The Sure Mercies of David, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
NOW for the Application of this point, I ſhall make uſe of it ſeveral wayes 1. For confutation of, 1. Atheiſts. 2. Papiſts. 3. Arminians. 4. Socinians.
1. It confutes the vain conceits of Atheiſts who call in queſtion the great things of Religion, they are firſt Scepticks and Diſputants, then by degrees they grow Atheiſts and deny God; as one ſaith, in the Academy of Atheſin, a ſinning ſoul takes theſe ſad degrees; 1. To doubting whether there be a God or no. 2. To living as though there were indeed no God. 3. To wiſhing that there were none; and 4. To diſputing againſt a Deity, and then he commenceth Doctor in poſitive Concluſions, Mr. Herle in Policy, p. 52.with the fool that there is no God, Pſal. 14.1. many are ready to ſay, that Religion in the power of it is but a fiery Meteor, which the influence of thoſe hot Dog-ſtarrs of the times (Miniſters) have drawn up and kindled in the groſſer Region of ſome ſick and melancholy brains, and ſo like fire is apt to catch in thatcht and low-built houſes, not Pallaces, and Caſtles, i. e. …arge and high-built ſouls: But the truth is, ſome Atheiſts do find in this life the certainty of our Religion, all ſhall find it to their coſt hereafter by an irrecoverable loſs of theſe ſure mercies, and by intolerable ſuſtaining of …verlaſting miſeries: As Atheiſm hath been much propagated in theſe latter dayes, ſo God hath afforded ſome remarkable convictions by ſeveral modern examples. Cardinal Richlieu, who after he had given Law to all Europe many years, confeſſed to P. Du Moulin, that being forced to many irregularities in his life time, by that which they call Reaſon of ſtate, and not being able to ſatisfie his Conſcience, thence had temptations to diſ-believe a God, another World, the immortality of the ſoul, and by that diſtruſt to relieve his aking heart, but could not; ſo ſtrong, ſaid he, was the notion of God on his ſoul, ſo clear the impreſſion of him upon the frame of the world, ſo unanimous the conſent of mankind—that he could not but taſte the powers of the World to come, and ſo live as one that muſt dye, and ſo dye as one that muſt live for ever: and being asked one day why he was ſo ſad, he anſwered, Monſier, Monſier, the ſoul is a ſerious thing, it muſt be either ſad here for a moment, or ſad for ever: and though Cardinal Mazareen was an Atheiſt the greateſt part of his time, yet he hath left behind him clear convictions of the immortality of the ſoul, and certainty of another ſtate after this life, profeſſing that if he were to live again, he would be a Capuchin rather than a Courtier, i. e. of a Popiſh religious Order, to ſerve God in their way, rather than chooſe worldly preferments: 'tis recorded of Sir John Maſon Councellor to Hen. 8. Edw. 6. that he called his Clark and Steward to him, and ſaid I have ſeen five Princes, been Privy Councellour to four, ſeen the moſt remarkable obſervables in forreign parts, been at moſt State-tranſactions for thirty years, and have learned, that ſeriouſneſs is the greateſt wiſdom, temperance the beſt phyſick, and a good conſcience is the faireſt eſtate, and were I to live again I would change the Court-life for a Cloyſter, my privy Councellors buſtles for an Hermits retirement, and my whole life in the Pallace for one hours enjoyment of God, in the Chappel; all things elſe forſake me, beſides my God, my Duty, my Prayer: thus he: It is alſo recorded of Charles 5. Emperour of Germany, King of Spain, Lord of the Netherlands, that after 23. pitcht Fields, 6. Triumphs, 8. Kingdoms won,— after all this ſucceſs reigned all theſe, retired to his Devotion, had his Funeral celebrated before his face, left this teſtimony behind him, that the ſincere profeſſion of Religion hath its ſweets and joys that Courts were ſtrangers to: and we know from Holy Writ that Solomon, after his vaſt experiments and exact diſquiſitions left this Maxime as the total ſumm of his large accounts, Eccleſ. 12 13— fear God and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man: Atheiſts never yet taſted the ſweetneſs of Religion, they never fully ſtudied the Word or Works of God, both which would ſatisfie them; 'tis recorded of Francis Junius, that reading Tully, de Legibus, Nihil curare deum, nec ſui nec alieni.he fell into a perſwaſion that God cared for nothing, neither his own nor others affairs, but in a tumult in Lions, the Lord convinced him of a Divine Providence by delivering him ſtrangely from eminent death, and alſo being put by his Father upon reading the firſt Chapter of John's Goſpel, he was abundantly convinced by the Divinity of the Argument, Majeſty and Authority of the ſtile, in ſuch a manner as his