ere they believe me Num. 14. 11. So it may be extended more generally we are too ready and apt to doubt of or be unbelieving concerning what he speaks unto us and therefore because of our backwardness and unaptness to believe he confirms his Saying with his Oath Our Saviour saith to his Disciples Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil or is from or out of evil Not that he hereby condemns all swearing but instructs his Disciples that Oaths though in some Cases useful and needful are yet out of evil And so amongst other things mens unbelief or doubting of the truth of what is affirmed by a bare Word occasions an Oath for the Confirmation of it So warily understanding it we may say as with respect to Gods swearing it is at sometimes out of or from evil Matth. 5. 37. And so here particularly The House of Israel being convinced of their evil and Judgment being threatned against them therefore thus they spake saying If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how then should we live Ezek. 33. 10. They were ready to despond and despair of Gods mercy towards them Now then God thus swears unto them because of their slowness of heart to believe him on his Word Thus also it is said An Oath of Confirmation is an end of all strife gain-saying or contradiction Heb. 6. 16. So here God because of their readiness to contradict and gain-say in their hearts at least swears by himself As also to the end they might not gain-say any more but firmly believe the truth of that so Affirmed and Confirmed he interposeth himself by an Oath Exod. 17. 15 16. And that he might lift up their hands which hang'd down and they might have strong Consolation in returning to him from their evil and wicked ways And as God interposed himself by an Oath to Abraham to the end that the Heirs of his Promise might by this Immutable thing also assuredly know and believe the truth of that so confirmed and might have strong consolation Heb. 6. 16-18 So here also God hath sworn by himself that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked That men might give glory to him in believing and have solid Consolation in this great Encouragement set before them to the truth whereof he hath as it were bound himself or his soul with the Bond of this most Indubitable Oath as Num. 30. 2-4 Acts 23. 12-14 3. We have in the next place to consider and speak unto the subject-matter thus Affirmed and Confirmed by this most excellent Person And by this undeniable Oath And that is laid down and propounded to us 1. Negatively I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Now hereto we may speak in this Order to wit 1. By way of Explication or explaining the words 2. We shall give some further Evidences of the Truth hereof 3. We shall note some Instructions here-from 1. By way of Explication let us enquire into and consider these things 1. What Death is that here spoken of and intended 2. Who are the wicked in the Scripture account 3. What are we to understand by this Phrase no pleasure 4. What time is that in which he hath no Pleasure I have 1. What is the Death here spoken of and intended when he saith I have no Pleasure in the Death of the wicked c. Now in Answer thereto we may say The Scripture speaks onely of two Deaths in General As the Wages of Sin In one of which all lesser Deaths are contained and comprehended namely 1. There is that Death which is intimately called the first Death which was threatned unto the First Man Adam Male and Female in case they should eat of the forbidden Fruit As it is said Of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof in dying thou shalt die Gen. 2. 17. And under the Sentence whereof Adam and all his Posterity fell upon his eating of that Tree whereof God commanded him he should not eat As the Apostle saith By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. By Man even by the first publick man came Death for in Adam all die 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. And this First Death had been an Eternal Death had not our Lord Jesus Christ by the Grace of God tasted it for every man and overcome and abolished it 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. And he will in due time destroy it 1 Cor. 15. 26. It is a strange unreasonable and dangerous mistake of some who say that Christ died not for this first Oflence or the necessary Branches thereof or that he tasted not this first Death for men For if so how then came he to be promised of God before he passed the Sentence upon our First Parents Gen. 3. 15-19 Or how shall men be Raised out of this First Death but by him who was delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification By Man came the Resurrection of the Dead for as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive To wit Quickned and Raised out of the First Death 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. God hath given Christ authority to execute judgment And by his Voice to Bring forth all Men out of their Graves Because he is the Son of Man John 5. 27 28 29. 2. There is another and worse Death which is several times called expresly The second Death To wit as with respect to Men into which such will be cast for their own personal transgressions after they are raised out of the first Death and judged by Christ who remained in their Impenitency Unbelief and Disobedience till the Day of Grace and Patience was ended and died therein Mark 16. 