THE FIRST PROMISE CONSIDERED. 123
ment and exercise of the faith of all believers for four thousand years; is to indulge unto thoughts deviating from all rules of sobriety. He that sees not a divine wisdom in this institution, hath scarce seriously exercised his thoughts about it. But I have elsewhere considered the causes and original of these sacrifices, and shall not therefore farther insist upon them.
4. Our first parents and all their holy posterity did believe this promise, or did embrace it as the only way and means of their deli- verance from the curse and state of sin ; and were thereon justified before God. I confess we have not infalhble assurance of any who did so in particular, but those who are mentioned by name in Scrip- ture, as Abel, Enoch, Noah, and some others; but to question it concerning others also, as of our first parents themselves, is foolish and impious. This is done by the Socinians to promote another design, namely, that none were justified before God on the belief of the first promise, but on their walking according to the light of nature, and their obedience unto some especial revelations about temporal things — the vanity whereof hath been before discovered. Wherefore, our first parents and their posterity did so beheve the first promise, or they must be supposed either to have been kept under the curse, or else to have had, and to make use of, some other way of deliverance from it. To imagine the first is impious — for the apostle affirms that they had this testimony, that they pleased God, Heb. xi. 5 ; which under the curse none can do — for that is God's displeasure. And in the same place he confirms their faith, and justification thereon, with a " cloud of witnesses," chap. xii. 1. To affirm the latter is groundless ; and it includes a supposal of the relinquishment of the Avisdom, grace, and authority of God in that divine revelation, for men to betake themselves to none knows what. For that there was in this promise the way expressed which God in his wisdom and grace had provided for thefr deliverance, we have proved before. To forsake this way, and to betake themselves unto any other, whereof he had made no mention or revelation unto them, was to reject his authority and grace.
As for those who are otherwise minded, it is mcumbent on them directly to prove these three things : —
(1.) That there is another way — that there are other means for the justification and salvation of sinners — than that revealed, declared, and proposed in that fii-st promise. And when this is done, they must show to what end — on that supposition — the promise itself was given, seeing the end of it is evacuated.
(2.) That upon a supposition that God had revealed in the pro- mise the way and means of our deliverance from the curse and state of sin, it was lawful unto men to forsake it, and to betake themselves
124 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
unto anotlier way, without any supernatural revelation for tlieir guidance. For if it was not, their relinquishment of the promise was no less apostasy from God in the revelation of himself in a way of grace, than the first sin was as to the revelation of himself in the works of nature : only, the one revelation was by inbred principles, the other by external declaration; nor could it otherwise be. Or, — (3.) That there was some other w^ay of the participation of the benefits of this promise, besides faith in it, or in him who was pro- mised therein ; seeing the apostle hath declared that no promise will profit them by whom it is not mixed with faith, Heb. iv. 2. Unless these things are plainly proved — which they will never be — what- ever men declaim about universal objective grace in the documents of nature, it is but a vain imagination.
5. The declaration of this promise, before the giving of the law, with the nature and ends of it, as also the use of sacrifices, whereby it was confirmed, tuas committed unto the ordinary ministry of our first parents and their godly posterity, and the extraordinary ministry of the prophets which God raised up among them. For God spake of our redemption by Christ by the mouth of his holy prophets from the beginning of the world, Luke i. 70. No greater duty could be incumbent on them, by the light of nature and the express revelation of the will of God, than that they should, in their several capacities, communicate the knowledge of this promise unto all in whom they were concerned. To suppose that our first parents, who received this promise, and those unto whom they first declared it, looking on it as the only foundation of their acceptance with God and deliver- ance from the curse, were negligent in the declaration and preaching of it, is to render them brutish, and guilty of a second apostasy from God. And unto this principle— which is founded in the light of nature — there is countenance given by revelation also. For Enoch did prophesy of the things which were to accompany the accomplish- ment of this promise, Jude 14; and Noah was a j^reacher of the righteousness to be brought in by it, 2 Peter ii. 5 — as he was an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, in himself, Heb. xi. 7.