Christ in such places of Scripture upon which they would plead a toleration for their intolerable idleness is that men and women in the use of lawful means should have their dependance upon God and that as Christians should not over-incumber themselves with worldly business so as to neglect the one thing necessary so in the midst of the moderate use of the creature and of their lawful callings they should cast ofâ— all immoderate and inordinate care relying upon God who careth for them for it 's an unwarrantable and extreme presumption and a temptatiâ—n of God by a particular or private interpretation of Scripture to serue such a senseless sense as this For although a man rise early and go late to bed and eat the bread of carefulness all will be but as put into a bottomless bag unless God give a blessing And thus these Scriptures that seem so to thwart one another being comparatively and joyntly considered are really reconcil'd and hold forth one and the same thing John 11. 17. For the Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 19. What the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law c. v. 20. By the works of the Law shall no slesh be justified Rom. 7. 6. Now we are delivered from the Law Rom. 10. 4. For Christ is the end of the Law to alâ— that believe Eph. 2. 15. Having abolished the Law of Commandments Mal. 2. 6. Remember the Law of Moses Mat. 5. 17. 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law but to fulfil it v. 19. Till heaven and earth perish one jot or tittle of the Law shall not escape till all be fulfilled v. 20. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and teach men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven Rom. 7. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good Divers other Scriptures of like concernment Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 7. 46. Gal. 2. 19. 1 Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 16. 14. Gal. 2. 16 21. Gal. 3. 2. 4. 21. â— 3. Eph. 2. 15. Mat. 11. 13. Luke 16. 16. Acts 13. 39. Rom. 3. 28. 4. 13. 15. 7. 4. 9. 32. c. Other Scriptures of like concernment Mat. 15. 3. Mark 12. 30. Rom. 13. 9. Eph. 6. 2. John 2. 4. Mark 10. 17 19. Luke 1. 6. John 14. 21. Acts 28. 23. Rom. 2. 13. 3. 20. Gal 3. 24. James 2. 11. John 1. 3 4. Mat. 19. 16 18 19. Mark 12. 29 30. John 15. 10. 1 Cor. 7. 19. Neh. 10. 29. Rev. 22. 14. 1 John 2. 4. c. These Scriptures and many more of like import not here mentioned being compared one with another hold a sweet and holy harmony one with another nay although each Text were particularly discussed yet being Evangelically interpreted according to the Analogie of Faith would not at all differ Yet men of corrupt minds by sinister and private construction of them draw forth such a sense as may suit their own fancy although they bring them into a direct opposition although such private Interpretations are quite contrary to the Word of God as in 2 Pet. 1. 20. and is cause of not only that old Antinomian but all other heresie and error it 's an old heresie new vampt to say The Law is of no use to Believers now in Gospel times For certainly as the Gospel was of special use to Believers in times of the Law so is the Law of precious use to Believers in Gospel times viz. the Moral Law I wonder of what use the Law of God the ten Commandments given in Mount Sinai were to Abraham Isaac Jacob Noah Job Daniel c. that it is not to every Believer in these days No man thinks they were saved by the works of the Law or expected Justification by the Law but by faith nevertheless it was the rule of their sanctification and obedience it was the way they walked into life although not the cause of life and so it must be to all the godly in Gospel times although not the cause of Justification yet it 's the standing rule of their sanctification obedience and conversation This error ariseth principally from the mis-interpretation of the word Law which is severally in Scripture to be accepted Somtime intending the Ceremonial Law somtime the Judicial somtime the Moral Law somtime the penalty of the Law as Col. 2. 14. Eph. 2. 15 c. there it intends the Ceremonial Law in Acts 23. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 9 10 11. there the Judicial Law and the penalty thereof is intended the Judicial Law being a rule of life in Civil respects none are concern'd in the penalty thereof but evil doers So although the penalty of the Moral Law belongs to none but unbelievers and ungodly wretches yet it 's a rule of life to all even to the most precious people of God It was the comendation of Zachary and Elisabeth that they walked in all the commands of God unreprovably for any man to say the Law is of no use to Believers is I say an old desparate heresie that brings hundreds of Scriptures by the ears which is prevented by an holy humble judicial and impartial comparing one Scripture with another and interpreting one by another It 's confest that the damnatory the domineering nay the justifying power of the Law is abolished as in a legal sense yet evangelically interpreted every Believer is saved by a Law of works as between God the Father and Jesus Christ the mediator of our peace who hath fulfilled the Law for us and therefore salvation is of free grace to us yet withal know this no man shall ever receive benefit by the fulfilling of the Law by Christ that practises not obedience to that very Law for as Jesus Christ was the Angel of the Covenant that conducted Israel to Canaan that appeared in the Bush Exod. 3. 2. Acts 7. 35. the same hath left this lesson to all that love him and will follow him to the heavenly Canaan to keep his Commandments And thus those Scriptures before mentioned although they seem to speak a contrary language are to be reconciled Come we now to those Scriptures that concern the present Controversie which because very many there can be no expectation of a particular account of every or any one of them neither is it my purpose Yet by Gods grace I intend so to ballanee the account as to give in the summa totalls of them all so far as is necessary to the matter in hand according to the holy Spirit that speaks in them 1 Cor. 15. 22. For as in Adam all dy even so in Christ shall all be made alive Rom. 5. 18. Likewise then as by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the justifying of one the benefit abounded to all
who damned what good will all the Preaching in the world do a man All his hearing reading and praying is in vain if not elected and if elected then if he should never hear a Sermon in all his life yet he should go to heaven Answ 1 I deny not but God doth save some whom he hath chosen by extraordinary means while many living in the midst of that means of grace perish to teach us that he is not limitted and tyed to this or that dispensation But for answer know as I have formerly said where God ordains the end he ordains the means and if thou be an elect vessel thy delight will be to wait upon God in the use of means the ordinances of God being the ordinary way to life and salvation Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. and therefore is the Gospel called the word of Faith Rom. 10. 8. 2. Consider how srivolous ridiculous and destructive to thy self this conclusion of thine is Knowest thou not that man's days are determined beyond which none passeth neither do any dy before their time appointed Thou mayst as well conclude well I know I shall not dy before my time be come therefore I le neither care to eat or drink or to use any means to preserve life why all the means in the world will not lengthen out my life one hour Shouldest thou do thus would'st thou not be guilty of thine own blood Yea doubtless Even so while thou concludest because some are ordained to life some to condemnation therefore thou wilt live in the neglect of means Judge whether thy destruction be not of thy self It 's thy duty whatsoever God hath decreed to wait upon him in the use of means and leave the success to God And this know for thy comfort never any man conscientiosluy thus waited upon God or had true desires of heaven was disappointed of his hopes The Lord fulfils the desires of all such as fear him Object But me-think it 's very strange that God should create any man with a purpose to destroy him How can it stand with his Justice to elect some and to reject others all being of one and the same lump and all the works of his own hand Answ This objection being sufficiently answered in the preceding discourse I shall not speak much more to it only add that the main end why God created the whole world was his own glory and so consequently mankinde now the glory of God shineth in nothing more eminently then in this of his Prerogative Royal in electing some and rejecting others his free grace and mercy exceedingly manifested in the one and his Justice in the other and yet as before no unrighteousness in God as hath formerly been cleared For 1. He gave us power in Adam to stand after he had created us holy and innocent 2. He denies not the means of grace to those that perish 3. There is a sufficient price paid for all and for a thousand worlds more 4. In all that perish there is a desperate heart of unbelief implacably bent against God and all means of grace and although God give such men up to their own hearts lusts though he give men up to a reprobate mind he gives no man such a heart although as before he with-hold the bestowing of his graces he being a free Agent 5. Such as thus dispute with God and call in question his soveraignty the Apostle answers Rom. 9. 