Luk. 20.35 36. the Saints shall judge and reign therein receiving double for all their sufferings here yea everlasting rost joy and glory The Children of the Resurrection who shall arise at Christs appearing even the just and they that surviving shall then be changed shall be counted worthy of it and shall be equal to the Angels of God Psal 49.14 15. Isa 66.22 23 24. Rev. 20.6 7. being manifested both in souls and bodies to be his Children and they shall have dominion over the wicked beholding their torments who here had tormented them and shall judge the world even the Nations of the saved or preserved being Kings and Priests unto God beholding his face for evermore and dwelling in his presence impassible immortal Rev. 21.3 4 5 6 7. 22.1 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. satisfied with joy and glory for ever where also they shall have their Paradise their Tree of Life their River of pure Water clear as Chrystal in a Spiritual and Heavenly manner without any Serpent to tempt them or curse to afflict and exercise them being fully and perfectly freed from all sin sorrow pain crying and Death their rais'd and changed bodies being made spiritual powerful nimble agile glorious yea they shall shine as Stars in the Kingdom of God ruling with Christ the Nations in righteousness which Nations probably shall consist firstly of the preserved Jews and then of some remnant of the Gentiles miraculously preserved in that great day of perdition of ungodly men Isa 65.17 18 19 20 24 25. Psal 67 4 5 6 7. 96.10 11 12 13. 98.7 8 9. and those as so◠conceive shall under the Governmen 〈◊〉 the raised and changed Saints Till th◠Earth build Houses plant Vineyards beget Children though the Children 〈◊〉 the Resurrection shall neither marry no◠be given in marriage nor dye any more and the earth shall yeild its increase i◠abundance as it would have done before the curse came upon it Discourse on the New Heavens and New Earth But because many things therein are hard to be understood and I have otherwhere more fully delivered my thoughts thereabout 〈◊〉 shall say no more here about them SECT 7. Of two kinds of Lives and Deaths THe Gospel-Doctrine also mentions two Lives 1 Tim. 4.8 and two Deaths the one in this world and the other in the world to come The Life that now is that which we derive from the first Adam Gen. 3.6 4.1 or which God gives us as propagated from him who was made a living soul and begat in his own likeness and because it was not propagated till after the fall Jam. 4.13 14. Job 14.1 Psal 75.3 68.19 20. therefore it is a corrupt and sinful life a vapour a bubble uncertain short and full of misery yet as this old world is upheld by Christ and his mediation that there might be space and opportunity to be born live seek after God and glorifie him in it so is this life given and preserved through him too in a great mixture of mercies and manifold good things to the same purposes But the life that is to come is an Heavenly Spiritual and Eternal Life and it 's said to be to come because as to the whole man it 's not yet come Joh. 5.24 1.13 There is a seed of it here infused and put into the heart and spirit of the Believer by which he is begotten to God and made a spiritual man in some first fruits 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Eph. 2.10 a Son and Heir of God a new creature created in Christ Jesus to good works c. Rom. 8.10 But in as much as this is but the beginning of this life and that only in part in the Spirit the body yet must dye and the soul be loosed from it till the resurrection of the just in which the soul and body shall be reunited and the body be made a living spiritual body and both live in the favour of and in fellowship with God Rev. 21.4 5. and that is yet wholy to come therefore it is called the life to come an everlasting life in which shall be no affliction sorrow decay or death but everlasting uninterrupted health welfare prosperity and happiness 1 Joh. 5.11 12. This is the life which Christ hath purchased for us and which in him is given us to be enjoyed through the faith of him Col. 3.3 4. Act. 17.26 27 28. 1 Joh. 5.12 and in personal injoyment of and fellowship with him The first life is common to all men as born into the world the second though given in Christ to all yet is had and injoyed only by them that have Christ the rest that rejecting him have him not have not it neither but incur the sentence of death the Death opposed to this Eternal Life the sedond Death For There is also a twofold Death answerable to this twofold Life Rev. 20.13 14. Rom. 5.12 14 18. Heb. 9.27 2 Tim. 1.10 2 Cor. 5.14 Gal. 3.13 Psal 23.4 90.12 2 Cor. 5.8 9. 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Eccles 7.1 Prov. 27.1 Jam. 4.13 14 15. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Isa 57.1 Job 3.12 13 14 15 16. Mat. 25 41 46. Rev. 2.11 〈◊〉 .6.14 with 〈◊〉 Cor. 5.10 11. The first is that which came in by the first Adam and is common to all in their several times but is broken and evacuated by Christ as is before noted the punishment of our sins in Adam being sustained by Christ as to its weight and curse though some shadow and carcase of it is ordered to us to be passed through by us that we might by the consideration of it be stirred up to apply our hearts to wisdom and seek and lay hold of that Eternal Life given us in Christ and be kept humble and low in our selves and always watchful the time and way of it being secret and kept from our foreknowledge so as that we cannot boast our selves of the morrow not knowing what a day may bring forth as also that we might experiment the power and grace of Christ in supporting in it and raising us up out of it and be taken from sorrow and oppression by it and that the wicked might be cut of from doing wickedly and from vexing and oppressing the poor and righteous The second Death is that fearful punishment prepared for the Devil and his Angels forementioned not prepared properly and in Gods first intention for men yet shall be the punishment too of these men that persist in their sins 2 Thes 1.7 8. Heb. 9.27 28. Luke 14.14 1 Cor. 15.23 24. 1 Thes 4.16 17. Rev. 20.6 7 11 12. for their personal rejections of God and Christ and persisting therein to prefer their sins before him But it is not common to all men as the first Death is It is appointed for all men once to dye and out of that all shall be raised and brought to judgement though not all
Affection to consume us from off the Earth out of which he took us yea we were hereby made obnoxious to the Wrath of God upon our Souls and Bodies and exposed our selves to the Devils rage and malice to Tyranize over us 13. Man being fallen into this misery was altogether helpless 2 Sam. 14.14 both in respect of himself and of any or all other Creatures He could do nothing to recover himself from it or from any part of it Psal 49.6 7 8 9 10. nor could any one man help or redeem his Brother for tho God might as afterward he did Gal. 2.21 3.10 21. propound some holy and righteous Law to him yet could he not be made Righteous and live thereby Psal 40.7 8 9 10. For neither could any such Sacrifice be propounded to Man to offer to God as might countervail the demerit of his Sin and Offence Heb. 10.1 2 6. 7.19 neither could any work or service be done by him that might be acceptable to God Isa 64.6 Rom. 3.10 11 19 20. Psal 143.2 Rom. 5.12 18. Ephes 2.1 2. John 5.25 He being fallen under a double Death one by way of Penalty as rendring him dead at Law and another in himself and his own powers rendring him like a lifeless breathless stinking Carcase unable to do or think any thing holy spiritual and acceptable unto God which yet could he have done had been but his duty and could not satisfie for his former sin Mic. 6.6 7 8 Nor could any other creature be able to give a price sufficient for him being too low and finite to satisfie the justice of an infinite Majesty offended and goodness abused All these things the Gospel-Faith supposes and takes for granted and often intimately and sometimes occasionally expresly mentions and every of them is true in it self and concerns all men so as they may be propounded as Truths to them whither they be propounded or no and are meet being propounded to be believed being Truths whether they to whom they are propounded believe them or no. SECT 3. Of Gospel Truths properly such touching Gods Affection to and provision of a Saviour for fallen Mankind and of his Person and Sufferings for us and Exaltation from them BUt now these forementioned Truths are not Gospel or Glad tidings nay rather taken by themselves and were there nothing further of Truth to be declared to or for any men they would be a very terrible Doctrine to such men importing nothing but Ruine and Misery to them But Gods Doctrine which he hath ordered to be Preached to every Creature Mark 16.15 Luke 2.10 11. 1 Tim. 2.15 or in the whole Creation is Gospel or Glad-tidings tidings of great joy to all the people true and good for every one and therefore to be believed by every one to whom it is declared 1 Tim. 4.10 and worthy to be believed by every one to whom it is declarable according to Gods Form and Order containing other Truths yet which represent God the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe in and diligently seek him As these that follow 1. That God notwithstanding the great folly and Fall of Man 2 Sam. 14.14 Rom. 3.19 20 21 22. and his own Law and displeasure against him though such was his Righteousness Purity and Holiness such the stedfastness of his Word and such our sin sinfulness and filthiness that he could not admit us fellowship with himself approve justifie or delight in us but banished us from him Gen. 3.15 John 3.16 17. and condemn us to Death and misery yet such was his love and mercy as he did not yet cease to love us and be graciously affected toward us but even without our seeking it of him yea when we ran from him 1 Pet. 1.20 3.18 he devised and found out as upon fore-sight hereof he had fore-provided and purposed a way for our recovery that we might be saved from this so miserable a case and might in listning to him be brought again into his Presence 2. That that way devised by him Gen. 3.15 Gal. 4.4 5. 