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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96661	Mount Ebal levell'd or Redemption from the curse. Wherein are discovered, 1. The wofull condition of sinners under the curse of the law. 2. The nature of the curse, what it is, with the symptomes of it, in its properties, and effects. 3. That wonderful dispensation of Christs becoming a curse for us. 4. The grace of redemption, wherein it stands, in opposition to some gross errors of the times, which darken the truth of it. 5. The excellent benefits, priviledges, comforts, and engagements to duty, which flow from it. By Elkanah Wales, M.A. preacher of the Gospel at Pudsey in York-shire.	Wales, Elkanah, 1588-1669.	1658 (1658)	Wing W294; Thomason E1923_1; ESTC R209971	189,248	382

accursed through sinne it 's a wonder that the first and second death have not fallen pel-mel upon them all and devoured them at once it s a wonder that the curse hath not dashed us all to peices and brought the whole world into a Chaos long agoe This is from the wise and good providence of God who for the preservation of the whole frame and for the comfort of his owne people doth snub restraine and moderate the curse and keepes it within certaine bounders as the Sea within its banks that it cannot overflow and destroy the earth We see that the horse the Ox and other such like creatures have not quite renounced mans service but are easily brought into subjection Yea the most savage creatures are not invincibly rebellions but God affords to man both skill and power to tame them Jam. 3.7 And 2. What a mercifull dispensation is this that such swarmes of curses should flie abroad in the world and yet so very few of them in comparison should touch us That so few are born blind deafe maimed idiots That nature is sustained in health strength vigour yea that we live upon the earth and enjoy the influence of heaven That the heaven over our head is not brasse and the earth under our feet iron yea that we are in any estate short of hel who might justly have been stript of all at once and made the common Butt of all his curses And further Isa 3. What a sweet providence is it that when the Lord inflicteth evils or judgments which are properly and in themselves the bitter fruits of the curse he doth not alwayes inflict them meerly as curses in reference to the sinnes of the persons but sometimes onely praeventions of sinne and the miseries which follow it as 1. Cor. 11.32 Or as exercises of patience as in the famous example of Job or as meanes which his divine wisdome is pleased to use for the manifestation of his owne glorie in some way or other Whereof we have a notable instance in the man which was blind from his birth Jo. 9.1.2.3 The disciples ask our Saviour whose sinne was the cause of that judgment his owne or his parents He answers neither of both but that the works of God should be made manifest in him his meaning is this you think this man is thus marked out for some notorious sinne either of his owne Or his Parents but you are mistaken for although sinne be an universal cause of all judgments ⸫ See Piscator and Gualter on the place yet in this case the Lord did not look upon the sinnes of either of them as the adaequate or next mooving cause of inflicting this blindness but he intended hereby the manifestation of his works the work of justice and severitie in afflicting him so sadly and so long the work of goodnes and mercie in bestowing the blessing of sight upon him and cheifly that this miracle wrought by me saith Chirst may be a cleare and undeniable demonstration that I am the Son of God seeing it could not possibly be done by any other hand ⸫ ab v. 32. To shut up this use let us not reckon our selves the lesse miserable because of these and the like providences but rather ascribe them to the indulgence of mercie and adore the glorie of his dispensations who suffereth us not to be so accursed as we deserve 4ly Hence I inferre that there is no justification to be had no nor any possibilitie thereof by the works of the Law It is a vaine thing once to expect it The Law curseth sinners how then doth it bless them but if it justifie them it blesseth them All men are under the curse of the Law therefore no man is under the acquittance and absolution of the Law This is one of the Apostles arguments in the verses before to look for justification and blessing from the Law is not onely to lose our labour but also to bring upon our selves more mischeif It s the way to inwrappe us more in the folds of the curse to implunge us into a deeper Sea of guilt yea to seale up the curse against our owne soules and to make it sure to our selves Observe what is the conclusion which the Apostle would prove from the text alledged out of Deuteronomie vers 10. before It is that those which are of the works of the Law are under the curse that is not onely those which break the Law or doe not keep it perfectly but those that depend upon it and reckon of justification by the works of it even these also are accursed so Rom. 3.19.20 The Law chargeth all men with sinne and thereby stoppes every ones mouth and makes all the world subject to the vengeance of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence it followes unavoydably that no flesh shall be justified by the deeds of the Law Therefore the Apostle professeth that he would by no meanes be found having his owne righteousnes which is of the Law Phil. 3.9 As if he should say If I should appeare before Gods judgment-seat clothed in that habit he would abhorre me and I were utterly undone So then there is no justification to be had by the Law No man can possibly reach that conformitie to the Law of God either inward or outward in the frame of the heart or cariage of the life which will be able to plead his