Chapter III: Marks and signs of union with Christ.

Marks and signs of union with Christ.

Neo. Well, sir, you have fully satisfied me concerning that point: but as I remember, it follows in the same verse, "Know ye not your own selves, how that Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates"? (2 Cor 13:5). Wherefore, I desire to hear how a man may know that Jesus Christ is in him.

Evan. Why, if Christ be in a man, he lives in him: as says the apostle, "I live not but Christ liveth in me."

Neo. But how, then, shall a man know, that Christ lives in him?

Evan. Why, in what man soever Christ lives according to the measure of his faith, he executes his threefold office in him, viz: his prophetical, priestly, and kingly office.

Neo. I desire to hear more of this threefold office of Christ; and therefore, I pray you, sir, tell me, first, how a man may know that Christ executes his prophetical office in him?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows that there was a covenant made betwixt God and all mankind in Adam; and that it was an equal covenant, and that God's justice must needs enter, [350] upon the breach of it; and that all mankind, for that cause, were liable to eternal death and damnation; so that if God had condemned all mankind, yet had it but been the sentence of an equal and just judge, seeking rather the execution of his justice, than man's ruin and destruction; and thereupon takes it home, and applies it particularly to himself, (Job 5:27), and so is convinced that he is a miserable, lost, and helpless man; I say, so far forth as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him, in teaching him, and revealing unto him the covenant of works. And, so far forth as any man hears and knows that God made a covenant with Abraham, and all his believing seed in Jesus Christ, offering him freely to all to whom the sound of the gospel comes, and giving him freely to all that receive him by faith; and so justifies them, and saves them eternally; and thereupon has his heart opened to receive this truth, not as a man takes an object or a theological point into his head, whereby he is only made able to discourse: but as an habitual and practical point, receiving it into his "heart by the faith of the gospel," (Phil 1:27), and applying it to himself, and laying his eternal state upon it; and so setting to his seal, that God is true: I say, so far forth as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him, in teaching him and revealing to him the covenant of grace. And so far forth as any man hears and knows, that "this is the will of God, even his sanctification," (1 Thess 4:3), and thereupon concludes, that it is his duty to endeavour after it; I say, so far forth as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetical office in him, in teaching and revealing his law to him. And this I hope is sufficient for answer to your first question.

Neo. I pray you, sir, in the second place, tell me, how a man may know that Christ executes his priestly office in him?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows that Christ has given himself, as that only absolute and perfect sacrifice for the sins of believers, (Heb 9:26), and joined them unto himself by faith, and himself unto them by his Spirit, and so made them one with him; and is now "entered into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for them," (Heb 9:24); and hereupon is emboldened to go immediately to
[351] God in prayer, as to a father, and meet him in Christ, and present him with Christ himself, as with a sacrifice without spot or blemish; I say, so far forth as any man does this, Christ executes his priestly office in him.

Neo. But sir, would you have a believer to go immediately unto God? How then does Christ make intercession for us at God's right hand, as the apostle says he does? (Rom 8:34)

Evan. It is true indeed, Christ, as a public person, representing all believers, appears before God his Father; and willeth according to both his natures, and desires as he is a man, that God would, for his satisfaction's sake, grant unto them whatsoever "they ask according to his will." But yet you must go immediately to God in prayer for all that. [352]

You must not pitch your prayers upon Christ, and terminate them there, as if he were to take them, and present them to his Father; but the very presenting place of your prayers must be God himself in Christ. Neither must you conceive, as though Christ the Son were more willing to grant your request than God the Father, for whatsoever Christ willeth, the same also the Father, being well pleased with him, willeth. In Christ, therefore, I say, and no where else, must you expect to have your petitions granted; and as in Christ and no place else, so for Christ's sake, and nothing else. And therefore I beseech you to beware you forget not Christ when you go unto the Father to beg anything you desire, either for yourself or others; especially when you desire to have any pardon for sin, you are not to think, that when you join with your prayers, fasting, weeping, and afflicting of yourself, that for so doing you shall prevail with God to hear you, and grant your petitions; no, no, you must meet God in Christ, and present him with his sufferings; your eye, your mind, and all your confidence, must be therein; and in that be as confident as possible you can; yea, expostulate the matter, as it were, with God the Father, and say, "Lo; here is the person that has well deserved it; here is the person that wills and desires it; in whom thou hast said thou art well pleased; yea, here is the person that has paid the debt, and discharged the bond for all my sins; and, therefore, O Lord! now it stands with thy justice to forgive me." And thus, if you do, why, then you may be assured that Christ executes his priestly office in you.

Neo. I pray you, sir, in the third place, show me how a man may know that Christ executes his kingly office in him?

Evan. Why, so far forth as any man hears and knows "that all power is given unto Christ, both in heaven and on earth," (Matt 28:18); both to vanquish and to overcome all the lusts and corruptions of believers, and to write his law in their hearts; and hereupon takes occasions to go unto Christ for the doing of both in him; I say, so far forth as he does this, why Christ executes his kingly office in him.

Neo. Why then, sir, it seems that the place where Christ executes his kingly office, is in the hearts of believers?

Evan. It is true indeed; for Christ's kingdom is not temporal or secular over the natural lives or civil negotiations of men; but his kingdom is spiritual and heavenly, over the souls of men, to awe and over-rule the hearts, to captivate the affections, to bring into obedience the thoughts, and to subdue and pull down strong holds. For when our father Adam transgressed, he and we, all of us, forsook God, and chose the devil for our lord and king; so that every mother's child of us is, by nature, under the government of Satan; and he rules over us, till Christ come into our hearts, and dispossess him; according to the saying of Christ himself, (Luke 11:21,22), "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace": that is, says Calvin, Satan holds them that are in subjection to him in such bonds and quiet possession, that he rules over them without resistance; but when Christ comes to dwell in any man's heart by faith; according to the measure of faith, he dispossesses him, and seats himself in the heart, and roots out, and pulls down all that withstands his government there; and, as a valiant captain, he stands upon his guard, and enables the soul to gather together all its forces and powers, to resist and withstand all its and his enemies, and so set itself in good earnest against them, when they at any time offer to return again; and he doth especially enable the soul to resist, and set itself against the principal enemy, even that which does most oppose Christ in his government; so that whatsoever lust or corruption is in a believer's heart or soul as most predominant, Christ enables him to take that into his mind, and to have most revengeful thoughts against it, and to make complaints to him against it, and to desire power and strength from him against it, and all because it most withstands the government of Christ, and is the rankest traitor to Christ; so that he uses all the means he can to bring it before the judgment-seat of Christ, and there he calls for justice against it, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, here is a rebel and a traitor, that does withstand thy government in me, wherefore, I pray thee, come and execute thy kingly office in me, and subdue it; yea, vanquish and overcome it." Whereupon Christ gives the same answer that he gave to the centurion, "Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee," [353] (Matt 8:13).

And as Christ doth thus suppress all other governors but himself in the hart of a believer, so doth he raze out and deface all other laws, and writes his own there, according to his promise, (Jer 31:33), and makes them pliable and willing to do and suffer his will; and that because it is his will. So that the mind and will of Christ, laid down in his word, and manifested in his works, is not only the rule of a believer's obedience, but also the reason of it, as I once heard a godly minister say in the pulpit; so that he does not only do that which is Christ's will, but he does it because it is his will.

Oh that man, which hath the law of Christ written in his heart! according to the measure of it, he reads, he hears, he prays, he receives the sacrament, he keeps the Lord's day holy, he exhorts, he instructs, he confers, and does all the duties that belong to him in his general calling, because he knows it is the mind and will of Christ he should do so! yea, he patiently suffers, and willingly undergoes afflictions for the cause of Christ, because he knows it is the will of Christ; yea, such a man does not only yield obedience, and perform the duties of the first table of the law, by virtue of Christ's command, but of the second also. Oh that husband, parent, master, or magistrate, that has the law of Christ written in his heart! he does his duty to his wife, child, servant, or subject, willingly and uprightly, because Christ requires it and commands it. And so that wife, child, servant, or subject, that has the law of Christ written in his or her heart, they do their duties to husband, parent, master, or governor, freely and cheerfully, because their Lord Christ commands it. Now, then, if you find these things in your heart, you may conclude that Christ rules and reigns there, as Lord and King. __________________________________________________________________

[256] The author here teaches, that the matter of the law of works and of the law of Christ, is one, namely, the ten commandments, commonly called the moral law. And that this law of the ten commandments was given of God, and so of divine authority, to be a rule of righteousness for men to walk by; a true rule agreeable in all things to the divine nature and will; an eternal rule, indispensable, ever to continue, without interruption for any one moment; and that for all men, good, bad, saints and sinners, of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, and at all times, in all ages, from the moment of man's creation, before the fall, and after the fall; before the covenant of works, under the covenant of works, and under the covenant of grace, in its several periods. Thus he asserts this great truth, in terms used by orthodox divines, but with a greater variety of expression than is generally used upon this head, the which serves to inculcate it in the more. And speaking of the ten commandments, he declares in these words. "That neither hath Christ delivered believers any otherwise from them, than as they are the covenant of works. The scope of this part of the book, is to show that believers ought to receive them as the law of Christ, whom we believe to be with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, the eternal Jehovah, the Supreme, the most High God; and consequently as a law having a commanding power, and binding force, upon the believer, from the authority of God, and not as a simple passive rule, like a workman's rule, that hath no authority over him, to command and bind him to follow its direction. Nay, our author owns the ten commandments to be a law to believers, as well as others, again and again commanding, requiring, forbidding, reproving, condemning sin, to which believers must yield obedience, and fenced with a penalty, which transgressing believers are to fear, as being under the law to Christ." These things are so manifest, that it is quite beyond my reach to conceive how, from the author's doctrine on this head, and especially from the passage we are now upon, it can be inferred that he teaches, that the believer is not under the law as a rule of life; or can be affirmed that he does not acknowledge the law's commanding power, and binding force upon the believer, but makes it a simple passive rule to him; unless the meaning be, that the author teaches, "That the believer is not under the covenant of works as a rule of life"? or, "that the law, as it is the covenant of works, is not a rule of life to the believer; and that he does not acknowledge the commanding power, and binding force of the covenant of works upon the believer; nor that obedience is commanded him upon the pain of the curse, and bound upon him with the cords of the threatening of eternal death in hell." For, otherwise, it is evident that he teaches the law of the ten commandments to be a rule of life to a believer, and to have a commanding and binding power over him. Now, if these be errors, the author is undoubtedly guilty; and if his sentiments on these heads were proposed in those terms, as the thing itself doth require, no wrong would be done him therein. But that these are gospel-truths, appears from what is already said: and the contrary doctrines do all issue out of the womb of that dangerous position, "That the believer is not set free both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works,"--of which before.

