Scripture fetching a particular example to that purpose namely the example of Pharaoh The Scripture saith to Pharaoh And thus our Apostle reasoneth in this place God dealt justly with Pharaoh in with-holding his grace from him in hardening his heart thereby manifesting his Reprobation for God hardeneth none but Reprobates and thereby manifesting his rejecting And why did the Lord deal justly namely for the declaration of his own great power and of his own great name throughout the whole world The Lords hardening of Pharaoh tended to this end to shew and to set forth the power of God and to set forth the great name of the Lord throughout all the world Pharaohs Reprobation tended to the glory of God therefore it is not unjust with God to reject any and to leave them to their own wills his glory being dear unto himself This is the sum and substance of this 17 verse Now the general things laid before us in this 17 verse they are two First a preface unto the testimony alledged by the Apostle in these words For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Wherein we may consider the authority of the testimony a testimony written the Scripture saith it The second general thing is the testimony it self the words of Scripture applyed by the Apostle That I might shew my power in thee and my name might be declared thooughout all the world In which consider two things First Gods act his stirring and raising up Pharaoh And then the end of that act which is the manifestation of Gods power in Pharaoh And the declaration of the great and glorious name of God throughout all the world Come we now to the sense and meaning of the words For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh By Scripture which is a general term we are to understand the holy Scripture the written Word of God Gods speaking in the Scripture for this same purpose have I stirred thee up raised or appointed thee for so it is diversly translated being all one in sense These words we find in Exod. 9.16 Now how the Lord stirred and raised up Pharaoh there is the difficulty And there be different and divers opinions touching the meaning of this phrase and sentence Some do understand it of Pharaohs raising up and advancing to the Kingdom For this cause have I raised thee up to the Kingdome And this is the Annotation of the Remists upon this very text but the Apostle hath a further reach then this And some there be that understand it of the keeping and preserving of Pharaoh alive in the midst of the ten plagues of Egypt that he might drown him into the bottom of the Sea but this cannot be the meaning of the text because many other of the people besides Pharaoh was kept by God from those plagues Divers other opinions there be touching this phrase and form of speech here used by the Apostle I will not trouble you with the variety of them But the best way to find out the right meaning of this place is arightly to consider that place and the Circumstances of it in the ninth of Exodus 13 14 15. verses God bids Moses go unto Pharaoh and to let his people go that they might serve him and withal he bids him say unto Pharaoh that he would send upon him all his plagues and all his punishments even upon thy very heart and soul upon thy servants thy people that thou mayest know there is no God like unto me I will stretch out my hand and smite thee with my pestilence and make thee to perish even from the face of the earth And in the seventeenth verse of the same Chapter Notwithstanding these threatnings of plagues brought against him yet Pharaoh still exalted himself against God and against his people and he would not let them go Now if we mark between these two things between the threatnings of these plagues and the taxing of Pharaoh for his exalting himself against God commeth in this sentence in the 16. verse And indeed for this very cause have I stirred thee up I have sent Moses and threatned my plagues against thee and yet thou wilt not let my people go Now these things being well considered this comming between the menacing of judgement and the taxing of his exalting against God these two well compared yield unto us this signification for this cause this very purpose have I withheld my grace from thee and I have hardned thy heart as a fruit following thy rejection and for this very cause have I cast thee off and made thee a flintie heart even for this very purpose have I caused thee to rebel against my threatning denounced by my servant Moses and have made it come to pass that thou shalt not prosper nor profit by my plagues and judgements and this is the right sence and meaning of the words Now beloved if any think it to harsh and hard to say that God doth stir up the wicked heart of Pharaoh to rebel against God and against Moses sent unto him and that God made him not to profit by his plagues and judgements Let that man that thinketh it too harsh to ascribe this unto God consider that God did not infuse or put any sinful motion to evil into the heart of Pharaoh but he onely inclined that heart of his to rebel and that in his secret and just will James 1.13 God tempteth no man unto evil but in his secret and just Judgment did incline the heart of Pharaoh And withal consider in the second place that the Lord did order that rebellious and trecherous will of Pharaoh to what end he himself had appointed the Lord did incline it to rebel to the glory of his own name and to the setting forth of his power so that this being considered that the Lord inclined his heart so as that his Destruction might be to the glory of his great name and these things will not then be so harsh or hard for the Lord infused no evil into him but his heart being corrupt of himself he did incline and order it and dispose that wicked will of Pharaoh unto the end to which God had appointed namely to his destruction and Gods glory as for example in Jer. 51.11 we read in that Text that the Lord raised up the spirit of the Medes against Babel and it is a certain truth the King of the Medes sinned in that expedition and in that action of his against the King of Babel yet it was done in the vengeance of the Lord. And so this is to be understood that I might shew my power in thy destruction and the force of me and of my power might be expressed in thy destruction both of thee and of thine in the bottom of the Sea And that others also might see and take notice of my power Exod. 14.31 when the Egyptians were drowned in the Sea then Israel saw the mighty power of God It was made apparent unto Israel And that my name might be declared
