Reasons why our prayers are not ever heard at first 120 We are readier to pray then to praise 121 Christ bottomed his prayer on the sweet relation of a Father and a Sonne 121.122 Sonnes onely can pray ibid. The power of Prayer 123.124 Christs houre-sufferings 125 He suffered in value what we should have suffered ibid. Whence commeth the dignity of Christs suffering 126 Christs losse great from his excellency 127 How Christs sufferings were bounded being infinite ibid. Our debt of love to Christ eternall 128 Our sufferings short ibid. We are not too weary for length of time in sufferings 130.131 Christs death soure and blacke to nature and Christ and why 131.132 Christ sensible of paine and death ibid. Gods anger against Christ. ibid. The personall union not dissolved in suffering 133 Christ bare the whole Crosse and we but chips of it 134 Soules of great value with God not so with us 135.136 Strength of Christs love 137 Death sweetned in Christ. ibid. Christs will subordinate to Gods doubts removed 138 1â—9 Gods revealed will not his decree our rule ibid. A conditionall desire though not agreeable to a positive Law no sinne 140 Rules touching our submission to Gods will 141 Nine considerable objections comfortably answered 142.143.144.145 Thirteene considerable Rules touching submission to Providence 144.145.146.147.148.149.150.151 c. Gods wisdome in creating good and ill 146.147 Afflictions proportioned to every mans measure ibid. The Royall prerogative of providence 152.153 It cannot be counter-wrought 154.155 We dote much on the sweet accidents of Christ and love himselfe too little 155.156 Submission to the absence of God 156.157 Christs returne no merit ibid. The worke of Redemption rationall and full of causes and reasons 158 Afflictions are to bee weighed 1. Who. 2. How 3. For what end 159.160 Blind and dumbe Crosses ibid. Christ willing to suffer 160.161 An agent in his suffering 162 Intended his Spouse ibid. To be active for God and submissive 163.164 The Charters of a right intention in serving God 164.165.166 Christs love tooke strength from difficulties ibid. How the Lords glory is to be sought by us 167.168 Six considerations of errours therein 167.168.169.170 Christ ever heard ibid. Our failings in expecting to bee heard in five considerations 171.172.173 All Christs good and ours from heaven ibid. Easie traffiquing with heaven 173.174 God cleareth a good cause though darkned ibid. The scandall of the Crosse removed 175.176 How the Lord was glorified in Christ. 177.178 Omnipotency maketh glory of any thing 178.179 Mans glory vaine 199. The Gospel darke to us 180 Our understanding affections and heart hereticall in Gods will word and works 181.182.183 Sinne and errour broody truth but one 184 Angels kept fast their birthright 185.186 Seven considerations of conviction 186.187.188 Will-heresie 186 Christ a most publike person as all excellent things and good men are 188.189.190 Christs office warranâ—s us to apply him 190.191 The Saints a mystery ibid. Hopes good prophecying 192.193 Five characters of the World 194.195 This world differenced from the other 196 Judged of Christ 3. waies 197.198 What a Prince the Devill is not in three points ibid. What a Prince he is in foure points and what a Godhead he hath 199.200 Twise judged ibid. Sathans power 1. Naturall 2. Acquired 3. Sinnefull 201.202 seq Ill Angels knew not the incarnation before they fell ibid. They have no Princedome in knowing the thoughts or over free will 203.204 Sathans legall power ibid. To tempt 204.205 What temptation is 205.206.207 Sathans outward power over men 208.209 How God onely not Angels knows the heart and why 209.210.211 Sathans power over the Creatures 212 Over senâ—es and soule 213 How Sathan sinneth yet 214 His punishment 215 2â—6 Sathans knowledge hurt and how ibid. His sadnesse ibid. His faith despaire 216. Obduration 217 Christ his Judge and how 217.218.219 Five observable considerations thereof ibid. State-wit against Christ stark folly 220 Familists vaine opinion of the Devill and sinne 221.222 Sinne against light devillish 222 2â—3 Obduration ibid. Tenne motives to the good fight 2â—4 225 Six points concerning drawing 1. The drawing it selfe 2. The drawer 3. The persons drawne 4. To whom 5. The condition 6. The way and manner Of drawing foure points 1. The expression 2. Reasons moving Christ to draw 3. The manner 4. The power 226.227.228 c. No violence in drawing 2â—8 Our indisposition to be drawne 229.230 We naturally hate Christ. 229 2â—0 231 Will not weakenesse the cause why we are not drawn 232.233 The strength greatnesse freenesse of grace in 6. Positions 233 234. c. The place Ezech. 16.8.9 c. opened in 12 Articles of free love 234.235.236 Christ gracious for no bire 237 238.2â—9 Preparations before conversion in a fourefold consideration 240.241 c. How there be and be no preparations before conversion 240.241 c. How a desire to pray and beleeve is prayer and beliefe how not 242.243 A Royall prerogative in conversion 244 Antinomians objections for immediate beleeving without any preparations or breakings of the soule loosed 245.246.247 c. Saltmarsh his experiences in the Method of conversion tryed and found light 249.250.251 The Antinomian faith presumption 249.250 Fifteene Propositions opening our Doctrine touching preparations 251.252.253 Twelve Assertions against Antinomians in the Doctrine of Preparations 239.240 c. largely Dispositions before renewed drawing of converted soules 260.261 The signes thereof Antinomian confession of sinnes refused 257 How the promises of the Gospel are held forth to sinners as sinners 2â—8 Preparations make us nothing lesse sinners then if wee wanted them 259 The doubt of conditionall Gospel-promises discussed against Antinomians 261.262.263 In five positions 264 â—65 c. What conditions we reject and we admit in the Gospel 261.262.263 Obedience in the Law and Gospel the same and how 263.264 How election justification salvation are of grace but differently 265 The decree of God and mans liberty fight not 266.267 Grace inherent in the Saints 268 Bastard preparations 269 Gods Method in deliverances 269.270 Libertines falsely make Justification and Regeneration one 271.272 How Law and love worke in drawing sinners 272.273 The particular manner of drawing not knowne to us 275.276 Drawing Morall and Physicall 277 278 Inspirations without Scripture rejected 270.271 Christs oratory in drawing strong 280.281 His love in drawing 1. Violent 2. Speedy 3. Vehement 4. Reall 5. Lovely 6. Strong 281.282.283 Drawing by love sweeter and stricter then by Law 283.284 Way of loves working ibid. Binding lovelinesse in Christ. 285.286 Drawing power of Christs Kingdome in many particulars 286 287.288.289 Drawing arguments in Christ from beauty 290.291 What beauty 291.292.293.294.295.296 From gaine 296.297 From Honour ibid. A survey of Christ. 298.299.300 Libertines enemies to grace 300.301 Great things reported of the waies of God 301.302.303 Objections removed 303.304 The Lord draweth by proportion by charming 305.306 By condiscention 306 By internall application 307.308 By externall accommodation of word and providence ibid. In regard of meanes
and brings in all hee keeps in Angels that they never came out hee brings in his many children to glory But some goe to heaven and till the twelfth houre know nothing of sinne death God Christ heaven and hell Grace tooke a short cut and a compendious way with the repenting Thiefe Christ cannot onely runne but fly post with some in few houres to heaven Grace hath Eagles wings to some and some wrestle with hell fight with beasts make warre with lusts and are dipt in and out as the oars in the river in flouds of wrath from their youth and a long time Caleb and Joshua for two generations were in the Journey to Canaan many thousands not borne when they entered the Journey yea new generations arose and entered into that good land with them and were there as soone as they Asser. 7. In consideration of dissertions as actively they come from God and passively they are received in us and consecutively or by abused resultance are our sinnes they have sundry and divers causes 1. Sorrow for the with-drawing sense and influence of Christ's love as formally a dissertion passive in us is not sinfull except sorrow which is a luxuriant and too indulgent passion exceed measure For 1. It s a mark of a soule that livâ—th and breatheth much on Christ's love now if love be the life of some it must be continued in sense or some fruition of love lesse or more Now as the irradiation of the sunne's beames and light in the aire yesterday or the last yeare cannot enlighten the aire and earth this day and the mâ—at I did eat a yeare agoe the sleep I slept the last moneth cannot feed and refresh me now but there must be a new application of new food and new sleep So the irradiation of the manifested love of Christ in the yeares of old must goe along with us though as experiences of old favours they may set faith on foot again when it s fallen yet the soule that liveth by fruition of divine love must have a continuated influence of that love and to live on divine love of it selfe can be no sin O it s a life liable to many clouds over-castings of sadnesse and jealousies that lives on the manifestations of Christ's love It s sweet and comfortable but has mixtures of hardest trialls for such set on no duties comfortably without hire in hand as it were when Christ's love-letter from heaven miscarries and is intercepted the soule swoons it s surer to live by faith 2. To murmure and impatiently to so sorrow as if God had forgotten to be mercifull is sinfull sorrow 1. Because the object of it is materially blasphemous The strength of Israel cannot lie nor repent nor can any change or shadow of change fall on him 2. It s most unjust to complaine and quarrell with him who hath jus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right law full and unconstrained liberty to doe with his owne what hee pleaseth but the heavenly irradiations and out-shinings of Christ's love and the influence of his free grace are all his owne and most free for if the Sea-man have no just cause to quarrell with God because the wind bloweth out of the East when he desireth it may blow out of the West and the Husband-man cannot in reason plead male-government in the Almighty because hee restraines the clouds and bindeth up the wombe of heaven in extreme drought when hee cryeth for raine and dew to his withered earth and meddowes and valleys so neither is there any just pleading a sinlesse desire of the contrary is a farre other thing with the Lord because hee bindeth up the bowels of Christ from outing his love or restraineth the winds and breathings of the Spirit from blowing 3. Wee may desire the wind of the Lord to blow because its an act of free grace in him so to doe but to contend with the Lord because hee will not act himselfe in works of free grace at our pleasure is to complain that grace is grace for if grace were obnoxious in all its sweet spirations and motions to my will or to your desires it should not be grace but a work of my hireing and sweating 4. This sorrowing must accuse the free holy and innocent love of Christ as if his love were proud nice humorous high passionate whereas infinite freedome infinite majesty and lovelinesse and meeknesse of tenderest love doe all three concurre admirably in Jesus Christ. Love cannot be hired Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned And for the strength of tendernesse of love the same place pleadeth Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it And Paul asserteth Ephes. 3.18 The breadth and length and deâ—th and height of it 5. There is required a submission under such a divine dispensation else wee upbraid grace and will be wicked because God will not be actu secundo as gracious in his influence as wee are humorous in our sickly desires 6. If wee could understand the sense of divine dispensation the Lord often intendeth grace when hee suspendeth grace and his dissertions are wrapped up in more invisible love and free grace then wee are aware of and why should not wee in faith beleeve his way of dispensation to be mercy Asser. 8. Sometimes 2. Gods immediate lashes on the soule is the occasion of our sinfull mis-judging of God Psal. 38.2 Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me sore Hence cometh a sad reckoning Vers. 4. Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavie burden they are too heavie for me And Psal. 77.4 Thou holdest mine eye waking I am so troubled that I cannot speake And what followeth from this A great mis-judging of God Vers. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever will hee be favourable no more Vers. 8. Is his mercy cleane gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Vers. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious It s but a poore ground of inferring that God hath forgotten to be mercifull and Christ is changed because there is night and winter on your soule Is the God of Nature changed because it s not ever summer and day-light because a rose withereth and a flower casteth its bloome and the sunne is over-clouded therefore God hath forgotten himselfe Dispensations of God are no rules to his good pleasure but his good pleasure regulates all his dispensations If the Souldiers of Christ quarter in the dry wildernesse not in the suburbs of heaven their Leader is wise 3. Darkenesse and night are blind judges of coulours in dissertion it 's night on the soule and imaginations are strongest and biggest in the darkenesse the species of terrible things plow deepe furrowes of strong impressions on the phancie in the sleepe when the man walketh in darknesse and hath no light either of sound judgement or soule-comfort it 's night with the
mans doubting from signes inherent in the man and if hee be a back-slider in heart you fetch fire and water from beyond the Moone to cure him or you must fetch warrants to convince him from the mind eternall counsells of love and free grace within God and that is all the question between the poore man and you You cannot prove God hath loved him from everlasting because hee hath loved him from everlasting If Libertines in this Argument intend to prove that a chosen convert in Christ hath no ground to question that hee is not beloved of God and not in Christ 1. That is nothing to the Thesis of Antinomians maintained by all that sinners as sinners are to beleeve Gods eternall love in Christ to them and so all sinners elect or reprobate are to beleeve the same 2. It s nothing to the universall commandement that all and every one in the visible Church wearied and loaden with sin or not wearied and loaden are immediatly to come to Christ and rest on him as made of God to them their righteousnesse sanctification and redemption without any inherent qualification in them 3. It s nothing to the point of freeing all and building a golden bridge to deliver all who are oblieged to beleeve elect or reprobate from doubting whether they be in Christ or not that they may easily come to Christ and beleeve his eternall love and redemption in him though they be in the gall of bitternesse and bonds of iniquity and that immediatly Which golden Paradise to heaven and Christ Antinomians liberally promise to all sinners as sinners I cannot beleeve that it s so easie a step to Christ. For the second It 's a dreame that God loveth sinners with the same love every way wherewith hee loveth his owne Sonne Christ. And why Because God loveth us onely for his owne Sonne and for nothing in us Ergo Farre more it must follow it s a farre other an higher fountaine love wherewith the Father loveth his owne eternall and consubstantiall Sonne the Mediator betweene God and man and that derived love wherewith he loveth us sinners As the one is 1. Naturall the latter free 2. The love of the Father to the Sonne as his consubstantiall Son and so farre as it 's essentially included in his love to Jesus Christ Mediator is not a love founded on grace and free-mercy which might never have beene in God because essentially the Father must love his Sonne Christ as his Sonne and being Mediator he cannot for that renounce his naturall love to him which is the fundamentall cause why hee loveth us for Christ his Sonne as Mediator but the love wherewith the Father loveth us for his Sonne Christ is founded on free Grace and mercy and might possibly never have been in God For 1. as he could not but beget his Sonne he could not but love him nature not election can have place in either but it was his Free will to create a man or not create him 2. He cannot but love his Sonne Christ but God might either have loved neither man nor Angel so as to chuse them to Salvation and he might have chosen other Men and Angels then these whom he hath chosen God hath no such freedome in loving his owne Consubstantiall Sonne 2. It s an untruth that God loveth his chosen ones as he doth love his Sonne that is with the same degree of love wherewith he loves his Sonne I thinke that not farre from either grosse ignorance or blasphemie It possibly may bee the same love by proportion with which the Father tendereth the Mediatour or Redeemer and all his saved and ransomed ones but in regard of willing good to the creature loved he neither loveth his redeemed with the same love wherewith hee loveth his Sonne except blasphemously we say God hath as highly exalted all the redeemed and given to them a name above every name as he hath done to his owne Sonne nor doth he so love all his chosen ones as hee conferreth equall grace and glory upon all alike as if one starre differed not from anoâ—her starre in glory in the highest heavens Our owne good works cannot make our Lord love us lesse or more with the love of eternall election but they may make God love us more with the love of complâ—cency and a sweeter manifestation of God in the fruits and gracious effects of his love According to that John 14.23 Jesus said if a man love me he will keepe my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The third reason is the same with the first and proveth nothing but a Major Poposition not denied by the disquieted sinner which is this Who ever is justified and chosen cannot be condemned whom ever the Lord once loveth to salvation he must alwaies love to salvation for his love is like himselfe and changeth not But the disquieted sinner is chosen and loved to salvation This Assumption is all the question and the truth of a Major Proposition can never prove the truth of the Assumption Saltmarsh Free Grace Chap. 4. Pag. 83.84 85. Because you feele not your selfe sanctified you feare you are not justified If you suppose that God takes in any part of your faith repentance new obedience or sanctification as a ground upon which he justifieth or forgiveth 1. you are cleare against the Word for if it be of Workes it is no more of Grace 2. It must then be the onely evidence you seeke for and you aske for sanctification to helpe your assurance of justification but take it in the Scriptures way 1. In the Scriptures Christ is revealed to be our sanctification Christ is made unto us righteousnesse sanctification I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Yee are Christs but yee are sanctified but yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus He hath quickned us together with Christ. Wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes Jesus Christ himself being the chiefe corner stone That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that new man which after God was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Wee are members of his body of his flesh and his bones And being found in him not having mine own righteousnesse I can dâ—e all things through Christ which strengthneth me But Christ is all in all Your life is hid with Christ in God Heb. 13.20 21. All these set forth Christ as our sanctification the fulnesse of his the all in all Christ hath beleeved perfectly for us he hath sorrowed for sinne perfectly he hath obeyed perfectly he hath mortified sinne perfectly and all is ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. The second thing is Faith about our owne sanctification we must beleeve more truth of our owne graces then we can see or feele the Lord in his Dispensation hath so ordered that here our life should be hid with Christ in God that we should
deare bought and his intercession in heaven speaketh his hearty Amen and fullest consent of love to our Redemption 8. All this was done by Christ for nothing Grace fell from God on the creature by meere grace Grace is the onely hire of grace 9. When Ancient Love looked first on sinners how â—glie and black did the Lord see and fore-see us to be but Christ loved us not according to what wee were but to what Grace and Love was to make us and that was faire and spotlesse And this love was so free in the secret of eternall election that it was not increased by Christs merits and death but the merits death and fruit of this love had being and worth from Christs eternall love and Christs love hath no fountaine and cause but love 10. The Law of Gratitude tieth us to love Christ for hee hath loved us If the love of Christ be in us it worketh nothing in order to merit or hire Libertines need not weaken Christs love from doing upon this feare but love doth all in order to the debt of love and oblieged expressions to love which excludeth not Law but the Law 's rigid cursing and imperious commanding Christs love is most imperious but is no hireling and looks not to the penny wages but the free Crown But for this cause came I to this houre Here is the fifth Article in this Prayer a sort of correction in which Christ doth resigne his will as man to the will of God as Mat. 26.39 Luk. 22.42 Neverthelesse not my will but thine be done In this there is offered to us a question Whether or no there be in this Prayer any repugnancy in the humane will of Christ to the will of God For 1. a correction of the humane will seemeth to import a jarring and a discord 2. Christ desired that the contrary whereof hee knew was from eternity decreed of God 3. The Law of God is so spirituall straight and holy that it requireth not onely a conformity to it and our will actions words and purposes but also in all our affections desires first motions and inclinations of our heart that no unperfect and halfe-formed lustings arise in us even before the compleat consent of the will that may thwart or crosse the known Law and command of God and by this Thou shalt not lust Rom. 7. and the duty of the highest love wee owe to God to love him with all the heart soule mind and whole strength Mat. 22.37 Mark 12.33 Luk. 10.27 Some Arians and Arminians Joh. Geysteranus at the Synod of Dort have said blasphemously that there was concupiscence and a will repugnant to Gods will in the second Adam as in the first But this they spoke against the consubstantiality and deity of the Sonne of God To which wee say Asser. 1. Jesus Christ that holy thing Luk. 1.35 was a fit high Priest holy harmlesse undefiled separated from sinners Heb. 7.26 Which of you saith Christ to the Jewes convinceth me of sinne Joh. 8.46 There could not be a spot in this Lamb sacrificed for the sinnes of the world no prick in this Rose no cloud in this faire Sunne no blemish in this beautifull Well-beloved Asser. 2. An absolute resolved will or desire of heart to lust after that which God forbiddeth in his Law must be a sinfull jarring betweene the creature 's and the Creator's will Now Christ's will was conditionall and clearly submissive it lay ever levell with his Father's holy will Asser. 3. I shall not with some affirme that which in the generall is true a will contrary to Gods revealed command and will called voluntas signi which is our morall rule to obliege us is a sinne but a will contrary to Gods decree called voluntas bene-placiti which is not our rule oblieging except the Lord be pleased to impose it on us as a morall Law is not a sinne Peter and the Apostles after they heard that prophecie of their denying of Christ and their being sinfully scandalized and their forsaking of Christ when the Shepherd was smitten were oblieged to have a will contrary to that decree and to pray that they might not be led into temptation but might have grace to confesse their Saviour before men and not flee nor be scattered Here is a resolute will of men lawfully contrary to the revealed decree of God yet not sinfull But the Lords will that Christ should die for man as it was a decree of the wise and most gracious Lord pitying lost man so was it also a revealed commandement to Christ that hee should be willing to die and be obedient to the death even the death of the crosse Phil. 2.8 Yea a rule of such humble obedience as wee are oblieged to follow as is said Vers. 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus c. If the Lords will that Christ should die be nothing but his meere decree it could not obliege us in the like case to be willing as John saith to lay down our life for the brethren Yea Joh. 10.18 Christ hath a commandement of God and the revealed will of God to die for us No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my selfe I have power to lay it down I have power to take it againe this commandement have I received of my Father Here is an expresse commandement given to Christ to die for sinners and the Father loveth Christ for obedience to this commandement Asser. 4. A conditionall and a submissive desire though not agreeable to a positive Law and Commandement of God is no sinne nor doth the Law require a conformity in all our inclinations and the first motions of our desires to every command of God though most contrary to nature and our naturall and sinlesse inclinations 1. If God command Abraham to kill his onely begotten sonne and offer him in a sacrifice to God which was a meere positive commandement for it s not a command of the law of nature nor any other then positive for the father to kill the sonne if yet Abraham retaine a naturall inclination and love commanded also in the law of nature to save his sonnes life and to desire that hee may live this desire and inclination though contradictory to a positive command of God is no sinne because the fifth command grounded on the law of nature doth command it Nor did Gods precept Abraham kill now thy sonne even Isaac thine onely begotten sonne ever include this Abraham root out of thine heart all desire and inclination naturall in a father to preserve the life of the child So the positive command of the Father that the Son of God should lay down his life for his sheep did never root out of the sinlesse nature of the man Christ a naturall desire to preserve his owne being and life especially hee desiring it with speciall reservation of the will of God commanding that hee should die 2. A Martyr dying
