Christ in the Flesh and so on 6. From thence to these times In which too this will be evidenced that all the said Revelations of God as to the way of mens salvation have either expresly or implyedly spoken of Christ and of his appearance in the Flesh as may be seen in the following Sections of that Induction SECT 3. Of the Dispensation of the knowledge of God and Christ by his words in Paradise and from thence to the Flood NO sooner had our First Parents Tempted of the Serpent Fallen from God and was Convicted thereof by the Voice of God but God in the greatness of his Mercy in threatning Destruction to the Serpent and his Works Preached Grace and Redemption to Mankind and intimately made Promise of a Saviour to us in that expression Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between her seed and thy seed He that is her Seed shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Indeed these Expressions were somewhat Mystical yet contained in a manner Isa 7.9 9.15 the whole Gospel for surely by the Serpent was primely signifyed That old Serpent the Devil and Satan Rev. 20.1 2. And by his Head his Plot Device and Project and the Principallity and Power he thereby got over Mankind His Plot was to separate between us and God to our utter ruine by inticeing us to Sin against him whom he knew to be so perfect a hater of Sin and to have so solemnly threatned Death to Man in case of his sinning as that he might rationally expect that in case he would draw him to Sin his Ruine would inevitably follow thereupon and that being cast off by God He should be left to his the Serpent Power and Malice to do what He pleas'd with him The bruising of his Head Heb. 2.14 Coll. 2.16 Luk. 11.22 2 Tim. 1.10 Luk. 1.74 75. 1 Pet. 3.18 then could signifie no less then the spoiling of his Plot and devesting him of his Power by destroying his Works and abolishing their Fruit taking away his Armour Sin and the sentence and curse of the Law upon Man for Sin and so evacuating Death the Wages of Sin and setting Man at liberty from Satan so as he may return to God again all which God intimately promised should be done not immediately by himself for he said I will break thy head no God would have Satan know he disdained to match himself with him as it were in the Combat he would do it by a Man one in that nature that he had got Victory over and which was spoiled by him even a Seed to be born to and to come forth of the Woman And so he signifyed both that Man should be Ransomed from that his Fall and from the jurisdiction of the Serpent the Devil thereby obtained And that the Saviour should be a Man nor Adam himself nor Eve but one to descend from them the Seed of the Woman with respect to which Adam hearing and believing it called his Wife by a new Name for whereas before he called her Ishah a Woman Gen. 2.23 with 3.20 or Manness because one with and taken out of Man now he calls her Chavah or Evah because by this gracious appointment of God she was made the Mother of all Living the bringer forth of a Seed remotely that should remedy dead and destroyed Man and remove the Curse come upon the Creation by Man's Sin and so bring in Life and Immortality to Man but for which She might rather have been called the Mother of all Dying This Promise God was pleased to put as a Foundation sure and firm Isa 28.16 under Man's Feet to support and bear him up in all his following Griefs and Sorrows Labours and Turmoyles even to Death that now were to come upon him because of his Sin that he might not despair and sink under them And this before God proceeded to denounce any of those things upon him or to take away Paradise and the Tree of Life from him that so yet the Woman might thenceforth conceive and bear in hope And the Man labour and eat his Bread though in the sweat of his brows yet in Hope and both Man and Woman both live and dye in Hope even in the hope of Eternal Life through this Faith of the Promised Seed or Messiah which is the Faith that the Just have had to live by and to dye in in all Ages So much was implyedly Revealed then to Man even to all Mankind then Being Yea sure and God further implyed That that Seed should be one with himself and so God-man when he after added ver 22. Behold Man is become as one of us to know good and evil not by way of Irony or Derision but by way of Prediction with respect to his former appointment That Man's Nature should be in the Promised Seed as one of the Persons in the Trinity taken up into Unity with God and to his glory and throne of Dignity to have indeed a knowledge of Good and Evil such as the Devil little thought of not such as Adam got by Sin to know the difference between his former good and his present bad Condition but both an Experimental Knowledge of the Depth of Man's Misery to be born by him and of the height of Good in the injoyment of God's Glory to be injoyed of him and such a knowledg of them as is with and is given forth by the Divine Majesty as also thereby may be implyed his Power and Authority over Men in the Person of Christ to Save and enliven Fallen Man and to help him against Satan and all adverse Power being as one of the Persons in the Trinity Isa 11.2 3. 42.1 the Spirit of Might Counsel Judgment upon him c. Thence also God took away that Tree of Life that might have preserved him Immortal in his Fall that he might be forced to look to the Promised Seed and live by the Faith of him in a Mortal Dying condition By the Faith of whom Preached and held forth doubtless by Adam and Eve to their Posterity as they came into the world Abel afterwards offer'd up to God a more acceptable Sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11.4 with Gen. 4.4 Yea doubtless the very Law and practise of Sacrificing mentioned all along after the Fall and propagated to all Nations and places of the world had its rise and spring from the Promise of Christ and was an outward Testimony of their acknowledging themselves Sinners and that they needed by some Ransome or shedding of Blood to have Attonement made for them and that there-through onely they might have access to and liberty to Worship God though all that offered understood not or believed so much and that seems rather the meaning of their Bloody Sacrifices such as Abel brought then of such dry ones as Cain Offered Cain by his Offering seemed onely to acknowledge God Lord of the World the giver of the Creatures to
slain for us he is become the Righteousness of God to and for men and so is set forth in the Gospel of God as he is therein declared to be the forgiver of sins and justifier of them that believe in him upon the account of the Righteousness wrought and compleated in and by him And so he is or in him is held forth to us men the Righteousness of Faith or the Righteousness which is of God by Faith as it 's diversly tearmed that is to say through and by vertue of Christ and the Righteousness performed by him whosoever gives credit to his Testimony and believeth looketh to and stayeth upon him are accepted for righteous in the presence of God though in themselves and with respect to the Righteousness given them in Adam they be sinful and defiled creatures and shall be dealt with as righteous persons in abiding in him and shall have the grace and spirit of God administred to them also both to justifie them in their Consciences and effect in them righteous frames and affections conforming them to God and fitting them for his Kingdom All which also depend upon the Righteousness of Christ to be performed to and in them But this Righteousness comes not to and upon men as the righteousness of the first man should have done had he stood for that should have been by Propagation Rom. 5.17 but this by Spiritual Regeneration free Gift and Imputation and is received by men in coming in to him and being born to and of him of the faith and knowledge of him and of God as manifested in and by him The Righteousness wrought by Christ â—om 3.22 23 24 25. 5.17 18 19 20 21. and that is in Christ is indeed for and to all men to justification of life both so as to justifie exempt or free them from being held under the first judgement or condemnation so as to perish therein and so as to give them life and righteousness in Christ as a thing prepared for them and ready to be in their closing with him imparted to them But it come upon cloaths and makes righteous so as to gracious acceptation and title to the Kingdom and Inheritance promised only those who receive and believe in him SECT 4. Of two kinds of Sin 4. THere is also a twofold consideration of Sin with reference to these two men and the Covenants made with men in and by them The one is natural to us the root and original of which was voluntary to Adam and this stood in the breaking the Law he was under and it is transmitted to us as his righteousness had he stood should have been by propagation so as we come sinners into the world and under the sentence of Death Rom. 5.13 14 Rom. 3.9 10 19 23. as is evident in Children that sin not after the similitude of Adams transgression and so not by imitation and yet do dye And this sin also brings forth and necessitates men naturally to innumerable sins actual sins that stand in the breach of Gods law according to which all have sinned and as they grow up do sin continually till and further then by grace they be prevented and inabled to do better The second kind of sin was not found in the second man the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.22 2 Cor. 5.21 for he had no sin in him nor on him but other mens he never did sin nor was guile found in his mouth but it is found in particular men against the second man and against God in him and the law of grace held forth by him not in him against the law given to him and imposed upon him for making attonement for and ransoming men from under the judgment of the former kind of sin which law he fulfilled to perfection And it is a sinning after the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 5.14 Hos 6.7 though not simply against the first Covenant but against the second too viz. that in Christ for men hating the light when it comes John 3.19 20. 5.40 8.44 Prov. 1.24 25. Psal 81.11 12. and loving darkness rather not coming to Christ for life when called in a word the rejecting Christ and putting him away that 's the original and bottom of it preferring Satan sin and the world before him and refusing to be healed and saved by him And this is the condemning kind of sin the retaining natural corruption against the light and grace of Christ coming to save men from it and the chusing to do Satans will rather than Christs And though this kind of sin comes not to men from any publick root of mankind as the first doth but is received from Satan and committed by men in their particular persons to which through original corruption may apt yet in the seasons of Gods grace it necessitates not yea and though Christ did not primarily and directly in his first stepping in to ransome us come to take away this kind of sin as the former it being consequential to his coming to ransom us and to his bringing grace and salvation to us yet from this sin also he hath by the superabundancy of his Merit Rom. 5.16 and the worth of his Obedience and righteousness received power and authority to justifie and save us and doth forgive it to men and save them from it if upon convincement of it during the day of Gods grace they be prevailed with to own or confess it and repent of it turning in to him with whom there is plenteousness of Redemption for that purpose as was before shewed SECT 5. Of two General Judgements besides Particular ones 5. NOw answerable to those two kinds of sin we find mentioned too in the Gospel Doctrine two General Judgements passing upon all men the first passing upon all men in one man before any man was born to him of which the Apostle saith Rom. 5.16 18. the judgement was of one offence to condemnation and was upon all men to condemnation And this was for sin of the first kind Adams sin and the sin of all men as in him and as made sinners and so necessitated to sin by him and this was the judgement threatned before his sin separation and banishment from the presence of God and there through death in soul and body though after the fall pronounced mitigatedly through the interposure of the second man and it was upon all men the same not to some one way to some another way but to all alike and to condemnation as in the Scriptures above quoted Now the weight of this judgement was executed upon Christ John 12.31 the judgement of this world was upon him when he was sorrowful unto death What is through Christ ordered to men 〈◊〉 is for testimony of Gods displeasure against sin indeed but in such a way as none shall perish everlastingly therein being for nurturing men to look to Christ and God in Christ and so to lay hold of the everlasting life
Luk. 20.35 36. the Saints shall judge and reign therein receiving double for all their sufferings here yea everlasting rost joy and glory The Children of the Resurrection who shall arise at Christs appearing even the just and they that surviving shall then be changed shall be counted worthy of it and shall be equal to the Angels of God Psal 49.14 15. Isa 66.22 23 24. Rev. 20.6 7. being manifested both in souls and bodies to be his Children and they shall have dominion over the wicked beholding their torments who here had tormented them and shall judge the world even the Nations of the saved or preserved being Kings and Priests unto God beholding his face for evermore and dwelling in his presence impassible immortal Rev. 21.3 4 5 6 7. 22.1 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. satisfied with joy and glory for ever where also they shall have their Paradise their Tree of Life their River of pure Water clear as Chrystal in a Spiritual and Heavenly manner without any Serpent to tempt them or curse to afflict and exercise them being fully and perfectly freed from all sin sorrow pain crying and Death their rais'd and changed bodies being made spiritual powerful nimble agile glorious yea they shall shine as Stars in the Kingdom of God ruling with Christ the Nations in righteousness which Nations probably shall consist firstly of the preserved Jews and then of some remnant of the Gentiles miraculously preserved in that great day of perdition of ungodly men Isa 65.17 18 19 20 24 25. Psal 67 4 5 6 7. 96.10 11 12 13. 98.7 8 9. and those as so◠conceive shall under the Governmen 〈◊〉 the raised and changed Saints Till th◠Earth build Houses plant Vineyards beget Children though the Children 〈◊〉 the Resurrection shall neither marry no◠be given in marriage nor dye any more and the earth shall yeild its increase i◠abundance as it would have done before the curse came upon it Discourse on the New Heavens and New Earth But because many things therein are hard to be understood and I have otherwhere more fully delivered my thoughts thereabout 〈◊〉 shall say no more here about them SECT 7. Of two kinds of Lives and Deaths THe Gospel-Doctrine also mentions two Lives 1 Tim. 4.8 and two Deaths the one in this world and the other in the world to come The Life that now is that which we derive from the first Adam Gen. 3.6 4.1 or which God gives us as propagated from him who was made a living soul and begat in his own likeness and because it was not propagated till after the fall Jam. 4.13 14. Job 14.1 Psal 75.3 68.19 20. therefore it is a corrupt and sinful life a vapour a bubble uncertain short and full of misery yet as this old world is upheld by Christ and his mediation that there might be space and opportunity to be born live seek after God and glorifie him in it so is this life given and preserved through him too in a great mixture of mercies and manifold good things to the same purposes But the life that is to come is an Heavenly Spiritual and Eternal Life and it 's said to be to come because as to the whole man it 's not yet come Joh. 5.24 1.13 There is a seed of it here infused and put into the heart and spirit of the Believer by which he is begotten to God and made a spiritual man in some first fruits 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Eph. 2.10 a Son and Heir of God a new creature created in Christ Jesus to good works c. Rom. 8.10 But in as much as this is but the beginning of this life and that only in part in the Spirit the body yet must dye and the soul be loosed from it till the resurrection of the just in which the soul and body shall be reunited and the body be made a living spiritual body and both live in the favour of and in fellowship with God Rev. 21.4 5. and that is yet wholy to come therefore it is called the life to come an everlasting life in which shall be no affliction sorrow decay or death but everlasting uninterrupted health welfare prosperity and happiness 1 Joh. 5.11 12. This is the life which Christ hath purchased for us and which in him is given us to be enjoyed through the faith of him Col. 3.3 4. Act. 17.26 27 28. 