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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49291	Personal reprobation reprobated being a plain exposition upon the nineth chapter to the Romans, shewing, that there is neither little nor much of any such doctrine as personal election or reprobations, asserted by the apostle in that chapter : but that his great designe is to maintain justification by faith in Jesus Christ, without the works of the law / humbly offered to serious consideration, by Samuel Loveday.	Loveday, Samuel, 1619-1677.	1676 (1676)	Wing L3235; ESTC R39683	197,425	354

either way they carry in them a very pathetical attestation that what the Apostle speaks concerning his sorrow for the Jews was a real truth Secondly It is farther ratified from his duplication in the negative I lye not had it not been enough for the Apostle that he had positively affirmed it and called God to witness that he had said the truth I answer that it was usual amongst the Jews when they speak earnestly and with the greatest confidence and in things considerable thus to double their speech as for instance in that Message to Hezekiah Esa 38. thou shalt dye and not live so Psalms 118. I shall not dye but live 1 John 20. confessed and denyed not and this kinde of speaking was usual see what pains the Apostle takes to perswade the Jews into as good Opinion of his love to them as a good Introduction to what he had to say to them from whence I note by the way 1. Doctrine That it is a matter of great concernment in order to a right Receiving what is offer'd by a Gospel-Minister that the people be satisfyed that what be says he speeks from the root of tender love and pitty to their souls The Apostle did not think it lost labour in him to effect this end by this means before us and the like pains he takes elsewhere see 2 Corinth 7.3 you are in our hearts to live and dye with you 2 Corinth 11.11 God knows I love you Philip. 1.8 God is my Record how greatly I long after you in the Bowels of Christ see what pains he takes to perswade the Churches into a belief of his love to them Paul takes pains also with the Jews to perswade them that this sorrow was the effect of his to them which to do he could appeal to his own conscience he was always careful to make conscience to his Friend see Acts. 24.16 2 Corinth 1.12 therein was his rejoycing and he knew the holy spirit stir'd him up to speak that he spake I might again note by the way 2. Doctrine That it is warrantable in a Gospel-Minister in matters of concernment where we doubt of being believed in things of God to confirm what we say by obliging attestations and protestations when we have in so doing a good conscience I have shown this before Gal. 1.20 2 Corinth 11.31 Phil. 18. But some object Mat. 5.37 let your communication be yea yea nay nay whatever is more then this cometh of evil to which I answer 1st That Christs designe in these words could not intend to oblige persons to these syllabicall words of yea and nay 2ly Neither do they oblige us as to Number that we must multiply no more by way of attestation for we must not imagine that Christ would contradict his words in his own practice was not Christs verily verily more then yea and nay and the Apostle did not understand our Lord so as you may see before but Christ in this place designes to take off the Jews from their voluntary vain oaths and attestations in their Communications one with another as in Jephthas case and many others and to the same end tends the Apostle James's words Chap. 5. if Christs designe had been to forbid all kinde of swearing there needed not to be an enumeration made of what they should not swear by neither can swearing in a solemn way in the fear of God be a Moral Evil which is used by God himself and Angels and saints in th● purest times but where Christ would enjoy● yea and nay he there would oblige us that what we affirm be truth that our yea be yea and our nay be nay as S. Paul saith our words were not yea and nay The ●d particular to be considered is the greatnesse of this grief and sorrow of the Apostle for the Jews the Apostle is not satisfyed only to assert the truth of his sorrow but the nature and degree of it which as the learned tell us is set forth in 3 circumstances to be very great therefore say they this word translated sorrow doth signify the sorrow of a woman in travel used John 16.21 you now have sorrow and the Apostle to the Galathians tells them that he was in travel for them cha 4.19 2ly This sorrow is set forth by the successive continuance of it it is said here to be continually like the pains of a woman one throw after another night and day It was not a transient sorrow but a seizing and lasting sorrow Therefore in the third place the greatnesse is set forth by the seat of it which is the heart sharp and deep when the Scriptures speak of sorrow of heart and soul it intends sharp exquisite sorrow saith our Lord my soul is sorrowful unto death my sorrow is very great and deep The third circumstance to be considered is the cause of this sorrow which is not so fully