because Christ dieth no more and death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 Yet our Saviour Christ though he be God also yet being therewith the Sonne of man by an Incarnation with humane Nature sin excepted He hath power to forgive and doth forgive as aforesaid as the aforesaid sins of all men as against himselfe without any oblation sacrifice atonement or propitiation made to him the Sonne of man and from thence he exhorteth all men so largely often and freely to forgive one another their trespasses as appeareth Mat. 8.21 22. and in the prayer he taught his Disciples and in Luke 17.4 Thus we finde that all the sins that have been are or are to be acted by any man or all men ever since God the Fathers virtually applying at Adams fall the effects of Christs blood shed for all mens sins And from that time unto the end of the world sinnes against Christ only and his in lightning in abling preparative worke and that they are all as concerning everlasting punishment all forgiven to all the sonnes of men excepting only our Saviour Christs former own exception concerning those of them sinnes which are by some men themselves rebelliously transformed into the sinnes against the Holy Ghost by their persisting obstinately and wilfully in unbeleese against the holy spirits gratious teachings which are alwaies by grace annexed in due season to our Saviours in lightning all men so effectually as is proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions The eleventh Distinction sheweth what those sins are which in Scripture are accounted to be sinnes against the Holy Ghost and that they shall never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come and the cause why whereby the second death is discovered also OBserve herein considering that Christ doth inlighten every man that commeth into the world so that no fewer than all men through him might beleeve John 1.7 9. And also that in obedience to his Fathers will he doth bring all men unto the knowledge of the truth accoding to 1 Tim. 2.4 as is largely proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions And considering therewith that the Apostle absolutely affirmeth that if we finne wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10.26 27 so that effect Heb. 6.5 6. From hence we see proved that those sinnes which are sinnes against the Holy Ghost are the sinnes which some men doe commit against the holy Ghosts teachings after they are by Christ in due season inlightned and after they are helped to the knowledge of the truth and whereas those sins are by Christ said to be unpardonable as in Mat. 12.13 I find the cause to be first in respect that they are sinnes against the second Covenant being the Covenant of grace secondly that they are sins persisted in against the spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 its dictates and teachings who being so offended being God having no INcarnation with humanity These transgressions against God the Holy Ghost by transgressing against the second Testament in wilfull persisting cannot be forgiven without a valuable satisfaction made to satisfie justice with And thirdly I finde the irrecoverable cause to be because there cannot be any valuable satisfaction made for men to satisfie justice for a deity offended who hath no Incarnation with humane nature but by one who though being God and one in Union in the Trinity is made capable to suffer death by taking upon him humane nature And fourthly to conclude this cause I finde that although Christ being so made capable to suffer death did dye to satisfie God the Fathers justice for the sins which as an unresistible violent inundation overwhelmed all Adams posterity though sinners in the seed for sins by him acted without the personall consent much lesse actuall performance of any one of them so preserving all men from the curse of the Law and first death due for the transgressions against that Law ' as in my 4 and 5 Distinctions Yet concerning mens owne actuall and personall sinnes in their individuals wilfully and persistingly acted against the Holy Ghost and second Covenant after their inabsing and inlightenment considering that there is none other of the Trinity but Christ Jesus capable to suffer death nor any other to be found any wise able to make satisfaction to that deity the Holy Ghost so oftended having as God the Father no incarnation with humane nature From hence proceeds the irrecoverable eternall fearfull condition of such Transgressors openly discovered in these few words of Scripture where it is said that without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9.22 and by its affirming withall that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more and that death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 From which cause those wilfull persisting transgressors of the second Covenant against God the Holy Ghost must in justice unavoidably perish in the eternall second death Thus I have briefly hinted what the sins against the Holy Ghost are and what the cause is that they are unpardonable as appeareth also Rev. 10.14 15 21 8. Now beloved if you please herewith to take farther notice of the impossibility of their recovery Mat. 12.31 32. and Heb 6. and some particulars of their eternall punishment discovered in Heb. 10.26 27. 2 Pet. 21. Rev. 21.8 Jude 12. 2 Pet. 9.10 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. I shall not need to make any further discovery to shew you what the second death is which is to be a much more sorer punishment then pertained to the breach of Moses Law Heb. 1.29 Only I do intreat you to take notice that because our Saviour Christ hath said that all sinnes and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the sons of men but only the sinnes or blasphemies against the Holy Ghost That some men have cavilled at this our Saviours affirmation saying then all unbeleevers actuall sins are remitted without any punishment because in that sence the unbeleevers doe perish eternally for their unbeleefe only They herein contrary to Scripture separating the act of unbeleefe it selfe from the evill actions of men or actuall sins of men wilfully persisted in after inlightenment until those men prove to be of that sort of men that are called Goats Mat. 25.32 33. and of the serpentine seed Gen. 15. their actuall sins being also thereby by them transformed into the same nature by their wilfully becomming the children of the Devill John 8.44 From hence that fearfull affirmation ariseth that some men are twice dead that were not only once dead by that one mans offence Rom. 5.12 by the first death but though being fully set free by Christ from the eternall danger of that first death and law of works as in my 4 and 5 Distinctions they doe through their owne wilfull defaults fall into the danger of the eternall second death for their wilfull
