in Scripture you must as on a musicall instrument not put on great strings only but the smaller also and in a Consort take the Tenour and Counter-tenour with the Base You must not only hearken to the loud noise of the world and the sound of all all c. but take in the smaller sounds of sheep and friends and believers and then when we have the Scriptures in a compleat harmony set together they doe all unanimously make against universall Redemption not for it Behold the first Reason is without an Argument Reason 2. If Christ did not die for all every one could not have a ground of believing the report of the Gospel Answ What is there no ground of beleeving but upon a false Alarme and Report as this man hath brought amongst you 1. This Reason is the voice of unbelief The Arminian Doctrine helpes a lame Dogge over the stile viz. An unbeleeving heart to reason against the truth because all men are not bought and redeemed by Christ therefore I must not beleeve I say again this is nothing else but the language of unbeliefe beware of it 2. I retort it To lay forth this Doctrine before carnall men That Christ died for all is to lay a stumbling block before the blinde and to throw dust in the eyes of faith the faith of Gods elect that it shall not see at all but live by sense and not by it's own principles or not see by it's owne eyes Beloved in true beleeving there is a mystery When Christ dying for sinners is preached to the world it is a self-denying act to beleeve in him before I know I am of Gods secret number of the names in the Lambs book for whom Christ died but 't is no self-deniall when I hear Christ died for all to beleeve I am one This Doctrine then is an enemy to true beleeving and indeed a false Doctrine as I called it at first and have so proved it can beget but a false faith that which is but temporary not to be nourished or cherished by any true teacher or dispenser of the word 3. Is there no ground of believing except Christ died for all I will name you a few without this and sufficient I suppose to convince and draw a soul to believing 1. That Proposition or true and faithfull saying 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2. The Command Believe God bids thee believe faith is obedience to the Command Rom. 16. 26. 3. The Promise He that beleeveth shall not perish Joh. 3. 16. but he hath everlasting life Joh. 6. 47. and shall certainly be saved Act. 16. 31. 4. Gods act of justifying the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. 5. Gods raising Christ from the dead Rom. 4. 24. 1 Pet. 1. 20 21. consult and ponder the places 6. This very Proposition That Christ died but for some namely for his sheep hath been a ground of believing as Joh. 10. 15 c. after much discourse about his sheep and dying for them the result and close is v. ult And many beleeved on him there 7. Christ himself held forth indefinitely as a sufficient necessary and only meane of salvation which who so believeth Ames Anti. Synodatia 188. in chuseth and relieth upon under that notion may be sure that Christ hath an effectuall intention and purpose of saving him So the Apostle Paul and others held forth Christ We preach Christ crucified unto the Jews indeed who will not see sufficiency a stumbling blocke and unto the Greeks 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. who will not see the necessary determinations of Gods wisdom this way foolishnesse But unto them which are called perswaded to hearken after a crucified Saviour the sufficiency necessity and sole-soveraignty of his soul-saving bloud and palsion Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God so we preach so Gods elect do believe though they know not at the first whether they be of the number for whom Christ was crucified Hence Fourthly and lastly I answer The first act of thy faith is not to beleeve Christ died for all or for thee in particular the one is not true the other is not certain to thee till thou beleevest but this is that thou art called unto to believe in Christ as dying for sinners and able and willing to save thee beleeving then when thou comest to reflect upon thy faith thou shalt finde Christ died for thee not one man or person of years more then other is included or excluded but by his faith or unbelief Behold again his second Reason without an Argument viz. without nerves or sinews of truth to argue for this tenet of his and of all unbeleevers in a practicall way Let none then go away from such a Lecture and say We were led into and kept in errour all this time for we were taught that we must first know we were elected before we should beleeve but now that we hear Christ died for all we see ground for beleeving for it is as much as your souls are worth to miscarry here you may be lost for ever upon this verticall point For I deny that Christs dying for all or Gods electing of some and the particular knowledge of it is the foundation that we lay for mens beleeving not the first because false not the later because though it be most true that God gave his Sonne for none but his elect yet that thou shouldest know thy self of the number before thou believest who but ignorant men will teach so who but ignorant hearts will think so Election is a cause of beleeving and so many as are ordained to life have and shall believe Act. 13. 48. And if men doe finally persist in unbelief it is a sign they are not of Christs sheep Joh. 10 26. He that would know his election or redemption before he believeth is never like to know it 2. Come we to his Arguments as he cals them Arg. 1. Arguments disarmed The. 1. From the text Math. 22. 14. Many are called but few are chosen It was thus argued If Christ died for all that are called he died for more then the elect but he died for all that are called else they should not have been called or being called they are bound to believe that which is false if Christ did not die for them Answ I deny the Assumption and the two proofs of it The Assumption to be denied of you beloved as of my self is this That Christ died for all that are called t is a presumption without any found proof for 1. The first proof Else they should not have been called is a non sequitur or a false consequence for many are called because among the many God hath his choise number and will one day more distinguish them before all the world then yet he doth as in vers 47. The Parable following these of the Text. 2. The second proof proves not that it is brought for Being called they are bound to believe that which is true or false and if Christ
founded in him but in the seed of the woman the Lord Jesus nor is Adams enmity with Satan and reconciliation with God there mentioned but only the womans and her seed partly exprest partly implied 3. All died as they sinned in Adam before this promise but the promise is not made of or to all mankinde who died vertually in him only of and to the woman is it spoken and her seed the principall whereof should be the redeemer and the rest of her seed the redeemed ones of the Lord between whom and the old Serpent Satan and his seed there should be irreconcilable enmity 4. If you would know who and who only and what number they are for whom if you speak of the certain individuals the Lamb was a ransome from the beginning you must wait till the Lambs book of life be opened of which we read Revel 13. 8. and 17. 8. where plainly you may learn That 1. He was not slain for any first or last but for such whose names are in his book 2. Comparing those Texts with Rev. 13. 3. there are a world of people whose names are not written in his book therefore not slain in the Arminian sense for all the world nor must this last place in Timothy nor any of the former be so understood We have now done with the Scriptures alleadged and abused by him and vindicated by us which I desire you to hold fast in the true sense not in a perverted interpretation these were his out-works which we have taken and possesse we them for the Truth Come we at length to batter down the enemies Forts and strong-holds of his carnall-reasonings and confident arguments Two Reasons and two Arguments were brought to prove his Doctrine That Christ gave himself for the whole world Now such as have studied Logick or artificiall reasoning know no difference between Reasons and Arguments for it they be Reasons and do not argue they are irrationall Reasons and if they be Arguments without reason they are unreasonable Arguments But to follow him in his own method and to deal with him at his own weapon If we have taken the Scriptures out of his mouth we shall not doubt but to take his weaponâ— of Reason and Argument out of his hand or leave him a bare Sceleton of reason without flesh or substance much lesse having any soul or life of faith or divine truth in his assertions And first of the two Reasons Reason 1. Reasons disproved The whole harmony of the Scriptures such as he had proved his point withall are they not enough and do they not sound all one way Answ 1. Call to minde every of those Scriptures but remember their sense as well as their sound He is a foolish man who thinkes as the bell tinks Nor yet do the Scriptures give an uncertain sound but in opening and examining of them with the context and scope and with other Scriptures you hear with one consent they speak not absolutely of Christs dying for all but of and for such an all and such a world as is the all and the whole world of believers elect Gods people his true Israel some of all sorts of people out of all Nations some 2. Search and consult with other Scriptures which neither he nor I have yet mention'd and you will be more fully convinc't that we have the truth with us and that this Doctrine of Christs dying for the whole bulk of men is another Gospel from that which Christ and his Apostles or we from them have ever preached I shall instance but in three places the first in Joh. 15. 10. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends and presently to shew whom he laid down his life for he addeth v. 11. Ye are my friends c. It is most true what the Apostle saith Rom. 5. 10. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne But 1. What We meaneth he there Not all men but such as are justified by faith and have peace with God by faith v. 1. 2. Though the elect of God are enemies as considered in themselves and in their naturall estate yet being loved of God from eternity with the love of good pleasure they have a price laid down for them by Christs death to bring them under the love of friendship and when they do actually believe they are actually reconciled and of enemies are made friends so that Christ laid down his life for such as were in Gods choice and love his friends and by Christs death and the fruits of it brought into a state of actuall friendship A second follows John 10. 