exprest as it is to be understood in our text it is so great that the Apostle cannot express it his heart will not serve him to express in particulars the cause he saw for this sorrow great grief sometime silenceth a man from giving the particulars of the cause the substance of this cause was that the Jews had rejected Christ who was sent at first to save them and ●hat now they were under judiciall blindeness from God thereupon there is the ground of Pauls so great sorrow from whence I would note ●wo Observations by the way First Doctrine That persons that miss or stumble at Christ and the Gospel and are destitute of faith in Jesus Christ however they may look upon themselves do render themselves objects of soul-pitty and heart-sorrow Persons destitute of the true knowledg of God ●nd faith in Christ are in a sad a miserable ●nd deplorable state and condition here lyeth the ground of Pauls sorrow he understood the danger of such a state as they were ignorant of Christ and ●is righteousness and thereupon judicial obdurat●ess and blindness was upon them such was Pha●aohs case such was Israels case Esa 6. and there ●s reason why their case should be pittied and lamented Act. 13. they are in a perishing condition ●ecause there is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved Second Doctrine That to mourn sorrow and lay to heart the sin and misery of others by those whose own condition is secure good and safe is a character of one whose heart is truly toucht for God This was Pauls case he knew his state was good but this doth not satisfy him so long as his kinsmen and country-men were without Christ and this was not only the spirit of Paul but others of Gods servants see Psalms 119.53 136 139 158. Jerem. 9. Ezekiel 19.41 v. Mark 3.5 Christ is greive● for the hardness of mens hearts From whence we may learn that sorrow for others is a true discouery of love to them which is our duty that it is ● discovery of love see in Christ to Lazarus Ioh●

as 1 Cor. 9.24 where we are called upon so to run that we may obtain where we have obtaining propounded as the great encouragement to running So also Heb. 12. we are to have an eye to the recompence of reward to encourage us in our running and Paul himself was not willing to run in vain and we are called upon Phil. 2.12 to work out our salvation with fear and trembling I answer That in all these places the Apostle speaks to justified persons in order to perseverance not to such as are strangers to the ways of God and his Gospel as these in our Text were and all these endeavours are more properly a●… sanctification then after justification we are called upon to work out our salvation and to perfect our holinesse in so doing but we are never called upon to work out our justification that is only the effect of Christs death and sufferings without any other efficient cause or means all acts of holinesse in man is rather to declare his justified state then procure it Abraham in obeying and following God in those several steps which the Sc●pture takes notice of did not thereby procure but demonstrate his justification and see how Alrahams obedience and faith centers in one to this end our Apostle saith that Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse thereby he was accounted righteous yet S. James saith our father Abraham was justified by works when he offered Isaac Jam. 2.21 that is he did declare or demonstrate it thereby Thus I have briefly run through the words by way of explication I now return to consider of them as they lie And before I proceed to those Doctrinal Conclusions which lyeth in them I shall briefly take notice of them as they are the Apostles Conelusion and result and inference from what goeth before for that they are as a conclusion they have the note of an inference or conclusion in this so then for so these words are used elsewhere See chap. 10.17 So then faith comes by hearing which words are the result from the former so chap. 8.8 so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God cha 14.12 So then every one must give an account of bi●…self to God so 1 Cor. 3.7 chap. 7.38 thus we see that this kinde of speaking is used as a center to draw the precedent and subsequent matter to it so that this 16. verse is a result the Apostle in these words doth conclude and seal up the matter of this first argument in order to purging himself from the Jews false imputation of charging God with unrighteousnesse which they gathered from what he had said as is recorded vers 11. that God doth not justifie by works this result doth cast light upon the whole Context upon a three-fold consideration 1. As these words doth determine the nature and matter of the controversie between the Apostle and the Jews that it was about the terms of justification and who had right to make them both which are here resolved not of him that is most desirous and pursuing after it he has not power to propound but God who is the gracious donour of it 2. By the Apostles result in this verse he doth determine where the foot of the Jews objection lay which was from his interpretation