because Christ dieth no more and death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 Yet our Saviour Christ though he be God also yet being therewith the Sonne of man by an Incarnation with humane Nature sin excepted He hath power to forgive and doth forgive as aforesaid as the aforesaid sins of all men as against himselfe without any oblation sacrifice atonement or propitiation made to him the Sonne of man and from thence he exhorteth all men so largely often and freely to forgive one another their trespasses as appeareth Mat. 8.21 22. and in the prayer he taught his Disciples and in Luke 17.4 Thus we finde that all the sins that have been are or are to be acted by any man or all men ever since God the Fathers virtually applying at Adams fall the effects of Christs blood shed for all mens sins And from that time unto the end of the world sinnes against Christ only and his in lightning in abling preparative worke and that they are all as concerning everlasting punishment all forgiven to all the sonnes of men excepting only our Saviour Christs former own exception concerning those of them sinnes which are by some men themselves rebelliously transformed into the sinnes against the Holy Ghost by their persisting obstinately and wilfully in unbeleese against the holy spirits gratious teachings which are alwaies by grace annexed in due season to our Saviours in lightning all men so effectually as is proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions The eleventh Distinction sheweth what those sins are which in Scripture are accounted to be sinnes against the Holy Ghost and that they shall never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come and the cause why whereby the second death is discovered also OBserve herein considering that Christ doth inlighten every man that commeth into the world so that no fewer than all men through him might beleeve John 1.7 9. And also that in obedience to his Fathers will he doth bring all men unto the knowledge of the truth accoding to 1 Tim. 2.4 as is largely proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions And considering therewith that the Apostle absolutely affirmeth that if we finne wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10.26 27 so that effect Heb. 6.5 6. From hence we see proved that those sinnes which are sinnes against the Holy Ghost are the sinnes which some men doe commit against the holy Ghosts teachings after they are by Christ in due season inlightned and after they are helped to the knowledge of the truth and whereas those sins are by Christ said to be unpardonable as in Mat. 12.13 I find the cause to be first in respect that they are sinnes against the second Covenant being the Covenant of grace secondly that they are sins persisted in against the spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 its dictates and teachings who being so offended being God having no INcarnation with humanity These transgressions against God the Holy Ghost by transgressing against the second Testament in wilfull persisting cannot be forgiven without a valuable satisfaction made to satisfie justice with And thirdly I finde the irrecoverable cause to be because there cannot be any valuable satisfaction made for men to satisfie justice for a deity offended who hath no Incarnation with humane nature but by one who though being God and one in Union in the Trinity is made capable to suffer death by taking upon him humane nature And fourthly to conclude this cause I finde that although Christ being so made capable to suffer death did dye to satisfie God the Fathers justice for the sins which as an unresistible violent inundation overwhelmed all Adams posterity though sinners in the seed for sins by him acted without the personall consent much lesse actuall performance of any one of them so preserving all men from the curse of the Law and first death due for the transgressions against that Law ' as in my 4 and 5 Distinctions Yet concerning mens owne actuall and personall sinnes in their individuals wilfully and persistingly acted against the Holy Ghost and second Covenant after their inabsing and inlightenment considering that there is none other of the Trinity but Christ Jesus capable to suffer death nor any other to be found any wise able to make satisfaction to that deity the Holy Ghost so oftended having as God the Father no incarnation with humane nature From hence proceeds the irrecoverable eternall fearfull condition of such Transgressors openly discovered in these few words of Scripture where it is said that without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9.22 and by its affirming withall that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more and that death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 From which cause those wilfull persisting transgressors of the second Covenant against God the Holy Ghost must in justice unavoidably perish in the eternall second death Thus I have briefly hinted what the sins against the Holy Ghost are and what the cause is that they are unpardonable as appeareth also Rev. 10.14 15 21 8. Now beloved if you please herewith to take farther notice of the impossibility of their recovery Mat. 12.31 32. and Heb 6. and some particulars of their eternall punishment discovered in Heb. 10.26 27. 2 Pet. 21. Rev. 21.8 Jude 12. 