[257] These texts are adduced to show, that they to whom the law of the ten commandments is given, as the law of Christ, are those who have already received life, even life that shall never end; and that of God's free gift, before they were capable of doing good works; who therefore need not to work for life, but from life. "The preface to the ten commandments teaches us, that because God is the LORD, and our GOD, and REDEEMER, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments." (Luke 1:74), "That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear."--(1 Peter 1:15), "As he that hath called you is holy, so be ye holy; because it is written, Be ye holy for I am holy. Forasmuch as ye know, that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things--but with the precious blood of Christ." Short. Cat. with the Scriptures at large.

[258] Of this penalty of the law of Christ, the author treats afterwards.

[259] To direct the believer how to receive the law of the ten commandments with application to himself, he assigns this difference betwixt the law of works and the law of Christ. the one, namely, the law of works, is the law of the ten commandments, but supposed to be delivered by God as he is Creator out of Christ; and so standing in relation to man, only as Creator, not as Redeemer; the other, namely, the law of Christ, is the same law of the ten commandments, but supposed to be delivered by God, as he is not only Creator but Redeemer in Christ. And although the notion of Creator doth not imply that of Redeemer, yet the latter implies the former; as he is Redeemer, he is sovereign Lord Creator, else we are yet in our sins, for none of inferiour dignity could remove our offence or guilt; but the word of truth secures this foundation of believers' safety and comfort; (Isa 44:6,24), "Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I am the First, and I am the Last, and besides me there is no God. Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself."--(54:5), "Thy Maker is thine Husband." Now, the law of the ten commandments is given, the former way, only to unbelievers, or such as are out of Christ, the latter way to believers, or such as are in Christ. And to prove whether this be a vain distinction or not, one needs but to consult the conscience, when thoroughly awakened, whether it is all a case to it, to receive the law of the ten commandments in the thunders from Mount Sinai, or in the still small voice, out of the tabernacle, that is, from an absolute God, or from a God in Christ. It is true, unbelievers are not under the law, as it is the law of Christ; and that is their misery, even as it is the misery of the slaves, that the commands of the master of the family, though the matter of them be the very same to them, and to the children, yet they are not fatherly commands to them, as they are to the children, but purely masterly. And they are not hereby freed from any duty, within the compass of the perfect law of the ten commandments; for these commands are the matter of the law of works, as well as of the law of Christ. Neither are they thereby exempted from Christ's authority and jurisdiction, since the law of works is his law, as he is with the Father and the Holy Ghost, the Sovereign Lord Creator: yea, and even as Mediator, he rules in the midst of his enemies, and over them, with a rod of iron.

[260] The receiving of the ten commandments at the hands of Christ, is here opposed, (1.) To the receiving of them at the hands of God out of Christ. (2.) To the receiving of them at the hands of Moses, namely, as our Lawgiver. The first is a receiving of them immediately from God, without a Mediator; and so receiving of them as the law of works. The second is a receiving of them from Christ, the true Mediator, yet immediately by the intervention of a typical one, and so is a receiving of them as a law of Moses, the typical Mediator, who delivered them from the ark or tabernacle. To this it is, and not to the delivering of them from Mount Sinai, that the author doth here look, as is evident from his own words. The former manner of receiving them is not agreeable to the state of real believers, since they never were, nor are given in that manner to believers in Christ, but only to unbelievers, whether under the Old or New Testament. The latter is not agreeable to the state of New Testament believers, since the true Mediator is come, and is sealed of the Father, as the great Prophet, to whom Moses must give place, (Matt 17:5, Acts 3:22). See Turret. loc.
11. q. 24, th. 15. However, the not receiving of Moses as the lawgiver of the Christian church, carries no prejudice to the honour of that faithful servant; nor to the receiving of his writings, as the word of God, they being of divine inspiration, yea, and the fundamental divine revelation.

[261] This plainly concludes, that to receive the law of the ten commandments from God, as Creator out of Christ, is to receive them as the law [or covenant] of works; unless men will fancy, that after God hath made two covenants, the one of works, the other of grace, he will yet deal with them neither in the way of the one, nor of the other.

[262] Calling the ten commandments but the substance of the law of nature, he plainly intimates, that they were not the whole of that law, but that the law of nature had a penal sanction. Compare his speaking of the same ten commands, still as the substance of the law of works, and of the law of Christ. Indeed, he is not of opinion, that a penal sanction is inseparable from the law of nature. That would put the glorified saints, and confirmed angels in heaven, [to say nothing more,] under a penal sanction too; for without question, they are, and will remain for ever, under the law of nature. The truth is, the law of nature is suited both to the nature of God, and to the nature of the creature; and there is no place for a penal sanction, where there is no possibility of transgression.

[263] The ten commands being the substance of the law of nature, a representation of God's image, and a beam of his holiness, behoved for ever unalterably to be a rule of life to mankind, in all possible states, conditions, and circumstances; nothing but the utter destruction of human nature, and its ceasing to be, could divest them of that office, since God is unchanging in his image and holiness. Hence, their being a rule of life to Adam and his posterity, had no dependence on their becoming the covenant of works; but they would have been that rule, though there never had been any such covenant: yea, whatever covenant was introduced, whether of works or of grace, whatever form might be put upon them, they behoved still to remain the rule of life; no covenant, no form whatsoever, could ever prejudice this their royal dignity. Now, whether this state of the matter, or their being the covenant of works, which was merely accessory to them, and might never have been at all, is the firmer foundation, to build their being a rule of life upon, is no hard question to determine.

[264] And would have been so always to them all, till they had perfectly fulfilled that covenant, had they not been divested of that form, unto believers, through Jesus Christ their surety. To them they remain to be a rule of life, but not under the form of the covenant of works; but to unbelievers they are, and still will be, a rule of life under that form.

[265] And to them. One will not think strange to hear, that the ten commands were, as it were, razed out of man's heart by the fall, if one considers the spirituality and vast extent of them, and that they were, in their perfection engraven on the heart of man, in his creation, and doth withal take notice of the ruin brought on man by the fall. Hereby he indeed lost the very knowledge of the law of nature, if the ten commands are to be reckoned, as certainly they are, the substance and matter of that law; although he lost it not totally, but some remains thereof were left with him. Concerning these the apostle speaks, (Rom 1:19,20, 2:14,15). And our author teaches expressly, that the law is partly known by nature, that is, in its corrupt state. And here he says, not simply, that the ten commandments were razed, though in another case he speaks after that manner, where yet it is evident he means not a razing quite; but he says, "They were, as it were, razed." But what are these remains of them in comparison with that body of natural laws, fairly written, and deeply engraven, on the heart of innocent Adam? If they were not, as it were, razed, what need is there of writing a new copy of them in the hearts of the elect, according to the promise of the new covenant? "I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them," (Heb 10:16, 8:10, Jer 31:33). What need was there of writing them in the book of the Lord, the Bible, in which they were made known again to us, as they were to Adam and the believing fathers, the author speaks of, by visions and revelations? the latter being as necessary to them as the former is to us, for that end, since these supplied to them the want of the Scriptures. As for those, who neither had these visions and revelations given to themselves, nor the doctrine thereby taught communicated to them by others, it is manifest they could have no more knowledge of those laws, than was to be found among the ruins of mankind in the fall.

[266] The former, the giver of the law, the latter the restorer of it.

[267] "Which words establish Christ as the only doctor and teacher of his church; the only one whom he had betrusted to deliver his truths and will to his people; the only one to whom Christians are to hearken," Sup. to Poole's Annot. on Matthew 17:5.

[268] "Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands as unto the Lord," (Eph 5:22).

[269] Whether or not this be sufficient to prove them to be the law of Christ, having a divine, authoritative, binding power on men's consciences, notwithstanding of the term doctrines here used by the author, one may judge from these texts: (Matt 7:28,29), "The people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."--(John 7:16), "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me."--(Heb 1:1-3), "God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers, by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," &c.--(Matt 27:18-20), "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth: go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." The original word, in the Old Testament, rendered law, doth properly signify a doctrine, Hence, (Matt 15:9), "Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," i.e., the laws and commands of men, for the laws and commands of God. Compare verses 4-6.

