them to jealousie Acts 13. 46 47. and 28. 28. Rom. 11. 11 12. And the Iniquity of too many of the Gentiles after Called and brought into the House Ver. 8 9 12. And this Verse we have propounded to speak unto contains in it particularly the Reason of God's great displeasedness with and severity 1. More remotely against the Jews who pâ—t away the Word of God and judged themselves unworthy of Eternal Life which was their own not God's Fore-judgment Acts 13. 45 46. Mat. 22. 7. 2. And more immediately against the unworthy Gentiles or the Man indefinitely that had not on the Wedding Garment Concerning whom He gives this Charge to the Servants Bind him hand and foot and cast him into â—uter Darkness there shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth Ver. 11. 13. To which He subjoyns this I say as the Reason of His being so angry with and Incensed against the unworthy both Jews and Gentiles For many are Called but few are Chosen In the former part of which Words to wit Many are Called let us inquire and consider I. To what are the many Called and upon what Account II. By whom are the many Called III. Why saith He Many are Called and not All IV. To what End are they Called And this will lead us to the latter part First To what are the many Called and upon what Account They are called to the Marriage and Marriage-feast which God hath prepared in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord So it is said The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King which made a Marriage for his Son And sent to call them that were bidden to the Wedding Again he sent saying Tell them which are bidden behold I have prepared my Dinner Come unto the Marriage Ver. 2. 4. And when these first bidden Guests the Jews refused and made light of it he commands again Go ye into the High-ways unto the Gentiles and as many as ye shall find bid to the Marriage ver 8 9 10. And so it is to the Marriage and Marriage-feast there-with and thereby prepared to which the many are Called Bidden and Invited Now the Marriage to which they are Called signifieth not only as some say the Feast prepared though that may be and is included also But firstly and principally the Marriage it self which the King of Heaven the most High God the Possessor of Heaven and Earth who is indeed a great King Mal. 1. 14. made for His Son His only Begotten Son In which the Divine and Humane Nature were Married and United in a close and Personal Union in the Person of the Word the Son of God which was the Root and Cause of that Provision prepared for us And to which Men are Called to the end they might come to and be Espoused unto Jesus Christ This I conceive is first meant and intended by the Marriage here spoken of that in which the Word was made Flesh For asmuch as the Children were partakers of Flesh and Blood He also Himself likewise took part of the same That in our Nature He might be further Abased for us that He might take out of the way all that was contrary to us and obtain into Himself all the fulness of Grace and Truth John 1. 1 3 14. Heb. 2. 14. This is the first Branch in the Mysterie of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. And being made of a Woman He was under the Law as Mankind was fallen under it yet without Sin And had the Sins and Trespasses of the World imputed to and laid upon Him God made Him to be Sin for us who knew no sin Gal. 4. 4. with Rom. 3. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 19 21. And in and by this Marriage He was fitted and prepared to be Wounded for our Transgressions and Bruised for our Iniquities and to Taste Death for us even that first Death which was the Wages of our first Sin and Sinfulness As here it is said My Oxen and Fatlings are killed Mat. 22. 4. Christ our Passover hath been Killed and Sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. And so That whereto Men are Called first of all it is to the Beholding View and Belief of the Abasement and Death of the only Begotten Son of God in the Nature of Man which is indeed the procuring Cause of all the Glory conferred upon it in His Person 1 Cor. 15. 3. Gal. 3. 1. Phil. 2. 6. 9. John 3. 35. with Chap. 10. 17. Rev. 5. 12. And because all that is Treasured up in Christ is the Purchase and Procurement of His Cross and Sufferings therefore the Gospel is called The Preaching of the Cross and of Christ Crucified 1 Cor. 1. 17 18. 22 24. and Chap. 2. 1 2. Gal. 3. 1. and Chap. 6. 14. And together herewith also they are Called unto the Marriage-feast or Dinner which is prepared by means of the Sufferings of Christ in the Virtue whereof He is raised again in which all things are ready Which in a like Parable to this Luke 14. 16 17. is called A great Supper Great indeed for in it all things are ready And it is called a Supper because once in the end or Evening of the World Christ appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of Himself Heb. 9. 26. This Purpose and Grade was given in Christ before the Ancient or Agie Times But in these last Times all Things are now actually prepared 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. so as in Him there is a Justification from the Guilt of our first Sin and Sinfulness Rom. 3. 22 23. and 5. 18. the abolishing of our first Death 2 Tim. 1. 10. A Victory obtained by Him over all our Enemies Heb. 2. 14. John 12. 