16. 2 Thes 1. 8 9. This Death was not prepared for Men for or by reason of their sinning in the first Publick Man simply but for the Devil and his Angels But they must go into it and be hurt by it who personally and voluntarily listned to and were led by Satan and followed after him and did his Lusts and died the first Death in such transgression Mat. 25. 31-41-46 Of which second Death they shall not be hurt who overcome their spiritual enemies On such the second Death shall have no power Rev. 2. 11. and Chap. 20. 6. But whosoever shall not be found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death Rev. 20. 14 15. The fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev 21. 7 8. This second Death is called the wrath to come because it
will fully seize on none until they be brought out of the first Death and judged by him who died for all and rose again and whom God hath ordained the Judge of quick and dead Mat. 3. 7. 1 Thes 1. 10. Rev. 11. 18. There are some indeed and too many that talk of a third Death but in so doing they speak not according to the Word contained in the Law and Testimony of God And therefore therein there is no light in them And that in speaking of a third Death as the wages of sin they consent not to wholsom words may easily appear to themselves who use this groundless Distinction for some of them to prove that there is such a third Death do weakly enough bring the Scriptures which speak of the second for the proof thereof But it is a very evil and dangerous thing to make such a Distinction where the Scripture makes none but plainly enough opposes and rejects it and may do more harm than they are aware of who make use of it rather I conceive out of ignorance and custom than judgment and consideration It is good for us to hear what the Scripture faith and to receive that But no more to this at present But now the Enquiry is Of which of the two Deaths fore-mentioned are we here to understand these words to mean And to that we say not of the first which is now abolished 1. Because it is Gods Will and Appointment that all men should die the first Death Though not that all should sleep or abide in it 1 Cor. 15. 51 52. It is appointed to men once to die Heb. 9. 27. I know saith Job Thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living To wit the Grave which is called Mans long home Job 30. 23. with Eccles 12. 5. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah Psal 89. 48. with Eccles 7. 2. and Chap. 8. 8. 2. Because the Death here spoken of is called the Death of the wicked as being their proper and onely Death Ezek 18. 23. And therefore it appears hereby is meant directly and fully the second Death or Hell-fire For the wicked so abiding shall be turned into Hell Psal 9. 17. whereas in the first Death there is no difference but all die that good and bad wise and unwise How dieth the wise man as the fool Eccles 2. 16. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Eccles 9. 1 2-10 The most holy and righteous men generally have died this first Death And some of them have said They were going the way of all the earth meaning thereby they were going to die the first Death Josh 23. 14. 1 Kin. 2. 2. But none of them shall be hurt of the second Death Rev. 2. 11. 3. It also plainly appears that by the Death here spoken of we are to understand the second Death directly and fully because this Death may while it is called to Day be escaped and avoided as it is here signified in saying I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Men may now in this day of his Grace and Patience flee from and be delivered from the wrath to come Matth. 3. 7. 1 Thes 10. But now no man can by any turning from evil or exercising himself unto and following after Godliness and Goodness escape or be delivered from the first Death As hath been said No man hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war Eccles 8. 8. By all which it doth plainly and fully appear the Death here spoken of and intended is directly and most properly and fully the second Death as hath been said before Object If any one should object against what hath been said and say That though by the Death here spoken of the first Death as it was appointed to fallen Man after the Promise of Christ by God cannot be meant yet it may mean it of that Death as it is judicially executed upon some for their voluntary and personal Iniquities and Transgressions for so it was not appointed to all men to die it To this I say Ans 1. By way of Grant God did not at first appoint that Men in a Personal Consideration or as fallen in Adam or because of their sins of weakness and unadvisedness simply should die this first Death judicially But 2. When Men are become wicked and have sinned with an high hand against God he may notwithstanding their turning from their evils order the first Death to them judicially and they may not die the common Death of all men or not die it as commonly and ordinarily men die it But in testimony of wrath for their former personal evils it may be executed upon them Num. 14. 28 29. Isa 22. 