The Life of Faith

CHAP. VI. How Faith must be exercised on God's Threatenings and Judgments.

THE exercise of Faith upon God's Threatenings and Judgments, must be guided by such rules and helps as these.

Direct. 1. Think not either that Christ hath no Threatning penal Laws, or that there are none which are made for the use of Believers.

If there were no penalties, or penal Laws, there were no distinguishing Government of the world. This Antinomian fancy destroyeth Religion. And if there be threats, or penal Laws, none can be expected to make so much use of them as true Believers. 1. Because he that most believeth them, must needs be most affected with them. 2. Because all things are for them, and for their benefit; and it is they that must be moved by them to the fear of God, and an escaping of the punishment.

And therefore they that object, that Believers are passed already from death to life; and there is no condemnation to them; and they are already justified, and therefore have no use of threats or fears ] do contrad • ct themselves: For it w • ll rather follow Therefore they and they only do and will faithfully use the threatenings in godly fears. ] For 1. Though they are justified, and passed from death to life, they have ever faith, in order of nature before their Justification; and he that believeth not God's threatenings with fear, hath no true Faith. And 2. They have ever inherent Righteousness or Sanctification, with their Justification: And this Faith is part of that holiness, and of the life of grace which they are passed into. For this is life eternal, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, John 17.3. And he knoweth not God, who knoweth him not to be true. And this is part of our knowledge of Christ also, to know him as the infallible Author of our Faith, that is, of the Gospel, which saith not only, He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; but also, He that believeth not shall be damned, Mark 16.16. And this is the record which God gave of his Son, which he that believeth not, maketh him a liar; that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son: He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son, hath not life, 1 John 5.12. Yea as he that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; so he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, John 3.36. And therefore 3. The reason why there is no condemnation to us, is because believing, not part only, but all this Word of Christ, we fly from sin and wrath, and are in Christ Jesus, as giving up ourselves to him, and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit ; being moved so to do both by the promises and threats of God. This is plain English, and plain and necessary truth, the greater is the pity, that many honest, well-meaning Antinomians should fight against it, on an ignorant conceit of vindicating Free Grace: If the plain Word of God were not through partiality overlooked by them, they might see enough to end the controversy in many and full expressions of Scripture. I will cite but three more, Matth. 10.28. and Luke 12.5. But fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell; or when he hath killed, hath power to cast into Hell; yea I say unto you, fear him. Doth Christ thus iterate that it is he that saith it, and saith it to his Disciples; and yet shall a Christian say, it must not be preached to Disciples as the Word of Christ to them?

H • b. 4.1. 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.

Heb. 11.7. By Faith Noah being warned of God, of things not seen as yet (that is, of the deluge) moved with fear, prepared an Ark, to the saving of his house; by the which be condemned the world▪ and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Note here how much the belief of God's threatenings doth to the constitution of that faith which is justifying and saving.

Direct. 2. Judge not of God's threatenings by the evil which is threatened, but by the obedience to which the threatenings should drive us, and the evil from which they would preserve us, and the order of the world which they preserve, and the wisdom, and holiness, and justice of God; which they demonstrate.

When men think how dreadful a misery Hell is, they are ready to think hardly of God, both for his threatening and execution ; as if it were long of him, and not of themselves, that they are miserable. And as it is a very hard thing to think of the punishment itself with approbation; so is it also to think of the threatening, or Law which binds men over to it; or of the Judgment which will pass the sentence on them. But think of the true nature, use and benefits of these threats or pena • Laws, and true reason, and faith will not only be reconciled to them; but see that they are to be loved and honored, as well as feared. 1. They are of great use to drive us to obedience. And it is easier to see the amiableness of God's commands, than of his threats: And obedience to these commands, is the holy rectitude, health and beauty of the soul. And therefore that which is a suitable and needful means, to promote obedience, is amiable and beneficial to us. Though Love must be the principle or chief spring of our obedience; yet he that knoweth not that Fear must drive, as Love must draw, and is necessary in its place to join with Love, or to do that which the weaknesses of Love leave undone, doth neither know what a man is, nor what God's Word is, nor what his Government is, nor what either Magistracy, or any civil, or domestical Government is▪ and therefore should spend many years at School before he turneth a disputer.

2. They are of use to keep up order in the world ; which could not be expected if it were not for God's threatenings. If the world be so full of wickedness, rapine and oppressions, notwithstanding all the threatenings of Hell, what could we expect it should be, if there were none such, but even as the suburbs of Hell itself. When Princes, and Lord's, and Rich men, and all those thieves and rebels that can but get strength enough to defend themselves, and all that can but hide their faults, would be under no restraints considerable, but would do all the evil that they have a mind to do: Men would be worse to one another, than Bears and Tigers.

3. God's threatenings in their primary intention or use, are made to keep us from the punishment threatened. Punishment is naturally due to evil doers: And God declareth it, to give us warning, that we may take heed, avoid it and escape.

4. That which doth so clearly demonstrate the Holiness of God, in his righteous Government, his Wisdom and his Justice is certainly good and amiable in itself. But we must not expect that the same thing should be good and amiable to the wicked, who run themselves into it; which is good to the world, or to the just about them, or to the honor of God. Assizes, Prisons and Gallows are good to the Country, and to all the innocent, to preserve their peace, and to the honor of the King and his Government; but not to murderers, thieves or rebels, Isa. 26.7, 8, 9. Psal. 48.11. & 9.16. & 89.14. & 97.2. & 149.9. & 146.7. & 37.6, 28. Jude 6. & 15. Rev. 4.7. & 15.4. & 16.7. & 19.2. Eccles. 12.14.

Direct. 3. Judge of the severity of God's threatenings, partly by the greatness of himself whom we offend, and partly by the necessity of them for the Government of the world.

1. Remember that sinning willfully against the infinite Majesty of Heaven, and refusing his healing mercy to the last, deserveth worse than anything against a man can do, 1 Sam. 2.25.

2. And remember that even the threatening of Hell doth not serve turn with most of the world, to keep them from sinning and despising God: and therefore you cannot say that they are too great. For that plaster draweth not too strongly, which will not draw out the thorn. If Hell be not terrible enough to persuade you from sin, it is not too terrible to be threatened and executed: He that should say, Why will God make so terrible a Law? and withal should say, As terrible as it is I will venture on it, rather than leave my pleasures, and rather than live a holy life ; doth contradict himself, and telleth us, that the Law is not terrible enough to attain its chief and primary end, with such as he, that will not be moved by it, from the most sordid, base or brutish pleasure.

Direct. 4. Remember how Christ himself, even when he came to deliver us from God's Law, did yet come to verify his threatening in the matter of it, and to be a sacrifice for sin, and public demonstration of God's Justice.

For this end was Christ manifested, to destroy the works of the Devil, 1 John 3.5, 8. And the first and great work of the Devil was, to represent God as a liar, and to persuade Eve not to believe his threatenings, and to tell her, that though she sinned, she should not die. And though God so far dispensed with it, as to forgive man the greatest part of the penalty, it was by laying it on his Redeemer; and making him a sacrifice to his Justice: that his Cross might openly confute the Tempter, and assure the world, that God is just, and that the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6.23. though eternal life be the gift of God through Jesus Christ.

And he that well considereth this, that the Son of God would rather stoop to sufferings and death, than the D • vils reproach of God's threatenings should be made true, and than the Justice of God against sin should not be manifested, will sure never think, that this Justice is any dishonor to the Almighty.

Direct. 5. Let this be your use of the threatenings of God, to drive you from sin to more careful obedience, and to help you against the defects of love, and to set them against every temptation when you are assaulted by it.

When a tempting bait is set before you, set Hell against it, as well as Heaven; and say, Can I take this cup, this whore, this preferment, this gain of Judas, with Hell, for my part instead of Heaven? If men threaten death, imprisonment, or any other penalty; or if losses or reproaches be like by men to be made your reward, remember that God threateneth Hell, and ask whether this be not the most intolerable suffering.

And if any Antinomian revile you for thus doing, and say [You should set only Free Grace before you, to keep you from sinning, and not hell and damnation] Tell him that it is Christ the Mediator of Free Grace, which hath set Hell before you in the Scripture, and not you: And that you do but consider of that which Christ hath set there before you to be considered of. Ask them whether it be not God that prepared hell for the Devil and his Angels, and Christ himself that will adjudge all impenitent sinners to it, Matth. 25. And ask them why Christ doth so often talk of it in the Gospel, Matth. 13. of the worm that never dieth, and the fire that never shall be quenched, Luke 19.27. Mark 16.16. John 3.36. 2 Thes. 1.8▪ 9. &c. And whether they know why Fear was given to man; and whether Christ mistook in all such commands, Luke 12.4. Heb. 11.7. Heb. 4.1. And whether God hath made any part of his Laws in vain.

If they say, that the Law was not made for a righteous man, 1 Tim. 1.9. Tell them that the words are expounded, Gal. 5.23. Against such there is no Law. The Law was not made to condemn and punish a righteous man; because he feared the threatening of it, and so fell not under the condemnation. If you speak of the Law of Christ, or any Law which supposeth the subject righteous: There is no Law can be pleaded against such to their damnation. That there is no Law against them is but as Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them. And we grant also, that in that measure as men's souls are habituated with love to God, and duty, and hatred of sin, they need no Law to urge and threaten them; no more than a loving wife need to have a Law to forbid her murdernig her husband, or abusing him. But withal we know, that no man on earth is perfect in the degrees of Love ; and therefore all need Laws and fear.

Use all God's penal Laws to the ends that he appointed them, to quicken you in your obedience, and restrain you from yielding to temptations, and from sinning, and then your own benefit will reconcile you to the Wisdom, Holiness, and Justice of the Laws.

Direct. 6. Remember that all Christians have solemnly professed their own consent, to the threats and punishments of the Gospel.

Though God will punish sinners whether they consent or not ; and though none consent to the execution upon themselves, when it comes to it; yet all that profess Christianity do profess their consent to the condemning, as well as to the justifying part of God's Word. For every Christian professeth his consent to be governed by Christ; and therefore he professeth his consent to be governed by Christ's Laws: For if Christ be a King, he must have Laws: and if he govern us at all, he governeth us by Laws. And this is Christ's Law; He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned, Mark 16.16. He that professeth to be governed by Christ, professeth his consent to be governed by this very Law: and therefore he professeth his consent to be damned if he believe not. Christ told you that you must consent to both parts, or to neither : and will you grudge at the severity of that Law which you have professed your consent to? The curses of the Covenant ( Deut. 29.21.) were to be repeated to the people of Israel ; and they were expressly to say Amen to each of them. For life and death were set before them; blessings and cursings, Deut. 30.1, 19. and not life and blessings alone. And so the Gospel which we are to believe, containeth though principally and eminently the Promises ; yet secondarily also the threatenings of Hell to impenitent unbelievers. And our consent doth speak our approbation.

Direct. 7. Observe that the belief of Christ's threatenings of damnation to impenitent unbelievers, is a real part of the Christian saving Faith, and that when ever it is joined with a true love and desire after holiness, it certainly proveth that the Promises also are believed, though the party think that he doth not believe them.

Note here 1. That I do not say, that all belief or fear of God's threatenings is saving Faith. But 2. That all saving Faith containeth such a belief of the threatenings. 3. And that many times poor Christians, who believe and tremble at the threatenings, do truly believe the Promises, and yet mistake, and verily think that they do not believe them. 4. But their mistake may certainly be manifested, if their Faith do but work by a love and desire after holiness, and the fruition of God.

For 1. It is evident that the same Gospel which saith, He that believeth shall be saved ; doth say, He that believeth not shall be damned. Therefore the same faith believeth both, 2. It is plain that the same formal object of faith, which is God's Veracity, will bring a man to believe one as well as the other, if he equally know it to be a divine revelation: He that believeth that All that God saith is true: and then believeth that God saith that All true Believers shall be saved ; must needs believe that this Promise is true. And he that understandeth that Christ saith, Unbelievers shall be damned ; cannot but find also that he saith, True Believers shall be saved. And if he believe the one, because it is the word of Christ; he doth sure believe the other, because it is the word of Christ. 3. Yea it is in many respects harder to believe God's threatenings, than his promises; partly because sinners are more unwilling that they should be true; and they have more enmity to the threatening, than to the promise; and partly because they commonly feign God to be such as they would have him be, Psal. 50. Thou thoughtest I was such a one as thyself, &c. And partly because God's Goodness being known to be his very essence, and all men being apt to judge of Goodness, by the measure of their own interest, it is far more obvious and facile to man's understanding, to conclude that some are saved, than that some are damned ; and that the penitent believers are saved, than that the impenitent unbelievers are damned: We hear daily how easily almost all men are brought to believe that God is merciful ; and how hard it is to persuade them of his damning Justice and severity. Therefore he that can do the harder, is not unlike to do the easier.

And indeed it is mere ignorance of the true nature of faith, which maketh those whom I am now describing, to think that they do not believe God's Promises, when they believe his Threatenings. They think that because they believe not that they themselves are pardoned, justified, and shall be saved, that therefore they believe not the promise of God: But this is not the reason; but it is because you find not the condition of the promise yet in yourselves, and therefore think that you have no part in the benefits: But its one thing to doubt of your own sincerity, and another thing to doubt whether the promise of God be true. Suppose that the Law do pardon a fellon if he can read as a Clerk ; and one that is a fellon be in doubt whether his reading will serve or not; this is not to deny belief to the pardoning act of the Law. Suppose one promise a yearly stipend to all that are of full one and twenty years of age, in the Town or Country: To doubt of my age, is not to doubt of the truth of the promise.

Object. But do not Protestant Divines conclude against the Papists, that saving Faith must be a particular application of Christ and the Promise to ourselves, and not only a general assent?

