shall satisfie them with the fountains of living water even of even lasting life pure unmixed and everlasting Consolations which the knowledge favour and presence of God and Christ with them shall uncessantly give them 6. Rev. 20.5 6 11 12 13 14 15. Matth. 25.31 46. 1 Cor. 15.27 That after that Reign of a Thousand Years whether properly taken or Figuratively for a far greater time the rest of the Dead shall be Raised and all whose Names are not found Written in the Lambs Book of Life adjudged to a Second Death and they that there found to Eternal Life and Happiness and Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and then God shall be All in All fully and immediately Reigning in the Son and in the Saints for ever and ever in which also Eternal Peace Joy Satisfaction unutterable and unalterable Glory shall be upon them and be their Portion Such the Hope of the Gospel in which are somethings hard to be understood Heb. 5.9 6.13 14 17 18. Rom. 8.17 Gal. 3.29 Tit. 2.13 Heb. 9.28 and not so clearly to be apprehended till seen and enjoyed and this is good also to be propounded to all and every man as we have opportunity and they capacity of Understanding and bearing it being true and certain for all that believe in and obey him they being the Heirs of the Promises of God and of the Covenant made with the Fathers a wonderful great glorious sure and blessed Hope worthy to be considered and looked after by all men and sure and certain to all that do look for him John 3.16 Isa 55.4 28.16 Rom. 5.10 8.32 33 34 35. Heb. 9.15 The Ground Foundation and sure Pledge whereof iâ— the love and faithfulness of God as already testified in Christ in what he hath done for us to and in him The love and grace of Christ to us His Death and Sacrifice and Mediation for all men and Mediation of the New Testament more particularly for the Called that Believe or him that they might have the Content thereof performed to and in them and the Dispensation and Inhabitation of the holy Spirit of God and Christ Eph. 1.14 17 18. 1 Pet. 1 3 4 5. 2 Cor. 5.5 to and in all that obey him to open the said Hope to them and fill them with the assurance and consolations thereof and keep them by his Power to the injoyment of it in their Believing SECT 2. Of the Obedience of the Gospel WHat we have mentioned about the Faith of the Gospel implies also Rom. 1.5 something due from us which we may call the obedience of the Gospel or as the Apostle calls it the Obedience of Faith which though it be not in the Object of Faith otherwise then to believe such Obedience also to be required of us and due from us as that in which we may meet with the good prepared for us and held forth to us in the Gospel Heb. 5.9 which represents Christ through his Sufferings perfected to be the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him yet forasmuch as the Gospel-Faith mentions it 1 Pet. 1.13 14 15 16. Jam. 1.25 26. and represents it as one Great End of God's calling Men by his Grace and as the way in which we are to look for and meet with the further Blessings of the Gospel We shall take a brief view of some general Heads of it and so the Gospel holds forth 1. Prov. 1.20 21 22 23. That as God and Christ are by his Spirit calling Men and in the manifestations of his Truth and Goodness to them preventing them with Light and Power in which he is reproving their ways hopes delights so they ought to listen to and obey him in falling down before the power of the said Truth and in the grace and strength therein afforded according to the measure thereof let go such false and evil ways hopes and delights as are discovered to be evil to them and turn to him that calls them to the Light that enlightens them and the Power and Spirit that works therein seeking to know the Truth more Luk. 24.47 Heb. 6.2 and so to know God and Christ as represented to them therein not preferring their own thoughts and ways before him and his This is that which is called Repentance and Repentance from dead works in which also it is further required 2. Psal 100.1 2. 62.8 Isa 55.1 2 6 7. Prov. 2.1 2 3. c. 3.3 4 5. That by the Light and Power of the Truth afforded them therein and thereunto they yield up unto God to close with Hope Trust in Worship and Serve him according as in the pourings out of his Spirit further his Words and Mind are made known to them So loving and cleaving to God in their Hearts and Affections and walking with him in their Conversations Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. 2 Cor. 5.11 19 20 21. 6 1 2. 1 John 4.8 11 12. Gal. 5.22 23. 6 7 8. as they are thereto directed and help to perceive they ought and as the grace brought to them is saving strengthning and working in them to enable and frame them And so also walking toward Men with such love pity and charity to All Submission and other duties towards Superiors and Relations such affection toward Delight in and cleaving to those that they discern the Light the Truth and the Power of God in and with such sobriety temperance Psal 2.11 12. Luke 16.1 10 11. Matth. 16.24 25. 1 Pet. 2.4 10 11 12 c. Prov. 4.20 27. and abstemiousness from the things of the World and readiness to part with them for God and Christ and to serve God and Men with them such low thoughts of themselves in all their Wisdom and Righteousness Strength and all injoyments here as the grace of God and his Truth appearing to them doth instruct and strengthen them to not turning aside therefrom to the Right-hand or to the Left but walking in the Integrity of their Hearts before him 3. 1 John 1.7 8 9. 1 Kings 8.33 35 c. That wherein at any time they fail and Sin upon the appearance of it to them they acknowledge they said Failings and Sins and through the grace of God and by Jesus Christ their Advocate and Propitiation for their Sins turn back again to God and keep more close to him and walk more stedfastly with him 4. That in all things they acknowledge Psal 62.2 8 12. John 1.7 12. 3.15 16 18. Psal 2.12 96.7 8 9 10. 105.1 2 3. 50.15 own look to and depend upon God in and through Christ according to the manifestations of God and Christ to them for his help light grace strength and all things needful for them ascribing to him by Faith the Glory of his Name believing and holding for true and certain that he is such a one so powerful wise holy good c. as he manifests
the departure of the Apostles nay they began to be sown before but by reason of their Vigilancy they took not such place in the Churches as afterward they did till they even overtopped the good Seed and its Fruit Ignorance 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. Errour Superstition and Prophaneness sprouting up apace through Mens not receiving the love of the Truth that they might be Saved till God as he threatned gave up the World again to the over-spreadings of Deceit permitting the False Prophet Mahomet to Introduce a false and wicked Religion to the drawing away Multitudes from the Belief of the Truth planted amongst them And the Roman Bishops with their Clergy to Usurp Dominion over the rest and living like Beasts or Monsters to fill the Churches that yet retained the Profession of Christ and the Scriptures amongst them with all manner of Errour Superstition and Prophaness which continued Universally over the face of the World where the most Famous Churches of Christ had been Planted though not without mixture of continual Testimonies of God and his Truth and Goodness both by Works and Word especially as to the most Essential parts of his Doctrine more or less and more or less purely held forth till 5. In these latter times God in his mercy again stirred up a Spirit of Reformation in some of his Servants who through their constancy in Preaching forth and suffering for the Testimony of God according to those measures of Understanding they had of it became successful Instruments in his hand of reviving the Light of the Truth that was almost damped so as that it shines forth again in and by the Scriptures of Truth and the faithful Preachers of them though alas now again too much clouded with the glosles and interpretations of Men that subject not their own wisdoms to God's words much more clearly than in some former Ages So that in this that hath been said in this large running over the times it appears That the Dispensations of God in giving forth unto Men the Knowledge of his Words have been both in several Ages and to several Men in the same Ages very diverse for even in all and every of those Ages when it was fulliest given forth also all had it not alike immediatly or fully opened to them some were dispensers of it to others who received it by them or from their Mouth All were not Apostles nor all Prophets nor all Teachers that were in the Church of God though as he that follows a light carried by others may see and go as well as those that carry it and other men may eat as heartily and be as thriving that buy their Bread by the Loaf as they that carry it out and sell it 〈◊〉 basket fulls so also those that were noâ— so honoured as to be the Dispensers of the Mysteries of God to others either Jews or Gentiles in an humble following 〈◊〉 and feeding upon that Truth of God dispensed by others might walk and live as well and attain to Eternal Life as certainly and happily as they that dispense it to them yea a Judas might prove a Son of Perdition though a Preacher of it and Jeremy and Paul too had they not returned to and walked with God themselves keeping down their Bodies and bringing them into subjection might have done so too while many of their weaker Hearers attained to Happiness by what they Preached It may be said of Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers in respect of their carrying out of the Word to others as was said of the Virgins Conceiving and bringing forth Christ Blessed the Womb that bare thee and the Paps that gave thee suck So Blessed they that were betrusted and came forth with such Mysteries to Men in the Name of the Lord yet so as the same Answer of our Saviour would also fit with respect to the hearing and obeying that Doctrine Yea rather Blessed is every one that hears the word of God and keeps it We might also shew that there is and ever was great diversity and difference in the several Gifts and Administrations of those Gifts of those betrusted with the Word and the Dispensation of it and service of God in it Some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers some workers of Miracles c. and of the Apostles and Teachers some Administred more eloquently and some with weaker Language some more plainly and powerfully than others some in one Stile and others in another yet all one and the same Truth and by one and the same Spirit as in 1 Cor. 12. But it suffices but to hint that to avoid further tediousness SECT 9. That in the former Ages and so in all the Four Monarchies there was something of the knowledge of God by his People and Words vouchsafed also to the Gentiles ONely this we may further Note That though the discovery of the Truth and Mystery of God was vouchsafed most peculiarly and properly to the Jews before the Ascension of Christ yet not so hidden with them but that something of it and so means to know more of it was in all former Ages vouchsafed in some measure over and above the Manifestations of God in his Works to the Gentiles or divers of them also as might be shewed from what we find in the Scriptures and by other Writers In Abraham's time while Shem was yâ— living to omit some things fore-mentioned Sect. 4. His over-throw of 〈◊〉 Four Kings Types perhaps of the futâ— Monarchies after to succeed Shinar â—ing Babilon Ellasar some take for Syriâ— Elam is Persia and the Nations migâ— hint to the other Nations subject to the Roman Monarchy made him famous doubtless in those times And after that the advancement of Joseph in Egypt when all Nations or Countries thereabout pinch with a Famine came thither for Bread-corn might afford probably some opportunity for spreading some knowledge of God from him his Father and Brethren then brought into and living in Egyptâ— but especially and certainly to omit the Patriarchs Psal 105.13 14. Travellers into and sojourning in divers Lands and Countries the great Judgments of God upon Egypt and Pharaoh The Miraculous Deliverance of Israel thence and the mighty Works then done for and amongst them spread the Name of God amongst the Countries as is implyed Exod. 9.16 That I might shew in thee in my power and that my Name might be declared in all the earth And it appears by Rahabs confession afterward That they had heard of the mighty work 〈◊〉 God for Israel in those Countries of Canâ— an Josh 2.10 11. And then his drying up the red Sea and Jordan and driving ouâ— the Canaunites so miraculously The standing still of the Sun and Moon c. These yet further famed him and his People among the Nations 1 King 10. with Matth. 12.43 As afterwards the Wars and Successes of David and the Wisdom of Solomon that was famous to the Ends of the Earth to Aethiopia and those
Dispensations of it have been very divers and different some Persons have had nothing of it as to their knowledge and perception knowable to us as Infants dying in Infancy some have had only some darker significations of some things of it by the Works and Providences of God as many of the Heathen some have also had some rumour of the words of God revealed to and in his Churches and opportunities to seek it out and know it as there revealed as many of the Gentiles in all Ages Some have had it more directly in the words of it given to them to some more immediately for themselves and others to some more mediately by others onely as in all Ages amongst the Jews till after Christ's Ascension though in some Ages more darkly and in others more plainly yea and amongst the Churches of God and the holy Men themselves there is and hath been as we have noted diversity of Dispensations and Administrations And it is a certain Rule that as the Lord being good and upright teaches Sinners the way that they might Fear him Psal 25.8 9 12 13 14. Matt. 13.11 Prâ—â— 1.23 so he more especially and in further dispensations of his Truth teaches those that Fear him shews them his secret and makes known to them his Covenant opens to them the Mysteries of his Kingdom pouring out his holy Spirit upon them And this appears clearly as touching the Revelation or Dispensation of the knowledge of the Truth in the more direct and substantial ways of revealing it besides which we may observe that there were in several Ages certain appendages to the Revelation of it by Word or Oracle in and amongst his Churches though so as in the view and sight of the World in which also we may observe great diversity as we shall God-willing shew in the following Chapter CHAP. VII Of the variety of the Dispensations of the knowledge of God and his truth in respect of certain added Appendages to his Word in Ordinances and Miracles in sundry Ages SECT 1. That God did diversâ—y in sundry Ages mind Men of and confirm them in his Truth by his Ordinances and Miracles and therein what be the Ordinances and Miracles here to be treated of THat there were over and besides the General Works of God and the distinct Revelation of Christ by the Words and Oracles of God other additional means by which he furthered the knowledge of himself and of his good will to men amongst them partly by visible Acts and Rites enjoyned to Men to observe and practice in their worship of him and accordingly either more purely according to appointment or more â—orruptly in swerving from his apappointment practised by Men in their several Ages to instruct them in and â—â—ind them of his Truth otherwise revealed to them and these we call Ordinances and partly by visible Works of his own eâ—traordinarily wrought to ratiâ—â—e and confirm the Truth revealed which we call Miracles the Scriptures also every where do testifie which because they were added to the Words and Oracles of God aforesaid we do not make a distinct way of discovery of Truth but rather Appendages to that way of discovery of it by Words and Oracles rending to confirm it to and preserve it with them which though someâ—ing of them have occasionally been mentioned before yet because they require and deserve a more full consideration we shall here speak to more distinctly and yet as briefly and succinctly as with conVenience we may concerning which let this first be noted that it may be first stated what Ordinances and Miracles we have to speak of that I do not speak of them in the largest extent that those words will reach to as to say I do not by Ordinances mean all Rites and Acts of Worship practifed by any People for there were many Heathenish Rites instituted by evil men at the motion and inâ—inct of unclean and wicked Spirits such 〈◊〉 their Plays and Interludes their strewing of Beds and Purifications of their â—ies Sacrifices to Infernal Spirits their detestable and abominable Rites of Bacchus Ceres and others which can no way be within the compass of whâ— have to speak of those being Ordinanâ— of Satan and not of God Job 38.33 Jer. 31.35 36. 33.25 neither 〈◊〉 intend or shall I speak to all that 〈◊〉 called or were God's Ordinances 〈◊〉 we read of the Ordinances of Heaveâ— as for the rising and setting of the Sâ— the making Winter and Summer Seâ—time and Harvest Heb. 9.27 Arcturus and Pleiadâ— c. which belong to the works of God before spoken of Yea and Death is an Ordinance of God in a large sense since it is appointed for men to die but this 〈◊〉 not to be practised but submitted to and suffered by us Eph. 5.30 31. So Marriage too is an Ordinance of God and so was the Sabbath and the Tree of Life in Paradise before the fall And indeed Marriage â—cially the forming of the Woman out of the Man and bringing her to him at the first hath in it a very great and apt resemblance of the conjunction and communion of the two natures of God and Man in Christ and of Christ and his Church and so gives fit occasion of minding us of Christ's great love in descending to seâ— a Wife amongst men as Jacob of old whâ— went down into Syria Matth. 22.1 4. and for a Wiâ—â—â—ept Sheep both in his taking into unâ—on with himself the nature of Man espoâ—sing and wedding it as it were to the eternal word at the wedding whereâ—â— God also made a Feast Isa 25.6 7. the Feast of Fâ— things full of Marrow made for all People and set forth to us in the Gospel 〈◊〉 the fruit and consequent of that Royal union of our nature with God consummated in the Ascension of Christ into Heaven when the new married Bride as it were was taken home to his Fathers house and adorned and glorified with all the Majesty and Royalty of Heaven the Delicates of which Feast are pardon of Sins Peace with and liberty to God by Christ and welcome through him preached to us in the Gospel As also in his seeking for himself and by the Gospel and its Ordinances and by his Spirit with both espousing men in their particular Persons and Spirits and so the Church as the company of persons so espoused to himself The Marriage of whom with Christ God-man is to be consummated or accomplished at the coming of Christ again and Resurrection of the just when they shall be made partakers of the Glory of Christ and be as a new married Wife altogether brought home to Christ and God in Christ and be cloathed with his Majesty and Glory and be fed and satisfied for ever with his blessed presence and the consolation thereof But though this Ordinance of Marriage aptly minds us of and leads us to consider and press after the further understanding and enjoyment of these things yet it
