ignorant person but thou art wrought upon by the Word and Spirit of God and sealed up unto the day of redemption thou art sanctified truly by the Word and Spirit thou are not a formal Professour then thou hast right and title to all the comfortable promises of God both of this life and the life to come and here cometh thy comfort these Promises are most firm and stable they are yea and Amen thou shalt certainly be made partaker of it in health and sicknesse in life and in death be will be thy God and the God of thy seed and blesse thee with all heavenly things and thou shalt certainly attain to happinesse and salvation if the promises of God were uncertain and changeable then thy comfort were little or nothing but know that thou being called to faith and holinesse the promises of God to thee are yea and amen and are as unchangeable as God himself Oh what comfort is this that the Promises of God are so unchangeable as God who cannot lye Titus 1.2 James 1.17 with him there is no shadow of changing or alteration and it cannot be that either thy own sins thy own failings no nor yet Satan nor all the power of hell should ever be able to make it void and of none effect this will be a speciall comfort to thee thou being one to whom the Promise belongeth look unto that that thou be one to whom this promise belongeth lay not foul hands upon it yea the consideration of this the thinking and meditating upon this that the promises of God are firm and stable being layed up in our hearts it will keep us from being swallowed up by the surges of the deepest tryals and temptations even then when we are tempted by Satan to diffidence or distrust consider the Lord hath promised in his Gospel Joh. 3.16 Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but be sure to have everlasting life now this promise of God is firm and stable to him that believeth in Christ Jesus and is able to uphold us from fainting in the middest of the greatest tryals and afflictions for they are firm and stable and cannot be shaken a ground of excellent comfort Notwithstanding it cannot be that the Word of God of should take none effect for all they are not Israel which are of Israel OBserve we here that the Apostle doth not barely affirm thus much That though the Jewes might object that if they were rejected then the promise of God were frustrate and void and of none effect he doth not onely affirm it that this cannot possibly be but he doth further strengthen it with a reason why it cannot so be namely thus because all they are not Israel which are of Israel because all they which came of Abraham of Jacob and of Israel by natural generation all they are not Gods Israel the Israel of God Abrahams chosen seed unto whom alone the Promise was made so that the promise of God is firm and stable so then you see it was from a misconceiving and misapplying of the promise that the Jewes thought that the promise of God was void which was made unto Abraham if they were rejected the Jews applying the promise to the carnal seed of Abraham unto the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and therefore they forced this false conclusion but the Apostle telleth them plainly that all they that came of Israel by carnal generation they are not the true seed of Israel so that their misapplying was the cause of their false collection hence then note we thus much Doctrine That the words of Gods promises being mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not truly comfortable it is not a true ground of comfort to those that so mis-understand it and mis-apply it Or we may put this down in the general thus That the Word of God either promising mercy or threatning judgment or teaching any duty being misunderstood and misapplyed is not the true profitable and comfortable Word of God to those that so misunderstand it and mis-apply it in 2 Tim. 2. we find that the Apostle having exhorted Timothy to a constant undergoing of the labour of the Ministery and to a patient bearing of the Crosses that came by reason of the execution of his office then in the seventh verse he concludeth Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things as if he had said Consider duly what I stirred and exhorted thee unto and the Lord give thee that thou mayest both rightly understand and rightly apply it and so in 2 Pet. 3.16 The Apostle telleth us that the holy Scriptures being wrested and perverted and mis-applyed they are so far from being comfortable that they tend to the destruction of them that mis-understand and mis-apply them they are so far from being comfortable when men do pervert them and turn them which way they list that they tend to their own destruction And indeed though the Scripture be in it self the Will and Wisdome of God revealed unto us and though it be true that God speaketh unto us in and by the same yet the Word of God mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not the word of God neither doth God speak unto us and as One saith well the word of God foolishly perverted and understood it is not the word of God to him that so understandeth it and therefore cannot be truly profitable and comfortable unto him for the Application It concerneth us then in the first place that are Ministers and Messengers Vse 1 of God that take upon us to handle the holy Word of God and to deliver it unto Gods people to be careful of it that we rightly understand and rightly apply the word of God and that we deliver unto our hearers Gods word and out of Gods word Gods mind and meaning that they may say God speaketh in the Preacher 1 Cor. 14.25 so must we deliver the mind and word of God And then onely shall we find the blessing of God upon the Word we handle and then we shall draw men to a holy course of life or at least convince them of their sins if we deliver it so as God may be said to speak in us or by us then we may look for a blessing upon it to the working of grace and to convert them to a holy life for if it be not rightly grounded either upon the Word of God or derived thence surely take it for a truth it is not Gods Word Though it be a sound Orthodox and a true point of Divinity yet if it be not grounded upon the Word of God we handle or by necessary consequence it is mans word and not Gods Word Again this being so That the word of God is not the true profitable Vse 2 and comfortable Word of God being misunderstood and mis-applyed it then concerneth every one of us all that are hearers of the word of God to look unto it that in hearing and reading the holy word of God
them his sons Ishmael and Isaac Isaac was the chosen seed Ishmael was not Isaac belonged to the election Ishmael did not Isaac was the child in whom God would fulfill his promise Ishmael was not but Abraham respected both alike untill the Lord did cast out Ishmael hence we are to understand thus much That there is no manifest difference between Gods chosen and others Doctrine in regard of their spiritual estate untill God put a difference between them by his Word and the works of his Spirit I grant there is a difference between Gods chosen and others even from everlasting and before they have a being in the world but it is not known unto us and there is no difference between them touching their spiritual estate manifested known and discernable either by our selves or by others untill God do put and make a difference between them by calling and converting the one by his Word and the work of his Spirit and leaving the other uncalled effectually Before the effectual calling of Gods chosen they are in the same estate and condition with those that belong not unto Gods election they are prone unto evil as well as others they are as vile in the practise of sinne as any other unlesse God do restrain them No man can say this is one that belongeth to Gods election and this is not untill God do put a difference between them And this truth hath not onely ground here but also plentiful evidence in many places of Scripture in 1 Cor. 6.9 10. The Apostle having reckoned up many grosse sinners and given them their doom that they can never come to inherit Gods Kingdome as neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Wantons nor Buggerers nor Theeves nor Drunkards nor Raylers nor Extortioners shall never inherit Gods Kingdome living and dying so he subjoyneth vers 11. such were some of you you were no better but now you are washed and justified and sanctified now God hath put a difference between you and others by the work of his grace and power of his Spirit you were as vile as any debauched sinner untill you were cleansed and in Ephes 2.1 2 3. The Apostle saith of the believing Ephesians they were now believers but in times past they were dead in trespasses and in sinnes yea they walked before their calling and conversion after the fashion of the world and followed the Prince that ruled in the ayr that is the Devil that now worketh strongly in the children of disobedience you were dead and you walked how could that be you had the life of nature and you walked after the Fashions of the World yea I and other believing Jewes we had our conversation in the lusts of the flesh and were by nature children of wrath as well as others there was no difference untill God put a difference Thus the Apostle speaketh of the believing Romans Romans 6.17 That they had been servants of sinne and slaves thereunto but ye now God be thanked through grace have obtained a form of godlinesse whereunto you are delivered So likewise the Apostle speaketh of himself and other true believers in Titus 3.3 4 5. We our selves were in times past disobedient deceived servers of lusts and pleasures hateful and hating one another But when the bountifulnesse of God appeared through Christ Not by the works of righteousnesse that we have done but of his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new birth and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost now there is a difference but before there was none So that this doth manifest unto us that there is no known difference between Gods chosen and others in regard of their spiritual estate and condition untill God put a difference between them by the work of his grace and Spirit The Reason Reason is manifest because Gods Children have no priviledge above others in regard of their birth they are born and brought forth in sinne as well as others they are tainted and stained with the pollution of sin as well as others and Nature in them is as vile and corrupt as in the vilest sinner upon the face of the earth yea it is as predominant and powerful in them as in any so that we see that Gods Children have no manifest difference between them and others till God put a difference Vse 1 Upon this ground in the first place learn we to take heed that we take not upon us to determine of the Final estate of any man being yet in his natural estate and condition we may not be so bold as to say this man or that woman is a Reprobate and a cast-away it is bold presumption in any Abraham could not discern that his son Ishmael was one that had no right and title to the Covenant of grace till God saith I have cast him off And there is no manifest difference between Gods chosen and others touching their spiritual estate untill God do difference them by working upon the one and leaving the other unwrought upon and therefore judge not of the future and final estate of any man by his present condition we may lawfully judge a carnal man to be a carnal man and in the way that leadeth to hell and damnation and if he do hold on in that way and not repent he shall be damned but to go beyond this is to break into Gods several and secret counsel what a carnal man may be in after time leave that unto Gods determinate counsell Vse 2 In the second place the truth now delivered is to be thought upon by as many as find tnemselves to be effectually called by the Word and the holy Spirit of God the consideration of this ought to stirre them up to blesse God and magnifie the mercy of God for that great mercy and benefit bestowed upon them they are bound in this respect so to do what were they before they were so wrought upon they were in the same estate and condition even with others that belong not unto Gods election there was no manifest and known difference between them and others either in the eye of the world or the judgment of others neither could themselves judge themselves in a better estate it was not discernable unto them or unto others they were as prone to evil as others as vile in the practise of evil as others they were wallowing and tumbling in sin and had no more desire of good then the vilest miscreant upon the earth Now who hath put a difference between thee and them that remain uncalled surely onely the Lord and that of his mere goodnesse and mercy and if thou throughly consider it thou canst not be sufficiently thankful to God and therefore when thou seest them wallowing and tumbling in sin and taking much delight and pleasure therein passe it not by without consideration but consider of it not to insult over them but to pity them and thereby call to mind what thou wast before the Lord wrought upon thee by his Word and holy Spirit
the force and strength and vertue of it concerning mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation to all that believe in Christ and repent of their sins In a word the efficacy and force of the Word of the Gospel which indeed is a word of promise it propoundeth to all true believers that are repentant for their sins mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation the observation is this That the Word of Gods saving promise the Word of the Gospel is a most powerful and a most effectual Word it is of a begetting nature it is able as an Instrument to beget children unto God and it doth in Gods appointed time effectually work upon Gods chosen and make them actually the Children of God so that they may be truly called the children of the promise as that special promise in Gen. 18. Sarah thy wife shall have a son as that gave birth and being to Isaac when there was no likelihood or possibility of his being and birth from his parents Abraham and Sarah so the Word of Gods saving promise the words of the Gospel giveth a spiritual being and birth to Gods chosen and make them actually the children of God in his appointed time when there is no likelihood nor possibility in nature Yea when their Nature is in flat opposition and contrariety unto it then doth the Word of the Gospel make them actually the children of God And to this purpose speaketh that holy and Evangelical Prophet the Prophet Esay Esay 11.6 7 8.9 the holy Prophet sheweth that in the dayes of Christ such should be the force and powerful working of the Gospel that it should make men of Wolves to become lambs and of Leopards as meek as kids and men that were as Lions of a Lionish nature to be as meek as a fat beast and as gentle that children should lead them such as were of a wolvish and lionish Nature for so we are by nature fierce and cruel and savage to become meek and gentle and so he goeth on in setting forth the powerful working of the Gospel so in Joh. 5.25 saith the Lord Jesus Verily verily I say unto you the hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the Word of God and they that hear it shall live where by dead ' we shall understand those that are spiritually dead and not corporally dead for of those he speaketh in the 28 verse he saith that the voyce of the Spirit of God shall come to those that are in the graves and they shall arise but hereby those that are dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2.1 and such as are spiritually dead to put the life of grace and of faith and of holinesse into their hearts and soules in the 1. of James 18. saith the Apostle speaking of God of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth by an emphasis or excellency a begetting word the word of the Gospel and not to adde more places this doth sufficiently prove that the Gospel of God is an effectual Word and doth work upon Gods chosen in time and make them to become Gods children actually whereas before they were potentially and may be called the children of the Promise The Reasons and grounds are these First of all the Gospel it is the arm of the Lord so saith the Prophet Reason 1 Esay 53.1 to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is the word of the Gospel yea it is the power of God so the Apostle saith Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 it is the arm of the Lord and the power of God it is a power far passing the power of man or of hell it self and of all the devils it is strong powerful and prevailing there is no opposition whatsoever is able to gainsay it or withstand it but it is able to bear it down to the ground The word of the Gospel it administreth to Gods chosen Gods Spirit Reason 2 whence it is that the Apostle in Gal. 3.2 demandeth of the Galathians What saith he Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or rather by the preaching of the doctrine of Faith the doctrine of the Gospel that is the means of conveying unto you the Spirit namely the Gospel of God which conveyeth it Now the Spirit of God stirreth up the unbelieving that are Gods chosen and inableth them to believe yea it doth beget faith in their hearts and doth certainly and infallibly and that without resistance actually incline their hearts to believe in Christ and so to become actually Gods children thus doth the holy Spirit of God given to Gods chosen bend and bowe their hearts inabling them to believe and make them certainly and infallibly Gods Children such is the power of the Gospel This Doctrine in the first place doth point out unto us one main difference Vse 1 that is between the Law and the Gospel the law doth onely discover sin unto man and what the least sin of man deserveth and is able to go no further it cannot deliver unto a man any means of comfort but seaveth a man liable to the curse of the Law it sheweth them not the means to escape the curse onely as a Schoolmaster it sendeth men to Christ not by teaching and instructing but by whipping and scourging by terrifying upon the sight of sin it sheweth them no pity nor no compassion it driveth them from it self to seek unto a better Schoolmaster and better Physitian to go unto Christ Gal. 3.14 the Law is our Schoolmaster to drive us to Christ But now the Gospel is of force to work upon Gods chosen effectually it is able to confer and to administer unto Gods chosen the Spirit of God which Spirit doth beget faith in their hearts and so they become actually the Children of God this is the efficacy and power of the Gospel Is this so that the Word of Gods promise the Gospel is so powerful Vse 2 and so effectual and able as an Instrument to beget children to God Oh then I beseech you in the fear of God look unto it learn we upon this ground that the Word of the Gospel we living under the preaching of it be thus powerful in our hearts and soules in particular let us never rest untill we find that the preaching of the Gospel hath so wrought upon our hearts and soules that it be so effectual in us to bear down the strength of nature and whatsoever standeth in opposition against it and to cast down the strongest hold of sin and Satan in our hearts and that it hath conferred and conveyed the holy Spirit of God and thereby wrought faith in our hearts Oh let us never rest untill we find this working And consider the Gospel it is the arm of God it hath made some men of wolves to become as lambs of Lions fat beast it hath beaten down the pride of their hearts it hath hammered their hard hearts it hath quelled and overmastered their over-ruling and predominant corruptions take onely the
