Condition upon which God covenanted with him to be his God, and upon the same terms to be the God of his Seed) a Seal of the Righteousness of [Page 36] the Faith which he had while he was yet uncir­cumcised. For supposing (which is not de­nied) Circumcision to be an outward Sign of inward Grace, of the Circumcision of the Heart, consisting in Mortification, or a Peni­tential change of the Heart, which is the effect of Faith, his Circumcision as such, was a Seal of confirmation to Abraham, that it was upon his former so believing God upon his Promise, as thereby to be induced to leave the evil Customs of his Countrey, and his Countrey it self, with his Kindred, & his Fathers house; that God would be his God indeed: In which Pro­mise was implicitly promised, all that would make him eternally happy. And God's further design of giving to Abraham this Covenant of Circumcision, as a Seal to assure him the en­joyment of the benefit wrapt up in that Pro­mise upon the terms aforesaid, was, that he might be the Father of all them that believe, whether literally circumcised or not; that is, that he might be a great Example and Pattern to all others, of obtaining the same benefits in the same way, and so might be a means of be­getting others to believe in God, and to obey him, as he had done; to be a great Instru­ment to propagate the kind of new Creatures, of Men renewed to God, to the end they might be blessed as he was. This, or somewhat to this effect, is doubtless the meaning of Rom. 4. 11, 12. And he received the sign of Circum­cision, [Page 37] a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had, being yet uncircumcised: That he might be the Father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that Righteous­ness might be imputed to them also: And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only, but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised; and it is not un­likely, but that as Heart-Circumcision under the figure of Literal-Circumcision, was toge­ther with Faith, made the condition of the Covenant then; so Spiritual Baptism, which is a death unto sin, and a living unto God, is under the Figure of Water-Baptism, joyned with believing, as the condition of the Pro­mise of Salvation: now, Mark 16. 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved. Accord­ing to which St. Peter having spoken of Noah's Ark, saith; The like figure whereunto Baptism now saveth us; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God, 1 Pet. 3. 21. Now as it was in Abraham, such a belief of God's Declaration of Grace and Favour, as did effectually induce him to love and obey God, by which he was justified, so (I shall shew afterwards) it was the very same kind of Faith, working after the same manner, by which the Saints under the Law of Moses, were saved.

[Page 38]But Faith, as Evangelical and Christian, is such a hearty assent and consent unto God's Declartion in the Gospel by his Son, concern­ing Christ himself, and his Grace and Favour towards Men by him, and concerning their own duty, as causeth a man to expect from God, and to act in a way of duty, according to the Tenour of such a Declaration, and his own concerns in it. And Faith, thus defined, is fully agreeable to the Tenour of the Gospel: Mark 16. 15, 16. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every Creature: He that be­lieveth, and is Baptized, shall be saved. He that believeth What? Why, he that believeth that Gospel which was to be preached to every Creature. Which Gospel contains a Declaration of God's Grace, & Man's Duty, & of his Wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men. For, 1. It declares from God that he hath given his Son Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the World, by being a Propitiation for the sin of it, in becoming a Sacrifice to expiate sin. 2. It declares that God upon account of his Sons giving himself a Ransom for all, hath made, and doth establish a New Covenant with the World, to pardon, and eternally to save as many as shall believe in his Son, and repent of their sinfulness, in changing their Minds, and reforming their Lives, and be­coming new men, in yielding sincere obedience to the Precepts of the Gospel. 3. It declares [Page 39] that those that believe not, shall be damned, and such as repent not shall perish, and that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. This summarily is that which the Gospel declares concerning God's grace and displeasure, and Mans duty.

Now it is the Practical belief of all this, that is the saving Faith. It is not the bare belief that God hath given his Son to be the Saviour of the World, and a Pro­pitiation for the sin of it: Nor is it a bare be­lief that he will for Christ's sake pardon and save as many as truly repent and amend their lives, and become new Creatures; unless they so believe all this as seriously and heartily to Repent themselves of their former folly, and to return to their duty in new Evangelial Obe­dience. For otherwise, for a Man barely to believe all this, and not to act according to his own concerns in it, will be so far from being a believing to the saving of the Soul, as that it will rather plunge him the deeper in destru­ction for living and acting contrary to his own light and belief, as holding the truth in unrigh­teousness; the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all such, Rom. 1. 18.

A man of this practical Faith which I have described, eyes as well the condition upon which the saving Benefits are Promised through Christ, as the Promise it self of those benefits; and expects the enjoyment of those benefits upon God's Promise and Christ's pur­chase, [Page 40] no otherwise than as he with the assi­stance of God's grace, is careful to perform the condition. Which belief of his, makes him as careful to perform the condition in dis­charge of his own duty therein, as ever he hopes to enjoy the promised pardon of Salva­tion by Christ, and to escape the damnation threatned against those who perform not the condition. So that a Man by this Practical Faith, belives one part of God's Declaration in the Gospel as well as the other, and his own duty to be as well necessary to his Justi­fication as the condition appointed by God, as the Grace of God, through Christ, it self is upon another account: And by this belief he is effectually moved, as well to act in a way of duty to God, as to expect mercy from him; considering how his happiness is concerned in both, when he hath the whole of God's De­claration in all the parts taken together, in prospect, as the Object of his Faith.

When he hears that God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him, should not perish, but have ever­lasting life. When he hears that God hath set forth Christ to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood: And when he hears again, that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; he be­lieves all this to be true, as coming from God that cannot lye, and accordingly is incoura­ged [Page 41] to hope in God's mercy, and is comfort­ed thereby. But then when he hears again, that except we repent, we shall all perish; that except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God: That without holiness, no man shall see the Lord; and that the pure in heart shall see God: That not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the will of the Fa­ther which is in Heaven: That the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his migh­ty Angels in flaming fire, to render vengeance to all those that know not God, and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ: But that he is the Author of eternal Salvation to all those that obey him. I say, when he hears all this, he as verily believes this part of Gods Declara­tion in the Gospel, to be the faithful and true sayings of God, as he accounted the other to be. And accordingly, doth as seriously, and sincerely set upon the work of Repentance, and as carefully useth God's appointed means for the changing of his Heart, and renewing of his Nature, for the purifying of himself as God is pure; and doth as carefully obey all the Precepts of the Gospel; as he hopes upon the account of Christ's sufferings and God's Pro­mise, to be pardoned and saved; as believing that those Benefits are neither promised, nor can be obtained, but in this way of perform­ing the Condition. And I doubt not to say, [Page 42] this practical Faith, as it respects God's De­claration touching Mans duty, in conjuncti­on with his own Grace in Christ, is, where the Gospel comes, the only saving justifying Faith.

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

1. It is of Faith that it might be of Grace, saith the Apostle, Rom. 4. 16. It is that the Grace of God to miserable Men, might the more shew it self. For so it doth, not only in promising unspeakably great things through Christ to Man, who is not only un-deserving, but ill-deserving also; but also in that these are promised upon such a possible practicable easie condition as Faith is, considering the means and assistance promised by God to work it: And considering also that the Promise is made to the truth, unfeignedness and sincerity, and not to perfection of Faith, Repentance, and new Obedience in their utmost degree. So that Christ might well say, my Yoke is easie, and my Burden light, Matth. 11. 30. Where­as the old way of promising the Inheritance on the Law terms, would have been to have promised it upon impossible conditions, as the case now is with fallen Man. And if God should Promise never so great things to Man, in his impotent and miserable state, upon an impossible condition, he would have been so [Page 43] far from manifesting abundance of Grace, Compassion, and Love to him in that condi­tion, as that he would rather have seemed to insult over him in it. And therefore if the Promise should have run upon the Law-terms and not of Faith, it would utterly have fru­strated God's design of manifesting his grace to Man, and of recovering Man's Love and Loy­alty to him thereby. Rom. 4. 14. If they which are of the Law be Heirs, Faith is made void, and the Promise made of none effect. But it is of Faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed, not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham, ver. 16.

2. This may be another reason why such a Faith as I have described, is made the con­dition of the Covenant of Salvation, viz. Be­cause it best answers God's design in this Co­venant, of renewing the nature of Man in Holiness and Righteousness, and by that means restoring it to happiness. For, by Faith Men are born of God, or made the Children of God. Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Iesus. Joh. 1. 12, 13. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to those that believe on his Name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Now to be born of God, or, which is the same, to be made the Child of God, is [Page 44] to have ones Nature restored to the likeness of God, in which Man was first made, and is the same thing with that wich is called Rege­neration, and a being born again, and a new Creature. Which new Creature, or the nature of Man renewed by Faith, is also cal­led the new Man, which after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness, Ephes. 4. 24. To be born again, is to have the faculties of Mans Nature restored to a rectitude in their motions and operations in reference both to God and Man, to be restored to their proper moral use for which they were made. It is in a word, that which is called a being made partakers of a Divine Nature. For those which are begotten of God, are begotten in, or to his likeness. Men can adopt those which are not their natural Children to inherit their Estates, but they cannot adopt them to a participation of their Moral Endowments. But God adopts his Children to a participation with him in the Inheritance, by adopting them to a parti­cipation of the Moral perfections of his Na­ture; that is, to a consimilitude to him in them.

And this we say is done by Faith; that is, by Faith in God, and by Faith in his Word. For, in order of Nature, God is first believed to be a God of Truth, before his Word is belie­ved to be the Word of Truth. And the cre­ditableness of his Word depends upon the [Page 45] knowledge or belief of the fidelity of his Na­ture. And this Truth of God and of his Word, is the immediate Object of Faith. By Faith, a Man believes that to be true which God reveals or declares as his Mind and Will, let the Import of it be what it will. But then this Faith operates upon the Will and Affections, according to the Tenour and Import of that which is revealed. If it be matter of sad import, it works a hatred to him that threatens it, and a fear of the thing threatned, if it be apprehended to proceed from an enemy. And this is the effect of the Faith of Devils, who believe, and hate God, who believe and tremble, Iam. 2. 19. But if that which is revealed by God, and belie­ved by Man, betoken unspeakable love & good will in God to Man, and matter of the greatest benefit to him, as a proof of such love, then it worketh love to him that expresseth such love (for Faith worketh by Love, Gal. 5. 6.) and a longing desire after the promised bene­fit. And as the Soul grows more and more in love with God, because of his love; in love with his blessed Nature and Divine Perfe­ctions; such as are his Love, and Goodness, Truth, and Faithfulness, Purity and Patience, Mercifulness, and readiness to forgive, which render him altogether lovely; so it contracts a likeness to God in these upon the Soul, and so changes and renews the Moral habit and constitution of the Soul, and consequently of [Page 46] the whole Life. There is an aptness and promptness in men to imitate that in others (and so in God) for which they love them. And frequent imitating Acts, beget habits, Custom changing Nature. And hence it is, that through Faith we are made partakers of a Divine Nature. We all with open face, behold­ing as in a Glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same Image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 18. This beholding the glory of the Lord, is by Faith, (For we walk by Faith, and not by sight, 2 Cor. 5. 7. and by it Moses saw him who is invisible, Heb. 11. 27.) And the medium by which this Prospect is taken, is the Gospel, by which the Lord in his lovely Perfections is now openly revealed: And Faith being from time to time busied in beholding of, and conversing with these Perfections, it trans­forms the Soul into the same Image or like­ness, from glory to glory (that is gradually) as by the Spirit of the Lord; that is, through the co-operation of God's Spirit with Mans Faith. To comprehend the breadth, length, depth, and heighth, and to know the love of Christ which pas­seth knowledge, is the way to be filled with all the fulness of God, by transcribing all his imi­table perfections upon the Soul, Ephes. 3. 18, 19.

And it is by virtue of their Relation to Christ, and being thus begotten and born [Page 47] of God, and made partakers of a new Na­ture conformable to God's, that Men can with confidence call God Father: This blessed ef­fect of God's Spirit, is the Spirit of Adoption, by which they cry, Abba, Father. And it is this new Nature that is the Spring and Foun­tain of a good Life, of all Pious and Virtu­ous Actions. As it is said of God, Thou art good, and dost good; so it is true of all those that are born of him. A good Man out of the good treasure of his heart (thus renewed) bringeth forth good fruit: The Tree being good, the Fruit will be good. And as this new Creature groweth up to strength and maturity, so do­ing of good, and acting worthily, will be­come natural and pleasant to him in whom it is. To such an one the Commandments of God are not grievous, but he will be able in some good measure to say, I delight to do thy will, O God, yea thy Law is in my heart. And for sin, it being contrary to this new Nature, there is a kind of Moral Impotency in him in whom it is, to commit sin: He cannot sin, because he is born of God, 1 Joh. 3. 9. Or if such an one be overtaken in a fault, it will work a di­sturbance in the Soul, just as that will in the stomach, which a Man hath eat­en, against which he hath an antipathy in Nature. But as for such as perform Religious Duties, and do things materially good, only by the strength of Extrinsecal Motives, and [Page 48] not froman inward Principle of this new Na­ture, or love to the things themselves; to such those actions, being unnatural, become grievous and burdensome, and will be conti­nued in no longer, than those Motives conti­nue in their strength.

Sect. 8.

The last thing I proposed to consider about God's Promise to Abraham, is, What we are to understand by God's counting Abrahams Faith to him for righteousness. And I take it to sig­nifie thus much: That God in a way of spe­cial grace, or by virtue of a new Law of grace and favour which was established by God in Christ, (Gal. 3. 17.) that is, in refe­rence to what Christ was to do & suffer in time then to come, did reckon his Practical Faith to him for Righteousness; that is, that which in the eye of that new Law should pass in his estimation for Righteousness, subordinate to Christ's Righteousness, which procured this Grant, or Law. For otherwise Faith, neither as it is the condition of the Promise of Remis­sion of Sin through Christ, nor as it works Repentance for sins past, or sincere Obedience for time to come, is Righteousness in the Eye of the Original Law. For that accounts no Man that hath, though but once transgressed it, to be Righteous either upon the account of anothers suffering for his sin, or his own Repentance or sincere imperfect Obedience; [Page 49] but curseth every Man that from first to last continueth not in all things which are con­tained in that Law. But it is as I said, an Act of God's special Favour, and by virtue of his new Law of Grace, and as it is established in Christ, that such a Faith as I have descri­bed, comes to be reckoned, or imputed to a man for Righteousness, and through God's im­puting it for Righteousness, to stand a man in the same, if not in a better stead, as to his eternal concerns, as a perfect fulfilling of the Origi­nal Law from first to last would have done: Christ's Righteousness being presupposed the only Meritorious Cause of this Grant or Co­venant.

And thus indeed the Faith which I have described, is a Man's Righteousness in the Eye of this new Law, because it is Summa­rily all that is required of him himself to make him capable of the Benefits promised by it, which as it is now revealed, is the Gospel. Justification is a Law-term: And no Man shall be justified in Judgment, or upon Tryal, but he that is just in the Eye of this new Law of Grace, as every one that rightly believes, repents, and sincerely obeys, is, because that is all that it requires of a Man himself to his Ju­stification and Salvation. And yet every Belie­vers Justification will be all of Grace, because the Law by which they are Justified, is wholly of Grace, is wholly a Law of Grace, and was [Page 50] Enacted in meer Grace and Favour to un­done Man, that was utterly undone by the fall.

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

First, Faith as practical is imputed to a Man for Righteousness, as it is that, and all that which is required of him himself by the Law of Grace, to entitle him to the Righte­ousness which consisteth in the remission of sins through Christ. Now that remission of Sinnes is part of the Righteousness which is by Faith, is evident from Rom. 4. 5, 6, 7, 8. Where the Apostle to prove that a Man's Faith in God who justifyeth the ungodly, is count­ed to him for Righteousness, he citeth a passage out of Psalm the 32d, Even as David also (saith he) describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are for­given, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. The Righteousness imputed in this sense, doth [Page 51] consist in the non-imputation of sin. Not to impute sin, is not to reckon a Man not to have sinned; but it is to deal with him not accord­ing to the demerit of his sin, it is to pardon him for Christ's sake upon his penitential Faith, and not to punish him for his sin; and this by vertue of a new Law, or Act of In­demnity, or Covenant of Grace. For al­though pardon of sin is obtained for Man by Christ his suffering for sin, (In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveneess of sins, Ephes. 1. 7. and though God, for Christ's sake doth forgive us, Epes. 4. 32.) yet the actu­al collation of this great Benefit, is not pro­mised, but upon condition of Man's Faith. Him hath God set forth to be a Propitiation; but it is through Faith in his blood, Rom. 3. 25. By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses, Acts 13. 39. and 10. 43. Although Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole World, (1 Ioh. 2. 2.) yet that saying of Christ must and will will take place; If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall dye in your sins, Joh. 8. 24. and that also, Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not, shall be damned. So that Faith is imputed for Righteousness, partly as it is the Condition upon which pardon of sin is granted.

[Page 52] Secondly, That Faith is imputed for Righ­teousness, which is practical, or productive of sincere Obedience, without which proper­ty it is not a fulfilling of the Law of Grace as a condition of the promised Benefits, and con­sequently cannot justifie a Man in the Eye of that Law. For

First, Repentance, and likewise forgiving men their injuries (for instance) are such Acts of Obedience, as without which a Man cannot be pardoned; and if not pardoned, then not justified. And therefore Faith is not imputed for Righteousness, unless it be pro­ductive of Obedience.

Secondly, No Faith is available to justifi­cation, but such as worketh by Love, Gal. 5. 6. Which to say is all one, as to say, no Faith is imputed for Righteousness, but such as worketh by keeping the Commandments of God, and fulfilling the Law; for that is the inter­pretation of love, both to God and Men, 1 Ioh. 5. 3. Rom. 13. 10.

Thirdly, Abraham who was set forth by God for a Pattern of his justifying Men by Faith, was Justified by such works as were the fruits of his Faith, and not only by his Faith which was the Root of them: And therefore his Faith as practical, was imputed to him for Righteousnss: And such must be the Faith of all others that shall obtain Justification up­on their believing as he did, Iam. 2. 21, 22, 23. [Page 53] Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar? Seest thou how Faith wrought with his Works; and by Works was Faith made perfect. And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abra­ham believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness. Where note these four things. 1. That Abrahams Faith wrought with his Works about the same end, as a Condition of obtaining it, to wit, his Justification. 2. That by his Works his Faith was made perfect, to wit, in its aptitude by God's Institution, to justifie him, without which it would not have reached that end. 3. Note further, that it was his Faith as it wrought with his Works, and as it was compleated and made perfect by them, that was imputed to him for Righte­ousness. 4. Note, that in the Imputation of his Faith for Righteousness, as it was thus accompanied with, and perfected by Works, was the Scripture ful [...]illed which saith, Abra­ham believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness. And if so, then the Justi­fication by Works, together with Faith, of which St. Iames speaks here, is a Justificati­on before God, and not before Men only, and to a Mans own Conscience: For of such a Justification doth the Scripture in Gen. 15. 6. speak, which is here cited by St. Iames.

Nor doth this, that Faith accompanied with Obedience is imputed for Righteousness, at [Page 54] all derogate from the Obedience and Suffer­ings of Christ in reference to the ends for which they serve. Because the whole Cove­nant, and all the parts and terms of it, both Promises of Benefits, & the Condition on which they are Promised, are all founded in Christ his undertaking for us, and all the Benefits of it accrue to us upon our Believing and Obey­ing, upon his account, and for his sake. We are in him, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, 1 Cor. 1. 30. For which cause also he is called the Lord our Righteousness. Not as if his per­sonal Obedience to the Law, was so formal­ly imputed to us, as that we should be reckon­ed to have kept the Law in his keeping of it, (which hath been the Opinion of some) for if that had been so, there would have been no more need that Christ should have suffered for us, than there was that he shoud have suffer­ed for himself who had no sin, for neither should we, if we had perfectly kept the Law in him, or in his keeping of it.

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

I Now come to shew in the next place, for what end the Law of Mo [...]es was added to the Promise. And before I do this in particular, I shall note only in general, that it was not added to cross or confront the Promise, or God's Design in it, but to be subservient to it, Gal. 3. 21. Is the Law then against the Promises? God forbid. For it is not to be thought that God would prevaricate in his Design, so that when he had once made a new Law of Grace for the sa­ving of faln Man, he would yet afterwards give any Law but what should one way or o­ther subserve to the same end, if Men do not deprive themselves of the intended benefit by perverting it. And therefore to be sure, God did not intend to revive the Old Covenant of Works made with Adam in Paradise, in the after promulgation of the Law of Nature (which we call the Moral Law) already broken. He did not therein come to demand his full debt of Innocency in Mans broken and bankrupt condition, or to let him know that he would [Page 56] without any other condition than perfect in­cency, cast him into prison, until he had paid the utmost farthing. For if he had, then the Law indeed would have been against the Promise, which declares quite otherwise. It is true, the Law of Nature as it is a perfect Rule of Natural Righteousness, founded in God's Nature and Man's Nature, doth of it self re­quire perfect innocency, and can require no less, being suited to the Nature of Man in its perfect state. But when God brings this Law forth, and sets it before Men that are now faln from that state, as he doth in the promulgati­on of it, it is to let them know indeed what they once were, and from whence they are fallen, and how unhappy their condition now is, according to the Tenour and Terms of that Law, and that it would have continued so for ever, if God had not made a new Law of Grace, to over-rule that Law; and to let all know that they shall still remain in that condition that wilfully exclude themselves from the benefit of the Law of grace, by not per­forming the Condition of it: and not to let them know, they should have no better terms from him than that Law affords them, nor to make their perfect keeping of it the condition of their Justification. But the Law of Moses en­tirely taken in all its parts, was rather given as an Appendix to the Promise, both as a [Page 57] Rule of the material part of that Obedience, which God would now require of the Israe­lites in conjunction with their Faith in the Promise, and as a Motive to that Obedience: This in general.

The Question is put, Gal. 3. 19. Wherefore then serveth the Law? And the Answer there is, That it was added because of trans­gression, until the Seed should come. And it was added because of transgression in more re­spects than one.

1. It was added to discover Sin, to make that known to be Sin, which was so of it self, and in its own nature before the promulgati­on of the Law. For by reason of that grie­vous Wound which Man got in his Under­standing by the Fall, and by reason also of a Progressive Degeneration in Mankind, the Natural Sense of Moral Good and Evil, was to a great degree worn out of the minds of Men. For the repairing of which decay, a promulgate Law (the ten Commandments) answerable to the Law of pure Nature in the Spirituality of it, was set on foot in the World. And by this Law came Sin and Duty to be more clearly known than they were be­fore, Rom. 3. 20. By the Law is the knwoledge of Sin, Rom. 7. 7. I had not known Sin but by the Law: For I had not known Lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

[Page 58] 2. The Law was added, not only barely to make known that to be Sin, which was so [...]of it self before, but to set it out in it's Colours, to make it known in the horrid nature and consequence of it, that Men might be the more afraid to have to do with it. The Law entred that the offence might abound: That is, that by that means it might be rendred the more Criminous and Demeritorious: That Sin by the Commandment, might become exceed­ing sinful, Rom. 5. 20. & 7. 13.