of God melt within him for joy When he considereth the infinite love of God unto him in his election it maketh his heart to break within him and especially when he considereth it together with the rejection of others comparatively that he poyseth his salvation was so dear and precious to the Lord that the Lord preferred him before many thousands in the world equal to him and every way comparable and in his saving mercy vouchsafed to choose him to life and salvation and rejected others Oh this maketh the heart of a childe of God to break within him for joy Oh the comfort of this Doctrine is wonderful great to consider it arightly it stirreth up a child of God by all means possible to magnifie the great and unspeakable goodness of God and therefore the Doctrine of Reprobation is not to be kept secret but ought to be taught and published Again The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh for this purpose have I stirred or raised thee up That is as I shewed you in opening the words for this same purpose have I withheld my grace and hardened thy heart even in my just Judgment hardened thy rebellious heart and made thee not to profit by my messages sent unto thee by the mouth of my servant Moses and by my Plagues and Judgments Now Gods hardening of Pharaoh it was without question a manifest sign of Pharaohs Reprobation that Pharaoh was a Reprobate and a cast-away and that God hath rejected him for observe it and you shall never find in all the Scripture read it from the beginning to the end never shall you find Gods hardening applyed unto any in Scripture but unto Reprobates so then the observation hence is this Doctrine That God hardeneth Reprobates and none but reprobates are hardened by God As saving faith is proper to Gods elect and therefore called the faith of Gods elect in Titus 1.1 So Gods blinding and hardening are things proper and peculiar to the Reprobate and whomsoever God doth blind and harden by the malice of the devil out of all question those persons are in the state of Reprobation I meddle not now with the manner of Gods hardening for that belongeth to the next verse but onely I point out the subjects of Gods blinding and hardening and I say they onely are Reprobates and none but Reprobates are hardened of God And hence it is that we find in Scripture that it is said that God departed from and forsook some particular persons being Reprobates Indeed the Lord doth many times withdraw himself from his Chosen withdraw the light of his countenance from his best children but he doth never depart from them altogether never forsake them utterly Now we read in Scripture of some that God departed from finally in the 1 Sam. 18.12 it is said that the Lord departed from Saul and not onely forsook him but sent an evil spirit a Devil to torment him and gave him up to be tormented of his own vile lusts to anger and fear to envy and hatred to envy David And thus also we find God gave up the reprobate heathen unto their own hearts lusts in Rom. 1.21 God gave them up to their very hearts lusts and in the 26. verse he gave them up to vile affections and in the 28 verse he goeth a step farther he gave them up reprobate to minds to do things not comely And in the 2 Thess 2.10 the Apostle saith expresly that those persons whom Satan by Antichrist shall seduce and draw into errours by his lying wonders and signes who are they such as perish whose comeing saith the Apostle it is with the working of Satan and in all power of signes and lying wonders and in all powers of the Devil and shall deceive whom those that perish those that shall be damned those that shall be strongly deluded and drawn into the errour of Papisme Beloved I will not affirm all Papists shall perish I doubt not but God hath some of his chosen in Rome in Babylon in the chief seat of Antichrist as it is said in Revel 18.4 Come out of Babylon my people you that are there come out so that I will not say all that are seduced shall be destroyed but the living and vital members of Antichrist such as are relieved by him whom God hath given to be seduced and to be the peculiar limbs and members of the Devil and of Antichrist such as they are shall perish and utterly be destroyed in the 2 Corinth 4.3 4. If the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish to them that shall go into hell and be damned whom the god of this world the devil hath blinded their eyes that they should not see the glorious Gospel undoubtedly shewing that such that are blinded by Satan and are hardened by God and are given over to a Reprobate sense they are such that shall perish and be damned Reason 1 Because God never blindeth any but to this end that the truth of God to salvation might not be seen of them nor be acknowledged by them And God hardeneth not any but it is to this end to deprive them of all possibility of repentance to remove from them all possibility of amendment to this end the Lord doth blind that the means of salvation might not be seen and to this end the Lord doth harden that they might not have any amendment Esay 6.9 10. saith the Lord to his Prophet Go and say to this people you shall see and not perceive you shall hear and not understand but your hearts shall be hardened so this is the cause why the Lord doth blind and harden lest they should see and understand and so become righteous to salvation so that the Lord doth harden none but Reprobates and whosoever the Lord doth blind and harden by the malice of the devil undoubtedly they are in the state of reprobation First of all this being a truth it discovereth unto us the miserable and Vse 1 fearful estate and condition of all that are given over to blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart to do whatsoever their own hearts doth lead them unto without check or controlement they are under the heaviest hand and judgment of God that can possibly befall man in this world they are under such a hand of God that doth point out unto them to be reprobates Beloved many please themselves in this in that they are free from outward plagues and punishments they are neither sick nor sore but are well and wealthy not under any calamity in the world and yet they live under a heavy Judgment of God they are blind and hard-hearted and do every thing that their minds doth lead them unto and to follow their lusts they think it is happinesse whereas herein the hand of God is heavy upon them in this very particular in that God sitteth upon them in Judgment already he doth not stay till the Judgment day but now they are under the Judgment of God yea the heaviest Judgment
