that the second death Rev. 2.11 or condemnation inflicted by Christ at the last day is none other then the penalty of the breach of the second Covenant This is the condemnation of the world saith S. John Chap. 3.19 That light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil Which later reason receiveth confirmation from hence That Christ by a most lively embleme in the Parable of the Talents hath declared unto us That God at that day will require no more of any man but according to the Talents of Grace delivered unto them by himself the Mediatour of the new Covenant and will then condemn none but for not well using what they had so received of him whereupon it doth necessarily follow That all men being under the new Covenant whatsoever Grace necessary to Salvation is therein by God promised unto any he being faithfull that hath promised and the Covenant confirmed unto all mankinde by the bloud of Jesus Christ the same must needs be acknowledged to be granted unto all And then forasmuch as we see that all men have not the Law and Fear of God written in them otherwise then was shewed before concerning the Gentiles Rom. 2.14 15. nor their stony hearts taken out of their flesh c. we must not therefore imagine that God hath covenanted absolutely to do these things for any men But there are two things in this Text which thorow want of due consideration mis-lead many men from the right understanding thereof First Because it is said That this Covenant which God promiseth to make with the Iews in the last daies should not be like unto the Covenant that he made with their fathers when he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt the which Covenant they brake c. From whence it is conceived That as the first Covenant could not by any be kept so the later cannot by any that are comprehended therein be broken For the clearing of this mistake I desire that it may be observed That if by these two Covenants here spoken of we must understand the Law and the Gospel Works and Grace which is much questioned by some who conceive them to be particular Covenants proper and peculiar to the Iews only and so nothing at all to the point in hand that they were neither of them unmade untill the time that God brought the Israelites out of the Land of Aegypt And therefore much lesse until the daies of the Prophet Jeremy as this Text seemeth to import That the first Covenant was given unto our first parents in Paradise appeareth from hence That the curse thereof entered into the world by Adam and raigned over all men before the Law was given at mount Sinai Rom. 5.14 For where the curse of the Law is inflicted there the breach of the Law must needs be imputed And seeing as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 5.13 that sin is not imputed where there is no Law given therefore the Law must needs be acknowledged to be given unto Adam and in him to all man-kinde before the punishment thereof death thorow his disobedience did enter into the world and raign therein And like as the Law was given unto Adam before he incurred the punishment thereof So the Gospel or second Covenant must needs be granted immediately to succeed upon his transgression of the first because that otherwise the curse of the Law should forthwith according as it was threatned Gen. 2.17 have seized upon him to have destroied him and in him all man-kinde then in his loins sinning in him the truth whereof is confirmed unto us from hence 1. That the end of Gods patience and forbearance towards sinners is none other then their Repentance and Salvation Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou saith the Apostle speaking to the Gentiles the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to Repentance Again 2 Pet. 3.9 Peter telleth those that scoffed at Gods forbearance towards them in their wickednesse contrary as they supposed to his threats denounced against them That God was not slack concerning his Promise as they counted slacknesse but long-suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance And Paul in Act. 17.26 27. plainly informeth us That the end why God made of one bloud that is to say of Adam all Nations of men to dwell upon the face of the earth was That they should seek the Lord Now forasmuch as seeking of the Lord Repentance and the obtaining of Salvation doth necessarily presuppose the granting and exhibiting of the new Covenant these ends being otherwise impossible to be attained it must needs follow That as God is declared to spare and forbear Adam and all men to the end they might repent c. that in reference to these ends he vouchsafed unto them the Covenant of his Grace whereby they might be enabled to attain thereunto 2. Besides If that God should have spared our first parents and granted unto them the procreation of seed and not in order to the Grace of the new Covenant Redemption from death the curse of the Law and Salvation in the world to come thorow Repentance then there should have been no proportion betwixt the sinne of man-kinde in Adam and the punishment thereof because sinning but in potentia they should be punished in actu which inequality of proceeding is by God in Ezek. 18. disclaimed so that if he had not prepared for man-kinde another life after death and vouchsafed means to make them happy therein they should never personally have suffered death but such as was their sin such should have been their punishment 3. Moreover If that the Covenant of Grace had not been from the beginning then Salvation should not have been from the beginning seeing that it is of Grace only and not of works Ephes 2.8 Whereas therefore the Scriptures enformeth us That remission of sins acceptation