15. And I lay down my life for the sheep whom in the verse precedent he had called his sheep See here I beseech you ye that love the truth and love not to be seduced though that is a weak property of sheep to wander yet if you be Christs sheep hear the voice of the good shepherd and not of strangers for whom doth Christ himself say that he died he best knows and is only able to resolve this doubt why if you will believe him who is truth it self I lay down my life for my sheep he doth not say for goats at all but for the sheep behold and hearken after the harmony 'tween this and the fore-alleadged Scriptures certainly where Christ or his Apostles speak in larger tearms of all and world and whole world must not these tearms be limited to Christs sheep It was a subtill counsel your new Lecturer gave you that other Scriptures which he cited in the second place as but favouring his opinion should be expounded by the positive Scriptures but be you as wise as he was subtle and learn to reduce all his positive Scriptures which yet had Synecdoches in them of the whole for a part or of the generall for the speciall to and by this main Position of our Lord a fundamentall truth Let this be first laid down I lay down my life for my sheep and whosoever shall after so plain a foundation laid by Christ himself in his Word and by his Spirit in your hearts teach universall Redemption or Christs dying for the bulk of mankinde tell him he doth nothing else but build hay and stubble upon the foundation nay he doth yet more wickedly even lay another foundation with Christ or besides his purpose A third and last is in these words Ioh. 17. 19. For their sakes I sanctifie my self Christs sanctifying himself is his preparation for death setting himself apart to die for whom for their sakes his eleven Apostles not Iudas v. 12. and for those which should and shall believe on him through the Apostles doctrine this is not for the sake of all men that he so much as prepares to die much lesse that he died for them for whom he fitted not himself to die in their behalf So as you see to make up the harmony and consent
He knows well enough it would put thee upon mortification and heavenly-mindednesse and holy-reformation and poverty of spirit he keeps Christians therefore what he can and as long as he can from rejoycing in Jesus Christ and from taking out the sweet of that they have found because he would keepe their corruptions the stronger and stave them off from a more assured purchase of the pearl and treasure the longer time Secondly we may hence learn in what order mortification and full self-deniall comes forth and is acted and encreased upon and after the joy of faith after a soul hath found Christ and conceived some sweetnesse in him by beleeving There are many who thinke they must first sell all mortifie their lusts c. and then come to Christ by faith no warrant have they to beleeve no ground of applying a promise till they have got such mastery and victory over their lusts as they desire And it may be this is the ground and reason why some have put forth such an ignorant Question as this what have we even we beleevers to sell as if all were done before faith not after whereas all is done in true self-deniall with and after the first beleeving nothing before Use 2 Of trial For Examination and discovery of the truth or falsenesse of mens joyes at the hearing of the Gospel and upon any discovery made of the Pearl and Treasure First Let me give the true Christian his portion it is more comfort to finde thy joy to be true joy then to finde thy heart meerly joyfull Now then it is true when it hath such strength as to bring in universall self-deniall when it hath that free royall nature as to deny God nothing that he cals for when it hath that purity as to make thee studious and carefull to please God and come up to terms of agreement and commerce with him If it be a means to mortifie sinne to crucifie thee to the world and the world to thee as it was to Paul m Gal 6. 14. his glorying and rejoycing in the crosse of Christ brought him to such a frame then is it a true joy and a sanctified fruit of the Spirit The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace c. And when goodnesse meeknesse temperance and other gracious acts are the results of joy it cannot be questioned but thy joy is sound and thy saith sound and thou hast truly found the Treasure the Treasure is thine the Pearl thine Christ and all his excellencies are for thee c. But Secondly If thy joyes and enlargements of heart have no other fruit but self-indulgence and favour to thy lust and base yeelding to the next temptation they are too weak to be the birth and of-spring of the Spirit Self-seeking joy is too low and too base to be born from on high now to be sure all a worldlings joy is no other all a carnall and formall professours joy is no other Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly but could not deny himself in his Herodias the temporary beleever set out by the stony ground heard with joy but when it came to the point of self and world-denial he fals away Thirdly If self-denial be but small 't is a signe a Christians joy is small and faith is but weak at the best yea it witnesseth against some professours that they have lost their first joy and their first love time was when they consented to sell a husband a wife a childe c. Now such self-relations are too near too dear Oh the troubles of a wives or husbands losse must not be spoken of nor the parting with a childe thought of what is the reason The creature is a Pearl in their eye above and before Christ and his truth Fourthly If thy joy be in thy parts and gifts and outward duties thy enlargements and priviledges among Gods people as matter of justification and righteousnesse before God this joy would be turned into sorrow and humiliation repentance for such a joy will be a better evidence for thee in it's proper place then the cherishing of that which is but a Pharisees and a carnal mars joy And although there is a proper comfort which flowes from true sanctification or inherent graces and duties of new obedience as evidences of justification and union with Christ yet no further doe they comfort or are they evidences but as fruits of faith and influences from the life and strength of Christ Look to it that thy joy in duties c. be not a joy in thy self but a joy of the Pearl and Treasure and the faith thereof Joy in self and joy in Christ are heterogeneall and of a contrary root and principle And the later will and must if the heart be upright eat out and consume the former Use 3 Of Exhortation 3. For Exhortation Labour to finde cherish and maintain such a joyfull finding of the Treasure as may worke thee to utter self-denial soul-emptyings and creaturerenouncings in Christs cause and upon Gods call to encourage whereunto take along with thee these three Considerations First It is most straightly commanded that you do fell all hate all for Christ under pain of Christs high displeasure Mat. 16. 24. Luk. 14. 26. As you would not be cashier'd from his souldiers and followers as you would be meet to be accounted one of his Doe it you must and yet doe it you will not freely thorowly except you make much of the joy of the Lord. Secondly In this thou shalt be conformable to Christ who denied all parted with all though that be not the selling in the Text he emptied himselfe n Phil. 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of glory of comfort denied his fame his friends his wealth his honour life and all and that out of joy or For the joy set before him he endured the crosse despising the shame c. And indeed the joy of faith is more the joy set before a Christian then that which is in him for the present If the little joy thou hast puts thee upon sorrow for sinne mortification self-abhorring subjection to the crosse more will come in which may be a Third consideration the comfort of a chearfull self-denying Christian is doubled and trebled after acts of self-denial Consult the Scriptures and experiences of the Saints and you will finde it a truth made good to all that ever acted the part of wise Merchants The Apostles suffering blows and stripes come off rejoycing o Act. 5. 40 41. Paul and Barnabas persecuted and expelled the coasts of Pisidia are filled with joy and with the holy Ghost p Act. 13 50 51 Paul and Silas shut up in the prison and stocks are singing praises at midnight q Cap. 16. 25. such was this grace and high favour of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia r 2 Cor. 8. 1 2. that in a great triall of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
for Christ but not according to knowledge If you think to be saved and to help to save others by the doctrine of universall Redemption and by the particular act of rebaptizing and of being rebaptized you will still deceive and be deceived Perpend therefore and weigh with your self or rather out of your self with the minde of God in the Scriptures as here and in others more elaborate and spirituall dissertations is cleared and vindicated Had you sold your self wit fancy and conceit in Gods matters for Christ and Gospel-truth you would never have so abused the Parable of selling all and of buying the field and treasure as you did when you opened your pack of wares in our Town I know 't is incident to us all to erre but where self-deniall prevails errour shall not prevail to heresie Errour is a serpent with a long tail full of knots if unwary self-confident persons meet with it it will winde in and enwrap in it's endlesse train a thousand of them with which they cannot but be strangled that do not strangle it I am afraid my old friend T. More sometimes of Wels was thus ensnarled by doubtfull disputations with the erroneous Doctours of the times who hath pleaded your cause of generall atonement in print A book I could never meet with to this day but the other day when I had finisht this By M. Whitfield Piece there was presented to my view a godly learned friendly and faithfull Answer to that his book I shall hope by humility and self-deniall he will recover himself upon the reading of it and I shall pray you may prevent him or joyn or follow in a Palinodia Then will you see and say it had been better for you both to have kept to your looms then to have spun such a threed which will not make a web and that a garment to cover your nakednes withall Repent or you have much to answer a heavy account to give up For such as have had a better name for piety then ever Prelates had to make a more dangerous narrow bridge to Popery then they did by a more refined Pelagianisme For you who have pretended to more sanctity then ever Arminian Doctours have done in familiar communion with Gods people to be