that he called it his own throne he being to sit there but till his enemies be made his footstool that is till he come to his own throne and kingdom of which he is in Expectation Heb. 10. 13. yet in this his kingdom will the father reign in and by him 1 Cor. 15. 27 28. see this more full confession of faith pag. 35 36 37 38. 2. It shall be a visible kingdom dignity and glory his kingdom now is much invisible as to men his person altogether invisible and his government much vailed and hid from the world and but little thereof apprehended by and seen among his people but then it shall be an open visible and manifest Kingdom Government and Glory Rev. 1. 7. Isa 40. 5. 66. 18. 3. As it shall be visible so it shall be universal over all it 's true it shall be first and especially over the House of Israel Jer. 23. 5 6. Luk. 1. 32 33. but it shall likewise be over all the world that ever has been or shall be Dan 7. 14. Rev. 11. 15. Phi. 2. 9 10. and the whole creation restored Act. 3. 21. Rom. 8. 19 20 21. 4. And all shall be as the effect and fruit of his humiliation so that no kingdom and glory besides or short of this can possibly answer the end of his sufferings nor the design of God therein this being the glory designed by all the issue of all the prophecies and promises the fulfilling of the mystery of God designed and spoken of by the prophets Rev. 10 7 with chap. 11. 15. Act. 3. 21. and indeed the top glory of all the Gospel design and that relative both to the father and the son Phi. 2. 9 10 11. And therefore it 's ignorance in us to suppose that it tends to lessen his glory Râ—m 14. 9. Rev. 5. 13 14. it being the great glory designed as the fruit of his death and sufferings Isa 53. 12. Phi. 2. 9 10. and that he is in expectation of Heb. 10. 13. and mediating for Psa 2. 8 9. Christ If the Kingdom shall come to the House of Israel first and chiefly what great Advantage will it be to us Believers of the Gentiles and not by Nature of the House of Israel Min. Of great advantage to all true believers among the Gentiles who are by faith accounted for Abrahams Children the true seed and heirs according to Promise Gal. 3. 29. and so are intrusted in the same Promises in Christ by the Gospel Eph. â— 6. Christ As you have given your understanding about the World to come and the Kingdom of Christ therein the next thing I desire to enquire into is whether the World in General may be supposed to have any favour and blessing therein or only to be raised to Judgment and eternal Misery as is Commonly held Min. That there shall be by the Womans seed the seed of Abraham not only a special Salvation to some believers even among the Gentiles with Christ in Glory Who shall not come into Condemnation nor be hurt of the Second Death Joh. 5. 24. Rev. 2. 11. But a more General and Common Salvation of the World from the penal part of the Second Death in times to be Effected after they have past the Judgment and born their Punishment that the Generality both of Jews and Gentiles shall in time partake of a General and Common Salvation in the World to come is as great a truth and as fully and plainly stated in the Scriptures of truth as the Salvation of believers with Christ in Glory only let this be understood that I intend not all and every one but the Majority and Generality of the World wilful Transgressors that rebel against the Light especially against the Light of the Gospel I intend not Christ I desire you to give your Scripture grounds fully 1. For the General Salvation of the Jews if that be proved I suppose it will be a great Light and inlet to the Salvation of the World Min. That the Generality of the Natural seed of Israel shall be saved is most apparent from these Scripture grounds following 1. Because God always owned them for his own People as in the best so in their worst condition both of Sin and Judgment that he owned them for his own People and Portion that their provocations were the Provocations of his Sons and of his Daughters in their worst sinning state and he losed not his Propriety in them is most apparent Dent. 32. 19. Ps 81. 8. Hear O my People and I will testifie unto thee v. 11. But my People would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me Isa 1. 3. Israel doth not know My People doth not consider and ch 58. 1. Shew my People their sins c. By all which it appears they were owned of God to be his own People his Sons and Daughters the Portion and lot of his Inheritance Deut. 32. 9. In their worst and sinning Estate and therefore tho he Judged and Punished them severely yet we have no ground to conclude that he will Eternally Damn them being his own People and so they own themselves to be Isa 64. 9. We are all thy People 2. He owned them for his own People when they were under his Judgment and Wrath for sin Ps 78. 62. He gave his People also to the Sword and was Wroth with his Inheritance v. 63 64. Isa 5. 13. Therefore my People are gone into Captivity because they have no knowledge ch 47. 6. Jer. 5. 7. Ezek. 21. 