WITH respect to the grace of the covenant: I use the word Grace, to signify freely, and so to exclude merit, or the desert of the Creature, (which I understand to be the common acceptation of the word grace in Divinity) now there are but two ways of meriting or deserving that I know of, which are distinguished into Condignity and Congruity: Merit of condignity is the gi­ving as much, or doing as much for any thing as it is worth, therefore this kind of merit never had any place in religion; for who among most perfect creatures, even of the celestial order, could give or do as much for hea­ven and glory as they are worth? or who among the guilty race of fallen men, can do as much for God, as [Page 2]to deserve his own justification? or that God should un­veil his perfections to him, and grant him the free com­munications of his love and mercy, and the gratifying enjoyment of himself? which is but an early heaven, an earnest upon earth, of that full inheritance above.

Merit o [...] congruity is only deserving any thing in order of fitness or agreeableness; hence when God created men and angels, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holi­ness, capable to serve and honour him perfectly; it was but fit or suitable to display his glory and perfections to them, and promise them the full enjoyment of himself in an eternal heavenly state, correspondent to their serving him perfectly as probationers for a time. Now this merit of congruity was the condition of the first covenant, but hath no place in the second, or covenant of grace: for such defilement, imperfection, and iniquity, cleaves to the best of our services, as renders it intirely unsuitable, that the doers of them should be justified or saved on their account: on the contrary, we deserve eternal dam­nation for their in perfections: hence without shedding of blood is no remission, and heavenly things must be purified. Heb ix. 22, 23. Agreeable to the ancient representation of Christ by the high priest. Exo. xxviii, 38. That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the chil­dren of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts, &c. Now if every possible way of meriting, be excluded (as we see) from the covenant of grace, justification and salvation, (as to any thing we can do) must be freely bestowed, as is declared, Rom. iii 24. Being justified freely by his grace; and vi. 23. The gift of God is eter­nal life. And if the gift of God is eternal life, surely eternal life is God's gift; and what can be more free than a gift? Suppose, when the second covenant was made with Adam, and in him with his posterity, they had (for the time ensuing) been rendered capable to serve God per­fectly, so that it would have been congruous to give them heaven on that account, (which is far from the true state of things) yet such a covenant could not be a covenant of [Page 3]grace, but of debt, and what could compensate for time pass'd, and injuries done? A servant whose time and whole ability is due to his master, can never make up black days, or compensate for injuries. Hence, it became infinitely reasonable, that the new covenant should exclude every kind of merit, and be founded upon another cove­nant, viz. that of redemption; which is a covenant to repair breaches, and demands the taking of life, shedding of blood, and a complete satisfaction for injuries done to infinite honours; which satisfaction, the life and blood of all mere creatures, could not make in a finite time; there­fore it must be the blood of the son of God, who is con­sidered as a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. xiii. 8. Here God appoints himself another seed (not instead of Abel whom Cain slew, but) instead of Adam, whom the Devil slew: hence, when the second covenant was made with Adam, and in him with his pos­terity, as he was made a foederal or covenant father, this seed is spoken of, as one to bruise the serpent's head, whose blood is the foundation upon which a covenant of grace can be made with man; hence called the blood of the covenant or testament. Luke xxii. 20. Heb. ix. 20. Ex. xxiv. 8.

Secondly. I was to shew, that all men are included in this covenant: And in order to this,

1. I observe, that this covenant was established to and with Adam; for it was made immediately after the fall, before Adam had a son, as appears Gen iii. 15. Now al­though some suppose, when the covenant of grace was made, all was pass'd by but the elect; yet I have never understood that those persons held Adam to be pass'd by, as a non-elect; but that it has generally been believed he was of the chosen, and was saved. Now it appears alto­gether unreasonable to me, to suppose, that God would choose him who had betrayed so great a trust, and done such infinite injury to God and his own posterity, and pass by some of his posterity, who had only sinned in [Page 4]his representation: choose the ruiner, and pass'd by the ruined. Surely such are not the most grateful represen­tations of him, who declares he has no pleasure in the death of a sinner!

2. It appears infinitely reasonable to me to suppose, (that as Adam had sustained so great a relation to his pos­terity in the first covenant, as to be their representative for life and death, heaven and hell, and had actually ruin'd them all) when God condescends to covenant with him again, that if it be possible, God will give him some such relation to his posterity, as shall let him see, they are not damn'd barely on his account; and nothing short of making him a foederal father, could make such a disco­very to him; for as there can be but one covenant of grace, so if that doth not propose, and promise salvation to his seed (who are yet unborn) as well as to himself, he can see no way for their salvation at all: And O how gloomy and melancholy a consideration must be inferred, if Adam understood the covenant as many do in these days! sci. that the greater part of his posterity was pass'd by in making the covenant, reprobated, and left to pe­rish in a ruin that himself had brought upon them. Such a state of things, seems to be hardly consistent with the comfort of that good man, when we consider the im­portance of his relation to his posterity.

3. But we are sure it was possible for God to make such a covenant with Adam, as to confer on his posterity foederal holiness, or a new covenant relation of sonship to God; for such a form of covenanting was after exempli­fied with Abraham; and surely that form of covenanting was according to the original pattern. The form of co­venanting with Abraham, we know, was, that the whole family are included; father, son, servant born in his house, or bought with his money of the stranger, Gen. xvii 12, 13. The unborn seed of both are included in the covenant, and if they are not dealt with as such, the covenant was null and void with respect to them, ver. 14. Yea, the females are incovenanted with the males, [Page 5](as I could abundantly prove, was it denied) tho' inca­pable of the formal external ratification of the covenant by circumcision. I shall say no more at present, but that the females in Isra [...]l were ever treated as God's co­venant people; and the daughters might not marry with the uncircumcised. Gen. xxxiv. 14. Now that God did so covenant with Adam, as to include all his posterity, will appear, if we consider a few things.

• 1. That we have no Hint of any covenant made with Adam's seed, sci. Cain and Abel; yet they are God's covenant children; for it belongs to none but such, to use the modes of the administration of the covenant of grace; and offerings and sacrifices have no relation to any other covenant. We are sure God instituted this service, and enjoined it them either immediately himself, or mediately by their fathers, who alone can be supposed to be their instructors in this case, as Gen. iv. 3, 4.
• 2. We read nothing of any coming into the presence of the Lord, but only of going out: Now the place of God's presence is the church, Psal. cxxxii. 13, 14. There is abundant proof of this in the word of God; and Cain's going out from the presence of God, can mean nothing else but apostacy from God, and throwing off the yoke of a covenant re­lation to him; which Cain could not have done, had he not been a church member: and where did Cain sustain such a capacity, but from the terms of the covenant, the father and the child?
• 3. That. these were the terms of the covenant, will appear in Seth's family, who are all called children of God throughout their generations, until the flood, Gen. vi 2.

The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of the daughters of men. By sons of God, can be understood no other than Seth's posterity; and by daughters of men, Cain's; in which account we can't but know, male and female of the former, are God's children, and neither male nor female of the latter; for surely it was lawful for the sons of Seth to marry. But if the daughters of Seth were not daughters of God also, they had none but [Page 6]daughters of men to marry with; which we see was un­lawful: and consequently, it was as unlawful, for the daughters of God, or of Seth's posterity, to marry with the sons of men, or of Cain's posterity. But how came Seth's posterity to be children of God, above Cain's? It was not their being regenerated, or their pious and vir­tuous living: no, it is the wickedness of these sons of God, that is mention'd as the cause, why God will destroy men from off the earth by a flood, Gen. vi. 2, to 13, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth; while Noah only was found righteous in his generation, chap. vii. 1. "Their son ship therefore above the posterity of Cain, could he no other than a covenant relation from their father Adam, which Cain and his posterity had forfeited and lost, by his going out from the presence of the Lord God was willing Cain should have his proper primogeniture, or place of first born; which Cain seemeth to suspect, by the manner of God's speak­ing to him, if thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him, Gen. iv. 7. and when Cain had slain leis brother, God did not excommunicate him, but brands him with going out voluntarily; Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, Gen iv. 16.

By all which we learn, how unwilling God was, there should be a generation of heathen, or uncovenanted people; and we see how highly God resents that heathen race, disclaims all relation to them, calls them sons of men, and will even drown his own children for marrying with them. — 4. If Cain and Abel became church-members, from the very nature of the covenant, the fa­ther and his seed; then they being God's covenant chil­dren, their seed's right cannot be denied; and so the right of church membership, and a covenant relation to God, runs to [...]ed's seed forever; as was exemplified in Seth's posterity: for altho' they were generally destroyed by the flood, yet not individually, Noah being found righteous in that generation, his seed's right after the flood, is as [Page 7]good as before: for the covenant is the s [...]m [...] and God never de [...] cov [...]nant rel [...]ion of sonship and Church member [...] of the seed of [...]d [...]m, until they, by their [...] as was ex-ex [...]mp [...] [...] infant po­sterity [...] [...]pen [...] [...] their fa­ther's [...] the Lord in cove­na [...] [...] do in i [...]ancy, and liv [...] [...] God, or [...]om under his [...] Eph. ii. 4. [...] world; when they [...] to years, they know [...] about it. Hence [...], that w [...] [...]a [...] of Cain's going out of the presence of the Lord, b [...] we read of [...] coming in; for he was in, before he could go out, or come in, of himself, and th [...] [...]st thing he can do in these respects, is to go out; a [...] [...]o if parents had not disinherited their children, the whose world must have been the church, God's children, and covenant people to this day; and would be so to the end of time, if not so disinherited. After the flood God spake to Noah, and his sons with him, saying, and I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you, Gen. ix. 8, 9 Here the seed are ex­pressed, with a covenant established with them, as fully as with the parents; and what comfortable encourage­ment, without this, could there be, to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth? ver. 1 and 7, or fill it, as the word replenish signifies: and God's blessing Noah and his sons, with the subjection of beasts, or a dominion over them, could yield but cold comfort, if their seed are not the blessed of the Lord with them; but we see they were: and here the whole world are the church again; and their seed after them, as ver. 9, are all the human creatures that ever shall be born.

5. If infants did not belong to the original draught of the covenant of grace, but must be taken in upon their own actual believing, when come to years; then their covenant relation to God, in Abraham's day, was an [Page 8]appendant of the Theocracy that he was under, and must be abolished with it, and then where is our right to infant baptism? However, I think the case is out of all doubt, from the reasons and arguments already used, that the covenant was made and established with Adam, and his in­fant seed; and as all, male and female, are his descendants; so the covenant of grace includes all, as really as ever the covenant of works did: it is no more a reason, that the heathen are not in the covenant of grace, because they receive no actual benefit from it, than it is, that all were not in the covenant of works, because they reap no ad­vantage. For we see, children can as well be bereaved of foederal holiness, in the covenant of grace, by parents' misconduct, as of real holiness in the covenant of works, by the misconduct of Adam.

Thirdly. I was to shew, that the covenant of grace is conditional.

But before I come directly to the point, I will premise a few things.

• 1. That a covenant must exist before it can be conditional; therefore, what God doth for man, before a covenant is made with him, cannot be obtained by any condition to be done on man's part; for condi­tions suppose a covenant.
• 2. That a covenant must (as it is a compact by which God and men are to conduct themselves, by obligations) be fairly exhibited, and the terms understood, and such as can be complied with, and are suitable to be complied with.
• 3. The covenanting parties must know they are parties concerned; otherwise the covenant is a counterfeit and, cheat.
• 4. A covenant must be ratified, or established, in order to its being obligatory, on the parties concerned. The sealing of a covenant, cannot be a condition of that covenant, because it is not binding 'till it be ratified: a covenant may be owned and confirmed, and yet not one condition of it ever performed, and all the good condi­tionally [Page 9]promised, forfeited and lost. There is no doubt but men are under obligations to join themselves to the Lord in covenant, when God will covenant with them, but these obligations arise from a natural, and not foederal relation to God.
• 5. That God has ever chosen to treat with men under the bonds of a solemn covenant, ratified by oath, or vi­sible seal, of bot [...]; see Gen. xiii. 11. Ezek. xvi 8. and Heb. vi. 17. and has ever considered a people in covenant with himself, in very happy circumstances, in comparison of an uncovenanted people, see Gen. vi. 3. My spirit shall not always strive with man. Num. xxiii. 21, 23. The Lord his God is with him; there is no enchantment against Jacob. Duet. xxxiii. 27, 29. The eternal God is thy refuge; happy art thou O Israel. Mat xv. 24, 26. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel; it is not mete to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. Luke xv. 31. Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is th [...]ne. Rom. xi. 17. And with them partakest of the root and fatness Cant. viii. 10. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; then was I in his eyes, as one that found favour. But as Balaam of old, said, Numb. xxiii. 10. Who can count the dust of Jacob? so say I, who can count [...] expressions of kindness, that there are in the word of God, towards his covenant people?

I now come directly to the proof of the third thing proposed, viz. That the covenant of grace is conditional. N [...]w all must allow, that this is the only covenant, in which life and salvation is proposed, and promised to any of the children of men; the only covenant in which he treats with them about life and happiness; and that it is fairly exhibited, and the terms intelligible and reasonable; that the parties concerned are God and the visible Church, between both the parties: Hence I query, how are God's covenant people, or the visible church, to expect life and salvation? Are they promis'd absolutely or conditionally? To which I answer, if they are absolutely promis'd, all [Page 10]in the covenant must necessarily be saved; it is impossible to evade this conclusion, from these premises: but in order to deny the conditionality of the covenant, that I am insist­ing upon, it is denied, that any were in the covenant of grace really, but only the regenerate; others only visibly. Now if I can prove, that all the visible church, were really in covenant, the argument will stand in full force. And here I shall examine this distinction, between Reality, and Visibility. To be visibly in covenant, is to be in covenant, so as to be seen in covenant: but if they are not really there, they cannot be seen there; and visible church-membership, is a mere imaginary idea, i. e. a nothing. But do not God and men see the church really in covenant, i. e. the visible church? or is it only ficti­tious men? who in one breath say, they see a people in covenant, and their seed foederally holy, and in the next they see nothing really. One might have thought, com­mon sense would not be turned quite out of doors, to gratify a mistake.

If God tells me, that visible church members, tho' un­regenerate, are in the covenant of grace; I think I do well to believe, he saw them really there; or must I be­lieve, he tells me of that which hath no reality? God saith, the sons of Seth were his sons [...]urely none will say they were regenerate; for Noah only was found righteous in that generation, Gen. vii. 1. If they were not really in the covenant of grace, they were not really his sons; for one is as real as the other; and if they were not really in, they were really out, and are no more God's children than Cain's posterity. To use the words visible church, to distinguish it from the invisible, or regenerate elect, is undoubtedly very proper: but to use them in opposition to a real church, is a manifest self-contradiction: for vi­sible existence, is real existence; and the visible church as really exists, as the invisible. To say, the visible church has no real existence, is to make her only an imaginary, or fantastical church; she exists only in fancy, but bath no more reality, than a pious man without ho­nesty, [Page 11]or heaven without holiness: and is this chimerical church, that glorious one, that hath so much occupied the pen of the wise and learned, and godly, to defend? Let it not be told in Christendom, lest Anabaptistry tri­umph. I am very sensible, it has been tenderness for the support of the grace of the new covenant, that has crowded the best of men, to deny unregenerate men being really in the covenant of grace; as knowing, if that was allowed, they would have a right to spiritual promises, or the promise of spiritual blessings; and for natural men to have a right to the promises of spiritual blessings, they supposed to be inconsistent with free grace: but this I shall shew is a mistake, hereafter, and at present proceed to shew, that the visible church is really in solemn cove­nant with God. And having spoken of Seth's unregene­rate posterity, as being owned of God for his covenant children, under the first dispensation of the covenant of grace; I shall next prove from Israel, under the second dispensation; and full to the purpose is that xvith chap. and 8th ver. of Ezekiel, Yea, I sware unto thee, and en­tered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. This could be no other but the co­venant of grace; for in relation to any other, there was never found with God a time of love since the fall; and by no other, was the blood or defilement of sinners, ever to be washed away. The time of this covenanting, was when God called Abraham, as ver. 3, Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan, thy father was an Amo­rite, and thy mother an Hittite; and before God cove­nanted with them, they were as helpless as a new-born babe: the covenanting therefore here spoken of, was with their father Abraham, and yet made these his children, so long after, God's children; he owns them for his; and thou becamest mine; which is a manifest proof of foederal holiness. That they were unregenerate, of whom these things were spoken at this time, is evident; for the design of this prophecy was, to make Jerusalem know her abo­minations, ver. 2. and her vileness is described throughout [Page 12]the latter part of the chapter; I shall cite a few in stances. Ver. 20. Thou hast taken thy sons and daughters, whom thou hast born unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them, to be devoured thou best slain my children, and de­livered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them. Ver. 21. that is their images. Ver. 17. And I will judge thee as women that break wedlock, and shed blood, and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy, ver. 38. &c. From all which accounts, it is fully evident, if God may be believed, that these unregenerate Israelites, were par­ties with whom the covenant of grace was made and ra­tified; I sware unto thee, and thou becamest mine. To the same purpose is 2 Chron. xxxvi 15, 16 The Lord God of their fathers sent to them, rising up betimes, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers, and despised his words, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his peoples, 'till there was no remedy. Also Isai. v. 7. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression: for righteousness, but behold a cry. See also chap. i. 3. My people do not consider. Also Is. lxiii. 17, 18, 19. The tribes of thine inheritance; the people of thy holiness; we are thine. Jer. iii. 14. Turn, O back­sliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you. L [...]stly, Rom. xi. 17. If s [...]me of the branches be broken off; which they could not, if they were not really in the covenant, neither could they if they had been rege­nerate. How great a multitude of texts could I cite to the same purpose? But those I have cited, shall suffice in this form of proving; and I shall proceed to another, and say,

• 1. He that is not really in covenant, hath no right to offer sacrifices; but unregenerate Cain had such a right, therefore really in covenant.
• 2. They that were not really in covenant, had no right to eat the passover; but the unregenerate circum­cised Israelites, and strangers that sojourned with them, had a right to eat the passover; therefore really in co­venant. [Page 13] Ex. xii. 48. No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
• 3. No one out of the covenant of grace, had a claim to the promises; but the unregenerate circumcised Jews, had such a claim; therefore really in the covenant of grace Acts ii. 39 The promise is to you; and Rom. ix. 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the covenants and the promises. I think I have more than sufficiently proved, that the visible church is really in solemn cove­nant with God; and as the covenant of grace, is the co­venant of promise, so [...] and salvation i [...] promised to all that are i [...] it; therefore the argument returns, if life and salvation are absolutely promised; all in the covenant of grace, must be necessarily saved; but that they are not; therefore the covenant is conditional: if there was no con­dition, there could be no suspending term.

But more fully to evince this hypothesis. I observe, unregenerate men, really in the covenant of grace, are ever treated with conditionally, under all the dispensations thereof, Gen. iv. 7. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? Deut. xxix. 12, read to 25. That thou shouldest enter into the covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: that he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; lest there should be among you man or woman, family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God; the Lord will not spare him; then men shall say, because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them, ver. 25. See chap. xxxii. 5, to 29. They have corrupted themselves; a perverse and crooked generation; for a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell; O that they were wise, that they would consider their latter end! Isai. xlviii. 17, 18. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit; which leadeth thee by the way that [Page 14]thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Luke xiii. 34. How often would I have gathered thy children together,— and ye would not! John i. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Rom. x. 21. But to Israel he saith, all day long I have stretched forth my bands unto a disobedient and gain-saying people. Rev. ii. 21, 22. And I gave her space to repent, and she repented not; I will cast her into great tribulation, except she repent. And iii 18. I counsel thee to buy of me, &c. All these texts speak of a people really in covenant with God; propose to them the salvations of the covenant of grace, and yet no other way than conditionally.