more efficacious in deceiving and mis-leading unstable souls O I tremble to think of the account Repent therefore and your errour of errours yet will not be your ruine But if the Lord leaves you to your free-will and you be hardened from his fear let him that you will procure to answer me if you cannot your self reconcile these contradictions between your universality of Redemption and your Anti-paedo-baptisme Vniversalist Anti-paedo-baptist Christ died to redeem all of man-kinde whereof Infants are a part As for Infants we know nothing of them Or thus Christ took away the curse from all men for sins against the Covenant of works Infants have no visible grace Again All of man-kinde are under a Covenant of Grace Infants of the best believing Parents are not under a Promise Again The guilt of Adams sin is taken off from all and by consequence there are no Pagans nor ever were No Infants are faederally holy They are all but young Pagans Now the good Lord the Spirit of truth deliver his chosen people from both these extreams and from all such interfeering and shackling opinions in whom I am theirs and Yours to read as to write to learn as to teach John Stalham To the Christian Reader Christian and Beloved Reader VNder the favourable allowance of the Authour of these ensuing labours my very loving Friend and vigilant Pastour I am crept into thy view not arrogating so much repute as to encline thee to a more venerable esteem of any thing in them because attested in an Epistle of mine For I am not of Classick authority to do any competent service of that kinde My scope rather is to witnes to what I have heard and received from the undoubted word of truth made known to me by the spirit of truth which hath wrought effectually as in other means so by the Ministery of this Authour to confirm and establish me in truth received before my acquaintance with him and to deliver me out of the snare of some errours in which I began to be entangled about that very time in which I began to know him And though I know him too well to go about to winde into his better esteem by painting and tickling encomions who lives upon a purer and more heavenly air then the vapour of mans breath exhaled by a corrupt fancy from a muddy heart yet I deem it some encouragement to him that is set over me in the Lord to watch for my soul to be acknowledged in his work and successe and in so doing I do only discharge a debt Some of the strong supporters of the rotten fabrick of Arminius thou maist see him batter and rase in this Discourse into which since I was a waifaring man to heaven I never turned in to lodge for a night finding it inconsistent with that foundation against which the gates of hell shall never prevail Especially that of Saints apostacy And for Paulus Testardus his friend and neighbour I cannot but issue my thoughts that he is here so fully enervated and enfeebled that when I read that passage in the book which concerned him if I had been a woman and in Elizabeths condition when Mary came from the hill countrey to salnte her the babe would have leapt within me for joy Another errour occasionally touched upon I must crave thy patience to speak a little to and that is the opinion of Anti-poedobaptisme in the lime-twigs whereof I my self was once taken and held till by the Lords blessing upon the judicious meek and divine reasonings of this Authour I was enabled to discern the Arminian results that naturally and therefore necessarily arise from Anti-poedobaptisticall grounds while they both make the Covenant of grace dependent upon some spirituall qualification in the creature And this I blush not to publish to the world hoping that it may be for thy benefit I am not ignorant that there are irreconcilable contradictions between the opinions of him who is both Anti-pedobaptist and Arminian a taste whereof thou shalt meet with in the close of the Authours Epistle to the Reader and no wonder for errour is often so divided and engaged in battels and feuds that thou maist meet with one corrupt opinion triumphing upon the neck of another like Tamerlane upon Bajazet unity and consent being the honourable titles and inseparable attendants of nothing but truth Nor yet doe I insert this as if I would insinuate that every Antipoedobaptist is an actuall Arminian it being quite against my principles to represent any man in a worse shape then his own digested opinions put him into And indeed I have so charitable assurance of some of their sincerities in saving truths as if their eyes were clear enough to
did not die for them and for all they are bound to beleeve that which is false thus he argued And thus I answer as to the second of his Reasons before Every man that is called is bound to believe that which is true viz. That Christ died for sinners Again he is bound to believe in Christ for himself though not for all others The just shall live by his faith And again all that are called hearing Christ died for some even all comers that is enough though he knows not who are the particulars it is his duty to yeeld obedience to Gods call seeing he knows he is called and when he hath obeyed that call he may and shall know he is chosen and that Christ died for him so as this Argument which hath a flourish from Scripture and a shew of Reason yet hath no solidity or truth of reason in it His second Argument was from 2 Pet. 2. 2. There is mention made of some that denied the Lord that bought them now The. 2. sure it was none of the elect that denied their Lord therefore Christ bought more then the elect thus he argued and thus I disarm his Argument Answ 1. It is possible for a time and in some act or word or doctrine even for the elect to deny their Lord in a degree did not Peter once twice or thrice 2. It doth not follow that though the Apostle may and doth speak of some not-elected Christ our Lord had bought more then the elect No you will say it is affirmed expresly the Lord had bought them upon whom was to come swift destruction yea but how were they bought or are said to be bought not really and intentionally by the Lord but in opinion of themselves or of others by that profession which they made for a time as if Christ had died for them when indeed he did not It is a rule whereby you may understand other Scriptures as well as this That is said to be done which is so reputed in a mans own or others account or profession as Heb. 10. 29. He that fals away from his whole profession is said to count the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing sanctified that is professionally and in opinion So here Hence I conclude this Argument also to be without truth of Scripture or strength of Reason to make it good and if it be said That such as hold Christ died for none but the elect deny the Lord that bought them and all the world I shall pay them back in their own coyn and positively state it that such as teach Christ died for more sinners then God eternally elected Deny the Lord that chose them and so make a jarre between the sweet strings of Election and Redemption I have now followed him in his method of Scriptures Reasons and Arguments all invalid to prove what he desired The Scriptures alleadged as witnesses but falsly the Reasons without Argument the Arguments without Reason there were other Reasons or Arguments scattered here and there to amplifie his discourse before he came to the Uses of his Doctrine which I will briefly wipe away 1. One passage was this It is for his glory that reprobates may be ashamed when they Passages 1. Wip't away come before Gods judgement seat that Christ shed his bloud for them Answ 1. Is it for his glory that he should die for those he doth not save Or is it for his glory that he should die at randome and upon uncertainties leaving men but in a possibility of being saved 2. It is for his glory that reprobates should be left to bring damnation upon themselves though Christ never shed his bloud for them in that shame will befall them for wilfull refusing of a Saviour offered to them who for ought they knew died for them amongst many other sinners A second Passage was this The ground of comfort is Second Passage answered taken away from poor distressed sinners and what comfort to a soul in distresse if there be not a full and a free offer Answ 1. A false ground of comfort is taken away which cries peace peace to the wicked to whom the Lord saith There is no peace The truly sensible sinner loseth no ground of comfort upon his believing although the soft pillow which the doctrine of universall Redemption sows under all elbows be pluckt quite away Answ 2. Although we teach not Christ died for all yet we make a full and a free offer of him and his death to all sinners where the Gospel cometh 1. Free because you may come to Christ without your cost without money or money's price 2. Full in two respects 1. We offer whole Christ and the death of Christ with all the effects of his death which the Arminians cannot do upon their doctrine 2. We exclude in the first yea frequent offers not a sinner who by unbelief excludes not himself Answ 3. From this full and free offer there is no comfort indeed for a distressed conscience till he beleeves and that Doctrine which preacheth comfort more then in the offer to a soul that neglects and rejects the Gospel is a false Doctrine A third Passage It is against all Gods Attributes and in Third Passage taken off particular his justice making God a Tyrant to condemn men and not in refirence to sin Answ 1. What impudence is here to cast such an aspersion upon the truth as if against Gods Attributes which as I shall shew anon is to be fastned upon their errour 2. But to answer that in particular about Gods justice what Orthodox Teacher ever said or thought it that God condemns any but in reference to sin Whatever absolutenesse there is in his decree of reprobation as there is enough and so much as God gave not Christ to die for any one reprobate yet the reprobates unbelief against the Gospel comes in as the cause of his condemnation and God herein is proclaimed most just to destroy them that have not or shall not beleeve consult with Jude v. 4 5. Now we shall examine his Vses Uses despoiled The first was To shew the vain conceit of such as deny the death of Christ for the whole world but upon triall we shall discover this mans and all the Arminians vain deceit in affirming his death for all 1. He argued thus Such a Doctrine as doth not lay a sure ground for faith is contrary to the Gospel this is so and therefore not a true Doctrine Answ This Argument in the Use was his second Reason in the Doctrine and thither you may look back for our answer 2. Thus That Doctrine which hath so many dangerous Consequences cannot be true but this of denying Christs death for the whole world hath many dangerous consequences therefore not true Answ Let us hear them and let the Scripture-Logick judge whether they be Consequences If so whether and how dangerous Cons 1. If we preach to the world we must