that howsoever cruel tyrants do whatsoever God hath appointed to be done and as God in his secret counsel hath set it down yet in that regard they are not justifiable they are not free from blame in so doing But they are wicked damnable and sinfull they intend not the will of the Lord but they intend the wicked humour of their hearts and that expresly against the Law of the Lord therefore justifiable they are not Vse 1 Let not the wicked enemies and persecutours of the Church of God think that they are excusable and free from blame and sinne in their hard dealing and crueltie with the Church of God because they doe nothing but what God hath appointed for they mind no such matter they intend onely the doing of the will and lust of their own hearts and so they remain wicked and sinful God can make Judas the executioner of his own will and he did make him the actor of his Decree in betraying of Christ and yet Judas still remaineth the child of perdition and wicked enemies persecutours of the Church of God they are but rods in the hand of God as in Esay 10.15 And when the Lord hath whipped his children for a time then he throweth the rod in the fire of his wrath and everlasting vengeance Again doe wicked enemies of the Church of God no more then God Vse 2 hath appointed to be done Then the serious consideration of this may be a ground of sweet and excellent comfort to the members of the Church in particular and to the whole Church in general when they are vexed by injurious indignities of wicked Opposers when the Church and people of God are hardly dealt withall by the hands of wicked persecutours remember this to their comfort howsoever their enemies doe execute their crueltie to satisfie their own lusts yet herein they are but executors of the purpose and will of God they doe but act the purpose of God and what the Lord hath commanded they are but the rodde in the hand of the Lord to be dealt withall as God pleaseth and not to doe as they list for if it were so they would utterly root them out but when the wicked enemies of the Church of God doe their uttermost and wicked rage then they are but instruments used by the hand of the Lord for the executing of his will and appointment and when the Lord hath so done he will ease himself and his children of them and they cannot go beyond the will and the appointment of the Lord though they be raging mad in the executing of their crueltie when they come to the full point and period they must not nor cannot go any further he hath stirred them up by his will and eternal Counsel and he can keep them within the limmits and compasse of his own will and what he hath appointed them to doe that they shall doe and no more though they would burst in sunder in Esay 10.24.25 the Lord sweetly speaketh to this purpose having before given the Assyrians charge to destroy then in the 24. verse he saith Oh my People be not afraid of Ashur for all this for he shall but smite thee with the rod and lift up his staffe after the manner of Aegypt and for a very little small time but he shall be consumed in my anger and destroyed in my wrath howsoever they may scourge thee for a time yet in my anger shall he be destroyed Thus the wicked enemies of the Church of God doe thus execute their wrath upon the Church of God yet they can goe no further then God hath appointed and when they have done Gods Will then he will cast the rod into the fire 1 Pet. 4.17 the Apostle saith Though afflictions begin at the the House of God certainly it shall not rest nor abide there but from thence it shal be removed unto the enemies of the Church and then the Lord doth vouchsafe ease and comfort and delivery to his people then from the rage of enemies then doth God bring plagues and troubles and vexations upon the heads of the enemies of the Church Proverbs 11.8 The righteous escapeth out of trouble and the wicked cometh even in the place they change places one with the other the righteous are taken out of the stocks and they are put in the prison with the wrath and vengeance of the Lord yet let us know to our comfort when the rage and violence of the enemie is come to the full height then is the ruine of the enemy near at hand and come to the full and deliverance near to the Church of God See it in the estate of the people of God in Aegypt when Pharaoh dealt with most crueltie against them and was in the greatest rage in Exodus 3 7 8. saith the Lord I have seen the trouble and oppression of my people and now I will help them So that if so be the Lord should suffer the bloudy minded Papists that are our mercilesse and cruel enemies if he should suffer them to over top us and to have a hand over us which God prevent but if that they should deale hardly with us then take notice of it to our comfort they neither can nor shall doe any thing but what God will have them to doe no not a haires breadth in the exercise of their crueltie for when their rage is most violent and they most mad then is their utter destruction near then Antichrist falleth finally and then is our deliverance near at hand And therefore let this be thought upon to our comfort it will be a means to strengthen us against all discouragement though they be fierce and cruel against us for when they are in their pride then destruction cometh to them and ease and delivery to us For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh For this cause have I stirred thee up that I might shew my power in thee NOw proceed we to farther matter of this speech to Pharaoh For this cause have I stirred thee up that I might shew my power in thee that is as I shewed you that I might make thee see and feel the force of my power in thy utter destruction and in thy utter ruine and overthrow in the bottome of the Sea The Lord still hardened the heart of Pharaoh that he might shew his power in the utter destruction and overthrow of him as we see in this Text so that from hence we may gather Doctrine That when God withholdeth his grace from men and hardneth their hearts then his purpose is to destroy them The purpose of the Lord is their destruction when he hardneth their hearts we may see it in Elies sonnes 1 Sam. 2.25 The Lord had a purpose to destroy them because they did not yield obedience to the voice of their Father therefore the Lord determined to destroy them by a violent death as we may reade in the 4. Chapter the 11. verse So when the Lord with-holdeth his grace from men that