Answ. It is very true; and the closer that application is the better. But the application which all sound Divines (in this point) require as necessary in saving Faith, is neither an assurance, nor persuasion that your own sins are already pardoned, or that they ever will be: But it is 1. A belief that the Promise of pardon to all believers, is so universal, as that it includeth you as well as others, and promiseth and offereth you pardon, and life, if you will believe in Christ. 2. And it is a consent or willingness of heart that Christ be yours, and you be his, to the ends proposed in the Gospel. 3. And it is a practical Trust in his sufficiency, as choosing him for the only Mediator, resolving to venture your souls, and all your hopes upon him: Though yet through your ignorance of yourselves, you may think that you do not this thing in sincerity, which indeed you do, yea and much fear (through melancholy or temptation) that you never shall do it, and consequently never shall be saved.

He that doubteth of his own salvation, not because he doubteth of the truth of the Gospel; but because he doubteth of the sincerity of his own heart, may be mistaken in himself, but is not therefore an unbeliever (as is said before.)

If you would know whether you believe the Promises truly, answer me these particular questions: 1. Do you believe that God hath promised that all true Believers shall be saved? 2. Do you believe that if you are or shall be a true Believer, you shall be saved? 3. Do you choose or desire God as your only happiness and end, to be enjoyed in Heaven, and Christ as the only Mediator to procure it; and his holy Spirit as his Agent in your souls, to sanctify you fully to the Image of God? Are you truly willing that thus it should be? And if God be willing, will not you refuse it? 4. Do you turn away from all other ways of felicity, and choose this alone, to venture all your hopes upon, and resolve to seek for none but this; and to venture all on God and Christ, though yet you are uncertain of your sincerity and salvation? why this makes up true saving faith.

5. And I would further ask you; Do you fear damnation, and God's wrath, or not? If not, what troubleth you? and why complain you? If you do, tell me then whether you do believe God's threatening, that he that believeth not shall be damned, or not? If you do not, what maketh you fear damnation? Do you fear it, and not believe that there is any such thing? If you do believe it, how can you choose but believe also, that every true Believer shall be saved? Is God true in his Threatenings, and not in his Promises? This must force you plainly to confess, that you do believe God's Promises, but only doubt of your own sincerity, and consequently of your salvation ; which is more a weakness in your hope, than in your faith, or rather chiefly in your acquaintance with yourself.

Direct. 8. Yet still dwell most upon God's Promises in the exercise of love, desire and thankfulness; and use all your fear about the threatenings, but in a second place, to further and not to hinder the work of love.

Direct. 9. Let faith interpret all God's Judgments, merely by the light of the threatenings of his Word; and do not gather any conclusions from them, which the Word affordeth not, or alloweth not. God's Judgments may be dangerously misunderstood.

CHAP. VII. How to exercise Faith about Pardon of sin and Justification.

THE practice of Faith about our Justification, is hindered by so many unhappy controversies and heresies, that what to do with them here in our way, is not very easy to determine: Should I omit the mention of them, I leave most that I write for, either under that disease itself, or the danger of it, which may frustrate all the rest which I must say: For the errors hereabout are swarming in most quarters of the Land, and are like to come to the ca • s of most that are studious of these matters: so that an antidote to most, and a vomit to the rest, is become a matter of necessity, to the success of all our practical Directions.

And yet many cannot endure to be troubled with difficulties, who are slothful ; and must have nothing set before them that will cost them much study; and many peaceable Christians love not anything that soundeth like controversy or strife (As others that are Sons of contention relish nothing else) But averseness must give place to necessity. If the Leprosy arise, the Priest must search it, and the Physician must do his best to cure it, notwithstanding their natural averseness to it. Though I may be as averse to write against errors, as the Reader is to read what I write, we must both blame that which causeth the necessity, but not therefore deny our necessary duty: But yet I will so far gratify them that need no more, as to put the more practical Directions first, that they may pass by the heap of errors •• ter, if their own judgments prevail not against their unwillingness.

Direct. 1. Understand well what need you have of pardon of sin, and Justification, by reason of your guilt, and of God's Law and Justice, and the everlasting punishment which is legally your due.

1. It must be a sensible, awakening, practical knowledge of our own great necessity, which must teach us to value Christ as a Savior, and to come to him in that empty, sick and weary plight, as is necessary in those who will make use of him for their supply and cure, Matth. 9.12. & 11.28, 29. A superficial speculative knowledge of our sin and misery, will prepare us but for a superficial opinionative faith in Christ, as the remedy. But a true sense of both, will teach us to think of him as a Savior indeed.

2. Original sin, and actual, the wickedness both of the heart and life, even all our particular sins of omission and commission, and all their circumstances and aggravations, are the first reason of our great necessity of pardon: And therefore it cannot but be a duty to lay them to heart as particularly as we can, to make that necessity, and Christ's redemption the better understood, Acts 2.37. Acts 2 • .8, 9, &c.

3. The wrath of God, and the miseries of this life, and the everlasting miseries of the damned in Hell, being the due effects or punishment of sin, are the second cause of our necessity of pardon: And therefore these also must be thought on seriously, by him that will seriously believe in Christ.

4. The Law of God which we have broken, maketh this punishment our due, Rom. 3. & 5. & 7. And the Justice of God is engaged to secure his own honor, in the honor of his Law and Government.

Direct. 2. Understand well what Christ is and doth, for the Justification of a sinner, and how (not one only) but all the parts of his office are exercised hereunto.

In the dignity of his person, and perfect original holiness of his natures, divine and human, he is fitly qualified for his work of our Justification and Salvation.

His undertaking (which is but the Divine Decree ) did from eternity lay the foundation of all, but did not actually justify any.

His Promise, Gen. 3.15. and his new Relation to m •• thereupon, did that to the Fathers in some degree, which his after-incarnation and performance, and his Relation thereupon, doth now to us.

His perfect Obedience to the Law ; yea to that Law of Mediation also peculiar to himself (which he performed neither as Priest, or Prophet, or King, but as a subject) was the meritorious cause of that Covenant and Grace which justifieth us, and so of our Justification. And that which is the meritorious cause here, is also usually called the material, as it is that matter or thing which meriteth our Justification; and so is called Our Righteousness itself.

As he was a sacrifice for sin, he answered the ends of the Law which we violated, and which condemned us, as well as if we had been all punished according to the sense of the Law: And therefore did thereby satisfy the Law-giver: and thereby also merited our pardon and Justification; so that his Obedience as such, and his Sacrifice (or whole humiliation) as satisfactory by answering the ends of the Law, are conjunctly the meritorious cause of our Justification.

His New Covenant (which in Baptism, is made mutual by our expressed consent) is a general gift or act of oblivion, or pardon, given freely to all mankind, on condition they will believe and consent to it, or accept it, so that it is God's pardoning and adopting instrument: And all are pardoned by it conditionally ; and every penitent Believer actually and really. And this Covenant or Gift is the effect of the foresaid merit of Christ, both founded and sealed by his blood.

As he merited this as a mediating subject and sacrifice, so as our High Priest he offered this sacrifice of himself to God.

And as our King, he being the Law-giver to the Church, did make this Covenant as his Law of grace, describing the terms of life and death: And being the Judge of the world, doth by his sentence justify and condemn men, as believers or unbelievers, according to this Covenant: And also executeth his sentence accordingly (partly in this life, but fully in the life to come.)

As our Teacher, and the Prophet, or Angel of the Covenant, he doth declare it as the Fathers will, and promulgate and proclaim this Covenant and conditional Pardon and Justification to the world; and send out his Ambassadors with it to beseech men in his Name to be reconciled to God, and to declare, yea and by sacramental investiture, to seal and deliver a Pardon and actual Justification to Believers when they consent.

And as our Mediating High Priest now in the Heavens, he presenteth our necessity, and his own righteousnesses and sacrifice as his merit • , for the continual communication of all this grace, by himself, as the Head of the Church, and Administrator of the Covenant.

So that Christ doth justify us both as a subject meriting, as a sacrifice meriting, as a Priest offering that sacrifice ; as a King actually making the Justifying Law, or enacting a general Pardon ; as a King sententially and executively justifying ; as a Prophet or Angel of the Covenant promulgating it; as King, and Prophet, and Priest, delivering a sealed Pardon by his Messengers: And as the Priest, Head and Administrator communicating this with the rest of his benefits. By which you may see in what respects Christ must be believed in to Justification, if Justifying Faith were (as it is not) only the receiving him as our Justifier: It would not be the receiving him as in one part of his office only.

Direct. 3. Understand rightly how far it is that the righteousness of Christ himself is made ours, or imputed to us, and how far not.

There are most vehement controversies to this day, about the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness ; in which I know not well which of the extremes are in the greater error, those that plead for it in the mistaken sense, or those that plead against it in the sober and right sense: But I make no doubt but they are both of them damnable, as plainly subverting the foundation of our faith: And yet I do not think that they will prove actually damning to the Authors, because I believe that they misunderstand their adversaries, and do not well understand themselves, and that they digest not, and practice not what they plead for, but digest and practice that truth which they doctrinally subvert, not knowing the contrariety; which if they knew they would renounce the error, and not the truth. And I think that many a one that thus contradicteth fundamentals, may be saved.

Some there be (besides the Antinomians) that hold that Christ did perfectly obey and satisfy (not in the natural, but) in the civil or legal person of each sinner that is elect (representing and bearing as many distinct persons as are elect) so fully as that God doth repute every Elect person (or say others, every Believer ) to be one that in Law sense, did perfectly obey and satisfy Justice himself; and so imputeth Christ's Righteousness and satisfaction to us, as that which was reputatively or legally of our own performance, and so is ours, not only in its effects, but in itself.

Others seeing the pernicious consequences of this opinion, deny all imputed Righteousness of Christ to us, and write many reproachful volumes against it (as you may see in Thorndikes last works and Dr. Gell, and Parker against the Assembly, and abundance more.)

The truth is, Christ merited and satisfied for us in the person of a Mediator: But this Mediator was the Head and Root of all Believers, and the second Adam, the fountain of spiritual life; and the Surety of the New Covenant, Heb. 7.22. 1 Cor. 15.22, 45. and did all this in the nature of man, and for the sake and benefit of man; suffering, that we might not suffer damnation, but not obeying that we might not obey; but suffering and obeying that our sinful imperfection of obedience might not be our ruin, and our perfect obedience might not be necessary to our own Justification or Salvation, but that God might for the sake and merit of this his perfect obedience and satisfaction, forgive all our sins, and adopt us for his Sons, and give us his holy Spirit, and glorify us forever; so that Christ's Righteousness, both obediential and satisfactory, is ours in the effects of it in themselves, and ours relatively for those effects, so far as to be purposely given for us to that end; but not ours in itself simply, or as if we were reputed the legal performers ourselves, or might be said in Law sense, or by divine estimation or imputation, to have ourselves in and by Christ fulfilled the Law, and suffered for our not fulfilling it (which is a contradiction.)

As he that both by a price, and by some meritorious act, doth redeem a captive, or purchase pardon for a traitor, doth give the money and merit in itself to the Prince, and not to the Captive or Traitor himself. (He never saw it, nor ever had propriety in the thing itself;) But the deliverance is the Pris • ners, and not the Princes ; and therefore it is given to the Prisoner, as to the effects, though not in itself; in that it was given for him.

And because Christ suffered what we should have suffered (as to the value ) to save us from suffering, and our sins were the cause of our guilt of punishment, and so the remote cause of the sufferings of Christ (his own sponsion being the nearer cause) therefore it may be said truly that Christ did not only suffer for our benefit, but in our stead or place ; and in a larger and less strict and proper sense, that he suffered in the person of a sinner, and as one to whom our sins were imputed ; meaning no more but that he suffered as one that by his own consent undertook to suffer for the persons of sinners, and that as such an undertaker only he suffered; and that thus our sins were imputed to him (not in themselves, as if he were in Law sense the committer of them, or polluted by them, or by God esteemed so to have been, but) as to the effects, that is, his suffering ; in that they were the occasion, and the remote or assumed cause of his sufferings; as his Righteousness is imputed to us, as the meritorious cause of our Pardon and Justification.

But he could not be said no not in so large a sense as this, to have obeyed in our stead (considering it as obedience or holiness, but only as merit ) because he did it not that we might not obey, but that we might not suffer for disobeying.

More of this will follow in the next Chapter.

Direct. 4. Understand well what guilt it is that Christ doth remit in our Justification; not the guilt of the fact, nor of the fault in itself, but the guilt of punishment; and of the fault only so far as it is the cause of wrath and punishment.

1. The guilt of fact, is in the reality or truth of this charge, that such a fact we did or omitted: so far it is but Physically considered, and would not come into legal consideration, were it not for the following relation of it.

2. The guilt of fault, reatus culpae, is the reality of this charge (or the foundation of it in us) that we are the committers or omitters of such an action contrary to the Law : or that our act or omission was really a crime or fault.

3. The guilt of punishment, reatus poenae, vel ad poenam, is the foundation of this charge, that we are by that Law which must judge us, condemnable, or obliged to punishment (or it is our right ) for the sins so committed.

Now Christ doth not by justifying us, or pardoning us, make us either to be such as really did not do the fact ; or such as did not a culpable fact, no nor such as did not deserve damnation, or to whom it was not due by the first Law alone; but to be such who are not now at all condemnable for it, because the new Law which we must be judged by, doth absolve us, by forgiving us; not making the fault no fault, nor causing God to think that Christ committed it, and not we ; or to esteem us to be such as never did commit it; but remitting the punishment, and that dueness of punishment and obligation to it, which did before result from the fault and Law together; and so the fault itself is remitted as it is the foundation from whence that obligation to punishment resulteth, respectively, but not simply, nor as a fault in itself at all.

When I say the punishment and the dueness of it to us, is forgiven, I mean not only the punishment of sense, but of loss also: nor only the outward part, which is executed by creatures, but especially the first and great penalty, of God's own displeasure with the person, and the withdrawing of his Spirit and complacential love, and that which we may improperly call, his obligation in Justice to condemn the sinner. There was upon God, before Christ's satisfaction and our title to him, that which we may so call a legal or relative obligation on God to punish us, because else he should have done contrary to the due ends of Government, and so contrary to the Wisdom and Justice of a Governor, which is not consistent with his perfection. But now the ends of Government are so answered and provided for, that there is no such obligation on God to punish us, but he may remit it without any dishonor at all; nay, with the honor of his Wisdom and Justice. We are now non condemnandi, not condemnable, though we are sinners. In Judgment we must confess the latter, and deny the former only.

