them that are dead 2. The time when it was preached to them that was after they were dead Although it be granted that in some respects this Text is hard to be understood yet it is most easie to evince that it gives no countenance to Mr. Colliers notion neither doth it seem that the same persons with those intended ch 3. 19. are here spoken of but rather such as the preaching of the Gospel had a far better even a saving effect upon and Mr. Colliers saying that the time when the Gospel was preached to them is by the Apostle determined to have been after they were dead is utterly false He saith indeed The Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was preached or hath been preached i. e. â—n time past to them that are dead i. e. are now dead They were dead when Peter wrote this but alive when the Gospel was preached to them I need say no more to evert Mr. Colliers design but it may not be amiss to make a little farther enquiry into the meaning of this Text. It is evident from the context that the design of the Apostle is to press those to whom he wrote unto sanctification and conformity to Christ which doth consist in their dying unto sin and living unto God v. 1 2 3. And in v. 4. he meets with an Objection by which they might be retarded in their course of Obedience viz. That if they did not conform to the world they must expect to become their gazing stock and to suffer hard things from them which he fortifies them against by remembring them of the day of Judgement in which ungodly sinners must be accountable for all those wrongs which the godly have received from them v. 5. and this judgement is illustrated by a distribution of the object the quick and the dead and from the occasion of this distribution the Apostle urgeth another argument against that discouragement which might arise from persecution Because it had been the lot of others unto whom the Gospel had been preached afore-time and they had yielded obedience to it to be judged according to men in the flesh i. e. to be censured and condemned according as the malice of men did dictate to them in this world which they did patiently bear and through much tribulation did enter into the Kingdom of God the great design of the Gospel being accomplished upon them in their living according to God in a conformity to him and his will in the spirit i. e. in the exercise of grace and holiness under the conduct of the holâ— Ghost who is the fountain of that spiritual life which is begun in the Saints here and perfected in Glory The end and effect of the preaching of the Gospel to Believers that were dead was the same as unto those that then lived viz. That though they did meet with suffering they should persist in their duty of living to God A â—ike manner of speaking we have Rom. 6. 17. Thanks be to God that ye were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed c. i. e. though you were for it is that exprest in the close of the Verse which was the ground and occasion of the Apostles thanksgiving viz. their Obedience So the great end of Gospel-preaching is That men may live to God though the Cross will fall in their way I know some do interpret the former sentence of the latter part of the Verse otherwise as holding forth mortification and the last vivification so taking the whole of our sanctification to be exprest by them together which I shall not oppose it being the sense of those far more learned and judicious then my self but at present my own Judgement is most determined in the sense given which divers of great worth have also embraced before me But to return Mr. Collier still pleads for his corrupt sense of the first words of the Text. That its apparent from these expressions 1. It was preached to them that are dead Wherein the evidence of this expression lies Mr. Collier doth not declare we read in Ruth 1. 8. of Naomi her Daughters in Law dealing kindly with the dead i. e. with their Husbands who were dead when Naomi spake this but certainly their dealing kindly with them was while living and in the Verse before this is mention made of the Judgement of quick and dead shall we hence conclude that any shall remain dead in the day of Judgement 2. That they might be judged according to or as men in the flesh viz. that they were judged in this matter as if they had been alive in the flesh which imports they were not It is plain that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * An old version put forth in K. Edwards time reads it that they should be condemned of men in the flesh that they might be judged must intend either conviction or censure and condemnation not account or esteem of persons as if they were what they are not as Mr. Collier doth imagine neither is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as men according to his gloss but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to men the sense of which hath been already given so that Mr. Colliers inference being built on this false gloss hath no weight in it but it still remains certain that they were alive when the Gospel was preached to them What follows in this Section needs no farther reply but is fully answered in what I have already written The next ground urged by him p. 49. is as followeth The Scripture presents us with the deliverance of Sodom and Gomorrah in some time from the greatness of their judgement and of Samaria Ez. 16. 46. 49. he promiseth a restauration to them both out of their forlorn estate v. 55. 