Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	believe_v	faith_n	lord_n	1,391	5	3.9699	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47193	The universall free grace of the Gospell asserted, or, The light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ, shining forth universally, and enlightning every man that coms [sic] into the world, and therby giving unto every man, a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved, which is glad tydings unto all people, being witnessed and testifyed unto, by us the people called in derision Quakers : and in opposition to all denyers of it, of one sort and another proved by many infallible arguments, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit of truth, according to Scripture testimonies and sound reason : with the objections of any seeming weight against it, answered it, answered / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Furly, Benjamin, 1636-1714.	1671 (1671)	Wing K228; ESTC R13258	128,214	140

run thus God so loved the Elect that whosoever of them Elect beleevs should not perish which is void of sence forasmuch as none of the Elect but must beleeve and yet the Particle whosoever distributeth those who are understood here by the World into Beleevers and Unbeleevers shewing that God so loved all that hee gave an opportunity unto them to be saved by beleeving and if they did not beleeve their perishing was not for want of the Love of God towards them but because they did not beleev in him whom God had sent 3. In that he sayes God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved And yet many are condemned it is manifest that even these who are condemned had an opportunity once to be saved and so the Love of God reached once towards them or elce it might be said God sent his Son even mainly and principally to them for their condemnation Againe in that hee sayes This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and man loved darknes rather then the light These two things are plainly held forth 1. that whoever are condemned it is for loving the darknes rather then the light 2. That the light is come and hath appeared unto them all who are condemned for how can any be condemned for not loving that which never came nor appeared unto them Againe it is plaine that every evill Door hath had the light appearing unto him becaus hee is said to hate it Now hee could not hate that which never appeared nor was manifest and that is the light which reproveth his evill deeds Moreover it is also evident that the light did come unto them in a way wherin they could have been saved becaus their condemnation was that they did not beleeve in his Name but loved the darknes rather But they could not be condemned for not beleeving in that which coms not in a saving way Againe If every one who beleeveth not is condemned for unbelief then they have had a Law commanding them to beleev for wher no Law is there is no transgression which Law could be no other then the Law according to the Grace of spirituall and saving Illumination and not according to a meer Naturall enlightning for no light of a mans owne nature can ever give him a Law to beleeve And farther This Illumination can shew if a mans work be wrought in God therefor it is spirituall and sufficient to salvation Againe Iohn 8. 12. He hears a Testimony to the same Truth I am said hee the light of the World he that followes me shall not walk in darknes but shall have the light of life Now that he is the light of the world lighting it according to a spirituall and saving Illumination is hence manifest and not according to that which is but naturall onely for hee alone that followes him as hee doth spiritually and savingly enlighten hath the Light of Life or is saved And as to their evasion that by the World is meant only the Elect that which is aforsaid doth refute it and besides Christ said to the Jewes many of whom did perish and so were Reprobats While yee have the light beleev in it that yee may be the children thereof But that I may overturne the foundation of this evasion I say none are the Elect of God but in relation unto beleeving in the light and loving thereof and none are Reprobate but in Relation unto their unbelief hating and rejecting it for the Lord never reprobated or rejected any but who rejected the Gift of his Love offered unto them so that whoever are elected they are elected according to the foreknowledge of God who did foreknow or foresee that they would beleev and embrace the offer of his love which is Iesus Christ and whoever are Reprobated are Reprobated according to the foreknowledge of God who did foreknow or foresee that they would reject the offer and not believe yet I doe not say that either the Faith of the one or the unbelief of the other was the cause of Gods Eternall decree which hath no cause without himself but this I say men beleeving are the Object of Election and men disbeleiving and rejecting Iesus Christ are the Object of Reprobation not the moving but the terminating so that their unbelief is not the cause of Gods Decree but the cause of their Condemnation and destruction which is decreed And so in Scripture this gift of the Fathers love the Lord Iesus Christ is said to be disallowed or rejected of men Now they could not have rejected him if hee had not come a light unto them and been truly offered for none can reject that which is not offered And if hee was offered hee could be offered under no lesse Terms then making salvation possible to them for the offer of the Lord doth proceed from a true and reall willingnes to give that which is offered who-ever dare say the contrary doe charge the Lord with hypocrisy and dissimulation which is blasphemous but if the Lord hath a true and reall willingnes to give his Son unto all who reject him Then it was possible for them at sometime to have received him for the Lord willeth nothing that is Impossible and it is below that infinite Goodnes and Nobility of the Lord to offer unto poor men that which it is Impossible for them to receive as now it were below all Ingeunity and Humanity in us to offer Alms unto a poor man in such a way as hee could not receive it as if he were bound in fetters and we should stand at a distance and hold it forth unto him but so as hee could not reach it Argument 3. From Rom. 1. v. 18 19 20 21 c compared with Col. 1. 