20 21. Who art thou oh man c but of this heretofore Object But the Scripture is full of such Texts as these That Christ came into the world to save all as John 11. 29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Called also the Saviour of the world John 4. 42. and many such like Answ The mis-interpretation of the two words all and world with the not comparing Scripture with Scripture is the principal ground of the mistake for no Scripture is of private interpretation neither are many Texts to be taken literally the Scripture being full of Figures and Allegories To prevent the evils attending such interpretation take notice 1. How diversly the word world is to be accepted in Scripture 1. For the created Fabrick as Psal 90. 2. Isa 62. 11. Jer. 10. 12. 1 Sam. 2. 8. Psal 19. 4. Luke 1. 70. John 17. 5. 11. 2. 7. c. 2. For the people of the world as Psal 9. 8. 96. 3. 98. 9. John 3. 16. c. 3. For the wicked of the world as Matth. 18. 7. Isa 13. 11. 1 Cor. 11. 32. John 7. 7. 14. 17. 15. 18. 17. 9. 16. 29. 1 Cor. 6. 2. c. 4. For the elect the godly party as Matth. 5. 14. John 1. 29. 3. 17. 4. 42. 6. 33. 12. 47. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 1 John 2. 2. c. 5. For the honours pleasures and profits of the world as Mat. 16. 26. Mark 8. 36. Luke 9. 25. Matth. 4. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 10. James 1. 27. 1 John 2. 15. 6. For a part of the people of the world as Luke 2. 1. John 12. 19. 18. 20. Acts 19. 27. 1 Cor. 4. 9. c. 7. For the whole race of mankinde in their natural condition as John 15. 18. 14. 17. 7. 7. 8. 26. 16. 20. 1 John 5. 19. c. 8. For a part of the created Fabrick Continent or Dimensions of the earth as Acts 11. 28. John 21. 25. Matth. 4. 8. 9. For the Manners Customs Governments or Corruptions of men in the world as Acts 17. 6. Gal. 1. 4. 6. 14. c. Likewise the word all is also diversly accepted 1. It refers to the whole race of mankinde as Gen. 3. 20. Rom. 5. 12. 3. 9 23. 15. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 10. c. 2. For a considerable part of that to which it relates as Gen. 12. 3. 24. 36. 28. 14. 41. 57. Iohn 11. 48. 1. 7. Exod. 18. 8. Ier. 9. 2. Mat. 2. 3. 8. 16. 3. 5 6. 21. 6. Mark 1. 5. Iohn 4. 29. 6. 45. Isa 54. 13. 1 Cor. 6. 12. Phil. 2. 21. c. 3. For the Elect as Gal. 3. 8 26. Acts 3. 25. 1 Cor. 10. 4. Luke 20. 38. Heb. 8. 11. Gen. 12. 3. c. 4. For the wicked of the world as Rev. 1. 7. Mic. 7. 2. Isa 34. 2. c. 5. For some of all sorts Countries and Nations 1 Tim. 2. 6. Rev. 1. 7. Psal 75. 11 17. 86. 9. Mat. 24. 9. c. 6. For all in a large and literal sense as well in relation to persons as things as Matth. 28. 18. Isa 26. 12. Psal 146. 6. Eccl. 3. 20. Rom. 3. 9 10. John 5. 28. Acts 15. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Gal. 3. 22. Now it 's an easie matter for men either peevish selfish ignorant or profane wedded to their own opinions to draw very dangerous and pernitious
men to the justification of life John 4. 42. This indeed is the Christ the Saviour of the world John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Mark 16. 16. He that believes and is baptised shall be saved he that believes not shall be damned John 3. 15 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life He that believes not is condemned already John 1. 5 19. The whole world lies in wickedness John 7. 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth 1 John 4. 14. And we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world 1 John 2. 2. And not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 2 Cor. 5. 9. That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Gal. 3. 8. In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed John 3. 17. That the world through him might be saved John 6. 33 51. Ana giveth life unto the world Which I will give for the life of the world Other Scriptures of like concernment John 12. 47. 15. 18 19. Rom. 4. 13. 11. 12 15. 8 32. Acts 3. 16 25. Gal. 3 28. 2 Pet. 3 9. Ezek. 18. 32. 33. 11. Prov. 1 30. Mat. 23. 57. Luke 1. 7. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3 9. c. John 14. 17. Whom the world cannot receive John 17. 2 9. Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to them thou hast given him I pray not for the world but for them thou hast given me out of the world Mat 15 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of Israel Rom 11 7 Then Israel hath not obtain'd but the election Rom 9 27 Though Israel be as the sand yet but a remnant shall be saved Eph. 1. 