with God and consequently Salvation was preached unto Cain Gen. 4.6 7. And that Abel the third man on earth obtained the same Heb. 11.4 it must needs be granted That the Covenant of Grace was vouchsafed unto men from the beginning even from the very time that they stood in any need thereof These two Covenants of Works and Grace then being made and given so long before the time implied by the Prophet Jeremy his words cannot possibly be understood to import the time wherein either the first was or the later should be made with man-kinde but the time wherein the first was and the later should be more clearly made known and demonstrated both unto the Iews and unto others then at any time from the beginning of the world they had been In which respect it is that Christ speaking unto his Disciples saith Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you That many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see these things which
otherwise been according to the saying of Christ though here they had gained the Dominion of the whole World good for them that they had never been born Mat. 16.26 In which regard there cannot possibly be any thing of greater concernment unto men than to be informed what it is that God requireth of them in this World to the aforesaid end and how they may be inabled to the doing thereof because that what a man knoweth not or knoweth not how to performe he can in no wise dispose or apply himselfe to the performance thereof And yet there is not any thing wherein most men are more wanting than in this so necessary knowledge to the great disquietnesse and perplexity of their mindes all their dayes apprehending themselves in the greatest danger and not understanding how or by what meanes they may avoid the same which misery as may justly be supposed happeneth unto them chiefly by reason of their dependance for information in the things of this nature upon those persons only who unduely arrogate unto themselves to be the infallible teachers of the ignorant and dispensers of the Oracles of God appointed and sent into the World for all men to aske counsel of in their Spirituall affaires Whose principals are such as these First That by Adams transgression all men were brought under the guilt of Temporall Spirituall and Eternall death The first consisting in the miseries of this life and the dissolution of mans nature in the end thereof The second in the depravation of the inward man whereby al men are disabled from descerning spirituall things or choosing the things that are good or doing any thing pleasing or acceptable unto God The third in the destruction and perdition of the whole man body and Soul in hell fire for ever and ever Secondly That of man-kinde thus considered God in his eternall counsell was pleased to choose and elect for his sons and daughters onely some few persons in comparison of the whole whom also he decreed to deliver from the fore-said guilt to call them to the knowledge of himselfe to worke in them faith by the effectuall operation of his Spirit and in the end to give them salvation But decreed to leave all the rest of man-kinde in that estate wherein they were fallen and that although by the doctrine of the Gospel he decreed outwardly to cal them to repent believe c. yet to the intent that they might not escape the damnnation of hel whereunto they were design'd by reason of Adams transgression by answering his call giving obedience thereunto he further decreed not onely to deny them the benefit of such meanes which he knew to be necessary to enable them to repent believe c. but he also decreed to blinde their eyes harden their hearts and to make their ears dul of hearing least at any time they should see with their eyes hear with their eares and understand with their hearts come unto him and be healed or be converted and have their sins forgiven them By which opinions pressed received as fundamental points in Divinity men are generally brought to believe that as the damnation of some persons is altogether impossible God having decreed so as of necessity to worke in them faith c. and to bring them to eternall life so on the contray That the salvation of the greatest part of men is as impossible to be obtained God having denyed unto them all necessary meanes for that purpose The evill of which belief so necessarily diverting and disabling all men from the prosecution and obtaining of these ends that God proposeth unto them to wit an exemption from everlasting death and from the enjoyment of eternall life discovereth unto us the errour and false-hood of these doctrines before recited whereby these opinions are begotten and fostred in them in regard that it may not be conceived that God who is truth it self should require all men to believe his love and favour towards them manifestly implyed in his frequent fervent and pathetical exhortations unto them in the Scriptures to hearken unto wisedome to choose his feare to choose life to worke out their own salvation with feare and trembling c. When as in his eternall counsell for Adams offence he hath utterly excluded them from his love and irrecoverably sealed them to everlasting destruction And also although it be a most certaine truth that God before the World did elect and choose some men unto salvation appoint others to be punished yet this may justly leade us to conceive that neither the one sort were elected nor the other rejected upon the grounds that these men pretend or upon any other than those grounds whereupon God in the Scriptures promiseth unto men adoption and salvation and denounceth unto them death and reprobation or those where-upon Christ at the last day will graciously reward