[270] That is, the law of the ten commandments, commonly called the moral law, as it is the law of Christ, neither justifies nor condemns men's persons in the sight of God. How can it do either the one or the other as such, since to be under it, as it is the law of Christ, is the peculiar privilege of believers, already justified by grace, and set beyond the reach of condemnation; according to that of the apostle, (Rom 8:1), "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus"? But to say that this makes the law of Christ despicable, is to forget the sovereign authority of God in him, his matchless love in dying for sinners, the endearing relations wherein he stands to his people, and upon the one hand, the enjoyment of actual communion and fellowship with God, and the many precious tokens of his love, to be conferred on them, in the way of close walking with God; and upon the other hand, the want of that communion and fellowship, and the many fearful tokens of his anger against them for their sins. [See sec. 11.] All these belong to the law of Christ, and will never be despicable in the eyes of any gracious soul; though I doubt if ever hell and damnation were more despised in the eyes of others, than they are at this day, wherein believers and unbelievers are set so much on a level with respect to these awful things. As to the point of condemnation, it is evident from Scripture, that no law can condemn those "who are in Christ Jesus," (Rom 8:1,33,34). And the law, as it is the covenant of works, condemns all those who are not in Christ, but under the law. (Gal 3:10, Rom 3:19) And particularly, it condemns every unbeliever, whose condemnation will be fearfully aggravated by his rejection of the gospel offer; the which rejected offer will be a witness against him in the judgment; in respect whereof our Lord says, (John 12:48), "The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." Compare (15:22), "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin." Therefore the law, which unbelievers still remain under, as a covenant of works, will condemn them with a double condemnation. (John 3:18), "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And hence it appears that there is as little need of, as there is warrant for, a condemning gospel. The holy Scripture states it as the difference betwixt the law and the gospel, that the former is the ministration of condemnation and death, the latter, the ministration of righteousness and life." (2 Cor 3:6-9) Compare (John 12:47), "If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." As to the point of justification; no man is, nor can be justified by the law. It is true, the Neonomians or Baxterians, to wind in a righteousness of our own into the case of justification, do turn the gospel into a law, properly so called; and do tell us, that the gospel justifieth as a law, and roundly own what is the necessary consequent of that doctrine, namely, that faith justifieth, as it is our evangelical righteousness, or our keeping the gospel law, which runs thus: He that believeth shall not perish. [Gibbon's Ser. Morn. Ex. Meth. p. 418-421.] But the holy Scripture teaches, that we are justified by grace, and by no law nor deed, [or work of a law, properly so called,] call it the law of Christ, or the gospel law, or what law one pleaseth; and thereby faith itself, considered as a deed or work of a law, is excluded from the justification of a sinner, and hath place therein, only as an instrument. (Gal 3:11), "That no man is justified by a law in the sight of God, it is evident."--(5:4), "Whosoever of you are justified by a law, ye are fallen from grace."--(Rom 3:28), "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without deeds of a law." (Gal 2:16), "Knowing that a man is not justified by works of a law." I read, a law, deeds, works, simply; because so the original words, used in these texts, do undeniably signify. To this agrees Westm. Confess. chap. 11, art. 1, "These whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience, to them, as their righteousness; but," &c. Larg. Cat. quest. 73.--"Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness." West. Confess. chap. 19, art. 6.--"Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned, yet it is of great use to them, as well as to others, in that, as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly." From this last passage of the confession, two important points plainly offer themselves. (1.) That the law is a rule of life to believers, directing and binding them to duty, though they are neither justified nor condemned by it. (2.) That neither justifying nor condemning belong unto the law, as a rule of life simply, but as a covenant of works. And these are the very points here taught by our author.

[271] (Col 2:14), "Blotting out the hand-writing, nailing it to his cross."

[272] That is, raise our esteem of it to the highest pitch, and give it illimitable obedience.

[273] According to the holy Scripture, it is certain, that the law of the ten commandments has an irritating effect, whereby they increase sin; and a condemning and killing effect, so that they work curse, death, and wrath, called anger [it would seem] in the language of our forefathers, when Musculus' commonplaces were Englished. And it is no less certain, that Jesus Christ hath delivered believers from the law as it hath these effects, (Rom 14:15), "For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect, because the law worketh wrath."--(7:5,6), "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law that we should serve in newness of spirit," &c.--(8:2), "For the law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and death."--(Gal 3:13), "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." If then the ten commandments have these effects, not only as they are the covenant of works, but as they are the law of Christ, or a rule of life, then believers are altogether delivered from them, which is absurd and abominable doctrine. Therefore it evidently follows, that the ten commandments have these effects, only as they are the covenant of works. The truth is, unto a gracious soul, the strongest possible temptation to Antinomianism, or casting off the ten commandments for good and all, would be to labour to persuade him, that they have these effects, not only as they are the covenant of works, but as they are the law of Christ; so that, take them what way he will, he shall find they have not only a cursing, condemning, and killing power, but also an irritating effect, increasing sin in him. Nevertheless, a Christian man's doing against them [which is the reverend Musculus' phrase, as cited by the author in the following,] may be a transgression, for a man may transgress the law, though the motions of his sins be not by the law. And how such a man's sinning is more outrageous than an ungodly man's will convincingly appear, if one measures the outrageousness of sinning, by the obligations to duty lying on the sinner, and not by his personal hazard, which is a measure more becoming a slave than a son.

[274] Thus our author has proved, that the law of the ten commandments is a rule of life to believers; and hath vindicated Luther and Calvin from the opposite Antinomian error, as he does Musculus also, in the following words: and that from their express declarations, in their own words. And here is the conclusion of the whole matter. To show the judgment of other orthodox Protestant divines, on this head, against the Antinomians, it will not be amiss to adduce a passage out of a system of divinity, commonly put into the hands of students not very many years ago, I am sure. "It is one thing [says Turretine, disputing against the Antinomians] to be under the law as a covenant; another thing, to be under the law as a rule of life. In the former sense, Paul says, 'That we are not under the law, but under grace,' (Rom 6:14), as to its covenant relation, curse, and rigour; but in the latter sense we always remain bound unto it, though for a different end; for in the first covenant man was to do this, to the end that he might live; but in the other, he is bound to perform the same thing, not that he may live, but because he lives." Turret. loc. 11. quest. 24, thes. 7. View again, Westm. Confess. chap. 19, art. 6. Hereunto agreeth our author's conclusion, viz: That believers are no otherwise, not any otherwise delivered from the law of the ten commandments, but as they are the covenant of works. Now, how can those who oppose Antinomianism, on this head, contradict the author thereupon but by asserting, "That believers are not delivered from the law, as it is the covenant of works, but that they are still under the power of the covenant of works"? The which are principles as opposite to the received doctrine of orthodox Protestant divines and to the Confession of Faith, as they are to the doctrine of our author.

[275] That is, that the particular precepts of the law of the ten commandments, called by Musculus the substance of the law-covenant, are disannulled, and no more to be regarded.

[276] That is, very unsuitable.

[277] That is, or if they be, as certainly they are, displeasing to Christ: most unsuitable, contrary, and repugnant to the righteousness which the believer hath received from Christ, then they are by no means to be done.

[278] These are the words of Musculus still, adduced by the author to show, that that famous divine was no Antinomian; and if they will not serve to clear him, but he must still be on that side, I apprehend orthodox Protestants will be sorry for their loss of that great man. But though it be observed, that he speaks of doing against the things commanded in the law, but not against the law itself, there is no hazard: for it is evident, that by the law, Musculus understands the covenant of works, or, in his style, Moses' covenant; and since he was not of the opinion that believers are under the covenant of works, no, nor under the commanding power of that covenant, he could not say that they sinned against it. However, he still looks on the ten commandments, the substance of that covenant, to be also the law of Christ, binding the Christian man to obedience. From his saying, That a Christian doing against these things, sins more outrageously than one who is under the law; it does, indeed, follow, that a Christian's sin is more displeasing to God, and deserves a heavier curse in itself, though in the mean time, the law of Christ has no curse annexed unto the transgressions of it. For, sin's deserving of a curse, arises not from the threatening, but from its contrariety to the precept, and consequently, to the holy nature of God; since it is manifest that sin does not therefore deserve a curse, because a curse is threatened; but a curse is threatened, because sin deserves it. And the sins of believers do in themselves deserve a heavier curse than the sins of others. Yet the law of Christ has not a curse annexed to the transgressions of it; because the heavy curse, deserved by the sins of believers, was already laid on Christ, to whom they are united, and he bare it for them, and bore it away from them; so that they cannot be threatened with it over again, after their union with him.

[279] We would have no need for the law written without us, if, as we are spiritual in part, in respect of sanctification begun in us, we were perfectly and altogether spiritual, both in body and soul. But that is not to be expected till the resurrection; when that which is now "sown a natural body, is raised a spiritual body," (1 Cor 15:44); being re-united to the spirit or soul "made perfect at death"; (Heb 12:23); the which doth therefore no more, from the moment of death, need the law written without it.

[280] That is, respecting believers.
[281] Written.

[282] They have not the law written completely and perfectly in their hearts.

[283] This Antinomian principle, That it is needless for a man, perfectly justified by faith, to endeavour to keep the law, and do good works, is a glaring evidence that legality is so engrained in man's corrupt nature, that until a man truly come to Christ, by faith, the legal disposition will still be reigning in him; let him turn himself into what shape, or be of what principles he will in religion; though he run into Antinomianism he will carry along with him his legal spirit, which will always be a slavish and unholy spirit. He is constrained, as the author observes, to do all that he does for fear of punishment, and hope of reward; and if it is once fixed in his mind that these are ceased in his case, he stands still like a clock when the weights that made her go are removed, or like a slave when he is in no hazard of the whip; than which there cannot be a greater evidence of loathsome legality.

