Parable or any other Scripture to speak this way viz. That Christ did buy the creature for all men our Vniversalists will not rest there give them but an inch of this or other texts to hold out Christs temporall purchase for every man and they will take an ell of his spirituall purchase in with it witnesse the Texts c Joh. 4. 42. 1 Tim. 24. 6 c. fore-alleadged and vindicated all which doe speak expressely of spirituall and saving benefits and so farre doth our new Expositour carry it beyond a temporall common good even to a Redemption from all sinnes against the Covenant of works which indeed is but that one first sinne of Adam before the promise by the tenour of his Doctrine for all having sinned in Adam and a Covenant of grace entered with those all after his sinne it must needs follow that all sinnes of Adam and of all his posterity afterwards are sinnes against the Covenant of grace only and Christ being the Mediatour of this Covenant he mediates for all that all may have Adams sinne forgiven which is beyond all temporall benefits for it puts them into a blessed state of Justification and life which the Apostle Rom. 5. sets in opposition to the state of guilt and death wherein all are involved by Adams sinne And it may be some over-indulgent expressions of some reverend and godly learned Teachers in our Churches have encouraged our Adversaries by what they have preached or written to this effect That some common benefit comes in to all men by Christ and that Christ as a Lord hath bought and purchased all wicked men their lives and their reprievall all that time that here they live and all the blessings and dispensations of goodnesse which here they do enjoy That which is indulgent is for Christ as a Lord to allow wicked men common benefits c. That which I thinke over-indulgent is that Christ hath bought and purchased these men and the world for them And the stretching inferences which our Arminian-Novellists doe wier-draw from hence are That such acts of Gods mercy are effects of Christs Mediatour-ship And if Christ doth it as a Lord thinke they yea and as a Jesus too and if God hath given them their lives c. for a time Christ hath purchased these lives of theirs and if he hath purchased them it is upon some satisfaction which Christ hath made to his Father and from some generall pardon which he hath obtained of his Father for Adam's and all mens first fault in Adam But that the world and the lives of wicked men and the blessings of this life though the earth be given to the sons of men even into the hands of the wicked Job 9. 24. come not in to them by Christs purchase I think I may evince by these Demonstrations 1. Either such a purchase is by some satisfaction to Gods Demonstratiōs against Christs purchase of all men for the world of creatures or of the creatures for all mankinde justice or not If not by any satisfaction then something Christ doth and offereth to God is a price unsatisfactory or no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or price of redemption at all which is the dotage and madnesse of Socinus and his followers If by some satisfaction where Christ satisfies in part he satisfieth wholly where he obtains one mercy he obtains all and wicked men even reprobates must have the rest of the purchase or God gives not Christ what he hath purchased we may safely conclude therefore he purchased nothing for them at all neither spirituals nor temporals but all and only for them for whom he obtained an eternall Redemption as 't is called Heb 9. 13. 2. Then would Gods love and favour be known by outward Demon. 2. benefits at the first view and by good events of providence without any other consideration it is enough Christ purchased the world for them and them for the world God loves them nor is there any hatred to be taken notice of from other notions contrary to Ecclesiastes chap. 9. 1. 3. Then all are under Grace and Gospel-grace and Gospel-Covenant Demon. 3. Nature is grace even naturall reason and will or nature endued with reason and will as Pelagius fancied for this was part of the purchase 4. Grant but all temporall things even of men excommunicate Demon. 4. and of Heathens to be founded in grace I mean Gospel-purchase and Gods free favour in Christ and you Daven deter q. 30. lay a foundation for the Popes Supremacy and his deposing of Princes for that being granted 't is founded in grace and many Princes denying Romes grace and faith they conclude such are to be deprived of their temporall dominions and dignities 5. This confounds the Kingdom of Power and the Kingdom Demon. 5. of Grace and brings all humane Powers and Magistrates States and Common-wealths immediately under Christs mediatory Kingdom and that as they are Magistrates and civil States As Mr Hussey * Plea for Christian Magist 36 would have Christ by his mediation obtain of the Father that he shall not judge any man according to rigour but as they are in or out of Christ all deferring of judgement from the wicked is in and for Christ which otherwise the justice of God would not allow Mr Gillespy a Malè audis 29. well infers Then Christ dieth for them and did thus farre make satisfaction in the behalf of the wicked that judgement might be deferred from them and thus farre he hath performed acts of mediation for Savages and Mahumetans who never heard of the Gospel and thereby hath obtained that they shall be judged not according to rigour but by the Gospel which intimateth That Christ hath taken away all their sinnes against the Law so that all men shall now go upon a new score c. being all of them immediately upon Adams fall under a new Covenant and in a Kingdome of grace which sutes well and jumps in with Mr Oats's opinion not as good wits use to doe but as bad counsellours and conspiratours against a good cause or two as well that of Church-government confounded with the civil as that of a Covenant of grace confounded with a Covenant of works But I ask M. Hussey or any rationall Doctour Cannot Gods power be exercised where his grace in Christ is denied and cannot God be just and patient too why should we set one Attribute of God against the other when none of them doe interfere Object Gen. 2. 17. It will be said The threatning was full and peremptory In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Except Christ steps in Justice proceeds upon him immediately God shews not a drop of mercy but for his Sonne I answer 1. Justice did proceed upon Adam at the instant of his sinning he begins to die the death his body becomes mortall and obnoxious to death in which sense the Apostle saith The body is dead Rom.
8. 10. his soul and spirit is void of the life of God and of the sense of Gods love he is under the power and regiment of sinne and Satan disabled to all spirituall good This spirituall death is the harbinger of eternall death to him an hell upon earth it was when God arraigned him he had no other I conceive then the sentence of death and hell in his conscience till the promise comes Gen. 3. 15. but observe it before that promise is revealed God is just and patient also just in bringing the degrees and pains of death upon Adam patient in forbearing the immediate and full execution even as God was and is just to the Angels that sinned 2 Pet. 2. 4. yet patient in that he reserveth them to a further judgement and gives them not all their torment before their time Math. 8. 29. and yet this patience is exercised to devils without a purchase or death of a Mediatour so God might deferre from Adam and doth from his posterity keep off judgement though not in and for Christ quâ Mediator And what though Gods dispensations towards Angels is not a rule in all cases for us to collect his transaction about man fallen and his dispensations towards him yet in this case the Apostle b 2 Pet. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 9. makes a clear inference If God spared not them but reserveth them unto judgement he knoweth v. 9. how to reserve the unjust to the day of judgement the same verb being used in ver 4 and 9. for reserving in the Passive and Active voice where he speaks of Angels and men as coming from the same act of Gods just patience and patient-justice And though we know not how this should be he knoweth how to be just and patient too how to be patient in wrath and justice Rom. 9. 22. and how to be just in his patience 2. The threatning Gen. 2. 17. against Adam and all men sinning in him is not taken off by the promise Gen. 3. 15. which is only to the woman and her seed nay that is a threatning too in reference to the Serpent and his seed which are not only evil Angels but wicked reprobates amongst men and that which is threatned is irreconcilable enmity with and conquest over Satan and all his serpentine brood which necessarily infers death and damnation to them as to himself it were strange then if vertually in and for Christ patience should be afforded to Adam and all in him before the promise is actually promulged when at and in the actuall promulgation here is nothing but wrath and enmity between the woman and the serpent Christ and the devil the devils brood and the generation of the righteous true Adam stands by trembling and hears this but if he gets any peace or patience or pardon of his first sinne 't is a personall favour only for himself not to descend upon all his posterity but such as should be the womans seed from their interest in a second Adam Christ Jesus not from any relation to him as the first Adam All therefore who are yet but in the first Adam and as branches of that root are under the sentence of death for that first sinne Christ hath not obtained pardon nor patience that I know for them one moment 3. No man denieth but all was forfeited upon Adam's fall his very life and all creature-comfort and subsistence but God takes not the forfeit for when Christ the promised seed steps in for that part of mankinde who are with Christ the seed of the woman the elect of God the patience mercy and bounty of God steps in for the rest of mankinde even the seed of the serpent and reprobates with whom yet he will carry on a Covenant of works and justice the foundation of which covenant Christ cannot be as Mediatour for then he should be the foundation of two Covenants contradistinct works and grace no a Reprieve only comes forth for them yet under and ever to be under a Covenant of works and justice this is no Redemption 4. This Reprieve is but for a very short time to many not at all to some of the serpents seed who being conceived in the guilt of the first sinne are stifled at first conception â—â— or being born in that guilt and the corruption of nature succeeding in the room of Gods image dead in sinnes and trespasses die corporally the day they are born or soon after in tender infancy and in their immortall souls die eternally as the children of the Sodomites then in the womb or newly crept out who with their parents or fathers of fornication an unclean diabolicall brood Jude v. 7. are suffering the vengeance of eternall fire Others live out their time allotted them in just-patience but are accursed in life and death Isa 65 20. And die as e Morte morieris Hebraismus est qua verboruÌ„ reduplicatione vehementia certitudo significatur morie morieris i. c. certissimè morieris Paulus Fagius in Gen. 2. 17. certainly step by step as they that drop into hell out of their mothers womb And as malefactours who are but reprieved not redeemed and pardoned stay they never so long in Gaole yet they die the death or doe most surely suffer death at the day of full execution being dead men in law long before 5. What Christ the Sonne of God doth in this reprieve of the serpents seed as indeed he doth all that is done 't is as he is God and Lord of all in the Kingdom of his Power which he makes subservient to the Kingdom of his Grace for the saving benefit of the heirs of grace and glory As some great Lord intending to redeem one captive among and out of many prisoners in his fathers great house that he might marry her and make her his beloved Spouse and for whom he laies down a ransome to his father out of his generous and noble disposition common to him and his father also as a Lord and great Prince not as Husband or Bridegroom should throw away little and great summes of money with sutes of cloth upon the common prisoners and appoint them relief out of a common Almes-basket all to this end that these common prisoners might doe some service in the great family for his Spouses advantage So the Lord God and our Lord Iesus Christ so stiled Iude v. 4. being the only Lord God to all men and the Lord Iesus Christ but to a few he comes in the first promise and in the old Prophecies types and shadows and in the fulnesse of time in the substance of our nature among a world of Captives to wooe his Church his â—pouse and Bride to redeem and save her and her only by the ransome of his bloud paid down to his Fathers justice and out of his naturall pity and bounty being God and the Son of God and Lord of all like himself and his greatnesse he casts away life and health
generally or more specially intended in his death And if he comes to Testardus for resolution of this doubt he cannot be resolved by his Doctrine because i Ibid. by the more generall redemption and intention God doth not mean to bestow actuall salvation upon the sinner but conditionally And if you ask him upon what condition he will not tell you it is upon a faith of Gods irresistible working which yet he k The 243 244. granteth to some and ingenuously acknowledgeth peculiar to the elect but in effect l The. 102. their own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle to make use of Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passe their naturall will to make use of Gods common supernaturall light Is this satisfactory or that which somewhere m The 97. he asserteth that God granteth a faculty of salvation to miserable sinners in the generall redemption but the use of that faculty he indulgeth only to believers in the speciall redemption T is yet but common and unsatisfying to the miserable sinner I fear I beleeve 4. All the Scripture intention of Christs death is coincident Nos mortem resurrectionem ascensionem sessionem intercessionem aequè conjungendas esse dicimus in fine ac intentione ac in Christi personâ conjungebantur de facto Ames Cor. Art 1. de Red. c. 1. Armin. Disp. Prin. The. 40. Confess Pastorum Remâ—n c. 8. with that of his Resurrection and Intercession viz. as for the beginnings so for the compleatings of salvation in and upon the same persons Rom. 8. 29. Whom he did fore-know vers 30. Whom he hath predestinated c. reade on to the end of vers 34. Now all that I know of Heterodox with Orthodox have agreed in this That Christs resurrection and intercession are peculiar in their intentions and fruits for the faithfull only But Testardus n Testard The. 100. adventures not only to make Christs death common but his resurâ—ection and intercession and the fruit which he would have appertain to all and every one is an asking and obtaining leave for so I may sometime english his facultas of God that they may be saved and this leave or faculty call it what you will is but a salvation by halves nay not half the beginnings of salvation for it is farre short of the infusion of faith which himself cals the first application of salvation As for that impertation of leave to save those who never shall be saved he brings no proof from Scripture that either it is the fruit of Christs resurrection or intercession or of his death But to anticipate and enervate the Argument not more usually then truly raised from Christs praier Ioh. 17. viz. whom Christ included only in that his praier which is the canon of his intercession in heaven by Arminias own concession he only intended in his death our Antagonist gives his Reader a squint-eyed hint that when Christ saith vers 9. I pray not for the world c. he respecteth not the aforesaid impetration of a leave or faculty nor yet the first application of salvation by the infusion of faith Sed custodiam in fide cum Christo unione but the Fathers keeping of the believer in faith and union with Christ Let us because we seek the harmony of one truth with another yeeld it to him and others that 't is not Christs scope all along that praier nor any where else that I know to petition for a bare impetration of leave or faculty for him to save or for all men to be saved this is easily proved from the Chapter that Christ prayed for the first application of salvation by infusion of faith and by first union with Christ as well as for perseverance in faith and union 1. His main scope is to seek his own glory that his Father might have glory v. 1. Now this is one means of his Fathers glory as a fruit of his glorification the gift of eternall life to as many as God had given him which eternall life begins in the knowledge of the true God even in those Gentiles and Heathens who had worshipped the creature in stead of the Creatour and never would come to the saving knowledge of God but by the knowledge of Christ Christ is not to be made known to the Gentiles till he be glorified he praieth therefore that he be glorified that the knowledge of God in him sent of God might be disposed verse 3. So as they who never knew God might know him rightly and savingly and what is this or how is this but by the infusion of faith hence to know God in Christ and to believe in God through Christ from the very first act is one and the same and so understood vers 3. 2. He petitioneth for all that should believe v. 20. that they might be one which is for their first union and entrance into communion implicitely as for their perseverance more expressely 3. He praieth that as many as God had given him v. 2. might see his glory v. 24. now they are an innumerable company besides the present Apostles and believing Jews who are to see his glory as well those who are yet to believe as those who were then to believe and yet he praied not then nor doth now make intercession for the world according to vers 9. and as he included not nor intended the world contradistinct to the dati electi à patre those given and chosen of the Father in his praier but his intention and eye was solely upon these so was it in his death vers 19. 5. And lastly All the Scripture intention of Christs death maketh not a separation or distinction between the sufficiency and efficiency thereof upon the same subject the blessed sufficiency and efficacy of Christ as Prophet Priest and King go together and are inseparably linked for ever in him and upon his Psal 45. 2. Nor can we say though Christs death be sufficiens remedium in se a sufficient remedy in it self for all that he died sufficienter for any but for those to whom he is willing his death should be efficacious Testardus distinction of common and speciall intention holds up the distinction of sufficiency and efficacy nay he will have the remedy o The. 78. Plusquam sufficiens more then sufficient for all and so intended and prepared but p The. 140 141 146 147 148. the efficacy none or as good as none at all But as we finde in Scripture that Christs will is the chief ingredient in his sufferings and in a true sense more then his act or passion Psal 40. 6 7 8. with Heb. 10. 9 10. So we finde not that life is prepared and offered for any but for whom efficacy is prepared I cannot for my heart separate life and efficacy when the Scripture doth not separate but ever joyn them together Joh. 5. 39 40. cap. 10. 10. 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. If generall intention then cannot be found in
Kings and Monarchs here below 3. The Kingdoms treasure is of greater worth then the particular revenues of the King for as the King is so is his treasure though singulis major over and above all individuals yet universis minor lesse then the publike Behold the Kingdoms treasure is here for you yea the King himself is his Kingdoms treasure and his Subjects Pearl 4. What Kingdom but that of heaven What treasure is it but an heavenly To be prized above all the treasures of the earth and earthly Kingdoms put together take the Persian and Turkish treasures the wealth of all the Princes and states of Europe Asia Africa and America with all the Indian gold and jewels Summe all up they are all but Ciphers without a figure they come all to nothing nothing but vanity and winde all earthly treasure is but trash and dirt from beneath the treasure of our text is from above that may be lost stolen this no thief can break thorow and steal that is but corruptible at the best this incorruptible and fadeth not away 5. 