1 John 3.5 8. 4.9 10 1â— He also revealed and promised from the Beginning and hath now actually manifested to be The sending forth his own onely begotten Son made of a Woman and so the seed of the Woman and the delivering him up to suffer and dye for our Sins Rom. 4.25 1 Pet. 1.21 Heb. 5.9 7.25 Joh. 6.40 and so to ransome and make attonement for our Souls and the raising him up for our Justification and glorifying him in the Nature of Man for our Salvation to the utmost so as that whosoever believe in and obey him might not perish in that misery that either hath befaln him or further may but have Everlasting Life 3. That Jesus of Nazareth who was born of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1.26 27 31 32 35. Rom. 1.1 2 3 4. Luk. 2.1 2 3 6 7. Act. 2.22 23 24. Luk. 3.1 2 21.22 23 4 5 6 c. Matth. 27.18 16.15 16. Act. 9.20 John 20.31 1 Joh. 5 1-4.5 of the Stock and Lineage of David after the Flesh in the Town of Beth-lehem in the Land of Judah in the days of Augustus Caesar and lived and conversed among the Jews Preaching the Word of God his Father and working many glorious Miracles amongst them for the manifestation of Himself and confirmation of his Doctrine to them till they being moved with Envy did according to God's determinate counsel take him and Crucify him in the Days of Tiberius Caesar was and is that onely Begotten Son of God whom he had purposed and promised before and did then accordingly in the fullness of time raise up and send forth to be the Saviour and Deliverer of poor fallen Man 4. That Joh. 1.1 2 3 14 that Jesus of Nazareth was in the Beginning with God according to his Divine Being Heb. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. Philip. 2.6 7. The Word and God by whom God made all things in Heaven and Earth Visible and Invisible in the Form of God the brightness of his Glory and the express character of his Person before he was made man And that Eternal Word was in the fulness of time made Flesh a very and real Man Heb. 2.14 15 16. 2 Cor. 8.9 Isa 53.1 2 3. Rom. 8.3 Heb. 4.15 in the form of a Servant a poor and despicable man that had no worldly form or excellency amongst men to commend him to Men but was found in the likeness of sinful Flesh in all points tempted and subject to weaknesses as other men sin onely excepted to which low and despicable form out of grace and love to mankind and obedience to his Father he did willingly and readily yield and abase himself makeing himself who was infinitely rich to be poor for us Isa 1.14 Matth. 1.21 Act 20.28 1 Joh. 3.16 that we through his poverty might be
have procured by our former slightings of him as the Spiritual Manna and food of Life Psal 2.1.6 with Act. 4.27 10.38 John 1.50 2.20 21. Col. 2.9 Luk. 4.18 19. Isa 61.1 2 3. Zech. 4.6 7 9. Eph. 4.5 5.25 26. 1 Pet. 2.5 lifted up by God's Will that whosoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life Yea He is the Anointed of the Lord the King The Temple the Restorer of our Breaches The Returner of our Captivity The Builder of the House of God His hands have laid the Foundation and his hands shall finish it bringing up the Top-stone with shootings and crying grace grace to it Yea He is the orderer of God's House and Service The Master of the Musick the tuner of our Hearts that they might make sweet Melody in the Ears of God Coll. 3.16 being filled with Grace In a Word He is All and in All in the New Creature 7. Nay all the Excellencies of the Creatures as well as All the Ordinances of the Law are but shadows to him Col. 3.9 10. Mal. 4.2 3. Rev. 22.16 Psal 84.11 Rev. 5.5 6. Gen. 22.8 John 1.29 Psal 18.1 2. Deut. 32.4 1 Pet. 2.4 5 6. Isa 28.16 Zech. 3.2 Verse 8. 