by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. And so the holy Apostles have delivered to us that which also they received of the Lord And that not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth bu which the Holy Ghost taught 1 Cor. 15. 1-3 with Chap. 11. 23. and Ch. 2. 12 13. And the things which they wrote unto us they are the Commandments of the Lord 1 Cor. 14. 36 37. Thus the Apostle John was commanded to write to the Seven Churches in Asia These things saith not John but the Lord Jesus Christ in those several Descriptions he there gives of himself as may be seen in Rev. 2. 1 8 12 18. and Ch. 3. 1 7 14. And as the Consideration of the Infinite Excellency of the Person that thus chargeth the Prophet to say might encourage him against all his Discouragements to speak what he was Commanded by him to speak and to walk in the strength of the LORD GOD as Psal 71. 16. As it is said The LORD GOD hath spoken who can but Prophecy Amos. 3. 7 8. So also it is powerful to engage us to give most earnest heed unto and to believe the Words of the holy Prophets and Apostles because they are the Words of the Lord God And to receive them not as the words of man but as they are in truth the word of God And in so doing they will work effectually in us 1 Thes 2. 13. Ezek. 6. 3. Mica 6. 1. But we may speak a little more particularly to the Person that Commands and Charges the Prophet thus to say in his Name and Words unto the House of Israel 1. It is the LORD GOD that speaks so graciously concerning sinful and wicked Ones to wit He who is the Creatour and Former of all things And who hath made all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined before the times appointed and the bounds of their habitations that they should seek him Gen. 2. 4 7 18 21 22. with Acts 17. 26 28. He who made all things at the first and made all things very good And who made man in his own Image after his own likeness And who intended not our destruction and ruine but our good and welfare He it is who thus speaks to sinful and unworthy Ones He hath a desire to the Works of his own hands Job 14. 15. Psal 138. 8. It is he that hath made us and not we our selves Enter into his Gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankful unto him and bless his Name For the LORD is good his mercy is everlasting c. Psal 100. Rev. 4. 11. 2. It is the LORD GOD who when we had sinned against him and treacherously departed from him and were become enemies to him yet did not turn an enemy to us but was still merciful and gracious towards vain sinful Mankind even to Admiration as the Psalmist intimates saying LORD what is man that thou takest knowledge of him the Son of man that thou makest account of him Man is like to vanity Psal 144. 3 4. and and 8. 4-6 with Heb. 2. 6-9 And who in the greatest of his love and pity promised from the beginning That the Seed of the Woman should break the Head of the Serpent Gen. 3. 14 15. And therein and thereby vertually the LORD GOD laid for a foundation of Faith and Hope for Mankind a Stone an elect precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation Isa 28. 16. and 50. 2-5 He is the Lord he changeth not therefore we are not consumed Matth. 3. 6. with Lam. 3. 22. And who in the fulness of the time performed that Promise which he formerly made in raising up a Saviour the Saviour of the world This is he that Commands his Prophet thus to speak unto the House of Israel To which we may speak more afterwards 3. It is One who is abundant in truth that charges his Prophet to speak these gracious words He is a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he Exod. 34. 6. Deut. 32. 4. He is the Lord God of truth Psal 31. 5. Whose mouth speaketh truth and wickedness is the abomination of his Lips All the words of his mouth are in righteousness there is nothing froward or perverse in them as Prov. 8. 4-6-8 Who hath written to us excellent things in counsels and knowledge that he might make us know the certainty of the words of truth c. Prov. 22 20-21 We ought therefore to bow down our Ears and hear the Words of this most Excellent One and firmly and with all our hearts to believe them Prov. 22. 17-20 For he is not a man that he should lye God forbid yea let God be true but every man a lyar As it is written That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings c. Rom. 3. 3-5 4. It is the holy LORD GOD who gives this Command to his Prophet As they say Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6. 20. He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with him The foolish shall not stand in his sight He hateth as with a respect to a love of delight all the workers of iniquity Psal 5. 4-6 He is one that is a perfect hater of Sin One that loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity as Heb. 1. 8 9. One who is Holiness it self And though he be merciful and gracious and abundant in goodness yet he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34. 6 7. Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One Saith the Prophet Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity c. Hab. 1. 12 13. Sin is the abominable thing which he hates Jer. 44. 4. And therefore whatever he here speaks or charges his Prophet to say in his Name concerning his Graciousness towards Sinners he speaks not at all in favour to their sins or to encourage them to go on and continue therein as afterwards may be shewn more largely but in love and pity to the Souls of poor Sinners that they might turn from their Iniquity that it might not be their Ruine This is the Person who commandeth his Prophet thus to say unto the House of Israel 2. We have nextly to consider the assured Confirmation he gives of the truth of what he saith and which he assures and confirms by his Oath As I live For these words are an Oath and so oft used as the Lord saith elsewhere But as truly as I live they shall not see the Land which I sware unto their Fathers c. And again Say unto them as truly as I live saith the LORD as ye have spoken in mine ears so will I do unto you c. Which is thus exprest elsewhere So I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my Rest Compare Num. 14. 21-23 27 28. with Psal 95. 10 11. and Heb. 3. 10. 18. He
