you say that David there confessed any sin or guilt of any sin as he stood in the loyns of his Parents unless that first sinne which as I have shewed you brought but the first Death neithe have they any less perfection in quality of nature by the which they are put into a worse capacity to stand or fall as to the losse of the injoyment of that eternal inheritance although I grant the first thing they do when they are capable of a Law and temptations do approach they like their first Father Adam break the Law of God as he did and these words have I spoken as in order to the making way for the opening of the words before mentioned for in the first verse David is a Petitioning to God for Mercy and Pardon for that sin wch he had committed in killing Uriah and taking Bathsheba his Wife unto himself in the which Petition he uses three Arguments as we may so say The First is from the multitude of Gods Mercies in these words According to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy mercies verse the first The Second is from his acknowledging of his Sin saying My sins are ever before me vers. 3. as if he should say They are the greatest trouble that I have in the World they are always in my way so that we see the second Motive that he uses to attain Mercy is by confession of his sin with great zeal and ardency of spirit he well knowing that God had promised That he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin should finde mercy And the Third and last Argument which he used in this Psalm to move God to have mercy upon him in blotting out his transgressions was from the brittleness of his Nature and the weakness of that Lump that he was made out of As if hee should have said Father thou knowest I am of the Earth earthly which is subject to much weakness and frailty and therefore he beyond all other reasons in this last reason vers. 5 saith Behold as if he should have said Lord take notice as well consider how defective the Mould was in the which I was formed which to me appears to be his Mother Eva in whose loyns was David and all other shapen for God made all Mankind at once and not his Mother that bare him that thereby thou considering my frame maist in pity blot out my transgressions This expression of David is not used alone but hath the like import Psal. 103. v. 12 13 14 in these words ver. 12. As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us And in the fourteenth verse he giveth the reason why the Lord is so gracious in these words For hee knoweth our frame that we are but dust so that I conceive in this fifth vers of the one and fiftieth Psalm which you cited to me in these words Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me is no more but the proneness of Davids Nature by reason of the weakness of the matter that he was made of and that is the same that he desires God to take notice of or behold whereby hee might graciously remit that sinful Act that he had committed unless you meant that Sin which beleeving men and women suffer for which is the sin against the first Covenant which did consist of an earthly Paradisical glory which I did to you and do still affirm That both Adam and all his Posterity consideredly as they were in his loyns did not only commit it but also suffer for it which I did then and do still affirm to bee the first Death by which Pollution and Corruption run thorow all the parts of the outward man But as I have said no pollution or disability in the least hath it brought to the Spiritual part of man whereby the Conscience or spirit of man should be defiled neither actively nor imputatively not actively for this reason because the Spiritual part of man is not involved in the loyns of Adam whereby he doth be get it but it is formed in man by God Zach. 12.1 so according to the Word of the Lord when he speaketh concerning the dissolution of that Mortal lump that man begetteth saith then Dust shall return to dust and the Spirit to him that gave it so that as man begetteth only the Natural part of man and not the Spiritual and thereby the Spiritual part being not in form and matter in the loyns of Adam therefore the Spiritual part could not be polluted but the Natural part being in matter involved in the loyns of Adam was polluted corrupted and deformed from whence ariseth all the corruption of Nature as Blindness Deafness and Lameness and all such like Corruptions which shall remain until this corruptible body shall put on incorruption so it is clear that the Spiritual part of the Sons of Adam did not sin in Adam by action because it was not in being The second Reason why the guilt of Adams sin cannot lye upon the Spiritual part of any so as to make them stand guilty before God of a second Death is from the reproof the Lord gave to a Generation of men of your judgement that thought the Childe must dye for the Fathers sins that when the Lord did threaten the punishment of the sins of the Fathers upon the Children that you blindly with those whom the Lord reproveth Ezek. 18.2 3. do conclude that it must needs be the punishment of the second Death therefore the Lord saith he would have that Proverb used no more The fathers have eaten soure Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge but the soul that sinneth shall dye So much briefly as for the second reason But whereas you said that there was no thought of time betwixt the Natural being of David and the sinful being if you mean his sinful being by that matter that he received from Adam it is granted but if it be of the Soul or inward part which had its