creation hee was to eate of the fruit of the creation for his nutrimentall sustentation so now of the fruits of this Garden also for the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the Garden thou mayest eate freely Gen. 1.29 Gen. 2.16 The negative rule was it by which hee was to improve his strength of body and mind to God by obedience namely the forbearing to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and evill but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eate c. Gen. 2.17 And this rule led him to be both passively and actively obedient passively in two things First although in the perfection of the creation all things good for food was due to him by Gods allowance without restraint yet in this Garden or Plantation by this rule hee was to suffer this restraint namely to deny himselfe to eate of the fruit of this Tree of knowledge of good and evill upon paine of most dreadfull consequences for saith the Text In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt certainly die the â—â—â—ath Verse 17. Although in the perfection of the creation God rendred his sweete imbreathings very good and no evill yet in this Garden the obedience of these rules bound them to suffer the imbreathings of the assaults of Satan that evill one in point of triall (a) As did the second Adam Luk. 4.3 2.3.4 And here lay the life of their obedience for without this assault their triall had beene no triall to the improvement of their naturall perfections of righteousnesse and holinesse to Gods Covenant in point of good and evill And againe this negative rule led them to active obedience in two particulars first the fruits of this tree of good and evill being naturally good food it required of them a diligent observation of their naturall appetite lest it might dispose them to transgresse the rule of the Covenant This rule led them in stead of feeding their bodies with the fruit of this tree to feed their soules by beliefe of the signified knowledge of good equivalent to Angels in glory or with the signified knowledge of evill equivalently contrary in eternall misery So much for this point what Adams obedience in the Covenant was Lastly the intended end of Gods Covenant with Adam was of great consequence for it respected God all mankinde the World and the Divell for what if Satans lye to the woman pretended that there was no truth in Gods word for their death if they did transgresse saying yee shall not die at all and what if Satan did make God to them to be but a meere imposture as only pretending that Angelicall good but never intended it for to the woman in the Serpent he said God doth know that in the dâ—y that yee eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and yee shall be as Gods knowing good and evill He not denying a higher good intended in the Covenant but implying Gods command was the only thing that kept him from attayning it I say what of all this for if hee had in beliefe of Gods word abstayned from eating the fruit according to the rule of the Covenant then they had not only freed themselves from being murthered the world had not been destroyed Gods word had not been nullified Satan had not in the beliefe of his lyes bin magnified bâ—t on the contrary from their beliefe of truth working to God by love God over all by his word of truth had bin glorified in two respects 1 Because (b) So that Gods justâ—ce would have bin glorified to all eternity in the â—irst demonstrating his righteousnesse and goodnesse in the eternall felicity of all mankinde with Angells 2. righteously demonstâ—ating his wrath in the Apostate Angells oâ— Divells by Adams repeling their lies yet not but that justice precedeÌ„tly did in the right of Gods glory passe to immediate execution on those Apostat Angels and by their murthering of Adam Gods justice from thence did supâ—rabound upon them by Gods giving way to them to bruise the heele of Christ in the aggravation of their malice so thaâ—â—hey weâ—e not oâ—ly â—â—cluded Angels glory at the 〈◊〉 but shâ—ll dâ—â—w upon themselves the latâ—tude of Gods Attributes glorious in wisdom power and his iâ—efull justice to all eternity wheÌ„ God shall loose their chaines of darknesse by which they are reserved unto that day at the remembrance whereof they tremble by his Justice according to the Covenant the naturall perfections of the Creatures together with man in his pure Naturalls for wages to Adams worke should have received a quickning Spirit and man in the perfection of faith So travailing together towards their celestiall perfections 2. And Satans lyes by beliefe of Gods truth nullified and consequently Satan most justly condemned for a lyer and murtherer of mankinde the destroyer of all the works of God and adjudged for a most impudent blasphemer of God and all this would immediatly have followed upon Adams perfect repelling of Satans temptations For the Justice of the Covenant was expresse for immediate execution even the same day and minute for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die the death Gen. 2.17 Againe a second reason is drawn from the nature of the Covenant which was for good and evill therefore no middle Estate but good or evill immediatly even as upon Adams offence judgement passed upon all to condemnation So on the contrary if Adam had obeyed the Rule of the Covenant there would have bin produced a posterity through all Generations ascending successefully to the Elect Angells in Angelicall glory in perfect union in soule and body for the Couenant was for all mankinde alike in good But it may be objected mans body in its pure naturalls being but flesh and blood Object in an Elementary compound could neither ascend nor be able to inherit the spirituall Glory sutable to the nature of Angells so powerfully glorious therefore that Angelicall glory was not intended in the Covenant Although mans naturall body could not inhabit that Kingdome as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.50 Answere yet that body naturall made a spirituall body is a powerfull body as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.43 And therefore it could both ascend and inherit with Angells for if Adam had â—â—ept the negative Rule of the Covenant as is declared then as in the perfection of nature he was made a living Soule so in the justice of the Covenant God would have made him to his posteritie a quickening Spirit not only in the perfection of Faith living a spirituall life in his pure Naturalls but would also have quickened his naturall Elementary body with a spirituall Nature powerfull to ascend and inherit the glory of Angells successively to the last man that should live on the Farth but now in the second Adam onely is this twofold quickening Spirit found who only is the Resurrection and the life of man as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.45 Object But it may be
God Therefore this fact committed against these transcendent rules thus manifested to them justly called to God for their transcendent punishment and they were no way necessitated to this fact by God but the contrary secondly I grant also that in some respect they were necessitated to this unrighteous fact but it was from themselves and the first step that brought on this necessity The first step to fall from Christ totally was this their remissenesse to God in all his wayes for their good for to them God made it manifest that in the satisfactory righteousnesse of this seed as imputed he conferr'd all good to the universall world figured in the Lambe slaine famously descending by tradition to them from Adam by the ten Fathers as before is proved Likewise God manifested it to them by renewing the same to the universall world by Noah and his sonnes Likewise by renewing the same with Abraham by predestinating in this seed both Iewes and Gentiles to glory Likewise hee manifested it to them in the satisfactory righteousnesse of this seed sealed with his blood figuratively in the paschall Lambe that hee delivered them from the bondage of Egypt and brought them to the blessednesse of Canaan a figure of eternall felicity for applying the Lambs blood upon their dwellings figured that onely in the righteousnesse of Christ imputed God was their safety in the day of wrath Exod. 12.13 All this and more successively was presented before their eyes in that glorious addition of Moses Law to the promise in those prefigurations and significations and all left upon record in holy Writ through their generations Therefore it must needs follow by undeniable consequence that their first step to this ungodly necessity proceeded from their owne remissenesse to God in all his wayes for their good for had they considered these things they would never have destroyed him by whom all felicity came to them And then their remissenesse to that object of faith Celestiall brought on their inordinate intensnesse to sensuall objects terrestriall and to Idolatrous imaginations and so came on their second step necessitating them to this transcendent fact The second step as for example their remissenesse to Moses the Mediator in the type brought on their Calfe and terminating in things sensuall and terrestriall and consequently their crucifying of Christ to themselves by absenting their mindes from Moses in that mysterie for they then not onely worshiped the Calfe but also they did eate and drinke and rose up to play The third step Likewise they so brought on a further necessitie as a third step for the future namely custome in evill hence it is God said to them can the Blackmore change his skinne or the Leopard his spâ—ts Ierem. 13.23 then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill and now sense commands reason under the pretence of the doctrine celestiall to terminate in a good adequate to sensuality Mat. 26.61 for from this ground they made the Temple and Moses Chaire their plea against Christ and his doctrine not from love to the mysterie included therein as leading to Christ but onely in love to the glory of the Temple as a terrestriall magnificence of their Nation Likewise in their princely Priesthood as it was a worldly ordinance correspondent to worldly pompe and dignity but rejected Christ the inclosed mysterie of that figure Thus by voluntary choyce in the spirit of concision they became necessitated to evill in things that were good in themselves as the felicity of Canaan was good in it selfe and to kill Christ in the truth as Abraham did in the type to the redemption of the world was good but to them evill because they did it in hatred to him as Iohn 8. 40. because his doctrine was an enemy not to them but to their pride in terrestriall felicitie and proud consanguinity and operations And therefore they slew the Lord of glory in the same mind as Cain slew Abel Mat. 23.35 (a) Thus wee may rightly conceive how Pharaoh is said to harden and God to harden Pharaohs heart Wherefore instead of giving them the Spirit of Faith from the speciall grace of the Covenant God delivered them to their owne wills from the universall mercy of the Covenant made with Abraham for them The fourth step and so came on a fourth step of their necessity in sin and consequently their universall rejection from him as the just punishment of their precedent apostasie from Gods salvation imply'd in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets stonest them which are sent unto thee how oft would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen gathereth her brood under her wings and ye would not therefore your (b) That is the Temple implying theiâ— separation from Gods favour in Christ the most proper Temple of Gods speciall presence in the Truth as the Temple was in the Type Luke 13.34 house is left unto you desolate And he further saith Verily verily I say unto you yee shall not see me untill the time come when you shall saâ— blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. These words imply two things the first is because they precedently refuse to see him according to their light as their reason was able in their day of grace therefore God now denyed them the gift of Faith to see his glory in beliefe of truth even when their eyes did looke upon the Lord of glory and saw his great workes Luke 10 8.22 Likewise when he beheld Ierusalem he wept and said O that thou hadst knowne even in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace but now they are bid (a) That light of truth which formerly men did see would not for that ther may come a time when the light Eternally by Gods spirit shines more cleer yet the sight thereof shall be denied to them as in this elect Spouse we see from thine eyes Luke 19.24 Likewise Saint Iohn in his 12 Chapter saith although Christ had done so many miracles before them yet they beleeved not on him that the saying of Esayas the Prophet might be fulfilled that he said Lord who beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed and Saint Iohn saith therefore they could not believe because Esayas saith againe hee hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should save them And further saith Saint Iohn these things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him ver 37. That is These things hee spake of their rejection when in the Spirit of Faith he saw the Lord of Glory rejected by this elect Spouse Likewise Saint Paul Acts 13.40 speaking to this people rejecting the Doctrine of Christ saith behold you despisers and wonder for I worke in your daies a worke which
the things of God but the things that be of men Mat. 16.23 And to the same spirit in Iames and Iohn He turned and rebuked them and said yee know not of what Spirit yee are of Lu. 9.34 To the same spirit in the two Disciples that went to Emaus saith hee O fooles and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Luk 24 26. Likewise saith the Text Hee appeared to the Eleven as they sat at meate and upbraided them wits their unbeliefe and hardnesse of heart Marke 16.14 And to the Virgin Mary his Mother Jesus saith unto her Woman what have I to doe with thee mine houre is not yet came implying in her request something was not sutable to his Spirit of Truth consequently so farre forth according to the lying spirit of Satan Ioh. 2 4. Secondly he also witnessed this truth of God against the lying spirit of Satan in sinners That is Man in the state of unbeliefe as resisting this truth as for instance he proving himselfe to be the light of the world not only by Doctrine but â—lso by a miraculous fact giving sight to the man that was borne blinde then the lying spirit of saâ—an attempted to extinguish this truth by saying give God the praise we knew that God spake with Moses as for this fellow wee know not whence hee is But Christ in the mouth of the man retorts the argument upon them saying herein is a marvellous thing for yee know not whence hee is and yet hee hath opened mine eyes Now wee know that God heareth not sinners but if a man be a worsh pper of God and doeth his will him God heareth and since the world began was it never heard that any man opened the eyes of any that was borne blind Joh. 9.5.6.16.24.29 c. Likewise he being in the Synagogue intermingling this Doctrine of truth with another miraculous fact called to a woman bound by Satan eighteene yeares and by the word of his mouth makes her free from the bondage of satan implicitly telling them that if by the call of his Doctrine they would in beliefe of that truth but as they were able by sense and reason come to him he then would dissolve the power of satan in them and so the truth should make them free but the lying spirit of satan in the Ruler of the Synagogue resisted this truth for he answereth with indignation because that Iesus had healed on the sabbath day and said unto the people are there not six days in which men ought to worke in them therefore come and be healed and not on the Sabbath day But this evill spirit so changed into an Angell of light the Lord discovers and said Thou Hypocrite doth not each of you on the Sabboth day loose his Oxe or his Asse from the stall and leade him to the water and ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham which Satan had bound loe eighteene yeeres be loosed on the Sabbath day and all his enemies were ashamed likewise hee miraculously fed many with small parcells of bread declaring himselfe thereby as by his doctrine that hee was the bread of life to man by beliefe of this truth to nourish him to everlasting life Likewise by raising up the widowes sonne and lairus daughter and Lazarus foure dayes dead declaring by this as by his doctrine that he was sent of his Father to them the resurrection and life to man by their beliefe of truth in him Or the resurrection of faithlesse man to everlasting death for saith hee If yee believe not that I am hee yee shall die in your sinnes that is and rise to perpetuall shame but all this truth in the lyings spirit of Satan they resist by pretence that Abraham and God was a Father to them but he according to truth witnessed the contrary against them saying I know you are Abrahams seed Joh. 8.37 but vers 39. Iesus said unto them if yee were Abrahams seed yee would doe the workes of Abraham but now yee seeke to kill mee a man that have told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham implying that although they were Abrahams seed in the flesh yet not Abrahams seed in the faith consequently not children to God but to the Divell verse 44. Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your Father yee will doe For although by light of sacred truth they came to know hee was the heire namely the promised seed from God to Adam Abraham and David and so heire to all yet their minds by pride was lifted up with the glory of the Terrestriall Temple and princely Priesthood as a worldly magnificence to their Nation but not to the celestiall mysterie therein leading to the imputed righteousnesse of the seed as the onely ground of all their glory for in their hearts him they hate and attempt to extinguish both him and his doctrine because it tended to put an end to that typicall magnificence and * Man perversly proue by custome in sinne to attaine a glory adequate to his corporeall part namely his mouldering body is therefore an enemy to Gods way as leading him to an eternal felicity sutable to his unperishing part namely his soule and body made spirituall but so farre as man is led by the spirit of Christ he is of another minde worldly glory Marke 12. from verse 7. to the 12. Matth 21.38 and 45. But the Lord Jesus Christ witnessed the truth in plaine termes and said My Kingdome is not of this world my Kingdome (a) If Christ refused to be an ea thly Monarch in Canaan and Sion hill declaring by plainnesse of speech that his Kingdome is not such consequently this Kingdome of Christs Spouse nationall elect was but a figure of that grace that was most cleaâ—ely powred out under the Gospell and also of his eternall throne in moâ—e then Angels glory and not a type of an earthly Monarchy of his of one thousand yeeres in length see this point more cleare in cap. 9. is not from hence Mat. 18. 36 Likewise he refused to be made a worldly King on Sion hill so proving his doctrine to be true by this fact for saith the Text when Iesus therefore perceived they would come and take him by force to make him King he departed thence c. John 6.15 Likewise to his successoâ—s which were to witnesse this sacred doctrine of truth hee gives the same rule not to (b) In the judgement of the Sonne of God it is a safe way to keepe his ambassadors to the worke of his ambassage by keeping them from worldly government and terrestriall pompe yet they must have a compleate competency as is implyed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.12.13 14. but the former is the ruine of simple godlinesse in Christs Spouse for saith Gods Spirit Like Priest like People Hosea 4.9 aspire