31. Psal 98. 1. And in Him there is Redemption through His Blood even the Forgiveness of our following Sins Acts 13. 38 39. And He hath brought in everlasting Righteousness Gal. 2. 21. And received the Spirit without measure John 3. 34. Acts 2. 33. In Him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg Col. 2. 3. He is full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14 16. God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in His Son 1 John 5. 10 11. Yea in Him it hath pleased the Father that all Fulness should dwell Col. 1. 18 19. and 2. 9 10. He is Glorified in our Nature with the Father 's own self with the Glory He had with Him before the World was John 17. 4 5. All Things that the Father hath are His John 16. 15. The Father so loveth the Son because He laid down His Life for us that He might take it up again that He hath given all Things into His Hand All Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly things all things that pertain to Life and Godliness And all Power both in Heaven and in Earth John 10. 17. with Chap. 3. 35. Ephes 1. 3. Mat. 28. 18. By means of His being Sacrificed for us there is a Feast prepared for us 1 Cor. 5. 7 8.
of Christ which is therefore also called the Blood of Sprinkling Heb. 9. 14. 10. 22. 12. 24. To this purpose the Apostle Paul saith How shall we that are dead to sin by the death of Christ live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were Baptized into Christ were Baptized into His Death into His personal Abasement Sufferings and Death whereto He was Abased and which He suffered for our sins 1 Pet. 3. 18. And how shall we then continue in sin God forbid let not such a thing be ever done by us The beholding sin in the Blood of Christ did fill them with an abhorrency and detestation of their sins Rom. 6. 1-3 And by the precious blood of Christ the Apostle Peter signifieth the Believers to whom he wrote were redeemed from their vain conversation in which sometimes they walked when they walked in Lasciviousness Lusts Excess of Wine Revellings Banquettings and abominable Idolatries 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. with chapt 4. 3. Hereby they were called out of Darkness out of themselves who were sometimes darkness and out of their sinful and polluted condition and ways into Gods marvellous light and so were made of the elect and chosen generation 1 Pet. 2. 9. with Eph. 5. 8. Yea and in the cross of Christ the vanity and emptiness of our Idols is discovered to us and therefore it also evidenceth the great iniquity of those men who prefer vain things before the Lord of Glory Herein is made known and shewn unto us the vanity and unprofitableness of the world and the riches thereof In that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. They that trust in their Wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Bâ—other nor give to God a ransome for him Psal 49. 6-8 In the Cross of Christ is also discovered to us the bruitishness of our Wisdom and Knowledge In that this Wisdom was not found in the land of the living how we might be redeemed brought back to God from whom we were banished Job 28. 12-21 2 Sam. 14. 14. nay not only so but our judgment stood cross and contrary to that blessed way and means which God hath in His Wisdom and Pity found out and devised that His banished might not be expelled from Him Joh. 12. 31. 16. 11. And herein the Honour and Glory of this World is manifested to be vain and without â—…vail as to our acceptance with God in that Christ refused it and was made as the filth of all things His Visage was marred more then any mans and His form more then the Sons of men He received not Glory from men but He was a reproach of men and despised of the People Joh. 6. 15. 5. 41. Isa 52. 14. 53. 2 3. Bsal 22. 6 7. Herein is declared to us That the friendship of this World is enmity with God In that our Lord Jesus was hated and villified by the World disallowed rejected and refused by the men of it as one that was judged altogether unworthy and unmeet to be loved and delighted in by them Joh. 7. 7. chap. 15. 18. 17. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 4. Herein we may see the unprofitableness of our own works of Righteousness and of all we can do or perform in any wisdom and strength of our own to justifie us and render us acceptable in the sight of God in that Christ must needs have suffered For if Righteousness could have come by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2. 21. The Holy Spirit in Glorifying Christ and taking of His things and shewing unto us doth convince the World of Righteousness and shews unto us the vanity and unavaibleness of ours in that He is gone to the Father and we see Him no more Joh. 16. 10. And such a discovery of the vanity of our Idols are we called unto in the Sufferings of Christ That no flesh might glory in the presence of God 1 Cor. 1. 29-31 but that thorow His Cross the World in the Riches Wisdom Honour Glory Customs Fashions Friendship Righteousness c. might be Crucified unto us and we to the World Gal. 6. 14. That we might not love the World nor the things that are in the World 1 Joh. 2. 