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
the great Lord and King of heaven and earth and God hath promised to do good to them and to their posterity for many generations Exod. 20.6 To shew mercy unto thousands to them that love him Psal 112.2 The generation of the righteous shall be blessed yea they are his Jewels Mal. 3.16 Vse 1 See then for the Use of this in the first place see I say and take we notice of the great force of true piety of what account it is with the Lord it 's sufficient to get honour not onely to those that have it with all that are able to judge aright but also to their kindred and to their posterity and such as be of kindred or any way allied unto good and godly men may rejoyce in it and after an holy manner boast of it that they are the kinsmen of such worthy servants of God or that they are the children of such godly parents yet so as that by the example of their kindred they be stirred up to tread in their steps and to become holy and religious themselves otherwise that honour will turn to their shame as Solomon saith Prov. 16.31 Age is a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousnesse so to be descended of good and godly parents is a crown of glory if it be set on the head of such as are godly and religious otherwise it is a dishonour to them and without Gods mercy shall encrease their condemnation and on this ground let parents learn how they may estate their children in that which may be for their honour and best good namely thus they are to labour to bring themselves within the Covenant of grace and to become holy and religious themselves and then though they cannot derive their holinesse to their children because they beget them not as they be holy men but as men simply by the power and strength of nature yet by vertue of the Covenant God will be good to their children Gen. 26. we read of many blessings promised to Isaac and why because saith the text vers 5. Abraham his father obeyed the voyce of the Lord. Holinesse in the Parents seales up Gods favour not onely to themselves but to their children also This cannot raking and scraping together of wealth do it is a common saying but a wicked and cursed saying Happy is the child whose father goes to the Devil It is rather a comfort to the children when they can remember that their parents are or have been godly and in the favour of God they may then say as Jacob said Gen. 32.9 Lord thou hast been or thou art the God of my father good and gracious to him shew thou mercy to me his child according to thine own sweet promise Last of all Is it an honour and dignity to be of the race or kindred of Vse 2 such as have been holy servants of God and to be the children of good and godly Parents what an honour then is it to be the children of God and to be born of God and to be the adopted sons and daughters of God without question that is the highest degree of honour that can be vouchsafed to any worldly men esteem it a great honour to be of the race or kindred of Noble men and great men in the world but alas it is but a shadow or rather not so much as a shadow compared to the true honour of the least or meanest of Gods Saints They are the adopted sonnes and daughters of God the great Lord and King of heaven and earth they are brethren to Christ heires to the Kingdom of heaven they have Angels for their guard all things for their good and the whole world is theirs and this honour ought to affect our hearts and we are to be ambitious in seeking this honour above all things in the world Now further it is not to be passed by without noting that the Apostle here saith the Jewes who lived in his time at the time when he writ this Epistle were the posterity of the holy Patriarks and no doubt they were then able to fetch their pedegree from those holy Fathers and to prove themselves to be the seed and children of Abraham and to come of his line as they alledge for themselves and brag of it to Christ Joh. 8.33 VVe be Abrahams seed and verse 39. Abraham is our father yea doubtlesse they could then shew a perpetuall succession of their high Priests from Aaron to the time of Christ yet for all this they were rejected and were not the true Church of God the Jewes now rejecting Christ and refusing to imbrace the faith and doctrine of the Gospel are not the true Church of God though they be descended from Abraham and from the holy Patriarks and though they can derive their pedegree from them See then I note it to this purpose the vanity and weaknesse of that argument that is used by our adversaries the Papists that forsooth the continual succession of Bishops is an evident argument of the true visible Church and they will needs have their Romish Synagogue to be the onely true Church because as they say their Pope is the successour of Peter and they have had a continual ordinary succession of Bishops Pastours and Doctors from the time of the Apostles which indeed is a vain brag and can never be proved it is questionable whether Peter ever sate as Bishop at Rome And the Popish Church hath no succession from the Apostles for many hundred yeares after Christ at the least for five or six hundred years And admit they could shew a continued succession of their Bishops from the time of the Apostles without interruption yet that is but a sandy and a weak ground to build the truth of their Church on unlesse they can also shew a continual succession of true doctrine and that their Church hath succeeded the Apostles in truth of doctrine for indeed they cannot be said to succeed them whose doctrine they renounce An outward succession of persons in any place without succession of true doctrine from the Apostles which the Papists cannot shew is nothing worth It helpeth not the Bishop of Rome to have as they say Peter for their predecessour and that they are his successours so long as they swerve from the true Doctrine of Peter and are become such grosse Idolaters that personal succession if they could prove it can nothing avail them It followeth verse 5. and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came that is of which Jews Christ also descended concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature This is also added as further matter of honour and dignity to the Jewes that Christ came of them concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature that he that was the Sonne of God and that from all eternity should have the same Ancestors and Progenitors with them Whence we see then Doctr. That the Jewes are a very Honourable people having many excellent priviledges and prerogatives
thy life and conversation throughly reformed thy corruptions mortified thy graces increased thy love and zeal inflamed and thy soul at last eternally saved let me beg thy prayers for my self in requital of my pains and thy best wishes at the throne of grace in behalf of the Stationer for his labour and his honest care and cost bestowed herein and herein forget not to go to God for his blessing upon thy reading this work and all our endeavors herein that all may tend to his glory In hope whereof I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace and the book once more to thy serious reading and practise heartily taking leave I hasten to write my self Albourn this present March 12 h. 1652. Thine in Christ Jesus William Harrison There is lately Printed Gods holy mind touching matters Moral which himself uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments also Christs Holy Minde touching Prayer which himself taught unto his Disciples discovered by the light of his own holy Writ and delivered by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr Edward Elton B. D. and Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bar monsey near London A true Relation of the murders committed in the Parish of Clunne in the County of Salop by Enoch ap Evan upon the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the causes moving him thereunto by Richard More Esquire Printed by order of a Committee of Parliament The great Mystery of Godlinesse opened Or an Exposition upon the ninth Chapter of the Epistle to the ROMANS Romans 9. Verse 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the the holy Ghost Verse 2. That I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart THis excellent Epistle to the Romans written by that famous Apostle Paul the great Doctor of the Gentiles consisteth of these 3 parts in generall 1. A Proemium or Introduction 2. An Institution of Christian Doctrine 3. A Percration or conclusion Again in the Institution of Christian doctrine the Apostle proceedeth in this manner 1. He handleth the doctrine of Justification in the 5 first Chapters of this Epistle 2. He insisteth in the doctrine of Sanctification in the 6. and 7 th Chapters 3. Matter of sweet consolation flowing from the two former in Chapter the 8 th 4. He propoundeth and prosecuteth the doctrine of Predestination in the 9 th 10 th and 11 th Chapters 5. He proceedeth to matter of Christian exhortation to sundry duties generall and speciall Chapters 12.13 c. Now in this ninth Chapter he beginneth the doctrine of Predestination and openeth that great mystery of godlinesse concerning the rejection of the Jewes and calling of the Gentiles and herein we have 3 parts 1. In the first place we have not onely an insinuation of the Apostles dear and deep affection and a solemne and serious protestation of the truth of it but also a singular manifestation of his most admirable love to the nation of the Jewes notwithstanding the doctrine he was now about to deliver and this is amplified by sundry circumstances as 1. By the particular passion or affection wherein he manifested his dear love to them and that is his grief and sorrow for their casting off 2. The grief he here speaketh of is further amplified by two further circumstances or adjuncts viz. 1. The constancy of it 2. The sinceritie of it 3. This love of the Apostle to them is further illustrated by the great measure or extent of it viz. that he could wish himself accursed and separated from Christ in order to procure their salvation 4. Lastly by the affectionate and honourable mention that he maketh of the Jewish nation describing both fully and affectionately all their priviledges and prerogatives shewing what great cause he had to be so deeply affected with their rejection and thus he doth in the 5 first verses of this Chapter The second part of the Chapter is touching a vindication of the stabilility and constancy of the Lords promises though the Jewes were rejected and the defending of that promise of God for the stability of it against all cavils and all erring spirits and all humane reasonings that may be brought to the contrary and that from the 6. verse to the 24. The third part is a declaration of that wonderfull and deep mystery held from the beginning of the world concerning the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jews which was a thing foretold though men did not understand it before Paul revealed it unto them which was foretold by the Prophets so laid down from the 24. verse to the end of the Chapter so you have the chief materials generall in the Chapter of these in order and first of the first The Apostle being about to propound that which he knew would be taken very harsh and hard and marvellous displeasing and offensive to the Jews to hear of he useth a very patheticall insinuation of his love unto the Jews that he speaks of love expressing that love by his inward and hearty sorrow for their present estate and the care that he had for their good thereby to gain their good will and not exasperate them against him And the Apostle being to lay down their rejection useth a Preface unto it that the thing he spake was the truth and for the more force and efficacy of it he putteth down the contrary and I lie not and he confirmeth it further by an oath he calleth Christ to witnesse I speak the truth in Christ I lie not And secondly he proveth it by the witnesses and testimony of his own conscience his own conscience bearing witnesse with him and this conscience renewed by the holy Ghost mine own conscience bearing witnesse with me in the holy Ghost And then in the second verse he delivereth and putteth down his sorrow and his grief and his heavinesse of heart and thus he setteth out by the continuance and greatnesse of it it was a great sorrow and a continuall sorrow and that in his heart and soul and not a dissembled fained or outside sorrow but in his very heart and soul there he putteth down the desire of their good in the third verse And he doth expresse that by a wonderfull strange speech even by a wish to be separated from Christ for their good their calling and conversion Thereby implying their rejection and not propounding it for otherwise there was no cause of such a wish to be wished to be separated from Christ for their sake if they were not rejected and therefore he desireth to be anathemated and accursed from Christ for their good and then he setteth down reasons why he so wished himself to be separated from Christ First of all because they were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh Secondly a more waightier reason then this because they were the Israelites of God and Gods people and that he maketh further manifest and plain unto