potters wheele of restoration and for to effect the Creation there needed none to suffer but our Saviour Christ to effect the restoration of all men for the pacifying of the Fathers justice was necessitated to suffer even death it selfe in a most terrible manner for rebellious mankind who will not be so much compliable to his gratious working and good intention towards them as patients passively to submit and yield themselves unto the dispose of the Physitian but he hath to deale with a world of men that as they are all by nature born spiritually blinde so they are all very well pleased with that their blindnesse all of them being by naturall descent from polluted Adam so far inchanred by Sathan that they doe count it injurious to be brought out of the darknesse of that spirituall imprisonment so that our Saviour Christ in obedience to performe his Fathers will who is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 and to help all men that they may repent he absolutely will have all men saved and brought or to come unto the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 6. And also Christ to testifie his own love in performing that his Fathers will for all men is necessitated how crosse soever or how rebelliously soever all men wilfully act against that his gratious worke yet to compell all men to come to the knowledge of the truth according to his Fathers will as is before he will have it so there is no remedy by mens hanging backe in this cause it must be so for our good God will not nor indeed cannot be so unjust as to take advantage against any one of Adams posterity by their being unavoidably fallen into darkness by another mans actuall transgression when another hath feld the tree down it is not suitable to his glorious greatnesse and goodness to hack off the boughs Nay further he will extend his mercy in Christ also even to Adam himselfe also in his darknesse who was the personall occasion of the fall of all for Christ inlightneth every man all men are to come unto the knowledge of the truth for his Father by free grate sent him not only to open the blind eies and to open the spiritual prison doors but also to bring out the prisoners from the prison house Christ is not only to inlighten them that sit in darknesse but he is necessitated in his obedience to his Fathers will whether men be willing or not willing to part with their naturall darknesse to bring those that sit in darknesse out of the darknesse of the prison house Isa 42.7 these being by nature all mens conditions Thus you see how our good and mercifull God will not have that saying used that the fathers have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge Ezek 18.2 3 4. This spirituall preaching of the Gospell by Christs word or beleeving servants or creatures to all men is called the Kingdome of Heaven which is within you Luke 17.21 which appeareth by comparing mat 3.2 with Mark 1.15 And from such expressions by likening divers things to the Kingdome of Heaven our Saviour uttered many parables as is instanced by the parable of the sower and his seed and of the drag-net and of the leaven and of the Feast Wherein note that to declare the compulsion of all men internally to receive the infranchisement aforesaid in the common salvation Christ sets forth the same seeds-man sowing of the same seed even the word of the Kingdome upon foure sorts of ground representing thereby all the sorts of ground or of men which were compelled all alike to receive the sowing or falling of the seed upon them for the simile holds not nor maintains not that any of those sorts of ground no not the best sort of ground used any means or desired that the seed should be cast upon them yet it is said in effect that all those grounds were by the act of sowing the seed upon them made to hear the word and also some of the bad grounds did receive it with joy Mat 13.19 23. and also some of the bad grounds sprang up Luke 8.6 which shewes that there is an ability given by the seed sowing even on the bad grounds for they had no such ability of their own but they by one means or other in that ability suffered one interruption or other to fasten upon them so that only that ground called the good ground did bring forth good fruit thereby But still note here with that the goodnesse thereof is not attributed to a surmounting Almighty power of God extended to that ground over and above or more than the other grounds but it is attributed as in the simile in effect to the due obedience of the ground or of men being found well acting in the ability by grace restored to all men by Christ the seeds-man by sowing the same seed upon it which seed he also soweth on all persisting disobedient men for if the goodnesse thereof were not attributed to its own wel acting in ability of will by grace so restored but to a surmounting Almighty power of God unresistibly overpowring it more then was granted to the other grounds then it were grosse absurdity with men much more for us to conceive of our impartiall good God who is no respecter of persons Acts 10.34 Deut. 10.17 Rom. 2.11 That he should esteem of that ground and that he should so partially and highly prefer that ground as being good rather than the other grounds considering that if those bad grounds had been so over-powred they could not have avoided it but they must perforce have brought forth as good fruit as that ground accounted good ground did But These grounds to say as the truth is do represent the rationall man consisting of body and soule in all men which rationall man is set forth distinct from the Old and New man in the latter part of my 1 Distinction the rationall man being in all men inthralled in an utter unability in respect of Saving Acts by Adams fall yet are all in due season Thus by this generall seeds-man that as you see pro ed sowes his seed or the word of the Kingdome on all grounds or all men so that so that all were infranchised in their naturall dease condition so as to heare the word with the ears of internall minds as Mat. 13.19 23. plainly declareth that all the sorts of ground did And herein is represented some rationall men so inlightned by the title of the good ground as found well acting or fruitfully by faithfull indeavours acting in the use of that their infranchisment when the other grounds also so inabled by the same seeds-man and seed yet are found rebelliously acting and for secondary carnall ends casting oft the benefits by that grace given unto them and therefore are called bad grounds And yet observe that though one ground is imputatively by grace commended to be good
