him He appointeth the drops of rain to fall in this place and not in that so he doth cause the dew of his Word to fall upon the clay the Gentiles in Matth. 10.6 into the Cities of the Samaritans enter not and in Acts 16.6 7 we find that Paul and Timothy they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia Yea when they had a mind to goe to Bythinia the Spirit of God would not suffer them but sent them to Macedonia Acts 16.9 Come over into Macedonia and help us so that the outward preaching of the Word it is vouchsafed to some and not to others as when Christ lived upon the face of the earth the bodily eyes of all men were not opened but onely some and others remaine blind some blind persons were left in their blindness And the dead bodies of all were not raised though some were at the death of Christ so dealeth the Lord with the minds and souls of men he onely out of his gracious pleasure doth open the minds of some men and make them to see know and understand and believe by the preaching of the Word according to his gracious pleasure therefore we may resolve upon it as a certain truth that God doth call men out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace effectually out of his free grace and mercy Vse 1 If this be so it is not then upon foreseen merit that God doth call men effectually and doth work upon them powerfully by his Spirit that is the error of the Papists they hold indeed that the election of God and consequently the revelation of the truth of God it is upon their merit foreseen because God doth foresee some worthiness in them we are to renounce this as a gross Popish errour yea the truth now made known unto us being duely considered and thought upon it beareth strongly against that position that is held by some that redemption wrought by Christ is universal that Christ died for all men universally without any exception of any Now not to stand upon this erroneous position which is a dangerous errour in the ground of it it making the sin of men the sins of the world death and hell to be stronger then Christ that Christ should die for all men and yet some of those men goe to hell a fowl and a gross errour besides this it cannot stand with the truth now delivered that Christ died effectually for all men without exception of any for if so be Christ did die for all men generally and universally then doubtless all are acquainted with it savingly as a benefit belonging to themselves such as are redeemed assuredly God doth bring them to the saving knowledge of their redemption Now this is not so the preaching of the Word and plain experience doth tell the contrarie for God out of his mere good will and pleasure doth call none effectually but such as are redeemed by Christ and so all men are not for then they should savingly be brought to the knowledge of their redemption but all are not so for as in the time of Christ all men that were blinde had not their eyes opened so all have not their minds enlightned and therefore universal redemption wrought by Christ is a meer fancie of the brain of man forged in hell and there is no truth in it to say that Christ died for all and if we rest upon this we shall finde a deceiving ground of comfort Howsoever some will say how shall we comfort a poor soul a prisoner that is to be executed but by telling him Christ died for all upon what ground No Christ died not for all Again is it so that God worketh freely upon the minds and souls of men out of his free grace and mercy Oh then such as find themselves to be in Vse 2 the number of the called of God and throughly wrought upon by the power of the preaching of the Word that are brought to the saving knowledge of God in Christ they are bound to acknowledge the riches of his free grace and mercy and be thankful unto God for the same Consider it thou that hast good evidence of thy effectual calling that art transformed and changed and brought into a new mold and fashion consider with thy self that many are left in their natural ignorance and unbelief yea many are given over to Popish superstitions many living in the same place frequenting the same means hearing the same sermons sitting in the same seat with thee they remain ignorant in their blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart but God hath given thee not onely his Word and Gospel preached but a heart enlightned to receive it therefore thou hast cause to magnifie the mercy of God for this blessing of all blessings And learn thou to break out and say Lord what am I that thou shouldest vouchsafe unto me such a mercie I see thousands in their natural estate and ignorance I was born and brought forth in sinne like other men and have increased and multiplied my sinnes exceedingly my unthankefulnesse is great and my unworthinesse greater and yet thou hast vouchsafed mercy unto me above many thousands Lord thou art gracious and merciful unto me Thus we ought to be stirred up our selves to magnifie the mercie of God in that many thousands are given to Popish superstition and God hath given thee a flexible heart to his Word Oh thou canst not be sufficiently thankful for so great a favour As he saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved COme we now to the very words of the text to enter into the bowels of it In these words as I have shewed you we have a double description of the Gentiles First of their estate before their calling when they were not the people of God by nature Secondly of their condition after their Calling that they were now become the people of God and beloved of the Lord hence then first of all appeareth the estate of man by nature as yet unconverted and not wrought upon by the Spirit of God through the preaching of the Word and Gospel hence the Doctrine is this Doctrine That men who are in their natural estate as yet not effectually called and as yet not wrought upon by the Spirit of grace by the preaching of the Word and Gospel are in a miserable estate and condition they are not the people of God nor beloved of God so saith the Text and we find that that the Scripture setteth out the miserable estate and condition of men in their natural estate by many notable speeches in Rom. 5.6.8 it is said that they were sinners in a high degree ungodly yea enemies unto God and unto Christ such as are in their natural estate they are enemies unto God and there is open defiance between God and them and they may look that the Lord shall deal with them as a professed
God and wrest wrong conclusions especially if that doctrine be applyed home particularly and brought home to our soules if we touch their carelesse bands or the long shaggy hair of their heads then they startle and flye and fume out against the truth of God surely beloved this concerneth us for if the Word did not flye home to our hearts to the particular sins we are guilty of then they would lye still but because it doth Oh what a stir what a striving what a combustion there is about such a matter as the shaggy hair carelesse bands and such like And therefore we must come to the truth of God with holy and sanctified hearts as God saith Luke 8.15 the good ground that receiveth seed receiveth it with an honest and good heart and that thou mayest have it indeed observe these two things First labour to empty thy self of all pride Directions how to hear profitably 1 Pet. 2.1 2. and self-conceit of thy own Judgment of thy own will and come to the hearing and reading of the Word of God with an humble heart with meeknesse of spirit lay aside pride and swelling conceits and lifting up of the mind that thou canst understand it better then the Preacher yea trembling at the holy Word of God for as the Prophet saith Esay 66.2 To this man will I look to him that trembleth at my words not to him that sitteth as a Judge and in Psal 25.9 and the 14 verse The secrets of the Lord shall be revealed to them that stand in fear and reverence of his holy Majestie Sequitur superbos ulter à tergo Deus and for the want of this fear and reverence and awe of this great Majesty of God it is that men do dare to be so bold as to draw such conclusions from the Word of God for then are men onely fit to hear and read the Word of God aright when the pride of their heart is brought down and the swelling of their reason is brought down and humbled when carnal reason and natural affections are laid aside and brought under by some afflictions a man that is under the hand of God in some affliction in some great distresse then he is most tractable and then he will hear you when at another time he will kick and spurn against you in time of health and scorn the Minister and the Word but in time of sicknesse now send for the Minister now call him then they are fitted to receive his counsel therefore learn to lay aside all pride of heart Secondly Direct 2. we must come to the hearing and reading of the Word of God with a heart lift up unto God in prayer as we must come empty of pride so also lifted up in prayer never touch the Book of God but lift up thy heart unto God in prayer to give thee a right understanding of his Word not as many do rush upon the book of God carelesly and never pray unto God to guide them in the truth of it for no man doth know the will of God unlesse God giveth his Spirit the book of God is a sealed book and a book locked up impossible it is to understand it unlesse God by his Spirit open it 1 Cor. 2.11 No man knoweth the mind of man but the spirit of man so no man knoweth Gods spiritual mind but his Spirit a man may be diligent in hearing and reading the Word of God and yet understand it grosly because the Lord doth not guide him and because he prayeth not unto God to be guided and directed in the hearing of it remember to lift up thy heart unto God in prayer for want of which many hear read from time to time and after much reading and hearing are never the better It may be thou art a man of great knowledg and wisdom in the world yet in comparison of Gods wisdom in his Word thou art a fool and must cast away all conceit of thy own righteousnesse and understanding and come trembling to the Word of God and not read it as many do to jest and make themselves merry at it shall the Lyon roar and none of the beasts tremble shall the Word of God be read and we jest at it for our merriment Oh rather labour to come with an humble heart and hearty prayer unto God and then thou shalt be kept from perverting the Word of God VVhat shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God God forbid IN these words our Apostle stoppeth the mouthes of carnal Reasoners VVhat shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God is therefore God unequal and partial is God therefore unjust in his dealing no saith the Apostle far be it from us You see then the Apostle doth utterly disclaim that direful conclusion that because God hated Esau and loved Jacob and that freely without any respect to the one or the other or any thing foreseen in them therefore God is unjust and partial and unequal in his doings with men this the Apostle renounceth and disclaimeth I will not here as some would do run out into the common place of Gods Justice to an extravagant discourse and stand to avouch that God is just holy and righteous and we are so to acknowledge him But keeping my self as near as possibly I can to the Apostles meaning and not to flye out to that which is not pertinent to the text And hence note we thus much Doctrine That God is most just in his free and in his absolute and eternal decree both of election and reprobation The Lord having from everlasting e're the world was freely without respect had to any thing either good or evil purposed and decreed some particular persons amongst men out of his mere good will and pleasure to life and salvation and as freely rejected others for ever he is therein most just and that free and eternal decree of God is also most just and holy and righteous for why we must consider God in this act in this businesse of his decree of salvation and rejection not as a Judge but as a Soveraign Lord as having mere and absolute power over his creatures to do with them what he will and as being not bound to any creature in any kind whatsoever not respecting the fall of man or this or that particular whatsoever no he hath absolute power and authority to choose some and reject others without any injustice or any wrong at all whatsoever flesh and blood or the carnal reason of man doth imagine he hath soveraign power over his creatures and that he holdeth God is God alone and it is his prerogative royal and belongeth to no creature in heaven or earth to do with his own what he will Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own this is Gods prerogative and peculiarly belongeth unto him so in the 15 verse of this Chapter he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy The
my conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost that I have continual sorrow in my heart c. I have given you the annalysis of these words already Come we now to the general meaning of them I say the truth in Christ The Greek proposition is here a note of an oath the meaning is not I speak in the name of Christ as I am a Christian or by the authority of Christ but by Christ I call Christ to witnesse I speak the truth I lye not These words the Apostle addeth both to signifie the sincerity of his heart that he spake the truth simply and plainly with an honest and sincere heart without either mental reservation or equivocation not speaking one thing and meaning another and secondly to add weight to his speech to make it more ponderous more weighty more powerful and more prevailing to those that hear it after the manner of the Hebrews who for more weight and certainty of speech put down the thing in the affirmative and then denyed the contrary in the negative as it is said in the 1 Sam. 3.18 when Eli bad Samuel tell him what the Lord had said unto him it is said he spake every word and he hid nothing so in John 1.20 it is said of John that he confessed and denyed not but said plainly he was not the Christ so this is added for more weight and ponderousnesse of speech as first he spake it without any colloguing or equivocation and secondly for the weightinesse of his speech my conscience bearing witnesse here the Apostle doth not swear by his Conscience as some would think but sheweth that his conscience was a witnesse and gave testimony to him that he spake without collogueing or dissembling or that his conscience did not smite him nor touch him for it in the holy Ghost that is my conscience renewed by the grace of the holy Spirit of God as if the Apostle had said I speak the truth my conscience bearing me witnesse simply and plainly and that conscience rectified and renewed by the Spirit of God so ordered and guided it witnesseth holily and truly that I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart These words are to be taken in the literal sense as they lye onely the word sorrow is a Metaphorical and is taken from a woman that is in travel with child such sorrow as she hath that travelleth in child-bearing such was the sorrow in the heart of the blessed Apostle and for what his sorrow was he leaveth it to be gathered but it may be added namely for the rejection of the Jewes so then the Apostles meaning is thus plainly I say the truth even by Christ Jesus I speak it simply and plainly and with an honest and upright heart without any manner of doubling or dissembling or lying or any manner of untruth in my speech Christ is my witnesse I lie not and my own conscience beareth me witnesse also and that conscience of mine rectified and rightly ordered by the grace of Gods Spirit my conscience bearing me witnesse and that holily after an holy manner that I am possessed with continual sorrow and that in my heart and soul for the rejection of the Jews even as the sorrow of a woman travelling with child Come we now to the Instruction I say the truth in Christ I lye not The Apostle shewing his sorrow doth not here only say that he speaketh the truth and lyeth not but sweareth by Christ Jesus that he spake the truth for this his particular sorrow the point is thus That a Christian man sometimes may lawfully swear and take an oath Doctrine though it be not in publick and before a Magistrate but in private matters of great weight and importance as this was concerning the glory of God and a private man or woman may take a private oath between themselves so as it be with reverence and with a good conscience and for this we have not only the example of the Apostle but other examples in Scripture as Gen. 24.3 Abrahams servant sware unto his Master that he would take a wife for his son Isaac of his own seed and in Josh 2.12 the Spies that came to see the Land took an oath of the harlot and Jonathan and David 1 Sam. 26.42 made a covenant the one with the other and in Gen. 50.22 Joseph took an oath with his brethren to carry his bones with them out of Egypt And many other examples we have to this purpose clearing and confirming this truth that it is lawful to take an oath in private so as that it be in matters of weight and great importance namely in such a case as concerneth greatly the glory of God our own salvation and the preservation of others such a case as this being doubtfull is to be confirmed by an oath in private so as it be with reverence and a good conscience The Reason Reason is because that to this end an oath is appointed and ordained to be an end of all strife in matters of weight and controversie as the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 6.16 that an oath amongst men for confirmation putteth an end to all strife in matters of great weight and consequence not in every trivial trifling occasion no it must be with rariety and reservednesse First of all this meeteth with the errour of the Anabaptists that deny Vse 1 the use of all Oathes and hold it altogether unlawfull to swear in any case whatsoever either in publick or in private their opinion is false Object they alledge for themselves the Word of Christ in Matth. 5.34 35. Swear not at all but let your communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is else cometh of evil of the Devil Answer Answ Indeed it is true that we may not swear falsely therein it is evil and not in our familiar talk and conference between man and man for whatsoever therein is more cometh of evil of the Devil but to leave them This Truth serveth for the just reproof of those that do take rash Vse 2 Oathes for an oath must be in a just manner and not upon an ordinary occasion in our ordinary communication as such as use common and customary swearing in their ordinary communication they cannot speak a word but an oath is at the end of it a sin that is grown to a fearful height in this Land of ours yea it is rife and common both in the City and Countrey to swear and to rap out an oath at every word to tosse the name of God a sin for which the Land groaneth and mourneth even because of Oathes Jer. 23.10 Oh consider it how the land mourneth and weepeth for this sin you see Sommer is turned to Winter and why because of the Oathes of the land the earth doth not yeeld her fruit as she was wont to do The reason is because what is more common then for men and woto rap out an oath at every word and if they be reproved will
witnesse of the Conscience Many there be that think of their consciences witnessing holily and truly of the good things said or done by them when indeed and in truth there is no such matter when their Consciences telleth them that they pray and hear Sermons as the consciences of all erring spirits Papists and Anabaptists Familists and others their consciences cannot witnesse truly with them and holily they fail in their Judgment and their consciences must needs be erroneous and so cannot possibly afford them any true comfort surely they think they do exceeding great service to God but they are deceived and their Judgment is erroneous But to draw near unto our selves Thus standeth the case with all unregenerate persons and such as be in their natural estate the consciences of unregenerate persons do many times witnesse much good in respect of the good things said or done by them Their conscience telleth them oh they have much good and great comfort in hearing the Word especially if they live a civil honest life and be free from grosse sins and deal justly and truly with men their consciences telleth them that they are in a marvellous good case and you cannot drive them from it for why their Conscience telleth them so that they are no Drunkards no Theeves no Swearers and God is well pleased with them and they have much good and comfort by the testimony of their consciences But their Conscience doth witnesse falsly so as the Prophet saith a deceitful heart hath cousened them Esay 44. and their Conscience cannot possibly truly witnesse any comfort to them For the good things they have done be they the best works or words or deeds done that possibly can be spoken or done their conscience cannot truly witnesse so long as they be unregenerate and therefore to conclude this point If thou wouldst have thy conscience to witnesse holily and truly and to thy comfort never rest untill thou find that thy conscience is sprinkled with the blessed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 9.14 which is able to purge thy conscience and that thy heart is purified by faith and sanctified by grace and then thy Conscience will witnesse with thee in the Holy Ghost otherwise it is but a deceitful conscience that maketh men soothe up themselves and esteem themselves in a holy and good estate without cause VERSE 2. That I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart NOw from hence in that the Apostle doth set down his grief and sorrow for the rejection of the Jewes I might stand to shew that Gods Children are not stocks nor stones free from natural affections Gods Children have humane affections of joy and sorrow and love which is common to the nature of man but those are rectified and by grace guided to right objects and that by due measure and moderation according to the nature of the object to which they are moved The Apostle maketh this a note of such that are given over to unnatural sences Rom. 1.30 that they want natural affections and doubtlesse the more true and sincere grace is in the heart of Gods children certainly the more tender are the affections of that heart and soul and the more effectual apprehension of any true cause of matter of sorrow or grief but to passe by that And to come to the main point In that the Apostle doth manifest that he had great heavinesse and sorrow and that for the rejection of the Jews that was the object of his sorrow because the Jewes were left in the blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart and did not imbrace the Gospel this was matter of great heavinesse to the heart of the blessed Apostle in the first place the observation is this That we are to be grieved for the known miseries of others Doctr. and especially for the known miseries of the soules of others we are to grieve and to mourn for others that we know do lye under any heavy trouble or affliction or distresse in respect of any outward calamity but beloved our hearts must bleed and be broken for the evils that we know do lye upon the soules of others we are exceedingly to be grieved for the blindnesse of the mind and hardnesse of their heart that they go on in sin without repentance with an high hand that they are led by the lusts of their own hearts and according to the lust of their vile hearts in security and brutish lusts this is that which must stick close and wound us especially Besides this evidence in the example of the Apostle we have testimony in other places of Scripture in Ezek. 9.4 we read of the godly who should be marked and have a mark set on their forehead that they should not be destroyed in the common overthrow of Hierusalem they were such as cryed and mourned for the abominations that were committed by others in that City their hearts bled not so much for the overthrow of the City as for the hardnesse of the hearts of men such as did abominably and in Jer. 13.17 saith the Prophet when the people would not hear him and yeeld obedience to the voyce of God in his Ministery My eyes shall weep in secret and why for the hardnesse of the hearts of the people that they would not take notice of the Word of God and the Judgments of God denounced against them for their sins Oh saith the Prophet I must needs grieve for your obstinacy and Psal 119.136 saith David my eyes gush out with rivers of water thereby expressing the grief of his heart why because they were under any calamity no because men keep not the Law of God even for the sins that lye upon the soules of men and the hardnesse of their hearts And the Apostle witnesseth of that holy man just Lot that his soul was vexed with the filthy lusts and unclean conversation of the filthy Sodomites 1 Pet. 2.7 they vexed just Lot from day to day with their filthy abominations and it is witnessed of Christ himself in Mark 3.5 that he mourned for the hardnesse of the hearts of the Pharisees even the blessed soul and heart of the Lord Jesus mourned for the hardnesse of their hearts that they would not be humbled for their sins and in Luke 19.41.42 The Lord Jesus wept for what because Hierusalem should be ruinated not so simply but also especially for the hardnesse of their hearts and that they would not take notice of those things that did belong to their peace the Lord had sent his Prophets and his own Son and yet they would not hearken so that we see it is a clear truth that we are especially to be grieved for the miseries and the known evils of the soules of others those that continue in their sins and will go on with perseverance in swearing Sabbath-breaking Drunkennesse and the like for these we are especially to mourn and to be grieved The Reason Reason is because the evils that be upon the soul of
any person or thing causeth the like sympathy of grief unto that person or thing so loved The Reasons are First from the working and effects of true love it Reason 1 is the nature of love where it is in the heart and soul toward any person or thing to be operative and working and the working of it is to make the heart affected either with joy or sorrow touching the thing that is so loveth and according to the known estate of the person or thing so loved if it go well with the person or thing so loved it causeth joy if it go ill it causeth grief Reason 2 The second Reason is from the nature of grief it self for what is grief surely grief may be thus described A motion of the soul arising from the hurt of the thing that is loved if any hurt or evil be either imminent and ready to fall upon the thing loved or be already fallen the heart that loveth is stirred up to grieve for it and according to the measure of love so is the measure of grief and therefore we may resolve upon this as a certain truth That great love causeth great grief upon any just occasion of grief for the thing or person that we love that is dear unto us for the Application Vse The truth now delivered yeeldeth unto us a ground of tryal and of examination touching the truth of our love and the measure of our love to such persons or things that ought to be loved and respected of us as to draw this to particulars hereby we may try the truth of our love to the Church and people of God and also whether our love be true and sound unto them Doest thou love the Church and people of God in deed and in truth surely then thou art affected either with joy or sorrow according to the estate of the Church or people of God if thou hearest that it go well with the Church and people of God thou rejoycest and art glad of it if so be on the other side thou hearest that it goeth hard with the Church of God thy heart is then oppressed with sorrow and according to the measure of thy love to the Church and people of God so is thy sorrow for any known danger or distresse of the Church and people of God Now then to apply this to the time wherein we live we hear and have often heard that the Church and people of God at this day are in great distresse in forraign Nations even our Neighbour Nations in France and other Nations are in armes and are forced to stand up for the defence of their own lives and liberties and their wives and children stand upon their guatd at home or else to lye in the field to defend their lives and liberties and we have heard and do hear it daily that many of Gods children are in great streights that they are besieged by their cruel and bloody enemies even of such as desire nothing but to suck their blouds yea we hear daily how the Saints and servants of God are Massacred About this time was the Massacre of the poor Protestants in the Valtoline 1620 1621. and murthered yea many of them in going from the assemblies have had their throats cut and are knocked down before they come home yea we hear how that Gods children are forced either to yeeld to the Pope and his Idolatry or to lose their lives now we hear of this are we touched with sorrow and grief according to the measure of their afflictions surely then we have good evidence of our love to the people of God but on the contrary are our hearts nothing at all touched with grief and with heavinesse upon the newes of these things which is I fear the case of many to give themselves to jollity and rejoycing and are not touched with the afflictions of Joseph do we hear of these things as matter of news and discourse of them as novelties if so be it be so that now we give our selves to all manner of riot and excesse when you should give your selves to prayer certainly then you have no true love to the people of God So also for the glory of God canst thou hear the Name of God blasphemed and dishonoured by cursing swearing lying rybaldry and use all manner of filthy speaking and prophaning the Sabbath is not thy heart smitten is it not as a dagger in thy soul and a sword in thy heart when thou hearest men blaspheme and fearfully abuse the holy name of God assuredly then thou hast no true love to the glory of God and so also for the truth of Religion canst thou hear the holy Religion of God destroyed and trampled under foot and that Popery Idolatry and Superstition is like to be set up in the room of it and when thou hearest of this doest thou not mourn but art a man indifferent and carest not which end goes forward either Popery or true Religion it is a sure note that thou hast no true love to the Religion of God and thus I might proceed in other particulars but let us learn now to be grieved according to the known just occasion of grief given unto us for the Church and Children of God for the glory of God and pure Religion of God if so be we find no grief at all in our hearts when there is just occasion of grief let us not deceive our selves assuredly we love them not as we ought to do We read in the 1 Sam. 4.18 19. and so on to the end of the Chapter that old Eli was more affected when he heard newes that the Ark of God was taken then with the losse of his two sons and the wife of Phinees the daughter in law of Eli was more affected with the losse of the Ark of God then with the losse of her own dear husband for when she heard the Ark of God was taken she fell in travel and dyed and named her son Jekabod the glory is departed from Israel yea she repeateth it again the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken And when the women laboured to comfort her she would have none for the Ark of God was taken Thus must we when the Religion of God is trodden down we must be affected with it A disgrace done to the name of God or a wrong done to the religion of God must affect our hearts with sorrow if we would have evidence that we truly love the holy Israel of God we must find our hearts affected according to the known estate of it if we have not we have not in us the Spirit nor the Life nor the grace of Gods Children in 2 Thess 2.10 11. if we do not imbrace the Religion of God and that with love and delight and be more then formal professors of it we are in danger to be seduced of Antichrist and to be led some one way and some another we are in danger to be given