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
are not Gods by their faith and troths which are not gods and in Zephan 1.5 The Lord threateneth to cut off all that swear by the Lord and by Malcham by Masse or by Jesse or by Laking it sheweth that they have no grace in their hearts yea it discovereth the cursed corruptions of their hearts and soules and therefore thou that art guilty of this sin think upon it fot thou sinnest fearfully against God and be sure to cry to God for mercy and for pardon of this sin for this sin if thou hadst no more were sufficient to throw thee down to hell Oh but those that swear by faith and troth will say they are no great swearers that swear by such like oathes But I say these sins are weighty enough to plunge thee headlong into hell without repentance for thou mayst not swear at all without a calling and that either before a Magistrate or in private and then it must be with reverence and a good conscience in truth in righteousnesse and in Judgment with deliberation and a Serious consideration of the Name of God in such causes as are lawful namely the great and glorious Name of God or such like particulars I say the truth in Christ and I lye not The Apostle sheweth here the sincerity of his heart that he spake the truth simply and plainly and with an honest and upright heart without any manner of doubling or dissembling I will not here enter into the common place of lying which is not here meant but take the thing naturally and hence observe That truth in word and simplicity of heart must ever go together Doctr. when a man is called to speak a truth either in matter of Religion or Civil causes he must deliver it without equivocation or mental reservation the tongue must agree with the heart and the heart with the tongue a man must not speak the truth deceitfully for so the Devil doth speak the truth with a purpose to deceive the soules of men and if men so do speak the truth falsly with a purpose to deceive they lie in speaking the truth the tongue and heart must agree it is a note of a Child of God one that is a Member of the Church Militant and Triumphant that he speaketh the truth that is in his heart Psal 15.2 But to passe by this onely touching it in a word That the same truth must be in the tongue as in the heart there must be truth in the tongue and simplicity and sincerity in the heart without equivocation or mental reservation My Conscience bearing me witnesse That is my Conscience witnessing with me that I speak the truth Hereby the Apostle putteth down one special office and act of the Conscience of man that the act and office of the Conscience of man is to bear witnesse to give evidence and testimony so that from hence it is clear Doctrine That God hath placed the Conscience in the soul of man as a witnesse of all his words and deeds yea of his very thoughts and of the motions of his will and of his inward affections how he standeth affected For here the Apostle bringeth it as a witnesse that he was truly sorrowfull which none but himself could tell and therefore he bringeth his Conscience as a witnesse so that the conscience in the soul of man beareth witnesse and giveth testimony of whatsoever a man doth think will affect speak or do and to this purpose the Apostle speaketh in Rom. 2.15 of the Gentiles that had not the Law of God but were led by the glimmering light of Nature these poor Gentiles shewed the effect of the Law written in their hearts their Consciences bearing witnesse and their hearts either accusing or excusing so in Eccle. 7.22 where the Preacher oftentimes thine own heart knoweth that is thy own conscience witnesseth that thou hast cursed others do not regard every idle word thine own conscience witnesseth thou hast cursed others and in 2 Cor. 1.12 our rejoycing is this that we have the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse we have had our conversation c. So that we see by these places God hath placed the Conscience in the soul of man as a witnesse of whatsoever man doth think or will affect like or do The Reason Reason is because God hath put into the conscience of man a power of observing and remembring all things that passe from one man to another and of man himself whether thoughts or speeches or actions either in thought in word or in deed we may see it in Josephs Brethren they remembred what they had done to Joseph even many yeares after they had done it Gen. 42.21 and in Gen. 50.15 their consciences do tell them did not we sin against our Brother it is an observer and remembrancer unto them even of their thoughts words and actions we may see it in our own experience twenty or thirty years ago do not our consciences tell us and witnesse the evil things done then by us And in this respect the Conscience may be fitly compared to a Recorder or Register That as he hath his pen in his hand alwaies ready to set down whatsoever is spoken or done so is the Conscience a register to set down remember and record all our actions and all our words and thoughts many years agone yea to witnesse when it is done as the Register turneth over his book and findeth the act done many years agone so is conscience a witnesse to us Vse This truth yeeldeth unto us a strong argument against the hellish atheists of this time that do open their black mouthes against God himself and stick not to say in plain termes that there is no God this may prove that there is a God and may wring from them this confession that there is a God for why the Conscience is a witnesse of the soul of man and that witnesse not onely of the words and deeds of men for of those men and Angels may take notice but it is a witness of the thoughts of thy heart and of thy inward and secret motions of thy soul now to whom doth that bear record not to man or Angels they cannot take notice of them but to him that hath an al-seeing eye and that is God himself and the witnesse of thy conscience is marvellous secret it is not known to any but is a secret and that secret witnesse neither man nor Angels can hear or receive for neither men nor Angels can tell what is in the heart or soul of man but the secret motion of the soul God onely knoweth for if it were not so the witnesse of the soul were to no purpose unlesse there was one that knew the witnesse of the conscience for the conscience speaketh not properly but onely by way of allusion we say it speaketh and therefore there is no other but God that knoweth the secrets of the heart and therefore let Atheists bark against it as
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
passe that God giveth them over to strong delusions to believe lyes it may be they come to some understanding of the truth but they have no love unto it and therefore God sendeth them strong delusions that is such delusions as doth deceive them and hold them fast when they are deluded the Lord will not send unto them only such errours that do prevail but shall hold them and keep them and they think themselves in a very good case and in the right way when they are most perverse and so go on in a stubborn rebellion against the truth and their own salvation Therefore let us receive the truth in love to the truth and to testifie our love unto the truth by hating all contrary errours not only thinking indifferently of them and judging well of them but hating of them thus did David Psal 119.104 hate all wayes of falshood and thus it ought to be with us not onely to receive the truth after a slubbering manner but to hate all errours and assuredly it is a worthy speech of One to this purpose Unlesse we hate Atheisme and Irreligion we do not love the truth of God and his holy Religion nor God himself so unlesse we hate Papisme Anabaptisme and Familisme and Brownisme and other separations we do not love the truth as we ought to do we see the Papists can well endure the Familists and the Familists well indure the Papists they can live together quietly Oh say the Familists what need you make such ado against the Papists we can live amongst them and not be tainted I believe them for they both hate the truth But let us testifie our love unto the Gospel while it is amongst us and be well affected with every Sermon every threatening every comfort every promise published and hate all Papisme all Anabaptisme all Familisme all Brownisme all separations though they say we are too hot against the separation no if we love the truth we hate all errours and separations Neither onely this but when Rebekah also had conceived by one even by our father Isaac IN that the Apostle here bringeth an example and instance of Jacob and of Esau being an instance and an example more strong and free from all exception and cavils sufficient to answer the Cavils of the Jewes and to silence them they having nothing to say against it touching their Objection that all that came of Abraham by natural generation are heirs of salvation Hence we may note thus much That the Scripture hath sufficient ground of truth in it self Doctrine it hath evidence of truth and example sufficient for the clearing and resolving of all doubts all difficulties and questions and cases of Conscience and for the convincing of all manner of errours it is sufficient in it self to answer all false conceits and erroneous opinions in respect of the positions and examples of it even to answer all cavils and opinions whatsoever and convince all manner of errours 2 Tim. 3.16 saith the Aposile the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and it is profitable and useful not onely to teach and to instruct in the truth but also to improve and exhort And indeed in the Scripture is found the good acceptable and perfect will of God is revealed in the Scripture even that will in the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.15 which is able to make us wise unto salvation it containeth the perfect will of God that is able to make us wise to our comfort here and salvation hereafter what can we have more Vse Therefore wickedly and most injuriously deal the Papists in this point in that they charge upon the written Word of God imperfection and insufficiency and they say it is not a sufficient ground and rule of truth it is not able to clear all doubts and questions and cases without some addition without we adde some unwritten verities and therefore they joyn unto the Word of God and equal and match with it the Books Apocryphal and their traditions unwritten even the Popes Decretals and the constitutions and Canons of the Church they tender to the people to be received with the same reverence and the same affection as the true and perfect written Word of God is to be received So the Councel of Trent hath thus blasphemously decreed and set it down That they ought to receive upon pain of damnation as well the Decrees of the Pope and Canons of the Church with like love affection and reverence as they do the written and perfect Word of God thus blasphemously they deal But further come we now to consider the example of Jacob and Esau particularly as it is here laid before us And first of all the Apostle maketh known unto us in this tenth verse they being understood as before That Jacob and Esau were the children of the same parents they were begotten of the same Father and born of the same Mother and at one and the same time they were twins yet the holy Word of God doth further make known unto us that there was a large and a wide difference between these two brethren Jacob and Esau he maketh known they were of different dispositions and qualities and of a different life and conversation in other places of Scriptures as that Jacob was a plain man Gen. 25.27 a simple innocent a harmlesse a downright honest man a good man a holy man a man fearing God But the Holy Ghost saith of Esau and setteth this black mark upon him to be a prophane person a vile man one that sold his birth-right for a portion of meat Heb. 12.16 yea the context saith Gen. 25.34 that Esau contemned his birth-right which was a great honour and dignity he contemned it in respect of a portion of meat to satisfie his hunger for the present thus you see a large wide difference between these two men the one holy the other irreligious so that children of the same parents and born at the same time may differ one from another exceeding much and the observation arising hence is this Doctrine That the coming of the same Parents and blood and being born at the same time even under the same position of the heavens and stars and constellations these are not the things that do make children of the same mind and of the same disposition and quality children are not of the like qualities carriage and behaviour because they come of the same parents and blood and are born at the same time and under the same positions of the heavens and constellations and stars as we see in this example of Jacob and of Esau And to adde some further ground for the proof of this point we find that the Lord did forbid his people continually and from time to time to observe times and to mark the constellations of the heavens as if so be that either the manners or dispositions of men and the affaires of men and the successe of things were over-ruled and overswayed by them Deut. 18.10 Let there be