Christ and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness 1 Tim 6. 3 4 5. 5. This unworthy and unreasonable Distinction tends to over-throw the Faith and gives men ground to believe God in nothing he Asserts or Promises For if he hath a Secret Will and a Revealed Will in one thing Repugnant the one to the other then why not in every thing And whatever be propounded to us ftom the Scriptures to encourage us to believe and hope in God may presently be repelled and rejected with this Distinction As to say when with the Apostle we say God our Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3 4. Yes say some He wills this with his Revealed Will but not with his Secret And why may not others make use of this Distinction else-where As when our Saviour saith He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned May not this Distinction of Gods two Wills be here brought in by some as rationally as where it is And may they not say This is his Revealed Will but his Secret Will agrees not therewith Mark 16. 16. Or where our Saviour saith This is the Will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 40. Very true may some also here say This is his Revealed Will but this is not his Secret Will And by this latter such may perish and not have everlasting life were this Distinction good and right Whereas indeed it is most corrupt and pernicious and to be abominated by us for it makes the Pen of the Scribe in vain By this Tradition the Word of God is made of none effect as to all therein Asserted or Assured as Jer. 8. 8 9. Mark 7. 9-13 Object If any should say But God hath engaged himself by his Oath unto the Heirs of Promise to wit to all hearty Believers that they shall be happy and blessed for ever to the end they might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them as Heb. 6. 17 18. Answ To that I say Doth not God here also bind himself with an Oath of Confirmation as is before said that he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked And is not his Oath as valid and authentick here as there Yes doubtless and if by the force of the Distinction we are disproving and opposing his Oath may be frustrated in one place why may it not also be so in another and in a third and in all those places and cases wherein he hath interposed himself by his Oath Let this be duly minded and considered by us 6. And lastly as to this Our Lord Jesus who is in the Bosom of the Father and who knows the Father as the Father knows him who knows his Mind and Will and hath declared him and it to us in these last Ages more plainly than he was made known in former times He I say doth assure us That his Fathers Secret Will is a Gracious Will toward the worst of men while it is to day And that as he hath said and sworn That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked which is as they speak his Revealed Will So also his Secret Will perfectly accords therewith and by this also he is not willing that any should perish To this purpose our Lord spake while he was on the Earth The Son of Man saith he is come to save that which was lost How think ye If a man have an hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray doth he not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray And if so be that he find it verily I say unto you he rejoyceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not astray Which Parable our Lord in another Evangelist speaks concerning the Publicans and Sinners who were and were lookt upon to be notorious sinners And then it is added as the Application of the former Even so it is not the will of your Father which is â—â—â—m Heaven that one of these little Ones called before lost should perish Or rather as the words should be read Even so there is not a will before your Father which is in the Heavens that one of these little Ones should perish Which is in substance the same as to have said Your Father hath no secret will or pleasure in the death of lost Ones of Publicans of notorious sinners Nay he hath no secret will in their death not onely as indefinitely and generally considered but also he hath no pleasure in their death individually considered I mean not in the death of any One of them There is not a Will before him that One of them should be lost Let this be seriously considered Matth. 18. 11-14 with Luke 15. 1-7-24 Now here our Saviour who perfectly knows what his Fathers Secret Will is and who onely doth so for none knows the Father save the Son Matt. 11. 27. Luke 10. 24. plainly assures us that Gods Secret Will or that Will which is before him in the Heavens is good-will towards every sinful lost Creature of Mankind as Luke 2. 10-14 And we are required to hear him in all things whatsoever he speaks unto us And saith the Apostle Peter It shall come to pass that every Soul which will not hear this Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Matth. 17. 5. with 2 Pet. 1. 17. Acts 3. 22 23. Oh! let us then give this Honour to our Lord Jesus and unto his Father to hear his Word and believe on him that sent him According to that Revelation he hath given of his Father and so we shall have everlasting life and not come into condemnation c. John 5. 23 24. And in so doing we shall be led to reject and abominate this ungodly Distinction and be assured That Gods Secret Will is as Gracious towards sinful wicked Ones as is his Revealed Will Yea let me say his Secret Will is more Gracious than is contained in any Revelation of it For as his Power Wisdom Truth and Holiness are infinite and unsearchable so as they are not fully Revealed and manifested to us in any Revelation vouchsafed Rom. 11. 33. 1 Cor. 13. 9. So his Merciful-kindness is greater toward poor sinners than is exprest in any Revelation given to us Or then that it can be conceived much more exprest by finite Creatures The Love of Christ who is One with the Father passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. Hence we see how the Psalmist magnifies the Mercy of God and saith It is great unto the Heavens Psal 57. 10. In the Heavens Psal 36. 1-5 Nay It is above the Heavens great above the Heavens And therefore he resolved to sing Praises unto him among