to dignities and glory in the government of this world for saith the Text Iesus called them unto him and said yee know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so amongst you Mat. 20. vers 25. Likewise by a remarkeable fact he condemned the pride of the priests and others of this elect Spouse in their proud apostasie after the flesh couched under a pretence of the celestiall doctrine the worship and the Temple for the eternall Son of God rides upon an Asse in a contemptible manner into Ierusalem the Metropolis of this Nation and so despised the vanity of all that glory yet this fact tended to the consolation of the meeke in Sion by beliefe of truth as was fore-prophesied behold thy King commeth unto thee meeke and sitting on an Asse and a Colt the foale of an Asse and the common people and his Disciples gave him high praise and glory at which the proud apostate Priests Scribes and the like their hearts did rise for to him they said Hearest thou this but hee repelled this lying Satanicall spirit in evidence of truth and answered and said If these should hold their peace the stones would cry Also hee fore-prophesied the destruction of all their supposed present felicity Mat. 21. from verse 4. to the 16. Luke 19.36 and 42. So much for the second point his witnessing the truth against the spirit of Satan in sinners Thirdly Christ witnessed this truth hand to hand with Satan himselfe for when hee had denyed himselfe not the fruit of one tree as Adam was to have done but all food forty dayes together dedicating himselfe to the great worke of the Redemption of the world in obedience to his Father so mediating for mercy to the world he afterwards was an hungry then came Satan to him and said If thou be the Sonne of God command this stone that it be made bread and Christ by the word of truth repells his assault For Iesus answered him saying It is written That man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God implying that as mans temporary life is maintained by an influence from God in bread so his life spirituall here by faith is in every word of God from the influence of his spirit Likewise then the Divell taking him up into an high mountaine shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world in a moment of time and the Divell said unto him All this power will I give to thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it if thou therefore wilt fall downe before me all shall be thine Iesus answered and said unto him get thee behind me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve implying that himselfe was personally God-man and ought therefore to be worshipped by him Likewise he brought him to Ierusalem and set him on a pinacle of the Temple and said unto him if thou be the sonne of God as thy words import then cast thy selfe downe from hence for it is written He shall give his Angells charge over thee to keepe thee and in their hands they shall beare thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone And Iesus answering said unto him it is said Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God implying what he had said before was his answer Luke 4. So that although the first Adam believed a lye to the destruction of all yet the second Adam was constant in Gods truth dissolving Satans lies for the restauration of all and Satan saith he hath nought in me He likewise discovers to the world what Satans operations was and is for Iohn 8. he saith Saâ—an was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because no truth is in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for hee is a lyar and the fâ—ther thereof verse 44. Fourthly Christ now witnesseth Gods truth against Satans lyes by faith and flames of love to God under Gods most dreadfull wrath so offering himselfe as a whole burnt offering to God yet not but that Gods truth may be witnessed under divine justice and not under wrath likewise under mercy and not under wrath Also under Justice in exceeding great wrath The first was Adams estate in the Covenant before his fall The second is the Estate of the Saints witnessing Gods truth in some conformity to Christ in which respect hee which sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are one Hebr. 2.11 The third was the estate of Christ as the Redeemer of the fallen world for as hee was for our sinnes in Adam and for the Iewes and Gentiles apostasie a sinner imputed Hee therefore in this respect was a man as hated of God as himselfe saith reckoned amongst the transgressors And the truth is so it was with him from his conception to the expiration of his life for although his conception and birth was not in sinne but * Christ partaking mans nature as do children viz. seminally in the womb is a twofold pledge to us first that it was to destroy the workes of Satan in our behalfe secondly after man believeth truth to free him from the feare of death to which precedently all his life long hee was subject Hebr. 2.14 conceived and borne an holy thing the Sonne of God yet his conception and birth was from her in whom was sinne the seed of the Serpent wherefore shee rejoyced in him as her Saviour and salvation So likewise no sooner was he borne but Satan in Herod attempted to bruise his heele Likewise his breeding under his supposed father was but meane a Carpenter Likewise with his kindred which nationally was his Spouse he was reputed but a meane fellow a friend of Publicans and sinners a mad man a conjurer an impostor a blasphemer of God a Divell Therefore rightly doth the Apostle incourage the Saints to undergoe the hatred of the world to consider him that indured such contradiction of sinners against himselfe Hebr. 10.13 Againe the first Adam by the justice of the Covenant in point of triall against Satans lyes was estated not onely in the sweet perfections of the glory of nature but also in the splendor of the Garden relatively drawing him by faith to enjoy God in the heavenly glory but the second Adam not onely under wrath but under exceeding great wrath as appeares in two particulars First by his feares of the neere approach of that wrath Secondly by what it was when he was directly under it first when this houre and power of darknesse did draw neere although it was a thing greatly by him desired as his aspired end to his fathers glory for when he commeth into the world he saith Sacrifice and offrings thou wouldst not have but a body hast thou prepared mee then said I
not for the Covenant required faith in truth and love to God in that relation hee stood but with all his heart and all his soule and all his strength and no more Therefore though hee was at the foresaid brink of desperation yet he sinned not Againe the strength of his humane nature being not able to keepe up from desperation under that vast and dreadfull separation yet hee in his unfained cry why hast thou forsaken mee as the second Adam witnessed Gods truth namely that God really intended death that is this twofold separation as it was said in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt certainly die the death (a) This death of the second Adam proves that God really intended the same to man wâ—th the fi st Adam and so dissolved that lie of Satan who said yee shall not die at all for he being personally God-man and so more powerfull then any meere creature therefore justice required his personall power so farre as need was and therefore although as a meere creature he cryed out Why hast thou forsaken mee yet in the power of his personall operations hee cries out My God my God and so Faith mightily (b) Christ descended not locally into the place of the damned because his faith and love to the full sati faction of divine justice wrought up to God through all interposing difficulties therefoâ—e it was unpossible hee should be held of the sorrowes of death and so hee triumphed over all the enemies of his Fatheâ—s glory which was to result to him out of the good of mankinde Psal 16.8.11 working by love reached the power of an endlesse life from under the most vast depth of separation in an endlesse death I say this was by Faith in Gods truth and Gods righteous justice to him in that relation in which he then stood for his eternall blessednesse for saith hee to God I set thee ever before me and thou wilt open to me the way of life and so with a loud voyce hee renders his soule saying Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Luk 23 46. And so by the eternall Spirit as saith the Apostle Hee offered himselfe to God without spot to purge our consciences from dead works to sâ—rve the living God he so (c) But now to this point there are three which beare witnesse in heaven namely the thâ—ee persons in the one God in their severall order by upholdâ—ng and maintaining that created Angelicall glory for the members of the second Adam to all eternity which God from time to time here on earth hath promised them and still doth evidence it by three witnesses on earth namely first by Christs blood-shed as the seale of the satisfaction of divine justice which obtained that eternall life Secondly by water namely the worke of Reâ—eneration cleansing mans Spirit in Faith and love to the mystery Thirdly by the Spirit in the ministeâ—y of the word and Sacraments most eminently witnessing the purchase and free gift of that glory to man through aâ—l ages 1 Iohn 5.7.8 witnessed that other truth of Gods against Satans lie namely that God really intended to man the knowledge of good in the glory of Angells by his Covenant with Adam and in the righteousnesse of the second Adam and so dissolv'd that other lye of Satan that God only pretended it but never intended it and to the same end he gave himselfe also a ransome for all men in the fourth estate of man to redeeme them from their Apostacie And for conclusion to this Chapter observe these five particulars First that when in common speech we say that Christ fulfilled the Law we may rightly understand it only of the Morall Law because he by perfect love to God and his Neighbour did fulfill all Lawes that is not only the Covenant as it was with Adam but also as upon these two did hang all the Law and the Prophets with respect of mans fourth estate as before is proved Secondly is it so that Christ rais'd his Soule (a) The first Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord. by beliefe of truth and perfect love from that vast depth of death and that that was his first and great resurrection as the second Adam Hence observe that the raising of his body was his second resurrection and most properly by the glory of the Father (b) The second Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord. and from Divine Justice his first step to his eternall happinesse for so great a worke as the redemption of the world Phil. 2.9 in this fourth estate of man Thirdly is it so that the works of the Sonne of God was so potent in beliefe of truth to that blessednesse which was set before him Heb. 12. as that it wrought up to God from under so vast a separation in flames of burning love to Gods glory by the redemption of the world Hence observe that to put any worth upon any other mans works as to affirme they can deserve by their obedience to God that he should free them from eternall death or render them the reward of eternall life yea and that they can supererogate for others also I say observe that any of this Doctrine is not only a blasphemous derogating from Christs workes but also against the guift of God imputing it arrogating to man that which is not his also it overthroweth the foundation of mans salvation and that fundamentally for it not only makes voyd the object of Justification but cuts off mans worke of Faith to that object in a justifying relation as before is observed against the Iewes pag. 78. Fourthly is it so that God estated the Covenant with Adam that if it were by him fulfilled God by him should then receive the praise of his justice to all eternity in the foresaid twofold respects as Chap. 2. pag. 12.13 And likewise if the second Adam did fulfill it that by him under divine justice hee also might receive the praise of his justice to all eternity and that Christ accordingly did render him his justice to every tittle and pronounc'd it finished Hence observe that God never intended nor needed to make a personall reprobation of most men to unavoydable destruction to the everlasting praise of his justice For if the Covenant had bin fulfilled by either Adam it it was to the praise of his justice to all eternity as here we see and the Covenant of grace is so full to this point that all mankinde may ascend to eternall life by Christ if they will but apply themselves in what they have received and to what they might receive in him yet by Christ Gods justice is eternally glorifyed as is proved Therefore God never made in vaine such a personall reprobation to passe upon the most of mankinde Fiftly observe that when I say Christs righteousnesse is imputed to all mankinde in generall or to man beleeving truth more speciall as is described I meane not Christ his righteousnesse essentially as God nor
by the roots appeares in the 12 Chapt. Is it so that when Christ did thus powre out his Spirit upon all flesh that yet at this time be denyed the spirit of Faith to his Nationall Spouse to the most part for their proud Apostasie to their ensuing rejection Hence observe how rightly the Lord of glory returned the same upon them But I said unto you that yee also have seene mee and beleeve not All that the Father * But at this time the Father giveth me the Gentiles to gather by the word of truth to salvation but of you but few for your call is not given to be at this time but in the future as Rom. 11.25 26 27. giveth mee shall come unto mee but not most of you at this time of grace for that 's implyed Iohn 6.35 36 37 38 39 40. Is it so that when Christ came personally into the world he then found Iewes and Gentiles generally both dead in sinnes and trespasses to him as the object of justification to their life and glory yea even his Nationall Spouse generally Hence observe how rightly spake the Lord Jesus Christ to his proud Apostate Spouse saying none can come to mee unlesse the Father which sent me draw him meaning his extraordinary mercy Ioh. 6.44 Is it so that Christ his righteousnesse as imputed by the Fathers gift and conveyed from Kingdome to Kingdome by the word of truth was and is the only object of life and glory and the removall of mans misery which submitted by beliefe of truth to receive that gift of righteousnesse in that sacred object Then hence observe how rightly spake the Lord Jesus Christ of himselfe saying I am the way and the truth and the life no man can come unto the Father but by mee Joh. 14.6 Againe is it so that this extraordinary calling of the Gentiles to righteousnesse life and glory being dead in sinnes and trespasses by their precedent Apostacie that even the second Adams satisfactory righteousnesse obtained as upon Adams fall so at this time also that this world should be mans day of grace againe as a day of grace to receive in it the gift of eternall glory the world of Gentiles being under wrath Then hence observe that from this ground Saint Paul in the 5 of the Rom. rightly brings in Christs imputative righteousnesse as opposed not only to our unrighteousnesse and misery in Adams transgression but also interminglingly opposing it against all mens own personall sinnes against the grace of God in Christ that whereas sinne in both respects had abounded so Gods grace by his gift of Christs righteousnesse did superabound as appeareth from the 8. verse to the end of that Chapter Againe is it so that at the height of Israels Apostacie and at the brink of their rejection from Christ that then God thus extraordinarily brought in the Gentiles to be his Spouse which were not his people Hence observe how rightly Christ in his life time Ioh. 10.16 opposed the certainty of the Gentiles for life and glory to his Apostate Spouse the Iewes then to bee extinguished ver 26. and in the three next verses grounding the stable felicity of the Church of the Gentiles only on his free gift and his Fathers power opposing it to all contrary powers whatsoever for although the Church of the Iewes became totally separated from Christ as now they stand yet so shall never the Church of the Gentiles nor yet the Iewes when they are againe ingrafted into Christs visible Church as was before Prophecied by * For by this word those days is not only meant the first extraordinary light of grace and truth divulged in the Gospell by the Apostles Ministery but this Prophecy also extends to those dayes of that extraordinary call of the Iewes mentioned Rom. 11.25 26 27. when also shall come in the fulnesse of the Gentiles Ieremiah and the Author to the Hebrewes Ierem. 31.33 32 40. Heb. 8.8.10 CHAP. X. Opening what in the calling of the Gentiles was ordinary to continue untill time shall be no more and that Gods proceedings therein is without respect of persons to all alâ—ke THe second Adam and Saviour of the world was not only a Priest in the dayes of his flesh after the order of Aron Heb. 10. by offering his body of flesh and blood so putting an end to that fleshly or bloody Sacrificing Priest-hood in which respect the Apostles in manifold regards referres things to the * The Apostle attributes so much to Christs blood death to leade us by sense to the more firm faith in his blood death as it was the expiration of his worke as the faithful and true witnesse for Gods truth against Satans lies to regaine Gods glory by the salvation of the world blood of Christ and often reiterates the same but also in his Militant Church he was and is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck till time shall be no more that is as Melchizedeck Shem I meane descending from the old world did not only in the Apostacie of the new world at Abel abide in the Faith of the first ten Fathers but also in the time of the Apostasie of his own Family remained durably constant in the oracle of life not only King of Salem that is of peace but Priest also of the most high God after the power of an endlesse life for he continued receiving as appeares in Abrahams Tythes the homage of the Sacrifice of praise for God and to God likewise in Gods stead returning comforts and blessings from God upon man Gen. 14.18 Heb 7.7 Likewise so did Christ abide constant by tradition discending in his spirit on men from the beginning of the old world figuratively by the promised seed of the woman through all occurrents or times of the worlds Apostasie remayned figuratively in the ten Fathers not only King of peace as Milchizedeck but also the Priest of the most high God receiving the Sacrifice of praise to God and for God by man believing truth and returning from God blessings upon them not only by his acceptable satisfactory righteousnesse imputed the ground of all acceptation but also in the oracle of life divulging it by his Ambassadors to the world and the imbreathings of his Spirit into the Spirit of man as sometime reproving the world of sinne as to Cain and the old world in the ten Fathers and in the Ministry of Noah sometimes receiving in good part the Sacrifices of the praise of his grace as in Abell his offering by beliefe of truth sometimes pouring out his blessings of consolation as in Noah his Sacrifice he smelt a savor of rest and comfortably renewed his gracious Covenant c. Sometimes in gracious incouragements to submit to this mercy as he did to Cain and sometimes enlivening the Spirit of man dead in sinnes and trespasses as to these Gentiles we see so raising these dead bones to live in his sight Therefore to continue this
good heart but in opening the first point before I define what justifying beliefe is I will shew what beliefes are not this beliefe as First to be induced to follow the object of Faith onely because occasionally by it wee receive our corporall support this is not so much as beliefe in it in any kinde but onely a following of sense much like the first sort of ground which from the seed of life received onely a glance of the object of life and no more Ioh. 6.25 26 27. Secondly to believe the object of life or oracle of justification onely because it is of good report of those with whom we live This is not to believe divine testimony and divine as divine testimony but to believe it meerely upon humane testimony as did the misbelieving Iewes say they doe any of the Rulers believe in him implying their beliefe of the Oracle of God was onely grounded upon the Rulers respect or credit which they gave to it So this was but the second sort of ground on which the seed of life was sowed wanting roote in time of temptation fell away Iohn 7.48 Ioh. 4.28 Againe to believe the Oracle of God from Gods owne testimony as Gods Oracle in severall respects is not this justifying beliefe for the divells believe the Oracles of God as Gods Oracle of truth in his gift of Christ to the world and from thence tremble at the certainty of their full damnation when God shall judge the world by the seed of the woman to the finall bruise of Satans power So some men believe the (a) Thus although the foolish virgins have not the internall lampe of justifying faith which onely hath in it the right reception of Christs imputed righteousnesse yet they have the internall lampe of beliefe of divine testimony as divine testimony as here wee see Oracle of God as Gods owne Oracle and from beliefe in God produce great miracles and (b) These men by the Scriptures are stiled virgins together with the wise virgins because in the judgement of charity the Church judgeth them visible members untill they discover the contrary glorifie God by the confirmation of the object of Faith and yet may be as some have beene voyd of love to God Therefore this is not this justifying beliefe 1 Cor. 13.2 Matth. 7.25 Likewise some men may and doe believe with consolation the Oracle of life to be Gods true Oracles and from thence in the spirit of prophesie powre out blessings upon men of an honest and a good heart as from the Starre of Iacob * But these kind of prayers are strivings to bring Gods wil to mans and not mans will to Gods will desiringly crave or pray for that blessednesse to themselves yet not rightly submitting to the reception of that righteousnesse in the object of justification as imputed by God to a sinner because in heart they are lifted up either to the esteeme of their owne personall operations or terminate their happinesse too much in terrestriall blessednesse as foolish virgins so perish in the way of Cain and wages of Balaam being the third sort of ground on which the seed of life was sowed as upon Cains spirit it was and choked with the cares and pleasures of this life bringing fruit but not to perfection wanting the * Here wee see why the foolish virgins wanted oyle right reception of Gods gracious oyle of mercy running downe from Christ the head wherefore this is not that justifying beliefe in men of an honest and good heart Mat. 25.1 2 Numb 9.10.19 Numbers 24.2 16 17.23 Genes 4 And now I come to define what beliefe is justifying faith and then to define what the perfection of this justifying faith is yet before I can do either I must briefly open the point of justification in foure particulars First as before is declared Gods instrument is the word of truth by which hee conveyes the object of justification to the minde of man as from the beginning till now in the word of promise to Adam by tradition conveyed by the ten Fathers down to Abraham then that word being renewed with him it came downe to Moses and by him committed to writing and now by the Apostles writings extant to the end of the world So much for the instrument Secondly The object conveyed or reached unto man by that instrument is Gods guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed or counted to the world in generall and to man believing truth more specially So much for the object so conveyed Thirdly Mans necessary instrument by which he receives this guift of righteousnesse from God is his beliefe of Gods instrument his word of truth as aforesaid by which God reacheth to man that object of justification as is formerly described The reasons moving man to apply his instrument of beliefe to Gods instrument to receive his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed are these First because he conceiveth God in that guift is (a) Here maâ—â— understanding lookes at truth unfained therefore he sets to his seale that God is true in the testimony he gives of his Sonne Ioh. 3.33 Secondly because he conceives that in this righteousnesse so imputed or counted to be mans is conferred the removall of misery and conveyed all (b) Here mans will lookes at goodnesse felicity 1 Iohn 5.19.20 Thirdly because hee conceives his own (c) Man which out of sense of his sinne and misery looks to God as mercifull hath a right aspect towards eternall felicity Luke 18.13.14 Matth 5.3 Rom. 10.10 Rom. 4.6.7 poverty or need of that imputed righteousnesse so commodious to him that therefore he applies his hand of beliefe to receive that object for righteousnesse to justification and remission of sinnes to salvation So that in men of honest and good hearts justifying beliefe may thus be defin'd (d) justifying faith defined Namely it is mans heart in beliefe of Gods faithfulnesse submitting to the receiving his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed (e) The oyle whâ—ch the â—oolish â—irgins waÌ„ted is Christs imputed righteousnesse as received by faith which is the right issue of Gods most speciall grace to sanctification justification A definâ—tion of perfection of justifying saith as the only ground to remove all his misery and convey all happinesse upon him And thus did Abel submit as Chapt. 4. and as many as by faith thus submit they then are received and adopted Sonnes in Christ and because Christs elect Spouse did not thus submit to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10 3. she was cast off And so much for the definition what justifying beliefe is Secondly the perfection of justifying Faith is no more but this the heart of man adhering to Gods unfeyned gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed for the removall of all misery and the conveyance of all felicity so firme and so farre as to worke up to God in that object through all interposing difficulties And I will in briefe prove this second definition by the perfection