1 Joh. 5.12 and in personal injoyment of and fellowship with him The first life is common to all men as born into the world the second though given in Christ to all yet is had and injoyed only by them that have Christ the rest that rejecting him have him not have not it neither but incur the sentence of death the Death opposed to this Eternal Life the sedond Death For There is also a twofold Death answerable to this twofold Life Rev. 20.13 14. Rom. 5.12 14 18. Heb. 9.27 2 Tim. 1.10 2 Cor. 5.14 Gal. 3.13 Psal 23.4 90.12 2 Cor. 5.8 9. 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Eccles 7.1 Prov. 27.1 Jam. 4.13 14 15. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Isa 57.1 Job 3.12 13 14 15 16. Mat. 25 41 46. Rev. 2.11 〈◊〉 .6.14 with 〈◊〉 Cor. 5.10 11. The first is that which came in by the first Adam and is common to all in their several times but is broken and evacuated by Christ as is before noted the punishment of our sins in Adam being sustained by Christ as to its weight and curse though some shadow and carcase of it is ordered to us to be passed through by us that we might by the consideration of it be stirred up to apply our hearts to wisdom and seek and lay hold of that Eternal Life given us in Christ and be kept humble and low in our selves and always watchful the time and way of it being secret and kept from our foreknowledge so as that we cannot boast our selves of the morrow not knowing what a day may bring forth as also that we might experiment the power and grace of Christ in supporting in it and raising us up out of it and be taken from sorrow and oppression by it and that the wicked might be cut of from doing wickedly and from vexing and oppressing the poor and righteous The second Death is that fearful punishment prepared for the Devil and his Angels forementioned not prepared properly and in Gods first intention for men yet shall be the punishment too of these men that persist in their sins 2 Thes 1.7 8. Heb. 9.27 28. Luke 14.14 1 Cor. 15.23 24. 1 Thes 4.16 17. Rev. 20.6 7 11 12. for their personal rejections of God and Christ and persisting therein to prefer their sins before him But it is not common to all men as the first Death is It is appointed for all men once to dye and out of that all shall be raised and brought to judgement though not all
had absolutely and particularly purpose life and that the rest shou◠be left to themselves and to the use o◠the means vouchsafed and receit of the grace in and with them insufficiently tendred or the refusal of it so as that they cannot come to salvation According to the former not men as men or fallen men simply considered are the objects of Gods purposes of Life and Glory to be estated upon them but men as in Christ or as believing on him through the grace of God afforded to them much less are men as men simply considered or as only fallen in Adam the object of his purpose of Dereliction Reprobation or Destruction but men considered as rejecting Christ or refusing to obey him unbelieving and impenitent men But according to the latter men considered either as to be made or as made innocent and unfallen or at most * Super Creatarians Superlapsarians Superlapsarians as fallen are the objects of Gods purposes of their eternal ends however as to the purpose of Eternal Life that is represented as without or in order of nature before the consideration of a Mediator much more without or before the consideration of their believing in him and as to the purpose of Everlasting Death his purpose of not affording sufficient grace such as might be effectual to their Salvation is at least conceived of by them as without the consideration of their fore-rejecting Christ that dyed for them and offered his grace to them and so in effect implies Gods absolute irrespective purpose of leaving them to ineffectual Grace that could not save them and if not the dying of Christ for them rejected as a falshood too yet made to no purpose for them with which latter frame of conceptions of Gods purposes many things appear to clash especially these 1. That it maketh Gods election of men to be out of Christ as being in order of nature before the consideration of him and his death and sufferings for men for in it Christ is considered afterward not as the ground or root of their election but only as a means ordained to bring about that to which before and without the consideration of him they were supposed to have been elected whereas the Scripture speaks of Gods purpose of Election as a thing that was in Christ before the foundations of the world Ephes 1.4 And speaks of him in his sufferings and glory Rom. 8.29 as the Prototype to which God had respect in his predestination of those that were foreknown by him for they were saies the Apostle predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son which plainly implies that his Son in that Image or Estate namely of sufferings and glory was in Gods eye or consideation as a thing preordained and so foreknown of him in his act of predestination Object To that in Eph. 1.4 it may possibly be objected that the Apostle by chosen in Christ may mean in Christ as the eternal word or God only as it 's said all things were created in or by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.16 Answ But to that it 's considerable that then we should be blessed too as in him Ephes 1.3 4. as he is God only for it is said we are blessed in him according as we were chosen in him but now evident it is that we are blessed in him as he hath redeemed us from the curse and is risen and ascended Gal. 3.13 14. and therefore in him as so considered we were elected or purposed to be chosen of God 2. That frame also as was before hinted infers a manifest change and alteration from the Scripture-language and more especially as to those of them that deny Christ to have dyed for all or say that God purposed absolutely to leave the greatest part of men as fallen in Adam without any serious desires of vouchsafements of means for their salvation to utter ruine and destruction for then should it rather have been said That God so loved a few or some part of mankind that he gave his only begotten Son that they might absolutely be brought to believe and have eternal life or that those who were precisely appointed to eternal life might believe and so enjoy it rather than that he loved the world and gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Nay it might as truly be said according to their frame of thoughts that God so hated the world that he would not have it saved nor afford any such grace to it as whereby it might in as much as they judge so concerning the far greater part of it which may rather challenge the denomination of the whole than the far lesser even as they say it doth when Christ says I pray not for the world Whence John 17.9 say they sure much less would he dy for the world and what is that in effect but that God did not so love the world as to give his Son for or to it c. 3. In that frame also the greatness of Gods mercy to mankind and the equity of his justice and judgement is more obscured than in the former while it both carries in the bottom of it no really merciful design in God towards the most and implies that he doth and will eternally punish men for what he never vouchsafed them any sufficient and efficacious grace for their avoiding of but ordered his government over them so as he knew must needs necessitate their perdition 4. It also drives the maintainers thereof inevitably upon making God so to design the destruction of most as to necessitate also their sins of which they stick not often either in plain terms or in words every way equivalent thereto to pronounce him the Author Worker Cause c. as Dr. Peirce hath also largely and learnedly proved Yea they some of them the Supralapsarians n◠only render him as one that hath pleasure in the death of the wicked rathe◠than that they should turn and and live contrary to his own Oath Ezek. 33.11 as all of them do but also as one tha◠had pleasure that the righteous should dye and therefore sin for all were righteous in innocent Adam where they represent God reprobating and purposing the damnation of the most To say nothing of their broad contradictions to many plain Scriptures that they oft run into their patronage of mens slothfulness in rendring it either needless to strive to enter the strait gate or impossible to do it to any purpose with many the like SECT 4. 1 Sam. 2.25 2 Chron 25.16 About Elies Sons and Amaziah considered as also something to Act. 13.48 IT is said in 1 Sam. 2.25 that the Sons of Eli hearkned not to the voyce of their Father because the Lord would destroy them and in 2 Chron 25.16 The Prophet sent to Amaziah to reprove him for his Idolatry being refused by him in and threatned by him for his message tells him
God over and toward these persons no ways clasht with his general purposes of mens ends according to their believing and obeying or disobedience to God in Christ before mentioned The two former being particular purposes perhaps only of temporal destructions for their persâ— wickednesses or at the highest judiâ— purposes of their final estates upon 〈◊〉 foresight or consideration of and with â—â—spect unto their abuses of Gods grace aâ— goodness which yet he purposed accoâ—â—ing to the counsel of his Will to theâ— because it was in his Power and Choâ— whether to make them examples anâ— instances of his severity in resolving theâ— destruction upon the account of their forepast sins or to have purposed further patience and grace to them for the rescuing them from the ways of sin unto salvation as the latter may speak of it intimately it being not so much a purpose of their end peremptorily and absolutely decreed to those persons I suppose as a purpose or rather a dispensation oâ— grace to dispose and order them to oâ— for such an end as he hath purposed to those that believe SECT 5. Of the distinction of Gods Purposes into Respective and Irrespective GOds purposes of mens ends then appear to be not irrespective and previous to the consideration of their way and works but respective to them as rewards for of Gods purposes some aâ—â— Irrespective and some Respective Respective I say not only to men as their object nor only to Christ in whom Gen. 3.15 16 17 c. and with respect to whose undertakings some things yea all that follow thereupon are purposed but with respect also to something veiwed or foreseen in men to Isa 48.3 4 5 6 7 8. and concerning whom they are purposed foreseen I say and so respected either as occasions of or apt dispositions to or meritorious causes of the things purposed with respect to them According to this distinction God did absolutely and irrespectively purpose the Creation of the World and all things therein The Creation of man in a good condition the leaving him to his liberty to obey or disobey his Law purposed also to be given him So the giving forth of Christ and preparing him to be a meet Saviour for us and the preventing men with his grace more or less clearly through him according to his good pleasure were purposed in some consideration irrespectively for though they had respect to the sin and fall and misery of man thereby as occasioning a need of those things yet as to any works of righteousness found in men or to be found in men as deserving them or as preparing and disposing men to such salvation to be wrought in and by Christ for them and for grace to call them they were irrespective But then Gods purposes of hardning rejecting and condemning this or that man were respective and lookt upon them as sinning against his grace and truth rejecting his Son and refusing him as deseâ—ving and rendring them worthy suâ— hardning rejecting and condemning And his purposes of giving more specâ— favour and salvation to such and such men believing as are properly consequent to or rewards of faith respected Christ not only as obtaining such grace but also a received and believed in by those men and so rendring them worthy in a Gospeâ— sense of such grace to be dispensed to them Unto this branch of respective purposes clearly appertain purposes of punishing and rewarding as such though most clearly it is seen in purposes of punishing either by giving up to sin or inflicting destructive vengeance upon menâ— such doubtless was his purpose of casting Adam out of Paradise it had respect to his sin sure he did not absolutely purpose to cast him out whither he sinned or not or to necessitate his sin that he might cast him out The like may be said of his purpose of drowning the World destroying Sodom establishing the Kingdom to Saul or taking it from him and so that such or such a man shall dye of such a death as their wilfull sinnings bring upon them in which though t is true that their days are determined yet its true also that they dye before their times namely before the times they should have lived to had they not ran into such sins Eccles 7.17 As Ahitophel Haman Judas Pharaoh though they must have dyed had they not sinned in such wicked ways as they did yet they should not have dyed such deaths been given up to and destroyed in such a way of judgement had they not been wicked or had they timely thereof repented Such was the purpose of God for hardning Pharaohs heart it had respect to his stubbornness and wickedness foreseen He see he would oppress his people and not let them go Exod. 3.19 20. 4.21 and with respect thereto purposed to harden him that he should not no not by many mighty Signs and Judgements be willing to let them go Such also the purpose of God concerning the believers sufferings of which it 's said 1 Thes 3.3 That we were thereunto appointed surely not as this or that man simply considered but as Believers in and confessors of Christ and so all such as such were appointed to sufferings especially in those times Such surely was Gods purpose and determination concerning Herod Pontius Pilate with the Jews and Gentiles opposing Acts 4.27 28. with 2.23 persecuting and crucifying or rather of his delivering him up to them and determining and fore-bounding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what they should do to him his determining counsel therein was joyned with his foreknowledge and with respect to what he foreknew they would be he determined to yeild them up to them and what they should do to him God did not purpose to make them wicked and stir them up or impel them to crucifie him as some over-rashly speak making God the Cauâ— Contriver and Author of their sin bâ— foreseeing what they would be and do if permitted he determined to permit them to do what he pleased to permit what should be done Suffering their malice so far to break forth as might be to his praise and restraining the remainder thereof as Psal 76.10 Not that he needed their crucifying him or Judas betraying him to work mans redemption by nor was it his dying as the effect of their wickedness that did properly ransome us nor did their betraying and crucifying him necessarily bring forth his death No man took his life from him but he laid it down of himself Acts 2.23 3.15 5.30 7.52 John 10.18 though yet they are truly and properly chargeable with killing and slaying him and putting him to death both as to their desire and intention and as to the consequent of what they did to him but he yeilded his life voluntarily to his Father who made his soul an offering for sin And his Death as needful for and effectual to our ransoming and redemption was that which the Fathers wrath or curse of the Law