3. The Law as it discovered Sin, and made it more criminous, and the people the more sensible of guilt, and more apprehensive of their obnoxiousness to punishment, was gi­ven to set off so much the more, the Glory, Beauty, and Desirableness of God's Grace in the Promise of pardon and Salvation, Rom. 5. 20. The Law entered that the offence might abound: But where Sin abounded, Grace did much more abound. By how much the more Sin appeared Sin, and was enhanced, and ag­gravated, and rendred manifestly mischievous by a Promulgate Law; by so much the more grace appear'd to be Grace, in all its Glory, that brought deliverance from it, Rom. 5. 21. That like as Sin hath reigned unto death (viz. by the Law, that being the strength of Sin, 1 Cor. 15. 56.) Even so Grace might reign through Righteousness unto eternal life through Ie [...]us Christ our Lord. After Christ came, the rest [Page 59] which he gave, was so much the more sweet to these Iews who received him, by how much they had been weary and heavy laden under a Spirit of bondage before.

4. The Law (saith St. Paul) was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith, Gal. 3. 24. That is, It was a lower sort of Institution accom­modated to the weak and more imperfect state of the Church [...], until afterward it should deliver them over to a more perfect Instituti­on under Christ. Parents first teach their Children to speak, and after put them to School to learn Letters, Syllables, Words, and Sentences, the use and design of all which they do not understand while they are Children, as they do when they come to be Men. In pro­portion to this hath God dealt with his Church in the World, beginning with a lower and more imperfect sort of Instruction, Pre­cepts and promises, and so proceeding to those that are higher and more perfect, and so by certain gradations, to lead on, and build up his Church to a more perfect Spiritual and compleat state of Faith and Holiness; To all the riches of fulness of understanding of the My­stery of God, of the Father, and of Christ, Col. 2. 2. And thus the Law as a Schoolmaster, had a double end and use: The one respect­ing the time then present: The other that which was then future and to come.

[Page 60] The then present use of it was twofold also.

1. To reclaim and restrain them from the Su­perstitious Customs of the Heathen, to which they were addicted, in which respect also it was added because of transgression. The Hea­then Worship, stood in divers Superstitious Rites or Ceremonies: And because the Israe­lites were adicted to a bodily Worship like theirs, (for they said, let us make us Gods to go before us, Exod. 32. 1.) and were in dan­ger thereby of being drawn to Worship their Gods, therefore to prevent this (as Parents put their Childeren to School, partly to keep them out of harms way) the Lord by way of condescention to their childish humour, did ordain a Worship consisting much in bodily exercise, and Instituted divers Laws, which stood in Meats and Drinks, and divers Wash­ings, and carnal Ordinances, until the time of Reformation; till he should by sending his Son, appoint more excellent Laws for reform­ing both them and the rest of the World. Lev. 18. 3, 4, 5. After the doings of the Law of E­gypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do; and af­ter the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their Ordinances. Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Iudgments: Which if a Man do, [...]e shall live in them, Ezek. 20. 6.—11.

[Page 61] 2. The Lord did Institute diuers Tempo­rary Laws for tryal and exercise of their Obe­dience in those lesser things for a time, as be­ing such as they were as yet best capable to receive, thereby to lead them on to higher in­stances of Obedience afterward. These many Ceremonies which they were obliged to ob­serve, were not things of any Natural or In­trinsick goodness, but only made use of by God for a present turn, which when that was served, they (as to practise) were of no value, but became beggerly Elements. But yet while they continued commanded of God, their obedience in the use of them, was re­wardable, as well as their obedience to any other Laws.

The other end and use of the Law as it was a Schoolmaster, respected the time then to come. For the high Priesthood, and Sacri­fices of the Law, as they were Types of what Christ should be, do, and suffer as Mediatour, were of great use to the Iews after Christ had suffered, and was risen again, and ascended into Heaven, to facilitate both the know­ledge and belief of the Mystery of Redempti­on by Christ.

1. To facilitate the knowledge thereof, and to beget in them a right Notion of these things in Christ, by which forgiveness of sins, and acceptance with God, is obtained on our be­half. For those who had long seen and [Page 62] known the effect of Legal Sacrifices, as how they did procure Legal impunity for offences committed, God accepting the life of a Beast that had not sinned, instead of the life of a Man that had, might soon come to understand from that by parity of reason, that God would much more accept of his own Sons offering himself in Sacrifice for us, so as to excuse us from suffering eternal punishment for our sin. For if the blood of Bulls, and of Goats, and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean, san­ctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God, Heb. 9. 13, 14. And so the High Priests entring into the Holy of Ho­lies in the behalf of the people, with the blood of the Sacrifice, and burning Incense there, doth greatly assist the mind in understand­ing the Nature of Christ's Intercession for us in Heaven, in virtue of his Bloodshed for us on Earth, Heb. 9.

2. The Law in the Typical Nature of it, was of great use to the Iews, to facilitate and strengthen their belief in Christ; and so were the Predictions of the Prophets in conjuncti­on with it: for these and the accomplishment of them in Christ, did so answer each other, as in Water Face answereth to Face, that those who believed the Law and the Pro­phets, [Page 63] had a great advantage by means there­of, to believe in Christ. And therefore our blessed Saviour when he would satisfie his Dis­ciples touching himself, that he was indeed the Christ, and of the necessity of his death, (which death occasioned at first a staggering in their Faith) beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he Expounded to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself, Luke 24. 27. And St. Paul when he labour­ed the conversion of the Iews at Rome, to Christianity, as the chiefest way to effect it; he Expounded to them, and testified the King­dom of God, perswading them concerning Iesus, both out of the Law of Moses, and of the Prophets, from morning to evening, Acts 28. 23. Had ye believed Moses (Saith our Saviour to them) ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me: But if ye believe not his Writings, how shall ye believe my words, Joh. 5. 46, 47. And thus in both the forementioned respects, the Law was a Schoolmaster indeed to bring them to Christ, that they might be justified by Faith.

5. The Law was given to the Jewish Nati­on, not only for their behoof and benefit, but also for a general good to the World: That the Nations round about, hearing of such excel­lent Laws, & perceiving how happy and pros­perous those people were, so long as they ob­served them; might thereby be invited to [Page 64] quit their Idol Gods, and to take hold of the Covenant, and to joyn themselves to the people of the God of Abraham, even as it came to pass in such as were Proselited. And upon this account it seems to be, that the Psalmist pray­ed thus: God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause thy Face to shine upon us: That thy way may be known on Earth, thy saving health unto all Nations, Psal. 67. 1, 2. and concludes, ver. 7. that if God should so do, his fear would be propagated through the World: God shall bless us, and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him, Deut, 4. 6, 7, 8. Keep therefore and do them, for this is your Wisdom, and your Vnderstanding in the sight of the Nations, who shall hear all these Statutes, and say, surely this great Nation is a Wise and an Vnderstand­ing people. For what Nation is there so great, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what Nation is there so great, that hath Statutes and Iudgments so righteous, as all this Law which I set before you this day? To them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3. 2. They were committed in trust to them as Feoffees for the World, to communicate the knowledge of God and of his Laws to the Nations; to carry on further the Reformati­on of the World begun in their Father Abra­ham, and which was Promised to be more compleatly effected by the Messias, in that all [Page 65] Nations of the Earth should be blessed in him. And as God's Judgements on the Iews for breaking his Laws, was Admonitory to the Nations about them, Deut. 29. 24,—28. So his famous Deliverances wrought for them upon their Repentance for breaking his Laws, made God known abroad to be a great favour­er of such as repent of their worshipping and serving other Gods, and such a one as could and would save, deliver and bless them that turned to him to serve him only. Which seems to be his meaning when he saith he will be sanctified before the Heathen, when he should gather them from among the people where they were Captives, and that the Heathen should know that he was the Lord, Ezek. 20. 41. & 36. 23. And by this means be brought them to fear & worship the God of Israel. Psal. 102. 13, 15. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord; and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion, they said among the Heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them, Psal. 126. 1, 2.

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

CHAP. III.
Shewing by what Faith and Practice the Iews under the Law were saved.

I C [...]me now to shew by what Faith and Pra­ctice the Iews under the Law were saved.

And doubtless what ever it was, it became available to that end, upon the account of what Christ was to suffer, when he should come. For, as I shewed before, that God's Covenant with Abraham and his Seed (by virtue of which the faithful then were saved) was confirmed in Christ; was established with them in reference to what he was to do and suffer as Mediatour afterwards, Gal. 3. 17. And by means of his death, there was Redemption for the transgressions that were under the first Testa­ment, Heb. 9. 15. And the Sacrifices and Priesthood, were a Figure for the time then present, of what Christ should afterwards do and suffer, and for what end.

But when I say so, I do not say that all that were saved, did understand so much. For we see the Apostles of Christ, though they did believe him to be the Messias, which the Iews expected, yet they did not understand or ex­pect that he should suffer death as a Sacrifice, [Page 67] till he told them so: Nay the thing was so far from their thoughts, as that they did not un­derstand him when he plainly foretold them of his death, Luke 18. 32. And if the Do­ctrine touching the resemblance that is be­tween the Priesthood of Melchizedech and the Priesthood of Christ, was not in the Apostles sense, Meat which Babes in Christanity could well digest in their understandings, but was Meat for strong Men, Heb. 5. 10.—14. we may well guess by that how little the Iews under­stood the Typical and Spiritual sense of those Types about which they were frequently con­versant; and wherefore it's said that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than Iohn the Baptist, though he was so great, that there was none greater before him. Hence we may see, that one Reason why those Iews were all their life time under a spirit of bondage to fear, was the great Obscurity of the Declaration of God's purpose of Grace to the World through Christ, and the Way and Method of Salvation by him. Moses was but a servant for a Testimony of those things, which were [af­ter] to be spoken, and so declared afterwards, as that the Typical meaning of them might be understood, Heb. 3. 5. In the mean while, as touching those things, they were shut up unto the Faith which should [afterwards] be revealed, Gal. 3. 23. It is said of the Pro­phets, whereof Moses was one, that not unto [Page 68] themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto us, by them that have preached the Gospel to us, 1 Pet. 1. 12. Add we to all this, Heb. 9. 8. where having spoken in ver. 7. of the High Priests entering alone into the Holy of Holi [...]s with the blood of the Sacrifice in behalf of the peo­ple once every year, he saith, The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the Holiest of all, was not yet made manifest, while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing. By the Holiest of all, here is meant Heaven, signified of Old by the Holy of Holies, as appears, ver. 12, 24. And the plain meaning seems to be this, That the peoples entring into Heaven by the Sacri­fice and Blood, and Intercession of Christ, was not made manifest while the Tabernacle-Wor­ship continued. For Christ is our way into Heaven (to the place within the Vail) by his Blood shed as a Sacrifice, Heb. 10. 19, 20. Having therefore Brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Iesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us th [...]ough the Vail, that is to say, his flesh. But this way he tells us was not made mani­fest, while the first Tabernacle was standing.

But as obscure as this way was, as to what was to be done and suffered in particular by the Messias, yet they had some general Grounds of Faith and Hope, that upon their Faith, Re­pentance, and sedulous endeavours to walk in [Page 69] all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, they should obtain remission of their sins, and a future happiness in another World. Among which Grounds these were not the least:

1. They had the knowledge of the Promise of Blessedness to all Nations in Abrahams Seed, and of the Promise of those other Be­nefits which were Promised to Abraham and his Seed.

2. They had an addition of several other Predictions concerning the Messias, both by Moses and other Prophets, that perhaps were somewhat more express, such as in Deut. 18. 16. Isa. 53. Dan. 9. and others. These Promises and Predictions, put them in great expectations of Special Benefits by the Mes­sias, and wrought in them a longing after his day. Upon which account our Saviour said to his Disciples: Blessed are your Eyes, for they see, and your Ears, for they hear. For I say unto you, that many Prophets and Kings, and Righteous Men, have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them, Mat. 13. 16, 17. Luke 10. 23, 24.

3. They had large significations from God of his special favour to them above all peo­ple, as in chusing them to be his peculiar peo­ple, and in declaring himself to be their God; in giving visible Signs of his Presence among them, and excellent Laws & Promises to them, [Page 70] and sending his Prophets amongst them, and working many wonders for them, and casting out the Nations before them to make room for them, and the like, Deut. 7. 6, 7, 8. and 26. 18, 19. Psal. 147. 19, 20. Rom. 9. 4, 5.

4. They had express Declarations from God of the goodness of his Nature, and of his com­passion towards Sinners, and of his readiness to pardon such as should repent and return to their duty in loving him, and keeping his Commandments. As for instance, Exod. 34. 6, 7. The Lord passed before him, and proclaim­ed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and graci­ous, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgi­ving iniquity, trangression and sin. And when he delivered them his Law, with the greatest terrour and astonishment to them, yet even then he assured them that he would shew mer­cy to thousands of them that love him, and keep his Commandments; as in the second Com­mandment. And in case of their miscarriage to the drawing down of Gods Judgements upon them, he bespeaks them thus: When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient to his voice: (For the Lord thy God is a merci­ful God,) he will not forsake thee, nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers, Deut. 4. 31. and 30. 1, 2, 3. Levit. 26. 39, &c.

[Page 71] From all which Grounds, the faithful a­mong them, had such a hope and confidence of pardon of Sin, and of a future happiness in another life, upon their Repentance and sin­cere Obedience, as did effectually induce them to have good thoughts of God, to love him, and to endeavour to please him, by having re­spect unto all his Commandments. This made him say, Psal. 130. 4. There is forgive­ness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. And under this hope and confidence, the twelve Tribes did instantly serve God day and night, and grounded this Hope of theirs upon the Pro­mise made of God unto their Fathers, as St. Panl tells us, Acts 26. 6, 7.

And indeed it was the unanimous Faith of the most eminent among them from age to age, that God had both made, and would keep a Covenant to shew mercy to those that love him, and keep his Commandments, or that walk before him with all their heart: For that they looked upon as the Condition of God's Promise of shewing Mercy. This we may see in Moses, David, Solomon, and in Daniel, and Nehemiah, Deut. 7. 9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him, and keep his Commandments. So David, Psalm 103. 17, 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to such as keep his Co­venant, and to those that remember his Com­mandments [Page 72] to do them. And thus Solomon, 1 Kings 8. 23. And he said, Lord God of Is­rael, there is no God like thee, who keepest Co­venant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart. So Daniel in his 9th Chap. 4th ver. O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the Covenant and Mercy, to them that love him, and to them that keep his Commandments. And Nehemiah likewise, Ch. 1. 5. I beseech thee, O Lord God of Heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that love him, and observe his Commandments. This we see was the serious and constant Profession of the Faith of the ser­vants of God in those times. And in this Faith and Practice doubtless it was, that they lived, and dyed, and were saved.

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

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

Besides the general Promise which God made to Abraham, respecting the Gentiles as well as the Iews (In thee all Nations of the Earth shall be blessed) he made a Special Covenant with him, as a reward of his Sig­nal faithfulness, to give unto his Natural Seed the Land of Canaan. Nehem. 9. 8. Thou found­est his heart faithful before thee, and madest a Covenant with him, to give the Land of the Ca­ [...]aanites—to his Seed. In order to the ful­filling of which Promise, after he had brought them out of Egypt, he united them under himself as Head, in one Political Body, by a Political Covenant, Exod. 19, &c. which is the Covenant I am now to discourse of. In which discourse I would, 1. Shew in what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a [Page 74] Covenant of a different nature from the Co­venant of Grace made with Abraham. 2. Prove that it did contain such a different Covenant. 3. For farther Illustration, con­sider it in its parts, and their relation one to another. 4. And in what respect this Cove­nant is called the first Covenant, when as the Covenant of Grace was made before it.

1. In what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different Na­ture from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham. The Law of Moses comes under a twofold consideration. 1. As in conjunction with the Promise to Abraham, to which it was annexed, it made up one entire Law, by which the Israelites were to be governed and directed in the way to eternal life: And in this Conjunction, the Promise was the Life and Soul as it were of the Body of the Mosaic Law properly taken. And in this sense as the word Law signifies the Pentateuch, or five Books of Moses, (which contain the Promise as well as the Law) it is sometimes used in the New Testament, Gal. 4. 21, 22. 1 Cor. 14. 34. Luke 16. And in this sense doubtless we are to understand the Law upon which Da­vid bestowed so many glorious Encomiums as he did, saying, The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the Soul, &c. Psal. 19. 2. We are to consider the Law of Moses as given at Sinai, [Page 75] in a stricter sense, as it was an Instrument or Rule of Government in the Commonwealth of Israel. The Law, in the former sense of it, promised eternal life (though but obscure­ly) to those that did believe its Promises, and sincerely obey its Precepts. In the latter sense, it promised only temporal Blessings to those that strictly observed it in all the parts of it; and threatned those with temporal calamities that did not. The same Laws materially, of this Political Covenant, related to both the Co­venants. As eternal Life was promised in the Covenant of Grace, upon condition of sin­cere obedience to those Laws, as an effect of Faith in the Promise; So those Laws, in Con­junction with the Promise, were, as I may so say, Evangelical. But as temporal benefits on­ly were promised in that Covenant upon condition of strict obedience to those Laws; and as those Laws were enjoyned under tem­poral penalties as they were Commonwealth-Laws; so that Convenant, containing those Laws, was Political, and in this Political re­spect, it was another Covenant. If the Law of God, and the Law of Man command or forbid things materially the same; yet if the one command or forbid them under pain of damnation, and the other only under tempo­ral penalties; these Laws are not formally the same. The Commonwealth of Israel had no Commonwealth Laws, but what God [Page 76] himself gave them, the which Laws they also covenanted with him to observe; by which Covenant they were united under him as Head of that Political Body. And there­fore when they would needs choose them a King like other Nations, God told Samuel, saying, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them, 1 Sam. 8. 7. Ye said unto me (said Samuel) nay, but a King shall reign over us, when the Lord your God was your King, 1 Sam. 12. 12. I conclude then, that as the Law of Moses did serve to this Political end, so it was a distinct Cove­nant, and different from the Covenant of grace.

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

First, They are called the two Covenants, by St. Paul, Gal. 4. 24. And if they are two, then there is a real difference between them, else they would be but one and the same.

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

Thirdly, There were some sins pardonable by one of these Covenants, which were not so by the other; and that shews that they were quite of a different nature. The Murder and [Page 77] Adultery which David was guilty of, was not pardonable according to the terms of the Po­litical Covenant, if there had been any Supe­riour Power on Earth to have executed that Commonwealth-Law; and yet according to the terms of the Covenant of Grace, they were pardonable upon repentance, and upon those terms were pardoned unto him. The like might be said perhaps of Manasseh.

The unbelief of Moses and Aaron in not Sanctifying God in the eyes of the Children of Israel, was according to the terms of the Co­venant of Grace, pardoned as to the eternal penalty, but yet was not wholly pardoned ac­cording to the terms of the the Political Cove­nant as to temporal punishment: For the Lord told them that for that cause they should not bring the Children of Israel into the Land of Canaan, Numb. 20. 12. And in reference to this case, the Psalmist saith, thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions, Psal. 99. 8.

Fourthly, The Covenant of Grace never ceaseth, but it is of perpetual duration through­out all Generations; and therefore is called the Everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13. 20. But this Mosaical Political Covenant, is vanished long since, Heb. 8. 13. by which also it appears to be a Covenant effentially different from the other.

3. For a farther Illustration of the nature [Page 78] of this Covenant, we will consider it in its parts, and in the relation which those parts bear one towards another. And in general, it did consist of two parts. 1. Of Laws; and 2. Of the Sanction of those Laws: The Laws likewise were of two sorts. 1. Laws of Duty. 2. Laws of Indemnity.

1. Laws of Duty. And in them we may consider, 1. What those Laws were. 2. What manner of obedience to those Laws it was which would free men from the penalties of them, and entitle them to the Promises of re­ward annexed to them.

First, The Laws of Duty, of which this Co­venant did in great part consist, were those which pass under the various denomination of Moral, Ritual or Ceremonial, and Judicial. Some of which Laws, (viz. the Decalogue especially and almost wholly) for the matter of them, were natural, that is, such as were founded in the nature of Man, forbidding things which of themselves were evil, and commanding things which in their own na­ture were good, and might be discerned to be so, by Man in his pure Naturals, and in great part since the degeneration of his nature, whether they had been expresly forbidden, or commanded, or no. But these Laws became part of the Political Covenant, only as they were expresly and externally declared to the Iews by a Promulgate Law. For if this had [Page 79] not been so, the Gentiles could not have been said to be without the Law, as they were, Rom. 2. 14, 11. 1 Cor. 9. 21. For they had the force and effect of the Law in their hearts, and were in that re­spect a Law unto themselves, Rom. 2. 14, 15. But because the Decalogue, as well as the other Laws, was delivered to the Iews only, and to none else, from Mount Sinai, therfore they only (and Proselytes that joyned with them) were said to be under the Law, and all the rest without Law. And therefore is the giving of the Law reckoned to the Iews among their pe­culiar Priviledges, Rom. 9. 4. Psal. 147. 19, 20. And in this sense only as the Decalogue was a part of the Political Law, can the Ministra­tion ingraven in Stones, be said to be done away, as it is, 2 Cor. 3. 7, to ver. 11. For so much of it as was a Copy of the Law of Nature, or is by Christ incorporated into his Laws, re­mains in force to all men.

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

Secondly, That obedience which would be sufficient to secure a Man from the penalty of the Political Law, and to entitle him to the Promised Reward annexed thereto, was no less than a strict Obedience to it in all the parts of it. For it is written, Cursed be he [Page 80] that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them: And all the people shall say, Amen. Deut. 27. 26. And this extended to Heart-obedience, and Heart-sinning, as well as to the outward act, commanding love to God, forbidding to covet, as under the Heart-search­ing Political Soveraign, who reserved to him­self the final Judgement and Execution, even in temporal respects, in many cases.

2. Laws of Indemnity (of which also this Covenant did consist) were partly those which ordained Sacrifice and Offerings for the Expi­ation of many sins made pardonable by those Laws, so far as to exempt the Delinquent per­son from the temporal penalty threatned for breach of those other Laws, which for di­stinction sake, I call Laws of Duty; for other­wise these also were Laws of Duty as well as of Priviledge. There were other Laws of Indemnity likewise for the purification of per­sons legally unclean; which being observed, the persons unclean became delivered from the penalties they suffered while their uncleanness was upon them; such as was their separation from the Congregation.

Consider we next the Sanction of these Laws; and that did consist in Promises an­nexed to the observing of them, and in a curse denounced against the transgressors of them. And for our better understanding the Nature of the Promises of this Covenant, [Page 81] we will consider them Negatively, and Affir­matively.

1. Negatively; The Promises of this Poli­tical-covenant as such, were not Promise; of eternal life; And when I say so, I do not deny but that, first, the Iews in Moses time, and be­fore, had Promises of eternal life implyed in the Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed. And accordingly the faithful ones a­mong them, sought after the Heavenly Coun­trey, and looked for a City which hath Founda­tions, whose builder and maker is God, Heb. 11. 10, 14, 16. Nor secondly, will I deny but that there are some passages in the Law of Mo­ses, if you take the Law of Moses in a large sense, which look somewhat like a renewall of the antient Covenant with Abraham to his Seed. As when, for instance, God made a conditional Promise to the Israelites in Mo­ses his time, to be their God, and that they should be his people, as in Levit 26. 12. Deut. 29. 13. Which form of words is interpreted sometimes to imply a future happiness in ano­ther World, Heb. 11. 16. Matth. 21. 31, 32. And I do not deny but the Iews had by Moses, as express a Promise of the Messias, as Abraham had, Deut. 18. 15.—19. But St. Paul doth not speak of the Law in this large sense, when he opposeth the Law and the Promise, the Law and Faith, one to another. But if we understand by the Law of Mo [...]es, the Law [Page 82] as Political, the Law of the Common­wealth; so the Promises of it were not Pro­mises of Eternal Life; For Promises of this nature did pertain to another Covenant, to wit, th [...]t made with Abraham, and his Spiritual Seed as such.