2 Pet. 9.10 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. I shall not need to make any further discovery to shew you what the second death is which is to be a much more sorer punishment then pertained to the breach of Moses Law Heb. 1.29 Only I do intreat you to take notice that because our Saviour Christ hath said that all sinnes and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the sons of men but only the sinnes or blasphemies against the Holy Ghost That some men have cavilled at this our Saviours affirmation saying then all unbeleevers actuall sins are remitted without any punishment because in that sence the unbeleevers doe perish eternally for their unbeleefe only They herein contrary to Scripture separating the act of unbeleefe it selfe from the evill actions of men or actuall sins of men wilfully persisted in after inlightenment until those men prove to be of that sort of men that are called Goats Mat. 25.32 33. and of the serpentine seed Gen. 15. their actuall sins being also thereby by them transformed into the same nature by their wilfully becomming the children of the Devill John 8.44 From hence that fearfull affirmation ariseth that some men are twice dead that were not only once dead by that one mans offence Rom. 5.12 by the first death but though being fully set free by Christ from the eternall danger of that first death and law of works as in my 4 and 5 Distinctions they doe through their owne wilfull defaults fall into the danger of the eternall second death for their wilfull
8.12 And lest we should mistake what is here meant by the word world as many men have ignorantly done by applying the word world in this and divers other places to be meant of the elect and beleevers only therefore to prevent that absurdity John Baptist steppeth forth and punctually affirmeth that Christ is not only the light of the world but also that he is the true light that inlightneth not some men only but every man that commeth into the world Iohn 1.9 And to prevent that any man should affirme this generall light to be only a temporary light to some men God no waies intending that thereby those men should beleeve as is required in the Gospell Behold that Iohn Baptist presseth still more forward and tels us thereto plainly that that light by Christ communicated unto every man not one man excepted is of such efficacy that no fewer than all men through him might beleeve compare Iohn 1.7 with the 9 ver And this he doth for all men without price or reward by them paid by virtue of his attonement Isa 45.13 As in the Type no lesse number than all the Jewes were set free by the atonement made in their year of Jubilee without mony and without price Lev. 25.9 Thus according to Gods absolute expresse will 1 Tim. 2.4 Christ doth in due season by his inlightning every man that commeth into the world bring all men out of their natural darknesse unto the knowledge of the truth Now you know that no man can be brought to the knowledge of the truth but first that mans judgement must upon necessity be convinced so farre as that he doth beleeve that the truth so by Christ tendered is the truth for no man knoweth nor can know that to be truth which he first in his judgement beleeveth not to be truth so that Christ by his bringing all men to know the truth of God in his goodnesse and mercy doth thereby also inable all men to beleeve the truth to betruth in which beleeving they might abide which is full to Iohn 1.7 9. and 1 Tim. 2.4 though some men will not retaine that their beleeved knowledge of God Rom. 1.21 and 28. and will when they are inabled to know and also beleeve which cannot be separated that the light is light distinct from darknesse yet will love or choose darknesse which our Saviour saith is the condemnation Iohn 3.19 Thus we find that as God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance that so he doth not only as in the Type lay meat before them by presenting Gods gratious goodnesse to them for them to confide in only but he also taketh the spirituallyoke from off the jawes of all men that they may feed on the reality of that his goodnesse by faith confiding in the same only which simile is teachingly presented to us in Hos 11.4 Now herein we have a fit opportunity to take notice of the manifest dangerous errors that some men have fallen into by overlooking of this imprisonment of all mens spirits under Sathan by the fall and Christ by his spirit inlighteningly preaching to all mens spirits so imprisoned in this life time upon the earth according to Luke 4.18 where our Saviour saith the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore he hath sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised Now as all men are by nature blinde and captives so this preaching of his by his spirit to the blind and the captives is unlimited for by the mistake of some men in that Christ by his spirit preacheth to all mens spirits so imprisoned in this life time upon the earth The Papists to maintain their painted purgatory have fained that Christ went downe into hell in the daies of Noah to preach to the spirits there in prison grosly abusing 1 Pet. 3.19 20. For Peter did not say that Christ by his spirit preached to the spirits that were in prison in hell no such matter for he saith that Christ by his spirit preached to the spirits in prison which were disobedient when once the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah while the Arke was preparing as you know upon the earth never in the Texts mentioning the spirits in hell but at that time by his spirit preaching then upon the earth to those rebellious spirits that were upon the earth while the Arke was preparing And to say as the truth is some godly Protestants by their overlooking the said imprisonment naturally of all mens spirits upon the earth under Sathans captivity by the fall and Christ by his spirit preaching not only in the daies of Noah as the Text saith he once did but that also by his in ightning of every