And he shall answer and say unto you I know you not whence you are c. Luke 13. 24-29 Mat. 25. 10-13 But now I say while God is waiting that he may be gracious unto sinners he hath no pleasure none at all in their eternal Ruine and Perdition Isa 30. 8-18 And so surely to him that is joyned to all the living there is hope Eccl. 9. 4. The very end of Christ in so loving all men as to die for them was That they which live who are still continued in the land of and joyned to all the living might no longer live unto themselves but unto him who died for them and rose again 2. Cor. 5. 14 15. Yea though Sinners and ungodly Ones have long persisted in their folly and disobedience yet while he is long-suffering it is a Day of Salvation 2 Pet. 3. 9-15 And unto such Wisdom utters her Voice saying How long ye simple Ones will ye love simplicity and the Scorners delight in their scorning and Fools hate knowledge Turn ye at my reproof c. Prov. 1. 21 22 23. Isa 50. 1 2. Even as our Lord Jesus speaks and saith If any man here my words and believe not I judge him not To wit now he doth not judge him as that is opposed to saving he doth not say he will never judge him for he will hereafter judge all and yield Vengeance unto all that know not God and obey not his Gospel who will be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power as 2 Thes 1 7 8 9. Acts 10. 40 41. But now during the Day of Gods Grace and Patience he saith I judge him not John 12. 47-49 Hence the Wisdom of God thus speaks unto men and unto the Sons of Adam Indefinitely considered and saith They that seek me early to wit while it is called to Day shall find me And thus exhorts them Now therefore to wit in the opportune season hearken unto me for blessed are they that observe my ways Prov. 8. 1-4 5. 17. 32 33. And thus also we have given some Answer unto this Enquiry and have shewn how long or during what time the Lord God hath no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked That is to say While he is exercising long-suffering towards them and they are joyned unto all the living And thus we have spoken unto the Explication or explaining of those four things we propounded to Enquire into which we desire may be duly minded and diligently considered And shall now proceed on unto the next considerable to wit 2. We come nextly to give some further Evidence and Proof of the Truth of what the Lord God here so solemnly swears to namely That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked Though indeed his Word and Oath here given us are such Immutable Things and Infallible Proofs as may sufficiently assure us of the Verity of what is so Affirmed and Confirmed But we have not onely this Scripture speaking such gracious Words but others also much-what to the same purpose Thus it is said Have I any pleasure at all either Revealed or Secret in the Death of the wicked saith the Lord God Indeed this is propounded by way of Question or Interrogation But as is usually observed is a vehement Denial of that questioned about And to put all out of doubt he who propounds the Question and best and onely perfectly knows his own Will and Pleasure gives Answer hereto in the same Chapter and saith positively I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth saith the Lord God c. Ezek. 18. 23. with verse 32. And we have the two famous Apostles the Apostle of the Uncircumcision and the Apostle of the Circumcision speaking after the same rate The former saith thus God our Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3 4. The latter thus The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. And these Scriptures considered together more confirm the truth of this Doctrine And this three-fold Cord is not quickly broken But I shall desire to add some other Proofs and Evidences to Assure us of the Truth hereof Namely 1. It appears Evidently That God hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked nor of any sinful Creature of Mankind while it is called to Day in that according to his Promise he hath actually raised up a Saviour even Jesus This Purpose and Grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the secular times but is now manifested by the appearing of our Saviour c. 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4 4 5. Which was an high Act Evidence and Expression of the Love of God towards the Sons of Men As our Saviour saith So God loved the World to wit of Mankind that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World thorow him might be saved John 3. 16. 7. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners Indefinitely considered 1 Tim. 1. 15. In this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live thorow him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son the Propitiation for our sins he sent the Son the Saviour of the World 1 John 4. 8 9 10-14 And Jesus Christ by the will of God his Father came into the World not to destroy mens Souls but to save them Luk. 9 55 56. To which end He in the Greatness of his Love died for all even for all of Mankind that were dead 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. And God crowned him with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man Heb. 2. 9. And he rose again for their justification Rom. 4. 15. and Ch. 3. 23 24. and Ch. 5. 6-8 12. 18. Now herein is clearly and undoubtedly evidenced That God hath no pleasure in the Death of any of Mankind while it is called to Day In that he hath devised such a Device and done what he devised that his Banished might not be expelled from him as 2 Sam. 14. 14. When Christ was born into the World one Angel saith unto the Shepherds Behold I bring you glad-tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you Men and not unto the Angels Heb. 2. 9. 16. is born this day a Saviour c. And the multitude of the heavenly host praised God and said Glory to God