12. All fall to the same purpose so that notwithstanding their sin and Judgment yet they were still his People his Portion his Inheritance the pretious Sons of Sion Lam. 4. 2. The precious Sons of Sion comparable to pure Gold how are they esteemed as Earthen Vessels yea in and through all they were the beloved of his Soul Jer. 12. 7. I have forsaken mine House I have left mine Heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my Soul into the hand of her Enemies They were the Lords Heritage and dearly beloved Notwithstanding all their Sin and Judgment and this particular Interest and Relation that God still owned was from the Covenant of Election and choise that God made with their Fathers Exo. 32. 13. Ps 106. 45. Rom. 11. 27 28. And this Relation to God in their worst sinning and Judged Estate is owned and pleaded by the Prophet as personating them Isa 63. 16. Doubtless thou art our Father tho Abraham be Ignorant of us and Israel acknowledg us not yet thou O Lord art our Father See ch 64. 7 8 9. And we may safely conclude that God will never Eternally damn the precious Sons of Sion his own Children the dearly beloved of his Soul tho he severely punish them 3. Tho he made use of Instruments to punish them for their sins yet they doing of it cruelly and dispitefully he reproved them and Judged them for it it was not for doing thereof because appointed by
And now in performance Gal. 4. 4. 2. That Jesus Christ being sent for that end Joh. 6. 38. Heb. 10. 7. did in love freely lay down his life a sacrifice for the sins of the World Joh. 1. 29. 6. 51. 1 Joh. 2. 2. and this is called Gospel or good tidings 1 Cor. 15. 1. the Apostle calls it the Gospel that he preached unto them ver 34. explains this Gospel what it is i. e. that Christ died for our sins and was raised again the third day according to the Scriptures and indeed if he had not been raised again there had been no glad tidings in his dying for our sins Christ How shall we account it glad tidings Was it not sad tidings rather that the prince of life the Lord of Glory should be crucified and killed for our sins Min. 1. It 's true it was sad that man by sin was faln into such an estate of sin and death as that nothing short of the life and blood of the Son of God the Prince of life and Lord of Glory could help him out thereof the due sense of which it concerns us to keep duly and daily upon our hearts to keep us humble and thankfully to prize the mercy 2. It was sad that when he was come into the world that the World viz. both Jews and Gentiles should be so bad as to unite to put him to death Yet 3. It stands true that it was and is the best tidings that ever came to the world that God should so love the world as to send his Son and that Christ should so love the World as to give himself for the life of the world is the greatest Mystery of grace and the best tidings that possibly could come to the world so that it may well be called glad tidings it being the foundation of all Gospel doctrine and so of all Gospel faith of all Gospel grace and of all Gospel glory it 's all built on this one Sacrifice for sin on this foundation all is built pardon peace acceptation in service preservation too and the glory to come it 's all founded here Rom. 1. 16. Eph. 1. 14. 3. And as the effect of this foundation glad tidings of the fathers love and the sons giving himself for the life of the world as the glad tidings of the restitution of all things which was the great design of God and Christ in this wonderful undertaking the recovery of mankind out of that state of death faln into by the first transgression Act. 4. 2. 1 Cor 15. 21 22. and with man the whole creation shall be restored Act. 3. 21. Rom. 8. 19 20 21. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Which shall be the new and restored world called in Scripture the World to come Heb. 2. 5. Rev. 21. 1 5. in and over which the Kingdom and Government of Christ shall be eternally Rev. 11. 15. And from hence is the Gospel so frequently called the Gospel of the Kingdom Mat. 4. 23. 9. 35. 24. 14. Mar. 1. 14. so called not only because it opens the Kingdom to us and prepares us for it but because the restitution new world and the kingdom of Christ therein is so great a part thereof as that all before it and without it can be no glad tidings at all Cor. 15. 