[284] It is not the scope or design of Neophytus here, to show wherein the essence of faith consists, or to give a definition to it. But suppose it was so, his definition falls considerably short of some given by famous orthodox Protestant divines, yea, and churches too. See the note on the definition of faith. I repeat here Mr. John Davidson's definition only, viz: "Faith is an hearty assurance that our sins are freely forgiven us in Christ." From whence one may clearly see, that some time a-day, it was reckoned no absurdity that one's justification was made the object of one's belief. For the understanding of which ancient Protestant doctrine, grown almost quite out of ken with unlearned readers, I shall adduce a passage out of Wendeline's Christ. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 24, p. 542, 543. He proposes the Popish objection thus, "Justifying faith must go before justification; but the faith of special mercy doth not go before justification; if it did, it were false; for at that rate, a man should believe that his sins are forgiven, which as yet are not forgiven, since they are not forgiven but by justification; therefore the faith of special mercy is not justifying faith." In answer to which, he denies the second of these propositions, with the proofs thereof, and concludes in these words: "Justifying faith, therefore, hath for the special object of it, forgiveness of sins, future, present, and past." He explains it thus, "By the faith of special mercy, as it goeth before justification, a man doth not believe that his sins are forgiven him already, before the act of believing"; this, by the by, is the Antinomian faith, justifying only declaratively. Follows the true doctrine of faith: "But that he shall have forgiveness of sins; in the very act of justification, he believes his sins are forgiven him, and so receives forgiveness; after justification, he believes the past application," viz: forgiveness, that is, that his sins are now already forgiven him. But the design of Neophytus is, to make a profession of his faith, and, by an argument drawn from Christian experience, to refute the Antinomian pretended faith, whereby a sinner, at first brush, believes his sins to be already forgiven him, before the act of believing, and thereafter hath no regard to holiness of life; a plain evidence that that persuasion is not of God. And in opposition to it, is this profession made, which consists of three parts: (1.) He professes that he believes himself to be justified and acquitted from all his sins; and this is the belief of the past application, after justification, which we heard before from Wendeline. For we have already found Neophytus brought unto faith in Christ, and the match betwixt Christ and him declared to be made, though his faith was accompanied with fears. And now he finds his faith grown up in some small measure unto the height which Antinomista pretended his faith to be at, namely, unto believing himself to be already justified; but withal he intimates, that his faith had not come to this pitch all of a sudden, as Antinomista's had done; but that it was some time after he believed, ere he did thus believe. And now, indeed, his believing thus, only in some small measure, was his sin, and argued the weakness of his faith: but such a man's believing, in any measure, great or small, that he was justified and acquitted from all his sins, must be commended and approved, unless we will bring back the Popish doctrine of doubting. (2.) He professes, That therefore, namely, since he was justified, and believed himself to be so, he had no need to eschew evil, or do good for fear of punishment or hope of reward; the which Antinomista pretending to likewise, had cast off all care of keeping the law, or doing good works, having no other principle of obedience within him. This does not at all look to punishments and rewards, improperly so called, that is, fatherly chastisements and favours, of which the author afterwards treats expressly; but it is plainly meant of rewards and punishments taken in a proper sense, as flowing from the justice of God, remunerative and vindictive, and proceeding upon our works, good and evil; and particularly it is meant of heaven and hell. This is the sense in which that phrase is commonly used by divines; and that it is so to be taken here, is evident from its being inferred from his justification, which indeed leaves no place for fear of punishment and hope of reward in the latter sense: but not so in the former sense. And thus, it appears, Nomista understood it, as shall appear afterwards. (3.) He professes, That he was so far from being the less inclined to duty, that he believed himself to be fully justified, and that the fear of punishment and hope of reward were ceased in his case; that, on the contrary, he found, as his faith grew, his love to and readiness for holiness of life, grew: he was more willing, and more desirous to do the Lord's commandments than he had been before his faith was advanced to that pitch. And herein, I conceive, the experience of the saints will not contradict him. Thus he gives a plain testimony against the Antinomian faith.

[285] Namely, the faith of special mercy, or a faith of particular application, without which, in greater or lesser measure, it is not saving faith.

[286] His soul resting on Christ, whom he hath received for salvation.

[287] Thus he conceives of God according to the measure of his faith, or of his soul's resting on Christ, which admits of various degrees.

[288] A man's believing God's love to him, is woven into the very nature of saving faith, as hath been already shown. Wherefore, whatsoever humiliation, compunction, sorrow, and grief for sin, go before it, they must needs be but legal, being before faith, "without which it is impossible to please God," (Heb 11:6).

[289] The belief of which, in some measure, is included in the nature of faith.--See note on the definition of faith.

[290] This is the springing up of the "seeds of repentance put into the heart in sanctification," Larg. Cat. q. 75; a work of sanctifying grace, acceptable to God; the curse being taken off the sinner, and his person accepted in the Beloved, and like to the mourning and repenting of that woman, (Luke 7:47), "Who, having much forgiven her, loved much." Betwixt which repentance and pardon of sin, there is an inseparable connection, so that it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it. Westm. Confess. chap. 15. art. 3.

[291] This can have no reference at all to the motives of a believer's obedience, unless believers, as well as unbelievers, are to be reckoned to be under the covenant of works; for it is manifest, that the author speaks here of such only as are under that covenant. But, on the contrary, if a man is under the covenant of works called the law, in the style of the Holy Ghost, he is not a believer, but an unbeliever, (Rom 6:14), "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace." This reasoning proceeds upon this principle, viz: Those who are under the covenant of works, and they only, are under the dominion or reigning power of sin. And if men, being under the covenant of works, are under the dominion of sin, it is evident that they are not believers, but bond-servants, that the love of God dwelleth not in them, but corrupt self-love reigns in them; and, therefore, unto the good they do, they are constrained, by fear of punishment and hope of reward, agreeable to the threatening and promise of the broken covenant of works they are under; that their obedience, conform to their state and condition, is but servile; no better than it is here described to be, having only the letter, but not the spirit of true obedience, the which, before any man can attain unto, he must be set free from the covenant of works, as the apostle teaches; (Rom 7:6), "But now, we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter": and finally, that as is the condition and the obedience of those under the covenant of works, so shall their end be, (Gal 4:30), "Cast out the bond-woman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman."

[292] That is, till the empty vine be filled with the Spirit from Jesus Christ, it will never bring forth fruit unto him. Till a man do once eat by faith he will never work aright. The conscience must be purged from dead works, else one is not in case "to serve the living God," (Heb 9:14). The covenant of works says to the sinner, who is yet without strength, "Work, and then ye shall be filled"; but the covenant of grace says to him, "Be filled, and then thou must work." And until the yoke of the covenant of works be taken off a man's jaws, and meat be laid unto him, he will never take on and bear the yoke of Christ's acceptably.

[293] The words co-action and compulsion signify one and the same thing, viz: forcing; so that to work without the co-action or compulsion of the law, is to work without being force thereto by the law. One would think it so very plain and obvious, that the way how the law forceth men to work, is by the terror of the dreadful punishment which it threatens in case of not working, that it does but darken the matter to say, The co-action or compulsion of the law consists in its commanding and binding power or force; the which must needs be meant of the commanding and binding power of the covenant of works, or of the law, as it is the covenant of works. For it cannot be meant [as these words seem to bear] of that power which the law of the ten commandments, as a rule of life, hath over men, to bind them to obedience, under which, I think, the impartial reader is by this time convinced that the author denies not believers still to be; for to call that co-action or compulsion, is contrary to the common understanding and usage of these words in society. At this rate, one must say, That the glorified saints and angels [to ascend no higher] being, as creatures of God, under the commanding and binding power of the eternal rule of righteousness, are compelled and forced to their obedience too; and that when we pray, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven," we pray to be enabled to obey the will of God, as the angels do in heaven, by co-action and compulsion in the height thereof; for surely the angels have the sense of the commanding and binding power of the eternal rule of righteousness upon them in a degree far beyond what any believer on earth has. Wherefore that exposition of the co-action or compulsion of the law, and so putting believers under the law's co-action or compulsion, amount just to what we met with before, namely, That believers are under the commanding power [at least] of the covenant of works, having obedience bound upon them with the cords of hell, or under the pain of the curse. Accordingly, the compulsion of the law is more plainly described to be its binding power and moral force, which it derives from the awful authority of the sovereign Lawgiver, commanding obedience to his law, and threatening disobedience with wrath, or with death, or hell. And so our author is blamed for not subjecting believers to this compulsion of the law. In the preceding paragraph he had shown, that the obedience of unbelievers to the law of the ten commandments is produced by the influence of the law [or covenant] of works upon them, forcing or constraining them thereto by the fear of the punishment which it threatens. Thus, they work by the co-action or compulsion of the law, or covenant of works, being destitute of the love of God. Here he affirms, that when once a man is brought unto Christ, he having the sanctifying Spirit of Christ dwelling in him, and being endowed with faith that purifies the heart, and with love that is strong as death, is enabled to work freely, and of his own accord, without that co- action or compulsion. This is the doctrine of the holy Scripture. (Psa 51:12), "Uphold me with thy free spirit." Compare (Gal 5:18), "But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law." So (Psa 110:3), "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Compare (1 Peter 5:2), "Not by constraint but willingly." And believers are declared to be "not under the law," (Rom 6:14).--"To be made free from the law of death. Not to have received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption," (8:2,15). How then can they still be under the co-active and compulsive power of the law, frightening and forcing them to obedience by its threatenings of the second death, or eternal wrath? And it is evident that this is the received doctrine of orthodox divines, which might be attested by a cloud of witnesses, if the nature of this work did permit. "Not to be under the law," says Luther, "is to do good things, and abstain from wicked things, not through compulsion of the law, but by free love, and with pleasure." Chos. Ser. 20, p. 232. "The second part [viz: of Christian liberty] is," says Calvin, "that consciences obey the law, not as compelled by the necessity of the law, but being free from the yoke of the law itself, of their own accord they obey the will of God." Instit. book 3, chap. 19, sec. 4. "We would distinguish betwixt the law, considered as a law and as a covenant. A law doth necessarily imply no more than, (1.) To direct. (2.) To command, enforcing that obedience by authority. A covenant doth further necessarily imply promises made upon some condition, or threatenings added, if such a condition be not performed. The first two are essential to the law, the last two to believers, are made void through Christ; in which sense it is said, that by him we are freed from the law as a covenant; so that believers' lives depend not on the promises annexed to the law, nor are they in danger by the threatenings adjoined to it." Durham on the Commands, p. 4. "What a new creature doth, in observance of the law, is from natural freedom, choice, and judgment, and not by the force of any threatenings annexed to it." Charnock, vol. 2, p. 59. See Westminster Confession, chap. 20, art. 1, of which afterwards. And thus is that text, (1 Tim 1:9), "The law is not made for a righteous man, generally understood by divines, critics, and commentators, the law, threatening, compelling, condemning, is not made for a righteous man, because he is pushed forward to duty of his own accord, and is no more led by the spirit of bondage, and fear of punishment." Turret. loc. 2, q. 24, th. 8.--"By the law is to be understood the moral law, as it is armed in stings and terrors, to restrain rebellious sinners. By the righteous man is meant one in whom a principle of divine grace is planted, and who, from the knowledge and love of God, chooses the things that are pleasing to him. As the law has annexed so many severe threatenings to the transgressors of it, it is evident that it is directed to the wicked, who will only be compelled by fear from an outrageous breaking of it." Continuation of Poole's Annotations on the Text. "The law is not for him, as a master to command him, to constrain him as a bondman." Lodovic de Dieu. "The law doth not compel, press on, fright, lie heavy upon, and punish a righteous man." Strigelius.--"It lies not on him as a heavy burden, compelling a man against his will, violently pressing him on, and pushing him forwards; it doth not draw him to obedience; but leads him, being willing." Scultetus.--"For of his own accord he doth right." Castalio, apud Pol. Synop. in Loc.