12-14 And sometimes for the evils of others As upon the little Ones in the old World And of Sodom and Gomorrah c. So that still I say By the Death here spoken of is meant directly and fully the second Death And so we are to understand it That God hath no pleasure in the Death that is in the Eternal Destruction of the wicked Or that they should perish in that Everlasting Fire which was prepared for the Devil and his Angels who sinned without a Tempter But we shall add no more to that 2. Who are the wicked in the Scripture account in whose Death the Lord God hath no pleasure Answ To that we may say Those who are called Wicked in Scripture are not such simply as have sinned in the first Publick Man and come forth into the World polluted and defiled as all do who partake of the Nature of Man by an ordinary way of Generation For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14. 4. and 25. 4. Psal 51. 5. Nor are they such as have sin in them simply as all while here have Rom. 7. 17. 20. 1 Joh. 1. 8. Or that sin through infirmity and weakness or through unadvisedness as all do For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not 1 Kin. 8. 46. Eccles 8. 20. And yet all are not therefore wicked Good men who have acknowledged themselves to have sinned have yet truly acquitted themselves of being wicked As Job thus acknowledgeth I have sinned c. Job 7. 20. And yet he appealeth to God and saith Thou knowest or it is upon thy knowledge that I am not wicked Job 7. 20. And God himself saith of him That he was a perfect and an upright man one that feared God and
Off-spring of fallen degenerate Mankind for they are naturally unclean even as the sparks fly upwards And that he had and hath no Pleasure in the Death of such as are necessarily unclean appears plainly and evidently In that he hath devised such a blessed Means that his banished Ones might not be banished 2 Sam. 14. 14. And in due season Sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law c. Gal. 4. 4 5. And Jesus Christ by the Grace of God tasted death for every man Heb. 2. 9. And rose again for their Justification Rom. 4. 25. As the Apostle signifies when he saith All have sinned to wit in the First Publick Man Rom. 5. 12. And as they come into the World come forth unclean and filthy Rom. 5. 19. and come short of the Glory of God Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3. 23 24. and Chap. 5. 18. And our Lord Jesus hath through death overcome and abolâ—shed this first Death As we have before said 2 Tim. 1. 10. And will in due season destroy it 1 Cor. 15. 16. And hath destroyed him that had the power of Death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 9. 14. And he himself hath now the keys of Hell and Death Rev. 1. 18. And will in the proper season raise All out of it and no man shall perish for ever therein 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. And in the Eternal Judgment which follows after the Resurrection of the Dead no man shall perish in the Second Death for this first sin and sinfulness simply but for their own personal and voluntary Iniquities committed and continued in till the Day of Gods Grace and Patience was ended This is the condemnation saith our Saviour the cause of mens Condemnation or that for which men shall be condemned hereafter that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light John 3. 19. Rom. 1. 18. and Chap. 2. 4 5-11 2 Cor. 5. 10. 2 Thes 1. 7-9 Suitable to what the Lord swears to saying I live saith the Lord God ye shall not have occasion any mâ—â—e to use this Proverb in Israel to wit The Fathers have eaten sowre Grapes and the Childrens Teeth are set on edge Behold all Souls are mine as the Soul of the Father so also the Soul of the Son is mine The Soul that sinneth to wit voluntarily and impenitently it shall die Ezek. 18. 2 3 4. with Jer. 31. 29 30. And therefore without peradventure All Infants and such as have died before they come to the use of understanding shall be raised to the enjoyment of Eternal Life and none such shall perish in the Second Death Lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward Psal 127. 3. And according to what hath been said before He that is now so pitiful and compassionate towards those persons that cannot discern between their right-hand and their left-hand As that he is not forward to execute upon them a temporal Judgment for their Fathers Iniquities though they were not of his Church he hath no Pleasure to doom them to the Vengeance of eternal Fire Considering also That Christ hath given himself a Ransom for them as he hath done for all men Jonah 4. 10 11. Jer. 49. 7-11 1 Tim. â— 4 5 6. Certainly he hath not But he will have a desire to the work of his hands and to the Price of the precious blood of his dear Son Job 14. 15. Ezek. 18. 4. Object But against what we are now considering some may object and say That before Esau was born or had done good or evil God hated and reprobated him And therefore he may hate them also in their Infancy and reprobate them before they were born and hereafter destroy them for ever for the sin of their first Parents Answ To this Objection we may give several Answers and say 1. Suppose what is contained in this Objection were verily true as it is indeed very false and untrue What ground of Comfort can they have concerning their own Children who die in Infancy that make this Objection and believe it to be true If they say they are themselves hearty Believers in Christ and so Abraham's Seed and Heirs of the Promise and therefore their Children are in the Covenant If all this should be granted yet may not as much at least be without any scruple affirmed of Isaac the Father of Jacob and Esau and yet they believe the one half of his Children was hated and reprobated before born And why may it not be so with theirs also See Gen. 26. 3 4 5. And me-thinks were this considered by them it might fill their own hearts with continual sorrow and heaviness unless this dismal Decree of Reprobation they plead for hath made them perfectly like unto the Ostrich which is hardened against her young ones as though they were not hers her labour is in vain without fear Because God hath deprived her of wisdom neither hath he imparted to her understanding Job 39. 13-17 But 2. I further say That there is nothing of truth at all in this Objection and therefore it is like unto the rest of their Tenets in which they oppose the Doctrine of the Grace of God in Christ to all Mankind For 1. There is no reason to believe That God hated Esau before he was born seeing God gave him to Isaac in answer to his Entreaty and Prayer And so he might say as his Son Jacob did afterwards concerning his Children to wit That he was one that God graciously gave unto him Gen. 33. 5. For it is said Isaac intreated the Lord for his Wife because she was barren And the Lord was intreated of him and Rebekah his Wife conceived Gen. 25. 21. Now what a Return of Prayer and Encouragement to a like Prayer was here if God in answer to his Prayer gives him two Sons and one of them was hated and reprobated before he was born Our Saviour saith What man is there of you whom if his Son ask bread will he give him a stone Or if he ask a fish will he give him a serpent But how much beneath evil Parents doth this Objection render our Gracious God who infinitely exceeds in Goodness and Kindness to his Children all earthly Parents For here his Child Isaac begs a Boon of him and he gives him one piece of bread and one stone one fish and one serpent or scorpion if this Objection would hold water Mat. 7. 9-11 2. There is not a word spoken of Gods hating Esau before he was born or of Gods hating Esau personally considered at any time what was spoken before the Children were born or had done good or evil was this onely The elder shall serve the younger as may be plainly seen in Gen. 25. 23. with Rom. 9. 11 12. Nor was this spoken of his Person but of his Posterity As evidently appears in Gen. 15. 23. Two Nations
And he shall answer and say unto you I know you not whence you are c. Luke 13. 24-29 Mat. 25. 10-13 But now I say while God is waiting that he may be gracious unto sinners he hath no pleasure none at all in their eternal Ruine and Perdition Isa 30. 8-18 And so surely to him that is joyned to all the living there is hope Eccl. 9. 4. The very end of Christ in so loving all men as to die for them was That they which live who are still continued in the land of and joyned to all the living might no longer live unto themselves but unto him who died for them and rose again 2. Cor. 5. 14 15. Yea though Sinners and ungodly Ones have long persisted in their folly and disobedience yet while he is long-suffering it is a Day of Salvation 2 Pet. 3. 9-15 And unto such Wisdom utters her Voice saying How long ye simple Ones will ye love simplicity and the Scorners delight in their scorning and Fools hate knowledge Turn ye at my reproof c. Prov. 1. 21 22 23. Isa 50. 1 2. Even as our Lord Jesus speaks and saith If any man here my words and believe not I judge him not To wit now he doth not judge him as that is opposed to saving he doth not say he will never judge him for he will hereafter judge all and yield Vengeance unto all that know not God and obey not his Gospel who will be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power as 2 Thes 1 7 8 9. Acts 10. 40 41. But now during the Day of Gods Grace and Patience he saith I judge him not John 12. 47-49 Hence the Wisdom of God thus speaks unto men and unto the Sons of Adam Indefinitely considered and saith They that seek me early to wit while it is called to Day shall find me And thus exhorts them Now therefore to wit in the opportune season hearken unto me for blessed are they that observe my ways Prov. 8. 1-4 5. 17. 32 33. And thus also we have given some Answer unto this Enquiry and have shewn how long or during what time the Lord God hath no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked That is to say While he is exercising long-suffering towards them and they are joyned unto all the living And thus we have spoken unto the Explication or explaining of those four things we propounded to Enquire into which we desire may be duly minded and diligently considered And shall now proceed on unto the next considerable to wit 2. We come nextly to give some further Evidence and Proof of the Truth of what the Lord God here so solemnly swears to namely That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked Though indeed his Word and Oath here given us are such Immutable Things and Infallible Proofs as may sufficiently assure us of the Verity of what is so Affirmed and Confirmed But we have not onely this Scripture speaking such gracious Words but others also much-what to the same purpose Thus it is said Have I any pleasure at all either Revealed or Secret in the Death of the wicked saith the Lord God Indeed this is propounded by way of Question or Interrogation But as is usually observed is a vehement Denial of that questioned about And to put all out of doubt he who propounds the Question and best and onely perfectly knows his own Will and Pleasure gives Answer hereto in the same Chapter and saith positively I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth saith the Lord God c. Ezek. 18. 23. with verse 32. And we have the two famous Apostles the Apostle of the Uncircumcision and the Apostle of the Circumcision speaking after the same rate The former saith thus God our Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3 4. The latter thus The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. And these Scriptures considered together more confirm the truth of this Doctrine And this three-fold Cord is not quickly broken But I shall desire to add some other Proofs and Evidences to Assure us of the Truth hereof Namely 1. It appears Evidently That God hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked nor of any sinful Creature of Mankind while it is called to Day in that according to his Promise he hath actually raised up a Saviour even Jesus This Purpose and Grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the secular times but is now manifested by the appearing of our Saviour c. 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4 4 5. Which was an high Act Evidence and Expression of the Love of God towards the Sons of Men As our Saviour saith So God loved the World to wit of Mankind that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World thorow him might be saved John 3. 16. 7. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners Indefinitely considered 1 Tim. 1. 15. In this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live thorow him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son the Propitiation for our sins he sent the Son the Saviour of the World 1 John 4. 8 9 10-14 And Jesus Christ by the will of God his Father came into the World not to destroy mens Souls but to save them Luk. 9 55 56. To which end He in the Greatness of his Love died for all even for all of Mankind that were dead 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. And God crowned him with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man Heb. 2. 9. And he rose again for their justification Rom. 4. 15. and Ch. 3. 23 24. and Ch. 5. 6-8 12. 18. Now herein is clearly and undoubtedly evidenced That God hath no pleasure in the Death of any of Mankind while it is called to Day In that he hath devised such a Device and done what he devised that his Banished might not be expelled from him as 2 Sam. 14. 14. When Christ was born into the World one Angel saith unto the Shepherds Behold I bring you glad-tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you Men and not unto the Angels Heb. 2. 9. 16. is born this day a Saviour c. And the multitude of the heavenly host praised God and said Glory to God
in the highest on earth peace good will towards men Luke 2. 10 11-14 And hereby the Apostle Paul doth prove and demonstrate That God our Saviour will have all men to be saved And therefore hath no pleasure in the Destruction of any of them Because there is one Medâ—atour of God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ranson or Price of Redemption for all 1 Tim. 2. 4 5 6. And upon this ground the worst of sinners are exhorted and excited to turn to the Lord Behold saith the Lord I have given him for a Witness to the People even Christ as delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification There called The sure mercies of David Isa 55. 3 4. with Acts 13. 34. And then presently after and upon that account he calleth Sinners to Repentance Seek ye the LORD while he may be found call upon him while he is neer Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts and let him return unto the LORD and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will multiply to pardon Isa 55. 3 4-6 7. This blessed Doctrine the Apostle preached unto the Corinthians when they were carried away unto dumb Idols and were notorious sinners to wit Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate Abusers of themselves with Mankind c. To assure them that God hath no pleasure in their Death And to the end they might be saved He delivered unto them first of all that which he also received How that Christ died for their sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures c. 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4. with Chap. 6. 9 10 11. and Chap. 12. 2. Yea the love of Christ in dying for All and rising again known and believed by his Ambassadors did constrain them to perswade men and where-ever they came thus to pray in Christs stead Be ye reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 11-14 15-19 20 21. and Chap. 6. 1 2. And this is one evident and fundamental Demonstration of the truth of what God here swears to wit That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked Christ is the Amen the faithful and true Witness hereof Rev. 1. 5. and Chap. 3. 