23. THe Apostle Paul whose Ministry was mostly unto the Gentils and therfore is called the Apostle of the Gentils doth in this Epistle hold forth many things concerning the Gentiles both as touching the Priviledges which they had received from the Lord and also the use that they made of them some improved them to advantage but others and that for the most part did misimprove them for which the Lord was provoked against them to give them up to a Reprobate mind And this hee doeth according to the Wisdome given him of God to make way for the more abundant Reception and spreading of the Faith among the Nations which becaus of the want of these outward Priviledges that the Iewes had wer looked upon by the Jewes as out-casts and rejected of God to whom the preaching of the Doctrine of Salvation did not belong which was even the error of Peter and his brethren generally till the Lord convinced him thereof by a vision from Heaven Acts 10. Now in this Epistle among divers other things of importance hee declareth these two things 1. That though the Iewes had Priviledges in the outward above the Gentils as the Law and

3. 35. and there is a more speciall giving which is onely applicable to the Saints Who are his children and these cannot but come unto him as Peter said Lord to whom shall goe but unto thee c. There are other places urged by them but these adduced are the most usuall and the answers given unto them will being rightly applyed suffice to any other so that who judge of this matter according to the witness of God in their hearts and do therein ponder the Scriptures will find the Doctrin of the Nationall Teachers concerning Election and Reprobation not to be according to the truth nor Scripturall but indeed a most pernicious Doctrine to the hindring of the growth and spreading of piety in the world as may appear from what is already said I shall now descend to weigh the few small Reasons they have and usually give for their adhering to so absurd an Opinion First then they say if election be according to faith foreseen then it is not free Answ. It followeth not at all for election is free though it be not without respect to faith even as justification is free which themselvs say is not without respect to faith They must then either deny justification to be free or say that it hath no respect to faith or confess that election is free not withstanding its respect to faith Secondly they argue if Election and reprobation be according to faith foreseen then something in the creature was the moving cause of Gods decree Answ. Nor doth this follow For though men beleeving be the object of the decree of Election yet they are not the moving cause thereof in like manner men unbeleeving are the object but not moving cause of reprobation Unbeleef is indeed a cause of the Destruction of the wicked which destruction is decreed so is also faith an instrumentall cause of the salvation of the Saints which is also decreed but not of the decree of God which hath no cause without himselfs And by these Answers any other reasons they bring may be confuted Object 13. If saving grace andilight were given unto all then all should be saued otherwise grace were not effectuall as not having its efficacy Answ. It followeth not grace is effectuall and hath its sufficient efficacy in that in its own nature it is able to save all who do not resist it even as Physick may be very effectuall to cure such and such diseases if duly applyed and yet if it be not permitted to have its due operation it may not onely not cure but kill But more over grace hath its efficacy in all in that it makes all inexcusable who do resist it and persist in their gainstauding And thus it tendeth to the glory of God in their condemnation But say some a morall suasion is sufficient to leave men without excuse Answ. I deny it For nothing can render men unexcusable but that which being improved can excuse which no morall suasion can doe Object 14. Saving light and grace is irresistible therefore it must have its effect to salvation Answ. That the Lord may work irresistibly in some we deny not but that he doth so work in all that are or may be saved is the meer brain-sick fancy of these men and contrary to the tenor of the whole Scriptures which complain of mens resisting the holy Ghost withstanding the truth holding it under in unrighteousness crucifying the Lord of glory in themselvs doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace oppressing and choaking the good seed c. What is more effectuall then the sun and then fire unto which Christ the word of grace and tru light is compared yet what more easily resisted then the light of the sun without all pains by the bare wink of the ey And fire though suffered to break out to a flame can be quenched To divers other naturall powerfull causes which have efficacy enough in them to procur their proper effects if not impeded is this word of grace compared Object 15. It s said of some that they could not beleeve Jo. 12. 39. Ergo c. Answ. True but no where is it said that from the begininng they could not beleeve Yea the very reason why they could not at that time beleeve is expressly rendred by Matth. 13. 