Believer but their Personal Names Reuben Simeon Levi So had our Great High Priest or He could not have made attonement for us And that place Rev. 13. 8. points at the same time for both Those words From the foundation of the World do refer as well to the writing of their Names in the Book of life as to the Lamb 's being slain And if it be said It must referr to that as was last named then let ver 8. of the 17. Chap. speak for it where deciphering those who shall wonder after the beast he sayes they are such whose Names were not written in the hook of life from the foundation of the World what can be more express II. The Design of God in the death of Christ Arg. 2. could not otherwise be secur'd Had the design been To Purchase Salvation for Believers without ascertaining the Persons that should believe it had been uncertain Whether any should be saved because uncertain Whether any would believe If Certain That some would believe This Certainty must be Decreed For Nothing future could be certain Otherwise And if it was Decreed That Some should believe The Individuals of that Some must be Decreed also For Faith is the Gift of God and could not be foreseen in any but whom He had Decreed to give it unto Which laid together are a good demonstration That those Christ should die for were as well Pre-ordain'd as That He should die for them and that definitely and by Name III. It may further be Argued Arg. 3. from the Fathers preparing a kingdom from the foundation of the World and Mansions or Places in it To prepare the way of this Argument Consider the Punctuality of God's disposements in things of a Lower Moment He did not Create the Earth in vain i. e. To stand empty and void as at its first formation Nor the several quarters thereof to be Inhabited indefinitely by some Nation or Other who should happen to get possession of them But He divided to the Nations their inheritance and the bounds of their Habitation Deut. 32. 8. Mount Seir was given to Esau Acts. 17. 26. and Ar to the Children of Lot Each Nation had its limits staked out Deut. 2. 5 9. and this from the dayes of old And if we may distinguish of Acts in God and of Time in Eternity His Purpose to firm and bring forth those Nations must needs be as early as to Create and furnish those parts of the World which they should Inhabit Now Earthly Settlements being of trivial Moment to the Heavenly Mansions it seems a good Consequent That if yet particular Nations were fore-appointed for particular Provinces on Earth Much more should particular Persons be design'd for those particular Mansions in Heaven And if either were appointed afore the other It must be the Persons For the Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath The Domestiques of God's House or Place of Glory are a sacred State and Order of Kings and Priests and Each individual Person hath his place or Appartiment set out for him Those Glorious Pallaces were not prepared for Believers indefinitely but for certain Determinate Persons particularly The Twelve Apostles shall have their Twelve Thrones and every One his Own This is evident by our Saviour's answer to the Mother of Zebede's children Math. 20. 23 To sit on my right hand and on my left is not Mine to give but it shall he given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father If for Believers indefinitely why not for these two Brethren as soon as any other especially since they first made request for them The Truth is those Places were not now to be disposed of it was determined who should have them long before even From the foundation of the World Matt. 25. 35. The scope of this Answer was not to shew That the places requested for were prepar'd for Believers for these were Believers who made request for them but that they were Appointed for Certain particular Persons and they must have them Much might be added in confirmation of these two branches But by these I hope it is clear That Election is Personal and from Eternity V. Election is in Christ. OR The Elect are Chosen in Christ It was requisite the New Covenant should have an Head and Mediatour as well as the Old That Righteousness and life might flow from Him into all the Elect Seed as sin and death had done from Adam In which respect Christ and He are set forth as Parallels in Romans 3. from ver 12. to 21. The benefits which the Elect are Chosen unto they are made partakers of by their Union with Christ He is the Root in whom the Fulness dwels Not only the Foundation on which the Church is built but the Rock which affords all the Spiritual Materials of the Heavenly Temple Even the Cement that holds one part to another and the whole to Himself and this by virtue of the Decree For we are to Consider that there is a Decretive Union before the Actual and That influenceth This into Being and that as really as the determined death of Christ did the Salvation of Those who died before Him Though Christ be not the Cause of Election yet He is the Grand Means by whom we obtain the blessedness we were Chosen unto By Him it is That We have Access into that Grace Rom. 5. 