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.
CHRIST DYING AND DRAWING SINNERS TO HIMSELFE OR A survey of our Saviour in his soule-suffering his lovelynesse in his death and the efficacie thereof In which Some cases of soule-trouble in weake beleevers grounds of submission under the absense of Christ with the flowings and heightnings of Free grace are opened Delivered in Sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII Vers. 27.28.29.30.31.32.33 Where also are interjected some necessary Digressions for the times touching divers Errors of Antinomians and a short vindication of the Doctrine of Protestants from the Arminian pretended universality of Christs dying for all and every one of mankind the Morall and fained way of resistible conversion of sinners and what faith is required of all within the visible Church for the want whereof many are condemned By SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Minister of the Gospel and and Professor of Divinity in the University of S. Andrews in Scotland Prov. 30.4 What is his name and what is his Sonnes name if thou canst tell Esai 53.8 He was taken from Prison and from judgement and who shall declare his Generation LONDON Printed by J. D. for ANDREW CROOKE at the Green-Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1647. TO THE IVDICIOVS AND Godly Reader IF in this luxuriant and wanton Age of proud and ranke wits any should write of this kind and bee wanting to the exalting of the Plant of renowne the flowre of Issai Jesus Christ and to the dew of his youth the free grace of God his heart may censure his pen and he who is greater then the mans heart should challenge him The weake and low ayme of a sinner writing of a Saviour and such a Saviour should be that Faith and sense may goe along with tongue and pen but how short most men come of reaching such an end who cannot but confesse The minde may bee calmed a little in this that though to speake highly of Christ bee in poore men who are so low under and unequall to so great a Province a marring rather of his dignity and a flattering of Christ then a reall praysing of or pointing him out in all his vertues and lovelinesse in regard that the foulenesse of the breath of a sinner may blacken the beauty of such a transcendent and incomparable flowre that Esaiah a high eminent and Gospel-Prophet is at his wits end at a non-plus a stand and giveth over the matter as a high question Who shall declare his generation And another What is his name and what is his Sonnes name if thou canst tell All that ever wrot lye down under this load and though many now a dayes give out they have so much of the Lord Jesus that they are Christed and swallowed up in his love yet should I think it all happinesse if I could but tell Christs name and were so deep learned as to know how they call him In truth in regard of any comprehensive knowledge we but speak and write our guessings our far-off and twy-light apprehensions of him and in regard of comming up to the cleare vision of a Gospel-noon-day light as wee are obliged wee but cast the blind mans club and but play as children doe with the golden covering and silken ribbens of an Arabicke Bible that they cannot read about the borders and margent of the knowledg of Christ O how rawly do the Needle-headed Schoole-men writ of Christ O how subtile and Eagle-eyed seeme they to be in speculations Grave-deepe or rather hell-deep touching his grave-linnens what become of them when hee rose from the dead and the chesse-nut cullour of his haire and the wood of his Crosse and the three nailes that wedged him to the tree and the adoring of any thing that touched his body either wood iron or nailes of the holy grave And how farre from that Cant. 8.6 Set mee as a seale on thy heart as a signet on thine arme There be volumes written of Christ Sermon upon Sermon and not line upon line onely but Booke upon Book and Tombe upon Tombe And ah we are but at the first side of the single Catechisme of Christ spelling his first elements yea Salomon was but at What is his Name I feare too many of us know neither name nor thing nay in this learned Age when Antinomians wriâ—e book after book of Christ I should say for all their crying O the Gospel-spirit the Gospel-straine of Preaching the Mystery of free grace which few of them know that one ounce one graine of the spirituall and practicall knowledge of Christ is more to bee valued then talent-weights yea Ship-loads or mountaines of the knowledge of the dumbe Schoole-letter They say the Saints are perfect and their works perfect I slander them not read Master Towne M. Eaton and Saltmarsh But how ignorant are they of the Gospel how ill read and little versed in Christ Yea as Luther said Take away sinne and yee take away Christ a Saviour of sinners how little acquainted with and how great strangers to their owne hearts are they in writing so There is a fulnesse I confesse and an all-fulnesse and all-fulnesse of God Ephes. 3.19 But I much doubt if this compleat all-fulnesse of God be in this side of eternity sure it cannot stand with our halfe-penny candle nor can it be that in our soule with the darkenesse of an in-dwelling body of sinne should shine the noone-day-vision of glory called Theologia Meridiana visionis 'T is true Pauls ravishment to the third heavens Johns being in the Spirit and seeing the heavens opened and beholding the Throne and him that sate on it and the troupes cloathed in white that have come out of great tribulation do clearely evidence Saints may in this life be in the Suburbs of heaven but the Suburbs is not the City God may and doth open a window in the new Ierusalem and let them see through that hole the young morning glances of the day-light of glory and a part of the Throne and the halfe of his face that sits on the Throne and the glorious undefiled ones that stand before the Throne but this fulnesse doth not overflow to brimme and banke the Vessell is in a capacity to receive many quarts and gallons more of the new Wine of glory that growes in that new Land of Harmony Now Antinomians lay all our perfection on Jâ—stification and Remission of sinnes yet pardon of sinnes except in the sense which is a graduall accident of pardon and not pardon it selfe is not like the new Moone that receives fuller and more light till it bee full Moone for Remission is as perfect and full a freedome from the Law guilt and wrath to come at the first moment of our justification as ever it shall be they ascribe not our perfection in this life to Sanctification which yet they must doe if sinne in its nature and being dwel not in us And for our ingagement to Jesus Christ for the price and ransome he hath payed for us we have nothing to say but
unwearinesse of love suiting us in Mariage what is Christs good will in powring out his Spirit his love his soule his life himselfe for us had Christ more then his owne noble and excellent selfe to give for us 5. How long he seeks how long a night-raine wet his locks and haire How long a night is it he stands at the Church-doore knocking Cant. 5.1 Revel 3.20 there be many houres in this night since hee was preached in Paradice and yet he stands to this day how faine would he come and how glad would he be of lodging the arme that hath knocked five thousand yeares akes not yet behold hee stands and knocks and will not give over till all be his and till the Tribes in ones and twees bee over Jordan and up with him in the good land hee cannot want one nor halfe an one yea Ioh 6 39. not a bit of a Saint 6. The sinners on earth and glorified in heaven are of one bloud they had once as foule faces and as guilty soules on earth as you â—nd I have ó but now they are made faire and stand before the Throne washed and without spot grace and glory hath put them out of your kenning but they are your borne brethren all the Seas and Fountaines on earth cannot wash asunder your bloud and theirs and there is not upon any in that renowned Land the marke impression shaddow or stead of any blot of sinne and Christ washeth as cleane now as ever he did you are not so black nor so sin burnt but he will make you white like all the rest of the children of the house that you shall misken your selfe for beauty of glory thou art at the worst a sinner and but a sinner and a sinner is nothing to Christ. 7. There shall be use for free grace in the Land of glory every new day and moneth of glory let us so apprehend as if there were peeces of endlesse Eternity for our weaknesse shall be a new debt of free grace because Christ is never never shall bee our debter merit of creatures cannot enter heaven for eternity the holding of glory shall be free grace without end then must Christs relation of a Creditor and ours of debtors grow and be greener for evermore in an eternall bud ever spring and never the top and flowre of harvest and we ever pay and ever praise and ever wade in further and deeper in in the Sea of free love and the growing of the new contracted debts of eternall grace and the longer these white Companies and Regiments that followes the Lambe live there the more broken debters are they so as Christ can never lay aside his Crowne of grace nor we our Diademe of glory holden still by the onely Charter and eternally continued writing of free grace prorogated and spunne out dayly to borrow that word where no Tyme growes in a threed as long as eterâ—ity and the living of God O the â—ast and endlesse thoughts and O the depth of unsearchable grace 8. Better a thousand times live under the government and tutorie of Christ as be your own and live at will Live in Christ and you are in the suburbs of heaven there is but a thinne wall betweene you and the land of praises yee are within an houres sayling of the shore of the new Canaan When death digges a little hole in the wall and takes downe the sailes yee have no more adoe but set your foot downe in the fairest of created Paradises 9. It s unpossible Christ can bee in heaven and peeces and bitts of Christ Mysticall should be in hell or yet long on earth Christ will draw in his lâ—gges and his members on earth in to himselfe and up neerer the head and Christ and you must bee under one roofe What Mansions are nothing many Mansions are little yea many Mansions in Christs Fathers House are created chips of happinesse and of bloud and kinne to nothing if they be created 〈◊〉 we want himselfe and I should refuse heaven if Christ were not there take Christ away from heaven and it s but a poore unheartâ—ome darke waste dwelling heaven