together even f The. 122. there where he endeavoureth to distinguish them and doth in part suggest some differences for in the Covenant of works he saith truly God gives no man since the fall ability to fulfill it's condition And in that generall Covenant of grace which he frameth with all me God gives but posse si velint ability without a will the will to receive and act must come from the poor creature himself and what is this but the first Covenant of works wherein Adam stood and fell as himself g The. 125. Quod factum fuerat infoedere naturali ecundam ejus slatuÌ„ Ibid. elswhere acknowledgeth when God doth but so move that he may if he will be saved and leave it at last to the creatures will it is but according to the tenour of the Covenant of nature how is the world deluded then with the title of a Covenant of grace which being examined proves but that of nature For such as the main condition is such is the Covenant The condition of this obligation or generall Covenant is nature or the act of naturall will in it's impotent and dead condition whereas the condition of the Scripture-covenant of grace is faith and that not of our selves but of the grace of God who worketh to will and to do of his own good pleasure 5. The Scripture-covenant of grace floweth from a decree of choice and speciall love and mercy and is backed by it Rom. 11 29. as Testardus also h The. â—57 with The. 11. acknowledgeth of that which he calleth the particular Covenant and therein differenceth it mainly from the Covenant of nature or works which was not supported by such a decree his generall Covenant then having no more support from any decree first or last then had that of works must be the same with it and not to be stiled a Covenant of Grace with all mankinde but the old Covenant of works held up by mans weak and wicked will and by Gods irresistible decree of justice Thirdly There being no such generall Covenant we finde 3. Not an universall call i The 113. no such universall call as Testardus writes of For he 1. would have a call to Christ more generall then that of the word viz. by the creatures and by daily providence naturall sustentation suspension of wrath administration of the universe for mans good with lenity patience and long-suffering the favour of Sunshine and showres of rain the fruitfulnesse of the earth otherwise accursed and the indulgence of all earthly accommodations This is to Testardus a calling this is a Testimony of saving grace And this he endeavours to prove from Psal 19. Act. 14 17. Cap. 17. 26 27. Rom. 2. 4. To which we oppose Scripture and Reason That Scripture 1 Cor. 1. 21. is clear When by the wisdome Calling to Christ by the creatures opposed by Scripture 1 Cor. 1. 21. of this universe all the wisdome of God displaied in the creatures men by their best light knew not so much as God it pleased God by the preaching of the Gospel to give the knowledge of Christ and to make that Gospel which with the preaching of it is foolishnesse to a carnall judgement a means the means of faith and salvation For therein as Rom. Rom 1. 17. 1. 17. in the Gospel not in the heavens and creatures is Christ revealed and the power of God to salvation put forth but if you will vers 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven not the mysterie of Gods love in Christ and if you say that is by accident because men will not know his goodnesse grant it yet what may be known is manifest in them and God hath shewed it to them It is manifest in all the creatures and God hath shewed it to the reasonable creature man viz. vers 19. The invisible things of him from the creation of the world these are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made But not a visible Mediatour God-man or the mystery of Christ crucified discernable there not a word of Christ read or written in all that great volume Hear Paul again to the Ephesians cap. 2. 12. At that time before the Gospel was preached ye were without Christ without the knowledge of him or without any means of the revelation of Christ while aliens from the Polity or administrations of the Church of Israel where only Christ was made known and that but darkly in types and while strangers from the Covenants of promise which doe more clearly hold out Christ but providence barely taken and not as the fulfilling of a promise though it holds forth something and much of God yet nothing of Christ nor of God in Christ Truth of reason doth further evince it By Reason 1. That which is not aptum medium a fit mean to discover Christ or to hold forth the Gospel-proposition that Christ died for sinners can be no mean at all appointed in the wisdome of God for such a purpose In the vast fabrick of the heavens and the earth and daily bare occurrences of providence there is not a proposition to make a syllogisme of or raise a conclusion upon for justifying faith 2. Upon Adam's fall matters are dispensed so as justice is manifested all along with free grace If all the world in all ages had had a calling to Christ where was free grace manifested If none were denied a calling where was so much of strict Justice as would manifest and execute a Decree of Justice against whole Nations and Kingdoms of men 3. That calling which meets with no successe at all in any one man to bring him to salvation was never ordained of God that I can finde in the Word to bring him to such an end for the Spirit ever accompanieth his own Ordinances of grace with efficacy to some But this universall call by the creatures providence c. is found by n NoÌ„ est quod eis spem salutis a Christo partae adimere trepidemus The 144. Testardus own reading observation and judgement unsuccessefull to every one that had it for seeing the Heathen in all their most moral actions were destitute of faith and a sincere end in what they did he fears not to take from them all the hope of salvation obtained by Christ Strange that Christ should die for all the Heathen and God should call them all to salvation and yet save none of them If he saith they sinned not only in Adam but actually and that not only against the Covenant of nature but grace aliquatenus what and no pardon for any of them nor l The. 140. any of them be Salutis in Christo compos partaker of salvation in the Messiah Let such a call be for ever called a dispensation of goodnesse and justice not a discovery of grace and Christ when it is not so and let such as had but the creatures and common providence to help them be none of
Gods called but rejected and neglected not comparatè but absolutè 4. Habemus corfitentem reum m Quos non solet vocatorum nomine insâ—gnire Scriptura The. 127. Testardus himself acknowledgeth in part that the Scripture is not wont to stile such by the name of called ones but he is wont every where to stile them so and to term that a calling unto Christ which the Scripture never so exprest not can we finde that it hath any such intention to hint it to us As touching the rare places which he and others think do Scriptures produced for the call by the creatures answered favour this opinion let us take a brief survey of them Psal 19. What read we The heavens declare the glory of God in creation the firmament sheweth his handy work the old workmanship here is nothing spoken or intended of the new workmanship of God of which Ephes 2. 10. Day unto Psal 19. 4. day vers 2. uttereth speech the continuall succession of day and night holds out something of Gods goodnesse and providence nothing of a Gospel-promise if it did then so many daies as there were before Adam fell or was created Christ was preached by those Oratours as well as since the fall and all the time from Abraham to Christ when the Gentiles had not the Covenant by n The. 112. Testardus confession yet they had this call by the creatures For there is no speech nor language no place or people that ever lived as not a day goeth over their heads where and when their the creatures voice is not heard vers 3. But for the voice of the Gospel-mystery if the Apostle may be beleeved Romans 16. 25 26. it was not heard at all all truths concerning Christ were in all ages among the Heathen kept secret and silent And if any please to compare Psal 19. 4. with Rom. 10. 18. he shall finde that the Apostle makes but an allusion to the Psalmist and that his scope is not to prove this generall call among the Gentiles by the creatures but an outward call among the Jews by the word o Ante verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 audierunt non subaudio Gentes sed Iudaeos Bez. Have they the Jews not heard Yes the Gospel by the Apostles preaching like the Sunne hath cast his beams over the whole world the Sunne and the firmament doe no more generally hold out something of the knowledge of God in all ages then the Apostles in their age by preaching did familiarly and universally hold out much of the knowledge of Christ and that to the Jews which as St Paul had illustrated and but illustrated v. 18. from the Psalm he presently proves it and when he comes to the proof he first begins with Moses v. 19. and then quotes Esay v. 20. And yet albeit the Apostle did but allude to the Psalm his scope is the same with Davids to illustrate Gods teaching of Christ in the Scripture and it's ministery by his teaching in the great volume of the creatures That mainly wherein creature and Scripture-teaching are alike is the extent of their teaching all people and Nations are lesson'd by both that wherein they doe eminently differ and wherein Scripture-teaching excels the other is the subject matter end and effect of their lessons the visible creatures give out notes and characters of a deity the audible word give knowledge of God reconciled in Christ The p Recreant corpus diei noctis vicissitudines sed verbum animam dicitur instaurare Jun. l. 2. Parral 19. creatures shew how good God is to the bodies of men the Scriptures shew us how gracious he is to the souls of men The creatures Sunne and Moon c. speak the wisdome of the workman the goodnesse of a Creatour the Scripture and it's Interpreters speak the love and wisdome of a Redeemer The creatures in the common course of nature left for mens conviction and q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad hoc ut sint inexcusabiles Beza inexcusablenesse who sinne against the light of nature The r Psal 19. 7. Scriptures and their preaching instituted of God to be sufficient and sole means through the Spirit of mens conversion and salvation Touching that place Å¿ Act. 14. 17. Pertinet hic locus ad providentiam Dei ex quâ creat gubernat conservat omnia creata Eras Sar. Act. 14. 