and City to destruction and both their People and Prince of the Seed of David to Captivity for the space of seventy years Yet was he very gracious in the midst of his judgements to remember mercy and both before and in and after the Captivity he gave them Prophets and Holy Men to and by whom he poured forth the knowledge of Himself and Son for their Eternal Salvation as well as for support under and instruction to profit by all the Calamities that then and in after Ages were to befall them which Calamities also upon them both involving their Kingdom in the Line of David none of his Seed after that Calamity ever sitting any more upon his Throne and their Temple and Temple-worship never restored to its first glory again as to their external form of Worship and testimony of Gods presence with them in it were both ordered as means and helps to make them more spiritual in the understanding of their former promises concerning Davids Seed and the Temple and to look upon the Messiah as the compleatment and fulfilling of both mainly pointed to in both who also with the grace brought in by him was very much insisted upon and more lively set before them together with the mercy of God through him for the gathering them back again to himself after that for their often and constant rejecting him both in the more mystical and typical tenders of him and in his addresses to them by his Spirit by the Prophets and in his personal appearing they should be cast off and given up to spoil and misery and the Gentiles taken into their place and prividges to provoke them to jealousie by the several Prophets in that time sent them As before their Captivity by Isaiah Micha and Jeremy in their captivity by Ezekiel and Daniel and after their captivity by Haggai Zecchary and Malachy who all spake of Jesus Christ the Messiah very clearly and plainly to them and in many things more plainly than had been before spoken Isa 11.1 2 10 11. 42.1 2 3 4. 49.5 6 7 8. Especially Isaiah had that great grace poured forth to him as to instruct him into and furnish him to set forth the whole tenure of the Gospel 〈◊〉 amply particularly that the Meâ— should not only be of the Seed of Daâ— a root of Jesse that should arise and reâ— over the Gentiles upon whom Gods Spirit should gloriously rest so as that theâ— by he should bring forth judgement 〈◊〉 the Gentiles Chap. 7.14 be the light of them 〈◊〉 Gods salvation to the ends of the earth which was also in substance shewed 〈◊〉 and by David but also that he should born of a Virgin should be despised of 〈◊〉 Jews Chap. 53. should suffer death should be 〈◊〉 sed or live again and justifie many by knowledge having borne their sins aâ— many things of like import yea spake of the New Heavens and the Nâ— Earth Chap. 65. 66. and New Jerusalem the Glâ— of the Righteous therein and the evâ— lasting punishment of the Wicked Aâ— in many things the Prophet Micha wâ— prophesied in the same times spake 〈◊〉 very same things and almost in 〈◊〉 same words with him as appears Miâ— 5. Joel also prophesied of the pâ—ring out of the Spirit in the last days â—remy and Ezekiel indeed were much take up about the Sins of the people Jer. 3.16 17. 31. 32. Ezek. 11. 33. 34. 36. 37 c. and the Captivities yet not without intermixâ— very clear prophesies of Christ and 〈◊〉 goodness of God through him to all meâ— especially to them in their returning agaâ— Of the new Covenant and the restauratâ— of the Church to a fuller Glory by him his appearing To Daniel also in the Caâ—tivity was shewed and signified the time 〈◊〉 the Messiah's coming Dan. 9.25 26 27 c. his being cut off but not for himself that he should make an end of sin make reconciliation for iniquity bring in everlasting righteousness seal up the Vision and Prophecie confirm and perfect it and anoint the most holy yea to Dan. 2. 7. 8. 10. 11. 12. and by him were shewed the afflictions and persecutions which that people should be exposed to and tried with till the time of the end and their restauration afterward with the Resurrection of the Dead the Kingdom of Christ and its greatness and glory very plainly also spake the other Prophets of him Hag. 2.5 6 7 8 9. Hagai that he should come into that Second Temple which was then building and fill it with the Glory of his Presence Lachary that he should come meek and lowly riding upon an Ass Zech. 9.9 10 11. 12.10 11 12. and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass into Jerusalem should be peirced by them should cut off their worldly Props the Chariot from Ephraim and the Horse from Jerusalem should speak peace to the Heathen Chap. 4. 6. 14. have a large or universal Dominion calls him the Branch speaks of him under the name of Zerubbabel as he was then in his loins as pertaining to the flesh as the Author and Finisher of the Faith the Layer of the Foundation the Builder and Bringer up to Perfection of the Spiritual Temple or House of God Yea speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem Mal. 3.1 2 3 4. 4. the coming again of Christ with his Saints and of the times of the restauration of the things prâ—sed Malachy also spake of Christ as 〈◊〉 nigh at hand to come but not to be endured by them when he came and 〈◊〉 the coming of his Messenger or forerunner to come before his face even Joâ— the Baptist and of his coming again to execute vengeance on the proud and save them that look for him and of the coming of Elias before that great day To say nothing of those other Holy Men Ezra and Nehemiah with many others during the times of those Prophets promoting the Knowledge and Worship of God or of the writings of other Good Men though not Prophets who drawing from the words of the Prophets abundance of understanding imployed themselves amongst the people to instruct them such discoveries of God and his truth with manifold Instructions Counsels and Reproofs they had in those Ages yea all those Writings of their Holy Men and Prophets contained in the Scriptures they had the help of till the coming of Christ though under many and great Changes and Afflictions under the Monarchies of the Persians and Grecians often times And though from Malachy to about Christs birth they had no more Prophets sent them vet they had all those discoveries given forth both by Moses and the Prophets in former times to instruct and help them and to furnish them with the truth for the Instruction of others amongst whom they had dealings and began to be dispersed more than in former times and these Ages contained about the
Exod. 12.3 aptly signifying Joh. 1 2â— That Lamb of God which God as Abraham said Gen. 22.8 would find out for himself for a Burnt-offering and representing his innocency harmlesness meekness profitableness and fitness to be a Sacrifice for us as also the in him is Blessing for all the Families 〈◊〉 the Earth which each of them should accept and seek for 2. Their Lambs were to be perfect of 〈◊〉 First Year a Male without blemish Verâ— 5. 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 2.22 〈◊〉 spot scab or defect in him representing the acceptableness of the Person of Christ to God and fitness for the Work of our Redemption as being without fault or spot of Sin before him nothing defective in him for making satisfaction and attonement for us nothing superfluous or that might be spared of a Masculine Spirit fervent in the business undertook by him in our behalf and of excellent sweetness and nourishment Vers 3. for us 3. Psal 89.19 20. Heb. 4.15 Isa 53.9 They were to take it out of the Flock of the Sheep or of the Goats or Kids to signify That Christ should be one with us of the common Nature of Mankind that is found in good and bad one chosen out of the People and in all points made like unto us yea that he should be numbred with the Transgressors and make his Grave with the Wicked and with the Rich in his Death yet without Sin in him 4. They were to keep it up Vers 6. till the Fourth day after their taking it perhaps to signifie that not till the Four thousandth Year or fourth time of the World Heb. 9.25 26. Christ was to be Manifest and brought forth to his death and Sufferings though set apart thereto in the beginning thereof 5. They were to kill it to signifie Vers 6. Luk. 24.26 Heb. 9.22 26. That the Messias must dye for our Sins no Remission of Sins but by his Blood-shed 6. They were to Kill it in the Evening or between the two Evenings between the declining and setting of the Sun 〈◊〉 signify That in the End of the World or last Ages of it he should appear once to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself Heh 9.26 7. The whole Congregation was to kill it to signifie That we all had a hand in the Death of Christ It was the Iniquity of us All that God laid upon him and so in some sense he Dyed by that is by occasion of us all and for All Isa 53.5 6. 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 1 Tim. 2.6 8. Vers 9. They were to rost the Flesh of it to signifie As the great Sufferings they had endured in Aegypt so much more the great and fiery Afflictions that should befall Christ in his Soul and Body yea it might note That He not onely should be killed or put to Death in the Flesh but also That his Soul should be in Hell for a time though not left there That he might as well endure the Miseries which our Souls in their seperate State from their Bodies should have endured as what we must have endured before in the Body Math. 26.38 39. and 27.46 Luk. 22.44 Act. 2.31 9. Vers 7. They were to sprinkle its Blood upon the Posts of their Doors the upper Post and the two side Posts but not upon the Threshold Heb. 10.22 29. 12.24 To signifie That he should be the Propitiotory or Reconconciliation for us through Faith in his Blood 1 Pet. 1.1 2. 2.5 9 1â— which being sprinkled upon our Consciences should be as a defence over and about us but must not be trod under foot or counted as a common thing by us and that in such obedience to and sprinkling of it being sanctifyed thereby God would spare us yea bring us out from the power of Sin and Satan and chuse us to be a People to himself to shew forth his praises 10. It was to be eaten by every Family Vers 4. â— To signifie That the way for us to be made partakers of the Death and Sacrifice of Christ and to live by him and be strengthned for our departure from Sin and Satan and walking after God in the Wilderness of this World is by a particular receipt and application of him to us or exercise of Faith in him as Cruciâ—yed for us as Gal. 2.20 Joh. 6.51.53 c. 11. It might not be eaten raw Vers 9. or sod in water but rosted To signifie perhaps that Christ not nakedly considered either as the Eternal Word or simply as made Flesh and giving himself as an Example to us in his Life or Suffering as an ordinary Man or any ways as the wisdom of the Flesh might represent him to us but as made an Offering for our Sins Christ as Crucified and therethrough prepared and made a meek Sacrifice for us yea and as lifted up and glorified by the Spirit of God to us is to be believed in and fed upon by us 1 Cor. 2.2 2 Cor. 5.14 15 16. Joh. 6.51 12. They were to Eat it whole Joh. 6.35 48 〈◊〉 53 54 55. its Heâ— with its Legs and the appurrenances thereof To signifie That whole Christ was given for us and is given to us and nothing of him is to be neglected by us His Deity his Humanity his Walking Words Actions Sufferings all good to be received meditated and fed upon by us all that appertained to him as Crucified for us He is altogether delectable Cant. 5.16 13. They were to Eat it that Night â—â—rs 10. not to leave of it till the Morning To signifie That in this World or dark time of this Life we are to live by the Faith of Christ and exercise Faith in his Death there will be no need of that in the Morning of the Resurrection Heb. 10.38 Gall. 3.25 as also it might signifie That the Ordinance and the rest of those shadows of the Law were but to continue till the day dawned till Christ appeared and was Dead and Raised and then no further need of those observations They were to Eat it with their Loyns Girt â—ers 12. their Shooes on their Feet their Staves in their Hands and in haste in a Posture ready to walk or travel out of Aegypt To imply That in minding and exercising Faith in Christ Crucifyed for us we are to gird up the Loyns of our Minds not to let them be seattered abroad upon vain things but to set them upon Christ and Heaven the true and heavenly Canaan and our Journey or March thither and to have the hope God's Salvation his Word as a Staff for our Support and so to have our Feet shod with the preparations of the Gospel of Peace ready in haste to follow after Christ out of this World from the Power and Dominion of Sin and Satan under Christ's Kingdom Government and Guidance unto the Glory to which He will carry us 15. vers 8. They were to Eat it with
the Earth But SECT 5. How and in what sense the foresaid operations of hardning blinding c. are Attributed unto God and how he worketh in and unto them LEt us view now how or after what manner God may be said to harden blind deceive men and turn their heart to hate his people as Psal 105.25 tho that might be rendred their heart returned to hate his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Exod. 14.5 Their heart was turned against the People Seeing it is said That God is not a God that hath pleasure in iniquity he hates the workeâ— of it Psal 5.4 5. Ezek. 33.11 and he himself swears that he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked namely that they should continue in their Sins and dye but rather that they should turn and live Surely they are not his operations properly and directly aâ— those of his mercy in drawing men to himself and framing them to his mind 〈◊〉 but by a kind of indirect permissive accidental operation as the Sun may be said to cause darkness by leaving the Horizon or to make men blind that look against it and not by it or the like 〈◊〉 yet they are ascribed to God because against his will setting it self to hindâ— them effectively they could not be wrought or because also it is with 〈◊〉 will as a just and righteous thing that such things as hardness blindness deceâ— should befal them for their punishment by running therethrough upon their own Calamities and because they are occasioned by something properly and directly wrought and done by him we may say that by such ways as these God may be said to do them 1. By permitting leaving and giving to men to themselves and to their own imaginations and lusts to be hardned by them not giving forth his grace any further as to such and such a particular or in a total hardning not at all to hinder and keep them back from such hardness and blindness but letting them have their wills and liberty to follow after their â—wn devices and purposes and so to run themselves into desperate stiffness of heart against God and his counsels as in Psal 81.11.14 Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels And so the Gentiles becoming vain in their own imaginations and not likeing to retain or have God in their Knowledge God give them up to vile affections and to a mind void of Judgment Rom. 1.21 25 26 28. And so as the Sun going from us causes darkness so Christ who is the Light of the World hiding himself from a people it follows upon it Joh. 12.39 40 42. that their â—ryes are blinded and he hath blinded their eyes namely by taking away his Light from them not by imparting or â—utting malice into them but by withdrawing his mercy from them as Augustine well says Non impartiendo malitiam sed non impertiendo misericordiam 2. By giving leave and commission permissively to Satan to enter into them as it were and possess them with lying and false imaginations hopes and fears and so to deceive Job 1. and blind and harden them So the Lord took away all that Job had by permitting 2 Sam. 24.11 with 1 Chron. 