body trembled, his mind was aſtoniſhed, and his his ſoul ſavingly Converted: Yea, the works of God are ſufficient to leave a Conviction of a Deity upon Conſcience. Lord Bacon uſed to ſay, that a little ſmattering in Philoſophy might tempt a man, to be an Atheiſt, but a through ſtudy of it would bring him back to be Religious, for it would reduce him to a firſt cauſe and a laſt end: But I muſt not enlarge on theſe Atheiſts, ſee them deſcribed and confuted in Weems Treatiſe of four degenerate Sons of Adam. All I ſhall adde, is the words of Lord Chancellour Egerton, to be Prophane is the ſimpleſt thing in the World, for the Atheiſt layes a wager againſt the ſerious man, that there is no God, but upon woſul odds, he ventures his everlaſting ſtate, the other only hazards the loſs of his Luſts; if there were no God, yet the latter doth as well as the Atheiſt at laſt, and lives better at preſent, but if there be a God, (as undoubtedly there is) Oh the vaſt diſproportion at the great day, if the Arguments for or againſt the verity of the Goſpel were equal, yet the gain or hazard is infinitely unequal: therefore every wiſe man will take the ſafeſt ſide: Lord what an Age do we live in? when the choiceſt truths, duties, mercies from a principle of opinionativeneſs or licentiouſneſs are queſtioned or denyed. Well, God hath his way and day to convince theſe wretched Atheiſts by real and unanſwerable demonſtrations: ſo that all men ſhall ſay, Verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth, Pſal. 58.11.
2. It notably confutes the Papiſts, becauſe all theſe good things of the Covenant are mercy, not merit, we are under a Covenant of Grace not of Works, Dei miſcricordia, merita noſtra.the mercies of God are our merits. We have cauſe to renounce our own righteouſneſs, alas what are our beſt works to obtain favour at the hands of God, thoſe before Converſion, which they call meritorious [de congruo] are not truly good works wanting a Principle, and thoſe after Converſion, which they call works of condignity, theſe are not exactly good, without the ſtain of imperfection; and therefore cannot merit: they hold two juſtifications according to theſe preparatories, They acknowledged Chriſts Righteouſneſs to be the only meritorious cauſe of this firſt juſtification: i. e. he procureth the infuſion of this grace—all Papiſts aſſert roundly that man is juſtified, per ſolum gratiam inhaerentem, tanquàm per formam integram ſine imputatione externae juſtitiae Chriſti. Suarez l. 7. c. 7. p. 83.the firſt is, when a ſinner of an evil man, is made a good man, which is done by pardon of ſin, and infuſion of inward righteouſneſs, i. e. the habit of Hope and Charity: the ſecond is, when a man of a good man is made better, and this ſay they may proceed from works of Grace, becauſe he which is righteous by the firſt juſtification can bring forth good works, by merit whereof he is able to make himſelf more juſt and righteous, but we aſſert that the very thing by which we are juſtified and accepted is only the mercy of God and the merits of Chriſts active and paſſive obedience; which are imputed to us and received by faith alone; and our obedience, or performances cannot be ſatisfaction to Gods juſtice, becauſe they are imperfect and defective, Iſa. 64.6.filthy rags, a rag and cannot cover us, and filthy, therefore will rather defile than juſtifie us: at the great day we muſt have ſomething that can countervail the juſtice of God, but Paul durſt not appear in his own Righteouſneſs, but in Chriſts, Phil, 3.9. and how dare we? Certainly Paul's Doctrine is an infallible truth of God, Rom. 3.20.—by the deeds of the Law there ſhall no fleſh be juſtified in his ſight.—And ver. 24. being juſtified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jeſus Chriſt: and though Papiſts deride imputed righteouſneſs. Yet 'tis mentioned ten times in Rom. 4. and frequently aſſerted and proved through Paul's Epiſtles. So 2 Cor. 5.21. as Chriſt was made ſin for us, ſo are we made the Righteouſneſs of God in him; now Chriſt was made ſin for us no otherwayes than by God's imputing our ſins to him: for 'tis Blaſphemy to ſay Chriſt was ſin by infuſion of ſin into him, or inherency of ſin in him. Beſides our juſtification comes to us as our condemnation, which was not only by propagation, but by the imputation of Adam's diſobedience, Rom. 5.19. all the mercies of the Covenant are to believers made over by a deed of gift, indeed the wages of ſin is death, but eternal life is only the gift of God, with all that leads thereunto, Rom. 6.23. But however Papiſts may diſpute in the Schools, yet when they come to lye upon ſick and deathbeds, they are glad to come off with Bellarmines, tutiſſimum eſt, it's ſafeſt