13. because they had closed their eys and in seing did not see for which cause the Lord being provoked gave them up read v. 14. 15. to hardness of heart that they could not beleeve Object 16. God so hardned Pharoahs heart that he could not obey the Lord and let the people goe Answ. True again but where is it said that Pharoahs heart was so hardned from the beginning of the time that he was capable of understanding no where Pharoah had provoked the Lord by his cruell oppressing the Israelites causing their male children to be killed a just provocation of the Lord thus to give him up to obduracy of heart so that he could not obey Now we never said that all men may beleeve and obey the Lord at all times but onely at such times and seasons as the Lord breaths and moves upon them within the day of their visitation Object 17. It s said of the People of Israell Deut. 29. 4. The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eys to see and ears to heare c. Therefore he had not given them all saving light and grace Answ. It follows not for the perceiving heart seing eyes hearing ears are the effect of this saving light and grace onely in those in whom it is not resisted Now God had given his good Spirit to instruct them Nehem. 9 v. 20. but they rebelled against and vexed his holy Spirit Isayah 63 verse 10. But some would fain limit these words only to those who prophesied or at least to the faithfull unto whom God gave his good Spirit to in struct the people which they rebelled against not in themselvs but in the faithfull who did instruct them Answ. This cannot be for it had been to no purpose to give his good Spirit unto the teachers to instruct the people if no measure of the same had been given to the people to learn For as none can sufficiently teach the things of God without the Spirit so can none can truly learn them without it Again so far as any man resists the Spirit of God in another he first resists it in himself yea it is said expresly they tempted God in their hearts Psa. 78. verse 18. And it is already proved that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall Object 18. Some are said to have no light in them Isayah 8. 20. Answ. According to the Hebrew even as the margent intimates it is thus because they have no morning in them Now its true all have not the morning light in them which imports the day star to be arisen but with many it is as it were midnight for darkness yet the light

is the Word of faith in men answers to the things of Faith and therfor the true Ministers of the Gospell offer Faith unto all men there being in all men some measure of illumination by which they are capable to receiv it Now Iohn saith further hee was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not by the World it is manifest hee understandeth Men for that hee maks it a culpable thing that hee being in the World yet the World did not know him and so it cannot be understood of the outward frame of Heaven and Earth which are not in a capacity to know him Therefor according to Iohn hee was in men who knew him not and so in them who did not beleive in him nor receive him He came to his owne and his owne received him not viz. Those who wer his owne 1. by the Right of Creation 2. by the Right of Donation all men yea and all things wer delivered unto him of his Father and they to wit all men wer given him that hee might enlighten them as hee is given unto them for the same and so distributeth unto them their severall Talents that they might putt them to usury and at his coming to Iudgement might give an account of them Now here some reply That by these words in the 10. 11. vers is understood his coming outwardly in the land of Iudea but I answer as hee came there and was a light in the outward which shined gloriously and yet they did neither know him nor receive him so hee did come in the inward in some measure both then unto them and to all others yea and from the beginning forasmuch as hee hath ever beene the light of the world enlightning every man that coms into it therefore Iohn bears testimony unto him not only in what hee was at present but in what hee had been from the beginning both what hee then was and what hee was to be afterwards So by his being in the world and coming unto his owne cannot be simply understood his coming in the outward excluding his inward coming And b●…sides his coming IN THE OUTWARD excluding his inward coming could not so enlighten them that they might beleev But hee came enlightening them so that they might beleve Therfore his coming outwardly is not simply nor principally here understood For to his outward coming the following verses doe rather relate Morover John bare testimony of him saying The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ by which it is evident that Iohn is here preaching Christ as an universall Light unto all not according to a naturall illumination but according to that which is saving and spirituall Grace and Truth saith he cometh by Iesus Christ. And of his fulnes said hee have we all received Grace for Grace Now what ALL is this only the Saints and Beleevers No for if Saints and Beleevers only received Grace from Christ then no Unbeleevers could ever become Saints and also no Saints ever were Unbeleivers which is false For now when Grace first cometh unto men from Christ out of his fulnes it findeth them Unbeleevers and it is given them while they are such to the end that they may be converted from their unbeleef So then Unbeleevers receive Grace that they may beleeve and Beleevers receive it that they may beleeve more and more yet now some yea many and most Unbeleevers suffer not this Grace which they have received to have its operation in them which would change them and make them Beleevers but like the slothfull Servant hide their Masters mony in the earth in a napkin therefore it doth not encrease nor bring forth the fruits of Grace which it doth in them who yeeld submitt unto its operation But some may say if they had received Grace they had received him and so they should have become the Sons of God according to vers 12. I answer the Word receive hath divers significations 1. If a thing be put in such a place it is said to be received as if Seed be sowne in barren earth So the slothfull Servant which hid his Masters mony in the earth is said to have received it Math 25. 