sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Intreat the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mighty thundrings and bail and I will let you go and ye shall stay no longer Now albeit Moses after he had promised him to remove this Plague did foretell him that he would not be so good as his promise ver 30. But as for thee and thy servants I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God Yet as it followeth ver 34. When he saw the rain and the bail and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardened his heart he and his servants And again Chap. 10. ver 7. After his servants upon the sight of the Plague of the Locusts did thus boldly intreat him How long shall this man be a snare unto us Let the men go that they may serve the Lord their God knowst thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Though he yeild to their request in part yet he instantly faulters ver 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh and he said unto them Go serve the Lord your God but who are they that shall go And Moses said we will go with our young and with our old with our sons and with our daughters with our flocks and with our herds will we go for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. And he said unto them let the Lord be so with you as I will let you go and your little ones Look to it for evil is before you Not so Go now ye that are men and serve the Lord for that you did desire and they were driven out from Pharaohs presence The like raving Fitt or Phrenetical Symptom you may observe in him ver 16 17. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and he said I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you Now therefore forgive I pray thee my sin only this once and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death only Now though Moses did remove this Plague yet upon his fresh entreatie for Moses to remove another Plague to wit of palpable darknesse he turns unto his vomit again ver 24. 25. And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said Go ye serve the Lord only let your flocks and your heards be stayed let your little ones also go with you And Moses said thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God c. And ver 28. Pharaoh said unto him Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt dye A speech more foolish then proud to come from a man whom the Lord had so much impoverished and so often humbled and given sufficient proof of his Power to bring farre greater Plagues upon him 19. Though his heart had been thus often hardened yet is it not become so flinty but that the slaughter of his own and of every First-born Male in Egypt did make deeper impression upon it then any of the former Plagues had done The mightie Out-cry which followed upon this sad and woful spectacle to be seen in every house did so farr awake the drowsie spirits amongst the Egyptians even of such as had no children to mourn for that they joyned in Petition with the rest to have the Israelites fairely dismissed and were ready to make them a Golden bridge for their speedier Passage out of Egypt From this time and not before were the Women and Maides of Egypt willing to bestow their jewels and ear-rings upon the Israelitish women that they might wooe their men and children to depart with speed Thus then that which the Lord had indefinitely promised unto Moses from his first Instructions given unto him Exod. 3. 21. was not accomplished till this last Plague was exhibited Nor was the like Prediction of hardening Pharaoh Exod. 4. 21. put in execution before the Plagues of the Murrain of Cattel and of Blains Exod. 9. 12. 20. But from this Mollification of Pharaoh and of his peoples hearts by the slaughter of the First-born there did result a more strange Induration then at any time before had befallen them Of all the infatuated resolutions which either King or People had adventured upon the pursuing of the Israelites with such a mighty army or strong hand after they had fairly intreated them to depart out of their coasts may well to every indifferent Reader seem the most stupid And so the Author of the Book of Wisdom censures it Chap. 19. 3. For whilest they were yet mourning and making lamentation at the graves of the dead they added another foolish Device and pursued them as Fugitives whom they had intreated to be gone Yet Josephus a grave and sagacious Historian gives the intelligent Reader good hints that even this effect or Phrenetical Symptom of Divine Infatuation was but such as hath seised upon worldly wise Princes and States-men in former Ages And hereafter may be inflicted upon more The greatest varietie of Miracles or Wonders in any one Age experienced is scarce sufficient to make up a perfect Induction to perswade superstitious prophane or wilfull Spirits of Gods absolute Power to effect or of his Wisdom to contrive the like in every kind Most men are prone by nature to make such Collections as the servants of the King of Syria did Their Gods are Gods of the bils therefore they were stronger then we but let us fight against them in the plain and surely we shall be stronger then they c. 1 King 30. 23. The undoubted Experiments of the forecited signs all done in Egypt might well perswade Pharaoh and his People That The Lord God of the Hebrews was more skilful in producing wonders then the Gods which the Magicians of Egypt served were that Moses under him had a greater command over the wind and water over the ayre and clouds over the dust of the earth and over all the host of reasonless creatures then either the King the Princes or Priests of Egypt could ever procure from their Gods a more Soveraign Authority over Flies then Baal-zebub had All this being granted they might notwithstanding thus Reason in their hearts Who knows whether all this power was given unto Moses to be exercised onely within the Meridian or Climes of Egypt or whether his Commission might extend over Palestina and Madian The Egyptians at least presumed that The Lord God of the Hebrews had not given Moses such a great command over the armies or hosts of men as the King of Egypt had because the Israelites they knew had no skill in Feats of arms no Captains of Insanteâ—ie no Cavalrie at all no weapons or engins of war offensive especially amongst them Of all which the Egyptians had abundance plentie of Magazines full of them 21 Upon these or the like Presumptions
