and resolves to save without the death of his Son Without this blessed device which he devised that his banished ones might not be expelled from him Gal at 2. 21. Acts. 17. 2 3. 2. Corinth 5. 14. Matth. 26. 39-42 2. Sam. 14. 14. And this evil and dangerous Doctrine makes the Preaching of the Cross foolishness also and all the Commands Instructions Calls Counsels Admonitions and Reproofs thereof useless or unnecessary Seeing such as belong to this Election as they speak shall be brought iâ— when Gods time comes by such a Power as cannot be resisted And such an one is not put forth in the Gospel 1 Thes 4. 8. Acts 7. 51. And therefore there is no necessity of Preaching that as to them And for all others there is no necessity to Preach to them for they must inevitably go to Destruction and Perish do they what they can or will to avoid and flee from it If this ungodly Device and Doctrine were true And then as their Elect must be brought in by an irresistable Power so they shall be preserved also to the enjoyment of eternal Salvation hereafter and cannot possibly miscarry And then what need is there of the Ministry of the Word to any 1 Cor. 1. 18. 21 25. Yea this Device hinders many that listen to it from conversion of turning to the Lord in leading them to neglect their hearing Wisdom and watching daily at her gates and waiting at the Posts of her dores For as an eminent asserter of such like Doctrines and one of the most moderate ones also though he greatly fault the manner of propounding it Yet saith and thus speaketh Whether ye run or sleep whether ye receive the Word into your hearts or reject it ye shall all be such as God who is invincible decreed ye should be as God who is infallible foresaw ye would be this is indeed a most true doctrine And as I my self have heard from more then one of the receivers and entertainers of this vision of mens owne hearts this hath led them thus to say If The one of the elect God will bring me in in due time by an irresistible power will I nill I and till that time come I had as good sit at home or walk after the imagination of mine owne heart and sight of mine eyes And if I be not of this number but one of the reprobates what ever paines I take or how diligent and frequent soever I am in hearing reading praying frequenting the assemblies of Gods people and using his ordinances yet I am sure in conclusion I must have my portion in that lake of fire which is prepared for the Devill and his Angells Or as one speaketh publickly and plainely without mincing it at all It is saith he a certain truth that whomsoever God hath elected before the foundation of the world such cannot possibly perish And he whom he hath rejected cannot possibly be saved though he doe all the workes of the saints that is though he repent and believe the Gospell and persevere therein unto the death This is the fruit of this wicked and corrupt root which persuades men that it is in vaine to serve God as with respect to the greatest part of men Mal. 3. 14. Or else some beleivers of it and zealous pleaders for it are unacquainted with their beloved and fast holden opinion and thus and otherwayes also this evill and erronious doctrine opens the gap to all profaness licentiousness and wickedness whatsoever This doctrine also exposeth and driveth many men to desperation And causeth to say there is no hope namely such persons as dare not think themselves to be better then others nor judge themselves to be of this Chosen Number And even to wish they had never been or that there were no God And what the issue and consequence of mens saying there is no hope is the Scripture declareth unto us that it makes men resolve they will Walk after their owne devices and will doe the imaginations of their evill heart Jer. 2. 25. and chapt 18. 10 11. And others it leades to persumption teling them that it is altogether impossible for them to miss of eternall life however they behave themselves though they may so sin as to be frowned upon or corrected here yea to be sharply chastised yet they cannot possibly be unson'd or disinherited they shall have peace in conclusion though they walk after the imagination of their owne hearts adding drunkeness to thirst as long as they can These trust in lying words saying the temple of the Lord are we And we still belong to the election of grace though we kill steale commit Adultery sweare falsly and burne incense to other Gods As they said Jer. 7. 4-8 9. Deut. 29. 18 19 20 c. How contrary is this to the Scriptures of truth Rom. 11. 20 22. 1 Cor. 9. 27. John 15. 6. Hebr. 4. 11. And the minding and considering what is the election of God and who are the subjects of it is proper and powerfull to preserve us from this device of mens evill hearts And so from the evill fruits thereof or if we have been polluted therewith to give us an escape therefrom As may be also further shewen in what followeth 2. What hath been said of Gods election and elect ones may be usefull also to shew unto us that mens eternall states are not fixed in a personall consideration before they were borne It is true indeed this is Gods purpose that he that beleiveth and is baptized shall be saved And he that beleiveth not the gospell while and as it is preached to him shall be damned God hath determined and decreed that such as unfeignedly beleive his Gospell and abide faithfull to the death shall have eternall life And such as abide impenitent and unbeleiving ones or after they have beleived turne aside to their crooked pathes and abide therein to the end shall be destroyed with an everlasting destruction And this was his purpose before men were born John 3. 