without Christ should look like the direfull land of death Ah! saith Christ your joy must be full Ioh 14.3 I will come againe and receive you to my selfe that where I am there ye may be also I confesse Mansions are but as places of briars and thornes without Christ therefore I would have heaven for Christ and not Christ for heaven 10. Formall blessednesse is created but objective happinesse is an uncreated Godhead Let the waters anâ— stâ—eames retire into the bosome of this deepâ— Fountaine and Spring of infinitenesse and there can they not rot noâ— so â—re nor deaden but are kept fresh for ever come and grow upon this stock the eternally greene and ever springing tree of life and you live upon the fatnesse sap sweetnesse and life of this renowned plant of Paradice for ever 11. An act of living in Christ and on Christ in the acts of loving seeing injoying embracing resting on him is that noone-day Divinity and Theologie of beatifice vision There is a generall assembly of immediatly illuminated Divines round about the throne who study lecture preach praise Christ night and day O what raies what irradiations and darttings of intellectuall fruition beholding enjoying living in him and fervour of loving come from that face that God-visage of the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe that is in the midst of them and over-covers weights and loads the beholders within and without and then there must be reflections and reachings of intellectuall vision embracing loving wondedring returning backe to him againe in a circle of glory and then who but the Bridegrome and the Spouse the Lambs wife in an act of an eternall espousing marrying and banquetting together who but Christ and his followers Who but the All in All The I am The Prince of Ages 12. And so eminent is the wisdome and depth of the unsearchable riches of the grace of Christ that though God need not sinne and sinne bee contrary to his holy and most righteous will yet the designe the heavenly lovely most holy state-contrivance of sinnes entrance in the world drawn through the fields of free grace proclaimeth the eminencie and never-enough admired and adored art and profound wisdome of God had sinne never been the glorious second person of the blessed Trinity and the eternall Spirit had been and must be the same one ever blessed God with the Father For the glorious one Godhead in three admirable subsistences comes under no acts of the free will and soveraigne counsells of God the Godhead being most absolutely and essentially necessary But we should have wanted for eternity the mysterious Emanuel the beloved the white and ruddie the chiefe among tenne thousands Christ God-man the Saviour of sinners for no sicke sinners and no saving soule-physitian of sinners no captive no Redeemer no slave of hell no lovely ransome-payer of
daily temper that Paul was in when hee said Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. It was a high and great feast when Christ saith to his Church Cant. 5.1 I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey eat O friends dâ—inke yea drinke abundantly O beloved It s true hee is alwayes in his Church his Garden gathering lillies but stormes and snowes often cover his Garden 3. Were assurance alway full moon as Christ's faith in his saddest soule-trouble was bank-full sea and full moon and were our joy ever full then should the Saints heaven on earth and their heaven above the visible heavens differ in the accident of place and happily in some fewer degrees of glory but there is a wisdome of God to be reverenced here The Saints in this life are narrow vessels and such old bottles could not containe the new wine that Christ drinketh with his in his Fathers Kingdome Mat. 17. When the Disciples see the glory of Christ in the Mount Peter saith Vers. 4. Lord it is good for us to be here but when that glory cometh nearer to them and a cloud over-shaddowes them Luk. 9.34 and they heare the voyce of God speak out of the cloud Mark 9.7 They fell down on their face Mat. 17.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were sore afraid Why afraid Because of the exceeding glory which they testified was good but knew not what they said Wee know not that this joy is unspeakable We rejoyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with joy that no man can relate How then can a man containe it I may speak of a thousand millions of things more excellent and glorious then I can feel Should God poure in as much of Christ in us in this life as wee would in our private wisdome or folly desire the vessell would break and the wine runne out We must cry sometimes Lord hold thy hand Wee are as unable to beare the joyes of heaven in this life as to endure the paines of hell Every drop of Christ's honey-comb is a talent weight and the fulnesse of it must be reserved till wee be enlarged vessels sitted for glory Asser. 12. Wee doe not consider that Christ absent hath stronger impulsions of love then when present in sense and full assurance as is cleare in that large Song of the high praises of Christ which is uttered by the Church Cant. 5. when he had with-drawn himselfe Vers. 6. and Shee was sick of love for him Vers. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. 2. There is a sort of heavenly antiperistasis a desire of him kindled through occasions of absence as wee are hottest in seeking after precious things when they are absent and farthest from our enjoying Absence sets on fire love The impression of his kissing embracing lovely and patient knocking Open to me my sister my love my dove the print of his foot-steps the remanents of the smell of his precious oyntments his shaddow when hee goeth out at doors are coals to burne the soule Psal. 63.6 When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches I cannot sleep for the love of Christ in the night What followes Vers. 8. My soule followes hard cleaveth strong after thee Psal. 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled rather I remembred God and rejoyced But the memory of old love and of absent and with-drawing consolations break the heart How doe some weep and cast-aside their harps when they remember the seven yeare old embracements of Christ and Christ's virgin-love and Sion-sweet songs in the dayes of their youth Cant. 5. when the Church rose but after the time to open to Christ when hee was gone and had withdrawn himselfe Vers. 5. Mine hands saith the Church dropped with myrrhe and my fingers with sweet-smelling mirrhe upon the handles of the barre Then her love to Christ was strongest her bowels moved the smell of his love like sweet-smelling myrrhe was mighty rank and piercing Asser. 13. Why but then when the wheeles are on moving and the longing after Christ awaked and one foot wee should pray Christ home againe and love him in to his owne house and sigh him out of his place from beyond the mountaine into the soule againe as the Spouse doth Cant. 3.1 2 â— 4 5. if ever he be found when he is sought it will be now though time and manner of returning be his owne Asser. 14. Nor are we to beleeve that Christs love is coy or humorous in absenting himselfe or that he is lordly high difficill inexorable in letting out the sense the assurance of his love or his presence as we dreame a thousand false opinions of Christ under absence nor doe wee consider that security and indulgence to our lusts loses Christ and therefore its just that as we sinne in roses we should sorrow in thornes Asser. 15. If the Lords hiding himselfe be not formally an act of Grace yet intentionally on Gods part it is as at his returne againe hee commeth with two heavens and the gold chaine sodered is strongest in that linke which was broken and the result of Christs returne to his garden Cant. 5.1 is a feast of honey and milke and refined wines when he is returned then his Spicknand his perfume his myrrhe aloes and cassia casteth a smell even up to heaven in the falles of the Saints this is seen David after his fall hearing mercy feeling God had healed his bones that were broken Psal. 51. there is more of Gods praises within him then he can vent he prayeth God would broach the vessell that the new wine may come out Vers. 15. O Lord open thou my lips that my mouth may shew forth thy praise and after the meeting of the Lord and the forlorne Sonne besides the poore sonnes expression full of sense consider how much sense and joy is in the Father It is a Parable yet it sayeth much of God Luke 15. vers 20. And when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him Christ the Father of age or eternity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 9.6 knoweth a friend a farre off and his heart kindles and growes warme when hee sees him Were he thousands and millions of miles from God yet ayming to come he sees him and had compassion he sees with moved bowells and ranne how swift is Christs love and fell on his necke and kissed him O what expression of tendernesse and to all these is added a new robe and a Ring for ornament and a feast the fatte Calfe is killed and the Lord sings and daunces Vers. 23 24 25. Peters denyall of Christ brought him to weeping flowing from the Spirit of Grace powred on Davids house Zach. 12.10 And Peter had the more grace that he losed grace for a time As