2. wherein we stand And we shall find that the Epistles generally when they speak of the Great things relating to Salvation do still bring in Christ as the Person principally concern'd about it Salvation indeed is a Gift Tit. 3. 6 it is perfectly Free yet not to be had Rom. 5. 18 19. but in Christ It comes upon us through His Righteousness As by One's disobedience many were made sinners so by the Righteousness of One by means of their Oneness with Him shall many be made Righteous Mankind by their Apostacy in Adam had destroyed in themselves the whole of that Principle which would have lead them to God as their life and blessedness And had withal contracted such an Eumity against Him and Repugnancy to all Overtures for Returning to Him And this Gulph was so fixed as would for ever have kept God and us asunder had not that blessed Project of Choosing in Christ been set on foot to dissolve it It could not be done by any Created Power Nor could Creatures so much as propound a Way for it And if they could who durst so harden himself as to Mention the Thing which onely could do it But The Great God blessed for ever He findes out a way for it And the same Love that ordain'd to Eternal life would also put it in such a way as should surely take effect And to this end viz. That Those Ordain'd to Salvation might be both Rightfully entituled to that Salvation and successefully brought into it They were put into Christ by Election He was the
Gadaren His People at Corinth are Records of it And all this because These are His Portion and the lot of His Inheritance Deut. 32. 9 10. As Christ our Head is not of this World so neither is his Kingdom nor the Subjects of it It is true The Father hath given Christ to be Head over All But His Headship over Men in general and His Headship over the Church have a far different respect and consideration He is God of the whole Earth but Jeshurun's God in a way peculiar to His Chosen Deut. 33. 26. Isa 44. 2. An Headship of Dominion He hath over Rebels And service He hath from them though they think not so nor intend any thing less Nebuchadnezzar was His hired Days-man against Tyre Ezek. 29. 18. Isa 45. 1. Ps 60. 8. and Cyrus against Babylon whose right hand He held though they knew Him not So Moab was his Washpot But for the Elect they are His natural Subjects though not naturally so They are His by another title and to another End and so intimate is the Relation between Him and Them that they are said to be Of His flesh Eph. 5. 30. and of His bones They both have one Soul and Spirit He and They make one perfect Man ch 4. 13. That the whole World is put in subjection to Christ is for the Elect's sake the power He hath over others is in order to their Salvation Eph. 1. 22. He is Head over all things to the Church that is To Subject Dispose and Order all for the Church's good As in the seventeenth of John He is said to have power over all flesh that He might give eternal life not to all He hath power over but to as many as the Father had given Him Which Giving imports Election as going afore it And therefore He says in v. 6. I have manifested thy name to the Men which Thou gavest me out of the World Thine they were that is by Election and Thou gavest them Me It may be said of them as in Heb. 10. 5. A Body hast thou prepared Me which though chiefly intended there of His humane Natute as true it is of His Body Mystical Ps 139. 16. All the Members of which were written in God's book of Election when as yet there was none of them He therefore prays for These as a party distinct from the World and Given to him for an higher End as appears by comparing the 2 6 9 21 24 26 verses of that 17 John II. We find That Church and Elect are but two several Titles of the same persons in a several respect Elect as Chosen of God to Salvation and so they are called The Church of God and said to be Sanctified by God the Father Jude v. 1. And the Church of Christ as given or committed to Him by the Father in order to that Salvation John 17. 6. It was this Church to whom the Apostles inscribed their Epistles where we find them sometimes intit'led Beloved of God Rom. 1. 7. Sometimes The Church of God and Sanctified in Christ 1 Cor. 1. 2. At other times Saints and Faithful Brethren in Christ Col. 1. 2. Then Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. 33. And Church of the First-born Heb. 12. 23. And sometime expresly Elect 1 Pet. 1. 