his perfect love as naturally an holy man without sinne nor all those manifold works hee did as personally God man even to blood and death but by his righteousnesse that was imputed I meane only this one worke to which all precedently named were but meanes namely his dissolving Satans lyes * Our second Adam and Saviour improved his personall perfections as our suâ—etâ— against the spirit of Satan his lyes in Saints Sinners Divells and under the 2. fold Separation and so made good his fathers truth namely that God really and simply intended Eteâ—nall glory for man with Angels or the contrary according to his revealed will in either estate the which gave full satisfaction to divine Iustice and was accepted in the behalf of the World and therefore imputed to the worlds felicity and mans the cheife part therein by witnssing Gods truth as is described pag. 101.102.111 And the reason why this only was imputed is this because only this is it which all men should set to their seales in this fourth estate of man and was the first Adams worke in the Covenant and then to be imputed to the supernaturall felicity of the world as Chapt. the 2. Therefore the second Adams witnessing Gods truth to the repelling all the lying powers of Satan is only that righteousnesse which by God is imputed to the supernaturall felicity of the world in Generall or to man beleeving truth more speciall as precedently is described CHAP. IX Declaring Gods impartiall proceedings in the third part of time to the Gentiles when by the Gospell he called them to the blessing of Abraham THe call of the Gentiles I will referre to two generall heads First to the extraordinary call for a time Secondly to the ordinary call to continue till time shall be no more And in the first this was extraordinary that upon the promised seed his fulfilling all righteousnesse the partition wall of the Mosaicall Ordinances of God should be abolished by which the uncircumcised Iewes precedently had insulted over the uncircumcised Gentiles and yet those Mosaicall Ordinances witnessed not only the Gentiles exclusion from the oracle of life but also against the Iewes for their own Apostasie from Christ wherefore he saith unto them even Moses in whom you trust doth accuse you Joh. 5.45 But upon Christs fulfilling all righteousnesse this witnesse against the Gentiles was canceld for so Saint Paul writes to the Gentiles remember saith hee that you being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called uncircumcised by that which was called the circumcision in the flesh made with hands that at that time yee were without Christ being aliants from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promises having no hope and without God in the world But now in Christ Jesus yee who sometimes were afarre off are made nye by the blood of Christ for hee is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition betweene us having ab lâ—shed in his flesh the enmity even the Law of commandements contained in Ordinances for to make in himselfe of twaine one new man so making peace c. Ephes 2.11 Likewise God pouring out his spirit upon all flesh was extraordinary as Acts 2. saith the Apostle this is it which was spoken â—f by the Prophet Joel it shall come to passe in the last days saith God I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and your old men shall dreame dreames c. vers 16. And this powring out of Gods spirit was two-fold that is externall and internall first externall for whereas before God did in his externall call excitively draw the Gentiles to Christ it was but implicit by the voyce of the creatures and as formerly is declared likewise his externall drawing of the Iewes was but by the Gospell as wrapt up in the glorious vaile of Moses therefore the externall way to eternall life to all the world was then but narrow and obscure but now made broad and perspicuous by the naked externall demonstration thereof as in the spirit of prophesie the wonderfull gift of Miracles by the Apostles understanding the Oracles of life more cleare than ever before and divulging the same in burning zeale for the glory of God by the salvation of the world and in the wonderfull gift of tongues by plainnesse of speech excitively drawing the Gentiles or rather God in Christ by them reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes and manifesting to them that their precedent ignorance hee regarded not but now admonishing all men to returne from lying vanities to imbrace their owne mercies that the confused fugitives of Babel tasting the waters of life at Ierusalem cryed out saying How heare wee every man in his owne tongue wherein we were borne Parthiaus Medes and Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopotomia and Iudea and in Cappadocia and in Pontus Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia in Egypt and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene strangers of Rome Iewes and Proselites Cretes and Arabians we doe heare them speake in our tongues the wonderfull works of God and they were all amased Acts 2.8 Thus from Ierusalem as from Paradise or the throne of God now did issue the living streames of eternall life to the families of the earth dead in sinnes and trespasses wherefore precedently Christ said unto his Disciples Yee shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the utmost parts of all the earth and accordingly at Ierusalem they first receiv'd this power from above which they thus divulged Luke 24.49 Luke 2.39 and so God perswaded Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem and in this extraordinary call he was found of them that sought him not nor asked after him all being gone out of the way and become abominable none seeking after God doing good no not one Thus God who keepeth covenant and mercy for thousands according to his purpose as with Abraham he predestinated and prepared them to this glory So now hee called them to it in Christ Jesus externally and so much for the externall powring out of his spirit upon all flesh Secondly the internall powring out of Gods spirit upon all flesh I say powring out because in comparison of his precedent dropping into the hearts of the Gentiles circumcising their spirits as aforesaid and as to the Iewes but sparingly in comparison of this powring out in this day of Salvation and acceptable yeere of the Lord It was but sparingly as by drops and that which the spirit did now internally powre out upon the spirits of all men may be reduced to two generall heads first wheresoever the Oracle of truth manifested Gods gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed as it went from Kingdome to kingdome by the conduct of the spirit like a Chariot of light and life rising upon the nations as the sunne of righteousnesse with health under his wings the first powring into
the spirit of man for health was this namely it did quicken or enliven the originall principle of amity to God and enmity to Satan even as it did upon the fall of Adam by Christs restauration of all in the type then put into the nature of man hereditarily to descend as precedently is proved so now likewise upon Christ his fulfilling all righteousnesse in the truth this infused principle which was now dead in sinnes and trespasses was by the imbreathing of the spirit of God wheresoever the Gospell came it quickened and enlivened man in dispositions to harken to the externall call of Christ in the object of faith to the end they might receive the gift of faith to receive life in Christ wherefore saith Christ If any man will doe Gods Will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Joh. 7.17 18. Likewise he saith Verily verily I say unto you the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live Joh. 5.25 And the last clause where it is said they shall live leades us to the second part namely the spirits internall more speciall powring upon all flesh that is answerably as men did come in the precedent enlivened or renewed dispositions to Christ in the Gospel as being the object of faith held forth by the word of truth as the brazen Serpent from thence by the powring out of the Spirit they should receive the spirit of faith to be able to receive life in the object of faith as before in the precedent P. Hence it is the