that taketh away the sinnes of the word and divers other places there are to the same effect Further consider these reasons or arguments God hath commanded that the Gospel be preached to all men Mark 16.15 Goe preach the gospell saith he to every creature and the Gospel is glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 viz. remission of sinnes Luk. 24.47 Salvation Heb. 2.3 and everlasting life Ioh. 5.40 Now if the glad tidings which are to be preached to every creature be the Gospel in beleeving which we have life and for refusing of which we perish then Christ must dye for all for there is no reconciliation without a propitiation without blood no remission without death no life for sinfull creatures for God hath no peace nor remission for that man for whom Christ did not dye and God would not proffer with reverence be it spoken more then he hath to bestow Therefore seeing the gospel is to be preached to all God hath strengthened himselfe in Christ accordingly in giving him for all Againe if God command the gospel to be preached to all and Christ dyed onely for some the gospel being Christ crucified for their sinnes 1 Cor. 15.1 3. then God commands a lie to be preached to the most part of men which were blasphemy to affirme Againe if Christ dyed not for all and God doe not discover for whom he did die then the Gospel viz Christ crucified canot be preached to any man Object The Gospel is to bee preached among all but not to all nor any in particular in unbeliefe wee must tell them Christ died for sinners and no more Answ If Christ died for sinners and by sinners wee understand onely some selected ones then no man hath ground from the Gospel of grace to believe that Christ died for him and so cannot establish his soule in the love and grace of God For Faich comes by hearing and if the Gospel say no more but Christ died for some then all wee can believe is but that Christ died for some which may be and we perish in our sinnes now how shall we believe the grace of God in the Gospel if the Gospel give so uncertaine a sound for as we cannot believe that of which we have not hear'd so neither can we believe more of any thing then what we have heard Obj. Its further objected that we may tell them all that if they believe they shall bee saved Answ Then I would desire an answer to this one Question what men are to believe Some say that we are to believe that Christ died for us if so then as the blind-man said to Christ Joh. 9.36 who is hee that I may believe in him so may wee say where hath God so spoken that Christ hath dyed for us that we may believe They tell us that if we believe that he died for us then he did die for us as if faith did beget truth and not truth beget Faith The thing to be beleeved must be true before I believe it for it is the Gospel of truth that begets faith in us and it alwaies begets a faith in its owne likenesse therefore although Christ died for Sinners if all be not included there is no sufficient ground for any man from the word of truth to believe that Christ dyed for him and so whereas the Gospel is to bee Preached to every man this doctrine will not enable the Ministers thereof to preach it to any man for the Gospel being Christ crucified extends no further then the Crosse extends and when they come to a company of people without faith to preach Christ to them they know not whether Christ dyed for any one of them or not and therefore are unable to say to any one of them that Christ died for their sinnes and there is no other name given under Heaven whereby men can have life therefore this Doctrine of Christs dying onely for some shuts up the Gospel of grace from the World and stops the mouthes of men from declaring the same Obj. The Gospell must not be preached to men absolutely but with this condition if they be converted and repent for before they repent wee must presse the law upon them and tell them that the benefit of Christ doth not pertaine to them Answ We find in the second of the Thessalonians 1. and 8 that Christ in flaming fire will render vengeance to such as obey not the Gospell and Joh. 3.18 he that believeth not is said to be condemned already and that because he doth not believe in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God and so when Christ gave Commission to Preach the Gospell to all the World Marke 16.16 he addes he that beleeveth not shall bee damned now if such men as are never converted are to bee condemned for not believing then certainely the Gospell belongs to them and is a truth in reference to them before they repent and be converted and what they are bound to believe the Ministers of Christ-are bound to declare to them and besides the Gospell is to convert men and to turne them from darkenes to light to teach them to deny ungodlinesse and worldlines and therefore is to bee preached to men unconverted men in blindnesse and darknes Besides if it told men that if they repent they may and ought to believe that Christ dyed for them it is all one in effect as if they should be told that they may and ought to believe that Christ dyed for them though they never repent for what Christ did was done before they repented and their repenting makes it never the more to be and if Christ did not die for them when they were unconverted it were a vaine thing for them to believe in him though they should repent and be converted Obj. If men were able to repent when they would then we could not preach the Gospell to all men upon this condition if they repent and be converted but repentance is the guift of God and men cannot turne themselves therefore wee may tell them that if they repent and be converted they may believe that Christ dyed for them seeing we we know that God will give Repentance to none but such as CHIRST dyed for Answ Then we should speake to the most of men to this effect doe that which is impossible for you ever to performe to wit Repent and then you may believe that which is not true to wit that Christ dyed for your sinnes a very poore incouragement to or ground of repentance And for pressing the Law on men unconverted I would faine know how they can presse it upon others and exempt themselves from the sentence of it for if the Law be alive considered alone without reference to Christ then all must perish small sinners as well as great seeing all are sinfull and unjust and this pressing the Law before Faith and exhorting penitents only as penitents to believe doth teach men to lay the ground and foundation of their faith in