justification in the sight of God It is not any good qualitie within us or any goodwork that comes from us or both joyned together though never so excellent for kind or degree that can set us right in the court of heaven There is nothing at all which a man hath nothing at all which he doth or can doe for which God will pronounce him righteous but when he hath done all and is got up to the highest pitch the Law will tell him to his face that he is still Accursed This is needfull to be urged for not onely the world but the churches of Christ are full of justitiaries which carve unto themselvs an imaginary self-righteousness according to the Law Oh that these persons would open their eares to this truth and take it down Of these I observe 4 sorts I meane such as seek a Blessedness by the Law which they shall never find 1. Professed Papists which submit unto and hold fast the establish'd doctrine of the Church of Rome especially as it is set forth in the councell of Trent where they determine thus The alone formal cause of the Justification of a sinner before God or that which gives being to it is Righteousness implanted or a new qualitie of grace or frame of holines wrought in the soule which what is it else but personall and inhaerent conformitie to the Law of God They tell us further of a first justification whereby of unrighteous a man is made righteous and secondly whereby of unrighteous he is made more righteous The former if I mistake not they hold incompleat

strappadoes to gibbets and gallows to fire and faggot to boyling oil and scalding lead boring out your eyes plucking off your skins pulling the members of your bodies asunder by piece-meale and many the like barbarous usages devised by brutish men skilfull to destroy which Christians have been put to suffer in ages past and who can secure you from them in times to come Poor soule if thou canst not with patience bear the curse of a man whose breath is in his nostrils bethink thy selfe how thou wilt bear that grievous curse which will surely overtake thee if thou be ashamed of Jesus Christ Sect. 6. Use 3. Lamentation that sinners put him to it still THirdly and lastly from this conclusion thus presented to us we may take just occasion to enter upon a sad lamentation while we look upon the great wickedness of too many who not thinking it enough that Christ hath taken the curse off from them and laid it upon himself do heap upon him still more cursing and lay a greater weight thereof on his back every day If we should see a brute beast as an horse so laden with one pack upon another or with one fardell added to another that he is even falling down under it and much more if we should see a poor servant having a burthen heavie enough lying on him already to have still more heaped upon his shoulders till his back be ready to break under the load we would all pity the oppressed creatures and cry out of the oppressors as most unmercifull and unreasonable men Oh then what bowels of tender compassion should be in us towards the Lord Jesus who hath still new loads of curses laid upon him from day to day and how should our hearts rise in an holy indignation against them which deal so basely with him But methinks I hear some say What are there any such monsters in the world or at least in the Church we can hardly believe it Yes verily both in the world and in the Church and those very many and of sundry sorts as 1. All those which deny or do not acknowledge Christ Jesus to be that which indeed he is in regard of the incomparable excellency of his person in both his Natures Divine and Humane and his Offices of Prophet Priest and King c. as those Hereticks which began to spring up in the days of the Apostles which denied that Jesus was the Christ 1 John 2.22 and did not confess that Jesus Christ was comed in the flesh Ioh. 4.2 3. 2 Jo. 7. the old and new Arrians which deny the Godhead of Christ and hold him to be but a creature and the Jews as in the days of his flesh they looked on him as a meer man John 10.33 so they have still from that time persisted in the same errour calling him the son of Mary denying him to be the Lord and Christ The Manichees also of old denied him to be true man and the Papists by their fiction of transubstantiation by consequence deny the same It would be needless expence of time and paper to bring in a list of all which might be instanced under this head These heretical and erroneous conceits of Christ are in Gods interpretation no better than blasphemies yea curses pronounced against Christ Observe those expressions 1 Cor. 12.3 where to say that Jesus is the Lord and to call Jesus accursed are set down as opposites whence it followeth that to deny him to be the Lord is to call him accursed S●e Beza Morton 2. Those which abhor contemn despise at least in their hearts the word of the Gospel the doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ All Atheists newters sensual wretches which reject the counsel of God against themselves and trample that pearl of truth which is held forth and freely offered unto them under their feet preferring their pottage before their birth-right as Esau What profit will this birth-right be to me saith he being at the point to die Gen. 25.22 so say the profane unsavoury people of these times when righteousness and blessedness are tendered to them in the Gospel through the cross and curse of Christ Jesus they are resolved to look to their bodies and estates in this world whatsoever become of their souls They choose rather to forfeit their interest in that glorious priviledge of the Lords first-born than to forgo their part in the base pleasures of the flesh and profits of the world As the Gadarens would rather have Jesus Christ depart out of their coasts than lose their hogs Mat. 8.34 so these persons prize the vilest