his mercy and Justice In massa pura non corrupta we are then to be thankful unto God even when we are plunged into the deepest Afflictions we can think of we are though it seem harsh and hard to blesse God and to consider in the time of our afflictions O Lord if thou shouldest deal with us as we have deserved we had been long since in hell now if the Lord do mitigate our Judgments and hath appointed us to salvation we are to magnifie his mercy considering his lawful authority over us to do what he will with us Again we considering that the lump of clay is here to be considered untainted free from tincture and pollution so we are to conceive of mankind in the making of him free from corruption That Gods will in appointing men to their several and final ends is absolute Gods will is dependent on nothing out of God Doct. 3 and independent it dependeth upon nothing in man good or evil God had not respect to man at all either to sin original or actual neither to his fall nor to his works good or evil but as the Potter maketh of the same lump being not tainted with any tincture so the Lord in appointing men to their final ends and everlasting estate did it out of his free will depending upon nothing in man it was absolute And hence it is that the Apostle determineth Gods predestination his choosing of some to life and reprobating of others in the good will and pleasure of God in Ephes 1.5 and in the 11. verse he saith God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will not unadvisedly but with counsel Because the Will of the Lord is the highest cause of all things and when we are come to that we are not to search any further nor to reason Reason about it but to rest in the will of God Gods will being the Supream cause of all things This being a truth Vse it beareth strongly against the opinion of some erring spirits as namely those that say that God in appointing men to their final ends had respect to something in man as either to their faith and good works or to their unbelief and obstinacy in sin Now this doth not onely make the will of the Lord dependent upon mans will that if men will be saved they shall if not damned but this opinion of theirs if we mark and observe it it maketh a dissimilitude between God and the Potter which are here put together in affinity and agreement But this doth overturn and contradict it And if this be true then this text is not true for if God had respect to something in man surely then God need not appoint any person definitively nor certainly to be a vessel of honour but conditionally if they did believe And so they make God to frame divers persons diversly qualified to divers ends and that with respect had to their qualification all men if they believe shall be saved if not none And so this disannulleth and overthroweth this similitude of the Apostle of the Potter who maketh of the same lump vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour so God out of the general lump of mankind not corrupted maketh some men to honour and some to dishonour I but may some say the Apostle saith Object in 2 Tim. 2.21 if any man purge himself from evil he shall be made a vessel of honour so that it dependeth not upon Gods will but upon our purging of our selves and our purifying of our hearts and lives To this I answer The Apostle in that place alledged Answ he speaketh not either of the decree of election and fore-appointing of some men to life and salvation nor yet of his effectual vocation and effectual calling But in this place the Apostle speaketh of the office and duty of Christians and he sheweth how a Christian must carry himself different from a Reprobate and answerable that he may be a vessel of honour sanctified and purged from the drosse of Corruption and from the sin and sinful courses of the world And this is the duty of every believing and elect Child of God thus they ought to demean and purge themselves and to carry themselves even as sanctified vessels fitted and prepared for glory so that this still remaineth a truth that Gods will in appointing men to their final ends it is absolute And we are to hold this as a certain truth for if we be in the number of Gods chosen we are built upon a sure foundation namely the absolute will of the Lord and that standeth more firm and stable and immoveable then the frame of heaven and earth the very frame of heaven and earth shall be turned upside down before this shall be shaken Oh what an excellent ground of comfort is this to as many as know themselves to be in the number of Gods chosen that they shall never lose it it being built upon so sure a foundation as Gods most absolute will which can never be moved VERSE 22. 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 IN these two Verses our Apostle he maketh a real Answer to the Caviller and Carnal Reasoner the Caviller reasoneth thus from the words of the Apostle that some men are hardened it is the will of God so saith the Apostle he hardeneth whom he will what reason is there then that God should complain of such men that are hatdened the will of God is irresistible it cannot be withstood and you teach us God hardeneth whom he will what then saith the Caviller hath God to complain of Now herein first our Apostle doth check the Cavillers saucinesse and malapertnesse in the 20. verse Who art thou O man shewing the absurdity of the reasoning against God and it is as if the formed thing should say to the former why hast thou made me thus amplifying that by a similitude of the Potter whereby the Apostle implyeth that as the Potter may lawfully do with his clay what he will and frame out of it several vessels to several uses so may the Lord ordain some men to life and glory and some to shame and confusion Now the Apostle having thus made way to the Real Answer now he cometh to it and sheweth that God may lawfully punish Reprobates for their hardnesse And that God is just in threatening and punishing men for their hardnesse of heart this he proveth by the Lords manner of dealing with Reprobates because saith he the Lord suffereth them with long patience as if he had said though the Lord had decreed their rejection and casting off for ever yet before the Lord hath executed any degree of his punishment he suffereth them with long patience to continue that he may the better declare his just wrath and Judgment upon them and his power in them and may make known the riches of his mercy toward his chosen
