dissemble and Consequences tried cut off preach a lie telling them that Christ died for them when he did not Answ 1. When we according to Scripture preach Christ crucified to the world not yet believing we do not we dare not say that Christ died for them but that Christ died for sinners that they might believe in him And doe we here dissemble or is this a lie Is it not a true and faithfull saying c. 1 Tim. 1. 15. And hath it not worth and weight in it 2. If upon our preaching and mens hearing faith be wrought we say to such and of such Christ died for them and doe we here dissemble or is this a lie to say Christ died for thee and me beleeving in him 3. Is not the dissimulation and lie the result of such stuff as this Christ died for all and every singular person when by the event it plainly appears he did not let Deut. 18. 2â— be the judge Cons 2. If we deny Christ died for all the world we may as well say God made a people on purpose to damn them as if you or I should marry a wife on purpose by the blessing of God to have children and then when God hath bestowed them you or I should go and cut the throat of one and hang another up by the tongue and throw a third at the fires back were it not a woefull thing then much more that a mercifull tender-hearted God should deal thus with the workmanship of his own hands Ans What have we here but great swelling words of vanity and the foam of a distempered fancy yea daring and desperate words against the truth 1. Let us examine the Consequence Doth it follow at all that because we say the one Christ died not for all therefore we may say the other that God made a people to damn them He would indeed teach us to blaspheme but we will not learn of him The Scripture tels us Eccles 7. ult God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions waies enough to damn themselves yea that one invention of eating the forbidden fruit was sufficient to have damned the elect of God with all the rest of mankinde but that Christ stept in for them the devil shall not swallow all Again the Scripture tells us Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil He made them not wicked but if men make themselves wicked God who would not permit the evil but for a greater good his own glory c. makes or orders these wicked ones to suffer their just punishment on the execution day 2. Because God will not lose his elect but purchase them at a dear rate Is he bound to doe as much for others as he freely doth for them Who art thou that repliest thus against God as if because man takes delight in sinning God should take delight in meer damning no no 'T is the sinner cuts his own throat and throws himself into the fire and when upon offers and entreaties the sinner will not return and live but sinne and die the mercifull God will shew no mercy He that made them will shew them no favour Isa 27. after his patience is abused his mercie sleighted and his tender bowels grieved justice breaks forth and fury ceaseth upon the poor sinner 3. Here is nothing but jugling and delusion in this pretended Consequence and plea for even they that plead Christ died for all doe not dare not say he died on purpose to save all or to take away from all sinners their purpose of sinning And if notwithstanding such universall grace and Redemption as the Adversaries boast of men will and do go on with their purpose of sinning shall not God go on with his purpose of punishing the works of the devil in his own workmanship Cons 3. It implieth and concludeth as true believers under condemnation as any that are saved for the truest believer doth but believe what is reported to him and if it be reported to some that Christ died not for them they believe it and so perish Ans 1. None that believeth and comes under condemnation can never be said to be a true believer in a true Theologicall but only metaphysicall sense as copper is true copper but standing for gold 't is not gold e're the more or true gold so the faith of a temporary believer is a right copper-faith not faith of Gods elect or a golden faith 2. A true believer indeed receiveth the whole testimony of God about his Son not a part only 3. In all the report of the Doctrine there is no such Doctrine as this taught Christ died not for these particulars or Christ died for every singular person He therefore who believes upon this ground Christ died for every one therefore for me beleeveth a false Proposition and his faith is false And he that beleeveth Christ died not for him because he is told â—o without book believeth without book and so if he perisheth he perisheth by and for beleeving his own heart or Satan a lying spirit in the mouth of his heart not for believing truly This is a meer scandall they would cast upon the true Gospel with the rest Cons 4. The grace of Christ is straitned for they speak of free grace and upstart nothing but a plea for one of a hundred or one of a thousand Answ 1. Is it nothing to have one of a hundred or one of a thousand written in the Lambs book of life Though who taught him or any other this Arithmetick The Lord only knoweth who and how many are his he is an upstart nothing who puts this reproach upon Gods diminutives and his little flock 2. The freenesse of grace is magnified and manifested the more by Christs dying for a certain number given to him of his Father whom he thanketh and praiseth Math. 11. 25 6 7. for this free reservation of grace to a few Contracted beams of the Sunne have the greater strength in a burning Glasse to warme and fire and so have the raies of divine favour contracted into a narrow compasse Rom. 9. 28. 3. Our plea for Gods elect will hold and come to something in the end none of the Lords people but shall obtain the fruit of Christs death when as their plea for all the world besides the elect will fail them in the experimentall issue and come to nothing Cons 5. God will damn men they hold because he will damn them and so they make damnation Gods Ordinance not mans sin the cause of it And in this we may go so farre as to justifie the devil who taught Cain and Julian and Spira to despair and Judas to hang himself Now you will conclude the devil to be a lier from the beginning and that he cannot teach a truth and on the contrary you will conclude none ought to despair c. Ans 1. It is a double reproach either that
close in renewed resolutions never to part with it but to make it more his own by all means possible Use 1 Of trial 1. This hiding carriage of a beleeving soul will give certain evidence for or against men whether they have truly found the treasure of the Gospel yea or no Whether they have truly beleeved and apprehended Christ in the Gospel-promises to be discovered as theirs and for them and their salvation First It will make against all those who say they beleeve the Gospel and have found c. but 1. are never the more humble nay they are proud of their knowledge and look who should extoll and commend them for it if none will they can make a shift with the Pharisee to commend themselves they thank God they are not so and so bad as the Minister and others would make them And so proud are many upon profession of faith that they will not be admonished must not be reproved need not be humbled need no more repentance after they have tasted of the promise and the sweetnesse of mercy held out to sinners this is an ill sign I Pride of opinion pride of parts and gifts and priviledges with Gods people doe usually follow a misapprehension of Christ and mis-application of the promises 2. If upon apprehension of Christ and Gospel-promises the soul fals into a despondency and a kinde of despair ever to have it made sure unto it's self if there be no hope there is certainly no faith As hope before faith is a presumptuous carriage of a mans spirit so despairing after faith is an odde and crosse evidence a contradiction indeed unto the Gospel and all Gospel-beleeving 3. If no love be stirring and working towards Christ what faith or finding of Christ is there in that heart Now God knows many talk and dream of faith but the love of Christ and his Word is not in them 4. If men beleeve as they thinke and yet have as mean and undervaluing thoughts of Christ as ever and prize the Gospel at as low a rate as ever they can see no beauty in Christ nor excellency in the treasure and pearl not they I wonder how they can see their faith and themselves beleevers men of God cannot God himself doth not 5. If such be loose and slippery in their purposes of making out for Christ where is thy faith There is no faith in that heart where there is not a desire of more no finding of Christ where you are not resolved to buy and get him in for your own more certainly and comfortably then at the first Secondly On the contrary by the light of this truth as the Spirit of God assisteth evidence may be given in for thee who art a true beleever If 1. Upon beleeving sense of thy unworthinesse doth not weaken thy confidence but thy apprehensions of Christ as discovered for thee doth more abase and humble thy soul and melt and break thy heart and when thou fallest a beleeving thou fallest a mourning for sin and confessing of thy sins and thy faith is hidden and drencht in tears oh blessed art thou c. 2. This evidenceth for thee that thy hopes are bred and built upon Gospel-apprehensions that though the things promised appear not to sense yet they are certainly and partiently waited for 3. This also that a first-love comes forth from and with a first-faith and Christ is entertain'd and welcom'd in the heart by the one as by the other so as thou canst say with Peter Lord thou knowest that I love thee 4. If thou carriest in thy bosome those high thoughts of Christ and his grace daily which the world knows not of and are strangers unto till it come to the trial and then it shall and doth appear what a price thou setst upon him whom thou hast found that nothing nothing shall be thought too dear or costly for him 5. If thou art firm and setled in resolutions to keep what thou knowest and beleevest and to give diligence to know and beleeve further and to have more discoveries and assurances of all Christs wealth and worth as thine and for thy salvation In a word by the secret workings of humility and hope of love and high esteem of Christ and holy purposes to make sure of Christ thou maist by the fortifying evidence of the Spirit shining upon his own graces know the secret workings of faith in and after this hidden and secret treasure which no man knoweth saving he that findes and hideth it Use 2 Of caution For Caution and Counsell to all true beleevers 1. Beware of a bad hiding of Christ while you take care to expresse your faith in this humble hopefull loving and wise way of hiding him take heed of smoothering or concealing what God hath discovered to you of Christ and his promises and free-grace for so you may dishonour God and wrong your soul and quench and hinder that good in others which you are bound to seek when you have found the treasure when the Disciples a Joh. 1 41 43 45. had found Christ they went and told it one another when the woman of Samaria b Joh. 4. 28 29. had found Christ she went and told it her neighbours when Zacheus c Luk. 19. 8. had found Christ he stood forth in the profession of his faith and repentance and in the proof of that profession when Paul d Act. 9. 20. had found Christ he went and preached him to others as he was called to it so let every one as he hath been prevented by grace prevent others and tell them what God hath taught him but in thy knowledge or discovery of Christ 2. Beware of boasting in thy self or of being lifted up in desires of thy own glory or worth beware of a proud profession or of proud exceptions against Christ take heed when Christs worth is discovered to thee thou dost not look out for worth in thy self to apply the promises as too many weak souls doe and will not dare not beleeve because of unworthinesse they are not rich enough to buy the pearl nor good enough to purchasers of the treasure what pride is here under a beggars coat Cherish thou shouldst all mean and low thoughts of thy self the more freely God doth manifest his grace unto thee but attribute all the worth to the treasure there is worth enough in that thou shalt need none of thy own God requires it not 3. Beware of entertaining doubts and questions whether you may have Christ after you have found him Wherefore did God discover him was it not that you should beleeve and beleeve yet further in his name upon new discoveries Let not the subtle serpent and the deceitfull heart together cherish a subtle-humble-pride in questioning and complaining to weaken thy hopes of obtaining that which is revealed in the promise to thee 4. Beware of losing your first-love of the Gospel and your first esteem of this Treasure and Pearl with