he hath left the most part of men being fallen in irrecoverable condition That God calls upon men to do that which they are unable to perform and yet damns them in hell fire for not performance That God calls invites and perswades men by his ministers to believe that they may have life and yet hath no life for them nor intention that they should live that the end of God in sending meanes and bestowing mercies on the most part of the Sonnes of men is onely to harden them to make them vessells of wrath to fit them for destruction These things I say caused mee to publish these few lines of the love of God to all for ' its impossible that men should ever bee established in the love of God whiles their minds and consciences are bewitched with such strange conceits of him The glad tydings of the Love and grace of God in Christ is plaine and easie to be apprehended by the meanest capacity and if it were delivered with plainnesse and simplicity it would manifest it self to every mans conscience with power and efficacy But the teachers of the people cause them to erre they lead them in darke and sad waies they possesse them with false and wicked Principles and thereby keepe them in bondage terrifying and comforting them according to the visions of their owne heart They have brought up another gospel I may say other gospels though indeed they be no gospels but onely dreames and delusions whereby they deceive the people leaving them in darknesse filling the World with disputes They instead of revealing the gospel have hid it from the eyes of men for no men are more resolvedly ignorant therof then those which would be thought the most knowne men They are more peremptory in their conclusions then seaven men that can render a reason for what they say yea they despise and trample on reason as low carnall and not to bee exercised in divine things they speake in a dialect that none can understand but such as are like unto them as some of them will affirme as though God would have mens affections run without or before their judgement to believe or doe that which they cannot give a reason of Those that deny the universall love of God are the men that thrust out the gospel and bring in the Law that throw downe Christ and set up themselves that ground their comfort more in their owne humiliation then in Christs more in what they doe then in what Christ hath done more in their owne grace then in the grace of God they bound and limit the love and death of Christ to some few persons onely and therefore they must find out somthing to distinguish them from others which may serve as a ground of their faith that Christ dyed for them and not for others Hence it is that they lay the ground and foundation of their peace and comfort in legall terrors preparations marks signes and qualifications In humiliations they have bend below others and therfore thinke they have ground to exalt themselves above others But whiles the ground and foundation of their comfort is in themselves it must needs be uncertaine and unstable as they themselves are when their spirits are composed and they find themselves well affected they conclude they have faith and are in the love and favour of God It is but a little and they are in another temper otherwise disposed and then they cast away all peace and comfort and will by no means entertain any thoughts of the love and grace of God to such sinfull wretches as they are What is this but to put their preparations qualifications and dispositions in the place of Christ and so to live and die as those appeare or are withdrawne hence it is that so many poore soules are distracted for want of the apprehension of the love and grace of God towards them in Christ that some of them are continually tosled up and downe one day lifted up to heaven and another day cast downe to hell in their owne apprehensions others continually cast of comfort all their daies being so terrifi'd with horror and amazement of spirit that they are unserviceable to God and man of which many destroy themselves and others hardly escape whereof we have wofull and continuall experience many sweet and excellent spirits have beene possessed with those dangerous doctrines which are destructive to the manifestation of the love of God unto them it is time for men now to awake out of sleep and to abandon these horrid opinions and not to suffer themselves to be deluded and led into such palpable and absurd errors the absurdity of them being so manifest that he that runs may read it a child may discover it for to limit the love and death of Christ to some few persons onely and to perswade men to peace from that doctrine is to build without a foundation to shew unto them broken Cisternes that will hold no water so that it is a marvell that all that feare God holding that opinion are not in the like distempers and distractions that others are seeing they are taught to deny that doctrine which is the ground of true peace and comfort the universall love and grace of God in Christ towards mankind I have demanded of some that deny the love of God in giving Christ for all how they know Christ dyed for them they Answer because God hath perswaded their hearts to believe which in effect is they believe because they believe but true faith clozeth immediately with God in his word God hath spoken and therefore I believe is the voice of Faith and not I beleeve and therefore God hath spoken wee must not make a groundlesse faith the ground of our faith for then wee shall multiply fancies instead of faith God is love this love is manifested to all the Sonnes of men in giving Christ that they all might live through him GOD would have all men to confide in and cast themselves upon this his love and goodnesse and it shall goe well with them The foundation is firme the bed is large if we ground our peace here our peace vvill bee firme and stable like Mount Sion which shall never bee moved like GOD himselfe But those that teach that Christ dyed onely for a few take away the true gospel and ground of faith and introduce a false gospel which affords men no ground to believe and hence it is that they have raised another error to maintaine the former that men by all the meanes which was afforded in common where the gospel was preached could not believe And indeed were their doctrine true that Christ dyed onely for some I should agree with them For it would of necessity follow that no man could believe seeing God in the dispensation of the gospel spake to all men in generall but to no man in particular or by name yet they say that they believe and that their faith is fixed on the word of GOD