15. And indeed in the Cross of Christ God hath wonderfully stained the pride of all our gloryings and brought into contempt all the honorable things of the Earth and World that we might not set our hearts upon them nor glory in our enjoyment of them nor covet after them nor trust in them seeing they were not crucified for us nor contributed any thing to our being delivered from that so great a Death under the sentence whereof we were fallen nor to the procuring and obtaining eternal Redemption for us 1 Pet. 1. 23-25 with Isa 40. 6-9 1 Cor. 1. 13. 2. Yea and unto Christ are men called by His faithful Servants in their preaching to them the Gospel as unto one in whom all things are ready and prepared for them Mat. 22. 4. Luk. 14. 17. Even all things appertaining unto and in which consists the Kingdom of Heaven and so unto such things as are infinitely better then our Sins and Idols unto those spiritual blessings in Heavenly things wherewith God hath blessed us in the Person of His Son Eph. 1. 3. unto Him are we called who is the desire of all Nations In whom there is that which may answer unto and satisfie all their desires And in whom is to be found by way of eminency and excellency that which they desire after and seek for in wrong objects and in such crooked Paths as in which they can find no peace Hag. 2. 7. To Him are men called in whom there is fatness to delight their Souls a river of pleasures of which they may drink and drink abundantly In whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Psal 36. 7 8. Col. 2. 3. In whom is everlasting Righteousness and Strength Prov. 8. 18. Isa 26. 4. with whom are Riches and Honour Prov. 3. 16. yea Glory and Honour that hath Immortality joyned with it Rom. 2. 7. In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And in Him is all compleatness prepared for us Col. 2. 9 10. Unto Him all things are delivered of the Father even all that the Father hath is His Luk. 10. 22. Joh. 16. 14 15. And so He is evidenced to be more precious then Rubies yea that all the things men can desire are not to be compared unto Him In whose right hand is length of days even Life for evermore And in whose left hand are Riches and Honour Prov. 3. 13-16 And therefore is the excellency of Him and the preciousness and compleatness of that provision in Him declared and made known to us To buy us off from those things which are sinful
the Waters and he that hath no money c. And to move them hereto He saith Behold I have given Him for a Witness For a Witness of His Love and Faithfulness He hath so loved the World that He hath given His only begotten Son to be the Saviour of it that all men through Him might believe John 3. 16 17. and 1. 7. 1 John 4. 14. And hence exhorts men To seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near Yea The Wicked to forsake his ways and the man of Iniquity his thoughts and to return unto Him and He will have Mercy c. Isa 55. 1. 4 6 7. Here is a good account and sure ground given in the Gospel both for the Servants to Call so as they shall not run at uncertainty nor fight as those that beat the Air But may both Preach to any man or every man as they have opportunity and Pray for them Without wrath though they be their Enemies and without doubting whether God bears any good Will to them or no For they may certainly know and conclude God will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth Because Christ gave Himself a Ransome and Price of Redemption to God for all a Testimony in due time And for those who are Called who from hence may be Incouraged upon principles of Certainty and Truth to come unto Him in whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily and in whom is all Compleatness prepared and treasured up for us And whosoever believeth in Him shall never be ashamed nor confounded Luke 6. 27 36. 1 Cor. 9. 26. 1 Tim. 2. 4 6 8. And so much for the first Inquiry Secondly By whom are the many Called By the Servants Instrumentally and Ministerially and especially by the Apostles in these last days For as we have said our Saviour in this Parable speaketh Prophetically of the Gospels being Preached unto Jews and Gentiles after He had finished the Work the Father gave Him to do upon the Earth And after His Death Resurrection Ascension Receipt of and sending forth the Holy Spirit in His Name in and by which His Apostles were fitted and furnished to Preach the Gospel according to the Revelation of the Mystery For until then the Servants had not Commission and Furniture to Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ And though when Christ was risen from the Dead He gave Commission to His Apostles to go into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature of all the Nations yet they were by Him commanded to tarry at Jerusalem until they were Indued with Power from on High that they might be fitted and inabled to put in Execution that Authority and Commission they had received Mark 16. 15. Mat. 28. 18 19. Luke 24. 47 49. And then they were to be Christs Witnesses unto all men of what they had seen and heard And yet though by the Servants here are meant the Apostles principally yet not only For the Bride in general saith Come And he that heareth is commanded to say Come Rev. 22. 17. And so the many are Called by the Servants of the King indefinitly though principal Respect is had to the Apostles So much is plainly signified to us in this Chapter that the many Called are called to this Marriage and Marriage-feast by the Servants So it is said as with respect to the Jews The King sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding Mat. 22. 