man that commeth into the world he preacheth to all mens spirits all men being by nature imprisoned in the darknesse of that spirituall prison house their judgements also have been dazled with this Text although it be said of Christ concerning even rebellious spirits which all men are by nature thou hast ascended on high thou host led captivity captive Sathan and all his power in captiving al mens spirits in darknesse is by Christs performances and power led into captivity under Christs inlightenment of every man Thou hast received gifts for men or in the man yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Psal 69.18 Observe the generality of this free donation and though some rebellious spirits will not yet all men might accept of this freedome for Christ the just hath suffered for the unjust not that he doth infallibly over-powre all men so when he hath brought them to the knowledge of the truth which is God for God is truth that they never can depart from him but Christ the just hath suffered for the unjust not excepting any one man all men being unjust to open a passage with God the Father that he might bring all men to God which is the lively coherence of 1 Pet. 2.18 though some men will rebelliously depart from the living God though so brought to him and so draw back even to perdition Heb. 10.38 39. But now beloved we are seriously to observe that every man must upon necessity be compelled or over-powred to receive the possession in him elfe of his inlightenment and ability by grace given unto him in the common salvation for our Saviour Christ hath a harder taske to accomplish the restoration of all men to the knowledge of the truth then was in the Creation to make man for Adam who was first formed of the earth made no resistance to his Creation but by restoration after the fall Christ hath to deale with a world of men who are all by the fall naturalized in rebellious resistance against Christ his well forming hand upon his
a wedding garment and therefore little notice can be taken of that man being but one I answer thereto that that one being there so found compelled in is sufficient to confute that their fancyed imagination But behold that our Saviour maketh a farre larger application thereof for as there was some bad found compelled in to this condition called or counted like the Kingdome of Heaven whereas no bad person can be compelled in nor enter into Gods heavenly habitation And our Saviour affirmeth upon that very example of the casting out of that one man though there be but one mentioned that as he had said before that all were gathered or compelled together both good and bad so accordingly even from that one his being cast out he concludeth that though many are called yet but few are chosen in the very next ver 14. Now taking but a few out of the many called this sets forth a greater number of men who though called in to receive the word of the Kingdome and know the truth and reality of Gods goodnesse prepared for them by the Feast yet by their wanting their wedding garments there of thankfull loving obedient acceptance and faithfull indeavours to walk humbly therein they are all of them cast out and few are chosen Hereto if you will be pleased to owne it that no fewer than all is very often in the Scripture comprehended in the word many as is fully proved in my 8 Distinction and that all men are called by Christs inlightning no fewer than every man that commeth into the world so that no fewer than all men through him might beleeve as in John 1.7 9. and that by him all are so farre called that they are all in due season made to come unto the knowledge of the truth according to the 1 Tim. 2.4 by Gods owne shewing it even to the Heathens also Rom. 1.19 and 2.14 15. From hence and many such like Texts we may warrantably conclude that all men are by the spirit invited or called and inabled though none be chosen but such men only as do make good use of their infranchisement and inlightenment and by their ability received in the call do themselves abide in beleeving and so are not only called or compelled in as all men are but are accounted to be faithfull and are chosen Rev. 17.14 And the sence of the Greek word Biazetai used Luke 16.16 as the Learned say is to be read the Kingdome of God is preached and every man is pressed into it which can bee but by infranchisement to receive the word of the Kingdome for no man is further so compelled than as Adam was to be inabled by grace in himselfe to obtaine eternall life though some men so inabled by their persisting in and abiding in obedient beleeving after some tryall of their faith are by Grace established in the priviledges of the speciall salvation as is elsewhere said and is proved in Eph. 1.12 13. 1 Tim. 4.10 And considering that all men are utterly disabled by Adams fall and so by nature cannot be obedient to the faith then if all men be not inabled by Christs spirit to become obedient to the faith and abide therein but as they are compelled by a surther Almighty power of God then that tenent being maintained doth cast a grosse soile in the face of our just dealing impartiall faithfull Creator and all his serious exhortations dehortations reproofes promises threatnings rewards and punishments which is recorded in the holy Scripture to be proceeded in for or against men according to all mens own actuall and personall obedience or disobedience to the faith for by that tenent obedience is required of some men and promises and threatnings are declared to be dispensed to them according to their personall obedience or disobedience whereas they are utterly disabled by Adams fall and by Gods withholding means of