children of Israel died not one ver 5. 6. Pharaohs experience of the former Plagues fore-told by Moses and accomplished in his own sight did perswade him so farr to believe his Prediction of this that he sent into Goshen to know the truth of that part of it And behold there was not one of the cattel of the Israelites dead v. 7. And yet as it follows in the same verse The heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he did not let the people go 17. All or most of the former signs were respectively rather more noysome and terrible then detrimental unto Pharaoh and his People We do not read before this time of the death or destruction of any useful creatures besides of Fishes when the waters were turned into bloud And this calamitie was neither so grievous nor so universal as the murrain of cattel was It extended only to that part of the River or those waters that were nigh to Pharaohs Court otherwise the Magicians or Inchanters could have had no Place to practise their skill in But this murrain of the most useful creatures was very general Nor would the Magicians have attempted the like if it had been apprehended as facible by them seeing both the Egyptians and themselves should have been greater Losers by the Practise of their own cunning But seeing this Plague did not infect Pharaohs coffers or treasure Cities which the Israelites were enjoyned to build or to prepare materials for their building nor yet Pharaohs Chariots or Stables hence haply it is that he is not so much affected with the wonder as he had been with some of the former And yet because this wonder did give little or no check unto his proud stubborn thoughts the Lord instantly and without further Commission as being now in Processe of Sentence commands Moses to bring another Plague upon the Egyptians more terrible noysome then any of the rest had been ver 8. Then the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron Take to you handfuls of the ashes of the furnace c. And they took ashes of the furnace and stood before Pharaoh and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven and it became a boyl breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast And the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boyles for the boyl was upon the Magicians and upon all the Egyptians ver 10 11. Whether Pharaoh did resume or continue his former Resolutions without any relentance the Text is silent but expresse enough to this purpose That the Lord did from this time harden the heart of Pharaoh after a more extraordinary manner then it had been hardened before for so the words do run ver 12. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he hearkened not unto them as the Lord had spoken unto Moses But what was it that the Lord had spoken unto Moses Or where did he specially speak to this purpose The place whereto these words As the Lord had spoken unto Moses do punctually referr is as our English margin directs us Exod. 4. 21. And the Lord said unto Moses when thou goest to return into Egypt See that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand But I will harden his heart that he shall not let the people go In most of the former Treaties between Moses and Pharaoh Or in the relation of the successe or effect of his speech or works this Epiphonema or Close comes often in That Pharaoh hearkened not to Moses and Aaron as the Lord had spoken But in none of them besides this present is it so expresly added that the Lord did harden the heart of Pharaoh as he had spoken unto Moses This different Character of this Close from the rest gives us to understand or intimates at least That this plague of blaines was the first of all the plagues in which the Lord did harden the heart of Pharaoh after any extraordinary manner But after what manner did he now harden it Not by Infusion of any bad Qualitie or new unhallowed Resolutions but by giving him up to his own lusts or by leaving him more open and exposed to the temptations of Sathan then he had been From this time and not before doth That of our Apostle Rom. 9. 17. For this very purpose have I made thee stand that I might shew my power in thee Commence or begin to take place Now thus to infatuate Pharaoh or suffer him to infatuate himself after he had so often hardened his own heart and slighted Gods forewarnings was a true Act of justice and withall a Prognostick that the just Lord was now Purposed to destroy him So the heathens out of their broken Speculations of Divine Providence have observed Quos Jupiter vult perdere prius deâ—entat Infatuation is commonly the Usher of fearful destruction God in all this deals no otherwise with Pharaoh then pharaoh had done with the poor oppressed Israelites immediately after the delivery of Moses first Embassage unto him Pharaoh upon this occasion as was observed before severely exacts the same Tale of bricks after he had prohibited the Task-masters to afford them any straw which they performed before when they had plenty of straw allowed them The Lord in like manner requires but the same obedience of Pharaoh after he had deprived him of understanding and of the sweet influence of his ordinary general Providence which he had required of him before or at the exhibition of the first signs or wonders And this only is it which ministred the occasion or matter of that question made by our Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why doth he yet chiâ—e unto which I have no more to say for the present then may be found in the Treatise upon that place Rom. 9. 19. See Chapter 42. of this Book Number 6. 18. But to finish this present Survey of the Mosaical Story concerning this proud and foolish Pharaoh it is a witty Character which * Kaì 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lib. 2. Antiq. Iud. Cap. 5. Josephus hath made of his humorous wilful disposition That after he had seen and in some measure felt three or four several plagues he had a kind of itching humour or longing desire to have more variety of experiments in the like kind This the diligent reader may with me easily observe That upon his sight of the first signs and experiments of the Plagues which did accompany them he demeand himself like a proud Phantastick Humorist and did many waies bewray such a temper as it was impossible for him to become wise untill he had abandoned his former dispositions or resolutions But after the Plagues of the Murrain of cattell and of the blaines upon the Inchanters themselves this proud Phantastick falls into a Phrenzie and fares like a distracted Bedlam and raves as if his brains had been blasted by the fumes or steames of his cauterized heart or seared conscience Witnesse those Passages following Exod. 9. 27. And Pharaoh
A parallel betwixt Pharaohs Crueltie towards the Jews and the Jews crueltie towards Christ and his Apostles A Parallel between the cruel oppression and stubbornnesse of Pharaoh and his People in Moses's time and a little before and the ingratitude stubborness and malitious cruelty of the Jews towards Gods people and his Embassadors for their good in the dayes of our Saviour and his Apostles Equalitie of crueltie ingratitude or contempt of Gods Messengers in the Jewish Nation must needs by the Rule of Justice induce an Excesse of Induration or Infatuation upon them To draw the Parallel aright After the first cruel Pharaoh had begun to oppersse the Israelites and murther their Infant Males Moses is born and design'd by God to be his Embassdor unto Pharaoh for his Peoples release from bondage Upon the continuance of this oppression by the second Pharaoh which the former had begun The Lord said I have surely seen the affliction of of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of the Land unto a good Land and a large unto a land flowing with milk and honey Exod. 3. 7 8. The Seed of Abraham was no lesse grievously oppressed by the Romanes and by Herod the Great their Deputy And which was worst of all their own Governours layd heavy burdens of conscience upon them Many of them were tormented in body if not in soule by the Divel The depth as well of the Peoples as of the Governours misery was That they did not perceive or rightly apprehend the danger of their disease In commiseration of all these and other parts of their affliction The same Lord God which had appeared to Moses in the Bush and testifyed that he was come down to see the affliction of the Israelites under Pharaoh did now the second time descend from heaven to earth to visit the affliction of his people under the Romanes and their Governors shewing his Commission to this purpose by many signs and Wonders much greater and more gracious then Moses had wrought in Egypt most of them respectively exhibited in the sight of the Pharisees Priests and Elders and of all the people but with worse successe in respect of them for whose good they were purposely and especially wrought then Moses his miracles had found in Egypt The Egyptians 't is true did not hearken unto Moses nor hold his miracles in that esteem which they deserved but to persecute to stone or otherwise to slay or murther Moses we do not read of any attempt made by them untill after he had departed with Gods People out of Egypt Whereas the Scribes and Pharisees with the Priests and Elders upon the more frequent sight of our Saviours Miracles did not only harden their own hearts but wrought the people otherwise well inclined unto his Doctrine to such an hardnesse of heart that they persecuted The God or Great Angel of the Covenant who had appeared to Moses in Mount Sinai unto a bloudy ignominious death and which doth aggravate the sin sought the release of Barabbas the Murtherer that is by name and qualitie the Son of their Father the Divel whilest he stood in competition with the only Son of God for enjoying the benefit of that Boon which by the indulgence of the Romanes was granted to them at every Feast of the Passeover in remembrance of their Fathers deliverance out of Egypt 25. More foolish again by much these Scribes and Pharisees with their Complices were then the Egyptians in Mosesâ—s time had been in that they persecuted as farr as in them lay the Lord God of their Fathers after his departure out of this World by procuring a watch or guard to be set about his grave seeking thereby to stop his passage which he had foretold from death to life But he in the mean time gives evident Proof that he had greater Power and more soveraign command over the earth over the rocks grave it self then Moses had over the waters of Egypt or the Red Sea which Moses by vertue of his power whose Embassador he was did command to swallow up the Egyptians alive This second Moses or Great Prophet like unto him after his death commands the rocks to cleave asunder and the earth and grave to give up their dead No marvel if after the Iews had thus wilfully and desperately hardened their own hearts the Lord God of their Fathers have hardened their hearts after a stranger manner then he did the hearts of Pharaoh and his People and for a longer space even to this present day Besides all other oddes of circumstantial considerations from our Saviors fore-warnings or admonitions the measure of that blindnesse or Induration which possessed these later Jews did most justly accrue from neglect of that Peremptorie monition which Moses their Lawgiver had given them Deut. 18. 