Direct. 5. Understand well what sins Christ justifieth men from, or forgiveth to them, and what not: All sins which consist with true faith and repentance (or true conversion to God in love, by faith in Christ) and all that went before: But he forgiveth no man in a state of impenitency and unbelief, nor any man's final impenitency and unbelief at all; nor any other sins, when those are final; except it be with the common conditional forgiveness before mentioned; or that absolute particular forgiveness of some present penalties, which saveth no man from damnation, Matth. 12.31. Acts 26.18, Rom. 8.1, 30. Acts 5.31. Acts 2.38, 39. Mark 16.16 John 3.16, 18, 36. 1 John 5.11, 12. Mark 4.1 • . Matth. 18.27, 32.

Direct. 6. Understand well the true nature of that Faith and Repentance, which God hath made the condition of our Justification. This is sufficiently opened before; and the consulation of all the cavils against it, would be tedious and unsavory here.

Direct. 7. Understand well the Covenant and Promise of Justification; and measure your belief and expectations by that Promise.

Expect no other pardon, nor on any other conditions or terms than the Promise doth contain▪ For it is God's pardoning act or instrument; and by it we must be justified or condemned: And we know not but by it; whom God will justify.

Direct. 8. Keep always the assuring grounds of faith before your eyes, when you look after pardon, that your faith may be firm, and powerful, and quieting; especially consider the following grounds.

1. God's gracious Nature proclaimed even to Moses, as abundant in mercy, and forgiving iniquitys, transgressions and sins (to these, and upon those terms that he promiseth forgiveness) though he will by no means clear the guilty (that is, will neither take the unrighteous to be righteous; nor forgive them, or acquire them in judgment, whom his Covenant did not first forgive.)

2. The merciful Nature and of our Redeemer, Heb. 2.17.

3. How deeply Christ harh engaged himself to show mercy, when he assumed our nature, and did so much towards our salvation as he hath done, Heb. 8, & 9.

4. That it is his very office and undertaking, which therefore he cannot possibly neglect, Luke 19.10. & 2.11. John 4.42. Acts 5.31. & 13.23.

5. That God the Father himself did give him to us, and appoint him to this saving office, John 3.16, 18. Acts 5.31. & 13.23. Yea God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to them their trespasses, 2 Cor. 5.18, 19. And God made him sin (that is, a sacrifice for sin) for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (that is, might be the public instances of God's merciful Justice, as Christ was of his penal Justice ; and this by a righteousness given us by God himself, and purchased or merited for us by Christ, 2 Cor. 5.21. yea and be renewed in holiness and righteousness according to his Image.

6. That now it is become the very interest of God, and of Jesus Christ himself to justify us; as ever he would not lose either the glory of his grace, or the obedience and suffering which he hath performed, Isa. 53.19. Rom. 5.12, 13, 18, 19, &c. Rom. 4. throughout.

7. Consider the nearness of the Person of Christ, both to the Father and to us, Heb. 1, & 2, & 3.

8. Think of the perfection of his sacrifice and merit, set out throughout the Epistle to the Hebrews.

9. Think of the word of Promise or Covenant, which he hath made, and sealed and sworn, Heb. 6.17, 18. Titus 1.2.

10. Think of the great seal of the Spirit, which is more than a Promise, even an earnest, which is a certain degree of possession, and is an executive pardon (as after shall be declared) Rom. 8.15, 16. Gal. 4.6.

11. Remember that God's own Justice is now engaged for our Justification, in these two respects conjunct: 1. Because of the fullness of the merits and satisfaction of Christ: 2. And because of his Veracity which must fulfil his promise, and his governing or destributive Justice, which must judge men according to his own Law of Grace, and must give men that which he himself hath made their right, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. 1 John 5.9, 10, 11, 12.

12. Lastly, Think of the many millions now in Heaven, of whom many were greater sinners than you; and no one of them (save Christ) came thither by the way of innocence and legal Justification: There are no Saints in Heaven that were not redeemed from the captivity of the Devil, and justified by the way of pardoning grace, and were not once the heirs of death, John 3.3, 5. Rom. 3, & 4.

Upon these considerations trust yourselves confidently on the grace of Christ, and take all your sins but as the advantages of his grace.

Direct. 9. Remember that there is somewhat on your own parts to be done, for the continuing, as well as for the beginning of your Justification; yea somewhat more than for the beginning; even the faithful keeping of your baptismal Covenant, in the essentials of it; and also that you have continual need of Christ, to continue your Justification.

Many take Justification to be one instantanious act of God, which is never afterwards to be done: And so it is, if we mean only the first making of him righteous who was unrighteous: (As the first making of the world, and not the continuance of it, is called Creation: ) but this is but about the name: For the thing itself, no doubt but that Covenant which first justified us, doth continue to justify us; and if the cause should cease, the effect would cease. And he that requireth no actual obedience, as the condition of our begun Justification, doth require both the continuance of faith, and actual sincere obedience, as the condition of continuing, or not losing our Justification, (as Davenant, Bergius, Blank, &c. have well opened, and I have elsewhere proved at large.) As Matrimony giveth title to conjugal privileges to the wife; but conjugal fidelity and performance of the essentials of the contract is necessary to continue them. Therefore labor to keep up your faith, and to abide in Christ, and he in you, and to bring forth fruit, lest ye be branches withered, and for the fire, John 15.2, 3, 7, 8, 9, &c.

And upon the former misapprehension, the same persons do look upon all the faith which they exercise through their lives, after the first instantanious act, as no justifying faith at all (but only a faith of the same kind) but to what use they hardly know. Yea they look upon Christ himself, as if they had no more use for him, either as to continue their Justification, or to forgive their after-sins; when as our continued faith must be exercised all our lives on the same Christ, and trust on the same Covenant, for the continuation and perfection of that which was begun at the time of our Regeneration, Col. 1.23. 1 John 2.24. Heb. 3.6.12, 13. Heb. 6.11, 12. & 10.22, 23.

Direct. 10. Understand that every sin which you commit, hath need of a renewed pardon in Christ: and that he doth me prevent your necessity of such pardon. And therefore you will have constant need of Christ, and must daily come to God for pardon by him; not only for the pardon of temporal chastisements, but of everlasting punishments.

Of the sense of this, I shall say more anon: the proof of it is in the fore recited Promises ; and in all those texts of Scripture which tell us that death is the wages of sin, and call us to ask pardon, and tell us on what terms it may be had.

Direct. 11. Yet do not think that every sin doth put you into a state of condemnation again, or nullify your former Justification: For though the Law of nature is so far still in force, as to make punishment by it your natural due; yet the Covenant of Grace is a continually pardoning act, and according to its proper terms, doth dissolve the foresaid obligation, and presently remit the punishment: and as its moral action is not interrupted; no more is our justified state.

There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, &c. Rom. 8.1. John 3.16, 18. 1 John 5.11, 12. If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the Propitiation for our sins, 1 John 2.1, 2. If we confess our sins, be is faithful and just to forgive us our sisn and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If all need of pardon had been prevented by Christ, what use were there of his advocation for our future forgiveness?

Direct. 12. Remember, that though unknown infirmities, and unavoidable ones, have an immediate pardon, because the Believer hath an habitual Faith and Repentance; yet great and known sins must have actual Repentance, before the pardon will be plenary or perfect; though the person is not in the mean time an unregenerate nor unjustified person.

1. That great and known sins must have a particular repentance, appeareth, 1. In that it is utterly inconsistent with the sincerity of habitual Repentance, not to be actual, when sins are known, and come into our deliberate remembrance. 2. By all those texts which require such repentance, confession and forsaking, 1 John 2.1, 2. 1 John 1.9. Prov. 18.13. Psal. 32. & 51. 2 Cor. 7.11. Rev, 2.5, 16. Luke 13.3, 5. Jam. 5.14, 15. Luke 6.37. & 11.4. Repentance consisteth chiefly in forsaking sin; and if men forsake not such known willful sins, they are wicked men, and therefore are not pardoned.

2. That unavoidable frailties, and mere infirmities, and unknown faults, are pardoned immediately to them that are truly godly, and have a general and implicit Repentance, is plain, because else no man in the world could be saved; because every man hath such infirmities and unknown sins, 1 John 1.10.

3. Yet David himself is not put by his sin into a mere graceless state, and as a person that hath no former Justification; for he prayeth God not to take his Spirit from him, and he was not deprived of the true love to God, which is the character of God's children: But he had incurred heinous guilt, and put himself in the way towards utter damnation, and caused a necessity of a more particular deep Repentance before he could be fully pardoned, than else he needed.

Before the world had a Savior, we were all so far unpardoned, that a satisfying Sacrifice was necessary to our Justification: But afterward, all men are so far pardoned, that only the Acceptance of what is purchased and freely (though conditionally) given, is necessary to it. Before men are converted, they are yet so far unpardoned, that (though no more Sacrifice be necessary, yet) a total conversion and renovation, by turning from a life of sin to God by Faith in Christ, is necessary to their actual justification, and forgiveness. When a man is turned from a life of sin to God, and liveth in the state of grace, all his following sins, which consist with the loving of God and holiness above the world and sinful pleasures, are so far forgiven immediately upon the committing, that they need neither another Sacrifice, nor another Regeneration, or Justification (quoad statum) but only an acting of that Faith and Repentance, which habitually he hath already. But the unknown errors and faults of such godly persons are pardoned even without that actual repentance: and infirmities, without forsaking of the sin overcomingly in practice. And so everyone liveth and dieth, in some degree of sinful defectiveness and omission, of his love to God, and trust, and hope, and zeal, and desire, and love to men, and care of his duty, and watchfulness, and fervency in prayer, meditation, &c. And in some degree of sinful disorder in our ill governed thoughts, and words, and affections, or passions, and actions: we are never sinless till we die.

Direct. 13. Remember that you must neither think that every sin which is a cause of Repentance, is a sufficient reason for you to doubt of your present state of Justification; nor yet that no sin can be so great as to be a necessary cause of doubting.

If every sin should make us doubt of our Justification, then all men must always doubt: And then it must be because no sin is consistent with sincerity, and the knowledge of sincerity; which is apparently false.

If no sin should cause our doubting, then there is no sin which is not consistent both with sincerity, and with the knowledge of it; which is as false, and much more dangerous to hold. 1. There are many sins that are utterly inconsistent with true godliness; otherwise the godly were ungodly, and as bad as others: And if you say that no godly man commiteth these, it is true; and therefore it is true that he that committeth them, is not a godly man, or justified. And how shall a man know his godliness, but by his life as the product of his inward graces? It is arguing from an uncertainty against a certainty, to say, I am justified and godly, and therefore my willful sins of drunkenness, fornication, oppression, lying, mal • ce, &c. are consistent with Justification: and it is arguing from a certain truth, against a doubted falsehood, to say, I live in ordinary, willful, heinous sin; therefore I am not justified or sincere, Ephes. 5.5, 6. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an Idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ, and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience, 1 Cor. 6 9, 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, &c.

Rom. 8.1, 13. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, &c. Gal. 5.20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

2. And there are many sins which consist with true grace, which will not consist with the assurance of its sincerity. And that 1. From the nature of the things; because the least degree of grace conjunct with, and clouded by the greatest degree of sin which may consist with it, is not discernible to to him that hath it: He that is so very near a state of death, and so very like to an unjustified person, can never be sure, in that case, that he is justified. 2. And also God in Wisdom and Justice will have it so; that sin may not be encouraged, nor presumption cherished, nor the comforts which are the reward of an obedient child, be cast away on an uncapable child in his stubborn disobedience, Psal. 51. & 32. & 77.

Therefore for a man that liveth in grost sin, to say that he is sure that he is justified, and therefore no sin shall make him question it; is but to believe the Antinomian Devil transforming himself into an Angel of Light, and his Ministers when they call themselves the Ministers of Righteousness ; and to deny belief to the Spirit of Holiness and Truth. And if a true Believer should come very near such a state of death, common reason, and the due care of his own soul, obligeth him to be suspicious of himself, and to fear the worst, till he have made sure of better, Heb. 6. & 3.10. Heb. 4.1. & 12, 13, 14. 1 Cor. 10. John 15.2, 7, 8, &c.

Direct. 14. Let not the persuasion that you are justified, make you more secure and bold infinning, but more to hate it, as contrary to the ends of Justification, and to the love which freely justified you.

It is a great mark of difference between true assurance, and blind presumption, that the one maketh men hate sin more, and more carefully to avoid it; and the other causeth men to sin with less reluctancy, and remorse; because with less feat.

Direct. 15. When the abuse of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone, and not by Works, doth pervert your minds and lives, remember that all confess, that we shall be judged according to our works (as the Covenant of Grace is the Law by which we shall be judged:) And to be judged, is to be justified or condemned.

I need not recite all those Scriptures to you, that say, that we shall be judged, and shall receive according to what we have done in the body, whether it be good or evil: And this is all that we desire you to believe, and live accordingly.

Direct. 16. Remember still that Faith in Christ is but a means to raise us to the Love of God, and that perfect Holiness is higher and more excellent than the pardon of sin: And therefore desire faith, and use it, for the kindling of love, and pardon of sin, to endear you to God, and that you may do so no more: And do not sin, that you may have the more to be pardoned.

The end of the Commandment is Charity, out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. Rom. 6.1, 2. Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid: How shall they that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? See Titus 3.5, 6, 7. Rom. 5.1, 4, 5, 6. Rom. 8.1, 4, 9, Gal. 4.6. & 5.24, 26. So much for those practical Directions, which are needful for them that love not Controversy.

CHAP. VIII. The pernicious or dangerous Errors detected, which hinder the work of Faith about our Justification; and the contrary Truths asserted.

