other Ioh. 7.37 Where Christ himself being on earth maketh this open Proclamation in the hearing of the Jewes If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink And that there is the same mind in him still being in heaven you may take notice from the like Proclamation Rev. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Thus doth he set open that Fountain spoken of Zach. 13.1 Offering all the benefits of his death Graee and Glory to all that will come unto him for it 7. 7. Assurance of a gracious reception and Intertainment And what he so offereth he will certainly make good receiving and intertaining all that come unto him For this you have that known promise to assure you Ioh. 6.37 Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not at any hand reject him but receive and imbrace him giving unto him what he cometh for there being a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Phrase as you lately heard more intended than said I will bid him welcome giving him a gracious reception and bountiful entertainment communicating unto him what ever I shall merit Come unto me ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will secure you against the guilt and power of sin against Hell and Death and all the enemies of your Salvation giving you abundant satisfaction in what ever you do or can desire Now had poor needy beggars in a Town such an Invitation to a Feast with such an assurance of welcome which of them is there that would refuse to come upon this account because he is not invited by name 8. The Command of God the Father 8. To this yet add that which may serve to silence all reasonings even the Command of God the Father concerning this This is the Commandement that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Commandement of his the great Commandement of the Gospel Now who is there that questions whether he ought to yeeld obedience to any Commandement of the Law And why then to any Commandment of the Gospel Especially to this which is as I said the great Commandement that which the Lord requireth from all those to whom the Gospel is preached And that under the penalty of Eternal Condemnation 9. Not to receive Christ offered the condemning sin 9. Which let it be the last nayl fasting all the rest This is a Condemning sin Not to receive Christ being thus offered Nay this is the condemning sin He shall convince the world of sin because they believe not on me Joh. 16.8 9. This is the sin the great sin and the condemning sin under the Gospel He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God Quid non crediderunt i.e. Sola incredulitas sufficiens causa est condemnationâ—s Aret. Com. in Loc. Joh. 3.18 Had a man no other sin yet this alone of incredulity were enough to condemn him And on the other hand were iâ— not for this sin all other sins should not condemn him But who so standeth guilty of this sin refusing to believe on Christ being tendered to him as he is in a state of condemnation already upon the account of other sins Original and Actual so continuing in this sin under this unbelief he shall as certainly be condened as if he were in hell already Put these considerations together and now see what it is that can have any colour to keep you off from coming to Christ from receiving him as a Priest believing on him Only in the third place whilest you thus receive him in the two former Relations 3. Come unto Christ as a King forget not the third whilest you receive him as a Prophet and a Priest receive him also as a Prince Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5.31 And so let him be to every of you Would you have Christ to be your Saviour let him also be your Prince your King ruling not only over you but in you Thus yeeld up your selves to his Government that he may set up his Scepter in your hearts governing of you by his Laws his word his Spirit So doing now doubt not to take up the Apostles words here in the Text applying them to your selves saying The great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us Being assured that what Christ hath done he hath done it for you and that the merit of his death doth belong unto you Which being assured of Vse 3. Admire the love of God and Jesus Christ in thus giving himself for us now stand and admire that love which was expressed and shewn unto you herein The love of God the Father and the love of God the Son which was the only ground and motive of bestowing this Gift The love of God the Father So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son The love of God the Son Hereby perceive we the love of God towards us because he layed down his life for us 1 Joh. 3.16 And what love like this love Circumstances herein considerable So it will appear if we do but ponder and consider these few circumstances formerly touched upon 1 The Person giving and given 1. Who it was that gave himself Even the Great God our Saviour Iesus Christ as you have heard 2. For whom 2. For whom given it was that he gave himself For us Wherein divers particulars 1. For us Men. 1. For us Men. Not for the Angels some of which stood in as much need of a Saviour as we did Yet he took not hold of them but suffered them that were fallen to lye perish everlastingly But he took hold of us Heb. 2.16 gave himself for us 2. Us Sinners 2. For us Sinners Herein God commendeth his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 3. Us Enemies 3. For us Enemies Greater love hath no man than this that a man should lay down his life for his friends Joh. 15.13 Yet behold here greater love than this When we were Enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 4. Us rather than others 4. And fourthly for us rather than others When the world of Man-kind lay in the same condition of sin and miserie Christ layed hold on us giving himself for us whilest he hath passed by many others of equal nay it may be of far better deserts than our selves 3. How given 3. To which I might add How he gave himself Not only to be born and live but to dye for us to dye that painful shameful accursed death the death of the Cross 4. As also to
1 Iohn 5.19 where it is said The whole world lyeth in wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning the unregenerate world all men out of Christ Now if they be so called because they are the greater part why may not Gods Elect be so in as much as they though they be the lesser yet they are the better part Thus we find the Roman Empire called Rev. 12.9 where it is said of the great Dragon the Devil that he deceived the whole world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning that he drew all the Roman Empire into Idolatry which being a great and the most considerable part of the world is there called the whole world And so Colos 1.6 Synecdoche significans illustrissimas â—orbis partes Grot. Com in loc Paul telleth his Colossians that the Gospel was come unto them as it was in all the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning the most eminent parts of it as Grotius expounds it In which sense also it is used as he notes Rom. 1.8 where the same Apostle telleth his Romans that their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning the chief parts of it And thus may Gods Elect In Electis praescitis specialis quaedam censetur universitas ut de toto mundo toâ—us mundus liberatus de omnibus hominibus omnes homines videantur assumpti Prosper de vocat Gent. Lib. 1. being the flower and choycest part of the world be called the whole world There being among them as Prosper saith a kind of special universality a world in the world Ans 2. The whole world all Nations Jewes and Gentiles Ans 2. But secondly if this satisfie not by the whole world there we may understand all Nations in the world both Iewes and Gentiles Christ is the propitiation for our sins who are Iewes not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world that is of the Gentiles also Thus doth Saint Iohn there as Christ and other of the Apostles often did cross that high conceit which the Iewes had of themselves who looked upon themselves as the only people beloved of God and thought that the promise of the Messia belonged only to them Not so saith this our Apostle for how ever the Gentiles in times past had been over-looked yet now he would have them to know that they were called to the participation of the Covenant of grace as well as themselves and that the benefit of Christs death and Intercession belonged as well to them as any other Ans 3. Ans 3. Christ the only Propitiator for the whole world Yet in the third place if this content not Christ may truly be said to be the Propitiation for the sins of the whole world in as much as he is the only Propitiator there being none made partakers of that benefit to have their sins remitted but by and through him In such a sense it is that Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15.22 In Christ shall all be made alive that is all those who are so made alive quickned up unto that eternal life shall be made alive by him And so Saint Iohn speaking of Christ saith This is the true light which inlightneth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 that is every man that is inlightned And in such a sense may he fitly here be said to be the Propitiation for the sins of the whole world in as much as all who are reconciled unto God they receive that benefit by and through him and no other Thus to make use of a plain Illustration he who was the first Founder of some Invention as of Printing or Guns may be said to have taught the whole world that Art not that every man in the world hath learned it from him but that all who have learned it they are beholding to him for it Even thus may Christ be said to be the Propitiation for the sins of the whole world not that all persons have their sins pardoned but that all those who are partakers of this benefit they have it by and through him But they go on in the third place telling us that Christ is said to dye for all men Arg. 3. Christ dyed for All men So Scripture speaketh it expresly and frequently as Rom. 8.32 God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all So 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himself a ransome for all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Than which what can be more full for a Vniversal Redemption Ans The word All diversly taken in Scripture Ans So indeed it may seem at the first hearing but not so upon more advised thoughts which will let us know that this word All is not alwayes to be taken in such a latitude as it sounds and as vulgarly apprehended viz. as a note of universalîty taking in every particular person in the world But sometimes restrictively with limitation and determination to some kind of Persons And sometimes Indefinitely for some of all sorts and kinds Now in the former of these senses may the fnrmer of those Texts be most fitly understood Restrictively for the Elect. He delivered him up for us all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not for All but for us all us Beleevers or us and all other the Elect people of God So the next verse there expounds it Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8.33 These are the All there spoken of for whom God delivered up his Son viz. his Chosen ones Those for whom Christ maketh Intercession So the verse next following hath it v. 34 It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Now this is a favour which Arminians themselves will not allow to all universally at least not all alike that Christ should perform that part of his Priestly Office for them to intercede for them but only for his Elect such as believe on him So as we may well conclude them to be the All there spoken of for whom Christ was delivered up In the latter sense understand we the word in that other Text. Indefinitely for all sorts and kinds of men Christ gave himself a ransome for all that is All kinds and sorts of men So the word All is elsewhere frequently used Pro generibus singulorum not singulis generum for some of all sorts So we find it Ioel 2.28 where the Lord promiseth I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh that is upon all sorts of persons So the words following explain it And your Sons and daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your yong men shall see visions And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I poure out my Spirit v. 29 that is upon all sorts and conditions of persons So again Luke 3.6 Our Saviour citing the Text of the Prophet Isai c. 40.3 saith
only to them for whom he was delivered unto death but to him that delivered him unto death In the 15th of John Christ saith to his Disciples If ye were of the world the world would love you Where saith Augustin he speaks of the Church universal which Christ oftentimes calls the World As in that Scripture God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and in that Scripture Artic. 1. Quod Dominus noster Jesus Christus non pro omnium hominum Redemptione sit passus Respon Quod ergo ad magnitudinem potentiam precii quod ad unam pertinet causam generis humani sanguis Christi Redemptio est totius mundi sed qui hoc seculum sine fide Christi sine regenerationis Sacramento pertranseunt redemptionis aliena sunt Cum itaque per unam omnium naturam omnium causam a Domino nostro in veritate susceptam redemti recte omnes dicantut non tamen omnes captivitate sunt liberati Redemptionis proprietas haud dubium penes illos est de quibus princeps mundi hujus missus est foras jam non vasa diaboli sed membra Christi sunt August liber refellens articulos faâ—so ipsi impositos Artic. 1. Prosp ad capit object Vincent Respons 1. The Son of man came not to condemn but to save the world and in that Scripture We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ who is the Propitiation not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world That is the Church so called because scattered throughout the world And whereas he was charged by the Pelagians with denying that Christ suffered for the Redemption of all men he plainly gave his sense therin thus As for the greatness and suffciency of the price the blood of Christ is the Redemption of the whole world but they that die without Faith and Regeneration are aliens from Redemption All men saith he are rightly said to be redeemed in respect of one nature of all and the one cause of all which the Lord did truly take upon him and yet all are not not delivered from captivity The propriety of Redemption without doubt belongeth unto them out of whom the Prince of this world is cast who are not vessels of Satan but the members of Christ And herein Prosper doth totidem verbis concur with him This ergo was the sense of the Orthodox for by Augustins judgment you may measure the rest in those times In the 8th Century this truth of Christ was defended and maintained by Gotteschalchus and for which with other truths of the same concernment he suffered imprisonment 20. yeares as appeares by the Articles which his Adversaries charged him with accused him of and condemned him for viz. (l) 1. Sicut Deus quosdam ad vitam aeternam ita quosdam praedestinavit ad morteÌ„ eternam 2. Non vult Deus omnes homines salvos fieri sed tantum eos qui salvantur quia quaecunque voluit dominus fecit in coelo in terra 3. Non pro totius mundi redemptione i. e. non pro omnium hominum salute redemptione Dominus salvator noster Jesus Christus est crucifixus mortuus sed tantum pro his qui salvantur Baron Annual anno dom 848 Caâ—vis Cronoâ—og anno dom 848. Vossii histor Pelag. lib. 7. Ps 4. Vsheri histor Gotteschal p. 15. that he said that as God hath predestinated some to eternal life so he hath predestinated some to eternal death 2. That God would not have all men to be saved but only those that are saved because whatever God willeth that doth he in heaven and in earth 3. That Christ did not dye for all but only those that are saved Another Article there was also about the Trinity but that was not insisted on His great Adversaries were Rabanus Maurus and Hinomarus but though he was condemned by a Synod of their packing yet he was defended and justified by Remigius Flerus Prudentius Strabus the Church of Lyons