in the seventh Verse that Isaac was the true and chosen seed of Abraham in whom Abrahams seed should be called and to whom God intended to make his Covenant of grace mercy righteousnesse life and salvation why because he was the child of the Promise begotten not by strength of nature but by the efficacy and power of the promise Then in the eighth verse our Apostle putteth this down in the general That they onely are the true children of Abraham because they are the children of the Promise In this ninth Verse he confirmeth it by a testimony of Scripture that Isaac was a child of the promise taken out of Gen. 18.10 I will certainly come unto thee in the time appointed and Sarah shall have a son this the Apostle affirmeth to be the Word of promise So then in this ninth verse we have for the general matter of it these two things to be considered First The speech of God to Abraham in Gen. 18.10 and in the substance here recorded by the Apostle wherein God hath set down the time when Sarah shall have a son Secondly the Apostles note upon this speech of God what kind of speech this was to Abraham namely a promissory sentence This is a word of promise in the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son Come we now to the opening of the words This is a word of promise That is this testimony of Scripture which now I alledge which is the speech of God to Abraham it is a promissory sentence a word of promise promising a special mercy a special blessing and a special good thing to Abraham In the same time will I come Or as it is in Genesis I will come according to the time of life his meaning is when this time of the year shall come and revive and come again even in plain terms this time twelve moneths as in Gen. 17. where God saith he will establish his Covenant and Sarah thy wife shall have a son at this time the next year the meaning is this time twelve moneths Sarah thy wife shall have a son That is she shall conceive and bear a son of her own body and bowels and none other womans child shall be for her so the meaning in general is this This sentence that I alledge which is the speech of God to Abraham Gen. 18.10 it is a promissory sentence promising a special blessing unto Abraham wherein God saith when this time of the year shall revive even this time twelve moneths shall thy wise Sarah have a child begotten and born of her own body Come we to the observations And in that the Apostle here alledging a sentence and place of Scripture doth not barely deliver the words of Scripture but he putteth it out with this note this is a word of promise In that he telleth us plainly that the speech which God used to Abraham and here cited by himself is a promissory sentence which any man that looketh upon the text and is able to judge of it aright shall see it to be so when God saith at such a time will I come and Sarah thy wife shall have a son And yet the Apostle pointeth it out this is a word of promise Hence we learn That it is justifiable Doctrine and a warrantable course in preaching the Word of God for the Preacher to say unto his hearers this is a point of doctrine yea when he comes to make use and application unto the people to say this is a word of comfort this is a word of terrour this of Instruction this of Exhortation and the like we find it an usual thing with the holy Prophets of God in the time of the Old Testament when they did threaten Judgments they did set this before the burthen of the Lord as the burthen of the Lord against Edom the burthen of the Lord against Hierusalem and the like as we may see in the Prophet Esay Jeremiah Ezekiel and other Prophets But indeed it is thought by some that are utter enemies to the plain teaching of the Word that this is needlesse And they do find fault with this manner of teaching and deride it and say it is a base and contemptible manner of preaching why say they this is all one as if a man should draw the picture of a man and paint it out in colours and then to write in Capital letters by him this is his head this his armes this his nose and the like were not this ridiculous say they Thus you see these sons of Belial these men they deride that which is warranted by the holy Prophets and holy Apostles and that which doth most good in all experience 2 Tim. 3.16 The Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to correct to improve now may not the Scriptures be applyed to this end and purpose and being so applyed may not the people be told that this is matter of Doctrine and that this is a word of comfort or a word of Instruction or a word of Confutation confuting the Papists or other enemies doubtlesse they may Because indeed by this means the people shall be the better able to go along with the Preacher and more distinctly to take notice of the things delivered what serveth for information of Judgement in matters of faith what for reformation of their hearts and lives in doing of good and avoiding of evil and the building of them up in the wayes of holinesse therefore let others mock and scoffe what they will yet Ministers of God that make conscience of their duty have no cause to be ashamed of it it is the most powerful and profitablest kind of preaching and doth build up the people in faith and encourage them in every good duty Again the Apostle having said This is a word of promise he then subjoyneth the promise of a temporal blessing that Sarah should have a son Hence we see that the Promises of God in Scripture are of two sorts Doctr. either principal promises or of a lower degree principal Promises touching Christ mercy grace life and salvation and of a lower degree as to have food and apparel and outward good things and children Now the promises of God that are of a lower degree they do depend upon those principal promises and we cannot apprehend the Promises of God with true comfort for our good unlesse we first lay hold on the promises of God in Christ Abraham did first believe the promises of mercy of righteousnesse and salvation for his justification and then he believed the promise that he should have a son in his old age as appeareth Rom. 4.9 19 20. And that holy Father Noah first he was by faith made the heir of righteousnesse and then did he believe the Promises of God for his preservation in the Ark Heb. 11.7 Therefore deceive not thy self in any particular Vse we cannot trust God with any true comfort for any temporal good thing unlesse we be able to rest
ignorant person but thou art wrought upon by the Word and Spirit of God and sealed up unto the day of redemption thou art sanctified truly by the Word and Spirit thou are not a formal Professour then thou hast right and title to all the comfortable promises of God both of this life and the life to come and here cometh thy comfort these Promises are most firm and stable they are yea and Amen thou shalt certainly be made partaker of it in health and sicknesse in life and in death be will be thy God and the God of thy seed and blesse thee with all heavenly things and thou shalt certainly attain to happinesse and salvation if the promises of God were uncertain and changeable then thy comfort were little or nothing but know that thou being called to faith and holinesse the promises of God to thee are yea and amen and are as unchangeable as God himself Oh what comfort is this that the Promises of God are so unchangeable as God who cannot lye Titus 1.2 James 1.17 with him there is no shadow of changing or alteration and it cannot be that either thy own sins thy own failings no nor yet Satan nor all the power of hell should ever be able to make it void and of none effect this will be a speciall comfort to thee thou being one to whom the Promise belongeth look unto that that thou be one to whom this promise belongeth lay not foul hands upon it yea the consideration of this the thinking and meditating upon this that the promises of God are firm and stable being layed up in our hearts it will keep us from being swallowed up by the surges of the deepest tryals and temptations even then when we are tempted by Satan to diffidence or distrust consider the Lord hath promised in his Gospel Joh. 3.16 Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but be sure to have everlasting life now this promise of God is firm and stable to him that believeth in Christ Jesus and is able to uphold us from fainting in the middest of the greatest tryals and afflictions for they are firm and stable and cannot be shaken a ground of excellent comfort Notwithstanding it cannot be that the Word of God of should take none effect for all they are not Israel which are of Israel OBserve we here that the Apostle doth not barely affirm thus much That though the Jewes might object that if they were rejected then the promise of God were frustrate and void and of none effect he doth not onely affirm it that this cannot possibly be but he doth further strengthen it with a reason why it cannot so be namely thus because all they are not Israel which are of Israel because all they which came of Abraham of Jacob and of Israel by natural generation all they are not Gods Israel the Israel of God Abrahams chosen seed unto whom alone the Promise was made so that the promise of God is firm and stable so then you see it was from a misconceiving and misapplying of the promise that the Jewes thought that the promise of God was void which was made unto Abraham if they were rejected the Jews applying the promise to the carnal seed of Abraham unto the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and therefore they forced this false conclusion but the Apostle telleth them plainly that all they that came of Israel by carnal generation they are not the true seed of Israel so that their misapplying was the cause of their false collection hence then note we thus much Doctrine That the words of Gods promises being mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not truly comfortable it is not a true ground of comfort to those that so mis-understand it and mis-apply it Or we may put this down in the general thus That the Word of God either promising mercy or threatning judgment or teaching any duty being misunderstood and misapplyed is not the true profitable and comfortable Word of God to those that so misunderstand it and mis-apply it in 2 Tim. 2. we find that the Apostle having exhorted Timothy to a constant undergoing of the labour of the Ministery and to a patient bearing of the Crosses that came by reason of the execution of his office then in the seventh verse he concludeth Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things as if he had said Consider duly what I stirred and exhorted thee unto and the Lord give thee that thou mayest both rightly understand and rightly apply it and so in 2 Pet. 3.16 The Apostle telleth us that the holy Scriptures being wrested and perverted and mis-applyed they are so far from being comfortable that they tend to the destruction of them that mis-understand and mis-apply them they are so far from being comfortable when men do pervert them and turn them which way they list that they tend to their own destruction And indeed though the Scripture be in it self the Will and Wisdome of God revealed unto us and though it be true that God speaketh unto us in and by the same yet the Word of God mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not the word of God neither doth God speak unto us and as One saith well the word of God foolishly perverted and understood it is not the word of God to him that so understandeth it and therefore cannot be truly profitable and comfortable unto him for the Application It concerneth us then in the first place that are Ministers and Messengers Vse 1 of God that take upon us to handle the holy Word of God and to deliver it unto Gods people to be careful of it that we rightly understand and rightly apply the word of God and that we deliver unto our hearers Gods word and out of Gods word Gods mind and meaning that they may say God speaketh in the Preacher 1 Cor. 14.25 so must we deliver the mind and word of God And then onely shall we find the blessing of God upon the Word we handle and then we shall draw men to a holy course of life or at least convince them of their sins if we deliver it so as God may be said to speak in us or by us then we may look for a blessing upon it to the working of grace and to convert them to a holy life for if it be not rightly grounded either upon the Word of God or derived thence surely take it for a truth it is not Gods Word Though it be a sound Orthodox and a true point of Divinity yet if it be not grounded upon the Word of God we handle or by necessary consequence it is mans word and not Gods Word Again this being so That the word of God is not the true profitable Vse 2 and comfortable Word of God being misunderstood and mis-applyed it then concerneth every one of us all that are hearers of the word of God to look unto it that in hearing and reading the holy word of God
whatsoever they be Doctrine no not the good works of men have any hand or stroke in Gods election of some to life and glory in heaven and his effectual calling of some in time these two things they are merely and onely of the free grace of God and not of the works of man whatsoever their works be be they never so good or excellent works in themselves And this being the proposition that it may rightly be conceived and that we erre not in the beginning we must know that Gods grace in Scripture hath a threefold acception First it is taken for Gods free favour which is of the nature of God and essential unto him the places of Scripture are obvious and plain unto us Secondly The grace of God in Scripture it is taken for the working of grace so some Divines take it for the operation extending and reaching out that free favour unto others Thirdly it is taken for the gifts of grace whether those gifts be habitual or actual as faith love joy hope peace patience and the like these are stiled by the name of grace now the proposition that we deliver is That Gods election is of his free grace my meaning is it is not the gifts of grace but by grace we are to understand the free grace and favour of God and the reaching and extending of that grace in time so that this being premised the point is to be thus conceived That Gods eternal election of some to life and glory in heaven it is of the free grace and favour of God being extended and reached out to his chosen and not of the works of man be they never so good or excellent though they be the works of grace and for the proof of this it is manifest in Rom. 11.5 The Apostle saith that at this very day there is a certain remnant of the Jews under the election of grace then he subjoyneth in the sixth verse Now if it be of grace then not of works for then were grace no grace and if of works then not of grace for then were works no more works so that the Apostle maketh a flat opposition and a contrariety between works and grace that the one of these being admitted and granted the other cannot stand but must fall grace and works cannot stand together in the same case Ephes 2.8 9. saith the Apostle by grace you are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God and then he subjoyneth not of works lest any man should boast 2 Tim. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of God saith he hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own eternal purpose and grace and Titus 3.4 5. VVhen the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by the righteousnesse that we had done but of his own mere mercy he saved us These and many others do sufficiently evidence unto us the truth of the point That Gods free grace and favour is the cause of eternal election and not the works of men which are but splendida peccatam glittering sins Because God will have all the glory of all the good that cometh to his Reason 1 chosen or is done to them he will not impart his glory unto any other he will have the beginning the increase and consummation of it to come of his free grace and not of the works of man lest any man should take any part of the glory to himself Ephes 2.9 no not of the best works lest they should pride presume and magnifie themselves in their own good works and so detract from the glory of God and so mans mouth might be stopped Reason 2 The Lord will have his chosen to have sound and solid comfort in the certainty of their election and of their effectual calling not a comfort upon a rotten ground but sound comfort when Gods chosen come to be assured of it that they are in the number of Gods elect and have evidence that they are effectually called God will have that evidence and assurance of theirs to be built upon a sure ground namely upon his own free grace which is indeed unchangeable as his own blessed Majestie and essential in him and so a ground immoveable not built upon any works of theirs because they are variable and changeable in their own Nature it is true indeed Faith shall never fall away not by any immutability in faith it self but because grace doth continually support and uphold it but faith and good works of men in their own nature are variable and changeable weak and imperfect corruption cleaving unto them and unchangeablenesse belongeth neither to Saint nor Angel nor any thing but God himself it is his Attribute so that upon these two grounds we may resolve that Gods election and effectual calling is onely of his free grace and not of mans works Vse 1 First of all this truth is of great force and beareth strongly against the merit of good works which is held and taught by the enemies of Gods grace those of the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome whether it be merits of congruity or merits of condignity for this is their tenent the good things done by men before their conversion those do merit ex congruo but such as are done after calling those they magnifie and say they merit ex condigno by a kind of dignity equal to the works of glory that it is just with the Lord to give them salvation for it yea the point now delivered meeteth directly with that Popish conceit that grace and works do concur say they and so make a mingle mangle and hotch-potch grace and works do concur and meet together in the justification and salvation of a sinner they are good friends and at amity in flat opposition to the words of God which do teach that in the matter of justification and salvation these two are at odds in matter of good life faith and good works must be but not in matter of justification or salvation as they teach Again we find that justification and salvation they are by the Apostle derived and fetched from the very same beginning and cause namely the free grace and eternal love of God as well as election and vocation Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified whom he justified them he also glorified so that election vocation justification and glorification come all from the same grounds Object 1 But yet further the Papists do seek to elude and to put out the clear light by many shifts as first of all say they the places alledged in Rom. 11. Ephes 2. and others where the Scripture maketh an Antithesis and opposition between grace and works you must know the meaning of the Holy Ghost his meaning is Ceremonial works not Moral works Ceremonial works have no hand in Justification Answ To this I answer The Apostle speaketh indefinitely shutting out all works whatsoever they
either flye in your face and blot or blemish you and say you will not swear but you will do worse I warrant you or else they will say I swear nothing but the truth and men will never believe me unlesse I swear Oh in the fear of God consider it that it is credit dearly bought that is got with the pawning of thy soul to the devill for so thou doest in rapping out thy rash oathes and though thou swear nothing but the truth yet every truth is not to be confirmed by an oath no it must be a truth of speciall weight and consequence the preservation of thy life or such like great and weighty cause and then it must be with a good conscience and therefore thy swearing in thy buying and selling as to swear by God it cost me so much thou sinnest against God fearfully and thou takest the name of God in vain and this thy ordinary swearing is a sign of a gracelesse wretch that thou hast no dram of grace in thy heart that thy tongue is set on fire of hell James 3.6 And know withal that as thy ordinary swearing hath the devil for the Father of it so without repentance hell shall be the end of it and of thee also thou shalt be plunged body and soul into hell In matters of great weight and consequence we may take an oath for the glory of God the salvation of a mans soul the reducing of men from Popery all other Oathes as to swear rashly that is a fearfull provoking of God against thy soul and remember that connexion of the Lord which he hath put to the Commandement that the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vain And therefore in the name of God let us make conscience of swearing and flie from an Oath as from a Serpent For thy tongue is set on fire of the Devil if thou swearest ordinarily in thy common conference and those that use it labour to repent of that sin for it is a fearful impiety and a declaration that thou hast no grace in thy heart but art a very Miscreant and therefore in the fear of God let thy communication in thy usual speech be yea yea or nay nay for whatsoever is more Matth. 5.34 35. cometh of evil of the Devil I say the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost In that the Apostle calleth Christ to witnesse and sweareth by his name it is a sufficient evidence and proof of the God-head of Christ And hence I might stand to prove the God-head of Christ that none can know the heart but God but we shall have more cause to speak of this in the last verse of the context Doctr. But from hence we may learn that such as are lawfully called to swear they must swear onely by the name of God when a necessary and a weighty truth is to be confirmed by an oath and that men and women are called to swear they knowing it to be a truth they must call God to witnesse that truth and must only swear by the holy Name of God so the Lord himself hath commanded Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt swear by the name of the Lord thy God and he repeateth the same again Deut. 10.20 Thou shalt swear by the name of the Lord thy God and in Esay 45.23 every tongue shall swear by me saith the Lord. Howsoever swearing there may be taken for the whole worship of God yet it may be applyed to this that every one that sweareth must swear by the holy Name of God And indeed an oath lawfully taken is a part of Gods worship as appeareth in the two places in Deuteronomy before alledged it is a part of Gods Worship thou shalt fear the Lord thy God thou shalt serve him and swear by his name yea swearing upon a lawful calling and lawfully in truth in righteousnesse and in Judgment it is a reverent use of the holy Name of God it is so far from dishonouring God that it is a reverent use and a glorifying of God For it is an acknowledgment of God to be the Searcher and Knower of the hearts of men and of their secret thoughts and that God is a witnesse even unto those that swear falsly and perjuriously and a revenger on those that forswear themselves and that he testifieth to the things that lye hid and dark in our secrets from men and therefore God must be called to witnesse the truth when any truth is witnessed by an oath As for the formes of speeches used in the Scripture viz. As thy soul liveth 2 King 2.4 and Verily Verily used by Christ in John 3.5 they be earnest asseverations and they do strongly and vehemently affirm truth and an oath or oathes taken and used as it ought to be in a right manner in truth in righteousnesse and in Judgment before a Magistrate or in private with reverence it is a worshipping of God Hereby we are to take notice Vse of a foul sin that many of us are guilty of and make light reckoning and account of For what is more usuall with many amongst us then to swear even in their ordinary speech by the Blood and Wounds of his blessed body namely by all the parts of the blessed body of Jesus Christ yea some by the bread the drink the light the fire the money the Crosse of the coyn and to swear by their faith and troth and they that so swear think they swear no great oathes and some swear superstitious oathes by St. Mary by S. Anne and by the abominable Idol the Masse and some that swear by mincing detracting oathes as by Masse by Making and by Laking gods so and good lack is not this common amongst us yea too too common in your mouthes Now by swearing thus what do you but sin fearfully that which ought to be highly honoured in the matter of an oath you dishonour God exceedingly yea take notice of it you abuse the things you swear by and put them into the place and room of God and give unto these things what is to be attributed unto God as infinite Justice infinite Knowledge infinite Power as if they were able and of power and knowledge to know the thing we call them to witnesse and as if so be they were able to punish if you swear falsly a fearful height of sin will the Lord suffer such a foul sin to escape his punishing hand Will the Lord suffer you to place your Faith and Troth in his room to thrust him out of his Throne and Seat of Majestie and shall not his hand of vengeance light upon you for so great a sin yes surely without repentance the hand of the Lord will light fearfully both upon body and soul Jer. 5.7 saith the Lord How shall I spare thee for this as if he had said I cannot spare thee for this for what thy children have forsaken me How they have sworn by things that
up to strong delusions and to believe lies because we receive not the truth in love of the truth For if we do receive the truth out of love unto it we shall find that our love unto the truth will be a strong preservative against the seducing of Antichrist and better arm us against the subtilties of our enemies and their powerful efficacy and working though all the Devils in the world do assist them and this defend us better then all the learning in the world we see great Doctours are seduced because though they have learning yet have no love And therefore let thy heart be set upon the Church of God and the holy Religion of God that we may be sure it is true and hearty love as it ought to be that we are able to say with the Apostle we have continual sorrow for the evils upon the soules or afflictions upon the bodies of Gods Church One thing farther the Apostle putteth down his sorrow with the subject of it in his heart hereby he pointeth out thus much unto us That we are to be grieved for the miseries of others even from the heart we must not rest in an out-side sorrow in a verbal sorrow to say we are sorrowful and grieved for it as St. John saith 1 Joh. 3.18 our love must not be in tongue but in deed and in truth As also our pity must not be a verbal pity to say go thy way fill thy belly James 2.15 16. and yet supply nothing to their wants so that the miseries of others known unto us must be indeed and in truth yea in our very hearts and soules especially for the known miseries of the Church and people of God we must expresse our grief to others by sighes and groans and prayers and tears as any just occasion is offered and thereby manifest that our grief is a grief of the heart and soul when we so reach out our help unto them And know we if so be our grief and sorrow be not in our hearts and soules but verbal and outward it is counterfeit for nature can put on a mourning semblance and counterfeit grief and there may be a glad heart under a mourning gown as a poor man having a black gown at a rich mans funeral mourneth not but is glad that he hath it to cover him but we must have sorrow in our heart for the Church of God And again God hateth the sorrow that is not in the heart Psal 51.6 the Lord loveth truth and soundnesse in the affections when we have cause of joy to rejoyce heartily and when we have cause of sorrow to be grieved heartily Oh then in the fear of God look to this that thy sorrow and grief for the miseries of others especially for the Church of God that it be as it ought to be not in word onely verbal but in truth look that our hearts be dissolved into sorrow and that it shew forth the powerful working of it in sighes in groans and in tears for the poor distressed members of the Church to shed abundance of tears for them that we may say with the Apostle I have sorrow in my heart for my brethren in their Afflictions VERSE 3. For I could wish my self to be separated from Christ for my brethren that are my Kinsmen according to the flesh IN this Verse our Apostle putteth down as a fruit of his love to the Jews and as a manifestation thereof an earnest desire of their good as before he did manifest his sorrow for them so here he doth manifest his love unto them in an earnest desire of their good expressing that in wishing himself to be separated and accursed from Christ for their salvation and conversion then he subjoyneth one special cause of this his earnest desire and of this wish because they were his kinsmen and beloved brethren according to the flesh so we see the generality of these words come we now to the sense of them For I could wish Or I would wish it he saith not I could wish another but he putteth it down with an ego ipse I I my self would wish it to be separated or accursed the Text original anathema is the same we read in the 1 Corinth 16.22 where the Apostle saith If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed an execration Anathema Maranatha yea I my self saith the Apostle could be Anathema Touching this word Expositors make much ado and make divers expositions of it not so pertinent to this place But this word Anathema in the general acceptation of it signifieth any thing that is set apart from the common use of man and is dedicated consecrated and devoted either unto God as in Levit. 27.28 29. They were to set apart certain men and beasts and devote them unto God or it signifieth things dedicated and devoted unto the Devil as those things that were consecrated and devoted unto Idols among the heathen that were devils indeed and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and were hanged up in the Idols temples and so called Anathema or in the third place it signifieth any person or thing that is set apart and devoted unto destruction and hence cometh the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matth. 26.74 Peter beginneth to curse himself and to wish himself to be destroyed if he knew Christ as many wicked persons say would they might be destroyed body and soul Now in this third sense and signification is the word here used by the Apostle not as a thing dedicated to God or the Devil but as a thing dedicated and devoted to destruction as appeareth in that the Apostle wisheth to be anathematized or separated from Christ for to be separated is to be removed and set apart from salvation purchased by Christ and from all hope of it In a word it signifieth to perish and to be utterly condemned for out of Christ there is no hope of salvation that so he might perish in hell and utterly be damned there and feel the pains of the damned in hell And for further Explanation of this phrase some think that this wish of the Apostle was absolute and actual without any condition at all but others are of another mind to whom I rather encline for it was not an absolute wish to be severed from Christ but it is to be understood with a Condition namely he would thus wish to be separated from Christ and damned in hell if it were possible that he being damned the Jews might be saved and God and Christ have the more glory this speech it is like unto that of David in the 2 Sam. 18.33 where David saith Oh Absalon my son my son would God I had dyed for thee Oh Absalon my son my son he wisheth with a condition if it might be possible would I had dyed for thee so the Apostle would wish himself to be separated from Christ for the Jews if it were possible that he being damned the Jewes might be saved that