24. But 2. a thing is said to be received when it is suffered to have its due operation in that wher it is put and if not it is said to be rejected so the Earth may be said not to receive the Seed which though sowne in it yet it suffers it not to spring up and the Body which receivs good Physick into it yet resisting the operation thereof it may be said not to receive it but reject it And thus many words in Scripture have divers significations which in one is true in another false and so all men of his fulnes received Grace but some recei●…e it no otherwise then the barren Earth or Womb receivs the Seed or as the slothfull Servant his Talent and so it proves their condemnation even as the body which receiving good Physick resisting it and working against it is killed thereby Others receive it so as to yeeld to its operation and so they are as the good Ground which receiving the good Seed bringeth forth fruit some 30 some 60 and some 100 fold Argument 2. From Ioh. 3. vers 16. 17. c. to 22. compared with Ioh. 8. 12. IN these words Joh. 3. from v. 16. to 22. Our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ doth from his owne mouth bear a large and plaine Testimony unto this Truth God said he so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Wherby hee doth shew forth the cause of mans perishing and misery to be from mans owne selfe and not from the Lord for the Lord so loved men that hee sent his Son to save them but men did not beleeve in him whom the Father had sent Now that this love of God is universall towards all men and that the Son is come into all to be a Saviour unto them is manifest in that hee saith God so loved the World that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish But here also they have sought out an evasion to darken and corrupt this clear Testimony by the World say they hee means not all men but only the Elect. In opposition to which I say 1. It s but a meer allegation without any ground for they can shew us no place in all the Scripture wher only the Elect are called the World Indeed evill men and unbelievers are oft called the World and sometyms all men are called the World but no wher the Elect alone But 2. supposing the World wer sometyms understood to be only the Elect yet it cannot be so understood here for that it would render these words of our blessed Lord void of sence and nonsensicall which were blasphemous to think For according to that acceptation the words would

and indeed as concerning the naturall Illumination the Gentiles could not be said to detaine IT for they gave but too much way unto IT And Thereby sought to find out Wisdome but could not for since the fall the naturall light or illumination of man is exceedingly corrupted and yet men have loved IT and set IT up above the Gift of God and fed upon IT as if IT had beene the Tree of life And IT hath beene permitted to grow and become a very large Tree but the fruit of IT is corrupt and Impure in all naturall men and not good for food so unrighteousnes cannot be said to detaine or hinder the growth of the naturall Illumination as it is corrupt for many men who are very unrighteous and wicked have much of it and many times more then the Righteous so that Christ said The children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of God Now the naturall Illumination as it was pure before transgression so in them who come to be purified from transgression it doth become pure for the Truth purifieth it and it groweth up under its shadow and is good unto men for divers uses and so unrighteousnes hindreth its growth as its pure but not as it is impure And this has been the generall Losse of men in that they have still sought after that satisfaction in the naturall Illumination which they should have sought after in this heavenly and Divine Principle of truth and so have missed IT and seeking Wisdome have become fooles so as to exchange the truth of God for a lye as it is here Imputed unto these Gentiles Now as in the Scripture it is said Poor men are vanity and Rich men are alye vers 13. becaus they were apprehended and judged to be what they were not so it may be said the naturall light or illumination as it is now corrupted since the fall is a Lye in such an Acceptation becaus it is judged by men to be what it is not They love and esteeme it more then the Precious Truth and seek after wisdome and knowledge in it which is not the true knowledge and Wisdome of God that maks wise unto Salvation And of this the Gentiles wer extreamly guilty for thereby they lost any measure of the true knowledge they had received and became vaine in their Imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned for which cause God gave them over to a Reprobate mind to doe those things which are not convenient this is the 8. Reason why this manifestation is not the naturall illumination becaus through it God kept them as by a chaine from doing these abominations which afterwards hee gave them up to committ There was a time when God dwelt in their knowledge wherby they knew him through what hee had made manifest of his eternall power in them and hee being thus manifest in them stood as in their way and withheld them from doing those