3. Again He sent forth other Servants Ver. 4. And when the first invited Guests refused and dispitefully used them he saith to his Servants The Wedding is ready but they which were bidden were not worthy Go ye therefore into the High-ways c. Sâ— those Servants went out into the High-ways and gathered together all as many as they found Ver. 8 9 10. And indeed it is the Work of the Faithful Servants of the great King not to Commend or Preach themselves but Jesus Christ the Lord 2 Cor. 4. 5. And not to Disciple men unto themselves but to call and Espouse them to one Husband that they might be presented as a chaste Virgin unto Christ Acts 20. 28 30. 2 Cor. 11. 1 2 3. Their great Business is to bear Witness of Christ of His Sufferings and of what He hath thereby done and obtained into Himself and is become and is And of what He is now doing both from Heaven in the Name of the Father to us And in Heaven with the Father for us And what He will do hereafter John 15. 27. Acts 5. 30 32. 1 Pet. 5. 1. Heb. 13. 7 8. And not to proclaim their own goodness as the most men do Prov. 20. 6. that men might admire them or have their Faith standing in their Wisdom Goodness or Holiness 1 Cor. 2. 1 5. Acts 3. 12. But to Confess Praise and Call men unto Him in whom dwelleth all the Fulness that in coming unto and believing in Him they might of His Fulness receive and Grace for Grace But though they are called by the Servants instrumentally yet not by them only The King sends them not alone on this Errand of His but He accompanies them by the Light Influence and Power of His Blessed Spirit in their plain and faithful Ministration So much in former Times was signified to us As in that Scripture like to this and whereto it may seem our Saviour referreth in this Parable Prov. 9. 1 3. Wisdom hath Builded her House She hath hewen out her seven Pillars She hath killed her killing She hath mingled her Wine She hath also furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maidens She crieth upon the highest places of the City c. Though She sent them forth to call others into the House yet Her Presence goes along with them And not only they Cry and Call but also She crieth Doth not Wisdom cry and Understanding put forth her Voice She standeth in the top of High places She crieth at the Gates of the City Unto you O men I Call and my Voice is to the Sons of Man She sends forth her Spirit in and with Her Servants that they might be successful Instruments in Her hand Prov. 8. 1 4 5. with Chap. 1. 20 23. So our Lord Jesus when He gave Authority to His Apostles to Disciple all Nations c. To Incourage them unto this their Service and against all their Discouragements He graciously assureth them that He would be with them always and not at some times only unto the end of the World And that He was faithful who promised another Evangelist informs us saying they went forth Preaching the Gospel every where the Lord working with them Mat. 28. 18 20. with Mark 16. 15. 20. Hence they are said to be Workers together with Him 2 Cor. 6. 1. And he that despiseth and rejecteth His Servants in their faithful Ministration of the Gospel rejecteth not Man but
before the first Coming of Christ And many fearers of God amongst the Gentiles both before and since Christs Appearing to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of Himself Mat. 2. 16 18. with Jer. 31. 15 17. Mat. 19. 14. Psal 11 5. 9 10 11. And yet there is no Salvation in any other but Christ and through Him and through His Name Power and Authority and upon the Account of His Sufferings and Sacrifice they shall be saved though no clear or distinct knowledg of Him was vouchsafed to them And therefore the want of it shall not be Imputed to or Charged upon them to their Condemnation And this Charity we desire to have because we thus judge that one Died for all and Rose again viz. That Jesus Christ by the Grace of God tasted Death for every man and is Risen again from the Dead for their Justification And hereby all that have sinned in the first publick man and come short of the Glory of God are Justified freely by God's Grace through that Redemption in Christ Jesus in an answerable sence as they were Condemned in the first man Adam 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Heb. 2. 9. Rom. 3. 23 24. and 5. 18. So as no man shall perish in that first Death for ever which was the Wages of the Disobedience of that one man Nor in the Eternal Judgment shall there be any occasion for the use of that Proverb The Fathers have eaten sower Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge 1 Cor. 15. 20 21. Jer. 31. 29 30. Ezek. 18. 2 4. And in the Cross of Christ and Virtue thereof we so see the admirable Love of God to every sinful Creature of Mankind while it is called to day aswell as also in plain Intimations and Instructions given us in the Testimony of the Scriptures That we cannot but judge that His Requirings and Expectations will be no other then according to His Distributions and Dispensations that is where much is given of them He will require the more and where little He will require but according thereto And where He hath not sown He will not reap nor gather where He hath not strowen And therefore all Infants who die in their Infancy and were never guilty of that Condemning Sin of the World of loving Darkness rather than Light after Light is vouchsafed shall in the general Resurrection have Eternal Life through Christ's Name And all others who have not had any distinct knowledg of Christ and yet by the Goodness and Mercy of God through the Mediatour have been led to Repentance and have feared God and been Workers of Righteousness according to the means vouchsafed and continued such to Death shall also through Christ have the reward of Everlasting Life 1 Tim. 2. 