of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out Rom. 11. 30 31 32 33 34. The Consideration whereof might preserve us from being censorious or rashly judging any when God is inflicting his most severe Judgments upon them For who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellor Verse 34 35. Yea he sometimes gives up wicked Ones in his Church unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that they might learn not to blaspheme And that their Spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5. 4 5-13 with 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. And this is not onely his End in those severe and dismal Judgments which he executes upon them that were in his Church and of his people professedly But also as with respect to such as were never joyned thereto or of the number thereof Hence the Psalmist thus Imprecates as with respect to such as were without the Pale of the Church O my God make them like a wheel as the stubble before the wind So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy Name O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever to wit in their evil Designs and Enterprizes yea let them be put to shame and perish That they may know that thou whose Name alone is Jehovah art the most High over all the Earth Ps 83. 13-16-18 And hereby also it appears That God is not willing that any should perish in that he doth Afflict and Judge the Sons of Men though not willingly or delightfully so And doth in all the Afflictions and Chastisements which he is inflicting on them and chastening them withal even in the greatest and more severe also Design their purging from their Iniquity and Conformity to his Mind and Will And so their Eternal Good and Benefit And as is also said before the two Particulars under this last-mentioned Head do mutually evidence the truth of each other That is to say In that he Chastens and Corrects out of love this shews That his End in all his Rebukings is good towards men And in that his Design and End is good and gracious towards Men in his now Judgings of them therein we may see that his Love towards them moves and prevails with him to make use of the Rod of Correction that he might thereby purge out of the Hearts of the Children of Men that Folly that is bound up in them 2 Chron. 33. 10 11 12 13. Isa 9. 12 13. His judgments are as the light that goeth forth for he desireth mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings Hos 5. 14 15 and Chap. 6. 1-5 6. Amos 4. 6-9-12 Jer. 4. 13 14. Psal 9. 19 20. 3. But now having I conceive sufficiently evidenced and demonstrated the truth of what the Lord God here swears to namely That he hath no pleasure none at all neither Revealed nor Secret in the Death of the wicked in the Eternal Destruction of him that dieth according to the Explication fore-given I shall now with the Assistance of the good Spirit of God note and infer from what hath been said some Instructions that may be of usefulness unto us As to say 1. If the Lord God hath no pleasure in the Death and Eternal misery of the Wicked Then we may be confident that he had no Pleasure in the Death of the Righteous as all Men were as they were Created of God in the first Publick Man And before he did eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil whereof God commanded him he should not eat For All were then Innocent and Righteous God created Man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him To wit In Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness of Truth Gen. 1. 26 27 with Eph. 4. 23 24. Col. 3. 10. God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Gen. 1. 31. This onely have I found saith the Preacher that God made Man upright Eccl. 7. 29. Yet some there are that say The greatest part of Mankind was Reprobated of God before the World had a beginning and while all Men were Righteous and in the pure mass This is so directly contrary to what we have said and to the whole Current of the Holy Scriptures that nothing can lightly be invented or devised by the wit of man more blasphemously opposite thereto and is therefore to be abominated by us For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and therefore also he loveth the righteous his Countenance doth behold the upright Psal 11. 7. and 146. 8. The righteous shall never be removed Prov. 10. 30. Behold saith Bildad God will not cast away Reject or Reprobate as the word signifies a perfect man Job 8. 20. He will not doom them to everlasting Destruction that is far from him Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right as Abraham saith Gen. 18. 25. God forbid that we should entertain or suffer to lodge within us such vain and wicked thoughts of him who hath now no pleasure in the death of the wicked that he should hate the righteous And yet after this rate they speak who say That he Reprobated the most of men before the Fall for the manifestation of the Glory of his Justice For Reprobation in Scripture always signifies an Act of Hatred in God towards the Persons Reprobated a Judicial Act of Hatred for some Iniquity committed and continued in by those who are so Reprobated Jer. 6. 16-30 Rom. 1. 23 24-28 But the naming this dreadful and ungodly Opinion is sufficient to discover its odiousness unto those that give Glory to God in believing the Truth of what he Affirms by his Word and Confirms by his most solemn and Indubitable Oath And therefore I shall add no more to that 2. If the Lord God hath no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked Then we may assuredly know believe and conclude that he hath no Pleasure in the Everlasting Destruction of such as are onely necessarily polluted and defiled as all men since the Fall are in partaking of the Nature of Man Christ onely excepted who was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and so knew no sin But as with respect unto all others in partaking of the Nature of Man they unavoidably partake of the filth of sin They are shapen in iniquity and in sin did their Mother warm them Psal 51. 5. How can Man be justified with God Or how can he be clean that is born of a Woman Job 14. 4. and 25. 4. Now I say If God hath no Pleasure in the Death of them who add rebellion to their sin as Job 34. 37. And in whose filthiness is lewdness as Ezek. 24. 13. We may be confident he hath none in their Ruine and Perdition who could no more prevent their being sinners in this respect than they could prevent their being Creatures or the