thy life and conversation throughly reformed thy corruptions mortified thy graces increased thy love and zeal inflamed and thy soul at last eternally saved let me beg thy prayers for my self in requital of my pains and thy best wishes at the throne of grace in behalf of the Stationer for his labour and his honest care and cost bestowed herein and herein forget not to go to God for his blessing upon thy reading this work and all our endeavors herein that all may tend to his glory In hope whereof I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace and the book once more to thy serious reading and practise heartily taking leave I hasten to write my self Albourn this present March 12 h. 1652. Thine in Christ Jesus William Harrison There is lately Printed Gods holy mind touching matters Moral which himself uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments also Christs Holy Minde touching Prayer which himself taught unto his Disciples discovered by the light of his own holy Writ and delivered by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr Edward Elton B. D. and Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bar monsey near London A true Relation of the murders committed in the Parish of Clunne in the County of Salop by Enoch ap Evan upon the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the causes moving him thereunto by Richard More Esquire Printed by order of a Committee of Parliament The great Mystery of Godlinesse opened Or an Exposition upon the ninth Chapter of the Epistle to the ROMANS Romans 9. Verse 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the the holy Ghost Verse 2. That I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart THis excellent Epistle to the Romans written by that famous Apostle Paul the great Doctor of the Gentiles consisteth of these 3 parts in generall 1. A Proemium or Introduction 2. An Institution of Christian Doctrine 3. A Percration or conclusion Again in the Institution of Christian doctrine the Apostle proceedeth in this manner 1. He handleth the doctrine of Justification in the 5 first Chapters of this Epistle 2. He insisteth in the doctrine of Sanctification in the 6. and 7 th Chapters 3. Matter of sweet consolation flowing from the two former in Chapter the 8 th 4. He propoundeth and prosecuteth the doctrine of Predestination in the 9 th 10 th and 11 th Chapters 5. He proceedeth to matter of Christian exhortation to sundry duties generall and speciall Chapters 12.13 c. Now in this ninth Chapter he beginneth the doctrine of Predestination and openeth that great mystery of godlinesse concerning the rejection of the Jewes and calling of the Gentiles and herein we have 3 parts 1. In the first place we have not onely an insinuation of the Apostles dear and deep affection and a solemne and serious protestation of the truth of it but also a singular manifestation of his most admirable love to the nation of the Jewes notwithstanding the doctrine he was now about to deliver and this is amplified by sundry circumstances as 1. By the particular passion or affection wherein he manifested his dear love to them and that is his grief and sorrow for their casting off 2. The grief he here speaketh of is further amplified by two further circumstances or adjuncts viz. 1. The constancy of it 2. The sinceritie of it 3. This love of the Apostle to them is further illustrated by the great measure or extent of it viz. that he could wish himself accursed and separated from Christ in order to procure their salvation 4. Lastly by the affectionate and honourable mention that he maketh of the Jewish nation describing both fully and affectionately all their priviledges and prerogatives shewing what great cause he had to be so deeply affected with their rejection and thus he doth in the 5 first verses of this Chapter The second part of the Chapter is touching a vindication of the stabilility and constancy of the Lords promises though the Jewes were rejected and the defending of that promise of God for the stability of it against all cavils and all erring spirits and all humane reasonings that may be brought to the contrary and that from the 6. verse to the 24. The third part is a declaration of that wonderfull and deep mystery held from the beginning of the world concerning the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jews which was a thing foretold though men did not understand it before Paul revealed it unto them which was foretold by the Prophets so laid down from the 24. verse to the end of the Chapter so you have the chief materials generall in the Chapter of these in order and first of the first The Apostle being about to propound that which he knew would be taken very harsh and hard and marvellous displeasing and offensive to the Jews to hear of he useth a very patheticall insinuation of his love unto the Jews that he speaks of love expressing that love by his inward and hearty sorrow for