example of the Apostle Paul that was changed by the voyce of Christ from heaven and the voyce of the Gospel is as powerful from a bloody and tyrannical persecutor to a famous and renowned Preacher of the Gospel Gal. 1.22 And we read not onely in the primitive stories of the Church but have found also in our own time that the Gospel of God hath been of such force that it hath made many to leave their Fathers their Mothers wives children friends their lands and livings and all their riches and possessions and to lose their lives by fire and sword and faggot and by cruel tortures yea by as cruel torments as their tormentors could lay upon them And is not the voyce of the Gospel now as powerful is not the Gospel able to make thee now to lay aside thy profits or pleasures as thy Carding or Dicing nay not to lay aside a cup of beer or wine not needful for thee is not the Gospel able to make thee to lay aside a needlesse new fangled attire on thy head to make thee cut off thy long shag and ruffian-like hair to make thee leave off thy covetousnesse thy Drunkennesse thy whoring thy common swearing by faith and troth is it not able to do this is the power of the Gospel abated can it not make thee leave off thy darling sin it was wont to do this in former time And the Gospel is as powerful now and as able to throw down the strongest hold of sin and Satan as ever 2 Cor. 10.4 to throw down imaginations and strong holds of corruption if thou live under the Gospel where the Gospel is truly and faithfully preached and assuredly either the Gospel hath thus wrought in thee to the purging out of corruptions and those sins thou once delightedst in or it sealeth up unto thee a heavy and fearful conclusion what is that you will say Take it from the Apostle not from me in 2 Cor. 4.3 mark what he saith The Apostle in the second verse of the Chapter sheweth that he and the rest of the Apostles handled the Word of God not deceitfully but in the declaration of the truth in plain evidence of the Spirit and of power they approved themselves to every mans conscience then mark what he bringeth in by way of inference if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish if the Gospel that hath been so plentifully and powerfully preached and so painfully delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit work not in your hearts and souls It is to be feared you are in the way to destruction and in a fearful condition Oh then let us look that we find the power of the Gospel in our hearts and soules and consider it will nothing at all avail us to know that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation though it were to thousands yea to all the world besides if we find it is not so to us to commend the Gospel and the Doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of it and to say it is a blessed Sermon an excellent Sermon the best sermon that ever I heard it may be worthy to be commended but hath it wrought upon thee thou finding it not powerful to thee it will not be available to take notice of the Gospel to be a Word of power in the general and in the abstract and not find it so in the particular to thy self is the case of the Devil he knoweth the Gospel is a comfortable Word but see what good hast thou gotten by knowing it hath it beat down thy pride thy covetousnesse thy earthly mindednesse happy art thou otherwise it will not be available therefore in the fear of God let us never rest till we find that we living under the sound preaching of the Gospel that hath been effectual to our soules and hearts and hath beaten down our pride our earthly mindednesse and predominant corruptions and hath been of force and efficacy to the conferring upon us the holy Spirit of God and so made us actually Gods Children and heires of grace mercy and salvation then happy art thou Now the second thing that we are to stand upon is this That the children of the promise Doctrine such as are effectually wrought upon by the Word of the Gospel and by that word begotten to the faith and to believe in Christ they are accounted the true seed and the true children of Abraham and they have this honour to be of his seed And all the nobility of Christs Ancestors of Abraham of David is communicated unto them whether they be not of the race of the Jewes but Gentiles as it 's our case if the Gospel hath conferred the Spirit unto thee thou art a son or a daughter of faithful Abraham and all the Nobility of Christs Ancestors is communicated unto thee Gal. 3.7 they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Because Christ himself concerning the flesh came of Abraham Reason as the Apostle speaketh in Ephes 5.30 and they being in Christ they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh they are members with him and therefore partakers with him Oh then what excellent comfort is this to them that are sure of it Vse that the Gospel hath a working upon their hearts and soules that it hath hammered their soules and made them believe in Jesus Christ and though it be so that thou art of mean and base condition in the world yet thou art a child of Abraham an honour far surpassing that to be the sonne or daughter of an Emperour or the greatest Monarch or Potentate in the world all the Nobility of Christ his Ancestours belongeth unto thee if thou be a child of Abraham the friend of God 2 Chr. 20.7 as Jehosaphat calleth him what canst thou want either for thy provision or for thy safety and protection or defence the Lord hath made many sweet gracious and comfortable promises to Abraham that he will be his God his shield his buckler and his exceeding great reward a friend to his friends and an enemy to his enemies and thou hast right and title to all these gracious promises thou being a true believer God is thy shield and buckler a friend to thy friends and an enemy to thy enemies what canst thou want either for thy provision and safety or thy protection And therefore in the fear of God think upon it whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the powerfull Word of the Gospel that it hath beaten down thy pride thy covetousnesse and hath conferred unto thee the Spirit and that Spirit wrought faith in thy heart thou art a child of Abraham and all the Promises of God touching this life and the life to come thou hast right and title to as a child of Abraham VERSE 9. For this is a word of promise In the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son OUr Apostle having delivered this for a certain truth
him He appointeth the drops of rain to fall in this place and not in that so he doth cause the dew of his Word to fall upon the clay the Gentiles in Matth. 10.6 into the Cities of the Samaritans enter not and in Acts 16.6 7 we find that Paul and Timothy they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia Yea when they had a mind to goe to Bythinia the Spirit of God would not suffer them but sent them to Macedonia Acts 16.9 Come over into Macedonia and help us so that the outward preaching of the Word it is vouchsafed to some and not to others as when Christ lived upon the face of the earth the bodily eyes of all men were not opened but onely some and others remaine blind some blind persons were left in their blindness And the dead bodies of all were not raised though some were at the death of Christ so dealeth the Lord with the minds and souls of men he onely out of his gracious pleasure doth open the minds of some men and make them to see know and understand and believe by the preaching of the Word according to his gracious pleasure therefore we may resolve upon it as a certain truth that God doth call men out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace effectually out of his free grace and mercy Vse 1 If this be so it is not then upon foreseen merit that God doth call men effectually and doth work upon them powerfully by his Spirit that is the error of the Papists they hold indeed that the election of God and consequently the revelation of the truth of God it is upon their merit foreseen because God doth foresee some worthiness in them we are to renounce this as a gross Popish errour yea the truth now made known unto us being duely considered and thought upon it beareth strongly against that position that is held by some that redemption wrought by Christ is universal that Christ died for all men universally without any exception of any Now not to stand upon this erroneous position which is a dangerous errour in the ground of it it making the sin of men the sins of the world death and hell to be stronger then Christ that Christ should die for all men and yet some of those men goe to hell a fowl and a gross errour besides this it cannot stand with the truth now delivered that Christ died effectually for all men without exception of any for if so be Christ did die for all men generally and universally then doubtless all are acquainted with it savingly as a benefit belonging to themselves such as are redeemed assuredly God doth bring them to the saving knowledge of their redemption Now this is not so the preaching of the Word and plain experience doth tell the contrarie for God out of his mere good will and pleasure doth call none effectually but such as are redeemed by Christ and so all men are not for then they should savingly be brought to the knowledge of their redemption but all are not so for as in the time of Christ all men that were blinde had not their eyes opened so all have not their minds enlightned and therefore universal redemption wrought by Christ is a meer fancie of the brain of man forged in hell and there is no truth in it to say that Christ died for all and if we rest upon this we shall finde a deceiving ground of comfort Howsoever some will say how shall we comfort a poor soul a prisoner that is to be executed but by telling him Christ died for all upon what ground No Christ died not for all Again is it so that God worketh freely upon the minds and souls of men out of his free grace and mercy Oh then such as find themselves to be in Vse 2 the number of the called of God and throughly wrought upon by the power of the preaching of the Word that are brought to the saving knowledge of God in Christ they are bound to acknowledge the riches of his free grace and mercy and be thankful unto God for the same Consider it thou that hast good evidence of thy effectual calling that art transformed and changed and brought into a new mold and fashion consider with thy self that many are left in their natural ignorance and unbelief yea many are given over to Popish superstitions many living in the same place frequenting the same means hearing the same sermons sitting in the same seat with thee they remain ignorant in their blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart but God hath given thee not onely his Word and Gospel preached but a heart enlightned to receive it therefore thou hast cause to magnifie the mercy of God for this blessing of all blessings And learn thou to break out and say Lord what am I that thou shouldest vouchsafe unto me such a mercie I see thousands in their natural estate and ignorance I was born and brought forth in sinne like other men and have increased and multiplied my sinnes exceedingly my unthankefulnesse is great and my unworthinesse greater and yet thou hast vouchsafed mercy unto me above many thousands Lord thou art gracious and merciful unto me Thus we ought to be stirred up our selves to magnifie the mercie of God in that many thousands are given to Popish superstition and God hath given thee a flexible heart to his Word Oh thou canst not be sufficiently thankful for so great a favour As he saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved COme we now to the very words of the text to enter into the bowels of it In these words as I have shewed you we have a double description of the Gentiles First of their estate before their calling when they were not the people of God by nature Secondly of their condition after their Calling that they were now become the people of God and beloved of the Lord hence then first of all appeareth the estate of man by nature as yet unconverted and not wrought upon by the Spirit of God through the preaching of the Word and Gospel hence the Doctrine is this Doctrine That men who are in their natural estate as yet not effectually called and as yet not wrought upon by the Spirit of grace by the preaching of the Word and Gospel are in a miserable estate and condition they are not the people of God nor beloved of God so saith the Text and we find that that the Scripture setteth out the miserable estate and condition of men in their natural estate by many notable speeches in Rom. 5.6.8 it is said that they were sinners in a high degree ungodly yea enemies unto God and unto Christ such as are in their natural estate they are enemies unto God and there is open defiance between God and them and they may look that the Lord shall deal with them as a professed
precise fellow yet know that it were better for thee to go to heaven with a few in the narrow gate then with many to the broad way to destruction Matth. 7.13 FINIS A Table for the Ninth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans A ABrahams true seed who they are page 69 Acts of God have special and particular ends page 143 Adoption external what it signifieth page 26 Anabaptists confuted page 37 86 Anabaptists and Familists confuted page 137 Anathema what it is page 18 Arminians confuted concerning Election and Vniversal Redemption page 84 86 Astrology judicial censured page 78 79 80. Assurance of Salvation how attained page 206 c. B BLame of sin apt to be laid from our selves page 160 Blindnesse of minde the misery of it page 141 Blindnesse of ' the world in misjugding of the state and condition of Gods children page 225 Bring born under the same position of the stars preventeth not difference of disposition page 78 C CAlled some at one hour some at another page 101 Calling effectual an evidence and token of one in Covenant with God page 61 Calling effectual a ground of good assurance of Salvation page 205 A special evidence of Election page 206 without respect of persons or qualification page 209 Calling wrought by the word and Spirit of God page 216 Called ones have a special work of the word upon their Souls page 222 Cavil against the Godhead of Christ answered page 40 Censuring of any rashly especially to be Reprobates taxed and reproved page 60 Children of God their honourable estate page 35 use 2. Children of Godly Parents are not therefore Gods children page 56 Children of such how said to be holy page 56 57 admonition to such page 57 Children of the flesh and of promise page 62 63 Christ incarnate and and became true man and why page 36 37 Christ brought not his body from Heaven page 37 Christs incarnation comfortable to his page 38 Christ true God proved 39 use of it page 41 Christ both God and man in one person page 43 Christ to be thought and spoken of with reverence due to his name page 44 Christians described page 53 54. Christians their spiritual duty page 60 Comparing our selves with God is useful and beneficial page 167 168 Chosen ones of God differ not from others till God distinguish them page 59 Conscience why placed in the soul of man viz. to be witnesse and register page 8 9 Conscience not right till sanctified page 10 erroneous and unsanctified taxed page 11 Contentment one special ground of it page 99 a necessary Christian duty page 175 Continuance in sin dangerous page 189 Covenants what they are page 27 Churches enemies can do nothing but what God hath appointed page 143 Curiosity the danger of it page 170 D DAvids respect to Saul though wicked page 30 Daies their superstitious observation reproved page 123 Decrees of God concerning Election and reprobation most just page 116 Drawn to Christ how men are page 91 Different estates of men in the world ordered by Gods decree and appointment page 98. Dignity of Gods children discovered