that God by one meanes or other doth discover himself to every man to be good and gracious Now whereas it is urged that men cannot beleeve they that so affirme say in effect that men have no ground to beleeve for did they apprehend a ground for faith they would never perswade themselves nor others that they could not beleeve but if they would have men to beleeve that the truth of which they cannot evidence or demonstrate to them then it is a very proper and ready way for them to anticipate their understandings and prevent them from inquiry by telling them that they cannot beleeve and that faith is beyond reason and that God must perswade their hearts and so cause them to cease to exercise their understandings that they may worke their affections to receive and embrace it upon trust and when they have so done to tell them that God hath perswaded their hearts Men say that faith is supernaturall but how can it bee above nature to beleeve that which we see sufficient ground to beleeve and to beleeve any thing of which we have no plaine ground and reason is so far from being above nature that it is below it and proper to fooles and not to reasonable men It is true that faith is the evidence or assurance of things not seene but the certainty of the things not seene must be evidenced or manifested to us by things that doe appeare or wee cannot beleeve them the meanes of grace which we now have is not so great nor so cleare as the meanes which was afforded in the time of Christ and his Apostles and some others enjoy not so great meanes as we but God requires of every man according to what he hath and not according to what he hath not When the Authour to the Hebrewes doth declare to the Jews the danger of neglecting the Gospel he urgeth it from this Reason that it was evidently declared confirmed to them being first spoken by the Lord himself and then confirmed to them by those which heard him God also bearing them witnesse that they spake truth with signes and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the holy Spirit according to his owne will Now how can we thinke that those men could not beleeve that had the Gospel so evidenced and confirmed before their eyes or how could the signes and miracles be an aggravation of their sinne in not beleeving if they had not been a sufficient meanes to procure their beleeving and if they were a sufficient meanes it must be so in reference to their naturall faculties as Act. 8.16 the Samaritans gave heed with one accord to the things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles which hee did And againe Acts 9.33.34.35 When Peter had healed Aeneas who had been sicke of the Palsie eight yeares all that dwelt at Lidda and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord. Againe when Peter raised Dorcas from the dead it was knowne throughout all Ioppa and many beleeved in the Lord vers 42. and therefore the Disciples which Christ sent out to preach were commanded to tarry in Jerusalem untill they were endued with power from on high Luk. 24.49 which power was the gifts of the holy Spirit enabling them by signes and miracles to evidence and demonstrate to every mans understanding and conscience where they came the truth of the things they declared as Acts 1.4.5.8 compared with chap. 2. vers 3.4 so that with great power did the Lord give witnesse to the things spoken by Christ and his messengers which miracles had been needlesse if faith had been a supernaturall gift immediately infused by God We have the Scriptures we see the wonderfull works of God and partake of his goodnesse every moment and yet can we not beleeve and from thence be perswaded to love serve and obey the Lord to love serve and obey him I say for to beleeve that Christ was sent of God to dye for our sinnes or to beleeve God to be good and gracious if I am not thereby perswaded to love serve and obey him my faith is nothing it is dead being alone Now let us further consider what is written Rom. 10.14 how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent plainly intimating that there is a possibility for men to beleeve in Christ when they heare him preached by the Messengers of God and therefore in the 17. verse he concludes that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God so the gospell is termed the Word of faith Rom. 10.8 the preaching of the gospel the preaching of faith Gal. 1.23 hearing of the gospel the hearing of faith preached Gal. 3.2.5 and when the gospel was preached to the gentiles God is said to have opend the door of faith unto them Acts 14.27 and where God affoords the gospel he affoords faith as Paul speakes in the like case Act. 17.31 whereof he hath afforded faith to all men c. Againe the gospel is termed the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the power of God and the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1.18.24 and God is said to save those which beleeve by the foolishnesse of preaching vers 21. Now if the Word of God the gospel be declared unto men and yet they thereby not enabled to beleeve then how is it the power of God to their salvation they being to perish if they beleeve not Mark 16.16 for that meanes which is the power of God to an end must needs be sufficient for that end Oh. You see it was not sufficient for all did not beleeve Ans It was powerfull enough to enable all that heard to beleeve and yeeld obedience to it and so powerfull in none that it was impossible they should reject it and so the same meanes which proves inefectuall to one may cause another to believe as appeares Mat. 11.21 Object It is the power of God onely to those that are called 1 Cor. 1.24 Answ Paul speaks in this place what acceptation the gospel had amongst the sons of men how different their thoughts were of it in the 18. verse he saith it is to them that perish foolishnesse to us which are saved the power of God In the 23.24 verses he saith the unbelieving Iews did stumble at it and the unbelieving Greekes accompted it foolishnesse but the believing both of Iewes and Greekes did esteeme it the wildome of God and the power of God the unbelievers did not esteeme rightly of it the believers did but if the gospel were the power of God onely to believers and to unbelievers a dead Letter then unbelievers were as right in their thoughts to whom it was foolishnesse as Believers to whom it was the wisdome and power of God yea it had bin foolishnesse in unbelievers to have esteemed it any other then foolishnes in point of their salvation as a meanes unto which end it