is alledged though the Book the Chapter or Verse be not cited we should be able to know it was Scripture and not to think as some ignorant persons do that when a Poet is cited that it is Scripture but this was handled in the eighth Chapter vers 36. But onely one thing further You see the Apostle here whose Authority was Divine Apostolical and infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit of God who could not erre in what he taught and delivered to the Church and people of God yet for all this Divine and Apostolical and infallible assistance he followeth the rule of the written Word of God and bringeth testimony of Scripture to prove his Doctrine this was an usual thing with the blessed Apostle in other places of Scripture read Acts 26.22 23. the Apostle there saith that he witnessed to small and great saying no other things then those that Moses and the Prophets did say should come to passe That Christ should suffer death and be the first that should rise again from the dead and shew light to the Gentiles Rom. 1.2 the Apostle affirmeth that the Gospel which he preached was grounded upon the written Word of God and not to amplifie the point the Scripture is of sacred and divine authority as it containeth in it a Divine and heavenly Doctrine yea such a Doctrine that is not subject to the Church or any other thing in heaven or earth but only unto God whose Will and Counsel it is touching things that concern the good of his Church and chosen This for the use of it serveth to discover unto us the shamelesse impudence Vse 1 of that shamelesse strumpet the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome in that that Synagogue taketh upon it an absolute power to judge in all matters of Faith and of Religion and to define of it and that without and besides Scripture yea it taketh upon it a power to judge of Scripture it self and of the sense of Scripture and that without the help of Scripture to fasten a sense upon the written Word of God and to say this is the sense though they have no ground nor warrant for it in all the Book of God besides and that forsooth upon a supposition of the infallible assistance of the Spirit Oh say the Papists our Church and our Teachers are infallibly assisted by the Spirit of God and would ground themselves upon that Text in John 16.13 where Christ saith unto his Disciples when the Spirit of truth should come which he would send it should lead them into all truth Oh say they see Christ promiseth his Spirit to lead them into all truth so that they cannot erre in that which they teach But the Papists are mistaken if so be we consider the place duly and look upon it and examine it we shall find it will bear no such conclusion that the Church and the Teachers of the Church are so led that they cannot erre in whatsoever they teach and that the Church hath power and the teachers of the Church power to judge of the Scripture and the sense of Scripture without the help of it for that place in John it must of necessity be understood with a restraint when he saith it shall lead you into all truth it hath a limitation and restraint to that subject of which it is spoken of all that truth For why I hope the Papists will not deny but easily confesse and yeeld unto it that the time of Christ his second coming to Judgment is a certain truth of God God hath appointed and set it down in Act. 17.31 a day wherein he will judge the whole world in righteousnesse by Jesus Christ yet the time of his coming unto Judgment is not revealed by the Spirit of God to the Church or Teachers of it nay we are not to enquire into the time of his coming Christ forbiddeth it so that speech of truth must admit of a limitation not of all truth for here is a particular truth not revealed but it is to be understood of all truths contained in the will of God in the Scripture that the holy Spirit of God shall lead them into all that truth how may it appear why read the place it self John 16.13 14. Howbeit when he is come which is the Spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth there they stay but mark what followes He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear shall he speak and he will shew unto you the things to come and shall glorifie me Now a special part of the glory of God and Christ what is it but this that the Holy Ghost revealeth unto the people of God the secrets of the Gospel the things that eye of man cannot see nor heart conceive doth the Spirit of God reveal to Gods children and doth teach what Christ is in himself in his nature in his offices and in his person onely these things he shall reveal no new coyned doctrine or new devices of mens brrains not contained in the holy Scripture but such as Christ and the Prophets and Apostles have taught these things shall be brought to the minds of Gods chosen therefore it is monstrous and shamelesse impudencie for the Papists thus to affirm that they have power without and besides Scripture But we are not to believe any without they can say Scriptum est it is written it is the infallible truth of God grounded on Divine authority thus must all Ministers do ground their doctrine on the truth of God As it is written I have loved Jacob and hated Esau COme we now to the testimony of the Apostle it self I have loved Iacob and hated Esau These words we find in Malachy Mal. 1.2 3. And they are here brought to manifest and to shew the reason of the difference that it pleased God to put between the two brethren Jacob and Esau Jacob advanced over Esau because God loved Jacob Esau brought in subjection unto Jacob because God hated Esau Now that we may come to the handling of this testimony Some there be that say this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Iacob and hated Esau concerned onely things appertaining to this life things outward and temporal and not things eternal the Prophet say they shewing wherein Gods love did consist unto Jacob and wherein his hatred unto Esau did consist he saith Gods love did consist in this in giving unto Jacob a fruitful Land flowing with milk and honey and his hatred unto Esau in making Esaus Mountain waste and in giving unto Esau's posterity the Idumeans a barren and a dry Country and a Wildernesse for Dragons as the Prophet speaketh therefore say they the Prophet thus speaking of things appertaining to this life outward and temporal it cannot hence be concluded that our blessed Apostle treateth of eternal election and reprobation as you would make it that this whole Chapter concerneth Predestination Now to this we answer easily 't is true indeed the Prophet in the place alledged
not be ashamed dividing the Word of truth aright and in Titus 1.9 He doth affirm that the Preachers of the Word must hold fast the faithful Word and let none wring it out of their hands and that according to doctrine that he may be able to instruct the people of God by wholsome doctrine and also reprove them that gainsay it and refute them whatsoever they be that gainsay it thus confident ought every Minister of the Word to be This sheweth and discovereth unto us Vse that many are justly to be blamed and taxed that deliver their Doctrines carelesly and loosely and also their Applications without any ground of truth in Gods Word that when any come to object against it they flye from it and say it is the opinion of this or that man of this or that Father of this or that ancient Doctour nay it may be of such or such a Postiller or such a Popish Doctour Oh this doth not agree with the power authority and majestie of the Word of God we ought to deliver the Word of God with such power as we may stand to it and not flye to Fathers or Doctours or Postillers In the next place observe we our Apostle having delivered this holy truth of God grounded upon the truth of God touching Jacob and Esau he knew that some out of their natural reason and understanding would be ready to cavil against it and to make a wrong conclusion of it he knew that some would stagger at it and wrest and pervert the truth of God and would draw from it this conclusion therefore God is unjust so that the Apostle is forced to cry out VVhat shall we say then is God unjust hence the observation is this Doctrine That the holy truth of God it is subject to misconstructions to be perverted and to be wrested and to have false inferences and wrong conclusions and forced opinions wrested from it Mans carnal and corrupt reason doth commonly pervert the holy truth of God the doctrine of piety yea though it be made known to be the holy truth of God yet mans carnal reason and understanding is ready to pervert it and to force wrong conclusions from it And for the farther manifestation of it read Rom. 3.8 there it is said that the Apostle was blamed that he should say that we might do evil that good might come thereby Because the Apostle saith that by our wicked lives God was glorified so we read of the Sadduces Matth. 22.23 they laboured to pervert the truth concerning the resurrection from the dead and to draw from it a grosse absurdity that if there were a resurrection how should a woman that had seven husbands know whose wife she was but Christ telleth them they are deceived not knowing the Scripture so in 2 Pet. 3.16 the Apostle saith some did pervert and wrong the Gospel to their own destruction and in Esay 52.6 the Prophet speaketh of the niggards the niggard will speak like the niggard and in the middle of the verse he saith that he will speak falsly against the Lord he will labour to bring an untruth from the truth of God that thereby he might have some strength to his niggardlinesse that he might make hungry the weary soul and cause the weak to fall And not to adde further testimonies of Scripture common experience doth shew the truth of it for whence come errour and heresies but out of this bitter root that men do abuse and pervert the Scripture and make men believe that God speaketh that in his Word which he speaketh not and make that the purpose of the Holy Ghost which was never his purpose as Papists Anabaptists and Separatists and other erring spirits do whence cometh it but that they fasten their errours upon the Word of God whence cometh it that men go on boldly in their sins but that they draw false conclusions from the Word of God as in that the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 5.8 they that provide not for their own are worse then Infidels and therefore may they upon this ground practice the damnable sin of usury and extortion and of covetousnesse and of hoording up and also use fraud cosening and deceit and all unlawful meanes to enrich themselves so again some out of Exod. 22.25 where the Lord saith thou shalt not oppresse thy brother with usury Oh say they I may practise the sin of usury if I do not oppresse mine is not a biting but a toothlesse usury so that here is a wrong conclusion to imbolden men in sin so some hearing the speech of Christ the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath therefore say they we may upon the Sabbath use our recreations and sports and pastimes and we may walk to Tavernes and Ale-houses Oh what a grosse conclusion is this forced on the