of this Faiths operation in Abraham who was a Father in this third degree of justifying Faith as first when God in his promise in Abrahams loynes gave Christ and his righteousnesse imputed to be the blessing of all Nations and consequently for his owne then to this object did he adhere by Faith working through all that did interpose betweene his beleife and this object of life Rom. 4.18 saith the Text He beleeved even God who quickneth the dead and calleth things which be not as though they were who against hope beleeved in boâ—e that hee might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be and saith the Text hee being not weake in Faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred yeares old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs womb hee staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in Faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe it and saith the Text therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse but what this imputation for righteousnesse is is already handled in the 4 and 6 Chapters therefore here I passe it over Againe Heb. 11.17 Abrahams faith is brought in working up to God in this sacred object through the darknesse of death for saith the Text by Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaak that is by death to be destroyed he that had received the promises i. of all happines figuratively in this Child for mankinde and for himself offered up his only begotten Sonne of whom it was said in Isaak shall thy seed be called for Abraham accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead meaning Christ also in this figure whence also he received him in a figure as saith the Text Thus by perfection of justifying beliefe working to God through all difficulties in this sacred object saith Christ Abraham rejoyced to see my day and saw it and was glad that is as the life of his heart for all happinesse Iâ—h 8.56 And to conclude this point of Christ his impartiall proceedings as Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck without all respect of Persons by the operations of his Spirit in his sacred ordinances is also implyed Prov. 8.34 wherefore he thus saith blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my dores for who so findeth mee findeth l fe and shall obtaine favâ—ur of the Lord bâ—t he that sinneth against mee wr ngeth his own soule all they that hate mee love death c. Is it so That Christ now is to the end of the world with his Ambaâ—sadors ordinarily and rightly divulging his Ambassage that hee will be by his Spirit so a Priest till time shall be no mo e Then hence observe Observ that it is unpossible for men or Divells or all the powers of darknesse in this world to extinguish Christ in his word and spirit from the minds of all mankinde because we see Christ will so be in the minds of some as the cornerstone to uphold his Ministeriall Kingdome as in the name of Peter hee did Prophetically demonstrate Mat. 16.18 and from this ground God in eminent and universall Apostasies from him in his truth doth preserve some mens mindes to him by his truth so secretly as the best of men sometimes perceive it not as in the daies of Eliah and the like Rom. 11.3.4 wherefore this is attributed to be Gods Seale or peculiar foundation in relation to Christ to know who are his in such * In times of such Apostasie because one Saint doth know another but according to the judgement of charity and God only infall bly knowes who in purenesse of heart adheres to him and who not therefore the Apostle calls this knowledge of God his foundation or seale because it is so knowne to him and none else times as 2 Tim 2.18 19. And from this ground it is unpossible that the greatest seducing powers of Satan to deceive the whole Church elect or gathered by his word and Spirit so as to extinguish all truth from all their mindes for as Mat. 24.25 besides his ordinary course God in such times will extraordinarily reserve as before is said some for the glorious praise of his grace in this world to believe his word in the object of justification wherefore it is stiled the Faith of Gods elect implying the certainty of Christs prevalency as Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck by his Ministeriall ordinances in the Church Militant till time shall be no more Againe is it so that the oracle of life for the universall Apostasie of the world was not so much as to appeare amongst the Gentiles about eighteene hundred yeares nor amongst Iewes but in Types figures and promises as obscured under the veile of Moses for many Generations untill God according to his purpose called these Gentiles Hence observe how rightly the Apostle applies this Doctrine at that time saying the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us to * Therefore the Negative part of the Morall Law as inclosed in the Arke oveâ—shadowed with the mercy Seat taught the same Doctrine of grace under that veile as now doth the Gospel unveiled Exod. 25.21 22. Heb. 9.4.8 deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope c. Tit. 2.11.12 CHAP. XI Opening the third particular how GOD brings man to be perfect that is to the perfection of justifying Faith in the object of justification AS it is in the perfections of nature the life superior containes in it selfe the perfection of all inferior lives as in Adam Chapt. the first so the perfection of justifying beliefe containes in it selfe vertually all inferior beliefes hence it is that the improvement of this faith is various in its operations yet ever terminating to God in the object of justification as its most proper center and so it comes to its full perfection formerly described Hence Saint Iames saith of Abraham Seest thou how faith wrought with his workes and by works faith was made perfect James 2.20 Wherefore to prove the point I will take a briefe survay how by works Abraham came to his perfection of justifying beliefe * The perfection of the man in righteousnes is in the next life but faiths perfection and dissolution are both in this life and what man is a righteous man see the last Observation of Chapt. 11. for the perfection of justifying beliefe is one thing and the perfection of the man is another thing as first when God by commandement separated him from his countrey and from his fathers house the operations of his faith then began to put forth for saith the Text He went out not knowing whither he went Hebr. 11.8 but when hee was
them verse 30. and 34. Likewise Chap. 14. as for afflictions and sorrowes which would befall them in the execution of their commission after his departure hee bids them quiâ—t their hearts by beliefe of God and also in him with promise to send the comforter to them c. from verse 1. to the 32. verse And Chapter 15. he compares himselfe to a Vine with branches for that 's implyed and his Father to a Husbandman pruning some and cutting off some Verse 2. and vers 3. he applyes this doctrine to the 11. Apostles in particular Iudas being absent Now saith hee yee are cleane and then shewes them how they came so to be saith hee through the (a) If Christs Word then not Christs washing their feete made them cleane onely it was a signe of Christs love which did effect it wherefore if Peter had refused it so propounded hee had rejected Christ in his love as did Iudas although he suffered him to wash his feet because the outward signe not received by a right beliefe of truth leaves mans sinne in the guilt and attracted habit unweakened and unremoved as here in Iudas although Christ extended this externall signe of his love to him at his corporall departure from this world as to the other eleven word which I have spoken unto you implying their justification and sanctification by union with him as the object of faith wherefore saith he abide in mee and I in you and then gives them a reason why they should so doe because saith he the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee Verse 4. He then applyes the point more close unto every of them saith he I am the vine yee are the branches hee that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth much fruit for without mee yee can doe nothing whereupon hee gives them a fourefold reason why they should so abide in him The first is drawne from the danger which will insue if any of these 11. doe not abide in him namely perishing from him for ever for saith he if any (b) That is any of you eleven or any other man which is ingraffed into me the true Vine as now are you being clean through the word which I have spoken man abide not in me hee is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned in eternall wrath for that 's implyed so that this first reason expressely proves the point namely that the Saints shall receive according to what they have done in the body for their evill workes of crucifying Christ to themselves by a totall apostasie from him as the object of faith The second reason to abide in him is intermingled with a direction how to abide in him the reason it selfe is drawne from the contrary good which would redound to these eleven Apostles if they did so abide in him the direction is this that hee by his Word of truth should abide in them and they by beliefe of it must abide in him the good which will redound to them they then shall have their hearts desire and both comprehended in these words If you abide in mee and my words abide in you yee shall aske what yee will and it shall be done unto you The third reason is also double partly respecting God partly respecting themselves and both comprehended in these words herein is my Father glorified in that you bring forth much fruit for so shall yee be my Disciples that is for so shall you come and be established to continue my Disciples as now yee are wherefore he further saith Abide in my love if you keepe my Commandements you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his love The fourth reason to induce them to abide in him as the object of Faith is drawne from that remaining tranquillity which wil redound to them from him as the fountain opened wherefore saith he these things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remaine in you and that your joy may be full Verse 11. All which arguments to inforce these eleaven Apostles so to abide in him implyes what formerly is exprest in the first reason namely that they other wayes will come to fall totally by their remissenesse and come to a finall separation from Christ by Gods justice Likewise the Apostles themselves rightly taught the same doctrine both of themselves and of the Saints in generall as for instance Saint Paul to the Romanes chap. 11. saith thou standest by faith be not not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed lest also he spare not thee verse 20 21. Againe he saith the just shall live by faith but if any man draw backe my soule shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 and saith Saint Paul I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any meanes when I have preached unto others I my * And those Scriptures which seeme to speake contrary to this point see them cleaâ—ed in these pages in the margent pag. 122. 123. 137. 142. 144. 145. and from 118. to 120. 134. Also see those Scriptures expounded in point of electioÌ„ on which the Saints stability is thought to be grounded as from pag. 85. to 87. and pag. 65. and from p. 72. to 77. and see the reasons why Salomons and Peters fall was not totall nor finall and also the utmost line of Gods mercy to miserable man see the second Objection in the 12. chap. selfe should be a Cast-away Hee further saith it is unpossible for those which are once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come if they should fall away to renow them to repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Sonne of God afresh and put him to open shame 1 Cor. 9.27 Heb. 6.4 So much for the proofe of the third Reason that God loves to glorifie his Justice by the distribution of his Mercy even to the members of Christ without any personall respect therefore much more to all mankinde and to all alike as hee preached to Cain in the first modell if thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted if thou doest not well sinne lies at the doore Hence observe all mankinde none excepted ever since Adam was cast out of the Garden of Eden are and so shall be to the end of the world in one of these three conditions or estates first either in the universall grace and favour of God by Christ Jesus and this is before the gift of justifying faith or secondly in the speciall grace and favour of God in Christ Jesus and this is when man by beliefe of truth is knit to God in Christ as hee
the ten Fathers before the flood by beliefe of truth reached the Oracle of life from hand to hand through their generations page 53. 54 That God would rather have glorified his mercy in the salvation of the old world then his Iustice in their destruction yet all that perished in that flood perished not eternally p. 55 That upon Noah his offering in a figure Christs satisfactory sacrifice God renewed his mercy universally to the world page 56 57 A particular description how Noahs first off-spring carried themselves to God ungratefully for that mercy and how God proceeded against them for that page 58 From whence all hellish Paganisme did originally spring page 59 Because of mans apostasie from God in the object of justification therefore hee confined the Oracle which conveyed that object to narrow bounds three times pag ibid. What the number of eight did signifie in reference to Noah page 56 In what sense Christ is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe page ibid. That God the second time predestinated man in Christ by covenant with Abraham man being by his universall apostasie then fitted to destruction page 60 61 In what sense God hated Esau loved Iacob p. 65. 72 73 That the Church of the Gentiles shall never totally depart from Christ as hath the Church of the Jewes p. 122. 123 In what sense God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth page 74 How man comes now to be necessitated to sin p. 83. 84 85 What most properly is Gods Booke of Life page 88 That in heaven amongst the Saints there is no difference of degrees of glory page 89 90 That God gave rules how hee would have man put Christ to death so as hee would be well pleased with them that did it page 82. 83 That the Saints faith is not the condition of the covenant of grace page 87. 88. The Law of Moses distinctly explained page 67 What absurdities doe follow the misapprehending of Moses Law page 78. 79 What made the way to eternall life narrow to mankinde yet in that narrow way man might and some did attaine eternall life Chap. 7. That God directed the second Adam as well as the first by Allegories to his eternall happinesse in the work of the worlds redemption to which he was borne in five relations P. 100 A definition what that truth is to which Christ was the faithfull and true witnesse page 101 What righteousnesse of Christ it is which is imputed or accounted to man in generall or to the Saints more speciall page 113 That God never reprobated man personally to unavoydable damnation page 112. 113 That his powring out of his spirit extraordinarily upon all flesh was twofold page 115. Of the Jewes rejection in wrath page 85. 86 Of the Jewes reception to mercy page 86. 87 Of the Lords Supper or in what sense Christs flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeed page 66 Of Baptisme page 37. 38 A definition when the spirit of a man under the covenant of grace is dead in sinnes and trespasses page 121 A definition what man is a righteous man Chap. 11. A threefold degree of justifying faith page 128 Justifying faith defined and also the perfection of it page 131. 132 Other faiths distinguished from justifying faith pag 130 In what sense Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck page 123. 124 The different operations of justifying faith perfect and imperfect page 138 139 What reward God rendreth to the Saints for their good and evill workes done in the body page 140. 141 142 The manner how God perfecteth Iustifying faith in the Saints pagâ— 134 to 138 That the naturall liberty of the will is no barre to keepe man from an undissoluble union with God in the object of justification page 150 151 Of Manassâ—s Salomons Pauls and Peters different backslidings pag. 149. 150 God loved Abraham Daniel and David being considered personally no more then the persons of other men generally page 150. 151 In what sense the Saints raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres page 166. In what sense justification is referred to faith pag. 77. That the will of man is no more freed from sin and free to righteousnesse then it is freed by Christ therefore to attribute any thing well done by man from the force of his pure naturalls absurd page 150. 151 That God willed not Adams fall to the damnation of man yet God willeth the damnation of all that perish eternally page 150. 154 A briefe description of the Antichrist p. 155. 156 157 From the whole Treatise as opening the maine scope of the Scriptures is definitively laid downe what was Gods decree before the world was after the counsell of his owne will concerning the eternall state of mankinde page 167. 168 Errata PAge 5 line 15. for God reade good p 6. l. 32. erfections r. perfections p. 7. l. 4. boded r. lodged p. 11. l. 12. Adaras r. Adams p. 13. l. 42. farth r. earth p. 19. l. 36. conditiâ—n r. condition p. 23. cap. 4. l. 5. after work r. of p. 73. in marg untorne r. unborne p. 79. l. 29. blot out farre p. 86. in marg externall r. eternall p. 93 l. 25. wrath r. worth p. 99. l. 9. type r. high p. 114. l. 8. uncircumcised r. circumcised p. ib. l. 29. God r. Gods p. 117. l. 14. at Ephesus r. to the Ephesians A TREATISE OF FREE GRACE CHAP. I. Opening the first Adams pure Naturals which was his first Estate THe first Adam in this world passed through foure Estates two before his fall the third was his fall the fourth was that estate after his fall The first produced him good and not evill and this was the estate of the creation The second propounded to him good and evill and this was the State of the Covenant betweene God and him The third was his transgression namely his fall and this produced him the losse of all good and an hereditary possession of evill totally and eternally The fourth was the State of the Restauration of the world by the second Adams Redemption and this propounded to him and all mankind good and evill The Estate of the felicity of the Creâ—tion produced to Adam a fourefold good First his Personall perfections secondly his continuall support of the same thirdly an onenesse or selfenesse with the parts of the whole creation fourthly the perfections of the whole creation led his reasonable soule in love by his senses to a perfect union with God Of these in their order First his Personall Perfections are described by Moses Gen. 2 7 in three particulars first the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth and that was the perfection of his body secondly he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and that was his soules creation by infusion thirdly man became a living soule that is compleatly composed in his Vegetative Sensitive and Rationalls or in his Personall