if so then there is a rationall ground for their faith in the Word of GOD or there is not if there bee then it is as well every mans ground as any mans and as possible for every man to believe as any man if there be not then they doe not believe for God himself cannot make a man believe without ground the things whereon they ground their peace and comfort and wherein they glory and rejoice as that God perswaded and overpowred their hearts to believe such a promise made this or that Scripture theirs spake to them in it gave them aboundance of comfort from it at such a time in such a place in such a manner after they had been so long in a despairing distracted condition in bondage under the Law are vaine For now though that Scripture or promise be made theirs as they conceive and they doe believe it as they say and comfort themselves in it that God loves them and that they shall certainly live yet can they give no ground or reason from their principles why that Scripture or Promise belongs to them much lesse that it should more belong to them then to others onely they say that God perswaded their hearts but if he perswaded them he perswaded their understandings and judgements by some evident and rationall demonstration or conclusion from the Scripture or promise so believed and if not then the things they speak of are but pleasing fancies and golden dreams Againe from this Doctrine of limiting the love of God to a few the love of the most religious men of our times is also limited to a few to love those that love them to do good to those that do good to them to salute their Brethren onely wheras Christ tells them plainly that there is nothing singular in it they doe no more then others then sinners then Publicans whereas if God indeed were the Patterne of their love their love would be universall like the love of God love is a debt due to all men and wee shall never be freed from that debt in this World Rom. 13.8 It appeares by the words of Christ Luk. 10.30 That every man we see in misery or in need of our helpe and relief is our Neighbour and wee must love our Neighbour as our selves in deed and in truth without dissimulation so that we ought to love all men the evill and unthankfull our enemies those that hate curse and persecute us and nothing can beget such a Spirit in us but the Spirit of this Doctrine of the free and universall love of God to us when we were enemies sinfull lost creatures evill and unthankfull As God by the discovery of his love and goodnesse to us did turn us from evill to good so should we endeavour to overcome the evill of men by good to prevaile with them by love for love is very powerfull whereas mens disposing and rejecting such as are not so good as they would have them or such as suit not with them in judgement and opinion makes them to be despised and hated yea many men despise Religion it self Seeing these things doe appeare in those which professe themselves to be most religious though indeed Religigion teacheth no such thing but the contrary as the Scriptures plainly manifest the substance of Religion is almost lost and there is little else then the shew or name of it remaining unlesse Religion bee a rigid A practice not suitable to the Gospel of grace and love but to policy and sensuality not comming from above but from beneath whether it tends and is therefore to be shund and abhord of all men blind and preposterous zeal in seeking dominion over the faith of our brethren and fellow-servants and by humane and positive lawes inhumanely Rev. 13.15 16 17. to compell their judgements and consciences to conformity to our dictates and determinations in matters of the worship of God We have much hearing much praying much talking amongst men but little love whereas all the means that God useth with us is to manifest his love to us that so we may love him and one another To do good and to shew mercy are services well pleasing to God better then all burnt Offrings and Sacrifices 1 Sam. 15.22 hearing praying and discoursing is no further beneficiall then it tends to edification in love yea it is abomination if love be wanting Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the father is this To visite the fatherlesse and the Widdowes in their affliction and to keepe our selves unspotted in the world and who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him all his Religion is vaine and to no purpose If any Object that this doctrine of Gods rich and abundant grace to all tends to loosenesse I Answer as formerly that the grace of God which bringeth salvation to all men appearing teacheth us to deny all ungodlines and worldly lusts and to live righteously and godlily in this present world Tit. 2.11 12. But if any abuse this grace of God and turne that into wantonnesse which naturally leads to holinesse the Judgment of God is just against those that so doe now I desire you to consider what is here written in love and that the love of God may be shed abroad in our hearts that we may dwell in love walke in love and doe whatever wee doe in love shall bee the prayer and indeavour of him who while hee lives never ceaseth to remaine The Servant of all men in Love L. S. FJNJS