things of the earth before grace and the things of eternal life Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1.23 is a stumbling-block to the Jews and to the Greeks he is foolishness Oh what a mean estimation have our people generally of those spiritual riches for the purchasing whereof Jesus Christ was made a curse where shall we finde the door at which this damnable sin doth not lie yea I fear it lies at the doors of some which account themselves the choicest friends of the Lord Jesus and think the truth is with them onely even those that sleight the Ministery Ordinances and appointments of Christ in his Church and in effect say unto him We have no need of thee 3. Those which make an Apostasie from the doctrine which they have received who having once entertained the truth and made a profession of Christ according to the Gospel do shrink away from the truth fall off from Christ cast away their profession and undo that which they have done turning from the holy commandment delivered unto them and imbracing this present world Christ was once looked upon as precious now he is a reproach once they accounted him a blessing now they flie from him as from a curse Oh poor miserable creature hath not Christ abased himselfe to beare on his owne shoulders the heavie curse of thine enmity thy rebellion thy disobedience against the Almighty and all thy treacheries and abominations whereby thou hast provoked the eyes of his glory and hast not thou once escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and wilt thou now tarry back with the dog to lick up thine old lothsome vomit wilt thou betake thy self again to that state and trade of sin which put him to grapple with the curse of the Law and whereof thou wast once ashamed Truly in doing thus thou even rollest the curse back upon him as it were with both thy hands But he will have it no more the curse will fall upon thine own head thy latter end will be worse than thy beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 c. especially those which revolt so far as to sin against the Holy Ghost in their judgments professedly contradicting in their hearts maliciously opposing and in their words and works with all their power persecuting Christ his Gospel and the professors of it these crucifie to themselves the

and speed well Page 280 The conclusion of this passage with further satisfaction to the broken soul Page 281 282 CHAP. XI 5. TO the Lords Redeemed ones walk as it becometh such in five Duties Page 283 1. Admire this mercy rejoyce in it and let this joy break forth in praises Page 284 2. Hold fast your liberty and return not into a second bondage either more palpable by Apostacy or more covert of conscience or conversation ibid. 3. Give your selves up wholly to the pleasure and obedience of the Redeemer both in doing and suffering Page 290 The equity of this shewed in three Motives ibid. 1. He onely hath propriety in you Page 293 2. Your safety and comfort here depends very much upon this Page 294 3. This shall be most insisted upon in the great day of Inquisition Page 295 The general neglect of this duty bewayled with further pressing it Page 297 4. Labour to bring others to partake of this benefit which concerns Page 299 1. Ministers of the Gospel Page 300 2. Governours of Families Page 302 3. Neighbours and friends especially allyed in blood or affinity Page 305 5. Love the appearing of your Redeemer manifest it by the actings of Page 308 1. Vehement desires ibid. 2. Lively hope Page 309 3. Hearty rejoycing in the foresight of it Page 310 Helps to this duty Page 312 1. Keep thy self unspotted of the world ibid. 2. Preserve in thy self a willingness to dye Page 313 3. In thy whole course after conversion commit thy soul and hopes of happiness unto Jesus Christ Page 314 4. When death arrests thee commend thy spirit into the hands of the Lord thy Redeemer Page 316 CHAP. XII 6. ADmonition to beware of cursing our selves or others inferred upon this new ground further pressed by motives as being both irrational and irreligious Page 317 Mount EBAL levell'd OR Redemption from the Curse Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us CHAP. I. The introduction shewing the coherence scope and summ of the Text in three conclusions THe Apostle Paul writ this Epistle to the Churches of Galatia with his own hand so we find chap. 1 2. 6.11 This countrey was scituate in Asia the lesse See Calvin P●scator Bullinger Paraeus c. and the inhabitants thereof as some Historians report were anciently descended from the Galli or French who growing a very numerous people were inforced to seek abroad into forraign coasts for convenient habitation some of them coming into these parts and lighting upon a countrey which bordered upon Cappadocia and Bithynia sate down there and called it in reference to their first Original Galatia see 1 Pet. 1.1 Who was the first that preached the Gospel among them and was the instrument to reduce them from their Gentilisme to the faith and profession of Christ whether it was S. Paul or some other of the Apostles as it is not easie to determine so neither is it necessary for us to know This is certain 1. That there were Churches planted in that region chap. 1 2. 