doctrines out of these and such like Scriptures although to the destruction of themselves and many others and yet have divers Scriptures seemingly to father their fallacies upon meerly for want of humble and holy hearts unbyassed spirits to compare one Scripture with another For want whereof men of corrupt minds by their private interpretations of some and wresting of other Scriptures make the everlasting Gospel of Peace the unerring Word of God the very foundation of fallacy and cause of all heresie contradiction and contention destroying not only that holy harmony that is in the word but seducing thousands weak Christians yea much impeding obstructing and disturbing the very elect both in their comfort and confidence Blessed be God who hath laid an impossibility upon their being totally traduc'd Therefore it concerns all that truly fear God not to believe every Spirit but to try them whether they be of God or no not to be suddenly moved with every winde of Doctrine but like noble Boereans compare Scripture with Scripture one Prophet and one Apostle with another and with humble holy and self-denying hearts crave God the Author of Truth to give more and more of his Spirit that so they may be directed into all Truth and preserved from the errors of the wicked Now that we may plainly see the danger of private Interpretations and as avoid that so take notice of the exceeding benefit and necessity of comparing Scripture with Scripture I have collected divers Texts seemingly opposite and speaking quite contrary one to the other being literally and particularly interpreted and yet compared with one another and other Scriptures most sweetly evangelically and harmoniously accord and as parallel as the streightest lines By which few it may easily be discerned how all other may be rightly reconciled and the Truths of God preserved and vindicated against all heresie and errors whatsoever and certainly it were a most desireable work worth the pains of the most judicious and godly learned and exceedingly beneficial to the Church of God tending much to its peace and edification to the overthrow of the kingdom of Sathan and Antichrist the advance of Truth Throne Scepter and Kingdom of Christ to endeavour the reconciliation of all Scriptures seemingly contradicting and to publish it for common benefit although it should cost the labours of a whole life I know the Lord hath many worthies able champions men valiant for the truth and I hope will stir up some of them in this needful time wherein his Truth meets with so many adversaries As for those few Scriptures I shall speak to I intend not to enter into a full disquisition of each particular Text but only in general give the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost as they are joyntly and comparatively confidered The Scriptures seemingly contradidictory reconcil'd as followeth Rev. 22. 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us clense our selves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit James 1. 21. Wherefore laying apart all filthyness c. Eph. 4. 28. Let him that stole steal no more Rom. 13. 12. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness c. Shall any man from Rev. 22. 11. take encouragement to continue in any ungodly practise No God forbid God is not the Author of sin and other Scriptures we see speak a clean contrary language The holy Ghost here by way of Irony threats wicked men as in Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce thou young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth but know for all this the Lord will bring thee to judgement A place parallel to this only in the one the penalty is express'd in the other implyed It 's a Judicial menace as a father having two sons the one obedient the other rebellious bids the one go on in his disobedience take his course and take what follows being tyred with his lewd courses having used all means to reclaim him now gives him over while he encourages the other to continue well-doing from the benefit accruing Or Let him be filthy still may be a severe and judicial sentence of reprobation and rejection when the Lord affords means and opportunities of grace and men will follow their lusts will be unclean unholy God may and doth justly give them over saying to them as to the barren Fig-tree never fruit grow on thee more while the Saints are encouraged to go on in all waies of righteousness bringing forth fruit more and more to the honour of God and their everlasting comfort Matth. 6 25. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for the body what ye shall put on Is not the life more then meat and the body then rayment 26. Behold the Fowls of the Ayr c. 28. Consider the Lillies of the field they neither toyl neither do they spin and yet c. 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self sufficient to the day is the evil thereof Prov. 6. 6 8. Go the to Ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise She provideth her meat in the Summer and gathereth her food in the harvest 1 Tim. 5. 8. But if any provide not for his own and especially for them of his own house he hath denyed the faith and is worse then an Infidel 2 Thes 3. 10. For even when we were with you this we commanded you That if any would not work neither should he eat 1 Cor. 7. 32. He that 's unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for nothing 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast your care upon him for he careth for you 1 Cor. 7. 32. But I would have you without carefulness v. 33. But he that 's married careth for the things of this life how he may please his wife Gen. 3. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread Eccles 10. 18. By slothfulness the roâ—f of the house goeth to decay and by the idleness of the hands the house droppeth down Some there are that vainly conclude from Matth. 6. 25 26 28 34. and from Phil. 4. 6. c. that they need take no care for any thing in this life but either Camelion-like expect to live by the Ayr or else in the utter neglect of their callings while they pretend relyance upon Providence turn meer tempters of God wanderers up and down busie bodies medlers with other mens matters idle persons living upon the labours and industries of other men not at all considering what the Apostle saith in 2 Thes 3. 10. that if any would not labour they should not eat the intent of the Spirit of God and of the Lord