2. By all which is signified That the Church of Christ consists of Elect persons That these various Appellations are but so many terms indifferently used about the same Subject and All as Notes of distinction from the World When Christ shall appear in His Glory then shall His Members be gathered to Him Zach. 14. 5. The Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee And Paul diseoursing the same thing says They that are Christ's at His coming 1 Cor. 15. 23. which shews That they are Christ's so as Others are not And that it is meant of Elect persons appears by our Saviour's own words when speaking of that His Coming and of the same Persons who are said to be His and to come with Him He gives them expresly That Denomination He shall send forth His Angels and they shall gather together His Elect Mat. 24. 33. But as for the Rest of the Dead they lived not again till a Thousand years after Rev. 20. 5. Therefore these Rest were no part of This Body It may also be noted That those who did not Rise with the Saints are specified here by the same Word or Note of distinction as Those Not-Elected are in Rom. 11. The Election hath obtained and the Rest were blinded v. 7. And that Those who had part in the first Resurrection are the same persons that are written in the Lamb's book of life is evident by comparing Rev. 20. 4. with chap. 13. 8. III. It was of Necessity that the Body or Church of Christ should be composed of the Elect Seed 1. Because none else were fit to be of this Body but such as should be like the Head of it Carnal Members would be as uncomely to a Spiritual Head as one of the Brutes to be Adam's companion The King 's Daughterelect to make her a suitable match for his Son must be all-glorious within Not only of the same outward metal for so were those other Creatures with Adam but made in the same Mould and indued with the same Spirit and Understanding There must be a congruity in all the parts throughout They must be copies of Him each one resembling the Children of a King Judg. 8. 18. If the Head be Heavenly so must the Members They cannot walk together if not thus agreed 2. This likeness to Christ is proper to the Elect It 's a Royal priviledge intailed upon them and cannot descend or Revert to any out of that line That this likeness to Christ is requisite to all His Members and also peculiar to Elect Persons are both attested in Rom. 8. 29. Whom He did fore know He also did Predestinate to be conformed to the Image of His Son that He might be the First-born among many Brethren Which implies that the Fore-known or Elect only are predestinate thereto and that were it not for Predestination the First-born should have but a thin Assembly to Preside amongst indeed nothing but blanks for His great adventure and long expectation In Eph. 1. 3 4 5. he further appropriates those Spiritual blessings by which Men are conformed to Christ to the same persons Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ According as He hath Chosen us in Him Having Predestinated us to the Adoption of Children c. By these two Scriptures it appears that God's Children and Christ's Brethren are the same persons and that they were made so by Election But are Christ's Brethren and His Church the same Persons Take your solution from Hebr. 2. 12. I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren In the midst of the Church will I
head and you intend him an honour or office which he never will be capable of without the full use of his Reason Is it not meeter and doth it not argue an higher degree of love Prudence and Justice to cure his distemper though in a way contrary to his present mind than to Wait his complying with your prescriptions which as he is he 'l never understand And what hinders but that God may do so by his People Even give them an heart to know Him and to fear Him for ever Save only that this Quaggy principle of Man's freedom of Will will not Comport with it But if a sufficiency of Means to Repent and Believe be not afforded to All how shall God be just in punishing for Neglects The Justice of God will not need our Salving especially by a balm of our own making Whether He judge or justifie He is Just in what He doth tho' purblind Reason sees not How His Judgments are a great Deep and it follows not That there 's no bottom because our line will not Reach it God dealt not so in respect of Means with any Nation as with Israel And the Men going with Paul to Damascus the Lord would not give them to see His face nor to hear His voyce both which He vouchsafed to Paul and yet He needs no vindication or Apologie for punishing their unbelief Rom. 2. 