17. I can but wonder so learned a man should interpret it of a Gospel-calling which is but a legall-naturall conviction or that which might witnes a God to a naturall conscience for so leads the context The men of Lystra would be offering Sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas as to gods they abhorring such a sacriledge vilifie and annihilate themselves in that case and hold out God as Creatour to them v. 15. and prove it by his Creation and Providence v. 16. which was a testimony that he and he only was and is God God hereby left not himself without witnesse What is this to a calling of grace or the knowledge of a Covenant of grace founded upon Christs death and satisfaction No more is that which he alledgeth Act. 17. 26 27. and interpreteth of the seeking and finding of God a Redeemer Act. 17. 26 27. 't is true that God who is a Redeemer is to be sought in his works but are these works of Creation and Providence out of a Type or a Sacrament instituted means of seeking or finding him as a Redeemer Or did God make of one bloud all Nations to that end they might seek a Redeemer before the fall Or is Christ in the execution of Gods decree of election to be brought into our consideration before the fall Yet the naturall bloud out of which all Nations doe spring was given Adam before the fall and the immortall spirit which Adam had immediately from God and all men in like manner since receive it from him the father or creatour of spirits was before the fall The Apostles scope is to raise up the superstitious Athenians who forgate the Philosophy of their naturall constitutions but so high at first and from vers 23. to 29. to that end declareth to them who is the true God he whom they ignorantly worshipped he that created the world and had given them immortall spirits as he proves out of the Poet Aratus But when he comes to preach an Article or two of the Gospel he hath laid aside his quotation from Poets sure See v. 30. 31. As for that in Rom. 2. 4. which saith Testardus speaks de poenitentia salutari of saving repentance unto which men are called universally by the goodnesse of God in creation and Rom. 2. 4. The. 119 162. providence wherein every man shareth more or lesse Admit it the goodnesse of God doth not lead any man to sinne as some thought and still are ready to think but to a contrary course Doth it follow that Christ is taught in Creation and Providence
man endued only with the light of natures reliques and of that most common mercy he reasoneth thus Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse c. Answ 1. We have answer'd before the Apostle in that place comes to deal with c Pareus Willet Rolloc Jews as well as Gentiles which appears in that he speaks to man indefinitely d Non caret emphasi quod expressit hominis nomen ut hominem Deo comparet Cal. compared with God and cited to his Tribunall whoever he be that judgeth c. 2. The Apostle is to be understood not of all the Gentiles he had spoken of Chap. 1. but of the Gentiles as the Jews of the present age wherein he wrote for so he directeth his charge to the man now living therefore thou art inexcusable and as e Non dixit Apostolus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. deducebat sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habens videlicet ejus quo haec scribebat temporis rationeÌ„ Bez. Ann. Beza further noteth he doth not say it did lead but it leadeth or doth lead God hath other ends of his patience and goodnesse before but now that God suffered thee ô Gentile as well as Jew to live to Gospel-times thou hast such a motive to repentance as all thy Ancestours had not and now that God hath spared thee ô Jew thou hast a larger and stronger inducement then thy predecessours to come in to Christ c. 3. Men living in the Apostles times had improvements for more then the most common light of the old Heathen by the Apostles ministery every where and by their writings together with the sacred Text of the old Testament dispersed where the preaching of the Gospel came And the Jews had the advantage of former times by the lightsome beams of wholsome Expositions of the writings of the Prophets read and preached by the Apostles in their Synagogues and this was a great part of the riches of Gods goodnesse I conceive and patience beyond the most common mercies afforded to the old Heathen or to the Jew in the old Testament times which did f Plus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ducit i.e. manu ducit Pareus lead these men as you will lead a childe most weak and tender to a change of their mindes and lives if they would have followed their conduct 4. As they had means of more light so they are certainly men who did improve nature-light and Gospel-light better then others whom the Apostle deals with for all agree he deals with those more civilized and restrained with such as we call close hypocrites not grosse dissemblers such who were as Calvin brands them Sanctuli little Saints in their own opinion comparing themselves with others somewhat like the young man in the Gospel Mar. 10. 17 21. thinks Beza Such no question who could see into the grossenes of others open sins and did censure them but applauded and flattered themselves upon presumption of the light they had above others and of Gods patience extended more to them then to others quite perverting the end of all the cost bestowed upon them more then upon others which was to guide them to the Gospel-grace and salvation All this sheweth that men living under Gospel-dispensations are led by a divine providence to look after Gospel-repentance but it proves not that for which Testardus alledgeth the Apostle that the men of former ages before the Gospel came among the Gentiles had some call to Christ and grace agreeable to the common call which now men have by the Word and Spirit Obj. 3. What way soever God calleth he calleth seriously and deludeth no man Ans 1. This way of calling and that to Christ by the creatures alone without the Word is not found to be a way of Gods calling men to Christ every reall act of Gods goodnesse and patience is not simply and properly in Gods intention a call to Christ no more then Gods legall command Doe this and live is a direct call to life God is reall in such a command held out to Pharisees and self-justifiers and yet consult with g The. 164. Testardus in his right judgement and he will tell you that God thereby doth not invite men to life Per legem atque ex lege by the Law and out of the Laws earnings or labours 2. God deludeth no man in the acts of his providence or reciting of the legall command but our Universalists delude many men while they preach Christs death for all and salvation but for some The plain Countrey-man cannot tell how to understand that and many other such distinctions Obj 4. The acts of divine patience and providence agree with the calling by Gods Word and Spirit in the main end which is the salvation of all that are called and as a means to that end God would have them all come to the knowledge of the truth which truth spoken of 1 Tim. 2. 4. Testardus h The. 1â—0 in this his reason compares with Rom. 1. 18. and 25. as if they were all one and the same veritas salutaris or saving truth Ans 1. In the most generall call by the creatures Testardus himself saith Gods end and will for all mens salvation is but aliquatenus in some sort or respect 't is his will and end in some respect it is not but in what respect it is and is not he cannot make out agreeable to Gods will of saving his elect Salvation is but one God is one Semper sibi constans what his end is he attaineth and will never be put by his end 2. Who seeth not the artifices of this Author or rather his inartificiall jumbling and confounding of the truth mention'd Rom. 1. 18 25. with that in 1 Tim. 2. 4. The Apostle to the i Rom. 1. 18. Veritatem rectè vocat Paulus quicquid lucis ad Dei notitiam in homine relictum est non ut hac duce in Dei gratiam redeant hoc enim est unius Christi opus qui solus vera lux est via veritas sed ut suo ipsorum judicio sceloris convincantur tum in Deum tum in hominet Beza Annot. in Rom. 1. 18. Romans meaning by truth there the true notions and right apprehensions of the Deity in some common way and to Timothy mentioning according to his meaning ver 5. not only the Doctrine of one God but k Non agitur de generali cognitione quâ— est communis â—oti hominum geâ—eri ex reâ—um creatarum inspectione Sed de cogaitione quâ Patrem Christ â—â— agnoscentes vitae aeternae suâ—â— participes Faius in 1 Tim. 2. 4. of one Mediatour Now though it is Gods end to bring men to salvation by the knowledge of a Mediatour yet it was never his end to save men by the knowledge of one God and by that knowledge alone nor can Testardus without impudence call it take it alone without the
it By the Kingdome of heaven I understand the State and Treasure of it with the affairs and dealings about it or Christ and his grace preached and set forth in the Gospel of grace and in Gospel dispensations Christ and his Gospel grace and dispensations were set out in the four fore-going Parables by their nature force and efficacy here by their worth and state of excellency with the Christians affairs and dealings for his enjoyments of all the worth and treasure of the Kingdom as his own First The worth and riches of the Kingdom resembled to hidden treasure and a precious pearl what else is it but Christ and his Gospel-grace as may appear 1. By parallel expressions and descriptions of him and his grace in Scripture Such as you read of in Col. 3. 1. Things above where Christ sitteth c. Treasure in heaven Math. 19. 21. 5. 21. This treasure 2 Cor. 4. 7. viz. of Christ and the Gospel-knowledge of him v. 6. The people of God are the children of the Kingdom Mat. 13. 