breath Natures weake leggs in walking up the Mount are good for the adding wind and tyde and high sailes to the praysing of Christ and free Grace Vtile est peccavisse nocâ—t pâ—ccare It is profitable that we have sinned that Grace may be extolled it is ill to sinne Even to the nature of man its good that hee hath dyed and hath beene in the grave yet it s not good but contrary to nature to die and to ly in the grave 6. It s our forgetfulnesse that wee see not the dearest to Christ hath beene kept lowest and most empty in their owne eyes hidden grace extolleth Christ. 2. That often the Saints are kept in a condition of sayling with as much wind as blows with praying and beleeving 3. That yet prayer and the sweating of Faith cannot earne nor promerit the renewed sense of Christ so as Christ returneth to eate his honey-combe and his wine and milke and banquet with the soule rather at the presence of these acts then for them as some have said thouâ—h with no strength of reason that fire burneth not the Sunne enlighteneth not the â—arth doth not send forth floures and herbes but God at the naked presence of these causes doth produce all effects yet in this case it hath a truth that the sweating of all supernaturall industry cannot redeeme the least halfe glimpse of Gods presence in the sense of eternall love when God is pleased for trialâ— to hide himselfe 7 Our great fault heere is merit that we tye the flowings and inundations of Christs love to the becke of our desires whereas we may know 1. That the Sunne doth not shine nor the raine water the earth in order to merit 2. Wee should know that grace and all the acts of grace are almes not debt and that a rich Saviour giveth grace to us as beggars and payeth it not to hirelings as the due or as wages wee can crave for our worke but wee love peny-worth's better then free-gifts But for this cause came I to this houre Christs worke of redemption was a most rationall worke and was full of causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this saith that to redeeme losed sinners was not a rash and reasonlesse worke 1. There was no cause compelling Love cannot be forced John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Grace worketh more from an intrinsecall cause and more spontaneously then nature For Nature often is provoked by contraries for selfe-defence to worke as fire worketh on water as on a contrary the wolfe and the dogge pursue one another as enemies But Grace because grace hath abundance of causality and power in it selfe but hath no cause without it 2. Any necessitie of working from Goodnesse in the Agent as from such a principle is strong 1 Tim. 1.15 It s a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be received that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners If the thing be worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all receipt and embracing then it must bee good an Agent working from a Principle of goodnesse doth in his kind worke necessarily though he may also worke from another principle freely John 10.11 I am the good shepherd the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheepe Luke 19.10 For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to save that which is lost 3. God will seeke reasons or occasions without himselfe to be gracious to sinners When no reason or cause moveth a Physitian to cure but onely sicknesse and extreame misery wee know grace and compassion is the onely cause Ezech. 36.23 I will sanctifie my great name Why Which was prophaned among the heathen and which ye have prophaned in the midst of them then the true cause must bee expressed Vers. 22. Thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Names sake 4. The Lord taketh a cause from the end of his comming Math. 20.28 The Sonne of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many Joh. 18.37 To this end was I borne and for this cause came into the world that I should beare witnesse to the truth Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and have it in aboundance 5. Some thing yea very much of God is in the creation much of God in his common providence but most of all yea whole God in the redemption of man God manifested in the flesh is the matter and subject of it Grace the moving cause most of all his attributes working for the manifestation of the Glory of pardoning mercy revenging justice exact faithfulnesse and truth freest grace omnipotency over hell devils sinne the World patience longanimity to man cooperate as the formall and finall causes it is a peece so rationall and full of causes that as he is happy Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas who can know the causes of things so Angels delight to be Schollers to read and study this mysterious art of free Grace Eph. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 Works without reasons and causes are foolish The cause why we doe not submit to God is because we lye under blind and fatherlesse crosses its true Affliction springs not out of the dust and crosses considered without God are twise crosses Three materiall circumstances in crosses are very considerable Quis quare quomodo 1. Who for what cause and how doth God afflict us Who afflicts is worthy to be known Esai 42.24 Who gave Jaakob for a spoile and Israel to the robbers The highest cause of causes did it Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth good to him 2. For what end God the Lord did this is a circumstance of comfort Why led the Lord Israel through a great and terrible wildernesse wherein were fiery Scorpions and Serpents and drought Deut. 8.16 That he might prove thee to doe thee good at thy latter end 3. And how the Lord correcteth is worthy to be known He correcteth Jaakob in measure Jer. 6.28 Mercy wrapped about the rod and a cup of gall and wormewood honeyed and oyled with free love and a piece of Christs heart and his stirred bowels mixed in with the cup is a mercifull little hell Psal. 6.1 Jer. 31.18 19 20. The Law saith A Bastard hath no father because his father is not knowne The Philistimes are plagued with Emerods but whether that ill was from the Lord or from Chance they know not The crosse to many is a bastard We suffer from Prelats because wee suffered Prelats to persecute the Saints Papists shed our bloud why Our fore-fathers burnt the witnesses of Christ and we never repented Christ and Anti-christ are at bloudy blowes in the camp Anti-christ hath killed many thousands in the three kingdomes for Religion that is the quarrell and
come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ch. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Acts 13.39 And by him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 16.30 The Jaylor saith to Paul and Silas what must I doe to be saved Vers. 31. And they said beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy houshold There is an expresse required of the Jaylor which he must performe if he would be saved And Rom. 10. looke as a condition is required in the Law Vers. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousnesse of the Law that the man that doth these things shall live by them So beleeving is required as a condition of the Gospel Vers. 6. But the righteousnesse which is of Faith c. Ver. 9. Saith that if thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 3.27.28.29.30 ch 4. ch 5. Faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace and the only condition of Justification and of the title right and claime that the Elect have thorow Christ to life eternall Holy walking as a witnesse of faith is the way to the possession of the kingdome As Rom. 2.6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds Vers. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternall life Vers. 8. To them that are contentious Vers. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Matth. 25.34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Ver. 33. For I was hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirstie and ye gave me drink c. And let Antinomians say we are freed from the Law as a rule of holy walking sure the Gospel and the Apostles command the very same duties in the letter of the Gospel that Moses commanded in the letter of the Law as that children obey their parents servants their masters that we abstaine from murther hatred of our brother stealing defrauding lying c. that we keepe our selves from Idols swearing strange gods I doe not say that these duties are commanded in the same way in the Gospel as in the Law For sure we are out of a principle of Evangelike love to render obedience and our obedience now is not Legall as commanded by Moses in strict termes of Law but as perfumed oyled honeyed with the Gospel-sense of remission of sinnes the tender love of God in Christ. So that wee justly challenge two extreme waies both blasphemous as we conceive 1. Arminians object to us that which the Antinomians truely teach to wit that we destroy all precepts commands exhortations and active obedience in the Gospel and render men under the Gospel meere blocks and stones which are immediately acted by the Spirit in all obedience and freed from the Letter of both Law and Gospel as from a Legall bondage This we utterly disclaime and doe obtest and beseech Antinomians as they love Christ and his truth to cleare themselves of this which to us is vilde Libertinisme And by this Arminians turne all the Gospel in literalem gratiam in a Law-Gospel in meere golden letters and sweet-honeyed commandements of Law-precepts and will have the Law possible justification by works conversion by the power of free will and morall suasion really without the mighty power of the Spirit and Gospel-grace and receive the doctrine of merit and set heaven and hell on new Polls to be rolled about as Globes on these two Poles the nilling and willing of free-will and they make grace to be sweet words of silke and gold on the other hand Antinomians doe exclude words letter-perswasions our actions conditions of Grace promises written or preached from the Gospel and make the Spirit and celestiall rapts immediate inspirations the Gospel it selfe and turne men regenerate into blocks and how M. Den can be both an Antinomian and loose us from the Law and an Arminian defending both universall attonement and the resistible working of grace and so subject us to the Law and to the doctrine of Merit and make us lords of our owne faith and conversion to God let him and his followers see to it Wee goe a middle way here and doe judge the Gospel to bee an Evangelike command and a promising and commanding Evangel and that the Holy Ghost graceth us to doe and the Letter of the Gospel obligeth us to doe Pos. 3. The decree of Election to glory may bee said to bee more free and gracious in one respect and justification and glorification and conversion more free in another respect and all the foure of meere free grace For Election as the cause and fountaine-fountaine-grace is the great mother the wombe the infinite spring the bottomlesse ocean of all grace and wee say effects are more copiously and eminently in the cause then in themselves as water is more in the element and fountaine then in the streames the tree more in the life and sapp of life then in the branches and conversion and justification have more freedome and more of grace by way of extension because good will stayeth within the bowels and heart of God in free election but in conversion and justification infinite love comes out and here the Lord giveth us the great gift even himselfe Christ God the darling the delight the onely onely well-beloved of the Father and he giveth Faith to lay hold on Christ and the life of God and all the meanes of life in which there be many divided acts of grace to speake so which were all one in the wombe of the election of grace Pos. 4. Conversion justification are free for election and therefore election is more free but all these as they are in God are equally free and are one simple good will Though Christ justifie and crowne none but such as are quallified with the grace of beleeving yet beleeving is a condition that removeth nothing of the freedome of grace 1. Because it worketh nothing in the bowels of mercy and the free grace of God as a motive cause or moving condition that doth extract acts of grace out of God only we may conceive this order that Grace of electing to glory stirres another wheele to speak so of free love to give Faith effectuall calling justification and eternall glory 2. It s no hire nor work at all nor doth it justifie as a worke but onely lay hold on the Lord our righteousnesse Object There is more of God in election to glory then in giving of Faith or at least of Christs righteousnesse and eternall glory therfore there must bee more grace in the one then in
punishment The ill Angels created good as the elect Aâ—gels Ill angels saw God before their fall as did the elect The ill Angels before their fall knew nothing of the incarnation of Christ. Satan knoweth not the thoughts of the heart Satan hath no immediate power over free-will nor tempteth he to aâ—l sins that are committed in the in-most Court of the heart Satans knowledge naturall and acquired Satan hath a lâ—gall power over man It s not certain by Scripture that Beelzebub loseth the Princedome over his fellow-Angels at the last judgement How Satan keepeth still and exerciseth his power of tempting though he hath lost his Princedom by Christs death Satan a prince for his power over other Satan an enâ—mie not to be dâ—spised for his lownesse What it is to tempt and how Satans power is put forth in tempting Gâ—l Paâ—isiens tâ—act 〈◊〉 Chaâ—twright Catâ—â—h c. 4â— Satan can not fire the wil against our will Every tempted creâ—ture is a sufferer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perforo tento It s good to know when we are tempted and what God and Satan ayme at Every temptation cometh under the vaâ—â— of good Things are â—ligiblâ— ratâ—er because lawfull and honest then because good and pleasant How temptations teâ—d to sinne Satans power on the outward man It s no good argument we can dâ—e and all this on our selves therefore Satan can doe it We have a greater power over our owne uâ—dâ—â—standiâ—g and will then â—iâ—her good or bad Angels can have Devils have power over our naturals â—â—t our morals God onâ—ly knoweth the â—eart and thoughts and acts thereof considerable gâ—ounds thereof The true reason why God onely knoweth the hâ—art the reason of Suarez refused Suarez tom de Dâ—o Angelâ—s lib 2 de potentia inteâ—lectiâ—a Angeloâ—um natura câ—p 23. n 17. Satan hath no power over our â—ill but whâ—t leaveth guiltinesse on us Satans power over the creatures Satan acteth at one time on sense and on reâ—son Saâ—an worketh on the soul throâ—gh the body and on the body throâ—gh the soule A double sin and a double punishment of Satan Climbing men-like the devil Satan first marâ—ed the comâ—ly order of creation Satanâ— second sin and how hee is yet in acting his first sinne Satans sin the sâ—nne in nature with the sin against the holy Ghost Punishments inflâ—cted on Satan What sadnesse is in Satan Satans naturall knowledge hurt his practicall knowledge that was found is lost The devill a foole Satan hath no infused grace What faith Satan hath Satans despair without all hope Satans obduration Christ is Satans Judge and caster out Christ Satans Iudge and how Satan foiled man as a tempter a Man destroyeth Satan as a Iudge Viâ—â—oâ—y over the Dâ—vils by thâ— man Chrâ—st mâ—râ— gloriâ—us thâ—n â—f Gâ—od aâ—soâ—utâ—ly haâ— sâ—bdueâ— hâ—m Hâ—â—ven not cuâ—â—ered by a surprisall or wilâ—s but â—y open warrâ— 5. Vse 1. The Lords knowing the hearts should teach us sâ—ncerity Vse 2. State-wit against Christ jolly Vse 3. Theolog. Germanica chap. 2 p. 5. Vse 4. It s to jâ—â—low the Devill to sinne against light Vse 4. Oâ—dâ—ration Vse 5. The good fight The reall expressions of our obligation to the conqueror of Devils â—ix considerable points touching Christs drawing of sinners Foure considerable points touching drawing Drawing is by either violence wiles or persâ—asion He draweâ—â— No proper violence in drawing the will How there is no violence in being drawn and yet a necessity from new principles A twofold consideration of dispâ—sitions going before conversion Men have reason why they will perish Hen tam dulce est perire Will the nearest cause not weaknesse only why men are not drawn to Christ. We naturally hate Christ but we see it not Men naturally hate Christ more then the Saints Men have no stirrings of desires for a life above them No similitude between the naturall mans dâ—sires and Christ. The place Ioh. 6.44 No mâ—n can come to me c. opened Will most averse to Christ. Will not weakenesse the nearest câ—â—se of our not comming to Christ. Free grace the strong and only cause why men are drawn Christs love can over-save and out-live the world The magnitude of free grace The way of Graces working gratious and free The place Ezech 16.8 And when I passed by thee c. Opened Articles of free love Thâ—t Christ is gratious for hire is an abasing of Christ. Christ superlative How like free gracâ— is to God The wonder of grace in heaven Whâ— grace in Christ now glorified Grace the onely birth of heaven What preparations goe before conversion A fourefold consideration of preparations before conversion No preparations from nature No preparations can have effective influence in our being drawne to Christ. Preparations before conversion no formall part of conversion There be no Moâ—all precepts before conversion to which any promise iâ— annexed No promises out of Christ. (a) Saltmâ—rsh â—ree-grace c. 2. pag 1â— 18. (b) M Denne Coâ—fâ—renâ—e â—etwâ—eâ—e the Sick man and a 〈◊〉 p 3. In what seâ—se a desire to pray and to bâ—leeve is prayer and faith Materiall 〈◊〉 so more in some 〈…〉 Dispositions 〈…〉 conversion God may use a prerogativâ— Royall in coâ—verting without dispâ—sâ—tions or in working them most swiftly Not any Protestants ever taught that Evangelike Repentance is a previous preparation to conversion Antinomians salumniate us in this Antinomians yeeld preparations which is refuted a Saltmarsh Free grace cap. 2. pag. 16. b Eaton Honey-combe â—a 2. pag. 7.8 True and lively feeling of sin 〈◊〉 not goe before but must so low after conversion Objections of Antinomians especially of Saltmarsh Free grace c. â— pag. 1 20. c. removed To doe duties without relying on them is not to seeke righteousnesse in our selves They are coâ—mandâ—ed to 〈…〉 have nâ—t the Spiriâ— without which they cannot pray Dispairing of salvâ—tion in our selfe no part of such but wâ—â—ught by the Law in â—â—ry never converted Christ take us in our 〈◊〉 before we â—eleeve Saltmarsh Christ onely 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 Crisp Vol. â— Ser. 1 130.1â—1.132.1â—3.134.135 Wrath is to be preached to bâ—leevers and how A namâ—lâ—sse pamphlet of Antinomian answered â—y N. Hiâ—de Saltmarsh Saltmarsh Sâ—lâ—marâ—hes owne experience Thâ—â—zspanâ— prâ—sumpption aâ—d to beleeve a lye Faith is not formally the apprehension of Gods eternall love of election A contradiction in Salâ—marsh All come to Christ with foule faces that ordinarily come Notâ—ing in our selves can â—itâ—y 〈…〉 â—or 〈◊〉 No waâ—t of qualifications should binder us to come to Christ. The order of redemption and of drawiâ—g sinners to Christ not one How many wayes we are justified Antinomians make the Saints blocks in all the good they â—oe (a) Râ—se reign and 〈…〉 4 pag 19. (b) Er. 6â— pag. 13. (c) Er. 52. pag 10. (d) Er. 57.11 (e) Er. 59. (f) Er. 43. (g) Er. 1. Er. 2. (i) Saltmarsh Free grâ—câ— cap 4â— p. â—79 (k) Rise reign c. er 49. pag. 9. What place we give to preparations before conversion Divers flâ—sâ—ly
and wrinkles Psal. 102.26 Then let man make for his long home let Time it selfe waxe old and gray-hair'd Why should I desire to stay here when Christ could not but passe away And if this spotlesse soule that never sinned was troubled what wonder then many troubles be to the sinner Our Saviour who promiseth soule-rest to others cannot have soule-rest himselfe his soule is now on a wheele sore tossed and all the creatures are upon a wheele and in motion there is not a creature since Adam sinned sleepeth sound Wearinesse and motion is laid on Moon and Sunne and all creatures on this side of the Moon Seas ebbe and flow and that 's trouble winds blow rivers move heavens and stars these five thousand yeares except one time have not had sixe minutes rest living creatures walk apace toward death Kingdomes Cities are on the wheele of changes up and downe Man-kind runne and the disease of body-trouble and soule-trouble on them they are motion-sick going on their feet and Kings cannot have beds to rest in The six dayes Creation hath been travelling and shouting for paine and the Child is not born yet Rom. 8.22 This poore woman hath been groning under the bondage of vanity and shall not be brought to bed while Jesus come the second time to be Mid-wife to the birth The great All of heaven and earth since God laid the first stone of this wide Hall hath been groning and weeping for the liberty of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 The figure of the passing-away world 1 Cor. 7.31 is like an old mans face full of wrinkles and foule with weeping we are waiting when Jesus shall be revealed from heaven and shall come and wipe the old mans face Every creature here is on its feet none of them can sit or lie Christs soule now is above trouble and rests sweetly in the bosome of God Troubled Soules Rejoyce in hope Soft and childish Saints take it not well that they are not every day feasted with Christs love that they lie not all the night between the Redeemer's brests and are not dandled on his knee but when the daintiest piece of the Man Jesus his precious soule was thus sick of soule-trouble and the noble and celebrious head-Heire of all the first of his Kingly house was put to deep grones that pierced skies and heaven and rent the rocks why but sinners should be submissive when Christ is pleased to set children down to walke on foot and hide himselfe from them But they forget the difference between the Innes of clay and the Home of glory Our fields here are sowne with teares griefe growes in every furrow of this low-land You shall lay soule and head down in the bosome and between the brests of Jesus Christ that bed must be soft and delicious its perfumed with uncreated glory The thoughts of all your now soule-troubles shall be as shadowes that passed away ten thousand yeares agoe when Christ shall circle his glorious arme about your head and you rest in an infinite compasse of surpassing glory or when glory or ripened grace shall be within you and without you above and below when feet of clay shall walk upon pure surpassing glory The street of the City was pure gold There is no gold there but glory onely gold is but a shadow to all that is there It were possibly no lesse edifying to speake a little of tho Fourth What love and tender mercy it was in Christ to be so troubled in soule for us 1. Pos. Selfe is precious when free of sinne and withall selfe-happy Christ was both free of sin and selfe-happy what then could have made him stirre his foot out of heaven so excellent a Land and come under the pain of a troubled soule except free strong and vehement love that was a bottomlesse river unpatient of banks Infinite goodnesse maketh Love to swell without it selfe Joh. 15.13 Goodnesse is much moved with righteousnesse and innocency but wee had a bad cause because sinners But goodnesse for every man that hath a good cause is not a good man is moved with goodnesse we were neither righteous nor good yet Christ though neither righteousnesse was in us nor goodnesse would dare to dye for us Rom. 5.7 8. Goodnesse and grace which is goodnesse for no deserving is bold daring and venturous Love which could not flow within its owne channell but that Christs love might be out of measure love and out of measure loving would out-run wickednesse in man 2. Pos. Had Christ seen when hee was to ingage his soule in the paines of the second death that the expence in giving out should be great and the in-come small and no more then hee had before wee might value his love more But Christ had leasure from eternity and wisdome enough to cast up his counts and knew what hee was to give out and what to receive in so hee might have repented and given up the bargaine Hee knew that his bloud and his one noble soule that dwelt in a personall union with God was a greater summe incomparably then all his redeemed ones Hee should have in little he should but gaine lost sinners hee should empty out in a manner a faire God-head and kill the Lord of glory and get in a black bride But there 's no lack in love the love of Christ was not private nor mercenary Christ the buyer commended the wares ere hee bargained Cant. 4.7 Thou art all faire my love there 's not a spot in thee Christ judged hee had gotten a noble prize and made an heavens market when hee got his Wife that hee served for in his armes Esay 53.11 Hee saw the travell of his soule and was satisfied Hee was filled with delight as a full Banquetter If that ransome hee gave had been little hee would have given more 3. Pos. It is much that nothing without Christ moved him to this engagement There was a sad and bloudy warre between divine Justice and sinners Love Love pressed Christ to the warre to come and serve the great King and the State of lost Mankind and to doe it freely This maketh it two favours It s a conquering notion to think that the sinners heaven bred first in Christs heart from eternity and that Love freest Love was the blossome and the seed and the onely contriver of our eternall glory that free Grace drove on from the beginning of the age of God from everlasting the saving plot and sweet designe of redemption of soules This innocent and soule-rejoycing policy of Christs taking on him the seed of Abraham not of Angels and to come downe in the shape of a servant to the land of his enemies without a Passe in regard of his sufferings speaketh and cryeth the deep wisdome of infinite Love Was not this the wit of free Grace to find out such a mysterious and profound dispensation as that God and man personally should both doe and suffer so as Justice should