Christ with groanings and sadnesse of Spirit even before his last sufferings so the interruption for a time of the actuall vision of God might stand with Christs personall happinesse as God-man 2. If we suppose there were just reasons why God should command that Angels and glorified Spirits should not actually see God for a time there were no repugnancy in this to their true blessednesse so it fell not out through their sinnes no more then the Sunne should lose any of its nature if wee suppose God should command it to stand still and to be covered with darkenesse many dayes as in Joshuahs time it stood still in the firmament some houres and for a time was covered with darkeness at the suffering of Christ. What an enterposed cloud of covering it was or what a skreene did interrupt the flux of the beames and rayes of the Godhead from actuall irradiation on the soule and faculties and powers of the soule of the man Christ is more then I can determine Certaine it is God was with the Manhood and so neere as to make one person but there was no actuall shining on the powers of the soule no heate and warmnesse of joy but as if his owne infinite Sea of comfort were dryed up he needed a drop of the borrowed comfort of an Angel from heaven Now whether this Angel Luk. 22.43 did wipe the sweat of bloud off his holy body and really serve him that way or if the Angel was sent with good words from the Father to comfort him and say to this sense O glorious Lord courage peace and joy and salvation shall come thy Father has not forsaken thee utterly it cannot be knowne but Luke saith an Angel appeared from heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strengthning him But it was admirable that the Lord of all consolation should stand in need of consolation and a good word from his owne creature or that the great Lord the Law-giver should need the comfort of Prayer or any Ordinance O what a providence what a world is this that God-man sweet Jesus is put to his knees and his prayers with it Come see the Lord of life at a weake passe he is at God helpe me at Teares and sighing God save me This is more then if the whole light of the Sunne were extinguished and it behoved to borrow light from a candle on earth and the whole Sea and Rivers dryed up and they behoved to begge some drops of dew from the clouds to supply their want 2. Christ himselfe refused comfort to himselfe There was a sea of joy in Christ within him but not one drop can issue out on the powers of his soule joy is sad fairenesse black faith feareth and trembleth the infinite All lieth under the drop of the comfort of a creature-nothing Riches beggeth at poverty 's doore the light is dark greennesse withereth and casteth the bloome life maketh prayers against the death of deaths the glory and flower of heaven standeth sad and heavie at the jawes and mouth of hell 3. Mat. 26. Hee prayed to this sense falne on his face to the earth once O my Father remove this cup but hee is not answered Hee knocketh the second time O my Father if it be possible remove this cup. O but here 's a hard world the substantiall Sonne of God knocking and lying on his face on the earth and his Father's doore of glory fast bolted the Sonne cannot get in The like of this providence you never read nor heare of The naturall Son of God cryeth with teares and strong cryes with a sad heavie and low Spirit to his Father hee cannot get one word from heaven nor halfe a glympse of the wonted glory that was naturall and due to him as God O rare and sad dispensation He must cry the third time O my Father remove this cup. We storme â—f the Lord doe not open his doore at the first knock O what hard thoughts have some of God if a floud of love issue not from his face at the first word but the Lords Saints are not to look for a providence of the honey drops of the fattest consolations of heaven in every ordinance of prayer and praises O what a sad administration Psal. 22.2 O my God I cry in the day time and thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent The Church speaketh sadly to God What can be worse then this Lam. 3.7 Hee hath hedged me about that I cannot get out hee hath made my chaine heavie Yet to open a sad heart in the bosome of a friend farre more to God is much ease but here is worse Vers. 8. Also when I cry and shout hee shutteth out my prayer Psal. 69.3 I am weary of crying my throat is dryed mine eyes faile while I wait for my God It is grace to put a construction of love and faith on the Lord 's not answering our desires These experiences may silence us 1. It may be good that the Lord answer and not good that hee answer now The Saints are often ripe for praying when they are unripe for the mercy of a reall answer and help from God Two things necessitate prayer 1. Our duty to worship 2. Our necessity and straits But on our part wee are not ripe for an answer for any of these being yet not humbled and praying with slow desires little fervour of faith 2. It s possible it be our duty to pray as supposing a reall necessity of what wee need and yet it is not our good that God heare us now No doubt Abraham and Sarah both prayed for a son many years before the one was an hundred the other ninety and nine years old but it was not good that God should heare them till it be a miracle and a new way and more then ordinary providence they were answered 3. God refuseth never to heare us for favours that are non-fundamentalls toward everlasting life but when it s better be not heard then heard Moses might possibly not know a reason but it was better for him that he saw afarre-off the good land more for faith and mortification and heavenly mindednesse which hee saw not then that hee should enter with the people into that land which hee prayed for 4. Not any of the Saints considering that all things worke together for good to them that love God but as they praise God that hee hath heard their prayers so they praise God in some things that their prayers lie at a fast bolted doore and take it well in other things that hee was displeased with them and so that they have cause to be humbled that God did grant their desire Let it be that David prayed for a sonne and God gave him Absalom it s a question if David had not cause to wish hee had never been born 5. God hath equally regulated and limited our desires to be heard and our willingnesse faith submission and patience and our praises according as
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
glory Now there is much debt in heaven more then on earth but no merit at all in either heaven or earth except Christ for all Merit cannot grow in a land of grace 3. Grace is the sinners gaine but no gaine to Christ Is it gaine to the Sunne that all the earth borrowes light and Summer from it Or to the clouds that they give raine to the earth Or to the Fountaines that they yeeld water to men and beasts Can yee make infinite Jesus Christ rich Yee may adde to the Sea though very litle The Creator could have made a fairer Sunne then that which shines in the firmament though it be faire enough But the Mediator Christ is a Saviour so moulded and contrived that its unpossible to adde to his beauty excellency lovelinesse Man or Angels could not wish a choiser Redeemer then Christ if your wages could adde to him he should bee needy as you are Pos. 5. Free Grace is the loveliest piece in heaven or earth it makes us partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 And though the creature graced of God keep an infinite distance from God and be not Goded nor Christed as some doe blasphemously say Yet it is considerable that there is a shaddow though but a shaddow of proportion betweene that expression of Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the grace of God I am that I am and that which the Lord saith of himselfe Exod. 3.14 speaking to Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am that I am Grace is but a borrowed accident of the creature not heritage not his essence But Paul would say all his excellencie was from free grace Were any indifferent beholder up in the highest Jerusalem after the day of judgement to see the company of the Lambe and his court so many thousand pieces of clay then clothed with highest grace smiling on the face of him that sits on the throne made eternall Kings that for glory and robes of grace and the weighty crowne you cannot see a bit of clay and yet originally all these are but glistering bits of clay and graced dust it should tyre the beholder with admiration O but the second Creation is a rare piece of workmanship But againe come and see that heaven of wonders the Man-Christ who as man hath 1. Flesh and bloud and a mans soule as we have but O so incomparably wonderfull as the grace of God without merit hath made the man Christ. Grace hath exalted this man to a high throne the God head in person dwelleth in this clay tent of endlesse glory and God speakes personally out of this man and this Emmanuel is God and the man is so weighted with glory as all that are there and they be a faire and numerous company are upon one continued act of admiring injoying praysing loving him for no lesse date then endlesse eternity and they can never be able to pull their eyes off him And then grace seene enjoyed as it groweth at the Well-head up in Emmanuels highest and newest land is of an other straine sweeter and more glorious then downe here in the earth which is not the element of grace they are but glympses borrowed shaddowes chips and drops of grace that are heere That is a world of nothing but Graoe all which I speake to let us see how farre free Grace is from base hire and that we may not dare to make Christ who is an absolute free King an hireling Pos. 6. Grace is not educed or extracted out of the potency of any created nature Grace is borne in heaven and came from the inmost of the heart of Christ it hath neither seed nor parent on earth therefore the Lord challengeth it as his owne 2 Cor. 12.9 The Lord said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Tim. 2.1 The grace that is in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 15.10 The grace of God 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 1.15 He called me by his grace If we could engage the grace of God or prevent it then should grace be our birth but grace is not essentiall to Angels It s a doubt if any creature can be capable by nature of any possibilitie naturall not to sin it is much to know the just owner of grace who begot it It came out of the eternall wombe and bowels of Jesus Christ. Quest. But are there no preparations either of nature or at least of grace going before saving grace and the soules being drawn to Christ Ans. That we may come to consider preparations or previous qualifications to conversion Let us consider whether Christ coming to the soule hath need of an Usher Asser. 1. Dispositions going before conversion come under a four-fold consideration 1. As â—fficient causes so some imagine them to be 2. As materially and subjectively they dispose the soule to receive grace 3. Formally or morally either as parts of conversion or morall preparations having a promise of conversion annexed to them 4. As meanes in reference to the finall cause or to the Lords end in sending these before and what is said of these may have some truth proportionably in a Churches low condition or humiliation before they be delivered We may also speak here of dispositions going before the Lords renewed drawing of sinners al-ready converted after a fall or under desertion Cant. 1. Draw me we will run Asser. 2. No man but Pelagians Arminians and such do teach if any shall improve their naturall habilities to the uttermost and stirre up themselves in good earnest to seeke the grace of conversion and Christ the wisdome of God they shall certainly and without miscarrying find what they seeke 1. Because no man not the finest and sweetest nature can ingage the grace of Christ or with his penny or sweating earne either the kingdome of grace or glory whether by way of merit of condignitie or congruity Rom. 9.16 So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercie 1 Tim. 1 9â— Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began So Ephes. 2.1 2 â— 4 5. Tit. 3.3 4 5. Ezech. 16.4 5 6 7 8 9 10. 2. Because there is no shaddow of any ingagement of promise on Gods part or any word for it Doe this by the strength of nature and grace shall bee given to you 3. Nor are wee ashamed to say with the Scripture it s as unpossible to storme heaven or make purchase of Christ by the strength of nature as for the dead man to take his grave in his two armes and rise and lay death by him and walke Nor does this impossibility free the sinner from guiltinesse and rebukes 1. Because it is a sinfully contracted inability except we would deny originall sinne 2. It s