THere is so much dust and controversy raised here to blind the eyes of the weak, and to hinder the life of Faith; and so much poison served up under the name of Justification and Free Grace, that I should be unfaithful if I should not discover it, either through fear of offending the guilty, or of wearying them that had rather venture upon deceit, than upon controversy. And we are now so fortified against the Popish and Secinian extremes, and those whom I am now directing to live by Faith, are so settled against them, that I think it more necessary (having not leisure for both, and having done it heretofore in my Confession ) to open at this time the method of false doctrine on the other extreme, which for the most part is it which constituteth Antinomianism, though some of them are maintained by others.

And I will first name each error; and then with it, the contrary truth.

Error 1. Christ's suffering was caused by the sins of none, as the assumed meritorious cause, or as they usually say, as imputed to him, or lying on him, save only of the Elect that shall be saved.

Contr. The sins of fallen mankind in general, except those rejections of Grace, whose pardon is not offered in the conditional Covenant, did lie on Christ as the assumed cause of his sufferings.

See John 1.29. 2 Cor. 5.18, 19, 20. John 3.16, 17, 18, 19. Heb. 2.9. 1 Tim. 2.4, 5, 6. 1 John 2.2. 1 Tim. 4.10. 2 Pet. 2.2. See Pareus in his Irenicon; & Twisse vind. & alibi passim, saying as much; and Amyrald, Davenant, Dallaeus, Testardu • Usher, &c. proving it.

Error 2. Christ did both perfectly obey, and also make satisfaction for sin by suffering, in the person of all the Elect in the sense of the Law, or God's account; so that his Righteousness of obedience and perfect holiness, and his satisfaction, is so imputed to us, as the proprietaries, as if we ourselves had done it, and suffered it: not by an after donation in the effects, but by this strict imputation in itself.

Contr. The contrary Truth is at large opened before, and in my confession.

Christ's satisfaction, and the merit of his whole obedience, is as effectual for our pardon, justification and salvation, as if Believers th • mselves had performed it; and it is imputed to them, in that it was done for their sakes, and suffered in their stead, and the fruits of it by a free Covenant or donation given them. But 1. God is not mistaken, to judge that we obeyed or suffered when we did not. 2. God is no liar, to say, we did it, when he knoweth that we did it not. 3. If we were not the actors and sufferers, it is not possible that we should be made the natural subjects of the Accidents of another's body, by any putation, estimation or mis-judging whatsoever; no nor by any donation neither. It is a contradiction, and therefore an impossibility that the same individual Actions and Passions, of which Christ's human nature was the agent and subject so many hundred years ago, and have themselves now no existence, should in themselves, I say, in themselves, be made yours now, and you be the subject of the same accidents. 4. Therefore they can no otherwise be given to us, but 1. By a true estimation of the reasons why Christ underwent them, viz. for our sakes as aforesaid. 2. And by a donation of the effects or fruits of them, viz. pardoning, and justifying, and saving us by them (on the terms chosen by the Donor himself, and put into his Testament or Covenant) as certainly (but not in the same manner) as if we had done and suffered them ourselves. 5. If Christ had suffered in our person reputatively in all respects, his sufferings would not have redeemed us: Because we are finite worms, and our suffering for so short a time, would not have been accepted instead of Hell sufferings. But the person of the Mediator made them valuable. 6. God never made any such Covenant with us [that he will justify us, and use us just as he would have done, if we had ourselves perfectly obeyed and satisfied.] They that take on them to show such a Promise, must see that no wise man examine it. 7. God hath both by his Covenant, and his Works, ever since confuted that opinion; and hath not dealt with us as he would have done, if we had been the reputed doers and sufferers of it all ourselves. For he hath made conveyance of the Benefits, by a pardoning and justifying Law, or Promise ; and he giveth us additional pardon of renewed sins as we act them, and he addeth threatenings in his Law or Covenant; and he inflicteth penalties ; yea some that are very grievous, even the with-holding of much of his Spirits help and grace; all which are inconsistent with that conceit; nor would he so have used us, if we had been perfectly innocent, and had fully satisfied for our sins ourselves. 8. All men would have had present possession of Glory, if God had so reputed us the perfect meriters of it. For his Justice would no more have delayed our reward, than denied it. 9. All that are saved would have equal degrees of holiness and happiness, as well as of righteousness, because all would equally be reputed the perfect fulfillers of the Law. And as no penalty could ever be justly inflicted on them here; so no degree of glory could be denied them hereafter for their sin, or for want of perfect righteousness. 10. The opinion of this kind of imputation, is a most evident contradiction in itself. For he that is imputatively a satisfier for all his own sin, is therein supposed to be a sinner: And he that is imputatively a perfect innocent fulfiller of the Law, is thereby supposed to need no satisfaction to Justice for his sin, as being imputatively no sinner. 11. By this all Christ's sacrifice and satisfaction is made a work of needless supererogation; yea unjust, or rather impossible. For if we perfectly obeyed in him, he could not suffer for our disobedience. 12. Hereby pardon of sin is utterly denied: for he that is reputatively no sinner, hath no sin to pardon.

If they say that God did first impute the satisfaction for sin, then there was no room after for the imputation of perfect obedience. We cannot feign God to receive all the debt, or inflict all the penalty, and then to say, now I will esteem thee one that never didst deserve it.

If they say that he doth neither impute the obedience or the suffering to us simply, and to all effects, but in tantum ad hoc, or secundum quid only: so that we shall be pardoned for his suffering, and then judged worthy of Heaven for his obedience: this is but to come up towards the truth before you are aware, and to confess that neither of them is given us in itself, but in the effects, as being itself paid to God to procure those effects.

But withal, the matter must be vindicated from their unfound inventions, and it must be said, that Christ died not only for our sins of commission, but of omission also; and that he that is pardoned both his sins of commission and omission, is free from the punishment both of sense and loss; yea and is reputed as one that never culpably omitted any duty; and consequently fell short of no reward by such omission: so that there remaineth no more necessity of Righteousness in order to a reward where the pardon is perfect, save only ( N. B. ) to procure us that degree of reward which must be superadded to what we forfeited by our sin; and which we never by any culpable omission deserved to be denied. And thus much we do not deny that somewhat (even Adoption) which is more than mere Pardon and Justification must confer on us. But withal, as we hold not that the Sun must bring light, and somewhat else must first banish darkness; that one thing must cure death, and another cause life; that satisfaction must procure the pardon of sins of omission and commission, as to the poenae damni & sensus, and make us esteemed and used as no sinners, and then imputed obedience must give us right to that reward, which the poenae damni, deprived us of; so (N. B.) we maintain that Christ's sufferings have merited our eternal salvation, and our Justification and Adoption; and that his obedience hath merited our forgiveness of sin: And that both go together, the merit of the one and of the other, to procure all that we receive, and that the effects are not parcelled out as they have devised: Though yet we believe that Christ's sufferings were paid to God, as for our sins, to satisfy Justice, and that in the Passive Obedience, it is first satisfactory, and then and therefore meritorious, and in the active it is merely meritorious.

13. And the maintainers of the contrary opinion, besides all the forementioned evils, could never agree how much of Christ's Righteousness must be in their sense imputed: some holding only the passive; a second sort the active and passive; a third sort, the habitual, active and passive; a fourth sort, the divine, the habitual, the active and the passive.

But of all these things there is so much written against them, by Cargius, Ursinus, Olevian, Piscator, Pareus, Scultetus, Alstedius, Wendeline, Cameron, Bradshaw, Gataker, and many more, that I need not to add anymore for confutation.

Error 3. That no one shall suffer whose sins lay on Christ, and were suffered for by him.

Contr. Many such shall suffer the sorer punishment, for sinning against the Lord that bought them, and treading underfoot the blood of the Covenant, wherewith they were so far sanctified, as to be a people by their own Covenant separated to God, Heb. 10.25, 26. Heb. 6.4, 5, 6. 2 Pet. 2.2. Heb. 4.1. & 2.3. & 12.29.

Error 4. That no godly man (say some ( or Elect person, though ungodly (say others) is ever punished by God, because Christ suffered all their punishment himself.

Contr. Every godly man is chastened of God, and all chastisement is a fatherly correcting punishment: And many justified persons are punished to their final loss, by the denial of forfeited degrees of grace, and consequently of glory, Heb. 12.7, 8, 9, 10. 1 Cor. 11.32. 1 Thes. 5.19. Ephes. 4.30. But sad experience is too full a proof. See my Confession.

Error 5. That God were unjust if he laid any degree of punishment on those that Christ died for; or (say others) on the justified; because he should punish one sin twice.

Contr. It is certain, that God punisheth the Justified in some degree (much more the Elect before conversion) and it is certain that God is not unjust. Therefore it is certain that the ground of this accusation is false; for it was not our deserved punishment itself, or the same which was due in the true sense of the Law which Christ endured: but it was the punishment of a voluntary sponsor, which was the equivalens, and not the idem that was due; and did answer the ends of the Law, but not fulfill the meaning of the threatening; which threatened the sinner himself, and not another for him: seeing then it was a satisfaction, or sacrifice for sin, which God received for an atonement and propitiation, and not a solution or suffering of the sinner himself in the sense of the Law, the charge of injustice on God is groundless.

And no man can have more right to Christ's sufferings or benefits, than he himself is willing to give: And it is not his own will (into whose hands all power and judgment is committed) that we should be subject to no punishment because he suffered for us.

Error 6. That the Elect are justified from eternity (say some) or from Christ's death before they were born (say others) or before they believed (say others.)

Against this I have said enough in many Volumes heretofore.

Error 7. That Faith justifieth only in the Court of our own Consciences, by making us to know that we were justified before.

Against this also I have said enough elsewhere.

Error 8. That sins to come, not yet committed, are pardoned in our first Justification.

Contr. Sins to come are no sins: and no sins have no actual pardon: but only the certain remedy is provided, which will pardon their sins as soon as they are capable.

Error 9. Justification is not a making us just, but a sentence pronouncing us just.

Contr. Justification is a word of so many significations, that he that doth not first tell what he meaneth by it, will not be capable of giving or receiving satisfaction.

And here once for all, I must entreat the Reader that loveth not confusion and error, to distinguish of these several sorts of Justification, as the chief which we are to note.

Justification is either public by a Governor, or private by an equal or mere Discerner : Justification is by God, or by Man. Justification by God is either as he is Law-giver, and above Laws, or as he is Judge according to his Laws: In the first way God maketh us just; by his Act of Oblivion, or pardoning Law, or Covenant of Grace. In the second respect God doth two ways justify and forgive: 1. As a determining Judge: 2. As the Executioner of his Judgment. In the former respect God doth two ways justify us: 1. By esteeming us just. 2. By public sentencing us just. As Executioner, he useth us as just, and as so judged.

I pass by here purposely all Christ's Justification of us by way of apology or plea; and all Justification by witnesses and evidences, &c. and all the constitutive causes of our Righteousness, lest I hinder them whom I would help, by using more distinctions than they are willing to learn. But these few are necessary.

1. It is one thing for God to make us Righteous, by forgiving all our sins of commission and omission, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction and obedience.

2. It is another thing for God to esteem us to be so Righteous when he hath first made us so.

3. It is another for God to sentence us Righteous as the Public Judge, by Jesus Christ.

4. And it is another thing for God to take off all penalties and evils, and to give us all the good which belong to the Righteous; and so to execute his own Laws and Sentence. And he that will not distinguish of these senses or sorts of Justification, shall not dispute with me.

And while I am upon this, I will give the Reader these two remarks and counsels. 1. That he will not in disputing about Justification, with any sect, begin the dispute of the Thing, till he hath first determined and agreed of their sense of the Word. And that he will not confound the Controversies de nomine about the word, with those de re, about the matter. And that he will remember in citing texts of Scripture, that Beza, and many of our best Expositors, do grant to the Papists (as I heard Bishop Usher also do) that some texts of Scripture do take the word [ Justify ] as they do, for Pardon and Sanctification conjunctly: As Titus 3.7. 1 Cor. 6.11. Rom. 8.30. three famous texts; of which see Le Blank at large in his Thes. de nom. Justific. If the controversy be only of the sense of a Text, handle it accordingly: If of the matter, turn it not to words.

2. Note this Observation, that Sanctification itself, or the giving us the Spirit, is a great act (though I say not the only) of executive Justification. The with-holding of the Spirit is the greatest punishment inflicted in this life: and therefore the giving of the Spirit is the removal or executive remiting of the greatest penalty: So that if pardon were only as Dr. Twisse thought, a non-punire, a not punishing, then this were the most proper, as well as plenary pardon in this life. But the truth is, that our Pardon and Justification in Right goeth first, which God effecteth by his Covenant-gift: And then God esteemeth us just or pardoned, when by pardon he hath made us just: and if there be any sentence, or anything equivalent before the day of Judgment or death, he next sentenceth us Just; and lastly, he useth us as just, that is, as pardoned (all sins of omission and commission) which is by taking off all punishment both of pain (or sense ) and loss ; of which part the giving of his Spirit, is the chief act on this side our Glorification.

Note therefore that thus far no Protestant can deny to the Papists, nor will do, that Sanctification and Justification are all one, that is, that God having pardoned us de jure, doth pardon us executively, by giving us his forfeited Spirit and Grace; and by all the communion which we have after with him, and the comfort which we have from him.

And further let it be well noted, that the nature of this executive Pardon or Justification (of which read Mr. Hotchkis at large) is far better known to us, than the nature of God's sentential Pardon and Justification: and therefore there is less controversy about it. For what it is to forbear or take off a punishment, is easily understood: But though most Protestants say, that Justification is a sentence of God, they are not agreed what that sentence is. Some think (truly) that our first Justification by Faith is but a virtual sentence of the Law of Grace, by which we must be judged. Others say that by a sentence is meant God's secret mental estimation: Others say, that as Angels are his executioners; so it is before them (where joy is said to be for a sinners conversion) Luke 15. that doth declare and sentence us pardoned and just. Others think that there is no sentence but God's notification of pardon to our consciences, or giving us the sense or knowledge of it. Others think that there is no sentence till death, or public Judgment. Others say that God doth sentence us just, though we know not where, nor how. And Mr. Lawson noteth, that (as all confess that God hath no voice, but a created voice ; and therefore useth not words as we; unless what Christ as man may do in that we know not; so) his sentence is nothing but his declaration that he esteemeth us pardoned and just in title, which is principally, if not only, by his execution, and taking off all penalties of sense and loss, and using us as pardoned in title: and so that the giving of his Spirit, is his very sentence of Justification in this life, as it is his declaration as aforesaid.

