Aphorisms of Justification, Answer · Answer 8
To the eighth Objection.
IN your eighth Question I observe severall mistakes. 1. You observe not how ill it agreeth with the two former. For if the Covenant were only absolute, then it can be made to none but wicked men: and indeed the absolute Covenant is made to none other. Sure those that God doth promise to bestow new hearts upon, and soft hearts, have yet their old and hard hearts: (except it were meant of a further degree, and not of the first saving Grace.) 2. And as the absolute' so the great conditionall Promise, Beleeve and be saved is also made to ungodly men. Is not this spoken to Unbeleevers? Will you speak it to none but those who beleeve already? Were none of those Jews ungodly, to whom Peter saith Act. 2. 39. The Promise is made to you and to your children? But I have proved a little before, that not only as it is a Covenant offered of God, but also as it is a Covenant entered by them, even wicked men are within the Covenant.
2. Yet you say, that [you no where find any promise to a wicked man.] Why then you have found but a few of the Scripture promises. I have shewed you, that the absolute promise of a new and soft heart is made to wicked men, and the great conditionall promise of the Gospell: Would you have particular examples? In Gen. 4. 7. there is to Cain a conditionall promise of acceptance, and the donation of Superiority and Government. Gen. 9. 11, 12. There is a Covenant betwixt God and every living Creature. Gen. 27. 39, 40. Isaac is Gods mouth in blessing Esau: Were all the Israelites godly, to whom the Land of Canaan was promised and given? 1 Sam. 10. 4, 5, 6, 7. There the Spirit of God and other favours are promised to Saul. 1 King. 11. 31, 32, 33, 38, 39. There are promises to Ieroboam. How many score places in the Psalmes and Prophet, doe mention promises and Covenants of God to ungodly Israelites? If I should instance in all the promises made to Ahab Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius, &c. it would be tedious.
Object. But all these are rather Prophesies then promises. Answ. If that which expresseth the engaging of the word and Truth of God to bestow good upon a man be not a Promise, I would you would tell me what is. Object. These predictions doe onelyonly declare what God will doe, but give no title to the mercy as a Promise doth.
Answ. Did not God give Cain a title to his Superiority and Government, and the Israelites Title to the Land of Promise? and so the rest.
Promises doe give Title to the thing promised; 1. Either full and absolute: 2. Or imperfect and conditionall. In the first sence we have title both by an ansolute promise, and by a Conditionall Promise, when we have performed the condition. In the latter sence it giveth title to men that have not yet performed the condition.
Object. But these things which are given to wicked men, are not good to them, but evill; therefore it is not properly a promise. Answ. It is good in it selfe and would be to them, but for their wilfull abuse. Shall mans sinnes make Gods promises and mercies of lesse value? God promisd that Christ should come to his owne, the Jewes, (Isa. 53. Mal. 3. 1, 2, 3.) and yet his owne received him not, Ioh. 1. 11. Shall we say therefore, that God threatned them with a Christ, rather then promised him? He promised and gave them both Prophets and Apostles; was it no promise or mercy, because they killed and persecuted them?
To conclude this, the Scripture expresly contradicteth you opinion, Rom. 9. 4. To the Israelites was the Adoption and Glory and Covenants, and the service, and the Promises: And even to them for whom Paul would have been accursed: So Act. 2. 39. And Heb. 4. 1. Take heed lest a promise being made of entring into his Rest, any of you seem to come short of it. Prov 1. 23. 24. 25. Christ promiseth the foolish and the scorners, that he will poure out his Spirit to them, if they will turne at his reproofe. Amos 5. 4, 6. Seek the Lord, and your soul shall live. Isa. 55. 6. 7. Seek the Lord while he may be found; Call upon him while he is neer: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon.
Are not all these promises to wicked men?
Object. But when they returne and repent, they are not wicked.
Answ. But is not this conditionall promise made to them before they return?
Object. the Promise is onelyonly to Beleevers, therefore not to all.
Answ. Either you speak of the making, or of the fulfilling of it: It is fulfilled onelyonly to Beleevers, but it is made and offered to all that heare it, on condition of Beleeving, as is proved. Object. Beleeving is not the condition of the promise, but onelyonly the qualification of the persons to whom it is made. Answ. This Objection hath more subtilty then sence: Is not Beleeving (in plaine English) a Duty required in the Promise by the free Promiser and Law-giver, of him to whom the Promise is made and sent, and that upon these termes, that if he performe it, the thing promised shall be his, otherwise it shall not? And is not this properly a condition required of the party if he will enjoy the thing promised? When you say [It is a qualification of the person to whom the Promise is made] you speak in the darknesse of ambiguity: For 1. Doe you meane it is a qualification which he hath before the Promise is made to him? If so, I have proved the contrary already. Or is it his qualification afterwards, so it is indeed: But not of all to whom it is made; but of all to whom it shall be fulfilled. Againe, doe you meane an habituall qualification or an Actuall? I doubt not, but you know it is the act of Faith which we dispute of: And what is the difference betwixt such an active qualification, required on the termes before mentioned, and a proper condition?
But I perceive that which you stick at, is, that the Promises are all Yea and Amen in Christ, and therefore are made to none but those in Christ.
Answ. It will be long before you will prove the Consequence. They are made onelyonly on the ground of Christs undertaking, and he is the Mediatour of them, and in him they are sure. But doth it therefore follow, that Christ dispenseth then to none but those that are in him? Wicked men have benefits by Christ, even those that are not in him so much as by a visible profession: And why then may they not have some promises? Yet I know that beleevers are oft called in Scripture, the Children, and Heires of the Promise. But to understand this, you must know, 1. That the Holy Ghost hath chiefly the respect to the Thing promised, and of that Beleevers are the onelyonly Heires: If you also consider, that he speakes chiefly of the great Promises of Reconciliation, Remission, Sanctification, Adoption, glorification. 2. I told you before, that the promise before we performe the Condition doth give a remote, imperfect, loosable title to the good promised: And so the wicked are children of promise. But the Promise when we have performed the Condition, (as also the absolute promises) doth give an immediate, proper, certain Title to the good promised, so that a man may say, it is mine: And thus onelyonly the faithfull are the heires of the Promise: They onelyonly have a propriety in the spirituall and speciall Mercies there promised. But a wicked Israelite may have propriety in his Inheritance by vertue of Divine Promise and Donation. For Christ hath led captivity captive, and recived gifts for men, even for the Rebellious, that the Lord might dwell among them, psal. 68. 18.