page 224 c. E ELection is the chusing of a certain number to salvation and not of all page 84 Election reprobation depend meerly upon the good pleasure of God and not of man page 85 Election daependeth not upon good works or upon faith foreseen page 93 Comfort to such as are assured of their Election page 87 91 Election of God is sure and unchangeable page 89 The doctrine of Election must be rightly applyed but not abused page 91 Election a sure and true note of it page 92 Election the Decree of it most effectual page 100 Election assurance of it possible to be atttained page 101 assurance of Election how attained page 101 102 Elected ones special Characters of them page 111 their condition whilst remaining in their natural estate page 220 Enemies of the Church can do nothing against it but by Gods permission and appointment page 144 and yet are justly blamed and punished and why ibid. Erroneous opinions justly to be abhorred page 118 proceed chiefly from carnal Reason page 158 Excellencies in others are duly to be acknowledged and reverenced page 29 Final estate of any not rashly to be judged page 101 Freewill the doctrine of it confuted page 131 132 G GLory and happinesse of the Saints in heaven is wholly of Gods free mercy page 202 assurance of interest in it how attained page 203 Glory of God ought to be dearer to us then our own salvation and why page 22 23 God the title of it never given to any one man in Scripture Magistrates how called gods page 40 God in every act of his hath a particular end page 143 God hath lawful power over man to dispose of him at his pleasure as the potter over the clay page 179 God no tyrant nor unrighteous ibid page 180 Gods Infinite power against sin and sinners will be one day manifested page 192 Reasons and uses of it shewed page 191 Gods power saving and destroying ibid. Gods revenging power irresistible page 192 Grief Christians ought to grieve for the misery of others especially of their souls page 11 12 Grief whether lawful for such as suffer justly by the Magistrates for evil doing page 34 H HAtred how God hated Esau shewed page 106 Hardnesse of heart a most grievous judgement page 141 God must not be provoked to inflict it ibid. Gods children shall not be given up to it page 142 Hardening of some a free act of God page 153 Hardening of some according to Gods will page 154 How God hardeneth the heart ibid. Whether Gods Hardening do justly excuse hardened sinners yea or no page 163 Hearers of the word their special duty page 129 130 Directions for profitable hearing of the Word of God page 115 Heart hard a grievous judgement see hardnesse Heart soft and melting a special mercy page 155 Heart so qualified how attained page 155 156 Hierusalem how and in what respect an holy City page 224 folly of Popish Pilgrimages thither ibid. Hope of salvation where to be placed page 132 Humility one special ground of it page 177 I IMpudency of some discovered page 170 Indifferency in matters of Religion not good page 118 Inferiors ought to be obedient to supeirours page 30 31 Israelites all are not that are so called page 52 Israelites indeed righly described page 26 47 Jewish people most honourable and why page 36 our duty towrds them ibid. Justice of God in case of Election c. vindicated page 179 Justice of God in destroying the wicked is to be magnified page 195 K KIndred in the flesh our duty towards them page 25 especially to seek and endeavour their salvation ibid. neglecters of their kindred reproved page 26 Kindred and race of Gods servants honourable page 34 L LOve if true begetteth grief for the party beloved page 15 Love to the people of God the tryal of it page
The Great MYSTERY OF Godlinesse Opened BEING AN EXPOSITION UPON The whole Ninth Chapter of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the ROMANS By the Late Pious and faithful servant of Jesus Christ Mr. EDWARD ELTON Bachelor in Divinity and sometimes Preacher of the Gospel at Mary Magdalens Bermondsey neer London Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Rom. 9.13 O the Depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Rom. 11.33 Great is the Mystery of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 Licensed Entred Printed and Published according to Order LONDON Printed by J. L. for Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1653. To the Courteous and Christian Reader Good Reader THis Book which the good hand of God hath put into thy hand to read is such of which thou mayest justly say as Jacob did of his pretended venison a Gen. 27.19 20. the Lord hath brought it to thy hand rise up therefore and eat of this savory meat such as thy soul loveth or should do at least It was the work of a most Pious and skilful Scribe excellently instructed to the Kingdom of God b Matth. 13.52 he was a burning and a shining light c Joh. 5.35 burning with zeal for Gods glory and shining as a light in that crooked Generation wherein he lived d Phil. 2.15 but he is now triumphing in heaven and therefore standeth not in need either of thy prayers or my praises who being dead yet speaketh e Heb. 11.4 so that his own works may justly praise him in the gates f Prov. 31.31 Leaving therefore the Author who is now at rest with the Lord I come to the book it self wherein if thou do not meet with new Truths yet thou shalt find old Truth confuting old and new Errors sin sharply rebuked holy Duties earnestly and seasonably pressed the power of Godlinesse advanced and the great Mystery of Godlinesse sweetly opened evidences of Election cleerly discovered here thou mayest know whether thy name be written in heaven g Luk. 10.20 onely let me advise thee to follow the Authors method who beginneth first with the Complaint of a Sinner combating and conflicting then cometh to the Christian Triumphing and so cometh to open the Great Mystery of Godlinesse so do thou read the first Treatise to learn to complain of thy corruption and then thou mayest be sure at last to Triumph with the true Christian and so be the fitter to look into the great Mystery of Godliness for to such is the promise made by our Saviour that to them it shall be given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven h Matth. 13.11 and again if any man be a doer of Gods will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God i Joh. 7.17 so that he that is ready to imbrace the power of Godlinesse and is daily conversant in the practise of it is most likely to be skilful in the mystery of it get thy heart therefore stored with the graces of the Spirit that accompany Salvation add to thy Faith Vertue and to thy Vertue Knowlege and to Knowledge Temperance and that Patience and to that Godlinesse and to that Brotherly kindnesse c. For so an entrance shall be made unto thee abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of Jesus Christ k 2 Pet. 1 5â— c. 11. besides let me recommend unto thee a fit Treasure for a Christian to be laid up in heaven where the Rust and Mothes cannot corrupt nor Thieves break through nor steal l Matth. 6.20 In a word let me advise thee to store up in thine heart soundnesse of Knowledge strength of Faith purity of Heart clearnesse of Conscience holinesse of Life assurance of Gods favour contempt of the world many sanctified Sabbaths fervent prayers holy Conferences Heavenly Meditations dayes of Humiliation sincere love of the Saints righteous dealing with the Brethren a sincere love of Jesus Christ m Ephes 6.24 an universal hatred of every known sin and of all alse waies n Psal 119.104 the true fear of God and the power of Godlinesse o 2 Tim. 3.5 This counsel observed and followed will enable thee to live Christianly and to dye comfortably with full assurance that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved thou shalt have an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens p 2 Cor. 5.17 where you shall be ever with Lord q who sitteth at the right hand of his Father where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures that last for evermore r Psai 16. ult such as eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the excellencies of those joyes that God hath prepared for them that love him s 1 Cor. 29. let me earnestly entreat thee and affectionatly beseech thee good Reader speedily to fall to work and first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousnesse t Matth. 6.33 for herein delayes are most dangerous for the longer thou stayest thou shalt finde that God groweth more angry Satan more strong thy self more unable to repent sin more unconquerable thy conversion more difficult and thy salvation more impossible a ruinous house the longer delayed the more costly will the repairing be the nail of sin the more strokes are given to it by frequent acting the more difficult to get out of that precious soul of thine oh then begin speedily because delayes are so dangerous and continue constantly having once begun in the spirit do not make an end in the flesh lest you labour and suffer all in vain u Gal. 3 3 4. give me leave therefore to presse thee effectually in the words of the Apostle that having such glorious hopes and so many precious promises w 2 Cor. 1.4 endeavour to cleanse thy self from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God x 2 Cor. 7.1 alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as I can assure thee that thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord y 1 Cor. 15.58 onely be sure to fight a good fight and keep sound in the faith till thou finish thy course and I can assure thee of an immortal crown which Jesus Christ that righteous judge wil be ready to set upon the head of all such as love his appearing z 2 Tim. 47 8 9. against whose glorious coming that thou mayest be the better prepared let me advise thee once more to a serious perusal of this and the two former Treatises in the reading whereof my hearty prayers shall be with and for thee at the throne of grace that hereby thy judgement may be rightly enformed
we labour to understand it aright and to make a right application of it and we are to take heed how we wrest the word of God by wronging and perverting of it to make the Word of God to serve our fantasies as the Usurer will seek out a place of Scripture to defend his Usury a foul and a fearful sin to make the word of God to speak according to our fantasies and conceits for this is the seed of all heresies whatsoever and therefore we must labour to understand the word aright But here may some object Object and say What would you have me to do that am a poor and unlearned man alas how should I come to a right understanding of the word of God and come to make a right application of it Many Scholers and many Divines are not able to reach into the Depth of it can I then that am a simple and unlettered man or woman To this I answer Answ Be thou careful thou that thus pleadest for thy self to use the means that God hath set up in his Church for the opening and unfolding of his Word and for thy guidance and direction in the way of truth and of love both towards God and man be careful in these means that is be careful in frequenting and using the ordinary meanes of the word the Ministery that God hath set up in his Church for thy direction Prov. 8.33 be thou careful to attend at the gates of wisdome be frequent in hearing the VVord of God opened and expounded and be sure to come to the hearing and reading of the Word of God with an humble heart that thy heart be not lift up with a conceit of thy own understanding but be emptied of all self-conceit and pride in respect of the pregnancy of thy own wit and to this joyn earnest and hearty prayer unto the Lord be attentive to the means that serve to open the word come to the hearing and reading of it with an humble heart and also be instant in invocation and calling upon the name of the Lord that the Lord would open thine eyes and ears and give thee the Spirit of Revelation of understanding do as David did Psal 119.18 Lord open mine eyes that I may behold the wonders of thy Law It is a worthy saying of an Ancient Divine saith he though there be many things in the Scripture hard to be understood difficult to reach into the depth of them yet whatsoever is necessary and needful to be known to salvation it is plainly set forth in the Scripture and easie to be understood to them that will read diligently mark attentively pray heartily and judge humbly come without any self-conceit of thine own wit come even as a fool to the Word of God in comparison of the wisdom of God revealed in it and then by this meanes we shall come to a right application of the Word of God and effectually understand and apply it Come we now to the Apostles reason all they are not Israel that are of Israel that is all they are not the true Israelites and elect and chosen seed of Abraham that are descended of Israel according to the flesh hence we are plainly taught thus much Doctrine That indeed all are not true Israelites that bear the name of Israelites or thus all they are not true Christians that have taken upon them the name of Christ and bear the name of Christians or thus all they that are in the visible Church and are of the visible Church yet they are not members of the true Church of God And for the further manifestation of this if we look in the Book of God we shall find that in all ages from the beginning there hath been some in the visible Church and of the visible Church that were not true members of the Church of God Thus it was in the dayes of Moses in the dayes of Christ and of the Apostles yea when the Church of God was in one Family in Abraham in Isaac and in Jacobs Family in Abrahams Family was an Ishmael as well as an Isaac in Isaac's Family an Esau as well as a Jacob and so in all ages and hence it is that Christ compareth the Church to a field that hath not onely good wheat but tares Matth. 13.26 and in the 47. and 48. verses Christ speaketh of some that said they were Jewes and were not they were Jewes by birth and nation but they were the Synagogue of Satan and in Revel 3.9 he saith some called themselves Jews and were not they were in the visible Church and yet they were not the true Church of Christ Reason Because all they that live in the bosome of the visible Church and make open profession of it they are not all such as God hath set apart to life and salvation though they be in the visible Church and of the visible Church and make the same profession yet indeed they are not true members of the Church 1 Joh. 2.19 where John saith they went out from us because they were not of us they did not truly believe in Christ and if they had been of us they would have continued with us but by this it appeareth that they were not of us because they have made a disjunction from us now to apply this Vse First of all this truth now delivered beareth witnesse strongly against the foolish conceit of the Separatists and what is their opinion They hold and teach That the visible Church is the body of Christ Jesus and all the members of the visible Church they are members of the mystical body of Christ they are partakers of the Spirit of Christ of the life of Christ and the grace of Christ Surely then it must needs follow that all the members of the visible Church are Gods children and heires of salvation yea then Cain and Ishmael and Esau and Saul and Judas they were the children of God and have obtained salvation If this were true that all that are partakers of the visible Church are members of Christ and heires of salvation it were easie to prove that these men were in the visible Church and of the visible Church and therefore by this reason are saved but how false it is to think that these men have obtained salvation any man that hath been exercised in the truth may easily see it they are mistaken in the Tenent and the ground of their error is this Whatsoever they find in Scripture spoken of the invisible Church the Catholike Church seen by the eye of faith they apply to the visible Church as it is said that the Church of God is a holy Nation a peculiar Priesthood they apply it to the visible Church and their definition is a hoch poch a mingling of the properties of the invisible Church and the visible Church together and an appropriating of them to the visible Church this is common both in their Writings and Conferences But come we now to lay the truth delivered a