inabling them from them it proves totally impossible for them to perform the least part of the obedience required and if that tenent were true then also obedience to the faith is required of some men and promises and threatnings declared to them also to be dispensed according as they personally do prove obedient or disobedient to the faith whereas those men by a surmounting power of God granted more to them than to the other men shall not nor cannot possibly be able to doe or act otherwise than to be savingly obedient to the faith neither can they be able to resist against their eternall salvation But to rip open the bowels of this fallacy we see it is here proved by Scripture that all men are in due season so inabled by Christ by a common salvation savingly to beleeve and repent and thereby those strained extreams are vanished and that thereby the perfect holinesse of all the attributes of God is unitedly cleared whereby also no lesse than all occasion for any one mere man to boast before God is totally destroyed and that no man is in the least measure wrorged although God doth not only require but also command no fewer than all men in all places to repent as he doth in Acts 17.30 and to recover themselves 2 Tim. 2.26 and to give an account of himselfe to God Rom. 14.12 and to be obedient to his reproofe Prov. 1.23 and to humble themselves Mat. 23.12 1 Pet. 5.6 purge themselves as in 2. Tim. 2.21 and to turne themselves Nehe. 19. and that hereby it doth plainly appeare that considering all mens inablement by Christ not any one man is in the least measure injured although God doth actually proceed in judgement with every particular man according to that which he himself hath actually and personally done in his body whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 for God doth not judge every man nor any man according to works inforced to be done in his body by the corruption that unavoidably came over him by Adams fall nor according to unbeleeving works which any man is necessitated to doe by a decreed reprobation or preterition of God by his withholding means of inabling from them as some men grosly imagine neither doth he judge any man according as he is inforced to act beleevingly whether he will or not by an over-ruling Almighty power of God by God wrought in his body but being inabled of God by Christ he judgeth every man according to the things he himselfe hath done in his body whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 as hath been touched or according to works not inforced by God or Adams fall but according to their works Rev. 20.13 being as is said first inabled by God to be obedient then God proceedeth strictly without partiality or any respect of persons 1 Pet. 1.17 Acts 10.34 all which particulars are proved and is one maine drift of this whole tract And further to prove that God doth not by a surmounting Almighty power compell any man after that he is inabled to beleeve so that then unalterably he shall abide in
beleeving except it be in the case of his establishing of persistingly abiding humbled beleevers after some tryall of their faith into the priviledges of the speciall salvation which especiall salvation is set forth in my nineteenth Distinction For we have many examples therein that God doth not so over-power inabled ones before he hath had some tryall of their faithfull constancy to keep the faith which they are by grace inabled to doe Eph. 1.12 13. for observe though it may be said that he compelled the refusing guests to know of the reality of the Feast and his good will therein intended to them by his inviting of them which reality they questioned not much lesse denyed for they in effect confest that by their desiring to be excused for their not comming to it yet you see that God did not by an almighty power further compell those knowing though refusing guests to come to the feast much lesse to seed thereon reither did he compell that party not having a wedding garment to abide at the Feast although he had by command compelled him to come into it Neither do we read that he compelled any other of the guests to feed on the Feast though he had compelledly brought them in to it and inabled them to feed thereon Neither in our Types the Jewes after he had given beasts and other creatures to offer whereby they were by him made able to offer up to him in Sacrifices such of them as he to that end required of them yet did he not then compell them by an Almighty power to offer up those beasts to him whether they would or not Neither though God had used such compulsion by the fire as raised the scum in the seething pot so as men might themselves have taken it off which represents his dealing with all men yet you see he did not use a further Almighty power to take it off himselfe nor to inforce them so to doe Neither when he had given the children of Israel weapons and ability to enter into the terrestriall land of Canaan then compell them by an almighty power to beat out their enemies in Moses time Neither though God made the fallen Angels to receive the possession of their blessed first estate and made them to receive ability in themselves to keep that their first habitation yet you see God did not further than compell those Angels to keep that their estate or first habitation And although it may be in some sort said that he compelled Adam First to enjoy a living being Secondly to receive the actuall possession of his blessed estate prepared for him by the grace of Creation And Thirdly made him to receive an ability in himselfe to have kept that his blessed glorious estate yet you see God did not by a further Almighty power compel him whether