lifts up his hand to Heaven and saith I live for ever Deut. 32. 40. And thus also men in former times did swear As it is said Saul sware as the LORD liveth he shall not be slain 1 Sam. 19. 6. And Thou shalt swear the LORD liveth in truth in judgment and in righteousness c. Jer. 4. 2. And in many other places so here we are to understand it The Lord God assures us of the truth of his saying and confirms it by his Oath Say unto them I live saith the LORD GOD. ... Now in this Oath let us diligently mind 1. The Oath it self 2. The Reason and end of it 1. The Oath it self I live saith the LORD GOD. He here swears to the truth of what he saith By his life that is to say By himself For so this Oath is explicated to us Hence whereas it is said in one place I live saith the Lord It is in another thus rendred I have sworn by my self Compare Rom. 14. 11. with Isa 45. 23. So here we may understand it because he could not swear by a Greater he sware by Himself by his Life Heb. 6. 13. As he hath Life in and of himself and lives for ever And here that which he swears by is without Controversie or confessedly true and unquestionable with all but gross Atheists For he is the living God and an everlasting King Jer. 10. 10. Indeed sometimes he swears by that which he doth or may abhor as it is said in one place The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob. Whereas in another place it is said Thus saith the LORD the God of Hosts I abhor the excellency of Jacob and hate his Palaces c. Compare Amos 8. 7. with Chap. 6. 8. Nah. 2. 2. And when he so swears it might be question'd by some whether he in such an Oath swears as he thinks because he swears by that which he saith he abhors and hates Sometimes he swears by his right hand As it is said The LORD hath sworn by his right hand and by the arm of his strength Isa 62. 8. But that may not sometimes or in some Cases be exerted but cease from acting as it were As the Psalmist intimates saying Why with-drawest thou thine hand even thy Right hand pluck it out of thy Bosom Psal 74. 11. And so his Arm the Arm of his Strength may be sometimes as it were asleep and feeble there-through As it is intimated when it is said Awake awake put on strength O Arm of the LORD awake as in the ancient days in the generations of old c. Isa 51. 9. And when he swears by this Oath it might be supposed what he swears to is not duly regarded while his Right hand is in his Bosom and the Arm of his Strength asleep and laid to rest Sometimes he swears by his Name As it is said Behold I have sworn by my Great Name saith the LORD Jer. 44. 26. But of that many are too too ignorant Who hath known his Name or his Sons Name Prov. 30. 4. Psalm 9. 10. And therefore when he so swears many might be ready to say Alas why should we set our hearts hereto or give credit unto what he swears by his Name for we do not know what his Name is or what it means Sometimes he swears by his Holiness As it is written The LORD GOD hath sworn by his Holiness c Amos 4. 2. But such may be his Providences as that sometimes his holy Ones have been put to a stand how to reconcile his Providential Government with his Holiness Though yet without all peradventure he is infinitely Holy yea Holiness it self Compare Amos 4. 2. with Chap. 6. 8. Thus the Prophet intimates in his expostulation with God saying Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he And makest men as the fishes of the Sea as the creeping things that have no Ruler over them c. Hab. 1. 12 13 14-17 and Ch. 2. 1-4 Thus also the Psalmist relates Gods Oath in this manner Once have I sworn by my Holiness if I lye unto David his Seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me But thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed Thou hast made void the Covenant of thy Servant thou hast prophaned his Crown by casting it to the ground c. Psal 89. 34-39 c. But now here he swears by a most unquestionable and undubitable Oath he swears by himself by his life which is from everlasting to everlasting As 't is said The Angel lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever who created Heaven and the things that therein are c. Rev. 10. 5 6. he swears by his Being by his Eternal Power and Godhead which he hath manifested unto all men by the Works of his Creation and Providence as Rom. 1. 20. Let this be seriously considered by us 2. Mind we also the Reason and End of his Oath and that is 1. On his Part For the Confirmation of the Truth of what he saith and swears to and so it is called by the Apostle An Oath of Confirmation Heb. 6. 16. to ascertain the Truth of what is so assured and confirmed So also the Covenant which God made with Abraham to wit That in his Seed all the Families of the earth should be blessed And at the making whereof he sware by himself is said to be confirmed of God in Christ Gal. 3. 15-17 and Act. 3. 25. with Gen. 22. 16-18 As also God is said to swear by himself to evidence unto others the unchangeableness of his purpose As the Apostle saith God willing to shew more abundantly the immutability of his Counsel interposed himself by an Oath which is also immediately called An immutable thing Heb. 6. 17 18. So here we may say The LORD sware and will not repent as Ps 110. 4. He hath herein sworn in truth and will not turn from it as Psal 132. 11. To assure us of the Immutability of his Counsel he therefore sware by his life And we may therefore know and be confident that his Thoughts and Pleasure are the same toward wicked Ones now as then they were For he is Jehovah he changeth not with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning Mat. 3. 6. Jam. 1. 17. He is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. 2. The Lord God also swears by himself for the Confirmation of his Word and to shew the Immutability of his Counsel on our part or as with respect to us because we are so slow to believe him on his Word As he saith concerning his people in former times How long will it be