and consider that thou seest in them that so go on in their sins a lively image picture and proportion of thine own former natural estate and miserable condition such a one was I once I took as much delight as they do posted as fast to damnation as they do how much then am I bound to magnifie the goodnesse and mercy of God to me who of his mere goodnesse and mercy hath turned my feet another way even the Lord of his rich and abundant mercy hath put a manifest difference between my self and many others he hath put now a new mind in me and hath given me a delight in good things what shall I render unto the Lord what thanks what glory what honour and obedience shall I render to my God This ought to be the meditation and consideration of thee whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the holy Word of God when thou seest other run on in sin with delight and pleasure to post to destruction as if they meant to come thither with all speed hasting to damnation Oh then lift up thy heart in Serious contemplation upon the free grace and goodnesse of God in calling thee out of that number and electing thee to salvation Further in that God saith here unto Abraham in Isaac shall thy seed be called Isaac being one that belonged unto Gods eternal election I might here stand to shew that God doth effectually call none but such as belong unto Gods election but I stood upon that in the 30 verse of the eight Chapter onely one thing now that is this We are to mark that God here saith not unto Abraham in Isaac will I make good my Covenant in Isaac will I make good my promise but he saith in Isaac shall thy seed be called Isaac shall be called and his seed and so will I make good my Covenant in Isaacs calling The doctrine is this That Gods effectual calling of men out of the state of nature Doctr. into the state of grace by the Word and work of his Spirit Effectual calling is an evidence of a mans being in Covenant with God it is a sure evidence unto them that are so called that they are in Covenant with God and God with them that God is their good and gracious Father yea it doth infallibly evidence unto them that God hath loved them from everlasting God now hath set upon them a seal of his special love and that now they have right and title to the promises of God concerning righteousnesse life and salvation 2 Pet. 1.10 saith the Apostle Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure You see he putteth down calling before election not that it is so in the order of nature but if a man be called he is certainly elected if we be sure of our calling we may be sure of our election we may certainly and infallibly conclude that we are in Covenant with God and have right and title to the promises of God we may so conclude not doubtfully or conjecturally but certainly conclude I have right and title to the Promises of God Know then what an excellent and sweet comfort may this be to them Vse that find themselves effectually called hast thou good evidence of thy effectual calling hath the Word a kindly working hath it wrought upon thee a change and set thee out of the state of nature into the state of grace thou art certainly in a most blessed and happy condition this doth evidence that God did love thee before the world was before it had a being now thou art in Covenant with God and God hath now set his seal upon thee thou art one of his good Isaacs one of his beloved think upon it therefore the meditation of thy effectual calling is more comfortable unto thee then to think upon thy election or redemption by Christ these are matters of great comfort but thy effectual calling is more comfortable unto thee it sealeth up that thou art one of Gods chosen that thou art redeemed by the Blood of Christ look to thy effectual calling or else it appertaineth not unto thee but thou being called here is wonderful comfort for thee VERSE 8. That is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed IN this Verse our Apostle doth deliver by way of Explication that which he put down in the verse foregoing and having in the seventh verse before affirmed that not all they that came of Abraham by the course of nature are the true seed of Abraham because Ishmael was the seed of Abraham but God said he should not inherit the promise but in Isaac should the seed be called he should participate in the promise now this being brought by the Apostle and set down in the verse foregoing In this verse the Apostle explaineth himself and layeth open his meaning a little further shewing what he meaneth by children and by the seed of Abraham here he explaineth his meaning Neither are they all children in the verse before because they are the seed of Abraham but in Isaac shall thy seed be called then he subjoyneth in this eighth verse That is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed And in this eighth verse we have laid before us an opposition between the children of the flesh and the children of the promise First of all denying them to be the children of God who are the children of the flesh and secondly affirming that they onely are accounted the true seed who are the children of the Promise Now for the explication of this verse lesse need it to be stood upon and spoken of if so be some erring spirits did not wrest and pervert it and labour to draw it to a wrong sense I will therefore endeavour to lay open the true sense of it viz. That is my meaning is they which are the children of the flesh The Arminians and the Anabaptists joyn together hand in hand and do understand by children of the flesh those that seek for righteousnesse and salvation by the righteousnesse of the Law and so seek for it by a carnal and fleshly course after the law and the flesh and so such as are Justitiaries and seek to be justified by the Law this say they is meant by children of the flesh this is their conceit But this cannot be the true sense of the phrase flesh though I grant indeed by children of the flesh we note out such as are Justitiaries in some places of Scripture and such as seek for salvation by their own righteousnesse the righteousnesse of the Law and that in and by the Law yet here in this place the literal sense and the literal meaning is to be taken and by children of the flesh we are to understand those that discended of Abraham according to the course of
is alledged though the Book the Chapter or Verse be not cited we should be able to know it was Scripture and not to think as some ignorant persons do that when a Poet is cited that it is Scripture but this was handled in the eighth Chapter vers 36. But onely one thing further You see the Apostle here whose Authority was Divine Apostolical and infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit of God who could not erre in what he taught and delivered to the Church and people of God yet for all this Divine and Apostolical and infallible assistance he followeth the rule of the written Word of God and bringeth testimony of Scripture to prove his Doctrine this was an usual thing with the blessed Apostle in other places of Scripture read Acts 26.22 23. the Apostle there saith that he witnessed to small and great saying no other things then those that Moses and the Prophets did say should come to passe That Christ should suffer death and be the first that should rise again from the dead and shew light to the Gentiles Rom. 1.2 the Apostle affirmeth that the Gospel which he preached was grounded upon the written Word of God and not to amplifie the point the Scripture is of sacred and divine authority as it containeth in it a Divine and heavenly Doctrine yea such a Doctrine that is not subject to the Church or any other thing in heaven or earth but only unto God whose Will and Counsel it is touching things that concern the good of his Church and chosen This for the use of it serveth to discover unto us the shamelesse impudence Vse 1 of that shamelesse strumpet the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome in that that Synagogue taketh upon it an absolute power to judge in all matters of Faith and of Religion and to define of it and that without and besides Scripture yea it taketh upon it a power to judge of Scripture it self and of the sense of Scripture and that without the help of Scripture to fasten a sense upon the written Word of God and to say this is the sense though they have no ground nor warrant for it in all the Book of God besides and that forsooth upon a supposition of the infallible assistance of the Spirit Oh say the Papists our Church and our Teachers are infallibly assisted by the Spirit of God and would ground themselves upon that Text in John 16.13 where Christ saith unto his Disciples when the Spirit of truth should come which he would send it should lead them into all truth Oh say they see Christ promiseth his Spirit to lead them into all truth so that they cannot erre in that which they teach But the Papists are mistaken if so be we consider the place duly and look upon it and examine it we shall find it will bear no such conclusion that the Church and the Teachers of the Church are so led that they cannot erre in whatsoever they teach and that the Church hath power and the teachers of the Church power to judge of the Scripture and the sense of Scripture without the help of it for that place in John it must of necessity be understood with a restraint when he saith it shall lead you into all truth it hath a limitation and restraint to that subject of which it is spoken of all that truth For why I hope the Papists will not deny but easily confesse and yeeld unto it that the time of Christ his second coming to Judgment is a certain truth of God God hath appointed and set it down in Act. 17.31 a day wherein he will judge the whole world in righteousnesse by Jesus Christ yet the time of his coming unto Judgment is not revealed by the Spirit of God to the Church or Teachers of it nay we are not to enquire into the time of his coming Christ forbiddeth it so that speech of truth must admit of a limitation not of all truth for here is a particular truth not revealed but it is to be understood of all truths contained in the will of God in the Scripture that the holy Spirit of God shall lead them into all that truth how may it appear why read the place it self John 16.13 14. Howbeit when he is come which is the Spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth there they stay but mark what followes He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear shall he speak and he will shew unto you the things to come and shall glorifie me Now a special part of the glory of God and Christ what is it but this that the Holy Ghost revealeth unto the people of God the secrets of the Gospel the things that eye of man cannot see nor heart conceive doth the Spirit of God reveal to Gods children and doth teach what Christ is in himself in his nature in his offices and in his person onely these things he shall reveal no new coyned doctrine or new devices of mens brrains not contained in the holy Scripture but such as Christ and the Prophets and Apostles have taught these things shall be brought to the minds of Gods chosen therefore it is monstrous and shamelesse impudencie for the Papists thus to affirm that they have power without and besides Scripture But we are not to believe any without they can say Scriptum est it is written it is the infallible truth of God grounded on Divine authority thus must all Ministers do ground their doctrine on the truth of God As it is written I have loved Jacob and hated Esau COme we now to the testimony of the Apostle it self I have loved Iacob and hated Esau These words we find in Malachy Mal. 1.2 3. And they are here brought to manifest and to shew the reason of the difference that it pleased God to put between the two brethren Jacob and Esau Jacob advanced over Esau because God loved Jacob Esau brought in subjection unto Jacob because God hated Esau Now that we may come to the handling of this testimony Some there be that say this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Iacob and hated Esau concerned onely things appertaining to this life things outward and temporal and not things eternal the Prophet say they shewing wherein Gods love did consist unto Jacob and wherein his hatred unto Esau did consist he saith Gods love did consist in this in giving unto Jacob a fruitful Land flowing with milk and honey and his hatred unto Esau in making Esaus Mountain waste and in giving unto Esau's posterity the Idumeans a barren and a dry Country and a Wildernesse for Dragons as the Prophet speaketh therefore say they the Prophet thus speaking of things appertaining to this life outward and temporal it cannot hence be concluded that our blessed Apostle treateth of eternal election and reprobation as you would make it that this whole Chapter concerneth Predestination Now to this we answer easily 't is true indeed the Prophet in the place alledged
not be ashamed dividing the Word of truth aright and in Titus 1.9 He doth affirm that the Preachers of the Word must hold fast the faithful Word and let none wring it out of their hands and that according to doctrine that he may be able to instruct the people of God by wholsome doctrine and also reprove them that gainsay it and refute them whatsoever they be that gainsay it thus confident ought every Minister of the Word to be This sheweth and discovereth unto us Vse that many are justly to be blamed and taxed that deliver their Doctrines carelesly and loosely and also their Applications without any ground of truth in Gods Word that when any come to object against it they flye from it and say it is the opinion of this or that man of this or that Father of this or that ancient Doctour nay it may be of such or such a Postiller or such a Popish Doctour Oh this doth not agree with the power authority and majestie of the Word of God we ought to deliver the Word of God with such power as we may stand to it and not flye to Fathers or Doctours or Postillers In the next place observe we our Apostle having delivered this holy truth of God grounded upon the truth of God touching Jacob and Esau he knew that some out of their natural reason and understanding would be ready to cavil against it and to make a wrong conclusion of it he knew that some would stagger at it and wrest and pervert the truth of God and would draw from it this conclusion therefore God is unjust so that the Apostle is forced to cry out VVhat shall we say then is God unjust hence the observation is this Doctrine That the holy truth of God it is subject to misconstructions to be perverted and to be wrested and to have false inferences and wrong conclusions and forced opinions wrested from it Mans carnal and corrupt reason doth commonly pervert the holy truth of God the doctrine of piety yea though it be made known to be the holy truth of God yet mans carnal reason and understanding is ready to pervert it and to force wrong conclusions from it And for the farther manifestation of it read Rom. 3.8 there it is said that the Apostle was blamed that he should say that we might do evil that good might come thereby Because the Apostle saith that by our wicked lives God was glorified so we read of the Sadduces Matth. 22.23 they laboured to pervert the truth concerning the resurrection from the dead and to draw from it a grosse absurdity that if there were a resurrection how should a woman that had seven husbands know whose wife she was but Christ telleth them they are deceived not knowing the Scripture so in 2 Pet. 3.16 the Apostle saith some did pervert and wrong the Gospel to their own destruction and in Esay 52.6 the Prophet speaketh of the niggards the niggard will speak like the niggard and in the middle of the verse he saith that he will speak falsly against the Lord he will labour to bring an untruth from the truth of God that thereby he might have some strength to his niggardlinesse that he might make hungry the weary soul and cause the weak to fall And not to adde further testimonies of Scripture common experience doth shew the truth of it for whence come errour and heresies but out of this bitter root that men do abuse and pervert the Scripture and make men believe that God speaketh that in his Word which he speaketh not and make that the purpose of the Holy Ghost which was never his purpose as Papists Anabaptists and Separatists and other erring spirits do whence cometh it but that they fasten their errours upon the Word of God whence cometh it that men go on boldly in their sins but that they draw false conclusions from the Word of God as in that the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 5.8 they that provide not for their own are worse then Infidels and therefore may they upon this ground practice the damnable sin of usury and extortion and of covetousnesse and of hoording up and also use fraud cosening and deceit and all unlawful meanes to enrich themselves so again some out of Exod. 22.25 where the Lord saith thou shalt not oppresse thy brother with usury Oh say they I may practise the sin of usury if I do not oppresse mine is not a biting but a toothlesse usury so that here is a wrong conclusion to imbolden men in sin so some hearing the speech of Christ the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath therefore say they we may upon the Sabbath use our recreations and sports and pastimes and we may walk to Tavernes and Ale-houses Oh what a grosse conclusion is this forced on the truth of God! so I might instance in many more to shew how mans nature is ready to pervert the truth of God Vse 1 First of all this holy truth of God is to be considered by us that are Teachers and Preachers of the Word of God it must teach us our Lesson that we delivering the holy truth of God we are not to think it strange or to stand amazed and wonder at it that men should pervert that truth and wrest wrong conclusions from it yea draw such things as are not thence to be drawn and force such conclusions as we never thought upon Neither are we hereupon to shut our mouthes and resolve with Jeremiah I will speak no more in the name of the Lord my words are wrested and perverted But we must remember that the holy truth of God is subject to be perverted yea it is an argument that the truth we deliver is a sure truth of God because the devil and his instruments rage so much against it and because carnal men and unsanctified hearts and soules do wrangle against it we must not therefore be driven away from delivering the truth of God but we must be comforted in the truth Again this being so that the truth of God is subject to be perverted Vse 2 and to have wrong and false conclusions drawn from it surely then let us take heed how we do either hear or read the Word of God I do not disswade any man from hearing or reading the Word of God but take heed how we read or hear it for the adulterer or the prophane Sabbath-breaker or any other can draw a conclusion from the Word of God but take heed what we conclude from the Word of God And know it is not enough for us that we are taught the Word of God truly and live under a good Preacher a holy and faithful Ministery as many do to increase their deep condemnation but we must remember that so great is the corruption of our hearts and understanding our judgments are so perverted and so out of order that indeed unlesse they be sanctified and renued by grace they are ready to pervert the truth of
God and wrest wrong conclusions especially if that doctrine be applyed home particularly and brought home to our soules if we touch their carelesse bands or the long shaggy hair of their heads then they startle and flye and fume out against the truth of God surely beloved this concerneth us for if the Word did not flye home to our hearts to the particular sins we are guilty of then they would lye still but because it doth Oh what a stir what a striving what a combustion there is about such a matter as the shaggy hair carelesse bands and such like And therefore we must come to the truth of God with holy and sanctified hearts as God saith Luke 8.15 the good ground that receiveth seed receiveth it with an honest and good heart and that thou mayest have it indeed observe these two things First labour to empty thy self of all pride Directions how to hear profitably 1 Pet. 2.1 2. and self-conceit of thy own Judgment of thy own will and come to the hearing and reading of the Word of God with an humble heart with meeknesse of spirit lay aside pride and swelling conceits and lifting up of the mind that thou canst understand it better then the Preacher yea trembling at the holy Word of God for as the Prophet saith Esay 66.2 To this man will I look to him that trembleth at my words not to him that sitteth as a Judge and in Psal 25.9 and the 14 verse The secrets of the Lord shall be revealed to them that stand in fear and reverence of his holy Majestie Sequitur superbos ulter à tergo Deus and for the want of this fear and reverence and awe of this great Majesty of God it is that men do dare to be so bold as to draw such conclusions from the Word of God for then are men onely fit to hear and read the Word of God aright when the pride of their heart is brought down and the swelling of their reason is brought down and humbled when carnal reason and natural affections are laid aside and brought under by some afflictions a man that is under the hand of God in some affliction in some great distresse then he is most tractable and then he will hear you when at another time he will kick and spurn against you in time of health and scorn the Minister and the Word but in time of sicknesse now send for the Minister now call him then they are fitted to receive his counsel therefore learn to lay aside all pride of heart Secondly Direct 2. we must come to the hearing and reading of the Word of God with a heart lift up unto God in prayer as we must come empty of pride so also lifted up in prayer never touch the Book of God but lift up thy heart unto God in prayer to give thee a right understanding of his Word not as many do rush upon the book of God carelesly and never pray unto God to guide them in the truth of it for no man doth know the will of God unlesse God giveth his Spirit the book of God is a sealed book and a book locked up impossible it is to understand it unlesse God by his Spirit open it 1 Cor. 2.11 No man knoweth the mind of man but the spirit of man so no man knoweth Gods spiritual mind but his Spirit a man may be diligent in hearing and reading the Word of God and yet understand it grosly because the Lord doth not guide him and because he prayeth not unto God to be guided and directed in the hearing of it remember to lift up thy heart unto God in prayer for want of which many hear read from time to time and after much reading and hearing are never the better It may be thou art a man of great knowledg and wisdom in the world yet in comparison of Gods wisdom in his Word thou art a fool and must cast away all conceit of thy own righteousnesse and understanding and come trembling to the Word of God and not read it as many do to jest and make themselves merry at it shall the Lyon roar and none of the beasts tremble shall the Word of God be read and we jest at it for our merriment Oh rather labour to come with an humble heart and hearty prayer unto God and then thou shalt be kept from perverting the Word of God VVhat shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God God forbid IN these words our Apostle stoppeth the mouthes of carnal Reasoners VVhat shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God is therefore God unequal and partial is God therefore unjust in his dealing no saith the Apostle far be it from us You see then the Apostle doth utterly disclaim that direful conclusion that because God hated Esau and loved Jacob and that freely without any respect to the one or the other or any thing foreseen in them therefore God is unjust and partial and unequal in his doings with men this the Apostle renounceth and disclaimeth I will not here as some would do run out into the common place of Gods Justice to an extravagant discourse and stand to avouch that God is just holy and righteous and we are so to acknowledge him But keeping my self as near as possibly I can to the Apostles meaning and not to flye out to that which is not pertinent to the text And hence note we thus much Doctrine That God is most just in his free and in his absolute and eternal decree both of election and reprobation The Lord having from everlasting e're the world was freely without respect had to any thing either good or evil purposed and decreed some particular persons amongst men out of his mere good will and pleasure to life and salvation and as freely rejected others for ever he is therein most just and that free and eternal decree of God is also most just and holy and righteous for why we must consider God in this act in this businesse of his decree of salvation and rejection not as a Judge but as a Soveraign Lord as having mere and absolute power over his creatures to do with them what he will and as being not bound to any creature in any kind whatsoever not respecting the fall of man or this or that particular whatsoever no he hath absolute power and authority to choose some and reject others without any injustice or any wrong at all whatsoever flesh and blood or the carnal reason of man doth imagine he hath soveraign power over his creatures and that he holdeth God is God alone and it is his prerogative royal and belongeth to no creature in heaven or earth to do with his own what he will Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own this is Gods prerogative and peculiarly belongeth unto him so in the 15 verse of this Chapter he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy The
of his own mercy I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy I will shew this kindnesse unto thee to see the back parts of my glory because I will have mercy on whom I will Now by mercy in this text of the Apostle and the other of Moses we are to understand the act the exercise and work of mercy and by compassion the act the exercise and work of compassion and pity or rather tender love for the word compassion cometh from a radix Dilexit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth to love with such a tender affection as mothers do love their children naturally such love as the woman exprest to her child before Solomon And this mercy and pity being attributed ascribed and given to God it signifieth either a propension a readinesse of his Divine will to help those that be in misery which is the essential and natural property of mercy in God Or else it signifieth the act and exercise and the work of Gods mercy extended and reached out unto his people and so we are to understand it here not the property of mercy which is natural and essential in God but the extent of it to the creature And when the Lord saith I will have mercy and compassion on whom I will his meaning is the act and exercise and work of my mercy and compassion and tender love it is ever by me extended reached out and exercised to those amongst men to whom I will exercise extend and reach it out and that merely and onely of my own free will nothing in man or coming by man moving me to do it so then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in this verse God saith unto Moses in Exod. 33.19 upon Moses request unto him God promising out of his favour to him to shew him his back parts that the act and exercise and work of my mercy is ever by me extended and reached out to those amongst men to whom I will extend and reach it out and that merely and onely of my own good pleasure nothing in man coming from man moving me to reach it out I wil have mercy on whom I will Come we now to matter of Doctrine And beloved I cannot passe it by without noting that the Apostle here alledging a text of Scripture uttered by Moses saith God spake it so saith God to Moses whence it is clear That the Scripture the Word of God the written Word of God Doctrine it is a speaking word of efficacy not a dumb Word and it is Gods Oracle as the Apostle calleth it in Rom. 3.2 yea God speaketh to his people and Church in and by his written Word and in every part and parcel of it so saith the Apostle God saith unto Moses Indeed I grant that God spake all the words of the ten Commandements after a more special and peculiar manner Exod. 20. God spake all these words and said but yet the whole Scripture is Gods speaking Word and Gods Oracle yea his lively Oracle not a dead or dumb Oracle as the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 4.12 the Word of God is lively and mighty in operation sharper then any two edged sword a quickening word and a word of power and hence it is the Prophet Esay sendeth the people of his time to enquire of God Esay 8.19 20. saith he should not a people enquire of their God then presently he adjoyneth To the Law and to the Testimony there you shall hear God speak and know his mind Now if any do object that of the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 7.12 Object where the Apostle saith Reliquis autem ego dicò non Dominus and to the remnant I say and not the Lord It seemeth therefore the Apostle speaketh here and not the Lord I answer the meaning of the place is Answ that the Lord hath not given any such expresse Commandement in any place of his Word as the Apostle doth there deliver it but the Apostle did gather so much by interpretation of the Scripture and he so spake as he was guided by the Spirit of God as he saith in the 40 verse Et ipse Spiritum dei habeam and I have the Spirit of God I speak it in the name of the Lord So then this is a truth that the Scripture is the speaking Word of God it is Gods speaking word he uttereth his voyce his Church in the Word Application Wickedly therefore deal the Papists in this respect Vse In that they fill their mouthes full of bitter and blasphemous speeches against the truth of God in that they term the holy written Word of God to be dead Ink and a dumb Judge say they put a scarlet gown upon an Image and see what it will speak so say they is the Scripture And they set up other Judges in the place of Gods Word as the authority of the Church or a general Convention or the Pope speaking Judicially out of his chair setting him up as a Judge in all matters of controversie refusing the Scripture as insufficient and calling it dead Ink and a dumb Judge Thus they shew themselves to be utter enemies of the holy written Word of God and seek to crush the authority of it and to set up the voyce of a sinfull man the son of perdition the limb of the devil over the Church and to disclaim the voyce of the living God speaking to us in his holy Scripture But we must learn to acknowledge and to reverence the Scripture as Gods speaking Word and the written Word of God to be that which God uttereth to his people and not say as some ignorant people do Oh if God would speak unto us from heaven in his own immediate voyce and if Christ would come upon the earth and preach unto us how attentive would we be we would not fall asleep then at Sermons But if thou wouldest know what God saith to his people then come to the written Word of God It is folly and madnesse in the foolish Familists and others of that sect that they depend upon Revelations besides the written Word of God but not to contend with them to apply it to our selves Vse 2 What is it better then madnesse and folly in us to rest upon the fancies and conceits and Judgments of men touching the events and coming to passe of such and such things Against superstitious observation of dayes because men tell us such a day shall be such and such disasters and such a day such fearful signs and wonders thunderings and lightenings and such and such direful wonders shall come to passe yea there is a day of special note amongst ignorant people now at hand namely St. Swithin's day if it rain on that day it will rain more or lesse fourty dayes after these are dotages of idle braines and are suggested by a lying spirit even by the spirit of the devil whereas the Lord saith Esay 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if men speak not according
throughout all the earth That is the praise and glory of my power and my Justice appearing in the destruction of thee so mighty a King might be published and might be spread abroad in every part and corner of the world and might be every where spoken of in every part and corner of the world So then thus conceive the meaning of the Apostle in these words as if he had said For God said in his written Word in his holy Scripture unto Pharaoh Exodus 9.16 For this very cause for this very purpose have I with-held my grace and hardned thy heart a fruit following the rejection of thee and I have stirred up my messengers to come to deliver my judgements unto thee and have caused thee not to profit by my judgements and my messengers and I have caused thee to harden thy heart and to exalt thy selfe against me that I might make thee to see and feel the force of my hand and of all my power in the bottome of the Sea and that all other my people and all in the world may see and take notice of thy destruction and my power in destroying so mighty a king Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine and first of all observe the Apostle here he speaketh and alledgeth Scripture as he had done heretofore and as he doth frequently and often in this Chapter to ground the matter that he hath in hand upon the Scriptures hence followeth this conclusion Doctrine That the Scriptures the written Word of God hath sufficient ground touching all fundamental Truths of God It is a sufficient rule and ground to guide us in all things and all matters both of Faith and of good life the holy Scriptures they doe contain in them all things needful to be known to be believed and to be practised of us to life and salvation to this purpose is that in 2 Tim. 3.16 17. where the Apostle Paul saith to Timothy Thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith of Iesus Christ For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to improve to correct in righteousness and to make the man of God absolute and perfect in every good work it is able to make a man intire in godliness I know the Cavil of the Papists against this clear evidence of Scripture for they seek to illude the evidence of this Text in this maner It is true indeed say they the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable but where doe you finde he saith it is sufficient A meer shift and easily answered for the Apostle saith not barely that the Scripture is profitable and there stay himself and goe no further but he doth point out unto us to what use it serveth it is profitable and it is profitable to to teach to instruct and to improve and to make a man absolute and intire in every good work Is it not then sufficient a foolish cavill so in the 15 verse of the same Chapter saith the Apostle the Scripture is able to make a man wise unto salvation Is not the Scripture then sufficient it is able to bring a man unto Heaven and yet say the Papists it is not sufficient certainly it cannot be denied but that the whole Scripture containeth all things needful to life and salvation and to make a man to come to Heaven would any man desire more sufficiencie then this the reason is Reason Because the written Word of God it is the breath of the holy spirit of God so saith the Apostle it is given by inspiration from whom from the Devil No from the holy Spirit of God the holy Ghost And in the Scripture Gods will is made known unto his chosen and as I have often said Gods Word is his Epistle and love-letter sent unto his children to guide them in the way of life and salvation Psalm 119.105 It is a lanthorn to their feet and a light unto their paths to guide them in every step they tread as a lanthorn and light doth guide a man in dark and obscure places so doth Gods Word guide them in the way of life and salvation And hath God bestowed upon his Church and chosen a guide insufficient that is not able to lead them to Life and salvation but to suffer them to wander into by paths of errors and sinnes no it is blasphemous so to think for the holy Scripture doth contain all things needful to be known and practised both for life and manners Wickedly then deal the Papists in this in that they joyne to the written Applicat 1 Word of God their own unwritten traditions their unwritten verities to make up and supplies as they imagine the imperfection in the holy Word of God the Word is not a sufficient rule unless the unwritten verities of the Church be joyned to it what is this but to offer injurious dealing to the great Lord of Heaven and earth and to his Word that we must supply his wisedome as insufficient with something of mans foolish brain Is the Scripture the written Word of God sufficient to guide us in all Vse 2 matters of Faith and good Life and in all things necessarie to be known to salvation learn we then to acknowledge it so to be and learn we to cleave fast unto it as the onely sufficient rule to guide us in the way that leadeth unto Life and salvation in all matters of Faith and good manners and take heed we be not carried away from the Truth of God 2 Thess 2.2.1 either by spirit by letter or by word or to speak plainly take heed we be not deluded neither by vision nor revelation besides the Word of God as the Anabaptists and Familists teach nor by the traditions of Rabbins and great learned men neither by the writings of those that are ancient Fathers and Doctours For this is an ancient device of the Papists to wrest into the Church such and such speeches tenents and bastardly writings and father them upon the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church thereby to draw men to errour and sinne Now we know not how soon we may be tried in this very kind and therefore it concerneth us we had need to look unto it and to hold fast to the written Word of God And take heed we admit not of everie thing whatsoever or whosoever bringeth it under what counterfeit soever they offer it Though a great Rabbine or a great Doctor bringeth it yet if we find him to swerve and dissent from the written Word of God and have no ground nor footing there disclaim it For this is that they triumph in they have they think the great Rabbins and learned men of the world and above all take heed of practising what they teach contrarie to the written Word of God Object I but some will say how shall I be certain that the Scripture is Scripture you tell me that I must
cleave to the holy Word of God but how shall I know that the Scripture is the Book of God Indeed it is a scruple that doth sometimes arise in the minds of men and especially if they be under some great temptation to doubt whether the Word of God be the Word of God or no How shall I know that this is that I must stick unto for all matters of Faith and Religion of Life and Manners Answ If the Papists were to answer this they will tell you by the testimonie and tradition of the Church because the Church speaketh it Indeed this is the mark we know a Church by because it is inferiour to the Scripture and subjecteth to it but it is no mark to know Scripture by the Church but we may know Scripture to be Scripture by these infallible notes such as never will deceive or lead us aside 1. Namely these by the evidence of the holy Spirit of God appearing and shining forth in every sentence and in every word of the holy word of God 2. By the puritie and perfection of the Word 3. By the Majestie of it in the plainness of speech by the power it hath over the Conscience of Man it is able to convert the soul of Man it is clean contrarie to the nature of Man it converteth the soul of Man and doth draw the will of Man to yield obedience unto it It is a Divine word and his power is Divine over the affections and hearts of Men though it be contrarie to mans will yet it captivateth it to its power 4. By the rage of the Devil against it the Devil he cannot indure the publishing and the preaching of it 5. By the constant suffering of the holy Martyrs many millions that have shed their bloud for the Name of Christ and for the Word of his Gospel 6. And lastly and above all by feeling that spirit which appeareth in the written Word of God to be effectual and powerful in our souls if thou find the power of the Word working upon thy soul not onely to thy illumination and inlightning but to the working of holiness and grace in thee Surely though all the men in the world denie Scripture to be Scripture yet thy heart will assent and consent unto it and thy heart seasoned by grace will make thy mouth to confess it though all the world will denie it yet thou confessest it John 7.17 saith Christ If any man will trie whether my Doctrine be of God or Men he may doe it thus If any man doe the will of my Father and be wrought upon by this Doctrine certainly that man knoweth that my Doctrine is of God and not of my self Oh then labour we to find this perswasion in us that Scripture is Scripture upon those grounds but especially by the efficacie of the Word and by the effectual work of it in our hearts and soules and not to cavil against it or to yield to the falshood of deceivers No no say with thy self my heart hath sealed to the eternal Truth of God And thus doing we shall find it to be sufficient to guide us in all matters of godliness and in all matters of good life and manners and also we shall find it able to bring us to salvation For the Scripture said unto Pharaoh even for this very end have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout the earth IN that the Apostle saith for the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh we see here a strong confirmation of that which we noted out of the 15. verse That the written Word of God is a speaking Word And God speaketh to his Church and people by his written Word and therefore the Scripture is not a dead letter or dumb Judge and senceless Juke as the Papists say but passe by that Onely note the Apostle saith the Scripture speaketh concerning Pharaoh it speaketh touching the reprobation of Pharaoh and touching the hardning of his heart which was a manifest signe of his reprobation so that we see the Scripture revealeth unto us the point and matter of Reprobation And we may hence take notice of it The Doctrine of Reprobation a Doctrine revealed in the written Word that the Doctrine of Reprobation is a Doctrine made known unto us in the Scripture and in the written Word of God yea the Doctrine of the Reprobation of some particular persons amongst men it may and it ought to be published in the Church of God It is a part of the holy Word of God and a portion of Scipture written and revealed in the Word And we ought to take notice of it as Moses saith in Deut. 29.29 Things revealed belong to us and to our children secret things belong to God so that the Doctrine of Reprobation and casting off of some particular persons amongst men ought to be taught to the Church and Children of God Some there be that are of opinion that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought to be concealed and not to be published and made known to the Church and people of God And why because of the danger of it say they for as they conceive and imagine it driveth some men from God and it maketh some men to run into desperation therefore say they it is to be concealed and not made known to the Church of God But these that thus think they are deceived For the Alienation and the estranging of mens mind from God and desperation are not the fruits properly following the Doctrine of Reprobation they do not proceed and come from and by that Doctrine properly but they are accidental effects commonly following it and are cursed fruits comming from the hearts of men and so the fault is in themselves and not in the Doctrine of Reprobation the Doctrine it self is holy good and profitable if men doe rightly understand it and savour it aright it is of excellent use and very necessarie For the best Doctrine that is the most comfortable Doctrine that is may be perverted and abused sometimes and become savor of some to their utter destruction as the Doctrine of saving faith in Christ Jesus and his merits is savoured of some to their utter destruction and therefore ought it not to be published It is a weak insufficient argument to prove that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought not to be made known because of these accidental effects because some through their own corruption are caused to run into Alienation from God and Desperation whereas the Doctrine of Reprobation is of necessary use it serveth much to commend and set forth the mercies of God and the riches of his mercy to his chosen children And it stirreth up the Children of God to a great measure of thankfulness for the mercies of God bestowed upon them when they consider that God hath chosen them and refused and rejected others this stirreth them up to magnifie the mercie of God and then doth the soul of a child
the occasion of this Cavil is from the verse foregoing where the Apostle saith God hardeneth whom he will hereupon flesh and blood beginneth to cavil against God and to rise up and swell against him and to charge him with no lesse then cruelty and extream hard dealing in that the Lord should harden men and then complain of the hardening of man And this Cavil which might haply be charged upon God by humane Reason he first propounds and then Answers unto it he propounds it in this 19. verse and answereth unto it in the 20 21 22 and 23. Verses Now in propounding this Cavil the Apostle maketh way unto it in the first place by putting down of the person of a Caviller and by bringing the Caviller speaking thus Thou wilt say then unto me and secondly he setteth down the matter of the Cavil or Objection and that by way of interrogation very emphatically Why doth he yet complain And thus the Objection may be framed Reprobates and wicked men are hardened because it is the Will of God that they should be hardened as you have taught us in the verse before and therefore God cannot justly blame or punish them for their hardnesse for it is according to his will For if God do blame and punish them for their hardnesse surely it seemeth to the Reason of flesh and blood to be extream cruelty and rigour God seemeth to be extremely rigorous and a cruel God in punishing men for their hardnesse And this Cavil is further backed by a proof for who hath resisted his will as if the Caviller had said Why none can resist Gods will his will is irresistible and it cannot be withstood and therefore if God first of all harden and then complain it is extreme rigour and cruelty so that if wicked men and Reprobates be hardened it is according to the will of God and so they are hardened unavoidably and of necessity God hath decreed their hardening and he will have it so and none can gainsay his will And therefore it is no lesse then Tyranny in God to blame and punish men for it And thus much we are to conceive of the generality of this 19. verse first the Cavilling person Thou wilt then say unto me secondly the Cavil why doth he yet complain and thirdly the proof of the Cavil for who hath resisted his will Come we now to the sense and meaning of the words Thou wilt say then unto me Thou who is this the Apostle meaneth that is thou whosoever thou art that art a carnal Reasoner and reasoneth according to carnal Reason thou wilt say unto me why doth he yet complain that is why doth God complain of such as be hardened why doth God find fault with them and threaten such as are hardened what cause hath the Lord to complain threaten or punish such as are hardened they being hardened according to his will thus the carnal Caviller reasoneth for saith the Caviller who hath resisted his will that is none was ever able to stand against to frustrate or make void the will of God the purpose of God was never resisted none was ever able to stand against his will and to hinder it from taking place and being effected Gods decree and purpose is irresistible that none can withstand it therefore saith the Carnal Reasoner God hath no just cause to complain so that the sense in brief is thus much Thou that art a Carnal Caviller art ready to except against my speech in that I say God hardeneth whom he will thou wilt say if this be so Paul why doth God threaten Judgement hell and damnation against those that are hardened what cause is there that God should complain find fault threaten and punish them with hell and damnation for who ever resisted the will of the Lord was there ever any man that was able to stand against the will of the Lord no no man and so they are hardened of necessity unavoidably according to your own Doctrine Paul so that this is the meaning of the Apostles speech Now come we to matter of Observation and Doctrine And first of all observe here the Apostle bringeth in a Caviller and a Carnal Reasoner as it were objecting and inferring upon his former speech that God hardeneth whom he will this Conclusion the cause being so God hardeneth whom he will then God hath no just cause to complain of mans hardening so that hence ariseth this Conclusion That mans carnal reason Doctrine doth commonly gather and infer wrong Conclusions from true grounds of Religion and true points of Divinity And therefore from Divine and holy truths of God and especially such truths as are of a high Nature as Gods election and reprobation are doth mans corrupt and carnal reason commonly infer inforce and bring erroneous and false Conclusions it is a common thing with mans reason see this is manifest by farther places of Scripture in Rom. 3. from the fifth verse to the ninth verse The Apostle having delivered this truth of God that Gods goodnesse and Gods truth are commended and set out by mans sin accidentally God bringeth good out of evil hereupon some Carnal Reasoners are ready to except against this Doctrine Oh say they how can God justly punish sin this the Apostle speaketh in the person of the Caviller if our unrighteousnesse set forth Gods righteousnesse then God cannot justly punish sin So in the seventh verse of the same Chapter If Godt glory hath abounded through my lye why then am I punished saith the carnal man God cannot then justly punish me for my lying so in Joh. 3.3 The Lord Jesus having put this down as a certain truth that except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Nicodemus hearing this after a carnal manner and resting in his own carnal reason see what an absurd conclusion he bringeth in upon this then it seemeth that a man must enter into his mothers womb and be born again So in John 6.53 54. Christ shewing that except a man eat his flesh and drink his blood he hath no life in him Now some that heard this they heard it with great indignation and stumbled at it and they said This is a hard saying who can bear it must we eate this mans flesh and drink his blood and they so conceiving carnally concluded as the Papists doe now in their Doctrine of of Transubstantiation that we must eat the body of Christ and drink his bloud corporally and after a carnal manner yea they so stumbled at it that they forsook him insomuch that he said to his Disciples What will you be gone from me also doe you conceive of my words as the Capernaits did saith Christ My words are spirit and life and you conceive of them with carnal reason and gather from my points false conclusions Because carnal reason Reason is blinde in Divine matters in things that be heavenly and spiritual it cannot discern and look into the depth of them it
sticketh in the rine barke and outside of Spiritual and divine Truths it cannot find out the pith and marrow of it carnal reason sticketh in the very letter of the truth and never looketh to the Divine mysterie of it so that it is no marvel that carnal reason is sticking in the rine and outside of truths because it is blind Hence then take we notice of it whence it is that erring spirits do commonly Vse 1 fasten foul and false conclusions upon the Holy and Divine truths of God because they look upon them with a carnal eye As from that sound and Holy Doctrine of God touching his absolute Decree to life and salvation of some and his rejection to damnation of others hereupon some erring spirits do conclude and they think it followeth necessarily that therefoe God is a Tirant and dealeth tirannically with his people So again some hearing this Holy Truth of God that God hath a hand in every act of man that cometh to passe and in the act of every creature that Gods providence is in every thing that cometh to passe in the world then the carnal reasoner bringeth in this false conclusion that then God is the authour of sinne and he thinketh in his judgement it followeth necessarily that God is the authour of sinne because sin is an act And beloved do not the Papists deal thus in the matter of Justification of a sinner in the sight of God They hearing that a sinner is justified in the sight of God onely by faith then say the Papists this Doctrine hath a foule taile coming after it for it doth dispossesse mans heart from all care and indevour of good works and hereupon slanderously they give out this false report of us that in this Doctrine that men are justified onely by Faith they say we are utter enemies to God utter enemies to Gods Law and utter enemies to all good works this they think they may lawfully charge upon us Thus these and many others doe wrest false conclusions from the Holy Truth of God and why Because they look upon them by the rule of natural reason which is the ground of all Atheistical conclusions there catching and snatching and carping against the Divine Truths and mysteries of God because they stick in the rinde and dive not into the depth of them Again beloved is this so that carnal reason doth wrest false conclusions Vse 2 from the holy and Divine truths of God Then this must teach every one of us our dutie to take heed that we measure not divine Truths by the meatyard and rule of our own carnal reason especially such holy Truths of God as are of a high nature and strain such as are transcendent such as goe beyond and extend the compasse of natural reason such truths as are matters of Faith and above reason Oh take heed of measuring these by the rule of natural reason For if we seek to bring these Truths within the model scantling and rule of our natural reason we shall run into many by-paths and erroneous conceits and opinions as he must needs lose his way that knoweth not the way and followeth blinde guides So Fides est oculus animi Faith is the eye of the soul and if we in matters of Divinitie and high points of God follow your own blind reason we shall assuredly run into many gross errours yea beloved let me tell you it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal understanding and an unsanctified wit for if we so doe we shall abuse the holy word of God and