21.1 1 King 22.20 21 22 23. and giving leave to Satan to do it And he is said to have moved David against Israel to say Go number the people in letting Satan provoke David to it So he hardned Ahabs heart by giving leave or commission to a lying Spirit to intice him to go to Ramoth Gilead by promising him by the mouth of his false Prophets success and prosperity in his so doing And he may be said to have deceived those Prophets not by his Spirit dictating any deceit to them far be it from us so to Blaspheme him but by giving way and leave to the False Spirit to enter into them and deceive them as in the same way he is said to send men strong Delusions that they may believe a lye c. namely by letting Satan who is forward to such work 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. if permitted bring strong Delusions to men and insinuate them into their sancies as he might be said to * Mark 5.12 13. with Math. 8.31 32. Luk. 8.32 33. send the unclean Spirit into the Herd of Swine when upon their desire of it he gave them leave to go 3. By ordering such good and holy Providences to men as by which their hearts especially if left to themselves and Satan will take occasion to harden â—lind and stiffen themselves in their resolutions for Sin and against God So his very suffering the Magicians to do such â—ings by their Inchantments as Moses and â—aron did by his Finger or ordering Moses and Aaron to do such things as they could do the like occasion'd Pharaoh to 〈◊〉 light by those Judgments yea his gradous readiness to remove the Judgment and give respite to Pharaoh so easily at his promise of doing better and intreaty of Moses to pray for him hardned â—baraoh ' heart or rather as the Apostle says Rom. 2.4 5. He after his hardness and impenitency despising or looking overly upon God's easiness to be intreated and so upon his goodness and long-suffering which should have moved him to Repentance hardned his heart against God and treaâ—red up wrath to himself against a day of Wrath according to that in Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a me as thy self c. And that in Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil doer is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of Men is fully set that is is hardned and made obstinate in them to do evil So that accidentally and eventually God's goodness and forbearance to them hardens them and blinds them because they take boldness thence-through their wickedness to presume to Sin yet more and becoming 〈◊〉 in their imaginations blind themselves and are made uncertain whither God dislike their ways or not or whither there be any God or providence of God because he doth not punish the evil of their ways Again by ordering Israel to march through the Wilderness where according to probability it might be thought they would be intangled and so by ordering a kind of Tryal to Pharaoh whether by all his fore-past Judgments he would yet stand in awe of him seeing he would yet hold fast his covetous design of enriching himself by their bondage He also permitted Satan to put into his heart such a thought that now he might have a good advantage to force them back and so he was strengthned and animated to pursue after them to his Destruction And so God turned the hearts of the Aegyptians to hate his people by ordering such blessings and multiplication to his People as provoked them being evil to envy and fear them and then permitting them
made rich being thereby made capable of acting and Suffering for us so as to procure our Salvation being God and Man in one person 5. That in pursuance of our Redemption he was also made under the Law Gal. 4.4 3.13 Rom. 3.19 both as it was upon and against all men and as given to be observed by the Jews that He might Redeem us from the Law that is that being in Bond as it were with us as a clear man that enters Bond for a grear Debtor he might be liable to be called forth to the Payment of our Debt and procure our discharge from it 6. And accordingly God called him forth to the Judgment Joh. 12.31 Heb. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. 1 Pet. 2.24 as the onely responsible Person and caused the Judgment of the World to pass upon him to which also he willingly and desirously yielded himself bearing our sins in his own body on the Tree and so gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.6 Rom. 5.12 14 15 16 17 18 19. 1 Cor. 15.17 18 21 22. Joh. 1.29 Phil. 2.6 7 8. with Gen. 3.5 6. Psal 69.4 Gal. 3.10 13. Phil. 2.8 9. Matth. 26.38 39. 27.46 and by the grace of God tasted Death for every man the Second Adam satisfying for the sins of the First and all in and of him as fallen in him both for root and Branch the first Revolt from God in our First Parents and all that Naturally and necessarily spring up from it giving or laying down to that purpose as much as the First Adam usurped or aspired to even the Form of God and enduring all that thereby that the First Adam incurred by way of penalty to himself and all his Posterity equivolently even the Curse of the Law to Death the Death of the Cross in which he sustained and endured not onely great Pains and Torments in his Body but also unspeakable Agonies and Afflictions in his Soul pouring it out to Death John 12.27 Isa 53.8 9 10 11 12. Psal 22.1 2 8 9 10-16 c. 7. That in this his abasement and Death His obedience and sufferings were so well-pleasing Isa 53.10 11 12. Rom. 4.25 1.3 4. Act. 2.24 Rom. 14.9 1 Cor. 15.3 4 5. Matth. 12.40 and satisfactory to God that He in Testimony thereof raised him up from the Dead the third day taking him therein from Prison and Judgment Yea he himself was God-man and so a person not to be swallowed up of Death though to manifest that he was indeed Dead and to sanctifie the Grave to us and Redeem us from it he was pleased to abide in it part of Three Days and Three Nights rose again by his Divine Power and after he had shewed himself by divers infallible proofs to his Disciples Act. 1.1 2 3 4 10. 10.39 40 41. Luk. 24.9.10 50.51 Heb. 9.14 Act. 2.33.36 Heb. 1.3 12.2 Act. 2. 3 4 5. by the space of forty Days after his Resurrection for a manifestation of the Truth of it and confirmation of their Faith in it He in their sight Ascended up visibly into Heaven and there presented his own Crucified and raised Body a spotless Sacrifice to God being taken up thither and there received of God his Father and set down at his Right hand even upon the Throne of Majesty in the Heavens as his after sending forth his Spirit upon his Disciples according to his fore-promise to them and Working many notable Miracles by them also did evidently declare SECT 4. Of the Love of God to fallen Man in glorifying his Son for him and of the compleatness and fitness of Christ as now in Heaven to be the Saviour of all Men and especially of such as Believe SO that now the same Jesus Eph. 4.8 9 10. with Psal 68.18 1 Pet. 3.18 19. Gal. 3.13 Heb. 2.14 2 Tim. 1.10 the Son of God who in love to us was abased and Suffered for us in the weakness of the Flesh and Descended into the lower parts of the Earth to Ransom us from the Sin and Misery fore-come upon us lives also being ascended up on high and having led captivity captive even Sin Death Law Devil who led us Captive at Gods Right hand in the Glory and Power of God thence to succour and Save us in all our Danger Act. 2.33 5 30 31. Matth. 28.18 19 20. Col. 1.19 2.9.10 and from all our Enemies being made in the Name and Authority of the Father the Saviour of all Men and especially of those that Believe unto which also He is compleatly and fully furnished of the Father in that He hath there given gifts in the man for man even for the Rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them for he hath there made him 1. Lord Act. 2.36 10.36 Phil. 2.10 11. 1 Pet. 13.21 Eph. 1.20 21. Isa 9.6 Joh. 5.22 23. Lord of all giving him all power and all authority in Heaven and in Earth a Name above every Name That at his Name every knee should bow both of things in heaven and in earth and under the earth Angels Men Devils and all Creatures being given into his hand and dispose the whole Government laid upon his shoulders and all Judgment committed into his hand To inable and furnish him in which in the Nature of Man he is also made 2. Christ Act. 2 36. Isa 42.1 61.1.2 11.1 2 3. Act. 10.38 the Anointed one of God filled with the Spirit of God without measure which Spirit is an infinite wise powerful and gracious Spirit inabling and strengthning him to all such Offices and the Works of them as he is anointed and designed to and are needful for our further saving That is to say 1. To be the Great Prophet Act. 3.21 22. the Light of the World to give forth the Light Truth and Knowledge of God and what may concern us to know for our peace and welfare as in his Wisdom he sees fit that whosoever believes in Joh. 1.9 8.12 12.46 Isa 42.1 2 3 4. 49.6 7. 1 Cor. 15.45 John 5.22.23 25. Isa 55.2 3 5. Psal 25.8 9 12 14. Matth. 13.11 1 Pet. 2.25 Joh. 10.2 11. and follows his Light might not abide in Darkness but might see the Light of Life And being a quickning Spirit he is in the Spirit fitted and able so to speak in and through the means he affords to the spirit of Men as to cause the Dead in Spirit to hear and so as that they who in hearing hear or listen to him may live for ever He being more peculiarly ordain'd a further Teacher and Leader to them to shew them the Mysteries of the Kingdom the Secrets of the Lord and as a Shepherd and Bishop of their Souls to feed them with Knowledge and Understanding unto Eternal Life 2. To be the Great Psal 2.1 6.7 8 9. Jer. 10.7 with Rev. 15.4 Isa 33.22 Matth. 28.18 19 20. Psal 149.2 Rev.
against him Yea 2. His Design is broken for us men 1 Tim. 2.5 and 2 Tim. 1.10 even for Adam and all his Posterity inasmuch as through what Christ hath done and Suffered for us He hath so abolished Death the Death that by that Sin came upon us that it notwithstanding we may or might any man in his proper time during the Day of Grace Isa 55.5 6 7. Ezek. 33.11 2 Sam. 14.14 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Cor. 15.20 21. Rom. 5.18 John 5.28 29 25 11.25 26. 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 20.12 be Saved and be brought back again to God in that Judgment and Death no man shall Everlastingly Perish but in a Second they that do Christ is the Resurrection and the Life out 〈◊〉 the First so speaking to the Dead in Spirit as to cause them to hear so as they may in hearing and listening to him Live And he will so speak to the Bodily Dead as that out of that Death All shall Live so as to be brought before him as their Soveraign Lord and Judge to be judged by him according as in their life-times they have accepted or rejected him So that notwithstanding their Sin Committed in Adam or their sinfulness thence contracted or the Death therefore ordered to them Prov. 1.22 23. Psal 95.7 8. Isa 45.22 55. 1 2 3 6 7. Rev. 22.17 Eccles 7.1 2 3 4 5. Psal 90.11 39. 4 5 6. John 5.24 Prov. 1.23 Rev. 22.17 2 Pet. 3.13 Rev. 22.3 4. any man in hearing the Voice of Christ as while it is called to day any man may Maugre all that Plot of Satan may be brought back to an happy Estate through Jesus Christ Yea this Death as now ordered through Jesus Christ affords exceeding great Motive and is of singular use to awaken men and provoke them to seek the Lord that they may live and being Justified by Christ as that is certainly to be met with in obeying his Voice any man may come to the injoyment of Fellowship with him in the restauration and glory of our Nature in him so as to have a better Paradise and Tree of Life a better Sabbath a better World even new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness with freedom from temptation and from danger of falling from it then ever Adam had or we in him 3. Yea 1 Pet. 5.8 Ephes 2.2 3. Rev. 20.3 Joh. 8.44 with ver 32 33 34 36. Rom. 10.11 12 c. Whereas Satan is yet busily Plotting though his Head be so broken in Christ as to his First Plot and the Jurisdiction got thereby seeking to draw particular persons into new Snares and to bring them to a new Condemnation by their personal voluntary and unnecessitated slightings and refusings of the Light and Truth or Voice of the Son of God even then when he is calling them and therein setting them free and moving them to listen and adhere to him and men are generally being weak in themselves and through the sweetness they feel Jam. 3.2 Joh. 3.19 20. 1 Tim. 2.5 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Rom. 5.16 Isa 53.12 Luk. 13.7 8 9. Isa 55.7 or fancy in their selfish sinful ways apt to listen to him and in many things we sin all Christ is herein Preached and represented as the Mediator of God and Men the Propitiation for the Sins of the World in the Superabundancy of the vertues of his Death and Sacrifice in which He infinitely out-did the Sin of Adam and its demerit by his Intercession pleading for and obtaining patience and forbearance for men and forgivness ready to be given them for such Sins also upon their letting them go and parting with them whence it s said Let the wicked forsake his ways Ezek. 33.16 and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn to the Lord for he is gratious and to our God for he will multiply to pardon And in the day that a man turneth all his Iniquities shall be forgiven him none of them shall be mentioned unto him Psal 103. 3 4 6. And with the Lord is plenteousness of Redemption More then meerly to free from the old Score of Sin that came in upon our First account of our sinning in Adam So that he is represented by vertue of that his Mediation the Forgiver of other Sins also Joh. 3.18 5.24 1 Thess 1.9 10. 1 John 1.9 10. the Saviour and Deliverer from the Second Death the Wrath to come Having also Authority and Power and Commission to cleanse us from our unrighteousness we confessing our Sins before him and turning to him so that Iniquity shall not prevail upon us to bring us into Bondage again and so to pull upon on us the second Death Luke 13.8.9 25. Matt. 25.31.35 41. Rev. 20.10 c. which yet he also hath power to leave men to and for their Rebellions against his Grace to Sentence them to and execute upon them and therein to Destroy them for ever with the Devil and his Angels In which his Head shall be forever broken too both in himself and all his Seed as Plotting together against Christ the Seed of the Woman in himself and his Members so as never more to be able to rise up against them SECT 6. How Christ is set forth in the Gospel as the Fulfilling and Fulfiller of the Promises and Prophecies that fore-went of him and of all the Types and Shadows YET further to shew what a compleat Saviour Christ is and how compleat we are in him We may note That he is as the Gospel sets him forth The Accomplishment and the Accomplisher in their due time and way of all the other Prophecies and Promises concerning our Salvation Acts 13.32 33. 1 Cor. 1.20 Col. 2.16 Heb. 10.1 and the body and truth of all Types Figures and Representations of him mentioned in the Scriptures As He is 1. That Seed of Abraham Gen. 18.18 26. Matth. 1.1 2. and of Isaac and of Jacob in whom God Promised That all the families and nations of the earth should be blessed which is accomplished in him Acts 3.25.26 Gal. 3.8 1 Tim. 4.10 1 John 5.11 12. Matth. 22.4 5 8. Luk. 24.19 23 24. Dead and Risen for them and become the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe for God hath in him given us eternal life even to us men so as in having submitting to and receiving Christ in his Light and Truth we may have it Now in Eternal Life is included Remission of Sins Righteousness and all things And these are made ready for all so as any in turning at his Reproofs may and shall certainly receive them none excluded by him till they exclude themselves nor but for so doing Prov. 1.22 23 24. and 9.1 2 3 4 5 12. 2. He is the Shiloh or Peace-maker Gen. 49.10 Eph. 2.13 14 15 16 17. Isa 11.10 11. Rom. 15.6 10 11. Matth. 25.31 32. who hath made Peace by the Blood of his Cross and hath Preached Peace to