ESSAYS ABOUT General and Special GRACE By way of Distinction between or distinct Consideration of 1. The Object of Divine Faith or the Truth to be Preached to and believed by Men. And 2. Gods Purposes for dispensing And 3. His Dispensations of the said Truth and the Knowledge of it to men And 4. The Operations of God with it in men in the Dispensations of it By Jo. Horne late of Lin-Allhallows 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly Dividing the word of Truth Eccles 11.5 6. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit or how the bones do grow in the womb c Tolle liberum arbitrium non erit quod salvetur Tolle gratiam non erit unde salvatur opus hoc sine duobus effici nopotest uno ei quo fit altero cui vel in quo fit Deus Author est salutis liberum arbitrium tantum capax nec dare illam nisi Deus nec capere Valet nisi liberum arbitrium quod ergo a solo Deo soli datur libero arbitrio tam absque consensu esse non potest accipientis quam absque gratia dantis Bernard de Gra. lib. dâ—bit Deus non modo amans sed amor est solam amoris vicem requirit sidem quid ni ametur amans Id Serm. 83. Sup. Cant Prove all things hold fast that which is good London Printed for S. Walsall at the Heart and Bible on the West-side of the 〈…〉 THE PREFACE TO THE READER ZEnophon in his Second Book of Memorable things Records this Saying of Socrates to Entherus That it is not easie for any man to do such a work as for which he shall not be subject to blame For saith he It 's difficult for a man to do any work in which he shall be without Sin or fault and it 's difficult when a man doth any thing faultless not to meet with some unequal Judge that will dislike what â—s rightly done I cannot promise my â—elf freedome in what I have here done Good Reader upon either account For neither can I imagine â—hat in viewing and speaking of â—hings so high and mysterious there should be nothing in so much as I have written that might not have â—een far better spoken to or in which there may be nothing wrong though my weakness happily perceive not wherein Nor can I think that the World is grown so good and charitable and so void of its enmity to God and his goodness as that there are none in it who will pick quarrels against what is rightly done I confess the Greatness of the things treated on as the person and works of Christ the nature of the Truth the Faith Hope and Obedience of the Gospel the terrours of the Lord against evil doers the Purposes Dispensations and Operations of God are all of that nature and height and weight that each of them may deserve a Volume worthily to unfold them and require a far more able head and heart to discuss them then mine be and more labour and industry than I have bestowed or was able to bestow about them and on the other side that such is my weakness and want of exercise of senses to discern things that differ and of judgment rightly and orderly to express them that I may seem not to have followed the advice of Socrates given a little after the sayings above recited viz. Either to undertake such things as one can grapple with or forbear things that one cannot However I may fear that men of greater understandings will find some things defective and not sufficiently spoken to and cleared and other things too often repeated or too unorderly mentioned I am a man and a weak one too and therefore cannot rationally think it strange that humane Infirmities should be incident to me amongst which it is one to be subject to mistakes even sometimes an Homer as the Proverb says may catch a nap and acute Bernard yet sees not all things no great wonder in a long and tedious business to see one grow drousie and sometimes to nod besides the Truth lies as it were in the deep and is not so easily brought to Light I hope therefore that the Ingenuous Readers considering that of the Apostle James 3.1 2. That in many things we offend all Will be ready also to take his advice not to be many Masters that is not to be censorious but will take in good part what I have endeavoured and performed and will bear with the infirmities of my stile and manner of tractation which are extrinsick from the matters handled But from two sorts of men I can expect no such candid dealing that is to say 1. The proud and rich in conceit of themselves and their Learning and such as are seeking after the worldly Wisdome they I know will find no Savour in what I have written because nothing to satisfie their curiosity and please the daintiness of their finer Palates they will slight what I have written because I have not strewed the way of my Discourse with the flowers of quaint and smooth Rhetorications elegant Phrases and apt and witty Allusions nor fenced it with the Testimonies of the Ancient Doctors and Learned Writers nor given the Reader here and there the comfit of a pleasant story to quicken up his dull and tired Spirits and keep him from fainting in a word they will say Here is neither Artifice nor any polite learning the things they look for with the Ancient Grecians 1 Cor. 1.22 To whom I say had it been my design to hunt after applause that indeed had been my direct course to it Populo ut placerent quas fecisset fabulas Terent. especially had I turned aside from the Truth to witty fables for they are the things the people are too usually pleased with Yea had I sought honour with the Leaders of this Age my way had been to have quitted the Truth and shewed my self able to maintain the Ortho-Doct Opinions or at least to have adorned my discourse with a rich Coat for then it may be so accouter'd it might have taken some mens more wanton affections who would have courted it not for the Truth so much as for its ornaments like some that love the person for the gay clothing and so they might have given me their good word for a Scholar or man of Parts though yet some are so capricious upon the account of their dislike of the Truth that nothing will please them that is hearty for the Truth be it never so Elegant but even a Cyprian shall in contempt be Capricianus with them as Lactantius writes But my design being to find out and set forth the Truth and that for the helpfulness and profit of many and they of the meanner capacities and not for the Learned onely I took it to be best to be plain as believing that the Truth is then most beautiful to a
be taught if he teach he is to be heard but he that praises if he Erre confirms the Errour if he flatter he allures into Errour Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a favour if he reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl it shall not break my head Yet as I would not have my Reader Lib. 3. de Tim. proemio as he says stifly addicted to me So neither would I have my Corrector a Correptory Corrector so addicted to himself let him not love me more then the Faith let him not love himself more than the Truth as I say to him equalise not my Writings with the holy Scriptures but when thou findest in them what thou didst not believe believe without delay or doubting but in these Writings what thou art not sure of be not stiff in till thou understandest the certain so I say to him do not Correct my Writings either by thine own Opinion or out of contention but by the holy Scriptures and most Solid Reason In a Word what I intend thee for thy good and profit do not thou by thy curiosity or pertinancy turn to thine own hurt accept my service in what I have been able and have to my ability done rightly and let me have thy Prayers for further grace and ability to him that is the God of all grace in whom I bid thee Farewel remaining Lin Sept. 28th 1659. Thine to serve thee in the Truth of Christ to his ability John Horne THE CONTENTS This Treatise lays down and explicates a Distinction between the Object of Faith or Doctrine to be Preached to men And the Purposes of God about Dispensing the Knowledge thereof to men and his Dispensations of it accordingly to men and Operations with it in men in 12 Chapters Chapter I. THe Distinction propounded and something of the First Branch or Member considered in Three Sections p. 1 Sect. 1. The usefulness and needfulness of rightly distinguishing things that differ and particularly of the Distinction here propounded Ibid. Sect. 2. Of the Doctrine to be Preached to men its independency upon mens knowledge and faith of it its Vnity in its self and Truth to all men p. 4 Sect. 3. Two Conclusions drawn from the foresaid Considerations touching the Heathens and men dead and in Hell before Christ's Passion p. 6 Chap. II. Of the Doctrine or Faith of the Gospel both more implicitly and Generally and more explicitely and particularly in six sections Sect. 1. Of the faith of the Gospel more implicitely p. 9 Sect. 2. Of the Truths supposed and implyed in the Gospel yet not properly and by themselves Gospel p. 12 Sect. 3. Of Gospel-truths properly such touching God's affection to and provision of a Saviour for fallen Mankind his person suffering and exaltation p. 18 Sect. 4. Of God's love to fallen Man in glorifying his Son for him and of the compleatness and fitness of Christ for us as now in Heaven c. p. 23 Sect. 5. How Christ hath broken and is the breaker of the Head of the Serpent in what he hath done is become and is further to do for and to men p. 32 Sect. 6. How Christ is set forth in the Gospel as the fulfilling and fulfiller of the Promises and Prophecies that fore-went of him and of all the types and shadows p. 37 Chap. III. Of things further contained in the Gospel-Faith and thence observable as therein implyed and signifyed in four sections p. 44 Sect. 1. Of the hope of the Gospel Ibid. Sect. 2. Of the obedience and of the faith of the Gospel p. 53 Sect. 3. Of the Terrors of the Gospel p. 57 Sect. 4. A digression about the endlesness of the Punishment mentioned in the Gospel-Terrors p. 62 Chap. IV. Of some Distinctions signifyed and contained in the Doctrine of the Gospel in eight sections p. 79 Sect. 1. Of the two Adams the first and the last the first and the second Man p. 80 Sect. 2. Of two Covenants with respect to the two Adams p 85 Sect. 3. Of two kinds of Righteousness p. 88 Sect. 4. Of two kinds of Sins p. 90 Sect. 5. Of two General Judgments besides particular ones p. 93 Sect. 6. Of two Worlds the World that now is and the World to come p. 97 Sect. 7. Of two kinds of Life and two Deaths p. 100 Sect. 8. Of a twofold appearance of Christ and the proper Works of them and therein also of his comings and of his saving men p. 104 Chap. V. Enters upon the other Member of the Distinction and speaks of the Purposes of God in seven sections p. 111 Sect. 1. Of God's more General Purposes coincident with the Gospel-Doctrine and therein occasionally of God's permission p. 112 Sect. 2. That the Purposes of God concerning Mens Ends in particular as to their Salvation and Damnation are included in and result from the General Purposes p. 116 Sect. 3. That the great difference between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants spring from their different apprehensions of God's Purposes of Salvation and Damnation to particular persons and what the said apprehensions be p. 120 Sect. 4. 1 Sam. 2.25 and 2 Chron. 25.16 About Eli 's Sons and Amaziah considered as also about Act. 13.48 p. 126 Sect. 5. Of the distinction of God's Purposes into Respective and Irrespective p. 132 Sect. 6. Of the Reversibility or Irreversibility of God's Purposes p. 139 Sect. 7. Of God's Purposes as they respect the Dispensation of the means of Grace or truth of God to men that they might know and believe it p. 143 Chap. VI. Of God's Dispensations of the knowledge of himself and of his Truth to men in Nine sections p. 154 Sect. 1. Of the means or mediums made use of by God and vouchsafed to men for making known his Truth to them and leading them to Repentance viz. his Works and Words p. 155 Sect. 2. That the Dispensation of the Word or Revelation of his Mind by words though vouchsafed in all ages yet was neither so universal as that by his works nor was in all ageâ— the same but different to diverse persons p. 165 Sect. 3. Of the Dispensation of the knowledg of God and Christ by his words in Paradise and from thence to the Flood p. 171 Sect. 4. Of the Ages after the Flood till Moses p. 179 Sect. 5. Of the times of Moses and after to David p 187 Sect. 6. Of David 's time and the Ages that followed till Israels Captivity p. 190 Sect. 7. Of the times of the Prophets to the Restauration of the Temple and so on till the Coming of Christ in the Flesh p. 193 Sect. 8. Of the times of Christ his Incarnation and being made manifest to men and so to the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and so on p. 199 Sect. 9. That in the former Ages and so in all the Four Monarchies there was something of the Knowledge of God by his people and words vouchsafed to the Gentiles p. 207 Chap. VII Of the variety of
the Dispensations of the knowledge of God and his Truth in respect of certain added Appendages to his words in Ordinances and Miracles in sundry Ages in ten sections p. 220 Sect. 1. That God did diversly in sundry ages mind men of and confirm them in his Truth by his Ordinances and Miracles and therein what be the Ordinances and Miracles here to be treated of Ibid. Sect. 2. That Christ was and is the Foundation of all Ordinances appointed to Fallen Man for his worship of God and that Christ and the grace in him are the things mainly Witnessed to by and in them p. 2â—6 Sect. 3. Of the Ordinances appointed before Moses and first of Sacrifice and therein also of God's clothing man and of two several times before the Law in which the Gospel was revealed to all men p. 230 Sect. 4. Of Circumcision given to Abraham and his seed p. 239 Sect. 5. Of the Passover and how that Typedout Christ p. 247 Sect. 6. Of the Sabbaths Festivals Purifications and other Ordinances of the Tabernacle and Temple p. 256 Sect. 7. Of Baptism p. 270 Sect. 8. Of the Lords Supper p. 277 Sect. 9. Of the too general mistake of the mind of God in his Ordinances and the abuse of them in all ages 281 Sect. 10. Of Miracles confirming the Truth of God p. 291 Chap. VIII Of God's Operations and first of those that are in Mercy and directly his in seven sections p. 296 Sect. 1. That the operations of God are many of them very secret and not to be known or discerned by us but by his Word concerning them and therefore to be soberly treated of Ibid. Sect. 2. Of Gods merciful preventing Operations p. 300 Sect. 3. That God afforded them to the Gentiles also with the lesser means p. 304 Sect. 4. The same were afforded also to the Jews and those that have the greater means of Grace p. 309 Sect. 5. Of the concomitant or accompanying operations p. 314 Sect. 6. Of God's consequent or subsequent operations p. 317 Sect. 7. The said gracious operations otherwise distinguished into convincing converting renewing c. p. 320 Chap. IX Of the Operations in Wrath and Judgment Attributed to God as Hardning Binding Deceiving men c. Sect. 1. That the Scriptures attribute these kinds of operations to God yet we are to conceive of him in them and not to think him the Author of mens Sinnings Ibid. Sect. 2. That those operations as ascribed to God are Judiciary acts consequent both to God's preventing grace and mens abuse of it p. 338 Sect. 3. What that saying of the Apostle That God handens whom he will imports and how it is to be understood by us p. 343 Sect. 4. That God in hardning and blinding men doth it by degrees and with such mixture of mercy that till they be totally hardned there may be a remedy p. 357 Sect. 5. How or in what sense the foresaid operations are attributed to God and how he worketh in or unto them Mr. Mollers Judgment therein p. 362 Chap. X. Of the manner of God's working in men by his Grace preventing accompanying and following them in Four sections p. 371 Sect. 1. That God's gracious operations are according to the counsel of his own will and in some sense different and unlike Ibid. Sect. 2. That in this diversity of operation he observeth in some sense an Vniformity and a likeness with men generally p. 374 Sect. 3. That God's operations in men are neither properly Physical nor properly simply Moral but Supernatural having something like either in them 380 Sect. 4. That God so works in men that they also are rightly said to work sometimes the same things though with some formal difference between what is his and what their working p. 387 Chap. XI Some Scriptures considered whence some gather either that God works all things good and bad in men or so works all that 's good as to necessitate mens Willing and Working irresistibly and so as to confound mens Workings with God's therein in seven sections p. 393 Sect. 1. Phil. 2.12 13. Considered and that God's working in men the to will and to do doth not necessitate the working out exhorted to Ibid. Sect. 2. How God works by Exhortations and whether the working in men to will and to do is by and through the Exhortation to work out their Salvation p. 400 Sect. 3. The foresaid Scripture Phil. 2.12 13. briefly opened p. 406 Sect. 4. Isa 43.14 considered and what some collect therefrom p. 414 Sect. 5. Psal 110 3. considered and what some conclude from it p. 417 Sect. 6. 