601. XTIANS, the True ISrael. vid No. 597] [E's] Corol. Hence, That was a true title that was written on Xs cross in Hebrew & Greek & Latin, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS: he is King of the Jews, & only of the Jews, in his kingdom of grace. There was a special providence in ordering that the inscription should be so written, & not that ""he said, ''I am the King of the Jews,'" which was the accusation intended by it. I believe this is what St. John would intimate to us, John 19: 21. 22. vid Nos. 649. 658. [finis]
¶602. XTIAN RELigion. vide Note on Ps 74. 13. 14 [finis]
¶603. CORRUPTION of nature. REMAINS of Sin in the Godly. how that all they do is polluted with sin. vid Note on Coloss 3. 17. [finis]
¶604. WISDOM of God in the Work of REDEMPTION. Xs RIGHTEOUSness. It was a thing infinitely honourable to G that a person of infinite dignity was not ashamed to call him his God & to adore & obey him as such. This was more to his honour than if any meer creature of any possible degree of excellency & dignity had so done. [finis]
¶605. ORIGINAL SIN. SPIRIT'S OPERATION. FLESH & SPIRIT. Vid Notes on Galat 5. 17 [finis]
¶606. REGENERATION not Baptism. See a paper laid up in one of the shelves of the scrutore. [finis]
¶607. XTIAN RELigion. Vid Note on 1 Cor. 15. 11 [finis]
¶608. <Xtian Religion> ye RESURRECTION of the Dead is a doc exceeding consonant to the tenour of the gospel of X There is a great congruity between this and other docs about the redemption of X. For if God appointed his Son to redeem mankind from the calamities & miseries that are come upon them by the fall tis most meet that this redemption should be compleat and that all the evils of the fall should be abolished & delivered from of which one is death. Tis rational to suppose that the eternal Son of G. if he did undertake the work and to be at so great expence and difficulty in it that he would make thorough work ont [sic, ck. MS]. and tis congruous that this enemy death should first actually take possession first that redemption of X from death should be the more visible remarkeable & glorious. that he should not deliver man [ck. MS] by preventing the evil but that the evil should first actually be that the power & sufficiency of the Redeemer in redeeming may be the more conspicuous & glorious & his grace therein the more taken notice of. [finis]
¶609. CONSUMMATION of all things. <No. 664. §. 9. vid No. 736 1 vol qu. p. 125.> the DELIVERING up of the KINGDOM X God man shall reign after he has delivered up the kingdom to the Father but not as he doth now now he reigns by a delegated authority as a kings son may reign in some part of his dominions as his viceroy or over the whole, by having the whole governmt & managemt committed to him & left with him for a time. But then X will reign as a kings son may reign in copartnership with his father. Now he reigns by vertue of a delegation or commission, then he will reign by vertue of his union with the Father. Now things are managed in Xs name they are left to his ordering & governmt & the Father reigns by the Son. Then the Father will take the government upon himself, and things will be managed in his name, and the Son shall reign in & with the Father. As it cant be said that the Father does not reign now the kingdom is in the hands of his Son so neither can it be said that the Son will not reign then when the kingdom shall be delivered up into the hands of the Father. The governmt of the T now takes its rise now from the Son as the Head the Spring of it & the Father reigns now by vertue of the relation of the Son & his govermt [sic] to him as his Son infinitely near & dear to him the same with him in nature & will, as being in the Son & the Son from him commissionated & instructed by hi[m] acting & influencing by the same Spirit. & so the Fathers [sic] now governs all by the Son. Then the governmt of the universe will be from the Father will take its rise from him & then the Son will reign by vertue of the Fathers relation to him and his to the Father, as being his Father the same in nature & will. the Son being his perfect image and being in the F being his fellow admitted to fellowship & communion with him in government. & the Spirit of the Father by which he actuates & influences being also his spirit. Thus the Son then will reign then in & with the Father. G. the Father is now King of the world he is he that sits upon the throne as he is often represented in the Revelation. tho the kingdom be in the hands of the Son. So X will be King of the church & of the world after the Father has taken the kingdom into his own hands. X will forever continue to reign over all things, for two reasons 1st because tis his natural right as he is a divine Person the natural Son of God he has a right to reign forever as he is the Fathers proper Heir. 2. he will reign forever in reward for what he did in the work of redemption. upon this account he will [be (om. E)] admitted by the Father to reign with him as the sain[ts (r mg.)] shall be set on thrones & shall reign forever & ever as a fruit of Xs righteousness. So much more shall X reign forever in reward for his own righteousness. it is said of the saints after the resurrection that they shall reign forever and ever Rev. 22. 5. & we have it explain'd how they shall reign chap 3. 21. viz by sitting with X on his throne. whence tis evident that X shall reign forever on that throne, as it is said in the 3d. v. of that 22 chap. of Rev. that the throne of G. & the Lamb shall be in the new Jerusalem or church in her state of consummate glory after the resurrection <Heb 10. 12 forever set down on the right hand of God.> vid Mastricht p. 1096 b. & p 482. a. [Mastr. ref. later, tho prob not much.] [finis]
¶610. SELFRIGHTEousness. The manner of its working in persons while under CONVICTIONS. vid Serm. on Rom 3. 13---18. the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. pages of the Application. & whence it arises & the manner of its working, vid Serm on Luke 18. 14. [finis] [The second sermon ref. was added after No. 611 was written, or at least after the line was drawn. Also extends ever so slightly at left mg. Ink-pen slightly diff. in appearance, tho tow. end of line practically identical. Prob. added not much later, but not safe to read it as integral to the No.]
¶611. COVENANT of Works. Why the Moral Law was not expressly given to our first parents as well as the precept of not eating the forbidden fruit. vid Note on 1. Tim. 1. 9. [finis]
¶612. SACRAMENT of the Lords Supper is an ordinance eminently & peculiarly sacred vid Serm on 1. Cor 11. 29 The Doctrine & Reason. [finis]
¶613. MILLENNIUM. That there will be a vastly more glorious propagation of the true religion before the end of the world, is what I am confirmed in by this that there has been no propagation of Xtian [sic] yet but what Satan hath emulated. as to the extent of /p. [136]/ it. he in the extent of Mahometanism has vied with the extent of the Xtian church as the magicians in Egypt for a while vied with Moses in the wonders they wrought. It seems [to (om. E)] me highly probable that X will go on in propagating his church tis [sic] he has vastly outdone Satan as Moses went on till the magicians could vie with him no longer and particularly I believe that the Xtian church will be so propagated as to swallow up Mahometanism and root it out of the world as Moses rod swallowed up the Egyptians rods <The propagation of the Xtian church is often spoken of in Scripture as a glorious instance of the conquering power of God & X. & therefore without doubt, it shall be carried far as to be vastly beyond what Satan has done to vie with X.> [Last in space left at end of No., prob not much later. Looks like pen & ink of next no.] [finis]
¶614. WISDOM of God in the Work of REDEMPTION. That our Mediatour should be neither the Father nor the Son [sic] but the middle Person between them was fit & necessary upon a like account as it was necessary that he should be neither God the Father nor one of fallen men but a middle person between them. It was not meet that the Mediatour should be the Father because he sustaind the rights of Godhead and was the Person offended & to be appeased by a mediatour. It was not fit that he should be one of fallen men because because [sic] they were those whose mediatour he was to be or that he was to mediate for It was not fit that he should be either God the F nor a fallen man because he was to be mediatour between the Father & fallen man Upon the same account tis not fit that he should be either the Father or the Spirit for he is to be Mediatour between the Father & the Spirit. In being Mediatour between the Father & the saints he is Mediatour between the Father & the Spirit. The saints as saints act only by the Spirit in all their transactings wherein they act by a Mediatour i.e in all their transactings with God they act by the Spirit or rather [wr. into thread hole] it is the Spirit of God that acts in them they are the temples of the holy Ghost the holy spirit dwelling in them is their principle of life and action. There is need of a mediatour between God & the spirit as the Spirit is a principle of action in a fallen creature. for even those holy exercises that are the actings of the Spirit in the fallen creature cant be acceptable nor avail any thing with God as from the fallen creature unless it be by a mediatour. The Spirit in the saints is it yt seeks blessings of God through a Mediatour that looks to him by faith and depends on him for it Tis not suitable that the same person that seeks should be Mediatour for it self for the obtaining the things that it seeks. See this better expressed in Serm on Ephes. 3. 10 in the 8 & 9th pages of the sermon.1 [finis]
¶615. WISDOM of God in the Work of REDEMption. It was requisite that X in order to redeem man should take on him the very nature of man & not any other created nature if he had took [sic] on him the nature of an angel & had obeyed & suffered in that, it would not have been sufficient. For obeying the commands of God in an angelical nature would [not (om. E.)] have answered the law that was given to man mans law required the obedience of that nature an obedience performed with the strength & under the circumstances imperfections of that nature & the temptations that it is liable to. It was therefore essential that X should be in the same nature, because the law could not be properly answered unless the ends for which God gave the law are answered which was that his authority might be submitted to & honoured by his commands being perfectly obeyed & authority perfectly yielded to in such a nature in a nature of that strength & those circumstances. This is one end of Gods creating another sort of intelligent beings besides the angels that his authority might be submitted to & glorified in a nature under circumstances so differing from the circumstances of their nature. It was therefore essential in order to X answering the design of mans law without which the law cant be satisfied that he should obey in mans natures. <& indeed without this he dont obey the same law.> Tis not the difference of positive commands that makes a different law it is the difference of natures only that doth that [end of line] It may well enough be said that there is no other law but the moral law for all positive precepts that are or can be are included in the moral law because this is one of Gods moral laws that we should yield obedience to all Gods precepts whatever they are The moral law is the same in the same nature[s? ck. MS], and can be different only indifferent natures. [finis]
¶616. WISDOM of God in the Work of REDEMPTION. SATAN DEFEATED. What the fallen angels have done for the ruin of mankind has only proved an occasion of mankinds being exalted into their stead & to fill up that room that was left vacant in heaven by their fallen [sic] the beholding this must needs be exceeding cross and mortifying to Satan, to think that he must be cast down from such a height of glory to so low & abject a state to such disgrace and misery & that men creatures so inferiour to him whom he so envied & thought to have made his vassals should be advanced into his place in glory & that what he has done should be the means or occasion of bringing of if about: For under the first covenant there was no promise of heavenly glory. [finis]
¶617. COVENANT OF GRACE. <See N 1091. B. 7. 825. B. 3. 919. B 4. 1091. B. 7.> It seems to me there arises considerable confusion from not rightly distinguishing between the covenant that God makes with X and with his church or believers in him and the covenant between X & his church or between X and men [ck. MS] There is doubtless a difference between the covenant that God makes with X and his people, considered as one, and the covenant of X and his people between themselves. The covenant that a father makes between a son and his wife under one or considered as one, must be looked upon different from the marriage covenant or the covenant of the son & his wife between themselves. <the Father is concernd in this covenant only as a parent in a childs marriage directing, consenting & ratifying> these covenants are often confounded & the promises of each called the promises of the covenant of grace without due distinction. which has perhaps been the occasion of many difficulties & considerable confusion in discourses & controversies about the covenant of grace.