some men with eternall happinesse and punish others with everlasting paines except we will set the secret and revealed minde of God at an irreconcilable variance or fancy two mindes in God opposite each unto the other one whereby he hateth and abhorreth in time those persons whom he loved and elected before time and the other whereby he loveth in time those persons whom he hated and abhorred before time which may not be imagined And therefore originally or as men were considered under the fall of Adam we are to conceive that God maketh no difference or distinction betwixt them but of his great and abundant grace in Christ Jesus maketh and openeth unto them all a doore of salvation excluding none who through their own wilfull and voluntary disobedience and contempt of his goodnes exclude not themselves nor saving any but those who from a thankfull apprehension of his rich mercy revealed unto them in his Word and workes or both doe chearfully and willingly submit themselves to the obedience of his will known and understood by them For the Probation of which two general heads joyntly discoursed the detection of the contrary opinions exhibited in sundry objections reasons and texts of Scripture the summe of that which followeth is applyed beginning with the first CHAP I. That God being no respecter of persons cannot choose one man in his disobedience and reject another or enforce one man to believe and not another IF that God should necessitate the salvation of some men and not others then he should be a respecter of persons contrary to the Scriptures As will appeare by severall texts thereof As first by Acts 10.34 Where Peter when he perceived that God had received unto adoption Cornelius a Gentile as well as himselfe and others that were Jewes he thus expresseth himselfe Now I perceive of a truth that there is no respect of persons with God but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is eccepted of him Arguing plainly that if God should accept of one person working righteousnesse and not of another as righteous and just as he that
receive the Holy Ghost Acts 2.38 Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed Acts 19.2 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephes 1.12 13. For ye are all the Sonnes of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Galat. 3.26 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Galat. 4.6 By the first of these wherein the Spirit by doctrine with signes and wonders for the confirmation thereof Heb. 2.3 4. Speaketh to the eares and eyes of men graciously and lovingly striving thereby to convert them from their evill wayes Gen. 6.3 beseeching them by all the mercies of God to present themselves living sacrifices unto him holy and acceptable which is their reasonable service Rom. 12.1 hee enforceth none in any such sort but that possibly they may resist and rebell against him therein according as the Israelites are often charged Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and eares saith Steven speaking unto them ye doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe yee Acts 7.51 They rebelled against and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Esay 63.10 Yea so far may the wickednesse of men heerin be extended as not only wilfully and stubbornly to resist and oppose but most maliciously to blaspheme him and to attribute his very doctrines and wonders to Beelzebub the prince of Devils Matth. 12 24-27 John 8.48 Nor yet in the second place are any of those who are actually possessed with the holy Ghost necessitated thereby to the obedience thereof as is manifestly implyed first in those many exhortations contained in the Scriptures To walke in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 Not quench the Spirit 2 Thes 5.19 Nor grieve the holy Spirit whereby ye are seal'd to the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 But secondly more especially in those Scriptures wherein it is clearly supposed by the Apostles of Jesus Christ taken for granted that those persons who have been made pertakers of the Holy Ghost may fall away from the obedience of it Hebr. 6.4 doe despite unto it heb 1.29 and so defile their bodies the temples of it as to bring the sorest destruction condemnation upon themselves by reason thereof Know ye not saith the apostle that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy 1 Cor. 3.16 17. compare here with Heb. 10.29 And this more evidently may serve to demonstrate that the Spirit in the Ministery thereof doth not enforce regeneration and purity in any for if that it should enforce purity in the uncleane much more should it preserve purity in those that are clean and become temples thereunto And therefore when it is said That the Cretians were renewed by the holy Ghost it must be understood that they were renewed thereby no otherwise than through their diligent hearkning unto receiving the blessed doctrine thereof revealed unto them by the Apostles preaching From whence it is that the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle the second chap. verse 22. writing unto Believers thus expresseth himself Having purified your own souls in obeying of the truth through the Spirit Plainly intimating that no man is renewed by the Spirit any otherwise than through their applying themselves unto the doctrine and instruction thereof The other Text is 2 Tim. 1.9 the words whereof are these Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace that was given us in Christ before the world Which will not prove that God doth necessitate the faith and salvation of any man seeing that that the grace that was given to the persons heer spoken of before the world