But that the covenant of grace can be, and is conditional, I more fully shall make manifest from Rom. iv. 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or his seed, thro' the law, but thro' the righte­ousness of faith. Now, that by the world, is in this text, to be understood the land of Canaan, if we consider a few things, will appear,

• 1. That the land of Canaan was expressly given to Abraham, and his seed, Gen. xvii. 8. or promised to be given; hence in Heb. xi. 8. called the land of promise.
• 2. That the exercise of faith was a condition to which the land was promised. Heb. iii. 19. So we see they could not enter in, because of unbelief; and the apostle tells us, that which is of faith, is of grace, Rom. iv. 16. And seeing that land was promised of grace, and to faith, and was a type of the heavenly rest, or rest in Christ by faith; so the way of obtaining it, was fit to be an example, of the way of' obtaining justification, or salvation: hence is the apostle's reasoning in the ivth to the Hebrews, when he saith, The gospel was preached to the Jews, in the promise of the land of Canaan, ver. 2. but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it; and ver. 6.

They to whom it was first preached, entered not in, because of unbelief; the en­tering [Page 15]not in of those to whom it was first preach'd, means their not entering into Canaan, which was promis'd to them; for upon this the apostle founds all his exhortation to the Hebrews, both to fear, as in ver. 1. and to labour, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief; as in ver 11. Now the sum of what I have here proved is this, viz that the promise of the land of Canaan was a gracious gospel promise, and that the land was to be obtained by faith, and not by the works of the law; and so a fit pattern by which to prove justification to be of grace; and hence it is, that the apostle useth the argument to that end, Rom. iv. 13. But let the apostle in this text, mean what he will by the world, this we have found, viz That the land of Canaan was a world promised, exactly accord­ing to the apostle's account here, viz. that Abraham and his seed should be heirs of it, and that, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Now tho' the promise of the land of Canaan, was a gracious gospel promise, and to be obtained by faith, in opposition to obtaining of it by the works of the law; yet they to whom the promise was made, many of them, never obtained it, for want of complying with the condition; this the apostle proves, Heb. iii. at large, ver. 18, 19; and in chap. iv. 1, 11, proves, that those to whom the promise is made o [...] entering into Christ's rest, or into salvation by faith, may not obtain it, for not complying with the condition, to which the pomise is made. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it; let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Nothing need be more plain than this, viz. that to fall after the same example of unbelief, is for those to whom the promise is made in the covenant of grace, not to obtain the salvation promised, because they do not comply with the condition, to which the promise is made. But lastly, if there is no coming short of things promised in a pure covenant of grace, for that there are no conditional suspending terms; then for [Page 16]God ever to declare, that men with whom the new cove­nant was made, perished for want of complying with a condition; was, and is, to declare, that the covenant in which he treated with them, tho' called new, yet was the old covenant of works; which is blasphemous once to suggest. From all which it appears, the covenant of grace is conditional.

Fourthly. I was to shew there must be life, or no co­venant.

Here I observe, that it is the covenant of grace, res­pecting the salvation of perishing men, that I a [...] con­sidering; and if all these with whom God made, and ratified this covenant, are not parties concerned, it is [...] ­possible it should be a covenant with them nor concern'd in it; and if they are taken into it, it is a counterfeit with respect to them, if life is not to be obtained. And seeing it is impossible for God to counterfeit covenants; we are sure there is life and salvation for all that God s [...]th are in the covenant of grace; and as I have shewn, that all the seed of Adam were foederally holy, until they were disinherited by breach of covenant; so it must follow, that they were all parties concerned, and that the covenant of grace contained life and salvation for them. Hence it is, that Moses could call heaven and earth to record, that he had set before God's covenant people, lif [...], Deut. xxx 19. and Jesus could weep over Jerusalem saying, How often would I have gathered thy children; and, if thou hadst known in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, Mat. xxxiii. 37. Luke xix. 42. But what hath the names grace and salvation, to do with a covenant, that can only sink the greater part of these with whom it is made, deeper into hed? And yet this must re the case, it salvation in the covenant, was provided for none but such as are saved: when Jesurun waxed fat, forsook God, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his SALVATION; a fire was kindled in God's anger, which should burn to the lowest hell, Deut. xxxii. 15, 22. God the Rock of [Page 17]his SALVATION, in the new covenant, and no salvation for him in the new covenant; and yet for being in the new covenant, must be burnt in the lowest hell. Tho' the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved, Rom. ix. 27. If there was salvation in the covenant of grace, for none but this remnant; then but a remnant could be saved: And all except that remnant, must burn in the lowest hell, for their misfortune in being the children of Israel, and so foederally holy. Such divinity cannot be true; therefore there must be no life, or no covenant.

Object. If life and salvation are in the covenant of grace for all men, without distinction, then Christ shed his blood for all; and seeing all are not saved, be must have shed his blood in vain; which can't be allowed.

Answer. You say, for Christ to shed his blood in vain, can't be allowed, but I say, for God to make a new covenant with a people respecting the salvation of their immortal souls, is impossible, if salvation for their im­mortal souls is not in it: Yourself allow in the objection, life and salvation can't be in the covenant for ALL, un­less Christ's blood was shed for ALL; if God therefore extend the covenant beyond the blood of Christ, it is a defraud; and when God owns the wicked, unregenerate sons of Seth for his children, made so by being in the covenant of grace; doth he counterfeit a covenant, and defraud Seth's children? And when God tells Jerusalem, in order to make her know her abominations, whose chil­dren were, most of them, like to perish in their abomi­nations; he had entered into a covenant with them; and made them his own; yea, he had thoroughly washed away their blood, Ex. xvi. 9. Doth he defraud them by entering into a counterfeit covenant with them? What is become of the charitable plea for the speechless, if this was the case? For this covenant was made before they were born; and yet with them, as being in the loins of Abraham their father, when God covenanted with him: For God covenanted to be a God to him, and his seed. [Page 18]Now, to wash away the blood of a people, in a new co­venant religious sense, must mean one or more of these several things; either their eternal election, powerful conviction, regeneration and justification, or a new cove­nant, that made it possible for them to be saved. That they were elected, convicted, or converted, appears not at all: Therefore by washing away their blood, can mean nothing else but making such a covenant with them, as tenders salvation possible and attainable. And that this covenant washing away of blood, is the thing intended, will fully appear, from the time in which God saith it w [...] done, viz when the covenant was made with Abra­ham; then washed I thee, yea, thoroughly washed away thy blood; THEN, refers to the time of covenanting, which was before they were born; and so could be neither con­victed nor converted: And as to their eternal election, (if they had any) it was before their father was an Amo­rite. From all which, if there was not life and salvation in the covenant, their blood could not be washed away in any sense; and to speak with reverence, he that saith, I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine; and then I thoroughly washed away thy blood, must be in­sincere, false, and fraudulent; yea must even have taken a false oath, I swear unto thee Now if God can be de­livered from these blasphemous imputations, no other way, than by concluding life and salvation is in the cove­nant of grace, made with all the visible church, for all that are in it; and that Christ's blood was shed for them; what do men mean, to say, Christ's blood was shed in vain? Is it not as necessary Christ's blood should be shed to vindicate sincerity, truth, and honesty; as to satisfy justice? Therefore when men say, Christ shed his blood in vain, if it was for them that are not saved; they know not what they say, not whereof they affirm; unless they could prove God never made and ratified the covenant of grace with any but those that are saved; which I think, is impossible. I know men have attempted to prove the covenant of grace is made only with the regenerate, elect, [Page 19]or such as shall be saved; and that in order (as they su [...] ­po [...]) [...] vindicate free grace, and the efficacy of Christ's, blood. But in so doing, they have constantly contradicted God and themselves, while both assert foederal holiness. Thus while they shun Scylla, they split upon Charybdis. Hence it is no covenant of grace that hath not life for ALL that are in it. From all which it fully appears, that when God made the covenant of grace with Adam, and his [...]eed faederally holy, he thoroughly washed away the blood of all of them, i. e. made it possible for them all to be saved through the blood of the redeemer, which was shed for them all.

Fifthly. I was to shew, that the holy ghost, a new heart, and remission of sin, are all promised to all the human [...]ace.

I have shewn already, that the covenant of grace is conditional; the promises, of consequence, must be con­ditional also. Now promises being essential to a cove­nant, if the covenant includes all (as before proved) then the promises are to all; and the point would seem to be proved without further trouble: But seeing distinctions are to be made between temporal and spiritual promises, and supposing all will allow temporal things are conditionally promised to all in the covenant; therefore the point to prove is this, viz. that the things I have mentioned, are promised to all. This I shall do,

1. Thus, the covenant of grace never promises tem­poral things mainly, much less only; i e it was never given, or dispensed to any man short of saying, either implicitly or expressly, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved; and if thou wilt do so and so, God will circumcise thine heart, Deut. xxx. 2, 6. Thou shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice, the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart. He that joineth himself to the Lord, to serve him, and taketh hold of God's covenant, hath the promise of being accepted, and made joyful, Isai. lvi. 6, 7. Take away [Page 20]the righteousness of Christ, the help of the spirit, [...] eternal life, and it is no longer [...]e covenant of grace. But were not all that ever were visibly in the covenant of grace, bound to seek eternal Life by it? Those to whom it propose eternal life, it promises spiritual relief; if all the visible church were not bound to seek spiritual life by the covenant they were under, they can never receive a double or aggravated damnation for not doing it, and it is not the covenant of grace that is dispensed to them, but some other temporary covenant. Therefore.

2. That it was the covenant of grace, in which life and salvation are promised to all that are included in it, that was dispensed to Adam and his seed, I thus farther prove; that covenant which was administred by offerings and sacrifices, was the eternal covenant of grace, and such was the covenant dispensed to Adam personally, and to all his seed relatively, as has been abundantly proved.

3. That covenant, the modes of the administration of which were given to represent the redeemer's blood, attonement, and satisfaction for sin, and calls the sinner to behold the lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world; must promise, as it is a covenant of promise, the holy ghost, a new heart, and remission of sin; for there is no taking away the sin of the world without these things; therefore is the eternal covenant of grace; and this is the covenant that was dispensed to Adam and [...] [...]ed.

4. If the covenant dispensed in and by these mo [...] of administration, was not the eternal covenant of grace, it was not dispensed to Adam, or his s [...]ed at all; Cain was called to do well by some other covenant, and the modes of the administration of it, were signs without any thing signified; and so no man called by it, to behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world; for what it speaks to one, it speaks to all that are included in it.

5. The covenant dispensed to Adam and his seed was the same that was dispensed to Abraham and his seed; [Page 21]some of the seed of Adam had trodden under foot the son of God, and counted he blood of the covenant whereby they were sanctified, or made federally holy, an unholy thing; according to Heb. x. 29. This ministered an occasion for God to call, and covenant with Abraham, which he doth without any alteration as to the nature of the covenant; which was, that it conveyed foederal holiness to the seed of the faithful, or visible church: God dispensed the covenant to Abraham with some ceremonial difference, and added circumcision to be a criterion of the visible church; the better to distinguish to the world, and the church, who should be the subjects of his peculiar favour, and the heirs of promise, that men might know where to go to find the foot-steps of the flock, and where God makes flocks to rest at noon, Cant. i. 7, 8. And also to seal the covenant as a gracious plan; and to bring the church under more solemn bonds, Gal. v. 3. He that is circum­cised, is a debtor to do the whole law; and also to be a type of Christ's blood, and a sign of heart circumcision, both to the father, child, and servant. This covenant was dispensed to Adam and his seed with bloody types; but had not this seal, and significant sign of heart circum­cision, or regeneration; therefore the covenant was dis­pensed to Adam, and his seed, with some ceremonial disadvantages, and indeed, the covenant was not dis­pensed with all its ceremonial advantages in Abraham's day, and some time after, viz. until the ark was built, the mercy seat, and one high-priest appointed to enter once a year into the most holy place; with the names of the twelve tribes engraven on his breast-plate, bearing the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually, Exod. xxviii. 29, 30. And many other things that might be observed. Now seeing these different modes of administration, did not alter the nature of the covenant, as to the subjects, the father and the child, not yet the promises to both; the difference being only in ceremonies: if I prove the holy ghost, a new heart and remission of sin, was promised to all the [Page 22]visible church, made so by circumcision, from Abraham's day to the coming of Christ, and by baptism to the end of time; [...] prove the point in hand. And full to the purpose is Acts ii. 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children. I he things here promised are remission of sin, and the gift of the holy ghost, ver. 38. which must include a new heart, and justification: But how could the apostle Peter say, these things w [...]re promised to the unre­generated Jews? Answer, for no other reason, than this, viz. That they were the visible church, God's covenant people, being the [...]eed of Abraham▪ The promise is in these words, Gen. xvii. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. From this, and no other founda­tion, doth Peter appropriate this pro [...]ise to th [...] Jews; so that the apostle understood, when God promised to be a God to Abraham: and his seed, in the covenant of grace, he promised them the holy Ghost, or [...] new heart and remission of sin; and Peter knowing these to be the seed of Abraham, with whom the covenant was made, could, without hesi [...]ation, say, the promise of the holy ghost, or a new heart, and remission, or justification, was promised to them, and their children; and had it not been a general promise to all in the covenant, the apostle could not have appropriated it to these Israel­ites in particular, who had crucified Christ, ver. 36. of Acts ii. If they had been regenerated, the promise of the holy ghost, or regeneration could not be to them; and it is evident they had not received it, i. e. the gift of the holy ghost, from the express words of the apostle; nay the promise the apostle refers to, was made before they were born, and extends to their children yet unborn: So that we see the holy ghost, a new heart, and remission of sin, are promised to all the visible church; and hence it is that God could say, when he entred into covenant with Abraham, he throughly washed away the blood of his seed, so long after, as in the days of Ezekiel, chap, [Page 23]xvi. 8, 9. And the church, (when comparing herself with the Gentiles, or as she calls her, a little sister, having no breasts) could say, I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; then was [...]in his eyes, as one that found favour; the Church that asserts this of herself, is the whole Jewish, covenant people, for this reason; by the little sister, she means all the desolate uncovenanted gentiles; and if she doth not include the whole covenant people of the Jews in herself, the unregenerate Israelites, are lost out of the world; for who are they, that don't belong to either Jew or Gentile? And were it not for the promises, the Jewish church would have been as weak and uncomly as the little sister, Cant. viii. 8, 10. And hence God could say, of the son that continued in a covenant relation with hims [...]lf, (while Cain and his successors went out from the presence of the Lord, and wasted their substance with riotous living) Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. Luke xv. 31. By this elder son, undoub­tedly Christ designed to signify the carnal Jews, who were displeased that he received sinners, and did eat with them; as ver 2. and of whom the apostle saith, as concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, Rom. xi. 28. And what is here said of the elder son, viz. that all that God had was his, can't ex [...]ed that promise, Gen. xvii. 7. to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, in their generations. Therefore, when the covenant is recited, and the blessings included are express'd, as Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, all is summ'd up, and I will be your God, ver. 28. God cannot exceed this. Now as this was all Israel's glory, that to them pertained the covenants and the promises of the holy ghost; a new heart and remis­sion of sin: So we being grafted in amongst them, to partake of the root and fatness; these promises must be our happy inheritance, to the end of time. See Rom ix. 4. and xi. 17.

Object. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all [Page 24]children; they which are the children of the flesh, these [...] not the children of God: But the children of the promise an counted for the seed. Rom. ix. 6, 7, 8.

Answer. By children of the flesh, and children of promise, the apostle doth not design to distinguish the elect from reprobates, or the regenerate from the un­regenerate; but to distinguish false professors from true ones. Both in the, words of the objection, and in the 4th chapter of the Galatians, he saith, ver. 21, Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written. Abraham had two sons. Ver. 22. He of the bond woman was born after the flesh: He of the free woman, was by promise, ver. 23. What the apostle is proving in both these relations, is this. viz. that such as expect to obtain righteousness, and justification, by the works of the law, are born after the flesh; Why? Be­cause that covenant gendereth only to bondage, and ob­ligeth God to reject them, as he did Ishmael and Esau: As the covenant was made with the Israelites, it made them all the children of promise; the promise is to you, and your children, Acts ii. 29. Eph. ii. 12. Rom. ix. 4. The service of God, and the promises, belonged to them all by covenant, even to the whole house of Israel. Whence God takes occasion to say, they were planted in a very fruitful hill, and with the choicest vine, Isa. v. 1, 2. hence he looked for judgment and righteousness, ver. 7. and declares, when he entered into covenant with them, he throughly washed away their blood; even the blood of those that perished among them, Ex. xvi. 9, 40. But as they entered into the covenant, looking upon it to be a covenant of works, either in whole or in part; they made themselves children of the flesh: Therefore saith the apostle, having begun in the spirit, i. e. according to the covenant of grace, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? i. e. by the covenant of works, Gal iii. 3. These are the two covenants the apostle speaks of Gal. iv. 24. tho' God had made no such two covenants with them, yet they de­siring to be under the law, ver. 21. and not looking to [Page 25]the end of that which way abolished, made the covenant, a covenant of works to themselves; and so were in bond­age, with their children, ver. 25, while the covenant of grace made its subjects free; for that it promised all ne­cessary relief, ver. 26. The covenant of works saith, Cast out the bond woman, and her son, ver. 30, while the co­venant of grace sets Jerusalem above such a helpless con­dition, ver. 26. As I am now handling the i [...]th to the Romans, and ivth to the Galatians, (in both which it is generally esteemed, are some things hard to be under­stood) my reader will indulge me the liberty of being more particular, in answering this objection; seeing it is founded on these very difficult parts of both the chapters: And in as much as the objection is levelled against the visible church, as being not all of them God's children, and Heirs of promise; and seeing that this objection is supposed to be strengthened, from a great part of tie ixth to the Romans; I shall consider all the parts, in which it may be supposed to receive support. And here let me say▪

The scope and design of the apostle in both these chap­ters was, to dissuade professors from an attachment to their own righteousness for justification; or prevent them from such attachments. This will appear, if we consider, that when the apostle had expressed his most pathetick sorrow, for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh; to whom pertained the service of God, and the promises: The reason he gives why they perished, was, that they sought righteousness by the works of the law, Rom. ix. 2, 4, 32. And his argument in Gal. iv. is on the same footing, ver. 21. tell we ye that desire to be under the law. In order therefore to pursue his design, of establishing the doctrine of justification by grace only, he takes notice of the different circumstances, that the church, or particular members in it, are under, accord­ing as they adhere to the law, o [...] gospel covenant. Those that adhered to the law covenant, he saith, were children of the flesh: Why? Because no church, or member of it, could be made spiritual by it; there was no promise of [Page 26]the spirit in it: And if they would be righteous, it must be by their own natural ability; which the apostle calls, being made perfect by the flesh, Gal. iii. 3. Those that adhered to the gospel covenant, he calls children of promise: Why? Not because they were regenerated; for the promise of a new heart, or regeneration, could not be made to them who had got it already: But because the gospel covenant, had the blood of Christ for its foun­dation; and promised all spiritual relief to those that ad­hered to it as such. Now in order to establish, promote, and illustrate this dictinction of covenants, and different circumstances of persons, according as they adhere to either covenant, the apostle has recourse to two instances, sci. Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob; in whose circum­stances he finds something very apt to his purpose. In Gal. iv. notice is only taken of Ishmael and Isaac, both sons of Abraham; with whom God established the cove­nant of grace: And tho' God promised to be a God to him, and his seed, which might seem as tho' Ishmael was an heir of promise; yet he is not the seed, to whom the promise is made, but in Isaac shall the seed be called, Rom. ix. 7. Now this circumstance, the apostle makes an allegorical figure of two covenants; and the point of light in which he talks, is this: The promise being to Abraham, and his seed, Ishmael being such, seemed as tho' he was an heir; but he is not: Cast him out; for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir, with the son of the free woman, Gal. iv. 30. Now, how doth this answer to Jerusalem? as ver. 25. Why, as God made but one covenant with the house of Israel, or the twelve tribes; and that a covenant of promise: so it would seem a tho' all must be heirs of promise; but they are not: Why? They adhere to a law covenant; so cannot be heirs with those that adhere to the gospel, or covenant of grace: And as Agar's seed was rejected, in the making the covenant; so such as adhere to a law covenant, are rejected in the execution of the covenant of grace; for this reason: They are the children of a bond covenant; [Page 27]and not of a free, or gospel covenant; though such only was the covenant God made with them. The apostle saith, this law covenant was from mount Sinai, Gal. iv. 24. and gendered to bondage; i. e. the law given at mount Sinai, in so terrible a manner, as to cause Moses exceedingly to fear and quake, Heb. xii. 21. argued the rigour of a law covenant (though no such covenant was made at that time, any more, than Agar was in fact, mount Sinai, which is said Gal. iv. 25) and argued the bondage of those that adhered to such a law covenant. So that when we join (as the apostle doth) Agar and Sinai together (as they signify bondage and terrible) fitly represent the terrible bondage of those that adhere to a law covenant. Hence, saith the apostle, they answer to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with her chil­dren, ver. 25▪ The inhabitants of this Jerusalem, are therefore called children of the bond woman, ver. xxxi. and are those said to be born after the flesh, ver. 23. of whom it is also said, when they followed after the law of righteousness, did not attain to it, because they sought it not by faith, but by the works of the law; so stumbled at Christ, Rom. ix. 31, 32. who also were broken off from the gospel covenant, or of grace, because of unbelief, and adhering to a law covenant, chap. xi. 21. But who is the Jerusalem above?

