First Case of Conscience

Whether a man can challenge any interest in any spiritual good in Christ, or can bring in any proof [illegible] himself of any spiritual good received or [illegible] to him from Christ before he believes?

By no means: It is a conceit cross to the Covenant of God, the Scriptures of Truth, the grace of God in Christ, and to the [illegible] of that plentiful and great Redemption which our Savior Christ has wrought for his. For God never decreed any good, [illegible] ever intended any good but for believing sinners, [illegible] suffered and performed all that he did only for [illegible] sinners as are the seed of the Covenant, and shall be [reconstructed: begotten] of him by spiritual regeneration (1 Peter 1:3-4): He has begotten us again to a lively hope, to an inheritance immortal that fades not away, and [illegible] serves us through faith to salvation: The [illegible] must be begotten and born, before he can be heir [illegible] the [illegible]: So here.

The doctrine formerly delivered does [illegible] dash this imagination and [illegible]: If Christ [illegible] [reconstructed: purchased] all for believers as [illegible], then they must be such [illegible] before they can challenge and take this purchase as [illegible] own, it is the condition that Christ requires [illegible] which he communicates all that saving and [illegible] good. Take these arguments for the further [illegible] of this truth.

The first is taken from (1 John 5:12): He that [illegible] the Son has life, in him are hid all the treasures [illegible] wisdom and knowledge, yes of grace and [illegible], and therefore it is said, [illegible] Father [illegible] given [illegible] us eternal life, and that life is in his Son (verse 11). [Illegible] is the fountain of all blessings that has them, the [illegible] that communicates them; the Spirit [illegible] all of God to the saints, but the Spirit takes all [illegible] the Son before he so does (John 16:14-15). He is [illegible] accomplishment of all promises in him, they are [illegible] and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). All promises, all [illegible], all life is in Christ: therefore He must be had [illegible] they can be enjoyed. But there is no enjoying of [illegible] but by faith (1 John 1:12): To as many as [illegible] he gave power to be the sons of God, to as many as [illegible] on his name: We have him not before we [illegible] him, we receive him not before we believe in [illegible]. Upon this condition God gives his Son (John 3:16): God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that as many as believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life: God gives him to none but such as believe, God gives salvation by him to none but by this means. (John 17:3): This is eternal life to know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent: This is the knowledge of faith, and it is said to be life, because it is the only means to bring and derive life from God in Christ to us: So that

They who alone have Christ, they only have life. But believers only have Christ. Therefore they only have title to life.

Those only have title to life and salvation who are under the compass of the Covenant of Grace: For there are but two covenants under which all men are, [illegible] the Covenant of Works, or the Covenant of Grace. (Romans 6:14): Sin shall not have dominion over you, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Galatians 3:17): the law which was 430 years after, cannot make the Covenant of God in Christ of none effect.

The Covenant of Works was, Do and live: The Covenant of Grace, Believe and live. Adam had the stock in his own hand, and might of himself by grace received, have wrought out his own salvation: All the fallen sons of Adam must receive it from [illegible], because they have it not of themselves.

But (I assume) no man can be under the Covenant of Grace that is not under the condition of faith, for [illegible] is that only which brings him into it, and estates him [illegible] it; and therefore (Galatians 3:9-20) this is made the proper difference and indeed the full description of [illegible] in these estates: they which be of faith are [illegible] with faithful Abraham. They which are in [illegible] Covenant of Grace are said to be such as are of [illegible] of the stock and lineage and generation of faith, [illegible] wrought by the Spirit and Word the soul [illegible] to Christ thereby, and so has its [illegible] birth and being by faith, faith giving subsistence [illegible] him as he is a Christian. But verse 10, They that [illegible] of the works of the law (that is, those that are [illegible] the power of the breach of it by Adam, they) are [illegible] the curse, they act by the power of the breach [illegible] the Covenant of Works, and therefore are under [illegible] just judgments of God denounced against such as [illegible] and die therein. Hence then I reason,

They who are not under the condition of [illegible] Covenant of Grace, they cannot be assured groundedly of their good estate. But they who are not believers are not under [illegible] compass and condition of the [illegible] of Grace. And therefore they cannot be assured of [illegible] good estates.

They who are really and in truth in the state [illegible] condemnation, they cannot have any grounded evidence of their salvation and comfort therefrom: because these two are opposite one to another, professedly contrary one against the other, and therefore can [illegible] more possibly agree together, than to be darkness [illegible] light, to be in Hell and Heaven together. But he [illegible] is without the grace of faith, he is condemned already: he is now under the sentence and doom [illegible] utter condemnation (John 3:18). He is cast in all [illegible] courts in Heaven and Earth, the law condemns [illegible] because he does not do it, the gospel condemns [illegible] because he does not believe it, he cannot satisfy [illegible], nor yet comes up to the condition of the [illegible]: Therefore faith is said to be counted for [illegible] (Romans 4:9), and (Romans 3:30): It is one God [illegible] justifies the circumcision by faith, and the [illegible] through faith: It is the common way, [illegible] indeed the only way whereby justification is [illegible] to all the sons of men who shall ever be made [illegible] thereof. This is the [illegible] link of Paul's [illegible] (Romans 8:30): Whom he called, them he justified, [illegible] whom he justified them he glorified: It is as [illegible] to be justified before we be called, as it is for [illegible] man to be [illegible] before he be justified: and this [illegible] calling out of world, sin, and self to God in Christ, undoubtedly includes the work of [illegible] in it, and ever leaves spiritual and saving [illegible] and qualifications upon the soul. Hence [illegible]

He that is really under the state of condemnation, cannot challenge any interest in eternal life, or have any evidence that his estate is good. But he that believes not is condemned already; called he is not, justified he cannot be in this condition. Therefore he can challenge no interest in, nor has any grounded assurance of, eternal life.