their present estate and the care that he had for their good thereby to gain their good will and not exasperate them against him And the Apostle being to lay down their rejection useth a Preface unto it that the thing he spake was the truth and for the more force and efficacy of it he putteth down the contrary and I lie not and he confirmeth it further by an oath he calleth Christ to witnesse I speak the truth in Christ I lie not And secondly he proveth it by the witnesses and testimony of his own conscience his own conscience bearing witnesse with him and this conscience renewed by the holy Ghost mine own conscience bearing witnesse with me in the holy Ghost And then in the second verse he delivereth and putteth down his sorrow and his grief and his heavinesse of heart and thus he setteth out by the continuance and greatnesse of it it was a great sorrow and a continuall sorrow and that in his heart and soul and not a dissembled fained or outside sorrow but in his very heart and soul there he putteth down the desire of their good in the third verse And he doth expresse that by a wonderfull strange speech even by a wish to be separated from Christ for their good their calling and conversion Thereby implying their rejection and not propounding it for otherwise there was no cause of such a wish to be wished to be separated from Christ for their sake if they were not rejected and therefore he desireth to be anathemated and accursed from Christ for their good and then he setteth down reasons why he so wished himself to be separated from Christ First of all because they were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh Secondly a more waightier reason then this because they were the Israelites of God and Gods people and that he maketh further manifest and plain unto
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
are not Gods by their faith and troths which are not gods and in Zephan 1.5 The Lord threateneth to cut off all that swear by the Lord and by Malcham by Masse or by Jesse or by Laking it sheweth that they have no grace in their hearts yea it discovereth the cursed corruptions of their hearts and soules and therefore thou that art guilty of this sin think upon it fot thou sinnest fearfully against God and be sure to cry to God for mercy and for pardon of this sin for this sin if thou hadst no more were sufficient to throw thee down to hell Oh but those that swear by faith and troth will say they are no great swearers that swear by such like oathes But I say these sins are weighty enough to plunge thee headlong into hell without repentance for thou mayst not swear at all without a calling and that either before a Magistrate or in private and then it must be with reverence and a good conscience in truth in righteousnesse and in Judgment with deliberation and a Serious consideration of the Name of God in such causes as are lawful namely the great and glorious Name of God or such like particulars I say the truth in Christ and I lye not The Apostle sheweth here the sincerity of his heart that he spake the truth simply and plainly and with an honest and upright heart without any manner of doubling or dissembling I will not here enter into the common place of lying which is not here meant but take the thing naturally and hence observe That truth in word and simplicity of heart must ever go together Doctr. when a man is called to speak a truth either in matter of Religion or Civil causes he must deliver it without equivocation or mental reservation the tongue must agree with the heart and the heart with the tongue a man must not speak the truth deceitfully for so the Devil doth speak the truth with a purpose to deceive the soules of men and if men so do speak the truth falsly with a purpose to deceive they lie in speaking the truth the tongue and heart must agree it is a note of a Child of God one that is a Member of the Church Militant and Triumphant that he speaketh the truth that is in his heart Psal 15.2 But to passe by this onely touching it in a word That the same truth must be in the tongue as in the heart there must be truth in the tongue and simplicity and sincerity in the heart without equivocation or mental reservation My Conscience bearing me witnesse That is my Conscience witnessing with me that I speak the truth Hereby the Apostle putteth down one special office and act of the Conscience of man that the act and office of the Conscience of man is to bear witnesse to give evidence and testimony so that from hence it is clear Doctrine That God hath placed the Conscience in the soul of man as a witnesse of all his words and deeds yea of his very thoughts and of the motions of his will and of his inward affections how he standeth affected For here the Apostle bringeth it as a witnesse that he was truly sorrowfull which none but himself could tell and therefore he bringeth his Conscience as a witnesse so that the conscience in the soul of man beareth witnesse and giveth testimony of whatsoever a man doth think will affect speak or do and to this purpose the Apostle speaketh in Rom. 2.15 of the Gentiles that had not the Law of God but were led by the glimmering light of Nature these poor Gentiles shewed the effect of the Law written in their hearts their Consciences bearing witnesse and their hearts either accusing or excusing so in Eccle. 