to rely only on the mercy of God and merits of Chriſt for juſtification: let us ſtill hold the ſafe way and leave them to their uncertain imperfect Righteouſneſs. Dr. Prideaux Lect. 5. De juſt. fol. 64.But 'tis eaſily diſcernable what is the reaſon of the Papiſts oppoſing free juſtification by grace only, becauſe it would demoliſh their Purgatory, Maſſes for quick and dead, Invocation of Saints, Worſhipping of Images, Indulgences, and their Treaſures of Merits; See this Doctrine ſtated and cleared in Durham on Rev. fol. 585 &c, Vid. fol. 590. to 594. Ipſa gloria Secundum totum ſuum eſſe, & ut ita dicam ſ…cundum ſubſtantiam tan …a… merces meritorum …mittitur: Suarez lib. 12. cap. 28. page 222, 223.hence a modern Divine hath laid down the grounds that render the Salvation of a Papiſt in a ſort impoſſible, and clears it in this about Juſtification; and proves undeniably, that their contrivance of the way of Juſtification doth overturn moſt, if not all the truths of the Goſpel, and is utterly inconſiſtent with Gods way of ſaving ſinners; for it is the ſame for matter and form with the Covenant of works, which they ſay Chriſt hath merited, and ſtrength anew to keep the ſame, as Adam in innocency, and now ſinners are to ſtand and fall in the obtaining of life promiſed according to their own performing of the condition of works, in the uſe of that firſt grace, and by this they merit perſeverance and Heaven; and leſt in-dwelling corruptions and defects in duties marr this, they ſay concupiſcence is not a ſin againſt the Moral Law, and there are many ſins Venial and not Mortal, which therefore do not hinder merit and acceptation: alas what a new and Anti-evangelical way is this, which confounds Juſtification and Sanctification, derogates from the Nature of Grace, enervateth the merit of Chriſt, altereth the nature of the Goſpel-covenant,—&c. But I muſt not inlarge, let us ſtudy this important ſubject, and take heed of corrupting this Fountain, or building on any other foundation beſides Chriſt's ſole righteouſneſs.
2. There's another uncomfortable Doctrine of the Papiſts which is a denyal that a Chriſtian can be aſſured of his intereſt in the Covenant, and his eternal ſalvation. We hold that a Chriſtian may attain to aſſurance of faith without extraordinary Revelation, they ſay a man may indeed attain to a conjectural certainty which only ariſeth from hope, in regard of God which promiſeth, but in regard of our ſelves and our indiſpoſition ſo, we are to be at uncertainties: certainly a Child of God may not only be aſſured of Gods fidelity but his own ſincerity; theſe Mercies are Sure in reſpect of the Subject as well as the Object, for the promiſes run in general and indefinite terms, whoſoever believeth ſhall be ſaved: but I, ſaith the ſoul, truly believe, therefore I ſhall be ſaved, and this particular application and reflection is as much as if he ſaid, if thou John, Thomas, Peter do believe, thou ſhalt be ſaved; now though the heart be deceitful, yet the Scripture hath laid down ſuch Characters by which a man may try and diſcern the ſincerity of his own act in cloſing with Chriſt; for true believing is a receiving of him as he is offered to us in the Goſpel, Joh. 1.12. Beſides the Saints receive the Spirit of Adoption, which beareth witneſs with their ſpirits, that they are the Children of God, Eph. 1.14.4.30.Rom. 8.15, 16. and this is an earneſt of their inheritance which aſſures them of the whole poſſeſſion; it's a ſeal, and takes away all occaſion of doubting: Paul ſaith of all believers, 1 Cor. 2.12. we have not received the ſpirit of the world, but the ſpirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are given us of God; i.e. theſe mercies of the Covenant, Adoption, pardon, ſanctification, ſalvation: God hath laid it upon us as a duty to make our calling and election ſure, not in it ſelf 2 Pet. 1.10.but to our ſelves, therefore it is attainable, for God doth not command us impoſſibilities; 2 C…r. 13.5.he that bids us try our ſelves whether we be in the faith ſuppoſeth we may come to know upon an exact tryal: Beſides, many of the Saints have been aſſuſed of their ſincerity, and ſalvation by ordinary ways, which all the Saints may uſe, and have a like ſucceſs in a like full aſſurance of faith: Mark. 11.24.1 Joh. 5.14, 15.and God hath bid us ask that we may receive, that our joy may be full: now we are to ask in faith that he will grant what we ask, and we have a promiſe to be heard, yea he therefore ſets us on asking that he may give: But I need not ſtand long to prove the poſſibility of a Child of Gods attaining aſſurance, for experience doth abundantly confirm it, and bleſſed be God that in this we can groundedly ſay the Papiſts are Lyars.