1 Cor. 16.1 2. That Paul and his companions travelling through those parts were forbidden to preach the word in Asia Act. 16.6 Yet 3. That he preached the Gospel unto them in his ovvn person see chap. 1.8.11 and 4.13 probably at that time vvhen he passed through that region before the inhibition came to him and 4. That after all this he vvent over that countrey again and strengthened all the disciples in the truth of the Gospel vvhich they had received Act. 18.23 But as it often fell out that the Churches began too soon to degenerate and decline from their primitive purity * Vergere in pejus so these Galatians vvere quickly removed from the simplicity of the Gospel by the instigation of the false Apostles pressing a necessity of circumcision and the observation of the Lavv of Moses to be joyned vvith Christ unto justification and salvation And to the end they might the more easily prevail those deceitful vvorkers vvent about to slight and debase the authority of the Apostle by all means possible Upon this occasion he sends them this Epistle vvherein after the inscription he chides them sharply for their Apostasie then he asserts the truth of his doctrine and authority of his Apostleship for the clearing vvhereof he sets dovvn the story of his life past both in his Judaisme and Christianisme After vvhich he sets upon the main business to maintain the doctrine of justification by faith alone vvhich he prosecutes in this chapter and the next adding thereunto an earnest exhortation to stand fast in their spiritual liberty and to the practise of other Christian duties of speciall concernment and so concludes We shall fetch the coherence no higher then from the 6 verse of this chapter The hinge of his disputation runs upon this conclusion We are justified by faith alone without the works of the Law To make the proof more clear and full he brings Arguments both for the Affirmative and for the Negative The Affirmative part is We are justified by faith alone To prove this he layes down tvvo Arguments 1. Dravvn from the example of Abraham look by vvhat vvay or means Abraham our Father vvas justified by the same are all his children justified but he was justified by faith alone Ergo ver 6 7. 2. Drawn from Gods mind touching this made known beforehand Look how the Scripture chalks out Gods way of justifying the Gentiles in aftertimes that way they are justified but faith in Christ is the way which it hath chalked out Ergo ver 8 9. The Negative part is We are not justified at all by the works of the Law and for this also he brings two Arguments 1. Drawn from the sentence of the Law it self If the Law it self do solemnly pronounce a curse upon all that depend upon it then justification is not by the works of the Law for if it justifie it blesseth if it curse how doth it justifie but the Law doth so pronounce Ergo ver 10. 2. Drawn from the inconsistence of these two the Law and faith It s onely by faith that the sinner is justified and so lives but the Law is not of faith These two in the businesse of justification flie asunder and cannot stand together even as grace and works do in the decree of election Rom. 11.6 Ergo ver 11 12. Now whether these words be intended for a new argument * Summum et potentissimum argumentum Jun. Paral. or onely for an amplification of something before delivered is doubtful if the former then the ground of the argument must be the near connexion of Redemption and Justification thus If Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law then we are not justified by the works of it for if Justification may be had by the Law then there is no need of Redemption by Christ so the Apostle reasoneth chap. 2. But Christ

may not I will not suffer this high affront of Adam and his posterity against my holy Law whereby the honour both of my justice and truth are in danger to be trampled under foot And yet if I should let out all my wrath upon them the spirit would fail before me and the souls which I have made Isa 57.16 I will therefore let it out upon their Surety and he shall bear it for them that they may be delivered and thus the Lord in wrath remembers mercie Hab. 3.2 I have done with the doctrinal part of this Conclusion I proceed to the Application CHAP. V. Use 1. Confutation of Papists and Socinians 1. THis main gospel-Gospel-truth may afford us some help towards the Confutation of the damnable Doctrine of two grand Enemies of the cross of Christ and of this great and glorious work of Redemption by his becoming a curse for us 1. Papists who not being content with this way of Christ have devised other means and put into the hands of sinners something else to make up the price of their Redemption They present us with several parcels to this purpose as Bellar. De poenitentia lib. 4. cap. 2 3 6 7. 1. That a man may redeem himself from the temporal punishment of his sins by some notable and extraordinary good works while he lives as by fasting pilgrimages almes-deeds building and endowing of Churches hospitalls and the like They grant that Christ by his sufferings hath made satisfaction immediately for the guilt of eternal death but then when the sin is remitted there remains still on the sinners an obligation to temporal punishment for which we must make satisfaction our selves one way or other and so in part redeem our selves But oh where shall we find that man except Jesus Christ that can shew us such a good work Verily the best choicest the eminentest works of any meer man that ever the Sun saw or shall see are poor weak blemished things like a menstruous cloth infinitely short of the puritie of God's Law and therefore no way equivalent to the injurie done to him by sin 2. That there is a Purgatory-fire wherein all those must be purged Bellar. de purgatorio which die in the guilt of Venial sin who yet may redeem themselves at length by their own sufferings there or they may be ransomed before by the prayers and offerings of the living But the Scripture holds forth nothing to us concerning this nay it affords us many strong arguments against it if it were worth the while to produce them They say this fire is every whit as hot as hell-fire but I am confident it never burnt any body nor do I know to what use it serves but onely to warme the kitchin of that Man of sin 3. That there is a certain Treasury in the Church Idem De Indulgent●●s Vide Ames wherein are laid up the remainder of the superabundant