Christ in such places of Scripture upon which they would plead a toleration for their intolerable idleness is that men and women in the use of lawful means should have their dependance upon God and that as Christians should not over-incumber themselves with worldly business so as to neglect the one thing necessary so in the midst of the moderate use of the creature and of their lawful callings they should cast ofâ— all immoderate and inordinate care relying upon God who careth for them for it 's an unwarrantable and extreme presumption and a temptatiâ—n of God by a particular or private interpretation of Scripture to serue such a senseless sense as this For although a man rise early and go late to bed and eat the bread of carefulness all will be but as put into a bottomless bag unless God give a blessing And thus these Scriptures that seem so to thwart one another being comparatively and joyntly considered are really reconcil'd and hold forth one and the same thing John 11. 17. For the Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 19. What the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law c. v. 20. By the works of the Law shall no slesh be justified Rom. 7. 6. Now we are delivered from the Law Rom. 10. 4. For Christ is the end of the Law to alâ— that believe Eph. 2. 15. Having abolished the Law of Commandments Mal. 2. 6. Remember the Law of Moses Mat. 5. 17. 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law but to fulfil it v. 19. Till heaven and earth perish one jot or tittle of the Law shall not escape till all be fulfilled v. 20. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and teach men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven Rom. 7. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good Divers other Scriptures of like concernment Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 7. 46. Gal. 2. 19. 1 Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 16. 14. Gal. 2. 16 21. Gal. 3. 2. 4. 21. â— 3. Eph. 2. 15. Mat. 11. 13. Luke 16. 16. Acts 13. 39. Rom. 3. 28. 4. 13. 15. 7. 4. 9. 32. c. Other Scriptures of like concernment Mat. 15. 3. Mark 12. 30. Rom. 13. 9. Eph. 6. 2. John 2. 4. Mark 10. 17 19. Luke 1. 6. John 14. 21. Acts 28. 23. Rom. 2. 13. 3. 20. Gal 3. 24. James 2. 11. John 1. 3 4. Mat. 19. 16 18 19. Mark 12. 29 30. John 15. 10. 1 Cor. 7. 19. Neh. 10. 29. Rev. 22. 14. 1 John 2. 4. c. These Scriptures and many more of like import not here mentioned being compared one with another hold a sweet and holy harmony one with another nay although each Text were particularly discussed yet being Evangelically interpreted according to the Analogie of Faith would not at all differ Yet men of corrupt minds by sinister and private construction of them draw forth such a sense as may suit their own fancy although they bring them into a direct opposition although such private Interpretations are quite contrary to the Word of God as in 2 Pet. 1. 20. and is cause of not only that old Antinomian but all other heresie and error it 's an old heresie new vampt to say The Law is of no use to Believers now in Gospel times For certainly as the Gospel was of special use to Believers in times of the Law so is the Law of precious use to Believers in Gospel times viz. the Moral Law I wonder of what use the Law of God the ten Commandments given in Mount Sinai were to Abraham Isaac Jacob Noah Job Daniel c. that it is not to every Believer in these days No man thinks they were saved by the works of the Law or expected Justification by the Law but by faith nevertheless it was the rule of their sanctification and obedience it was the way they walked into life although not the cause of life and so it must be to all the godly in Gospel times although not the cause of Justification yet it 's the standing rule of their sanctification obedience and conversation This error ariseth principally from the mis-interpretation of the word Law which is severally in Scripture to be accepted Somtime intending the Ceremonial Law somtime the Judicial somtime the Moral Law somtime the penalty of the Law as Col. 2. 14. Eph. 2. 15 c. there it intends the Ceremonial Law in Acts 23. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 9 10 11. there the Judicial Law and the penalty thereof is intended the Judicial Law being a rule of life in Civil respects none are concern'd in the penalty thereof but evil doers So although the penalty of the Moral Law belongs to none but unbelievers and ungodly wretches yet it 's a rule of life to all even to the most precious people of God It was the comendation of Zachary and Elisabeth that they walked in all the commands of God unreprovably for any man to say the Law is of no use to Believers is I say an old desparate heresie that brings hundreds of Scriptures by the ears which is prevented by an holy humble judicial and impartial comparing one Scripture with another and interpreting one by another It 's confest that the damnatory the domineering nay the justifying power of the Law is abolished as in a legal sense yet evangelically interpreted every Believer is saved by a Law of works as between God the Father and Jesus Christ the mediator of our peace who hath fulfilled the Law for us and therefore salvation is of free grace to us yet withal know this no man shall ever receive benefit by the fulfilling of the Law by Christ that practises not obedience to that very Law for as Jesus Christ was the Angel of the Covenant that conducted Israel to Canaan that appeared in the Bush Exod. 3. 2. Acts 7. 35. the same hath left this lesson to all that love him and will follow him to the heavenly Canaan to keep his Commandments And thus those Scriptures before mentioned although they seem to speak a contrary language are to be reconciled Come we now to those Scriptures that concern the present Controversie which because very many there can be no expectation of a particular account of every or any one of them neither is it my purpose Yet by Gods grace I intend so to ballanee the account as to give in the summa totalls of them all so far as is necessary to the matter in hand according to the holy Spirit that speaks in them 1 Cor. 15. 22. For as in Adam all dy even so in Christ shall all be made alive Rom. 5. 18. Likewise then as by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the justifying of one the benefit abounded to all