3. Another ſort whom this Text and Doctrine confutes is the Arminians, and this in two reſpect, 1. In the buſineſs of univerſal Redemption, 2. In the falling away from Grace.
1. The Text ſaith theſe are the ſure mercies of David, God's Davids or beloved ones have only an intereſt in them, not all men; and in the Doctrine, I ſay, that Covenant-mercies promiſed in Chriſt are purchaſed and inſured by Chriſt to all the Heirs of promiſe, and I muſt add only to theſe, and to none beſides, and therefore Chriſt dyed not for all, and I ſhall only uſe theſe two Arguments, which immediately relate to the preſent ſubject: 1. Chriſts mediatory undertakings are not intended as a price for any but ſuch as were propoſed by God to the Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption, to be Redeemed by him, but all and every one were not ſo propoſed, therefore not redeemed. I have before opened that great tranſaction betwixt the Father and the Son, now 'tis moſt certain that the Mediators death and ſufferings are to be lookt upon as regulated and qualified in reſpect of their effects, according to what was propoſed by the Father, and conſented to by the Son; hence Chriſt ſaith that he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that ſent him, and to finiſh his work, and to give eternal life to as many as God had given to him: therefore Chriſt muſt by his undertakings enſure theſe mercies to all thoſe, and none but thoſe that the Father propoſed to him in this everlaſting bargain; as for that conditional giving of ſome to Chriſt, which ſome ſpeak of, that would derogate from his glory, for he muſt needs know the event, and that ſuch a conditional giving would not effect it; and to ſay he would what ſhould not come to paſs, or to apply ſuch means as he knew would not be effectual to the end, cannot be imagined: beſides thoſe that are given to Chriſt are contra-diſtinguiſhed from others that are not given to him; therefore theſe only are aſſigned peculiarly to be redeemed and not others.
Arg. 2. All thoſe and only thoſe whom Chriſt Redeemed, have all the mercies of the Covenant inſured to them, but all have not all the mercies of the Covenant enſured to them and conferred on them, therefore all are not Redeemed by Chriſt. Chriſt is the ſurety and Mediator of the New Covenant; and he gives Faith, Repentance, Pardon, Heaven to them for whom he is engaged as a Surety, they ſhall not fail of all the Covenant-mercies, that are abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation, for he is faithful in the Execution of all his Offices; now we know all men have not ſaving Faith, nor Repentance; it cannot be conceived but that his ſatisfaction muſt be equally effectual for the procuring of theſe ſaving mercies to thoſe whoſe room he ſuſtained; and indeed God promiſeth as a recompence to him, that he ſhall ſee of the travel of his ſoul and be ſatisfied; yea he ſhall juſtifie many, i. e. as many as he undertook for, Iſa. 53.11. if Chriſt hath born their iniquities, they muſt be juſtified, elſe he miſſed of his end; there is an inſeparable connexion betwixt Chriſt's undertaking for them, and his beſtowing Covenant-mercies on them: all that are Redeemed by Chriſt's Blood are made Kings and Prieſts to God, Rev. 5, 9, 10. they are purchaſed to be a peculiar people to God, they are waſhed from their ſins in his blood, redeemed from their vain Converſation, delivered from ſpiritual enemies to ſerve God in holineſs all their days, and to be received to Heaven when they dye; theſe are the mercies of the Covenant which the Mediator purchaſeth, and applyeth to all the elect, and to none but elect ſouls; therefore none elſe are Redeemed: for there is no ſaving nor eternal mercy procured to any reprobate by Chriſt's death, for the proper and native fruits of Chriſts death are not divided, therefore he prays for them that were given to him, and for whoſe ſake he did ſanctifie himſelf, Joh. 17.and excludes the reprobate World, for whom he purchaſed not theſe Covenant-mercies, therefore he dyed not for them: that's the former.
