Spouse from her erroneous works and from Abrahams line after the flesh to Abrahams faith in Christs workes the object of blessednesse and no more For in Scriptures we finde some that were rejected from inheriting this election to life and glory with the promised childe as well as Esau and yet we find them admitted and counted with the true seed of Abraham namely Christs as for example In the Esterne Countries whither Abraham sent his sons which he had by Keturah and gave them portions and sent them thither purposely that they might not inherit this election with the childe of promise Isaack Gen. 25.6 yet there we find just Iob and Eliphaz who was descended from Esau's loynes 1 Chron. 1.35.36 Also Bildad the Shuite descended of Abrahams sonne Shuah and thererefore called the Shuite 1 Chron. 1.32 Also Zophar and Elihu all worshipers of God with just Iob figuratively in the satisfactory righteousnesse of the seed imputed which was promised to Adam and renewed by Covenant to Abraham for the future mercy of the whole world as precedently is declared Therefore if one of Esau's off-spring who in his loynes was rejected from this election as were others as here we see and notwitstanding that rejection were true worshipers in the acceptable righteousnesse of the seed consequently much more might Esau himselfe therefore let no man be prophane as was Esau Hebr. 12.16 So I passe this point being before explained pag. 62.63 Againe to goe on vers 14. the Apostle saith What shall wee say then Is there unrightousnesse with God God forbid for saith the Apostle he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion that is as before is explained God no wayes had any respect to this elect Spouse more then to others but onely in the promised seed the object of faith as before pag. 70. So then it is not in him that willeth to have it from Abrahams flesh nor in him that runneth to have it from the wrath of his erroneous works to the Law but in God that sheweth mercy in this election of you from your Idolatrous denne to give you the Land of promise your day of grace and his gift of eternall glory to be received by you in beliefe of truth and not for works conversant onely about the object of faith and under the pretence thereof to extinguish the glorious workes of Christ as now you doe Therefore in stead of mercy you shall receive the contrary from God even his proceedings to your remarâ—eble confusion for the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh For the same * For God by Moses sent his Commandements to Pharaoh not to return him to God by obedience but occasionally by those commands to bring his just punishments by drawing out Pharaohs precedent habits of pride to be known to his shame in the wo ld and to cleare Gods justice in his remarkeable destruction as appeareth Exod. 3.9.19.20 6.1 7.3.4 purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and thâ—t my Name may be declared through all the earth and thereupon hee concludes against them saying therefore hee hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth as if hee should say you know your forefathers were as now are you them to whom was committed this Pillar of truth the Oracle of the seed promised to Adam and Abraham and how proudly Pharaoh attempts to extinquish them and consequently this seed the object of faith in the pillar of truth as now doe you more directly then ever did he Therefore much more will God give you up as hee did Pharaoh to you owne insolencies and then provokingly raise you up to a height therein purposely to make his name famous in power and justice by your remarkeable destruction through all the world notwithstanding your descent from Abrahams flesh and his precedent election of you For he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom hee will bee * See this Text further explained in the â—â—rgent towards the later end of thâ—s Chapter hardeneth even amongst you as to Pharaoh for that 's implyed Againe to goe on Verse 19. Thou wilt say unto mee saith the Apostle Why doth he yet complaine for who hâ—th resisted his Will as if they should say if Gods will be so irresistable to glorifie his justice and power in our ruine notwithstanding our peculiar and glorious and ancient priviledges why doth hee so needlessely complaine on us by the Prophets and others for who hath resisted his will To this he answereth Nay But O man who art thou that answereth or disputeth against God Doth the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus Hath not the Potter power of the * This word the same lump hath no relation to the common masse of all mankinde same lump to make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour As if hee should say when you were all in the sonne of Terahs loynes namely Abraham as one masse or lump of Clay semenally in the hand of God Had hee not then power by Covenant with him in the promised seed thus to shape you for honour or dishonour that is to cursednesse or blessednesse according as you proudly turned his owne talents and mercies against him refusing his abundant mercy and therfore leave you to your own stubbornnesse as vessells of dishonour fitted to this destruction as was Pharaoh or on the contrary if you would but apply your received talents to receive more grace even to his gift of Faith by it to receive the imputed righteousnesse of this seed as it onely in which he received you to grace and glory Therefore O man who art thou that disputest against God And hereupon the Apostle inferres saying What if God willing to make his power knowne endured with long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and that hee might make knowne the riches of his mercie on the vessels of mercy which hee had afore prepared unto glory even us whom hee hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles as God saith in Hosea c. As if the Apostle should say what of all this if it be the will and pleasure of God as indeed it is thus in justice and mercy by his covenant with Abraham to fore-appoint you either to honour or dishonour and to proceed accordingly without respect of any mans person more then another In what can you charge God of injustice or excuse your selves as to say Why hast thou made me thus to honour or dishonour But God may justly say to you Thy salvation is of me but thy destruction is of thy selfe O Israel Againe verse 25. as God saith there I will call them my people which are not my people and her beloved which was not beloved and it shall come to passe that in the place where is was said unto them
time God in Christ with Abraham by covenant thus predestinated Iewes and Gentiles to glory yet called not the Gentiles till about eighteene hundred yeeres after but called the Iewes to inherit this glory in the birth of Isaack Hence observe the onely ground why the Iewes were first in this honour in respect of time was because God for his owne names sake was pleased then to begin the execution of that blessed predestination and from â—his ground Christ gave them the priority commanding the twelve saying goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any of the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather unto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Mat. 10.5 Likewise at Antioch Saint Paul and Barnabas rendred the same priority to them saying It was necessary the Word of God should first have beene spoken unto you Acts 13.46 c. But when Christ in the expiration of all righteousnesse upon the crosse had made open the way to bring in the Gentiles so making both one generall assembly and Church of the first borne inroll'd in heaven Hebr. 11.25 Yet our Saviour in a Parable foretelling the Iewes of this joyning the Gentiles to them implies his proceeding in this generall assembly shall be without all respect of persons choosing and refusing as betweene Cain and Abel for hee concludes his discourse saying Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 10.14 Further implying notwithstanding the extraordinary fluxe of grace and truth which was then to be powred out upon all flesh yet if they did not apply themselves therein to receive his righteousnesse imputed to be their wedding garment for acceptance they should not be respected Fourthly is it so that the second Adams faith and obedience is the alone condition of the covenant of grace which by mercy brought eternall life to all mankind alike Hence observe that the fruition of that eternall life in Heaven is to all alike without degree of glory to one more then another although here the degrees of grace are different some more and some lesse as they apply more or lesse their talents to Christ as the object of Justification Yet the fruition of that glory depends onely and alone on Christs righteous workes which is mans by free gift therefore that glory is enjoyed there by al alike without degrees Christ onely excepted who in all things must have the preheminence for one mans reasonable soule is not more uncapable then anothers in it's essentiall faculty simply considered but all the difference of capacities ariseth from error transgression and sinne or the effects of sinne but in the fruition of that glory all this for Christs his righteousnesse sake is removed and not remaining consequently their capacities being then alike their enjoyment of that glory is all alike without degrees to the praise of Gods grace to all eternity Yet it is not so on the contrary to mankinde in eternall death because their sinne abides upon them so that they descend to eternall death not for anothers workes as men ascend to eternall life but for their owne despising Gods grace leading to eternall life Therefore as they more or lesse were in sinne consequently Justice requires more or lesse punishment for despising eternall felicity Gods way Fifthly observe it stands all mankind hereupon to beware of remissenesse to God in his way by Christ Iesus for their eternall felicity for as wee all in Adam by remissenesse to Gods Covenant fell so low in misery as never any meere creature could raise us from thence as Chapter 3. Likewise in this last Chapter wee see Christs elect Spouse by her remissenesse to her felicity by Christ Iesus brought upon her selfe a connexion of causes necessitating her selfe to unavoydable rejection from Christ as a fugitive remarkeably despicable here on earth this sixteene hundred yeeres and more Sixthly Is it so that the Law was added because the off-spring of Abraham did transgresse the object of Justification given in the promised seed to Adam and renewed to them with Abraham Hence observe how rightly speakes the Apostle that the Law was not given to the righteous man that is as unto Abraham who terminated his operations by beliefe of Truth and Love to God and man by a right relation to God in the object of Justification for here in this Chapter wee see Moses law added to the Promise to schoole Abrahams lawlesse off-spring to Christ because they precedntly transgresse the promise Seventhly although God did communicate to the world with the first Adam naturall perfection by creation and celestiall perfection by the Covenant yet here observe that God never restores any of that to mankinde but by mercy ever turning his eyes onely upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse for as before the world was it was appointed for all alike in him by redemption so accordingly upon the fall in him hee chose us to life and glory from perishing with reprobate divels to whom in respect of our selves we were unrecoverably joyned So likewise when with Noah hee renewed this mercy to the second world it was by turning his eyes only upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse so likewise when with Abraham he predestinated both Iewes and Gentiles to life and glory from being fit vessels of wrath as lying in their owne apostasie from the grace of God yet then onely in the promised seed God turned his eyes in mercy to the world in the precedent predestination as in this Chapter clearely appeareth So much for the second part of Time I now should come to the third namely the calling of the Gentiles but here will arise a necessary question viz. In what estate for eternall life stood the Gentiles from the time they were scattered at Babel untill they were called to mercy in Christ but by Gods help I will answer it in the next Chapter CHAP. VII Shewing in what estate or condition were all the families of the earth from the rejection at the Tower of Babell to their call to Christ in whom they were elected ANswer In respect of the Object of Justification they were excluded not to have it resident amongst them and therefore in that respect they lived as without God in the world and so the day of grace in this world was to them not as a day of grace being left to walke in the vanitie of their mindes they wanting the pillar of truth or Oracle of the promised seed and so remained under wrath about 18 hundred yeares This text Ephes 2 3. no way excludes infants departing this world from eternall life See the last Observation in the 7 Chapt. and therefore when some of those Gentiles by the Gospell were returned from their Apostacie and received life in the object of Faith The Apostle saith unto them yee were the Children of wrath even as others therefore they were so under wrath throughout all those precedent generations Ephes 2.3 But it may here be objected God threatned to visit the sinnes
Covenant in Christ which God renewed with Abraham is here distinguished into its parts Abraham get thee from thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers House to a Land that I will shew thee and then at that time saith God to him I will make of thee a great Nation In which words in Abrahams Loynes God did now predestinate the Iewes unborne to Grace and Glory in Iesus Christ Againe secondly saith God to Abraham Thou shalt be a blessing and I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee In these words in Abrahams Loynes is implyed the glorious exaltation of Christ the second Adam and saviour of the world as proceeding therein without respect of persons Againe thirdly saith God to Abraham In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed In these words is comprehended the Gentiles Predestination to Grace and glory in Jesus Christ for to him restrictively were all these promises made as witnesseth Saint Paul for saith hee To Abraham and his seed were the Promises made yet said hee God said not unto (a) Yet Christ and right beleevers is th s most pâ—oper seed câ—nsidered in his most peculiar mysticall body for Christ is coÌ„siderable in divers respects seeds as of many that is to all the Off-spring of Abraham in the flesh but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ Gal. 3.16 Therefore at this time all mankinde was Predestinate to Grace and glory in Iesus Christ without difference as upon the immediate fall of Adam (b) For from the time that God promised Christ to Adam till the Gospell was unveiled this mistery lay as hid Col 1.26 Eph 2.7 when this righteousnesse came upon all men to justification of life so now in this predestination to be Vessells of mercy being by their own (c) Therefore it must needs follow that when we were enemies to him God communicated his love and mercy upon man out of love to the glory and praise of his grace by the second Adam Christ Iesus Apostacie Vessells fitted to destruction wherefore when these Gentiles were called to the reception of this grace in the object of Justification rightly doth Saint Paul then say God made knowne the riches of glory on the vessells of mercy whom he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called not only of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles Rom. 9.23 29. Also when the Apostle called these Gentiles according to Gods purpose about 18-hundred yeares after this Predestination he then saith those whom he did foreknow them he also did predestinate to be conform'd to the Image of his Sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren And in the next verse hee tells the Gentiles God now accordingly had effected it for he saith moreover whom hee did predestinate them also hee called and whom he called them also he justified and whom hee justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.29 30. And from this ground the Apostle rightly concludes that this promise of God to Abraham contained the Summe of the Gospell concerning the Gentiles for saith hee the Scriptures All these Texts referrs Predestination not to any decree before Abrahams time foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith Preached before the Gospell unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed Gal. 3.8 Againe to proceed from this generall ground to a particular proceeding in this universall mercy and to begin where God begins that is at the Restauration of Shems Family to glory And because this glory is restored to this Family from one mans Loynes onely namely Abraham this directs us to two things First that the precedent Apostates of Shems Family were cut off by God from Christ therfore he would ra sâ— the Iewes as a new generation but from this one mans loynes of Shem Off-spring to enjoy this mercy Secondly it implies that mans deepest misery is Gods most proper object of mercy therefore from this Sonne of Terah of Shems Appostate Family he now promises to make not onely a Nation but also a Nation great and glorious and from this ground of Free Grace in future times when this Nation was a great People and famous but ungratefull to God for this honour God then tells thy birth and thy Natâ—vity is of the Land of Canaan that is an Idolatrous brood for saith God God would have them to coÌ„sider what they were when hee predestinated them to this glory in the promised seed with Abraham thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother a Hittite c. as Josua 24 from the 2. ver to the 6. and Ezekiel 16. from the 3. to the 15. to the 15. yet in the mercy of this promised seed God gave to the Son of this Idolatrous brood three things First hee gave him a Land Secondly from his own Loynes a Nation great and glorious to inherit that Land Thirdly The seed from his own Bowells in whom that Nation was to be heires intail'd to that Land for ever To the first point Gen. 12.7 Moses saith Iehovah appeared unto Abraham and said unto him unto thy seed will I give this Land Cap. 13.14 Iehovah said unto Abraham lift up now thine eyes and looke from this place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward for all the Land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever Chap. 15.18 Iehovah made a Covenant with Abraham saying Vnto thy seed have I given this Land from the River of Egypt unto the great River Euphrates c. Againe to the second point namely the gift of a great and glorious Nation from his own Loynes to inherit this Land as Chap. 13.16 I will make thy seed as the dust of the Earth So that if a man can number the dust of the earth then shall thy seed also be numbred likewise Chap. 15. and 5. he brought him forth abroad and said looke up now towards Heaven and tell the Starres if thou be able to number them and he said unto him so shall thy seed be Againe to the third point namely the guift of the seed in whom this glorious and great Nation should be heires intail'd to this promised land forever for when Abraham had thought that he should be Childlesse and therefore determin'd to make Eleazar his heire to what God had given him then Gen 15.3 behold the word of Iehovah came to him saying this shall not be thine heire but he that shall come forth of thine owne bowells shall be thine Heire and accordingly from him did spring this numberlesse Nation to inherit this Promised Land in the right of the seed promised precedently to Adam and now renewed to be the Sonne of Abraham after the flesh by promise 430 yeares before the Law as it is Gal. 3.16 17 Gen. 13.15 the Land was not in-tail'd by promise in the Plurall to seedes but to thy seed for ever meaning in Christ as
downe to be the sixth day of the weeke and ninth houre of that day implying this was the day of the week and houre of that day in which he first in the Lambs blood did render up his life figuratively then in the type and now in the truth the one answering the other in the circumstance of time in the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype And therefore rightly doth Saint Iohn take it for granted that Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 For the world received that sixth day a threefold beginning The first was the spire of perfection by creation Secondly the world received the beginning of supernaturall perfection founded in the covenant with Adam When all being lost by Adams fall the foundation for recovery of all was laid in the second Adams worke of the Covenanâ— the same sixth day and ninth houre of the same day and therefore hee was the Lambe slaine in the beginning for to God and to faith the worke of a perfect rest was then finished by Christ from the foundation of the world although unbelieving man enters not this rest neither by faith here nor by fruition hereafter as Heb. 4. Again the unconceiveable danger required that Christ as the second Adam in the Lambs blood must enter the worke in that minute that Adam fell otherwise justice must have proceeded immediatly to bring the judgement past to condemnation to an unconceiveable execution therefore hee entred the worke of the Covenâ—nt the same minute thâ—t Adam fell rendring his dearest life to Divine justice figuratively in the blood of the Lamb as slaine from the beginning of the foundation of the world Revelat. 13. vers 8. Againe he onely and alone in that point of time did undertake this worke because hee onely and alone was the spotlesse Lambe or the sinlesse man in that figure and therefore onely and alone fit for that worke Again he only and alone was the lamb of God personally God-man in this figure therefore he only and alone fitly able under flames of scorching wrath to undertake the satisfaction of the justice of the Covenant by perfect flames of burning love in his pure naturalls as a meanes by love supernaturall to attaine the supercelestiall felicity of the glory of Angells by taking upon him the imputed guilt of Adams sin and that dreadfull execution which immediately must have past for the same So much for the third point That by Christ his undertaking the worke of the Covenant hee removed for ever the judgement which passed on all men to condemnation and therefore it never passed to execution not so much as to any one mans damnation for Adams transgression For Christ no sooner undertooke to answer the justice of the Covenant in the type but in stead of immediate execution God in Christ manifested himselfe reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne seeking to save that which was lost saying to Adam Where art thou What hast thou done c. Gen. 3. verse 9. Secondly and that hee was so reconciling is more manifest in the 15. verse For God having cursed the Serpent hee then manifested the deliverance by Christ saying to Satan in the Serpent I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene her seed and thy seed it shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly whereas the justice of the Covenant required the production of all mankind unnaturally from crosse operations in the powers of the whole creation as is described Chapt. 3. yet now comes God and gives us a naturall production of all mankinde by a mercifull promise in a two-fold respect First to the seed of the woman with no promise of addition of sorrow to his conception or production that is Christ as the first in nature borne from the dead fall of Adam of every creature restoring Gods Image in all Gen. 3.15 Col. 1.15.16 17 18 19. Secondly a promise of a naturall conception and production of all mankinde but with the addition of the taste of sower herbes of sorrow for unâ—o the woman he said I will greatly increase thy sorrow and thy conception In sorrow shalt thou bring forth thy children verse 16. Fourthly justice from the Covenant required mans personall support from the power of God in the torturous powers of the Universe But now God gives a nutrimentall support by food naturall and onely with a taste of the sowre herbs of sorrow Gen. 3.17 For unto the man saith God because thou hast harkened unto the voyce of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree which I commanded saying Thou shalt not eat of it but saith not in the words of the Covenant thou shalt certainly die the death but saith onely this Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life c. Fifthly the justice of the Covenant admitted no separation of soule and body but our descent to our deepest torment must have bin in personall union of soule body together But now there is a separation and mans body hath a time of rest in the dust this is implyed in this Text Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne againe And now put all this sorrow together and then it is no more but this Even sowre herbs for man to relish his sweet mercy in the Lambe of God by whom hee passeth over all his wrath for Adams transgression by which we were unrecoverably rejected and reprobated with divels from God by the justice of the Covenant but according as God fore-appointed Christ and chose us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love so hee elected us in his beloved from reprobate divels with whom in justice wee were to remaine But because this deepe mysterie is wrapt up in that of Genes 3.15 and Rom. 5 18. therefore I will briefly open these two Texts before I passe to the fifth point viz. Unto Satan he said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele And whereas God saith to the Divell I will put enmity between thee the woman is first implyed that God only could as the case then stood produce this enmity in this word I. Secondly that his will was resolved so to doe in this word I w ll That the Divell formerly conceived if he could but get the woman into amity by beliefe of his lies then the justice of the Covenant would not admit to dissolve that amity much lesse to put enmity but to Satan saith God I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Now here ariseth a three-fold quere first what is meant by this word put secondly what is meant by this word enmity thirdly what is meant by this word woman First this word put implyeth this that by divine Justice all righteousnesse
destruction of the world and to state it thus to travell together with man-believing truth to it 's desired felicity was onely this namely Gods love to the world for God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Therefore the world must be onely considered as an object agreeable to Gods will because it was to him an object of love for the truth is God did so consider it and that in a two-fold respect First in all that good which God communicated to the world by creation as involved in the Covenant to it 's ultimate perfection and all this as issuing from himselfe was his owne effect as the off-spring of God and therefore a good every way agreeable to Gods will and an object of love to him But if the justice of the Covenant had passed to execution then God had proceeded to annihilate all this good not onely in part but totally and eternally but this went against his mind therefore hee so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne c. That glory which was to result to God out of all the good of the creatures according to the spire of perfection of the Covenant by Adams supernaturall operation was Gods finall end for which he made all namely his glory and this was to God the object of good in the highest respect But if God had in the justice of the Covenant proceeded to execution then this his finall end had beene separated from him and he might in the ruine and destruction of the creatures to all eternitie have glorified himselfe But from the creatures good his glory could never have returned to him in any degree much lesse from the highest spire of perfection intended in the Covenant as was Gods desire but this was contrary to his mind therefore God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne as his Lambe to take away the sinnes of the world by regaining his glory in the redundancie thereof to the eternall praise of his mercy Is it so that by this second Adam Observation his satisfaction of Divine justice God in mercy gave to all mankinde alike the meanes and end namely Eternall life and that the good of this world is a remote meanes to the same end as here wee see Then hence observe that all men either poore or rich which desire or indeavour to attaine the good of this world for them and theirs and not as a means to this end they then in their imaginations and all their labours are but a mere lye and vanity whence rightly saith the Psalmist Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye Psal 62.9 Againe is the good of this world Gods gift in Christ Observation a comfortable and remote meanes amongst many to leade man to Christ to receive in him eternall life then take this rule for a direction not to be dismaid to see some in want for their chastisement and some for triall and some to abound for those men which terminate their rests in wealth and in the pleasures and delights of this world shall attaine but a brutish rest here and never receive eternall rest in Angells glory hereafter for this is but a meanes and a remote one too therefore hee that sits downe in this meanes must needs lose the end and so perish eternally Here follow some Objections made by a Reverend Divine which are accordingly answered and the Objections made by others are answered in the twelfth Chapter Object 1. If Adams omitting to eate of the tree of Life were a Sinne and that Sinne of omission brought on her Sinne of commission shee was not the first occasion of his Sinne but first Sinne a rose intrinsecus Answ Neither in this page nor in any other is it said his omitting to eate of the tree of Life was a sinne nor is it said he did omit to eate the fruit of this Garden or of the tree of Life but it is said hee was remisse of the different end from his former Estate why he was to eate of these fruits as a meanes thereunto and his remisnesse to eate these fruits as such a meanes brought his sinne of omission and that brought on his sinne of commission Because of the naturall liberties of their wills therefore sin might arise from within Also because their righteousnesse and holinesse did spring from naturall causes internally and externally as Chap. 1. therefore righteousnesse and holinesse being not their nature they might mutually turne to good or evill Againe why might not sinne in both of them arise from within this second Estate being so farre different from the former Estate of creation if their understandings were not carefully applyed to Gods rules in the Covenant to keepe them from evill and their wills to God as a good more fully to be communicated to them then by the perfections of the creation and the truth is from the remissenesse of them both it was that shee was the first in the transgression with Satan by the Serpent and he the second in the same by her Object 2. * Pag. 21. Where you say all mankinde were in reprobation if you meane the case of reprobates or guilt of damnation it is true but if you meane of Gods decree it crosseth the doctrine of Election Answ I meane as it is explained in the page namely that in the fall of Adam all mankinde alike were reprobated under the guilt due punishment of eternall condemnation joyned together with reprobate divells as opposed to our conjunction with elect Angels in eternall glory by vertue of the intended end of Gods Covenant with Adam Againe I deny any such decree and in the prosecution of the sixth point I have as I believe explained those Scriptures which reverend Calvin and you I suppose doe thinke doe prove that decree and case of Reprobates and as for that doctrine of Reprobation the Scripture proves it no more then it doth that word Decree which neither in the old Testament or the new is so much as mentioned with reference to the point of Election and Reprobation as I suppose you meane Object 3. Pag. 22. The judgement was executed that very moment that Adam eat of the forbidden fruit in that instant he was dead in sinne and mortality seized upon his body and hee stood guilty of eternall damnation Answ True it is judgement was executed the very moment that Adam eat the forbidden fruit yet not upon the first Adam but onely upon the second Adam as his Saviour and ours as pag. 24. and 25. figuratively in the blood of the Lambe or if not how or why was he as Saint Iohn affirmes the Lambe slaine from the worlds foundation Rev. 13.8 Or how was it that as by one offence judgement passed upon all men to condemnation even so by one righteousnesse the free guift came on all men to justification of life as Saint Paul affirmes Rom. 5.18 and as
by whom he hoped to attaine all blessednesse Againe His Offring being of the fattest this implied his high respect of this sacred Mistery by beliefe of truth for by Faith saith the Text Abell offred unto God a more acceptable Sacrifice then Cain by which hee obtained witnesse that he was righteous God testifying of his guift Heb. 11.4 As concerning Cain it is also implyed what was well in his sacrificing as first the thing which he brought hee brought it to offer Secondly he offered it not to Idoles but to Iehovah and this was well and because the Text relates his offering with no further commendations it implies that no more good could be spoken of it according to truth So much for hat was well Againe this was not well that his love to this mystery according to truth in the second Adam brought him not to offer for the Text implies that processe of time brought him to this businesse Gen. 4.3 Againe because the Text saith he brought the fruits of the ground to offer to Jehovah this implies his too high respect of things Terrestriall consequently his profanenesse to this Supernaturall Mystery in the promised seed and in a word all his Religion at the best was but to be conversant about the object of Iustification and no way consonant to faith in that object For saith Moses be was not only wroth but very wroth because God gave no respect to his offering which as before I noted implyed Cains too high esteeme of his Earthly offering brought unto God but hee whose heart is so lâ—fted up his minde is not good nor upright in him Hab. 2.4 Againe his heart was so fall'n as appeares by his countenance because his personall operations were rejected this implyed hee came not to be accepted in Gods guift of Christs righteous operations as imputed but in his owne supposed righteousnesse wherefore his owne sinne lay uppon him in his attracted habit guilt and punishment for he that beleeveth not the wrath of God abides upon him But on the contrary that if hee did well he should be accepted God makes it further apparant by removing all personaâ—l respects from Abell for as concerning him saith God to Caine unto thee shall be his desire subject and thou shalt rule over him implying two things First whereas thou art the first borne and so a figure of the first borne of every Creature in this respect Abells desire shall be subject unto thee in love and reverence to that mystery Secondly as hee is thy younger Brother so thou art his protector supporter and instructer in which respects thou shalt still rule over him for I looke not to his person more then to thine but with respect to his submitting unto mee in the fulnesse of my mercy and if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sinne lies at the doore but Cain remissely harkened to this reproofe and gracious incouragement for in the next place Moses saith Cain talked with his Brother but tells not what talke it was yet implicitly points it was some hatefull speeches because it ended in his blood for saith the text It came to passe when they were in the field that Cain rose up against his Brother and slew him From whence Saint Iohn rightly affirmes that Cain was of that evill one as implying Cains amity with Satan in the Spirit of concision cutting from his soule the foresaid infused enmity derived in his naturall conception therefore he wâ—s of that evill one lifted up in the Spirit of Satan against Gods way of salvation by Christs righteousnesse imputed for saith Saint John hee slâ—w his Brother because his owne works were evill and his Brothers righteous 1 Joh. 2.12 And for this God comes against Cain for saith Moses Iehovah saith unto Cain where is Abell thy Brother Cain answered in the Spirit of a lyer and murtherer saying I know not am I my Brothers keeper but God charg'd the Fact upon him saying what hast thou done the voyce of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto mee from the earth wherefore God turned the flaming Sword of his wrath which turned every way against Cain by pronouncing this sentence saying now thou art accursed from the earth which opened her mouth to receive thy Brothers bloud from thy hand when thou tillest the ground it shall not from henceforth yeeld to thee her strength a fugitive and Vagabond shalt thou be in the earth To which Cain replies for saith Moses Cain said unto JEHOVAH my iniquity is greater then can be forgiven and so my punishment is greater then I can beare because it shall never be removed ver 12.13 Againe he bids God behold or consider what was his punishment for saith hee thou hast driven mee out from the face of the Earth and from thy face shall I be hid and shall be a Fugitive and Vagabond in the Earth for it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay mee To which God answereth him to this effect So that one the same person individually considered may at one time be the subject of Gods unfained or entire grace and mercy in Iesus Châ—â—st and another time the subject of his consuming and everlasting wrath as for my precedent sentence it is now unrevocable for thou who didst refusâ— acceptance and pardon of sinne and life eternall upon my interrogative affirmation if thou wouldest but applie thy selfe to mee in my mercy to thee But thou instead of circumcising the seed of the Serpent hast cut off from thee by custome in sinne my infused principle of Amity towards mee from thy Spirit and joyned to Satan mine adversary against mee in my salvation so freely tendred and fully intended unto thee For thou hast slaine thy Brother only because he submitted unto me in my guift of righteousnesse imputed for his salvation therefore as I told thee if thou didst not well sinne should lie at the dore so thy guilt and punishment now shall rest irrevocably upon thee to all eternity only this will I doe for thee in this worlds contentments for a time I will assure thy abode therefore saith God whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold and Jehovah set a marke upon Cain lest any finding him should k ll him Thus when the noble Spirit of man departs froÌ„ Gods presence of grace it setleth its abode in â—erâ—estâ—iall conâ—entments sutable to the corporall body or corruptible part of man but they that sowe to the flesh of the flesh shall â—eape corruption Whereupon Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah and dwelt in the Land of Nod on the East side of Eden and his posterity on Earth began to spring out and multiply hee built a City and called it by the name of his Sonne Enoch And so now I discend from this Modell of Gods impartiall proceedings in these two as to the whole masse of mankinde And Cain thus remaining under wrath Abell being translated
he did although hee knew that from Caines exemplary concision the wickednesse of man was great in the earth yea every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evill continually then it * God is said to repent not in any respect of his internall divine glory for in his unmeasurable perfections he is one intire serene stilnesse but God is said properly to repent according as hee doth dâ—aw backe that good or ev ll which he communicates to man by that second definitive rule of truth mentioned ca. 8. by which he ordinarily wills his glory to â—eturne to himself from man repented the Lord that he had made man in the earth and yet all the said time of Noahs preparing the Arke before their eyes God did by it excitively draw them implicitly telling them yet there was mercie for them But this mercy they despise minding onely earthly contentments agreeable to sense as the bruit as is further implyed by the words of our Saviour Fâ—r saith hee in the dayes of Noah that were before the flood they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noah entred into the Arke And that all this time God did excitively draw them to returne to him by Christ is witnessed by Saint Peter for saith hee God in the spirit of Christ preached to them who sometimes were disobedient when as once the long suffering of God wayted in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was in preparing and as I said before this grace they despised wherefore God spared not the old world of the ungodly but brought in the flood c. Mat. 24.38 1 Pet 3.19.20 2 Pet. 2.5 Yet here we must not judge that all that perished in this temporall judgement perished eternally For godly men sometimes in Gods generall judgements are swept away for their great remissenesse to Gods great mercies extended to them and yet passe through that shade of death to eternall life as did good old Eli and as did meeke Moses whose carkasse fell in the wildernesse amongst the rest yet God let him see the terrestriall Canaan a figure of the celestiall felicity as a pledge of his sure passage through that shade of death to eternall life so also all in this flood who perished being Infants or in childhood or naturall Ideots or the like passed through this dreadfull flood to eternall felicity Therefore O Lord thou punishest unwillingly nor grievest the children of men to crush under thy feet all the prisoners of the earth Lam 3.33 Againe where Saint Peter referres salvation to Noah saying that Noah the eighth person was saved hee meaneth not but the other seven in that Arke which was the figure of Christ were also saved in it from the stood But in the number eight another thing is meant namely as an eighth day was to be the promised seed his resurrection day therefore here the number of eight as referred onely to Noah implyed that although the other seven were saved from that flood in the Ark ye Noah only then was saved in it as risen with Christ by faith in the object of justification by which he built the Arke to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world and became heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith Hebr. 11.7 figuratively implying that God in Christ is the Saviour of all men from Adams transgression and more to live in this day of Grace to receive by faith his free guift of life in glory yet his salvation is more speciall to them that believe as here in Noah wee see and as before is noted Cap. 4. Againe God having in the Arke saved both man and beast at least paires of all kinde At their comming out of the Arke then Noah that by faith rested onely upon the pillar of truth and object of life for the good of this life and a better hee no sooner comes out of the Arke into the world but hee refreshed his heart by faith in the seed of the womans satisfactory righteousnesse as the only ground of all blessednesse Genes 8.20 In Adam puâ—e naturalls man had a naturall â—ight to the creatures and the good of theâ— afterwards by the Covenant not onely that but also a right to the Creatures in a supernaturall relation and then that right in the fall being lâ—st then the second Adam as the first-borne of every câ—eature opened the womb of all perfection towards which it doth travell til now and then God by gâ—ft conferred upon all mankind divine right of this life and that to come so likewise when by the universall apostasy of man that right was deservedly to be cut off yet then God established by Châ—ists satisfactory sacrifice to man a right as to the world to come so to the creatures till time shall be no mo e as here wee see therefore all mankind have a divine right to the Creatures Wherefore God manifested to all of them that on it hee rested also fully contented and satisfied towards the world yea although now God did fore-see the concision of the hearts of the children of men for future times against him as it precedently was in Caines posterity yet upon Christs satisfactory righteousnesse he now ratifies to all mankind this worlds good till time shall be no more to be mans day of Grace to receive Gods guift of eternall glory for saith Moses Iehovah smelled a Savour of rest and Iehovah said in his heart I will not againe curse the earth any more for mans sake for the imaginations of mans heart is evill from his youth neither will I any more smite every thing living as I have done while the earth remaineth Seed-time and Harvest and cold and heat and Summer and Winter and day and night shall not cease vers 21.22 And accordingly in the next Chapter God againe renewes his mercifull production of mankinde for This is the third production of mankind given by God the first before the fall Gen. 1. the second by Christ the second Adam and restorer of all Gen. 3.16 the third is this mercifull restauration saith Moses God blessed Noah and his sonnes and said unto them be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth Also he gave man right over the Creatures and a Law to eate flesh letting out the blood thereof also a law against murthering of mankind Verse 2.3 And commands them to consider all this to be the renewing of his Covenant of Grace universally to all mankind For saith Moses God saith unto Noah and his sonnes with him saying And I behold I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you for ever and with every creature that is with you v. 8. Also God gave them the Rain-bow as a witnesse of this mercy to perpetuall generation Verse 13. and Vers 16. saith God the Bow shall be in the cloud I will looke upon it that I may remember the everlasting Covenant betweene God and every living creature of
all flesh that is upon the earth c. And in the next place Moses tels us the manner of the proceedings betweene God and this new Generation Chap. 11. Verse 1. He tells us the whole earth was then of one language and also in processe of time whither they journed and at length setled For he saith it came to passe as they journied from the East they found a plaine in the Land of Shynar and they dwelt there Also hee tels what they said and what they did with an unanimous consent They said one to another Goe too let us make bricke and burne them throughly and they had bricke for stone and slime had they for morter And they said goe too let us build us a City and a Tower whose top may reach unto Heaven And then hee tels us to what end and purpose was this great building set up by all these great Counsell cost and labour namely that their owne imaginations and the worke of their owne hands might get them an immortall Name and Fame on earth For they said Let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth This implies they all were now in this plaine Resident and also their apostasie universally from God in the Pillar of truth in which Oracle was wrapt up the gift of mortall and immortall good for from it wee see upon Noahs sacrifice he conveyed to them and theirs all happinesse present and to come So here you see the manner of the proceedings of this new generation towards God for all his gracious mercy by the promised seed his satisfactory righteousnesse Againe it followes in what manner God proceeded for this to them saith Moses Iehovah came downe to see the City and the Tower that the children of men builded and Iehovah said the people are all one and they have all one language and this they begin to doe and nothing will restraine them from that which they have imagined to doe These words imply two things first that this building to the foresaid end was very offensive to God secondly that they were so farre gone in this transcendent mischiefe as no ordinary meanes could restraine their desired purposes and therefore God resolves upon an extraordinary meanes to divert them For saith the sacred Trinity Goe to let us goe downe and there confound their language that they may not understand one another and this did effect it For saith Moses Jehovah scattered them from thence abroad upon the face of all the earth and they left off to build the City therefore is the name if it called Babel because Jehovah there confounded the language of all the earth And in the tenth Chapter Moses relates in what parts of the world these scattered families did first settle and then concludes saying These are the Families of the sonnes of Noah after their generations in their Nations and by these were the Nations divided after the flood And so much for the first part of the time of Gods impartiall proceedings to mankind from which precedent premisses observe these particulars First from whence all heathenish Paganisme or Gentilisme did originally spring namely from Gods just punishmenâ— of this peoples universall Apostasie from the Pillar of truth and Oracle of life and glory descending so famously to them by tradition from Adam by Noah and renewed to them by Covenant from God therefore for this universall apostasie hee left them universally to walke in the vanity of their owne mindes as without God in the world about eighteene hundred yeeres Secondly observe that for mans turning from God in this object of Justification therefore the sacred Oracle was three times confin'd to narrow bounds First when Caine had killed Abel then it was confined to Adam and Evah and so downe to the Families of the ten first Fathers before the flood Secondly then confin'd in the Arke to Noah and his Family when God drowned all the off-spring of the ten Fathers together with Caines Posterity being partakers in apostasy from truth to lying vanities so by punishment in wofull miseries Thirdly confin'd now at Babel when God cast off all the Nations for casting away him in his truth and speciall mercies then was the object of life and glory confin'd to the Family of Shem impleyed Gen. 11. from the 10. verse to the end of the Chapter by Moses recording Shems Genealogie in the Booke of Life and none else mentioning their births their dayes of life and their particular deaths Thirdly observe how that righteous Noah lived and saw the apostasie of the old world and their punishment his own off-springs apostasie at Babel and their punishment the apostasie of Shems Family and so left this world and that family languishing so farre as worshipping the Idol Gods of the Heathen Iosh 24.23 And saith Broughton in his consent of Scripture Noah died but two yeeres before Abraham was borne therefore hee lived to see all this Fourthly observe that notwithstanding all these apostasies yet by tradition God upheld the Oracle of life in the world to this time For Shem now personally continued constant in the truth figuratively personating Christ as King of Peace and Priest of the most high God after the power of an endlesse life although man unbelieving descends downe to endlesse death Therefore Gods proceedings in this first part of time was to all mankinde alike without respect of persons as hee originally said to Caine If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted But if thou dost not well sinne lies at the dore as precedently is explicated CHAP. VI. Opening the second part of time namely from the time that God called Abraham to the time that he called the Gentiles by Christ in the Gospel VVHereas all Families of the earth at this time were cut off from the Oracle of life and Shems Family to which it was last confin'd by apostasie lay now perishing in their owne corruptions yet then comes God and renewes his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed to come upon all men to justification of life for now hee predestinated all mankinde to life and glory the second time to enjoy this day of grace namely this world as a day of grace to receive by beliefe of his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed the day of eternall glory This extraordinary mercy thus universally renewed by this second pr destination not onely proves the sufficiencie of Christs imputed righteteousnesse as the Fathers gift for the salvation of all all alike but also Gods willingnesse to have it effectuall as to a reasonable creature to bring him to happinesse according to his kinde not onely in an ordinary way but sometimes extraordinarily as appeareth in the 9. 10. chapters I say all for I meane both Shems Family and all the Families of the Earth which at this time comprehended all mankinde none excepted and for proofe of this point Gen. 12. saith Moses concerning this Predestination Iehovah had said unto * The
yee in no wise shall believe although a man declare it unto you Likewise saith Christ unto them yee believe not because you are not my Sheepe (b) These Scriptures by Gods spirit are intended to this nationall Spouse for her transcendent sinnes and not to most of mankind as denied his grace because appointed by God personally to vnavoidable damnation Joh. 10.26 All plainly proving that God now when Christ was come into the world denied them the gift of Faith for their precedent refusing Gods way for their salvation Secondly it is further implyed in these words of our Saviour that there is a time limited for this their blindnesse and hardnesse of heart when he saith Yee shall not see me untill the time come when you shall say blessed is hee that cometh in the name of the Lord Implying that although this Nationall rejection was to be universall yet it should not be (c) Although it were not finall to them nationally in respect of the time to come yet it was finall to all or at least to most in the Interim finall for ever in the Spirit of unbeliefe (d) God sometimes to the glory of his grace eâ—tends his mercy universally to all as in the call of the Gentiles and as in time to come he will to these Iews yet sometimes when men are alike dead in sinnes by Apostasie he will leave some of them to perish finally and receive some of them to mercy although alike wicked yet not for any hatred or love to the one more then the other personally considered but onely in love to himselfe in the one from his love to Iustice in the other from his love to mercy that is to the love of his glory in either as heâ—e wee see some received to mercy and reserved alive to conferre a future call of their posterity to Christ and the rest were blinded and in this ease and the like fals that of Moses and the Apostle he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Likewise our Saviour gives another close glance to this point speaking of this elect Nation Mat. 24 22. hee saith the daies of their vengeance shall be shortened in the destruction of Ierusalem for the elects sake Implying else no flesh of Abrahams elect stock would be reserv'd for a future call to mercy Likewise for any mercy shewed to this Nation Saint Paul referres it rightly when he saith Isrâ—â—ll obtained not what it sought for but the election obtained it and the rest were blinded Rom. 11.17 And he saith as touching the election they are beloved for their Fathers sakes meaning Abraham Isaak and Iacob with whom in Christ the promised seed This Nationall Election was first established ver 28. And he also speakes to their restauration saying all Israel shall be saved as it is written the deliverer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away the ungodlinesse from Jacob. ver 26. And then gives a generall ground of all this future mercy because the guifts and callings of God are without repentance ver 29. And in the next verse hee gives a demonstrative reason thereof in the Gentiles who although by their precedent Apostacie were so long rejected yet now God gave Christ to them and calls them to him ver 30. Thereby implying likewise God would not repent his gift of Christ to this Spouse and therefore call them to him againe And therefore it is most cleere that Gods proceeding in this second part of time is without all respect of Persons And for a conclusion of this Chapter take these observations following First that to referre any mans faith and obedience to bee the condition of the Covenant of grace but Christ his faith and obedience is to derrogate from him and to arrogate to man that which is not his Because as the first Adam his second estate before his fall was an estate of Faith and obedience active and passive the somme of the conditions of the Covenant as precedently is proved Chapt. the 2. So likewise the Sonne of God the second Adam his obedience passive and active was an estate of Faith the condition of the Covenant for the Redemption of the world from whence the Covenanâ— was changed by him from a Covenant of wrathfull justice to a Covenant of Grace and mercy to all the world as Chap. 4. Likewise in this Chapter we see hee and hee alone was the man which by saith and love to God and his Neighbour did live in the pure naturalls of the Law to every tittle to redeeme man which by Apostasie brought himselfe under the Curse For although the life of all believers besides Christs is in this world an estate of faith and obedience and although Gods word of truth is his instrument to give to man Christs righteousnesse and mans faith his instrument to receive in that righteousnesse his blessednesse yet between God and mankind neither of these are the conditions of the covenant of grace For as God on his part hath not bound himselfe to either of these as a condition so neither hath he bound all mankinde absolutely to believe or not to be saved For if faith were the condition of the Covenant of Grace God in justice could not save one of mankinde which did not believe But it is already proved Chap. 4. that an innumerable number of mankinde departing this world in Infancie childhood or the like by the universall grace of the Covenant in Christ Jesus our Saviour are saved Likewise so was all mankind without faith saved from the damnation of Adams sinne to the praise of Gods grace to all eternity Therefore although to man capable of the use of reason faith * It is one thing that God require it's exercise as a necessary instrumentall qualification and another that hee should require it as a condition of the Covenant is the necessary instrument as his mouth to receive his meat and must be applyed to the object of Justification in some degree or hee must perish yet his faith and obedience is no condition of the Covenant of grace no more then mans mouth whereby hee receives his meate Secondly is it so that as first upon Adams fall so the second time in the promised seed with Abraham by Covenant that God elected predestinated and fore-appointed all mankinde alike from perishing in misery to grace and glory in Christ Jesus as here wee see Hence observe what is Gods most proper booke of life namely the promised seed for in him all mankinde were both times onely written for grace and glory as in a booke of life not onely when Adam fell but the second time as is registred by covenant with Abraham to life and glory therefore Christ Iesus is Gods most proper Booke of life out of which all that perish are blotted out for despising this gift of grace and glory Psal 69.28 Rev. 20 12 13. Rev. 5.13 c. Thirdly is it so that although at one and the same
of the Fathers upon the Children but unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him Object therefore this visitation could not be so large as throughout all these precedent generations Answere Answer This visitation is spoken restrictively only with respect to the Sonnes of Iacob as to continue the elect Nationall Spouse till Shilo came and if God in mercy had not cut short their deserved visitations Iacobs seed after the flesh as this Nationall Spouse sometimes had bin utterly extinct Therefore their visitations for their Rebellions in mercy were limited but to three or foure generations Hence saith God to Rebellious Israel I am JEHOVAH I change not meaning his Covenant with * Note that although this visitation be intermingled with the negative part of the Morrall Law yet it issued from grace and mercy in Christ the seed of Abraham Abraham therefore yee Sonnes of Iacob are not consumed Malachi 3 6 7. Wherefore all Nations oâ— the Gentiles might be under wrath the time precedent notwithstanding this limitation Againe all the time that they were under wrath yet God intermingled his wrath with mercy leaving them a narrow way to eternall life by salvation in Jesus Christ And the narrownesse of this way is to be considered in a two-fold respect namely in meanes internall and externall The internall meanes was the remainders of the aforesaid infused principle hereditarily descending in the Nature of man which as it disposed them to Enmity with Satan so also to Amity with God from whence although they had not the Oracle of God to direct them yet Saint Paul implicitly grants some few of them did attaine Circumcision of the heart virtually at least in their obedient seeking of God Rom. 2. Hee preferres the best of these Gentiles although excluded the Law against the boastings in the Law of the Children of Abraham for saith hee if the Gentiles which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which saith hee shew the effect of the law written in their hearts their thoughts in the meane while accusing or else excusing one another ver 14.15 Againe saith hee if the uncircumcision keepe the righteousnesse of the law shall not his uncircumcision be counted circumcision and saith hee shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the law judge thee c. ver 26.27 And he then concludes the Point in the behalfe of the vertues of those Gentiles in opposing the proud formalitie of the profession in the Law by the Iews saying he is not a Iew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Iew which is one inwardly and Circumcision which is of the Heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is â—ot of men but of God ver 28.29 And the ground why the Apostle esteemes these vertues by Nature amongst the Heathens to be the circumcision of the heart is this because it did implicitly and vertually leade the hearts of these Heathens to God in Jesus Christ and the ground why it did so is this Because the foresaid principles of Enmity and Amity was derivatively put into their hearts issuing from Grace in Jesus Christ for it was given in the promise of Christ when God said I will put enmity c. Therefore if it be by man put forth to seeke for God as God extitively drawes it out but in natures voyce it will implicitly and virtually at least move to God in the wrath of Christs righteousnesse imputed under the Notion of mercy for according to the nature of a thing such is its operation But here in Christ wee see was its roote therefore the cicumcision of the heart was its fruite So much for the internall meanes in this narrow way to eternall life by Christ But secondly the externall meanes of this narrow way to life was twofold First the oracle or pillar of Truth as included in Israels common-wealth for by this God did as it were reach forth his helping hand of mercy to these miserable Gentiles under wroth for at first when God gave the Law of Circumcision he then gave a Law of admittance not of Circumcision to goe out among the Gentiles but for Gentiles and strangers to come to Abrahams * Eternall blessednesse by Christs imputed righteousnesse is the bosome of rest to Abraham and all right beleevers bosome I meane the Church in his Family so famous for Godlinesse in the imputed righteousnesse of the promised seed And here by Gods Law they might receive the seale of righteousnesse which is by Faith Gen. 17.12.27 Rom. 4.11 Secondly about foure hundred yeares after this when God reared up the Mosaicall Ordinances a partition wall by hand-writing upon Record differencing the uncircumcised Gentiles more exclusively then ever before and the Jewes more inclusively to the Oracle of life Psal 147.9 10. Ephe. 2. ver 11. to the 16. Yet then also God made a Law of admittance for Heathens and strangers to Sojourne in Israels Common-wealth and gave them the same Rule to come to him in the satisfactory righteousnesse of the promised seed as he did to his elect Spouse Levit. 19.33 34. Numb 15.15 And accordingly we finde of them 43600. furthering the glory of the Temple possessing a glorying heart with the Israell of God at the * Yet the Sinagogues of the Iewes were holy to the Lord as now are on Churches that is as set apart only by the direction and care of the Church for convenient and mutuall meetings to worship God yet not set apart and holy as was this Temple by Gods commandement neither in respect of the place nor the materialls not the forme nor the finall end as to typifie Gods speciall grace by Christ as him in whom all worship must terminate in God by right beleife of the object of Iustification yea the word and Sacraments are but holy instruments instituted by God to communicate by his Spirits manifestation his speciall grace and favour in Christ as the object of Faith dedication of the Temple to God 2 Chr. 2.17 1. Chr. 22.2 2 Chr. 30.25 26. Likewise by Traffique and Marchandizing with this Nation from farre the Fame of Ierusalem and the worship of the Temple with the Princely Priest-hood so correspondent to worldly Glory by these remarkable figures God reached out his hand pointing as it were by his finger to the world that the desire of all Nations should come to answere the implicit seekings to all among the Nations who by patience in well doing did seeke honour immortallity and eternall life So much for the first externall meanes The second externall meanes was more universall even to all the Families of the Earth namely God speaking kindly in the voyce of the Creatures to them in Jesus Christ implicitly for from God his Covenant in Christ first in the Promised seed with Adam and secondly renew'd with Noah
hee gave all mankinde the fruitfull Seasons communicating unto them food and gladnesse so by a good Terrestriall drawing them by Christ Iesus implicitly to looke up for a good Celestiall in him Hence it is the Apostle affirmes God left not himselfe without witnesse in that he gave them raine from Heaven and fruiâ—ful Seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse And saith hee this was that they should seeke the Lord if happily they might feele after him and finde him Acts 14.16 17. Mat. 25.24 Acts 17 27. And the ground why Gods voyce in the creatures doth excitively draw unto Christ in the distilled influence of his Spirit as the dew to the tender hearbe is this because the whole creation is as it were wrapt in the imputed righteousnesse of Christ as in a mantle of mercy for from thence it came to passe that this world is as now it is mans day of grace to receive the gift of eternall glory and therefore as thy tender mercies oh Lord are over all thy works so dost thou by thy kindnesse therein excitively draw man to thee in Christ the hope of glory Psal 145.9 Col. 1 27. And from this ground the Apostle brings in Gods voyce in the creatures joyntly cooperating with Gods voyce in the Gospell begetting Faith in the heart of man so then saith hee Faith cometh by heareing and heareing by the word of God but I say have they not heard yes said he verâ—ly their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the end of all the world compare Ps 19.3 with Rom. 10.17 And from this ground hee tells the beleeving Romans at Heathenish Rome that he was not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ First because it was Gods power to salvation Secondly because it revealed the righteousnesse of God from * Wheâ—efore rightly doth the Author to the Hebrewes leade man to receive the world by Faith Heb. 11.3 and not as made out of that which did first appeare namely the Chaos and that perfection which it received because it being lost by the first Adam it was immediatly restored by the second hee being then the first borne in the Promise of every creature from the dead fall of Adam wherefoâ—e Saint Iohn Rev. 4.24 rightly brings in Christ to be Gods faithfull witnesse and the beginning of the Creation of God joyntly together and aluding to the same ground in his Gospell Chapt. 1. hee brings in Christ as Christ to be the maker of all which was made it being involved in darknesse by the justice of the Covenant for Adams fall and that is implyed beâ—â—use he brings in the second Adam personally God man and so the light and life of man enlightning every man which cometh into the world and alluding to this principle iâ— is that God remembers forgetfull man of his six dayes works as involved in Christ the true Arke of rest to God for man and in him to since all daies as tâ—riâ—ed into an eternall Sabbath of rest here by Faith and there by Fruition Faith to Faith that is from Faith implicite as most weake to Faith expressive as most strong Thirdly because that truth which most Gentiles did detaine in unrighteousnesse God rendered the same to them by his workes in nature for saith hee God shewed it them and then shewes us by what namely the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearely seen being understood by the things that are made Rom. 1. from verse 16. to 20. not that Gods workes doth naturally excitively draw man to God in Christ as naturall but as related supernaturally by Christs opening the wombe of all perfection as the second Adam and first borne of every creature from whence ever since the first blessed seventh day morning it travaileth untill now to be pertakers of the supernaturall glory as precedently is proved So much for the second externall meanes in this narrow way leading to eternall life Againe that this meanes was efficacious to bring these Gentiles thus by nature to eternall life is from Scripture proved implicitly and also more expressively First implicitly by Gods bending his mercifull eare to the Idolatrous Mariners praying so confusedly unto him and yet hee gave them a temporall salvation likewise to Abimilech he pleading to God his uprightnesse according to his light God accordingly acknowledged it to be so and gave him a temporall salvation Likewise the Heathenish Ninivites whom hee threatened with vnavoydable destruction * The faith of the Ninivites was a ceâ—taine beliefe of Gods Word for their temporall destruction mingled wâ—th a dependant hope in him for mercy to remove that misery yet they imploring him under the notion of mercy hee removed their misery by giving them a temporall salvation implicitly touching upon the spirits of them all that if they did but by patience in well-doing seeke for immortality according to their light hee would give them an eternall salvation Ionas 1. from verse 5. to 16. Genes 20. from verse 3. to 7. Ionas 3. to verse 9. Secondly the Scriptures speakes more expressively for the Apostle speaking of these Gentiles excluded the Law having it onely written in their hearts by nature saith That God will render to every man according to his works to them who by patience continue in well-doing seeke for glory honour and immortality eternall life verse 6. 7. and verse 10. hee saith Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also t the Gentiles for there is no respect of persons with God as many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law verse 11.12 And the ground of this point is implyed in the first Chapter and 28. verse from the rule of contraries hee speaking of some of these Gentiles which did withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse saith even as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge so God gave them up to a reprobate minde to doe things not convenient being filled with all unrighteousnesse implying on the contrary that if they had carefully retained God in their knowledge according to the truth which they had received of him that then God in mercy would have kept them from the power of their sinnes in this narrow way to life for before the Apostle saith God would render to them eternall life having not the Law as well as to the Iew. Therefore this meanes was efficacious in this narrow way to eternall life to some and might have beene to more of these Gentiles under wrath for the Apostle having thus proved that the uncircumcised Gentiles doing by nature the things contained in the Oracle of God might attaine eternall life as well as the nationall Spouse of Christ hee supposeth that from hence they would imagine that hee made no difference betweene them and the uncircumcised Heathen therefore in the third Chapter saith hee What advantage then
to dignities and glory in the government of this world for saith the Text Iesus called them unto him and said yee know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so amongst you Mat. 20. vers 25. Likewise by a remarkeable fact he condemned the pride of the priests and others of this elect Spouse in their proud apostasie after the flesh couched under a pretence of the celestiall doctrine the worship and the Temple for the eternall Son of God rides upon an Asse in a contemptible manner into Ierusalem the Metropolis of this Nation and so despised the vanity of all that glory yet this fact tended to the consolation of the meeke in Sion by beliefe of truth as was fore-prophesied behold thy King commeth unto thee meeke and sitting on an Asse and a Colt the foale of an Asse and the common people and his Disciples gave him high praise and glory at which the proud apostate Priests Scribes and the like their hearts did rise for to him they said Hearest thou this but hee repelled this lying Satanicall spirit in evidence of truth and answered and said If these should hold their peace the stones would cry Also hee fore-prophesied the destruction of all their supposed present felicity Mat. 21. from verse 4. to the 16. Luke 19.36 and 42. So much for the second point his witnessing the truth against the spirit of Satan in sinners Thirdly Christ witnessed this truth hand to hand with Satan himselfe for when hee had denyed himselfe not the fruit of one tree as Adam was to have done but all food forty dayes together dedicating himselfe to the great worke of the Redemption of the world in obedience to his Father so mediating for mercy to the world he afterwards was an hungry then came Satan to him and said If thou be the Sonne of God command this stone that it be made bread and Christ by the word of truth repells his assault For Iesus answered him saying It is written That man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God implying that as mans temporary life is maintained by an influence from God in bread so his life spirituall here by faith is in every word of God from the influence of his spirit Likewise then the Divell taking him up into an high mountaine shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world in a moment of time and the Divell said unto him All this power will I give to thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it if thou therefore wilt fall downe before me all shall be thine Iesus answered and said unto him get thee behind me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve implying that himselfe was personally God-man and ought therefore to be worshipped by him Likewise he brought him to Ierusalem and set him on a pinacle of the Temple and said unto him if thou be the sonne of God as thy words import then cast thy selfe downe from hence for it is written He shall give his Angells charge over thee to keepe thee and in their hands they shall beare thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone And Iesus answering said unto him it is said Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God implying what he had said before was his answer Luke 4. So that although the first Adam believed a lye to the destruction of all yet the second Adam was constant in Gods truth dissolving Satans lies for the restauration of all and Satan saith he hath nought in me He likewise discovers to the world what Satans operations was and is for Iohn 8. he saith Saâ—an was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because no truth is in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for hee is a lyar and the fâ—ther thereof verse 44. Fourthly Christ now witnesseth Gods truth against Satans lyes by faith and flames of love to God under Gods most dreadfull wrath so offering himselfe as a whole burnt offering to God yet not but that Gods truth may be witnessed under divine justice and not under wrath likewise under mercy and not under wrath Also under Justice in exceeding great wrath The first was Adams estate in the Covenant before his fall The second is the Estate of the Saints witnessing Gods truth in some conformity to Christ in which respect hee which sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are one Hebr. 2.11 The third was the estate of Christ as the Redeemer of the fallen world for as hee was for our sinnes in Adam and for the Iewes and Gentiles apostasie a sinner imputed Hee therefore in this respect was a man as hated of God as himselfe saith reckoned amongst the transgressors And the truth is so it was with him from his conception to the expiration of his life for although his conception and birth was not in sinne but * Christ partaking mans nature as do children viz. seminally in the womb is a twofold pledge to us first that it was to destroy the workes of Satan in our behalfe secondly after man believeth truth to free him from the feare of death to which precedently all his life long hee was subject Hebr. 2.14 conceived and borne an holy thing the Sonne of God yet his conception and birth was from her in whom was sinne the seed of the Serpent wherefore shee rejoyced in him as her Saviour and salvation So likewise no sooner was he borne but Satan in Herod attempted to bruise his heele Likewise his breeding under his supposed father was but meane a Carpenter Likewise with his kindred which nationally was his Spouse he was reputed but a meane fellow a friend of Publicans and sinners a mad man a conjurer an impostor a blasphemer of God a Divell Therefore rightly doth the Apostle incourage the Saints to undergoe the hatred of the world to consider him that indured such contradiction of sinners against himselfe Hebr. 10.13 Againe the first Adam by the justice of the Covenant in point of triall against Satans lyes was estated not onely in the sweet perfections of the glory of nature but also in the splendor of the Garden relatively drawing him by faith to enjoy God in the heavenly glory but the second Adam not onely under wrath but under exceeding great wrath as appeares in two particulars First by his feares of the neere approach of that wrath Secondly by what it was when he was directly under it first when this houre and power of darknesse did draw neere although it was a thing greatly by him desired as his aspired end to his fathers glory for when he commeth into the world he saith Sacrifice and offrings thou wouldst not have but a body hast thou prepared mee then said I
his peculiar prayer for his Apostles as going in his ambassage for the reconciliation of the world he then also prayes for the world exclusively and inclusively exclusively to those that persist in their precedent apostasie against the imbreathing of the foresaid externall and internall light when it came unto them and hated his ambassadors and in this sense saith hee I pray not for the world for so runnes the force of the implication But on the other side hee prayes inclusively for them which were as once was Cain the subjects of reconciliation wherefore for them hee prayes which shall believe in him through their ambassage directly according to the rule delivered to Abraham Joh. 17.8.9.14 15.20 So likewise according to this rule of cursing and blessing Acts 13. the Apostles by distinguishing betweene them which were the sonnes of peace and them which were not that is betweene the apostate Iewes resisting the call of the Gentiles at Antioch as men of old ordained to that damnation and betweene the concourse of Gentiles in that great assembly who also of old by covenant with Abraham were given to Christ and ordain'd to that salvation wherfore the Apostle rightly referres the efficacious call of the spirit by their doctrine to the levell of Gods fore-ordination with Abraham as cutting betweene these two sorts of people saying when the Gentiles heard this that is their doctrine of God his intended mercy to them they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordain'd to eternall life believed but they shooke off the dust of their feet against these Iewes therby witnessing that they stood as men that were under the foresaid curse or ordination to eternall death for despising that grace which the Gentiles according to Gods covenant did now imbrace verse 41.46 47.48.51 So that the point is cleare that Gods proceedings is without all respect of persons according to his covenant with Abraham for cursing and blessing And the ground why man sinning through ignorance and unbeliefe is the summe or subject of peace and reconciliation and not obstinate refusers of the light is because they are more properly subjectively disposed to mercy then the others for if the one knew the evill of the thing as doth the other they would not so stand out hence Saint Peâ—er saith to some of the Iewes I wot that through ignorance yee did it as did also your Rulers implying that had they knowne that is as did some others they would not have slaine the Lord of glory Acts 3.15.17.19 So likewise Saint Paul of himselfe saith I was a blasphemer a persecuter and injurious but I obtained mercy because said he I did it ignorantly in unbeliefe 1 Tim. 1.13 So likewise to the Gentiles hee preached the same doctrine saying This time of ignorance God wincked at but now he commandeth all men every where to returne Acts 17.30 Wherefore the Apostle might well say as many as the Lord God shall call and yet intend no such thing as is pretended And for conclusion here first observe that there hath proceeded from God a threefold extraordinary call of mankinde in Christ Jesus to enjoy their day of Grace as a day of grace to receive in his gift of righteousnesse the day of eternall glory The first was immediately upon Adams fall in the promised seed of the Woman Chap. 4. This was equally alike universally to all mankinde The second was at Noahs comming out of the Arke when God renewed this covenant of grace to Noah and his sonnes with them and his seed after them which at that time comprehended all alike without respect of persons as Chap. 5. The third extraordinary call of the world was this of the Gentiles as is precedently in this Chapter inlarged when God was found of them that sought him not Secondly is it so that it is extraordinary mercy in God thus to be found of them that sought him not hence observe that this is no ordinary rule for man to rely upon because what is Gods extraordinary rule is not his ordinary rule to man Thirdly observe that in this extraordinary calling of the Gentiles to receive the blessing of Abraham when God hath enlivened the aforesaid dead principle of enmity to Satan and Amity to himselfe that hee will then have man to put forth this enlivened disposition to come to him as he doth excitively draw forth that internall inclination so to convey further mercies I say hence observe that as God will crowne one grace with the guift of another so also (a) From this ground it is that in this fourth estate of man what God commands man to doe before justifying Faith or after he promises his own efficiency to accomplish what he commands that is if man thus apply himselfe or otherwise not as Prov. 1.23 24. c. he will communicate by exercise of the inferiour the conferrence of a grace more Superior as to the first inlivened principle he will adde the guift of Faith and to Faith a power rightly to receive his guift of Christs righteousnesse accounted to be mans to remission of sinnes which is his justification consequently his eternall life by salvation But it will here be objected Object that one man hath more because hee works more consequently hee deserves more Not so but because he works to submit more Answer and so to receive by mercy more therefore he receives more but he that as did Cain by pride so refused to submit or doth it in the remisse degrees he therefore receives lesse mercy or none at all Fourthly is it so that the force of Gods extraordinary pouring forth his spirit raiseth the minde of man to him being dead in sinnes and trespasses Then hence observe also when the spirit of a man is dead in sinnes and trespasses namely when it is habitually habituated to seeke its eternall felicity for the worth of his own righteousnesse or the like errors or habitually habituated to terminate his felicity in a terrestriall or sensuall good of bodily contentments as Psal 49.20 And the ground why this is so is because these habituall errors or the like doth (b) When man is in his spirit dead to live by beliefe in the object of justification if then Gods Spirit doth not imbreath to enliven mans spirit to hearken by som dispositions to Gods voyce and to bring him so beliefe in the object of life he then perisheth eternally for now man can do noe more to raise his mind to God in Christ as the object of justification to salvation then can the Leopard to change his spots or the Black-moore his skin extinguish even the least dispositions to true godlinesse (c) Although it doth extinguish the inclination to true godlinesse yet in some there may remain dispositions to civility or the like namely mans internall dispositions to God and his enmity to Satan flowing from the universall grace of the Covenant but what it is to be twice dead and pluckt up
by the roots appeares in the 12 Chapt. Is it so that when Christ did thus powre out his Spirit upon all flesh that yet at this time be denyed the spirit of Faith to his Nationall Spouse to the most part for their proud Apostasie to their ensuing rejection Hence observe how rightly the Lord of glory returned the same upon them But I said unto you that yee also have seene mee and beleeve not All that the Father * But at this time the Father giveth me the Gentiles to gather by the word of truth to salvation but of you but few for your call is not given to be at this time but in the future as Rom. 11.25 26 27. giveth mee shall come unto mee but not most of you at this time of grace for that 's implyed Iohn 6.35 36 37 38 39 40. Is it so that when Christ came personally into the world he then found Iewes and Gentiles generally both dead in sinnes and trespasses to him as the object of justification to their life and glory yea even his Nationall Spouse generally Hence observe how rightly spake the Lord Jesus Christ to his proud Apostate Spouse saying none can come to mee unlesse the Father which sent me draw him meaning his extraordinary mercy Ioh. 6.44 Is it so that Christ his righteousnesse as imputed by the Fathers gift and conveyed from Kingdome to Kingdome by the word of truth was and is the only object of life and glory and the removall of mans misery which submitted by beliefe of truth to receive that gift of righteousnesse in that sacred object Then hence observe how rightly spake the Lord Jesus Christ of himselfe saying I am the way and the truth and the life no man can come unto the Father but by mee Joh. 14.6 Againe is it so that this extraordinary calling of the Gentiles to righteousnesse life and glory being dead in sinnes and trespasses by their precedent Apostacie that even the second Adams satisfactory righteousnesse obtained as upon Adams fall so at this time also that this world should be mans day of grace againe as a day of grace to receive in it the gift of eternall glory the world of Gentiles being under wrath Then hence observe that from this ground Saint Paul in the 5 of the Rom. rightly brings in Christs imputative righteousnesse as opposed not only to our unrighteousnesse and misery in Adams transgression but also interminglingly opposing it against all mens own personall sinnes against the grace of God in Christ that whereas sinne in both respects had abounded so Gods grace by his gift of Christs righteousnesse did superabound as appeareth from the 8. verse to the end of that Chapter Againe is it so that at the height of Israels Apostacie and at the brink of their rejection from Christ that then God thus extraordinarily brought in the Gentiles to be his Spouse which were not his people Hence observe how rightly Christ in his life time Ioh. 10.16 opposed the certainty of the Gentiles for life and glory to his Apostate Spouse the Iewes then to bee extinguished ver 26. and in the three next verses grounding the stable felicity of the Church of the Gentiles only on his free gift and his Fathers power opposing it to all contrary powers whatsoever for although the Church of the Iewes became totally separated from Christ as now they stand yet so shall never the Church of the Gentiles nor yet the Iewes when they are againe ingrafted into Christs visible Church as was before Prophecied by * For by this word those days is not only meant the first extraordinary light of grace and truth divulged in the Gospell by the Apostles Ministery but this Prophecy also extends to those dayes of that extraordinary call of the Iewes mentioned Rom. 11.25 26 27. when also shall come in the fulnesse of the Gentiles Ieremiah and the Author to the Hebrewes Ierem. 31.33 32 40. Heb. 8.8.10 CHAP. X. Opening what in the calling of the Gentiles was ordinary to continue untill time shall be no more and that Gods proceedings therein is without respect of persons to all alâ—ke THe second Adam and Saviour of the world was not only a Priest in the dayes of his flesh after the order of Aron Heb. 10. by offering his body of flesh and blood so putting an end to that fleshly or bloody Sacrificing Priest-hood in which respect the Apostles in manifold regards referres things to the * The Apostle attributes so much to Christs blood death to leade us by sense to the more firm faith in his blood death as it was the expiration of his worke as the faithful and true witnesse for Gods truth against Satans lies to regaine Gods glory by the salvation of the world blood of Christ and often reiterates the same but also in his Militant Church he was and is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck till time shall be no more that is as Melchizedeck Shem I meane descending from the old world did not only in the Apostacie of the new world at Abel abide in the Faith of the first ten Fathers but also in the time of the Apostasie of his own Family remained durably constant in the oracle of life not only King of Salem that is of peace but Priest also of the most high God after the power of an endlesse life for he continued receiving as appeares in Abrahams Tythes the homage of the Sacrifice of praise for God and to God likewise in Gods stead returning comforts and blessings from God upon man Gen. 14.18 Heb 7.7 Likewise so did Christ abide constant by tradition discending in his spirit on men from the beginning of the old world figuratively by the promised seed of the woman through all occurrents or times of the worlds Apostasie remayned figuratively in the ten Fathers not only King of peace as Milchizedeck but also the Priest of the most high God receiving the Sacrifice of praise to God and for God by man believing truth and returning from God blessings upon them not only by his acceptable satisfactory righteousnesse imputed the ground of all acceptation but also in the oracle of life divulging it by his Ambassadors to the world and the imbreathings of his Spirit into the Spirit of man as sometime reproving the world of sinne as to Cain and the old world in the ten Fathers and in the Ministry of Noah sometimes receiving in good part the Sacrifices of the praise of his grace as in Abell his offering by beliefe of truth sometimes pouring out his blessings of consolation as in Noah his Sacrifice he smelt a savor of rest and comfortably renewed his gracious Covenant c. Sometimes in gracious incouragements to submit to this mercy as he did to Cain and sometimes enlivening the Spirit of man dead in sinnes and trespasses as to these Gentiles we see so raising these dead bones to live in his sight Therefore to continue this
by apostasie went the furthest out from God that ever returned and was received to mercy so that in these foure in each condition God hath shewed us the utmost line or length of the riches of his mercy in which hee will be pleased to glorifie his grace to miserable man For if Salomon and Peters spirits had but degenerated into Manasses and Pauls hatred they had fallen into the unpardonable sinne So on the contrary if Manasses and Pauls degeneration had beene from Salomons and Peters life of justifying beliefe or but from beliefe of divine testimony as divine testimony they had fallen into the unpardonable sinne wherefore Saint Paul right saith of himselfe I did it ignorantly in unbeliefe therefore obtained mercy implying otherwise hee had never Object 3 beene received to grace or glory It will be objected mans will is naturally seee (a) Yet the will of man is no more free from sinne nor free to righteousnesse then it is freed by Christ therefore to attribute any thing well done by man from the force of his pure naturals is absurd See the margent pag. 16. and pag. 28. 38. 121. choosing or refusing all objects vlountarily according to it's naturall liberty consequently it cannot be terminated so firmly to Christ as not to fall finally from the object of life Answer If in Justice God to evill men by detaining his spirit from them they then are necessitated to doe evill being servants to sinne and free from righteousnesse notwithstanding this naturall (b) If in that generall apostasie God did reserve the wils of 7000 so to himselfe as that they did not bow the knee to Baal and also will reserve the wills of men to be a Church to him amongst as Gentiles so as that they shall never depart totally from Christ in the object of justification as hath the Church of the Iewes this 1600. yeeres and also in those dayes when he shall call backe the Iewes that he will then so reserve their wills to him in that object as they shall never more depart from being a Church then why may not the wills of these men which so operate to God be for the glory of his justice in the distribution of his mercy so reserved to God in the object of justification as that finally they shall never depart from him in it notwithstanding the wills naturall liberty which is alwayes free in its choyce freedome of their wills in the midst of light manifested to them as in the rejected Iewes we see formerly proved Then why not on the contrary cannot God according to his promise reserve the will of man to himselfe in the object of life so as it shall never finally depart from him in the object of Faith and reserve it 's naturall liberty free as when hee was found of the Gentiles which sought him not perswading Iaphet dead in sinnes and trespasses to dwell in the tents of Shem as at the preaching of Peter 500 in the voluntary freedome of their will returned to him Againe as if it could not be done by God because our reason doth not perceive the manner how he doth it 1 King 66. as for example Hee made the yron to swim and yet it was yron still as it was in its nature when it did sinke to the bottome of the river By the same reason we may question the growth of our bodies for although we see they are growne in height and bignesse yet the manner how they doe grow is invisible to us Likewise our corne which wee sow the manner how it growes is invisible to us and so is the operation of God to this growth of a reasonable soule to him in this object of life as is implyed by our Saviour Mark 4.28 Ioh. 3.8 And from this same ground whence wee know not the specificating internall formes of things it is that we know not God his terminating of the will wherefore wee must in this point live by faith that God doth it according to his Word and so rest It will be objected that although Mat. 25. Christ impartially Object 4 renders to every man according to his worke either as they did rightly use or wrongly abuse the talents yet hee then at first gave some men more talents then others and to some fewer consequently some at the first are indued with more abilities whereby they may attaine this third degree of the perfection of faith and to others fewer abilities consequently Christs proceedings herein was not equally alike to all for it must be farre more hard to some to attaine perfection of Faith then others consequently all could not attaine this stability alike Yet in this unequall distribution Answ Christs proceeding is to all and all alike without personall respects to one more then to another for if hee honoured some men with more excellencies then hee did others as he over did and will to the end of the world yet it was not with any respects of love to those mens persons more then to others but as to a part for the good of the whole and for his owne praise in all as for instance when God gave to Bezâ—led and Aholiab and others the spirit of wisdome more then to the rest was it not to build the Tabernacle and the Temple those figures of his favour in this object of life and glory to build up the Congregation to him in this sacred object of Faith Exod. 31.2.6 Likewise God honoured Daniel Mordecai and Hester but was it not to continue this nationall Spouse to himselfe in that relation and so Moses David and Salomon to the same end Againe in the new Testament to some hee gave the faith of miracles some to speake all languages some the gift of prophecie some Doctors some Apostles but was it not for them whom he predestinated to this glory with Abraham namely the Iewes and also us the Gentiles and for this end it was why he so highly honoured Abraham from the den of divells to be a friend of God that so God might become friends with us in Christ to the glory of his owne grace but whereas sinne in us by our apostasie had abounded against him so he on the contrary by them might in Christ superabound in mercy to us for if the meanes as a meanes be inferiour to the end as certainly it is then their superiority was to make them subject to our good in Gods glory by Christ Jesus Therefore Gods proceedings is equally and all alike without personall respects to any more then others Object 5 It will be objected that all mankind which are damned in eternall misery occasionally perish for Adams offence once committed consequently God willed Adams fall as an occasion or meanes to their damnation consequently by them their damnation is unavoydable for who hath resisted his will Answ I deny that God willed Adams fall so much as an occasion to the damnation of them that perish for as already is proved God willed their rise to
judge of that holy man Arminius that he is not to be reckoned one of the least worthies of the Lord Jesus Christ because this man in those darke * For Mr. Peter Du. Moulin chargeth him with holding these points first that God elected some men to eternall life upon his foresight of their faith Secondly that God elects all men to eternall life under the condition of faith Thirdly that originall sinne in Infants hath no respect of vice or sinne properly called for nothing is sinne or vice unlesse it be committed by free-will Fourthly hat Arminius against Mr Perkins affirmeth that mans will is free to good as to evill without grace the which points in this Treatise are clearely proved from Scriptures to be errors See Peter Du-moulin against Arminius Cap. 8. p. 48. Cap. 17. Cap. 18. Cap. 32. p. 256. times of the knowledge of this point put forth all his power according to his light and talent against great oppositions to maintaine and preach that God in his gracious mercy in Christ Jesus doth both intend and extend it universally alike to all mankinde without respect of persons Therefore in him God accepted the will for the deed and so must we And on the contrary as for reverend Calvin his stiffe maintaining that error which made the waters of life bitter to mankinde namely that God hath personally decreed before the world to unavoydable destruction the greatest part of mankinde for the everlasting praise of his justice Calvin Instit 3 book 22. cap. 11. 3 book cap. 21.5 and personally elected the lesser part unavoydably to eternall life for the praise of his glorious grace I say notwithstanding this holy mans error his works and great labours savour of most unfeyned Godlinesse which setleth a Crowne of reverence upon his head through all ages wherefore we are thus to judge of him that this error fell from him from love to Gods glory in the comforting of the distressed Church of God and therefore in him it was error of love and not that he loved to erre Ninthly againe it will be objected he that loveth another Object 9 hath fulfilled the Law consequently that man is a perfect man in the perfeâ—tion of degrees of inherent righteousnesse Rom. 13.8 The conclusion is falsely deducted for hee that loveth God by his rules or Lawes Answ as leading to him in Christ the object of faith hath fulfilled the Law but how even because Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth as God imputed it to Abraham Rom. 10. for his further entrance into the glorious Kingdome of Christs gracious mercy as is formerly declared Againe he that loveth another being his Idolatrous and wicked Neighbour as he is his own flesh and Gods creature made of one and the same blood and Gods as is himselfe by right of redemption or that doth love another man as a mysticall member of Christ as is himselfe and in that love doth cherish him as Abraham did Lot In both these respects he is kinde to the unkinde to the just and the unjust and so is perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect that is in a similie or likenesse unto him for as saith our Proverb every like is not the same and therefore but imperfect inherently still for he that saith hee hath no sinne is a lyar c. Againe the truth is God never required such perfect obedience of any man but of those which were able so to performe it and they were only two of all mankinde the one was Adam when he was a publique person before his fall the other was Christ who was the second Adam in the worke of the first to the redemption of all Therefore do not derogate from his glorious works not arrogate to thine own inglorious * For returning to God by beliefe in the object of justification is right repentance only therefore although faith is the receptive instrument of that object and mourning and weeping doth accompany that repentance yet neâ—ther is the removall of sins guilt or punishment only Christs righteousnesse imputed is the ground of acceptance therefore beware of ascribing sorrow to be repentance of of faith for acceptance lest we unawares uphold the erroneously of the mystery of iniquity maintained by the Roman Antichrist works nor be not deceived by that wicked one who teacheth this Doctrine whom Christ shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightnesse of his coming Object Againe it will be objected that by those words I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman is meant the woman should envie Satan for the evill done unto her and so one Divell may envie another Answ This implies that God gave in the promised seed no more good in these words I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman then have the damned Spirits under eternall reprobation which is absurd Reply To this is replyed that all mankinde since the fall are conceived and borne with no better internall dispositions tending to God then is the nature of Divells Answ It appeares the contrary in the worst of men if not delivered up from the universall grace of the Covenant to a finall impenitency notwithstanding their acquired habits in evill there is in them some internall dispositions naturally to God which is not found in Divells for although Mathew the 8.29 Divells can ground their requests to God on his justice not to torment them before the time of their finall bruise by the seed of the woman Mat. 25 41. but they are not naturally inclined as are all mankinde to ground their prayers unto God upon his goodnesse and mercy as for instance that innumerable company of Heathenish Ninivites beleeved Gods word of wrath to be true for their present destruction yet they invocate him intirely upon a dependant hope of mercy from him Ionah 2 9. So the Mariners in their Idolatrous manner implore the Divine Majesty in apparant destruction upon a dependant hope of mercy from him Ionah 1.15.14 Secondly there is in all mankinde a naturall inclination to worship the divine Majesty as is apparant not only in the Ninivites and Marriners but also it is the ground why all Nations whatsoever have some kinde of Religious worship even to those which are Divells as to a Deity above themselves and also to God as unknowne Acts 17.23 which internall dispositions are not in Divells although the true God to them be knowne for as they cannot implore God under the Notion of goodnesse nor mercy so have they neither any set form of religious worship to God but all destruction and Idolatrous errors and lies in Gods worship amongst men originally arose from them aswell as from mens own remissenesse by not improving this internall principle of enmity to Satan and amity to God as precedently is proved To this it will be objected the divels know Gods Law Object 11 and the very knowledge of it writes
it in their hearts and so although the Heaâ—hen had not the Law yet by some meanes they might come to know the Law and so the Law became written in their hearts Suppose some did so come to know the Law Answ yet it makes nothing to the purpose for it is one thing to have the Law of Christ in the Theory in some mens minds as it is in the divels and another thing to have the spirit of man inclined universally to worship the divine Majesty and to implore the same in time of need with hope of mercy yea so farre that if this be improved in man having not the Law it will neverthelesse terminate in the true circumcision of the heart as is plainly proved in the 7. Chap. of this Treatise Againe as for the divels and men so farre forth as they adhere to him their consciences may accuse them of evill but that the consciences of divels can excuse them in any respect of uprightnesse to God-ward as did the consciences of these Heathen excuse as well as accuse Rom. 2. but not so in divels by any testimony of Scriptures therefore the spirits of all mankind were meetly disposed by the foresaid infusion and the serpents nature as reduced but to a seed to receive mercy from the throne of grace in Jesus Christ But it wil be objected this disposition came not by Christ Object 12 in the foresaid infusion but it is the remainder of the Law left in the fall of Adam hereditarily descending in the nature of man This contradicts the former because it grants some good dispositions naturally inclining mankinde to God which is not in divels Againe Answ this implyes the justice of God was not universally full in the fall of Adam therefore man lost not the Law totally and eternally consequently not all holinesse and righteousnesse consequently some power internally remaines by which he may returne to God in the Covenant as it was in the first Adam for no power is in it selfe of no use proper to it's end therefore not this Againe it implyes the fall of Adam was not so irrecoverably deepe as to need the second Adam to be a person infinite in power by it to raise us from that vast misery consequently the restauration of the world may rather be attributed to the dignity of Christs Person then to the absolute necessity of his person so dignified in power to make good his Fathers truth against all the lies of Satan to the full satisfaction of divine Justice in the improvement of his personall operations as in the 8. Chapter is proved Againe it eclypseth the glory of Gods grace and mercy by Christ Jesus because it referres this internall inclination of the Law written not to Gods universall mercy in the gift of the promised seed when none but the Image of Satan by his lies was written in mans heart by Satans malice and mans owne remissenesse and by divine Justice totally and eternally so to remaine And in a word because this brings man to turne his eyes to looke upon his left and remaining abilities so that all he hath before faith is not received from Gods mercy in Christ but from his owne store and so by pride to fall from grace Therefore this internall disposition was infused by Gods universall grace in the promised seed And to conclude as this opinion on the one side lessens the glory of Gods Justice in the fall of Adam and also the glory of Gods grace by the second Adam the restorer of all so also it continues an intermingled confusion in the body of Divinity Object 13 to the furtherance of the mysteries of iniquity Againe it will be objected although by Moses God doth expresse the planted and inclosed garden of Eden was made with every tree good for food and pleasant to sight and different from the perfections of the created globe and made in the midst thereof to grow two trees and named the one the tree of Life the other the tree of Knowledge of good evil Likewise threatned Adam with certaine death if hee did eate of the fruit forbidden him yet because God did not in plainnesse of speech expresse that by these two things he prefigured to Adam that by his worke in the Covenant God intended to raise the world from it's naturall perfections to a supernaturall perfection and man to the glory of Angels or to an evill equivalently contrary therefore we are not to believe any such thing was then intended by God to Adam as a publike person by Covenant Answ It doth not follow by any just consequence if wee carefully examine Gods proceedings in manifesting to mankind the transcendent glory of Heaven for as to Adam in the garden before the fall he did not in plainnes of speech expresse the same so never after till the fulnesse of time for till then God at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son in open face and plainnesse of speech but never before Heb. 1.2 3 2 Cor. 3.12.18 But to proceed to a particular answer for proofe of the point and first as God did not by Moses in plainnes of speech declare what he meant to Adam before the fall by those figures so neither after the fall by Moses to the world was Christ the second Adam in plainnesse of speech exprest to be the first borne of every creature from the dead fall of Adam opening the wombe of all perfection but in figures as by Cain as the first borne and by the Law of the first borne of mankind and the Law of the first borne of beasts and the Law of the first fruits of vegetables as growing in the terrestriall Canaan Exod. 13.2 Exod. 22.29 30. Neither was it ever in plainnesse of speech made knowne by Moses nor the Prophets that the whole creation travelleth till now with man believing truth from the bondage of corruption to be partaker of the glorious libertie of the sâ—nnes of of God but onely figured as by a Law for the land to rest as well as for mans rest and in the number of seven as pointing at perfection as pag. 35. 36. Neither was it by Moses not the Prophets made knowne to the world in plainnesse of speech that Christ as God-man should second the first Adam in the worke of the restauration of the world but inclusively in the promised seed of the Woman to breake the serpents head and also as the seed of Abraham and David c. Neither as by Moses in plainnesse of speech did God expresse that the garden of Eden was the figure of Angels glory to Adam so neither did hee expresse by plainnesse of speech to Israel that the Land of Canaan was to them a figure of the heavenly Canaan but by the agreement of the Type with the Antitype as is implyed Esay 51.3 yet the Apostle concludes that God denyed them rest in the Land of
Canaan by oath because of their unbeliefe Heb. 3.1.8.9 and therefore in the next Chapter the Apostle applyes the figure namely that Canaan was to them a figure of their supernaturall rest in the kingdome of grace by faith and the kingdome of glory by fruition Heb. 4.1.2.3.10.14 so that the Apostle implyes they were and wee are bound to beliefe it was so to them though it was never declared in plainnesse of speech So neither in the old Testament in plainnesse of speech to the ten Fathers before the flood neither by the Prophets after the flood was it made knowne that hee intended the heavenly glory to mankind but figured that hee intended it to man submitting to him in the obedience of faith by the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype as in the first world by Enoch who in the obedience of Faith walked with God and was received into the highest heavens soule and body joyntly So likewise by Elias in the time of the Prophets Genes 5.24 Heb. 11.5 2 King 2.5.11.12 So likewise the particular place in which Christ should finish the worke of raising the world to what it travels till now was no more exprest by Moses to man in plainnesse of speech for that end then was the garden of Eden for the same end to Adam but onely by the agreeablenâ—sse of the Type with the antitype as by Abraham offering Christ in Isaac within the Land of Canaan upon the mountaine assigned him by God as is further amplified in the 8. Chapter of this Treatise Likewise the garden of Edens glory as Gods terrestriall Throne before the fall prefigured to Adam the eternall glory of God so in the land of Canaan Salomons thronized glory from the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype by the Psalmist is brought in as a figure of Christs eternall throne of glory and not in plainnesse of speech Psalm 45.6 Heb. 1.8 Likewise when Christ by the brightnesse of his comming and the spirit of his mouth shall have consumed the mysterie of iniquity now maintained by the great Roman Antichrist so as that the (a) This is Gods fouâ—th extraoâ—dinary me cy in Christ extended to the world the other three are in pag. 120. fulnesse of the Gentiles and the miserable Iewes shall heare the spirit and the Bride say come in the outbreake of the purity of the celestiall doctrine and that most simple godlinesse universally shall abound as the most immediate embleme in the kingdome of grace of the Saints in glory that ever the world did yet containe Then that Church or the city of the living God or the heavenly Ierusalem issuing the streams of this celestiall doctrine and so convey Christ the object of Faith to the health of the nations is likened to Adams first originall paterne in the garden of Eden for saith the Text Rev. 22.17 the 1. 2. he shewed me a pure river of water of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb and in the midst of the (b) Whe eaâ— Rev. 20. this most transcendent in largement of Christs visible Church is called the Saints raignâ— with Christ 1000 yeeres and it implyeth no more but this that this glory shall certainly he and that it shall have a time of duâ—ation although since the world began the Saints successively did onely in faith and love with Christ remaine but with him in this world they did never raign for the g ound of the point is this because till now Christ did never sway the utmost end of the earth for his possession by his Scepter of truth for aâ— Satan in the old world and so to the time of Christs comming swayed the greatest part of mankind in his lying operations so after Christs rising as the Sun of righteousnesse to the nations by the Scepter of his truth and then Satan extinguished the Saints raigne with Christ by the Heathen Emperours and the abundance of heresies and by the Roman Antichrist in the confines of Christendome and so Satans throne was advanced and the Saints then onely remained with Christ witnessing that of right Christ should raigne but did not but this raigne of the Saints with Christ shall revive that cause of the martyrs and so they shall now live in the glory of that cause for which they then died and by the force of divine truth in that transcendent raigne shall Satans lying operations in the prevalencie thereof be extinguished and so shall Satan be imprisoned in the said duration for 1000. yeeres that is a certaine number put for an uncertaine See pag. 14 15. and pag. 104 105. street of it and of either side of it was the tree of life Likewise to this alludes the Lord Iesus Christ Rev. 2.7 saying I will give to eate f the tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God All plainly proving that this last and greatest splendor of grace by the second Adam was with reference to the paterne of the first Adam in the Covenant and that the eternall felicity by faith and fruition was intended therein though not in plainesse of speech And heere observe two things from this Chap. Rev. 22. First that the Apostasie of mankind from Christ in that purity of the celestiall Church on earth at the most immediate embleme of the glory of God in heaven God will therefore expresse more severe justice upon the world for their apostasie from that then ever before The first is that God will never more extraordinarily raise man out of his filthy apostasie from his grace in Christ Iesus but will leave him to perish in his owne corruptâ—on And this is implied in the 11. vers when it is said he that is unjust let him be unjust still be that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy lâ—t him be holy still The second thing is this that their apostasie from this greatest light and grace shall bring on the greatest demonstration of Gods righteous judgement upon the world that ever was namely the last day of the worlds generall judgement implied in the 12. verse where the Lord Iesus saith and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his worke shall be I am Alpha Omega the beginning and the end I am the first and the last whereupon saith S. Iohn Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that they may have right to the tree of life verse 14.15 So much for the third part of time of Gods impartiall proceedings intending and extending eternall life and death to all and all alike without respect of persons from the time of Christs comming in the flesh to the time of his comming at the day of judgement in flames of fire And from the whole Treatise take this generall observation consisting of five particulars namely what Gods decree was Observat after the counsell of his owne will before the world was As first Gods decree before the world was that God purposed in himselfe to create this world perfect in all it's parts and man the chiefe thereof as appeares in Chap. 1. That then God also purpos'd in himselfe for the eternall praise of his communicative goodnesse and justice to raise this world by Adams improvement of his perfections being the chiefe part therin to a celestiall perfection or to sinke it downe to an evill equivalently contrary to the glory of his Iustice as is described in Chap. 2. Thirdly then also God purposed in himselfe that the knowledge of evill which he in time pronounced to Adam that in the day he did eate the forbidden fruit then that sentence should passe to immediate execution for the eternall praise of his justice as appeares in Chap. 3 Fourthly God then also purposed in himselfe that by Adams most ungratefull fall hee would glorifie the riches of his mercy and his communicative gâ—odnesse and justice and therefore before the world was God covenanted with the second person in sacred Trinity Tit. 1.2 2. Tim. 1 9. Ephes 1.4 being essentially the one God and sonne of God to assume in time the nature of Adam as the chiefe part of this creation not onely to be ready in point of time as the Male Lamb in the bush but also that then the execution of divine justice should and did immediatly upon Adams eating of the forbidden fruit passe upon Christ to the fall praise of Gods justice to all eternity and so brought in the glory of his mercy by restoring the fallen world to the promulgation of his communicative goodnesse as first in the beginning of time in the type and secondly in the fulnesse of time in the truth in the redemption of the world as is proved Chap. 4. 8. Fifthly God then purposed in himselfe to glorifie his mercy communicative goodnesse and justice by the distribution of that mercy individually upon every of mankind first by giving to all and all alike in Christ Iesus both the meanes and end namely to eternall glory I doe not say he gave any thing to them to attaine eternall life but onely as a meanes to receive his gift of eternall life as attained by Christ the second Adam and Saviour of the world and so to glorifie his gracious goodnesse and mercy in their salvation Or on the contrary to glorifie his justice on them which abuse his grace by a proud persisting in obstinacy for terrestriall trifles to reject his gift of Christ and his righteousnesse the onely ground of mans felicity And that God doth thus impartially glorifie his Iustice and mercy individually upon mankind is proved in the threefold parts of time as from Adams casting out of Paradise to Abraham from Abraham to Christ from Christs comming in the flesh to his comming in flames of fire at the end of time as Chap. 6.7 9 10 11 12. And as for any other decree of God then this concerning the eternall state of mankinde the Scripture speakes it not Glory be to God in the highest heavens on the earth peace and good will to men FINIS