satisfaction of Christ and those sufferings of the virgin Mary and other Saints which were more and greater than they needed for themselves and the keyes of this chest are committed to the Pope of Rome that he may upon just and reasonable cause dispence Indulgencies either by himself or by his Delegates unto them that need and desire them to make satisfaction for the temporal punishment oftheir sins But this is no better than the former For besides that Christ's satisfaction although in it self infinite hath nothing more in it than needs as to the application of it to those for whom God did intend it where shall we finde the man that hath done or suffered more then he ought to have done or deserved to suffer In truth these are but as Babies for children to play with or as when a mother promises her child an apple to till it on to some good action Bell. E●● de Indulg cap 6. which yet she doth not give it as some Papists do confess O rely because they come off at good round rates they serve to fill the coffers of the great merchant of Rome In a word all these are meer fancies yea lying vanities which cannot stand with this Truth For if Christ was made a curse for us and thereby hath wrought our Redemption then either there is no other way to effect it in whole or in part or else it will follow that Christ's work is imperfect which who dares once imagine As for us we may ascribe to the Psalmists Resolve Psa 49.7 8 9. No man can redeem his brother If not from temporal death how much less from eternal we shall leave these offals to the dogs of Rome for we have enough in Christ 2. Socinus and his followers who teach that Christs becoming a Curse for us and the whole course of his humiliation in doing and suffering was not at all for satisfaction but onely to set forth himself to us an example for our imitation and in his own person both by doing and suffering to shew us the way to heaven This Heresie was first hatched by Pelagius about the time of S. Augustine and about 700 years after revived by Abailardus in the time of holy Bernard as it seems by his writing against him Vide Gr●tii d●f●ns cap. 1. V●scii respons cap. 3. ex Socino aliis and now of late started again by Socinus with an advantage of more liveliness as it is usual with heresies when they come to a second and third resurrection For thus they deliver themselves more particularly Jesus Christ came into the world on this errand both to declare unto sinners the way to eternal life and to bestow it on them in case they will follow his counsel And for this purpose he was content to suffer death that thereby he might 1. Seal confirm and put out of question the truth and certaintie of his doctrine 2. Purchase to himself the right of bestowing eternal life upon them 3. Perswade them to that which is necessary for the obtaining of it to wit faith to believe his word and promise and sure hope to wait for the accomplishment of it 4. Hold forth himself before them a remarkeable matchless example of patience and obedience And whereas the Scripture doth frequently ascribe remission and salvation to the death of Christ that say they is a figurative speech They are the proper effects of his resurrection and the glorie which followed and are attributed to his death onely because he must necessarily die before he could rise again But now that Christ was so made a curse for us as to suffer the punishment due to our sins in way of a satisfaction to divine justice and thereby to redeem us from the curse this they will flatly denie and condemn it Se●tentia va●d p●●n 〈◊〉 D●●na●● 〈◊〉 ●la●phemis as an opinion that is deceitfull erroneous and very pernicious yea false absurd and horribly blasphemous and it is observable that when they make use of any Scripture either for the strengthening

of their own Tenents or the answering of Objections brought against them they do generally turn aside from the usuall and received signification of the words and offer violence to the Text to make it speak what they please For to touch a little on the 4 ends before-mentioned To the first Where doth the Scripture make the confirmation● of his Doctrine the professed adequate end of his sufferings He saith indeed that he came into the world that he might bear witness to the truth but this most properly belongs to his prophetical office Jo. 18. ●7 whereas his death belongs to his priesthood and besides his miracles served more peculiarly for the confirmation of his doctrine To the second Christ had power to forgive sinnes even while he lived on earth Mat. 9.6 and exercised that power frequently There was therefore no absolute necessity of his death for the purchasing of a priviledge which he had in possession already although it was necessary for the satisfying of Justice J●h 10.28 17.2 He died to purchase for sinners a right to rec●iv ●ot for himself a power to give them eternal life that mercie might have a free course to give out pardons which otherwise could not be To the Third It is credible that the death of Christ and such a death as it was in all the circumstances of it should be able to perswade sinners to that faith and hope nay rather it should be the ready way to diswade and knock them off Luke 21.21 To the Fourth it is granted as a secondary subordinate end 1 Pet. 2.21 Nec humil●tatis exempla nec charitatis insignia praeter Redemptionis sacramentum s●nt aliquid Bern. but doth not take away the other which is the chiefe and principal These two accord well hee dyed to satisfie for our sins and he dyed to to leave us an example of patience and obedience Great is the example of his humility and of his charity but they have no foundation to rest upon if there be no redemption But to go no further than the Text. There be three expressions which they wrest for the supporting and maintenance of their Errour 