¶All the promises of each of those [ck. MS] covenants are conditional. to suppose that there are any promises of the covenant of grace or any covenant promises that are not conditional promises seems an absurdity & contradiction. /p.[137]/ These [ck. MS] covenants differ in their conditions. The condition of the covenant that God has made with Jesus X as a publick person is all that X has done & suffered to procure redemption The condition of Xs covenant with his people or of the marriage covenant between him & men is that they should close with him and adhere to him
¶They also differ in their promises The sum of what is promised by the Father in the former of these covenants is Xs reward for what he has done in the work of redemption & success therein. & the sum of what is promised in Xs marriage covenant with his people, is the enjoyment of himself & communion with him in the benefits he himself has obtain'd of the Father by what he has done & suffered. [space at end of line] As in marriage the persons covenanting give themselves and all that they have to each other. & indeed we may say that sum of all that X promises in his covenant with his people is that he will give himself to them In marriage the persons covenanting giving themselves to each other do give what they have to each the union which they mutually consent to infers confers communion. This promise of the Covenant of X with his people, implies eternal life of both soul & body the happiness of eternal life it [sic] consists in the enjoyment of X, and in in [sic] communion with him or partaking with him in the happiness & glory of his reward who is rewarded with the eternal life & glory of both soul & body. It includes sanctification & perseverance, these are included in the enjoymt of X and communion with X It includes justification this also is a part of believers communion with X for they in their justification are but partaker of Xs justification they are pardond & justified in Xs justification they are pardond & justified in Xs acquittance & justification as mediatour. The promises of the incarnation of X and of his obedience & sacrifice, were included in the covenant between X and believers before these things were actually accomplished these were included in Xs promise of giving himself to believers if he gives himself to believers as is promised in this marriage covenant then he must represent them if X gives himself to sinners of course justice done to the sinners takes hold on him. and all the sinners obligations lie upon X these things necessarily follow from Xs making himself one with them as he doth in his marriage covenant.
¶In the promise of the Fathers covenant with the sin [sic] are included eternal life perseverance justification & not only so but regeneration or conversion the giving father, & all things necessary in order to faith as the means of grace, Gods word and ordinances for all these things are included in Xs success the success of what has [sic] done & suffered & are parts of his reward. Hence it appears that many of the things promised in both these covenants are the same, but in some things different so that those things that are promised in one of these covenants are conditions in another [sic] thus regeneration & closing with X is one of the promises of the covenant of the Father with X but is the condition in the covenant of X with his people. so on the other hand the incarnation death & sufferings of X are promises in Xs covenant with his people, but they are the conditions of the covenant of the Father with his Son. The [wwxo] the things conveyed [A: concerned; ck. MS] in both covenants being some of them the same & to the same persons [-s? mg] dont cause but that the covenants are not entirely different. as if a Father gives an estate to his son & his future wife. the son in his marriage covenant gives himself & his estate to her that he takes to wife, yet the covenants are entirely different & not at all to be confounded.
¶Both these covenants are revealed to us & we are concernd in both, both are our consolation. we are concernd in the covenant between the Father & Son because in that covenant God transacted with him as a publick person or as our head & therefore transacts with believers as in X or as being parts of X. we are concern'd in the covenant between X and us as being one of the parties contracting. in the former we are concern'd as being of one of the parties contracting or belonging to it but in the latter we are concernd as being distinctly & by our selves one of the parties contracting. that that is together but one of the parties contracting in the former is in the latter distinguished into two parties contracting one with another.
¶The promises of the former of these covenants being revealed do become the promises of the Father to believers these are the promises that are given us in X that is they are promises made to use by the Father as being in X being parts of X & so having a right to the same blessing that are promises to X himself our head.
¶God often speaks in his word of the covenant he has made with his people, comparing it to the covenant between husband & wife by this covenant is intended the covenant between X and his people.
¶The promises of a new heart & a right spirit & of writing Gods law on our heart &c-- that we have in the word of God are in different respects promises of both these covenants those promises as they respect the first regeneration belong to Gods covenant with his Son. as the [sic] respect what is done in the work of sanctification after conversion they belong also to X covenant with his people . as they are [wxo] denote the publick prosperity & glory of the church [wwxo] it likewise belongs to both covenants. For the conversion of sinners to X is one thing wherein the churches glory consists & what every saints [sic] looks upon as part of his prosperity . & so is part of that prosperity that X has promised to his people for their comfort.
¶Coroll. 1. The revelation & offer of the gospel is not properly called a covenant till it is consented to . as when a man courts a /p.[138]/ woman offers himself to her. his offer is not called a covenant tho he be obliged by it on his part. Neither did I think that the gospel is called a covenant in Scripture, but only when the engagements are mutual
¶Corol. 2. What has been said may something illustrate to us the different respects in which the first closing with X and a perseverance in faith & holiness may be said to be conditions of the covenant of grace. There is the like difference between them as there is between a womans consenting to be the wife and accepting for her husband him that offers himself to her & courts her, & the duty that she in her covenant promises toward her husband viz cleaving to him and being faithfull to him <as a wife> till death.
¶Both these are in some respects the condition of the covenant both her accepting him for an husband, and her being faithfull to him till death as a wife till death [sic] But not in the same respect For the former is so much the condition alone that as soon as she has performed it, she is at once entitled to him as an husband & [mg] so to his love & kindness as such and to communion in his possessions before the actual performance of the duty she has promised. she may also be entitled to his instruction & care of her his wisdom & endeavours to cultivate love & best assistance to enable her to behave towards him as she ought in her place . but yet her being actually faithfull to him till death may also be so much the condition as that his acepting [sic] [her (om.E)] as a wife was as looking upon her faithfullness to him as already vertually performed in her acepting him to be her husband & promising faithfullness & her supposed disposition to be faithful to her promises. See Serms. on Ps. 111. 5. & Gal. 3. 16 [finis; last refs later adds.]
¶618. SATAN DEFEATED. X poured the greater contempt upon Satan in his victory over him by reason of the manner of his preparing himself to fight with him & the contemptible means & weapons he made use of to overthrow him. when he was preparing to encounter that proud & potent enemy the method he took was not to [wwxo] to put on his strength and to [wwxo] & to deck himself with glory & beauty [A: beuty? bonty?] , but to lay aside his strength & glory & to become weak to take upon him the nature of a poor feeble mortal man a worm of the dust that in this nature of a poor feeble mortal man a worm of the dust that in this nature and state he might overcome Satan. Like David who when he went to fight with Goliath put off the princely armour that Saul armed him with. The weapons that X made use of in fighting with the hellish gian [ck. MS] were his poverty, afflictions reproaches and death. his principal weapon was his own cross the ignominious instrument of his own death. these were seemingly weak & despicable weapons and doubtless Satan disdaind em as much as Goliath did Davids stones that he came out against him with. But with such weapons as these X in a human weak mortal nature overthrew all the power & baffled all the craft of hell [finis]
¶619. SATAN DEFEATED. Nothing can more clearly manifest to the heavenly hosts that God is the supream & absolute disposer of all things than to see God carry on his designs from age to age, so as at last to bring forth those great events & fulfill his great ends by a most powerfull and subtile enemy as he doth by Satan, who in all that he doth to his utmost endeavours to frustrate and counterwork him. Neither can any thing more shew the wisdom of God in his government of the world. [finis]
¶620. JUSTIFICATION. Faith is the condition of salvation because it trusts in X and ascribes salvation to him: repentance is the condition because it renounces confidence in self, & disclaims the glory of salvation so that neither of them justifies as a work for the nature of the one is to renounce works and the nature of the other is to depend on the works of another [finis]
¶621. Xs AGONY in the Gardon. It may be asked why X should suffer so much beforehand why was it necessary that he should have two turns of suffering the wrath of God one upon the cross and another before he was apprehended in the garden Ans. The reason might be this X might have a specimen of his sufferings beforehand that he might know what it was that he was going to suffer, that he might have an idea what those sufferings were that must be undergone to make attonement for sin that his undertaking them might be more his own act & choice. the undergoing those sufferings and his abiding their approach could not be fully & perfectly his own actual choice as man unless he knew what they were but he could not fully know what they were he could not have a clear & full idea of [them (om. E)] without in a considerable measure feeling them. For a clear idea of sorrow or joy or any act exercise or passion of the mind is the very same thing in a degree existing in the mind that it is an idea of as I have shewn in my discourse about the Trinity. The sufferings that X felt in the garden seem to be from and [sic] idea he had of his approaching sufferings on the cross as appears by Xs expressing himself, God saw fit to give X a very full understanding what his approaching sufferings were, just before they came before he was apprehend [sic] when he had yet opportunity to flee that his choosing them and abiding them might be his own act as man that it might not be said that he undertook to suffer he knew not what it was the will of God that that should be the act of X both of the divine & human nature, that it might be a glorious manifestation of the love of both natures towards man & it might be a more meritorious act of obedience. vid No 653.
¶See this more fully spoken to in Serm on Luke 22. 44. under the 4th thing proposed under the 1st Proposition. [finis] [No. 653 ref. later; sermon ref. prob. wr. in later in space left at end of page; how much later?]
¶622. Xs MEDIATION. Mr Watts's 3d vol of sermon p 185 ---------Twas this very blood in the vertue of which Jesus himself was raised from the dead Heb. 13. 20 The God of peace brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Twas in the vertue of this blood that he ascended and appeared before God in heaven, Heb. 9. 12 X [&?] by his own blood enterd into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. did the cursed guilt of our sins bring the Son of God down from heaven to earth did it smite him to death & lay him low in the grave? but the power of his compleat attonement has broken the bonds [ck. MS] of death and the grave this has brought him back to life again & raised him from earth to heaven: [;?] and by the same blood of his cross he has opened an effectual way for our rising from the dead and our final admission into the place of blessedness. As Aaron the Jewish high priest might not dare to venture into the Holy of Holies without the blood of expiation, so X our great high priest, when he had once taken our sins upon him might not ascend into heaven into the presence of God 'till in the language of SS he could carry his own blood with him till he could shew a full attonement. [finis] [All of this is apparently a quotation or paraphrase.]
¶623. CONSCIENCE. Let this be added to Number 472. This appears because natural conscience may be in it [sic] most perfect exercise, in those in whom sin & corruption have its most perfect dominion & exercise, as for instance in the devils & damned their consciences are not stupid but thoroughly awakend & fully do their office, they have the most perfect sense of good and evil of that kind. But yet they cant be said properly to see more of the hatefullness or deformity of sin in general or their own sins than some wicked men on earth who yet have not their consciences in any measure so fully enlighten'd and awakened: They will be sensible & convinced in conscience that their punishment is just they'll be so far convinced of their own wickedness that they'll see fully & clearly that it has deserved so dreadfull a punishmt even at the same time that they feel it which argues an illumination of conscience far beyond what any have in this T world & yet this will be without seeing any thing of the hatefullness of their sins It can therefore be nothing else but a sense of the equality & answerableness of such a displeasure of God to their sins from the sight they will have of the awfull greatness & majesty of God [finis] [vertical line down left mg. of this. JE's? This idea is used in the T.V.]
¶624. INCARNATION of the Son of God. vid 487 & 513. Another thing that confirms, that Xs union with the Godhead is by the communication of the Holy Ghost not by measure to him, is what X says in vindication of himself when the Jews accused him of blasphemy for making himself God & saying that he & his Father are one in the 36 v. of the 10 chap. of John Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world thou blasphemest because I said, I am the Son of God. he mentions that as sufficient warrant for his saying that he was the Son of God & that he & the Father were one and making himself equal with God viz. that the Father had sanctified, [him (om. E)] tis by that that he becomes the Son of God. But tis the Holy Ghost that is the Sanctifier, God sanctified X no otherwise than by communicating his Holy Spirit to him. His being sanctified made him God as it made him a divine person. [:?] his being sent into the T i.e upon the work and office that he came upon made [?] God by office. vid 1 vol in quarto. p. 78 [finis; was ref at end written same time??]
