sure Vers 11. whereupon he drawes up a peremptory conclusion If you do these things ye shall never fall that is neither totally nor finally from the grace of God in Jesus Christ Thus our Lord himself to his eleven Apostles excluding Judas saith If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen for he chuseth to himself a godly man his mystical member A second ground of the Saints perseverance is this Psal 4.3 the seed of Gods word by the hand of his spirit sowne in their hearts being born again not of a corruptible seed but of immortal by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Vers 23 25. The word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you and the ground why the word is immortal to the mind of beleevers is this that although the word as printed or preached by the Tongue of man to man be no more but a humane expression or dead letter yet the thing therein contained is to man the unchangeable minde of Jehovah and he will make it good upon them according to the tenor of the Gospel for the works which they have done in the body whether they be good or evill to eternity And thus the word of God is a seed that perisheth not but is immortal in both respects for it is in this case in some sort as it is with seed in natures production of bodies which in one respect is perishable for all humane bodies return to the dust and in another respect it is not perishable for that seed hath continued its kind from the Creation and so shall to the worlds end because the seed carrieth in it a spirit of life virtually To this alludes Peter calling Gods word an immortal seed and hence saith our Saviour The words that I speak unto you are spirit and life Joh. 6.55 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing And as it is in the natural seed so it is in the spiritual seed in some sort if it be not sowne or do not fall in a right place or on a proper subject it looseth its natural force or life to produce its effect so is it in this case as to the perseverance of the Saints never totally nor finally to fall away for although by their inherent righteousness or circumcision of the heart the spirit of Christ hath made their mindes a fit subject to receive that seed Gal. 5. 2 Cor. 2.14 15 16. and so to grow yet if the Saints afterwards do quench the spirits force not as to it self but as to them in their perseverance for in the mind of a wicked man the seed of Gods word hath its force as to its self but it hath not its force as to that mans happiness Hence it is that the word is a sweet favour unto God in them that perish in the demonstration of his merciful justice to eternity for all are damned by the tenor of the Gospel And that the seed of Gods word doth thus take various effects according to the mindes of men in which it falls is affirmed by our Lord himself in his exposition of the parable of the seed for when he hath said the seed is the word of God thereupon he explains its various effects in the mindes of good and bad men and thereupon to his Apostles he saith Luk. 8. from 4. to 18. Take heed therefore how you heare But if it be objected Quest That this is no general Rule because unto some it was given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom Vers 10. to others not It is a general Rule ordinarily Answ and the seed of Gods word doth take effect according to the subject it falls into according as they do improve their Talent either to come to Christ before faith as is described or after faith as you have it here Our Lord saith unto such as well as unto others Take heed how you hear and this is a general rule except in cases extraordinary such is that in the 10. Verse Unto you it is given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom c. And thus our Lord when he ascended he gave gifts unto men some to be Apostles c. Not for their own sake but for the sake of his Fathers final end to his glory in carrying on the aforesaid particular branch against the design of the Apostate Angels what this particular branch is is amplified in my second Treatise and therefore it was given to the Apostles but not to others to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom clearly and infallibly and it is clear that this is meant by the Apostles for the first verse of the Chapter saith the twelve were with him and in the 9th Verse they put a question which drew this answer from him in the 10. Verse therefore this makes nothing against the aforesaid ordinary rule Here we must remember two things as to the perseverance of the Saints to the foresaid stability that is they stand in relation to a twofold contingency until they have arived to that stability not to fall the first is the tenor of the Gospel the rule of mercy and justice according to which if they do not exercise their graces they may fall away totally but if they do they may go on from strength to strength in Sion or be established as is proved And this is the first contingency And the ground why the Lord in this case hath put all mankind and the Saints thus upon contingency is it suits with his final end for which he made both men and Angels as formerly is proved The second Contingency is the natural liberty of the will purposely so created by God and that also with respect to his final end so any man let him be what he will or can be Christ excepted or any Saint not yet attained to that stability may be a Vessel of honour or dishonour to eternity But to clear this point concerning the will of man we must alwayes consider it under three distinctions The first is its natural liberty and that is it chooseth or refuseth all Objects or things presented to it as it likes or dislikes them and this remains in good and bad men on Earth and also in Heaven and in Hell because it is the very nature of the reasonable soul The second distinction is the natural property of mans will which is this to look to good either as it appears good or as it is indeed the very true good And as the eye doth naturally follow light so this natural property of mans will doth follow good according as it apprehends it to be so This also is natural to the very essence of the soul and neither of these can be lost but by annihilation of the reasonable soul which God will never annihilate because it will make void his final end
