A Medium Betwixt Two Extremes, Part
Application.
Caution 1. Shall be a Uſe of Caution to ſuch, to take heed how they ſeek to render the ſtate of the Elect to be good before Grace and actual Union with Jeſus Chriſt.
1. Becauſe the holy Word of God declares their State to be very bad;Rom. 3.22. and as to the preſent State of their Perſons whilſt Unbelievers, there is no difference.
2. Becauſe ſuch a Notion cannot tend to the Glory of God, nor the profit of any Perſon, either before or after they do believe. I challenge any to ſhew what Glory it can bring to God, or benefit it can be to any Sinner, to hear he is juſtified or diſcharged from Wrath and Condemnation before he is in Chriſt; or that it can be of profit to him when he doth believe, to be told that his State was good before he did believe in Chriſt Jeſus, tho he knew it not.
3. But contrariwiſe it may tend to encourage Unbelievers to conclude that their State is good, tho Swearers, Drunkards, and what not, and ſo harden them in their Sins, and to disbelieve or caſt contempt upon what ſome faithful Miniſters daily declare to the contrary.
4. It alſo clearly tends to leſſen or extenuate the rich Grace of God, in giving his Spirit to regenerate the Soul, and to work Faith in us, if the relative and real change were not at one and the ſame time, which the Scripture doth affirm it is; But you are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified, 1 Cor. 6.11.&c. Alſo then Grace received, could not be any ſign of our being paſſed from a ſtate of Death unto a ſtate of Life, which the Apoſtle aſſerts it is, By this we know that we have paſſed from Death to Life, becauſe we love the Brethren;1 Joh. 3.14. he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death. The Apoſtle no doubt intends a ſtate of Death.
2ly. It puts alſo a juſt rebuke upon ſuch as cauſe trouble or diviſions amongſt Chriſtians on ſuch a Notion. Brethren, were it a Truth that the Elect were actually delivered from Condemnation, and were perſonally juſtified before they are in Jeſus Chriſt, yet certainly it cannot be judged to be an Eſſential of Salvation nor of Church-communion: Are all ſuch Perſons not to be communicated with that can't believe the Elect are acquitted or delivered from Condemnation, or perſonally juſtified before they are in Chriſt Jeſus?
Secondly, This I hope may tend to clear up the matter, and ſhew the preſent difference is but little, and riſes rather from miſtaking of words than otherwiſe: for according to what I have ſaid and proved it appeareth,
1. That God ſees things, even all his works from everlaſting; and calls things that are not as if they were. Things before God or in his ſight, is one thing; and things as to us, or as actually exiſting, is another thing. That God ſees the Elect juſtified and glorified too from Eternity, is evident, who are not actually and perſonally juſtified, nor indeed can be ſaid ſo to be, until they perſonally exiſt and are in Jeſus Chriſt.
2. That to be federally, fundamentally and repreſentatively juſtified in Chriſt is one thing, and to be actually and perſonally juſtified is another thing; or Chriſt's receiving our Diſcharge and Juſtification (as our Head and Surety) for us, is one thing; and the application thereof, or his giving of it out unto us, pronouncing us juſt and righteous before God, in our own Conſciences, and before all the World, is another thing.
Thirdly, We infer from hence that God magnifies his rich Grace exceedingly to us who believe, or that the work of Grace is a glorious work upon the Soul, and that Union with Chriſt is to be eſteemed as one of the richeſt manifeſtations of his electing Love.
Fourthly, That all Men out of Chriſt may ſee cauſe from hence to tremble, conſidering what a woful State they are in, and ſo ſtrive to fly to Chriſt with ſpeed.
Fifthly, That ſuch who are in Chriſt have cauſe to admire God's Free Grace, and may from hence alſo take in a moſt precious and rich Cordial of the higheſt comfort and conſolation; for therefore, Now there is no Condemnation to them who are in Chriſt Jeſus. But no more at this time.