15 16 17 18 19. The Lord thy God will raiseup unto thee a prophet from the middest of thee like unto me unto him shall ye hearken According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the Assembly saying Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God neither let me see this great fire any more that I die not And the Lord said unto me They have well spoken that which they have spoken I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him And it shall come to passe that whosoever wil not hearken unto my words which he shal speak in my name I will require it of him 26 Here were a fit place A Parallel betwixt Moses and Christ Jesus and fair Occasion to institute a Parallel or decypher the similitude between Moses and Jesus the great Prophet as the people did often enstyle him a point whereunto I have spoken somewhat in the Third Book of Comments upon the Apostles Creed Chap. 11. The diligent Reader I know may finde much more for his better satisfaction in many learned Commentators upon the 18. of Deuteronomie and the 3. of the Acts and amongst others in the learned Gualter who is not in this point so prolix as in most other of his Comments upon the Acts. At this time and in this place these Two Circumstances onely present themselves to my Memorie which I shall commend to the ingenuous Readers view The First That Moses was born at that very time wherein the Pharaoh which then ruled over Egypt had a design to make away all the Hebrew Infant-Males being thereunto sollicited or provoked as Josephus tells us by the suggestions of his Secretarie upon a Prenotion or Fame which he had heard or learned God knows from whom or by what means that there should about that time arise a Prophet
was now by Gods decree irrevocable I have heard of a Malepert Courtier who being rated of his Soveraign Lord for committing the third murther after he had been graciously pardoned for two made this saucy Reply One man indeed I killed and if the Law might have had its course that had been all For the death of the second and of the third your Highness is to answer God and the Law Our Apostle being better acquainted then we are with the forementioned Circumstances of time and with the manner of Pharaohs hardening foresaw the malepert Jew or Hypocrite especially when Pharaohs Case came in a manner to be their own would make this or the like saucie Answer to God If Pharaoh after the time wherein by the ordinary course of justice he was to dye were by Gods special appointment not only reprived but suffered to be more out-ragious than before yea imboldened to contemn Gods Messengers the ensuing evils committed by him and the miseries which by his stubbornness befall the Egyptians may seem to be more justly imputed unto God than unto him at least the former expostulation might seem now altogether unseasonable 9. The Apostles first Answer to the former Objection explicated To this Objection our Apostle opposeth a two-fold Answer First he checks the sauciness of the Replicant Nay but O man who art thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui Deo respondes saith the Vulgar Beza as he thinks more fully qui responsas Deo our English better than both that replyest against God The just and natural Value of the Original doubly compounded word will best appear from the circumstances specified First God by Moses admonisheth Pharaoh to let his people go But he refuseth Then God expostulateth with him As yet exaltest thou thy self against my people that thou wilt not them go The Objection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made by the Hypocrite is as a Rejoynder upon Gods Reply to Pharaoh for his wonted stubbornness or as an Answer made on his behalf or others in his Case unto the former Expostulations For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Respondenti respondere to Rejoyn upon a Reply or Answer Now this Rejoynder to speak according to the Rules of modestie and good manners was too saucie out of what mans mouth soever it had proceeded For what is man in respect of God any better than an artificial body in respect of the Artificer that makes it or then an earthen vessel in respect of the Potter Now if we might imagine a base vessel could speak as Fables suppose beasts in old time did and thus expostulate with the Potter When I was spoiled in the making why didst thou rather reserve me to such base and ignominious uses than throw me away especially when others of the same lump are fitted for commendable uses it would deserve to be appointed yet to more base or homely uses For a By-stander that had no skill in this facultie for the Potters Boy or Apprentise thus to expostulate on the Vessels behalf with his father or Master would argue ignorance and indiscretion The Potter at least would take so much authority on him as to reply I will appoint every vessel to what use I think fit not to such use as every idle fellow or malepert Boy would have it appointed Now all that our Apostle in this similitude intends is that we must attribute more unto the Creators skill and wisdom in dispensing mercy and judgment or in preparing vessels of wrath and vessels of honour than we do unto the Potters judgment in discerning clay or fitting every part of his matter to it 's right and most commodious use Yet in all these The Potter is judge saith the Author of the Book of Wisdom Wisdom 15. 