vanity and garishnesse in apparel their drunkennesse their whoredome their covetousnesse their usury or with any other darling sin no though it be so that together with leaving of their sin they might both glorifie God and also enjoy comfort to themselves here and happinesse and glory hereafter in heaven yet they will not for the glory of God and for the glory of Christ and for obtaining of heaven too forsake their pleasing sins We see then if we duly examine our selves how far short many of us are from that affection to the glory of God and the glory of Christ that ought to be in us I might lay forth our coming short in this in many other particulars but take we notice of our failing by that which hath been spoken and now take we notice of our duty how dear the glory of God and the glory of Christ ought to be to us and though as I said we cannot come to such a measure of love and zeal to the glory of God and the glory of Christ that was in Moses and Paul yet we must aym at it and we must endeavour to come to it and let neither profit nor ease nor pleasure nor honour nor credit in the world nor the dearest thing we enjoy or hope hereafter to enjoy be dearer to us then the glory of God and the glory of Christ if God call us to do or to suffer any thing for his name and glory and for the glory of Christ Let us be ready to prefer the doing or the suffering of it before the best good thing we enjoy in this world yea before our dearest blood and before our own lives And to that purpose consider we that Gods glory is most dear to his own most blessed Majestie Esay 48.11 〈◊〉 I will not give my glory unto another And hence it is that the Lord â—â—even jealous of his glory and he cannot abide it should be any way touched or impaired Wicked Nebuchadnezzar was suffered to go on in sin a long time but when he thought by the Majestie of his person and Palace as it were to outface God he became a miserable and silly beast Dan. 4.27 And wicked Herod had a long time vexed the Church and escaped unpunished but when he took to himself the glory of God he was suddenly smitten by the Angel of the Lord and eaten up of worms Act. 12.23 Vse 2 And again consider we if Gods glory be dear to us and we prefer that before the dearest thing we enjoy it is an undoubted evidence that we truly love God as if a good child tender the credit of his father and cannot endure any contempt or disgrace to be cast on him we hold it a sure argument of his love to his father Look we then to it that as Gods glory is most dear to his own children so it must be most dear to us and if it be so and we prefer it before the dearest good thing we enjoy or hope to enjoy we shall thereby evidence to our comfort that we truly love God and are truly beloved of God and as his glory is dear to us so we are dear to him and as we honour him so will he honour us according to his own promise 1 Sam. 2.30 yea he will not onely honour us with the glory of heaven but he will give us honour here in this world so far as he sees meet for us yea he will give us honour in the hearts of those that hate us and deal harshly with us the Lord will force them to honour us in their hearts And these things duly considered ought to stirre us up to be so affected to the glory of God and the glory of Christ as that we prefer that before the best good thing we do enjoy or hope to enjoy and to hold that dearer to us then our own soules Now the Apostle in this verse subjoyns one cause moving him to wish himself separated or accursed from Christ for the conversion of the Jewes namely this because they were his brethren his kinsmen according to the flesh hence note we thus much That we are to love our kindred in the flesh and to respect them Doctr. and to wish them good yea spiritual good saving grace here and salvation hereafter in heaven because they are our kindred and because they are knit to us and we to them by the bond of flesh and blood Deut. 23.7 saith God thou shalt not abhor an Edomite for he is thy brother Luke 4.16 we find that Christ beginning to preach he preached first at Nazareth where he had been brought up because it had been the place of his education in recompence of that he preached there first 1. Tim. 5.4 the Apostle saith that children or nephews must learn first to shew godlinesse toward their own house and to recompence their kindred for that is an honest thing and acceptable before God and verse 8. he saith he that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his houshold he denyeth the faith and is worse then an Infidel So doubtlesse he that loves not his kindred and those he is tyed to by the bond of nature and doth not wish them good even spiritual good saving grace here and salvation hereafter in heaven because they are his kindred he failes in his duty and there is good reason for it namely this Nature it self by the very light of it teacheth this duty and binds to the performance of it to love our kindred and to respect them Reason and to wish well to them because they are our kindred and much more Religion teacheth the same and binds to the performance of it for Religion takes not away natural affection but perfects it and piety doth onely order and qualifie natural affection and not extinguish it But haply some may object Object that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.16 Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we had known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Therefore it seems we are not to respect our kindred in the flesh because they are our kindred I answer Answ The Apostle in that place sets himself against false Teachers who stood on outward and corporal prerogatives and legal and carnal ceremonies and the generation of Christ after the flesh these things would the Apostle no longer know that is trust unto before his conversion he stood on such outward things that he was circumcised an Hebrew of the Hebrews by the Law a Pharisee Philip. 3.5 but now he counted all these things losse Philip. 3.8 and will not now know Christ onely according to the flesh that is his meaning And so it makes not against this That we are to love our kindred and to respect them and to wish them good because they are our kindred And to apply this Vse It 's a common thing with wicked and gracelesse persons to love them least to whom they are tyed by the bond of
be rightly affected to the good estate of the Land and true friends to it they delight and much rejoyce in that which is the true happinesse of the Land and the strength and stability of it which is the Gospel and flourishing of the truth and holy Religion of God Now the Papists are so far from this as indeed they envy the truth and hate the holy Religion of God that is amongst us and they cannot abide it they oppose against it what they are able and seek by all means they can to overturn it yea it would do them good at the heart to see the Gospel removed out of the Land and the holy truth and Religion we yet enjoy quite overturned and their abominable Idolatry and superstition set up in the place of it they rejoyce when they see the cause of our holy Religion weakened and when they see such as stand soundly for the maintenance of it disgraced and discountenanced oh how do they exult and rejoyce at it and can they then be good friends to the good estate of the Land who thus envy the true good of the land and that wherein stands the true glory and happinesse and strength and stability of it no no it is not possible let them say what they will to the contrary they pretend and say they are as good subjects as the best and would make the world believe that howsoever they differ from us in Religion yet they wish as well to the State and they are as good friends to the King and to the State as the best of us all thus they prate and thus they would make the world believe but their lying and equivocating is palpable indeed and in truth there is no such matter They that hate Zion as Psal 129.5 They that wish ill to the holy Religion of God that is amongst us and is our glory our happinesse our strength and stability say what they will assuredly they cannot possibly be rightly affected and true friends to the good estate of our Land and Kingdom And we for our parts are to be earnest with the Lord that these enemies of the Gospel may not be too far trusted yea we ought as the Apostle exhorts 2 Thess 3.1 2. to pray and that earnestly that the Gospel may have free passage and be glorified amongst us and that we may be delivered from these perverse and unreasonable men And surely if they do in any sort prevail against the Gospel and the holy Religion we professe we may justly impute it to this as one speciall cause that we are defective in this duty VERSE 5. Of whom are the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen IN this Verse the Apostle puts down a third cause and reason moving him to wish himself separated or accursed from Christ for the conversion of the Jewes namely this because of them were the fathers and of them Christ came according to the flesh who is farther described to be God over all and Blessed for ever To which the Apostle subscribes and gives assent in the word Amen Of whom are the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen I will as briefly as I can open the sense and meaning of the words of this Verse Of whom are the fathers Or whose are the fathers that is of which people were the honourable and holy Patriarks of whom they are descended as of honourable ancestors and progenitors whose praise is in the word which also had the promises of Gods mercy to them and to their posterity Gen. 17.4 7. and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came Of which Israelites Christ descended according to his humane nature and took his humane nature of their stock as we have it Rom. 1.3 he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and Hebrewes 2.16 it is said he took the seed of Abraham VVho is God over all blessed for ever Some do alter and change the reading of these words and do thus read them God who is over all be blessed for ever and so they will not have this clause referred to Christ but think that the Apostle doth here conclude with a general doxology in giving praise to God but this is a violence to the Text. It is plain that the Apostle having made mention of Christ his origen and beginning according to the flesh his purpose was also to make mention of his God-head and that to the praise of the Nation of the Jews that of that nation Christ came who is not onely man but God also even true God and very God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God by Being or Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eternal Over all That is over all persons and over all things blessed for ever That is God eternal and for ever to be praised in all ages and for ever for this is a title attributed and given to God the Creator Rom. 1.25 Amen That is So be it or let it be so Thus then conceive we the meaning of the words of this Verse as if the Apostle had said Of which people the Israelites were the honourable and holy Patriarks of whom they are descended as of most honourable Ancestors and Progenitors and of which Israelites Christ also descended according to his humane nature and took his flesh and humane nature of their stock The Metaphrase which Christ is not onely Man but God also Even true God and very God by nature and God over all persons and over all things yea God eternal to be blessed and praised in all ages and for ever To which I give my assent and say So be it or Let it be so Having now the sense and meaning of the words come we now to some matter of doctrine that this Verse will afford us And first we see it here put down by the Apostle as an honour to the Jewes and as a special priviledge that they were the posterity of the holy Patriarchs Whence note we briefly thus much Doctrine That it is no small honour to be of the race or kindred of such as have been the holy servants of God it is a matter of dignity to be the children of good and godly parents we read Rom. 16. that the Apostle often remembers this as an honour to such and such that they were of his kindred vers 7. Andronicus and Junia my cousens vers 11. Herodian my kinsman vers 21. Lucius and Iason and Sosipater my kinsmen Colos 4.10 the Apostle commends Marcus to the Colossians as a person worthy of respect under this title that he was Barnabas sisters son not to inlarge the point the reason why it is an honour and dignity to be of the race or kindred of such as have been the holy servants of God and to be the children of good and godly parents is Reason Because good men themselves are highly in favour with God
but one context neither onely this but Rebekah when she had conceived by one even our father Isaac c. In these words our Apostle falleth upon a new instance and example and he giveth another instance and example to prove That all they were not true Israelites the true seed of Abraham to whom grace life and salvation belongeth that came of Abraham by the course of nature but onely the elect seed of Abraham the chosen of God that came of Abraham they onely were the persons to whom the promise did belong And the instance that he bringeth it is of the children of Isaac and Rebekah which were Jacob and Esau and he sheweth that onely one of these namely Jacob was the true chosen seed of Isaac and the child to whom the promise of mercy and grace life and salvation belongeth and that Esau was not Though Esau came both of Isaac and Rebekah as well as Jacob by natural generation yet Jacob was the chosen seed and Esau was not Now the Apostle addeth this example to the former for this Reason as more strongly proving that which he had in hand For some exceptions might be taken by the Jews against the former example and instance of Isaac and Ishmael Object As they might say What do you tell us of Isaac and of Ishmael they were born of two Mothers one of Sarah and the other of Hagar and those two Mothers of far different conditions the one a free-woman and the other a bond-servant Ishmael was the son of a bond woman and therefore rejected but Isaac the son of a free woman and therefore received Now the Apostle preventeth this exception of theirs in putting down this example of Jacob and Esau which were both of them of the same parents begotten by one namely Isaac conceived of one namely Rebekah is born both at a birth they were twins and of the two Esau the elder for he came out before his brother and yet Jacob the younger is the chosen seed of God and elect vessel of God and Esau is not even these two born of the same Father and Mother and both at one time and of the two Esau the elder yet Jacob was the true and chosen seed and Esau is not therefore this maketh strongly for the purpose of the Apostle to prove that the promise of God of mercy life grace and salvation belongeth not to those that are born of the same parents Now the general matter of these four Verses to take them all in one context may be thus Illustrated and laid forth unto us In the tenth verse the Apostle falleth upon this example this instance of Jacob and Esau and he sheweth it appeareth plainly not onely in the former example of Isaac and Ishmael but in these Children of Isaac and Rebekah namely Jacob and Esau that were begotten of one and the same Father Isaac and born of one and the same mother Rebekah at one and the same time yet the one is rejected and the other received so that this is a strong conclusion that grace life and salvation belongeth not to all that came of Abraham Then unto this our Apostle yeeldeth a proof he proveth it and that from the voyce of God himself which is most sure and certain amplified by the circumstance of the time namely that before these two children were born when they were in the womb and had neither done good nor evil it was said that the elder should serve the younger even then when they were in her womb she going to ask counsel of the Oracle of God why the children strove in the womb Answer was made the elder should serve the younger and then he setteth forth the end and cause of this why the elder should serve the