treasury of which namely that God is ready and willing to extend him who is in himselfe so precious unlesse the soule be perswaded it cannot sit down in the rest of God and triumph in Jesus Christ for it is not enough to know Christ to be a mighty Saviour but also a possible Saviour as I may say or a Saviour to be interessed in or to be injoyed notwithstanding all unrighteousnesse which must be by Gods declaring of himselfe in Christ in the ministry by the power of the Spirit that hee freely gives a true fight thereof and saves thee onely for his names sake not for thy righteousnesse which stinkes in his nostrills and thus the soule being taught by such a ministration great is the peace thereof Esa Thirdly to have such as perish without excuse who had matter to have pleaded with God that they could have beleeved in his Christ man naturally having high thoughts of himselfe if hee had beene preached unto them but thus comes their mouthes to be stopped and they shall hereby sit downe in silence at the day of wrath quarrelling with themselves and not with God iustifying him in their condemnation for he proffered his Christ to them beseeching them so stooping to vile man to be reconciled but they would none of him but rejected him but now he is so a Prophet unto his people that were in him from all eternitie that he not only speakes but causeth them to heare hee gives them wisedome and understanding 1 Cor. 1.30 1 Joh. 5.20 Joh. 5.23 let them be never so dead yet he that could raise Lazarus out of the grave will make them to heare his voyce and live did hee speake so to the world not one should miscarry therefore we must take up these things by way of distinction and the Scripture beares it out it is said many are called but few chosen yet he saith Rom. 8.30 whom he predestinate them hee also called wherein is held forth a twofold call the one outward the other inward and accompanied with mighty workings of God So Rev. 19.9 blessed are they that are bidden to the Lambes Supper yet he invited many Luke 14.16 17. which were not blessed so that here I understand to the one there went forth onely the ministery to the other the power accompanying that ministry which compelled them to come being a bidding with a voice of power Luke 14.23 according to the tenour of the new Covenant they shall be all taught of God informing us that notwithstanding all the teachings by man there can bee no availing without Gods going forth with power as saith the Apostle Paul may plant and Apollos may water but it is God that giveth the increase What is Paul or Cephas but Ministers of your joy and according as God gave to every man the measure of faith 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7. But that these things may be the better cleared up the difference lies thus Concerning the going forth of Christ in his Offices For this Kingly office of Christ as it is exercised to some may be opposed bring forth those my enemies that will not have me to raign over them But as it goes forth to the Vessels of mercy so it is not nor can be opposed for there he workes in his mighty power binding the strong man and taking possession leading the soule a glorious Captivity to himselfe giving Repentance whereby they recover themselves out of the snare of the devill which is a worke of his Princeship or Kingly office to cause repentance it consisting not as some conceive in the forsaking of sin and reforming the life but even a turning the creature from that that is the glory and beauty of such Reformers even their owne righteousnesse that they no longer glory in themselves but alone in him So also in the Propheticall office He so teacheth some that they may and doe resist Ye have alway resisted the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 How oft would I have gathered you but you would not I said in rest and quietnesse shall you beleeve as confidence and assurance shall be your strength but you would not by reason that he opens his mouth in Parables no power going along to unvaile the hidden mistery Luke 2.43 But now the preaching the Gospell by the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1.12 Sending strength along with the Ministry to such as were chosen in him and ordained to be heires of life to be presented spotlesse in him being made perfect through Christ that hee might bring many Sons to glory Herein is it given to them to know the mysteries So also that concernes his Priestly office that Salvation which he brings into the world and tenders some putting from them judging themselves unworthy of eternall life no lasting salvation Acts 13.46 compared with Act. 28.28 Heb. 2.3 whereas such as were from all eternity encompast in the salvation and righteousnesse of Christ whom he also foretold and gave himselfe for that he might clense by one offering Salvation cannot be tendered in vaine but shall in due time break forth upon them To conclude and summe up all if he dyed alike for all then would hee teach all alike and raign over and exercise Soveraignty over all alike for is Christ divided If he made no difference in his death he would make no difference in his life But he dyed for our sins and rose again for our Instification where the Apostle particularizeth his death to some he offering himselfe with a peculiar relation