14. And as God's commanding Moses to set a Serpent of brass upon a Pole that those who were stung with the fiery Serpents for their despising the Manna might look unto it and live Did plainly evince that it was not his Mind or Will that they should die of their stings Num. 21. Even so God hath herein more brightly manifested That he is not willing that any should perish In that the Son of Man hath been lifted up from the Earth for them and lifted up from the gates of death c. For so God loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son John 3. 14 15 16 17. 2. It is further evident That God hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked in this In that Christ by his Death in the vertue whereof he is raised again is become the Deliverer from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. for thereby he hath obtained the forgiveness of those sins which deserve and bring men under the sentence of Condemnation to the wrath to come Luke 2. 30 31. He who descended into the lower parts of the Earth and who is ascended up on high and hath led captivity captive hath received gifts in the man even for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Psal 68. 18. without blood shedding there is no remission of sins to wit without the Blood-shedding of the Son of God For it was not possible that the blood of Goats and Calves should take away sin If Righteousness could have come by the Law then Christ died in vain Heb 9. 22. and Chap. 10. 1-4 5-9 Gal. 2. 21. And unless he who died for our sins had been raised again for our justification we must have remained necessarily in our sins 1 Cor. 15. 17. But now he who bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree is raised again and saw no corruption Therefore in him is prepared for sinners and in his Name preached to them the forgiveness of those sins from which men could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 32-37-39 He hath obtained eternal Redemption even the forgiveness of our sins by his blood according to the riches of Gods grace Heb. 9. 12. with Ephes 1. 7. forgiveness of the greatest sins and sinners while it is the Day of Gods Grace and Patience And therefore he saith to his Apostles Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day And that Repentance and Forgiveness of sins should be preached in his Name unto all Nations beginning at Jerusalem which had killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent unto them And were afterwards the Betrayers and Murderers of the Lord of Glory Luke 24. 46-48 with Chap. 13. 34. Acts 7. 53. Otherwise indeed I mean If there were no Forgiveness of sins with God in Christ for wicked Ones he might be said to have Pleasure in their Death and Destruction And the House of Israel had rightly supposed what they did as the Words may be read in the Verse immediately preceding that which we are considering to wit O thou Son of Man speak unto the House of Israel rightly ye speak saying If our iniquities and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them If there be no Attonement for them no Forgiveness of them see Num. 15. 30 31. with verse 27 28 29. How should we then live Ezek. 33. 10. Or as the Psamist saith If thou LORD shouldst mark iniquities O LORD who shall stand But there is forgiveness or as the Septuagint renders it There is a propitiation with thee that thou mayst be feared And thence incourages the House of Israel notwithstanding their great and manifold Transgressions yet to hope in his Mercy Let Israel saith he hope in the LORD for with the LORD is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption Psal 130. 3 4-7 The Lord hath proclaimed himself to be gracious and merciful abundant in goodness keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Exod. 34. 6 7. He hath a great Name for pardoning great iniquities Psal 25. 11. For he hath found out a Ransom for our souls an Attonement for our sins Job 33. 24. He hath accepted a sacrifice even that of our Lord Jesus Christ who in the greatness of his love towards us gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice unto God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. And in whom by means thereof we have redemption thorow his blood even the forgiveness of sins Col. 1. 14. As also to the end we may be justified from and receive the forgiveness of our sins
wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile for there is no respect of persons with God Rom. 2. 1-4 5-11 There will be no good reason or just cause to blame the Almighty as if he were the Author of their endless misery And if any shall so do He will be justified in his sayings and overcome when he is judged Rom. 3. 3 4. And all â—â—at are incensed against him shall be ashamed when they shall appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ for then they shall know and confess That he had no Pleasure during the Day of his Grace in their Perdition but willed that they should be saved And therefore thus called unto All Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye saved for I am a just God and a Saviour and there is none besides me Isa 45. 21 22 23 24. And specially such as continue wicked amongst Gods Professed People will be inexcusable in that day and will be even speechless Matth. 22. 12 13 14. They will not have to plead for themselves That Christ never died for them for he gave his flesh for the life of the world John 6. 51. Died for all even for All of Mankind that were dead and rose again for their justification To the end they might have lived unto him who so dearly bought them 2 Cor. 5. 