And doubtless executive pardon is the most perfect and complete, as being the end and perfection of all the rest. Therefore God maketh us just in title by. Covenant-pardon; and therefore he sentenceth us as just, that he may take off all penalty, and give us the felicity due to the righteous; and may use us as those that are made just.

There is much truth in most of the foresaid opinions inclusively, and much falsehood in their several exclusions of all the rest (unless their quarrel be only de nomine, which of all these is fitliest called Justification. For 1. There is no doubt but our pardon, or constituted Justification in Covenant-title, is a virtual sentential Justification. 2. And there is no doubt but God doth esteem them just, that are first made just, and no other (b • cause he erreth not:) And that this estimation is sententia concepta, as distinct from sententia prolata. 3. And it is certain that those Angels that must execute his sentence, must first know it: And it is probable that the Joy 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in the presence of the Angels of God, doth intimate that God useth ordinarily to notify the conver • iod of a sinner to Angels (whether the joy here be meant as Dr. Hammond and others think, God's Joy signified to Angels, or rather the Angels Joy, by their presence being, in Choro Angelorum, or among them, that is, in them ; or both. ) 4. And it is granted that God doth usually give some notice of his pardon, at one time or other, more or less to a sinners conscience (though that is too late, too uncertain, too low, and too unequal, and too inconstant to be the great and famous Justification by Faith. ) 5. And it is clear, that till death or Judgment, there is no such solemn plenary judicial sentence or declaration as there will be then. 6. And it is certain, that at death and judgment, Christ as Man, a creature, can speak or express himself, as the blessed creatures do to one another. 7 And its certain that God hath a way of expressing himself to creatures, which is beyond our present understandings: But we may conceive of it by the similitude of Light, which in the same instant revealeth millions of things to millions of persons respectively. (Though that is nothing to his present Justification of us by Faith, unless as he revealeth it to Angels.) 8. And it is certain, that at the day of death and judgment, God will thus by an irresistible light, lay open every man to himself, and to the world, which may be called his sentence, differing from the execution; and that Christ in our nature will be our Judge, and may express that sentence as aforesaid. 9. And it is certain, that God's actual taking off punishment, and giving the blessing which sin had deprived us of, is a declaration of his mind, which may be called, an executive sentence, and might serve the turn if there were no more: And that in Scripture, the terms of [ God's judging the world ] doth usually signify God's executive Government, rewarding and punishing: And that God doth begin such execution in this life: and that his giving the Spirit is thus his principal pardoning and justifying act; and yet that this is but part, and not the whole of our present executive pardon: and that glorification in this sense is the highest and noblest Justification or Pardon; when God giveth us all that sin had forfeited (But yet we deny not that Glorification is somewhat more than an executive pardon, so far as any more is then given us, than we did forfeit by our sins.)

I must desire the Reader not to forget all this explication of the nature of Justification, because it will be supposed to the understanding of all before and after.

Error 10. That the justified or regenerate never incur any guilt or obligation to any punishment, but only temporal corrections; and therefore need no pardon at all of any sin, at least, since regeneration, as to the everlasting punishment; because Christ died to prevent that guilt, and consequently the necessity of any such pardon.

Contr. This is before explained. Christ died to procure us that pardoning Covenant, which (on its own terms) will pardon every sin of the Justified when they are committed; but not to prevent the need of pardon. Otherwise Christ should not satisfy for any sins after regeneration, nor bear them in his sufferings at all: For his satisfaction is a bearing of a punishment, which in its dignity and usefulness is equivalent to our deserved, or ( to be deserved ) punishment. Now if we never do deserve it, Christ cannot bear that in our stead, which we never deserve: As the preventing of the sin or reatus culpae proveth that Christ never suffered for that sin prevented, because it is terminus diminuens, and is no sin; so is it in preventing the desert of punishment. And as for Correction Christ doth inflict so much as is good for us; and therefore did not die to prevent it. But of this Controversy I have said more at large elsewhere.

Error 11. That Justification by Faith is perfect at the first instant; though Sanctification be imperfect.

Contr. Against this Error read Mr. George Hopkins book of salvation from sin ; showing how Justification and Sanctification are equally carried on.

It is granted that at our first true faith, we are pardoned all the sins that ever we committed before, as to the eternal punishment: And so we are converted from them all: But (as our Sanctification is imperfect, so) our Pardon is yet imperfect in many respects : For 1. We are still liable to death, which is the wages of sin, though it be so far conquered as not to hinder our salvation: Enoch and Elias went to Heaven without it, Rom. 5 12, 14, 17, 21. Gen. 3.16, 17, 19. 1 Cor. 15.21, 26. 2. We are still liable to many penal chastisements in this life; which though they do us good by accident, are yet the fruits of sin, no father chastising a faultless child, but doing him good in another way. 3. There are many sins yet left uncured, which though as sins, they are our own only, yet as an evil not cured, are also penal: I am sure that the not-giving of more of his Spirit and Grace is penal. Therefore till our grace be perfect, we are not perfectly delivered from the penal fruits of sin, and therefore not perfectly justified and pardoned. 4. That Pardon and Justification is not perfect, which hath so many conditions, and of such a nature for its continuation, as ours now hath: As to say, you shall lose your justified state, unless you fight and overcome, in mortification, sufferings, perseverance. &c. He that hath a title to an estate, which is held by such a tenure, and would be lost if he should fail in such conditions, hath not so perfect a title, as he that is past all such conditions. 5. That pardon which is only of sins past, while there are thousands more hereafter to be pardoned (or else we should yet perish) is not so perfect as that Pardon and Justification in the conclusion of our lives, when all sin that ever will be committed is forgiven absolutely. 6. The kind of our presen • Justification is imperfect; it being but in Covenant-title, and some part of execution ; the full and pe • f • ct sentence and execution, being at the day of Judgment.

I leave them therefore to say [ Christ's Righteousness imputed to us is perfect; therefore we are as perfectly just and justified as Christ ] who know not what Imputation here is; nor that Christ's personal Righteousness is not given to us as proprietors, in itself, but in the effects ; and who know not the difference between believing and blaspheming, and making ourselves as so many Christ's to ourselves; and that know not what need they have of Christ, or of Faith, or Prayer, or of any holy endeavor for anymore Pardon, and Righteousness or Justification, than they have already: Or who think that David in his Adultery and Murder was as perfectly pardoned and justified as he will be in Heaven at last: And in a word, who know not the difference between Earth and Heaven.

Error 12. That Christ justifieth us only as a Priest: Or (say others) only as obeying and satisfying.

Contr. Christ merited our Justification in his state of humiliation, as the Mediator subjected to the Law, and perfectly obeying it, and as a sacrifice for sin. But this is not justifying us. Christ offered that sacrifice as the High Priest of the Church or world: But this was not justifying us. Christ made us the New Covenant as our King, and as the great Prophet of the Father or Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3.1. And this Covenant giveth us our pardon and title to impunity, and to life eternal; And Christ as our King and Judge doth justify us by a Judiciary Sentence, and also by the execution of that sentence: so that the relations most eminently appear in our Justification, are all excluded by the foresaid error.

Error 13. That we are justified only by the first act of Faith; and all our believing afterwards to the end of our lives, are no justifying acts at all.

Contr. Indeed if the question be only about the Name of Justifying, if you will take it only for our first change into a state of righteousness by pardon, it is true. But the following act • of Faith are of the same use and need to the continuing of our Justification, or state of Righteousness, as the first act was for the beginning of it.

Error 14. That the continuance of our Justification needeth no other conditions to be by us performed, than the continuance of that Faith on which it was begun.

Contr. Where that first Faith continueth, there our Justification doth continue: But that Faith never continueth without sincere obedience to Christ; and that obedience is part of the condition of the continuance, or not losing our Justification (as is proved before, and at large elsewhere) The Faith which in Baptism we profess, and by which we have our first Justification or Covenant-right, is an accepting of Christ as our Savior and Lord to be obeyed by us in the use of his saving remedies; and we there vow and covenant future obedience. And as our marriage to Christ, or Covenant-making, is all the condition of our first right to him and his benefits, without any other good works or obedience; so our Marriage-fidelity, or Covenant keeping, is part of the condition of our continuance herein, or not losing it by a divorce, John 15. Col. 1.23. &c.

Error 15. That Faith is no condition of our part in Christ, and our Justification, but only one of God's gifts of the Covenant, given with Christ and Justification.

Error 16. That the Covenant of Grace hath no conditions on our part, but only donatives on God's part.

Error 17 That if the Covenant had any conditions, it were not free. And that every condition is a meritorious cause, or at least some cause.

Contr. All these I have confuted at large elsewhere, and proved 1. That Faith is a proper condition of those benefits which God giveth us by the conditional Covenant of Grace; but not of all the benefits which he any other way giveth us. It was not the condition of his giving Christ to live and die for us; nor of his giving us the Gospel, or this Covenant itself ; nor of his giving us Preachers, or of the first motions of his Spirit ; nor was Faith the condition of the gift of Faith ••• elf; because all these are not given us in that way, by that Covenant, but absolutely, as God shall please.

2. That some Promises of God of the last mentioned gifts, have no condition : The promises of giving a Savior to the world; and the promise of giving and continuing the Gospel in the world; and of converting many by it in the world, and of making them Believers, and giving them new hearts, and bringing them to salvation, &c. have no conditions. But these are promises made, some of them to Christ only, and some of them to fallen mankind, or the world in general, or predictions what God will do by certain men unborn, unnamed, and not described, called the Elect. But all this giveth no title to Pardon, or Justification, or Salvation to any one person at all.

Remember therefore once for all, that the Covenant which I still mean, by the Covenant of Grace, is that which God offereth men in Baptism, by the acceptance whereof we become Christians.

3. That God's gift of a Savior, and New Covenant to the world, are so free as to be without any condition: But God's gift of Christ with all his benefits of Justification, Adoption, &c. to individual persons, is so free as to be without and contrary to our desert ; but not so free as to be without any condition: And that he that will say to God [Thy grace of pardon is not free if thou wilt not give it me, but on condition that I accept it, yea or desire it, or ask it ] shall prove a contemner of grace, and a reproacher of his Savior, and not an exalter of free grace. There is no inconsistency for God to be the giver of grace to cause us to believe and accept of Christ, and yet to make a deed of gift of him to all on condition of that Faith and acceptance; no more than it is inconsistent to give Faith and Repentance, and to command them: of both which the objecters themselves do not seem to doubt. For he maketh both his command, and his conditional form of Promise to be his chosen means (and most wisely chosen) of working in us the thing commanded.

4. That a condition as a condition is no cause at all, much less a meritorious cause: But only the non-performance of it suspendeth the donation of the Covenant, by the will of the Donor: Or r •• her it is the Donors will that suspendeth it till the condition be done. And some conditions signify no more than a term of time: and some (in the matter of them, and not in the form ) are a not-demeriting, or not-abusing the Giver, or not-despising the gift: and some among men are meritorious. And with God every act that is chosen by him to be a condition of his gift, is pleasing to him, for some special aptitude which it hath to that office. This is the full truth, and the plain truth about conditions.

Error 18. There is no degree of pardon given to any that are not perfectly justified, and that shall not be saved: But the giving of the Spirit so far as to cause us to believe and repent, is s • me degree of executive pardon: Therefore we are justified before we believe.

Contr. There is a great degree of pardon given to the world, before conversion, which shall yet justify and save none but Believers: God's giving a Savior to the world, and a New Covenant, and in that an universal conditional pardon ; yea his giving them teaching, exhortations and offers of free grace; and his giving them life and time, and many mercies which the full execution of the Law would have deprived them of, is a very great degree of pardon. God pardoned to mankind much of the penalty which sin deserved, even presently after the first transgression, in the prom • se made to Adam, Gen. 3.15. Many texts of Scripture (which partial men for their opinions sake do pervert) do speak magnificently of a common pardon, which must be sued out, and made particular upon our believing. The world was before under so much impossibility of being saved by anything that they could do, that they must have procured all to be done first which Christ hath done and suffered for them; which was utterly above their power. They that were actually obliged to bear the pains of death, both temporal, spiritual and eternal, are now so far redeemed, pardoned and delivered, that all the merit and satisfaction necessary to actual forgiveness, is made for them by another, and no one of them all shall perish for want of a Sacrifice made and accepted for them; and an universal conditional pardon is enacted, sealed, and recorded, and offered and urged on all to whom the Gospel cometh; and nothing but their obstinate, willful refusal or neglect, can deprive them of it: And this is so great a degree of pardon, that it is called often by such absolute names, as if all were done; because all is done which concerneth God as Legislator or Covenant maker, to do, before our own Acceptance of it.

Suppose a Prince redeem all his captive subjects from the Turkish slavery, and one half of them so love their state of bondage, or some harlot or ill company there (yea if all of them do so, till half of them are persuaded from it) that they will not come away. It is no improper nor unusual language to say that he hath redeemed them, and given them a release, though they would not have it. That may be given to a man, which he never hath, because he refuseth to accept it; when the Donor hath done all that belongeth to him in that relation of a Donor ; though perhaps as a Perswader he might do more.

This is the sense of Heb. 1.3. When he had by himself purged our sins (or made purgation of our sins) he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high ; that is, when he had become a sacrifice for sin, and sealed the Covenant by his blood.] For actual personal pardon was not given by him before our acceptance.

This is the plain sense of 2 Cor. 5.18, 19, 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their trespasses (that is, purchasing and giving them a pardoning Covenant) and hath committed to us the word, and ministry of reconciliation: Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God.

John 1.29, 36. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world ; (that is, as a sacrifice for sin.) As Heb. 9.26. Once in the end of the world he hath appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself: (Though the sacrifice as offered only, doth not actually and fully pardon it.) The same as Heb. 10.12. After he had offered one Sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.