being from God it is denied from the two Reasons already rendred Further one Reason more Any Creature that is defiled in the inward man is not fit for the Kingdom of God but Children are fit for the Kingdom of God at the very birth of them therefore Children are not defiled or corrupted in the inward man Further You affirmed in your writing that I said that you could never read in Scripture that any Children were damned and therefore no such Sin Original to Damn to which say you you instanced that of Esau who was reprobated from all Eternity to the which I answer I do indeed confess you said so but I have learned that your say so is no sufficient proof for the ninth of the Romans the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth verses which you cited to prove the matter prove no such thing for let any Soul seriously read that place and see whether that place say
let me speak to thy comfort The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head that is though the Serpent had thought by his subtilty to have buried thy honour in the dust for ever and so to have destroyed the work that I had been doing Six days in one hour yet I will have him to know that my Wisdom is unsearchable and my ways past finding out that I have found a way to involve my Son in the flesh not to take upon him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham whereby hee may take away the Victory from the Grave though thou must needs dye and be like water spilt upon the ground yet I have used a means that thou shalt not be for ever expelled 2 Sam. 14.14 So know this to thy comfort and set the Serpent know this to his shame though my word be established in the Heavens that the Heavens and Earth shall pass away yet not one word of mine shall pass away unexecuted and so I shall take the words of the Lord before named 2 Sam. 14.14 and shew you why God brought in the promised Seed to intervene sin and the sentence that is though his Decree cannot be broken nor his Justice go unsatisfied but that Man must dye for that Original Sin no man or woman to be exempted but must all be banished by death But Jesus Christ was to bring life and immortality to light herein is the saying made good O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord This place the Apostle useth 1 Cor. 15. to prove the very thing that I am now a proving of If you should ask me whether Christ brought nothing for the Sons of Men more than a Resurrection I should answer yes many things he brought heavenly Paradisical glory for all such as would accept of it upon those conditions that he offered it Much more might be said to this Objection and Argument but my time at present is precious Arg. 2. If the Sin against the First Covenant made the Sinners liable but to the first Death then Adam and all since in his loyns were liable but to the first Death But the Sin against the first Covenant made the Sinners liable but to the first Death Ergo Adam and all his posterity stand guilty by that Sin only of the first Death To the proof of this Argument I shall give you to understand what I mean by the first Covenant and that you may see was excellent injoyments I mean excelling in Prerogative beyond all other Creatures insomuch as they were all under him and whatsoever name he gave them they shall bee called by and also had he not sinned he should have injoyed that pure earthly Paradisical injoyment which was the glory of the first Covenant from which glory hee fell by transgression of that Law or that Original Sin as you so call it First That he sinned against no other Covenant but that Covenant because there was never no Covenant made of a second Life or a second Glory not till after Adam had sinned and therefore could not sin against such a Covenant it being not made nor he in a capacity to sin against any such thing So that Sir take notice of this one thing by the way that as the Grave and the misery tending thereunto as sickness weakness and such like infirmities is that which a Creature receiveth as punishment for the sinning against that pure earthly Paradisical Covenant So the Gulf of Hell with eternal misery is the punishment of Sin committed against that second Covenant the which is a Covenant of heavenly Paradisical glory so that as the glory of the second Covenant doth surmount the glory of the first so the loss of the thing Covenanted with the punishment thereunto doth farre surmount the injoyment of the first with the punishment annexed thereunto Now to prove my Minor Proposition by a plain rext as Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread until thou returnest to the ground for out of it wast thou taken dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Compare this with the seventeenth verse of the same Chapter where he saith Cursed is the ground for thy sake and also telleth him that it shall bear thorns and thistles So if you take good notice what the Lord denounces as punishment to him and his seed which is only earthly and inflicted only upon the outward man no whit eternal neither inflicted upon the inward man and thus I have proved my Minor Proposition that Adams Sin was but against the first Covenant which sin lost but the injoyment of the first Life with that earthly Paradisical glory Arg. 3. If Adam in his best condition as he stood in Paradise before the Fall were but an earthly man and all his injoyments were but earthly injoyments then he could lose no more than what he had to lose which was earthly But Adam in his best condition was but an earthly man all his injoyments were but earthly injoyments Ergo all that he lost was butearthly injoyments The Minor I shall thus prove 1 Cor. 15.44 There is a Natural body and a Spiritual body so it is written the first man Adam was made a living Soul the last man Adam was made a quickning spirit verse 45. howbeit that was not first which is Spiritual but that which is Natural and after that which is Spiritual vers. 46. The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from Heaven vers. 47. Thus you see the first man Adam was but earthly and also his injoyments as earthly as himself Obj. If it should be objected and said That the Lord made Adam an immortal Soul Ans. To which I answer that God breathed into Adam the breath of Life and so hee became a living Soul it should appear he was a dead Soul before for many times in Scripture the Mortal part of Man is called the Soul Joshua 10.28 it is proved in and so oftentimes in the ninth tenth and eleventh Chapters of Joshua and Adam and all his Posterity had such mortal Souls that had not Christ risen to have brought a Resurrection that is to say that mortal Body out of the dust we had been like the beasts that perished 1 Cor. 15.18 And so much briefly to the third Argument Arg. 4. The Fourth Argument To prove why Adams sin did not bring any of his Posterity to be liable unto the second Death If the punishment due to that Original sin of Adam in Paradise be no other than what God hath declared in the Sentence which is no other but upon the outward man then none of the Sons of Adam shall be Damned for that sin of Adam in Paradise But that punishment due to Adam in Paradise is no other than
what God hath declared in the Sentence Gen. 3. ergo none of the Children of Adam shal suffer in Hell for that Sin and that it was but a loss of earthly injoyments with deformities and corruption I have proved it at large Arg. 5. To prove that Sin in Paradise did not make him or any of his Posterity liable to eternal Death is as followeth That Opinion which in the extent of it will make the Devil to speak truth and God to lye is an absurd and blasphemous opinion But the Opinion that saith That that Sin of Adam in Paradise maketh all the Sons of Adam guilty and liable to eternal Death affirmeth that the Devil speaks true and the Lord lieth Ergo that Opinion is absurd and blasphemous The Major will be easily granted The Minor I shall prove for God saith Gen. 2.17 If thou eatest thou shalt surely dye but the Devil said Gen. 3. to the Woman Yee shall not dye but be like gods c. Now if this Death that the Lord said they should dye be meant punishment in Hell as you blindly conceive and yet wee see that all Adams posterity which sinned in him or are become sinners by him are not punished in Hell which you say is meant by that Death then God speaks not true in saying they shall surely dye when he intends they shall not And the Devil speaks true when hee saith they shall not dye and wee see they do not so dye if that Death which God saith they shall surely dye bee meant the second Death this is to make the Devil speak true and God a Liar O horrid Blasphemous Opinion be ashamed of it Obj. Peradventure you will say That God sent Christ to take away the guilt and punishment of that Original sin which is as false and ridicnlous as the other O blinde guide is this any more in effect than to say That God sent his Son to make the Devils words appear to be true and his own false the Devil said they should not dye God said they should Now that they might not indeed dye you say God sent his Son that they might not dye which is no less than to make God a Lyar And so much briefly to your blasphemous opinion A word or two what I say to this and that is in these words Thou shalt surely dye is only meant the death of the material Body and hence it comes to pass that as well the righteous as unrighteous dye none exempted he regards not the person of any so that it appears clearly our God is a God of truth that cleareth not the guilty and that the Devil according to the words of John is a Lyar and hath been so from the beginning Arg. 6. The last Argument is as followeth That Opinion which crosseth plain texts of Scripture in the plain meaning of them is false and erronious But that Opinion which affirmeth That all Infants as they come into the World are guilty of such a Sin as makes them liable to the second Death namely to be punished in Hel and so lye under the Wrath of God is against plain texts of Scripture in the plain meaning of them Ergo such an Opinion is absurd und erronious Only the Minor will be questioned the which I shall prove from Matth. 9.14 where Christ faith Little Children are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven Take notice Sir these were not Beleevers sprinkled Children neither were they Baptised neither were they brought for that purpose Thus you see your Opinion speaks against plain text of Scripture Christ saith They are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven And as for the answer of that Objection in Psal. 51.5 I refer you to the place where I have answered it in its time and place in the letter And now I shall take notice of an absurdity that will follow and so will leave as to the Arguments you do affirm in this your Opinion That all Infants that dye in their Infancy none excepted must needs be damned for you did affirm That David was guilty of that Sin that brought Damnation and if David were guilty then all Children for David in your sense was an Elect Person and yet if he had died in his Infancy he had been damned according to your expression from Psalm fifty so that upon this account all Children in their infancy stand at enmity with God and if so then shew mee what reconciliation there can be according to Scripture account without the manifestation of Repentance and Faith towards God for Christ faith Except you beleeve you shall dye in your sins John 8.24 which Children cannot do although you would blindly conclude from Matth. 18. that those little ones there were Children which cannot bee proved for though Christ did take a little one yet he took not little ones and neither are little ones capable to suffer for Christ and so consequently not capable to be offended Secondly Faith is a perswasion of the minde flowing from the understanding but Children having no understanding can have no faith so that God saith I speak not to your Children which neither know nor understand and so much for the absurdity which necessarily will follow That all Infants must be damned if that which you say be true and so I shall leave as to that particular Characters of the false Ministery THe next thing that I shall enter upon is to shew the Characters of the false and corrupted Ministery whereby they that run may read and know them by their fruits First you shall know them by their teaching for Doctrines the Commandements of men the Lord in old time did complain against such Persons as you may see Jer. 5.30 31. in these words A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets Prophesy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and the people love to have it so and what shall be done in the end thereof Thus you may see the Prophets of old did prophesie the vision of their own Brain and the Priests of Old they must bear rule by their means that is to say their false Divinations must go for truth and it being pleasing to the flesh the people loved to have it so So it is with the false corrupted Ministery in our days the Prophets of old or more properly antient Fathers as they so call them they in their several Councils have determined certain Articles of their own invention imposing them on mens Consciences as infallible truths when God never spake any such thing in his Word the Priests they bear rule by their means and conclude they must needs be truths it being the judgement of their reverend Fathers as Luther and Calvin and St. Austin and the like and it being grown in custom amongst the people they love to have it so like as the people of old who lusted after the Flesh-pots of Aegypt I shall only particularize a few of their Traditions and so pass the first Character
rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be made rich thus the Lord Jesus made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and became obedient to death even the death of the crosse and as the Apostle Paul saith this his great love did extend it self to us when we by Nature were the Children of wrath as well as others scarcely for a righteous man will one dye yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to dye but God commendeth his love to us in that while we were Sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.7 8. 2 Cor. 8.9 Phil. 2.6 7 8. Ezek. 16.4 5 6 7 8. So that hence we may see the time when the Lord was pleased in his mercy and pity to look upon us and offer unto us this rich inheritance Fourthly and lastly be moved above all things to seek this kingdom because of the indurablenesse of it for it will never fail chee but will remain with thee for ever and ever as saith the Psalmist The Lord knoweth the days of the upright and his inheritance shall be for ever The Apostle Peter also to confirm this saying saith Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in the Heaven for you wherefore gird up the loyns of your mind and be sober and hope to the end for the grace that shall be brought to you at the revolation of Iesus Christ the which shall be an ample recompence of reward for all the sufferings that thou shalt meet with for the profession of his name in this life Psal. 37.18 1 Pet. 1.3 4. comp. 13 v. Rev. 21.6 Rev. 22.12 Heb. 11 16 The seventh use is to set forth the misery and terror that will fall upon all such as sin against such great mercy were there no more but a deprivation of them from the presence of the glorious God and that Heavenly Ierusalem it might be sufficient to be a Worm never dying and a fire never quenched but there is also Tophet prepared of old he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimston doth kindle it Isa. 30.33 Agreeing with the words of the Apostle that saith Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgement of God Rom. 2.4 5. 2 Thess. 1.7 8. What a forlorn condition will that Soul be in whoever he be that hath slighted the means of Grace and cast behind his back all those sweet invitations of the Gospel when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come forth to summon all to appear before the Judgement Seat to give an account before the Tribunal Seat Will not such Souls call for the Mountains to fall upon them to hide them from the presence of God Surely they will and all such faces shall gather blackness for thou that hast hated knowledge and hast not chosen the fear of the Lord but hast chosen Pleasure and all that thy heart hath lusted after here below and hast set greater account of the praise of Men than of the praise of God this shalt thou have at the Lords hands thou shalt lye down in sorrow where there shall be weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth therefore labour to be wise whilst thou maist be happy and in this thy day consider the things that belong to thy peace lest it be hid from thine eyes for ever and thou mourn when it be too late Prov. 1.24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. Cap. 5.11 Luke 19.42 The Eighth and last Use shall be for comfort and consolation to all those that shall be Heirs of that Kingdom Blessed are all they who are found watching when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come he will gird himself and make them sit down at meat and he will come forth and serve them Therefore be glad and rejoyce for the Lord Omnipotent will reign Blessed are all they that are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lambt for they shall enter into that glorious City even that heavenly Jerusalem which I have given you a glimps of where there shall bee singing praises by the Saints where there shall be everlasting joy and substantial or perfect felicity therefore I say Blessed are all the Dead that dye in the Lord for they shall be glorified at his appearance Even so Amen Come Lord Jesus come quickly FINIS Errata PAge 68. line the 20. read obtain for owned p. 72. l. 24. r understanding for wisdom p. 77. l. 11. r. Ore Chase for out those p. 78. l. 6. r. Sword for Lord p 94. l. 24. r. that for but p. 96. l. 23. r. to for of p 124. l. 7. r. their wickedness for the wickedness l. 8. r. great multitudes twice p. 126. l. 9. for is King r. their King p. 127. l. 21. for dispaced r. displaced p. 137. l. 2. r. upon for up of p. 139. l. 21. r. of Jerusalem for of thy Jerusalem p. 140. l. 24. r. the Lord of Hosts after the glory p. 150. l. 3. r. from God p. 174. l. 28. for when ever r. what hour Baptizo signifies to plunge or overwhelm Rantizo to sprinkle or scatter * Adams sin brought not Condemnation to Hell on his Posterity but death of the Body with Sickness Sorrow c. Adams Sin brought no pollution or disability on the Spiritual part of Mankinde Man is not made uncapable to act good by Adams sin The Fathers iniquity makes not the Childe liable to the second death Esau not hated before hee was born Disobedience the cause that men become Vessels of dishonour * Act. 2.37 Sodom not suffering punishment in Hell fire Reprobate Angels and reprobate men not yet in punishment Parables prove not things Hell not in being till the coming of the Lord God not changeable in his Decrees God doth not change his Decree but doth decree to change his Dispensation according to the actions of the Creature Adams sin being only against the first Covenant brings not Condemnation to Hell Punishment in Hell only for transgression against the second Covenant Adam and all his injoyments before he fell were but earthly The affirming that Adamsâ—â— brought the second Death justifies the Devil to speak truth and makes God a Lyar 1 Character 2 Char. 3 Char. 4 Char. 5 Char. 6 Char. 7 Char. 8 Char. 9 Char. 10 Char. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. That the Cities of Judah shal be built as in the former days A Prophecie of the return of the Ten Tribes that there may bee one sheepfold on the Mountains of Israel Meaning that their Children and riches shall bee brought back from the Land of their enemies as aforetime 1 Three Reasons why the Temple shall be built again The Jews shall not be converted by a Gospel preaching The work of the Witnesses to prove the Man of Sin to be the Antichrist and not the Messiah that they look for The manner of the Man of Sins arising The Man of Sin proved not to be the Romish Babylon by Reasons followfng Use 2. 3 Use 4 Use 6 Use 7 Use
Vessels of honour and yet some hee made Vessels of dishonour To that I anwser It is very true that hee did make some of that Lump Vessels of honour but they were such as were pricked in their heart for their sins * and did purifie their heart through beleeving and obeying the truth and so Christ became the Author of their eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 1 Pet. 1. vers. 22. for it was that which the Lord hath promised Souls that did purge themselves from the unbeleef in their hearts as you may see 2 Tim. 2.20 But in a great House there are not only Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also of Wood and of Earth and some to honour and some to dishonour vers. 21. if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work And now I shall give you a brief review of those words that the Apostle Paul makes use of Rom. 9. they are the words of the Prophet Ieremy Jer. 18.1 to 17. and so onwards And the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Go down to the Potters house and there will I cause thee to hear my words and I went down to the Potters House and behold he wrought a work on the wheel and the vessel that he made with clay was marred in the hands of the Potter and he made another Vessel as seemed the Potter good to make it then the Word of the Lord came unto me saying O House of Israel can I not do with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the Potters hands so are yee in my hands O House of Israel At what instant I speak concerning a Nation or Kingdom to pluck up or destroy If that Nation turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them but in what instant I speak concerning a Nation or Kingdom to build or to plant it if they do evil in my sight then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them now therefore go speak to the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord Behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return every one of you from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good but they said there is no hope but we wil waâ—â—â— after our own devices c. and in vers 17. he threatens to shew them his back and not the face in the day of their Calamity the which wee may see the Lord brought upon them and yet he was just when he judged and thus you see the Apostle answereth the Objection and shews the Jews Rom. 9. what the Lord had determined concerning them and also made known by the Prophet Jeremy that hee could according to the truth of his Justice if they remained obstinate in doing evil in his sight make them a dishonourable Vessel as well as the Potter could make that Clay which was not yeelding and conformable to his hands a vessel of dishonour Thus I have shewed you the words of the Prophet and the meaning of the Apostle that he doth not stop the mouthes of those persons that say the Lord of the whole earth cannot do unrighteousness and therefore cannot Condemn the Childe and cast it into Hell for the Fathers sin neither can he Reprobate any but for their actual sin but hee stops the mouthes of those Jews and all such as they are who do question why God might finde fault although they before have given him just cause of offence Mal. 3.8 The next thing you affirm is not true wherein you said I did affirm That that fire which Saint Jude calls eternal fire was meant only consuming fire though it was consuming indeed yet I did not affirm that to bee the only meaning of it but you may remember I said by the word eternal fire was meant such a fire as was not kindled by man neither did it happen in the City by accident but it issued forth from God being not kindled by man and so was as eternal as himself for the breath of the Lord was ever a fire to his enemies Dan. 7.10 From hence it is said of him in Hebr. 11.29 Our God is a consuming fire the which fire did destroy the Natural bodies of the Sodomites and that eternal fire was not Hell as you blindly conceive but it was such fire as the Prophet commanded to come down from Heaven to destroy the Captains and their Fifties which was as eternal as that of Sodom being without kindling by man or without end and it came not out of Hell but from Heaven and so you may see it Gen. 19.24 in these words Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and sire from the Lord out of Heaven and this was for the destruction of no more but their Natural bodies for it is not Gods way to afflict the punishment of Hell before he hath tried Souls at the general Judgement which shall not be till after the Resurrection for the Sentence against the first sin and the punishment thereof which was the first death was not inflicted upon Adam till after God had legally tried him and Sir let me tell you that the very Devils are not yet in Hell but their punishment is reserved until the Day of Judgement Iude vers. 6. Matth. 8.29 Why art thou come to torment us before the time Which sheweth plainly that the punishment of reprobate Angels and reprobate Men is not yet inflicted but hath reference to time and Sir if I should ask you where Hell were what answer would you give me you would happily tell mee it was where the Wrath of God was and then I shall conclude that Hell were under your Coat for Christ saith Ioh. 3.36 That he that beleeveth not the wrath of God abideth on him for ever And truly Sir if your faith should be tried by your works as Iames saith it must be then doubtless you would be found altogether unbeleeving and if so then according to the former words of our blessed Saviour That the wrath of God abides on such so that if you do conclude Hell to bee in all places where the Wrath of God is though I do indeed conclude that there shall be a material place of Hell where the Wrath of God shall remain perpetually then Hell must of necessity be at the place aforesaid And if you do conclude it to bee on the Earth or under the Earth as some foolishly have conceived then it is most evident that the Devils are not yet in Hell for he is called the Prince of the Air and hence it comes to pass that the Devil is many times cast down by the Judgements of God so that if you have any reason to prove Hell to be yet in being then you might have some better ground to say the
sign and none shall be given them And furthermore I said That if you were as careful to read the Scriptures and being frequent in them as you were to look after your Tithes you might have remembred that John the Baptist who was a very great Prophet did shew no sign or mark at all yet all that that he said was true Joh. 10.41 and this was the sum of that I said which you call rayling The last thing you say appears to be full of confusion for in the first Clause of your last Verse in which you say that such as wee are given up The meaning thereof is this That God hath given us up to be cast out of his favour not only intending to harden us but also to harden himself against us not intending any means shall do us good cutting us from mercy delighting in our destruction this is meant by giving up to a reprobate sense And yet now in the last Clause of your Verse you pray That the Lord would open our eyes so that in one place you cast us as far as you can into Hell and say That God hath done so in his account already Do I wrong such a generation of men if I should call them Babels Brats I leave the Reader to judge But as for your prayer I matter it not whether you pray for us or curse us which is your most usuallest practice for I know that the prayers of such are abomination according to the Word of the Lord Prov. 28. vers. 9. I shall speak no more to the Letter at present but exhort you to repent from your dead works and beleeve the Gospel and be Baptized for remission of sins before the Decree pass and there be no remedy The Servant of all men for Christs sake George Hamman Now Sir having answered your Letter I shall not leave you so but shall further clear the truth of what I have affirmed by word and writing and that by several Reasons or Arguments as followeth Arg. 1. That opion that affirmeth God may change in what he hath absolutely Decreed is false and erronious but your Opinion that Original sin bringeth Adam and all his Posterity liable or guilty to the second Death and yet we see Adam and all his Posterity are not punished with the second Death maketh God changeable in what he hath absolutely Decreed ergo your opinion is false and erronious The Major part of the Argument I suppose will not bee denied and that you know well that God changeth not and therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed The Minor I shall thus prove from Gen. 2.17 which faith But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye or in dying thou shalt dye Here we may see God did absolutely Decree and also declare his Decree That if Adam did transgress that Law hee should dye Now if that Death included there do presuppose the second Death as well as the first then if all do not dye the second Death as well as the first Gods Justice is not satisfied but his Decree frustrated for God cannot bring any secondary means to frustrate that which he hath absolutely Decreed or disappoint the satisfaction of his Justice When I say he cannot my meaning is this That the Will of God with the Attribute of his Truth doth guide the Attribute of his Power so that he can do nothing but what is righteous according to truth If God may bring a secondary means to disappoint the satisfaction of his Justice he may as well bring a secondary means to disappoint the satisfaction of his Mercy whereby the Justice of his Mercy be not executed In plaineness of words my meaning is this That if the Lord would after he had said Adam should dye and all his eternally and yet afterwards prepare life and glory for so many of them as would accept of it may hee not as well prepare a Hel for persons who have continued faithful unto death whose reward is a Crown of Life But now to answer an Objection or two Obj. 1. The first Objection is from the example of Ninivie for the Lord said Forty days and Ninivie shall be destroyed and yet it was not destroyed from which word many conclude that God doth change in his Decree Ans. To this I answer That God did not change his Decree but did decree to change his Dispensation of Mercy or Judgement according to the Creatures obedience or disobedience for God had declared his Decree long before Jonah was sent to Ninivie That at what instant be spake of a Nation or Kingdom to pluok up or destroy if they did repent of their evil hee would repent of the evil he thought to do unto them Jerem. 18.7 but wee see Ninivie did repent from the King on the throne to the Begger on the dunghil And hence it comes to pass that God could not destroy them though he told Jonah hee did intend such a thing as concerning them and thus we see God doth not alter in his Decree although he doth Decree to alter his Dispensation of Mercy or Judgement according to the Creatures actings Hence it comes to pass though Adam should have enjoyed all Paradisical glory not been rooted up for ever yet for his disobedience he was rooted up drove out of the Garden with the loss of all that aforesaid injoyment and God that seeth things before time that shall be in time and calleth things that shall be as if they were saw Adam the very same day that hee did Transgress not only dying in dying thou shalt surely dye but also saw Adam and his posterity returned unto Earth from whence hee was taken so the Sentence is true in his account that calls things that shall be as if they were So much briefly to the first Objection Obj. 2. The second Objection is That the Promise did intervene Adams Sin and the Sentence Ans. I answer That makes not to the taking away of the Punishment of it hence it comes to pass though the Promise hath been made flesh and dwelt amongst us and hath been dead and risen again yet no whit of the punishment is abated so that God can as well cease to be as he can cease to be unfaithful in the true execution of the Attributes of his Justice or Mercy But I conceive the reason why the Promise did intervene was because he would not leave his Creatures without some comfort as if he should have said Adam there was a time when thou mightest have eaten of every Tree in the Garden unless that Tree in the middest and in pleasure and not in sorrow but now thou shalt eat in sorrow all the days of thy life until thou returnest unto that lump of Earth from whence thou wast taken therefore thou maist see what thou hast got by harkning to the voyce of the Serpent and thy Wife yet this
I will fill their treasure So that those that seek first the kingdom of Heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and seek it as hidden treasure that is to say above all things in the world without doubt the Lord will rise and rain everlasting righteousness upon such souls Hosea 10.12 Prov. 2.3 4 5. 1 Chron. 28.9 Mat. 9.33 So much to the first means in order to the attainment of this inheritance The second way to attain to this inheritance may be observed from the wise Merchant man who when he had found the Pearl of great price sold all that he had to gain that price so also must thou when thou seest an excellency in Jesus Christ thou must break off thy sins by righteousnesse and part with all that is near and dear unto thee for he that comes to Christ and hates not Father and Mother Wife and Children Lands and living nay and his own life cannot be his Disciple not that I mean that thou shouldst hate the person of thy Father or thy Mother or Wife or Children and the like neither did Christ mean so in that speech of his but to cast them out of their affections when they come in competition with Christ but still to honour and respect their persons though slight their counsel Luk. 14.26 27. Mat. 10.34 35 36 37 38. so that this is the second way to attain this Heavenly inheritance or Pearl of great price Thirdly as thou must forsake all and break off thy sins by righteousnesle so thou must increase in thy piety and virtues thou must not stand still but thou must add to thy Faith Virtue Knowledge Temperance Patience and Godlinesse for so an entrance shall be administred into his heavenly Kingdom 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9 10 11. so that from hence thou mayst see that the way or means to enter into that heavenly inheritance is to grow in grace not to stand still not be luke-warm not to have a name to live and be dead but to excel in virtue The fourth and lastly as thou must seek that inheritance above and before all things and as thou must forsake all things for the attainment of that precious inheritance when thou hast found it so as to part with all and break off thy sins by righteousnesse and as thou must also grow in Graces adding to thy Faith Virtue and so forth So in the fourth and last place thou must goe on and persevere till death not turn back or be weary or faint in thy mind for that is the way to inherit that glorious inheritance even that immortal crown of life and to sit down with Christ in his Throne where thou shalt abide for ever and ever 2 Tim. 4.4 5 6 7 8. Jam. 1.12 Rev. 2.10 cap. 3. v. 9. compar'd with 12. v. 2.7 cap. 21.7 And so I shall passe unto the sixth use The sixth use is a use of inducement to win thee or move thee to prise that Kingdom which is to be at the Revelation of Jesus Christ for then the Tabernacle of God shall be with men he shall dwell with them as also saith Iohn in these words I heard a great voice from Heaven saying the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he will be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away and the redeemed of the Lord shall come to Sion with Songs and everlasting Joy shall be unto them and the great King of the whole earth who is the Son of the most high and the great Bridegroom of the Bride shall gird himselfe and make them sit down at meat and they shall raign with him as long as the Sun and Moon endureth Luk. 12.37 Rev. 21.3 4 5. Esa. 35 10. these privileges in that kingdom shall be above Angels for not unto the Angels hath he put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak but that he hath put it into subjection to the Saints is clear as you may see from these Scriptures Psal. 149.6 7 8 9. Obedi 21. Mal. 4.3 4 5. Rev. 2.26 27. from hence we may see the great gainers Saints will be if it be so that they lose all the enjoyments of this life provided they doe but attain that inheritance 1 Tim. 4.8 cap. 6. ver. 6. 1 Cor. 3.22 But on the other hand if thou shouldest lose that inheritance and the glorious presence of that infinite glory which was so glorious that when Peter and John saw but a glimpse of it they said It is good for us to be here I say if thou shouldest loose chis enjoyment although by it thou maist gain all the friendship in the world the riches and quintessence thereof yet thou wouldest be a great loser Matt. 17.4 Mark 8.36 Christian Reader thou art not travelling to an earthly Kingdom or Inheritance but unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and unto God the Judge of all things and the Spirits of Just men made perfect where thou shalt enjoy the presence of God in whose presence there is fullnesse of Joy and at his right hand pleasure for evermore Psal. 16.11 Heb. 12.22 23. The second inducement is from the Freeness of the giver of this Inheritance that whether thou art rich or poor high or low noble or ignoble thou maist attain to this Inheritance for the Lord commands his Messengers to offer it freely to every Creature Mar. 16.15 Rev. 22.17 Moreover he proclaims this his loving kindnesse by the Prophet saying Oh every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no mony come buy Wine without money and without price why do you lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which profits not Esay 55.1 2. From hence we may take notice of these two things First how the Lord exhibiteth himself freely to every Creature and blames such as are contented with Husks when they may have the Bread of Life freely The third Inducement or Motive to move thee or incourage thee to seek after this Inheritance is from the consideration of thy condition when the Lord is pleased to cast his eye of pity upon thee it is not at that time when thou appearest amiable or lovely by reason of thy virtues and graces which is in thee but when thou wast a deformed Creature by reason of lying in the blood of the pollution of thy Sin and it was also when no eye pittied thee neither could Angels or men do thee any good In this appeared the love of God indeed as saith the Apostle We know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he were