he so prayed for shall certainely bee saved To which I answer that God hath not in the Scriptures declared absolutely or peremptorily that he will save all men but he hath declared and that truly and sincerely that he would have all men to be saved he speaks in the Optative Mood he wills it he desires it And in this also we must understand that God speaks after the manner of men now what men desire they use means to accomplish so God wills and desires the salvation of men that is hee puts forth himself in waies means to accomplish it and suitable to this must our Prayers for men be that God would be pleased to manifest the Gospel of grace to them which is able to save their souls that hee would bring them that is that hee would use means to bring them from darknes to light from the power of Satan unto himselfe Mat. 9.37 38. Object Wee must pray for all that is for all sorts Answ If we are to pray for all sorts and not for all of all sorts then I say we cannot pray for one of any sort for that person whatsoever he be if any bee excepted may be the man for whom wee ought not to pray so this principle doth state a man in an impossibility of fullfilling the mind of Christ for he would have us pray for all and wee must pray in faith or we were better to hold our peace for we shall never obtaine any thing of God we must not doubt Iames 1. now if God leaves the thing dubitable and unresolved concerning persons in unbeliefe whom he would have saved and who not then I must be in doubt also unlesse I will be wiseabove that which is written and so I can pray for the salvation of no man whatsoever Againe 1 Ioh. 2.1 My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not but if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world The words are plaine onely be pleased to consider that this Epistle was written in generall to all beleevers such as had attained to the knowledge of the truth and he tells them that Christ is a propitiation for their sins and not for theirs onely but also for the sins of the whole world The spirit of God foreseeing that men would endevour to hide themselves under the mists and clouds of vaine interpretations labours to anticipate them by such full and evident expressions as may no way be avoided with any shew or colour of ground and therefore he puts in the whole world the world in an universall and individuall consideration so that no man can without offering great violence and injury to the Text put any other interpretation upon it Again in 1 Ioh. 5.10.11.12 it is said that he that beleeveth on the Son of God hath the witnesse in himselfe he that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyar because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son and this is the record that God hath given to us eternall life and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life Here we see that the Apostle affirmes that the unbeleever makes God a lyar in not beleeving that God hath given him eternall life Ob. If God hath given him eternall life he shall certainly live and not come into condemnation The answere to this objection is in the latter end of the 11. and 12 verses in these words And this life is in his Son c. As if he should have said he that beleeves not makes God a lyar in not beleeving that God hath given his Sonne as a meanes of eternall life to all men or in not beleeving that God hath given him eternall life in his Son All that God requires of us is to receive the Son in whom this life is to beleeve the record of God that he hath given us eternall life in him and he that receives the Son receives life and he that receives him not the wrath of God abides on him because he receives him not Ioh. 3.36 Againe 1 Ioh. 4 8.9 the Apostle saith He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that wee might live through him Here are three things considerable in this Text first the description of the divine nature in these words God is love Secondly the manifestation thereof he sent his onely begotten Son into the world that wee might live through him and lastly a principall ground and reason of the want of love in those persons that love not God they know him not who is love and hath manifested the same in sending his Sonne into the world that they might live through him If it be objected That the Apostle wrote this to beleevers and therefore when hee saith he sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him hee therein hath relation onely to such I answere that the Apostle wrote this to Beleevers is true but when he saith hee that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love he hath relation to unbeleevers and intimateth such persons as are ignorant of God and of his love towards them manifested in the Gospel And if these words God sent his Son into the World that we might live through him should onely respect beleevers then would there bee no argument therein to convince those persons that doe not love God as is intended for of what force would it be with any man that doth not love God or reason to perswade him thereunto or to convince him of sinne in not loving to tell him that God is love and hath manifested the same in sending his Son into the world that other men but not that he might live through him wherefore we must understand the Apostle in this place as if he should have said thus There be many persons in the World that love not God but if they did but know and consider what he is and what love he hath manifested towards them in sending his onely begotten Sonne into the World that they through him might have life it would bee a strong motive and perswasion with them to love him To this purpose of Christs dying for all you may further consider these Scriptures 2 Pet. 2.1 where wicked men which perish are charged with denying the Lord that bought them Heb. 2.9 where it is said that Christ tasted death for every man Ioh. 12.48 where Christ is said to come into the world to save the word Ioh. 6.51 where it is said that he gave his flesh for the life of the world 1 Ioh. 4.14 where he is termed the Saviour of the world Ioh. 1.29 where he is called the Lambe of God