and the Valentine Councel in these particulars As for the truth now in hand Remigius saith (m) De dominici sanguinis pretio quod pro his tantum qui credere voluerint datum sit maâ—ifesta est beatorum Patrum sententia quam iste ut putamus legendo didicerat damnare metuebat Vsher histor Gottes p. 64. concerning the price of Christs blood that it is given onely for those that shall believe is the manifest sentence of the blessed Fathers which Gotteschalcus as we think in reading hath learned and dareth not condemn the Church of Lyons saith (n) Admoneamus ut vigilanter fideliter pensare studeant ne sorte minus considerando quod dicendum erat contra fidem conscientiam suam talia dixerint scripserint nec ipsos qui haec dixerunt credere putamus quod pro iis in sua impietate mortuis aeterno jam judicio condemnatis dominus passus esse credendus sit si enim pro eis cur non pro diabolo Vsher Histor Gottes p. 80. whilest men say that Christ died for all men let them take heed that they do not speak against their own consciences for can they believe that Christ died for them that were dead and in hell before Christ was born then why may it not be as well said that Christ died for the Devils and saith the Valentine Councel (o) De redemptione sanguinis Christi propter nimium errorem qui de hac causa exortus est ita ut quidam sicut eorum scripta indicant etiam pro illis impiis qui a mundi exordio usque ad passionem domini in sua impietate mortui aeterna damnatione puniti sunt effusum definiunt contra illud Propheticum ero mors tua ô mors ero morsus tuus inferne Illud nobis simpliciter fideliter tenendum docendum placet juxta EvangelicaÌ„ ApostolicaÌ„ veritateÌ„ quod pro illis hoc datum pretium teneamus de quibus ipse dominus noster dicit sicut Moyses exaltavit serpentem in deserto ita exaltari oporter filium hominis ut omnis qui credit in ipso non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam sic enim Deus dilexit mundum c. Apostolus inquit semel oblatus est ad multorum exhaurienda peccata Concil Valentin sub Pap. Leo 4. cap. 4. Binius Tom. 6. Voss histor Pelag. lib. 7. p. 4. Vsher hist Gott p. 181. concerning the Redemption of Christs blood by reason of the exceeding errors that have grown in respect thereof insomuch as some as your own writings declare do hold that it was shed even for those ungodly ones who from the beginning of the world until the passion of our Lord were dead in their ungodliness and punished with eternal damnation contrary to the saying of the Prophet O death I will be thy death and thy sting O hell We do decree that it ought simply and
have trespassed against the Lord saith he yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing And so upon the like ground it is that the Prophet Ioel exhorts the people to turn unto God by Repentance For who knoweth saith he if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him Joel 2.13 14. They were not sure that upon their Reformation and Repentance the Lord would presently free them from those temporal judgements which then lay upon them Yet knowing that there was no other way for the obteining of such a mercy but this and that there was hope in this way therefore they will have them put themselves upon it So standeth it with all poor sinners be their state and condition whatever it will be yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing God hath provided a means of Salvation for such as they are And who knoweth but that he intendeth upon their coming to his Son Christ to apply it unto them So as were there nothing else yet this alone should be sufficient to put poor sinners upon this way of coming unto Christ and believing on him 3. But to this adde in the third place the All-sufficiency of this Sacrifice 3. The Al-sufficiency of his Sacrifice The death of Christ is sufficient for all Mark it Though we do not say what hath commonly but unwarily been received from the Schools and so asserted by many Orthodox Divines that Christ dyed sufficiently for all for that intimates that there was a purpose and intention in God the Father in giving his Son and in Christ giving himself that he should dye for all and so become a surety for all dying in their room and stead which will not be safe in any sense to yeeld Yet we affirm what I suppose will not be denyed or questioned that his death was and is in it self sufficient for all So it must needs be This Blood being the blood of God as the Apostle calleth it in that Text formerly made use of Act. 20.28 God purchased the Church with his own blood And so Saint Iohn 1 Joh. 3.16 God layed down his life for us that is that person who was truly God as well as Man Hence it is that the death and passion of Christ was and must needs be of an infinite value and vertue being the suffering of an infinite person Thus was it sufficient for all men for the whole world yea for thousands of worlds Now were it so that there were such a receit as would cure all diseases who is there but being sick would make tryal of it not standing to question whether it was prepared for him or no. Thus standeth the Case here All men by reason of sin are sick sick unto death Now the Blood of Iesus Christ is such a Panacea a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true Catholicon The Blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 How it is then that any poor sinners who are sensible of this spiritual aylement