1 Cor. 4.7 considered and some mens Collections from it p. 420 Sect. 7. 1 Cor. 12.6 considered and what some argue from that in which also is touched Whether Sin be onely a privation p. 426 Chap. XII Concludes this Treatise by way of Conclusions Positions and Heads of Uses briefly laid down in Four Sections p. 432 Sect. 1. Some brief Conclusions drawn from the Premises in this distinction here opened p. Ibid Sect. 2. Twelve Positions concerning God's Grace and Mans Will in the Work of Conversion p. 441 Sect. 3. Some brief hints of Vses of the foregoing Treatise and first of the first member of the Distinction p. 449 Sect. 4. Brief hints of usefulness of the other Branch or Member about God's Purposes Dispensations and Operations and the Diversity in them p. 459 Laus Deo Pax gratia mihi a Deo a Domino nostro Jesu Christo Amen A Distinction between or a Distinct consideration of the Object of Divine Faith or Truth to be Preached unto Men and Believed by Men. The Dispensations and Divine purposes for dispensing the knowledge and benefits of the said Truth to Men and the operations of God with it in Men to whom it is dispensed CHAP. I. The Distinction propounded and something of the first member of it Considered SECT 1. The usefulness and needfulness of rightly distinguishing things that differ and particularly of the Distinction here propounded RIghtly to Distinguish between things that differ Qui bene distinguit bene docet is one property of a skilful Teacher commended by the Apostle to Timothy when he wills him rightly to divide the word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 A Point needful to be duly practised for as some by distinguishing too curiously things that differ not run themselves into many Errors and needless fruitless Disputes as the Papists by their distinction of Douleia and Latreia Service and Worship giving this to God and the other to his and their own Creatures And the Dominicans between their next and remote power So by not distinguishing things that do indeed differ and that too according to the difference between them others do run into many no less mistakes and great confusions as they that distinguish not between Christs coming in the weakness of the Flesh or his Spiritual manifestations of himself to mens hearts and consciences and his coming again Personally in the
Power and Glory of God Or the Effects of the one from the Effects of the other or between the Salvation wrought by Christ in his Personal Sufferings Death and Resurrection for all men as Sinners and lost without difference and that Salvation he now worketh for and in men which is with difference more generally for and on all men and more especially for on and in those that believe and the Salvation that he will work in his appearing again which shall be onely upon those that believe or that are graciously so reputed and accepted of him and the like Amongst other things I have often thought the Right Distinguishing between the Doctrine or Truth-praedicable or to be Preached to the World and to be believed by them for bringing them to God and the purposes and dispensations of God respecting the said Truth and his operations in and with it might be of good use if well and rightly explicated For I apprehend that the most material differences between those commonly called Remonstrants Arminians or Vniversalists and those that stile themselves and one another the Contra Remonstrants and Orthodox do mainly spring from a want of duly distinguishing the said particulars and of right apprehensions about them and by consequence that the right distinguishing between them and right apprehensions of them would expedite and deliver either the one or the other or both of them from such mistakes as cause and maintain the said differences and tend much to an happy accommodation and agreement in the Truth It being a very usual thing with them to argue either the Truth and extent of Gods love to and Christs Death for men from their apprehensions of the said Dispensations Purposes and Operations in the said Distinction considerable and to measure the former by the latter or on the contrary to measure the latter by the former and argue them therefrom which though righter than the other yet ought not but with good advisement to be done Now though I cannot arrogate to my self the Title of a skilful Teacher being as Agur said of himself More brutish than man and one that hath not the understanding of the man Prov. 30.2 3. Yet according to the Talent given me of God and through his gracious helpfulness believing every word of God to be true I have here endeavoured to say something hereabout if but to give occasion to such as deserve that Title to take it into their consideration and unfold it better SECT 2. Of the Doctrine to be Preached to men its independency upon mens Knowledge and Faith of it its Vnity in it self and Truth for all men THe Doctrine to be preached to and to be received by men in the Truth of God or his Word which is but one in it self for all true in it self and so fit to be declared to and believed by all whether they do actually know it or not believe it or not It s Truth and fitness to be Preached to them and believed by them depend not upon the Preaching and Believing of it but is Praecedaneous to and in order of Nature and time before them For it is not therefore true because declared or false because not but therefore its fit to be declared and may as revealed and given forth be declared because its true as therefore also its meet to be believed when where and as declared and not therefore true or untrue because it is believed or rejected even as a thing is not therefore visible because it is seen but because its visible therefore it may be seen Indeed the benefit the Doctrine brings to men and good its apt to effect in the believing heart is not effected or met with where rejected yet it is a Doctrine worthy to be believed and apt to effect such good before it be known or believe or whether it be known and believed or not I say it hath an intrinsecal aptitude in it self to do good independently upon its being known or believed though it cannot actually produce those effects but by being known and believed Even as a good Plaister hath in it self an aptitude to heal whether it be applied or no although it cannot actually heal unless applyed It gets no vertue by its application but the Sore to which it 's applyed gets vertue from it to the healing it which if not applyed it could not have had from it This Doctrine also is but one in its substance to or for All not one to one and another to another but the same Truth of God and Object of Divine Faith which holds forth the ground of Mens believing and Object to be believed on is one and the same for All though this our Truth hath in it many particular branches and Contents and all of this one Truth hath not been revealed at once to All nor so much of it to one as to another nor to some at all yet the same is revealable in it self to all and true for All. Though this our Truth hath not been at all times so much revealed or in such form as in some as not so much nor in such form before Christs appearing in the Flesh Suffering for us and Ascention from us as since as to say It was not true then nor might be so affirmed That Jesus Christ was already born of a Virgin had dyed and rose again c. But that which is true now and truly declared as done was then true and might have been declared in the future That it should in due time be done whether it was so declared or not yea it was true then that it was accepted by Christ to do and suffer as in due time he hath and it was with God as virtually though not actually done SECT 3. Two Conclusions drawn from the foresaid Considerations touching the Heathen and persons dead and in Hell before Christs Passion FRom what hath been considered we may gather these Two Conclusions 1. From the Independency of the Truth or Doctrine of God upon mens Knowledge of it and Faith of it it follows That it is no valid or sound Consequence for men to argue because the Heathen had not or in some parts have not the things of Christ Published to them and so had or have not the Knowledg or Faith of them therefore they are not true for or concerning them as that God sent Christ into the World to be the Saviour of them and that Christ hath now Suffered and dyed for them c. Seeing the truth of these things depend not upon their knowing or believing them no more than that they were made Righteous in Adam and sinned and fell in him or that Christ is Lord over them and shall raise and Judge them which are no more declared to them and known and believed by them then the other no more than that God loves no Infants or that Christ Dyed for or is the Saviour of none of them that die in Infancy because they have not the Knowledge and Faith of
Affection to consume us from off the Earth out of which he took us yea we were hereby made obnoxious to the Wrath of God upon our Souls and Bodies and exposed our selves to the Devils rage and malice to Tyranize over us 13. Man being fallen into this misery was altogether helpless 2 Sam. 14.14 both in respect of himself and of any or all other Creatures He could do nothing to recover himself from it or from any part of it Psal 49.6 7 8 9 10. nor could any one man help or redeem his Brother for tho God might as afterward he did Gal. 2.21 3.10 21. propound some holy and righteous Law to him yet could he not be made Righteous and live thereby Psal 40.7 8 9 10. For neither could any such Sacrifice be propounded to Man to offer to God as might countervail the demerit of his Sin and Offence Heb. 10.1 2 6. 7.19 neither could any work or service be done by him that might be acceptable to God Isa 64.6 Rom. 3.10 11 19 20. Psal 143.2 Rom. 5.12 18. Ephes 2.1 2. John 5.25 He being fallen under a double Death one by way of Penalty as rendring him dead at Law and another in himself and his own powers rendring him like a lifeless breathless stinking Carcase unable to do or think any thing holy spiritual and acceptable unto God which yet could he have done had been but his duty and could not satisfie for his former sin Mic. 6.6 7 8 Nor could any other creature be able to give a price sufficient for him being too low and finite to satisfie the justice of an infinite Majesty offended and goodness abused All these things the Gospel-Faith supposes and takes for granted and often intimately and sometimes occasionally expresly mentions and every of them is true in it self and concerns all men so as they may be propounded as Truths to them whither they be propounded or no and are meet being propounded to be believed being Truths whether they to whom they are propounded believe them or no. SECT 3. Of Gospel Truths properly such touching Gods Affection to and provision of a Saviour for fallen Mankind and of his Person and Sufferings for us and Exaltation from them BUt now these forementioned Truths are not Gospel or Glad tidings nay rather taken by themselves and were there nothing further of Truth to be declared to or for any men they would be a very terrible Doctrine to such men importing nothing but Ruine and Misery to them But Gods Doctrine which he hath ordered to be Preached to every Creature Mark 16.15 Luke 2.10 11. 1 Tim. 2.15 or in the whole Creation is Gospel or Glad-tidings tidings of great joy to all the people true and good for every one and therefore to be believed by every one to whom it is declared 1 Tim. 4.10 and worthy to be believed by every one to whom it is declarable according to Gods Form and Order containing other Truths yet which represent God the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe in and diligently seek him As these that follow 1. That God notwithstanding the great folly and Fall of Man 2 Sam. 14.14 Rom. 3.19 20 21 22. and his own Law and displeasure against him though such was his Righteousness Purity and Holiness such the stedfastness of his Word and such our sin sinfulness and filthiness that he could not admit us fellowship with himself approve justifie or delight in us but banished us from him Gen. 3.15 John 3.16 17. and condemn us to Death and misery yet such was his love and mercy as he did not yet cease to love us and be graciously affected toward us but even without our seeking it of him yea when we ran from him 1 Pet. 1.20 3.18 he devised and found out as upon fore-sight hereof he had fore-provided and purposed a way for our recovery that we might be saved from this so miserable a case and might in listning to him be brought again into his Presence 2. That that way devised by him Gen. 3.15 Gal. 4.4 5. 1 John 3.5 8. 4.9 10 1â— He also revealed and promised from the Beginning and hath now actually manifested to be The sending forth his own onely begotten Son made of a Woman and so the seed of the Woman and the delivering him up to suffer and dye for our Sins Rom. 4.25 1 Pet. 1.21 Heb. 5.9 7.25 Joh. 6.40 and so to ransome and make attonement for our Souls and the raising him up for our Justification and glorifying him in the Nature of Man for our Salvation to the utmost so as that whosoever believe in and obey him might not perish in that misery that either hath befaln him or further may but have Everlasting Life 3. That Jesus of Nazareth who was born of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1.26 27 31 32 35. Rom. 1.1 2 3 4. Luk. 2.1 2 3 6 7. Act. 2.22 23 24. Luk. 3.1 2 21.22 23 4 5 6 c. Matth. 27.18 16.15 16. Act. 9.20 John 20.31 1 Joh. 5 1-4.5 of the Stock and Lineage of David after the Flesh in the Town of Beth-lehem in the Land of Judah in the days of Augustus Caesar and lived and conversed among the Jews Preaching the Word of God his Father and working many glorious Miracles amongst them for the manifestation of Himself and confirmation of his Doctrine to them till they being moved with Envy did according to God's determinate counsel take him and Crucify him in the Days of Tiberius Caesar was and is that onely Begotten Son of God whom he had purposed and promised before and did then accordingly in the fullness of time raise up and send forth to be the Saviour and Deliverer of poor fallen Man 4. That Joh. 1.1 2 3 14 that Jesus of Nazareth was in the Beginning with God according to his Divine Being Heb. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. Philip. 2.6 7. The Word and God by whom God made all things in Heaven and Earth Visible and Invisible in the Form of God the brightness of his Glory and the express character of his Person before he was made man And that Eternal Word was in the fulness of time made Flesh a very and real Man Heb. 2.14 15 16. 2 Cor. 8.9 Isa 53.1 2 3. Rom. 8.3 Heb. 4.15 in the form of a Servant a poor and despicable man that had no worldly form or excellency amongst men to commend him to Men but was found in the likeness of sinful Flesh in all points tempted and subject to weaknesses as other men sin onely excepted to which low and despicable form out of grace and love to mankind and obedience to his Father he did willingly and readily yield and abase himself makeing himself who was infinitely rich to be poor for us Isa 1.14 Matth. 1.21 Act 20.28 1 Joh. 3.16 that we through his poverty might be