61. This is spoken of literal Sodom and cannot be mystically applyed Here are two things supposed by Mr. C. without any proof offered 1. That in this Scripture literal Sodom is spoken of c. But if we take the words as they are read in our translation I conceive he can give no reason why they should be applyed to literal Sodom more then for the understanding of the promise literally that they shall return to their former estate which none shall do in this world after death much less after the day of Judgement 2. He supposeth that the promise of restauration made to the Jews c. must be applyed to those particular persons that perished under the stroke of Gods wrath then which nothing is more absurd For the bulk of the people then in being were threatned with utter destruction and there was but a remnant that should escape which God would still own and make good these promises to Indeed some passages in the close of this Chapter may most properly be referred to Gospel times and were never intended as promises to all the Seed of Israel after the flesh as the Apostle argues at large in the Romans but to the Church the spiritual Seed although the Israelites
continente and that first generalâ—y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the whole Fabrick of Heaven and Earth with all things in them contained which in the beginning were Created of God so Job 34. 13. Act. 17. 24. Eph. 1. 4. and in very many other places Secondly distinctly first for the Heavens and all things belonging to them distinguished from the Earth Psal 90. 2. Secondly the habitable earth and this very frequently as Psal 24. 1. Psal 98. 7. Secondly For the world contained especially men in the world and that either first universally for all and every one Rom. 3. 6. 3. 19. 5. 12. Secondly indefinitely for men without restriction or inlargement Joh. 7. 4. Isa 13. 11. Thirdly exigetically for many which is the most usual acceptation of the word Mat. 18. 7. Joh. 4. 42. Joh. 12. 19. 16. 1. 17. 21. 1 Cor. 4. 9. Rev. 13. 3. Fourthly comparatively for a great part of the world Rom. 1. 8. Mat. 24. 14. 26. 13. Rom. 10. 18. Fifthly restrictively for the Inhabitants of the Roman Empire Luke 2. 1. Sixâ—hly for men distinguished in their several qualifications as first for the good Gods people either in designation or possession Psal 22. 27. Joh. 3. 16. Joh. 6. 36 51. Rom. 4. 13. 11. 12 15. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Col. 1. 6. 1 Joh. 2. 2. Secondly for the evil wicked and rejected men of the world Joh. 7. 7. Joh. 14. 17. 22. Joh. 15. 19. 17. 25. 1 Cor. 6. 2. 11. 32. Hâ—b 9. 11. 11 38. 2 Pet. 2. 5. 1 Joh. 5. 19. Rev. 13. 3. Thirdly For the world corrupted or that universal corruption that is in all things in it as Gal. 1. 4. 4. 1 4. 6. 14. Eph. 2. 2. Jam. 1. 27 4. 4. 1 Joh. 2. 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 7. 31 33. Col. 2. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 10. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 20 21. 3. 18 19. Fourthly For a terrene worldly estate or condition of men or things Psal 73. 12. Luke 16. 8. Joh. 18. 36. 1 Joh. 4 5. and very many other places Fifthly For the world accursed as under the power of Sathan Joh. 7. 7. Joh. 14. 30. Joh. 16. 11 33. 1 Cor. 2. 12. 2 Cor. 4. 4. Eph. 6. 12. and divers other significations hath this word in holy Writ which are needless to recount These I have rehearsed to shew the vanity of that clamour wherewith some men fill their mouths and frighten unstable Souls with the Scripture mentioning World so often in the business of Redemption as though some strength might be taken thence for the upholding of the general ransome Parvas habet spes Troja si tales habet If their greatest strength be but sophistical craft taken from the ambiguity of an aequivocal word their whole endeavour is like to prove fruitless Now as I have declared that it hath divers other acceptations in the Scripture so when I come to a consideration of their objections that use the word for this purpose I hope by Gods assistance to shew that in no one place wherein it is used in this business of Redemption that it is or can be taken for all and every man in the world as indeed it is in very few places besides So that as concerning this word our way will be clear if to what hath been said ye add these observations First That as in other words so in this there is in the Scripture usually an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the same word is ingeminated in a different sense and acceptation So Mat. 8. 22. Let the dead bury their dead dead in the first place denoting them that are spiritually dead in sin in the next those that are naturally dead by a dissolution of soul and body So Joh. 1. 11. He came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his own even all things that he had made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his own i. e. the greatest part of the people received him not So again Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the spirit is spirit Spirit in the first place is the Almighty Spirit of God in the latter a spiritual life of Grace received from him Now in such places as these to argue That such is the signification of the word in one place therefore in the other were violently to pervert the mind of the Holy Ghost Thus also is the word World usually changed in the meaning thereof So Joh. 1. 