First; Therefore St. Paul doth down-right­ly deny that the Promise of the Inheritance, (which in Heb. 9. 15. is called the Eternal Inheritance) was by the Law, which yet it would have been, if by Law he had meant the Law in that large sense, in which the Law and Promise to Abraham are conjoyned, and not in that strict sense, by which he means the Political Law distinctly. And if the Inheri­tance had been promised upon the same terms as temporal Blessings were in the temporal Co­venant, the Inheritance might have been ob­tained by the Law, as well as temporal Blessings were. Rom. 4. 13. For the Promise that he should be Heir of the World, was not through the Law, but through the Righteousness of Faith.

Secondly; St. Paul evinceth the badness of that Opinion, to think that Eternal Life was Promised upon the Law-terms, from the ab­surd consequence of it; shewing that if it were, that then it would make void the Pro­mise of God to Abraham, and the way of sa­ving men by Faith in that Promise, of none effect: Gal. 3. 18. For if the inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of Promise: But God gave [Page 83] it to Abraham by Promise. Rom. 4. 14. For if they which are of the Law be Heirs, Faith is made void, and the Promise made of none effect. It was altogether unreasonable to think that the Inheritance should be promised upon such distant and inconsistent terms, as are Faith in the Promise, and by Works of the Law.

Thirdly; The Law, saith the Apostle, is not of Faith, but the man that doth them shall live in them, Gal. 3. 12. meaning, that what the Law promised, it did not promise it upon conditi­on of believing, but upon condition of do­ing. And Eternal Life is not since the fall promised upon condition of doing without Faith, but upon condition of believing; For the Iust shall live by Faith, Vers. 11. and therefore Eternal Life is not promised by the Law.

Fourthly; Wherefore else are the Promises of that better Covenant, Heb. 8. 6. said to be better Promises? But because they are Pro­mises of better things than were promised in the first Covenant; which yet they could not be, if Eternal Life had been promised in that Covenant, because that is the best of all Promises.

To say they are better only in respect of Administration, and clearness of Revelation, would not satisfie such as should well consi­der▪ That if the betterness of the Covenant [Page 84] and Promises, lay only in that, the difference would not be so great, as to denominate them two Covenants, and two so vastly di­stant as the Scripture represents them to be. The difference then would be but only gra­dual, as that is, which is found in the same Covenant of Grace in the several Editi­ons of it, to Adam, to Abraham, to David, and now to all Nations since Christ's coming; and not Essential, as that between the two Cove­nants seem to be, as it is represented in Gal. 4. 24. Besides, St. Paul represents the Admi­nistration of the two Covenants, to differ as much as Righteousness and Condemnation, Life and Death differ, which sure is more than a gradual difference. The one is the Mi­nistration of Death and Condemnation; the o­ther, the Ministration of Righteousness and Life. 2 Cor. 3. 6, 7, 8, 9. The Law made no­thing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, Heb. 7. 19. By which it appears again, that the hope of the Gospel (in which the things hoped for upon the Promises of the Gos­pel are not the least) is better than what the Law promised the observers of it. This is the Promise which he hath promised us, even Eter­nal Life, 1 John 2. 25.

2. And Affirmatively; It was then a long and Prosperous life in the Land of Canaan, that was promised in the first Covenant, Deut. 28. 11. The Lord shall make thee plenteous in [Page 85] Goods, in the fruit of thy Body, and in the fruit of thy Cattel, and in the fruit of thy Ground, in the Land which the Lord sware unto thy Fa­thers to give thee, Deut. 11. 21. That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your Children as the days of Heaven upon Earth.

A great variety of outward blessings is promised, as the reward of keeping that Covenant. And therefore Wisdom under that Dispensation is described, as having length of days in her right hand, and in her left ha [...]d Riches and Honour; whose ways are ways of plea­santness, and all her paths peace, Prov. 3. 17. And as this Covenant was National, so there were Promises of National Blessings; such as was the setting them on high, above all the Na­tions of the Earth; making them the Head and not the Tail: The giving them victory over [...]ne­mies; multiplying the Nation, and bestowing on it Health, Peace, and Plenty, Deut. 28. Lev. 26.

When it's said once by Moses, thrice by Ezekiel, and twice by St. Paul, that the Man that doth them, shall live in them, (Lev. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11, 13, 21. Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12.) thereby Epitomizing the first Covenant; I conceive that by living, is meant a long and prosperous life in this World. As on the contrary, the condition of one greatly afflict­ed, is in Scripture-Dialect, a kind of Death, and such an one said to be free among the Dead, [Page 86] Psal. 88. 5. And that which inclines me so to think, is not only the Reasons already given to prove that no other life was promised in the first Covenant, but also the congruity of this sense with other passages in the Writings of Moses. As Deut. 30. 15. See, I have set before you this day, Life and Good, Death and Evil. If you would know what is meant by Life here, the next verse will inform you: That thou mayest live and multiply, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess it. The contrary whereunto is the death he had set before them; saying, I de­nounce unto you this day that ye shall surely pe­rish, and that ye shall not prolong your dayes up­on the Land, &c. Deut. 32. 46, 47. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day,; for it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life; and through this thing ye shall prolong your dayes in the Land wherein ye go. The latter words are exegetical of the former: Through this thing ye shall prolong your dayes, is the interpretation of those; it is your Life. And it may be considered also, whether this Particle [in] (which if a man do he shall even live [in] them) may not deter­mine the nature and kind of that reward which was promised in the first Covenant, as it was a present reward, a reward which was re­ceived even while the work was doing, ac­cording to that, Psal. 19. 11. In keeping them [Page 87] there is great reward. And this is agreeable to what fell out in the event. The Lord was with them to prosper them, while they were with him; but when they forsook him, pre­sently troubles overtook them. The pouring out of God's fury on them to consume them in the Wilderness, being put in Ezek. 20. 13, 21. as the direct contrary to those words, which if a man do, he shall even live in them, seems greatly to favour this Nation. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the Wilder­ness: They walked not in my Statutes, and they d [...]spised my Iudgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them: Then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them to consume them in the Wilderness.

And indeed one main difference between the two Covenants, (which I would have here observed) lies in this, to wit, the pre­sentness of the reward promised in the first, and the futurity of that promised in the second. St. Paul in his Allegorical description of the two Covenants, Gal. 4. 24, &c. represents those that adhered to the first Covenant, by the children of Bond-servant, to whom Abra­ham gave gifts in present, and sent them away, as in Gen. 25. 5. and those that adhered to the second, by the Son of the Free-woman, Isa­ac, who was Abrahams Heir, to whom he gave the whole Inheritance at last. And the Adoption of Sons, as the Priviledge of the [Page 88] New Covenant▪ is opposed to the condition of Servants under the Old, Gal. 4. 7. And what are they adopted to, but to an Inheri­tance for the future? for by Adoption they are made Heirs: If a Son, then an Heir of God through Christ: an Heir of what? of an Inhe­ritance for the future; an Inheritance Incor­ruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven, 1 Pet. 1. 4. And therefore they are said to wait for the Adoption, to wit the redemption of their Bodies, at the resurrecti­on, Rom. 8. 23. Sons and Heirs serve their Father with a free and ingenuous Spirit, though they have but little for the present, in confidence of what he will do for th [...]m here­after in another world, when they shall come to age. But those under the Old Covenant, were like Servants, who serve with a servile Spirit, because they do it with expectation of present pay. The one walk by Faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen; the other were in­fluenced in their obedience, by the expectati­on of present reward, because that was it which the first Covenant promised to the ob­servers of it.

These Promises now insisted on, were pro­mises of reward to the observers of this first Covenant: But besides these, there was another sort of Promises exhibited in the first Covenant, and they were Promises of par­don, [Page 89] in many cases, when the Laws of that Covenant were broken. There were (as I have shewed) Laws of Indemnity, which made many of the breaches of the Laws of du­ty, pardonable upon certain conditions. And such were all sins of Ignorance and Inadver­tency, and some of those also which were committed wittingly. But presumptuous sins, and such as carried in them a kind of contempt of the Law, these were exempted from par­don: Heb. 10. 28. He that despised Moses Law, died without mercy, under two or three witnesses. But for the other, there were promises of pardon upon certain conditions; which con­ditions were not always the same. In some cases the offering of a Sin-offering, or Tres­pass-offering, was the Condition. In o­ther Cases, that with confession of Sin, was the Condition. And in some other Cases, Sacri­ficing, Restitution, and Satisfaction were the Condition. And afflicting of the Soul, as well a the Sacrifice for Atonement on the day of general Expiation, was always a Condition of forgiveness. These things in the particu­larities of them, you have in the 4, 5, 6, 16, and 23d Chapters of Levit. And then the Condition of the Promises of Purgation of Le­gal Uncleannesses, and the penal effects of them, was the observing the Rules prescribed for purifying the Unclean.

Now the forgiveness promised by these [Page 90] Laws of Indemnity, did not free the Con­science from all Obligation to Eternal punish­ment, but only freed the Person from suffer­ing those temporal evils, which were threat­ned in this Covenant against those which did not continue in all things written in the Book of it. Neither Sacrifices, nor Legal Purifica­tions, Sanctified, but unto the purifying of the flesh, and to their temporal concerns only, Heb. 9. 9, 10, 13.

And here we may observe a five-fold dif­ference in reference to Remission of Sin, between the first Covenant, and the Cove­nant of Grace.

1. They differ in the nature of those Sacri­fices by which Atonements were made, and upon which forgiveness was promised. The blood of the Sacrifice of the first Covenant, was but the blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the like, Heb. 10. 4. But the Blood of the Sacri­fice of the second Covenant, is the Blood of Christ the Eternal Son of God. So that the nature of the Sacrifices of the two Covenants, upon which the Promise of the pardon of Sins was granted, doth differ as much as the blood of Beasts and the Blood of the Son of God differ.

2. Those two sorts of Sacrifices pertaining to two kinds of Covenants, differ in the pro­portion of Efficaty and Virtue to accomplish their respective ends and effects. There is a [Page 91] greater richness of proportion in the Blood of Christ to free the Cons [...]ience from the guilt of Sin, or obligation to Eternal punishment, than there was in the blood of Beasts to free the Delinquent person from temporal punish­ments. This is plainly intimated in Heb. 9. 13, 14. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean, sactifieth to the purifying of the flesh; [how much more] shall the Blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

3. They differ in the nature of the pardon promised in each of the Covenants respective­ly. The Redemption granted in the first Co­venant, was but temporal, as the Covenant it self was; it was but from evils temporal: But Christ Jesus by his Atonement, hath obtained Eternal Redemption for us, Hebr. 9. 12.

4. They differ in respect of the Sins made pardonable by each Covenant respectively. There were many sins for which the first Co­venant granted no pardon upon any terms whatsoever. They that despised Moses Law, died without mercy, Heb. 10. 28. But the Co­venant of Grace makes promise of the pardon of the greatest sins upon Repentance. All manner of Sin and Blasphemy, except the Blas­phemy against the Holy Ghost, are pardonable [Page 92] upon Repentance. This difference is set down, Acts 13. 39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses. We may well suppose that the first Covenant did finally con­demn some, which the Covenant of Mercy pardoned. David in the matter of Vriah, did that which was unpardonable by the first Covenant; it was a Fact to have been punish­ed with death by the Law, but that there was none but God that could duly inflict it upon him in his capacity; and yet upon his Repentance, it was pardoned as to his Eter­nal concerns, as well as temporal, by virtue of God's Covenant of Mercy. On the other hand, a man probably might be so righteous in the Eye of the first Covenant, as not to be visibly blameable, and yet even then he obnoxious to the curse of the Everlasting Co­venant. Paul while he was Saul, and in the state of unbelief, was even then as touching the righteousness which is in the Law, blameless, as he himself saith, Phil. 3. 6. So different were these two Covenants, that him whom the one condemned the other might justifie, and likewise justifie him whom the other con­demned.

5. They differed in respect of the Conditi­on to be performed on Man's part for the ob­taining of pardon. Pardon was promised i [...] the first Covenant upon condition of doing [Page 93] only without reference to Faith; but so are not the pardons of the New Covenant, Gal. 3. 11, 12. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident; for the Iust shall live by Faith: And the Law is not of Faith; but the man that doth them shall live in them. So much concerning the first Part of the San­ction of the first Covenant. Come we now to the second.

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

1. For first, A violent death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate, for Capital Of­fences, is called the Curse, Deut. 22. 23. He that is hanged, is accursed of God, or is the Curse of God.

2. Christ who did not suffer Eternal pu­nishment for Man's Sin, did yet suffer the curse of the Law, in that he was hanged on a Tree, Gal. 3. 13. It is true indeed, that by that temporary suffering of his, he redeemed us from Eternal punishment, which we were obnoxious to.

3. Those who Apos [...]atize from Christ, and [Page 94] reject his Gospel, merit sorer punishment than what was inflicted on them that despised Mo­ses Law; and yet sorer punishment for kind they cannot suffer, if Eternal punishment had been the penalty of that Covenant as such, Heb. 10. 28, 29.

4. As the Promises of that Covenant when particularly expressed, did appear to be but temporal, so the curses of it appear to be no other in the particular enumeration of them. As for instance; a violent death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate, was the punish­ment threatned for many Capital Offences; Such as was Idolatry, Blasphemy, Witchcraft, working on the Sabbath, invading the Priests Office, and for being a false Prophet; & also for Murder, Adultery, Sodomy, Buggery, Man­stealing, Cursing, or Smiting of Parents, or be­ing stubbornly rebllious against them, and some other. And a cutting off from among the people (whether by God's hand imme­diately, or by Mans, I determine not) was the penalty threatned for eating leavened Bread within the time prohibited, for not pu­rifying ones self when unclean, for profaning holy things, for ones eating of the Sacrifice with his uncleanness upon him; for offering Sacrifice any where but at the Tabernacle, for eating of Blood, and for eating of the fat of the Sacrifice; for neglecting to keep the Pass­over, and for not afflicting the Soul in the [Page 95] day of general Atonement; and for several other Offences. And those Offences for which cutting off from among the people, is threatned, being less criminous than the for­mer, we have no reason to think the penalty of cutting off from among the people, to sig­nifie more (if so much) than the suffering of a temporal death. As we may observe how the Israelites various punishments are ex­prest for their manifold crimes in the Wil­derness, by God's overthrowing them in the Wilderness by Pestilence, and otherwise. 1 Cor. 10.

In brief; The temporal evils threatned in this Covenant, were either Personal, Dome­stick, or National. The Personal and Do­mestick evils, were no less, than whatsoever tended to the infelicity of Man's life, as Dis­eases in Body, Perplexity of Mind, unfruit­fulness in Body, in Cattel, in Ground; Scar­city, Poverty, Oppression, loss of Relations, fewness of days, and an untimely cutting off from the Promised Land. The National were wild Beasts, Pestilence, Sword, Famine, Captivity, and such like. These were inflict­ed when the breach of the Covenant became National in the generality of the people: But especially when those who had the ma­nagement of publick Affairs, Civil and Ec­clesiastick, did not restrain the people by a due Execution of Laws, but rather led them [Page 96] into sin by their Example, and sometimes by their Commands; corrupting Religion, and perverting Justice, Levit. 26. Deut. 28. And the evils threatned being National, as the Co­venant it self was, they must needs be but temporal, because there is no Judging, Con­demning, and Executing Nations as Nations, but in this World.

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

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

First, That Covenant was established upon the terms or condition of perfect innocency; no provision being made in it for pardon in case of failure, upon any condition whatsoever. But it was otherwise in this Mosaick Covenant, as I have shewed, in that it contained seve­ral Laws of Indemnity for the relief of De­linquent persons, upon certain possible and practicable conditions.

Secondly, If this and the Paradisical-Cove­nant had been of the same Nature, then it and the Promise made to Abraham and his Spiri­tual [Page 97] Seed, would have been inconsistent, the one promising Eternal life upon believing, the other only upon condition of sinless obedi­ence. If this had been the case, the Law would have been against the Promise, which God forbid it should, Gal. 3. 21. and the one would have excluded the other, according to St. Pauls' reasoning, Rom. 11. 6. If by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work. But

2. Affirmatively. It is called the first Cove­nant, because it is the first of the two under question and dispute between the Apostles and unbelieving Iews. The Question and Con­troversie between them was, which of the two Covenants, that by Moses, or that by Christ, was finally adhered to as the way of Salvation. In the handling of which Contro­versie, that by Moses is called the first, and the Gospel-Covenant established by Christ, as was Prophesied by Ieremiah, is called the se­cond: Even as the one is called the Old Co­venant, not because it was the Oldest of all Covenants, but because opposed to that which was Prophesied of under the name of a New Covenant. It is observable, that where we meet with the first mention of the first Cove­nant under that Denomination, it is not stiled [the] first Covenant absolutely, but [that] [Page 98] first Covenant, as pointing at that under dispute, Hebr. 8. 7. For if [that] first Cove­nant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

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

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

1. They held Circumcision in the flesh to be the condition in special, upon which all the blessings of God's Covenant with Abra­ham were promised; but did not understand tha [...] Spiritual Circumcision, viz. the mortifi­cation [Page 99] of sinful affections and lusts, was prin­cipally intended, when God made Circumci­sion the Condition of his Covenant. For they were it seems grosly ignorant of the necessity of Regeneration, and so of the Spiritual de­sign of Circumcision; which was the reason why Nicodemus, though a Ruler among the Iews, answered Christ so aukardly when he Preached to him the necessity of being born again, Joh. 3. An ignorance that some al­lowance possibly might have been made for, had not the Circumcision of the Heart, and the making themselves a new Heart, been ex­presly called for, as it was, Deut. 10. 16. Ier. 4. 4. Ezek. 18. 31. Now this ignorance of theirs in the Doctrine of the Circumcision of the Heart, and the sense they put upon God's making Circumcision to be the Condition of his Covenant of being their God, was doubt­less the reason why they placed so very much as they did in Literal Circumcision. For, al­though Circumcision first given to Abraham by way of Covenant, was afterwards incor­porated with the body of Moses's Law, yet it should seem these Iews considered it not so much as it was a part of that Law, but chiefly as a Condition of God's Covenant with them in Abraham, as they were his Seed. And therefore St. Paul where he reckons up his Jewish Priviledges whil'st he was a Pharisee, puts Circumision in the Head of them all, and [Page 100] as accou [...]ted by him while a Pharisee, a Privi­ledge distinct from his being blameless touch­ing the Righteousness which was in the Law, Phil. 3. 5, 6. Whence also the Judaizers said, it was needful to Circumcise them, and to com­mand them to keep the Law of Moses, Acts 15. 5, 24. as if Circumcising did import some­thing different from, or at least something more, than keeping of the Law did, though otherwise it was a part of the Law. Upon this account doubtless it was that we find them more zealous for Circumcision, than for any o­ther Point of the Law besides.

Against this Erroneous Opinion of theirs touching Literal Circumcisions being the Condition of the Spiritual Bene [...]its of the Co­venant, St. Paul argueth several ways. First, By maintaining that the Covenant did chiefly respect Circumcision in the Spirit, Rom. 2. 28, 29. He is not a Iew which is one outward­ly; neither is that Circumcision, which is outward in the flesh (that is, it was not that Circum­cision which would savingly avail them, as they thought it would) but he is a Iew, which is one inwardly; and Circumcision is that of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter; whose praise is not of Men, but of God:

Again▪ By shewing that Abraham could not have been justified before Circumcision, if the great benefits of the Covenant (of which Justification was one) were suspended upon [Page 101] that, as a necessary condition. And yet that h [...] was justified when not Circumcised, there is the express Authority of Scripture for. This he as­serts. Rom. 4. 9, 10. For we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in Circumcision, or in Vncircumcision? Not in Circumcision, but in Vncircumcision.

Afterwards he proceeds to undeceive them in the apprehension they had, that the benefits of the Covenant were entailed upon Abraham's Natural Seed as such; or at least as such, with the addition of a literal observation of Cir­cumcision and the Law, without respect to the Spiritual and new Birth: Rom. 9. 6, 7, 8. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel (as they thought they were) neither because they are the Seed of Abraham, are they all Children: But in Isaac shall thy Seed be called: That is, those shall be called Abraham's Seed, which are born as Isaac was, by Faith in the Promise, which are therefore called Children of the Promise. For so the Apostle expounds it, saying, They which are the Children of the flesh, these are not the Children of God; but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed; to wit, such as are born after the Spirit, as it is explained, Gal. 4. 28, 29. And this agrees to what he had said before, Rom. 2. 28. He is not a Iew, which is one outwardly, &c. Against which corrupt Opinion, Iohn the Baptist did oppose himself [Page 102] when he admonished the Pharisees, to bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance, and think not to say within your selves, we have Abraham to our Father, Mat. 3. 7, 8.

The Apostle labours to cure this grand Er­ror about Literal Circumcision as disjoyned from Spiritual, in many other places, and shews how that Circumcision availeth nothing, but a new creature, such as Spiritual Cir [...]um­cision makes a man to be, Gal 6. 15. Not Cir­cumcision, but Faith, Gal. 5. 6. Not Circumci­sion, but keeping the Commandments, is that which would only reach those great ends which they sought after in Literal Circumci­sion, 1 Cor. 7. 19. But I shall have occasion to improve these Scriptures further upon another Head of this Discourse. And by the way, we may observe, that those who build their hopes of future happiness upon their having been Baptized, and their being of the Church, without the inward Grace signified by Bap­tism, which is the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, they are much a-kin to those miserable mistaken Iews.

2. They not understanding the Typical and Spiritual use of the Legal Sacrifices, as they did prefigure the death and suffering of Christ, and the general Atonement which was to be made thereby, nor yet the Predictions of the Prophets touching his death, they ran [Page 103] into another gross Error, and that was, That the promised Messias should not by suffering death, become a Sacrifice for sin. And therefore they said to him when he spoke to them of his death; We have heard out of the Law, that Christ abideth for ever; and how sayest thou the Son of Man must be lift up? Joh. 12. 34. They did not dream of his dying, but of his Reign­ing visibly as a mighty Monarch among them, and subduing all Nations under them, Because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the Pro­phets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him, Acts 13. 27. Their ignorance in the meaning of the Types and Predictions touching the death of the Messias, would have been the more excu­sable, if they had not wilfully and obstinately persisted in that Error after those Types and Prophecies were fulfilled and explained to them. Ignorance in this matter was found in Christ's own Disciples a great while; but their slowness to believe those Types and Pro­phecies after they were fulfilled, was a thing which our Saviour rebuked them for, saying, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? Luke 24. 25, 26. But the unbelieving Iews were tenacious of this Opinion, after they had sufficient means to have been convinc'd of their Error in it. In opposition to which Opi­nion, [Page 104] the Author of the Epistle to the He­brews, argues at large the necessity of Christ's suffering by death. As first, he argues it from his Priesthood. For having proved him according to Prophecy, to be a Priest not after the Order of Aaron, but of Melchizedeck, and so a Priest of greater Dignity, Chap. 5. and 7. He infers, Chap. 8. that as a Priest he must have something to offer in Sacrifice, and that of greater value than what was offered by Priests under the Law, that were but of an inferiour Order; and that he shews to have been himself and his own Blood, as the Antitype of all those Legal Sacrifices, Chap. 9. Secondly, He proves his death necessary for the confirmation of the second and new Co­venant, as he was Mediatour of it. As the first Testament was not dedicated without Blood, so neither is the second: For where a Testa­ment is (saith he) there of necessity must also be the death of the Testator, Chap. 9. 15,—23. Thirdly, His death was necessary for the ob­taining of Remission of Sins; a Benefit pro­mised in the new Covenant: For without shed­ding of Blood (saith he) there is no Remis­sion of Sin, Chap. 9. 22. with Chap. 10. 5—18.