should make any demur about the drinking of this blood the applying of the merit of Christs death unto themselves by faith 4. The experience of all who have thus come unto Christ 4. To this in the fourth place add the experience which others have had those who have put their souls upon this way of whom never any one miscaried All have found cure who have rightly applyed this remedy And why then should not others do the like As it was with the Brazen Serpent set up in the wilderness as a cure for the stinging of the fiery Serpents there however at the first erecting of it happily some might look upon it as a meer Pageant having no such vertue in it and so would not trouble themselves to go up to it yet when once they saw by experience that all who came unto it received benefit from it now we may suppose that none should need to perswade those who felt themselves stung to repair unto it Thus standeth the case here For such an end was the Lord Iesus of whom that was a Type lifted up upon the Cross that whosoever believeth on him should not persh but have eternal life as our Saviour himself explains the mystery of it Ioh. 3.14 15. And of the vertue of this mystical Brazen Serpent the Saints in all ages have had experience Those before Christ after The one looking upon him as to come the other as already come Yet believing on him they were all saved by him Even as the Israelites which looked upon that Serpent whether it was before or behind or on which side soever we do not find but they were all cured Thus have the Ages before Christ since the Fathers under the old Testament and Saints under the New both alike found benefit by coming unto Christ and looking up unto him by faith We believe saith Peter that through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Act. 15.11 We Iewes as they Gentiles None that ever came to Christ in a right way but have been saved by him So was it when he was here upon earth None came to him for cure of their Bodies but received it And so hath it been since his removal to heaven None ever came to him for the Cure of their souls but have found what they came for And what an incouragement then should this be to all poor sinners to take the same course to come unto him upon the same account These are all strong inducements to put Christians upon this way But behold yet more yea and stronger Arguments drawing more forcibly as viz. 5. Gods purpose in giving his Son 5. In the 5th place consider what is the Intimation which we have of God the Fathers purpose in giving his Son which we have in that Text before insisted on Ioh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish c. Now then taking notice what is the Condition whereupon depends the benefit of Christs death and which being performed it shall undoubtedly be made effectual what remains but that without any over-curious enquiry concerning the former part of that verse what is there meant by the world which God is said to have loved or how he may be said to have loved that world you apply your selves to the latter to the performance of what is there required Which shall you through the grace of God inabling make good on your parts do not doubt but God will make good unto you what he hath engaged on his part 6. Christs serious Invitation 6. To which add the Sons Invitation Christs calling you to come unto him which you may hear him doing in that known Text Matth. 11.28 Come unto me ye that labour and are heavy laden viz. under the burden of sin seriously desiring as I said to be freed from the guilt and power of it As also in that
2. And again consider how zealous Iesus Christ hath been for us 2. The zeal of Jesus Christ in giving himself What affection he hath shewn to us in doing what the Text mindeth us of giving himself for us and that to the Death even that accursed death treading the winepresse of his Fathers wrath for our sakes What zeal did he herein shew for us How earnest was his desire of effecting the work of our Redemption This is that which he telleth his Disciples Luke 12.50 I have a Baptism to be Baptized with saith he and how am I straitned till it be accomplished A Baptism meaning his Death and Passion whereby he was consecrated to be the Saviour of the world And concerning this he saith he was straitned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnestly desiring the accomplishment thereof that so the work of mans Redemption which he made his grand design might be effected A work which he was very zealous of And hereupon it was that he was so far from declining of that bitter Cup as Peter would have had him to do that he even maketh haste as it were to drink it going into the Garden where he knew the High Priests officers would come to apprehend him and there going forth to meet them offering himself unto them not accepting of any attempt for his rescue as I shewed you in opening the first Branch of the Text how Christ gave himself for us Such was his zeal for us that he thought not his dearest blood too dear for us And oh how zealous then should we be for him Was he so zealous in suffering for us how zealous should we be in doing for him Let these Considerations serve as well they may for the kindling of this fire 2. Considerations useful for the blowing up of this fire Which being in this way kindled let our next work be to inflame and blow it up In which way among other make use of these Considerations 