externall the more immediate and farre a thing be from a condition even of Grace the more free as the election to Glory the paying of the ransome of Christs bloud or the act of attonement are most free for they require not so much as the condition of faith wrought by the free Grace of God but Justification say our Divines requireth faith as a condition And heere God may keep his hands free of any knot or obligation of a condition and it would seeme that the immediate testimony of the Spirit is more free then evidence from inherent marks the wind seemeth to be freer in its motion which hath not a restriction to fixed causes rather at this houre then at that the Sea againe in its ebbing and flowing and the Sunne in its rising and going downe are more fettered to set times and condition of naturall causes yet all these detract nothing from the freedome of God the creator in his concurring with these causes nor doe conditions that are wrought in us irresistably by the grace of God lay any tye on that independent soveraigne and high freedome of Grace which doth no lesse justifie and save us freely then chuse us to glory and redeeme us with the same freedome without pâ—ice and hire onely I will mind Libertines who deny that Justification the covenant of grace and salvation have any the most gracious conditions in us for that should obscure the freedom of Grace they say all within the visible Church without a-any preparations are immediatly to beleeve salvation and remission of sinnes to themselves in particular But I hope Faith is a worke of free Grace and must presuppose conversion and a new heart as an essentiall condition else with Pelagians they must say that out of the principles of nature all are to beleeve and this obscureth farre more the freedome of the grace of God working Faith in us then all the conditions of Grace which we hold to be subservient not contrary to the freedome of grace Object 5. We ought to beleeve till we be perswaded that we beleeve Ephes. 1.13 In whom after yee beleeved yee were sealed The way to be warme is not onely to aske for a fire or whether there be a fire or no or to hold out the hands a little toward it and away and wish for a greater but to stand close to that fire and gather heat Answ. 1. That beleeving bringeth perswasion I doubt not but not such a sealing with the broad and great seale of heaven as excludeth all doubting as Antinomians teach nor doth the place proove it For these who can flee with such strong wings and are above all doubting 1. need not Christs intercession that their faith faile not they are above and beyond the Sphere of all obligation to Grace nor 2. need they pray Leade us not into temptation Nor 3. need they beare in meekenesse the overtaken weake ones who trip and stumble unawares considering lest they also be tempted Gal. 6.1 4. The faith of the strongest is not full Moone or uncapable of growing Phil. 3.12 5. There is neede of praising of Grace for the prevailing victory of a faith beyond doubting 6. Nor neede such pray Christ to encrease their faith Judge then of Libertines who talke of a broad seale of perfect assurance and say There is no assurance true and right unlesse it be without feare and doubting 2. The way to be warme at a painted fire such as is the immediate revealing of Christ to an unconverted sinner never humbled nor despairing of himselfe which is the Libertines dead faith is not the way to be warmed nor are we to beleeve in Christ but in Christs owne way and order and its safe to call in question whether such a painted fire be fire nor are wee to goe on in this beleeving till wee be perswaded that we beleeve truely this is no Gospel-secret If Libertines say its unpossible to beleeve but we must despaire in our selves I answer So I beleeve but then must it follow that Libertines deceive and are deceived when they teach that sinners as sinners are to beleeve because sinners despairing of salvation in themselves must be fewer in number then sinners as sinners for sinners as sinners comprehendeth Pharisees and all secure and malitious slaves of hell but selfe-despairing sinners include not any such farre lesse include they all sinners they be onely such sinners as are halfe sicke looking a farre off with halfe an eye to Jesus Christ not daring fully to make out to Jesus Christ proud Pharisees despaire not of salvation in themselves for then they should not be proud Pharisees in so farre but Libertines teach us that Pharisees remaining Pharisees without any preparations going before are immediatly to beleeve in Christ if they say Selfe-despaire is an essentiall part of Faith not a preparation going before faith they erre Judas Cain despaire of salvation both in themselves and in Christ yet have they not any essentiall part of saving faith nor can any essentiall part of saving faith bee in such nor can any come to Christ and beleeve in him whil first they know sin by the law and their mouth be stopp'd that the law cannot justifie nor save them Rom. .19 20 21. Anâ— Mâ— Eaton and the Antinomians that are not meere Familists and Enthysiasts rejecting all written Scripture doe also grant this then it must be unpossible that any can beleeve but some preparation fore-going there must be and because all sinners as sinners have not such preparation all sinners as sinners are not at the first clap to beleeve in the soule Physitian Christ but onely such as in Christs order are plowed ere Christ sow on them and selfe-condemned ere they beleeve in Christ. Object 6. Wee are no more to question our faith then wee ought to question Christ the foundation of our faith for salvation to the soule in particular is destroyed by unbeliefe they entered not in because of unbeleefe The word profitted not being not mixed with faith Answ. 1. Wee cannot question Christ more then wee can question whether God be God but wee may examine Paul's Doctrine as the Beroans did wee may try our owne faith if it can hold water If some would wash their false coyne and bring it to the touch-stone the false mettall would be seen 2. The unbeleefe in weake ones doubting of their faith is not that which destroyes salvation and excludeth men out of the holy Land they are cruell to weak reeds who exclude them out of heaven because in their mis-judging distempers they exclude themselves were Christ as cruell to a faint beleever who is sick of mis-givings as hee is to himselfe who could be saved But a beleever may appeale from himselfe ill-informed and doubting groundlesly to meek Jesus well-informed and judging aright a weak reed to be a reed a sick beleever and a swouning faith to be a beleever and a faith that will beare a
did and doth spin out in a long threed the very first sin and all Satans life from that day to this is one continuated act of apostacy In 1. the not retreiting nor repenting his first sin and his first murther Satans hands are wet and hot this very day with the bloud of Adam and Evahs soule 2. In the continuing in and the approving of the act of his first sinning by still envying the glory of God malicing his workmanship and image so as the guilt of that sin goâ—th along with him Hence Christ addeth his seale as Mediator to the Lords first sentence of justice in casting him out of heaven and in regard hee continueth in that sin and addeth new soule-murthers to his first transgression in tempting tormenting hating opposing the redemption of man the Gospel the offices of Christ the Church of Christ Christ cometh in by his office as his Judge to adde to his chaines In which a word 1. Of the punishment of Devils 2. Of Christ as hee is the Judge of Devils The punishment hath relation to his first sin His first sin was against the Holy Ghost in that being a lamp of light shining up in the high Palace and standing before the Throne wanting not any wicked principle of concupiscence within or any habituall aversion from God looking God in the face and beholding the first truth hee sinned against God and therefore was made an exemplary spectacle to Angels and Men of pure and unmixed justice without mercy and cast down to hell without hope of a Saviour or redemption Heb. 2.16 For verily hee took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham The evils of punishment inflicted on Satan are 1. His being cast out of the presence of God never to see his face againe nor enjoy his favour 2 Pet. 2.4 For God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell Hence from this Schoolmen inferre a 2. punishment a perpetuall sadnesse and dejection of mind for the losse of that happy fruition of God But I much doubt whether sadnesse for the want of Gods lovely presence can consist with the extreme hatred of God and fiery aversnesse implacable wrath and burning envie that Satan hath against the glory of God or image of God or any thing of God especially against the Lamb and his followers against whom he warreth continually A sadnesse there may be in him because hee is a rationall creature in regard hee is falne from the good of happinesse not of holinesse but conjoyned with wrath and hatred against God and this is without question in all the damned 2. The paine inflicted on the understanding is the hurting of his naturall speculative knowledge Sure if hee see not God as the first truth hee seeth all deductions from the will soveraignty wisdome justice of God c. more darkly then hee did before but if his naturall speculative knowledge was utterly lost there should be no foundation remaining in him of wrath and envie against God and his creatures and image 2. His true and saving practicall knowledge is lost and in place thereof a crafty versutious cunning deceitfulnesse and subtilty to deceive and tempt such as is in the Serpent to sting such a bloudy instinct as is in the Dragon in the Lyon to devoure but otherwise the Devill is the first foole of the creation of God and hath played the foole above five thousand yeares for in rationall policy the tempting of our first Parents to sin though it was a master-piece of wit was the ruine of his Kingdome and the Serpent even in the crucifying of Christ did buy a scratch in Christs heele at a deare rate with the bruising and grinding to powder the head and life of the Serpent and the full destruction of his Kingdome And by experience Satan knoweth hee is a loser in tempting and persecuting the Lord Jesus and his members yet malice having put out the light of prudence hee knowingly soweth sin bloud wrath in Christs field and in so doing hee sweateth in labouring the vineyard of the Lord to make an harvest and vintage for Christ. 3. Infused grace Satan hath not at all because grace supernaturall is a stemme and blossome of heaven its hard to think that since Satan was thrust out of heaven any of the fruits or blossomes of that Paradise can grow in him Acquired knowledge Satan may have And 4. From this Satan hath faith against his will Jam. 2.19 It s necessary in the specification rooted in a naturall understanding but in the exercise as it were forced and compelled hee would wish to want the constraining power of a naturall knowledge so as this is a wicked faith and a tormenting vertue in the Devill as it is in many wicked men who desire nothing more then to have conscience cut off from their soule As some men are so pained with a Gangrene in the foot that they are willing their legge be sawen off Or like a man that hath a necessary servant and most usefull yet because hee hath one intolerable gadde hee must put him away For light addeth feare and terrour to some distracted persons and maketh them out of measure furious therefore yee must close doore and window on them and they are most sober when they have least light So here glancings of conscience serve but to make some see ghosts of hell and terrifying sights 5. Satan can have no hope of deliverance but knoweth his prison-doore is locked on him with a sad key eternall despaire that so long as the Almighty liveth and is God blessed for ever so long shall he be miserable Would sinners lend their thoughts and faith to eternity that runneth out in so long a threed as ever and ever and on paine horror and torment for ever and ever it might be they would not run and sweat so much in the way of sin 6. Obstinacy and invincible obduration and hardnesse lieth on the mind will and affections of the Devils the cause of which is his habituall continuance in and love of the sin against the faire shining and convincing light of seen and enjoyed God the justice of God and the withdrawing of all grace and remedies against wilfull hardening the heart 7. The breaking of Satans hopes and counsels in all his ill attempts his burning hatred of God the Lambs victories over the Dragon the chaining and bordering of his malicious power c. are great punishments 8. I dare not nor cannot determine what the fire is that tormenteth him nor the place of hell it s more praise-worthy labour to seek to be delivered in Christ from it then to search curiously into it Satan's Judge and caster out is Christ as may clearly be gathered from the words Now is the Prince of this world cast out Hence Consid. 1. When Christ came to the office of Redeemer and Mediator of his Church to deliver his people out of the
shall seek the Lord. Zech. 12.11 And in that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon It s good to lie and wait at the doore and posts of Wisdomes house and to lie and attend Christs tyde it may come in an houre that you would never have beleeved O what depth of mercy when for naturall or no saving-one-waiting or upon a poore venture What if I goe to Christ I can have no lesse then I have beside any gracious intention the Lord saves and the wind not looked for turnes faire for a sea-voyage to heaven in the Lords time Asser. 12. The ground moving Christ to renew his love in drawing a fallen Saint out of the pit is the same that from heaven shined on him at the beginning Love is an undevided thing there are not two loves or three loves in Christ that which begins the good work promoves it even the same love which Christ hath taken up to heaven with him and there ye find it before you when ye come thither 2. Some love-sicknesse goes before his returne Cant. 3. I was but a little passed I found him whom my soule loves the skie devides and rents it selfe and then the Sunne is on its way to rise the birds begin to sing then the Summer is neere the voice of the Turtle is heard then the winter is gone when the affections grow warme the welbeloved is upon a returne 3. You die for want of Christ absence seemes to be at the highest when hunger for a renewed drawing in the way of comforting is great and the sad soule lowest he will come at night and sup if hee dine not 4. Let Christ moderate his own pace hope quietly waiteth Hope is not a shouting and a tumultuous grace 5. Your disposition for Christs returne can speake much for a renewed drawing as when the Church findes her own pace sâ—ow and prayes draw me we will runne then hee sendeth ushers before to tell that he will come 6. Sick nights for the Lords absence in not drawing are most spirituall signes Antinomians beleeve that all the promises in the Gospel made upon conditions to bee performed by creatures especially free-will casting in its share to the worke smell of some graines of the Law and of obedience for hire and that bargaining of this kind cannot consist with free grace And the doubt may seeme to have strength in that our Divines argue against the Arminian decree of election to glory upon condion of faith and perseverance foreseene in the persons so chosen because then election to glory should not be of meere grace but depend on some thing in the creature as on a condition or motive at least if not as on a cause worke or hire But Arminians reply the condition being of grace cannot make any thing against the freedome of the grace of election because so justification and glorification should not be of meere grace for sure we are justified and saved upon condition of faith freely given us of God The question then must bee Whether there can be any conditionall promises in the Gospel of Grace or whether a condition performed by us and free grace can consist together Antinomians say they are contrary as fire and water Hence these positions for the clearing of this considerable question Pos. 1. The condition that Arminians fancie to bee in the Gospel can neither consist with the grace of election justification calling of grace or crowning of beleevers with glory this condition they say we hold but they erre because it is a condition of hire that they have borrowed from Lawyers such as is betweene man and man ex causa onerosa it s absolutly in the power of men to doe or not to doe and bowes and determineth the Lord and his free will absolutly to this part of the contradiction which the creature choseth though contrary to the naturall inclination and Antecedent will and decree of God wishing desiring and earnestly inclining to the obedience and salvation of the creature Now works of grace and infinite grace flow from the bowels and in-most desire of God nothing without laying bonds chaines or determination on the Lords grace or his holy will Could our well-doing milke out of the breasts of Christs free grace or extrinsecally determine the will or acts of free-bounty Grace should not be grace But without money or hire the Lord giveth his wine and milke Isai 55.1 Ephes. 2.1 2. Ezech. 16.5 6 7. 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 3.3 2. Because such a condition is of work not of grace and so of no lesse Law-debt and bargaining then can be between man and man And the party that fulfilleth the condition is 1. most free to forfeit his wages by working or not working as the hireling or labourer in a vineyard yea or any Merchant ingaged to another to performe a condition of which he is Lord and Master to doe or not doe 2. He is no wise necessitate nor determined any way but as the hire or wages doe determine his will who so worketh but the wages being absolutely in his power to gaine them or lose them determine his will which cannot fall in the Almightie 3. Such a condition performed by the creature putteth the Creature to glory but not in the Lord but in himselfe Rom. 4.2 For if Abraham were justified by works hee hath whereof to glory but not before God Yea Adam before the fall and the elect Angels hold not life eternall by any such free condition of obedience as is absolutely referred to their free will to doe or not to doe so our Divines deny against Papists with good warrant the free-hold of life eternall by any title of merit Sure if God determine freewill in all good and gracious acts as I prove undeniably from Scripture 2. From the dominion of providence 3. The covenant between the Father and the Sonne Christ. 4. the intercession of Christ. 5. The promises of a new heart and perseverance 6. Our prayers to bow the heart to walke with God and not to lead us into temptation 7. The faith and confidence wee have that God will worke in the Saints to will and to doe to the end 8. The praise and glory of all our good works which are due to God onely c. If God I say determine free will to all good even before as after the entrance of sinne into the world and that of Grace for this grace hath place in Law-obedience in Men and Angels then such a condition cannot consist with Grace For such a condition puts the creature in a state above the Creator and all freedome in him Pos. 2. Evangelike conditions wrought in the Elect by the irresistible grace of God and Grace doe well consist together Joh. 5.24 Verily Verily I say unto you hee that heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not
