further objected the second Adams body and soule were seperated and his body raised from the grave not a spirituall but a naturall body of flesh and blood therefore mans naturall body of flesh and blood doth inherit the Kingdome of God in the glory of Angells The second Adam must be considered as a sinner not in his nature Answere nor an actuall transgressor but imputatively a sinner for he was so made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God given us imputatively in him But if the first Adam had kept the Covenant then no sin therefore no separation of God from him or the soule from God which was his death nor of Soule from Body which was but the shadow of death but he should have ascended in perfect union of love naturall and supernaturall to God and his Neighbour in the perfect union of Soule Body and should have knowne no separation in either for their bodies should have been made spirituall by a change as shall all mens which shall be found living at the generall judgement of the second Adam as Saint Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.33 As for Christs body being raised a naturall body of flesh and blood and continued so forty daies on earth it was for a speciall end that his body was detained from being glorified that space namely to be a firme object of Faith even to mens senses to confirme beliefe in them that Hee was Hee that had fulfilled all righteousnesse for the restauration of the world that he might say to doubting Thomas and truly toâ— reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not fâ—ithlesse but believe and therefore to this purpose he shew'd himselfe to five hundred Brethren at once Iohn 20.27 Lu. 24.39 But that touch which hee propounded to Thomas hee denyed to Mary saying touch me not and gives her this as a reason why she must not touch him namely because hee was not ascended to his Father implying by his speeches to these two Thomas and Mary First that to man doubting the truth of him as the object of justification the touch of his crucified body was a helpe Secondly to Faith confirmed in his Resurrection as was Maries his body spiritualized and * Christ body being now made a spirituall body Essentially considered and not a body of flesh and blood then how can that be true that he wil come in the flesh and raigne in this Elementary world 1000 yeares glorified by his Ascention was its most proper object of beliefe Ioh. 20 17. Col. 3.1 Yet I do not meane that the glorious body of Christ is or that mans body should have bin nor shall be made a meer Spirit as is the reasonable Soules of mankinde but I meane that the Lord Iesus Christ is and mans body shall be changed into a Nature farre nearer the nature of the reasonable Soule then it was created or now is yet a body still and every man his own body but every way more able to answere the righteous desires and motions of the reasonable Soule much like the Angells which immediatly accord to doe Gods will to his eternall praise and glory Againe as concerning the creation I doe not meane that it should have bin if the first Adam had stood nor now shall be by the second Adams fulfilling the same Covenant and more be made so spirituall a Nature as are the highest Heavens the most immediate expressions that shadowed forth the Divine glory to men or Angels but I meane it should have bin and shall be partaker of the same generall nature supernaturallized as shall be the bodies of mankinde in some degree But if Adam had kept the Covenant then it should not growingly have travailed as now it doth to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God for then because no sinne no corruption or vanitâ— but in its naturall perfections together with mankinde in his pure Naturalls it should have more sweetly travailed to its supercelestiall perfections And so to Man it should have bin as the Suburbs of the Celestiall glory but now as must mans Body As mans elementary body shal be changed into a spirituall body so shall the elementary bodies of the terrestriall and and caelestiall Globes be chaÌ„ged into a spirituall nature and thus much of the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God shall this universe be partakers of so it must be changed as saith the Text Thou shalt change them and they shall be changed that is as saith Saint Peter into a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse implying it shall then no more detaine man evill or unrighteous or Divells as now it doth but as it was made for man righteous in perfection of the Creation and ordayned by the Covenant to a supernaturall perfection with man supernaturally righteous in the improvement of the Covenant so it now shall be againe by the second Adam restored to the glorious liberty of the Children of God as Saint Paul affirmes it travailes untill now Rom. 8.21 22 23 33. So much for the fourth point namely what is the issue or intended end of Gods Covenant with the first Adam Here observe First as God shaddowed out himselfe to mans perceivance * Or these shadowes may be called discoveries or light because the Apostle gives this definition that that which manifesteth is light Eph. 5.13 1. by the perfection of the Creation 2. by the supernaturall prefiguration of the Covenant 3. and will in the glory of the elect Angells by the most immediate expressions of his essentiall perfection whence observe That Gods essentiall glory essentially considered is unperceiveable by men and Angells and only knowne to himselfe and the ground is by reason of that vast distance that is betweene an infinite Essence and creatures that are at best but finite But yet further observe that so farre forth as God doth expressively manifest himselfe to men and Angells by objects sutable to their apprehensions so farre forth he is to them an object of Love and most tranquill Consolation and so farre forth as he appeares such a good and much more then they can comprehend so farre forth he is to men and Angels an object of divine worship and adoration but on the contrary so farre as God doth shadow out himselfe to men and Angels in objects proceeding against them and contrary to them and more then their apprehensions can comprehend so farreforth he is to men and Angels an object of dolor dread and ever sinking desperation Secondly observe that in either Estate Adam could not convey to his posterity more then what himselfe enjoyed therefore as in his second Estate by Covenant hee could not convey his naturall perfections alone if he had kept Covenant but both naturall and supernaturall joyntly together because then his naturall holinesse was a means by improvement to a supernaturall
end So also in his first estate of the perfection of the creation he could not convey to his posterity the supernaturall good joyntly but his * The law of nature properly so called never was since the fall in any man in it's pure naturals but only in the second Adam therefore now to referre any thing well done by men to the st ength of their pure naturals is a grosse mistake pure naturals alone For before hee was put in the prefiguration of the Garden his naturall holinesse and righteousnesse were alone and not by Gods Ordinance related a meanes to a supernaturall end but on the contrary by his transgressing the covenant hee had power to conveâ— the losse of both of meanes and end not onely the losse of right and possession in the knowledge of all good both naturall and supernaturall things either in faith or fruition with Angels but also by force of Gods justice in the Covenant to convey the knowledge of evill every way equivalent in evill to all the foresaid good But this evill was Adams third estate namely his fall which is the next ground to be handled So much for the second ground CHAP. III. Opening the State of the world by Adams fall AS the fall of Adam extended to himselfe and to all his posterity Rom. 5.12 so it brought him and his posterity from the highest spire * The infinite God bound himselfe for Adams further assistance according as he did apply his personal perfections by the rules of the Covenant and the reasons why hee did not so see from pag. 17. to pag. 20. and in cap. 12. of the knowledge of God to the deepest gulfe of the knowledge of evill And whereas both are referred to the knowledge which is in man the reason is because man is most capable of his highest felicity or of his deepest misery onely by his knowable powers which was also implyed in this that the tree of triall was called the tree of knowledge of good and evill But here may be demanded what Adam and wee his posterity lost and what we lost not and what wee found by his fall Quest First we lost the perfection of the whole creation wholly Answ Secondly we lost the garden of Eden as it was an object of faith the figure of the felicity of Angels Thirdly we lost totally our pure naturals that is the perfection of both Tables of the Law as containing our righteousnesse and holinesse the most expresse Image of God by creation Fourthly wee lost the beginning of our supernaturall righteousnesse and holinesse contained in the institution of the Covenant for we lost that estate of faith Wee lost the ultimate perfection of supernaturall holinesse by which we should enjoy God in his most immediate expressions of his essentiall perfections in the glory of Angels and in a word we lost all the good of this world and that to come Secondly that which we lost not in briefe was this First we lost not the being of this creation but the blessednesse of it We lost not the Essence of our reasonable soules nor their essentiall faculties as memory conscience will and understanding for all these remaine in men under eternall death Wee lost not a body proper to our kind nor a personall union of both soule and body together for these men also have under eternall damnation So much for what we lost and what we lost not Quest But what found wee by our fall in Adams transgession Answere We found the knowledge of evill as first the evill of transgression secondly the evill of punishment and of the evill of transgression the first root of bitternesse did arise from Adams remissenesse of this second state contained in the condition of the Covenant and this appeares by his sinne of omission which brought on his sinne of commission generally in two things but particularly in six things First his eating the fruits of this plantation generally by Gods more speciall appointment as a meanes to bring him to an higher end then did his food in the perfection of the creation how could he then have omitted this generall help to that supernaturall end if hee had not beene remâ—sse of the conditions comprised in the Covenant Secondly this Garden being so sequestred from all the terrestriall globe and in plants for pleasantnesse transplendently surmounting all the terrestriall globe prefiguring generally to Adams faith the pleasures and felicity of Angels how could he then have omitted this universall help if he had not beene remisse of the conditions comprised in the Covenant So much for these in generall Againe more particularly first his worke assigned him by Divine institution to dresse and keepe this choyce part of the whole creation by the worke of his fingers prefiguring unto him that the perfection of the creation depended on his worke in the Covenant for good and evill And how could he then omit this prefiguration for a help if he had not bin remisse by a sleepy faith in this particular Secondly when he looked on the tree of life in it's flourishing perfections in all the branches thereof as prefiguring to him his naturall branches or off-spring depended on him in the worke of the Covenant for celestiall felicity how could he then have omitted this helpe to lead his faith to the negative rule of the Covenant if he had not beene remisse in this particular Thirdly he knowing all the fruits of the trees in the Garden his to eate without restraint excepting this one tree of good and evill how therefore could hee omit the deniall of himselfe this one thing to attaine the good comprised in the Covenant if hee had not beene remisse in this particular God threatning him most expressely with death yea a most certaine death if he did not abstaine from eating that forbidden fruit how then could hee omit this helpe to repell Satans assault by whom or by what meanâ—s soever suggested to avoid so dangerous a consequence if hee had not beene remisse of the conditions of the Covenant His eyes seeing that River comming in but one way into the Garden yet divided into foure in that Paradise of pleasure and thence issuing it's chrystall streames of waters of life as from the Throne of God downe the terrestriall globe foure wayes prefiguring to him the good comprised in the Covenant as running downe from Gods most righteous justice to his posterity throughout all generations for his glorifying Gods truth and faithfulnesse by denying the fruit of this forbidden tree how could hee then omit this as a helpe to set his faith on worke if he had not beene remisse of the good comprised in the Covenant When his eyes beheld this tree of Knowledge of good and evill or the fruit of it how could he omit to set his faith on worke to feed his soule with it's signification of the good if hee did abstaine or a fall into the contrary evill if he did eate and how durst he feed his body with
downe to be the sixth day of the weeke and ninth houre of that day implying this was the day of the week and houre of that day in which he first in the Lambs blood did render up his life figuratively then in the type and now in the truth the one answering the other in the circumstance of time in the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype And therefore rightly doth Saint Iohn take it for granted that Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 For the world received that sixth day a threefold beginning The first was the spire of perfection by creation Secondly the world received the beginning of supernaturall perfection founded in the covenant with Adam When all being lost by Adams fall the foundation for recovery of all was laid in the second Adams worke of the Covenanâ— the same sixth day and ninth houre of the same day and therefore hee was the Lambe slaine in the beginning for to God and to faith the worke of a perfect rest was then finished by Christ from the foundation of the world although unbelieving man enters not this rest neither by faith here nor by fruition hereafter as Heb. 4. Again the unconceiveable danger required that Christ as the second Adam in the Lambs blood must enter the worke in that minute that Adam fell otherwise justice must have proceeded immediatly to bring the judgement past to condemnation to an unconceiveable execution therefore hee entred the worke of the Covenâ—nt the same minute thâ—t Adam fell rendring his dearest life to Divine justice figuratively in the blood of the Lamb as slaine from the beginning of the foundation of the world Revelat. 13. vers 8. Againe he onely and alone in that point of time did undertake this worke because hee onely and alone was the spotlesse Lambe or the sinlesse man in that figure and therefore onely and alone fit for that worke Again he only and alone was the lamb of God personally God-man in this figure therefore he only and alone fitly able under flames of scorching wrath to undertake the satisfaction of the justice of the Covenant by perfect flames of burning love in his pure naturalls as a meanes by love supernaturall to attaine the supercelestiall felicity of the glory of Angells by taking upon him the imputed guilt of Adams sin and that dreadfull execution which immediately must have past for the same So much for the third point That by Christ his undertaking the worke of the Covenant hee removed for ever the judgement which passed on all men to condemnation and therefore it never passed to execution not so much as to any one mans damnation for Adams transgression For Christ no sooner undertooke to answer the justice of the Covenant in the type but in stead of immediate execution God in Christ manifested himselfe reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne seeking to save that which was lost saying to Adam Where art thou What hast thou done c. Gen. 3. verse 9. Secondly and that hee was so reconciling is more manifest in the 15. verse For God having cursed the Serpent hee then manifested the deliverance by Christ saying to Satan in the Serpent I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene her seed and thy seed it shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly whereas the justice of the Covenant required the production of all mankind unnaturally from crosse operations in the powers of the whole creation as is described Chapt. 3. yet now comes God and gives us a naturall production of all mankinde by a mercifull promise in a two-fold respect First to the seed of the woman with no promise of addition of sorrow to his conception or production that is Christ as the first in nature borne from the dead fall of Adam of every creature restoring Gods Image in all Gen. 3.15 Col. 1.15.16 17 18 19. Secondly a promise of a naturall conception and production of all mankinde but with the addition of the taste of sower herbes of sorrow for unâ—o the woman he said I will greatly increase thy sorrow and thy conception In sorrow shalt thou bring forth thy children verse 16. Fourthly justice from the Covenant required mans personall support from the power of God in the torturous powers of the Universe But now God gives a nutrimentall support by food naturall and onely with a taste of the sowre herbs of sorrow Gen. 3.17 For unto the man saith God because thou hast harkened unto the voyce of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree which I commanded saying Thou shalt not eat of it but saith not in the words of the Covenant thou shalt certainly die the death but saith onely this Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life c. Fifthly the justice of the Covenant admitted no separation of soule and body but our descent to our deepest torment must have bin in personall union of soule body together But now there is a separation and mans body hath a time of rest in the dust this is implyed in this Text Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne againe And now put all this sorrow together and then it is no more but this Even sowre herbs for man to relish his sweet mercy in the Lambe of God by whom hee passeth over all his wrath for Adams transgression by which we were unrecoverably rejected and reprobated with divels from God by the justice of the Covenant but according as God fore-appointed Christ and chose us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love so hee elected us in his beloved from reprobate divels with whom in justice wee were to remaine But because this deepe mysterie is wrapt up in that of Genes 3.15 and Rom. 5 18. therefore I will briefly open these two Texts before I passe to the fifth point viz. Unto Satan he said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele And whereas God saith to the Divell I will put enmity between thee the woman is first implyed that God only could as the case then stood produce this enmity in this word I. Secondly that his will was resolved so to doe in this word I w ll That the Divell formerly conceived if he could but get the woman into amity by beliefe of his lies then the justice of the Covenant would not admit to dissolve that amity much lesse to put enmity but to Satan saith God I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Now here ariseth a three-fold quere first what is meant by this word put secondly what is meant by this word enmity thirdly what is meant by this word woman First this word put implyeth this that by divine Justice all righteousnesse
enters not this rest and then with reference to this point saith God spake in a place of the seaventh day on this wise that God rested the seventh day from all his works The reason why Moses in the 2. of Gen. doth bring in all Gods works as made on the seventh day ver 2. is because all which was made perfect on the sixt day and lost by Adam was as it were made anew by Ch ists satisfactory righteousnesse imputed and so declared the seventh day morning to Adam by the Creations putting forward its first step towards perfection to which it travailes untill now and then saith hee there remaines a rest for the people of God meaning by Faith here and in glory hereafter Gen. 2.2 Heb. 4.3.9.19 And from this ground the number of seaven in holy Scriptures is a figure of perfection as in the seaventh of yeares namely the Jubiles and the seaventh yeares of the Lands rest and in the seventh months rest and this seventh daies rest c. and in Enoch the seventh from Adam by ascending into eternall perfection in Soule and Body joyntly together figuring out the Angelike glory intended to man in the * In the 12 Ch. and â—3 Object you may see this Covenant defended Observation Covenant by the worke of the first Adam but now given to the world in the righteousnesse of the second Adam imputed So much for the Proofe of the fift generall point namely that the second Adams first entrance into the worke of the first Adam put on the whole Creation travailing together with man believing truth to that perfection it lost in Adams fall Hence observe because the imputative damnation of Gods Covenant through Adams transgressions was fully removed and taken off by the second Adams satisfactory righteousnesse imputed as ours by Gods free guift upon all men to justification of life so as none of mankinde ever perished for that transgression as precedently is proved Then consequently all mankinde which in Infancy or childhood depart this world they ascend to eternall life in Heaven to Angells glory notwithstanding originall sinne which is in them for that running sore of originall sin in which they are conceiv'd and brought forth doth but fit them successively to receive the salve of salvation in Christ to their eternall felicity for if they had not bin conceived and borne in that seed of sinne and but a seed then they had bin in their production Divells in dispositions totally according to the justice of the Covenant and so capable of no good but evill only or else they must have bin by production conceiv'd and borne in their pure naturalls of holinesse and righteousnesse in an Estate of perfection according to the tendencie of the Covenant and then they had not bin capable of eternall life in Christ by salvation for the whole need not the Physitian but the sicke But because the Serpentine seed is derived to Infants in their conceptions and births and in them reduc'd but to a sâ—ed by grace in Christ because God put the foresaid principle of enmity betweene the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent therefore this running sore of originall sinne in them implicitly pleads for the salve of salvation in Gods free guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed to ascend by it to eternall felicity Therefore all mankinde departing this world in Infancy or Childhood ascend by death through him to eternall life Againe the passage of all Infants from the misery of this world by the sharpe separation of Soule and body is to them * Likewise so is the sharpe separation of Infants from their Mothers bowels in their birth so notwithstanding that sharpe travell the mother shall be saved if she continue in beliefe of the object of justification and in the inseparable companion of that beliefe namely inteâ—nall holinesse issuing it selfe into externall sanctification as is proved by the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.15 Therefore Circumcision precedently was as the dipping or washing in Baptisme now is viz. a witnesse that Gods Covenant in Christ reacheth Infants that cannot by Faith reach him wherefore they were and are received into the visible Church by cutting and washing theâ—eby witnessing that the grace of the Covenant gave to the whole nature of man in the promised seed immediatly upon the fall a meetly disposed nature in all to receive eternall life as saved creatures but man remisse passeth by this witnesse and the like mercies but so did not the Queene of Sheba although excluded from the residence of the like mercies from her Kingdome but an implicite tast by a figure of Adams imputed sower herbs of punishment for sinne to relish Gods sweet imputed mercies in Christ the Paschall Lamb to Gods praise in him by the salvation of them to all eternity therefore all mankinde dying in Infancy or childhood ascend through death to glory for ever Againe these sower hearbs by this Separation of Soule and body of all Infants which departed this world before Christ came by it they then were but a figure of him then to come as saith the Apostle Rom. 5. the 14 to tast not only of this Separation which is but a shaddow of death but a figure of him as he was an imputed sinner to tast of death for all men in the substance according to the justice of that Covenant and more therefore it being but a figure of him it was only a passage to them to eternall life by him Againe when God the second time renewed his promise of the Seed of the woman with Abraham to the universall mercy of the Apostate world as will afterwards appeare hee then instituted Circumcision namely to cut off the foremost skin from the member of generation of Infants implying his only mercy in the promised seed was it that cut from the Nature of mankinde the nature of Divells though not totally So fitting them to receive their Eternall felicity by Christ therefore they do enjoy it to all eternity Againe * But they which attribute so much to baptisme as that no baptisme no salvation it is bâ—t to assume the more seeminâ— suâ—e stitions sanctity to draw fâ—om the people the more respect to their aspired Antichâ—stian Priesthood also the Male Infant was precisely to be cut the eighth day after his birth this implicitly told their (a) So baptising of Infants now is an outward seale to the Church that although mans nature at once was totally d abolicall yet the reduction of it to a seed by Christ is the Principle of mans new birth Baptisme further implyes the spirit of Gods helpe to bring it to perfection in his owne way that is to the peâ—fection of parts in this woâ—ld and to perfection of degrees in the next parents that Gods mercifull infusion by putting the foresaid principle of enmity into the nature of all men was the originall principle of mans new birth as risen with Christ whose first step to glory was to
is explained in pag. 32. Or how was the worke of a perfect rest in Christ by Faith and in fruition by hope finished from the foundation of the world as the Author to the Hebrewes affirmes Hebr. 4.3 and as is explained pag. 25. To the second part of the Objection true it is by Adams default hee was as is described pag. 30. dead in sinne farre more deepe then I suppose you meane for man being dead in sins and trespasses against the universall grace of God in Christ is farre different from that in Adams fall as to be twice dead and pluckt up by the roote is different from them both as in the prosecution of the sixth point will clearely appeare To the third part of the Objection true it is mortality seized upon his body but it is also as true that by mercy in the blood of the Lambe mans body came but thus to be mortall for this mortality doth but at most separate the soule from the body which is but the shadow of that death intended in the Covenant for us in the fall of Adam as is described pag. 21. 22. 23. and as will more appeare by the death of the second Adam in the eighth Chapter following Object 4. Your observation is refuted Rom. 5.12.13 c. Are all Infants that die saved if not what is the cause of their condemnation Answ To the first part Rom. 5.12.13 the Apostle to the praise of Gods universall grace parallelling the first Adam to the second Adam hee there layes downe a double Argument the first that although by Adams sinne sinne entred into the world that is originally as the cause of all mens perishing when they were dependant on him in the Covenant for afterwards hee was as are all men Christ only excepted but a private man cap. 5. So that Adams sinne as now it is is but the occasion of mans sinne by his owne default to his eternall destruction and their owne sinne is the onely cause thereof as committed against Christ and the ground thereof is exprest by the Apostle in the 18. verse following Secondly it is further implyed in these two verses that that mans sinnes now so committed that is against Christ to whom all power is given and to whom all stand related for good and evill that the prevalency of their sinne against him doth increase the prevalency of the shadow of death unto them namely the frequency of the separation of the soule from the body and also of death in the substance namely mans separation from God his chiefest good in this relation and united to the contrary evill and by his owne remissenesse being ignorant of all yet then God in mercy to the promise added the Law to reveale to reckon or impute mans sinne unto him that he might see how hee runne on his owne misery wherefore in the 20. verse rightly saith the Apostle The Law entred that the offence as the spring of misery might abound that where sinne abounded grace might much more abound that as sinne had raigned unto death even so might grace raigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Iesus Christ verse 21. Therefore my observation is confirmed by the Apostle in these verses and not refuted See these verses further explained in cap. 9. to the second part of the objection yes all Infants are saved and therefore I can shew you what once was the cause of their condemnation namely Adams one offence when he was a publike person and the signe of it now onely remaines in their nature to meet and dispose them as fit subjects successively to receive salvation in the universall grace of God by Iesus Christ as saved creatures namely the poyson of the Serpent as reduced but to a seed the foresaid infusion flowing from the estate they are now in namely Gods universall mercy in the promised seede imputed righteousnesse as is further described pag. 36. 37. Object 5. If Adam fell the ninth houre of the sixth day Pag. 25. how did God in the end of that day see all his workes to be very good Answ I demand of you how he did see all his works the sixth day very good in the end of that day seeing it is not mentioned so in the Text and Moses saith expresly that on the seventh day God ended his workes which he had made and therefore it remaines for you to prove that God said so according to your inference at the end of the sixth day and in what sense Moses meanes that God ended his worke on the seventh day see pag. 34. Object 6. The exposition of the particle Put Pag. 28. savours of Semipelagianisme so doth the phrase of internall disposition infused universally Answ If that exposition which tends to demonstrate God onely in Christ Iesus an unversall good to man and that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and so in all things Christ must have the preheminence to communicate even the least good to man as a meanes to his chiefest good and all restored by Christ then surely if this doctrine savour of Semipelagianisme it becomes you and I to be not onely halfe or almost but altogether Pelagians And that this doth so demonstrate God in Christ besides the maine scope of this whole Treatise see in cap. 6. cap. 12. in my answer to the tenth Objection cap. 12. the which doth most clearely prove the point Object 7. The last clause is false Pag. 30. Answ It is not so untill you have proved it so Object 8. The universall election is false Pag. ibid. Pag. 31. Object 9. Men perish for Adams transgression and their owne Answer to both Objections Both these Objections are answered in my answer to the 21. and 22. pages precedently Object 10. That justification without Faith Pag. 33. is against the current of Scripture Ans That this text nominates justification I am sure is true Rom. 5.18 and that the Apostle relates this justification without relation to mans receptive instrument of beliefe is as true for here the Apostle relates this justification to man as meerely passive when God was found of us that sought him not even when wee as Adam received this imputation to life and glory when God came to seeke and to save that which was lost not imputing out sinne to Adam according to the justice of the Covenant Therefore this justification as opposed to the ordinary reception of it by mans instrument of beliefe called justifying * Mans beliefe receiving this justification is therefore called justifying faith Faith was extraordinary and therefore although not according to the current of Scriptures yet according to the Scripture as for example that light which was before the Sunne was made in an ordinary course to communicate light unto the world was true light so this truth is truth though not according to the current of Scriptures in an ordinary course But as for this justification as related to mans receptive
lâ—e I come to doe thy Will O God Luke 22.15 Heb 10. yet I say the neer approach of this houre and power of darknesse was dreadfull to his apprehension as appeares by his feares sorrow prayer and cryes who as saith the Text In the dayes of his flesh when hee had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him from death was pitied in the thing he feared for there appeared unto him an Angell from heaven yet not to take off his misery but to strengthen him to it and there was need so to doe for his bones were sundred in this agony his spirit waxed hot within him as melted wax and from thence it was that his sweat became as great drops of blood falling down to the ground Hebr. 5 7. Psal 22.14 Luke 22.41 But hee having resolved in beliefe of truth by flaming love to goe on through the apprehension of its neere approach to him to approach to it in resignation of his will to his Fathers Will in the worlds redemption Hee demanded twice of his apprehenders whom seeke yee and affirmes himselfe twice to be the man whom they sought and although they fel backwards before him yet he goes forward with them to encounter this dreadfull wrath which extended to a two-fold separation of God from him First God separated himselfe from him in all naturall good either to soule or body and left him to the contrary evill Secondly God separated himselfe from his soule and body in all supernaturall and celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill and first of the first To his body and so to the anguish of his soule for it was torne with whips pierc'd with thornes his hands and feet pierc'd with nayles and riven or rent with the weight of his body hanging on the crosse sixe houres or thereabouts Likewise to coole his thirst they gave him vinegar and gall to drinke the people and Priest blaspheme him as a man forsaken of God the whole powers of nature as it were rising against him extinguishing from him all things but dread and dolour for darknesse from the sixt houre to the ninth covered him the Temple rent the earth quak't the Rocks rent so that in respect of Gods separating all naturall good from him leaving him to the contrary evill he might truly say in the dolor of his soule All yee that passe by beâ—â—ld and see if there be any sâ—rrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce anger Lam. 1.12 Secondly God likewise separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall and Celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill for because this separation of God from him in all naturall good leaving him to the contrary evill was in this place namely the Land of Canaan this implyed that God also separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall good because this Land in generall was to the second Adam as the garden of Eden was to the first Adam that is a figure by the Terrestriall good of the Celestiall good in the Heaven of Heavens Therefore this figured to him that God shut the Kingdome of Heaven against him rendring him no light in that respect but leaving his soule the only object of eternall darknesse Againe this being at Ierusalem the figure of eternall peace this implyed to him that no peace or consolation at that time was his portion from God but the contrary apprehensions of eternall woe sutable to the damned Spirits of men and Divells Againe this being also in the place of residence of his elect Spouse the Kingdome of grace on Earth this imply'd that he was to God a man cut off from the land of the living in all respects consequently no place left to him by divine justice but the place prepared for the Divell and his Angels for saith the text he was reckoned amongst the transgressors Luk 22 37. Therefore his cry upon the crosse was according to truth My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee which words implyed two things First that this twofold Separation of God from him in his apprehension was more dreadfull then he could reach in his humane comprehension and therefore cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Againe his words further imply that his separation was onely on Gods part never on his for he in this darknesse where was no light and this depth where no humane nature could feele any bottome yet hee kept union in faith and flames of love to God and his Neighbour in a right relation to the worlds redemption and therefore hee said My God my God as never letting him goe So raising his Soule from that depth of death under Gods flaming wrath by Faith and love and so rendred his Soule to God from his body and his body to dust a whole burnt offering saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit therefore this was the first and great Resurrection of the Lord Iesus Christ in which hee raised himselfe by his own power from the depth of infernall death yea the most certaine death that is death in the substance as it was said in the day that thou eatest thou shalt certainely die the death Object It may be here objected Christ knowing his Fathers power to be infinite and therefore all things possible to him consequently Christ in his prayer willed this cup to passe him absolutely Answer Answer It doth not follow for although Christ did know as indeed he did that to God all things were possible in respect of his power yet hee knew this cup could not possibly passe him in respect of Gods justice he being the second Adam and therefore he willed it not absolutely Object Againe it will then be replyed that Christs prayer was vaine and consequently a sinne Answer It doth not follow for if he had not prayed that if it were possible to let that cup passe he had then sinned against the Law of nature which bound him to love himselfe consequently unfeynedly to desire to avoyd the destruction of himselfe But because in respect to Gods justice he submitted in Faith and love in a full resignation of himselfe to his Fathers will therefore he was right in both and wrong in neither Object But it will be againe objected that his prayer on the crosse implyed sâ—me ignorance in this great worke because he saith why hast thou forsaken me consequently he sinned Answer It doth not follow for it is one thing to be ignorant of what a man is not able to know by the perfections proper to his kinde and another thing to be ignorant of what he is bound to know but Christs ignorance was of the first sort because that vast distance of the twofold separation was more then his pure naturalls was able to comprehend as before is explained Againe although he was at the neerest brink of a totall and finall desperation yet hee sinned
this fruit to the ruine of him and all the world and his posterity if hee had not beene remisse of all comprised in the conditirn of the Covenant Now as Adams remissenesse brought on this sinne of omission so his sin of omission brought on his sin of commission namely the eating of the forbidden fruit for when the divell in the Serpent told them saying yee shall not die at all and also that their obedience to Gods commandement denying themselves that fruit was the onely thing that kept them from having their eyes opened to be as Gods to know good and evill thereupon the Woman seeing the Tree and that the fruit was good for food saith the Text and that it wâ—s pleasant to the eye and a Tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3.16 Shee tooke the fruit thereof and did eat and gave it to her Husband also and hee did eate to Gods great dishonour esteeming his truth as false and God himselfe to them as a meere imposture and so magnified Satan as faithfull beleeving his lyes for truth because they imbraced them with a plenary consent and thereby they ventured the world their posterity and themselves upon his lies and so became the Generation and Offspring of reprobate Divells for it was with them now as it was with the Divells as the Angels became Divells not by change of their Essence but by change of their operations not abiding in the truth so this made them and us * And as we aâ—e pâ—rtakers of the diaâ—olicall nature by union with his will opeâ—ations as Iâ—hn 8.44 so on the contrary are we partakers of the divine nature not essentially but by the union of our will with his word by which we fly the corruptions that are in the world through lust 2 Pete 1.4 17. Iohn 17.21.22 23. as Divells by full amity to Satans will and enmity to God in beliefe of Satans liâ—s And thus was this sinne finished And so much for the first branch namely The evill of Adams transgression Secondly the evill of punishment followes yet not evill punishment because it was just and therefore good and just because according to the equall Ballance of the conditions of the Covenant that was good or evill as Adam did obey or disobey and therefore because Adam transgressed the Covenant justice now required these particulars First the extinguishing the perfections of the Creation from us because it was dependant on Adams worke in the Covenant and hee by eating the forbidden fruite denyed its perfection therefore it to him in justice must not only be stript of aâ—l perfections but on the contrary by Gods power turned into defections crosse operations and hideous representations to mans toâ—turous torment as the first fruits of his remote damnation because th s was the contrary evill In this third â—â—tate man was more deepely dead in sinnes and trespasses then hee can be in this world in his fourth Estate although hee be twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Secondly under this dreadfull Estate Justice now required that in it be that could of stones tell how to raise Children to Abraham should finde a way to raise a Posterity of Aâ—aâ— which to the last of man kinde must have bâ—n produced in conceptions births breedings dâ—spositions and operations totally evill like the generations of Serpents yea as reprobate Divells for if all must have bin equivalently contrary in evill to the precedent good as we see it must therefore so in this particular Thirdly as the prefiguration of the Plantation was the most immediate meanes to leade man by Faith to his highest end in eternall felicity Justice requireth contrarily that now thâ—s Plantation must be turned into the most certaine demonstration within the confines of the creation of our full terminating in eternall tortures to all eternity As Adam by refusing Gods truth refused the place and fellowship of Glory with the elect Angells by choosing Satans he so on the contrary Justice now required that he and his posterity must descend successively to the place prepared for the Divell and his Angells in fellowship with them as to our last and everlasting Habitations Mat. 25.41 for now all man-kinde and Divells were in Reprobation As the Latitude of Gods glorious Attributes are displayed in â—aking shaping and creating the supercelestiall Heaven of Heavens to be the most immediate expressions which demonstrate the glory of Gods Essentiall perfections to the ultimate felicity that men or Angells can be capable of On the contrary of this place for Torment Justice required that the Latitude of Gods Attributes glorious in power and wisdome must be stretcht out at as equall a distance to make shape or create this place with most dreadfull visions of the Almighty in the most torturing torments that the nature of Divells or mans body made spirituall can be capable of for a Spirituall body is not a body glorified no more then to be a Spirit but it is powerfully capable to inherit the glory of Angells or the misery of Divells to which we all should have descended none excepted for the Covenant was for al and al alike therefore in this vast depth of Gods pure justice we must ever have bin sinking in despaire never to come to the bottome thereof for the wrath of God must have bin feeding it as with Rivers of fire and brimstone to our torâ—urous torments to all eternity therefore endlesse easelesse remedilesse in darknesse never seeing light Esay 30.33 Againe mans conscience beholding the evill of his sinne how easily really certainly hee might once not only have avoâ—ded this torment but on the contrary might have attained to the height of all felicity to all eternity This worme would to Adam and will to all men which will needs be perishing be ever gnawing with griefe and never cease and so all man-kinde should hereditarily throughout all generations discend as travailing together to the foresaid place of their ultimate miserie and infelicity with this Creation as stript of its precedent perfections into crosse defections and operations c. Yet man not then sunke downe to his ultimate misery by Separation of his Body from his Soule as now man doth but in a personall union both of body and Soule together For the justice of the Covenant could not admit so much rest to mans Body as to sleepe in the dust nor any time of respit of execution for a day to come to judge the world buâ— immediate execution was to passe according to judgement In the day â—hou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death But this Judgement pass'd not to execution according to justice because that as by the offence of one judgement passed upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.16 even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the justification of life And so we are come to Adam and our fourth Estate in the restauration of the world by Redemption in the second