¶625. EXCELLENCY of X vid Serm on Cant 1. 3. Preached June 1733. [finis]
¶626. SPIRITS OPERATION. NATURE GRACE. COMMON GRACE. SPECIAL REGENERATION. vid No. 471 Natural men may have convictions from the Spirit of God but tis from the Spirit of God only as assisting natural principles & not infusing any new & supernatural principle. That conviction of guilt which a natural man may have from the spirit of God is only by the Spirits assisting natural conscience the better & more fully to do its office Therein common grace differs from special that common grace is only the assistance of natural principles Special is the infusing & exciting supernatural principles. or, (if any of these words are too abstruse) common grace only assists the faculties of the soul to do that more fully which they do by nature, as mans natural conscience will by meer nature render him in a degree sensible of guilt it will accuse a man & condemn him when he has done amiss the Spirit of God, in those convictions which natural men sometimes have, assists conscience to do this in a further degree, and helps this [their? rmf] natural principle, against those things that tend to stupify it & to hinder its free exercise. But special grace causes the faculties to do that that they do not by nature causes those things to be in the soul that are above nature, & of which there is nothing of the like kind in the soul by nature, & causes them to be in the soul habitually and according to such a stated constitution or law that lays such a foundation for a continued course of exercises, as is called a principle of nature, such as a principle of life in a plant or animal, or a principle of sensation or natural appetite, &c-- [finis]
¶627. JUSTIFICATION. FREE GRACE REWARDS vid No. 671 & 688 God in rewarding the holiness and good works of believers, does in some respect /p. [140]/ give them happiness as a testimony of his respect to the loveliness of their holiness & good works. for this is the very notion of a reward but in a very different sense, from what would have been if man had not fallen For a man to have eternal life for his works in the sense that would have been, if we had performed perfect obedience, is to have eternal life as a testimony of Gods respect to our loveliness as we are beheld separately by our selves & to the loveliness of what we do considered in it self and as it is in us as separately by our selves. But when God rewards the good works of believers tis in testimony of his respect to the loveliness of their good works in Christ For their good works are not lovely to God in themselves but they are lovely to him in X and beholding them not separately & by themselves but as in X See how in Notes on Colos 3. 17. If we had never committed but one sin and at all other times had exercised perfect holiness & performed perfect obedience yet looking upon us as we are by our selves with all that belongs to us, we should be in no degree lovely persons but hatefull--tho we had performed many lovely acts & no one act of holiness is a lovely act in it self and without consideration of any relation to X, unless it be a perfect act. Two things come to pass relating to the saints reward for their inherent righteousness by vertue of their relation to X. 1. that any of their inherent righteousness or good works are aceptable & lovely to God & looked up [sic] meet to be rewarded at all, & 2. That they have so great a reward looked upon worthy of so great a reward, or that God looks upon it suitable that they should be so exceedingly rewarded as they shall. [sic] If we suppose that all the deformity of the saints works is hid by X so that God beholds & has respect to them simply with regard to the holiness yet that holiness when thus simple & by itself is but small yet God doth exceedingly reward it with a much greater reward probably than he would have done Adams perfect obedience. This is again because God beholds them as in X their holiness <& good works> what little of it there is recieves vastly greater value than otherwise they [over it oblit.] would have by vertue of their relation to X, & that because God looks upon them as persons of greater dignity <Isai 43. 5 [4, corr. ref., wr. over (by A copyist?)] Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable.> the same love and obedience in a person of greater dignity is more valuable, than in one of lesser dignity Believers are become immensely more honourable persons in Gods esteem by vertue of their relation to X than man would have been considered as by himself, as a mean person becomes more honourable when married to a king. according to the tenour of the first covenant the person was to be accepted only for the works sake. but in the covenant of grace the works are accepted for the persons sake. Mr. Vink in Morn. Exer [finis] [From ""according" on, replaces 3-4 lines xo with an ""x", wh. were to the same effect; But the Vink ref. looks like same pen with rewriting, and diff. fr. rest. A later corr.? prob.]
¶628. SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE. FAITH. That spiritual light that is let into the soul by the Spirit of God discovering the excellency & glory of divine things It not only directly evidences the truth of religion to the mind as this divine glory is an evident stamp of divinity & truth, but it sanctifies the reasoning faculty and assists it to see the clear evidence there is of the truth of religion in rational arguments, & that two ways viz. 1. as it removes prejudices, & so lays the mind more open to the force of argument, [-s?] & also 2dly as it positively enlightens and assists it to see the force of rational arguments not only by removing prejudices but by adding greater light clearness & strength to the judgment in this matter See how one way No. 408 [From here to end, xo by horiz line and X. ""See how" etc. probably orig. end of No. The rest may have been wr. at same time as next no.]
It strengthens the foundation of all rational arguments for the truth of religion which is the being & attributes especially the moral attributes of God it not only strengthens the belief of this as it [finis]
¶629. MEANS OF GRACE. The word & ordinances and works of God are means of grace as they give opportunity for the proper & fit exercise of grace, and are in a sort means of that exercise, tho not in the same manner as things are the means of the exercise of natural principles because not only the principle of grace but every exercise of it is the immediate effect of the sovereign acting of the Spirit of God. Indeed in natural things means of effects in metaphisical strictness are not proper causes of the effects, but only occasions God produces all effects but yet he ties natural events to the operation of such means or causes them to be consequent on such means according to fixed determinate & unchangeable rules which are called the laws of nature. & thus it is that natural means are the causes of the exercises of natural principles. But means of grace are not means of the exercises of grace in such a manner for the actings of the Spirit of God in the heart are more arbitrary and are not tied to such & such means by such laws or rules as shall particularly & precisely determine in a state method every particular exercise & the degree of it but the Holy Spirit is given & infused into the hearts of men only /p.[141]/ under this general law viz that it shall remain there and put forth acts there after the manner of an abiding natural vital principle of action a seed remaining in us see after 631. this mark [Intro: this xo sec. shd. be cpd. w. add. after 631.] [Rest of No. is much crossed out, with a final line through the whole, at which time probably the note referring to after 631 was written.]
[This sec. xo in MS]
[First 3 11. xo, but rewritten in what follows] that it should be putting forth it self from time to time as opportunity and advantage from those means presents, that its exercises should ordinarily be from time to time consequent on those antecedents in a measure, as the exertions of natural vital principles in plants & animals are consequent on those antecedents that are called natural causes <such as the influence of the sun & rain & due cultivation food phisick, &c--.> that when there are the antecedents those that give suitable opportunity answerable exercises of grace should follow, in some measure in an ordinary & stated way not precisely determinate & certain as in natural effects, but so far that the obtaining those antecedents should be the likeliest <a very likely> way to have those exercises . & the having the most of these antecedents & so thereby the most opportunity for the exercise of grace, should be the likeliest way to have the most of the exercises of grace But innumerable things are concerned as means that are concurring in the degree of opportunity given for the exercise of grace as innumerable things are to be considered if every thing should be brought into consideration that is concern'd as a natural cause in the degree of the flourishing of a plant.
¶So that means of grace are means of the exercises of grace when once the principle is infused and the degree of the principle given differing from natural causes only in this that the effect <in natural things> in all its circumstances is connected with the antecedent by a precise and unalterable rule . & here the effect is connected with the antecedent <only by a general law> not so particular & precise as to all times & circumstances, but leaving room for variation according to Gods arbitrary determination in particular[s added by E] [finis] occasions but still observing the same general law [Cf. the lines after 631, which were apparently substituted for the xo material.]
¶630. SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE. FAITH. That belief of the truth may be saving that doth most directly depend on rational arguments. vid the two foregoing. Believing the truth of divine doctrines is one of those suitable exercises of grace that God insists that there would be opportunity for in order to his bestowing grace. Rational arguments give opportunity for it, they give opportunity for such a belief with a less degree of grace. They give opportunity for a fuller & more established belief less liable to be shock'd by temptation with the same degree of grace. [finis]
¶631. FREE WILL. It dont at all excuse persons for not doing such duties as loving God accepting of X &c-- that they cant do it of themselves unless they would if they could & if they would if they could, unless they would do it from good principles, For that woulding is as good as no woulding at all that is in no wise from any good principle . but unless men would love God from some real respect to Good [God?] or sense of duty that is of the goodness of their duty or disposition to their duty as in it self good & lovely & not meerly from an aversion to pain & desire of pleasure, it is in no wise from any good principle. Vid Serm. on Rev. 3. 20. Ans. to 2. Objec. under the first use. [finis]
Subjoin this to the last but two.] [E's.] Means of grace are so much less properly means either of the habit or exercises of grace as the dependance, or connection between them and the effect is less The dependance or connection is so much less as the law by which the effect is consequent is more general & less certain & determinate as to particulars. [finis]
¶632. FREE GRACE. FAITH <JUSTIFICATION> is that qualification that renders it suitable in Gods esteem that persons should have a declared [?] interest in Christ & his redemption, upon three accounts viz. 1. That tis an active uniting of the person to X and therefore God looks upon it suitable that such as believe should be looked upon one with X vid No. 568.
¶2. Tis a recieving and accepting the gift God dont look upon it suitable, that the gift or a right to the gift should be confer'd on an intelligent acting being that at the same time disapproves of rejects & opposes the gift It would be very unsuitable to unite such blessings to an acting will being where there is no accord or union of the act or will with the blessing bestowed but the contrary. <vid No. 507.>
¶3. It receives & acepts the gift or is the persons active uniting with the gift, with its qualities & relations viz. as a free gift the gift of God the fruit of his power &c-- It acknowledges the Author of the gift & that glory & perfection of God that is exercised in giving his power holiness, justice, faithfullness & grace, that the gift depends upon & gives the glory tot eh proper Author. When we say that faith is the condition of justification tis no more than to say tis the condition of Gods making known his decree that they shall have the benefit of Xs righteousness. For without these[ck. MS] things forementioned what good could be obtained by his declaring such a decree abundance of evil would be the consequence but God in the rule of his making known his decree in this matter doubtless aims at some good. vid No. 6. [finis. Are these marks JE's? Ref. to some other MS or work? ck. MS.]
¶ 633. WISDOM of God in the work of REDeption. DIVINITY of the Son of God God would not have[c] give[n c] [a short word xo here?] us any person to be our Redeemer but one that [xo c] unless he [c] was of divine and absolutely supream dignity & excellency, or that [xo c] was the supream God least we should be under temptation to pay him too great respect least if he were not the supream God we should be under temptation to pay him that respect which is due only to the supream & which God who is a jealous God will by no means allow to be paid to an inferiour being. Men are very liable to be tempted to [wwxo] to set those too high from whom they have recieved great benefits. They are prone to give them that respect & honour that belongs to God only. Thus the Gentile T /p. [142]/ deified and adored their kings that did great things for them and others from whom they recieved great benefits. So Cornelius was tempted to give too great respect to Peter he being the person that god had marked out to be his teacher & guide in things pertaining to his [xo E?] eternal salvation. So the Apostle John could scarce avoid adoring the angel that shewed him those vision he fell down to worship him once and again t<T>[c]ho the first time he had been <been> strictly warned against it yet the temptation was so great that he did it again Rev 19. 10. & 22. 8. This that they were under temptation to was greatly disallowed of by God. when Cornelius fell down before Peter, he[c] took [sic] him up saying stand up I my self also am a man. so when the people at Lystra were about to offer divine worship to Paul & Barnabas when they heard of it they rent their clothes, & ran in among the m[c] people [xo c] crying out, Sirs & saying [xo c] Sirs, why do ye these thing? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you, that ye should turn from these vanities, unto the living God, which made heaven & the earth & the sea, and all things that are therein. Act. 14. & when John was about to adore the angel how strictly was he warned against it See thou do it not says he For I am thy fellow servant & of thy [c orig. the] brethren the [c changed to thy, then xo & wrote "the" above] prophets, that have the testimony of Jesus X; worship God. & God has always[c] been carefull to guard against it; so [xo c] he hid the body of Moses that it might be no temptation to [wxo] to idolatry. But if any thing can be a temptation to give supream respect & honour to one that is not the supream being this would be a temptation viz. to have a person that is not the supream being to be our Redeemer to have such an one endure such great sufferings out of love to us & thereby to deliver us from such extreme & eternal misery & to purchase for us so great & eternal happiness. God therefore in wisdom has appointed such a person to be our Redeemer that is of absolutely supream glory & excellency that we may be in no danger of loving & adoring him too much that we may prize him exalt him for the great things that he has done for us as much as we will & as his love to us & his sufferings for us & the benefits we recieve by him can tempt us to without danger of exceeding.
¶X has done as great things for us as ever the Father did his mercy & love have been as great & wonderfull & we recieve as much benefit by it <them>[c] as we do by the love & mercy of the Father. The Father never did greater things for us than to redeem us from hell & bring us to eternal life But if X had not been a person equal with the Father & worthy of our equal respect, God would not have ordered it so that the temptation to love & respect to the Son that we have by kindness recieved should be equal with enducement [sic] what [xo C; or if by E, by mistake] we have to love & respect to the Father. [finis]
[Worked over by JE Jr.; apparently not used in the MO.]
¶634. RESURRECTION. NEW HEAVEN, & NEW EARTH. That the settled and everlasting abode of the righteous after the resurrection shall not be here upon this earth but in heaven in that world of glory where the man X Jesus now it seems rational upon this account viz that it seems most rational to suppose, that the saints when they recieve their consummate glory should be removed to be brought to X to be gathered home to him of whom are all things & to whom are all things, than that they should remain unmoved & X should remove and change his place, to take up his everlasting abode in the which is their native place. Tis fit that in the consummation of all things that all things should be gathered together to God, that the less should remove & be brought home to the greater & not the greater change place to come to the less. X when he ascended into heaven he ascended to his fixed & everlasting abode of glory, & the promise is that X will take believers home to him that tho he will come again yet it will be to take them to himself. Vid Notes on Rev. No. 62. & 73. See No. 743.[The last ref. is later & refers to Misc.]
¶635. CONVICTION. HUMILIATION. Bad wounds must be searched[ck. MS] to the bottom and oftentimes when they are very deep they must be lanced & the core laid open tho it be very painfull to endure, before they can have a good cure. the surgeon may skin them over, so that it may look like a cure without this without much hurting the patient but it will not do the patient much good he does but decieve him for the present, but it will be no lasting benefit to him the sore will break out again. This figures forth to us the case of our spiritual wound the plague of our hearts which is great & deep & must be search'd must be launced[sic] by painfull conviction. the core must be laid open we must be made to see that fountain of sin & corruption there is & what a dreadfull state we are in by nature, in order to a thorough and saving cure. Jer. 8. 11. speaking of the teachers of Israel, their prophets & priests, They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying peace, peace, when there is no peace.
¶A child is not brought forth by the mother without grievous pain. This is a type of the pains & inward distress that there is in the soul before it becomes the spiritual mother of X. [finis]
¶636. FAITH Saving may be built upon rational arguments, or rational arguments may savingly convince the soul of the truth of the things of religion. Nicodemus when he came to Jesus by night, said unto him Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou dost, except God be with him he was a true believer & tho now he was cowardly and come by night yet afterwards he appear'd openly as one of his disciples in a time of greater trial, viz when he with Joseph of Arimathea came to anoint the body of Jesus Joh. 19. 39, compared with Mark 15. 43. The woman of Samaria believed because Jesus told her all that ever she did John 4. 29. Tho that might not be the only thing that convinced her. John 6. 26. Verily verily I say unto you ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves & were filled . Christ reproves the Jews for not believing tho /p. [143]/ he had done such miracles. Joh 5. 36. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. & chap 10. 24 25. 26. Then came the Jews round about him, & said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? if thou be the X, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them I told ye [sic] and ye believed not; the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me. But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep. & v. 37. 38. If I do not the works of my Father believe me not. But if I do tho ye believe not me believe the works, that ye may know & believe that the Father is in me & I in him. <Joh 11. 15. But I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent that ye might believe> John 11. 32. And I know that thou hearest me always; but because of the people that stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. John 12, 37 Tho he had done so may miracles before them yet they believed not on him. John 13. 18. 19. he that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heal against me. Now I tell you before it come to pass, that when it come [s ?] to pass ye may believe that I am he. Joh 11. 15. speaking of Lazarus's death. And I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe. John 14. 28. 29 I go away & come again unto you And now I have told you before it come to pass; that when it come to pass ye may believe. John 14. 11. Believe me that I am in the Father & the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake. John 19. 34. 35. John testifies that he saw the soldier pierce Xs side, & says that he bears record that we might believe. He means either as it proved that he was really dead & so that when he rose he rose from the dead; or that the Scripture was fulfilled in him that says a bone of him shall not be broken as in the next v. John 20. 30. 31. And may other signs truly did Jesus &c-- but these are written that ye might believe, that Jesus is the X the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. Thomas was convinced by thrusting his hand into his side X bids him do it & not be faithless but believing & when he had done it he cries out My Lord & my God. he believed by reasoning from what he had percieved with his external senses, X says to him Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed. Joh 20. 24 &c--
¶How often have we an account in the Acts of the apostles reasoning & disputing with men to bring them to believing & of many being brought to believe through that means. How often did they use that argument especially of the resurrection of X [finis]
¶637. TRUSTING in our OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS for Justification or acceptance with God, or the having the ground of our expectation of Gods favour in a high & false apprehension of our own excellency as related to Gods favour, is a thing fatal to the soul, & what will prevent salvation appears. This is evident, I [large numeral] By the 9 of Rom. 31. 32. But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. Here tis evident 2. That by seeking or following after the law of righteousness by the works of the law is meant seeking justification by the works of the law. For what is here expressed by following after the law of righteousness is in the preceding verse, where the Apostle is evidently speaking of the same thing called following after righteousness by which is doubtless intended a becoming righteous in the sight of God or to his acceptance. When it is said Israel sought or followed after the law of righteousness by the works of the law tis as much as to say Israel sought & expected to be found in Gods appointed way of justification by performing the works of the law
¶3. Tis evident that by the works of the law here is meant not only a conformity to Jewish ordinances of worship, but our own moral righteousness or excellency consisting in our obedience to the laws of God in general, whether moral ceremonial, or whatever; because what is called here the works of the law is called in the 3d v. of the next chap their own righteousness, where the same thing is evidently intended by the reference the Apostle has there to what is said here. & doubtless by the works of the law is meant the same as the Apostle means by the righteousness of the law in the 5. v. of the next chap. where that expression is evidently used as synonymous with our own righteousness v. 3. & so they are used as synonymous Philip. 3. 6. & 9. but doubtless by our own <their> [JE appar. xo wrong word] righteousness is meant the same as our <their> own goodness or moral excellency and not only that part of of [sic] it that consisted in their obedience to the ceremonial law. And again we often find the works of the law set by this apostle in opposition to the free grace of God & therefore thereby must be intended our own excellency For wherein does grace appear, but in being bestowed on them that are no more excellent, that are so unworthy, so far from deserving any thing 1. That this that Israel did that is here spoken of if fatal because tis said they attained not to the law of righteousness for this reason. This is given as the main reason of their missing of it & then its evident by the context for that is what the Apostle is speaking of viz how the greater part of that nation miss of salvation & shall be vessels of wrath, & indeed this is what he is upon throughout the whole chapter Rom 3. 20. 24. 27. 28. & Titus 3. 5. where instead of works of law the Apostle says works of righteousness. /p. [144]/ Rom 11. 6. & 4.4 Gal. 5. 4. Ephes. 2. 8. 9.
¶& then where the Apostle speaks of the works of the law when speaking of this matter of justification he evidently means not only works of the ceremonial but also moral law as Rom 3. 20. with the context & in other places where this matter is treated of, which it is needless to mention. 4. Seeking or following after justification by the works of the law or by our own righteousness is fatal as it is a self exaltation and upon the account of that high opinion there is of <& dependence upon> our own excellency in it For doubtless tis fatal to our salvation upon the account of that in it wherein it is especially opposite to Gods design in the way of our salvation. This way of man seeking his own salvation is fatal to man. doubtless because of that in it which [wwxo] by which it is contrary to Gods way or to his aim in the way that he has contrived, which is that salvation should be wholly for Xs sake, & that free grace alone should be exalted & boasting be excluded & all glory should belong to God and none to us Rom 3. 27. Ephes. 2. 19. Rom. 4. 2 1 Cor 1. 29. 30. 31. Doubtless therefore seeking justification by the works of the law is fatal upon the account of the boasting that is included in it. The end of the law is that men may be sensible they have nothing of their own to plead. Rom 3. 19. That every mouth may be stopped
¶And then tis evident, that this was the errour of the Jews that are those, that are here spoken of by the accounts we have of them, viz. that they had a high conceit of their own righteousness & looked upon themselves as very acceptable, & highly valued in the sight of God upon that account. This kind of pride and self-dependence is what the Pharisees are so often found fault with for, who were the leading sect among the Jews and were heads & leaders in the Jews opposition to the gospel, Math 6. 2. 5. 16. Math 7. 3. 4. 5. Luke 16. 15 Luke 18. 9. 10. 11. 12. & this is mentioned as the fault of the Jews in general, Rom 2. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. <& this is prophecied of as that for which the Jews should be rejected when the Gentiles should be called Isai. 65. 6. with the context> [added after next ¶, lighter ink - illegible]
¶II Again it is evident that trusting in our own righteousness is fatal to the soul by Rom 10. 3. For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God This is evidently spoken as a thing fatal to them, by the manner of the Apostles introducing it having said that it was his hearts desire and prayer for them that they might be saved, then shews how they fail of it, Tis evident also by the last verses of the preceding chapter, where the Apostle is speaking of the same thing in those forementioned words which occasion these, Tis evident also by the 16. & following verses. & hereby their going about to establish their own righteousness is not meerly intended going about to establish a way ofjustification of their own devising, but going about to establish something as the matter of their justification, that was their own or that was of themselves And so by their being ignorant of & not submitting themselves to Gods righteousness is meant that they were ignorant how they were entirely dependent on God <& on his imputation> in this affair of justification. <did not understand nor believe this doc. of imputed righteousness of righteousness from God> did not yield to be justified by righteousness meerly from God as imputed by him. I look upon it that tis here called Gods righteousness, not chiefly because tis the righteousness of X a divine person, but rather as tis wholly & immediately recieved from God, <or as tis righteousness of or from God Philip 3. 9.> what is not at all from our selves but meerly by Gods imputation. See Rom 4. 3. 4. 5. 6 &c-- But that by going about to establish their own righteousness is meant going about to establish something of their own as the matter of their justification is evident by the connection with the 32. verse <of the foregoing chapter compared with the 5 v of this> tis evident that here by their own righteousness is meant the same as works of the law there. Again tis evident by the meaning of this phrase of own [sic] righteousness when used else where by this apostle, as Philip. 3. 9.