persecutions for Christs sake God accounts them worthy of his Kingdome 2 Thes 1.5 and of the world to come Luke 20.35 and to escape the evils which shall overtake the wicked Chapt. 21.36 not that they merit or deserve any thing at the hands of God for when they have done all they arebut unprofitable servants they have done but what was their duty to doe Luke 17.10 but God is pleased to account themworthy they being worthy only comparatively being compared with the wicked covetous unbelieving c. whom the Scripture calls unworthy Mat. 10.37.22.8 of good and worthy of evill Rev. 16.6 and therefore Paul saith to the Saints it is a iust thing with God to recompence tribulation to them which trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us 2 Thes 1.6 7. but if that speciall power which God puts forth to the one and not to the other make all the difference then no man is more worthy or unworthy then another for if he whcih now perisheth for his disobedience had partaken of that speciall grace of God he would have been obedient and so have been saved and he that was obedient if he had had no more meanes then the other hee would have bin altogether as wicked as he so then consider the thing done or not done with the meanes afforded and all men are alike worthy both of Heaven and Hell for there being no difference betweene them but what God himselfe hath wrought there can bee no difference in their sentence if they be iudged according to their workes and God will doe nothing which shall be any way unsuitable to that righteousnesse and impartiality which he professeth that he doth and will exercise towards the sons of men Againe Proverbes 1.20 wisdome cryeth without shee uttereth her voice in the streots shee cryeth in the chiefe place of concourse in the openings of the Gates in the City shee openeth her words saying how long yee simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fooles hate knowledge Turne you at my reproofe behold I will poure out my spirit unto you I will make knowne my words unto you Because I have called and ye rofused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but yee have set at naught all my counsell and would nene of my repooofe I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your feare commeth when your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction commeth as a whirlwind when distresse and anguish commeth upon you Then shall they call upon mee but I will not answer they shall seeke mee early but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. They would none of my Counsell they despised all my reproofe Therefore shall they eat the fruit of their owne way and bee filled with their owne devices for the turning away or ease of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them but who so hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall bee quiet from feare of evill In these words first we perceive that wisdome cryes to simple ones scorners and fooles which hate knowledge to turn from their folly at her reproofe and withall promiseth to poure out her spirit upon them and make knowne her words unto them now if these men were deafe and could not heare it were a vaine thing for wisdome to cry and utter her voice If they were so simple such fooles that could not understand what Wisdome spake without some other power then the question was not proper to be demanded of them how long they would love simplicity delight in scorning and hate knowledge for they must of necessity love simplicity and hate knowledge untill God change their hearts but in the 24 vers Wisdome begins to threaten them because they refused her call regarded not the stretching out of her hand set at naught all her Counsell and would none of her reproofe that she would laugh at their calamity and mocke when their feare commeth c. Novv what ground hath Wisedome to bee thus offended with these simple ones for refusing her call seeing they could not heare it for not regarding the stretching out of her hand they not perceiving it and for setting at naught that counsell and reproofe of hers which counselled them being dead and not able to stir to turne from folly to wisedome without inabling them so to doe And whereas some conceive that they are cryed upon and that wisdome is offended with them in relation towhat they had bestowed on them in Adam ' its plaine that shee cryes upon them in relation to the meanes and ability which she afforded them being simple ones and fallen and thereupon doth shee manifest her indignation because they did hate knowledge and when wisedome and folly was before them did chuse or preferre folly before wisdome they despised her counsel loved their owne wayes and devices untill their prosperity brought them to ruine and destruction And besides the consideration of what they had received before they were fallen makes wisdoms calling and crying on them being fallen neverthelesse vain for it could not effect the end proposed their turning from folly neither did it give her any further ground of anger or displeasure then what shee had before this meanes was used with them for this meanes was no meanes in respect to their present condition therfore it could bring no guilt on them in respect to their present condition Againe God calls all men every where to Repent Act. 17.30 Christ promised to draw all men to himselfe Joh. 12.32 he is the true light that lighteth every man that commeth into the world Joh. 1.4.9 did God call and men not able to heare doth Christ enlighten and men unable to see did he draw and yet was it impossible for men to come And the Objection which is usually made that these and such like expressions are meant only of the outward means which God affords is to no purpose for when God perswades or drawes any man to himself he doth it in a ration all way and whether the reasons motives or arguments are presented to the mind through the eare or through the eye or through neither of these the arguments are the same neither more nor lesse powerfull and these dispositions inclinations and perswasions which men so much plead for as the powerfull workings of Gods spirit in them yet thinking it unreasonable to have a reason demanded of them are but dreams and delusions for God would have no man to step one foot for him but upon rationall grounds he would have men to do nothing believe nothing hope for nothing but what they see ground and reason to do believe and hope for else how should they be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them to every man that shall aske it of them 1 Pet. 3.15 When Abraham was promised a numerous seed he