2. This point confutes Arminians in their ſad opinion of the Saints Apoſtacy; ſome hold a total, as Lutherans, others a final as Arminius, others maintain a total and final Apoſtacy of Saints; we hold that believing, regenerate juſtified perſons, that are endowed with the divine nature and a lively hope ſhall not loſe that principle and fall from that ſtate of grace, and be utterly deprived of the favour of God, and indeed we need no other Arguments but this, that theſe mercies of the Covenant are ſure mercies, which they would not be if they might be loſt; there is the immutability of Gods Promiſe in the New Covenant, the interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt for the Elect, the Omnipotency of the Shepherd of Iſrael who will not loſe one of his Sheep, the efficacy of the ſpirit, ſupporting and renewing the ſeed of God, and life of Grace in believers, 1 Joh. 3.9.and this ſeed of God keeps a believer from ſinning in two reſpects: 1. He hates and …ills in part the evil which he wills and works. 2. If by humane frailty he fall, Rom 7.19.he makes not a trade of ſin, or keeps a courſe in it, but the ſeed of Grace makes him reſtleſs till he return to God, and be entertained into favour and fellowſhip with him: thus though good David ſometimes goes aſtray like a loſt ſheep, yet then he cannot forget God or his commandments, Pſal. 119.176. his heart was diſſatisfied till his God and his ſoul were at peace again; this gracious Principle inclines him God-wards and Heaven-wards, i… is a well of water ſpringing up into everlaſting life, Joh. 4.14. 'tis an increaſing grain of muſtard-ſeed, Mat. 13.31. 1 Pet. 1.23. 1 Joh. 2.27. Jam 1.21.'tis an incorruptible ſeed that liveth and abideth for ever, an abiding unction, an ingraffed word, an indwelling Spirit, &c. therefore cannot be loſt. Bleſſed be God for this comfortable point, which doth no… beget licentiouſneſs as our Adverſaries bely it, but diligence in the ways of God, as the genuine product of it, as the experience o… the Saints teſtifies. But I ſhall ſay the leſs of this, becauſe I have hinted at it before in the Doctrinal part, and others have ſaid ſo much of it.
4. And the laſt ſort that are confuted by this point of the Sure Mercies of David i… the Socinian errour, that Chriſts death is no… a ſatisfaction for ſin, the Socinians hold tha… Chriſts ſufferings were only for the confirmation of his Doctrine, or for the imitation o… Saints, or at moſt, only to purchaſe to himſelf the prerogative to forgive ſins freely theſe ends are framed mainly as an engine to deſtroy Chriſts God-head and perſonality i… the glorious Trinity; and 'tis recorded o… Socinus the patron of this blaſphemy that h… held the world was not made of nothing, ie… he ſhould be forced to acknowledge the infiniteneſs of Gods power, which he denyed, Heb. 1.2.and of Chriſts divine nature, by whom he made the Worlds. But we on the contrary do confidently believe, that when the Majeſty of God was wronged by the ſin of man, and when it behoved man to make ſatisfaction to juſtice, or never be freed from the ſentence of condemnation, or obtain reconciliation, & this being beyond the power of a finite creature: Chriſt God-man did interpoſe himſelf in our ſtead to be a ſacrifice for the elect to ſatisfie juſtice, and bring in everlaſting righteouſneſs, which ſatisfaction is accepted of God the Father and imputed to the ſincere believer: and this is the ſumm of the Goſpel, and clearly held forth therein to all that are not wilfully blind, in Iſa. 53.6. 'tis ſaid the Lord …aid on him the iniquities of us all, and ſaith the Apoſtle, he became ſin for us, 2 Cor. 5 21. Heb. 7.22. Job 33.24. Gal. 3.13, 14. Rev. 15. Act. 20 28.i.e. in our …oom or ſtead, hence is he called a Surety in paying our debt, and a ranſome, and his death …s called a propitiation, an expiatory Sacrifice, …e enduring the curſe for us, and waſhing us from our ſins in his own blood, and purchaſed his Church with his own blood, i. e. the blood of God-man. But the Scripture is full of …eſtimonies, and the ſubject I have been ſo …argely inſiſting upon in the doctrinal part …bundantly clears it, that Jeſus Chriſt as Me…iator of the new Covenant doth inſure the mercies of it to all the Heirs of Promiſe by …is meritorious undertakings, which I have …bundantly cleared, and the Socinians denying this, do alſo deny the merit and excellency of Chriſts obedience and death, and his divine nature, and ſo deſerve not to be ranked among the number of Chriſtians; the Lord preſerve us from theſe black and deſtructive ways of Errour and Hereſie, and drench our hearts in the through ſenſe and experience of theſe Sure Mercies of David; for all Dagons will fall before this Ark of the Covenant, and the clear underſtanding of this Doctrine will rectifie many miſtakes; the right conceiving, and ſolid embracing of theſe New Covenant-mercies, is the greateſt help to a ſound mind, and ſincere heart which are great preſervatives againſt errour and apoſtacy.
But thus much for the firſt Uſe.