righteousness, both of doing and suffering, for their justification; and it is not meet that we be driven out of the good old way, by new quirks and sophisms. 4. Another way of speaking, that I find amidst these late alterca tions or debates, is, That "faith having its chief seat in the will, doubt"ing is not contrary to faith; and that, to espouse the definition of "faith that past current at the Reformation, or among the reformers, "is a receding from our standards." As the reader will find some little hint concerning faith in the following SONNETS, so I agree cordially with our standards in their definitions of faith; and also think that the complex assurance therein mentioned (including that of spiritual sense as well as faith, that which is reflex as well as direct)" is "not of the essence of faith, or so of the essence of it, but that a true "believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before "he be partaker of it." But I am not fond of confining faith to the will as its chief seat; but rather, with the learned and judicious Dr OWEN, judge, "That it is seated in the understanding, as to its being "and subsistence; and in the will and heart, as to its effectual work"ing;" which makes it, under the conduct of the spirit of faith, to be a cordial assent to the divine testimony concerning Christ," who can be no otherwise believingly received by us, but in a word, or as offered in the gospel. Far less am I fond of making faith consistent with doubting in its nature, (though faith and doubting may both be in the same subject) seeing Christ hath set them at odds, saying, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?" Where I see the believer may have doubts: yea and be wholly over-run with them, because he hath unbelief; and yet his faith and doubting differ, as faith and unbelief do. But least of all am I fond of making our standards clash with the doctrine of our reformers; especially seeing our Assembly 1647, in their acts receiving these standards, declared, “That upon due examination thereof, they were found to be most "agreeable to the word of God; and in nothing contrary to the re"ceived doctrine of this Kirk :" which was the doctrine of the Reformation, and of other reformed Churches, on these points. Several other new and strange ways of speaking are interspersed among some late writings, but it was not my purpose to insist so long as I have done upon these matters. Serious Reader, I shall only add here, that my principal design, in the following SONNETS, was to commend Christ to your soul; espe cially as he is the Lord your righteousness. And, I hope, you know that I cannot hyperbolize, or exceed in the commendation of Christ's righteousness alone, as the matter of our justification before God. I think it worth the remarking here, how strict and accurate the words of our Confession are, in excluding all works from having any share in this matter, saying, "These whom God effectually calleth, he also "freely justifieth; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by "pardoning their sins; and accounting and accepting their persons as "righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of * Confession of Faith, chop, xviii. sect. 3. "believing, or any other evangelical obedience, to them, as their "righteousness, but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of "Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on him by faith; which "faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God." Reader, in all your mental debates, or verbal altercations about these things, and this subject in particular, seriously bethink yourself what is like to be your opinion thereof, when you come to die, and are about to face the awful tribunal of a just and holy God. And, in all such points of eternal moment, ever think that part the safest, which doth least humour man's pride, and most exalt God's glory; since the scope of the gospel is, to shut out boasting, to bring in self-denial, and to magnify the righteousness of Christ, by which he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable; and in the true and lively faith of which, all true peace, heart-holiness, and practical godliness is rooted, Rom. v. 1. Acts xv. 9. Titus iii. 5. 8. Gal. iii. 16.19. Many opposers of this doctrine in their lives, have owned it as the best divinity at their death, and before it; such as Bellarmine, who was not alone in his Tutissimum est, &c. "It is the safest way to rest upon "the mercy of God in Christ alone for salvation." Reader, whatever other apologies this book has formerly been prefaced with (as to the manner in which many lines in it are written) shall be here altogether dropt and forborn. I now dismiss it as it is, under the conduct of divine providence, to take its hazard in the world; since it has already served its apprenticeship under several impressions, and gone through both kind and hard usage; through good report and bad report. It never promised much to them that seek nothing but pleasure and satisfaction to their fancy; but I have heard, that it has done some service (and, I hope, through the blessing of Heaven, it may yet do more) to them that seek profit and edification to their souls. The late edition of this book at London being more full and complete than any that was formerly emitted, it is fit here to acquaint the