ere they believe me Num. 14. 11. So it may be extended more generally we are too ready and apt to doubt of or be unbelieving concerning what he speaks unto us and therefore because of our backwardness and unaptness to believe he confirms his Saying with his Oath Our Saviour saith to his Disciples Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil or is from or out of evil Not that he hereby condemns all swearing but instructs his Disciples that Oaths though in some Cases useful and needful are yet out of evil And so amongst other things mens unbelief or doubting of the truth of what is affirmed by a bare Word occasions an Oath for the Confirmation of it So warily understanding it we may say as with respect to Gods swearing it is at sometimes out of or from evil Matth. 5. 37. And so here particularly The House of Israel being convinced of their evil and Judgment being threatned against them therefore thus they spake saying If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how then should we live Ezek. 33. 10. They were ready to despond and despair of Gods mercy towards them Now then God thus swears unto them because of their slowness of heart to believe him on his Word Thus also it is said An Oath of Confirmation is an end of all strife gain-saying or contradiction Heb. 6. 16. So here God because of their readiness to contradict and gain-say in their hearts at least swears by himself As also to the end they might not gain-say any more but firmly believe the truth of that so Affirmed and Confirmed he interposeth himself by an Oath Exod. 17. 15 16. And that he might lift up their hands which hang'd down and they might have strong Consolation in returning to him from their evil and wicked ways And as God interposed himself by an Oath to Abraham to the end that the Heirs of his Promise might by this Immutable thing also assuredly know and believe the truth of that so confirmed and might have strong consolation Heb. 6. 16-18 So here also God hath sworn by himself that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked That men might give glory to him in believing and have solid Consolation in this great Encouragement set before them to the truth whereof he hath as it were bound himself or his soul with the Bond of this most Indubitable Oath as Num. 30. 2-4 Acts 23. 12-14 3. We have in the next place to consider and speak unto the subject-matter thus Affirmed and Confirmed by this most excellent Person And by this undeniable Oath And that is laid down and propounded to us 1. Negatively I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Now hereto we may speak in this Order to wit 1. By way of Explication or explaining the words 2. We shall give some further Evidences of the Truth hereof 3. We shall note some Instructions here-from 1. By way of Explication let us enquire into and consider these things 1. What Death is that here spoken of and intended 2. Who are the wicked in the Scripture account 3. What are we to understand by this Phrase no pleasure 4. What time is that in which he hath no Pleasure I have 1. What is the Death here spoken of and intended when he saith I have no Pleasure in the Death of the wicked c. Now in Answer thereto we may say The Scripture speaks onely of two Deaths in General As the Wages of Sin In one of which all lesser Deaths are contained and comprehended namely 1. There is that Death which is intimately called the first Death which was threatned unto the First Man Adam Male and Female in case they should eat of the forbidden Fruit As it is said Of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof in dying thou shalt die Gen. 2. 17. And under the Sentence whereof Adam and all his Posterity fell upon his eating of that Tree whereof God commanded him he should not eat As the Apostle saith By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. By Man even by the first publick man came Death for in Adam all die 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. And this First Death had been an Eternal Death had not our Lord Jesus Christ by the Grace of God tasted it for every man and overcome and abolished it 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. And he will in due time destroy it 1 Cor. 15. 26. It is a strange unreasonable and dangerous mistake of some who say that Christ died not for this first Oflence or the necessary Branches thereof or that he tasted not this first Death for men For if so how then came he to be promised of God before he passed the Sentence upon our First Parents Gen. 3. 15-19 Or how shall men be Raised out of this First Death but by him who was delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification By Man came the Resurrection of the Dead for as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive To wit Quickned and Raised out of the First Death 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. God hath given Christ authority to execute judgment And by his Voice to Bring forth all Men out of their Graves Because he is the Son of Man John 5. 27 28 29. 2. There is another and worse Death which is several times called expresly The second Death To wit as with respect to Men into which such will be cast for their own personal transgressions after they are raised out of the first Death and judged by Christ who remained in their Impenitency Unbelief and Disobedience till the Day of Grace and Patience was ended and died therein Mark 16. 16. 2 Thes 1. 8 9. This Death was not prepared for Men for or by reason of their sinning in the first Publick Man simply but for the Devil and his Angels But they must go into it and be hurt by it who personally and voluntarily listned to and were led by Satan and followed after him and did his Lusts and died the first Death in such transgression Mat. 25. 31-41-46 Of which second Death they shall not be hurt who overcome their spiritual enemies On such the second Death shall have no power Rev. 2. 11. and Chap. 20. 6. But whosoever shall not be found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death Rev. 20. 14 15. The fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev 21. 7 8. This second Death is called the wrath to come because it