So Matth. 18.27, 32. He forgave him the debt — I forgave thee all that debt— viz. conditionally, and as David forgave Shimei.

Psal. 78.38. He forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not ; that is, he forgave the temporal punishment, and suspended the execution of eternal punishment, giving them yet more time and offers of repentance and of further mercy. And so he forgave Ahab and Nineveh upon their humiliation, Numb. 14.19. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt until now.

So Psal. 85.2, 3. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sins: thou hast taken away all thy wrath—Turn us O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger to cease: wilt thou be angry with us forever? So that they are two palpable errors here asserted by the objecters, viz. that there is no degree of pardon to such as are not saved ; and that we are justified, when ever we have any degree of pardon. We may be so far pardoned as to have grace given us effectually to believe, and yet our Justification, or the Covenant-forgiveness of eternal punishment, is in order of nature after our believing, and not before it.

Error 19. That our natures are as far from being able to believe in Christ, as from being able to fulfil the Law of works, and to be justified by it; they being equally impossible to us; and as much help is necessary to one as to the other.

Contr. To be justified by the Law of works, when we have once broken it, is a contradiction, and a natural impossibility; as it is to be at once a sinner, and no sinner. But so it is not for a sinner to believe in Christ: The impossibility is but moral at most; which consisteth not in a want of natural faculties or power, but in the want of a right d • sp • sition, or willingness of mind.

And to fulfil the Law of God, and to be perfect for the future, is surely a far higher degree of spiritual grace and excellency, than to be a poor, weak, sinful believer, d • siring to fulfil it. Therefore our sinful natures are much farther off from perfection than from faith.

3. And though the same Omnipotency do all God's works (for all God's Power is Omnipotency) yet it is not equally put forth, and manifested in all his works: The moving of a feather, and the making of the world, are both works of Omnipotency; but not equal works or exertions of it.

4. And it is certain that in verum natura, there is such a thing as a proper Power given by God, to do many things that n • ver are done, and that necessary grace (which some call sufficient ) which is not eventually effectual: for such Adam had (such Power, and such necessary grace or help) to have forborne his first sin, which he did not forbear. And no man can prove that no final unbelievers, have had such power and help to have bel • eved, a • Adam had to have stood. But it is certain that we 〈…〉 such powers and necessary grace, to have perfectly 〈◊〉 all the Law.

Error 20. That Faith justifieth as an instrument and only so.

Of this I have written at large heretofore. An instrument properly so called, is an efficient cause: Faith is no efficient cause of our Justification; neither God's instrument, nor ours: for we justify not ourselves instrumentally: The known undoubted instrument of our Justification, is God's Covenant or deed of gift ; which is his pardoning act: They that say it is not a Physical but a Moral instrument, either mean that its morally called an instrument, that is, reputatively, and not really ; or that it is indeed a moral instrument, that is, effecteth our Justification morally. But the latter is false; for it effecteth it not at all: and the former is false: for as there is no reason ; so there is no Scripture to prove that God reputeth it to be what it is not.

All that remaineth to be said is that indeed Faith in Christ is an act whose nature partly (that is, one act of it) consisteth in the Acceptance of Christ himself who is given to us for our Justification and Salvation, by a Covenant which maketh this believing-acceptance its condition. And so this accepting-act in the very essence of it, is such as some call a receiving instrument (or a passive ) which is indeed no instrument, but an act metaphorically called an instrument (And in disputes metaphors must not be used without necessity; and to understand them properly is to err. ) So that such an improper instrument of Justification Faith is, as my trusting my Physician (and taking him for my Physician) is the instrument of my cure: And as my trusting myself to the conduct of such a Pilot, is the instrument of my safe voyage; or as my trusting my Tutor is the instrument of my learning ; or rather as a woman's marriage-consent is the instrument of all the wealth and honor which she hath by her husband. Indeed marriage may be better called the instrument of it; that is, not her own consent (which is properly the receiving condition ) but the consent and actual marriage by her husband: For he is the giver. And so the Covenant is God's justifying instrument, as signifying his donative consent; and Baptism is the instrument of it, by solemn investiture or tradition ; as the delivering of a Key, is the instrumental delivery of the house.

The case then is very plain to him that is but willing to understand, viz. that Faith in its essence, is b • sides the assenting acts, an accepting of an offered Savior for our Justification, Sanctification and Salvation, and a trusting in him: That this act of Faith being its essence, is the most apt for the use that God in his Covenant hath appointed it unto: because he will give us a Savior freely, but yet not to be refused and neglected, but to be thankfully and honourably received and used: That this special aptitude of Faith, or its very essence, is the reason why it is chosen to be the condition of the Testament or Gift: That this same essence and aptitude, is that which some call its Receptive or Passive Instrumentality: That this essence and aptitude is not the nearest reason why we are justified by it; for then Faith as Faith, and as such an act or w • rk of ours should justify, and that ex opere operato ; and that without or against God's will. For if God's will have interposed, the signifier of that will must needs be the chief and nearest reason: Therefore this act so apt b • ing by God made the condition of the Gift or Covenant, i • s nearest and chief interest (I will not call it causali • y) in our Justification, i • this office of a condition. Therefore in a word, we are justified by Faith directly as, or because it is the conditio praestita, the performance of the condition of the Justifying act; and it was by God made the condition, b • cause it was in its nature m • st apt thereto; which aptitude may be metaphorically called its Receptive Instrumentality: And that thus as it accepteth Christ for Justification, Adoption, Sanctification and Glorification ; so it is first the metaphorical instrument of our part in Christ ; and but consequently the metaphorical instrument of our title, to pardon, the Spirit and Heaven; and in no tolerable sense at all (how figurative soever) is it any instrument of God's sentence of Justification (which yet is all the Justification acknowledged by the usual defenders of Instrumentality) saving as it may be said to give us a right to it, by giving us constitutive Justification in the pardon of our sins.

And the Scripture never saith that Faith justifieth us, nor calleth it Justifying Faith ; but that we are justified by Faith, and most commonly [ of Faith ] for the usuallest phrase is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ex fide, as it is ex operibus, when Justification by works is denied; which is not the mere Instrumentality of works.

So that here is a double error; 1. That Faith justifieth as a true and proper instrument: 2. And no o • her way.

Error 21. That Faith causeth Justification, as it causeth Sanctification; as much and as properly.

Contr. Faith causeth not Justification at all, but only is the condition of it: But Faith causeth the acts of other graces by a proper efficiency; believing is a proper efficient cause of the wills volition, complacency, consent, (though but a moral efficient, because the liberty of the will forbiddeth the Intellect to move it per modum naturae. ) And the wills consent produceth other acts, and physically exciteth other graces: Because to love, and desire, and fear, and seek, and obey, are acts of our own souls, where one may properly cause another: But to justify or pardon is an act of God: and therefore Faith equally procureth our right or title to Justification and to Sanctification and Glorification ; but it doth not equally effect them, 2 Cor. 7.1. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit, perfecting holiness, &c. Not let us pardon and justify ourselves. James 4.8. Cleanse your hearts you sinners, &c. Isa. 1. Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings ; (not your guilt and punishment.) So only Christ cleanseth us from all sin and unrighteousness, 1 John 1.7, 9. Jude 21. Keep yourselves in the Love of God. John 15. Abide in me. &c. 1 John 5.18. He that is begotten of God, keepeth himself, &c.

Error 22. That the Faith by which we are justified, is not many physical acts of the soul only, but one.

Error 23. That it is only an act of one faculty of the soul.

Contr. The contrary is fully opened before, and proved at large elsewhere, and through the Scripture. Faith is (as Davenant well noteth) the act of the whole man: I was wont to say of both faculties, I now say of the three faculties which constitute the soul of man, the Potestative, the Intellective and the Volitive. And the Assent itself is many acts (as acts are physically specified by their objects) as is shown. It is one moral act or work of the soul: Like trusting a man as my Physician, which is a fiducial consent that he be my Physician, in order to the use of his remedies: O • as taking a man to be your Prince, Husband, Tutor, Master, &c. where he that will tell people that taking signifieth but one physical act, would be ridiculous. And he that will tell people that only one physical act of one faculty is it that they must look to be justified by, will be much worse than ridiculous.

Error 24. That we are justified by Faith, not as it receiveth Christ's person, but his benefits or righteousness.

Contr. The contrary is before and after proved (and insisted on by Dr. Preston at large.) Indeed we receive not Christ's person itself physically ; but his person in the office and relation of our Savior ; as we must choose what person shall be our Physician, before we take his medicines, or receive our health; but it is only a consent that he and no other, be our Physician, which we call the taking of his person. And so it is here.

Error 25. That it is one act of Faith which giveth us right to Christ, and another to his righteousness, and another to his teaching, and another to his Spirit, and another to Adoption, and to Heaven, &c. and not the same.

Contr. This is 1. Adding to the Word of God, and that in a matter near our chiefest comfort and safety. Prove it, or affirm it not. 2. It is corrupting, and perverting, and contradicting the Word and Covenant of God, which unitedly makeeth the same Faith (without any such distinction) the condition of all the Covenant-gifts, Mark 16.16. John 3.16, &c.

Error 26. That though the same Faith which justifieth doth believe in him as a Teacher, as a King and Judge, &c. yet it justifieth us only quatenus receptio justitiae, as it is the receiving of Christ's Righteousness.

Contr. See in my Dispute of Justification, my Confutation of this Assertion in Mr. Warner. Properly Faith justifieth not at all; but we are justified of or by it as a condition by the tenor of God's deed of gift. And so far as it is the condition in that gift, so far we are justified by it. But it is one entire Faith in Christ, which is the condition, without such distinction; therefore we are so justified by it. 2. According to that Rule, there must be as many acts of Faith, as there are benefits to be received, and the title to be ascribed to each one accordingly. 3. The natural relation of the act to the object, showeth no more but what the nature or essence of that Faith is, and not how we come to be justified by it. 4. The sense containeth this false Proposition [ Haec fides qua talis, or quae fides justificat: Faith as Faith, or as this Faith in specie, justifieth (which some call the ( To credere ) For it is the essence of Faith which they call its Reception of Christ's Righteousness. 5. The true passive Reception of Righteousness and Pardon, is that of the person, as he is the terminus of the donative or justifying act of the Covenant: To receive Pardon properly, is to be pardoned: But our Active Receiving or Consent, is but the condition of it; and there is no proof or reason that the condition should be so parcelled. 6. Yet if by your quatenus you intend no more than the description of the act of Faith as essentially related to its subsequent benefit, and not at all to speak of its conditional nearest interest in our Justification, the matter were less. 7. But the truth is, that if we might distinguish where God doth not distinguish, it were much more rational to say, that taking Christ for a true Messenger of God, and a Teacher, and Sanctifier, and King, hath a greater hand in our Justification, than taking him to justify us (supposing that all be present.) Because the common way and reason of conditions in Covenants is, that somewhat which the party is willing of, is promised upon condition of something which he is unwilling of, that for the one he may be drawn to consent unto the other: As if the Physician should say [If you will take me for your Physician, and refuse none of my medicines, I will undertake to cure you.] Here it is supposed that the Patient is willing of health, and not willing of the Medicines, but for healths sake; and therefore consenting to the Medicines (or receiving this man to be his Physician as a p • escriber of the Medicines) is more the condition of his cure, than his consenting to the cure itself, or receiving the Physician as the cause of his health: So here it is supposed that condemned sinners are already willing to be justified, pardoned and saved from punishment, but not willing to repent and follow the teaching and counsel of a Savior; and therefore that Pardon and Justification is given and offered them, on condition that they accept of, and submit to the teaching and government of Christ, and of salvation from their sins: But the truth is, we must not presume beyond his revelation, to give the reasons of God's institutions: We are sure that the entire Belief in Christ, and accepting of himself as our perfect Savior in order to all the ends of his Relation, is made by God in his Covenant, the condition of our title to the benefits of his Covenant conjunctly: And it is not only the believing in Christ for pardon that as such is the condition of pardon; nor is any one act the condition of any benefit, but as it is a part of that whole Faith which is indeed the condition.

The occasion of their error is, that they consider only what it is in Christ the object of Faith which justifieth, sanctifieth, &c. and they think that the act only which is exercised on that object must do it; which is a gross mistake: Because Faith is not like taking of money, jewels, books, &c. into ones hand, which is a physical act which taketh possession of them: But it is a Jus or Debitum, a Right and Relation which we are morally and passively to receive, as constituting our first Justification and Pardon; and as the condition of this we are to take Christ for our Savior, which is but a physicial active metaphorical receiving, in order to the attainment of the said passive proper receiving (For recipere proprie est pati. )

If an Act be passed, that all Traitors and Rebels, who will give up themselves to the Kings Son, as one that hath ransomed them, to be taught and ruled by him, and reduced to their obedience, & to be their general in the wars against his enemies; shall have pardon, and lands, and honors, and further rewards after this service; here the Prince himself doth deliver them by his ransom, and enrich them by his lands, and honor them by his honor or power, &c. But their act of giving up themselves to him under the notion of a Ransomer, doth no more to their deliverance, than their giving up themselves to him under the notion of a General or Ruler, &c. Because it doth not free them as it is such an act, but as it is an act made the condition of his gift.

And note that I have before proved, that even as to the object Christ justifieth us in all the parts of his office.

Error 27. That believing in God as God and our Father in Christ, is not an act of Justifying Faith, but only a consequent or concomitant of it.

Contr. 1. No doubt but God must some way be believed in, in order of nature, before Christ can be believed in (as is proved) who can believe that Christ is the Son and Messenger of God? who believeth not that there is a God? Or that Christ reconcileth us to God, before he believe that he is our offended God and Governor. 2. But to believe in God as the end of our Redemption; to whose love and savor we must be restored by Faith in Christ, and who pardoneth by the Son, is as essential an act of Justifying Faith, as our belief in Christ.

Object. But not quatenus justificantis, not of Faith as justifying.