And indeed it was a good part of the A­postle's work to beat down this Opinion, that the Messias was not to dye. Acts 17. 3. St. Paul, as his manner was, went into them, and three [Page 105] Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. Yea, this Opinion had so generally obtained among them in our Saviours time, that it seems the Apostles of Christ at first were not free from it. For when our Savi­our told them, that at Ierusalem he should be delivered to the Gentiles, and that they should scourge him, and put him to death, and that the third day he should rise again; it's said, they understood none of these things, and that this saying was [...]id from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken: Though they were spoken plainly and in no Parable, Luke 18. 32, 33, 34. Christ his being crucified, became a stumbling-block to the Iews through this Error of theirs, and that which they in­sisted upon as a Reason why they would not receive him as the Christ of God, 1 Cor. 1. 23.

3. They held another Error which pro­bably was Mother or Daughter of the former, and that was, That the Legal Sacrifices did expiate and take away Sin, not only so as to free them from Legal penalties, and temporal punishments, as in many Cases they did, but so also as to free them from all Obligation to Eternal punishment. And so they did attri­bute to those Sacrifices, the same atoning vir­tue and purging efficacy, as is proper only to [Page 106] the Blood of Christ. In opposition to this Opinion, it is maintain'd,

1. That those Legal Sacrifices, were but Figures of the great Sacrifice, Christ Jesus, Heb. 9. 10, 11, 12. and 10. 1.

2. It was argued, that it was impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away Sin, because these were offered year after year, over and over in the day of general Atone­ment for the same sins. And that if the for­mer Sacrifices which were first offered, had taken away sin, the latter could not have been necessary to the same purpose, Heb. 10. 1, 2, 3, 11. The often repetition of Sacrifices for the same sins, argues that the Worshippers had a secret sense in their Conscience, that those Sacrifices were not of a competent value, nor a sufficient price to redeem their Souls from Sin, as it exposeth to Eternal punish­ment; however they might sanctifie as to the purifying of the flesh, yet they could not make any perfect as pertaining to the Conscience; Heb. 9. 9. & 10. 1, 2.

3. It was argued from a Prophetical passage in Psal. 40. in which Christ is brought in speaking thus; Sacrifice and Offering thou would' st not, but a Body hast thou prepared me: In burnt Offerings and Sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. From whence he infers, that the first sort of Sacrifices were taken away as [Page 107] insufficient, that the second might be establish­ed. By the which will, saith he, we are sancti­fied through the offering of the Body of Iesus once for all, Heb. 10. 5.—10.

This Opinion of theirs, that Legal Sacrifices did expiate all their Sins, did keep up in them a hope of impunity here and hereafter, under many immoralities and great transgressions in the course of their lives. Though they mul­tiplyed transgression, yet if they multiplyed Sacrifices too, they thought they should escape well enough. Amos 4. 4, 5. Come to Bethel and transgress, at Gilgal multiply transgression, and bring your Sacrifice every morning, and your Tythes after three years, and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with Leaven, and proclaim and publish your free-Offerings, for this liketh you, O Children of Israel, saith the Lord God. And much after this rate do carnal Christians bear up themselves in hopes that all their sins are done away by the Sacrifice of Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World, though they live from day to day in ungodliness. Only indeed they sin at a cheaper rate for the present than the wicked Iews did. The Iewish sinners were at the cost of many a Sacrifice to stop the mouth of Conscience; but these are at cost only in making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof, and de­pend upon Christ to pay all their scores.

4. Another of their Errors as consequent [Page 108] upon the former was this; That without Circumcision and observing of the Law of Moses, the Gentiles could not be saved. This Opinion the Judaizing Christians retained af­ter their Conversion to the Christian Profes­sion. Acts 15. 1, 5, 24. Certain men which came down from Iudea taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Mo­ses, ye cannot be saved. There rose up certain of the Sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to Circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.

In opposition to which Opinion, St. Paul taught that the Righteousness of God by Faith without the Law is manifested unto all, and upon all that believe, whether Iews or Gentiles, and that there is no difference, Rom. 3. 21, 22. And that a Man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law, though never Circumcised: And that God is the God of the Gentiles, as well as of the Iews, and that he doth justifie the uncir­cumcision and the circumcision; those that had observed the Law of Moses, and those that had not, upon the same terms, viz. of Evan­gelical Faith, Rom. 3. 28, 29, 30. Whereunto agrees the words of St. Peter, Acts 15. 9, 11. He put no difference between us and them, purify­ing their hearts by Faith; i. e. us Iews, and they Gentiles: But we believe that through the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they, and upon no other terms, though [Page 109] we have observed the Law, and they have not, Gal. 2. 15, 16. Upon the same account St. Paul again affirms, Rom. 4. 5. That to him that work­eth not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness. That is, the Idolatrous Gentiles that never had observed the Law, but lived without God in the World; should yet have their practical be­lief of the Gospel imputed even to them for Righteousness. And he further exemplifies this in Abraham, Ver. 9, 10, 11, 12. whose Faith was reckoned to him for Righteousness before he was Circumcised, that he might be the Patern and great Example of Gods justi­fying the Heathen upon their believing and obeying as Abraham did, in leaving his Idola­try and his Countrey upon God's Promise and Command, though he never had been Cir­cumcised. And upon the like account he saith again, Gal. 3. 8, 9. That the Scripture fore­seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abra­ham, saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed. And from thence he concludes that those Gen­tiles that be of Faith, that believe as Abraham did, are blessed as Abraham was, are blessed with faithful Abraham.

5. Another Error which was held by some Judaizing Christians was this; That Faith in Christ and Literal Circumcision, with a Lite­ral observation of the Law of Moses, joyntly, [Page 110] were the Condition of Justification. Though they were such as believed, yet they taught that except men were Circumcised and kept the Law of Moses, they could not be sa­ved, Acts 15. 1, 5. They seem to have retained the same false Opinion of Justification by the Law, as the unbelieving Iews did, but held the Death of Christ necessary to be super­added.

To convince them of which Error, St. Paul sets before them the bad consequence of it in two respects. 1. In that they hereby ren­dered the death of Christ needless in it self. Gal. 2. 21. If righteousness come by the Law, than Christ is dead in vain: There would then have been no need of Christ's death to accom­plish it, as the unbelieving Iews indeed did hold. 2. In that this Opinion of their's made Christ and his death useless unto them, and cut them off from receiving any benefit by him, Gal. 5. 2, 4. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be Circumcised, Christ shall pro­fit you nothing: Christ is become of none effect unto you: whosoever of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from Grace. And hereto agrees that in Hebr. 13. 10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle: Those Judaizers who stand for the necessity of Mosaic Observations▪ have no right to, nor shall receive benefit by Christ, who is the only Christian Altar to which we bring all our Sacrifices.

[Page 111] 6. They held the Law of Moses to be un­alterable, and of perpetual obligation. In op­position to which, the Author to the Hebrews improves to great purpose that Prophesie, Ier. 31. 31, 32. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Iudah: Not accord­ing to the Covenant that I made with their Fa­thers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt, &c. For in that he saith, a new Covenant, he hath (saith he) made the first old. Now that which de­cayeth and waxeth old, is ready (saith he) to vanish away. And St. Paul shews how that the Legal Ministration how glorious soever it was, was yet done away, when that which was far more glorious did appear, 2 Cor. 3. 7, 11. And again, that we are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ, and delivered from the Law, Rom. 7. 4, 6.

7. The last of their Errors I shall insist on, was this: They held the first Covenant as alone, or separated to be the Covenant of Salvation, only taking in with it the Covenant of Literal Circumcision, which also was made a part of their Law. That first Covenant which I have already described as a temporal Covenant, and the Promises and the threat­nings of it but temporal, they took to be established for perpetuity, and the Promises of it to contain Promises of Eternal [Page 112] Redemption, or Remission, as well as tempo­ral, and Eternal Life and Felicity as well as Temporal: And such a Literal observation of the Laws of it to be the Condition of those Promises, as would render them inculpable in the eye of the Magistracy; such a Righteous­ness sufficient to justifie them before God, as St. Paul saith he had while he was a Pharisee, Phil. 3. 6. As touching the Righteousness which is in the Law blameless; which then he accounted to be his gain.

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

1. St. Paul argues it with them, that the Promise of God to Abraham and his Seed, was not through the Law, but through the righ­teousness of Faith, Rom. 4. 13. Not through the Law, that is, not upon the terms upon which the benefits of the first Covenant were promised to the Nation of the Iews, but upon quite other terms, exprest by the Righteous­ness of Faith.

[Page 113] 2. He argues it farther with them; That God's way of accounting men righteous by Faith, and their way of seeking Righteousness npon the terms of the first Covenant, were ut­terly inconsistent, & the one destructive of the other, and that but one of these ways could possibly stand. For if they which are of the Law be Heirs, Faith is made void, and the Pro­mise made of none effect, Rom. 4. 14. And a­gain, If the Inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of Promise: But God gave it to Abraham by Promise, Gal. 3. 18. And if by Grace, then it is no more of Works, otherwise Grace is no more Grace, &c. Rom. 11. 6.

3. And that the Law did not exclude the Promise to Abraham, he farther argues, in that the Covenant with Abraham was con­firmed, and unalterably setled and established in the Messias 430 years before the Law by Moses was given, and that therefore for them to go about to introduce the Law in the room of the Promise to Abraham so confirmed, would be as unreasonable and unjust, as for one man to alter or make void anothers Covenant af­ter he hath confirmed it. Gal. 3. 15, 17. Bre­thren, I speak after the manner of men: though it be but a Mans Covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no Man disanulleth or addeth thereto. And this I say, that the Covenant that was confirmed be­fore of God in Christ, the Law which was 430 years after, cannot disanul, that it should make the Pro­mise of none effect.

[Page 114] 4. St. Paul argues it impossible in the na­ture of the thing that they should be justified by the Law, because one main end of God's promulging the Law of Nature (which yet was a great part of the first Covenant) was to convince men of their guilt, and of their obnoxiousness to wrath, and to stop their Mouthes, and to leave them without any plea of defence as from it, Rom. 3. 19, 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law: That every mouth may be stopt, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the Law, there shall no flesh be jnstified in his sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin. And if the Law doth convict men, it cannot justi­fie them: For the same Law cannot both con­demn and justifie the same person in reference to the same charge. If all are cast and con­demned by the Original Law, as they are (for he hath concluded all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all, Gal. 3.) then so many as come to be justified after this, must needs be justified by another Law superceding that, and that is none other than the Law of Grace. The Law of Nature curseth every one that hath broken it, though but once, and therefore it cannot justifie them too: Out of the same mouth (in this case) doth not pro­ceed blessing and cursing.

[Page 115] 5. He argues this Opinion of theirs to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Prophets ma­ny hundred years after, as well as contrary to the Promise to Abraham long before the Law. That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident; for the Iust shall live by Faith: and the Law is not of Faith; but, the man that doth them, shall live in them, Gal. 3. 11, 12. from Hab. 2. 4. The Law is not of Faith, that is, it doth not promise pardon, or any other blessing upon believing, but up­on condition of doing the things therein re­quired: the man that doth them, shall live in them, Levit. 18. 5.

6. The insufficiency of the first Covenant to make men eternally happy, and the necessity & validity of the second to that end, is further argued in Heb. 8. from another famous Pro­phecy in Ier. 31. 31, &c. of God's making a new Covenant with Israel and Iudah in the latter days, not according to that he made with their Fathers when he brought them out of Egypt. 1. It's argued that that first Cove­nant was but temporary, and being old, was ready to vanish, and to give place to a New and Everlasting Covenant, Chap. 8. 13. 2. That the first Covenant was faulty, or defective, or else there would have been no place sought for a second, ver. 7. 3. That the Promises of that first Covenant were not of such things as men stand in need of to make them everlastingly [Page 116] happy, as those better Promises of the second Covenant are, ver. 6. 4. And yet more par­ticularly, that in this New Covenant there is promise of such a forgiveness of sins, as that iniquity shall be remembred no more, ver. 12. whereas the first Covenant did not promise any such pardons: All that it promised, was a forgiveness only as to the concerns of this life, otherwise their sins were still kept upon the File to be taken away (if ever taken away) by the Mediatour of the New Testament, by means of his death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, Chap. 9. 15. But in those Sacrifices (which were but the Sacrifices of the first Covenant) there was a remembrance again made of sins every year, Heb. 10. 3.

And now by all these reasonings of the Apostle put together, it sufficiently appears that the unbelieving Iews did expect Justi­fication and Eternal Life, only upon the terms of the first Covenant, and that they held that Covenant, as comprehending the Covenant of Circumcision, to be the Covenant of Eter­nal Life. And indeed this last mentioned Error of theirs, in holding the first Covenant to be the Covenant of Salvation, did in a manner contain in it all the rest mentioned before, which did naturally grow out of it. For if that had been the Covenant of Salvati­on, then it would have followed that the Sa­crifices [Page 117] of that Covenant had been sufficient, and the death of Christ needless; and that Circumcision and keeping the Law of Mo­ses would have been necessary to the salvation of the Gentiles, &c.

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

For doubtless St. Paul's denial of Justifica­tion and Salvation to be by the Law, or works of the Law, is to be understood in the very same sense in which the incredulous Iews, a­gainst whom he disputed, did hold these to be attainable thereby. For else his reasonings would have been beside the question under debate between them. And therefore we must take our measure of St. Paul's sense in the Negative part of the Question, by his Ad­versaries sense of it in the Affirmative. And if so, then in his denying Justification and Sal­vation to be by the Law, or by works of the Law, we must understand him to deny a free­dom from the Eternal Punishment to be at­tainable by Legal Sacrifices: And also to deny that the Promise of Eternal Life was [Page 118] made upon condition of Literal Circumcisi­on, and a Literal Observation of the Mosai­cal Law, without being by Faith renewed in the inward frame & Moral constitution of the Soul: And likewise to deny Eternal Life to be attainable by the terms of their Politi­cal Covenant, the Promises whereof were not made upon condition of believing, but of doing. The Law is not of Faith, but the man that doth those things, shall live in them, Gal. 3. 12. For these and such like were the Opinions which those J [...]ws did hold (as I have shewed) and these were the things in which St. Paul oppo­sed them. They divided and separated Cir­cumision and the Law in the letter of them, from the Spirit of them both; claiming Ju­stification by the Letter alone. And they di­vided the Law from the Promise rightly un­derstood, and looked to be justified by Works of the Law, without Faith in the Promise rightly understood. They looked for the M [...]ssias indeed, but not to become a Propitia­tion for Sin, or to establish a New Covenant of Salvation, but to further their Tempo­ral and Eternal Felicity in the way of their Obedience to the Political Law.

But then it doth not in the least appear that St. Paul in denying Justification to be by the Law in the sense thus explained, doth also thereby deny works of sincere Obedience to God, to concur with Faith in Man's [Page 119] Justification in all respects.

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

There is one Character of Works given, by which you may certainly know what Works they were which St. Paul denyed Men were justified by; and they were such Works which were apt to occasion boasting, Ephes. 2. 9. Not of Works, lest any man should boast. Rom. 4. 2. For if Abraham were justified by Works (to wit, in the Jews sense, by Circumcision in the flesh, to which St. Paul alludes, ver. 1.) he hath whereof to glory, but not before God, but only before Men who were not Circumcised as he was. For the unbelieving Jews who sought and expected Justification by Circum­cision and other Legal Observations, did glo­ry [Page 120] over the poor Gentiles, that were destitute of those Works which consisted in the out­ward Priviledges which the Jews had; and looked down upon them with contempt, though some of them were much better than themselves, such as Cornelius, whom they looked upon as unclean. This boasting hu­mor of the Iews over the Gentiles, is descri­bed and reproved, Rom. 2. from ver. 17. to 29. Now the Doctrine of Justification by Faith; of obtaining pardon by anothers undertaking for us, to wit, Christ Jesus, and of being ac­cepted with God through him, upon our sin­cere, though otherwise imperfect obedience, (which sincere Obedience too, is not perform­ed without his special Grace and assistance) takes away all occasion of boasting, in refe­rence both to God and Men, and laid the Iews as low as the Gentiles, and made St. Pe­ter a Jew to say: But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be sa­ved even as they, Acts 15. 11. And therefore when St. Paul had said, that now the righteous­ness of God without the Law is manifested, even the righteousness of God which is by Faith of Iesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that be­lieve, for there is no difference; meaning be­tween Iews and Gentiles, Rom. 3. 21, 22. he thereupon demands, in ver. 27. saying, where is boasting then? It excluded. By what Law? Of Works? Nay, but by the Law of Faith. Therefore we find the holy Men of Old among [Page 121] the Iews, who expected acceptance with God upon other terms than the Pharisaical Iews did, who placed their confidence (called trusting in the flesh, Phil. 3. 4.) in their Ex­ternal Priviledges and Performances alone; were so far from glorying in such a Righte­ousness as that, that they cryed out in refe­rence to that; all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa. 64. 6. Thus Regenerating Grace made David so far from boasting either of Priviledges, or of his Performances, that he saith unto God, Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee, 1 Chro. 29. 14. This made St. Paul to say, We are not sufficient of our selves, as of our selves to think any thing, but our sufficiency is of God, 2 cor. 3. 5. And by the grace of God, I am what I am, 1 Cor. 15. 10. And of him are we in Christ Iesus, who of God is made unto us, Wisdom, Righteous­ness, Sanctification, and Redemption, that he that glorieth, may glory in the Lord, having nothing but what he hath received from him gratis, and without all desert, yea contrary to his demerits, 1 Cor. 1. 30, 31. The good Works which the Saints do, they do them by vertue of their being created in Christ Ie­sus in order thereunto, Ephes. 2. 10. and all that good is, is through Christ strengthening them, Phil. 4. 13. From whence therefore we [Page 122] may well conclude, that if the works which St. Paul wholly excludes in the matter of Ju­stification, were only such as were apt to occasion boasting, that then Acts of Evange­lical Obedience were none of those Works.

According to the sense explained then, I presume we may well understand that Text, Rom. 3. 28. which of all others seems in the Phrase and Expression to be most Exclusive of Works in the point of Justification; the words are these, Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law. Which words (if you consider the context) seem to import no more but this, viz. That a Man is justified in the Gospel-way, which in the verse before is called the Law of Faith: And not by the deeds of the Law, or up­on the terms of the first Covenant, which in the verse before, likewise is called the Law of Works. Which two, the Gospel terms, & the first Covenant terms, are still opposed to each o­ther in the point of Justification. Now al­though the Conclusion here laid down is true, in reference to the Iews as well as to the Gen­tiles, yet it seems to be written here with spe­cial reference to the Gentiles. Intimating that upon their belief, they might be justifi­ed, without turning Proselytes to the Jewish way, as appears by that Interrogation in the very next words following, ver. 29. 30. Is he the God of the Iews only? is he not also of the [Page 123] Gentiles? yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith, and Vncircumcision through Faith. And the words in the 31, ver. do intimate that the words in the 28th vers. are to be un­derstood in such a limited sense as I have as­signed in my Explication, viz. as excluding the deeds of the Law in the act of Justificati­on, only in the Iews corrupt sense of the Law: because St. Paul therein affirms his foresaid Doctrine of Justification by Faith without the deeds of the Law, not to be at all destructive of the Law, but contrariwise tending to establish the Law, if we take the Law not in that distorted sense in which those Iews held it, but as it was appointed by God to promote holiness in the World, which is the end and scope of all his Laws. In which sense the Apostle was so far from excluding the works of the Law from having any thing to do in the Justification of Men, as that he had expresly affirmed before, That though the hearers of the Law were not just before God, yet the doers of the Law should be justified, Rom. 2. 13. Meaning by doers, such as do sincerely obey that Law of God under which they are, and not such as do perfectly fulfil it, as some would seem to understand it. For I have shewed before, that God never made Promise of Justification upon naturally impossible con­ditions as that would be, and they are disho­nourable thoughts of God to think he hath; [Page 124] and therefore the Apostle may not be un­derstood to promise Justification to the do­ers of the Law upon any such terms.

There is one vein of Texts mo [...] wherein the Opposition is made in such a form of words between the Iews way of seeking Justification by the Law, and the Gospel-way of seek­ing it by Faith: that being a little opened, will both illustrate and confirm what I have been representing to you: And they are such in which the Iews erroneous way is called their own Righteousness, and the true Christian­way of Justification, the Righteousness of God by Faith, and the Righteousness of God, Rom. 10. 3. For they being ignorant of God s Righteous­n [...]ss, and going about to establish their own Righ­teousness, have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God, Phil. 3. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own Righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith. This Righteousness is called their own Righteousness in opposition to the Righteousness of God, upon a three-fold ac­count, as I understand it.

1. Because they sought the pardon of their sins by that only which was their own; their own Sacrifices, Sacrifices which they them­selves brought to be offered. Whereas the Christian Justification is called the Righteous­ness of God, because the Sacrifice by which [Page 125] pardon of sin, and acceptation with God is obtained, was from God, and given by God, to wit, Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, Rom. 3. 25. and Christ hath given himself an offering and a Sacrifice for us, Ephes. 5. 2. And he is made unto us of God, Wisdom, Righteousness, &c. 1 Cor. 1. 30.

2. It was called their own Righteousness, because they did not think Regeneration, or Supernatural Grace necessary to the obtaining of it, but a Literal observation of the Law and Circumcision, such as passed for a Righ­teousness among Men, and such as they with­out Supernatural aid were able to perform. As for those Precepts which commanded the loving of God with all the heart, and the circumcising the heart; because these were not enjoyned under express penalties, as those things were of which the Rulers were to take cognizance, therefore the Ph [...] ­risees counted them but Counsels only, and not direct Precepts. But the Christians-Righ­teousness which is by Faith, may be said to be of God, because by Grace they are saved through Faith in Christ Iesus, and that not of them­selves, it is the gift of God: And we are his Workmanship created in Christ Iesus, Ephes. 2. 8, 10.

3. It was called their own Righteousness, because it was a way of seeking to be justified [Page 126] of their own devising, and not of God's ap­pointing. And on the contrary the Gospel-Me­thod of Justification is called the Righteous­ness of God through Faith, because it is of God's Institution and appointment: It is the substance of God's new Law or Covenant.

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

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

I Come in the next place to shew how that St. Paul's reasonings about Faith and Works, in reference to Justification, were probably mi­staken by such Solifidians as St. Iames reasoned against. For he having taught that God did justifie the ungodly Gentiles upon their be­lieving, and without the deeds of the Law, but denying Justification to as many of the Iews as did not believe, though they were Observers of the Law; there were some who thereup­on through mistake, laid the whole stress of Salvation upon believing, to the neglect of a holy and virtuous life. And St. Paul being sensible how apt some were to make a bad use of his good Doctrine, and to draw bad Conclusions out of good Premises, he fre­quently mentions such Inferences, on purpose to caution Men against them. As for In­stance: He having said in Rom. 5. 20. That where sin abounded, grace did abound much more: In Chap. 6. 1. he saith, What shall we say [Page 128] then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? as some it seems were ready to infer; God forbid, saith he; how shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? You may con­sult to like purpose in general, Rom. 3. 5, 6, 7, 31. & 6. 15. Gal. 2. 17. and find that St. Paul and others were slanderously reported to have said, let us do evil that good may come.