7 That very vessel which ministred the matter of this similitude to our Apostle Jer. 18. 4. was so marred in the Potters hand as he was inforced to fashion it again to another use than it was first intended for That it marred in the first making was the fault of the clay So to fashion it anew as neither stuffe nor former labour should be altogether lost was the Potters skill And shall we think our Apostle did intend any other Inference from this Similitude then the Prophet from whom he borrowes it had made to his hand O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel Jer. 18. 6. 10. The true and full Implication is thus much and no more Albeit God sought to prepare them to glorie yet had they a possibilitie or libertie utterly to spoile themselves in the making Howbeit if so they did he was able to form them again to an end quite contrary unto that whereto he first intended them So the Prophet explicates himself vers 9 10. And here we must request our Reader alwaies to remember that the Apostle compares God not to a Phrantick or Phantastick Potter delighted to play tricks to his losse as to make a vessel scarce worth a grâ—at of that piece which with the same ease and cost might be made worth a shilling only to shew his Imperial Authoritie over a piece of clay He Imagineth such a Potter as the Wise man did that knowes a reason why he makes one vessel of this fashion another of that why he appoints this to a base use that to a better albeit an unskilful By-stander could perhaps discern no difference in the stuff or matter whereof they are made The summe then of our Apostles intended Inference is this As it is an unmannerly point for any man to contest or wrangle with a skilfull Artificer in his own facultie of whom he should rather desire to learn with submission so it is damnable presumption for any creature to dispute with his Creator in matters of Providence or of the worlds regiment or to debate his own case with him thus Seeing all of us were made of the same Masse I might have been graced as others have been with wealth with honour with strength with wisdom unless thou hadst been more favourable to them then to me Yet that which must quell all inclination to such secret murmurings or presumptuous debates is it our stedfast Belief of his Omnipotent Power or absolute Will No but of his infinite Wisdom Equitie and Mercie by which he disposeth all things even mens infirmities or greatest crosses to a better end in respect of them so they will patiently submit their wils to his than they could hope by any other meanes to atchieve 11. In what sense Gods Will is said to be the absoulte infallible Rule of equitie or justice Gods Will to have mercie on some and to harden others or howsoever otherwise to deal with men is in this sense most absolute Whatsoever we certainly know to be willed by him we must acknowledge without examination to be truly good Whomsoever we assuredly believe
an Vniversalitie of the Subject inferre an Vniversalitie of Time This Collection is false God from eternitie foresaw that all men would be sinners Ergo He foresaw from Eternitie that Adam in his Integritie should be a sinner The Inference in the former Syllogism is as bad God decreed to harden Pharaoh from eternitie Ergo He decreed to harden him in every moment of his life Or Ergo He was a Reprobate from his cradle This Conclusion rightly scanned includes an Vniversalitie of the Subject that is all the several Objects of divine justice which are contained in Pharaohs life not one particular only Whereas Pharaoh in the Minor Proposition is but one particular or individual Object of induration or of the divine Decree concerning it 19. And thus at length we are arrived at that Point whence we may descry the Occasions Albeit Pharaoh was alwaies One and the same man yet he was not alwaies One and the same Object of the divine Decree by which so many Writers of good Note have missed the right stream or Current of our Apostles discourse and gravelled themselves and their Auditors upon By-shelves All this hath been from want of consideration That albeit Pharaoh from his birth unto his death were but one and the same Individual Man yet was he not all this while one and the same individual Object of Gods Decree concerning mercy and induration The difference betwixt these we may illustrate by many parallel resemblances Suppose that Scepter whose Pedegree Homer Iliad That Pharaoh in the Syllogism proposed is no singular but an Indefinite Term. Lib. 2. so accurately describes had in that long succession lost some part of his length this had broken no square nor bred any quarrel whether it had been the same Scepter or no. yet if the first and last owners should have sold or bought Scarlet by this one and the same Scepter they should have found a great alteration in the measure So then it is one thing to be one and the self-same Standard and Another thing to be one and the self-same Staffe or Scepter The least alteration in length or quantitie that can be doth alter the Identitie of any measure but not the Identitie of the material substance of that which is the measure The same grains of barly which grow this year may be kept till seven years hence But he that should lend gold according to their weight this year and receive it according to their weight at the seven years end should find great difference in the summes though the grains be for number substance the same yet their weights are divers Or suppose it be true which is related of the Great Magore that he weighs himself every year in gold and distributes the summe thereof to the poor and that he had continued this custom from the seventh year of his age yet cannot there be half the difference betwixt the weight of one and the same Prince in his child-hood and in his full age after many heartie prayers to