Answer. She is our mother, Gal. iv. 26. and seeing we are brethren, let us endeavour not to differ, but ho­nour our mother, as the law requires: And this with truth may be said to her honour, she is a free woman, and placed above that Jerusalem, that adheres to a law covenant. But is she converted, or regenerated? Answer, No, by no means. And is this the way to honour a mo­ther, to deny her conversion? Answer, I do not under­stand it a lawful way, to honour father or mother, to tell lies about them; and if you had no inclination to have her exposed, why did you ask me? But how do you prove she is not regenerated? Possibly that may be matter of doubt; and in charity, we ought always to put the most favourable [Page 28]construction upon the states of persons, especially our mother. Answer, You seem to be considerable of a stranger to her; possibly you were educated abroad; therefore, I shall endeavour to acquaint you with her circumstances in religion, as fully as I can: And my reasons for believing she is not regenerate, are these:

1. She is the church spoken of Isaiah i. Sing O barren▪ for more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife. See that she is the same, Gal. iv. 27. Observe, this is the gentile church, who once had been desolate, and then called a little sister, having no breasts, Cant. viii. 8. But she is spoken for, as ver. 8. called, as Acts ii. 39. and married, as Is. liv. 5. before she brings forth children. The married wife, spoken of ver. i. was the Jewish church; both are said to bring forth children when married: which respects regenerate persons, that should be born in either church: But if the gospel church is all regenerate, she cannot bear children at all, as being married; therefore she is married unregenerate; and we are sure this was the case with respect to the Jew­ish church, will fully appear Col. ii. II. in whom ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by the circumcision of Christ. By the circumcision mad [...] without hands, we must understand regeneration; and by the circumcision of Christ, water baptism, see ver. 12. and in as much as the circumcision made without hands, is done by the other, Christ's circumcision must be first: and it was by water baptism, that the marriage covenant between God and the gospel church, was solemnized and ratified: So that she now remembers the reproach of her widowhood no more; for her maker is her husband, Is. liv. 4, 5. Hence she becomes fruitful, as being under the promised blessing of, you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace, ver. 4. having therefore clearly seen the apostle's design in both these chapters, was to dissuade professors from an attachment to their own righ­teousness, or a law covenant: And that his distinction [Page 29]between children of the flesh, an not to distinguish the elect from reprobates; or the regenerate from unregenerate: I would here observe, whoever would propose to himself, to obtain a good un­derstanding of Rom. ix. must keep these things in his view. And having considered the words of the objection, in which was supposed a denial of the holy ghost, a new heart, and remission o [...] sin being promised to all the vi­sible church; and finding no such thing in them; I now proceed to consider whether any thing in Rom. ix. will support such objection.

And it is supposed to be supported, from ver. 11, 12, 13. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth, it was saih, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, If these verses support the objection at all, they must be understood thus, viz. that God from eternity, chose a certain number, to be heirs of eternal glory: (which no body need to deny) and that these only, are properly Israel; the Jerusalem above; and those only, with whom the covenant of grace was properly made; and so the only children of promise; but then these verses, have no connection with what was said about Isaac and Ishmael, as I have proved: and how can such a con­struction, answer the apostles' grand design? Which was to dissuade professors from adhering to a law covenant and attach them to the covenant of grace; for tho' such design in the apostle, might have a good tendency, to dissuade professors from trusting to their own works for justification; yet it had as good a tendency, to make them do none, for though it was impossible for them to be saved, in adhering to a law covenant: (Cast out the bond-woman and her son, for he shall not be heir, Gal. iv. 30. Yet, according to such design, there was four degrees of impossibility; to one of possibility of their being saved, let them adhere to what covenant they [Page 30]would. Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved, Rom. ix. 27. Who can believe this remnant exceeded a fifth part, of the visible church of Israel? Yet these are all the elect, and if they are all to whom the promise is made, the church was under the above said, four fold impossibility; and could not be a party concerned in the covenant of grace, if not of [...] elect; and could not know they were concerned, till they were regenerated; therefore if this was the apostle's design, he is endeavour­ing to attach them to a covenant, in which he cannot acquaint them, that they are parties concerned; and un­der a four-fold improbability, that they are concerned at all; these motives could not be sufficient, to answer the apostle's design: Hence then we must look for some other meaning, that will bear a connection with the fore­going instances of Isaac, and Ishmael, and also answer the grand design. And here let me say, the purpose of God according to election, Rom ix. 11. Hath a two-fold aspect;

1. It respects the choosing of Jacob, for that seed, with whom he, viz. God, would establish his covenant; while Esau is rejected; and herein they exactly agree, with the foregoing instance, for Isaac was chosen for the same seed, and both are chosen before they are born; to this end Isaac was a son of promise, before he was conceived, Gen. xviii. 10.

2. It respects the eternal purpose of God, with respect to the manner in which he chose Jacob, as well as Isaac, to be those seeds with whom he would establish his cove­nant; and the manner in which he chooseth to save any sinner. To choose a person for salvation, is one thing; but to chose a way in which to save him, is another, though both are according to the eternal purpose of God. That God hath chosen a certain number for salvation, is certain; but the way chosen wherein to save them, may be a way for all to be saved, notwithstanding God chose a certain number of angels for eternal happiness [Page 31]from eternity; but the way to that happiness was a way for them all to obtain it. Now it could answer no end at all, as to the apostle's design, viz. to bring people to adhere to the gospel covenant; to tell them, one out of five was. elected, and four our of five reprobated from eternity: Children of the flesh, but not of promise; of the bond, but not of the free woman; though all visibly in the same; yea, it must entirely frustrate his design; for according to that; they might adhere to the gospel covenant, and be children of the bond woman neverthe­less. Therefore the apostle hath no design here, to speak, neither doth he, about elect, or reprobate persons in the church, as one being a child of promise more than the other; but only as they are attached, to a law, or gospel covenant; and this exactly agreeth with the other instance: Hence, when he speaks of election, it is only with regard to Isaac and Jacob, as certain instances, whereby to point out the way, in which God from eternity purposed to save sinners; which is, not of works but of him that calleth, ver. 11. Here the apostle in order to promote his general and grand design, of bringing professors to adhere to the gospel covenant; and to shew that election, and justification is purely of grace; takes notice that Jacob was chosen to be the seed, (with whom God would establish his covenant) before he was born, or had done good or evil; by which he establisheth this doctrine, viz. that man's good work shall have no more hand in meriting, or deserving his own election, justification, and eternal happiness, than as though he had never done any good at all, This doctrine they that adhered, or were attached to a law covenant did not believe; as appears, Rom. ix. 32. They sought righteousness by the works of the law, and Gal. v. 4. Whosoever of you are justified by the law, are fallen from grace, chap. iv. 21. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, &c. And not believing this doctrine, they are children of the flesh, and of the bond-woman, for that they adhered to a bond-covenant: But no because they were not elected, or [Page 32]regenerated; for that the apostle saith nothing about therefore the objection gains no support, from thes [...] verses; for those that adhered to the gospel covenant▪ entred into it, and ratified it as such, were children o [...] the free-woman, and of promise, though unregenerate. But possibily some body waits to ask me this difficult question. Why was Ishmael and Esau cast out of, or rejected from the covenant, seeing infants belong to the Jerusalem above, and are the children of promise?

Answer, Though I am wearied with difficult questions, yet I will endeavour to give some account of this affair. And here let us consider what God was doing in the early ages of the world; and let me say, to all bodies there must be a head; in all families there must be a patriarch; in all kingdoms there must be a supreme; in all states there must be a law giver; and to all branches there must be a root: Now as in Abraham's family, God establisheth a divine government, or a theocracy, he made himself head, king, and law giver to them, both as a church, and as a state; thus he gives them laws about dividing lands, and settling bounds, see Josh. xv. 13. read chap. xvi. and xvii. However God makes Abra­ham and his family, the metropolis of the nation. This was the sovereign pleasure of God; for he might have given this preferment, to Nahor, or Haran, Abraham's brother; but it can't be the priviledge of each of them. Here God honours Abraham with the promise, that Christ should descend from him; makes him, as it were, his bosom friend; undertakes to give laws to him and him family; and from them shall laws be propagated in the world; especially religious laws: To them were committed the oracles of God: Rom. iii. 2. And the law must go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Here God makes him the father of all na­tions, Gen. xvii. The root of the church, Rom. xi. 17. So that if any will be members, Jews or Gentiles, they must take hold of Abraham's covenant, be grafted into it, and receive divine blessings from him patrimony, for there is the root and fatness.

[Page 33] Before Abraham's day, God made choice of no parti­cular family, to whom he would give laws, so as that all the world should receive the mind of God from that fa­mily only. And this was not a privilege he himself ob­tained in a covenant way; for God made no covenant before; that if he would do so or so, he would make a covenant with him, in which he should be the father, first of the Jew, and after of the Gentile also. Now to make a covenant of salvation with a people is one thing; but to put particular preferment upon some person or persons in that covenant, is another: And the Gentile church can never have that preferment, the Jewish church had; until God destroy Abraham's patrimony: Thou bearest not the root, but the root thee, Rom. xi. 18. Here I am prepared to say; when Ishmael and Esau are spoken of as rejected, there is no appearance that the were cast out of the co­venant of grace, for that was the common priviledge of all that had a desire to be in it; and they were in it by God's command, Gen. xvii. 10, 23. And if they are turned out, it is upon their own default; but not before Esau was born, Rom. ix. ii. Here then when Jacob is spoken of, as being chosen before he was born, it hath no relation to his election for heaven, (tho' he might be one of that election too) but of his being chosen to be a father of the church, and of Christ: and hence in honour to him, he is called so, Rom. xi. 28, and ix. 5. Now, as the promise to Abraham, viz. that God would be a God to him, and his seed after him; did not bind God to confer the particular preferment of patriarch, on one of Abra­braham's, or Isaac's children, more than the other; God, as a sovereign, makes the distinction, and discovers he has done it in respect of Isaac's children, before they are born, or have done good or evil, in these words, The elder shall serve the younger. This therefore, of chusing Isaac and Jacob, was no more done in a covenant way, than the chusing of Abraham himself: For the promise that God would be a God to Abraham, and his seed, was as much in favour of one child as the other; and as to [Page 34]particular preferment, God, as sovereign, could dispose of it in an unconditional way; whereas a covenant always supposeth conditions. And God's chusing Jacob, before he had done good, was an excellent argument to establish the covenant of grace; and to bring professors to adhere to it. And now I shall consider, what may be said fur­ther about Ishmael and Esau. And

1. With respect to Esau, the elder shall serve the younger. This could not be before they were born; therefore respects after time, and means Esau's posterity, as well as himself: and all that is designed by it is, that Jacob, and him posterity, shall be preferred; they shall rule with God: shall receive laws from God; while Esau and his posterity, shall receive God's laws from them, and a Christ from his brother's family, and not his own; and if he and his posterity, will enjoy the blessings of their covenant relation to God, they shall adhere to Israel, for to them shall the mind of God be revealed, as it is writ­ten, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. If we understand hated, to respect Esau before he was born, it can mean no more, than prefering Jacob before him, as above said; but if we join hated to the time in which he was to serve his brother, it may mean more; for before he served his brother, he profanely sold his birth-right, Heb. xii. 16. and sought to slay his brother Jacob, and he said in his heart, then will I slay my brother Jacob, Gen. xxvii. 41. Wh [...]n Isaac was blessing Jacob, he thought he was blessing Esau; but sure he never thought he was rejecting Jacob from the covenant of grace: How then can the same blessing falling on Jacob, reject Esau? But so great was the resentment and prejudice conceived in Esau, on the account of Jacob's obtaining the birth right (which as we are told, Gen. xxv. 34, he despised and profanely sold) and his after obtaining the blessing; that he and his posterity, scorn to be beholden to Jacob and his posterity, for divine instruction; and so probably pe­rished in their own ignorance and wickedness, while the [...]rim and thummim was with God's holy one, Deutronomy [Page 35]xxxiii. 8. Of Ishmael it is said by Sarah, Cast out the bond woman, and her son, Gen. xxi. 10. which sentence God confirms, ver. 12. and saith, in Isaac shall thy seed be called; which can mean no otherwise than the prefer­ment before considered. If Abraham had understood by casting our his son, rejecting him and his posterity, from the covenant of grace; what satisfaction could it have been to him, for God to tell him, he had heard his prayer, blessed Ishmael, and would make of him a great n [...]tion, Gen. xvii▪ 20. [...]e might better pray for his death, before he had any posterity to be ruined. And if Isaac had under­stood, by the elder shall serve the younger, the rejection of Esau, and his posterity, from the covenant of grace, why did he circumcise him?

When God covenants with a father, it is a time of love with all his infant offspring, as Ez. xvi. 8. Yet God as a sovereign, may chuse to prefer one above the other, and promise to do it, in the covenant, and that is to reject the other from that preferment, but not from the covenant. God purposed that Jacob's family should grow up into a religious kingdom, Ez. xvi. 3. should have the land of Canaan, should build his ark and glo­rious house; should have the spirit of prophecy, and his oracles; should keep their tribes distinct, and bring forth his only-begotten son, with evidence, that this is the sa­viour of Jew and Gentile. This family shall be capital; and here religion shall be in state, honour and dignity. This could not be the preferment of every family of the earth; all could not live in Canaan; one ark is all that must be; and one high priest at a time; and to give his written law and gospel to them, is sufficient for the whole world; tho' all the world are not made the head. God tells Israel, they shall be the head. Deut. xxviii. 13. The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath. Hence God saith, he suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; saying touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm, [Page 36]1. Chron. xvi: 21, 22. But how can this preferment of Abraham, Jsaac and Jacob, exclude others from the co­venant of grace? No surely! God would have Jerusalem to be a praise in the earth, Isai, lxii. 7, and kings to f [...] her glory, Ps. cii. 15. Declare his glory among the hea­then, 1 Chron. xvi. 24. And what could this be for? but that they may come to join themselves to serve the Lord, and take hold of his covenant; to be made joyful in his hous [...] of prayer; which is designed for all people, Is. lvi. 6, 7. And could God put Ishmael and Esau into the covenant of grace, and then cast them out, and hate them, and not allow them the privilege even of the heathen? They were in the covenant of grace by circumcision; and if they had held to their covenant relation, and they and their posterity had not hated and persecuted God's chosen, wherein they confronted God, and his sovereign disposal of things; God would never have hated them, in the light of rejecting them from the covenant of grace; no, if their own wickedness had not debarr'd them, Ishmaelites, and Edomites, might have come and eat of the passover with the Israelites; for he that was circumcised, had a covenant right to do so, let him be of what nation he would; and being found in God's covenant way, had a right to the promise of the holy ghost, a new heart, and remission of sin. Therefore the objection obtains no sup­port from 11, 12, 13 verses of Rom. ix. Now seeing the objection hath no support from the chapter thus far, I proceed to consider what more may be said from the other parts of it. Ver 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And 16. So then it is not of him that willeth, or runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. All the apostle could mean, consistent with his grand design, in the verses, is this, viz. That men need not expect by all the good they can do, to deserve a reward of glory and happiness: And this answered the design of dissuading them from adhering to a law covenant. If he had meant to tell them, that there was no odds, they might as well believe one thing as another; or do one thing as [Page 37]another; or nothing, as they pleased, before they were regenerated; this could be no argument to persuade them to adhere to the gospel covenant, in order to be re­generated: Therefore, to shew mercy, means to deny merit; and to will, and run, means running in a law covenant; and there is no promise to such, to be sure: For such are the children of the bond woman; and will be harden'd if they don't bring forth fruits meet for re­pentance; for however they they may think to say, they have Abraham to their father, yet [...]ey have Agar to their mo­ther; and all such are enemies to Christ. And this concludes with ver. 17. Ver. 18 For the scripture saith unto Pharoah, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew [...] power in thee. Here again is sovereignty; as there was in chusing Jacob to the above said prefer­ment, and rejecting Esau from it. As God had designed to bring Israel to great honour, so, as a sovereign God, he designed to bring them first into great affliction and bondage; and bring them out with a stretched out arm; and appoints Pharoah to be the prison-keeper: But what is all this to the apostle's purpose? but only to shew, that God has a sovereign right to do what he pleases, with such as adhere to a law covenant: They are more re­lated to God than heathen Pharoah; they are in the hands of justice; and God may harden them as he pleas­eth; for they refuse to adhere to the covenant that hath mercy in it; and this was a good argument to bring pro­fessors to adhere to a gospel covenant. But if we turn it the other way, and say, those that ad­hered to a gospel covenant, were exactly so, in the hands of justice and so­vereignty; no argument is left to induce unregenerate professors, to adhere to the gospel covenant at all; for in or out, they are no more related to the mercy of God, than heathen Pharoah; and yet they must adhere to the gospel covenant, or they cannot be regenerated at all: And if they do adhere to it unregenerate, they can't be children of promise, nor really in covenant, and then they must be children of the flesh, and of the bond woman; [Page 38]and if that means reprobates, they must be eternally damn'd. Now what kind of jargon is this? Let the world judge.