That there were such as did misrepresent St. Paul's Doctrince touching God's grace and long-suffering, and wrest several passages in his Epistles, and other Scriptures, to their own de­struction, we are told by St. Peter also, 2 Pet. 3. 15. 16. And account that the long-suffering of the Lord is Salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the Wisdom given him, hath written unto you; as also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things: In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destru­ction.

And after St. Paul in his 2 Tim. 3. 2, 3, 4, 5, verses, had by many black Characters, de­scribed a sort of Christians that had a form of godliness, but denyed the power thereof: In ver. 8. he further describes them by that which was the cause of the forementioned unsavou­ry fruits of the flesh, to wit, that they were men of corrupt minds or understandings, and repro­bate concerning the Faith, or void of Judge­ment [Page 129] concerning the Faith, as the Margin hath it. They were Men of corrupt Prin­ciples, and injudicious concerning the Doctrine of faith: They did not discern faith to be neces­sary in the operative and practical nature of it: But as they did satisfie themselves with a form of godliness without the power; so they did likewise with a formal inefficacious and liveless Faith, which made them so unsa­voury in their lives.

And St. Iohn, after he had in his first E­pistle antidoted the Christians against the pre­tentions of the Gnosticks, who held a bad life consistent with Communion with God through illumination of mind, and the Christian Faith, deceiving themselves, and la­bouring to deceive others, in thinking they might be righteous without doing Righteous­ness, 1 Ioh. 3. 7. He, towards the conclusion of that Epistle, sums up his general scope in it in these words: These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have Eternal Life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God, Chap. 5. 13. His meaning is, as I con­ceive, that he wrote this Epistle, first, to the end they might be the better assured of salva­tion by Christ upon their rightly believing on him. And secondly, To the end they might not be drawn into mistakes in the point of believing, as if any Faith less than such as is [Page 130] accompanied with a constant adherence to Christ's Doctrine and example touching a ho­ly life, would give them that assurance. He wrote to them that did believe, that they might believe; that is, that they might be­lieve yet more understandingly, more ground­edly, and so perseveringly against all tempta­tions to Apostacy from the Profession of the Faith, or to loosness in the Profession of it.

St. Iude also, ver. 3, 4. stirred up the Chri­stians to contend earnestly for the Faith, the Doctrine of saving Sinners in the way of Believing; because, as he told them, there were certain Men professing Faith, but of ungodly lives, that were amongst them, that turned the grace of God into lasciviousness; so under­standing the Law of Grace, the Gospel, as if it had been a Proclamation from Heaven of a general pardon for Christ's sake, and through Faith in him, of as many sins as Men had a mind to commit. The which Error led them into those Monstrous Impieties charged up­on them in that Epistle: By reason of which, the way of Truth, the right Faith they pre­tended to, was evil-spoken of in the World (as St. Peter notes) they being indeed Spots and Blemishes to the Christians and Christian-Profession, so long as they were admitted to their Feasts of Charity, as owned by them to be of their number. This was indeed [Page 131] an ungodly Faith: But the Faith which he exhorted them to contend for, and to build up themselves upon, as on a sure Foundation, he calls their most holy Faith, vers. 20. such a Faith as is an Operative Principle of a holy life.

And they were such Christians as St. Iames in his Epistle did expostulate with, that did lean so much upon a meer believing, upon a meer assent of the mind unto the truth of cer­tain Propositions, as that they were careless in the subduing of their Passions, and bridling their Tongues, and regulating their Actions; as if these had not been necessary to Salvation: But thought themselves safe upon account of their barren Faith, though they were proud and conceited of their knowledge and Atain­ments, censorious and contentious, unmerci­ful and uncharitable. In a word, they were such as were injudicious concerning the Faith that will save, and under mistakes of the Apostles Doctrine about it. All this will easily appear to any that shall but with a com­petent measure of understanding, view and consider the Scope and Contents of that Epistle.

And thus you see how plainly it appears by the Epistles of the Apostles, that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works, in the sence in which the Apostles asserted it, was misunderstood by many Gnosticks, carnal Gos­pellers, [Page 132] or Solifidians. The sense in which the Apostles did assert it, was, that Faith justi­fies without Works Antecedent to believing, and without Works as the Works of a literal observation of Moses Law, which was oppo­sed by the Iews to Faith, as having Christ cru­cified for its Object, and Repentance, Rege­neration, and sincere Obedience in a holy Life, for its inseparable Effects. But these deceived Souls that deceived their own Hearts, seem to have understood the Apostles, as if they had taught Justification by Faith, considered on­ly as having the Death of Christ, and the Atonement made thereby, for its Object, without respect to Regeneration and new Obedience, as any part of the Condition.

And it had been much better for the Chri­stian World, if those corrupt Notions about the Doctrine of Faith as justifying, had dyed with those Men, which in the first Ages of the Christian-Church were infected with them. But alas, it is too apparent, that the same, or much of the same dangerous and de­structive mistakes, have been transmitted to, or revived in these latter Ages of the Church. For we find by experience in this present Age, that very many of those who are called Chri­stians, presume themselves to be Christians indeed, and such as shall be saved by Christ, though their lives declare them to be far from being new Creatures, from [...]eing renewed in [Page 133] the Spirit of their Minds, Wills, Affections, and Conversations, as those are that have been taught as the Truth is in Iesus, Ephes. 4. 21,—24. For they are confident they believe all the Articles of their Creed, and in doing so, they are confident they shall be saved; and so they would, if that belief of theirs were but so effectual and operative as to produce such a change in Heart and Life, as would denomi­nate them new Creatures. But the mischief is, they deceive themselves in the nature of their Faith; it being but an Opinionative in­operative and dead assent to the truth of the Gospel, such as is only an act of the mind or understanding, and doth not powerfully in­fluence the Will, and so it is not a believing with all the Heart, but is the act only of one faculty of the Soul. A Belief its pro­bable may be found in the Devil himself: And such a Belief was found in some who were so convinced by the power of Christ's Miracles in concurrence with his Doctrine and Life, that they could not choose but believe him to be an extraordinary Person sent from God; though their carnal interest prevailed so much in them, as that it would not suffer them to confess him openly, because they loved the praise of Men, more than the praise of God, Joh. 12. 42, 43. And besides, these Men deceive them­selves about their Faith in this also; that they do not heartily believe the whole Doctrine of [Page 134] the Gospel, but are partial in their Faith. They in a sort believe Christ to be the Son of God, and that he came into the World to save sinners, and that he dyed for our sins, and the like. But then they do not heartily be­lieve his Doctrine touching the necessity of Repentance, of being born again; of denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, & of living righ­teously, godly, and soberly in this present world. Or else they frame such Notions of these things unto themselves, of Repentance and Regeneration, as that they think they be­lieve Christ's Doctrine touching them, when they believe only the lying imagination of their own brains.

And there is too much ground to fear, that many Mens ill managing the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, hath not a little strengthened Men in this vain confidence. For while Evangelical Obedience it self, under the Notion of those Works to which Faith is opposed, hath been decryed as Popish when interessed in Justification, and Justification asserted to be by Faith alone in opposition to all works whatsoever, inward and outward, as well Evangelical as Legal, as well those after Conversion as those before, yea, and the disposition thereunto; the Flesh and the De­vil to help it, hath got great advantage there­by to perswade men against the necessity of a holy Life, in such a sense of a holy Life, as the Scripture makes absolutely necessary to [Page 135] Salvation. For though its true that good Works have been acknowledged and pressed too as necessary to Salvation; yet when with­all, they have been denyed to be necessary to Justification, and Men have been taught that when once they are Justified, they can never fall away from a state of Justification, they have ea­sily been drawn to believe that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation no more than to Justification, but Faith only. And upon supposition that the other 2 Points of Doctrine are true, it would be but rational for them so to believe. For if good Works be not necessary to Justification at all: And if it is impossible but that those who are once justi­fied should be saved; how should Men chuse but infer from hence, that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation? unless it shall be said that Men are not put into an immediate capacity of Salvation by being justified: Which to affirm would be to say Men are not freed from Condemnation, by being freed from Condemnation, which would be a contradiction in terms: For to be justified, is to be freed from condemnation, Rom. 8. 33, 34. & 5. 16, 18. and therefore Justification must needs put Men into an im­mediate capacity of being saved.

And as there is great reason to think that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone in opposition to the works of Evangelical Obe­dience, hath been a stumbling-stone unto ma­ny, [Page 136] and a back-friend to the power of godli­ness; so there is another which hath been wont to be joyned with it, that hath rendred it the more dangerous, and it self no good friend to holy living; and that is the Do­ctrine of the imputation of Christ's Righteous­ness unto Justification, in that way in which it hath been managed by very many: for o­therwise there is a sense (as I have shewed) in which it is a great and a comfortable truth. For when Men have been taught to esteem their own Righteousness but as filthy rags (not only because of its utter insufficiency to justi­fie in stead of Christ, or as he justifies, in which respect indeed it is no better; but also as any part of a Condition of Justification or of our acceptance with God:) And when they have been taught also, that upon their believing only, Christ's Righteousness in fulfilling the Law for them, becomes imputed to them in it self, and not only as the procuring cause of their Justification upon the terms of the Go­spel, so that they are looked upon as having themselves perfectly kept the Law in him, it hath doubtless infeebled their endeavours af­ter an inherent Righteousness, and proved a temptation to them, to think that so long as they have such anothers inherent Righteous­ness essentially in it self imputed to them as Christs is, they have no great need to find it in themselves; considering also that if they [Page 137] had it, they must rather loath themselves for it, than take any comfort in it: But let no man deceive you (saith St. Iohn) he that doth righ­teousness, is righteous, as he is righteous, 1 Joh. 3. 7.

I do acknowledge, that many of them have been worthy men, who yet have propagated these Opinions: But that makes the Opinions never the better, but have done more hurt in gaining thereby the more credit. It is true also that those worthy Men have zealously pressed the necessity of Repentance, Regenera­tion, and a holy Life: which proved indeed an Antidote against the Poyson of the other Opinions, so that they did not become mortal to many as otherwise they would have done. And indeed they would have made mad work, if they had not been yoked with wholesomer Doctrine, as we see they did among Antinomi­ans, Ranters, and other carnal Chistians that have followed the Docture of those Opinions, but have been shy of letting the Doctrines of Mortification and strict living, to have any power over them. But then if the preaching of those sounder Doctrines of Repentance, Regeneration, and a holy Life, have done much good, notwithstanding they have been clogged with Opinions of another tendency; it is easie to imagine that they would have done much more good, if they had not been checkt by those unsound Principles.

[Page 138] But I shall say no more of this (though more might be said) because I hope I may say, that most of those who have for­merly imbibed these Opinions, are now come to deliver themselves with more cau­tion than heretofore. And so I shall pro­c [...]d to the last thing I propounded to touch upon, and that is, to shew,

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

IT is true indeed, though the Doctrine of St. PAVL, and St. IAMES, was in nothing opposite the one to the o­ther, yet the nature of the subject-matter of their Epistles, did differ, just as the Errors they engaged against, did differ. The Errors of the unbelieving Iews consisting much in denying Justification to be by Christ and Faith in him, and in placing it in their own works of Circumcising, Sacrificing, and other Mosai­cal Observations. And St. Paul, designing in some of his Epistles, to antidote the Christians against the infection of them, and to establish them in the saving Doctrine of the Gospel, was led of course to bend his discourse in great part against Justification by Works of the Law; and on the contrary to assert it to be by Faith in Christ, in his Death, and in his Doctrine, without those works. Whereas St. Iames having to do in his Epistle, with such as professed the Christian Faith, and Justi­fication [Page 140] by it, but erring dangerously about the nature of Faith as justifying, thinking that opi­nionative Faith would save them, though desti­tute of a real change in the moral frame and constitution of their Souls, and of a holy Life: Hereupon it became in a manner as necessary for him to plead the Renovation of Man's Na­ture, and Evangelical Obedience to be some way necessary unto Justification, as it was for St. Paul to contend for Justification by Faith without the deeds of the Law. And there­fore though their Doctrines in this respect did in great part differ, yet they did not differ as Truth differs from Error, nor as opposites, but only as one Truth differs from another. For otherwise when St. Paul had to do with the like Erroneous and Scandalous Christians, as those were which St. Iames expostulated the matter with: When he had to do with such as had a form of godliness, but denyed the power thereof, he could, and did decry a repro­bate faith, and plead the necessity of a Faith that is unfeighned, and of a holy Life, as well as St. Iames; as appears in part by what was said in the former Chapter, and will, I doubt not, be made sufficiently evident in this. In order whereto I shall recommend to consi­deration these ten things.

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

[Page 141] 2. That St. Paul in speaking against Justi­fication by Works, gives sufficient Caution not to be understood thereby to speak any thing against Evangelical Obedience in reference thereto.

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

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

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

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

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

8. The Promise of benefit by the Blood of Christ, is made to Evangelical Obedience.

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

[Page 142] 1. The works of Evangelical Obedience, as the effects of Faith, and Regeneration by Faith, are never in St. Paul's Epistles, or any other the holy Scriptures, opposed to God's Grace in referenee to Justification and Salvation. Works and Grace indeed are opposed to each other: But then by Works we are to under­stand either Works antecedent to Conver­sion, or as they are denyed to merit at the hands of God: or the Works of the Law of Moses as Erroneously contended for by the Iews: Or the Works of the Law as Typical, and as opposed to things Typified: Or the Works of the Law, as the Law is in its rigour opposed to the milder Oeconomy of the Go­spel: But the Works of Evangelical Obedience are never opposed to Grace, no more than Faith it self is. And there is no reason why they should, because Evangelical Obedience is the effect of Divine Grace as well as Faith it self is, and tends to the praise of it, and is accepted, and will be rewarded through Grace.

Contrary hereunto, those words in Titus 3. 5. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, are wont to be alledged to prove that Works after conversion, as well as those before, are opposed to the Mercy of God in the saving of Men. But whether this be duly collected from these words, will best appear by open­ing [Page 143] the Scope and meaning of the words with the Context. The words in the 3, 4, and 5, verses, are these; For we our selves also were sometimes foolish, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kind­ness and love of God our Saviour toward Man appeared: Not by Works of Righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. By their being saved here, is meant their being rescued and delivered from their sinful state, mentioned vers. 3. In that this is said to be done, not by Works of Righteousness which they had done, but according to God's Mercy: The plain meaning (I doubt not) is, that this change of their condition, and deliverance from their sinful state, was not effected, or so much as begun among them by any Reformation of their own, till the Gospel came to work it, (which is meant by the appearing of the kind­ness and love of God, vers. 4. and is of like import with that Chap. 2. 11, 12.) which God of his mercy, and not of their desert, sent a­mong them to that end. And if this be the meaning of the words, the Apostle was far from intending by Works of Righteousness in this place, Works after Conversion. I might rather well argue on the contrary from this place; That Baptism which is an Act of Evan­gelical [Page 144] Obedience in the person Baptized, & Re­generation which is Evangelical Obedience in the root & principle, are together with the mer­cy of God, and, as subordinate to it, opposed to the Works of Righteousness here mentioned, in the Work of Salvation. For it is probable that by the washing of Regeneration here, is meant Baptism as the Figure of Regeneration, and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Re­generation it self. By both which, as subordi­nate to God's mercy therein, they were said to be saved, and not by the Works of Righ­teousness which they had done before these. There is another place in 2 Tim. 2. 9. which is wont to be urged with this to Titus, to the same purpose: But it being of the same nature with this, the same answer may serve both with a little variation.

2. St. Paul in speaking against Justificati­on by Works, gives sufficient caution not to be understood thereby to speak against Evan­gelical Obedience in the Case. When he had asserted Justification to be by Faith without the deeds of the Law, and that the Gentiles might be justified by believing, without ever observing Moses Law, Rom. 3. 28. lest he should be understood thereby to favour Genti­lism, or loose living in men, provided they would but turn Christians; he frames and an­swers an Objection thus, vers. 31. Do we make void the Law through Faith? God forbid: Yea [Page 145] we establish the Law. And how did they so? certainly they did not thereby establish the Ce­remonial Law in the Letter of it, but in the Spirit of it they did, in as much as in Preach­ing Justification in the Gospel-way, they preached in plain Precepts the necessity of that Spiritual purity unto salvation, which was but darkly, and in a Figure taught by the Ce­remonial Law: And this they did, in Preach­ing the necessity of Mortifiation, instead of Circumcision. And by the Doctrine of Justi­fication by Faith, they established the Moral Law, both in the Letter and Spirit of it, in teaching the necessity of Evangelical Obedi­ence to it, after a more Spiritual and forcible manner than had been taught before. So a­gain when he had charged▪ the unbelieving Iews with a great Error, in going about to establish a Righteousness of their own, in op­position to God's, in adhering to their Law against the Gospel, Rom. 10. 3. to the end it might not be thought that he would take them off their Law, that they might be lawless, or less Religious, he adds, vers. 4. that Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth. For so he is in his Doctrine, having therein taught that Righteousness of living which the Law it self taught, but in a far more Excellent, Spiritual, and effectual manner, than was taught by the Law. So that all that he designed in taking them off [Page 146] from their Law, was but to put them under a better conduct: To make them dead to the Law, that they might be married to another, viz. to Christ by his Gospel, that they might bring forth fruit unto God, as it is, Rom. 7. 4. And likewise in ver. 6. he saith, We are delivered from the Law, but not to be lawless, but that we might serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the Letter; that is, according to the Spirit, Scope, and Design of the Law, now expressed in plain Precepts, and not in the oldness of the Letter and Ceremony. And so he saith of himself, Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law, i. e. he through a better understanding of God's Design in the Law, became dead as to all his former expe­ctations of Justification by it. But then, if he were dead to the Law, it was, as he saith, that he might live unto God, live a life in the flesh through the Faith in his Son, through belie­ving his Gospel in its Precepts and Promises; the one directing, and the other quickning unto a most excellent life, ver. 20.

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

[Page 147] 3. Regeneration, or the new Creature, as including Evangelical Obedience, is opposed to Works of the Law, in the business of Man's Justification, as well as Faith is, and as well as the Grace of God it self is. Gal. 6. 15. For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new Creature. Circumcision is here as elsewhere by a Synec­doche, put for the Works of the Law in ge­neral. For there were none that were for cir­cumcising, but who were also for keeping the Law of Moses: Only Circumcision is menti­oned frequently instead of all the rest, be­cause they held it to be not only a part of the Law, but more; and because they laid the greatest stress upon it, as I shewed before, Chap. 5. Now in that which the Apostle de­ni [...]s Circumcision and the Works of the Law to avail a Man, in that he affirms the becoming a new Creature will avail him, and that was in the business of Justification and Salvation: For in that sense the unbelieving Iews and Iu­daizers held Circumcision and other Works of the Law available. And this new Creature thus opposed to works, and thus available to Justification, consisteth in a new frame of Spirit, and the vital operations thereof, and which we can have no right notion of, with­out Evangelical Obedience in will and resolu­tion at least (which are really inward acts of that obedience, and are a conformity of the [Page 148] renewed will to the Divine Law).

4. Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith, and together with Faith, is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justificati­on and Salvation. Gal. 5. 6. For in Christ Ie­sus, neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but Faith which worketh by love. Here again Circumcision by the same Figure, and for the same reason as before, is put for the Works of Moses Law. And as these are denyed to avail any Man to Justifica­tion and Salvation, so on the other hand it is affirmed that that Faith which worketh by love doth avail to these great ends. For to say that Faith which worketh by love doth so, is the same in sense, as to say, that Faith which worketh by fulfilling the Law, and by keep­ing the Commandments, doth so avail: For so love is said to be, Rom. 13. 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 3. The Assemblies Annotations upon the place give notice, that the word here translated [worketh] (Faith which worketh by love) being in the mean, or middle voice, may be taken either Actively or Passively. And seve­ral other Learned men (among whom Dr. Hammond is one) do render and understand it passively; as if the Apostle should have said, Faith which is wrought, or perfected, or con­summate by love, and so make it directly pa­rallel with that in St. Iames, Chap. 2. 22. by Works was Faith made perfect. So far is the [Page 149] Scripture we see from opposing acts of Evan­gelical Obedience to Faith in the Work of Justification, as that it conjoyns them with Faith in the title to it, and in opposition to false pretentions to it.

5. Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justi­fication; so far is it from being true, that where the Works of the Law are excluded, there Evangelical Obedience is excluded from having any share in the Work of Justification. 1 Cor. 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncir­cumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the Com­mandments of God. Circumcision is here a­gain, as before, put for the whole Law: And indeed he that was circumcised, was bound to keep the whole Law, as this Apostle noteth in Gal. 5. 3. And when he saith Circumci­sion is nothing, he means here doubtless, as in those other places already opened, that it avails nothing to any Mans acceptation with God, or to his Justification and Salvation, as the Iudaizers of those times thought it did. But then the keeping of the Commandments of God will avail to these ends: For that I con­ceive was intended, and ought to be under­stood by the opposition that is made between Circumcision and keeping the Command­ments.

6. Faith it self is an act of Evangelical O­bedience; this as wel as love is an act of Con­formity [Page 150] to our Lord's Commands; and there­fore a Man cannot be justified by Faith, but in being so, he must be justified by Evangeli­cal Obedience. 1 Iohn 3. 23. This is his Com­mandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Iesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us Commandment. This by our Savi­our is called a work, Joh. 6. 29. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. And there is so much of the Na­ture of Evangelical Obedience in Faith it self, as that to believe and to obey are promiscu­ously put one for another; and so is unbe­lief and disobedience. Accordingly you have in many places the one reading in the Text, and the other in the Margin, as Acts 5. 36. Rom. 11. 30, 31. Ephes. 5. 6. Heb. 4. 11. & 11. 31. And belief and disobedience are in Scripture opposed to each other as direct contraries, Rom. 10. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 7. 2 Thes. 2. 12.

So that since Faith is an act of Evangelical Obedience, it follows, that to say the Works of Evangelical Obedience do justifie, does no more derogate from the Grace of God, or the freeness of his Grace in justifying, than to say Faith justifies. First, Because other acts of Evangelical Obedience are the effects of God's Grace, and produced by it, as well as Faith. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2. 13. [Page 151] And secondly, Because it is meerly of the Law of Grace, that Faith and other Acts of Evangelical Obedience, are made the Condi­tion of the Promise of Salvation, Ephes. 2. 8. By grace are ye Saved, through Faith in Christ Iesus; and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God. As Men do not believe or obey of themselves without supernatural assistance, so neither is it of themselves that they are justi­fied or saved upon their believing, but both the one and the other, is the gift of God. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that run­neth, but of God that sheweth mercy. It is by virtue of God's new Covenant, that a Pro­mise of pardon is made to Repentance, or to Faith; for the primary Law, the Law of Na­ture, promised no such thing upon Repent­ance. And it is by virtue of the same Law of Grace, that a Promise of Justification and re­ward, is made to sincere Obedience in other Acts of Obedience, as well as those of Faith and Repentance.

That which hath made many afraid of in­teressing Evangelical Obedience with Faith, in justifying men, hath been an Opinion, that so to do would derogate from God's Grace, & attribute too much to Man: But you see there is no ground for such an Opinion. It's true indeed, the proper merit of Works, and God's Grace are inconsistent: And therefore are op­posed to each other in Scripture. But Evan­gelical [Page 152] Obedience and Grace, are no more op­posite or inconsistent, than Cause and Effect, or than Causes principal and subordinat [...]. And as it doth not follow, that because we are justified freely by God's Grace, that therefore we are not justified by Faith: So neither doth it follow, that because we are justified by Faith, that therefore we are not justified by sincere obedience. For these and the Blood of Christ, do all concur in producing many of the same effects, though not in the same respect.

