so by him then were all men saved from the imputative damnation of Adams transgression wherefore in this respect all mankinde is the heele of Christ in this relation But from this relation Satan drawes us in our remissenesse by lying vanities to forsake our own mercies and so to perish not for Adams transgression but for our owne against this grace in Christ and so are bruised by Satan for thou shall bruise his heele Secondly as God is the Saviour of all men from Adams imputative damnation so more especially hee is the Saviour of them that beleeve and that in two respects First by pardoning their owne personall transgressions against this universall mercy Secondly by estating them in that eternall life by Faith in Christ which they lost by their owne sinne and in Adams for saith Christ he that beleeveth in me hath eternall life and is past from death unto life And because these men by beliefe of truth set to their Seales that God is true in his guift of Christ and his righteousnesse imputed and in the perfection of parts in some degree of inherent righteousnesse witnesse Gods truth against Satans lies or lying vanities Therefore Satan by tentations and other envyous operations as by Cain to Abell doth bruise this heele of Christ or but his heele for this company of the Faithfull here Militant in comparison of that with Christ triumphing in heavenly glory is but the heele of Christ and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly because the second Adam did apply all the power of his pure Naturalls of holinesse and righteousnesse a meanes witnessing Gods word of truth for good and evill opposing Satans lyes therefore Satan by himselfe or men adhering to him did by envious operations as he did by Cain to Abel crush Christ himselfe yet it did not extinguish his Faith and love to God and his Neighbour in the least degree but drew it out the more as in due place it will appeare Yet all these envious operations being but extended to the affliction of his body and soule being his nature humane the lowest nature in his Sacred Person therefore it was but his heele as it was foretold thou shalt bruise his heele Fourthly againe as if God should say to Satan true it is that in the first Adams faithlesse fall from me thou didst devour all both heele body and head but against this the second Adam whom I wil raise up in the nature of all men of the seed of the woman to him doe thy worst yet thou shalt but bruise his heele at the most and thou shalt bruise his heele So much for opening of this first out-breake of the object of Faith once given to the Saints in this fourth estate of man Gen. 3.15 As Adams traÌ„sgression and the guilt and punishment was from the justice of the Covenant reckoned or imputed to al mankind in the fall even so by Gods mercy in the free guift of Christs righteousnesse reckoned or imputed to all was that sinne guilt and punishment removed from all and therefore noÌ„e ever perished for that transgression for although Adams eat ng the forbidden fruit and the demerit of it was not any mans indâ—vidually but Adams yet God in the justice of the Covenant did reckon or impute it to all and every individuall of mankinde as if it had bin their own act and demerit even so although Christs righteousnesse and merit of it was his own onely and alone individually considered yet that righteousnesse and merit being to satisfy Gods justice in behalfe of the world it was therefore by Gods free guift in mercy reckoned or imputed to all and every individuall of man generally and to man beleeving more specially as is declared but what this righteousnesse is which was so imputed see the end of the 8. Chap. Againe Rom. 5.18 the Apostle saith for as by the offence of one judgement came upon â—ll men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the jâ—stification of life from these words I will make these briefe observations following First that in the next verse before this Christs righteousnesse is called the guift of righteousnesse but in this Text it is spoken as if Christs righteousnesse were the procuring cause of the guift of it selfe as imputed to come upon all men and the truth is so it was for had not Christs righteousnesse in the figurative lamb to the justice of the Covenant in every respect answered the imputative unrighteousnesse of Adam the righteousnesse of Christ could not imputatively by free guift have come as it did upon all men to the justification of life for till the justice of the Covenant was so satisfied although God was willing to impute it to life yet he could not for as God cannot lye so he cannot deny his truth but all mankinde must certainly have dyed according to Gods-word that death in the day that Adam did sinne Secondly here note that this free guift of Christs imputative righteousnesse came at this time on all men unfought for or unthought on by them for when God brought this guift to them Adam runne away from him therefore here God waâ— found of them which sought him not Thirdly here observe that this free guift of righteousnesse came upon al men when there was not any d) See this justification before mans faith and without faith cleared in the answer to the 10 Objection in Chap. 4. Faith in man for we by Adam faithlessely betray'd Gods truth and at this time as