But what amazing love what matchless love is this for a man to engage his person and life for his friend when as skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and yet according to the Covenant of Redemption Jesus Christ has done all this and much more for us as is evident if you will but cast your eye back upon the Articles of the Covenant or consult the Scriptures in the Margin If a friend to free a Jâ—â— 2. 4. Joâ— 1â— 11 15 17 18 28 Râ—m 5. 6 〈◊〉 Eph. 1. 5 6 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 13 14 15 Heb. 2. 13 1â— 15. captive or one condemned to death should put himself into the state and condition of him whom he freeth that would be an evidence of love beyond all comparison But now if the dignity of Christ's person and our unworthiness if the greatness of the debt and kind of payment and if the benefit which we reap thereby be duly weighed we shall find these evidences of love to come as much behind the love of Christ as the light of a candle cometh short of the light of the Sun Christ's Suretiship according to the Covenant of Redemption is and ought to be a prop of props to our faith It is as sure a ground of confidence that all is well and shall be for ever well between God and us as any the Scriptures does afford by vertue hereof we have a right to appeal to God's Justice for this Surety hath made ful satisfaction and to exact a debt which is fully satisfied is a point of injustice Christ knew very well what the Redemption of fallen man would cost him he knew that his life and blood must go for it he knew that he must lay by his Robes of Majesty and be cloathed with flesh he knew that he must encounter Sâ—lus Amoâ— nesâ—it difficultates men and Devils he knew that he must tread the Wine-press of his Father's wrath bear the Curse and make himself an offering for our sins for our sakes for our salvation yet for all this he is very ready and willing to bind himself by Covenant that he will redeem us whatever it cost him Oh what tongue can express what heart Eph. 3. 18 19. Look where thou wilt thou art surrounded with flames of his love and it were strange if thou shouldest not be set on fire if not sure thou must needs be a Diabolical Salamander sayâ— Cuâ—anus can conceive what soul can comprehend the heights depths bredths and lengths of this love Oh blessed Jesus what manner of love is this that thou shouldest wash away my scarlet sins in thine own blood that thou shouldest die that I may live that thou shouldest be cursed that I might be blessed that thou shouldest undergo the pains of hell that I might enjoy the joys of heaven that the face of God should be clouded from thee that his everlasting favour might rest upon me that thou shouldest be an everlasting Skreen betwixt the wrath of God and my immortal soul that thou shouldest do for me beyond all expression and suffer for me beyond all conception and gloriously provide for me beyond all expectation and all this according to the Covenant of Redemption what shall I say what can I say to all this but fall down before thy grace and spend my days in wondering at that matchless bottomless love that can never be fathomed by Angels or men Oh Lord Jesus saith one plusquam Bâ—rnard mea plusquam meas plusquam me I love thee more than all my goods and I love thee more than all my friends yea I love thee more than my very self 'T is good to write after this copy But The Eleventh and last Plea that a Believer may form up as to the ten Scriptures that are in the Margin that Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. â—â—at 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Hâ—b 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular account may be drawn up from the consideration of the Book of Life out of which all the Saints shall be judged in the great day of our Lord Rev. 20. 11. And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them Vers 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God And the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Vers 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them And they were judged every man according to their works Vers 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire In the 11. verse John describes the Judge with his preparation in the 12. verse he describes the persons that should be judged and then he describes the process and sentence and lastly he describes the execution of the sentence viz. the casting of the reprobates into the Lake of fire and the placing and fixing of the Elect in the heavenly Jerusalem vers 13 14 15. In the five last verses cited you have a clear and full description of the last General Judgment as is evident by the native Context and Series of this Chapter For having Rev. 2â— 1 2 3. Jude vers 6. spoken of the Devil's last Judgment which by Jude is called The judgment of the great day It is consentaneous therefore to understand this of such a Judgment whereby he is judged And indeed the expressions are so full and the matter and circumstances so satisfying and convincing that they leave no place for fears doubts or disputes This Scripture that is under our present consideration runs parallel with that Dan. 12. 1 2 3. and several other places of Scripture where the day of Judgment is spoken of and let him that can shew me at what other Judgment all the dead are raised and judged and all Reprobates sent to hell and all the Elect brought to heaven and death and hell cast into the Lake all which are plainly expressed here He shall be an Apollo to me that can make these things that are hero spoken of to agree with any other Judgment than the last Judgment Let me give a little light into this Scripture before I improve it to that purpose for which I have cited it And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it a lively description of the last Judgment A Great Throne Great because it is set up for the General Judgment of all for the universal judgment of the whole world Before