7. By Evangelical Obedience, Christians come to have a right to Salvation. Revel. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have a right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the City. This is left on Record as a special Memorandum for Christians in closing up the Canon of the New Testament; and therefore is to be taken special notice of. This right to the Tree of Life, and of entring into this blessed City up­on keeping the Commandments, is from a new Covenant, or Law, Act, or Grant from God: For otherwise Man that had transgres­sed the first Law he was put under, would have been far from having any right to such happiness upon the terms here mentioned, viz. of sincere, though imperfect Obedience. But seeing that a Right to Salvation doth accrue to Men upon a sincere keeping of God's Com­mandments, [Page 153] notwithstanding their forfeiture of their first Right by Man's first fall, it evi­dently follows, that Evangelical or Sincere Obedience, is part of the Condition of the Pro­mise of blessedness in the new Law or Cove­nant, and is here put for the whole of it, as at other times Faith is put for the whole of the Condition. And that Moses, David, Solomon, Nehemiah, and Daniel received it in this sense, and understood all along that sincere Obedi­ence flowing from Love, was the Condition of God's Covenant of mercy when they styled him a God keeping Covenant and mercy with those that love him, and keep his Command­ments, Deut. 7. 9. 1 King. 8. 23. Neh. 1. 5. Dan. 9. 4. I have before shewed.

If it shall be here said, that sincere obedi­ence is indeed a Condition of Salvation, but not of Justification, and that it is so made here in this 22d of the Revelation. I have I think sufficiently answered this Objection in the for­mer Chapter, but shall here add; That such as thus say, are morecurious and nice in di­stinguishing between Justification and Salva­tion, than St. Paul was. For he calls Justifi­cation, the Iustification of Life, Rom. 5. 18. Whom he justified, them he also glorified, Rom. 8. 30. and proves that men shall be justified by Faith, because it is written that the Iust shall live by Faith, Gal. 3. 11. Thus with him to be justified, & to be blessed are all one, Gal. 3. [Page 154] 8, 9. Ro. 4. 7, 8, 9. And to confirm this, Righteous­ness or Justification and Life, are used by him as Synonimous terms, Gal. 3. 21. For if there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily Righteousness should have been by the Law. And Justification and Condemnation are put in direct opposition to each other, Rom. 5. 18. & 8. 33, 34. And to be from Condemnation (which is Justification) and to be saved, are as much one, as not to dye, is to live. In short, Salvation as well as Justifi­cation, is promised to believing, Ioh. 3. 16. Act. 3. 31. Heb. 10. 39. And therefore Sal­vation as well as Justification, must needs be the immediate effect of Faith; if we take Salvation as begun here in this Life (as the Scripture represents it to be, Ioh. 5. 24. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. & 5. 12.) From all which me may con­clude, that what is absolutely necessary to Sal­vation, must needs also be necessary to Justifi­cation.

Add we hereto, that to be justified, and to be saved, is the same thing with St. Iames, as well as it is with St. Paul, according to the tenour of his reasoning, Chap. 2. from ver. 14. to the end. What doth it profit my brethren (saith he) though a man say he hath Faith, and have not Works? can Faith save him? vers. 14. This Interrogation implyes an Empha­tical Negation, and the meaning is, that such a Faith can by no means save a man; and [Page 155] he gives the reason of it twice over in vers. 17, 20. because Faith without Works is dead. And then afterwards argues the necessity of Works together with Faith, unto Justification, or unto Salvation (which was the thing he began with) by God's justifying Abraham by Works, together with his Faith, who was the great Patern or Example of God's justify­ing all others. If then to be ju [...]tified, and to be saved amounts to the same in St. Iames's Discourse here, then by the way, they do not rightly understand St. Iames, who think he doth not speak of a Justification before God in this his Discourse about Justification by Works, together with Faith, but of a Ju­stification before Men, and to their own Con­science only. Which supposition of theirs doth directly thwart the very Scope and De­sign of his whole Discourse, which is to set forth what will, and what will not avail a Christian-Professor in the sight of God, to the saving of his Soul, as abundantly appears. So that the Scripture which saith Abraham belie­ved God, and it was accounted to him for Righ­teousness; and which St. Iames saith was ful­filled in Abraham's being justified by Works as well as by Faith, was not fulfilled in Abra­ham's being justified to others, and to his own Conscience, but in his being justified before God, and so St. Paul understood it, Rom. 4. 3. Gal. 3. 6. But this was touched before in Chap. 1.

[Page 156] The result then of what hath been argued in Answer to the Objection, is this, viz. That all that are justified, are thereby put regularly into an immediate capacity of Salvation; so that if they should dye the very next mo­ment after they are once justified, they would undoubtedly be saved. And therefore Evan­gelical Obedience can be no more necessary to Salvation, than it is to Justification, and it is as necessary to the one as to the other. And if to say Evangelical Obedience is necessary to Justification, be injurious to Christ and to the Grace of God, as some would pretend▪ how comes it to pass then, that to say Evan­gelical Obedience is necessary to Salvation, is not so too? For our final Salvation is as much the effect of God's Grace, and of Christ's un­dertaking for us, as our Justification it self is, and of as much value. And therefore if the one be not injurious in this kind, neither is the other.

8. As the Promise of forgiveness of sins by the Blood of Christ, or the Promise of an in­terest in his Blood to the pardon of Sinne, is sometimes made unto believing, so some­times again it is made unto Evangelical Obedi­ence, or a holy Life, as in 1 Ioh. 1. 7. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, (that is, endeavouring to be holy, as God is holy) then have we fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Iesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us [Page 157] from all Sin; but otherwise it doth not. And so the Christians to whom St. Peter wrote, were said to be elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through Sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1. 2. But they were not elect to the benefit of being sprink­led with the blood of Christ without obedi­ence. And therefore by this we see also that Evangelical Obedience, is part of the Conditi­on of the Promise of Justification by the Blood of Christ.

9. To forgive Injuries is an act of Evange­lical Obedience to that Precept of our Lord, Mar. 11. 25. And yet without this act of Obedi­ence, Men that have been injurious, cannot be justified, because they cannot be pardoned, ac­cording to the Word of our Lord, Mark 11. 26. Mat. 6. 15. & 18. 35. Therefore Evange­lical Obedience must needs be part of the Con­dition of Justification.

10. Repentance is an eminent Act of Evan­gelical Obedience, Acts 17. 30. and yet par­don of sin which is essential to Justification, is not to be obtained without it, Luke 13. 3, 5. Therefore again it follows, that Evangelical Obedience is necessary to Justification, and part of the Condition of it.

And now by this time I suppose it fully ap­pears to any unprejudiced Reader, that the Doctrine of St. Paul, yea, and of St. Peter, and [Page 158] Iohn too, do fully accord with the Doctrine of St. Iames, touching the necessity of Evan­gelical Obedience unto Justification. The oppo­sition then which some have made between Faith and all Internall and External Works in reference to Justification, as well Evangelical as Mosaical, hath not been only without Scrip­ture-ground, but against Scripture-evidence; and looks more like that which was made by the Gnosticks, or other Solifidians, opposed by St. Iames, (if it be not the very same) than any the Scripture any where maketh. And how much injury the Christian Religon and the Souls of Men may have suffered there­by, is a thing to be thought on, and sadly laid to heart.

It is a pleasant Doctrine, and the worst of Men called Christians, are glad to hear that they may be justifyed by Christ, only upon their believing in him without any Works of Righteousness or self-denial of their own. And upon that account (presuming verily that they do believe) they are confident that they are justified, though they are unsanctified. But those especially are in great danger of decei­ving their own Souls, by building their confidence upon this Doctrine, who toge­ther with this belief, have more of the form of godliness than the other have, and are found much more in the use and exercise of the external devotional part of Religion, and [Page 159] are zealous for this or that Opinion, Party, or Way which they think most Orthodox; though they be greatly destitute of love to the Nature of God, and of Humility, Charity, strict Justice, Fidelity, Peaceableness, Sobriety, Temperance, Modesty and Meekness, and of that renewed frame of Soul which would make them like Christ Jesus, wherein the pow­er of Christiany doth consist: The External duties of Hearing, Reading, Praying, and the rest, being in great part but means referring to the other as the end: So that no Man is to account himself truly Religious, further than he attains to these truly Christian Qualificati­ons, by the use of the External Means, and Internal Aids. Yea, the fleshly part, even in Men good in the main, is very apt to make an advantage of such a Doctrine as aforesaid, to the lessening of their Care, Diligence, and Zeal, in working out their Salvation, in stri­ving to enter in at the straight gate, in govern­ing their own Spirits and Appetites, in clean­sing themselves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, and in perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

And therefore there is great need for those that are Spiritual Guides to the people, to in­sist much upon the necessity of Repentance, Regeneration, and a holy Life as well as Faith, in order to their being justified and saved by Christ Jesus. For the people, yea, the better [Page 160] sort of them, stand most in need, as of being well-grounded touching the truth of the Christian Religion, so especially of having the Doctrines of Morality inculcated upon them, the Precepts of the Gospel being almost all of that Nature, (though some speak di­minutively of Moral Preaching) and tend to the perfecting of the Nature of Man in re­gulating the Internal operations of the Soul, and the External actions of life, in reference both to God and Man, our selves and others: The recovering of Men to which, is God's great design by the Gospel, in order to their being made perfectly happy at last, as I have shewed in Chap. 1.

There is indeed an absolute necessity of be­lieving the Gospel in order to Christian Pra­ctice: And therefore our blessed Saviour did not only Preach the necessity of Faith in him and his Doctrine, but also wrought abundance of Miracles to beget this Faith in Men. And yet he knowing the great danger of Mens miscar­rying in point of Morality in the disposition of Soul, and actions of Life, insisted chiefly in his Preaching, upon Doctrines of that nature; as you may see in his Sermon on the Mount, and elsewhere. He taught the neces­sity of being born again: Of making the Tree good, that the fruit might be good. And to in­force this Doctrine of his, he was not wont to tell his Auditors that every Man shall be re­warded [Page 161] according to his belief, but that when the Son of Man shall come, every Man shall be rewarded according to his Works: That those that have done good, shall come forth to the re­surrection of life, and those that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation: That by their words they shall be justified (which are no more Faith than Works are) And by their words they shall be condemned: That in the great day of the tryal of all Nations; every Man shall be acquitted or condemned, according to the good they have done, or neglected to do, Mat. 25. And that then not every Man that had Faith enough to cry Lord, Lord, or to Pro­phesie, cast out Devils, or do wonders in his Name, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but such and such only as have done the will of his Father.

Great need there is therefore of peoples examining themselves impartially, and of be­ing often admonished to take heed, left they mistake and deceive themselves in the nature of Religion, and in what is absolutely neces­sary to be done on their part; because men are very apt to flatter and deceive themselves in that, and to think that when their Faith is right in the Object of it [as when they be­lieve in the true God, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and expect Salvation by him alone] that then they are true believers, and such as shall be saved; especially if therewith they [Page 162] joyn the frequenting of God's Ordinances, and the paring off of some of the grosser enormi­ties of their lives, though in the mean while they make no Conscience of cleansing their hearts, and governing their Spirits, of subdu­ing their Passions and inordinate affections, and of bridling the Tongue. For this cause it is that Christians are so often in Scripture cautioned to take heed lest they should be de­ceived. Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a Man sows, that also shall he reap, Gal. 6. 7, 8. Little Children, let no man deceive you: He that doth righteousness, is Righteous, even as he is righteous, 1 Joh. 3. 7. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Ephes. 5. 6.

An APPENDIX touching the nature and Difference of that Faith which is justifying, and of that which is not; and the reason of that difference.

MEn's Eternal Estate of Weal or Wo in another World, and their Peace and Comfort in this, being very much concerned in their right understanding, or mistaking the nature and difference of that Faith which is saving, and of that which is not; I shall here add to what is said before, something to state the nature and difference of those two kinds of Faith, with what bre­vity and perspicuity I can. I cannot (I co [...] ­fess) think that the nature of Faith, which is of absolute necessity to the Salvation of the meanest Christian, is in it self hard to be un­derstood, were it not that the many Contro­versies about it, about its Object, and the Acts of the Soul necessary to it, had puzzled mens minds, and distracted their apprehensi­ons concerning it.

[Page 164] Things absolutely necessary to Salvation, as they are not many, so there are hardly any Doctrines delivered with more plainness than they, that the weak who are as much concern­ed in them as the strong, might competently understand them as well as they.

Men may multiply Notions about Faith, as the Scripture useth various expressions about it: But I doubt not but that the general sense of the Scripture hereabout may be summarily [...]x­pressed in this plain Proposition: That saving Faith is such a belief of Christ to be the Son of God, and of the truth of his Doctrine, espe­cially touching the virtue of his Death and Re­surrection, and the necessity of amendment of life, for the obtaining remission of Sin, and Eternal Life, as causeth a man to deny all un­godliness and worldly lusts, and to live a god­ly, righteous, and a sober life.

This is so plain in Scripture, as that there is no Christian so weak, but may easily come to understand it, and so evident, that none who acknowledge the Truth of the Gospel, can de­ny it. That I may state the difference then between Effectual and Ineffectual Faith, and matters relating to them, with all the plain­ness I can, I shall very briefly endeavour these five things.

1. To open the comprehensive nature of Faith.

[Page 165] 2. Shew wherein the defect lies of that Faith which is not saving.

3. Shew whence that defect proceeds.

4. How, and after what manner, Faith in the Understanding, works savingly upon the Will.

5. Answer some few Objections.

1. The comprehensive nature of [...]aving Faith opened.

That I may open the comprehensive nature of Faith the better, I shall first observe how variously the Condition upon which saving benefits are promised, is expressed in Scrip­ture, and then what actings of the Soul are thereby signified.

It is thus variously expressed in Scripture: Sometimes its called a believing God, Rom. 4. 3. Gal. 3. 6. a believing in God, 1 Pet. 1. 21. a believing on God, Rom. 4. 24. a believing the Record which God hath given of his Son, 1 Ioh. 5. 10. Sometimes its called a believing on Christ, Ioh. 3. 16, 36. Act. 16. 31. a belie­ving him to be the Christ the Son of God, Ioh. 20. 31. 1 Ioh. 5. 5. It's called Faith in his Blood, Rom. 3. 25. a believing that God raised him from the dead, Rom. 10. 9. Some­times its called a believing of the Gospel, Mar. 16. 15, 16. a believing of the Truth, 2 Th [...]s. 2. 15. a believing the testimony of the Apostles, 2 Thes. 1. 10. Sometimes it is expressed un­der [Page 166] the Notion of Repentance, Acts 2. 38. & 3. 19. & 11. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 10. and sometimes of obedience, 1 Iohn 1. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Heb. 5. 9.

The Condion of the Promise of saving be­nefits, being thus variously expressed, can sig­nifie no less than a three-fold Act of the Soul: The first, being the Act of the Understanding: The second, of the Will: The third, of the Understanding and Will conjunct.

I. Such expressions of the Condition of the Promise as is the believing God, the believing in God, the believing his Record, the believing the Gospel, the believing Christ to be the Son of God, do most properly signifie the act of the mind or understanding in assenting to the truth of what God testifieth, or promiseth. Which assent is grounded upon a knowledge, or belief of God's Veracity, his Truth, and Faithfulness, armed with All-sufficiency of Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, to make good his Word to a tittle. And although such ex­pressions as aforesaid, do most properly signifie the act of the Understanding, yet, when ever saving Benefits are promised, and the Condi­tion expressed in such a form of words as doth most properly and primarily signifie the assent of the mind, even then the act of the Will in consenting to the Condition, is im­plyed, and ought to be understood; as I shall fully prove in the next Particular.

[Page 167] And the reason why the whole of the Con­dition of the Promise relating to the consent of the Will, as well as the assent of the Under­standing, is frequently expressed in such a form of words, as primarily and strictly sig­nifie the assent of the mind, is, I conceive, be­cause such assent of the mind, is the Principle from which all concurrent acts of the Will ne­cessary to Justification and Salvation do pro­ceed.

And it is of frequent use in Scripture, to denominate the whole of Religion, by some one Principal part which is a fruitful Prin­ciple of all the rest.

Thus the knowledge of the true God, and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, is said to be Eternal Life, Ioh. 17. 3. And thus some­times the fear of God, and sometimes the love of God, is put for the whole of Mens saving Religiousness, and the same Promise of blessed­ness made to one of these singly exprest, is to be extended to the whole.

In like manner, the whole of Christianity, is frequently denominated by Faith, and the Christians stiled Believers, and the houshold of Faith, and the like; and all because that Chri­stian life of theirs, by which they differ from other Men, flows from their Faith, which is the first active Principle of it.

2. Another act of the Soul essentially ne­cessary to that Faith which is the Condition of [Page 168] the Promise, is the consent of the Will to repent, to receive Christ as Lord & King, to be gover­ed by his Laws, as well as to own him for a Priest once of [...]ering himself, and ever making interecession for us.

For the Condition of the Promise of Pardon and Salvation, is expressed under the notion of Repentance, and sometimes of Obedience, as I shewed before: And Repentance and O­dience are acts of the Will as renewed.

And that there is no Promise of saving bene­fits upon meer believing, without observing that part of the Condition which consisteth in Repentance, Regeneration, and Obedience, is most evident: Because they are expresly excluded in Scripture from having any share in the saving benefits of the Covenant, Justifi­cation, or Salvation, who do not Repent, Luke 13. 3. who are not regenerate, Ioh. 3. 5. who love not the Lord Jesus Christ, and that above any worldly enjoyment, 1 Cor. 16. 22. Matth. 10. 37. and who do not obey him, Acts 3. 22, 23. Luke 19. 27. 2 Thes. 1. 7. By all which we may certainly know that when ever there is Promise of Justification and Salvation, made to believing, it is to be understood of such a believing as doth at that instant in which a man believes savingly, produce a sincere con­sent of the Will to repent, to love Christ, and to obey him: For otherwise those Scriptures and these would be in [...]onsistent.

[Page 169] For if men cannot be pardoned, nor deli­vered from the curse, nor be safe from destru­ction until they have repented, are regenerate, do love Christ, and obey the Gospel, as the fore­cited Scriptures do assure us they cannot; then no Faith whatsoever is justifying, or can en­title them to Pardon and Salvation acording to the Tenour of God's Promise, until it hath produced that Repentance, Regeneration, Love, and Obedience: Which is a full and an unde­nyable proof of the necessity of such a consent of the Will as aforesaid, to render Faith justi­fying and saving.

Now this consent and resolutionof the Will to repent and obey Christ, and to forsake all for him, is the Moral change of the Soul, and the new life in its first beginning. And so a mans first effectual Belief, is his whole Chri­stian life in its beginning. And a mans first Faith is perfected afterwards by Works, (Iam. 2. 22.) as a Child is perfected in his manly state, as he grows up to manly actions; or as the Seed is perfected when it grows to a full Ear.

By this first consent of the Will, we resti­pulate and strike Covenant with God; and not only so, but we thereby begin also to keep and perform Covenant with him on our part. When this consent is first wrought in the Will, then the Laws of the new Covenant are first put into the mind and written in the [Page 170] heart: And by this we first begin to become savingly a people unto God, to believe in him, to love and serve him, as he by Covenant and Promise becomes a God unto us, to make us happy. Heb. 8. 10. This is the Convenant that I will make, I will put my Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

3. The other act of the Soul, which I call the act of the Understanding & of the Will con­junct, is an affiance in God through Christ▪ a trusting in him, or a relying on him for the fulfilling of his Promise of saving Benefits, while we continue sincerely to consent, re­solve, and endeavour to perform the Conditi­on on our part.

This is that, or part of that, which is called a believing on God, a believing on Christ, and a trusting in him: Noting the Souls dependence upon Christ [...]or the saving benefits which ac­crue to Men by his Mediation, Office, and Un­dertaking, and on the Truth and Faithfulness, Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of God, to perform all that he hath promised them through his Son, and upon the terms he hath promised, and not otherwise.

For the Promise of saving Benefits being made but upon the Condition before mention­ed a true Believer, or he that is rational & wise, considers as well upon what terms the benefits are promised, as who hath promised them, [Page 171] and what they are; and expects the one, no otherwise than as he sincerely resolves and en­deavours to perform the other.

And therefore if any shall rely on God, and Christ for those benefits, in whom yet the qua­lifying condition of the Promise of them is not found; Such a relyance is but a groundless presumption, and not Faith or Affiance duly so called. For such do not only rely on Christ for that for which they have no Promise, but for that which God hath expresly declared they shall have no share in whilst they remain destitute of that qualification, which is the Condition upon which, and not without it, the promise of those benefites is made.

These three acts of the Soul exercised on their Objects, do make up that Faith which is justifying and saving. And when justify­ing Faith in the compleat nature of it is spo­ken of in Scripture; all these three acts of the Soul are to be understood, and especially the two first; though perhaps they are many times mentioned severally and apart; Faith being described sometimes by one of them, and sometimes by another: As God himself is re­presented to us, sometimes by one Attribute, sometimes by another.

II. Wherein the Defect lyes of that Faith which is not saving.

By what hath been discoursed touching the nature of that Faith which is saving, it is easie to dis [...]ern wherein the defect lies of that Faith which is not so.

And the defect lyes chiefly in the Will, in its not consenting to perform the condition of the Promise in repenting, and in receiving Christ as Lord to be governed by his Laws.

I will not deny but the defect in part may be in the Understanding, when its assent unto the Truth of Divine Revelation is so weak, as that it can make but a too weak and [...]aint impression upon the Will, to procure its con­sent unto the Condition of the Promise.

But then that defect in the assent of the Understanding, doth usually, at least in great part, proceed from the Will; as I shall shew afterwards. Now that the defect lyes main­ly in the Will's not consenting to the Condition of the Promise, appears by this; because un­regenerate men may assent unto the truth of God's Testimony, and may trust that they shall be saved by Christ (which contain the other two acts of the Soul) but no man tru­ly consents, to perform the Condition of the Promise, but in doing so, he is regenerate in the first Act, and justified.

[Page 173] 1. Unregenerate men may have the same Faith of assent in the Understanding to a de­gree, as the regenerate may: They may believe God to be the Father Almighty, Maker of Hea­ven and Earth, and Jesus Christ to be his only Son, and the rest of the Articles of the Creed▪ and they may believe in great part that to be their duty both towards God and Man which is so indeed, and yet hold that truth in un­righteousness, which they do believe. Rom. 1. 18. Many of the chief Rulers believed on Christ, who yet loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God, and durst not confess him, Joh. 12. 42, 43. As also did many others when they saw his Miracles, who yet were such as Christ had no mind to commit him­self to, Ioh. 2. 23, 24. And Simon Ma­gu [...] believed, wondering, and being astonished at the signes which were done by Philip, who yet remained in the bond of iniquity, Acts 8. Such as are resembled by the stony ground, believed, who yet loved their ease and worldly interest more than Christ; And those that St. Iames expostulates with, Chap. 2. were thus far be­lievers also.