things till afterwards that hee was provoked through their unthankfulnes who when they knew him did not glorify him even to give them up to a Reprobate mind not from the beginning but after much provocation and long suffering of God and therfor they could not but be under a Possibility of Salvation befor they were thus given up for a man is alwayes under this Possibility till hee be given up to a Reprobate mind or Spirit so that the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth to strive with him any more But say our Adversaries This is but the naturall Illumination becaus it is said the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seene being understood by the things that are made so that what they knew of God they gathered it but from the creatures and things that were made and therefor it was but the Light of nature or naturall Illumination To which I answer supposing that by these words the things that are made which are according to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Should be understood the Works of the outward creation yet it doth not follow in the least that what they did know or understand of the invisible things of God was either meerly or principally from or by them I doe willingly Indeed acknowledge that ther is a Book of Creation in which many things of God which require great consideration are writt but I say this book is sealed and can no more be truly and sufficiently understood then the Book of the Scriptures unles that Divine and spirituall Illumination of the Holy Spirit of God doe unseal it doe reveale and open and make knowne the things that are therein recorded Now the Apostle doth not say that they understood the invisible things of God either only or principally by the things that are made for before hee maks any mention of the things that are made hee speaks of that which may be knowne of God which was manifest in them which God had shewed unto them and so this was a Light to reveal these things of God which were writ in the Creaturs and as a key to open them up and as an Interpreter to Interpret those Characters of the Divine Power Wisdome and Goodnes of God imprinted in the Creatures But Secondly the Words may be no lesse truly yea more properly and warrantably translated in the Creatures or things made as thus the invisible things of God are seene clearly in the things that are made so that they who looke upon the Invisible things of God with the Light of Divine Illumination which proceeds from him Can and doe see God and his invisible things in all the Creaturs or things that are made so that the Creaturs are not in themselves a Vail to hinder the sight of God from any man if the Vail of iniquity were but rent off from the Eye of his mind and that Eye were filled with the Divine Light of God hee could clearly see the Lord and his invisible things even his Glory Power and Majesty in all things that are made as really as with our naturall Eyes wee can see visible things in such and such places Now I may see a man in such a place and yet the place contribute nothing by way of a cause to give me the sight of him so I may see the Lord clearly in Creaturs and yet the Creaturs not be the cause of my sight and indeed so it is The Creaturs and things that are made of this visible World God is in them and filleth them with his heavenly presence and may be seene in them by men who behold him in the Divine and Heavenly Light which proceeds from him but they cannot be called the cause so much as by way of either Object or Instrument why hee is clearly seene I doe not deny but there is a certaine abstractive knowledge of God to be gathered from the Creatures which are visible and wherof they may be called the cause by way of Object and Instrument but this is not the

clear sight of God being not Intuitive but abstractive and so the Creaturs cannot administer or afford unto us the clear sight of God becaus they cannot exhibit or emit unto us the image of God but only some Prints and footsteps of him but the clear sight of God which is the Intuitive knowledge of him can only bee had in the Son as hee is manifest in the expressed Word and Image which is the Light that giveth with open face only to behold him Now though the Invisible things of God may be clearly seene i. e intuitively in the Creatures yet if the Creaturs have no Causality hereof this knowledge cannot in the least be imputed unto the Creaturs and so not unto any naturall illumination which is either acquired or encreased by them And this is a manifest Reason why the Creaturs of this visible world can not be said to be the cause of this knowledge here mentioned becaus no knowledge wee can receive by them though but as by Instruments is a clear seing of the Invisible things of God wheras this here mentioned is a clear seeing of them which might be in the Creaturs but not by them So that if all Creaturs wer removed yea and turned to nothing save only that Creature which hath this clear sight yet the Invisible things o God could be seene As now if I should see clearly some Excellent Object in or through Glasse which if the Glasse were removed I could see as well without it I could not impute any thing to the Glasse as having influence upon my sight So it is as to this sight of God the Creaturs are as it were a Christall Glasse in and through which the Beauty and Glory of the Lord doth shine which those who are of a pure mind can see in them and through them so that they are no Vail nor hinderance in themselvs and yet they are no cause of this sight neither for if they were removed yet the Lord could be seene Now I shall not say that all these Gentiles had such a sight of the Invisible things of God as to have these Immediate manifestations of his Love Ioy Peace Goodnes and