by which they were called and saved in verse the 10. is declared to be none other than the grace that was manifested by Christ at his appearing so also in Titus 1.1 2 8. and therefore by the latter we are to measure the former by the grace manifested judge determine what that grace was that was given them before the world Now the grace of God towards man-kinde manifested by Christ at his appearance is by Paul in Titus 2.11 12. before cited thus discribed The grace of God saith he that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. to looke for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ which generall description in other Scriptures is unfoulded into these particulars viz. That God so loved the world that he sent his Son to be a Saviour thereof Joh. 3.16 17. And on purpose by his death to destroy death Heb. 2.14 and therely deliver man from the curse of the Law consisting therein Gal. 3.13 of which all men stood guilty Rom. 3.23 And by his resurrection to bring life immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 And in that estate to prepare mansions of glory and happinesse to be possessed of all those that repent believe c. That is to say That love God for his grace and mercie manifested towards them 1 John 4.19 Which consisteth in keeping his commandments 1 John 5.3 Or in loving of Jesus Christ being revealed unto them and keeping his precepts John 15.10 And that thus repenting believing c. men are required with confidence to hope and with patience to waite for the promised Salvation 1 Iohn 3.19 20 21. 4.17 Titus 2.11 12 13. 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Heb. 10.36 This then being the substance of the grace of God manifested by Christ at his appearing the grace that was given to men before the world is to be understood as followeth viz. That God forth of his rich grace pity and compassion considering all mankinde fallen from their first estate and become guilty of everlasting death resolved to send his Son into the World to redeem them from thence to restore them again to immortality to prepare for them therein a heavenly Kingdome to open unto them a way thereinto to invite them to walke therein and walking therein in the end to give them the possession thereof According to which grace Paul and Timothy were called and saved and not according to their workes of righteousnesse by the Law which is all that can rationally be inferred from this Scripture And this is further confirmed by that which followeth in the 13. verse where Paul exhorteth Timothy To hold fast the forme of sound words which he had heard of him in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus which exhortation seemeth to be grounded upon the turning away from the truth of many in Asia mentioned verse 15. the which would be altogether inpertinent as also that caution which he giveth him 1 Tim. 1.19 To hold faith and a good conscience whereof some had made shipwrack If that
before in the 9. verse as it is pretended he had concluded that God in his eternall purpose had decreed to necessitate and enforce his faith and salvation for where it is known there is no danger of miscarriage there is no ground to exhort to beware or to admonish him to hold fast when both the admonisher and the admonished understand that God hath decreed not to suffer him to let goe his hold if that he would Object If that God doth not inforce men to believe and so inforce their salvation thereby then man is the author of his owne salvation This consequence is badly collected As well might it be said that man is the author of his owne subsistance in this life because the food wherewith his life is mainteyned and preserved is not brought unto his hand minced and violently put into his mouth by the immediate hand of God There are two things required to the Salvation of men viz. Gods Grace in Jesus Christ and mans obedience thereunto as no man is saved by the former without the later so neither can any man be saved by the later without the former That no man can be saved without the Grace of God in Christ appeares in this That no man is able to deliver himself from the curse of the Law raise himselfe from corruption to immortality create and set up that Glorious Fabrick of the World to come or that Heavenly Jerusalem which is to bee possessed therein for these as also for his owne being the meanes of his Salvation the promises of Adoption Justification c. through Faith and obedience every man must acknowledge himselfe to be infinitely engaged to the unspeakable mercy and goodnesse of God in Christ And that no man is saved by the Grace of God without his obedience and conformity thereunto appeareth from hence That men are punished with damnation for turning the Grace of God into wantonnesse Jude 4. For neglecting Salvation Heb. 2.3 And walking in darknesse when light is come into the World John 3.19 Upon which ground it is that Paul to Timothy thus exhorteth 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue therein for in so doing thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that hear thee And yet notwithstanding forasmuch as we our selves the meanes which is improved and the end thereof which is Salvation is all of God we are by the Scriptures instructed to attribute the honour and glory thereof wholly unto him He giveth us saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 6.17 speaking of the things of this life procured no otherwise than through a laborious industry in the use of meanes richly all things to enjoy CHAP. II. That it cannot stand with the love of God unto all to enforce some men to believe and not all IF that God should necessitate the Faith and Salvation of