and Appearing in the World besides his Spiritual and Providential Comings all spoken to in the Doctrine of the Gospel of which I shall hint something briefly and seveâ—ally in order as follows SECT 1. Of the Two Adams the First and Laâ— The First and Second Man FIrst 1 Cor. 15.45 47. we have therein partly in what it supposes and takes for granted and partly in what it more directly declareth the mention and consideration of Two Adams The First Adam and the Last Adam Gen. 1.26 27. The First Man and the Second Man set over against and opposed the one to the other because none so answering one the other for Publikeneâ— of Concernment to all Men as they The First Adam was the First Man the first and Natural Root of all Men in whom God Made us and Honoured us as 〈◊〉 said before Eccles 7.29 Psalm 49.12 Rom. 3.23 5.12 18. The First Man both in order of Being as a Man and in Dignity and Glory as to his Appearance State and Condition in the World that He was Made and Manifested in He had 〈◊〉 All and our Priviledges in his Hand and keeping but he Sin'd and lost himself and us all with all the Honour and Priviledges given us in him Jer. 31.22 Gen. 3.15 Gal. 4.4 5. Heb. 2.14 Rom. 5.18 Heb. 3.1 2. Therefore God was pleased to Make and bring forth another a Second Adam to recâ—ver us who is also the Last Adam eveâ— Jesus Christ Called Adam both because a Man that pertook with us in Flesh anâ— Blood and was of the First Adam as to his Flesh and because a Publick Man in whom were and are the Concernments of all Men put again And He is Faithful and hath not nor will fail or loose Himself or any Man None shall Perish by any defect or default found in him 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Col. 1.29 2.9 10. Matth. 22.4 2 Cor. 5.14 Rom. 14.9 Eph. 4.8 9. Psal 68.18 Mar. 16.15 16. Isa 45.22 In him Man even all Men not after a Natural but in a Spiritual way and manner are Made as it were and Provided for again as fully as in the First Adam and more surely as to him inasmuch as having Dyed for All He hath Redeemed All into his own dispose and recovered into himself in the Man for men what Adam forfeited or lost or rather greater and better things so as for All. Free for All and to be had by any in coming in to him in his preventings and drawings or begettings of them And he is called the Last Adam because never was there any other since the First Adam besides him nor shall be after him of such publick capacity and concernment to Men as also because He was Abased Phil. 2.7 8. and made lower than that First Adam in his Innocent Condition that I say not then All Men in their present State Gen. 1.26 27. 2.7 For though the First Man was Originally of a far Inferiour and Viler Matter than the Being of the Second Adam was Originally yet the First Man was Made and set in the World in a far more honourable and glorious Form than the Second The First Man was something before he was a Man but what was He Dust of the Earth Whence he is Called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dusty or earthly man but he was made by Exaltation and Advancement into a better Form even in the Image and likeness of God God therein shewing forth his great Power Bounty and Goodness to him and to us in him in making so base a matter of it self uncapable of knowing Prov. 8.29 30. magnifying God to be so glorious and honourable capable of knowing praising and having fellowship with his Maker and to be an Habitable part of Earth for his word and wisdom to dwell and delight in The Last Adam too Joh. 1.1 2. Phil. 2.6 7. 1 Cor. 15.47 Coll. 1.15 16 17. Heb. 1.2 3. 2.7 8 9. Rom. 8.3 Heb. 4.16 was before he was made Man but far better than Man God with God in the Form of God The Lord in Heaven by whom the Father made man and all things the brightness of God's glory and the express Character of his Person and He was made a Man by way of Diminution made lower than the Angels yea in a Form far below that of the First Adam in his Innocent Condition for He was made in the Image of Man of fallen Man in the likeness of sinful Flesh in all points Tempted like us except Sin that so he that was Originally and in himself as incapable of Suffering and Dying at the Dust was in it self of knowing and praising God might in the Form of Man Suffer and Dye for us Through which also He the Last and lowest Adam is now again Exalted to the Glory He had in his own proper Being before with God Joh. 17.4 Psal 68 18. Ephes 4.8 9. Phil. 2.10 11. 1 Cor. 15.45 even the Man and is become far more Excellent Honourable and Glorious than the First Adam ever was Gen. 2.7 Joh. 5.21 25 28 29. and the Nature of Man is more Exalted and richly accommodated in him then ever in the First Adam 〈◊〉 we have above shewed For the First Adam was but a Living Soul that had Life in himself but could not quicken the Dead But this last Adam is Made now at God's Right Hand a quickning Spirit He is called also The Second Man Gen. 3.15 both because He was the Second and Last so immediately Made of God and in such a publick concernment for man as also as I conceive because he was provided promised stept in and became as to his â—gagement and undertaking the Man for us before any Second to Adam John 8.58 Psal 75.2.3 any Son or Child was born to him And so even in that respect He was as to Revelation and usefulness to the World before â—ain or any Man was Born of the First Adam as a new Basis or Foundation to â—he World that was meritoriously Destroy'd by the Sin of Adam The Earth was Dissolved and the Inhabitants thereof but he stepping in bore up the Pillars thereof So as in him ever since Col. 1.17 Heb. 1.3 as the Son of Man or Second Man all things consist and stand together For he was promised in Paradise to be the Seed of the Woman and so to bruise the Head of the Serpent before any doom passed upon either Man or Woman much more before the Execution of the Sentences after â—assed So as all the Providences Merâ—es Judgments of God towards and upon Men are ordered to us by and through him and with respect to him Whence Adam before he was put out of Paradise called his Wife Eve Gen. 3.20 the Mother of all Living when as she otherwise might deservedly have been Named The Mither of all Dying Yea and God not Ironically as most understand that but seriously and according to Truth as
inflicted on him brought him to which began to come upon him to death before his enemies came near him as Matth. 26.38 Luke 22.41 42 43 44. John 12.27 28 31. yea and that prest him too on the Cross and brought him to the dust of death as Matth. 26.46 50. with Psalm 22.15 seem to signifie thence also it 's observable that he dyed sooner than the Malefactors that were crucified with him yea so as Pilate wondred that he was so soon dead Mark 15.44 45. 1 Pet. 2.21 22 23 24. Doubtless that wrath and curse that caused his so sore agonies might have brought him to death though his Enemies had had no such hand in it or though he had had no such Enemies but to yeild himself a more perfect exemplary pattern of obedience and patience and to make it manifest that he was made a curse for us according to that Deut. 21.23 He that is hanged is cursed of God there being such Enemies foreseen of God God also foreordained him to be delivered up to them to be so put to death the death of the Cross by them accordingly as he was I might instance in many other particular purposes that appear clearly to have been respective yea even in purposes of dispensing mercies when ever they were purposed as rewards there must needs have been an eye to the works purposed to be rewarded by them 1 King 21.29 As the purpose of respiring the judgement on Ahabs Family till his Sons reign as a reward of Ahabs humiliation of himself 2 King 10.30 and the giving Jehues seed to sit upon the Throne of Israel to the fourth generation as a reward of his executing judgement on Ahabs Family For it could not rightly be said that God would do or did those things to them because of their so doing as it is said of Ahab Because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days and to Jehu Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes c. thy Children of the fourth generation shall sit upon the Throne of Israel if those things were before absolutely and irrespectively to those things done by them purposed and doomed to them As I cannot be properly said to give my Son a new Suit for plying his Book well which I without any eye or respect to his so doing Matth. 19.27 28 29. intended absolutely to give him The like might be said of setting the Apostles on twelve Thrones to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel as the reward of their leaving all for him and following him in the regeneration the purpose of that reward to them took in doubtless the foreknowledge and consideration of that their love and faithfulness to him as also the preparation of the Kingdom for the Sheep Matth. 25.35 36 c. before the foundations of the World was with respect to them as Sheep and as so demeaning themselves as is represented as the reason of the possession of it being adjudged to them But whereas Judas one of the then Twelve to whom Christ promised the forementioned reward by transgression and unfaithfulness lost his share therein it might seem as if there were a reversibility too in Gods promises if not in his purposes therein implyed let us take that therefore next into consideration SECT 6. Of the Reversibility or Irreversibleness of God's Purposes REversibility of God's purposes Psa 33.11 Isa 14.24 46.10.11 Numb 22.19 1 Sam. 15.29 I know will sound somewhat harshly in some Mens Ears as seeming to imply a changeableness in God and to contradict such sayings as those That God purposes and who can turn it back And he will do and perform all his purposes And as he hath purposed it shall stand And that he is not a Man that he should lye nor the Son of Man that he should Repent Which Sayings are without controversie most true yet in some sense and respect and that also according to the Language of the Scripture in other passages which are as true being all the Language of one and the same Holy Spirit of Truth it may be affirmed That Men do miss and deprive themselves of what was in some sense purposed of God to them and that God repents him of his purpose or of the good and evil purposed by him though he Repents not as Men through any change of his Mind by reason of ignorance inadvertency or mutability of his Wi'l but onely changes his work and respects to Men as Men being Changed fall under different unchangeable purposes His irrespective purposes according to their Tenour and so his Absolute and General purposes mentioned in the Gospel stand all firm and unalterable as his purposes of what he would do for Men in Christ and to Christ for Men as also That he will Bless the Believer do good to those that are good and walk uprightly with him and reject the Wicked Evil doer c. and so those purposes against particular Men or Nations that are respective when the Decree brings forth and the day is past the day of Grace and Patience expired towards any in any respect they be then irreversible too As with Saul 1 Sam. 15.29 when he had disobeyed the Lord's Commandment concerning the Amalekites with respect to setling the Kingdom on him and his House But as to his respective purposes which respect some condition in Man which may be changeably in this or that Person and before such day past with respect to the Change made in such Persons by which they pass from under one General Degree or purpose to be under another God may be said to Repent of his purpose toward them or alter or Reverse his purpose as to them when as yet the alteration is wholly in them coming under diverse Irreversible purposes and not in God's purposes themselves in the General either as concerning them or any man as to give some Instances to make the matter more evident and understandable when an evil Man or Unbeliever who as such an Evil Man is under the General purpose of Evil and Punishment for God purposes to hide himself from and stand against Men that are Evil in their Evil ways while Evil generally shall or doth through the grace of God mixed with those Punishments Repent him of and turn from his Evil way then God Repents of the Evil purposed against him that is which his purpose against Evil Doers contain'd in it against him as and while an Evil Doer and doth him good according to his purpose towards Penitents and well-doers under which by his Repentance he is now brought for he is not the same man now as to that formality of him that rendred him an Object of God's purpose of Evil but is another a New Man a Man in Christ with whom old things are past away and all things become new and so the purposes of God concerning him are new purposes 2 Cor. 5.17 the purposes
from before him 1 Cor. 10.1 12. According to that in Exod. 32.33 Whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my Book And that general Assersion to Israel Ezod 19.5 6. If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant c. ye shall be a peculiar treasure to me a Kingdom of Priests an holy Nation c. And that in Deut. 7.6 12 13. and 8. 19 20. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people to himself c. therefore thou shalt keep the Commandments and the Statutes and if ye harken to these judgments and keep and do them the Lord thy God shall keep with thee the Covenant and the mercy he sware to thy Fathers and he will love thee and bless thee c. but if thou at all forget the Lord thy God and walk after other Gods c. I testifie against you this day that ye shall surely perish as the Nations which the Lord destroyed before your face c. And so we find Israel Rebelling against God and Christ and nor submitting to him not seeking righteousness by faith after much striving of God with them and long-suffering toward them cast off from being his People Rom. 11.20 21 22. Matth. 21.41 42 43 44. as to the body of them the Kingdom taken from them and given to the Nations that were Vessels of dishonour comparatively to them The vessels of dishonour being made vessels of Mercy and the vessels of Honour vessels of Wrath. Such the Soveraignty of God over both the Honoured and Dishonoured notwithstanding his purposes of honouring the one above the other and dispensing that Honour freely to them according to his purpose onely in this the purpose of God toward them the Jews seems Absolute Rom. 11.25 28 29. Jer. 30.11 33.25 26. 46.27 28. and not to be Repented off that a remnant of them shall be reserved in all Ages from Perishing from off the Earth by any or all the Judgments that shall befall them who also shall at length see and be convinced of their Evil way and return to God again though that and the Promise to David of a perpetual Seed may be accomplish'd in Christ the Seed of Jacob and David after the Flesh and a Seed or Church to be always through the grace of God reserved to him which yet may and will be through this or that particular person abusing the grace and honour he is chosen to may be rejected and hardened by him and that also for the Publick good and warning of others not to presume to Sin against God because of any such Honour chosen to even as his more Exemplary mixing of Mercies with his Judgments having Mercy on whom he pleases Act. 9.3 4 5 6. with Gall. 1.16 17. and Act. 26.19 when he might harden and destroy them as on Paul when he Judged him and smote him down upon the Earth and might have destroyed him yet humbling himself in that Judgment and being not Disobedient to the Heavenly Vision he shewed such Mercy as not onely to forgive and spare him but upon his Submission to take him into special Favour and Honour that he might be a Pattern of his Mercy and Long-suffering and readiness to Save Sinners in submitting to him and so might be an Incouragement to others As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 22.16 is Why tarryest or delayest thou to Believe that do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delay to Believe on him 1 Tim. 1.15 16. Such Dispensations of Mercy are for the Publick Good and incurragement of all others to betake themselves to Christ in whom there is such Mercy But I have spoken to these things before Part. 1. Chap. 1. Sect. 3. And am fallen upon God's Dispensations to which it remains that I nextly speak CHAP. VI. Of God's Dispensations of the knowledge of himself and of his Truth to Men. The Preface HItherto we have considered of the Purposes of God touching which it is safer I conceive thus to understand and speak with sobriety as I hope I have done then to climb Metaphorically into the nature of God's Willing Knowing and Purposeing so as to Clash with his Declarations of himself and Pervert the Truth of his Heavenly Doctrine to Mens Destruction making them believe That what ever God says yet he hath purposed Mens Sin and Misery so and upon such termes as they could not possibly avoid them And that they were never their own Mercies that they miss and deprive themselves of never had any thing afforded to them conducing to their Peace c. But now let us come to view the Dispensations of God to Men as briefly as we may not to speak of all his Dispensations which are various yea innumerable not possibly to be comprehended or conceived by us though all according to his good pleasure in Christ Jesus and none of them clashing with the Truth of his Doctrine but onely of the Dispesations of the Knowledge of Himself his Truth and Doctrine to men and so such means and mercies as tend to their Repentance and Salvation as considered in some general heads of them SECT 1. Of the Means or Mediums made use of by God and vouchsafed to men for making known his truth to them and leading them to Repentance GOd vouchsafeth unto men divers Mediums of dispensing or holding forth the knowledge of himself and truth in Christ to them Joh. 1.18 Exod. 33.20 who is not to be known immediately or by any direct sight of his essence and being by us mortals but by some Mediums declaring him to us and those are of two kinds generally by one or both of which he hath always declared his Being and Mind to men viz. 1. By his works of Creation and Providence upheld by Christ Psal 75.1 2 3. and ordered through him for and about sinners since the fall which though they speak not distinctly and audibly who this God is or that Jesus is the Christ or that there hath been such a sacrifice offered up for us as the Scriptures mention yet they do in the wisdom of God more confusedly Psal 19.2 3 4. 145 10. but always truly and righteously though by reason of our great ignorance and darkness less intelligibly to us hold forth the substance of the doctrine to be believed by us 1 Cor. 1.21 Job 1.4 5. Psal 19.1 Rom. 1.19 20 21. Job 5.8 9. Act. 14.15 17. 17.26 27. Rom. 1.32 2.4 5 14. Psal 36.7 145.9 16 17 18. and of the obedience required of us namely that there is a glorious God the Maker and Orderer of all things and that he is Eternal Almighty Infinitely Wise Good c. That he is to be sought after loved worshipped and cleaved to by us that we are sinners against him and deserve death and wrath and yet that God is Gracious and Good to sinners loath to destroy them in a word that God is and that he is the
