were to declare by Gods loving Jacob and hating Esau that God had elected some men to eternall life and reprobated others to eternall death without relation either to good or evill in them and that this objection ariseth from thence Is there unrighteousnesse with God then I would faine know what satisfaction Paul gives in his answer God forbid for he saith I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy c. The objection is whether God be not unrighteous in so doing The answer is No for he saith he will so doe It was as well proved before in shewing that God did it as it was after in shewing that he said he would doe it In the 16. verse hee sums up what he had spoken in this conclusion so then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy that is though Moses did and I doe desire your salvation and though you desire and seeke salvation in your owne way yet that will not effect it for for it is not of him that willeth and though you labour never so much to establish your owne righteousnesse that will not doe for it is not of him that runneth but it is of him that is mercifull even of God and therefore you must seeke after the righteousnesse of God which is by faith then Paul proceeds further to manifest and demonstrate the truth of what he had spoken for the Scripture saith unto Pharoah even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might bee declared throughout all the earth Verse 17. In these words wee may consider first the end propounded Gods shewing of his power and the declaring of his Name throughout all the Earth then the way and meanes by which hee brought this to passe hee raised up Pharoah God would manifest his power and name to all the world that there was none like unto him in all the earth so great and so mighty a God that hee would destroy all such as did despise and harden their hearts against him though hee might beare long with them therefore God raised up Pharoah a wicked man one that he knew would harden his heart against him Exod. 3.19 and brings plague after plague upon him and then at last when no meanes would prevaile with him he cuts him off and this hee did that all men should take notice of his power and feare his great name and not despise and harden their hearts against his word least he destroy them in like manner Exod. 15.26 and seeing God would have this thing taken notice of throughout all the Earth Paul concludes that hee would have the Jewes take notice of it aswell as others that if they hardened their hearts against him they also should be destroyed though they were the naturall seed of Abraham but if God did necessitate Pharaoh by an inevitable power or providence to doe what hee did then hee would declare himselfe to all the world by such a name as this that hee was a God that did harden the hearts of mente doe evill and then punish them for so doing but this is very unsuitable to what God professeth of himselfe Then in the 18. verse Paul drawes this conclusion therefore hath hee mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom hee will hee hardeneth that is therefore it is manifest by what hath been said that those that feare him and seeke him in his owne way as he should be sought shall find mercy but those that follow their own wayes and resist him shall be hardened and perish bee they Jewes or Gentiles As concerning the manner of Gods hardening I shall declare that in another place Then he makes another Objection vers 19. Thou wilt then or therefore say unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resistea his will that is let it be granted that God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and that whom hee will he hardeneth why doth he yet complain of us for he hath made his Covenant with us and his promises belong to us we being Abrahams seed and he hath given us Carcumcision and other Ordinances to be observed by us and therefore in resting herein for life we doe not resist his will this Paul answers in the 20 21. verses c. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God as if Paul should have said doest thou demand of me who it is that doth resist the will of God doe but consider who thou art that doest make the question and thou hast answered thy selfe thou that doest labour to establish thine owne righteousnesse and dost rest in the Law when the law it self condemnes thee thou dost resist the will of God for doth or shall the formed say to the forming why hast thou made me thus hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one Vessell to honour and another to dishonour yet you will not allow me to doe with you as the Potter with the Clay to destroy such of you as goe about to establish your owne righteousnesse and oppose the righteousnesse that I have ordained and therein you strive with and resist your Maker though it be a sinfull and a woefull thing for you so to do Isa 45.9 and this is plainely illustrated in Ier. 18.1 c. to the eleventh vers unto which place the Apostle hath reference The word which came to Ieremy from the Lord saying arise and goe down to the Potters house and there I will cause thee to hear my words then I went down to the Potters House and behold hee wrought a worke on the Wheeles and the Vessell that he made of clay was marred in the hands of the Potter so he made it again another Vessell as seemed good to the Potter to make it Then the word of the Lord came unto me saying O House of Israel cannot I doe with you as this Potter saith the Lord behold as the clay is in the Potters hand so are yee in mine hand O House of Israel at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull downe and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill I thought to doe unto them and at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to build and to plant it if it do evill in my sight that it obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit it In which words we may see that God pleads for no other Power or Prerogative over the House of Israel then the Potter doth exercise over the clay That vvhen a Vessell is marred in his hand he makes it again another Vessell as seems good unto him So vvhen God speaks concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant
THE FULNESSE OF GODS LOVE Manifested OR A Treatise discovering the Love of God in giving Christ for All and in affording meanes of Grace to All Wherein also the 9. Chapter to the Romans and other places of Scripture usually urged against the universality of Gods Love to Mankind are cleared And divers Objections of the like nature answered By L. S. 1 John 4.8 9. He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love In this is manifested the Love of God toward us because that God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world that we might live through him Printed in the yeare 1643. To the READER MY endeavour in this little Treatise is to manifest to thee both by Scripture and Reason the full free universall and individuall Love of God to Mankinde is giving his Sonne to death for then that they might live and in affording abundant meanes to discover himself full of Love Grace and Goodnesse to them And notwithstanding many Bookes have beene written wherein this Love of God hath been evidently manifested yet doth this truth still finde many enemies and opposers even of such as have a zeale of God but not according to knowledge and the ground of this their errour I finde to be a mis-understanding of certaine places of Scripture which seemingly contradict this Doctrine which Scriptures have not beene answered in any Booke that I have seene written on this subject of Gods Love Therefore according to my abilitie I have not onely proved this Doctrine by the testimony of divers plaine places of Scripture but have also cleared those other places which are more difficult from being confederate with the opposers of the fore mentioned truth Not that I assume any infallibility in the expesition of those hard places of Scripture but onely declare my thoughts And therein I have not onely satisfied the Letter and I hope the scope and meaning of the places which the contrary expositions have failed to doe but have also done it without any the least derogation from or impeachment to the Excellent Nature and most glorious Attributes of the Almighty God as his Mercy Iustice sincerity Love grace and goodnesse all which the contrary Expositions and Opinions doe directly fight against For there is an inseparable unity betweene the Attributes of GOD which men not considering and so going about to advance one without the rest destroy all For instance to advance power without justice goodnesse love and mercy is not to advance the power of God but to attribute that to God which neither is nor can be in him And the like may be said of all his Attributes And as they all are inseparable in God so doe they inseparably concurre in all his actions and dispensations towards his creatures Now I desire thee for thine owne good seriously to peruse this ensuing Treatise without prejudice or partiality too much in use in these times for generally men see with other mens eyes and heare with other mens eares and not their owne yet wee know that every man must give an account to God for himselfe and therefore that every man should try and judge for himselfe is necessary equall and excellent Wee should not prostrate and debase our understandings to the judgements and opinions of others and thereby suffer them to bee adulterate and corrupted Wee should preserve in our selves a naturall freedome and Nobilitie of spirit in this respect like the noble Bereans unto whom though Paul preached a new Doctrine a Doctrine every where spoken against and persecuted yet did they with all readinesse of minde receive it and searched the Scriptures daily whether the things were so as Paul had told them If wee receive or beleeve any thing because it is in authority credit or practice in the countrey or place where we were borne or bred or reject any thing from the contrary reason it matters not what wee beleeve or what we reject Doe any of the Rulers beleeve in him was the old and corrupt Plea of the proud and hypocriticall Pharises who would neither receive the truth themselves nor suffer others they would seeke and receive honour one from another and reject that truth which had the testimony and honour of God alone The world was never unfurnished of men possest with this Antichristian spirit that having concluded certaine Principles and prescript Formes would subject all other mens judgements consciences and practices thereunto upon the greatest penalties without further triall or examination it being ever a marke and politicke practice of false Religions so to doe for they know that upon due tryall their Doctrines would bee found vaine and groundlesse therefore tryall is to them as the shadow of death Whereas it is proper naturall and Christian-like for us to weigh try and examine all things all the reasons for and against with freedome and ingenuity of spirit and hold fast that onely which is good and nothing is good to us but what wee finde good upon tryall Therefore I say try all things and so try what is here written and embrace or reject it as thou shalt finde it consonant or dissonant to truth which is the desire of him that desires thy increase in the truth and thy good in all things L. S. THE FULLNESSE OF GODS LOVE Manifested in giving Christ for All. THat God is infinite in Love in Goodnesse and in Mercy the Scriptures plainely declare the daily dispensations of God towards his Creatures manifestly demonstrate and all Men confesse but if the love of God be limited to a few it is far from being Infinite he that doth good or shewes mercy to one in misery and passeth by another in the like condition in every respect the defect must be in his heart or in his ability now we know that it is not for want of ability of God shew not mercy to all and to ascribe it to his heart his disposition will or pleasure is to blaspheme his excellent name and nature for what God is in his attributes or what wee attribute to bee inseparable from his nature as Justice mercy love sincerity faithfullnes and goodnesse he must be to all he that is love it selfe goodnesse it selfe must needs be loving and good to all So that it is not suitable to God to pick and chuse amongst men in shewing mercy for he may as well cease to be as to withhold mercy from any one in misery so farre as it is consistent with his other attributes this universall love of God is that which I intend to Write of which I shall manifest by proving these two particulars First that God gave his Sonne to death that all through him might have life And secondly that he affords all men sufficient meanes to discover himself good and gracious to them thereby to beget goodnesse and grace in them And first I shall begin with the first of these That the love of God manifested in giving his onely begotten Son to death was to the whole lump of mankind
that taketh away the sinnes of the word and divers other places there are to the same effect Further consider these reasons or arguments God hath commanded that the Gospel be preached to all men Mark 16.15 Goe preach the gospell saith he to every creature and the Gospel is glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 viz. remission of sinnes Luk. 24.47 Salvation Heb. 2.3 and everlasting life Ioh. 5.40 Now if the glad tidings which are to be preached to every creature be the Gospel in beleeving which we have life and for refusing of which we perish then Christ must dye for all for there is no reconciliation without a propitiation without blood no remission without death no life for sinfull creatures for God hath no peace nor remission for that man for whom Christ did not dye and God would not proffer with reverence be it spoken more then he hath to bestow Therefore seeing the gospel is to be preached to all God hath strengthened himselfe in Christ accordingly in giving him for all Againe if God command the gospel to be preached to all and Christ dyed onely for some the gospel being Christ crucified for their sinnes 1 Cor. 15.1 3. then God commands a lie to be preached to the most part of men which were blasphemy to affirme Againe if Christ dyed not for all and God doe not discover for whom he did die then the Gospel viz Christ crucified canot be preached to any man Object The Gospel is to bee preached among all but not to all nor any in particular in unbeliefe wee must tell them Christ died for sinners and no more Answ If Christ died for sinners and by sinners wee understand onely some selected ones then no man hath ground from the Gospel of grace to believe that Christ died for him and so cannot establish his soule in the love and grace of God For Faich comes by hearing and if the Gospel say no more but Christ died for some then all wee can believe is but that Christ died for some which may be and we perish in our sinnes now how shall we believe the grace of God in the Gospel if the Gospel give so uncertaine a sound for as we cannot believe that of which we have not hear'd so neither can we believe more of any thing then what we have heard Obj. Its further objected that we may tell them all that if they believe they shall bee saved Answ Then I would desire an answer to this one Question what men are to believe Some say that we are to believe that Christ died for us if so then as the blind-man said to Christ Joh. 9.36 who is hee that I may believe in him so may wee say where hath God so spoken that Christ hath dyed for us that we may believe They tell us that if we believe that he died for us then he did die for us as if faith did beget truth and not truth beget Faith The thing to be beleeved must be true before I believe it for it is the Gospel of truth that begets faith in us and it alwaies begets a faith in its owne likenesse therefore although Christ died for Sinners if all be not included there is no sufficient ground for any man from the word of truth to believe that Christ dyed for him and so whereas the Gospel is to bee Preached to every man this doctrine will not enable the Ministers thereof to preach it to any man for the Gospel being Christ crucified extends no further then the Crosse extends and when they come to a company of people without faith to preach Christ to them they know not whether Christ dyed for any one of them or not and therefore are unable to say to any one of them that Christ died for their sinnes and there is no other name given under Heaven whereby men can have life therefore this Doctrine of Christs dying onely for some shuts up the Gospel of grace from the World and stops the mouthes of men from declaring the same Obj. The Gospell must not be preached to men absolutely but with this condition if they be converted and repent for before they repent wee must presse the law upon them and tell them that the benefit of Christ doth not pertaine to them Answ We find in the second of the Thessalonians 1. and 8 that Christ in flaming fire will render vengeance to such as obey not the Gospell and Joh. 3.18 he that believeth not is said to be condemned already and that because he doth not believe in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God and so when Christ gave Commission to Preach the Gospell to all the World Marke 16.16 he addes he that beleeveth not shall bee damned now if such men as are never converted are to bee condemned for not believing then certainely the Gospell belongs to them and is a truth in reference to them before they repent and be converted and what they are bound to believe the Ministers of Christ-are bound to declare to them and besides the Gospell is to convert men and to turne them from darkenes to light to teach them to deny ungodlinesse and worldlines and therefore is to bee preached to men unconverted men in blindnesse and darknes Besides if it told men that if they repent they may and ought to believe that Christ dyed for them it is all one in effect as if they should be told that they may and ought to believe that Christ dyed for them though they never repent for what Christ did was done before they repented and their repenting makes it never the more to be and if Christ did not die for them when they were unconverted it were a vaine thing for them to believe in him though they should repent and be converted Obj. If men were able to repent when they would then we could not preach the Gospell to all men upon this condition if they repent and be converted but repentance is the guift of God and men cannot turne themselves therefore wee may tell them that if they repent and be converted they may believe that Christ dyed for them seeing we we know that God will give Repentance to none but such as CHIRST dyed for Answ Then we should speake to the most of men to this effect doe that which is impossible for you ever to performe to wit Repent and then you may believe that which is not true to wit that Christ dyed for your sinnes a very poore incouragement to or ground of repentance And for pressing the Law on men unconverted I would faine know how they can presse it upon others and exempt themselves from the sentence of it for if the Law be alive considered alone without reference to Christ then all must perish small sinners as well as great seeing all are sinfull and unjust and this pressing the Law before Faith and exhorting penitents only as penitents to believe doth teach men to lay the ground and foundation of their faith in
themselves and so their faith is stronger or weaker as they appeare to themselves better or worse men Must be pressed to repentance love and holinesse from the love and grace of God towards them as sinners they must not first beleeve because they are good but they must be good because they believe Paul the chiefe of sinners obtained mercy and so became a patterne of the large extent of the love of God that no man might exclude himselfe from his grace and mercy in Christ and Christ conversed with Publicans and Harlots therby to shew his desire of the good and Salvation of Sinners and to reprove the error of the Pharisees that thought that Christ should save and respect such onely as were Pharisaically holy and reformed whereas Christ tells them that he comming to save sinners the more sinfull men were the more proper it was for him to apply himselfe to recover reform and save them by his grace Secondly all men are called upon to believe that they may have life Acts 17.30 now God would not call upon all to believe if there was not a Christ crucisied for all to believe in Thirdly Unbelievers are threatned with eternall death and ruine for their unbelief Joh. 3.18.36 Matth. 10.14.15 2 Thes 1.8 9. now if Christ died not for all those for whom he did not die should rather be threatened with condemnation for believing then for unbeliefe yea certainly in whatsoever God condemnes them he would justifie them in this that they did not believe that Christ dyed for their sins for to have believed that if Christ did not dye for them had been to believe a lie then which nothing can bee no more contrary to the God of Truth Fourthly those men which perish are chargedwith neglect of salvation Heb. 2.3 and putting from them the word of eternall life Acts 13.46 and for not receiving the truth in the love thereof that they might be saved 2 Thessa 2.10 and for not comming to Christ that they may have life John 5.40 These and the like expressions are used concerning such as neglect and reject the Gopell by which it evidently appeares that there was life and salvation in the Gospell for them for they could not put that from them which was never there for them Christ would not blame them for not comming to him that they might have Life if there had been no life in him for them if they had come and there is life in him for none for whom hee did not die the receiving of no truth whatsoever would save them if Christ had not shed his blood for them seeing without blood there is no Remission therefore it is cleare that Christ hath given himselfe to the death for all and is become a compleat meanes of life to all Object Christ would not pray for the world much lesse would hee die for the same Joh. 17.9 For Answer to this Objection consider these two particulars First who they were that Christ prayed for Secondly what it was that Christ prayed for The persons for whom Christ prayed were those whom God had given him out of the world vers the 6. such as had received the word of God and did know and believe that he was sent of God ver the 8. such as the world did hate verse the 14. such as Christ sent out into the world vers the 18. whereby it appeares that the persons prayed for were such as did at that time be-believe and so were given to Christ for the World loved them aswell as others whil'st they were in unbeliefe and were of the World And it further appeares that it were the Disciples of Christ only which were there said to be given and prayed for if you consider the 12. Verse Those that thou hast given me have I kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition compared with the 20. Vers where it is said Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeve on me through their word Now Christ needs not to inlarge his prayer for those that should afterwards believe if they had beene included in the former words those which thou hast given me for that would have been a vaine repetition Secondly consider what Christ prayed for viz that they might be one and that they might bee kept from the evill of the World now Christ did not desire nor endeavour to make unity betweene believers and unbelievers but the contrary and there was no need of Christs prayer that Unbelievers though elect should be kept from the evill of the World for the World could not discern any thing in the Elect during their unbelief which should cause them to have an evill eye towards them and if by evill wee understand the corruption of the World then they were of those that made the times corrupt and so Christ would have prayed his Father to have delivered them out of the evill or wickednesse of the world rather then to keepe them from it and so the reason is evident by what hath been said why Christ excluded the unbelieving World out of his prayer seeing he tooke occasion from the enmity of the world against his people to make this prayer unto his Father which prayer was in no sense proper for the unbelieving World And moreover hee excepted the world in no other respect but as they were considered opposing their owne Salvation not that he would not have all to bee saved but that the World might not prevaile against his worke in hand the divulging of the Gospel which was to be done by his Disciples therefore is he so earnest for them that the evill of the world might not prevaile over them in their Ministery in his absence that thereby the world might know that he was sent of God vers 21. therefore their Salvation was more implyed in these words I pray not for the World then their condemnation Obj Many men were in Hell that very time that Christ did die and therefore it is a foolish thing to thinke that Christ dyed for them First I Answer that no man is yet in Hel neither shall any be there untill the Judgement for God doth not hang first and judge after and therefore wee see the Scriptures referreth the punishment of men untill the last day so Paul writes to the Thessalouians seeing saith he it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall bee revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and on them that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to bee admired in all them that believe 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 10. vers so Matth. 25. when the
Now that we were not to have perished in Hell fire in relation to Adams sinne or the Law Consider we all dyed in Adam and Christ to redeeme nor to prevent us from death suffered death he hung on a Tree and so was made a curse for us and delivered us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Deut. 21 23. That we through him might receive the blessing Gal. 3.14 And if wee had bin to suffer in Hell in relation to Adam or the Law then Christ also should have suffered in Hell for us to have redeemed us from thence which hee did not The resurrection of the dead comes by Christ 1 Cor. 15.21 22. who by death overcame him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 So that we should for ever have perished in the grave had not Christ dyed and rose againe and never have risen from the dead to receive the sentence of a second death And this may serve for answer to this Objection about our inability and Gods requiring of us to keep the Law Againe if the most of men where the Gospel came were unable to believe then the Gospel or Christ crucified could not be a Gospel of grace bringing salvation to all men Tit. 2.11 and 3 4. nor glad tydings of great joy to all people Luk. 2.10 11. For if men could have no benefit by Christ unlesse they came to him and their condemnation were aggravated for not comming and God gave them not where with all to come the case I say being so with the most of them the love of God towards them in the Gospel was no other then such as the charity which Iames speaks of Iam. 2.15 16. If a Brother or a Sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them depart in peace be yee warmed and filled notwithstanding yee give them not those things that are needfull to the body what doth it profit Now if God injoined them to love in deed and in truth and not in word and in tongue 1 Joh 3.18 It is farre from God himself so to doe if he would not have us to bid a man be cloathed and warmed and not give him wherewithall how much lesse will he in the gospel of his love and grace to the Sons of Men bid them to repent and believe that they may be saved and give them not wherewithall Yea further where it is said God so loved the World Joh. 3.16 It were then more proper to say God so hated the world and whereas God proclaimes himself in the gospel to be love to be gracious and mercifull to lost men this Doctrine proclaimes him to be wrath hatred anger c. to the Sons of men for if salvation were not to be had by Christ but through faith and condemnation came upon them through unbelief and the condition of men were such that they could not believe and God afforded them no power then the eternall ruine and damnation of the most part of them was an inevitable effect of the death of Christ so that this Doctrine tends to the subversion of the free grace of God in the gospel Againe God sent his Son and the Sonne in obedience to the Father came to save men even those which perish Ioh. 3.17.12.47 Act. 3 26. now it were absurd to thinke that Christ was sent and came to doe that which being come he used not meanes sufficient to accomplish for that were to deny the wisdome of God which alwayes maketh choice and use of meanes sufficient to effect the ends proposed by it yet this must needs be concluded if men could not beleeve the gospel when it was preached and published to them by Christ for faith is held as absolutely necessary to salvation as the blood of Christ seeing God requires those that heare the gospel to beleeve it upon pain of condemnation in hell fire now if Christ hath given himselfe for any to whom he hath not given meanes sufficient to beget faith their condition is as desperate as if he had never given himselfe for them according to the old Proverbe As good nothing as never the nearer for if I know two things equally and individually absolute by me to be performed to effect one and the same end if I doe the one and leave the other undone it is as impossible the thing should be effected as if I had done nothing at all but when ever God propounds meanes to effect an end the meanes is sufficient to accomplish the same But God did propound meanes to save those which notwithstanding did perish Therefore the means used was sufficient to accomplish their salvation though they perished through the wilfull neglect of it Ioh. 5.34.40 2 Thess 2.10 but if all the means used with those that perish were insufficient to save them then the end of God in using the meanes could not be to save them as the Scriptures plainly declare it was for that end which the means cannot possibly produce cannot be the end of God in the meanes and seeing God having sent his Son requires all men unto whom he is preached with power to beleeve upon pain of damnation in hell it being unpossible for the most of those that heare him preached to beleeve hell-fire must needs follow the giving of Christ as hath been already declared and therefore the ruine and destruction of the most of men may be more truly and properly said to be Gods end in giving Christ unto them according to this doctrine then the salvation of them as the Scriptures evidently demonstrate Againe men are charged with the neglect of salvation now how can that bee neglected which was impossible to bee obtained Againe those that reject the gospel or meanes of grace are said to be guilty of the blood of their soules Act. 18.6 whereas if the meanes used with them were not every way sufficient to bring them to life their rejecting of it could not make them guilty of their owne death and ruine Again God bemoanes and laments men that perish because they did not make use of the means which he affoorded them for their recovery O that my people had hearkened unto me and that Israel had walked in my wayes but my people would not hearken unto me and Israel would none of me Psal 81. O Ierusalem wilt thou not be made cleane when shall it once be Jer. 13.27 O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathereth her chickens and ye would not Luke 19.41 42. Matth. 23.37 These things have I spoken unto you that ye might be saved and ye will not come unto me that ye may have life Joh. 5.34.40 yea moreover God protests and sweares that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezech. 33.11 in the death of him that dyeth Ezech. 18.32 Now what can uphold the sincerity of God which were blasphemy to question in these
lamentations protestations and professions lesse then an endevour by a meanes sufficient to save them Ob. This is to overthrow free grace Ans I doe not hold it lesse free because I hold it more full neither can I conceive how it can be thought the lesse free to any man because it is extended to every man unlesse his eye be evill because God is good I conceive this doth advance free grace upon the throne of its glory proclaiming discovering God gracious and mercifull to all the sons of men thereby to beget in them good thoughts of God and to cause them to comprehend and confide in his love Ob. This is to advance the creature and to give him occasion of boasting Ans This objection deceives many simple-hearted and well-meaning people because it hath a specious pretence of humility in advancing God and throwing down the creature though in truth it dishonoureth God and fills men with pride and vanity The Scribes and Pharisees would pay tithes of Mint Annise and Cummin and neglect Iudgment Mercy and Faith so many men boast and no more but boast of making themselves nothing whilest they overthrow the justice mercy and faith of God they strain at a gnat yea at a shadow and swallow a Camell for i deny the creature to have any thing but what he receives of God and boasting is proper for him that hath something which he hath not received 1 Cor. 4.7 Christ I say who is the object of faith is the gift of God and the gospel which is the meanes of faith is of God and what the creature is he is of God now seeing what the creature hath and is he thus receives of God there is no ground of boasting or of this objection Againe Luke 17.10 Christ tells his Disciples Hee that hath nothing but what he hath received and doth nothing but his duty hath no ground to boast of what he hath or of what he doth that when they had done all those things that were commanded them they should say they were unprofitable servants they had done that which was their duty to doe plainly intimating that no man hath ground to boast that doth nothing but his duty Ob. Though what I have I have of God yet seeing another man hath received as much as I which man beleeves not or doth not obey I may thanke my selfe that I beleeve or do obey Ans This conclusion seems very strange as though grace received were no grace if there were a possibility in the receiver to have rejected resisted or abused it when it was manifested or declared Again whence is it that it is so hard and difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven Mark 10.23 for if God doth so worke in men both to will and to doe that they are altogether passive as men generally conceive then it was as easie for a rich man to receive and obey the gospel as a poor man for as David speaks of darknesse that it hideth not from God but that the night shineth as the day and that darknesse and light are both alike to him Psal 139.12 so may I say in this case that if it be that Almighty power which raised Christ from the dead which is exercised in a speciall manner towards every one that beleeves as is usually urged from Rom. 8.11 then riches and poverty are both alike to it and it is as easie for one to enter into the Kingdome of heaven as the other for without this speciall grace say they not the common and ordinary meanes which he affoords all men where the gospel is preached we may as well raise our selves from the dead as beleeve the gospel and with this speciall grace and almighty power we cannot but beleeve and yeeld obedience to the truth Now seeing that where God is the sole agent all things are alike easie to be performed what life remaines there in the words of Christ according to this doctrine but wee may see in the history that this young man came to Christ with strong desires and affections to attaine eternall life for he came running and kneeled downe to him and asked him saying good Master what shall I doe that I may inherite eternall life vers 17. Christ answereth him Doe not commit adultery doe not kill doe not steale doe not beare false witnesse honour thy father and mother vers 19. the young man replyes that he had observed all these from his youth vers 20. and the Scripture saith that Christ beholding him loved him and said unto him one thing thou lackest goo thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come take up thy crosse and follow me vers 21. But the young man was sad at this saying and went away grieved for hee had great possessions vers 22. whereupon Christ tells his disciples that it was difficult thing for a rish man to enter into the King dome of God vers 23. the reason is because whosoever will be his disciple must forsake all and follow him Luk. 14.33 whosoever will partake of heavenly treasure must part with all his earthly Mark 10.21 as Peter and the rest of the Disciples had done vers 28. doubtlesse the young man would have parted with much for Christ but this word All spoiles all it being a very hard thing for him that hath much to forsake all Againe God forbids men to have respect of persons in judgement Prov. 24.23 Deut. 1.16.17.19 Levit. 19.15 and he declares in his word that hee will Iudge every man according to his workes Prov. 24.12 Job 34.11 Psal 62.12 Jer. 32.19 Rom. 2.6 Rev. 22.12 without respect of persons Col. 3.25 as Peter writes unto Believers in the 1 Pet. 1.17 and hee that will give righteousnesse judgment without respect of persons must consider every circumstance he must consider the meanes and opportunities to doe or not to doe aswell as the thing done or not done and accordingly Christ in the parable doth as much commend him that by two talents had got other two as hee that by five had got five because they were alike profitable according to the price that was put into their hands But if God give faith to one man and not to another and yet require faith of both alike at the day of Judgment if God open one mans eyes to see his eares to heare and over-power his heart to the obedience of his will and so leaves the other that he can neither see heare nor bee obedient and then require obedience from both alike at the day of Judgement how then doth God Judge without respect of persons he might then bee said to judge men according to his owne worke but not according to their workes as in Mat. 25.35 and in divers other places hee is said to doe The Saints are promised to walke with Christ in white for they are worthy Rev. 3.4 those that indure tribulations and