but to some To the first Deut. 6.4 This power was not given to him by his Father as he is the one Jehovah for so it was his owne and therefore could not be given him What is meant by that seventh means is at large declared in my second Treatise Matt. 28.18 Nor may it be said to be given him as he is the second Elohim in the one Jehovah simply considered for so he is not Christ But most properly it was given him of his Father the first Elohim in the one Jehovah as he was personally God-man the seed of the Woman the second Adam and seventh means to carry on his Fathers final end for which very end his Father gave him all power both in heaven and in earth Secondly the Extent of that power is over all flesh which reacheth all humane Nature none excepted for by this power all mankind shall be either saved or damned according to the tenor of the Gospel as is at large proved in my second Treatise Chap. 12. Not by any power from the Covenant of the first Adam nor by that supposed Law of Works delivered by God to Moses But all flesh ever since the Fall stands under the universal grace of God in Jesus Christ before faith or else in the special grace of God through Jesus Christ after faith as is proved at large in my two former Treatises Thirdly the End wherfore this power was given him is That he should be the only dispenser of his Fathers gift of Eternal life wherefore he onely reacheth this gift of Eternal life in the sacred Oracles of the Old and New Testament by the hand of his Spirit in the Ministery by the Apostles and others for so onely this Eternal life comes expresly to be known to man that by beleef he may receive the gift thereof as in his very next words to his Father is implyed Vers 3. This is life Eternal that they may know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent For man is onely capable of his deepest misery or his highest felicity by his knowable powers that is as he is a reasonable creature Fourthly the restraint or limitation to which this eternall life is bound that is not unto all but unto some to as many as thou hast given him and no more for that is implyed Now there are severall sorts of men which the Father hath given to Christ and in several respects in order to his final end but they may be all reduced to three heads First his Father gave him twelve men of all flesh and no more primarily to be his dispensers under himselfe of this gift of eternal life Secondly the Father gave him all right beleevers to be the mystical members of his body and no more of all flesh except all dying in infancy or the like for all such are his mystical members as is proved in my first Treatise Pag. 36 37. Thirdly some part of all flesh as have Apostatized so farr from this posture as to become dead in sinnes and trespasses are given to Christ that he may give them eternal life and some of them are not nor ever shall and those that are given him are given him some at one time and some at another And first concerning the twelve they were not created by him as he was Christ and therefore were given him of his Father as is proved by his own words Vers 8. I have given them the words which thou gavest me Vers 11. Holy Father keep through thine own name those that thou hast given me Vers 12. While I was with them in the World I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me Vers 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeve in me through their word Therefore it is clear That these twelve Apostles were given him of his Father of all flesh and no more To be primarily under him the dispensers of his word to destroy the works of the Devil out of the minds of men But I will propound foure Queries for the further clearing of this 17th Chapter of John in which will fall the other two heads formerly mentioned First Quere How can those men which rightly beleeve be one even as Christ and his Father is one I in them they in me That they may be made perfect in one vers 23. Answ That which made God and all humane nature two I mean not in Essence for so they were never one nor could not never shall be But that which made God and man two was mans error or sinn And so in the fall the Apostate Angels and man were totally one in wills and operations And on the contrary God and man were perfect in one before the fall because then in relation to Gods will mans will was created perfect because he was created perfect in holiness and righteousness and during that estate were perfect in one But seeing they were disjoyned and made two by the fall now Christ by his word and spirit doth make the will of God and man perfect in one in the perfection of parts in this life but the perfection of degrees is reserved for the life to come and then the Fathers will Christs will and the will of the Saints shall be perfect in one that is the Fathers final end to his own