First because here was Conditions betweene God and Adam for life and death I say for life and death to Adam and all mankinde comprehended in generall under the names of good and evill good to be rendered if hee did obey the Rule of the Covenant evill if he did disobey it Secondly those conditions were agreed on by Adam with a full consent he being then not only in the perfections of the second Table of the Law as to love his Neighbour as himselfe but also in the perfection of the first Table of the Law namely in the truth and utmost extent of his love to God with all his Soulâ— and with all his Strength therefore hee readily concluded this Covenant with God for the world in this different Estate from the former But for the cleare opening of this Second Estate I will propound foure things First what this Garden was 2 What its signification was 3 What Adams obedience in it was 4 What was the end God intended by Adams obedience in this Covenant First this Garden was but a part of the Terrestriall Globe for saith the Text The Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden therefore but a part Gen. 2.8 This Garden was planted by God with Plants some for Adams delightfull consolation and some for his nutrimentall sustentation for saith the Text Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree pleasant to sight and good for food Verse 9. In the midst of the Garden God planted two trees distinguished by two significant names implying some further use for saith the Text God caused to grow the tree of life also in the midst of the Garden and the tree of knowleâ—ge of good and evill Gen. 2.8 Into this Garden came a River to replenish it in fruitfulnesse and comming in but one there God divided it into foure and from thence it did run downe the terrestriall Globe foure wayes as saith the Text And a River went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and came intâ— fâ—ure heads c. Gen. 2.10 This Plantation or Garden being thus finished Adam by God was thither conveyed and the perfections thereof was to depend upon his operations for saith the Text. The Lord God tooke the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dresse it and to keepe it Verse 5. And so much for what this plantation was Certainly this was for some further end and use then was the perfections of the whole terrestriall Globe for all the trees of this Plantation or Garden were vegetables in their perfections as were those on the whole terrestriall Globe Therefore this Garden as a plantation by sequestration and signification made the onely difference between it and the world And the signification in generall was but this that as in future time the land of Canaan with all it 's fruitfull splendor did prefigure the celestiall Canaan As to the second Adam as appeares Chap. 8. So this to Adam in the beginning of time did prefigure the same Angelicall felicity of Divine glory in the Heaven of heavens From this ground God made the Garden to excell the glory of the whole terrestriall globe that by faith Adams soule might be raised to worke by love to God feeding on Angells food by beliefe of truth So much for the generall signification Againe more particularly First whereas God did not commit the whole terrestriall globe but onely this part as the glory of the world to Adams dressing and keeping This figuratively implies that now by vertue of Gods Ordinance the creation had it's dependence for it's good naturall and supernaturall or for an evill equivalently contrary upon Adams operations in this Covenant And here came in the onely ground how by Adam the creation could be raised higher or lose it's supernaturall perfections and become subject to vanity Rom. 8. Whereas God caused to grow up in the midst of the Garden a naturall tree naming it the Teee of life this figured to Adam that he to his naturall posterity in obeying the worke of the Covenant by beliefe of truth should from Divine Justice be as a tree in his branches of naturall perfections growing up to a celestiall life or as a flourishing tree of eternall life But now this tree of life is onely in Christ Jesus the second Adam to all right believers Rev. 2.7 This River running downe it's chrystall streames foure severall wayes from this Paradise of terrestriall pleasure as from the Throne of God prefigured to Adams faith Gods justice as pure streames of waters of celestiall life for his obedience according to the Covenant should successively run downe to render eternall life first by faith and secondly by fruition to his posterity through all generations to the last of mankind that was to descend of his loynes but now this River onely issues from the second Adam in the doctrine of truth and mercy conveying Gods gift of his imputed righteousnesse as the tree of life Rev. 22.12 The other tree which God caused to grow in the midst of the Garden naming it the tree of Knowledge of good and evill prefigured to Adams faith summarily all contained in the Covenant that is the Knowledge of good equivalent to Angels or the knowledge of evill equivalently contrary in either as he did obey or disobey And the ground why God instituted this Garden thus in all these prefigurations and significations was this Because the heavenly glory to Adams terrestriall perfections was supernaturall for it is one thing for Adam to kâ—ow by the perfections of the creation that God was able to create a supernaturall glory he appearing by it Infinite in Wisedome Power and Goodnesse And another thing that hee had created it and would bring him to it if hee did obey the rule of the Covenant for the perfections of the creation did demonstrate to Adam that God was able to doe such a thing but no more but the Covenant by God Word was exprest for a contrary evill And all those prefigurations and significations from the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype did make knowne to Adam that the supernaturall glory was made and in being also from the word knowledge of good that he should ascend to enjoy it to all eternity if hee did obey the rule of the Covenant or an evill equivalently contrary if he did disobey and therefore because supernaturall all was needfull to strengthen Adams faith to withstand the temptation in point of triall See this point cleared to the 13. Objection in Chap. 12. for God doth nothing in vaine And so much for what the Garden or Plantations signification was with respect to Adams worke in the Covenant Thirdly now Adam was to obey two rules in the Covenant one affirmative the other negative The affirmative was to this end namely to continue his naturall being to be a meanes to a supernaturall end by eating the fruits of this Garden for as in the precedent estate of
this fruit to the ruine of him and all the world and his posterity if hee had not beene remisse of all comprised in the conditirn of the Covenant Now as Adams remissenesse brought on this sinne of omission so his sin of omission brought on his sin of commission namely the eating of the forbidden fruit for when the divell in the Serpent told them saying yee shall not die at all and also that their obedience to Gods commandement denying themselves that fruit was the onely thing that kept them from having their eyes opened to be as Gods to know good and evill thereupon the Woman seeing the Tree and that the fruit was good for food saith the Text and that it wâ—s pleasant to the eye and a Tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3.16 Shee tooke the fruit thereof and did eat and gave it to her Husband also and hee did eate to Gods great dishonour esteeming his truth as false and God himselfe to them as a meere imposture and so magnified Satan as faithfull beleeving his lyes for truth because they imbraced them with a plenary consent and thereby they ventured the world their posterity and themselves upon his lies and so became the Generation and Offspring of reprobate Divells for it was with them now as it was with the Divells as the Angels became Divells not by change of their Essence but by change of their operations not abiding in the truth so this made them and us * And as we aâ—e pâ—rtakers of the diaâ—olicall nature by union with his will opeâ—ations as Iâ—hn 8.44 so on the contrary are we partakers of the divine nature not essentially but by the union of our will with his word by which we fly the corruptions that are in the world through lust 2 Pete 1.4 17. Iohn 17.21.22 23. as Divells by full amity to Satans will and enmity to God in beliefe of Satans liâ—s And thus was this sinne finished And so much for the first branch namely The evill of Adams transgression Secondly the evill of punishment followes yet not evill punishment because it was just and therefore good and just because according to the equall Ballance of the conditions of the Covenant that was good or evill as Adam did obey or disobey and therefore because Adam transgressed the Covenant justice now required these particulars First the extinguishing the perfections of the Creation from us because it was dependant on Adams worke in the Covenant and hee by eating the forbidden fruite denyed its perfection therefore it to him in justice must not only be stript of aâ—l perfections but on the contrary by Gods power turned into defections crosse operations and hideous representations to mans toâ—turous torment as the first fruits of his remote damnation because th s was the contrary evill In this third â—â—tate man was more deepely dead in sinnes and trespasses then hee can be in this world in his fourth Estate although hee be twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Secondly under this dreadfull Estate Justice now required that in it be that could of stones tell how to raise Children to Abraham should finde a way to raise a Posterity of Aâ—aâ— which to the last of man kinde must have bâ—n produced in conceptions births breedings dâ—spositions and operations totally evill like the generations of Serpents yea as reprobate Divells for if all must have bin equivalently contrary in evill to the precedent good as we see it must therefore so in this particular Thirdly as the prefiguration of the Plantation was the most immediate meanes to leade man by Faith to his highest end in eternall felicity Justice requireth contrarily that now thâ—s Plantation must be turned into the most certaine demonstration within the confines of the creation of our full terminating in eternall tortures to all eternity As Adam by refusing Gods truth refused the place and fellowship of Glory with the elect Angells by choosing Satans he so on the contrary Justice now required that he and his posterity must descend successively to the place prepared for the Divell and his Angells in fellowship with them as to our last and everlasting Habitations Mat. 25.41 for now all man-kinde and Divells were in Reprobation As the Latitude of Gods glorious Attributes are displayed in â—aking shaping and creating the supercelestiall Heaven of Heavens to be the most immediate expressions which demonstrate the glory of Gods Essentiall perfections to the ultimate felicity that men or Angells can be capable of On the contrary of this place for Torment Justice required that the Latitude of Gods Attributes glorious in power and wisdome must be stretcht out at as equall a distance to make shape or create this place with most dreadfull visions of the Almighty in the most torturing torments that the nature of Divells or mans body made spirituall can be capable of for a Spirituall body is not a body glorified no more then to be a Spirit but it is powerfully capable to inherit the glory of Angells or the misery of Divells to which we all should have descended none excepted for the Covenant was for al and al alike therefore in this vast depth of Gods pure justice we must ever have bin sinking in despaire never to come to the bottome thereof for the wrath of God must have bin feeding it as with Rivers of fire and brimstone to our torâ—urous torments to all eternity therefore endlesse easelesse remedilesse in darknesse never seeing light Esay 30.33 Againe mans conscience beholding the evill of his sinne how easily really certainly hee might once not only have avoâ—ded this torment but on the contrary might have attained to the height of all felicity to all eternity This worme would to Adam and will to all men which will needs be perishing be ever gnawing with griefe and never cease and so all man-kinde should hereditarily throughout all generations discend as travailing together to the foresaid place of their ultimate miserie and infelicity with this Creation as stript of its precedent perfections into crosse defections and operations c. Yet man not then sunke downe to his ultimate misery by Separation of his Body from his Soule as now man doth but in a personall union both of body and Soule together For the justice of the Covenant could not admit so much rest to mans Body as to sleepe in the dust nor any time of respit of execution for a day to come to judge the world buâ— immediate execution was to passe according to judgement In the day â—hou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death But this Judgement pass'd not to execution according to justice because that as by the offence of one judgement passed upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.16 even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the justification of life And so we are come to Adam and our fourth Estate in the restauration of the world by Redemption in the second
downe to be the sixth day of the weeke and ninth houre of that day implying this was the day of the week and houre of that day in which he first in the Lambs blood did render up his life figuratively then in the type and now in the truth the one answering the other in the circumstance of time in the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype And therefore rightly doth Saint Iohn take it for granted that Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 For the world received that sixth day a threefold beginning The first was the spire of perfection by creation Secondly the world received the beginning of supernaturall perfection founded in the covenant with Adam When all being lost by Adams fall the foundation for recovery of all was laid in the second Adams worke of the Covenanâ— the same sixth day and ninth houre of the same day and therefore hee was the Lambe slaine in the beginning for to God and to faith the worke of a perfect rest was then finished by Christ from the foundation of the world although unbelieving man enters not this rest neither by faith here nor by fruition hereafter as Heb. 4. Again the unconceiveable danger required that Christ as the second Adam in the Lambs blood must enter the worke in that minute that Adam fell otherwise justice must have proceeded immediatly to bring the judgement past to condemnation to an unconceiveable execution therefore hee entred the worke of the Covenâ—nt the same minute thâ—t Adam fell rendring his dearest life to Divine justice figuratively in the blood of the Lamb as slaine from the beginning of the foundation of the world Revelat. 13. vers 8. Againe he onely and alone in that point of time did undertake this worke because hee onely and alone was the spotlesse Lambe or the sinlesse man in that figure and therefore onely and alone fit for that worke Again he only and alone was the lamb of God personally God-man in this figure therefore he only and alone fitly able under flames of scorching wrath to undertake the satisfaction of the justice of the Covenant by perfect flames of burning love in his pure naturalls as a meanes by love supernaturall to attaine the supercelestiall felicity of the glory of Angells by taking upon him the imputed guilt of Adams sin and that dreadfull execution which immediately must have past for the same So much for the third point That by Christ his undertaking the worke of the Covenant hee removed for ever the judgement which passed on all men to condemnation and therefore it never passed to execution not so much as to any one mans damnation for Adams transgression For Christ no sooner undertooke to answer the justice of the Covenant in the type but in stead of immediate execution God in Christ manifested himselfe reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne seeking to save that which was lost saying to Adam Where art thou What hast thou done c. Gen. 3. verse 9. Secondly and that hee was so reconciling is more manifest in the 15. verse For God having cursed the Serpent hee then manifested the deliverance by Christ saying to Satan in the Serpent I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene her seed and thy seed it shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly whereas the justice of the Covenant required the production of all mankind unnaturally from crosse operations in the powers of the whole creation as is described Chapt. 3. yet now comes God and gives us a naturall production of all mankinde by a mercifull promise in a two-fold respect First to the seed of the woman with no promise of addition of sorrow to his conception or production that is Christ as the first in nature borne from the dead fall of Adam of every creature restoring Gods Image in all Gen. 3.15 Col. 1.15.16 17 18 19. Secondly a promise of a naturall conception and production of all mankinde but with the addition of the taste of sower herbes of sorrow for unâ—o the woman he said I will greatly increase thy sorrow and thy conception In sorrow shalt thou bring forth thy children verse 16. Fourthly justice from the Covenant required mans personall support from the power of God in the torturous powers of the Universe But now God gives a nutrimentall support by food naturall and onely with a taste of the sowre herbs of sorrow Gen. 3.17 For unto the man saith God because thou hast harkened unto the voyce of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree which I commanded saying Thou shalt not eat of it but saith not in the words of the Covenant thou shalt certainly die the death but saith onely this Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life c. Fifthly the justice of the Covenant admitted no separation of soule and body but our descent to our deepest torment must have bin in personall union of soule body together But now there is a separation and mans body hath a time of rest in the dust this is implyed in this Text Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne againe And now put all this sorrow together and then it is no more but this Even sowre herbs for man to relish his sweet mercy in the Lambe of God by whom hee passeth over all his wrath for Adams transgression by which we were unrecoverably rejected and reprobated with divels from God by the justice of the Covenant but according as God fore-appointed Christ and chose us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love so hee elected us in his beloved from reprobate divels with whom in justice wee were to remaine But because this deepe mysterie is wrapt up in that of Genes 3.15 and Rom. 5 18. therefore I will briefly open these two Texts before I passe to the fifth point viz. Unto Satan he said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele And whereas God saith to the Divell I will put enmity between thee the woman is first implyed that God only could as the case then stood produce this enmity in this word I. Secondly that his will was resolved so to doe in this word I w ll That the Divell formerly conceived if he could but get the woman into amity by beliefe of his lies then the justice of the Covenant would not admit to dissolve that amity much lesse to put enmity but to Satan saith God I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Now here ariseth a three-fold quere first what is meant by this word put secondly what is meant by this word enmity thirdly what is meant by this word woman First this word put implyeth this that by divine Justice all righteousnesse