rewarder of them that seek him out or diligently seek him the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe in him And to this the Scriptures bear witness telling us that therein even in the works of God God and his truth are held forth to men to their very Hearts and Consciences even that which is to be known of God his Being Power Eternity Goodness so as leading to repentance and to glorifie him as God and be thankful to him feel after him yea and so as affording argument and motive to trust in him in our miseries and dangers as may be seen Rom. 1.18 19 20 21 28. 2.4 5. Job 5.7 8 9. So that even they that have but them and what God by his Spirit is manifesting in men through them if they be not led to repentance by them and if they do not glorifie him as God and become thankful to him are without excuse which glorifying him as God must needs be to have such honourable apprehensions of him and affections towards him as become him according to the measure of the manifestation afforded by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their being without excuse must needs with reference to that signifie that they can plead no just excuse for their not so thinking of him and affecting him and so demeaning themselves towards him as becomes the Majesty and Goodness of God they cannot plead ignorance or want of sufficient power and grace afforded to have led them thereunto the things of God being not only outwardly set before them in his Works but also so shined into them as that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being considered or minded they may be evidently seen 'T is true they do not distinctly discover Christ as made man and suffering and dying for us but that glory goodness and mercy of God which by means of Christ is streamed forth more generally to men is in great measure manifested in them Joh. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. Heb. 1.3 And the God they witness and lead to is Christ and God in him inasmuch as it is Christ and the Father in and by Christ who was the Creator Upholder and Orderer of them the heavens declare the glory of God his Greatness Power Majesty and Goodness c. and the Firmament sheweth his handy work who made them day to day teacheth knowledge and night to night uttereth Speech Psal 19.1 2. yea they declare that his name is near so as it may in some measure be seen known and understood of men Psal 75. 〈◊〉 All his Works praise commend and set him forth even him who is God o◠Saviour God in Jesus Christ in by and through whom he only ordere◠and disposeth of them Psal 145 1◠Now concerning this way of evidencing himself and truth let these thing◠further be minded 1. That this is an universal Medium of manifesting himself and truth to men both in respect of times and places in all ages and to all People and Nations he affordeth this discovery of himself as Psal 19.3 there is no Speech or Language where their voyce is not heard their lin◠is gone out into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world so as that by these Preachers or Declarers of his Name to be called upon by men it is truly said they have all heard Rom. 10.18 and upon whom doth not his light arise Job 25.3 in this Medium Christ the Word with the Father even that word that was made flesh is the true light lighting every man coming into the world Joh. 1.9 2. That it is not good to argue from what men perceive in and by them to what they speak or hold forth to men no more than its from a blind or purblind mans sight to the things presented by way of object to him they speak forth as much of God as any do rightly discern by them yea and more But all that they speak or signifie it to do not perceive or see what they signifie Something may and oft is set before men that they do not see and often more than they see who see something 1 Cor. 1.21 they set forth God in the wisdom of God though man in his wisdom discerns or knows or approves it not the light shines in the darkness Jo◠1.5 though the darkness in which it shines comprehends it not we may not say there is not so much held forth to all Gods Works as some wiser Philosophers and Poets see because all did not see so much as they though probably some see more and better but rather argue there was so much held forth to all because some did see so much to be held forth the difference was in the sight not in the object nay we that have more light see by that light that they testifie by way of interpretation and intimation of the Ransom and Mediation of Christ and sure they do so and did so always and to all since the sall else the light could not discover that they do so The Object is the same in it self in the light and in the dark in more light and in less though it is not so seen in the dark or in a less light as in a greater yea and the light is one in it self to a quicker and duller sight though a duller sight see not so well by it as a quicker 3. That much less are we to confound with the testimony of God in his Works or that his Works give of him the collections and conceptions of men which they have gathered from his Works in their corrupt wisdom while lifting up themselves in their thoughts and boasting themselves to be wise they have become fools and their foolish hearts were darkned in them Rom. 1.21 22 23. as the Apostle speaks plainly distinguishing between what God manifested by his Works to and in men and what they becoming vain in their imaginations and much more when for that vanity they were given up of God to a reprobate mind concluded from them and traditionally laid down for truth concerning him as about the plurality of Gods the acceptableness of Image-worship to him things clearly discovered to be false even by the light of God shining in those Works as by that Paul reproved them Act. 17.24 25 26 27. The Philosophers conceived and taught many things from what they see in Gods Works which yet his Works did not signifie to them even as many now do collect and gather many things from the words of God perverted by them and set up forms of faith and worship which yet were never therein taught by him 4. That without question God that is no respecter of persons Act. 10.34 Rom. 2.11 accepts all in every Nation who by such means as he affords them sincerely grope after him and seek him and therethrough are brought to fear him and work righteousness upon the account of and through Christ the Saviour of the World and Mediator of God and
men even before and though they attain not a distinct knowledge of him yea and for his sake passes by such infirmities and mixtures as through ignorance and weakness and the prevailing customs of places not seen by them to be evil may cleave to them they that by nature do the things contained in the Law or written Doctrine their uncircumcision shall be counted to them for circumcision and glory honour and peace shall be to every one that doth good not only to the Jew that had Instruction and the Law but to the Gentile also that was without Law and had not that Instruction the Jew had Rom. 2.7 9 10 11 14 26 27 28 29. and therefore are said to do it by nature not as corrupted but as prevented only with that goodness and truth of God manifested in men by and through his works without the written and vocal Instruction to the Jews superadded And of such as these probably our Saviour meant inclusively when he said Many shall come from the East Matth. 8.12 and from the West c. and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God when the Children of the Kingdom born and brought up in Gods Church and under the nature of his Instructions and Ordinances should be thrust out for though there can be no salvation but by Christ yet there may be salvation through him to them that distinctly hear not of him 〈◊〉 in the case of Infants dying in their â—fancy may be seen This then is oâ— Medium of Gods making known the Object of Divine Faith or his truth to meâ— in part with reference to their salvation 2. The other way is by his Word aâ— distinguished from that silent language of his Works an express speaking forth by intelligible and vocal sayings or visionary representations to mens Spirits the truths to be believed by men And this also he did and thus dispensed the knowledge of himself to men divers and sundry ways and at divers and several times Heb. 1.1 2. which dispensations as to the acts of dispensing both by Works and Words are to be distinquished from the thing or object dispensed that being but one in it self these very different and divers as in this latter way 1. To some he dispensed the knowledge of himself and truth in some measure by more immediate revelations of himself as to Adam in Paradise Gen. 2.16 Eâ—od 20. 17. 3.8 9. and to Moses and the People at Mount Sinai in the Wilderness but fully and most immediately to Jesus Christ 2. To some by Angels ministring the knowledge of God to them and that either waking as to Abraham Gen. 18.1 2 3. 22.11 15 16. Jacob Gen. 32.1 2. Moses Exod. 3. Zachary the Father of the Baptist Luke 1.9 10 11. Maâ—y the Mother of our Lord vers 28 30 and divers others or in dreams and visions as to Nathan Psal 89.19 Dan. 7. 8. 10. Joseph Matth. 1.20 2.12 and divers others 3. To some by his Spirit more secretly insinuating it self into their hearts with the knowledge of God as to the Prophets and Apostles more ganerally 2 Sam. 23.2 Ephes 3.5 4. In these last days by the personal appearance and vocal ministration of Jesus Christ himself both to his Disciples and to the World Heb. 1.1 2 3. 2 3. 5. To some he more mediately dispensed the knowledge of his Truth by the ministration of those to whom he had more immediately first declared it and that either 1. By their vocal preaching of it as by the preaching of the Prophets and Apostles to the People amongst whom they were sent 2 Pet. 3.2 3. Rom. 16.25 26. Epes 4.11 12. and so by the vocal Preaching of the Evangelists Pastors Teachers though but secondary Ministers of it amongst all which the Preaching of Jesus Christ our Lord in his personal ministration may be reckoned as prime and chief he being both a more or most immediate and also a mediate Revealer of it in divers respects Joh. 1.18 most immediate as the Eternal Word the Son of God in the Bosom of the Father mediate as he was also Man Matth. 4.17 and as the Manhood 〈◊〉 imployed in the making out the Wiâ— the Father brought down by the Woâ— 2. By their Writings the Scriptures 〈◊〉 Truth 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. 3.2 3. 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. Joh. 5.39 indited by the instinct and direcâ— on of the Holy Ghost and left upon record for the instruction and helpfulneâ— of after ages also and of all people 〈◊〉 whom they are by providence ordered even such as to and amongst whom 〈◊〉 Prophets Apostles and the rest of thâ— heavenly Pen-men never vocally Preached Now this Preaching by Word â—ther as spoken or written added to 〈◊〉 former the works of God gives a moâ— distinct sound and signification to pâ—dull creatures and brings the knowledgâ— of God as to the declaration of it nearâ— to us yet speaks the same things that 〈◊〉 Works speak The Book of Ecclesiastes both agree to praise anâ— commend God to men Joh. 1.4 5 6 7 1 Cor. 1.21 22 23. Psal 145.9 10. anâ— to cry all flesh is grass and so in debasiâ— of man and all other things as to maâ— happiness that he may be made to enquiâ— after God look to and acquaint himseâ— with him and imbrace his grace and favation through Christ brought to them But the Revelation by word is and muâ— more as added to the former more foâ— and significant and speaks out more aâ— more distinctly what the other did bâ— darkly hint and signifie and thereforâ— also more is required and expected froâ— those which have this latter also thaâ— from those that had or have the former only SECT 2. That the Dispensation of the Word or Oracles of God was neither so Vniversal as that of his Works nor to all Ages the same as to clearness and fulness but different to divers Ages and to divers Persons in the same Ages QUestionless there hath been no Age of the World in which God did not reveal his Mind by his Words unto men Tit. 1.2 from the very Creation and Fall to this day we live in yea we may say there hath scarce been any person if any capable of understanding to whom the Word even Christ as the Light of the World hath not by some means and in some measure of his Light and Truth addrest himself as is signified Joh. 1.4 5 9. yet we may say that in many Ages the words of Truth Psal 147.19 20. Act. 14.16 17. or more express significations of his Mind by Law and Doctrine have not been generally afforded to all men nor in all Ages alike to any men It pleased God in that matter as we have seen in what we said of his purposes to discriminate some people from other Rom. 3.1 2. 9.3 4 9 〈…〉 Cant. 〈…〉 16. 〈…〉 7. 〈…〉 and Elect and Chuse some out from amongst the rest
space 700. years according to Bishop Vsher 717. SECT 8. Of the Age of Christ his Incarnation and Manifestation in the Flesh to men and thenceforth to the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and so on WHat should I need to speak of the times of Christs appearance and since when the day-spring looked down from on high and visited us more gloriously than ever and what was all along pointed to before as to come was it self brought forth and as to the works of his coming in the Flesh accomplished Surely then God gave forth the truth yet more abundantly And yet we may consider some diversity in his Dispensations then with reference to divers times 1. Immediately before the appearing of Christ his Birth and manifesting amongst men there was given certain notice to some that he was about to come as also by the Writings of the Prophets there was ground to expect him and he was expected about that time but more particularly notice was given to Simeon Luk. 2.26 an holy and devout man and as some write one of Sanhedrim or Great Council of the Nation that he should not 〈◊〉 before he had seen the Lords Christ 〈◊〉 Zachary the Father of the Baptist 〈◊〉 revealed that he should have a Son 〈◊〉 his Wife Elizabeth Luk. 1.13 14 17. that should be 〈◊〉 forerunner and go before his face according to what was prophesied by Malachy Luk. 1. To the Virgin also that she should conceive and bring him forth And both by the Virgin and Zachary and Elizabeth was he witnessed to before his Birth After his Birth he was made known to 2.10 11 12 13 14 17 27 28 29 30 36 37 38. and by the Shepheards by Simeon also and Anna a Prophetess as also to and by certain Wise Men or Magi that came out of the East Country to seek and worship him Matth. 2. Before his being manifested by way of ministration to the people John the Baptist was sent of God to bear witness to him who also did clearly testifie of him and point to him as a person then born and amongst them Behold John 1.5 6 7 15 16 29 30 31 32 33 34. Matt. 3.16 17. saith he to them the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World witnessing that he had seen the heavens open upon him when he was baptized by him and that the Holy Ghost in a visible form like a Dove as it was fore-given him of God as a sign to know him by descended and sat upon him and God himself out of Heaven witnessed to him that he was his well-beloved Son in whom he was well-pleased so that God vouchsafed to John and by him to the people a clearer discovery of him than 〈◊〉 or by any of the Prophets that went before him with respect to which it is said That amongst those that were born of women there had not arisen a greater then John the Baptist Matth. 11.12 2. In the time of Christ's Personal Appearing and Manifesting Himself to and amongst Men from the time of his Baptisme to his Ascention he Ministred the Knowledge of God to Men by his Personal Preaching and Miracles and gave himself a Ransom for many accomplishing by his Death and Resurrection the Prophecies in that behalf going before concerning him Therein both by Words and Works he made manifest the way of Life both to the World and to his Disclples more especially to whom it was given to know The Mysteries of the Kingdom even such Mysteries as many wise Men and Prophets had desired to see and saw not and to hear but heard not they being blessed with a sight and knowledge of these things which were peculiar to that Age even to be Eye-witnesses of the Sufferings and Glory of Christ and to have familiar Converse with him their Eyes feeing and their Ears hearing and their Hands handling of the Word of Life that was before Promised from the Beginning but then was Manifest in the Flesh and Conversed therein with them of which the wise and prudent of the Jews and the greatest part of the People deprived themselves by not seeing what they see and 〈◊〉 hearing what they heard but closeing the Eye least they should see and stopping the Ear lest they should hear and understand with their Hearts and be Converted and Healed by him Matt. 13.11 12 13 14 15 16. For before them also his Doctrine and Miracles were such as might have convinced them that he was the Christ But to his Discipls he opened all things they see and followed him in his Temptations see his Sufferings and Eat and Drank with him after his Resurrection till he was taken up into Heaven of which also they the Apostles especially were Eye-witnesses But yet 3. In the times after his Ascension was the clearest manifestation of the Mystery that ever was vouchsafed by his pouring forth his Spirit the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation and power into and upon those his Apostles and Disciples giving them to see into and understand the Mystory of his Will even the ends and vertues of and the grace of God to Mankind in all those things of Christ done and suffered by him and the meaning of his Words and Doctrine delivered to them by him by which also they were furnished being thereto before his Ascention Commissionated to open the Mysteries and grace of God to all Men to Jews and Gentiles according to the utmost opportunities thereto given them And they also during their continuance upon Earth reased not faithfully and fully to declare the mind and Testimony of God to men and to endeavour to make them see the fellowship of the Mystery God mightily bearing Witness to them by many Signes and Wonders and Gifts of the Holy Ghost to the filling the Earth with the Knowledg of him and of his Salvation so as that by that time Jerusalem was Destroyed and their Nation dispersed and carried Captive they had sounded forth the word of Truth in and unto most if not all Nations so as that though they were but an handful of Corn in the top of the Mountains yea their Fruit shaked like Lebanon as was fore-told Psal 72.16 Yea and afterwards too the word they had sowed up and down the world took Root and sprang up and filled the world with Fruit till through many Persecutions and Cruelties endured by those that Believed and by the Blood of the Lamb and Word of their Testimony they leavened the face of the World so as that the Emperours and Rulers of it imbraced the Profession of it also and their Word and Doctrine they the Apostles also delivered in Writing to be transmitted to Posterity which even to these times yet remaineth with us Though it is true that 4. In the succeeding times the Watchmen being not so Vigelant as Satan the envious One the Tares of false Positions or Doctrines and of loose and evil Live◠too presently began to be sown in the World after
