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
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
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
wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile for there is no respect of persons with God Rom. 2. 1-4 5-11 There will be no good reason or just cause to blame the Almighty as if he were the Author of their endless misery And if any shall so do He will be justified in his sayings and overcome when he is judged Rom. 3. 3 4. And all â—â—at are incensed against him shall be ashamed when they shall appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ for then they shall know and confess That he had no Pleasure during the Day of his Grace in their Perdition but willed that they should be saved And therefore thus called unto All Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye saved for I am a just God and a Saviour and there is none besides me Isa 45. 21 22 23 24. And specially such as continue wicked amongst Gods Professed People will be inexcusable in that day and will be even speechless Matth. 22. 12 13 14. They will not have to plead for themselves That Christ never died for them for he gave his flesh for the life of the world John 6. 51. Died for all even for All of Mankind that were dead and rose again for their justification To the end they might have lived unto him who so dearly bought them 2 Cor. 5. 14 25. They will have no just cause to say That there was no saving Grace vouchsafed to them that they might have been saved from their wickedness For this is very false as afterwards also we may shew more fully And as is intimated in this Oath for without question he that so solemnly swears that he hath now no Pleasure in their Destruction will not be wanting in giving such Grace to them as whereby they may escape that place of Torment The grace of God that bringeth salvation or is saving unto all men hath appeared Tit. 2. 11 12. Or if they should think to excuse themselves or extenuate their wickedness with saying God had reprobated them or past them by before they were born And by vertue hereof they were left under a necessity of perishing and must in conclusion be unavoidably miserable Hereby they will nothing advantage themselves for they do but make lyes their refuge and under falshood seek to hide themselves And when God lays Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet the hail will sweep away their refuge of lies and the waters will over-flow their hiding place As Isa 28. 15-17 For there is no such dreadful and dismal Decree of Reprobation of any of Mankind in a Personal Consideration as some earnestly and zealously contend for as appears plainly and evidently in what we have said before Nor is the Lord now willing that any should perish as he hath both said and sworn and given his Son to be a Witness of the truth hereof And therefore this will be the Worm that will gnaw upon them for ever That God so loved them when fallen as to give his onely begotten Son to be their Saviour that thorow him they might be saved That Christ by the free Love and Charity of God and by his own Grace tasted Death for them and rose again for their Justification and ascended up on high and led Captivity Captive and received gifts in the Man even for the Rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them That when they came to years of understanding God made known the love of the truth to them to the end they might have been saved and assisted them in order thereunto with his Grace and strove with them by his Spirit to convince them of and convert them from their sins and vanities to serve the living and true God That yet notwithstanding all this they rewarded him evil for good and hatred for his love That they trampled under foot the precious blood of Christ the blood of the Covenant And resisted and offered despight unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 29. And despised all the riches of Gods goodness and forbearance and long-suffering vouchsafed to them Rom. 2. 4-6 Oh! this I say being reflected on will fill them with desperate Grief and Vexation of Spirit That when it was Gods will they should be saved they would not so be That when Christ would have gathered them as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings they would not be gathered Then they will blame themselves onely and even say How have we hated instruction and our heart despised reproof we have not obeyed the voice of our teachers nor inclined our ears to them that instructed us Prov. 5. 7-13 Wisdom 5. 2-8 Then they will be ashamed and cry for sorrow of heart and howl for vexation of spirit That when God called them they did not answer That when he spake they did not hear but did evil before his eyes and chose that wherein he delighted not when they might have chosen the things that pleased him And which would have been eternally profitable to themselves for if they had been wise they should have been wise for themselves But having been Scorners they alone must bear it Isa 65. 11-15 Prov. 9. 