14-18 Marke 16. 15 16. But this respects not men in a personall consideration nor necessitates one man to beleive or another not to believe But it was purposed without difference or respect of persons But I say respecting men in a personall consideration the doctrine of Gods election sheweth that no mans state is fixed or unalterable before he came into the world and much less from eternity or before the world was No nor while they are joyned to all the living and the day of Gods grace and patience lasteth Indeed when men are cut off from the land of the living then there is a great gulfe fixed so as there is no passing from one state or place to another Luk. 16. 25. As the tree falleth so it lieth and so it shall rise and remaine for ever Whether it fall toward the South or toward the North In the place where the tree falleth there it shall be Eccles 11. 3. Those that dye in union with
A Feast of fat Things of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow of Wines on the Lees well Refined Isa 25. 6. Prov. 9. 1 3. And to this Marriage-feast also are Men Called and Bidden that they might partake hereof and their Souls be satisfied here with as with Marrow and Fatness Isa 55. 1 2 3. And so that whereto men are Called is to Jesus Christ and Him Crucisied and that excellent and compleat Preparation provided in Him They are called into the Grace of Christ Jesus Gal. 1. 6. The Spirit of Christ in the Prophets did testifie before hand of the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow And these things are now Reported to us in the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. with Luke 24. 25 27. To Christ God the Father was and is Calling and Directing men To the Teachers He said This is the Rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest and this is the Refreshing Isa 28. 12. 16. Behold saith he my Servant whom I uphold c. Isa 42. 1. 6 7. He hears Witness of Him and Christ is so the Sum of his Teaching that every one that hath Heard and hath Learned of the Father cometh unto Him John 5. 31 37. and 6. 45. Unto Himself Jesus Christ also calleth men He saith Look unto me all the ends of the Earth and be ye saved For I am a Just God and a Saviour and there is none beside me Isa 45. 21 23. with Phil. 2. 8 9 10. And He saith Behold me behold me unto a Nation that was not called by His Name Isa 65. 1. Thou shalt saith the Father Call a Nation which Thou knewest not to wit unto Thy self for so much is signified in what follows And Nations that knew not Thee shall run unto Thee c. Isa 55. 5. All things saith our Saviour are delivered unto me of my Father c. Come unto me I will give you rest Isa 49. 1. 6. Mat. 11. 27 28. John 7. 37 38. It is also the Work of the Holy Spirit to Lift up the Son of Man as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness that Men might look unto and believe in Him To bear Witness of Jesus Christ To take of His things His Abasement Death Resurrection and Glory and to shew unto us And therefore also He is called the Spirit of Christ John 3. 5 6 14. and 15. 26. and 16. 14 15. Acts 5. 30 32. Rom. 8. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 11. Yea the one God Father Word and Holy Spirit beareth His Record of Jesus Christ and this is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in His Son 1 John 5. 7 10 11. Yea to Him all the holy Ones call us the Spirit and the Bride say Come to wit unto Christ And let him that heareth say Come c. Rev. 22. 16 17. And hereby we may see the desperate folly and madness of Men who forsake or come not unto the Lord the Fountain of Living Waters but hew them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no Water Jer. 2. 12 13. And it might Ingage and Provoke us all to obey this heavenly Call and run unto Christ because of the Lord his God and for the Holy One of Israel who hath Glorified Him in Himself and displayed the Preciousness of His Blood and His Excellency and Comeliness by means thereof so our escape before us in the Gospel And is Calling and Inviting us unto Him Isa 55. 5. with John 13. 31 32. Oh! let us not turn a deaf Ear to this Call but let us incline our Ears and come unto Him let us hear that our Souls may live c. Isa 55. 2 3. Considering also that which followeth Namely The Account and Ground upon which Men are Called unto this Marriage and Marriage-feast is because it was intended and prepared for them If the Trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the Battel 1 Cor. 14. 8. But so doth not this Trumpet in the glorious Gospel of God for as it gives a joyful sound Psal 89. 15. so also a certain one Gods Mouth hath therein spoken Truth and Wickedness is an Abomination to His Lips All the Words of His Mouth are in Righteousness there is nothing froward or wreathed in them Prov. 8. 