glory This was Christs glory he had with the Father before the World was Vers 5. That God before the World was did elect and ordain as it were that drop of humane Seed to be in time assumed and so to be personally God-man that he might make God and man perfect in one 1 Pet. 1.20 Gen. 3.15 or else That the Apostate Angels and all ungodly men should be made one in misery to all eternity And thus Gods final end herein is fully perfected upon all flesh as to that Text It shall bruise thy head The second Quere is verse 16. What meaneth our Lord by these words They are not of the World even as I am not of the World Answ As he was not of the World of men which set down their content and happiness in this Worlds good but he used it as if he used it not So the Apostles and all right Belleevers were of the same mind in some degree and therefore he said They are not of the World as I am not of the World Secondly The Apostles and right Beleevers are not of the World as Christ was not of the World because they do receive and obey the world of Christ which the World does not Christ perfectly they imperfectly but truly Vers 14. I gave them thy word and the World hated them because they are not of the World as I am not of the World And concerning the Apostles he saith Vers 8. I gave them thy words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known assuredly that I came out from thee and they have beleeved that thou didst send me
Rebecca had conceived as God had promised the children strugling together in her wombe thereupon she said If it it be so Why am I thus wherefore she went to enquire of Jehovah whereupon concerning Esau and Jacob God declares his purpose That he considered those two children in her wombe not as two persons individually but as two roots universally in National respects For saith God unto Rebecca Two Nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger than the other people the elder shall serve the younger Now the ground why God elected one Nation in the younger childe Jacob and rejected the other in the loyns of the elder childe Esau was to figure that the children of the flesh as such should not be counted as children unto God but the children of the Promise as leading to faith in Christ and born again not of the will of the Flesh but of the Spirit shall be counted the Children of God as faithful Abraham A second ground why God elected that Nation in Jacob's loyns was to be his onely visible Church in all the world to uphold his Name till Shilo came in the flesh namely Christ A third ground why God did so at that time was this Because when he declared this purpose to Rebecca his name in Christ to destroy the works of the Devil Gen. 11.8 10.32 12.1 2 3 4. Josh 24.2 23.15 Ezek. 16.3 4 5 6. was as it were extinguished out of the world And the ground why it was so extinct was this For at that time all Nations and all the Families of the Earth were Apostates from the said posture by which they might receive eternal life I say all Families except one and that was the family of Sem and that also began to Apostate to Idols as appears in Terah Abraham's Father therefore God commanded him to depart from his Fathers house and then promised him having no childe this Nation to issue from his loyns and Isaac's and Jacob's and all comprehended in these words So shall thy Seed be Again God did not onely then at that time elect the Jews unborn to be the visible Church of Christ but also at the same time predestinated the Gentiles into the same posture Gal. 3.8 by which also they might receive eternal life by promise to Abraham whence saith the Apostle And what that postture is is at larg declared in my second Treatise The Scriptures foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached the Gospel before unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations of the Earth be blessed So that the scope and drift of all these Texts is so far from maintaining the aforesaid Elections that it is against them all for the Text onely speaks of a National not a Personal Election and of a National Rejection not a Personal A second Text which is supposed to speak for Personal Elections as a ground of the Saints perseverance are these words As many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved But as before so now to find the true meaning of this Text Acts. 13.98 is to keep close to that which it aims at Vers 42. The Apostle having preached Christ to the Jews in their Synagogue thereupon some Gentiles then present besought the Apostles that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath whereupon the next Sabbath day Vers 44. came almost the whole City together to hear the word of God And then some of the said Elect of God namely the Jews seeing the multitude they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and Blaspheming Vers 45. whereupon the Apostle spake to the blaspheming Jews and said It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it away from you and judge your selves unworthy of eternal life that is of that posture wherein you might have received eternal life Lo we turn to the Gentiles Vers 47. For so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the Earth Vers 48. When the Gentiles heard this that is those words of the prophecie concerning themselves to be admitted into the posture by which they might receive eternal life then they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord that is in beleef of the said prophecie for they had been 1800 yeers excluded from the said posture because the Oracles of God were before confined only unto the Nation of the Jews not at all to come amongst the Gentiles until Christ came yet did not all that multitude beleeve for some were in the case of final Impenitency through their precedent obstinacy as also were some of the Jews and therefore God denied them the spirit of faith to beleeve vers 41. Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your dayes a work which you shal in no wise beleeve though a man declare it unto you Therefore Vers 51. the Apostles shooke off the dust of their feet to witnesse against those unbeleeving Jews that were his visible members and so his sheep but being denied the gift of faith therefore not his sheep John 10.26 John 10. 26. Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you So as the meaning of these words As many as were ordained to eternal life is no more but this That God predestinated or ordained by promise to Abraham that the Gentiles should be called into that posture by which they might receive eternal life From this ground it was that the Scriptures did foresee that God would justifie the Heathen through faith and upon this ground the Apostle doth apply to beleeving Gentiles That Gods calling of them is according to his purpose to be made like unto Christ and the first born among many Brethren Rom. 8.28 29 30. and to be justified and glorified was now fulfilled So that the scope of these Texts makes nothing for Personal Elections but sets forth the rejoycing of the Gentiles in the demonstration of Gods ordaining them to the said posture by promise to Abraham and conveyed to them under this prophecie CHAP. II. In which the 17 th Chapter of JOHN is opened THis Chapter is supposed to prove these Personal Elections as the ground of the Saints perseverance Some of the words are these which our Lord spake to his Father of himself Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him c. These words naturally divide themselves into four branches First The power given him by his Father Secondly The extent of that power over all flesh Thirdly The End wherefore That he should give Eternal life Fourthly The Restraint or Bounds to which this Eternal life is limited Not to all
gave him some part of all flesh which by Apostacie are become dead in sins and trespasses to that posture in which once they might have received life yet some of these men are given to him at one time and yet given him at another and some of them are denyed him for ever and these various respects are the grounds of our Saviours words in these cond verse That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Thus God denied the Gentiles to Christ about 1800. years being dead in sins and in trespasses excepting some few as is proved in the 7th Chapter of my first Treatise and denied them the residence of his Oracles the said time for their Apostacy at Babel until Christ was come in the flesh Again When Christ came in the flesh Jo. 12. God gave him many of those Gentiles dead in sins to hear the voyce of the Son of God and live in that posture in which they might receive eternal life yet some are denyed him to this day and remain Heathens and shall till the fulness of the Gentiles come in in the interim many perish because denyed to Christ Again When God called us Gentiles to come to receive life in the said posture or to be either as is proved for before there was no way but death to most men yet at that time he denyed the Jews to Christ for crucifying the Lord of glory and his blood is upon them for to this day they remained dead in sins and trespasses for in Holland where the Gospel is preached it is no Gospel to them because God as yet denies them the spirit of faith as he hath done these 1600. years except it may bee to some few Again Thus were some of those denyed the gift of Faith while our Lord lived amongst them wherefore he said unto them Ye are not my sheep that is although my Sheep as from Abrahams flesh Jo. 1.16.25 26. yet not my Sheep as in Abrahams spirit of faith And although the whole body of that Church Elect still stands cut off for their unbeleef yet there will come a time when they shall be given to Christ The Apostle saith Rom. 11. If the casting away of them be the reconciliation of the World Rom. 11.8.12 15 16 20 25. what shall the receiving be but life from death Now I come to the fourth Quere How is it that Rom. 5.18 The Text affirms as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life And yet this 17th of John restrains that gift of life but to some I answer That justification was universal to all man-kind and to all alike and the extent of the imputation of that righteousness was to the whole Creation from whence it was put into a posture of travail from that bondage of corruption which it fell into by Adam to be partakers of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and it travelleth until now as saith the Text. Again I answer That the gift of eternal life in the 17th of John is particular and peculiar to him that receives that gift of righteousness by Faith in two respects which that universal justification was not As first He that receives this imputed gift of righteousness God pardons that mans sins although numerous against the mercy of God in Jesus Christ which that universal justification did not for it onely pardoned the gift and punishment of Adams one offence once committed to him and all his posterity but it pardoned no more Secondly That man which by beleef receives that imputed gift of righteousness is possessed of eternal life in this World for the Text saith he that