Now I come to ver. 19. Thou wilt say then, why doth he find fault. The apostle hath all along been de­scribing the bad circumstances of those that adhere to a law covenant, as not being children of promise, but only in the hands of sovereign justice, as the heathen: Here he states an objection of those that adhere to such law covenant; and the who [...] latter part of the chapter is designed to answer the objection. The force of the ob­jection is this. viz. That if man's good works can merit, or deserve nothing, at the hand of God; why doth he blame us? If doing good won't help us, we are sure do­ing band cannot. Now in order to answer this objection; and with a view to bring unregenerate professors to ad­here to a gospel covenant; he again considers, that such as adhere to a law covenant, have no reason to reply a­gainst God, ver. 20. Why? Their circumstances are exactly parrallel to the heathen, they are clay of the same lymp; a [...]d ver. 21, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, one as really as the other. Ver. 22, they have wasted their religious substance, (given them in the covenant of grace) 1st in Adam, 2d in Noah, by heathenish and rio­tous living, Luke xv. 13 so here you have wasted your inheritance in the covenant of grace, given you, 1st in Adam, 2d in Noah, 3d in Abraham, by adhering to a law covenant; you are the worst of the two, therefore they shall rise in judgment against you. The nativity of you both, was of the land of Canaan, Ez. xvi. 3, but God made you Israelites, Rom. ix. 4. and you are turned into the degenerate race of Agarenes, Gal. iv. 23. God made you of the Jerusalem above, but you have made yourselves mount Sinai in Arabia, ver. 25. Hence if God save any of either of you, it must be in a way of uncovenanted mercy, and sovereign grace. He must call you as clay of the same lump with the heathen, your relation to him is no better than thei [...]; you are all children of the flesh, [Page 39]are of the works of the law, and so under the curse, Gal. iii. 10. and hence the bitterest enemies to the gospel co­venant; you have delivered up, and denied, in the pre­sence of Pilate, God's holy son, Acts iii 13, 14. And altho' such as adhere to a law covenant, are vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, yet God was long suffering to­ward them, to see if they would adhere to the covenant of grace, and when they would not, was willing to shew his wrath, and make his power known, Rom. ix. 22, in breaking them off from the covenant altogether, ch. xi. until the latter ages of the world; and here they are, un­der the visible tokens of God's power and wrath, to this day, for adhering to a law covenant. And seeing such as adhere to a law covenant, are of the same lump with the heathen, God, if he call any of them to a gospel co­venant state, must do it as much in a sovereign way, as the calling of Abraham, the preferring of Isaac and Jacob, or the making Egypt Israel's prison, and this is what the apostle calls the riches of glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared unto glory, Rom. ix. 23. As Israel were chosen in sovereignty, to be the glory of the nations, so the gospel visible church, is the glory of our lower world, and terrible as an army with banners, Cant. vi. 4 As for the invisible church, it can't be seen. But behold the glory of the Jerusalem above, or she that ad­heres to a gospel covenant; and the gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal dia­dem in the hand of thy God; for the Lord delighteth in thee, Is. lxii. 3, 4. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: Then was I in his eyes as one that found favour, Cant. viii. 10. All this is spoken of the gospel visible church, see Is. lxii. 6. Now, how great was the riches of glory, on us the gentile vessels of mercy? that we should be called, together with the remnant of the Jews, as Rom. ix. 27. to a gospel covenant relation to God, to partake with them of the root and fatness, ch: xi. 17. who on the one hand were desolate heathen, and on the other [Page 40]children of the bond woman, both children of the flesh and must be called to a gospel covenant state in sovereig [...] mercy. And this is the sum of the apostle's answer to the objection Rom. ix. 19. taken from the 20th ver. to ver. 29. And all this appears to have nothing in it, to distinguish the eternal elect from the reprobates; or the regenerate from the unregenerate; but only to distinguish the different circumstances of those that adhere to a law, or gospel covenant; and to bring them to adhere to the latter; and was well calculated to answer the grant design. Hence we see the objection obtains no support from Rom. ix. or Gal. iv. therefore I still conclude, the holy ghost, a new heart, and remission of sin, are promised to all the visible church, that adheres to the covenant of grace. And now we see with what consistency the apostle could raise his lamentation over his kinsmen, who were Israelites, Rom. ix. 2. whom God had planted a noble vine, wholly a right seed, Jer. ii. 21. when he made them children of promise in the covenant of grace, Rom. ix. 4 in cove­nanting with their father Abraham; and had conferred on them the glory of preferment, to whom pertaineth the glory, ver. ix. who now are turned into the degenerate plant, of strange Agarenes; had laid their honour in the dust, by seeking righteousness by the works of the law, ver. 32. But if he had understood, all these children of the flesh were reprobates, by an eternal decree; and no salvation provided for them in the covenant of grace, his lamentation must have been, an impious confronting of God's decrees; and he could never say, the reason why they perished, was because they did not seek righteousness by faith; for if they were so reprobated, they must perish seek what way they will. By what has been said, we learn men are under a mistake, when they bring Rom. ix. to prove God deals with those that adhere to the gospel co­venant, in the way of sovereignty, for that is to confound the gospel with the law. We see many things there spo­ken of were done in a sovereign way, but not a word of the gospel church in that light, only the calling her to a [Page 41]covenant state. For God to covenant to save a people on certain terms or conditions, and yet to have a sove­reign right to damn them, is a self contradiction in any covenant whatsoever.

But now let us take the objection, and see what we shall make of it, in the light in which it is used. Children of the flesh, are not the children of God; but the children of promise are. Now as this objection is brought to deny, that regenerating grace is promised to all the visible gospel church; if it can answer that end at all, it must be understood thus: By children of the flesh, the unrege­nerate or non-elect; and that no such are the children of God, in the covenant of grace, and so not children of promise.

Here to prove, that the unregenerate are the children of God, in the covenant of grace, I shall cite but one text, out of one hundred that I could bring to that purpose; and that is, Ez. xvi. 8. I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. And that an unregenerated church, are the children of the promise of regeneration, appears from the nature of the thing; for that regenera­tion cannot be promised to the regenerate. 2d. From Ez. xxxvi. 26, 27, A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and give you an heart of flesh. This is a promise made to them, as being the visible church, in covenant, and God's children, and yet unregenerate.

If by children of the flesh, the apostle had a design to signify the non elect, that is as much as to say, they are not the children of God in the covenant of grace, and there is no provision made for their salvation in that covenant; therefore not children of promise.

But how is it possible, that this could be his meaning? Doth not God own all Seth's posterity for his children, in the covenant of promise; and act upon the relation in three fold respects; 1st, his spirit strives with them; 2d. [Page 42]he binds them to do the duties of the covenant of grace; that is, marry in the christian church; 3d. He destroys them for wickedness that they could not have committed, if they had not been his children in covenant; i. e. mar­rying with those out of covenant, Gen. vi. 2, 3, 13. So that they were bound to do its duties, encouraged by its promised blessings, and exposed to its direful penalties, as being in it: And Adam, before the fall, was never more firmly in the covenant of works, a child of God, or of promise; yet who dare say, these were of the elect? But to say there was no provision made in the covenant of grace, for any but the elect, and that these are the only children of God, and of promise, in the covenant of grace; is to set the secret and revealed will of God a [...] one eternal clash, as thus;

• 1. The revealed will of God saith, the sons of Seth were his children; the secret saith, it was only the elect.
• 2. The revealed saith, all Israel were children of pro­mise, Eph. ii. 12. Rom. ix. 4. The secret will saith, these are not all children of promise.
• 3. They revealed faith, All day long have I stretched forth my hand to relieve a disobedient people, Rom. [...]. 21. The secret saith, they were reprobates, for whom there was no relief, in the covenant of grace.
• 4. The revealed will saith, What could I have done more for my Vineyard? Is. v. 4. The secret saith, I never did any thing for you since the fall of Adam, but only to increase your damnation.
• 5. The revealed faith, Jesus came to feek and to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel; who yet received him not, John i. 11. The secret saith, Jesus came to save none but the elect, and these do all receive him. So I might multiply self contradictions ad infinitum, the apostle had designed to tell us, by children of the flesh, was to be understood reprobates, for whom no provision was made in the covenant of grace; therefore that could not be is meaning. Hence I still have the same right to say, the holy ghost, a new heart, and remission of sin, [Page 43]are all promised to ALL the seed of Adam; since all his seed, were made foederally holy, in the covenant of grace, in him; and by necessary consequence, children of promise.

Sixthly I was to shew, the condition must be a possible condition to all, or no condition at all.

By a possible condition to all, I mean this, v [...]z. that the thing required in the covenant of grace, as a term or condition of obtaining the salvation promised in it, must be constituted in such a manner, as to be possible for all those of whom it is required, to comply with faid term; or else it is no condition.

This will appear thus; a covenant, as it is always a a platform, or compact of agreement, can never be such, if the terms of agreement are impossible; for how can I agree to that with which it is impossible for the to agree? As for example; suppose a man would propose to give me 1000 l. to pass through, or penetrate the earth to my antipodes; or to fly to the moon; could he possibly make such a covenant with me, when I could by no means comply with the terms? It could be no more than an un­reasonable proposal; the condition of a covenant it could not be. So, for God to promise, that he will he recon­ciled with me, and give heaven to me, if I will make to myself a new heart, or sincerely embrace Christ by a liv­ing faith, without his assistance, or by my own natural ability, can never be the condition of a covenant; for the condition of a covenant, is that which I can agree with; the which if I will not do it, I may be guilty, but not if I cannot.

Objection. God hath not lost his power of command­ing only we of obeying.

Ans. Can God then make a covenant of grace with you, on impossible terms? If so, you may agree on them terms, if you can; I am sure God cannot (to speak with reverece) make such a covenant with me. It is impossible it should be a covenant of grace, that hath no mercy in it; and to [Page 44]promise me heaven upon impossible terms, hath no mix­ture of mercy, on the least tincture of it: And according to the tenor of the objection, (tho' it is well known to be old tenor) God could make a new covenant with de­vils, tho' Christ never take their nature upon him. What then do wise, learned, and pious gentlemen mean (when disputing with those that hold universal redemption) they say, The question is not, whether Christ has paid a ran­som sufficient for every individual of the human race; in that we are agreed on both sides. But where is the agree­ment? while one party saith, if Christ hath not purchased a power to believe; or in other words, a sufficiency of the spirit to make an effectual application of redemption, for each individual, the ransom of Christ is not sufficient for each individual. And the other party saith. Christ hath not purchased a sufficiency of the spirit or of grace, to make such effectual application of redemption, for every individual. One might have thought, such agree­ments might blush, when they appear in the publick, under that character. However, I shall not canonize them for agreements, though the injudicious may think, they fell from heaven; because they dropt from judicious, learned, and pious men; injudiciously I say.

To say, that Jesus Christ hath paid a ransom sufficient for each individual of the human race, if they will sin­cerely embrace him by saving faith, by their own natural ability; is to say this, viz that if men had not lost their original spirituality, and disposition of mind, to serve God sincerely and perfectly, the ransom of Christ would have been sufficient for each individual of them; i. e. it would have been sufficient, if no sufficiency or ransom had been wanting. And is it not to mock common sense, to talk half an hour strenuously about the ransom of Christ, as tho' it was sufficient for every individual of the human race; and then glory of agreement with universalists, when before the story it out, you say the ransom of Christ is not sufficient, for every individual. I shall conclude this head, with saying if Christ hath not purchas'd sufficiency of [Page 45]grace for each individual of the human race, to enable them sincerely to embrace Christ, of whom sincere faith is re­quired; the terms of the covenant are impossible; there­fore tyranny, without mercy, is in the new covenant, for all the visible church, except the elect. And this can't consist with the kind expressions of God to the visible church, and those that perish out of her. Hence the condition must be possible to all.

Seventhly. I was to shew, That regenerating grace is promised, to the faith and endeavours of unregenerate men.

I have already proved, that regenerating grace is pro­mised; and that it is promised conditionally, and not ab­solutely: And also that it is promised to the church, as being unregenerate, yet adhering to a gospel covenant; and that to a regenerate church, it can't be promised. Hence then, to whose condition can it be promised, but to the condition of unregenerate men? To promise rege­nerating grace, to a condition done by itself, must sup­pose, that the person to whom it is promised hath it, and hath it not, at the same time; unless a man can be rege­nerated more than once, which I suppose no person will assert. Christ speaks of being born again once; but not a second time. John iii. 3, But possibly it will be here asked, where did God promise the grace of regeneration, to any individual unregenerate person or persons, in such a manner, as that we can be satisfied, the promise was made to him or them personally? To which I answer, Regenerating grace was implicitly, and by necessary con­sequence promised to Cain; if thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? The acceptation here, can mean no­thing less, than the acceptation of his brother Abel, for God proposeth to prefer him above Abel, thou shalt rule over him. And the promise in 2d of Acts ver. 39. and Ez. xxxvi. 26. are as express and personal, yet condi­tional. But as I shall undertake to prove, that God hath bound himself to give regenerating grace, to the proper endeavour of unregenerate men: So, all that might be [Page 46]more said to these texts, will be properly then considered▪ therefore I omit further consideration of them at present▪ and shall proceed to shew, what the proper endeavour of an unregenerate man is, to which the promise is so effec­tually made. Now before I come directly to the point, it will be proper to inquire when and how, an unrege­nerate man became an heir of promise: And as to the time when; it was either when he actually entered as adult age into the covenant of grace by circumcision, or baptism; or when he was entered by his parents, ma­ster, or mistress in infancy, by either of those ordinances: Before Abraham's day, it is most probable he was an heir in the covenant, by natural generation, as a descendant from Adam, with whom the covenant was made. As to the manner how he became an heir of promise; it was by faith; it was by the blood and righteousness of the saviour Jesus Christ, that the covenant became a covenant of promise; and it was by believing in, owning, and ad­hering to his righteousness, and the true doctrinal pro­fession of it, that made men children of promise, when they entered into the covenant of grace. As to infants being children of promise, that was by faith also, but not their own actual faith. If the parent, master, or mis­tress had not the true profession, of being saved by the righteousness of another, viz. the Messiah, or Jesus Christ, they could neither seek their own, nor the salvation of others, by faith; and as God designed to save all, small or great, bond or free, in the way of a gracious cove­nant, and as the answer of prayer; by faith they must seek, and seeking by faith, their own, and their infants' salvation, may be obtained: When children become able to act faith for themselves, as is required. In Ezek. xxxvi. 37. we find, he that will have a new heart, or regeneration, must seek for it; and in Rom. ix. 32, we find it must be sought by faith. Now it is for want of understanding this scripture distinction of faith, and the stress that God hath laid upon it, in the covenant of grace, that the christian word are in such confusion about [Page 47]the covenant of grace, and who are in it; about the pro­mises, and who are heirs of them. Thus when faith is spoken of as a prerequisite to baptism; the Baptists say, justifying faith is intended, and non have right to be in the covenant of grace, by baptism, but such as have it, and therefore the unregenerate, and infants are excluded: And then they are obliged, either to deny, that faith was required of the adult Israelites, as prerequisite, to entering them into the covenant of grace by circumcision; or the co­venant being that of grace, in which they were so entered: For if that into which they were entered by circumcision, was the only covenant of grace; and faith was required of all the adult, as a prerequisite to being so entered; faith being required of the adult now, can be no argument, that either the unregenerate, or infants are now excluded: and hence they are obliged to confront all the scriptures, that speak of Israel's glory, as being all in the covenant of grace; holiness unto the Lord; planted wholly a right seed; and the blood of them all washed away by being in the covenant of grace, and all heirs of promise. See Jer. ii. 3, 21. Ex. xvi. 8, 9. Ep. ii. 12. Rom. ix. 4. thus they are in the utmost confusion in sentiments.

Now, though these that hold the right of the adult unregenerate, and infants to baptism, can see the con­fusion of anabaptist sentiments; yet when it is said, that faith, which qualifies a person for baptism, or enter­ing into the covenant of grace, makes him an heir of promise; this they deny, i. e. many of them. And what is this, but either to say, the covenant that faith qualified him to enter into, was not covenant of grace; or if it was, the faith that qualified him to enter in, did did not entitle him to the blessings of it. And herein will appear the confusion of this denial: When these Gen­tlemen are disputing with Anabaptists, they will lay great stress on this faith of an unregenerate man; that it quali­fied Israel to be in covenant; and qualified the Gentiles to come in; and that they were all children of promise, that were in the covenant by it; and that all the visible [Page 48]church were in glorious circumstances. But when they are disputing with those that hold general redemption; this faith is forgot; or it is good for nothing ; he that hrth got it, is not really in covenant; and if he seeks salvation by it, it is not seeking by faith, &c. Hence they confront not only their own arguments, but all the scriptures that speak of the visible church, in covenant by faith, as being children of promised, though unregenerate. Now as I said, it was for want of understanding the stress that God puts on the faith of an unregenerate man, that has been the cause of much confusion in the christian world, about who are in the covenant, and heirs of pro­mise. So now I will briefly shew some part of the im­portance of this faith.

1. By it the christian church stood in the covenant of grace; while for the want of it, the Jewish church was turned out doors. Because of unbelief they were broken off; thou standest by faith, Rom. xi. 20. What tongue can express the importance of this affair! the earth is not only rent and shaken, but heaven also; the children of the kingdom are cast out, Mat. viii. 11, 12. The fruitful field turned into a barren wilderness; and the barren wilderness into a fruitful field. The wife and children rent from the bosom and bowels of a tender husband, and compas­sionate father; crying my bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my very heart, Jer. iv. 19. My heart is turned within me, how shall I give thee up, Hos. xi. 8.

2. It was by this faith of unregenerate men, the chil­dren of Israel came out of Egypt, Ex. iv. 1. viii. 31. kept the passover; passed through the sea; and the walls of Jericho fell, Heb. xi. 28, 2 [...], 30. went through the wilderness; entered the land of Canaan; and without faith, none of these things could have been done, Heb. iii. 19. Ex. iv. 1. And indeed men may have faith to re­move mountains, cast out devils, and do many wonderful works in Christ's name, without the faith of regeneration. And as I said a man is an heir of promise, when he is in the covenant of faith; and it is his faith, in the righ­teousness [Page 49]of Christ professedly, that makes him an heir to the promise of regeneration. Therefore I come now to the point, to shew what is the proper endeavour of an unregenerate man. And seeing no adult person, is a proper heir to the promise, but only as a profest believer in the righteousness of Christ, as provided for the salva­tion of guilty, sinful, and perishing men; he is, when under the bonds of the covenant of grace, bound (as in a most solemn compact ratified) to do, 1st. the remoter conditions of regeneration, 2d. the direct condition; and both at the expence of an aggravated damnation: Hence it is fit he should be an heir of promise. And as there are remote conditions, so there are also remote promises, of super added assistance, to enable to the performance of the direct condition. I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, Isai. xlii. 16. I said not unto the house of Jacob, seek ye me in vain, chap. xlv. 19. And were it not that the pro­mises apprehend him, at the very spot, where faith, and the covenant first find him, the promise would not reach as far as the covenant, and salvation could not be obtain'd in a covenant way. Here then, faith and the covenant find him,

• 1. owning God to be the true, holy, just, pow­erful, wise, and merciful God.
• 2. Owning himself a sinful, guilty, cursed, ruin'd, and perishing creature; that hath no righteousness wherewith to appear before, or be reconciled to, this holy, just, and powerful God.
• 3. Owning, God has provided a glorious, all sufficient Saviour, for such helpless and perishing creatures.
• 4. Owning, that as he can by this provision, be reconciled to this holy, just, and gracious God, so it is his most rea­sonable service.
• 5. Owning that he is bound in the so­lemn bonds of a gracious covenant, to be reconciled, at the severest penalty.
• 6. Owning, God to be his God, in the new covenant; ready, as a tender father, to help his perishing children.

Now take either of these six ar­ticles from him, except the second, and you take from [Page 50]him, faith, and the covenant of grace. The second is not a gospel article, and only enters that the offence may abound, Rom. v. 20. So that we see, faith, and the covenant puts a stock into his hand, that can't be put into the hand of a man, out of covenant; nor in covenant, without faith: Hence he that is planted in the covenant by faith, is planted a noble vine, wholly a right seed, Jer. ii. 21. Hence then in the spot where this faith, and the covenant of grace find him, and the promise first appre­hends him, there is not more required of him, than he is able to do, and that which, in these circumstances, he is able to do; is the proper endeavour of an unregenerate man; to which super-added assistance, is directly promised, and regenerating grace, remotely.