12. Had their Ruine and eternal Perdition been unavoidable it would be more tolerable And there would have been no good Reason for them to have blamed themselves But when they shall consider they wilfully sinned and brought upon themselves eternal Destruction when God was not willing they should perish and sware As he lives he had no pleasure therein Oh! this will aggravate their misery how can their hearts endure the thoughts hereof Or how can their hands be strong Ezek. 22. 13 14. And yet thus it must needs be I mean Man's Perdition will be and appear to be wholly of himself And none shall be Damned hereafter but such as might have been saved and yet did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. And this is evident from what the Lord God here swears to namely That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked Object But against what hath been even now said some may object and say It evidently appears that some Persons were personally elected to salvation before they were born yea before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 4. And therefore also it necessarily follows that some were then also personally reprobated and must needs perish hereafter Answ To this Objection I shall more briefly give Answer because I have elsewhere largely considered it and shewed some mens great mistake concerning it And therefore I shall here onely say 1. If it should be granted that the Apostle speaks there directly of some mens being elected to Salvation before the Dejection or foundation of the World Yet it appears evidently that they were not chosen thereto in a personal consideration but as considered in Christ and so as Believers in him for the
of all is Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves nor suffer them that are entering to go in Matth 23. 13. Oh! take we heed of divers and strange Doctrines and Teachers otherwise they will make us vain for they speak a Vision of their own hearts not out of the mouth of the Lord Heb. 13. 7 8 9. Jer. 23. 16. 2. As also they are not of God nor like unto him who practically err from the way of truth such as profess to know God and yet in works deny him being abominable and disobedient Tit. 1. 16. And so they are not of God who unduly or sinfully use or abuse their liberty in indifferent things to the scandalizing and offending others for thereby they cause their weak Brother to perish for whom Christ died Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 8 9-13 As also such as believe the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ and yet hold the truth in unrighteousness and believe in vain and receive not the love of the truth to be saved thereby from the pollutions of the World but walk in crooked ways and paths Such give occasion to the Adversary to speak reproachfully of the Doctrine according to Godliness and hinder men from receiving it or from giving hearty and unfeigned obedience to it They lay a stumbling-block in the way of others and scandalize them And wo to the World because of offences But wo will be to that man especially by whom the offence cometh Rom. 2. 17-24 Tit. 2. 10-12 14. Matth. 18. 7. hence the Apostle Peter thus exhorts and beseeches the Believers who had received the Gospel and did stand in the true Grace of God Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the Soul To wit against their own Souls and against the Souls of others amongst whom they lived 1 Pet. 2. 9-11 12. And the Apostle Paul signifies that if the Believers did not without murmuring and disputings do what God was working in them both to will and to do of good pleasure they would not be harmless but would be injurious unto and do harm and hurt to the Souls of others also Phil. 2. 13-15 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5. 6 7. And bad Examples have an evil Influence upon and are very destructive unto many It is very good and requisite therefore for those who have received the form of sound words to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Eph. 5. 11 12-14 To come out from amongst evil Workers and be separate and touch no unclean thing For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness And what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6. 14-17 How unsuitablâ— to their Principles do they act and how unlike to God are they who while they profess to believe God is not willing that any should perish yet strengthen the hands of evil Doers that none doth return unto God! Hereby they even destroy damn and cause to perish such whom they profess to believe God would not have to perish And their Iniquity appears to be a greater than theirs who therein oppose the Doctrine of Christ inasmuch as they by their evil walkings strengthen them in their Oppositions of his Doctrine and give them occasion to call it a Doctrine of loosness and licentiousness And in that they sin more against the knowledge of their Masters Will which they know to be a good One towards All men and such an one as whereby he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked And he that knows his Masters Will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes As our Saviour saith Luke 12. 