the Saints that denominates them gracious 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am that I am Galat. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me c. There is a great deceitfulnesse in our heart in the matter of performed conditions so soone as we have performed a condition though wrought in us by meere grace we hold out our hand and cry pay me Lord my wages for I have done my worke so neere of kin to our corrupt hearts is the conceit of merit 2. A second deceit is when an obligation of obedience presseth us we overlooke the condition and fix our eyes on the promise when we should eye the precept and when it commeth to the reward when we should most looke to the promise of free grace then we eye the precept and challenge debt and forget grace 3. When we are pressed with the supernaturall dutie of beleeving and should looke onely to free grace which onely must inable us to that high worke of beleeving wee looke to our selves and complaine oh I am not weary and laden and therefore not qualified for Christ and so we turne wickedly and proudly wise to shift our selves of Christ when we should looke to our selves we looke away from our selves to a promise of our wages but our bad deservings if looked to would turne our eyes on our abominations that wee might eye free grace and when we should eye free grace we looke to our sinnefull unfitnesse to beleeve and come to Christ. Vse Beware of false preparations that yee take them not for preparations or for grace For 1. discretion Mar. 12.34 is not grace but wings and sailes to carry you to hell 2. Profession is a deceiving preparation it blossomes and laughs and deludes under formes 3. Victorious strugglings against lusts upon naturall motives look like mortification and are but bastard dispositions 4. Education if civill and externally religious and civill strained holinesse from feare of eternall wrath or worldly shame are not to be rested on When the man is sick and between the mil-stones of divine wrath in heavie afflictions his lusts may be sick and not mortified The strongest man living under a feaver can make no use of his strength and bones yet hee hath not lost it It may be a querie whether the Lord in-stamps something of Christ on Preparations in the elect that are converted which is not in all the Legall dejections of Saul Cain and Judas 2. It may be a querie Whether this be any thing really inherent in these Preparations or only which is more probable an intentionall relation in God to raise these to the highest end proposed in the Lords eternall election Vse If God bestow saving-grace freely on us without hire and price then temporall deliverances may be bestowed on the Church when they are not yet humbled It s true 1. The people of God are low and their strength is gone before the Lord delivereth Deut. 32.36 2. Hee delivereth his people when then they are humbled Levit. 26.41 42. But 3. God keeps not alwayes this method nor is it like hee will observe it with Scotland and England first to humble and then deliver but contrarily hee first delivers and then humbles As Ezek. 20.42 And yee shall know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you unto the land of Israel unto the countrey for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers Vers. 43. And there in that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when yee are delivered yee shall remember your wayes and all your doings wherein yee have been defiled and yee shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all your evills that yee have committed Ezek. 36.33 And I will sanctifie my great Name which was prophaned among the heathen which yee have prophaned in the midst of the heathen Then they were not humbled before they were delivered Vers. 24. For I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all countreys and bring you unto your own land So when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt were they humbled nay their murmuring against Moses and Aaron Exod. 5.20 21 22. testifieth their pride and in that miraculous deliverance and greatest danger when they were betweene Satan and the deep sea they were not humbled but Psal. 106.7 They provoked him at the sea even at the red sea Exod. 14.11 12. The Lord must also now first deliver us and shame and confound us in Scotland with mercy and so humble us for mercy hath more strength to melt hearts of iron and brasse then the furnace of fire hath or a sea of bloud or a destroying pestilence Vse The third particular Use is Wee have no gracious disposition to Christ Every man hath a fore-stall'd opinion and a prejudice against Christ and our humiliation before conversion should humble us The merit of decency devised of late by Jesuites of congruity formed of old or of condignity to buy grace or glory are all but counterfeit mettall Grace the onely seed of our salvation is the freest thing in the world and least tyed to causes without 1. That of two equall matches in nature two borne brethren in one wombe the Lord chuseth one and refuseth another 2. Of two sinners of which one hath one devill another hath seven devils hee sheweth mercy upon one that hath seven devils and forsaketh the other 3. Of two equally disposed and fitted for conversion though none be fitted aright hee calleth one of meere grace and not the other 4. Grace is so great that Revel 5.11 when ten thousand times ten thousand and thousand of thousands are set on work to sing Vers. 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and strength Yea and to help them every creature that is in heaven and earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea cry Blessing and honour and power be to him that sits on the throne and to the Lamb. And they have been since the Creation upon this Song and shall be for all eternity upon it but all of them for ever and ever shall never out-sing these praises to the bottome there is more yet and more yet to be said of Christ and ever shall be What wonder then that we have no leasure to praise grace being of so little strength and being clothed with time Can you out-bottome the Song of Free grace or can any soule say so much of Christs love but there is a world more and another world yet more to be said And when will yee end or come to an height I know not O be in Graces debt and take the debt to eternity with you III. Of the third Article Touching the forme and nature and manner of drawing 1. It s a question Whether this drawing be Justification or Sanctification Antinomians say its both But withall both is one
shee must leave her water-pot and for joy goe and tell tydings in the Citie Come and see I have found the Messiah Christ maketh a short preaching to Magdalen and in his owne way sayeth but Mary and Christ himselfe is in that word her will is fettered with love Peter makes a Sermon Acts 2. and there bee such coales of Paradice in his words that three thousand hearts must be captives to Christ and cry what shall we doe to bee saved Every key is not proportioned to every lock nor every word fit to open the heart But though Christ speake to men in the Grammar of their owne heart and calling I am farre from defending the congruous vocation of Jesuits once maintained by Arminius and his disciples at the conference at Hage but now for shame forsaken by Arminians For the Jesuits take this way asking the Question How commeth it to passe that of two men equally called and drawen to Christ and as they dreame but it is but a dreame affected and instructed with habituall and prevening grace of foure degrees the one man beleeves and is converted the other beleeves not but resists the calling of God They answer Christ calleth and draweth the one man when he foresees he is better disposed and shall obey as his free will being in good blood after sleep and a good banquet and fitter to weigh reasons and compare the way of godlinesse with the other way and he calleth the other though both in regard of grace and nature equall to him that is converted when he foresees he is in that order of providence and accidentall indisposition of sadnesse sleepinesse hunger and extrinsecall dispositions of minde that he shall certainely resist and both these callings are ordered and regulated by the two absolute decrees of Election and Reprobation from eternity The Arminians answer right downe the one is converted because he wills and consents whereas he might if it pleased him dissent and refuse the calling of God and the other is not converted because he will not be converted but refuses whereas he hath as much grace as the other and may if he will draw the actuall co-operaton of grace the habituall he hath equally in as large a measure as the other and be converted and beleeve nor is there any cause of this disparity in the man converted and the man not converted in God in his decree in his free grace but in the wil of the one and the not-willing of the other Our Divines say 1. There never were two men equall in all degrees as touching the measure and ounces of habituall saving internall grace yea that the never converted man had never any such grace 2. That the culpable and morall cause why the one is not converted rather then the other is his actuall resistance and corruption of nature never cured by saving grace but the adequate Physicall and onely separating cause is 1. The decree of free election drawing the one effectually not the other 2. Habituall saving grace seconded with the Lords efficacious actuall working in the one and the Lords denying of habituall and actuall grace to the other not because the will of the creature casts the ballance but because the Lord hath mercie on the one because he will and leaves the other to his owne hardnesse because he will and that the separting cause is not from the running willing and sweating of the one and the not-running and not-willing of the other but from the free unhired independent absolute grace of Christ. But the Jesuites congruous calling we utterly reject 1. Because this is the Pelagian way sacrilegiously robbing the grace of God for the Lord fore-seeth this man placed in such circumstances and course of providence will beleeve the other will not because he will do so and the other will not do so and both the placing of the one in such an opportunity and his willing beleeving and the other mans nilling not beleeving is in order before the fore-knowledge and far more before the decree of God and his actuall grace and therefore free-will is the cause why the one is converted not the other for both had equall habituall grace and the one is not to give thanks for his conversion comparatively more then the non-converted but to thank his owne free-will 2. The object of their fancy of their new middle science is a foreseen providence of the conversion of all that are willing to be converted and voluntary perseverance in grace and the non-conversion and finall impenitency of all the wicked that are willing to refuse Christ and these two goe before the prescience before the decrees of election and reprobation so as God is necessitated to chuse these and no other and to passe by these and no other what ever hath a future being before any decree of God cannot by any decree be altered or otherwise disposed of then it is to be So the Lord in all things decreed and that come to passe contingently must have nothing but an after-consent and an after-will to approve them when they were now all future before his decree this is to spoile God of all free will free decrees liberty and soveraignty in his decrees and that mens free will may be free and Independent to lay Gods freedome of Election and Reprobation under the creatures feet 3. Jesuites dream that Christ cannot conquer the will to a free consent except he lie in wait to catch the man when he hath been at a fat banquet after cups hath slept well is merry and when he sees the man is in a good blood then he drawes and invites and so catches the man and when he seeth the reprobate in a contrary ill blood though he seriously will and intend their salvation and gave his son to die for them yet then he draws when he foresees they by the dominion of free-will shall refuse and he drawes neither after nor before but at the time when he knowes free will is under such an ill houre as it freely came under without any act of Gods providence and free decree and in the which the called and drawn man shall certainly spit on Christ and resist the calling of God But this resolves heaven and hell salvation and damnation into such good or ill humours and orders of providence as a banquet no banquet a crabbed disposition or a merrie whereas grace which by an omnipotent and insuperable power removes the stony heart can more easily remove these humours and win the consent when the man is decreed for glory and besides that all men unconverted and in their own Element of corrupt nature are ill to speak to and in a sinfull blood of resisting except Christ tread upon their iron neck and subdue it and he spreads the skirts of his love over Jerusalem at the worst Ezek. 16.6.8 Scripture is silent of such a manner of drawing and the grace of Christ and his decree lyes under no
righteousnesse and life then other strangers to Christ and Gentiles Rom. 9.30 31 32 33. Rom. 10.1.2 3 4. Rom. 11.1.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 c. rejected and there should be others as good as these by nature that the Lord should have mercy on now in both these first God is free in his grace secondly just in his judgements though he neither call nor chuse accoâ—ding to works thirdly the damned creature most guilty and fourthly the Lord both jâ—stly sâ—vere and graciously meâ—cifull fifthly none have cause to complaine or quarrell with God and yet God might have carried the matter a farre other way sixthly the head cause of this various administration with Nations and persons is the deep high soveraign innocent holy independent will of the great Potter and Former of all things who has mercy on whom he will hardneth whom he wil and this is the depth without a bottom no creature Angel or Men can so behave them selves to their fellow-creatures yet be free just holy wise c. but sure one creature can deal with his fellow creature according to the rules and road-way of an antecedent consequent will so may the King deal with his people the Governour with those he governes the Father with his children the Commander with his souldiers the Lord of a Vine-yard with his hired servants all these may order their goodnesse mercy rewards punishments in a way levill with the use industry improvement of free-will or the rebeâ—lion unjustice wickednesse and slothfulnesse of their underlings but no Master nor Lord can call Labourers to his Vine-yard and exhort obâ—est beseech them all to labour and promise them hire and yet keep from the greatest part of them the power of â—â—â—rring armes or legs of free consenting to labour and suspend his so acting on the greatest part of them as they shall willingly be caâ—â—ied on to wilfull disobedience and to be the passive objects of his revenging justice according to the determinate counsell of the Lord of this Vine-yard because so he willed out of his absolute soveraignty to deal with some and deale a just contrary way with the least part of the labourers because hee pâ—â—posed to declare the glory of his grace on them either there is here an unsearchable depth or Paul knew nothing and this calmes my minde and answereth all that reason can say for universall atonement and the 1. Vse I aym at is that no Doctrine so endeareth Christ to a soule as this of particular redemption and free-grace separating one from another Psal. 147 1â— Prayse the Lord O Ierusalem and amongst manâ— groundâ— here is one vers 19. he sheweth his word unto Iacob his Statutes and his judgements to Israel ver 20. he hath not dealt so with any Nation and he speaketh not of the measure as if God had revealed the same grace in nature but in an inferiour degree to other Nations for hee saith as for his judgements they have not known them and thâ—n being full of God for this separating mercy he addeâ—h prayse yee the Lord Christ esteems this the floure of grace the grace of grace and blesseth his Father for it Matth. 11.25 I blesse thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes now because Arminians say the pride of the self-wise and the humility of babes are the causes separating the one from the other and so free-will is to share with the Father in the praise of the reveiled glory of the Gospel and the discovered excellency of Christ to babes rather then to wise men a literall revelation no doubt was common to all babes and prudent the swelled Pharisees and humbled sinners Christ praiâ—eth the eminency the blossom of grace the bloom of free-love in that the free-wil of the humble and the proud made not the separation but the good pleasure of God ver 27. No man knowes the Son but the Father and he to whom the Son will reveale him 2. That which is common to all shall never leave an impression of wonder and thankfull admiration I and we are swelled lofty and proud things and the Spirit of God commends grace highly in that it falls upon pronowns and persons and not on others 1 Cor. 15.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the least of of the Apostlâ—s vers 10. By the grace of God I am that I am and his grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toward me was not in vaine but I laboured more abundantly then they all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not I but the grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in me Tit. 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we our selves also were sometime out of our wits disobedient c. ver 4. but when the kindnesse and man-love of God our Saviour appeared ver 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saved us 1 Tim. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the chief of sinners ver 16. but for this cause I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ but I live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet not I but Christ lives in me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who has lovâ—d me and given himself for me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and you who were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickned ver 4. for his great love wherewith he loved us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 5. even when we were dead in sins and trespasses he hath quickened us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together with Christ ver 13. But now in Christ Iesus yee who somtimes were farre off are made neare by the blood of Christ the passing by my Father and mother and brother and sister neighbour and friend and taking me is a most indearing favour 3. Of all in Scotland and England all in Europe all Adams seed that ever were masters of a living soule in the womb or out of it the Lord passed by so many thousands and millions and the lot of free-grace fell upon me precisely by name and upon us and not upon thousands besides no lesse eligible then I was what thoughts will you have of the fâ—â—e lot of love that fell upon you ever since God was God when Christ shall lay such a load of love such a high weight and masse of love on you ye shall then think O how came I hither to sit in heavenly places with Christ that body that is trimmed cloathed and doubly embroydered with pure and unmixed glory is just made of the same lump of earth with the body of Judas or Cain that are now flaming and sinking to the bottom of the black and sad river of brimstone the Lord saith Ezek. 18.4 behold all souls are mine and
peace 2. How with the personall union 3. What cause there was 4. What love and mercy in Jesus to be troubled for us 5. What use wee must make of this 1. Pos. This holy soule thus troubled was like the earth before the Fall out of which grew roses without thorns or thistles before it was cursed Christs anger his sorrow were flowers that smelled of heaven and not of sinne All his affections of feare sorrow sadnesse hope joy love desire were like a fountaine of liquid and melted silver of which the bankes the head-spring are all as cleare from drosse as pure Chrystall such a fountaine can cast out no clâ—y no mudde no dirt When his affections did rise and swell in their acts every drop of the founâ—aine was sinlesse perfumed and adorned with grace so as the more you stirre or trouble a well of Rose-water or some precious liquor the more sweet a smell it casts out Or as when a summer soft wind bloweth on a field of sweet Roses it diffuseth precious and delicious smells through the aire There is such mudde and dregs in the bottome and banks of our affections that when our anger sorrow sadnesse feare does arise in their acts our fountaine casteth out sinne Wee cannot love but wee lust nor feare but wee despaire nor rejoyce but wee are wanton and vaine and gaudie nor beleeve but wee presume wee rest up wee breath out sin wee cast out a smell of hell when the wind bloweth on our field of weeds and thistles our soule is all but a plat of wild-corne the imaginations of our heart being onely evill from our youth O that Christ would plant some of his flowers in our soule and blesse the soyle that they might grow kindly there being warmed and nourished with his grace If grace be within in sad pressures it comes out A Saint is a Saint in affliction as an hypocrite is an hypocrite and every man is himselfe and casts a smell like himselfe when he is in the furnace Troubled Christ prayes Tempted Job beleeves Job 19.25 The scourged Apostles rejoyce Act. 5.41 Drowned Jonah looks to the holy Temple Jonah 2.4 2. Christs affections were rationall reason starts up before feare reason and affection did not out-run one another Joh. 11.33 when Christ sees his friends weep hee weeps with them and that which is expressed in our Text by a Passive Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is troubled is there expressed by an Active Verb Hee groned in the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hee troubled himselfe Hee called upon his affections and grace and light was Lord and Master of his affection's There was in CHRIST three things which are not in us First The God-hâ—ad personally united with a Man and a Mans soule had an immediate influence on his affections This was Christs personall priviledge and to want this is not our sinne to have it was Christs glory But the nearer any is to God the more heavenly are the affections Secondly When God framed the humane nature and humane soule of Christ hee created a more noble and curious piece then was the first Adam It is true hee was like us in all things except sinne and essentially a man but in his generation there was a cut of the art of heaven in Christ more then in the forming of Adam or then in the generation of men suppose man had never sinned as Luk. 1.35 The power of the most High shall over-shadow thee never man was thus to be borne Whence give me leave to think that there was more of God in the humane nature of Christ as nature is a vessel coming out of the Potters house then ever was in Adam or living man though man had never sinned And so that hee had a humane soule of a more noble structure and fabrick in which the Holy Ghost in the act of sanctification had a higher hand then when Adam was created according to the image of God though hee was a man like us in all things sinne excepted 3. Pos. Undeniably Grace did so accompany Nature that hee could not feare more then the object required Had all the strength of men and Angels been massed and contemperated in one they should have been in a higher measure troubled then Christ was So how much trouble was in Christs affections as much there was of reason perfumed and lustered with grace Hee was not as man in his intellectualls wise or desirous to be wise as Adam and Evah and men now are taken with the disease of curiosity above what was fit So neither were his affections above banks hee saw the blackest and darkest houre that ever any saw suppose all the sufferings of the damned for eternity were before them in one sight or came on them at once it should annihilate all that are now or shall be in hell Christ now saw or fore-saw as great sufferings and yet 1. beleeved 2. prayed 3. hoped 4. was encouraged under it 5. suffered them to the bottome with all patience 6. rejoyced in hope Psal. 16.9 Now our affections rise and swell before reason 1. They are often imaginary and are on horse-back and in armes at the stirring of a straw 2. They want that clearnesse and serenity of grace that Christ had through habituall grace following nature from the womb 3. Wee can raise our affecâ—â—ons but cannot allay them as some Magicians can raise the Devill but cannot conjure or command him or some can make warre and cannot create peace It is a calumnie of Papists that say that Calvin did teach there was despaire or any distemper of reason in Christ when as Calvin saith Hee still beleeved with full assurance And this extremity of soule-trouble was most rationall coming from the infallible apprehension of the most pressing cause of soule-trouble that ever living man was under 4. Pos. Christ had now and alwayes Morall peace or the grace of peace as peace is opposed to culpable raging of Conscience First Hee never could want faith which is a serenity quietnes and silence of the soule and assurance of the love of God Secondly Hee could have no doubting or sinfull disturbance of mind because hee could have no conscience of guilt which could over-cloud the love and tenderest favour of his Father to him But as peace is opposed to paine and sense of wrath and punishment for the guilt of our sinnes so hee wanted Physicall peace and was now under penall disturbance and disquietnesse of soule So wee see some have peace but not pardon as the secure sinners 1 Thes. 5.3 Secondly Some have pardon but not peace as David Psal. 38.3 who had broken bones and complaineth vers 8. I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart And the troubled Church Psal. 77.1 2 3 4. Some have both peace and pardon as some like Steven that are so neare to the Crowne as they are above any challenges of Conscience