19. Christ Is there nothing else in Scripture called Gospel the word seems to be general and to be given to the whole Scripture of the New Testament especially the four Evangelists which contains precepts and threats as well as promises and soâ—â— say that it 's all Gospel Min. Although the grace the blessing the restitution the glory is properly the glad tidings yet in a right and true sense all things concurring thereunto may be called Gospel viz. the holy precepts directing us in the way to obtain the glory and the threats of Judgment and damnation to those who reject or neglect it considered as designed to prevent the damnation and as a help to obtain the salvation viz. so far as it 's designed to work us from sin to Christ and a constant cleaving to him it 's Gospel and good tidings that being the Prime and proper end thereof viz. Salvation and not damnation but to deliver and preserve from it and mens destruction is and will be of themselves by wilful transgressing the good Laws of the Gospel which 〈◊〉 not the prime design of those Laws but salvation yet the penalties must be executed on the wilful transgression thereof It 's human good tidings when those in human poâ—er make good laws with strict and severe penalties for preservation of human society order and property among men their design in so doing is not punishment primarily but the peace preservation and safety of all if men wilfully transgress and come under the penalty the fault is in themselves and not in those good laws and so it is in the present case Hos 13. 9. Christ I desire you would speak something of the faith of the Gospel viz. what faith it is to which the salvation thereof with eternal glory is promised Min. True faith ever has been and still is to believe God and to cleave to him and obey him sutable to the ministration under which men have lived in all ages This was Abrahams faith Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Jam. 2. 22. this being Abrahams faith the father of the faithful the faith of his children must needs be the same So then to believe the truth of the doctrine of the Gospel in all its parts and to cleave to the Lord therein is the faith of the Gospel to which the life thereof is promised What the Gospel preacheth to us that we ought to believe and that is the faith thereof The doctrine of the Gospel consisteth especially in these particulars 1. That Jesus Christ is the Messias promised the Son of God and the son of man the son of David of the seed of Abraham according to the Scripture Luk. 1. 32. Joh. 20. 31. 2. That God in love to the World sent him Joh. 3. 16. and that he in love gave himself a sacrifice and ransom for the life of the world Joh. 6. 51. 1 Tim. 2. 6. 3. That by virtue of his death and resurrection all shall be raised and restored to a new life and world when he shall come again to raise and judge both the quick and dead 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. 2 Tim. 4. 1. at which time or times shall be the restitution of all things Act. 3. 21. the new and restored world to come in and over which with his saints shall be his eternal Kingdom and glory which will be the finishing of the Mystery spoken of by the holy Prophets and then the time of this world shall be no more Rev. 10. 6 7. with chap. 11. 15. 22. 5. 4. That those who believe and obey the Gospel of this his grace and glory shall be saved and
matter of Election that being stated upon the Eternal Decree as some affirm that Election and Reprobation of Persons was equivalent and both determined in the Eternal Decree I desire to hear what you say to it Min. As to this I have said enough to it elsewhere yet now on this occasion I shall add something further what is it you desire satisfaction in Christ Whether you do really own Election of Persons before time and if so your Scripture grounds for it Min. That God Elected or gave some to his Son from of old as the most special peculiar and certain reward of his undertaking in behalf of Men whom he hath doth and will in time call justify and supply with persevering Grace through the Gospel till they come to Glory I believe and own my Scripture grounds are Joh. 6. 37 39. Rom. 8. 29 30. and indeed it suits not only with Scripture and so is Divine but with reason also it 's rational that God in his wonderful undertaking for men by his Son designing an especial espowsed relation to reign with him in the special Glory should not leave it altogether contingent and at uncertainty but determin some without fail for that Relation and Glory 2. That this peculiar gift to Christ is a secret known only to God 2 Tim. 2. 9. all must be saved by the Law of Gospel Grace persevering therein to the end Mar. 16. 16. Rev. 2. 10. and leaves no room for boasting or neglect to any 3. Nor doth this personal Election in the least derogate from the general Grace of God to Men nor does it in the least import or imply that all the rest or any are Decreed from the Sovereign and Eternal will of God to be damned otherwise than as for transgressing his Laws persevering therein to the end that I take to be a great mistake and wrong both to God and Men but that the general love of God to the world as Proclaimed in the Gospel stands free and clear notwithstanding this Election and that all that truly beleive and obey the Gospel persevering therein to the end are the Elect and chosen of God and shall be saved and that the finally unbelievers and disobedient are therefore reprobated and must be damned Christ This is the great matter I desire to be cleared in viz. how particular Election of Persons and general Grace may stand together and therefore do desire you to give your grounds for this with as much evidence