sure hopes cannot but be men of great joyes and this treasure and pearl bringing so much in hand at present and reaching forth so much in hopes for the future as we heard in the first Doctrine gives out withall no little ground of joy and rejoycing to a Christians heart Obj. But he hid his treasure and that partly as was opened in the 4. Doctrine under mourning and tears How comes he to rejoyce withall Answ 1. The Gospel-treasure is a secret and the finding of it by faith and hiding of it by repentance humility c. are secrets to the world and so is joy The heart knoweth his own bitternesse and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy q Prov. 14 10. If he seeth the outward expression he knoweth not the inward impression 2. A beleevers tears are tears of joy or the seed of joy Light is sowen for the righteous r Psal 97. 11. in tears and troubles and joy for the upright in heart 3. Hiding of the treasure under humble tears was not all the hiding we spake of there is as we heard an hiding of hope and there is joy hidden under hope We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Å¿ Rom. 5. 2. and there is a hiding of love and joy is hidden with love Whom having not seen ye love ye rejoyce c. t 1 Pet. 1. 8. Which in the Use may serve Use 1 Of reproof 1. To reprove those that bring an evil report upon Christ and Gospel-grace that no sooner think some and others speak it out shall a man be converted but farewell joy you must bid adieu to all mirth and chearfulnes and entertain nothing but mopish melancholy and dumpish sadnes which is a clamour both false and impossible 1. False for you hear if you will beleeve what you hear from Christs mouth he is a joyfull man that findes the treasure Finding the treasure of the Kingdome he findes that joy and sweetnes as he never felt or had experience of before Oh the sweet taste of every promise and delicious dainties that he daily doth or may feed upon at the Gospel feast 2. Impossible for the faculties of the soul doe act and put forth according to their represented object Now a Treasure and Pearl is the object a present good and a future good as sure as present And where there is an apprehension of a present good yea and a hopefull assured future good there is and cannot but be joy and the greater that good the greater that joy the higher and richer that good the higher and richer that joy Now here is the summum bonum the chiefest good and it cannot but produce in the heart a summum gaudium the chiefest joy and it being bonum aeternum an eternall good here is gaudium aeternum Everlasting joy upon their heads u Isa 35. 10. The Kingdome of God consisteth in it Rom. 14. 17. 't is true the poor sinner upon his finding of Christ bids farewell to joy in sinne but that proceeds from this true and greater joy which banisheth and puts out the false appearances of sinfull joyes of which in the next point Let none therefore belie the Scripture and blaspheme or speak evil of Christ and his grace or of a true Christians estate What though the beleevers joy makes not such a noise as the carnall mans in the ears of the world A fire of thorns will make a louder noise and crackling then a fire of the best wood and carnall mirth will sooner be heard of then spirituall joy which is better apprehended in the heart then outwardly exprest when the countenance is sober and humble doth it follow he is melancholy and sullen Alas poor blinde worldlings who cannot judge of looâ—s and colours much lesse of hearts and the frame of a beleevers heart especially which so far as it is beleeving it is chearfull c. Use 2 Of Examination For triall it is an evidence against such as say they have faith and have found Christ and yet never took any pleasure in him in thoughts or speeches of him rather are ever and anon excepting against those who rejoyce in him such murmuring and grumbling at the Gospel pearl is an evident note of unbelief Behold this pearl is trâ—mpled upon by Swinish Gadarens and it puts a poor rich worldling into a fit of melancholy That poor young man rich enough in the world Matth. 19. When he is offered treasure in heaven be a sad at that saying if he cannot have it upon better terms then were propounded had the Word taken place in his heart as it did in Zacheus he had presently rejoyced and not gone away sorrowfull but where Christ is not beleeved on he is not rejoyced in and upon this very reason because Christ comes to take away the pleasures of sinne that last but for a season although he would give eternall pleasures in exchange the heart will neither rejoyce nor beleeve in him Ob. But there are those who beleeve but for a time and yet rejoyce as the stony ground Mat. 13. 20. Answ Such a faith such a joy God will go on with carnall men as farre as they will go with him where faith is temporary there joy will be a flash and â—way it continueth not when triall cometh no more than their faith nor doth that joy ever produce right self-deniall of which anon 2. On the contrary Hast truly beleeved Thou dost and will joy in the Lord in whom thou hast beleeved Hast found the first discovery of Christ to bring in some sweetnesse the second more c. 'T is a true issue of a right-bred faith 〈◊〉 you may know it to be so through the assisting light of 〈◊〉 Spirit by this 1. It is pure joy meerly arising from 〈◊〉 sight of the treasure 2. It will hold out in triall and tentation And though joy be but an accessory grace it comes and goes ebbs and flows yet it radically continueth of â—â—ideth in the root and cause of it and all objects of faith are objects of joy what feeds the one will cherish the 〈◊〉 and if thou findest it so with thee happy thou Object But some poor soul will say I dare not deny but I have found the pearl yet cannot rejoyce Answ 1. Is it not thy desire and dost not price a little joy in the Lord above all worldly joy 2. What is that which upholds thee against despair in some promise or Gospel-truth thou hast some secret joy â—r sin would presse thee down and swallow thee up with sorrow 3. Measures of joy will encrease upon beleeving study but to grow in faith and thou wilt encrease in joy Vse 3. Phil. 4. 4. For Exhortation to the true beleever Rejoyce in the Lord and again I say not I but the Apostle not the Apostle but the Lord himself rejoyce thou Christian that hast found the pearl and treasure rejoyce in thy treasure be glad and joyfull
recompence all their diligence with full assurance of hope unto the end Heb. 6. 11. The Heathen could say That the gods sold all for sweat and we can say most truly of our God That when a Christian sweats in self-denial mortification sufferings c. he shall have from him as sure as he is just and faithfull what he sweats for 3. God is able to put a soul into possession and that everlastingly of what it laies out pains and diligence for Ioh. 10. 28 29 30. Christs and his Fathers power is united for the assurance of life to his sheep and for their preservation unto life Use 1 Aword of confutation Hence we inferre the certainty of salvation by Christ and Gospel-grace against all that doubting Doctours or doubting hearts can say to the contrary for it is as sure as any thing here can be made sure and more sure then any earthly purchase there being more in the substance of this parabolicall merchandize then in the shadow yet every expression in the shadowy resemblance speaks assurance a treasure found a treasure hidden a treasure joyed in and a treasure bought a pearl found and bought That the treasure was found hidden by God and is hidden by God and is hidden again by the finder and joyed in all this makes towards assurance but when that field for the treasures sake and the treasure with the field and the pearl and all is bought and all sold that all might be bought here is assurance upon assurance Then is Christ surely a mans own the propriety known enjoyed and used Are not you sure of that which you have bought and purchased and have deeds and evidences to shew for it after the true title is tried and proved and the false claim disproved The true beleever you see is a great purchaser he hath deeds and evidences in the promises to shew and he hath the witnesse in himself Our Gospel 1 Joh. 5. 10. saith the Apostle to the Thessalonians came not unto you in word only but in power and in the holy Ghost and in â— Thess 1. 5. much assurance And when the tempter came to tempt them though cap. 3. 10. there was something lacking in their faith in regard of degrees yet sensible they were and sure of what they had as of what they lacked and wanted The same Apostle to the Romans speaks of a double witnesse Rom. 8. 15. Gods Spirit witnessing with the Spirit or renewed conscience of a beleever Yea the Apostle Iohn makes report of â— Joh. 5. 7 8. three Witnesses in heaven and of three upon earth in the heart The Spirit equall with the Father and Son in heaven and above bloud and water on earth ratifying the acts and reflections of faith about our justification shining upon his own work of sanctification and ever teaching the soul in and after self-denying diligence to be assured never to doubt of what they have found as theirs Object 1 But some doubting Doctour will say There can be no assurance without extraordinary revelation Familists and Libertines say the like with the Papists in effect who are all for an immediate Testimony of the Spirit without evidence of grace within them or a life-testimony without them or without Scripture-evidence and verdict upon them Answ 1 1. Assurance is first found where it is founded without us in gospel-Gospel-grace Gods free-love giving Christ c. 2. Faith finding assurance in it's object more then in it's own acts and reflections by closing with a sure word of promise an unchangable Covenant becomes sure in it's acts and reflexions through the Spirit 3. More firm and full assurance comes daily in by this Christian selling and buying As the experience of thousands speak it By self-denial and diligent use of the ordinances and meanes of salvation they have ordinarily obtained sure hold possession and use of Christ have known they have had him and shall be saved eternally by him But with the tenets of Rome the Doctrine of doubting agreeth well enough viz. That a man is not justified by imputation of Christs righteousnesse but by inherent holinesse That a man must make some temporal satisfaction to Gods justice here and the rest in Purgatory That his general faith resolved into the testimony of the Church virtuall the Popes brest is enough to salvation That by the power of free-will and nature he may and must concur with Gods grace in conversion c. The Roman faith of these and such like tenets will never assure a man that he is in the state of grace or shall be in the state of glory Nor will Arminian grounds bring home assurance viz. That Christ died for all as for one That God hath not absolutely elected any That all things put into the balance which may be considered in Christs death yet none may be saved That all operations put which may be put in as ingredients to conversion yet grace may be resisted and if gotten yet lost it may be at last and put away But from the true Gospel-faith preached and the true Gospel-treasure in Christ discovered infallible and absolute promises Christs righteousnesse imputed to justification Faith and holinesse wrought irresistably by the Spirit who is given to discover and seal up grace given and glory promised and who carrieth on the beleever in the means and ordinances keepeth him to them and makes them effectuall for the obtaining of what he seeks after Assurance and evidence unquestionable may be is and shall be had and enjoyed for ever Object 2 But saith the doubting heart mans heart is deceitfull above all things and I cannot finde such and such evidences as you speak of by all the diligence and self-denying pains that I have yet laid out for the Gospel-pearl and Treasure Answ 1. I am very jealous whether thou hast denied that deceitfull heart from bearing any witnesse at all about thy estate If the heart be deceitfull as it is in the best so farre as unregenerate good reason it should not be heard speak at all 't is a false witnesse and will give in false evidence I agree with thee the old deceitfull heart and every piece of it must be sold away denied 2. The heart so farre as beleeving a faithfull promise Conscience as justified by Christs bloud and sanctified by the Spirit is not deceitfull The Spirit is truth and too holy to deceive 1 Joh. 5. 6 and too wise to be deceived in this great point of a Christians assurance when he certifieth Gods love and love-tokens to the soul 3. It is and will be more sure then any earthly purchase if that may be wrangled away this cannot if an heir may be cheated of his inheritance in his minority the childe of God cannot He who selleth all sels all his deceitfull heart away and all false evidences and dictates to consult with the Word and Spirit of truth to hearken to Gods bargain to read his writings to view and hold out