1 He was made a curse True say they as he was made sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 that is hee was judged by men to be a sinner and he was used accordingly so he was accounted a cursed man and therefore was sentenced to suffer a bodily death on the Cross which was a death proper to an accursed person But this falls short for God saith the Apostle made him to be sin and consequently a curse for us Man was no more but an instrument sinfully acting what God had holily purposed and Christs voluntarily undertaken Besides the Text which is here cited from Moses Deut. 21.23 runs thus He that is hanged is the curse of God or a curse unto God which being applied to Christ can import no less than this that God laid upon him our sin and the punishment due unto it by the doom of his righteous Law that the pleasure of the Lord might be executed upon him for answering whatsoever the Law could exact Nostra causa nostro bono Ut a peccatis retrahamur Nostra v●ce nostro loco 2 He was made a curse for us yea say they for us that is for our cause on our behalf for our good and so he gave himself he dyed for our sins that is our sins were the occasion of his death and he died that we might be drawn back from sin We yeeld all this but is there no more Yes assuredly We say for us that is in our room and stead who should else have born the curse in our own persons and for our sins to wit as the foregoing meriting cause thereof and that satisfaction being made to justice the curse might not fall on our heads The Greek word which is most frequently used in this argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is rendred for although sometimes it be put to note no more So Rom. 5.7 but the good or profit of another yet it signifies also in anothers stead and in some places cannot be fitly taken otherwise as 2 Cor. 5.14 If one dyed for all then were all dead which implies plainly that the death of that One was in stead of the death of All. And when the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. Was Paul crucified for you Thereby denying it he must mean that he was not crucified in their stead for he professeth elsewhere that he suffered for the Church and for the Elects sake that is for their spiritual benefit as Col. 1.24 2 Tim. 2.10 But to put all out of doubt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture sometimes makes use of another word which signifies commutation or exchange or being in the place or room of another and must necessarily be so taken when it s applied to this business as Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 He bare the curse and gave himself a ransome in our stead 3 Hereby he hath redeemed us from the curse Being made a curse for us he brought us out of the hands of the curse so that God was moved hereby to set us free from the guilt and punishment of our sin Here they bring two things to darken the clear truth 1 That the terme of Redemption Apud Grot. in defens c. 8. must be taken improperly for a deliverance without price or satisfaction such as that of the Children of Israel from Egypt whom God redeemed by the hand of Moses yet he paid no price nor gave in consideration either by death or otherwise for the compassing of it To this we say when the Scripture makes Redemption the effect of Christs bearing the curse of his suffering death of the shedding of his blood c. it can signifie no less than redemption in propriety of speech that is the freeing of poor sinners from the stroak of justice by giving due satisfaction This high extraordinary cause should in all reason produce a nobler effect than such a loose and frozen gloss gives to it Yea how doth this derogate from the worth of that glorious benefit to say it comes at so cheap a rate As for the redeeming of Israel by Moses although it was a type of our redemption by Christ yet wee know that the type and thing typified do not answer one another in all things Christ and Moses are compared as Redeemers but with a vast difference both as to the nature of the thing and the special means by which it was effected That of Moses was onely corporal from the servitude of the body This of Christ is chiefly spiritual from the bondage of eternal death Therefore there was no need that Moses should dye for them and if he had as it could have been no way effectual to their spiritual deliverance so it might probably have been rather destructive to their temporal freedome But Christ our Redeemer must necessarily dye for us else no possibility of

no longer but over-leaping at difficulties forthwith betake thy self to Jesus Christ and thou art actually set free Ioh. 16.9.10 Let thy heart be convinced of righteousness as well as of sin that as thou hast seen thy sin powerfully working towards thy condemnation so thou mayest see and gladly imbrace the righteousnesse of Christs Salvation working as powerfully for thy acquittance and justification Say Lord although I finde no encouragement either in my self or from the creature to expect any good by the work of Redemption yet seeing thou hast graciously promised deliverance to all poor captives that will betake themselves to Jesus Christ and give up themselves to him by faith behold here I am I beleeve help thou mine unbeleef Mar. 9.24 hee shall have the cream of my heart I will make bold to go to him and cast my burthen upon him for ever But here the humbled soul is ready to plead against himself in this manner Sect. 2. Answer to two Objections Object 1. If I knew that this benefit did indeed belong to me then I might have some ground to beleeve on Christ for the obtaining of it But I have no assurance of that and thus to beleeve might be to beleeve an untruth and so instead of doing a duty I should commit a sin Answ 1. This Objection ariseth 1. From ignorance of the extent of the