of light from the word as possible you can Min. If it be granted that God was and is capable of such a personal Election before-time which I suppose none dare deny then 2. That he was capable to elect some Persons without any wrong at all to his general Grace to all and this I shall evince from his manner and method of Electing Persons throughout all ages in which it will appear that there was no Election attended with the reprobation of the rest and in this I shall give 1. Instances more remote as that which may tend to help and clear in this matter And 2. such as are more immediate and full to the matter in hand Christ What are your more remote Instances to illustrate this thing Min. 1. The Election of Persons to particular offices and works as Jeremiah the Lord said to him before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee to be a Prophet to the nations Jer. 1. 5. this preordaining and setting a part of Jeremiah before he was born to be a Prophet to the nations did not in the least imply that there should be no other Prophets besides Jeremiah neither did it at all derogate from the Prophesies of other Prophets of the Lord of whom we read nothing of such a Preordaining neither may we affirm they were so ordained the Scripture being silent herein So the like of Cyrus who was Ordained by name to a great and noble work long before he was born Isa 44. 28. and 45. 1 yet this Decree no whit hindered others that had a heart to set a hand to the same work of whom we read of no such preordination thereunto as not only Cyrus Ezra 1. but Darius ch 6. and Artaxerxes ch 7. So that particular Decrees is no hinderance to others in that which is good So the like of Paul who saith Gal. 1. 15. that he was separate to his Apostleship from his Mothers womb Yet others of whom the Scripture gives no such Testimony were not at all prohibited from Preaching the same Gospel I might instance among the Lords chosen People of old there were several Elections yet without wrong but rather to the advantage of the rest As David was his chosen King Ps 78. 68. and his posterity till the Kingdom came to Christ the Son of David Ps 89. 29 to 36. And the Tribe of Levi set apart for Priests and Ministers in the service of God to come nearest to him yet in all it was without any wrong but for advantage to the rest These were Elections more remote and of another kind yet of use to Illustrate in this matter Christ What are your more immediate Instances and full to the matter in hand Min. The first Election and choice we read of in Scripture is that of Abraham and his seed who were chosen out from all the world besides to be a peculiar People to the Lord yet this Election did not reprobate all the world besides to Eternal death yet I am sure there is more said of the specialness and peculiarity of this Election as distinct from all the world than is of his Personal Election under the Gospel Gen. 17. 7 19. Exod. 19. 5 6. Deut. 7. 6 7 8. Yet notwithstanding this special and personal choice alone from free Grace and Love was without any wrong at all to or reprobation of the rest of the world only left out of that choice For 1. The world was left in no worse condition than before this Election of Abraham and his seed 2. A liberty was left for any others to become profelites and so partake in the same covenant and priviledges and many of them did so Act. 2. 10. 13. 43. 10. 27. A lively pattern of Gospel Election take it in what sence you will it hinders none but rather furthers the Salvation of others 3. Notwithstanding this Election God still retained his real property in the world as his own as much as before Abraham was chosen out from them and that not to destroy and damn them but to do them good Ex. 9. 5. Ps 145. 9 15 16. If God in this Election had reprobated all the world to the second death wo bad been to us sinners of the Gentiles there could then have been no such thing as Gospel Grace or Election to us and this Controversie had been over and ended 4. And it 's apparent that God had many precious People in the
him but for their ill doing of it Isa 47. 6. 7. Amos. 1. 11. Ob. v. 10. to 15. Zec. 1. 15. 4. And after all and as an Effect of this continued Relation interest and pitty in and towards them he has made to them many great and precious promises of their return and Salvation in the times appointed and that to the very same sinning and Judged People the same that he owned loved and pittied when he Judged them for their sins and not only their seed or posterity that might be of them some Thousands of years after as has been Imagined but to the same People to whom the promises were made after he had recompensed them double for their sin Jer. 16. 16 17. 18. v. 14 15. is a promise of deliverance yea to all of them Ezek. 20. 40. For in mine Holy mountain in the mountain of the height of Israel saith the Lord shall the House of Israel all of them serve me ch 39. clears it so plain as may silence all Objections ch 36. 