complaining would be examined Seldome or never is it seen that a reprobate man can be in sad earnest heavie in heart touching his deadnesse of heart and fruitlesse hearing of the word of God thirty or fourty yeares and withall if there be a dram of sincerity the least graine of Christ as if the soule doe but look afarre-off with halfe an eye yet greedily after the Lord Jesus it s a sweet beginning It s true a talent weight of iron or sand is as weighty as a talent weight of gold but in a Saint an ounce weight of grace hath more weight then a pound of corruption It is no Gospel-truth that Antinomians teach That God loves no man lesse for sin or no man more for inherent holinesse It s true of the love of election and reconciliation in the work of justification but most false of the love of divine manifestation in the work of sanctification as is cleare Joh. 14.21 23. Nor are men by this taught to seek righteousnesse in themselves because they are commanded to try and examine themselves as 1 Cor. 11.28 2 Cor. 13.5 4. Such soules would upon any termes be brought to reason and debate the question with Christ that as the Law may stop their mouth before God so mercy may stop the mouth of the Law and sin and it may convincingly be cleared that though scarlet or crimson can by no art be made white yet Christ who is above art can make them white Isai. 1.18 as wooll and snow And therefore such would be brought in an high esteeme and deep judgement of Christs fairnesse beauty excellency incompatable and transcendent worth and though a soule have a too high esteeme of his sins yet say that hee dies with an high esteeme of Jesus Chriâ—t hee is in no danger for faith is but a swelled an high and broad opinion and thought of the incomparable excellency and sweetnesse of Jesus Christ. Vse 8. This powerfull drawing teacheth humble thankefulnesse 1. The most harmelesse and innocent sinner must bee in Christs book for the debt of ten thousand Talents 2. The sense of drawing grace is mighty ingaging every act of thankfull obedience should come out of this wombe as the birth and child of the felt love of God Christ did bid such a man battell 2. He was Christs enemy when he took him 3. It cost Christ blood he died to conquer an enemie Rom. 5.10 4. He kept the taken enemy alive he might have killed him he gave him more then quarters he made a captive a King Rev. 1.6 Suppose we Christ should in his own person come locally down to hell and look upon so many thousands scorching and flaming in that unsufferable lake of fire and brimstone if he should cull out by the head and name so many thousands of them even while they were spitting on Christ blaspheming his name and scratching his face and should loose off the fetters of everlasting vengeance and draw them from amongst millions of damned Spirits lay them in his bosome carry them to heaven set them on Thrones of glory crown them as Kings to raigne with him for evermore Would they not be shamed and overcome with this love kisse and adore so free a Redeemer and thus really hath Christ dealt with sinners look on your debts written in Christs grace-book would not such a redeemed one praise his Ransomer and say O if every finger every inch of a bone every lith every drop of blood of my body every hair of my head were in an Angels perfection to praise Iesus Christ O the weight of the debt of love O the gold Mynes and the depths of Christs free love 3. Consider what expressions vessels of grace have used of free grace how far below grace Paul sets himself lo here Eph. 3.8 To me who am 1. Lesse then a Saint 2. Not that only but lesse then the least 3. Lesse then the least of Saints But 4. yet a little lower lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Gospell riches is grace and mercy but there is a great abundance of it it s a speech from quick-sented hounds who have neither footstep nor trace nor sent left them of the game they pursue Christ defies men and Angels to trace him in the wayes of grace So Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an injurious person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I was be-mercied as if dipt in a river in a Sea of mercy Vers. 14. And the grace of the Lord Jesus to me was abundant No that is to low a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his grace was more or over-abundant one Paul obtained as much grace even so whole and compleat a ransome without diminishing as would have saved a world Rom. 5.15 If through the offence of one many bee dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is exceedingly to abound and borrowed from fountaines and rivers which have flowed with waters since the creation but there is a higher word Vers. 12. Where sinne abounded grace farre more or exceedingly over-abounded or more then over-abounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Vers. 21. Sin reigned unto death that grace might reigne unto life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christs grace might play the King The saving knowledge of God under the Kingdome of the Messiah Esai 11.9 fills the earth as the Sea is covered with waters A Sea of Faith and a Earthfull of the grace of saving light and a Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes Esai 30.26 hold forth to us a large measure of grace and righteousnessâ— and peace like a river and the waves of the sea Esai 48.18 All these say Christ is no niggard of grace And 4. can they not weare and out-spend their harps who fall downe before the Lambe Revel 14. and Revel 5.8 Who with a loude voice praise the grace of God Vers. 12. For ever and ever Consider if it must not be a loud voice when ten thousand times ten thousand and thousand thousands all joyne in one song to extoll grace if we be not in word and deed obliged to expresse the vertues and praises of him who hath called us from darkenesse to his marveilous light Vers. 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men to me Article II. The next thing we consider is the person that drawes I sayes Christ I will draw all men to me There is a peculiar aptitude in Jesus Christ to drawe sinners to himselfe 1. As concerning his person he is fit for neither is the Father nor the Holy Ghost in person Lord Redeemer but Christ as in the deep of Gods wisdome the Sonne was thought fittest to make Sonnes Galat. 4.4 the heire to communicate the right of heire-ship
to the neerest of the bloud to his brethren to make them joynt-heires with him so is Christ a fit person as Lord Saviour to rescue captives and to draw them to the state of Sonne-ship which I speake not to exclude the other two persons for Joh. 6.44 The Father drawes to the Son and the Spirit of grace in the worke of conversion must bee a speciall agent but Christ is made in a personall consideration a drawer of sinners God works and caries on all his state-designes of heaven by Christ Hebr. 2.10 He brings or drives many Sonnes to glory 2. Christ by office is a congregating and uniting Mediator Col. 1.20 He makes heaven and earth one Hee is our peace and made of twaine on Ephes. 2.14 The Shepherd that gathers the Sonnes of God in one Joh. 11.52 And hee by the merit of his bloud maketh sinners Legally one with God he is Emmanuel God with us fit to draw us in a Law-union to God We were banished out of Paradise the Sonne by office was sent out to bring in the out-law sonnes 3. God hath laid downe in a manner his compassion mercy gentlenesse to sinners in Christ and Christ hath taken off infinit wrath and satisfied justice in his nature and office God is no where to speake so so much mercy graciousnesse kindnesse tender compassion to sinners such a Sea of love as in the Lord Jesus O but he is a most lovely desirable compassionate God in Christ. The sinner findeth all that God can have in him or doe for saving in the Mediator Christ there can nothing come out of God to the sinner but through Christ. There is no golden pipe no channell but this all God and wholâ— God is in Christ and all God as communicable to the creature and were God seen in his lovelynesse his beauty would be strong coards and chaines to draw hell up to heaven Love grace mercy are sodering and uniting attributes in God now though these same essentiall attributes that are in one bee in all the three persons yet the Mediatory manifestation of love grace and free mercy is onely in the Sonne so as Christ is the treasurie store-house and magazene of the free goodnesse and mercy of the Godhead As the Sea is a congregation of waters so is Christ a confâ—uâ—nce of these lovely and drawing attributes that are in the Godhead Christ is the face of God 2 Cor. 4.6 The beauty and lovelynesse of the person much of the majestie and glory of the man is iâ— the face now the beauty and majesty and glory of God is manifâ—sted iâ— Châ—ist So Hebr. 1.3 He is the brightnesse of his glory the Father is as it 〈◊〉 all Sunne and all pâ—â—rle the Sonne Christ is the substantiall rayes light-shining thâ— eternall and â—ssâ—â—tiall irradiation of this Sunne of glory the Sunnes glory is manifested to the world in the light and beames that it sends out to the woâ—lâ— and if the Sunne should keep its beames and light withiâ— iâ—s body we â—hould see nothing of the Sunnes beauty â—nd glory No Mâ—n no Angel could see any thing of Goâ— i◠〈◊〉 had not had a consubstantiall Sonne begotten of himselfâ— by â—n eternall generation but Christ is the beamâ—s and splendor and the shining but the consubstantiall shining of the