47 48. To be sure neither vain Talkers nor vain Walkers are of God but of the evil One yea and the vain Walkers speak with their Feet what the vain Talkers do with their Tongues namely That God hath Pleasure in the Death of thâ— Wicked But they are of God who have received and do retain the Doctrine of Christ and so the Lord Jesus therein 2 John 9. And walk in him as they have received him And so endeavour the Good and Salvation of all both in Word and Deed as much as they can who give none offence to Jew or Gentile or to the Church of God but please all men in all things for their good Rom. 15. 1 2 3. not seeking their own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved They are herein Followers of Christ and of his holy Apostles 1 Cor. 10. 31 32 33 and Chap. 11. 1. Who let their light so shine before men that they may see their good works and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5. 13 14-16 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. And whose hearts desire and Prayer to God for others is that they may be saved Yea who heartily pray for and desire and endeavour as they have opportunity the Good of All even of such also as are injurious to them According to what our Saviour saith to his Disciples I say unto you saith he love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust and is kind to the unthankful and to the evil Matth. 5. 44 45-48 with Luke 6. 27 28-35 36. Jesus Christ was the Son of the Father in truth and love 2 John 3. And he knew as we have said before That God had no Will that any sinful Creature of Mankind should perish And he therefore came not to destroy mens Souls but to save them Luke 9. 55 56. He came to save the World John 12. 47. And spake unto his Enenemies that they might be saved And he made intercession for transgressors who rewarded him evil for good and hatred for his love John 5. 34. Luke 23. 33 34. Psal 109. 2 3. Matth. 23. 37. And those who are like-minded after his example they are certainly of God even such as endeavour to save others from their sins and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God And to that end also make supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men And lift up holy hands unto God for them without wrath and doubtings As believing God our Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 1-4-6-8 Acts 26. 28 29. And who have their conversation as becometh the Gospel of Christ And so have it honest in the midst of them amongst whom they live He that doth good is of God Phil. 2. 12-15 16. 3 John 11. Yea and that forbear to do what
14. 1. Oh then as the Use of all we have been saying give me leave to say Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die Why will we die may some say We have no power of our selves to turn and God doth not give us power so to do And therefore we cannot turn but must necessarily perish in our sins Ans To this Answer hath been given before abundantly in which we have sufficiently shewed the falsness of what is here objected And do therefore refer to what hath been fore-written But to fortifie their Objection these persons may say There are many sober and zealous Divines who have been great searchers into the holy Scriptures and they assure us That God doth not give sufficient grace unto all whereby they may turn from their evil wayes And the number of these diligent searchers is also very considerable they are five who so assure us to one sober Minister that speaks otherwise and therefore we have most reason to believe them Answ If it should be granted what these Objectors affirm That there are five to one who thus Teach yet it is not good for us to have our faith standing in mens wisdom or number or appearing zeal and holiness but in the power of God even in the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth 1 Cor. 2. 1-5 with Rom. 1. 16. We are directed to have recourse to the law and to the testimony And if any man or number of men speak not according to this Word be we well assured it is because there is no light in them Isa 8. 20. Let these Objectors remember former things Moses by Gods Command sends forth twelve men to search the land of Canaan and to bring a true account of it they after they had made a diligent search return again and agree herein That the land was a good land flowing with milk and honey But then as to the possessing of it they disagree ten of the twelve propound such difficulties that they discouraged the hearts of their brethren Deut. 1. 28. They tell the People That the Cities of the inhabitants of the land were walled and very great and there they saw the children of Anak And they said we be not able to go up c. The other two sav We are well able to overcome all difficulties and yet they were no free-willers for their meaning was as they afterwards explained it that God was with them to enable them Did the people of Israel well in hearkening to those discouraging spies or searchers who for ought is said of them might be otherwise sober persons because they were five to one odds I trow not for they smarted most severely for so doing as may be seen in Numb 13. and Ch. 14. And surely we are instructed to behold Israel after the flesh whose miscarriages are written for our admonition and warning 1 Cor. 10. 