grace held forth in the Gospel as if it did except some particular persons whereas it makes an offer to all and every one indefinitely under the conditions before expressed 2 From a mistake about the proper nature of faith supposing it to be an assurance or perswasion of heart concerning the love of God in special to me and my actual interest in redemption whereas in truth it stands 1 In the understandings assent to the doctrine of the Gospel or a beleef of the certainty of those things which Christ hath done for us as Mediator Nemo jubetur credere se redemptum esse pri●squam credat in ipsum And 2. The hearts willing consenting and accepting of him with all his benefits freely offered I must not first know that I have right unto actual Redemption and then beleeve on Christ but I must first beleeve on Christ that I may have an actual right in it No man can be groundedly perswaded of his personal interest in Christ and the grace of Redemption till he hath heartily consented to the match which the Gospel offereth and given up himself to him as his Lord Redeemer 2. Yet thou hast sufficient yea abundant warrant thus to beleeve that is to take Christ and to rest on him for Redemption both from Gods express command as 1 Joh. 3.23 and from his invitations by promises of rest righteousness and salvation Matth. 11.28 Act. 13.39 and 16.31 Christ himself tells us plainly Joh. 6.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. answering them that asked him what they should do that they might work the works of God That this saith he is the work or the work of God by way of eminency that work which he would have you to do and which is well-pleasing to him above all other works that ye beleeve c. This is thy work fall to it presently stand not disputing or questioning whether this Redemption be for thee but beleeve that by beleeving thou mayest be instuted in it and it may be actually thine Object 2. But I have heard that this benefit is not for all Christ never intended to buy out all and every one of Adams posterity from the Curse and it may be I am none of that number for whom it was meant Answ 1. To the former branch of the Objection Divines have various apprehensions concerning the extent of Redemption The most received doctrine amongst orthodox Writers as I take it is that it is as narrow as Election and effectual vocation that the Lord did not intend that the curse and sufferings of Christ should be paid as a price for the ransoming of all and every one but only of those who were singularly designed in Gods eternal purpose according to Election to the injoyment of it by effectual calling There be other two opinions which hold an universality of Redemption yet with a very great difference The Arminians teach that Christ dyed for all alike that by his death he obtained that all men should be restored into the state of grace and salvation that Almighty God did not will or intend the redemption of any one more See Wards Conc ad Clerum pag. 19.20 or less than another that both the price was paid for Judas as well as for Peter and the application of it on Gods part is equally for them both not more for Peter than Judas but the difference is made by themselves the one accepting the other refusing the grace tendered by the power of his own will But this doctrine is to be rejected as false and dangerous It doth clearly make void the grace of God and exalt mans free will lifting him up into the seat of God to be his own Redeemer for say they when God hath put forth all those workings of grace which he is wont to make use of in the way to conversion See Suffrag Colleg●ate in Ar● 1.2 3. yet still the will is left in an equal poise betwixt beleeving and not beleeving able indifferently to incline either way so that in case a man shall hearken and answer the Lords call by beleeving and so turn effectually this man now hath struck the main stroak in the business in as much as hee might have refused it if he would and he hath whereof to boast and may say I had no more grace given towards conversion than others yet they have rejected it and remain unconverted but I by the freedome of my will have imbraced it and so am converted and consequently in actual possession of the grace of Redemption The Scripture speaks otherwise 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing if not to think than much less to will or to work Phil. 2.13 It is God which works in you both to will and to work Oh wretched man by thine Apostacy thou hast lost thy self and made thy will a perfect slave to sin so that unless it be first set free by grace it cannot possibly be free to any good There be some other Divines Voluntas in tantum libera in quantum liberata Aug. both learned judicious and godly which allow an universality of Redemption and they deliver their judgement thus or to this effect That Jesus Christ by the appointment of his Father taking upon him the curse due to sin did give himself a sacrifice and paid a price for the ransome of all mankinde yet not with an equal intention and resolution for every one but thus Effectually to redeem and perfectly to save all those whom the Father had given him that is the Elect by applying unto them his