make him fatt as is between the different measures of Pharaohs induration within the compasse of one year Therefore this Argument Pharaoh was hardened after the seventh plague by Gods irresistible Will Ergo He was an irrecoverable reprobate from his childhood is to a man of understanding more gross than if we should argue thus The great Magore distributed to the poor five thousand pounds in gold in his fortieth year Ergo He distributed so much every year since he began this custom of weighing himself in gold For as he distributes unto the poor not according to the Identitie of his person but according to the Identitie or Diversitie of his weight so doth the Immutable Rule of Justice render unto every man not according to the Vnitie of of his Person but according to the Diversitie of his work Unto the several measures of one and the same mans iniquities several measures of Induration whether Positive or privative are allotted from eternitie But Final induration by Gods irresistible Will or irrecoverable Reprobation is the just recompence of the full measure of iniquitie or as the Prophet speakes To harden thus Q. Whether he mean Dan. 9. 24. is to seal up iniquitie to destruction without hope or possibilitie of Pardon 20. These two Propositions are of like eternal truth God from eternitie decreed by his irresistible will to harden Pharaoh having made up the full measure of his iniquitie and God from eternitie did not decree by his Irresistible Will that Pharaoh should make up such a measure of iniquitie For he doth not decree iniquitie at all much lesse full measures of iniquitie And yet unlesse he so decree not iniquitie only but the full measure of it Pharaohs Induration or Reprobation was not absolutely necessary in respect of Gods eternal Decree For It was no more necessary than was the full measure of iniquitie unto which it was due And that as hath been said was not necessary because not decreed by Gods Irresistible Will without which Necessity it self hath no Title of Being That the contention concerning Pharaohs induration hath no contradiction for its ground From these deductions I may clear a debt for which I ingaged my self in my last publick meditations My promise was then to make it evident that these two Propositions 1. God from Eternitie decreed to harden Pharaoh by his Irresistible Will 2. God from Eternitie did not decree to harden Pharaoh by his Irresistible Will might easily be made good friends if their Abettors would cease to urge them beyond their natural dispositions See Attribut 1. part Ch. 15. Numb 7. For in their natures they are Indefinites not Singulars Both in a good sense may be made to tell the truth But a wrangler may work them Both to bear evidence for error God from eternitie decreed to harden Pharaoh by his Irresistible Will T is true of Pharaoh so misqualified as Moses found him perhaps when he brought the first at least when he brought the Seventh Message to him But false of Pharaoh in his Infancie or not laden with such a measure of Iniquitie as by the Divine Decree was from Eternitie Sealed up for death God from eternitie did not decree to harden Pharaoh by his Irresistible Will is true of Pharaoh in his infancie or youth but false of Pharaoh after his wilfull contempt of Gods Summons by signes and wonders 21. The Conclusion of the Syllogism proposed indefinitely taken is most true but universally taken is altogether false Beza's Collection upon this place is grounded upon the Indefinite Truth of this Affirmative God from eternitie decreed to harden Pharaoh But he extends this Indefinite Truth beyond its compass For he makes it an Vniversal in that he terminates the Irresistible decree to every moment of Pharaoh's life without Distinction of Qualification And it may be he was of opinion that as well each several qualification as each different measure of Pharaoh's hardening or impenitency
did come to passe by Gods Irresistible Will His Error into which the greatest Clerk living especially if he be not an accurate Philosopher might easily slide consists originally in confounding Eternitie with Successive Duration and not distinguishing Succession it self from things durable or Successive He and many others in this argument speak as if they conceived that the necessary Coexistence of Eternitie with Time did necessarily draw every mans whole course of life Motu quodam raptús after such a manner as Astronomers suppose that the highest Sphere doth move the lower whereas if we speak of the course not of Pharaoh's natural but moral life it was rather an Incondit heap or confused multitude of durables than one entire uniforme duration And each durable hath its distinct Reference to the eternal Decree That which is eternally true of one was not at all much lesse eternally true of another Eternitie it self though immutable though necessarily though indivisibly co-existent to All was not so indissolubly linked with Any but that Pharaoh might have altered or stayed his course of life before that moment wherein the measure of iniquitie was accomplished But in that moment he became so exorbitant that the Irresistible Decree of induration did fasten upon him His Irregular motions have ever since become irrevocable not his Actions onely but his Person is carried headlong by the everlasting revolutions of the unchangable decree into everlasting unavoydable destruction 22. The Proposition or Conclusion proposed Pharaoh was hardened by Gods Irresistible Will indefinitely taken is true from all eternitie throughout all eternitie and therefore true from Pharaoh's birth unto his death but not therefore true of Pharaoh howsoever qualified or of all Pharaoh's Qualifications throughout the whole còurse of his life For so the Proposition becomes an Vniversal not onely in respect of the Time