beleeveth hath eternal life which that universal justification did not give it onely gave right to eternal life but no more And the truth is the Apostle in the fifth of the Romans points out this particular justification and that universal justification The particular justification in these words for if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ But mark the Text It refers this particular Justification onely to Beleevers that receive that gift of righteousness Vers 17. and in the 18. Verse the Apostle layes down that universal Justification in these words Therefore as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life Obj. It will be objected Object our Lord saith Father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me even where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovest me before the foundations of the world Vers 24. Therefore those that are given by the Father to Christ cannot but be infallibly brought to behold that his glory to Eternity For it is impossible but that Christs prayer must be granted because he alwayes did that which was pleasing in his Fathers sight Answ True it is Answ that Christ did alwayes so and therefore so in this prayer and therefore it shall be granted But the question in hand is not whether his prayer shall be granted but in what sense he prayed for it cannot be in the sense alledged because it is proved in this Chapter that the Father gave him 12. men of all flesh and yet one of them which his Father gave him shall not behold that glory because our Lord affirmes it had been good for him he had never been born and in this Chapter he saith one of them is lost and became the son of perdition Again right beleevers of all flesh are given by the Father to Christ to be his mystical members and himself to be head to that body from which ground he made this prayer in behalf of them that they might behold that his glory but we must mark the reason and ground of his prayer why his Father should grant it In these words Thou lovest me before the foundations of the world And of his members he saith Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me V. 23. Now it is already proved in what sense our Lord himself was loved of his father before the world was namely to be the seaventh meanes or second Adam infailibly to accomplish his Fathers final end Therefore it necessarily followes That all his members are loved with the same love as they adhere to Christ in respect of his Fathers final end to his glory and not otherwise This is expressed by our Lord himself John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me for where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my Father love otherwise not for that is implyed because our Lord puts it upon if and if If any man
all that he hath is in thy power onely upon himself put not forth thine hand The second Commission in these words and Iehovah said unto Satan Job 2.6 Hehold he is in thine hand but save his life If it be demanded Object why God gave the second Commission against Iob in regard patience had her perfect work in the first As every Efficient is delighted the ultimate excellency of his work Answ so God in this case delights in the ultimate tryal of grace 1 Pet. 1.6 7. in them that excel therein and therefore so in Iob. Again God delights in the tryal of the Saints inherent righteousness because by their so exercising he will enlarge their graces hence it is the Text saith That where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty that is more liberty from degree to degree and so he rewards their labor of love and hence it is That the tryal of the Saints Faith is much more precious than gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire Again God is delighted to put the Saints upon tryal to the utmost measure of inherent righteousness which they have received to the rebound of his glory by a weak humane Creature over the proud and envious Apostate-Angels as in Iobs case in the first Commission He saith to Satan Yet he continueth in his uprightnesse although thou movest me c. If God delights thus in the tryal of the Saints righteousness Object why did he put Job upon the second Commission he knowing that Job would fall foul therein It is true God did know it Answ and yet put him upon it as for example all the actions of men and Angels in all their arbitrary contingencies were not onely known to him before the World or man did exist but now they are none of their actions are past or to come but present to him for it appeares he knew what the Apostate Angels would do 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. namely tempt Adam and that Adam would yeeld and fall I say it appeares he knew all this before the World was because he verily ordained Christ to redeem man out of that fall And although he knew all this before yet he put them all that is Men and Angels upon the tryal of what they had received as being delighted so to do and therefore his knowing of a thing before is no ground of an hindereance to proceed Again I answer This Objection ariseth from ignorance of what is revealed in sacred Scripture for as it saith He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will so the Scriptures evidence he wills some things infallibly and some things contingently Eph. 1.11 with a possibility to infallibility that which he purposed infallibly he refused to put upon the contingent faculty of the wills of men or Angels but onely upon the immutable power of Christ personally God-man that is to carry on his final end as formerly is proved and amongst those things which carries a contingency with a possibility to infallibility is the increase of the Saints graces as to stability therefore the Text puts that stability upon two thngs that is the power of Christs spirit and the Saints own Faith And although Faith carries in it self an ebbing an flowing and consequently a contingency yet if they exercise their graces under divers tryals they shall then be kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation that is infallibly to the said stability otherwise not If they consult with flesh and blood and quench the spirit as did Job in this second Commission for as in the first Commission he did voluntarily choose affliction rather than iniquity so in the second he did choose iniquity rather than affliction Job 36.2 But this must be remembred that God never layes more weight of afflictions upon the Saints in point of tryal than that present measure of inherent righteousuess already received is able to bear that is and to work thorough it to him if it be improved or exercised by them as did Job under the first Commission but when they leave the exercise of their Faith and grace and follow the wisdom of the flesh then in stead of possessing their souls by patience they fall into distempers and distractions through impatience as did Job under the second Commission How doth this great impatience or distemper appear in Job Quest In answer Answ That although there were some divine droppings of his patience love and faith he beleeving that his Redeemer lived yet from the anguish of his flesh and his bones which Satan had laid upon him his impatience did transcend and that made his bitter afflictions transcend much more then that Satan had laid upon him for because Chap. 3. He not onely cursed the day of his birth but also the dayes which God had allotted him to live And upon this Eliphas Bildad Zophar his three friends dispute against him implicitly concluding him to be a wicked man and this raised his impatience against God himself saying He teareth me in wrath who hateth me he gnasheth upon me with his teeth mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me God hath delivered me up to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked I was at ease but he hath broken me asunder he hath also taken me by my neck and hath shaken me to peeces and set me up for his mark and then he cries out Job 16.9 10 11 12 21. O that one might plead for a man with God! and this his impatience stirred up the spirit of Elihu against him for he saith Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead doubtless thou hast spoken in mine eares and I have heard the voyce of thy words I am clean without sin I am innocent and there is no iniquity in me he hath found occasion against me Job 33.6.9 10 11 12. and counteth me for his enemy he hath put my feet in the stocks and looketh narrowly to all my paths and Elihu concludes Behold in this thou hast not done right Again Chap. 34. Job had said I am righteous God hath taken away my judgement should I lie in my right the would of the Arrow is grievous without my sin Chap. 34.5 6 7. and 37. Verses whereupon saith Elihu What man is like Job that drinketh scornfulness like water he addeth rebellion to his sin and clappeth his hands among us and multiplies words against God And here note this by the way that although Job disputed against his other three friends yet to this young man his reply was onely silence Again This his impatient distemper moved God to manifest himself against him Job 38.1.2 3. then Jehovah answered Job out of the Whirl-wind and said Who is this that darkeneth Counsels by words without knowledge gird up thy loins like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me where wast thou when I laid the Foundations of the Earth Declare if thou hast
his flesh and bones with that reverence from God as he did the losse of his Children and his whole Estate as he did in the first Commission Another particular was this he had too high an esteem of his own uprightness wrought by the spirit of Christ in him who also assisted him to perfect patience under the first Commission consequently he did too much undervalue the glorious imputed righteousness of Christ in which was comprehended the pardon of his sin and eternal life included in the sacrifices which he daily offered therefore O ye Saints of God that are eminent in the fruits of righteousness beware you stumble not at this Rock but endevour with Paul to be found in Christs righteousness more and more in a sole dependencie onely on it for pardon of sin and eternal life And though ye endevour to grow in the fruits of inherent righteousness and at the best as compared to his esteem yours but as filthy rags or as drosse and dung as did Paul Formerly you affirm Object That man in order to become a Saint did in a patient seeking c. But now you affirm none have true patience but Saints According to the being or nature of a thing such is its workings Answ therefore that former patient seeking was but a shadow of this true patience or as to its perfect work for this patience in the Saints ariseth from the root of their inherent righteousness or sanctification which the former hath not but onely a previous disposedness towards it from a remote principle from whence they do by nature the things contained in the Law of Christ therefore the objection is without ground CHAP. XII In which is more fully opened the works of the Saints as under a dolorous and troubled minde IF it be objected The Apostle saith Object He