6.12 Isa 11.1 10 11. Jer. 23.5 6. Cant. 2.2 3 4 5. John 15.1 Psal 52.8 106.2 He is the Son of Righteousness The bright and the Morning Star A Sun and Shield that will give Grace and Glory c. The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The meek and Innocent Lamb even the Lamb of God which he hath found and provided for himself for a Burnt-offering to take away the Sins of the World The Rock the Fortress the Stone of Strength graven by the Lord. The one Stone upon which are seven Eyes graven for the removing of the iniquity of the Earth and laid as a sure Foundation in Sion The Branch The Root of Jesse and Branch of Righteousness and Plant of Renown The Apple Tree amongst the Trees of the Wood full of Fruit and fragrancy and pleasant of Shadow The true Vine The Olive Tree in the House of God always green and flourishing c. Yea who can set forth all his Praises which according to the Gospel and what it asserts as done and suffered by him and received as the reward of his Sufferings to furnish him for our Salvation are to be ascribed to him Isa 55.1.2 Rev. 22.17 Such things the Gospel declares of him as true in themselves and the benefit of them open and free to and for all Men so as that whoever will may come and partake of them in submitting to and believing on him CHAP. III. Of things further contained in the Gospel-Faith and thence observable as implyed and signifyed therein SECT 1. Of the Hope of the Gospel SUch is the Doctrine or Faith of the Gospel as hath been said in the former Chapter and it is true in it self and praedicable as truth to all Men. The Everlasting Gospel of God neither is 〈◊〉 less true for mens not hearing or believing of it nor the more true for their heating and believing it But besides There is something contained in that Doctrine that is called the hope of the Gospel Col. 1.23 As the Covenant and Promises of God so far as yet future to any man Indeed all that is declared in the Gospel as done and accomplished in Christ in his Personal Appearing Sufferings Death Resurrection and Ascension was to the Fathers before Christ as to Abraham Isaac Jacob David with whom he is said to have made his Covenant and so to the Prophets and Holy Men matter of Hope because as then not actually performed but now as accomplished and declared to us they are to us matter of Faith onely and the Foundation of the things to be hoped for which is that of God's Covenant or Promises as yet unaccomplished to any of us which as the Promises partly concern the time of this Life partly and most properly and fully the Life to come I shall instance God assisting in either of them briefly 1. For this Life The Gospel declares as matter of hope 1. That God will so hear and help Christ and through him his Servants making him in their faithful Ministration of and through all means of his appointing so a Light to the Gentiles and God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth that through the dispensations of his Spirit with the means to Men they may be put into a capacity of hearing turning at his reproofs and seeking after him according to God's Promise to Christ Isa 49.7 8 9. And Christ's Prayer for and Promise to his Disciples John 17.9 18 Psal 95.8 Heb. 3.7 20 21 22 23. Matth. 28.19.20 Whence it is said To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as implying That during the day of Grace God in Christ will not be wanting to speak to men so as they may hear him if they will not stop their Ears and harden their Hearts But this is a matter of daily Dispensation from Christ and as well matter of Faith to as of the hope and expectation of his Servants for men therefore I wave it and shall speak to it under that Head of Gods operations in Men. 2. That whosoever in Christs preventing them with his Grace and Calling do hear and turn at his reproofs Prov. 1.22 23. Ezek. 33.16 Act. 10.43 13.37 38 39. John 1.12 Eph. 2.14 18 19 20. 1 Pet. 2.9 and seek and close with him for them the Gospel Promises and accordingly it is matter of hope and expectation by and for them that God will forgive and pardon all former Iniquities and Trespasses to them and graciously receive and own them and put them amongst his Children give them the priviledges and favour of being a people nigh to him of his Houshold yea his Sons and Daughters As the Gospel Preaches The forgiveness or not imputation of Sins through Christ to men as a thing verily true and extended to them before their Believing so far as that them notwithstanding he is Administring his Grace to call and enable them to listen to him that they might Believe 2 Cor. 5.19 20. 6.1 2. Luke 24.45 47. so it also promises and gives well grounded and assured hope of the forgiveness of them in the further sense above mentioned so as to the justifying of them from them accepting and owning of them and making them his Sons and Heirs the Subjects of his special grace and favour in their returning in that grace afforded and believing on him Yea and also that he will have more choice care of theirs Acts 16.31 Gen. 17.5 6 7. than of theirs that reject him till any of them also do reject him 3. To the Believer Prov. 1.23 33 2.1 5 6. Matth. 13.11 12 13 15. yet further the Gospel propounds this as matter of hope and expectation That God in his owning him will further