whereby they might recover themselves out of the snare of the Devill to which they are exhorted 2 Tim. 2.26 or effectuall means intended on Gods part whereby they in their well usage thereof might attaine unto eternall salvation Whereto considering that God so leaving off some men must needs be at that very time when the other part of men were by him chosen into his eternall favour which time is said in Scripture to be before the foundation of the world Eph. 1.4 Note at that time those men then supposed to be reprobated were then as holy as those that were chosen Therefore it is said they were predestinated ver 5. and his predestination is according as he doth foreknow that his by him inabled Creatures will be beleevers as in Distinction 17. Thus you will finde that preterition to be no other than a disguised decreed reprobation of some part of Adams posterity for fore-seen sins of theirs which they in their future generations shall be unavoidably inforced to commit originally by another mans default whereas God doth with indignation utterly disclaime and reprove that abusive taxation and also renounceth the taking of any such unjust advantage against his poor creatures and though throughout his word he affirmeth that he actually forsaketh no man first as is fully proved in my 16 Distinction Yet say they that this decree passed on them even before those his poor creatures had obtained a personall being for they were all then unborne and therefore then could not so much as give actuall consent to much lesse personally act any waies in Adams transgression which was the originall inlet of sin but what noisome soile this unshapen tenent doth cast upon the perfect perfection of our just God faithfull Creator and all his holy attributes for a determination therein I doe chearfully appeal to Gods owne sentence therein given for vindication of his unspotted impartiality proclaimed in Ezek. 18.1 2 3. 1 Chron. 28.9 2 Chron. 15.2 2 Chron 24.20 Acts 10.34 Psal 145.9 Mans sinning in the seed in Adam is not counted to be actuall or personall sinne see this proved Rom. 9.11 But now beloved if we on the contrary part agreeable with Jer. 18.19 From whence Rom. 9.21 hath its lively nourishment concerning the Potter and his Clay and doe accordingly to those Texts take the same lump therein mentioned to be the particular lump of a Kingdom Nation City Towne or particular person formerly put into a good condition vertually in Christ as is proved in my 1 and 2 and 21 and 22 and 23 Distinctions And t hat God though he doth create the evill of punishment as men by naturall light account it for their doing evilly and thus fitting of themselves to be made vessels of wrath as in ver 32. yet that he neither doth nor indeed can make any evill vessels or originally dishonorable vessels without respect to sinne first acted personally by man for it is thereto affirmed that they procured their evil to themselves not because God forsook them first or before Adams posterity had actually or personally sinned as is cleared in Jer. 2.18 19. and largely in the latter end of my 16 Distinction before mentioned but for that they forsooke the Lord their God Jer. 2.17 first and that actually also as is said to the same effect Ier. 5.19 and 18.4 Now when men though formerly so well formed and inlightned have marred themselves upon his gratious intending Potters wheele by their owne wilfull persisting in resistance against grace and finding fault with his good forme put on them Then God may justly of the very same lump of every one such particular person make dishonorable vessels Here to take notice what God saith in this very point to those people the similized Clay typically representing every mans condition in this cause as is proved in my 2 Distinction where he affirmeth I had for my part planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me Ier. 2.21 Thus the honour of God and all his holy attributes united is preserved the tormentors of the Text confuted thus is shewed that no man though by God made a dishonourable vessell is wronged and the amiable agreement of the Scripture is confirmed The thirteenth Distinction wherein the mistakes of some men concerning Gods dealing with Jacob and Esau is laid open HErein note that because God saith for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger Rom. 9.11 12 13. From this Text some men to maintaine that Gods absolute will and prerogative power is the only originall cause of election and rereprobation have concluded that God did love Iacob and reprobatingly hated Esau before either Iacob or Esau were born or had done either good or evill which affirmation is by that very Text it selfe proved false for I am very confident that no man will affirme that because God said the elder shall serve the younger that this proveth that God hated the elder to eternall destruction as they conceive no doubt but that God might declare that such a servitude was to come and yet not so hate the elder Therefore observe how this Text hath been mistaken for accordingly as the Text declares Gods word to Rebecca their mother before they were born to be no expresse indignation of God but only a discovery of a secret that was to come that the one of those twins should be mightier than the other and that the elder should serve the younger Gen 25.23 so it is in the Text of Rom. 9.12 that God said no other nor expressed any other hatred of his at all concerning Esau before he was born but only declared that in future the elder should serve the younger which so fell out in their off-spring This servitude was all the hatred that God spake of concerning Esau at any time before he was born and as for those following expressions in ver 13. where it is said as it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated which words are brought forth by some men Goliath-like to maintaine that God doth reprobate some men by his meer prerogative will and power only But I pray you beloved observe what strength is in that supposition for some men have conceived that God did speak those words to set forth his decreed intention concerning Iacob and Esau before they were born whereas in truth God did not apply those words to either of them before they were born but are words which God spake to the Prophet Malachy Mal. 1.2 many hundred of years after Iacob and Esau were born in which long space of time God had a full proofe of Esaus actuall malice against his bother Iacob and of Esaus prophanenesse in his selling his birth-right and of the manifold