6 8. This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation it is both true and Good that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners Sinners indefinitely and without exclusion of any 1 Tim. 1. 15. This His Marriage of our Nature is and was by an Heavenly Messenger proclaimed to be Glad tidings of great joy to all people Luke 2. 10 11 14. And Christ had the Trespasses of the World imputed to Him 2 Cor. 5. 19 21. And by the Grace of God He tasted Death for every man Heb. 2. 9. And is Risen again for theâ—… Justification So that as verily as all have sinned in the first Publick Man and are come short of the Glory of God So also they are Justified freely by God's Grace through that Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3. 22 24. and 5. 18. And in Him there is a Feast prepared for all People Isa 25. 6. Forgiveness of Sins for all Nations Luke 24. 47. Acts 26. 17 18. Righteousness for all Rom. 3. 22. Isa 61. 11. Eternal Life for all Mankind while it is called to day 1 John 5. 10 11 12. A Salvation prepared before the Face of all People Neither is there Salvation in any other Luke 2. 30 31. Acts 4. 12. And on this Ground it is that men are Invited to come to this Marriage and Marriage-feast because it was made and made ready for them even for Jews and Gentiles and so consequently for all Mankind Mat. 22. 2. 8 9 10. Luke 14. 16. 24. On this account His Servants have been provoked and excited to Intreat and Beseech men generally to receive the Grace of God to purpose The Love of Christ did constrain them to perswade men to come unto Jesus Christ because they thus judged that if one died for all then were all dead and that He died for all c. And after they had given an account of the Ministry of Reconciliation which they had received to wit that God was in Christ when one died for all and rose again Reconciling the World unto Himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them but unto Christ they say Now therefore we are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 11 14 15 19 20 21. and 6. 1. John 3. 14 16. and 4. 42. Hence the Lord maketh Proclamation and Invitation to every Thirster both to such as thirst out of necessity and to such also as thirst out of delight having tasted the Graciousness of the Lord and saith Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to
the Waters and he that hath no money c. And to move them hereto He saith Behold I have given Him for a Witness For a Witness of His Love and Faithfulness He hath so loved the World that He hath given His only begotten Son to be the Saviour of it that all men through Him might believe John 3. 16 17. and 1. 7. 1 John 4. 14. And hence exhorts men To seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near Yea The Wicked to forsake his ways and the man of Iniquity his thoughts and to return unto Him and He will have Mercy c. Isa 55. 1. 4 6 7. Here is a good account and sure ground given in the Gospel both for the Servants to Call so as they shall not run at uncertainty nor fight as those that beat the Air But may both Preach to any man or every man as they have opportunity and Pray for them Without wrath though they be their Enemies and without doubting whether God bears any good Will to them or no For they may certainly know and conclude God will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth Because Christ gave Himself a Ransome and Price of Redemption to God for all a Testimony in due time And for those who are Called who from hence may be Incouraged upon principles of Certainty and Truth to come unto Him in whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily and in whom is all Compleatness prepared and treasured up for us And whosoever believeth in Him shall never be ashamed nor confounded Luke 6. 27 36. 1 Cor. 9. 26. 1 Tim. 2. 4 6 8. And so much for the first Inquiry Secondly By whom are the many Called By the Servants Instrumentally and Ministerially and especially by the Apostles in these last days For as we have said our Saviour in this Parable speaketh Prophetically of the Gospels being Preached unto Jews and Gentiles after He had finished the Work the Father gave Him to do upon the Earth And after His Death Resurrection Ascension Receipt of and sending forth the Holy Spirit in His Name in and by which His Apostles were fitted and furnished to Preach the Gospel according to the Revelation of the Mystery For until then the Servants had not Commission and Furniture to Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ And though when Christ was risen from the Dead He gave Commission to His Apostles to go into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature of all the Nations yet they were by Him commanded to tarry at Jerusalem until they were Indued with Power from on High that they might be fitted and inabled to put in Execution that Authority and Commission they had received Mark 16. 15. Mat. 28. 18 19. Luke 24. 47 49. And then they were to be Christs Witnesses unto all men of what they had seen and heard And yet though by the Servants here are meant the Apostles principally yet not only For the Bride in general saith Come And he that heareth is commanded to say Come Rev. 22. 