4 6. 2 Pet. 3. 9 15. Rom. 2. 4 7 12 16. Luke 12. 48. Mat. 25. 24 26. Rev. 20. 12 15. But how can they have such Charity or desire to have it who deny or believe not the Great and Fundamental things of the Gospel as spoken and delivered to us in the Words which the Holy Ghost teacherh Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles Mat. 7. 15 16. Those Builders can never Build well who dis-alow and reject the Foundation 3. Nor do we believe that by the many called are meant all such as are Called by realous Teachers and such as name themselves the Ministers of Christ or however not such in this consideration as Called by them for there are many such who in their evil Doctrines rather Call men from Christ then to Him How many are there that disciple men to Antichrist instead of inviting them to our Lord Jesus and steal away the Word of God from the People in the Records of them And how mauy others are there though not so grosly evil yet as dangerous and destructive to the souls of men who though they would have the Scriptures continued amongst men in such Languages as are understood by them yet they tell them the meaning of the Scripture is the Scripture and that is such as lieth not in the plain import of the Expressions however not in many of the fundamental Sayings of the Gospel And the Scripture some call a dead Letter other some call it the Letter And their Glosses and Interpretations are the Spiritual meaning Thus they call the World which God so loved as to give His Son to be and of which He is the Saviour the World of Elect the all and every man for whom Christ Dred some of all sorts or every Godly man c. thus indeavouring to pervert the Gospel of Christ And yet appearing very zealous in seeking the good of men which is indeed somewhat strange considering that they believe Christ Died for the fewest of men only and for whom they know not As one of them lately exprest himself in his Prayer such an one as it was as I was instantly informed by some Credible persons that heard him Lord said he if there be any one Soul in this Congregation which was a great one for whom Christ hath Died let me not lose my Labour And considering also that they believe that there is a precise and certain number of Persons determined to Salvation And these shall Infallibly be Saved though they held their Tongues and all the rest inevitably perish I say these things considered it is somewhat strange they should be so appearingly zealous in seeking the good of men Indefinitely It may be fcared this Zeal proceeds not from the Love of Christ For the Love of Christ constraineth us saith the Apostle because we thus judg that if one Died for all then were all dead and that He died for all c. Which they believe not But that herein they are like them who did shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men neither entring in themselves nor suffering them that were entring to enter And yet for a pretence they made long Prayers for their Hearts went after their Covetousness and they did compass Sea and Land to make a Proselite Mat. 23. 13 14 15. Truly concerning such who Preach and Plead for such Doctrines as these viz. That Christ Died not for all men but for the fewest only That God hath Decreed a set and determinate number of Persons in a Personal consideration to believe and be saved And these all shall Insrustrably believe and be saved and these only and all the rest must unavoidably perish That such as are once in Christ cannot possibly fall finally from the Grace of God c. It may be said Hearken not to the Words of these Prophets they make you vain they speak a Vision of their own Heart and not out of the Mouth of the Lord Jer. 23. 16. 21. 2 Pet. 2. 1. For how much soever these thus Call and how much soever others Listen thereto and how Reformed and Zealous soever they appearingly be come hereby they are not in this Consideration of the Called here spoken of much less of
Christ shall be so raised and be ever with him And those that dye in their sins and out of Christ shall be so raised and perish for ever from his presence And the consideration hereof might awaken and Ingage us all that while it is an acceptable time and day of salvation we receive the grace of God to purpose even to be saved thereby For there is no work nor device nor Wisdome nor knowledge in the grave whither we are going Eccles 9. 10 And not to neglect the present time considering also our times are in Gods hand and we cannot boast our selves of the morrow for we know not what a day may bring forth Our times are in Gods hand In his hand is the soule of every living thing and the breath of all mankind And Behold he breaketh downe and it cannot be built againe he shutteth up a man and there can be no opening If he cut off and shut up or gather together then who can hinder him Prov 27. 