Apostle saith Awake thou that sleepest that is under those renewed dispositions towards Christ and stand up from the dead that is and rouse up this grace to harken to Gods call to the object of life and Christ shall give thee light that is the light of right beliefe as the truth is in Iesus from strength to strength and so to receive life in him Ephes 5.14.8 Hence it is that at Ephesus the Apostle said of God even when wee were dead in sinnes hath he quickened us together with Christ by grace yee are saved Ephes 2.5 and saith hee not of workes lest any man should boast for wee are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which God hath afore ordained that we should walke in them that is by his fore-ordination with Abraham as before is declared He also saith to those Gentiles Worke out your salvation with feaâ—e and trembling for it is God which worketh in you bâ—th to wiâ—l and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 and the ground why God did thus extraordinarily externally and internally powre out his spirit upon the spirits of the Gentiles dead in sins and trespasses was this That as sinne by their apostasie had raigned unto death even so might his grace raigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 5.21 A second ground was this that unlesse God had so excitively drawne them by powring out his spirit they neither could nor would ever come to him by Christ which is implyed by the words of our Saviour when he rebuked the Iewes in their proud apostacie being dead to live in him he saith no man can come unto me except the Father which sent me draw him Joh. 6.44 Likewise to those Iewes having the power of this enlivening spirit imbreathing upon their spirits and stâ—fled by them he saith Yee will not come unto mee that yee might have life Joh. 5 40. So that we may plainly see even under this extraordinary powring out of Gods spirit upon all flesh his proceedings are equally alike to all without respect of persons for then he sends forth his great Commission into all the world saying to his ambassadors goe yee into all the world and preâ—câ— the Gospell to every creature he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved hee that believeth not shall be damned Marke 16.15 16. Hence Saint Peter saith of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10.34 35. all which is according to the first modell delivered to Caine if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted c. Hence observe by the way that God is a God keeping covenant for as hee ordained these Gentiles to glory by covenant with Abraham he now accordingly called them to receive it wherefore Saint Peter urgeth the Gentiles upon this ground as well as the Iewes to returne to God in Christ saying repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and receive the holy Ghost for saith he the promise is made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts 2.39 Object But it will here be objected because he saith as many as the Lord God shall call therefore God intended not to powre his spirit on all and all alike consequently some were personally reprobated c. Answer The Apostle might well make this restriction yet never have any such intention First because he knew Gods proceedings upon the kindreds and nations of the earth should be by degrees calling some sooner and some later and not all at one time as all on a day as wee use to say therefore hee might well say as many as our Lord God shall call although it be intended personally alike to all Secondly the Apostle might well say as many as the Lord God shall call because hee knew God from the beginning had ordained to deny the efficacie of his call to some sort of men as he did to Cain for when he predestinated both Iewes and Gentiles in Christ Jesus with Abraham hee then gave the same rule of cursednesse to man turning this grace into wantonnesse as well as blessednesse to man submitting to it in the obedience of faith as formerly is declared therefore hee might well say as many as our Lord God shall call c. So likewise our Saviour alluding to this same rule of cursing and blessing to families and cities in the call of these Gentiles hee saith Some are the sonnes of peace and some are not Luke 10.3.5.18 For not onely believers but all mankinde in generall especially at that time of grace were the sonnes of peace that is in a reconcileable condition to God in Christ Jesus as for example although Cain was not a believer as was Abel yet there was a time when hee was a sonne of peace that is reconcileable in Christ his acceptable righteousnesse by Gods owne nterrogative testimony although afterwards hee was not for rejecting the spirits reproofe of sinne and so gracious an incouragement of him to submit to receive life and glory as formerly is proved Likewise our Saviour according to this rule of cursing and blessing in
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
an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie that wee might have strong consolation who fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the object of justification c. Heb. 6 17. Wherefore saith the Apostle the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do these things you shall never fall that is not totally nor finally from the object of justification and that is only implied in this Text for he that saith he hath no swarving from this sacred object by sinne is a lyar for as he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him so on the contrary If we say we have not sinned wee make him a lyar and the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 2.4.2 chap. Joh. 1.10 and the reasons why God not onely thus makes perfect justifying beliefe by operation but also gives to the Saints an undissolved relation to him in the object of justification to be as mount Sion which shall never be moved are these The first is drawne from the nature of the exercising any ability which the more 't is exercised the more 't is perfected for as use makes perfectnesse so custome breeds another nature Hence saith the Psalmist I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law this I had because I kept thy statutes Likewise hee saith I have more understanding then the antient because I have kept thy Statutes and he saith Blessed is the man that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditate day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in due season Psal 1.2.3 Psal 119.55.100 A second reason is because the most perfect operations of justifying faith brings man most passively subjective to God to receive in his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed the fulnesse of all that leads or ends in blessednesse therfore as every effect the more it doth subject it selfe to it's cause the more influence for it's perfection it doth receive from that cause so also in this Hence saith God to his redeemed Spouse I am IEHOVAH thy GOD which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 but by the way for further incouragement to men of an honest and good heart to presse forward to faiths perfection I will here explicate the different operations betweene the perfection of faith in the one and the imperfections of the other as first betweene righteous Lot weake in saith and Abraham perfect therein for Lot being more weake in the spirit of faith was therefore more strong in the spirit of this world as once were the Apostles desiring to be chiefe in sensuall felicities but Abrahams mind was farre more free from these intanglements for he preferred his communion with Saints in the bond of peace and love in relation to Christ before the fertile pleasures of the plains of Sodome for to enjoy this he leaves Lot to choose that and takes for his aboad what Lot refused Gen. 13.8 9.10.11 So Moses perfect in faith esteemed Christ in the object of Faith with reproach greater riches then the pleasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward implying hee esteemed Gods gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed to be mans exceeding great reward consequently his owne wherefore in Idolatrous Egypt hee refused his relation to the crowne of Egypt in that hee refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Gen. 15.1 Heb. 11.24.25.26 Again