and holinesse naturall or supernaturall to the least disposition in either was lost and gone by the fall of â—dam and left in the contrary evill Therefore in mercy comes God and saith I will put that is I will * This gracious and mercifull infusion is only that that since the fall doth originally bend the nature of man towards his ultimate felicity by Châ—ist yet although it doth so bend nature it is not therefore the Law of nature propeâ—ly so called foâ— what that is is described cap. 1. Iohn 1.4.9 infuse some disposition into mans spirit towards mee in Christ in whom I have chosen them Or by this word put I will write or imprint some principles which shall dispose man to my Law in Christ the second Adam in whom is life who is the life of men and enlightneth every man which commeth into this world and in a word God in Christ now put into the universall nature of man the effect of the Law written in his heart from whence he doth by nature the things contained in the Law of Christ and that it is the Law of Christ * See in cap. 4. and in cap. 6. And the truth is the naturall force of this infusion being by man improved he having not the written Oracle of God it will terminate in the circumcision of mans heart as is clearely proved in the seventh Chapter following Secondly and answerably as there is any disposition of the law in mans heart tending towards God by Christ answerably the same tends to this enmity with Satan but more as the same disposition is reduced to act towards God according to truth for the same disposition is enmity to Satan even as the Amity of this world is enmity with God so amity with God is enmity with Satan and in a word this infusion is most properly this enmity with Satan when it comes to the degree of faith actually to receive Christ his imputative righteousnesse as Gods gift to salvation and his rule for imitation Thirdly by Woman in this Text is not meant womans individuall person restrictively but this word Woman is the woman collectively meant as drawing all mankinde in Adams transgression into condemnation for example in the 16. Verse when God said to the Woman I will greatly increase thy sorrowes and thy conceptions in sorâ—ow shalt thou bring forth children Here by Woman hee speakes Relatively as to all women which shall conceive and bring forth and of all mankind which shall be conceived and borne so is this word Woman collectively in this Text to be understood of all mankind implying that this amity by internall disposition to God in Christ was by God infused universally into the nature of mankinde to descend hereditarily in their naturall conceptions whereas in justice none was left before in the fall but contrary dispositions to evill Secondly in the next word God saith to Satan and betweene thy seed and her seed and because the Text saith not onely I will put enmity * See this point cleared to Objection 10. in cap. 12. betweene thee and the woman here is a further matter implyed First by this word Seed what seed soever it was it was certainly the seed of the Divell conteined in this word thy seed and in a word this seed was the foresaid dispositions and mans acquired operations which entred originally into the nature of man by Adams sinne totally and eternally to remaine according to the justice of the Covenant as is declared Chapt. 3. And because in this Text God calls it by the name of a seed it further implyes that by Christs answering of the justice of the Covenant in the blood of the Lambe the nature of Divells namely originall sinne in the nature of man is by grace reduced but to a seed and it must needs be so because Gods foresaid infusion did imprint the principles of amity to himselfe And therefore from this ground onely mankinde now is conceived and borne but with the seed of originall sinne and not divels totally and eternally as justice required and this is the onely ground why men are in naturall dispositions better than divels Againe by this word her seed is implicitly meant Christ the second Adam in one nature and essentially the one God and second person in the sacred Essence and also in his other nature the nature of all mankinde in the Womans seed and in a word here is meant his personall union as God-man by this restriction her seed not of seeds as of many but of one which is Christ Gal 3. Againe this word and relates the precedent words Put and enmity to Christ also to be betweene the Serpent and him for as I noted before that the promise of his conception was without the promise of addition of the tast of sorrow so also this word put as related to him implies his conception and birth not only without the internall principle of originall sinne but also that his conception and birth was in its pure naturalls totally disposed to righteousnesse and holynesse in all perfections for his Mother being overshaddowed by the holy Ghost by which God put this enmity in Christ This Seed therefore which was borne was called a holy thing and so enmity in a superlative sense I will put enmity betweene thy seed and her seed but here note that that Amity with God which was enmity to Satan which was put into all mankinde by infusion and into Christs humane nature more then miraculously was in the generall nature one and the same disposition for as Christ is pittifull so mankinde is naturally inclined to pitty likewise as Christ is mercifull so mankinde is naturally inclined to mercy and as Christ worshiped God purely so mankinde is inclined to worship a Deity c. Yet in another respect farre different for that in men there alwaies remaines some seed of the Serpent at best in this life and therefore perfect but in part but the perfections in Christ from his conception to his expiration of his life was in all the degrees of naturall righteousnesse and holynesse a meanes by Faith and love supernaturall witnessing the truth of God against Satans lyes or Serpentine seed in men or Divells dissolving the works of Satan all comprehended in these words It shall breake thy head as will appeare in the eight Chapter Againe in the third place to the Serpent saith God thou shalt bruise his heele and in this point Christ is considerable in a foure fold respect First as him in whom God elected * Note that this universall election is grounded upon the meere favourable mercy of God so is also that second election or predestination in the beginning of the 6. Chap. from reprobate Divells all mankinde to grace and glory when in the justice of the Covenant all stood rejected and reprobated from him with Divells to the contrary evill as before is proved Yet as God then left them and chose us in Christ from them
so by him then were all men saved from the imputative damnation of Adams transgression wherefore in this respect all mankinde is the heele of Christ in this relation But from this relation Satan drawes us in our remissenesse by lying vanities to forsake our own mercies and so to perish not for Adams transgression but for our owne against this grace in Christ and so are bruised by Satan for thou shall bruise his heele Secondly as God is the Saviour of all men from Adams imputative damnation so more especially hee is the Saviour of them that beleeve and that in two respects First by pardoning their owne personall transgressions against this universall mercy Secondly by estating them in that eternall life by Faith in Christ which they lost by their owne sinne and in Adams for saith Christ he that beleeveth in me hath eternall life and is past from death unto life And because these men by beliefe of truth set to their Seales that God is true in his guift of Christ and his righteousnesse imputed and in the perfection of parts in some degree of inherent righteousnesse witnesse Gods truth against Satans lies or lying vanities Therefore Satan by tentations and other envyous operations as by Cain to Abell doth bruise this heele of Christ or but his heele for this company of the Faithfull here Militant in comparison of that with Christ triumphing in heavenly glory is but the heele of Christ and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly because the second Adam did apply all the power of his pure Naturalls of holinesse and righteousnesse a meanes witnessing Gods word of truth for good and evill opposing Satans lyes therefore Satan by himselfe or men adhering to him did by envious operations as he did by Cain to Abel crush Christ himselfe yet it did not extinguish his Faith and love to God and his Neighbour in the least degree but drew it out the more as in due place it will appeare Yet all these envious operations being but extended to the affliction of his body and soule being his nature humane the lowest nature in his Sacred Person therefore it was but his heele as it was foretold thou shalt bruise his heele Fourthly againe as if God should say to Satan true it is that in the first Adams faithlesse fall from me thou didst devour all both heele body and head but against this the second Adam whom I wil raise up in the nature of all men of the seed of the woman to him doe thy worst yet thou shalt but bruise his heele at the most and thou shalt bruise his heele So much for opening of this first out-breake of the object of Faith once given to the Saints in this fourth estate of man Gen. 3.15 As Adams traÌ„sgression and the guilt and punishment was from the justice of the Covenant reckoned or imputed to al mankind in the fall even so by Gods mercy in the free guift of Christs righteousnesse reckoned or imputed to all was that sinne guilt and punishment removed from all and therefore noÌ„e ever perished for that transgression for although Adams eat ng the forbidden fruit and the demerit of it was not any mans indâ—vidually but Adams yet God in the justice of the Covenant did reckon or impute it to all and every individuall of mankinde as if it had bin their own act and demerit even so although Christs righteousnesse and merit of it was his own onely and alone individually considered yet that righteousnesse and merit being to satisfy Gods justice in behalfe of the world it was therefore by Gods free guift in mercy reckoned or imputed to all and every individuall of man generally and to man beleeving more specially as is declared but what this righteousnesse is which was so imputed see the end of the 8. Chap. Againe Rom. 5.18 the Apostle saith for as by the offence of one judgement came upon â—ll men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the jâ—stification of life from these words I will make these briefe observations following First that in the next verse before this Christs righteousnesse is called the guift of righteousnesse but in this Text it is spoken as if Christs righteousnesse were the procuring cause of the guift of it selfe as imputed to come upon all men and the truth is so it was for had not Christs righteousnesse in the figurative lamb to the justice of the Covenant in every respect answered the imputative unrighteousnesse of Adam the righteousnesse of Christ could not imputatively by free guift have come as it did upon all men to the justification of life for till the justice of the Covenant was so satisfied although God was willing to impute it to life yet he could not for as God cannot lye so he cannot deny his truth but all mankinde must certainly have dyed according to Gods-word that death in the day that Adam did sinne Secondly here note that this free guift of Christs imputative righteousnesse came at this time on all men unfought for or unthought on by them for when God brought this guift to them Adam runne away from him therefore here God waâ— found of them which sought him not Thirdly here observe that this free guift of righteousnesse came upon al men when there was not any d) See this justification before mans faith and without faith cleared in the answer to the 10 Objection in Chap. 4. Faith in man for we by Adam faithlessely betray'd Gods truth and at this time as in our naturall roote in his loynes runne from the God of truth Therefore Faith foreseene was now no cause or instrumentall meanes of all mens salvation or election from Divells in Adams imputative damnation 4. Againe observe that this guift of imputative righteousnesse conferred upon all men viz justification for saith the Text It came upon all men to justification Therefore mans Faith can be but the receptive instrument of this justification and justification with Faith or justification without Faith is all one except that in the last mans receptive instrument is of use and this presents unto us two things first a definition of Iustification what justification then was men having not as yet the guift of Faith Secondly what it was not And first in a word this justification by Chriâ—ts impâ—tative righteousnesse was this the pardon and the removall of the imputative sinne guilt and punishment due for Adams transgression as farre as the East is from the West and so gave man a gracious acceptance and at this time this was the justification of all men Secondly mans owne works of righteousnesse was not his justification nor no good works foreseene for as now man by the fall his works were onely so euill as the Divells so all mens works but Christs works in this fourth estate of Restauration at best are but in the perfection of parts by reason of the Serpentine seed which hereditarily runnes down in the
be on an eighth day by his bodies resurrection and therefore then on an eighth day precisely Infants were to be admitted visible members of Christs mysticall body on earth in the Kingdom of grace implying their right by him to his glory (b) Then Infants have much more right to be â—eceived into the Church Militant by Baptisme triumphant in Heaven From which ground when people brought little Children to Christ that he might blesse them hee was angry with the Apostles which kept them from him and commanded them to suffer little (c) Notwithstanding the males onely were admitted to be visible members of Christs body by circumcision yet not onely the women but all the female Infants were then members of Christs body though they received not the seale of the Covenant they being not capable of it in their flesh yet the Grace of the Covenant in Christ received them to be visible members and the ground why that signe of the Covenant was precisely related to the males was to figure that the Lambe of God of the seed of the woman was not to be a female but a male therefore this hinde eth not but that the Infants of believing parents under the Gospel much more may be admitted visible members by baptisme and from the beginning of the world as appeares in the practice of the ten fathers before the flood they esteemed their Infants visible members of Christ for in their infancy they stablished upon their persons by their names the conveyance of the Oracle of life or the object faith once given to the Saints variously to ensuing posterities as appeareth at large in the fifth Chapter of this Treatise Children to come unto him and renders this as a reason of his command for of such is the Kingdome of Heaven therefore so departing this world they ascend to that Kingdome which so belongeth unto them Quest Now the question may be whether circumcision was onely intended to mankinde as in Infancy Answere It was not onely intended unto mankind as Infants but also to men as capable of reason as is Baptisme now for to them it did not â—nely prefigure that the nature of Divels became not totall and the imputed damnation of the Covenant was cut off by Gods mercy in Christ but also to men capable of reason it did prefigure that they submitting in beliefe of truth to receive Gods guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed theâ—r sinne should not onely be cut off in the habite of sinne in them against Christ weakned in this world and in the next world none (d) Hence it is God adding the law to the promise gave this one law viz. that the Paschal Lambe must be eaten with sowre herbs Exod. 12.8 to remaine but also that they in glory with Christ should ever remaine therefore God to Abraham called the sharpe cutting of the fore-skin of the member of Generation his Covenant meaning that to man believing truth that sharpnesse was a seale of Christs imputed righteousnesse which they received by faith including their vivification and mortification and the ground of all happinesse for so it was to Abraham being circumcised at a full age as Rom. 4 And therefore saith Christ hee that believeth in mee hath eternall life Againe although God cut off the fore-skin of the Member of generation yet but the foreskin for hee left the next innermost skin uncut off this implicitly told men capable of reason that although the grace of the Covenant did cut off the serpentine nature yet hee left a seed to remaine to let men understand that as Abraham could not be justified by workes having this serpentine seed remaining in him therefore in this life man must submit to God guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed as did Abraham for justification and his rule for imitation therefore saith the Apostle being justified by faith meaning men capable of reason we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein wee stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.1.2 But the question may be here Quest whether mens sins which themselves commit be against the law naturall as supernaturally related to Gods Covenant with the first Adam I answer no for in the second Adam onely after the fall Answ this law of nature in it's perfections was inherent and was related as a meanes to attaine that supernaturall end and then given to us imputatively for justification in him and a rule for imitation for us and therefore all our sinnes are against that law of righteousnesse so manifested to us in him by the Covenant of grace and not as the law was in the first Adam a Covenant of workes and man capable of reason stands bound so to receive it by beliefe of truth in Christ Iesus or the rejection of this rule cuts him from Christ for be that believeth not is condemned already and that by just consequence because he that is guilty of sinne in one is guilty in all for hee that rejects it in point of justification rejects it also as his rule in point of sanctification and from this ground Moses pronounced that man accursed which did not doe all things contained in the Law that is as not intentionally ayming to doe all things contained in that Law as leading to Christ as hereafter in due place will appeare Yet if man did then or now doth but at least intentionally respect this object of Faith as the truth is in Iesus hee is guilty of none although hee actually sinne in many things wherein we offend all Iam. 3. â— and the ground of the point is this that in Christs righteousnesse imputed and by beliefe of truth received as the truth is in Iesus this man wants no righteteousnesse which in heart hee desires to have in Christ nor is guilty of no sinne which in heart hee desires to be freed from Rom. 7.22.25 and Rom. 8.1 Quest Againe another question here to be resolved will be this that in regard Gods mercifull imputation did remove from all mankinde that imputed damnation of the Covenant for Adams sinne then how farre forth doth it also extend to take off the guilt and punishment of mens owne sinnes individually committed against the Law of grace as it is in Iesus Christ Answ It extends exceeding farre in this case also even to any man submitting by beliefe of truth to receive this gift of righteousnesse as the truth is in Iesus for then it takes off all manner of sinne committed against him one sinne onely excepted for saith Christ All manner of sinne and blasphemy against the Sonne of man shall be forgiven unto men but the sinne against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Mark 3. And the ground why God thus foreappointed Christ before the world was to be ready as the Ram in the bush in that point of time to enter the worke of the Covenant to take off the just
