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other. Therefore I pray you remember to diftinguifh 'twixt these
two,juftification, and fanctification. The perfon juftified and
to be faved. Though this be moft true, that there is no other
meritorious caufe of our justification and falvation, but only
Chrift; and there is no other inftrument to lay hold on this, but
faith, yet this is as true, that the perfon juftified,and to be faved,
hath more graces in him befides his faith; though there be not a
co-operation of faith, and other graces, to justifie; yet there is a
so existance of faith and other graces, in the perfom juftified. Thou
muft have a good beart 15 well as a good Chrift, and an holy life,
as well as a precious faith, or elfe thou fhalt never come to hea
ven. You know that in the body of man, there be Eyer to fee,
and Eares to hear, and Hands to take, and Feet to go, of all these
which are in the body, yer no members are deputed to fee, but
the eyes, nevertheleffe the eye maft not fay, of the eares, I have
no need of thee, nor the hand to the foot, I have no need of thee:
it is granted, that no member fees but the eye, eates but the
mouth, walks but the feet, layes hold on but the hands. Their
offices are fingular, yer their con corporation is neceffary. So,
no grace but faith, pitcheth on Chrift, yes hold on him as the
caufe of falvation, yet there is deed of other graces in the per-
fon to be faved. There must be love, and repentance; and godly
forrow, and true fear, and lively hope, and patience, and zeal, ore.
The effare is changed, only by the blood of Chrift, but if we will
be faved, the perfon must also be changed By the Spirit of:

Christ.

SECT. I.

T Hefe things being thus premifed, I fhall now give you fome

pear.

arguments, by which the truth of the affertion fhall ap

First, there is no other way to be faved, but this (viz.) robo lieve on Jefus Chrift. Ergo, it is the only way. Three things I take as granted Hypothefes.

Firft, that there is a Salvation for a finner,

Secondly, that there is a way ten ding thereto, as a meritorious cause of it..

Thirdly,

5. Argument

Jife.

Thirdly, that every man is a finner, for all have finned, and come foort of the glory of God, Rom. 3.22.

Two wayes of Now then,know that there are but two wayes of life, according to which there is a double Covenant. First, one Legal Secondly, the other Evangelical. The Legal Covenant is, do this and live; the Evangelical Covenant is, believe and live. The Legal Covenant grounds falvation in our own perfons, and the Evangelical, in the righteousnesse of another perfon. And these Covenants are oppofite, that one cannot conlift with the other, For(and mark this though the Law and the Gospel may, and do, and thall confift, as the Law is a word of rule for obedience,yet they cannot poffibly confift, is the Covenant of juftification, and falvation: (that is) whosoever will stand to the Covenant of works, to be juftified by it, he rejects the Covenant of grace, and fo E contra.

3. Things,

neffe.

I.

Well then, this being true, that our life is to be had by the •Covenant of Works, or of Grace, I will briefly fhew unto you that we finners can never be justified and faved, by the Legal Covenant, which if I clear, then it will be evident, that our falvation is only by faith in Jefus Chrift.

Thus then, all the poffibility to be juftified and faved by the Legall Covenant, ariseth from one of these grounds (viz) either because,

That there is a fulneffe and exactneffe in inherent holineffe. That there is a dignity and efficacy in actual obedience, which they call good works. That there is a latitude, or fufficiency of duty, to fulfil the Law, which may be conceived to be in a regenerate perfon; but none of thefe can juftifie and fave;Ɛr

go, For the first, viz. inherent bolineffe, this holineffe is that Inherent holi which is wrought in our whole foul, by the Spirit of God,whereby,of wicked he makes us good, and of unholy,be makes us holy; and according to the feverall degrees of it is the perion leffe Cannot juftifie or more holy. Now this we fay, that though the juftified perfon hath this infufed inherent holineffe: Yet this is not that which can juftifie him before God, (that is) for the dignity of which he can ftand fo before the judgement of God, as to be pronounced juft and righteous,and fo acquitted, which I prove

and fave.

thus.

1. That

.I.

That can never be the cause of our juftification,which is defective and imperfect, and leaves yet the perfon in fome measure finful. I 4.Reafons of it. cannot in the Court of Juftice, be pronounced perfectly just, for that righteoufneffe which is imperfectly just, no more then be can in a ftrict court be reputed to make full fatisfaction, who hath not paid halfe his debt, or to be throughly well, who is fcarfe able to walk three turnes in the Chamber: Eut that boliness which is in us, inherent kolinese,is very imperfect,( I speak of that which is in us here on earth) it is not adequate, or parallel to the whole will of God, which requires perfection of degrees, as well as of parts.

That it is imperfect,is as cleare as day.

First, it is at combate with fin. Ergo, it is not perfect: the argument is good, for whiles one contrary is mixed with the other, there is ftill imperfection; Sinne and Grace are contrary,and conflictings fhew imperfection, as victory notes perfe

Etion.

Secondly, that which may be encreased, is not perfect, but our inherent holineffe may receive more encrease:Hence those many exhortations to perfect holiness,2 Cor.7 1.and to labor after perfeEtion,2 Cor. 1. 3.