and declares himself to be and so calling upon him in all their wants and needs acknowledging confessing and glorifying him in all things by Jesus Christ even in all his goodness 1 Thess 5.16 17 18. Philip. 4.6 7. Ephes 5.18 19 20. Rom. 6.11 12 13 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 6.20 and gracious Dispensations to and dealings with them or others as manifest to them yielding up themselves and all their powers and members to walk with obey and serve him as his grace afforded instructs and strengthens them 5. Matth. 28.19 20. 26.26 27 28. 1 Cor. 11.25 26 27 28. Acts 2.41 42. Rom. 15.9 10. Col. 3.16 Heb. 3.12 13. 10.25 Ephes 6.17 18. Phillip 3.3 John 4.23 24. Jude 20. Matth. 16.24 Rom. 6.2 3 4 5 6. Gal. 2.19 20 21. 3.25 26 27 28 29. That they attend unto and upon God and Christ in such ways ordinances and appointments of his as He hath made known to them in his Doctrine to be injoyed and appointed of God for them in the present Administration of his Grace and Truth according to his mind therein is manifested to them and perceived by them As in times past they had the Observations of the New Moons Sabbaths Sollemn meetings appointed of God by Moses where they had them Revealed to them So now we have the use of Baptism the Supper and Assemblies of Believers in the Name of Christ as may be warrantably injoyed And such an hearty spiritual and close obedience to God and Christ in the Spirit denying our Selves and going out of all knowledge of our Selves after and confidence in and glorying of the Flesh and being Baptized or Planted into Christ to seek all our Life Peace and Righteousness Wisdom Strength Salvation in him is required of us and is to be held forth by us as required of all Men according to their capacities of obeying in and by the Gospel-Doctrine And this also is good and true in it self and to be held forth with the Gospel to All men not to be first required of men to prepare them for the Gospel nor to be their Righteousness toward God But upon Phil. 3.7 8 9 10. Rom. 10.3 and with the Preaching of the Gospel this they are to be instructed to and admonished That they refuse not the Gospel taught to and to be Believed by them nor refuse to obey it in what it requireth and calls for from them as the way in which sowing to the Spirit they shall be more filled with the Spirit and so be more led into Christ Gal. 6.7 Col. 2.9 10. 3.9 10. in whom God hath given us a full perfect and abiding Righteousness and all things pertaining to Life and Godliness To further which also the Gospel further presents SECT 3. Gospel Terrours GOspel Terrours Arguments of Fear 2 Cor. 5.11 to awaken and quicken men to receive and obey the Truth brought to them in what it says to and requires of them As to give some brief hints as resulting from and presented in the Gospel-Faith or Doctrine 1. 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15. Tit. 2.3 4. It presents sin very loathsom and displeasing to God especially willing and careless sinnings against the light truth and grace brought to men by him The presentation of what Christ hath done to take away sin Heb. 2.2 3 4. 10.26 29. 7.19 9.19 9.22 10.1 6 7. presents sin never a whit the less but the more loathsom to God in as much as it was not nor may be pardoned but through the sufferings death and sacrifice of Christ for men And if sin against God as a Creator was so loathsom how much more is sinning against him willingly Heb. 10.29 12.21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29. Heb. 1. 2.1 2 3 4. now he hath done so much more for us and put so much greater ingagements upon us to be his and to obey and serve him The more he hath done for us the more reason we have to listen to him and the more heinous our rebellions and sins against him and the more he loves his Son who suffered for us the more is he provoked by our disobedience to and rebellions against his Son in his calls and counsels to us for our salvation 2. Matth. 28.18 19. Rom. 14.9 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 5.10 Phil. 2.10 11. Jam. 4.5 12 13. It presents God and Christ armed with infinite power and authority to punish the transgressors and rebels against him all power in Heaven and upon Earth being his and all creatures at his beck to be imployed or made use of by him at his pleasure so as no ability in us by strength or wisdom to shift from him or from any the least part of the punishment or judgment that he will inflict upon us if we rebel against him 1 Cor. 10.22 Ezek. 22.14 3. Eccles 9.10 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Heb. 3.15 Rev. 1.18 19. 3.7 It presents the time of this life the only time for hearing his voice and obeying him and seeking favour and acquaintance with him yea it 's his pleasure whither to wait upon us so long the Keys of Heaven and Hell are in his hands Luke 13.7 8 9 25 26 27. Matth. 10.38 Luke 10.5 6. and as he can open as he pleases and keep open â—he door of life so long as he pleases so he can shut it when he will too yea our â—ives also are in his hand and not in our own He can take away our breath and spirit when he pleases and cast the Transgressors into Hell and there is no withstanding of him therein None hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit neither is there any power in the day of death Eccles 8.8 4. That he can and may 1 Cor. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. with 9.26 27. 11.30 Rev. 2.4 5 21 22. Deut. 28.2 Thess 2.9 10. 11 12. Act. 13.40 41. and by mens refusing his grace and truth and therein his Son and Spirit and Self is provoked to inflict heavy judgements upon them here in their souls or bodies or both either denying them or depriving them of the comfortable injoyments of such outward mercies and liberties as otherwise he is ready to give them or else imbitter his gifts to them filling them with a curse so as to fill them with vexation and anguish of Spirit or else to blast them in all and curse their spirits as to give them up to delusions lusts and ways of their own to run themselves to destruction 5. Act. 10.42 17.30 31. Rom. 2.16 14.11 12.2 Cor. 5.10 11. Rev. 20.12 13 14.2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9. Jude 14 15. That however he hath absolutely decreed and appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by Christ Jesus and then will raise all up out of their graves no darkness or shadow of death shall be able to hide or keep them from his presence but before him
in their raised and immortalised bodies they shall appear Matth. 13.40 41 42 49 50. 16.26 27. 25.41 46. 3.12 when he shall appear in flaming fire to render vengeance even armed with the power and wrath of God in unspeakable unconceivable terror with an innumerable company of mighty Angels attending on him ready to execute his commands against them and then shall he utterly destroy the Rebels sentence them to be everlastingly companions with the Devil and his Angels that seduced them Rev. 20.10 12 13 14. Isa 30.33 Mark 9.44 45 46 47 48. and whom they chose to adhere and cleave to rather than to folfollow the Lamb in his Light and Grace wherewith he prevented and followed them And then he shall execute the Doom also upon them Rev. 14.9 10 11 12. Isa 66.24 thrusting them down with the Devil and his Angels into an ever-burning Lake of Fire and Brimstone into the Rivers of the wrath of God to be perpetually kindled upon them by the power of that Spirit that came to them and convinced them and being obeyed would have saved them which Spirit being infinite and eternally wise and powerful Oh! how infinite eternal and unbearably great must needs be the wrath executed upon them by him when their bodies being immortal and insepaâ—able from their souls again they shall be capable of enduring it endlesly and being separated from God and all his Creature-comforts too they shall have pure wrath without mixture no dram of good or ease or comfort afforded with it The fire of his wrath shall torment them perpetually and the Conscience of their own willing sinnings against him and despising their Saviour and his salvation when freely offered them and made attainable to them shall perpetually grieve and confound them and as a Worm that dyes not for ever gnaw them All the good they had from God Luk. 16.23 24 25. and might have had for ever had they hearkned to him being evermore before them on the one side and the remembrance of it infinitely dolorous to them and on the other side the several wickednesses committed contrived thought and acted by them in word and deed Jonas 2.8 with the aggravations of them as for what foolish trivial sorry and vile things and against what checks warnings faithfull means of preventing them they have made the forfeiture and sustain the loss of that eternal glory that others have and they might have had in their obeying Christ in the light and truth offered them shall add unconceivably to their everlasting woe and horror and lamentation Rev. 14.8 10 11 12. and yet no ease after inconceivable times or duration nor no way or possibility of Redemption such the terror of the Lord in that day even such as his goodness abused by men in this day and the good the grace the glory trampled under foot by them the worth of the person and sufferings of Christ sin'd against and the greatness of the glory and majesty of God contemned and 〈◊〉 at nought 2 Pet. 2.1 2. Tit. 1.2 2.13 Matth. 11.29 30. 1 Joh. 5.3 2 Cor. 5.11 and that for vile things inâ—nitely below them deserves to be reveâ—ged with The faith exceeding true and precious The hope firm and infinitely glorious The obedience required exceeding reasonable and not grievous because he is ready at hand to effect it in us and therefore also the Terror and Torment upon the refusers exceedingly and incomprehensibly Dolorous SECT 4. A Digression about the Endlesness of the punishments mentioned in the Gospel-Terrors AGainst this Doctrine of the Terrors of the Gospel and endlesness of the torments or punishment to which Christ will at the Great Day adjudge his enemies Some may object that sure it cannot be consistent with his love mercy and goodness to adjudge his Creatures for any cause whatsoever to such endless misery Probably Mr. Hobbs Yea there is an Anonymous Author that hath put out a Discourse on purpose to prove the the Doctrine of Hell torments false and fabulous Therefore I shall add some Considerations here briefly for confirmation of the truth already said thereabout Yet not by way of particular Answer to that Book which I have also otherwise answered to some Friends for indeed it is so monstrous in its assertion and so self-contradictory that I hope none that give credit to God and are able in any measure to judge of things will be snared by it for it saith Sin is only punisht in this life no greater punishment of it than death quite contrary to the words of Christ that tell us John 5.29 That some shall be raised out of their Graves at the last day to condemnation and Dan. 12.2 That some shall rise to shame and everlasting contempt yea that after the Resurrection some shall be adjudged to a second death a lake that burns with fire and brimstone Rev. 20.13 14 15. True the said Author also confesses a second death but he makes it but the same with the first save only as it is judicially executed for he asserts that Adam and all men should have died had they not sinned but now the death that should have been otherwise natural is now judicially executed and so a man that is hanged for murther or the like he makes to dye there in the second death But how cross this is to the Scripture who is so blind as not to see Seeing the Scriptures plainly make the second death to be a death adjudged to some men after their Resurrection from the first as in Rev. 20. before quoted yea the same nameless Author would perswade men that God works in them their sins wills their sins and falls before they will them that Gods will is the womb in which all the actings of men at first conceived that he was never displeased or unsatisfied with the Being oâ—sin and divers the like monstrous assertions that I suppose none but Atheisâ— or Ranters can easily digest and which indeed could they be proved true would render it unreasonable to conceive that God can or will inflict any punishment upon men for sin at all either in this life or after it much less endless Though indeed it might as reasonably be thought that God will punish his creature with endless torments Psal 5.4 5. Habbak 1.12 though their sins deserve them not as that he can or will be the Author Willer and Worker of their sin seeing sin is more directly contrary to his purity and holiness then the inflicting of Pain or Torments upon his Creature is or can be But not to trouble our selves with the several reasonings of the said Author in the said Book which also broadly enough contradicts it self while sometime it represents God as a punisher of sin in this life only sometimes tell us the wicked shall be burnt up with the earth and that shall be their punishment and sometimes that God was never unsatisfied with the being of Sin and so
aside all that Glory and Happiness expose himself to and bear upon himself for us all that shame and reproach and sorrow to Death and Curse that was due to us and needful for his Ransoming and Saving us without violation to God's Justice and impeachment of his Holiness and now is infinitely ready to save Men in their listening to and obeying him to which he is not wanting to call and impower them The Holy Spirit comes forth in the Name of God and Christ to reprove men for their Sins set before them God and Christ and in with and from them far greater and better things than they are pursuing after and labouring for and therewith strives and wrestles with them for their Repentance and turning to God to seek him and live to him Yea God Father Son and Spirit are exerciseing wonderful forbearance patience and long-suffering toward Sinners here and lading them with variety of benefits to lead them to Repentance and corrects them in Mercy to break them off from their purposes and bring them to accept of Eternal Life and Happiness and all this love and goodness Men do obstinately and impenitently Sin and Rebel against hateing and opposing themselves against God his Son and Spirit Government Grace Truth c. hardning themselves in their Sins refusing their own Mercies for lying Vanities c. and oh What short of Eternal and Infinite Punishment can answer the Deserts of such Ingratitude and Wickedness against so great love and goodness If they that sin'd against the despised Moses's Law Dyed without Mercy how much sorer Punishment doth the rejecting and despising such a love and lover and neglecting such or so great a Salvation expose us to Psal 90.11 According to his fear both his Greatness and Dreadfulness and his Goodness and Mercy leading and ingageing us now to fear him so will be his Terrour and his Wrath in that day 3. That the hainousness of Mens sins against a God so Great so Good Isa 1.3 4 5. c. Heb. 1.12 Psal 5.4 5. Deutr. 32.5 6.15.16 Jon. 2.8 Jer. 2.13 Isa 55.2 3. Heb. 12.15 16 17. 10.26 Prov. 1.24 25 29.1 Rom. 2.5 Psal 58.2 3 4. Act. 28.27 Matth. 13.14 15. so Gratious together with his infinite Purity and perfect hatred of the least Iniquity they are foolish and ingrateful in neglecting and slighting him despising his love favour and friendship and preferring base unworthy Lusts and Objects of Lust before him a very morsel of Meat before his love and favour who hath done so much for us and tenders such infinite love and favour further to us and therein such unspeakable and infinite happiness They are willful in Sinning when no necessity in so doing Yea hold fast Sin with stubbornness obstinacy and impenitency against all light and warning though often told and convinced of the emptiness vanity and unworthiness of them and though such sweet charming allurements of Grace be afforded them as would they but listen to them would draw them off from their Sins and make them willing to part with them bringing such power with them as would Converâ— and heal them and these wilfully stopt kept out and shun'd lest by the power of God in them they should be Converted and be healed by him and this persisted in Jer. 6.15 16 17 28 29 30. 8.5 6 7. Act. 7.51 13.40 41. with resolution to hold their Idols and Vain ways and not to listen to any counsel that should tend to win them off from them rising up in all their strength as it were to withstand their own Salvation when so forcibly tendred to and urged upon them that they had much to do to beat it off even the power of Gods words reproofs and Counsels and the stretchings out of his Hand therein for their Salvation Dent. 32.21 22. Matth. 