satisfaction and merits and inabling them by his Spirit to perform the conditions of actual interest therein having no such purpose or resolution for all or any of the rest of mankinde So that Christ dyed for all in this sense that all and every one may obtain actual deliverance and salvation thereby in case they do beleeve but yet he dyed for the Elect onely in this sense that they through the merit of his death which was specially designed for them might be brought infallibly both to faith and to eternal life The difference of this from the first which limits even the paying of the price to the Elect is not so wide as to give just cause to either party to brand the Dissenters with heresie or schisme both of them having the letter of the Scriptures to warrant them The former we may finde Joh. 10.15 I lay down my life for the sheep Act. 20.28 He hath purchased the Church of God with his own blood Eph. 5.25 c. He gave himself for the Church to sanctifie and glorifie it The latter Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his Son Joh. 4.42 The Christ the Saviour of the world 1 Joh. 2.2 A propitiation for the sins of the whole world He gave himself a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Neither am I so confident of the strength of mine own judgement as to determine whether of these is the naked truth of God For who am I that I should adventure professedly to side with either party against men of so great name and worth in the Churches of Christ Onely reserving to my self the liberty of mine own thoughts I shall crave leave to minde you of three things 1. I suppose that this latter opinion cannot justly be charged to wrong any fundamental Truth of Christian Religion or the Doctrine which is according to godliness 2 It seems the fairest way to a right reconciliation of those Texts before mentioned which speak different things 3. I am apt to think that if both were laid together and well weighed they would be found to come near to a friendly agreement and not to stand at so wide a distance as some imagine for both sides do readily grant 1. That the satisfaction given by Christ is abundantly sufficient for the redemption of the whole world yea of ten thousand worlds it being the blood of God Act. 20.28 2. That the offer of it is freely made to all the posterity of Adam by the appointment of God in the ministry of the Gospel and therefore the Ministers must both publish this grace to all and exhort them to imbrace it Mark 16.15 Col. 1.28 3. That it is onely from a special discriminating grace of God that some sinners are brought off to submit to Gods termes while others refuse Act. 18.27 2 Tim. 1.9 4. That onely the Elect are effectually wrought thus to submit and to accept of Christ offered and so are actually redeemed Act. 13.48 5. That all the rest of the world not having this effectual grace vouchsafed them but being left unto themselves do refuse redemption and salvation offered Ioh. 8.24 15.22 and so perish in their sins justly through their own default Matth. 23.37.38 2. But to dismiss this discourse I answer to the latter branch of the Objection thus Neither of the Opinions named will bear such a Conclusion It is but a weak kinde of Logick to argue thus Christ did not intend to pay a price for the ransoming of every sinner and therefore it may not be of me or thus he did not intend to apply this ransome to every one for his actual Redemption therefore perhaps he meant it not to me This is absurd and unreasonable reasoning For 1. Why mayest thou not as well say It may be he doth graciously intend it for me seeing thou canst not plead any unworthiness or uncapableness against thy self which may not bee as just a bar against all others 2. Thou hast an offer of this benefit made to thee every day and thou art invited to entertain it Wilt thou now stand off and say I cannot tell whether it be intended for me or no If a Creditor shall say to his imprisoned Debtor Come forth for thy debt is paid and I am satisfied what a folly were it to answer thus It may be my debt is not discharged I know not whether thou intendest my liberty No rather wave this intention and close with his offer 3. The onely way to put the matter out of doubt is this Apply thy self in the diligent use of Gods Ordinances to the serious and sincere performance of the condition and rest not till thy heart be drawn off from all other things to repose it self on him according to his command Mat. 11.28 4. Although I suppose we may safely conclude that every childe of Adam even continuing in his sinful estate may lawfully take it for granted that Christ became a curse to buy him out from the curse that is that he gave himself a ransome for all men and therefore for him also for ought he knows to the contrary and that he may and certainly shall be partaker of the fruit thereof if he submit to the Lords termes for otherwise what ground have I to make or he to take the offer of Christ yet for all that we may not say that any sinner continuing under the obedience of sin that is that he hath a present interest in Redemption or is actually partaker of it for this implies a contradiction Joh. 8.34 A servant of sin while such cannot be the Lords free man nay rather he ought to be perswaded of the contrary But as for thee poor sensible humbled soul thou mayest groundedly beleeve that thou art one of the Lords Redeemed this is thy priviledge and accordingly it is thy duty by the daily acting of faith on Christ and the constant exercise of all other graces to endeavour after a full assurance thereof in thy soul and in the mean time to stay thy self on the Lord and his sure word for the accomplishment Sect. 3. Answer to three Objections more Object 3. BUt if the actual enjoyment of this benefit be limited to the Elect then I am still where I was for I know not any thing concerning mine election If you can make it sure to me that God hath not cast me out by an eternal Decree but hath appointed me to salvation then I shall have some courage in the using of any means and taking any pains for attaining that end But if I be none of that number then I have nothing to do with Redemption and all my labour of beleeving and repenting and doing good will be lost and I shall runne in vain Answ 1. I grant it to be an undeniable truth that whatsoever we do whether we run or sit still we shall all in conclusion bee found such as to our everlasting estates as God hath decreed we