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not He that should force the same signification upon the word in that triple mention of it would be an egregious glosser for in the first it plainly signifieth some part of the habitable Earth and is takâ—n subjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second the whole frame of Heaven and Earth and is taken subjectivè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the third for some men living in the earth viz. unbelievers who may be said to be the world adjunctivè So again Joh. 3. 17. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved where by the world in the first is necessarily to be understood that part of the habitable world wherein our Saviour conversed in the second all men in the world as some suppose so also there is a truth in it for our Saviour came not to condemn all men in the world for first condemnation of any was not the prime aim of his coming secondly he came to save his own people and so not to condemn all in the third Gods Elect or Believers living in the world in their several generations are meant although it is granted they are not considered in this place as Elect but under such a notion as being true of them serves for the farther exaltation of Gods love towards them which is the end here designed and this is as they are poor miserable lost creatures in the world of the world scattered abroad in all places of the world not tyed to Jews or Greeks but dispersed in any Nation Kindred or Language under Heaven ex eod p. 201. the like is to be said of parallel Texts who were they whom he intended to save and none else or he faileth of his purpose and the endeavour of Christ is insufficient for the accomplishing of that whereunto it is designed Secondly That no argument can be taken from a phrase of speech in the Scripture in any particular place if in other places thereof where it is used the signification pressed from that place is evidently denied unless the scope of the place or subject matter do enforce it For instance God is said to love the world and send his Son to be in Christ reconciling the world to himself and Christ to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world If the scope of the places where these assertions are or the subject matter of which they treat will
by Grace in their station and glorified Saints cannot but love God choose and delight in perfect obedience to his holy will yet in all this are they free agents because they are thus determined by no external force but by the dictate of their own understanding And on the contrary the Devils and fallen man are by their own wickedness determined to sin and that onely yet are they free in the choice thereof c. 3. That God made man upright and so capable of yielding perfect obedience to the whole will of God according to that Covenant in which he stood related to him but he sought out many inventions and by his voluntary defection from and rebellion against God fell short of the Glory of God and lost that rectitude of nature which was concreate with him and became blind disobedient and dead to God 4. Man having thus wickedly and wilfully lost and cast away his power of obeying God doth infer no unrighteousness in the Law of God still requiring and commanding them to do that which is Just and Holy and Good neither doth it infer the least obligation on God to recover him out of his lost estate 5. Although man in his lâ—psed estate hath such a principle of enmity to God reigning in him that he cannot until converted by effectual Grace choose that which is right in the sight of God yet doth he freely put forth a positive act of his will in refusing mercy tendered on Gospel terms 6. So then the Question is not so much whether men left to themselves and the common helps afforded them may believe if they will But whether any such will believe and not rather finally oppose God and refuse his Grace tendred to them in the Gospel These things duly considered tend to obviate the cavils of Mr. Collier and to detect his mistakes He asserts in the first Section p. 24. That suitable to the means and Ministries men are under there is a capacity both of power and will in all men that are not debilitated of the ordinary capacities of men to understand believe and obey the Lord in them By this and other following passages it appears that by universal Grace Th. C. means the sufficiency of the humane nature which is it and not Grace that he desires to exalt and as his notions are the same in this matter with the Pelagians so is there the same deceit and aequivocation in his using the term Grace which they sought refuge in and therefore let none be blinded with that saying of his in the same Section That this capacity both of power and will is of God For Pelagius himself acknowledgeth as much and it amounts to no more then the acknowledgement of our endowment with natural abilities by God who is our Creator All these are from God in a way of nature but ability to believe and obey the Gospel is from him in a way of special Grace which is that we plead for and deny that a natural unregenerate man is capable of saving knowledge of or yielding obedience to the will of God in the Gospel otherwise then as a dead Soul is capable of being quickened by the Almighty power of the Spirit of Christ This the Scripture is full and express in I will instance in a Text or two We read 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them for they