deserve to be marked with a black Coal of perpetual Infamy and to be held accused Sed a fabis Abstinendum the Memory which is here made and commended is to be Inter Cognitores not Inter Contemptores nor Consultores not among Despisers Censurers or Jgnaroes but among such as know God and are acquainted with his Grace and who will therefore say upon better Warrant than these Judges of evil thoughts Fiat verbum dei ruat Coelum God will have a Generation Maugre the Malice of Hell which shall secretly and to the World undiscernably spring up out of this cursed Root and be born again For to this purpose saith the Psalmist this man was borne there and again this man was born there viz. In the City of God signifying that many the singular Number being put collectively for the Plural should be born there not of Chush nor of Miszraim nor of Canaan though their Progenitours by Nature but of God who as he formed man at first out of the Dust of the Earth so can he form in these Egyptians Babylonians Phylistins Tyrians Morians the new Creature out of the Rubbish of Cham and Canaan c. in a way and manner unknown to us as seemeth good unto him Materials indeed very unfit unapt and uncapable of such a Form but that the second Adam being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had his Birth also with them and in them for so saith the Psalmist again this man was borne there that is in St. Austins Sense and a very good Sense it is Altissimus qui fundavit Civitatem factus est in eâ i. e. the most High viz. Jesus Christ who establisheth Sion was born there his Birth it was that produced theirs And doubtless if they were formed by Christ or as the Apostles Word is Christ was formed in them though neither Moses nor the Prophets nor Pastors nor Teachers did with their Midwifery give their Attendance at the Travel we must say they were also as new Creatures born again when the Children were at the Birth God alone gave strength to perfect it Hereupon followeth singing and rejoycing in Heaven among the Angels of God Luk. 15.10 where all Springs of spiritual Joy do flow abundantly Thus it is usual with us here in this World when our Children are borne among us safe and sound Singers and Players on Instruments Praecontor et Chorus are called to make our Mirth increase and our Joy to be more abundant If then Gods Heart be enlarged and his Mercies extended towards his poor Creatures the Heathen and consequently towards the major part of mankind to save them from their Sins is it fit that we should be straitned in our Bowels to them what though Multitudes in the World have not such means of Salvation as we have The use that we are to make hereof is to be thankful and fruitful in all holy Obedience not to Despise much less to Condemne others who may be as dear in Gods account as our selves for like as weighty Eares of Corne have been seen commonly to grow out of the compass of the tilled Feild yea as Corne hath grown up abundantly without any Tillage at all or any sort of Husbandry bestowed upon it called therefore by People in all places self-sown and rather than God will suffer his Family here on Earth to want and his Glory thereby to be lessened he will feed them with the Corne of Heaven so may God have a People dear unto him scattered abroad in the World without the Verge of his visible Church and the Seed of his Word and Grace may without the use of ordinary means spring up in the Hearts of Men dwelling in that dark places of the Earth though the way and manner of its springing be best known unto himself neither are we worthy to be of his Counsel in it We read of sundry Persons in Scripture viz. Job and his three Friends and Jethro and Naaman and Cornelius with many more who did worship the true God having for ought we see small means of true knowledg besides the working Spirit of a gracious God that enlightned them inclining their Hearts to a willing submission to his Law which being so have we not good reason to think because Gods Mercies sail not the same of others in all the Generations that have been and to hope the like of many more in the Generations that now are and that are to come In short let a case be here put according to the common way of Arguing A good King hath a care of all his Subjects without exception his Protection reacheth to them all they all have the Benefit of his Lawes and if it lay in his Power he would make them all Rich and happy yea he would make them all Kings like himself that so he might have the more Honour by their Subjection to him though they for the generality of them keep themselves low and beggerly by their want of Wisdom for the improvement of his Favour In the mean time he chuseth out some to stand continually in his Presence to be his Nobles Lieutenants and Counsellours of State while other are kept at a distance from him that the Majesty of his Peson and the Glory of his Kingdom might not be exposed to contempt in the sight of his Enemies by their Sordidness and Simplicity whom nevertheless when by their taking more special notice of his goodness or by his sending his Son Incognito to make his Mind better known unto them which he can and will do by his secret Instructions they thereupon come