left to take offence at him and persisting therein against all light and warnings run himself into Perdition So God having purposed that those who when the Grace of God comes to them bringing Salvation to them do still remain ungodly and turn it into wantonness shall as a Punishment and fruit of that their Wickedness be given over to oppose the Truth and exercise the Saints thereby it follows as included therein That Hymeneus and Philetus or any the like particular so doing was therein fore-written to that Judgment or Condemnation of so opposing themselves against the Truth c. Even as God ordaining That it should rain Mannah six days and not the seventh on the Camp of Israel in the Wilderness and that whoever should go out and gather on the six days should find enough and on the sixth day enough for that and the seventh day but on the seventh day none it followed That this or that Person neglecting to gather on the sixth day for Two days and going 〈◊〉 gather on the seventh should then b◠vertue of that general Ordination fin◠none And all these purposes as to particular persons are respective purposes an◠after a sort Conditional not absolute◠determining and necessitating either th◠Faith and Salvation of this or that Ma◠precisely or as a Man or Sinner simply considered nor the disobedience unbelief or condemnation of this or that man as so precisesly or simply as a man or a◠a Man fallen in Adam considered but they respect Gal. 2.15 16. Act. 15.11 4.11 12. or take in this or that Man as under such a condition or in such a way as to which God hath generally appointed such Ends or Issues So as if Peter or Paul had not Believed they had not been Saved by force of any other precise purpose of God toward them as Personally considered Psal 109.4 5. with Act. 1.16 17 18. that in ver 25. To go to his own place respects not Judas but the Apostle to be chosen Act. 16.31 Joh. 6.40 3.14 15. And if Judas had obeyed Christ and timely put away his Covetousness he had not taken Offence and stumbled at Christ and run himself into Perdition by force of any precise purpose of God ordaining him as a Man precisely considered so to have done And upon this account it may be said to any man If thou wilt Believe on the Son of God thou shalt be Saved not as representing therein the Believing as a mark and token That God fore purposed such a Man's Salvation precisely considered as that particular Man but as representing the Believing in Christ as the way in which and condition unto which he hath absolutely purposed Joh. 8.24 Ezek. 33.11 1 Tim. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.9 Act. 4.11 12. 1 Joh. 5.11 12. and promised his Salvation And upon the like account it may be said unto any man If thou wilt not Believe on the Son of God thou shalt Perish not as thereby signifying That such a Man 's not Believing springs from and is a token of God's precise purpose to Destroy such a Man as that Man personally considered but because of the General purpose of God and to signifie the firmness thereof That God will Save no man out of Christ but to Destroy those that wilfully Reject and Rebel against him And this apprehension of God's purposes of Salvation and Damnation to particular Men as included in and springing from his General purposes and respecting men as beheld or considered in such conditions agrees well with the renour of the Gospel which saith Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And not That God gave his onely Son that whosoever should have Everlasting Life viz. by force of some fore purpose pricisely and irrespectively Decreeing such particular persons to it should Believe in him and so attain it as some make the Gospel to speak making that Phrase whosoever believe nothing but a Collection of the several persons fore-appointed absolutely to Life and their Faith onely an evidence of their being so fore-appointed and not any general inducement to All to Believe or significatio◠of any desire on God's part that they should believe and be Saved SECT 3. That the Great differences between the Remonstrants and Contra Remonstrants spring from their different Apprehensions about God's purposes of Salvation and Damnation to particular persons what be their Apprehensions UPon this Hinge hangs all the Controversie between the Remonstrants and Contra-remonstrants even upon their Conceptions of God's purposes Joh. 3.17 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Rom. 5.12 18. 1 Pet. 1.20 21. with 1 Tim. 4.10 2 Cor. 5.11 Prov. 1.20.21 8.1 2 3 4 5 31 32 33. 9 1-7 Rom. 2.4 5. 