3.12 Heb. 10.29 30. This this is that that is infinitely offensive to such an infinitely holy pure and perfect Majesty whose Eyes cannot look upon Iniquity and kindles such a fire of wrath in his Breast against the Sinners as shall burn for ever upon them and shall not be quenched It 's Mens trampling under foot the Son of God and therein all God's love and counting the Blood of the Covenant wherewith they are Sanctifyed and have all their liberty to God an unholy common thing and therein slighting all Christ's Love and Sufferings for them and doing despight to the Spirit of Grace that spake graciously to them and let Gods infinite favour before them 't is this lays them open to the Vengeance of the Almighty and it s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God without the Mediator to interpose being rejected by them Indeed those Men that believe not but deny That Christ died for any but his Elect and those that shall be saved and That he gives any sufficient grace for their Conversion to him And so put the stress of their Sining and Suffering upon Adam's Sin and that also necessitated by God's Decree rendring them inthral'd to Sin so as that with that help afforded of God without any intention of their Salvation they cannot but Sin and Rebel and yet Assert an Eternal and Infinite Torment to be their Portion in their Persons though in their persons never so favoured of God or indued with any such Grace as that they were really ingaged to live to him or had any power or capacity so to do those men I say render God exceeding harsh and such as no Christian heart may indure to think him Clothing him rather with the Titles and Colours of Satan the Abâ—ddon and Man-slayer things not fit to be mentioned then with those Titles of Love and Loveliness that belong to him The unreasonableness of their Doctrine and its contrariety to the Scriptures overthrows the Equity and Justness of such Torments or Gospel-Terrours and its likely puts men upon seeking Evasions to avoid the Belief of such a Doctrine as renders God so unlovely to them But upon the Considerations we have mentioned there appears so much Equity as may silence and vanquish Reason it self into subjection and both provoke to Gospel-Obedience and perswade to believe and judge equitable and so make Men endeavour to avoid and flee from the Gospel-Terrours forementioned And such things also are held forth in the Gospel as true in themselves and fit and meet to be propounded to all and to be believed by them CHAP. IV. Of some Distinctions signified and contained in the Doctrine of the Gospel as before declared THere are also divers Distinctions with reference to Things and Persons signified and contained in the Gospel-Doctrin which we may briefly touch upon before we pass it as to say About Two Adams or Men mentioned in the Scripture as opposed one to the other Two kinds of Covenants Righteousness Sins Judgments Worlds Lives and Deaths A Two-fold appearance of the Person of Christ with the distinct Works of them A Two-fold Personal Coming
Mr. Moor Sen ' hath well observed Vers 22. and was the first that I have ever heard of in that observation said Man was now become like one of us as one of the persons in the Trinity as considered in Christ who had stept in and vertually was become Man and this to before Man was turned out of God's Presence Isa 28.16 Hab. 2.3 4. Heb. 10.37 Gen. 3.15 16 17 18 19. that so 〈◊〉 and men generally might have him Christ in the Faith and Knowledge oâ— him as a Foundation under his Feet to bear him up and as a Staff in his hanâ— for his support that he might not sink under any of his after Miseries Temptations Tryals or Deaths that were through him now ordered to him and to be grappled with and undergone by him Yea thence the goodness of God is to All and his tender Mercies upon aâ— his Works Psal 149.8 9 10 17. Col. 1.23 the Gospel Preached in every Creature under Heaven yea we may say in the very Devils in that they have not their will upon Man to do to him what they please but are abridged and bound up by him Psal 75.8 though by them aâ— by many men to it is not Preached much less it is Preached to them Yea thence his Judgments are full of mixture though often with much severity and hereafter so infinitely heavy SECT 2. Of Two Covenants with respect to the Two Adams 2. WIth these Two Adams we may find some hints of Two Covenants or Two kind of Laws that is to say With the First Adam a Covenant of Works both as to him and us viz. That if He keep perfectly with God and in nothing Sin'd or disobey'd him he should injoy the Earthy Paradise and the great goodness of God confer'd upon him in his Creation his Favour and Fellowship c. and transmit Righteousness Innocency and so the same Privileges with himself to his Seed who also walking in that their Righteousness and Innocency should have continued in the same favour but he Sinning and Falling all should be Lost and Condemned in him as the Event declared and as is signified in Rom. 5.12 15 16 18. He being set as it were to keep Sin out of the World And of this Nature in some respect is the Covenant or Law of Works that finds us all Sinners Now that the First Adam is Fallen though as given since Gal. 3.19 20 21. Rom. 7.10 it was given in the Hand of a Mediator as other of God's Dispensations and dealings now are and so to gracious ends Heb. 10.1 even to Life thâ— in a killing convincing way and with additions of Types and Shadows pointing to Christ which were not of the Essence of the Covenant or any part of it as pertaining to Adam considering in himself and as the Natural Root of 〈◊〉 All nor should have been in such a way given or with such additions had not the Mediator stept in That Covenant as with Adam requiring in him and from him in us all personal Gal. 3.10 perfect and uninterrupted obedience and cursing Man even all iâ— Adam in case of his sinning and any man in their persons had he stood that should in their persons have sinned as he did In the Second Adam a Covenant of Grace to us is made Though we may say it was a Covenant of Greater Works to and with Christ as to himself in comparison of which the Covenant with Adam was but as a Covenant of Grace in regard of the easiness of the things required of him above what was put upon and required of Christ the condition of it being as to him Heb. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. Psal 40.8 9 10. Isa 58.10 11 12. 42.6 7 8 9. 49.5 6 7 8 9. That he should be made Flesh Suffer and Dye for us bear out Sins dâ— be made a Curse for us and offer up himself a spotless Sacrifice unto God for us and thereupon he should in the Nature of men and for men he Lord and Christ and have the power of Life and Death â—e the Saviour of all Men and especially of theâ— that Believe have all men in his own dispose Saved out of their former Obligation 2 Sam. 23.5 Isa 49.7 55.4 to Perish and made now capable of further Salvation Life and Glory so as by and through him To which end He should be their Light and the Salvation of God to the ends of the Earth And through him there is this Covenant of Grace to and with Men firm and sure in him yea He the very bond of it given for a Covenant to the People and to be held forth to and by them Viz. That any of the Race of the Lost Fallen Adam as all are looking to God by him and Believing in and through him through the Light Truth and Grace extended by him shall be accepted of God justified and have all Grace Administred to them in and with Christ for their coming to Christ leading guiding and preservation in Christ unto Eternal Life Yea an Everlasting Kingdom to be given them with him and that in case they sin against God after their Believing yet not continuing in Sin upon confessing it on convincement and returning to God from it by him they shall be forgiven cleansed and healed and through Christs Mediation of the New Testament be yet preserved in the grace and favour of God to the injoyment of the Promised Inheritance to which He hath called them Heb. 9.15 1 John 1.9 SECT 3. Of two kinds of Righteousness 3. SUitable to these two Adams also we have signified to us a twofold Righteousness In the first was a created righteousness spotless and pure and such as should have been continued in a spotless obedience of works Eccles 7.29 and so to have been propagated to his posterity by him had he stood But this is now lost and according to it there is none righteous no not one In the second Adam is a perfect Righteousness too not only as to himself but also for us To and in himself he had a Divine Eternal and Essential Righteousness as he was God but besides that 1 Pet. 3.18 2.22 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. as the publick man he had and hath a perfect personal Righteousness standing in his performing what God required of him and perfectly fulfilling and accomplishing his will not only in his own personal conversation in the course of his life on earth but also and more especially in his bearing suffering and induring the Death and Curse imposed upon him to the Fathers utmost satisfaon testified in his taking him in the Resurrection from Prison and Judgement and exalting him to and at his own Right Hand His Obedience was his Righteousness and by his presenting himself as one that had so obediently performed his Fathers Will Rom. 5.18 19. 3.22 23 24. Jer. 23.6 1 Cor. 1.30 as a Lamb that was
at once but the just at Christs coming called therefore the resurrection of the Just and the rest the wicked and such as dye in the time of the personal Reign of Christ with his Saints on the Earth at the end of those thousand years when he shall deliver up the Kingdom to God his Father Mat. 3.7 8. Joh. 3.16 17 18 19 6.40 Ezek. 33.11 The second Death may through the Grace of God be avoided men are not necessitated of God to run into it nay he hath said and sworn as he lives he hath no pleasure that the wicked should dye in it but that rather they should turn from their taking part with Satan and preferring his suggestions before Christ and his Grace Mat. 16.24 25 26 27. 25.41.46 Calls Counsels and Salvation that they might live For this is a very dreadful Death an everlasting punishment out of which if men be once cast into it shall be no release or redemption But having spoken of this more fully before I here pass it with this brief mention of it SECT 8. Of the various appearances of Christ and the Proper works of them and ways of his Saving men 8. LAstly there is mention of divers Appearances and Comings of Christ with their divers Works and Consequences As there is a twofold Personal Appearance of Christ mentioned upon Earth and in Heaven the former is twofold also which are his Personal Comings from Heaven which with their consequents are distinctly mentioned in the Gospel-Doctrine besides some spiritual and providential comings invisible to the eye of man Of which 〈◊〉 shall give a brief touch 1. Heb. 9.26 He came and appeared in the flesh in infirmity and weâ—kness here upon the earth being made partaker with us in flesh and blood made like us and in all thinks tempted as we are excepting sin And this his Appearance was once in the end of the world in the last ages even in the time of the Roman Monarchy spoken of by Daniel the Propet And the end of this his coming and appearing in so low and despicable a form in which also he was poor and without all worldly glory and greatness was that he might be the Saviour of the world by suffering for it and by revealing the truth of God to it for the convincing it and calling it to himself that through him it might be saved Of this coming it is said This is a faithful saying 1 Tim. 1.15 and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that he once appeared in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifices of himself Heb. 9.26 and so he came to be abased amongst men that he might minister to and give his life a ransome for them yea in this his appearance he suffered and died for all and by the grace of God tasted Death for every man and that without limitation or distinction as to the first and most proper end of his death Rom. 5.18 3.19 20 21 22 23 24. 14.9 viz. the ransoming men thereby from the curse and death forecome upon them and his making an attonement for them for there was no difference of men nor distinction in to Righteous and Sinners Good and Bad Believers and the world as he eyed them and came into the world for them in his first undertaking and intention But he found all fallen sinful lost and helpless and as such came to dye for Col. 2.10 Mat. 28.18 19 20. Phil. 2.10 11. and ransom them from that lost estate into his own Lordship and dispose as the Mediator and Saviour of them and obtained a perfect recovery of mans nature in himself and power and authority for his further saving and judging work appointed to him and needful for men And this his coming and appearing and the work of it is perfectly past and done 1 Joh. 4.2 3. Joh. 16.28 Heb. 10.10 11 12 13 14. 9.12 14 15. 7.25 He is thus come and gone again and comes so and in such a way and to such ends no more though the vertues of that his so coming and appearing and of his works or sufferings for us therein abide in him and with God and come down to and upon men and shall do for ever for all he doth and will do further for and to fallen mankind is in the vertues of what he hath done in that his appearing 2. He shall come and appear personally again on the earth a second time Mat. 16.26 27. 26.64 2 Thes 1.7 8. as in Heb. 9.28 but then he shall not come and appear in such a mean and despicable form as before nor with sin upon him imputed to him and to be suffered for by him but in Glory and Majesty even in the Power and Glory of his Father and with all his holy and mighty Angels to raise all men indeed in their times and so actually to save them out of the first Death and Judgement and set them free of that but so as to bring them to a second 2 Cor. 5.10 Heb. 9.28 Mat. 25.31 35. 13.43 in which he who was judged for all shall judge all And he that came to save all men from the first judgement shall not save all men in this or from the death adjudged to in it but only those who now believe and look for him giving them a total and full deliverance out of and freedom from all sin sorrows dangers oppressions death and making them everlastingly happy and glorious with himself but shall execute judgement upon all the ungodly who throughout the day of grace have abiden so and shall be then found so Rev. 21.4 5 6 7. Jude 14.15 2 Thes 1.7 8. Mat. 24.31 Luke 18.8 9. Col. 3.3 4.1 John 3.2 Heb. 9.28 That coming and appearing of his indeed shall be to save his Elect only such as here believe in and obey him In his his first coming and as men were the objects of his undertaking to suffer for them there was no such difference and distinction And this coming is yet wholy to come and spoken off as future He shall appear the second time without sin to salvation to them that look for him And it shall be in the end of the world properly so taken 1 Thes 4.14 15 16. Then he shall descend from Heaven with a shout and sound of the Trumpet and the voyce of the Arch-Angel of God And that his appearing shall be visible to more than his first Rev. 1.7 for that was but in one Country but this shall be to all every eye shall see him they also that perceived him In his first appearing he laid the foundation of the faith in this he will bring up the Head Zech. 4.7 9. stone with shouting and crying grace grace and finish the building Heb. 12.2 1 Thes 1.9 10 Tit. 2.12 13. In that he was the Author in this the