made of these two instances of Ishmael and Esau as their rejection taught the rejection of works as to justification ver 11. and not upon the unequal proceedings of God with Jacob and Esau as some would have it for it will easily be granted that not of works and not of him that willeth or runneth are terms synonimous or of like signification 3. We must understand this conclusion and inference to be drawn from the words immediately going before Exod. 33.19 So then that is to say from hence it appears not to be of the willer or runner because God in shewing mercy is positively resolved in himself and from himself about it so that this conclusion concludes the propriety of Exo. 33. to this controversie and that God sp●… the same in effect to Moses as here S. Paul sp●… to the Jews that is to say that justification 〈◊〉 adoption is of free-grace and mercy and not●… works Thus much for the scope and explication of the words I shall now sum up the whole of this verse in these five doctrinal Conclusions From the nature of these words as they are a result or conclusion whilst S. Paul is labouring 〈◊〉 vindicate Gods righteousnesse and equity in this terms and proceedings with mankinde he arrives at great fatisfaction in himself The Doctrine is this That he that makes it his work to vindicate Gods righteousnesse in his proceedings with man preva●… in his arguments The Apostle had no cause to be ashamed of his contest in this matter in asserting justification by faith in Christ without the deeds of the law though in so asserting he is charged for impeaching Gods righteousnesse yet he overcame and in vind●…ting Gods righteousnesse he vindicates his own doctrine So then it is not 2. Doctrine That justification is a prize worth the running for when once seen and understood The Apostle supposeth that these Jews had been willing and running after it as a blessed priviledge justification with God is very desirable but suppose you should ask me what it is to be justified I answer when a person is declared just upon the account of pardon and non-imputation of sin that is the blessed state which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 4.6,7,8 blessed is the man to whom God doth not impute sin but how may thee and I know whether we are in this blessed state I answer 1. If thou beest justified with God thou art acquitted in thine own conscience there remains no more conscience of sin this is that spoken of Rom. 5.1 being justified with God there is peace in thy conscience that is quiet it doth not condemn thee 2. If thou beest justified from sin thou doest experience strength against sin that sin which is pardoned we have a perfect hatred unto we have an eminent place for this 2 Corinth 7.11 there was indignation and revenge against it 3. Doctrine It is possible for persons cordially to desire and laboriously to pursue this mercy of justification and yet come short and not attain it This was the case of the Jews they were willers and runners they had a zeal a desire they sought after it verse 31. yet not attained it chap. 11.7 Israel did not attain what they fought after and why not because they were not elected vers 32. but because they sought it not by faith therefore this we may learn that in our zeal and running it is good to keep Gods line 4. Doctrine That persons to some degree righteous and obedient to Gods laws are very apt to challenge and strongly expect the great priviledge of justification as a debt for such their obedience or as a reward for such work Therefore the Apostle doth

under all he now speaks of raising him up or making him stand so that we have good ground to judge that this raising up respects some latter past special favour extended to him 2ly That this raising up must be so understood and not of raising him from nothing in creation or to the kingship because there could be no argument drawn from such his former raising up to vindicate Gods righteousnesse in his so notorious destruction it would have sounded very strange and harsh to have run thus for this very purpose have I created thee that I might shew my power in thy destruction or for this cause have I made thee King that I might so signally destr●y thee but to reade it thus for this cause have I heard thy requests by Moses and Aaron and taken off my plagues from thee and thy land for this very purpose that if after all this favour shown to thee thou still continue obstinate thy judgment might be the heavier and more remarkable thus understood God makes him often and reitarated favours shown to Pharaoh and his reiterated refusal an aggravating argument to his great destruction and I appeal to each judicious reader if this construction doth not fall in fully with Gods common proceedings with men in all ages for this reade Judg. 10.12 where God makes his often delivering Israel an argument to forsake them who remained still disobedient 3. Such a raising up as we are speaking of b● multi-plyed favours upon Pharaoh doth most clearly compo●t with the Apostles designe in representing Gods dealings with Pharaoh a platform for his proceedings