The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Thesis 86 – Thesis 97
Thesis 86.
There is the inward law written on the heart, called the law of the Spirit of life, Rom. 8.2. and there is the outward law revealed and written in the holy Scriptures, now the externall and outward law is properly the rule of a Christian life, and not the internall and inward law (as some conceive) for to outward law is perfect, in that it perfectly declares what is Gods will and what not; but the inward Law (as received and writ in our hearts) is imperfect in this life, and therefore unfit to bee our rule: The inward law is our actuall (yet imperfect) conformity to the rule of the law without, it is not therfore the rule it selfe: The law within is the thing to bee ruled, Psal. 17.4. Psalme 119.4.5. The outward law therefore is the rule: The law of the Spirit of life (which is the internall law) is called a law, not in respect of perfect direction (which is essentiall to the rule) but in respect of mighty and effectuall operation, there being a power in it as of a strong law effectually and sweetly compelling to the obedience of the law: For as the law of sinne within us (which the Apostle calls, the law of our members, and is contrary to the law of our mindes, or the law of the spirit of life within us) is not the rule of knowing and judging what sinne is, but the law of God without, Romans 7.7. and yet it is called a law, because it hath a compulsive power to act and encline to sin, like a mighty and forcible law; so the law of the spirit of life, the law of our mindes, is called a law, not that it is the rule of a Christians life, but that it compels the heart, and forceth it like a living law to the obedience of that directing rule (when it …s made known to it) from without: It is therefore a great mistake to thinke, that because God translates the law without into a Beleevers heart, that therefore this heart-law is his only or principall rule of life, or to imagine that the spirit without the externall law is the rule of life; the spirit is the principle indeed of our obedience, whereby we conforme unto the rule, but it is not therefore the rule it selfe. It is true indeed, 1. That the spirit inclines the heart to the obedience of the rule; 2. It illuminates the minde also many times to see it by secret shinings of preventing light, as well as brings things to their remembrance, which they knew before: 3. It acts them also sometime, so as that when they know not what to pray, it prompts them, Romans 8.26. When they know not what to speake before their Adversaries, in that day it's given to them, Matth. 10.19. When they know not whither to goe nor how to goe, it's then a voice behinde them, and leads them to fountaines of living waters, Isaiah 30.21. Revel. 7.17. But all these and such like quickning acts of the spirit, doe not argue it to be our rule, according to which wee ought to walke, but only by which or by meanes of which we come to walke, and are enclined, directed and inabled to walke according to the rule, which is the law of God without. For the Pilot of the ship is not the compasse of the ship, because that by the Pilot the ship is guided: nor doth it argue that the Spirit is our rule, because he guides us according to the rule: It is not essentiall to the rule to give power to conforme unto it, but to be that according to which we are to be conformed: And therefore it's a crazy argument to prove the law of the Spirit to be the rule of our life, because it chiefly gives us power to conforme unto the rule; for if the law be that according to which are to bee guided, although it should give us no power, yet this is sufficient to make it to be our rule.
Thesis 87.
The Spirit of God which writ the Scriptures, and in them this rule of the holy law, is in the Scriptures and in that law, as well as in a Beleevers heart; and therefore to forsake and reject the Scriptures or this written rule, is to forsake and reject the holy Spirit speaking in it as their rule; nay, 'tis to forsake that Spirit which is the supreme Judge, according to which all private spirits, nay all the actings, dictates, movings, speakings of Gods owne Spirit in us, are to be tried, examined and judged. To the law and the testimony, was the voice of the Prophets in their dayes, Isa. 8.20. The Lord Christ himselfe referres the Jewes to the searching of Scriptures concerning himself, Iohn 5.39. The men of Bereah are commended for examining the holy and infallible dictates of Gods Spirit, in Pauls Ministery, according to what was written in the Scriptures of old. It is therefore but a cracking noise of windy words for any to say that they open no gap to licentiousnesse by renouncing the written and externall law as their rule, considering that they cleave to a more inward and better rule, viz. The law of the spirit within: for (as hath beene shewne) they doe indeed renounce the holy Spirit speaking in the rule, viz. the law without, which though it be no rule of the Spirit (as some object) yet it is that rule according to which the Spirit guides us to walke, and by which we are to judge whether the guidance bee the spirits guidance or no.