truth of God! so I might instance in many more to shew how mans nature is ready to pervert the truth of God Vse 1 First of all this holy truth of God is to be considered by us that are Teachers and Preachers of the Word of God it must teach us our Lesson that we delivering the holy truth of God we are not to think it strange or to stand amazed and wonder at it that men should pervert that truth and wrest wrong conclusions from it yea draw such things as are not thence to be drawn and force such conclusions as we never thought upon Neither are we hereupon to shut our mouthes and resolve with Jeremiah I will speak no more in the name of the Lord my words are wrested and perverted But we must remember that the holy truth of God is subject to be perverted yea it is an argument that the truth we deliver is a sure truth of God because the devil and his instruments rage so much against it and because carnal men and unsanctified hearts and soules do wrangle against it we must not therefore be driven away from delivering the truth of God but we must be comforted in the truth Again this being so that the truth of God is subject to be perverted Vse 2 and to have wrong and false conclusions drawn from it surely then let us take heed how we do either hear or read the Word of God I do not disswade any man from hearing or reading the Word of God but take heed how we read or hear it for the adulterer or the prophane Sabbath-breaker or any other can draw a conclusion from the Word of God but take heed what we conclude from the Word of God And know it is not enough for us that we are taught the Word of God truly and live under a good Preacher a holy and faithful Ministery as many do to increase their deep condemnation but we must remember that so great is the corruption of our hearts and understanding our judgments are so perverted and so out of order that indeed unlesse they be sanctified and renued by grace they are ready to pervert the truth of
as the haughty eye and lying tongue he doth not onely hate the pride and the lye but the haughty eye and the lying tongue and the heart of wickednesse and the feet running to mischief so odious and hateful is errour and sin to God therefore we must herein endeavor to be like our heavenly Father and not onely disclaim errour and sin but hate it with a loathing detestation like unto God our Father yea hate the members of sin Vse Upon this ground of truth it followeth by way of Use and Application thnt it must be far from every one of us we professing through Gods mercy the holy truth of God and the holy religion of God which now standeth in force and authority amongst us we must take heed that we be not indifferent persons persons of indifferent minds in respect of the errours of Popery Anabaptisme or any other errours whatsoever not caring what end goeth forwards or what Religion is in force whether Papistry or the truth or no but disclaim them and hate them with detestation And it is but a phantasie and a dream of some of the Polititians and Politick heads in this age that turn Religion to a matter of policy that forsooth there may be a pacification between us and the Papists in matter of Religion and there may be a mixture of our Religion with Popish Religion if there were but a moderation and a yeelding of both sides this is abominable and odious to make this composition of Religion for why Against Tolleration the Religion we hold and professe it is grounded upon the holy truth of God revealed unto us out of the holy Scriptures and the Popish Religion is contrary unto it and doth overturn and throw down the truth of God yea it doth overturn all the Articles of our Christian Religion in their tenents and therefore in the 2 Corinth 6.14 saith the Apostle What fellowship is between light and darknesse What agreement between us and the Papists in matter of Religion therefore we must hate their religion And to stirre us up unto this duty there being never more need then now wherein many men of unstable and unsanctified hearts begin to link and encline to Popery let us therefore know that we do not truly disclaim and hate Popish religion unlesse we hate them and account their Positions as dangerous and such as will destroy our soules if we cleave unto them howsoever some say they cannot endure Popery yet assuredly unlesse they hate it with unfeigned hatred they do not aright detest them for when men begin to speak favourably of Papistry and of Anabaptisme and of other errours and say they have some truth in them and they begin to like of them these men do not as they ought to do they do not hate and dislike errours and false doctrines but assuredly a thousand to one in short time they will be insnared and intangled with the position of Popery or Anabaptisme as the holy Prophet said to the people 1 King 18.21 how long will ye halt between two opinions this is not to go out in the right profession of the truth with unfeigned hearts assuredly he that loveth God and good things will hate evil as he that loveth chastity will abhor uncleannesse and filthinesse he that loveth just dealing will hate cosening he that maketh conscience of the Sabbath cannot endure the prophanation of the Sabbath so he that loveth the truth will disclaim all errours as Popery and Anabaptisme and such like foolish opinions as if a man see a Toad a Serpent or Snake he will flye from it it being poysonful and hurtful and not receive that for his nutriment which he knoweth will procure his detriment And therefore let us never rest untill we find a detestation in us of Popery and all other errours and then we shall be sure to stand fast in the true Religion in the middest of Popery if Popery should come as God forbid it should we might by our hatred of it be kept from embracing it therefore labour to hate and detest it VERSE 15. For he said unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy And I will shew compassion to whom I will shew compassion THe blessed Apostle having in the Verses precedent given us a general denyal of that grosse conclusion which some might infer upon his speech that because God loved Jacob and hated Esau freely without any respect had to any good in Jacob or evil in Esau therefore God is partial and unequal in his dealing he having I say denyed this most emphatically with an Absit God forbid Now our Apostle subjoyneth a more special denyal and confutation and refutation of that absurd and grosse conclusion in the 15 16 17 and 18. verses of this Chapter In the 15. and 16. verses the Apostle sheweth that God is not unjust in his free choyce of some particular persons amongst men to life and salvation and in the 17. and 18. verses he sheweth God is not unjust in his free and absolute rejection of others In the 15. verse he cleareth God from injustice by a testimony of Scripture and in the 16. verse he doth conclude and determine that point Now touching the testimony of Scripture in the 15. verse first the Apostle makes known by whom and to whom it was uttered and spoken Then secondly he putteth down the words of the testimony I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion This testimony of Scripture is here brought by the Apostle as a proof of this that though God did freely from everlasting out of his own mere good pleasure nothing else moving him thereunto choose some men to life and salvation and reject others yet was he most just and righteous and herein lyeth the weight and force of his Argument That God hath free and absolute power to shew mercy unto whom he will and to deny his mercy unto whom he will therefore he is not unjust and unrighteous in choosing some to salvation and rejecting others to damnation And thus you see the scope of the words and general matter of this Verse Now the words of this 15. verse are somewhat to be examined For he saith to Moses that is God said unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and shew compassion to whom I will shew compassion These words they are the words of God to Moses in Exodus 33.19 there we find these very words And the occasion of the uttering of these words to Moses was upon Moses request unto God that he might see Gods glory in the 18. verse of that Chapter And God promised unto him that he would shew him his back-parts and so in part yeelded unto his request and then he subjoyneth these very words as a reason why he would shew that favour to Moses and to no other man Not for any merit or any worthinesse in Moses himself but out
him that willeth or desireth good so it is not in him that worketh any good thing as David saith Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou hast set my heart at large then when thou hast set my heart free that is pend up by reason of corruption I will do all that is required in thy Lawes and Commandements so by running we are to understand a working of good But in him that sheweth mercy That is in Gods mere mercy and will in vouchsafing and reaching out his gracious hand So then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle as if the Apostle had said So then or So therefore that which we have hitherto spoken of and treated on touching Gods election of Jacob or any particular person to life and salvation in heaven It is not either in Jacob or in any other man that willeth or desireth good or endeavoureth after good by the power and strength of all the powers and faculties of his soul of his mind will and affections and all the rest of his powers neither is it in Jacob or any other man working or doing good things no not in any one's running the right way of Gods Commandements and holinesse neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but it is in Gods mere mercy and free will onely out of Gods reaching out his hand of mercy to any one thus understand we the words Come we now to matter of observation And first of all observe we the Apostle here bringeth in this sixteenth verse as a conclusion upon the fifteenth verse and the Apostle doth here apply that which he had set down in the verse foregoing by way of consequence by way of conclusion and application So therefore having cited that testimony of Scripture of God unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will thereupon in this verse our Apostle draweth out and bringeth in a consequence to that purpose So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but God that sheweth mercy thus you see the Apostles Application so then the Observation is this Doctrine That in preaching of the Word general truths found out in the Word must not onely be made known and delivered but such deductions such consequences such conclusions and applications must be drawn from thence as Gods holy truth will bear the Preachers of the Word must not onely deliver general truths from the holy Word of God but they must also apply them particularly reducing such truths as it will bear and drawing from it matter of exhortation and reproof as that truth will adhere unto and such applications as do flow from such truths necessarily In the 2 Tim. 4.2 the Apostle chargeth Timothy to preach the Word and to open the secrets of the Gospel and not there to rest but to be earnest in reproving and rebuking and exhorting with all long suffering and doctrine not onely preach but so preach the Word as that in preaching he be instant in rebuking reproving and exhorting as occasion is offered And in Titus 2.15 the Apostle having taught Titus how he ought to behave himself in his Ministry and how to carry himself to all people saith Speak these things and not onely so but exhort and rebuke with all long patience and authority And we find this hath been the practice of the sound and faithful Preachers of God in all ages and times yea we have the example of God himself as we may instance in Amos 4.12 you shall find in the verses foregoing the Lord maketh known this for a truth that he would bring his hand upon them and a heavy Judgment to attach them He teacheth them that Doctrine that they shall have a mighty plague he doth not rest there but he laboureth to make Use and Application of that general truth and to bring it home to their hearts and to stirre them to repentance Because saith the Lord I will do this therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel Reason 1 Because God hath appointed the preaching of his Word not onely for the inlightening of their minds to teach them the points of Catechisme for the information of their judgements but also the reformation of their hearts and lives that their hearts may be wrought upon and their affections moved that they may be