17. And so the many are Called by the Servants of the King indefinitly though principal Respect is had to the Apostles So much is plainly signified to us in this Chapter that the many Called are called to this Marriage and Marriage-feast by the Servants So it is said as with respect to the Jews The King sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding Mat. 22. 3. Again He sent forth other Servants Ver. 4. And when the first invited Guests refused and dispitefully used them he saith to his Servants The Wedding is ready but they which were bidden were not worthy Go ye therefore into the High-ways c. Sâ— those Servants went out into the High-ways and gathered together all as many as they found Ver. 8 9 10. And indeed it is the Work of the Faithful Servants of the great King not to Commend or Preach themselves but Jesus Christ the Lord 2 Cor. 4. 5. And not to Disciple men unto themselves but to call and Espouse them to one Husband that they might be presented as a chaste Virgin unto Christ Acts 20. 28 30. 2 Cor. 11. 1 2 3. Their great Business is to bear Witness of Christ of His Sufferings and of what He hath thereby done and obtained into Himself and is become and is And of what He is now doing both from Heaven in the Name of the Father to us And in Heaven with the Father for us And what He will do hereafter John 15. 27. Acts 5. 30 32. 1 Pet. 5. 1. Heb. 13. 7 8. And not to proclaim their own goodness as the most men do Prov. 20. 6. that men might admire them or have their Faith standing in their Wisdom Goodness or Holiness 1 Cor. 2. 1 5. Acts 3. 12. But to Confess Praise and Call men unto Him in whom dwelleth all the Fulness that in coming unto and believing in Him they might of His Fulness receive and Grace for Grace But though they are called by the Servants instrumentally yet not by them only The King sends them not alone on this Errand of His but He accompanies them by the Light Influence and Power of His Blessed Spirit in their plain and faithful Ministration So much in former Times was signified to us As in that Scripture like to this and whereto it may seem our Saviour referreth in this Parable Prov. 9. 1 3. Wisdom hath Builded her House She hath hewen out her seven Pillars She hath killed her killing She hath mingled her Wine She hath also furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maidens She crieth upon the highest places of the City c. Though She sent them forth to call others into the House yet Her Presence goes along with them And not only they Cry and Call but also She crieth Doth not Wisdom cry and Understanding put forth her Voice She standeth in the top of High places She crieth at the Gates of the City Unto you O men I Call and my Voice is to the Sons of Man She sends forth her Spirit in and with Her Servants that they might be successful Instruments in Her hand Prov. 8. 1 4 5. with Chap. 1. 20 23. So our Lord Jesus when He gave Authority to His Apostles to Disciple all Nations c. To Incourage them unto this their Service and against all their Discouragements He graciously assureth them that He would be with them always and not at some times only unto the end of the World And that He was faithful who promised another Evangelist informs us saying they went forth Preaching the Gospel every where the Lord working with them Mat. 28. 18 20. with Mark 16. 15. 20. Hence they are said to be Workers together with Him 2 Cor. 6. 1. And he that despiseth and rejecteth His Servants in their faithful Ministration of the Gospel rejecteth not Man but
after Him God hath given His Son to be the sign of His Gracious heart towards all sinners And to that End hath given Him by His Grace to tast Death for every Man and hath raised Him again from the Dead for their Justification And hath given them Eternal Life and this Life is in His Son And sent Him in the Gospel to open their Eyes and to bring forth the Prisoners out of the Prison and them that sit in darkness out of the Prison-house that in obeying Him they might be called out of Darkness into His marvellous Light and therein be of the chosen Generation Isa 42. 1-7 with 1 Pet. 2. 9. Oh let none of us reject His Grace nor receive it in vain But let us who are hearers of the word of truth so look into the perfect law of Liberty and continue therein that we may not be forgetful hearers but doers of the work that we may be blessed in our deed both now and unto the day of Eternity Oh! that we may not deceive our own Souls in making a trade of hearing and yet secretly prefer our Lusts and Idols before Him unto whom God hath given the preeminence in all things If we should thus do what shall we say when God riseth up And when He shall judge the World in Righteousness what shall we answer Him Others may say for themselves though unprofitably and wickedly we knew thou art an hard and austere Master Reaping where Thou hast not Sown and Gathering where Thou hast not Strawn They may say our Teachers perswaded us that Christ died not for all and we knew not whither He died for us nor was there any true and saving Grace vouchsafed to us if it had we should have done better But thus according to that judgment you profess to believe you cannot plead You