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Act. 10.34 about Mens Final Estates For the Remonstrants conceive and believe That God purposed according as he hath declared he hath done to send his Son into the World to be the Saviour of the World to Dye for all Men and to Ransome them all thereby from the State of Misery and Perdition that he fore-see they would come into in Adam and through Sufferings to glorifie him to be the Saviour of All giving Man-kind in general Eternal Life in him and to afford such means to them through him as he pleas'd for their calling back to him and leading them to Repentance◠and that any one Believing in him through the means afforded and by his Grace therein and therewith given should live by him and that any one finally rejecting him should perish Rom. 2.11 16. 2 Cor. 5.10 Not purposing this or that mans salvation or damnation that have the means of grace and capacity to use them or seek God in them but as rewards of their works respectively or of their entertainment or rejection of that grace afforded them that is as they should through grace afforded believe in and obey him or reject the grace afforded not believing or obeying him The contrary Monster on the other side conceive that God absolutely and peremptorily purposed that certain particular persons should have Eternal Life and Glory considered as men simply or as fallen men and that the rest of men particularly and personally considered should be lest to sin and perish and no such grace should be afforded to them as should be sufficient for their salvation And accordingly that he purposed to give Christ to dye as some say only for those particular persons fore-purposed to Glory and not for the rest and that those particular persons should by and through him be brought infallibly and irresistibly to believe and be preserved in believing and brought to glory or as others say that Christ should dye for all men to ransom them into his own dispose but not intentionally that all might be saved by him but only that those should absolutely and inevitably be saved to whom he
had absolutely and particularly purpose life and that the rest shou◠be left to themselves and to the use o◠the means vouchsafed and receit of the grace in and with them insufficiently tendred or the refusal of it so as that they cannot come to salvation According to the former not men as men or fallen men simply considered are the objects of Gods purposes of Life and Glory to be estated upon them but men as in Christ or as believing on him through the grace of God afforded to them much less are men as men simply considered or as only fallen in Adam the object of his purpose of Dereliction Reprobation or Destruction but men considered as rejecting Christ or refusing to obey him unbelieving and impenitent men But according to the latter men considered either as to be made or as made innocent and unfallen or at most * Super Creatarians Superlapsarians Superlapsarians as fallen are the objects of Gods purposes of their eternal ends however as to the purpose of Eternal Life that is represented as without or in order of nature before the consideration of a Mediator much more without or before the consideration of their believing in him and as to the purpose of Everlasting Death his purpose of not affording sufficient grace such as might be effectual to their Salvation is at least conceived of by them as without the consideration of their fore-rejecting Christ that dyed for them and offered his grace to them and so in effect implies Gods absolute irrespective purpose of leaving them to ineffectual Grace that could not save them and if not the dying of Christ for them rejected as a falshood too yet made to no purpose for them with which latter frame of conceptions of Gods purposes many things appear to clash especially these 1. That it maketh Gods election of men to be out of Christ as being in order of nature before the consideration of him and his death and sufferings for men for in it Christ is considered afterward not as the ground or root of their election but only as a means ordained to bring about that to which before and without the consideration of him they were supposed to have been elected whereas the Scripture speaks of Gods purpose of Election as a thing that was in Christ before the foundations of the world Ephes 1.4 And speaks of him in his sufferings and glory Rom. 8.29 as the Prototype to which God had respect in his predestination of those that were foreknown by him for they were saies the Apostle predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son which plainly implies that his Son in that Image or Estate namely of sufferings and glory was in Gods eye or consideation as a thing preordained and so foreknown of him in his act of predestination Object To that in Eph. 1.4 it may possibly be objected that the Apostle by chosen in Christ may mean in Christ as the eternal word or God only as it 's said all things were created in or by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.16 Answ But to that it 's considerable that then we should be blessed too as in him Ephes 1.3 4. as he is God only for it is said we are