younger namely that all things might depend upon the election and purpose of the Lord and that not by works but of him that freely called for before the children were born when they had neither done good nor evil that the purpose of God might be fulfilled not of works still he preventeth that it was said the elder should serve the younger then this is further proved unto us by the Prophesie of the Prophet Malachy Mal. 1.2 3. as it is written I have loved Iacob and hated Esau by which testimony of Malachy the Apostle expoundeth the 25. of Genesis and sheweth the reason of the difference between the two brothers why God was pleased to put such a spacious and wide difference between them surely the reason of it was because God loved the one and hated the other loved Jacob and hated Esau why should Jacob have the preeminence above his brother being younger God answereth I have loved Iacob and hated Esau Jacobs dominion over Esau was from Gods love Esau's subjection unto Jacob was from Gods hatred this is the testimony and oracle of God himself this is the cause of Jacobs domination and Esau's subjection Come we now to stand upon them in particular And first of the tenth Verse This verse it is diversly read some read it thus neither he onely meaning Abraham or Isaac some neither she onely meaning Sarah The words in the Original are but not onely with a reservation Now these words having reference to the former example they will very well have this supply neither onely this that is neither onely the example of Abraham and Sarah or Isaac and Ishmael and so the meaning is it was not onely proved in the former example but in this of Rebekah's children in the instance and example of Jacob and Esau who was begotten both by one father and born both by one mother and born both at one birth it appeareth plainly that Gods promise belongeth not to all that come of Abraham so we are to understand the meaning of the Apostle in this tenth verse Even Rebekah when she had conceived by one even our father Isaac from whom we came that are Jewes one of her children was received and the other rejected Come we now to the Instructions Observe we the Apostle here bringeth an instance and example stronger and more free from exception then the example of Isaac and Ishmael out of which they could not winde themselves though if they would cavil never so much namely of Jacob and Esau whereby he proveth That Gods Promise that he made to Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seed did not belong to all that came of Abraham by the course of nature which indeed the Jews held very stifly and were very resolute in this opinion out of their misconceit and they thought it strange yea to this day they think it strange that they that came of Abraham by the course of nature and were of his loynes and of his seed should not have part in the Promise made to Abraham what they rejected that came of Abraham by the course of nature as the Apostle did seem to intimate and they thought they had ground for themselves and their conceit from the promise
rejected others out of the mere good pleasure of his will without any thing in man either good or bad quality or any thing done by man either good or evil No doubt God did foresee these things in man but not as a cause moving him thereunto but his election is free And indeed it is an act of Gods soveraignty that he hath over the creatures which is altogether independent upon any thing in the creature or done by the creature as the cause of it as for example In the first Creation of all things when God created the world he first made the matter of all things a confused Chaos and out of that he made the distinction of several things and creatures in their several kinds Now as in that first Creation when that the whole matter of it was alike a confused heap then there was reason why one part of that matter should become fire another water another the ayr and another earth Because this was necessary both for the beauty of the world and the use of the creatures that they might be useful both to man and beast but why this or that part of the first matter should be fire and not water why God would make that part water and another part earth a baser element no reason can be imagined of this but onely the will of the Soveraign Creator because it pleased God to make one part of that first matter water and another fire and another earth and another ayr he might have made that part fire which was water but it pleased the Almighty Creator to make them so So in the general there was Reason why the Lord would receive some to salvation and reject others to damnation both for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy and justice but why God would appoint this or that particular man or woman to life and salvation and not another man why Peter and not Judas not any reason can be imagined rightly and truly but the good will and pleasure of God Vse 1 First of all this truth serveth for the confutation of some erroneous opinions that are contradictory unto it as namely that of the Papists in that they hold and affirm that God indeed foreappointed some to life and salvation from everlasting no doubt say they but how upon his foresight of their free will working together with his grace upon a foresight that their free will would co-operate and co-work with his grace to the doing of good works and thereupon and in respect of that did God fore-appoint them to life and salvation a mere device and shift to delude silly people withal And likewise this truth now delivered meeteth with the erroneous opinions of the Arminians and Anabaptists for they are near one to the other The Arminians hold and affirm that God did decree the choyce of some to life and salvation not actually chuse them but decree some to life and salvation upon the foresight of their faith with perseverance and so say the Anabaptists it was upon the foresight of their faith and obedience to the Gospel so that they jump together in the matter the one upon foreseen faith and the other upon foresight of obedience to the Gospel the Lord did foresee that some would imbrace the Gospel some would believe in Christ some would seek salvation by faith in Christ upon the promises of God and thereupon did he decree the choyce of some to life and salvation or at least say they mincing the matter it was the rule which God did follow in his choyce we will not say they stand upon it to be the cause but it was the rule A frivolous distinction to distinguish between cause and rule or cause and reason But for the opinion it is most false for if so be the foresight of faith and of the obedience to the Gospel was the cause working God to decree the choyce of some to life and salvation then this will surely follow that that which hath onely a being in time was the cause of that which was altogether before time then faith which hath no being in nature but in time it shall be the cause working God to decree the choyce of some to life and salvation before all times a most grosse and absurd thing that the thing in time should over-rule the decree of God from everlasting Again if so be Gods fore-appointing of some to life and salvation had faith foreseen for the cause of it what need then had the Apostle to bring that question or make that Objection that he doth in the 14 verse of this Chapter What shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God there would be no shew nor semblance of any injustice or unrighteousnesse with God if so be this were true that Gods fore-appointing of some to life and salvation had faith foreseen for the cause if any had moved this question that it seemeth hard that before the children were born God should receive one and reject the other and so should conclude then God is unjust and unrighteous Then we might answer speaking in the language of the Arminians God did foresee long before that Jacob would believe and Esau would not and this would clear God from any suspition of injustice and this cavil would be quite taken away and so we should make the Apostle to speak very absurdly to move a question that needed not and make an objection needlesly which were most wicked and blasphemous once to suppose such a thing of the blessed Apostle which was guided by the holy Spirit of God infallibly who had cause to move this question so then let the Arminians and Anabaptists passe away with their idle fictions of their idle brains contrary to the truth of God Is this so that God hath fore-appointed some to life and salvation Vse 2 and rejected others merely of his good pleasure and will here then is ground of sweet comfort to thee that hast good evidence of it that thou art in the number of those whom God hath appointed to life thou art sometimes troubled it may be with the consideration of thine own unworthinesse of thy own great unworthinesse and the sight thereof doth many times perplex and trouble thee and make thee walk on very heavily and very uncomfortably and doth much trouble thy Conscience Oh then remember and consider this to thy comfort that the Lord hath set thee apart thou having evidence of thy election to life and salvation before thou hast done any thing without respect had to any thing done by thee either good or evil and will the Lord now reject thee and cast thee off because of thy unworthinesse which thou complainest of no surely he respecteth it not he respecteth neither thy worthinesse or unworthinesse he hath freely chosen thee to life and salvation before thou couldst do any thing and assuredly to thy comfort he will freely save thee he will passe by thy infirmities and pardon all thy sin he will hide them
in the 1. of Malachy speaketh of things appertaining to this life it cannot be denyed but yet he speaketh not of those things onely he speaketh of those external things but not onely of those things For the drift of the Apostle in that place was to reprove the Jews for their unthankfulnesse to God In that they did neither honour God nor fear him for saith God Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear who had indeed loved them effectually and testified his love in giving them a fruitful Land even the Land of promise and in the sequel he goeth on in a further matter and sheweth that God was angry with Esau for ever but he would be glorified and magnified in Jacob and in the borders of Israel as appeareth in the fourth and fifth Verses And therefore that testimony of the Prophet is not to be so applyed onely to things outward and temporal for the Lord saith he would be glorified in Jacob and he had hated Esau for ever but it concerneth the matter of eternal election and reprobation of which the Apostle in this Chapter treateth Come we now to the particular unfolding of these words I have loved Iacob and hated Esau Gods love it is essential in God it is of the same Nature with himself God is love saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.16 and so Gods love it is free even as his own blessed Majestie and it being extended and reached out unto man it is the free and eternal motion so I may describe it the free and eternal motion of Gods good will and pleasure the free motion and the eternal motion of Gods good pleasure touching the eternal and everlasting good of man God freely purposing and determining the everlasting good of man out of his good will and pleasure as the Apostle saith expresly in Ephes 1.5 we are predestinated to be adopted through Christ and that through the good pleasure of his will so then when God saith I have loved Jacob what is his meaning I have freely out of my own good will and pleasure nothing moving me thereunto I have freely and voluntarily from everlasting decreed the everlasting good of Jacob and his eternal salvation And I have hated Esau saith the text Now here some stumble and do think that this was spoken not simply but comparatively not simply I have hated Esau but comparatively and for this they say God indeed loved Jacob and Esau both though he loved not Esau with the same degree of love as he loved Jacob but with a lesse love and therefore it is said I have hated Esau and they instance in Deut. 21.15 where the Lord saith by Moses If a man hath two wives as in the Old Testament many of the Patriarks had the one is loved and the other hated this God speaketh not that a man that hath two wives hateth either but that he loveth the one not so well as the other as Jacob had Rachel and Leah he loved Leah with a lesse love then he did Rachel so that in comparison of Gods love to Jacob Gods love to Esau was a hatred But beloved these are exceedingly deceived for the Apostle calleth those whom God hateth in the 22. verse of this ninth Chapter of the Romans vessels of the wrath of God and his vengeance and therefore they are hated simply being vessels of his wrath to destruction And if we look in that text of Malachy alledged and duly consider it we shall find upon due examination that it will easily appear that God hated Esau simply Mal. 1.2 saith the Lord I have hated Esau and he doth exemplifie and make it appear that he hated Esau in that he laid his Mountain waste and a Wildernesse for Dragons as if he had said I have spoyled Esau of all his goods stripped him and turned him out naked and I have given his fair palaces and goodly houses for to be a den for Dragons if there had been any hope of Esau's coming to his habitation and palace and ancient possession then it may haply seem God did not hate Esau simply but comparatively but go on with the text Mal. 1.4 saith God Though Edom say we are impoverished and cast out and undone but we will return and build the desolate places yet saith the Lord of hosts they shall build but I will destroy and they shall be called The border of wickednesse and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever that is against whom he proceedeth in wrath and Judgment for ever Oh see is this hatred but in comparison the Lord setting himself so purposely and professedly against Esau no it is simply Now for the simple meaning of the words I have hated Esau we must know hatred in Scripture applyed unto God it is not a disordered inveterate and distempered passion as it is in us but hatred applyed unto God in Scripture it signifieth three things First It signifieth a negation a denial of Gods love that God loveth not and chooseth not some to life and salvation that is the first signification of it Secondly hatred in Scripture applyed unto God it signifieth a just decreeing of punishment for sin and an inflicting of punishment for sin yea he hateth the wicked themselves Psal 5.5 thou hatest all the workers of iniquity Thirdly it signifieth Gods utter abhorring and disliking of that which is directly against Gods holy and righteous Law and so God is said to hate iniquity and sin as the breach and transgression of his most holy law so then the meaning of God in these words is this I have loved Jacob and hated Esau as if the Lord had said I have and that out of my good will and pleasure decreed and from everlasting purposed the eternal good of Jacob and his salvation and I have not out of that good will and pleasure of mine from everlasting so purposed and decreed Esau's eternal good nay I have before the world was in my secret counsel rejected him and have cast him off and refused him Come we now to such things as are observeable from hence and first of all observe the Apostle here maketh the ground of the advancement of Jacob over his brother Esau to be Gods love to Jacob in that he was preferred before Esau hence we may gather this conclusion Doct. That Gods free and eternal love is the cause of all the good that cometh unto Gods chosen both here in this world and hereafter in heaven all the good things in this life and the life to come even from a bit of bread to the glory of heaven they come from the good will and pleasure of God Jer. 31.3 the Lord saith unto his people Israel I have loved thee with â— everlasting love then presently he subjoyneth therefore with mercy have I drawn thee And hence it is that the Lord maketh known that the good things he hath bestowed upon his chosen from time to time they have