7.22 where the Preacher oftentimes thine own heart knoweth that is thy own conscience witnesseth that thou hast cursed others do not regard every idle word thine own conscience witnesseth thou hast cursed others and in 2 Cor. 1.12 our rejoycing is this that we have the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse we have had our conversation c. So that we see by these places God hath placed the Conscience in the soul of man as a witnesse of whatsoever man doth think or will affect like or do The Reason Reason is because God hath put into the conscience of man a power of observing and remembring all things that passe from one man to another and of man himself whether thoughts or speeches or actions either in thought in word or in deed we may see it in Josephs Brethren they remembred what they had done to Joseph even many yeares after they had done it Gen. 42.21 and in Gen. 50.15 their consciences do tell them did not we sin against our Brother it is an observer and remembrancer unto them even of their thoughts words and actions we may see it in our own experience twenty or thirty years ago do not our consciences tell us and witnesse the evil things done then by us And in this respect the Conscience may be fitly compared to a Recorder or Register That as he hath his pen in his hand alwaies ready to set down whatsoever is spoken or done so is the Conscience a register to set down remember and record all our actions and all our words and thoughts many years agone yea to witnesse when it is done as the Register turneth over his book and findeth the act done many years agone so is conscience a witnesse to us Vse This truth yeeldeth unto us a strong argument against the hellish atheists of this time that do open their black mouthes against God himself and stick not to say in plain termes that there is no God this may prove that there is a God and may wring from them this confession that there is a God for why the Conscience is a witnesse of the soul of man and that witnesse not onely of the words and deeds of men for of those men and Angels may take notice but it is a witness of the thoughts of thy heart and of thy inward and secret motions of thy soul now to whom doth that bear record not to man or Angels they cannot take notice of them but to him that hath an al-seeing eye and that is God himself and the witnesse of thy conscience is marvellous secret it is not known to any but is a secret and that secret witnesse neither man nor Angels can hear or receive for neither men nor Angels can tell what is in the heart or soul of man but the secret motion of the soul God onely knoweth for if it were not so the witnesse of the soul were to no purpose unlesse there was one that knew the witnesse of the conscience for the conscience speaketh not properly but onely by way of allusion we say it speaketh and therefore there is no other but God that knoweth the secrets of the heart and therefore let Atheists bark against it as
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
nature and by carnal generation we are not to take it in a Metaphorical sense but in the very literal sense of it For to confirm the Exposition it is most evident and clear that the thing which made the Jews to stand upon and to think themselves that they were within the Covenant and had right and title to it which is made to Abraham the very cause they so thought what was it the seeking of righteousnesse by the Law no such matter that he beateth against in the next Chapter But because they were the Israelites because they were of Abraham in regard of carnal generation and were Abrahams seed according to the flesh this they vaunted and stood upon what may we think to be meant by Abrahams seed which the Apostle speaketh of in the verse foregoing and here doth explain that term but such as came of the seed of Abraham and that by nature not such as sought righteousnesse by the Law no his meaning is no such matter because the matter they stood upon as a priviledge and prerogative belonging unto them are not the children of God That is they are not such children as God bound himself unto by a special promise to do good unto in a special manner as he said unto Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seed such as he had bound himself unto in a Covenant but the children of the promise For the understanding of this phrase and form of speech we must know that Isaac Abrahams son was a child of the promise what is that why surely such a child as the promise gave birth unto Abraham begot Isaac of his wife Sarah indeed according to the course of Nature but not by the force strength and vertue of nature he was born merely by a special promise made unto Abraham and by vertue and strength of that special promise cited by the Apostle made in Gen. 18.9 Sarah thy wife shall have a son and so though he was begotten by Abraham according to the course of Nature but not by the force of Nature For when this promise was made unto Abraham Sarah thy wife shall have a son Abraham and Sarah were old and both strucken in years and not of ability by nature to have a child so that in regard of the force of nature it was as impossible for Abraham to beget or Sarah to bear a Child as for a stone to flye upward so that he was begotten by vertue of the Promise for she was past childbearing and Abraham very old so that the force and strength of Nature in Abraham and Sarah was not the cause of Isaac's birth but by vertue of the promise so that we are to understand by children of the promise such as after the manner of Isaac are children of the promise Gal. 4.28 Now we brethren as Isaac was are the children of the Promise That is all such as by vertue of the promise of grace of life and salvation are adopted and made the children of the Promise by the vertue and force of the promise the Gospel being a quickening Gospel it being published and they believing in it they come to be the children of the promise and born anew not by nature but by the Promise The meaning of the Apostle is this That is or my meaning is that not they that are descended from Abraham onely by the course of Nature and according to the flesh and by carnal generation they are not such children as God hath bound himself unto by promise in a special manner that is to do good unto by a special promise according to the speech unto Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seed But all such that belong unto Gods election in time to be called to be the sons and daughters of God the promise being published unto them and are wrought upon by vertue of the Spirit and the Promise They onely and none but they are accounted and reputed for the true seed and children of Abraham to whom the promise of mercy grace righteousnesse and salvation belongeth Come we now to the Doctrines And here observe That the Apostle doth expound himself touching that which is put down in the verse foregoing and delivereth his mind more plainly then in the seventh verse the conclusion is this That the holy Prophets and the holy Apostles of God Doctrine the Pen-men of Scripture they do explain the things that are needful for the Church and people of God and make them more easie that are hard to be understood expressing them more plainly in one place then in another an usual thing in the Book of God for the Pen-men of Scripture to explain such things as is necessary for the people of God to expresse things that seem to be doubtful obscure and ambiguous more in one place then in another and not to leave it obscure and ambiguous For the further manifestation of it I might insist on divers places of Scripture but take these few in Gen. 17.10 we read that circumcision is called the Covenant and in the 11. verse he explaineth it and saith it is the sign of the Covenant so in Exod. 12.11 The Paschal Lamb is called the Lords Passeover that should be eaten in destroying the Egyptians then in the 27 verse it is said to be the sacrifice of the Lords passeover more plainly expounding it so in 1 Cor. 10.4 Christ is called a rock and by and by he subjoyneth unto it a spiritual rock so that phrase used by Christ which the Papists so much abuse as the ground of their transubstantiation and would prove it that the Body and Blood of Christ are really and corporally in the Sacrament under the form of Bread and Wine it is expounded by the Holy Ghost and by the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death untill he come doth not this set out the meaning of that speech abused by the Papists Take eat this is my body For these are memorials and visible signs and representations of the Body and Blood of Christ I might further instance in divers passages of the Scripture to shew that this is usual in the Scripture to explain in one place what is difficult in another the Reason is Reason Because it is Gods purpose the very purpose of the Lord in his revealed Will to make his will known unto man by Scripture so much as he would have man to know necessary to salvation And in the Scripture to give man a perfect rule of holinesse of righteousnesse of faith and of good life of all things to be known or believed and to be practised and therefore he maketh known in one place what is difficult in another to make man wise unto salvation as in 2 Tim. 3.15 thou hast known the Scriptures of a child which are able to make thee wise unto salvation to make thee to come to the understanding of it at least
persons and not of all generally Reason And the ground of it is only the good will and pleasure of God it hath so pleased him to make this difference to chuse some and to refuse others Ephes 1.5 who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the riches of the glory of his grace Vse This serveth to shew unto us the errour of such Divines and their opinion to be false that do hold that God for his part hath elected all men to salvation and so the Arminians say also and that man is reprobated is from himself for when we do ask them if God hath elected all for his part why are not all saved they answer because they will not it is their own default man is the cause of his reprobation but this is erroneous and false and contrary to the truth yea this opinion of theirs maketh mans will to over-rule Gods eternal counsel and the purpose of God to depend upon the will of man if man will he may be saved if not he may be damned this is like bills of the Chancery but there is no unablenesse in God for the will and counsel of God is the chiefest cause of all causes and we may certainly conclude that because all men are not saved therefore God doth not appoint all men to salvation And upon this ground learn to renounce this also as erroneous that Christ dyed for all universally effectually as some Divines teach universal redemption for Gods eternal election being not universal Christs redemption is not universal for Christ dyed only for the chosen of God only for the elect and he is the Saviour of his body Ephes 5.23 This is a common thing when men are convinced of their sins to say we are sinners but Christ dyed for all this is a staffe of rest to rest upon and will fail in time of tryal thou must have a better ground if thou wilt look for salvation how is that Thus thou must not only find thy self freed by Christ from deserved condemnation but also from thy vain conversation for certainly whomsoever Christ is a Saviour to by the merit of death to them he is also a Saviour by the power of his death and by the works of his Spirit turning them from sin to God Titus 2.14 Christ gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity that he might purge us to be a peculiar people to himself therefore if thou findest not thy self purged from sin from the rottennesse of thy heart thou art not wrought upon by the Spirit of God Therefore rest not upon that ground that Christ dyed for all For the Children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger COme we now to stand upon these two Verses more particularly and in that the Apostle here saith Before the children were born when they had neither done good nor evil it was said unto Rebekah by God himself that cannot lye from his Oracle it was said the elder shall serve the younger thereby implying the words having respect to spiritual things that the one of the children of Rebekah which she had in her womb was elected to life and salvation and the other rejected and refused this being the implication of that speech the Apostle pointeth out unto us thus much That Gods fore-appointing of some particular persons amongst men to life and salvation from everlasting Doctrine and his refusing and rejecting of others it is most free most absolute it dependeth not upon any thing in man or done by man but onely upon the good pleasure of God it dependeth upon nothing out of God himself but upon God merely and onely the Lord from everlasting appointing some to life and salvation and refusing others did it out of the good pleasure of his will merely without respect had to any thing in men themselves any quality good or bad or any thing done by them good or bad as a cause moving him hereunto Indeed to prevent an Objection in the beginning I deny not but I may safely speak it and hold it that there was reason and cause in the general why God would appoint some to life and salvation and why he would refuse and reject others why God would have some to be saved and others to be cast off and refused never to attain salvation I grant that why Because both the mercy of God in pardoning sin and the Justice of God in punishing sin might appear and be glorified God is a just God and a merciful God that these two might be manifested and declared for if all had been saved there is no place for his Justice but that his mercy and justice might appear the one is saved and the other rejected this is the reason in the general but why this or that particular man or woman was appointed to life and salvation and not the other man or woman why Peter and not Judas the onely reason of this is the good will and pleasure of God Gods fore-appointing of some amongst men to life and and salvation it did wholly and onely depend upon the good will and pleasure of God it had respect to nothing in man no difference between man and man arising from men themselves that the one was of a better nature and temper or thus and thus qualified or any thing done by them good or evil but onely in God himself Ephes 1.4 saith the Apostle God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundations of the world was what for any goodnesse or holinesse that was in us or he foresaw would be in us no but that we should be holy and without blame He hath chosen us not for foreseen holinesse but that we should be holy this is the language of Canaan then he subjoyneth in the fifth verse who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Iesus Christ himself according to the good pleasure of his will without respect had to any thing in us or any thing done by us so also in 2 Tim. 1.9 the Apostle speaking of God saith thus he hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works still he renounces that but according to his own promise and grace which was shewed unto us through Iesus Christ when before the world was before Jesus Christ was incarnate yea before there was a world and before we had a being And in Jude 4. verse we read that the Apostle speaking of some which were ordained of old when was that surely from everlasting before the world was or they had a being they were ordained of God to this condemnation these places doth sufficiently evidence unto us the truth of the point that God from everlasting foreappointed some particulars amongst men to life and salvation and refused and
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
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
art a foole in so doing thou doest not inquire wisely concerning this But if we will be quick-sighted and searching let us be so in regard of our sinnes and the corruption of our hearts for who can understand his faults Psalme 19.12 The heart of Man is deceitfull who can know it Be curious in searching out thy sinnes and hidden corruptions and in searching out the subtle devices of the Devil here is a matter of just search and inquirie and by this thou shalt gain comfort but by diving into the secrets of God nothing but terrour and danger is to be found But oh man saith the Apostle Who art thou BEfore I leave this Verse it is needful to remove an imputation and slander laid upon us by the Church of Rome the Papists upon that which we have now delivered bend the face of this truth and seem to beat the edge of it against us in this manner An impudent cavil of the Papists answered If this be so that men are to be held and accounted impudent and shamelesse and wickedly bold that dare seek into Gods secrets is this your Doctrine that men are not to prie into those things that God hath not revealed then say they you your selves may be justly charged to be such impudent and shamelesse persons you cannot avoid the same it falleth flat upon your heads and doth convince you of wicked boldnesse Because say they you take upon you to know it and that infallibly that you are in the number of Gods chosen and of them that shall be saved not by conjecture or hope but to know it infallibly Now say they this is a bold presumption for you to prie into Gods secret closet and to step up into Heaven and