in our naturall roote in his loynes runne from the God of truth Therefore Faith foreseene was now no cause or instrumentall meanes of all mens salvation or election from Divells in Adams imputative damnation 4. Againe observe that this guift of imputative righteousnesse conferred upon all men viz justification for saith the Text It came upon all men to justification Therefore mans Faith can be but the receptive instrument of this justification and justification with Faith or justification without Faith is all one except that in the last mans receptive instrument is of use and this presents unto us two things first a definition of Iustification what justification then was men having not as yet the guift of Faith Secondly what it was not And first in a word this justification by Chriâ—ts impâ—tative righteousnesse was this the pardon and the removall of the imputative sinne guilt and punishment due for Adams transgression as farre as the East is from the West and so gave man a gracious acceptance and at this time this was the justification of all men Secondly mans owne works of righteousnesse was not his justification nor no good works foreseene for as now man by the fall his works were onely so euill as the Divells so all mens works but Christs works in this fourth estate of Restauration at best are but in the perfection of parts by reason of the Serpentine seed which hereditarily runnes down in the
whom I will have compassion as if hee should say I respect none of them but with respect to my imputed gift of the Lambs righteousnesse which they reject and apply not themselves to me in it Therefore all those which had seene Gods great workes in the wildernesse and were remisse not answerable by beliefe of truth to this mercy God cut them off from the figure of eternall felicity and caused their carkasses to fall in the wildernesse yea hee spared not Mirriam Aaron nor Moses nor any save Caleb the Sonne of Iephuneh the Kenite and Iâ—shua the Sonne of Nun for they wholly followed IEHOVAH saith the Text clearely proving that God is no respecter of persons but to all and alike Deut. 9.14 Exod. 33.19 Rom. 9.15 Numb 32.10.14.28 and Deut. 32.28 Againe about 407. yeeres after the Law was added to the promise then God gave them a two-fold figure more to lead them to Christ the onely ground of all their good As first that the â—romised seed should come of the seventh sonne of Ishâ—i and the sonne of David King on Sion hill to sit on his Throne figuratively shadowing out in Salomons thronized glory So leading this nationall Spouse by right beliefe of truth to piâ—ch her ultimate felicity in the eternall Throne of the promised seed God-man blessed for evermore 2 Sam. 7.12 13 14. Psal 45 6. Luke 1.32 and 33. Heb. 1.8 The second figure was the glory of the Temple standing in the midst of the Land which also was a figure of the promised seed as to it was related the worship and the most especiall presence of God for to it must the sacrifices be brought and to it did this elect Spouse bring all her divine worship and adoration yea although remote from thence yet towards it must they worship figuratively leading this Spouse in the promised Land to feed on the promised seed as on a tree of life by right beliefe of truth as in the Paradise of God Psal 122.4 2 Chron. 7.12 1 King 8.44.45 Rev. 3.7 Prov. 11.30 Yet although God gave all these severall lines of truth leading by beliefe thereof to the imputed righteousnesse of the seed as it in which hee onely (b) This is the true ground of Election elected them to enjoy this Land to be their day of grace and there to receive his gift of eternall glory Notwithstanding they in the spirit of concision referred their election not to the object of faith but (c) These are false and erroneous grounds of Election to Abrahams flesh whence they were descended and to a worth in their owne workes to the Law as but conversant about the object of Faith and for that cause resisted the doctrine of Christ Esai 8.25 Heb. 10.21 Rom. 10.3 as leading them to submit to that righteousnesse of God imputatively given in him the ground of all their good And therefore Saint Paul Rom. 9. punctually encounters both these errors from the light of Divine truth for having in the 8. Chapter beheld the stable felicity of some Gentiles by belâ—fe of this truth he therefore in this ninth Chapter reflects upon this elect Spouse as neere to the rejection for this resisting of Christ and therefore his griefe for them was beyond measure because they were Israel to whom appertaine the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises of whom are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for evermore Amen Vers 1.2 3 4 and 5. Yet hee implies that these glorious priviledges did not make him so conceive of them as if Gods Word of curse according to his Covenant with Abraham had taken none effect upon them to their rejection for saith hee all are not Israel that are of Israel implying all are not of Israels faith that are of Israels flesh consequently Gods Word of curse might be of force to them which refuse Christ as the object of Faith notwithstanding their precedent election Wherefore he further saith neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaack shall thy seed be called that is saith hee they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed for saith hee this is a word of promise c. Verse 6.7 8 9. implying this figure of Isaack as the promised childe was intended to lead them to Christ the promised seed as precedently is declared And so he goes on to the next figure namely the manner of Esau and Iacobs conception and birth for saith he not onely this but when Rebeka had also conceived by one even by our father Jacob for the children being not yet borne neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to * By election in this text is meant onely of the Iewes to be Christs elect Spouse Nationally and not of any of the Gentiles election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Iacob have I loved but Esau have I hated that is God to manifest his mind rightly in this mysterie loved to preferre the younger in the fleshly line and hated to preferre the first borne to the greatest honour namely to the Nationall election as the first borne after the flesh wherefore God not onely exprest this betweene Ishmael and Isaac and primarily betweene Esau and Iacob as before but also in Iosephs seed God preferred the younger to the greatest honour and the eldest to be inferiour in honour purposely Gen. 49. So likewise in his choyce amongst the sonnes of Ishai he passed by all the eldest to the lowest in the naturall line even the seventh to David and preferred him to the throne therefore it is evident by the testimony of God this love and hatred to those two babes was but to delare his purpose * So that God hated not Esaus person nor hated he him in respect of the foresight of his sinne nor did he love Iacobs Person more then Esaus nor loved he him for the foresight of his Faith and righteousnesse but the truth is God then looked upon them both alike with love to his present and future purpose that is by those Babes to declare that not from any respect of foresight of faith or righteousnesse nor to Abraham or Israels person as they were the naturall root of the Iewes which moved him to extend his mercy to them and to declare on the contrary that the evill of their father Terahs Idolatrous Apostacy hindeâ—ed him not from predestinating them then untorne and to call them in Isack to espouse them nationally to Christ from that Idolatrous den but that the only moving causes was for the glory of his grace by the promised seed as precedently is clearely explained namely to leade this elect
time God in Christ with Abraham by covenant thus predestinated Iewes and Gentiles to glory yet called not the Gentiles till about eighteene hundred yeeres after but called the Iewes to inherit this glory in the birth of Isaack Hence observe the onely ground why the Iewes were first in this honour in respect of time was because God for his owne names sake was pleased then to begin the execution of that blessed predestination and from â—his ground Christ gave them the priority commanding the twelve saying goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any of the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather unto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Mat. 10.5 Likewise at Antioch Saint Paul and Barnabas rendred the same priority to them saying It was necessary the Word of God should first have beene spoken unto you Acts 13.46 c. But when Christ in the expiration of all righteousnesse upon the crosse had made open the way to bring in the Gentiles so making both one generall assembly and Church of the first borne inroll'd in heaven Hebr. 11.25 Yet our Saviour in a Parable foretelling the Iewes of this joyning the Gentiles to them implies his proceeding in this generall assembly shall be without all respect of persons choosing and refusing as betweene Cain and Abel for hee concludes his discourse saying Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 10.14 Further implying notwithstanding the extraordinary fluxe of grace and truth which was then to be powred out upon all flesh yet if they did not apply themselves therein to receive his righteousnesse imputed to be their wedding garment for acceptance they should not be respected Fourthly is it so that the second Adams faith and obedience is the alone condition of the covenant of grace which by mercy brought eternall life to all mankind alike Hence observe that the fruition of that eternall life in Heaven is to all alike without degree of glory to one more then another although here the degrees of grace are different some more and some lesse as they apply more or lesse their talents to Christ as the object of Justification Yet the fruition of that glory depends onely and alone on Christs righteous workes which is mans by free gift therefore that glory is enjoyed there by al alike without degrees Christ onely excepted who in all things must have the preheminence for one mans reasonable soule is not more uncapable then anothers in it's essentiall faculty simply considered but all the difference of capacities ariseth from error transgression and sinne or the effects of sinne but in the fruition of that glory all this for Christs his righteousnesse sake is removed and not remaining consequently their capacities being then alike their enjoyment of that glory is all alike without degrees to the praise of Gods grace to all eternity Yet it is not so on the contrary to mankinde in eternall death because their sinne abides upon them so that they descend to eternall death not for anothers workes as men ascend to eternall life but for their owne despising Gods grace leading to eternall life Therefore as they more or lesse were in sinne consequently Justice requires more or lesse punishment for despising eternall felicity Gods way Fifthly observe it stands all mankind hereupon to beware of remissenesse to God in his way by Christ Iesus for their eternall felicity for as wee all in Adam by remissenesse to Gods Covenant fell so low in misery as never any meere creature could raise us from thence as Chapter 3. Likewise in this last Chapter wee see Christs elect Spouse by her remissenesse to her felicity by Christ Iesus brought upon her selfe a connexion of causes necessitating her selfe to unavoydable rejection from Christ as a fugitive remarkeably despicable here on earth this sixteene hundred yeeres and more Sixthly Is it so that the Law was added because the off-spring of Abraham did transgresse the object of Justification given in the promised seed to Adam and renewed to them with Abraham Hence observe how rightly speakes the Apostle that the Law was not given to the righteous man that is as unto Abraham who terminated his operations by beliefe of Truth and Love to God and man by a right relation to God in the object of Justification for here in this Chapter wee see Moses law added to the Promise to schoole Abrahams lawlesse off-spring to Christ because they precedntly transgresse the promise Seventhly although God did communicate to the world with the first Adam naturall perfection by creation and celestiall perfection by the Covenant yet here observe that God never restores any of that to mankinde but by mercy ever turning his eyes onely upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse for as before the world was it was appointed for all alike in him by redemption so accordingly upon the fall in him hee chose us to life and glory from perishing with reprobate divels to whom in respect of our selves we were unrecoverably joyned So likewise when with Noah hee renewed this mercy to the second world it was by turning his eyes only upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse so likewise when with Abraham he predestinated both Iewes and Gentiles to life and glory from being fit vessels of wrath as lying in their owne apostasie from the grace of God yet then onely in the promised seed God turned his eyes in mercy to the world in the precedent predestination as in this Chapter clearely appeareth So much for the second part of Time I now should come to the third namely the calling of the Gentiles but here will arise a necessary question viz. In what estate for eternall life stood the Gentiles from the time they were scattered at Babel untill they were called to mercy in Christ but by Gods help I will answer it in the next Chapter CHAP. VII Shewing in what estate or condition were all the families of the earth from the rejection at the Tower of Babell to their call to Christ in whom they were elected ANswer In respect of the Object of Justification they were excluded not to have it resident amongst them and therefore in that respect they lived as without God in the world and so the day of grace in this world was to them not as a day of grace being left to walke in the vanitie of their mindes they wanting the pillar of truth or Oracle of the promised seed and so remained under wrath about 18 hundred yeares This text Ephes 2 3. no way excludes infants departing this world from eternall life See the last Observation in the 7 Chapt. and therefore when some of those Gentiles by the Gospell were returned from their Apostacie and received life in the object of Faith The Apostle saith unto them yee were the Children of wrath even as others therefore they were so under wrath throughout all those precedent generations Ephes 2.3 But it may here be objected God threatned to visit the sinnes
an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie that wee might have strong consolation who fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the object of justification c. Heb. 6 17. Wherefore saith the Apostle the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do these things you shall never fall that is not totally nor finally from the object of justification and that is only implied in this Text for he that saith he hath no swarving from this sacred object by sinne is a lyar for as he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him so on the contrary If we say we have not sinned wee make him a lyar and the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 2.4.2 chap. Joh. 1.10 and the reasons why God not onely thus makes perfect justifying beliefe by operation but also gives to the Saints an undissolved relation to him in the object of justification to be as mount Sion which shall never be moved are these The first is drawne from the nature of the exercising any ability which the more 't is exercised the more 't is perfected for as use makes perfectnesse so custome breeds another nature Hence saith the Psalmist I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law this I had because I kept thy statutes Likewise hee saith I have more understanding then the antient because I have kept thy Statutes and he saith Blessed is the man that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditate day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in due season Psal 1.2.3 Psal 119.55.100 A second reason is because the most perfect operations of justifying faith brings man most passively subjective to God to receive in his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed the fulnesse of all that leads or ends in blessednesse therfore as every effect the more it doth subject it selfe to it's cause the more influence for it's perfection it doth receive from that cause so also in this Hence saith God to his redeemed Spouse I am IEHOVAH thy GOD which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 but by the way for further incouragement to men of an honest and good heart to presse forward to faiths perfection I will here explicate the different operations betweene the perfection of faith in the one and the imperfections of the other as first betweene righteous Lot weake in saith and Abraham perfect therein for Lot being more weake in the spirit of faith was therefore more strong in the spirit of this world as once were the Apostles desiring to be chiefe in sensuall felicities but Abrahams mind was farre more free from these intanglements for he preferred his communion with Saints in the bond of peace and love in relation to Christ before the fertile pleasures of the plains of Sodome for to enjoy this he leaves Lot to choose that and takes for his aboad what Lot refused Gen. 13.8 9.10.11 So Moses perfect in faith esteemed Christ in the object of Faith with reproach greater riches then the pleasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward implying hee esteemed Gods gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed to be mans exceeding great reward consequently his owne wherefore in Idolatrous Egypt hee refused his relation to the crowne of Egypt in that hee refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Gen. 15.1 Heb. 11.24.25.26 Again men of an honest and good heart yet weake in the object of life They then are in zeale against sinners preposterously pitilesse as was Iames and Iohn who for Christs sake would have them consumed with fire from Heaven but take man more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object then hee knowing the terror of the Lord doth perswade men for saith the Apostle the love of Christ constraineth us because wee thus judge if one died for all then were all dead implying because in love Christ died for all men then dead in sinnes and trespasses that this love of him constrained them to perswade sinners to life and salvation in him 2 Cor. 11 14 Againe being but weake in this sacred object they therefore savour the things of men and not the things of God as did Peters counsell to Christ so hee stooped to please men but not as man perfect in faith becomming all things to all men to save some as did Saint Paul but basely dissembling perverting his trust which Christ put in him so hazarding the salvation of men as he did at Antioch but Paul more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object openly reproved him to his face not caring what hee or they thought of him in the right discharge of his ambassage to them Marke 8.33 1 Cor. 9.22 Gal. 3.11.12 13 14. Againe men of an honest and good heart yet weake in faith to this sacred object the crosse of Christ will bring them to doubt as did the men going to Emaus for they said wee trusted it had beene he which should have redeemed Israel Luke 24.21.25 but on the contrary man perfect in faith under the crosse saith We know that the Sonne of God is come and hath given us an understanding that wee may know him that is true even his Sonne Iesus Christ this is the true God and eternall life 1 John 5.20 Againe man weake in this sacred object of justification doth over value his inherent righteousnesse telling Christ What great things hee will doe for him more then others as did Peter but man more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object is of another minde saith Saint Paul who is fit for these things meaning to doe great things for Christ according to their ambassage and saith he wee know but in part darkely through a glasse 2 Cor. 2.16 1 Cor. 13.8 and saith the Prophet Esay Woe is mee because I am a man uncleane because I am a man of uncircumcised lips Esay 6. And the ground of the point is this man perfect in beliefe of Gods gift of Christ his righteousnesse imputed firmely believes according to truth that the seed of the Serpent intermingling his inherent righteousnesse therefore makes it internally as a menstruous cloth and externally at the best but unprofitable wherefore as hee desires to be found in Christ his righteousnesse in point of imitation to sanctification so also to be found in it as imputed for a continuall acceptation for remission of sinnes and salvation still referring all his great workes for Christ to Christ his owne efficiency in him as Saint Paul not I but Christ in mee Phil. 3.9.10 Againe a third reason why God gives this perfection of faith to men of an honest heart which thus exercise to him more then to them which to this object of life