that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him therefore the Saints are accepted of God for their own works of righteousness as to salvation Although this point be formerly answered Answ and also that I grant that their own works of righteousness is the ground of their acceptance yet I deny it in the sense objected for although Christs righteousness imputed is the Saints own righteousness and that upon a double ground the one is That righteousness is Gods free gift to all mankind as formerly is proved and so theirs with others and so accepted as others the other ground is this That work of Christs righteousness is by beleeving received by them Rom. 5.17 and in it abundance of grace and so a particular ground of their acceptance with God and no men else Again The Saints inherent work of righteousness in one particular branch doth act and work in the receiving of Christs righteousness namely Faith and so Christs righteousness is brought to be their own as the eye by its operation brings that light to be its own which was not its own Hence saith our Lord this is the work of God that ye beleeve so that the one righteousness as in it self is an external object of blessedness the other righteousness in this particular branch is the blessed act of reception and from this union with the subject and object according to the Text He that worketh righteousness is accepted of him and that in two respects First That mans person is accepted of God a member of Christs mystical body whereof he is the head Secondly That mans person is accepted the Son of God by adoption as saith the Text To as many as received him he gave this prerogative to be called the Sons of God even to as many as beleeved in his name You affirm formerly Object the reward from God proper to the works of the Saints is onely in this life by the increase of their graces consequently a more neerer and clearer union and Communion with God then what say you to Heman that holy man whose dayes of life from his youth were in dolor terror and horror Saith he to God Thy terrors have cut me off c. where was the increase of his graces Psal 88.16 either of Faith or love or the quiet fruits of righteousness the reward of his righteous works Questionless Answ He was a most holy man as appeares by his heavenly breathings from his woful minde thoroughout the Psalm therefore it is a hard case to give a right judgement in this particular whether his afflictions were for tryal or chastizement or for neither for this case is very rare and not ordinary for the sacred Scriptures as I remember doth not speak of one man the like as to the whole life of any therefore this is besides our point in hand as to Gods ordinary course of the Saints reward as is proved yet nevertheless in Scriptures we finde one extraordinary proceeding of God in the affliction of a particular man for a time as John 9. God denyed from the womb one man the light of this World being born blind whereupon the Disciples put the question to our Lord Who did sin this man or his Parents that he was born blind Jesus answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents that is not to so transcendent a heighth as to draw on this judgement for that 's implyed but he was so born with respect to Gods glory that Christ might prove himself to be he that was sent of God to give sight and light to man sitting in the shade of death and darkness and accordingly Christ and he met together and the man born blind received sight as never man the like So doubtless as this man so Heman was in some eminent respect to the glory of God for although God thus deeply afflicted him in sorrow and troubles of minde yet it is apparent God secretly preserved him and his minde to himself Vers 1. He saith Oh Jehovah Elohim of my salvation I have cryed day and night c. For God sometimes brings men to a low ebbe of distraction some in respect of Estate some in body and some in minde Psal 9.3 Ps 116 3. but we read not at so great a length as this man as to a troubled minde And then God saith to such men Return again ye Sons of men The Psalmist saith The sorrows of death compassed me the pangs of Hell got-hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow whereupon Vers 4. He prayed to God to deliver his soul and Vers 8. His soul was delivered So without doubt God granted Hemans unfeigned prayers either delivering his soul out of those great troubles of minde in the latter end of his dayes or else over and above what he could think or speak secretly preserved him to his Heavenly Kingdom whereof his deep afflictions were but light in comparison of that glory now revealed Now the main ground why God doth so deeply sink some holy men in sorrows terrors and troubles of conscience as Heman is for the redundancy of his glory that maugre Satan I mean the Apostate Angels by all