men of an honest and good heart yet weake in the object of life They then are in zeale against sinners preposterously pitilesse as was Iames and Iohn who for Christs sake would have them consumed with fire from Heaven but take man more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object then hee knowing the terror of the Lord doth perswade men for saith the Apostle the love of Christ constraineth us because wee thus judge if one died for all then were all dead implying because in love Christ died for all men then dead in sinnes and trespasses that this love of him constrained them to perswade sinners to life and salvation in him 2 Cor. 11 14 Againe being but weake in this sacred object they therefore savour the things of men and not the things of God as did Peters counsell to Christ so hee stooped to please men but not as man perfect in faith becomming all things to all men to save some as did Saint Paul but basely dissembling perverting his trust which Christ put in him so hazarding the salvation of men as he did at Antioch but Paul more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object openly reproved him to his face not caring what hee or they thought of him in the right discharge of his ambassage to them Marke 8.33 1 Cor. 9.22 Gal. 3.11.12 13 14. Againe men of an honest and good heart yet weake in faith to this sacred object the crosse of Christ will bring them to doubt as did the men going to Emaus for they said wee trusted it had beene he which should have redeemed Israel Luke 24.21.25 but on the contrary man perfect in faith under the crosse saith We know that the Sonne of God is come and hath given us an understanding that wee may know him that is true even his Sonne Iesus Christ this is the true God and eternall life 1 John 5.20 Againe man weake in this sacred object of justification doth over value his inherent righteousnesse telling Christ What great things hee will doe for him more then others as did Peter but man more perfect in beliefe of this sacred object is of another minde saith Saint Paul who is fit for these things meaning to doe great things for Christ according to their ambassage and saith he wee know but in part darkely through a glasse 2 Cor. 2.16 1 Cor. 13.8 and saith the Prophet Esay Woe is mee because I am a man uncleane because I am a man of uncircumcised lips Esay 6. And the ground of the point is this man perfect in beliefe of Gods gift of Christ his righteousnesse imputed firmely believes according to truth that the seed of the Serpent intermingling his inherent righteousnesse therefore makes it internally as a menstruous cloth and externally at the best but unprofitable wherefore as hee desires to be found in Christ his righteousnesse in point of imitation to sanctification so also to be found in it as imputed for a continuall acceptation for remission of sinnes and salvation still referring all his great workes for Christ to Christ his owne efficiency in him as Saint Paul not I but Christ in mee Phil. 3.9.10 Againe a third reason why God gives this perfection of faith to men of an honest heart which thus exercise to him more then to them which to this object of life
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
the ten Fathers before the flood by beliefe of truth reached the Oracle of life from hand to hand through their generations page 53. 54 That God would rather have glorified his mercy in the salvation of the old world then his Iustice in their destruction yet all that perished in that flood perished not eternally p. 55 That upon Noah his offering in a figure Christs satisfactory sacrifice God renewed his mercy universally to the world page 56 57 A particular description how Noahs first off-spring carried themselves to God ungratefully for that mercy and how God proceeded against them for that page 58 From whence all hellish Paganisme did originally spring page 59 Because of mans apostasie from God in the object of justification therefore hee confined the Oracle which conveyed that object to narrow bounds three times pag ibid. What the number of eight did signifie in reference to Noah page 56 In what sense Christ is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe page ibid. That God the second time predestinated man in Christ by covenant with Abraham man being by his universall apostasie then fitted to destruction page 60 61 In what sense God hated Esau loved Iacob p. 65. 72 73 That the Church of the Gentiles shall never totally depart from Christ as hath the Church of the Jewes p. 122. 123 In what sense God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth page 74 How man comes now to be necessitated to sin p. 83. 84 85 What most properly is Gods Booke of Life page 88 That in heaven amongst the Saints there is no difference of degrees of glory page 89 90 That God gave rules how hee would have man put Christ to death so as hee would be well pleased with them that did it page 82. 83 That the Saints faith is not the condition of the covenant of grace page 87. 88. The Law of Moses distinctly explained page 67 What absurdities doe follow the misapprehending of Moses Law page 78. 79 What made the way to eternall life narrow to mankinde yet in that narrow way man might and some did attaine eternall life Chap. 7. That God directed the second Adam as well as the first by Allegories to his eternall happinesse in the work of the worlds redemption to which he was borne in five relations P. 100 A definition what that truth is to which Christ was the faithfull and true witnesse page 101 What righteousnesse of Christ it is which is imputed or accounted to man in generall or to the Saints more speciall page 113 That God never reprobated man personally to unavoydable damnation page 112. 113 That his powring out of his spirit extraordinarily upon all flesh was twofold page 115. Of the Jewes rejection in wrath page 85. 86 Of the Jewes reception to mercy page 86. 87 Of the Lords Supper or in what sense Christs flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeed page 66 Of Baptisme page 37. 38 A definition when the spirit of a man under the covenant of grace is dead in sinnes and trespasses page 121 A definition what man is a righteous man Chap. 11. A threefold degree of justifying faith page 128 Justifying faith defined and also the perfection of it page 131. 132 Other faiths distinguished from justifying faith pag 130 In what sense Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck page 123. 124 The different operations of justifying faith perfect and imperfect page 138 139 What reward God rendreth to the Saints for their good and evill workes done in the body page 140. 141 142 The manner how God perfecteth Iustifying faith in the Saints pagâ— 134 to 138 That the naturall liberty of the will is no barre to keepe man from an undissoluble union with God in the object of justification page 150 151 Of Manassâ—s Salomons Pauls and Peters different backslidings pag. 149. 150 God loved Abraham Daniel and David being considered personally no more then the persons of other men generally page 150. 151 In what sense the Saints raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres page 166. In what sense justification is referred to faith pag. 77. That the will of man is no more freed from sin and free to righteousnesse then it is freed by Christ therefore to attribute any thing well done by man from the force of his pure naturalls absurd page 150. 151 That God willed not Adams fall to the damnation of man yet God willeth the damnation of all that perish eternally page 150. 154 A briefe description of the Antichrist p. 155. 156 157 From the whole Treatise as opening the maine scope of the Scriptures is definitively laid downe what was Gods decree before the world was after the counsell of his owne will concerning the eternall state of mankinde page 167. 