to make your selves of the privie Councel of God to affirm and aver that you are in the number of Gods chosen for you have no Word nor special Revelation to that purpose as Paul had and some other holy servants of God and therefore the blessed Apostle Paul may say as he said in Romans 8.38 39. I am sure that neither Principalities nor Powers Angels nor things to come shall remove him from Christ But where is your special Revelation and special Word to this purpose that you shall certainly be saved and therefore say they you are wicked impudent shamelesse and bold in so doing Answer To this I answer Though the Word of God in Scripture doe not say unto thee in particular beleeve thou John or Thomas or any other particular name and thou shalt be saved in particular yet the Word of God puts down a general promise and the Word saith John 3.16 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God shall never perish but shall have everlasting life Who is so simple he knoweth not but that the general comprehendeth a special and especially where there is a word of Commandment joyned unto it to apply the promise particularly and where the Minister standeth in the place of Christ 2 Corinthians 5.20 As his Embassadour to assure as many as believe the promise and repent of their sins that they in particular shall be saved even thou whatsoever thy name is thou believing in Christ shalt certainly be saved Oh but say they the Minister may misse the mark and mistake and he may assure a man that he belongeth to God and shall certainly be saved when there is no such matter Answ It is true indeed if so be the Minister take upon him to speak absolutely that this particular man or woman shall be saved But if he speak upon the condition of faith and repentance he cannot mistake he may say to this or that particular man Thou John or Thomas believe thou in Christ and repent truly and unfeignedly of thy sins and thou shalt certainly be saved upon this ground he may assure him of salvation It s no boldnesse to search into that we are commanded so to do 2 Cor. 3.10 Therefore it is not any matter of boldnesse to search into it yea we are bound to search whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no nay we may and we ought to search into that matter whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no so as we do it by ordinary and direct means by diving and searching into our own hearts and there labouring to find the witnesse of the Spirit and the fruits of true saving faith answerable to the Spirit for by this means we may and we ought to search and try into it whether we be in the estate of faith and of salvation or no nay we have the warrant of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 prove your selves whether you are in the faith or no know you not your selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Therefore it is a mere imputation laid upon us by the enemies of the holy truths of God Come we now to the Apostles Amplification of it in the reproof of the Carnal Reasoner replying against God The Apostles Amplification Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus in which the Apostle sayeth open the absurdity and the grossenesse of the Carnal Reasoner in pleading against God and that by a Comparison and similitude and it is as if so be a peece of Wood or Iron wrought by some Artificer a Smith or Carpenter should say unto him thou art a bungler why hast thou made me of this fashion which were a Monster in Nature And hereby our Apostle implyeth that it is as absurd and grosse for men to quarrel with the Lord and to argue and reason the case with God that is the Creator and Maker why he made them to this or that end or in this or that manner Now this being the drift of the Apostle in this Amplification to shew the absurdity of it hence ariseth this Conclusion That it is a most unmeet thing and a thing odious and hateful monstrous Doctrine 3 and abominable for man the creature to quarrel with God the Creator and to find fault with him touching his will in making and framing and disposing of him this way or that way those persons are odious and hateful to God and monsters amongst men whosoever they be that so dare quarrel with God and reason the cause with him touching his will and decree And to clear and confirm this truth unto us we find in Esay 45.9 10. the Prophet denounceth a woe against such as contend with God their Maker Shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it why hast thou made me of this or that form thou hast no hands thou art a bungler to make me And woe to the child that saith unto his father why hast thou begotten me or to his mother why hast thou brought me forth and in Numb 14.3 we find that the people of Israel they quarrelled and found fault with God and broke out into high and vile terms with God standing out with him saying VVherefore