[294] "It is a metonymy from the effect, that is, love makes me to do it in that manner, as a man that is compelled; that is the meaning of it. So it has the same effect that compulsion hath, though there be nothing more different from compulsion than love." Dr. Preston, ibid. p. 29.

[295] If one considers that the drift and scope of this whole discourse, is to discover the naughtiness of Antinomista's faith, observed by Neophytus, one may perceive, that by the author's quoting Towne, the Antinomian, upon that head, he gives no more ground to suspect himself of Antinomianism, though he calls him an evangelical man than a Protestant gives in point of Popery, by quoting Cardinal Bellarmine against a Papist, though withal he call him a Catholic. And the epithet given to Towne, is so far from being a high commendation, that, really, it is none at all; for, though both these epithets, the latter as well as the former, are in themselves honourable, yet in these cases, a man speaking in the language of his adversary, they are nothing so. Evangelista could not but remember that Antinomista had told him roundly, "That he had not been so evangelical as some others in the city, which caused him to leave hearing of him, to hear them," viz: those evangelical men; and why might not he give him a sound note from one of those evangelical men, even under that character, so acceptable to him, without ranking himself with them?

[296] As for what concerns the hope of heaven, the author purposely explains that matter, that he would not have any believer to eschew evil or do good for fear of hell; the meaning thereof plainly is this, you being a believer in Christ, ought not to eschew evil and do good, for fear you be condemned, and cast into hell. So far as a believer doth so, the author justly reckons his obedience accordingly slavish. This is the common understanding and sense of such a phrase, as when we say, The slave works for fear of the whip. Some men abstain from stealing, robbing, and the like, for fear of the gallows; they eschew evil, not from love of virtue, but for fear of punishment, as the heathen poet says of his pretender to virtue, Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore, Tu nihil admittes in te formidine poenae. Horat. Epist.
16. Which may be thus Englished: Hatred of vice, in generous souls, From love of virtue flows, While nothing vicious minds controls But servile fear of blows. This is quite another thing than to say, that a believer in doing good, or eschewing evil, ought not to regard threatenings, nor be influenced by the threatening of death. For though believers ought never to fear that they shall be condemned and cast into hell, yet they both may and ought awfully to regard the threatenings of the holy law: and how they ought to regard them, one may learn from the Westm. Confess. chap. 19, art. 6, in these words, "The threatenings of it [viz: the law] serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law." Thus they are to regard them, not as denunciations of their doom, in case of sinning, but as a looking-glass wherein to behold the fearful demerit of their sin; the unspeakable love of God in freeing them from bearing it, his fatherly displeasure against his own for their sin, and the tokens of his anger to be expected by them in that case. So will they be influenced to eschew evil and do good, being thereby filled with hatred and horror of sin, thankfulness to God, and fear of the displeasure and frowns of their Father, though not with a fear that he will condemn them, and destroy them in hell; this glass represents no such thing. Such a fear in a believer is groundless. For (1.) He is not under the threatening of hell, or liable to the curse. If he were, he behoved that moment he sinneth to fall under the curse. For since the curse is the sentence of the law, passing on the sinner, according to the threatening, adjudging, and binding him over to the punishment threatened; if the law say to a man, before he sinneth, "In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die," it says unto him, in the moment he sinneth, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the law, to do them." And forasmuch as believers sin in every thing they do, their very believing and repenting being always attended with sinful imperfections, it is not possible, at this rate, that they can be one moment from under the curse; but it must be continually wreathed about their necks. To distinguish in this case, betwixt gross sins and lesser sins, is vain; for as every sin, even the least, deserves God's wrath and curse, [Short. Cat.,] so, against whomsoever the curse takes place, [and by virtue of God's truth, it takes place against all those who are threatened with hell or eternal death] they are cursed for all sins, smaller or greater: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things": though still there is a difference made betwixt greater and lesser sins, in respect of the degree of punishment, yet there is none in respect of the kind. But now believers are set free from the curse. (Gal 3:13), "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." (2.) By the redemption of Christ already applied to the believer, and by the oath of God, he is perfectly secured from the return of the curse upon him, (Gal 3:13), [see before,] compared with (Isa 53, 54:9), "For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for, as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." Therefore he is perfectly secured from being made liable any more to hell or eternal death. For a man, being under the curse, is "so made liable to the pains of hell for ever." Short. Cat. (3.) He is justified by faith, and so adjudged to live eternally in heaven. This is unalterable, "for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance," (Rom 11:29). And a man can never stand adjudged to eternal life, and to eternal death, at one and the same time. (4.) One great difference betwixt believers and unbelievers lies here, that the latter are bound over to hell and wrath, the former are not: (John 3:18), "He that believeth is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is condemned already"; not that he is in hell already, but bound over to it. Now, a believer is still a believer, from the first moment of his believing; and therefore it remains true concerning him, from that moment for ever, that he is not condemned or bound over to hell and wrath. He is expressly secured against it for all time to come, from that moment. (John 5:24), "He shall not come into condemnation." And the apostle cuts off all evasion by distinctions of condemnation here, while he tells us in express terms, "There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus," (Rom 8:1). (5.) The believer's union with Christ is never dissolved. (Hosea 2:19), "I will betroth thee unto me for ever": and being in Christ he is set beyond the reach of condemnation, (Rom 8:1). Yea, and being in Christ, he is perfectly righteous for ever; for he is never again stripped of the white raiment of Christ's imputed righteousness; while the union remains, it cannot be lost: but to be perfectly righteous, and yet liable to condemnation before a just Judge, are inconsistent. Neither is such a fear in a believer acceptable to God; for, (1.) It is not from the Spirit of God, but from one's own spirit, or a worse; (Rom 8:15), "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear"; namely, to fear death or hell. (Heb 2:15), "Who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage." (2.) It was the design of the sending of Christ, that believers in him might serve God without that fear, (Luke 1:74). That "We, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear." Compare (1 Cor 15:26), "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." And for this very cause Jesus Christ came, "That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them, who, through fear of death, were all their life-time," namely, before their deliverance by Christ, "subject to bondage," (Heb 2:14,15). (3.) Though it is indeed consistent with, yet it is contrary to faith; (Matt 8:26), "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith!" And to love too; (1 John 4:18), "Perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment."--(2 Tim 1:7), "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind." (4.) As it is not agreeable to the character of a father, who is not a revenging judge to his own family, to threaten to kill his children, though he threaten to chastise them: so such a fear is no more agreeable to the spirit of adoption, nor becoming the state of sonship to God, than for a child to fear that his father, being such a one, will kill him. And therefore, "the spirit of bondage to fear" is opposed to "the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father," (Rom 8:15). "Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, [receive the spirit of adoption, Westm. Confess. chap. 12,] are under his fatherly care and dispensation, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory." Larg. Cat. q. 74. "The LIBERTY which Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law, as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law." Westm. Confess. chap. 20, art. 1. By the guilt of sin here, must needs be understood obligation to eternal wrath. "The end of Christian liberty is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might 'serve the Lord without fear.'" Ibid. art. 3. "The one [viz: justification] doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation." Larg. Cat. q. 77. "Though a soul be justified and freed from the guilt of eternal punishment, and so the spirit is no more to be afraid and disquieted for eternal wrath and hell." Rutherford's Trial and Triumph, &c. Ser. 19, p. 261. "The believer hath no conscience of sins; that is, he in conscience is not to fear everlasting condemnation, that is most true." Ibid. p. 266.

[297] And no marvel one would have them do so, since that is what all the children of God with one mouth do daily pray for, saying "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

[298] There is a great difference betwixt a believer's eschewing evil for fear of hell, and his eschewing it from the fear of God, "as able to destroy both soul and body in hell." The former respects the event as to his eternal state, the latter not. To this purpose the variation of the phrase in the text is observable,--"fear not them that KILL the body": this notes the event, as to temporal death by the hands of men, which our Lord would have his people to lay their account with; but with respect to eternal death, he says not, fear him which destroys, but, "which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Moreover, the former is a slavish fear of God as a revenging judge; the believer eschewing sin for fear he be damned: the latter is a reverential fear of God as of a Father with whom is awful dominion and power. The former carries in it a doubtfulness and uncertainty as to the event, plainly contrary to the remedy prescribed in this same case: (Prov 29:25), "The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." The latter is consistent with the most full assurance of one's being put beyond all hazard of hell, (Heb 12:28,29), "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." A believer, by fixing his eyes on God, as able to destroy both soul and body in hell, may be so filled with the reverential fear of God, his dreadful power and wrath against sin, as to be fenced against the slavish fear of the most cruel tyrants, tempting him to sin; though in the mean time he most firmly believes that he is past that gulf, can never fall into it, nor be bound over unto it. For, so he hath a lively representation of the just deserving of sin, even of that sin in particular unto which he is tempted; and so must tremble at the thought of it, as an evil greater than death. And as a child, when he seeth his father lashing his slaves, cannot but tremble, and fear to offend him, so a believer's turning his eyes on the miseries of the damned, must raise in him an awful apprehension of the severity of his Father against sin, even in his own; and cause him to say in his heart, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments," (Psa 119:120). Thus also he hath a view of the frightful danger, he has escaped; the looking back to which must make one's heart shiver, and conceive a horror of sin; as in the case of a pardoned criminal, looking back to a dreadful precipice from which he was to have been thrown headlong, had not a pardon seasonably prevented his ruin; (Eph 2:3), "We were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

[299] Thus, to eschew evil and do good for hope of heaven, is to do so in hope of obtaining heaven by our own works. And certainly "that hope shall be cut off, and be a spider's web," (Job 8:14); for a sinner shall never obtain heaven but in the way of free grace: "But if it be of works, then it is no more grace," (Rom 11:6). But that a believer may be animated to obedience by eying the reward already obtained for him by the works of Christ, our author no where denies. So indeed the apostle exhorts believers to run their Christian race, "looking unto Jesus, who, for the joy that was set before him," [to be obtained by his own works, in the way of most proper merits] "endured the cross," (Heb 12:1,2). "Papists," says Dr. Preston, "tell of escaping damnation, and of getting into heaven. But Scripture gives other motives [viz: to good works]: Thou art in Christ, and Christ is thine; consider what he hath done for thee, what thou hast by him, what thou hadst been without him, and thus stir up thyself to do for him what he requireth."--Abridg. of his Works, p. 394.