this deliverance of the Creature that our Apostle speaks of shall not be by a reduction into nothing but by an alteration into a better estate But I must hasten to a close Vers 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God The Judge before whom all do appear is our dear Lord Jesus who hath the keys of hell and death in Rev. 1. 18. Act. 17. 30 31. his hands and who is designed and appointed by God the Father to be the Judge of quick and dead he hath Authority and a Commission under his Father's hand to sit and act as Judge Here you see that John calleth the Judge absolutely God but Christ is the Judge therefore Christ is God absolutely and he will appear to be God in our nature in that great day The Parties judged who stand before the Throne are 1. Generally the dead all who had died from Adam to the last day he calls them the dead after the common Law of Nature but then raised from death to life by the Eph 2. 5. Colos 2. 13. power of God he speaks not of men dead in sins and trespasses but of such as died corporally and now were raised up to judgment But shall not the living then be judged Oh yes For we must all appear before the Judgment-seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rom. 149 10. of Christ That he may be Judge of the quick and the dead and be Lord both of the dead and the living Under this phrase the dead are comprehended all those that then shall be found alive By the dead we are to understand the living also by an Argument from the lesser If the dead shall appear before the Judgment-seat how much more the living But the dead alone are named either because the number of the dead from Adam to the last day shall be far greater than those that shall be found alive on earth in that day or because those that remain alive shall be accounted as dead because they shall be 1 Cor. 15. 52. changed in the twinkling of an eye Secondly he describes them from their age and condition for the words may be understood of both Great and small which takes in all sorts of men Tyrants Emperours Kings Princes Dukes Lords c. as well as Subjects Vassals Slaves Beggars rich and poor strong and weak bond and free old and young all and every one without exception are to be judged for the Judgment shall be universal no man shall be so great as to escape the same nor none so small as to be excluded but every one shall have justice done him without respect of persons as that great Apostle Paul tells us We must all appear before the Judgment-seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad I am no admirer of the School-men's notion who suppose that all shall be raised about the age of Lum lib dist 44 33. which was Christ's Age but do judge that that perfection which consisteth in the conforming them to Christ's glorious body is of another kind than to respect either age stature or the like Stand before God that is brought to Judgment the Joh. 3. 18. guilty standing ready to be condemned and the Saints standing ready in Christ's presence to be absolved and pronounced blessed And the books were opened Christ the Judge being set on his Throne and having all the world before him the books are opened 1. In the general the books are said to be open 2. Here is a special book for the Elect The book of life was opened 3. Here you have sentence passed and pronounced according to what was written in these books and according to their works And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Here the Judicial Process is noted by imitation of Humane Courts in which the whole Process is wont to be drawn up and laid before the Judge from whence the Judge determineth for or against the person according to the Acts and Proofs that lie open before him The Equity Justice and Righteousness of Christ the Judge that sits on his white Throne is set forth by a Metaphor taken from Humane Courts where the Judge pronounceth sentence according to the written Law and the Acts and Proofs agreeing thereunto All things are Heb. 4. 13. Rev. 1. 14. naked and bare before him whose eyes are as a flame of fire But to shew that the Judgment shall be as accurate and particular in the trial and just and righteous in the close as if all were registred and put on Record nothing shall escape or be mistaken in its circumstances but all things shall be so cleared and issued beyond all doubts and disputes as if an exact Registre of them had been kept and published in all which there is a plain allusion unto the words of Daniel speaking thus of this Judgment The Dan. 7. 10. Judgment was set and the books were opened We find six several books mentioned in the Scripture First The Book of Nature that is mentioned by David Psal 139. 16. Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them 'T is a Metaphor from curious work men that do all by the The world saith Clemens Alexandrious is Deâ— Scriptura the first Bible that God made for the instruction of Man Book or by a Model set before them that nothing may be deficient or done amiss Had God left out an eye in his common place Book saith one thou hadst wanted it The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work The Psalmist looks upon that great Volume of heaven and earth and there reads in Capital letters the Prints and Characters of God's glory This Book saith one was imprinted at the New Jerusalem by the finger of Jehovah and is not to be sold but to be seen at the sign of Glory of every one that lifts up his eyes to heaven In this Book of nature which is made up of three great leaves Heaven Earth and Sea God hath made himself visible yea legible even his eternal power and Godhead So that all men are left without Rom. 1. 20. excuse Out of this Book the poor blind Gentiles might have learned many choice lessons as First that they had a maker Secondly That this Maker being before the things made is eternal without beginning or ending Thirdly That he must needs be Almighty which made all things out of nothing and sustained such a Mass of creatures Fourthly The order variety and distinction of creatures declare his marvellous Wisdom Fifthly In this Book they might run and read the great goodness and the admirable kindness of God to the sons of men in making
Conscience hath an Iron Memory In the last day God will bring the Book of Conscience out of the Rubbish as they did the Book of the Law in Josiah's time and the very laying open of this Book before sinners will even put them besides their wâ—ts and fill them with unspeakable horrour and terrour and be a hell on this side hell unto them In this Book they shall find an exact account of every vain thought they have had and of every idle word they have spoke and of every evil action they have done and Oh what amazement and astonishment will this fill them with By the Books in this Rev. 20. 12. Origen does Comm. ad Rom. 14. understand the Books of Conscience which now are hid not from God but from most men for the hidden things of the heart are not now known but then they shall be opened and manifested to the Consciences of every sinner so as there shall be no place no room left for any Ambr. in Psâ—l 1. excuse or Plea Ambrose saith that the Books that are here said to be opened are the Books of men's Consciences and God's Omniscience Oh what dreadful challenges and accusations will every sinner be forced to read out of this Book of Conscience in the great day Oh how in that great day will all wicked men wish that they had followed the counsel of the Heathen Orator when he said A recta conscientia ne latum quidem unguem discedendum Ciâ— â—â— Ossic A man may not depart an hairs breadth all his life long from the dictates of a good Conscience The Book of God's Omniscience takes in all things past present and to come as if he had kept a Diary of every man's thoughts words and actions But Fifthly There is the Book of Scripture and of all Books this Book is the most precious Book The Book of the Creature is but as the Inventory of the Goods the Book of the Scripture is the evidence and conveyance and assurance of all good to us The Book of Scripture is the Book of the Statutes and Ordinances of the King of Heaven which must be opened and consulted and by which all must be judged in the great day Jam. 2. 12. So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged Jam. 23 25. by the law of liberty i. e. by the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the whole Word of God registred in the blessed Scriptures Now the whole Word of God is called the Law of Liberty because thereby we are born again to a new spiritual life and so freed from the Bondage and Slavery of sin and Satan Our Lord Jesus Christ in his proceedings Let the Word be President in all Assemblies and Judgments saith Beza In the Nicene Council Censtâ—nâ—â—e caused the Bible to be set upon a Desk aâ— Judge of all controversies the Word shall be the Judge of all men's Estates at last every man shall stand or fall according as he holds weight in the Ballance of the Sanctuary in the great day of Account will judge us by the Scriptures and pass everlasting sentence upon us according to the tenour of the Scriptures At the great and general Assizes Christ will try all causes by the Word of God and pass Judgment upon all sorts of persons according to the Word Joh. 12. 48. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The persons that are to be judged in the great day are not believers in Christ they are not receivers of Christ but such as reject his person and receive not his Doctrine He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him c. However the rejecters of Christ may escape Judgment for a time yet they shall never be able to escape the Judgment of the last day they shall assuredly they shall unavoidably be judged in the last day Though the rejecters of Christ had none to witness against them yet the Word of the Lord shall be more than a thousand witnesses against them in the great day The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The Word of the Lord is so sure and infallible a word that Christ's Sentence in the great day when heaven 2 Pet. 3. 7 10 11 12. and earth shall pass away shall proceed according to the Verdict and Testimony thereof For the word that I have spoken shall judge him in the last day Christ will pronounce then according to what it saith now and that as well in favour of Believers as against unbelievers Ad. 17. 