some men and not others it would argue a repugnancy in the Doctrine of his love to man-kinde unto whom he hath expressed an equall affection in giving his Son a Saviour for all and in desiring the salvation of all First That God sent his Sonne into the World to save the World appeareth by severall plaine Texts of Scripture as John 3.17 God sent not his Son in to the World to condemne the World but that the World through him might be saved and John 6.11 I am saith Christ the living Bread which came down from Heaven If any man eate of this Bread he shall live for ever And the bread that I shall give is my Flesh which I will give for the life of the World Againe in John 12.47 If any man saith he heare my words and believe not I judge him nor for I came not into the world to judge the world but to save the world And in the 1 Tim. 2.5 6. the Apostle saith There is one God and one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himselfe a Ransome for all And whereas it is by some objected That by the World here spoken of is not to be understood the whole lumpe of man-kinde but only the Elect a part thereof and that by this terme all is not meant every particular man and woman in the world but only some of all sorts c. The Scripture as it were foreseeing this objection addeth in Hebr. 2.9 That Christ tasted death for every man And in the 2 Pet. 2.1 That as there were false prophets among the people even so there shall be false teachers amongst you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And Rom. 14.15 Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ dyed And 1 Cor. 8.11 Through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish for whom Christ dyed Plainly intimating that Christ dyed not only for the Elect as they use to say but for every man for those that deny him are destroyed perish and are damned And furthermore whereas it is objected That the persons here spoken of were not really of the number of those for whom Christ dyed only in the judgement of charity were so reputed The Scriptures affordeth unto us divers evident grounds to prove that Christ came into the World to save every particular person therein without exception As First the Gospel is declared to be glad tydings unto all Luke 2.10 And Secondly is commanded therefore to be preached unto all Matth. 28.19 Marke 16.15 And Thirdly all men to whom it is preached are required to believe it Marke 16.16 Matth. 11.20 And Fourthly Such as doe not believe and give obedience unto it are threatned with damnation Mat. 10.4 Joh. 3.8 And Fiftly those that have had it preached unto them and refused to give obedience thereunto are declared to judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 and to neglect Salvation Hebr. 2.3 Now forasmuch as the Gospel in generall is none other than the fruits of Christs death that Salvation in particular is otherwise altogether impossible it could not in the nature thereof be glad tydings unto all nor in equity or justice be proclamed unto all nor the obedience thereof be required of all nor disobedience thereunto be punishable in all nor could it truly be said That those that are damned for their disobedience unto it have neglected Salvation if that Christ had not shed his Bloud for all And furthermore whereas it is replyed by some That although Christ dyed for all yet his death was intended only to save the Elect. It is by God declared that he sent his Son into the world forth of his love to man-kinde to the end that thereby they might be saved for so saith the Scripture God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son c. John 3.16 And for the further confirmation of all mens Faith in this behalfe he most solemnly professeth yea and having no other to swear by he sweareth by Himselfe That he desireth nor only the Salvation of those
according to the prince of the power of the air c. fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath It s conceived that a man deprived of his natural life is not more incapable of performing the actions of living men then a man in his natural condition is of performing any thing required of him to his Salvation Which will appear very incredible if that we doe but consider that the Scriptures doe evidently declare that God requireth not of any men but according to the talents delivered unto them he requireth not five where he giveth but two nor two where he giveth but one nor yet one where he hath not vouchsafed any If ye were blinde saith Christ ye had not sin Iohn 9.41 2. Therefore secondly I answer That although that this text doth declare that the Ephesians were dead in trespasses and sins yet it doth not argue that they were necessarily dead therein or that they might not have avoided the same for mens being bad is no good ground to prove that they could not be good If that they were necessarily such it must be either by reason that they were such by birth or else through want of instruction but that they were such by birth cannot be gathered from this text 1. Because that those sins and trespasses wherein they are said to be dead are declared to be such as relate to their conversation and time of ripe age they walked according to the course of this world the prince that ruleth in the air fulfilled the desires of the minde c. which is not incident to the estate of infancy 2. It was observed before That all sins have their original in the wils of men and then forasmuch as children cannot distinguish betwixt good and evil Deut. 1.39 they cannot possibly choose the thing that is evil and therefore cannot be guilty thereof much lesse dead therein If it be objected That they are said to be the children of wrath by nature It s answered