38. and the subjects of the Kingdom yea heirs and co-heirs with Christ that is enough for them but they are not the treasure of the Kingdom Christ is that treasure 2. By the Characters given to this treasure of the Kingdom in the Parables of the Text as 1. We hear here of a hidden Treasure Christ is most like to a hidden Treasure as being furthest off from the knowledge of men you may know a visible Church sooner then the invisible God and Saviour 2. Hid in a field that is a field by it self and a large field yet distinctly and particularly bounded within the Word and Ordinances of grace there is Christ hid and wrapt up in precious promises the preaching and substance whereof is called vers 19. The word of the Kingdome for where the Treasure is found there it was first hidden in Gospel promises Ordinances and dispensations Christ and his grace is found 3. Here is mention of a Pearl and one of great price Christ is that Pearl with the grace of the Gospel of singular invaluable price it will impoverish every man that goeth about to buy it but when he hath sold all to his shirt and skin for it it enricheth him for ever 4. One Pearl which can agree to none but Christ and the unsearchable worth of his grace and Gospel set in opposition to all the goodly pearls in mens esteem the supposed mediums of salvation Thus you see what the state and worth of the Kingdome of heaven is and to what it is like it is Christ and all he is worth like to a Treasure and one Pearl of great price Secondly We are to consider the Kingdome of heaven in it's affairs and the Christians dealings about it like to a man that findeth c. Who is he that findeth he that seeketh and who is he that seeketh the merchant man a man of no small dealings in the world The merchant man is every elect-vessel of mercy represented here under a double notion 1 As seeking that which he findes not 2. As finding that which he seeks not 1. As seeking what he findes not and that is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goodly Pearls some fair and specious commodities to make him rich and happy Every one of Gods elect while naturall is seeking his happinesse his life his heaven his God in some one thing or other here below the minde of man is active and as busie as Ants on a mole-hill about worldly contentments riches honours pleasures profits common gifts of learning knowledge c. to make a life of an heaven a God of this he seeks but if he belong to God as the Parable speaks of such he findes it not 2. As finding what he sought not for A Treasure a Pearl an only Pearl of price the only Treasure of Christ and Gospel-grace which will make a man for ever This finding is nothing but Gods preventing b Isa 65. 1. light and c Joh. 6. 44 45. love and Gods drawing of a soul to faith in Christ And of this finding there are four effects mentioned in the Text. Hiding Joying Selling. Buying 1. Hiding when he had found the treasure he hideth it which is not only emblematicall and for ornament of speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abscondit est emblematicum Cor. a Lap. as some conceive but such an expression as holds forth the carriage of a true beleever at his first beleeving in the severall acts of humility of hope and love of his high esteem and holy purposes about this Treasure and Pearl to make it his own for as there is a sinfull hiding of Christ and of Gospel-grace and truths when they are not acknowledged nor others called to come and partake with us against which David and Christ too do protest Psal 40. 10. So we finde the phrase used in a good sense in Scripture As 1. Sometimes for an act of modest humility in opposition to boasting as 1 Pet. 3. 4. the hidden man of the heart is an expression of humility in women contrary to outward ostentation and shews and flant-tant dresses so d Nisi fortè dicamus id tantum pollere quantum si â—u diâ—as Dissimulavit non jactavit Bul. in locum Bullinger inclines to think we may safely here understand an act of a Christians modesty who when he findes Christ in the Gospel hath many a secret thought of the worth of such a Treasure and of his own unworthinesse yet cordiall and inward in his beleeving with the hidden man of his heart 2 Sometime for an act of Hope Prov. 22. 3. The prudent man fore-seeing the evil hideth himself i. e. humbly and hopefully betaketh himself to the Lord so the beleever hopefully as humbly cheweth upon the promise in his heart 3. Sometime for an act of dear love as Job 20. 12. it is an expression of a sinners love to his darling sin he is said to hide it under his tongue as a man or childe doth suggar candy in his mouth which is seemingly a good hiding to a sinner and here the reall and dear love of a Christian to Christ holds him and keeps him close 4. Sometime for an act or effect of high esteem for so the riches which Cyrus should meet with in Babylon and which he and all naturall men prize so much are called Isa 45. 3. Hidden riches of secret places that which men prize most they hide most closely 5. Sometime for an act of resolution to keep safe and make sure of any thing as Prov. 2. 1. If thou hide my commandments with thee that is resolvest to keep them and Psal 119. 11. So the man the merchant man in my Text e Lest any man beguile him of the treasure he taketh care that he be not deprived of it c. Annot. last upon the place he doth holily take up a resolution to make out for Christ and to make sure of him as his own
effects of finding Christ by faith doe follow and the fourth in order is from the first of the general effects here mentioned Hiding Which when a man hath found he hideth Some as I told you in the breaking up of the true and full sense of the Parables think it respects only the elegancy of the Parable and is not necessarily to be applied to any part of the mystery hidden or illustrated in these Parables For the meer necessity I will not plead and I remember Calvins rule we must not weigh every scruple Non semper singula per se in in parabolis consideranda sunt Cal. in a Parable by it self I desire to observe it here and elsewhere and not take the words as they sound But the reason why that most learned Interpreter as Beza every where stileth him 〈…〉 Exposition upon or observation from this passage 〈…〉 was as we may pace tanti viri collect becaâ—â—â—â—t that time when he commented upon these words he had no other abscontion or hiding in his eye then a sinfull hiding or what is unsutable to such as are called by the Gospel who ought not as he saith truly to hide I adde so to hide the treasure found but to call others into the fellowship of it And keeping my self to the scope Quod autem abscondit non de invidia facit sed more servantis â—olentis perdere abscondit in corde Hien of the Parables I conceive as faith is the finding grace so there are gracious hidings or hiding graces the effects of faith as humility hope c. Let him therefore who hath heard remember and he that readeth let him understand and to that end look back to the Exposition of the words and I hope with the consent of the spirits of the Prophets we shall have warrant and encouragement to open â—nd apply that which followeth in order 4. Every true beleever having found Christ in a promise Doct. 4 doth in a gracious manner hide him and lay him up True bâ—leevers in a gracious manner hide Christ That is He doth humbly hopefully and with loving and high esteem resolve to keep safe and make sure of Christ and of all his riches and treasure Here are severall gracious acts as so many effects and characters of a true beleevers finding of Christ worthy our consideration in the opening whereof we shall clear and confirm the truth of the Doctrine 1. An act of humility the beleever doth neither simply 1. By humility conceal nor proudly boast of what he hath found but humbly entertains Christ and all that is Christs in the promises in the hidden man of his heart he hath many humble thoughts and meditations of what is discovered to him in the Gospel with the Prodigal a Luk. 15. ver 17. 11. he considereth that in his fathers house there is bread enough yea and with him also he addresseth himself to the throne of grace in all humble confessions Father I have sinned c. Thus the b Act. 1â— 18. Ephesians who had beleeved they came and confessed and shewed their deeds And what humble expressions finde we iâ—â—hat woman Luk. 7. There is one who had found Christ 〈…〉 vers ult she comes to the house where the Lord 〈…〉 sâ—te down to meat c Luk. 7. 37 38. she there upbraids not the Pharâ—â—â— that invited Christ or others with what they wanted and she had obtained but she stands at Christs feet not at his side as boldly 〈◊〉 with him behinde him not perâ—ly before him weeping not â—ondly laughing and began to wash his feet with tears o gracious hiding and did wipe them with the hairâ— of her head she doth not shew her self in proud dresses and addresses upon her beleeving but rather in the humblest posture vesture and gesture she demeans her self and takes revenge of her self for abuse of her hair in the former 〈◊〉 of it * No doubt she thought basely of her self and her hair 〈◊〉 Triall and triumph of faith p. 1â—6 So the woman of Canaan a Mat. 15. 27. Truth Lord she puts up the name of a dog and a despised Gentile so she be one of Christs dogs she câ—res not so she may but have crums and the meanest share in the Pearl and Treasure she is humbly contented The special Reasons hereof are two among other 1. Grace is free the treasure is free therefore in such who are partakers of it no room left for boasting or vain ostentation but cause of hiding a mans self and his grace also from being boasted of A borrowed garment as one * of high and Rutherf ibid. holy learning hinteth will make a wise man humble and he that by faith findes the garment of Christs imputed righteousnesse to cover his nakednesse being justified freely by Gods grace cannot but be humble to thinke that God should borrow his owne Sonnes Garments to cover and beautiâ—â—e yea beatifie make rich and happy his poor soul for ever 2. The more worth and excellency a beleever seeth in the Treasure the more the soul is humbled in it self When that blessed Apostle called to minde what he was before calling a persecutour of the Church of God e 1 Cor. 15. â— 20. and what now by the grace of God he is that he is no better no higher in his own thoughts what ever he did or laboured it was not he but the grace of God with him And when he is preaching and writing about the unsearchable riches of Christ at that instant he reckons himself f Ephes 3 8. Psal 8. Lesse then the least of all Saints When David looks upon Gods excellency in his works of Creation Providence Redemption especially by God-man What is man or the sonne of man that is the next part of the Song So when a poor creature findes and views again and again The rich treasure in Christ What am I that 's the next thought What am I Lord to be prevented with such love to have a share in such riches â— An act of hope There is an hiding of the treasure that 2. By hope way When a soul findes Christ in the promise by faith he doth hope fully hold the promise and reckons upon it he doth not despair that he shall never have it or make it his own but he lives in expectation to have the possession and good of it Fâ—ith is g Heb. 11. 1. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or subsistence of things hoped for And as the Apostle h Rom. 8. 24. we are saved by hope the compleating of our salvation after by faith it is begun is laid up in hope But hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he hope for it But if we hope for that we see not then doe we with patience wait for it A Christians treasure you see is much hidden and laid up in hope hence Christ is called our hope * 1 Tim.