purpose to work and do as to faâ— He purposed to make the World in suâ— Space and Form as he did make it 〈◊〉 purposed to make Man Upright and 〈◊〉 his own Image and give to him as 〈◊〉 did and do to him as he did and peâ—mit and suffer him to do as he did pemit and suffer him Yet by the way wâ— may distinguish of Permisson There 〈◊〉 a Legal Permission Gen. 2.16 17. 1. Cor. 9.5 6. a giving leave by thâ— Law to do things or not do them Sâ— God permitted Adam to eat of everâ— Tree of the Garden that of the Knowledge of Good and Evil excepted anâ— to the Apostles to Eat and Drink at otheâ— mens cost and to forbear Working anâ— nothing so permitted is Sin and Evil in 〈◊〉 Thus God never purposed to perâ—t nor did he permit Adam To eat of â—e fruit of the tree of knowledge of good â—d evil for then had he not therein Sinâ—ed But there is a Providential Permissiâ— a letting Men go at Liberty free from 〈◊〉 violent Coaction or Restraint to or â—om what is Commanded or Forbidden â—s a Magistrate that gives no leave by â—is Law to any to Steal or commit Adultry yet leaves Men at liberty not tying â—em up in Bonds or Chains or setting â—uards upon them to forde them to be â—onest so as they may have freedom of â—ction and be capable of obeying or â—obeying those Laws in which such â—ings are forbidden and accordingly of â—ceiving Reward or Punishment for â—beying ordisobeying In this sense God â—urposed to give and did accordingly give 〈◊〉 Adam liberty of chusing or refusing â—ting well or ill And this distinction â—f Permission is useful and to be minded â—oth in respect of Adams Sinning and â—ther Mens Yea and the Permission as â—od's Act and the Sinning as Man's Act â—e to be distinguished too And so to return to our Discourse about â—od's Purposes as they respected Manâ—ind Fallen We may say He purposed â—o do for us whatsoever the Gospel saith â—e hath done and will do for us accorâ—ing as therein is declared 2 Sam. 14.14 Job 33.23 And so he purposed to shew us Mercy and not to â—eal with us and leave us helpless as the Devil and his Angels but to save mâ— from the Death he would plunge himâ— into and call him back to himself agaiâ— and that not according to Works of Rigâ—teousness to be done by us but accordiâ— to the good pleasure of his Grace whiâ— purpose as the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1.9 10. is manifeâ—ed what it was by the appearance 〈◊〉 Christ Abolishing Death and bringinâ— Life and Immortality to light by thâ— Gospel that is to say He purposed 〈◊〉 Save us by the free and undeserved senâ—ing forth of his Son and making hiâ— Flesh the Seed of the Woman and â—der the Law and by delivering him 〈◊〉 to Death for us all to make an Attonâ—ment for our Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so to evacuate aâ— take away the Destructive power 〈◊〉 Death and by raising him up again 〈◊〉 our Justification and giving us Eternâ— Life in him And so he purposed to 〈◊〉 Sinners by his Free-Grace to the Life anâ— Immortality obtained by Christ for them upon the account Tit. 3.3 4 5. Prov. 1.20.21 22 23. Isa 61.1 42.1 Joh. 5.25 not of any good Workfore-wrought by them but of his Soâ— undertakings and performances for themâ— and by preventing them as with the lighâ— and power of his Spirit which to thaâ— end he purposed to put upon his Soâ— while yet Dead in Sins and Trespasses so as there-through they might hear and obey him Isa 49.12 53.10 11. 55.5 And he purposed so to accompany and bless his Son in his Callinâ— Men and so to glorifie him that many of them should actually and eventually â—in after him and obey him And that â—hey whosoever that listen to and obey â—im in the grace and power in his Calls â—fforded them should be Justified and â—aved by him but those that then stop their Ears against him and reject him and so persist against all means and grace â—or their Repenting afforded them should â—e left and given up to themselves to stumble at him and fall against him to Destruction He purposed also 1 Pet. 2.7.8 That he would not onely Glorifie his Son to call Sinners and impower and authorise him â—o Save the Believers and to exercise Paâ—ience and Mercy mixt with Judgment â—ere toward the disobedient but also to â—end him again to Raise the Dead and â—o Judge all Men Believers and Unbeâ—ievers according to their Works according as in the Gospel-Doctrine is declaâ—ed And so the Gospel Eph. 3.11 is a Revelation of the Eternal purposes of God purposed in Christ Jesus from before the Foundations of the World and the Preaching of it is called the Preaching of the Decree and his purposes as so Revealed and Preached are all sure and certain and meet Psal 2.6 7. and good to be known of Men. Yea and are so far known as the Gospel is known and believed by us there being onely this difference between those his purposes and the Gospel-Doctrine as to the matter of them That the Gospel-Doctrine declares partly as acted and accomplished and partly as certain to be accomplished due time What as onely purposed and with God was neither accomplishâ— nor made known but hid and secreâ— SECT 2. That the purposes of God concerning Meâ— Ends in particular as to their Salvatâ— or Damnation are included in and 〈◊〉 sult from God's General purposes for mentioned NOW as to God's purposes of deâ—ing with particular Persons as 〈◊〉 his final dispose of them they are cleaâ— included in and result from his foreâ— General purposes concerning Mankind Christ Jesus and are in them onely to sought after and discerned As God â—posing to heal by the Brazen Serpent 〈◊〉 that being Stung would look up towâ— it it followed that it was his purpose thâ— this or that particular looking to it shoâ— be healed and it being his purpose not heal any of them otherwise it followâ— that it was not his purpose to heal this 〈◊〉 that person that neglected it So it beâ— the purpose of God in General so to gâ— his Son in love to the World that whâ—soever should Believe in him should haâ— Eternal Life it follows as a thing includâ— in it and resulting from it That Petâ— James John Paul c. through God giving his Son to and lifting him up 〈◊〉 the Salvation of the World being prevailed with to Believe on him shall have Everlasting Life And God having purposed That those who when Christ is lifted up and Light and Grace are brought to them by and through him shall be disobedient and reject him his Words and Counsels should be left to stumble at him and persisting therein to fall to Perdision It was therein included That Judas being then Disobedient should in and for so doing be
God as afterwards we read he did and that God smelled a sweet savour of rest therein and why a sweet savour of rest Gen. 7.2 3. 8.20 21. Seeing God himself after testifies that he had no pleasure in Burnt Offerings 〈◊〉 Sacrifices the blood of Goats or the 〈◊〉 of Rams Pâ—l 40.7 8 10 50.8 9 10 11 12 13 14. Act. 17.25 26 27. Heb. 10.2 3 4. c. It could not be because God wanted or had any refreshing 〈◊〉 them for he â—eeds them not nor is he worshipped with mens hands as if he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things nor was it because they could take away or make satisfaction for their sins for it's noâ— posâ— sible the blood of such Creatures should do any such things but surely it was because he had appointed them as a meâ—rial of his Son and as types and figures of him and because of the faith of the Sacrificer in him Sen. 9. with Levit. 17. As with reference to the blood of Christ to be shed for us he gave them the blood of those Creatures to make attonement on the Alter for their Souls and therefore also when he allowed men the eating of flesh he forbad the eating of blood to them Yea that they were appointed of God and to such ends too may yet further appear both by the practice of all the Patriarchs and in that when God had bid Abraham offer up his Son Isado for a Burnt Offering Abâ—â—bam said to Isaac inquiring where the Sacrifice was Psal 105.15 Gen. 22.8 God will provide himself a Lamb for a Burnt Offering which he being a Prophet might speak of the seed promised him as believing that he should be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world and bring in blessings to all Nations and yet more clearly in that God afterward by Law more fully appointed them by Moses Heb. 11.10 1 5. and as the Apoâ—â—le tells us to be shadows of good things to come 'T is true there might be divers ends and reasons of Gods appointing them as 1. That men might thereby acknowledge him the Lord the Author and Giver of all good things to them which they testified by giving some of them to him by Sacrifice as also by giving him in his Preists the Tenths or Tithes of them 2. That men might therein joyn together in their worship and acknowledgement of God and so that a publick worship of him might be kept up in the world by which men might be instructed to own and acknowledge him successively and not attribute things to other causes and take and use them as their own at their pleasures and so fall to Atheism and Irreligion but seeing though God was the maker of all things before the fall yet his continuing and giving those good things to man kind since the fall for which he is continually to be acknowledged and blessed by fallen mankind is through Christ and his death foâ—en 3. The great reason therefore of such alway of acknowledging him and his bounty was the promise and interposure of Christ and that he and his love might therein be signified to and acknowledged and remembred by men which wâ— fitly represented in the shedding the blooâ— of the living Sacrifices and in the offering them generally by fire unto God 〈◊〉 therein was both a remembrance of 〈◊〉 and of death deserved by sin and also 〈◊〉 fore-signifying of the Death and Sacrificâ— of the Messiah instead of men to take away mans sin and by destoying Death to be his Resurrection and Life therefrom and that through him and his Death and Sacrifice men might have and had their access to God to worship him and might receive favour and blessing from him Surely this was the main ground of all their Sacrificing in its first institution and so there was therein aâ— more full teaching by way of representation of the meaning of the foregoing Oracle about the promised Seed and how he should bruise the Serpents Head And to such ends was it delivered over traditionally from Father to Son to be practised by all Nations who retained this way of worship till the Messias came and till the Preaching of him as come put an end thereto as well the Gentiles aâ— the Jews had their Sacrifices Atonements Expiations for sin c. though they being degenerated and gone from the faith of the true God and the right way of worshipping him lost also the right end and manner of Sacrificing and as they multiplied gods to themselves so they invented and brought in new Rites and Ceremonies to those devised or supposed gods according as their own fancies and Satan â—ed them which thing also in great measure befel the Jews notwithstanding that God took more peculiar care of them and to keep them from such degeneration gave them Laws and Statues in writing prescribing to them both to Sacrifice to himself only and when and where and what to Sacrifice for he appointed them many kinds of Offerings all pointing to Christ and to continue till the time of Reformation by his appearing himself to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself for us Yet they also casting his Law behind their backs and desiring to be and do like other Nations fell into abominable Superstitions and Idolatries and even in their Sacrificing to God and according to his Rules prescribed as to external form lost the right end and use of it putting it in the place of Christ and seeking to establish a righteousness to themselves in so doing or conceiting that thereby they should obtain and have Gods favour and be justified and saved in and notwithstanding their prophane and wicked living so as that God often pronounced against them that he obhorred and loathed them and esteemed their Sacrificing an Ox no better than the killing a Man or cutting off a Dogs neck c. even then things unlawful and forbidden by him This also we might further note by the way that at two several times the Gospel was given forth by Word 〈◊〉 Sealed by outward Ordinance to 〈◊〉 whole world universally before the 〈◊〉 ving of the Law and so there was a 〈◊〉 â—ouchsafed for preserving and witneâ— it to and with all men Namely 〈◊〉 1. To Adam and his Family who 〈◊〉 by Word and Ordinance namely 〈◊〉 curfice was to deliver it to his Posteâ— and they thereby to keep the publicâ— knowledgement of it from Father to 〈◊〉 successively from which Cain and his Family swerving and making a Reâ— Schism and by degrees the sounder 〈◊〉 of the Church too even the Sons of God by mixing themselves with Cains Family and receiving their corruptionâ— proving Nephisms and Apostates from God the whole World became corrupt from the true Faith and right Worship so as that only Noah was fouâ— perfect in his Generations and God swept them all away with the Flood preserving only that Preacher of Righteousness with
according to what 〈◊〉 said of God to us and not according to our sight and carnal reasons we â—all be justified with him This was â—ealed by Circumcision and so that righteousness should be imputed to such also though not Circumcised in the flesh as Abraham then was not when his Faith 〈◊〉 imputed to him for righteousness that so he might be the Father of thâ— also as Heirs with him of the promiâ— made to him in Christ and the Father too of the Circiumcision not because of their being outwardly Circumcised for Circumcision did not feal its self or iâ— own Righteousness as to say that men should be justified and imputed righteous and so be Heirs of Abraham and his blessing in Christ for and by being Circumcised but the righteousness of the Faith which he had being yet uncircumcised but if they walked in the steps of the Faith of Abraham which he had before he was Circumcised as the Apostle says Rom. 4.11 12. This Ordinance then witnessed and sealed and the promise oâ— Christ and of Righteousness and Blessing in him for all Nations and that thâ— Faith was committed to and left in the Family of Abraham through which thâ— blessing might be met with and so directed and sealed the way to that blessing And this Ordinance was practised from Fathers to Children by Abraham and 〈◊〉 Seed both that of the Bond-woman anâ— that of the Free and by the Edomites also though both the Israelites and the Edomites degenerated from the Faith witnesed to by it yea and the Israelites also thâ— generality of them resting in the ouâ— ward Circumcision and neglecting thâ— inward of the Spirit witnessed and diâ—ed to by it and because it was a badgeâ— distinction of them from other People and a sign of their being Children of the Covenant of God calling themselves and â—ing called there after the Circumcision as before the Church in distinction from others Gen. 6.2 Rom. 2.17 to the end 3.1 2 9 10 c. were called the Sons of God they lifted up themselves by it and despised the uncircumcised in the flesh as if there was no grace or blessing in and through the Messias for them if not so Circumcised not understanding the right end of it â—nd Gods mind and meaning in it With reference to this Ordinance we read of a Circumcision or Uncircumcision of the Heart of â—ar and of the Lips Lev. 26.41 the heart is uncirumcised 2 Cor. 3.16 Deut. 30.6 Jer. 6.10 2 Tim. 4.3 Exod. 6.12 30. while the carâ—ality of it the fleshly wisdom and affection in it obstructs and hinders its perception and reception of Gods grace and truth and so keep it off from trusting in and loving the Lord. And the taking away that carnality in its turning to the Lord is the Circumcising it to love the Lord. The Ear is Uncircumcised while men cannot endure sound Doctrine or to hear the reproofs of it And the Lip while a man cannot speak distinctly of or to God in prayers to or confessions of him And the taking away that carnality or fleshly frame of Spirit that renders the word offensive and burdensom or that hinders a man from speaking aright and profitably to God and men is the Circumcising of the Ear and Lip and the Circumcision of these parts by the Grace and Spirit of God are exceeding necessary for us that we may hear and understand and so bâ— and love the Lord and his Doctrine aâ— utter them rightly and profitably and 〈◊〉 attending unto Christ this also is to be met with by us This I may further add that that Ordinance though it sealed the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 3.25 yet it also obliged to the observation of all such other Laws or Ordinances as were or should be after given them of God in their waiting for the promised Seed thence though it was long before the Law yet it is said by the Apostle to oblige to keep the Law Gal. 5.3 and therefore when the Seed came to which the Law witnessed and 〈◊〉 the faith of whom they were kept 〈◊〉 under a Schoolmaster then it with the observation of the Law ceased being swallowed up in Christ the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth But in the mean while God as he see good and needful ceased not to mind them of Christ thereby and to that purpose also to add still other outward Rites and Ordinances that by many Witnesses they might be more confirmed and kept to the faith of him from which through their carnality they were apt to be departing And indeed within four hundred years or little more after this Ordinance of Circumcision being in Egypt they there much corrupted themselves from Gods true Faith and Worship learning the ways of the Egyptians and defiling themselves with the â—minations of their Eyes and with 〈◊〉 Idols so as to provoke God to have consumed them there as Ezekiel testifies Ezek. 20.7 8 9. 