That by nature in this place probably may be understood that fleshly sensuall or devilish course of life wherein they had their conversation for so the word naturall in the 3. Chapter of Iames the 15. verse compared with the margent appeareth to be rendered in reference unto which they may here be said to be children of wrath But if that thereby we must understand their estate by birth then in that respect are they to be esteemed none otherwise the children of wrath then as they were subject to the wrath or curse of mortality inherent to their natures by their descent from Adam * By wrath in this place cannot possibly be understood the condemnation of hell because that punishment relates to the resurrection which could not have been had not Christ died and rose again and therefore the curse of the fall of which only we are chargeable by nature must of necessity end in the grave and the being of fallen Adam there ceasing no punishment beyond the same can be inflicted And therefore the wrath or condemnation of hell must of necessity be proper to the being that is to come and the reward of disobedience in the second Adam and not of our fall in the first Adam From whence being ransomed by the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ the more to endear them unto him for his goodnesse towards them therein the Apostle in this place may put them in minde thereof And as they were not dead in trespasses and sins by birth So neither were they dead therein through want of divine illumination or demonstration though that neither the Mosaical Law Doctrine of the Prophets or of Christ were delivered unto them as appeareth by Act. 14.17 where we reade that Paul and Barnabas having before reproved the men of Lystra for walking after strange gods and sacrificing unto them to convince them and discover to us that it was not through want of divine evidence that they so walked They declare that God did not leave himself without witnesse that he only ought to have been worshipped by them in that he did them good and gave them rain from heaven filling their hearts with food and gladnesse and the same Apostle further declareth in Rom. 1.19 That that which may be known of God was manifest unto them to wit the Gentiles for God shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him saith he from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead And yet the more fully to evidence this truth in vers 21 it 's plainly declared that by the aforesaid means they did attain to the knowledge of God and of that worship that he required of them when they knew God saith the text they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull c. But knowing the judgement of God that they which did commit such things were worthy of death did not only doe the same but took pleasure in those that did them vers 32. And thereupon in Chap. 2.1 3. are declared to be without excuse both in their disobedience and condemnation 2. This is yet more clearly demonstrated by the words of the Apostle in Chap. 2.14 15. When the Gentiles saith he which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which sheweth the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witnesse and their thoughts in the mean while accusing and excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ In which words these two things are plainly declared First That whatsoever was necessarily required of them to their salvation was fully known unto them Secondly That the things so known by them was within their power to perform and practise That their duty was fully knowne unto them he demonstrateth from these two grounds 1. That some of them did performe the same which according as he argueth they could not have done had they been ignorant thereof when the Gentiles saith he doe by nature the things contained in the Law they shew thereby that they have the worke of the written in their hearts 2. From hence viz. that those of them which did not performe the things required of them to their Salvation had therein consciences accusing them at present and should accuse them by reason thereof in the day when God shal judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ the which should be impossible were not the same things known and understood by them as we may perceive by a very plain instance in Gen. 20. where we read That Abimelech having taken unto him Abrahams Wife upon his denying her to be his Wife and of Gods threatning him with death in case that he did not restore her again unto him he not being privy to himself of any evil committed therein
means of salvation is 2 Cor. 3.5 The words whereof are these Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 1. To which I answer first That this Scripture is least of all to the purpose for which it is alleadged seeing that it is not pleaded that of our selves as of our selves or as we are men simply considered without either having the Law vvritten in our hearts or some discovery made unto us of our deliverance from mortality and happinesse in the vvorld to come to thinke any good thought either towards God or of reforming our selves according to the rules of vertue or Christianity It being according to the testimony of the Apostle if that the dead vvere not raised and consequently no felicity to be expected after death our only vvisdome to eat and drink to free and acquit our selves from all manner of troubles and sufferings vvhatsoever in this vvorld as for conscience sake 1 Cor. 15.32 with the 19.31 32. To fill our selves with costly wine and ointments and to let no flower of the spring passe by us to crown our selves vvith Rose-buds before they be vvithered and to leave tokens of our