have heard and been called by the Gospel of Christ the doctrine according to Godliness And if you be not also chosen you know it is only your own iniquity And therefore you know there remaineth nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour all them that obey not the Gospel Your Mouths have been already and often stopt by the Gospel so as you cannot but confess that God is not willing with your Perdition And if you Perish your Destruction will be altogether of your selves Oh then laying apart all Filthiness and superfluity of Naughtiness receive with Meekness the ingraffed word which is able to save your Souls Oh that when it is too late you may not take up that complaint How have we hated Instruction and our heart despised Reproof And we have not obeyed the voice of our Teachers nor inclined our Ears to them that instructed us If it should be so with any of us this will gnaw upon us to all Eternity that when we were assured from Gods Testimony of Gods good will towards us and that Christ wrought Redemption for us and thorow the discovery thereof was powerfully Redeeming and Choosing us from the Earth and from amongst Men yet willingly and wilfully we by observing lying vanities did forsake our own mercy Jonah 2. 8. That we for love to our sins and vanities the sinfulness and vanity whereof we saw in the Cross of Christ and when infinitely better things were proposed to us should yet in our hearts love Darkness and the Devil rather then Light and Christ How can our heart endure the remembrance hereof Or how can our hands be strong when He shall plead with us Oh consider this ye that forget God and spend your money for that which is not Bread And so consider the terrour of the Lord as evidenced in the Cross of Christ that the time past of your life may suffice you to have wrought the will of the Gentiles And that now you incline your ear and come unto Him who calleth you by His Servants that you may hear that your Souls may live and He may make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Oh! be not like to them unto and concerning whom the Lord saith stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls but they said we will not walk therein Also I set Watchmen over you saying hearken to the sound of the Trumpet but they said we will not hearken For be we well assured if such iniquity be found with us and persisted in by us that we will not come to Christ who is the rest nor hearken unto and obey the Trumpet of His Gospel if we will not be chosen after all means used and patience exercised He will at last say of us as He did of them The Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Jer. 6. 16 17-29 30. Consider what is said and the Lord give us understanding in all things The END Books Printed for and Sold by Benjamin Southwood at the Star next to Serjants-Inn in Chancery-lane THE Brazen Serpent or Gods grand design for Mans Salvation a practical discourse according to the Primitive Doctrine in 4o. by John Horn of Linn Regis Needful Councel for Lukewarm Christians being a consideration of some part of the Message sent to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea a seasonable discourse according to the Primitive Doctrine in 4o. by Charles Phelpes of Lynn Regis The wonderful Councellor his Councel and Charge to his Disciples to have Salt in themselves that by the powerful and seasoning Efficacy thereof they might have Love Peace and Unity one with another a blessed searching Discourse according to the Primitive Doctrine whereunto is annexed some considerations on Rev. 22. 14. To do His Commandments in 8o. by Thomas Moor Sen. Englands Improvement Reviv'd a Treatise of Husbandry by Land and Sea The Planting of Trees Orchards and Gardens with the several ways of improving all sorts of barren and wast Grounds and enriching all Earths with two Chains to plant Seeds or Setts by and Hops The nature and virtue of Trees Plants and Herbs and their phisical directions Also the ordering of Cattel and observations about Sheep with many remarks never before extant in 4o. experienced in thirty years practise by John Smith Gent. The reward of the Wise and the fruitful Christians future Blessedness being a Funeral discourse at the burial of Mr. Thomas Moor Sen. in 8o. by John Horn of Lynn Regis The object of Love wherein it is manifested and wherein it is to be perceived by us at all times to the end we may love one another in 8o. by Charles Phelpes of Lynn Regis Instructions for Children into the chief Grounds of Christian Religion with the great mysteries of Redemption Faith Works Law Gospel yea and of Predestination Election Reprobation being opened therein agreeable to Scripture and most conducing to the promoting of Godliness by John Horn of Lynn Regis the second Edition somewhat abbreviated A comfortable Corroborative Cordial against the fears and harms of Death affording directions how to live and dye Run from Rome and beware of Babylon or brief notes upon the Beast his Image Worship and Mark in 8o. by John Horn of Lynn Regis FINIS ERRATA PAge 3 l. 7 r. outer p. 5. l. 13. r. made under p. 11 l. 21. r. their P. 19. 16. r. all p. 24. l. 13. r. 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