31. Look as Christ himself is ordained to be the Judge of quick and dead so the Word the Doctrines which he hath delivered will be the rule of all his Judicial proceedings both in acquitting the righteous and condemning the wicked By the Books in this Rev. 20. 12. Augustine Lib. 20. De C. Dei c. 14. and Beda saith the same with Austin understands the Books of the Old and New Testament which shall then be opened because according to them the Judge will pronounce sentence Rom. 2. 16. When God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel which promiseth heaven and happiness to all believers The Sentence of the last day shall be but a more manifest declaration of that Judgment that the Lord in this life most an end hath passed upon men Heathens shall be judged by the Law of Nature profligate Professors by the written Law and the Word Mar. 16. 16. preached Believers by the Gospel which saith He that believeth shall be saved He that believes shall not Joh. 3. 15 16. 36. cap. 5. 24. Paâ—eus 2 Cor. 8. 12. perish but have eternal life He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life He that believeth shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Christ shall in the great day give Sentence according to the Doctrine of the Gospel which saith If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not The Jesuits report of a Student at Paris who coming to Confession and not being able for tears and sobbings to speak was willed by his Confessor to write down his sins which he did and when the Confessor received it the writing vanished and there remained nothing but the white and clean paper this say they was by a miracle because of his great contrition Let the credit of this story be upon the reporter but upon the credit of the Word of God if we believe really savingly and repent unfeignedly all our sins shall be blotted out and a Book of clean paper in respect of sin shall be presented to the God neither needeth nor useth Books to judge by but this is spoken after the manner of men
all the creatures for their good for their service and benefit Sixthly and lastly In this Book they might run and read what a most excellent what a most admirable what a most transcendent workman God was What are the Heavens the Earth the Sea but a sheet of Royal Paper written all over with the Wisdom and Power of God Now in the great day of account this Book shall be produced to witness against the Heathen World because they did not live up to the light that was held forth to them in this Book but crucified that light and knowledge by false ways of worship and by their wicked manners whereof the Apostle gives you a Bead-roll or Catalogue from vers 21. to the end of that 1. of the Romans But Secondly there is the Book of Providence wherein â— all particulars are registred even such as Atheists may count trivial and inconsiderable Mat. 10. 30. But the very hairs of your head are all numbred And where is their number summed up even in the Book of Providence The three Worthies were taken out of the fiery furnace Dan. 3. 27 with their hairs in full number not one of them singed Paul encouraging the Passengers to eat who were in fear and danger of death tells them that there should not an Act. 27. 34. hair fall from the head of any of them And when Saul 1 Sam. 14. 45. would have put Jonathan to death the people told him That there should not a hair of his head fall to the ground Christ doth not say that the hairs of your eye lids are numbred but the hairs of your head where there is the greatest plenty and the least use Though hair is but an excrement and the most contemptible part of man yet every hair of an Elect person is observed and registred down in God's Books and not one of them shall be lost Nor the Holy Ghost doth not say the hairs of your heads shall be numbred but the hairs of your head are all numbred God has already booked them all down and all to shew us that special that singular care that God takes of the smallest and least concernments of his chosen ones This Book of Providence God will produce in the great day to confute and condemn the Atheists of the World who have denied a Divine Providence and whose hearts have swelled against his Government of the world according to the counsels of his own heart But Thirdly There is the Book of men's afflictions this some account an entire Book of it self Psal 56. 8. Thou tellest my wandrings put thou my tears into thy bottle are The Septuagint for my wandrings or flitâ—ings have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Lâ—fe to teach us saith one that our life is but a flitting they not in thy book God told all those weary steps that David took in passing over those two great Forrests when he fled from Saul or thou cypherest up my flittings as the words may be read whilst David was hunted up and down like a Partridge and hushed out of every bush and had no certain dwelling place but driven from post to pillar from one Countrey to another God was all this while a noting down and a numbering of his flittings and a bottleing up his tears and a booking down his sighs Put thou my tears into thy bottle Heb. my tear that is every tear of mine let not one of them be lost but kept safe with thee as so much sweet water God is said in Scripture to have a Bag and a