1. The zeal of Angels in serving their God 1. Look upon the blessed Angels considering how zealous they are in serving their God and us So much we are put in mind of by that name which is given to some of them who are called Seraphim So we find them Isa 6.2 where the Prophet describing the Majesty of God represented to him in a Vision as sitting upon his Throne with a guard of Angels about him he saith About it stood the Seraphims or rather Seraphim as the plural termination in the Hebrew requires it should be Seraphim a word coming from Saraph which signifieth to burn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ussit form whence they were so called as to import their singular splendor so also their fervency of love to God and zeal in his service Who maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flaming fire Psa 146. Such are those glorious Spirits Whence it is that in the verse there following they are said to have each of them six wings two whereof were to fly withall as also the Cherubins in the Temple had 1 King 6.27 intimating their promptness to and swiftness in executing the will of their God doing whatsoever he putteth them upon Doing his commandements hearkning to the voice of his word as the Psalmist describeth those heavenly Spirits Psalm 103.20 And as they are zealous in doing service to their God so to his people In serving his people Being Ministring Spirits unto them sent forth to Minister unto them who shall be heirs of Salvation as the Apostle sets forth their office Heb. 1. last how intent are they about this work Take heed saith our Saviour that ye despise not one of these little ones the meanest of Gods servants For I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven Mat. 18.10 waiting for Gods command to be imployed for the meanest of his servants And are they so zealous in his service Why then should not they who hope to be like unto them another day which our Saviour tells us all true believers in the Resurrection shall be Matth. 22.30 strive to be herein like unto them 2. And as Angels so the Saints of God 2. The zeal of Gods Saints upon earth how zealous do we find many of them to have been How zealous for their God So was Moses and Phineas and Elias and David of whom I spake before And such was Iohn the Baptist A burning and a shining light John 5.35 burning in his zeal for God and shining in his doctrine and life before men And of the like spirit was Paul who when the Disciples understanding what troubles he was like to meet with at Ierusalem disswaded him from going up thither tells them I am ready not to be bound only but to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21.13 And how zealous for their Brethren So was Moses who rather than Israels sin should not be forgiven them wisheth that God would blot his name out of his book of life Exod. 32.32 In like manner St. Paul being transported with the like affectionate zeal for his Countreymen the Iewes I could wish saith he that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethrens sake my kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9.3 And like zeal we find in other of the servants of God As in Mart. Luther who being disswaded by his friends from adventuring his person at the Council at Wormes took up that Heroick resolution that though there were as many Devils there as tiles to cover the houses yet would he in the name of the Lord Iesus present himself there And the like we read of Mr. Calvin how that bewailing the sad differences amongst the Churches in his time he professed Ne decem quidem maria that it was not the sailing over of ten Seas that would grieve him so he might but obtain an uniform draught of Religion Now setting these and the like Presidents and Examples before us let them be as so many provocatives unto us Such effect had the forwardness and liberality of the Corinthians in their charitable Contributions this their zeal provoked very many as the Apostle tells them 2 Cor. 9.2 And of such use let the zeal of Gods servants be unto us serving to blow up this heavenly zeal in our hearts 3. And such use make we of that zeal which we see betwixt Men upon Civil interests 3. Zeal betwixt men upon civil interests Thus when railing Shimei reviled and cursed the Lords Anointed King David in that base and unworthy manner that he did Abishai hearing it he could not endure it but presently he tenders his service to his Master for the revenging of his quarrel by taking off the head of the dead dog as he calls him as we have the story 2 Sam. 16.9 And like instances we meet with many of such as having espoused the interest of some other have been so zealous in the