blessed in him according as we were chosen in him but now evident it is that we are blessed in him as he hath redeemed us from the curse and is risen and ascended Gal. 3.13 14. and therefore in him as so considered we were elected or purposed to be chosen of God 2. That frame also as was before hinted infers a manifest change and alteration from the Scripture-language and more especially as to those of them that deny Christ to have dyed for all or say that God purposed absolutely to leave the greatest part of men as fallen in Adam without any serious desires of vouchsafements of means for their salvation to utter ruine and destruction for then should it rather have been said That God so loved a few or some part of mankind that he gave his only begotten Son that they might absolutely be brought to believe and have eternal life or that those who were precisely appointed to eternal life might believe and so enjoy it rather than that he loved the world and gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Nay it might as truly be said according to their frame of thoughts that God so hated the world that he would not have it saved nor afford any such grace to it as whereby it might in as much as they judge so concerning the far greater part of it which may rather challenge the denomination of the whole than the far lesser even as they say it doth when Christ says I pray not for the world Whence John 17.9 say they sure much less would he dy for the world and what is that in effect but that God did not so love the world as to give his Son for or to it c. 3. In that frame also the greatness of Gods mercy to mankind and the equity of his justice and judgement is more obscured than in the former while it both carries in the bottom of it no really merciful design in God towards the most and implies that he doth and will eternally punish men for what he never vouchsafed them any sufficient and efficacious grace for their avoiding of but ordered his government over them so as he knew must needs necessitate their perdition 4. It also drives the maintainers thereof inevitably upon making God so to design the destruction of most as to necessitate also their sins of which they stick not often either in plain terms or in words every way equivalent thereto to pronounce him the Author Worker Cause c. as Dr. Peirce hath also largely and learnedly proved Yea they some of them the Supralapsarians n◠only render him as one that hath pleasure in the death of the wicked rathe◠than that they should turn and and live contrary to his own Oath Ezek. 33.11 as all of them do but also as one tha◠had pleasure that the righteous should dye and therefore sin for all were righteous in innocent Adam where they represent God reprobating and purposing the damnation of the most To say nothing of their broad contradictions to many plain Scriptures that they oft run into their patronage of mens slothfulness in rendring it either needless to strive to enter the strait gate or impossible to do it to any purpose with many the like SECT 4. 1 Sam. 2.25 2 Chron 25.16 About Elies Sons and Amaziah considered as also something to Act. 13.48 IT is said in 1 Sam. 2.25 that the Sons of Eli hearkned not to the voyce of their Father because the Lord would destroy them and in 2 Chron 25.16 The Prophet sent to Amaziah to reprove him for his Idolatry being refused by him in and threatned by him for his message tells him
general ordinary way or Medium in and with which the power of God is put forth and operates both for bringing in men to himself and keeping them with himself unto eternal life is the discovery or makiâ—â—own of his Name Power goodne◠〈◊〉 And this in the more clear mean◠〈◊〉 making known his Son distinctly 〈◊〉 love in him to mankind or to the wâ— and so to those souls that he works up◠〈◊〉 To which the Law convincing of sin 〈◊〉 â—ching the knowledg of it with all repâ—â—s and chastisements and judgments are but subordinate and superadded means to drive the Soul to take a more ready view of his foresaid Love Goodness Name c. And all the ordinances and commands of duties but either appointments of and injunctions to ways in which his Name and Son are to be sought and soon that being brought in to him he might justify us and be our righteousness or else to witness to and glorify his Name in word or conversation 1 John 4.19 Rom. 1.16 17. and 2.4 5. Psal 9 10. and 36.7 8 9. Rom. 10.17 and 15.9 10 11 12. John 3.3.5.14 15 16 17. and 1.12 13. Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. Philip 1.27 And therefore they that darken and render doubtfull to men the love pity and good will of God in Christ towards them and readiness to save them through him and put men to seek to find it out by their endeavours after works and frames serve not God therein nor do they profit men but are instruments rather in the hand of Sathan to hurt and hinder them Nor are such rightly begotten to or born of God who not believing but neglecting the name of God and his â—ve and good will in Christ to mankin◠〈◊〉 so towards themselves have their hâ—â—wards God begot and Sprung up and â—ed in them from the conceit and â—deration of any frames changes act◠〈◊〉 and endeavours of their own but are â—dren of the Bondwoman Acts 2 8. 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.8 Jam. 1.18 19. Gal. 4.22 23 24. c. Luke 18.10 11 12. Math. 23.13 Isa 28.12 13 14 15 16 17. and 29. 9 10 11 12 13. Psal 118.22 2 Cor. 4.4 1 Thes 2.16 with 2.4 5 6 7. Rom. 9.30 31. and 10.1 2 3. 12. That those who are begotten and born to God in and by the discoveries of himself his Name and goodness in Christ to mankind so as that through his love to them while sinners and ungodly their hearts are overcome to hope in him and love him and so to yield up themselves to him to be his and to live to him they are the Children of God and of the promise the called according to his purpose the Elect and fore known ones whom he hath praedestinated or fore-ordained in Christ and through him to be conformed to him and his image in sufferings and in glory And accordingly such he hath used to call forth to service and sufferings for him and in their faithfulness therein hath justifyed and approved them and afterwards glorifyed them and so he will yet do which may animate such lovers of him for his love to hold them fast by him in all their sufferings either from o◠〈◊〉 him as knowing they are ordained o◠〈◊〉 thereto for their conforming to him 〈◊〉 1.12 13. and 3.3.5.14 15 16. 〈◊〉 3.7 8.9.26 27 28 29. Rom. 9. 〈◊〉 8.28 29 30 31 32. c. 1 Thes 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.21 Isa 50.8.9 Jam. 5. 〈…〉 Heb. 11.39 40. and 12.1 2 〈◊〉 Thus for the positions SECT 3. Some brief hints of uses of the foregoing Treatise and first of the first branch thereof WHat we have hitherto say'd in this treatise may be diversly usefull And first that which we have noted â—bout the Gospel doctrine as to the faith hope obedience and terrours of it may serve Vse 1 1. First to inform us of and instruct us into 1. The great love mercy pity and good will of God to us and to all men both as men made by him and more abundantly as and notwithstanding fallen from him in Adam and so become in our selves miserable corrupt loathsom and the great grace of our Lord Jesus towards us in so abasing himself at the will and appointment of the Father for us the great price he hath set upon us and provision made for us for our Salvation and happiness In this was manifested the love of God to us that he sent his only begotten Son into the â—woâ— that we might live through him In 〈◊〉 do men waving this demonstration 〈◊〉 seek to know it some other way by â—ing into themselves and indeavour◠〈◊〉 to frame themselves to love him 〈◊〉 is love not that we loved him 〈◊〉 â—he loved us and sent his only begoâ— Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 John 4.9 10. And ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that he being rich became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 So that therein also is discovered to us good ground given us in him of looking to and hoping in him and of loving of and living to him that hath done prepared and set before us so greaâ— things as the word of truth speaks of having not spared his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 He dyed for all that they that live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses to them we pray you in Christs stead therefore be ye reconciled unto God ver 19 20. See also Rom. 12.1 2. The wretchedness and misery of our condition by nature who needed such a remedy to be made and provided for us and so the odiousness of our sins both of that sin of Adam and of us all in him and the sinfulness thence contracted and much more yet of continuing in sin against him after and notwithstanding such mercy and kindness shewed us for our redemption and so also the deadness of us through sin both as to the sentence of the law pronouncing us dead and condemned men and the utter deadness of our selves in our powers to help and remedy our selves and one another yea such deadness as no creature power in our selves or in Heaven or Earth could raise us out of it which is clearly seen in the cross of Christ in that he dyed for us all to save and revive us The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead That we were all sentenced to death appears in this that he that came to succour us was fain to dye for us And that we were so wholly lost and dead in our selves as to our helping our selves from under that sentence is seen in this that such a one as Christ was fain to undertake it and perform the Redemption of us