The Method of Grace in the Justification of Sinners, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
A Reply to Mr. Eyres Sixteenth Chapter, concerning our being in Covenant with God before believing.
SECT. I.
THe third and laſt Argument for proving our Juſtification§. 1. to be before faith, I thus propoſed, and as I thought, according to Mr. Eyres minde.
If we are in Covenant before we believe, then we are juſtified before we believe; But we are in Covenant before we beleeve. Ergo,
This Argument Mr. Eyre diſclaims as being none of his: at leaſt, as not being propoſed in that forme in which he dreſſed it: and hereupon expatiates in two leaves of paper, upon the diſcourſe which paſſed between himſelf and me, ſhewing the orderly progreſſe in which his arguments advanced, with my anſwers then given to them: to which I do not intend to digreſſe ſo far as to reply. 1. Becauſe the Baſis and foundation of his whole Argument, as he hath now propoſed in print, is laid in this, that we were juſtified in Chriſts Juſtification, and therefore, as to the ſumme, is anſwered already. 2. Becauſe there is no proof of any particular branch of the Argument▪ but is propoſed again before he hath done▪ and therefore muſt be anſwered hereafter. 3. Becauſe though I have altogether forgotten the order of his arguments, and of my own anſwers, yet I very well remember, that as I underſtood his argument in no other ſenſe, then as it is ſet down in my Sermon printed, ſo many things I ſpake by way of anſwer, whereof his relation takes no notice: but I muſt deſire him to take more notice of before he and I part.
My anſwer then to the foreſaid argument was double, 1. That upon ſuppoſition that we were in Covenant before we beleeve, yet would it not follow that we were juſtified before we believe; becauſe the bleſſings of the Covenant have an order and dependance one upon another, and are enjoyed ſucceſſively one after another.
To this Mr. Eyre replies in the ſecond paragraph of this his ſixteenth chapter, and ſays, That though a man be not ſanctified and glorified before faith, yet if he be in Covenant with God, i. e. one of the elect, he is certainly juſtified: For, 1. God from all eternity did will, not to puniſh his Elect, which is real Juſtification.
Rep. To this (Reader) thou muſt expect no other anſwer from me, then what I have at large given already.
2. Saith he, Juſtification is the firſt benefit that doth accrew to us by the death of Chriſt, for Juſtification goes before Sanctification, and faith is a part of Sanctification.
Rep. I acknowledge that our Engliſh Divines, (whom I confeſſe in matters of this nature I preferre before any other) are wont to place Sanctification in order after Juſtification, which alſo is ſo plain from Scripture that it cannot be denied. But Mr. Eyre alſo knows that they are wont to diſtinguiſh faith and ſanctification as two things, (as the Scriptures alſo do, 1 Tim. 2. 15. Acts 15. 9. and 16. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 13, 14, 15, 16.) though I do not finde that they do all expreſſe this difference in the ſame manner. Should I interpoſe my own opinion, it may be I ſhould finde little thank for my labour, and therefore I ſhall ſay no more then what others have ſaid before me. 1. It being plain, that faith and holineſſe are t…o things in the uſe of Scripture, Mr. Eyre ſhould have proved and not laid it down ſo rawly without any diſtinction, that faith is a part of ſanctification. I deny it, provided I may be tried by Scripture-language. 2. As faith is in the underſtanding, a perſwaſion of the truth of the Goſpel, and the Promiſes of life and glory contained therein, ſo is it wont to be diſtinguiſhed from ſanctification, 2 Theſ. 2, 13. is not ſo much a part of it as a cauſe: for by how much the more ſtedfaſtly we beleeve, and ſee the glory of the Promiſes, by ſo much the more are we changed into the image of Gods holineſſe, 2 Pet. 1. 3, 4. 2 Cor. 3. 18. and 7. 1. 3. As faith is in the will, an acceptance of Chriſt, that by him we may be brought unto God, it hath much the ſame difference; for as God hath made Chriſt to us ſanctification, 1 Cor. 1. 30. ſo doth faith receive him, and in that reſpect is not properly any part of our ſanctification, but the turning of the ſoul to Chriſt, as unto a moſt ſufficient principle and authour thereof, Acts 26. 18. and ſo much for the exceptions againſt my firſt anſwer.
My ſecond anſwer was a flat denial of the Aſſumption, viz. that we are in Covenant with God before we beleeve, if the phraſe of§. 2. being in Covenant be underſtood properly, for ſuch an intereſt in the Covenant, as gives a man right and title to the bleſſings of the Covenant. Mr. Eyres proof is this. Some benefits of the Covenant, to wit, the Spirit which works faith is given us before we beleeve.
My anſwer to this was large and diſtinct, though Mr. Eyre reproach it ſufficiently with a deſigne of darkening the truth, and blinding the Reader, but thats no matter. I ſhewed, 1. That the word, Give, had a double ſenſe in Scripture. 1. When no receiving follows, and ſo it ſignifies no more then the Will of God conſtituting and appointing, Acts 4. 12. Eph. 1. 22. and 4. 11. 2. Sometimes it includes a receiving and poſſeſſion of the thing given: Thus the Spirit is given when we receive him, and are as it were poſſeſt of him, and he dwells in us. In this ſenſe is the Spirit never ſaid to be given in Scripture, but unto them that do beleeve, Luke 11. 13. Gal. 3. 14. Eph. 3. 16, 17. with Rom. 8. 10. 11.
2 I ſhewed alſo that the Spirit may be ſaid to be given three ways: eſſentially, perſonally, or in regard to ſome peculiar operations which he worketh in us. Now there being no peculiar work of grace before faith it ſelf, which may not be wrought in an hypocrite (which hath not the Spirit) as well as in a childe of God, therefore the Spirit is neither given nor received before faith be wrought, but is given and received together with faith and not before. This is the ſumme, the further explication the Reader may ſee in my Sermon at leiſure.
Mr. Eyre thus expounds the giving of the Spirit, That God according to his gracious Covenant, doth in his appointed time give or ſend his Spirit in the preaching of the Goſpel, to work faith in all thoſe that are ordained to life.
Rep. Then ſee (Reader) what a proof we have, that the Spirit is given us before faith. Mr. Eyre ſhould prove, that we have ſome benefits of the Covenant before faith, viz. the Spirit, when he explains it, he tells us the Spirit is given before faith, not in that ſenſe in which the word give or given includes our receiving, but as it ſignifies the ſending or conſtituting of the Spirit, to be by way of ſpecialty the efficient cauſe or worker of faith. Mr. Eyre doth not ſo much as open his mouth againſt what I ſaid before, that the Spirit is ſaid to be given to us in reference to ſome peculiar work of his upon or in us, which work is faith. Here when he ſhould ſhew how he is given us before faith, he ſays, he is ſent to work faith; in which ſenſe the Spirit may be ſaid to be given in the firſt ſenſe mentioned of that word, but not given to us, ſo as that we can be therefore ſaid to receive him, eo ipſo becauſe he is ſent to work faith; and therefore this is but a deſerting of the Argument in hand; nor are we yet proved to have received any benefit of the Covenant (I mean, any ſaving benefit) before faith.
Therefore Mr. Eyre anſwers ſecondly, That though the Spirit be not given us one atome of time before faith, yet it is enough§. 3. that it hath a precedency in order of nature, though not of time, and that faith is not before the Spirit.
Rep. Neither, for if the Spirit be not ſaid to be given to us, but in reference to his working of faith in us, then faith is wrought in nature before the Spirit can be ſaid to be given to us: as if the Sunne be ſaid to dwell or be in my houſe, becauſe it enlightens my houſe, then in order of nature my houſe is firſt enlightened before the Sun can be ſaid to be or dwell in it.
There is but one thing more in this Chapter that needs anſwer: and that is this; I had ſaid the Spirit is not given us, but in reference to ſome peculiar operation of his; working faith in us, and added for illuſtration, that as a man doth firſt build himſelf an houſe, and then dwell in it: ſo Chriſt by his Spirit, doth build, organize, and prepare the ſoul to be a houſe unto himſelf, and then dwells in it.
Mr. Eyre anſwers, But is not that organizing preparing act of the Spirit one benefit of the Covenant? and is not the Spirit in that act the cauſe of faith?
Rep. If theſe interrogations have the force of an affirmation, Mr. Eyre ſhould have proved them, and not barely aſſerted them. I have anſwered ſufficiently already. There is no peculiar work of grace before faith it ſelf, which may not be wrought in a hypocrite, (who hath not the Spirit,) as well as in a childe of God: Ergo, there can be no work of the Spirit before faith it ſelf, in reference unto which the Spirit can be ſaid to be given to us. Preparative works do not difference a beleever from an hypocrite, and therefore in themſelves are no fruit or benefit of the Covenant. So much …o th… ſixteenth Chapter.