¶III Again it is evident by Galat. 5. 2. 3. 4. Behold I Paul say unto [you (om. E)] that if ye be circumcised X shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever is justified by the law is fallen from grace, <together [with (om. E)] 4 chap. 10. 11. v. ye observe days & months & times & years I am afraid of you least I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.> Now the Apostle could not mean that meerly the being circumcised would render X of no profit or effect to a person for we read that Paul himself took Timothy & circumcised him because of the Jews Acts 16. 3. Therefore tis a being circumcised under some particular apprehension or notion or with some certain view that must be the thing that is fatal and the Apostle must mean that X shall profit them nothing if they are circumcised under that notion or with that view that those Jews were, that were zealous for it & urged the necessity of it to them. But they were zealous of it, as a thing that gave them great dignity, & on the account of which they were highly esteemed of God as /p. [145]/ something to be boasted or or gloried in as chap. 6. 12. 13. 14 & 5. 26. & 6. 3. <that which they sought praise by Rom 2. 29> they looked upon themselves as holier & more acceptable to God upon that account than other men. They trusted in it they held it absolutely necessary to salvation Acts 15. 1. & certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved. They looked upon it necessary not meerly as obedience to any plain command of God is necessary to salvation, but in the same manner as it was necessary to any person admission into the Jewish nation, or his being of Israel according to the flesh. it was the very qualification that admitted them the principal thing by which they were made Israelites and by which they challenged a right to the priviledges of an Israelite. Circumcision was a type of regeneration and admitted men into the outward Israel in the same manner as regeneration does to the kingdom of heaven Therefore the Apostle says in the 6th chap. of this Epistle, neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. the Jews put circumcision instead of regeneration instead of that faith that is wrought in regeneration <or instead of that righteousness of X that faith has or that is vertually in faith> supposing that they were justified by works & not by faith. & therefore it is said in the 6. verse of the context of the place we are upon For in Jesus X neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love. It was a greater manifestation of <self [false start?] ignorance &> a self exalting disposition, to make so much of so little a matter, such a trifle in themselves. than if it were some considerable matter.
¶Again tis evident that this is spoken of as fatal, not meerly as a piece of superstition as it was a part of the ceremonial law which was abolished but as they trusted in it as a part of righteousness or moral excellency. which is evident by the whole epistle and by the words immediately following, where the Apostle explains himself X is become of no effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the law are fallen from grace, where tis evident that the thing that the Apostle testifies is [sic] seeking justification by the works of the law as opposite to justification by meer grace which can be no other than seeking justification but he righteousness of the law as containing some excellency or dignity in it. [see this mark next page] Tis against seeking justification by the works of the law in this sense that the Apostle writes in this epistle, as is evid [sic] by 16, 17, 18, 19. v. of the 2d chap. It appears by the objection the Apostle there proposes and answers. viz that seeking to be justified without the works of the law would be an encouragement to sin now what is the opposite of sin but a moral righteousness or goodness. Seeking justification by the works of the law in this sense, was the errour that the Galatians run [sic] into that was the occasion of the Apostles writing this epistle, as is evident there by the context especially the beginning of the next chapter that it was the whole law of God that the Apostle meant when speaking of justification by the works of the law is evident also by chap. 3. v. 10. 12. 13. 19. 21. 22.
¶So it was upon the same account that the Apostle was afraid of the Galatians lest he had bestowed upon them labour in vain because they observed days & months & times & years, as chap. 4. 10. 11. viz because he fear'd they did it as trusting in these[ck. MS] performances as a righteousness or in the moral excellency of them to commend them to God This is evident by the context & by the foremention'd passages of the epistle The observing these things in it self was no sign that they trusted in them as a righteousness because God once required them but they were a sign of it under their circumstance. For it was now revealed with sufficient evidence that they were abolished, & those that were not overfond of them and did not make much of them as placing the essence of religion much in them & did not think them to be acceptable to God upon their own accounted [sic] generally were easily perswaded that they were abolished. It was only those who were very zealous of them or chiefly they that yet observed them & observation will shew that those, that set much by ceremonies & outward forms & trifles in religion & spend [sic] their zeal much about them do ordinarily make a righteousness of them are proud of them, and depend upon them to commend them to God. The looking on such outward rites & forms as highly acceptable to God in themselves they betray a mean thought of God and a high thought of man. They that are truly convinced of sin they see so much of the evil of those things [l. mg.] that are in themselves sinfull, & do more immediately flow from the /p.[146]/ wickedness of the heart, & of their obligation to moral & spiritual duties that they see these to be of immensely greater importance, than meer external ceremonies the beggarly elements of the T. they see that the flesh is not worthy to be gloried in. thus David when convinced of sin was sensible of the worthlessness of ceremonies in comparison of heart holiness Ps. 51. 16. 17. Thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering , the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, &c--
¶And then probably the Apostle feared that the Galatians made a righteousness of these observances because he knew the character of those false teachers that endeavoured to lead them into it that they were a proud pharisaical self-righteous sort of persons. There were some that observed days & times that the Apostle had charity for. Rom 14. 5. 6. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteameth every day alike. Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind, He that regardeth it to the Lord, &c--.
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¶ And when the Apostle says in the 3d v. For I testify to every man that is circumcised he is debtor to do the whole law. The argument is this if ye seek to be justified by this or any other work of the law you are obliged to perfect obedience to the law of God in order to your having your aim i.e justification. because the law appoints that as the condition of justification. For that is the language of the law he that doth[?] them shall live in them. Chap 3. 12.&2 The apostle dont mean only that he is a debtor to do the whole ceremonial law, & this is evident by the same argument used by this apostle to the same persons against the same errour in this very epistle, as chap. 3. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them & 11. 12. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith . But the law is not of faith but the man that doth[?] them shall live in them.
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¶IV. It appears to be fatal because tis the direct contrary of that humiliation & self abasemt for sin that we are so often taught to be necessary in the word of God. See many texts enumerated in the Papers of Scripture Signs of Godliness.
¶V. Tis opposite to and inconsistent with that in faith, which is one ground of its being made the condition of our justification viz that it gives the glory of our acceptance with God, to Christ. vid No. 632. [ref. prob. later]
¶VI. It is a confirmation of this that God took so much care that the children of Israel should not entertain any such conceit that it was for their righteousness that God bestowed such & such favours upon them. Deut 9. 4 &c--Ezek. 36. 22. 32.
¶VII It appears also by the parable of the pharisee and publican. Luke 18. 9. &c-- And he spake this parable unto certain that trusted in themselves that they were righteous & despised others Two men went up into the temple to pray &c------ I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. i.e. this & not the other. Here tis evident, First. that the trusting in themselves that they were righteous is intended the same as trusting in their own righteousness or moral goodness for justification & acceptance with God For tis his moral goodness is what the Pharisee rehearses over before God in his prayer . and he depended upon it for justification as is evident by the expression trusted in themselves that they were righteous or had matter for justification & tis evident that this is the thing that was sought by both pharisee & publican by Xs conclusion at the end of the parable, I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. & it was trusting to their righteousness for acceptance with God that X has respect to is evident by the pharisees aim in his prayer in representing his goodness before God which is evidently to commend himself to Gods liking. Secondly Tis evident that the trusting in their own righteousness is that trusting that carries pride, or a high conceit of their own excellency in it, in that tis said they trusted in themselves that they were righteous & despised others
¶VIII Self sufficiency in religion is fatal to the soul as is evident by Rev 3. 16. 17. so then because thou art lukewarm & neither cold nor hot, I will spue [sic] thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayst I am rich & increased with goods & have need of nothing; & knowest not that thou art retched, & miserable, & poor, & blind, & naked. This here mentioned is doubtless the direct contrary of that poverty of spirit that renders blessed. [finis]3
¶638. LORDS DAY. There is an harmony between the methods of Gods providence in natural & religious T in this as well as many other things. That as when day succeeds the night and the one comes on & the other gradually ceases . Those lesser lights that served to give light in the absence of the sun gradually vanish as the sun approaches one star vanishes after another as day light increases the lesser stars first and the greater ones afterwards and the same star gradually vanishes till at length it wholly disappears and all these lesser lights are extinguished and [the sun (om E)] appears in his full glory above the horizon. So when the day of the gospel dawn'd the ceremonies of the Old Testament & ordinances of the law of Moses that were only appointed to give light in the absence of the sun of righteousness or till X should appear & shone only with a borrowed & reflected light like the planets they were gradually abolished one after another, & the same ordinance gradually ceased and those ordinances that were principal (one of which was the Jewish sabbath) continued the longest. There were a multitude of these[ck. MS] ceremonies which was a sign of their imperfection but all together did but imperfectly supply the place of the Sun of righteousness but when the Sun of righteousness is come there is no need of any of them. When the true sacrifice is come there is no need of any of the legal sacrifices. When X is come & gives us the ministrati and introduces the gospel that is the ministration of the spirit there is no more need of ceremonies in worship but the time is now come that men must worship God in spirit & in truth. So there is multitude of stars that shine in the night but they all together do but very imperfectly supply the absence of the sun but when the sun rises they all vanish & we find no want of them. [finis]
¶639 HEAVEN. Whether the Saints when they go to heaven have any special comfort in there meeting with those that were their godly friends on earth. I think that it is evident that they will by 1 Thes. 4. 13. 14 v. <& following verses> But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others, which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. Here 1. It seems to me that what the Apostle mentions here as matter of comfort to mourners, is not only that their departed friends tho dead shall be happy they are not so miserable in being dead as persons are ready [to (om E)] imagine because they shall rise again, but that they shall meet them & see them again, seems to be intimated in [wwxo] in the manner of expression G. shall bring them Xtains mourn when their near friends are dead, because they are departed & gone they are parted from them but when they rise God shall bring them to them again. & this is further confirmed by the following verses especially the 17. & 18. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them, in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; & so shall we ever with [sic] the Lord Wherefore comfort one another with these words where the Apostle may well be understood that they should comfort one another when mourners with the consideration, that they should be hereafter again with their departed friends & in a glorious & happy state. 2. I think tis evident hereby that there will be something else that will be comfortable in meeting them in a future state than in seeing other saints. The Apostle doubtless mentions it as what may be a comfortable consideration to them that they shall again see & converse with the same person, implying that they will have a different comfort in seeing them from what they would in seeing other saints . otherwise why did the Apostle mention it for their comfort that they should see them again rather than any other saints that they had seen or heard of. The Apostles speaking thus to the Thessalonians might give them just ground to expect that that special, dear affection that they had to their departed friends which was cross'd by their departure would be again gratified by meeting them again for this crossing of that affection was the ground of their mourning. If the Thessalonians /p. [148]/ knew that to see their friends again in another [world (om. E)] would be no gratification to their affection that they had to them as their friends and did no way think or concieve of it as such then to think of it would be no more comfort to them or remedy to their mourning than to think that they should see any other saint that lived & died in another country or a past age, & that because it would be no remedy to the ground & foundation of their mourning viz the crossing of their affection to them as their friends; & if it would be no remedy to their mourning to think of it, it never would have been mention'd to them by the Apostle as a ground of comfort or a reason why they need not mourn That was what they mourn'd for viz that they should not have their affection towards them gratified by seeing of them conversing [with (om. E)] them &c that was what the heathen here spoken of, that have no hope mournd excessively for that they should never more have that affection gratified. The Apostle here would inform them, that they have not this ground to mourn that the heathen had because they should have this affection gratified again.