2. Ioying which is nothing else but the joy of faith in the knowledge and apprehension of what is certainly attainable in the Gospel and precious promises 3. Selling and selling all his selling is 1. His consent to part with what he hath he goeth to that end 2. His actuall parting with what is his as and when God calleth and enableth All That is all that he hath of his own that may be truly called his what ever stands in competition with or opposition to Christ and his Gospel-grace As 1. His sins and sinfull-self the body of sinne and earthly members 2. His common gifts naturall and morall of understanding reason wit usuall competitours with and opposers of grace 3. His own righteousnesse of outward duties civil religious frames of heart 4. His worldly profits pleasures honours preferments friends c. 5. His self-ends in profession dependency or confidence of strength to mortifie a lust 6. All his externall Church-priviledges in point of dependance 7. Life it self Though skin for skin c. yet he consents to the parting with this also and doth it actually when called to lay it down for Christ and the Gospel-truth and grace 4. Buying the field and treasure and pearl this is the last effect of finding whereby he gets firm assurance and clear evidences written and sealed which is more then the first act of beleeving even a giving diligence to make his calling and election sure heaven Christ and grace sure to his person and clear to his spirit and conscience Of such a buying the Scripture speaks Isa 55. 1. Revel 3. 18. alibi Thus then take up the summe of all Christ and the gospel-Gospel-grace in the preaching and administration of it is a most rich treasure and pretious pearl hidden in a field of promises and Gospel-dispensations which when any of Gods elect at the time of their effectuall calling minding other things is prevented with by Gods light and love and drawn to beleeve it attainable for himself he doth humbly hopefully and highly esteem of it and in love and holinesse purposeth to make sure of it And from the joy that he hath and conceives to have in a further enjoyment sets upon the work of extreme self-deniall and poverty of spirit consents to part with all his sinnes all his pride of parts and gifts all his self-justifying righteousnesse all his shackles and snares in the creature his self-ends dependencies on his own strength or Church-priviledges le ts goe life and all as called to it and thereby gives diligence to get full assurance and firm evidence of Christ and all heavenly treasure as his own According to and out of which Paraphrase we shall have contract them as I can seven pertinent and usefull Doctrines 1. Christ and Gospel-grace is a precious treasure hidden in Gospel-promises and dispensations 2. Every one of Gods elect as others they wander up and down in their minds and endeavours after imaginary mediums and waies of happinesse 3. In Gods good time his elect are prevented with his light and love and drawn to beleeve the attainablenes of this treasure for themselves 4. There is in every true beleevers heart an humble hopefull loving high esteem of Christ and his grace and a holy purpose to make out for assurance of him and it 5. The Christian who findes Christ rejoyceth in him 6. The joy of a beleever worketh him to utmost self-deniall 7. Extreme poverty of spirit and thorow self-deniall will so possesse a soul of Christ and of the treasure of his Kingdome as he shall have full assurance and firm evidence that Christ is his and he is Christs that heaven is reserved for him and he for heaven Doct. 1. Christ and Gospel grace is a precious hidden Doct. 1 Treasure Which Doctrine brancheth it self out into three Christ a precious hidden treasure Propositions 1. He is a treasure 2. Precious treasure 3. Hidden treasure Branch 1. Christ and his Gospel-grace is a Christians treasure Branch 1. The f Col. 3. 1. Mat 5 21. 19 20. Scriptures quoted in the Explication and margent prove it for 1. That which a Christian must seek and set his heart upon must needs be his treasure this is Christ and his Kingdome 2. That which is brought in earthen vessels Paul and the despised frail Ministers of the Gospel that is our treasure which is Christ and his riches 2 Cor. 4. 7. I adde 3. That which hath abundance and enough to enrich and Copia sacultatum supply all that finde it with all that their hearts doe or can desire is surely our treasure In Christ there is abundance of all good of all the fulnesse of the Godhead which dwelleth in him bodily Col. 2. 9. If he gives life he gives it in abundance Joh. 10. 10. If righteousnes it is given and received too in abundance Rom. 5. 17. If grace and the Spirit he sheds it forth abundantly Tit. 3. 6. And the Gospel hath a fulnesse of blessing in it Rom. 15. 29. Branch 2. It is not abundance of dirt or drosse but all Branch 2. precious And in that respect Christ and Gospel-grace is as well set out here by a Pearl as by a Treasure a Treasure for quantity a Pearl for quality one Pearl for the single sole compleatnesse of his grace The preciousnesse is evident by two properties in the Text. 1. The value and price not ordinary but great 2. The rarity and peculiar one-nesse but one such in all the world First The value and price great and dear * Pretiosissimi praetij according to the Syriack Trem. we may take the estimate hereof in three weighty considerations 1. Of what price Christ is with the Father of highest esteem with his Father no question his elect servant in whom Gods soul delighteth Isa 42. 1. His beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Mat. 3. ult The Son of his dearest love Col. 1. 13. Amongst many demonstrations these are convincingly set before us in Scripture 1. It pleased not the Father that any or all men and Angels should be the store-house of grace but that in him all fulnesse Col. 1. 19. should dwell 2. The Father hath given all into his hands All dispensations Joh 3. 35. of the Fathers love from election to glorification are through Jesus Christ 3. The Father hath set him at his own right hand of Heb. 1. 13. Majesty and Glory till he hath made all his enemies his footstool 2. Of what price considered in himself his Person 2. Of what price considered in himself his Offices 1. In his Person The Son of God co-essentiall with the Verbum in carne margarita in concha Father and Spirit Emmanuel the Word made flesh What a pearl is here God and man united in one person of the Son of God That mystery which the Angels desire to gaze upon as men gaze upon a jewell or pearl and which they stoop to pry into as men
pry into a curious piece of workmanship 2. In his offices as he is 1. A Prophet teaching the whole will of God the Messiah teaching all things Joh. 4. 25. In whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge 2. A Priest 1. Making full and perfect satisfaction by his obedience and sufferings his life and the compleat obedience to all his Fathers commands how precious of more value then all the lives of the Saints His death and every drop of his bloud shed for satisfaction and atonement how precious One drop of more merit then all the blood of Martyrs 2. Making perpetuall intercession in the heavens an able Advocate and a righteous one able to prevail with a just as a mercifull God by his righteous pleadings mercifull and faithfull in all cases committed to his plea And a most free Advocate doth all for nothing in the behalf of every one who comes to God by him in formâ pâ—â—peris 3. A King declared so to be by his glorious resurrection ascension and exaltation at Gods right hand And by his gathering and governing his Saints and the Churches of the Saints inwardly by his Spirit and outwardly by his Word and Gospel-order and Discipline unknown worth is here of great price is he in every of these respects as might be amplified and cleared at large 3. Of what price and great value is Christ to us in that Principium culmenque omnium rerum pretij margaritae teneÌ„t Plin. lib. 9 c. 35 Gospel-grace which he communicates first and last such as it makes every choice grace flowing from him to be a pearl enriching a Christian with enough 1. To live and spend upon for the present 2. To lay up for the future 1. For the present How precious that which is given to live upon 1. The Spirit of grace and praier and purity and liberty 2. Faith the precious faith of Gods elect the g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 7. triall of it more precious then gold much more in it's self most precious 3. Union with Christ there is a pearl indeed Pearls me called unionâ—s say some because but one or two are found together and why not because they unite the heart in love and high esteem of such as finde them to themselves I am sure this is an uniting pearl the pearl of union with Christ which brings in h 1 Joh. 1. 3. fellowship with the Father and his Spirit and his Saints and i Ephes 4. 16. whole Churches of them 4. Justification in which there are four things of great price 1. The Righteousnesse of Christ imputed 2. The non-imputation or plenary remission of all sin in the guilt and punishment 3. The acceptation of our persons as righteous 4. The title to eternal life thereby 5. Reconciliation a precious fruit of our Justification and pardon whereby of enemies to God we are accepted as his friends and are in termes of peace with him 6. Redemption a precious benefit whereby of bondslaves to sinne and Satan we are accepted as Gods-Covenant servants and Christs free-men the more precious being purchased by such a price as the precious bloud of Christ 7. Adoption a precious free-enlarged act of Gods love whereby of children of wrath we are accepted as his own sonnes and daughters Behold what manner of love is this 1 Ioh. 3. 1. Declare it who can when the Apostle is at a stand about it 8. Sanctification in the parts 1. The quickning of a new divine nature and in particular the habit of love k Lyra makes charity the choice pearl among and with other vertues 2. The mortifying of an old corrupt nature how precious therestoring of Gods image and the destroying of the devils likenesse And in the first generall acts and fruits Repentance and a broken heart a precious jewell and pearl All these as they are Christs-grace and Gospel-grace may have the denomination to farre as they have the precious nature of Pearls which as Pliny l Nat. Hist l. 9. c. 35. writes are begotten of the dew of heaven which at a certain time of the year the shell-fish draws in and as they are specious to sight so for use are very medicinall to heal the palpitation or beating of the heart to comfort the vitall spirits and drive away the dizzinesse of the head of farre choicer use is Christ and this grace which floweth from his divine distilling influences but I follow not the metaphor as some doe who reading in Pliny and other Authours of what m MargaritaruÌ„ omnis dos saith Pliny consistit in candore magnitudine orbe laevere pondere See Cor. à lapide in loc Dos and due proportion of whitenesse greatnesse â—oâ—idnesse smoothnesse and weight a pearl consisteth lay out the resemblance unto Christs being conceived of the Virgins substance by the over-shadowing dew of the Spirit coming forth most-white by his innocency little by his humility bright by his wisdome most round by his compleat perfection weighty in conscience smooth in mildenesse full of the price of blessednesse it is enough and agreeable enough to the scope of our Lords own Parables that we take notice of the great value and worth of Christ and his grace moving every one that truly understands it to make out in a purchase for the possession of it 2. For the future the full growth of grace comfortable evidences of it and of Gods love the root of it Perseverance and victory over sinne world Satan Antichrist and death a joyfull glorious resurrection and redemption of the body boldnesse at Christs coming with eternall life in the beatificall vision of God for ever and ever Here is as much as ever I heard of or knew any Christian desired and how great is the price hereof no man can tell mee Secondly The rarity and peculiar one-nesse of this Pearl all is summed up in one Iesus Christ In him you are compleat Col. 2. 9. If he be the Sonne of God he is the only jewell of the Crown of heaven if he be a King head and husband of the Church he is but one c. Act. 4. 12. 15. 11. if we take in every grace of the Gospel to be a Pearl and if we take in the Gospel too with Gospel-grace and every promise of the Gospel with the knowledge thereof n The knowledge of Christ is the pearl which â—â—â—re exceeds all other sciences Annot. upon the Bible Branch 3. 1 How hid yet all these are bound up in one Volume of Jesus Christ which when a Christian hath well read thorow and studied he desires to know and enjoy nothing else 1 Cor. â— 2. Phil. 3. 8. Branch 3. Christ and Gospel-grace is a hidden treasure where two things are worth our enquiry how and where this Treasure is hid In it self and it's worth it is hid thus 1. As not known to naturall men at all by any capacity or principle they have to discern Christ or the things of
Christ in his preventing love and call shall come to Christ observe it in John they are given before they come as well as when they come and because given before all time they shall come in time unto him Reasons special And that faith is a fruit of election and finding this treasure a fruit of Gods speciall love appeareth by two Reasons among many 1. The treasure of and in Christ is a great secret it is for Gods friends and children that he loveth to finde it and to have the speciall grace of faith to apprehend it for theirs it is the childrens bread and portion To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom c. 2. God who elects to the end elects to the means he did not elect all to the end therefore not to the means some are left to a losing faith others chosen to salvation have a finding and a saving faith given them as the proper and choice means of getting an interest in Christ and all that they are chosen to in him before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. 1. to the 4. the faithfull in Christ Jesus are blessed with all spirituall blessings according as God hath chosen c. For Application and first to your understandings First From hence see the necessity of true faith if it be 1. Use of Instruction three waies necessary thou findest this treasure and truly that is needfull enough for thou art a merchant-bankrupt in Adam till Christ stocks thee and sets thee up by Gospel-riches and wealth and except thou beleevest thou wilt never see not understand any thing of this mystery of Christ and of Gods love Christ will never have any dealings with thee he will not trust thee nay unlesse thou beleevest sincerely he will not commit himself unto thee nor trust thee with this true treasure Secondly See what effectuall faith is that which is the â—ffect and fruit of Gods free everlastin ever-preventing love that which brings home a discovery of Christ in a promise to the soul with some certainty of apprehension for a mans self that it is the will of God Christ should be his mine thine Hast thou by the light and conviction of the Gospel been drawn to this apprehension of a possibility yea a certaincy of attaining to true treasure surely thou hast been prevented by the love of God and hast found that which thou beleevest and maist know thy faith and beleeving is noâ— in vain when as by the very first act of it thou hast hold of a Treasure a Pearl which will make thee for ever Thirdly See the riches of a beleever and his happinesse by faith he findes a treasure that make him what a man of this world a merchant of small wares No but a Merchant-venturer for heaven a venturer said I no a merchant finder and possessour he findes all at once by faith that ever any Saint was or shall be worth he findes the treasure of the Kingdom of heaven and all that the King and Kingdom of heaven is worth this he findes by beleeving ô that you would beleeve how great his findings are thâ—â— you may grow great by beleeving also with him Use 2 Exhortation three waies Secondly To come to what is yet more practicall let â—â— caution and counsell you about the great work of beleeving First Bewere of an evil heart of unbelief thou wilt ever be â—t â— lesse for Christ till thou beleevest thou wilt lose Christ and lose thy soul by unbelief Consid 1. Unbelief is a sin against Gospel light which brings condemnation with a witnes Ioh. 3. 