to be wiser and more worthy of his Sight and Presence he will receive them all without any distinction into his Grace and Favour but when any shall offend by breaking his Laws who yet are but few in a well-ordered Commonwealth compared commonly with those that are Loyal and obedient he then maketh them to feel the Smart of his Displeasure some by condigne Penalties laid upon their Persons and Estates and other by suffering Death and Torture according to the quality of their Offences Here is the case and whether or no the Circumstances do suit well with our present matter in hand I will leave to my Readers discretion let him make the comparison But seeing the Proverb often proves true viz. Longum iter per praecepta and we may add thereto per Comparata little good is to be done by telling men of Rules or putting Cases let us further see what force there may be in an Example which if rightly applied will suffice to convince the upstart Judges of this World Ni sapis exemplis desipiendo sapis who are hasty to pronunce a Sentence of Eternal Condemnation upon a numberless Multitude of People Men Women and Children and that before such time as a Legal Trial hath past upon any of them which is worse than that we read of in the Psalme which nevertheless is an abhorrency to all Flesh to murther the Widow and the Stranger and
That therefore the number of those that shall be saved at the last Day is but small very small in comparison of those that shall be damned in Hell for ever But let us now inquire into this matter For though I say not but that this Warning may have a Measure in it Reaching to all who are the true Disciples of Christ to the end of the World yet will it not afford any Warrant for such an Opinion that is here derived from it Neither can the said Opinion be Justified upon any Terms Having thus in short declared freely my Judgment and Resolution I may possibly have an Imputation put upon me of a bold Singularity And some will be ready to say Tu autem who are you that pretend to have more Understanding than others and will venture thus to Correct your Elders and Superiours But O Benedicite I do not howsoever take upon me to Correct Magnificat neither will I though I be In Artibus Magister Quinquagenarius Censure magisterially all those that maintain the said Opinion but only offer to consideration my Conceptions upon it Wherein if I err I shall be willing and glad to be better Instructed And since the Church of England which is a cheif Pillar and Ground of Truth and which under God is my Oracle to guide me in my way to Heaven hath in her Articles the Summary of her Christian Profession lest this Point undetermined we may have a Latitude in this case every man to propound his Judgment with Humility First then as for this premised Scripture on which the aforesaid Opinion seems to be Grounded Dr. Hammond whom I mention not as if he were to be accounted Infallible but as one approved for Learning and Holiness He I say doth not stretch it to such a Sense but in his Paraphrase upon it rendereth it thus First upon the thirteenth Verse where Christ speaking to his Disciples in effect saith Let all your Care be to set your selves upon the Christian Course and to go thorough with it be it never so strict for it is easie to enter upon a vitious Course and to go thorough that Multitudes there are great Store both of Jews and Heathens as the said Author renders it in another place which pass that way to Eternal Destruction His Prac. catechis And upon the fourteenth Verse he addeth to the same purpose There will be likewise all need of your Care because the Entrance and whole Course of a Christian Life is made of perfect strictness in opposition to the looseness of the World and that makes so many to choose it And the Lesson which I for my part would learn herehence shall be through Gods Grace to teach me who will be a Disciple of Christ to be very watchful over my self that I may be a Christian indeed by a strict and straight Conformity to the Rules of our Lawgiver lest if I follow a Multitude in doing that which is Evil I may in the end fall into Perdition Such or the like use it would become us all to make of these Words rather than by an unwarrantable Interpretation of them to intrude our selves into the Justice-Seat of the great and Omnipotent God taking upon us the boldness to Judge before the time as if a liberty were allowed thereto from this Scripture which upon a due Search into it we shall find yet further that it intendeth no such matter for let it be considered Seeing we are not now under the severe Tutoring of that Rigid Schoolemaster the Law but under the calme and gentle Dispensations of Grace or as my aforesaid excellent Doctor renders it in his Paraphrase upon Rom. 6.14 not under the weak unefficacious Pedagogy of the Law which could only forbid Sin and denounce Judgment but never yeild any man hope of Mercy or amendment but under a Kingdom of Grace where there is Pardon for Sin upon Repentance Seing I say it is so we may be well assured that the way of teaching the Doctrine of Salvation is to be by the sweet and peaceable Suada of the Gospel Which certainly is most prevailing to lead men to Repentance Unlikely therefore is it that Christ himself now at his first entrance upon his Work which the Father had appointed him to do for the Salvation of the World would begin with such Terror as to preach Damnation to the greatest part of mankind which certainly he did if he said that few shall be saved by him and that it was so decreed by the eternal Counsel of Heaven as it is likewise pretended by those that are for this destructive Opinion we have heard otherwise out of the Gospel that when Christ began to Preach he said repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Thus he began and so he continued giving it in charge also to his Disciples that they should preach the same Doctrine which without doubt signified that in all places and among all People where they were to come the World should know there is a possibility of Salvation upon Repentance for them all For let me ask what is this Gate and what is this way that leadeth to Life but Christ himself I am the Door saith he John 10.9 By me if any man enter in he shall be saved And again John 14.6 I am the Way no man can come to the Father but by me And is this Gate so strait and this way so narrow that few can go in the one or enter in at the other It cannot enter into my Heart to imagine let all the World say the contrary but that the Righteousness of Christ is sufficient to Justifie all mankind yea that the major part of mankind shall be saved by him It is a saying worthy of all Acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners And doth he now say that few shall be saved by him What a Dishonour must this be both to him and to his Father that sent him Yea did he come to destroy the Works of the Devil as became the Captain of our Salvation and can the Devil Immure himself still in his Works and strong Holds so as to be able to draw yea to drive the greatest part of the World under his Power for ever This unavoidably must be granted if that Opinion be true viz. Because Christ hath said strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth unto Life c. Few therefore shall be saved These things considered we must necessarily render some other account of these Words than hath been wont to be given of them For certain it is the Usual Sense carryeth with it such a Sound of Horrour as is utterly inconsistent with the Nature of God the Merits of Christ and the glad Tidings of the Gospel as may be here seen at large in the pursuance of this Discourse First then this caution of Christian Strictness and Difficulty seems to be a Branch of that great Law of Equity written by the Evangelist in the
King 't is true he is and hath a Kingdome which his Enemies shall find to their everlasting Confusion when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Glory to judge them that have said Nolumus hunc regnare we will not have this Man to Reign over us for thus he makes a Protestation of his Faith with a confident Resignation of himself unto Christ as his leige Lord and King Lord saith he Remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom O admirable Faith O incomparable Faith never was the like heard of neither indeed could be since the World began This was the last Confessor that Christ had while he was living in this World but he outstripped all those that were before him fulfilling that Word which was spoken by Christ viz. The last shall be fust he was able we see by his Faith to remove Mountains of Opposition which lay in his way that he might cleave unto Christ It was a Faith I say again that surpassed all other that we read of in Scripture a great Word but by that time it be duly weighed it will appear to be most true One of good Note in the Church makes the Comparison in this manner what is more worthy of Wonder and Amazement than that a Theif should have a better knowledge of Christ upon the Cross than some of his Disciples had when they sate with him at Supper that a Theif should have a more eminent Degree of Faith than the Patriarch Abraham the Father of the Faithful than Moses the Servant of God than the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah than his own Domestick Attendants to whom it was given by aspecial Grace of Dispensation to know Christ and the Mysteries of his Kingdom Abraham beleived in the Lord but it was when he was so much honoured as to have God himself to be his own Messenger and to parley with him from Heaven Moses beleived in the Lord but it was when he appeared to him in the midst of a Fiery Bush wonderfully Esay beleived in the Lord but it was when he saw him sitting upon a high Throne The Apostles beleived in the Lord but they were Eye-witnesses how his Miracles posed Nature and all the Creatures did their Homage to him as to their Creatour These were easie Taskes of Faith but this noble Confessor beleived in the Lord when which way soever he looked about him his Eyes could meet with nothing but Horrour and Misery He doth not supplicate Jesus sitting at the right Hand of the Father so he is crowned with Majesty nor unto Jesus judging the Quick and Dead so he is attended with Angells c. But when he saw his Sides Hands Feet all bleeding his Face Ghastly his Head drooping and his Soul heavy to the Death even then he said to Jesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome as if he had been lifted upon the Cross to overlook Christs Debasements and to make a shew openly that his Faith should outvy his Sense But now it may well be demanded from whence hath this man this great Power where did he learn all these things not surely upon the Highway not under Hedges not in his Dens of Thievery no but it was given him from above by the immediate Work of Gods Spirit which breatheth where it listeth not discernable by men Joh. 3 8. And verily whatsoever hath been otherwise thought of this man the things here premised being well considered his Example alone may satisfie us that Gods Mercy is not limited either to time or means for the Salvation of those whom he hath ordeined to eternal Life Which being so how can any man I say again be so peremptory as to conclude and that against the very Nature of the Almighty and Merciful God so often and so fully made known to the Church in the Holy Scripture that the greatest Part of Mankind shall perish eternally in the Torments of Hell without any Remedy Sed Obiter let all men beware that they be not so unwise as to lose themselves in this Comfortable Doctrine which though it be in Truth most Evangelical yet I fear as Grace can Work good out of Evil so may the corrupt Heart of man by a Satanical Chimistry draw Evil out of Good as many wretched People have done by making an ill use of this Example of Gods Mercy to the Thief upon the Cross I do therefore desire all that shall read or hear of this Doctrine of Salvation thus enlarged to forbear their hasty and pernicious Misconstructions of it till they have informed themselves better by the Cautions that shall be here added unto it Now then to summ up this whole matter Since the Holy Scripture being rightly understood doth clearly speak of a great Multitude which no man can number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues that shall be saved but speaketh no where so largely of those that shall be Damned in Hell for ever only faith they shall be many If none of all the Churches of Christ in the Primitive times and since to this very day have in any of their publick Confessions Creeds and Attestations of Faith applyed any part of the Scripture to such a Sense in the least Tittle and Iota of them so as to condemn the major part of mankind to everlasting Fire Since God hath accepted of that full Satisfaction which hath been given to his Justice for the Sin of the World by the Blood of the Cross it being the Godhead of Christ which did put an infinite worth upon all that he did and upon all that he suffered the Obedience of God to the Rule of the Law sufficing to justifie all sorts of Sinners of what quality soever they be upon the Face of the Earth if they Repent and Believe and the Blood of God given up to the Sentence of the Law being as much as Divine Justice did expect for a full Satisfaction for the universal Breach of Gods Law throughtout the World from the beginning to the end If Faith and Repentance may be suddenly wrought by the secret Work of the Holy Ghost in the Hearts of men who are destitute of the ordinary means of Salvation If Divine Grace and Mercy be not limited during mans Life in this World to time or means for the Conversion of those whom God hath chosen to eternal life If God Governs the World not according to the Model of our Imaginations but according to the good Pleasure of his Will and this Government be managed for the Glory of his great Name and for the general Good of those that are in Subjection to him and that certainly God will at last be Justified in his Government against the Malice of Hell however the Sequel of it prove and be clear when he is Judged If God takes no Pleasure in the Death and Damnation of Sinners but delighteth in shewing Mercy to the Children of men and where there is but some Goodness 1. Reg. 14.13 as there may be in many that
Fruits of the Flesh odious and abominable in the Sight of God disappointing his Expectation and frustrating all the Labour and Charge that hath been spent upon it what remaineth for such but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation burning to Hell yea more Fewel shall be added to their Tophet to make their Torments greater in that bottomless Pit than shall be to theirs who never had the Dewes of Heaven nor the Fatness of Gods Earth that is neither the Influences of Gods Spirit upon their Hearts nor the fertile Operations of his Word in their Ears to make them fruitful This will be the woeful lot of all careless and presumptuous Wretches who having the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God shining round about them yet will love Darkness rather than Light This is and shall be the Condemnation the damning Sin above all other which will sink men deepest into Hell Joh. 3.19 for the Mouth of the most righteous Judge hath spoken it Yea once and twice hath it been pronounced by him He that knew his Lords Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many Stripes but he that knew it not and did commit things worthy of Stripes shall be beaten with few Stripes Luk. 12.47.48 And who will not now say good Reason it should be so for when by the Preaching of the Gospel men have heard of the cruel and numberless multitude of Stripes which Christ endured for them and have been sufficiently convinced that with his Stripes they may if they will among other poor Sinners be healed as the Prophets word is find spiritual Health everlasting Life and Salvation yet these Stripes and Wounds and Bruises too of the most tender Virgin-Body of the Son of God are made of no account with them Is it not just and meet they should more than other who never heard of Christ fall under the Lash of Gods Wrath and be made to feel the Stripes of his incensed Justice among Devils with whom they shall have according to their Deserts Stripes above measure for unto whomsoever saith Christ again much is given of them shall be much required meaning according to that Degree of Knowledge God hath afforded to any so shall their Crimes receive aggravation of Guilt and increase of Punishment and the more Light and Grace God vouchsafeth to any People the greater Diligence in his Service will be expected Which manner of dealing is commonly to be seen among our selves for so it followeth in our Saviours Words viz. to whom men have committed much of them will they expect and ask the more But if they fail in their Trust do we not account them worse Enemies unto us than those in whom we have put the less Confidence yea or than those that deal injuriously with us whom we never trusted The holy Prophet in the Psalm makes his Complaint to some such Purpose saying it was not an Enemy that reproached me then I could have borne it meaning I could have borne it more patiently neither was it he that hated me that did magnifie himself against me then I would have hid myself from him I could have prevented it more easily but it was one whom I had obliged one that pretended much Kindness likewise unto me one who had made a shew of Piety and who joyned with me in going to the House of God one to whom I had opened my whole Heart and Soul made him my Guide and my Counsellour this was it it seems that most grieved him And as the well known Story reporteth of Julius Caesar this was it that struck him to the Heart more than all the Stabs that were given him in the Senate-House when he saw Marcus Brutus to be his Enemy Etiam tu Brute A cold Wind from the South whence refreshing and pleasant Gales are expected is intollerable so where a kind requital for Love is due there to meet with Ingratitude is a thing most odious in the hearing of all men and he that shall so offend though in other things he may be excusable Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris yet for this alone he will be judged as one unworthy of the Sight and Presence of all mankind Is this then the manner of men to be more sensible of Injuries done by Persons endeared and obliged than of those that are done by Enemies or Strangers do we expect from one another Love for Love abhorring those that are Ungrateful and can we think for a Comparison in this case may hold very well that the Jealous and Righteous God when he vouchsafeth his gracious Presence to those that are in Covenant with him daily loading them with his Benefits to the end they may serve him without Fear in Righteousness and true Holiness that he will endure to be sleighted by them whom he hath so much obliged that he will suffer with Impunity his Royal Law to be made Void his Ordinances which are the Glory of his Kingdom and the most clear demonstrations of his Grace and Goodness to the Children of men in this World to be despised Will he be partial in Judgment by giving a connivance to us in our Sins because we are in Covenant with him no doubtless he will never do it it will be too great a Dishonour to him in the Face of the World yea he should annihilate his very Nature and Essence for take away his Justice and his Being is ipso facto dissolved Neither would the Merits of his Son be a Salvò herein unto him unless Faith and Repentance do both together in due time enter their Plea for us against the Accusations of the Law which Plea 't is true will according to what is before said be received without a Demurrer but it is very rare in such presumptuous Desperadoes who have in their Jollity made Mercy it self a Mockery and wickedly abused that Goodness which would have led them to Repentance It concerns us then to look well about us that we be not deluded with this Satanical Sophistry so as to say in our Hearts because we are in Covenant with God we shall have Peace though we walk on in the Imaginations of our Hearts adding Iniquity unto Iniquity for dreadful are the Threatnings that are gone out of the Mouth of the Lord against this bold Presumption And we cannot but know it hath been Gods usual wont when he entreth into Judgment to be so far from partiality that he commonly begins with those of his own House 1. Pet. 4.17 Jer. 25.18.29 Amos 3.2 You only saith God have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I punish you first for your Iniquities In short upon the whole matter let it be considered how horrid a Presumption it is and how near to that great Sin which is unpardonable for such as we who are the Baptised of the Lord who have tasted the good Word of God and