14 25. They will have no just cause to say That there was no saving Grace vouchsafed to them that they might have been saved from their wickedness For this is very false as afterwards also we may shew more fully And as is intimated in this Oath for without question he that so solemnly swears that he hath now no Pleasure in their Destruction will not be wanting in giving such Grace to them as whereby they may escape that place of Torment The grace of God that bringeth salvation or is saving unto all men hath appeared Tit. 2. 11 12. Or if they should think to excuse themselves or extenuate their wickedness with saying God had reprobated them or past them by before they were born And by vertue hereof they were left under a necessity of perishing and must in conclusion be unavoidably miserable Hereby they will nothing advantage themselves for they do but make lyes their refuge and under falshood seek to hide themselves And when God lays Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet the hail will sweep away their refuge of lies and the waters will over-flow their hiding place As Isa 28. 15-17 For there is no such dreadful and dismal Decree of Reprobation of any of Mankind in a Personal Consideration as some earnestly and zealously contend for as appears plainly and evidently in what we have said before Nor is the Lord now willing that any should perish as he hath both said and sworn and given his Son to be a Witness of the truth hereof And therefore this will be the Worm that will gnaw upon them for ever That God so loved them when fallen as to give his onely begotten Son to be their Saviour that thorow him they might be saved That Christ by the free Love and Charity of God and by his own Grace tasted Death for them and rose again for their Justification and ascended up on high and led Captivity Captive and received gifts in the Man even for the Rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them That when they came to years of understanding God made known the love of the truth to them to the end they might have been saved and assisted them in order thereunto with his Grace and strove with them by his Spirit to convince them of and convert them from their sins and vanities to serve the living and true God That yet notwithstanding all this they rewarded him evil for good and hatred for his love That they trampled under foot the precious blood of Christ the blood of the Covenant And resisted and offered despight unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 29. And despised all the riches of Gods goodness and forbearance and long-suffering vouchsafed to them Rom. 2. 4-6 Oh! this I say being reflected on will fill them with desperate Grief and Vexation of Spirit That when it was Gods will they should be saved they would not so be That when Christ would have gathered them as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings they would not be gathered Then they will blame themselves onely and even say How have we hated instruction and our heart despised reproof we have not obeyed the voice of our teachers nor inclined our ears to them that instructed us Prov. 5. 7-13 Wisdom 5. 2-8 Then they will be ashamed and cry for sorrow of heart and howl for vexation of spirit That when God called them they did not answer That when he spake they did not hear but did evil before his eyes and chose that wherein he delighted not when they might have chosen the things that pleased him And which would have been eternally profitable to themselves for if they had been wise they should have been wise for themselves But having been Scorners they alone must bear it Isa 65. 11-15 Prov. 9. 12. Had their Ruine and eternal Perdition been unavoidable it would be more tolerable And there would have been no good Reason for them to have blamed themselves But when they shall consider they wilfully sinned and brought upon themselves eternal Destruction when God was not willing they should perish and sware As he lives he had no pleasure therein Oh! this will aggravate their misery how can their hearts endure the thoughts hereof Or how can their hands be strong Ezek. 22. 13 14. And yet thus it must needs be I mean Man's Perdition will be and appear to be wholly of himself And none shall be Damned hereafter but such as might have been saved and yet did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. And this is evident from what the Lord God here swears to namely That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked Object But against what hath been even now said some may object and say It evidently appears that some Persons were personally elected to salvation before they were born yea before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 4. And therefore also it necessarily follows that some were then also personally reprobated and must needs perish hereafter Answ To this Objection I shall more briefly give Answer because I have elsewhere largely considered it and shewed some mens great mistake concerning it And therefore I shall here onely say 1. If it should be granted that the Apostle speaks there directly of some mens being elected to Salvation before the Dejection or foundation of the World Yet it appears evidently that they were not chosen thereto in a personal consideration but as considered in Christ and so as Believers in him for the