came not to bring peace but the sword and so Simeon saith of Christ that hee was set for the fall of many in Israel But I shall now speake somewhat of those Scriptures which are urged to prove that God in the publication of the gospel withheld that meanes from some men without which they could not believe and first I shall begin with that which is written Joh. 6.37 all the Father giveth me shall come to mee c. hence it is inferred that God looking upon the lumpe of lost men chose out some of them and gave them to Christ leaving the rest meerely of his will without consideration of their imbracing or rejecting the gospel and those thus given he by a speciall and allmighty power causeth to come which power being not exercised toward the rest of the Sonnes of men they cannot come to Christ First consider that this word shall in this place doth not signifie any power or compulsion exercised by God to cause these men to come to him but is meerely a signe of the Future Tense and may as well bee read will come to me Secondly I deny that God doth put any such difference between the sons of men in unbeliefe but of this in another place Thirdly the scope of the place carries it another way for in the 26 verse Christ reproves those persons for that their end in seeking of him was low base and sinister In the 27 vers he exhorts them first negatively not to labour for the meat which perisheth then affirmatively but for that meate which endureth to everlasting life which saith he the Sonne of man shall give unto you you unbelievers which seeke me for the loaves vers 26. which did see and yet did not believe vers 36 which did murmure at Christ vers 41. unto you will I give that meat which doth endure to eternall life for to that end am I sent and sealed of the Father and this meat or bread was his Flesh which hee was to give for the life of the World vers 51. In the 28 verse the Jewes demand of him what they should do to work the workes of God that so they might bee partakers of that meat which he was sealed of the Father to give unto them Christ tels them that they were to believe on him whom God had sent vers 29 they pretend a willingnesse to believe if they saw any ground or foundation for their faith and therefore they say unto him vers 30. what sign shewest thou that we may see believe what dost thouwork Moses manifested himself to bee of God for hee gave our Fathers bread from Heaven vers 31. but what dost thou Christ tells them in the 32. 33. vers that Mosis did not give them that bread from heaven but saith he my Father doth give you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he which commeth down from heaven and giveth lise unto the world The Jews then desire to have that bread given them evermore vers 34. Christ tells them that he was the bread of life and if they did come to him they should never hunger and if they did beleeve on him they should never thirst but saith Christ whereas yee pretend that if yee did see yee would believe you also have seen and believed not vers 35 36. Then Christ proceeds further vers 37. and tels them that all that the Father giveth him that is to give eternall life unto which the Jewes desired ver 34. will come to him and him that commeth hee will in no ' wise cast out for hee came not down from heaven to do his own will but his Fathers and this is his Fathers will that of all that hee had given him hee should lose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day and that every one that see'ch the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life vers 40. but seeing ye have seene and believe not the bread of life which you desire belongs not to you you are not of those which the Father hath given or commended to me to that end I have no commission from the Father to bestow life upon you but only to such as come unto me as believe on mee and this I conceive to be the meaning of this place all that the Father giveth me will come to me Here is one Objection needfull to be answered to take off a seeming contradiction which some may apprehend from what hath bin said viz. that in opening of the 27 vers I say that Christ was appointed of the Father to give eternall life to those which believe not and in opening the 37 vers I say Christ was appointed of the Father to give life only to those which should believe To which I Answer that God gives all men eternall life in Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 or he gives Christ a sufficient meanes to bring all men to life Christ by his death hath purchased life for every man he declares this in the gospel to the Sonnes of men now those that will not believe it receive it nor live to it in the day of grace and mercy which is all that God requires ut is not his will that they should partake of it at the last day the day of Judgement Againe Joh. 6.43 44. murmure not among your selves for no man can come to mee except the Father which hath sent me draw him whence it is inferred that the reason why those murmuring Jewes did not come to Christ was because they could not that meanes being wanting which caused others to come For the opening of this Scripture consider that this word draw hath an equivocall acceptation some times we are said to draw when wee use meanes to remove a thing though it be not moved by the means some times we are said not to have drawen notwithstanding the meanes vvhen the means so used doth not take effect as thus we say I have drawne such a man but hee will not come and yet of the same person wee say vve cannot draw him in like manner wee say I have perswaded such a man and yet vve say of the same man when our perswasions take not effect that I cannot perswade him so that he is perswaded and yet he is not perswaded hee is drawne and yet hee is not drawne therefore wee must consider hovv the drawing of the Father is to bee understood in this place whether thus none can come to me except the Father use meanes to draw him or thus none can come to mee except the means used by the father prevaile with him Now both these are true but the first is not to be understood in this place for the Argument of the place is that those that are so drawn by the Father as the place intends doe all come Novv all that the Father doth use meanes to dravv doe not come for some dravv backe Heb. 10.39 some resist and oppose Act. 18.6 Act. 7.51 and God having