1-6-11-18 Take we heed then of such discouraging searchers how great soever their number be or how zealous holy or sober soever they appear to be Hearken not to the words of these Prophets who tell you That though God swears he hath pleasure that the wicked should turn and live yet he gives the most of them no true saving or effectual grace so to do for herein they speak a vision of their own heart not out of the mouth of the LORD It was a right saying which dropt from the pen of a zealous Opposer of the grace of God in Christ to all mankind I mean Mr. Perkins in his Golden Chain touching Free-will Pag. 915. When saith he God in the Gospel commands men to repent and to belive at the same time he enableth them both to will or desire to believe and repent as also actually to repent and believe 2. Let me say again Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die Why will we die May others say Why we have committed that unpardonable sin the sin against the Holy Ghost spoken of in Matth. 12. 31 32. Mark 3. 28 29. Luk. 12. 10. or We have been guilty of that great iniquity of falling away and sinning wilfully after the knowledge of the truth was received by us mentiened Heb. 6. 4-6 and Ch. 10. 26-29 or We have sinned that sin unto death in 1 Joh. 5. 16. And therefore our case is hopeless and it is impossible we should be recovered again yea we are not to be prayed for and therefore though God give grace to others he will give none to us but our state and condition is desperate and there is no hope at all for us Ans Now in answer hereto and for the sakes of some who conclude their case to be wholly hopeless and utterly remediless when it is not so I shall desire with what brevity I may to consider and speak something to those several Scriptures fore-mentioned viz. 1. As to that Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost set down in Mat. 12. 31 32 c. Mind we these things to wit 1. The nature of this hainous sin And that is It is a sinning against the evident and convincing Demonstration of the Holy Spirit in his glorifying Christ as may be seen in the Evangelists however in Matthew and Mark. Thus it is exprest in the former Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man namely as I conceive against him as one that had no form nor comeliness who appeared as a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people and so spake against him through ignorance and as carried an end by the common stream of others it shall be forgiven him But whosoever speaketh or blasphemeth Luk. 12. 10. against the Holy Ghost that is to say against the clear evidence and demonstration of the Holy Spirit in his bearing witness of Christ it shall not be forgiven him c. Now that this is the nature of this Sin or Blasphemy doth plainly appear by the occasion of our Saviour's thus speaking which was this Our Saviour had wrought a very great miracle in healing one that was possessed with a Devil blind and dumb Matth. 12. 22. whereat all the people were amazed and said Is not this the Son of David They were by this miraculous cure convinced that he was the Messias But when the Pharisees and some Scribes Mark 3. 22. beard it they said as persons that would not see when Gods hand was so highly lifted up This fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Beelzebub c. Now upon this occasion our Saviour speaks the words fore-expressed and so shews what the hainous nature of their sin was namely an attributing that to the work of the Devil which was evidently wrought by the spirit and finger Luk. 11. 20. of God The which is also clearly signified by St. Mark thus He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness but is in danger of eternal damnation Which words Christ spake unto them Because they said
he hath an unclean spirit Mark 3. 28-30 And in this their blasphemy they acted or spake worse than the Egyptian Magicians Exod. 8. 19. And hereby also they scattered abroad others from Christ who were gathering to him by these mighty works wrought by the Holy Spirit See Matth. 12. 30 31. and Luke 11. 23. And so this may be called the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost as the Holy Ghost signifies as oft it doth the miraculous works or extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit Joh. 7. 39. Act. 10. 44 46. and Ch. 19. 1. 6 c. 2. Consider we this hainous sin as to the continuance of it This Blasphemy which our Saviour declares to be unpardonable is not one word or act only against the Holy Spirit but a persisting therein until this sin be finished And therefore in St. Matthew and Luke this sin is exprest in the Present-tense whosoever speaketh Matth. 12. 32. or Blasphemeth Luk. 12. 10. And words of the Present time usually denote the duration or continuance of any act as Bâ—lieveth cometh eateth abideth followeth c. Joh. 3. 15 16 18. and ch 6. 35. 37 54-58 and ch 8. 12. 1 Joh. 3. 6. And this may further appear more evidently in that this Blasphemy is exprest in Mark 3. 29. in the Future time He that shall blaspheme c. to wit shall go on so to do till this sin hath brought forth Death And this will yet further appear if we diligently consider that our Saviour prayed for these Blasphemers also when he was upon the Cross Luk. 23. 