'T is an hidden d Thesaurus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aurum repositum Isid orig treasure the more hid the more precious wise men much more the most wise God laies up only things of worth and hides them from the notice of all There is more then yet can be found and that which is found is more then can be told over 't is the love of Christ that passeth knowledge and the merit of Christ that passeth all price and worth in the creature and surpasseth all the valuation and esteem you can give it set it as high â—s you can Christ and his grace cannot of any mortall of any Saint be too high-prized 6. All this treasure is made up in one Pearl of great price and that with God why should it not be so with us The richest Pearl that ever I read of was that which Cleopatra dissolved and drunk in a health to Antonius her friend worth a hundred thousand gold pieces What if the price had been a hundred millions or a million of millions this is but mans price and in mans market who value things especially jewels and pearls more according to fancy then true worth but God himself here sets the price beyond what you can reckon it at yet if you like it you shall have it at an under-rate have but these thoughts of it it is surely worth all that I have or that any man hath of his own and that the merchant man was no fool to go and sell all that he had to buy it of which in it's due place Thirdly Pity we those who know nothing of it and it 's worth and make we the best discovery of it we can Let the Ministers of the Lord and people of God let all Christs factours who have any trading and commerce with heaven set forth the excellency and the worth hereof after Pauls patern in every Epistle of his to the life and to the lustre and glory of it that poor earth wormes and ignorant soules may may be taken with it's commendations and drawn to dig and search for it where it is to be found Fourthly Seek we for it and more of it where it is hidden in Scripture-promises and Gospel-Sermons give that choice field its due account and wait for the opening of the field the treasure and your hearts together to understand more of the mystery of Jesus Christ Suspect those who would lead you from the Field where you may finde the Treasure yea conclude they are deceivers who call into Question the whole written text of Scripture And take but this Antidote or two along with you when you are tempted to sip of such a cup of poison 1. Those are the Scriptures and written Word of God where Christ and his grace is to be sought and found Joh. 5. 39. in the present Scriptures Christ is found and eternall life is found in his words by us Gentiles and when the Iew shall turn to the Lord the vail shall be taken away which now is upon their heart in the reading of the old Testament and they shall finde this treasure also with us 2. They are the true Expositours of Scripture and the right Expositions which hold forth Christ and Gods free grace in him Yesterday to day and for ever so as they give nothing to nature or the creature at all which they doe who lay all the ground of Baptisme upon mans act not Gods promise and who by preaching Christs death for all leave it to the contingency of the creatures slippery-slavish will to vote it whether this or that man or any man shall be saved or no I come to a second observation 2. Even Gods elect as others for a time they wander Doct. 2 after some or other imaginary mediums and waies of soul-enrichment Gods elect are but common seekers for a time and contentment So much I conceive is taught us by our Lord in that he saith the merchant man who at last findes the true pearl of the Kingdome is in his first seekings busied with other men Proved about supposed specious pearls which men may set a price upon but here is no price put upon them by Christ e Psal 4. 6. Many even the elect a while with others till their hearts be touched as Davids was are enquiring Who will shew us any good If it be but a shew of good it shall they think content them f Mat. 6. 32. After these things doe the Gentiles even every one in natural state seek g Luk. 14. 18. One follows his form and seeks a pearl there another his merchandize c. and seeks a pearl or two there I shall further make out the truth hereof in a few Demonstrations that it is so and why it is so First that it is so is evident three waies First That it is so 1. All men have a natural aim at happinesse and they who live under the preaching of the Word they aim at such a place as is called heaven for the will naturally hath good for its object and enclines to chuse a sumâ—um bonum some chief good to make the soul happy by And when any conscience is a wakened it presently asketh What shall I do to be saved Miserable it would not be 2. Mediums and waies men have though false as so many pearls in their eye fair and goodly possibilities to keep them from misery and to make them happy such a carnal pleasure as the Epicure or such a portion of estate as the rich fool in the Gospel such honour at Court or preferment at or by the Parliament some are for profound learning and travels in the writings of the Ancients others for common parts or trades and imploiments in the City or Countrey some for Philosophy and physick others for Rhetorick or musick some for common graces others for religious duties and offices in the Church by some