joyfulnesse in every place it being our portion and only lot Wisd 2.7 8 9. It s thorow Faith only in the Resurrection and eternal Salvation that we overcome the vvorld 1 Iohn 5.4 The crosse of Christ crucifieth us to the vvorld Gal. 6.14 The bloud of Christ or the bloud of the Covenant sanctifieth us in the world Heb. 16.29 And vve love God and keep his Commandments because he hath commended his love unto us by sending his Son into the world that we might live thorow him 1 Ioh. 4.19 with v. 9 10. cap. 5.3 But the intent of the Apostle in this place doth manifestly appear to be only this viz. That neither he himself nor any other of the Apostles vvere of themselves sufficient to think or conceive that glorious Ministery that was committed unto them For having in the 3. verse declared That the Corinthians were the Epistle of Christ ministred by them not written with inke but with the Spirit of God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of their hearts least that they should think of them above that which vvas meet 1 Cor. 4.6 And ascribe the honour of this ministration unto them as if that they had not received it 1 Cor. 4.6 7. In the fifth and sixth verses he addeth these vvords Not that vve are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit And therefore in 1 Cor. 4.1 desireth that they should account of them only as Ministers and Stewards of these things So that all that can rationally be inferr'd from hence is only this That like as the Apostles of themselves vvere not sufficient to conceive that Ministerie that vvas given unto them nor to accomplish any such things as vvere effected in men thereby So neither are any men sufficient of themselves to conceive or believe the things declared therein or to purifie their hearts thereby unlesse that the same be revealed unto them Faith herein and the effects thereof being by hearing and hearing by the vvord of God Rom. 10.17 Some other Scriptures there are of this nature but the answers to these duly considered may be sufficient to enlighten any indifferent mans understanding therin And therefore I shall proceed to answer to the second main Objection and to such principal Scriptures vvhich belong thereunto CHAP. IX Containing severall Answers for the clearing of such Scriptures which seem to import faith to be necessitated in men by the irresistable power of God THe Scriptures alleadged in favour of the second main Objection are such as these Rom. 8.28 29 30. Phil. 2.13 Phil. 1.19 2 Tim. 2.25 Rom. 11.5 6. Jer. 31.33 1. From the first of which the words whereof are these And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the chosen according to his purpose for whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he justified c. It s conceived that of man-kinde fallen in Adam God in that estate before the world chose a certain number thereof unto himself for his sons and daughters And that in reference thereunto in time begetteth them to faith in his Son justifieth them c. 1. To which I answer first That none are chosen to Adoption or Salvation before the world otherwise then in relation to their obedience to those duties which God in the Scriptures by Iesus Christ and his Apostles requireth of men unto those ends 2 Tim. 1.9 with the 10. Tit. 1.1 2. with the 3. 2. Secondly The Scriptures doe positively declare That election is only in Iesus Christ Ephes 1.5 with the 2 Thess 2.13 God hath chosen you to Salvation from the beginning through sanctification and belief of the truth 3. If that God should choose men to Adoption and Salvation before the world otherwise then in relation to their obedience to his will made known unto them Then the will of God in this respect should be two-fold and contradictions in it self The one whereby he chooseth and accepteth to Adoption and Salvation the wicked disobedient and impenitent The other whereby he will not choose nor receive to adoption or Salvation any other then the godly Philip. 4.3 the rich in faith Jam. 2.5 The penitent 2 Cor. 6.17 18. And obedient Matth. 22. the third to the fourteenth which contradiction is impossible to be in God 4. Nor doth the words of the Text prove the contrary Wherein first is laid down the happy estate of those that are called according to purpose ver 28. And 2. the ground thereof which in ver 29. is declared to be this viz. That all those whom God fore-knew that is to say before the world beheld in his Sonne through obedience unto him who are therefore in verse the 28. described to be such as love God least that we should conceive that God knew the workers of iniquity before time whom he refuseth to own or know in time Mat. 7.23 those he predestinated that they should be conformable to the Image of his Sonne in glory Phil. 3.21 For the accomplishment whereof he administreth unto them the means for their calling and upon their obedience thereunto receiveth them to justification and in the end to glory The second text is Phil. 2.13 the words are these For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure From whence it is conceived That whatsoever any man willeth or doth acceptable unto God and tending to his Salvation he is necessarily enforced thereunto by God Answ For the