This then, is the proper endeavour of an unregenerate man; to set his face Zion-ward, or in other words, to­wards heaven, going and weeping; this faith and cove­nant state, hath furnished him for mourning: For the faith is a confession, that God is holy, just, and power­ful; and that himself is vile and perishing, and can work no acceptable righteousness; the covenant sets a dying Jesus before him, and makes grace and mercy meet, with justice and holiness, before his face. Hence it is a part of his proper duty, to look about him, and see what he can see; for the view of God's holiness and mercy; of a bleeding Christ; and of his own vileness; are proper objects to excite deep and just sorrow. Repentance is the first proper duty in the covenant of grace, after a man is entered; for faith must bring him in. Christ's baptism, is a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; not but that he ought to repent or sorrow, before he enters, if it is at adult age; but when entered, if un­regenerate, it is a condition of the covenant. And as he is to mourn, so he is earnestly to pray, and seek the Lord early. Neither sorrowing, or praying, will do alone. And how graciously hath God promised to hear the sor­rowing prayer of his own children in covenant. How gladly doth he regard their sorrowful cry, when they cry [Page 51]for convicting and converting grace. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself; and saying, turn thou me, and I shall be turned. Is Ephraim my dear son? I he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy on him, saith the Lord God, Jer. xxxi. 18, 19, 20. See 2 Chron. xv. 2. and Prov. viii. 17. Those that seek me early, shall find me.

As it is the proper endeavour of an unregenerate man, to pray and mourn, so he ought to use the means God hath appointed for his help; such as fasting, meditation, self-examination, attend on all the publick means of grace; and however men have embarrassed this affair, with not rightly understanding God's mind in his word; yet un­doubtedly it is the duty of all in the covenant of grace, by the faith I am speaking of, to draw near the Lord's table. God enjoined the Jewish church to use all the re­presentations of a dying saviour; and nothing can be more striking, than to behold the symbols of his dying love, nothing that hath so much tendency, to cause us to look on Jesus whom we have pierced, and mourn for him, Zech. xii. 10. But to proceed; it is the duty of unrege­nerate men, to be much in secret prayer; and to take care they don't quench the striving of God's spirit. This was a sin of the antediluvian world of God's children, Gen. vi. 3. God's spirit will strive with God's covenant people, until he gives them up to hardness of heart; and then their covenant state, is left to them desolate. My spirit shall not always strive with man. Ye do always resist the holy ghost, as your fathers did, Acts vii. 51. Be­hold your house is left unto you desolate, Matt. xxiii. 38. Also it is the duty of unregenerate men, to labour to be holy in all manner of coversation, 1 Pet i. 15. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubt­less come again with rejoicing, Ps. cxxvi. 6. And tho' it would be needless to tell all that unregenerate men might do, as a proper endeavour to obtain regenerating grace; yet it is proper to add; they ought by all means [Page 52]to take care, that they do not rest in their moral virtues, or reformations of life: They ought to consider that this doctrinal faith, and covenant state, and reformation of life, can't justify them; therefore they ought to labour to obtain a deep and just sense of their unjustified, and perishing condition by nature, and their inability to help themselves out of that condition; or to change and renew their own hearts: Hence, in sense of weakness, and of a perishing unjustified condition; they are to cry mightily to God; to make them fully acquainted with their lost condition, and lead them to Christ; and enable them to receive him, and his righteousness, by a living act of faith, for their eternal justification, and peace with God.

Now though honest and sincere seeking, in all the above said ways, are the proper endeavours of unregene­rate men; and those to which regenerating grace is re­motely promised; yet they are not the direct; but the direct endeavour, is the soul's crying under a deep, and just sense of an unjustified state; pressed down with a heavy burden of guilt; owning he deserves no mercy at the hands of a holy God; yet pleading for mercy, for Christ and mercy's sake. This endeavour is never com­pletely finished, as the condition of regeneration, until regeneration be given; but when it is given, it is given as a thing promised in covenant, to a groaning prisoner, appointed to death.

Now as we have found the proper and direct endea­vour of an unregenerate man; the which I think no rea­sonable man can deny to be such: I shall now proceed to shew, that God hath bound himself to give regenerating grace to such men by promise, in the covenant of grace.

Here then I shall say, as there can be but two cove­nants, namely, one of works, and the other of grace: So there can be but two ways of saving in either covenant; i. e. conditionally, or unconditionally; and a covenant, called a covenant of salvation, must cease to be such; if salvation is not promised, one of these ways. Covenants are always solemn, binding things when ratified. Take [Page 53]away bonds and obligations, and where can a covenant be found? And if men's covenants are solemn, because of their binding obligations; how much more sacred, and solemn, must the covenant transactions of Jehovah be? If the solemn covenant of grace is not a sacred repository, of inviolably stipulated terms; where is the foundation for sacred trust? Here then, as I have inviolably proved the covenant of grace was made in the favour of all the human race; and that all that adhered to the gospel covenant, and ratified it as such, were of the Jeru­salem above; and like Isaac, children of promise; for that they stood by faith in the covenant of grace, Rom. xi. 20. Thou standest by faith. So they were under the sacred inviolable transactions of stipulation, and restipula­tion; and as I have shewn, the promise must apprehend them, where faith and the covenant first find them; otherwise the covenant and faith would reach farther than the promise; whereas the promise is always made to the church, when faith is their qualification. Here then, as there must be life and salvation in the covenant of grace, for all that are in it, as we have before seen; and as that life can be covenanted for but one of these two ways, viz. conditionally, or unconditionally; so in one of these ways, salvation must be certain; and what can make it certain, but the bonds of a sacred and solemn covenant? Here then to say, God is not bound to give salvation neither of these ways, is to say that salvation is not covenanted for in that covenant, in which Adam, and all the visible church, have stood by faith, before they were re­generated.

But in order to be better understood, I would endea­vour to bring this affair into a narrower point of light; and in order to do this, it will be proper, for a short space, to abstract some part of the argument; For while I am considering the visible church, as adhering to the covenant of grace, and standing in it by faith, as heirs, and the only heirs of the promise of regeneration, either remotely, or directly; I suppose the covenant to be con­ditional: [Page 54]So also, when I consider the proper endeavour of an unregenerate man, either remotely, or directly; as entituling to the promise of regeneration; I still sup­pose the covenant to be conditional: And indeed I have proved, that the covenant of grace is conditional; yet in order to reflect light on the argument in this spot, it is proper to consider what must be the state of the affair, if the covenant was unconditional: For as I am saying, a covenant is a solemn, and if a religious covenant, sacredly solemn compact, of inviolable stipulated terms; so it is no hard saying to assert, that the covenanting parties are bound to abide by the sacredly stipulated terms of the co­venant of grace; for why? If the covenanting parties are not bound to abide by the stipulated terms, it ceaseth to be a bond, or obligation; therefore ceaseth to be a cove­nant. Here then it is easy to see, that if God covenanted to save perishing men unconditionally, he is bound to save them unconditionally; and as he cannot covenant to save, but either conditionally or unconditionally; if be doth not covenant to save unconditionally, if he covenant to save at all, it must be conditionally; and then, if that condition be complied with, he is still bound to save all that comply: I think the world may be challenged on this conclusion. Hence then, if God had covenanted to save unconditionally, all the race of Adam must be saved; and we have nothing to do, to limit the promise to the visible church, or any condition to be done by any; for that supposeth the covenant to be conditional. And if God covenanted (as I said) to save unconditionally, the wildest savage, or heathen in the world must be saved, as soon as one of the visible church; for I have proved, that when God made the covenant with Adam, he made all his seed foederally holy; and by oath and covenant, washed away the blood of all of them; and made them his children in the new covenant; which as I proved, could mean nothing less than putting them into a salvable state, or a way of salvation by the new covenant. There­fore as I used to say, seeing they are not all saved, since [Page 55]they are all covenanted for; facts prove they were not covenanted for, to be saved unconditionally; yet as there are but two ways that they can be covenanted for, seeing they are not covenanted for unconditionally, they must be covenanted for conditionally, or they can't be made foederally holy, or their blood washed away in any sense.

Here then, 1st. I am reduced to the necessity of con­sidering men covenanted with conditionally; and 2d. I am under the same necessity to consider all the human race covenanted with conditionally; for as we have seen when the covenant was made with the father, it made the unborn children, God's children, both with respect to Adam and Abraham, as Gen. vi 2. and Ez. xvi. 8. Hence the seed of both are God's, by the sacred bonds of a solemn new covenant transaction. 3. I am under the same necessity (since the covenant is conditional) to consider the condition as a possible condition to all the seed of Adam; otherwise tyranny, and not mercy, would be in the covenant, for all that are not saved; and then their blood could not be washed away in any sense; which the scripture declares it was; and I have fully proved under former heads.

Now as we have found, if God covenanted to save unconditionally, all must be saved, because all were co­venanted for. So on the contrary, if God covenanted to save conditionally; it must be possible for them all to do that condition; because they were covenanted with con­ditionally; and as we have seen, it is impossible to make a covenant upon impossible terms. Here then I shall say, regeneration is salvation; he that is regenerated, is saved with an everlasting salvation; he is as surely saved, as he that went to heaven twice seventeen hundred years since. Regeneration, justifying faith, and justification it self, are not one before the other, in the order of time; but only in the order of nature; therefore he that is regenerated, acts saving faith, and is justified at one and the same in­dividual time. Now, as regeneration is salvation: when God covenanted with Adam, and made all his seed foede­rally [Page 56]holy, made them his own sons and daughters, and washed away the blood of them all, and made all that he had theirs, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. Luke xv 31. This of regeneration, must have been covenanted for, with respect to every individual son and daughter of Adam: This is but the native result, and most necessary consequence, of the several things I have before inviolably proved. Hence then, as regeneration is the beginning of heaven, and as a covenant that talks of salvation must be a counterfeit; but can't be the co­venant of grace, that hath not this salvation stipulated in it: So regeneration must be covenanted for conditionally, or unconditionally, with respect to all the race of Adam, for that they well all parties concerned, as we have abun­dantly seen. Now if regeneration had been covenanted for unconditionally, the sacred and solemn transaction, must necessarily have inferr'd the sure salvation of all the seed of Adam: And seeing they are not saved, we are sure God covenanted with them conditionally: And we are as sure, from all the nature and force of covenant ob­ligations, that when that condition is complied with, God hath bound himself by a most gracious and solemn promise, to bestow that most valuable, and necessary grace of salvation, regeneration. And seeing this grace cannot be promised, to any condition done by itself; it must be promised to the condition of an unregenerate man; and what can be more reasonable, than for God to promise regenerating grace, to such proper endeavour as above described. Now as this conclusion is so native and necessary from the premises, which have been all so fully proved; I think it superfluous to produce more evidence at present; and shall only proceed to answer objections.

1st Objection. If things are so, then God is bound, and the creature free.

Answer. If it is so, it is not the first, nor yet the se­cond time, that God hath bound himself, and left the creature free; and if God make a covenant with crea­tures, as probationers, ten thousand times, it will always [Page 57]be the case, unless God can find a way to break covenant first; which I don't believe he ever will.

2d. Objection. For God to be bound to save unregene­rate men, is to destroy sovereign grace.

Answer. What hath sovereignty to do in a covenant that is conditional? and where is the covenant that is not so? Do you mean by sovereignty, God's reserving [...]o himself a right to refuse to hear the prayer of a sincere seeker, or that God will regenerate those that never sought? Such sovereignty as this, is inconsistent with s [...]v­ing in a covenant way. God hath bound himself by pro­mise in the covenant, to hear the prayer of a sincere seeker in Christ's name, or by faith, Ezek. xxxvi. 37. Rom. ix. 32. They sought it not by faith. And God re­generates no adult person without seeking first, for this I will be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.

1. Query. Was not Paul regenerated by sovereign grace?

Answer. No. He was called to adhere to the gospel covenant, by sovereign grace, because he had adhered to a law covenant, and had been as dexterous a stickler to man's own righteousness, as any son of Agar, of Jerusa­lem below, or of the flesh among them all: Therefore in that circumstance he was not a son of promise, any more than heathen Pharaoh. But when he is by sovereign grace, called to adhere to the gospel covenant, then he seeks by faith, prays and fasts, and receiveth regeneration, as promised to the proper endeavour of an unregenerated man. For it appears not that he was regenerated, nor is it probable, till Ananias came, and he received the holy ghost, Acts ix. 11, 17. And how is it possible, any man should be regenerated, before he is made sensible of the insufficiency of his own righteousness, and the sufficiency of the gospel way of salvation, by the merits of Christ? And can any man see the danger he is in by nature, and the encouragement the gospel gives, and not cry to God? It cannot be. Therefore. let a man's conversion be as [Page 58]sudden as the thief on the cross, he will still pray, befor [...] he is regenerated, and regeneration will not be given b [...] an act of sovereign grace, but covenanted grace; and the one is as free grace as the other.

2. Query, Doth not God say, he was found of them that sought him not? Rom. x. 20.

Answer. This text respects the Gentiles, whom God in sovereign grace, had called to a gospel covenant state, who before their marriage with God in covenant, were both barren and desolate, Is. liv. 1. But can any-body think they found God, in respect of regenerating their hearts in their desolate condition? no, they must own the covenant of grace, before they can receive the bene­fits of it; they were grafted into the covenant with the Jew, before they partook of the root and fatness; and all the design of the apostle, is only to tell us, that the Gentiles found God in the days after Christ, who in for­mer ages had not sought him.

3. Objection. If God is bound to give regenerating grace, to the endeavours of unregenerate men, then men can boast.

Answer. I do not understand, that the scripture sup­poseth any room for boasting, but when salvation is of the merit of works. Now what is there in the proper en­deavour of an unregenerate man, that makes it meritori­ous? Doth the meritoriousness of it arise from the work itself, or from the sanction given it by the connection of the promise? If the work in itself is meritorious, then those that oppose me in this spot, are as guilty of giving room for boasting as myself: For they all say, a man must be powerfully affected with the sense of an unjustified state; pressed down with a heavy burden of guilt; own he de­serves no mercy at the hands of a holy God; yet plead for mercy, for Christ's and mercy's sake, in order to be regenerated. I suppose no person will say, this work considered in itself, can give room for boasting; and if room for boasting ariseth only from the connection of the promise, then the work of justifying faith, will also give [Page 59]room for boast; fpr justofocatopm os surely connected with saving faith, by promise; as is allowed. Here let it be observed, that room for boasting don't arise from the different degree, or kind of influence, by which a man acts, but from the exact conformity of the action, to the divine law. e. g. Suppose some of the angels to have continued perfect by an irresistible influence, and others only by a common influence of probationers, yet they would have equally deserved heaven: So the acting of a justifying faith, doth not exclude boasting, because it is done by irresistible influence (for if the work done, was sufficient for his justification, for he would be justified on the account of it, tho' it be done by such influence) but because it is the soul's acting on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is sufficient; and therefore he cannot boast, because his own work was no cause, why he was justified. And suppos [...] [...]e were able to act the same faith by a common influence, by which he might do, or not do it; yet if he doth act on the righteousness of Christ alone for justification, he will be nevertheless justified; and have no room to boast. So that it is not the power by which the soul acts, let it be more or less, but the cir­cumstance that attends the action, that excludes boasting. I dare be bold to say, that if a man by his own natural ability, could act the same individual act of faith, that a regenerate man doth, by the mighty power of God, he would be equally justified, and have no room to boast, in the scripture sense of boasting: For faith doth not ex­clude boasting, because it was wrought by the mighty power of God; but because it excludes our own righte­ousness; and applies the righteousness of Christ, for the matter of our justification. And this exactly agrees with Rom. ii. 27, 28, Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law. Now to suppose that the law of faith excludes boasting, because it is wrought by the mighty power of God's spirit; is to suppose, that it [Page 60]is not the righteousness of Christ alone, that excludes boasting; but some sanction in the act of believing, as a work that excludes boasting. But surely the action, nor the sanction of it, as a work, are the righteousness of Christ: and the act of faith hath no other sanction to exclude boasting, but the bare acting on the righteousness of Christ: And to suppose, that any sanction in the act­ing of faith, ariseth from the excellency of the influence, by which the work is done; and for that reason excludes boasting; is to suppose, that to be justified by a gospel law of works, will exclude boasting: But the text is this; we are justified by faith, without the deeds of any law whatsoever, as a work. And to the same purpose is Eph. ii 9. not of works▪ lest any man should boast.

Here then we see, boasting is not excluded in the act­ing of faith, from any excellency in the influence by which it is acted: why then should the faith of an unregenerate man, by a promise being connected with it, give room to boast more than the other? they are both called faith in scripture; the visible gospel church, is said to stand by faith, in the gospel covenant, Rom. xi. 20. and the regenerate are said to be justified by faith; and the apostle faith, that which is of faith, is of grace, Rom. iv. 16. therefore it is of faith, that if might be of grace. Surely that which is of grace, doth not admit of boasting.

But let us consider more distinctly, these two kinds of faith, in comparison. The faith of an unregenerate man, with which the promise of regeneration is directly con­nected, is this, viz.

• 1. he believes that God is an infi­nitely wise, holy, just, powerful, and sin revenging God, and is humbled, and deeply wounded and affected, with the view of the eternity, and inviolable excellency of these perfections. The faith of him that is regenerated, is the same.
• 2. He believes, that God has made a new covenant, and has sent his own son to die the most shameful, pain­ful, and ignominious death; to save perishing sinners: Hence he believes God is merciful and gracious. So [...] the other.
• [Page 61] 3. He believes that he is by nature, a hard, and stony hearted, justly condemned, and perishing sinner. So doth the other.
• 4. He believes that he hath no power to change his own heart. So the other.
• 5. He believes if he perish forever, he can never do any thing to deserve the help of God's spirit, or his justi­fication. So doth the other.

Here then he gives up hopes of salvation by law; and pleads in agonies and pains for a new heart, and for light and strength, to lay hold of Christ's righteousness, that he may be reconciled to God; and all is done in Christ's name. This of giving up life by the law, belongs to con­viction; belongs to the proper endeavour of an unre­generate man. The first act of saving faith, is venturing alone on the righteousness of Christ; and it is impossible to venture on the righteousness of Christ alone, while any hopes are left by the law. Here then we may see the harmony between the faith of the regenerate and unrege­nerate. One gives up life by the law; and so doth the other. One pleads Christ's righteousness alone; so doth the other. The faith of one is wrought by the spirit of God; and so is the other. One hath lost all room for boasting; and the other also. But herein their faith dif­fers: One ventures his eternal all on the righteousness of Christ, and the sure word of faith; the other hath not light and strength to do so. Therefore, the faith of the regenerate man, produceth mourning and rejoicing; and the faith of the other, mourning and lamentation. Now what is the sum of all, but only this? viz. That the faith of the unregenerate man, is as real faith as the other; for as he must quit all dependence on the law, before he can be regenerated; when he hath so done, if he seeks at all, it must be by faith. To seek salvation by Christ alone, is as true faith, as to believe alone on Christ for justification; tho' one justifieth, and the other doth not. And he that quits dependence on the law, and seeks by faith alone, can by no means boast, though regenerating [Page 62]grace be promised to such a seeker. It is this seeking by faith the apostle refers to, when he saith, Israel did not attain righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, Rom. ix. 31, 32. Here we see, seeking by faith, is made a condition of obtaining; and if I cannot seek by faith, before I obtain regeneration, I cannot seek righte­ousness by faith, until I have got it; for he that is rege­nerated, hath attained righteousness. There are but two ways of seeking. viz. by the law, and by faith. The Jews were unregenerate, and if such cannot seek by faith, they must seek exactly as they did; and why are they blamed? Why did not God regenerate them, before he required them to seek at all?