Philopastor and others Recorded both in the Books of the Maccabees and alluded to in Heb. 11. Did they not more brightly sparkle forth the Knowledge of God and notifie him and his Truth professed by them amongst and unto their adverse Nations And as for the Roman Monarchy the Jews were soon known unto them sending to them and entring a League with them as in the Book of the Macchabees is also mentioned They had Wars also with Pompey who took their City Jerusalem their Kings Herod Aristobulus and others held their Kingdoms of them and the Jews and Romans had much converse upon many occasions they had their Synagogues dispersed up and down throughout their Dominions Under that Monarchy was Christ born lived and wrought his Miracles suffered dyed rose ascended sent abroad his Disciples into all Nations yea and beside their going abroad Pilate is said to have certified Tiberius of the Acts of Christ and his Famous Miracles and that Tiberius moved it to the Senate to receive him for a god as Tertullian in his Apology for the Christians Chap. 5. and 21. relates And the Jews having Synagogues all over there were Proselytes and fearers of God also scattered up and down the World as is clearly implyed Joh. 12.20 both by what is related of the Greeks that coming to Worship desired to see Jesus and more plainly by what is said Act. 2. Dr. Hammond on the places Act. 2.5 9 10 11. Of Jews devout men out of every Nation under Heaven abiding at Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost Parthians Medes Elamites or Persians dwellers in Mesopotamia Judea Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphidia Egypt and the parts about Lybia about Cyrene and strangers of Rome Jews and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians And in Act. 13.21 it 's said that Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach him Act. 10.1 2. 11.19 20. 13.5.14.50 14.1 16.12 13 14. 17.1 10. 18.2 4 7 8 12 19. 19.8 28.17 c. being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day whence also so frequent mention of the Jews and of devout Men and Women worshippers and fearers of God where the Apostle went in his Travels to Preach the Gospel found by him before his Preaching to them So that it appears that in all Ages many of the Gentiles too had some rumors of the God of Israel and opportunities given them to enquire after and acquaint themselves with his Word Oracles and Worship To which we might add if we shall give credit thereto what is recorded of the Sybils and their Prophesies August also De Civitat Dei lib. 18. cap. 23. mentioned both by the ancient Christians and before them by Heathens as by Varro Cicero Virgil Aul. Gellius Amongst the Christians of the first Ages Justin Martyr mentions his sight of one of their places of Residâ—nce in his Exhortation to 〈◊〉 Gentiles and Lactantius is very large 〈◊〉 reciting divers of their Verses in whâ—â—â— they speak very distinctly of the Unity 〈◊〉 Oneness of God vanity of Idols of the coming of the Son of God his Birth of a Virgin his taking away Sin and every evil thing To say nothing â—f Hydaspes Trismegistus Orpheus and others mentiononed in Lactantius and Eusebius his Praepar Evaugel the Destruction of Rome the Resurrection of the Dead and the Great Judgment c. which whoso pleases may if they can Read him see more of in the Works or Writings of Lactantius especially in his Fourth and Seventh Books And indeed the fulness and clearness of the Testimony given to Christ in them as his being the Son of God and God his Healing and working Miracles by his Word his Sufferings and Death and Resurrection and the like hath caused many to suspect their Verses to have been framed by some Primitive Christians out of a Pious Fraud as they call it to draw in the Heathens more to Christ which to me seems an uncharitable thought of those first Christians abundantly spoken to by way of confutation by the Reverend Bistop Montague in his Acts and Monuments I should rather say with Austin Quisquis Alienigena De Civit. Dei lib. 18. cap. 47. c. If any Strangâ— that is not descended of Israel nor received by that People in the Canon of the Holy Scriptures is read to have Prophesied any thing of Christ he may be cited by us over and above not because there is need of him if he were not mentioned but because it is not easily believed that there were also in other Nations some Men to whom this Mystery was revealed and that they were carried out by a certain impulse to foretell it whether they themselves were partakers of the same Grace they spake of or were void of it or were taught it by evil Angels as we know they did profess Christ when he was present whom the Jews acknowledged not nor do I think that the Jews durst deny that some pertained to God besides the Israelites since the time that Esau being rejected Israel gan to propagate and encrease in the World Indeed there was no other people called the People of God properly but they but that there were certain Men Citizens of the Heavenly Countrey and pertaining to the true Israelites not by an Earthy but a Heavenly Society in other Nations also they cannot deny as in the Holy man Job c. Certain it is that the Sybils were made mention of as Prophetesses of great note amongst the Gentiles and their Writings sought for and laid up at Rome by the Senate before the time of Christ's birth what we read in Virgil as uttered by the Cumaean Sybil though applied by him to Augustus Cesar and his times savours of what might be said of them concerning Christ and can be applied to none but him for therein is mention made of Purging away our Sins bringing in Peace and Prosperity renewing the World into its Golden or Paradise Estate And the Acrosticks mentioned in Austin are to the same purpose the initial Letters thereof composing this sentence Jesus Christ the Son of God the Saviour and why might not the Lord reveal something of Christ to them and suffer them to utter it as well as to Balaam who though a false Prophet yet prophesied of Christ as is to be seen Numb 24.17 But enough is said before to shew the truth of our Assertion laid down in the title of this Section viz. That in all Ages and in the times of every of the four Monarchies of the World some Beams at least of the Revelation of God and his Truth as by Words and Oracles have shined forth to and amongst the Gentiles so as they have had some opportunities and advantages of hearing of them and seeking the knowledge of him by them The Summ and Conclusion of this Chapter is That though the Truth of God in it self practicable to men be but one and the same yet the Revelations Manife-stations and
his Family alive to new people the World 2. By him even Noah was the right way of faith and worship again proâ—gated to all men by Word and Sacriâ— so as it might have been received and retained by them successively But thouâ— Noah himself and Shem his Son lived long time yet before Abrahams time less than four hundred years they had very generally turned aside from the fa◠〈◊〉 sincerity of worship again and made themselves Gods of their own devising 〈◊〉 offered their Sacrifices to them But God in great mercy that his Truth 〈◊〉 the Witnesses of it and way of Worship might not be quite lost out of the world took pitty on it and called and chose out Abraham and his Family and gave to them both the further revelation of the Faith with its Ordinance and added also as further promises so another outward Ordinance too for witnessing and â—aling the same viz. the Ordinance of Circumcision SECT 4. Of Circumcision given to Abraham and his Seed CIrcumcision which was a Religious cutting off the Foreskin of the Flesh or member of Generation was the next outward Ordinance then appointed of God to men And it began to be an Ordinance of God in Abrahams time and so was not of so early a beginning nor of that Universal extent as the Law for Sacrificing nor so universally received and practised by men but given to and praâ—â—ised by Abrahams family and those that were willing to joyn themselves with them And it was given to him not only to be given to him not only to be practised on himself and his Family but to be delivered by him them as an Ordinance to be observed them in their generations Gal. 3.8 After God 〈◊〉 made his promise of blessing all Nation in him and his Seed In his Seed as 〈◊〉 person in whom the blessing should 〈◊〉 and in him as he with whom the righâ— way of faith and worship was deposited and after he had promised tomultiply his Seed Heb. 11.13 14 15 16. both Spiritual and Carnal and had promised him not only an Earthly but a Heavenly Country that it might be evident that Christ and the grace brought in by him was the foundation of this Ordinance also Though this Ordinance had some further and other significations than that of Sacrifice for though the Death and Bloodshed of Christ might be implied in it in that by Bloodshed men were admitted into the Church of God in Abrahams Family yet it was given also further Rom. 4.11 as the Apostle says as a siâ—n and seal of the righteousness of the faith that Abraham had being yet uncircumcised And so it was 1. A sign in their flesh both of Gods Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed concerning the blessing all Nations in him and of his owning and taking Abrahams Family for his Church and People and so to be as a Sign or Mark of the People with whom the right Faith and Worship was deposited as also a Sign of the way of right believing and coming to be of Abrahams spiritual Seed under the promise of righteousness and â—ing viz. that the way thereto 〈◊〉 by attending to and receiving his faith or doctrine concerning the promised Seed singly cleaving to him and letting go all confidence in their natural birth and what they thereby were as corrupt and lothsom and so all fleshly priviledges to be cut off and cast away so as to confidence for blessing or life to be placed therein nor in any fleshly thing a Parts Wisdom Goodness Righteousness of their own c. which should all be let go for Christ the promised Seed that they might by believing the testimony of God concerning him be made in him and so of the Seed of Abraham after the Spirit and inherit the blessing as also that the way for Abraham and his Seed to beget Children to God to be heirs with him is not to consult with the Wisdom or use the weapons of the Flesh nor by natural and carnal generation but by the word of God the simplicity of the faith of Christ to be held forth by him Nor was it only his natural Seed that might come into Christ and have this blessing but any man and therefore he was to instruct and disciple as it were all that were under his power and dispose to circumcise all born in his house or bought with his mony nor were any to be accounted of that society of external Worshippers but those that had of received that sign or badge of the Covenant as none are of the Spiâ— Seed but those that suffer the Spirituâ— Circumcision in Christ to pass upon theâ— and so rejecting all fleshly glorying and confidence do worship God in the Spirit and Truth according to his Faith or Doctrine It was also 2. A Seal or Confirmation of the Righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised by which faith may be meanâ— either 1. That Object of Faith that Truth or Doctrine he believed and preached which was both Rom. 4.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. That in him and in hâ—â— Seed all the Nations should be blessed Gal. 3.8 and that God would give hiâ— a numerous Seed especially as to his Spiritual Seed that should be heirs of the world the world to come in its renewed state with him and then the Righteousness of the Faith so taken signifieth either The righteousness of it that it is the right and true faith that men ought to imbrace and believe as pertaining to Christ and the blessing in him for all Nations and the blessedness of his Sprititual Seed and their enjoyment of the world to come or else also 2. The righteousness prepared for all Nations contained in the word Blessing that is the forgiveness of sins and the justification preached in that Faith and Doctrine even as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord â—tes righteousness without works say 〈◊〉 Blessed is the man whose iniquities are â—ven and whose sins are covered Rom. 6 7. or else 〈◊〉 By Faith is meant that believing of that Doctrine and so in God that was â—nd in Abraham before he received that Ordinance of Circumsicion for it was â—fied of him before that he believed â—ording to what was said to him and that was accounted to him for righteousness and so the righteousness of his faith also taken may either signifie the rightness and truth of his so believing or also his righteous account he had with God therethrough Gods justification and acceptation of him but I think the former 〈◊〉 of Faith and its Righteousness is â—ant rather by the Apostle So that by this Ordinance was Sealed both that that was the Faith and Truth to be believed by whosoever would come in to them yea by â—ll men as it might be to them declared and that therein is held forth the true Righteousness and way to Righteousness 〈◊〉 all Nations viz. that in so believing God as Abraham did
the Miracles wrought by him as they were confirmations of him and his Doctrine so they had also some significant intimation of the grace brought in by him As the spiritual healing enlivening and saving of men But this was the General and first end of all God's Miracles to demonstrate himself his Truth and People to Men touching which Miracles I note 1. That they were not at all times nor ordinarily wrought for then would they not have been taken for Miracles but upon some special times or upon special occasions As 1. When God brought Israel out of Aegypt to manifest himself to be the true God and Israel his People and to prepare them for his Law and evidence it to be his and so in his Call in them to be and setting them up for his Church with whom his Truth and Worship should be deposited that the residue of the Nations all about might know which was the true God and which his Church and 〈◊〉 where to seek and find him and hiâ— Truth Therefore he set his signes in Aegypt and in the Wilderness to get himself a glorious Name or an everlasting Name as Isaias says and to make his Name known in all the Earth as he said by Moses Isa 63.12 14. Exod. 9.16 We read of few Miracles before except we account the preservation of Noah in the Ark and the Destruction of Sodom for such and surely there might be less need then because of the long Lives of the Patriarks and first Fathers amongst men to hold forth the truth to them 2. In the time of the Apostacy of Israel to manifest to the halting People who was the true God and which his Worship and so to turn their hearts back again as in the times of Elias and Elisha 1 King 18.36 37. 2 King 2. and 3. and 4. and 5. and 6. and 7. c. 3. In the time of the Captivity Jonas 1. 2. 3. Dan. 3. 3. 6. Isa 38. 39. Job 20.31 and a little before in Jonah's time for making known himself and his people amongst the Heathen to prepare them to receive his Message and confirm his poor Captives that waited upon him and give them favour amongst their Enemies 4. At the coming of Christ in the Flesh and his Actual Preaching the Kingdom of God and accomplishing the things of our Salvation to make him manifest to be the Christ and that to be the truth that was Preached by Him and his Apostles in his Name Mat. 11.5 6. Heb. 2.3 4. 〈◊〉 In seting up or taking to himself from aâ—ong the Gentiles a people to be his church 〈◊〉 which the residue of men might resort to seek him Dent. 4. Act. 15.3 4 12 14 15 16 17. 2. That though God wrought many of his Miracles so as they were conspicuous to and amongst the Gentiles yet Israel were Witnesses of more of them then the Gentiles till after Christ's Ascention Israel had the preheminence too in this Dispensation 3. That it was not God's mind that people should look for Miracles to be the foundation and ground of their Faith but that they should believe and have their Faith grounded upon his Doctrine to which he bare Testimony by those Miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost as and when he pleased especially after he had by such Miracles evidenced the Truth and therefore he faulted it as an evil and unbelieving and adulterous frame of heart to be requiring signs after he had sufficiently evidenced Himself Psal 44.1.2 3. 