with the unbelieving Jews for God aggravates the sin and just condemnation of the Jews from his many gracious applications to them in convincing miracles and prophets see Matt. 11. Matt. 23.34 behold I send you prophets wisemen and scribes and some of them you shall or will kill that upon you may come all the blood from Abel to Zacharias from hence it is that Jerusalem and the temple is left desolate to this day and this is the ground to aggravate their condemnation not their birth or former priviledges but their latter and more immediate favours received from God in the last tenders of his grace this was the case with Pharaoh Gods raising him and preserving him alive under the former judgments is the foot of this conditional threatning 4. If we should understand this raising up to be his creation and reade it according to that construction that Pharaoh even before he was born was decreed and ordained of God to be a vessel of wrath that is to say that God created Pharaoh for this same purpose that he might destroy him with a remarkable destruction how strangely will this represent God to men whose tender mercies are over all his works to be more cruel then any of his creatures are to their kinde for all creatures are propense in their affections to those who receive their beings from them or are propagated by them they have bowels of pity towards them yet by such a construction God who is the perfection of all bowels of pity is presented implacably bent upon the eternal ruine of his off-spring even to exquisite torments and that the greater part of mankinde lineally descended from him by Adam who was the son of God Luke 3.38 and this before personall or actuall sin by them committed this horrid imputation upon Gods name and nature by such a construction may induce us to incline to the other interpretation of Gods raising up Pharaoh The 4th particular which is by course to be enquired into is this power that conditionally is made known in Pharaoh in case he remains obstinate some are ready to think that this power respects an inward power exercised in keeping Pharach in his sinfull rebellion or hardening his heart but I hope I need not speak to that the power here intended is most clearly to be understood the power of Gods wrath in Pharaohs destruction in the Red Sea this power of God is exalted in that Song of Moses Ex. 15.6 thy right hand O God is become glorious in power speaking of Pharaohs destruction in the sea notwithstanding Pharaohs greatnesse and power yet the power of God is above him and can easily overthrow him this is that power which God speaks of in the threatning which is seen in the execution and that this is the power we may easily perceive by the repetition of it again vsr 22. of this 9th of the Romans What if God willing to shew his wrath and make his power known these two phrases of wrath and power are exegetical and doth one expound the other Gods power is seen in the letting forth his wrath as is also understood Psa 90.11 who knows the power of thy wrath so that we have thus much in this passage that if Pharaoh would not comply with God but persist in his stubbornnesse then as hitherto he had largely tasted of Gods long-suffering and mercy so he thould also as deeply feel his power crushing him in his destruction So much for the fourth particular The Fifth and last propounded to be spoke unto is how the name of God is declared in Pharaohs destruction and what part or parts of his name by the Name of God in Scripture is sometimes understood his power his Name is great unto the ends of the earth God did not only designe the destruction of Pharaoh upon his obstinacy but to get himself a name and a common name Gods special Name is that which he is known by to Israel in Egypt and to Pharaoh See Exo. 3.15 the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Jaceb and chap. 5. to Pharaoh the God of Israel or the God of the hebrews that God is by name the God of the hebrews and of his people shall be declared the Nations shall afterwards say oh what a God hath the Hebrews that hath so eminently appeared for them this we understand may be the special Name of God intended in our Text his great love to his people he is called the God of Israel or of the hebrews 2ly Suppose we take this Name of God for his common name recorded Exod. 34.6 then it respects Gods proceedings with Pharaoh There are three syllables of Gods Name loudly declared in Gods dealings with Pharaoh 1. The attribute of his mercy his favour his preventing grace in sparing him for so long a time in his oppressing of his people as also in delivering him from so many plagues whenas he might have cut him off at his first slighting Reply to Moses Who is the Lord that I should obey him I will not let Israel go 2. We have magnified in Gods dealings to Pharaoh the attribute of his long-suffering and patience God was eminently known in this attribute of his long-suffering after receiving many affronts from him therefore the Apostle takes special notice of that ver 22. he endered with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction