one with the word of truth the Gospell of saluation verse 13. The summe is Which so rich benefits of wisedome and vnderstanding he did worke in vs when now he had opened vnto vs that secret wisedome which his will had ordained to our glory that Gospell of saluation which he did out of his gracious pleasure which within himselfe not looking at any thing in vs he purposed toward vs. Doct. Obserue first God worketh sauing wisedome in none to whom he openeth not the doctrine of wisedome the Gospell of saluation As God did promise that the hearts of the foolish should vnderstand so likewise he did promise that all of vs should be taught of him And looke as the precepts of Grammer and doctrine of Logicke must be made knowne and opened vnto vs before we can get the Art or wisedome of Grammer and Logicke so it is we must haue vnfolded the doctrine of Gods sauing wisedome before wee can haue wrought in vs the diuine qualitie of this wisdome which commeth from aboue For further vnderstanding it is fit to consider what things this opening of the Gospell comprehendeth in it or how God doth open this sauing wisdome to vs. 1. Outwardly by propounding the doctrine of it vnto our eares which he doth by his Ministers for this cause Ministers are called such as teach others in wisdome Col. 2. the end Such as feede with wisdome and vnderstanding Ier. Such as make wise as it is Dan. 12.3 For though it be read wise the word hath an actiue signification and importeth to make wise or bring to wisedome as the next word doth not signifie iust men but such as turne others to righteousnesse Euen as in great Schooles there are inferiour Vshers as well as the principall Master so it is here It pleaseth God by mans outward ministery to open the eyes of the minde and bring from darkenesse to light but mans teaching which goeth but to the eare cannot doe this matter Wee must therefore consider God speaking within the minde by holding out some such light and causing such an inward illumination as doth speake things no lesse to the minde then a word audible doth report them to the eare This is it which we are said to heare and learne from the father should not the father speake and teach wee could not heare neither is it an outward voice for all that heare this voyce come to Christ which is not verified in the other And this is that light which diffusing it selfe through the word wee heare doth make the things of God visible to the soule Euen as not the ayre alone but the ayre now inlightned is the meane by which things are made discerneable to the bodily eye In the third place we must consider that God doth together with this illumination which speaketh and propoundeth things within the minde he doth I say together with it open the eye of the vnderstanding the eare of the deafe heart to see and attend vnto it This is called sometime renewing the vnderstanding giuing light opening the heart to attend remouing the vaile For if I will shew to a blinde man any thing it is not enough to propound the obiect and to procure an externall light by which it may be discerned but I must restore the sight of the blinde eye before I can show it the thing proposed So it is with vs who are spiritually blinde before we can haue opened to vs the things of God Vse 1 The vse of this is first to rebuke such who thinke they can be wise enough to saue their soules though they haue none to open to them to instruct them in this hidden wisedome of the Gospell Blindnesse and bold presumption accompany each other But deceiue not your selues Thou who canst not go to a Towne two myles off which thou neuer wentest to but thou must inquire and get some guide and direction canst thou finde the way to heauen hauing no guide no direction Thou who canst not learne thy A B C. but thou must haue a Schoolemaster why wilt thou imagine thy selfe able without helpe of teaching to learne this high point of wisedome which teacheth to liue happy with God world without end Vse 2 Let vs attend vpon the Preaching of the Word and the teaching of this wisedome as euer we would haue it begunne or increased in vs Blessed are they who waite at her gates at the postes of her doore A speech borrowed from Clyents or Patients who waite to haue accesse to their learned Counsell and to the Physitians whose aduise they seeke for Yea let vs seeke for that inward teaching of God in whose light onely we come to see light Doct. Obserue secondly That the doctrine of our saluation through Christ is a hidden secrecie The Apostle calleth the doctrine of Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2. a hidden wisedome which the chiefe for wisedome in this world knew not 1 Tim. 3. Without doubt saith the Apostle great is the mistery of godline sse naming after points of doctrine concerning Christ Iesus And needes it must be so for the great volume of the whole creature hath not one letter or syllable in it of this wisedome They reueale a wisedome for in wisedome God made the heauens and founded the Earth in vnderstanding but those who knew this wisedome best Pro. 3. learned nothing of this sauing wisedome in Christ 1 Cor. 1. Againe there is no sparke of light in man by nature able to conceiue this secret The wisedome of the Law the light of nature reacheth not for the light of reason discerneth that God is to be loued and honoured that I am to doe as I would be done to and not after that measure I would not receiue But of sauing man kinde lost by faith on Christ and repentance there is no light left which can trace any step of this doctrine Thirdly the knowledge it selfe is of that height that from what time we haue the spirit which doth teach it wee cannot in this mortality know it any thing as we should wee see but in a glasse know but in part like Children which know not fully the things they know Now that which is hid in so great measure from vs who are now light in the Lord how great a secret is that in it selfe But to open this a little further The Gospell of saluation may be called a Mistery in three regards 1. absolutely because it is a thing of it selfe within the will of God which no creature by it selfe is able to know If a thing within my minde be such that no creature can know it further then I make it knowne none doth know the things in Man but the spirit of Man how great a deepe and secret is that which is within God himselfe Thus it ceased when God did first reueale it but yet a Mistery still in regard of the spare reuelation and small number of those to whom it was manifested For a thing is not onely hid while I
of the flesh being such a one who descendeth from Abraham according to the flesh for it is most plaine that these did make them thinke themselues within the compasse of the word because they were Israelites and the seede of Abraham in regard of bodily generation propagated from him and Arminius doth decline that in obiecting and answering which this discourse consisteth Beside that though the sonnes of the flesh may signifie such who carnally not spiritually conceiue of the Law yet the seede of Abraham without any adioyned is neuer so taken The assumption which is to be proued is this That many of Abrahams seede are such to whom the word belongeth not The word which belonged not to Ismael and Esau but to Isaac and Iacob onely and such as were like to them that word belonged not to many of those who are the seede of Abraham and Israelites But the word shewing Gods loue choise adoption blessing of Israel and Abrahams seede belonged not to Esau Ismael and such as they were but to Isaac and Iacob Here Arminius hauing those legall iusticiaries thus gathereth his sillogisme Ismael and Esau were types of such as sought iustice in the Law Ismael and Esau were reiected Isaac was reckoned in the seede Isaac was a type of the children of the promise Ergo the children of the promise are the seede Ismael was not in the seede but Ismael was a type of all who sought righteousnesse in the Law of all the children of the flesh Ergo the children of the flesh were not in the seede The conclusions are true but not pertinent to this sense for the children of the flesh heere are those onely who in course of nature came from Abraham the children of the promise those who were so borne of Abraham that they were in Isaac called to the heauenly benediction But in laying downe this reiection of Esau from benefit of this word belonging to the seede and taking of Iacob he sheweth plainely that it is not a reiecting of those in Abrahams seede who were iusticiaries as iusticiaries because that Esau was reiected before hee was borne or had done good or euill from part in that word made to Israel and Isaac taken to the heauenly benedicton before any thing which might moue thereunto marke Ergo in the 10.11.12.13 ver three things First the equity of Esau and Isaac in Parents conception merits demerits onely in birth Esau had preheminence Secondly marke the word Came signifying the election of the one calling him to the heauenly inheritance with the reiection of the other which is laid downe verse 12.13 Thirdly Marke the end why God did choose and refuse before merits or demerits in the end of the 11. verse by a Parenthesis viz. that Gods purpose according to his free election might abide for euer while it depended not on workes in men which are changeable but on himselfe who freely calleth whom he wil to this heauenly glory The scope of this example is the same with the other viz. to proue that all of Israel and all the seede of Abraham were not such to whom the word declaring Gods free Election and Adoption to the heauenly inheritance belonged That word which belonged not to Esau but to Iacob that belonged not to many of Abrahams seed by consequence that may stand firme though a multitude of Abrahams seede be reiected but the word declaring Gods election c. But the Apostle doth lay downe the manner after which the word choosing and adopting Israell refusing Esau was giuen forth viz. that it came without respect of good or euill which might moue vnto it that hee may preuent a second obiection which the Iewes might make from their owne righteousnesse in respect of the Gentiles sinners for they might thinke it impossible that Gods word could stand with reiecting them who were righteous in comparison of the Gentiles receiued for hee conceiued this included in that quaerulous obiection First is Gods induration a cause why hee is angry with vs Secondly can he be angry with vs who are hardned by his vnresistable will Thirdly can he be angry with vs iustly The Apostle in this 21. ver telleth vs that that induration is not the cause of Gods anger but anger of induration for none are hardned but vessels now of wrath by their owne deseruing 2. Saith he God beareth them with much patience and doth not harden them by will irresistable 3. God doth it for most iust ends and thus a reddition might be framed saith he a maiori ad minus Shall the Potter haue such absolute power in his clay and shall not God haue power to decree the hardning of those who iustly deserue it and that with such a will as doth expect with much patience their conuersion and all for the obtaining of most iust things But for this latter it is plaine the argument of the Potter is a pari or minori if it be compared to God Shall we thinke that God hath lesse power ouer his creatures then the Potter God I say Besides that Gods actuall induration beginneth where his patience endeth who createth and maketh the clay hee disposeth And to vse this similitude to Arminius his order is to illustrate a thing by that which hath nothing like for Gods worke by that Arminius conceiueth hath no resemblance to that the Potter doth as is already shewed For the matter answered First he conceiueth not the question right They aske not whether Gods induration be cause of his anger but whether God may be angry at them who come to this state of being hardned Now this is certaine that men hardned and forsaken are the obiect about which Gods anger is exercised as a malefactor punished is the obiect about which the Magistrates anger is exercised though punishment is not the cause why he is angry but the effect of it neyther is there one word in this verse which testifieth God to harden such with whom he is angry for sinne vnlesse to beare with patience signifie to harden and vessels made or prepared to destruction men now hauing by sinne prouoked God the first absurd that an act of patience should be induration opposed to mercy the other equiuocall as a vessell prepared to glory is not a vessel now beleeuing and sanctified and actually fitted for glory so on the contrarie For the second it is false that heere is any thing to testifie Gods will vnresistable which the Apostle did neuer except against but rather iustifie and yet maintaine it equall by a comparison fore-construed And this is no argument why his decreeing will should not be irresistable this I say that hee vseth patience toward those whom he hath decreed to reiect hee conceiueth the will of God to haue come to election and otherwise to include an appetite as it were of hauing some thing which hee will not worke by his omnipotency but he whose omnipotency is not in euery thing he is not a God omnipotent for there
be partakers in his spirit Hearing is euery where made the beginning of our comming to God He that heareth and learneth from the father Ioh. 6. If ye haue heard and learned Christ as the truth is in Christ Ephes 4.21 The word hath beene fruitfull in you from what time you heard c. Col. 1. This was the sense by which first death entred Eue hearing the Serpent was seduced and this is the sense by which wee are restored Looke as the ground cannot be quickned with fruits till it receiue seede and the dewes from heauen no more can our soyle be quickned with the spirit and fruits of the spirit till by hearing it hath taken in this seede immortall drunke in this heauenly shower of Gods word Now it is not euery hearing which is accompanied with the spirit but hearing with the heart so as the heart is affected to doe that it heareth There is a hearing with the eare bodily thus many may heare who doe not vnderstand Ergo heare doe not heare If out-landish men were here such as did onely know their owne forraigne language we might talke lowd enough in English not fearing their hearing of vs. There is a hearing ioyned with vnderstanding when yet the heart is not affected to doe after it and this hearing is no hearing also If one heare vs asking him to doe this or that if he haue no minde to performe it we say hee cannot heare on that side It must Ergo be such hearing as Lydea heard with whose heart God opened to attend to Pauls preaching Vse 1 The Vse of this is to let vs see that where there is much hearing yet the word is not there heard as it should be Who commeth to haue his heart burn within him to be filled with the spirit by hearing by being taught being admonished It is pittifull We may obserue some like Iudas who was when now he had heard Christ and taken the sop he was filled but with Sathan they are viler after hearing then before the most like children when Schooling-time is ended Nay it is to be feared that some with hearing are growne past hearing as those who dwell neere the continuall roaring of mighty waters they waxe deafe through continuall hearing such vehement noyse so that they cannot heare any thing at all so many the sound of Gods word hath so long beatē their eares that they cannot discerne any thing in it what euer is spoken Vse 2 Secondly this must teach vs to attend on hearing Wouldst thou keepe the spirit from being quenched despise not prophecie hearing the Scriptures opened to thy vse Euen as the Conduit-pipes carry the water hither and thither so doth the word conueigh the graces of the spirit into our hearts It is a peale to bed when men can be without hearing not feeling neede of it as some times they haue done Doct. 2 Secondly obserue what word heard bringeth vs the quickning spirit the word of the Gospell A mans drooping heart vpon the comming of some good newes to him it feeleth as it were new spirits returne to it so our dead hearts when God hath made this glad tydings of saluation and pardon of sinne be brought them there doth returne to them a quickning spirit of peace and ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Receiued you the Spirit by hearing the Law or by the Doctrine of faith preached Gal. 3.3 And for this cause the ministery of the Gospell is called the ministery of the Spirit not of the Letter because this doctrine doth onely bring vs to receiue the quickning spirit which doth worke in vs a life eternall The Law may bring vs to feele our selues dead Rom. 7. but it cannot quicken any Though when the Gospell hath now quickned vs it may instruct vs reforme vs yea delight vs in the inner man Rom. 7. many things may helpe vs when now wee liue which could not be meanes of restoring vs from death to life But it may be obiected the Gospell is said a sauer of death as well as the Law is said a a killing letter I answere The Gospell is said so not that directly the nature of it is to kill but by accident of mens corruption who reiect and will not obey it it turneth to their further condemnation As the Kings pardon cannot kill any by it selfe yet despised by a malefactor it may double his guilt and bring him to more hasty and fearefull execution So the gracious pardon of God offered in the Gospell killeth not any by it selfe saueth many who receiue it yet despised it may by occasion worke heauier death and destruction But the Law doth of it owne nature hold a man now in state of sinne vnder death and condemnation and cannot of it selfe bring any to life who now hath offended The words I speake to you saith Christ they are spirit they are life Euen as the body of the sunne diffuseth as an instrument the beames of this materiall light so it is the Gospell that instrument of God by which hee sendeth out the light of his gracious spirit into our hearts Vse 1 The Vse of it is to stirre vs vp earnestly to desire this sincere milke of the Gospell Euen as there goeth out naturall spirits with the milke the babe draweth from the mother so the Lord doth accompany this word of his which the Church ministreth as milke with that supernaturall spirit which giueth quicknance to life euerlasting Euen as we doe daily renew our feeding to repaire the decay of naturall spirits in vs so must we neuer be weary of renewing and encreasing that supernaturall life and spirit which we haue receiued from Christ If thou hast the spirit heare that thou maist keepe it if thou wouldest haue it and wantest it attend on hearing remembring how the Eunuch receiued the spirit Acts 8. and how while Cornelius and his friends heard Peter opening the good word of saluation the holy Ghost did fall on them to the wonder of the beleeuing Iewes who accompanied Peter Doct. And here before wee passe to the generall Doctrine note from this that the Gospell is called the word of truth that all Gods promises made in Christ are true and faithfull They are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. They are true and worthy all entertainement 1 Tim. 15. The whole word is true For like as the witnesse is like is the testimony or deposition which commeth from him Now God is faithfull and cannot lye but this is attributed to the Doctrine of the Gospel as agreeing to it with a certaine excellency before other parcels of the word For the Gospell is sometime called by generall names as a doctrine of godlinesse a Law a Testimony Sometime it is described by the author the Gospell of God sometime from the obiect the Gospell of Christ of the kingdome sometime from the property as an eternall Gospell a good word a true word as here sometime from effects as in the next words a Gospell of saluation Now it
themselues that God hath thus exalted them and not enuy worldly men their full estates in this present world Heyres are glad to borrow trifles with Seruants sometime while they are vnder gouernment so God doth hold his Children low for a while in this present life Againe why should we enuy them seeing they haue but a state of life granted them in this most remote and vtmost part of our inheritance Will a Childe thinke much a Parent should giue a pension for life out of this or that while he hath greater things farre left him yea the inheritance of that also out of which an anuity as it were for a time is graunted to some other Thus it is our Father dealeth with vs while he doth both reserue for vs greater things also bequeath the euerlasting inheritance of heauen and earth to vs in which wicked ones haue but a state of life till wee shall come to our full age in Christ See more of this verse 11. Doct. 5 Obserue lastly who they are to whom belongeth this inheritance viz. the Saints such as are not onely cleansed from the guilt of dead workes but by the spirit of Christ renewed to true holinesse and brought to walke in all holy Conuersation 2 Pet. 3.11 1 Thes 4.7 For wee are called in Christ both to outward and inward sanctification See Acts 26.18 So likewise Coloss 1. To receiue inheritance with the Saints Made vs fit to haue inheritance with the Saints in light If you aske this question why wee shall haue the inheritance of life it is answered the grace of God in Christ is the cause why we obtaine it If you aske who shall haue it see Psal 24.3.4 Hee whose hands are innocent whose heart is pure who looketh not to vanity This inheritance as the glory of it decayeth not no doth not so much as wither so it is for state and vndefiled inheritance no vncleane thing may enter Reuel 21. Againe to whom doe men leaue inheritances is it not to Children or Allies who haue the same flesh and bloud as it were with them So God will not giue his inheritance but to those who haue the diuine nature and are made holy in some likenesse as hee is holy though not in like perfection Vse 1 The vse is to let many see how they deceiue themselues who looke to be saued but loue not holinesse they loue to liue after their ignorance and lusts they will mocke at men who will not runne to the same excesse of ryot which themselues doe Know this that when wise men will not leaue their substance to children of an adultresse God will neuer giue thee the inheritance of glory while thou continuest a childe of this world louing nothing so much as the pleasures pompe and profits of it Vse 2 Let vs in the second place labour for holinesse True holinesse it is not a good nature nor morall iustice nor externall profession of religion so farre as standeth with our owne wills No where wee first renounce our will there we first beginne to be holy What then maketh Saints to finde out how our whole nature is polluted to strike at the roote and seeke to get purged of that sinne which dwelleth in vs to fight against those sinnes custome complection age company most incline vs vnto to seeke to God to make vs grow vp in holinesse and his feare he that doth these things is happy he that doth not these things is but a painted sheath and whited sepulchre he hath nothing but a powerlesse show which the Lord abhorreth VERSE 19 And what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs who belieue according to the working of his mighty power The second thing to be knowne is the power of God not that absolute power by which he can do what euer is possible but that power ioyned with his will which was put forth for finishing the worke of faith in them who now belieued This power is described by the quantity in those words the exceeding greatnesse of his power from the persons whom it respecteth towards vs who now belieue the principall cause of their belieuing being next adioyned viz. the efficacy of his mighty power which was put forth in raysing Christ from the dead The summe That you may not onely know the hope of glory laid vp for you but also more fully see the excellent great power which hath wrought doth worke and will worke out for vs who belieue all that saluation and glory we hope for in the heauens for vs I say who are brought to belieue by the selfe-same effectuall working of Gods almighty power which he wrought or shewed while he raised Christ from the dead Doct. 1 Obserue then first that Gods belieuing children know not at first any thing clearely the great power of God which worketh in them God doth worke wonderfully passing by vs and we see him not changing his place and we obserue him not Iob. 9.11 It is as nothing which we know of his waies Iob 26. vlt. And as he reuealeth his wisedome in afflicting vs once twice and we heare him not so he doth againe and againe manifest his power but wee are not able to conceiue it This is part of that light to which is no accesse the eye of our mindes especially at first weake not able to looke against it Vse 1 Wee must not then be discouraged if we cannot conceiue of God in any measure as wee desire Our children at foure or fiue yeares old what doe they know of our wisdome knowledge strength There is a common-wealth in the head of a man no part whereof once entreth into their childish vnderstanding When our children can so little trace the waies of vs their earthly parents how much lesse able are we any thing fully to know the working of the strength wisedome mercy which are in our heauenly Father Some may thinke it strange that so exceeding great a power should worke and not be discerned when the least bodily force put to vs is presently perceiued but it is not with this power as with bodily their working is violent and manifest the working of this is sweet and imperceiueable when the heauens by their influence worke on bodies and yet are not commonly discerned how much lesse is it to be wondred at if this spirituall Almighty power doe insinuate it selfe in such sort as it is not commonly obserued by vs Againe as the brightest light while it shineth in a thicke cloud seemeth rather darkenesse then light so this power while it worketh in middest of manifold weakenesses is not to outward appearance so powerfull as it is in it selfe Vse 2 Let vs labor more and more to know this power of our God put forth for vs. We loue to know the strength of things or earthly persons to whom we trust for till we know our selues on sure hand our thoughts are not secure Thus we should delight to know this power of God to whom wee trust