But possibly by boasting, you mean this, viz. that one man can say to another, if you had done as I have done; you would have been saved as well as I. To which I answer, if this is your meaning, it is not the scripture meaning at all, in respect of boasting. As I proved before; the land of Canaan was promised to Abrabam, and his seed, by free grace; and by them was to be ob­tained by faith, as really as salvation is promised by grace; and to be obtained by faith. Now, could not those that went into the land, have said to those that did not; if you had done, as I have done, you might have gone in, as well as I. Did those that went in, go by the faith of regeneration, or irresistible grace? And could not those that rebelled against God, and so perished in the wilder­ness; have done otherwise? Could those therefore that went in, boast? If this you talk of, is the scripture sense of boasting, they could. But they could not; and why? because neither their sword, or bow, bought the land; tho' the use of both, is a term, sine qua non, of their ob­taining it. i. e. boasting is excluded, because God gave it them; and their own righteousness, no more deserved that inheritance, than it did heaven. So also the Gentiles, that stood in the gospel covenant by faith; (tho' not the faith of regeneration; as appears Rom. xi. 20, 21) could boast in the light you speak of; for men could adhere to [Page 63]the gospel covenant, and ratify it by baptism, without irresistible grace: And was it impossible for the Jews to believe Jesus Christ to be the true Messiah, without the faith of regeneration? when he had wrought so many signs and miracles among them, to prove his mission. Nay, it is impossible they should be regenerated, until they doc­trinally first own Christ, and adhere to the covenant of grace. Well then, could not the Gentile say to the Jew, you might be in the covenant of grace, as well as I, if you would: He surely might, and speak true too: But can the Gentile boast, in the scripture sense of boasting? No: Boast not against the branches; thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. i. e. the covenant of grace and promise, into which you are grafted by faith; and from which you are broken because of unbelief; saith nothing of your own righteousness, as the cause of your accep­tance with God: And were it not that this is the root or foundation of the covenant in which you stand; you would be as soon damn'd st [...]ding in; as they falling out: Praying, as they blaspheming: Hence you cannot boast. And what do men mean then; to tell us, that if the pro­mise of regeneration, is made to the proper endeavour of an unregenerate man; he can boast? When the promise hath the same root, the covenant hath; and is made by those that seek by faith, without the deeds of the law; which as we have seen, an unregenerate man can do; and must do, before he can be regenerated. Such men know not what they say.

4th Objection. This doctrine supposeth, an unregenerate man to have a saving qualification.

Answer. By a saing qualification you must mean this, viz. That he hath something, which if rightly im­proved, he must be saved. Well, and is this henesy chargeable upon no doctrine but this? Do not such as say, Christ redeemed none but the elect; say also that the elect must be effectually called, before they are regene­rated? And by that effectual, they mean an irresistible call; for if it is not such, the elect may parish neverthe­less. [Page 64]Now which is the greatest heresy? If it is a heresy to say, an unregenerate man has got a saving qualification; he that makes that qualification most effectual, must [...] the greatest heretick. The saving qualification in this doctrine, is no otherwise such, than as it is [...] the connection of a most gracious promise, [...] an eq [...] gracious covenant. And a covenant, that d [...]th not [...] the persons with whom it is made, qualifications to do the stipulated terms, can neither be a covenant of salva­tion, of mercy, or of justice. But then this qualification doth not necessarily infer the salvation of him that hath [...]work [...] any more than the promise of the land of Canaan, ma [...] in the same gracious covenant, (by which the seed of Abraham received a saving qualification for that la [...] and made them heirs of it) necessarily inferred, they should be brought into the possession of it; which they (many to whom the promise was made) never were; be­cause of unbelief, Heb. iii. 17, 18, 19. but the contrary doctrine necessarily infers, that a man is confirmed in a state of salvation, before he has faith (as they say) and before he has the faith of regeneration (as I say) for they say, he doth not obtain this irresistible call, by faith; but of sovereign grace; because he hath no faith that entitles him to the promise of such a call; and I say, that which is not promised to faith, can't be obtained by faith. For a man can't believe for that for which there is no pro­mise, for faith hath nothing to work upon.

Now surely, that which confirms a man in a state of salvation, must be a saving qualification. An irresistible call, makes heaven as sure as irresistible regeneration: And is it not an odd story, that a man should be con­firmed in happiness, before he is confirmed in holiness? If any one should think, this effectual calling is regeneration, then it can't be before justifying faith, in the order of time; unless regeneration be before such faith, in the order of time too. If effectual calling and regeneration, are one and the same thing; the names are a distinction, without a difference; and if neither of them are before [Page 65]justifying faith in the order of time, then effectual calling is improperly used; for it is used to signify a call to con­version, and not conversion itself. It is supposed effec­tual calling is irresistible conviction; but if it is irresistible regeneration, and not before saving faith, in the order of time, our ideas are confused with a distinction of names, where there is no difference: For regeneration is allowed to be effectual; because justifying faith, is necessarily con­nected with it in the order of time. If they are both be­fore justifying faith in the order of time, then regenera­tion can mean nothing but effectual calling; and our ideas are yet confused with a distinction, but no difference: And regeneration has been improperly used to signify, that most excellent divine principle, that expatiates in justifying faith, and pure love to God and holiness; or in other words, conforms the mind to God, to eternal acceptance. Now, that effectual calling, which is prior to faith, in the order of time, (call it regeneration, or what you will) cannot so conform the mind to God: And then the above-said divine principle, which cannot exist, in the order of time, prior to justifying faith, wants a name, if regeneration is not the name of it.

But I shall criticise no longer, on other men's senti­ments; but proceed to communicate my own; both on effectual calling, and regeneration.

1st. As to an irresistible call, before justifying faith; there is no such thing. This will appear from several reasons: 1. An irresistible call confirms a man (as was said before) in a state of salvation; therefore it assumes the prerogative of justifying faith; and no man hath power to become a son of God, in a confirmed sense, without receiving Christ by a justifying faith, John i. 12: tho' a man have all faith, so that he could remove moun­tains, 1. Cor. xiii. 2. yet if it doth not conform the mind to God, in pure love, to God and holiness; he is nothing in a confirmed sense: If men taste the heavenly gift; and partake the holy ghost; taste the powers of the [Page 66]world to come, (in conviction) they may fall away, and perish for ever, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6.

2. The conclusion, that conviction is irresistible, is drawn from no premises that infer it. The premises are 1. scripture, 2. experience. The scriptures from which such conclusion is inferred, are such as Ps. cx. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, and John vi 44. No man can come to me, except the father draw him. But both these texts respect regeneration; and not conviction; for it is the real coming to Christ, by a justi­fying act of faith [...] that can be here intended; and who denies a day of mighty power, being necessary to such coming? unless it be such as deny the mighty power of God being necessary to regeneration. 2. The experience, from which such a conclusion is drawn, is this, viz. men that are regenerated, are first powerfully convicted; they are in great distress; and continue earnest seekers, until they obtain regeneration; while many others, that seem to be as powerfully convicted as they, turn back and perish. Hence it is concluded, that such as continue seeking till they find, are under an irresistible sovereign influence; but the conclusion will be as well inferred, that the angels who continued perfect, were under an irresist­ible influence; which is to destroy the notion of their be­ing created probationers. Besides, those that did turn back, were once earnest seekers; and who dare say, they could not continue such? A resistible power made them such (is allowed) and to say a resistible power could not continue them such, is a self contradiction. And if they had continued seeking, why should they not find? Men must follow on to know the Lord, if they would be suc­cessful, Hos vi. 3. and that we may see they can do, without irresistible conviction; therefore (as I said) the conclusion is drawn from no premises that inferred such conclusion.

2. As to regeneration; it is nothing else but the power, and principle of justifying faith; it is that power by which the soul is renewed. Rom. xii. 2. so that it is transformed, [Page 67]and made to approve the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. It is the renewing of God's image; called the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Tit. iii. 5. also called by Christ, the New Birth, John iii. 3, Now this most necessary and excellen [...] grace, cannot exist in the order of time, prior to justifying faith; for that (as I said) it is only the power, and principle of faith. Faith cannot act, until it exist; and regeneration is the power of its existence. Regeneration, as it signifies renewing, transforming, and conforming the soul to God, to eternal acceptance, doth none of these things prior to, or abstract from a justifying faith. It is therefore, only the principle of faith; but it is faith that conforms the soul, purifies the heart, and works pure love to God and holi­ness. And as there can be no such conformity, prior to the acting of faith; so there can be no regeneration, prior to faith, in the order of time. But

I shall now enquire, whether convicting and converting graces, are of different kinds; or regeneration, only a greater degree of the same kinds; and I am of opinion, the latter is the truth. And here I shall say, it is dark­ness in the understanding, ignorance and blindness of heart, that alienates the soul from God, Eph iv. 18 and by necessary consequence, the restoring of spiritual light in the understanding, must reduce the soul to its original bias, and primitive suasion; in proportion to the degree of that light. Wherein did man's original spiritual death (which was the death of all deaths) consist, but in the privation of spiritual light, in the reasonable soul? God veils his glorious perfections and attributes; as to their beauty and amiableness, harmony, and consistency; and leaves the rational soul, destitute of a divine impress. Hence the once elevated mind, is bereaved of its original happy biass, and sweet suasion; God's moral image, with which it was imprest, becomes extinct; and the desolate soul commenceth bankrupt. Now all that is necessary, to the restoring the soul to its primitive glory, beauty, and original sweet suasion; is the unveiling the divine [Page 68]perfections; and re-impressing the human soul with their beauty, amiableness and charms. This will melt the hardest heart; and make the most stubborn sinner bow. The soul is the ag [...]t to all the religious and regular de­corum of the bo [...] and reason is the agent of all the moral and eva [...]cal conformity, of all the powers, passions, and faculties of the human soul to God. The spirit of God can make no religious impression on the soul, but in the eye of reason; to suppose the will is bowed, any other way, than by an impression made on the under­standing; is to suppose, a brute creature might be made religious; and is such a mechanical notion of religion, as I desire not to be concerned with; for that it makes man a machine: Now what is spiritual conviction, but an im­pression of God's perfections on the soul; by a degree of illumination? those so enlightened, are made partakers of the holy ghost, Heb. vi 4. The same spirit, that con­vinceth of righteousness, convinceth also of sin, John xvi. 8. In conviction, the soul is carried from one degree of illumination to another; convinced first of one thing, then of another; until it is fully prepared, to be enlightened with the ability and willingness of Christ to save; the freedom and satisfaction that God the father hath, in sav­ing a perishing soul by the righteousness of his own son. And what is it can make the guilty discouraged soul, venture its eternal all on the faithful word of truth, and promise of God, but only being fairly enlightened about it? All the light that a convicted soul obtains, though it create great anxiety to be saved, yet cannot regenerate the heart, until it arise to such a degree of clearness, as to enable the soul to venture; and whenever it ariseth to such degree, there is no space of time between that and the soul's venturing. And hence the soul is regenerated by that faith, which is only produced by a greater degree of light. There was faith before, that created many changes in the mind; but this only can conform the heart to God; for while the soul refuseth to venture on Christ alone, it can never be impressed with the beauty, amiable­ness, [Page 69]and consistency of the divine perfections: All God's ways till then, are not ways of pleasantness; therefore the mind cannot be conformed or regenerated. Hence it is said, God who commanded the light to shine out darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the know­leage of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor iv 6 And we all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, chap. iii. 18.

If all that is meant by regeneration being a different kind of grace, to that of conviction, is only this, viz. that different graces, dispositions, passions, and affections, are wrought in us; that is to teach the world nothing; for every one may see that: But how doth these different graces in us, prove the grace of conviction and conver­sion are of different kinds? A greater degree of light of the same kind, can make as great a difference as this. What vast degree of difference is made, in the passions, disposition, and affections of men, under high or low convictions; are they therefore different graces of the spirit? And what is conversion, but acting by a high degree of conviction, about what is right or wrong. We know the rays of the sun in direct lines, make vastly dif­ferent impressions on all globical substances, to those that are in indirect, oblique, and circular lines. Those in direct lines, make it always summer at the equinoctial; those in oblique, make it sometimes winter, sometimes summer here, i. e. hot or cold. It is not the greater distance of the sun from us, that is the cause of the ex­treme cold in our northern climes in winter; but the more oblique manner of the rays striking on the earth, to that of summer. Were the sun at twice the distance at the equator, it would be hotter there than here, at the com­mon distance; because of the straight direction of the lines: or the lines striking in a direct manner, occasion a direct reflection; while those in an oblique, only glance. And how vastly different are the impressions of light on us, that are from the sun in direct rays, to those that are [Page 70]indirect and circular: Such as before the sun makes its appearance in our horizon, after day break; or at second­hand from the moon. Those rays in direct lines from the sun, communicate heat as well as light, and con­junctly conspire to promote every useful business; and inspire the creation for vigorous action; while those from the moon, leave the creation chill'd or congeal'd dull, stupid, and inactive. And are all these different passions, affections, and dispositions, occasioned by a different kind of light? No surely! but only from a greater or lesser degree of the same kind Now the convictions that are prior to regeneration, are more circular, oblique, and indirect: They are by the law mainly; which is as a two­edged sword that cuts every way; but cannot cure. There is light, but no perceptible heat, like rays of the moon. But then, as the law is in the hand of a mediator, Gal. iii. 19. It is the sword that goes from Christ's mouth, Rev. i. 16. and the convictions create [...] by it, are the striving of God's spirit, in the gospel covenant. Hence they are like the day star arising in the heart: and the day spring from an high visiting. They forebode the rising of the sun of righteousness, Mal. iv 2. Luke i. 78. 2 Pet i. 19. But when the sun of righteousness ariseth, in displays of rich grace, and gospel love; the stony heart dissolves; the affections are fired with primitive beauty; and the anxious and perplexed soul is charmed to rest. And yet all this is but the native result of greater light of the same kind. And what is it that renders the church triumphantly perfect? (not a different kind of grace) but greater degrees of the same kind. Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face. When he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is, 1 Cor. xiii 12. 1 John iii. 2. and yet how much more graceful are these heavenly fires, than we?

I conceive this notion of regeneration, being a different kind of grace to that of conviction, has been the cause of much confusion in the christian world; and possibly hath slain its ten thousands: For by means of this, men look [Page 71]upon regeneration to be some kind of unknown, unintel­ligible thing; and conclude they can do nothing towards believing in Christ, or changing their own hearts, until they obtain that grace of the spirit: Hence they wait for it, and expect some kind of unknown power must fall from heaven, much like the miraculous falling of the holy ghost on the day of Pentecost▪ Acts ii. 2, 3. And when people of this notion are converted as they suppose, they love to speak of wonders, of visions, or of voices, or of the immediate application of a text; as though the word of faith was not sufficient to be believed, without a new revelation of it: And though many of those who hold regeneration is a different kind of grace to that of conviction, don't approve of these extraordinary conver­sions; yet they take their rise from their own extraordi­nary notion of regeneration. Hence also it is, that men are so much urg'd to wait for the spirit; and it is sup­posed, both by preacher and hearer, it would be pre­sumption to attempt to believe in Christ by a justifying faith, until they have obtained the grace of regeneration; which is a different kind of grace, to any that an unrege­nerate man has, as they suppose. Here I shall particula­ [...]e a number of the evils this false notion of regeneration [...]oth, both to saints and sinners.

1. Sinners often lose a very promising conviction by it; they wait for the spirit of regeneration, until their convic­tions die, and dwindle to nothing.

2. They conceive hard thoughts of God, as tho' he was not willing to save, because he won't regenerate them in the way they are waiting for it▪

3. They are frighted from obeying God's commands; such as, Lay hold on eternal life, 2. Tim. vi. 12. and work out your own salvatian, Phil. ii. 12. These things they dare not attempt to do; because they have not the spirit of regeneration (as they suppose) hence they must pray, and wait: This kind of waiting is much like a youth that would learn arithmetic by neglecting the study of his rules, waiting for the master to teach him: The [Page 72]master may be under obligations to teach him, but not in the neglect of the exercise of his rules. Now this notion of regeneration, won't allow the proper exercise; whereas the notion of conviction, being of the same kind of grace to that of regeneration, will; for the spirit of conviction the sinner has; and if all that is necessary to conver­sion, is only greater light, then he can pray, and study the doctrine of the gospel, search after knowledge as after hid treasure. All he wants is rightly to understand how he shall see Christ so, as to venture his eternal all upon him; and the God of love will never neglect assist­ance, in what the sinner cannot find out by the just exer­cise of the rules of the gospel. On the other hand, let him see ever so much of the way of salvation by Christ, he must not venture to believe, until he knows he has the spirit of regeneration; and that he can never know till after he has believed; therefore he is waiting for im­possible things. If men therefore would venture on a Christ, they must believe from the spirit of conviction; for it is not regeneration, 'till faith make it so; and it is also not irresistible, until faith qualify it as such, by giving it the sanction of insurance: But that will be considered under the last head of doctrine.

4. This notion of regeneration gives great discourage­ment to sinners in general, which must be a great embar­rasment to the success of the gospel.

5. This notion does great injury to the saints.

1. It keeps them long from believing, many times; except they had seen signs they would not believe: They are like Thomas, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, i. e. unless God will make some extra­ordinary discovery to me, I will not believe. And though God may be merciful to their unreasonable demands, as was the case with Thomas; yet they often are long neglec­ted, and if God doth not indulge their extravagance, they are obliged to forget their distinction, that the grace of conviction and regeneration are of different kinds, and act upon the former, like men of sense.

[Page 73] 2. This notion hinders them much from living by faith; as they did not first believe, barely on the cre [...]i [...] of the gospel, but on some sign, or extraordinary discovery: So, when they have lost their elevated frame, and sweet sence of their experience, they are as much at a los [...] how to believe as ever; and then they must pray and wait for a new revelation; but to try to believe when they pray, that they conclude is still presumption. Hence we shall hear them complaining of the hardness of their he [...]r's and of their doubts and fears; and these they make evidences of their humility; while they are only evidences that they live without the exercise of faith; and so they pray and wait.

3. This notion, that conviction and regeneration are dif­ferent kinds of grace, holds the church in constant self con­tradiction and confusion. Saying no unregenerate man has a saving qualification, and then denying it, and saying they must have an effectual or irresistable call Saying that the visible church are in covenant, and bound to the duties, at the expence of the penalties, and then denying they are really in covenant. Saying the promise of regeneration is made to the elect; and then saying no unregenerate man is drawn by the mighty power of God, otherwise he would be an heir of promise; and yet saying they are drawn by irresistible conviction; and yet not heirs of pro­mise. And these confusions are not restrained to the vul­gar, but are an epidemical distemper.

But now let us turn the affair and say, convicting and regenerating graces are of one kind, and differ only in degree, and there is no need to say and unsay: For why? Then we can say an unregenerate man has a saving qualification by being really in covenant, and under the striving of God's Spirit, and that he may be drawn by the mighty power of God, have faith, and be an heir of promise; and there is nothing to contradict it, for it must be mighty power that can effectually convince the soul of its own immediate danger, unworthiness, and in­sufficiency, and yet that mercy rejoiceth against judgment; [Page 74]and can dispose the soul to quit all dependence on the law, and cry mightily to God by faith, or in Christ's righteous­ness alone; though all this doth not regenerate, till faith of justification act, and so not irresistible, till that act give it the sanction of insurance. If the graces are of one kind, and differ only in degree, t [...]n conviction is really saving according to the degree of it; and qualifies the creature to examine and exercise the rules of the gospel, in order to obtain a sufficient degree of light, to venture his eternal all on Christ for justification; and he need never stay to ask whether he has got regenerating grace; for he hath got that which is as much like it as any thing can be, till [...]aith of justification give it another name, and regenerate him by it. He need not stay to ask whether he is one of the elect; for believing only can determine that affair He need not stay to ask whether he has got the power of God; for if he has such power to be willing to be justified on the acc [...]et of Christ's righteousness alone, that he might glorify God and enjoy him [...]ver; it is all the power he wa [...]s, to do that work; and it will be regenerating grace if he act justifying faith; and it would not be regenerating grace if he had twice the power, without that act. He need not stay to ask whether he is a child of God; for the prodi­gal could say father I have sinned, from the federal rela­tion he had sustained in Adam, by the new covenant. And he need not stay to ask whether he is one to whom regeneration is promised; for if he is unregenerate it can be promised to none but such; and if he seek in the worthiness of Christ alone, he is one of the only persons to whom that promise is directly made: And still the promise of regeneration is made to the proper endeavours of unregenerate men, which was the point to be proved.

The Eighth and last thing under the head of he cove­nant was to shew, That influences to change the heart, are the purchase of Christ. And,

1. If the bereaving and depriving the soul of a divine and spiritual life, or God's moral image, was a penalty [Page 75]of the first covenant; than Christ in restoring that life and image, must answer the penal demand, and take away that curse by the atonement he makes. The former is true, so the latter. The major appears, Gen. ii. 17. In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. The bereavement of spiritual life, or God's moral image, was instantaneous on rebellion; then our first parents knew moral and penal evil experimentally; and moral good by the want of it; as we know not how to make a just estimate of health, until we are bereaved of it: And though temporal and eternal death are included in the threatning; yet these are but consequent on the other, and have in them no moral, but only natural and penal evil; but the other, though it be inflicted as a most just penalty; yet the cruel venom of a [...]ps is in it. This death is the result, not of infusion, but bereavement or priva­tion; God veils his glory, and love to God and holiness expire. The minor appears in this; God's glory cannot be unveil'd but in the face of Christ, 2 Cor. iv. 6. In turning to the Lord Christ, the veil is taken away, chap. iii. 16. As a divide spiritual communication was impeded by the curse; Christ became a curse for us, to purchase communication, Gal. iii. 13, 14.

2. The [...]oly Ghost, by which the souls of m [...]n are to be enlightned, is sent only in Christ's name, John xiv. 6. as Christ came that men should not walk in darkness, but have the light of spiritual life; so it is he that must enlighten every man; and of his fulness all we must receive, John i. 9, 16. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, ver. 17.

3. The spirit, is called the spirit of Christ, Rom viii. 9 Gal. iv 6. For that very reason, viz. that Christ hath purchased it; for otherwise it is the spirit of God.

4. If heart circumcision, was not purchased by Christ, why was it signified by the type of Christ's blood, cir­cumcision in the flesh?

Secondly, I was to shew, That the decrees of election, and reprobation are certain and definite.

[Page 76] Many things might be said touching the DECREES; many have been the controversies about them; I believe there have been many injurious thoughts on all sides; but my design is not to concern myself any farther with other men's thoughts, than as they may lie as objections to my own; and shall proceed to communicate my own freely.

Here then I shall say something concerning the nature, cause and manner of God's decrees: for though we are not able to comprehend all the counsels of Jehovah, or see into the reasons of all his determinations and conduct; yet according as reason and revelation hath furnished us, we may speak with safety.

1. With respect to the nature of a decree of God; it is the si [...]ed determination of the unchangeable God, who is the supreme agent that doth all things after the counsel of his own will, Eph i 11. What men or angels decree is uncertain as to the event; but not so with respect to God' decrees; they are like himself unchangeable. To suppose a decree of God can be chang'd, is to suppose either the decree is found to be wrong, or God was not able to effect the thing [...]e purposed; either of which is blasphemy For the Lord of h [...]sts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? Isa. xiv. 14, 27

2. The cause of decrees is this, viz God who sees all things from eternity to eternity that are, shall be, or possi­bly can be, by one infinite view of his all comprehensible wisdom and knowledge, cannot be an idle spectator. But as he is able to cause, to permit, or to prevent, he must determine and decree something, with respect to every thing that comes to pass; either that he will cause it, or permit it, or prevent it, or permit it to be prevented. Our rational minds furnish us with these dictates, viz. That if we could see all that will be done in the next century, or age of the world, had it in our own power to cause, or prevent; if we had wisdom sufficient at present, to be absolutely determined which would be best; we could do no less at present, than decree either to cause, permit, prevent, [Page 77]or permit to be prevented, every thing that respects the next century; and then all things in that century would be decreed by us now; in some sense or other

3. The manner in which God decrees things is this.

1. That they have no influence, either on his own, or any creature's conduct. God's decrees are only indications, or expressions of the certainty of events; but no cause either of the events themselves, or of their certainty. This conclusion will appear inviolable in all; e. g. God from eternity decreed to create the world, but doth that decree influence God? i. e. doth God create the world be­cause he hath bound himself by a decree to create it? Why did he decree to do it? he surely saw some sufficient reason, or he would never decree it: And that reason which is sufficient to dispose God to decree it, must be the reason of the certainty why he will do it; to found the reason of God's creating on one thing, and the certainty on another, is to suppose that when God saw sufficient reason to create the world, it was not certain that he will do it, until he hath bound himself by a decree, i. e. that reason which infinite wisdom saw sufficient for the creating the world, is not sufficient to dispose God certainly to do it; therefore lest he should neglect doing that which he sees sufficient reason for, he decrees he will do it, and that makes it certain he will do it. Surely when God saw sufficient reason, to dispose him to decree the creation of the world; that same reason was sufficient, to dispose him certainly to do it; therefore the decree has no influence in the creating, or the certainty of it. If it is objected, God could not see the creation as a certainty prior to the decree? It is answered, God saw sufficient reason for crea­ting, prior to the decree; and if God saw sufficient reason for creating, prior to the decree; that reason must be suffici­ent to dispose him certainly to create; and God's seeing the creation a certainty, is not the result of the decree, but the result of infinite wisdom, seeing sufficient reason for creating; and God seeing sufficient reason to dispose him certainly to create, is the reason why he decrees cer­tainly to do it.

[Page 78] Two things ought here to be considered;

• 1. When I say, God saw sufficient reason to dispose him certainly to create the world, before he decreed to do it; it must not be understood, one thing before another in the order of time, but only in the order of nature; for there is no before or after with God, in the order of Time, with respect to seeing sufficient reason for doing a thing, and purposing or decreeing to do it.
• 2. When I say, the decree of God is not the reason, neither of God's doing a thing, or of the certainty of his doing it; it must not be understood as tho' when God saw sufficient reason to do a thing, a decree is not connected with it; for what God sees sufficient reason for doing, he must purpose [...] decree to do, at the same time: And if he doth not decree to do a thing; it is evident he did not see suffici­ent reason for the doing of it; though at the same time, the decree is not the reason of doing, or of the certainty of it; but only the sufficiency of the reason, upon which he decreed certainly to do it.

When we purpose or decree to do a thing, we always have some (as we think) sufficient reason for such purpose, or decree. Now is this decree the reason why we will certainly do it? No, for if we see sufficient reason to do otherwise, we will alter the purpose or decree: And the reason why God will not alter his purposes or decrees, is this, viz. he can never see a more sufficient reason for his conduct, than he saw at first; for if he could, he would surely alter his decrees: That decree that binds to do that which there is not sufficient reason for, must be dread­ful, like the decrees of the Medes and Persians, Est. viii. 8, 11. I need not multiply examples, for this is parallel to all cases, in which it can be supposed a decree can in­fluence God's doing a thing, or the certainty of it.

That God's decrees have no influence on the conduct of creatures, I shall shew when I come to shew what God hath decreed in respect of them, and at present add a word on the manner of decreeing.

[Page 79] 2. The manner in which God decrees, is according to his infinite prescience, or fore knowledge: He doth not barely decree a thing because he fore knew it; but be­cause the thing decreed, is right to be decreed; and God must know it is right, before he can decree it; therefore for [...] knowledge is absolutely necessary to a decree, though not the cause of it. e. g. God from eternity saw a number of the angles would rebel, and bring ruin upon them­selves; and he e [...] are two things decreed in respect of them;

• 1. [...]o permit their rebellion;
• 2. to inflict their ruin, and God could have decreed neither of these things, if they had not been right; and God must know them to be right, before he can decree them; though their being right is the cause why he doth it; and as their b [...]ng right, is the cause why they are decreed, so it is the cause why one is permitted, and the other inflicted; and n [...] the decree the cause at all: And the decree has no influence, either as to the permiting, or inflicting.

I come now directly to shew, how God hath decreed with respect to men. And by a decree of election, I mean a number of the human race, were chosen from eternity, for everlasting happiness; and that the number is certain and definite.

By a decree of reprobation, I mean that all except the elect were predestinated to everlasting destruction, from the fame eternity: But then no man or woman need be terrified with this representation of God's decrees; for I shall shew that these decrees, are in no sense the cause why one is saved, or the other damned: Or in other words, they have no kind of influence, and men are all as [...]ee to be saved, as thought there was no decree of re­probation: And the elect as free to be damned, as though there was no election, as to all that that decree shall ever do towards their salvation. As I said before, the cause why God decrees things, is only that he cannot be an idle spectator, but must decree something with respect to all events; either, that he will cause, or permit, or pre­vent, or permit to be prevented. And as I shewed un­der [Page 80]the manner of God's decreeing, that his decrees have no influence on himself; so there is no reason why he causeth, permitteth, preventeth, or permitteth any thing to be prevented. I shall now proceed to reconcile these definite and fixed decrees, with the covenant of grace: And here I shall say, the decrees of God can never be so designed by him, as to oppose, clash with, or embarras the covenant of grace. I shall therefore now shew, when and how decrees, do these things.

1. Decrees oppose the covenant of grace, when they forbid the making of it: And what I shall now say, let the world consider: If God had reprobated, by an eternal decree of predestination, all the seed of Adam, except those that shall be saved, in and for Adam's sin and re­bellion, without any regard to their rejecting of, or rebel­ing against Christ, or a salvation provided for them in the new covenant; then God can never make a new co­venant with them, after that sin and rebellion: It is im­possible for God to covenant about the pardoning, and blotting out of sin and transgression, it he hath bound him­self by an eternal decree, that he will never pardon their sins, or blot out their transgressions [...]uch a circumstance of a decree, utterly forbids a covenant of grace, and salvation, ever being made after that sin is committed, on which final damnation is sealed. Hell from beneath must enlarge herself, Is. v. 14, and xiv. 9. before she can deny this self-evident truth. And how abundantly evi­dent, have I made it appear, that God did make the covenant of grace, with the reprobate seed of Adam: and downwards, and damns them for sin they could not have committed, if they had not been in the new cove­nant. Gen. vi. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: But now they have no cloak for their sin. John xv. 12. Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, the holy one of Israel, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, then had thy peace been as a river, and [Page 81]thy righteousness as the waves of the sea, Is. xlviii. 17.18. Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, thus saith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy [...]ou [...], the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness; Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase; what imquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me; turn, O back sliding children, for I am married unto you, Jer. [...]i 2, 3, 5. and iii. 14. For of old time I have broken [...] yoke, and burst thy bands, chap. ii. 20. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord, thought your sins be as scralet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool, Is. i 18 Hear O heavens, and give ear O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people do not consider, ver. 2.3. For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, then will they turn unto other gods, and provoke me, and break my covenant. Deut. xxxi. 20. For the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance, ch xxxii. 9. He kept him as the apple of his eye, ver. 10 But Jacob lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation, ver. 15. though the eternal God was his refuge, and happy was the people in such a case, ch. xxxiii. 27 29. Ps. cxliv. 15. What could have been done more to my vineyard? Is. v. 4. Last of all he sent unto them his son, saying they will reverence my son, Mat. xxi. 37. but when he came to his own, his own received him not, John i. 14. Therefore the children of the kingdom of heaven, or of the kingdom of the cove­nant of grace, are cast out, Mat. viii. 11, 12, Because of unbelief they were broken off from their own olive tree, or own covenant state, Rom. xi. 20, 24. Whoever therefore shall deny, that the covenant of grace was made with all the seed of Adam, for that they were all made foederally holy in him, and the blood of them all washed away, as we have abundantly seen; however his soul may [Page 82]attain heaven; yet, while he continues obstinate in that denial, he may never expect to enter into the good land of promise, the general peace and tranquility of the vi­sible church, because he speaks unadvisedly with his lips; and he may expect to die in the wilderness, of the groan­ing, bleeding, contrariety, confusion, and discord of the visible church: And the wood, hay and stubble, of his low and contracted soul, will be burnt up, 1. Cor. iii. 12, 15.

For the sake of the we [...]k who do not easily see a con­clusion from the premises, what I have here proved is this, viz. that the covenant of grace was made with the reprobate seed of Adam, as really as with the elect; and that it could not have been made with them, if they had not been predestinated to final ruin, in the fall of Adam: therefore, they are predestinated to ruin, no otherwise, then as they reject the blood of the covenant of grace, with which they are sanctified, or made covenantly holy, Heb, x. 29. So that they might all have been saved, notwithstanding all, that the decree of reprobation ever did to hinder it.

2. A decree opposeth the covenant of grace, when it hath influence on human actions: A man cannot be rege­nerated, or powerfully convicted, without powerful as­sistance from the spirit of God: And if that assistance is to be obtained by decrees, and to by the terms of a covenant, the whole notion of covenanted salvation, is overthrown. e. g. When God covenanted with angels; if the elect among them had by a decree of predestination to happiness, been kept from rebellion, they are not saved by a covenant at all; and its nonsense to talk of a covenant with respect to them; for the decree influenceth all their standing, and governs their conduct. On the other hand, if the decree of reprobation takes away the power of standing from reprobate angels, that decree must influence their fall, and necessarily infers their dam­nation, do the best they can. So, if the help of the spirit is witheld from the non-elect of the seed of Adam, [Page 83]in the covenant of grace, the covenant is opposed and clashed with; for the covenant saith, If thou wilt do so, and so, the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart; and the decree saith, God will not do it, do what you possibly can; and the decree governs the whole conduct of the ruined creature: And to talk of washing away their blood by a covenant, hath nothing in it. [...]ence we see, that decrees must have no influence, neither secret nor re­veal'd. And here we see, how impertinently the peace of God's Zion has been exhausted, in the veins of needless controversy about God's decrees; for that they neither help the elect, nor hurt the reprobate; they neither in­fluence God, angel, or men.

3. Decrees oppose a covenant, when they don't allow men to be probationers, for a covenant always doth, and if the decrees of God have any influence in the deter­mining man's conduct, they put the elect into a state of insurance from eternity; and the reprobates are sealed to damnation; and a covenant is useless for either of them. If it be replied, God has decreed to save the elect in a covenant way; it is answered, that is true; but it could not be true, if men were saved because they are elected: God, as I have said, decrees every thing that comes to pass; yet I have also said, and prov'd, decrees have no influence, and nothing comes to pass because it is de­creed; for if it doth, that is not to save in a covenant way, as we have seen. If God has decreed to save in a covenant way; and yet saves by sovereign grace, and absolute decrees; then he has decreed to save in an im­possible way; for that way of saving is inconsistent with a covenant; or at least, he doth not save in the way he has decreed to save; and to save in two ways, directly con­trary, is impossible.

1st Objection, Is not God a sovereign, can't he decree to save whom he pleaseth?

Answer, God is a sovereign, and if he had made the covenant of grace, with but one of the children of Adam; and decreed all but that one to sinal damnation; bis [Page 84]throne had been eternally guiltless. But blessed, and forever blessed be his holy name, he has done otherwise; he has made the covenant with the whole human race, in their [...] father Adam; and when this glorious covenant of rich grace (in which he has magnified his mercy infi­nitely, is made; Adam, and his seed are taken out of the hands of sovereignty; to be dealt with in a gracious co­venant way; and are considered no otherwise in the hands of sovereignty, than as they forfeit the blessings of the covenant; either by going out from the presence of the Lord, as Cain, and commencing heathen idolaters, and [...]asting their covenant inheritance in riotous living, like profane Esau, who for a morsel of meat sold his birth­right, Heb xii. 16. or as the Jews, turning the pure covenant of grace into a law covenant, and adhering to their own moral virtues, and ceremonial cleannesses, for justification and salvation; and so commencing children of the bond woman; but not children of promise. And here indeed, both are in the hands of sovereign mercy, ever to be called again, to a gracious covenant relation to God; or in the hands of penal justice, to be finally left to perish, without God in the world, Eph. ii. 12. But if God call them again to a covenant state, they are grafted in to partake of the root and fatness of a gracious covenant dispensation; and are again taken from the hands of that penal justice, and sovereign mercy, to be saved in the way of rich, free, and covenanted mercy, as children of promise And here God's decrees have no­thing to do with sovereignty; for if they are saved, it is in the way of covenanted, and not sovereign mercy; and if they are damn'd, it is in the way of penal, and not sovereign justice. When shall we obtain, to understand God's gracious covenant way on earth; that we may no longer, put a stumbling block in the way of the blind? Levit xix. 14.

2d Objection, If the decrees have no influence, Christ died at uncertainty.

[Page 85] Answer, That is surely a mistake; were not the elect angels, a certain definite number from eternity? and yet we are sure, the decrees of God must have no influence, either to cause one to stand, or the other to fall; for if they have, one cannot stand, and the other cannot fall: therefore they are not probationers, and under no cove­nant dispensation. But all the angels were under a cove­nant dispensation; and not under the influence of decrees; and yet the elect a certain definite number; So all the seed of Adam, were under the dispensation of the cove­nant of grace; and not under the influence of decrees; must have a fair trial as probationers (as well as angels) and yet the elect are a certain definite number; and Christ died at no uncertainty.

Query, Doth not the scripture speak of some believing, because they were ordained to eternal life? Acts xiii. 48. Answer, No; it is said, as many as were ordained to eter­nal life believed; yet that could not be the cause, and it is not said to be the cause: As many angles as were or­dained to stand, stood, when others fell; though we are sure all had power to stand; and their being elect, could not be the cause why they stood, for all were probati­oners, and must be at liberty to fall.

3d Objection, It is said those that are given to Christ, shall come to him, John vi. 37. All that the father giveth me, shall come to me: therefore those that are given to Christ, in the decree of election, shall come.

Answer, There is nothing said about the decree of election, in this text, either expressed, or implied. If there had been any design to tell us of the gift of God from eternity, in the decree of election, the words must have been in a past tense, hath given; whereas they ra­ther carry a future tense; all that the father shall give to me, shall come to me; the time of giving refers to the time of coming; or the time of coming, to the time of giving rather: Therefore they respect the grace of regene­ration; and the power of God to make the soul willing, and able to act justifying faith; and it is such coming only, [Page 86]that can insure the not being cast out; and it is surely such actual giving, at the time of the soul's coming, that is here intended: As appears from ver. 44, and 65, no man can come unto me, except the father which hath sent me, draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. There­fore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, ex­cept it were given to him of my father. The scope and design of Christ here was, to convince the Jews, that he was Christ, and the only saviour, the sent of God;as the living father hath sent me, ver. 57. And the need they had of the power of God to change and renew thei [...] hearts; but he doth not in the least insinuate, that such power to regenerate their hearts, should be obtained ab­solutely, and unconditionally, because it was decreed; for that would have been to excuse, rather than reprove the Jews for not believing on him; but labours to bring them first to own him doctrinally: and we are sure no man will ever be given to Christ, by the mighty power of regeneration, until he first own Christ doctrinally; for till then, he can never ask in Christ's name; and yet seek he must, or his heart shall never be renewed, Ez. xxxvi. 26, 37. and he must seek by faith in Christ, or it can never be done, Rom. ix. 32. hence he tells them, he is the true bread which came down from heaven; and when they ask what they shall do, that they may work the works of God; he answers, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent, John vi. 28, 29, 32. And that the giving here, means the actual giving in time, by the faith of regeneration, will fully appear from verse 39. This is the father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. Which proves only, that such as believe in Christ by a justifying faith, shall persevere; shall die in Christ; and that these Christ will bring with him, in the resurrection,

• 1. Thes. iv. 14. and that they were given by the faith of regeneration, that he should give eternal life, to as many as God had so given to him, John xvii.
• [Page 87] 2. but if Christ had designed, to tell them of a gift in election from eternity, and that all so given, shall come, for that reason absolutely, and unconditionally;

then all arguments are lost to perswade the Jews to believe on him doctrinally, in order to be regenerated; for if they are of the elect, there is no danger of being saved; and if of the reprobate, there is no possibility of being saved; for that God by an eternal decree, hath bound himself never to give that gift, to any but the elect. And O! how sorrowful is it, that men should put such unkind constructions, on the kind intentions of our kind Emma­nuel; who came to seek and to save, the lost sheep of the house of Israel; even those that never received him, Mat. xv. 24. John i. 11. and thereby cast a stumbling block in the way of the blind: And make the painful preaching of Christ, to bring unregenerate people to adhere to the gospel covenant in order to be saved, useless and vain.

But suppose the giving here, to be the gift of election from eternity, and all such shall come; there is no per­son (that I know of) disputes, but the elect shall surely come to Christ; for it was upon the certain fore-know­ledge of that, they were elected: According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, Ep. i 4. But what is it that makes it certain, the elect shall come to Christ? Answer, Fore-knowledge of their coming, will surely make it certain; for God can never foresee a thing, that will never be; he may foresee things that would be, if they were not prevented, but then he can­not foresee them, as having a being, which he foresees will be prevented from being: Therefore, whatever God foresees as a real being, is a certainty; and as God from eternity foresaw the elect would come to Christ; so he decreed their salvation; and all things that God hath de­creed, shall surely come to pass. But I suppose a cer­tainty arising only from fore-knowledge, will hardly give satisfaction here, the decree must influence their coming, and then they cannot help coming. If the decree doth not influence their coming, there can be no other certainty [Page 88]than that which ariseth from fore knowledge: And if the decree doth not influence their coming, there is nothing in the objection: Therefore let us now inquire whether, the certainty of the elect's coming to Christ, ariseth from fore knowledge only, or from the influence of a decree. I know a decree cannot be separated from fore know­ledge; but then, it is one thing for God to fore-see a thing, and decree it; and another for God to decree so, that the decree shall produce, or influence the event decreed. God fore-saw the fall of Adam, and of angels, and decreed both; but what dreadful work do we make, if we suppose those decrees had any influence, in produ­cing these direful events: And yet these events, being foreseen and decreed, are as certain, as it is that the elect f [...]ll come to Christ: And how hath God decreed they shall come? Is it in the way of a covena [...]? Ans. Yes, Deut. xxix. 12. that thou shouldest enter into the covenant with the Lord thy God. ver. 13. that he may establish thee to day, for a people unto himself. Is. lvi. 6. and take hold of my covenant, Rom. xi. 17. and with them partakest of the root and fatness. 2. Is it decreed, they shall do the con­ditions of a covenant? Answer, Yes, Deut. xxx. 2, 6. If thou shalt obey his voice, according to all that I com­mand thee; the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart. to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and soul. Ez. xxxvi. 26, 37, A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; yet for this will I be in­quired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them. Heb. iv. 11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 3. Is it decreed they shall act the faith of regeneration, by the mighty power of God? Answer, Yes. John vi. 44. No man can come unto me, except the father which hath sent me, draw him. Eph. i. 19. Who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. 4. Is it decreed they shall do the condition of the covenant, to which such mighty power, or regenerating grace is promised, by irresistible conviction? Answer, No, [...] vii. 51. Ye do [Page 89]always resist the holy ghost; as your sathers did. Gen. vi. 3, My spirit shall not always strive with man, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6, for it is impossible for those, who were once enlightened, and were made partakers of the holy ghost; if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance. So that if Christ had intended the gift of God from eter­nity, which is not at all the case; yet there could be no other certainty for the elect's coming to him, than what ariseth from fore-knowledge; for God never decreed that the elect should be saved, without first adhering to the gospel covenant: And he never decreed, that they should have irresistible grace, in order that they should doctri­nally adhere to it; for men can adhere to the gospel co­venant without it; therefore it still appears, the decrees have no influence: And the objection hath nothing in it.

4. Objection, Christ saith to the Jews, you believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. John x. 26. which can have no other meaning, but that they were not of the elect, for the following reasons: People are called sheep in scripture, but in three respects.

• 1. Such as believe by a justifying faith, are called sheep, ver. 27, 28, My sheep hear my voice, and they shall never perish; but Christ could not mean, they did not believe because they were not of these sheep, for that would have been to say, they believe not, because they believe not, which could not be good sense.
• 2. All God's covenant people, are call'd sheep, Ps. xxv. 7, and c. 3. Mat. x. 6. And Christ could not mean they were not of his sheep, as not being of the seed of Abraham, and God's covenant people; for they are all call'd Christ's own, in a covenant sense, John i. 11. therefore, by not being of his sheep, he must design to tell us, they were not of the elect.

Answer, I suppose Christ did not design to tell us, more or less, than he designed to tell them; and if he designed to tell them, they were not of the elect, he as fully designed to tell them, they were reprobates; and the reason why they did not believe, was, they were pre­destinated to damnation; and not being of the elect, he [Page 90]had nothing to do with them. But if this was his design, we may justly wonder. Indeed there were many things wonderful in Christ, his person, name, counsels, and miraculous conduct, compose a most extensive scene of wonders: But then his wonderfulness did not consist in inconsistency, and injudiciousness; and who under heaven can tell, what end he could propose, in telling God's covenant people, they were reprobates; for whom there was no provision made in the covenant of grace; and that he had nothing to do with them, for they were not his sheep, and he was not sent to be their shepherd: And then cry O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, how often would I have gathered thy children together, and ye would not. i. e. How often would I have gathered reprobates, when I had no commission to do so. And then behold the city, and weep over it, saying, if thou hadst known in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace; when they neither had a day of grace; or any thing belonging to their peace; and it was impossible they should know they had. But surely every man of sense must say, if Christ had once told them they were reprobates, and he had no commission to be their shep­herd, for they were not of his sheep; he could not con­sistent with himself, ever after such declaration, urge these reprobates, to believe on him for salvation. But this he doth with the most powerful arguments (consist­ent or inconsistent) John x. 37, 38, If I do not the works of my father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye be­lieve not me, believe the works: That ye may know and believe that the father is in me, and I in him. Hence then we must look for some other distinction of sheep, then either being regenerate, or of the elect, or barely being the seed of Abraham, and so God's covenant people. And the true distinction, is that which is made Rom. ix. and Gal. iv. Such as turn the gospel covenant into a law covenant, Christ cannot be their shepherd, nor they his sheep, be they of the seed of Abraham as they will; they are children of the bond-woman, and not of [Page 91]promise; for while they imagine their own moral virtues, and ceremonial washings shall justify and save them; they must stumble at Christ; but cannot follow him, as their shepherd; and he cannot feed them, as his sheep. And when beyond all dispute this was Christ's meaning, we see with what propriety Christ could tell these that were not of his sheep; of a day that belonged to their peace; and weep over them, for ruining themselves in adhering to a law covenant; and urge them with the most pow­erful arguments, to believe on him, as the saviour that God had sent into the world: That ye may know and be­lieve, that I am in the father, and the father in me, John x. 38. And here we see, how sorrowfully this text, for many ages, has been rack'd and tortured, to make it speak a sense, that makes Christ's conduct non­sense. And still we see, decrees have no influence, and do no way embarras the covenant of grace; though the number of elect and reprobate, are certain and definite; any more than the decrees of God, with respect to angels, embarrassed their convenant state.

3. I was to shew, that efficacious grace is necessary to regeneration, and justification; from which none can fall.

As to the grace of regeneration, and the efficacy of it, I have sufficiently discoursed, under the 7th heard upon the covenant; therefore I shall proceed to say something of the perseverance of the saints. And the reason why the saints cannot fall from grace, is this, viz. a justifying faith insures all that have it, in a state of salvation. He that is justified, shall not come into condemnation; he hath everlasting life, and is passed from death unto life, John v. 24. he that believeth on the son, hath everlasting life. John iii. 36. They shall never perish, John x. 28. A justifying faith, puts those that have it, beyond a state of probation. To be on trial for any thing, supposeth always the thing uncertain, and not insured. The saints are upon tryal for growth in grace, and increasing fitness for the heavenly world. And this growth, as to the [Page 92]greater or less degree of it, will be according as men im­prove in ordinary cases. How much knowledge a saint shall have in this world, is uncertain; or how great his faith, love to God and holiness, to the saints, his meek­ness, patience, and temperance shall be, is uncertain. A degree of every grace is certain, to every saint: He is therefore a probationer, only for a greater degree; but a greater justification, a saint cannot obtain, than he hath at first; for it is perfect. God may pardon the sins of the saints every day; and they have need of it, for in many things they offend, James iii. 2. And there is not a a just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not, Eccl vii. 20. But it is one thing to pardon the sins and imperfections of a saint, and another to justify his state. Men are insured in a state of salvation, when ever they come into the possession of the righteousness of Christ. Adam's righteousness would have insured all his posterity, if he had continued perfect, whenever they became heirs of it, and that would have been by natural generation. Men are made heirs of Christ's righteousness, by the faith of regeneration. And tho' Adam's seed would have been bound to be holy, yet not as probationers; for they would have been insured. So the saints are under the highest obligations to be holy in all manner of conversation and godliness, 2 Pet. iii. 11. But then, they are not probationers to obtain a right and title to the eternal in­heritance of heaven, for that is made sure on the acting of the faith of justification; and this is the only reason why a saint cannot fall from grace. Satan may desire to have them, and sift them as wheat; but Christ will always pray for them, that their faith fail not, Luke xxii. 31. Christ prays they may be kept from the evil of the world, John xvii. 15. and it will surely be done.

Fourthly and lastly, I was to shew, that a possibility of sailing, is always necessary to a state of probation, for regeneration, justification, eternal life, or any thing else.

[Page 93] I have already considered, that such as act a justifying faith, are at the same instant justified, and therefore not probationers for justification, after such act. And that regenerating grace, is before that act, in the order of nature; and also that eternal life, is necessarily connected with the same justifying act of faith; so that heaven with all the glory of the heavenly state, is insured, and con­firmed in the favour of such person or persons. And if persons are upon trial, as probationers for things, they are already in possession of, and are influenced and con­firmed to them; we have lost all in the ideas of a proba­tionary state; and must consider the angels yet as proba­tioners, for they are as much bound to their good beha­viour, as the saints. Here then we see, if men are ever probationers for regeneration, justification, or eternal life, it must be before they act the faith of regeneration. And we also see, that all persons that say, men are not probationers in the covenant of grace, for life and happi­ness, until they act the faith of regeneration, implicitly say, they are not probationers for life and happiness at all. To be a probationer in a covenant, includes these several things.

• 1. The thing for which a man is a probationer, must be covenanted for: For however God may give things not covenanted for, he that obtains them, doth not obtain them as a probationer in covenant. To obtain things as a probationer in covenant, is to have them covenanted for, on certain terms or conditions; for if there are no conditions, there can be no trial, and a state of probation, is always a state of trial.
• 2. To be a probationer for a thing, is to have it so covenanted for, that it is possible to obtained it; a sentiment contrary to this, is madness.
• 3. To be a probationer, is to have the thing so cove­nanted for, as that it is not certain, it shall be obtained [...] If the thing covenanted for, is certain to be obtained, it is insured, and he for whom it was covenanted, is no probationer. Take away either of these things, and you destroy the notion of probation.

[Page 94] 1. Hence then we see, if men are ever probationers for life and salvation, it is before they are regenerated; for regeneration conforms the soul to God, in acts of justifying faith, and holy love; and is the beginning of heaven; and insures the full fruition of it.

2. Hence then we see, if men are ever probationers for life and salvation, it must be covenanted for, before they obtain that life and salvation; therefore it must be covenanted for, before they are regenerated, for a man is not upon trial, for life and salvation, after he is rege­nerated, more than the angels in heaven; for one is us much confirmed in salvation as the other.

3. We hence see, if men are ever probationers for life and salvation, it must be, when it is possible for them to obtain it, or not obtain it; therefore, they must be pro­bationers, before they are regenerated: For after they are regenerated, they are insured, and cannot perish; and consequently not probationers.

4. We hence see, if men can be probationers no where, but where the salvation covenanted for, may be obtained, or not obtained; (upon the truth of which, the world may be chalenged) then a possibility of failing is always necessary to a state of probation for any thing; be it what it will: And this was the point to be proved.

5. We hence see, if regenerating grace insures salvati­on to them that have it (which I hope no thinking, un­derstanding christian will deny) then God can covenant about life and salvation, with no people as probationers for it, but the unregenerate: For as we have seen, the regenerate cannot be probationers for it, because they are insured in it; and a certainty of obtaining the sal­vation covenanted for, or an impossibility of obtaining it, either of them destroy the notion of a probationary state.

6. We hence see, if God makes the covenant of grace with none but the regenerate, or such as act a justifying faith, and not until they are regenerated, or act that act; then he saves none as probationers: For that act insures; and if the covenant is not made before a justifying act of [Page 95]faith; it is not made until the sinner is saved: And it is not made until he is put beyond a state of probation: For from the original of that act, it is impossible but he must be saved; and if the covenant cannot be made with un­regenerate men, because they have not regeneration, and the first act of justifying faith; then that faith must be first; at least in the order of nature; and they cannot be probationers, in the order of nature, much less in the order of time, before that act: Therefore they cannot be saved as probationers at all. If it be replied, faith is a condition of the covenant, and men are upon trial whe­ther they will act a justifying act of faith, and when they will act a justifying act of faith; and when they do it, they are saved as probationers. It is answered, if the co­venant is not made with him that is saved, before he act a justifying faith; faith, which is the gift of God, was given to him before he was in covenant; and what God gives to men out of covenant, is not given to them as probationers; for they are probationers no otherwise, than as being in covenant.

7. We hence see, a man cannot be a probationer out of covenant, or in covenant if he is insured, or confirmed in a state of salvation; or if salvation is not so covenanted for, as that it is possible to obtain it. Hence then, God can covenant with no person or persons, as pro­bationers for life and salvation, but the unregenerate: And these cannot be probationers, if they are confirmed in salvation, as being elect; or sealed under a decree of pre­destination to perish, as reprobates. Those only can be probationers in the covenant of grace, for whom salva­tion is possible, but not infallible.

8. We hence see, if God has not covenanted with un­regenerate men, and that so it is possible for them, either to be saved or not saved; he has not covenanted to save men at all as probationers: And such a conclusion, is to destroy the nature of all covenants; and turn them into an absolute promise, of unconditional salvation: ‘Tho' the covenant of works, and of grace, are distinct spe­cies, [Page 96]they must necessarily each of them, partake of the nature of the genus: i. e. have what is essential to a covenant in general; and this is essential; even a promise with stipulation, or condition: In this they must both agree, or they cannot both be covenants.’

9. We hence see, if men are not saved as probationers they are not saved by a covenant state at all; but we are sure God saves none, but according to a covenant: And the terms of salvation by Christ, are the terms of a well ordered covenant. It would be a piece of the grandest superfluity, to produce scriptural evidence for this; for the word of God is full of it.

10. We hence see the reason why God covenanted with unregenerate men, about life and salvation; viz. that he designed to save men in a covenant way, and as proba­tioners; which could not be, if they were saved before be covenanted with them: If the angels had been con­firmed in a state of salvation before they were covenanted with, they could never have been saved as probationers, or in a covenant way: The covenant must be made be­fore that confirmation, not only in the order of nature, but also of time; for they must have time after the cove­nant is made, to do either good or evil; for if they are not in the covenant, they cannot be probationers by it; and if they are confirmed; and can do nothing but good, neither are they probationers. So if God will save men as probationers, the covenant of grace must be made with them, before a justifying act of faith, not only in the order of nature, but also of time: For before they can be probationers, they must be in covenant; and if, they are not there, before a justifying act of faith, even in the order of time; they cannot be probationers: for an act of faith conforms the heart to God; and they cannot choose evil, so as to come into condemnation; therefore, if they are not in covenant before regeneration, in the order of time; they have no time to do any thing but believe: And they never saw a time, after they were in covenant, that they could do that, for which they could [Page 97]perish: And so could not come into covenant as proba­tioners. And if they could not come into it as proba­tioners; we are sure they could not be probationers, when there. i. e. If God could not make the covenant with them as probationers, because they were confirmed in a state of salvation; they could not obtain salvation as pro­bationers, after the covenant was made; for the same reason.

11th, We hence see, there is no way to deny the covenant of grace, being made with unregenerate men, without denying also, that God designed to save men in a covenant way, and as probationers: And where is the man so hardy as to assert such a thing?

12th, We here learn, the true properties of a proba­tioner; which are these; viz.

• 1. A real being in covenant, or under a ratifying covenant transaction.
• 2. So in cove­nant, as that it is possible, either to be sayed, or lost. Hence then, whoever asserts conviction, or regeneration, prior to a justifying act of faith, in the order of time, are irresistible; asserts also, those that have such conviction, or regeneration, are put beyond a state of probation, be­fore a justifying act of faith, even in the order of time; for he that is under an irresistible influence, to do good; it is impossible but he must be saved; and if he receive Christ by a justifying act of faith; he doth not receive him as a probationer: but as one confirmed in salvations, for he could do nothing else: But was like the angles able only to do good.

And how not only unreasonable, is such a conclusion, but unscriptural also? So that, the true state of things is this; no grace of the spirit is irresistible, in its own nature; and no otherwise confirms a final perse­verance, than as it receives a sanction of insurance, by a justifying act of faith; And final perseverance, is pro­mised to none but such as act a justifying act of faith: It is therefore the righteousness of Christ, that i [...]fers perse­verance; and not the virtue of any grace of the spirit.

13th, We hence learn, when God made the covenant with Adam, and in him, with all his seed, for that they [Page 98]were all made foederally holy; they were all made probati­oners; and is must be possible for them all to be saved; which cannot be, if the promise is not made to them, at probationers: And if the promise is made to them as pro­bationers, it must be made to something they can do, or not do: Therefore, it they are saved as probationers; the promise must be, to the endeavour of an unregene­rate man; for he only is a probationer, that can choose a refuse; which is not the case of a regenerate man.

14 We hence see, the reason, and force, of all the pleas and expostulations of ancient, and indulgent hea­ven; saying, O that Israel had hearkened unto me, then had thy peace been as a river, If. xlviii. 18. How shall I give thee up Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee Israel? mine heart is turned within me, and my repentings are kindled together, Hos. xi. 8. &c.

15th. We hence see, the unreasonableness of all such, as would once think of a universal redemption, and sal­vation in the covenant of grace, and yet deny their chil­dren a privilege in it: If God had not made the cove­nant with the father and his seed; it would have been impossible to prove general redemption; for it is this only can make it general: Infants, cannot make a cove­nant with God personally, and often die before they are able to do it; therefore God covenants with them rela­tively, and expresses his covenant care of them, before they are able to care for themselves; and herein appears his universal mercy, grace, and love. What shall we render unto the Lord, for all his benefits; let us take the cup of salvation, call upon his name, and render unto him the sacrifices of praise, Ps. cxvi. 12, 13.

16th and lastly, We hence see, the unreasonableness of all such, as say, unregenerate men, have no right to enter into covenant with God; for as we see, none but such can be probationers: A new heart, and a new spirit, are the promised salvation of the new covenant: And how can they be promised, to a man out of covenant; or in cove­nant, if he has got them already? He only can be a pro­bationer [Page 99]for them, that is in co them; for if God give regenerating grace, to a man out of covenant, it is not covenant, but sovereign mercy: And it is covenant mercy, that makes salvation for walls and bulwarks, Is. xxvi. 1. and compacts Jerusalem as a city; and he that prays for her peace, ought to join him­self to the Lord, and take hold of this covenant, Ps. cxxii. 3, 6. Is. lvi. 6.