infinite pâ—arle and outs God as the sâ—â—le doth the stâ—mpâ— and as God incâ—â—nate hâ— reveales the excellency glory and beauty of God 〈◊〉 pearle is a drawing and an alluring creature from its shining bâ—â—uty so Christ is the drawing lovelynesse of God yee cannot sâ—e the creatures beauty or the mans face but yee see the creature and the man so saies Christ to Philip Joh. 14.9 Hee that hath seene me hath seene the Father I am as like the Father as God is like himselfe there is a perfect indivisible essentiall unity betweene the Father and me I and the Father are one one very God he the begetter I the begotten So God hath laid downe and empawned all his beauty his lovelynesse and his drawing vertue in Christ the load-stone of heaven he is the substantiall rose that grew out of the Father from eternity A mans wisdome makes his face to shine Wisdome is a faire lovely and an alluring beauty Now Christ is the essentiall wisdome of God were your eyes once fastened upon that dainty lovely thing Christ that uncreated golden Arke the eternall that infinite floure and Lilie that sprang out of the essence and beautifull nature of God with eternall infinite greennesse fairenesse smell vigour life never to fade that essentiall wisdome and substantiall word the intellectuall birth of the Lords infinite understanding if your eyes were once on him in a vision of glory it should be unpossible to get your eyes off him againe there would come such drawing rayes and visuall lines of lovely beauty and glory from his face to your eyes and should dart in through these created windowes to the understanding heart and affection such arrowes and darts of love as yee shall be a captive of glory for ever and ever Psalm 16.11 In thy presence is fulnesse of joy Revel 22.4 They shall see his face it s a Kings face and a kingly glory to see it Ver. 5. And they shall raigne for ever and ever 4. Then there is so much warmenesse of heart and such a fire of love such a stock of free grace so wide so tender so large bowels of mercy and compassion toward sinners as he would put himselfe into a posture of mercy and in such a station of clay as he might conveniently get a strong pull of sinners to draw them a large and wide handfull or his armes full of sinners as he would be a man for us to get all the organes of lovely drawing of sinners to him a mans heart to love man a mans bowels to compassionate man a mans hands to touch the foule leapers skin a mans mouth and tongue to pray for man to preach to men and in our nature to publish the everlasting Gospel a mans leggs to bee the good Shepheard to goe over mountaine and wildernâ—sse to seek or to save lost sheep a mans soule to sigh and groane for man a mans eyes to weepe for sinners his nature to lay downe his life for his poore friends hee would bee a created clay-tent of free-grace a shop and an office-house of compassion towards us he would borrow the wombe of a sinner to be borne sucke the breasts of a woman that needed a Saviour eat and drinke with sinners and publicans came to seek and to save lost sinners was numbred with sinners dyed between two sinners made his grave with sinners saith Esaiah Esai 53.9 borrowed a sinners tombe to be buried in And now he keeps the old relation with sinners when hee is in heaven honour hath not changed him as he hath forgotten his old friends Hebr. 4.15 For we have not a high Priest that cannot bee touched with the feeling of our
with all the fulnesse of God Of this fulness 1. A word of the measure of it 2. Of the meanes of it 3. Of the sufficiency of it in the kind and nature Randall in his Epistle before the Treatise called The Bright Star I have therefore observed the ever to be bewailed Non-proficiency of many ingenious Spirits who through the policy of others and the too too much modesty and temerity of themselves have precluded the way of progresse to the top and pitch of rest and perfection against themselves as being altogether unattainable and have shortned the cut with a Non datur ultra and are become such who are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth But for the measure sure it is not as Antinomians and Familists dream compleat and full in this life 1. Because according to the manner and measure of the manifestation of Christ and knowledge so is love and the perfection of beleevers This is a truth in it self undeniable and granted by the Author of the Bright Star cap. 5. p. 52. For Christs excellency and drawing beauty in love goeth in to the soul by the port and eye of knowledge But 1 Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophesie in part 2. Paul disclaimeth perfection as being but in the way and journeying toward it Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ. Now this perfection which Paul professeth he wanteth is opposed v. 13.14 To his pressing toward the garland For the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ Heb. 11 40. 3. Perfection such as wee expect in heaven is in no capacity to receive any farther addition or accession of grace or glory nor is there a growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ enjoyned us there as is expresly here in the way to our Countrey 2 Pet. 3.14 and to runne our race to the end Heb. 12.1 and be carried on to perfection Heb. 6.1 It s true our good works are washed in the Fountaine opened for Davids house in which our persons are washed but that washing removeth the sinfull guilt and Law-obligation from them but not the inherent blot and sinfull imperfection of our works to make them perfect for then might wee be justified by our good workes if Christs bloud make them to leave off to be sins but that bloud hindereth them to be imputed to us only but removeth not their sinfull imperfections as Antinomians say that so they may make us perfect in this life nor doth that bloud as Papists say adde a meriting dignity and vertue to them by which wee are justified by workes made white and meritorious in Christs bloud and merits God hath so portraicted and chalked the way to heaven that all the most supernaturall acts even those that have immediate bordering with the vision of glory should need a passe of pardoning grace and to beleeve that Christs grace shall work in us acts voyd of sin is not faith Therefore wee are to beleeve the pardon of such ere they have being and not sanctifying grace to eschew them It seemeth to me unbeleeving murmuring to be cast down at these sins in such a way as to imagine wee can eschew them or that grace sanctifying is wanting to us in these for grace is not due to sinlesse acts Nor doth the growing in grace which lieth on us by an obligation of a command stop the way to the journeying toward perfection and heaven nor shorten the cut to heaven because heaven is not attainable in this life but by the contrary if perfection were attainable in this life the man that attaineth it might sit down rest there and goe not one step farther for except hee should goe beyond the crown and to the other side of heaven and over-journey Christ at the right hand of God whither should hee goe And those that are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth are 2 Tim. 3.5 lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God such as wee are to turne away from as have a forme of godlinesse and have denyed the power thereof and are led away with divers lusts and are never entered into one onely degree or step of the way of the saving knowledge of the truth of which Paul speaketh and not the truly regenerate who beleeve witâ— Paul and the Scriptures that our greatâ—st perfection is to sweat and contend for the highest pitch of perfection even that which is beyond time 4. Those that are perfected as wee hope we shall be in heaven feed not with the Beloved among the lillies till the day breake and the shadowes fly away but the perfectest the Spouse of Christ so feedeth on Church-ordinances Cant. 2.17 The perfect ones have the fullest pitch of the noon-day Sun of glory it shall never be after-noon nor the evening or twy-light sky with them nor shall any night-shaddow nor cloud goe over their Sun 5. In the Kingdome of perfect on there shall be no in-dwelling of a body of sin no sin no uncleannesse of heart no turning of the love and liking of the soule off God but the perfectest in this life sin and carry an in-dwelling body of sin with them Pro. 20.9 Eccles. 7.20 Job saith chap. 14.4 The perfectest that beget children are unclean Rom. 7.17 18 19 20 21 2 23. 1 Joh. 1.8 9 10. 1 Joh. 2.1 All that have need of an High Priest at the right hand of God to intercede for thâ—m have sin and in so far are imperfect as all the Saints are Hâ—â— 7.25 4.15 1.17 18. 8.1 2 â— 9.23 24 25 26. And 1 Cor. 13.8 Love never faileth 〈…〉 abundantly and is filled to satisfaction that tâ—e 〈◊〉 I can containe no more of God and is transformed in 〈…〉 of transcendent light and highest love as it were lâ—st in the deep fountaine of universall and immensurable love and light and the creatures soule and love liveth and breatheth resteth in the bosome in the heart in the bowels of him who is an infinite masse of love is wrapped in the sugared flouds in the honey-brooks and over-flowing waves and rivers of pure and unmixed joy sleepeth and solaceth it selfe in the innocent embracings of the glory that shineth rayeth and darteth world without end out of Christ exalted farre above all heavens all principalities and powers the soules there are sweetned more then sweetned over-solaced with the noone-day-light of the Bridegromes glory having in it the sweetest perfections of the Morning-Sun they flee with Doves-wings of beauty after the Lambe they never want the actuall breathings of the Spirit of gloâ—y they can never have enough of the chast fruition of the glorious Prince Immanuâ—l and they never want his inmost prâ—sâ—nce to the full thâ—y â—uck the honey the flouds of milke of eternaâ—l consolations