[300] "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever." Short. Cat.--"Believers shall be made perfectly blessed in full enjoying of God to all eternity." Ibid.

[301] (Rom 4:16), "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise [viz: of the inheritance (verse 13,14),] might be sure to all the seed." Otherwise it is not given freely; for "to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt," (verse 4).

[302] The apostle's decision in this case seems to be pretty clear: (Rom 6:23), "for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life": he will not have us to look upon it as the wages of a servant too. The joining together of both these notions of the reward was, it seems, the doctrine of the Pharisees; (Mark 10:17), "Good Master, what shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life?" And how unacceptable it was to our blessed Saviour, may be learned from his answer to that question. "The Papists confess that life is merited by Christ, and is made ours by the right of inheritance: so far we go with them. Yea, touching works, they hold many things with us; (1.) That no works of themselves can merit life everlasting. (2.) That works done before conversion, can merit nothing at God's hand. (3.) That there is no merit at God's hand, without his mercy, no exact merit as often there is amongst men. The point whereabout we dissent is, that with the merit of Christ and free promise, they will have the merit of works joined, as done by them who are adopted children."--Bayne on Ephesians 2:8).

[303] Namely, in the way of the covenant of grace.

[304] Our author, remembering Nomista's bias towards good works, as separated from Christ, puts him in mind, that Christ is the way; and that the soul's motion heaven-ward is in Christ; that is, a man being once united to Christ by faith, moveth heaven-ward, making progress in believing, and by influences derived from Jesus Christ, walking in his holy commandments. The Scripture acknowledges no other holiness of life, or good works; and concerning the necessity of these the author moves no debate. But as to the propriety of expression, since good works are the keeping of the commandments, in the way of which we are to go, he conceives they may, with greater propriety, be called the walking in the way, than the way itself. It is certain that the Scripture speaks of "walking in Christ," (Col 2:6), "walking in his commandments," (2 Chron 17:4), and "walking in good works," (Eph 2:10); and that as these terms signify but one and the same thing, so they are all metaphorical. But one would think the calling of good works the way to be walked in, is further removed from the propriety of expression, than the calling them the walking in the way. But the author waiving this, as a matter of phraseology, or manner of speaking only, tells us, that assuredly the sum and substance, both of the way to eternal happiness, and of the walking in the way to it, consists in the receiving Jesus Christ by faith, and in yielding obedience to his law, according to the measure of that receiving. Herein is comprehended Christ and holiness, faith and obedience; which are inseparable. And no narrower is the compass of the way and walking mentioned, (Isa 35:8,9), "It shall be called the way of holiness--the redeemed shall walk there."--"The way of holiness, or the holy way, [according to an usual Hebraism,] as it is generally understood by interpreters, is the way leading to heaven, says Piscator; namely, Christ, faith, and the doctrine of a holy life." Fererius apud Pol. Synop. in loc. And now that our author, though he conceives good works are not so properly called the way, as the walking, yet does not say, that in no sense they may be called the way, but does expressly assert them to be the soul's walking in the way of eternal happiness; he cannot justly be charged here [more than any where else in his book] with teaching, that holiness is not necessary to salvation, unless one will, in the first place, say that though the way itself to eternal happiness is necessary to salvation, yet the walking in the way is not necessary to it; which would be Antinomian with a witness.

[305] And not for any thing wrought in himself, or done by himself.

[306] The sum thereof is, that no considerations, no endeavours whatsoever, will truly sanctify a man, without faith. Howbeit, such considerations and endeavours are necessary to promote and advance the sanctification of the soul by faith.

[307] That is, transforms or changes. (Rom 12:2), "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

[308] Namely, instrumentally. It cannot be denied that our author places faith before the new principles of actions in this passage, and before the habits of grace, and yet it will not follow, that, in his opinion, there can be no gracious change in the soul before faith. What he does indeed teach, in this matter, is warranted by the plain testimony of the apostle, (Eph 1:13), "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." And what this seal is, at least as to the chief part of it, may be learned from John 1:16, "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." For as sealing is the impression of the image of the seal on the wax, so that it thereby receives upon it point for point on the seal, so believers being sealed with the Spirit of Christ, receive grace for grace in Christ, whereby they are made like him, and bear his image. And as it is warranted by the words, so it is agreeable to the old Protestant doctrine, that we are regenerate by faith; which is the title of the 3d chap. of the 3d book of Calvin's Instit. and is taught in the Old Confess. art. 3, in these words: "Regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, working in the hearts of the elect of God an assured faith"; and art. 13, in these words: "So soon as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus [which God's elect children receive by true faith] takes possession in the heart of any man, so soon does he regenerate and renew the same man." Nevertheless, I am not of the mind, that, either in truth, or in the judgment of our reformers, or of our author, the first act of faith is an act of an unregenerate, that is to say, a dead soul. But to understand this matter aright, I conceive one must distinguish betwixt regeneration taken strictly, and taken largely; and betwixt new powers and new habits or principles of action. Regeneration, strictly so called, is the quickening of the dead soul, by the Spirit of Christ passively received, and goes before faith, according to John 1:12,13, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born not of blood, but of God." This is called by Amesius, the first regeneration, Medul. lib. 1, cap. 29, sect. 6; see cap. 26, sect. 19. And it belongs to, or is the same with effectual calling; in the description of which, in the Shorter Catechism, one finds a renewing mentioned, whereby sinners are enabled to embrace Jesus Christ; and, says the Larger Catechism on the same subject, "They, although in themselves dead in sin, are hereby made able to answer his call." Regeneration, largely taken, presupposing the former, is the same with sanctification, wrought in the soul by the Spirit of Christ, actively received by faith, and so follows faith. (Acts 26:18), "Among them which are sanctified by faith, that is in Me": the subjects of which "are the redeemed, called, and justified." Essen. Com. cap. 16, sect. 3. And accordingly, in the description thereof in the Shorter Catechism, mention is made of a second renewing, namely, "Whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness." And thus I conceive regeneration to be taken in the above passages of the Old Confession. The which is confirmed by the following testimonies: "Being in Christ, we must be new creatures, not in substance, but in qualities and disposition of our minds, and change of the actions of our lives, all which is impossible to them that have no faith." Mr. John Davidson's Catechism, page 29.--"So good works follow as effects of Christ in us, possessed by faith, who beginneth to work in us regeneration and a renewing of the whole parts and powers of the soul and body. Which begun sanctification and holiness he never ceases to accomplish." Ibid. p. 30.--"The effect [viz: of justification] inherent in us, as in a subject, is that new quality which is called inherent righteousness or regeneration." Grounds of Christian Religion, by the renowned Beza and Faius, 1586, chap. 29, sect. 11.--"That new quality, then called inherent righteousness and regeneration, testified by good works, is a necessary effect of true faith." Ibid. chap. 31, sect. 13. Now in regeneration taken in the former sense, new powers are put into the soul, whereby the sinner, who was dead in sin, is able to discern Christ in his glory, and to embrace him by faith. But it is in regeneration taken in the latter sense, that new habits of grace, or immediate principles of actions are given; namely, upon the soul's uniting with Christ by faith. So Essenius, having defined regeneration to be, the putting of spiritual life in a man spiritually dead, [compare chap. 14, sect. 11,] afterwards says, "As by regeneration new powers were put into the man, so by sanctification are given new spiritual habits." Theological Virtues, ibid. cap. 16, sect. 5. And as the Scriptures are express, in that men are "sanctified by faith," (Acts 26:18), so is the Larger Catechism in that it is in sanctification they are "renewed in the whole man, having the seeds of repentance unto life, and of all other saving graces, put into their hearts," quest. 75.

[309] This man, Bernardine Ochine, an infamous apostate, was at first a monk; but as our author says, being much enlightened in the knowledge of the gospel, he not only made profession of the Protestant Religion, but, together with the renowned Peter Martyr, was esteemed a most famous preacher of the gospel, throughout Italy. Being in danger on the account of religion, he left Italy by Martyr's advice; and being much assisted by the Duchess of Ferrara in his escape, he went first to Geneva, and then to Zurich, and was admitted a minister in that city. But discovering himself there, [as Simon Magus did, after he had joined himself to the church of Samaria] he was banished; and is justly reckoned among the forerunners of the execrable Socinus. See Hoornbeck, appar. ad. contr. Soc. page 47. Hence one may plainly see how there are sermons of his which might safely and to good purpose be quoted. And as for the character given him by the author here, if one is in hazard of reckoning it an applause, one must remember that is no greater than what the apostle gives to the guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost, (Heb 6:6), "Those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift," &c., which I make no question but our author had his eye upon, in giving this man this character very pertinently.

[310] That is, by believing, get a saving interest in Christ; whereas, before, you have set yourself, as it were, to work it. See the note on the Definition of Faith.

[311] "Which [adds he] if it proceed not from faith, is not so much as a sound proof of faith, much less can it be any cause to draw them to believe."--"The only firm ground of saving faith is God's truth, revealed in his word; as is plainly taught," (Rom 10:17). Ibid p. 20, 21.

[312] This censure, as it natively follows upon the overthrowing of that doctrine, viz: "That holiness of life must go before faith, and so be the ground of it, and produce and bring it forth"; so it is founded on these two ancient Protestant principles: (1.) That the belief of the remission of sin is comprehended in saving, justifying faith. (2.) That true repentance, and acceptable reformation of life, do necessarily flow from, but go not before saving faith. Hence it necessarily follows, that remission of sin must be believed, before there can be any acceptable reformation of life; and that the preacher's fear was groundless, reformation of life being so caused by the faith of remission of sin, that it is inseparable from it: as our author teaches in the following passages. Calvin's censure in this case is fully as severe: "As for them [says he] that think that repentance does rather go before faith, than flow or spring forth of it, as a fruit out of a tree, they never knew the force thereof." Instit. book 3. chap. 3. sect. 1.--"Yet when we refer the beginning of repentance to faith, we do not dream a certain mean space of time, wherein it brings it out: but we mean to show, that a man cannot earnestly apply himself to repentance, unless he know himself to be of God." Ibid. sect. 2.