Lord at the last opened mine ears and eyes and enlightened my mind gave me understanding and made me see what I would not see he touched my heart with his grace and the power of his Spirit and changed my Affections whereas before I had no mind of heaven no desire of salvation untill he made me see what I have not he hath not dealt thus with all many thousands there be that go on without this touch of heart and remorse of conscience without this powerful work of grace they go on in their sins though they hear the Word from Sabbath to Sabbath what was I better then they surely nothing at all by Nature Oh then how am I bound unto God nothing moving the Lord to shew mercy unto me but onely his mere good will and pleasure how am I bound to magnifie the goodnesse of God And indeed this is that glory of the free mercy of God which the Lord would have us to yeeld unto him he would have us to yeeld unto him this glory of his free mercy and how pleasing this is to God and how the Lord esteemeth of this magnifying of his mercy may appear by that description Exod. 34 6 7. The Lord the Lord strong merciful gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth Reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. Thus the Lord doth proclaim himself for this is that wherein the Lord doth take delight to have the glory of his free mercy given unto him And this is the name by which the Lord Jesus will be known to his Elect and chosen in all ages I am a merciful God this is the name by which I will be magnified and in which he delighteth that we should give him the glory of his mercy that we can say when the Lord vouchsafeth mercy unto us that it proceedeth onely from the Lords free will And know that it is not more vile pride in a Begger to attribute the almes that is given unto him unto his own deserts then it is for us to ascribe any the least mercy that God vouchsafeth unto us to our own worthinesse it is monstrous pride in a beggar to ascribe the almes that are given him to his own deservings But it is far more for thee to ascribe and attribute that to thy self which is freely given of God Let us therefore consider that every rag we have it is of the free mercy of God Oh did proud persons consider this they would not so gorgiously adorn themselves and disgrace the holy profession of God if they did consider they have nothing but from the free Fountain of Gods mercy nothing moving him they would not be such carelesse fellowes in their careless bands which sheweth their carelesnesse as they be Vse 3 Again Is Gods mercy reached out unto his chosen most free and depending upon nothing out of God himself surely then a child of God one to whom God hath reached out saving mercy may conclude and gather to his comfort that Gods saving mercy it shall never be removed from him but abide with him for ever for why it dependeth upon the free will of God and that is unchangeable even as God himself And I may say as Pilate saith in Joh. 19.32 when he had written a superscription over Christ and they demanded why he writ so he answered quod scripsi scripsi what I have written I have written so may the Lord say I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Mal. 3.16 I am Jehovah I change not Mercy is mine and who shall take it from me shall the devil no nor all the powers in hell can hinder or frustrate the will of God Oh then consider to thy comfort God hath reached out his mercy to thee and he will never take it from thee for he hath said I will have mercy on whom I will VERSE 16. So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth But God that sheweth mercy THe Apostle in this Verse determineth the point touching Gods Justice in his free choyce of some particulars amongst men to life and salvation In the Verse foregoing he proveth it by the speech of God unto Moses that God hath free liberty and absolute power to shew mercy unto whom he will and compassion to whom he will without respect had to any thing in them Now the Lord having thus described his shewing of mercy merely to depend upon his good will and pleasure hereupon our Apostle in this 16. verse doth bring in a consectarie and infer this conclusion that therefore Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation is not to be ascribed unto the will or unto the works of any man but unto Gods free grace in shewing of mercy So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy In this 16. verse the general things are two First a removal of that which is not the cause of Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation and what is that mans willing and mans running it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth Secondly the describing and the assigning of the onely true and proper cause of Gods choosing of some to salvation and that is Gods shewing of mercy but in him that sheweth mercy Now I will lay forth the sense and meaning of the words of this verse So then or So therefore it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the text Original these words it is are not to be found but they are necessarily to be supplyed So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth what is that that is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth surely that which the Apostle had spoken of Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation that is not in him that willeth nor runneth Some do here understand Jacobs willing and running particularly but by their favour that is too narrow and too strict for the purpose of the Apostle is more large and general these words being a conclusion of the verse foregoing I will have mercy on him on whom I will And this word him must have as large a sense as the words in the verses foregoing yet Jacob is not to be excluded but rather included and so the meaning is it is not in Jacob or in any other man that willeth or runneth in him that willeth That is in him that willeth and desireth good and endeavoureth after that which is good and that by the power and strength of his mind will and affections or any part or all the powers and faculties of his soul nor in him that runneth We are not to understand as some do Esau's runing onely no nor yet Jacobs running to the fold to fetch a Kid for his father Gen. 27. but the meaning is it is not in him that worketh as it is not in
matter of comfort to believing soules and particularly comfort those that are capable of comfort He telleth him that he believing in these promises shall certainly be saved For thus runneth the tenour of the Word and the Gospel Whosoever truly believeth in Christ Jesus shall certainly be saved hereupon the Minister standing in the room and place of Christ being his Ambassadour doth make this particular application and draw out this conclusion The text saith he that believeth shall be saved The Minister saith Believe thou Richard Thomas William or whatsoever thou art and thou shalt surely be saved And this is as much as if Christ himself did preach by his immediate voyce from heaven For why Christ hath committed to us Preachers the delivery of his Word as appeareth 2 Cor. 5.19 20. And therefore upon the ground of believing the general promises of the Gospel that such shall be saved they may assure themselves they shall be saved And a man finding faith in his heart and soul which he may prove by the fruits and works of faith may thereupon assure himself that he is in the number of Gods chosen and shall certainly be saved And thereupon we may see it is but a cavil that these enemies of God affirm That the Minister knoweth not whether a man belong to Gods election or no when the Minister assureth him not upon that ground but upon the ground of believing Is this so that the Minister of the Word must not onely make known Vse 2 general Doctrines but particularly apply them Surely then the hearers of the VVord must not onely hear the general truth of the VVord made known unto them but they must also be content to have those truths applied unto them particularly by way of instruction by way of exhortation and by way of just reproof as occasion is offered And beloved men must not start aside and fret and chafe and take on when that the truth of the word is brought home unto them and applied particularly unto their souls for the discovery of their particular sins as their pride and vanity of apparel or whatsoever it is no they must willingly chearfully and readily yield and submit themselves unto it and not begin to quarrel with the affection of the Preacher and say now he speaketh out of malice and spleen and distemper and now he speaketh against such a man as if the man and the sin were one substance the Minister cannot speak against pride garishness of apparel long shagged hair but he speaketh against the man as if the sin were the man and the man and the sin all one therefore take heed of being in a chafe when thy sins are reproved And know that if thou thus do fret and chafe it is not onely an Argument that thou art possessed with a spiritual pride and a spiritual frenzy and madness but it is a sign of Gods heavy wrath and judgment ready to break out upon the souls of those men that so fret and chafe and take on in impatiency It is an immediate fore-runner of Gods heavy wrath when men cannot abide to be touched or to have the word of God applied particularly they are impatient of reproof and must have the Preacher to speak pleasing things and to daube them up with untempered morter this bringeth upon them the hand of God unto remediless and easless Destruction Esay 30.13 14. of saith the Prophet this is a foul sin when men teach their Preachers what to say it is like the breaking of a high wall that is sodain or like a bump in a wall a swelling knob that upon a sodain falleth down to the ground and is broken all to pieces like a Potters Vessel that is broken in shivers and there is not so much left as to hold fire or water so it is with those that repine at the particular application of the word their destruction is sudden Again further consider we if so be we be willing and ready to hear the word of comfort applied unto us though it belongeth not unto us and we can accumulate the preaching of the Gospel and yet put away from us the word of reproof we cannot endure that surely the Lord will then punish us in the same kinde he will deal with us proportionably and accordingly he will make his word of comfort that we so eagerly take hold on an unprofitable word and a word that shall yield no comfort unto us when we lie on our sick beds and in the hour of death because we receive the word of comfort that appertaineth not unto us and put away the word of reproof therefore he will make the word of comfort comfortless Consider to this purpose the example of Herod Mark 6.20 Herod heard and did many things gladly that John Baptist taught and found much comfort in hearing of him but when John came to touch him and to hit him on the bare his beloved sore and pleasing Dalilah that it was unlawfull for him to have his Brothers Wife then Herod shewed what he was he carried then a splenative minde and a grudge in his heart and never left till he had his head what touch my beloved Sin And the Lord dealt with Herod accordingly for those comforts that he appropriated to himself from Johns preaching were fruitless he went on in his sin and perished fearfully in his folly Then learn we to hear the word not cunningly for our instruction and comfort but in matter of exhortation and just reproof to be taxed for our sins And when the Lord meeteth with us in his word for our particular sins to say it is his Mercy and his blessing and to thank God that we have Ministers which do not daube us with untempered morter and to say as David saith in Psal 141.5 let the righteous smite me it is a pretious balm this is the affection of the godly but if we do accumulate to our selves the comforts that are promulgated in the Gospel and cast away the reproofs denounced against our sins God will then make his comforts comfortless and they shall do us no good So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy HAving formerly handled the reference this verse hath with precedent matter I now come to handle the matter of the verse it self And first of all we see the Apostle in the first place doth deny Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation to be in him that willeth good or worketh good And so the observation is briefly this That nothing in man or done by man coming from him Doctrine is the cause and ground of mans election or salvation Neither any mans willing of good or working of good no not the willing or working of good by a regenerate person by a person truly sanctified and in the estate of grace not his willing or working of good that is the cause and ground of his election or salvation And so to prevent an
Objection in the beginning For the Papists they say eluding the evidence of this text in this manner It is not in him that willeth or runneth after the flesh and according to Nature but by your leave say they it is in him that willeth and runneth by Faith which is grounded upon Gods mercy may agree with Gods mercy A poor shift and thus they seek to shift off the Evidence of this text directly contrary to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place For the opposition here is not between man willing and running after the flesh and mans willing and running by faith they are not here opposed But mark the opposition it standeth thus Between mans willing and running and Gods shewing mercy these are the things that be here opposed and set in Contradiction one to the other mans willing and running in a good way and in the way of sanctification and salvation and the Lords shewing of mercy so that neither the willing of good nor the working of good by any though a regenerate person is the thing that is available to election or salvation As in 2 Tim. 1.9 The Apostle there denyeth that either himself or any other true believer and regenerate person that they were either called or saved by their own works for saith he He hath called and saved us Not according to our own works but according to his own grace whether they were works natural or supernatural so also in Titus 3.4 5. verses he saith in the fourth verse when the bountifulnesse and love of God appeareth then in the fifth verse he subjoyneth not according to the works of righteousnesse which we have done but of his own mere mercy he saved us so that the willing or working of good is not the cause of any mans election or salvation The Reason is Because the goodnesse which is in the will of man Reason and the goodnesse which is in the works of man it proceedeth from Gods election it is an effect and a fruit of it It proceedeth from that root and so is the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse as the Apostle saith expresly in Ephes 1.4 God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world was laid that we should be holy so that holinesse followeth Gods eternal election And therefore the willing or working of good by regenerate persons cannot possibly be the cause of Gods eternal election it being the effect for it is not possible that the same thing can be the cause of the same thing and the effect in one and the self-same thing For Application First of all this meeteth with that opinion which Vse 1 some do hold That it is of God a man may be saved But that men are saved That particular persons amongst men come to be saved that is of themselves This do some hold and affirm And it is their tenent That the possibility of the salvation of man that it is possible for men to be saved that is of God But that this possibility becometh profitable and effectual to some men that is of their own free will A foul and a grosse errour directly contrary to the truth now handled and delivered unto us if it be so that the possibility of the salvation of man becometh profitable to some particular persons amongst men from the freedom of their own will surely then it must needs be from the goodnesse of their own will and from their well-willing And then a