168 Errata PAge 5 line 15. for God reade good p 6. l. 32. erfections r. perfections p. 7. l. 4. boded r. lodged p. 11. l. 12. Adaras r. Adams p. 13. l. 42. farth r. earth p. 19. l. 36. conditiâ—n r. condition p. 23. cap. 4. l. 5. after work r. of p. 73. in marg untorne r. unborne p. 79. l. 29. blot out farre p. 86. in marg externall r. eternall p. 93 l. 25. wrath r. worth p. 99. l. 9. type r. high p. 114. l. 8. uncircumcised r. circumcised p. ib. l. 29. God r. Gods p. 117. l. 14. at Ephesus r. to the Ephesians A TREATISE OF FREE GRACE CHAP. I. Opening the first Adams pure Naturals which was his first Estate THe first Adam in this world passed through foure Estates two before his fall the third was his fall the fourth was that estate after his fall The first produced him good and not evill and this was the estate of the creation The second propounded to him good and evill and this was the State of the Covenant betweene God and him The third was his transgression namely his fall and this produced him the losse of all good and an hereditary possession of evill totally and eternally The fourth was the State of the Restauration of the world by the second Adams Redemption and this propounded to him and all mankind good and evill The Estate of the felicity of the Creâ—tion produced to Adam a fourefold good First his Personall perfections secondly his continuall support of the same thirdly an onenesse or selfenesse with the parts of the whole creation fourthly the perfections of the whole creation led his reasonable soule in love by his senses to a perfect union with God Of these in their order First his Personall Perfections are described by Moses Gen. 2 7 in three particulars first the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth and that was the perfection of his body secondly he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and that was his soules creation by infusion thirdly man became a living soule that is compleatly composed in his Vegetative Sensitive and Rationalls or in his Personall
this fruit to the ruine of him and all the world and his posterity if hee had not beene remisse of all comprised in the conditirn of the Covenant Now as Adams remissenesse brought on this sinne of omission so his sin of omission brought on his sin of commission namely the eating of the forbidden fruit for when the divell in the Serpent told them saying yee shall not die at all and also that their obedience to Gods commandement denying themselves that fruit was the onely thing that kept them from having their eyes opened to be as Gods to know good and evill thereupon the Woman seeing the Tree and that the fruit was good for food saith the Text and that it wâ—s pleasant to the eye and a Tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3.16 Shee tooke the fruit thereof and did eat and gave it to her Husband also and hee did eate to Gods great dishonour esteeming his truth as false and God himselfe to them as a meere imposture and so magnified Satan as faithfull beleeving his lyes for truth because they imbraced them with a plenary consent and thereby they ventured the world their posterity and themselves upon his lies and so became the Generation and Offspring of reprobate Divells for it was with them now as it was with the Divells as the Angels became Divells not by change of their Essence but by change of their operations not abiding in the truth so this made them and us * And as we aâ—e pâ—rtakers of the diaâ—olicall nature by union with his will opeâ—ations as Iâ—hn 8.44 so on the contrary are we partakers of the divine nature not essentially but by the union of our will with his word by which we fly the corruptions that are in the world through lust 2 Pete 1.4 17. Iohn 17.21.22 23. as Divells by full amity to Satans will and enmity to God in beliefe of Satans liâ—s And thus was this sinne finished And so much for the first branch namely The evill of Adams transgression Secondly the evill of punishment followes yet not evill punishment because it was just and therefore good and just because according to the equall Ballance of the conditions of the Covenant that was good or evill as Adam did obey or disobey and therefore because Adam transgressed the Covenant justice now required these particulars First the extinguishing the perfections of the Creation from us because it was dependant on Adams worke in the Covenant and hee by eating the forbidden fruite denyed its perfection therefore it to him in justice must not only be stript of aâ—l perfections but on the contrary by Gods power turned into defections crosse operations and hideous representations to mans toâ—turous torment as the first fruits of his remote damnation because th s was the contrary evill In this third â—â—tate man was more deepely dead in sinnes and trespasses then hee can be in this world in his fourth Estate although hee be twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Secondly under this dreadfull Estate Justice now required that in it be that could of stones tell how to raise Children to Abraham should finde a way to raise a Posterity of Aâ—aâ— which to the last of man kinde must have bâ—n produced in conceptions births breedings dâ—spositions and operations totally evill like the generations of Serpents yea as reprobate Divells for if all must have bin equivalently contrary in evill to the precedent good as we see it must therefore so in this particular Thirdly as the prefiguration of the Plantation was the most immediate meanes to leade man by Faith to his highest end in eternall felicity Justice requireth contrarily that now thâ—s Plantation must be turned into the most certaine demonstration within the confines of the creation of our full terminating in eternall tortures to all eternity As Adam by refusing Gods truth refused the place and fellowship of Glory with the elect Angells by choosing Satans he so on the contrary Justice now required that he and his posterity must descend successively to the place prepared for the Divell and his Angells in fellowship with them as to our last and everlasting Habitations Mat. 25.41 for now all man-kinde and Divells were in Reprobation As the Latitude of Gods glorious Attributes are displayed in â—aking shaping and creating the supercelestiall Heaven of Heavens to be the most immediate expressions which demonstrate the glory of Gods Essentiall perfections to the ultimate felicity that men or Angells can be capable of On the contrary of this place for Torment Justice required that the Latitude of Gods Attributes glorious in power and wisdome must be stretcht out at as equall a distance to make shape or create this place with most dreadfull visions of the Almighty in the most torturing torments that the nature of Divells or mans body made spirituall can be capable of for a Spirituall body is not a body glorified no more then to be a Spirit but it is powerfully capable to inherit the glory of Angells or the misery of Divells to which we all should have descended none excepted for the Covenant was for al and al alike therefore in this vast depth of Gods pure justice we must ever have bin sinking in despaire never to come to the bottome thereof for the wrath of God must have bin feeding it as with Rivers of fire and brimstone to our torâ—urous torments to all eternity therefore endlesse easelesse remedilesse in darknesse never seeing light Esay 30.33 Againe mans conscience beholding the evill of his sinne how easily really certainly hee might once not only have avoâ—ded this torment but on the contrary might have attained to the height of all felicity to all eternity This worme would to Adam and will to all men which will needs be perishing be ever gnawing with griefe and never cease and so all man-kinde should hereditarily throughout all generations discend as travailing together to the foresaid place of their ultimate miserie and infelicity with this Creation as stript of its precedent perfections into crosse defections and operations c. Yet man not then sunke downe to his ultimate misery by Separation of his Body from his Soule as now man doth but in a personall union both of body and Soule together For the justice of the Covenant could not admit so much rest to mans Body as to sleepe in the dust nor any time of respit of execution for a day to come to judge the world buâ— immediate execution was to passe according to judgement In the day â—hou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death But this Judgement pass'd not to execution according to justice because that as by the offence of one judgement passed upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.16 even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the justification of life And so we are come to Adam and our fourth Estate in the restauration of the world by Redemption in the second
Adam and that is the next generall ground to be handled Observation If this dreadfull judgement was not executed as most certainly it was not then here observe that for Adams offence or evill of sinne in transgressing the Covenant by eating the forbidden fruite not one of man-kinde was ever damned or ever shall be because of the second Adams righteousnesse interposing that judgement by Gods guift imputed to all man-kinde as will more appeare in the next Chapter Observation Although man-kind was so dead * As is described in Cap. 3. yet no man but Adam and Eve in the justice of the Covenant was individually so dead but radically all men was so dead and that two waies as first in their loynes as in our naturall roote but this was not properly it from whence we came to be totally evill as the Devills as is described for this Estate simply considered propounded us no evill but good only as is proved Secondly that wherein they were our most proper roote in this point was the Covenant for in that God propounded for us evill aswell as good and from this ground came our evill in which we might and did become so deservedly deeply dead in sinnes and trespasses but because Chriâ—t tooke off the execution of that judgement therefore although we were deservedly radically so dead yet therefore neither radically inherently so neither individually * That is not totally according to justice in neither so therefore praise to God ever in him and for him Amen CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth estate of Adam and all man-kinde under the second Adams Restauration IN this Estate is handled six points whereof five are finished in this Chapter but the sixt point is handled in the eight ensuing Chapters The first is that the Lord Iesus Christ is the second Adam 2. That God appointed him so to be before the world was 3. That in that very point of time that Adam failed in the worke the Covenant the Lord Iesus the second Adam first entred upon the worke of the Covenant 4. That by the same entrance he removed for ever that judgement which passed upon all men to condemnation and therefore it never proceeded to execution 5. By him also the world together with all man-kinde was estated to goe on travailing towards that perfection which by Adams fall it lâ—st 6. That in this fourth State the proceedings of God is equally alike intended and extended to all man-kinde for eternall life and death without respect of persons That the Lord Iesus was the second Adam Saint Paul speaketh expressely for saith hee the first man Adam was made a living Soule the second man Adam was made a quickening Spirit The first was of the Earth Earthly the second was the Lord from Heaven And the same Apostle saith further as by one man came death by man came also the * All mankinde first had a dependance on the first Adam hee being a publike person by Covenant whence all fell in him so also on the second Adam did all mankinde depend to be raised from that fall and so were all and therefore non perished for Adams transgression so shall all be raised by him out of the dust they first which by Faith have submitted to receive life in Gods guift of Christs righteousnesse shall rise to eternall felicity and they which refuse so to submit shall be raised by him to perpetuall shame Resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all die even so by Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his owne order c. 1 Cor. 15. Againe saith hee If by one mans transgression death raigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the free guift of righteousnesse shall raigne in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all to the justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by tâ—e obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.17 18 19. Therefore Christ was the second Adam He was appointed by God so to be before the world was for St. Paul affirmes that that felicitie which was lost and which men now or ever hereafter shall attaine unto was appointed with him for them by God before the world was Titus 1.5 Ephe. 1.4 2 Tim. 1.9 Againe saith Wisdome or Christ of himselfe The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his workes of old was I set up from everlasting from the beginning before ever the Earth was Prov. 8 22. Againe Christ pray'd his Father to glorifie him by his assistance in the worke of the Restauration of the world to attain the glory hee had with him before the world was Iohn 17.1 2 3 4. c. Againe Saint Peter saith Our Redeemer was a Lamb without blemâ—sh or spot who verily was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for you 1 Pet 1.19.20 And the ground of God his revealing to the world that he did fore-appoint Christ before the world was to this worke was not only to give us to understand that in him hee worketh all things after the councell of his will but also that we should know by his mercifull appointment he stood ready as the Ram in the Bush to save Isaac from his Fathers executing knife as the Male-Lambe without spot to take off that most dangerous judgement which was to passe to execution immediatly to the worlds unrecoverable misery for Adam his transgressing the Covenant mans misery being Gods opportunity for in the Mount will the Lord be se ne Gen. 22.13 14 verses That in that very point of time wherein Adam failed in performing the worke of the Covenant the Lord Iesus Christ the * Câ—â—ist was not the second man by naturall production and so the second Adam for if so then must Caâ—â— have beene the second Adam therefore Christ was the second Adam beause he immediately followed the first Adam in the work of the Covenant to the restauration of the falne world second Adam then first entred the worke of the Covenant although Saint Peter tels them to whom he wrote his Epistle that Christ was manifested in the last times for them yet Christ the second Adam in this worke was manifested by God in a figure the same houre that Adam fell which is implicitly expressed in the new Testament for saith the Text Then they sought to take him meaning the Lord Christ but no man laid held on him saith the Text and gives this to be the Reason because his houre was not yet come Joh. 7.30 So also himselfe saith the houre is come Mark 14.41 Againe and the very houre in which he did finish all righteousnesse by the expiration of his life as a satisfactory sacrifice to Divine justice as the Lambe of God is expresly set
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
is explained in pag. 32. Or how was the worke of a perfect rest in Christ by Faith and in fruition by hope finished from the foundation of the world as the Author to the Hebrewes affirmes Hebr. 4.3 and as is explained pag. 25. To the second part of the Objection true it is by Adams default hee was as is described pag. 30. dead in sinne farre more deepe then I suppose you meane for man being dead in sins and trespasses against the universall grace of God in Christ is farre different from that in Adams fall as to be twice dead and pluckt up by the roote is different from them both as in the prosecution of the sixth point will clearely appeare To the third part of the Objection true it is mortality seized upon his body but it is also as true that by mercy in the blood of the Lambe mans body came but thus to be mortall for this mortality doth but at most separate the soule from the body which is but the shadow of that death intended in the Covenant for us in the fall of Adam as is described pag. 21. 22. 