the point with this Doxology for of him and through him and for him are all things to him be praise and to him be glory for ever Amen And it must needs be so for these Reasons Reason 1 Because God is onely infinitely wise and God cannot aym or do any thing but to the best end and that must needs be one end and the best end is onely the glory of God a better end there cannot possibly be then that which is the supreme end of all things Reason 2 Because the Lord can respect nothing out of himself what can God respect out of his own blessed Majesty as a principal end of all his actions and counsels and therefore his glory must he needs aym at which is most pretious and dear unto himself Vse 1 Now then upon this ground for the use of it we see in the first place how we may justly hold that God hath ordained some amongst men to everlasting destruction namely thus that the Lord hath ordained some to everlasting destruction not simply as it is their destruction but as their destruction maketh way for and tendeth to the declaration of the glory of his Justice and the glory of his power this end the Lord aymeth at And upon this ground we may answer that which is commonly objected by Anabaptists and other erring spirits that reason thus If God hath appointed and ordained some to everlasting destruction then also this will follow that God hath ordained and appointed the means that tend to that end and that is sin Now to this we may easily answer that as the Lord hath not ordained any to everlasting destruction simply as it is their destruction but as it maketh for the glory of his Justice and power so God hath not ordained sin simply as it is sin and evil but he hath either ordained such sins as are punishments of fore-going sins for as sinnes following are punishments of sins foregoing so they are a Moral good thing and agree with his Justice or else the Lord hath ordained to suffer and permit the being of some other sins which are not punishments not simply as they are sins but as they concur and make way to the highest end of all and that is the manifestation and declaration of his Justice and power and so we see how we may safely hold as a warranted truth of God that God hath from everlasting fore-appointed and fore-ordained some men to everlasting damnation it being rightly understood namely not as it is their destruction but as it is the manifestation and declaration of the glory of his Justice and of his power Again this being so that the highest end the Lord aymeth at in mens Vse 2 punishments is the manifestation and glory of his Justice and power this must teach us then our lesson to find cause of praising God and glorifying of him in the punishments of wicked persons such as are malicious enemies of God and of his truth as Moses and Miriam did in the overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea they brake out into praise and glorifying of God in Exod. 15. the whole Chapter so when we see the hand of God justly upon them that are wicked and malicious enemies of the Church of God we are to rejoyce in it and to pick out of it matter of praise and glory unto God for his Justice appearing in the same Indeed beloved I grant we are not to rejoyce simply in the smart and pain of others as we say in the Schooles non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non gaudia ex aliena calamitate be they never so wicked or vile but rather to pity them as they be the creatures of God but as we discern them to be the enemies of the Lord and enemies of the truth and it is apparent that the just hand of God is now upon them and his Justice lighted upon them we are to rejoyce and we ought to magnifie and to glorifie the Justice of God in their just punishment To this purpose speaketh the Psalmist in Psal 58.11 12. verses The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance of God upon the wicked and he shall wash his feet in the blood of the ungodly and men shall say verily there is fruit for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the earth Men shall thus magnifie the just hand of God in his Judgments upon wicked persons so that we see we may rejoyce when we see the hand of God upon wicked persons and such as are enemies to God and his Truth Come we now to the 23. Verse VERSE 23. And that he might declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory IN this Verse our Apostle amplifieth the Manifestation of Gods glory and power in manifesting his patience to the wicked by the end of their punishment in respect of Gods Elect and that is to declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy prepared to glory Now the general things considerable in this verse are two First the end which we have spoken of propounded and laid before us that he might declare the riches of his glory And secondly the persons unto whom and that is the Elect who are described to be vessels of mercy and those prepared unto glory And that he might declare the riches of his glory unto the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory Now come we to the opening of the words And that he might declare Or in like sort that he might make known to all the world men and Angels the riches of his glory The word glory here signifieth that whereby God is glorious in particular it signifieth the glory of the grace and mercy of God whereby God sheweth himself to be most glorious and hence it is the Apostle putteth glory as an Epithet of Gods grace in Ephes 1.6 to the praise of the glory of his grace and thus the word glory is used in Ephes 3.16 That he might grant you according to the riches of his glory what is that the riches of his grace and of his mercy and the word riches as it doth often in Scripture signifieth plenty and abundance as the Apostle calleth it the bountifulnesse of God Rom. 2.4 the superabundant bountifulnesse of God so that his meaning is that he might declare his abundant grace and mercy upon the vessels of mercy vessels of mercy are here opposed unto vessels of wrath spoken of in the verse before and thereby we are to understand Gods Elect who are called vessels of mercy because they are created of God fit to receive mercy even as vessels are fit to receive water by reason of their concavity so they are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory that is which the Lord hath from everlasting ordained and fore-appointed to everlasting happinesse and glory in heaven 1 Thess 5.9 God hath not appointed us unto wrath but he hath appointed us to obtain salvation by