19. The sinfulnes of unbelief 2. 'T is a same against Gospel-love it hinders the exâ—â—â—tion of Gods-election in these that are chosen then maist be among the chosen of God beleeve and thou shalt below it 3. 'T is a sin against the person offices worth efficacy of Jesus Christ he will not he cannot do what he would 〈◊〉 hee in thee because of thy unbelief 4. It hath more evil in it then all the sins against the 〈…〉 called by a more eminent disparagement an p Heb. 3. 12. an 〈…〉 of unbelief a proud heart is 〈…〉 heart is an evil heart and an unclean heart an evil heart yet not 〈◊〉 in Scripture that I remember as an unbeleeving 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 that â—ame more then all other 〈◊〉 of spirit which yet are bad enough upon these grounds 1. 〈…〉 are in this virtually and actually pride is in all unbelief and acted with it and the worst pride of all exaltings and liftings up of the heart against God pollution and uncleannesse is in and with unbelief they are never separated hypocrisie and unbelief unthankfulnesse and unbelief are linked inseparably together 2. It brings more mischief to the soul then all other sinnes more griefs cares vexations despairs and deeper damnation for ever 3. It keeps the heart under the guilt and power of all sinne whatsoever thy heart will never be better but worse and worse while unbeleeving Secondly Wouldst finde Christ get rid of this evil heart of unbelief Beleeve and thou hast found Christ righteousnesse and a treasure of all grace in him Hast found thy self empty By faith thou shalt see and share in Christs fulnesse Hast found thy self bankrupt Beleeve and thou shalt have riches and stock enough in Christ Hast found thy self foolish in Christ are treasures of wisdome and knowledge Beleeve and thou shalt finde thy self Gods by election Christs by redemption and purchase and the Spirits by his in dâ—velling sanctifying presence Say and conclude it if God hath discovered Christ it is that I should beleeve it is for obedience of faith I beleeve I beleeve then mâ—st thou say I have found I have found What The Gospel-treasure and the Gospel-pearl Thirdly Would you beleeve walke up and down the field where the Treasure is hidden and revealed reade and search the Scriptures hearken after the promises attend to the Sermons of Christ to the Word of the Kingdom and to this end 1. Give not over hearing and hearing again upon all occasions of those that preach Jesus Christ purely and sincerely 2. Meditate turn over Christ and the promises in thy thoughts oft in a day and as oft or oftener in the night season 3. Enquire and make out for knowledge more light into the mystery of the unsearchable riches of Christ And you that have beleeved and found something hear meditate pray and pray in faith for more understanding they use to dig for hid treasures Joâ— 3. 21. q Prov. 2. 2 3 c. If thou encline thine ear and apply thy heart criest and liftest up thy voice for wisdome if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures then shalt thou understand and finde the knowledge of God of God in Christ of Christ in a promise and Covenant of grace Amen We have dispatcht three of the Doctrines the other four drawn from the
abounded to the riches of their liberality hereis precious and choice checkwork joy and self-deniall self-deniall and joy egging on and backing each other And St Paul in his sufferings will not rejoyce alone but will have the Philippians joy and rejoyce with him Å¿ Phil 2. 18. If self-deniall with joy for it's antecedent it shall have it for it 's concomitant and consequent The Thessalonians t 1 Thess 1. 6. and the Hebrews u Heb. 10. 34. had abundant experience of joy for their companion and attendant in all that they sold away for Christ and the Gospel so many Martyrs of Jesus as we read of so many Witnesses to this truth Call we to minde but that one instance a M. Fox vol. 3 71â— of Iohn Carelesse who was resolved to cast all care away upon the Lord had his water turned into wine and that of the best filled out by the master of the feast that he was become drunken in the joy of the Spirit c. And that other of Pomponius Algerius an Italian Martyr b Vol. 3. 181 182 183. who stiled his Leonine prison a delectable Orchard where dropped the delectable dew where flowed the pleasant Nectar where was milk of consolation and plenty of all good things And how doth he from the joy which himself felt and beleeved call upon his dear brethren and fellow-servants to rejoycing rejoycing in the midst of their fals into divers tentations according to that of the Apostle Iam. 1. 2. Let us take up his resolution I will not set more by my life then by my soul deny we our selves to the utmost and we shall have joy to the utmost lay down the price and you shall have a joyfull possession as it followeth in the next and last Doctrine But a word of Direction for the close of this Would we cherish our joy of the Treasure and deniall of Means of self-denying joy our trash 1. Be much in beleeving strength on faith as one of our Worthies in the faith e M. Ward Life of faith and strengthen joy and joy strengthened will fortifie the spirit against fears or loves inordinate will more carry us off from self and creature 2. Pray and pray earnestly for that joy which will strengthen us in the inner man and for that Almighty glorious power which will strengthen unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse as the Apostle for the Eph. 3. 16. and for the Col. 1. 9 11. 3. Attend upon your sealing daies we have every Sacrament Sabbath enough assured to make us say with the Disciple Let us also goe that we may die with him or with that heroick Saint Volemus in Coelum Let us flee into heaven or with the Apostle Let us live to him that died for us and be no more our own but his living dying And with that Italian preacher Let Montalchin die and live thou O Lord Iesus 7. Thorow self-deniall brings forth such diligence â—â— Doct. 7 whereby the true Christian groweth up to a firm assurance Self-denial brings diligence and assurance and clear evidence of the Kingdom-treasure and pearl of heaven Christ and Gospel-grace For the clearing and proving whereof how it is grounded and raised upon these Parables of selling and buying and how consonant to the truth of Scripture and reason I shall open the similitude that doth illustrate this truth and so farre as it is the scope of the Parables prove it and then by demonstrations shew and confirm that it is so and why it must needs be so In the metaphor of buying we have Cleared from the metaphor of buying considerable 1. The act 2. The object First In the act of buying there are four things obvious whereby it will appear that as the merchant mans buying is here set forth as a consequent of his selling so diligence unto more full assurance and clear evidence of Christ is a consequent and fruit of self-denial 1. In buying men lay out with cost of money much pains and diligence it cost the former and trades-man many a trudging journey to fairs and markets and the merchant many a walk up and down the City and riding from town to town in the Countrey yea many a hazardable voyage by and beyond the Seas So the self-denying Christian he laieth out much cost of pains and diligence to make his calling and his election sure A sure interest is that the earthly and heavenly merchant labours for There is a two-fold interest in and to the Kingdom of heaven 1. That which comes in by calling this is the finding of the treasure and pearl 2. That which was given the elect from all eternity the knowledge whereof is the effect of calling according to purpose Now by thorow-self-denial a soul is put to diligence and by diligence seeks the knowledge of both these interests But here is the difference between worldly and spirituall merchandizing the more money a man hath the more he can carry on his trade and merchandize in the world but the lesse worth a Christian man hath the more rich the merchant when he comes without money or moneys price he laieth out the more cost The more self-denial in the heart and the more empty the purse of the soul is the more diligence the Christian giveth to attain what he beleeveth and hopeth for And that a self-denying soul is such a painfull diligent soul is implied in that precept Isa 55. 1. compared with ver 2 3. 6. Buying with an empty purse is labouring using the means seeking in the Ordinances by faith hope humility c. in the sense of our nothingnesse to trust into God and wait upon him for all in Christ And it is so expressely found true in the practice of beleevers Matth. 19. 27. Behold we have forsaken all and have followed thee here is diligent following of Christ after negligent forsaking of a mans self and of all he hath So St Paul having suffered the losse of all to winne Christ what are his desires Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him more experimentally and his diligence what is it vers 11. If by any means I might attain c. And ver 12. I follow after and vers 13. reaching forwards and vers 14. I presse toward the mark the like diligence he exhorteth the Philippians unto v. 17. Brethren be followers together of me as in selling so in buying as in parting with your selves and own righteousnesse c. So in the endeavours of a more sure and full possession of Christ and what is his 2. The Merchant by his buying and trafficking obtains what he laieth out his cost for He that buyeth land takes up land He that buyeth a house takes livery and seisin 't is delivered up to him by waies of strong assurance he that buyeth a commodity at market carrieth it away with him from the shop and brings it home So he that by self denyal gives diligence in the way
Vindiciae Redemptionis IN THE FANNING AND SIFTING OF SAMVEL OATES His Exposition upon Mat. 13. 44. WITH A faithfull search after our LORDS meaning in his two Parables of the TREASURE and the PEARL Endeavoured in severall Sermons upon Mat. 13. 44 45. Where in the former part UNIVERSALL REDEMPTION is discovered to be a particular Errour Something here is inserted in answer to PAULUS TESTARDUS touching that Tenet And in the later Part CHRIST the peculiar TREASURE and PEARL of GODS Elect is laid as the sole Foundation and the Christians faith and joy in him and self-deniall for him is raised as a sweet and sure superstructure By John Stalham Pastour of the Church at Terling in Essex 2 Tim. 2. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fideles verò minimè decet Reproborum in gratiam Ecclesiam turbare Testard The. 2 v4 1 John 4. 1. Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world London Printed by A. M. for Christopher Meredith at the Sign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1647. TO MY BELOVED BRETHREN AND NEIGHBOVRS in TERLING Beloved YOu are the people among whom my lot hath fallen for these fourteen years and upwards unto whom I came and with whom I have been in weaknesse and in fear and in much trembling Yet in regard of Gods presence and indulgence of Preaching-liberties with some successe all the Prelates times and since with his protection in these times of warre I may say The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea in God the portion of my cup I have a goodly heritage And for you I cannot but remember to Gods honour that inviting report which was given of you that you were a fasting and a praying people which I found true among the best of you who gave me a call hither I doe not forget what example of Non-Conformity to Prelaticall injunctions you held out to me nor what forbearance you allowed me for a time in the use of the Ceremonies which * M. T. Weld my Reverend and godly Predecessour had refused and I through inconsiderate timidity and temerity had introduced till God convinc'd me of my folly I must needs acknowledge with thankfulnesse to God and you that some competent number of you have fallen in with me in a time of Publique Reformation to witnesse against Popery Prelacy Superstition Schisme Heresie Profanenesse and Formality and have helpt towards their Extirpation according to Covenant But in this I question how the rest of you are or will be approved to Christ and your consciences Some for leading others for following and persisting in a way of Needlesse separation from me and your Brethren and that privately as publikely and that after you had upon conferences and debates granted a true Church here in being and have seen it come forth more visibly in the way to further purity after our renouncing all dependency upon Prelacy our casting out of Ceremonies and Service-book as a menstruous cloth with a Get thee hence our seeking after with joynt-consent all Christs own Institutions and our chusing of his Officers this is an un-Saint-like separation not to be justified scarce to be parallel'd Some for running to another Baptisme or disclaiming my