with himselfe as the Bridgrome is farre more excellent then his bracelets chaines rings In this sense I would in my heart and esteeme make away all ordinances yea all the honey-combes all the apples all the created roses that grow on Christ all the sweet results and out-flowings of glory yea whole created heaven for Christ Christ God himselfe the bulke the body the stalke of the tree of life is infinitly to be valued above an apple yea all the created apples and sweet blossomes and soule-delighting floures that groweth on the tree Now here on earth we are happy as heires not as Lords and possessors and in an union with the exterior and revealed will of God in beleeving fearing serving God in Christ in a practicall union with God but all this is but the way to the weell not the wee ll it selfe and the union with or vision of God is mediate farre off in a mirrour in the image forme characters elements or looking-glasse of Word Sacraments Ministery Ordinances of hearing praying praysing but in heaven wee see God face to face that is without meanes or the intervention of messengers or ordinances I cannot determine whether when we shall know and see the Lord in an immediate vision of glory our understanding shall receive created formes intellectuall species images characters of the lovely essence the white ruddy pleasant lovely countenance of that desirable Prince the Lord Jesus it s a nicety not for our edification sure Christ shal infuse and poure in into every vessell of glory so much of himselfe his presence lovlinessâ— image beauty as from bottome to brimme the soule shall be full and who knoweth what the eternall milkings the everlasting intellectuall suckings of the glorified ones are by which they draw in and drinke from the honey-combe of uncreated glory and the deepe deepe fountaine and river of endlesse life the streames of joy consolation love fruition of Jehovah the soule being the channell whose bankes are eternally greene with glory what are the emanations the out-flowings of blessedness from the pure essence and bright face of him that sitteth on the throne and what can these in-commings and the eternall flowings of the tyde of that Sea of matchless felicitie bee who knoweth Come up and see can best resolve come up and drinke be drunke and giddie and satiated with glory and move no curious question of that fruition of God Christ will solve all these doubts to the quieting of your minde when yee come up thither nor is it needfull to say that there is a vision of God in this life which is heaven and all the heaven wee shall ever have and this vision is without receiving any images formes characters of God because it is purely spirituall and abstracted from all acts of imagination and in it we are meere patients not agents God powring the immediate brightnesse of his owne essence in us truely this is to be wise above what is written and I crave leave to doubt if Familists have the images and species of this opinion from the Spirit of God For that spirit is a Spirit of sobriety and the most spirituall and extaticall visions that the Prophets the men of God were taken up with in them all to me there seems to be visions of formes images characters a Throne Angels with six wings smoake a woman cloathed with the Sunne c. A pot toward the North a cloude and a fire infolding it selfe a colour of Amber out of the midst of the fire but a vision of God immediate in this life and that ordinary without forms images without Word Sacraments Ordinances I know not I understand it not Pos. 3. The Monkish conceit of the excellency of a contemplative life separated from all obligation to duties of the second Table above the practicall life hath been the first seed of wicked Familisme the Authors of both these books called Theologia Germanica and The Brighs Star being professed Papists though Mr. Randall extoll both as peeces of rare price and Doctrines suiting only for the perfect as if the Scripture were not such a peece yet professed grosse Idolatry and the adoring of the wood of the Cross is in The Bright Star cap. 19. and divers other Popish principles are in both Pos. 4. There is a twofold fulnes of lovelinesse in Christ one attainable in this life the other reserved for the life to come The full and highest pitch of the drawing loveliness of Christ I thinke excludeth all Ordinances Scripture Sacraments and meanes we now use Because Old Monks and late Familists make no heaven but in this life only as if a Monks coul were the very crown of eternall glory and say the Resurrection is past as their Fathers Hymeneus and Phyletus said and doubt of the immortality of the Soule therefore they that they may be true to their own principles must say that there be a number of perfect men that are above and higher then Law duties ordinances teaching of men ministery because these are for the unperfect and unregenerate and the Monks and Familists are not such but doe already injoy God in a fruition of Glory But the Scripture saith That meanes ordinances are ever in use in this life and only excluded from the life to come 1 Cor. 13.8 Charity never faileth But whether there be prophecies they shall faile whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away Ver. 9. For we know in part and we prophecy in part 10. But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away v 12. For now in this life we see through a glasse darkly But then in the life to come face to face Now I know in part but then I shall know even as also I am known And that this is a Paralell between this life and the life to come is clear from the 1 Joh. 3.2 Behold now we are the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 2. The life to come is holden forth Revel 21.22 to want all Ordinances And I saw no Temple therein saith Iohn when he saw the New Jerusalem for the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe are the Temple of it Nor is there any ignorance there Rev. 22.5 And there shall be no night there and they need no Candle neither light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever What ever any say of a personall reign of Christ on earth the words prove that while that life come all the regenerate here have need of a Temple and Ordinances so long as there is night and darkness and use for Sun and Moon so the date of Church ordinances is holden forth Cant. 2.16 My well-beloved is mine and I am his he feedeth among the Lillies 17. Vntill the
and great day of the feast Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke 2. Not a drink onely is offered but a well a fountain Psa. 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of life a fountain is more then a drinke because the whole is more then the part But 3. every thirsty man cannot have a fountain within him but yet it is so here Joh. 4.14 But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up to life eternall And 4. the Scripture riseth higher even to a river and abundance of fatness Psal. 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall be drunke with the fatnesse of thy house It s a river of sweet oyle and fatness that over-joyeth the soule thou wilt give them to drinke of the river of thy pleasures A river of which every drop is joy and a whole well of pleasures must be a Sea of delights But grace must make the soule a capacious vessell when not a fountaine but a whole river yea rivers of life are within the soule So Christ Joh. 7.38 He that beleeveth on me as the Scripture hath said Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters Yea 5. That no expression might be wanting The peace and righteousnesse of beleevers is as the waves of the Sea the Sea is more then a River it s the lodging that receives all fountains and rivers in it Isai. 48.18 Pos. 8. There must bee much sense of God in the fruition of Christ because beleeving though we see him not as wee hope to see him causeth joy unspeakeable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Thus a high tide a floud of joy and glory a rich portion of an antedated heaven cometh downe on the heires of heaven before hand Psal. 63.5 My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnes a rich feast of only marrow and fatnes and a satisfying table holdeth forth a great banquet abundant and glorious such as is made at the mariage of a great Kings Son Positi 9. And this is not a ceasing from all actings of the soule because there is an acting and living in Christ. 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 as it were by the Spirit of the Lord. 1. The vaile that by the laws ministrie which can darken but not inlighten in the gospel is removed and we with uncovered face see God revealed in Christ in the brightnesse of the gospel-day 2. We see behold and enjoy glorie heaven darteth in the rays and beames of God in Christ at our soule 3. This is a changing glorie precious stones in the night-darkenesse cast out light but bring them before the Sunne and the beames and light of the Sunne changeth them into a greater measure of resplendencie and shining irradiation we seeing the unspeakeable resplendencie and heavenly glancing of divine majestie in the mediatour Christ are transformed and changed into the Lord Jesus his beautie of holinesse the Gospel-light maketh us holy as he is holy as there is beautie in the feathers of a Dove but when the Sun illuminateth and shineth on them they carie the glanceing of silver and golden feathers yet it is but a show And so red and white roses of themselves have excellent beautie but set them between you and the Sun and they are far more beautifull And the eastern skie of it selfe is but a darke thin formlesse air that yee can scarcely behold and see but when the Sun riseth and shineth upon that skie it doth create and beget the fairest and most beautifull colour of red and aizure that is possible for no bodily creature casteth a fairer and a sweeter resplendencie and colour then the morning-red and purple-skie So when the glorious Son of righteousnesse Christ shineth on Saints in the morning day-light of the Gospel he createth the image of the glory of God in the soule and changeth them into a luster and beautie fairer to Christs eye then the Sun or the red morning skie now the Sun by beholding any creature cannot change that creature into another Sun but Christ beholding his bride and the bride beholding with the eye of knowledge and faith in the rayes and beames of the Gospel-light is changed into the glorious image of Christ. Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh foorth as the morning as Aurora the first birth of the young day when the Sunne casteth golden beames faire as the Moon cleare as the Sunne 4. We live and act in Christ and are changed from glory to glory it s but a growing change by degrees Then the kingdome of heaven and glory is not in this life nor hell in this life as these dreamers say the conditions of happinesse and misery that followeth Lazarus and the rich glutton after they die and are buried Luke 16.22 23 24 25 say the contrary 2. There is such a gulfe between heaven and hell that there is no passage no sayling nor posting between the one and the other Luke 16.26 as Familists imagine 3. That Saints should beleeve they can never be delivered nor comforted in the hell they are pained with all in this life when yet God hath promised to them in their saddest nights deliverance and comfort is against the faith and lively hope of the Saints and a sinfull unbeliefe and the man in sin cannot be as safe in a hell of sin as if he were in heaven 4. Hell is a condition of sinning and blaspheming of God but to desire nothing but the eternall good and to understand the eternall good to be above measure good is not a condition of sinning but of happinesse and holinesse and so cannot be hell 5. These two conditions sort not with the everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels and life eternall prepared for the blessed of the Father Mat. 25. But to return if life be the greatest perfection of being the beleever in Christ must enjoy an intellectuall life in Christ and live see know injoy God and though the injoying of Christ bee the highest degree of selfe-deniall and the man loose himself in Christ that is his sinfull and fleshly I egoitie and selfinesse in Christ yet he loseth not but findeth in in Christ his sinlesse created selfe his selfe perfected with that high and supernaturall ornament of Christ living in him It is also most true selfe as all created beings are but meere dependencies on God as the beames of the Sun are but fluxes results and issues that have no being but in the Sun sure creatures depend more in their being and working on God then accidents depend on their subject but it is nothing lesse then blasphemy against all reason and common sense and subverteth all the Scriptures of God to say that
sure thiâ— must be a sadder death then if Christ had dyed but for tenne men it is true it was an infinite paine in regard of the one infinite person that did beare our iniquitiâ—s yea and so subjectivè it was an infinite love with which in election and free redemption Christ followed all the Elect of God withall but terminative as his love is bounded on sundry persons Paul speaks of it as if there had been not one man loved but himselfe Gal. 3.20 Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Though the Lord Iesus passed in one bill the election and redemption of all the family of the first born yet every soule has a white stone and a new name that no other elect man knowes but he himselfe as every flower every rose every medow and severall garden has its severall rayes beames and comfort and vigor of hear from the Sunne yet all these rayes and beames are but one in the Sunnes body so though Christ dyed but on death for all the Elect yet in the hight of paine it was many deâ—ths to him 3. Againe consider how much of life Christ had the removing of it by violence must be so much the more painfull life naturall had in Christ a sweet and peaceable dwelling the possession of life was with excellent delighâ—s like a tree growing on the bank of a sweet river of oyl wine and honey it was planted beside the glorious Godhead persâ—nally and had sweet company and that made it pleasant the more beautifull pleasant and green the flower of lesse was the more violence and paine it was to hew down this delitious tree of life and to cut him out of the land of the living it had not been so much to cut down a thistle or a thorn tree or to take away the life of a common man whose life is not priviledged with grace and the grace of a personall union with God yea the destroying of the life of an Angel could never have been such violence And then its considerable that Christ was not suffered to goe to the grave without bloud and that his skine his winding sheet were bespotted with bloud Christ paid not this sum quickly as many die its true there was more will and love infinitely in his blood then violence and paine every streame of bloud flowing in a channell of love and it s also sure the soule and the Godhead were not separated but the pretious life of Christ was expelled and that by a bloudy death out of a sweet Paradise and death was a rough sad and thorny journey to Christ weapons of Iron on hands and feet came against the Lord to fetch the soule out of the body 2. Shame The second character engraven on Christs death was shame and reproach in which consider 1. How shame could be on Christ dying 2. What shâ—me was on him 3. How it stood with his honour as King 1. Shame is taken either fundamentally in the cause or formally sinne and sinne acted by men against the Law of God is the only foundation of shame when the people fell in idolatry Exod. 32.25 Aaron made the people naked to their shame so when Tamar disswads her brother from incest 2 Sam. 13.13 she saith and I whether shall I cause my shame to goe and as for thâ—e thou shall be as one of the fooles of Israel Shame and sinne are of one blood for sinning is a shamefull reproaching of the creaâ—ure and thus Christ was no more capable of shame nor of sin for he had done no violence neither was there any guile in his mouth Christ-man came out of the wombe cloathed with a precious white Robe of innocency and abundance of grace hee never contracted one black spot on that faire Robe of the highest image of God from the wombe to the grave and so there was no shame but fundamentally glory in Christ all his life but there is shame formally in sinne and that 1. Which we call thinking of shame or being ashamed actively 2. In bearing of shame passively In the former consideration because sinne is a shamefull thing in selfe Ier. 11.13 Ye set up Altars to that shamefull thing even Altars to burn incense to Baal there is an internall blushing and shame rising from sinne when the sinner if the conscience through a habite of sinne be not turned brazen and hard thinks ill of sinne and esteemes it sâ—lf base in doing ill Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee then of these things whereof yee are now ashamed Adam and Eve were not ashamed before they sinned now Christ man had this ingenuity which Heathens called halfe a vertue shamefastnesse or a power to think ill of sinne Christ of himselfe though he could not sinne as Adam had a power before the fall to pitty and commiserate the sick and miserable though there was no formall object for that power afore men sinned could think it of sinne Christ I say thought ill of sinne and esteemed the creature base in sinning Heathens said vertue was of a red blushing colour and the Scripture condems the shamelesnesse of sinners that are not abased themselves for sinne and cannot bee ashamed so the Lord burthens his people with this Ier. 3.3 And thou hadst a whores forehead thou refusedst to ashamed Heb. to blush Esai 3.9 The shew of their countenance that cannot blush at sinne doth witnesse against them and they declare their sin as Sodome they hid it not Zeph. 3.5 But the unjust knoweth no shame In this Christ our Lord to come to the second point being our surety though he could not be ashamed of any sinne he did himself for that he never sinned yet being made sinne for us he did did beare the shame of our sinne And so Christ was not free of shame passively as it is a punishment of sinne for it is penall evill of the creature Dan. 12.2 Many that sleep in the dust shall awake some to shame and everlasting contempt Ezech. 32.24 Elam and all her multitude are slaine they have born their shame with them that goe down to the pit That which is penall in shame the Lord Iesus did beare he saith of himselfe Esai 50.6 I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire I hid not my face from shame and spiting Heb. 12.2 Hee endured the crosse despising the shame in these respects he did beare our shame 1. That hee being the Lord of glory and thought it no robbery to bee equall with the father hee abased himselfe to come so low as to be a man and the lowest of men a servant Phil. 2.6 7 8. Matth. 20.28 Esai 49.7 Thus saith the Lord the Redeemer of Israel and his holy One to him whom man dispiseth Hebr. to one dispised in soule a contemned soule abhorred by the nation to a servant of Lords 2. All the tokens of reproach and shame was on his suffering As 1. In gestures
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
or drawing grace therefore am I compelled as a Merchant who against his will casts his goods in the Sea to save his own life because the winds and stormes â—ver-master his desire to take a second course contrary to my naturall dâ—sire and gâ—acious and mild inclination to mâ—rcy to decree and ordain that all who before the acts also of my middle science free decree and just will were finally to resist my calling shall eternally perish and to will that Pharoah should not at the first or second command obey my will and let my people goe and therefore with a consequent or constrained will to suffer sinne to be to appoint death and hell and the eternall destruction of the greatest part of mankinde to be in the world for the declaration of my revenging justice because I could not hinder the entrance of sin into the world not Master free will as free if my dispensation of the first covenant made with Adam in Paradise should stand Whereupon I was compelled to take a second herbrie and a second winde like a Sea-man who is with a stronger crosse winde driven from his first wished port and to send my Sonne Iesus Christ into the world to die for sinners for that I could not better doe and out of love to save all offer him to all one way or other though I did foresee my desire and naturall kindnesse to save all should be far more thwarted and crossed by this way because force my consequent will must needs prepare a far hotter furnance in hell for the greatest part of mankinde since thousands of them must reject Christ in resisting the light of nature and the universall sufficient grace given to all which if free will should use well would have procured to them more grace and the benefit of the preached Gospel But a heavier plague of hardnes of heart and farre greater torments of fire then these I foresee must be the doome of such within the visible Church as resist my calling or having once obeyed may according to the liberty of independent free-will persevere if they will notwithstanding of the power of God by which they are kept to salvation the promises of the eternall covenant the efficacie of Christs perpetuall intercession of the in-dwelling of the holy Ghost that everlasting fountain of life c. may fully and finally fall away and turne Apostats and therefore all their hope of eternall life their assurance of glory their joy their consolation and comforts in any claim to life eternall and the state of adoption is not bottomed on my power to keep them my eternall covenant my Sons intercession I can do no more then I can but upon their own free will if they please and it s too pleasant to many they may all fall away and perish eternally and leave my Son a widdow without a wife a head without members a king without subjects And if Arminians will be so liberall or lavish of the comforts of God proper to the lords people Esa. 40.1 c. 49.13 the proper work of the holy Ghost the comforter Ioh. 14.16 c. 15.26 c. 16.7 the consolations of Christ Phil. 2.1 the everlasting the strong consolations 2. Thess. 