from some amongst men and leaveth them unto themselves in their naturall hardnesse letting them goe on in their blindness of mind and hardness of heart as a manifest sign of their reprobation from hence then I will note briefly thus much That Gods act of hardning of some is a free act Doctrine as his shewing of mercy is most free so his hardning it most free also he hardneth whom he will the Lord hardeneth whom he will he denieth saving grace and saving mercy to some amongst men and with holdeth it from them meerly out of his own good will and out of his own free and absolute good pleasure for beloved as Gods hardning which is a manifest sign of Reprobation is most free surely so it must needs follow and be a truth that Gods rejecting and reprobating of some is as free and without respect had to any thing in man or foreseen in them as a cause moving him thereunto but meerly out of his own free absolute good will and pleasure This point beloved I often have had occasion to note for the holy Ghost in this Chapter often offereth it unto us And I still note it against the Armenians and the Anabaptists those pestilentious spirits who hold and affirm that God doth then onely actually reject men for they make a double rejection purpose and act and they say God doth then actually reiect men when men reject Christ and refuse the Gospel then say they God rejecteth men yea say the Anabaptists the Apostle in this Chapter bendeth his face against those Jewes that were zealous of the Law of God and rejected Christ that sought righteousnesse in the works of the Law then God rejected them when they rejected Christ and sought salvation by the Law against those say they the Apostle bendeth his face and beateth Now this conceit of theirs cannot stand with the plain evidence of this whole Chapter and especially with the evidence of this verse the example of Pharaoh maketh directly against them for consider it was Pharaoh a a Jew can Pharaoh be so considered as one zealous of the Law of God can this possibly be see how absurd and grosse they are in their opinions they cannot observe and mark that the Apostle bringeth not onely the example of Esaw a Jew but the example of Pharaoh a Gentile thereby shewing that the Lord hath rejected some amongst men as well Jewes as Gentiles so that you see the Apostle meaneth that God freely and out of his own good will and pleasure without respect had to any thing in men hath rejected some amongst men both of Jewes and Gentiles Again in that the Apostle saith God hardneth whom he will here you see that the Apostle doth limit that Act of Gods hardning to some amongst men so that the observation is plain viz. Doctrine That Gods will is to harden some amongst the sonnes of men The Lord is pleased to deny his saving grace and mercy and to with hold it from some amongst men the places before alledged shewing that God out of his meer pleasure reached out his saving mercy not unto all but onely to some that very point doth evidence the truth of this point that God doth with hold saving grace and saving mercy from some amongst men and doth harden them but this may be further proved more particularly We finde in the Book of Exodus it is often said that the Lord did harden the heart of Pharaoh as in the 7. chapter and 3. verse saith God I will harden Pharaohs heart and in the 9. chapter and 12 verse and also in the 10. chapter and the 20. verse The Lord hardned Pharaohs heart and so in divers places and also in Deuteronomy 2.30 Moses telleth the people of God that the Lord their God hardened the heart of the King of Moab that he should not give passage to the people of Israel God made him an obstinate heart and in Joshuah 11.20 Joshuah speaketh thus That it came of the Lord to harden the hearts of the wicked enemies of the Church of God and in Psalm 81.12 the Psalmist saith That the people yielded not unto God for he hardened their hearts this may sufficiently evidence unto us that Gods will is to harden some amongst men and he is pleased to deny his saving mercy unto them How God hardeneth the heart But happily here some not so well conceiving this point how God is said to harden men it being difficult to their capacitie may desire to be further enformed touching this point And therefore for their satisfaction know beloved that God is said to harden some men not by infusing or putting of hardnesse in their hearts or making some mens hearts hard that were soft as the Papists falsly charge us to affirm no nor yet by a bare permission by a bare permitting and suffering men so to be as if the Lord were but a Spectator and a looker on in the hardening of their hearts and had no hand in it this is the dream and opinion of the Papists but it is neither of these wayes neither by infusing hardnesse nor by a bare permission But surely God hardeneth some amongst men two wayes First by a spiritual disertion by forsaking of men and not vouchsafing his softning grace unto them so that it is truely said indurit quos non emollit he hardeneth whom he softneth not Secondly by punishing men for their former sinnes by greater sinnes by punishing their former hardnesse by a further hardnesse adding one hardnesse to another for it is a just thing with God to inflict sinne for sinne And God doth this either by leaving men to the power of the Devil as Gods executioner and tormenter or the Lord leaveth them over to the lusts of their own hearts and to their own corruptions and so the point is thus to be conceived That Gods will is to harden some amongst the sonnes of men by forsaking of them and not vouchsafing his softning grace and that by spiritual disertion and as a just Judge either giving them over to the power of the Devil to be wrought upon by him as Gods executioner or giving them over to the lusts of their owne hearts Object I but may some say obduratenesse and hardnesse in man is a sinne and an evil thing how then can God be said to harden men Answ It is true indeed hardnesse in men is an evil and sinne and a fearful sinne but hardning is not so hardnesse is a sinne but to harden is not the one is a qualitie and the other an act hardnesse is an evil qualitie in mens hearts but hardning is an act of the just judgement of God infflicted upon the souls of men and so it is a good thing and no sin in him First of all this being duly considered that Gods will is to harden Vse 1 some amongst men this in the first place may keep us from wondering and thinking it strange that when the meanes of grace the means that serve to