to some persons which were the dearest to him and were sanctified or set apart by the Eternall decree to be his peculiar treasure and the wife of his bosome whereas for others he no way sacrificed himselfe then as providing a fulnesse in himselfe and not in relation of salvation to their persons as he did for his Spouse and so many as he dyed for he rose againe for their justification that the one is of as large extent as the other even his rising to justifie as well as his dying for sin and therefore being he so dyed not only that they might have sanctification by his death but that he might sanctifie a people he is risen to see that effected which he bought at so deare a rate and thus saith the Scripture we are begotten by his Resurrection 1. Pet. 1.3 Saved by his Resurrection 1 Pet. 3.21 Hee being risen to that end to make good that he dyed for so that it cannot be that he dyed for all alike Likewise if faith be the purchase of Christ or come by his death therein it also appeares that that doctrine cannot bee true If unbeliefe be a sin and a condemning sin is maintained by such as conceive he dyed alike for all be forgiven by the blood of Christ as it wholly must for without shedding of blood there is no remission and by his blood we have forgivenesse of all sin Ephes 1.7 Even the sin of unbeliefe Which Paul and all the rest are guilty of then it cannot be that he dyed for all alike by reason that many have not the forgivenesse of this sin and consequently of none and if it be so that this sin of unbeliefe be forgiven without satisfaction by the blood of Christ for it amongst the rest then God could forgive that high condemning sin of unbeliefe without impeachment of his Justice as well as any other this being of as deep a dye Againe if faith also be not the purchase of Christ then is he not in a speciall manner a Saviour albeit it is said of God that he is the Saviour of all especially of them that beleeve the same as due honor ought to be applyed to Christ for he would have all men honour the Son as they honour the Father but he cannot be a speciall Saviour to beleevers unlesse he hath done something more for them then for the world and if faith come not by him then hath he done no more for whatsoever he hath done can be of no advantage the which staines all his glory and it concernes all well to consider that saying He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father His soul hath travelled for a people and for that which is the glory and the life of that people and hee will be satisfied in the travell of his soul either then it is matter of satisfaction to him that his people should be raised up to the life of faith or else faith is the travell of his soule for he is fully satisfied in that which is his owne travell and therefore in nothing else but that Thus Christian Reader I have briefly endeavoured to declare unto thee the extent of the death of the Lord Iesus Christ If thou shalt reap any benefit thereby let the Lord of heaven have all the glory of it Farewell Richard Marryat
alludes unto be taken up according to the former onely that his allusion in the second and third Verses cannot be so proper For so long as a man liveth the Law is his Lord that is till he become dead to himselfe and live in another as it was with the Apostle himselfe and is with all beleeving Saints according to that Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I live is by the Faith of the Sonne of God even till this new life be breathed in the Law exerciseth dominion over a man but when hee no longer lives Christ is his life as Col. 3.4 Ioh. 11.25 1 Ioh. 5.12 then the Law cannot have dominion over him for now he is a new creature and walkes in newnesse of life 2 Cor. 5.17 Esay 43.19 Rev. 21.5 and therefore the Law which is the Lord the Husband the Rule the Line for the old Man the Naturall Man the Carnall Man cannot have to doe with him it being not answerable to that new creature that is of such a heavenly divine Spirituall and Evangelicall being and is above the Law as much as heaven is above the earth yea the new Adam above the old 1 Cor. 15.47 48. For as is the heavenly so are they that are heavenly and therefore they cannot have union with the Law or it have dominion over them they being highly advanced above Dominions Principalities and Powers sitting with Christ in heavenly places Ephe. 2.6 Rev. 12.5 and therefore saith the Church Other Lords have had dominion over us but now are they dead unto us and we are called by thy Name So that the force of the Apostles Argument must needs lie here that if it be so that these Romanes are dead to the Law that their old man is crucified Gal. 2.19 that they are ingrafted into the new and true Olive Rom. 11.17 that they are made alive in Christ so as that now he is become their Lord their Husband Psal 45.11 2 Cor. 11.2 3. then the Law cannot exercise authoritie or Lordship over them So that the matter the Apostle here drives at stands good the word being lively taken up but we shall finde this interrupts the Apostles method of expressing himselfe for he in this first verse sets forth the Law as having a dominion belonging to it where it is in force in the next verse that he may illustrate his minde he compares it to the husband who is the party to whom dominion