Answ. If by [ as justifying ] you mean [ not as effecting Justification ] it is a false supposition: There is no such Faith. If you mean [ not as the condition of Justification ] it is false: It is as essential a part of it as the condition. If you mean [ not as Faith is denominated Justifying from the consequent benefit ] its true, but impertinent: For the same may be said of Faith in Christ; it is not called [ Faith in Christ ] as it is called (by you) Justifying. And yet I may add, that in the very physical nature of it, Belief in God as our God and End, is essential to it: As consenting to be healed is essential to consenting to the Physician: and consenting to be reconciled is essential to our consenting to a Mediation for that end: Because the respect to the end is essential to the Relation consented to.

All the Faith described Heb. 11. in all those instances, hath special essential respect to God.

So hath Abraham's faith, Rom. 4.3. Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness —v. 5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him (on God) that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for righteousness —v. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin —v. 17. Before him whom he believed, even God who quickeneth the dead — v. 20. He staggered not at the Promise of God— Being fuly persuaded, that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. v. 21, 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Abundance such testimonies are obvious in Scripture; but this being as plain as can be spoken, he maketh his own Faith, who refuseth to believe it. Our Faith in God as God hath as much hand in our Justification, as our Faith in Christ as Mediator.

But the form of the Baptismal Covenant which the Church ever used, fully proveth it as is aforesaid, though to answer all ignorant cavils against it, as an unnecessary tediousness I pass by.

Error 28. The belief of Heaven, or the life to come, is no essential part of Justifying Faith as such.

Contr. The last answer to this Error is sufficient: Heaven is the everlasting vision and love of God; and therefore we are justified by believing it, though not it alone: It is essential to our Savior, to save and bring us to the fruition of God.

Error 29. That Justifying Faith is a believing that I am justified, or elect, and shall be saved by Christ.

Error 30. That this Faith is a full assurance, or persuasion at least, excluding doubting.

Contr. 1. We are justified by believing and accepting God for our God, and Christ for our Savior, that we may be justified; and not by believing that we are justified. 2. It is false, and ever will be, that any of the praesciti (as Austin and Prosper call them) or the Non-Elect, are elect, or justified, or will be saved: But the Non-Elect are commanded and bound to believe with that same kind of Faith by which we are justified: Therefore to believe that they themselves are elect, justified, and shall be saved, is not that kind of Faith by which we are justified. No men are bound by God on pain of damnation to believe a lie, nor damned for not believing it. 3. Assurance of personal pardon, is the happiness but of few true Christians in this life: And where it is, it is only an effect or consequent participating of Faith: See Mr. Hickman on this subject.

Error 31. The meaning of that Article of our Creed [I believe the remission of sins] is, I believe that my own sins are forgiven to me personally.

Contr. Though worthy Mr. Perkins, and other ancient Divines have too much countenanced this exposition, it is false. The meaning of that Article is but this [ I believe that a sufficient provision for pardon is made by Christ, both for sins before regeneration, and after-fault which shall be repented of; and that a pardoning Covenant is made to all, if they will repent and believe; and to me as well as others, and I accept of that gracious offer, and trust in that Covenant in Christ. ]

Its dangerous misexpounding Articles of the Creed.

Error 32. At least it is an act of Divine Belief to believe that I am elect, and justified, and shall be saved.

Contr. Many have been a great scandal or snare to harden the Papists by asserting this. But the truth is, it is but a rational conclusion from two premises; the one of which is of Divine Revelation, and the other of inward experience ; and all that is capable of being a controversy to the judicious, is only de nomine, whether logically the conclusion be to be denominated from the more debile of the premises, or from both by participation, as being both an act of Faith, and of Reason, secundum quid, and of neither simpliciter. But it is commonly concluded, that the more debile of the premises must denominate the conclusion: And it is certain de re, that the conclusion can be no more certain than it.

Object. But when the Scripture saith, He that believeth shall be saved ; it is equipollent to this, [ I John believe, and therefore I shall be saved. ]

Answ. A gross deceit. That I believe, is nowhere in the Scripture: If it be, doth the Scripture say, that all men believe, or only some? If some, doth it name them, or notify them by anything but the marks by which they must find it in themselves?

Object. But he that believeth may be as sure that he believeth, as that the Scripture is true.

Answ. But not that he is sincere, and exceedeth all hypocrites and common believers: At least there are but few that get so full an assurance hereof.

Object. The Spirit witnesseth that we are God's children: And to believe the Spirit, is to believe God.

Answ. The Spirit is oft called in Scripture, the witness, and pledge, and earnest, in the same sense; that is, it is the evid • nce of our right to Christ and life. If any man have not his Spirit, he is none of his, Rom. 8.9. And hereby we know that he dweleth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. As the Spirits Miracles were the witness of Christ, Heb. 2.3, &c. objectively, as evidence is called witness. 2. And withal the Spirit by illumination and excitation helpeth us to see itself as our evidence. 3. And to rejoice in this discovery. And thus the Spirit witnesseth our adoption. But none of these are the proper objects of a Divine Belief. 1. The objective evidence of holiness in us, is the object of our rational self-acquaintance, or conscience only. 2. The illuminating grace by which we see this, is not a new Divine Testimony, or proper Revelation, or Word of God ; but the same help of grace by which all other divine things are known. And all the Spirits grace for our understanding of divine Revelations are not new objective Revelations themselves; requiring a new act of Faith for them. A word or proper Revelation from God is the object of divine belief; otherwise every illuminating act of the Spirit for our understanding God's Word, would be itself a new word, to be believed, and so in infinitum.

Error 33. Doubting of the life to come, or of the truth of the Gospel, will not stand with saving Faith.

Contr. It will not stand with a confirmed Faith ; but it will with a sincere Faith. He that doubteth of the truth of the promise, so far as that he will not venture life and soul, and all his hopes and happiness, temporal and eternal upon it, hath no true Faith: But he that doubteth, but yet so far bel • eveth the Gospel, as to take God for his only God and portion, and Christ for his only Savior, and the Spirit for his Sanctifier, and will cast away life, or all that stand in competition, hath a true and saving Faith; as is before proved.

Error 34. That Repentance is no condition of Pardon or Justification; for then it would be equal therein with Faith.

Contr. I have elsewhere at large proved the contrary from Scripture. Repentance hath many acts as Faith hath. To repent (as it is the change of the mind ) of our Atheism, Idolatry, and not loving God, and obeying him, is the same motion of the soul denominated from the terminus à quo, as Faith in God, and Love to God is denominated from the terminus ad quem: This is Repentance towards God. Repenting of our Infidelity against Christ, is the same motion of the soul as believing in Christ, only one is denominated from the object-turned from, and the other from the object-turned to. By which you may see that some Repentance is the same with Faith in Christ ; and some is the same with Faith in God; and some is the same with Love to God ; and some is but the same with the leaving of some particular sin, or turning to some particular fore-neglected duty. And so you may easily resolve the case how far it is the condition of Pardon, Repentance, a • it is a return to the Love of God, as he is our God, and End, and All, is made the final condition of further blessings as necessary in and of itself as the end of Faith in Christ: And Repentance of Infidelity, and Faith in Christ is made the Mediate or Medicinal Condition. As consenting to be friends with your Father or King after a rebellion; and consenting to the Mediation of a friend to reconcile you, are both conditions, one (the more noble) de fine, and the other de mediis : or as consenting to be cured, and consenting to take Physic. They that will or must live in the darkness of confusion, were best at least hold their tongues there, till they come into distinguishing light.

Error 35. That all other acts of Faith in Christ (as our Lord, or Teacher, or Judge) or of Faith in God, or the Holy Ghost; all confessing sin, and praying for pardon, and repenting and forgiving others, and receiving Baptism, &c. are the works which Paul excludeth from Justification: And one act of faith only being the Justifying Instrument, he that looketh to be justified by any of all these, besides that one act, doth look for Justification by Works, and consequently is fallen from grace.

Contr. This is not only an addition to God's Word and Covenant [not to be used by them that judge it unlawful to add a form or ceremony in his worship) but it is a most dangerous invention to wrack men's consciences, and keep all men under certain desperation. For whilst the world standeth, the subtilest of these Inventers of new doctrines will never be able to tell the world, which is that one sole act of Faith, by which they are justified, that they may escape looking for a legal Justification by the rest: whether it be believing in Christ's Divinity, or Humanity, or both; or in his Divine, or Human, or Habitual Righteousness, or his Obedience as a subj • ct, or his Sacrifice, or his Priest-hood offering that Sacrifice, or his Covenant and Promise of Pardon and Justification, or in God that giveth him and them; or in his Resurrections, or in God's present sentential or executive Justification; or in his final sentential Justification, &c. No man to the end of the world shall know which of these, or any other is the sole justifying act; and so no man can scape being a legal adversary to grace. Unhappy Papists, who by the contrary extreme, have frightened or disputed us into such wild and scandalous inventions. Of this see fully my Dispute. of Justification, against the worthy and excellent Mr. Anthony Burgess.

Error 36. That our own Faith is not at all imputed to us for Righteousness, but only Christ's Righteousness received by it.

Contr. The Scripture nowhere saith, that Christ or his Righteousness, or his Obedience, or his Satisfaction is imputed to us: And yet we justly defend it, as is before explained, and as Mr. Bradshaw and Grotius de satisfact, have explained it. And on the other side, the Scripture often saith, that Faith is imputed for Righteousness, and shall be so to all that believe in God that raised Christ (Rom. 4.) And this these objectors peremptorily deny. But expounding Scripture amiss, is a much cleanlier pretence for error than a flat denial of its truth. And a true Exposition is better than either.

The same God who hath given us a Savior to satisfy legal Justice, and to merit our Justification against the charge that we are condemnable by the Law of Works; hath thought meet to convey our title to this Christ and Justification, by the Instrumentality of a new Covenant, Testament, or pardoning Act; in which (though he absolutely give many antecedent mercies, yet) he giveth these and other Rights, by a conditional gift, that as the Reward of Glory should have invited man to keep the Law of Nature and his Innocency; so the Reward should be a moving means to draw men to believe. So that there is a condition to be performed by ourselves (through grace) before we can have the Covenant right to Justification. Now when that is performed, Christ then is our only Righteousness (as aforesaid) by which we must answer the charge of breaking the first Law, and being condemnable by it. But we can lay no claim to this Righteousness of Christ, till we first prove that we are ourselves inherently righteous, against the charge of being impenitent Unbelievers. This false accusation we must be just • fied against by our own Faith and Repentance ; that we may be justified by Christ, against the true accusation of sinning against the Law, and thereby being condemnable by it. Now as to our Legal Righteousness, or Prolegal rather, by which this last must be avoided, it is [ only the merits of Christ, given to us in its fruits, in the New Covenant, even the merits of his obedience and sacrifice. ] But our Faith itself is the other Righteousness, which must be found in our persons to entitle us to this first: And this being it, and being all (in the sense aforesaid) that is made the condition of our pardon by the New Covenant; therefore God is said to impute it itself to us for a Righteousness, because that condition makeeth it so; and to impute it to us for our Righteousness, that is, as all that now by this Covenant he requireth to be personally done by us, who had formerly been under a harder condition, even the fulfilling of the Law by innocence, or suffering for sin; because he that doth not fulfil nor satisfy, as is said, yet if he believe, hath a right to the Justification merited by Christ, who did fulfil and satisfy. This is easy to be understood as undoubted truth by the willing ; and the rest will be most contentious, where they are most erroneous.

Error 37. That sincere obedience, and all acts of Love, Repentance, and Faith save one, do justify us only before men; and of that speaketh St. James, ch. 2.

Contr. I must refer the Reader to other Books, in which I have fuly confuted this. How can men judge of the acts of Repentance, Faith, Love, &c. which are in the heart? And James plainly speaketh of God's imputing Righteousness to Abraham, James 2.21, 23. And how should men justify Abraham for k • lling his only Son? And how small a matter is Justification by man, when we may be saved without it?

2. Sincere Obedience to God in Christ, is the condition of the continuance, or not losing our Justification here, and the secondary part of the condition of our final sentential and executive Justification.

Error 38. That our inherent Righteousness before described, hath no place of a condition in our Justification in the day of Judgment.

Contr. The Scriptures fully confuting this, I have elsewhere cited. All those that say, we shall be judged according to our works, &c. speak against it: For to be judged, is only to be justified or condemned : So Rev. 22.14. Matth. 25, &c.

Error 39 That there is no Justification at Judgment to be expected, but only a declaration of it.

Contr. The Decisive sentence and declaration of the Judge, is the most proper sense or sort of Justification, and the perfection of all that went before. If we shall not be then justified, then there is no such thing as Justification by Sentence: Nay, there is no such thing as a day of Judgment; or else all men must be condemned. For it is most certain that we must be justified, or condemned, or not-judged.

Error 40. That no man ought to believe that the conditional Covenant, Act or Gift of Justification, belongeth to him as a member of the lost world; or as a sinner in Adam; because God hath made no such gift or promise to any but to the Elect.

Contr. This is confuted on the by before.

Error 41. That though it be false that the non-elect are elect, and that Christ died for them, yet they are bound to believe it; every man of himself, to prove that they are elect.

Contr. This is confuted on the by before. God bindeth, or biddeth no man to believe a lie.

Error 42. That we must believe God's Election, and our Justification, and the special Love of God to us, before we can love him with a special Love: Because it will not cause in us a special love, to believe only a common love of God, and such as he hath to the wicked and his enemies.

Contr. No man can groundedly believe the special Love of God to him, nor his own Election or Justification, before he hath (yea before he find in himself) a special love to God. Because he that hath no special love to God, must believe a lie if he believe that he is justified, or that ever God revealed to him that he is elect, or specially beloved of God: and no man hath any evidence or proof at all of his election, and God's special love, till he have this evidence of his special love to God. Till he know this, he cannot know that any other is sincere.