the occasion of this Cavil is from the verse foregoing where the Apostle saith God hardeneth whom he will hereupon flesh and blood beginneth to cavil against God and to rise up and swell against him and to charge him with no lesse then cruelty and extream hard dealing in that the Lord should harden men and then complain of the hardening of man And this Cavil which might haply be charged upon God by humane Reason he first propounds and then Answers unto it he propounds it in this 19. verse and answereth unto it in the 20 21 22 and 23. Verses Now in propounding this Cavil the Apostle maketh way unto it in the first place by putting down of the person of a Caviller and by bringing the Caviller speaking thus Thou wilt say then unto me and secondly he setteth down the matter of the Cavil or Objection and that by way of interrogation very emphatically Why doth he yet complain And thus the Objection may be framed Reprobates and wicked men are hardened because it is the Will of God that they should be hardened as you have taught us in the verse before and therefore God cannot justly blame or punish them for their hardnesse for it is according to his will For if God do blame and punish them for their hardnesse surely it seemeth to the Reason of flesh and blood to be extream cruelty and rigour God seemeth to be extremely rigorous and a cruel God in punishing men for their hardnesse And this Cavil is further backed by a proof for who hath resisted his will as if the Caviller had said Why none can resist Gods will his will is irresistible and it cannot be withstood and therefore if God first of all harden and then complain it is extreme rigour and cruelty so that if wicked men and Reprobates be hardened it is according to the will of God and so they are hardened unavoidably and of necessity God hath decreed their hardening and he will have it so and none can gainsay his will And therefore it is no lesse then Tyranny in God to blame and punish men for it And thus much we are to conceive of the generality of this 19. verse first the Cavilling person Thou wilt then say unto me secondly the Cavil why doth he yet complain and thirdly the proof of the Cavil for who hath resisted his will Come we now to the sense and meaning of the words Thou wilt say then unto me Thou who is this the Apostle meaneth that is thou whosoever thou art that art a carnal Reasoner and reasoneth according to carnal Reason thou wilt say unto me why doth he yet complain that is why doth God complain of such as be hardened why doth God find fault with them and threaten such as are hardened what cause hath the Lord to complain threaten or punish such as are hardened they being hardened according to his will thus the carnal Caviller reasoneth for saith the Caviller who hath resisted his will that is none was ever able to stand against to frustrate or make void the will of God the purpose of God was never resisted none was ever able to stand against his will and to hinder it from taking place and being effected Gods decree and purpose is irresistible that none can withstand it therefore saith the Carnal Reasoner God hath no just cause to complain so that the sense in brief is thus much Thou that art a Carnal Caviller art ready to except against my speech in that I say God hardeneth whom he will thou wilt say if this be so Paul why doth God threaten Judgement hell and damnation against those that are hardened what cause is there that God should complain find fault threaten and punish them with hell and damnation for who ever resisted the will of the Lord was there ever any man that was able to stand against the will of the Lord no no man and so they are hardened of necessity unavoidably according to your own Doctrine Paul so that this is the meaning of the Apostles speech Now come we to matter of Observation and Doctrine And first of all observe here the Apostle bringeth in a Caviller and a Carnal Reasoner as it were objecting and inferring upon his former speech that God hardeneth whom he will this Conclusion the cause being so God hardeneth whom he will then God hath no just cause to complain of mans hardening so that hence ariseth this Conclusion That mans carnal reason Doctrine doth commonly gather and infer wrong Conclusions from true grounds of Religion and true points of Divinity And therefore from Divine and holy truths of God and especially such truths as are of a high Nature as Gods election and reprobation are doth mans corrupt and carnal reason commonly infer inforce and bring erroneous and false Conclusions it is a common thing with mans reason see this is manifest by farther places of Scripture in Rom. 3. from the fifth verse to the ninth verse The Apostle having delivered this truth of God that Gods goodnesse and Gods truth are commended and set out by mans sin accidentally God bringeth good out of evil hereupon some Carnal Reasoners are ready to except against this Doctrine Oh say they how can God justly punish sin this the Apostle speaketh in the person of the Caviller if our unrighteousnesse set forth Gods righteousnesse then God cannot justly punish sin So in the seventh verse of the same Chapter If Godt glory hath abounded through my lye why then am I punished saith the carnal man God cannot then justly punish me for my lying so in Joh. 3.3 The Lord Jesus having put this down as a certain truth that except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Nicodemus hearing this after a carnal manner and resting in his own carnal reason see what an absurd conclusion he bringeth in upon this then it seemeth that a man must enter into his mothers womb and be born again So in John 6.53 54. Christ shewing that except a man eat his flesh and drink his blood he hath no life in him Now some that heard this they heard it with great indignation and stumbled at it and they said This is a hard saying who can bear it must we eate this mans flesh and drink his blood and they so conceiving carnally concluded as the Papists doe now in their Doctrine of of Transubstantiation that we must eat the body of Christ and drink his bloud corporally and after a carnal manner yea they so stumbled at it that they forsook him insomuch that he said to his Disciples What will you be gone from me also doe you conceive of my words as the Capernaits did saith Christ My words are spirit and life and you conceive of them with carnal reason and gather from my points false conclusions Because carnal reason Reason is blinde in Divine matters in things that be heavenly and spiritual it cannot discern and look into the depth of them it