Excellency which the Saints have but there is a Manifestation of God which is in a mixture of Wrath and Mercy Iudgement and Compassion that the Lord administers unto men befor their conversion in order thereunto through which hee appears in them as a Consuming fire and yet not wholly to destroy but to purifie them and consume the iniquity Which Manifestation cannot be imputed unto the Creatures without but is inwardly felt and seene And such a Manifestation had these Gentiles and in some measure every man that coms into the world otherwise hee could not be left without excuse if he had not clearly seene somewhat of the Invisible things of God even his Eternall Power and God head revealing his wrath from Heaven against all ungodlines and unrighteousnes which is called a clear sight in respect of the Wrath and Iudgement of God made manifest in them becaus of sin And thus farre every Eye shall see him who have pierced him that is to say caused the Seed to suffer in their owne particulars But 3. By the things that are made if any man will so translate the words may be understood those things which are inwardly made those marvelous works of the Lord which are wrought in mens hearts both of Judgement and Mercy through the appearance of God and the Revelation of his almighty arme and power in that Heavenly and Divine Principle of his owne Seed by which indeed the Invisible things of him are clearly seen And untill a man come to see the Lord in the things that are made of him in himselfe hee can never see him in the things that are made without him which gave occasion to many of the Gentile Philosophers to bid people seek God within themselvs as Seneca said Intra te quere Deum i. e. Seek God within thy self But now if a man would seek God within himselfe and desire to see him clearly and enjoy him hee must seek him in the Divine Seed and in the things that are made therin and thereof hee must seeke him in the righteousnes purity holines meeknes and temperance which spring up in the Divine Seed and are the works of God and the things which are made by which hee is clearly seene and also enjoyed and possessed for this Seed and the Birth thereof by the springing up of these Heavenly powers and vertues which issue there from Can and doth truly represent the Divine P●…wer a●…d God head being the expresse Image of God This hath beene the Lamentable losse of many who have sought God even within themselves that they might see him and enjoy him but have sought him in the naturall illumination and in the perishing and corruptible thoughts and imaginations willings runnings of their owne hearts which are a Vail to darken and blind the Eye instead of helping it to see him wheras they should have sought him in the Divine Seed which generally they set at naught for it has beene the stone that the builders in all ages have despised and trode upon and held it in unrighteousnes but to us who beleeve it is precious and therein and thereby wee have seen those things of God which are too wonderfull for us to declare Now where these heavenly and Divine works of Truth and Righteousnes and Holines are made and brought forth in the Divine Seed there the Lord hath his Throne which is as it were built of these heavenly materialls these Saphirs and Carbuncles and Precious stones according to which it is said Psal. 89 14. I●…stice and Iudgement are the habitation of his Throne and Mercy and Truth shall goe before his face For here doth the Glory of the Lord manifest it selfe as the Heavens here is the Lord seene and tasted and enjoyed as hee is all sweetnes all love all meeknes and gentlenes his Anger and Wrath and severity being turned away which was manifested in the day when Iniquity had power in the heart But as David said If I goe up to Heaven thou art there also Now as the heart where Righteousnes and Holines Purity and humility have place doth represent Heaven wherin God dwelleth and revealeth himselfe in most sweet and comfortable manifestations so the heart where unrighteousnes unholines pride and impurity c. have place doth fitly represent Hell yet even in this Hell God is and doth make his Invisible power and God-head clearly to be seene therin but not in the sweet and comfortable manifestations aforesaid but in such as are very dreadfull and terrible as a consuming fire to devour the Adversary As an angry and Jealous God all anger all wrath all severity and Iustice and no otherwise to be Immediatly seene till iniquity be turned from only unto whom the day of their visitation yet remains the mercy and Compassion of the Lord doth let

Dignity is falne and falling and shall fall before the Iudgment of the spirit of God in every heart and conscience in every Nation Kindred and Tongue that submiteth to the Judgment of God This is it of which David in the spirit prophesyed Psalms 9. 97. and 98. saying The Lord hath prepared his Throne for Iudgment shall judge the world in Righteousnes and minister Iudgment to the people in righteousnes He cometh behold he cometh to judge the earth the world he shall judge with righteousnes and the people with truth and equity This is the everlasting Gospell which the Angell whom Iohn saw fly through the midst of heaven had to preach to them that dwell on the earth even to every Nation Kindred and Tongue saying with aloud voice Feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his Iudgment is come Which is now fullfilled and fullfilling and therfore is Babylon falne and falling in Nations Kindreds and Tongues even so oh Lord let her and hir Merchants fall never more to rise Amen Deuteronomy 30. 14. But the Word is nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it These words are to be understood of the Word of Faith which is Christ as Paul doth expound and apply it both to the Jew and Gentile Rom. 10. as is above shewed Now these words that thou mayst do it are very observable as holding forth an ability or Power given them in the Word as it is received by faith wherby they may do whatever it commands and consequently that it is sufficient unto salvation see Argum. 6. where this place is at large opened Deuteronomy 32. vers 43. compared with Rom. 15. vers 10. c. Rejoice O yee Nations or Gentiles with his People c. and why should the Nations rejoice with his people even becaus they had the same mercy of God as to what was the maine and substantiall thing bestowed upon them Paul in his Epistle to the Romans cap. 15. vers 10. takes notice of these words of Moses and makes use of them to shew that the Gentiles were not so cast off of God but that they had the same mercy as had the Iewes in relation unto the chiefe and substantiall thing as he expresly saith vers 9. Let the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy and this hee confirmeth out of the Psalmes Moses and Isaiah out of the Psalmes hee bringeth these Testimonies first Psal. 18. 49. For this cause I will confesse to thee among the Gentiles but in the Gentiles it is in the Hebrew and Greek and sing unto thy name so that the Lord was among and in the Gentiles and had a Name in and among them which was a Name of mercy The second Testimony is from Psal. 117. O praise the Lord all yee Nations praise him al yee people for his mercifull kindnes is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth forever praise yee the Lord. Now what us is this to whom his mercifull kindnes is great even the Nations and Gentiles that all of them no lesse then to the Jewes who are also in this Psalme called to praise the Lord becaus of the mercy bestowed upon them and becaus of the truth which endureth forever And that the Mercy in these places aformentioned is Christ himselfe without which nothing is a mercy is plaine both from the intent and scope of the Apostles words who is speaking of Christ and also from the other citation out of Isaiah 11. 10. There shall be a root of Iesse which shall stand for an ensigne of the people and hee that shall rise to reigne over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust which Scriptures as they hold forth the more abundant manifestation of Christ unto the Gentiles after his coming in the flesh so doe they point unto some manifestation of him in and among the Gentiles in all ages sufficient unto salvation for that Moses in his day and David in his required the Nations even all of them to glorifie God with the Iewes for his mercy the Riches of the glory of this mistery in the Gentiles which is Christ as is above declared Iob. 24. 13. They are of those that rebell against the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the pathes thereof This Job spake of the wicked and oppressors Now what light is this that they rebelled against but the light of Gods holy Spirit Which witnessed against their evill deeds For that it was not the light of mans owne corrupt nature is manifest becaus it s said they know not the wayes thereof wheras the wayes of the naturall light or understanding they did know for wicked men can digg deep in that naturall light and find out the pathes thereof but the pathes of this Divine and Supernaturall light they cannot find out Job 28. vers 12. compared with vers 28. But wher shall wisdome be found and wher is the place of understanding This is answered First Negatively The depth saith it is not in me and the sea saith it is not with me c. Secondly Positively And unto Man he said behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding That is to say that which enclineth the heart to fear the Lord and to depart from evil is Wisdom and Understanding Now what Man is this to whom God hath so said was it only unto Iob surely none will say it Or was it only unto the Iews nor can this with Truth be said For Iob neither lived among the Jews nor was he of the Jewish Nation Was it then only unto some particulars of the Gentiles Neither can this be said for there is no place of Scripture that calls only a few Gentiles by that large indefinite Name Man By Man then we must understand Mankind as comprehending every Individual and particular man in the World as it is most usually taken in the Scripture Parralel to this place is Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed unto thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with thy God This is more then the Light of Nature can shew Psalm 2. 12. Kiss the Son least he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wroth is kindled but a little c. This is a most sweet and joyful call unto the Gentiles no less then to the Iews even to these who were combining against the Lord and his anointed or Christ. Now that they are bid to kiss the Son doth plainly import that the Son was held forth and given unto them of the Father in true love that they might kiss him i. e. that they might enjoy him which doth again inferre that there was such a manifestation of the Son let forth into them which was sufficient unto salvation elce how could they be required to kiss him if he were not offered and made manifest