men to the justification of life John 4. 42. This indeed is the Christ the Saviour of the world John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Mark 16. 16. He that believes and is baptised shall be saved he that believes not shall be damned John 3. 15 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life He that believes not is condemned already John 1. 5 19. The whole world lies in wickedness John 7. 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth 1 John 4. 14. And we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world 1 John 2. 2. And not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 2 Cor. 5. 9. That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Gal. 3. 8. In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed John 3. 17. That the world through him might be saved John 6. 33 51. Ana giveth life unto the world Which I will give for the life of the world Other Scriptures of like concernment John 12. 47. 15. 18 19. Rom. 4. 13. 11. 12 15. 8 32. Acts 3. 16 25. Gal. 3 28. 2 Pet. 3 9. Ezek. 18. 32. 33. 11. Prov. 1 30. Mat. 23. 57. Luke 1. 7. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3 9. c. John 14. 17. Whom the world cannot receive John 17. 2 9. Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to them thou hast given him I pray not for the world but for them thou hast given me out of the world Mat 15 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of Israel Rom 11 7 Then Israel hath not obtain'd but the election Rom 9 27 Though Israel be as the sand yet but a remnant shall be saved Eph. 1. 4 5. Chosen us in him before the foundation of the world John 10. 15. I lay down my life for my sheep Jude 4. Men of old pre-ordained to destruction Other concern'd Scriptures Mat. 20. 16. 24. 22 24. 29. 34. Luke 13. 23. 1. 68. 18. 17. Mar. 13. 20 22 27. Act 13. 18. Rom. 8 29 30 33 9 11 23. 11. 5. Tit. 1. 1 2. 1 Pet. 1. 2 20. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Eph. 3. 11. 1. 4 9. 2 Tim. 1. 9 Rev. 14. 4. Gal. 5 17. Forasmuch as that 1 Cor. 15. 22. first mentioned to maintain that pernicious doctrine of Universal Redemption hath no relation at all to the doctrine of Redemption but of the Resurrection I shall not speak much to it only this It 's true that by the power of Christ's death and resurrection all men both godly and wicked shall arise at that great and terrible day of the Lord but withal consider that as some shall arise to the resurrection of life so also others to the resurrection of condemnation the day of resurrection is so far from being any benefit to unbelievers as that it 's only the taking them out of prison to receive their last and dreadful doom and so to be hurried to the place of execution But as for all other Scriptures that seem to plead this heresie if we compare them with others we shall finde them directly opposite to that opinion For as it is said the Lord Christ bealed all sicknesses and diseases and evert one possessed with divels c. in like sense he dyed for all and becomes a Saviour to all to wit all that are given to him and come to him by Faith For as millions of men in the world never received cure by Christ of their corporal diseases that neither came nor were brought to him so millions perish that never lay hold upon Christ by faith his blood being beneficial to none but such as come to him and eat his flesh and drink his blood by faith It 's unreasonable contrary to harmony of Scripture derogatory to the excellency of the blood and merit of Christ overthrows the omnipotency and very being of God denies his soveraignty over the creature tramples under foot that precious doctrine of election and predestination makes the eternal decree of God of no effect destroys the doctrine of free grace and instead thereof sets up free-will or a Law of works as already hath been plainly manifested with many other gross absurdities attending to hold that Christ shed his blood for all universally and indefinitely that he hath freed all from the guilt of Adam's transgression and puts every man into a state of innocency that all men have power to stand or fall to repent and believe c. But that Christ laid down his life for his sheep for those whom God the Father hath given him out of the world for all that believe that many are called but few chosen that Christ's flock is a little flock that none but the elect nay the elect of Israel obtain mercy that but a remnant even of Israel shall be saved that certain men are elected and chosen to be vessels of honour and some pre-ordained to condemnation before the world was that no man can come to Christ unless drawn to him by God the Father that we are not able of our selves to think a good thought that it's God that works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure that we are all by nature children of wrath and disobedience dead iâ— trespasses and sins that faith is the gift of God and that without faith none can receive the least benefit by the death resurrection or intercession of Christ that all men dying in a state of unbelief perish eternally that the ungodly and hypocrite shall be in hell tormented for ever while the godly and such as believe in the Lord Christ shall reignâ— with him eternally in glory This Scripture clearly holds forth as by comparing one Scripture with another he that runs may read The main cause of this error as aforesaid is a misconstruction and mis-interpretation of the words all and world which are severally accepted for even the elect may be called the world not unaptly considered in themselves being very many Rev. 7. 4. read there of an hundred forty and four thousand of the Tribes of Israel sealed and verse 9. a great multitude whom none could number and yet all these compared with those that perish but a remnant a little flock and in this sense is the word world to be taken in 1 John 29. and 2 Cor. 5. 19. and divers other places And whereas it is said As in Adam all dy even so in Christ shall all be made alive If that Scripture had any reference at all to the doctrine of Redemption it should be thus interpreted That as all that dy eternally dy in Adam so all that live eternally live in Christ the way and cause of salvation being there intended not the number that are to