2.16 Heb. 6.18 the heart comforts Col. 2.2 wherewith the Apostles and Saintâ— are comforted 2. Cor. 1.4.6.7 coming from the God of all comfort the Lord that comforteth Zion Esai 51.3 2. Cor. 1.3 Esai 51.12 blâ—ssing promised to the mourners Matth. 5.4 We desire Mr. Moore and other Arminians to injoy them but for us we a loâ—â—v neiâ—her assurance courage hope nor comforts in Christ or hâ—s death but on the regenerate and beleevers and this makes the doctrine of universall redemption more suspitious to us as not coming from God that they allow to all even dogs and swine the holy Ghost and the precious priviledge of the Saints Therefore thirdly we answer that the assumption is not ours but theirs let the assumpâ—â—on be But I beleeve and he proposition be corrected thus These for whom Christ laid down his life are some few choâ—en beleevers Bâ—t I am chosen and a beleeveâ— Ergo c. and we grant all so the assumption be made sure But I have no assurance hope nor comfort to rest on a generall good will that God beareth to all to Iudas Pharaoh Cain and to all mankinde no lesse then to me For I am of the same very mettall and by nature am heir of wrath as well as they 2. That far-off Good will that all be saved and that all obey the Lord from eternity did bear it to the fallen devils as well as to me O cold comfort and it works nothing in order to my actuâ—ll salvation more then to the aâ—â—uâ—ll salvation of Iudas the Traitor it 〈◊〉 on moving no wheels no câ—uses no effectuall means to pâ—ocure the powerfull apâ—licaâ—ion oâ— the purchased Redemption to mâ— more then to all tâ—aâ— are now spitting out blasphemie against eternall justâ—ce and are in fiâ—â—e chains of wrath cursing this Lord and his generall good will to save them But the fountain good will of God to save the elect runneth in another channel of free grace that separates person frâ—m person Iacob from Esau and sets the heart of God from eternitie and the tender bowels of Christ both from eveâ—lastiâ—g and as touching the execution of this good will and in time upon this man not this man without hire monâ—y or price 1. because Angels or Men can never answer that of Rom. 9.13.14.15 as it is written I have loved Iacob and have hated Esau and that before the one or the other had done good or evil Then the naturall Arminian objecteth what our Arminian does this day that must be unrighteousnesse to hate men absolutely and cast them off when they are not born and have neither done good nor evill Paul answereth it followeth in no sort that there is unrighteousnesse with God because verse 15. all is resolved on the will of God because it is his will for hee saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassiâ—n and upon this hâ—e infeâ—ies then the businesse of sepâ—â—ating Iaakob from Esau â—unnes not upon such wheeles as â—unning and willing swâ—ating and hunting by good endeavours Iaakob dâ—d here lesse and Eâ—au more but all goes on this on Gods free goodnesse and mercy all the difference between person and person is God has mercy because he will not because men will Now because Arminians say thâ—s is not meanâ— of election and reprobation but of temporary savours bestowed on Iaakob nor on Esau he aâ—eadgeth the example of Pharaoh a cruell Atheâ—st and a Tyrant who never sought justification by the works of the Law the reason why Pharaoh obtained not the mercy that others obtained I saith the Lord verse 17. told Pharaoh to his face for this purpose I raised thee up that I might make an
example of the glory of my power and name that is the glory of justice in thee to all the world who heares of thee and then verse 18. hee returnes to the Lords free will and unhired and absolute liberty in differencing person from person Why has hâ—e mercy upon this man and not on this man if there had been such a conceit as a generall catholick good will in God to Pharoah to Esau the Apostle should now hâ—ve denyed any absolute will in God to separate one person from another Arminians can instruct the spirit of the Lord and the Apostle to say he has an equall generall goodwill and desire to save all and every one Esau as well as Iaakob Ishmael as â—saac the son of promise Pharoah as Moses or any other man but then two great doubts should remain How then hated he Esau when he was not yet born and had not done good or evill All the Arminians on earth answer that 2. But the doubt is not removed How is it that God loves Iaacob blesseth and hath mercy on him and hateth Esau and yet Esau has neither done good nor ill Arminians answer in an antecedent generall good will God indeed loved Esau as well as Jaakob Pharoah as well as another man but here is the thing that makes the separation Iacob runneth and willeth Esau is a wicked man Pharoah and others like him bloody tyrants and God sheweth mercy with another posterior and consequent will on Iacobs because he runs and wils and has mercy on him because hee pays well for mercy and has not mercy on Esau because he neither â—uns nor wills Now this is to contradict God therefore we must bear with it that men of corrupt mindes destitute of the truth rising up to plead for universall atonement contradict us But Paul resolves all the mercy bestowed on this man not on this man v. 18. on this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and hardeneth whom he will 2 unpossible it is that conversion should be grace and matter of the praise of the glory of the Lords grace to Peter rather then to Iudas except the grace of God separate Peter from Iudas by moving effectually the one to beleeve and not moving the other All the wit of men cannot say but I may glory in my own free will that I am efficaciously redeemed and saved rather then another except grace efficaciously move me in a way of separating me from another if hee had alike good will to save me and Judas and all the world but he committed the casting of the ballance in differencing the one from the other to free-will so as the creatures free-will made the consâ—quent will of God different toward the one and toward the other 3. The God who is willing to show his wrath and to make his power known in â—nduring with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared to glory Rom. 9 2â— 23 is also willing because hee is willing to declare these two ends equally in some because he will the glory of power justice and long suffering in others the glory of grace and mercy because he will nor did I ever see a reason wherefore God should carry on the two great state designs of justice and mercy in such an order as he should incline more to declare and bring to passe the design of mercy then the design of justice for out of the freedom of high and deep soveraignty he most freely intended both these glorious ends Now as the attaining of his freely intended end of manifested mercy in some both Angels and Men makes visible in an eminent manner the glory of justice in other some so the attaining of his freely intended end of pure grace in the Elect doth highly indeare Iesus Christ that we should prize the blood of the Covenant the riches of free-grace to us whom he hath freely chosen leaving others as good as we to perish everlastingly And as Arminians cannot deny but that the Lord might so have contrived the businesse as all that are saved and to prayse the Lord that sits one the Thron in heaven might have been damned and should blaspheme eternally in hell the holy just Iudge of the world as he can make a revolution of all things in heaven and in earth to a providence contrary to that which is now so they cannot deny an eminent soveraignty deliberate and fixâ—d free-will in God before any of the Elect and Reprobate were placed in sâ—ch a condition of providence in which hee foresaw all that are saved or damned should bee saved or damned and that this will was the prime fountaine cause of election and reprobation 4. Paul shewing Rom. 11. That God concludes all in unbeliefe that he might have mercy on all and shewing a reason why the Lord was pleased to cast off his ancient people for a time and to engraffe the Gentiles the wilde Olive in their place saith O the depth and another reason he cannot find but bottomlesse and unsearchable freedome of grace and free dispensation to some people and persons and not to others I confesse it had been no such depth if the Lord from eternity had equally loved all to salvation but through the running willing or not running not willing of the creature had been put upon later wiser and riper thoughts and a consequent will to save or not save as Men and Angels in the high and indifferent court of their free-will shall think good there had been no other depth then is in earthly Iudgeâ— who reward well doers and punish ill doers or in a Lord of a Vâ—ne-yard who gives wages to him that labours and no wages to him that stands idle and doth nothing this is the Law of nature of Nations and no depth it s but God rewarding men â—ccording to their works and God shewing mercy in such as co-operate with and improve well the benefit of Gods antecedent will and not shewing mercy on such as doe not co-operate therewith but out of the absolutenesse of indifferent free-will are wanting thereunto But the great and unsearchable depth is how God should so carry on the great designes of the declaration of the glory of pardoning mercy and punishing justice as their should be some persons and Nations the Jewes first and not the Gentiles as of old and now the Gentiles taken into Christ and the Jewes cast off and again the Jewes with the riches of the world of Elect both Jewes and Gentiles who are chosen and must obey the Gospel and be called without any respect to works but of grace Rom. 11.5.6 7. and when the children had neither done good nor evill and were not born Rom. 9.11 and these who were nearest to Christ and did woâ—k more for the attaining