77.11 12. Isa 63.7 8 9 c. Psal 78.3 4 5 6 7 105.5 6 7 8. Joh. 20.29 7.37 38. Rom. 4.17 18. Heb. 4.2 and his Truth to men as Matth. 16.1 2 3 4. Joh. 〈◊〉 .48 Directing them to the Wonders and Miracles formerly wrought by him and to acquiesce and rest in his Authority and Truth as Witnessed thereby and not to be doting upon new Signes to satisfie thâ— vanity of their Minde thence we finâ— David and other holy Men of God ofteâ— mentioning and looking back to 〈◊〉 Works and Wonders of old and Goâ— ordering men so to do they that believâ— because they see being not so happy noâ— their Faith usually so firm as they thâ— believe and see not but believe accordiâ— to what is spoken and as the Scripture saith 4. That God having given a full Testimony to his Truth and to the Revelation of his Truth in these Last Days by his Son and confirming it also by divers Signes Miracles and Gifts of the holy Ghost would have us henceforth acquiesce in them and not either look after more Miracles to perswade us to believe nor receive any because they may work them for he hath fore-warned us that he will suffer Antichrist to come with Power and Signes and lying Wonders yea to shew great Signes and Wonders to try whither we will and do heartily love his Son and the Truth Revealed to us by and concerning him that so such as love him not nor acquiesce in his Truth as already witnessed and confirmed might be deceived by him and go to destruction Matth. 24.22 23 24. 2 Thess 2.9 10 11 12. 5. That though the generality of these Miracles wrought of God were wrought by his servants and people yet he gave not to all his People either to have the sight of them or much less power to work them but onely to some few and in some Ages as he pleased So that in these additional Dispensations also both of Ordinances and Miracles God hath used his own liberty and there hath been both as to Persons Peoples and Ages great diversity But we have been large enough upon this Branch of the Distinction as to God's Dispensations Let us now proceed to his Operations in and upon Men in and with these his Dispensations CHAP. VIII Of Gods Operations and first of those of them that are in Mercy and Directly his SECT 1. That the Operations of God are many of them very secret and not to be known or discerned but by his Word concerning them and therefore to be soberly treated of GOds Operations in and with the Dispensations of his Truth and the means thereof are certainly very intricate secret and incomprehensible as to the manner of them and therefore also great sobriety is to be used in our assertions concerning them taking the word of Truth altogether for our guide therein yea it is better soberly hereabout to profess our weakness and ignorance than to be rash and presumptuous for though its evident by the Scriptures that God and his Spirit accompany the means he affords to men Gen. 6.3 whence that My spirit shall not always strive with man implying that during the day of his patience He is striving as it is also asserted in 1 Pet. 3.19 That Christ by his Spirit preached to the Spirits of men now in prison and in Prov. 9.3 That Wisdom cries with and as well as her maidens unto men to call them to
with his grace as not onely his approving the heart and conscience but also blessing the Soul pouring out his Spirit into it and thereby making known his words giving it more light and truth and leading it into more good inabling it to go on yet further and follow after God still in his good ways and giving in comfortable encouragements thereunto in which the Soul still closing with and following after the Spirit receives more of its presence concomitancy strength and helpfulness and is followed still with more grace peace blessing goodness c. the holy Spirit entring into it and taking up his abode therein in his light life vertues operations grace as an indwelling Principle as a spring of living water bubling or springing up to everlasting Life Joh. 4.14 filling it with Lustings after God and against the Flesh and its evil and carnal operations For all the operations and workings in the believer Gal. 5.17 19. Rom. 7.20 21 22 23 24. are not the operations of God and his Spirit there is also in him while here the flesh and corrupt Nature and bent lusting and working in him against the Spirit being so far from being of it that it is altogether contrary thereunto But all the fruits of the Spirit as love joy peace patience c are the Spirits and so God's workings in the Soul yea they are the consequents of the Souls entertainment of and obedience to Gods gracious preventing operations and of its walking in his accompanying Influences Now these consequent operations are every where mentioned where God promises more Grace to men upon their listening to and obeying of him Prov. 1.23 35. Chap. 2.1 2 4 5 6. as Turn at my reproofs Behold I will pour out my spirit to you I will make known my words And again Whosh hearkneth to me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from the fear of evil And My son if thou receive my sayings so that thy heart keep my commandments so that thou incline thine ear to wisdome and apply thine heart to understanding c. then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God then thou shalt understand righteousness judgment equity and every good path Of the same nature are those sayings in John 14 15 16 17 21 23. And Psal 25.8 9 12 14. Good and upright is the Lord therefore by way of preventing operation he will teach sinners the way and then upon their being meekned by those first Teachings to which they tend it follows as a consequent work or operation The meek will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach that is further teach in his way All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant and his Testimonies What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse his soul shall dwell at ease The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he shall shew them his Covenant c. But why should I multiply Expressions here about seeing all the Promises of more Grace and Blessings almost are significations of the said operations onely this I may add That Gods operations of this nature are though not universal as to all men because all close not with his grace in his preventing operations yet universal and uniform in a sort to All that believe and obey the grace of God in every Nation and People and under every Dispensation of the means of Grace and Knowledge of God afforded to men for in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him there being no respect of persons with him though as to the measure of what he worketh consequently to mens faith and obedience there is and may be great difference yea and as to the things the gifts or graces thereby effected but in the main substance there is an unity and uniformity in his said workings All that follow on to know the Lord shall know him All that with meekness receive his Teachings shall be further taught and guided in judgment All that turn at his Reproof he will pouâ— out his Spirit to and make known his words to more or less his Promises to that purpose being general or universal to all such and He true and righteous in the performance of his Promises A great encouragement to All to close with and obey his Truth and Grace Thus to that distinction of his gracious operations into preventing accompanying and following operations SECT 7. The said gracious operations otherwise distinguished BUt the said gracious Operations may be also otherwise distinguished and are in the Scriptures distinctly mentioned under other Names as convincing converting regenerating or renewing healing comforting strengthning conforming and the like Of which briefly 1. God in and by his words and works and by his Spirit is convincing the hearts and consciences of men of his Being Goodness Truths of their own sinfulness and misery the vanity and worthlesness of their own works and righteousness the emptiness and fadingness of all Creature-injoyments the uncertainty of their lives the vanity and brutishness of their own thoughts and imaginations the evil and sinfulness of their ways c. according to the means afforded them and manifestations of his Truth in and by those means to and in them This kind of operation is often spoken of in the Scriptures as Prov. 1.23 Turnye at my reproofs my arguings or convinements of you Implying That Wisdom is arguing reproving and convincing men Again ver 25.30 John 16.7 8 9 10 11. Ye set at nought all my counsels and would none of my reproofs So our Saviour tells his Disciples That the Spirit which he would send them should reprove argue or convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Of Sin because they believe not on him c. And this is that which is called the Spirit striving with or judging in men Gen. 6.3 Gods standing in the Congregation of the Mighty Rev. 3.20 and judging among the Gods How long will ye judge unjustly and accept the persons of the wicked Psal 82.1 2. Christs standing at the door and knocking And in this operation is 1. A manifesting and evidencing his Truth more or less to men shining it into their Consciences and shewing it them As Rom. 1.19 2 Cor. 4.2 Yea and 2. An opening the Eye of the Mind or Conscience to see and discern it so as â—hey in some measure know or perceive 〈◊〉 both which are implyed in that we â—ake to above Of his preventing operaâ—ons Rom. 1.19 20 21. Act. 26.18 John 1.9 Joh. 5.25 and 6.63 Opening the eyes of the blind inlightning men â—at come into the World which may be also represented under another Metaphor of speaking to the Dead and causing them to hear or perceive what is spoken his words being Spirit and Life 3. As also a discovery of other Objects in and by that light as
to Satan and their own hearts to stir up envy and hatred against them Thus we find too God threatning obstinate people that refuse to walk in his ways or be warned by the sound of his Trumpet that he will lay stumbling blocks before them and the Father and Son shall fall together upon them Jer. 6.17 Isa 8.13 14. Rom. 9.33 18 21. Such was Christ's weakness Cross and abasement and the Fathers withdrawing from him 1 Cor. 1 2â— on the Cross to the Jews and Pharisees who out of envy put him to Death and the Preaching of the Cross to the generality of them 4. Yea we may add if we can conceive otherwise of it then as included in what is said By cursing his Blessings and even his own Ordinances to Men as Mal. 2.1 2. That they should be made as snares and traps to them for their abuse of them as in Psal 69.22 23 24 25. Let their table become a snare and that which was for their welfare a trap c. Yet this is so accidentally as it were by reason of their pride covetousness c. which apts them to take offence and boggle at the Word of God which altogether speaks in such was against them vexing galling and inraging them they loving their deeds that are evil and so becoming a Savour of Death unto Death to them Yea the very Spirit of God may work such Discoveries of their resisting and rejecting them to their very hearts as may occasion the heart retaining its love to iniquity to exert its wickedness and so occasionally harden it to desperate Rebellion and so may his Judgment too as in Rev. 16 8 9. And thus I conceive of God's hardening Operations or such Operations as attributed to him I shall close up this Chapter with Mr. Mallers Exposition of those Words in Psal 105.25 He turned their hearts to hate his people Not that God saith he was the Author of Pharaohs and the Aegyptians evil Counsels or that he put those crafty and wicked counsels into their minds For God is a God that wills not Iniquity c. Which sentence is repeared often in the Scriptures as in Deut. 32. Hos 11. Psal 92. Ezek. 33. Which with both hands or rather with our whole Soul is to be held fast by us that we may know that God is not the cause of any Sin nor doth he will effect or approve of the wickedness and obstinacy of the Wicked but the cause of Sin is the corrupt will of Man and the suggestion of the Devil but God is said to have perverted or turned Pharaâ—hs and the Aegyptians hearts in that he forsaking them left their preverse hearts such as they were naturally that they might pour out their hatred conceived against Israel which hatred was not of God but of their inbred malice pride covetuousness which because God did not correct or take away by his Grace he is said to have perverted or turned their hearts that the Godly might understand that those things which happen to them from such evil men come not unto them without his will This says he is the most sincere meaning of it and most consonant to the Scriptures To which agrees Aug. Tom. 2. contra Pelag. p. 300. God hardens not by putting Malice into men but by withdrawing his mercy from them And in his First Book against the 2 Epist of Pelag. chap. 18. No man is compelled by the power of God against his will either to good or evil but God forsaking men deservedly they go into evil and helping them undeservedly they are converted to good That Phrase of perverting them and hardning them used sixteen times in Exodus is not to be understood of any efficacious action of God but of his permission and forsaking as Aust Lib. 5. contrae Julianum For it is usual in the Hebrew Tongue that Verbs or words signifying Actions are put for the causes of Actions either truly such or such as without which they would not be which seeing they are the Will Power Permission it often falls out that they are to be expounded by I will I can I suffer or permit and by their own infinitive as Gal. 5. So many as are justified by the Law that is desire to be justified 1 Cor. 10. I please all men that is desire or endeavour it Luk. 8. Hearing they bear not that is will not hear Why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and hardned our hearts from thy fear that is Why hast thou left us and suffered us to erre c. And not rather drawn us back and governed us by thy Spirit that by our negligence malice or wickedness we rush not into evil c. Thus he which soberly construed and looked upon as the Judicial acts of God after Grace extended and rejected I conceive to be very right and Orthodox For which cause I have thus noted and transcribed it as worthy to be credited and received And thus much for the kinds of God's operations in which also we have shewed the manner of God's working in operations of this latter kind which respect the working of men to Sin or rather in what sense such operations may be Attributed to God I might have noted also That the same sentence of Truth or providence of God may have diverse operations in divers men as that saying of Christ to the Jews Joh. 8.32 If ye continue in my words then are ye my Disciples indeed and Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free As it occasionally offended and inraged those Jews so it might comfort others and instruct others in the way to obtain freedome and admonish others of and cause them to fear departing from his words and as the same cloud that protected the Israelites blew the Aegyptians into the Sea But I pass it and come to what remains viz. The manner of God's working in his Gracious Operations which are more properly directly and effectively his CHAP. X. Of the manner of God's working in Men by his grace preventing accompanying and following them SECT 1. That God's gracious operations are according to the counsel of his will and in some sense different and unlike IT is most certain that God as the Apostle says Ephes 1.11 worketh all things according to the counsel of his will All things namely that he worketh or we may not say That he worketh â—ens Sins and Evils in them or the works of the Devil which he came to destroy 〈◊〉 all things that he worketh he worketh according as his most infinitely wise â—nderstanding directeth and his will â—herein determineth without asking advice of or submitting himself to the guiâ—ance of any Creature whatsoever â—hough yet heither doth the Apostle thereâ— mean that he worketh nothing with respect to our wills and works for sureâ—y that is not so but in all his punishments and rewards as properly such he hath respect to the wills and workings of Men and so the counsel of his will