stirred up to the love of God and the study of good things and that they may be exercised in holy duties Reason 2 The Minister and Preacher of the Word is Gods disposer of his secrets so he is called 2 Cor. 4.1 a steward of the house of God 1 Cor. 4.2 And it is required of these stewards that they be faithful 2 Tim. 2.15 he must divide the Word of truth aright And he must carry himself as a steward and divide to every one his portion he hat power to point out the Word into several shives and not deliver it in a whole lump but distribute unto every one what is meet As Instructions to the ignorant Comfort to the afflicted Conscience sharp rebukes and reprehensions to the dead and senslesse hearted in their sins and Denunciations of Judgments to such as are secure and slightly passe by the Word of God so that it is a certain truth that the Preachers of the Word must not onely deliver general doctrines of the holy Word of God but they must apply it to the hearers particularly by drawing from them matter of Application not forcing it in by head and shoulders but such as naturally and aptly it will bear How far those Preachers are from this duty that onely rest in delivering the general truth and hover aloft in the clouds and never come down to Application to apply it to their hearers A man may discern with half an eye And I might bend my force to reprove them but I passe them by having none of them to speak unto And first of all take we notice of this by way of Application to this Vse 1 end That the Minister and Preacher of the Word ought and may apply the indefinite and general Promises of the Gospel to any one particular believer for their comfort yea he may assure particular persons that they believing shall certainly be saved It is a Cavil of the Papists to the contrary who are enemies to Gods grace and all saving comfort it is their doctrine and Satanical delusion For say they the Ministers and Preachers of the Word know not whether that particular person he speaketh to be in the number of Gods election or no. But beloved this skilleth not it is not material whether the Minister of God doth know it or no he doth not assure any man that he shall be saved because he knoweth he is in the number of Gods chosen but upon condition of believing upon the condition required in the Gospel And a Minister of Christ according to his office is to apply the general Promises of the Word to particular persons and draw from thence
consummation of all Rom. 6.24 it is the special gift of God bestowed upon some and not upon all according to the will of Christ Joh. 17.24 Father saith the Lord Jesus I will that those whom thou hast given me be where I am and behold my glory and be everlasting partakers of my glory so then we see that the saving mercies of God from the beginning to the consummation they are reached out according to the good will and pleasure of God Hence it followeth in the first place that they erre grosly who do hold Vse 1 and affirm that God hath elected all men to life and salvation if they will and that God would have all men to be saved and to come to life and salvation if they will and that men are not saved that cometh to passe because men themselves will not This was the opinion of the Pelagins and now of the Papists in part Anabaptists and Arminians and others Now this opinion is not onely erroneous and false in the ground making the absolute and unchangeable will of God to depend upon the will of man that if man will be saved God hath chosen him but also this opinion of theirs cannot stand with the truth now delivered that God giveth his saving mercy to whom he will Object I but say they now they take hold of the Scripture the Apostle in Rom. 11.32 saith that God hath shut up all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all so in 1 Tim. 2.4 God willeth that all shall be saved and come to the knowledge of his truth therefore your doctrine is not true Answ To this I answer it is true indeed God hath shut up all men in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all what all without exception of any upon every man without exception no but upon all that believe upon all the faithful ones among the Jewes and Gentiles of whom the Apostle speaketh in this 11. Chapter of whom he speaketh of the estate of the Jewes and Gentiles I but say they this is a false interpretation mark then and to this purpose read a paralel place unto this in Gal. 3.22 where the Apostle saith The Scripture hath concluded and shut up all under sin that the promise of God what promise the promise of mercy and faith in Christ Jesus might be extended and reached out what to all without exception no saith the Apostle unto them that believe so the Apostle doth there limit the universal particle all to all believers and so the place is to be taken Again for the place in Timothy that God will have all men to be saved First to answer to it the word all in that place is not taken Collective but Distributive as they speak not collective and gathering all men in the world but distributive by way of Distribution some of all sorts of all states conditions and degrees and calling in the world and that this is a truth mark what the Apostle saith in the first verse of this Chapter I do exhort that prayers and supplications be made for all men what shall we understand all mankind no he subjoyneth by way of distribution for all men in all callings and conditions for Kings and Magistrates he ranketh them into their several degrees so when God saith I will have mercy upon all his meaning is not all men shall be saved but some of all sorts and again as One saith God will have all men salvos fieri to be saved but God will not salvos facere make all men to be saved but he reacheth out his mercy to some of all sorts Vse 2 Is this so that Gods mercy is to be reached out not to all but onely to some amongst men surely then it behoveth us to look unto it and to take heed that we deceive not our selves touching Gods saving mercy as many there be that live in their known sins and go on in the practice of them wittingly and willingly and presume upon this ground Oh say they God is merciful but they deceive themselves and build upon a rotten ground God is merciful and pitiful It is true indeed God is infinite and endlesse in his mercy but remember what hath been delivered that the Lord will not extend and reach out his saving mercy unto all but onely to some amongst men he will not save the soules of all men generally because he is a merciful God but to some of all sorts And therefore we must labour to find our selves in that Number of whom God will vouchsafe saving mercy and save their soules Quest Alas some will say how shall we come to know that God will reach out his saving mercy unto us Who knoweth the mind of God how can we be acquainted with the will of God that God will reach out his saving mercy unto me Answ Yes we may know the mind and the will and the purpose of God to us in particular how by the Spirit of God even by that Spirit of God which searcheth the deep and hidden things of God and maketh known the gracious purpose of the Lord 1 Cor. 2.12 we have not received the Spirit of the world but we have received the Spirit which is of God whereby we know the things that are given unto us of God even the love and the mercy and the favour of God unto us in Christ And if we have that Spirit of God when we find and feel that Spirit in our hearts and soules working there convincing us and doth check us in our hearts and soules and we are able to expresse and shew forth the fruits of the Spirit in our life and conversation Gal. 5.22 23. Whose effects be joy peace love meekness long suffering patience and we are able to expresse it in our lives and conversation And hereby we may come to know that Gods good will is towards us in Jesus Christ even by the work of Gods Spirit which testifieth what God hath Purchased indeed if men live in their known sinnes and fancie unto themselves the Gospel and the saving mercies of God in Christ they deceive themselves and it is a true saying as one saith as they that have the fruits of the Spirit against them is no Law so they that have not the fruits of the Spirit there is no Gospel for them therefore in the fear of God labour we for this for the Spirit of God making known unto us the good will of God what he hath sealed unto us from everlasting convincing us of our known sins and showing forth the fruits in our lives and conversations then we may assure our selves that God will bestow upon us life and salvation and hath conferred his graces unto us Therefore he hath mercy upon whom he will and whom he will he hardneth THe next thing observable and to be stood upon in this point of Gods reprobation that God hardneth whom he wil the Lord out of his own good pleasure denieth mercy and saving grace and withholdeth it
the occasion of this Cavil is from the verse foregoing where the Apostle saith God hardeneth whom he will hereupon flesh and blood beginneth to cavil against God and to rise up and swell against him and to charge him with no lesse then cruelty and extream hard dealing in that the Lord should harden men and then complain of the hardening of man And this Cavil which might haply be charged upon God by humane Reason he first propounds and then Answers unto it he propounds it in this 19. verse and answereth unto it in the 20 21 22 and 23. Verses Now in propounding this Cavil the Apostle maketh way unto it in the first place by putting down of the person of a Caviller and by bringing the Caviller speaking thus Thou wilt say then unto me and secondly he setteth down the matter of the Cavil or Objection and that by way of interrogation very emphatically Why doth he yet complain And thus the Objection may be framed Reprobates and wicked men are hardened because it is the Will of God that they should be hardened as you have taught us in the verse before and therefore God cannot justly blame or punish them for their hardnesse for it is according to his will For if God do blame and punish them for their hardnesse surely it seemeth to the Reason of flesh and blood to be extream cruelty and rigour God seemeth to be extremely rigorous and a cruel God in punishing men for their hardnesse And this Cavil is further backed by a proof for who hath resisted his will as if the Caviller had said Why none can resist Gods will his will is irresistible and it cannot be withstood and therefore if God first of all harden and then complain it is extreme rigour and cruelty so that if wicked men and Reprobates be hardened it is according to the will of God and so they are hardened unavoidably and of necessity God hath decreed their hardening and he will have it so and none can gainsay his will And therefore it is no lesse then Tyranny in God to blame and punish men for it And thus much we are to conceive of the generality of this 19. verse first the Cavilling person Thou wilt then say unto me secondly the Cavil why doth he yet complain and thirdly the proof of the Cavil for who hath resisted his will Come we now to the sense and meaning of the words Thou wilt say then unto me Thou who is this the Apostle meaneth that is thou whosoever thou art that art a carnal Reasoner and reasoneth according to carnal Reason thou wilt say unto me why doth he yet complain that is why doth God complain of such as be hardened why doth God find fault with them and threaten such as are hardened what cause hath the Lord to complain threaten or punish such as are hardened they being hardened according to his will thus the carnal Caviller reasoneth for saith the Caviller who hath resisted his will that is none was ever able to stand against to frustrate or make void the will of God the purpose of God was never resisted none was ever able to stand against his will and to hinder it from taking place and being effected Gods decree and purpose is irresistible that none can withstand it therefore saith the Carnal Reasoner God hath no just cause to complain so that the sense in brief is thus much Thou that art a Carnal Caviller art ready to except against my speech in that I say God hardeneth whom he will thou wilt say if this be so Paul why doth God threaten Judgement hell and damnation against those that are hardened what cause is there that God should complain find fault threaten and punish them with hell and damnation for who ever resisted the will of the Lord was there ever any man that was able to stand against the will of the Lord no no man and so they are hardened of necessity unavoidably according