but of the Subject that is of all Pharaohs several qualifications The sense is as if he had said God from eternitie decreed to harden Pharaoh howsoever qualified as well in his Infancie as his full Age by his Irresistible Will and thus taken it is False The Inference is the same with the fore-mentioned Adam in Gods foreknowledge was a sinner from eternitie Ergo Adam was alwaies a sinner a Sinner before he sinned during the time of his innocencie or with this God from all eternitie did decree by his irresistible Will that Adam should die the death Ergo He did decree by his irresistible Will that Adam should dye as soon as he was created or be a sinner all his life long To reconcile these two Propositions aright God from eternitie decreed by his Irresistible Will that Adam should dye God from eternitie did not decree by his Irresistible Will that Adam should die otherwise than we have reconciled the two former God from eternitie decreed to harden Pharaoh by his Irresistible Will God from eternitie did not decree to harden Pharaoh by his Irresistible Will no Writer I presume will undertake The only reconciliation possible is this God did decree by his Irresistible Will that Adam sinning should die God did not decree by his irresistible-Will that Adam not sinning should dye nor did he decree by his Irresistible Will that Adam should sin that he might die For as we said before God did neither decree his Fall nor his perseverance by his Irresistible will And his death was no more inevitable than his Fall Nor was Pharaohs final Induration more inevitable than the measure of iniquitie to which such Induration was from eternitie awarded by Gods Irresistible will Of Pharaoh thus considered the Conclusion was true from eternitie In what sense the Conclusion proposed may be said universal universalitate temporis as to Pharaoh true in respect of every moment of Pharaohs life wherein the measure of his iniquitie was or might have been accomplished though it had been accomplished within three years after his birth And this accomplishment presupposed the Induration was most inevitable his Final Reprobation as irrecoverable as Gods Absolute will taking absolute as it is opposed to disjunct is irresistible 23. In what sense the Conclusion proposed may be said to be universal universalitate subjecti The same Proposition in respect of Reprobation is universally true Vniversalitate Subjecti that is of every other person so ill qualified as Pharaoh was when God did harden him VVhosoever shall at any time become such a man as Pharaoh was then is a Reprobate from eternitie by Gods Irresistible will And seeing no man is exempted from his Jurisdiction he may harden whom he will after the same manner that he hardened Pharaoh although de facto he doth not so harden all the Reprobates that is he reserves them not alive for examples to others after the ordinary time appointed for their dissolution Nor doth he tender ordinary meanes of repentance unto them after the door of Repentance is shut upon them God in his infinite wisdom hath many secret purposes incomprehensible to man as VVhy of such as are equal offenders one in this life is more rigorously dealt withall than another VVhy of such as are equally disposed to goodness Moral one is called before another by his irresistible calling That thus to dispense of mercy and justice in this life See his Treatise of the Signs of the Time the 3. or moral part of it doth argue no Partialitie or respect of persons with God is an argument elsewhere insisted upon 24. The Point whereupon we are now to pitch is this Indefinite Men usually are Called Elected Reprobated or hardened by Gods Resistible will before they be called Elected reprobated or hardened by his irresistible will All these Termes are Indefinite and according to their different measures as truly mutable as Immutable from Eternitie or as in other * See Chapt. 37. Num. 5. 6. See 9. Book Ch. 18. c. Meditations we have shewed There is a State of Election under promise and a State of Election under Oath of which the latter only is Absolutely immutable The like we may say of Reprobation it is either under general Threat or upon Oath the Former is mutable so is not the Latter No man living shall ever be able to make his Inference good Pharaoh was absolutely reprobated from eternitie that is Whether granting that Pharaoh was a reprobate from eternitie we must grant withall that Pharaoh was a reprobate in his Middle age Youth or Infancie His reprobation was immutable from eternitie Ergo Pharaoh in his Youth or Infancie was a Reprobate To inferre the Consequence proposed no Medium more probable than this can possibly be brought Pharaoh from his Infancie to his full age was alwaies one and the self-same Man Et de eodem impossibile est idem affirmari negari The Consequence not withstanding is no better than this following The last Eclipse of the Moon was necessary from the beginning Ergo The Moon was necessarily eclipsed in the first quarter or in the