Ministery and the above mentioned first Call which other of your Brethren have stuck to avouched and renewed by these as other evidences which might be produced but that I spare you it appears the more Christ hath whistled and wooed you in the more you have fled from the fold the more I his poor servant have been yours the lesse you have been mine and with a clear conscience I may write and publish it the more I have endeavoured to love you abundantly the lesse I am loved of you But that which Christ hath most against You the ignorant and profane multitude I mean not but Professours is that some have taken upon you the office of teaching and re-baptizing others have hearkned after you and you with them after false teachers who have drawn disciples after them not only to another Baptisme but to another Gospel never fancied but ever abhorred in this place since I knew it and before in my Orthodox Predecessours time which yet is not another for the Gospel of Christ is but one eternall Truth but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Everlasting Gospel by preaching an universall and when all comes to all but temporary Redemption by the death of Christ as they say for all He that started this first among you stirred my spirit least this leven should speedily spread thorow the whole lump with all instancy and constancy on Lectures and Lords daies publiquely to witnesse in these following Sermons against that which was too publiquely and boldly vented though in a private house And as at that time I acquainted you with some reasons or causes why I conceived God sent in that subtle seducer so now I will re-minde you of them 1. For your countenancing the way of Anabaptisme and compliance with what they who run that course say and doe as if all they said were Gospel and all they did were godlinesse 2. For your want of love to the truth and of this truth That Christ died but for some which is a truth or Christ died in vain for the most of men for what shall it profit if any of Christs purchased ones should win the world and not win Christ but lose their souls and all grant most men will lose their souls and that it is a blasphemy to say Christ died in vain 3. For your Triall Deut. 13. 2 3. whether you doe soundly love God and sincerely professe Christ crucified There must be such heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11. 19. in their solidity of judgement sincerity of heart and stedfastnesse of conversation among you 4. For your caution lest contending for circumstances above the substance you lose the substance while you catch at the shadow For Satan by Gods permission hath set Pioneers while you are seeking to set up the Roof on work to undermine and rase the Foundation 5. To quicken up your diligence in the search of the Scriptures And lastly To make you more carefull in holding fast of all Gospel-truth lest you be plundered of it Now if any of you have been plundered t is possible Brethren to recover this with other truths out of the hands of spoilers Bestir you therefore and quit your selves as living stones of the spirituall Temple of the living God the Pillar and ground of truth Doe not only regain hold fast but as you hold out any colours of a visible Church hold forth the truths that appertain to the Head of the Church visibly gloriously And I do now more solemnly call you out to witnes with me against this Errour of Vniversall Redemption let it be qualified how it will it hath an ill savour
for Christ but not according to knowledge If you think to be saved and to help to save others by the doctrine of universall Redemption and by the particular act of rebaptizing and of being rebaptized you will still deceive and be deceived Perpend therefore and weigh with your self or rather out of your self with the minde of God in the Scriptures as here and in others more elaborate and spirituall dissertations is cleared and vindicated Had you sold your self wit fancy and conceit in Gods matters for Christ and Gospel-truth you would never have so abused the Parable of selling all and of buying the field and treasure as you did when you opened your pack of wares in our Town I know 't is incident to us all to erre but where self-deniall prevails errour shall not prevail to heresie Errour is a serpent with a long tail full of knots if unwary self-confident persons meet with it it will winde in and enwrap in it's endlesse train a thousand of them with which they cannot but be strangled that do not strangle it I am afraid my old friend T. More sometimes of Wels was thus ensnarled by doubtfull disputations with the erroneous Doctours of the times who hath pleaded your cause of generall atonement in print A book I could never meet with to this day but the other day when I had finisht this By M. Whitfield Piece there was presented to my view a godly learned friendly and faithfull Answer to that his book I shall hope by humility and self-deniall he will recover himself upon the reading of it and I shall pray you may prevent him or joyn or follow in a Palinodia Then will you see and say it had been better for you both to have kept to your looms then to have spun such a threed which will not make a web and that a garment to cover your nakednes withall Repent or you have much to answer a heavy account to give up For such as have had a better name for piety then ever Prelates had to make a more dangerous narrow bridge to Popery then they did by a more refined Pelagianisme For you who have pretended to more sanctity then ever Arminian Doctours have done in familiar communion with Gods people to be more efficacious in deceiving and mis-leading unstable souls O I tremble to think of the account Repent therefore and your errour of errours yet will not be your ruine But if the Lord leaves you to your free-will and you be hardened from his fear let him that you will procure to answer me if you cannot your self reconcile these contradictions between your universality of Redemption and your Anti-paedo-baptisme Vniversalist Anti-paedo-baptist Christ died to redeem all of man-kinde whereof Infants are a part As for Infants we know nothing of them Or thus Christ took away the curse from all men for sins against the Covenant of works Infants have no visible grace Again All of man-kinde are under a Covenant of Grace Infants of the best believing Parents are not under a Promise Again The guilt of Adams sin is taken off from all and by consequence there are no Pagans nor ever were No Infants are faederally holy They are all but young Pagans Now the good Lord the Spirit of truth deliver his chosen people from both these extreams and from all such interfeering and shackling opinions in whom I am theirs and Yours to read as to write to learn as to teach John Stalham To the Christian Reader Christian and Beloved Reader VNder the favourable allowance of the Authour of these ensuing labours my very loving Friend and vigilant Pastour I am crept into thy view not arrogating so much repute as to encline thee to a more venerable esteem of any thing in them because attested in an Epistle of mine For I am not of Classick authority to do any competent service of that kinde My scope rather is to witnes to what I have heard and received from the undoubted word of truth made known to me by the spirit of truth which hath wrought effectually as in other means so by the Ministery of this Authour to confirm and establish me in truth received before my acquaintance with him and to deliver me out of the snare of some errours in which I began to be entangled about that very time in which I began to know him And though I know him too well to go about to winde into his better esteem by painting and tickling encomions who lives upon a purer and more heavenly air then the vapour of mans breath exhaled by a corrupt fancy from a muddy heart yet I deem it some encouragement to him that is set over me in the Lord to watch for my soul to be acknowledged in his work and successe and in so doing I do only discharge a debt Some of the strong supporters of the rotten fabrick of Arminius thou maist see him batter and rase in this Discourse into which since I was a waifaring man to heaven I never turned in to lodge for a night finding it inconsistent with that foundation against which the gates of hell shall never prevail Especially that of Saints apostacy And for Paulus Testardus his friend and neighbour I cannot but issue my thoughts that he is here so fully enervated and enfeebled that when I read that passage in the book which concerned him if I had been a woman and in Elizabeths condition when Mary came from the hill countrey to salnte her the babe would have leapt within me for joy Another errour occasionally touched upon I must crave thy patience to speak a little to and that is the opinion of Anti-poedobaptisme in the lime-twigs whereof I my self was once taken and held till by the Lords blessing upon the judicious meek and divine reasonings of this Authour I was enabled to discern the Arminian results that naturally and therefore necessarily arise from Anti-poedobaptisticall grounds while they both make the Covenant of grace dependent upon some spirituall qualification in the creature And this I blush not to publish to the world hoping that it may be for thy benefit I am not ignorant that there are irreconcilable contradictions between the opinions of him who is both Anti-pedobaptist and Arminian a taste whereof thou shalt meet with in the close of the Authours Epistle to the Reader and no wonder for errour is often so divided and engaged in battels and feuds that thou maist meet with one corrupt opinion triumphing upon the neck of another like Tamerlane upon Bajazet unity and consent being the honourable titles and inseparable attendants of nothing but truth Nor yet doe I insert this as if I would insinuate that every Antipoedobaptist is an actuall Arminian it being quite against my principles to represent any man in a worse shape then his own digested opinions put him into And indeed I have so charitable assurance of some of their sincerities in saving truths as if their eyes were clear enough to
the application and that by gift of all other good things from the gift of Redemption and of the Redeemer himself Rom. 8. 32. 3. That of Christs satisfaction for all men and obtaining the pardon of all sinnes against the Covenant of works for all them and his satisfaction for and pardon of the sinnes against the Covenant of Grace only for the elect whereas all men originally and actually hanging upon a Covenant of works for life and yet continually breaking that Covenant are actually in all ages and in this present age as in the Apostles age under the curse Gal. 3. 10. And they who have any sin forgiven have all sins forgiven them Col. 2. 13. Zach. 13. 1. which are the elect only Christs peculiar people Mat. 1. 21. Tit. 2 14. 4. That of the Gospel and of the promise of life the former being as our new teacher said * After his Lecture to a brother of ours for all the promise of life for believers only Whereas at the first dawning of the Gospel the promise of life and immortality comes to light 2 Tim. 1. 10. whoever have the Gospel preached to them that they might believe have the promise of life also preached to them that they might believe and before a man doth believe he hath no more interest in the Gospel or in Christs death then in the promise of life Joh. 3. ult 5. It makes Christs death not at all the execution of Gods election or if at all but of a conditionall election producing but a conditionall Redemption for all not absolute for any hence 6. It frames Gods intention after mans fancy and Christs love to be no more to Peter then to Iudas as some have confest it 7. It imagines the grace of God to be for all or none and Christs death to be for none certainly but contingently 8. It shuts out Infants from any benefit by Christs death but what say they is common to Reprobates as freedome from originall sinne bodily life and Resurrection The first we deny that any Reprobate hath or shall have As for present life and future Resurrection if Infants have no more advantage by Christs death then have they not so much either as a benefit or not as by his death if they have more why do the Assertours of such grace deny them the seal thereof in Baptisme 9. It leads to other errours as pernitious and pestilent I 'le instance in three 1. That of free will for Christs death for all obtains but of God by their Doctrine a possibility that men may be saved converted c. If they will and that will left in their common Nature is Grace Gospel-grace they must make it or they make nothing of it a Gospel-will let it be then contributing to mans conversion what just nothing saith the Scripture Ioh. 5. 40. 6. 44. All say they in effect for let all operations of grace be put that may be put into the balance will must cast the scales and determine the case whether the man shall be converted or no saved or no. And what the vote of the will is in that case reade Psalm 81. 11 12. Jeremy 44. 17. Oh slavish will as Luther call'd thee and Oh Legall will may I call thee continually in bondage What is the pride of that opinion which would exalt thee such a bond-slave above a promise above the Spirit above God and his decrees c 2. That of falling away from Grace for if Christ died for all and that to obtain remission of sinnes for all and a will for all to be converted then all men are not only fallen in the first Adam but are and shall fall in Christ the second Adam from a pardon'd state and a state of free-will and of free-grace in their sense who are not elected yea but when the Scripture a Luk. 1. 77. Joh. 6. 