are spiritually discerned The Apostle doth in the context divide all men into two sorts Natural and Spiritual The last have the mind of Christ and are made acquainted with the Grace of the Gospel through the effectual working of the Spirit by which they are born again the other viz. natural men unregenerate persons even the wisest and best of them receive not the things of the Spirit of God i. e. the Doctrines of the Gospel because they are without any Spiritual discerning of the glory that is in them remaining under the power of darkness they are accounted foolishness and as foolish things are slighted and rejected by them Neither can they know them viz. savingly and effectually for they are spiritually discerned i. e. by the enlightening and teaching of the Spirit of God and not without it But I find divers exceptions laid against this interpretation of the Text by Mr. Collier p. 42. 43. which I shall here remove out of the way 1. He expounds this term the natural man by the sensual man as if all unregenerate persons were not intended thereby but only some of the most bruitish among them which is quite against the Apostles scope whose design is to shew that God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world and that the principal men thereof are strangers to the things of the new Covenant which eye hath not seen c. ch 1. 20. 2. 7 8 9. 2. He supposeth the Idolatrous Gentiles that would not come to the Gospel light c. to be intended But this also is plainly to contradict the Apostle who speaks of both Jew and Gentile and particularly those of them to whom the Gospel was preached as you may see most evidently in his foregoing discourse and these when the things of Gods Spirit were proposed to them received them not but esteemed them foolishness His third exception is plainly ridiculous He saith All where the Gospel comes should understand and believe it but its thâ—se only that by the Word and Spirit of the Gospel do believe and obey it that have this spiritual understanding This we plead That although all unto whom they are tendered ought to receive the things of the spirit of God yet no unconverted man doth so the reason is in part because he cannot understand them but they are foolishnesâ— to him and accordingly rejected by him and to confute this Mr. C. tells us that no unbeliever hath this understanding indeed but if he did believe and obey he should have it as if to obey and believe the Gospel were not to receive the things of Gods spirit The sum is this If he did believe he might believe and if he were not ignorant he might understand c. 4. He endeavours to perswade us that it is only such an understanding of Gospel mysteries as is proper to grown Christians that the unconverted man is uncapable of and how repugnant this is to the whole discourse of the Apostle I leave every one to judge Thus he concludes his futilous cavil So that it supposeth not any impossibility for the darkeâ—t and worst of men to obtain Light and Life by the Gospel He woulâ— fain lye hid under the darkness of his ambiguous terms This Scripture doth not suppose indeed but that the darkest and worst of men may be enlightened and quickened by the power of Gods spirit working with the word But that every man which hath only the natural accomplishments of a man may understand and obey the Gospel
and inconditional promises of the new Covenant where he again pitifully intangles himself It might help him a little out of the Labyrinth he is lost in if he would consider That the New Covenant is originally made with Christ who became a sponsor and surety for all that the Father gave unto him Psal 89. 31. c. and in him all the promises thereof are yea and amen God the Father promised unto Christ Eternal Life for all his before the world was Tit. 1. 2. and engaged in time effectually to draw and bring them unto him to give them a new heart c. for whom he became surety that they might not fail to enjoy it on Gospel terms And this truth will of it self bear down all Mr. Colliers notions of free will and falling from Grace It is granted that all the promises of Life and Glory in the Gospel are conditional as set before us But the fulfilling of the condition in the Elect is absolutely undertaken for in the Covenant betwixt the Father and Christ And whereas Mr. Collier saith That the Covenant in the perfection thereof when we are come to Glory will be absolute in all its promises it s absolutely true to all over-comers he lamentably discovers his weakness thereby For our present enquiry is after those promises that do secure the Saints safe arrival in Glory and to talk of the absoluteness of these promises to those that are already glorified and to represent them as uncertain to those that alone are concerned to draw comfort from them is exceeding absurd In p 38. he frames this Objection against himself This asserts a possibility of falling from Grace and so destroys the assurance and comfort of Believers Unto this he answers It doth no other then the Scripture doth it s that of which the Scripture is full it frequently presents us with a possibility of falling Else those many and frequent exhortations to the contrary are useless if there were no danger as also the examples of those that have fallen 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 2 Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 4. 