[313] Namely, faith.

[314] Even so, faith not only justifies a sinner, but sanctifies him in heart and life.

[315] I think this expression might very well have been spared here.

[316] "Q. Does not this doctrine [viz: of justification by faith without works] make men secure and profane? A. No, for it cannot be, but they who are ingrafted into Christ by faith, should bring forth fruits of thankfulness." Palat. Cat. q. 64.

[317] As a woman married to a second husband, after the death of the first, does the same work for subsistence in the family, that was required of her by the first husband; yet does it not to, nor as under the dead husband, but the living one; so the good works of believers are materially, and but materially, the works of the law, as a covenant, the first husband, now dead to the believer. In this sense only the law is here treated of: and to make the good works of believers formally the works of the law as a covenant and husband, is to contradict the apostle, (Rom 7:4-6), to "make them deadly fruits, dishonourable to Christ, the second husband, and unacceptable to God."

[318] After that manner.

[319] The Antinomian sense of all these positions is, no doubt, erroneous and detestable, and is opposed and disproved by our author. The positions themselves are paradoxes bearing a precious gospel truth, which he maintains against the legalist; but I doubt it is too much to call them all Antinomian paradoxes. But to call them simply, and by the lump, Antinomian errors, is shocking: one might as good say, it is a Popish or Lutheran error, "that the bread in the sacrament is Christ's body"; and that it is a Socinian, Arminian, or Baxterian error, "That a sinner is justified by faith"; for the first four of the paradoxes are as directly scriptural as these are; though the Antinomian sense of the former is anti-scriptural, as is the Popish, Lutheran, Socinian, Arminian, and Baxterian sense of the latter, respectively. At this rate, one might subvert the very foundations of Christianity, as might easily be instructed, if there were sufficient cause to exemplify it here. How few doctrines of the Bible are there that have not been wrested to an erroneous sense by some corrupt men or other! yet will not their corrupt glosses warrant the condemning of the scriptural positions themselves as erroneous. The first four of these paradoxes are found in the following texts of Scripture, viz: 1st. (Rom 6:14), "Ye are not under the law, but under grace."--(7:6), "Now we are delivered from the law." 2d. (1 John 3:6), "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not."--(verse 9), "Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, and he cannot sin." 3d. (Num 23:21), "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel."--(Cant 4:7), "Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee." 4th. (Isa 54:9), "So have I sworn, that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee." The case standing thus, these paradoxes must needs be sensed one way or other, agreeable to the analogy of faith, and so defended by all who own the divine authority of the holy Scripture. And as an orthodox divine would not condemn the two propositions above mentioned, brought in for illustration of this matter, but clear the same by giving a sound sense of them, and rejecting the unsound sense, as that it is true that the bread is Christ's body sacramentally; false, that it is so by transubstantiation, or consubstantiation: that it is true, sinners, are justified by faith as an instrument, apprehending and applying Christ's righteousness; false, that they are justified by it as a work, fulfilling the pretended new proper gospel law: so our author gives a safe and sound sense of these scriptural paradoxes, and rejects the unsound sense put upon them by Antinomians; and this he does, by applying to them the distinction of the law, as it is the law of works, i.e., the covenant of works, and as it is the law of Christ, i.e., a rule of life, in the hand of a Mediator, to believers. Now, if this distinction be not admitted here, neither in these nor equivalent terms, but the law of Christ, and law of works, must be reckoned one and the same thing; then believers in Christ, whom none but Antinomians will deny to be under the law, as it is the law of Christ, or a rule of life, are evidently staked down under the covenant works still; forasmuch as, in the sense of the holy Scripture, as well as in the sense of our author, the law of works is the covenant of works. And since it is plain from the holy Scripture, and from the Westminster Confession, that believers are not under the law as a covenant of works; a way which, by this distinction, our author had blocked up, is, by rejecting of it, and confounding the law of works and law of Christ, opened for Antinomians to cast off the law for good and all. The two last of these paradoxes are consequently scriptural, as necessarily following upon the former, being understood in the same sense as they are, and as our author explains them.

[320] "True believers be not under the law as a covenant of works." Westm. Confess. chap. 19, sect. 6.--"The law of works," says our author, "is as much as to say, the covenant of works."

[321] "As the world is altogether set upon sin, and can do nothing but sin, so they that are born of God sin not; not that their sins of themselves are not deadly, but because their persons are so lively in Christ, that the deadliness of sin cannot prevail against them." Mr. John Davidson's Cat. p. 32. What he means by the deadliness of sin, appears from these words a little after: "Howbeit the condemnation of sin be removed from the faithful altogether," &c. The penalty which the law of works threatens, says our author to Neophytus, is "condemnation and eternal death; and this you have no cause at all to fear."

[322] Mr. James Melvil to the same purpose expresses it thus:-- But God into his daughter dear sees nane iniquitie, Nor in his chosen Israel will spy enormitie: Not looking in hir bowk, whilk is with frentickles replete But ever into Christ her face, whilk pleasand is and sweet. Morning Vision, dedicated to James VI. p. 85.

[323] Such anger is revenging wrath, and such chastisement is proper punishment inflicted for satisfying offended justice; in which sense it is said, (Isa 53:5), "The chastisement of our peace was upon him," namely, on Jesus Christ; and therefore it cannot be on believers themselves.

[324] Our author does not indeed here refute the Antinomian error, that the believer ought not to mourn for his sins; he does that effectually in the next paragraph. But here he refutes the legalist, who will needs have the believer still to be under the law, as it is the covenant of works; and therefore to confess and mourn, &c. for his sins, as still committed against the covenant of works. But it is evident as the light, that believers are not under the covenant of works, or, in other terms, under the law, as that covenant; and that principle being once fixed, the whole chain of consequences, which our author has here made, does necessarily follow thereupon. It is strange that nothing can be allowed in believers to be mourning for sin, unless they mourn for it as unbelievers, as persons under the covenant of works, who doubtless are under the curse and condemnation for their sin, (Gal 3:10). But "as our obedience now is not the performance, so our sinning is not the violation of the condition of the old covenant. Believers' sins now, though transgressions of the law, are not counted violations of the conditions of the covenant of works, under which they are not." Brown on Justification, chap. 15. p. 224.--"If sense of sin be taken for the unbelieving feeling of, and judging myself cast out of his sight, and condemned; whereas yet I am in Christ, and 'it is God that justifies me; who is he that shall condemn?' (Rom 8:33,34); we shall agree with Antinomians. This is indeed the hasty sense of unbelief. (Psa 31:22, John 2:4). Hence let them be rebuked, who say not that Christ in his gospel hath taken away this sense of sin." Rutherford on the Covenant, p. 222.

[325] Thus our author hath solidly refuted in this paragraph the Antinomian sense of all the six positions above mentioned.

[326] Namely, now to improve these points of doctrine in my practice. There lies the great difficulty: and according as unbelief or faith has the ascendant, so will the soul in practice carry itself; confessing, begging pardon, fasting, mourning, and humbling itself either as a condemned malefactor, or as an offending child.

[327] "The law, as it condemneth and curseth, is to the believer a mere passive and a naked stander-by, and has no activity, nor can it act in that power upon any in Christ; as the law of Spain is merely passive in condemning a free-born man dwelling in Scotland." Rutherford's Spirit. Antichrist, p. 87.--"The law being fully satisfied by Christ, it neither condemneth, nor can it condemn, to eternal sufferings, for that is removed from the law to all that are in Christ." Ibid.

[328] For, according to the Scripture, the believer is dead to the law, and the law is dead to the believer; namely, as it is the law of the covenant of works.

[329] Exact and perfect, comparatively, not absolutely.

[330] The author speaks expressly of the love of God, touching believers' justification, and eternal salvation, which, according to the Scripture, he reckons to be given them already. And he asserts, That as no good in them, or done by them, did move him to love them, so as to justify them, and give them eternal life, so no evil in them or done by them, shall lessen that love, as to their justification and eternal salvation; that is, as himself explains it, move him to take eternal life [which includes justification] away from them, being once given. This is most firm truth; howbeit, the more and the greater the sins of a believer are, he may lay his account with the more and the greater effects of God's fatherly indignation against him; and the corruption of human nature makes the adding of such a clause in such a case very necessary. What our author here advances, is evident from the holy Scripture, (Psa 89:30-34), "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes: nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him; nor suffer my faithfulness to fail; my covenant will I not break; nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." And to deny it, is in effect to affirm that God loves believers, as touching their justification and eternal salvation, for their holiness; contrary to Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us."--(Rom 6:23), "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord"; and that that love of his to them changeth according to the variations of their frame and walk; contrary to Romans 11:29, "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance." But while the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints stands, viz: That true believers can neither fall away totally, nor finally, neither from relative grace, nor from inherent grace, our author's doctrine on this point must stand also; and the sins of believers, how great or many soever they be, can never be of that kind which is inconsistent with a state of grace, nor of another than that of infirmities. And how low soever grace is brought in the soul of a believer at any time, through the prevalence of temptation, yet can he never altogether lose his inherent holiness, nor can he at any time "live after the flesh." For, according to the Scripture, that is not the spot of God's children; but he who so lives, neither is, nor ever was, one of them. (Rom 6:2,14), "How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace."--(8:1), "Them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." See verse 4; (1 John 3:9), "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." "God foresaw what infirmities thou wouldst have, before he gave Christ this commission; and Christ foresaw them before his acceptance of the charge. If their prescience could not stop God in his gift, nor cool Christ in his acceptance, why should it now? While they do continue, the love of God to thee is not hindered by them." Charnock, vol. 2, p.
749. "Observe a twofold distinction: 1st. Between God's love in itself, and the manifestation of it to us. That is perpetual and one, without change, increase, or lessening: but the manifestation of his love is variable, according to our more or less careful exercise of piety. 2d. Between God's love to our persons, and God's love to our qualities and actions. A distinction which God well knows how to make. Parents, I am sure, are well skilled in putting this difference between the vices and persons of their children; those they hate, these they love. The case is alike between God and the elect; his love to their persons is from everlasting the same. Nor doth their sinfulness lessen it, nor their sanctity increase it; because God in loving their persons, never considered them otherwise than as most perfectly holy and unblamable in Christ," Pemble's Works, p. 23.