believing soul a soul that shall be saved and now is in the state of grace and of salvation hath ground to boast of in himself And may lift up himself even against God himself in ostentation and may thus magnifie himself say unto God Lord that there was any possibility for me to be saved it was of thee I freely confess it but that this possibility proveth not an impossibility to me as it doth to many thousands in the world that was my own doing I did that of my self That I could be saved the thanks of that belongeth to thee Lord but that I am now in the state of grace and salvation And that I am sure to be saved the thanks of that belongeth to me my self For thy love to me was no more then to them that are damned till my willingnesse to receive grace and faith put a difference between me and them till the inclination of my soul made me thine I might for all thy love have been damned eternally as well as Cain Judas Saul or any other Reprobate had not I out of the righteousnesse and freenesse of the freedom of my own will chosen grace it was not of thee Lord but of my self that I chose grace And damnation had been mine had I not of my own free and voluntary will chosen and used grace Oh beloved is not this intolerable and monstrous pride and ambition thus in ostentation for a man to lift up himself against God Is this a thought to come into any Christians heart no it is to be renounced For this boasting and ostentation doth naturally follow upon this their tenent that they teach the possibility of salvation cometh from God but that that possibility cometh into Act is of mans free will And this ought by every Christian to be abjured renounced and cast away as blasphemous erroneous and false Vse 2 Again This being a truth that no mans willing or doing of good is the cause of election or salvation Then let this teach us to take heed that we ground not our salvation upon any thing willed or done by us be it never so good yea though it proceed from the root and radix of true sanctifying grace It is mere madnesse in the Papists enemies to Gods grace to ground their hope of salvation as they do upon the performance of those good things that God requireth of them so far forth as they are able to perform them thus they ground their hope of salvation Now they so grounding their hopes they have no reason in the world to hope for any good at the hands of God for who seeth not unlesse he be wilfully blinded and blindfolded by his own self-love self-will and self-conceit who seeth not I say how far short we come of doing those good things we ought to do either in the state of nature or in the state of grace And the Papists themselves to joyn with them when they deal against that comfortable and holy truth of God that is held and taught in our Church That a Child of God may in time of this life be infallibly assured of our own salvation the Papists when they deal against this holy and comfortable truth then they plead and say alas we are frail and we are weak creatures and we fail in the manner of doing good duties and therefore we cannot assure our selves of salvation What say they do you say we may be assured of our salvation upon our faith and doing good duties Alas we are full of imbecillity
and weaknesse and cannot have any assurance It is true indeed if so be that our hope of salvation stood built upon the weak ground of our own good works But mark their subtilty when they speak against the Doctrine of our Church they plead imbecillity and weaknesse But when they plead for their own Doctrine then they say they ground their hope of salvation upon the performance of the good things God requireth of them so far forth as they are able to perform them what a madnesse is this in them thus to contradict themselves And beloved to apply it to our selves are there not many amongst us as mad as the Papists foolish ignorant sots That thus reason I know I must love God above all and my neighbour as my self And if I do my best endeavour to do these things I hope God will be merciful unto me and I shall go to heaven what is this but to make our own working of good the ground of our salvation and to ground the hope and certainty of heaven upon their own well doing Their conclusion is so simple and so foolish that upon loving God and their Neighbour they shall come to heaven maketh that the ground of their salvation It is true indeed that the willing and working of good coming from a right radix they be the fruits and assurances of our salvation but if we build our salvation upon our best good works yea upon saving and justifying faith or the best good thing we can perform we delude and deceive our selves neither our well willing nor well working is not the cause or ground of our salvation It is the rule of Christ himself Luk. 17.10 when we have done all that we can do and all that the Lord hath commanded us to do if it were possible yet we must say we are unprofitable servants And we must say so not onely for modesty sake as the Papists do absurdly glosse upon that text for modesty and humilities sake say they we must say so why beloved the Lord Jesus doth not teach us to lye And to say that which is not true for modesty sake no but he teacheth us to speak the truth for indeed it is so that for all our well willing and well doing we are unprofitable servants yet we must take heed that we do not hereupon cast off all care and endeavour of well doing no we are carefully and conscionably to do all that we can do that is good And know that working of good coming from the root of saving and sanctifying faith it is profitable and necessary to heaven for it is the beaten high way to eternal life and salvation it is a testimony of our obedience and thankfulnesse to God for his mercy And it is a means to set forth the glory of God and maketh much for the illustration of it And it is a proper mark of a true Christian it is a fruit ever flowing from saving and justifying faith and it is a necessary antecedent of the promises of eternal glory in heaven yet if we do advance this doing of good beyond this strain to merit salvation we do built it upon a rotten and unsound foundation Now further observe we the Apostle maketh an opposition between mans willing and running and Gods shewing mercy Hence I might note these particulars First of all that Gods mercy is the sole and whole and al-sufficient cause of mans election and not mans well willing or working good either foreseen as the Arminians teach or the present act and being And secondly that Gods free grace and the merit or works of men do not concur and meet together in mans salvation as the Papists teach But these things I have handled before And hence note we in a word thus much In that the Apostle saith that the eternal election and salvation of some amongst men is not in men themselves but in God that sheweth mercy Hence observe That the eternal salvation of men is laid up in the merciful powerful Doctrine and gracious hand of God It is laid up in the power of God which is essential with God himself Col. 3.3 the Apostle telleth the Colossians that their life is bid with Christ in God And hence God is said to be the Father of glory Ephes 1.17 because glory is as it were begotten of him And in 1 Tim. 6.5 the Apostle saith he onely dwelleth in immortality The Lord which hath eternal life and glory he doth give it to whom he will and he will give it in his due time and therefore he will certainly give it to his chosen Vse Then what a ground of sweet and excellent comfort is this to every one that findeth himself to be in the number of Gods chosen Hast thou good evidence of it that thou belongest to Gods election Oh then consider thy eternal happinesse which is laid up not in the hands of any creature no it is laid up in the hands of a gracious and powerful God and no enemy whatsoever can wrest it out of his hands if it were committed to thy own trust then thou hast just cause to doubt whether thou couldest keep it or no nay a thousand to one thou wouldest lose it Adam in his state of innocency being trusted with it wittingly and willingly lost it but thy salvation is kept by him who is able to keep it 2 Tim. 1.12 And not the force fraud or subtilty of the Devil or world without can fetch it from God who is the Author of it and keeper of it no nor our own flesh can prevail to the overcoming of him Oh then if thou hast evidence of thy salvation comfort up thy self let the Devil and the world spit their malice and use all the means they can they cannot possibly deprive thee or dispossesse thee of it for it is in the keeping of a powerful Creator and they cannot take it out of his hand How then may a child of God cheer up himself upon this consideration VERSE 17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee And that my name might be declared through all the earth Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy And whom he will he hardeneth IN these two Verses the Lord sheweth by the Apostle that he is just in casting off some men and rejecting of them The Apostle having cleared God from the imputation of injustice in choosing some to life and salvation and passing over others out of his own free will though they were all one in regard of nature because the Lord hath absolute power and free liberty to shew compassion to whom he will Now the Apostle cleareth God from being unjust in rejecting of some particular persons of equal estate and condition with the elect in regard of nature every way equal unto them in themselves And the Apostle proveth the Lord not to be unjust in so doing by a testimony of
throughout all the earth That is the praise and glory of my power and my Justice appearing in the destruction of thee so mighty a King might be published and might be spread abroad in every part and corner of the world and might be every where spoken of in every part and corner of the world So then thus conceive the meaning of the Apostle in these words as if he had said For God said in his written Word in his holy Scripture unto Pharaoh Exodus 9.16 For this very cause for this very purpose have I with-held my grace and hardned thy heart a fruit following the rejection of thee and I have stirred up my messengers to come to deliver my judgements unto thee and have caused thee not to profit by my judgements and my messengers and I have caused thee to harden thy heart and to exalt thy selfe against me that I might make thee to see and feel the force of my hand and of all my power in the bottome of the Sea and that all other my people and all in the world may see and take notice of thy destruction and my power in destroying so mighty a king Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine and first of all observe the Apostle here he speaketh and alledgeth Scripture as he had done heretofore and as he doth frequently and often in this Chapter to ground the matter that he hath in hand upon the Scriptures hence followeth this conclusion Doctrine That the Scriptures the written Word of God hath sufficient ground touching all fundamental Truths of God It is a sufficient rule and ground to guide us in all things and all matters both of Faith and of good life the holy Scriptures they doe contain in them all things needful to be known to be believed and to be practised of us to life and salvation to this purpose is that in 2 Tim. 3.16 17. where the Apostle Paul saith to Timothy Thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith of Iesus Christ For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to improve to correct in righteousness and to make the man of God absolute and perfect in every good work it is able to make a man intire in godliness I know the Cavil of the Papists against this clear evidence of Scripture for they seek to illude the evidence of this Text in this maner It is true indeed say they the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable but where doe you finde he saith it is sufficient A meer shift and easily answered for the Apostle saith not barely that the Scripture is profitable and there stay himself and goe no further but he doth point out unto us to what use it serveth it is profitable and it is profitable to to teach to instruct and to improve and to make a man absolute and intire in every good work Is it not then sufficient a foolish cavill so in the 15 verse of the same Chapter saith the Apostle the Scripture is able to make a man wise unto salvation Is not the Scripture then sufficient it is able to bring a man unto Heaven and yet say the Papists it is not sufficient certainly it cannot be denied but that the whole Scripture containeth all things needful to life and salvation and to make a man to come to Heaven would any man desire more sufficiencie then this the reason is Reason Because the written Word of God it is the breath of the holy spirit of God so saith the Apostle it is given by inspiration from whom from the Devil No from the holy Spirit of God the holy Ghost And in the Scripture Gods will is made known unto his chosen and as I have often said Gods Word is his Epistle and love-letter sent unto his children to guide them in the way of life and salvation Psalm 119.105 It is a lanthorn to their feet and a light unto their paths to guide them in every step they tread as a lanthorn and light doth guide a man in dark and obscure places so doth Gods Word guide them in the way of life and salvation And hath God bestowed upon his Church and chosen a guide insufficient that is not able to lead them to Life and salvation but to suffer them to wander into by paths of errors and sinnes no it is blasphemous so to think for the holy Scripture doth contain all things needful to be known and practised both for life and manners Wickedly then deal the Papists in this in that they joyne to the written Applicat 1 Word of God their own unwritten traditions their unwritten verities to make up and supplies as they imagine the imperfection in the holy Word of God the Word is not a sufficient rule unless the unwritten verities of the Church be joyned to it what is this but to offer injurious dealing to the great Lord of Heaven and earth and to his Word that we must supply his wisedome as insufficient with something of mans foolish brain Is the Scripture the written Word of God sufficient to guide us in all Vse 2 matters of Faith and good Life and in all things necessarie to be known to salvation learn we then to acknowledge it so to be and learn we to cleave fast unto it as the onely sufficient rule to guide us in the way that leadeth unto Life and salvation in all matters of Faith and good manners and take heed we be not carried away from the Truth of God 2 Thess 2.2.1 either by spirit by letter or by word or to speak plainly take heed we be not deluded neither by vision nor revelation besides the Word of God as the Anabaptists and Familists teach nor by the traditions of Rabbins and great learned men neither by the writings of those that are ancient Fathers and Doctours For this is an ancient device of the Papists to wrest into the Church such and such speeches tenents and bastardly writings and father them upon the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church thereby to draw men to errour and sinne Now we know not how soon we may be tried in this very kind and therefore it concerneth us we had need to look unto it and to hold fast to the written Word of God And take heed we admit not of everie thing whatsoever or whosoever bringeth it under what counterfeit soever they offer it Though a great Rabbine or a great Doctor bringeth it yet if we find him to swerve and dissent from the written Word of God and have no ground nor footing there disclaim it For this is that they triumph in they have they think the great Rabbins and learned men of the world and above all take heed of practising what they teach contrarie to the written Word of God Object I but some will say how shall I be certain that the Scripture is Scripture you tell me that I must
stirring and raising up of Pharaoh was to a certain end and to peculiar and particular purpose for this very same purpose and this very same end saith God unto Pharaoh have I raised and stirred thee up the Lord doth make known unto us that it was to a proper and peculiar end Hence note we thus much That God in every act of his he hath a special and a particular end Doctrine and the Lord propoundeth a particular end and purpose in every act of his touching his creatures Therefore beloved they are deceived for to this purpose I speak and note it who think as some erroneous spirits do that God propounded an indefinite and an uncertain end touching his creatures in the creation and making of them when God decreed to make his creatures he did not purpose to bring them to this or that end particularly but he left that indefinitely and uncertain indeed say they God did propound in some kind or other to have his glory by them that we confesse but in what manner or in what end of theirs that he left altogether uncertain indefinite and undetermined a foul and a grosse errour that God should make his creatures and not determine what way he would glorifie his name we find in the highest acts of Gods counsel his eternal decree touching men and angels the Scripture maketh known unto us that God propoundeth his end and that not generally but in special the Lord in the everlasting counsel in his everlasting act touching men and Angels he did demonstrate a special end namely the glory of Gods grace and mercy in the salvation of some and the glory of his Justice in the just damnation of others this God propounded but to passe by that as a confutation of that errour And come we now to the next thing for this same end saith the Lord unto Pharaoh have I stirred thee up you may remember I shewed you that these words do carry this sense For this same purpose Pharaoh have I withheld my grace hardened thy heart left thee to thy self so that still thou dost exalt thy self against my people and dost keep them in bondage and wilt not let them go I have stirred thee up hardened thy heart and caused thee to rebel against me and my people Here we see that wicked Pharaoh a cruel tyrant over the people of God as he was in his time he did nothing against the people of God but what God appointed and what the Lord stirred him up unto the Lord withholding his grace leaving him to himself and hardening his heart although in the malice of his heart he raised up his forces against the people of God yet he did nothing but what the Lord had appointed him to do against them Hence we may observe this directly and plainly That wicked tyrants such as Pharaoh was enemies of the Church and people of God they do nothing against the Church or against Gods people Doctrine but what the Lord appointeth them and what the Lord will have them so to do and no more And when the enemies of the truth of God do vex trouble molest disquiet and deal hardly with the people of God what do they nothing but what God hath willed and appointed them to do in leaving them to themselves and as this is a truth so we have evidence for it in the Scripture in Esay 10.6 the Lord speaking concerning Ashur a great enemy to the Church of God he saith To him have I given the Charge of my wrath and in the 22. and 23. verses of the same Chapter he saith that the Consumption shall come upon the whole land and the tyranny was decreed by the Lord himself in Acts 2.23 the Apostle Peter saith unto the people of the Jewes Him have yee taken by the determinate councel and hand of God and him have you crucified and slain And in Acts 4.27 28. saith the Apostle For doubtless against thy holy Sonne Jesus both Herod Pontius Pilate and the Jewes were conspired and band together to doe whatsoever thy hand and counsel hath determined to be done Reason Because the will of Lord is the highest cause of all things the will of the Lord doth will and appoint the motions actions events and effects of every thing in the world whether they be things weightie or of lesse moment and by the will of the Lord even tyrants and malicious enemies of the Church of God have their being and their motion and actions and in him they live move and have their beings Acts 17.28 and therefore the enemies of the Church of God do no more then God hath appointed Object If this be a truth that the wicked enemies of the Church and people of God when they vex and deal hardly with them do no more then God hath appointed to be done then this doth justifie the deeds of wicked tyrants and clear them from rebuke and they may plead for themselves that they are free from sinne in harming and molesting and dealing hardly with the Church of God because they doe no more then God hath appointed and why then should they be accounted wicked sinners evil doers and cruel men because they doe no more then God hath appointed and it is injustice with God to punish them for their so doing Answ To answer this we must know howsoever the wicked tyrants of the Church and people of God doe what God hath willed and appointed yet they sinne grievously how can that be Sinne grievously in doing the will of the Lord yes because in their hard dealing and crueltie with the Church and People of God they respect not the will and purpose of the Lord no they onely have respect to the fulfilling of their own lusts and satisfying of their own wicked and beastly minds For if a man should ask a cruel persecutour and tyrant when he is molesting the Church or any member of the people of God what doe you intend to doe the will of God in vexing the people of God If he deal truely he must needs answer that he intendeth nothing lesse but merely intends the satisfying of his own cursed humour to satisfie his cruel savage and bloudy mind upon the poor members of Jesus Christ And in that his cruel and hard dealing is Gods will it is to him merely accidental but his purpose is destruction as the Lord saith Esay 10.6 I will goe against my people and Ashur shall tread them down as mire in the streets then he subjoyneth in the next verse but he thinks not so he is not of that mind neither doth he in his heart esteem it so but he imagineth to destroy and utterly cut off the people of God by wrong Not immagining that he is the rod of the wrath of God against his people and that he commeth by the appointment of God no he commeth not with such a thought he commeth onely to satisfie his own cruel and accursed humour not as an actour of what God determineth so
the occasion of this Cavil is from the verse foregoing where the Apostle saith God hardeneth whom he will hereupon flesh and blood beginneth to cavil against God and to rise up and swell against him and to charge him with no lesse then cruelty and extream hard dealing in that the Lord should harden men and then complain of the hardening of man And this Cavil which might haply be charged upon God by humane Reason he first propounds and then Answers unto it he propounds it in this 19. verse and answereth unto it in the 20 21 22 and 23. Verses Now in propounding this Cavil the Apostle maketh way unto it in the first place by putting down of the person of a Caviller and by bringing the Caviller speaking thus Thou wilt say then unto me and secondly he setteth down the matter of the Cavil or Objection and that by way of interrogation very emphatically Why doth he yet complain And thus the Objection may be framed Reprobates and wicked men are hardened because it is the Will of God that they should be hardened as you have taught us in the verse before and therefore God cannot justly blame or punish them for their hardnesse for it is according to his will For if God do blame and punish them for their hardnesse surely it seemeth to the Reason of flesh and blood to be extream cruelty and rigour God seemeth to be extremely rigorous and a cruel God in punishing men for their hardnesse And this Cavil is further backed by a proof for who hath resisted his will as if the Caviller had said Why none can resist Gods will his will is irresistible and it cannot be withstood and therefore if God first of all harden and then complain it is extreme rigour and cruelty so that if wicked men and Reprobates be hardened it is according to the will of God and so they are hardened unavoidably and of necessity God hath decreed their hardening and he will have it so and none can gainsay his will And therefore it is no lesse then Tyranny in God to blame and punish men for it And thus much we are to conceive of the generality of this 19. verse first the Cavilling person Thou wilt then say unto me secondly the Cavil why doth he yet complain and thirdly the proof of the Cavil for who hath resisted his will Come we now to the sense and meaning of the words Thou wilt say then unto me Thou who is this the Apostle meaneth that is thou whosoever thou art that art a carnal Reasoner and reasoneth according to carnal Reason thou wilt say unto me why doth he yet complain that is why doth God complain of such as be hardened why doth God find fault with them and threaten such as are hardened what cause hath the Lord to complain threaten or punish such as are hardened they being hardened according to his will thus the carnal Caviller reasoneth for saith the Caviller who hath resisted his will that is none was ever able to stand against to frustrate or make void the will of God the purpose of God was never resisted none was ever able to stand against his will and to hinder it from taking place and being effected Gods decree and purpose is irresistible that none can withstand it therefore saith the Carnal Reasoner God hath no just cause to complain so that the sense in brief is thus much Thou that art a Carnal Caviller art ready to except against my speech in that I say God hardeneth whom he will thou wilt say if this be so Paul why doth God threaten Judgement hell and damnation against those that are hardened what cause is there that God should complain find fault threaten and punish them with hell and damnation for who ever resisted the will of the Lord was there ever any man that was able to stand against the will of the Lord no no man and so they are hardened of necessity unavoidably according to your own Doctrine Paul so that this is the meaning of the Apostles speech Now come we to matter of Observation and Doctrine And first of all observe here the Apostle bringeth in a Caviller and a Carnal Reasoner as it were objecting and inferring upon his former speech that God hardeneth whom he will this Conclusion the cause being so God hardeneth whom he will then God hath no just cause to complain of mans hardening so that hence ariseth this Conclusion That mans carnal reason Doctrine doth commonly gather and infer wrong Conclusions from true grounds of Religion and true points of Divinity And therefore from Divine and holy truths of God and especially such truths as are of a high Nature as Gods election and reprobation are doth mans corrupt and carnal reason commonly infer inforce and bring erroneous and false Conclusions it is a common thing with mans reason see this is manifest by farther places of Scripture in Rom. 3. from the fifth verse to the ninth verse The Apostle having delivered this truth of God that Gods goodnesse and Gods truth are commended and set out by mans sin accidentally God bringeth good out of evil hereupon some Carnal Reasoners are ready to except against this Doctrine Oh say they how can God justly punish sin this the Apostle speaketh in the person of the Caviller if our unrighteousnesse set forth Gods righteousnesse then God cannot justly punish sin So in the seventh verse of the same Chapter If Godt glory hath abounded through my lye why then am I punished saith the carnal man God cannot then justly punish me for my lying so in Joh. 3.3 The Lord Jesus having put this down as a certain truth that except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Nicodemus hearing this after a carnal manner and resting in his own carnal reason see what an absurd conclusion he bringeth in upon this then it seemeth that a man must enter into his mothers womb and be born again So in John 6.53 54. Christ shewing that except a man eat his flesh and drink his blood he hath no life in him Now some that heard this they heard it with great indignation and stumbled at it and they said This is a hard saying who can bear it must we eate this mans flesh and drink his blood and they so conceiving carnally concluded as the Papists doe now in their Doctrine of of Transubstantiation that we must eat the body of Christ and drink his bloud corporally and after a carnal manner yea they so stumbled at it that they forsook him insomuch that he said to his Disciples What will you be gone from me also doe you conceive of my words as the Capernaits did saith Christ My words are spirit and life and you conceive of them with carnal reason and gather from my points false conclusions Because carnal reason Reason is blinde in Divine matters in things that be heavenly and spiritual it cannot discern and look into the depth of them it
an high hand that are drunkards filthie persons Sabbath-breakers revilers of Gods Children and the like God is justly angrie with them for their sinnes that they can confesse but they say as it is their common Proverb Vana sine viribus ira anger without power is in vain for a man to be angrie and have no power to execute his anger is nothing worth but this God he is a God of Power and he will one day shew his strength and his power in punishing of them and in executing wrath and vengeance upon them Oh then who is able to bear the punishing hand of God and the stroke of his arm can a wicked sinner endure it when God striketh with the strength of his arme Psalme 90.7 Oh then consider it whosoever thou art a wicked and rebellious sinner that hath been told of thy particular sinnes thy drunkennesse thy whoredome thy usurie thy Sabbath breaking and the like Thou that persistest and goest on in thy sinne a drunkard yesterday and still the same an Usurer yesterday and still the same thou art obdurate in thy sinne Consider the Lord is angrie with thee and justly offended and hee is not onely justly offended but he is a God of infinite power able to execute his wrath yea consider further that God is not onely a God of Power able to doe it but he is also a God that will doe it he will execute his power and his wrath Who is able to stand against the Lords revenging power and when he so doth What shall become of the drunkard What shall become of the usurer and what shall become of the Sabbath-breaker and the whoremonger and the blasphemer of the Name of God when the Lord shall execute his wrath and put forth his vengeance Oh consider it and tremble We know it be experience amongst men Men that are of a revenging spirit given to seek the hurt and ruine of those they are offended withal nothing will satisfie them but their very heart blood And according to the might and power of those men so revengeful the more mighty and powerful is the evil and hurt that they inflict upon those The greater their might the heavier their stroke against whom they are enraged Oh then consider Is this so with men of revengefull spirits Oh then the Lord is a sin revenging God and he being provoked unto anger by thy wilful obstinate and rebellious sins he will punish thee consider then whom hast thou provoked a God of infinite power and he will make it appear in thy just destruction and in thy just punishment the heart of man is not able to conceive or imagine the fearful punishment that will befall thee Oh that those that are obstinate and rebellious sinners would consider this that God is so offended with them for their rebellious sinnes it would make them to tremble and affright them and make their bones shake in their skins and their hearts ake in their bodies but this is one and a chief part of their misery Hab. 3. that they never think nor consider it in their hearts and so we may conclude that they are in a fearful estate and condition Again this being so that God is such a revenging God against obstinate Vse 2 sinners let this then keep us from the revenging of our wrongs that are done by spiteful enemies and such as seek our ruine why should we seek to be revenged though