4 5. Chosen us in him before the foundation of the world John 10. 15. I lay down my life for my sheep Jude 4. Men of old pre-ordained to destruction Other concern'd Scriptures Mat. 20. 16. 24. 22 24. 29. 34. Luke 13. 23. 1. 68. 18. 17. Mar. 13. 20 22 27. Act 13. 18. Rom. 8 29 30 33 9 11 23. 11. 5. Tit. 1. 1 2. 1 Pet. 1. 2 20. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Eph. 3. 11. 1. 4 9. 2 Tim. 1. 9 Rev. 14. 4. Gal. 5 17. Forasmuch as that 1 Cor. 15. 22. first mentioned to maintain that pernicious doctrine of Universal Redemption hath no relation at all to the doctrine of Redemption but of the Resurrection I shall not speak much to it only this It 's true that by the power of Christ's death and resurrection all men both godly and wicked shall arise at that great and terrible day of the Lord but withal consider that as some shall arise to the resurrection of life so also others to the resurrection of condemnation the day of resurrection is so far from being any benefit to unbelievers as that it 's only the taking them out of prison to receive their last and dreadful doom and so to be hurried to the place of execution But as for all other Scriptures that seem to plead this heresie if we compare them with others we shall finde them directly opposite to that opinion For as it is said the Lord Christ bealed all sicknesses and diseases and evert one possessed with divels c. in like sense he dyed for all and becomes a Saviour to all to wit all that are given to him and come to him by Faith For as millions of men in the world never received cure by Christ of their corporal diseases that neither came nor were brought to him so millions perish that never lay hold upon Christ by faith his blood being beneficial to none but such as come to him and eat his flesh and drink his blood by faith It 's unreasonable contrary to harmony of Scripture derogatory to the excellency of the blood and merit of Christ overthrows the omnipotency and very being of God denies his soveraignty over the creature tramples under foot that precious doctrine of election and predestination makes the eternal decree of God of no effect destroys the doctrine of free grace and instead thereof sets up free-will or a Law of works as already hath been plainly manifested with many other gross absurdities attending to hold that Christ shed his blood for all universally and indefinitely that he hath freed all from the guilt of Adam's transgression and puts every man into a state of innocency that all men have power to stand or fall to repent and believe c. But that Christ laid down his life for his sheep for those whom God the Father hath given him out of the world for all that believe that many are called but few chosen that Christ's flock is a little flock that none but the elect nay the elect of Israel obtain mercy that but a remnant even of Israel shall be saved that certain men are elected and chosen to be vessels of honour and some pre-ordained to condemnation before the world was that no man can come to Christ unless drawn to him by God the Father that we are not able of our selves to think a good thought that it's God that works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure that we are all by nature children of wrath and disobedience dead iâ— trespasses and sins that faith is the gift of God and that without faith none can receive the least benefit by the death resurrection or intercession of Christ that all men dying in a state of unbelief perish eternally that the ungodly and hypocrite shall be in hell tormented for ever while the godly and such as believe in the Lord Christ shall reignâ— with him eternally in glory This Scripture clearly holds forth as by comparing one Scripture with another he that runs may read The main cause of this error as aforesaid is a misconstruction and mis-interpretation of the words all and world which are severally accepted for even the elect may be called the world not unaptly considered in themselves being very many Rev. 7. 4. read there of an hundred forty and four thousand of the Tribes of Israel sealed and verse 9. a great multitude whom none could number and yet all these compared with those that perish but a remnant a little flock and in this sense is the word world to be taken in 1 John 29. and 2 Cor. 5. 19. and divers other places And whereas it is said As in Adam all dy even so in Christ shall all be made alive If that Scripture had any reference at all to the doctrine of Redemption it should be thus interpreted That as all that dy eternally dy in Adam so all that live eternally live in Christ the way and cause of salvation being there intended not the number that are to