by Gods owne hand Not a man killed more in the two Kingdomes nor a house burnt nor a scratch in the body nor one wound in the poore souldier of Christ but all are numbred all goe by ounces graines and scruples in heaven there is a paire of just and discreet ballances before the throne Crucifie Christ and pierce his side but not one of his bones can be broken there be broken bones of two one at either side of him within the breadth of five fingers to him Cast Joseph in the dungeon but hee must not die there Cast Moses in the river when hee is an infant to die there but Pharaoh's daughter must bring him up as a Prince Let Job's body be afflicted but save his life Imprison and scourge the Apostles but there is more to doe by them ere they be killed Make the Kingdome of Judah weeping captives in Babylon but the dry bones must live againe Let David be sore afflicted but hee cannot be delivered unto death Psal. 118. Let Daniel be a captive and meat for the lyons but hee must be saved and honoured Appoint a day for the destruction of the Jewes under Ahashuerus let death be shaped and warped but they shall not dye Love even the love of Christ whose seven spirits full of wisdome are before the throne is a straight line a just measure and weigheth all to the tempted soules that nothing shall goe above their strength no burden more then their back no poyson no death in their cup no gall more then the stomack can endure You may O redeemed ones referre your hell to Christs love and make over all your sorrowes to his will see if hee will destroy you Let Christ be Moderator to brew your cup and Free-Grace be Judge of your portion of Christs crosse and the crosse may bruise your shoulder it shall not grind you to powder Had I ten eternities of weale or woe I durst referre them to the bowels of Christs boundlesse mercy and free love shall I be the first that Christs warme love over-killed and over-destroyed Christs love is infallible and above error Fatherly providence determines all so equally measureth all so straightly tempereth all so sweetly that black death is suggered with white heaven the sad grave a palace royall for a living and victorious King Apples of life grow on the saddest crosse that the Saints beare The love of Christ hath soft and silken fingers love measureth out strokes Revel 3.19 And can love kill and destroy a sonne of Gods love The sufferings of Christ and the Saints be measured by hours God is the Creator of Time and tempereth the horologe My times are in thy hands Psal. 31. How long Ephraim a raw cake shall be in the oven is decreed from eternity 2. Put away your scum your froth and the ill bloud and you have a dyet-drink from Christ the shorter while 3. You think long to have Britaines houre or the ten dayes of Pestilence and Sword on Scotland or the vastations of Ireland the warres divisions and new blasphemies of England gone and over but though wee lose much time and have bidden farewell to yesterday and shall never see it againe yet the Lord of time loseth not one moment if through acquaintance and familiarity you may become good friends with the crosse and beare it patiently doe for Christ what you will doe for time the former is an act of grace the Lord will thank you for it the latter is the work of a carnall man and will yeeld you no thanks 4. Life is a burden to you when it hath such a soure and sad convoy as heavie afflictions and the soule looks out at the windowes of the clay-â—rison O when will the Jaylor come with the keyes and enlarge a prisoner But why would you fall out with a friend for a foes cause Christ hath sewed them together for a time the vision will not tarie Christ is on his journey wait on let patience have its perfect worke it s a floore that lyeth long under ground it is a long quarter betweene sowing and earing yet Faith hath ay a good crop This houre Among all the houres that Christ had this was the saddest 1. Christ saw that his life in this houre would be taken from him it was convenient that Christ who was a man like us in all things except sinne should not be a stock in dying but have actuall paine and sense in the losing of his life for Christ had as much nature though no corruption as any man and life is a sweet inheritance its natures excellent free-hold and no man is willingly and without one sigh or teare cast out of this free-hold and Christs nature was not brasse or yron Sorrow and sadnesse found a kindly lodging in him 2. Hee had a clay tent of flesh and bloud as the children have that Hebr. 2.15 he might deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage He must in our nature put on actuall feare to deliver the Saints from habituall feare Nature cannot without horrour and a wrinkle on the brow looke straight out on the breadth of deaths black face The Martyrâ— kissed death because the joy of heaven took lodgeing in their soule by anticipation before the terme day to confirme the truth of God but death has a soure bite and sharpe teeth with all its kind kisses Yea but Christ must read in the face of Death more millions of curses a curse for every elect single man Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 then would have affrighted millions of Angels O! but there was black and dolefull paintrie hell and thousand thousands of deaths in one all writen on the visage of death which was presented to Christ now and when there was a sad darke and thicke courten drawne over Christs heaven it must bee a soure kisse to lay his holy mouth to such a black face as death now had Christ was in sad earnest when he said Matth. â—6 38 My soule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extreamly out of measure heavie even to the death 3. Christ having well tempered affections his soule never being out of joynt with sinne was not in dying foole-hardy or bolde-life-wasting or casting away the soule for a straw is forbidden in the sixth Commandement Hee saw sad and bloudy bils given in against him O how many thousands of sinnes were all made his sinnes by imputation And Justice was to sell all the elect over to Christ and to deliver them all by tale to free grace at no cheaper rate then the rendring of the soule of Christ to harder then ten thousand millions of ordinary deaths Christ behoved to earne heaven at the hardest cost for all his owne with no lesse then the noble and eminent life and bloud of God such a summe was never told downe in heaven before or after 4. There is much weight on this houre in regard of Christs opposites three
of his own free will not from any mystinesse or intrinsecall darknesse of the object hath cast a covering over the thoughts of mans heart that they are not seen clearly to any other Men or Angels Nor could humane Societies now in the state of sin subsist if but the father could read the heart of the sonne Nor have Angels good or bad any immediate Princedome over free will nor would I say Satan is the Author yea or the immediate Tempter to all sinnes many sinfull thoughts and wicked acts are transacted in this darke chamber of presence the heart of man to which Satan can have no personall accesse neither with his eyes to see nor his hands of power to stirre or move in them The heart is the privie garden weeds grow there without Satans immediate industry he may knock or cast fire-balls over the wall or in at the windowes or send letters and messages in but hee cannot immediatly talke with the heart or act immediatly on the will wee are to keep this virgin-love of the heart to Christ hee can ravish it and none but hee It s the will that maketh the bargaine in sinning With all keeping keep the heart Wee make away the created dominion over free-will that God gave us in our creation 3. Satan hath a Princedome in 1. knowledge naturall 2. in acquired knowledge In naturall because hee is a piece of light a lamp once shining in heaven but now for his sinne smoking and glympsing in hell The naturall intellectualls of the Devill are depraved not removed It s a question if hee can remaine a Spirit if that candle were extinct by which hee beleeveth there is a God but trembleth Jam. 2. The acquired knowledge of the Devill is great hee being an advancing Student and still learning now above five thousand yeares and hee that teacheth others becometh more learned himselfe He is the great Mint-master and Coyner of knowledge in Magicians Wise-men Soothsayers Sorcerers is a carefull Reader in turning over the pages of the book of Nature and the whole works of Creation But still Satan studieth man better then man doth himselfe hee knoweth nature in generall may sin and that corrupt nature must sin hee observeth second inclinations of humour complexion temper of body disposition ere hee tempt as no Sea-man sailes till hee know how the wind bloweth and hee learned that by the Prophets and experience which hee saith Luk. 4.34 I know thee who thou art the holy one of God 4. Hee hath a particular Princedome of Power legally over mankind till Christ set them at liberty as the Executioner hath over the condemned man from the Judge Heb. 2.14 Christ tooke part with the children of flesh and bloud that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Vers. 15. And deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Satan from mens sins hath a sort of conquered Princedome till the Sonne of God make us free Joh. 8.36 And this Princedome hee keepeth over all the sons of disobedience as their father Joh. 8.44 as the king of the bottomlesse pit And we have no ground to say that Satan at the day of judgement leaveth off to be king because the damned and the Devill and his Angels are said to be tormented together in everlasting fire Mat. 25. for communion in paine maketh not Satan to have no Angels under him or damned men whom hee torments Quest. But how keepeth Satan still power over Job Peter to winnow them and afflict them in this life if Christ have cast him out of his Princedome Answ. 1. It s meere service for the trying of the Saints and mortifying of their lusts not dominion not any legall power such as he hath over the Sonnes of disobedience whom he keepeth captives at his will 2. In relation to Satan it is a meere grant of permission as a Noble-man forfeited for treason and kept some yeares in prison before he dye hath the life-rent of his own Lands for his necessity not by heritage as before but by a grant or gift of grace from the bounty of the Prince and State so hath Sathan not by grace to himselfe but by a grant of meere permission as it were his life-rent to tempt winnow and try the Saints so long as Satan is in the way to his full doome in Hell Now if Christ had not spoiled Satan and dissolved his workes the use of this power had beene as it were heritage to Satan in regard the Law giveth him a sort of right over sinners not made free in Christ. Yet I doe not say it s his proper right because Satan sinneth in tempting any to sinne yet the temptation as it falleth passively on the Sonnes of disobedience is a worke of Divine justice and as it falleth on the Saints an act of spotlesse and holy dispensation for most just reasons known to God 2. Satan is a prince in regard of magnificence called a Prince a Prince of the aire a God for he hath a royall army under him the Devill and his Angels are a great hoast Revel 12.9 The Devill and Satan and his Angels were cast out Vers. 7. The Dragon and his Angels fought with Michael and he hath Legions garisoned in one poore man hee hath kept the fields above these five thousand yeares with a huge and mighty army both by Sea and Land Ephes. 6.12 For wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities and powers against the rulers in the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse in high places Heere bee great persons in eminent places and they can leade armies against us and have in every single souldier a strong garrison of concupiscence and fleshly lusts that warre against the soule 1 Pet. 2.11 And the flesh is a strong Fort-royall a towre of imaginations which exalt themselves against a strong King the Lord Jesus and cannot bee his captives but by the mighty power of God 2 Cor. 10 5. The Devill is not a despicâ—ble and poore enemy to be despised it is not good warre-wisdome to despise a meane enemy farre more should we not sleepe but watch and be sober When the Peerâ—s of hell and Princes and Rulers in high places who have the vantage of the Mount above us are against us 3. Satans Princedome is especially seene in tempting to sinne which that it may be better cleared I shall shortly shew what a temptation in generall is 2. Open Satans power in tempting To tempt is to take a triall of any to try what is in them therefore the neerest end of tempting is knowledge Now the waies or manner of bringing out this knowledge rendreth the temptation good or ill for God tempteth and Satan tempteth So Temptation is a working upon the senses reason inclinâ—tion affections by which any is or may be moved under the colour of good toward that
impeachment of revenging justice to save men upon a new transaction either of grace or works and to destroy his enemies that would not accept of that new transaction yet so as when Christ hath dyed and taken away the sinnes of all and is made Lord and King of dead and quick all mankinde may freely reject all covenants Christ maketh or can make and be eternally lost and perish For 1. Christs Princedome and Dominion that hee hath acquired by death is not a free-will-power or possibility by which he may upon such and such conditions kill or save though all may eternally perish But Christ is made Lord of quick and dead by dying Rom. 14.9 that he might be judge of all but so that we should live and dye to our selves but that whether we live or dye we should be Christs though we change conditions yet not Masters in both we should be the Lords v. 7.8 as Christ lived againe after death that hee might bee the husband of his owne wife the Church that hee dyed of love for 2. Upon what termes Christ was by death made a Lord and acquired a Princedome upon these termes he was made a Prince over his Church for Lord and Prince and King are all one But the Lord maketh David that is Jesus the Sonne of David Prince over his people not with power to save or destroy his redeemed slocke and so as all the slock may eternally perish Ezech. 34.22 Therefore will I save my slocke and they shall no more be a prey Vers. 23. And I will set one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them and my servant David hee shall feed them and he shall be their Shepherd Vers. 24. And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it Vers. 25. And I will make with them a covenant of peace Now was Christ by the bloud of the eternall covenant brought back from the death and made a Shepherd of soules to the end he might have power to destroy all the slock Ezechiel saith to feed them the Apostle to make the Saints perfect in every good worke working in them actually and efficaciously that which is wel-pleasing in his sight Heb. 13.20 21. It s true Christ obtaineth by his death a mediatory power to crush as a Potters clay vessell with a rod of yron all his rebellious enemies But 1. this is not a power to crush any enemies but such as have heard of the Gospel and will not have Christ to raigne over them in his Gospel-government but not to crush all his enemies that never heard of the Gospel and so are not Evangelically guilty in sinning against the Lord Jesus as Mediator for they cannot be guilty of any such sinne Rom. 10.14 Joh. 15.22 Hee had and hath power as God equall with the Father to judge and punish all such as have sinned without the Law 2. It s not merit or acquired by way of merit of Christs death that a Crown is given to Jesus Christ for this end to destroy such enemies as are not capable of sinning against his Mediatorie Crowne especially when as God he had power to destroy them as his enemies though hee had never been Mediator Yea Act. 5.31 It s said him whom yee slew and hanged on a tree hath God exalted with his right hand to bee a Prince and Saviour not to destroy all his subjects upon foreseene condition of rebellion to which they were through corruption of nature inclinable but that he might by his Spirit subdue corruption of nature and give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes 3. By what title Christ is made a King and Lord by the same he is made head of the body the Church For Ephes. 1.20.21 22 23. By raising him from the dead God conferred a headship upon him Now he was not made head of the body that he might destroy all the members or most of them as Arminians must say but his headship is for this end that the whole body by his spirit fitly joyned together might grow up in love Ephes. 4.16 and that the members might receive life and Spirit from him 4. By the same title he is made Lord by which hee is made King Governour and Leader of the people for power of Dominion and Lordship is nothing but Royall power now he was made King not on such termes as hee might destroy all his subjects for all mankind are his subjects to Arminians But he is made King Psal. 72.11 That all Nations may serve him that hee should deliver the poore needy and helplesse and redeeme their soules from violence and esteeme their death precious and he raigneth and prospereth as a King that in his dayes Judah may be saved and Israel dwell safely Jer. 23.7.8 and God raiseth the horne of David Luk. 1. And so setteth Christ on the throne to performe his mercy promised to our Fathers and remember his holy covenant Ver. 69.7 That wee might serve him in holynesse and righteousnesse Now by the Arminian way he is set upon the throne of David to execute vengeance on all his Subjects and that he may utterly destroy all if all rebell and not to save one of Judah and Israel for he may be a King without any subject suppose all his Subjects were cast in hell yea hee groweth out of the root of Jesse a Royall branch of King Davids house not that these Warres may bee perpetuated betweene God and all the children of men but that the Wolfe should dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard lye down with the Kid and the Calfe and the young Lyon together and a little Childe should lead them and the earth should be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Isai 11.1 2. 6.7 8 9. And Christ is given for a guide and leader of the people Sure for the good of the slock and that he may carry the lambes in his bosome Esai 40.11 That they should not hunger nor thirst that neither the heat nor the Sunne should smite them because he that hath mercy on them doth lead them and by the springs of water doth he guide them Esai 49.10 Salvation is ingraven on the Crowne of Christ by office Christ must be a destroyer and a Lord crusher of his people as a Jesus and a Saviour by this conceit 5. And what more contrary to the intrinsecall end of Christs death then that he should obtaine no other end by dying but a placability a possible salvation a softning onely of Gods minde whereby justice should onely stand by and a doore bee opened by which God might be willing if hee pleased to conferre salvation by this or that Law a covenant of grace or of works or a mixt way or by exacting faith in an Angell or an holy man and this possible salvation this virtuall or halfe reconciliation doth consist with the eternall damnation of all the world whereas the genuine
faith or fruit of his death but eternally perish whereas cleare it is that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that he dyed for are the many sonnes he actually brings to glory vers 10. these who are one with him as the Sanctifyer Christ and the Sanctified vers 11. His brethren whom he is not ashamed to owne vers 11. the Church vers 12. the children that God hath given him vers 13. the children partakers of flesh and bloud vers 14. these for whom he through death which he tasted for all and for whom he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devill if the devill reigne in the sonnes of disobedience Ephes. 2.2 If they be borne of the devill Joh. 8.44 Taken captives at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Let Arminians see how Christ by tasting death for them as they phancie Hebr. 2.9 hath for them by death Destroyed the Devill vers 14. Loosed his works 1 Ioh. 3.8 Triumphed over devils Col. 2.15 Iudged and cast out the devil Ioh. 12.31 Ioh. 14.30 Yea these all these are delivered from bondage of death Heb. 2.15 The seed of Abraham vers 16. His brethren that he is made like to in all things except sinne Hebr. 2.17 His people vers 17. The tempted that Christ succoureth vers 18. I defie any Divine to make sense of that Chapter as Arminians expound tasting of death for all men And the second Adam must come short of the first Adam Rom. 5. by the Arminian exposition and the comparison must bee as the leggs of a cripple both here and 1 Cor. 15. for by the first Adam many bee dead What bee these many All and every one of mankinde that are the naturall heires coming forth of the loynes of the first Adam Then who be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many to whom the grace of God hath abounded vers 15. sure the second Adam is no drie tree no Eunuch the Scripture saith He hath a seed Isai. 53.10 many sonnes Heb. 2.10 children that God hath given him that are for signes and wonders Isai. 8.18 Heb. 2.13 a seed in covenant with God Davids spirituall seed who shall never fall away Psal. 89.28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37. Then as all the first Adams sonnes and heires were through his offence dead so all Christs spirituall seed and heires have grace communicated to them ver 15. this is farre from grace abounding to all and every one of the heires of the first Adam then as the first Adam killed none but heires naturally descended of him so the second Adam derives grace and the gift of life to none but to his spirituall heirs make an union by birth between the first Adam and all his and between the second Adam and all his and stretch the comparison no farther then Paul and let Arminians injoy their gaine by this Argument 2. Vers. 16. Sinne and judgement to condemnation not intended onely but reall and efficacious came on all by the first Adam for all that live incurre sinne and actuall condemnation by the first Adam but the free gift is of many unto justification then justification not intended onely which may never fall out but reall not virtuall or potentiall or conditionall if their forefathers have not rejected the covenant but efficacious and actuall came upon all the heires and seed of the second Adam 3. Paul compareth ver 15. the offence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one the first sinne of Adam that came on all with the justification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from many offences The justification spoken of here which wee have in the second Adam is not a pardon of sinne originall and of a breach of the first covenant so as we begin to sinne and God reckons with us on a new score but the justification here is from many offences and the blood of Jesus purges us from all sinnes 1 Joh. 1.8 This justification runnes not up from the wombe as the offence of Adam doth For 1. Where are there two justifications in Christs blood 2. Where is there in Scripture a righteousnesse of all and every one a justification in Christs blood by nature or from the belly and that of Turks Indians Americans and their seed and of all infants in all the Scripture 4. Vers. 17. By one mans offence there was a cruell King Death the King of terrors who hath a black scepter set over all and every man without exception Here we grant an universall King the first and second death As when a Conqueror subdues a Land he setteth over them a little King a Lieutenant in his place now the other part of the similitude and the antitype is so much more they that receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall raigne shall bee Kings in life eternall through one Jesus Christ. ver 17. See the heirs and sonnes of the second Adam are not all and every one of the mortall stocke of Adam redeemed reconciled saved but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these that receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousnesse onely I appeale to the conscience of Arminians if Turks Jews Tartarians Americans Indians all Heathen and all infants come in as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as these that for the present are under the fat drops of the second Adam and receive abundance of grace and righteousnesse For their universall righteousnesse is poore and thin and may bee augmented 2. If they receive it conditionally so they beleeve then it s not universall 3. Then they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all are not beleevers by nature all are not by this within the new covenant actually They have but a farre off venture and a cast off abundance of grace Farther Paul by this makes glory as well as grace universall and all and every one must bee borne heires of Heaven for Paul saith of the heires of the second Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here bee Kings for a King there was one Catholique Tyrant Death set over all men But there bee here heires of the second Adam made Kings of life and glory through Jesus Christ. ver 18. If it bee said its life conditionally if they beleeve consider then if the second Adam bee not weaker then the first the first indeclinably really without a misse transmitted death to all his the second Adam cannot transmit life to the thousand part of his but as he misseth in the farre greatest part of his heires if all mortall men be his heires he may misse in all if free will so thinke good Arminius saith constare potuit integer fructus mortis c. The fruit of the second Adams death might stand intire through all and every one of mankinde were damned If this bee a potentiall justification its good it s not Pauls justification Rom. 8. Whom he justified them hee also glorified nor speaketh the Scripture of any such justification but of such as makes the party justified blessed
want nothing Mercy be satisfied Peace should kisse righteousnesse and warre goe on in justice against a sinlesse Redeemer Angels bowing and stooping downe to behold the bottome of this depth 1 Pet. 1.12 cannot read the perfect sense of the infinite turnings and foldings of this mysterious love O Love of heaven and fairest of Beloveds the flower of Angels why camest thou so low down as to be-spot and under-rate the spotlesse love of all loves with coming â—igh to black sinners Who could have beleeved that lumps of hell and sinne could be capable of the warmings and sparkles of so high and princely a Love or that there could be place in the brest of the High and lofty One for forlorne and guilty clay But wee may know in whose brest this bred sure none but onely the eternall Love and Delight of the Father could have outed so much love had another done it the wonder had been more But of this more else-where Wee may hence chide our soft nature the Lord Jesus his soule was troubled in our businesse wee start at a troubled body at a scratch in a penny-broad of our hyde First There is in nature a silent impatience if wee be not carried in a chariot of love in Christs bosome to heaven and if wee walk not upon scarlet and purple under our feet wee flinch and murmure Secondly Wee would either have a silken a soft a perfumed crosse sugered and honyed with the consolations of Christ or wee faint and providence must either brew a cup of gall and worm-wood mastered in the mixing with joy and songs else wee cannot be Disciples But Christs Crosse did not smile on him his Crosse was a crosse and his ship sailed in bloud and his blessed soule was sea-sick and heavie even to death Thirdly Wee love to saile in fresh waters within a step to the shoare wee consider not that our Lord though hee afflict not and crush not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his heart Lam. 3.33 yet hee afflicteth not in sport punishing of sinne is in God a serious grave and reall work no reason the crosse should be a play neither Stoicks nor Christians can laugh it over the Crosse cast a sad glowme upon Christ. Fourthly we forget that bloody and sad mercies are good for us the peace that the Lord bringeth out of the wombe of warre is better then the rotten peace that wee had in the superstitious daies of Prelats What a sweet life what a heaven what a salvation is it we have in Christ and we know the death the grave the soule-trouble of the Lord Jesus travelled in paine to bring forth these to us Heaven is the more heaven that to Christ it was a purchase of blood The Crosse to all the Saints must have a bloody bit and Lyons teeth it was like it selfe to Christ gallie and soure it must be so to us Wee cannot have a Paper-crosse except we would take on us to make a golden providence and put the creation in a new frame and take the world and make it a great leaden vessell melt it in the fire and cast a new mould of it Fiftly the more of God in the Crosse the sweeter as that free grace doth budde out of the black rod of God to the soule that seeth not and yet beleeveth and loveth the Crosse of Christ drops honey and sweetest consolations Wee sigh under stroakes and we beleeve The first Adam killed us and buried us in two deaths and sealed our grave in one peece of an houre he concluded all under wrath Now how much of Christ is in this Omnipotencie infinite wisedome when Angels gave us over and stood aloofe at our miserie as changed lovers free Grace boundlesse love deepest and richest mercy in Jesus Christ opened our graves and raised the dead Christ died and rose againe and brought againe from the dead all his buried brethren Sixtly we can wrestle with the Almighty as if we could discipline and governe our selves better then God can do Murmuring fleeth up against a dispensation of an infinite wisdome because its Gods dispensation not our owne as if God had done the fault but the murmuring man onely can make amends and right the slips of infinite Wisdome Why is it thus with mee Lord saith the Wrestler Why doest thou mis-judge Christ he who findeth fault with what the Creator doth let him be man or Angel undoe it and doe better himselfe and carry it with him Seventhly we judge God with sense with the humor of reason not with reason the oare that God rolleth his vessell withall is broken say we because the end of the oare is in the water Providence halteth say we but what if sense and humour say a straight line is a circle The world judged God in person a Samaritane one that had a devill if we mis-judge his person we may mis-judge his providence and wayes Suspend your sense of Gods wayes while you see his ends that are under ground and instead of judging wonder and adore or then beleeve implicitly that the way of God is equall or doe both and submit and be silent Heart-dialogues and heart-speeches against God that arises as smoake in the Chimney are challengings and summons against our highest Landlord for his owne house and land Secondly If Christ gave a soule for us hee had no choiser thing the Father had no nobler and dearer gift then his only begotten sonne the sonne had no thing dearer then himselfe the man Christ had nothing of value comparable to his soule and that must runne a hazzard for man The Father the Sonne the Man Christ gave the excellentest that was theirs for us In this giving and taking world we are hence obliged to give the best and choisest thing we have for Christ. Should wee make a table of Christs acts of love and free grace to us and of ouâ— sinnes and acts of unthankefulnesse to him this would be more evident as there was 1. before time in the breast of Christ an eternall coale of burning love to the sinner this fire of heaven is everlasting and the flames as hot to day as ever our coale of love to him in time hath scarce any fire or warmenesse all fire is hot Oh we cannot warme Christ with our love but his love to us is hotter then death or as the flames of God Wee were enemies in our minds to him by wicked workes Col. 1.21 Heires of wrath by nature Christ began with love to us we begin with hatred to him 2. The Father gave his onely begotten Sonne for us how many Fathers and Elies will not let fall one tough word to all the sonnes and daughters they have for the Lord God spared not his Sonne but gave him to the death for us all Earthly Fathers spare clap their Sonnes Servants Friends Magistrates flattering Pastors their people in their blasphemies for him 3. Christ gave his soule to trouble and to the horrour of the
why there is not among troubles any so grievous as the want of the presence of God to a soule fattened and feasted with the continuall marrow and fatnesse of the Lords house No such complaints read you so bitter so patheticke and comming from deeper sense then the want of the sense of Christs love It 's broken bones and a dryed up body to David it 's bitter weeping and crying like the chattering of a Crane to Ezechiah it 's more then strangling and brings Job to pray he had been buried in the wombe of his mother or that he had never been borne or his mother had beene alwaies great with him it is swoning and the soules departure out of the body sicknesse and death to the Spouse Cant. 5. vers 6.8 it 's Hell and distraction to Heman Psal. 88.15 It is to Jeremiah the cursing of the Messenger that brought tidings to his Father that a man-child was borne and a wishing that hee never had being nor life it 's death to part the lover from the beloved and the stronger love bee the death is the more death But in all that we yet have said Christs greatest Soule trouble as a Sonne for that he was essentially was in that his holy soule was sadded and made hâ—avie even to death for sinne as sinne and as contrary to his Fathers love The Elect sinned against the Lord not looking to him as either Lord or Father but Christ payed full deare for sinne eying God as Lord as Father Wee looke neither to Lord to Law nor to Love when we sinne Christ looked to all three when hee satisfied for sinne Christ did more then pay our debts it was a summe above price that he gave for us it is a great question yea out of all question if all mankind redeemed came neere to the worth to the goodly price given for us So according to the sense of any happinesse so must the Soule-trouble for the losse of that happinesse be in due proportion First as we love so is sorrow for the losse of what we love Jaakob would not have mourned so for the losse of a servant as of his Sonne Joseph Now no man enioying God could have a more quicke and vigorous sense of the enjoyed God-head then Christ so his apprehension and vision of God must have been strong 2. Because the union with the Godhead and communion of fulnesse of Grace from the wombe must adde to his naturall faculties a great edge of sense his soule and the faculties thereof were never blunted with sinne and the larger the vessell be the fulnesse must be the greater What or who of the highest Seraphims or Dominions or Principalities among Angels had so large and capacious a a spirit to containe the fulnesse of God as Christ had When Salomons heart was larger theâ— the sand in the Sea-shore and he was but a shaddow of such a soule as was to divell personally with the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily O how capacious and wide must the heart of the true Salomon be it being to containe many Seas and Rivers of Wisdome Love Joy Goodnesse Mercy above millions of Sandes in millions of Sea-shoares What bowels of compassion and love of mâ—â—â—â—nesse gentlenes of free grace must be in him Since all thousands of Elected soules sate in these bowels and were in his heart to die and live with him and withall since in his heart was the love of God in the highest Love must make a strong impression in the heart of Christ and the stronger purer and more vigorous that Christs intellectuals are the deeper his holy thoughts and pure apprehensions were and more steeled with fulnesse of Grace his fruition sense joy and love of God must be the more elevated above what Angels and Mâ—n are capable off Hence it must follow that Christ was plunged in an uncouth and new world of extreame sorrow even to the death when this strong love was Ecclipsed Imagine that for one Spring and Summer season that all the light heat motion vigour influence of life should retire into the body of the Sunne and remaine there what darkeness deadness whithering should be upon flowres herbs trees mountaines valleys beasts birds and all things living and moving on the earth Then what wonder that Christs Soule was extreamly troubled his blessed Sunne was now downe his Spring and Summer gone his Father a forsaking God was a new World to him and I shall not beleeve that his complaint came from any error of judgement or mistakes or ungrounded jealousies of the love of God As his Father could not at any time hate him so neither could he at this time actu secundo let out the sweet fruits of his love the cause of the former is the nature of God â—s the ground of the latter is a dispensation above the capacitie of the reason of Men or Angels We may then conclude that Jesus Christs Soule-trouble as it was rationall and extreamely penall so also it was sinneless and innocent seldome have we Soule-trouble sinneless but it iâ— by accident of the way For our passions can hardly rise in thâ—ir extremity except when God is their onely object but they goe over score yet Soule-trouble intrinsecally is not a sinne Then to be troubled for sin though the person be fully perswaded of pardon is neither sin noâ— inconsistent with the state of a justified person nor is it any act of unbeleefe as Antinomians falsely suppose For 1. To be in soule-trouble for sin which cannot to the perfect knowledge of the person troubled eternally condemne was in Jesus Christ in whom there was no spot of sin And Antinomians say Sin remaining sin essentially must have a condemnatory power so as its unpossible to separate the condemnatory power of the Law from the mandatory and commanding power of the Law 2. Because as to abstaine from sin as it offendeth against the love of God shâ—wing mercy rather then the Law of God inflicting wrath is spirituall obedience so also to be troubled in soule for sin committed by a justified person against so many sweet bonds of free love and grace is a sanctified and gracious sorrow and trouble of soule 3. To be troubled for sin as offensive to our heavenly Father and against the sweetnesse of free Grace and tender love includeth no act of unbeleef nor that the justified and pardoned sinner thus troubled is not pardoned or that hee feareth eternall wrath as Antinomians imagine no more then a sons griefe of mind for offending a tender-hearted father can inferre that this griefe doth conclude this son under a condition of doubting of his state of son-ship or filiation or a fearing hee be dis-inherited Wee may feare the Lord and his goodnesse Hos. 3.5 as well as wee feare his eternall displeasure 4. Sanctified soule-trouble is a sonlie commotion and agonie of spirit for trampling under feet tender love spurning and kicking against the lovely warmnesse of the flowings of the
and brings in all hee keeps in Angels that they never came out hee brings in his many children to glory But some goe to heaven and till the twelfth houre know nothing of sinne death God Christ heaven and hell Grace tooke a short cut and a compendious way with the repenting Thiefe Christ cannot onely runne but fly post with some in few houres to heaven Grace hath Eagles wings to some and some wrestle with hell fight with beasts make warre with lusts and are dipt in and out as the oars in the river in flouds of wrath from their youth and a long time Caleb and Joshua for two generations were in the Journey to Canaan many thousands not borne when they entered the Journey yea new generations arose and entered into that good land with them and were there as soone as they Asser. 7. In consideration of dissertions as actively they come from God and passively they are received in us and consecutively or by abused resultance are our sinnes they have sundry and divers causes 1. Sorrow for the with-drawing sense and influence of Christ's love as formally a dissertion passive in us is not sinfull except sorrow which is a luxuriant and too indulgent passion exceed measure For 1. It s a mark of a soule that livâ—th and breatheth much on Christ's love now if love be the life of some it must be continued in sense or some fruition of love lesse or more Now as the irradiation of the sunne's beames and light in the aire yesterday or the last yeare cannot enlighten the aire and earth this day and the mâ—at I did eat a yeare agoe the sleep I slept the last moneth cannot feed and refresh me now but there must be a new application of new food and new sleep So the irradiation of the manifested love of Christ in the yeares of old must goe along with us though as experiences of old favours they may set faith on foot again when it s fallen yet the soule that liveth by fruition of divine love must have a continuated influence of that love and to live on divine love of it selfe can be no sin O it s a life liable to many clouds over-castings of sadnesse and jealousies that lives on the manifestations of Christ's love It s sweet and comfortable but has mixtures of hardest trialls for such set on no duties comfortably without hire in hand as it were when Christ's love-letter from heaven miscarries and is intercepted the soule swoons it s surer to live by faith 2. To murmure and impatiently to so sorrow as if God had forgotten to be mercifull is sinfull sorrow 1. Because the object of it is materially blasphemous The strength of Israel cannot lie nor repent nor can any change or shadow of change fall on him 2. It s most unjust to complaine and quarrell with him who hath jus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right law full and unconstrained liberty to doe with his owne what hee pleaseth but the heavenly irradiations and out-shinings of Christ's love and the influence of his free grace are all his owne and most free for if the Sea-man have no just cause to quarrell with God because the wind bloweth out of the East when he desireth it may blow out of the West and the Husband-man cannot in reason plead male-government in the Almighty because hee restraines the clouds and bindeth up the wombe of heaven in extreme drought when hee cryeth for raine and dew to his withered earth and meddowes and valleys so neither is there any just pleading a sinlesse desire of the contrary is a farre other thing with the Lord because hee bindeth up the bowels of Christ from outing his love or restraineth the winds and breathings of the Spirit from blowing 3. Wee may desire the wind of the Lord to blow because its an act of free grace in him so to doe but to contend with the Lord because hee will not act himselfe in works of free grace at our pleasure is to complain that grace is grace for if grace were obnoxious in all its sweet spirations and motions to my will or to your desires it should not be grace but a work of my hireing and sweating 4. This sorrowing must accuse the free holy and innocent love of Christ as if his love were proud nice humorous high passionate whereas infinite freedome infinite majesty and lovelinesse and meeknesse of tenderest love doe all three concurre admirably in Jesus Christ. Love cannot be hired Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned And for the strength of tendernesse of love the same place pleadeth Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it And Paul asserteth Ephes. 3.18 The breadth and length and deâ—th and height of it 5. There is required a submission under such a divine dispensation else wee upbraid grace and will be wicked because God will not be actu secundo as gracious in his influence as wee are humorous in our sickly desires 6. If wee could understand the sense of divine dispensation the Lord often intendeth grace when hee suspendeth grace and his dissertions are wrapped up in more invisible love and free grace then wee are aware of and why should not wee in faith beleeve his way of dispensation to be mercy Asser. 8. Sometimes 2. Gods immediate lashes on the soule is the occasion of our sinfull mis-judging of God Psal. 38.2 Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me sore Hence cometh a sad reckoning Vers. 4. Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavie burden they are too heavie for me And Psal. 77.4 Thou holdest mine eye waking I am so troubled that I cannot speake And what followeth from this A great mis-judging of God Vers. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever will hee be favourable no more Vers. 8. Is his mercy cleane gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Vers. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious It s but a poore ground of inferring that God hath forgotten to be mercifull and Christ is changed because there is night and winter on your soule Is the God of Nature changed because it s not ever summer and day-light because a rose withereth and a flower casteth its bloome and the sunne is over-clouded therefore God hath forgotten himselfe Dispensations of God are no rules to his good pleasure but his good pleasure regulates all his dispensations If the Souldiers of Christ quarter in the dry wildernesse not in the suburbs of heaven their Leader is wise 3. Darkenesse and night are blind judges of coulours in dissertion it 's night on the soule and imaginations are strongest and biggest in the darkenesse the species of terrible things plow deepe furrowes of strong impressions on the phancie in the sleepe when the man walketh in darknesse and hath no light either of sound judgement or soule-comfort it 's night with the
intension when the light of reason sheweth the object in the superlative degree of vehemency Reason and light could never shew to any suffering man at one time such a great death of evill of losse and positive evill of sense as it did shew to Christ at this instant of time To be suspended from an immediate full perfect personall intuitive fruition and vision of God is a greater ecclipse then if ten thousand sunnes were turned into pieces of sack-cloth of haire and the light totally extinguished or then if all the Angels all the glorified Saints that are or shall be in heaven were utterly excluded from the comfortable vision of God's face You cannot imagine what a sad suspension of the actuall shining of the immediatly enjoyed majesty of God this was and what a positive curse and wrath was inflicted on Christ so as his anxiety could not exceed 4. Christ was to suffer in his naturall affections of joy sorrow confidence feare love yet without sinne and though I could not shew how this anxiety and faith could consist yet it cannot be denyed for Grace doth not destroy Nature nor could the vision of personall union hinder the exercise of all humane affections and infirmities in Christ in the state of his humiliation as clothes of gold cannot allay the paine of the head and stomack Grace is a garment of cloth of gold and the union personall the perfection of grace yet it hindred not Christ from being plunged in extreme horror and anxietie 5. There were in Christ at this time some acts of innocent and sinnelesse darkenâ—sse in the sensitive soule that hee actually thinking of the blackness and dreadful visage of the second death was now like a man destitute of counsell But 1. This was meerely penall and out of dispensation for Christ's soule-paine is an excellent skreen and shaddow or a sconce between the soule-troubled beleever and hell and Christ's anxiety and his What shall I say is a bank and a great high coast between a distressed conscience who is at What shall I doe whither shall I goe where shall I have reliefe and help and the extremity of his forlorne condition 2. Christ's anxiety was not opposite to any light of faith or morall holinesse as the simple want of light is not night an ecclipse of the sun removeth no light nay not at all one beame of light from the body of the sun all is light that is on the other side of the covering it removeth onely light from us who are on this side of the interposed covering which causeth the ecclipse This anxiety was onely opposed to the actuall happinesse and naturall fruition of God enjoyed in the personall union not to any light of a morall duty required in Jesus Christ. But 2. Wee are not to conceive that Christ's anxiety feare and sorrow were onely imaginary and supposed upon a mistake that had not any fundamentum in re ground in the thing it self as Jacob mourned and would not be comforted at the supposed death of his sonne Joseph thinking hee was torne with wild beasts when the child was alive and safe and as the beleever will sorrow that God hath forsaken him and hath forgotten to be mercifull and that hee is turned of a friend an enemy when it s not so but a great mistake God hath not forgotten to be mercifull Christ's darknesse in this was negative and naturally negative hee looking wholly on reall sadnesse death wrath the curse of the Law but not privative or morally and culpably privative for Christ hâ—d never a wrong thought of God hee did never belâ—eve God to be changed nor did hee upon a mis-judging of God conceive God had forsaken him when as hee had not forsaken him as if Christ's spirituall sense were deceived in taking up a mis-apprehension of God or his dispensation And therefore that complaint Why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hast thou forsaken me hath not this meaning as it hath in many places of Scripture There is no cause why thou shouldest forsake me for there were just causes why the Lord at this time should forsake his Son Christ. And therefore the forsaking of Christ was reall because grounded upon justice The elect had forsaken God Christ stood in their place to beare their iniquities Isai. 53. that is the punishment which the elect should have suffered eternally in hell for their owne iniquities And in justice God did for a time forsake his Son Christ not onely in sense and apprehension but really 2. Satan doth so myst and delude the weake beleevers that because they will not mourne nor be humbled for reall objects sins unbeleefe mis-spending of time which are true causes of sorrow and mourning they waste sorrow needlesly and sinfully the righteous dispensation of God intervening for false and supposed causes as through ignorance for these things that are not sins yet are falsly conceived to be sins or through mis-apprehension imagining that the Lord is changed and become their utter enemy when hee cannot forget them Isai. 49.14 15. or through mis-judging their owne state conceiving they are reprobates when there is no such matter So when wee will not duely object place and time our affections its righteousnesse with God that wee lose our labour and spill and feed away our affections prodigally in a wood of thorns for nothing because wee doe not give them out for Christ and so wee must sow and never reap But Christ could not thus lavish away his feare sorrow sadnesse I know there is a forsaking in God joyned with hatred God neither in this sense forsook Christ nor did Christ complaine of this forsaking God's forsaking of him was in regard of the influence of actuall vision 2. of the actuall joy and comfort of union 3. of the penall inflicting of the curse wrath sorrow sadnesse stripes death on the man Christ. Vse If Christ was put to What shall I say what shall I doe what a sad and forlorne condition are sinners in how shiftlesse are they Isai. 10.3 When God asketh of them What will yee doe in the day of visitation and in the desolation that shall come upon you from farre to whom will yee flee for help where will yee leave your glory Jer. 5.31 What will yee doe in the end Guiltinesse is a shiftlesse and a forlorne thing Take a man pained and tormented with the stone hee cannot lie on this side hee turneth to the other hee cannot lie his couch cannot ease him hee casteth himselfe out of the bed to the floore of the house hee cannot rest there no place not Paradise say a man were tortured up heaven before the throne the place of glory simply considered should not ease him What a desperate course doe the damned take to seâ—ke dennes and rocks of the earth to hide themselves in Canst thou lodge under the roofe of the creature when the Creator armed with red and fierie wrath pursueth thee And
I his sonne But I hold this Position as evidently deducible out of the Text In the roughest and most bloudy dispensation of God toward Saints neither soule-trouble nor anxiety of spirit can be a sufficient ground to any why they should not beleeve or question their son-ship and relation to God as their Father It s cleare that Christ in his saddest condition beleeved and stood to it that God was his Father The onely question will be If sinfull and fleshly walking be a good warrant To which I answer If any be a servant of sin and walk after the flesh and be given up to a reprobate mind to commit sin with greedinesse such a one hath good warrant to beleeve that God is not his Father and that hee is not in Christ because 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ hee is a new creature If any be risen with Christ he seeketh the things that are above where Christ is at the right hand of God Hee is dead and his life is hid with Christ in God And Hee mortifieth his members on earth Col. 3.1 2 3 4. Hee is redeemed from this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Hee is dead to sinnes and liveth to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Hee is redeemed from his vaine conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Hee is the Temple of the Holy Ghost hee is not his own but bought with a price and is being washed in Christ's bloud a King over his lusts a Priest to offer himselfe to God an holy living and acceptable sacrifice 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Revel 1.5 6. Rom. 12.1 But hee that remaineth the servant of sin and walketh after the flesh and is given up to a reprobate mind c. is no such man ergo such a man hath no claime to God as his Father and upon good grounds may and ought to question his being in Christ. Onely let these cautions be observed 1. It is not safe to argue from the quantity of holy walking for many sound beleevers may find untowardnesse in wel-doing yet must not cast away themselves for that A smoking flaxe is not quenched by Christ for that it hath little heat or little light and therefore ought not by us 2. Beware we lean not too much to the quality of walking holily to inferre I fast twice a weeke I give tithes of all I have then God I thanke him I am not an hypocrite as the Publican and a wicked man Sincerity is a sensible speaking grace it s seldome in the soule without a witnesse Lord thou knowest that I love thee saith Peter hee could answer for sincerity but not for quantity hee durst not answer Christ that hee knew that hee loved him more then these Sincerity is humble and walketh on positives Lord I love thee but dare not adventure on comparatives Lord I love thee more then others 3. There be certain houres when the beleever cannot make strong conclusions to inferre I am holy therefore I am justified because in darknesse wee see neither black nor white and Gods light hides our case from us that wee may be humbled and beleeve 4. Beleeving is surer then too frequent gathering warmnesse from our own hot skin Saltmarsh and other Libertines make three Doubts that persons have as sufficient grounds to question their being in Christ 1. Back-sliding 2. The mans finding no change in the whole man 3. Unbeleefe Give me leave therefore in all meeknesse to offer my thoughts in sifting and scanning this Doctrine This is then saith hee your first doubt that you are not therefore beloved of God or in Christ because you fell backe againe into your sin so as you did Suppose I prove to you that no sin can make one lesse beloved of God or lesse in Christ. Answer Then I shall conclude that sinne cannot hinder the love of God to my soule Question This I prove 1. The mercies of God are sure mercies his love his covenant everlasting Paul was perswaded that neither life nor death c. could separate him from the love of God The Lord changeth not in loving sinners 2. Whom the Lord loveth hee loveth in his Sonne hee accounts him as his Sonne for hee is made to us righteousnesse sanctification and redemption But God loveth his Sonne alwayes alike for hee is the same yesterday and to day and for ever ergo Nothing can make God love us lesse because hee loves us not for our selves or for any thing in our selves c. 3. God is not as man or the sonne of man Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's chosen The foundation of God standeth sure God's love is as himselfe ever the same Answer 1. The thing in question to resolve the sinner whether hee be loved of God from eternity as one chosen to glory is never proved because no sinne can make one lesse beloved from eternity and sin cannot hinder the love of God non concluditur negatum for its true sinne cannot hinder the flowings and emanation of the love of election it being eternall else not any of the race of mankind God seeing them all as guilty sinners could ever have been loved with an eternall love But the consequence is nought ergo back-sliders in heart and servants of sinne have no ground to question whether they be loved with the love of eternall election or not 2. This Physician layes downe the conclusion in question which is to be proved to the resolving of the mans conscience that hee may be cured the thing to be proved to the sick man say hee were a Judas wakened in conscience is that notwithstanding his betraying of Christ yet God loved him with an everlasting love and hee is in Christ. Now hee cureth Judas thus God's love is everlasting his covenant everlasting no sin can hinder God to love Judas or separate a traitor to Christ from the love of Christ. Seperation supposeth an union lesse loving supposeth loving so he healeth the man thus no disease can overcome or hinder the Art of such a skilled Physitian to cure a dying man But what if this skilled Physitian will not undertake to cure the man nor to move his tongue for advice nor to stirre one finger to feel the mans pulse Ergo The man must be cured For if the man be a back-slider in heart and a servant of sinne Christ never touched his pulse He hath as yet sure grounds to question whether he be loved of God or be in Christ or no for except you prove the man to be loved with an everlasting love you can prove nothing And your argument will not conclude any thing for the mans peace except you prove him to be chosen of God which is his onely question But say that hee is loved from everlasting and that hee is in Christ by faith its easie to prove that his sinnes cannot change everlasting love nor make him lesse beloved of God nor separate him from the love of God You must then either remove the
way to be sure of the truth of good things is tasting and feeling Eat O friends drinke yea drink abundantly O beloved Answ. This reason would inferre that there is not a Saint on earth capable of such a sinne as to doubt whether they beleeve or not because wee read not of it in any of the hearers of Christ or the Apostles This is a bad consequence except you say All the various conditions of troubled consciences are set down in particular examples in the New Testament Which is contrary to all experiences of the Saints 2. It is one thing to doubt of the truth of the promises and another thing to doubt whether my apprehension of the promise be true or false The latter is not alwayes sin for it may be my apprehension of the truth of the promises be beside the line and off the way and then I question not Christ's dainties which to doe were unbeleefe but my owne deluded fancie which may appeare to be faith and is nothing lesse the former is indeed unbeleefe not the latter 3. It s true tasting makes sure the truth of the Lord 's good things that are inclosed in the promises but then an unconverted sinner who is void of spirituall senses cannot be the beloved nor the friend that Christ speaketh to Cant. 5.1 Wee doe not say a beleever ought to doubt whether hee hath true faith or no but because the command of beleeving obliegeth the non-converted as well as the converted shall the naturall man eat as a friend and a beloved hee remaining in nature and not yet converted and this man in nature ought not to doubt whether his fancie be faith or not but hee is oblieged to beleeve that is to imagine that his fancie is faith 4. I see not how if the faith of the Saints be tried as gold in the fire they may not through the prevalencie of temptation be shaken in their faith as Peter was when hee denyed his Saviour and Paul who 2 Cor. 1 8. was pressed out of measure above strength despaired of life had the sentence of death 2 Cor. 7.5 was troubled on every side fightings without and feares within and the sonnes of God who may feare that they have received the spirit of bondage to feare againe opposite to the Spirit of adoption Rom. 8.15 but that they may faint in their tribulations Ephes. 3.13 and may be surprised with feare which hath torment and must be cast out 1 Joh. 4.18 and may be ready to faint and die Revel 3.2 and turne luke-warme be wretched miserable poore blind naked and yet beleeve the contrary of themselves Revel 3.16 17. All these may come and often doe come to that low condition of spirit after Justification as to say and think that all men are liars their faith is no faith that they are forsaken of God to their own sense and cast out of his sight and question whether they ever did beleeve or no And why would the Apostle say Patience bringeth forth experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.4 if experience that ever God loved me or that ever I beleeved to my present sense cannot be removed But this is but the Doctrine of Famulists who teach That after the revelation of the Spirit neither devill nor sinne can make the soule to doubt And To question whether God be my deare Father after or upon the committing of some hainous sinnes as murther incest c. doth prove a man to be in the Covenant of works Doe not they then teach us a way of despairing who say that Wee find not in the whole course of Christ's preaching or the Disciples that any asked the question whether they beleeved or no whether their faith were true faith or no What then shall thousands of smoking flaxes and weak reeds doe who often ask this question and say and think Ah I have no faith my faith is but counterfeit mettall And then by this Doctrine of despaire beleevers ought to conclude I am not under Grace but under the Law and a Covenant of works and so not in Christ yea whatever lusters were in me before I am in no condition of any wee read of in the New Testament who were hearers of Christ and the Apostles for Libertines never true beleevers doubted whether their faith was true or not Object 3. For any to doubt whether they beleeve or no is a question that Christ onely can satisfie who is the Author and Finisher of our faith Who can more properly shew one that hee sees then the Light which enlightens him Answ. Christ solves not questions that no man ever made S. thinkes that beleevers never doubt whether their faith be true faith or not which is a strong way of beleeving and those must be so strong in the faith who doubt not of this as they are above all temptations But this will be found against the experience of all beleevers It is most true none can work faith but the onely Creator and Author of faith but will the Author hence inferre no man the most wicked nor any that ever heard Christ or his Apostles preach doubted of their faith 2. The sunne with all its light cannot perswade a blind man who seeth not that hee seeth beleevers often think they see when they see not and think they are blind when they see as experience and Scripture Revel 3.16 17. Joh. 9.38 39. teach us Object 4. Faith is truly and simply this A being perswaded more or lesse of Christ's love and therefore it is called a beleeving with the heart Now what infallible signe is there to perswade any that they are perswaded when themselves question the truth of their perswasion God onely shall perswade Japhet Who can more principally and with clearer satisfaction perswade the Spouse of the good will of him shee loves but himselfe Can all the love-tokens or testimoniall rings and bracelets They may concurre and help in the manifestation but it is the voyce of the beloved that doth the turne My beloved spake and said unto me Rise my love my faire one saith the Spouse Answ. 1. Faith may be a perswasion in some sense but that it is a perswasion that my faith or perswasion is true not counterfeit and so formally is utterly denyed How many beleeve and love Christ with the heart who are not perswaded that they doe so yea much doubt whether they beleeve with the heart and would give a world to know if it were possible that they truly love God No Divine who knoweth that a direct act of faith and to beleeve is when there is no reflexe act can deny this 2. Arguments or signes in accurate speech are not called infallible actu secundo the word of God is in it selfe infallible actu prâ—â—o But to Aristotle this In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth is not infallible actu secundo nor are the promises Hee that beleeveth
for the truth of Christ may have a naturall and conditionall desire and inclination to live though his living be contrary to the Lords revealed will commanding him to seale the Gospel with his bloud and to confesse Christ before men 3. If the brother sonne daughter wife or friend that is as a mans owne soule Deut. 13.6 blaspheme God yea if father or mother doe it Deut. 33.8 9. yet is a father oblieged to stone the son or daughter the son being a Magistrate or a Levite and Priest to judge according to law the Priests lips should preserve knowledge Mal. 2.8 that his father or mother ought to be stoned to death yet ought not father or sonâ—e to lay aside that naturall desire of being and life to sonne father brother which the law of nature in the fifth Command doth require especially the desire being conditionall with submission to Gods will as the desire of Christ is here and the Command to stone the blasphemer that the father stone the son the son the father being positive and though founded on the law of nature that a man preferre his Lord Creator and God before sonne or father and mother yet are they not precepts of the law of nature such as is the precept of nature that a man desire his owne life and being the father the life and being of the son Asser. 5. The apparent opposition for it is not reall is rather between Christ's sensitive and his sinlesse meere naturall desire and affection and his reasonable will then his will and the will of God Nor can any say there is a fight or jarring between the conditionall desire of Christ subjected in the same act of praying to the Lords decreâ— and the resolute and immutable will of God The Law of God because holy and spirituall doth require a conformity between all the inclinations and motions of our soule and the law of nature but an absolute conformity betweene all our inclinations and every positive command of God such as was the Lords command that Christ should die for sinners is not required in the Law of God If Adam submit his naturall hunger or desire to eat of the forbidden tree to Gods Law and eat not there is no sinfull jarring between his will and Gods positive Law Thou shalt not eat of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill It becomes us as Christs example goeth before us to submit in the hardest and most bloodie providences to the straight and holy will of God 1. Christ prâ—â—esseth he hath no will divided from Gods will he layeth down his glory his heaven his life his fruition of the sweet influence of an highest vision love presence feeling of God in a personall union at the feet of God that the Lord may carve and cut and dispose of him and his blood as he thought good 2. All the difficulty in us in whom dwelleth a body of sinne is to answer the objections that flesh and blood hath against a sad providence which I will labour to doe and then give some rules for direction Obj. 1. This is a bloody and rough way that the Lord leadeth his people that they drink wormwood and gall of blood and not tears onely Ans. Providence is full of mysteries let the way be shame the crowne is glory and the present condition be hell the end is heaven Providence is a hand-writing of mercy though we cannot ever read it more then Belshazzar could read his bill of justice we see a woman with child but cannot tell whether it be a living or a dead birth shee shall bring forth or whether the child shall be base and poor or honourable and renowned ere he die The births in the wombe of providence are invisible to us out of the ashes of a burnt and destroyed Church the Lord raiseth up a Phenix a Kings daughter a Princesse that shall rule the Nations with a rod of iron a Zion that hath the strength of an Vnicorne yea Iacobs seed shall be in many waters his King shall be higher then Agag and his Kingdom shall be exalted God brought him out of Egypt Num. 24.7 8. Christ breweth the water of life out of drinke of gall wormwood and blood if the head be gold as Christ is the body cannot without great incongruity be base clay Obj. 2. But all go wrong confusion and vastation lye on the people of God Ans. To him who sitteth on the Throne and gives Law and Judgement to the most unconstant things imaginable the waves of the Sea and orders them and rules a Sea of glasse a brittle and fraile thing and a Sea of most unnaturall confusions a Sea mingled with fire nothing can be out of order hell the Beast and Dragon that make warre with the Lambe the laying wast the holy City the killing of the Witnesses are all orderly means ranked by the Lord whose Armies cannot reele nor spill their march when he drawes them up to the execution of his wife decrees the confusion is to our eye but judgement law and order there are though not visible to us Who can pull him out of his invisible and high Throne of wisedome counsell and power it may be he sits not alwayes on his Throne of justice Obj. 3. But what a providence is it that those that open their mouth against heaven are fat and shine and prosper and those that fear God are plagued every day and killed all the day long and counted as sheepe for the slaughter Answ· 1. Offend not against the generation of the children of God as if it were lost labour and as good to sow wheat in the Sea as serve the Lord and walk mournefully before him you see their work but not their wages 2. It is painfull to trace providence in all its wayes circuits bout-gates lines turnings But 3. surely in the end God turneth the tables â—he maketh all odds equall the emptie bucket goeth downe the full cometh up 4. The Lord hath set the wicked in a chaire of Gold but on the top of a house and rouling stone above the mouth of a pit ten hundred fathom deep This is a jogging and slippery condition 5. They slip away to eternity and to Hell in a moment 6. Their happinesse is a golden dream Psal. 73.12 13 c. Obj. Meanes faile men chanâ—e creatures are weake Answ. So long as Christ changeth not and your Head liveth and stirreth the helme of heaven and earth all must be well if all life all health and so much as eternall life be in the Head how can the heart ake or quake except it first create and then fancie fears and doe not really suffer Obj. 5. Our Kingdomes strength is gone we cannot subsist Ans. Col. 1.17 18. In Christ all things subsist he is the head of the body the Church Faith is the substance Budeâ—s the boldnesse and fortitude Beza the firme and constant expectation the Syrian and Arabian the confident
when England had often before and have now opportunity they will not lift Christ up on his throne nor put his Crowne Royall on his head but doe put it on their owne head but the judgement is not yet at an end Scotland hath not walked worthy of the Gospel but have fallen from their first love We take not a deliberate list of every limbe thigh legge and member of this nationall wrath and we neither see wherefore we are afflicted nor how For this cause came I to this houre There is some peculiar act of Christs will here holden forth and that is Christs peculiar intention to die for his people in which we are to consider the activenesse of Christs will in dying for man which may be seene 1. In his free offering of himselfe and his service to the Father Psalm 40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine eares hast thou opened Heb. 10.5 A body that is the office house and instrumentall subject of obedience to the death as the eare is of hearing and obeying the commandements of God thou hast prepared me Vers. 7. Then said I loe I come in the volumne of thy booke it is written of me to doe thy will ô God In these words Christ is brought in as a servant with three excellent quallities 1. Physically he is fitted with a body and a soule to offer to God for us as in a servant there are required strong limbs and armes to endure drudgery in this he was borne of his mother for this sad service his Master furnished him for this even the seed of mans flesh and bloud for suffering 2. There were morall habilities in him promptitude of of will So the Lord is brought in as a Lord and Master in justice crying servant O Sonne and servant Jesus I have a businesse for thee of great concernment At the first word as all good servants doe Christ takes him to his feet and compeares before his God his Master and Lord Loe I come here am I so servants of old answered their Master What service wilt thou command so hard which I will not undergoe Master here 's a body for thy worke here be cheekes for the nippers a face for those that will plucke off the haire a backe for smiting a body for the crosse and the grave Christ as a servant uncovered standing on feet would say Lord send mee thy seruant to the Garden to worke under the burden of thy wrath till I sweat blood bid me goe to shame to scourging and spitting is it thy will I goe up on the cursed crosse and bee made a curse for sinners that I be crucified and die that I goe lower in to the utter halfe of hell the grave which is a sad journey loe here am I willing to obey all 3. There was in Christ not onely willingnesse but delight Psal. 40.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My God I delight to doe thy will every servant cannot say this to his Master thy Law is in the midst of my heart 2. His willingnesse to die was a part of his Testament and last Will he dyed with good will and left in Legacy his death and the fruits of it his blessing his heart his love his peace his life to his bride in Testament confirmed by Law to all his poore brethren and friends Heb. 9 17. and John 14.27 Peace I leave in testament with you But the Orphane and the poore friend gets not all that his dying Father and friend leaves in Testament but Christ gives possession himselfe ere he die My peace I give to you but to the point His latter Will was willingnesse to die 3. No externall force could take his life from him against his will John 10.18 No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and I have power to take it againe Yet lest it should seeme a will-action in Christ and â—o not obedience he addeth This Commandement that is the will of a Superiour have I received of my Father Compelled obedience is no obedience exact willingnesse was a substantiall and essentiall ingredient in Christs obedience Acts of Grace cannot be extorted can yee teare a shoure of raine from God in an extreame drouth or bread from him in your hunger against his will Farre lesse since Christs dying was an act of pure grace can any compell him to dye for man Love arrested his holy will and that made him runne apace to dye for us O blessed be his good will who burned himselfe in the Bush in a fire of free love 4. Though dying be a passion yet Christs dying was both a passion and an action Will added as much perfume and strength of obedience as nature and paine shard-ship shame and abasement could doe his life was not so much plucked from him as out of his owne hand As an Agent he offered his bloud and soule yea himselfe to God through the eternall Spirit Hebr. 9.14 Love was the coard the chaine that did bind Christ to the Altar 5. Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on this intention came to this houre so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often in Scripture Not onely his will but the floure of his will his intention was to die for Christs eye and his heart and his love was on his Bride the intention is the most eminent act that Love can put forth Christs eye and his heart being upon his Spouse he made our salvation his end and measure of his love to compasse this end the Lord laid many Oares in the water his rising earely his night watching his toyling his sweating his soare and hard Soule-travell as being heavy with Child of this end O might I have a redeemed people was all his care and his soule was eased when dying bleeding crying he went thorough hell and death and slept in deaths blacke and cold prison and his Redeemed ones in his armes When hee came to the end of this sad journey and found his Ramsomed ones he said I have sought you with a heavie heart faire and foule way sad and weary and all is well bestowed since I have gained you Let us up together to the hill of Spices to our Fathers house to the highest mountaine of Frankincense All that Christ did was for this end That he might deliver us from this present evill world Galat. 1.4 That he might be a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 That we might have life and have it more abundantly Joh. 10.10 That he might seeke and save the lost Luke 19.10 That he might present his wife a glorious Church to himselfe not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she should bee holy and without blemish Ephes. 5.26 27. that wee being dead to sinne should live to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Christ came to seeke and travelled ever till he found his desire a redeemed and saved people and then hee rested Even as hee journyed through
was contrary to the course of nature darkened and by the Rocks when they were rent and the Temple cloven asunder and the Graves opened when men weakely or wickedly denyed him and would not onely not preach his glory but blaspheme his name 5. He was glorified in his resurrection being declared to be the Sonne of God and obtained a name above all names and was by the right hand of God exalted to be a Saviour and a Prince to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes Phil. 2.9 Ephes. 1.20 Act. 5.31 Act. 3.13 6. He shall come againe in his glory Math. 25.31 And shall be glorified and admired in all his Saints 2 Thess. 1.10 The fairest and most glorious sight that ever the eye of man saw shall be when Christ shall come riding through the cloudes on his Chariot of glory accompanied with his mighty Angels and with one pull or shake of his mighty armes shall cause the Starres to fall from heaven as figges fall from a fig-tree shaken with a mighty wind and blow out all these candles of heaven with one blast of his ire and A fire shall goe before him and burne up the earth with the works that are therein when the higher house of heaven and the lower of the earth shall meet together and when Mystical Christ shall be glorified If there be so much glory in Jesus Christ and his sufferings as he must beare the glory Zach. 6.13 And All the glory of his fathers house be upon him Esai 22.24 His Crowne of glory on his head must be so weighty and ponderous with Rubies Saphires Diamonds that it will break the neck of any mortall man King or Parliament to beare it None on earth have a head or shoulders for this so weighty a Diademe Parliaments have not necks worthy to carry Christs golden bracelets nor a backe to be honoured with his robe Royall if they will but take his Scepter in their hand it shall crush them as clay-vessels this stone hewen out of the Mountaine without hands shall crush the clay-leggs of Parliaments and then how shall they stand God properly glorifies himselfe Angels and Men are but chamberlaines and factors to pay the rent of his glory and because he will give himselfe his Sonne his Spirit to us and his grace and yet will not give his glory to another let us beware to intercept the rents of the Crowne Object The Lord giveth grace and glory Psalm 84. And he hath a crowne of glory laid up for his Saints in the heavens Answ. That glory is but matured and ripened grace Gods glory is the eminent celebrious and high esteeme that Men and Angels have of God as God or the foundation of this to meddle with this is to encroach upon the Crowne and Prerogative royall of God Glory imparted to Saints in heaven is but a beame a lustre shaddow or way of that transcendent and high glory that is in God and is as farre different from the incommunicable glory of God as the shaddow of the Sunne in a Glasse or in the bottome of a Fountaine and the Sunne in firmament We may desire the chips and shaddows and raies of glory but beware that we meddle not with that which devels and men alwaies seeke after in a sacrilegious way 3. We are hence taught to admire the excellencie of the unsearchable knowledge and skill of Divine providence out of Christs abasing himselfe to take on him our nature 2. Out of his miracles that were just nothing to blind-naturall-men 3. Out of his death and shame the Lord extracteth the most eminent and high glory of his name That Omnipotencie should triumph in the jaw-bone of an Asse in a straw in a crucified man commends the glory of God and the art of his workmanship to make Gold out of clay and iron Diamonds and Rubies out of the basest stones would extoll the art of man A creation out of nothing and Flowres Roses Forrests Woods out of cold earth is the praise of the wisdome and power of the Creator the baser the matter be the art of the Author is the more glorious if the worke be curious and excellent God here 1. Out of death shame sinfull oppressing of the Lord of glory raiseth the high worke of mans Redemption 2. When we spill businesse and marre all through sinning and provoking God then Israel must bring a spilt businesse to God that he may right them Judg. 3.10 11. God can find the right end of the threed when matters are ravelled and disordered We see now Nations confounded enemies rising against us But bloud warres confusions oppression and crushing downe of Christ and his Church are good and congruous meanes when they have the vantage of being handed by omnipotencie When we worke the instrument must bee as big as a mountaine and then our eye cannot see God for the bignesse of the Instrument God regardeth not the nothings and the few that he worketh withall Dead men can sight when God putteth a sword in their hand Men shall fall under wounded men beware of robbing God of his glory Did ever a decree or a counsell of God part with child Or can Omnipotencie bring forth untimely births or prove abortive You see Christ now in the death-house of Adams sonnes and wrestling with hell yet God by Christ at the weakest works his end death is a low thing sinne is farre more base but when God acts at the end of either they have a scope and end as high as God to glorifie God 3. If God hath been and must be glorified in all that is done what doe we doe we trouble our selves to seeke glory one of another We are created for this end and it s our glory to fetch in glory to God What can the aiery applause of men bee golden stilts for creeples to walke to heaven withall Or can the peoples poore Hosannas be silken sailes to our ship or golden wings that by these you man saile and flye up to heaven Where is Belshazzer who but built a house for the glory of his owne name Where is Herod who did receive one word of a God which the people did steale Doe not these fooles take little roome in print and at this day as little in the clods of the earth The Roman State would not permit Christ to be a God What was their doome must not a Kingdome cast its bloome fall and wither that will not suffer Christ to be a King in his Church Vers. 29. The people therefore that stood by and heard it said it thundered others said an Angel spake to him Another effect of the Prayer of Christ doth follow in the people They had sundry judgements of this Answer from heaven Some said it was a thunder for they understood it not Others nay but it is above nature An Angel hath spoken to him It thundered Doth not any rude shepherd or the most simple ideot know a thunder
bring forth a man child to God And 2. as Satan is the mysticall head and Prince of that condemned body hee is cast out and hee hath a power in regard of the guilt and dominion of sin both over the elect and the reprobate Christs death hath broken hells barres and condemned sinne in the flesh Rom. 8.3 and dissolved the works of the devill and taken his Forts and Castles and 1 Joh. 3.8 taken many of Satans Souldiers captives Death was the Devills Fort-royall Hell is his great Prison-house and principall Jayle these hee hath taken 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Hos. 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeeme them from the power of death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction And these captives can never be ransomed out of Christs hand again for saith hee repentance shall be hid from mine eyes When Christ spoyles hee will never restore the prey againe Hee hath overcome the world Joh. 16.33 and that was a strong Fort and hee hath delivered the Saints from the dominion of sin because they are under a new Husband Rom. 6.6 7 8 9 10. Rom. 7.1 2 3 4 5 6. All crosses have lost their salt and their sting even as when a City is taken by storming all the Commanders and Souldiers are dis-armed and when a Court is cryed down by Law all the members and Officers of the Court Judge and Scribe and Advocates that can plead Pursevants Jayles are cryed down they cannot sit nor lead a Processe nor summon a Subject So when Christ cryed down Satans Judicature and triumphed over principalities and powers and annulled all Decrees Lawes hand-writings of Ordinances that Satan could have against the Saints Col. 2.14 15. all the Officers of hell are laid aside the Devill is out of office by Law jure the Jayles and pits are broken Esay 49.9 That thou maist say to the prisoners Goe forth to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves Zech. 9.11 When a righteous King cometh to the crown hee putteth down all unjust Vsurpers If Satan be cast out wee are not debtors to the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 8.12 Sin hath no law over us There is a law of sinne a dictate of mad reason by which the sinner thinks hee is under the Oath of Allegiance to Satan and his crown scepter and honour hee must defend but there is no reason no law in hell and in the works of hell And if hee be once cast out who is this usurping lawlesse lord if you sweep the house to him and take him in againe to a new lodging one devill will be eight devills for Satan thus cast out will returne with seven devills worse then himselfe Remember Lot's wife if yee be escaped out of Sodome Looke not over your shoulder with a wanton and lustfull eye to old forsaken lovers let repentance and mortification be constant Now is the Prince of this world cast out But yet to consider more particularly Satans Princedome and Satans Power I adde yet more of these two heads 1. The Power of Satan 2. The Punishment of Satan His Power is held forth in that hee is a Prince 1. In his might and power naturall 2. In his power acquired 3. In his power sinfull and judicially inflicted The Devil's Power hee was created in both in the mind and will and executive faculty by no Scripture or Reason can be imagined to be lesse before the fall of these miserable Spirits then the power of their fellow-Angels 1. The Angels being all created holy and according to Gods image they must have been created with their face to God and in their proper place and sphere and so with power to stand in their place Now what station can these immortall Spirits be created in rather then in a state of seeing God 2. Satan abode not in the truth saith the Lord Jesus Joh. 8.44 and the bad Angels left saith Jude vers 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper dwelling These two places compared together seemeth to hold forth that truth and the first truth God seene and knowne though not immutably was the first element native countrey of the Angels They must then see God and his face It is a bold and groundlesse conjecture of some rotten Schoolmen to say That truth from which the Angels are said to fall was the Gospel-truth and that They envied that man was in Christ to be advanced above the Angelike nature 1. It s a dreame that the Gospel was revealed to the Devils before their fall for then their owne fall and future misery that they were to be kept eternally in chaines of darknesse on the same ground must be revealed to them What horror and sadnesse must fill Adams mind and the Angels spirit if hell and the necessity of God manifested in the flesh was revealed to them in the state of happinesse 2. The mystery of the riches of the glorious Gospel was hid from the beginning of the world and the glorious elect Angels come in time Ephes. 3.8 9 10. to learn that manifold wisdome of God and delight in Peters time to looke into it as to a great secret of God 1 Pet. 1.12 Wee have not then reason to think this secret was whispered in the eares of the Devils before they fell 2. It s true Mat. 18. The elect Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes now behold the face of Christs Father for now they are confirmed that they cannot look awry and turne their eyes off Gods face even when they come downe as servants to the heires of glory on earth they carry about with them their heaven and the pleasures of the Court they enjoy no reason their posting among sinners should decourt them or deprive them of the actuall vision of God But it followeth not therefore the falne Angels never saw the face of Christs Father it followes onely they saw it not immutably and in a confirmed way of grace and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes as now the elect Angels doe ◠It s no Princedome in Satan to know the thoughts of the heart this is proper to God onely 1 King 8.39 Jer. 17.10 Psal. 44.21 Nor hath hee or the good Angels any immediate Princedome over the will to know what are my thoughts or to know one anothers thoughts or to act immediatly upon free will not because the thoughts of the heart are objects of themselves so abstruse and high that they are not intelligible for a mans owne spirit knowes the things in himselfe 1 Cor. 2.11 Yea 2. then they could not be known by revelation for God cannot by revelation cause a finite understanding comprehend an infinite object because the object exceedeth the faculty in proportion infinitely The thoughts of a mans heart cannot so exceed the understanding faculty of a man farre lesse of an Angel Therefore God in the depth of his wisdome by an act
for Ephraim Jer. 31. he drawes while his armes bleed 3. And does not onely knock but he stands and knocks Revel 3.20 His standing notes his importunity of mercy how gladly hee would be in and he useth this as an argument to moove his Spouse out of humanity to pitty him and give him one nights lodging in the soule Cant. 5.2 Open to mee my sister my love my dove my undefiled Why I stand long I wait on in patience forcing my love on you For my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night Every word is love Open open my sister I am a brother not a stranger open my love for I have interest in thee every word is a talent weight of free grace 4. Not onely is drawing an expression of his love of union with sinners for he beares the sinner he translates the sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gives the sinner a lift to set him out of one countrey into another into a farre choiser land out of a land of death into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne Col. 1.13 And the little lambes that have no leggs of their own Christ shall bee leggs to them Esai 40.11 He shall gather the little lambes and so the Hebrew with his arme and carry them in his bosome I should wish no higher happinesse out of heaven then to bee carried in the circle of Christs armes and to lye with the lambes in his bosome and be warmed with the heart-love that comes out of his breast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to carry on the shoulders and Aaron is said in the same word Exod. 28. to carry the names of the children of Israel on his breast as a man is said to carry his child in his armes Deut. 1.31 And Christ Luk. 15.5 finding the lost sheep layeth it on his shoulders rejoycing Legges I have none saith the sinner and so cannot goe to the new kingdome What then saith Christ I have leggs and armes both for you to serve you I le beare you if yee can neither lead nor drive A sinner is as heavie as a mountaine of yron and cannot bee drawne or borne but they be heavie lumps of hell that Christ cannot beare to heaven Christs love hath mighty armes and great and strong bones Christ now above five thousand yeares hath been carrying tyred lambes up to heaven in ones and twoes and is not yet wearied of bringing up his many children to glory and will not rest till there bee not one lambe of all the flock out of that great and capacious fold and drawne they must bee whom Christs love draweth Christs love is not so loose in griping as to misse any he intends to put in his bosome 5. The particular way of loves drawing is lovely and sweetly and with strong allurements 1 Redemption is a sweet word to a captive but Redemption by Law is not so sweet as Redemption by Love For Redemption is nothing comparable to Redemption dipt and watered with free love I ought no more to be Redeemed then the damed Devils Christ is not my debtor he owes me nothing but eternall vengeanceâ— neverthelesse he out of onely strong love Redeemed me O this is two Redemptions 2. Drawing by free and strong love is an easie worke and so is it easie to be drawn because all works of love are easie as the act of marrying is no great paine the Solemnities and Ceremonies of marriage are more toylsome thâ—n Marriage it selfe All the right Mariages in the world are made by love aâ—d thâ—re is no more but I consent I say Amen to have Christ for my husband and he saith Hosea 3.3 Captive woman bought for fifteene pieces of silver and for an homer of barley and an halfe thou shalt be for me and not for another and I will also be for thee and ther 's an end Christs chariot runnâ—s on wheeles of love and the pace is soft and sweet 3. The way of loves working through delight is sweet to the drawn soule when Christ hands the heart and the love of Christs soft fingers grasps about the soule how alluring and captivating is Christ when he comes in to the heart his fingers drop pure myrrhe What honey or what heaven drops are these Christs honey-combe was gathered and made out of that floure that incomparable rose never planted with hands out of Christ himselfe from the bottome of eternity from the head and root of infinite ages which have neither head nor bottome and out of Christ freely loving freely chusing the creature to himself Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment powred forth therefore doe the Virgins love thee Cant. 5.11 Christs head is of most fine gold What thinke ye of the golden and choise eminencies that are in Christ of a clothing of increated glory that goes about Christ Cant. 2.3 I sate downe under his shaddow wâ—th great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Christs love casteth so sweet a smell that his love leades not but drawes yet loves cords are softer then oyle The honey of Christs love was gathered out of the floures that grow in that highest mountaine of roses a larger field of floures then ten millions of earths and out of the faire blossomes and sweet heavenly sop of the tree of life the glorie of Lebanon and excellencie of Sharon is nothing to this Bring all your senses see heare feele tast and smell what transcendent sweetnesse of heaven is in this love a Sea of love is nothing it hath a bottome a heaven of love is nothing it hath a brim but infinite love hath no bounds 4. Love drawes strongly and irresistibly Christ never woo'd a soule with his free love but he wins the love and heart Death and the grave and hell are conquering things for strength and have subdued huge multitudes since the Creation but the love of Christ is stronger and more constraining Cant. 8.6 7. The coals of love burn more strongly then any other fire The flames and coals of God are mighty hot they burnt up hell and death to ashes how much more will they take a sinner Christ cast out coals of love with that word Matthew follow me and there is no resisting hee arose and followed him Christs love drawes till hee bleed and hee loves till hee die of love His love must prevaile for Omnipotency was in it Had there been ten thousand worlds more of sinners Christ hath love for them all And had the elect world had ten thousand millions more of rebellions then they have all these sins should have been infinitely below the conquering power of Christs love Never sinner went to hell Victor to â—ay Love could not pardon me I was in sinne above Christs omnipotency of love Never sinner went to heaven but Christs love had the better of him Great heaven is but an house full of millions of vanquished captives that Christs love followed
otherwise for the Apostle avoucheth the Gospel is preached the promise of salvation published to all that call on the Lords Name v. 12. Be they Jewes or Grecians that is Gentiles and beleeve they must or else they cannot pray and needs they must heare or then they cannot beleeve and hear they cannot except God send Preachers But God hath sent Preachers with pleasant feet to both Iewes and Gentiles as the Prophets Isaiah and Nahum fâ—retold v. 13 14 15. and they have not all obeyed v. 16 17 18. But it may be said They have not all heard the Gospel preached this must certainly excuse the Gentiles if they beleeve not having never heard of Christ how can they beleeve as it is v. 14. It s a rationall excuse I cannot sin in not beleeving the Gospel saith the Gentile yea and Christ frees them from the sin of unbeliefe also Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them and so if they had not had a Lord Speaker from heaven they had not had sin That is they should have ben free of the Gospel-sin of unbelief but now they have no cloak for their sin Now they cannot say Lord we cannot beleeve a Gospel never spoken to us by any nor heard of by us But sure the Iewes heard these creatures and works of God that preached his glory Psal. 19.6 And if they preach Christ objectively as Amyrald and other Arminians fancie then the not hearing and not obeying the Gospel thus preached had been their sin though Christ or his Apostles had never spoken the Gospel which is contrary to Christs word Ioh. 15.22 And contrary to Paul how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard by the preaching of a sent Minister who subjectively and vocally must preach the Gospel But to return to the state of the question 4. So much of God is revealed to all even to those who never heard of Christ as serves to make all unexcusable for that knowing willingly and knowingly they glorifie not God as God Rom. 1.19 20 21. 5. All within the visible Church have meanes sufficient in their kinde in genere mediorum externorum to save them 6. As none can be saved by the light of nature nor ever any used or could use it so far forth as to improve it for their sufficient preparation to receive the tidings of the Gospel either from Men or Angels sent to preach to them or by any inspiration bringing the sense or things signified in the Gospel so saved they cannot bee by any name under heaven but by the Name of Christ that is Christ named preached and revealed in the Gospel Act. 4.10 11 12. Joh. 14.6 Heb. 11.6 Joh. 5.40 and 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and hee that hath not the Son hath not life 7. The question is whether or no God so farre forth willeth desireth intendeth that all and every one within and without the visible Church Tartarians and Indians who never by any rumor hard of Christ not excepted that hee giveth them sufficient meanes and helps of a common and universall grace which if they would use well the Lord should so reward pro-move or increase whether out of decencie or a congruous disposition of goodness or of equity or of free promise or any obligation so farre as to send the Gospel to them and bestow on them a larger measure of saving and internall grace by which they should if they so would bee converted to the Faith of Christ and saved We deny Arminians affirme 2. Whether the Lord from eternity late Arminians are for time-election hath absolutely without any provision in or pre-science or fore-knowledge of good works Faith perseverance in both or of condition reason cause merit qualification in some certaine and definite persons rather then others predestinated and chosen them to glory and life eternall And all the meanes conducing to this end and that of meere free grace because he so willeth or if the Lord passe no definite compleat peremptorie and irrevocable decree to save some certain persons while he forsees them expiring and dying in faith and holy conversation Arminians hold that the Lords decree of election of men to glory is generall conditionall incompleat changeable while he forsees they have ended their course in the Faith and then peremptorily and irrevocably he passeth a fixed decree to save such and not others we deny any such loose decrees in the Almighty and beleeve that of free grace he chuseth some absolutely without conditions in them or respect to any good foreseene to be in them rather then in others because He hath mercy on whom hee will and hardens whom he will Rom. 9.17.18 3. Upon this generall indefinite revocable and conditionall good will and intention of God to save all and every one whether or no did the Father give his Sonne and the Sonne dye for all and every one intending absolutely to impetrate and obtaine to all and every one of mankinde remission of sinnes and especially expiation of sinne originall and all sins against the covenant of works and salvation to them all both within and without the visible Church and the opening of the gates of heaven so as God hath laid aside his anger for all these sins hath made all savable reconciliable that notwithstanding of divine Justices plea against men all and every one may according to the intention of God bee saved in his bloud so they would as they may and can beleeve in Christ we deny Arminans here affirme 2. The mind of Arminians Arminians runne upon six Universalities 1. They say God beareth to all and every man of what kind soever an equall universall and Catholike good will yâ—a to Esau Pharaoh Judas as to Jaakob Moses and Peter to save them all so as this love is not stinted to any certaine persons precisely and absolutly loved and chosen to salvation 2. That there is a Catholicke price an universall ransome given by Christ dying on the Crosse for all and every one an Attonement made and a Redemption purchased in Christs bloud by which all and every one Pharaoh Judas Cain all the heathens Tartarians Americans Virginians that never heard of Christ are made savable and reconcilâ—iable and God made placable and exorable to them so aâ— though they be lost in the first Adam yet have they a new venture of heaven and in Christs death the Lord hath a generall antecedent and priâ—â—ry intention to save all without exception yet no more to save Moses and Peter then Judas and Pharaoh Yea that the fruit of Christs death and the effect of it may stand though all and every one of mankinde were eternally lost and not one person saved 3. As there was a Catholicke forfeiture of all so there is a second covenant of free grace made with all and every one of Adams sonnes with promises of free grace a new heart righteousnesse and
with the blood of Buls and Goats which was offered for the reconciling of men to God not of God to men 2. Because that blood is said to sanctifie and purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God which cannot be said of God but clearly holdeth forth that Christ having offered himselfe without spot to God through the eternal Spirit those for whom he offereth himself cannot eternally perish as M. Moor saith p. 5. but that their consciences by this blood are purged from dead works to serve the living God And the place 1 Pet. 2.24 doth not prove that Christ bare the sinnes of many on the tree who are not actually saved by his death 1. The place saith the contrary and no such thing as that the Lord layd on Christ the iniquities of all and every one of mankinde 1 Peter restraines it to beleevers elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through the sanctification of the Spirit begotten again unto a lively hope who are kept through the power of God by faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4 5. And there is no colour that Peter speaketh of all Adams sonnes of all the heathen because hee saith Christ bare our sinnes Which bee these The sins of these that be called to patient suffering for well doing who are to follow Christ who left us an example of patient suffering who when he was vers 23. reviled reviled not again Now what is this the Indians and Tartarians patient suffering after Christs example to whose eares the name of Christ and his suffering never came by a dream or imagination 2. The sinnes of these which Christ bare on his own bodie on the tree are these that are healed with Christs strips and these that are returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of their soules and are to live to righteousnesse being dead to sin by the death of Christ who bare their sins v. 24 25. now these are the All that Isai speaketh of c. 53. when he saith 53.6 The Lord layd on him tâ—e iniquities of us all That is if we beleeve Arminians of all Moab Ammon Egypt Philistims Caldeans Ethiopians and all Adams Children who never heard of Christ for the thousand part of Adams Sons never heard of Christ then are they not obliged to beleeve in him of whom they never heard nor is it their sinne that they beleeve not Rom. 10.14 Ioh. 15.22 Ergo they are not obliged to live to righteousnesse being dead to sinne through Christs death because they never heard of Christs death Far lesse are all Adams sonnes healed with Christs stripes and returned to the shepherd and Bishop of soules nor was the chastisement of all the heathens peace upon Christ. And Esaiah expoundeth who be these all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose iniquities were laid upon Christ v. 8. for the transgressions of my people was he stricken and v. 12. he bare the sins of many as Matth. 20.28 and 26.28 The blood which is shed for many and he made intercession for sinners What doth he beare stripes for all the heathen and is he entred as High Priest for all Adams sons into the Holy of Holiest to plead and Advocate for such as Cicero Regulus Scipio Cato such as Pharoah Cain Judas Julian If he bare their iniquities he must beare their apostacie and finall infidelity or doth hee intercede for all and every one of mankinde 1 Ioh. 1.2 compared with 1 Ioh. 1.6 7 8 9 10. and Hebrew 9. He appeareth for us ver 24. for those that are sprinkled 13 14 15 16 17. and looke for him the second time vers 28. He maketh intercession for them that come to God through him Heb. 7.25 Who have a High Priest over the house of God Heb. 10.20 21 22. All these and many other places sheweth the contrary And the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3.24 is not a Redemption which might have been confined within Christ to reconcile God to himselfe and which might consist with the finall totall and utter perishing of all mankind 1. We are justified through this redemption and not by the works of the law 2. V. 25. God set forth Christ this redeemer to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 3. That Christ might appeare the justifier of the ungodly vers 26. and exclude boasting by the law of faith ver 27. and bee the God of Iews and Gentiles ver 30.31 so that it was never Gods minde to imprison a reconciliation within the Father and the Sonne and leave our heaven at such a dead and cold venture as the discretion of indifferent free will so as it might fall out if men pleased that the suretie Christ should die and all his poore broken friends die eternally and suffer the second death also Arminians turne the Gospel in the sadest and bloodiest bargaine that ever was and yet the new English Arminians worse then their fathers say they preach not the Gospel of grace nor Christ who preach not their universall attonement in a grosser way then ever Arminians did for 1. Arminians durst not say Christ died vice loco omnium singulorum sed tantum in bonum eorum he died not in the person place and roome of all mankinde but onely for their good as Socinus taught them But Master Moore saith this right downe pag. 3. 2. Arminians durst not say Christ died and rose again and pleadeth as high Priest and Advocate for all but onely for beleevers Mr. Moore saith that for all he rose and acquiteth us of all our sins pag. 4. The place 2 Cor. 5.14.15 doth not prove a Reconciliation of all within God as Mr. Moore dreameth 1. The All that Christ died for if one died for all then were all dead by no reason must bee in number equivalent to all that died in the first Adam Nor is there any reason in the text to make all those that are actually made alive in Christ and live not to themselves but to Christ equall in number to all that died in Adam 1. God gave not Christ to die for heathen who were never to hear of Christ that they might live to Christ. 2. These words hence forth know we no man not Christ after the flesh nor for the outward priviledge of Jewish dignitie circumcision or a temporall kindgome which fleshlie dignity the Apostles sometime knew Christ for and expected in him but now this is taken away and Christ hath died for all that is for Iews and Gentiles without respect of any such differencie for Christ gave his life for the Gentiles as well as for the Iews 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for All is a word of efficacie and holds forth the Lords effectuall intention but if Mr. Moores glosse stand there is no effectuall intention in Christ to save all and every one Nor doth the place 1 Tim. 2.4.6 signifie any reconciliation not applyed to persons for his being given a ransome for all noteth clearely an
all the world of Elect and Reprobate all Adams Sons live and die in sin and are tormented with the Devill and his Angels eternally such a thing as life eternall and the Kingdome of heaven is for no use offered or purchased to the redeemed who stand before the Throne and sing praises to the Lambe He is the Lord and builder of his house the Church but he hath no Church but that which cannot be called a Church I know no Article of the Gospel that this new and wicked Religion of universall attonement doth not contradict 11. To beleeve in Christ is to beleeve that omnipotency can save Judas Pharaoh and all every mortall man so they beleeve in Christ But Christ hath purchased sufficient grace to no mortall man because in the obtaining of eternall life to all the world as Arminians say neither faith repentance or grace to beleeve and repent hath any place God might after Christs death have required nothing for our actuall salvation but abstaine from eating the fruit of such a tree and yee have life eternall in Christ. 12. How can Christs satisfaction be imputed to any man seeing it is a meer possible salvation or a power to save that may and doth stand with the damnation of millions that Christ died for 13. Christs dying had in his eye the Sanctification the giving of the Spirit the raising to life the eternall glory of not one man more then another not of Peter of Moses more then of Cain or Judas though he said Joh. 17.19 For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe And v. 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me should be where I am that they may behold the glory that thou hast given me 9. I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me 14. Christ hath died yet he must by the Arminian way make no Testament appoint no certaine heires but win the dead mans Legacy by free will and have it who will 15. Christ obtained by his death that the Gospel should no more be preached then the Law or faith in an Angel that men may be saved Vse All the doctrine contrary to universall attonement doth highly advance Christ for by it the Lord Jesus as Mediator and our High Priest must be essentially grace and essentially an Ambassador of Grace It is kindly to Christ to save salvation belongeth to Christ as Christ injoy him as a Saviour and yee cannot perish be joyned to him as a Husband and he cannot but love and save his Spouse submit to him as a King and ye must share with him in his Throne his Kings royall Crown was never ordained for another end but that the lustre of the precious stones in that Crown should shine on the face and soules of his Redemed ones Christ came not to destroy but to seek and to save the lost get in union with Christ by faith and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus and he will save you to speak so whether you will or no yee complain of corruption he is a King over the body of sin he is a Priest to sacrifice lusts to preach Christ a dying Redeemer of all and every one of mankind when millions redeemed doe eternally perish is to steal away Christ from the people as thieves in Ieremiahs dayes did steal the word of the Lord it is to make the Lord Jesus as weak and powerlesse a Priest as ever any son of Aaron for his blood no more can take away their sins then the blood of Bullocks or Goats could doe it it s to enthrone free will and dethrone the grace of Christ and to put shame on the Lord Iesus and his blood and though these enemies of the crosse of Christ now croud in in England under the Name of the Godly party yet it was a good Observation of that Learned and gracious servant of Christ Doctor Ames who conversed with Arminans that he could never see a proof of the grace of Christ in the conversation of such men as in doctrine were declared enemies of the grace of Christ. Now for the world All and the World and all Nations it may be demonstrate from Christs will in the Scriptures that if universall attonement and Redemption of all and every one can be proved from these Grammattications Then with the like strength I can prove 1. The conversion of all and every mortall man to saving Faith 2. The eternall salvation of all and every man 3. The eternall perishing of all and every one which must be infinitely absurd and blasphemous And if the good will of God cannot be extended to the end and the efficacious and onely saving meanes tending to this end which are salvation and saving faith with no colour of reason can it be extended to one means of redeeming all and every one rather then to another 1. There is an universall conversion and saving illumination which is called in the Text A drawing of all And I when I am lifted up on the crosse will draw all men to me Here is a drawing of all men and so an effectuall conversion but not of all and every man as Mr Den saith 1. Because v. 33. This drawing is by the power of Christ lifted up on the Crosse and by the Holy Spirit given by Christ Joh. 7.39 and 14.16 7. and 15.26 â—7 and 16.7 1â— 14. Now it can bee no Gospel-truth that Christ draweth by the lifting of himselfe on the Crosse and by his death all and every man to himselfe even thousands and millions of the sons of Adam that never heard one letter or the least sound of the Gospel or of his lifting up on the Crosse for sure Christs death-drawing must be by proposing the beauty and lovelinesse of Christ crucified which thousands never heard of 2. This drawing must be all one with the drawing which effectually produceth running Cant. 1.4 after Christ. And which is Ioh. 6.44 Now when Christ saith No man can come except he be drawn He clearly sheweth that the drawing of the Father is a peculiar priviledge of some and not common to all as the other two expressions beside of being taught of God and hearing and learning of the Father 3. Because all the drawn are raised up by Christ their life and head at the last day v. 44.4 The Adversary cannot show any drawing of Christ or to Christ that is common to all and every one of mankind So All Israel shall know the Lord as its Heb. 8.10 for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel saith the Lord I will put my lawes into their minde and write them in their hearts and I will bee to them a God and they shall bee to mee a people vers 11. And they shall not teach every one his neighbour and every man his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall all know me from the least of them even to thâ— greatest When was this covenant made under the Mesiah when
the Holy Ghost on Ananias and Saphira Rom. 4. Abraham is called the father of us all A spirituall father by faith he is to those that are of the faith of Abraham Now Arminians will not suffer us to expound us all in the matter of Redemption of us all the elect of God and beleevers but of all and every one within the visible Church Joh. 1.16 And of his fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace There is as good ground for saving grace given to all in Christ as for Universall Redemption except the words be restricted For Arminians have ground from the words to alledge All we among whom Christ dwelt have received grace all we who saw his glory as the only begotten Son of God v. 14. which sight is the sight of saving faith not given to all and every Son of Adam 14. And he dwelt personally in the flesh and nature of all Adams Sons So is it said 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Jewes or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink unto one Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How can Arminians decourt from a spirituall communion in both Sacraments all Jewes and Gentiles in the visible body of Christ except they restrict all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we doe And 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Now Paul speaketh of all under the Gospel and under the glorious ministration of the Spirit opposite to the condition of the children of Israel who were under the Law which was the ministration of death v. 6 7 8. Whose minds are blinded through the vaile that was and yet is over the hearts of that stiffenecked people in reading of the Old Testament whereas this vail is taken away in Christ and wee all under the Gospel have the Spirit and are free and see the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same glory being in the Suburbs of Heaven all of us having our faces shining with the rayes and beames of the glory of the Gospel in the face of God in a more glorious manner then the face of Moses did shine when he came downe from the Mount with a glory that was to be done away whereas this is eternall v. 9 10 11 12. compared with v. 17 18. Now let Arminians speak if they thinke all and every one that heareth the Gospel are partakers of this vision of God in the Kingdome of Grace And Ephes 4. Christ ascending on high gifted his Church with a Ministery v. 13. Till we all come in the unitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God into a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ. When we to decline the absolute universality of the redemption of all and every one doe say We all and he tasted death for all men and Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all All must be restricted according to the Scope the antecedent and consequent of the Text we cannot be heard Master Moore saith we make the Holy Ghost to speake untruth because we expound all men to be few men yet must they either use the same restriction and acknowledge an universality of converted and saved men and so expound All to be few as we doe or they can no more decline the universall salvation of all and every one then we can decline the Catholike redemption of all and every one So they must say that the number of the perfected Saints that attaine to the fulnesse of grace and glory and to a perfect man in Christ is equall to that visible body the Church gifted with Apostles Evangelists Prophets and Pastors and Teachers For all the like places Arminians expound of the body of the whole body of the visible Church externally called now this is most absurd that all and every one should bee saved to whom Apostles and Pastors were sent to preach the Gospel then need force All must be restricted to the chosen flocke only So Luk. 16.16 The kingdome of God is preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and every man presseth violently to it The meaning is not as Master Denne saith that every one is pressed by command and Gospell-exhortation to repent For 1. from John Baptists time all and every one heareth not the Gospel Matth. 10.5 2 Matth. 11. ver 2. is clearely expounded by an Active verbe these that take heaven violenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take it by force but doe all and every Sonne of Adam take heaven by force No then there must be an All and a Catholicke company of converted and saved persons by this conceit And 1 Thess. 5.5 Yea are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the children of light and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of the darknesse these All that are called the children of the day are opposed in the foregoing Verses to the children of darkenesse on whom the last day commeth suddenly as child-birth paines on a woman 2. All these are the children of light who are exhorted to be sober not to sleep Vers. 6 7 8. And whom God hath not appointed for wrath but for salvation by the meanes of our Lord Jesus But these bee all the visible Church of Thessalonica Ergo there were no children of darkenesse among them which is absurd and will be denyed by Arminians When Christ speaketh to the multitude he saith Matth. 25.8 All yee are brethren they must be brethren by the new birth Vers. 8. Call no man your Father on earth c. Philip. 1.7 Yee are all partakers of my grace Now he speaketh of these in whom Christ had begunne the good worke and would perfect it into the day of Christ Vers. 6. Such the Arminians doe say were all the visible Saints at Philippi Then by this all and every one of them were converted 1 Cor. 11.4 The head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every man is Christ of every man without exception No these of whom Christ is hâ—ad these are his body the Church that have life from him and are knit to him by the Spirit and among themselves by spirituall ligatures Ephes. 1.22.23 and Christs fulnesse Ephes. 4 â—6 Col. 1.18 Gen. 21.6 All that heares shall laugh with me Sarah meaneth the laughter of faith then must all that heare of Sarahs bearing oâ— Isaak in her old age beleeve in Christ as Sarah did Psalm 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come a figure there must be in the word flâ—sh and if there be no figure in the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then must all flesh and all Adams Sonnes put up prayers to God contrary to experience and to Scripture Psalm 14.4 Psal. 53.4 Jer. 10.25 So Psal.
72.12 All Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall serve him it s meant of Christ and in the letter cannot be true if many refuse him to be their King Psalm 2.9.2.3 Lâ—k 19 14. Psal. 110.1 So is it said Psal. 22.27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of â—he Nations shall worship before thee Now that he meaneth of spirituall turning to God and of Repentance is cleare Vers. 18. For the Kingdome is the Lords and he is the Governour among the Nations Vers. â—3 A seed shall serve him it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation Except there be a restriction of this All how will Arminians eschew this that all and every man of the heathen shall repent and be a holy seed devoted to the Lord as his Righteous ones For sure the same expression of all Nations Esai 40.16 are taken for all and every one of mankinde Psalm 66 9. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy name Esai 66.23 And it shall come to passe that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come â—o worship before me saith the Lord. Let Arminians speake if all flesh that commeth before God from Sabbath to Sabbath under the New Testament to worship be as large and comprehensive as the same expression Esai 40.6 All flesh is grasse Sure the latter comprehendeth all Adams Sonnes without exception even including infants the former cannot beare so wide a sense So Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed Gen. 22.18 If the meaning be that without any figure or exception all and every family be blessed in Christ then shall I inferre that all the families of the earth without exception are justified by faith in Christ Gal. 3.10 11 12 13.14 And that the Nations of the earth without exception are heires of the promise have right to strong consolation are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope laid before them and have anchored thâ—ir hope up within the veilo whither the fore-runner Christ hath entred for of these Nations the Apostle expoundeth the promise Hebr. 6.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. So Esai 27.6 Israel shall blossome and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit then shall there bee none on earth but the blossoming Iâ—rael of God Rom. 11.26 And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written there shall come out of Sion a deliverer c. These that Paul calleth all Israel Esaiah 69.20 21. calleth Jaakob and the seed and the seeds seed Esaiah 59.19 So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sunne Mal. 1.11 For from the rising of the Sunne even to the going downe of the same any name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering for my name shall bee great among the heathen saith the Lord of Hosts If from the East to the West and in all places of the Gentiles men feare the name of the Lord then sure the whole inhabitants of the earth between the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same must bee converted to Christ and offer prayers prayses spirituall service to Christ except some restriction be made the most part from the East to the West are enemies to the Gospel And how would Arminians triumph if so much were said for universall Redemption as here is said for universall Regeneration and Conversion of all except we say there must be a figure a Senechdoche of All for many Or Christs all and universalitie of converted ones must bee here meant Joh. 1.9 That was the true light that inlighteneth every one that commeth into the world What Even infants who come into the world and all and every one of Adams Sonnes it cannot bee true in any sense except it be meant of the light of the Gospel that yet never came to the halfe part of the world For Vers. 10. The world knew him not and Vers. 6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John ver 7. the same came for a witnesse to beare wâ—tnesse of the light that all men through him might beleeve Can any divinity teach that God intended that all and every mortall man should beleeve by him that is by the Ministery of John the morning starre which was to fall and disappeare and shine no more at the rising of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse 1 Joh. 2.27 Yee need not that any teach you but the anointing that yee have received teacheth you all things Why should then fewer have the Spirit of holy unction in them then the world for whom Christ is a propitiation and all the visible Saints that John writeth unto 1 Joh. 1 2. 2.1.2 4.9 God sent his onely begotten Sonne to the world that we through him might live nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anone that Christ dyed for all that is all ranks of men For All is put in Scripture ordinarily for many as Deut. 1.21 Psal. 71.18 Ier. 15.10 and 19.9 and 20.7 and 23.30 and 49.17 Ezech. 16.27 Exod. 33.10 Col. 1.28 Isai. 61.9 Gen. 41.57 Mark 14.4 Joh. 3.26 Acts 17.31 and 10.38 Mark 1.37 2 Cor. â— 2 Luke 24.47 and 4.15 Isai 2.2 3. Otherwise I could say Christ died for no man because the Scripture ascribeth an universality to the wicked Jer. 6.28 c. 9.2 Mic. 1.7 1 Iohn 2.15 16. and 1 Iohn 5.19 And surely that election and redemption move both in the same spheare and or be of the free love of God is cleare to me from that place Ioh. 3.16 on which Arminians confide much for Gods love to save mankinde by the death of Christ is the very love of election to glory of such certaine persons as the Lord therefore gives grace to beleeve because they are ordained to life eternall so that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many and the number of beleevers and of the chosen to life are equall Acts 13.48 Ioh. 10.26 Rom. 8.29.30 1. That love cannot bee a generall confused antecedent conditionall love offered to all the world on condition they beleeve for that the Scripture freeth thousands of the sinne of unbeliefe of that love if Christ come not to them and speake not Ioh. 15.22 and Paul saith Rom. 1.14 How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Now the loved world Ioh. 3.16 is obliged to beleeve 2. That love that is the cause of Christs death is Ioh. 15.13 the greatest love that is it is such a giving love whereby Christ gives his Sonne that with him hee cannot but give his Holy Spirit faith and salvation yea and all things Rom. 8.32 But the conditionall generall love is not the greatest love for the Lord beareth not the greatest
Sion Esai 51.10 11. They shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flie away And Hos. 13.14 1 Cor. 15.54 They are ransomed from the grave Let them find in all the Old or New Testament any ransomed of the Lord and ransomed from the grave cast in outer darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth they are redeemed from all iniquity purified as a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 1.18 Gal. 1.4 1 Pet. 2.24 9. This ransome is to be testified in due time or as 1 Pet. 1.20 21. was manifest in these last last times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For you the elect of God that beleeve by him Rule 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is undeniably expounded of all that are saved only and is restrictive such a Physitian cured all the Citie that is no man is cured but by him Ex. 28. â—4 Jethro saith to Moses What is this that thou doest thou sittest alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all the people stand by thee from morning till evening for judgement the scope of Jethro is to condemne Moses in wearing out his Spirit and taking the burthen of judging all the people himself alone Num 11.13 and his words beare not that all the people without exception came for judgement that had beene unpossible but because there was then no other Judge but Moses the sense is cleare all that were to be judged they were to be judged by no other but by Moses onely Revel 13.8 And all that dwell in the earth worshipped the beast that is all seduced to Popish Idolatry were seduced by the beastly Vicar of Christ and his limbes Joh. 11.48 If we let him alone all will beleeve in him that is none will beleeve in us nor follow us and all seduced men shall be seduced by him Joh. 3.26 Johns disciples a little emulous that Christ drew all the water from their Masters Mill say Behold he baptizeth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all men come to him that is there be now no comers nor followers of men but such as follow this Jesus That Christ in this sense should be the Saviour of all men that he should have a negative voice in the salvation of all that all the ransomed ones should come through his hands is no other thing then Peter saith Act. 4.11 That there is no other Name under heaven by which men may be saved and none comes to the Father but by him Joh. 14.6 then all that come to God come by him only Christ is the heire of blessings and in him all the kindreds of the earth are blessed Act. 3.25 but it follows as well all and every mortal man are glorified as redeemed by this Logick Out of his fulnesse we All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that receive doe receive from him Joh. 1.16 Upon this is grounded the common nature of all that Christ assumed that no man should be saved but by a man Hence say Arminians Looke how far the nature of man extendes the ransome extendeth as farre But saith Master Moore the nature is common to Adams Sonnes all and every one as Men contra-distinguished from Angels Hebr. 29 16. But there is a wide difference between the fitnesse and aptitude that man should dye for man not an Angel for a man and the intention and good will of God that Christ should either take on him the nature of man to die for mankind rather then for Angel-kind Heb. 2.16 And why he should dye for this man Peter or John not that man Pharaoh or Judas the reason of the former was the infinite wisdome of God seeing a congâ—uity of justice in it that the nature that sinnes should suffer for sinne Whether Christ having a soule of a spirituall nature as Angels might have fitly beene a suffering Saviour for them which may be thought possible is another question But the reason of the other is onely the grace of God who could give a hire or a price to Christ to move him to die for you and effectually and savingly by gifting you with faith and not for another All the Jesuits Arminians Papists Socinians for their selves selves if provoked shall not answer except there bee a Fountaine-will that solveth all touching Men and Angels Hee hath mercy on whom he will and hardens whom he will and who hath givâ—n to him first and it shall be recompenced And with as good reason Because Christ is glorifyed at the right hand of God in mans nature common to all Adams sons may they inferre that all and every man is risen againe from the dead with Christ. As Col. 3.1 2. and all and every man is set with Christ in heavenly places Ephes. 2.6 and so all and every man must be glorified with Christ. For as Christ dyed in a nature common to all men so in a nature common to all he rose againe ascended to heaven is glorified at the right hand of God But the truth is Christ assumed that nature that is common to all men but not as common to all men but as the seed of Abraham Hebr. 2.16 as the flesh and bloud of the children vers 14. of his brethren not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit that are or were to be borne againe And it is true Jesus Hebr. 2.9 is made a little lower then the Angels I hope the comparison is not with all and every one of the Angels he was never made a little lower then all Angels even evill Angels Nor â— hath hee tasted of death for every man that is for all and every sonne of Adam 1. We know no grace as common to all and every one of Adams sons as nature 2. Because the Scripture makes nature wrath sin death common to all Rom. 5.14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Rom. 3.9 10 11 12 13 14 15. Job 14.4 Psal. 51.5 Ephes 2.1 2 3. Hebr. 9.27 But for grace the word of the covenant a covenant of grace Reconciliation into grace and favour with God justification we know no such things common to all and every one of Adams sonnes for then all must be borne the covenanted justified reconciled beloved with the greatest love that is Joh. 15.13 ransomed redeemed in Christs bloud a people neere in the beloved chosen as peculiar to God as well as heires of wrath 2 That some sinnes against the first covenant are taken away in Christ and not all as 1 Joh. 1.8 or some halfe-redeemed in Christs bloud not wholly we know not 3 That Christ should taste death for all it being as good as if all in person had not onely sipped but drunken death out to the bottome and yet that the greatest part must drinke death to the bottome againe is no Gospel-truth 4 Nor is the Apostles argument of weight to exalt Christ as he entendeth Hebr. 2. to say Christ so tasted death for all as all and every one notwithstanding many never have either saving
and numerous off-spring of children and when they are gathered together they are a faire beloved world In the Hebrew many and great are often one and the same As one Rubie is worth ten hundreth one Saphir worth thousands of common stones so one Saint is more then ten thousand wicked men then all together they must be an All a world a whole world of ransomed ones hidden ones Psal. 83.4 of the Lords Jewels Mal. 3.17 and of Christs precious ones Isai. 43.4 they are the floure and the choise of mankinde 2. Christ is willing to take away all heart-exceptions of unbeliefe from men As. 1. Can God bee borne of a woman to save men not Angels Beleeve it saith the Lords Spirit with a sort of oath Heb. 2.16 Verily hee tooke on him the seede of Abraham not the nature of Angels Halt not at Christs man-kindnesse and not Angel-love to the excellenter childe by nature the Angel when he fell and it s to remove our doubts that God is brought in promising and swearing the covenant Christ is a sworne covenanter Heb. 6.12 When God made promise to Abraham because hee could sweare by no greater he sware by himselfe Ezech. 33. The people slandred the Lord he delighted so to have the people pine away in their iniquities that hee would punish them for no fault but the childrens teeth should be set on edge for the sinnes of the father and the grapes that they eate not themselves The Lord answers that calumnie Ezech. 18. And here as I live I delight not so so as you slanderously and blasphemously say in the death of a sinner by my life I desire you may repent and live nor have I pleasure to punish innocent men for no sinne at all And the second Exception is But Christs heart is not ingaged with a heart-burning purpose or desire to save man the purpose of saving came upon him but yesterday yea but saith Christ it was not a yesterdayes businesse but was contrived from eternity Proverb 8. before the Lord made Sea or Land vers 30. I was by him as one brought up as a sonne nourished with him I was daily when there was neither night nor day his delights rejoycing in the habitable earth and my delighâ—s were with the sonnes of men Two words expresse Christ old and eternall love to men his delights was with the sonnes of men as Christ was his Fathers delight from eternitie so was Christ feasting himselfe on the thoughts of love delight and free grace to men sure not to Pharoah Judas and all the race of the wicked and with such a love as if free will please should never injoy one sonne of Adam 2. I was saith Christ playing and sporting in the habitable earth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to play in a dance it is 2 Sam. 6.21 spoken of Davids dancing before the Ark and 1 Sam. 18.7 The women in Israel playing answered one another in their songs It holds forth this that it resolves the question that Augustine loosed to a curious head asking what the Lord was doing before the world was he was delighting in his sonne Christ and the thoughts of the Lord Iesus in that long and endlesse age were solacing him and they were skipping and passing time in loving and longing for the fellowship of lost men and since God was God O boundlesse duration the Lord Iesus in a manner was loving and longing for the dawning of the day of Creation and his second coming againe to judgement the marriage day of union with sinners Christ was as it were from eternity with childe of infinite love to man and in time in the fulnesse of time it blossomed forth and the birth came out in a high expression of love the man-childe the love of Christ was borne and saw the light Gal. 4.4 Tit. 3.4 when Christ was ripe of love to bring forth free salvation glory glory to the Wombe and the Birth And a third Exception is But sinners dis-obliged Christ and provoked him as his enemies can it be that in time seeing how undeserving we were he could heartily and seriously die for man offer himselfe to all God may have mercy on the work of his hand but he cannot have mercy on sinners Answ. 1. It s true the Gospel is contrary to nature and not one Article more thwarteth and crosseth carnall wisedome then that of imputed righteousnesse That crosseth Morall Phylosophy so much as we can more easily beleeve the rising of the dead or any the greatest miracle the drying up of the red Sea then beleeve the Gospel for we beleeve the Gospel for miracles as motives not as causes of Faith not Miracles for the Gospel and if at the first we beleeve the Gospel for Miracles then we naturally rather beleeve Miracles and the dividing of the Red Sea and the raising of the dead then we can beleeve that Christ came to die for sinners 2. Consider with what a strong good will Christ died Luke 9.51 And it came to passe when his time was come that he should be received up he stedfastly set his face to goe to Jerusalem He hardned his face he emboldned himself to goe to Jerusalem to suffer he mended his pace and went more swiftly with a strong fire of love to expend his blood Luke 12.50 I have a baptisme to be baptized with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how am I fettered or besieged as the word is used Luke 19.43 till it be perfected 3. What could move Christ to lie and fancie were his weeping and tears counterfeit were his dying bleeding sweating pain sorrow shame but all shewes for the market and to take the people Isai. 53.44 Surely really he bare our sorrowes 4. His offer must be reall Joh. 7.37 for with vehemency he speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He stood and shouted in the Temple if any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Here is a dear fountain to all thirsty soules and most free Christ thirsteth and longeth to have thirsty sinners come gratis and drink But I doubt he beares not me in particular at good will are the promises made for me Did he love me before the world was Did Christ dying intend salvation for me This doubt draweth us to the fift particular that so I may hasten to the uses which is what sort of Faith it is that God requireth of all within the visible Church for the want whereof Reprobates are condemned Assertion 1. Saving Faith required of all within the visible Church is not as Antinomians conceive the apprehension of Gods everlasting love of Election to glory of all and every one that are charged to beleeve Saltmarsh in an ignorant and confused Treatise tells us To beleeve now is the only worke of the Gospel that is that ye be perswaded of such a thing that Christ was crucified for sins and for your sins so as salvation is not a businesse of
deals sincerely candidly with them for first he commands them to beleeve no intention in God to save them by the death of his Son nor saith he any such thing to them but only commandeth them to rely on Christ as an alsufficient Saviour Secondly God commands all the reprobate even by their way to beleeve that Christ in his death intended their salvation justification conversion and yet whereas God taketh wayes effectuall and such as he foreseeth shall be effectuall for the efficacious working of justification and conversion and actuall glorification of some few yet he taketh wayes which he knoweth shall be utterly ineffectuall for the salvation justification and conversion of all these reprobates and yet commandeth thâ—m to beleeve that he decree and intendeth their salvation and conversion with no lesse ardency and vehemency of serious affection then he doth intend the salvation and conversion of all that shall bee glorified Sure this we would call double dealing in men and the Scripture saith he is a God of truth Deut. 32. and the Lord who cannot lie Object If a rich Inne-keeper should dig a Fountain in his Field for all passengers thirsty and diseased which were able to cure them and quench their thirst and invite them all to come and drink and be cured upon condition they come and beleeve the vertue of the water to be such and yeâ— should intend and decree absolutely and irresistibly the tenth man invited should never be cured this Innekeeper should not deal sincerely with them So you make God to deal with sinners in the Gospel He doth all in inviting sâ—ck sinners to come and drinâ— life and salvation at Christ the Fountain of life which expresseth with men who speak as they think their sincere intention but he intendeth no such thing Answ. Make the comparison runne as it should doe and it maketh more against Arminians say that this Inne-keeper had dominion over the heart and will as the Lord hath Prov. 21.1 Psal. 119.36 37. Hebr. 13.20 21. Matth. 6.13 and that he could and doth without straining of the heart work in all the passengers a sense of their disease grace actually to come and drink and yet hee taketh a dealing with the soules of some few and causeth them come to the waters and drink and healeth them and he useth such meanes and so acts upon the will of the farre most part that they shall never come never be sensible of their disease and yet he invites them to come to the waters and drink its clear this Inne-keeper never intended the health of all and every one of the passengers but only of these few that come and drink nor doth invitations with men upon condition which the party invited is obliged to perform but doth never perform and which the inviter only of grace can work in the invited but doth not work them as being not obliged thereunto speak any such intention Again let it be considered that here 1 God lies in wait for no mans destruction 2 God is not obliged to reveal his eternall purpose and intentions touching mens salvation and damnation but in the way and manner seemes best to him 3 God never saith in all the Gospel that from eternity he hath passed a resolve to save all mankinde if they will and to yeeld them the bridle on their own necks that they may bee indifferent and absolute Lords of Heaven and Hell 4 Nor should the Gospel be framed in such wisdomâ— if the Lord had set down particularly the names of all the Elect and Reprobate in the world and have proponed salvation upon condition of obedience and faith to some few it should evidently have raysed a hard opinion in the mindes of thousands touching Christ. Asser. 4. The third object of Faith is the sufficiency and power of Christ to save 1 The Scripture maketh the object of comming which is beleeving Ioh. 5.40 Ioh. 6.35 Matth. 11.27 to be Christs ability and power Hebr. 7.25 to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them What the Scripture presseth us to beleeve savingly that we must be inclined to misbeleeve and for the misbeleeving thereof the reprobates are condemned and not because they beleeve not the Lords intention to save all or his decrees of election and reprobation But the Scripture presseth faith in the power of mercy Rom. 4.21 Abraham staggered not but was strong in the faith giving glory to God being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Now Abraham is commended for that he savingly and for his justification beleeved the power of God in the Gospell promise that God was able of his mercy to give him the sonne of promise in his old age otherwise to beleeve simply the power of God to give a child to a mother who is passed the naturall date of bearing children is but the faith of miracles which of it selfe is not sâ—ving and may bee in workers of iniquity Matth. 7.21 22. so this power then is the power of saving conjoyned with the mercy and good will of Christ. 2 The Scripture holds forth to our faith the power of God to graffe in the Jewes again in Christ Rom. 11.23 to make a weak beleever stand Rom. 14.4 to keep the Saints from falling and to present them faultlesse bâ—fore the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Iude v. 24. 3 The good Land was a type of the heavenly rest Heb 4.1 and Heb. 3.19 some entred not in through unbeleefe why what unbeleefe the Story sheweth us Psal· 93.7 Num. 14.9 Num. 13.28 they doubted of the power of God and beleeved the report of the unbeleeving Spies who said The people be strong that dwell in the Land the Cities are walled and very great and moreover we saw the childâ—en of Anak there Joshua and Caleb chap. 14.9 said they should not be bread for them and their strength was gone then the question was whether God was able to give them that good Land So then men enter not into the heavenly rest because they beleeve not that Iesus is able to save to the uttermost those that come through him to God Heb. 7.23 4 The Scripture is as much in proving the alsufficiency power and perfection of Christ our Saviour to save as in demonstrating his tendernesse of mercy and goodwill to save as in the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Apostle laboureth much for to prove the Godhead of Christ his excellency above Angels and that the Angels were to adore him his dignity and greatnesse above Moses and all the mortall and dying Priests the vertue of his blood above all the bloods of Buls and Goats to purge the conscience from dead works to expiate sinne to sanctifie his people to open a way a new and living way to the holy of holiest by his blood that we with full assurance may draw near to God that he with one Sacrifâ—ce
but to him who can reveale God to me Christ is the bosome the heart the only new and living way and door to God all creatures Angels Men Saints are strangers to God The substantiall the essentiall the lâ—ving intellectuall Image and being God must reveale God Christ saith to Philip Ioh. 14.9 He that hath seen me hath seen the Father open Christ and you open God enjoy Christ and you enjoy God come into Christ and you come to a new world to a new all to an new infinite Ocean and you fall in the bosome of a Godhead 4. To me as to all perfection and compleatnesse of fulnesse they are but all streames and shaddows and emptinesse while you come to Christ poore nothing is an empty bottome to a sinner Ioh 1.16 Out of his fulnesse have all we received even grace for grace this is fountain fulnesse Gods fulnesse Col. 2.9 For in Christ is fulnesse it selfe 2. Not fulnesse going and comming there a fulnesse in the Sea but it is ebbing and flowing a fulnesse in the Moon but decreasing and growing an fulnesse in the creature but going and comming up and and down but in Christ there dwelleth a fulnesse it is with Christ new Moon and full Moon and dawning and noon-day all at once 3. All fulnesse dwelleth in Christ there is fulnesse of beauty in Absolom but not of truth and sincerity fulnesse of wisdome in Salomon but not fulnesse of constancy he gave his heart to pleasure and folly fulnesse of policy in Achitophel but not fulnesse of holinesse and faithfulnesse to his Prince yea it was fulnesse of folly to hang himself fulnesse of strength in Sampson but not fulnesse of faith soundnesse courage of minde he was strong in body but soft and impotent in minde and was overcome by an woman there is an hiatus a hole and some emptinesse in every creature an Angels fulnesse sitteth neighbour to pure nothing the Angel may be turned â—nto nothing and is by nature capable of folly But in Christ there is all fulnesse 4 But as every fulnesse is not all fulnesse so every fulnesse is not the fulnesse of the God-head theâ— to me it s as much as the Elect are drawn to Chriâ—â— as the choycest the rarest amongst all 2. So amongst all choise things and all relatâ—ons he is the first and most eminent and gloâ—ious among Kings Revel 1.5 The Prince of the kings of the earth Revel 10.16 The King of kings the Lord of lords Among Prophets the Pâ—ophet raised out of the inwâ—rd part of the Brethâ—en Deut. 18.18 among Priests the highest and great the eternall Priest after the order of Melchizedech Heb. â— 1 Heb. 7.17 among gods he stands he 's alone the onely wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 Among Angels the Angel of the Lords substanciall presence the Arch-angel the head of Angels Esai 63.9 1. Thes. 4.16 Col. 2.10 Among beautifull things the flowre of Jesse the rose of Sharon the lilâ—y of the valleys faiâ—er then the children of men Isai. 11 1â— Cant. 2.1 Psal. 45.2 there is such grace created in no lips yea uncreated grace is in no face but in his only among shepherds the chief shepherd 1 Pet. 5.4 among Armies the standard-bearer and Chief amongst ten thousand Cant. 5.10 amongst Creatures the first-borne of every creature Col. 1.15 among Hâ—irs the Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 among those that were dead and is alive againe and the fruit that groweth out of death Christ is the fiâ—st-born from the dead Col. 1.18 and the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 among sonnes he is Gods first begotten sonne Heb. 1.6 his only begotten sonne 1 â—ohn 4.9 among Saviours none to bee named a Savioâ—â— under heaven but he only Acts 4 12. neither is there salvation in any other the first among brethren Rom. 8.29 the first born among many brethren In a word hee iâ— the choise and the first of the flock the flower the first glory the standerd-bearer of heaven the heart the rose the prime delight of heaven the choisest of heaven and earth the none-such the chiefe of all bâ—loveds Some have one single excellency some another Abraham was excellent in faith Moses in his choâ—se of Christ above all the treasures of Egypt David in his sincerity having a heart like Gods heart But Christ hath all eminency of grace in one Some are Gods that shal die as men Christ the Prince of life was dead but can die no more Some are wise but he is wâ—sdome it selfe some are faire but Christ is the beauty and brightnesse of the Fathers glory Wee are apt to have low and creeping thoughts of Iesus Christ and to undervalue Christ. 3. There 's need of an Angel-engine framed in heaven of a tongue immediateâ—y created by God and by the infinite Art of omnipotency above other tongues to speak of the praises of â—hrist and that Pen must be moulded of God and the Ink made of the river of the water of life and the Paper fairer then the body of the Sunne and the heart as pure as innocent and sinlesse Angels who should write a Book of the vertue and supereminent excellency of Iesus Christ All words even uttered by Prophets and Apostles come short of Christ. Imagine that Angels and Men and millions of created heavens of more then now are should build a Temple and a high Seat or Throne of Glory raysed from the earth to the highest circumference of the heaven of heavens and millions of miles above that highest of heavens and let the timber not be Cedar or Almugge trees nor the inside Gold of Ophir seven times refined but such trees as should grow out of the banks of the pure River of water of Life that runneth through the street of the New Ierusalem and overlayd with a new sort of Gold that was found above the Sunne and Starres many degrees above the Gold of Ophir and let the stones not bee Marble nor Saphires nor Rubies nor digged out of the excellentest earth imaginable but more reâ—â—ined then elementary nature can furnish let every stone be a starre or a peece of the body of the Sunne and let the whole fabrick of the House exceed the glory of Solomons Temple as farre as all precious stones exceed the mire in the streets and let Iesus Christ sit above in the highest Seat of Glory in this Temple as hee dwelt in Solomons Temple the chair should bee but a created shadow too low and to base for him This is not yet like the Lords expression by the Apostle shewing how eminent and high Christ is Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God also hath more then exalted him hee saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath highted or exalted Christ but God hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over-highted and super-exalted him and hath gifted to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name above all names that is reall honour above all expression above all thoughts if
such a temple and seat of Majesty mâ—ght be named it should not be above every name nor a glory above every glory that can be named either in this world or in the world to come To me Conversion is the drawing of a sinner to Christ it s a supernaturall journey it s not a common way to come to this eternall wisdome of God as saith Iob 28.7 A path which no fowle knoweth and the vultures eye hath not seen where is the place of understanding ver 21. seeing it is hid from all living and kept close from the fowls of the aire v. 22. destruction and death say weâ— have heard the fame thereof with our â—ares ver 23. where is it then Natures dark candle cannot show it ver 23. God undâ—rstandeth the way thereof and he knoweth the place thereof Prov. 15.24 The way of life is on high the way of the life of all excellent lives is an high and an exalted way every man knows it not 2. Christ saith by way of exclusion that hee getteth not one soule to him but by strong hand and violence never man comes to Christ on his owne clay-leggs and with the strength of his owne good-will Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 3. There be other acts of God of an high reach in these that come to Christ as there must be resigning over a making over of the Father to the Sonne v. 39. All that the Fatheâ— giveth me shall come The Fathers making over of any soule or his giving one to Christ is not by way of alienation as if the man belonged no more to the Father or were no more under the tutorie and guidance of the Father but under the sonne Familists teach us That there be distinct seasons of the working of the severall persons of the Trinitie so as the soule may bee said to be so long under the fathers and not the Sonnes and so long under the Sonnes work and not the Spirits Wee know no such destinct posts to heaven nor such shifting from hand to hand the Saints have many bouts in their way to glory but all the three joyntly at the same season help at the lifting of the dead out of the graves Ioh. 6.39.44.45 Ioh. 5 24.25 All the three in one dead list openeth blinde eyes and converteth lost sinners Matth. 11.25.26.27 Eph. 1.17.18 Mat. 16.17 Ioh. 12.32 2 Cor. 3.14.15.16.17 Ioh. 14.23 Ioh. 16.7 8.9.10 Ioh. 14.16 Eph. 2.1.2.3.4 1 Iâ—â— 2.27 1 Ioh. 5.6.7 Grace mercy and peace cometh that the same season to the seven Chuâ—ches from all the three From him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits that is before the throne and from Ieâ—us Christ who is the faithfull witnesse c. 2 Cor. 13.14 Revel 1.45 Then the Father so giveth the elect to the sonne as I should not desiâ—e to be out from under the care and tutory of the Father the Father maketh them over and keepeth them in his own bowels and in the truth Ioh. 17.2.10.11 So there is the Fathers teaching and the hearing and learning from the Father Ioh. 6.15 It is written in the Prophets and they shall all be taughâ— of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to mee In the uses of the doctrine I have three things to speak of 1. What a sinne they bee under who resist the right arm of the Father 2. What free-will and morall honestie can do or how nothing they are to work a communion with God 3. These are to be refuted who think we are neiâ—her to pâ—ay nor to doe nor to work out our salvation in fear and trembling but when the Lord by saving Grace acteth in us and draweth irresistibly Now to the end that this common Gospel-sinne may be the better seene in all its spots consider 1. What is in Christ the drawer 2. What is in Grace by which sinners are drawn 1. In Christ the drawer There bee many drawers suiting us the world is the taile of the great red Dragon and his taile drew the third part of the starres of heaven and did cast them downe to the earth Revel 12.4 Glorious professours like glistering starres up in heaven are drawn away after the dirty world should there bee more power in Sathans taile to draw down stars from heaven then there is beauty and sweetnesse in Christs face to ravish hearts and Deut. 30.17 Some turn away their hearts and are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them yet they are but bastard gods Christ has a true reall God-head in himselfe Why will you not be drawne after the smell of his precious ointments and Act. 5.37 Iudas of Galilee arose and drew away much people after him and they were destroyed and Iam. 1.14 every tempted man and who is not tempted is drawn away of his own lust and this is a mother with child of death and hell supposed goodnesse is an angle a vast net that drawes millions of souls to eternall perdition every man has a soule-drawer about him divels and false teachers are pulling at and hailing soules O bee drawn by Christ he is the rose without a thorne the Sunne without a cloud the beauty of the Godhâ—ad without a spot hee drawes his Fathers heart to love him and delight in him Christs love and the art of free grace are good at drawing of soules there is not a soule-drawer comparable to him Ah our hearts are as heavy as hell suppose that hell were of the bignesse of ten worlds all of Sand yron or the heaviest stones in the world nay all fancies that pretend lovelinesse are but lyes and Christ true every peece of fair clay is hell and Christ heaven every beauty blacknesse and he all loves Cant. 5.16 2. For alluring souls in a morall way nothing like Christ in the Gospel David is called by the holy Ghost the sweet singer of Israel when Christ speaketh to hearts he sings like heaven and like the glory of a new unseen world Deut. 3â— 16 Ioseph was blessed of the Lord for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush It s most alluring in Christ that he is the bird in the bush the bird of Paradise the Turtle in our Land Can. 2.12 that singeth the sweet Gospel-hymnes and Psalms of good tidings from Sion peace peace from heaven to the broken-hearted mourners in Sion all the Gospel is a love-song of Christ dying for love to enjoy sinners of clay and to have them with him in heaven are not these love-songs of the bird whose nest was in the bush If any man thirst saith Christ let him come to me and drink and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely if this cannot draw to Christ the law curses rewards cannot draw Christ pipeth a spring of joyfull newes but few dance Matth. 11.16 3. The lower
Christ see what expâ—â—ssion is put on the last judgement that same is on the judgemâ—nt of Ierusalems destruction for resisting Christ For 1. It s hell-like when mothers shall wish their children had never been born and when they shall as damned in the day of judgement pray Mountaines fall on us and Hils cover us Luk. 23.29.30 Vse 2. If Christ draw all men to him then they are farre wide who think that free-will and morall honesty can bring men to heaven there be no Moralists in heaven who were pure Moralists on Earth and had nothing of the Gospel-drawing and of supernaturall work in them civill Saints can never be glorified Saints thousands are deceived with this they think their lamp can shew them light to know the Bride-grooms chamber-doore but taâ—e these for marks of deluded men 1. Such men will shoot and cry at adultery as he that took Abrahams Wife from him and a Cain may be madded with murthering his brother but was Cain touched for Gospel sins is Judas wakened in conscience for that which is the speciall condemning gospel-sinne the cause of condemnation and dying in sin Ioh. 3.36 Ioh. 16.9 chap. 8.24 No but for murthering his Master it s the light of the Spirit that seeth spirituall sins spiritually 2. Profession looketh like Paradise and the raine-Bow its big in its own eyes and the fairest for variety of coulors but it s a self-plague and doth carry millions of souls to hell without din and noise of feet its Christ acting judicially on the hypocrite within pistoll shot of a besieged soule making fire-works under the earth and when all within are sleeping Christ springeth a powder-Mine and burneth up all forward Gospel-fire-works maketh more then ordinary fury in the soule open open to Christ multiplyed fastings and taking Christs crown from him are dreadfull 3. They had never a sick-night for the want of Christ Gospel profession is a light to let men see to sinne a candle to let men see to goe to hell and lye down in sorrow with art Ah what comfort is it that I goe to hell no man seeing me and by stealth and my back to the Pit What a poore comfort to goe to eternall perdition fasting and praying monthly multiplying dayes of thanksgiving and withall plundering Christ of his Royall Crown following the sinnes of Prelates whom God cast out before us exercising rapine and unjustice giving new lawes to Christ and planting plants which God will root out The manner of perishing is a poor accâ—dâ—nt of death O but heart-boyling of love a faint pulse a pale and a lean sinner dying for the absence of Christ no man but the Spirit and Physitian knowing what ails hâ—m are sweet diseases let the love of Christ absâ—nt be in the mans soule a deep river how sweet were it to be drowned in â—hat river and to die an hundreth deaths in one day because he whom the soule loves is gone away O watchmen know you not where he is O daughters of Ierusalem can you tel him that I am sick of love O shepheards where is Christs Tent where dwels he what is profession to this a shadow a straw nothing vanity 4 What a decitfull thing is it make free-will the great Idoll and to hire an house in heaven for the income and rent of merit can it be imagined that the love of Christ can be hired so much as it should have of hire so much it should want of free-love how can the heart of God be taken with the merit of man grace is the floure and the freenesse of grace like the beautifull bloome of the floure and this freenesse is so taking that it layes bands and chaines on the heart were there a good deserving in the man to buy grace the cord should be as a single and untwisted thred Vse 3. Christ so drawes all men to him that drawn mans will is not forced as we have seene and therefore Libertines erre fouly who make the drawn partie blocks and stones and meere patients hence these positions of Familists and Libertines 1. In the saving and gracious conversion of a sinner thâ— faculties of the soule and working thereof in things pertaining to God are destroyed and made to cease 2. And instead of these the holy Ghost doth come and take place and doth all the works of these naturall faculties as tâ—e faculties of the humane nature of Christ doe 3. The new creature or the new man mentioned in scripture is not meant of grace but of Christ. 4. Christ worketh in the regenerate as in those that are dead and not as in those that are alive or the regenerate after conversion are altogether dead to spirituall acts 5. There is no inherent righteousnâ—sse in the Saints or grace or graces are not in the soules of beleevers but grace is Christ himselfe working in us who are meere patients in all supernaturall works 6. Faith repentance new obedience are gifts not graces all the elect are saved and receive the Kingdome as little children doe their fathers inheritance passively Mr Towne saith in Sanctification as well as in justification we are meere patients and can doe nothing at all Assertion of grace p. 11.68 7. The Spirit doth not work in Hypocrites by gifts and graces but in Gods children immediatly 8. We may not pray for gifts and graces but onely for Christ. 9. The efficacy of Chirsts death is to kill all activity of Graces in his members that he might act all in all 10. All the activity of a beleever is to act sinne 11. We are not bound to keep a constant course of prayer in our families or privately unlesse the Spirit stirre us thereunto 12. If Christ will let me sinne let him look to it upon his honour be it 13. The new heart and the walking in Gods commandements are no conditions of the Covenant of Grace where is there one word that God saith to man thou shâ—ll doe this if God had put man upon these things then they were conditions indeed but when God takes all upon himselfe where are then the conditions on mans part If there be a condition he that vndertaketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault if the Lord work not in us a cleane heart and cause us not walk in his commandements it s then the Lords fault absâ—t blasphemia if we sinne against the covenant 14. The blessednesse of a man is onely passive not active in his holy and unblameable walking To the end that these errors may the more fully bee discovered we are to enquire in these Assertions what activitie wee have in works of grace Asser. 1. In the first moment of our conversion called actus primus conversionis we are meer patients 1. Because the infusion of the new heart Ezech. 36.26 the pouring of the Spirit of Grace and supplication on the familie of David Zach.
pierced as a full vessell out of whom issueth blood and water justification and redemption from the guilt of sinne and sanctification is a drawing lover 2 Here is fulnesse of power to reconcile to himselfe all things whether they bee things in heaven or things on earth by the blood of his crosse here wee are made Chrrsts friends to doe whatsoever hee commands us Col. 1.20 Ioh. 15.15 3. Nor is there a stronger band or cord to draw men from sinne then the faith of Christs death Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ livâ—th in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 6.14 But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to mee and I unto the world here is reciprocation of death's Paul is crucified to the world as a dead man not in the world nor one of the worlds number A mortified Saint drawne up to heaven from the earth is an odd person not under tale hee may bee spared well enough the world and the Towne he lives in may be well without him as Ioseph was the odde ladde separated foom his brethren and David none of the seven miscounted in the telling among the Ewes at the sheepfolds and forgotten as a bastard or as a dead man out of thought And againe the world is crucified to Paul for it looks like a hanged man it smells like a dead corps to a Saints sences Now thus they have not eyes more affected with the world nor eares more taken with their musick nor a heart more overcome with the lusts of the world nor a dead man set to a rich table is affected with all the dainties there or with the harping of the sweetest musician the man has escaped the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pollutions â—f the woâ—ld to him the world has sooty fingers and dirty and picky hands it defiles washen soules but to the unmortified man the world smelleth like the garden of God Lust casteth in and well cometh to eye and heart and fancy Granadoes and fire-bals of uncleannesse sinfull pleasure has a rosie face profit has golden fingers Court and honour has a sweete breath the world is not to him an ill smelled stinking corps fit for nothing but for a hole under the earth Nay but god-Mammon looks like heaven the world a poore thing yea the world of it self is but a bagge of empty winde a fancy 1. It has no weight as touching the part of it wee count most of the earth but so many pounds of clay the dreggs the earthie bottome of the creation 2. the stage that peeces of brittle clay comes upon and weeps and laughs and lives speaks and dies 3. The flowers of it that we are most in love withall the lusts of the eye the lust of the flesh the pride of life are not of God 1 Ioh. 3.16 4 It is a house of glasse or of Ice that stands for the fourth part of the yeere for winter but is removed in the Spring and is never to be seene againe for it passeth away like a figure written on the Sea-shoar when the sea floweth 1 Cor. 7.31 5. the frenizes or passements of it pleasure profit honour are all sick of vanity and change to the Saints that are crucified and buried with Christ in whom lust is nailed to the crosse of Christ the world is a dead bagge of despised dust and though a toe or a finger of a crucified Saint will make a motion and a stiâ—re and breake a wedge of the Crosse because of the indwelling of a body of death yet hear his arguing O vaine clay-god dirty Earth I ow thee no love because my Lord was lifted up from the earth and has drawne me after him I care not for this bubble of a vaine life this transient shaddow seeing Christ could not brook it What is the fancie of a plaistered and fairded worldly glory to mee if Iesus his face was spitted on what is this painted globe of an empty perishing and death-condemned world to my happines seeing my Saviour was a borrowed body a stranger and slaughtered in the world and had all against him and alwayes the winde on his face Now let us consider what Antinomians say of mortification What is mortification saith a Mr Den but the apprehension of sin slain by the body of Christ What is vivification but our new life The just shall live by faith I may know saith the Antinomian I am Christs not because I do crucifie the luâ—â—s of the flesh but because I do not crucifie them but beleeve in Christ that crucified my lusts for me Much of this lawlesse and carnall mortification is to be found in Saltmarsh his unexperienced treatise of free Grace in which he labours to make Protestant Divines Anti-christian Legalists in the doctrine of mortification for his way is that we are to beleeve our Repentance true in Christ who hath repented for us our mortifying sinne true in him through whom wee are more then conquerers our new obedience true in him who hath obeyed the Law for us and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth our change of the whole man is true in him who is righteousnesse and true holinesse and thus without faith it is possible to please God for there is saith hee great deceitfulnesse in mortification of sin as it is commonly taken hee must point at Calvin and other Protestant Divines for as Papists and Arminians commonly speake and teach wee are justified by works of pennance and mortification for the not acting of sinne or conceivings of lust is not pure mortification for then children and civilly morall men were mortified persons c. It is not in the meere absence of the body of sinne for then dead or sick men were mortified persons Eatons Honey comb of justification chap. 8. pag. 164.165 Wee mortifie our selves onely declaratively to the sight of men whereby the holy Ghost seeth not us properly mortifying our sinnes out of the sight of God for then he should see us robbing Christ of that glory which his blood hath freely done before wee begin nay but when the wedding garment hath freely curified us in the sight of God then the Spirit enters in us to dwell which otherwise hee would not do and enableth us to walk holtly and righteously to avoid and purifie out of our owne sight sence and feeling and out of the sight of other men that sin which the wedding garment hath purified and abolished before out of the sight of God But this in name and thing is the doctrin of the old Libertines in Calvines time as â—e may read Calvin opuscul instructio adversus Libertinos chap. 18. pag. 450.451 The Libertines saith Calvine seeme to
his death yet in all these he acted the part of a triumphing redeemer Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell ver 20. and having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things to himselfe whither they bee things in earth or things in heaven Vse Yea we see Christ has never loosed any thing by the crosse but has gained much Rom. 8.37 in all these we are more then conquerours in death we die not a dead man is more then a conquerour and if he should not live and triumph he could not be capable of conquering farre lesse could he be more then a Conquerour Revel 12.11 The Saints overcome but it s a bloody victory They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony Then if the word be an overcomming and prevailing thing the cause overcame but what if the persons be killed then they are overcome No for the victory is personall the followers of the Lamb overcame by dying because they loved not their lives unto death Triumphing in the grave is admirable Things work in a threefold consideration 1. According to excellency of their being modus operandi sequitur modum essendi mens operations flowing from reason are more excellent then actions of beasts And Angels excell men in their actions It s a noble and excellent being that is in Christ being the only begotten Son of God what excellency of working is this that not only the dead but death should live and shame should shine in glory the dumb may speak and the deafe hear but that dumbnesse should speak and deafnesse heare is more then a miracle here Christ causeth death shame cursing be immediate organs and instruments of life glory immortality and honour 2. Christ was never weaker and lower then now and never more gloâ—ious in his working Esai 63.2 Wherefore are thou red in thy apparell and thy garments like one that treadeth in the wine fat Râ—v 19.15 he himselfe was trodden on in the wine-presse and fiercenesse and wrath of Almighty God but Esa. 63.1 he is glorious in his apparell and travelleth in the greatnesse of his strength so in his lowest condition when he is shamed he is glorious when he is weak and lying on his back he walketh and walketh in the greatnesse of his strength from the basenesse of the instruments in excellent works we collect that there must be a high noble and excellent cause who acteth on these instruments 3. Agents work according to the distance they are to that they woâ—k upon a shot afarre off is weaker Now on the crosse 1. Christ is nearer to us and so getteth a heartier lift of us death and blood are neare of kindred to us 2. Christ comming so near death hath a fairer shot and visie of death and the grave and Hell and all our enemies Heb 2.14 15. Hee dyed that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death 1. Drawing when he is on the Crosse doth most extoll Christs love death parteth company amongst men and often parteth loves but Christ dying draweth his Church into his bosome and heart as not willing that the grave should part them and him Ioh. 14.1 Christ having loved his own that were in the world to the end he loved them Christ dyed loving and dyed drawing 2. The cords of love with which he draweth sinners were woven and spunne in all their threds and twistings out of the bowels and heart of Christ out of his blood death and paine though it be sweet to Christ to draw yet its laborious and and painfull to Christ. It cost Chrâ—st a pained back and holed sides and pierced hands and feet an head harrowed with thornes and a bleeding body and a bruisâ—d soule to draw sinners he drew while hee did bleed againe he dyed under the work 3. All the bones of all mankinde that have been are or shall be all the strength of Angels in one arme could not have drawn one sinner out of Hell But O the strength of the merits of his lifting upon the Crossâ— one sinner is as heavie as hell as a mountaine of Iron what burthen must it be to Christ to have millions of soules and all their sins hanging on him He carried on his body on the tree so many millions of sinners and drew up after him so many thousand redeemed ones as would have made the world to crack the whole earth to groan and cry for paine like a sick woman in child-birth paine 4. The white and red in a flower or rose contempered together make up a beautifull colour and pleasant to the eie 1. Love in Christ 2. Lowlinesse 3. And singular care to save made up a sweet mixture â—n Iesus that flower of Iesse to draw strongly sinners to him See a Father carrying seven or eight children on his back through a deep river he binds them all in his garment that none of them fall in the water he leanes on his staffe how doth he with advised choyse and eleâ—â—ion order every step that he sâ—eme not to them to slip or fall and he cryes comfort over his shoulder to them Fear not be not dismayed I will present you safe on dry land so Christ with all his children great â—esus Christ had his off-spring laped up in his merits and did wade through the floods of death and hell and the curse of the Law with redeemed ones in his armes crying Feare not worm Iacob be not dismayd I will help thee the flâ—nds shall not drown thee and for his own condition his faith was that he should safely swim through the Sea and the mighty waters of all his deepest sufferings and that he and his mysticall body for Christ was a publick surety not one private man in this case should shoar on the land of prayseâ— and this is above all doubting when he saith Esai 50.7 For the Lord God will help me therefore shall I not bee confounded therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed and then Christ had a most watchfull and prudent care Esa. 52. that not one pinne not one wheele in the work of our salvation should miscary but all should goe right nothing neglected in doing comforting preaching praying suffering sweating weeping believing hoping in patience in being shamed spitted on scourgâ—d accused railed on traduced condemned belyed pained crucified between two Theeves buried in a sinners grave there was not one hole one want one stumble one slip in all or any thing but the work was whole entire and perfectly finished to Gods satisfaction Esa. 53.11 Luk. 22.37 Ioh. 19.30 5. That drawing of sinners to Christ was his last work in his death-bed and departure out of this life cryeth â—hat he was desirous to lie in one grave with his Spouse the Lambs wife and dyed inclosed in an union with Saints it saith also
haâ— but a chip of life the dregs of it or the hundreth part of an hand-breath the twentieth part of an inch yet holds it so long as there is so much as the fourth part of a dram of naturall vigorin him Now Christ had cause to love his life as any man else It was about the flower of his age the thirty three yeare of this life and it must be a noble life that dwelt personally with the God-head yet when he was called to a treaty for rendering his life hee gave it not up but upon princely and honourable quarters even that he should see his seed have a noble prize and a ransomed spouse a faire crown a rich Kingdome to mysticall Christ but hee parted with his noble and glorious life deliberatly intentionally most willingly Ioh. 10.18 there was more will more love in Christ dying then in the dying of all men from the creation to the last judgement O how he thirsted and longed to pay that Ransome he had it by him to give it out on demand he did not first die and bow his head but he first bowed his head and beckened with his hand and called upon death and then rendred his Spirit 6. O what a wonder this rose of life on the Crosse withereth in his full beauty the Sun of life would shine no more on it The prime delight of the Sons of men the second Adam from Heaven fades and life can breath no more and beauty shine no more and greenâ—sse blossome no more and when most lowly and low cloathed with a curse most lovely most Lordly and Princely because in the act of Redeeming 7. Christs death must come under a three-fold notion 1. At a torment inflicted by Gods enemies 2. As a punishment inflicted of God or sinne as a Ransome paâ—â— to justice 3. As the crown and â—nd of Christs journey In the first notion Christs death as comming from wicked men wanted three ingredients that all the wicked world and Hell could not give it 1. All the world cannot adde a curse to the death of any man God only is the Master and Lord of cursing and blessing God cast this in from heaven of his own for 2 Cor. 5.21 God made him sinne Esai 53.6 Iehovah the Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all Who said that Cursed be every one that abideth not in all that is written in the Law to doe it Gal. 3.10.13 Deut. 21.23 Deut. 27.26 the only Law-giver who can dispense curses he made Christs death a curse One death has not a curse more then another and Christs death of the crosse had not a Ceremoniall curse only in it for that was common to the deaths of all that hangeth on a tree Deut. 21.23 But the curse of the Morall Law which is upon the sinner Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 13. was laid upon Christ and this is heavier then ten millions of deaths of the crosse O how many thousands and what millions of talents weight of gall vengeance did the Lord from heaven adde to the cup of Christ 2. Because Christ was made sin he behoved to be made the sinner and from Christs person his death had the sweet perfume of infinite merit a sweet smel of a savor of rest to God above all sacrifices and offerings that ever were offered to God infinitnesse of merit this Christ gave to his own death 3. The Lord gave it a third ingredient that it had acceptation even in point of Law and Iustice which no man could give to feele a smell of everlasting love peace reconciliation in bloud is the sure mercies of David O but it was white bloud to God crying bloud or rather singing blood that sings the sweet Gospel-song Abels blood cryed a song of vengeance ye are come to the bloud of sprinkling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sounds better things then the bloud of Abel Heb. 12.24 In the second notion that Christ came under the Law of dying for it is appointed for all men to die speaks much love To come to sleep which is deaths brother to come under paine weaknesse bleeding that are the neare bloud-friends of death is great love expression But to die the lowest and the saddest and sowrest of bodily infirmities and then for other mens faults it sets out the love of God In this respect Christ dying was a Ransome for justice there be foure of the sadest things in a ransome that are here 1. To give person for person is the hardest bargain by the Law of Nations they are meeker warres where moneys and gold may buy a captive God in this bargain could send captives away for neither silver nor gold nor any corruptible thing 1 Pet. 1.18 A gift a reward will not bow justice Rubies Saphires let ten earths be turned into gold of Ophir they cannot buy the offended Law of God therefore it must be man for man person for person or nothing a man is more pretious then gold 2. If you must have man for man then let proportion of common justice be kept a souldier for a souldier a servant for a servant a free-man for a free-man a master for a master yee cannot demand a King to ransome a servant Yea saith justice but I will they are but men and slaves and servants of sinne their Father Adam was indeed a King but by Law he is fallen from the crown and all his children are traytors and born servants therefore justice would have no lesse ransome then one of the Kings line one of the bloud royall and more the only heir of the crown of heaven and earth the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords he is more then an over-ransome and over-summe this is hard but infinite wisdome cannot be against justice but it was the strictest justice that ever was the Kings Sonne for the Traytors sonne the Prince for the Slave the Lord of Lords for the poor câ—ay-subject 3. But the ransome King must have honourable conditions like himself if he must be a captive let him have some freedome befitting his birth and condition now because this bargain was to be stretched out to the utmost line and border of strict justice as also it wanted not deepest mercy shining in glorious rayes through justice therefore the King standing a ransome was as farre below his place as a servant is below a King Phil. 2.6 7. You have the lowest and the highest steps who being in the forme of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God but made himselfe of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant a King and God made a servant Matth. 20.28 for even the Sonne of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many See here the Sonne of God a ransome in his own person and the lowest of ransomes a servant farre below a King 4. It is not universall in these persons that
are given to ransome others but poor soules if they be turned in servants their life should be spared but Christ was such a ransome as must lay down his life for the captives Matth. 20.28 No ransome can come lower then a man and an innocent mans death If the captive be wounded and sickly the man that goes a ramsome for him by no Law should be sickly and wounded also 1. It is not ordinary that he that stands as a ransome for captives should take their naturall infirmities their body sighes sadnesse sorrow wants and be like them in all things but Christ was like us in all things except sin 2. And what greater hardship can you put on a ransome captive then death all these Christ did â—ndergoe for us The third and last consideration of Christs death is as it was the end of Christs journey and all his labours in the flesh and this I desire to be considered in these repects 1. As death is Christs last enemy 2. In the concomitants of it 1. As in his triumph of victory 2. His welcome to his Father 1. As death was Christs last enemy dying was to him as to man the last day and moment of his week when he entered into his Sabbath and rest and dyed never to die againe the world and devils chased him into the grave and when he was there hee was in his own land in Paradise in a Kingdome Death was the wearied way-faring-mans home the end of his race and at this place was the fore-runners gold his garland and prize even the glory set before him for the which hee indured the Crosse and despised shame he then sat down it was Christs landing port after his stormy sailing 2. He had no more to do in the merit of redemption in the way of satisfying justice for Christs buriall or lying in the grave was but his mora his lodging all night with death or a continuation of his death when he dyed all was finished the Law of God for satisfaction could crave no more as the last enemy of the body is death 1 Cor. 15.26 so it was the head Christs lasts enemy on earth 3. Heaven was Christs place of refuge his sanctuary and his asylum when Christ was in the other side of death and of time hee was in his castle in his strong Fort enemies can neither besiege him nor take him he cares not now for the worlds feud or for death or the grave Revel 1.18 There was no more law against Christ after his soul was in Paradise the believer has a perfect acquittance of all crosses when he is once in the land of glory 2. There be two considerable concomitants in Christs death 1. His victory 2. His welcome His victory was in his very act of dying that death and the justice of a divine law had their will of Christ and could demand no more of him for all engagements and to answer the bill but death and such a death it was a sort of over-plus and aboundance of ransome to God that death was put to the worse and could in justice never arrest any believer or Saint after Christ. O deaâ—h what wouldst thou have more Or what canst thou demand in law 2. Christ and all his lâ—gally were crucified and dyed and Christ and all his were not destroyed under death but Christ lived and all his with him Ioh. 14.19 when two strong enemies doe conflict and put out their strength one against another to the full and the one lives in his full strength the other must be foiled Christ after death lived and can die no more and is strong and omnipotent now death did all it could against Christ in that he dyed then he must be the Victor and death the vanquished party death was Christs Land-port his shoar after sad Sea-sailing his last stage in which he posted to glory and he came into Paradise and his Fathers Kingdome in a sweat of bloud and the Crosse accompanied him in over the threshold of the gates of heaven so he was welcommed he and all his feed who then were legally in him as one who had acquitted himselfe bravely and honourably in the businesse that most highly concerned the Lord and the glory of all his blessed attributes mercy justice grace wisdome power soveraignty c. There was a most joyfull acclamation in heaven a welcome and embracing and a hand-shaking as we say 1. Between the Father and the Sonne and this is a sweet mediâ—ation Dan. 7.13 I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Sonne of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him neare before him ver 14. And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all People and Nations and Languages should serve him Now who be these that brought Christ to the Father when he ascended who but thâ— holy Angels his ministering Spirits or servants they attend his ascension to heaven as the Estates of a King wait on and convey the Prince and Heire of a Crown in his Coronation day Heb. 1.6 14. the Disciples Act. 1.10 See two men in white apparell at his ascension goe up to heaven sure there must have been a hoast of them as there were at his birth and shall be at his second comming and its little enough that the Peeres of Heaven such a glorious Parliament of the High House beare the taile of his Robe Royall and attend to welcome to heaven their Lord Creator and their head Christ by whom they stand in Court they are the servants of the Bridgroome it was much joy to them when Christ returned a triumphing Lord to heaven having done all gloriously and compleatly The Father after his death made him a great Prince and gave him a name above all names and set him at the right hand of the Majesty of God 2. And if the Lord shall say to sinfull men Well done good servant enter into the joy of thy Lord Farre more being infinitely satisfied with the travels and service of his Sonne he must say Well done well suffered O Son of my love enter into the joy of thy Fathers soul For the Fathers soule ever delighted in him Esa. 42.1 3. And to see the Father embrace his Sonne in his armes after the battels and put the Crown on his Head and set him down at his right hand and exalt him as an eternall Prince for evermore and accept all his labours and his faithfull and most successefull acquitting of himselfe in all his offices as Redeemer King Priest and Prophet must be a joyfull sight Vse 1. No Believer take it ill to die death sips at every bloud noble or low and would but drink the bloud of this celebrious and eminent Prince of the Kings of the earth 1. For besides that God has stinted our moneths and the ship cannot passe farther then the length of the cable here is the matter Christ
the blew stripes and scarlet wounds on innocent Iesus back and sides his head and hands and feâ—t will ye young men Eccles. 11.9 laugh and sinne and must Christ weep and shout and cry for paine when he suffers for sinne Sinners yee have merry dayes in your lusts O but it was a dolefull and a wearisome time to Christ to pay for sinne The drunkard sings and drinks when Christ answers his bill he sighes Salomon Eccles. 2. in the dayes of his vanity sought to give himselfe to wine ver 3. to lay hold on folly and ver 10. and what ever his eyes desired he with-held not from them he kept no joy from his heart But Christ had a sad night in the garden O but he had a heavie soul when with teares and strong cryes he prayed when justice squeazeth a sweat of blood out of Christs body and hee looks like sorrow and sadnesse it selfe dying and bâ—eeding and crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me never mothers sonne after this make a sport of sin or sinne with good will and delight What death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what quality or kinde of death he was to dye The quality and kinde of Christs death is most remarkable for three characters were printed and engraven on the death of the Crosse which Christ dyed 1. Paine 2. Reproach and shame 3. The Curse of God and man The paine in Christs death comes under a twofold consideration 1. Naturally 2. Legally the nature of the death was painefull for death of it self is painfull no man payes that debt with ease and nature smiling and sporting die who will it will cost you of your flesh when Asa dies he cryes ah my feet when David dies he complaines O my cold body the Shunamites child ah my pained head Vzzah Oh my lepâ—ous skin do not pamper nor idolize your body if wicked men have not one band or coard in their death but steal down to the grave in a moment beside deaths knowledge yet they pay deare for it Iob 24.20 The wormes shall feed sweetly on them life is a great pearl But there bee three things besides that made the death of Christ painfull 1. Violence 2. Slownesse of dying 3. Many degrees of life taken from him Violence it is to die of any disease or of paine 1. But when five or six deaths do all start equally at one land-port and at one race and strive which of them shall dispatch the poore man soonest the paine is the more yee know the complaint of our blessed Saviour Psal. 22.16 They pierced my hands and my feet and Ioh. 19.34 one of the souldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there out bloud and water here by Scripture be five deaths that invade a living man death on every hand and death on every legge and death on his side though this last came a little too late the Souldiers had no law to pierce his side but to make sure work he should be dead by a sort of chance to men which yet sweetly was subservient to the decree of God and the Prophecies Christ was thus served 2. Now a violent death it must be when strong and great nailes did pierce the most nervous parts of his body his hands and his feet one Iron wedge thrust in at his left pape to pierce his heart or to pierce through the temples of the head would quickly have dispatched him 2. As for the slownesse of his death foure leasurely and slow violent deaths to cause him to bleed to death were hard the word saith the bloud is the life of the living creature then look how long his bloud was comming out his life was dropping out as long They say the death of the Crosse will keep a man aliv with his life in on the Crosse above three or foure hourese the man dying and yet cannot die these languishing deaths procuring a cruell favour such as is deaths slow pace and yet quick torment are images of hell where men seek death but cannot finde it because death sleeth from them 2. The lentnesse of death is much when death is divided into foure quarters death at every hand and at every foot makes the paine greater when the weight and trunck of Christs living body lifted up from the earth hangeth upon four paining and tormenting pillars the Lords pierced hands and feet as if death had delighted to hold Christ long at Sea and denyed him the last sad service 3. And Christ had been before dying a terrible death in the garden when he had been seeâ—hed and boyled in a bloud of sweat and two circumstances evidence that the two Theives death was nothing in slownesse of torment comparable to Christs death 1. The sad and direfull Prefaces and preparatories to Christs death as he was in the night before in a soule death in the garden and in a sweat of bloud there trickled out of his body down upon the ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were drops great hail-stones of blood frozen or hâ—ardened together as Stephanuâ— thinks through extreame terror he was scourged against all Law and crowned with thornes 2. And so was he weakened in body as he was not able to beare his own crosse it was his own complaint Psal. 22.17 I may tell all my bones what ever the story of passion say how Christ could have been so lean in twenâ—y and foure houres its evident he complaines his â—â—rength was dryed up like a pot-sheard and that death was more painfull to Christ then to these thaâ— dyed the same death yea Christ began to die the night before he was then under violent death of soule and body above the houres that hee was on the Crosse when others are long tormented with paine that paine is rather the fore-runner of death then death for death stayes but a moment in doing that sad service in bringing the soule out but death all this time twenty foure houres was acting upon Christ both the second death the Lords anger and curse being on him and then bodily paine with the curse of the law all this time wrought upon him Some say gall and vinegar were given to men to be crucified to make them lesse sensible of that extream paine And consider his death legally may we not say as Christ in bearing the paines of the second death did suffer that which all the Elect should have sustained in their souls for ever so Christ did bear many millions of bodily deaths it may be a question if Christs suffering for Peter be Christs suffering for David for sure Peters sins and Davids sins together are more then Davids sins alone and if on Christ the Lord laid the iniquity of us all â—sai 53.6 it must be a greater punishment then if the Lord had laid the iniquity oâ— some few one or two upon Christ say that the Elect were three millions of redeâ—med ones as we cannot deâ—ermâ—ne the number
the puting a crown of thornes on his head and a Reed for a Scepter in his hand to scorne his Kingly power saluting him with mocking and bowing the knee to him 2. In words saying Haile King of the Iewes a scorning his Propheticall dignity in blind-folding him and covering his face and saying Prophecy who is he that smot thee and to deride his Prieâ—â—hood they put a Roab on him and when he is on the Crosse and offering himself as our Priest in a sacrifice to God all that passed by wagged their head and shot out the lip saying he trusted in God let God save him then the spitting on his face in the Law was great shame Deut. 25.9 the wife of the brother that would not build his brothers house did spit on his face so Iob complaines chap. 30.10 that the children of fooles and base men abhorred him and spared not to spit on his face O but there is now much glory and beauty of glory on that face it s more glorious then the Sunne 3. His death had a speciall note of shame the death of a robber and an ill doer so it is called Christs reproach Heb. 13.13 Let us goe forth therefore unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach or bearing his crosse which was a reproachfull thing for it is a clear allusion to the manner of Christs going out of the City of Ierusalem to Mount Calvary bearing his own Crosse it was a reproachfull thing to see the Lord of glory beare shame on his back and to behold Iesus going through the City out at the Ports of Ierusalem with a shamefull Crosse between his shoulders and all the children and boyes and base ones of the City wondering at him and crying hue after him O woe to Ierusalem when they shut Christ out at their Poâ—ts and will lodge him no longer and wo to them that put that shame on him as to lay the reproachfull and cursed Crosse on his back and no man would beare it for him And the suffering of Christ Heb. 11.26 is called the reproach and the shame of Christ Psal. 22.7 But I am a worme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man of note the reproach the manifest or published shame or reproach of Adam of fraile men the contempt of the people the publick disgrace or neglect of the people Now the third particular is how could it consist with the glory of Christ as King to be shamed It is I must confesse a strange expression the Son of God shamed yet its Scripture expression Heb. 12.2 Esai 50.7 But such a shame as they could put on Christ may well stand with the personall union For 1. Shame as arising from the ill conscience oâ— sinne they could not put on Christ Ier. 2.26 As the Thiefe is ashamed when hee is found so is the house of Israel ashamed They could not catch Christ in any sinne and so though they shamed him he was not shamed nor could he hide his face for confusion 2. Shame is a breaking of the hope and confidence of these who look for great things as 2 Chron. 32.21 The Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour and the Leaders and Captaines in the Camp of the King of Assyria So he returned with shame of face to his own land and Esa. 30. Ye trust saith the Lord in the shadow of Egypt ver 3. Therefore shall the strength of Pharoah be your shame ver 5. They are all ashamed of a people that could not profit tâ—em nor be a help nor profit but a shame and also a reproach now thus the confidence that Christ had in God could not be broken God could not faile Christ his hope was ever green before the Sunne he said it and it was true Esa. 50.7 Christs faith and boldnesse in his father was as hard as flint for the Lord God will help mee therefore shall I not bee confounded therâ—fore have I set my face as flint and I know that I shall not bee ashamed 3. But it is cleare in pulling off his garments and scourging him so they shamed him as Ier. 13.26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts on thy face that thy shame may appear they brought Iesus bound as if he had been a common Thiefe to Pilate Matth. 26.2 And in regard of this Esay prophecied 53.3 He was dispised and rejected of men the text will beare Christ was no body and we hid as it were our faces from him they put so much disgrace and shame on blessed Iesus he was so basely â—andled that we blushed and were ashamed to look upon him all his friends thought shame of him 1. But this was but the lying estimation of unbelieving men who could not see his glory but the repenting Thiefe when they render him most shamefull and abased by faith saw him a King who had the keyes of Paradise at his girdle when he prayed Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome and he was most un-King-like at that time and he had as much shame on him as he was able to bear he was branded as the greatest Thiefe of the three dying a Thiefes death going out at the ports of life bleeding pained cursed shamed forsaken despised mocked all his glory was now under the ashes and covered with shame the Sunne seemed to be ashamed to see the Creator of the Sun in so painfull and so shamefull a condition and therefore the Sunne runnes away and hides it selfe and is not able to behold the Lord of glory hanged on a tree the Rocks and Mountaines the stones and faire Temple as if they would burst for sorrow cannot indure so base a condition as the Creator was in now And as if death and the graves were grieved and male content to serve the justice of God for the sinne of man they will lodge their prisoners the dead no longer but the graves are opened 2. Shame is but an opinion and men can bestow their opinion amisse and so did the world on Christ there was glory and fulnesse yea infinite glory in Christ but they saw it not few see the worth fewer can weigh the weight of Christs excellency Mens glory is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meere opinion and often but a lie and it took nothing of reall glory from Christ whatever they esteemed him say that the sense of a man would judge the Sunne no better then a two penny candle this takes nothing from the excellency of the Sunne 3. The Sunne is the Sunne when it hides its beames and rayes of light and heat Christ was the Lord of glory when he drew in all his majesty and caused the Rayes of glory and honour retire and hid themselves under all the shame basenesse and disgrace that men could lay on him a voluntary condiscension of Christ was all here 3. A Curse The third Character engraven on Christs death is the curse of God in which consider 1. What a curse
and by law and yee are Sonnes in him The Law was a bloudy bond and our names and soules were inked with the blood of the eternall curse but blot out saith Christ my brethrens names out of the bloody bond and writ in my name for blood and the curse of God and there was a white Gospel-bond drawn up and the Elects names therein Then the two writs runne this in the new Covenant Christ was made a curse and lyable to pay all our debts and law-penalties to the blood and death and the poore sinner eternally blessed in Iesus Christ even to perfect imputed righteousnesse and everlasting life Christ changed your bleeding even to the second death and made it blessings for evermore to new and everlasting life Vse 1. If Christ dyed such a violent and painfull death then death violent or naturall is not much up or down 1 Sweet Iesus had it to his choice hee would choose the sowerest of deaths to go to the grave in blood Christs winding-sheet was blooded a good prince a reformer of the house of God Iosiah dyed in blood Many of the worthiest that dyed in faith dyed not in their beds were Heb. 11.35.36.37 tortured had tryall of bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were sawne asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword The first witnesse in the Christian Church after the Lords ascension Steven a man full of the holy Ghost and of faith was stoned to death Psal. 79.2 The bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the foules of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth Many thousand Martyrs have been burnt quick extreamly tormented with new devised most exquisite torments as to be rosted on a brander to be devoured with Lyons and wilde beasts 2. Violence more or lesse is an accident of death as it is the same hand folded in or the fingers stretched out violent death is but death on horse-back and with wings or a stroak with the fist as the other death is a blow with the palmes of the hand Naturall death is death going on foot and creeping with a slower pace violent death unites all its forces at once and takes the Citty by storme and comes with sowrer and blacker visage Death naturall divides it selfe in many severall bits of deaths old age being a long spun out death and nature seemes to render the Citty more willingly and death comes with a whiter and a milder visage the one has a salter bite and teeth of steele and yron the other has softer fingers and takes asunder the boards of the clay-tabernacle more leasurely softly tenderly and with lesse din as not willing that death should appeare death but a sleep the violent death is as when apples greene and raw are plucked off the tree or when flowres in the budde and young are plucked up by the rootes the other way of dying is as when apples are ripened and are filled with well boyld summer-sap and fall off the tree of their own accord in the eaters mouth or when flowers wither on the stalk Some dying full of days have like banquetters a surfet of time others are suddenly plucked away when they are greene but which of â—he wayes you die not to dâ—e in the Lord is terrible yee may know yee shall dye by the fields yee grow on while ye live a beleever on Christ breaths in Christ speaks walks prayes beleeves eateth drinketh sickens dies in Christ Christ is the soyl he is planted in hee groweth on the banks of the paradise of God when hee falleth hee cannot fall wrong some are trees growing on the banks of the river of fire and brimstone when God hâ—ws downe the tree and death fells them the tree can fall no otherwise then in hell O how sweet to be in Christ and to grow as a tree planted on the banks of the river of life when such dye they fall in Christs lap and in his bosome be the death violent or naturall its all one whether a strong gale and a rough stormie shoar the childe of God on the new Ierusalems dry land or if a small calme blast even with rowing of oars bring the passenger to heaven if once he be in that goodly land 2. To dye in faith the righteous has hope in his death is the essentiall qualification to be most regarded that is the all and sum of well dying make sure work of heaven and let the way or manner violent or naturall be as God will it s amongst the indifferents of death Saints have dyâ—d either way to dye in Christ in the hope of the resurection is the fair and good death to die in sinne Ioh. 8.21 that is the ill death and the black death 3. To dye ripened for eternity is all and some it s said of some they dyed full of dayes Object How is a man full and ripe for death Answ. In these respects 1. When the man is mortified to time and is satisfied with dayes he desires no more life he lies at the water side near by death waiting for winde and tide like a passenger who would fain be over the water so dying Iacob in the midst of his testament Gen. 49.18 Lord I have waited for thy salvation Lord when shall I have fair passage Iob saith chap. 14.14 All the time I am on the sentinell or the time of my warfare I will wait till my lasâ— change come So Paul saith Phil. 1 2â— having a desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which is farre better the man desires not to stay here any longer 2. He would goe to Sea when all his land-busines is ended the Courts are closed and if the Sunne bee low and near his setting loe the way ends with the day see the lodging hard at hand 2 Tim. 4.7 I have finished my course I have kept the faith 8. henceforth is laid up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse Sweet Iesus ere he dyed said It is finished all is done hee is on the skaffold and nods on his executioner Death friend come doe your office I pray you see your task be ended 3. The man seeth the crowne hee is come to the stone wall or the hedge of Paradise and seeth the apples of life hanging on the tree and hears the musick of heaven Steven Acts 7.50 I saw heaven opened 4. He goes not away pulled by the hair but willingly gladly Heb. 11.8.15 They desire a better country Iob 5.26 Like a shock of corne in his season it would bee the losse of the corne to bee longer out of the barne death shall not come while it be welcome Iob. 7.3 As the hired servant panteth for the shaddow so hee for death All these four were in Iesus Christ. Had Christ so much pain in his death that his death and the crosse were all one so as hee had five deaths on him at once foure on his body death on every hand death on
under the Law as a rule of rightenesse and to walk holily as being obliged from the conscience of any command either of Law or Gospel is legall bondage from which Christ has set us free as to be circumcised is a part of the Law-yoke so they teach then to be inherently holy is unlawfull to Antinomians Mr Town Pag. 6. Yet I wish that I be not mis-taken for I never deny the Law to be an eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse But yet affirm that its the grace of the Gospel which effectually and truly conformeth us therunto Answ. 1. I wish Mr Towne doe mistake for hee that teacheth that believers are freed from the Law as a rule teaching directing and from the Law with all its offices and authority he denyeth the Law to believers to be an eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse or then he must speak contradictions to wit that the believer is not under the Law as a rule of righteousnesse for so saith Towne he should not be under grace which is contrary to the Apostle Rom. 6.14 and yet he is under the Law as an eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse for I ask to whom is the Law an eternall and inviolable rule of justice to the believer or no If to the believer then he must be under it but Antinomians say that is Pharisaicall and Popish that is to put Christs free-man saith Twone under his old keeper the Law as if he were a malefactor if the Law be no eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse why doth Mr Towne say so 2. That rule to the which the grace of the Gospel doth conforme us that rule we must be under but Mr Towne saith The grace of the Gospel truly conformeth us to the eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse Ergo c. 3. An inviolable rule of justice cannot be violated and contravened by these to whom it is a rule without sinne else it s not an unviolable rule then if believers cannot violate the Law and murther and commit adultery but they must sinne by violating the rule then as believers are obliged not to murther not to commit adultery so must they be under the inviolable rule of righteousnesse contrary to which Antinomians teach All that Mr Towne can say against us in this argument is a calumny that we make the Law not the Gospel to give power to subdue sinne but the truth is neither Law nor Gospel giveth grace but the God of grace hath promised in the Gospel grace and a new heart and a new spirit to the Elect and grace goeth not along with the Gospel as a favour of equall extension with the preached Gospel but millions heare the Gospel who remaine voide of grace and have no right to any promise or grace the Law leaveth not off to be the rule of tighreousnesse though it cannot effectually make its disciples holy and conforme to the rule no more then the Gospel should not be the Law and rule of faith because without the influence of the Spirit of grace it can make no Disciples conforme to Iesus Christ and his image for many Elect for a long time heare the Gospel and have no grace to obey while the time of conversion come and many are more blinded and hardned that the Gospel is preached to them and it were better they had never heard nor known the way of truth Towne pag. 6.7 Rom. 7.6 The meaning is through faith is bred assured confidence lively hope pure love toward God invocation of his name without all wavering or doubting or questioning his good-will audience and acceptance which could never be attained by all the zeal and conscience towards God according to the Law of workes and the knowledge of the glory of God is given according to a covenant of meere grace without addition or mixture of works and the opposition is plaine to be not so much bâ—tweene the grosse hypocrite who is only brought to outward subjection and correspondency to the Law as betweene him that in good earnest and in downe uprightnesse of heart giveth over himself wholly to the Law of God Rom. 10.2 as the wife to the husband and guid of her youth to be ordered in all things inwardly and outwardly after the minde of God therein according to his legal conscience which is never pacified with works and the man who knoweth and worshippeth God alone according to the Gospel of Grace Answ. This is a close perverting of the word of truth 1. The Antinomian faith may here be smelled that by faith is bred assured confidence without all wavering feare or doubting c. Then whoever once doubt or waver are yet under the Law of works a doctrine of dispaire to broken reeds who are not undâ—r the â—aw but married to a new husband Christ and yet cry Lord I beleeve help my unbelief Why feare yee O yee of little faith is there not doubting here and a broken faith which Christ softly bindeth up 2. The Covenant of Grace and Gospel commandeth faith and also good works as witnesses of our faith but Towne will have good works in any notion of an evangelick command to stand at defiance with a covenant of meere grace when Grace is the fountaine and cause of our walking in Christ 2 Cor. 1.10 by the grace of God wee had our conversation in tht world in simplicitie and godly sincerity 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God that is in mee It s true Holy walking by the grace of God and Christs righteousnesse in justification is a wicked mixture which we detest 3. The opposition Rom. 7. is betweene any unconverted man under the Law be he hypocrite or a civill devill or be he any other man on the one part and a beleever married to Christ and dead to the Law on the other for that which is common not to grosse hypoâ—rites only but to all naturall men out of Christ is ascribed to the man that is under the Law by the Apostle as 1. He is under the Lawes dominion and condemnation vers 1. 2. The Law has power over him as the living husband over the wife vers 2.3 The poor man cannot look to Iesus to another lover and husband the Law as a hard husband leads him and cries obey perfectly or be eternally damned 3 He is a man in the flesh in whose members concupiscence and lust rageth as a young vigorus mother bringeth forth children lusts of the flesh to death as married to hell and the second death vers 5. 4 He serves God according to the oldnesse of the letter that is carnally hypocritically like an out-side of a rotten Pharisee and not according to the newnesse of the Spirit that is in a Spirituall maner Yet Mr. Towne extolls him as one that in good earnest and downe-rightnesse of heart yeeldeth and giveth over himselfe to the Law of God as the wife to the husband
to be instructed and ordered in all things inwardly and outwardly after the minde of God but no unconverted man can bee said so to doe except Antinomians be grosse Pelagians But I think Antinomians with Mr. Crispe think the person under the Law in all this chapter to bee the beleever personating or acting the person of a scrupulous beleever under a temptation of doubting but cleare it is Paul speaks of a man under the Law in the flesh and in opposition to him of one under grace of one married to the Law and of one married to Christ in the first part of the chapter of one in the flesh and so unrenewed vers 5. For when wee was in the flesh c. and of one that is dead to the Law married to Christ and serves the Lord spiritually and its clear that the Apostle counteth it a part of deliverance from the Law and a fruit of our marriage to God that vers 4 weâ— bring forth fruits to God and walk holily 2. That the motions of sinnes bring forth wicked works as children to the second death vers 5. 3 that wee serve the Lord vers 6. in newnesse of Spirit and walk in Christ. Now Mr. Towne as setting himselfe to contradict Paul saith pag. 6. This is an addition and mixture of works and faith and cannot stand with a covenant of meere grace Towne pag. 8. How can Christ redâ—eme us fâ—om the Law being under the Law for us except beleevers be redeemed from the Law in that same very sence and extent that Christ was under it as a mediator But was not Christ under the Rule and obedience also as well as under the Raigne to death seeing he came to doe the will of his father and fulfill all righteousnesse Mat. 3.15 Answ. 1. Wee cannot every way be said to be redeemed from the Law in that same sence that Christ was under it For Christ was under the Law of Ceremonies to free the Iewes from observing that Law I hope we Gentiles are not that way freed from the Law of Ceremonies for that Law did never oblige the Gentiles except the Gentiles had adjoyned themselves in some profession to the then visible Church 2. If Christ was under the Law as the rule to free us from the Law as the rule then why did Christ command us to imitate him in doing his fathers will and submitting to that same Ruâ—e that hee submitted to as is clear Matth. 11.29 learne of mee that am meek Ioh. 15.10 If yee keepe my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my fathers commandments and abide in his love Ioh. 14.15 If yee love me keep my commandments Ioh. 13.15 For I have given you example that yee should doe as I have done unto you Ephes. 5.1.2 Rev. 3.21 Heb. 12.1 1 Pet. 2.21.22 Ioh. 15.23 but Antinomians say that these that be in Christ are not under the Law or commands of the word even of the letter of the Gospel as the rule of life and that Christians are not bound to conforme themselves in their life to the directions of the word contrary to Psal. 119.9 Esai 8.20 and contrary to all the gospel-exhortations given in the New Testament by Christ and his Apostles and they say that the example of Christs life even in subjecting himselfe to the law as a rule of righteousnesse is not a paterne according to which we are to act and live In a word they will have the Spirit separated from the word and from the example of Christ and all the cloud of witnesses to be no rule to us to which I oppose that one precious word of the beloved disciple 1 Ioh. 2.26 He that saith he abideth in him ought so to walke even as he hath walked But observe 1. All means that doe not efficaciously bow the will to obedience to God and convert the soule are rejected by them as not obliging the conscience such as are the Law the letter of the Gospel all the promises exhorâ—â—tions and precepts of the Gospel the example of the Lord who commandeth us 1 Pet. 1. to be holy as he is holy the example of Christ of all the Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Saints because all these are some other thing then grace and may prove ineffectuall hence 1. The Gospel as contradistinguished from the Law is not the Gospel written or preached but the grace that resideth no where but in God and in Iesus Christ is the Gospel so say they The faith that justifieth us is in Iesus Christ and never had any actuall beeing out of Christ. 2. There iâ— no habituall grace inherent in beleevers all such must bee a created thing Grace is an uncreated favour only in God for all that which is called habituall grace in us is in effectuall to act graciously and cannot produce supernaturall acts except the holy Ghost act and move it Hence they say that the new creature or the man or the new heart or new Spirit the circumcised the opened heart the Law in the inward parts the one heart the renewed minde the inner man the Law of the mind Christ dwelling in the heart by faith mentioned in the Gospel is not meant of Grace but of Christ and therefore we must not pray for gifts and graces but only for Christ and so a man may have all graces and poverty of Spirit and yet want Christ. 2. We are patients in justification Sanctification beleeving in Christ and we are blocks all the way to heaven minde will affection memory love desirâ— joy feare and all in us act nothing in supernaturall acts there is not such a thing as grace in any of the Saints but Grace is nothing but Christ without us drawing us as blocks as dead stones in the way to heaven having no activitie but to sin even after we beleeve in Christ and Christ works in the regenerate as in deadmen 3. Omissions of duties commanded in the Gospel are no sins for none are to be exhorted to beleeve but such whom we know to be the elect of God or to have his Spirit in them effectually and a man may not bee exhorted to any dutie because he hath no power to do it then Law Gospel exhortations commands promises threatningâ— are to no purpose these that want grace to obey are not lyable to obey nor guilty nor under wrath because they beleeve not in the Son of God and these that are under grace are under obligation to no commands at all and farewell all Scripture from henceforth Yea Mr. Town is frequent in this we are not under the Law as our rule Why because saith he it cannot effectually work obedience in us but so all the word of God the Gospel without the Spirit must be no rule of obedience at all because the Scripture the Gospel and all the promises without the Spirit are just alike and uneffectuall to work us to obedience But not
con-naturall end of Christs death is Joh. 10.10 That his sheepe may have life and have it more aboundantly he suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 and in the very act of suffering to speake so or in that he was stripped and dyed The chastisement of our peace was on him Esai 53.5 This cannot bee such a possible heaven a fowle sleeing in the aire a may be as farre off as a never may be which may consist with an inevitable hell So as Christ dyed not but on a poore hopelesse venture and a forlorne contingencie that might as soone fill Hell with the damned soules of all the world as grace Paradice with redeemed ones 6. His comming in the world hath no such Arminian end that we reade of as a possible saving or an obtained salvation that thousands yea not one in the world may ever enjoy but he came to seeke and actually and intentionaly to save that which was lost Luk. 19.10 to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 and Paul the first of sinners and not for wrath but that we might obtaine salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes. 5.9 7. Nor did he so die that we should not live to our selves but unto Righteousnesse but that we might be 1 Pet. 2.24 redeemed from this present evill world Gal. 1.4 from our vaine conversation 1 Peter 1.18 That hee might redeeme us from all iniquitie and purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Titus 2.14 That wee should glorifie God in our bodies and Spirits which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 That hee might present to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blemish Ephes. 5.27 Now Christ may obtaine the native and intrinsecall end of his death though all the Redeemed ones say the Arminians Live to themselves and never be redeemed from the present evill world nor from their vaine conversation and live and die to themselves and walking in their lusts 8. And upon what ground Christ is made Lord hee is made also a husband to the Church for the husband as an husband is made head of the wife Now the intrinsecall end and so the specifick acts of this husband who is joyned to us by the marriage-covenant of free grace must bee free love to his Spouse as Paul expoundeth it Ephes. 5.25 and the native fruit and end of Marriage is that the Spouse might have interest in the righteousnesse glory spirit wisdome and sanctification the kingdome and throne of the Husband and Lord not that hee might condemne and destroy his Spouse 9. It is a reasonlesse conceit that after Christ dyed hee hath a freedome to transact for our actuall saving and glorifying in what termes he will Law or Gospel Grace or Works because he dyed the surety of the covenant of grace Hebr. 7.2 and made his Testament and last will and confirmed it by his death as our friend and bequeathed to his poor friends the promise of an eternall inheritance Heb. 9.15 and so he died as the Mediator of the New Testament and sealed the Covenant with his blood which is therefore called the blood of the eternall covenant Heb. 13.20 Zach. 9.11 And therefore neither the first Testament was dedicated without blood Heb. 9.18 19 20 21. and Christ by his blood entred into heaven as a Priest to intercede for us v. 23 24. And this Arminian way over-turneth the whole Gospel which is a bargaine of blood between the Father and the son Christ and Christ dying and justifying pardoning the iniquities of his people making them heires of the same Covenant and Kingdome with himselfe is in this Indenture of free Grace the chiefe man Now unpossible it is that this can be an effect of Christs death that he may set up a covenant of grace and a Gospel-way to Heaven or set up another way when as by the Gospel-covenant only God gave Christ a body indented with him to doe the worke to make his soule an offering for sin and God promised to him if he would die a seed and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand that his soule should be satisfied that he should justifie many intercede for many Isai. 53.10 11 12 13. Now if all might eternally perish notwithstanding that Christ died for them and it were free to Christ to make such a Covenant after his death in which not one man possibly may be saved Christ then should doe his work and yet not have his wages nor have a seed nor justifie his people nor have a willing people to serve him yea then should Christ offer the sacrifice of his body as our Priest on earth in sheding his blood and yet not enter into Heaven and the Holy of Holiest to intercede for us as our High Priest there also 10. All the offices and relations of Christ and comfortable promises of the Gospel shall be overturned for it is in the free will of man that Christ be King or no King Head or no Head of the Church a Husband or no Husband Clear it is Christ is a Gospel King now if his death might stand and attain its intrinsecall end and effect which is a meer possible reconciliation and a salvation to his people standing only in a may be or a may never be then Christ is a Gospel-King without a Kingdome of Grace the fruits whereof are righteousnesse joy of the Holy Ghost and peace Rom. 14.17 He is a King but Iudah shall never be saved in his dayes there shall be no righteousnesse no peace no joy in his Kingdome he is a Redeemer and a Saviour but his people all are eternally lost and die in bondage and misery and in their sins he is a Saviour but saves not his people from their sins he is the chief corner stone but no other living stones are built on him he is a head but hath not a living body quickned by his Spirit nor a body that is the fulnesse of Christ he is a Husband but the essence of his maritall and husbandly power standeth in that he hath power to destroy his Spouse eternally That he hateth his own flesh he is a Shepherd and a good Shepherd and layeth downe his life for his Sheepe but the roaring Lyon devoureth all his Flocke he carrieth not the Lambes in his bosome he feedeth them not in the strength of the Lord he causeth them not lye downe safely he leadeth them not to the living waters they hunger and starve eternally he is the vine-tree but no man bringeth forth fruit in him He is an eternall Priest but the sins of all he offereth for remaine in heaven before the Lord for ever hee is the promised seed and by death triumpheth over Devils and Principalities and powers but the Serpents head is not bruised Satan is not cast out Satan reigneth and ruleth in all mankinde He hath much in Christ