we have never so much power leave it unto God and know this that we cannot desire a greater vengeance to light upon them then the Lord will inflict upon them and consider if our spiteful enemies do continue seeking to do us wrong the Lord will one day take thy cause in hand and punish them according to the greatnesse of his power Alas what is our power if we had the might of all the men in the world it is nothing to the power of the Lord if the Lord should give our enemies into our hands and should say Do with him what thou wilt could we be avenged so as the Lord will for our sakes if we be patient and commit the cause unto the Lord for the Lord will be avenged on them if they continue and live and dye in their spight and envy And to conclude in one word let us when we are wronged and hardly dealt withal by malitious and spightful enemies that are full of rancor and malice commit our cause unto the Lord and without question his punishment will be greater then the bitterest stroke that we can wish to fall upon our enemies and therefore we ought to comfort our selves with this when we are wronged that the Lord will revenge our cause and he will shew forth his vengeance upon them in their Destruction and that according to the greatnesse of his power What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto glory THere is one thing yet remaineth to be further observed from this 22. verse The Apostle saith that God will one day shew his wrath upon Reprobates the vessels of wrath and he will also exercise his power he will make it apparent manifest and evident that he is a God of power in their just punishments so that these two things are here coupled and put together as the ends of Gods long patience and forbearance toward the Reprobates namely the manifestation of his just wrath and his power in punishing of them hence then take we notice of this Observation which lyeth plain before us viz. Doctrine That the highest and utmost end of the everlasting destruction of the Reprobates is the manifestation of Gods Justice and of Gods power which here are coupled and put together in their destruction The destruction of the Reprobates is indeed the nearest end in respect of Reprobates themselves but God respecteth it no further then as it maketh and tendeth to the manifestation and declaration of the glory of his Justice and power The highest end which the Lord aymeth at in the punishment and destruction of the Wicked what is it it is nothing else but that he might have his Justice and Power glorified the Lord aymeth not at their destruction though it be the nearest end to them yet farthest off in Gods intention for he aymeth at his own Justice and Powers glorification And to this purpose speaketh Solomon expresly Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his own sake yea the very wicked for the day of evil he hath made them for the day of destruction ayming therein at the manifestation of his Justice and the glory of his power this is the main end the Lord aymeth at In Rom. 11. The Apostle having largely discussed and stood upon the rejection of the Gentiles in the 36. verse he concludeth
in the world wonder not nor be not amazed forr these things must come to passe and be fulfilled And it argueth a true and a sound faith to see through the thick mists of errour and iniquity and abundance of evil the bright resplendant shining beames of the Majestie and purity of the Word of God And therefore we are to be so farre from being offended at the Combustions and Uproares of the world as that we should be strengthened so much the more and settled and grounded in the holy Word of God seeing God hath Revealed it in his Word and foretold it long before As he saith in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved c. COme we now to the words of the Testimonie it selfe in these two verses And herein the Apostle doth invert the Order of the words of the Prophet putting that which is first last yea the Apostle doth something alter and change the words of the Prophet and keepeth not strictly and precisely to the very words of the Prophet citing word for word yet he keepeth the scope sense and meaning of the Prophet sound and intire without any alteration or change hence then note we thus much That it is not alwayes necessarie that the very words of the Scripture Doctrine should be strictly orderly and precisely kept in the preaching of the Word so that the sence and scope and meaning of the place be kept sound and intire without wrong change or alteration The Preachers of the Word must look unto it that they neither deprave nor corrupt the places of Scripture that they doe not cut them off and leave out something needful this was the sinne of the Devil in Matthew 4.6 He shall give his Angels charge over thee and leaveth out to keep thee in all thy wayes Nor that they doe not wrest and wring the places of Scripture to a wrong sence and wrong purpose and make them as a nose of waxe and draw them to a wrong purpose and vex the Holy Word of God which is the dealing of all hereticks and especially such as doe turne the places of Scripture and the plain Stories of the Bible into Allegories and so wrong the sence of the Scripture yet Ministers of the Word they may alledge and cite places of Scripture with some alteration so they keep the sence safe sound and intire John 7.38 He that believeth in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of water Where doth the Scripture say so Surely in no place that we finde in the Old Testament expresly totidem verbis in the very same words yet for the matter and substance of these words they may be collected and gathered out of the holy Prophets as out of Esay 44.3 and 49.10 Joel 3.18 in all which places mention is made of pouring water upon the drie and thirstie ground and of diving into the Waters of Life and of a fountain that should issue out from the house of the Lord. Now the Lord Jesus doth apply these words of the Prophets having respect to Christ who is the Fountain of Life and of all Spiritual graces he doth apply them to all those that truely believe in him that though they were drie and barren yet out of them shall flow the rivers of water of Life so that though he doth not set down the words of the Prophets expresly yet he keepeth the sence and meaning of the words So that it concerneth the Preachers of the Word to be very well acquainted with the scope and drift of the Scriptures that howsoever they may misse of the words yet they must keep the sence intire and see that they doe not swerve from the intent and purpose of the Holy Spirit of God in the Text. And as they must be careful that the places of Scripture be fit and pertinent to the purpose they have in hand so also that the places they doe alledge be truely understood and rightly applied according to the meaning of the Word and then they are the true Word of God and are a notable means to beate down the strong holds of sinne and of Sathan to pass by that Come we now to the Testimonie it self recorded by the Prophet and here alledged by the Apostle I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These words are a plain Text and doe evidence unto us the vocation and calling of the Gentiles which was long agoe foretold and now fulfilled the Gentiles are called the Gentiles embrace the faith of Christ which is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel and of Religion 1 Tim. 3.16 VVithout controversie great is the mysterie of godliness what was that God manifested in the flesh seen of Angels justified in the Spirit preached to the Gentiles a high and excellent mysterie Now touching this mysterie of calling the Gentiles observe the Lord saith I will call them my People which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved Hence appeareth the free mercy and the free grace of God in calling the Gentiles out of the estate of ignorance and unbelief into the estate of true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ into the estate of grace hence then ariseth this point viz. Doctrine That God calleth men effectually out of their natural estate into the estate of grace and doth work grace in them effectually by the power of his Spirit through the preaching of the Word out of his meer good will and free mercy nothing moving him thereunto but onely his free mercy the Lord he is pleased to reveal the Gospel to none but to those who out of his meer good will hee pleaseth to cause to understand it and the light of the Gospel though it shine most clearly and resplendantly yet it doth enlighten none nor worke upon none but onely such as it pleased God to illuminate and enlighten by the preaching of the Word though it fall upon their eyes and sound in their eares and shine about them yet the hearts are shut up of all such unlesse those whom God doth illuminate Eph. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of himselfe and other true believers saith expresiy God hath opened unto us the mysterie of his Word the secrets of his Gospel according to his own good pleasure And in the same Chapter the 17. verse He prayeth that the Ephesians might have the Spirit of Revelation and the Spirit of Wisedome Oh Lord open the eyes of their understanding that they may clearly see the riches of his calling and the sweet comforts of the Gospel And hence it was that the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 4.6 That God by the same Almightie power whereby he brought light out of darkness causeth them to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ yea the Lord doth afford the outward sound and preaching of the Word out of his free mercie where it pleaseth
him He appointeth the drops of rain to fall in this place and not in that so he doth cause the dew of his Word to fall upon the clay the Gentiles in Matth. 10.6 into the Cities of the Samaritans enter not and in Acts 16.6 7 we find that Paul and Timothy they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia Yea when they had a mind to goe to Bythinia the Spirit of God would not suffer them but sent them to Macedonia Acts 16.9 Come over into Macedonia and help us so that the outward preaching of the Word it is vouchsafed to some and not to others as when Christ lived upon the face of the earth the bodily eyes of all men were not opened but onely some and others remaine blind some blind persons were left in their blindness And the dead bodies of all were not raised though some were at the death of Christ so dealeth the Lord with the minds and souls of men he onely out of his gracious pleasure doth open the minds of some men and make them to see know and understand and believe by the preaching of the Word according to his gracious pleasure therefore we may resolve upon it as a certain truth that God doth call men out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace effectually out of his free grace and mercy Vse 1 If this be so it is not then upon foreseen merit that God doth call men effectually and doth work upon them powerfully by his Spirit that is the error of the Papists they hold indeed that the election of God and consequently the revelation of the truth of God it is upon their merit foreseen because God doth foresee some worthiness in them we are to renounce this as a gross Popish errour yea the truth now made known unto us being duely considered and thought upon it beareth strongly against that position that is held by some that redemption wrought by Christ is universal that Christ died for all men universally without any exception of any Now not to stand upon this erroneous position which is a dangerous errour in the ground of it it making the sin of men the sins of the world death and hell to be stronger then Christ that Christ should die for all men and yet some of those men goe to hell a fowl and a gross errour besides this it cannot stand with the truth now delivered that Christ died effectually for all men without exception of any for if so be Christ did die for all men generally and universally then doubtless all are acquainted with it savingly as a benefit belonging to themselves such as are redeemed assuredly God doth bring them to the saving knowledge of their redemption Now this is not so the preaching of the Word and plain experience doth tell the contrarie for God out of his mere good will and pleasure doth call none effectually but such as are redeemed by Christ and so all men are not for then they should savingly be brought to the knowledge of their redemption but all are not so for as in the time of Christ all men that were blinde had not their eyes opened so all have not their minds enlightned and therefore universal redemption wrought by Christ is a meer fancie of the brain of man forged in hell and there is no truth in it to say that Christ died for all and if we rest upon this we shall finde a deceiving ground of comfort Howsoever some will say how shall we comfort a poor soul a prisoner that is to be executed but by telling him Christ died for all upon what ground No Christ died not for all Again is it so that God worketh freely upon the minds and souls of men out of his free grace and mercy Oh then such as find themselves to be in Vse 2 the number of the called of God and throughly wrought upon by the power of the preaching of the Word that are brought to the saving knowledge of God in Christ they are bound to acknowledge the riches of his free grace and mercy and be thankful unto God for the same Consider it thou that hast good evidence of thy effectual calling that art transformed and changed and brought into a new mold and fashion consider with thy self that many are left in their natural ignorance and unbelief yea many are given over to Popish superstitions many living in the same place frequenting the same means hearing the same sermons sitting in the same seat with thee they remain ignorant in their blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart but God hath given thee not onely his Word and Gospel preached but a heart enlightned to receive it therefore thou hast cause to magnifie the mercy of God for this blessing of all blessings And learn thou to break out and say Lord what am I that thou shouldest vouchsafe unto me such a mercie I see thousands in their natural estate and ignorance I was born and brought forth in sinne like other men and have increased and multiplied my sinnes exceedingly my unthankefulnesse is great and my unworthinesse greater and yet thou hast vouchsafed mercy unto me above many thousands Lord thou art gracious and merciful unto me Thus we ought to be stirred up our selves to magnifie the mercie of God in that many thousands are given to Popish superstition and God hath given thee a flexible heart to his Word Oh thou canst not be sufficiently thankful for so great a favour As he saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved COme we now to the very words of the text to enter into the bowels of it In these words as I have shewed you we have a double description of the Gentiles First of their estate before their calling when they were not the people of God by nature Secondly of their condition after their Calling that they were now become the people of God and beloved of the Lord hence then first of all appeareth the estate of man by nature as yet unconverted and not wrought upon by the Spirit of God through the preaching of the Word and Gospel hence the Doctrine is this Doctrine That men who are in their natural estate as yet not effectually called and as yet not wrought upon by the Spirit of grace by the preaching of the Word and Gospel are in a miserable estate and condition they are not the people of God nor beloved of God so saith the Text and we find that that the Scripture setteth out the miserable estate and condition of men in their natural estate by many notable speeches in Rom. 5.6.8 it is said that they were sinners in a high degree ungodly yea enemies unto God and unto Christ such as are in their natural estate they are enemies unto God and there is open defiance between God and them and they may look that the Lord shall deal with them as a professed