many wise not many mighty not many noble are called now if God had chosen the rich mighty and wise things of the World then many rich mighty and noble men would have imbraced the truth such things being suitable to them but on the contrary God hath chosen the foolish things of the World not the foolish men of the World that comes by accident to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the World and things that are despised hath God chosen and things that are not to bring to nought things that are and this is the reason that so few wise men after the flesh so few mighty so few noble doe yeeld obedience to the Gospel And this I conceive to bee the meaning of the place Againe 1 Cor. 2.14 But the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned A naturall man that is one that hath received the spirit of this world vers 11 12. and judgeth all things according thereunto one that is altogether carnall and walks according to men according to the men of this world chap. 3.3 imbracing things present that are seene felt and tasted such a one receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse to him that is there is an enmity between the spirit of this world which dwells in him and the spirit which is of God they are contrary one to the other what one esteemes wisdome the other accounts folly the spirit which is of God perswades us that the things wee see are vaine and therefore that wee should not looke on them not behold them not labour for them not desire to be richly possest of them not to trust in them but despise them to forsake them and to seeke those things which are above the things not seene vers 9. which are freely given to us of God vers 12. and to part with all here to be possest of those things hereafter The Spirit which is of God tells us that to strive for riches honour and esteeme in this world to set our affections on things here below to blesse our selves or to measure our happinesse according to our greatnesse in the things of this life is vaine and foolish the spirit of the world perswades us to cleave to the world to seek after the things thereof perswading us that it is a vaine thing to neglect and forsake things present which we see to seeke and embrace things which doe not appeare so that the naturall man cannot know that is cannot approve of the things of the Spirit of God for they are to be judged and discerned onely by faith by that spirit which he hath not received which dwells not in him which is contrary to him not but that a naturall man may reject and cast off the spirit of this World and so receive the things of the Spirit of God for we are all naturall untill we receive the things of the Spirit of God but he doth not receive them he cannot know them that is whilst he is naturall whilest he retaines hearkens unto and followes the dictates and suggestions of the spirit of this world The intent of the Apostle in this place is only to shew how contrary how incompatible the Spirit of God and the spirit of the World are how they cannot lodge under one roofe they are like God and Mammon hee that loves the one must hate the other he that cleaves to the one must despise the other and this I conceive is all that is intended in this place Thus have I briefly declared what I conceive to be the meaning of these hard places of Scripture To All Men IT was Pauls petition for the Ephesians that they might comprehend the large dimensions of the Love of GOD and so it should be our earnest petition and endevour to know and to make knowne the same When John describes the Divine Nature to bee Love he declares this as the most eminent manifestation thereof the giving his Sonne to death that we might live through him therefore it is of excellent use and concernment that the sonnes of men be rooted and grounded in the fulnesse of the glory of this truth of the full free universall and individuall Love of God towards them in Christ for that will fill their hearts with love to God The apprehension of his love begets love in us we love him because he loved us first and the reason why so few men love God is because so few men know him to be Love and those that have some affection and love to God if they saw more of his love would love him more and bee more establisht in his love they would not be so tossed too and fro with every wind of temptation for they might quench all the fiery darts of Sathan the grand enemy of their peace and comfort with this consideration God is Love Love affords us an excellent argument to prevail with our hearts to trust God in every strait and to cloze with him in every promise what can hee deny us that spared not his Sonne but gave him to death for us The apprehension of this love will fill us with joy and contentment in all conditions it will make us to doe and suffer with delight Love makes us one with God it quickneth and enlargeth us adding fulnesse and perfection to all our services making us fervent in Spirit serving the Lord but where there is little love there is little life in what is done for love is the soule love is the substance of Religion Knowledge puffes up Love builds up knowledge makes a man seem to bee but love makes a man to be indeed for he that is full of Love is full of God for God is Love hee is the fountaine and Father of Love love will teach us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live righteously and holily in this present world for love will doe nothing unpleasing to the thing it loves Therefore seeing this truth is so excellent how should we labour to preserve it in its fullnesse beauty and glory it is the ground and foundation of all our hopes it is our life all our springs are in it and all our expectation from it it is the truth of God and the God of truth for God is love Now considering what excellent effects this truth would produce were it knowne and embraced among the sons of Men and withall considering what strange dark and dismall doctrines are preached and published by those which professe themselves Ministers of the gospel and grace of God in Christ yea by the most zealous of them as that God did from eternity decree the ruine and damnation of the most part of men without respect to any evil which he knew they would commit or as the more moderate that