the field of precious promises 't is not so easily recovered again when but left or decaied Why should not our loves and esteems be more now then at first seeing more of Christs worth and and sufficiency is discovered daily And yet thou nor I did ever hear or know of half his worth which is further to be revealed Get we therefore more high and capacious apprehensions of his excellency and hide we him in our bosome with dearer affections then ever he is worthy of all our love of all our estimations and highest value we can prize him at he is above all we can love or beleeve or esteem or thinke of him Get we an estimation of him and affection to him beyond expression that still there may be more hidden in our hearts then can be uttered by our tongues or published by our pens 5. Having found Christ hold him fast hide him in your purposes yet more closely and strongly it was Barnabas exhortation e Act. 1â— 23. and it shall be mine that you would all with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord. Christ knows from the beginning who have who have not beleeved who sticketh to him who departeth from him by an evil heart of unbelief an heart that purposeth not to live and die beleeving beware of it it is the first step of Apostacy be not fickle for fits and moods of beleeving let but there be the hidden frame of beleeving set and resolved to keep the heart close to Christ and Christ close to the heart daily hourly constantly Lay him and the promises up in the heart for use for a treasure of such worth a pearl of such price is much more worthy and precious to the soul as it is used and improved for it's spirituall advantage It followeth And for joy thereof c. These words have a two-fold connexion and dependance on the words before When he had found and on those that follow goeth and selleth c. From the first connexion ariseth our 5. Observation Every true beleever hath some joy yea Doct. 5 the conceptions of great joy in the finding of the Lord Jesus A beleever is a joyfull man Christ What man ever found a treasure and hid it for himself and as his own and joyed not at the very thoughts of it Beleeving thoughts are joyous thoughts and acts of beleeving bring in habits of joy or joyfull impressions at least till they break forth in gladsome expressions There be instances not a few to clear this truth When Christ hath prevented Zacheus and Zacheus at that instant is called effectually to beleeve in the Lord He receiveth Christ joyfully saith the Text f Luk. 19. 6. both into his heart and into his house The converts at Peters Sermon g Act. 2. 41. gladly receive the Word of salvation and of the promise to them and theirs A treasure a pearl in the field of the promise for them and their children this they rejoyced in and this doe beleevers that have right evangelicall apprehensions in our daies rejoyce in also When this Treasure is discovered to the people of Samaria h Act. 8. 8. 12 and many beleeved what Philip preached of the Kingdome of God and the name of Iesus Christ there was great joy in that City so was there in the Jailours heart and house i Act 16. 31 34 The Apostle Paul tels the Philippians for his part and Timothies k Phil. 3. 3. whom he joyns with himself in the inscription of the Epistle cap. 1. 1. We rejoyce in Iesus Christ and he speaks in the name of all beleevers if not there I am sure in his Epistle to the Romans l Rom 5. 11. We joy in God reconciled through our Lord Iesus Christ Saint Peter also tels the Christians he writes to that beleeving they doe rejoyce in Christ with joy unspeakable and full of glory Reason 1 1. It is an unspeakable and glorious treasure that is found by every true beleever the very sight of it by faith cannot but ravish the heart and might were it narrowly viewed transport it into an extasie of joy 't is no common favour nor ordinary but rare and extraordinary to finde a treasure hid in a field And as for this treasure few there be that finde it As there is no other pearl of pearls but Jesus Christ so none but elect vessels of mercy doe finde him contain or hold him Well may every such soul rejoyce He that findes a treasure out of which he hath sufficient to pay all his debts and to stock him for trading with the beâ—t of merchants and merchandize may well rejoyce and rejoyce again The Christian here a bankrupt before he findes this Pearl this Treasure he findeth that in Christ his righteousnesse which satisfies Gods justice and justifies his person dischargeth him of all debts and trespasses and that in Christs spirituall graces which affords him a sufficient stock to be trading with heaven and to fit him for commerce and communion with Saints and with the King of Saints in earth and heaven Hath not he cause to be glad who findes a pearl that affords a rich dowry for the soul and prefers him to a marriage with the King of heaven That which brings him into sonship presently to God and heirship to a Kingdome and which gives him title to the crown of heaven and stores him with money to maintain warres against the spirituall enemies of his soul sinne world Satan Antichrist who would deprive him of his inheritance and take away his Crown Title and Dignity over whom the Christian combitant is made more then Conquerour through him that loved us 2. As the worth so the propriety which comes by finding of it joyes the heart a man may finde that which he must go cry in the market-place and part with it when the right owner is found out which brings but little recompence and comfort to the finder But here is a treasure who so findes it hath it for the finding Who so findeth me findeth life saith the wisdome of God m Prov. 8. 35. He that beleeveth in me saith Christ n Joh 6. 47. hath everlasting life He that hath the Sonne saith the holy Ghost in Iohn o 1 Joh. 5. 12. hath life He hath it for his own for his use for his comfort for his rejoycing Ioy cannot but rise out of faith which instrumentally doth bring home all Gospel-treasure to the soul therefore called the joy of faith p Phil. 1. 25. being the proper right-bred childe of faith conceived and brought forth by faith nursed and maintained by faith till faith ends in vision and hope in fruition of what is found 3. The beleever hath hope or certain expectation of the sure and full possession and of the pleasure that he shall have in such a purchase and possession and in hope of all this and of the glory of God he doth and will rejoyce Men of great and
abounded to the riches of their liberality hereis precious and choice checkwork joy and self-deniall self-deniall and joy egging on and backing each other And St Paul in his sufferings will not rejoyce alone but will have the Philippians joy and rejoyce with him Å¿ Phil 2. 18. If self-deniall with joy for it's antecedent it shall have it for it 's concomitant and consequent The Thessalonians t 1 Thess 1. 6. and the Hebrews u Heb. 10. 34. had abundant experience of joy for their companion and attendant in all that they sold away for Christ and the Gospel so many Martyrs of Jesus as we read of so many Witnesses to this truth Call we to minde but that one instance a M. Fox vol. 3 71â— of Iohn Carelesse who was resolved to cast all care away upon the Lord had his water turned into wine and that of the best filled out by the master of the feast that he was become drunken in the joy of the Spirit c. And that other of Pomponius Algerius an Italian Martyr b Vol. 3. 181 182 183. who stiled his Leonine prison a delectable Orchard where dropped the delectable dew where flowed the pleasant Nectar where was milk of consolation and plenty of all good things And how doth he from the joy which himself felt and beleeved call upon his dear brethren and fellow-servants to rejoycing rejoycing in the midst of their fals into divers tentations according to that of the Apostle Iam. 1. 2. Let us take up his resolution I will not set more by my life then by my soul deny we our selves to the utmost and we shall have joy to the utmost lay down the price and you shall have a joyfull possession as it followeth in the next and last Doctrine But a word of Direction for the close of this Would we cherish our joy of the Treasure and deniall of Means of self-denying joy our trash 1. Be much in beleeving strength on faith as one of our Worthies in the faith e M. Ward Life of faith and strengthen joy and joy strengthened will fortifie the spirit against fears or loves inordinate will more carry us off from self and creature 2. Pray and pray earnestly for that joy which will strengthen us in the inner man and for that Almighty glorious power which will strengthen unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse as the Apostle for the Eph. 3. 16. and for the Col. 1. 9 11. 