belongs and the wife the party in subiection then to set forth to these beleeving Romanes their feedome from the Law he argues the case thus that if the husband be dead then the wife shee is no longer held under his power but is delivered from the law of the man that was her husband so also the Law being dead which is the husband the Lord over the earthly and naturall man then are such to whom it is become thus dead free from the power or soveraignty thereof therefore in the 6. Ver. of the 7. to the Romanes he saith thus But now wee are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held meaning the Law being dead so also 2 Cor. 3.7.11 and Gal. 4.24 30. verses so Heb. 10.9 where he shewes the taking away the Law which is abolished In respect of ministration towards all that the Gospel the glad tidings the righteousnesse of Faith not the Law the killing letter the righteousnesse of man is to be preached to all people and to all persons and not onely so but to be abolished in respect of its power and dominion over the body and Spouse of Christ so that such as live and move in the Law they are none of his none of the childten of promise they are but Ishmaels sonnes of the bond woman and shall not be heires with the sonnes of the free woman as Gal. 4.30 and Gen. 21.10 and then also the husband being dead to the wife that hee carmot direct injoyne or command her even the wife also is as dead to such a husband as not in any wise to stand under his power and so the case stands betweene the Law and the beleever that it being dead to him he also becomes dead to it that whensoever it speakes it is as the voice of a stranger which he will not heare John 10.5 though it came in never so smooth a language and with words as soft as butter to draw him from his Virgin and upright affection Cant. 1.2 c. and therefore doth the Apostle change his voyce in that manner one while he saith the Law is become dead to the beleever another while that the beleever is dead to it for the mighty power that workes the death of the Law to the man must needs worke the death of the man to it and therefore in the 4. verse the Apostle saith So you are become dead to the Law Then having by cleare and strong consequence shewed their freedome from servitude or bondage he falls upon a discovery how this freedome is brought about which hee saith is by the body of Christ for no other way is there benefit arising to any The first thing I shall minde is that it must needs be by a mighty working of the power and Spirit of God that his death to the Law must be wrought Man as he lies in himselfe spends and layes out his strength and all his endeavours in obedience to the Law working out a right eousnesse to commend himselfe before God and to raise a relation of being a Son and a Servant to him Thus Paul prest after a righteousnesse being under the Law as himselfe testifies Galat. 1.14 Acts 9.1 Phil. 3.6 And was blamelesse concerning the Law had a hot zeale but not according to knowledge till it pleased the Lord to open his eyes and reveale his Son Christ Jesus to him and to shew him the fellowship of the Mystery of his glorious Gospell which no man naturally can ever see or discerne John 3.5 vers 31. 1 Cor. 2.14 This the Jews were so zealous after seeking to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10.2 3. And this many sons of Hagar who have high thoughts of their being beleevers and beloved ones in the sight of God doe rise early and lie downe late eating the bread of carefulnesse must present faire Jewels to this Calfe and their Children even the fruit vigor and strength of their Soules to this Molech it is their glory their riches yea their life for take away their righteousnesse then goes all their hope all their comfort therefore skin for skin and all they have will they give for this So that such as bring them the doctrine of the Law they are the soundest Ministers and the wellcommest to them as Christ saith If one come in his owne name him ye will receive but he that shall come forth with the message of the most High even in the Gospell of Jesus Chrift which will in no
fold love also one outward in respect of that speciall love which sets all that power and wisdome that is in God aworke towards the hyer of that love but he not so loves the world and that it may appeare so let us consider these words that notwithstanding that love and that gift that world shall perish so that by world cannot be meant as some conceive the Elect for they shall not perish nor by that love a speciall love nor by that gift of Christ such a gift as the Apostle in the foregoing place speakes of for if so then the words must bee thus read God so loved the Elect that whosoever of the Elect should beleeve should be saved which plainly infers then that some of the Elect shall not beleeve but perish and that the speciall love of God were mutable notwithstanding he hath said he will reft in his love and repentance is hid from his eyes and that he had given all to some before they were having made knowne to the heires of salvation the immutability of his Counsell and albeit God had in a peculiar manner given his Son yet he would not give the dowry even Faith Justification and Remission of sins all which in any indifferent eye naturally goes out of such an Exposition