sticketh in the rine barke and outside of Spiritual and divine Truths it cannot find out the pith and marrow of it carnal reason sticketh in the very letter of the truth and never looketh to the Divine mysterie of it so that it is no marvel that carnal reason is sticking in the rine and outside of truths because it is blind Hence then take we notice of it whence it is that erring spirits do commonly Vse 1 fasten foul and false conclusions upon the Holy and Divine truths of God because they look upon them with a carnal eye As from that sound and Holy Doctrine of God touching his absolute Decree to life and salvation of some and his rejection to damnation of others hereupon some erring spirits do conclude and they think it followeth necessarily that therefoe God is a Tirant and dealeth tirannically with his people So again some hearing this Holy Truth of God that God hath a hand in every act of man that cometh to passe and in the act of every creature that Gods providence is in every thing that cometh to passe in the world then the carnal reasoner bringeth in this false conclusion that then God is the authour of sinne and he thinketh in his judgement it followeth necessarily that God is the authour of sinne because sin is an act And beloved do not the Papists deal thus in the matter of Justification of a sinner in the sight of God They hearing that a sinner is justified in the sight of God onely by faith then say the Papists this Doctrine hath a foule taile coming after it for it doth dispossesse mans heart from all care and indevour of good works and hereupon slanderously they give out this false report of us that in this Doctrine that men are justified onely by Faith they say we are utter enemies to God utter enemies to Gods Law and utter enemies to all good works this they think they may lawfully charge upon us Thus these and many others doe wrest false conclusions from the Holy Truth of God and why Because they look upon them by the rule of natural reason which is the ground of all Atheistical conclusions there catching and snatching and carping against the Divine Truths and mysteries of God because they stick in the rinde and dive not into the depth of them Again beloved is this so that carnal reason doth wrest false conclusions Vse 2 from the holy and Divine truths of God Then this must teach every one of us our dutie to take heed that we measure not divine Truths by the meatyard and rule of our own carnal reason especially such holy Truths of God as are of a high nature and strain such as are transcendent such as goe beyond and extend the compasse of natural reason such truths as are matters of Faith and above reason Oh take heed of measuring these by the rule of natural reason For if we seek to bring these Truths within the model scantling and rule of our natural reason we shall run into many by-paths and erroneous conceits and opinions as he must needs lose his way that knoweth not the way and followeth blinde guides So Fides est oculus animi Faith is the eye of the soul and if we in matters of Divinitie and high points of God follow your own blind reason we shall assuredly run into many gross errours yea beloved let me tell you it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal understanding and an unsanctified wit for if we so doe we shall abuse the holy word of God and wrest from it such conclusions as are not there to be found doth yet experience shew it to be true Are there not some who looking upon that place of the Apostle in 1 Timothy 5.8 where he saith He that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his Family is worse then an Infidel doe not some I say looking upon this with a shut eye and carnal understanding gather and conclude that therefore they may pinch and spare and scrape together by all means and live a base and sordid life and not part with a farthing token to the poore or to any good use but niggardly utter these words they must provide for themselves and they may come to live by the almes of the Parish themselves and will not spare a pennie more then by the Law they are enforced and compelled and so pervert the Scripture Again some others looking upon that place in Ezekiel 16.11 12 13. verses where the Lord saith He decked Hierusalem with Ornaments with Bracelets with goodly Jewels with golden Crowns and with Gold and silver and Imbroydered works Doe not some hereupon gather that therefore they may be vain in their Apparel and may follow every new fashion and may goe like ruffians in their long haire and foretop and think this is their warrant whereas they are deceived for the Lord there speaketh by way of similitude tropically that the Lord had blessed them with all good things and so expresseth it after that manner figuratively and they would have him speak properly and so they draw a false conclusion from the holy word of God Thus I might instance in many particulars that it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal eye yea I dare boldly affirm that we shall never rightly conclude from any part of the Word of God whether touching manners or touching heavenly things if we consult with flesh and bloud unlesse our eyes be annointed with the eye salve of the spirit of God Therefore to conclude learn we in reading the word of God to lay aside our own reasons to come with the eyes of the minde shut and to look with the eye of Faith and of the Spirit of God lay aside thy owne reason yea thy owne wisedome for the wisedome of man is enmitie to God Romans 8.7 Yea the best act and exercise of the mind of man not sanctified it is enmitie to the will of God therefore let us yeeld our selves to be guided onely by the will of God and then we shall certainly tread the paths that lead to true happinesse and salvation Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will IN these words Why doth he yet complain is something to be observed generally For they being considered as an Objection of carnal persons they make directly against that opinion of the Arminians who hold that God did decree to reject some amongst men upon a foresight of their wilful obstinacy in sin and their wilful rebellion against him Now beloved if this were a true Position and a truth of God then God justly complaineth of such as were hardened and that in the Reason of man for though God did decree their rejection and consequently their hardening yet the reason and the cause of Gods decree was his foresight of their wilful obstinacy and rebellion in a course of evil