Free in respect of some acts operations objects 3088. God is not free in respect of every object ib. 3089 Satan free in choice of particular evils though he hath lost all freedom to good 3089 Freedom and servitude in Collapsed Angels and men unregenerate differ 3090 To use free-will extreamly amisse is not necessary but contingent 3093 Abuse of freedom in not avoiding remoter occasions of sin betraies Men to a kind of necessitie to be overcome by nearer opportunities 3094 Use of vows a proof of freedom 3093 c. What freedom is in the unregenerate man 3092 What freedom in extreamly debauched sinners 3095 Freedom not equall in all ibid. A slave has as free a will as his master 3130 3144 How free-will co-operates with Gods Spirit inexplicable 2112 What freedom of will in servants to sin 3029 Where no freedom is admonitions useless ib. The true state of the question about Free-will 3130 The Question about concurrence of Grace and free-will stated in a Church Collect 3131 Free-will in Naaman Sareptan widdow Zachaeus Roman Soldiers ibid. God free to do Good man free to do evil 3249 We are de jure freed from servitude to sin and Satan by Christs death De facto by the Acts of his Everlasting Priesthood 3252 G. SIn against the Holy Ghost is not for Nature or qualitie unpardonable but as a Symptom of the full measure of iniquitie 3282 God See Decree see Will see Pharaoh Gentiles in danger to be more hardened then the Jews or the Egyptians 3208 Duty to pray against it 3209 Gentiles forewarned 3248 Gomarists 3129 Greater Glorie given to the Elect that work good in a greater measure 3285 Goodness How Gods will is the Rule of goodness All things be not good because God willeth them God willeth some things because they be good 3179 c. 3229 3181 3188 Goodness objective precedent in order of Nature to the Act or Exercise of Gods will 3176 c. Goodness Objective and Subjective 3178 Gospel or New Covenant The Condition of men under it 3285 3292 c. Grace Baptismal denyed restrained 3174 Free Grace and meere mercie maintained 3184 3210 c. Grace of Christ a more soveraign qualitie then Adams Righteousness 3005 Estate in Grace the best way to examine it 3097 3103 c. Galen his Heresie 3086 H. HArdening Gods just hardening Pharaoh after he had filled up the measure of his sin 3222 c. What it is to hardâ—n 3223 c. The manner how God hardens men 3224 Hardening Positive Privative ib. positive by favours exhibited not on purpose to harden but to mollifie 3225 God no necessary yet a positive Cause by consequence of hardening ibid. Gods justice in hardening Pharaoh justifyable by Rules of equitie 3230 He hardeneth whom he will 3242 The use of this Truth 3244 Hardening See Pharaoh See Jews See Gentiles Heathen vertues a Catalogue of them c. 3135 Heathen Testimonies of our corrupt nature 3019 ' c. Red Heifer the Rite of it 3261 3264 c. 3267 Red Heifer a Type of Christ 3271 3299 3302 the Rite Rare 3261 not above ten times in all the time of the Law 3270 the Jews say but nine times The tenth to be done by Messias 3299 High-Priest See Priesthood Hemingiuss good Counsel 3267 Dr. Hessils 3274 Holy-water The Canon for it grounded on the Rite of the Red Heifer and Elizaeuss salt 3264 c. Canon for Holy-water mistakes its Ground 3270 ' 3264 Hope must be mingled with fear A Rule to plant hope and prevent despair 3104 Grounds of hope 3104 more grounds 3278 Hope why called an Anchor what it apprehends 3â—03 Humane nature abstract not object of Divine decree 3234 Humane nature The Cross contradicting temper thereof 3024 c. Humane nature See Decree Howant-cry for Antichrist likely to fall into Tiber 3262 I. JAcob and Esau St. Pauls instance 3214 Ideal Reasons 3229 Idea of Reprobation 3226 Identitie of several sorts 3233 Idiopathie 3119 Idiote by nature neither Servant nor Master 3046 Iesuites design 3189 A Iewish objection ill answered by the Romanist 3290 Iews in part Believers Servants to sinne lews answer we were never in Bondage how true 3040 c. 3072 c. Iews De jure not to be slaves because Gods peculiar Ones 3044 Iews which sort Believers or others made that passionate reply to Christ John 8. 3073 Iewish Revolts 3075 c. Iews God their King in a Peculiar sense 3134 Iews spoiled the Egyptians jure Reprisaliorum and by their consent also 3195 Iews hardened as well as the Egyptians 3205 yea more then they 3206 Rejection of the Iew. the Original and manner of it 3210 to 3215 Iews Keepers of Truth in the S. Oracles and in some Traditions also 3299 Ioshua Israelâ—tes see Caleb Isaac willeth Esau runneth God sheweth mercie 3215 Ishmael no Reprobate 3214 Ishmael see Agar Image of God To create man in it and Righteous both one 3006 Reliques of Gods Image in the Natural man such as be not in Divels 3124 Imaginations as bad as erecting Images 3015 Irresistible See Will. Iudas not reprobated from Eternitie 3157 Iustification by Faith 3210 c. Iustification consists not in one Indivisible Act 3269 3276 Iustification 2. branches of it 3278 3279 K. KIngdom of Heaven The sense of that passage in St. Ambrose his Creed Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers 3256 The Kingdom of Heaven not erected till â—esus was made Lord and Christ ibid. Then Enoch Abraham Moses and such as lived at the Time of Christs Ascension were consecrated Kings and Priests ibid. We must first know our selves before we can know God as Creator Redeemer Sanctifier 3002 Not knowing our selves in the Individual as sinners in the General as sons of Adam an occasion of a Socinian Error 3002 Knowledge of Christ the first part of it more easie then the second wherein both parts consist 3001 c. The 35. first Chapters intended for an Introduction to the second Part of the knowledge of Christ 3129 L. THe Law gives the Estimate of sin Like a medicine sets sin on working Sin rages and revives at the law 3025 c. Law a Schoolmaster the Lessons it taught by Legal sacrifices 3293 The poorness of Legal services in comparison of Christs one Sacrifice 3261 c. 3293 c. 3298 c. Gods people under the Law and under the new Covenant in farre different conditions 3292 Legal worshippers conscious of sinne in an other manner then Evangelical are 3293 Liber est qui vivit ut vult Tullie 3046 c. He hath both voluntatem propriam Arbitrium proprium ' ibid. Tullies definition of Libertie lame 3049 conteâ—ins but the Body of libertie The Soul of libertie is potestas volendi quod Deus jubet ibid. Libertie See Freedom and Servitude Of libertie of Prophesying the sad effects 3273 Limitation of two propositions if ye live c 3146 Lite pendente nihil fit 3129 Lords Supper Christs presence in it 3296