to write his laws in the hearts of the Israelites in the later daies rather then in the former was because that in the later daies by the Ministery of his Sonne he would more abundantly demonstrate his love and goodnesse unto them then formerly he had done by the Ministery of any of his servants The which although it did most powerfully tend to imprint his Love and Fear in them and to perswade them to deny all ungodlines and worldly lusts and to serve him in righteousnes and true holines all their daies Lu. 1.74 75. yet forasmuch as that means did not inevitably effect the same in them for if it had then they should all of them been converted thereby therefore it cannot from hence be rightly inferred from this text That God hath promised effectually to beget the love and fear of himself in any one man more then another 2. It is also to be considered That when God in the Scriptures saith that he will doe this or that it doth not alwaies imply an absolute and peremptory resolution in him necessarily to enforce and bring the same to passe but to administer such means whereby he knoweth that men either by a direct or indirect use thereof will or may be induced to the doing of that which he saith he will doe In the later respect it is that he speaketh when he saith I will harden Pharaohs heart because that considering him to be a proud covetous tyrant he knew that he would take occasion of obstinacy against him by reason of his mercy towards the oppressed Israelites notwithstanding all his signes and wonders shewed unto him powerfully tending to humble him to the very earth before him and refuse to let them depart out of his Land as he was commanded And in the former respect are the words of the Apostle 1 Tim 2.4 to be understood when he saith That God would have all men to be saved And so likewise are the words of Christ in Iohn 12.32 to be taken where he saith And I if I were lifted up from the earth I WILL DRAW all men after me because that by his Death and Resurrection he should further manifest himself to all men to be the Saviour of the world For as when he affordeth unto men the means of repentance he is said thereby to purge them from their filthinesse though that they be not actually purged thereby as was shewed before in Ezek. 24.13 So according to these Scriptures when he dispenseth meanes extraordinary tending to lead men to Conversion and Salvation Then more especially it is said That he will put his Laws into their hearts will draw them to Christ and will have them to be saved Thirdly It is to be considered That like as God faith That he will write his Laws in mens hearts circumcise their hearts make them new hearts and new spirits Ier. 31.33 Deut. 30.16 Ier. 36.26 Even so he also requireth men to write his Laws in their hearts Prov. 7.3 Circumcise their hearts Ier. 4.4 and make to themselves new hearts and new spirits Ezek. 19.31 Now as the Evangelical precepts are not to be expounded against the promises so neither are the promises thereof to be expounded against the precepts and if considered together they are to be understood as if God should say I will afford means unto you for these ends do you improve them thereunto If it be said that these precepts serve only to expresse unto men that which God promiseth to work in them It is answered first That this is a very forraign exposition and will neither be warranted by Scripture or sound reason God being never known to require of men that which he himself promiseth to doe for them and most irrationall to conceive that he should not rather expresse his goodnesse towards men in requiring them to wait upon him for the things that he purposeth to bestow upon them then to give them precepts for the doing thereof thereby to divert their hopes and expectation as from the promises and to set them on work to beat the air or to make brick without straw But secondly seeing it is manifest that these precepts are unto all men and as manifest that all men have not the things enjoyned therein effected in them it cannot in any wise be supposed that the intent of God in them should be to expresse what he himself would work in men but to enforme us that his promises to put his Laws in mens mindes to write them in their hearts to make them new hearts c. consisteth only in affording unto them means serving for those ends which they themselves are enjoyned to improve for the effecting thereof 4. Lastly It is to be observed That those very persons the Israelites to whom this promise hath the most principal relation unto whom the Apostle most directly applieth the same in the 10 Chapter to the Hebrews are notwithstanding by him evidently declared to be under a possibility of sinning wilfully against the knowledge of the truth of trampling the Sonne of God under their feet and counting his bloud the bloud of this Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing and of doing despite unto the spirit of Grace and thereby of incurring to themselves the sorest punishment judgement and fiery indignation which possibly could not be if that God in this Covenant had absolutely promised or undertaken to put his laws in their hearts and write them in their mindes c. as it is supposed or any otherwise then by administring unto them means for those ends which possibly might be neglected and contemned by them But because that this Scripture serveth so clearly to discover the intent and nature of this Covenant it shall be rehearsed verbatim Heb. 10.16 This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those daies saith the Lord I will put my laws into their hearts and in their mindes will I write them And their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin Having therefore brethren boldnesse or liberty to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh And having an high Priest over the house of God Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good workes Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching For if we sinne wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes But a certain fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries He that despised Moses Law died without mercy