and sin and this being so then what can carnal reason say against it the prophanest wretch hearing this that God did decree to reject some out of fore-sight they would continue obstinate and rebellious in their wilful sins and then to harden them surely the prophanest wretch in the world must needs be silent and glorifie the Justice of God in leaving of such persons to themselves and so to harden them even mans reason can go thus far that then there was just cause why God should complain and no cause of this Objection even in the sense reason and understanding of man because if man will be wilful in sin it is just with God to harden them And so they put aside the absolute decree of God and make it to depend upon the obstinacy of man so that we see they quite cut away this Cavil and leave no place for it and so they pervert and quite overthrow the purpose of this text but this which they alledge is false for this is that which reason doth stumble at and cannot conceive that God should harden mens hearts and then complain of their hardening that God out of his own mere will and pleasure hardeneth them and then punisheth them for hardening this cannot possibly but be unjust this is the stumbling block of the carnal reasoning of man this is that which maketh carnal reason to rise up and insult against God why doth God complain when he doth of purpose harden men so that the Arminians reasoning and this Objection cannot stand together Come we now to stand upon this carnal Objection more particularly why doth he yet complain That is as I shewed you in the opening of the Text doth God harden whom he will why doth God then blame threaten and punish them what reason hath the Lord so to do seeing they are hardened according to his will and so the fault and blame lyeth upon the will of God Here we see how ready mans carnal reason is to put off the blame from themselves and to lay it where it ought not to lye and so consequently we may hence note thus much Doctrine That men naturally use to put off the blame of their sinnes from themselves and they commonly seek to lay the blame and fault thereof upon something out of themselves yea sometimes upon God himself and say that he is in the fault of them This we find was the practice of our first parents so ancient is it as from the beginning of the world for when Adam had sinned and God cometh to call him to account for his sin we see Adam putteth off the blame of his sin from himself to his wife and in her to God himself for he saith Gen. 3.12 The woman which thou gavest me gave it me and when he came to the woman she put it on the Serpent so that here is a putting and posting off of the blame from one to another Adam to his wife yea to God himself and she to the Serpent and we beloved have sucked the same milk and drawn out the same poyson and this corruption we have naturally every one by nature will seek to shift off the blame of their sins from themselves As to appeal to our own experience common experience sheweth it Do not some when they are convinced of sin lay the blame upon the times which they live in saying Oh we live in a hard time and we must do according to the time some again on their callings and conditions of life Oh they are of such and such a calling and vocation that they cannot keep a good conscience they must lye and swear and deceive as others do or else they cannot possibly keep open shop some upon the provocation of others they were provoked to it and some upon the Command and example of others such and such a one did the like and his example led me to it or such a one commanded me as if a Master comand his servant to lye he is excusable because his Master commanded him And some lay the fault upon their destiny it was my chance my lot my evil fortune I was ordained to such a sinne And some lay the blame upon the Devil and say they had not become guilty of Whoredome Adultery Murther and the like but that the devil owed them a spite and now he hath paid them home and thus they seem to post off their sin upon others either upon the time their callings the provocation example and command of others or upon their evil fortune and the devil himself they care not where so they may draw their own neck out of the collar yea sometimes Gods own children are hardly brought to this to lay the fault of their sin where it ought to lye they will say Oh I was too blame wretch that I was I was drawn unto it by such and such a mans company and so they seek to extenuate and to lessen their sins and to put off the blame from themselves But beloved take we notice of it Vse and learn we to lay the blame of our sins where the blame ought to lye Do not belye the devil It is true indeed that the age and the time wherein we live the callings and conditions of life the provocation example and command of others and the devil may be occasions of sin unto us but causes they are not for the cause and the root of sin is from our selves the cursed corruptions of our hearts and the vile lusts of it that is the very ground cause and root of sin and were it not for the vile corruptions in our selves neither could the devil nor the world nor any thing draw us to the practise of our sin if we were freed from that vile cursed inmate our own corruption that lodgeth and abideth in our hearts we could never be drawn to any sin therefore let this teach every one of us to learn to lay the fault and blame of our sins upon our selves and not upon any thing else Again further this Cavil and this reasoning of the flesh it is farther to be considered together with the proof of it in the words following for who hath resisted his will As if the carnal Reasoner should say thus That men are hardened it is the will of God it should be so God hardeneth whom he will and Gods will cannot be resisted none can stand against his will and so men that are hardened they are hardened unavoidably out of necessity for they must be hardened whom God will harden and therefore they cannot justly be blamed or taxed Now then from hence ariseth this Question to be discussed Whether men are excusable and free from blame Quest and not to be taxed for their hardnesse and for the sins they commit and fall into by reason of their hardnesse because Gods will is that they are hardened and Gods will is irresistible and cannot be withstood and so they are hardened unavoidably and of necessity are they then to be