10. I will multiply men upon you all the House of Israel even all of it and ch 30 about this matter and that both as to the persons concerned and the time of Effecting thereof 1. The persons concerned and that is the same that fell by the Sword for their Iniquities v. 23. For their Iniquities so fell they all by the Sword v. 25. Now will I bring again the Captivity of Jacob and have mercy upon the whole House of Israel v. 26. After they have born their shame and all their Trespasses whereby they have Trespassed against me when they dwelt in their own Land and none made them afraid So that they are the very same People that sometimes dwelt safely in their own Land and for their sins were destroyed by the Sword and not their posterity only that never dwelt safely there that are here intended and this is remarkable that the promise is to the whole House of Israel not of Abraham nor of Isaac because Ishmael and Esau went out from thence but to the whole House of Israel whose whole posterity was under the Promise Gen. 26. 2 3 4. 2. And as for the time of this return and Salvation it shall be at and after the destruction of Gog. the last and great Enemy Ezek. 38 39 Chapters And of this Salvation we may see Amos 9. 3. Tho they be Sifted among all Nations yet not one Grain or stone shall be lost Hos 11. 10 11. Isa 43. 5 6 7. with many more which relates to this universal Salvation of Israel 5. And then it 's no marvel the Apostle saith Rom. 11. 26. That all Israel shall be saved Of which I have spoken in my Answer to Mr. Coxe ch 7. To which Salvation of all Israel not only all the Scriptures Mentioned agree but Isa 45. 17. Jer. 30. 10. c. Ezek. 37. 21 22 23. with many more to which Promises we may conclude the Apostle relates when he saith v. 27. This is my Covenant with them when I shall take away their sins this is the Covenant after they had born their Punishment for their sins Ezek. 16. 52 58. 37. 26. 6. This universal Salvation shall be after the Resurrection and Judgment is over or else it could not reach them all but it shall be when they are raised up and come all of them and in this the Scripture is as express as to the Salvation it self Isa 25. 8. The time when God will take away the rebuke of his People from off all the Earth is when he doth swallow up Death in victory Which words the Apostle applyeth to the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 54. Then shall he bring to pass that saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory Isa 26. 19 20 21. Thy dead Men shall live together with my dead Body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of Herbs and the Earth shall cast out the dead ch 49. 6. It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved or desolations of Israel And Ezek. 37. 10 11 14. and 39. 23 25. plainly declares the time thereof So Zech. 10. 9. They shall live with their Children and turn again So Hos 13. is 1. A discovery of their Sin and Judgment vers 2 to 9. 2. A promise of help vers 9 vers 10. I will be thy King c. But how can this be when he had destroyed them See the time when it should be vers 14. I will ransom them from the power of the Grave I will Redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy Destruction Repentance shall be hid from mine Eyes Here is an absolute promise to those People of which God will not repent and this Scripture the Apostle applyeth to the Salvation of all Israel Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and callings of God are without Repentance viz. He will never repent of the Promises and Salvation made to those People and the same Apostle applyeth the same Scripture to the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 54. All which makes Ezek. 37. 10 to 14. plain unto us So that the time of this general Salvation of all Israel is plainly and fully stated in the word of Truth to be at and after the Resurrection and Judgment when the deliverer shall come from God out of Sion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob this is the Covenant with them when he shall take away their sins Rom. 11 26 27. 1. To them then shall be Repentance for sin Ezek. 16. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy ways and be ashamed vers 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame 20. 43. 36. 31. 2. To them then shall be purging and cleansing of sin Isa 1. 25. I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely purge away thy Dross and take away all thy sin ch 4. 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughter of Sion and shall have purged the Blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Judgment and by the Spirit of burning see ch 7. 9. Jer. 33. 8. Ezek. 36. 25 33. Joel 3. 21. Mal. 3. 2 3. 3. To them then shall be pardon of sin Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more and 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me See Mic. â— 19 20. 4. And in this way of Repentance Pardon and Purging will God be pacified towards them Ezek. 16. 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame