The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Objections againſt the former doctrine anſwered.
BUt ſome ſay, Abſurdities, and thoſe not a few follow upon this Doctrine. Object. 1 Then ſalvation in this new Covenant, is as impoſſible for a man, as in the old, had he ſtill remained under a Covenant of Works. If we can no more riſe up to the termes of the Covenant of grace than we can to the Covenant of works, where then is the difference?
To which I anſwer; Anſw. that a man void of grace can no more be ſaved by the Covenant of Grace, than a man under an impoſſibility to work can be ſaved by the Covenant of Works, will eaſily be granted. By grace we are ſaved, Epheſ. 2. 8. not of our ſelves. It is ſtill equally impoſſible in both to be ſelf-ſavours. Here is the difference. Grace raiſes us, unto that to which the Goſpel calls us, in a ſelf-denying way through faith; but works us not to that ſelf perfection in thoſe degrees of inherent righteouſneſſe, as to be ſaved by works.
Secondly, This doctrine layes man as low as a ſtock or a ſtone; a dead carcaſſe, nothing is done by him but what is done in him, and ſo muſt needs be injurious to man. Object. 2 To this I anſwer. Firſt, it layes him no lower than ſin hath caſt him, nor doth it make him worſe than ſin hath made him, Anſw. and the Word of God doth diſcover him, and that is dead till grace quicken and raiſe him. His heart is of ſtone till grace, take it from him, and in enmity againſt God, till grace circumciſe and work that change, to love the Lord with all the heart, &c. Secondly, This is not an abſolute death, in which man is, through ſin, and therefore the ſimilitude holds not, that equals a ſtock, ſtone, or dead carcaſſe with him; It is only a death reſpective, as to ſpiritual obedience he is dead, There is in him a life natural, able for all actions and motions of the life of man as man, There is in him alſo a moral life, able to improve naturals to a civilized converſation. That to which feare or hope can work a man, thither he may raiſe himſelf by the freedome of will, this puts no new life into him, nor works any chang of nature in him. He is alſo able for thoſe works which God ſanctifies as his inſtrument, for the work of a ſpiritual life, He … read and hear the Word, hath power to know much in it, and retain it. Thirdly, he is a ſubject ſuſceptible, ſlands in a capacity of a life of grace, of ſpiritual actions and motions: having an underſtanding, will, affections, wanting not any faculties in their ſubſtance. The new man attaines not a new ſoul, but only renewed qualifications, which yet are of more glory, than the faculties themſelves, carrying ſuch a glorious reſemblance of God. Better know nothing than not know God, to deſire nothing, than not to deſire good. The want of this, turned Angels into Devils, and ſo man ſtands in a vaſt difference from ſtocks, ſtones and thoſe to whom he is thus injuriouſly compared. This doctrine is not injurious to man, as it is traduced. Object. 3
Thirdly, ſome ſay, This will render preaching vaine, all mans-paines for Converſion of ſoules will then prove uſeleſſe, and to no purpoſe; we may let men alone till God work; and when he hath begun his work, they will ſet on working. This indeed ſpeaks hard to a ſort of men in our times; that deny any previous working in the ſoul for regeneration, or any preparatory work to converſion, So that all uncoverted, ſtand equally diſtant from the grace of it, in ſo much that it can be ſaid of no one rather than another, which Chriſt ſaid to the Scribe, Thou art not far from the Kingdome of God, Mar. 12. 34. I ſee not how theſe can make the preaching of the word of any uſe; Our Brethren that went into America, and offer the Goſpel to ſavage Indians there, may as well finde Chriſt there, as bring him thither. The dark places of the earth may be equally happy, with thoſe, where light is in moſt glory, if light contribute nothing to the work of change, and the happy frame of Chriſt in us. But thoſe that have learnt, that infuſed habits are wrought in the ſoul in the ſame manner,Habitus infuſi infunduntur ad m…dum acquiſitorum. as thoſe that are acquired, may eaſily return a ſatisfying anſwer. That opinion▪ that the ſoul is by an immediate creation infuſed, how generally ſoever it is received, yet never was thought of force to render the way of marriage uſeleſſe for procreation; God infuſes not a ſoul by creation into any, but an organized body, an Embryo fitted to receive it. Neither can this opinion of the power of grace in the work of Converſion, render in vain the labours of thoſe that are ſpiritual Parents. Conviction is in order before Converſion, and men muſt ſee themſelves neceſſitated to do what they do, before ever they enter upon it. The ſoule knoweth what it doth, when it firſt beleeves, and ſees a neceſſity to accept Chriſt before it receives him, which is the work of the Word in the ſoules, of thoſe that are brought to Chriſt Jeſus. It is not in vaine for God to ſend his Miniſters to ſhew the myſteries of the Kingdome of heaven to thoſe that are blinde, when this is the way of God to open their eyes and give them ſight. It is not in vain that he ſends them to thoſe that are without ſtrength, when this is his way to enable them with power. It is not in vain that Paul plants, and Apollos waters, when yet it is God that gives the increaſe, when God will uſe Paul and Apollos for the increaſe that he gives. Miniſters ſhould perſwade, and people improve endeavours as though they were Pelagians, and no help of grace afforded, They ſhould pray and beleeve, and reſt on grace as though they were Antinomians, nothing of endeavour to be looked after; So the injury that the Pelagian doth to grace, and the Antinomian to our endeavours, will be on both hands avoided.