¶Hence it follows that the special affection that the saints have in this T to other saints that are their friends will in some respects remain in another T I dont see why we should not suppose that saints that have dwelt together in this T & have done & recieved kindness to each others souls have been assistent[ck MS] to each others true happiness should not love one another with a love of gratitude for it in another T; or why those that [etc] & that the joy in meeting these & seeing their happiness is part of that joy that is spoken of, 2 Cor. 1. 14. As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. & 1 Thes. 2. 19. 20. For what is our hope, or joy or crown of rejoicing: are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus X at his coming For ye are our glory & joy . Or why those.[ck MS] Or why these[ck MS] that have loved one another with a vertuous love & from such a love have shewn kindness one to another should not love one another the better for it in another T God & X will reward them & favour them the more for such love, & all the fruits of it to all eternity & I dont see why they should not love one another the more for it. Neither do I see how it argues infirmity for a saint in glory to have a special respect to another, because God made use of him as an instrument to bring him into being & so is the remote occasion of his eternal blessedness, or because he himself was the occasion of bringing the other into being or that the same agreableness of tempers [,?] that is the foundation of special friendship here, may be so also in another T . or even that a former acquaintance with persons & their vertues may occasion a particular respect in another T they may go to heaven with a desire to see them upon that account the idea that they have of them by their acquaintance here may be what they carry to heaven with them & the idea we have of a proper [D; ?] object of our love, may be an occasion of the exercises of love especially towards that object & more than towards another of which we have not the idea.
¶This should move us to lay religion & vertue in the foundation of all our friendships [s? ,? (D)] & to strive that the love we have to our friends be a vertuous love, duely subordinated to divine love For so far as it is so it will last forever death dont put an end to such friendship nor can it put an end to such friends enjoymt of each other. [finis]
¶640. LOVE OF ENEMIES. PRAYING against them. <vid No. 600 & Note on Ps. 59> Wherever we find David praying against any particular person we may undoubtedly conclude that he <speaks as a prophet in the name of the Lord as very often he evidently doth when praying against his enemies mixing prophecies or predictions of their destruction with prayers for it.> And tis not unlawfull for the people of God as the case may be whether they speak as prophets or no to pray in general, that God would appear on their side, & plead & vindicate their cause & punish those wicked men that are entirely & impenitently & implacably their enemies, in a righteous cause. For this is no more than God has often promised & we may pray for the fulfillment of this as well as other promises. & the making such a prayer is not inconsistent with the love of particular persons & earnestly desiring that they might repent & be appeased & be forgiven For when our entire & resolved enemies are a multitude or some great party or combination of wicked men we have no reason to expect that they will all repent & be reconciled. Especially is it not unsuitable thus to pray against our enemies if the cause wherein they are our enemies is the cause of God so that in being our enemies they are also directly Gods enemies . & more especially still, if the enemies are publick enemies are enemies in Gods cause too and we pray against them as interested in the publick. For here [A;] love to men[ck MS] dont only not hinder our praying for the punishment of /p. [149]/ our implacable enemies but it inclines us to it viz our love to the publick to the people of God that we are chiefly obliged to love & should love more than wicked men. yea & love to God too as tis in the cause of God What X says evidently supposes that the people of God may pray for the punishment of their enemies Luke 18. 7. & shall not God avenge his own elect that cry unto him day & night <with the foregoing parables.> vid notes on Rev. 18. 20. [written at same time]
¶& these following things are to be noted concerning Davids praying against his enemies. 1. That he is not to be understood as praying against any particular persons that God would indeed execute vengeance on such and such men, <or that he did not desire that they should repent. See after Numb 643 this mark > But only that God would fulfill his promises that he has often made of appearing on the side of his people and against their enemies and avenge them of their adversaries. which promise may be fulfilled & yet not this & that particular person be punished <David can be understood only as praying against his enemies continuing his enemies.>
¶2. That the enemies that David prays against, are those that are his entire owned & mortal enemies. they sought his life & nothing but his blood would satisfy & this when he was wholly innocent & righteous in the cause that they were enemies to him in so that their being thus his enemies evidently denoted [them (? om. E.)] to be all wicked men
¶3. his enemies were many It was a great party & combination of men & seemed <exceedingly harden'd &> very implacable so that he could not expect that they would all repent & be appeased <and as I said before,> [David (om. E.)] can be understood only to pray as praying against his enemies continuing his enemies.
¶4. His cause <in his difference with Saul,> was not only a righteous cause, but it was a cause wherein God himself was immediately interested it was the peculiar favour that God had shown him, that was the foundation of their quarrel with him. he prays against them not meerly as his own but as Gods enemies Ps. 21. 8 &c--
¶5. David mostly where he prays against his enemies, he dont do it meerly as a private person but for the most part he evidently prays against them as publick enemies enemies to the people of God, as in joint interest with them & often as the head of the chh & people of God that were on his side, & many of which were with him & engaged in his interest <in his difference with Saul.> & his enemies that he prays against were avowedly at war with him & them. & when he came to the crown he was the head of all Israel. he prays against his enemies as a publick & not a private person
¶6. There is no need <unless when David curses his enemies in the name of the Lord,> of understanding him as praying for the destruction of his enemies for the sake of their hurt but evidently doth it as necessary for his own deliverance & safety & the safety of Gods people, & of religion it self & for the vindication of his & their cause <& also of Gods own cause.> when they were unjustly judged & vilified condemned & persecuted, he prays that God would in his providence shew himself to be of their side. And he also prays for it as a testimony of <ye> the love & tenderness of God to him according to his gracious promises to his people. It would be very suitable for the persecuted people of God now in like manner to pray against their persecuters. So also may a king pray for the destruction of his enemies whose destruction he seeks in war.
¶7. Tis questionable whether David ever prayed against his enemies but as a prophet speaking in the name of the Lord tis evident by the matter of the Psalms, that very frequently it was so.
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¶vid Nehemiah. 4. 5. See No 1033. B. 5. [finis]
¶641. CHRISTS RIGHteousness. vid Note on Ezek 14. 14. [finis]
¶642. CONVICTION. HUMILIATION. <SCRIPTURES.> The leper that had the plague of leprosie on his head, his mouth was to be covered or stop'd and he was to acknowledge how <miserable,> desperately unclean he was in order to his cleansing. he was to express a sense of his misery by rending his clothes, & sense of his exceeding uncleanness by crying, unclean, unclean. Levit 13. 45. And the leper in whom the plague is his clothes shall be rent & his head bare & he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, & shall cry unclean unclean. vid No. 645. [finis]
¶643. RESURRECTION. vide Note on 1. Cor. 15. 20. [finis]
¶ vid No 640 this mark. When David prays against his enemies there is no necessity of supposing that he desired the hurt of any particular [sic] no not of the head & leader of them. For in the 3d Psalm which the title of the Psalm tells us was pen'd on the occasion of Absaloms conspiracy, he prays against his enemies in the 7. verse but yet we cannot suppose that he wished any ill to his son Absalom much less that he would pray for Gods curse upon him. vid Note on Ps 59. [finis; last ref later?]
¶644. RESURRECTION. The complete reward not till then. Redemption is not complete till the resurrection not only with with [sic] respect to the positive good & happiness that is obtain, [sic] but also with respect to what they are redeemed & delivered from. so long as the separation between soul & body remains one of those evils remains that is part of the penalty of the law, one of our enemies remains the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death death and hades or a state of separation are two evils that shall be at the last day cast into the lake of fire, Rev 20. 14. To be without the body is in it self an evil because tis a want of that which the soul of man naturally inclines to & desires. & tho it causes no uneasiness in the departed spirits of the saints, it is not because they dont want it but because their certain hope & clear prospect of it & apprehension how much it will be best for them, & most for their happiness to recieve it in the time that Gods wisdom determines satisfies them till that time & is a full remedy against all uneasiness & they perfectly rest in the hope & prospect, & trust in God that they have. There is something that they still want & their rest & satisfaction is not a rest of enjoyment, but a rest of /p. [150]/ perfect & glorious trust & hope. [finis]
¶645. CONVICTION. HUMILIATION. vid No 642. Scriptures. The outward circumstances of Pauls conversion typify what is spiritual in that work <& particularly the spiritual experiences of Paul himself, in that work.> For instance the outward light that shone from heaven typified spiritual light. Pauls seeing Christ with the bodily eyes typifies a spiritual sight of X. this struck Paul down to the earth. This typifies the humiliation that accompanies conversion converting light humbles men[ck. MS] to the dust before God. his being struck blind typifies the converts being brought to be blind in his own sense & apprehension. Paul before his conversion was a pharisee & of a pharisaical spirit he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel & had an high opinion of his own wisdom but he was now brought to be sensible that he was blind, as he was outwardly struck blind. this apostle tells us that he that thinks he knows any thing, knows nothing yet as he ought to know. as he continued three days blind so he continued so long without meet or drink, which as it signified his concern & sorrow, so it typified his being in his own sense poor & empty. before he was self sufficient Now he has nothing of his own to live upon before he thought he was rich & increased with goods & had need of nothing Now he is miserable & wretched & poor & blind & naked. Note that this humiliation was cause by a sight of the glory. as Isaiahs & Jobs sense of their own vileness & misery was from a sight of Gods glory Isai. 5. 6. Job. 42 at the beginning. 2 Sam 23. 4. And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. [2 Sam. ref. added later than next ¶]
¶SS. The woman we have an account of in the 7 chap of Luke, when she comes to X comes in an humble manner, anointing his feet in a sense of her own great unworthiness & first washes his feet with tears of repentance, before she kisses & anoints them. vid note on Luke 7. 38. Blind Bartimaeus when X called him cast away his garment, rose and came to Jesus. Mark 10. 50. Which probably typifies that when persons truly come to X they cast away their covering their excuses & false pleas for themselves their fig leaves & the filthy rags of their own righteousness & come naked.
¶Deut 32. 36. 37. 38. 39. together with the connection with the foregoing part of the chapter. For the Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone, & there is none shut up or left, And he shall say Where are their gods their rock in whom they trusted, which did eat the fat of their sacrifices & drink the wine of their drink offerings. Let them rise up & help you, and be your protection. See now that I even I am he, and there is no God with me. I kill & I make alive, I wound and I heal and there is none can deliver out of mine hand. Thus tis Gods manner to convince men of the vanity of all their other confidences & to strip them wholly & cause them to stand naked & destitute on every side, & to yield up all other hope & give over all vain endeavours and to see that he only can help before he helps them.
¶Tis very agreable to the ordinary methods of Gods providence, and his way of dealing with men[ck. MS] as we learn it in the Scripture that God should ordinarily bring men to these two things before he reveals his mercy to them & acceptance of them into his favour. viz. despair in all other help. & 2 humiliation, or a sense of their own unworthiness For the former read Common Place Book to the H. SS. Consid. 8. p. 264. &c--
¶Luke 8. 43. 44. the woman that had the issue of blood twelve years, had spent all her living upon physicians & see [sic] it to be in vain to seek for healing from them any longer for she could not be healed of any & besides she was brought to see her self utterly helpless. she had spent all her stock that she had to depend upon she had nothing left & then she comes to X & is healed of him by touching the hem of his garment she believed him she trusted in his sufficiency For she said if I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be made whole, Math 9. 21. She long laboured to buy a cure she layd out all she had to purchase it but in vain, & when she comes to X she comes without money, for she had none. & obtaind that for nothing of X that she could not obtain of phisicians for all her living [last sent. prob. later]
¶That renouncing of our own righteousness which the Apostle speaks of in the 3d chapter of Philip. 7. 8. v. which he calls a counting it but loss for Christ, &[xo?] for the excellency of the knowledge of X & counting it but dung that he might win X, is evidently a renouncing of his own righteousness that was not antecedent to conversion. We cant renounce our own righteousness for X till we are sensible of the worthiness of X & of his preferableness to our own righteousness we cant do it to win X till we are sensible of the value & preciousness of X we cant esteem it worthless in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of X Jesus our Lord till we are sensible of the excellency of that knowledge.
¶Hosea 2. <14> 15. <And I will allure her & bring her into the wilderness & speak comfortably to her & I will give her her vineyard from thence> And the Valley of Achor for a door of hope and she shall sing there &c-- vid notes.