12. They that have sinned without law shall perish without law 2. Men are justly obnoxious to punishment for Neglecting or Not-improving the means they have albeit those Means when made the best of that Nature can will not save them They are punishable for Not-feeding and not-clothing and yet by doing these Men are not justified The least transgression layes open to wrath and you cannot by keeping some Commands compensate the breach of Others Where it is said I will write my law in their hearts and cause them to walk in my Statutes c. There is no more intended by it but the Giving of Things or Means proper to such an End if they will but Improve them The sense objected cannot be the mind and limit of that most gracious promise Deut. 10. 16. with 30. 6. Ezek. 18. 31. with ch 36. 26. For the Promise is as broad as the Command And if the Command carries in it as much as the words of it do import then also doth the Promise But the Command doth not enjoyn only a Using the Means that tend to such a duty but the actual and perfect performance of the Duty it self Therefore doth likewise with Promise Besides the heart and Will are One And if the law be written in the Will then is the Will Compliant with what the Law commands To write it in the heart is to make it Natural and so 't is more than a Means It is the Thing it self 2. That Doctrine is hardly bestead and not much to be credited which for its support must put such a construction on the highest Rev. 22. 18 19. and most absolute Promises that God hath made as will render them weak and fruitless Things 3. Where God hath absolutely said That such a thing He will do For Men to put-in Conditions or Limitations is To raze or interline a Record which is a Felonious act And how He will deal with those who add-to or take-from the words of His prophecy you have recorded in the last Chapter of His book It is ill trifling with Sacred things 4. A Physician that undertakes to cure a Man of his phrensie and to keep him in his right mind is not said to have done his Work or made-good his Word what ever Means have been applied to him if the Patient continue his former distraction or Relapse into it 5. There is no need or Reason why the Lord should Promise or make shew of Promising more than He intends to perform for That would be as a broken staff Or Why He should express himself in terms of a fuller or more absolute Engagement than might in all points consist with His Wisdom Justice Holiness c. 6. Lastly The Objection is further excepted against and rejected Not onely as it makes Man the chief Agent in his own salvation but as denying That God doth any thing more for them that are Saved than for them that perish If Men make themselves to differ the Gospel-designe of Magnifying Grace is dash'd at once But is it not said To him that hath shall be given i. e. He that Improves what he hath shall have more If they use Common Grace well they shall have Special 1. The well-using of Common-Grace is a duty that lies upon all but is no way Meriting or Moving God to bestow the special He is above all humane Motives and is not wrought upon by them as Men are This is seen by Paul whom special Grace took hold-upon even whiles in the heat of misusing that which is Common 1 Tim. 1. 13. with Acts 9. 4. There was no space of time between his being a Persecutour and his obtaining Mercy 2. What proportion is there in value between an handfull of Clay and a Talent of Gold Infinitely more is the disproportion between the Grace of Faith and all that a Natural Man can do for the obtaining of it 3. Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin but a Man's Sin cannot be a Motive for his Good Remember who it was and what condition he was in Act. 8. 18 19 that profer'd money for the Gift of the Holy Ghost Improvements for Faith is but the same 4. It would not become the Wisdom Power or Grace of God to build on a Foundation made-ready to His hand He needs it not nor will it Sort with His Design which is to have His Grace acknowledged the Alpha and Omega of Mens Salvation 5. Lastly A Will to improve is as much from God as the Thing to be Improved A Man can receive nothing except it be Given him from above Joh. 3. 27. The thing given and power to receive or improve it are both from Thence And things from Above are not fetch'd down by Men but they Come-down When and upon whom Jam. 1. 17. the Father of lights pleaseth Men are commanded To make them a New heart which must imply an Ability So to do For how can it be just to require things impossible And that under so severe a penalty Whatever is implyed in the Command such Allegations do surely imply that the framers of them are much unacquainted with the Scriptures or extreamly Rash in drawing Conclusions from them There are Reasons enough and holy ends which do justly warrant such Commands without supposing those to whom they are given Able Now to perform them As 1. Perhaps the Lord speaks it Ironically Deriding their vain confidence 1 King 18. 27. as Elijah did the Priests of Baal when he bids them Cry aloud for he is a God Will you hence inferr That Baal was a God Isa 41.