Thirdly, all the parts of holinesse are imperfect. Faith is not fo clear an eye,nor Hope lo fixed an Anchor, nor Love fo pure a ftreame, but that each of them need additions of degrees, of ftrength, of help: the Moon when it draweth into nearest con junction with the Sun, and is filled with the longest beames of communicated light, it hath yet her fpots, which like fo many reproaches ftick in the heart of her; fo is it with the holiest perfon on earth, with the largest measures of inherent graces, he hath yet great measures of finne, which I ke fo many spots, do blemish and difable the foul to stand perfectly pure and juft before the eyes of God.

That righteoufne fe by which we are justified is manifested without the Law. See Rom. 3.21. and what that righteousneffe is, he expreffeth in ver.22.even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jefus Christ unto all,and upon all them that believe. But inherent righteousnesse is not manifefted without the Law? Why? because the Law commands this inherent righteousnesse, (viz.) To love the Lord our God with all our hearts, &e. I

That,

2.

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That cannot be the cause of our juftification and falvation, upon which the conscience dares not to reft in the fecret agonies of conA&t, or in the eminent houres of death: when the foul is to enter conflict with the wrath of God, being wounded with the fenfe of finne, and cited as it were before the tribunal of Gods holy and strict justice, dares it then to put it felf feriously, and in good earneft, upon its own holinesse, to make its peace, to be its Chemnitius. propitiation,to fatisfie the trials and demands of Gods juftice? One well obferveth of the Papifts, that when they are to dispute with men, they will plead for inherent holineffe, but when they are to contend with God, they will flie only to Chrift: tutiffimum eft, laid Bellarmine. It was no ill meditation, that of Anfelme, Confcienţia mea meruit damnationem, & Pænitentia mea non fufficit ad fatisfactionem, fed certum eft, quod miferecordia tua fuperat omnem offenfionem (that is) O Lord my conscience tells me, I have deferved damnation, all the repentance that I have or can perform, comes fhort of fatisfaction, but thy mercy (even thy mercy only) can pardon, and fo exceed all my tranfgreffi

Anfelme.

4..

2.

ons.

The moft holy perfons do every day fin, and need daily pardon, and daily mercy; how then can we be juftified or faved, for the merit or dignity of any holineffe in our felves? How ridiculous were it, that he fhould think himself to ftand in great favour and acceptation before his Prince, for the fingularity of his continued vertues and performances, who every day breaks out into fuch acts,which need the Kings gracious mercy and pardon?

There is no dignity or meritorious efficacy in actual bolineffe, or Actual holiness in good works, by reason whereof we can be justified and faor good works ved.

cannot juftifie.

2. Reasons of it.

I know this field is very large, I will not expatiate, but speak in a word of it, with a proper respect to the thing in hand, I prove the thing thus.

1. No man (fince Adams fall) can performe works, in that perfection which the Law of God requires, under the paine of eternal damnation. The perfection of good works (according to the ftri& exigence of the Law, confifts especially in two things.

1. One is,that a man be able to performe them with all of his heart,

heart, and with a plenary love, without the intervening, or fliping in of any evil inclination, or motion which abates that due and required intenfion, or in any measure sprinkleth or tainteth them with any defilement.

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2. Another is, that a man is to perform good works in that Imanner, with a perpetual and conftant tenour or course all his life. Thofe two are the ingredients of perfection, as appears by that of Chrift, Thou shalt love the Lord, &c. And that of Paul, He is cursed that doth not continue in all that is written,&c. Gal. 3. 10. These are the conditions of works legally good, and which muft justifie a man, if he will be juftified according to the legal Covenant. But who can performe fuch perfect and good works? Adam might have done them, and Christ did; but what one finner can ? who can say, my heart is cleane, and that we do not in many things offend all? Paul cries out, am carnal, but the Law is fpiritual: The good that he would do, be could not do, and the evil which he would not do, that did he do. Good Lord! how often are we at a loffe in our moft retired meditations, and how our hearts lie flat on earth, when our eyes look towards heaven in prayer? For one good work that we do, how many bad which we fhould not do? like boyes, for one faire line, twenty with blots and blurs; or like the Archers, whereas they hit the mark once, they miffe it a hundred times: Let us but caft the accounts of our ill works with the good, and we shall finde with fhame and forrow, that our good works are not equal with our bad in number, nor so strong in dignity to wipe out the bad; but the bad, as they are. more for number, fo their cry of gilt is more meritorious, to caft both our persons and all our works before the judgement feat of God, then the good to ingratiate or merit for us.

2. What proportion 'twixt our works, and 'twixt our pardon and falvation? If facob be leffe then the leaft of outward benefits, Good God! how far more unworthy are we of the fpiritual, yea of the Eternal? When we have done all, we have not done more then duty, and that can never be merit, which is but duty; nay, when we have done all we can, we have not done our duty, we are but unprofitable (ervants, and that which failes of duty, comes fhort of dignity or merit.

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