The Lord hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked indefinitely considered not in the death of any wicked Ones for he is one with whom is no respect of persons And indeed if he had any pleasure in the death of any wicked ones it might reasonably be conceived and concluded That he hath pleasure in the death of the wicked in his Church Because their wickedness is greater and more inexcusable than that of others Because they have more excellent and choice Advantages Means and gracious Assistances than others have to wash their hearts and feet from wickedness that they may be saved And therefore if they continue sinners or treacherously depart from him he is more highly displeased with them and severe toward them As it is said You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Amos 3. 2. Though indignation wrath tribulation and anguish will be upon every Soul of man that doth evil yet it will be upon the Jew first because he hath much more advantage than the Gentile to be and do better And to whom much is given of them will much be required Rom. 2. 8-11 and Chap. 3. 1 2. Luke 12. 47 48. When in the times of ignorance God winks his eyes are upon all their ways who have choice means of knowledge vouchsafed to them they are not hid from his face neither is their iniquity hid from his eyes And first he will recompense their iniquity and their sin double because they have defiled his land c. Acts 17. 30. with Jer. 16. 16-18 So that these words being directly spoken unto though not confined unto the house of Israel do more powerfully ascertain that he hath no pleasure in the death of any other And are as it were a powerful Argument to evince the truth thereof He who hath no pleasure in the everlasting Ruine and Destruction of such as sin against the clearest Light greatest Grace and choicest Advantages to be sure he hath none in their eternal Perdition who have not such Means and Advantages for knowing and serving him Matth. 11. 20-24 If he be so compassionate towards the greatest Transgressors and be altogether unwilling that they should die how can we suppose but that he is loath and unwilling they should perish who are not such hainous Offenders even as the Apostle signifies to us that he who was the chief of sinners obtained mercy that in him first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a Pattern to such as were not such great sinners even to them that should delay to believe on him unto life everlasting 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. So we may also here understand it But what is said may suffice to the second Inquiry and we shall desire to proceed unto the next namely 3. What are we to understand by this Phrase no pleasure And to that we say hereby is meant and signified That it is not at all delightful or well-pleasing unto him that such as are wicked Ones should be destroyed with an everlasting Destruction As he is a God that hath no pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with him Psal 5. 4-6 And as he hath no pleasure in fools or wicked ones Eccl. 5. 4. So also he hath no delight or pleasure in the death of the wicked As he here swears unto us he hath no pleasure none at all That is to say 1. He hath no Revealed Pleasure in the Death of the wicked that Revelation he hath given of his heart and mind in the holy Scriptures declares no such will or well-pleasedness in him or affection to any such thing but the contrary thereto As plainly appears in that Scripture we are considering 2. Nor hath he any secret pleasure will or delight therein As appears by this Revelation of his Will which he hath given forth to the Sons of Men He speaks thus to us and by his Oath assures us of the truth of it who onely perfectly knows himself which we do not for we cannot by searching find out God we cannot find out the Almighty to perfection Job 11. 7-9 But he who is perfect in the knowledge of himself and all things as Job 36. 4. And perfectly knows his own Mind and Will saith and swears that he hath no pleasure And his mouth herein in all things speaks truth for it is impossible for him to lye Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. Yea let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. 4. And indeed the word here translated Pleasure signifies inward intention delight affection well pleasedness And oh let us not be faithless but believing let us give glory to him in believing him when he thus solemnly swears I live saith the Lord God if I will or be well-pleased in the Death of the wicked That is as it is rendred with us and suitable to such like manner of speakings in other places I have no pleasure in their death So what is thus expressed in one place I sware in my wrath if they should enter into my rest Is thus exprest and explained in another by the holy Spirit He sware that they should not enter into his rest Compare Psal 95. 11. and Heb. 3. 11. with verse 18. Mark 8. 12. with Mat. 16. 4. And what hath been now said may in some measure deliver us from entertaining a very corrupt and pernicious Gloss which too many have put upon this Scripture and others that are like unto it namely Some say It is true indeed God hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked That is say they He hath no Revealed Will or Pleasure therein his Revealed Will is That all men should be saved But his Secret Pleasure or the Will of his good Pleasure is that the most of men should perish and be eternally miserable and therefore he reprobated them or past them by before they were born so as in conclusion they must unavoidably have their Portion in that everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And in thus speaking they plainly signifie That his Revealed and Secret Will are contrary the one to the other Answ Now for Answer thereto and to discover a little the Evil and Perniciousness of that Distinction or Division rather of the Will of God consider we diligently these things To wit 1. It savours of high Presumption and Daringness of Spirit to give out that God hath a Secret Will contrary to his Revealed Will For if his Will be Secret how come they to know it or ro know that it is contrary to that Revelation of his Mind and Will he hath vouchsafed to us Or why may not others as well know that secret Will they speak of as themselves For in truth none knows what his Will is any further than it is Revealed nor doth it appertain to any to know it And they who would be prying there-into intrude into things they have not seen being vainly
words are He hath chosen us in him before the Dejection or foundation of the World c. Ephes 1. 4. After some such consideration as Levi paid Tithes in Abraham Heb. 7. 9. It would be most absurd and ridiculous to suppose that that Individual person Levi paid Tithes to Melchisedech before he was born but he did it in Abraham So here no person is elected in a personal consideration before he is born nor otherwise elected to Salvation but in Christ to wit as considered in him who is the Root of Election and the Prime Elect That is to say God in choosing Christ before the Dejection of the World did therein choose all those who should in their several Generations through Grace believe as Believers in him and no otherwise So that the same Person who to day doth not believe and so is not in Christ nor elected yet to morrow believing is then chosen in Christ and made of that Generation or Species chosen in Christ before the Dejection of the World He is now of the elect Generation who before he believed was not of it as Rom. 9. 24-26 1 Pet. 2. 4 5-9 10. But 2. I further say That Eph. 14. speaks not of mens being chosen to salvation but of sâ—me mens being chosen in Christ to an excellent ministration or service And to a more excellent One than any before Nor were they chosen thereto in a personal consideration but as considered in Christ and as Trusters in him and as first Trusters in him as Ephes 1. 12. as plainly appears by the change of the persons In the two first Verses of Ephes 1. The Apostle speaks to the believing Ephesians and saith unto them Grace unto you c. But then from verse 3. to verse 12. he speaks not of them but changes the persons never saith You but always We and Vs to assure us he speaks of some others and not of them And having so done then in ver 13. he again returns to and speaks of them and saith In whom ye also trusted or believed after ye heard the word of truth c. So that all contained from ver 3. to v. 12. respects those that trusted in Christ before the Ephesians were in Christ and so before they were chosen And ver 4. particularly speaks also of the Apostles as Believers in Chriâ—t and Apostles being chosen to the ministration not of the Letter but of the Spirit as 2 Cor. 3. 5-10 That is to say in short God before the Dejection or Foundation of the World chose Christ to be the Mediatour Saviour and great Apostle and purposed to send him in the end of the World actually to make peace for us and to preach it to us and reserved this honour for him That the mystery which was hid from former Ages and Generations should by him be opened He then also in Christ chose the first Trusters in him to be Instruments in this choice Service and Ministration to preach the Gospel according to the revelation of the mystery Eph. 1. 8-10 11. As the Apostle else-where saith We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world or ages unto our glory to wit for the Glory of the Apostles of the Lamb which place is very suitable to the other 1 Cor. 2. 7. with Ephes 1. 4. And this is the proper and direct meaning of Ephes 1. 3 4-12 Now this Election doth not suppose that all others besides the Apostles were reprobated to eternal Destruction God forbid But the very end of Gods choosing them in Christ to this excellent Ministration was That the world there-through might be saved Joh. 3. 17. with Chap. 17 18. As Paul saith Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith Rom 1. 5. and Chap. 16. 25 26. So that this Election was intended for the good of the whole world And we still conclude That God is not willing that any should perish And because he hath no Pleasure in the Death of him that dieth it necessarily follows as hath been shewed That their Destruction who perish is wholly of themselves he hath no hand therein nor heart thereto while it is the day of his Grace and Patience 4. And lastly as to this seeing God swears That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked in the death of him that dieth as is before explained Then hereby we may see and know who are like to God and Children of him and who they are that are not so 1. They are not therein born of God who privily bring in Heresies of Destruction or destructive Errors and Doctrines such as tend to the perdition of men as those certainly do who teach men to deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. And do not these evil Doctrines do so which teach That Christ died not for all nor tasted death by the Grace of God for every man but onely for the Elect as they speak That though God with his revealed Will would have all men to be saved yet not so with his secret Will That though he commands all men every where to Repent yet he doth not vouchsafe such sufficient or saving Grace whereby they may so do In short That there is a certain determinate number of Mankind elected in a personal consideration before the World was and these shall be brought in to believe in due season irresistibly and so preserved that they shall not possibly fail of the Grace of God however they demean themselves and all the rest are reprobated and must necessarily or shall infallibly perish in conclusion how much soever they indeavour to fly from the wrath to come c. These and such like Doctrines yea All such as consent not to wholsome Words the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine according to Godliness are not of God Nor are such of God therefore who plead for or preach them I mean therein they are not of God as the Apostle John signifies in that Rule he gives the Believers whereby they might know which Prophets are of God and which are not We are of God saith he namely the holy Apostles were so in their Word and Doctrine for Christ gave unto them the Words which the Father gave him John 17. 7 8. He that knoweth God heareth us He that is not of God heareth us not hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour 1 John 4. 6. with John 8. 47. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God 2 John 9-11 And our Saviour when he denounceth Woes against the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites the first