11. Else what means the Lords appointing a Ministry in the Church to preserve it from falling That the Scripture asserts no such thing but the contrary we have manifested already as also what the import of these exhortations are and their usefulness in Gods hand for the preservation of the Elect. We say moreover if we respect our own weakness and the temptations we are to conflict with there is â—anger but free Grace will secure the Elect from perishing in the midst of their dangers and from being overcome by all the difficulties that are in their way And it is strange to me that he should conclude true Believers may fall away because God hath provided means and appointed a Ministry to prevent their falling To the other branch of the Objection respecting the comfort and assurance of Believers he saith It s so far from diminishing the consolation of Believers â—hat it s the only sure way for Gospel consolation c. I grant that none are capable of well grounded comfort but those that are under the promises of the Gospel viz. sincere Convert sound Believers but how Mr. Collier will evince that his Doctrine is the great spring of Gospel-consolation even this That though I be now a Child of God yet the next temptation I meet with for ought I know may sink me to Hell although God do at present lâ—ve me yet I have no assurance that he will continue to do so a day to an end for many that have been united with Christ as I now am are lâ—st for ever and I daily tremble under a sense of my own weakness and have no promise of preservation to trust to I say how this makes for their comfort I cannot understand nor how Mr. Collier will reconcile his present Opinion with what he writes in his Bâ—d of Div. p. 197. We ought to believe that God will maintain our Faith and kâ—ep us from falling Phil. 1. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 12. else we could have no solid comfort To that which he adds in the beginning of p. 39. concerning the usefulness of fear I answer The fear that ariseth from Mr. Colliers Doctrine hath torment in it and therefore a right understanding of the love of God will cast it out and teach the Soul to reject that Doctrine from whence it springs That is the true Gospel-fear which respect God as a Father and is tempâ—red with an holy rejoycing in his goodness which is a fruit of the spirit of Adoption that bears witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Moreover There is as Dr. Owen hath well observed Saints Persever p. 293. a twofold fear of Eternal death and destruction 1. An anxious perplexing fear in respect of the end it self 2. A watchful careful fear in respect of the means leading thereunto The first is directly opposite to that peace consolation and joy in the Holy Ghost that God is pleased to afford unto his People and exhorts them to live up to and therefore it cannot be his end or design to ingenerate it in them by any of his threatnings or warnings given in his word For the other viz. A watchful heedful fear for the avoiding of the way and means that would lead them and do lead others to destruction it is not in the least inconsistent with that assurance that God is pleased by his promises to give to his Saints of their perseverance I shall now hasten to a close of this Chapter after I have in a word or two cleared the sense of two Texts of holy Scripture which Mr. C. hath endeavoured to darken because they speak not according to his mind The first is Rom. 9. 16-22 After Mr. C. hath for a while laboured against the stream of this Text he is forced p. 40. to acknowledge the truth viz That it is not our willing and running that can bring us within the câ—mpass of special Electing Grace that being past in Gods will before the world was Indeed the design of the Apostle throughout this Chapter as well as in the Verses referred to is to shew the freeness of Gods grace to his own Elect together with his just severity against the vessels of wrath and that one is a vessel of mercy and another of wrath proceeds from the meer good pleasure of God to choose the one and leave the other his choice not being grounded on foresight of their willing or running faith and obedience but being purely resolved into his Soveraign Grace And this doth quite overthrow Mr. Colliers Election on foresight of Faith and doth also afford a very good argument for the Saints perseverance which we were last upon But I must hasten only it is necessary I should remove an abusive passage or two of which his Book is full out of our way He saith Nâ—r may we understand
in God all labours bestowed in a wrong way of Doctrine or practice will then be burnt up and prove unprofitable to those that have wrought them 3. That it is possible that some who are themselves built and do build on the true foundation may yet so far err in their work at least some part of it as that it may not be approved in this day but must be lost even as Wood Hay and Stubble is consumed by the Fire and they miss of that reward which shall be given to those whose labour hath been better imployed in the promoting of sound Doctrine and Godliness to the glory of God and the profit of their own and others Souls And 4. That this notwithstanding those that have an interest in Christ and have been in the main sincere with God shall themselves be saved yet so as by fire they cannot escape this tryal of their work and loss of that superadded gracious reward which they should have received if they had built upon the foundation Gold Silver and precious Stones Now let the whole context be diligently read and weighed by his Reader and mine and I doubt not but he will see that this Scripture proves not at all the Salvation of any that dye in their sins after the final sentence is past upon them And here it may not be unseasonable to remind Mr. Collier of those rules of interpreting Scripture that he would seem to have some regard to p. 39. viz. 1. Not to understand any dark Scripture contrary to the plain revealed will of God in his word 2. Not to understand any Scripture so as to contradict others especially so as to contradict the Volume of the Book of God This himself confesseth must needs be corrupt and dangerous and yet every one may see that his business throughout this Chapter is to oppose some few sayings of Scripture that have some difficulty attending their interpretation with parabolical and figurative expressions corrupted by his false glosses unto a multitude of plain Texts and the whole scope of the Scripture bearing plentiful witness to the certainty of the Everlasting punishment of the ungodly But I shall proceed He saith again The Lord of all lets us to know that none shall be Eternally damned but those who sin against the holy spirit Mat. 12. 31. Three of the Evangelists state this for confirmation Mar. 3. 28. Luk. 12. 10. And if all sin shall be forgiven then there must be a deliveâ—ance from the Judgement Now is Mr. Colliers mask of pretended modesty put off and laid aside and instead thereof a daring assertion of his Heresie is introduced and that by him boldly intitled to the Lord of all which oweth its Original to the Father of lies viz. That none shall be Eternally damned but those who sin against the holy spirit and that he may at once give full proof of his confidence he adds that this is stated by three of the Evangelists whereas in truth there is no such thing so much as intimated in any one of them But in divers Texts of Scripture the Lord of all lets us know that many shall be Eternally damned for other sins that may not be chargeable with the sin against the holy Ghost unto those already pleaded you may add Rev. 20. 15. 21. 8. As for the Texts abused by him The scope and design of them plainly is to let the malicious revilers of Christ and his Miracles know That although the Grace of God to sinners is so abundant that all sin and blasphemy of those that truly repent and believe in Christ may be and to some hath been and shall be forgiven on the terms aforesaid yet those that willingly and maliciously reject and blaspheme Christ so doing despight to the spirit of Grace whereby they have been so far enlightened as to know that what the Gospel reveals concerning Christ and salvation by him is truth are utterly excluded from hopes of pardon or possibiâ—ity of salvation it being impossible to renew them to Repentance and there remaining no more sacrifice for sin Compare the Texts cited with Heb. 6. 4 5 6. chap. 10. 26 27 28 29. The words in Mat. 12. are v. 31. Wherefore I say unto you All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men v. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shalâ— not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come The same thing is intended in either of these Verses though the expression thereof be doubled for the greater certainty and remarkableness thereof Wherefore I say unto you This refers to what is before recorded v. 24. c. all manner of sin and blasphemy i. e. sin and blasphemy of every kind not every individual sin and blasphemy The adultery of Repenting David was forgiven but not the adultery of those mentioned Rev. 21. 8. The blasphemy of Paul and the words that he spake against the Son of man but not of Caiaphas Herod c. shall be forgiven unto men and so v. 32. it shall be forgiven him i. e. it is remissible By the grace of God through Faith in Christ it may be forgiven and to some it hath and shall be forgiven Verbs that signifie action are sometimes understood only of a faculty or power of action so Psal 22. 18. I may tell all my bones in the Hebrew it is I will tell all my bones The sense is well exprest in our translation and Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean c. In the Hebrew it is who saith Many will say and pretend this but the meaning is who of right can say so And that the words should here be taken in this sense the analogy of Faith doth require but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost or whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost i. e. whosoever blasphemeth wittingly and maliciously against the inward enlightening and conviction of the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men and v. 32 it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in that which is to come Thus you have the certainty of their damnation first absolutely exprest v. 31. and then emphatically repeated in such terms as may serve farther to cut them off from all hopes and exclude all possibility of their forgiveness v. 32. And in them no more is intended then was before exprest and is in like absolute terms exprest by the other Evangelists no intimation which Mr. C. vainly imagines p. 48. that any which are not forgiven in this world may obtain pardon in that which is to come It is certain that it was a familiar phrase with the Jews to call the age of the Messiah the world to come and some with great probability to accept this sense both here and in Heb. 2. 5. 6.