2. They that deny or bl • spheme God's common love to fallen man, and his universal pardoning Covenant, do their worst to keep men from being moved to the special Love of God by his common Love: But when they have done their worst, it shall stand as a sure obligation. Is there not reason enough to bind men to love God above all, even as one that yet may be their happiness in his own infinite Goodness, and all the revelations of it by Christ, and in his so loving the world, as to give his only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And in his giving a free pardon of all sin to mankind, and offering life eternal to them, so that none but the final refusers shall lose it, and entreating them to accept it, &c? Is not all this sufficient in reason to move men to that love of God, if the Spirit help them to make use of Reason (as he must do what Reasons soever are presented to them) unless men think that God doth not oblige them by any kindness which they can possibly reject? or by anything which many others do partake of?

Yet here note, that God's common love to man, I do not mean, any which he hath to Reprobates, under the consideration of final despisers of his Antecedent Love: But of that Antecedent Love itself, which he hath shown to lost mankind in Christ.

And note also, that I do not deny but that Love of God in some men may be true, where their own presumption that God hath elected them, and loved them above others, before they had any proof of it, was an additional motive: But this is man's way, and not God's.

Error 43. That trusting to anything, save God and Jesus Christ, for our salvation, is sin and damnable.

Contr. Confusion cheateth and choketh men's understanding. In a word, to trust to anything but God, and Christ, and the holy Spirit, for any of that which is the proper part of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, is sin and damnable. But to trust to anything or person, for that which is but his own part, is but our duty. And he that prayeth, and readeth, and heareth, and endeavoreth, and looketh to be never the better by them, nor trusteth them for their proper part, will be both heartless and formal in his work.

And I have shown before, that the Scripture, the Promise, the Apostles, the Minister, and every Christian and honest man, hath a certain trust due to them for that which is their part, even in order to our salvation. I may trust only to the skill of the Physician, and yet trust his Apothecary, and the Boy that carrieth the Medicine for their part.

Error 44. That it is sinful, and contrary to free grace, to look at anything in ourselves, or our own inherent righteousness, as the evidence of our Justification.

Contr. Then no man can know his Justification at all. The Spirit of Holiness and Adoption in ourselves, is our earnest of salvation, and the witness that we are God's children, and the pledge of God's love; as is proved before. This is God's seal, as God knoweth who are his; so he that will know it himself, must depart from iniquity, when he nameth Christ. If God sanctify none but those whom he justifieth, then may the sanctified know that they are justified. Hath God delivered in Scripture so many signs or characters of the justified in vain?

Object. The witness of the Spirit only can assure us.

Ans. You know not what the witness of the Spirit is; or else you would know that it is the Spirit making us holy, and possessing us with a filial love of God, and with a desire to please him, and a dependence on him, &c. which is the witness, even by way of an inherent evidence (and helping us to perceive that evidence, and take comfort in it.) As a childlike love, and a pleasing obedience, and dependence, with a likeness to the F • there, is a witness, that is, an evidence which is your child.

Error 45. That it is sinful to persuade wicked men to pray for Justification, or any grace, or to do anything for it; seeing their prayers and doings are abominable to God, and cannot please him.

Contr. Then it is sinful to persuade a wicked man from his wickedness: Praying and obeying, is departing from wickedness. He that prayeth to be sanctified indeed, is repenting and turning from his sin to God. We never exhort wicked men to pray with the tongue, without the desire of the heart. Desire is the soul of prayer, and words are but the body: We persuade them not to dissemble: But as Peter did Simon, Acts 8. Repent and pray for forgiveness. And if we may not exhort them to good desires (and to excite and express the best desires they have) we may not exhort them to conversion, Isa. 55.6, 10. Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, &c. You see there that praying is a repenting act; and when we exhort them to pray, we exhort them to repent and seek God.

Object. But they have no ability to do it.

Ans. Thus the Devil would excuse sinners, and accuse God. Thus you may put by all God's commands, and say, God should not have commanded them to repent, believe, love him, obey him, nor love one another, nor forbear their sins; for they have no ability to do it. But they have their natural faculties, or powers, and they have common grace ; and God's way of giving them special grace, is by meeting them in the use of his appointed means; and not by meeting them in an Ale-house, or in sinful courses. (However a soul may be met with in his persecuting, and God may be found of them that sought him not; yet that is not his usual, nor his appointed way.) Can any man of reason dream that it is not the duty of a wicked man to use any means for the obtaining of grace, or to be better; nor to do anything towards his own recovery and salvation? Nature and Scripture teach men as soon as they see their sin and misery, to say, What must I do to be saved? As the re •• nting Jews, and Paul, and the Jailor 〈◊〉 ▪ Acts 2.37. & Acts 8. & 16.

The prayers of a wicked man as wicked, are abominable; that 〈◊〉 • oth his wicked prayers, and his praying to quiet and s • rengthen himself in his wickedness, or praying with the tongue without the heart. The prayers which come from a common faith, and common good desires are better than none, but have no promise of Justification. But the wicked must be exhorted both to this, and more, even to repent, desire and pray sincerely.

Error 46. It is sinful, and against free grace, to think that any works or actions of our own, are rewardable; or to say, that they are meritorious, though it be nothing but rewardableness that is meant by it.

Contr. The Papists have so much abused the word merit, by many dangerous op • nions about it, that it is now become more unmeet to be used by us than it was in ancient times, when the Doctors and Churches (even Austin himself) did commonly use it. But if nothing be meant by it, but rewardableness, or the relation of a duty to the reward as freely promised by God (as many Papists themselves understand it, and the ancient Fathers generally did) he that will charge a man with error in doctrine for the use of an inconvenient word, is uncharitable and perverse; especially when it is other men's abuse, which hath done most to make it inconvenient. The merit of the cause is a common phrase among all Lawyers, when there is commutative meriting intended. I have fully shown in my Confession, that the Scripture frequently useth the word [ worthy ] which is the same or full as much: And a subject may be said to merit protection of his Prince; and a scholar to merit praise of his Master, and a child to deserve love and respect from his Parents, and all this in no respect to commutative Justice, wherein the Rewarder is supposed to be a gainer at all; but only in governing distributive Justice, which giveth everyone that which (by gift or any way) is his due. And that every good man, and every good action, deserveth praise, that is, to be esteemed such as it is. And that there is also a comparative merit, and a not meriting evil: As a Believer may be said not to deserve damnation by the Covenant of Grace, but only by (or according to) the Law of Nature or Works.

But to pass from the word merit (which I had rather were quite disused, because the danger is greater than the benefit) the thing signified thus by it, is past all dispute, viz. that whatever duty God hath promised a Reward to, that duty or work is Rewardable according to the tenor of that promise: And they that deny this, deny God's Laws, and Government, and Judgment, and his Covenant of Grace, and leave not themselves one promise for faith to rest upon: So certainly would all these persons be damned, if God in mercy did not keep them from digesting their own errors, and bringing them into practice.

Error 47. God is pleased with us only for the righteousness of Christ, and not for anything in ourselves.

Contr. This is sufficiently answered before. He blasphemeth God, who thinketh that he is no better pleased with holiness than with wickedness; with well doing, than with ill doing. They that are in the flesh cannot please God, Rom. 8.6, 7. but the spiritual and obedient may. Without faith it is impossible to please him, because unbelievers think not that he is a Rewarder, and therefore will not seek his reward aright: But they that will please him, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11.6. They forget not to do good and distribute, because with such sacrifices God is well pleased, Heb. 13. And in a word, it is the work of all their lives to labor, that whether living or dying they may be accepted of him, 2 Cor. 5.8, 9. and to 〈◊〉 • uch, and to do those things as are pleasing in his sight. Nay, 〈◊〉 add that as the glory of God, that is, the glorious demonst ••• ion or appearance of himself in his works, is materially the ultimate end of man; so the pleasing of himself in this his glory shining in his Image and Works, is the very apex, or highest formal notion of this ultimate end of God and of man, as far as is within our reach.

No man's works please God out of Christ, both because they are unsound and bad in the spring and end, and because their faultiness is not pardoned. But in Christ, the persons and duties of the godly are pleasing to God, because they have his Image, and are sincerely good, and because their former sins, and present imperfections are forgiven for the sake of Christ (who never reconciled God to wickedness.

Error 48. It is m • rcenary to work for a reward, and legal to set men on doing for salvation.

Contr. It is legal or foolish to think of working for any reward, by such meritorious works as make the reward to be not of grace, but of debt, Rom. 4.4. But he that maketh God himself, and his everlasting love to be his reward, and trusteth in Christ the only reconciler, as knowing his guilt and enmity by sin; and laboreth for the food which perisheth not, but endureth to everlasting life; and layeth up a treasure in Heaven, and maketh himself friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, and layeth up a good foundation for the time to come, laying hold upon eternal life, and striverh to enter in at the strait gate, and fighteth a good fight, and finisheth his course for the Crown of Righteousness, and suffereth persecution for a reward in Heaven, and prayeth in secret that God may reward him, and always aboundeth in the work of the Lord, because his labor is not in vain in the Lord, and endureth to the end, that he may be saved, and is faithful to the death, and overcometh, that he may receive the Crown of Life: this man taketh God's way, and the only way to Heaven; and they that thus seek not the reward (being at the use of reason) are never like to have it.

Error 49. It is not lawful for the justified to pray for the pardon of any penalties, but temporal.

Contr. The ground of this is before overthrown.

Error 50. It is not lawful to pray twice for the pardon of the same sin; because it implieth unbelief, as if it were not pardoned already.

Contr. It is a duty to pray oft and continuedly for the pardon of former sins: 1. Because pardon once granted must be continued; and therefore the continuance must be prayed for: If you say, It is certain to be continued, I answer, then it is as certain that you will continue to pray for it (and to live a holy life.) 2. Because the evils deserved, are such as we are not perfectly delivered from, and are in danger of more daily. And therefore we must pray for daily executive pardon, that is, impunity; and that God will give us more of his Spirit, and save us from the fruit of former sin: Because our right to future impunity is given before all the impunity itself. 3▪ And the complete Justification from all past sins, is yet to come at the day of Judgment. And all this, (besides that some that have pardon, know it not) may and must be daily prayed for.

Error 51. The Justified must not pray again for the pardon of the sins before conversion.

Contr. What was last said confuteth this.

Error 52. No man at all may pray for pardon, but only for assurance: For the sins of the Elect are all pardoned before they were born: and the non-elect have no satisfaction made for their sins, and therefore their pardon is impossible.

Contr. Matth. 6. Forgive us our trespasses &c.

These consequences do but show the falsehood of the antecedents.

Error 53. No man can know that he is under the guilt of any sin; because no man can know but that he is elect, and consequently justified already.

Contr. No infidel, or impenitent person is justified.

Error 54. Christ only is covenanted with by the Father, and he is the only Promiser as for us, and not we for ourselves.

Contr. Christ only hath undertaken to do the work of Christ; but man must undertake, and promise, and covenant, even to Christ himself, that (by the help of his grace) he will do his own part. Or else no man should be baptized. What a Baptism and Sacramental Communion do these men make? He that doth not covenant with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hath no right to the benefits of God's part of the Covenant. And no man (at age) can be saved that doth not both promise and perform.

Error 55. We are not only freed from the condemning sentence of the Law; but freed also from its commands.

Contr. We are not under Moses Judaical Law, which was proper to their Nation, and their Proselytes: Nor are we under a necessity or duty, of laboring after perfect obedience in ourselves, as the condition of our Justification or Salvation; but to renounce all such expectations. Nor will the Law of Works itself ever justify us (as some affirm) as having perfectly fulfilled it by another: But we are justified against its charge, and not by it, by the Covenant of Grace, and not of Works. But perfect obedience to all the Law of Nature, and all the Commands of Christ, is still our duty, and sincere obedience is necessary to our salvation. All our duty is not supererogation.

Error 56. When a man doubteth whether he be a Believer or penitent, he must believe that Christ repented and believed for him.

Contr. Christ never had sin to repent of; and it is not proper to say one repenteth of another's sin; Christ believed his Father; but had no use for that faith in a Mediator which we must have. He that repenteth not, and believeth not himself, shall be damned: Therefore you may see how Christ repented and believed for us.

Error 57. A man that trusteth to be justified at the day of Judgment, against the charge of unbelief, impenitency and hypocrisy, by his own faith, repentance and sincerity, as his particular subordinate Righteousness, and not by Christ's Righteousness imputed only sinneth against free grace.

Contr. Christ's Righteousness is imputed or given to none, nor shall justify any that are true Unbelievers, Impenitent or Hypocrites: Therefore if any such person trust to be justified by Christ, he deceiveth him. If the 〈◊〉 be, Thou art an Infidel or impenitent, it is frivolous to say, But Christ obeyed, suffered, or believed, or repented for me. But he that will then be justified against that charge, must say, and say truly, I truly believed, repented and obeyed.

Error 58. There is no use for a Justification against any such false accusation before God, who knoweth all men's hearts.

Contr. 1. You might as well say, There is no use of judging men according to what they have done, when God knoweth what they have done already. 2. We are to be justified by God before men and Angels, that Christ may be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that believe, because the Gospel was believed by them, 2 Thes. 1.10, 11. And not only the mouth of iniquity may be stopped, and open false accusations confuted; but that the prejudices and heart-slanders of the wicked may be refelled, and our righteousness be brought forth as the light, and our judgment as the noon day: That all the false judgments and reproaches of the wicked against the just may be confounded; and they may answer for all their ungodly sayings, and hard speeches (as Enoch prophesied) against the godly: and that they that speak evil of us, because we run not with them to all excess of riot, may give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead, 1 Pet. 4.4, 5. And that all may be set straight which men made crooked, and hidden things be all brought to light.

3. And we must be better acquainted with the ingenuity of the great accuser of the Brethren, before we can be sure that he who belied God to man, will not bely man to God; seeing he is the Father of lies, and did so by Job, &c.

4. But we m • st not think of the day of Judgment, as a day of talk between God, and Satan, and Man; but as a day of DECISIVE LIGHT or manifestation. And so the case is out of doubt. The Faith, Repentance and Sincerity of the just will be there manifest, against all former or latter, real or virtual calumnies of men or devils to the contrary.

5. But above all let it be marked, that nothing else can be matter of controversy to be decided. That