wrest from it such conclusions as are not there to be found doth yet experience shew it to be true Are there not some who looking upon that place of the Apostle in 1 Timothy 5.8 where he saith He that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his Family is worse then an Infidel doe not some I say looking upon this with a shut eye and carnal understanding gather and conclude that therefore they may pinch and spare and scrape together by all means and live a base and sordid life and not part with a farthing token to the poore or to any good use but niggardly utter these words they must provide for themselves and they may come to live by the almes of the Parish themselves and will not spare a pennie more then by the Law they are enforced and compelled and so pervert the Scripture Again some others looking upon that place in Ezekiel 16.11 12 13. verses where the Lord saith He decked Hierusalem with Ornaments with Bracelets with goodly Jewels with golden Crowns and with Gold and silver and Imbroydered works Doe not some hereupon gather that therefore they may be vain in their Apparel and may follow every new fashion and may goe like ruffians in their long haire and foretop and think this is their warrant whereas they are deceived for the Lord there speaketh by way of similitude tropically that the Lord had blessed them with all good things and so expresseth it after that manner figuratively and they would have him speak properly and so they draw a false conclusion from the holy word of God Thus I might instance in many particulars that it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal eye yea I dare boldly affirm that we shall never rightly conclude from any part of the Word of God whether touching manners or touching heavenly things if we consult with flesh and bloud unlesse our eyes be annointed with the eye salve of the spirit of God Therefore to conclude learn we in reading the word of God to lay aside our own reasons to come with the eyes of the minde shut and to look with the eye of Faith and of the Spirit of God lay aside thy owne reason yea thy owne wisedome for the wisedome of man is enmitie to God Romans 8.7 Yea the best act and exercise of the mind of man not sanctified it is enmitie to the will of God therefore let us yeeld our selves to be guided onely by the will of God and then we shall certainly tread the paths that lead to true happinesse and salvation Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will IN these words Why doth he yet complain is something to be observed generally For they being considered as an Objection of carnal persons they make directly against that opinion of the Arminians who hold that God did decree to reject some amongst men upon a foresight of their wilful obstinacy in sin and their wilful rebellion against him Now beloved if this were a true Position and a truth of God then God justly complaineth of such as were hardened and that in the Reason of man for though God did decree their rejection and consequently their hardening yet the reason and the cause of Gods decree was his foresight of their wilful obstinacy and rebellion in a course of evil
teacheth the humble but he resisteth the proud James 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 he doth professe himself to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemy to those that are proud but he is a friend to the humble Oh then labour we to humble our selves before God if we mean to gain comfort from God But O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it VVhy hast thou made me thus IT is not here to be passed by that the Apostle here dealeth roundly against the Caviller and taketh him up sharply he saith not unto him Observ thou oughtest not thus to reason against God and to cavil with him or thou dost not well in so doing or be better advised he useth not these gentle speeches but he taketh him up roundly and saith O man what art thou thou lesse then a worm that takest upon thee to reply against God Note The Ministers ought to put on a holy boldness against all cavillers and carnal reasoners Thus may and thus ought the Preachers of the Gospel to deal with Cavillers and carnal Reasoners and such as quarrel against the holy truth of God the Ministers and Preachers of the Word ought to put upon them the Spirit of the Apostles even a holy boldnesse to stand out against the holy faces of all that contradict and quarrel against the holy truth of God which they have delivered They are to deal roundly with wrangling spirits not to adulate and flatter but to tell them their own so it be without any personal bitternesse they may say as the Apostle saith who art thou that pleadest against God and dost contradict the holy truth of God so as they be not bitter against their persons but not to stand upon this Again observe we in the next place what is the fault Observ that the carnall reasoner is reproved for by the Apostle surely it is this viz. Cavilling and pleading against God here is the fault in that he doth plead and reply against the Lord and it is as if the Apostle had said how darest thou question the Lord oh man To argue with him and to call the will of the Lord into question Darest thou be so impudent and so bold as to examine the will of the Lord by the rule of thy blinde and carnal reason Is not this a saucinesse and an impudent boldnesse in thee art thou not ashamed of it so that from this speech of the Apostle ariseth this conclusion viz. That it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question Doctrine 2 God to cavil against his will or to seek to bring the secret will of the Lord within the compasse of mans blind beggerly and carnal reason When men doe goe about to compasse Gods secret within the compasse of their own understanding and reason it is a great and a bold impudencie and presumption in them when men seek to compasse Gods counsel in their reason And to this purpose we finde that Job though he were a holy man one that had Gods letters testimonial for his pious integritie Yet having herein gone too far in the time of his great afflictions he having gone too farre in reprehending of him See how the Lord taketh him up in Job 39.35 Is this to learn to strive with the Almightie doest thou profess thy self to be my scholler and yet doest thou reprehend the Lord He that doth reprove the Lord let him answer it Then he crieth out Ecce peccavi behold I have offended what shall I say unto thee thou great Lord of Heaven and Earth I have been too bold to question thee And in Esay 6.2 We reade of the Seraphins That they cover their faces before the Throne of God in a vision which the Prophet saw They hide their faces as not daring once to peep or looke upon the holy and great Majestie of God The holy Saints the holy Angels the Cherubins and Seraphins dare not once look thorough their wings to looke upon the Majestie of God thereby to teach us modestie that we are not once to seek to prie into the secrets of God or to bring it within the compasse of our base weak and beggerly reason and understanding and if we so doe we are bold impudent and sawcie and the reasons are two 1. Because as Moses saith Deuter. 29 29. Secret things belong unto Reason 1 God secret things are Gods several and peculiar he hath hedged and kept them severally unto himself they are his inclosure and God hath kept them in so as we may not leap over the pale and thrust our selves into the searching of secrets by our blind and sordid reason Reason 2 2. Because there is no proportion between your own weak and shallow reason and Gods secret will and hidden counsel no our understanding and reason is not able to conceive the reason of many things that fall out in the course of this life as Solomon saith Eccles 8.17 Man knoweth not man cannot finde out the workes that are wrought under the Sunne No though he be a man of the best wit and understanding he cannot finde even the things that fall out in the course of this life as the same Preacher saith in Eccles 11.5 Oh man thou knowest not how the bones doe grow in the womb of a woman with childe thou art not able to conceive the reason of such an ordinarie thing as falleth out in the ordinary course of the procreation of man in the world how much lesse then can we comprehend the secret counsel of the Lord. No beloved the more we labour to finde out the secrets of God by the dint of our wit and the strength of our reason the more are we confounded in our selves and overwhelmed running over head and ears before we are aware yea we are wrapt up in such incumbrances as we cannot finde the way out yea into such a labyrint of doubts and difficulties that we are past recovery again and the deeper we think to goe in searching of them the further off are we from finding of them and therefore we may resolve it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question and to cavil with the Lord and to seek to bring the hidden things of God within the compasse of their base will and reason both because secret things belong unto God and also in regard there is no comparison between Gods will and our reason Applic. This in the first place discovereth unto us that such persons are exceeding Vse 1 impudent and shamelesse yea most wickedly bold in that they dare busie themselves in questioning the things that appertain to Gods secret Counsel those things that God never revealed As they doe that question why the Lord made the world no sooner What God did before he made the world Why the Lord would not appoint all men to be saved Why the Lord suffered Adam to fal when he had power to keep him from sinning What
the meanes of our Lord Jesus Christ So then thus conceive we the meaning of the Apostle as if he had said And in like sort that God might make it known to all the world both to men and Angels his exceeding great and abundant grace and mercy toward and upon his Elect who are vessels as capable of mercy as any vessel to receive water the Lord having from everlasting ordained and appointed them to the Kingdom of glory Now the words being thus understood I will onely point at one thing briefly We see here the Apostle maketh it apparent and known that God sheweth his Justice and maketh his power known upon the Reprobates thereby to amplifie and to set forth the greatnesse of his mercy toward his chosen and make known the riches of his mercy upon the vessels of mercy This is the ground of the Observation And the Doctrine hence arising is this viz. Doctrine That Gods mercy vouchsafed to his Children in any kind whatsoever whether concerning soul or body it appeareth the greater and is felt the sweeter by considering Gods wrath and punishment in the same kind inflicted upon the wicked The riches and the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward any of his children is more evident more apparent and more conspicuous and the better discerned by comparing it with his just punishing hand that he layeth upon others And to this purpose we have many evidences of Scripture the mercy of God in saving Noah and his Family in the Ark when the flood was upon the earth being considered with the Lords wrath and vengeance upon the whole world besides it made the mercy of God to be more conspicuous and better discerned of Noah So the freedome that the people of Israel had in the Land of Goshen in Egypt from the plagues of Egypt when the heavy hand of God was upon the Egyptians being considered with those heavy plagues did exceedingly set forth the riches of Gods mercy to his Children that they should be saved and the other punished in the same land and in Exod. 14.30 31. the Text saith of the Israelites they saw the Egyptians dead upon the bank and saw their final overthrow and no doubt that Gods Justice in their overthrow made the mercy of the Lord in their deliverance appear the better and thereupon they were stirred up to praise God after an extraordinary manner for an extraordinary blessing in the 15. Chapter And to these places I might adde many more all expressing that the mercy of God vouchsafed to his Children feeleth sweeter and the more comfortable Considered together with Gods wrath in punishing the wicked and reprobate yea it doth ravish the soul of a Child of God and maketh it more comfortable The Reason Reason and ground of it is from that Logical rule Contra juxta se posita c. Contraries set in opposition maketh them the better to appear black and white set together it maketh white more resplendant and appear the clearer so Gods mercy opposed to Gods Justice maketh his mercy appear more conspicuous And for the Application Vse let this teach us to consider the mercy of God to us that are his Children in comparison of his Judgment to others as for example thou being a Child of God consider God hath given thee sanctification in thy heart and soul a feeling of thy sins and groaning under it then consider this thy Illumination and sanctification together with the Ignorance and obdurancy of others and it will make thee to praise and set forth the greatnesse of Gods mercy so again in outward mercies the Lord hath given thee abundance thou hast strength and ability of body thou hast liberty and freedom from imprisonment and thou seest others that are blind sick lame and under the heavy hand of God in some Affliction they are weak and poor And in this hard time that now is upon us thou seest others wanting firing wanting lodging wanting means to defend them from the injury of the weather surely the Lord setteth these before thee not onely that thou shouldest be pitifull unto them and help and relieve them but herein also to see the greatnesse and goodnesse of Gods mercy towards thee Lay not out so much upon thy pride in excesse of Apparel but extend some to the poor and praise the Lord for his greatnesse and goodnesse that hath made thee rich and healthfull and others lye up and down ready to be famished Oh consider this what the Lord hath done for thy body and soul he hath inlarged his hand to thee inlarge thou thy hand in giving to others and inlarge thy heart in praising of God and let it stirre thee up to great thankfulnesse unto God for this his mercy to thee And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto glory ANd in the next place observe that the Apostle here saith not barely God will extend and reach out his abundant mercy toward his Children or that he might shew his mercy upon them abundantly but mark the manner of his speech he putteth down his mind and meaning in these tearms that God might declare the riches of his glorie upon his I hil dren every word is very emphatical and full of weight and the meaning is that God might make known to all the world to men and Angels his exceeding great and abundant grace and mercy upon his Elect and toward his Children Hence then we may easily gather this conclusion Doctrine That God will one day manifest his exceeding great and abundant mercy toward his chosen and he will one day make it appear to all the World to Men and Angels that he is a most wonderful and gracious God unto his Chosen indeed God is exceeding gracious and abundantly merciful unto his Chosen at all times especially after their effectual Calling and Conversion and turning from sinne unto him from the estate of Nature unto the estate of Grace then giving unto them the pardon of all their sinnes sealing his love unto them in Christ as it is in Romans 10.5 Then giving unto his Children libertie to approach and come near unto his holy presence with comfort and thankesgiving then beautifying their soules with many excellent gifts of his Spirit with Faith with Zeale and with Humilitie so that God is exceeding great and abundantly merciful unto his Chosen yet let me tell you that his abundant grace and mercie to his Elect is not so apparent to the eyes of men It lieth hid and obscured either under that excellent grace of Humilitie or under their afflictions so as that the world seeth it not yet the time shall come that howsoever it is now darkned it shall appear to men and Angels yea men and Angels shall admire at the wonderful mercie of God to his Chosen and to this purpose is that of the Apostle in the 2 Thessalonians 1.10 where the Apostle saith that Christ Jesus at the day of