have a hundred enemies but as many millions of thoughts as in his wearisome nights escape him hee hath as many enemies yea as many creatures as many stones of the field as many beasts so many enemies Job 5.23 Hos. 2.8 Christ gave to the Father Propositions of peace and to the poore soule under sense of wrath they are nothing The feare of hell is a part of reall hell to the man who knowes no other thing but that hee is not reconciled to God Creatures behind him and before him heaven above and earth below and creatures on every side within and without stand with the weapons of heaven and of an angry God against him friends wife servants acquaintance have something of wrath and hell on them the man in his owne thought is an out-law to them all and the Leader of all these Archers is God God God is the chiefe party See Job 19.12 13 14 15 16 17. And there you see brethren acquaintance kinsfolke familiar friends man-servant maid-servant wife young children bone skin flesh are all to Job as coals of the fire of hell And Isai. 8.21 22. Men in this shall curse their king and their god Asser. 6. These being materially the same soule-troubles of deserted and tempted Saints and of plagued and cursed Reprobates doe differ formally and essentially according to Gods heart his dispensation and intentions his mercy and his justice regulating them So I shall speake of the difference betweene Christs troubled soule and the Saints trouble 2. Of some wayes of Gods dispensation in the soule-trouble of the Saints Touching the former there was in Christs soule-trouble 1. No mis-judging of God but a strong faith in that hee stâ—ll named God his Father and God 2. In that as this trouble came to a height and more fewell was added to the fire of divine wrath Luk. 22.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee prayed with more extension of body and spirit hee extended himselfe in fervour of praying And Heb. 5.7 Hee offered prayers and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humble supplications of the poore or oppressed that make their addresse to one who can help them hee put in to God an humble Petition and a Bill to his Father as an overwhelmed man and hee offered this Bill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an hideous cry and tears Revel 14.18 The Angel cryed with a loud voyce To cry with a full and lifted up voyce or with a shout so is the Verb used Joh. 18.40 When men cry and cast away their clothes and cast dust in the aire 3. His soule-trouble and death was satisfactory to divine justice for our sinnes hee being free of sin himselfe which can agree to no soule-trouble of the holiest Saint on earth But touching the second These Positions may speak somewhat to cleare the way of the soule-trouble of Saints 1. Position Conscience being a masse of knowledge and if there be any oyle to give light it s here it s then likest it self when it most beares witnesse of well and ill-doing Now we are more in sinning then obeying God and because of the corruption of nature the number of naturall consciences that are awake to see sin are but very few And when the renewed conscience is on the worke of feeling and discerning guiltinesse in its best temper The more life the more sense Sick ones in a swoon or dying persons that doe neither heare see nor speak are halfe-gate amongst the dead The conscience sick of over-feeling and so under over-sense of sin is in so farre in a feaver for often a feaver is from the exsuperancy of too much bloud and ranknesse of humours the vessels being too full and therefore it s like a river that cannot chuse but goe over banks the channell being a vessell too narrow to containe it all 2. Pos. Therefore often the time of some extreme dissertion and soule-trouble is when Christ hath been in the soule with a full high spring-tyde of divine manifestations of himselfe And if wee consider the efficient cause of dissertion which is Gods wise dispensation when Paul hath been in the third heaven on an hyperbole a great excesse of revelations God thinketh then good to exercise him with a messenger of Satan which by the weaknesse and spirituall infirmity hee was under wanted not a dissertion lesse or more what ever the messenger was as it seems to be fleshly lust after a spirituall vision Paul was ready to think himselfe an Angel not flesh and bloud and therefore 2 Cor. 12.7 hee saith twice in one Verse This befell me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That I should not be lifted up above ordinary Comets up among the starres But if wee consider the materiall cause it may be that extreme and high overflowing of Christs love brake our weake and narrow vessells Cant. 5.1 there is a rich and dainty feast of Christ I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spices I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey I have drunk my wine with my milke eat O friends drinke yea drinke abundantly O beloved Yet in that Song the Spirit of God speaketh of a sad dissertion in the next words I sleep but mine heart waketh it is the voyce of my Beloved that knocketh c. There is not onely impiety but want of humanity that the Church had rather that wearied Jesus Christ should fall down and dye in the streets in a rainy and snowie night when his locks were wet with raine then that he should come in and lodge in the soule And let us not thinke that the threed and tract of the Scriptures coherence one Verse following on another as the Spirit of God hath ordered them is but a cast of chance or an humane thing When the Spouse rideth on the high places of Jacob and saith Isai. 49.13 Sing O heaven and be joyfull O earth and break forth into singing O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy on his afflicted Yet this was nothing to the afflicted people Verse 14. But Sion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me When the Lord's Disciples Mat. 17. are in the sweetest life that ever they were in at the transfiguration of Christ when they saw his glory and Peter said Master it is good for us to be here even then they must appeare to be weak men and Christ must forbid and rebuke their faithlesse feare Vers. 6. They fell on their faces and were sore affraid I leave it to the experience of the godly if Jeremiah his singing of praise in one Verse Chap. 20.13 and his cursing of the day that hee was borne on in the next Verse vers 14. the order of Scripture being of divine inspiration doe not speak Gods dispensation in this to be such as to allay and temper the sweetnesse of the consolation of a feast of Gods high manifestation with a sad dissertion So John his
and mis father it is no darkening of Christ and free Grace 1 Cor. 15.9 10. Asser. 9. There is a great difficultie yea an impossibility when the Lord hides himselfe and goeth behind the Mountaine to command the flowing and emanations of Free grace 1. Because desertion were not desertion if it were under the dominion of our Free-will For desertion as a punishment of sinne cannot be in the free-will of him that is punished every punishment as such is contrary to the will of the punished and desertion as an act of free dispensation for triall must be a worke of omnipotent dominion 2. As in workes of nature and art so is it heere that God may be seene in both doth not men sweat till sow much and the sun and summer and clouds warme dewes and raines smile upon cornes and meddowes yet God steppeth in betweene the mouth of the Husbandman and the sickle and blasteth all and the Lord takes away the physme stay and staffe of corne and grasse and there is bread enough and yet famine and starving for hunger Doe not some rise early and goe late to bed eat the bread of sorrow yet the armed souldier of God extreme poverty breaketh in upon the house Doe not watch-men wake all the night yet the City is surprised and taken in the dawning because the Lord keepeth not thâ— City The Lord doth all this to shew that hee is the supreme and absolute Lord of all second causes Why but hee hath as eminent and independent a Lordship in the acts of his free departure and returns in the sense of his love Hath not the King of Saints a withdrawing roome and an hiding place Is not his presence and manifestations his owne The deserted soule prayeth cryeth weepeth the Pastor speaketh with the tongue of the learned the Christian friend argueth exhorteth experience and the dayes of old come to mind the promises convince and speake home to the soule the poore man remembreth God and hee is troubled the Church and many Churches pray Christians weep and pray yet Christ is still absent the man cannot have from all these one halfe smile from Christ's face the vision will not speak one word of joy All these can no more command a raging sea and stormy winds to be still and create calmnesse in the soule then a child is able to wheele about the third heavens in a course contrary to its naturall motion Omnipotency is in this departure God himselfe is in the dispensation and absolute freedom of an independent dominion acteth in the Lord 's covering of himselfe with a cloud and putteth an iron crosse-barre on the doore of his pavilion and can you stirre Omnipotency and remove it Think you praying can charme and break independent dominion working to shew it selfe as a dominion 3. The sense of Christ which is wanting in desertion cannot be enforced by perswasion no more then you can by words perswade the deafe to heare Oratory cannot make the taste feele the sweetnesse of honey There is a light that cometh from heaven above the sunne and moone yea above the Gospel and is not extracted or educed out of the potency of either the soule nay nor of the Gospel I conceive that bringeth forth in act the white stone and the new name and as nature and instincts naturall performe their naturall duties without any oratory so as perswasion cannot make the fire to burne nor the sunne to shine nor the bird to build its nest nor the lambe to know its mother nature doth all these So neither doth the perswasion of Paul preaching the Gospel Act. 26.28 Act. 16.14 the same thing and every way the same worke that the Lord doth in perswading Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 I could easily admit that wee are patients in receiving the predetermination active of the Holy Ghost in either beleeving or in actuall enlightening and the actuall witnesse-light by which Christ shineth in the heart for producing actuall assurance though in the same moment and order of time not of nature wee be also agents Asser. 10. Though meanes must not be neglected as praying and waiting on the watch-tower for the breathings of renewed assurance yet as touching the time manner way and measure of the God's absolute dominion is more to be respected here then all the stirrings and motions of the under wheels of prayer preaching conference Asser. 11. The soule should be argued with and convinced thus Why will you not give Christ your good leave to tutor and guide you to heaven He hath carried a world of Saints over the same seas you are now in and Christ payed the fare of the ship himselfe not one of them are found dead on the shore they were all as black and sun-burnt as you are but they are now a faire and beautifull company without spot before the throne and clothed in white they are now on the sunny side of the river in the good Land where glory groweth farre above sighing and jealousie You are guilty of the breach of the Priviledge of Christ 1. Hee is a free Prince and his Prerogative Royall is uncapable of failing against the Fundamentall Lawes of Righteousnesse in the measuring out either worke or wages grace or glory Mat. 20.13 Friend I doe thee no wrong mine owne is mine owne Object O but hee is sparing in his grace his love-visits are thin sowen as straw-berries in the rock Answ. I answer for him 1. The quantity of grace is a branch of his freedome 2. Why doe you not complaine of your sparing improving of two talents rather then of his niggard giving of one only Hee cannot sin against his liberty in his measuring out of grace you cannot but sin in receiving Never man except the man Christ durst since the creation the holiest I will not except face an account with God for Evangelick receipts Christ to this day is behind with Moses David Isaiah Jeremiah Job Peter John Paul and all the Saints in the using of grace they were below grace and Christ was necessitate to write in the close of their counts with a pen of grace and ink of his bloud Friend you owe me this but I forgive you They flew all up to heaven with millions of arrearâ—s more then ever they wrought for As some godly rich man may say This poore man was addebted to me thousands now hee is dead in my debt I forgive him his grave is his acquittance I have done with it Christ upbraids not you with old debts that would sink you why cast yee up in his teeth his free gifts 3. Think it mercy hee made you not a gray-stone but a beleeving Saint And there is no imaginable compariâ—on between his free gifts and your bad deserving 2. The way of his going and coming should not be quarrelled The Lord walketh here in a liberty of dispensation a summer-sunne is heritage to no Land It was not a bloud of a
the Papists circle because workes to my sense and spirituall discerning may and doe adde evidence and light to faith and faith addeth evidence and light to works as wee prove the cause from the effect and the effect from the cause especially under desertion without the fault of circular arguing but Papists beleeve the Scripture to bee the word of God because the Church saith so else it should be no word of God to them more then the Turkes Alcaron and they beleeve that the Church saith that Scripture is the Word of God because the Scripture saith that the Church saith so This is no proof at all and a vaine consequence without Faith its unpossible to please God no worke can bee proved solidly Gods without faith but how then followeth it Ergo we cannot prove faith to bee true from good works Saltmarsh can make no Logicke out of this nothing followeth from this antecedent but ergo by hypocriticall works done without faith we cannot prove our faith to be true faith valeat totum the conclusion is not against us Wee acknowledge except good works carry the stampe and image of faith they are not good works but if they carry this stampe as we presuppose they do in this debate because works are more sensible to us then faith it followeth well then we may know our faith by our workes and a beleever doing workes in faith and out of warmenesse of love to Christ and a sincere sense of his debt he may bee ignorant that he doth them in faith but a coale of love to Christ smoaking in his soule and the sincere sense of the debt that love layeth on him to doe that yea and to swimme through hell to pleasure Christ are ordinarily more sensible then faith and led us to know there must be faith where these are 3. Nor are ours litigious and disputable marks except when our darknesse raiseth disputes more then the Gospel it selfe is litigious for men of corrupt minds raise doubts against the Gospel and weake beleevers sometime would argue themselves out of faith Christ out of imputed righteousnesse election of grace and effectuall calling yet are not these litigious points and say that the evidence of the Spirit be as light and evident as the Sunne light in it selfe so is the Gospel yet are we to seeke evidences for our faith and peace in such markes as the Holy Ghost has made way-markes to heaven by this we know c. but we build our knowledge and sense on these markes as on secondary pillars and helps which a divine and supernaturall certitude furnisheth though without the influence of the Spirit they shine not evidently to us but our faith resteth on the testimony of the Spirit witnessing to our hearts and this is not to bring a candle to give light to the Sunne but to adde the light of supernaturall sense to the light of divine faith else they may as well say that the confirming evidence that comes to our sense from the Sacraments addeth some thing to the Word which is a light and a Sunne-light to our eyes if we did confide in them as causes of our justification it were Pharisaicall but divine motives and secondary grounds though they bee mixed of themselves with sinnefull imperfections may be by divine Institution helps and confirmatory grounds of our faith and joy and the Scripture saith so as we heard alledged The question proposed by F. Cornewell I shall not father upon that learned and godly Divine Master Cotton Whether a man may evidence his justification by his Sanctification hee should have added whether he may evidence to himselfe or his owne conscience his justification for that so he may evidence i◠in a conjecturall way to others no man doubts 2. The question is mistated as if Sanctification did formally evidence Justification as Justification in abstracto and Faith in its actuall working it s enough against Antinomians if it evidence to the sense of the person that he is in the state of justification and that hee hath faith to lay hold on Christs righteousnesse when he esteemes the Saints precious and placeth his delight in them Sanctification doth not as Libertines would imagine evidence justification as faith doth evidence it with such a sort of clearenesse as light evidenceth colours making them actually visible now light is no signe or evident marke of colours Love and workes of sanctification doe not so evidence justification as if justification were the object of good works that way faith doth evidence justification but sanctification doth evidence justification to be in the soule where sanctification is though it doth not render justification actually visible to the soule as light maketh colours to be actually visible or as faith by the light of the Spirit rendreth justification visible for even as smoake evidenceth there is fire there where smoake is though smoake render no fire visible to the eye and the moving o◠the pulse evidenceth that there is yet life though the man be i◠a swoone and no other acts of life doe appeare to the eye an◠the morning starre in the East when its darke evidenceth tha◠the Sunne shall shortly rise yet it maketh not the Sunne visibl◠to the eye and the streames prove there is an head-spring whence these streames issue yet they shew not in what part of the earth the head-spring is so as to make it visible to the eye so doth Sanctification give evidence of Justification onely as markes signes and gracious effects giveth evidence of the cause as when I find love in my soule and a care to please God in all things and this I may know to bee in mee from the reflect light of the Spirit and from these I know there is faith in me and justification though I feele not the operation of faith in the meane time yet the effect and signe makes a report of the cause as acts of life eating and drinking and walking in me doth assure me that I have the life of nature So the vitall acts of the life of Faith doe as signes and effects give evidences of the cause and fountaine yet there is no necessity that with the same light by which I know the effect I know the cause because this is but a light of arguing and of heavenly Logick by which we know by the light of the Spirits arguing that we know God by the light of Faith because wee keep his Commandements and know arguitivè by Gods Logick that we are translated from death to life because wee love the Brethren in effect we know rather the person must bee justified in whom these gracious evidences are by heare-say report or consequence then we know or see justification it selfe in abstracto or faith it selfe but the light of faith the testimony of the Spirit by the operation of free Grace will cause us as it were with our eyes see justification and faith not by report but as we see the Sunne
brought to bed Lord Jesus when will the Man-childe be borne and thy Spouse be eased of the birth Yet is not this disease deadly Sion as soone as shee travelled brought forth her child Isai. 66.8 All her shaddowes of sufferings shall be quickly gone The Spouse cannot die of child-birth paine Christ will save both the Mothers life and the Babe 2. Sinne is a deare and costly thing In heaven in the Count-book of Justice it goeth for no lesse then the bloud of God the shaming of the Lord of glory Justice for the request of all the world and the prayers of Christ could not abate one farthing A mans soule is a deare thing Exchange of commodities of silkes purple fine linnen is much exchange of Saphires Diamonds Rubies and other precious stones for baser commodities is much more and that ships-full of the gold of Ophir should bee given for bread and things obvious is a rich traffiquing but the market and value of soules as it hath not since God made man on earth fallen or risen so it is ever above a world Mat. 16.26 What hath a man profitted if hee lose this God will not take Silkes nor Purples nor Saphires nor Rubies nor Navies loaden with fine gold nor any corruptible thing 1 Pet. 1.18 for soules The price is one and the same soules were never bought nor sold nor exchanged nor ransomed but once and the price is one and as high as the soule and bloud of the Lord of life Job 27.8 What is the hope of an hypocrite though hee hath gained when God taketh his soule from him let him cast up his accounts and lay his charges hee stands a poore man a man without a soule What mad men are wee who sell soules daily for prices so farre below the Lords price A man that would wood-feet a Lord-ship of many thousands yearly for a base summe some pence or for a nights sleep in a straw-bed and bind himselfe not to redeeme it what a waster were hee how worthy to begge Satan is going through the world and hee gives some pence in hand O how sad a reckoning when the Devill the cozening Creditor comes at night with his back counts Pay mee for your sweet lusts I gave you answer my Bill for your idle oaths your lies oppressions cozening Covenant-breaking your unjust judging your starving and murthering of the widdow and the fatherlesse by detaining of the wages of the Souldier your sleighting of Christ and reformation and the price is referred to God and the market knowne Sathan can abate nothing thy soule he must have and within few dayes the body too is this wisdome to earne hell and to make away a noble soule for a straw 3. What are wee to give for Christ what bonds of love hath he layd on us who earned our Heaven for us at so deare ◠price I desire onely these considerations to have place in our thoughts 1. As God had but one Sonne and one onely begotten Son and he gave him for sinners so Christ had two loves one as God and another as man he gave them both out for us and two glories one as God one as Man and Mediator the one was darkened for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he emptied a Sea of glory for us he powred it out for us and for his other glory he laid it downe as it were in hell endured infinite wrath for us 2. He went to death and the grave made his testament and left his love grace and peace in legacie to us 3. Greater love then this hath no man but he saith not greater love then this hath no God That God did let out so much love to men is the wonder of the world and of heaven Wee may find words to paint out creatures and the garment may be wider then the thing but should Angels come and helpe us to find out expressions for Christs love words should bee below and in this side of Christ. 4. Behold the man saith an enemy of Christ but behold him more then a man behold the Lord in the Garden sweatting out of his holy body great blobs and floods of Love trickling downe upon sinners of clay Men and Angels come see and wonder and adore 5. Love was Christs cannon-Royall he battered downe with it all the forts of hell and triumphed over Principalities and powers Christ was judgement-proofe he indured the wrath of God and was not destroyed he was hell-proofe and grave-proofe hee suffered and rose againe but hee was not love-proofe to borrow that expression he was not onely love-sicke for his Church but sicke to death and dyed for his friends Cant. 2.4 His banner over his Church was love Saints bee sworn to his collours die and live with Christ and take Christ in the one arme his cause and Gospell in the other and your life betweene both and say to all enemies take one take all The midst of Christs Chariot is paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 3.10 Christs royall seat both in the Gospel in which he is carried through the world as a Conquerour Revel 6.2 and in the soules of his children is love From the sense of this it were our happiest life to live and love with Christ for hee hath carried up to heaven with him the love and the heart and the treasures of the sonnes of God so as all ours are with him above time 6. Wee are not to feare death extreamely nor hell at all Christ feared both for our comfort hee hath taken away the worst of death In that 1. He hath subdued hell and sinne and there remaineth to us but the outer side of death 2. The beleever but halfe dies and swoneth or rather sleepeth in the grave 3. He dyeth by will because he chooseth to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 rather then by nature or necessity 4. As dying and sufferings are the cup that Christ dranke so are we to love the cup the better that Christs lip touched it and left the perfume of the breathings of the Holy Ghost in it In common Innes by the way side Princes and common travellers and thousands lye in one bed the clothes may be changed but the bed is the same Christ tasted of death Heb. 2. for us but there was gall in his cup that is not in ours Christs worm-wood was bitter with wrath ours sweetned with consolation 7. All the Saints are in Christs debt of infinite love When we grieve the Spirit purchased by Christ we draw blood of his wounds a fresh and so testifie that wee repent that Christ suffered so much for us The Father hath sworn and will not repent that he is an eternall Priest and stands to it that his bloud is of eternall worth and when the Father sweareth this Christ is the same one God with him and sweares that he thinketh all his bloud well bestowed and will never give over the bargaine his Bride is his Bride though
opposition to another known false god though all may oppose the Gospel The Lord complaines of a whorish heart that playeth the harlot with many lovers Jer. 3.1 and heaven and saving grace stands on an indivisible point like the number of seven one added one removed varieth the nature no man is halfe in heaven halfe in hell almost a Christian is no Christian. When Adam fell from one God hee fell upon many inventions not upon one onely Eccles. 7.29 Our wandering is infinite and hath no home either God is a thunder or then hee is an Angel speaking from heaven Consid. 5. Men think the supernaturall wayes of God a thunder in the aire which is a most naturall work the ebbing and flowing of the Spirit either naturall joy or melancholly naturally following the complexion of the body It s Grace that puts a right sense on the works of God as on the word wee are no lesse heterodox in mis-interpreting the wayes and workes of God then in putting false and unsound senses on his word Emrods plagues the Philistines they doubt if chance or if the God of Israel have thus plagued them Moses works miracles the Magicians work miracles and the Egyptians doubt whether their false god or the living God that made the heaven and the earth hath wrought the miracles When God and Nature both worke naturall men or Saints as naturall betake themselves to the nearest God As sicknesse comes the naturall man saith Neglect of the body health the moone humours the air cold weather did it but hee looks not to God And the beleever guilty of a breach of the Sixth Command in neglecting second causes and in needlesse hurting the body seeth not this but fathers all upon God onely in a spirituall dispensation and considereth onely dispensation in God not sin in himselfe 2. Mercies grow invisibly and wee see not wee are ready to sleep at mercies offered When Christ knocks in love wee are in bed Cant. 5. 3. Judgements speak in the dark but wee heare not the Lord fatteneth some slaughter-oxen for hell and death is on some mens faces even the second death on their person but they see not To heare the Lords rods and who hath appointed it is the man of Wisdomes part Micha 6.9 There is an Orthodoxe Wisdome and Will as there is an Orthodox Faith Will as well as the minde can frame Syllogismes every unrenewed man hath a faith of his owne in the bottome of his will 2 Pet. 3. Some are willingly ignorant Some Jer. 9. through deceit refuse to know the Lord whereas lusts puts out reason and takes the chaire Lust hath stout Logick against Christ a fleshly minde vainely puffed up is a badge of bastard wit out-reasoning all the Gospel O but grace is quick-eyed sharpe and a witty thing to see God vailed in under the curtaine of flesh to see Christ and heaven through words and the Gospel with childe of so great a salvation Consid. 6. What wonder that there bee divisions about Christ. Some will have the Lord speaking from heaven a thunder others an Angel Christ is the most disputable thing in the world Math. 16.13 14. there be five Religions and sundry opinions touching Christ the Scribes and Pharisees had many sundry opinions and one of them is the right way onely and tenne false Joh. 7.40 Many say Christ is a Prophet Vers. 41 Others said this is the Christ Others no Shall Christ come out of Galile and there was a division among them Luke 2.34 Christ is for a signe that shall bee spoken against And amongst Christs sufferings this is one Hebr. 12.3 He sustained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contradiction of sinners Math. 24. Many false Christs shall arise There is but one heaven and one way to heaven and there is but one hell but there be thousands of wayes to hell from one point to another you can draw but one straight line but you may draw tenn◠thousand crooked and circular lines The truth is one and very narrow the lie is broad and very fertile and broodie error is infinite It s a blessed thing to find wisdome to hit upon Christ and adhere to him there be some dicets and couseners Ephes. 4.14 that lye in wait to deceive the simple and they cast the dice for heaven and can cast you up any thing on the dice either one or seven do yee then resigne your selves in this wood of false Religions that now is to Christ to be led to heaven Many now teach there be some few fundamentals beleeve them and live well and you are saved And many false Teachers that turne the Gospel upside downe say it is the same Gospel though the head be where the feet should be and for errors we wrong not truth so long as we hold nothing against fundamentals Should a man remove the roofe of your house cut down the timber of it and pick out all the faire stones in the wall and say Friend I wrong not your house see the foundation stones are safe and the foure corner stones are sure in the meane time the house can fence off neither winde nor raine would not this man both mock you and wrong you He that keeps the foundation Christ shal be saved though he build on it hay and stubble 1 Cor. 3. It s true But it was never the intent of the Holy Ghost That a man beleeving some few fundamentals though he hold and spread lyes and false Doctrines is in no hazard of damnation or that hee hath liberty of conscience to adde to the foundation hay and stubble and untempered morter and to daube dirt upon the foundation Christ and not sinne the place speaks no such thing but of this else where Others said it was an Angel These come neerer to the truth for they conceive there is more in this voice then a worke of Nature such as a thunder is they think an Angel spoke to Christ and they are convinced that Christ keeps correspondence with Heaven and Angels Angels have been and are in high estimation among men alwaies and there is reason for it 1. There is more of Heaven in Angels and more of God then in any of their fellow-creatures Sinnefull men have been stricken with feare at the sight of them they are persons of a more excellent countrey then the earth John the Apostle did overvalue an Angel Revel 19. Revel 21. And fell downe to worship him 2. Angels elect and chosen never lost their birth-right of creation as Men and Devils have done they were created as the Lilies and Roses which no doubt had more sweetnesse of beauty and smell before the sin of man made them vanity-sick Ro. 8.20 but they have kept their robes of innocency their cloth of gold above five thousand yeares without one sparke of dirt or change of colour for they never sinned innocencie and freedome from sinne hath much of God Adam as many think kept not his garments cleane
indeed is a publike thing but because its the heritage of perishing things it is not publike in comparison of eternity And Christ because a publike Spirit for the whole family of elect Angels and Saints in heaven and earth is a matchlesse excellent one And its observable that there is nothing in heaven that is the seat and element of happinesse and the onely Garden and Paradise of the Saints felicity but it is publike and common to all The inhabitants the glorified Saints and Angels all see the face of him that sitteth on the Throne of degrees of fruition I speak not they all drink of the river of water of life all have accesse to eat of the apples of the tree of life there is no forbidden fruit in heaven all have the blessing of the immediate presence of the Lamb and there is neither need of Sunne or Moon or light of a candle to any all equally enjoy eternity there is one Lease and Terme-day to the lowest inhabitant of glory and that is eternity there is common to them all one City the streets whereof are transparent gold that the poorest inhabitants of a Town walk on a street of gold of Ophir is a great praise to the City it is common to them all that they shall never sigh never be sad never sicken never be old never die and eternall life is common to them all and then all feele the smell of the fairest Rose that Angels or Men can think on the Flower the onely delight the glory the joy of heaven the Lord Jesus all walk in white and can sin no more Then a publike Spirit who is for many is the excellentest Spirit Men of private spirits who carry a reciprocation of designes onely to themselves and die and live with their owne private interests are bad men When our selfe is the circle both center and circumference wee are so much like the devill who is his owne god adores himselfe and would have God to adore him Mat. 4.9 Now Christ is the most publike relative and communicative Spirit and Lord that is 1. All Christs offices are for others then himselfe Hee is not a Mediator of one A Redeemer is for captives a Saviour for sinners a Priest for offenders and trespassers a Prophet for the simple and ignorant a King to vindicate from servitude all that are in bondage the Physician for the siâ—k and this speaks for you sinners 2. Why did hee empty himselfe Luke 19.10 1 Tim. 1.15 and come into the world 〈◊〉 sinners 3. Why was he a fitted Sacrifice to die Joh. 7.19 For their sake also sanctifie I my selfe that they also may be sanctified by the truth 4. His dying was a publike and relative good Joh. 10.10 For his sheep For Joh. 15.13 his friends For Rom. 5.10 his enemies For his Wife to present a Bride without spot or wrinkle to God Ephes. 5.25 26. 5. And hee rose againe for us even for our justification Rom. 4.25 6. And whose cause doth Christ advocate in heaven now Ours For us if wee sinne 1 Joh. 2.1 hee intercedes for us Heb. 7.25 That wee may have boldnesse to enter into the holy of holiest Heb. 10.19 7. Christ hath so publike an heart that hee longs to returne againe and to see us Joh. 14.3 I will come againe and receive you to my selfe A Surety is a very relative person and for another the head is for all the members the meanest and lowest and it is not enough to him to rent the heaven and digge a hole in the skyes once when hee was incarnate but hee makes a second journey in coming down to rent the heaven and fetch his Bride up to himselfe They are hence rebuked that so improve Christ as if hee were a Jewel locked up in a Cabinet in heaven to be touched and made use of by none Oh I am a sinner I am a wretched captive what have I then to doe with so precious a Lord as Christ But I pray 1. wherefore is Christ a Saviour is hee not for sinners Wherefore a Redeemer is it that hee should lye by God as uselesse was he not a Redeemer for captives 2. What if all the world should say so Christ should be a Saviour and save none a Redeemer and ransome none at all for all are sinners all are captives Christs very office begets an interest in the sick to the Physician Claime thine interest O sick sinner Now this voyce was unknowne to those that heard it and yet it was for men that understood it not Christ acteth for us when wee are sleeping The people of God were to be seventy yeares in Babylon and were going on in their obstinacy yet then God saith Jer. 29.11 I know the thoughts I thinke toward you you know them not I love you but yee know not even thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end Many glorious mercies are transacted in Gods mind without our knowledge Ere the corner stone of the earth was laid hee had made sure worke of our election to glory Ephes. 1.4 Rom. 9.11 2. The everlasting covenant between the Father and the Son that blessed bargaine of free-redemption in Christ was closed from eternity Jer. 32.39 40. To doe us good when wee are farre-off and know no such thing is a great and free expression of love 3. Wee should be narrow vessâ—ls not able to containe our joy without breaking if wee understood what an house not made with hands were prepared for us in the heavens but our life is hid with Christ in God it appeares not now what wee are You never saw the Bride the Lambs Wife broydered with heaven free-grace and riches of glory Every Saint is a mystery to another Saint and that is the cause that love to one another is so cold Every Saint is a riddle and a secret to himselfe It was a priviledged sight even a priviledge of the higher House and of the Peeres of Heaven that John saw Revel 21.10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountaine and shewed me the great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God Vers. 11. Having the glory of God and the light was lâ—ke a stone most precious even like a Jaspar stone cleare as Chrystall Here is a Kings daughter a beautifull Princesse in the gold of heavens glory arrayed with Christ who seeth this while wee are here every one seeth not such a sight of glory If there be such an active application on Gods part that Christ is fitted and dressed for sinners there should be a passive application on our part O what an incongruity and unsutablenesse betweene Christ and us hee is a Saviour for sinners wee are not sinners for a Saviour hee is open and forward to give wee narrow and drawing to receive A Physician that thrusteth his art and compassion to cure is unfitting for a sick one froward and unwilling to be
bring forth a man child to God And 2. as Satan is the mysticall head and Prince of that condemned body hee is cast out and hee hath a power in regard of the guilt and dominion of sin both over the elect and the reprobate Christs death hath broken hells barres and condemned sinne in the flesh Rom. 8.3 and dissolved the works of the devill and taken his Forts and Castles and 1 Joh. 3.8 taken many of Satans Souldiers captives Death was the Devills Fort-royall Hell is his great Prison-house and principall Jayle these hee hath taken 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Hos. 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeeme them from the power of death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction And these captives can never be ransomed out of Christs hand again for saith hee repentance shall be hid from mine eyes When Christ spoyles hee will never restore the prey againe Hee hath overcome the world Joh. 16.33 and that was a strong Fort and hee hath delivered the Saints from the dominion of sin because they are under a new Husband Rom. 6.6 7 8 9 10. Rom. 7.1 2 3 4 5 6. All crosses have lost their salt and their sting even as when a City is taken by storming all the Commanders and Souldiers are dis-armed and when a Court is cryed down by Law all the members and Officers of the Court Judge and Scribe and Advocates that can plead Pursevants Jayles are cryed down they cannot sit nor lead a Processe nor summon a Subject So when Christ cryed down Satans Judicature and triumphed over principalities and powers and annulled all Decrees Lawes hand-writings of Ordinances that Satan could have against the Saints Col. 2.14 15. all the Officers of hell are laid aside the Devill is out of office by Law jure the Jayles and pits are broken Esay 49.9 That thou maist say to the prisoners Goe forth to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves Zech. 9.11 When a righteous King cometh to the crown hee putteth down all unjust Vsurpers If Satan be cast out wee are not debtors to the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 8.12 Sin hath no law over us There is a law of sinne a dictate of mad reason by which the sinner thinks hee is under the Oath of Allegiance to Satan and his crown scepter and honour hee must defend but there is no reason no law in hell and in the works of hell And if hee be once cast out who is this usurping lawlesse lord if you sweep the house to him and take him in againe to a new lodging one devill will be eight devills for Satan thus cast out will returne with seven devills worse then himselfe Remember Lot's wife if yee be escaped out of Sodome Looke not over your shoulder with a wanton and lustfull eye to old forsaken lovers let repentance and mortification be constant Now is the Prince of this world cast out But yet to consider more particularly Satans Princedome and Satans Power I adde yet more of these two heads 1. The Power of Satan 2. The Punishment of Satan His Power is held forth in that hee is a Prince 1. In his might and power naturall 2. In his power acquired 3. In his power sinfull and judicially inflicted The Devil's Power hee was created in both in the mind and will and executive faculty by no Scripture or Reason can be imagined to be lesse before the fall of these miserable Spirits then the power of their fellow-Angels 1. The Angels being all created holy and according to Gods image they must have been created with their face to God and in their proper place and sphere and so with power to stand in their place Now what station can these immortall Spirits be created in rather then in a state of seeing God 2. Satan abode not in the truth saith the Lord Jesus Joh. 8.44 and the bad Angels left saith Jude vers 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper dwelling These two places compared together seemeth to hold forth that truth and the first truth God seene and knowne though not immutably was the first element native countrey of the Angels They must then see God and his face It is a bold and groundlesse conjecture of some rotten Schoolmen to say That truth from which the Angels are said to fall was the Gospel-truth and that They envied that man was in Christ to be advanced above the Angelike nature 1. It s a dreame that the Gospel was revealed to the Devils before their fall for then their owne fall and future misery that they were to be kept eternally in chaines of darknesse on the same ground must be revealed to them What horror and sadnesse must fill Adams mind and the Angels spirit if hell and the necessity of God manifested in the flesh was revealed to them in the state of happinesse 2. The mystery of the riches of the glorious Gospel was hid from the beginning of the world and the glorious elect Angels come in time Ephes. 3.8 9 10. to learn that manifold wisdome of God and delight in Peters time to looke into it as to a great secret of God 1 Pet. 1.12 Wee have not then reason to think this secret was whispered in the eares of the Devils before they fell 2. It s true Mat. 18. The elect Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes now behold the face of Christs Father for now they are confirmed that they cannot look awry and turne their eyes off Gods face even when they come downe as servants to the heires of glory on earth they carry about with them their heaven and the pleasures of the Court they enjoy no reason their posting among sinners should decourt them or deprive them of the actuall vision of God But it followeth not therefore the falne Angels never saw the face of Christs Father it followes onely they saw it not immutably and in a confirmed way of grace and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes as now the elect Angels doe ◠It s no Princedome in Satan to know the thoughts of the heart this is proper to God onely 1 King 8.39 Jer. 17.10 Psal. 44.21 Nor hath hee or the good Angels any immediate Princedome over the will to know what are my thoughts or to know one anothers thoughts or to act immediatly upon free will not because the thoughts of the heart are objects of themselves so abstruse and high that they are not intelligible for a mans owne spirit knowes the things in himselfe 1 Cor. 2.11 Yea 2. then they could not be known by revelation for God cannot by revelation cause a finite understanding comprehend an infinite object because the object exceedeth the faculty in proportion infinitely The thoughts of a mans heart cannot so exceed the understanding faculty of a man farre lesse of an Angel Therefore God in the depth of his wisdome by an act
wicked for the ill day and for whose pleasure all things are Revel 4.11 must be such an Efficient and Author such a finall cause of all as shapeth a particular being to things actions and every creature as their determinate being must be from him If the being of the actions of free will rather then their not-being be from free will not from God but in a generall universall or disjunctive influence that is in such a way as whatever God decreed from eternity touching Peters acts of willing or nilling embracing or repudiating Christ or what way soever the Lord shape and mould his influence and concurrence in time either the one or the other may fall out and Peter may embrace Christ or not embrace him and so may Judas and all Men and Angels then shall I say The Kings heart and his nilling and willing is in the hand of his owne heart so the King turnes his owne heart whither soever hee determines his owne will and not as Solomon saith Pro. 21.1 in the hands of the Lord and the creature is master of worke Angels Men free and contingent necessary and naturall causes are Mint-masters to coyne what actions they will this or this election and reprobation vessels of mercy and of wrath beleeving or not-beleeving are in the hands of Angels and Men the creature shall be both Potter and clay The great Lord and former of all things and the vessel for Gods conditionall decree his collaterall and universall his disjunctive and dependent influence hath no force to cast the scale of free will to willing and so to salvation election inscription in the book of life more then to nilling damnation and blotting out or not-inrolling in the book of life but is indifferent to either is determined and bowed by the free will of man to which of the two shall seeme good to lord will and the Lord cannot turne the heart whither soever hee will Which close sets up fortune independent and absolute contingency and a supremacy and principality of working every effect and event on both sides of the sun and above the sun in order of nature by the creature before and without the efficiency of the cause of causes and the intention or counsell of God yea it involves the Lord in a fatall chaine hee must either concurre or the creature disposeth of the militia lawes and affaires of heaven and earth without the King of ages 1. I cannot make prayers to the Lord to determine my will to his obedience not to lead me into temptation 2. I cannot thank his free grace for either 3. I cannot intrust God with working in me to will and to doe Nor 4. comfort my selfe in the Lord 5. Nor be patiently submissive to God under all my calamities that befall me by the hand of men devils or creatures Why The Lord can doe no more then hee can hee had no more will nor counsell before time nor hand and disposing of the businesse in time for all these then for the just contradicent of these say the lord-patrones of indifferent and so absolute a free will 6. How doth Jacob pray that the Lord would give his sonnes favour with the Governour of Egypt whom hee beleeved to be a heathen and pray that God would change his brother Esau's heart and Esther and her maids pray that God would grant her favour in the eyes of Ahashuerus if God have not in his hand power to turne their hearts from hatred to favour as pleaseth him 7. The Lord takes on him to turne mens free will in mercy or judgement as pleaseth him Pro. 3. My sonne forget not my law so shalt thou find favour Vers. 4. with God and man The Lord gave Joseph favour in the eyes of Potiphar Gen. 39.21 God brought Daniel in favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuches Dan. 1.9 The Lord made his people to be pittied of all those that carried them captives Psal. 106.46 The Lord turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people Psal. 105.25 Warre and peace are from the free wills of men as second causes yet the Lord saith according to his absolute dominion Isai. 45.7 I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill And Isai. 7.8 The Lord shall hisse for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the river of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria and they shall come and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys Isai. 10.6 I will send the Assyrian against an hypocriticall nation So Jer. 1.15 16. Isai. 13.1 2 3. Chap. 15.1 2 â— 17.1 2 3. 19.1 2 3 4. Now God could not be the Author of warre and peace as God and Soveraigne all-Disposer if it were in the indifferent arbitriment and free election of men that warre should freely issue from mans free will so as God could neither decree command ordaine it in his providence threaten it in his justice fore-see it in his wisdome and fore-tell it by his Prophets determine it by his free grace except the free will of nations and men first passe an act in this poore low Court of clay in the heads and brests of little lords free-will-men and make sure work on earth of its coming to passe and so the Almighty Soveraigne of all things should have the second conditionall vote of an after-game in heaven of all actions contingent and managed by free will of Angels and Men such as peace warre honour infamy riches poverty health sicknesse life or violent death by sword gibbet poyson c. hatred favour learning ignorance faith unbeleefe obedience to God disobedience salvation damnation long or short life sailing selling buying eating speaking joying weeping building planting praying praising cursing Christs coming of the seed of David the use of Prophets prophecying c. Object Is it not contrary to the nature of freedome to be determined by a forraigne and externall agent and that by a power stronger then the free will can resist or master If yee with a stronger power tye a sword to my arme and strongly and irresistibly throw my arme and sword both to kill a man can I be the murtherer of this man Answ. All the question here is Whether the Lords freedome and dominion in these actions of clay-vessels or mens must stand Wee had rather contend for the Lord and grace than for the creature and free will 2. It is contrary to the nature of freedome to be determined with one sort of determination not with another 1. With such a determination naturall as is in the stone to fall down the sun to give light its true but now the assumption is false 2. Should wee suppose that hee who tyes the sword to your arme so as hee carries along with him in that motion your reason judgement elective power so as you joyne in your arbitrary and free election yea and with delight and joy which is
eternall life to all and every one upon faire conditions if their free will play the game of salvation and damnation handsomely as if Christ were not free wills choisest tutor 4. All and every man are received in this covenant in the new state of reconciliation grace and favour and justification from any breach of the Law or the first covenant all are once fairely delivered both young and old from damnation and wrath all the heathen are reconciled and justified by Christ in his blood and all sinnes now are against the 1. Covenant of grace Christ and all mankinde now beginne to reckon on a new score 2. Though the ship be broken and all mankinde sent to Sea to die there yet so are they cast over board as Christ the surety of a better Covenant is made the great vessell that ship-broken men may if it seeme good to Lord free will swimme unto and so come safe the second time to land 3. So as there be two Redemptions in Christ two Justifications by grace 4. Yet neither the tydings of this new covenant made with all men nor this state of reconciliation or justification are ever revealed to the thousand part of mankind and though all and every one be under this Law of Faith and Covenant of Grace yet is this obliging and supernaturall Law never promulgate to millions of mankind whom it obligeth to obedience so farre forth as by the good industry and improving of common gifts of nature or rather the hire and merit of men out of Christ to make a conquest of the preached Gospell and Christ free will doing its best 5. All and every Mothers sonne and children of Adam are called and invited yea and Christ by our Text draweth all and every man though they will not be drawn say they the sole cause of election reprobation of salvation damnation lying on mans free will 6. All and every one are furnished with all externall meanes of salvation with sufficient grace and absolute indifferenciâ— and power of free will to say ay or no to the drawing of Christ and purchase by industrious improvement and carefull husbanding of the common gifts or relicts of nature and their new sufficient grace if they could give it a name to us a farther degree of grace while they conquesse the Preaching of the Gospell and the grace of conversion Yet so are they let Christ doe his best as all may be converted or not any one at all but all lost and all may persevere in grace and be saved as not one men shall be damned and all may so totally and finally fall away from grace as not one man may persevere but all be eternally lost if free will use his owne liberty notwithstanding of the Lords eternall decrees of Election or Reprobation or of Christs death the strength of free grace the intercession of Christ at the right hand of God the unchangeable love of God for all these can doe nothing to marre the absolute and independent free will of men to worke as it listeth for either wayes Propos. 1. Election is the decree of free grace setting apart certaine definite individuall and particular men to glory 1. The men chosen and drawne are by head designed Jaakob not Esau before the children had done good or evill though Esau be elder Isaak must be the Sonne of the promise father and mother were free grace rather 〈…〉 of Abraham and Sarah now paâ—led natures 〈…〉 Eâ—mael Peter and John not Judas the Sonne of 〈…〉 Abraham and his house worshipping Idols beyond the 〈◊〉 is singled out not any other the Lord sets his love on 〈◊〉 Jews because he loved them Deut 7.7 When their Father 〈…〉 Amorite and their mother an Hittite and they dy◠〈…〉 bloud Ezech. 16.3.4.5.6.7 not any one of the rest of the Canaanites the Tribes of Judah is the King by Tribe not any of the rest of the Families Low Jephtahs Family not anâ— of the rest of the sonnes of that Family None of the seven sonnes but the dispised shepheard the ruddy Boy singing after the Ew's David forgotten by all as none of the number 2. They are pointed out with the finger with pronownes Psalm 87.5 And of Sion its said this man Hebr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man and man shall be born in Sion Esai 49.1 The Lord hath called me from the womb from the bowels of my mother hath hee made mention of my name Thou art head or member or of which the Prophet spake it s all one in the mouth of God by name from eternity John Anna c. Esai 43.1 O Israel feare not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine So the Lord points them out with the finger Esai 49.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold these shall come from farre and behold these from the North. North-land men and from the Sea Ilanders or from the West West-land men so it may be read and these from the land of Shimin Ezech. 36.20 These are the people of the Lord. Hebr. 11.13 All these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 died in the Faith they are named and told by the head Revel 14.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are thrise in one Verse These are they that are not defiled with women these are they that follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth These were redeemed from amongst men 3. They are defined by their countrey Esai 19.18 Five Cities of the land of Egypt shall speake the Language of Canaan Vers. 24. In that day Israel shall bee the third part with Egypt and Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the Land Vers. 25. Whom the Lord of Hosts shall blesse saying blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the worke of my hand Zephan 3.10 From beyond the river of Ethiopia my suppliants even the daughters of my dispersed shall come .4 Their names are particularly inrolled in the Lambes booke of life Luk. 10.20 Revel 13.8 Revel 20.15 As Citizens of some famous incorporation or Senators that governes a Citie are written in the booke of Records of the King or Citie so these that are to follow the Lambe cloathed in white are booked in the publike Register of heaven in the minde of God to be members of the heavenly Society 5. It was no blind bargaine that Christ made hee knew what he gave hee knew what he got Christ told downe a definite and certaine Ransome as a told summe of money every penny reckoned and layed and he knew who was his own and whom and how many by the head and name he bought there is no hazard that one come in in the lieu and roome of another Joh. 10.14 I am the good Shepherd how is that made good He hath particular care of all the flock by the head he knowes how many and who are his if any bee not his if any be sicke or lost or wandered away that proves a good Shepherd I know my sheepe
72.12 All Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall serve him it s meant of Christ and in the letter cannot be true if many refuse him to be their King Psalm 2.9.2.3 Lâ—k 19 14. Psal. 110.1 So is it said Psal. 22.27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of â—he Nations shall worship before thee Now that he meaneth of spirituall turning to God and of Repentance is cleare Vers. 18. For the Kingdome is the Lords and he is the Governour among the Nations Vers. â—3 A seed shall serve him it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation Except there be a restriction of this All how will Arminians eschew this that all and every man of the heathen shall repent and be a holy seed devoted to the Lord as his Righteous ones For sure the same expression of all Nations Esai 40.16 are taken for all and every one of mankinde Psalm 66 9. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy name Esai 66.23 And it shall come to passe that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come â—o worship before me saith the Lord. Let Arminians speake if all flesh that commeth before God from Sabbath to Sabbath under the New Testament to worship be as large and comprehensive as the same expression Esai 40.6 All flesh is grasse Sure the latter comprehendeth all Adams Sonnes without exception even including infants the former cannot beare so wide a sense So Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed Gen. 22.18 If the meaning be that without any figure or exception all and every family be blessed in Christ then shall I inferre that all the families of the earth without exception are justified by faith in Christ Gal. 3.10 11 12 13.14 And that the Nations of the earth without exception are heires of the promise have right to strong consolation are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope laid before them and have anchored thâ—ir hope up within the veilo whither the fore-runner Christ hath entred for of these Nations the Apostle expoundeth the promise Hebr. 6.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. So Esai 27.6 Israel shall blossome and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit then shall there bee none on earth but the blossoming Iâ—rael of God Rom. 11.26 And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written there shall come out of Sion a deliverer c. These that Paul calleth all Israel Esaiah 69.20 21. calleth Jaakob and the seed and the seeds seed Esaiah 59.19 So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sunne Mal. 1.11 For from the rising of the Sunne even to the going downe of the same any name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering for my name shall bee great among the heathen saith the Lord of Hosts If from the East to the West and in all places of the Gentiles men feare the name of the Lord then sure the whole inhabitants of the earth between the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same must bee converted to Christ and offer prayers prayses spirituall service to Christ except some restriction be made the most part from the East to the West are enemies to the Gospel And how would Arminians triumph if so much were said for universall Redemption as here is said for universall Regeneration and Conversion of all except we say there must be a figure a Senechdoche of All for many Or Christs all and universalitie of converted ones must bee here meant Joh. 1.9 That was the true light that inlighteneth every one that commeth into the world What Even infants who come into the world and all and every one of Adams Sonnes it cannot bee true in any sense except it be meant of the light of the Gospel that yet never came to the halfe part of the world For Vers. 10. The world knew him not and Vers. 6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John ver 7. the same came for a witnesse to beare wâ—tnesse of the light that all men through him might beleeve Can any divinity teach that God intended that all and every mortall man should beleeve by him that is by the Ministery of John the morning starre which was to fall and disappeare and shine no more at the rising of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse 1 Joh. 2.27 Yee need not that any teach you but the anointing that yee have received teacheth you all things Why should then fewer have the Spirit of holy unction in them then the world for whom Christ is a propitiation and all the visible Saints that John writeth unto 1 Joh. 1 2. 2.1.2 4.9 God sent his onely begotten Sonne to the world that we through him might live nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anone that Christ dyed for all that is all ranks of men For All is put in Scripture ordinarily for many as Deut. 1.21 Psal. 71.18 Ier. 15.10 and 19.9 and 20.7 and 23.30 and 49.17 Ezech. 16.27 Exod. 33.10 Col. 1.28 Isai. 61.9 Gen. 41.57 Mark 14.4 Joh. 3.26 Acts 17.31 and 10.38 Mark 1.37 2 Cor. â— 2 Luke 24.47 and 4.15 Isai 2.2 3. Otherwise I could say Christ died for no man because the Scripture ascribeth an universality to the wicked Jer. 6.28 c. 9.2 Mic. 1.7 1 Iohn 2.15 16. and 1 Iohn 5.19 And surely that election and redemption move both in the same spheare and or be of the free love of God is cleare to me from that place Ioh. 3.16 on which Arminians confide much for Gods love to save mankinde by the death of Christ is the very love of election to glory of such certaine persons as the Lord therefore gives grace to beleeve because they are ordained to life eternall so that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many and the number of beleevers and of the chosen to life are equall Acts 13.48 Ioh. 10.26 Rom. 8.29.30 1. That love cannot bee a generall confused antecedent conditionall love offered to all the world on condition they beleeve for that the Scripture freeth thousands of the sinne of unbeliefe of that love if Christ come not to them and speake not Ioh. 15.22 and Paul saith Rom. 1.14 How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Now the loved world Ioh. 3.16 is obliged to beleeve 2. That love that is the cause of Christs death is Ioh. 15.13 the greatest love that is it is such a giving love whereby Christ gives his Sonne that with him hee cannot but give his Holy Spirit faith and salvation yea and all things Rom. 8.32 But the conditionall generall love is not the greatest love for the Lord beareth not the greatest
love to all and every man nor gives he faith and salvation to all and every man yea the known and beleeved love of God in sending his Son to die for us is proper to the beleever 1 Ioh. 4.16.9 10. We have known and beleeved the love God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth in love its a noble Princely pallace to lodge in dwelleth in God and God in him This cannot be said of the love that God beareth to the Reprobate yea and to the fallen Angels for Arminians say that God loved them with such a love but that love to Devils is now dried up long agoe and so that to Pharaoh Iudas Cain now in hell but this love is gone so dream they that love in God is like summer brooks that go dry in time of drought but the truth is Gods generall love to Arminians is a faint desire and a wish that all and every one men and Angels be saved and a bestowing on them means 1. Which the Lord knowes shall plunge them deeper in hell and make their everlasting chaines heavier and more fiery better he love them not 2. Such meanes as can be demonstrated free will without God or any determination or bowing to one hand rather then to another can and may absolutely master and over-master equally to conversion or obstinacy or to finall rebellion to salvation or damnation to make themselves free Princes and Lords of the book of life and the writing pen of eternall Election and Artists causes and masters of the decrees of Election or Reprobation For 1. Let God doe what he can or omnipotency or sweetnesse of free grace all that is possible free will hath the free and absolute casting of the ballance to will receive Christ open to the King of glory and be converted or to the contrary 2. In Election and Reprobation from eternity as Arminians in their last Apology goe no higher then time coepta est in temporo electio contra quam creditum est c. God doth no more in his generall decree for chusing of Jacob or Peter then of Pharaoh Esau or Judas but chuseth all indefinitely who shall beleeve But for the Assumption that Peter Iohn Pharaoh Judas Esau beleeve or not beleeve the eternall decree of God does nothing his means Gospel his inward grace such grace as they can grant doe no more nor can doe any more to determine the will to either side to beleeving or not beleeving then he can work contradictions or make free will and free obâ—dience to be no free will and no obedience for its repugnant say they to the nature of free-will that it should be determined by God And 〈…〉 such as is required of us now who are under commâ—â—â—ements threatnings promises were no obedience at all for if the Lord should determine the will say they and therefore Gods last decree of chusing those to life whom he foresees shall expire in faith and persevere to the end and of rejecting such as he foresees shall goe on in finall obstinacy against the Gospel is not any Scripturall decree of Election or Reprobation nor hath God any liberty in this to chuse this man not this man but all men chuse God and are foreseen finally to beleeve or not beleeve before and without any free decree of God so that the number of chosen Angels or men is in the power of the creatures free will not in the liberty of the former of all things so as we chuse God but God chuseth not us But 2. So none are within the compasse of Election or Reprobation but such as hear the Gospel and so all the Heathen are saved or damned by chance or without any will or decree of God or they must be neither capable of salvation nor damnatâ—on contrary to Scripture and experience for terrible judgements temporall and great externall favours befall Indians Americans and such as never heard of Christ and not without the counsell of Gods will if there be a providâ—nce that rules the world 2. God doth nothing in the Election of Peter more then of Iudas nor can grace and mercy have place in the chusing of the one rather then the other but as free will is foreseen to play the game ill or well so goe the eternall decrees of Election and Reprobation and there can be no such thing as that grace and the free pleasure of God who hath mercy on whom he will or because he will and hardens whom he will can have any place here 4. The Scripture no where speakes of any love of God in Christ to man but such as is efficacious in saving any other love is lip-love not reall and so to alledge this one place without authoritie of the Word is petitio principii a begging of the question for the love Ezâ—ch 16.8 Called the time of loves was such as saved all that were to bâ— saved amongst the people of God and cannot be understood of such a love as God did bear to the Heathen and the Cannanits for it separates them from all the world so Deut. 7.7 Psal. 146.19.20 Isai. 51.1 2 3. Isai. 52.3 4. Psal. 132 1â— Psal. 1â—5 4 Zech. 3.2 1 King 1.13 2 Chron. 6.6 Isai. 4â— 8 9. Deut. 14.2 Isai. 43 20. Dan. 1â— 15. 1 Chron. 16.13 Ezech. 20.5 Act. 13.17 Yee shall not finde that the love of God in Christ can consist with Reprobation or Damnation in all the Scripture but by the contrary it is a love that Christ hath to his wife in giving himselfe for her sanctifying washing and presenting her without spot or wrinkle before 〈…〉 a husband-love Ephes. 5.25 26. Ghostâ—iâ—us â—iâ—us 3.4 5 6. a great love quickning us together with Christ saving us by grace raising us up and making us â—it together with Jesus Christ in heavenly places Ephes. 2.4.5 a love causing washing of us and advancing us to bee Kings and Priests to God Revel 1.5 6. a love to Paul in particular and working life in Paul Gal. 2.20 I live no more but Christ liveth in mee and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for me It is the love of God our Father who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 2 Thes. 2.16 an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 a love before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1.3 4 before we doe good or evill Rom. 9.11 Not a love that fals to nothing by a consequent act of hatred nor a love to which the hatred of reprobation may succeed every hour and out of which wee may bee decourted a love that puts the honour of sonnes on us 1 Ioh. 3.1 It is a saving and a pittying love Isai. 63.9 a love which the Lord rests in Zeph. 3.17 a love continuing to the end Ioh. 13.1 a love that makes us more then conquerors Râ—m 8.37 It is a separating love
when your soule shall be loaden with glory and thousands of souls blowing and spitting out blasphemies on the Majesty of God out of the sense of the torment of the gnawing worm that never dies and yee consider the soule of Iudas might have been in my soules stead and my soule in the same place of torment that his is now in what wonder then Iohn cry out behold what love 4. How much love for extention and intention for one man and every one in covenant Psal 106.45 multitudes of mercies and Ps. 130.7 plentious redemption one David must have multitude of tender mercies Psal. 51.1 Psal. 69.13.16 It s not one love but loves many loves Ezech. 16.8 Cant. 1.2 He gives many salvations to one as if one heaven and one crown of glory were not enough Ephes. 2.4 he is rich in mercy and he quickned us when we were dead in sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For his multiplyed love every man has a particular act of love a particular act of atonement bestowed on him can ye multiply figures with a pen and write from the east to the west and then begin again and make the heaven of heavens all circular lines of figures it should wearie the arm of Angels to write the multiplyed loves of Christ. Christs love desires to engage many how many millions be there of elect Angels and men every one of them for his own part must have a heaven of love and Christ thinks it little enough that the first-bornes love be on them all and that they all be first-borne Col. 1.20 It pleased the Father by Christ to reconcile all things in heaven and in earth to himself All the Angels are Christs vassals and he is their head Col. 2.10 then Christ must have two eyes you seven eyes to see for every one and two legs for every Angel to walk withall Christ must have a huge hoast and numerous troups in his familie 2 Who then can number the sums of all the debts of free grace that Angels and me now Christ and when they shall be paid though sinnes shall be acquitted yet debts of undeserved love shall stand for ever and ever O how unsearchable is the riches of Christs grace Know yâ— O Angels O gloryfied Spirits where is the Brim or where is the bottom of free grace Yet not one sinner can have lesse grace then hee has hee has need of all he has no oyl to spare to lend to his neighbourâ— Matth. 25. Our deep diseases and festered wounds could have no lesse to cure them then infinite love and free grace passing all knowledge It was a broad wound that required a plaister as long and broad as infinite â—esus Christ. Paul bows his knee to the Master of the families of heaven and earth for this act of grace to weigh the love of Christ Ephes. 3.18 I pray saith he that ye may comprehend or overtake the love of God 2. How many are set on work to compasse that love as if one man could not be able to do it Yet I pray that ye with all the Saints may comprehend what is the bredth it s broader then the Sea or the earth and what is the length of it its longer then between East and West though ye could measure between the extremity of the higest ciâ—cle of the heaven of heavens and then it hath depth and heigth more then from the center of the earth to the circle of the Moon and up through all the orbes of the sâ—ven Planets and to the orbe of Sâ—atrreâ— and highest heavens who can comprehend either the diameter or circumâ—â—rence of so great a love Love is an Element that all the Elect Men and Angels swim in the the banks of the river swell above the circle of the Sunne to the highest of the highest heavens Christs love in the Gospel takes all alive as a mighty Conqueror his seed for multitude is like the drops of dew that come out of the womb of the morning Psal. 110. and they are the dew of the youth of Christ for Christ as a strong and vigorous young man full of strength who never fails through old age brings in the forces of the Gentiles like the flocks of Kedar Esai â—0 5 6. 5 Christs love outworks Hell and Devils Can yee seale up the Sunne that it cannot rise or can ye hinder the flowing of the Sea or lay a Law upon the Windes that they blow not farre lesse can ye hinder Christs wildernesse to blossom as a Rose or his grace to blow to flow over banks oâ—â—o flee with Eagles wings O how strong an agent iâ— Christs love that beares the sinnes of the world â—oh 1.29 It woâ—ks as fire doth by nature rather then by will and none can bind up Christs heart or restraine his bowels but he must work all to heaven that he has loved Vse 2. We are hence taught to acknowledge no love to be in God which is not effectuall in doing good to the creaâ—ure there is no lip-love no raw wel-wishing to the creature which God doth not make good we know but three sorts of love that God has to the creature all the three are like the fruitfull womb there is no miscarrying no barrennesse in the womb of divine love he loves all that he has made so farre as to give them a being to conserve them in being as long as he pleaseth hee had a desire to have Sunne Moone Starres Earth Heaven Sea Clouds Ayr hee created them out of the womb of love and out of goodnesse and keeps them in being hee can hate nothing that hee made now according to Arminians he wishâ—d a being to many things in then seed and causes as he wished the earth to be more fruitfull before the fall then now it is so that against Gods will and his good will to the creatures he comes short of that naturall antecedent love that he beareth to creatures he could have wished death never to be noâ— sicknesse nor old age say Arminians nor barrennesse of the earth nor corruption Nay but though these have causes by rule of justice in the sins of men yet we have no cause to say God falls short of his love and wished and desired such and such a good to the creature but things mscarried in his hand his love was like a mother that conceiveth with many children but they die in the womb so God willed and loved the being of many things but they could not be the love of God was like the miscarrying womb that parts with the dead child we cannot acknowledge any such love in God 2. There is a second love and mercy in God by which he loves all Men and Angels yea even his enemies makes the Sun to shine on the unjust man as well as the just and cauâ—eth dew and raine to fall on the orchard and fields of the bloody and deceitfull man whom the Lord abhors as Christ teacheth us Matth.
be mans but it must be which I abhorre to writ or speak the Lords 3. God takes all upon himselfe in genere causae gratiosae Liberrimae independentis primae non obligatae ad agendum ex ullae lege in the kind of a cause that worketh by meer grace freely Indepdenently without any Law above him to obliege him to doe otherwise with his own then he freely willeth decreeth promiseth for men carnally divide Gods decree which is most free from his promise which is as free as his decreeâ— but it followeth in no sort as Arminians and Jesuites object to us therefore men who doe not believe pray walk holily are not in the fault being under a Law to obey for sinnefull inability to obey can ransome no man from the obligation of obedience and most blasphemous it is that because God undertaketh in the Covenant that we shall walk in his commandements as he doth promise Ezech. 36.27 and that we shall feare him Ier. 32.39.40 That God should therefore be in the fault and we free of all fault when in many particulars we offend all Iam. 3.2 and we fear not God in this or this sinne as is possible and may be gathered from Iosephs speech to his brethren who sayes he would not wrong them for he feared God and Iobs word that he durst not dispise the cause of his servant because he was affraid of God Yet God promiseth that he will keep Ioseph Iob and all the elect in the way of Gods Commandements that they shall not fully fall away from him God never by promise covenant oath or word undertaketh o keep his elect from this or this particular breach and act of unbeliefe against the Covenant of grace 4. The fault against the Gospel or any sin in a believer must justly be imputed to him because he is tyed by the Evangelick Law not to sinne in any thing the Gospel granteth pardons but not dispensations in any sins and it can in no sort bee imputed to God because if any believer fall in a particulaâ— sin or act of unbeliefe against the covenant of grace the Lord neither decreed nor did ever undertake by Covenant or promise to keep him by his effectuall grace from falling in that sinne for the Lord would then certainly have keeped him as he did Peter and doth all the Elect that are effectually called that in mighty temptations their faith faile them noâ— Nor is the act of believâ—ng that is wanting in that particular fall such a condition of the Covenant as Christ either promised to work or the necessary condition of the Covenant of Grace or such a condition the want whereof doth annull and make voyde the eternall Covenant of grace 5. I here smell in Antinomians that God must bee in fault as the author of our unbelief our stony hearts our walking in our fleshly wayes because God hath promised to give us faith and a heart of flesh to walk in his wayes as the old Libertines said God was the principall and chief cause of sin and that God did all things both good and ill the Creatures did nothing So Calvine in insâ—itut adversus Libertines chap. 14. in opus pag. 446. Mr. Archer down right saith God is the authour of sin what end is there of erâ—ing if God leave us It is true the tie and all the tie of giving a new heart and the Spirit of grace and supplication lieth on the Lord who promised so to do Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 11.19.20 chap. â—6 26.27 Ier. 31.33 34.35.36 But yet so that we are under the obligation of divine precepts to doe our part Ezech. 18.31 make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel Ier. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skinne of your heart Ephes. 4.23 be renewed in the Spirit of your mind Rom. 12.2 Rom. 13.14 and 1 Thessal 5.17 pray without ceasing Psal. 50.15 Call upon mee Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray Therefore all the tie and obligation of what ever kâ—nd cannot so free us from sinfull omissions nor can the tye ly on God evangelick commandments are accompanied with grace to obey grace layeth a tie on us also to yeeld obedience 6. It s a foule and ignorant mistake in Crispe to make the Covenant nothing but that love of God to man which hee cast on man before the Children had done good or evill Rom. 9.1 That love is eternall and hath no respect to faith as to a condition but it s not the covenant it selfe because it is the cause of the covenant 2. To the love of election there is no love no work no act of beleeving required on our part Yea no mediator no shedding of blood wee are loved with an everlasting love before all these but the covenant though as decreed of God it be everlasting as all the works of creation and divine providence which fall out in time and have beginning and end are so everlasting for God decreed from eternity that they should be yet it is not in being formally while it bee preached to Adam after his fall and there is required faith on all the Saints part to lay hold on the Covenant Esai 56.4 and to make it a covenant of peace to the Saints in particular 2. Faith is the condition of the covenant 3. Christ the mediator of it 4. Christs blood the seal of it 5. The Spirit must write it in our heart But the love of election is a compleat free full love before our faith or shedding of blood or a mediator be at all Object We are not saved nor justified nor taken in Covenant by faith as a work saith Crispe for then we should not bee saved by grace and grace should not be grace but wee are justified by faith that is by that Christ which faith knoweth according to that by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many therefore faith is no condition of this covenant Answ. The contrary rather followeth 1. Seeing Crisp doth say none under heaven can bee saved till they have believed We are not taken in covenant by faith neither wee nor scripture speak so taking us in covenant is before wee can beleeve but we lay hold on Christ and righteousnes by faith not as a work but a necessary condition required of us 2. I leave it to the consideration of the Godly if beleeving in him who justâ—fieth the ungodlâ— be no condition a work justifying I do not think it but onely I beleeve and know that Christ justified me before I beleeved from eternity as some say when I was conceived in the womb â—s Crispe saiâ—h and that the threatning he that believeth not iâ— condemned already carries this sence he that believeth not that he is not condemâ—â—d hee is already condemned Who can believe such toyes 2. Beleeving is a receiving of Christ Ioh. 〈…〉 Christs dwelling in the heart Ephes. 3.17 Then to 〈◊〉 must bee to
on the crosse 2. This makes the way of redemption so much the more admirable that out of a way of weaknesse of death and shame the Lord should out-work sinne and the Devil and rear up to himselfe out of dust and hell and death glory heaven and eternall life Infinite glory made a chariot of shame and from it highly honoured Christ Omnipotency did ride upon death and triumph over hell and deviâ—s 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound things that are mighty 28. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the base the kinlesse things that are of no noble blood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that are despised the nothings of the world he hath chosen and things that are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he may make idle and fruitlesse or bring to nothing things that are Vse If the Lord Iesus at the lowest and weakest his dying and shamed condition be so strong as to pull his bride from under the water and out of the bottome of hell up to heaven what power has he now when hee is exalted at thâ— right hand of the Majesty of God and has obtained a name above all names and is crowned King in Zion It is better to be weak and sick and weepe and sigh with Christ then to bee strong and live dance sing laugh and ride upon the skies with men in the world sure his enemies will be now lesse then bread to him and shall be his footestoole 2. Christ had cause to minde himselfe and forget us being now lifted up to the crosse under extreame paine and shame but love has a sharpe memory even in death Two things helpe our memory and they were both in Christ 1. Extreame love the mothers memory cannot faile in minding her childe because the childe is in her heart and deepe in hâ—r love the wretch cannot forget his treasure his gold is in his heart Christ loved his Church both by will and nature and cannot forget her she is Christs gold and his treasure Esai 49.14 15. Christ could not cast off nature the husband cannot forget the wife of his youth and the deeper love is rooted the memory of the thing loved is the stronger O but it is many yeares since Christ loved his redeemed ones 2. Sense helpeth memory a man cannot goe abroad in cold weather and forget to put on his cloaths sense will teach him to doe that a paining boyle will keep a man in minde of paine the Church is a fragment and a piece of mysticall Christ hee cannot forget his own body the Church is bone of his bone the head forgets not a wound in the hand Love did sweat up an high and mighty mountaine with thousands on his back 1. O what sweating for us even in death and sweating of blood 2. O what praying and praying more earnestly Lord help me up the mountaine with this burthen and all this time he is drawing and carrying on his shoulders hell up to heaven 3. What a sight was it to behold Christ dying bleeding pained shamed tormented in soule wrestling in an agony with divine justice and wrath receiving stroaks and lashes from an angry God and yet he kept fast in his bosome his redeemed ones and said death and hell paine and wrath shall not part us It pleased the Lord to bruise him to afflict his soule not to spare him to smite the shepheard but it pleased him in that condition out of deep love to draw his redeemed ones from the earth up after him to heaven Christ was a good servant he alwayes minded his work even to his dying day Vse If he in his weakest condition draw all men 1. How easily can he with one look blast the beauty and strength of his enemies being a God of such majesty and glory how weak is hell and all the Iron gates of it when Christ at the weakest plucks his Church out of the jawes of death and triumphs over death and hell 2. It shall be nothing to him with a pull of his finger when he appeares the second time in power and great glory to break the pillars that beare up heaven and earth and to dissolve with the heat and sparkles of fire that comes from his angry face the great Globe of the whole world as a hot hand can melt a little snow-ball of some few ounces weight and to loose with one shake of his arme all the Starres in heaven especially since the world is now but an old thred-bare-worn case and the best jewell in the case is man who is old and failed and passeth away like a figure and it shall be but a case of dead bones and of old broken earthen shards at Christs comming and Christ with no labour or paine can crush down the Potters house marre all the clay-vessels and burn with fire all the work of the house the Houses Castles Toweâ—s Cities Aâ—kers Lands Woods Gold Silver Silks and whatever is in it glory not in the creatures but gloâ—y in Christ. 3. Death and the crosse are the weakest things in the world but being on Christs back they are the strongest things in the world 2 Cor. 13.4 Though he was crucified through weaknesse yet he liveth by the power of God 1. The crosse was Christs triumphing Chariot there is power and strength in Christs teares in his sighes in the holes that the thornes made in his head in the stone laied above him when he is buried 2. His shame death and buriall made the greatest turning of wheels in the earth and heaven that ever the eares of man heard the more providence does concerne God his highnesse his glory the more speciall it is and accurate not that infinite wisdome is not infinite in the care over a worm as over an Angel but because there is more art of seen and externall visible providence in whole Kingdomes in Kings in the Church then toward one man or one Saint so providence must have more of the art wisdome speciall care of God toward his Catholick Church and his own only begotten Son in redeeming the whole Catholick Church then in caring for the Lilies of the field and the wormes of the earth or some one particular Saint What wonder then there be an eminent providence observed in the disposing of Christs coat when he dyed in the borrowing of an Asse for him to ride on and in casting a garment on the Asse for a Saddle or a foot-mantell when he rode into Ierusalem so in Christs suffering there is much of God there was a more noble work in his dying on the crosse then the creating of the world and there were foure things of the greatest basenesse imaginable upon Christ in this providence for there were upon Christ. 1. The weaknesse of death 2. Extreame paine 3. The openest shame Christ dying poore despised forsaken of all friend and unfriend 4. The curse of the Law in the manner of
to accept any thing which is not first perfect seeing that perfection and absolutenesse is the ground of acceptance both of our persons and performances yee must make both the tree and the fruit perfectly good before God 2. What God saith he hath manifested to be detestable and accursed that he cannot accept but hee hath manifested by scripture that what ever is not absolutely perfect is detestable and accursed Gal. 3.10 Hab. 1.13 Rom. 1.18 The proposition is grounded on the immutablenesse of Gods nature who cannot deny himselfe Iam. 1.18 and his exact justice who will not suffer the losse of the least title of his righteousnesse Mat. 5.18 God is no respecter of persons his Law inviolable and can suffer no abatement Answ. God in justification accounts us righteous in Christ and positively guiltlesse as freed from obligation to eternall wrath and cloathed with Christs righteousnesse but hee accounts not us non-sinnets and free from indwelling sâ—nne that should be an unjust account for wee are not so but God accounteth our works perfect only negatively that is such they are before God as he will not enter in judgement with us for them but graciously pardoneth the sinnes of thâ—se works but God doth not account these works positively worthy of life eternall even in Christ as he accounteth our persons far lesse doth he judge them meritorious hence there is a twofold accâ—eptation one of Good will to our persons in Christ that is that Good will of free election by which he renderâ—â—h us accepted in his beloved there is another acceptance of complacencie according to which God is said to love and reward our good works even to a cup of cold water Ioh. 14.21.23 Matth. 10.42 2. Thess. 1.7 Heb. 6.10 and that of free-grace they are called perfect as perfection is opposed to hypocriticall but not perfect simply Phil. 3.12 but the acceptance of our works in Christ is an acceptance inferior to the acceptance of our persons in justification hence God takes pleasure in thâ—se that feare him because they feare him not as though his love quoad affectum in it selfe had a cause in the creature or can wax or encrease or can admit of a change but because he bestoweth the fruits of his love out of free-grace and a gratious promise to our sincere walking and this is rather the fruit of his love amor quoad effectum then Gods love it selfe all this proceedeth from a grosse mistake of the nature of justification I answer 2. to that That which is inchoat sinfully defective and imcompleat that the righteous and unchangeable God cannot account perfect and compleat or that which is sinfully defective or that which is sinfull God cannot account not sinfull It is true it were an erroneous and unjust account now the proposition is true but the assumption most false the good works of the regenerate and justified are sinfull But Gods accounting of them perfect putteth no contradiction on them to account them not sinfull God accounts not Davids adultery to bee an act of chastity This is the Papists argument against the imputed righteousnesse of Christ which Antinomians being utterly ignorant of the nature of justification bring against us the other part of the distinction is That which is sinfull and defective in it selfe and inherently or really and physically that God cannot account perfect that is God cannot account it and the doer legally free from obligation to eternall wrath for the satisfaction of another the surety of sinners who has payd and suffered for it that is most false and should destroy the Protestant justification when we say God accounteth the good works of believers good and perfect so as the imperfection and sinne of them is removed we meane not by removing of the sinne of these works the totall annihilation of sinne in its essence root and branch it dwelleth in us in its compleat essence while we are here Rom. 7.17.23 Prov. 20.9 1 Ioh. 1.8.10 only the dominion by sanctification is abated and the guilt or obligation to eternall wrath is removed in justification and this Argument may well be retorted Who ever is a sinner the righteous and immutable God whose judgâ—ment is acâ—ording to verity and cannot suffer the losse of the least titlâ— of his righteousnesse Matth. 5.18 cannot esteeme him just and perfectly righteous But all men even the regenerate are sinners No answer no distinction can be accommodated to this Argument which may not be applyed to their argument for God is no lesse just righteous immutable true no respecter of persons and his Law inviolable in his accounting of persons righteous and perfect then in accounting of works righteous and perfect Now that the fruits and the tree are both good and simply perfect and all the works of the justified perfect in Christ is a point of new divinity very contrary first to Scripture which saith Iam. 3.2 in many things we offend all 1 Ioh. 1.8 If we say wee have no sinne we deceive our selves ver 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us Antinomians say Iohn speaking of a mixt multitude is to bee meant to speak of the unregenerate mixed with the justified Answ. 1. Iohn takes in himselfe 2. He speaketh of such as confesse their sinnes and are pardoned ver 9. 2 of such as have an Advocate in heaven if they sinne chap. 2.1 and these are the justified and regenerate and Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne hee speaks not there of a mixed multitude but sendeth a Law-defiance to all mankinde justified or not justified yea Eccles. 7.20 There is not a just man on earth that doth good and sinneth no these words are so wisely framed that they exclude not the justified in Christ who undoubtly do good but they do not so good saith Salomon but they sinne so Paul complaineth of sinne dwelling in him Rom. 7. 2 Sinne originall after justification to Antinomians must be no sinne as to Papists its no sinne after baptisme 3 If our works bee perfect in the sight of God then wee may be justified by our works for Antinomians say if Christ esteeme our works perfect he may account us righteous for them and we may bee said to be justified both by works and by grace because its free grace that the Lord accounts our works Righteous 4 Wee constantly deny that Christ by his death hath given to our good works a power of meriting heaven but if God in Christ count then simply perfect there is no reason to deny this because our works are simply perfect by Antinomians way this is more Pharisaicall then Popish justification FINIS Psâ—â— 53 8. Town asser of 〈◊〉 pag. 76 77.78 Eaton Honey combe of justifiâ—atiâ—n ca 11 pag. 338.339.340.341 c. Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 140. Luther in an Epistle to D. Guttel against the Antinomians Zach. 13.7 Opening of the words It s
God Refuted The omnipotency of Christ in drawing sinners Did Ruiz to de provid predefinitionibus per totum The Vaga necessitâ—s the confused indefinite morall necessity of late devised by Jesuites is not sufficient to conversion The Lord removeth resisting power Gods promise and covenant leadeth to draw iresistibly Conditionall promisâ—s of conversion cannot help Arminians here The immutability of the Covenant of Grace a strong argument for invincible drâ—wing of a sinner The covenant between the Father and the Sonne in making good the articles of the treaty must depend on our free will if Christ draw not sinners inviâ—cibly Articles of the covenant between the Father and the Son diversly proposed Virg. Et penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos How strongly and with what a sweet necâ—ssity Christ draweth us Vse 2. We are hardly drawne Crispe vol. â— Serm. 4 pag. 110.111 Antinomians reject the narrow way that leadâ— to life their exposition of Maâ—h 7.14 rejected as false and fleshly (a) Vol. 1. Ibid. pag. 89. (b) Serm. 1. pag. â—2 Antinomians reject all sanctification c Ser. 1. p. 18. d Crisp. vol. 1 Ser. 1. p. 21â— It was the old error of the Libertines of Antonius Poâ—quius Priest as Calvine saith Iâ—struct ad Libertinos cap 23. in opuscu pag. 460. so Pocquius existimabam me aliquid intelligere nec quicquam intelligo deus enim intellectus meus est virtus mea salus mea Calvâ—ne answers excellently Homo quidem fidelis se nihil ex seipso intelligere ceaset sed an propteria debet â—â—culos câ—anâ—dere ne quid intueatur ut vult iste insanus A man saith Calvine in Christ judgeth that he understandeth nothing of himselfe and so that he can neither pray nor beleeve without the Spirit but shall he therefore close his eyes that hee may understand nothing at all as this phrantick man imagines How we are saved in this life Henry Nicholas of low Germany taught the same doctrine a hundred yeares agoe Cha. 1. Sent. 9 For behold in this present day is the glorious comming of the Lord Jesus Christ with the many thousands of his Saints he commeth manifested which hath set himselfe now upon the seat of his Majestie for to judge in this same day which the Lord hath ordained the whole world with equity and Chap. 35. Sent. 8. Behold in this present day is this Scripture fulfilled Esai 26. Dan. 12 4. Esdras 7. 1 Thess. 4. Matth. 24. and 25. Luke 17. Acts 1. Matth. 24. Revel 14. according to the testimony of the Scripture the raising up and resurrection of the Lords dead commeth also to passe presently in this same day through the appearing of the comming of of Christ in his Majestie c. So this man denyeth any life to come or any Resurrection to which way Antinomians encline (a) Calvinus in opuse in instruc advers libertinos Cap. 23. p. 460 461 and cap. 22. p. 458 459 Pocquiuâ— in libello Scriptum est non tendes ad malum cavens ne adulteres in verbo id est in litera Scripturae ficut multi non justificati saciunt Talis â—go fui sed omnia remissa sunt Nam scriptum est abstinete vos ab adulteratione ut possitis vas vestrum in sanctificatione honore possidere cum simus mortui legi per corpus Christi ut alterâ—is simus qui suscitatus est ex mortuis ut fructisicemus â—Deo viventi non â—giturestis in came Quaere reâ—eâ—quamus veterem Adamum id est arimam nostram viventem veniamus ad â—em majorem id est ad Spiritum dictum enim suit Adâ— quod iâ—orâ—â—â—tur revera mortuus est nunc vivisicati sumus cum secâ—ndo Adam qui est Christus non â—ernendo amâ—lius peccatum quia est morioum (b) Hen Nicol cap. 34. Christ hath annointed me with his Godly being he hath Godded me (c) Rise reign error 11. (d) Er. 7. (e) Er. 8. Pocquius 16. apud Calv. in opus 463. Obdormivit Christus in cruce suit apertum latus ut cesta repertretur que est semina Ecclesia dicta unio personalis totius naturae humanae fieri omnes in unâ— membro cujus Christus est caput (f) Pocquius 16. pag. 461. Scriptum est omnia munda mundis qui autem fide purificatus est totus gratus Deo Calvinus ibid. Putidus este hanc sententiam eò applicat ut latroâ—mia scortationes homicidia pro mundis sanctâ—s rehus habeantur (g) Rise reign ruine the body of the Story p. 59 60 62. * Divers Antinomians deny the life to come and the Resurrection of the dead as did Hymeneus and Phyletus Free will free in being drawn to Christ. Arminian indifferency of will loosed from all predetermination of God blasphemous Gods decree giveth a shall be or a shall not be to all things possible Zeph. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ante parere decretum God the fâ—rst efficient and last finall cause of all beings and acts of free will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Remonstrants at the â—ynod of Dort with shame denied that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was in the Text an easie way of â—lâ—diâ—g Scripture The generaâ—l universaâ—l and indifferent concurrence and influence of God with second causes devised by Jesuites and Arminians a dreame Indifferency of free will loosed from the dâ—minion of providence â—nthroâ—es fortune and contingency in Gods roome How God determines free-will and forceth it not Two sorts of determinations of wiâ—l It s our happinesse that free will be not the 〈◊〉 of our heaven With drawing 〈◊〉 and also a baâ—e 〈◊〉 The 〈…〉 Thâ— reasâ—â— of the Apostle word and of the Prophet Habba â—â—'s c. â— given We are to await Christs work of conversion How to deale with any that are troubled for non-conversion It s no Gospel-truth that God loves no man lesse for sin or more for inherent righteousnesse Christs graâ—e in 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 Riches or grâ—ce Overflowings of grace Thankefulnesâ— for grace required The vertues in Christ sitting him to draw sinners How the ouâ—iâ—g of Gods 〈…〉 in the Sonne Christ man in a lovely posture of drawing sinners Behold Christs 〈◊〉 Divisions and wars â—t from congregating Christ. Whiâ—e civility dangerous The revelation of Christs drawing lovelinesse and the fuâ—nesse thereof The revelation of Christs drawing lovelinesse from Christ onely and two acts thereof Bright Star c. 5. p. 38. The compleatnesse of Christs loveâ—inesse Bright Star c 4. p 30. Tâ—wn Assâ—â—tion of Grace p. 76 77 7â— Theolog Germ c. 8. p. 16. Perfection 〈◊〉 attaineâ—ble in this life What perfection of 〈◊〉 is in Châ—ist in the life comâ— The Scriâ—turs â—nd ordinances are the meanes of attaining the â—ulâ—esse of Câ—â—â—st 〈…〉 in this life Familists place their perfect oneâ— above all use of Ordinances The active passive annihilation of Familâ—sts To desist from Monkish contemplation to returne to a practicall life to Familists is