23. and as will more appeare by the death of the second Adam in the eighth Chapter following Object 4. Your observation is refuted Rom. 5.12.13 c. Are all Infants that die saved if not what is the cause of their condemnation Answ To the first part Rom. 5.12.13 the Apostle to the praise of Gods universall grace parallelling the first Adam to the second Adam hee there layes downe a double Argument the first that although by Adams sinne sinne entred into the world that is originally as the cause of all mens perishing when they were dependant on him in the Covenant for afterwards hee was as are all men Christ only excepted but a private man cap. 5. So that Adams sinne as now it is is but the occasion of mans sinne by his owne default to his eternall destruction and their owne sinne is the onely cause thereof as committed against Christ and the ground thereof is exprest by the Apostle in the 18. verse following Secondly it is further implyed in these two verses that that mans sinnes now so committed that is against Christ to whom all power is given and to whom all stand related for good and evill that the prevalency of their sinne against him doth increase the prevalency of the shadow of death unto them namely the frequency of the separation of the soule from the body and also of death in the substance namely mans separation from God his chiefest good in this relation and united to the contrary evill and by his owne remissenesse being ignorant of all yet then God in mercy to the promise added the Law to reveale to reckon or impute mans sinne unto him that he might see how hee runne on his owne misery wherefore in the 20. verse rightly saith the Apostle The Law entred that the offence as the spring of misery might abound that where sinne abounded grace might much more abound that as sinne had raigned unto death even so might grace raigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Iesus Christ verse 21. Therefore my observation is confirmed by the Apostle in these verses and not refuted See these verses further explained in cap. 9. to the second part of the objection yes all Infants are saved and therefore I can shew you what once was the cause of their condemnation namely Adams one offence when he was a publike person and the signe of it now onely remaines in their nature to meet and dispose them as fit subjects successively to receive salvation in the universall grace of God by Iesus Christ as saved creatures namely the poyson of the Serpent as reduced but to a seed the foresaid infusion flowing from the estate they are now in namely Gods universall mercy in the promised seede imputed righteousnesse as is further described pag. 36. 37. Object 5. If Adam fell the ninth houre of the sixth day Pag. 25. how did God in the end of that day see all his workes to be very good Answ I demand of you how he did see all his works the sixth day very good in the end of that day seeing it is not mentioned so in the Text and Moses saith expresly that on the seventh day God ended his workes which he had made and therefore it remaines for you to prove that God said so according to your inference at the end of the sixth day and in what sense Moses meanes that God ended his worke on the seventh day see pag. 34. Object 6. The exposition of the particle Put Pag. 28. savours of Semipelagianisme so doth the phrase of internall disposition infused universally Answ If that exposition which tends to demonstrate God onely in Christ Iesus an unversall good to man and that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and so in all things Christ must have the preheminence to communicate even the least good to man as a meanes to his chiefest good and all restored by Christ then surely if this doctrine savour of Semipelagianisme it becomes you and I to be not onely halfe or almost but altogether Pelagians And that this doth so demonstrate God in Christ besides the maine scope of this whole Treatise see in cap. 6. cap. 12. in my answer to the tenth Objection cap. 12. the which doth most clearely prove the point Object 7. The last clause is false Pag. 30. Answ It is not so untill you have proved it so Object 8. The universall election is false Pag. ibid. Pag. 31. Object 9. Men perish for Adams transgression and their owne Answer to both Objections Both these Objections are answered in my answer to the 21. and 22. pages precedently Object 10. That justification without Faith Pag. 33. is against the current of Scripture Ans That this text nominates justification I am sure is true Rom. 5.18 and that the Apostle relates this justification without relation to mans receptive instrument of beliefe is as true for here the Apostle relates this justification to man as meerely passive when God was found of us that sought him not even when wee as Adam received this imputation to life and glory when God came to seeke and to save that which was lost not imputing out sinne to Adam according to the justice of the Covenant Therefore this justification as opposed to the ordinary reception of it by mans instrument of beliefe called justifying * Mans beliefe receiving this justification is therefore called justifying faith Faith was extraordinary and therefore although not according to the current of Scriptures yet according to the Scripture as for example that light which was before the Sunne was made in an ordinary course to communicate light unto the world was true light so this truth is truth though not according to the current of Scriptures in an ordinary course But as for this justification as related to mans receptive
and the same therefore men meerely Moral and of a civil life must beware left they perish eternally by this deceit for man may not be farre from the Kingdome of God and yet fall short thereof as Mark 12.34 Therefore because you stick in the letter to you the Law is but a dead letter revealing sinne and wrath because you reach not the sense and scope of the Laws prefigurations and significations for the truth is acceptation with God is not of works therefore it is of faith that it might be by Grace to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed implying Gods gift of Christs imputed righteousnesse is the only stable ground of felicity in it selfe for man and also so to man rightly believing truth for man may beleeve divine Testimony as divine Testimony and yet not beleeve justifyingly as chap. 10. Againe their election to inherit the Temporall felicity of Canaan as the figure of eternall felicity could not be a debt due to the worth of their works and to the imputed righteousnesse of Christ too for these are contraries Wherefore saith the Apostle if the election be by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be by works then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Rom. 11.6 Againe the worth of their works by the Law did tend to overthrow the Foundation of the salvation of the world because it makes voyd the object of Justification and also the use of Faith to that object in a justifying relation and therefore saith the Apostle if they of the Law be heires Faith is made voyd and the promise of none effect Rom. 4.14 Againe this conceited worth of works to the Law put a nullitie to the Sonne of God his glorious expiration of his life for the completion of all righteousnesse to the salvation of the world for saith the Apostle if righteousnesse come by the Law that is as they would have it then Christ died in vaine Gal. 2.21 Againe he gives them to know the Law is not of Faith his meaning is not to any living man on Earth but only to Christ as bound to believe and do the perfection of the Law in every tittle as their Doctrine of works did import for in this respect hee only and alone is the man that could do them and did live in them as a perfect man to take off the cursednesse from all that believe his righteousnesse imputed Gal. 3.11 12 13 14. Againe when Christ is manifested by the Apostles Doctrine without the prefigurations of the Law yet now this People would believe in Christ his righteousnesse for salvation but would then joyne their righteousnesse in the obedience of the Law to his as necessary to their salvation and by this they runne upon a two-fold Rock at once First they binde themselves to observe all the Laws from which now by Christs perfect obedience they were freed Secondly by this they made a nullitie to themselves of all happinesse by Christ as saith the Apostle Gal. 5.2 Behold I Paul say unto you that if yee be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing for I testify againe to every man that is Circumcised that he is a debtor to doe the whole Law Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are farre fallen from Grace And Rom. 7. hee shewes that this error of theirs is as if one should joyne a dead Corps to a living man and as if a woman should esteeme her selfe bound to the Law of her Husband when he is dead we are saith hee now delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we are held that we should serve him in newnesse of Spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter from verse 1. to the 6. Againe although Christ by the Apostles Ministry was now manifested without the authority of the Law it being abolished yet Rom. 3.21 22. hee grants to the Law and the Prophets still this honour that they witnesse to this righteousnesse of God which is by Faith of Iesus Christ that it only is it which is man Justification to salvation wherefore verse 27. saith hee where is boasting then it is excluded by what law of works Nay but by the law of Faith Therefore we conclude saith hee that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the law That is without such deeds as their erronious Doctrine of works did import Quest But here may rise a queâ—â—â—on namely In what sense Moses laws are of perpetuall use to Christ his Church on Earth Answ First so farre forth as they precedently were figurative shaddowes of Christ to come they now all are of no use but as a dead letter and without that Spirit or life that they precedently had because they all ended their efficatious force in the satisfactory righteousnesse of Christ sealed with his blood to the expiration of all the Law and the Prophets Secondly as the Morall laws expiration is in Christ Iesus so it is of a double use First we are to receive by Faith the Morall laws perfections in him as given of God imputatively to justification and so to receive the remission of sinnes and salvation Secondly we are to apply our selves to it as our rule of imitation in love to God and our Neighbour and having done our best continually to submit to his as imputed for our continued acceptation here and for eternall life hereafter Rom. 8.1 2 3 4. And the ground why the perfections of the Morall law onely in Christ Iesus doth free man beleeving truth from the law of sinne and of death so conveying to him eternall life by salvation is this because the Morall law originally in its pure naturalls was instituted by God a meanes in the Covenant to a supernaturall end in the first Adam as is proved wherefore no sooner did the Morall law in Christ his sacred person by his birth in the promise subsist in him as the spotlesse Lambe but in that instant of time it was ingaged in him being the second Adam as a meanes to attaine that supernaturall end by perfect love to God and his Neighbour and therefore it was immediatly put upon all mankinde freeing man from the law of sinne and of death because it came upon all men to justification of life for it removed Adams imputed damnation which was to passe according to the justice of the Covenant and so it removed the totall nature and prevalency of sinne and obtained the foresaid dispositions of Amity to God and enmity to Satan as also the good of this world to be mans day of grace to receive in Gods gift the day of eternall glory Againe I say it must be by beliefe of this truth in the object of Faith or the object of Justification And the ground why man capable of the use of reason must receive all blessednesse by beliefe of this truth is First because as
THE Fulnesse and Freenesse OF GODS GRACE IN IESUS CHRIST DECLARED In the Point of Election by a middle way betweene Calvin and Arminius and different from them both In an uniforme Body of Divinitie By Francis Duke LONDON Printed by Richard Oulton and Gregory Dexter Anno Dom. 1642. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER GENTLE READER IN this Treatise you have the generall scope of sacred Scriptures cleared from Genesis the first to Revelations the last and to induce you to reade it without prejudice you shall finde this encouragement that there is nothing which will leade you to arrogate to your selfe that which is not yours nor to derogate from Gods glory which ever of right is his and also to induce you to reade it heedfully here is Gods good will intended to you whether you are an Heathen or Christian within the confines of Christendome or in the remotest parts of the world and to either without difference in respect of the end viz. eternall life although different in respect of the meanes leading to that end the which difference you shall find distinctly and clearely manifested from sacred Scriptures therefore apply your minde to prudence in true godlinesse that is according to your light pitch upon the right end and then by patience in weldoing orderly apply the meanes to the end because to this prudence our Saviour hath by promise entailed his further assistance herein saying I Wisdome dwell with Prudence and finde out the knowledge of witty inventions if thou keep them within thee they shal withall be fitted in thy lips Prov. 22. verse 18. and Chap. 8.12 Yours in CHRIST IESUS F. D. The generall Method of the whole BOOKE CHAP. I. OF the first estate of man Nature perfect rendred Adam a fourefold good 1. His Personall perfections 2. A continued support of the same 3. With the parts of the whole Creation Adam had an onenesse or selfenesse from whence in him did the second Table of the morall Law originally spring 4. The perfections of the whole creation led Adam to a perfect union with God in the originall of the first Table of the morall Law and also to a perfect righteousnesse and holinesse CHAP. II. Of the second Estate of man Man in his perfect nature entred into a covenant of workes with God which was his second Estate in which is declared these foure particulars 1. What the place was wherein this worke was to be done 2. What the figures of that place were in respect to the worke in the Covenant 3. What Adams obedience in the worke of the Covenant was 4. What was the intended end in the Covenant CHAP. III. Of the third Estate of man Opening the State of the world in the fall of Adam wherein is handled 1. What wee lost 2. What we lost not 3. What we found first the evill of sinne secondly the evill of punishment CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth Estate of man 1. That the falne world was redeemed and restored by the second Adam 2. God appointed him so to be and so to doe before the world was 3. That in the point of time when the first Adam fell from the worke of the Covenant then the Lord Jesus as the second Adam entred into the same worke 4. That this entrance removed for ever that judgement which upon the fall was to passe upon the world to execution so as never man perished for the same 5. By Christ the world together with all mankinde was then estated to goe on travelling towards that perfection it lost in Adams fall 6. Foureteen Objections against the premisses are answered CHAP. V. Wherein is laid downe a fifth generall point scil That Gods proceedings in this fourth estate of man is intending extending eternall life to all and every individuall of mankinde alike without any personall respect through all ages the which point is referred to three heads 1. From the time that Adam was cast out of the garden of Eden to Abrahams time 2. From Abrahams to Christs comming in the flesh and manifested in the Gospell 3. From that time to his comming to judgement the first part of time is handled and finished in this Chapter The second part of time is handled and finished in the sixth Chapter and ninth Chapter to the Romans is expounded The 7 th Chapter is answer to a question propounded at the end of the 6 th Chapter viz. in what estate for eternall life stood all the Gentiles or Heathens till they were called to Christ by the Gospell The eighth Chapter is an introduction to the third part of time The ninth Chapter openeth what was Gods extraordinary call of the Gentiles in the third part of time The 10 th 11 th 12 th Chapters openeth what was and is Gods ordinary proceedings in the third part of time and shall be till time shall be no more and in the 12 th Chapter is answered 13. Objections A Table containing the Particular contents of this TREATISE THe Covenant which God made with Adam was onely it which originally gave mankinde right and power to inherit the heavenly glory Page 10. 11. How by creation the first Adam was made a living soule and how by the covenant he was made a quickning spirit the which quickning spirit is now onely originally from the second Adam page 12 13. That the two globes of this inferiour world shall be changed into a nature for kind neere to the spirituall nature of the glorified bodies of the Saints toward which it groningly travelleth with them pagâ— 34 3â— In Adams fall we lost all good that is communicated to us by the creation and also that intended by God for us by instituting the Covenant as appeares by comparing Gods proceedings in our redemption by Christ Chap. 4. p. 17. 25 26. By Gods justice in the covenant for Adams sinne we were more deepely dead in sin then now we can be although twice dead in sinne and pluckt up by the roots page 20 The manner how God cast Adam out of the Garden of Eden distinctly explained p. 48 The grounds why God so loved the fallen world that he gave his Sonne the second Adam Christ Iesus to redeeme it page 40. 41. That man now sinneth not against God by the rule of that covenant then made with the first Adam page 39. When we in the fall were internally and totally divels yet in the restauration of the fallen world by the promised seed God put into the nature of man an internall principle disposing him to come to receive his guift of faith and salvation in Christ pag. 28 Gods distinct proceedings to Cain and Abel pag. 95 Man was justified before faith and without it page 32 Faith and workes foreseen nor any respect to mans person was any ground why God accepted or elected man to eternall blessednesse page 33 61 65 All mankind dying in Infancy or naturall Ideots or the like are saved by Christ and the grounds why pag. 36. 37 38. 44. 45 How by tradition
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
which the faithfull shall receive is their back-sliding so farre before the third degree of faith from this sacred object as that they destroy or crucifie Christ to themselves that is by a totall separation of their Spirits from God in this object of blessednesse for then they do all that a wicked man doth but not before that is without any internall difference from an unbeleever (c) But so long as any of this seed of Gods word by faith remaines hee sinned not without some internall difference from unbeleevers neither can he because this seed remaineth as 1 Ioh. 3 8 9. wherefore that which they have made totall by justice God will make finall denying them repentance so blotting their names out of the booke of life namely Christ in whom they were written And God in sacred Scriptures speakes to this point fully First implicitly as in Exodus 32. 32. blot me I pray thee out of the booke which thou hast written and sundry other the like which for brevity sake I passe over Secondly God expressed this in a figure that is figuratively in his elect Sâ—ouse for to them of them which did by an evill heart of unbeliefe depart from the living God hee sware they should not enter the promised rest by Iosua the Type of I sus although they were the Children of promise in the Type as are all right beleevers in the truth Heb. 3. Gal. 3.26 Againe more fully for the House of Israel this elect Spouse charging God of impartiall proceedings towards them namely of imposing the sinnes of the Fathers to the Childrens destruction implyed in these words the Fathers have eaten sower grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge Ezek. 18.2 But to remove this false surmise because God could sweare by no greater he sweares by himselfe As I live saith the Lord you shall not have any more occasion to use this Proverb in Israell therefore he explaines his minde in this point first in generall secondly in particular In Generall in these words Behold saith the Lord all soules are mine as the soule of the Father so also the soule of the Sonne is mine and therefore he referreth the soules destruction of either to the sinnes of him that committed it saying the soule that sinneth it shall die ver 4. Secondly more particular for saith God if a man do that which is lawfull and right c. but here we must remember what to this Spouse was lawfull and right as formerly is declared Chapt. 6. namely intentionally to follow all the Laws of Moses as Schooling her to Christs righteousnesse in the object of Faith the ground of all their happinesse Secondly in love to cherish each others as members of his Spouse elect or mysticall body but from both these generall Rules they were now degenerated and therefore did not the thing which was lawfull and right for God to cleare himselfe from this aspersion proves them faulty in both And to the first he implies it by speaking to them negatively for having said if a man be just and do that which is lawfull and right he then speakes negatively Hee that hath not eaten upon the Mountaines neither hath lift up his eyes to the Idoles of the house of Israel Implying as they had done generally there is proved their Apostasie from the object of Faith to Idols and the same is againe twice repeated in the 11 and 15. verses Againe he proves them degenerated from the second Rule for instead of cherishing each other as Christs mysticall members they had done the contrary wherefore saith God he that hath not defiled his Neighbours wife neither hath come neare a menstruous woman and hath not opressed any but hath restored the debtor his pledge hath spoyled none by violence ver 6 7 8. ver 20. God cleares himselfe and drawes up the conclusion saying the soule that sinneth it shall diâ— the Sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the Father neither shall the Father beare the iniquity of the Sonne and then God expresseth himselfe impartially both to the righteous and to the wicked in plaine termes saying the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be up n him the wickednesse of the wicked shaâ—l be up n him but saith God if the wicked will â—urne from all his sinnes which he hath commiâ—ted and keepe all my Statutes and do all that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall nâ—t die all his trespasses which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righte usâ—esse which he hath done he shal live And have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should turne from his waies and live ver 23. Then to this Spouse by the rule of contraries God speakes of the righteous (a) Note that the opposition in the Text of righteousnesse iniquity is in one the same subject with this proviso that if he turne from righteousnesse to sinne therefore this cuts off that conceit that this righteous man was but seemingly righteous for then it must follow this iniquity was but seemingly wickednesse when he turned to imbrace it and consequently his dying in sinne was but seemingly death all which is absurd man in her which is the thing that proves the point in hand for saith God when the righteous man (b) Because God doth in this Spouse of Christ thus distinguish betweene the righteous and the wicked in her as that not middle sort of people could remaine in her therefore by Gods own affirmative testimony the Saints may totally fall from Christ and for that God wil cut them off finally from him turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doeth according to all the abominations which the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousnesse which he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasses that he hath trespassed and in his sinnâ—s which he hath sinned shall he die ver 24. Plainely proving the totall and finall falling away of the Saints from Christ as the object of Faith under the old Testament first implyed by the words of Moses Secondly by a figure Thirdly in plaine termes Againe likewise in the New Testament also our Saviour Christ loved his own to the end of his life Ioh. 13.1 therefore after his last Supper having washed his Apostles feet his corporall departure from this world drawing neare takes occasion from thence to expresse himselfe in severall instructions to them and amongst the rest in this point And first saith yee are cleane but not all Joh. 13.10.11 Implying Iudas was not cleane and so explaines himselfe in the 26 verse and Iudas having received the sop being gone out from him and them to betray him then to them said Iesus the Sonne of man is glorified and God is glorified in him meaning by his death and thereupon he exhorts them to cherish each others in love according to his owne example towards