them or beneficiall to them yea they were not only empty of good if wee consider them in every respect but the end of them was full of bitternesse and death And besides if the words should bee so taken then God could not bee said to doe all those things for and before them that they might know him to bee the Lord their God as it is verse 6. for God never propounds meanes insufficient to effect the end for which hee propounds it therefore it must needs be taken according to the first interpretation and in the same sense must those words bee taken 2 Tim. 2.25 In meeknes instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure shall give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that is if peradventure the means which God useth may prevaile with them to repent and to acknowledge the Truth Againe Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure whence it is inferred that it pleaseth God to worke in some men to will and to do and not in others and that men cannot will nor do more or lesse but according as God works in them But this interpretation is not suteable to the scope of the place for he exhorts them to worke out their salvation with feare and trembling vers the 24. urging this reason it is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe but according to this explication hee might rather have exhorted them to sit still for it is God that doth all it is he which worketh in you both to will and to doe but the meaning of the place is this worke out your salvation with feare and trembling for it is God which of his goodnes and mercie worketh in you both to will and to doe as if hee should have said he is not wanting to you he enableth worketh and disposeth you and therfore be incouraged and be very carefull that you are not wanting to your selves in working out your owne salvation with fear and trembling 1 Cor. 1.26 For yee see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things c. For the better understanding of these words let us a little consider the scope of the place Paul declares that he was sont to preach the Gospel vers 17. that the gospel had a different acceptation among men some did esteem it foolishnesse and others the wisdome and power of God vers 18. and those that did esteem lightly of it were such as had much of the wisdome and understanding of this world the disputers of this world wise men after the flesh vers 19 20.26 And the reason was because God in saving men by the Gospel went in such a way that he did destroy bring to nothing and make foolish their wisdome vers 19 20. For the gospel told them that Jesus the Sonne of Joseph a Carpenter was the Sonne of God that by his death he had purchased remission of sins and being now alive whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and if they would be his Disciples they must deny themselves forsake all and follow him they must have the same mind in them towards others that he had towards them who though he was rich yet for their sakes he became poor that they through his poverty might be made rich so should they be full of bowells of mercie visiting the fatherlesse and Widdowes in their affliction doing good to all giving to every man that asketh loving their enemies as themselves returning good for evill blessing for cursing not resisting evill but overcomming evill with good not to lift up themselves above their Brethren not to mind high things but to condescend to mean things to men of Iow estate esteeming others better then themselves carrying themselves towards the meanest and poorest both in word and deed as to their Brethren and fellow-Servants striving more to minister unto others then to be ministred unto or served by others not being solicitous what to eate or what to drinke and wherewith to be clothed but to cast all their care on God who careth for them and knoweth they want these things and having Food and Raiment therewith to be content to look upon all they have and all that they are as Christs who hath bought them and to imploy all in his service using all to his glory and honour promoting whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report though with the losse of all they have and are counting all things but drosse and dung that the love of Christ may be manifested and the will of Christ performed in doing these things though men did despise them God would honour them though men did hate them he would love them and though they did forsake and lose all here they should find and enjoy all hereafter to all eternity even a Kingdome a Crowne of life with unspeakable riches and glory But their wisdome taught them to love the World to live unto it to walke by sence imbracing things present and despising things that could not be seen felt nor tasted judging all things according to outward appearance esteeming it a vaine thing to lose or forsake the life present the life in possession for a life which doth not appeare heaping up riches and trusting in them striving to partake of the pompe and greatnesse of this World to be admired served and worshipped of men to Lord it over their Brethren to look on them at a distance to sort themselves with men like themselves to love and feast their friends and rich neighbours doing good to those that doe good to them to crush their enemies to meddle no more with truth or religion then will stand with the pompe greatnesse and credit of this word not to be singular but to doe as the most and those of most esteeme doe to with-hold their hands from giving lest they should want themselves to preferre the lust of the flesh and pride of life before doing good and shewing mercy Now though the Gospel were the wisdome and power of God yet the wise men the rich men and mighty men did esteeme it foolishnesse and madnesse for saith the Apostle when God had manifested his wisdome evidently by the workes of Creation which things did appeare to the wise men of the World so that therein they might plainly see the eternall power and Godhead and yet by this they did not so know God as to worship him as God neither were thankfull then it pleased God to save men by preaching and declaring things which doe not appeare which the World accounts foolishnesse and that this is so saith the Apostle you may see by the men that embrace the Gospel for you see your calling brethren hovv that not