Gentiles into the estate of grace and salvation and that by the Testimony of the Prophet Hoseah by his predictions and foretellings of their calling many years before and because the calling of the Gentiles was a thing harsh and hard to the Jewes they could not endure to hear of it what dogs base people called as you may see in Act. 11.28 The text saith that they of the Circumcision the Jewes wrangled with the Apostle and were angry because he went to the Gentiles to Dogs therefore the Apostle taketh the more pains and confirmeth it by a double Testimony of the Prophet though with some alteration of the words The Apostle setting that in the last place which is in the first place The first Testimony is out of Hosea 2.23 and the second Testimony out of Hosea 1.10 and he doth alter the words of the Prophet both for brevity sake and the better to fit his purpose and yet the Apostle keepeth the sence of the Prophet entire and whole without any alteration or change And the general matter of the Apostle citing these two Testimonies in this he proveth that that which he had said was nothing else but that which God himself had spoken by his Prophet Hosea should come to passe recorded in holy Writ as he saith also I have shewed you God calleth some among the Gentiles and what is that a new invention no such matter He also saith it in Hosea Now in these words in this 25. and 26. verses we may observe two general things First of all a bringing in of the Lord speaking a speech being recorded by the holy Prophet and cited by the Apostle Secondly the words that the Lord uttered I will call them my people which were not my people c. And in these words thus uttered we may obseve a double description of the Gentiles for of them the Apostle and Prophet speaketh first a describing of them by their estate before their conversion they were then not beloved not pitied and secondly a description of their estate after their calling then they were the people of God the beloved his Children a great alteration from no people to be a people from not beloved to be beloved from no children to be children and this their estate is amplified by three things First by the free mercy of God toward them in their calling Secondly by the place where it is said they are not my people Thirdly their excellent dignity being called they shall be styled the children of the living God which epithet and title is given to distinguish him from the Heathen gods who were dead and dumb Idols Now come we to the Exposition As he saith also You may easily conceive the person here meant to be God As God saith also the word also is not a word that is idly and superfluously put down but a word of special force and great emphasis as if the Apostle had said That which I say of the Gentiles it is no fained thing but it is the same thing that the Prophet hath spoken and that the Lord himself delivered to his Prophet I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These are the words of the Prophet here cited by the Apostle and here is a difficulty to be unfolded for he maketh here his application to the Gentiles But if you look in Hosea 1.10 the 2.23 you shall find them spoken directly to the Jewes for their comfort after their dispersing and scattering abroad they should be called again so the context doth plainly expresse to the Comfort of the Jewes how then can the Apostle apply these words to the calling of the Gentiles for the clearing of this doubt we must consider that the Apostle Paul had the infallible assistance and guidance of the Spirit of God he did what he did by the guiding of the Spirit so that he could not erre either in his allegation or application of Scripture And again though this be directed to the Jewes that were now scattered abroad for their sins and telleth them to their comfort that the time shall come when they shall be gathered together again and that the Lord would restore the Elect among the Jewes meaning spiritually by the preaching voyce and call of the Gospel in the Kingdome of the Messiah though this be directed to the Jewes yet under these termes are also the Gentiles signified and understood and indeed the Gentiles were properly not the people of God it was never properly spoken to the Jewes but to the Gentiles they were not the people of God properly so that these words are properly spoken to the Gentiles and accidentally to the Jewes by reason of their impiety and Idolatry And we shall find it a marvellous usual thing that when the Prophets do speak of the defection of the Jews and their dejection and falling from God then they make a transition a passage from that to the Kingdome of the Messiah And they promise that under the coming of the Messiah a greater number of the people should be aggregated and joyned to the Jewes and so concopulated and made one body Ephes 2.16 Now you are made one body through Jesus Christ God hath made one body both of the Jewes and Gentiles Come we now to the Explication and I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved I will onely descant upon these words and the meaning is thus Those that were strangers from the Covenant of grace those that were in their natural estate and condition and are none of my people that have not me for a God and Father to them even those that were aliens from the Common wealth of Israel these will I call effectually and through the preaching of the Word and Gospel bring them to the state of faith and grace in Jesus Christ and within the compasse of my special love and favour and mercy and I will make them to be within the number of my peculiar people and I will be a living and gracious Father unto them A paralel place unto this we have in 1 Pet. 2.10 where the Apostle speaketh thus which in times past had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy which is an expressing of what is meant by being called the people of God And in the place where it is said that they were not my people By place is meant the Countries the Nations the Kingdomes of the Gentiles which were without the pale of Jewry the Precincts and limits of Canaan now saith the Lord them will I call also my children even those that are without in those places will I cause men to know me to worship me and to fear me as in Mal. 1. and they shall be called and styled by that worthy title the Children of God the living God who is the Authour and giver of all life I will not stand to draw them into a narrower compasse for you may
easily conceive them Come we now to matter of Instruction and first of all from these words in the 25. verse As he saith also that is as God saith also from hence note we first Doctrine That God spake by his Prophets and Apostles The holy Prophets of God and the holy Apostles they were but Gods mouth to deliver his mind and message to his people they were not the inventers of it but onely the Writers Pen-men and Revealers of it The text is clear to this purpose 2 Pet. 1.20 21. The Apostle saith that no interpretation of Scripture is of any private invention of man but prophecie in old time it came not by the will of man but by the Holy Ghost they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and in Gal. 1.11 Brethren the Gospel that I preach it was not after the manner of men neither received I it from men but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven The Prophets and Apostles in the execution of their Ministry it was no invention of man but it was the holy mind and holy will of God which it pleaseth him to open unto him that they might dispense it to his people Vse And therefore the words of the Prophets and Apostles are so to be received as the mind and will of God and to apply this to another purpose the words of the holy Prophets and Apostles they are to be spoken of and to be reverently handled by those that take upon them to handle the words of God as the word of God not as mans word they are to be handled as the Apostle saith in 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the word of God if any man in the publick Ministry speak the Word of God let him see that he speak not onely the word of God but as the word of God which indeed are holy and pure and powerful and are so to be spoken and so to be uttered by those that do take upon them to dispense it to Gods people it is not sufficient for them to utter the bare words but to utter them with power and authority and as the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 2.4 they are to be delivered in the demonstration and evidence of the Spirit of God yea they are so to be handled with such evidence of the Spirit and power that men may discern the power and Majestie of it 1 Cor. 4.25 and may say without question God is in that Preacher now the everliving God speaketh And do they thus that do handle the words of the holy Prophets and Apostle loosly carelesly and after a carnal manner in the inticing words of mans wisdome in frothy idle and ink-horn tearmes such as are humane eloquence or those that mingle the holy word of God and the holy Prophets with their own inventions and their own devices with the sayings of such a Poet such a Philosopher do these deliver it purely Jer. 23.28 He that hath my words let him speak my words faithfully what do those then that come into the Pulpit and do speak idly and foolishly and do take the name of God in vain do these speak it in the demonstration of the Spirit No a Preacher that speaketh unto the people must consider now am I to speak not onely Gods Word but Gods Word after a holy manner and if God were here would God speak thus vainly thus idly and frivolously and feed the people with chaffe instead of Wheat they must remember they are in the place of God yea whosoever they be that doe draw such Conclusions from the Word of God that are not there found though they be sound and Orthodoxal if they are not agreeable to the will of God in that place they are not Gods word but the words of man howsoever they may say men will not hear the word of God yet they are not the words of God though sound and good if they be not natural from the place and so by this means the Word of God doth work just nothing upon the hearers therefore it is no easie matter to handle the words of the Prophets and Apostles as they ought to be handled it requireth great study great prayer great meditation even watching and striving studying and praying to deliver that which is agreeable to the Word it is an easie matter to hear the Word formally but the hardest thing in the world to preach it soundly Now observe we further from this preface As he saith also that is that which I deliver touching the calling of the Gentiles it is no strange thing newly invented but it is the very same that God himself delivereth and forespeaketh long since and now it is fulfilled and accomplished the Gentiles are called and that is no new thing neither ought you to stumble at it because it is the voyce of God hence note we Doctrine That the coming to passe of things foretold by the Word of God though they be hard and harsh to flesh and blood we are to be so far from stumbling at them that they ought to strengthen our faith the more touching the truth of the word of God the event coming to passe of things though they be very grievous to carnal Reason yet they ought to strengthen our faith and make us more certainly to believe the Word of God Joh. 16.1 These things have I told you that you be not offended what are those things they are very harsh viz. the time shall come when they shall excommunicate you and cast you out and he that killeth you shall think he doth God good service These things have I told you that when you see these predictions come to passe you may be strengthened Remembring I told you Vse Many there be that are much troubled and much offended and exceedingly puzzeled because they see many errours and heresies in the world that they cannot tell what religion to cleave too they consider not that this was foretold by the holy Apostle 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies even among you in the Church of God Anabaptistical opinions and others that they that belong unto God may be tryed so also many there are that stand amazed to see some that have made a great profession of the Gospel eminent persons to fall away and imbrace the world but the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4.1 that in the latter dayes there should be a departing from the faith and giving heed to the spirit of errours and doctrines of Devils that men shall be mockers and scoffers and hence it is that the Apostle bringeth in the Atheist in 2 Pet. 3.3 saying Where is the day of his coming and that men should be mockers disobedient such as make a shew of godlinesse but deny the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 5. Now when we see these things we should subscribe unto the truth of God in our hearts and be confirmed in it Matth. 24.6 saith Christ When you hear of Warres and Combustions and Rumours
in the world wonder not nor be not amazed forr these things must come to passe and be fulfilled And it argueth a true and a sound faith to see through the thick mists of errour and iniquity and abundance of evil the bright resplendant shining beames of the Majestie and purity of the Word of God And therefore we are to be so farre from being offended at the Combustions and Uproares of the world as that we should be strengthened so much the more and settled and grounded in the holy Word of God seeing God hath Revealed it in his Word and foretold it long before As he saith in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved c. COme we now to the words of the Testimonie it selfe in these two verses And herein the Apostle doth invert the Order of the words of the Prophet putting that which is first last yea the Apostle doth something alter and change the words of the Prophet and keepeth not strictly and precisely to the very words of the Prophet citing word for word yet he keepeth the scope sense and meaning of the Prophet sound and intire without any alteration or change hence then note we thus much That it is not alwayes necessarie that the very words of the Scripture Doctrine should be strictly orderly and precisely kept in the preaching of the Word so that the sence and scope and meaning of the place be kept sound and intire without wrong change or alteration The Preachers of the Word must look unto it that they neither deprave nor corrupt the places of Scripture that they doe not cut them off and leave out something needful this was the sinne of the Devil in Matthew 4.6 He shall give his Angels charge over thee and leaveth out to keep thee in all thy wayes Nor that they doe not wrest and wring the places of Scripture to a wrong sence and wrong purpose and make them as a nose of waxe and draw them to a wrong purpose and vex the Holy Word of God which is the dealing of all hereticks and especially such as doe turne the places of Scripture and the plain Stories of the Bible into Allegories and so wrong the sence of the Scripture yet Ministers of the Word they may alledge and cite places of Scripture with some alteration so they keep the sence safe sound and intire John 7.38 He that believeth in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of water Where doth the Scripture say so Surely in no place that we finde in the Old Testament expresly totidem verbis in the very same words yet for the matter and substance of these words they may be collected and gathered out of the holy Prophets as out of Esay 44.3 and 49.10 Joel 3.18 in all which places mention is made of pouring water upon the drie and thirstie ground and of diving into the Waters of Life and of a fountain that should issue out from the house of the Lord. Now the Lord Jesus doth apply these words of the Prophets having respect to Christ who is the Fountain of Life and of all Spiritual graces he doth apply them to all those that truely believe in him that though they were drie and barren yet out of them shall flow the rivers of water of Life so that though he doth not set down the words of the Prophets expresly yet he keepeth the sence and meaning of the words So that it concerneth the Preachers of the Word to be very well acquainted with the scope and drift of the Scriptures that howsoever they may misse of the words yet they must keep the sence intire and see that they doe not swerve from the intent and purpose of the Holy Spirit of God in the Text. And as they must be careful that the places of Scripture be fit and pertinent to the purpose they have in hand so also that the places they doe alledge be truely understood and rightly applied according to the meaning of the Word and then they are the true Word of God and are a notable means to beate down the strong holds of sinne and of Sathan to pass by that Come we now to the Testimonie it self recorded by the Prophet and here alledged by the Apostle I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These words are a plain Text and doe evidence unto us the vocation and calling of the Gentiles which was long agoe foretold and now fulfilled the Gentiles are called the Gentiles embrace the faith of Christ which is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel and of Religion 1 Tim. 3.16 VVithout controversie great is the mysterie of godliness what was that God manifested in the flesh seen of Angels justified in the Spirit preached to the Gentiles a high and excellent mysterie Now touching this mysterie of calling the Gentiles observe the Lord saith I will call them my People which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved Hence appeareth the free mercy and the free grace of God in calling the Gentiles out of the estate of ignorance and unbelief into the estate of true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ into the estate of grace hence then ariseth this point viz. Doctrine That God calleth men effectually out of their natural estate into the estate of grace and doth work grace in them effectually by the power of his Spirit through the preaching of the Word out of his meer good will and free mercy nothing moving him thereunto but onely his free mercy the Lord he is pleased to reveal the Gospel to none but to those who out of his meer good will hee pleaseth to cause to understand it and the light of the Gospel though it shine most clearly and resplendantly yet it doth enlighten none nor worke upon none but onely such as it pleased God to illuminate and enlighten by the preaching of the Word though it fall upon their eyes and sound in their eares and shine about them yet the hearts are shut up of all such unlesse those whom God doth illuminate Eph. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of himselfe and other true believers saith expresiy God hath opened unto us the mysterie of his Word the secrets of his Gospel according to his own good pleasure And in the same Chapter the 17. verse He prayeth that the Ephesians might have the Spirit of Revelation and the Spirit of Wisedome Oh Lord open the eyes of their understanding that they may clearly see the riches of his calling and the sweet comforts of the Gospel And hence it was that the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 4.6 That God by the same Almightie power whereby he brought light out of darkness causeth them to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ yea the Lord doth afford the outward sound and preaching of the Word out of his free mercie where it pleaseth