reader, this is printed exactly off the London copy, without any material addition or alteration, except in the Third Part of the Book that comes under the name of Riddles, or Mysteries; and Part Sixth, chap. ii. sect. t. intitled, The Believer's Principles concerning the Mys"teries of the Law and Gospel ;" both of which (because there were several demands in this country for a new edition) I thought fit to confirm by scripture-texts, cited at the bottom of the page, for the benefit of those that are weak in knowledge, and unacquainted with the Scripture. I have directed them by a reference at every branch of the sentence that is either seemingly or really opposite to the other, unto some scriptural text, one or more, for evincing the truth thereof: by which means the weakest, that is willing, may come to understand the most difficult paradox or mystery, mentioned in this book ; at least so far as to see that every part of it is founded on the word of God, either directly, or by plain and necessary consequence. Only this general rule is to be observed, namely, That the reader Confession of Faith, chap. xi. sect. 1.. What follows is all the Preface usually of late prefixed to the small copy of the GOSPEL SONNETS. "The Scriptures in this edition are extended. always consider what is the subject treated in every section or stanza, and this for the sake of the more illiterate, I shall illustrate by two examples, the one concerning the law, and the other concerning the believer. The former you see, Part III. sect. vi. ver. 25. where it is said, I'm not oblig'd to keep it more; Here you are to remark, that as the subject spoken of, is the Law; so the Law, in scripture, is considered two ways, viz. both as a covenant of works, and as a rule of duty. Now that the believer is under no obligation to the law as it is a covenant of works, or to perform obedience to it as a ground of justification (which is also the subject treated in that section) is confirmed in the foot-notes, by the following scriptures, to which you are directed by the reference, Rom. vi. 14. Gal, v. 14. where you may see believers are said to be not under the law, but under grace; and exhorted to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free: and assured that Christ is become of no effect to them, whosoever of them are justified by the law; they are fallen from grace. Again, that the believer is under more obligation than ever before he was justified, to yield obedience to the law as it is a rule of life (which is the other branch of that paradox) is confirmed by these following texts of scripture, to which you are directed by the reference, Rom. vi. 1, 2. 15. where it is said, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid ; "How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? What "then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under ་ grace? God forbid." From which texts, together with their con texts, it is evident, that the believer's freedom from the law, as a covenant, does not at all free him from obligation to it as a rule, but superadds to the natural obligation, that of grace, which both argumentatively and effectively teaches what the law does authoritatively and preceptively, namely," To deny ungodliness and wordly lusts, and "to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present evil world," Titus ii. 11, 12. The other example I adduce, you may read, Part III. sect. x. ver. 47, where the words are: To good and evil equal bent; Here the reader may notice, that the subject spoken of, is the believ, er, or the saint's old and new man described (which is part of the title of that section) or considered as to his regenerate and unregenerate part; in which view he is frequently spoken of in scripture; ex. gr., John. iii. 6. 9. it is said of the believer, or the person born of God, that he sinneth not; and that he cannot sin, because he is born of God: there he is spoken of as to his new nature, or regenerate part. But, 1 John i. 8. the words are," If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us :" where the apostle speaks of believers' unregenerate and corrupt part. Now, this being the scriptu, ral representation of the believer, the foresaid paradox is easily proven from scripture. The first branch is, That he is equally bent to good and to evil.For the proof of this you are directed in the foot-note to Rom. vii. 21. where the apostle Paul, speaking both of his corrupt and renewed part, says, "I find a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with "me." And if you read the preceding and following context, you will find him complaining how corruption bends him as far one way, as grace another. The other part of the same paradox is, That the believer is, on these accounts, both a devil and a saint. Now, that the believer is, by nature and corruption, a devil, is one branch of this position here to be confirmed. That he is so by nature, is proven by the following scriptures, in the forecited place at the bottom, John vi. 70. and viii. 44. compared; where Christ, speaking of some that were in a natural state, viz. of Judas and the Jews, discovers what is the state of all men by nature, "That they are of their father the devil, since the lusts of their father they will do ;" and therefore may be called devils, as our Lord calls Judas, saying, "I have chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil." And such are believers also naturally, as descendants of the first Adam, being "Children of disobedience, and child"ren of wrath by nature, even as others," Eph. ii. 2, 3. And that the believer is so, not only by nature, but also by reason of remaining corruption, is proven at the foot, in the same place, from James iii. 15, where that apostle, speaking of strife and envy that may be even among the children of God, (which, indeed, has too much taken place in all ages)," This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish." Again, that though the believer be by nature and corruption a devil, yet he is by grace and regeneration a saint, is documented also in the same place, from 1 Cor. vi. 11. "Such were some of you; but ye are sanctified," &c. In this manner you may go over all the rest of the paradoxes, riddles, or mysteries contained in this book, and find them evidently confirmed by the scriptures of truth, the word of God. This might be no unprofitable exercise, but tend to lead you to the true knowledge of the gospel, to which mysteries are so essential, that it is designed by them, and called, "The wisdom of God in a mystery," 1 Cor. ii. 7.; and the knowledge of which is so essential to Christianity, and so absolutely necessary to salvation, that the same apostle declares, that "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom "the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which be"lieve not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. Again, if you search the scriptures, you will see many more proofs for every point than I have adduced, and perhaps many much more opposite; for these only are set down at the bottom of the page, that first occurred to me: yet, I suppose, though sometimes but one, and sometimes more scriptures are pointed out, they are such as sufficiently confirm the positions they relate to, But that other scriptures might have been adduced in plenty, I shall give one instance in the paradox just now mentioned, viz. That every believer, while in the world, is doth a devil and a saint. The latter clause is what none he will deny, namely, That every believer is a saint; for further proof of which, you might see, Acts xv. 9. and xxvi. 18, &c. But because the first clause may seem more harsh, it may, by scripture, be also farther evinced two ways: (1.) In respect of the daily commission of sin he has to challenge himself with: for the scripture says, Eccles. vi. 20. “There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good, and "sinneth not." And with this compare 1 John iii. 8. "He that "committeth sin, is of the devil." Hence it is plain, there is not a just man upon earth, but may, in respect of the commission of sin, be called a devil. (2.) In respect of prevalent temptations, by which may be hurried into those things that savour not of God, but of men; on which account Christ says to Peter, Matth. xvt. 23. "Get` thee behind me, Satan.” And if Christ calls Peter, a devil, whom he had described as a saint of the first magnitude, ver. 17. one divinely blessed and enlightened; what occasion may every believer have to call himself a devil? Yea, it is a part of his faith and sanctity, to see and acknowledge, with shame before the Lord, his own devilish and desperately wicked heart and nature, which a blind, self-conceited world are ignorant of, being neither acquainted with themselves, nor with God and his word. However, so it is, that the more any shall search the scripture, the more, I hope, will they discern, not only by the texts I have quoted, but from many others also, the truth and evidence of every part of this book, however mysterious some passages of it may seem to many. Though some of these lines may want the politeness that can please the curious age; yet, while they stand firm upon a scriptural foundation, none of them want authority, and that of the highest nature, except in the account of mockers, and those (of whom there are too many in our day) that are either Deists, who undervalue the scripture, or Atheists who deride it: and it is sadly to be regretted, that those people are hardened in their wicked principles and practices, by some that perhaps have a higher profession. For I have seen two prints, one called the Groan, and another the Laugh, wherein some lines, picked out among others have been exposed to ridicule: but however such gentlemen may laugh at their own sport, and wickedly divert themselves with serious matters for a time, I, fear their laughing will issue in weeping for ever; if God, by giving them repentance, do not make them groan to purpose, for the evidences they thus give of either their grievous ignorance of the scripture, or their gross profanity, and of their readiness to yield them. selves instruments of the devil, to promote the Atheistical spirit of the age, which is bent enough (without any such provocation) to laugh at every thing serious, sacred, and scriptural. This is so palpable, without my observations upon it, and so self-evident to all that fear God, and have had the patience to read such prints, that I would not have thought them worth my noticing so far, as to make this bare mention of them, had not Providence put the pen in my hand to preface this edition, wherein scriptural proofs are added to that part of the book. |