44 45. attributeth remission of sinnes and a will to be regenerate or a will set at liberty for the receiving and acting of grace onely to the Elect such falling away from such grace is an imputation by Arminian Doctrine cast upon the Elect of God such Doctrine and Doctours therefore to be abandoned 3. That which issueth from both the former deniall of the Spirits efficacy first and last They that teach Christ died for all doe grant he gives his Spirit but to some here they plainly separate Christs death and the Spirit of his death and when the Spirit is given hee workes but at the courtesie of the will how farre and how long it willeth and pleaseth Can that Doctrine be for Christs honour that tends to the dishonour of his Spirit 10. And lastly It engenders unto that conceit That the damned may in time be saved b As since these Sermons were preached I have met with a Pamphlet not worthy confutation entituled Divins Light per antiphrasin it should be diabolicall darknesse manifesting it should be smoking out of the bottomlesse pit the love of God unto the whole world and to his Church wherein six times at least that place in Zach. 9. 11. As for thee also by the bloud of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water is applied beyond some of the old Doctours expolitions to Limbus patrum or of Bellarmines to Purgatory a part of hell as he dreams even to the deepest place of the damned men and devils too who shall saith the namelesse notelesse Authour by vertue of the Covenant of Generall Redemption be delivered from thence and rewarded too for all their torments and losses in grace and glory Much Atheisme and blasphemy there is in such an hereticall assertion and this contradiction in adjecto that eternity of hell-tormenting fire as is expresly threatned Math. 25 ult Mark 9 45. shall have an end doth alone call aloud to have that Pamphlet condemned to and consumed in some Cheap-side or kitchin fire or if not so yet as Arminius and Vorstius dreamed it promiseth Levamen aliquod some easement and mitigation of their pains for ever in hell I should now proceed to the true Exposition pertinent Observations and Applications of the Text but there lieth a rub and remora or two in my way which I shall endeavour to remove viz. Quest May not the former Exposition stand in some founder sense then that of this Seducer viz. Although Christ did not redeem all mens souls yet he did buy the world of creatures for the common good of all men Answ 1. Suppose he did buy the world of creatures for the common good of all men yet it is not the scope of the Parables or either of them in the Text to affirm or illustrate any such matter 2. Our late Expositour took not the Field for the structure and store of other creatures but for the whole bulk of mankinde and every singular man and woman and mothers childe as we say 3. Grant that he or any man should draw the
together even f The. 122. there where he endeavoureth to distinguish them and doth in part suggest some differences for in the Covenant of works he saith truly God gives no man since the fall ability to fulfill it's condition And in that generall Covenant of grace which he frameth with all me God gives but posse si velint ability without a will the will to receive and act must come from the poor creature himself and what is this but the first Covenant of works wherein Adam stood and fell as himself g The. 125. Quod factum fuerat infoedere naturali ecundam ejus slatuÌ„ Ibid. elswhere acknowledgeth when God doth but so move that he may if he will be saved and leave it at last to the creatures will it is but according to the tenour of the Covenant of nature how is the world deluded then with the title of a Covenant of grace which being examined proves but that of nature For such as the main condition is such is the Covenant The condition of this obligation or generall Covenant is nature or the act of naturall will in it's impotent and dead condition whereas the condition of the Scripture-covenant of grace is faith and that not of our selves but of the grace of God who worketh to will and to do of his own good pleasure 5. The Scripture-covenant of grace floweth from a decree of choice and speciall love and mercy and is backed by it Rom. 11 29. as Testardus also h The. â—57 with The. 11. acknowledgeth of that which he calleth the particular Covenant and therein differenceth it mainly from the Covenant of nature or works which was not supported by such a decree his generall Covenant then having no more support from any decree first or last then had that of works must be the same with it and not to be stiled a Covenant of Grace with all mankinde but the old Covenant of works held up by mans weak and wicked will and by Gods irresistible decree of justice Thirdly There being no such generall Covenant we finde 3. Not an universall call i The 113. no such universall call as Testardus writes of For he 1. would have a call to Christ more generall then that of the word viz. by the creatures and by daily providence naturall sustentation suspension of wrath administration of the universe for mans good with lenity patience and long-suffering the favour of Sunshine and showres of rain the fruitfulnesse of the earth otherwise accursed and the indulgence of all earthly accommodations This is to Testardus a calling this is a Testimony of saving grace And this he endeavours to prove from Psal 19. Act. 14 17. Cap. 17. 26 27. Rom. 2. 4. To which we oppose Scripture and Reason That Scripture 1 Cor. 1. 21. is clear When by the wisdome Calling to Christ by the creatures opposed by Scripture 1 Cor. 1. 21. of this universe all the wisdome of God displaied in the creatures men by their best light knew not so much as God it pleased God by the preaching of the Gospel to give the knowledge of Christ and to make that Gospel which with the preaching of it is foolishnesse to a carnall judgement a means the means of faith and salvation For therein as Rom. Rom 1. 17. 1. 17. in the Gospel not in the heavens and creatures is Christ revealed and the power of God to salvation put forth but if you will vers 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven not the mysterie of Gods love in Christ and if you say that is by accident because men will not know his goodnesse grant it yet what may be known is manifest in them and God hath shewed it to them It is manifest in all the creatures and God hath shewed it to the reasonable creature man viz. vers 19. The invisible things of him from the creation of the world these are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made But not a visible Mediatour God-man or the mystery of Christ crucified discernable there not a word of Christ read or written in all that great volume Hear Paul again to the Ephesians cap. 2. 12. At that time before the Gospel was preached ye were without Christ without the knowledge of him or without any means of the revelation of Christ while aliens from the Polity or administrations of the Church of Israel where only Christ was made known and that but darkly in types and while strangers from the Covenants of promise which doe more clearly hold out Christ but providence barely taken and not as the fulfilling of a promise though it holds forth something and much of God yet nothing of Christ nor of God in Christ Truth of reason doth further evince it By Reason 1. That which is not aptum medium a fit mean to discover Christ or to hold forth the Gospel-proposition that Christ died for sinners can be no mean at all appointed in the wisdome of God for such a purpose In the vast fabrick of the heavens and the earth and daily bare occurrences of providence there is not a proposition to make a syllogisme of or raise a conclusion upon for justifying faith 2. Upon Adam's fall matters are dispensed so as justice is manifested all along with free grace If all the world in all ages had had a calling to Christ where was free grace manifested If none were denied a calling where was so much of strict Justice as would manifest and execute a Decree of Justice against whole Nations and Kingdoms of men 3. That calling which meets with no successe at all in any one man to bring him to salvation was never ordained of God that I can finde in the Word to bring him to such an end for the Spirit ever accompanieth his own Ordinances of grace with efficacy to some But this universall call by the creatures providence c. is found by n NoÌ„ est quod eis spem salutis a Christo partae adimere trepidemus The 144. Testardus own reading observation and judgement unsuccessefull to every one that had it for seeing the Heathen in all their most moral actions were destitute of faith and a sincere end in what they did he fears not to take from them all the hope of salvation obtained by Christ Strange that Christ should die for all the Heathen and God should call them all to salvation and yet save none of them If he saith they sinned not only in Adam but actually and that not only against the Covenant of nature but grace aliquatenus what and no pardon for any of them nor l The. 140. any of them be Salutis in Christo compos partaker of salvation in the Messiah Let such a call be for ever called a dispensation of goodnesse and justice not a discovery of grace and Christ when it is not so and let such as had but the creatures and common providence to help them be none of
knowledge of one Mediatour a saving truth our Saviour will teach him better language This is life eternall to know thee to be the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 3. It being clear that the Apostle to Timothy meaneth as he expresseth it the only saving truth of the Gospel whereof Paul was a preacher v. 7. in faith and verity And yet this Gospel of Christ not by Paul or others preached to every singular man for the calling by the Word even by l The 124. Testardus confession is but to many it clearly followeth that when he saith God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth He is not to be understood m Cùm autem talis agnitio Dei non donetur omnibus sed tantum nonnullis apparet non 〈◊〉 versaliter sed distributivè esse loâ—um hunc intelligendum nempe de illis qui electi sâ—â—t ad vitam aeternam Faius in locum univer saliter sed distributivè not of the singulars of every rank of men but of such ranks and sorts of men where the Gospel cometh out of which God willeth his chosen high and low rich and poor to be saved by the acknowledgement of that one God reconciled by the ransome of that one Mediatour for all them Ob. 5. But saith n The. 1â—1 Testardus further God giveth in that generall light and way of providence to the Heathen that which is common to the call of the Word and Spirit viz. a posse illud praestare an ability to obey their light salvari and to be saved if they will or â—ow could they be left without excuse had they not that power et si maximè voluissent though they were neverso willing Ans 1. The light they had called them to obey that light so farre as it would reach and was intended viz. to restrain them from sinning against it and to own and worship the true Deity 2. This light not obeyed but sinned against leaves them culpable and liable to condemnation far from justification by works If a Master shall leave a candles end for his servants to do so much work by as the light will reach to and they mean while play by that little light or put it out are they not to be blamed 3. All that light shining in common benefits without the Word sheweth no Christ as Mediatour but the true Deity It is no light to be saved by and did that light give a posse allud prastare a power to doe that one thing it gives no power to doe another here is a confounding of a posse praestare and a posse salvari a power to doe more then natural men do which is granted and a power to be saved which is denied 4. That same et si maximè voluissent although they were never so desirous is but a flourish supposing that which is not to be found left in nature not so much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle in a regular way nor given by grace to men destitute of the word of grace or who have but the common call of the Word as Testardus elswhere o The. 50 125. acknowledgeth which supposition yet he might for argument sake better fancy then possitively assert that posse salvari to be given which is not given Ob. 6 It is further p The 12â— argued for the general call by the creatures and common providence that the benefits thereof proceed a Dei bene placito from the good pleasure of God as well as the call by the Word and Spirit and so may intend the same thing Ans 1. God freely giveth back to Adam's of-spring many forfeited outward favours but not to testifie and preach thereby his most free favour in Christ to every son of Adam Every free act of Gods goodnesse is not presently The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ nor is it to be interpreted as flowing from that most free favour or love of God in Christ It is an excellent and sound note of judicious Calvin upon Rom. 2. 4. Non Rom. 2 4. â—no Temper modo accipienda est â—a Dei benignitas That same goodnes of God is not to be conceived alwaies after one and the same way and he clears it thus q Servâ—â— enim suos duâ— inâ—ul genter tractat Dominus ac terrenis benedictionihus prosequitur â—uam bene volentiam ejusmodi symbolis declarat ac simul â—ssuâ— faciâ— ad quaerendam in se uno boâ—orum omnium Transgressores legis dâ—m eaâ—eâ— excipit indulgentia sua bâ—â—igâ—itate vult quidem emoâ—â—â—e ipsoâ—um contâ—â— iciam non 〈◊〉 se 〈◊〉 propitium 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 Calvin in Rom. 2. 4. While the Lord indulgently useth his own servants and followeth them with earthly blessings he declareth his good will towards them by pledges of that nature and with all doth train them up to seek the sum or collection and confluence of all good things in him alone But while he entertaineth the transgressours of the law with the same indulgence he would indeed mollifie their stubbornnes by that his goodnes and yet doth not for the present testifie that be is propitious or reconciled in Christ to them Thus farre Calvin 2. When God by his Word and Spirit calleth any of his own which he ever doth in time and after much patience and goodnesse of his mis-spent on their part he makes use of the consideration of such his goodnesse to induce and move and lets them know all passages of providence were out of love to them Gods long-suffering to them is salvation and God is not willing that any of them Beloved 2 Pet. 3. 8 9. should perish but that all of them who as Beza Videatur Beza in 2 Pet. 3. 9. hath observed in two old copies are v. 8. stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brethren should come to repentance and when such and such only for no other have the gift are come to repentance they know how to prize and esteem of the patience and goodnesse of God as finding Gods beneplacitum or good pleasure in Christ revealed within the compasse of such a time but till that time if you will beleeve the Preacher Eccles 9. 1. by all that is before them in the bare events of providence no man knoweth either love or hatred Obj 7. In this lastly the call by the creatures and good providence of God agreeth r Testard The. 1â—3 saith our Antagonist with the call by the Word and Spirit that the grace given in it destroieth not nature c. Ans 1. No marvell when as it is but nature or the common gifts and improvements of nature 2. If that be Grace which doth not destroy nature or the naturall faculty the devils have grace for their naturall faculties are not destroyed by sinne or by Gods patience 3. The punishments of the damned doe not shall not destroy their naturall faculty it will be an aggravation
effectual grace is neither in Scripture nor agreeably to Scripture can be called posse salvari a power or ability to be saved Christ Å¿ Luk. 13. 24. expresly saith to the contray Many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Nor was that which is but common grace given with an intention to save any but for other ends As 1. For triall as all the grace of Creation was given with the prohibition of eating the fruit of such a tree for experiment and trial Carnal men have some remnants of Creation-grace to try and give out experiments what they would do if they had the whole abilities of Creation with the Covenant of Creation and no more but what Adam had had they all as much as Adam they would transgresse like Adam Hos 6. 7. Yea let a Covenant of Redemption and grace be revealed as it was to the men and Church of Israel and all improvements be given them in a general way of external administration as to them and more clearly to others now in the new Testament then to the Jews yet they will transgresse like Adam and will not hold to a Covenant where it is left to their will to keep it or break it This hath been the the issue of the triall from the fall of our first parents untill this present moment and will be no other to the end of the world All improvements of that which men call generall Grace hath brought in doth and will bring in but generall ruines The most able gifted-graced in this sense and as one saith The most able free-will men among the Jews who were a zealous Nation improved with all outward helps and advantages for that time were the most able sinners which was chiefly seen in their killing the Lord of life 2. To discover to Gods elect upon the issue of such a triall The necessity as n Fr Rouse Esq His great oracle that learned and pious Interpreter of the Scripture-oracle sheweth of a stable seed of actuating and confirming grace ever nourished supplied and supported by union with the Deity And to make them groan from under the common ruines and cry out Lord save us by thy speciall effectuall grace or we all perish with free-will generall grace For except Gods free-will do save some mans free-will will lose all And if God had not by effectuall grace left a remnant we had been like to Sodom and Gomorrah by free-will and generall grace 3. To leave all men without excuse who have so much and abuse what they have and them most inexcusable who have greatest improvements who hear there is effectuall grace to be given and yet r Heb. 2. 3. neglect so great salvation a salvation which had so great a Preacher the Lord Jesus Christ with his train of Apostles and Gospel-Ministers so great a purchase and pardon by the bloud of God Act. 20. 28. So great and precious promises to hold it forth 2 Pet. 1. 4. So great power to apply it as that whereby Christ was raised from the dead Ephes 1. 19. So great priviledges as union with Christ Joh. 15. 5. Adoption Ioh. 1. 12 c. So great evidences and witnesses as giftâ— miracles and Apostles witnesses Heb. 2. 3 4. God himself bearing witnesse to them and to the salvation from heaven and the Spirit bearing witnesse in the heart Rom. 8. 15. Yet men neglecting this great salvation under the greatest improvements given and offered to them being left to their own wils and free-will with common grace will but make work for justice and the more justifie divine justice as the oracle tels us So that if things may be and use to be denominated from the predominant part Testardus his universall Covenant must no longer be called a Covenant of grace but a Covenant of free-will and his universall calling no longer be phrased Testimonium gratiae a testimony of grace but a tryall of free-will and a calling up of the powers of mans will c. And his universall grace no longer termed so but universal-free-will or universal-bondage and impotency of nature wherein all the non-elect are justly left and all this according to an intention of God to deal with them according to works and will of their own which primarily was to continue life Rom. 7. 10. but properly and truly was not to save out of death Adam or his posterity fallen in him and with him I have farre beyond my first thoughts expatiated upon 2. Testardus self-inconsistencies Testardus his Inconsistencies with Scripture I shall confine my self within the more narrow compasse in the discovery of some Inconsistencies with himself as well as with Scripture 1. By all his Arguments he endeavours to maintain an universal Redemption yet Å¿ The. 96 265. in some place he cals it potiùs exemptio rather an exemption which is either more then a Redemption or lesse If more then universal Redemption was more then to procure a faculty or natural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posse with it's best improvements leaving men to his own velle or turn of will which is t The. 252. all he affirmeth in that case even a freedom from the vitious habit and moral impotency of the will which is that u The 157 158 c. he deâ—â—ieth And again it was more then to procure the acts of patience and common mercies or external offers of grace c. If it be lesse as x The. 265. he seemeth to mince and extenuate it with a seu potiùs or rather and I rather conclude it to be his meaning what is this but a retractation of that which he would so stifly assert and a yeelding it to be as I have termed it before a reprievall not grounded upon a necessary satisfaction of Christ to Gods justice for all but for other ends and upon other grounds For in very deed properly and truly in Scripture phrase as himself noteth elsewhere a The. 86. Christ is not said to redeem any but by his death nor doth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to redeem or free any other way but by price Now when he phraseth his universal Redemption rather by exemption or priviledge I conceive he yeeldeth it to be some other way then by price and short of such a price as the precious bloud of Christ And if there was no price paid for all and every singular there is no universal satisfaction and atonement In this instance then we finde Testardus more to agree with the truth then with himself 2. He b The. 45 158. saith and that truly sinne destroyed not natural faculties and yet these vires Physicae those natural powers which he explains himself c The 155. to be potestas and facultas salutis Christ died to purchase for so d The 97. he saith God is the Saviour of all Respectu prioris Redemptionis qua facultatem tantùm salutis miseris peccatoribus facit in respect of
were by the works of the law 2. Christ being had in a mystery Faith is the only grace that can deal with mysteries and discover them and understand them being the x Heb. 11. 1. vers 3. evidence of things not seen and through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God c. so through faith we understand that there is a treasure in such a field c. 3. Faith is the grace which laieth a ground for interest and propriety as finding of the treasure and pearl doth He that beleeveth gets something in hand as a 1 Cor. 1. 30. to be united to the treasure to be partaker of Christs righteousnesse with friendship liberty adoption and the spirit of adoption and sanctification and the rest in hopes and * Joh. 6. 47. with Tit. 3. 7 8 hopes he could not have but by beleeving therefore the Apostle to Titus having made mention of hope presently speaks of such who have that hope of eternal life as of those who have beleeved in God 2. Where In Scripture promises Secondly Where Christ the treasure is found even where hid In the field which we have interpreted to be the holy Scripture Scripture-promises * In quibus reposita est notitia salvatoris Hier. and Evangelizing or Gospel-tidings In a word The Word of God in it's severall Gospel-dispensations is the place where the treasure and pearl is found b Rom. 16. 25 26. The mystery of Christ in whom are hid the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. kept secret from us Gentiles since the world begaen is from the Apostles times made manifest there where it was hid in the Scriptures of the Prophets and to us since the Apostles times in their Scriptures or writings and openings of the Gospel in old and new Testament promises Life and immortality c 2 Tim. 1. 10 11. saith Paul is brought to light by the Gospel whereunto he was appointed a Preacher and an Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles in and by whose preaching the Gentiles did indeed finde all Gospel-treasure For the Gospel is the Covenant and bundle of the Promises of Christ and his grace and in every promise something or other of Christ is found so as when the Gospel and Promise is beleeved Christ is beleeved and obtained for d Rom. 10 17. faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God preached in the Promises When Jesus walked by John Baptist e Joh 11. 36 37 John Baptist said in the hearing of two of his Disciples Behold the lamb of God they knew him not before then when John hath by a Gospel word and finger pointed him out they finde and follow him f vers 40. Andrew being one of the two he findes his brother Peter and g vers 45. Philip found of Christ findes Nathaneel and discovers him to be the Messias out of the Scriptures We have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Ioseph So my beloved we tell you of this Treasure and Pearl where in this Bible in our Sermons upon Gospel-texts and that the Word of the Gospel is the field where Christ and his grace is found appears further by these three Demonstrations 1. That is the true Treasure he is the true Jesus that the Word discovers as it contains him so he is found there if any say h â—â—t 24. 23 24 Loe here is Christ or there and holds him not forth in Scripture and as the Scripture describes him Beleeve him not saith Christ for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets c. 2. When Christ and grace is lost to sense and feeling he is found in the Scripture-field again and no where else and where he is found at last he is found at first 3. Where the Gospel never was preached and the Scriptures concerning him never opened in that corner or quarter of the world Christ was never known and beleeved on i Rom. 10. 24. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Where the Gospel comes there some or other doe finde him Thirdly The time when this treasure is found is Gods 3. When own time k Gal. 1. 15 16. When it pleased God saith Paul to reveal his Sonne in me So when it pleaseth God to call a sinner from his wanderings and fancies of finding pearls of happinesse elswhere when is that you will say still 1. Sometimes when the soul is in a full careerâ— of sinning against Christ as Paul was called and he found the Treasure when he did ignorantly persecute all those that had found it 2. Sometimes when men are farre off from such a treasure or happy tidings and their mindes imployed only about worldly matters as Matthew at the receit of custome Chap. 9. 9. 3. Sometimes When a man hath some common or curious thoughts of seeing and knowing Christ Zaccheus but carnal in such thoughts yet carnally-curious and solicitous see he must Christs out-side or shadow as he passeth by and then is he caught l Luk. 19. 5 6. Make haste and come down saith Christ for to day I must abide at thy house c. 4. Sometimes when men hear the Word but with a common carnally-curious ear so some at Athens m Act. 17. 19. with 34. May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou speakest is yet afterward certain clave unto Paul and beleeved that new Doctrine Various is the Lord in his cals for manner and time it is enough that he takes his own way and time to present Christ to the â—oul and to prevent the soul with light enough to finde him Reason Generall Why some finde Christ others not Fourthly Why The main reason why some finde Christ not others a man a merchant or two not many but here and there one is Gods free-love and favour to give the clear light and eye of faith for discovery of Christ the treasure and of a treasure in Christ a lively apprehension to fasten upon Christ â—s and when he is set forth in the promises it is the gift of Gods speciall love Ephes 2. 8. Which is a preventing love two waies 1. As it is everlasting in and from his free choice of such a soul I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore have I drawn thee Jer. 31. 3. or I have extended loving kindenesse unto thee And as Gods temporall prevention comes from this eternall prevention n Rom. 9. 20. I am found of those that sought me not I was made manifest to those that asked not after me so 2. Gods prevention before and in time is the cause of mans invention or finding they so many and no more as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Act. 13. 48. And therefore Tit. 1. 1. saving faith which findeth Christ is called The faith of Gods elect And o Joh. 6. 37. all that God giveth
of diligence obtaineth what he seeketh for the Treasure the Pearl Christ and Gospel-grace he gets sure hold of it and surer hopes of the enjoyment of it in a graduall way or by certain degrees now some assurance anon more Matth. 19. 29. Every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receive a hundred fold of heavenly assurance and shall inherit what he is assured of everlasting life Heb. 6. 12. with 10. and 11. v. They that laboured with faith and patience inherit the promises and such as are followers of them in the same diligence come to the same full assurance of hope that they shall have the same inheritance 3. When the field treasure and pearl is bought there is a knowledge of the mans and merchants propriety and title to be good having bought it in a legall way So the self-denying diligent Christian obtaining in a Gospel-way of assurance what he gives diligence for can say this is mine for I bought it upon such and such lawfull terms St Paul is able to say upon crucifying himself with Christ Gal. 2. 20. and denying a life in himself for the life of Christ in him that Christ loved him and gave himself for him 4. What is lawfully bought may be and is lawfully held kept and for ever possest against all the cheats and challenges of others So the Christian merchant hath by this his self-denying diligence such a strong and firm title given him that none shall cheat him or deprive him of it Thus the holy Ghost exhorteth Revel 3. 11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown and thus he assureth 1 Pet. 1 3. and 5. They that are begotten to a lively hope are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation and vers 4. The inheritance is reserved in heaven for them Secondly In respect of the Object what is bought the field and treasure in it the same with the Pearl you will have an illustration and evidence that self-denial brings in assurance 1. The field being bought which is the summe of all Gospel-promises set forth in Gospel-ministery and sealed up in Gospel-Sacraments all the treasure hid in that field is a mans own and by self-denying diligence made sure to him Having the promises he is so farre sure of what is promised as he is sure the promises are his Heb. 11. 33. through faith in sufferings they obtained promises that is in some good accomplishment And 2 Pet. 1. 4. By great and precious promises participation of the divine nature comes in and all things ver 3. that pertain to life and godlinesse And 2 Cor. 1. 20. all the promises yea and amen in Christ we are established and sealed by the spirit given as an earnest of that which is behinde ver 22. Nothing is more clear in Scripture then this that a beleeving self-denying Christian is in Covenant with God and in constant dealings and transactions between heaven and his soul who taking all upon Gods Word of promise he hath all made sure to him upon Gods Word and seal 2. The Treasure and Pearl being bought with the field as what the man and merchant buyeth he makes use of so the Christian hath the use of that grace made over to him in the promise and by the use of it he comes to be more sure of it and hath further evidence of Christ as his by the experience of the workings of God upon his soul according to promise hence after much self-denial and sufferings he comes with Paul Rom. 5. 3 4 5. to glory in tribulation knowing and finding that tribulation worketh patience and patience more experience and experience still more hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in the heart c. Assurance at last comes to be a great part of the treasure and pearl And the Christian buying all of Christ as he sold all of himself he must needs have all Which yet will further be confirmed by these Demonstrations Proved 1 That it is so First That it is so 1. That which cleareth a mans right assures it amongst men by the confession and experience of all so that which cleareth the right of a Christian to Christ doth assure his right unto him Now this self denial and diligence therein cleares his right Matth. 5. 3. Poverty of spirit is a clear evidence of a blessed state and of our right to the Kingdome of heaven and so to all the treasure in it and being such an evidence it is a means of great assurance 2. Additions of grace to grace in their diligent acts and exercises bring forth assurance as is plain 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to 10. Now self-denying acts bring on these additions and steps of grace when a Christian comes off to soul-emptyings he hath the more fillings from God Luk. 1. 53. He hath filled the hungry with good things when the rich he sends empty away He that laboureth to see himself and all he doth to be a Cypher Christ will be to him a figure and the more such Cyphers we make the more will be our value and treasure when Christ puts to himself as our figure as to three Cyphers prefix but a figure of one and 't is one thousand to four 't is ten thousand to five 't is a hundred thousand He that shall more annihilate himself shall finde more the creatures all in Christ Christs all in him for him to him If we be Sceletons he will put flesh and substance upon us when naked he will clothe us when blinde he will give eye-salve when poor he will put money in our purse very good gold tried in the fire and stampt with his own image and superscription Secondly Why it must needs be so 2. Why so Reason 1 1. God is most free and bountifull intending all the Kingdome and treasure of it of free gift to bestow it and assure it upon those who labour to be emptied of themselves and are most willing to take all of free-gift Buying according Emere quod nunc est merâ—â—ri antiqui accipiebant pro sumere Fest de verb. signif to an old acception of the Word in the Latine Authours is nothing else but receiving and diligent self-denial doth but make the heart capacious to receive the glorious fillings of heaven and if the Christian Merchant be free and bountifull to part with all God assuredly will be as free and infinitely more free and liberall to give him all again upon a blessed and glorious exchange of eternals for temporals Ioh. 12. 25 26. He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternall And if any man serve me him will my Father honour 2. God is faithfull and just in his promises and dealings when men come up to his price to let them have what is worth their money that is to
to view his seal And when he seeth all is currant and good to buy the truth of the Gospel-doctrine and promises and of the Spirits evidences by which he and his brethren come to know within themselves that they have in heaven an enduring substance Plundred Heb. 10. 34. and spoiled they may be of what they buy in this world or of all purchased treasures here they may be cheated disappointed but as for the treasure in our Text it can neither be taken from them being in Gods keeping and Christs keeping not they be taken from it because when they die they goe to it where it is reserved for them As they have Christ and Gospel-grace here they goe thither to enjoy Christ and Gospel-glory Use 2 A note of discovery why some want assurance 2. See the reason why some want evidence and assurance because with self-denial and diligence they doe not seek it Of those that are uncertain of the Gospel-treasure of Christ the pearl of the Kingdom and the promises as theirs there be two sorts First Some who want evidence and will never have it nor come by it because they will not buy it with that wherewith they should buy it all they have set to sale they will not so much as consent to the letting go of self-righteousnesse sin or the creature c. Now such as will not yeeld to a parting with what stands in opposition to or in competition with the Lord Jesus neither will agree to an absolute hatred of sin nor a comparative hatred of the creature for him are not worthy meet or fit to have any Christ or heaven assured to them Secondly Others who want evidence and will want it a while because they hickle and dally and do not set roundly to the work either they are not faithfull in selling or not diligent in buying 1. Not faithfull in self-sale 1. Some lust is indulged and that keeps the soul in the dark 't is deservedly haunted with doubtings whether Christ be theirs while there is a favouring of any sin Or 2. Some parts and common gifts are preferr'd before sanctification and a mortified crucified use of them the pin-dust before the writing the varnish before the picture or post beware there of a rotten post which may be varnish't over as well as a sound Or 3. The man seeks his comfort in his duties and enlargements or in some frames of heart and will only then beleeve and be confident when the heart is in such a frame Many weak souls would make poverty of spirit hungring and mourning the cause and ground of their faith and not the evidence and fruit of it Or 4. The creature steals away their affection some profits pleasures or advancements relations and respects this and that way take up the room that comfortable assurance cannot dwell there scarce lodge a night in such a common Inne Or 5. The priviledges in and with the Church visible are built upon more then promises to the Church-mysticall and true members of Christ the head of the Church Or 6. The mans ends are not only stickling with Gods but indulged very farre and his own things sought not Christs or before the things of Christ Or 7. The poor soul goeth about self-denial in self-strength and would mortifie and sell all by his own power This is as main a let to assurance as the rest 2. Not diligent in buying of treasure Ordinances and means of assurance are neglected graces are not acted assurance is not prized the man resteth in the finding of the treasure is bidding and cheapning and endeavouring to draw it down to a lower price then God hath propounded he is tempted to repent of the full bargain and so God will not let him have it as yet but upon the just free and honourable terms as was at first agreed Hence hence so many doubting staggering Christians because so much slothfulnesse and indifferency in the matter of further and stronger assurance Use 3 A vvord of Exhortatiō Now let me addresse my self to such and such only who have beleeved and prized Christ and Gospel-grace and had some joy therein and have begun to deny something ye◠consented to let goe all for Christ here is I may say as the Apostle to the Hebrews That which accompanieth Heb. 6. 9 11. salvation but we desire that every one of you may shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end 1. Be diligent from first to last 2. Shew it as well as use it First Be diligent in all acts of selling that you may buy and come in to the evidence and assured possession of Christ and all Gospel-treasure and here let me present most needfull helps and waies of diligence before you 1. Let there be diligence in the meditation of promises and remembrance of Scripture-grounds of Assurance is God free bountifull willing able faithfull and unchangeable Is Christs intercession and the spirits presence perpetuall Let your thoughts be frequently fixt hereupon think not how able you are to keep your selves in his love but how able God is to keep you not how willing you are to be Christs but how willing he is to be yours not how faithfull you are but how faithfull he is c. 2. Let there be diligence in actings of Faith and renouncings of self-righteousnesse and all priviledges short of Christ and him crucified which the heart would build and rest upon for acceptance that Christ for your justification may be your sure your only treasure and pearl your all in all By faith 2 Cor. 1. ult Phil. 4 1 ye stand Stand fast in the Lord. 3. Let there be diligence in all departure from iniquity You must not think to be as the women Isa 4. 1. to be called by Christs name and eat your own bread wear your own apparel still live upon your lusts and goe in your rags 2 Tim. 2. 19. Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity God will have his people stand at a distance from the waies of sin who would be sealed as his God can endure no Hab 1. 13. Tit. 1. 14. iniquity Christ came to redeem us from all iniquity It is his will we should be holy He hath a privy seal a seal of secrecy He knoweth who are his but this is his open seal impressions of holinesse upon the hearts and fore-heads of all professours of faith If you would have your assurance of Christ and hold it to the end beware of sins against light and sins against profession Let carelesse Christians thinke or boast what they will of assurance He that shall fall and fall again into sinne carelesly So many acts of sin so many steps down to hell so many degrees of Apostacy all which will weaken and darken assurance for 1. Though sin will not weaken Gods grounds yet it will weaken our apprehension of those grounds 2. Though the light be clear in the Word yet