1. Job 12. 10 14. and 11. 10. Tâ—…y therefore if we will hear his voice let us not barden our hearts Hebr. 3. 7 8. But now while it is called to day and while men are joyned to all the living there is hope their states are not now unalterable but men may pass from one state to another Such are at present out of Christ and so none of Gods Elect but under the sentence of death and condemnation may be of God made in Christ and so of the Elect and chosen generation And shall so be if they abide not still in unbeleife and disobedience to God and his Gospel As our Saviour signifieth and assureth the truth of it with a double asseveration Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Or out of death into life Out of a state of death wrath and rejection into a state of Life Justification the favour of God and Election John 5. 24. To which also agreeth what the Apostle John saith signifying that they were instances of the truth hereof We know that we have passed out of Death into Life because we love the Brethren 1 John 3. 14. Men may now be delivered out of the Kingdom of Darkness and removed into the Kingdom of Gods dear Son Coloss 1. 13. Men may now be turned from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God And in being so turned they shall receive the forgiveness of their Sins and Inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Jesus Christ Acts 26. 18. This Doctrine of Gods Election as it is declared to us in the Scriptures of truth is a sweet and comfortable Doctrine agreeing with the whole Gospel of Christ It leads us to mind and consider the preciousness and necessity of the Blood and Sufferings of Christ without which there could have been no Remission of Sins nor Eternal Life But all must have gone to Hell without difference or respect of Persons 2 Cor. 5. 14. And that if Christ had not been raised again we had been yet in our Sins and Preaching Faith and Hope had been all in vain 1 Cor. 15. 12. 20. It sheweth unto us that the Gospel of Christ is the Power of God in which his Arm is put forth for pulling men and choosing them out of the world into Christ And that such as obey it are blessed and such as reject it judge themselves unworthy of Eternal life 1 Thes 1. 3 5. 2 Thes 2. 13 14. Acts 13. 46. And so leads us to glorifie the word of the Lord. It sheweth unto us that such as are Elect may possibly fail of the Grace of God if they abide not in Christ John 15. 2. 6. 16-19 And so instructeth us to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear To have and hold fast Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear for our God is d consuming Fire And so preserveth us from high-mindedness presumption and licentiousness Heb. 12. 16-29 And it assureth us that such as are at present of the world and not chosen out of it and so none of Gods Elect may be chosen and shall be if they with the heart believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God Joh. 15. 19. and 17. 6. Ephes 2. 2-5-8 1. Pet. 2. 9 10. Whereas that other Doctrine that device of such mens brains as are of no judgement in that particular concerning the Truth is a most comfortless and heart-breaking Doctrine to the greatest part of mankind for it perswadeth them that mens states were fixed before they were born And the greatest part by far reprobated or past by before they had a personal being And that there is no hope for them nor possibility of their being saved And that Gods end in all the mercies he bestows on â—…en and means he vouchsafeth to them is but to leave them without excuse and to aggravate their condemnation and render their sin more sinful and their Judgement more exceeding terrible But this Doctrine of Gods Election agreeeth with and is founded upon the word of the beginning of Christ Hebr. 6. 1 2. 1 Cor. 3. 10 11. In which are declared glad tidings of great joy unto all people because Christ the Saviour hath taken the nature of Man upon him of that kind or species of Creatures not as distinguished from another part of that kind but as distinguished from the nature of Angels which he laid not hold on Luke 2 10 11. Hebr. 2. 14 16. And that be the Lamb of God bare the sin of the world of mankind Joâ— 1. 29 And by the Grace of God tasted death for every man Hebr. 2. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 14. And gave him self a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. In which Doctrin we see the cordialness of Gods heart to man-ward And that he would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth The end of Christs dying for all men being that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 15. Tit. 2. 11-14 And so be happy for ever And to the end they might so do and be Christ is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world And he is therefore a light to them that he might be for salvation to them that through him they might be saved from their sins and from the wrath of God and so out of and from that miserable condition and estate in which men are while they abide in ignorance and unbelief Joh. 1. 9. with Acts 13. 47. Joh. 3. 17. This Doctrine sheweth unto us that such as are not chosen out of the world at present may be so hereafter through the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men Though it also shews that it is dangerous to