to your own Doctrine Paul so that this is the meaning of the Apostles speech Now come we to matter of Observation and Doctrine And first of all observe here the Apostle bringeth in a Caviller and a Carnal Reasoner as it were objecting and inferring upon his former speech that God hardeneth whom he will this Conclusion the cause being so God hardeneth whom he will then God hath no just cause to complain of mans hardening so that hence ariseth this Conclusion That mans carnal reason Doctrine doth commonly gather and infer wrong Conclusions from true grounds of Religion and true points of Divinity And therefore from Divine and holy truths of God and especially such truths as are of a high Nature as Gods election and reprobation are doth mans corrupt and carnal reason commonly infer inforce and bring erroneous and false Conclusions it is a common thing with mans reason see this is manifest by farther places of Scripture in Rom. 3. from the fifth verse to the ninth verse The Apostle having delivered this truth of God that Gods goodnesse and Gods truth are commended and set out by mans sin accidentally God bringeth good out of evil hereupon some Carnal Reasoners are ready to except against this Doctrine Oh say they how can God justly punish sin this the Apostle speaketh in the person of the Caviller if our unrighteousnesse set forth Gods righteousnesse then God cannot justly punish sin So in the seventh verse of the same Chapter If Godt glory hath abounded through my lye why then am I punished saith the carnal man God cannot then justly punish me for my lying so in Joh. 3.3 The Lord Jesus having put this down as a certain truth that except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Nicodemus hearing this after a carnal manner and resting in his own carnal reason see what an absurd conclusion he bringeth in upon this then it seemeth that a man must enter into his mothers womb and be born again So in John 6.53 54. Christ shewing that except a man eat his flesh and drink his blood he hath no life in him Now some that heard this they heard it with great indignation and stumbled at it and they said This is a hard saying who can bear it must we eate this mans flesh and drink his blood and they so conceiving carnally concluded as the Papists doe now in their Doctrine of of Transubstantiation that we must eat the body of Christ and drink his bloud corporally and after a carnal manner yea they so stumbled at it that they forsook him insomuch that he said to his Disciples What will you be gone from me also doe you conceive of my words as the Capernaits did saith Christ My words are spirit and life and you conceive of them with carnal reason and gather from my points false conclusions Because carnal reason Reason is blinde in Divine matters in things that be heavenly and spiritual it cannot discern and look into the depth of them it
sticketh in the rine barke and outside of Spiritual and divine Truths it cannot find out the pith and marrow of it carnal reason sticketh in the very letter of the truth and never looketh to the Divine mysterie of it so that it is no marvel that carnal reason is sticking in the rine and outside of truths because it is blind Hence then take we notice of it whence it is that erring spirits do commonly Vse 1 fasten foul and false conclusions upon the Holy and Divine truths of God because they look upon them with a carnal eye As from that sound and Holy Doctrine of God touching his absolute Decree to life and salvation of some and his rejection to damnation of others hereupon some erring spirits do conclude and they think it followeth necessarily that therefoe God is a Tirant and dealeth tirannically with his people So again some hearing this Holy Truth of God that God hath a hand in every act of man that cometh to passe and in the act of every creature that Gods providence is in every thing that cometh to passe in the world then the carnal reasoner bringeth in this false conclusion that then God is the authour of sinne and he thinketh in his judgement it followeth necessarily that God is the authour of sinne because sin is an act And beloved do not the Papists deal thus in the matter of Justification of a sinner in the sight of God They hearing that a sinner is justified in the sight of God onely by faith then say the Papists this Doctrine hath a foule taile coming after it for it doth dispossesse mans heart from all care and indevour of good works and hereupon slanderously they give out this false report of us that in this Doctrine that men are justified onely by Faith they say we are utter enemies to God utter enemies to Gods Law and utter enemies to all good works this they think they may lawfully charge upon us Thus these and many others doe wrest false conclusions from the Holy Truth of God and why Because they look upon them by the rule of natural reason which is the ground of all Atheistical conclusions there catching and snatching and carping against the Divine Truths and mysteries of God because they stick in the rinde and dive not into the depth of them Again beloved is this so that carnal reason doth wrest false conclusions Vse 2 from the holy and Divine truths of God Then this must teach every one of us our dutie to take heed that we measure not divine Truths by the meatyard and rule of our own carnal reason especially such holy Truths of God as are of a high nature and strain such as are transcendent such as goe beyond and extend the compasse of natural reason such truths as are matters of Faith and above reason Oh take heed of measuring these by the rule of natural reason For if we seek to bring these Truths within the model scantling and rule of our natural reason we shall run into many by-paths and erroneous conceits and opinions as he must needs lose his way that knoweth not the way and followeth blinde guides So Fides est oculus animi Faith is the eye of the soul and if we in matters of Divinitie and high points of God follow your own blind reason we shall assuredly run into many gross errours yea beloved let me tell you it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal understanding and an unsanctified wit for if we so doe we shall abuse the holy word of God and wrest from it such conclusions as are not there to be found doth yet experience shew it to be true Are there not some who looking upon that place of the Apostle in 1 Timothy 5.8 where he saith He that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his Family is worse then an Infidel doe not some I say looking upon this with a shut eye and carnal understanding gather and conclude that therefore they may pinch and spare and scrape together by all means and live a base and sordid life and not part with a farthing token to the poore or to any good use but niggardly utter these words they must provide for themselves and they may come to live by the almes of the Parish themselves and will not spare a pennie more then by the Law they are enforced and compelled and so pervert the Scripture Again some others looking upon that place in Ezekiel 16.11 12 13. verses where the Lord saith He decked Hierusalem with Ornaments with Bracelets with goodly Jewels with golden Crowns and with Gold and silver and Imbroydered works Doe not some hereupon gather that therefore they may be vain in their Apparel and may follow every new fashion and may goe like ruffians in their long haire and foretop and think this is their warrant whereas they are deceived for the Lord there speaketh by way of similitude tropically that the Lord had blessed them with all good things and so expresseth it after that manner figuratively and they would have him speak properly and so they draw a false conclusion from the holy word of God Thus I might instance in many particulars that it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal eye yea I dare boldly affirm that we shall never rightly conclude from any part of the Word of God whether touching manners or touching heavenly things if we consult with flesh and bloud unlesse our eyes be annointed with the eye salve of the spirit of God Therefore to conclude learn we in reading the word of God to lay aside our own reasons to come with the eyes of the minde shut and to look with the eye of Faith and of the Spirit of God lay aside thy owne reason yea thy owne wisedome for the wisedome of man is enmitie to God Romans 8.7 Yea the best act and exercise of the mind of man not sanctified it is enmitie to the will of God therefore let us yeeld our selves to be guided onely by the will of God and then we shall certainly tread the paths that lead to true happinesse and salvation Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will IN these words Why doth he yet complain is something to be observed generally For they being considered as an Objection of carnal persons they make directly against that opinion of the Arminians who hold that God did decree to reject some amongst men upon a foresight of their wilful obstinacy in sin and their wilful rebellion against him Now beloved if this were a true Position and a truth of God then God justly complaineth of such as were hardened and that in the Reason of man for though God did decree their rejection and consequently their hardening yet the reason and the cause of Gods decree was his foresight of their wilful obstinacy and rebellion in a course of evil
blamed Now to answer this question that men are excusable Answ mans reason will yeeld unto and that they are to be freed from blame because Gods will is so and Gods will is irresistible But the true Answer is that men are not free from blame but they are justly to be taxed and God doth justly punish men for their hardness sins and for their evil doings they are blame-worthy And why because though Gods will and work be in mens hardening and in the sinnes that come from the hardening of their hearts yet doth not Gods will enforce hardnesse upon them making their hearts hard that were before soft neither doth Gods will compel men to the committing of those sins which they run into there is no such matter Gods will doth neither harden being soft nor thrust their sins out from them But for the understanding of this we must know that our first parents they broke the Commandement of God in eating the forbidden fruit willingly being not forced thereunto by Gods Decree as the Arminians and Anabaptists hold but they fell willingly they had free will to stand or to fall And Adam and Eve of their own accord put out their hands and did eat of the forbidden fruit And thereupon having broken Gods Commandement they brought upon themselves and upon all their posterity sin and hardnesse of heart all that come from them by natural generation have sucked the same milk and have natural hardnesse of heart and now men being in their natural hardnesse the Lord is pleased to withhold his softening grace from some amongst men and to leave them in their natural hardnesse the Lord in his just Judgment doth inflict farther hardnesse upon the hearts of men as a just Judgment of their hardnesse before they themselves by nature being willing to continue in their hardnesse so that God doth not thrust further hardnesse upon the hearts of men unwillingly whether they will be hardened or no. And again those sinnes that follow upon the hardnesse of their hearts are not drawn from men against their will whether they will or no but they doe freely and willingly consent unto sinne they give their free voluntarie consent unto sinne they sinne with a delight they doe according to their own will and according to the natural inclination thereof the Lords will moving their will as he moveth the Heavens in a round Circle according to the motion of it so he doth move and order mans will according to the motion of it being evil and so they freely and voluntarily commit sinne and so they sinne of necessitie but how not of necessitie of coaction or compulsion as if they were inforced to sinne but by the very necessitie of mans nature they are naturally inclined to evil and readie to commit evil Gods will bending them to their own proper motion and so they choose sinne and sinne of necessitie of nature and that will not excuse them they have brought the necessitie upon themselves and that will not free them from blame As for example was Judas compelled to that sinne for betraying his Master No his will was inclined unto it and the will of God together with his will in that act inclined it as it were to betray the Lord Jesus so that this will not excuse men that they doe sinne of necessitie As for