lest he should be ashamed of what he had boasted of them in Macedonia touching their forwardness and uses divers arguments to stir them up to go on with what they had begun and to do it cheerfully in that and the following Chapter By which it appears that God so works the will and the deed that men themselves may be said to begin and finish them in his operation Yea and not only the men themselves that will and do but others also may by way of instrumentality and motive be said to begin and finish the same too by divers kinds of efficiencies and operations But how could either the one or the other be said to begin and finish the to will and the to do if they were only patients in them and God wrought and effected the whole business in them and that so irresistably as that they could not but be effected in them yea and what need of taking care lest they should be backward in effecting what God absolutely effects and works wholly in them and out by them too as the conception I oppose herein conceiveth of him God then hath so his efficiency and operation in men to move and act them to will and to do as that men also have a subordinate efficiency too yea and so as they may so listen to corruption and temptation as to hinder and not work out the intendment of Gods operation in them He may purge and yet they not be purged as was before shewed So that need notwithstanding Gods working in us to will and to do yea therefore the rather to be exhorted to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling SECT 4. Isa 43.14 Considered and what some collect there from AGainst what I have here said touching the resistibility of Gods working in Men and mens stopping or smothering it some oppose that in Isa 43.14 where God says I will work and who shall let it whence they draw a general conclusion that whatsoever God works in anâ— man cannot be letted or hindred But to that I say its good to mind the scope of the Scriptures we alledge and hold to what they properly speak of and therein we cannot so easily miscarry Now its evident that that place in Isa 43. speaks not of his working in men by his gracious operations we are speaking of but of his delivering his people Israel who were precious in his sight and honourable out from their temporal bondages under their enemies as the Chaldees and Babylonians and so from the people of the North and South c. as both the Verses before and after shew and of that he says He will so work and effect it that none shall let or hinder it but maugre all oppositions of Men and Devils he would accomplish it Even as he did bring them out of Egypt mangre the malice of Pharoah and the Egyptians to hinder it but what is this to the business in hand the operations of the grace and truth of God in men and so of God in and by them We deny not but that what ever God will work and effect absolutely engaging thereto his omnipotency and power to effect it be it in men or about men it shall not nor can be letted The things that fall under his absolute Decrees and in and to which he is resolved to ingage his omnipotency absolutely there is no letting or hindring thereof but that I deny to be the way of Gods working by his grace and truth ordinarily in Men but upon condition by the failings or obstinancy rather of men in not yielding to which that which God conditionally offered to work and that he was in such ways working may be and often is hindred and men become as vessels broken upon the wheel as God is framing or working of them as in Jer. 18.3 4. he prevents with grace and moves and excites men to hear and listen to him and in so doing would work in them all his good work and in that way he would so work too as none should let him as he wrought so upon Naaman in his washing in Jordan but men may and often do not hear nor listen to him or having begun in the Spirit they abide not therein but turn away from him and so by observing lying vanities forsake their own mercies as is evident Psal 81.10 11 12 c. where God bids them having set them at liberty open their mouths wide and he would fill them in which he was moving them to listen to him but they refusing deprived themselves of what he would have done for them for he would he says have subdued their enemies and sed them with the finest of the Wheat had they hearkened to him which because they did not hearken they had not effected for and in them so in Jer. 13.11 he says he had caused Israel to cleave to him as the girdle cleaves to the loynâ— of a man even the whole House of Israel and the whole House of Judah that they might be to him for a people and for a name and for a praise and yet they refusing to hear never attained thereto but became as a girdle marredâ— good for nothing So that tho so far as God worketh absolutely in men is wrought nor can any man hinder its being so yet men may provoke him to undo what he hath wrought in many things and to take away what he hath given them and may hinder themselves of what he tenders to work further and would certainly work so as none should hinder it did they hearken to him and walk in his way prescribed to them by him of this I say men may hinder themselves by their refusing to hearken to him as the forecited Scriptures clearly hold forth as may be seen by any that can understand them SECT 5. Psal 110.3 Considered and what some conclude from it MAny alledge that of the Psalmist in Psal 110.3 to prove God's irresistible and infrustrable manner of working in bringing in some to God the words are Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness c. The words may rather be read Thy people free-will offerings in the dâ—y of thy power in the beauties of holiness c. â—mely shall bring or shall be or yield themselves free-will offerings there is no mention there of any compulsive irresistible bringing them in but rather of a free willing running to him and offering themselves to him in the beauties of holiness the Sanctuary that is Christ according to the truth this the posture of â—s people in the day of his power or arâ—es Now most certain it is that those who are Christ's people given to him of the Father that is that hear and learn of him in his teaching them and glorifying Christ to them as those two are put for the same thing in substance in Joh. 6.37 40 45 65. they come voluntarily willingly and freely to Christ and offer free-will offerings to
him in the day of his power or armies that is of his being glorified at God's right hand and in the Gospel which is the power of God to the salvation of those that believe or credit it and to the making them free and willing to serve him Rom. 1.16 and so in the day of his armies and companies going forth to propagate his Name and fight the good fight of Faith his people those that stand on his side and for him offer themselves freely Nay further it 's granted that no man makes himself willing to serve Christ but they that come to him his people are made free by his power working in his Gospel published to them his truth set before them and abiding by them as in that of John 8.30 31 32. If ye continue in my words that is hearing and receiving or minding them then are ye my disciples that is his people indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free set you at liberty from the love of sin and the world c. to serve and walk with God in holiness and righteousness and so offer up your selves free-will offerings to God Which place fitly expounds the other and yet clearly shews that that is a consequent operation of God following upon mens receiving and continuing in the truth preventing them and so becoming his people in which they are more made his or given up to him and so is propounded conditionally to such as do but begin to credit the truth and listen to it agreeing with that in John 6.44 45. No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him As it is written in the Prophets And they that is Sion's children the waiters upon God in the Doctrine given forth in Sion Isa 54.13 shall all be taught of God Every one therefore that heareth and learneth of the Father that is thy people shall come to me shall be a willing people Agreeable also to that is Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know c. And Isa 55.5 6. Thou shalt call a Nation that thou knewest not and a Nation that knew not thee shall run after thee shall be willing or voluntaries because of the Lord thy God and for the holy one of Israel for he shall glorifie thee Seek ye the Lord while he maybe found and call upon him while he is nigh c. As if he should say The glory of Christ discovered in his calls by the Father's teaching being beheld shall make people willing and free to follow Christ they that know or take notice of his Name will trust in him seek therefore to know that Name or discern that Glory c. This may indeed shew what we have noted before that they that yield up to the counsels and calls of God afforded with his preventing operations and so look or listen to Christ and God in Christ shall find the creative power of God framing their hearts to the love of Christ and causing them to run freely after him yea that hinders not but that men to whom those preventing operations are afforded may resist and wind out from the counsels and teachings of God therewith given them and so frustrate themselves of the creative operations that follow upon mens not so resisting Isa 53.1 They that believe not the report prove not the arm of the Lord that is to be met with therein by men Naaman not washing in Jordan had not felt the power of God to heal him Some I know urge that of Luke 14.23 Compel them to come in But that being spoken to the servants as to be their act can signifie no more than a more earnest urgency with men on their parts and cannot inforce the signification of any compulsive irresistible working of God and therefore I shall not further insist upon it SECT 6. 1 Cor. 4.7 Considered and Mens Collections from it SOme from that saying of the Apostle Who maketh thee to differ 1 Cor. 4.7 or what hast thou that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why dost thou then boast argue that it is and must be some more special irresistible grace of God afforded to some men more than to others that working irresistibly differences them in point of believing from others upon whom God doth not so irresistibly work and that they received from God their very doing better as to hearing and learning than others which if God had given to others as well as to them theâ— would have done yea must necessariâ— have done as well as they But here again Men mind not that they swerve from the Apostles scope and business and wrest or carry his words from the thing he treats about which is not of mens hearing the Word of God and giving heed to him in the means of Grace though that also is of God but of believers difference in their gifts and receipts of Gifts from God by occasion of which some were apt to be puffed up above others and some for one who had greater Gifts against another who had less as appears clearly in the former Verse To these he saith even to them who had more excellent Gifts Who made thee to differ or excel What hast thou What Gift or Excellency that thy Brother hath not which thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why dost thou then boast or pride thy self of it as attributing it to thy self and lifting up thy self above thy brother by it This is clearly and evidently the scope of the Apostle in that place which being kept to we cannot err by occasion of his words But if we will take his words and carry them from their scope we may perchance through our reason fall into mistakes as if we should thence argue that we have no cause or ground any of us to commend one mans diligence in the use of his talent and fault another mans slothfulness or that the slothful ought in like manner to be excused or not blamed as the other that hath less Gifts though diligent in them because as the one mans less Gifts proceed from God's good pleasure to give him less as but two talents when another hath five so the other mans slothfulness in like manner proceeded from God's good pleasure too that pleased not to give him such diligence as another hath Surely he that minds the Scriptures would see such an use of those words as so to argue from them to be but an abuse of them And so If we should thence conclude that God made Adam to differ from himself by falling from his created innocency or suppose there had been another man every way as perfect as Adam and no more free and able to stand than Adam and every way alike tempted and assisted as he must he needs have fallen as Adam did if so then how had Adam power to have stood and how was his fall meerly wilful and voluntary nay how can it
and ground and matter of Hope to beget them to God and nourish them up in God and what to require of them for Obedience and with what Arguments in part to provoke them thereto and deter them from Sin and Disobedience And Vse 4 4. It discovers and reproves many false and evil Opinions men have of God and Christ and Traditions and Documents of men too commonly preached for Truths as if God had only sent his Son for a part of mankind personally fore-purposed to eternal life and either made the rest to destroy them or left them in the fall of Adam without remedy sufficient to save them Principles tending to beget evil thoughts of God in the hearts of men and to make them give him the lye and throw away the foundation of Repentance and Faith and Hope and of Baptism and all Ordinances and Duties that he hath laid for them and sets forth to them and either to live carelesly and desperately as if sure already either of salvation or damnation inevitably or to establish to themselves a righteousness of their own and build upon foundations of Frames and Qualifications in themselves which are sandy and slippery and not of God's laying As also it reproves that evil way of too many Preachers who laying aside God's coner stone and foundation and neither daring to believe themselves nor hold forth to others the good will of God testified in the Gift and Death of his Son for all the true and right and clear bottom foundation of and medium for begetting all right Repentance Faith Hope Love and Obedience do teach men to lay such frames and conceipts of them for their bottom foundation of believing the Gospel And for the Vision of all the Rest wherewith the God would have the wearied Soul to rest and be refreshed and the foundation upon which all Precepts Reproofs Consolations c. are to be laid and by it supported for or instead hereof I say they lay Precept upon Precept Precept upon Precept Line upon Line Line upon Line here a little and there a little to mens destruction and making them have their fear towards God spring from and be ordered by the precepts of men bidding them believe repent hope love God and giving them directions and grounds of their own for so doing when they have taken away or made doubtful God's sure and certain ground for them even the Gift and Death of his Son and the Grace in his Son for them making the people also believe and look upon that as God's gracious will towards them which indeed was the false Prophets sin and God's judgment upon them as may be seen Isa 28.9 10 11 12 13 16. and 29.9 10 11 12 13. Many more evil Principles and Practices the Gospel-Doctrine reproves but this in brief from the first Branch of the Distinction leaving the rest to judicious Observation SECT 4. Brief Hints of Vsefulness from the other Branch about God's Purposes Dispensations and Operations and the diversity in them WHat we have noted about God's various Purposes Distributions and Operations may be also of good use upon divers accounts As Vse 1 First To stir us up to adore the manifold Wisdom and unsearcheable Counsels of God and with sobriety to acquiesce in what he hath revealed as being certain and sure Revelations of them and what was in them as also to acquiesce and rest in the equity and righteousness of God in all he saith and doth believed by us even in things we cannot fathom Vse 2 2. To admonish us not to judge of the Truth of the Gospel by what we see of the variety of God's Dispensations and Receipts of his Operations either with our selves or others seeing that the truth of the Gospel neither dependeth on them nor may be measured by them but to believe as Abraham did upon the Authority of God whose it is according to what is spoken and as the Scripture hath said Gal. 5.22 that so we may experience the Operations of God in our selves therethrough both towards God our selves and others such as the truth believed will work in us in all Godliness Sobriety Righteousness Peace Joy c. Rom. 4.17 Joh. 7.37.3 Vse 3 3. To admire and bless God for his more abundant bounty goodness and manifestations of his love and mercy in his Dispensations to us than to many other Nations and to take heed to make a right use and improvement thereof So as 1. Not to judge our selves thereby justified or accepted with God more than they because we have more for that is no good ground for so judging as appears Rom. 3.1 9 10 19. 2. Nor condemning and despising them as if because they have less therefore they are rejected of God and no hope of their salvation for neither is that true as hath been shewed and as appears Matth. 8.12 Rom. 2.25 26 27. Acts 10.34 But 3. Knowing that God requires more of us to whom he gives more 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Luke 12.48 see that we take heed that we receive not his grace in vain but walk more humblily and holily and suitably to God and his goodness least they rise up in judgment against us and while they appear many of them on the right hand of Christ admitted to fellowship with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God we our selves be cast out Math. 8.12 and 12.40 41 42. but walking in the grace bestowed upon us see that we pity and pray for them that God would give forth the clearer and revelations of his truth and of himself to them also that having means for more inâ—ged knowledge of him they may be also in more open way for obtaining his Salvation and render more full and ample praises to him generally then any of them now can or are capable of yea and endeavour we so to glorify God and his Name before and amongst them and carry it forth as we have opportunity to them that they may by us as good Stewards of the Graces of God and dispensers of his Mysteries to them be occasioned to glorify God for his mercy toward them for so much doubtless is required of us as of Israel of old toward us Psal 67. Exod. 19.5 6. 1 Pet. 2.9 10 11 12. Rom. 11.30 31. But truly we have great cause to fear that God hath a very great controversie upon that account with us because instead of receiving his grace effectually so as both by word and conversation to shine forth as lights to the residue of men that they might be drawn to seek God with us as was the end of God in taking us to be for a people to him Acts 15.16 and instead of seeking his Kingdom to promote it and inlarge it among the Nations and to all the ends of the Earth and his righteousness by declaring it and holding it forth to them we are walking in darkness prophaneness uncleanness covetuousness wickedness seeking to inrich our selves and inlarge our Kingdoms even