2. Excepting the consent of the Will to the Condition of the Promise; unregenerate Men may hope to be saved by Christ, and rely on him for Salvation as well as the Regenerate: Only for want of their performing the Condi­tion of the Promise, their hopes and confi­dence [Page 174] are groundless, and will deceive them. But otherwise men, that are but carnal, and live in some known sin, may and oftimes do perswade themselves that they shall be saved by Christ Jesus, because they believe that he dyed for sinners, and because they ask God for­giveness, and perform some acts of Religion.

Our Saviour saith, Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, open unto us: Have we not prophesied in thy Name? and in thy Name have cast out Devils, and done many won­derful works. We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. To whom he will say for all that, Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, Matth. 7. 22, 23. Luke 13. 25, 26. These had some kind of Faith in Christ, by which they prophe [...]ied in his Name, and cast out Devils, and did many wonderful works. They were such as were hearers of his Word, and Preachers of it too, and had eaten and drunken in his presence. And be­cause of this Faith, and these Works, they had a Hope and Confidence that Christ would open unto them, and receive them into his Kingdom, and would not be easily beaten off from this confidence.

But the true reason why their Faith will stand them in no stead, nor their Religious performances neither, is, because for all that they were workers of iniquity, they never heartily consented to the terms of the Promise [Page 175] of Salvation by Christ in repenting: They did not first heartily resolve, and after sincere­ly endeavour to turn from every known sin, unto every known duty. And in this very thing doth the defect of that Faith lye which is short of saving.

Which will yet further appear, in that St. Iames when he would state the difference be­tween that Faith which is saving, and that which is not, fixeth it here.

The dead Faith is denominated such by him, from its being alone without Works, Iam. 2. 17. Even so Faith if it hath not Works, is dead, being alone, or by it self. And a­gain, vers. 20. But wilt thou know, O vain Man, that Faith without Works is dead. And a­gain, ver. 26. For as the body without the Spirit is dead, so Faith without Works is dead also. Meaning by its being dead, that it avails a Man no more to his Justification and Salva­tion, than a dead Corps avails to the pro­duceing the useful and serviceable effects of a living Man; or than a Tree that is dead, avails to the bringing forth fruit; or than a few good words, Depart in peace, be ye filled and warmed, will avail poor people, when no­thing is given which is needful to the body, ver. 15, 16, 17.

In all this I do not deny, but that there may be in such as do not savingly believe, some consent of the Will to do something towards [Page 176] performing the Condition of the Promise, in repenting and obeying. Such Men may con­sent and resolve to forsake some sins, and to do some, yea many duties, who yet never sa­vingly consent, because they do not heartily consent and resolve to forsake [all] known sin, and to do [all] known duties; in which the sincerity of Repentance and Obedience doth consist, to which the Promise is made. Such men may not be far from the Kingdom of God, but yet must go farther, if ever they would have any good ground of hope to enter into it: But of this more after­wards.

III. Whence this defect doth proceed.

I have shewed before, that there is the Faith of assent in the Understanding unto the truth of God's Testimony, in some unregenerate men, as well as in the regenerate. And in whomsoever the Faith of Consent in the Will to perform the Condition of the Promise is found, it always proceeds from the Faith of Assent in the Understanding. A Man always (in order of nature at least) believes that the promised benefits shall be made good to him, in case he perform the Condition, before he consents to perform it; and doth con­sent to perform the Condition in hope and confidence of obtaining the promised benefits.

[Page 177] Now then the Question is, whence is it' and what is the reason that the Faith of as­sent in the Understanding, doth not always produce the same consent in the Will in one, as well as in another▪ and as it always doth, when it becomes effectual to Justification and Salvation? Why doth this Faith remain alone in some, when as it is accompanied with Works in others?

I shall offer what I conceive to be the rea­son of this, First, in general, and then more particularly.

The difference sometimes may proc [...]ed from the different measures and degrees of the evidence upon which the same Truth is be­lieved. One man may have a clearer discern­ing of the evidence than another, which cau­seth a stronger assent in the discerning faculty, and that stronger assent in the Understanding, may well cause a stronger consent in the Will, and a firm and lasting resolution. As on the contrary, a weak and partial consent and resolution in the Will to the Condition, some­times proceds from a weak assent in the Mind, to the Truth of God's Testimony, or Pro­mise, and that from the weakness of the fa­culty in the discerning the evidence of that Truth which is the Object of Faith.

But the reason most commonly why the assent in the Understanding unto the Truth of God's Testimony doth not work a consent [Page 178] in the Will to the Condition of the Promise, is to be taken, I conceive from the opposition which the lower faculties of the Soul, the Will, & Affections, assisted and influenced by the sen­sual Appetites, make against the superiour Faculty the Mind, or Understanding, so that they do not hearken to its Notices, nor obey its Dictates. The Will which is the Spring of Action, is a middle Faculty between the Understanding and the sensitive Affections or Appetites, and is sollicited by both.

As the Understanding calls upon it to obey its rational Dictates in chusing the means which tend to the best end, both which the Understanding represents to it from the Word of God; so on the other hand, the sensitive Affections sollicite it to be on their side, and to be active in making provision for the flesh, in chusing such things as tend to satisfie its cravings and lusts. And because the Will hath usually been pre-ingaged to the flesh, and had a share in its gratifications, it's not without much difficulty prevailed with to be cōsenting to, & active in the crucifixion of those affections and lusts. Which until the Will do, and herein obey the enlightned Understand­ing, the Faith of assent in the Understanding abideth alone. The Will's obstinate adhe­rence then to Mens fleshly lusts, and carnal in­terests, in opposition to that belief in the Un­derstanding which puts it upon destroying [Page 179] them, as absolutely necessary to the Man's Sal­vation, as believing God touching the neces­sity of this as a means, as well as it doth be­lieve him touching the blessedness of the end; this obstinate opposition in the Will, I say, is the true reason why the Faith which is in some men, is but a dead Faith. How can ye believe (saith our Saviour) which seek honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Joh. 5. 44. Yes, some of them could, and did believe so far as to assent in their minds, that Christ was no Impostor, but one that came from God; and that therefore his Doctrine must needs be true; but they did not believe so as to be converted in their Wills, to consent to part with their carnal interest of ho­nour and reputation, with their party the Pha­risees, which they must have done as the case then stood, if they would have confessed him openly; which to do, was necessary to make them capable of the Promise of Salvation by him. Ioh. 12. 42, 43. Among the chief Rulers, many believed on him, but because of the Phari­sees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the Synagogue, for they loved the praise of Men, more than the praise of God. These had more understanding than the com­mon people, who, as they said, knew not the Law, (Ioh. 7.) and yet not so many of them as of the people believed on Christ, so as to con­fess and follow him, because their wordly [Page 180] interest being greater, it held them faster and had the greater power over their Wills. The unbelief then of Men where the Gospel comes, is generally to be resolved into the obstinacy of their Wills, in opposition to the convictions of their Understanding, Iohn 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have life. How oft would I have gathered you, and ye would not, Mat. 23. 37. O that my people had hearkened to my counsel! but Israel would none of me. Psal. 81. 11. They did not chuse the fear of the Lord, Prov. 1. 29. They chose their own ways, their Souls delighted in their abominations, Isa. 6. 3. Thus much in general. But I would shew yet more particularly how the Will doth ob­struct the perfecting the work of Faith after it's begun in the Understanding. And it doth it as I conceive.

I. By calling off the Understanding from a frequent consideration of that evidence by which it was first convinced of the Truth of Gods Testimony touching the Promised Bene­fits, and the Condition and Means of obtain­ing them, and from a frequent application of it to the Will: and this the Will can do.

For as the Understanding hath a power over the Will, so far a to represent it's appre­hensions to the Will in order to its act­ing thereupon according to a Man's own concerns therein; so also the Will hath ak [...]nd of power over the Understanding, both [Page 181] to put it upon frequent consideration, to strengthen it self in the belief of that which the Will would have to prove true and to be believed; and also to call it off from so doing, when there is a great reluctancy in the Will against having that prove true which the Un­derstanding represents as true. And if the Understanding be taken off, so that it hath not frequent recourse to that evidence which first procured its assent unto the Truth of God's Testimony in the Gospel, that it might be thereby nourished, strengthened, and main­tained; that Faith in the Understanding will languish and grow weak, and so have no pow­erful operation upon the Will to change and renew it, and to procure its effectual consent to perform the Condition of the Promise, when the Will stands disinclined of it self, to the Verdict of the Understanding. Besides, if the Understanding doth not ply the Will, and frequently inculcate upon it, its own ap­prehensions concerning God's Testimony, and the consequence and concernment of it to a Mans own self, thereby to make the Word believed to be an ingrafted Word, it will not not work any Cure upon it, or any through change in it.

The unwillingness in Men to have their Minds ingage in the consideration of God's ways and their own, is the reason of their turning back from him, Io [...] 34. 27. They [Page 182] turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways. As on the contrary the Scrip­ture represents the conversion of a sinner as proceeding from the consideration of the bad tendency of his evil ways, Ezek. 18. 28. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions which he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not dye. And our Saviour seems to cast mens profiting, or not profiting, their belief, or not belief by hear­ing Gods Testimony in the Gospel, upon their considering, or not considering of it. Mark 4. 24. And he said unto them, consider what you hear (so Dr. Hammond reads it) for with what measure ye mete (viz. in consider­ing, or not considering) it shall be measured to you again, in profiting, or not profiting; which is to be understood according to God's ordinary proceeding with men.

The reason why the Faith of those resem­bled by the stony ground, doth not abide, or come to perfection, is, because they have no Root in themselves, and that comes to pass for want of much consideration, and a frequent working the first conviction of the mind from the evidence of Truth, into the Will & Affecti­ons, by a constant Consideration, and close Ap­plication of it. Acts 17. 11. They searched the Scriptures [daily] whether th [...]se things were so; and therefore they believed.

[Page 183] 2. When men hold fast their lusts out of their great love to them, notwithstanding their conviction in their Understandings, and are [...]ot willing to part with them upon any terms; the Fumes of those lusts continually ascending, will cloud and darken the Under­standing as a thick Fogg doth the Sun, and by degrees make it less capable of discerning its Object, viz. saving Truth, in its clear evidence, and proportionably hinder in its that opperation upon the Will. The cares of this World, and the deceitfulness of Riches, and the lusts of other things, choaked the Word, and it becometh unfruitful, Mar. 4. 19. He that hateth his Brother is in darkness, and walketh in dark­ness, and knoweth not whether he goes, be­cause darkness hath blinded his eyes, 1 Joh. 2. 11.

3. Sinful Mens understandings are [...]ot so uncorrupt, but that they are apt to be bribed by their Wills, to cast about and devise how to evade the force and edge of their own no­tices and Dictates, and to attempt and baffle their former apprehensions and convictions, to the end they may still retain their lusts without any great disturbance from their Un­derstandings. This when it is yielded to, and put in practice, is that which in Scrip­ture is called Mens closing their eyes, le [...]t at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their [Page 184] hearts, and should be converted and healed, Mat. 13. 15. And when this takes place in Professors of Christianity, that do believe that Faith, Repentance, and Obedience are necessa­ry to Salvation, as the Condition on which it is promised, the way by which they u [...]ually deceive their own hearts, is, by perswading themselves, that they do perform the Conditi­on of the Promise in these, when indeed they do not; but frame to themselves Notions of saving Faith, Repentance and Obedience, dif­ferent from the Scripture Notions of them, as I shall shew in [...]ach of them.

1. Many delude themselves by taking up a wrong Notion of saving Faith, and so think they have it, when they have it not. They believe indeed Christ to be the Son of God, and Saviour of the World, and that those shall be saved that believe in him, and those damn­ed that do not, because the Scripture, which they believe to be the Word of God, saith so: And thus far they believe rightly objectively. But then they deceive their own Souls by per­swading themselves that a meer assent of their mind to the Truth of these and other Evan­gelical Verities, is the Faith to which the Promise of Justification and Salvation is made, though it hath no such powerful operation upon their Wills, as to make them new Crea­tures, to make any thorow change in the tem­per of their hearts and tenor of their lives. And [Page 185] many doubtless have been greatly strengthen­ed in this delusive confidence, by having been taught that Faith justifies without any Works at all. And these again perswade themselves, that they believe in Christ to the saving of their Souls, because they rely on him alone for Sal­vation, and upon what he hath done, and suf­fered for them, though they love their sins, and live in them still. Just like some Iews of old, who though they were very bad in their lives, yet leaned upon the Lord, and said, is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us? Mich. 3. 11. Isa. 48. 1, 2. They leaned upon God's Promise of being their God, as those do upon Christ's undertaking to be a Saviour, although they overlooked the Condition to be performed by them in being a people unto him, in loving and serving him, as those Christians I speak of, also do. Though Christ alone is to be relyed on for Salvation, as touching all that is proper to the Mediatory Office and Work, yet no man is to rely on him, so as to think he should excuse him, if he do not re­pent, or be not regenerate, or as if he did re­pent, or were regenerate for him. If they do; they promise themselves from him, that which he never promised, or undertook, but hath told them plainly, that except they themselves repent, they shall perish, and that except they themselves be born a­gain, [Page 186] they cannot see the Kingdome of God.

2. They deceive their own hearts also in the nature of Repentance, their Notion of it be­ing one thing, and the Scripture-Notion of it quite another: So that they perswade them­selves they have repented, when indeed they have not. They know and believe perhaps, repentance to be necessary to Salvation, be­cause Christ hath said, that except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. But then they mistake in perswading themselves that they do repent, because they are frequently sorry for what they have done, though they cease not to do the same again. Indeed when the pleasure of Sin is over, and rebukes of Consci­ence come in the room of them; these trouble their minds for what they have done, which was the Repentance of Iudas; and there is no peace to the wicked, who are like the troubled Sea. Now this they count repentance, though it work no effectual and thorow change in Heart and Life; but when that sad fit is over, they appear to be the same Men they were be­fore, by returning to the same sins.

And herein the Romish Church hath most unhappily laid a Snare, which as is to be feared catcheth multitudes of Souls to their destruction, in asserting Contrition, yea, At­trition with confession, to be repentance suffi­cient [Page 187] to Salvation. Whereas sorrow alone, though it be godly sorrow, is not Repentance, but as St. Paul saith, Godly sorrow worketh re­pentance, 2 Cor. 7. 10. But Repentance itself, which is saving, consisteth chiefly in a real change in Mens apprehensions of, and affecti­ons to both sin and duty; and in ceasing to do evil, and learning to do well.

Others again deceive themselves in taking a partial Reformation for true Repentance: Be­cause they have left some sins which they could best spare, as blemishing their Reputa­tion, or impairing their Estates, or their Health: And because they have done many things (which yet Herod also did, Mar. 6.) they think they have repented, and are con­verted, though they retain others which are more gainful, or yield them more pleasure. Whereas the sincerity of Repentance can be proved by nothing less then a hatred of, and turning from sin as sin, and so from all sin, by diligent and careful endeavours.

3. They deceive themselves by a false Noti­on of that Obedience which is necessary to Sal­vation. They believe in the gross indeed, that Obedience to the Commands of God, to the Rules and Precepts of the Gospel, is necessary to Salvation, because the Scripture so plainly declareth it to be so: But then they deceive their own hearts, in thinking and perswading themselves that they have performed this part [Page 188] of the Condition of the Promise, when as they have not performed one half of it. They have, been it may be, somewhat careful to be found in acts of External Worship and and De­votion, both publick and private; and to keep themselves from Idolatry, Swearing, Cursing, Sabbath-breaking, Murder, Adultery, Stealing, False-witness-bearing, and the like, in the outward and gross acts of them. But all the while have made no conscience of governing their Thoughts, Affections, and Passions, nor their Tongues neither as to many things. And in all this, wherein do they exceed the Pbari­sees, whom if we exceed not in Righteous­ness, Christ hath told us (who best knows) that we shall never [...]nter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 5. 20. They were strict and zealous in the observation of the Laws for Cir­cumcision, Sacrifice, Sabbaths, Tythes, and o­ther positive Precepts, and that to a tittle; and fasted often, and made long Prayers, and gave Alms; and made Ostentation also that they were not as others were; Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, nor as the Publicans. And why would not all this bring them to Heaven? Because all this notwithstanding (as they had not Faith in Christ, so) they were Covetous, Proud, and Ambitious, seeking Honour one of another, contemning, and despising others, they were envious, and malicious, cruel, and ill-natured, unmerciful, and persecuting such [Page 189] as faithfully reproved them. They made clean the outside of the Cup and Platter; and so far as they did so, they did well: But that for which Christ denounced wo to them, was that their inward part was ful of ravening and wickedness, and for want of love to God, and of Judgment, Mercy, and Fidelity.

God is a Spirit, and the Service that is ac­ceptable to him, as being most agreeable to his Nature, is that which is done in Spirit and Truth. And therefore his Preceps are given to govern the inward Man as well as the out­ward.

He that said thou shalt not kill, hath said also, Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart, nor be angry with him without a cause, or bear a grudge against him. He that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, hath said also, Thou shalt not lust after a Woman in thy heart. And he that said, Thou shalt not steal, hath said also, Thou shalt not covet, and the like. And there­fore they that think themselves to be obedient Children to God, upon account of their abstaining from outward gross sin, and of be­ing outwardly righteous, and do not truly en­deavour, and make a business of it to mortifie and subdue their Pride, Covetousness, love of the World, Envy, Hatred, Malice, thoughts of Revenge, the unruliness of Passions, and all immoderate Affections; but indulge them­selves in these, or any of these, or the like, they [Page 190] deceive themselves, whatever their External Conformity to Divine Precepts otherwise may be. They are the pure in heart that shall see God. And they that are Christs, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

God observes more what Men are inward­ly, than what they are outwardly, and judges of them accordingly. He is not a Iew, nor he a Christian, who is one outwardly, in the flesh, but he who is so inwardly in heart, whose praise is not of Men, but of God, Rom. 2. 28, 29. And therefore St. Iames counted them but Earthly, Sensual, and Devilish, in their profession of Christianity, how high soever they professed, and such as did lye against the Truth, that in­dulged bitter envying and strife, though it were but in their hearts, Jam. 3. 14, 15. And if [...] and passions within, shall break out in an un­bridled Tongue in slandering, reviling, backbiting, evil-speaking, rash, and unchari­table censuring, or the like; how Religious soever such a man may otherwise seem to him­self, or others, yet St. Iames hath plainly de­termined his case; such an one hath deceived his own heart, and his Religion is vain, Jam. 1. 26. Mat. 5. 22.

Men may go a great way in Religion, yea so far as until they are not far from the King­dom of God. Yea, many shall seek to enter in by doing many things in order thereto, and yet shall not be able for want of striving to do [Page 191] all that is necessary thereto. And for that ve­ry reason, and because of the great danger of Christians falling short, though they have gone far, and done much, are they so earnestly ex­horted to work out, or to work through their own Salvation with fear and trembling; with a fear of falling short, Phil. 2. 12. And not only so, but to fear even a seeming to come short of the promised rest, Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of en­tring into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. The matter is of that huge con­sequence, that every wise Man that doth not despise his own Soul, should be afraid to do, or omit to do, any thing that hath but the least [...]eeming shew or appearance of putting his Salvation into any hazard. And therefore [all] diligence is not too much for the wisest Man living to use, to make his calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1. 10.

Thus when Mens Understandings are bri­bed by their corrupt Wills, they then take up with a partial Faith, a partial Repentance, and a partial Obedience, instead of that which is Evangelically compleat, and hope it is a fulfilling of the Condition of the Pro­mise.

And when Men shut their own Eyes, and stop their own Ears against the evidence of the word of Salvation, that they may the more quietly enjoy the pleasures of any sin, God [Page 192] many times in his righteous Judgment, after much striving, and long-suffering, withdraws the assistances of his Grace and Spirit, and leaves them to themselves, and their own delu­sions, and to be practised upon by the Devil for their farther hardening; according to that dreadful Prophesie, in Isa. 6. 9, 10. mentioned no less than five or six times in the New Testa­ment; Mat. 13. 14. Mar. 4. 12. Luke 8. 10. Ioh. 12. 40. Acts 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Go tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their Ears heavy, and shut their Eyes, &c. When Men will not receive the love of the Truth that they might be saved, but have pleasure in unrighteous­ness, God sometimes sends them strong delu­sions to believe a lye, 2 Thes. 2. 10, 11, 12. Whereas on the contrary, the good ground-hearers are described by the honesty of the heart into which they receive the Word: They study no tricks or shifts, nor use any shuffling upon the account of any dishonest inter­est, to evade the plain Truth, but are content that should take place, and all other things give place to it: They suffer that Word which was received and assented to in the Judgment before, in order of Nature, to sink down into their hearts, by which the Will and Affections become changed.

IV. How, and afer what manner Faith in the Vnderstanding, works savingly upon the Will.

The Faith of Assent in the Understanding, worketh a Consent in the Will unto the Condi­tion of the Promise, by its operative and affect­ing influence upon the passions of Hope, Fear, and Love, the powerful Principles of Action in Man. For though Faith in the Under­standing, is the first Principle of Action as Christian, yet not that, but the Will, as it is affected with Hope, Fear, or Love, is the next and immediate Principle of Action. The Understanding when it rightly performs its Office, doth not only assent unto the Truth of Divine Revelation, upon competent evi­dence that it is from God; but also consi­ders and weighs, as in a ballance, the import of it, and how a man is concerned in it; as whether it betoken good or evil to him, and how much, and upon what terms, whether absolutely, or conditionally, and what the Condition is: All which when brought down to the subordinate Faculties of the Soul, the Will, and Affections, is apt to affect them, and work upon them more or less, accor­ing as the things believed are expres­sed more or lesse to concern a Man.

And the things believed, Eternal Life, and Eternal Death in another World, being invisible and absent things, it is a mans Faith, [Page 194] touching the reality of them, that supplies the room or absence of sense. For Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11. 1. We neither see nor feel the glorious things promised, nor the dreadful things threatned in another World, otherwise than by Faith, which gives the Believer a prospect of them. But a man by his Faith in that Gospel by which they are revealed, hath a foresight of them (as Abra­ham had of Christs day) and that fills the Soul with hope, and fear, and a sence of God's love in giving such an hope. And this hope, fear, & love, puts Men upon, more or less, care, dili­gence and industry in doing what is necessa­ry for the obtaining of the one, and efcaping the other, as they are more or less influenced by a Faith that is weaker or stronger, or more or less active and exercised about these things. And hence comes that change which is made in the Hearts and Lives of true Believers, who walk by Faith, and not by Sight, that is, they govern their Lives by the belief of invisible, and not sensible things, 2 Cor. 5. 7. This in general. But more particularly, the Faith of Ass [...]nt in the Understanding, works the Faith of Consent in the Will, by its operation up­on those three Passions, or Affections of the Will, Hope, Fear, and Love.

1. As a firm asse [...]ting to the Truth of God's Promise through Christ, of pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life upon Condition of Repentance [Page 195] and new Obedience, together with his Faith, gives a man hope and confidence of obtaining these great benefits upon the terms on which they were promised.

The hope of this happiness causeth a Man to be willing to comply with the Condition upon which it is promised, in order to the obtaining the happiness it self.

There is a Principle of self love planted by God in the nature of every Man, by which he doth naturally desire and aspire after the hap­piness of his own being. And that will put a man upon the use of such means, and the performance of such a Condition, without which he believes, and is verily perswaded he cannot be happy. Now every Man in whom there is the Faith of assent unto the Truth of God's Testimony in the Gospel firmly fixed, be­ing verily perswaded that everlasting happiness is not attainable without Repentance, Regene­ration, and sincere Obedience, because God hath declared this as plainly as he hath done any thing: (And it is the nature of Faith to acquiesce in his Testimony.) The love of the end, which is Mans own happiness, makes him in love with the means, such as is Re­penting, Mortifying, and Obeying work, with­out which he cannot attain his end in being happy. This Principle of Self-love under the conduct of a Mans Understanding and Reason enlightned, and regulated by a Declaration of [Page 196] the Divine Will, and influenced by a firm be­lief of it, will work in a Man new apprehensi­ons of, and new Affections to both Sin and Duty; and will cause him to abandon the little pleasures of sin which are but for a season, that he may come to the fruition of that ful­ness of joy, and those Rivers of pleasure, which are in the presence of God, and at his right hand for evermore; when once he knows, and firm­ly believes that they cannot otherwise be ob­tained.

Thus by Faith is the victory over the world obtained, in all its temptations from Honours, Profits, and Pleasures, 1 Ioh. 5. 4. For by such a Faith a Man well perceives that the World offers him to his unspeakable loss, though it should offer him all of these that it is able to confer upon him, if it be upon condition of doing, or omitting to do that by which he shall certainly deprive himself of that Glory, Honour, and Immortality, which he is well as­sured of through Faith in God's Promise, if he overcome.

We see Men are so commonly governed by a Principle of Self-love, in parting with a les­ser good or conveniency for a greater, even in the things of this life, that they are wor­thi [...]y an [...] deservedly counted fools that do the co [...]trary: And therefore those are guilty of so muc [...] the greater folly and madness, who de­prive themselves of the happiness of Heaven, [Page 197] by a sinful seeking or possessing of the Honors, Profits, or Pleasures of this life: as the happi­ness of Heaven exceeds the enjoyments of this World, in kind and height of satisfaction, and in continuance and duration, so rational a thing it is to live and walk by Faith of un­seen things, and unreasonable and unman­ly to be governed by the sense of present things in opposition thereunto, 2 Th [...]ss. 3. 2.

2. The Faith of Assent in the Understand­ing, worketh a Consent in the Will to the Condition of the Promise, as the passion of fear is awakened by believing God's threat­nings against such as do not observe and fulfil that Condition. There is a Principle of self-preservation planted by God in every Man's nature, by which he fears and abhors that which he knows, and verily believes tends to the infelicity and misery of his being, and which puts him upon the avoiding of that which he believes hath such a tendency, in or­der to the declyning the misery, or destructi­on it self.

When a Man receives such sayings into his Understanding, as threaten, that if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye; that except ye re­pent, ye shall all perish: That without holiness, no Man shall see the Lord, and the like; and doth assent unto them as the true sayings of God, which assent is his Faith; the fear of [Page 198] the misery threatned, and the Principle of self-preservation, work in him a desire and en­deavour to have his sinful inclinations and ap­petites mortified, and a care to avoid the out­ward acts of sin, as really and truly as he de­sires to escape Eternal Destruction it self; as believing and knowing they tend thereto, and that he cannot escape the one, without a sin­cere desire and endeavour to destroy and avoid the other.

And in this way Faith is a Believers Victory, by which he also overcomes the World, when it tempts him to sin by threatning him with dis­grace, loss of Estate or Liberty, or with en­during of corporal punishment, or death it self. For he believes the punishments in the other world to be of such a nature and dura­tion, as that the worst things which Man can inflict, are altogether inconsiderable in com­parison of them. By which belief he is so far guided, that he chuses to suffer the less, when his faithfulness to God, and his own best inter­est doth expose him to it, rather than to expose himself by unfaithfulnes to infinitely the grea­ter, to avoid the less. And thus Faith puri­fies the heart of all inordinate affection to Riches, Honour, Ease, and Pleasures, Acts 15. 9.

3. The Faith of Assent or Credence in the Understanding touching the exceeding great­ness of God's love to mankind in the gift of [Page 199] Christ for their Redemption, and in his great and precious Promises made in him upon a very gracious Condition, works in the Will a love to God, and so a love to please him, in doing those things which he hath made the Condition of his Promise. When once the Understanding represents it to the Will, as a certain Truth upon clear evidence, that not­withstanding Mens Apostacy from God, and Rebellion against him, and the Condemnati­on they are under thereby; yet God is recon­cileable to them, yea, willing, and so desirous to reconcile them to himself; that as an evi­dence and proof of it, he hath given his own Son Christ Jesus to become a Rans [...]me for them; and that he hath made a new Covenant, de­claring that upon account of his Son's under­taking for them, he is not only abundantly willing to pardon all such as shall unfeig [...]dly repent of their disloyalty, and sincerely return to their duty; but that he will also bounti­fully reward their future sincere Obedience with perfect and perpetual happiness: I say, when all this is represented to the Will, as un­questionably true, it will work in it a love to that God and Saviour, that hath been so loving, if it be but kept close to it. A mini­festation of such love and goodness to Man, and that while yet in enmity against God, so ill deserving, and so obnoxious to the power of his wrath; when he hath no need of him, [Page 200] nor can be profited by him, will create good thoughts of God, and reconcile Man's mind to him, and work melting affections in him to God, when heartily believed.

What Rebel is there, or Nature so bad, that would not be won to leave off rebelling against his Priuce, and to love and please him, up­on undoubted assurance, that by so doing he should not only be pardoned, and restored to favour, but also preferred to the greatest ho­nour and happiness he is capable of receiving from any mortal? And yet how weak a mo­tive is this in comparison of what comes from God, to reduce men to their love and loyalty to him? God's love to Man when perceived, and heartily believed, is the great motive, and attractive of Mans love to God. We love him, because he first loved us, 1 Joh. 4. 19. Love is an active and commanding Principle in Man, and procureth Thoughts, Cares, and Endeavours of pleasing God. If any Man love me, he will keep my words, saith our blessed Saviour, Iob. [...]4. 23. And after this manner, Faith worketh by Love, Gal. 5. 6.

Thus I have represented to you, how, and after what manner Faith in the Understand­ing works a saving Consent in the Will un­to the Condition of God's Covenant of Salva­tion.

V. Some few Objections answered.

1. Some have thought Men may be justified only by their believing, even while they are ungodly in their lives; and have thought that Scripture, Rom. 4. 5. will bear them out in such a conceit, which saith, He that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the un­godly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness. But they grosly mistake the Scripture, and de­ceive themselves. For that Text speaks of God's justifying the Gentiles upon their sin­cere conversion to the Christian Faith and Life, though they had lived in Gentilism, in all ungodliness before, and until then, and though they should not work at all, as the Ju­daizers would have had them, in turning Proselytes to the Jewish way. But otherwise it's flatly against the express Doctrine of the Gospel, and current of the Scriptures, for Men to hope to be pardoned by any believing whatsoever, while they remain impenitent; as every Man doth while he remains ungodly. To justifie the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. It's said that Christ made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, as well as it's said God justifieth the ungodly. But is any man so senseless as to think that Christ made them to see, to hear, and to speak, while they remained blind, deaf, and [Page 202] dumb? And if not, but that they know the meaning is, that Christ made those to see, to hear, to speak, which had been blind, deaf, and dumb, before those Cur [...]s were wrought upon them; they might as well know also that the meaning is, that God justifieth those up­on their believing, which had been un­godly until then, and not that he justi­fies them while they remain ungodly.

2. Some alledge that although the Faith which is alone, and with the concomitant effects of it, Repentance, Regeneration, &c. doth not justifie; yet that Faith alone which doth produce such effects, doth justifie with­out the concurrence of these in the justifying act. Which they illustrate by this Similitude. A Man sees with his Eye alone, though he doth not see with his Eye that is alone, or separated from his body. In return to all which, let these things be considered.

1. They that go thus far, do grant that which will secure the Notion of the necessity of Re­pentance, Regeneration, and new Obedience unto Justification. They grant we see such a necessity of these, as without which no man can be justified, no not by Faith. In grant­ing which, though we suppose them to err in their foresaid Notion, yet this makes their Er­ror the less dangerous; because the pre­sence of Repentance, Regeneration, and Obe­dience are no less necessary to Justification ac­cording to this account, than they esteem them [Page 203] to be, who say they concur with Faith in the ve­ry act of Justification.

2. When they say Faith, alone is all that is necessary to the justifying act, without the concurrence of any thing else done by us: By justifying Act, they mean either God's Act, or Man's Act. If Man's Act, that's nothing but Man's performing▪ the Condition upon which God hath Promised to justifie Men. If they mean God's Act, it is his imputing Mens per­forming the Condition of the Promise unto them for Righteousness. The only thing then in question will be, what it is which is a fulfilling of the Condition of the Promise of Justification, which God imputes for righteousness? If they say it is only the Assent of the Understanding unto the Truth of Gods Testimony in the Gos­pel; or this Assent, together with a relyance on Christ for Salvation: I have shewed before, that both these may be found in Men unrege­nerate, and unjustified: And that these two of themselves without Repentance and hearty Obedience to the Laws of Christ, are not a ful­filling of the Condition of the Promise, and that consequently Men without these cannot be justified by any Faith whatsoever, and so not by Faith alone; unless they will call Re­pentance and Heart-Obedience in conjuncti­on with the foresaid Assent of the mind and relyance of the Soul, by the name of Faith: Which if they will, we are agreed as to the thing at least, if not to the name, that we are [Page 204] justified by such a Faith alone. And yet I doubt not that when ever Justification is promised to believing singly and alone exprest, but that there the foresaid effects are comprehend­ed under that name also, for the Reasons for­merly given.

3. They which say, we are justified by Faith alone, but not by that Faith which is alone, do distinguish where the Scripture doth not distinguish: The Scripture no where saith we are justified by Faith alone, as contradistin­guished from Repentance, Evangelical Obedi­ence, &c. The third Chaper of Rom. 28. and Tit. 3. 5. are sometimes made use of to coun­tenance their Notion, but to how little pur­pose, hath been shewed already in the Treatise, which needs not be here re­peated.

4. The Scripture is not only silent in the case, not any where affirming we are justified by Faith alone; but it expresly affirms the quite contrary. Iam. 2. 24. Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified, and not by Faith only. That this is affirmed in reference to our Justification before God, hath been shewed be­fore.

5. Faith and Repentance are a joynt Condi­tion upon which Justification is suspended, and are both constituted so by the same means, and that is by promise of pardon to such as do believe, to such as do repent, and by threat­ning the contrary to those that do not both. [Page 205] And if they are a joynt Condition of the Pro­mise of Justification, then Justification proceeds not upon either of them alone, but upon both together.

6. Whereas it is said in the Similitude, that a man sees with his Eye alone, though not with his Eye which is alone, or when it is alone. I doubt this is no more true than that which is intended to be illustrated by it. For Naturalists will tell them the contrary, that it is not the Eye alone by which a Man sees, but that it is the Soul that sees by the Eye as its Organ. The Eye sees not when the Soul is departed, though it be not then alone. I confess I cannot possibly conceive either how the Soul should not concur with the Eye in the act of seeing, when the Eye cannot see without it, nor yet that Repentance should not concur with Faith in the act of Justification, so long as men cannot be justified by Faith it self with­out it, or in the absence of it, as they them­selves grant.

3. This lyes in the way of some; they cannot conceive how Justification by Evange­lical Obedience as well as Faith, should consist with the possibility of somes being justified by believing, who yet may not live so long after, as to have an oppertunity of doing good Works.

How rare Instances of this kind are, I shall not dispute: But doubtless, when ever men so [Page] believe Gods Promise of pardon through Christ upon their Repentance, and the necessity of their own Repentance for the obtaining of it, as that they in Will, and a fixed and lasting Resolution become new men, then they first believe unto Justification. And it is not im­possible but that some may so believe, that may never after they do so, have opportunity to be much active in External Acts of Obe­dience. But though this should so fall out, yet such are not justified without Evangelical Obedience as wel as Faith. For,

1. These Motions and Acts of the Will, are themselves Acts of present Evangelical O­bedience.

2. They are in the Root and Cause, Evan­gelical Obedience future, and to come.

I. They are in themselves Acts of present Evangelical Obedience. For by these Moti­ons and Acts of the Will, Men do when ever they take place, turn from sin to God and their Duty, out of hatred to that they turn from, and out of love to that they turn to. And these Acts of the Will which consist in affection and resolution, are proper effects and fruits of Faith in the Understanding, and Acts of Heart-Obedience in the sight of God, and a conformity of Soul to his declared Will and Commandment. And they may as well, and as truly be called Works, as evil Acts of the Will may, such as are a love to evil, and [Page 207] desires and resolutions of perpetrating it: Which evil Acts of the Will, are yet in Scrip­ture called Works, and a working of wicked­ness, Psal. 58. 2. Ye work wickedness in your hearts, Micah 2. 1. He that looketh upon a Wo­man to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart, Matth. 5. 28. And envy, wrath, and hatred, which are Internal Acts of the Soul, are called Works of the flesh, Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. And if such inward fixed reso­lutions in Men, of obeying God in External Acts, if ever they have opportunity and a Call to it, did not pass in God's account for Obe­dience, and were not accepted in stead of the Deed, when opportunity for the Deed is want­ing, the best Man in the World could be no Disciple of Christ, who doth not actually for­sake all that he hath, and lay down his life for him. Whosoever of you forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my Disciple, saith he Luke 14. 26, 33. Whereas Christ pronounceth the poor in spirit blessed, many of whom ne­ver became actually poor for his sake, as not being called to it. But if they are poor in Spirit, if they firmly resolve to become poor in forsaking all for Christs sake, when called to it, these are capable of blessedness in Christ's account, as well as those that suffer the loss of all for Righteousness sake, Matth. 5. 3.

II. Those Acts of the Will, are in the Root and Cause, Evangelical Obedience future, and [Page 208] to come: Because those resolutions against evil for good, when they are of a fixed and lasting nature (as they alwayes are, when together with Faith, they make men capable of Justification) will certainly produce Ex­ternal Acts of sincere Obedience, as opportu­nity doth occur.

When the Tree is made good, it will bring forth good Fruit in the season of Fruit, if it be not cut down before: When the heart is re­newed in affection and resolution, the course of a Mans Life will certainly be answerable to it, if ever he have opportunity of shewing it. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things, Mat. 12. 35. And God who knows the heart, doth judge of, and estimate men according to what they are in the inward frame of their heart, and prevalent bent of their Wills. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not, 2 Cor. 8. 12. We judge of the Cause by the Effects; of the goodness of mens hearts by the goodness of their lives; to us the Tree is known by its Fruit: But God who is greater than our hearts, and knows them better than we do, judges of the effect by the Cause, and knows what a Mans Life will be by what his heart is upon its first con­version to him; and so confers on him the benefit of Justification, when the Foundation [Page 209] of a good Life is laid in the conversion and re­newing of the heart.

The Understanding of this Part of Dis­course, will serve not only to satisfie the fore­said doubt, but also to inform us what Evan­gelical Obedience is necessary to Justification in its beginning. Not but that actual Obe­dience in Life is necessary to the continuance of Justification where Life is continued. And therefore we find that Abraham was justified by his after-believing, and after-obedience, as well as by his first; and so was Noah before him. Noah was a righteous Man, and justi­fied, before he became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith, by his believing and obey­ing God in preparing the Ark, Gen. 6. 9. Heb. 11. 7. It was by Faith in God's Promise that Abraham left his Countrey to obey God at the first, and by that he was first justified, Heb. 11. 8. And yet his believing God's Promise, so shall thy Seed be, which was not made till some years after, was imputed to him also for righteousness, Gen. 15. 6. It was many years after that again, that by Faith he offered his son Isaac upon the Altar, and yet by that he was justified as well as by his first Faith and obedience, Iam. 2. 21. pardon of sin, is our Justification from sin, Act. 13. 39. And this we are directed by the Lords Prayer, to pray for daily all our dayes. And the continuance [Page 210] of Justification is promised upon Condition of continuance of Faith and Obedience to the Gospel, Col. 1. 21, 22, 23. and a discontinu­ance of it threatned in case of disobedience, according to the Tenour of the Parable, Mat. 18. from ver. 23. to ver. 35. By all which we may see what need there is for all Christians to work out, to work through their own Salvation with fear and trembling, to which they are earnestly exhorted, Phil. 2. 12. and to run so that they may obtain, 1 Cor 9. 24.

4. Some to evil affect their own and others minds; with prejudice against Discourses of this nature do suggest, That the laying so great a stress upon Duty, as to esteem any thing of it necessary to Justification, save be­lieving only, doth derogate from the Glory of Christ's great Undertaking in the business of Mans Salvation; and that it is a trusting in our own Righteousness. But it will ap­pear far otherwise, if they will but imparti­ally consider in what sence, and upon what account such stress is laid upon Duty; which I shall open in two particulars.

1. They that rightly understand themselves in this matter, do not look that any of their Duties of what nature soever, should of themselves as such, be available to their Justi­fication [Page 211] or Salvation; but that it is for the sake of Christ, and upon account of his un­dertaking for us, that God accepts, and imputes for Righteousness to us, such Duty as Faith, Repentance, and Obedience is, and that he doth make promise of Justification up­on Condition of these.

Since the fall we say, all our Duties that are acceptable to God, or available to us, become so through Christ, and for his sake. And therefore so long as we Attribute and Ascribe the benefit we expect upon our Repentance, and sincere Obedience or Belief, unto Christ, and to his great and worthy undertaking for us; we are far from derogating from the Glory of it, and from trusting in our own Righteousness in that Notion in which mens trusting in their own Righteousness, is con­demned in Scripture, or any otherwise than as our Duty is made a Condition, without which we shall have no part in Christ, nor be qualified for glory.

2. When we lay such stress upon Repent­ance, Obedience, &c. as a condition, or part of a Condition of the Promise of Justification and Salvation, as without which we say, we cannot be justified or saved by Christ's under­taking for us, yet then this stress is laid, and de­pends upon the Will and appointment of God, by which these Duties are thus made the Con­dition, [Page 212] and not on the intrinsick worth or value of the Duties themselves simply consi­dered without reference to God's Ordination, appointing them to that use. For if God had not made a new Covenant, promising pardon for Christ's sake to such as do repent, and ac­ceptance and reward to such as sincerely obey him, they would have had no sufficient ground to have been confident of Pardon, Acceptance, or Reward, though they should have repent­ed, and so obeyed. And the reason is, be­cause Men are not justified in the Eye of the Natural or Moral Law, upon any such ac­count as that is. So that all the stress which is laid on Duty by them that rightly under­stand their Duty in this matter, doth termi­nate partly in Christ's undertaking for them, and partly in God's Institution and Appoint­ment, who hath made his Promise of justify­ing us for Christ's sake so, as that he hath made our Duty of Repentance, and sincere O­bedience a necessary Condition of it. And he that trusteth to be pardoned, accepted, and re­warded for Christ's sake upon his repentance, and sincere Obedience, because God hath pro­mised that he shall; trusteth in God, and in the fidelity of his Word and Promise. And in doing so, what more stress doth he lay upon Duty in this kind, than they that trust to be justified and saved upon their believing? [Page 312] For their believing is matter of Duty, as wel as their Repenting and Obeying: And their believing would no more have entitled them to the benefit without the Promise which gives them that title, than other Acts of Du­ty would do. And other Acts of Duty do entitle to the same benefits as fully as Faith it self doth, where there is promise of the same benefits annexed to them, as Faith hath: And that they have, I have shewed before. So long then as the stress which is laid on Duty, ter­minates in Christ, and in God's Will and Ap­pointment in the new Covenant, and is re­gulated by his Word and Promise, there is no danger of overcharging Duty.

It's true indeed, if we should expect that Duty should do that for us, which is proper only to Christ, as to expiate our sin, or the like; we should sinfully overcharge it, as the Pharisaical Iews did their Sacrifices, and other Legal Observances, in expecting remission of Sin by them without Christ's Atonement: Which Righteousness of theirs is for that cause called their own Righte­ousness which was by the Law, as being no method of Justification of God's ap­pointment, but of their own devising, which in that respect was indeed but as filthy Rags, and loathsome to God. But this is [Page 214] not the case with Protestant Christians, who lay no such stress upon Duty, no not upon Faith it [...]elf; but do acknowledge that all the power and virtue it hath to justifie, de­pends wholly upon, and is derived from the Will and Ordin [...]tion of God in Christ, Ioh. 6. 40. & 1. 12. Ephes. 2. 8. And we say the same of Repentance, and sincere Obedience also. And a confidence of being saved in a way of Duty upon such terms, is represented in Scipture, as trusting in the Righteousness of God through Faith, in opposition to ones trus [...]ing, in his own Right [...]ousn [...]ss, Phil. 3. 9. [...]o [...] is it [...] trusting▪ in our own Righteo [...]sness [...]r from [...] from Christ in the Glory [...] Natural or Moral Law, upon any such ac­count as that is. So that all the stress which is laid on Duty by them that rightly under­stand their Duty in this matter, doth termi­nate partly in Christ's undertaking for them, and partly in God's Insitution and Appointment, who hath made his Promise of justify­ing us for Christ's sake so, as that he hath made our Duty of Repentance, and sincere O­bedience a necessary Condition of it. And he that trusteth to be pardoned, accepted, and re­warded for Christ's sake upon his repentance, and sincere Obedience, because God hath pro­mised that he shall; trusteth in God, and in the fidelity of his Word and Promise. And in doing so, what more stress doth he lay upon Duty in this kind, than they that trust to be justified and saved upon their believing? [Page 215] minds, thirst more after Discourses Conso­latory upon account of believing only. Which may serve instead of an Apology for writing this and the forgoing Discourse.

Saint Paul charged Titus to affirm this [con­stantly] that they which have believed, be careful to maintain good Works, Tit. 3. 8.

[...] pointment in the new Covenant, and is re­gulated by his Word and Promise, there is no danger of overcharging Duty.

It's true indeed, if we should expect that Duty should do that for us, which is proper only to Christ, as to expiate our sin, or the like; we should sinfully overcharge it, as the Pharisaical Iews did their Sacrifices, and other Legal Observances, in expecting remission of Sin by them without Christ's Atonement: Which Righteousness of theirs is for that cause called their own Righte­ousness which was by the Law, as being no method of Justification of God's ap­pointment, but of their own devising, which in that respect was indeed but as filthy Rags, and loathsome to God. But this is [Page 214] not the case with Protestant Christians, who lay no such stress upon Duty, no not upon Faith it self; but do acknowledge that all the power and virtue it hath to justifie, de­pends wholly upon, and is derived from the Will and Ordination of God in Christ, Ioh. 6. 40. & 1. 12. Ephes. 2. 8. And we say the same of Repentance, and sincere Obedience also. And a confidence of being saved in a way of Duty upon such terms, is represented in Scripture, as trusting in the Righteousness of God through Faith, in opposition to ones trusting in his own Righteousness, Phil. 3. 9. so far is it from trusting in our own Righteousness, or from derogating from Christ in the Glory of his undertaking for us.

And now for a Conclusion: It would be considered whether such as are educated in Christianity, are not hardlier brought to live as becomes the Gospel in point of practice, than to believe that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners; and that he dy­ed for them, and rose again: And whether there is not cause to fear that very many more such do eternally miscarry through neglect of the former, than for want of the latter: And if there be, as doubtless there is; Then pra­ctical discourses among such must needs be highly necessary, however some of weak [Page 215] minds, thirst more after Discourses Conso­latory upon account of believing only. Which May serve instead of an Apology for writing this and the forgoing Discourse.

Saint Paul charged Titus to affirm this [con­stantly] that they which have believed, be careful to maintain good Works, Tit. 3. 8.

FINIS.

ERRATA.

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