23.8 there they exercised their Spiritual Whoredoms and the Teats of their Virginity were bruised so as God lifted up his hand to have destroyed them yet for his Names sake wrought their deliverance that so his Name committed to and called upon by them might yet have its Tabernacle amongst them and might not be polluted amongst the Nations as if of â—o profit to them that received it and retained it with them Yea he greatly glorified his Name in his returning to them to take them from the heavy bondage which their sins had brought upon them so as that he made it famous to all the people about them And then also renewing his Covenant made with Abraham concerning them He added another Ordinance called the Passover to be observed by them SECT 5. Of the Passover and how that Typed out Christ PEsech or the Passover of which and of its Institution we read Exo. 12. â—as the next outward and publick Ordinance appointed of God to be observed 〈◊〉 them that worshipped him in the Family of Abraham and that was Inâ—ted upon their Deliverance out of 〈◊〉 to be Annually or every Year obserâ— on the same Evening both in remembrance of that their great Deliverâ— from so heavy a Bondage and as a Tâ— and signification of that far greater 〈◊〉 liverance and Redemâ—tion promised to Mankind in and by the Promised Seed and especially and peculiarly by the 〈◊〉 Israel of God to be enjoyed and so 〈◊〉 the way whereby men might and the Israel of God shall actually escape Sin and Eternal Death by and through him That it was a Type of Christ and his Death and Sacrifice and Mens Redemption thereby from Sin and Satan the Apostle warrants us to believe in saying 1 Cor. 5. â— Christ our â—â—ssover is sacrificâ— for us And indeed almost every thing in that Ordinance fitly represents Christ and the grace in him and the way to pertake thereof As to instance They were to take every man a Lamâ— for his Family
and for release and liberty to Servants and Bondmen as it were a year of rest Levit. 25.3 4 5 6. Exod. 21.2 3 4 5 6. so it Typed out the Rest and release from Labour and Sorrow to be brought in by Christ as before But as it was a year of Release for Servants so it Typed out the Liberty to be brought in by Christ from Sin Satan and the Paedagogy of the Law procured by his Death and offered in the preaching of the Gospel and to be effected by the Spirit of God in the belief thereof But as there he that accepted of it had and enjoyed it but he that said Nay he loved his old Master better and so would not go out from him he was to be brought to the door and his Master was to bore his Ear through with an Awl and he was to serve him for ever So here he that embraces the Grace of God in Christ in the accepted time and day of Salvation he shall be set free but he that refusing it prefers the service of Sin Satan and Mosaical Law above it shall be given over to serve and perish in his corruptions and legal bondage 4. The like was Typified but more fully in the great Sabbatical Year or Year of Jubile when on the day of Atonement the Trumpet of the Jubile was to be sounded through all the Land and they were to proclaim liberty through all the land to all the Inhabitants thereof and every man was to return to his possession and every man to his Family Leâ— 25.8 9 10 11 c. for therein was prefigured 1. The general Release of Men from Thraldom to Curse and Wrath to which in Adam they were sold and by their own actual sins were further imbondaged many of them procured 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice of Christ and the Atoâ—ment thereby made and proclaimed 〈◊〉 the Gospel which like the Jubilee Trumpet Isa 61.1 2. being founded proclaims the acceptable year of the Lord the day of the vengeance of our God even the vengeance executed upon Christ or upon out enemies by Christ to comfort all that mourn Blessed are the people that know mind own and so take hold of and prove that joyfull sound they shall walk in the light of God's countenance c. Psal 89.15 16. 2. The general actual Release of all from under the first Death and Judgment to be presented before the Tribunal sear of Christ to be judged anew and the full and total release of all the Israel of God that have here believed in Christ from all their terrours sufferings and thraldoms to Sin and Death into the quiet and full possession of all the Kingdom and Glory promised and this to be effected at the great Day of the Lord When the Lord Jesus shall descend again from heaven with the voice of a Trumpet and of the the Arch-Angel of God when the seventh Angel sounding the mystery of God shall be fulfilled 1 Thess 4.16 Rev. 10.7 3. The general restitution of all things spoken of by the Prophets Acts 3.20 21. Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. when the Creature it self shall be delivered from the bondage of Corruption into the liberty of the Glory of the Sons of God at the â—d Great day of Christ's appearing all which are signified to be the effects of the Atoning Sacrifice of Christ in that that Jubilee Trumpet was to be sounded and the said Liberty Release and Restitution proclaimed on the day of Expiation or Atonement 2. They had also divers Feasts appointed them Monthly and Yearly as 1. They had Monthly New Moons which appear to have been Festivals 1 Sam. 20.5 times appointed for Sacrificing and gladness and for the blowing of Trumpets over their Sacrifices Numb 10.10 Psal 81.1 2 3. 2 Cor. 5.17 Typifying the renovation of the creature in and by Christ through his vertuous Sacrifice He that is in Christ is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new as also the Reformation and change of Worship to be brought in by him in the faith of which they were to blow their Trumpets and sing aloud to him with Thanksgiving thereby also figuring the joy and gladness the renovation made by Christ should bring in Psal 40.1 2 3 4. Rev. 14.1 2 3. Heb. 9 9 10 11 12. Yearly Festivals were their Feast of Passover First-fruits and Tabernacles in which besides the Rests required in them by vertue of which they were also Sabbaths some days beâ—nging to them and the abundance of â—crifices then to be offered which appertained to the Ordinance of Sacrificing they did solemnly appear and feast before the Lord rejoycing in the abundance of his goodness Prov. 9.12.3 4 5 6. Matth. 22.12 3 4. Isa 25.6 Joh. 4.14 6.35 48 51 55 c. and in the remembrance of the great things he had done for them providing for and feasting their poor Brethren also with them Neh. 8.10 11. Exod. 23.14 15 16. Levit. 23. which in general led them to behold by Faith the abundance of the Grace to be procured and brought in by Christ the Feast of Fat things full of Marrow to be made in Christ for all People For Christ is himself the Feast or matter of it the meat indeed and the drink indeed which whosoever eateth shall find satisfaction in so as not to hunger after other dainties and whoso drinks of shall not thirst for ever after other Waters Yea they might mind them of the great joy and delight to be brought in by his Incarnation or making his Tabernacle amongst us his sufferings for us and pouring down of his Spirit upon us but more fully at the harvest and full income of all the promises when the Tabernacle of God shall be with men for ever Rev. 21.4.5 so that these also had their foundation in Christ and poined at Christ to come 3. Besides which they had also other Ordinances yet under the Tabernacle and Temple and pertaining thereto pointing out Christ Levit. 12. 13. 14. 15. in which they were to exercise themselves till his actual appeâ—ting as diverse Washings and Puriâ—â—ons cleansings from uncleanness Heb. 9.12 13 14. as issues Leprosies c. all Typing out the cleansing away of our Sins by the Bloud and Spirit of Christ especially that Num. 10. of the ashes of the red Heifer is most significant For there God appointed that a red Heifer should be burnt and the ashes of it preserved and laid up in a clean place and then to be mixed with clean Water and by a clean Person with Hyssop to be sprinkled upon the unclean for the cleansing of him c. which Water and way of Purification was prepared for all the Congregation yet so as he that refused to be cleansed thereby was to remain in his unclearness and to be cut off from the Congregation vers 9.20 21. and evident Type and instruction that in and by Christ his sufferings and
and ground and matter of Hope to beget them to God and nourish them up in God and what to require of them for Obedience and with what Arguments in part to provoke them thereto and deter them from Sin and Disobedience And Vse 4 4. It discovers and reproves many false and evil Opinions men have of God and Christ and Traditions and Documents of men too commonly preached for Truths as if God had only sent his Son for a part of mankind personally fore-purposed to eternal life and either made the rest to destroy them or left them in the fall of Adam without remedy sufficient to save them Principles tending to beget evil thoughts of God in the hearts of men and to make them give him the lye and throw away the foundation of Repentance and Faith and Hope and of Baptism and all Ordinances and Duties that he hath laid for them and sets forth to them and either to live carelesly and desperately as if sure already either of salvation or damnation inevitably or to establish to themselves a righteousness of their own and build upon foundations of Frames and Qualifications in themselves which are sandy and slippery and not of God's laying As also it reproves that evil way of too many Preachers who laying aside God's coner stone and foundation and neither daring to believe themselves nor hold forth to others the good will of God testified in the Gift and Death of his Son for all the true and right and clear bottom foundation of and medium for begetting all right Repentance Faith Hope Love and Obedience do teach men to lay such frames and conceipts of them for their bottom foundation of believing the Gospel And for the Vision of all the Rest wherewith the God would have the wearied Soul to rest and be refreshed and the foundation upon which all Precepts Reproofs Consolations c. are to be laid and by it supported for or instead hereof I say they lay Precept upon Precept Precept upon Precept Line upon Line Line upon Line here a little and there a little to mens destruction and making them have their fear towards God spring from and be ordered by the precepts of men bidding them believe repent hope love God and giving them directions and grounds of their own for so doing when they have taken away or made doubtful God's sure and certain ground for them even the Gift and Death of his Son and the Grace in his Son for them making the people also believe and look upon that as God's gracious will towards them which indeed was the false Prophets sin and God's judgment upon them as may be seen Isa 28.9 10 11 12 13 16. and 29.9 10 11 12 13. Many more evil Principles and Practices the Gospel-Doctrine reproves but this in brief from the first Branch of the Distinction leaving the rest to judicious Observation SECT 4. Brief Hints of Vsefulness from the other Branch about God's Purposes Dispensations and Operations and the diversity in them WHat we have noted about God's various Purposes Distributions and Operations may be also of good use upon divers accounts As Vse 1 First To stir us up to adore the manifold Wisdom and unsearcheable Counsels of God and with sobriety to acquiesce in what he hath revealed as being certain and sure Revelations of them and what was in them as also to acquiesce and rest in the equity and righteousness of God in all he saith and doth believed by us even in things we cannot fathom Vse 2 2. To admonish us not to judge of the Truth of the Gospel by what we see of the variety of God's Dispensations and Receipts of his Operations either with our selves or others seeing that the truth of the Gospel neither dependeth on them nor may be measured by them but to believe as Abraham did upon the Authority of God whose it is according to what is spoken and as the Scripture hath said Gal. 5.22 that so we may experience the Operations of God in our selves therethrough both towards God our selves and others such as the truth believed will work in us in all Godliness Sobriety Righteousness Peace Joy c. Rom. 4.17 Joh. 7.37.3 Vse 3 3. To admire and bless God for his more abundant bounty goodness and manifestations of his love and mercy in his Dispensations to us than to many other Nations and to take heed to make a right use and improvement thereof So as 1. Not to judge our selves thereby justified or accepted with God more than they because we have more for that is no good ground for so judging as appears Rom. 3.1 9 10 19. 2. Nor condemning and despising them as if because they have less therefore they are rejected of God and no hope of their salvation for neither is that true as hath been shewed and as appears Matth. 8.12 Rom. 2.25 26 27. Acts 10.34 But 3. Knowing that God requires more of us to whom he gives more 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Luke 12.48 see that we take heed that we receive not his grace in vain but walk more humblily and holily and suitably to God and his goodness least they rise up in judgment against us and while they appear many of them on the right hand of Christ admitted to fellowship with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God we our selves be cast out Math. 8.12 and 12.40 41 42. but walking in the grace bestowed upon us see that we pity and pray for them that God would give forth the clearer and revelations of his truth and of himself to them also that having means for more inâ—ged knowledge of him they may be also in more open way for obtaining his Salvation and render more full and ample praises to him generally then any of them now can or are capable of yea and endeavour we so to glorify God and his Name before and amongst them and carry it forth as we have opportunity to them that they may by us as good Stewards of the Graces of God and dispensers of his Mysteries to them be occasioned to glorify God for his mercy toward them for so much doubtless is required of us as of Israel of old toward us Psal 67. Exod. 19.5 6. 1 Pet. 2.9 10 11 12. Rom. 11.30 31. But truly we have great cause to fear that God hath a very great controversie upon that account with us because instead of receiving his grace effectually so as both by word and conversation to shine forth as lights to the residue of men that they might be drawn to seek God with us as was the end of God in taking us to be for a people to him Acts 15.16 and instead of seeking his Kingdom to promote it and inlarge it among the Nations and to all the ends of the Earth and his righteousness by declaring it and holding it forth to them we are walking in darkness prophaneness uncleanness covetuousness wickedness seeking to inrich our selves and inlarge our Kingdoms even