by the roots appeares in the 12 Chapt. Is it so that when Christ did thus powre out his Spirit upon all flesh that yet at this time be denyed the spirit of Faith to his Nationall Spouse to the most part for their proud Apostasie to their ensuing rejection Hence observe how rightly the Lord of glory returned the same upon them But I said unto you that yee also have seene mee and beleeve not All that the Father * But at this time the Father giveth me the Gentiles to gather by the word of truth to salvation but of you but few for your call is not given to be at this time but in the future as Rom. 11.25 26 27. giveth mee shall come unto mee but not most of you at this time of grace for that 's implyed Iohn 6.35 36 37 38 39 40. Is it so that when Christ came personally into the world he then found Iewes and Gentiles generally both dead in sinnes and trespasses to him as the object of justification to their life and glory yea even his Nationall Spouse generally Hence observe how rightly spake the Lord Jesus Christ to his proud Apostate Spouse saying none can come to mee unlesse the Father which sent me draw him meaning his extraordinary mercy Ioh. 6.44 Is it so that Christ his righteousnesse as imputed by the Fathers gift and conveyed from Kingdome to Kingdome by the word of truth was and is the only object of life and glory and the removall of mans misery which submitted by beliefe of truth to receive that gift of righteousnesse in that sacred object Then hence observe how rightly spake the Lord Jesus Christ of himselfe saying I am the way and the truth and the life no man can come unto the Father but by mee Joh. 14.6 Againe is it so that this extraordinary calling of the Gentiles to righteousnesse life and glory being dead in sinnes and trespasses by their precedent Apostacie that even the second Adams satisfactory righteousnesse obtained as upon Adams fall so at this time also that this world should be mans day of grace againe as a day of grace to receive in it the gift of eternall glory the world of Gentiles being under wrath Then hence observe that from this ground Saint Paul in the 5 of the Rom. rightly brings in Christs imputative righteousnesse as opposed not only to our unrighteousnesse and misery in Adams transgression but also interminglingly opposing it against all mens own personall sinnes against the grace of God in Christ that whereas sinne in both respects had abounded so Gods grace by his gift of Christs righteousnesse did superabound as appeareth from the 8. verse to the end of that Chapter Againe is it so that at the height of Israels Apostacie and at the brink of their rejection from Christ that then God thus extraordinarily brought in the Gentiles to be his Spouse which were not his people Hence observe how rightly Christ in his life time Ioh. 10.16 opposed the certainty of the Gentiles for life and glory to his Apostate Spouse the Iewes then to bee extinguished ver 26. and in the three next verses grounding the stable felicity of the Church of the Gentiles only on his free gift and his Fathers power opposing it to all contrary powers whatsoever for although the Church of the Iewes became totally separated from Christ as now they stand yet so shall never the Church of the Gentiles nor yet the Iewes when they are againe ingrafted into Christs visible Church as was before Prophecied by * For by this word those days is not only meant the first extraordinary light of grace and truth divulged in the Gospell by the Apostles Ministery but this Prophecy also extends to those dayes of that extraordinary call of the Iewes mentioned Rom. 11.25 26 27. when also shall come in the fulnesse of the Gentiles Ieremiah and the Author to the Hebrewes Ierem. 31.33 32 40. Heb. 8.8.10 CHAP. X. Opening what in the calling of the Gentiles was ordinary to continue untill time shall be no more and that Gods proceedings therein is without respect of persons to all alâ—ke THe second Adam and Saviour of the world was not only a Priest in the dayes of his flesh after the order of Aron Heb. 10. by offering his body of flesh and blood so putting an end to that fleshly or bloody Sacrificing Priest-hood in which respect the Apostles in manifold regards referres things to the * The Apostle attributes so much to Christs blood death to leade us by sense to the more firm faith in his blood death as it was the expiration of his worke as the faithful and true witnesse for Gods truth against Satans lies to regaine Gods glory by the salvation of the world blood of Christ and often reiterates the same but also in his Militant Church he was and is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck till time shall be no more that is as Melchizedeck Shem I meane descending from the old world did not only in the Apostacie of the new world at Abel abide in the Faith of the first ten Fathers but also in the time of the Apostasie of his own Family remained durably constant in the oracle of life not only King of Salem that is of peace but Priest also of the most high God after the power of an endlesse life for he continued receiving as appeares in Abrahams Tythes the homage of the Sacrifice of praise for God and to God likewise in Gods stead returning comforts and blessings from God upon man Gen. 14.18 Heb 7.7 Likewise so did Christ abide constant by tradition discending in his spirit on men from the beginning of the old world figuratively by the promised seed of the woman through all occurrents or times of the worlds Apostasie remayned figuratively in the ten Fathers not only King of peace as Milchizedeck but also the Priest of the most high God receiving the Sacrifice of praise to God and for God by man believing truth and returning from God blessings upon them not only by his acceptable satisfactory righteousnesse imputed the ground of all acceptation but also in the oracle of life divulging it by his Ambassadors to the world and the imbreathings of his Spirit into the Spirit of man as sometime reproving the world of sinne as to Cain and the old world in the ten Fathers and in the Ministry of Noah sometimes receiving in good part the Sacrifices of the praise of his grace as in Abell his offering by beliefe of truth sometimes pouring out his blessings of consolation as in Noah his Sacrifice he smelt a savor of rest and comfortably renewed his gracious Covenant c. Sometimes in gracious incouragements to submit to this mercy as he did to Cain and sometimes enlivening the Spirit of man dead in sinnes and trespasses as to these Gentiles we see so raising these dead bones to live in his sight Therefore to continue this