destruction of the world and to state it thus to travell together with man-believing truth to it 's desired felicity was onely this namely Gods love to the world for God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Therefore the world must be onely considered as an object agreeable to Gods will because it was to him an object of love for the truth is God did so consider it and that in a two-fold respect First in all that good which God communicated to the world by creation as involved in the Covenant to it 's ultimate perfection and all this as issuing from himselfe was his owne effect as the off-spring of God and therefore a good every way agreeable to Gods will and an object of love to him But if the justice of the Covenant had passed to execution then God had proceeded to annihilate all this good not onely in part but totally and eternally but this went against his mind therefore hee so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne c. That glory which was to result to God out of all the good of the creatures according to the spire of perfection of the Covenant by Adams supernaturall operation was Gods finall end for which he made all namely his glory and this was to God the object of good in the highest respect But if God had in the justice of the Covenant proceeded to execution then this his finall end had beene separated from him and he might in the ruine and destruction of the creatures to all eternitie have glorified himselfe But from the creatures good his glory could never have returned to him in any degree much lesse from the highest spire of perfection intended in the Covenant as was Gods desire but this was contrary to his mind therefore God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne as his Lambe to take away the sinnes of the world by regaining his glory in the redundancie thereof to the eternall praise of his mercy Is it so that by this second Adam Observation his satisfaction of Divine justice God in mercy gave to all mankinde alike the meanes and end namely Eternall life and that the good of this world is a remote meanes to the same end as here wee see Then hence observe that all men either poore or rich which desire or indeavour to attaine the good of this world for them and theirs and not as a means to this end they then in their imaginations and all their labours are but a mere lye and vanity whence rightly saith the Psalmist Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye Psal 62.9 Againe is the good of this world Gods gift in Christ Observation a comfortable and remote meanes amongst many to leade man to Christ to receive in him eternall life then take this rule for a direction not to be dismaid to see some in want for their chastisement and some for triall and some to abound for those men which terminate their rests in wealth and in the pleasures and delights of this world shall attaine but a brutish rest here and never receive eternall rest in Angells glory hereafter for this is but a meanes and a remote one too therefore hee that sits downe in this meanes must needs lose the end and so perish eternally Here follow some Objections made by a Reverend Divine which are accordingly answered and the Objections made by others are answered in the twelfth Chapter Object 1. If Adams omitting to eate of the tree of Life were a Sinne and that Sinne of omission brought on her Sinne of commission shee was not the first occasion of his Sinne but first Sinne a rose intrinsecus Answ Neither in this page nor in any other is it said his omitting to eate of the tree of Life was a sinne nor is it said he did omit to eate the fruit of this Garden or of the tree of Life but it is said hee was remisse of the different end from his former Estate why he was to eate of these fruits as a meanes thereunto and his remisnesse to eate these fruits as such a meanes brought his sinne of omission and that brought on his sinne of commission Because of the naturall liberties of their wills therefore sin might arise from within Also because their righteousnesse and holinesse did spring from naturall causes internally and externally as Chap. 1. therefore righteousnesse and holinesse being not their nature they might mutually turne to good or evill Againe why might not sinne in both of them arise from within this second Estate being so farre different from the former Estate of creation if their understandings were not carefully applyed to Gods rules in the Covenant to keepe them from evill and their wills to God as a good more fully to be communicated to them then by the perfections of the creation and the truth is from the remissenesse of them both it was that shee was the first in the transgression with Satan by the Serpent and he the second in the same by her Object 2. * Pag. 21. Where you say all mankinde were in reprobation if you meane the case of reprobates or guilt of damnation it is true but if you meane of Gods decree it crosseth the doctrine of Election Answ I meane as it is explained in the page namely that in the fall of Adam all mankinde alike were reprobated under the guilt due punishment of eternall condemnation joyned together with reprobate divells as opposed to our conjunction with elect Angels in eternall glory by vertue of the intended end of Gods Covenant with Adam Againe I deny any such decree and in the prosecution of the sixth point I have as I believe explained those Scriptures which reverend Calvin and you I suppose doe thinke doe prove that decree and case of Reprobates and as for that doctrine of Reprobation the Scripture proves it no more then it doth that word Decree which neither in the old Testament or the new is so much as mentioned with reference to the point of Election and Reprobation as I suppose you meane Object 3. Pag. 22. The judgement was executed that very moment that Adam eat of the forbidden fruit in that instant he was dead in sinne and mortality seized upon his body and hee stood guilty of eternall damnation Answ True it is judgement was executed the very moment that Adam eat the forbidden fruit yet not upon the first Adam but onely upon the second Adam as his Saviour and ours as pag. 24. and 25. figuratively in the blood of the Lambe or if not how or why was he as Saint Iohn affirmes the Lambe slaine from the worlds foundation Rev. 13.8 Or how was it that as by one offence judgement passed upon all men to condemnation even so by one righteousnesse the free guift came on all men to justification of life as Saint Paul affirmes Rom. 5.18 and as
to the glory of Angells by his receiving Christs righteousnesse the object of life Adam and Eve now remained alone to possesse this day of Grace namely this world as a day of Grace for only with them remained the Oracle of eternall life that is a Promise of the seed to breake the Serpents head therefore this Oracle or object of justification as the ground of all true Religion to discend to posterity was altogether unsetled by reason of Abells ascent to blessednesse and Cains abiding under cursednesse as cut off from Gods presence of Grace for saith hee from thy face shall I be hid so went out from the presence of God therefore Cains Posterity as borne and bred remote from the pillar of truth and life of Religion under their Fathers exemplary concision were carried as a streame to all ungodlinesse wherefore when God gave Eve the next man-childe Gen. 4.25 she called his name Seth that is setled sure as saith Reverend and Learned Broughton in his Treatise upon the first ten Fathers And saith Moses Adam knew his wife againe and shee bare a sonne and called his name Seth for God said shee hath appointed me another seed â—nsteed of Abel whom Caine slew Againe Gen. 5.3 the Text saith Adam begat a sonne in his owne likenesse and called his name Seth implying the production of this Childe every way answered the image of Aâ—ams desire that is to enjoy issue which might stand in the same image or likenesse that himselfe did to enjoy this day of grace as a day of grace to convey the Oracle of life to ensuing posterity and therefore hee joyned with Evah in this childes name and called his name Seth So leaving his minde to posterity in his sonnes name that the conveyance of the pillar of truth was setled sure to future generations Againe also to Seth was borne a sonne and hee called hâ—s name Enos Kings translation addeth that then men began to call upon the name of the Lord that is Seths posterity began to multiply being the visible Church containing by tradition the pillar of truth or object of Faith once given to the Saints Yet learned Broughton saith the letters of the name of Enos in the appellative signifieth sorrowfull-grievous that is then beganne corruption touching the calling on the name of God The truth is this ground also is good The Kings translation and Broâ—ghtâ—ns â—econciled for then began the multiplication of Cains posterity as in number so in corruption by concision touching the calling on the name of the Lord For by their exemplary evill it came to passe that those which were the sonnes of God in the profession of this object of Iustification fell away by affinity with them and this is implyed Gen. 6. where it is said it came to passe when men began to multiply upon the face of the Earth and daughters were borne unto them then the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke them wives of â—ll that they chose implying not what God liked c. Wherefore Seth seeing the beginning of this evill hee in the appellative letters of his sonnes name left by tradition his minde to the world telling them this was sorrowfull and grievous unto him and all godly men for so it was to Enâ—s wherefore he named his sonne Cainan that is to lament saith reverend Broughton and yet he whose name signified Lamentation named his sonne Mahalaleel that is as the same Broughton saith a praiser of God implying notwithstanding this lamentable object yet to man believing truth there was remaining a two-fold ground of praise to God First for the light of eternall felicity which shined in his guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed the Lambe figuratively slaine from the foundation of the world and all included in the promised seed as the object of Faith once given to the Saints Secondly to praise God for his firme truth in the certaine destruction of the power of Satan although then it remained in a world of sinfull men for it shall breake thy head wherefore this Praiser of God also leaves his minde to the world by tradition in the name of his sonne calling him Iared that is descending saith Broughton foretelling the worlds descent in ungodlines to misery as without hope of returne wherefore this hopelesse man names his Son Enoch as saith Broughton signifying dedicated or consecrated to God implying he would dedicate him and his to God according to truth though the stream of the world run a contrary way following lying vanities forsaking their owne mercies And God answered this happy resolution in his sonne for hee by Faith in the faithlesse world that then was walked with God and he was not saith the Text for God tooke him away that is he never died but in soule and body joyntly ascended to the glory of Angels by which figure being the seventh from Adam God condemned the faithlesse world that hee really and mercifully prepared that glory in eternall felicity for them But they cast it away by their Apostacy from him and gave themselves up to fleshly and terrestriall contentments implied when God saith My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that hee also is flesh Therefore Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of the destruction of that world saying Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement and to reprove all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them Jude 14. Wherefore this man leaves his mind by tradition to the world in the name of his sonne also for he called him Methusalah that is as saith Broughton God sends that is his certaine judgement upon the wicked of the world And Methusalah therefore named his son Lamech as saith the same Author signifying striking implying Gods finall stroke to the destruction of the world did now draw neere Againe Lamech prophesied that God would after that destruction by Christ give a comfortable restauration of the world and left it by tradition in the name of his sonne whom he called Noah which signifieth comforter or restorer as saith Broughton Againe by Noah God prepared the Arke which in a figure was Christ implying that although now God set up his flaming sword turning it every way that none could escape namely the flood signified by Noah's building the Arke Yet by this Arke so long a building was farther signified that God would rather glorifie his mercy in their salvation then his justice in their deserved destruction Wherefore Gen. 6. although he saith My spirit shall nâ—t alwayes strâ—ve with man for that be also is flesh as the bruit beast for that is implyed yet then he saith his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres implying so long time he would give them to returne to be accepted in his beloved sonne the Arke of salvation And this
he did although hee knew that from Caines exemplary concision the wickednesse of man was great in the earth yea every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evill continually then it * God is said to repent not in any respect of his internall divine glory for in his unmeasurable perfections he is one intire serene stilnesse but God is said properly to repent according as hee doth dâ—aw backe that good or ev ll which he communicates to man by that second definitive rule of truth mentioned ca. 8. by which he ordinarily wills his glory to â—eturne to himself from man repented the Lord that he had made man in the earth and yet all the said time of Noahs preparing the Arke before their eyes God did by it excitively draw them implicitly telling them yet there was mercie for them But this mercy they despise minding onely earthly contentments agreeable to sense as the bruit as is further implyed by the words of our Saviour Fâ—r saith hee in the dayes of Noah that were before the flood they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noah entred into the Arke And that all this time God did excitively draw them to returne to him by Christ is witnessed by Saint Peter for saith hee God in the spirit of Christ preached to them who sometimes were disobedient when as once the long suffering of God wayted in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was in preparing and as I said before this grace they despised wherefore God spared not the old world of the ungodly but brought in the flood c. Mat. 24.38 1 Pet 3.19.20 2 Pet. 2.5 Yet here we must not judge that all that perished in this temporall judgement perished eternally For godly men sometimes in Gods generall judgements are swept away for their great remissenesse to Gods great mercies extended to them and yet passe through that shade of death to eternall life as did good old Eli and as did meeke Moses whose carkasse fell in the wildernesse amongst the rest yet God let him see the terrestriall Canaan a figure of the celestiall felicity as a pledge of his sure passage through that shade of death to eternall life so also all in this flood who perished being Infants or in childhood or naturall Ideots or the like passed through this dreadfull flood to eternall felicity Therefore O Lord thou punishest unwillingly nor grievest the children of men to crush under thy feet all the prisoners of the earth Lam 3.33 Againe where Saint Peter referres salvation to Noah saying that Noah the eighth person was saved hee meaneth not but the other seven in that Arke which was the figure of Christ were also saved in it from the stood But in the number eight another thing is meant namely as an eighth day was to be the promised seed his resurrection day therefore here the number of eight as referred onely to Noah implyed that although the other seven were saved from that flood in the Ark ye Noah only then was saved in it as risen with Christ by faith in the object of justification by which he built the Arke to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world and became heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith Hebr. 11.7 figuratively implying that God in Christ is the Saviour of all men from Adams transgression and more to live in this day of Grace to receive by faith his free guift of life in glory yet his salvation is more speciall to them that believe as here in Noah wee see and as before is noted Cap. 4. Againe God having in the Arke saved both man and beast at least paires of all kinde At their comming out of the Arke then Noah that by faith rested onely upon the pillar of truth and object of life for the good of this life and a better hee no sooner comes out of the Arke into the world but hee refreshed his heart by faith in the seed of the womans satisfactory righteousnesse as the only ground of all blessednesse Genes 8.20 In Adam puâ—e naturalls man had a naturall â—ight to the creatures and the good of theâ— afterwards by the Covenant not onely that but also a right to the Creatures in a supernaturall relation and then that right in the fall being lâ—st then the second Adam as the first-borne of every câ—eature opened the womb of all perfection towards which it doth travell til now and then God by gâ—ft conferred upon all mankind divine right of this life and that to come so likewise when by the universall apostasy of man that right was deservedly to be cut off yet then God established by Châ—ists satisfactory sacrifice to man a right as to the world to come so to the creatures till time shall be no mo e as here wee see therefore all mankind have a divine right to the Creatures Wherefore God manifested to all of them that on it hee rested also fully contented and satisfied towards the world yea although now God did fore-see the concision of the hearts of the children of men for future times against him as it precedently was in Caines posterity yet upon Christs satisfactory righteousnesse he now ratifies to all mankind this worlds good till time shall be no more to be mans day of Grace to receive Gods guift of eternall glory for saith Moses Iehovah smelled a Savour of rest and Iehovah said in his heart I will not againe curse the earth any more for mans sake for the imaginations of mans heart is evill from his youth neither will I any more smite every thing living as I have done while the earth remaineth Seed-time and Harvest and cold and heat and Summer and Winter and day and night shall not cease vers 21.22 And accordingly in the next Chapter God againe renewes his mercifull production of mankinde for This is the third production of mankind given by God the first before the fall Gen. 1. the second by Christ the second Adam and restorer of all Gen. 3.16 the third is this mercifull restauration saith Moses God blessed Noah and his sonnes and said unto them be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth Also he gave man right over the Creatures and a Law to eate flesh letting out the blood thereof also a law against murthering of mankind Verse 2.3 And commands them to consider all this to be the renewing of his Covenant of Grace universally to all mankind For saith Moses God saith unto Noah and his sonnes with him saying And I behold I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you for ever and with every creature that is with you v. 8. Also God gave them the Rain-bow as a witnesse of this mercy to perpetuall generation Verse 13. and Vers 16. saith God the Bow shall be in the cloud I will looke upon it that I may remember the everlasting Covenant betweene God and every living creature of
all flesh that is upon the earth c. And in the next place Moses tels us the manner of the proceedings betweene God and this new Generation Chap. 11. Verse 1. He tells us the whole earth was then of one language and also in processe of time whither they journed and at length setled For he saith it came to passe as they journied from the East they found a plaine in the Land of Shynar and they dwelt there Also hee tels what they said and what they did with an unanimous consent They said one to another Goe too let us make bricke and burne them throughly and they had bricke for stone and slime had they for morter And they said goe too let us build us a City and a Tower whose top may reach unto Heaven And then hee tels us to what end and purpose was this great building set up by all these great Counsell cost and labour namely that their owne imaginations and the worke of their owne hands might get them an immortall Name and Fame on earth For they said Let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth This implies they all were now in this plaine Resident and also their apostasie universally from God in the Pillar of truth in which Oracle was wrapt up the gift of mortall and immortall good for from it wee see upon Noahs sacrifice he conveyed to them and theirs all happinesse present and to come So here you see the manner of the proceedings of this new generation towards God for all his gracious mercy by the promised seed his satisfactory righteousnesse Againe it followes in what manner God proceeded for this to them saith Moses Iehovah came downe to see the City and the Tower that the children of men builded and Iehovah said the people are all one and they have all one language and this they begin to doe and nothing will restraine them from that which they have imagined to doe These words imply two things first that this building to the foresaid end was very offensive to God secondly that they were so farre gone in this transcendent mischiefe as no ordinary meanes could restraine their desired purposes and therefore God resolves upon an extraordinary meanes to divert them For saith the sacred Trinity Goe to let us goe downe and there confound their language that they may not understand one another and this did effect it For saith Moses Jehovah scattered them from thence abroad upon the face of all the earth and they left off to build the City therefore is the name if it called Babel because Jehovah there confounded the language of all the earth And in the tenth Chapter Moses relates in what parts of the world these scattered families did first settle and then concludes saying These are the Families of the sonnes of Noah after their generations in their Nations and by these were the Nations divided after the flood And so much for the first part of the time of Gods impartiall proceedings to mankind from which precedent premisses observe these particulars First from whence all heathenish Paganisme or Gentilisme did originally spring namely from Gods just punishmenâ— of this peoples universall Apostasie from the Pillar of truth and Oracle of life and glory descending so famously to them by tradition from Adam by Noah and renewed to them by Covenant from God therefore for this universall apostasie hee left them universally to walke in the vanity of their owne mindes as without God in the world about eighteene hundred yeeres Secondly observe that for mans turning from God in this object of Justification therefore the sacred Oracle was three times confin'd to narrow bounds First when Caine had killed Abel then it was confined to Adam and Evah and so downe to the Families of the ten first Fathers before the flood Secondly then confin'd in the Arke to Noah and his Family when God drowned all the off-spring of the ten Fathers together with Caines Posterity being partakers in apostasy from truth to lying vanities so by punishment in wofull miseries Thirdly confin'd now at Babel when God cast off all the Nations for casting away him in his truth and speciall mercies then was the object of life and glory confin'd to the Family of Shem impleyed Gen. 11. from the 10. verse to the end of the Chapter by Moses recording Shems Genealogie in the Booke of Life and none else mentioning their births their dayes of life and their particular deaths Thirdly observe how that righteous Noah lived and saw the apostasie of the old world and their punishment his own off-springs apostasie at Babel and their punishment the apostasie of Shems Family and so left this world and that family languishing so farre as worshipping the Idol Gods of the Heathen Iosh 24.23 And saith Broughton in his consent of Scripture Noah died but two yeeres before Abraham was borne therefore hee lived to see all this Fourthly observe that notwithstanding all these apostasies yet by tradition God upheld the Oracle of life in the world to this time For Shem now personally continued constant in the truth figuratively personating Christ as King of Peace and Priest of the most high God after the power of an endlesse life although man unbelieving descends downe to endlesse death Therefore Gods proceedings in this first part of time was to all mankinde alike without respect of persons as hee originally said to Caine If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted But if thou dost not well sinne lies at the dore as precedently is explicated CHAP. VI. Opening the second part of time namely from the time that God called Abraham to the time that he called the Gentiles by Christ in the Gospel VVHereas all Families of the earth at this time were cut off from the Oracle of life and Shems Family to which it was last confin'd by apostasie lay now perishing in their owne corruptions yet then comes God and renewes his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed to come upon all men to justification of life for now hee predestinated all mankinde to life and glory the second time to enjoy this day of grace namely this world as a day of grace to receive by beliefe of his gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed the day of eternall glory This extraordinary mercy thus universally renewed by this second pr destination not onely proves the sufficiencie of Christs imputed righteteousnesse as the Fathers gift for the salvation of all all alike but also Gods willingnesse to have it effectuall as to a reasonable creature to bring him to happinesse according to his kinde not onely in an ordinary way but sometimes extraordinarily as appeareth in the 9. 10. chapters I say all for I meane both Shems Family and all the Families of the Earth which at this time comprehended all mankinde none excepted and for proofe of this point Gen. 12. saith Moses concerning this Predestination Iehovah had said unto * The
figured in Isaak the Child of Promise Therefore this Terrestriall Canaan was intaild to them in Christ for an everlasting inheritance as it was a figure of the Caelestiall Canaan yet eternall life intail'd with this proviso implicitly of their right submittance in beliefe of truth and so to enjoy this day of grace as a day of grace and therefore at this universall Predestination in Christ God gives this generall rule I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee That is blessing more speciall to them which by beliefe of truth rightly receive all good in the imputed righteousnesse of this seed as did Abell the first ten Fathers and Abraham their Father or the contrary to them that beleeve not this truth as to Cain the old world the Off-spring of Noah Shems Posterity and Terah Abrahams Father So that Gods proceedings by this Covenant in the promised seed was here layd downe without all respect of persons Iewes or Gentiles both being comprehended in this Covenant Againe to goe on for in the raysing of this Nation from misery to mercy in Christ Jesus God exprest himselfe in divers figures as first in the manner of Isaacs conception and birth he being the Child of promise therefore that God might by this figure lead this Nation by a streight line to receive by beliefe of truth this land as their terrestriall day of grace and to receive by Faith in Christs righteousnesse the celestiall day of glory therefore hee gave the naturall being of this Nation not so much from the force of nature as from Faiths object for Abrahams naturall force in the flesh especially Sarahs wombe was now as good as dead to this production yet she by beliefe of the promised Messias in Isaac to spring figuratively (a) So that Isaac was borne after the Spirit and therefore as a right figure of Christs bâ—thâ— so also of all beleevers which are borne after the will of God and not of the will of the flesh as was Ishmâ—ell the figure of all which walke after the will of the flesh in terrestriall contentments and so Hagar in Arabia and Sarah in the Land of Promise were figuratively two Testaments as Gal. 4.24 25. Rom. 4.19 Heb. 11.12 Gen. 12.12 from her wombe she received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a Child from whence sprang this numberlesse Nation to (b) Christ as head and his nationall spouse elect as members being promised to issue as numberlesse from Abrahams Loynes then dead to thaâ— production 〈◊〉 were a figure of Christ and his numberlesse members of right beleevers yet Aâ—â—aham to be such a Father in these three respects believed God was able and faithfull to accomplish that pâ—omise and therefore humbly submitted in beliefe to receive in that gift the righteous seed his satisfactory righteousnesse imputed all that felicity according to this fourth estate of man and therefore God reckoned or imputed or manifested to Abraham that that act was very sutable or agreeable to his minde as in another case hee expressed to Phineas Numb 25.10 11. See this further explained at the end of the exposition of the ninth of the Rom. in cha 6. this honour Yet when Sarah would cast out Ishmaell from inheriting this honour with Isaac this to Abraham was grievous then said God to Abraham let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the Lad and because of the bond-woman In all that Sarah hath said unto thee hearken to her voyce for in Isaac shall thy seed be called that is figuratively in him to Christ by this streight line to receive the riches of mercy only in him in whose righteousnesse imputed I received all upon Adams fall as now by Restauration I intend to receive all wherefore Abraham accordingly in this righteousnesse received the riches of grace to him and the whole world and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse as saith the Apostle Rom. 4.3.11.13 Gen. 15.6 And hereupon God gave Abraham circumcision as the Seale of the righteousnesse imputed in the object of Faith which he received by beliefe of truth and then God gave this rule that that man or Family which refused to receiue this Seale of righteousnesse which is by Faith should be cut off from the nationall spouse of Christ Gen. 16.14 implying Gods impartiall proceedings towards them as precedently to Abell and Cain If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sinne lies at the dore Againe to goe on with this elect Nation and then we meete with another remarkeable figure when Rebecca also had conceived twinns by Isaac God then considered these two babes in her wombe as two Nations and two manner of people to be separated from her bowells for so to Rebecca God explaines himselfe Gen. 25. And because God by tradition intended to leade this Nation by this figure as by a streight line of truth to know in future times that that rise from their Idolatrous denne to this honour in Abrahams Loynes was with no respect to Abrahams person more then to any other mans but onely to Gods mercifull election as before is described therefore before the Babes were borne God elected the youngest Babe and his posterity to this honour but hee rejected from this honour the eldest babe and his posterity although he was the first-borne in the naturall line as hateing this Elect Nations rise to this mercy with any respect to Abrahams or Iacobs fleshly line as any cause moving him so to doe Therefore he did this that the purpose of God according to the Election might stand only according to his call of Abraham from an Idolatrous denne by mercy from that misery Againe this Election and rejection of these babes and their posterity was before the babes were borne as here we see and therefore as saith Saint Paul it was before they had done good or evill and so this figure told this Nation that as their evill works in Terah from whom in Abrahams flesh they came did not hinder God from shewing mercy to them being miserable so neither on the contrary did any good (a) As not workes so not faith fore-seen in Abraham or any other is any ground of Gods election of miserable man to life and glory but onely Gods love to himselfe in the glory of his free grace in Iesus Christ is the ground of election as when God elected all mankind from reprobate divels we being the same with them in Adams fall so also the secoÌ„d time when he elected both Iews and Gentiles in the promised seed by Covenant with Abraham when they were all gone out of the way of peace became abominable by their Apostacy from that grace as in this Chap. doth appeare works of Abrahams or theirs foreseene further or bring on this honourable election to temporall and eternall felicity in Christ Iesus And therefore that the purpose of God might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said
unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Iacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Gen. 25.22 23. Malach. 1.2 3. Thus to this Nation God set up Abraham Isaak and Iacob persons for three pillars to preach through future Generations that not with respect to their persons more then others but only in his guift of the seed of the womans righteousnesse imputed to them he raised them from an Idolatrous brood perishing in the examplary concision of their Ancestors corruptions to be Christs Nationall Spouse elect See pag. 72 73. Againe to discend with this Nation we finde them then in Egypt under great opressions by the cruelty of Pharaoh but from thence with a high hand God delivers them figuratively in the blood-shed of Christ the Paschall lambe leading them thereby to Christ his acceptable righteousnesse imputed by God to them as the only ground of removing their deserved miseries conferring upon them undeserved mercies as he promised to Abraham in this promised seed about 400 yeares before Gen. 25.13 14. Exod. 14.13 And so God leades them from Egypt through the Wildernesse with his high hand of providence towards the promised land the figure of eternall felicity for saith God to them You have seene what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings and brought you unto my selfe Exo. 19. Yet to God by beliefe of his truth in the promised seed so famous by tradition descending to them from Adam by the ten Fathers before the Flood down to Abraham with whom he renewed this mercy for them they neverthelesse by remissenesse passed over all this preferring the Onyons and flesh-pots and pleasurable treasures of Egypt before the riches of the promised land their day of grace and figure of Gods gift of their eternall glory in Christ Iesus for when God tried them their mindes were but flesh that is onely agreeable to sensuall objects as the bruit and no higher For neither reason nor Faith of Gods gift in Christ was of any use wherefore God sware they should never enter the figure of eternall rest implying his impartiall proceedings to them as to Cain and Abell Againe yet because of their remissenesse they being thus habituated to transgresse the oracle of life and glory in the promised seed therefore to the promise God added the law in holy writ to convey through their generations this object of Faith more firmly that so they might eate the same Spirituall meate and drinke the same Spirituall drink in right beliefe of truth as did all that liv'd by Faith before them and as doe all that now live in right beliefe of truth after them for the flesh of the Sacrifice which they did eate at their Feasts also the flesh of the Paschall lambe was the flesh of Christ to them in a figure therefore in beliefe of truth in that figure they did or might eate the flesh of Christ as now believing man doth Sacramentally in bread and wine and so to them Christs * The flesh of Beasts was not then turned into the flesh of Christ nor was the Rock which followed them turned into the nature or person of Christ although that Rock then was Christ as 1 Cor. 10.4 flesh was meate indeed and his blood was drinke indeed for the truth is the Law that then was added to the precedent promise was but their Schoole-master to leade them to Christ to be justified by Faith Gal. 3.19.24 1 Cor. 10.3 But here the question will be Quest what Law the Apostle meaneth was added to the precedent promise made with Adam and renewed to the world with Abraham Hee meaneth the whole Law of Moses with all its parts Answ even to the Law of sower hearbs to eate the Paschall Lamb and the Law of the first-borne Exod. 12.8.25 Exod. 13.2 And I will briefly touch 4 heads First the Law Judiciall Secondly the Law of the Sacrificing Priesthood Thirdly The Morall Law Fourthly The penall Law Of these in their order First the Judiciall Law as executed by Moses the Judges and Kings successively This figuratively told them that Christ the seed of the woman and seed of Abraham and David was successively in them governing his Israels Common wealth as King on Sion hill So Schooling them by beliefe of truth and the agreeablenesse of the Tipe with the Antitipe to submit to his government to cherish each other as the Nationall members of the mysticall body of Christ Exo. 21.1 Secondly the sacrificing Priest-hood with the Leviticall Ordinances as successively continued unto them figuratively led them to Gods gift of Christs satisfactory righteousnesse imputed and received by beliefe of truth was it onely that cleansed from all sinne that is the guilt punishment and the prevalencie of it in Terrestriall Canaan and from the inherencie of sinne in Canaan Celestiall Therefore when the sacrifice was to expire its life they were to lay upon its head the hand of beliefe of remission of sinnes sometimes of ignorance sometimes for sinnes against conscience And also they had the daily Sacrifice all Schooling the Nationall Spouse of Christ by beliefe of truth to submit to Christs righteousnesse imputed for her continued acceptation and her eternâ—ll life only by Salvation Levit. 4.2 4.15 chap. 6.1 2 7 8. Esra 3.4 Thirdly the Morall Law as incloased in the * Because the perfectioÌ„ of the Morall Law is onely resident in Christ the true Arke and from him conferred to mans justification and sanctification therefore the Morall Law then was as under the veile and now is without the veile an Evangelicall rule and not legall as communicating no grace nor mercy Arke with divers interminglings Schooled this elect Spouse to Gods gift of Christ in six particulars First as all these words were spoken by God with a relative remembrance of their redemption from Egypt by the blood of the Paschall Lambe this tended implicitly to sweeten their obedience by beliefe of truth to all the ensuing commandements as the redeemed Spouse of Christ as appeares by the forefront of the Tables of the Law Exo. 20.1 Secondly because the Morall Law commands this Nationall Spouse not only in Moses presence her Mediator in the Tipe but also because hee put these commandements into the Arke there to remaine as Deut. 10.5 This implicitly Schooled this Spouse that here God in Christ commanded her to a holy life in the perfection of parts by love to him and each others as themselves saying in effect be yee holy as I am holy (a) The Apostle Rom 7. describing the conflicts of a godly mind thankefully coÌ„cludes its victory to be by Christ in the 8 chapt that there is not condemnation to all such and his reason iâ— because the Law as it is accomplished by Christ is in him to them the Law of Spirit and life and freeing him froÌ„ the Law of sin and death and that by Christs fulfilling the Law in our flesh our nature in him hath not only
You are not my people they shall be called the children of the living God The Apostle citing their owne Prophet against them implicitly refels their precedent errors in divers respects as first because the Gentiles were not Abrahams seed of Isaack and Iacob and yet were to be children to the living God This therefore proved that Abrahams naturall line after the flesh was not Gods ground of electing Children unto him but the election must be in Christ as before Againe because these Gentiles were to be Children of God which had not Moses Law to obey no not so much as in works conversant about the object of faith and yet were to be Children unto God consequently their works of righteousnes to the Law was no ground of their Election but the election was of him that called them from their Idolatrous denne and gave them the election in the promised seed Againe the Apostle cites the Prophet Isay against them saying though the number of the Children of Israel be as the sand on the Seashore but a remnant shall be saved And because the Apostle referres salvation but to a remnant consequently their discent from Abrahams flesh was no ground of their election for if so then not a remnant but all Israel must have bin saved but being referred to a remnant therefore the election must be as before And saith the Apostle the same Prophet saith God will make a short cut in righteousnesse and except God had left a remnant they had bin as Sodome and like unto Gomorrah implying Gods impartiall proceedings ordinarily with this elect spouse of Christ as betweene Abell and Caine and as to Abraham in the Covenant for cursednes and blessednesse Therefore to this elect Spouse God was no respecter of persons Againe Verse 30. the Apostle saith What shall wee say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of faith by force of Gods precedent predestination with Abraham for that 's implyed but Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse saith hee hath not attained the Law of righteousnesse and then hee gives the prime reason wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by workes of the Law And he saith they stumbled at that stumbling stone as it is written Behold I say in Sion a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence and whosoever shall believe on him shall not be ashamed these words imply three things First that Israels glory as Gods Israel was grounded onely upon Christ the Stone laid as a pillar of truth on Sion hill Secondly that by remisnesse Israell fell to pride and so from this stone to Abrahams flesh and their own works of the law to be the ground of all their glory and so stumbled at the Pillar of truth Christs righteousnesse imputed to their own destruction Thirdly to those of this Nation that in right beliefe did submit to the righteousnesse of God that is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed the ground of all their glory them God would uphold in honour for saith the Text hee that beleeveth shall not be ashamed So much for opening the ninth Chap. to the Rom. And here by the way observe that this Chapter giveth no ground to Reverend Calvins error namely that God before the world was did personally reprobate the greatest part of mankinde to unrecoverable damnation and personally elected the rest to unavoydable salvation Againe to goe on against their works of righteousnesse to the law about the object of Faith the Apostle opposeth Abrahams example who by Faith in the object of Faith by this Pillar of truth terminated in it as the onely ground of all felicity Rom. 4. Of him he saith What shall we say then that Abraham our Father as pertaining to the flesh hath found for if Abraham were (a) The ground of mans Iustification in this fourth estate is Gods guift of Christs righteousnesse reckoned or imputed to man yet the Iustification of a Sinner is this vâ—â— Gods pardon of his sin guilt and punishment for that Righteousnesse so reckoned or imputed as to all mankind upon our fall in Adam as new to all Infants departing this World but when Iustification is reckoned or imputed to Mans Faith it is because that act of right belief is more connexively related immediately to the object of Iustification then any other act of a beleever And when sometimes Iustification is attributed to Faith it is because a right beleeveâ—s submissive receptive instrument of Faith is opposed against the pride of mans supposed woâ—ks of righteousnesse and in this sense S. Paul Rom. 4. brâ—ngs in that text Gen. 15. saying it was imputed to Abraham for righteousnes justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God for what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Implying hee beleeved all his good from Gods gift in the righteousnesse of the seed imputed and so was that righteousnesse imputed to him to the remission of his sinnes which was his justification and the ground of all felicity Therefore saith the Apostle Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace as it was to Abraham but of debt but to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him which justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse Implying that God was Abrahams exceeding great reward only by his gift of the righteousnesse of this seed imputed in the object of Faith which Abraham by beliefe submissively imbraced even as David describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man to whom thee Lord will not impute sinne from verse 1. to the 8. Againe to goe on the Apostle in divers passages of his Epistles shewes this elect Spouse what absurdities do spring from her conceit of the worth of her works conversant about the object of Faith in the Law First as if hee should say suppose you doe believe the Law to be Gods Law and therefore to the Judiciall Laws are obedient to live in some orderly manner Suppose also from the same grounds you are at paines and costs to bring your Sacrifices to the Priests and Levites for your offerings the Law commanding it Also suppose you love God for the wealth of Canaan and love each other being joynt inhabitants of that land yet in all this to you these Laws are not of Faith because you by beliefe rest upon your deed done to be accepted of God as did Cain and terminate in sensuall delights for you are not led from the letter of the Law in right beliefe to rest in Christ his acceptable righteousnesse the proper end of the Law for righteousnesse to man rightly beleeving truth * The same is â—he Gospel now â—o man not rightly beleeving truth for the Law and the Gospel for substance was one