must ground upon a lye and nothing else for you deny the increate word of God the second Elohim in Trinity Joh. 1.1 Who in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God And secondly You deny the Scriptures to be the word of God and so you leave the World no word of God but the light forsooth that is within you so much for your second point Thirdly you affirm There is no word of God but that light which is in man To this I need give no answer having proved a twofold word of God but because you did affirm your light within to be the word of God I desired you to prove it thereupon you alleaged the 1. of Iohn and the 1. Vers In the beginning was the word c. To which I answered That word which was with God and was God was the second Elohim in Iehovah or in the Trinity and he did create all things and without him was not any thing made that was made but what I pray you did that light within you create what were the things which it created and made for the Lord Jesus Christ himself who is personally God-man simply so created nothing that is as he is Christ yet you would have your light which you call Christ to be a creator of you know not what And because I affirm that the word that was with God and was God being the second person in Trinity this stirred up the light within you to deny the Trinity therefore I conclude that the light in you is darkness Yet neverthelesse I do grant that the Lord Jesus Christ as personally God-man the second Adam after the fall of the World by the first Adam immediately did as the faithful and true witness of God against the Apostate-Angels lies Rev. 3.14 as it were put a new Creation upon the works which God had made by virtue of his imputative righteousness interposing the imputative unrighteousness of Adam put the whole Creation in a travell until now from that bondage of corruption Rom. 8. to which it fell to be partakers of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God And this first Chapter of Iohn speaks to both that is what he did as he is the second Elohim in Iehovah and also to what he did as he was personally God-man Jesus Christ But what is all this to your Idoll light within which is your spiritual King Jesus and your Christ I and the same light which is in God himself I pray you let me ask you this question is not this to reproach Ichovah for you also attribute Creation to your light within so much to the third point Fourthly You affirm in your Book pag. 16. That that light in man is as the light is in God himself in whom is no darkness at all I answer This word light is a metaphor allluding to the light of this inferior Elementary World which light is not suitable to the reasonable soul of man nor spirits as Angels but to the eye of flesh as to man and beast yet no man certainly knowes what it is but in probability whether it be a quality a substance or a spirit therefore for its excellency the essence or nature of Iehovah is compared unto it the words are these God is light 1 Tim. 6.16 1 Joh. 1.5 in whom is no darkness at all who onely hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto which no man hath seeen nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Yet in your Book pag. 15. you affirm that this light which in the Text is the infinite Essence of God is the living and quickning holy or tender part of man the everlasting word of God by whom all things were made But herein you fall just with the Familists that the Essence of God is the tender part of man but as to those your elder Brethren in evill I have answered this point formerly in this very Treatise Pag. 19.27 And also in my second Treatise from pag. 104. to 108. Nevertheless I will say something of this point to you also And first I grant that this increate light the Essence of Jehovah our Elohims is in all men and in all things but not in your sense as to be any part of the nature of man or of any thing else for it is in him that we and all things else do live and move and have our being for as nothing is able to include him so is it impossible that he should be excluded by any thing But I pray you here take notice That although the sacred Essence of God be within and without all men yet this no way conduces to the happiness of man as you ignorantly affirm in several places of your Book and in pag. 19. it is affirmed to be the very principle of all true Religion I pray you is it such a principle to the Devills and all damned Creatures for their being life and motion is in him He that is being it self is the bottom of the being of all created nature and so it is of good and bad men to continue them to be happy or to be tormented to eternity otherwise they would all fall to nothing by an annihilation But God for his final ends sake will so continue them for ever now what that final end is I refer you to my second Treatise and thus for his final ends sake he upholds the Earth which hangs by nothing as saith the Text that is by no created thing and the Text saith He sitteth upon the Circle of the Earth and the truth is his infinite Essence is not only in and thorough all created Natures and Worlds but also his intrinsicall glory extends far beyond them all and he is where they are not nor any created thing ever were for in his intrinsical glory they all adde nothing unto him who is Jehovah our Elohims our own Jehovah and is this that which you call the tender part of man and so his happiness as you childishly affirm not knowing what you say Again I answer and grant It is a great happiness unto a godly mind to know and possess this infinite light which is both within and without us as he is pleased to stoop to our capacities as appeares Joh. 1.1 speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ personally God-man he saith That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen which wee have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life Here note that John had heard and seen Christ looking upon him and handled Christ by being in his Company But your Idoll Christ your light your everlasting word that same tender part of man was never visible but invisible for you say it is within so that you nor any man else can say what it is except a whimsey But in the second verse Iohn complains himself further saying the life was manifested we have