sine exceptione esse propositam utquicunque ad fidem ad baptismum accedere voluerint salvi esse possunt Pro universo autem humano genere mortuum esse dominum nostrum Jesum Christum neminem prorsus a redemtione sanguinis ejus exceptum etiamsi omnem hanc vitam alienissimâ ab eo mente pertranseat indifferenter universos Deus velit salvos fieri in agnitionem veritatis venire Prosper ibid. Christ died for all the particular men of the world This is saith Prosper their very opinion and profession that that Reconciliation which is in the Sacrament of Christs blood is without exception offered unto all men so that whoever will come unto Faith and Baptism may be saved Yea saith he They hold that our Lord Jesus Christ died for all mankind and that no man is excepted from his Redemption although he pass his whole life with a mind altogether estranged from Christ because the Sacrament of divine mercy doth extend to all yea they hold saith Prosper that God doth indifferently will the salvation of all In Answer whereunto Augustine wrote two Books the one de praedestinatione Sanctorum the other de bono perseverantiae In the first he layeth his axe to the root of the tree and proves at large that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very act of believing is the gift of God which truth (f) Disputans quid elegerit Deus in nondum nato ad hoc perduxi ratiocinationeÌ„ ut dicerem non ergo elegit Deus opera cujusquam praescientiâ quae ipse daturus est sed fidem elegit in praescientia ut quem sibi crediturum esse praescivit ipsum elegerit â—ondum diligentius quaesiveram nec adhuc inveneram qualis sit electio gratiae c. August Retracta lib. 1. cap. 23. de praedestinat Sanctorum cap. 3. saith he whilest I was ignorant of I held and wrote that God doth predestinate us upon the foresight of our faith which I would not have said if I had then known that faith it self is the gift of God and ergo I retract that opinion of Predestination upon faith foreseen In the other as elsewhere he proves at large and that out of Cyprian that (g) Sicut operatur ut accedamus sic operatur ne discedamus Post casum hominis non nisi ad gratiam suam Deus voluit pertinere ut homo accedat ad eum neque nisi ad gratiam suam pertinere voluit ut homo non recedat ab eo August de bono persever men being truly the children of God cannot fall from grace but shall certainly persevere And as for his judgment concerning the latitude of Christs Redemption the extent of Gods will in reference to mans salvation and the sufficiency efficacy and irresistibility of grace in reference to our conversion Jansenius Augustinus who had read over all Augustins works (h) Fassus est se decies c. Jansen Aug. vita ten times and those works of his which are against the Pelagians thirty times saith (i) Nunquam in scriptis suis c. Jansen August lib. 3. de gratia salvatoris cap. 20. that Augustin never did confess in his writings that Christ died for all men none excepted or that Christ gave himself a ransom or was crucified for all but onely for those whom his death profiteth But let us see this great light shining forth in his own expressions (k) Quid est omnis qui audivit a patre didicit venit ad me nisi nullus est qui audiat discat a patre non veniat ad me si enim omnis qui audivit a patre didicit venit profectò omnis qui non venit non audivit a patre nec didicit nam si audisset didicisset veniret Haec itaque gratia quae occultè humanis cordibus divinâ largitate tribuitur a nullo duro corde respuitur ideò quippe tribuitur ut cordis duritia primitùs auferatur omnis qui audivit a patre venit ad me Sicut integre loquimur cum de aliquo Magistro qui in Civitate solus est dicimus omnes iste hic literas docet non quia omnes discunt sed quia nemo nisi ab illo discit c. August de praedest Sanctorum Cap. 11. whereas our Saviour Christ saith John 6.45 And they shall be all taught of God Every man ergo that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me What is saith Augustin every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me but that no man heareth or learneth of the Father and doth not come to me for if every one who hath heard and learned come then surely whoever doth not come hath not heard of the Father and learned For if he had heard and learned he would come And this grace cannot be refused by any hard heart because it is ergo given that hardness of heart may be first taken away yet saith he all are said to be taught of God as a Schoolmaster is said to teach all the children of the Town not because all learn of him but because none learnes but of him for God teaches all to come to Christ not because all come Cum audimus in sacris literis le gimus quòd Deus velit omnes homines salvos fieri ita intelligimus tanquam diceretur nullum hominem salvum fieri nisi quem salvum fieri ipse voluerit non quod nullus sit hominum nisi queÌ„ salvum fieri velit sed quod nullus fiat nisi quem velit aut certe sic dictum est quia omnes homines vult salvos fieri non quod nullus hominum esset quem salvum fieri nollet sed ut omnes homines omne genus humanum intelligamus per quascunque differentias distributum reges privatos nobiles ignobiles sublimes humiles doctos indoctos c. August Enchirid ad Laurent cap. 103. De praedestinat cap. 11. De corrept gratia cap. 14. August Tract in Evang. Joan. 55. Tract in Evang. Joan. 87. Tract in Evang. Joan. 1. 5. but because none come otherwise And in this sense saith he God would have all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth For if God would teach them unto whom the cross of Christ is foolishness they also would come for he neither doth deceive nor is deceived that saith All that have heard and learned of the Father come unto me And again whereas it s said 1 Tim. 2. Who will have all men to be saved that is saith Augustin all sorts of men Not that there is no man whom he would not have saved for he would not work miracles before them who would have repented if he had wrought them In the 13. of John its said Christ began to wash his Disciples feet even Judas his feet also saith Augustin for being to suffer death he doth promise his service not