[331] They are.

[332] Though not for their obedience, but for Christ's obedience.

[333] I read the last word of this sentence, Christ, not works, judging it plain, that the latter is a press error. See the last clause of Neophytus' speech above, and the reason here immediately following.

[334] An awful penalty, if rightly understood, as comprehending all manner of strokes and afflictions on the outward and inner man, called by our author "temporal and spiritual afflictions on the outward man"; not to speak of the reproach, disgrace and contempt, successless labour and toil, poverty, misery, want, and the like, which the believer is liable to for his disobedience, as well as others. His sins lay him open to the whole train of maladies, pains, torments, sores, diseases, and plagues, incident to sinful flesh; by which he may become a burden to himself and others. And these may be inflicted on him, not only by the hand of God, but by the hand of the devil; as appears in the case of Job. Yea, and the Lord may, in virtue of this penalty annexed to his law, pursue the controversy with the offending believer, even to death; so that his natural life may go in the cause of his transgression, (1 Cor 11:30,32). To this may be added the marks of God's indignation against his sin, set upon his relations; witness the disorders, mischiefs, and strokes on David's family, for his sin in the matter of Uriah, more bitter than death, (2 Sam 12:10-14, chapter 13,14). In the inner man, by virtue of the same penalty, he is liable for his transgression, to be deprived of the comfort, sense, exercise, and some measure of his graces; of his sense of God's love, his peace, joy, actual communion with God, and access to him in duties; to be brought under desertion, hiding of God's face, withdrawing the light of the Lord's countenance: and left to walk in darkness, to go mourning without the sun, and to cry and shout while the Lord shutteth out his prayer; to be thrown into agonies of conscience, pierced with the arrows of the Almighty in his spirit, compassed about and distracted with the terrors of God, seized with the fearful apprehensions of God's revenging wrath against him, and thereby brought unto the brink of absolute despair. Besides all this, he is liable to the buffettings of Satan, and horrid temptations; and, for the punishment of one sin, to be suffered to fall into another. And all these may, in virtue of the penalty annexed to the law in the hand of Christ, meet in the case of the offending believer, together and at once. Thus, howbeit God no where threatens to cast believers in Christ into hell, yet he both threatens and often executes the casting of a hell into them, for their provocations. Only the revenging wrath and curse of God are no part of the penalty to believers in Christ, according to the truth and our author. But whether or not this penalty, as it is without these, leaves the most holy and awful law of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, most base and despicable, the sober-minded reader will easily judge for himself. "The one, viz: justification doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life." Larger Cat. q. 77.--"They can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance." Westm. Confess. chap. 11, art. 5.--"They may fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure, and grieve his holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves." Ibid. chap. 17. art. 3.--"The threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law." Ibid. chap. 19. art. 6.

[335] Chos. Sermons, Serm. of the Kingdom of God, page 120.

[336] (Matt 6:9,12), "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven; forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

[337] The subduing of sin is the mark of God's hearing prayer for the pardon of it; if one feels not his iniquity subdued, he cannot find that God hath heard his prayers for pardon.

[338] To the producing of holy obedience, according to the measure and degree of it.

[339] The author doth here no otherwise exhort the believer to yield free obedience, without respect to what either the law of works, or the law of Christ, promises or threatens, than he exhorts him to perfection of obedience, which, in the beginning of this answer, he told him not to be attainable in this life. And the truth is, neither the one nor the other is the design of these words. But he had exhorted him before, to use all means to increase his faith; and for his encouragement, he tells him here, that if he by faith applied the goodness of God in Christ to his own soul, in any good measure, then he would, answerably, yield obedience, without respect to what either the law of works, or the law of Christ promises or threatens, and only because God commands or forbids. The freeness of obedience is of very different degrees; and believers' obedience is never absolutely free, till it be absolutely perfect in heaven; but the freeness of their obedience will always bear proportion to the measure of their faith, which is never perfect in this life; thus, the more faith, the more freeness of obedience, and the less faith, the less of that freeness.

[340] "The believer obeys with an angel-like obedience; then the Spirit seems to exhaust all the commanding awesomeness of the law, and supplies the law's imperious power, with the strength and power of love." Rutherford's Spirit. Antichrist, p. 318.--"The more of the Spirit, because the Spirit is essentially free, (Psa 51:12, 2 Cor 3:17), the more freeness; and the more freeness, the more renewed will in the obedience; and the more renewed will, the less constraint, because freeness exhausteth constraint." Ibid. "When Christ's blood is seen by faith to quiet justice, then the conscience becomes quiet also, and will not suffer the heart to entertain the love of sin, but sets the man on work to fear God for his mercy, and obey all his commandments, out of love to God, for his free gift of justification, by grace bestowed upon him; for 'this is the end of the law' indeed, whereby it obtaineth of a man more obedience than any other way." Pract. Use of Sav. Knowledge, tit. The Third Thing Requisite, &c. fig.
7. Promises and threatenings are not, by this doctrine, annexed to the holy law in vain, even with respect to believers; for the law of God is, in his infinite wisdom, suited to the state of the creature, to whom it is given: and therefore, howbeit the believer's eternal happiness is unalterably secured from the moment of his union with Christ by faith; yet, since sin dwells in him still while in this world, the promises of fatherly smiles, and threatenings of fatherly chastisements, are still necessary. But it is evident that this necessity is entirely founded on the believer's imperfection; as in case of a child under age. And, therefore, although his being influenced to obedience by the promises and threatenings of the law of Christ, is not indeed slavish, yet it is plainly childish, not agreeing to the state of a perfect man, of one come unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And, in the state of perfection, he shall yield such free obedience as the angels do in heaven, without being moved thereto by any promises or threatenings at all: and the nearer he comes in his progress to that state of perfection, the more will his obedience be of that nature. So by the doctrine here advanced, the author doth no more disown the necessity of promises to influence and encourage the believer's obedience, nor say that he ought not to have regard to promises and threatenings, than one is to be reckoned to say, that a lame man has no need of, and should not have regard unto the crutches provided for him: when he only says, That the stronger his limbs grow, he will have less need of them, and will lean the less on them.

[341] This Scriptural phrase is here aptly used, to intimate how men deceive themselves, thinking they are far from seeking to be justified by the works of the law, because they are convinced they cannot do good works in the perfection which the law requires: meanwhile, since God is merciful, and Christ hath died, they look for the pardon of their sins, and acceptance with God, upon the account of their own works, though attended with some imperfections: that is, "as it were, by the works of the law," (Rom 9:32).

[342] This answer proceeds upon taking Neophytus to speak, not of the grace but of the doctrine of faith; namely, the foundation of faith, or ground of believing; as if he had desired to know whether the foundation of his faith was the true foundation of faith, or not. This is plain from the two following paragraphs. And upon the supposition that he had grounded his faith on the promise of the gospel, the tried foundation of faith, the author tells him, he would not have him make a question of that, having handled that question already at great length, and answered all his and Nomista's objections on the head, where Neophytus declared himself satisfied. And there is no inconsistency betwixt the author's advice in this case given to Neophytus, and the advice given in the text last cited unto the Corinthians, unreasonably and peevishly demanding a proof of Christ speaking in the apostle. Whether, with several judicious critics and commentators, we understand that text concerning the doctrine of faith, as if the apostle put them to try whether they retained the true doctrine or not; or, which is the common, and, I think, the true understanding of it, concerning the grace of faith; I see nothing here determining our author's opinion, as to the sense of it; but whether he seems here to be against self-examination, especially after he had urged that duty on Antinomista, and answered his objections against it, let the candid reader judge.

[343] See the note on the Definition of Faith. "The assurance of Christ's righteousness is a direct act of faith, apprehending imputed righteousness: the evidence of our justification we now speak of, is the reflex light, not by which we are justified, but by which we know that we are justified." Rutherford's Christ Dying and Drawing, p. 111.--"We had never a question with Antinomians touching the first assurance of justification, such as is proper to the light of faith. He might have spared all his arguments to prove, that we are first assured of our justification by faith, not by good works, for we grant the arguments of one sort of assurance, which is proper to faith; and they prove nothing against another sort of assurance, by signs and effects, which is also divine." Ibid. p. 110.

[344] A good reason why this assurance, in or by the direct act of faith, is to be tried by marks and signs. There is certainly a persuasion that "cometh not of him that called us"; which obliges men to examine their persuasion, whether it be of the right sort or not.

[345] This is called assurance by a reflex act.

[346] In virtue of the deed of gift and grant. See the note on the definition of faith, fig. 1.

[347] So the Margin reads it.

[348] This forcing one's self to yield obedience, which the author warns Christians against, when they have lost sight of their evidences, and would fain recover them, is by pressing to yield obedience, without believing, till once by their obedience they have recovered the evidence of their having faith. To advise a Christian to beware of taking this course, in this case, is not to favour laxness, but to guard him against beginning his work at the wrong end, and so labouring in vain; for obeying, indeed, must still spring from believing, since "without faith it is impossible to please god," (Heb 11:6). And "whatsoever is not of faith, is sin," (Rom 14:23). The following advice sets the matter in full light.

[349] Namely, obedience, whereby you shall recover dence.

[350] Demanding satisfaction.
[351] That is, even unto.

[352] But you yourself were not to come near unto him, nay, we must "come unto God by Christ," (Heb 7:25).

[353] Namely, believed the promise of sanctification, (Eze 36:27, Micah 7:19), which belief brings always along with it the use of the means, that are of divine institution, for that end. __________________________________________________________________