Bottle a Bag for our sins and a Bottle for our tears and Oh that we would all labour to fill his bottle with our tears as we have filled his bag with our sins and certainly if the white tears of his servants be bottled up the red tears of their blood shall not be cast away if God keep the tears of the Saints in store much more will he remember their blood to avenge it and though Tyrants burn the bones of the Saints yet they cannot blot out their tears and blood out of God's Register Are they not in thy book are they not in thy Register or Book of Accounts where they cannot be blotted out by any time or Tyrants i. e. yes certainly they are thou dost assuredly book them down and wilt never forget one of them according to the usual Interrogatory that was used among the Hebrews when they affirmed a thing past all doubt Let the great Nimrods and oppressors of the Saints look to themselves for God books down all the afflictions sufferings and persecutions of his servants and in the great day he will bring in this Book this Register to witness against them Ah sinners sinners look to your selves in the great day of account the Lord will reckon with you for every rod that he hath spent upon you he will reckon with you not only for all your mercies but also for all your crosses not only for all your sweets but also for all your bitters not only for all your cordials but also for all your corrasives In this Book of Afflictions there is not only Item for this mercy and that but Item also for this affliction and that this sickness and that this cross and that this loss and that And will not the opening of this Book of the Saints afflictions and sufferings and of sinners afflictions and sufferings be as the hand-writing upon Dan. 5. 5 6. the wall to all the wicked of the earth in the great day of account surely yes for as they cannot answer for one mercy of ten thousand that they have enjoyed so they cannot answer for one affliction of ten thousand that they have been exercised with But Fourthly There is the Book of Conscience Conscience saith Philo is the little Consistory of the soul Conscience Râ—m 2. 14 15. is Mille Testes A thousand Witnesses for or against a man Conscience is God's Preacher in the bosom Conscience hath a good memory saith one The chief Gen. 41. 9. Butler forgot the promise that he had made to Joseph but Conscience told him of it Fama propter homines conscientia propter Deum saith Augustine A good name will carry it amongst men but it is a good conscience only that can acquit us before God In this great day the Book of every man's Conscience shall be opened for their conviction The Conscience is a Domestick and true Tribunal saith Nazianzenâ—â— wherein they shall read their guilt in legible Characters for that is a Book of Record wherein men's actions are entred and although now it be shut up close and sinners will by no means be brought to look into it â—and though many things that are written in this Book seem to be so greatly obliterated and blotted that they can hardly be read Yet in that great day of Accounts God will refresh and recover the lustre of those Ancient Writings and sinners in that day shall find that
James 1. 27. Phil. 3. 3. Joh. 4. 23 24. than purity of ordinances in opposition to all mixtures and corruptions whatsoever O sirs the great God stands upon nothing more in all the world than upon purity in his worship There is nothing that does Mat. 21. 12 13. Joh. 2. 15 16 17. so provoke and exasperate God against a people as mixtures in his worship and service and no wonder for mixtures in his worship are expresly-cross to his commands and pollutions in worship do sadly reflect upon the name of God the honour of God the truth of God and therefore his heart rises against them defilements in worship do sorely reflect upon the wisdom of Christ the faithfulness of Christ as if he were not faithful enough nor wise enough nor prudent nor Heb. 3. 4 5 6. understanding enough to order direct and guide his people in the matters of his worship but must be beholding to the wisdom prudence and care of man of vain man of sinful man of vile and unworthy man to compleat perfect and make up something that was wanting in his worship and service c. Now if a man suffers for owning pure worship and ordinances for standing for pure worship and ordinances and for being found in the practice of pure worship and ordinances his cause is good and he suffers as a Christian But Secondly When a man suffers for refusing or for not doing that which Christ condemns in his word then his cause is good and he suffers as a Christian for well doing Now in matters of Divine Worship God condemns all mixtures all inventions and devices of men The very spirit life and soul of the Second Commandment lies in these words Thou shalt not make to thy self any Graven Image God abhors that men should mix their Water with his Wine Levit. 10. 1 2. Ezek. 5. 11 12. cap. 23. 38 39. Jer 7. 29 30. Ezek. 8. 17 18. Rev. 2. 22 23. Deut. 4. 2. cap. 12 32. c. their Dross with his Gold their Chaff with his Wheat c. When men will venture to be so hardy and bold with God as to defile his Worship with their mixtures then God is fully resolved to be a swift and terrible witness against them as you may clearly see by comparing those notable places of Scripture together in the Margin there is no sin that does so greatly incense and provoke God to Jealousie and Wrath against a People as mixtures in his Worship God can bear with defilements any where rather than in Worship and Service God did bear much and bear long with the Jews bâ— when they had defiled and corrupted his worship then God gave them a Bill of Divorce and scattered them as Dung among the Nations Now when a man suffers for refusing to worship God with a mixt worship or with an invented or devised worship which Christ in his word doth every where condemn then his cause is good and he suffers as a Christian But Thirdly they that stoutly and resolutely assert that the blessed Luk. 10. 25 26. Scriptures are a sufficient rule to order guide and direct them in all matters of worship they have a good cause and they that suffer upon this account suffer as Christians for well doing Such vain men greatly detract from the sufficiency of the Scripture who mingle their own or other men's inventions with Ezek 43 8. Divine Institutions and who set their Posts by God's Posts and their Thresholds by God's Thresholds The Precepts and Traditions It is very remarkable that of old they were to be cut off that made any thing like the Institutions and Appointments of God Exod. 30. 32 33 37 38. And if some were so served would not the world be in more love peace and quietness than now it is of men with their Inventions and Additions to the worship of God are stiled Posts and Thresholds because the Authors of them do lean and stand so much upon them and set them in the way to hinder others from the enjoyment of Temple-privileges unless they will own and comply with them in their way and mode of worship but upon all such posts and thresholds that are of men's setting up in the worship of God you may run and read folly weakness rottenness and madness 't is only God's Posts God's Thresholds God's Institutions God's Appointments that have Wisdom and Holiness Beauty and Glory written upon them For men to set up their Posts by God's Posts and to give their Posts equal Honour and Authority with God's Posts this is a defiling of the Worship of God and a prophaning of the name of God which he will certainly avenge for he will admit no rival or Proprietary in the things of his Worship O sirs the blessed Adero plenitudinâ—â— Sâ—ripâ—uâ—arum Tertul. La 〈…〉 〈◊〉 fulness of the Scriptures Scriptures are sufficient to direct us fully in every thing that belongs to the Worship and Service of God so as that we need not depend upon the wisdom prudence care and authority of any men under heaven to direct us in matters of Worship 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works The Scriptures are sufficient to inform the ignorant to confute the erronious to reform the vitious and to guide and direct support and comfort those that are gracious Here a Lamb may wade and an Elephant may swim here is milk for babes and meat for strong men here is comfort for the afflicted and succour for the tempted and ease for the troubled and light for the clouded and enlargement for the straitned c. Oh how full of light how full of life how full of love how full of sweetness how full of goodness how full of righteousness and holiness c. is every Chapter and every Verse in every Chapter yea and every Line in every Verse The Rabbins say that a mountain of matter hangs upon every word of Scripture yea upon every tittle of Scripture When the people of God have been in any outward or inward distresses or troubles God never sends them to the shâ—p of men's Traditions and No Histories are compâ—rable to the Histories oâ— the Scripture 1. For Antiquity 2. Rarity 3. Variety 4. Brevity 5. Perspicuity 6. Harmony 7. Verity all which should greatly encourage Christians to a serious perusal of them inventions but he still sends them to the blessed Scriptures Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no morning in them cap. 34. 1â— Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read â—â— one of thâ—se shall 〈◊〉 none shall want her maâ—e for my mouth it hath commanded and my spirit it hath
Mordecai's name was Registred in the Chronicles of Persia Ejih 6. 1 2 3. And Iamerlane had always by him a Catalogue of his best Servants and their good deserts which he daily perused Judge But Sixthly and lastly There is a Book of Life Rev. 20. 12. And another book was opened which is the book of life the Book of Life is the Book of all those that were elected and redeemed to life through Christ Jesus This Book of Life containeth a Register of such particular persons in whose Salvation God from all Eternity determined to have his mercy glorified and for whom Christ merited Faith Repentance and perseverance that they should repent believe and be finally saved The book of life shall be opened that is to say the Decrees of God will be then published and made known which now are sealed up in his breast and locked up in his Archives Then it will be seen who are appointed to life for the glorifying of God's free rich and Soveraign Grace and whom he purposed to leave in their sins and to perish for ever for the exaltation of his Justice 'T is called A Book of Life not that God hath need of a Book but to note the certainty of Predestination viz. that God knows all and every of the Elect even as men know a thing which for memory's sake they set down in writing This Book of Life shall be opened in the great day because then it shall appear who were Elect who Reprobates who truly believed in Christ who not who worshipped God in spirit and in truth and who not who walked with God as Noah and who not who set up God as the object of their fear who not who followed the Lamb whither ever he went and who not who were sincere and who not who preferred Christ above ten thousand worlds and who preferred Barrabas before Jesus and their Farms and their Oxen and their Mat. 25. 32. Swine yea their very Lusts before a Saviour a Redeemer Ezek. 9. 4 6. who are Sheep and who are Goats who are Sons and who are Slaves who have mourned for their own sins and the sins of the time and who they are that have made a sport of sin c. Of this Book of Life you read often in Scripture Phil. 4. 3. And I intreat thee also true yoke-fellow help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of life Vorstius thinks it a speech taken from the custome of souldiers or Cities in which the chosen Souldiers or Citizens are by name written in a certain Book or Roll. This Book or Roll is called here The Book of Life because therein are written all the Elect who are ordained to Eternal Life Rev. 3. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be cloathed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life In this Book of Life all the just that live by faith are written The Elect are certain of Joh. 10. 28 29 30 31. eternal life they shall never perish nor none can ever pluck them out of the Father's hand nor out of Christ's hand God is said to have Books Metaphorically The Holy God by an Ambrâ—pepatheria speaketh to our capacity for he doth all things without the help of Books he needs no Books to help his Memory he does all things by his infinite Wisdom Eternal Foreknowledge Counsel Government and Judgment but thus men cannot do for whatsoever is done in their Councils Cities Families Contracts c. for memory's sake is set down in writing that so as there is occasion they may look it over and call to mind such things as they desire Mark not to have our names blotted out of the Book of Life is to have them always remain therein that is to enjoy Eternal Glory and what can the soul desire more The names of the Elect are written in the Book of Life they do not obtain Salvation by chance but were elected of God to life and happiness before the Foundation of the World Now their names being once written in the Book of Life they shall never never be blotted out of that Book In the Book of Predestination there is not one blot to be found the Salvation of the Elect is most sure and certain Rev. 13. 8. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world The names of the Elect are said to be written in the Book of Life by an usual Metaphor for we commonly write down the names of such as are dear unto us that we may continually remember them So God having in his Eternal Council elected some to Salvation hath written their names in the Book of Life as our Saviour tells us Rejoyce because your Luk. 10. 20. names are written in heaven Some understand the Metaphor of the Sonship of the Elect so that to be written in the Book of Life shews that they are heirs of Glory for we know that such are to inherit whose names are written in the last Will and Testament of men Of this Book of Life you may further read Rev. 17. 8. Rev. 20. 15. Rev. 21. 27. Rev. 22. 19. Now from this Book of Life that shall be opened in the great day when the other Books shall be opened as hath been shewed every sincere Christian may form up this Eleventh Plea as to the Ten Scriptures that are in the Margin that refer to the great Eccles 9. 11. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Hâ—b 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. â— 5. Dan. 9. 24. Coles 2. 14. day of account or t 〈…〉 man's particular account Most Holy and Blessed Lord cast thine eye upon the Book of Election and there thou wilt find my name written Now my name being written in that Book I am exempt from all condemnation and interested in the great Salvation my name being written in the Book of Life I am secured from coming into the Judgment of Reprobation or Condemnation Joh. 5. 14. Revel 21. 27. Jesus Christ who hath written my name in the Book of Life hath made up my acounts for me he hath satisfied thy Justice and pacified thy Wrath and born the Curse and purchased my Pardon and put upon me an everlasting Righteousness and given me my Quietus est he has crost out the black lines of my sins with the red lines of his blood he has cancelled all the Bonds wherein I stood obliged to Divine Justice I further plead O Blessed Lord That there is an immutable Connexion betwixt being written in this Book of Life and the obtaining of Eternal Life and if the Connexion betwixt being written in this Book of Life and the obtaining of Eternal Life were not peremptory what reason could there be of opening this Book in the day of Judgment The Book of Life is a Book of Sovereign Grace upon which lies the weight of my Salvation my happiness my all and therefore by that Book I desire to stand or fall Well saith the Lord I cannot but accept of this Plea as holy honourable just and righteous and therefore enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord inherit the Kingdom prepared for thee Mat. 25. 21 34. Thus by Divine Aslistance and by a special and a gracious hand of Providence upon me I have finished those select and important Cases of Conscience which I designed to speak to Soli Deo Gloria in Aeternum