light and life sufficient unto salvation Which saving mercy of the Lord visits every man till he hath wholly filled up the cup of his iniquity against it and then he is left to himself A threefold instance of this thing the Scripture gives us first of the Amorites Idolaters that possessed the Land of Canaan in Abrahams time The iniquity of the Amorites saith the Lord to him is not yet full How not yet full because the mercy of the Lord continued yet to visit them and they had not yet wholly outsinned the time of the mercifull visitation of God given them The second is that of the Jews over whom Luc. 13. 34. Christ lamented saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. O that thou hadst known in this THY DAT the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thy eyes And again how faine would I have gatherd thee as an hen gathereth her chickens but thou wouldst not therefore thy house is left unto thee desolate The third instance is that of the people of the old World of whom the Lord said my Spirit shall not alway strive in man for that he is also flesh c. All which do plainly imply a day of visitation unto them that perish and consequently that salvation was possible unto them through the appearance of God in that day Argument 3. From that universall duty that is upon every man to believe and call upon the Name of the Lord. THat it is the duty of every man that comes into the World to beleeve in and call upon the Name of the Lord is evident from Scripture Powre out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the kingdomes that have not called upon thy Name Jer. 10. 25. And why so doubtless because they ought to have known him and called upon his Name For punishment implies and is the wages of sin Now if not to know and call upon the name of the Lord were their sin then to know and call upon him was their duty Again these words who have not known thee import saving faith and knowledge Viz. who have not known thee in a believing way Again Prayer true prayer and faith are inseperable companions joyned together by God So that if the Lord hath required the heathen and Kingdomes of the world to call upon his name then he hath required them to beleeve as it is plain from these words how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10. 14. Psal. 62. 7 8. 65. 2. And if he hath required of them to beleeve then Christ the name of God the object of faith the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath been in some measure manifested and held forth unto them as the Apostle again answers to that objection Isayah 45. 22. have they not all heard yes No doubt their sound went out through all the Earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. Psal. 19. 3. In all which places faith and prayer are conjoyned And remarkable it is that God is said to be Psal. 65. 2 5. the hope and confidence of all the ends of the earth unto whom all flesh come because he heareth prayer He is the ground of their hope and confidence and in him they ought and may confide as the God of their salvation This is further shewed by that inward Testimony in the heart of every man which sheweth him that there is a God or supreame Being for the same that sheweth man the existence of God sheweth him that he is to confide and trust in him to worship and call upon his Name to love feare and obey him c. Of which Paul spake saying to the Athenians That God made all nations of one blood that they should seek him c. Act. 17. 27. And hereunto he giveth them even all Nations atwofold ground of encouragement First because God is not far from every one of them that is to say because he is nigh unto them Very nigh yea so nigh that in him they live and move and have their being Secondly because they are his of-spring and children and he their father which holds forth most sweet and comfortable things unto the children of men Viz that the Lord doth regard them in so neare a relation notwithstanding their degeneration And thus much is clearly held forth by our blessed Lord and saviour in the Parable of the Prodigal son whose father still reckoned him as his son saying this my son was dead and is now alive was lost and is now found So that all men in a naturall condition while the day of Gods mercifull visitation remains towards them in some sence are the children of God that is to say his dead and lost children whom he visits to quicken and find them And this is for the seeds sake there is a seed of God in them of which it is possible for them to become the children of God as it springeth up in them to leaven and change them into the image of God And so in the naturall unconverted state they are his children not actualy but potentially that is they are in a capacity to become his children through that divine seed which is in them Therefore God is nigh unto them and lookes upon them in so neare a relation And this is the foundation or moving cause why all men should trust in the Lord worship and call upon him wherefore the nighness mentioned by the Apostle must needs signify a nighness of the Lord unto all men in mercy as a father unto his children he sees them dead and lost and the bowells of his tender love yearns towards them so that he comes nigh unto them in the tender love and mercy of a father to quicken and find them But to the falne Angels he stands in no such near relation It is I say the nighness of the Lord even in his saving mercy and in a saving way to all men that is the ground and foundation by the Schoolmen called Objectum formale the formall object why they should beleeve and call upon him For the act always praesupposes its formall object So that if the Lord requires all men to beleeve in and come unto him as children unto a father and seek from him that which is good for them in that relation then certainly he doth hold forth himself unto them in such a way as its possible for them to beleeve in and find him For it is as unreasonable a thing to require a man to beleev in that which is not held forth as an object of faith as to bid a man hear and yet speak nothing or look upon this or that thing when there is no such thing to be seen or presented to his sight or to bid a man smell tast or feel when nothing is exhibited to be smelt tasted or felt And so if the Lord ought to be beleeved in by all and that as a God of mercy as nigh