3. Attend upon your sealing daies we have every Sacrament Sabbath enough assured to make us say with the Disciple Let us also goe that we may die with him or with that heroick Saint Volemus in Coelum Let us flee into heaven or with the Apostle Let us live to him that died for us and be no more our own but his living dying And with that Italian preacher Let Montalchin die and live thou O Lord Iesus 7. Thorow self-deniall brings forth such diligence â—â— Doct. 7 whereby the true Christian groweth up to a firm assurance Self-denial brings diligence and assurance and clear evidence of the Kingdom-treasure and pearl of heaven Christ and Gospel-grace For the clearing and proving whereof how it is grounded and raised upon these Parables of selling and buying and how consonant to the truth of Scripture and reason I shall open the similitude that doth illustrate this truth and so farre as it is the scope of the Parables prove it and then by demonstrations shew and confirm that it is so and why it must needs be so In the metaphor of buying we have Cleared from the metaphor of buying considerable 1. The act 2. The object First In the act of buying there are four things obvious whereby it will appear that as the merchant mans buying is here set forth as a consequent of his selling so diligence unto more full assurance and clear evidence of Christ is a consequent and fruit of self-denial 1. In buying men lay out with cost of money much pains and diligence it cost the former and trades-man many a trudging journey to fairs and markets and the merchant many a walk up and down the City and riding from town to town in the Countrey yea many a hazardable voyage by and beyond the Seas So the self-denying Christian he laieth out much cost of pains and diligence to make his calling and his election sure A sure interest is that the earthly and heavenly merchant labours for There is a two-fold interest in and to the Kingdom of heaven 1. That which comes in by calling this is the finding of the treasure and pearl 2. That which was given the elect from all eternity the knowledge whereof is the effect of calling according to purpose Now by thorow-self-denial a soul is put to diligence and by diligence seeks the knowledge of both these interests But here is the difference between worldly and spirituall merchandizing the more money a man hath the more he can carry on his trade and merchandize in the world but the lesse worth a Christian man hath the more rich the merchant when he comes without money or moneys price he laieth out the more cost The more self-denial in the heart and the more empty the purse of the soul is the more diligence the Christian giveth to attain what he beleeveth and hopeth for And that a self-denying soul is such a painfull diligent soul is implied in that precept Isa 55. 1. compared with ver 2 3. 6. Buying with an empty purse is labouring using the means seeking in the Ordinances by faith hope humility c. in the sense of our nothingnesse to trust into God and wait upon him for all in Christ And it is so expressely found true in the practice of beleevers Matth. 19. 27. Behold we have forsaken all and have followed thee here is diligent following of Christ after negligent forsaking of a mans self and of all he hath So St Paul having suffered the losse of all to winne Christ what are his desires Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him more experimentally and his diligence what is it vers 11. If by any means I might attain c. And ver 12. I follow after and vers 13. reaching forwards and vers 14. I presse toward the mark the like diligence he exhorteth the Philippians unto v. 17. Brethren be followers together of me as in selling so in buying as in parting with your selves and own righteousnesse c. So in the endeavours of a more sure and full possession of Christ and what is his 2. The Merchant by his buying and trafficking obtains what he laieth out his cost for He that buyeth land takes up land He that buyeth a house takes livery and seisin 't is delivered up to him by waies of strong assurance he that buyeth a commodity at market carrieth it away with him from the shop and brings it home So he that by self denyal gives diligence in the way
recompence all their diligence with full assurance of hope unto the end Heb. 6. 11. The Heathen could say That the gods sold all for sweat and we can say most truly of our God That when a Christian sweats in self-denial mortification sufferings c. he shall have from him as sure as he is just and faithfull what he sweats for 3. God is able to put a soul into possession and that everlastingly of what it laies out pains and diligence for Ioh. 10. 28 29 30. Christs and his Fathers power is united for the assurance of life to his sheep and for their preservation unto life Use 1 Aword of confutation Hence we inferre the certainty of salvation by Christ and Gospel-grace against all that doubting Doctours or doubting hearts can say to the contrary for it is as sure as any thing here can be made sure and more sure then any earthly purchase there being more in the substance of this parabolicall merchandize then in the shadow yet every expression in the shadowy resemblance speaks assurance a treasure found a treasure hidden a treasure joyed in and a treasure bought a pearl found and bought That the treasure was found hidden by God and is hidden by God and is hidden again by the finder and joyed in all this makes towards assurance but when that field for the treasures sake and the treasure with the field and the pearl and all is bought and all sold that all might be bought here is assurance upon assurance Then is Christ surely a mans own the propriety known enjoyed and used Are not you sure of that which you have bought and purchased and have deeds and evidences to shew for it after the true title is tried and proved and the false claim disproved The true beleever you see is a great purchaser he hath deeds and evidences in the promises to shew and he hath the witnesse in himself Our Gospel 1 Joh. 5. 10. saith the Apostle to the Thessalonians came not unto you in word only but in power and in the holy Ghost and in â— Thess 1. 5. much assurance And when the tempter came to tempt them though cap. 3. 10. there was something lacking in their faith in regard of degrees yet sensible they were and sure of what they had as of what they lacked and wanted The same Apostle to the Romans speaks of a double witnesse Rom. 8. 15. Gods Spirit witnessing with the Spirit or renewed conscience of a beleever Yea the Apostle Iohn makes report of â— Joh. 5. 7 8. three Witnesses in heaven and of three upon earth in the heart The Spirit equall with the Father and Son in heaven and above bloud and water on earth ratifying the acts and reflections of faith about our justification shining upon his own work of sanctification and ever teaching the soul in and after self-denying diligence to be assured never to doubt of what they have found as theirs Object 1 But some doubting Doctour will say There can be no assurance without extraordinary revelation Familists and Libertines say the like with the Papists in effect who are all for an immediate Testimony of the Spirit without evidence of grace within them or a life-testimony without them or without Scripture-evidence and verdict upon them Answ 1 1. Assurance is first found where it is founded without us in Gospel-grace Gods free-love giving Christ c. 2. Faith finding assurance in it's object more then in it's own acts and reflections by closing with a sure word of promise an unchangable Covenant becomes sure in it's acts and reflexions through the Spirit 3. More firm and full assurance comes daily in by this Christian selling and buying As the experience of thousands speak it By self-denial and diligent use of the ordinances and meanes of salvation they have ordinarily obtained sure hold possession and use of Christ have known they have had him and shall be saved eternally by him But with the tenets of Rome the Doctrine of doubting agreeth well enough viz. That a man is not justified by imputation of Christs righteousnesse but by inherent holinesse That a man must make some temporal satisfaction to Gods justice here and the rest in Purgatory That his general faith resolved into the testimony of the Church virtuall the Popes brest is enough to salvation That by the power of free-will and nature he may and must concur with Gods grace in conversion c. The Roman faith of these and such like tenets will never assure a man that he is in the state of grace or shall be in the state of glory Nor will Arminian grounds bring home assurance viz. That Christ died for all as for one That God hath not absolutely elected any That all things put into the balance which may be considered in Christs death yet none may be saved That all operations put which may be put in as ingredients to conversion yet grace may be resisted and if gotten yet lost it may be at last and put away But from the true Gospel-faith preached and the true Gospel-treasure in Christ discovered infallible and absolute promises Christs righteousnesse imputed to justification Faith and holinesse wrought irresistably by the Spirit who is given to discover and seal up grace given and glory promised and who carrieth on the beleever in the means and ordinances keepeth him to them and makes them effectuall for the obtaining of what he seeks after Assurance and evidence unquestionable may be is and shall be had and enjoyed for ever Object 2 But saith the doubting heart mans heart is deceitfull above all things and I cannot finde such and such evidences as you speak of by all the diligence and self-denying pains that I have yet laid out for the Gospel-pearl and Treasure Answ 1. I am very jealous whether thou hast denied that deceitfull heart from bearing any witnesse at all about thy estate If the heart be deceitfull as it is in the best so farre as unregenerate good reason it should not be heard speak at all 't is a false witnesse and will give in false evidence I agree with thee the old deceitfull heart and every piece of it must be sold away denied 2. The heart so farre as beleeving a faithfull promise Conscience as justified by Christs bloud and sanctified by the Spirit is not deceitfull The Spirit is truth and too holy to deceive 1 Joh. 5. 6 and too wise to be deceived in this great point of a Christians assurance when he certifieth Gods love and love-tokens to the soul 3. It is and will be more sure then any earthly purchase if that may be wrangled away this cannot if an heir may be cheated of his inheritance in his minority the childe of God cannot He who selleth all sels all his deceitfull heart away and all false evidences and dictates to consult with the Word and Spirit of truth to hearken to Gods bargain to read his writings to view and hold out