example the Devil himself can doe nothing but evil necessarily he doth evil yet therefore he is not excusable because he doth evil necessarily by the strength of his corrupt nature that will not excuse him So then thus conceive we concerning this matter that men are not excusable nor free from blame but the Lord may justly punish and plague them for their hardnesse and sins proceeding from their hardnesse though it be so that Gods will is that they are hardened and Gods will is irresistible because though Gods will be in their hardening and hath a stroake in it yet Gods will doth neither force hardnesse upon their hearts nor cause them to sin but the Lord finding them naturally inclined to hardnesse and that they are hardened by nature they being willing to continue in it neither doth the Lord force out those sins that come from the hardnesse of mens hearts but they do it freely out of their own free consent for the Lord doth neither take away the will of man nor the power of mans will but the Lord doth onely order govern and dispose their wills and move it according to their own inclinations they freely consenting being not thereunto forced and therefore are justly to be blamed And for the application of it Vse let no man think out of the hardnesse of his heart to go on in a course of evil and sin and to excuse himself in this that the will of God hath a stroake in his sin It is true the will of God hath a stroake in thy hardnesse and thou sinnest of necessity and nature yet this will not excuse thee to say it is my nature and I cannot do otherwise no beloved though we are tainted by nature and prone to sin by nature yet never did any of Gods children hereupon excuse themselves but rather judge and condemn themselves in regard of the accursed corruption of their hearts Psal 51. David confesseth his sins of Adultery and Murther yet he saith not it was my nature but he condemns himself saying O Lord I lay the fault upon my self it was my own wicked heart I was born in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me And so the Apostle Paul feeling there was a law in his members resisting the law in his mind Rom. 7.24 layeth not the fault upon any thing else but himself saying O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death And thus those that will find mercy must lay the fault and blame upon themselves and give glory to God that is the onely and right way to find mercy go unto God lay open thy hard-heartednesse crying for mercy as a prisoner ready to go to execution and thou shalt find mercy with God Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain for who hath resisted his will HEre is further matter offered unto us from this verse In that the Carnal Reasoner backeth his Argument thus That if the will of God be so that men shall be hardened then who hath resisted his will none can resist the will of God and this he doth to strengthen his Cavil that the will of God cannot be hindered from taking effect thus he laboureth to fortifie his conclusion Now this being a truth which the Carnal Reasoner putteth down the Apostle doth not confute him by gainsaying or denying this that Gods will is irresistible but he doth answer the Caviller another way as appeareth plainly in the verses following therefore hence this ground of truth lyeth plain before us That the will of God is irresistible and cannot be withstood Doctrine neither men nor devils nor all the
art a foole in so doing thou doest not inquire wisely concerning this But if we will be quick-sighted and searching let us be so in regard of our sinnes and the corruption of our hearts for who can understand his faults Psalme 19.12 The heart of Man is deceitfull who can know it Be curious in searching out thy sinnes and hidden corruptions and in searching out the subtle devices of the Devil here is a matter of just search and inquirie and by this thou shalt gain comfort but by diving into the secrets of God nothing but terrour and danger is to be found But oh man saith the Apostle Who art thou BEfore I leave this Verse it is needful to remove an imputation and slander laid upon us by the Church of Rome the Papists upon that which we have now delivered bend the face of this truth and seem to beat the edge of it against us in this manner An impudent cavil of the Papists answered If this be so that men are to be held and accounted impudent and shamelesse and wickedly bold that dare seek into Gods secrets is this your Doctrine that men are not to prie into those things that God hath not revealed then say they you your selves may be justly charged to be such impudent and shamelesse persons you cannot avoid the same it falleth flat upon your heads and doth convince you of wicked boldnesse Because say they you take upon you to know it and that infallibly that you are in the number of Gods chosen and of them that shall be saved not by conjecture or hope but to know it infallibly Now say they this is a bold presumption for you to prie into Gods secret closet and to step up into Heaven and to make your selves of the privie Councel of God to affirm and aver that you are in the number of Gods chosen for you have no Word nor special Revelation to that purpose as Paul had and some other holy servants of God and therefore the blessed Apostle Paul may say as he said in Romans 8.38 39. I am sure that neither Principalities nor Powers Angels nor things to come shall remove him from Christ But where is your special Revelation and special Word to this purpose that you shall certainly be saved and therefore say they you are wicked impudent shamelesse and bold in so doing Answer To this I answer Though the Word of God in Scripture doe not say unto thee in particular beleeve thou John or Thomas or any other particular name and thou shalt be saved in particular yet the Word of God puts down a general promise and the Word saith John 3.16 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God shall never perish but shall have everlasting life Who is so simple he knoweth not but that the general comprehendeth a special and especially where there is a word of Commandment joyned unto it to apply the promise particularly and where the Minister standeth in the place of Christ 2 Corinthians 5.20 As his Embassadour to assure as many as believe the promise and repent of their sins that they in particular shall be saved even thou whatsoever thy name is thou believing in Christ shalt certainly be saved Oh but say they the Minister may misse the mark and mistake and he may assure a man that he belongeth to God and shall certainly be saved when there is no such matter Answ It is true indeed if so be the Minister take upon him to speak absolutely that this particular man or woman shall be saved But if he speak upon the condition of faith and repentance he cannot mistake he may say to this or that particular man Thou John or Thomas believe thou in Christ and repent truly and unfeignedly of thy sins and thou shalt certainly be saved upon this ground he may assure him of salvation It s no boldnesse to search into that we are commanded so to do 2 Cor. 3.10 Therefore it is not any matter of boldnesse to search into it yea we are bound to search whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no nay we may and we ought to search into that matter whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no so as we do it by ordinary and direct means by diving and searching into our own hearts and there labouring to find the witnesse of the Spirit and the fruits of true saving faith answerable to the Spirit for by this means we may and we ought to search and try into it whether we be in the estate of faith and of salvation or no nay we have the warrant of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 prove your selves whether you are in the faith or no know you not your selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Therefore it is a mere imputation laid upon us by the enemies of the holy truths of God Come we now to the Apostles Amplification of it in the reproof of the Carnal Reasoner replying against God The Apostles Amplification Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus in which the Apostle sayeth open the absurdity and the grossenesse of the Carnal Reasoner in pleading against God and that by a Comparison and similitude and it is as if so be a peece of Wood or Iron wrought by some Artificer a Smith or Carpenter should say unto him thou art a bungler why hast thou made me of this fashion which were a Monster in Nature And hereby our Apostle implyeth that it is as absurd and grosse for men to quarrel with the Lord and to argue and reason the case with God that is the Creator and Maker why he made them to this or that end or in this or that manner Now this being the drift of the Apostle in this Amplification to shew the absurdity of it hence ariseth this Conclusion That it is a most unmeet thing and a thing odious and hateful monstrous Doctrine 3 and abominable for man the creature to quarrel with God the Creator and to find fault with him touching his will in making and framing and disposing of him this way or that way those persons are odious and hateful to God and monsters amongst men whosoever they be that so dare quarrel with God and reason the cause with him touching his will and decree And to clear and confirm this truth unto us we find in Esay 45.9 10. the Prophet denounceth a woe against such as contend with God their Maker Shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it why hast thou made me of this or that form thou hast no hands thou art a bungler to make me And woe to the child that saith unto his father why hast thou begotten me or to his mother why hast thou brought me forth and in Numb 14.3 we find that the people of Israel they quarrelled and found fault with God and broke out into high and vile terms with God standing out with him saying VVherefore
16 Love whether due to the none Elected page 21 Love wisheth well to the souls of the beloved page 21 22 Love of the father in sending of Christ page 38 How God loved Jacob expounded page 105 Love of God eternal cause of all good to his page 106 Love of God to us how it differeth from our love unto others page 107 He should endeavour to see the love of God in all that we enjoy ibid. Love of God to his Eternal 1â—8 and how page 109 how God loveth his Elect when enemies ibid. Lump expounded page 176 M O MAn what is meant by it page 166 Mary the blessed Virgin saved not by bearing Christ in her womb but in heart by faith page 28 Merit of works the doctrine of it confuted page 94 see more 201 2. use 202 1. use Mercy of God towards his chosen dependeth onely on the good pleasure of his will page 124 125 Mercy of God to his then sweeeest when compared with his wrath on thewicked page 196 Mercy of God to his Elect and Chosen shall be one day manifested page 198 the special uses of that point page 199 Mercy of God to his Elect and Chosen is directed to his own glory page 200 Mercy of God is to be magnified page 201 Mercy of God the ground of our happinesse in heaven page 202 Ministers of God are to manifest both love and wisdom when they deliver harsh things to the hearers p. 3. Ministers must yet take heed of daubing or man pleasing ibid. Ministers must take care to apply the word of God to the hearers aright page 51 128 How they assure men of salvation page 129 use 1. Ministers of the word must use to deal plainly with the hearers page 228 N NAtural estate a miserable condition page 220 Natural estate of the Elect considered ibid. Necessity is twofold shewed page 110 Nicodemus his carnal reasoning page 158 O OBservation of times lawful and unlawful page 79 superstitious Observation of dayes reproved page 122 Opinions false and erroneous drawn from misconceit are very hardly left page 71 Opinions false and Erroneous to be disclaimed and utterly abhorred page 118 Opinions Erroneous arise chiefly from fleshly and carnal Reasoning page 158 P Painting of faces abominable and why page 174 Patinece of God towards the wicked and Reprobate shewed and the reason of it page 185 186 the end and use of Gods patience therein page 187 18 Patience of God abused very offensive to him page 188 Motives not to abuse the patience of God page 190 Papists can be no true friends to Protestant States page 32 use Papists overthrow the truth of Christs humane natures page 37 Popish slander answered and confuted page 41 78 Popish doctrine confuted page 94 132 133 Popish practise observed and reproved page 103 Papists abuse the written word and how page 121 137 Papists impudent cavil answered page 172 Popish Pilgrimages censured and reproved page 224 Peter whether ever Bishop of Rome questionable page 35 Piety the great force and power of it noted page 34 of Parents beneficial to children page 35 Places distinction taken away under the new Testament page 223 Pharaoh King of Egypt why raised up of God page 135 How God is said to harden his heart page 136 Preachers in applying the word may fitly and lawfully say this is a word of comfort c. page 71 Preachers must apply general truthes of God to particular cases and concernments page 128 Presumption how best beaten down in us page 167 Pride one special ground of it discovered Priviledge none whatsoever outward can make graceless persons accepted of God page 28 No outward Priviledge to be rested in no not outward profession of Religion ibid. Promises misapplyed are not comfortable page 50 Promises Rom. 9. what meant by them page 27 Promises of God firm and stable page 48 49 comfort to such as are interested in them ibid. Promises of two sorts page 71 Promises made good all the sorts of them page 72 Profane Proverb reproved page 35 Man fitly compared to Potters vessel with the use of it page 177 178 Q Quarrelling with Gods will very abominable page 173. Questioning the will of God great impudency page 169 not tolerable to do it page 171 Questioning of God a weaknesse in the Saints ibid. R REason carnal apt to gather false conclusions from true principles page 157 the ground of Erroneous Opinions page 158 Carnal Reason apt to abuse Scripture page 159 Religion the glory of a Nation page 32 Reprobation the decree of it from Eternity page 109 c. Reprobates how they sin of necessity page 110 what things cannot be found in them page 111 Reprobation the doctrine of it revealed in Scripture page 139 Reprobates hardened by God and how page 140 Gods highest end in their destruction page 194 Revelation besides or against Scripture to be rejected page 137 Revenge not to be sought by Christians and why page 193 S SAdnesse of Gods children reproved page 49 use Salvation of man wholly in Gods hand page 133 Stars their position not to be observed page 78 79 Separatists reproved and confuted page 52 53 Similitudes in Preaching must be of things known page 177 Scripture if obscure in one place is usually explained and made plain in another page 63 Scripture best expounder of it self page 65 Scripture sufficient to resolve all doubts page 77 136 used by the Apostles to prove doctrines page 103 Scripture sufficient in fundamentals and why page 137 how known to be the word of God page 138 Scripture expresse words not alwaies necessary to be used in preaching proved page 215 Scripture apt to be perverted by wicked men page 65 but ought not to be abused page 215 Successions of persons without truth and piety nothing page 35 Swearing lawful p. 5. but vain reproved ibid. Swearing must be by the true God onely p. 6 7 T TRuths of God how to be delivered page 113 subject to be perverted page 114 Truth in word and heart go together p. 7 V VIrginity whether justly to be preferred before Marriage yea or no page 28 Vessel of clay is man even the strongest page 177 178 Vessel of wrath explained page 183 Vessel of wrath and child of wrath differ page 183 Elect and Reprobate both Vessels page 184 Vessels of mercy how known ibid. W VVEaknesse of Saints discovered page 171 Wilful sinners dangerous condition page 193 Will of God in Predestination Independent page 180 Will of God irresistible page 163 Will of God ever backed by his power page 164 the right use of it ibid. Will of God in all things just and holy page 122 not to be opposed by carnal reason page 123 Will of God overthroweth not the freedom of mans will page 164 Will of God not to be questioned page 169 not to be quarrelled against page 172 Quarrellers against Gods will noted page 174 Wish of the Apostle Rom. 9.3 lawful page 19 the extent of that wish weighed page 20
Testimony of our Reverend Brethren of the Province of London to the truth of Jesus Christ and to our solemn League and Covenant as also against the Errours Heresies and Blasphemies of these Times and the Toleration of them subscribed by 59 of the Ministers of Cheshire Some Observations and Annotations upon the Apologetical Narration humbly submitted to the Honourable Houses of Parliament by the most Reverend and Learned Divines of the Assembly and all the Protestant Churches here in this Iland and abroad by Adam Stuart D. D. Wholesome Severity reconciled with Christian Liberty or a true resolution of a present Controversie concerning Liberty of Conscience by George Gillespy Consolations for troubled Consciences of Repentant sinners by M. William Perkins The English Presbyterian and Independant reconciled setting forth the small ground of difference betwixt them both therein clearing the misunderstanding between the English and the Scots as which Nation hath broken the Covenant each with other setting forth withal on which side the offensive War betwixt us and them on which side the defensive is and how it came to be waged by John Stafford Esq The Deafe man cured wherein three things are handled First Christian Charity 2. Humane misery 3. The Divine Power and Mercy of Christ upon Mar. 7.32 33 34 35. by Tobias Higgins The strife of Brethren and a Treaty for Peace in two Sermons on Gen. 13.8 and Ier. 9 2. by M. Iohn Fathers Divine Meditations and Contemplations upon several heads of Divinity by G. Raleigh The Signs or an Essay concerning the assurance of Gods love and mans salvation gathered out of the holy Scriptures by Nicholas Byfield The spiritual Touchstone or the signs of a godly man drawn in so plain and profitable a manner as all sorts of Christians may try themselves thereby together with directions how the weak Christian by the use of these signs may establish his assurance The Sum of the Principles or a Collection of those Priciples of Religion which are set down in the little Treatise called the Principles or Pattern of wholesome words where they are at large explained proved and applyed Luthers fore-runners or a Cloud of Witnesses deposing for the Protestant faith gathered together in the History of Waldensis who for divers hundred years before Luther successively opposed Popery professed the truth of the Gospel and sealed it with their blood being most grievously persecuted and many thousands of them Martyred by the man of sin and his superstitious adherents and cruel instruments translated out of French by Sampson Lennard Canaans Calamity Jerusalems Misery and Englands Mirror The Doctrine of the Sabbath wherein these five things are contained First that the fourth Commandment is given to the Servant and not to the Master onely Secondly that the fourth Commandment is Moral Thirdly that our own light works as well as gainful and toylsome are forbidden on the Sabbath Fourthly that the Lords day is of Divine Institution Fiftly that the Sabbath was instituted from the beginning by Richard Byfield The light of Faith and way of holinesse shewing what to believe and for what to strive together earnestly contend and suffer for in this contending Age and how to live in all estates conditions and degrees of relation according to this faith Altare Christianum or the dead Vicars Plea wherein the Vicar of Gr. being dead yet speaketh and pleadeth out of Antiquity against him that hath broken down his Altar by John Pocklington Dr. D. Ashes General Tables to the Common Lawes of England being a compleat and large Dictionary thereof c. The Doctrine and Conversation of John Baptist delivered in a Sermon at a Visitation on John 5.35 by Henry Denne A Sermon in Commemoration of the Lady Danvers late wife of Sir John Danvers by Iohn Donne Dean of Pauls together with her son G. Herberts Commemorations of her A Meditation meet for a Christian every day or an Epitome of Promises for the Saints support in times of trouble The Hunting of the Fox an excellent discourse against flattery by Henry Hartflete Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Arch-Bishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in the Convocation holden at Dublin 1615. Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical treated upon by the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and York c. Hidden works of darkneknesse brought to Publick light or a necessary Introduction to the History of the Arch-Bishop of Canterburies tryal by William Prinne Esq The Book of Martyrs by Mr. Iohn Fox lately Printed in three Volumes in large Folio where unto is annexed certain additions of the like Persecutions which have happened in these latter times Psalterium Davidis Latino-Saxonicum vetus A Iohanne Spelmanno D. Hen. fil editum H. vetustissimo exemplari Ms. Bibliotheca ipsius Henrici cum tribus aliis non multo minus Vetustis Collatum 40. A Register or a General Almanack for every year containing an introduction to the knowledge of yearly Almanacks by J. Pont. M. Abbots holinesse of Christian Churches or a Sermon prepaced to be Preached at the Consecration of the Chappel of Sir Iohn Baker of Sussingherst at Cranbrook in Kent Baronet upon 1 Cor. 11.2 2. A taste of the truth as it is in Jesus consisting of ten Questions and Answers and a brief exposition upon the same together with ten General Directions how private Christians and Governers of Families are to serve God in all the parts of Gods worship The Reformed Spaniards or motives against Popery in French 12 o. Sir Ben. Rudyards speech for augmentations of Ministers Livings The Cure of hurtful Cares and Fears by Thomas Pierson on Phil. 4.6 with Mr. Christopher Harveys Conditions of Christianity or the terms on which Christ will be followed on Luk. 9.23 Samuel Hartlibs Legacy or an enlargement of the discourse of Husbandry used in Brabant and Flanders wherein are bequeathed to the Common-wealth of England more Outlandish and Domestick Experiences and Secrets in reference to universal Husbandry Antidotum Lincolniense or an answer to a book entituled the holy Table Name and Thing c. said to be written long ago by a Minister in Lincolnshire by Peter Heylin Mr. Harveys Synagogue in imitation of M. Herberts Temple An Explanation of those Principles of Christian Religion expressed and implyed in the Catechism of our Church of England set down in the book of Common Prayer useful for House-holders that desire heaven in earnest and are willing to discharge their duty in examination of their charge by William Crompton A Brief Treatise of Testaments and Wills very profitable to be understoood of all the subjects of this Realm of England desirious to know whether whereof and how they may make their testaments and by what means the same may be effected or hindred and no lesse acceptable as well for the rarenesse of the work as for the easiness of the stile and method Collected by Henry Swinburne sometimes Judge of the Prerogative Court at York The Bible of the last Translation in the Largest Volume that ever was Printed appointed to be used in all Churches The Bible in Folio of the Largest and fairest Roman Letter now Printed with the Concordance added to it Vindiciae Gratiae Potestatis ac providentiae Dei hoc est Libelli Perkinsiarii de predestinationis modo ordine institutum à Iacobo Arminio Responsio Scholastica III. Libris absoluta Authore Guilielmo Twisso D. D. The sum and substance of the Conference which it pleased his Majesty to have with the Lords Bishops and others of his Clergy concerning Religion contracted by William Barlow D. D. Cononel Robert Monro his Epeditions and Observations being an Abridgement of Exercise for the younger Souldier his better instruction ending with the Soudiers Meditations going in service Cyprianus de bono patientiae De Vnitate Ecclaesiae Collatus cum M. S. Oxoniensibus A Treatise of Love written by M. Iohn Rogers late of Dedham in Essex Run from Rome or a Treatise shewing the necessity of separating from the Church of Rome disputed in these terms every man is bound upon pain of Damnation to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome by Anthony Wotton B. D. Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum ex Authoritate primum Regis Henrici 8. inchoata deinde per Regem Edvardum 6. provecta adductaque in hunc modum atque nunc ad pleniorem ipsarum Reformationem in Lucem edita Danica Literatura antiquissima Vulgò Gotica Dicta Luci Reddita operà Olai Wormii D. Medicinae in Academia Hasniensi profess P. cui accessit de priscâ Danorum Poesi dissertatio FINIS
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