Thesis 88.
Some say, That the difference between the old Testament dispensation and the new, Saltmarsh Sparkles p. 243.or pure Gospel and new Covenant, is this, to wit, That the one, or that of Moses was a Ministery from without, and that of Christ from within: and hence they say that the meer Commandments or letter of Scripture, is not a law to a Christian why he should walke in holy duties, but the law written on our hearts, the law of life. But if this bee the difference between the old and new Testament dispensation, the ministery of the old, and the ministery of the new, then let all Beleevers burn their Bibles, and cast all the sacred writings of the new Testament & old, unto spiders and cobwebs in old holes and corners, and never be read, spoken or meditated on, for these externall things are none of Christs Ministery, on which now Beleevers are to attend: and then I marvaile why the Apostles preached, or why they writ the Gospel for after times (for that was the chiefe end of their writing, as it was of the Prophets in their times, Isaiah 30.8.) that men might beleeve, and beleeving have eternall life, and know hereby that they have eternall life, Iohn 20.31. 1 Iohn 5.13. For either their writing and preaching the Gospell was not an externall and outward Ministry (which is crosse to common sense) or it was not Christs Ministery, which is blasphemous to imagine: and it is a vain shift for any to say, That although it was Christs Ministery, yet it was his Ministery as under the Law and in the flesh, and not in meere glory and spirit: for its evident that the Apostles preachings and writings, were the effect of Christs ascension and glory, Ephes. 4.8.11. when hee was most in the spirit, and had received the spirit that hee might poure it out by this outward Ministery, Acts 2.33. and it is a meer New-nothing and dream of Master Saltmarsh and and others, to distinguish between Christ in the flesh and Christ in the Spirit, as if the one Christ had a divers Ministery from the other: For when the Comforter is come (which is Christ in the Spirit) what will he doe? he will lead (its said) unto all truth, Iohn 16.13 But what truth will he guide us into? Verily no other (for substance) but what Christ in the flesh had spoken, and therefore it's said, that he shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, John 14.26. and therefore (if I may use their phrase) Christ in the Spirit leads us to what Christ in the flesh said; inward Christ leads the faithfull to the outward Ministery of Christ; Christ in the Spirit to Christ speaking in the letter, the Spirit of truth to the Word of truth, the Spirit within to the Word without, by which we shall be judged at the last day, Iohn 12.48. and therefore certainly are to be regulated by it now.
Thesis 89.
It is true, that the faithfull receive an unction or an anoin…ing of the Spirit, which teacheth them all things; but is this teaching immediate or mediate? If immediate, why doth Iohn tell them that he writ to them that hereby they might know they had eternall life, 1 Iohn 5.13. but if it be mediate, viz. by the word externally preacht or writ, then the externall word still is to be our rule, which the anointing of the Spirit helps us to know: It is true, the Apostle saith, 1 Iohn 2.27. that they being taught of the Spirit, did not need that any man should teach them; what then? was their teaching therefore immediate? No verily, for the Apostle explaines his meaning in the words following, viz. otherwise, and after another way and manner, then as the Spirit taught them, for so the words runne, You need not that any man should teach you, but as the anointing teacheth you all things, and is truth. For if Ministers are to preach and write in demonstration of the Spirit, then those that heare them and are taught by them, need no man to teach them otherwise, than as the same Spirit in the same demonstration teacheth them all things: It might bee truely said that the men of Bereah did need no man to teach them otherwise than as the Spirit in comparing and searching the Scriptures did teach them the things which Paul spake. And Calvin well observes upon this place, that the scope of the Apostle in these words, is to confirme his Doctrine which he writ to them, it being no unknowne thing, but a thing known to them by the anointing of the Spirit, which either they had received by former Ministery of the word, or which now they might receive by this writing: As therefore the Spirit leads us to the Word, so the word leads us to the Spirit, but never to a spirit without and beyond the word, I meane so farre forth as that the outward administration of Christ in the flesh or in the word or letter must cease, and be laid aside, when the inward administration of Christ in the Spirit comes.
Thesis 90.
It's as weak an argument to imagine, That wee are not to be led and guided by any outward commands, in our obedience unto God (because God is to worke all our workes for us, and because we are not to live, but Christ is to live in us) as to thinke that we are not to look to any promises without us to direct and support our faith, because Christ is also to fulfill and accomplish all the promises for us: For if the question be, by what are we to live? The Apostles answer is full, Gal. 2.19, 20. that as hee did not live but by the faith of the Son of God, so are we: But if the question be, According to what rule are we to live, and wherein are wee to live? The answer is given by David Psalme 119.4, 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently, Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy Statutes. Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word, ver. 17. Let thy mercy come to me that I may live, for thy law is my delight, vers. 27. So that if the question be, What is the rule of faith by which we live? The answer is, the Gospel, Phil. 3.16. But if the question be, What is the rule of life it self? The answer is, the morall law; and of this later is the controversie.
Thesis 91.
The commanding will of God, called Voluntas mandati, is to be our rule, and not the working will of God, Voluntas decreti, or the will of Gods decree: for we cannot sinne by fulfilling the one, but wee may sin in fulfilling the other. Gods secret and working will was fulfilled when Iosephs brethren sold him into Egypt, and when Nebuchadnezzar afflicted Gods people seventy yeares, as also when the Scribes and Pharisees caused Christ to bee crucified: yet in all these thing… they sinned and provoked Gods wrath against them; How? Was it in crossing and thwarting Gods working will or the will of Gods Decree? No verily, for it's expressely said, that Christ was crucified according to the determinate counsell and will of God, Acts 4.28. It was therefore by crossing Gods commanding will. It is therefore a hellish device of Libertines to exempt men from all Law, and from the sense of all sinne: Because (say they) all things good and evill come from Gods will, and all things that are done are wrought by him, and all that he doth is good, and therefore all sinfull actions are good, because God workes them; for what have we to doe to take the measure of our wayes by his working will? Gods will is his owne rule to work with, not our rule to worke by: Our actions may bee most sinfull when his working in and about these may bee most just and holy, for though God purposeth to leave the creature to fall and sin, yet he so purposed it, as that it should be onelyonly through their owne fault that so they sinne: And although a Christian is to submit humbly to the just dispensations of God when he leaves it to any evill, yet Gods working will in all such dispensations must not be our rule, for then wee must will not onelyonly our owne sinne, but our owne affliction and perdition for ever, for all these are contained under his working will: It is therefore a most subtle and pernicious practice in many, who when they are overtaken with any sin, or hampered with sinne, they wash all off from themselves, and lay all the blame (if any be) upon God himself, saying, The Lord left mee and he doth not helpe mee, and he must doe all, and hath undertaken to doe all, if therefore I sin, upon him be the blame, or if there be any upon them it is but little: But why should any judge of the evill of their sinne by Gods working will, for that is not your rule, but the commanding will of God, according to which Samuel convinced Saul (when he was left of God to spare Agag) that his disobedience against the commandment was rebellion, and as the sinne of Witchcraft in the eyes of God, 1 Samuel 15.23.
Thesis 92.
It is a great part of Christs love to command us to doe any thing for him, as well as to promise to doe any thing for us: When the King of glory hath given us our lives by promise, its then the next part of his speciall grace and favour to command us to stand before him and attend upon his greatnesse continually. They that see how justly they deserve to bee forsaken of God and given over to their owne hearts lusts, and to be for ever sinning and blaspheming God in hell, where God will never command them to think of him, speak of him, doe for him, pray to him more, cannot but account it a high and speciall favour of Jesus Christ to command them any thing, or bid them doe any thing for him; a poore humbled prodigall will account it great love to bee made a hired servant; Iohn Baptist will count it a high favour if he may but untie Christs shoe-latchet, and bee commanded by him to doe the meanest worke for him: David wondred at Gods grace toward him, that God should command him, and in some measure enable him to offer willingly, Lord, (saith he) what are wee? I doe therefore marvaile how any can pretend that they are acted by the love of Christ, and not by the law of commands, considering that there is so much love in this for Christ to command, and how they can professe their relish of preaching Gods free grace and love, and yet cannot away with sweet and gracious exhortations pressing to holinesse and holy duties, in the revealing and urging of which there is so much free-grace and heart-love of Christ Jesus; surely if the love of Christ is to lead us, then the commands of Christ (wherein hee discovers one chiefe part of his love) are to guide us and be a rule of life unto us, The man who in his cool and deliberate thoughts imagines that a Christian under the rule of the law, is a Christian under bondage, may be justly feared that himself is still under the bondage of sin and Satan, and never yet knew what the true love of Christ Iesus is to this day.
Thesis 93.
The fundamentall errour of Antinomians ariseth from this, in imagining the great difference between the law and Gospell to be this, viz. That the law requires doing, but the Gospel no doing, and that all beleevers being under the Gospell are therefore under no law of doing: but wee must know that as the Gospell exacts no doing that thereby we may be just, so it requires doing also when by Christ Iesus we are made just: For if the Gospell command us to be holy as God is holy, 1 Pet. 1.15. and perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Matth. 5.48. then the Gospel doth not onelyonly require doing, but also as much perfection of doing as the Law doth; the Law and the Gospell require the same perfection of holinesse, onelyonly here is the difference (which many have not observed) the Gospel doth not urge this perfection nor require it of us as the Law doth; for the law calling and urging of it that so hereby we may be made just, it therefore accepts of nothing but perfection, but the Gospell requiring it because wee are perfectly just already in Christ, hence though it commands as much as the Law, yet it accepts of lesse, even the least measure of sincerity and perfection mixed with the greatest measure of imperfection.
Thesis 94.
The Law (say some of the Antinomians) is to bee kept as an eternall rule of righteousnesse, but their meaning then is, That beleevers are thus to keep it in Christ who hath kept it for them, and if they meant no more but that Christ hath kept it for righteousnesse to their justification, they speak truely: but their meaning herein is not only in respect of their justification, but also in respect of their sanctification, for they make Christs righteousnesse to bee materially and formally their sanctification: hence they say, A beleever hath repented in Christ, and mortified sinne in Christ, and that mortification and vivification is nothing but a beleeving that Christ hath mortified sinne for them, and beene quickned for them, and that That sanctification which is inherent in Christ, and not that which is inherent in us, is an evidence of our justification. But this principle which confounds a Christians justification, and sanctification, as it casts the seed of denying all inherent graces in a Beleever, so it layes the basis of refusing to doe any duty, or conforme to any law in our owne persons: for if this principle bee true (which no Orthodox writer doubts of) viz. That we are to seek for no righteousnesse in our selves to our justification, because wee are perfectly just and made righteous for that end in Christ, then it will undenyably follow that wee are not to seek for any holinesse and sanctification in our selves, because we are perfectly sanctified also in Christ Iesus, who hath repented, and beleeved, and mortified sinne perfectly for us in his owne person; Look therefore as the perfection of Christs righteousnesse to our justification, should make a Christian abhorre any personall righteousnesse of his owne to his justification, so if wee bee perfectly sanctified in Christ, then perfection of Christs holinesse to our sanctification should make a beleever not onelyonly renounce the Law, but to abhor all personall holines through the Spirit to our sanctification, and then a Beleever must abhor to seek any love or feare of God in his heart, which is not painted but professed prophanesse, and the inlet not per accidens but per se, to all manner of loosenesse and wickednesse in the world.
Thesis 95.
Wee deny not but that Christ is our sanctification as well as our righteousnesse, 1 Cor. 1.30. but how? not materially and formally, but virtually and meritoriously, and (with meet explications) exemplarily: our righteousnesse to our justification is inherent in him, but our sanctification is inherent in our selves, yet it is derived from him, and therefore it is virtually and meritoriously onelyonly in him: and hence it is that wee are never commanded to justifie our selves, unlesse it be instrumentally and sacramentally, when as we are commanded by faith to wash our selves, Isa. 1.16. and as Paul at his baptisme was commanded to wash away his sinnes, Acts 22.16. but wee are frequently and abundantly exhorted to repent, beleeve, mortifie our affectiions upon earth, to walke in newnesse of life, to be holy in all manner of conversation, &c. because these things are wrought by Christ in us to our sanctification, and not wrought in Christ for us as our righteousnesse to our justification.
Thesis 96.
They that are in Christ are said to be compleat in Christ, Col. 2.10. and that they receive all grace from his fulnesse, Iob. 1.16. so that is seemes that there is no grace in themselves, but it is first in him, and consequently that their sanctification is perfected in him: but wee must know that though the perfection and fulnesse of all grace is first in Christ, yet that beleevers have not all in him after one and the same manner, nor for the same end: for our righteousnesse to our justification is so in him as never to be inherent in us, in this or in the world to come, but our righteousnesse to our sanctification is so farre in him, as that it is to be derived and conveyed unto us, and hence it is formally in our selves, but meritoriously and virtually onelyonly in him: even as our resurrection and glorification at last day, are not so in Christ as never to bee derived to us (for then the resurrection were past already) but they are so in him as that they are to bee conveyed to us, and therefore they are meritoriously and virtually in him, and we are meritoriously and virtually risen in him: a Christian therefore may be compleat in Christ, and yet not be perfectly formally sanctified in Christ, our sanctification being compleated in him after another manner, and for other ends than our justification.
Thesis 97.
The chiefe end of Christs first comming was to lay down his life a ransome for many in way of satisfaction and merit, Phil. 2.8. Matth. 20.28. now by this satisfaction hee did two things, 1. He brought in such a righteousnesse before God as might merit mercy and make us just: now this is wholly in Christ out of our selves; but because there was a righteousnesse of new obedience and thankfulnesse to be wrought in us for this love, therefore, 2. By the same satisfaction hee hath merited (not that this new obedience might justifie us or make us accepted) but that it might be accepted though imperfect and polluted with sinne, 1 Peter 2.5, 6. as also that it might bee crowned and recompenced: Now hence it followes that the Lord Jesus hath not performed our duty of thankfulnesse and new obedience for us (sub hoc formali) or as of thankfulnes; for though Christ was thankfull and holy for us, yet it was not under this notion of thankfulnesse for his owne love to us, for this is personally required of us, and it sounds very harsh to say that Christ walked in all holy thankfulnesse to himselfe, for his love to us; but hee was thus thankfull for us, sub ratione meriti, or in way of merit, it being part of that satisfaction which justice exacted. All that which might satisfie justice, and merit any mercy, Christ did for us in himselfe▪ but he did not beleeve and repent, and performe duties of thankfulnesse for us, because these and such like are not to satisfie justice, but follow as fruits of that satisfaction, and therefore are wrought within us, and so are personally required of us, and therefore when a Christian findes a want of these things in himselfe, he is not to comfort himselfe with fond thoughts of the imputation of these in Christ onelyonly unto him, but he is to look up to Christ Jesus for derivation of these out of Christ into himselfe; otherwise by making Christ his sanctification, onelyonly in way of imputation, he doth really destroy Christ from being his sanctification; for if Christ be our righteousnesse onelyonly by imputation, then if Christ be our sanctification, it must be by derivation from him, which they must needs destroy who make him their sole sanctification by meere imputation.