33 34. And when raised again was sent to bless them in turning away every one of them from his iniquities Act. 2. 22 23-8 and ch 3. 13-15 19 26. 1 Tim. 1. 13-16 with Act. 26. 10 11. So that what our Saviour speaks of this Blasphemy is no discouragement unto any mans returning from his wicked ways nor denial of a possibility so to do hopefully while it is the day of God's grace and patience though it be a powerful Antidote to preserve and deterre men from this hainous sin 2. In the next place consider we also what the Apostle saith in Heb. 6. 4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned c. If they shall fall away to renew them again to repentance c. Likewhereto is that other Scripture in the same Epistle namely Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. Now for our better understanding hereof mind we these things 1. From whence or after what they fell away and that is as it is exprest in Heb. 10. 26. after the knowledge or acknowledgment of the truth received And after they were sanctified thereby ver 29. And as it appears in this Heb. 6. 4 5. they fell from an high degree of Christianity and after they had received true and excellent operations of the Spirit answering unto as hath been observed by some the forenamed Principles in ver 1. 2. As to say 1. They were once enlightned as ch 10. 32. that is by the Holy Spirit their eyes were opened and they were convinced of the vileness of their Sins and vanity of their Idols and so had effected in them Repentance from dead works as ver 1. with Heb. 9. 14. Act. 26. 18-20-23 2. They had tasted of the heavenly gift That is to say as answering to the second Principle in ver 1. they were made partakers of Faith towards God and so of that Faith which is of the operation of God Col. 2. 12. by which they had discerned and proved the graciousness of the heavenly gift even of our Lord Jesus as 1 Pet. 2. 3 4. of his flesh which was given for the life of the world and of his precious bloud which is the Blood of the new Covenant and Testament shed for the remission of our sins Joh. 6. 33-58 Matth. 26. 28. whereby they were inlivened and quickned 3. And were made partakers of the Holy Ghost This Answers to the Doctrine of Baptisms in ver 2. and shews that these by the several mediums of Baptism were by the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit Baptized into the death of Christ as Rom. 6. 3. And were also risen again with him by the faith of the operation of God who raised Christ from the dead as Col. 2. 12. Phil. 3. 10. And also they were endued with the Excellent and Spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit whereby they were enabled to praise and serve God acceptably and to be profitable unto Men and Brethren Yea they might be made partakers of some extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 4-12-23 4. And have tasted the good Word of God which Answers unto the fourth Principle in ver 2. to wit the Doctrine of the laying on of hands In which Doctrine is taught us That God had graciously promised to hear the Prayers presented in the Name of Christ and to give gracious returns thereto And that where two or three were gathered together in Christ's name he would be in the midst of them namely in such Assemblings Matth. 18. 19 20. Of this good Word of God in the performance of his gracious Promises they had tasted They had proved his Graciousness and Faithfulness in hearing their Prayers and granting their Requests and in manifesting his Presence with them and Blessing upon them in their watching at his gates and waiting at the posts of his doors as Prov 8. 34 35 Heb. 10. 19-23-25 Which laid great engagements upon them to cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart and to call upon him as long as they lived as Psal 116. 1-7 5 and 6. Have tasted of the Powers of the world to come which Answer unto the two last Principles in ver 2. to wit the Resurrection of the Dead and eternal Judgment which follows after the Resurrection of the Dead And of the Powers in the Doctrine of both these had tasted also namely proved and in some measure experimented the mighty Power of God exerted in the Resurrection Eph. 1. 19 20. in quickening them to a lively hope in raising them to seek after and mind the things above Col. 3. 1 2. In giving them some knowledge of the terrour of the Lord in the day of Wrath against impenitent ones 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. And of the Glory to be revealed on them that in a patient continuance in well-doing seek for immortal Honour and Glory 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. 1 Pet. 5. 1. To which I shall no further enlarge See Mr. Thomas Moore Senior in his Explicite Declaration of the Testimony of Christ Page 585 591. But by what hath been said it appears they were eminent Believers and fell from an high degree of Christianity higher than most attain unto who fill themselves with needless fears as if they were guilty of the grand Miscarriage of these and so in an hopeless condition 2. Consider we nextly the Depth of their Fall and so the abominable hainousness of their Transgression and that is such as