of that Scripture and so raseth out the glorious Gospel and glory of God and his people Object If it be objected that that is not a love to give Christ so only in the meanes or in the ministry because no power going along to cause them to imbrace it turnes to their destruction and the greater aggravation of wrath Answ I answer this evill effect proceeds from the mighty workings of the Serpent in them and not from the meanes of grace which in it selfe is simply good and the case stands alike concerning worldly blessings the which in themselves are good yet through abuse become curses in respect of the punishment is thereby produced yet in themselves they are blessings and mercies so to give the ministry of Reconciliation is in it selfe an act of love and the like is held forth in that Iohn 12.47 If any man saith Christ heare my words and will not beleeve I judge him not then comes the reason For I came not to judge the world but to save the world in the which reason he plainly infers that he judgeth not him but came to save him and he that will not beleeve that at the last shall be judged by the word which he hath spoken to which upon the same ground might be objected that he came not to save but to condemne by reason that man hath not power to beleeve these his words by which he must be iudged whereas indeed in that hee useth that meanes towards him and to the world that tends to salvation so he might truely be said to come to save the world But now he is in a different nature a Saviour and in another maner unto his Spouse having perfectly and fully sanctified and cleansed them in himself for saith the Scripture he gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and clense it and present it without spot or wrinckle or any such thing had he so given himselfe for the world then should the state of none been different from but as happy as his spouse and why doth he say he gave himselfe for his Church unless he put a difference between persons in his death and also in that he saith that he might present it spotlesse and unblameable then if the world lieth under blame for not beleeving as indeed it doth and fall into all sinne as he saith because yee beleeve not in me you shall die in your sinnes then hath he for his Church purchased or obtained faith and whatsoever makes for her happinesse or happy condition beyond the worlds so hee in a peculiar manner sacrificed for his Church as the nearest and dearest to him and to this agrees that saying That he perfected for ever by one offering them whom he sanctified that is them that hee set apart to sanctifie even his Spouse which was ever in union with him even before she was and was chosen in him imboweled in him these he perfected for ever hee perfected performing and providing all that conduced to their perfection by that one offering also yea when we were enemies we were reconciled therefore in a speciall and peculiar manner he offered himselfe for his body and therefore is it that he is not onely as a Treasury or an Ensigne but hee is a treasury opened to them that he doth not onely call them as he doth others to come to him for life but he opens himselfe to them so as that vertue or life goes out of his Ensigne to them and brings them unto him for if all life be in the sonne how shall they indeed come unlesse hee fetch them how can such that by wallowing in their blood live till he saith live Ezâ—k 16. and therfore doth the Scriptur speake so variously one while that hee dyed for all tasted death for every man and other time that he laid downe his life for his Sheepe that he came to save his people from their sinnes and offend not thy brother for whom Christ dyed feede the flâ—cke that he hath purchased with his blood Act. 20.28 proclayming his death to a remnant this blood of the New Testament for remission of their sinnes So in respect of his propheticall office it evidently appeares he spake to many which heard him not both by his Prophets and Apostles all the day long have I stretched out my hand to a stiffe necked and gainesaying people and Lord who hath beleeved our report and O Jerusalem how oft would I have gathered c. Isa 49. sending my Prophets early and late I have spent my strength in vaine which is true in respect of any good or benefit that his preaching hath wrought by his uttering his voyce to some as Wisedome oft complaines Prov. so also that in Matth. 13. he casts his seed on divers sorts of ground onely one brought forth fruit So Acts 13.46 and Act. 3.23 Matth. 22.4 5. in all which places it appeares that he goes forth to teach and preach to more then to the Elect calling and inviting them to come to him yet notwithstanding he is not so a Prophet to any as to his Spouse though he preacheth to more then them as hath beene said before the which he doth for divers reasons as first he invites all to come to him which abundantly commends to his people his fulnesse and that in their fathers house is bread enough there being enough for others that perish could they come to him there must needs be enough for them 2. Being that he invites so many and so freely yea wooing and beseeching them to be reconciled and this swallowes up those feares and doubts that arise in Gods people that God is not so ready to imbrace freely to give his Christ with all his