vouchsafed unto them as the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants the giving of the Law and the service of God c. that they were the seed of the Patriarks and which is yet more that Christ himself as touching his humane nature was descended from them doubtlesse a matter of great honour Vse Which should teach us Not to hate the Jewes as many do onely because they are Jewes merely for the very name and title of being Iewes which name is amongst many so odious that they think they cannot call a man worse then to call him a Jew but beloved this ought not to be so for we are bound to love and honour the Jews as being the ancient people of God to wish them well and to be earnest in prayer to God for their conversion we are indeed to hate their obstinacy in rejecting of Christ and his faith but ought to love them in respect of their ancient and honourable priviledges especially that they were once the people of God that Christ himself came of their race and line and if we hear of the conversion of any of them we are bound to love them so much the more if they once come to receive and heartily to imbrace the Gospel of Christ for though believing Jews and Gentiles are one body in Christ yet are the Jewes our elder brethren and the Gospel was first offered and preached unto them Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not saith our Saviour in his first Commission granted to his Disciples Matth. 10.5 6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel so that the Gospel was first preached to the Jews as the Apostle speakes Act. 13.46 and from them it proceeded and descended unto us Gentiles so that all believing Jews are to be honoured and beloved of us as being our elder brethren and the people of God yea we are to wish them well that are yet uncalled and unconverted and earnestly and heartily to pray for their conversion Again In that the Apostle addeth this limitation concerning the flesh or according to the flesh Hence we are plainly taught the truth of Christs Humanity which is an article of our faith and a fundamental truth of God which we are to imbrace upon pain of damnation and from hence the observation is this Doctrine That Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was truly incarnate and truly became man consisting of a body and a reasonable soul in all things like unto us onely without sin The holy Son of God did assume and take upon him the nature of man became true man consisting of a true body and reasonable soul and not imaginary onely yea that he had the properties of a true body as longitude latitude altitude visibility and circumscription as also the properties of a reasonable soul as understanding will and affections Yea further Jesus Christ took upon him the common infirmities of the body and soul of man such infirmities as appertain to the whole nature of man as hunger thirst yea he was subject to be sorrowful angry c. Joh. 1.14 the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us that is the eternal Word of the Father the second person in the Trinity even he was made flesh which plainly sheweth the truth of his humane nature So again Rom. 1.3 where the Apostle speaking of Christ the Son of God saith that he was made of the seed of David concerning the flesh or according to the flesh And in Gal. 4.4 saith the Apostle When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son and that son that is made of a woman even that eternal son of God made of a woman a plain demonstration of Christs humanity so in Phil. 2.7 The Apostle saith that Christ was made like unto man and found in shape as man Now indeed some in ancient time perverted this Scripture and abused it to say that Christ had a heavenly body and imaginary body like unto man he had a body of an imaginary substance but this is contrary to the meaning of the Text as you may gather by the context for the meaning is that Christ Jesus had the same properties of a body and soul as other men as seeing smelling tasting feeling hearing and the like and subject to the like properties and infirmities as we are as to hunger thirst anger yea to death it self as we may see in Philip. 2.8 he became obedient to the death even to the death of the Crosse he did eat and drink and sleep and was subject unto sorrow and heavinesse yea even unto the death so that that place rightly understood is a strong argument to prove the truth of Christs humanity that he was like unto us sin excepted It was needful that Christ Jesus the Son of God should take flesh upon Reason 1 him consisting of a true body and soul like unto us First of all to accomplish the promise of God which he had made in Gen. 3.15 the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head here is a Promise made and for the accomplishment of this promise it was needful that the Son of God should take flesh upon him Secondly it is needful that he might suffer for sinne in his body and Reason 2 soul that which the whole Church of God had deserved by their sinnes so saith the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.9 that he might suffer death which he could not have done had he been onely God and so that he might appease the wrath of God in that same Nature wherein God was offended man had sinned and man must suffer for sinne either by himself or in Christ and therefore needful it was that the eternal Son of God the Mediatour of the Covenant that he should be not onely God but Man also consisting of a true body and soul like unto us excepting sin onely First this being a truth it serveth to discover unto us an errour Vse it serveth for the confutation of some erroneous opinions that are contrary to the truth of Christs humanity for it is an Article of our Faith and must be defended namely that of the Manichees and likewise of the Anabaptists for they affirm that Christ Jesus took his body from heaven and passed through the womb of the Virgin as through a Conduit or Pipe and took not her Nature upon him Beloved this must teach us to renounce this opinion and not onely this which hath been confuted by our Ancient Divines long agone but also the opinion of our adversaries the Papists For howsoever they grant unto Christ a true Natural body they dare not deny that but that he was born of the Virgin Mary yet in truth they overthrow the truth of his body how in that they give unto the body of Christ such properties as cannot agree to a true body what are those why they give to the body of Christ to be invisible to be uncircumscribed to be
in many places at one and the same time properties which cannot agree with a true body for so they hold and teach it is a common Tenent of theirs that the body of Christ is really locally in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper under the form of Bread there is the outward form but under that bread there is the substance of Christ yea that the whole body of Christ is in every part and parcel of their consecrated hoast and yet not seen nor felt onely the accident of bread but the substance of Christ is there what is this but to overthrow the truth of Christ his body and to make the body of Christ to be no true body but rather a spirit and to make it infinite to be in many places at one time for why Christ Jesus took flesh upon him he took our Nature upon him the body of man even a true body and therefore his body cannot possibly have such properties as they fashion Oh but by your leave say they God can make it God is omnipotent and he can make it so what God can do we do not question but what God will do let them shew it in the Will of God revealed that God will do it or and if I should affirm it that God cannot make the body of Christ it still remaining a true and perfect body in many places at one and the same time if I should affirm it they cannot nor never were able to disprove it for this were to make the body of Christ to be no body to be circumscribed and not circumscribed which are contradictories and contradictories can never agree to the Nature of God to make a body to be a body and no body at the same time God cannot do it is contrary to the Nature of God to make contradictories agree together and therefore if I should affirm it they cannot disprove it Again seeing Christ Jesus took our humane Nature upon him the properties of a body and faculties of a soul herein appeareth the infinite love of God unto man whose nature he assumed and took in unity with his Godhead herein appeareth the advancement of mans Nature above all creatures in heaven and in earth yea above the Angels being received into unity of person with the Son of God the second Person in the Trinitie he did assume our Nature and the common infirmities of our nature From hence Gods children such as are true believers members of Christ may gather much comfort for why the Lord Jesus their Head and Saviour will be pitiful and compassionate unto them when they lye under any distresse of body or mind Christ hath as it were his bowels yearning towards them he knoweth the infirmities common to the nature of man and that by experience he hath felt the anguish and the pain that appertain to his members in his blessed body and soul and therefore he is touched with a fellow-feeling of them even a compassionate feeling of them we know a man that hath been under any pain or grief of body or mind will be exceeding pitiful to any that be under the like grief and marvellous compassionate unto them saying Oh I have felt it I know what belongeth unto it I pity him Thus the Lord Jesus having the experience of the common nature of man much more will be compassionate to his poor members in time of their Afflictions and to this purpose is that in Heb. 2.17 18. that in all things he became to be made like unto his brethren that he might be merciful and pitiful and might have a fellow-feeling of their miseries and in the 18. verse For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour and will succour all that are tempted so also the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 4.15 For we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but in all things tempted and tryed like unto us yet without sin Doest thou then that art a believing member of Jesus Christ lye under any affliction or trouble of mind remember this to thy comfort that the Lord Jesus thy Head and Saviour having had experience of the common grief he is compassionate and will put under his hand and support thee in the time of trouble and affliction and give thee ease in his due time it may be thou being under some great Crosse men will pity thee do men pity thee assuredly the Lord Jesus doth much more pity thee that art a true believing member of his body therefore comfort thy self and do not think which may be some scruple in thy mind that Christs advancement into heaven maketh him forget his poor members here on earth no he is touched with a fellow feeling of their misery his advancement cannot make him forget thee no the holy Ghost preventeth this scruple in Hebrewes 4.14 15. We have such an high Priest that is gone into heaven alas may some say he is gone into heaven far away out of my sight and as they say out of sight out of mind he hath no pity nor compassion on me mark what the Holy Ghost saith he preventeth this though this High Priest be gone into heaven yet we have not such an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but what in all things tryed onely without sin though our high Priest be exalted to the highest glory in heaven yet this maketh him not forget his poor members his pity and compassion is nothing at all diminished though he be so great an high Priest and liveth in blisse and in glory yet comfort thy self he is still as compassionate as ever he was although the Lord doth suffer the wicked to ride over their back and to triumph yet he is the King of his Church and will rise in Judgment to execute Justice howsoever he may whip and scourge his children yet he will burn the rod and deliver his So that this may be a matter of excellent comfort to Gods children that Christ is true Man Who is God over all blessed for ever Amen THe Apostle now goeth further on in a description of Christ and having affirmed That Christ came of the Jewes concerning the flesh he presently addeth that he is God over all blessed for ever that is as I formerly shewed you Who is true God very God God by nature God by being God over all persons and over all things yea God eternal to be blessed praised and Magnified and worshipped and glorified of all things and in all ages for ever Amen Here then we have a plain and pregnant proof of the God-head of Christ Jesus which is also a fundamental truth and such a truth as we must believe upon pain of damnation and from hence it is evident that Christ is not onely true man coming and having original from the Jewes concerning the flesh but God also the Doctrine is this That the Son of God Christ Jesus is true God very God Doctrine he is
God by nature and by essence God of himself equal to his Father indeed as Christ Jesus is the second Person in the Trinity and in regard of his Sonship he is from his Father begotten of him from all eternity as he is the Son But in respect of his Godhead he is God of himself equal to his Father the Apostle here affirmeth it that he is true God and very God and not onely barely affirmeth it but backeth his affirmation by two special epithets and titles to prove it First he is over all he is over all persons and over all things he being Creator over all Coloss 1.16 By him were all things created visible invisible Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers Secondly he is said to be blessed for ever which is also an epithet title and attribute of God Rom. 1.25 the Gentiles turned the truth of God into a lye and worshipped the creature and forsook the Creator blessed for ever and this holy truth of God hath not only ground and footing here but in other places of Scripture Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and that word was God even before the world was or had a being he was God yea the Evangelist saith that by it all things were made and without it was made nothing that was made he putteth it down both affirmatively and negatively and in Joh. 8.58 Christ saith Before Abraham was I am a title and an attribute proper and peculiar to God alone Exod. 3.14 I am hath sent me unto you not I was before Abraham but I am Philip. 2.6 the Apostle saith that Christ even before his incarnation was in the form of God and he thought it no robbery to be equal with God he knew it to be no wrong nor usurpation to be equal with God It were no hard matter at large to prove this truth as by the predictions and foretellings of the holy Prophets of God which are spoken of Jehovah in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we find applyed to Christ and also by the works that are proper to God and peculiarly appropriated to God and cannot be but of a Divine Nature these are given to Christ as to make the world to know the hearts of men and forgive sins yea by the many and wonderful Miracles that he wrought beyond the power of man man was not able to perform the like which his enemies could not chuse but acknowledge that therein appeared a Divine power all this doth demonstrate unto us the truth of Christs Godhead Yet before I come to make use of it I hold it needful to answer some Cavils which are brought even against this very text that now we have in hand for some wrangling spirits in the world do stretch their wits to wrong this Text and say that Christs Divine Nature is not proved out of this Text which to my understanding is as clear as any in the Book of God Cavil For thus they Reason say they Not every one that is called God in Scripture is therefore the God of heaven and earth for Magistrates are called gods Psal 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of gods and in the sixth verse I have said Ye are gods And again in that it is ascribed unto Christ to be over all that title belongeth unto Christ not by nature but by donation it is a donative given him from his Father in Phil. 2.9 where it is said God hath highly exalted him and given him a name over all names so that blessed for ever is a title given him of his Father and belongeth to God the Father and they alledge Rom. 1.25 and in 2 Cor. 1.3 11.31 where blessed for ever is given to God the Father And therefore this place is no clear evidence and proof of the Godhead of Christ thus they seek to put out the clear light of the truth But they are easily answered Answ First of all it is true indeed Magistrates are gods they are said to be gods not properly but figuratively and by resemblance and by way of similitude they bear the Image of God and stand in the Room of God in regard of their power and authority Note And it is worth our marking we shall find that the name and title of God is never in Scripture given to any one singular person to any one individual I have said you are gods but never said I have said thou art a god or if it be it is with a limitation to a certain sense as God saith to Moses I have made thee a god thou art a made god In my place thou art a god to Pharaoh Again Magistrates in Scripture are never said to be God over all but Christ is here said to be God over all which proveth that he is the great and mighty God the King of heaven and earth he is God over all Oh but they say this title over all it belongeth not to Christ by nature but by donation and guift They are deceived and the ground they build upon is not a good foundation For in Philip. 2. you shall find there that the Apostle speaketh of the exaltation of Christ as he is the Mediatour so he hath a name by guift he hath a name given him over all names according to his humane Nature but he is God over all by Nature and that appeareth in Joh. 3.31 He that is come from on high is above all still the Evangelist saith he is above all and over all so that he hath that properly by nature Now touching the phrase the last thing that they alledge blessed for ever which they say is never given to any but to God the Father it is true it is usually in Scripture given to God the Father yet not by way of exclusion not exclusively not so as that the Son and Holy Ghost are shut to be blessed for when it is given to God the Creator as in Rom. 1.25 it is not onely to God the Father but even therein also is Christ included because by him are all things created Joh. 1.3 Col. 1.16 For the work of Creation is a work of the whole Trinity so that notwithstanding this allegation and Cavil it is still a truth That Christ Jesus is God true God very God God by nature God by being God of himself equal to his Father Come we now to the Application I might bend the force of this truth against the opinions of the Arians Vse and Mahumethists that have along time blasphemed Christ but their old rotten opinions have been sufficiently confuted by the Ancient Divines of our Church But take we notice of this truth to this purpose It serveth to clear the Doctrine of our Church from a vile slander and blot that the Papists seem to blemish it withal The Papists are so impudent and shamelesse that they stick not to charge our Doctrine to be tainted with no lesse then the highest degree of Atheisme in this respect
I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day I have laid up my reward in the hands of him that will never fail me but surely preserve and keep it for me Who is God over all blessed for ever Amen HEre you see and it is clear that Jesus Christ is both true man and true God Now then from hence we are to take notice of the personal union of the two Natures of Christ into one person and the observation arising hence is this That Christ Jesus is God-man or Man-God Doctrine Christ Jesus is both God and man in one person the Godhead of Christ is truly and personally united to his Manhood so that in Christ God and Man make but one Person and that we do not misconceive this truth touching the combination and conjunction of the two Natures of Christ we must know that the Godhead and Manhood of Christ are not united with any composition or commixture as in mixing water and wine no nor it by conversion and turning the one into the other the Godhead is not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the Godhead the Godhead in Christ is distinct in essence from the Manhood and the Manhood in Christ distinct in substance from the Godhead and the properties of both natures remain incommunicable the properties of the one is not given to the other as to be omnipresent and omnipotent is not communicated to the Manhood of Christ to be every where at one time nor the properties of the Manhood to the Godhead as to be circumscribed locally present in one place which is the nature of a true body but the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in the Manhood personally and bodily Col. 2.9 by personal union is the Manhood united to the Godhead and doth solely and onely consist and subsist in one person in Christ Joh. 1.14 the VVord was made flesh it became flesh and in 1 Tim. 3.16 the Apostle saith without question or controversie great is the Mystery of godlinesse and therein is God manifested in the flesh God and flesh a wonderful mystery indeed thus it is in the eternal Son of God who took flesh upon him so that the Manhood of Christ is not a Person but a Nature and received with the Godhead of Christ which we all confesse he is God and Man in one Person Come we to the Application First this serveth to inform our Judgments Vse in a particular point needful to be known and that is this That the fulnesse of merit is found only in Christ and in him alone and no other the merit of life and of salvation is properly in Christ he is the proper subject of all merit of life and salvation onely the works of Christ are meritorious his holy sufferings and his holy actions these are meritorious and none else the work of no man or woman upon the face of the earth though the members of Christ are not meritorious none but Christs and why because he is God and Man only and alone in one person The Papists the enemies of Gods truth think they have sufficient ground for the merit of true believers from the union between Christ and true Believers because true believers are one with Christ by faith and make one mystical body as they do indeed and are knit by faith and the Spirit and because they are thus combined to Christ by a mystical union therefore the Papists think they have sufficient ground to prove the merit of the good works of true believers that because of this union they are meritorious But their ground faileth them it followeth not that because true believers are one with Christ that therefore their good works do merit for true believers are knit to Christ mystically not personally for Christ and a believer are two distinct persons though they be joyned to Christ by faith and the Spirit it is not personally now personal union is the ground of merit in Christ himself and the person that must merit and deserve life and salvation must be more then a mere man the Manhood of Christ apart and by it self considered meriteth nothing but as it is received into unity of person with the Son of God so that the personal union of Christ is a ground of merit for if Adam had stood in his innocency he could not have merited a better estate to himself because he was but mere man so then these enemies of the truth they must prove which they can never do that true believers are one with Christ by personal union before they can conclude the merit of good works and that because of that mystical union they are meritorious but to make application to our selves Vse This truth That Christ Jesus is God and Man Man-God being duly considered and thought upon may yeeld unto us excellent and sweet comfort to as many as believe in Christ for by vertue of the two Natures of the Godhead and Manhood in Christ by believing in Christ Jesus we come to be partakers of all the merits of Christ Jesus whatsoever he hath done or suffered because we being one with him by faith by vertue of the union we come to be partakers of him and to have Fellowship and Communion with God wherein standeth the true communion and there is no coming unto God with comfort though we cry loud and fill heaven and earth with our cries but by a Mediatour if we come unto him out of a Mediatour they come unto God angry with them ready to pour out his vengeance upon them Now the Divine and humane nature of Christ being knit together into one person they make a perfect Mediatour by whom we have accesse to the throne of grace with comfort he is God and Man in one person and so we may approach with comfort yea by this means we believing in Christ we come to be partakers of the sufficiency and grace of the merit of Christ and they appertain unto us yea we being one by faith with the Manhood of Christ we come to be made one with the Godhead and so to have access unto God who is the fountain of all goodnesse this is a matter of excellent comfort Again it is further to be observed that the Apostle doth not rest in describing of Christ to be God over all but addeth further blessed for ever he breaketh out into an addition of praise and giving glory to the name of Christ and magnifying of him that he is for ever in all ages and in all times to be blessed praised magnified and glorified and he subjoyneth to this the word Amen thereby signifying the inward assent of his heart Amen for the word Amen is not here vox optantis a word of wishing but vox approbantis et vox affirmantis a word of approving and a word of affirming certainly he is so Amen The Observation is this Doctrine That Jesus Christ ought to be spoken of and thought upon with reverence
them his sons Ishmael and Isaac Isaac was the chosen seed Ishmael was not Isaac belonged to the election Ishmael did not Isaac was the child in whom God would fulfill his promise Ishmael was not but Abraham respected both alike untill the Lord did cast out Ishmael hence we are to understand thus much That there is no manifest difference between Gods chosen and others Doctrine in regard of their spiritual estate untill God put a difference between them by his Word and the works of his Spirit I grant there is a difference between Gods chosen and others even from everlasting and before they have a being in the world but it is not known unto us and there is no difference between them touching their spiritual estate manifested known and discernable either by our selves or by others untill God do put and make a difference between them by calling and converting the one by his Word and the work of his Spirit and leaving the other uncalled effectually Before the effectual calling of Gods chosen they are in the same estate and condition with those that belong not unto Gods election they are prone unto evil as well as others they are as vile in the practise of sinne as any other unlesse God do restrain them No man can say this is one that belongeth to Gods election and this is not untill God do put a difference between them And this truth hath not onely ground here but also plentiful evidence in many places of Scripture in 1 Cor. 6.9 10. The Apostle having reckoned up many grosse sinners and given them their doom that they can never come to inherit Gods Kingdome as neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Wantons nor Buggerers nor Theeves nor Drunkards nor Raylers nor Extortioners shall never inherit Gods Kingdome living and dying so he subjoyneth vers 11. such were some of you you were no better but now you are washed and justified and sanctified now God hath put a difference between you and others by the work of his grace and power of his Spirit you were as vile as any debauched sinner untill you were cleansed and in Ephes 2.1 2 3. The Apostle saith of the believing Ephesians they were now believers but in times past they were dead in trespasses and in sinnes yea they walked before their calling and conversion after the fashion of the world and followed the Prince that ruled in the ayr that is the Devil that now worketh strongly in the children of disobedience you were dead and you walked how could that be you had the life of nature and you walked after the Fashions of the World yea I and other believing Jewes we had our conversation in the lusts of the flesh and were by nature children of wrath as well as others there was no difference untill God put a difference Thus the Apostle speaketh of the believing Romans Romans 6.17 That they had been servants of sinne and slaves thereunto but ye now God be thanked through grace have obtained a form of godlinesse whereunto you are delivered So likewise the Apostle speaketh of himself and other true believers in Titus 3.3 4 5. We our selves were in times past disobedient deceived servers of lusts and pleasures hateful and hating one another But when the bountifulnesse of God appeared through Christ Not by the works of righteousnesse that we have done but of his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new birth and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost now there is a difference but before there was none So that this doth manifest unto us that there is no known difference between Gods chosen and others in regard of their spiritual estate and condition untill God put a difference between them by the work of his grace and Spirit The Reason Reason is manifest because Gods Children have no priviledge above others in regard of their birth they are born and brought forth in sinne as well as others they are tainted and stained with the pollution of sin as well as others and Nature in them is as vile and corrupt as in the vilest sinner upon the face of the earth yea it is as predominant and powerful in them as in any so that we see that Gods Children have no manifest difference between them and others till God put a difference Vse 1 Upon this ground in the first place learn we to take heed that we take not upon us to determine of the Final estate of any man being yet in his natural estate and condition we may not be so bold as to say this man or that woman is a Reprobate and a cast-away it is bold presumption in any Abraham could not discern that his son Ishmael was one that had no right and title to the Covenant of grace till God saith I have cast him off And there is no manifest difference between Gods chosen and others touching their spiritual estate untill God do difference them by working upon the one and leaving the other unwrought upon and therefore judge not of the future and final estate of any man by his present condition we may lawfully judge a carnal man to be a carnal man and in the way that leadeth to hell and damnation and if he do hold on in that way and not repent he shall be damned but to go beyond this is to break into Gods several and secret counsel what a carnal man may be in after time leave that unto Gods determinate counsell Vse 2 In the second place the truth now delivered is to be thought upon by as many as find tnemselves to be effectually called by the Word and the holy Spirit of God the consideration of this ought to stirre them up to blesse God and magnifie the mercy of God for that great mercy and benefit bestowed upon them they are bound in this respect so to do what were they before they were so wrought upon they were in the same estate and condition even with others that belong not unto Gods election there was no manifest and known difference between them and others either in the eye of the world or the judgment of others neither could themselves judge themselves in a better estate it was not discernable unto them or unto others they were as prone to evil as others as vile in the practise of evil as others they were wallowing and tumbling in sin and had no more desire of good then the vilest miscreant upon the earth Now who hath put a difference between thee and them that remain uncalled surely onely the Lord and that of his mere goodnesse and mercy and if thou throughly consider it thou canst not be sufficiently thankful to God and therefore when thou seest them wallowing and tumbling in sin and taking much delight and pleasure therein passe it not by without consideration but consider of it not to insult over them but to pity them and thereby call to mind what thou wast before the Lord wrought upon thee by his Word and holy Spirit
example of the Apostle Paul that was changed by the voyce of Christ from heaven and the voyce of the Gospel is as powerful from a bloody and tyrannical persecutor to a famous and renowned Preacher of the Gospel Gal. 1.22 And we read not onely in the primitive stories of the Church but have found also in our own time that the Gospel of God hath been of such force that it hath made many to leave their Fathers their Mothers wives children friends their lands and livings and all their riches and possessions and to lose their lives by fire and sword and faggot and by cruel tortures yea by as cruel torments as their tormentors could lay upon them And is not the voyce of the Gospel now as powerful is not the Gospel able to make thee now to lay aside thy profits or pleasures as thy Carding or Dicing nay not to lay aside a cup of beer or wine not needful for thee is not the Gospel able to make thee to lay aside a needlesse new fangled attire on thy head to make thee cut off thy long shag and ruffian-like hair to make thee leave off thy covetousnesse thy Drunkennesse thy whoring thy common swearing by faith and troth is it not able to do this is the power of the Gospel abated can it not make thee leave off thy darling sin it was wont to do this in former time And the Gospel is as powerful now and as able to throw down the strongest hold of sin and Satan as ever 2 Cor. 10.4 to throw down imaginations and strong holds of corruption if thou live under the Gospel where the Gospel is truly and faithfully preached and assuredly either the Gospel hath thus wrought in thee to the purging out of corruptions and those sins thou once delightedst in or it sealeth up unto thee a heavy and fearful conclusion what is that you will say Take it from the Apostle not from me in 2 Cor. 4.3 mark what he saith The Apostle in the second verse of the Chapter sheweth that he and the rest of the Apostles handled the Word of God not deceitfully but in the declaration of the truth in plain evidence of the Spirit and of power they approved themselves to every mans conscience then mark what he bringeth in by way of inference if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish if the Gospel that hath been so plentifully and powerfully preached and so painfully delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit work not in your hearts and souls It is to be feared you are in the way to destruction and in a fearful condition Oh then let us look that we find the power of the Gospel in our hearts and soules and consider it will nothing at all avail us to know that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation though it were to thousands yea to all the world besides if we find it is not so to us to commend the Gospel and the Doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of it and to say it is a blessed Sermon an excellent Sermon the best sermon that ever I heard it may be worthy to be commended but hath it wrought upon thee thou finding it not powerful to thee it will not be available to take notice of the Gospel to be a Word of power in the general and in the abstract and not find it so in the particular to thy self is the case of the Devil he knoweth the Gospel is a comfortable Word but see what good hast thou gotten by knowing it hath it beat down thy pride thy covetousnesse thy earthly mindednesse happy art thou otherwise it will not be available therefore in the fear of God let us never rest till we find that we living under the sound preaching of the Gospel that hath been effectual to our soules and hearts and hath beaten down our pride our earthly mindednesse and predominant corruptions and hath been of force and efficacy to the conferring upon us the holy Spirit of God and so made us actually Gods Children and heires of grace mercy and salvation then happy art thou Now the second thing that we are to stand upon is this That the children of the promise Doctrine such as are effectually wrought upon by the Word of the Gospel and by that word begotten to the faith and to believe in Christ they are accounted the true seed and the true children of Abraham and they have this honour to be of his seed And all the nobility of Christs Ancestors of Abraham of David is communicated unto them whether they be not of the race of the Jewes but Gentiles as it 's our case if the Gospel hath conferred the Spirit unto thee thou art a son or a daughter of faithful Abraham and all the Nobility of Christs Ancestors is communicated unto thee Gal. 3.7 they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Because Christ himself concerning the flesh came of Abraham Reason as the Apostle speaketh in Ephes 5.30 and they being in Christ they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh they are members with him and therefore partakers with him Oh then what excellent comfort is this to them that are sure of it Vse that the Gospel hath a working upon their hearts and soules that it hath hammered their soules and made them believe in Jesus Christ and though it be so that thou art of mean and base condition in the world yet thou art a child of Abraham an honour far surpassing that to be the sonne or daughter of an Emperour or the greatest Monarch or Potentate in the world all the Nobility of Christ his Ancestours belongeth unto thee if thou be a child of Abraham the friend of God 2 Chr. 20.7 as Jehosaphat calleth him what canst thou want either for thy provision or for thy safety and protection or defence the Lord hath made many sweet gracious and comfortable promises to Abraham that he will be his God his shield his buckler and his exceeding great reward a friend to his friends and an enemy to his enemies and thou hast right and title to all these gracious promises thou being a true believer God is thy shield and buckler a friend to thy friends and an enemy to thy enemies what canst thou want either for thy provision and safety or thy protection And therefore in the fear of God think upon it whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the powerfull Word of the Gospel that it hath beaten down thy pride thy covetousnesse and hath conferred unto thee the Spirit and that Spirit wrought faith in thy heart thou art a child of Abraham and all the Promises of God touching this life and the life to come thou hast right and title to as a child of Abraham VERSE 9. For this is a word of promise In the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son OUr Apostle having delivered this for a certain truth
whatsoever they be Doctrine no not the good works of men have any hand or stroke in Gods election of some to life and glory in heaven and his effectual calling of some in time these two things they are merely and onely of the free grace of God and not of the works of man whatsoever their works be be they never so good or excellent works in themselves And this being the proposition that it may rightly be conceived and that we erre not in the beginning we must know that Gods grace in Scripture hath a threefold acception First it is taken for Gods free favour which is of the nature of God and essential unto him the places of Scripture are obvious and plain unto us Secondly The grace of God in Scripture it is taken for the working of grace so some Divines take it for the operation extending and reaching out that free favour unto others Thirdly it is taken for the gifts of grace whether those gifts be habitual or actual as faith love joy hope peace patience and the like these are stiled by the name of grace now the proposition that we deliver is That Gods election is of his free grace my meaning is it is not the gifts of grace but by grace we are to understand the free grace and favour of God and the reaching and extending of that grace in time so that this being premised the point is to be thus conceived That Gods eternal election of some to life and glory in heaven it is of the free grace and favour of God being extended and reached out to his chosen and not of the works of man be they never so good or excellent though they be the works of grace and for the proof of this it is manifest in Rom. 11.5 The Apostle saith that at this very day there is a certain remnant of the Jews under the election of grace then he subjoyneth in the sixth verse Now if it be of grace then not of works for then were grace no grace and if of works then not of grace for then were works no more works so that the Apostle maketh a flat opposition and a contrariety between works and grace that the one of these being admitted and granted the other cannot stand but must fall grace and works cannot stand together in the same case Ephes 2.8 9. saith the Apostle by grace you are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God and then he subjoyneth not of works lest any man should boast 2 Tim. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of God saith he hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own eternal purpose and grace and Titus 3.4 5. VVhen the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by the righteousnesse that we had done but of his own mere mercy he saved us These and many others do sufficiently evidence unto us the truth of the point That Gods free grace and favour is the cause of eternal election and not the works of men which are but splendida peccatam glittering sins Because God will have all the glory of all the good that cometh to his Reason 1 chosen or is done to them he will not impart his glory unto any other he will have the beginning the increase and consummation of it to come of his free grace and not of the works of man lest any man should take any part of the glory to himself Ephes 2.9 no not of the best works lest they should pride presume and magnifie themselves in their own good works and so detract from the glory of God and so mans mouth might be stopped Reason 2 The Lord will have his chosen to have sound and solid comfort in the certainty of their election and of their effectual calling not a comfort upon a rotten ground but sound comfort when Gods chosen come to be assured of it that they are in the number of Gods elect and have evidence that they are effectually called God will have that evidence and assurance of theirs to be built upon a sure ground namely upon his own free grace which is indeed unchangeable as his own blessed Majestie and essential in him and so a ground immoveable not built upon any works of theirs because they are variable and changeable in their own Nature it is true indeed Faith shall never fall away not by any immutability in faith it self but because grace doth continually support and uphold it but faith and good works of men in their own nature are variable and changeable weak and imperfect corruption cleaving unto them and unchangeablenesse belongeth neither to Saint nor Angel nor any thing but God himself it is his Attribute so that upon these two grounds we may resolve that Gods election and effectual calling is onely of his free grace and not of mans works Vse 1 First of all this truth is of great force and beareth strongly against the merit of good works which is held and taught by the enemies of Gods grace those of the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome whether it be merits of congruity or merits of condignity for this is their tenent the good things done by men before their conversion those do merit ex congruo but such as are done after calling those they magnifie and say they merit ex condigno by a kind of dignity equal to the works of glory that it is just with the Lord to give them salvation for it yea the point now delivered meeteth directly with that Popish conceit that grace and works do concur say they and so make a mingle mangle and hotch-potch grace and works do concur and meet together in the justification and salvation of a sinner they are good friends and at amity in flat opposition to the words of God which do teach that in the matter of justification and salvation these two are at odds in matter of good life faith and good works must be but not in matter of justification or salvation as they teach Again we find that justification and salvation they are by the Apostle derived and fetched from the very same beginning and cause namely the free grace and eternal love of God as well as election and vocation Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified whom he justified them he also glorified so that election vocation justification and glorification come all from the same grounds Object 1 But yet further the Papists do seek to elude and to put out the clear light by many shifts as first of all say they the places alledged in Rom. 11. Ephes 2. and others where the Scripture maketh an Antithesis and opposition between grace and works you must know the meaning of the Holy Ghost his meaning is Ceremonial works not Moral works Ceremonial works have no hand in Justification Answ To this I answer The Apostle speaketh indefinitely shutting out all works whatsoever they
is alledged though the Book the Chapter or Verse be not cited we should be able to know it was Scripture and not to think as some ignorant persons do that when a Poet is cited that it is Scripture but this was handled in the eighth Chapter vers 36. But onely one thing further You see the Apostle here whose Authority was Divine Apostolical and infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit of God who could not erre in what he taught and delivered to the Church and people of God yet for all this Divine and Apostolical and infallible assistance he followeth the rule of the written Word of God and bringeth testimony of Scripture to prove his Doctrine this was an usual thing with the blessed Apostle in other places of Scripture read Acts 26.22 23. the Apostle there saith that he witnessed to small and great saying no other things then those that Moses and the Prophets did say should come to passe That Christ should suffer death and be the first that should rise again from the dead and shew light to the Gentiles Rom. 1.2 the Apostle affirmeth that the Gospel which he preached was grounded upon the written Word of God and not to amplifie the point the Scripture is of sacred and divine authority as it containeth in it a Divine and heavenly Doctrine yea such a Doctrine that is not subject to the Church or any other thing in heaven or earth but only unto God whose Will and Counsel it is touching things that concern the good of his Church and chosen This for the use of it serveth to discover unto us the shamelesse impudence Vse 1 of that shamelesse strumpet the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome in that that Synagogue taketh upon it an absolute power to judge in all matters of Faith and of Religion and to define of it and that without and besides Scripture yea it taketh upon it a power to judge of Scripture it self and of the sense of Scripture and that without the help of Scripture to fasten a sense upon the written Word of God and to say this is the sense though they have no ground nor warrant for it in all the Book of God besides and that forsooth upon a supposition of the infallible assistance of the Spirit Oh say the Papists our Church and our Teachers are infallibly assisted by the Spirit of God and would ground themselves upon that Text in John 16.13 where Christ saith unto his Disciples when the Spirit of truth should come which he would send it should lead them into all truth Oh say they see Christ promiseth his Spirit to lead them into all truth so that they cannot erre in that which they teach But the Papists are mistaken if so be we consider the place duly and look upon it and examine it we shall find it will bear no such conclusion that the Church and the Teachers of the Church are so led that they cannot erre in whatsoever they teach and that the Church hath power and the teachers of the Church power to judge of the Scripture and the sense of Scripture without the help of it for that place in John it must of necessity be understood with a restraint when he saith it shall lead you into all truth it hath a limitation and restraint to that subject of which it is spoken of all that truth For why I hope the Papists will not deny but easily confesse and yeeld unto it that the time of Christ his second coming to Judgment is a certain truth of God God hath appointed and set it down in Act. 17.31 a day wherein he will judge the whole world in righteousnesse by Jesus Christ yet the time of his coming unto Judgment is not revealed by the Spirit of God to the Church or Teachers of it nay we are not to enquire into the time of his coming Christ forbiddeth it so that speech of truth must admit of a limitation not of all truth for here is a particular truth not revealed but it is to be understood of all truths contained in the will of God in the Scripture that the holy Spirit of God shall lead them into all that truth how may it appear why read the place it self John 16.13 14. Howbeit when he is come which is the Spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth there they stay but mark what followes He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear shall he speak and he will shew unto you the things to come and shall glorifie me Now a special part of the glory of God and Christ what is it but this that the Holy Ghost revealeth unto the people of God the secrets of the Gospel the things that eye of man cannot see nor heart conceive doth the Spirit of God reveal to Gods children and doth teach what Christ is in himself in his nature in his offices and in his person onely these things he shall reveal no new coyned doctrine or new devices of mens brrains not contained in the holy Scripture but such as Christ and the Prophets and Apostles have taught these things shall be brought to the minds of Gods chosen therefore it is monstrous and shamelesse impudencie for the Papists thus to affirm that they have power without and besides Scripture But we are not to believe any without they can say Scriptum est it is written it is the infallible truth of God grounded on Divine authority thus must all Ministers do ground their doctrine on the truth of God As it is written I have loved Jacob and hated Esau COme we now to the testimony of the Apostle it self I have loved Iacob and hated Esau These words we find in Malachy Mal. 1.2 3. And they are here brought to manifest and to shew the reason of the difference that it pleased God to put between the two brethren Jacob and Esau Jacob advanced over Esau because God loved Jacob Esau brought in subjection unto Jacob because God hated Esau Now that we may come to the handling of this testimony Some there be that say this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Iacob and hated Esau concerned onely things appertaining to this life things outward and temporal and not things eternal the Prophet say they shewing wherein Gods love did consist unto Jacob and wherein his hatred unto Esau did consist he saith Gods love did consist in this in giving unto Jacob a fruitful Land flowing with milk and honey and his hatred unto Esau in making Esaus Mountain waste and in giving unto Esau's posterity the Idumeans a barren and a dry Country and a Wildernesse for Dragons as the Prophet speaketh therefore say they the Prophet thus speaking of things appertaining to this life outward and temporal it cannot hence be concluded that our blessed Apostle treateth of eternal election and reprobation as you would make it that this whole Chapter concerneth Predestination Now to this we answer easily 't is true indeed the Prophet in the place alledged
to that there is no truth in them they are lying spirits and I may justly say to such as Abraham said to the rich man in hell Luk. 16.29 thy friends have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them so we have the writings and the words of the Apostles and holy Prophets of Jesus Christ and God speaketh unto us therein there is the Oracle of God and we must give leave and liking to them and not upon the fancies of men that say such and such a day shall be great disasters Oh but say some these things sometimes come to passe It may be so in Judgment they come to passe because men give ear unto them what saith the Lord by Moses Deut. 13.1 2 3 4 5. If a lying prophet or a dreamer of dreames do tell you of strange things and they come to passe believe him not for the Lord doth it to try you and it is the just hand of God to bring it upon you because we give ear and liking to them Again observe we the Apostle bringeth these words of Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy to prove that God was not unjust in loving Jacob and hating Esau he having denyed this with a God forbid he subjoyneth presently as a reason to prove it For he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy A man would think this were a strange kind of clearing God from injustice is not God therefore unjust when he loveth Jacob and hateth Esau without cause because he saith I will have mercy because I will hath God no other reason to give But we must learn to acknowledge that this is the soveraign power of the great God of heaven and earth that his will must be reason enough to rest upon and this is the true obedience that is acceptable and pleasing to his holy Majestie Doctr. That Gods will and pleasure and his appointment touching all things that are in the Word and touching the ordering and disposing of all things and coming of all things to passe in this world it is holy just and good and it cannot be taxed as unholy and unjust though we cannot dive into the depth of it the will of God that is holy just and good though we cannot comprehend the depth of it And the reason and ground is Because it is the very nature of the Will of God he doth all things Reason 1 most freely and justly as in Ephes 1.5 He hath predestinated us to be adopted through Christ Jesus in himself nothing out of himself according to the good pleasure of his will Again secondly the will of God is the square and rule of all goodnesse Reason 2 and righteousnesse whatsoever God willeth it is good because he willeth it but whatsoever is in Scripture is agreeable to the will of God is good and whatsoever dissenteth from the will of God it is evil so that upon this ground Gods will and pleasure it is holy just and good and cannot be taxed with evil because he willeth it How is the good will and pleasure of God just and holy in respect of sin for he doth appoint it else it could not be in the world Object It is true sin could not be in the world unlesse God did appoint it Answ and yet Gods appointment is good God willeth the being of sin in the world not simply as it is peccatum sin but as it is a pupishment for some evill foregoing and so he maketh it to serve for the manifestation of the glory of his Justice in this respect the being of sin is good and so God who is able to bring light out of darknesse good out of evil he doth righteously and willingly permit evil Upon this ground we must learn to lay aside all reasonings of the flesh Vse against the will and appointment of God touching all things that come to passe in the world we must learn not onely in our words but thoughts also to justifie the will of God as holy and just in respect of the being and coming to passe of every thing in the world But to apply this a little nearer and to another purpose to teach us that as we must justifie the working will of God so we must justifie his signifying will in his Word whereby he doth signifie his mind to acknowledge that to be holy just and good yea we must learn to esteem and to hold every Commandement of God every denunciation threatening and every promise of God that we find in the holy book of God to be holy just and good Rom. 7.12 And it is a sure sign of grace when we can acknowledge the wisdom of God in his Word and every Commandement of God to be holy and righteous as when a man can justifie the Commandement of the Sabbath the Commandement against uncleannesse usury or any Commandment that doth crosse and thwart and contradict our sins whatsoever that we can say Lord thou art just and upright in thy Commandements howsoever I am sinfull this is a sign of a sanctified soul whereas every worldling will be disputing against every Commandement of God and will pick a quarrel with them at the Commandement of the Sabbath that requireth we should not think our own thoughts speak our own words nor do our own works on that day Esay 58.13 Oh saith the carnal man may I not walk to Taverns and Ale-houses and talk of matters of the world this is too strickt and rigorous And so in the matter of apparel whereas the Lord requireth our apparel should be modest befitting such as fear the Lord Oh say they this is too strict if I should not follow the fashions of the world I should be accounted as an Owl and as no body in the world thus they wrangle and cavil against the Commandements of God but they that do justifie the Word of God as holy and true though it meeteth with our dearest lust yet we subscribe unto Gods Commandements this is a signe of true grace in our hearts Oh therefore labour to subscribe unto the Commands of God if we will be assured of grace For he said to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Object VPon occasion of these words I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy A blasphemous Heretick did hold That mercy was not a natural property in God but an act of the will of God Because that Moses bringeth in the Lord saying I will have mercy upon whom I will And thus he reasoneth God doth alwaie suse his natural properties such as be essential in God they are in exercise and he useth them continually but saith he mercy whereby God doth offer grace unto sinners and pardon of sin unto man is not alwaies exercised and shewed forth as namely to all sinners impenitent And the Apostle affirmeth that God hath mercy upon whom he will And so the Apostle
throughout all the earth That is the praise and glory of my power and my Justice appearing in the destruction of thee so mighty a King might be published and might be spread abroad in every part and corner of the world and might be every where spoken of in every part and corner of the world So then thus conceive the meaning of the Apostle in these words as if he had said For God said in his written Word in his holy Scripture unto Pharaoh Exodus 9.16 For this very cause for this very purpose have I with-held my grace and hardned thy heart a fruit following the rejection of thee and I have stirred up my messengers to come to deliver my judgements unto thee and have caused thee not to profit by my judgements and my messengers and I have caused thee to harden thy heart and to exalt thy selfe against me that I might make thee to see and feel the force of my hand and of all my power in the bottome of the Sea and that all other my people and all in the world may see and take notice of thy destruction and my power in destroying so mighty a king Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine and first of all observe the Apostle here he speaketh and alledgeth Scripture as he had done heretofore and as he doth frequently and often in this Chapter to ground the matter that he hath in hand upon the Scriptures hence followeth this conclusion Doctrine That the Scriptures the written Word of God hath sufficient ground touching all fundamental Truths of God It is a sufficient rule and ground to guide us in all things and all matters both of Faith and of good life the holy Scriptures they doe contain in them all things needful to be known to be believed and to be practised of us to life and salvation to this purpose is that in 2 Tim. 3.16 17. where the Apostle Paul saith to Timothy Thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith of Iesus Christ For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to improve to correct in righteousness and to make the man of God absolute and perfect in every good work it is able to make a man intire in godliness I know the Cavil of the Papists against this clear evidence of Scripture for they seek to illude the evidence of this Text in this maner It is true indeed say they the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable but where doe you finde he saith it is sufficient A meer shift and easily answered for the Apostle saith not barely that the Scripture is profitable and there stay himself and goe no further but he doth point out unto us to what use it serveth it is profitable and it is profitable to to teach to instruct and to improve and to make a man absolute and intire in every good work Is it not then sufficient a foolish cavill so in the 15 verse of the same Chapter saith the Apostle the Scripture is able to make a man wise unto salvation Is not the Scripture then sufficient it is able to bring a man unto Heaven and yet say the Papists it is not sufficient certainly it cannot be denied but that the whole Scripture containeth all things needful to life and salvation and to make a man to come to Heaven would any man desire more sufficiencie then this the reason is Reason Because the written Word of God it is the breath of the holy spirit of God so saith the Apostle it is given by inspiration from whom from the Devil No from the holy Spirit of God the holy Ghost And in the Scripture Gods will is made known unto his chosen and as I have often said Gods Word is his Epistle and love-letter sent unto his children to guide them in the way of life and salvation Psalm 119.105 It is a lanthorn to their feet and a light unto their paths to guide them in every step they tread as a lanthorn and light doth guide a man in dark and obscure places so doth Gods Word guide them in the way of life and salvation And hath God bestowed upon his Church and chosen a guide insufficient that is not able to lead them to Life and salvation but to suffer them to wander into by paths of errors and sinnes no it is blasphemous so to think for the holy Scripture doth contain all things needful to be known and practised both for life and manners Wickedly then deal the Papists in this in that they joyne to the written Applicat 1 Word of God their own unwritten traditions their unwritten verities to make up and supplies as they imagine the imperfection in the holy Word of God the Word is not a sufficient rule unless the unwritten verities of the Church be joyned to it what is this but to offer injurious dealing to the great Lord of Heaven and earth and to his Word that we must supply his wisedome as insufficient with something of mans foolish brain Is the Scripture the written Word of God sufficient to guide us in all Vse 2 matters of Faith and good Life and in all things necessarie to be known to salvation learn we then to acknowledge it so to be and learn we to cleave fast unto it as the onely sufficient rule to guide us in the way that leadeth unto Life and salvation in all matters of Faith and good manners and take heed we be not carried away from the Truth of God 2 Thess 2.2.1 either by spirit by letter or by word or to speak plainly take heed we be not deluded neither by vision nor revelation besides the Word of God as the Anabaptists and Familists teach nor by the traditions of Rabbins and great learned men neither by the writings of those that are ancient Fathers and Doctours For this is an ancient device of the Papists to wrest into the Church such and such speeches tenents and bastardly writings and father them upon the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church thereby to draw men to errour and sinne Now we know not how soon we may be tried in this very kind and therefore it concerneth us we had need to look unto it and to hold fast to the written Word of God And take heed we admit not of everie thing whatsoever or whosoever bringeth it under what counterfeit soever they offer it Though a great Rabbine or a great Doctor bringeth it yet if we find him to swerve and dissent from the written Word of God and have no ground nor footing there disclaim it For this is that they triumph in they have they think the great Rabbins and learned men of the world and above all take heed of practising what they teach contrarie to the written Word of God Object I but some will say how shall I be certain that the Scripture is Scripture you tell me that I must
sticketh in the rine barke and outside of Spiritual and divine Truths it cannot find out the pith and marrow of it carnal reason sticketh in the very letter of the truth and never looketh to the Divine mysterie of it so that it is no marvel that carnal reason is sticking in the rine and outside of truths because it is blind Hence then take we notice of it whence it is that erring spirits do commonly Vse 1 fasten foul and false conclusions upon the Holy and Divine truths of God because they look upon them with a carnal eye As from that sound and Holy Doctrine of God touching his absolute Decree to life and salvation of some and his rejection to damnation of others hereupon some erring spirits do conclude and they think it followeth necessarily that therefoe God is a Tirant and dealeth tirannically with his people So again some hearing this Holy Truth of God that God hath a hand in every act of man that cometh to passe and in the act of every creature that Gods providence is in every thing that cometh to passe in the world then the carnal reasoner bringeth in this false conclusion that then God is the authour of sinne and he thinketh in his judgement it followeth necessarily that God is the authour of sinne because sin is an act And beloved do not the Papists deal thus in the matter of Justification of a sinner in the sight of God They hearing that a sinner is justified in the sight of God onely by faith then say the Papists this Doctrine hath a foule taile coming after it for it doth dispossesse mans heart from all care and indevour of good works and hereupon slanderously they give out this false report of us that in this Doctrine that men are justified onely by Faith they say we are utter enemies to God utter enemies to Gods Law and utter enemies to all good works this they think they may lawfully charge upon us Thus these and many others doe wrest false conclusions from the Holy Truth of God and why Because they look upon them by the rule of natural reason which is the ground of all Atheistical conclusions there catching and snatching and carping against the Divine Truths and mysteries of God because they stick in the rinde and dive not into the depth of them Again beloved is this so that carnal reason doth wrest false conclusions Vse 2 from the holy and Divine truths of God Then this must teach every one of us our dutie to take heed that we measure not divine Truths by the meatyard and rule of our own carnal reason especially such holy Truths of God as are of a high nature and strain such as are transcendent such as goe beyond and extend the compasse of natural reason such truths as are matters of Faith and above reason Oh take heed of measuring these by the rule of natural reason For if we seek to bring these Truths within the model scantling and rule of our natural reason we shall run into many by-paths and erroneous conceits and opinions as he must needs lose his way that knoweth not the way and followeth blinde guides So Fides est oculus animi Faith is the eye of the soul and if we in matters of Divinitie and high points of God follow your own blind reason we shall assuredly run into many gross errours yea beloved let me tell you it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal understanding and an unsanctified wit for if we so doe we shall abuse the holy word of God and wrest from it such conclusions as are not there to be found doth yet experience shew it to be true Are there not some who looking upon that place of the Apostle in 1 Timothy 5.8 where he saith He that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his Family is worse then an Infidel doe not some I say looking upon this with a shut eye and carnal understanding gather and conclude that therefore they may pinch and spare and scrape together by all means and live a base and sordid life and not part with a farthing token to the poore or to any good use but niggardly utter these words they must provide for themselves and they may come to live by the almes of the Parish themselves and will not spare a pennie more then by the Law they are enforced and compelled and so pervert the Scripture Again some others looking upon that place in Ezekiel 16.11 12 13. verses where the Lord saith He decked Hierusalem with Ornaments with Bracelets with goodly Jewels with golden Crowns and with Gold and silver and Imbroydered works Doe not some hereupon gather that therefore they may be vain in their Apparel and may follow every new fashion and may goe like ruffians in their long haire and foretop and think this is their warrant whereas they are deceived for the Lord there speaketh by way of similitude tropically that the Lord had blessed them with all good things and so expresseth it after that manner figuratively and they would have him speak properly and so they draw a false conclusion from the holy word of God Thus I might instance in many particulars that it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal eye yea I dare boldly affirm that we shall never rightly conclude from any part of the Word of God whether touching manners or touching heavenly things if we consult with flesh and bloud unlesse our eyes be annointed with the eye salve of the spirit of God Therefore to conclude learn we in reading the word of God to lay aside our own reasons to come with the eyes of the minde shut and to look with the eye of Faith and of the Spirit of God lay aside thy owne reason yea thy owne wisedome for the wisedome of man is enmitie to God Romans 8.7 Yea the best act and exercise of the mind of man not sanctified it is enmitie to the will of God therefore let us yeeld our selves to be guided onely by the will of God and then we shall certainly tread the paths that lead to true happinesse and salvation Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will IN these words Why doth he yet complain is something to be observed generally For they being considered as an Objection of carnal persons they make directly against that opinion of the Arminians who hold that God did decree to reject some amongst men upon a foresight of their wilful obstinacy in sin and their wilful rebellion against him Now beloved if this were a true Position and a truth of God then God justly complaineth of such as were hardened and that in the Reason of man for though God did decree their rejection and consequently their hardening yet the reason and the cause of Gods decree was his foresight of their wilful obstinacy and rebellion in a course of evil
teacheth the humble but he resisteth the proud James 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 he doth professe himself to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemy to those that are proud but he is a friend to the humble Oh then labour we to humble our selves before God if we mean to gain comfort from God But O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it VVhy hast thou made me thus IT is not here to be passed by that the Apostle here dealeth roundly against the Caviller and taketh him up sharply he saith not unto him Observ thou oughtest not thus to reason against God and to cavil with him or thou dost not well in so doing or be better advised he useth not these gentle speeches but he taketh him up roundly and saith O man what art thou thou lesse then a worm that takest upon thee to reply against God Note The Ministers ought to put on a holy boldness against all cavillers and carnal reasoners Thus may and thus ought the Preachers of the Gospel to deal with Cavillers and carnal Reasoners and such as quarrel against the holy truth of God the Ministers and Preachers of the Word ought to put upon them the Spirit of the Apostles even a holy boldnesse to stand out against the holy faces of all that contradict and quarrel against the holy truth of God which they have delivered They are to deal roundly with wrangling spirits not to adulate and flatter but to tell them their own so it be without any personal bitternesse they may say as the Apostle saith who art thou that pleadest against God and dost contradict the holy truth of God so as they be not bitter against their persons but not to stand upon this Again observe we in the next place what is the fault Observ that the carnall reasoner is reproved for by the Apostle surely it is this viz. Cavilling and pleading against God here is the fault in that he doth plead and reply against the Lord and it is as if the Apostle had said how darest thou question the Lord oh man To argue with him and to call the will of the Lord into question Darest thou be so impudent and so bold as to examine the will of the Lord by the rule of thy blinde and carnal reason Is not this a saucinesse and an impudent boldnesse in thee art thou not ashamed of it so that from this speech of the Apostle ariseth this conclusion viz. That it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question Doctrine 2 God to cavil against his will or to seek to bring the secret will of the Lord within the compasse of mans blind beggerly and carnal reason When men doe goe about to compasse Gods secret within the compasse of their own understanding and reason it is a great and a bold impudencie and presumption in them when men seek to compasse Gods counsel in their reason And to this purpose we finde that Job though he were a holy man one that had Gods letters testimonial for his pious integritie Yet having herein gone too far in the time of his great afflictions he having gone too farre in reprehending of him See how the Lord taketh him up in Job 39.35 Is this to learn to strive with the Almightie doest thou profess thy self to be my scholler and yet doest thou reprehend the Lord He that doth reprove the Lord let him answer it Then he crieth out Ecce peccavi behold I have offended what shall I say unto thee thou great Lord of Heaven and Earth I have been too bold to question thee And in Esay 6.2 We reade of the Seraphins That they cover their faces before the Throne of God in a vision which the Prophet saw They hide their faces as not daring once to peep or looke upon the holy and great Majestie of God The holy Saints the holy Angels the Cherubins and Seraphins dare not once look thorough their wings to looke upon the Majestie of God thereby to teach us modestie that we are not once to seek to prie into the secrets of God or to bring it within the compasse of our base weak and beggerly reason and understanding and if we so doe we are bold impudent and sawcie and the reasons are two 1. Because as Moses saith Deuter. 29 29. Secret things belong unto Reason 1 God secret things are Gods several and peculiar he hath hedged and kept them severally unto himself they are his inclosure and God hath kept them in so as we may not leap over the pale and thrust our selves into the searching of secrets by our blind and sordid reason Reason 2 2. Because there is no proportion between your own weak and shallow reason and Gods secret will and hidden counsel no our understanding and reason is not able to conceive the reason of many things that fall out in the course of this life as Solomon saith Eccles 8.17 Man knoweth not man cannot finde out the workes that are wrought under the Sunne No though he be a man of the best wit and understanding he cannot finde even the things that fall out in the course of this life as the same Preacher saith in Eccles 11.5 Oh man thou knowest not how the bones doe grow in the womb of a woman with childe thou art not able to conceive the reason of such an ordinarie thing as falleth out in the ordinary course of the procreation of man in the world how much lesse then can we comprehend the secret counsel of the Lord. No beloved the more we labour to finde out the secrets of God by the dint of our wit and the strength of our reason the more are we confounded in our selves and overwhelmed running over head and ears before we are aware yea we are wrapt up in such incumbrances as we cannot finde the way out yea into such a labyrint of doubts and difficulties that we are past recovery again and the deeper we think to goe in searching of them the further off are we from finding of them and therefore we may resolve it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question and to cavil with the Lord and to seek to bring the hidden things of God within the compasse of their base will and reason both because secret things belong unto God and also in regard there is no comparison between Gods will and our reason Applic. This in the first place discovereth unto us that such persons are exceeding Vse 1 impudent and shamelesse yea most wickedly bold in that they dare busie themselves in questioning the things that appertain to Gods secret Counsel those things that God never revealed As they doe that question why the Lord made the world no sooner What God did before he made the world Why the Lord would not appoint all men to be saved Why the Lord suffered Adam to fal when he had power to keep him from sinning What
Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour IN the next place consider we God is here compared to a Potter in respect of the Potters power over his clay that as the potter hath lawful power over his clay and may lawfully make of his clay what he will even several vessels to several uses even such power and such authority or rather greater power and greater authority hath God over mankind to make and appoint men to several ends even some to honour and some to dishonour You see then this being the ground of the comparison that man hath lawful power over the clay to make of the same lump different vessels to divers uses so Gods power is far greater to make out of mankind some to honour and some to dishonour the Observation from this implication is thus much That God hath lawful power and authority over man to ordain and Doct. 2 to appoint them unto several ends at his own good pleasure as the potter may put upon his clay what form or fashion soever he will and may make and frame of it vessels to divers purposes and uses by the same right and with greater reason it stands that God may ordain and appoint men to several ends as it pleaseth him And to this purpose in the very same comparison speaketh the Lord to the house of Israel by the Prophet Jeremiah in Jer. 18.6 O house of Israel cannot I do with you as the Potter doth with his clay as the clay is in the hand of the Potter so are you in my hand O house of Israel As the Potter may do with his clay what he will so may I with you and in Luke 12.6 The Lord Jesus forewarning of us whom we ought to fear as namely God onely he describeth that God to have power to cast into hell fire fear not him that can kill the body but fear him that can kill both body and soul and the same word is used there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth lawful power as is here thereby shewing that God hath lawful power not onely to take away the life of the body but to cast it into hell And it must needs be so that God hath greater power and authority then the Potter to appoint and ordain men to several ends then he hath to make vessels of the same lump of clay to several uses why The Reason is because the Pottter he is but a creature himself Reason and the clay is as much and the potter hath the clay made to his hands but God he made all men of nothing as Psal 100.3 The Lord hath made us and not we our selves and in this respect the Lord hath Sovereign power and authority over all men yea his right over all men is absolute yea such and so absolute is the right of God over all men as that the Lord might have made man and he might not have made man and the Lord now having made man of nothing so he may at his pleasure bring him to nothing suddenly the Creator out of the liberty of his will and absolutenesse of his power may do with his creature what he will which power the potter hath not because he is but a creature and the clay is a creature also it is made to his hand This serveth as one special ground to clear God of injustice and wrong doing that he hath appointed some men to life and glory in heaven Vse and others to everlasting shame and confusion this ground of truth cleareth God in this cause though carnal Reasoners do go about nothing else but to quarrel with God as the Arminians and Anabaptists say they herein you do go about to prove God a tyrant and that he doth deal tyrannically with men in destroying of them But they are deceived for why we know tyrants they do their own will either with men or against them onely because their pleasure is so they respect neither law nor equity nor Conscience so he may do his will and have his pleasure this is the manner of a Tyrant Now God he ordaineth men to several ends not onely according to his own good pleasure but according to the lawfulnesse of his good pleasure as he may lawfully do and as he hath lawful power and authority whereas the Tyrant careth not whether it be right or wrong he will break through all the bounds of truth and law there is no such matter with the Lord but the Lord he doth it according to his lawfull power and lawful authority to dispose of men to do with them as he will the tyrant hath not so And again there is a large and wide difference between God and a Tyrant both in respect of their wills and also in regard of their ends As first of all the will of Tyrants what is it according to their own lusts and their own pleasure and they being wicked and sinful make their wills as wicked and sinful but the Will of God God being most holy it is according to his nature and his nature being holy and pure his Will is most holy and pure Again Tyrants respect wicked ends in dealing hardly with their subjects in taking away their lives and their liberties and that is to satisfie their own cruel and bloody minds But now the purpose of God in dealing with men respecteth the praise of his glory and of his mercy which two ends are ever holy and good the ends of Tyrants are according to their Tyranny but the end of the Lord in ordaining some to shame and some to honour is the glory of his Justice and mercy and therefore it doth not follow from hence that we make God cruel and Tyrannical because we affirm that God hath out of his mere good will and pleasure appointed some to shame and some to honour because the Lord hath power so to do And this should teach us to be so far from charging God with Tyranny and indeed to drive this further we are not suffer once such a thought to arise in our hearts that God dealeth hardly with us in any thing whatsoever no not when thy estate seemeth unto flesh and blood to be most desperate nay we are to be far from this to think that God dealeth hardly with us nay when we are under the hand of God in some great and grievous distresse let us then remember thus much and think with our selves the Lord hath lawful authority to appoint men to everlasting destruction now if the Lord hath not thus dealt with us but given us a better and everlasting estate to life and glory Oh how can we think that God dealeth hardly with us in any thing he having evidenced his love unto us in Christ Jesus no though our distresses be but at the height and we in the deepest mire of misery We are to be thankful unto God in our deepest distresses and to give him the glory of
his mercy and Justice In massa pura non corrupta we are then to be thankful unto God even when we are plunged into the deepest Afflictions we can think of we are though it seem harsh and hard to blesse God and to consider in the time of our afflictions O Lord if thou shouldest deal with us as we have deserved we had been long since in hell now if the Lord do mitigate our Judgments and hath appointed us to salvation we are to magnifie his mercy considering his lawful authority over us to do what he will with us Again we considering that the lump of clay is here to be considered untainted free from tincture and pollution so we are to conceive of mankind in the making of him free from corruption That Gods will in appointing men to their several and final ends is absolute Gods will is dependent on nothing out of God Doct. 3 and independent it dependeth upon nothing in man good or evil God had not respect to man at all either to sin original or actual neither to his fall nor to his works good or evil but as the Potter maketh of the same lump being not tainted with any tincture so the Lord in appointing men to their final ends and everlasting estate did it out of his free will depending upon nothing in man it was absolute And hence it is that the Apostle determineth Gods predestination his choosing of some to life and reprobating of others in the good will and pleasure of God in Ephes 1.5 and in the 11. verse he saith God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will not unadvisedly but with counsel Because the Will of the Lord is the highest cause of all things and when we are come to that we are not to search any further nor to reason Reason about it but to rest in the will of God Gods will being the Supream cause of all things This being a truth Vse it beareth strongly against the opinion of some erring spirits as namely those that say that God in appointing men to their final ends had respect to something in man as either to their faith and good works or to their unbelief and obstinacy in sin Now this doth not onely make the will of the Lord dependent upon mans will that if men will be saved they shall if not damned but this opinion of theirs if we mark and observe it it maketh a dissimilitude between God and the Potter which are here put together in affinity and agreement But this doth overturn and contradict it And if this be true then this text is not true for if God had respect to something in man surely then God need not appoint any person definitively nor certainly to be a vessel of honour but conditionally if they did believe And so they make God to frame divers persons diversly qualified to divers ends and that with respect had to their qualification all men if they believe shall be saved if not none And so this disannulleth and overthroweth this similitude of the Apostle of the Potter who maketh of the same lump vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour so God out of the general lump of mankind not corrupted maketh some men to honour and some to dishonour I but may some say the Apostle saith Object in 2 Tim. 2.21 if any man purge himself from evil he shall be made a vessel of honour so that it dependeth not upon Gods will but upon our purging of our selves and our purifying of our hearts and lives To this I answer The Apostle in that place alledged Answ he speaketh not either of the decree of election and fore-appointing of some men to life and salvation nor yet of his effectual vocation and effectual calling But in this place the Apostle speaketh of the office and duty of Christians and he sheweth how a Christian must carry himself different from a Reprobate and answerable that he may be a vessel of honour sanctified and purged from the drosse of Corruption and from the sin and sinful courses of the world And this is the duty of every believing and elect Child of God thus they ought to demean and purge themselves and to carry themselves even as sanctified vessels fitted and prepared for glory so that this still remaineth a truth that Gods will in appointing men to their final ends it is absolute And we are to hold this as a certain truth for if we be in the number of Gods chosen we are built upon a sure foundation namely the absolute will of the Lord and that standeth more firm and stable and immoveable then the frame of heaven and earth the very frame of heaven and earth shall be turned upside down before this shall be shaken Oh what an excellent ground of comfort is this to as many as know themselves to be in the number of Gods chosen that they shall never lose it it being built upon so sure a foundation as Gods most absolute will which can never be moved VERSE 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction IN these two Verses our Apostle he maketh a real Answer to the Caviller and Carnal Reasoner the Caviller reasoneth thus from the words of the Apostle that some men are hardened it is the will of God so saith the Apostle he hardeneth whom he will what reason is there then that God should complain of such men that are hatdened the will of God is irresistible it cannot be withstood and you teach us God hardeneth whom he will what then saith the Caviller hath God to complain of Now herein first our Apostle doth check the Cavillers saucinesse and malapertnesse in the 20. verse Who art thou O man shewing the absurdity of the reasoning against God and it is as if the formed thing should say to the former why hast thou made me thus amplifying that by a similitude of the Potter whereby the Apostle implyeth that as the Potter may lawfully do with his clay what he will and frame out of it several vessels to several uses so may the Lord ordain some men to life and glory and some to shame and confusion Now the Apostle having thus made way to the Real Answer now he cometh to it and sheweth that God may lawfully punish Reprobates for their hardnesse And that God is just in threatening and punishing men for their hardnesse of heart this he proveth by the Lords manner of dealing with Reprobates because saith he the Lord suffereth them with long patience as if he had said though the Lord had decreed their rejection and casting off for ever yet before the Lord hath executed any degree of his punishment he suffereth them with long patience to continue that he may the better declare his just wrath and Judgment upon them and his power in them and may make known the riches of his mercy toward his chosen
of his own mercy I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy I will shew this kindnesse unto thee to see the back parts of my glory because I will have mercy on whom I will Now by mercy in this text of the Apostle and the other of Moses we are to understand the act the exercise and work of mercy and by compassion the act the exercise and work of compassion and pity or rather tender love for the word compassion cometh from a radix Dilexit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth to love with such a tender affection as mothers do love their children naturally such love as the woman exprest to her child before Solomon And this mercy and pity being attributed ascribed and given to God it signifieth either a propension a readinesse of his Divine will to help those that be in misery which is the essential and natural property of mercy in God Or else it signifieth the act and exercise and the work of Gods mercy extended and reached out unto his people and so we are to understand it here not the property of mercy which is natural and essential in God but the extent of it to the creature And when the Lord saith I will have mercy and compassion on whom I will his meaning is the act and exercise and work of my mercy and compassion and tender love it is ever by me extended reached out and exercised to those amongst men to whom I will exercise extend and reach it out and that merely and onely of my own free will nothing in man or coming by man moving me to do it so then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in this verse God saith unto Moses in Exod. 33.19 upon Moses request unto him God promising out of his favour to him to shew him his back parts that the act and exercise and work of my mercy is ever by me extended and reached out to those amongst men to whom I will extend and reach it out and that merely and onely of my own good pleasure nothing in man coming from man moving me to reach it out I wil have mercy on whom I will Come we now to matter of Doctrine And beloved I cannot passe it by without noting that the Apostle here alledging a text of Scripture uttered by Moses saith God spake it so saith God to Moses whence it is clear That the Scripture the Word of God the written Word of God Doctrine it is a speaking word of efficacy not a dumb Word and it is Gods Oracle as the Apostle calleth it in Rom. 3.2 yea God speaketh to his people and Church in and by his written Word and in every part and parcel of it so saith the Apostle God saith unto Moses Indeed I grant that God spake all the words of the ten Commandements after a more special and peculiar manner Exod. 20. God spake all these words and said but yet the whole Scripture is Gods speaking Word and Gods Oracle yea his lively Oracle not a dead or dumb Oracle as the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 4.12 the Word of God is lively and mighty in operation sharper then any two edged sword a quickening word and a word of power and hence it is the Prophet Esay sendeth the people of his time to enquire of God Esay 8.19 20. saith he should not a people enquire of their God then presently he adjoyneth To the Law and to the Testimony there you shall hear God speak and know his mind Now if any do object that of the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 7.12 Object where the Apostle saith Reliquis autem ego dicò non Dominus and to the remnant I say and not the Lord It seemeth therefore the Apostle speaketh here and not the Lord I answer the meaning of the place is Answ that the Lord hath not given any such expresse Commandement in any place of his Word as the Apostle doth there deliver it but the Apostle did gather so much by interpretation of the Scripture and he so spake as he was guided by the Spirit of God as he saith in the 40 verse Et ipse Spiritum dei habeam and I have the Spirit of God I speak it in the name of the Lord So then this is a truth that the Scripture is the speaking Word of God it is Gods speaking word he uttereth his voyce his Church in the Word Application Wickedly therefore deal the Papists in this respect Vse In that they fill their mouthes full of bitter and blasphemous speeches against the truth of God in that they term the holy written Word of God to be dead Ink and a dumb Judge say they put a scarlet gown upon an Image and see what it will speak so say they is the Scripture And they set up other Judges in the place of Gods Word as the authority of the Church or a general Convention or the Pope speaking Judicially out of his chair setting him up as a Judge in all matters of controversie refusing the Scripture as insufficient and calling it dead Ink and a dumb Judge Thus they shew themselves to be utter enemies of the holy written Word of God and seek to crush the authority of it and to set up the voyce of a sinfull man the son of perdition the limb of the devil over the Church and to disclaim the voyce of the living God speaking to us in his holy Scripture But we must learn to acknowledge and to reverence the Scripture as Gods speaking Word and the written Word of God to be that which God uttereth to his people and not say as some ignorant people do Oh if God would speak unto us from heaven in his own immediate voyce and if Christ would come upon the earth and preach unto us how attentive would we be we would not fall asleep then at Sermons But if thou wouldest know what God saith to his people then come to the written Word of God It is folly and madnesse in the foolish Familists and others of that sect that they depend upon Revelations besides the written Word of God but not to contend with them to apply it to our selves Vse 2 What is it better then madnesse and folly in us to rest upon the fancies and conceits and Judgments of men touching the events and coming to passe of such and such things Against superstitious observation of dayes because men tell us such a day shall be such and such disasters and such a day such fearful signs and wonders thunderings and lightenings and such and such direful wonders shall come to passe yea there is a day of special note amongst ignorant people now at hand namely St. Swithin's day if it rain on that day it will rain more or lesse fourty dayes after these are dotages of idle braines and are suggested by a lying spirit even by the spirit of the devil whereas the Lord saith Esay 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if men speak not according