MY preaching upon this Subject was occasioned by what I met with from a gracious Person's mouth (who is a Member of the Church under my charge) who seemed very uneasy in her Communion, because in my preaching she said, tho I hold forth the Doctrine of free Grace, and exalt Christ, yet do positively maintain that the Elect are under Wrath, or in a lamentable state before calling, or before they are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, or are in a State of Union with him: which might I fear be occasioned through a mistake of that Doctrine some in this City of late so much insist on, viz. Justification and Union with Christ before the Spirit (the bond of that Union) is received; not that any of our Brethren, I hope, that preach that Doctrine do believe that the Elect are not under the Sentence of Condemnation and Wrath while they abide in the first Adam: tho I fear they do not so carefully distinguish as they ought between our Fundamental and Virtual Justification in Christ, as our Head and Representative, and our actual or Personal Justification when we are united to him. And finding ill use made of that Doctrine, I have been persuaded to publish the first Sermon I preached upon this occasion, not knowing how far this Notion might spread amongst weak and unwary hearers, and having some hope this may be (through the Blessing of God) a prevention of it. One thing I cannot but bewail, i.e. that because we may differ perhaps in some respect from that Doctrine before mentioned, that we must therefore be charged with ⟨p. iv⟩Arminianism, which Error we abhor, and any other that tends to becloud or darken the Doctrine of free Justification by Christ alone, without Works or inherent Righteousness. None have reason to think that I favour in the least the Arminian or Baxterian Errors, considering what I have lately published on the great Doctrine of Justification, in two Sermons on Rom. 4.5. which Doctrine I have farther confirmed in those Sermons preached from the Text this is grounded upon, viz. Rom. 8.1. (this being only the first) in which the Nature of our mystical Union with Christ is opened, and the sweet Consolation that flows therefrom to all Believers largely applied.
MY preaching upon this Subject was occasioned by what I met with from a gracious Person's mouth (who is a Member of the Church under my charge) who seemed very uneasy in her Communion, because in my preaching she said, tho I hold forth the Doctrine of free Grace, and exalt Christ, yet do positively maintain that the Elect are under Wrath, or in a lamentable state before calling, or before they are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, or are in a State of Ʋnion with him: which might I fear be occasioned through a mistake of that Doctrine some in this City of late so much insist on, viz. Justification and Ʋnion with Christ before the Spirit (the bond of that Ʋnion) is received; not that any of our Brethren, I hope, that preach that Doctrine do believe that the Elect are not under the Sentence of Condemnation and Wrath while they abide in the first Adam: tho I fear they do not so carefully distinguish as they ought between our Fundamental and Virtual Justification in Christ, as our Head and Representative, and our actual or Personal Justification when we are united to him. And finding ill use made of that Doctrine, I have been perswaded to publish the first Sermon I preached upon this occasion, not knowing how far this Notion might spread amongst weak and unwary hearers, and having some hope this may be (through the Blessing of God) a prevention of it. One thing I cannot but bewail, i.e. that because we may differ perhaps in some respect from that Doctrine before mentioned, that we must therefore be charged with ⟨p. iv⟩Arminianism, which Error we abhor, and any other that tends to becloud or darken the Doctrine of free Justification by Christ alone, without Works or inherent Righteousness. None have reason to think that I favour in the least the Arminian or Baxterian Errors, considering what I have lately published on the great Doctrine of Justification, in two Sermons on Rom. 4.5. which Doctrine I have farther confirmed in those Sermons preached from the Text this is grounded upon, viz. Rom. 8.1. (this being only the first) in which the Nature of our mystical Ʋnion with Christ is opened, and the sweet Consolation that flows therefrom to all Believers largly applied.