he would then or not to keep and continue in in obedience and to keep that his blessed estate although herein in this point he was the great and leading patterne of Gods intention concerning all mankind to the whole succeeding world and al we his posterity by his example are not to expect at gods hands though he doth by Christ inable all men evangelically to keep the second Covenant which is of grace as he did inable Adam perfectly to keep the first Covenant of works by doing that he will furnish his posterity with a more established condition than he did him our grand parent and exemplary patterne And so farre he doth inable all men that they all may or might be obedient for as hath been said and indeed cannot too often be said that our blessed Saviour Christ by a salvation first purchased at a dear rate by himselfe alone by his sufferings and performances upon the earth for al men with out men and then by his resurrection and ascension into Heaven or by his being in Heaven from thence by his spirit operating in all men and thereby inabling all men in the inward man in due season so effectually as that thereby they all by beleeving might obtaine eternall life yet as hath been said and proved no man is compelled by a further Almighty power to abide inbeleeving or obedience to the faith whether they then when being so inabled will or not neither so over-powered that they shall not be able to close their internall eyes againe lest so remaining seeing they should be healed as we see those did Mat. 13.15 Yet God never faileth in due season when he seeth fit to establish persisting abiding humbled beleevers who are found to have some good progresse in the faith by their well using that ability by grace given them these he establisheth in the priviledges of the speciall salvation wherein he sealeth them after they beleeved with the holy spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 and therein affordeth them many gratious spirituall visits as to eate of the hidden Manna and also giveth them a white stone with a new name written in it which no man knows but he that receives it Rev. 2.17 And observe that by this reall ability aforesaid by Christ communicated unto all men from thence he saith without me you can do nothing John 15.5 therewith also exhorting men to abide in that ability by beleeving John 15.4 6. and there also sheweth the danger of those men that will not abide also from that ability received beleeving people doe triumphantly say Not of our selves but by thee only will we make mention of thy name Isa 26.13 and in consideration that some people do willingly and chearfully act in that by grace restored ability given to all men to know the truth which God foreknowing they by him are called Gods people or elect according to his foreknowledge agreeable to the proofes cite in my 17 Distinction and from hence it is said thy people shall come willingly in the day of thy power Psal 110.3 Thus herewith keeping in our memories though God in compassion saith what could I have done more to my vineyard that I have not done Isa 5.4 Which vineyard as in the Type representeth all the men of the world as appeareth 1 Cor. 6.11 yet you see he did not by an almighty power force them to bring forth good fruit but he proceeded only by taking away the obstructions that hindered them so to doe that they might by the benefit of that good means used with them bring forth good fruit and then expected good fruit from them or their owne performances in their good use of that means he had gratiously used with them as fully appears in Isa 5. And whereas God said what could I have done more for my vineyard you know that God could if he had so pleased by his Almighty power have so established them as that they no waies could have brought forth bad fruit but he having in his transcendent wisdome after the counsell of his owne will Eph. 1.11 determined not to invest mankind in genenerall in any further ability in themselves but only by taking away
the obstructions that came in by Adams fall and therewith to inable all men so in the inward man as that thereby they all might in their usage of that ability prove obedient to the faith as appears in our grand paterne Adam that God did but inable him to be obedient from this determinate councell of his owne will and glorious wisdome he in that text saith what could I have done more c. But for the further clearing of what hath been said let us observe that never since Adams fall God hath not nor doth not intrust any one meer man with an ability in himselfe thereby to be transferred to any other person as it might have been transferred from Adam by generation to his posterity if he had stood No beloved God never since the fall doth trust any man with any such ability in himselfe but our Saviour Christ only who as the publick man or second Adam is intrusted with all the power and ability which is to be be transferred to any man that power is invested in him only Mat. 28.18 whereby because no one man should suffer losse in that point by the first Adams fall he gratiously communicates by his spirit to every man and doth intrust every man with an ability whereby he in the good use thereof might be eternally saved so farre as concernes his owne personall injoiment for himself alone excepting only what good another man may receive from him by his good example and instructions and prayers But perhaps some man will say in respect of what hath been by me formerly declared how can it appeare that our Saviour Christ hath redeemed all men from the curse of the Law and first death according to your 4 and 5 Distinctions when as it is evident that some remaining effects of the curse of the Law and also of the first death are as yet unremoved from off the earth and other creatures To which I answer that the generall curse mentioned in Gen. 3.17 Cursed is the ground for thy sake considering that that is but a temporall curse and affliction this curse is not of the nature of that which the curse of the Law would have effected for without the Covenant of grace applied as it is promised to the woman ver 15. in the same Chapter the curse of the Law would have been eternall So that this aforesaid curse of the ground which doth remaine but temporally cannot be said to be the curse of the Law But God having had experience of Adams wilfull rebellion and disobedience against him by his being so diabolically puffed up in pride with his excellent estate of Creation and his glorious enjoyment of the perfection of the Creatures as created for him God not for destructive but gratious ends for all men only blasts the gloriousnesse of the Creatures as Created saying cursed is the ground for thy sake as if said because thou hast though inabled by me to doe the contrary so wilfully and rebelliously betraid the trust which I reposed in thee for thy selfe and thy posterity by thy being intrusted with so blessed and glorious estate for thy sake I will never againe trust thee nor thy stained posterity with the use of the glorious Creatures in that beauty and excellency in which they were created by me but having had experience of thy unfaithfulnesse and rebellion in the use of them for thy sake I will never againe hazard the eternall favour I intend for thee and thine in such an alluring estate whereby the hearts and affections of thee and thine may probably hereafter come to be alienated againe from me and my grace protection and goodnesse but I will in my tender mercy by grace extended by the Gospell or second Covenant by a curse out of my mercy temporally blast those rare created beauties and excellencies of the Creatures provided for thee and thine and this on Gods part intended to hide pride from mankind in generall as we frequently finde that he doth not by destructive but gratious intentions afflict particular men in divers manners to hide pride from particular persons as appeareth in Job 23.17 19. and very many other places which sheweth that as God to that gratious end afflicteth the whole world of mankind in generall by the effects of that mercifull curse by him setled concerning the ground or whole earth so God afflicteth particular men out of his mercy to the end intended on his part that men should turne in to him his grace and protection only for in those afflictions though they seem burthensome to flesh and blood yet therein and thereby he waiteth to be or that he may be gratious as in Isa 30.18 And how can we harbour in our breasts such hard conceits of our faithfull Creator and good and impartiall God as to account those his mercifull curses or afflictions to be of the nature which was in the eternall curse of the Law which without Christs assistance would have been everlasting upon all men especially considering that our gratious God hath declared to us which he expecteth we should take thankfull notice of which is that on his part all his intentions are not only good but good to all and that not only his mercies but also his tender mercies are over not only some but over all his works Psal 145.9 So that that curse affliction or afflictions proceeds from the grace of the second Covenant intended on Gods part for mercifull ends to all men though some men after their infranchisement and inlightenment doe wilfully persist in abusing that grace and so as perversely by their owne voluntary choise doe lose the eternall benefit intended on Gods part for them thereby And as for the small or weake remaining power of the first death which the aforesaid query so much scruples at considering that by Christs death that death hath no more power left it but temporally to bring all mens bodies to the grave or earth from which it was taken and to hold them there untill the generall resurrection mentioned in Rev. 20.12 15. Wee may not be much troubled to find out that that is an exceeding blessing also as it is intended of God on his part for all men being folded up in a mercifull gentle curse by that death or sleep to make way or open the passage for the immortality of all mens bodies to be brought in by Christs performances For by those words Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread till thou returne unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou returne This saying however it appears to humane wisedome yet it doth but testify Gods love to all men in that by his grace in Christ he hath provided a way that whereas death even the eternall first death would unresistibly have seized on all men to procure their everlasting separation from God and his blessed presence yet that now even from the acceptation of Christs blood
Prov. 1.23 being also according to that Text where it is said in whom after yee beleeved yee were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 These sealing testimonies and gratious and spirituall gifts are variable in respect of their quantity and are communicated according to the proportion of the first fruits of the spirit which is by grace to any beleever granted as beleevers by experience well know and this speciall salvation issueth according to Scripture naturally from the common salvation which common salvation however it hath been by some men slighted yet the beleeving of the large and effectually efficacy thereof concerning all men as it is discovered in my 26 and 7 Distinctions is by Scripture-warrant the most direct and most sure way to obtain faith and repentance whereby and wherewith the especiall salvation is by grace established to abiding beleevers 1 Tim. 4.10 In that estate beleevers do not only prove overcommers but also perseverers in overcomming according to Rev. 2.26 in this estate beleevers doe enter into rest Heb. 4.3 see the excellency of this estate Col. 2.7 1 Pet. 2.4 5. in this estate they are written in the book of remembrance to be made up with Gods Jewels Mal. 3.16 17. See also Col. 2.9 10. in this estate they by faith approach unto the very throne of grace Heb. 4.16 See Eph. 1. 12 13 14. Rom. 8.20 these men by faith by degrees do enter into that which is within the vaile Heb. 6.19 which place is in the Type called the holiest of all Heb. 9.3 and by faith they are said to see God who is invisible Heb. 11.27 they are passed from death to life John 5.24 to these beleevers he giveth power to be called the sons of God John 1. These in point of confidence therein cease from their own works as God did from his Heb. 4.10 in this estate there is an entrance administred unto them into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Eph. 2.6 and also by faith they do enjoy fellowship with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 John 1.3 These men with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 See also their admirable triumph Rom. 8.35 39. And though much more might be hereto proved yet to conclude they are blessed with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Eph. 3. which estate they doe enjoy even in this restoed second life according to the proportion of the first fruits of the spirit which every beleever by grace receives therein The twentieth Distinction sheweth that as all men lost their peace with God by Adams fall which all Adams posterity had by propriety in him whilest be stood so all men are vertually in Christ and by Christ reconciled to God againe by restoration though some men after their inlightenment abuse that grace of their reconciliation in him and do thereby lose the benefit thereof HErein to pove that reconciliation of all men in Christ we are to note that the eternall curse of the Law is taken away for all men which is proved in my 4 Distinction And also to observe that Christs death was satisfactory for the transgressions not that are but were against the first Testament Heb. 9.15 Rom. 5.20 21. or Morall Law without Limitation to prove which it is said Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on the tree Gal. 3.13 and to prove that by the word us is meant all men observe that that verse is grounded upon the fore going 8 verse where it is said and the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham saying in thee shall all Nations be blessed according to those unlimited promises often repeated to Abraham Isaac and Jacob that in their seed no fewer than all the Nations and all the Families of the earth should be blessed as you may finde in Gen. 18.18.3.22 18. and 26 4.20.14 and as that 13 verse of Gal. 3. is immediately derived from that generall application in the 8 verse preceding So also the cause why Christ hath redeemed from the curse of the Law is shewed in the 14 verse being the very next verse following to be this expresly that the blessing of Abraham in whose seed as before is shewed that no fewer than all Nations and all Families of the earth shall be blessed might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ which generall promise made unto Abraham is called the Covenant which was confirmed before in Christ which the Law cannot disanul as appeareth plainly in the 15 16 17 18 verses next following in the very same Chapter as a conclusive confirmation of the very same discourse which evidently proveth that the taking away the curse of the Law is so large for all Nations and Families of the earth as to bring in the blessings in Christ abrahams seed over all men See Rom. 5.18 Note also by that his hanging on the tree he tasted death and hereto the Scriputre shews us that thereby and thereon he tasted death for no fewer than every man Heb. 2.9 whereby his hanging on the tree in that Text mentioned he become the propitiation for no fewer sins than the sins of the whole world 1 John 2.2 being the Transgressions against the first Testament Heb. 9.15 Rom. 5.20 21. And as the curse was by his so being made a curse taken away for all men so consider that accordingly as it is said that he is the Saviour of no fewer than all men 1 Tim. 4.10 as is before discovered So also the Apostle affirmeth that Christ dyed for all 2 Cor 5.15 and from that generall ground by him there laid downe that Christ dyed for all he in pursuance of the same discovery coherently gives us to wit in the 19 verse next following that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses to them Herein is cleared to open view that by Christs being therein the worlds publick man and generall representative by hisbeing reconciled to God in the worlds behalfe for the world the world is accounted of as reconciled to God in Christ verse 18. even in him vertually for you see that by the worlds being so reconciled to God and God in his justice and attribute of his truth unto the world in Christ the worlds trespasses are not imputed to them which hath conherent relation unto that unlimited speech immediately going before that Christ dyed for all and upon the same ground it is affirmed God laid upon him the iniquities of us all Is 53.6 against the first Testament Heb. 9.15 Rom. 5.20 And accordingly in the discovery of the reconciliation of all men in Christ it is said that God had purposed in himselfe that in