the point with this Doxology for of him and through him and for him are all things to him be praise and to him be glory for ever Amen And it must needs be so for these Reasons Reason 1 Because God is onely infinitely wise and God cannot aym or do any thing but to the best end and that must needs be one end and the best end is onely the glory of God a better end there cannot possibly be then that which is the supreme end of all things Reason 2 Because the Lord can respect nothing out of himself what can God respect out of his own blessed Majesty as a principal end of all his actions and counsels and therefore his glory must he needs aym at which is most pretious and dear unto himself Vse 1 Now then upon this ground for the use of it we see in the first place how we may justly hold that God hath ordained some amongst men to everlasting destruction namely thus that the Lord hath ordained some to everlasting destruction not simply as it is their destruction but as their destruction maketh way for and tendeth to the declaration of the glory of his Justice and the glory of his power this end the Lord aymeth at And upon this ground we may answer that which is commonly objected by Anabaptists and other erring spirits that reason thus If God hath appointed and ordained some to everlasting destruction then also this will follow that God hath ordained and appointed the means that tend to that end and that is sin Now to this we may easily answer that as the Lord hath not ordained any to everlasting destruction simply as it is their destruction but as it maketh for the glory of his Justice and power so God hath not ordained sin simply as it is sin and evil but he hath either ordained such sins as are punishments of fore-going sins for as sinnes following are punishments of sins foregoing so they are a Moral good thing and agree with his Justice or else the Lord hath ordained to suffer and permit the being of some other sins which are not punishments not simply as they are sins but as they concur and make way to the highest end of all and that is the manifestation and declaration of his Justice and power and so we see how we may safely hold as a warranted truth of God that God hath from everlasting fore-appointed and fore-ordained some men to everlasting damnation it being rightly understood namely not as it is their destruction but as it is the manifestation and declaration of the glory of his Justice and of his power Again this being so that the highest end the Lord aymeth at in mens Vse 2 punishments is the manifestation and glory of his Justice and power this must teach us then our lesson to find cause of praising God and glorifying of him in the punishments of wicked persons such as are malicious enemies of God and of his truth as Moses and Miriam did in the overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea they brake out into praise and glorifying of God in Exod. 15. the whole Chapter so when we see the hand of God justly upon them that are wicked and malicious enemies of the Church of God we are to rejoyce in it and to pick out of it matter of praise and glory unto God for his Justice appearing in the same Indeed beloved I grant we are not to rejoyce simply in the smart and pain of others as we say in the Schooles non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non gaudia ex aliena calamitate be they never so wicked or vile but rather to pity them as they be the creatures of God but as we discern them to be the enemies of the Lord and enemies of the truth and it is apparent that the just hand of God is now upon them and his Justice lighted upon them we are to rejoyce and we ought to magnifie and to glorifie the Justice of God in their just punishment To this purpose speaketh the Psalmist in Psal 58.11 12. verses The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance of God upon the wicked and he shall wash his feet in the blood of the ungodly and men shall say verily there is fruit for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the earth Men shall thus magnifie the just hand of God in his Judgments upon wicked persons so that we see we may rejoyce when we see the hand of God upon wicked persons and such as are enemies to God and his Truth Come we now to the 23. Verse VERSE 23. And that he might declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory IN this Verse our Apostle amplifieth the Manifestation of Gods glory and power in manifesting his patience to the wicked by the end of their punishment in respect of Gods Elect and that is to declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy prepared to glory Now the general things considerable in this verse are two First the end which we have spoken of propounded and laid before us that he might declare the riches of his glory And secondly the persons unto whom and that is the Elect who are described to be vessels of mercy and those prepared unto glory And that he might declare the riches of his glory unto the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory Now come we to the opening of the words And that he might declare Or in like sort that he might make known to all the world men and Angels the riches of his glory The word glory here signifieth that whereby God is glorious in particular it signifieth the glory of the grace and mercy of God whereby God sheweth himself to be most glorious and hence it is the Apostle putteth glory as an Epithet of Gods grace in Ephes 1.6 to the praise of the glory of his grace and thus the word glory is used in Ephes 3.16 That he might grant you according to the riches of his glory what is that the riches of his grace and of his mercy and the word riches as it doth often in Scripture signifieth plenty and abundance as the Apostle calleth it the bountifulnesse of God Rom. 2.4 the superabundant bountifulnesse of God so that his meaning is that he might declare his abundant grace and mercy upon the vessels of mercy vessels of mercy are here opposed unto vessels of wrath spoken of in the verse before and thereby we are to understand Gods Elect who are called vessels of mercy because they are created of God fit to receive mercy even as vessels are fit to receive water by reason of their concavity so they are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory that is which the Lord hath from everlasting ordained and fore-appointed to everlasting happinesse and glory in heaven 1 Thess 5.9 God hath not appointed us unto wrath but he hath appointed us to obtain salvation by