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¶See my Notes on the story of Joseph in notes on Gen. 41. v. 40 &c--. See Jerem. 3. 21 to the end. [Tables wr. later than prev.]
¶The rain which in SS. is spoken of as representing affliction fits the earth for the clear shining of the sun & the morning succeeds a dark night (so it is in Gods dealings with his Chh. See SS. No 359. 366.) So X whom God has appointed to be the Ruler over men is said [to be (om. E.)] as the light of the morning when the sun riseth even a morning without clouds and as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain So is grace which is X in the heart, as the tender grass springing out of the earth. [finis]
[Latter items of SS. on this page prob. added at different times; note double use of last reference.]
¶646 STRICTNESS of the LAW. MISERY of the DAMNED. We are told Rom. 6. 23. that the wages of sin is death <& Ezek. 18. 20 the soul that sinneth, it shall die> by which is undoubtedly meant eternal destruction the Scripture has sufficiency explain'd it self in that matter. When it is said tis its wages the meaning of it is that it is the recompence it deserve, & the recompence that is appointed or stated. & tis not only intended that this is the wages of a wicked life or sinfull course but of one sin <of any one thing that is a sin, or a breach of the divine law,> is evident by those[ck. MS] texts Gen 2. 17. in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, James 2. 10 he that offends in one point is guilty of all, Gal. 3. 10. cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them see next p. but two
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& not only overt acts of deliberate willfull rebellion, are called sins & reputed breaches of Gods law in Scripture; but every evil word or thought, or exercise of mind, every expression of a depraved disposition of heart or judgmt, in short every thing in man[ck. MS] that is wrong or as it should not be every thing that is morally amiss less or more. Math. 5. 28. But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. <a right eye that offends in this respect exposes to be cast into hell fire, as is evident by the next verse> This with James 2, 10 shews that when it is said the wages of sin is death, it is not to be taken in a restrained sense, as intending only overt acts of sin <for the Apostle James says he that offends in one point, is guilty of all. Doubtless he that has the guilt of the breach of the whole law, has the wages of sin due to him & this text sufficiently determines that he that only looks on a woman to lust after her is guilty in one point.
¶& death is expressly threaten'd only for one rash & undue expression or word yea for one wrong exercise of heart Math 5. 22. Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment & whosoever shall say to his brother Raca shall be in danger of the council, & whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. the judgmt & the council were different tribunals among the Jews that had power to inflict death or capital punishments of different degrees vid Turretine. Vol. 1. p 660 [wr. w. no.]
¶One idle word exposes to condemnation as is evident by Math 12. 36. 37. For every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgmt. These words alone show [sic] that an idle word exposes to condemnation for what are men called to judgmt for or called to account there but only in order to a decision of that point viz they shall be justified or condemned. But the following words confirm it. For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
¶Any exercise of an ill spirit towards an enemy tho it be only in the heart is spoken of as sin. Prov 24. 17. 18. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it & it displease him here tis spoken of as a thing that exposes to Gods curse, & is mentioned as a thing provoking to God, & is expressly against commands that are found written in the book of the law Levit 19. 17. 18 vid No 660. & therefore must be included in that threatning cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are found written in the book of the law to do them. Job mentions this as a wicked thing Job. 31. 29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me &c--
¶Inordinate desire only is a damnable sin because it is contrary to one of those things contain'd in that book of the law in that command thou shalt not covet, which is not only written in the book of the law but is one of the commands immediately given by the voice of God from Mount Sinai out of the midst of the devouring fire which voice shook the earth & was attended with thunder & lightning & earth quake, as intimations of his dreadfull wrath against those that did not obey. & was one of those commands engraven on the tables of stone.
[In the following ¶, much xo and interlining]
¶There is no particular sin but what deserves death because there was no sin however light even those that were committed through ignorance [but] were to have sacrifices of slain beasts offerd for them, that the beast that was substituted in the room of the sinner must die for the sin evidently signified that the sinner deserved to die. So God broke forth upon Uzzah & miraculously slew him for putting forth his hand to hold the ark when the oxen shook it tho he had a good meaning in so doing. so God said to Abimeleck, that had ignorantly taken Sarah, behold thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken: for she is a mans wife. <Gen. 20. 3.> which certainly implies that he deserved death & in the 6th v God says to him Yea I know that thou didst this the integrity of thine heart, for I also witheld thee from sinning against me; therefore suffered I thee not to touch her, implying that if he had touch'd her he would have sin'd against God & Abimelech says to Abraham in the 9 v. What hast thou done to us & what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me & on my kingdom a great sin. he not /p. [152]/ only calls it a great sin but signifies that it would have brought guilt not only on himself but on his kingdom.
¶An omission of any thing whatsoever belongs to us to do is a sin against God & therefore by what was said before the wages of it is death. Thus Samuel says to Israel, 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you & that altho the people had very ill treated God and Samuel, in rejecting both & desiring a king.
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Yea only a tendency to any such omission in the inclination or thought is a damnable sin, Deut 15. 9. Beware that there be not a thought (or as tis in the original, a word) in thy wicked heart saying, The seventh year the year of release is at hand & thine eye be evil against thy poor brother &c--. This is one of the precepts written in the Book of the Law, and besides & then the words imply that the heart would appear wicked in having any such thought.
¶An ill disposition or temper or inclination tho it be only negatively ill is spoken of as damnable, as 1 Cor 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus X let him be anathema maran atha. See the top of the next page.
¶Expressions of a depraved understanding & judgmt are mortal sins. Thus is only an erroneous, unsuitable & dishonourable thought of God, or divine things Acts 8. 20. 22. but Peter said unto him thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money ---- Repent therefore of this thy wickedness if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee
¶So is the not believing the truth of those things that God has revealed. Thus Moses & Aaron were not suffered to enter into Canaan because they doubted whether water would come out of the rock upon their smiting it. Which signified that such unbelief deserves an exclusion from the heavenly Canaan. Numb. 20. 12. And the Lord spake unto Moses & Aaron, because ye believed me not to sanctify me, in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them . & in Deut. 3. 23. &c-- how earnestly he besought God that he might go into Canaan But says he the Lord was wroth with me & would not hear me . And the Lord said unto me Let it suffice thee. Speak no more unto me of this matter. See also Deut 1. 32. & 2 Kings 17. 14. & Ps. 78. 22. & 32. & 106. 24 & Luke 1. 20. & 1 Joh. 5. 10. & how heinous is the sin of not believing in Jesus represented in the word of God. vid note on John 16. 8. 9. Yea only ignorance of divine things is sin in the sight of God. Rom. 3. 17. And the way of peace they have not known. The Apostle quotes this from the Old Testament to prove that all men are under sin as may be seen by the foregoing & following verses. Ps. 95. 10. 11 Fourty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said it is a people that do err in their hearts they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest. Their being a people that err'd in their heart & that did not know Gods ways excited his wrath & provoked [him (om E.)] to sware [sic] that they should not enter into his rest which shews that this deserved damnation. Isai 27. 11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them &c-- 2 Thes 1. 8. In flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God &c--
¶& God often speaks with high resentment & indignation, of the ignorance stupidity & inconsiderateness of men from which as I observed before we must needs conclude that God by his law forbids it. Ps 94. 7. 8, & 9. v. Yet they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand ye bruitish among the people: & ye fools when will ye be wise, He that planted the ear shall he not hear? he that formd the eye shall he not see, &c-- 1 Sam. 2. 12. the sons of Eli were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord. Ps. 82. 5. They know not neither will they learn: Isai 1. 3. The ox knows his owner & the ass his masters crib But Israel doth not know my people doth not consider. Jer 4. 22. For my people is foolish, They have not known me, they are sottish children & they have none understanding. Jer. 8. 7. Yea the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, & the turtle & the crane & the swallow observe the time of their coming. But my people know not the judgmt of the Lord. Jer 5. 21. Hear now this O foolish people & without understanding. Hosea 4. 1. The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land John 8. 19. Ye neither know me nor my Father. 43. v. Why do ye not understand my speech because ye cannot hear my word. Luke 12. 56. 57. Ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the skie & of the earth, how is it that ye do not discern the signs of this time. Yea & why even of your selves judge ye not what is right. 1 Cor. 15. 34. Awake to righteousness & sin not for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. See next p. /p.[153]/
¶ Doing a thing indifferent with the exercise of an ill disposition of heart as Hezekiahs shewing the ambassadours his treasure, of which it is said, 2 Chron 32. 25. But Hezekiah rendred not again, according to the benefit done unto him. For his heart was lifted up Therefore there was wrath upon him & upon Judah & Jerusalem. & 31. v. howbeit in the business of the ambassadours of the princes of Babilon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. Let these texts be compared with the story as related in 2 Kings 20. & Isai 39. & the message that God sent Isai with to Hezekiah & the awfull judgmts denounced upon this occasion that we have there an account of. see next p.
¶ Every thing in the heart or life of men[ck. MS] that is contrary to any rule of the gospel or any thing in the whole word of God must merit the curse & must be implied when it is said, Cursed is every one that continues [-s?] not in all things that are found written in the book of the law to do them & that tho we should understand the book of the law to intend only the book of the law of Moses. & that because every thing that is commanded or any way directed to in the whole Scripture, is vertually found written in that book of the law. viz in that precept of the book of the law Deut 18. 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken. If we understand X by that prophet then this brings in all the rules of X, all the rules of the gospel into the book of the law Which doubtless are so extensive & strict as to include all in the Bible. & if we understand it of prophets in general that God should raise up from time to time of that nation, then all inspired persons of that nation are included & the whole Bible is the word of God in the mouth of those prophets & Christ was at least one implied if not principally intended & then the disobeying the word of God in the mouths[s or , ?] of that prophet or those prophets has not only Gods curse denounced against it annexed to the law of Moses, but in a particular threatning annexed to this prophecy 18. 19. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth, & he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him, and it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
¶Corol. Hence how dreadfull will be the punishmt of those that go to hell that have lived in sin for many years together. How dreadfull a punishment do their sins deserve, For what has been said may in some measure help us to concieve, how many sins we are guilty [of (om. E.)] & how vast the number of their sins that live for may years in sin especially under the light of Gods word. any one sin we see has eternal destruction & ruin as its due wages & all sins deserve punishmt, in proportion to their heinousness & aggravations & yet the least deserves death which implies concerning what is implied in it. See No. 418. & 427. men deserve punishment proportionable to the degree of their sin computed by both number & heinousness . & we are assured that wicked men shall be punished as much as their sins deserve X teaches us that it will be required of them that they should pay all the debt & that the uttermost farthing shall be exacted of them, & God hath said that he will not at all acquit the wicked, Nahum 1. 3. & that he will not be slack to him that hateth him but will repay him to his face that vengeance belongs to him & he will repay it that he will recompence even recompence into their bosom. & many other passages there are to the like purpose, & it must needs be so for if God did not exact the whole of the debt, then he forgives some of it, & if unbelievers have any thing forgiven them then there is forgiveness out of X & contrary to Gods everlasting & unalterable constitution of grace. Hence then how many thousands & ten thousands of deaths will many of the damned endure at once & endure alwaies.
¶ That mens sins will be punished according to their heinousness appears by that Math 5. 22. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause &c-- & according to their aggravations by that, Luke 12. 47. 48. That servant which knew his lords will & prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew not & did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. & other places.
¶ & that men will be punished according to the multitude & repetition of their sins appears by the following texts Math 12. 36. 37. For every idle word that men shall speak, &c-- Numb. 14. 22. & have tempted me now these ten times, surely they shall not see the land &c-- Hosea 7. 2. They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness Now their doings have beset them about they are before my face. Hosea 8. 13. Now will he remember their iniquity & visit their sins. Ps. 95. 10 Fourty years long was I grieved with that generation. ----To whom I sware in wrath [sic] &c-- Luke 7. 41. 42. 47. The one owed him 500 pence & the other 50--- he frankly forgave them both.---Therefore which will love him most, ---- Her sins which are many are forgiven her . Ezek. 7. 3. I will judge thee according to /p.[154]/ thy ways & recompence upon thee all thine abominations & v. 8. Job. 9. 3. how should man be just with God. If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 14. 17. my transgression is sealed up in a bag, & thou sewest[ck. MS] up mine iniquity. Rom 2. 5. after thy hardness & impenitent heart treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath, & revelation of the righteous judgmt of God. 2 Chron 28. 13. When we have offended against the Lord already ye intend to add more to our sins & to our trespass for our trespass is great & there is fierce wrath against Israel. Levit 26. 18. If ye will not for all this hearken to me Then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 21. & if ye walk contrary to me & will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins & so in verses 24. 28. Ps. 5. 10 Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions. Jer. 3. 1. 2. 3. Shall not that land be greatly polluted: Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet return again unto me saith the Lord----See where thou hast not been lien [sic] with, ----Therefore the showers have been witholden Job. 10. 14 If I sin then thou markest me & wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. Job 31. 3. 4. <Is not destruction to the wicked &c--> Doth he not see my ways & count all my steps. Ps 50. 21. These things hast thou done & I kept silence: thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as they self: But I will reprove thee, & set them in order before thine eyes.
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¶ not only <total> omissions [-s? not A] of what should be in us in heart of [sic] life, but the failure of it in any degree wherein it ought to be, is that by which we fail of continuing in all things that are found written in the book of the law to do them for we are there commanded to love & serve God with all our heart & with all our soul & all our strength, Deut 6. 5. & 10. 12. & 11. 13.
¶ That tis meant that particular sins distinctly deserve death is further evident by the following things in Scripture Job. 32. 22. For I know not to give flattering titles in so doing my maker would soon take me away. So the terrible judgments that were inflicted for that one sin of David his numbering the people. God offered him either seven years of famine or to flee three months before their enemies, or three days pestilence David chose the least [A: last] of these yet their [sic] died of Israel seventy thousand men & yet Gods mercies appear'd to be great in that the judgment was no worse, as David hoped it would be 2 Sam. 24. 14. & God of his mercy repented him of the evil & commanded the destroying angel to stay his hand when he stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it . and after all this sin must be attoned by sacrifice, which intimated that this punishment as terrible as it was did not satisfy justice or at all take of [sic] the desert of death.
¶How dreadfull was Gods anger for Achans sins of taking the accursed thing God was angry with the whole congregation, so that they could not stand before their enemies & God tells Joshua, Josh 7. 12. Therefore the chil. of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turned their backs before their enemies because they were accursed. The whole congregation is spoken of as accursed because of that guilt. & it follows neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed thing from amongst you. & how terrible the judgment on Achan & his family v. 24. 25. 26. And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver & the garment & the wedge of gold & his sons & his daughters & his oxen & his asses & his sheep & his tent & all that he had & they brought them unto the valley of Achor.----& all Israel stoned him with stones & burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones
¶& how dreadfull was the wrath of God against the men of Bethshemesh for looking into the ark. he miraculously slew 50 000 & threescore & ten men. 1 Sam 6. 19 Uzzah only for his mistake, when he put forth his hand to hold the ark, when the oxen shook it when he meant well was slain by the immediate & miraculous hand of God. 2 Sam. 6. chap. 6. 7. 8.
¶The prophet for his credulity in too soon believing the lies of the other prophet, was slain by a lion. 1 Kings 13 chap.
¶When God inflicts temporal death on a man for any sin it truly signifies that that sin deserves eternal death For temporal death is spoken of by X as being significatively eternal destruction. in Luke 13. speaking of those whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices & those on whom the tower of Siloam fell, says Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. [finis]
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¶647. FREE GRACE. JUSTIFICATION, BY FAITH. There is a twofold fitness to a state. I know not how otherwise to give them distinguishing names, than by calling the one a moral, & the other a natural fitness. A person is morally fit for a state, when by his excellency or odiousness <his excellency or loveliness commends him to it.> Tis suitable that he should be put into such a good or ill state, out of respect to his excellency or hatred of his odiousness. or that a becoming love to his excellency or hatred to his odiousness renders it desireable to see him in such a state.
¶A natural fitness for a state, is when there is a good <natural> agreableness or accord between the person or his qualifications & the state. or that there is a good capacity for a state, or that he is so qualified for such a state, that [there (om. E.)] will be like to be good effects of his being in such a state, or such as will render it of good & not ill consequence for him to be in such a state. We very often in secular affairs speak of persons as fit or unfit for such a state or such circumstances in this sense when tis no moral but some natural fitness we mean.
¶There is nothing in man[ck. MS] regarded as a moral fitness for a state of salvation or a being in X. The moral fitness or suitableness to any good or happiness is alone in Christ and we are thus fit or worthy only as being in him or by the imputation of his worthiness or by the dignity & value, that our persons have & so our works as we are parts of him, our ill deservings being considered as done away in him.
¶Whatever qualification therefore, as that by which we are justified or saved, or what renders it meet that we should be looked upon as being in Christ & should be in a state of salvation it must be understood of a natural fitness.
¶Coroll. They therefore that hold that sincere obedience is the condition of being in Christ, as such a moral fitness as is above described, they maintain what is contrary to the Scripture doctrine of justification by faith alone. & commonly to speak of sincere obedience, as the condition of having an interest in Christ, is perhaps a way of talking that tends to make persons concieve of it as a moral fitness Tis not St Pauls way of talking but what he carefully avoids. vid No 632. 627 [finis]
¶648. TRUSTING in our OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS. What some call trusting in the ABSOLUTE MERCY OF GOD i.e trusting in his mercifull nature without any consideration of a Mediatour to make way for & obtain the exercises of that mercy, is not much different from trusting in our own righteousness. It arises from the same principle viz a want of a sense of our guilt & unworthiness & too high an opinion of our own moral state as related to the favour of God. Thus for instance, when a person in great outward affliction & distress of soul through fear of hell on a deathbead[sic] or any other cries earnestly to God hoping to move the pity of God, thinking that their sorrowfull case their tears & moans & piteous cries are enough to move the bowels & compassions of God & that [he (om. E.)] will be hard hearted if he beholds all without pity. It arises from want of a sense of the greatness & majesty of God & their heinous guilt in so sinning against him that they bent sensible that God might be glorious in refusing to pity them. & could not be glorious in showing them mercy without a Mediatour. [finis]
¶649. XTIAN RELIG. XTIANS the True ISRAEL. <vid No 597> We are not to look upon all this time of the rejection & dispersion of the Jews since they have been broken off & the Gentiles grafted in to be so long a suspension of the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham Isaace [sic] & Jacob, concerning their seed, or an intermission of the bestowmt of promised mercies & blessings to them. These[ck. MS] promises are now in actual accomplishment In the mercy bestowed on the Xtian church as well as before in his mercy bestowed on the Jewish church and in much more full & glorious accomplishment. God has not cast off the seed of Abraham and Israel now in the gospel times in no wise, but hath brought them nearer to himself, and hath according to frequent prophecies of gospel times abundantly increased their blessings & the manifestations of his favour to them. when the greater part of the nation of the Jews were broken of [sic] by unbelief the seed of Israel were no more cast off then than in the time of the captivity of Israel & Judah into Assyria & Babilon For then by far the greater part of that nation were forever removed from being Gods people, and it was but a remnant that was preserved & return'd. So there was in the beginning of the gospel, a remnant [of (om. E.)] that nation that God preserved to be his people that embraced the gospel and believed in X. many thousands there were many thousands in that one city Jerusalem Acts 21. 20. & without doubt multitudes in other parts of Judea & in Gallilee, [sic] & multitudes in other parts of the T where the Jews were dispersed as we have an account. & this remnant might probably be as great in proportion to the whole nation as the remnant that were continued and owned as Gods people after the captivity into Assyria & Babilon. see Rom 11 at the beginning. I say then hath God cast away his people, God forbid, for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast /p.[156]/ away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord they have killed thy prophets & digged down thine altars; & I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him. I have reserved to my self seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. The prophets very often speak of those that shall be owned by God as his people, as but a remnant and that this remnant shall be but a small number in proportion to the whole Isai 6. 13. But in it shall be a tenth and it shall return and shall be eaten, as a teil tree and as an oak whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves. So the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. <See Isai 24. 13.> Isai 10. 22. For tho thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return. Isai 1. 9. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, & we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Which two last places the Apostle quotes to this purpose Rom 9. 27. 28. 29. The unbelieving Jews are not the children of Abraham any more than the Ishmaelites and Edomites, because they are disinherited. God threatend in the wilderness that he would disinherit the whole congregation of Israel, and make of Moses a great nation if he had so done the promises made to the Fathers concerning their seed might have been fulfilled tho it had been only in Moses posterity. The ten tribes, when they were carried away they were the greater part of them disinherited & removed from being any more a people or of Israel so in gospel times the unbelieving Jews are disinherited and tis only the remnant according to the election of grace that are the seed of Abraham & Israel, tho that remnant be exceedingly multiplied by sons & daughters from among the Gentiles agreable to antient prophecies & this remnant of Israel hath been the mother of thousands of millions agreably to the blessing given to Rebekah, Gen 24. 60 The Gentiles are their children in the stile of the prophets, and therefore the children of Abraham & Israel. As it was of old before X came the people were not Israel because they all came from Israel by natural generation but the people as a people were derived from him; & so it is now.
¶ It is prophecied in the 65 chapter of Isaiah that [wxo] that there shall be but a small remnant that shall be Gods people, 8 & 9 v Thus saith the Lord as the new wine is found in the cluster and one saith destroy it not for a blessing is in it, so will I do for my servants sakes that I may not destroy them all, and I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob & our of Judah an inheritor of my mountains & mine elect shall inherit it, & my servants shall dwell there, & in the same chapter it is prophecied that the Jews should be rejected & another people called in their [stead (om. E.)], & that they should leave their name for a curse unto this chosen remnant or his true people and that he would call his people by another name. vid 658. [finis]
¶650. BEING OF GOD. NECESSARY EXISTENCE. Tis from the exceeding imperfect notions that we have of the nature or essence of God & because we cant think of it but we must think of it far otherwise than it is that arises the difficulty in our mind of concieving of Gods existing without a cause, Tis repugnant to the nature of our souls and what our faculties utterly refuse to admit that any thing that is capable of being one part of a proper disjunction should exist and be as it is rather than not exist or exist otherwise without causes. Our notions we have of the divine nature are so imperfect that our imperfect idea admits of a disjunction For whatsoever is not absolutely perfect doth so. Every thing that is imperfect there is dependence, or contingent existence implied in the nature of it and [or?] we can concieve of its being a part of a disjunction there is a THUS, & an OTHERWISE in the case. as soon as ever we have descended one step below absolute perfection possibility ceases to be simple, it divides & becomes manifold. Thus for instance we cant concieve of God without attributing succession to him but that notion bring along with it contingent existence & introduces with it a manifold possibility. there is nothing that exists in a successive duration but it will necessarily follow from thence that it is <simply possible that it might> capable of existing infinite other ways than it doth. & that it might not exist at all.
¶It is a contradiction to suppose that Being it self should not be. if any one says no there may be nothing he supposes at the same time nothing has a being, & indeed nothing when we speak properly or when the word has any meaning, i.e when we speak of nothing in contradiction [to (om. E.)] some particular being has truly a being [finis]