Gods word of truth giving this object of life is as Gods hand or instrument to reach this gift to man so also man his beliefe of that truth is as it were mans hand or instrument to receive this gift from God therefore it must be by beliefe of this truth Secondly it must be by beliefe of this word of truth as conveying the object of faith because man his reasonable soule is but a receiver into it selfe all its supernaturall felicity from externall objects believed as in Adam we see and therefore so in this object of justification Thirdly it is by beliefe of this truth because the aforesaid principles of derivative Amity which God put in the nature of all men doth internally dispose them to this Amity with God aswell as to enmity to Satan wherefore at first God requireth man to come to him in beliefe of truth but according to sense and reason as he doth excitively draw out that Principle so to give mans reasonable soule a further internall power to receive his gift of Christ namely a power to believe divine testimony as divine testimony that is to receive it from God as from God for as God gathers not where he strewes not so he gives this power to man that had it not to receive his gift of Christ the ground of all his happinesse Wherefore because this Elect Spouse did not so applie her received Talents to receive more Talents in Gods way to receive life in Christ the object of Faith but contrarily applied Gods talents and his law against him in his own way to have all their own way namely from terrestriall felicity and from Abrahams flesh and from the worth of their owne workes at best but conversant about the object of Faith and no way consonant to Faith in that object therefore God rejected this elect Spouse to the remarkable praise of his justice in all the world sixteene hundred yeares and more therefore he respects no mans person but according to his first Modell If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sinne lies at the dore And from this ground it is the Apostle crieth out at the vast depth of Gods wise providence as being not able to compâ—ehend the depth of that righteous dispensation in his justice and mercies interminglingly eâ—tended to the Generations and Nations of man Rom. 11. from ver 28 to the end And to this point may be referred Ezekiels vision of wheeles full of eyes running one within another c. as Reveâ—end brought on rightly observes in his Consent of Sc iptures Exodus 33.19.34.6 7. And by this Nations rejection we may take occasion by the way to observe the manner of Gods proceedings with the Sonnes of Adam for as he would not give this Nation possession of the Land promised to Abraham untill the sinnes of the Inhabitants namely the Canaanites were full to their finall destruction so neither would he call in the Gentiles to inherit their promised blessing in the seed of Abraham in whom hee predestinated them to it untill the sinnes of this Elect Nation was full and transcendent by slaying the Sonne of God in which promised seed they received all their good as was prefigured to them when God said to Moses the Mediator in the Tipe I will cause all my good to passe before thee meaning Christ and upon his death then câ—me on their universall rejection totally but not finally for ever But it will here be objected Because God fore-appointed Christ to be slaine in the truth to answere the figurative Lambe in the Tipe consequently this did impose upon them a necessity that Christ must be slaine as he was and consequently this may seeme injustice in God to make that fact the fulfilling of this Nations sin to their remarkable destruction I grant that Christ must be slaine in the truth to answer the figurative Lambe in the Type I also grant that they were in some sort necessitated to slay Christ as they did but that necessity came not from God for God gave them severall demonstrative rules to the contrary As First by this exemplary punishment upon Cain that the blood of the just shall not goe unrevenged by him and this was recorded to them by Moses Secondly by giving a law to Noah and to his Sonnes that that man which spilt mans innocent blood his blood should be required of him that spilt it This also stood upon Record to them Thirdly to this elect Spouse God gave a figure how hee would have her to demeane her selfe in this fact of the death of Christ by the manner of their Father Abrahams offering Christ Tipically in Isaak as first to Abraham Isaaâ— was his dearely beloved although he used the knife to bereave him of life Gen. 22. 2. Abraham never intended nor attempted this fact untill from God he received an expresse commandement so to do Thirdly hee did slay him unwillingly in respect of his love to the promised child yet willingly in respect of his love to God and his commandement and so his unwillingnesse became a harmelesse nay-say to God But the fact of the children of Abraham in the death of Christ was a most wrongfull nay-say to God in all they did and therefore saith Christ to them Iob. 8.40 this did not Abraham presenting implicitly to their remembrance Abrahams Typicall fact in this businesse First that as Abraham slew Isaack really in his intention so might they intend and accomplish his death in the truth Secondly as Abraham did love him whom he really slew in his intention so much more ought they to love him in his death as the most proper child of promise Thirdly as Abraham never intended nor attempted to slay the promised seed untill there came an extraordinary command from God to doe so neither ought they much more in this fact of the death of Christ So it is one thing to do that which God before determined to be done by them and another thing to doe that thing as God would have them to do it Fourthly but when that commandement came then although in respect of their love to him they had beene unwilling yet in respect of their faith and love to God in this Mysterie they should have beene obediently willing to kill him as God should prescribe the manner as to Abraham he did for God in Abrahams typicall fact not onely intended to confirme their faith that Christ the seed promised should by the expiration of his life aspire the completion of all righteousnesse for the redemption of this world but also to teach them how to demeane themselves in the manner of Christs death in a harmelesse nay-say to God as did Abraham their Father The Negative precept of the Morall Law forbidding murther stood as their standing law to keepe them from all unjust taking away any innocent mans life much more not to take away the life of him which at least appeared to them a man sent from
yee in no wise shall believe although a man declare it unto you Likewise saith Christ unto them yee believe not because you are not my Sheepe (b) These Scriptures by Gods spirit are intended to this nationall Spouse for her transcendent sinnes and not to most of mankind as denied his grace because appointed by God personally to vnavoidable damnation Joh. 10.26 All plainly proving that God now when Christ was come into the world denied them the gift of Faith for their precedent refusing Gods way for their salvation Secondly it is further implyed in these words of our Saviour that there is a time limited for this their blindnesse and hardnesse of heart when he saith Yee shall not see me untill the time come when you shall say blessed is hee that cometh in the name of the Lord Implying that although this Nationall rejection was to be universall yet it should not be (c) Although it were not finall to them nationally in respect of the time to come yet it was finall to all or at least to most in the Interim finall for ever in the Spirit of unbeliefe (d) God sometimes to the glory of his grace eâ—tends his mercy universally to all as in the call of the Gentiles and as in time to come he will to these Iews yet sometimes when men are alike dead in sinnes by Apostasie he will leave some of them to perish finally and receive some of them to mercy although alike wicked yet not for any hatred or love to the one more then the other personally considered but onely in love to himselfe in the one from his love to Iustice in the other from his love to mercy that is to the love of his glory in either as heâ—e wee see some received to mercy and reserved alive to conferre a future call of their posterity to Christ and the rest were blinded and in this ease and the like fals that of Moses and the Apostle he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Likewise our Saviour gives another close glance to this point speaking of this elect Nation Mat. 24 22. hee saith the daies of their vengeance shall be shortened in the destruction of Ierusalem for the elects sake Implying else no flesh of Abrahams elect stock would be reserv'd for a future call to mercy Likewise for any mercy shewed to this Nation Saint Paul referres it rightly when he saith Isrâ—â—ll obtained not what it sought for but the election obtained it and the rest were blinded Rom. 11.17 And he saith as touching the election they are beloved for their Fathers sakes meaning Abraham Isaak and Iacob with whom in Christ the promised seed This Nationall Election was first established ver 28. And he also speakes to their restauration saying all Israel shall be saved as it is written the deliverer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away the ungodlinesse from Jacob. ver 26. And then gives a generall ground of all this future mercy because the guifts and callings of God are without repentance ver 29. And in the next verse hee gives a demonstrative reason thereof in the Gentiles who although by their precedent Apostacie were so long rejected yet now God gave Christ to them and calls them to him ver 30. Thereby implying likewise God would not repent his gift of Christ to this Spouse and therefore call them to him againe And therefore it is most cleere that Gods proceeding in this second part of time is without all respect of Persons And for a conclusion of this Chapter take these observations following First that to referre any mans faith and obedience to bee the condition of the Covenant of grace but Christ his faith and obedience is to derrogate from him and to arrogate to man that which is not his Because as the first Adam his second estate before his fall was an estate of Faith and obedience active and passive the somme of the conditions of the Covenant as precedently is proved Chapt. the 2. So likewise the Sonne of God the second Adam his obedience passive and active was an estate of Faith the condition of the Covenant for the Redemption of the world from whence the Covenanâ— was changed by him from a Covenant of wrathfull justice to a Covenant of Grace and mercy to all the world as Chap. 4. Likewise in this Chapter we see hee and hee alone was the man which by saith and love to God and his Neighbour did live in the pure naturalls of the Law to every tittle to redeeme man which by Apostasie brought himselfe under the Curse For although the life of all believers besides Christs is in this world an estate of faith and obedience and although Gods word of truth is his instrument to give to man Christs righteousnesse and mans faith his instrument to receive in that righteousnesse his blessednesse yet between God and mankind neither of these are the conditions of the covenant of grace For as God on his part hath not bound himselfe to either of these as a condition so neither hath he bound all mankinde absolutely to believe or not to be saved For if faith were the condition of the Covenant of Grace God in justice could not save one of mankinde which did not believe But it is already proved Chap. 4. that an innumerable number of mankinde departing this world in Infancie childhood or the like by the universall grace of the Covenant in Christ Jesus our Saviour are saved Likewise so was all mankind without faith saved from the damnation of Adams sinne to the praise of Gods grace to all eternity Therefore although to man capable of the use of reason faith * It is one thing that God require it's exercise as a necessary instrumentall qualification and another that hee should require it as a condition of the Covenant is the necessary instrument as his mouth to receive his meat and must be applyed to the object of Justification in some degree or hee must perish yet his faith and obedience is no condition of the Covenant of grace no more then mans mouth whereby hee receives his meate Secondly is it so that as first upon Adams fall so the second time in the promised seed with Abraham by Covenant that God elected predestinated and fore-appointed all mankinde alike from perishing in misery to grace and glory in Christ Jesus as here wee see Hence observe what is Gods most proper booke of life namely the promised seed for in him all mankinde were both times onely written for grace and glory as in a booke of life not onely when Adam fell but the second time as is registred by covenant with Abraham to life and glory therefore Christ Iesus is Gods most proper Booke of life out of which all that perish are blotted out for despising this gift of grace and glory Psal 69.28 Rev. 20 12 13. Rev. 5.13 c. Thirdly is it so that although at one and the same
time God in Christ with Abraham by covenant thus predestinated Iewes and Gentiles to glory yet called not the Gentiles till about eighteene hundred yeeres after but called the Iewes to inherit this glory in the birth of Isaack Hence observe the onely ground why the Iewes were first in this honour in respect of time was because God for his owne names sake was pleased then to begin the execution of that blessed predestination and from â—his ground Christ gave them the priority commanding the twelve saying goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any of the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather unto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Mat. 10.5 Likewise at Antioch Saint Paul and Barnabas rendred the same priority to them saying It was necessary the Word of God should first have beene spoken unto you Acts 13.46 c. But when Christ in the expiration of all righteousnesse upon the crosse had made open the way to bring in the Gentiles so making both one generall assembly and Church of the first borne inroll'd in heaven Hebr. 11.25 Yet our Saviour in a Parable foretelling the Iewes of this joyning the Gentiles to them implies his proceeding in this generall assembly shall be without all respect of persons choosing and refusing as betweene Cain and Abel for hee concludes his discourse saying Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 10.14 Further implying notwithstanding the extraordinary fluxe of grace and truth which was then to be powred out upon all flesh yet if they did not apply themselves therein to receive his righteousnesse imputed to be their wedding garment for acceptance they should not be respected Fourthly is it so that the second Adams faith and obedience is the alone condition of the covenant of grace which by mercy brought eternall life to all mankind alike Hence observe that the fruition of that eternall life in Heaven is to all alike without degree of glory to one more then another although here the degrees of grace are different some more and some lesse as they apply more or lesse their talents to Christ as the object of Justification Yet the fruition of that glory depends onely and alone on Christs righteous workes which is mans by free gift therefore that glory is enjoyed there by al alike without degrees Christ onely excepted who in all things must have the preheminence for one mans reasonable soule is not more uncapable then anothers in it's essentiall faculty simply considered but all the difference of capacities ariseth from error transgression and sinne or the effects of sinne but in the fruition of that glory all this for Christs his righteousnesse sake is removed and not remaining consequently their capacities being then alike their enjoyment of that glory is all alike without degrees to the praise of Gods grace to all eternity Yet it is not so on the contrary to mankinde in eternall death because their sinne abides upon them so that they descend to eternall death not for anothers workes as men ascend to eternall life but for their owne despising Gods grace leading to eternall life Therefore as they more or lesse were in sinne consequently Justice requires more or lesse punishment for despising eternall felicity Gods way Fifthly observe it stands all mankind hereupon to beware of remissenesse to God in his way by Christ Iesus for their eternall felicity for as wee all in Adam by remissenesse to Gods Covenant fell so low in misery as never any meere creature could raise us from thence as Chapter 3. Likewise in this last Chapter wee see Christs elect Spouse by her remissenesse to her felicity by Christ Iesus brought upon her selfe a connexion of causes necessitating her selfe to unavoydable rejection from Christ as a fugitive remarkeably despicable here on earth this sixteene hundred yeeres and more Sixthly Is it so that the Law was added because the off-spring of Abraham did transgresse the object of Justification given in the promised seed to Adam and renewed to them with Abraham Hence observe how rightly speakes the Apostle that the Law was not given to the righteous man that is as unto Abraham who terminated his operations by beliefe of Truth and Love to God and man by a right relation to God in the object of Justification for here in this Chapter wee see Moses law added to the Promise to schoole Abrahams lawlesse off-spring to Christ because they precedntly transgresse the promise Seventhly although God did communicate to the world with the first Adam naturall perfection by creation and celestiall perfection by the Covenant yet here observe that God never restores any of that to mankinde but by mercy ever turning his eyes onely upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse for as before the world was it was appointed for all alike in him by redemption so accordingly upon the fall in him hee chose us to life and glory from perishing with reprobate divels to whom in respect of our selves we were unrecoverably joyned So likewise when with Noah hee renewed this mercy to the second world it was by turning his eyes only upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse so likewise when with Abraham he predestinated both Iewes and Gentiles to life and glory from being fit vessels of wrath as lying in their owne apostasie from the grace of God yet then onely in the promised seed God turned his eyes in mercy to the world in the precedent predestination as in this Chapter clearely appeareth So much for the second part of Time I now should come to the third namely the calling of the Gentiles but here will arise a necessary question viz. In what estate for eternall life stood the Gentiles from the time they were scattered at Babel untill they were called to mercy in Christ but by Gods help I will answer it in the next Chapter CHAP. VII Shewing in what estate or condition were all the families of the earth from the rejection at the Tower of Babell to their call to Christ in whom they were elected ANswer In respect of the Object of Justification they were excluded not to have it resident amongst them and therefore in that respect they lived as without God in the world and so the day of grace in this world was to them not as a day of grace being left to walke in the vanitie of their mindes they wanting the pillar of truth or Oracle of the promised seed and so remained under wrath about 18 hundred yeares This text Ephes 2 3. no way excludes infants departing this world from eternall life See the last Observation in the 7 Chapt. and therefore when some of those Gentiles by the Gospell were returned from their Apostacie and received life in the object of Faith The Apostle saith unto them yee were the Children of wrath even as others therefore they were so under wrath throughout all those precedent generations Ephes 2.3 But it may here be objected God threatned to visit the sinnes
hee gave all mankinde the fruitfull Seasons communicating unto them food and gladnesse so by a good Terrestriall drawing them by Christ Iesus implicitly to looke up for a good Celestiall in him Hence it is the Apostle affirmes God left not himselfe without witnesse in that he gave them raine from Heaven and fruiâ—ful Seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse And saith hee this was that they should seeke the Lord if happily they might feele after him and finde him Acts 14.16 17. Mat. 25.24 Acts 17 27. And the ground why Gods voyce in the creatures doth excitively draw unto Christ in the distilled influence of his Spirit as the dew to the tender hearbe is this because the whole creation is as it were wrapt in the imputed righteousnesse of Christ as in a mantle of mercy for from thence it came to passe that this world is as now it is mans day of grace to receive the gift of eternall glory and therefore as thy tender mercies oh Lord are over all thy works so dost thou by thy kindnesse therein excitively draw man to thee in Christ the hope of glory Psal 145.9 Col. 1 27. And from this ground the Apostle brings in Gods voyce in the creatures joyntly cooperating with Gods voyce in the Gospell begetting Faith in the heart of man so then saith hee Faith cometh by heareing and heareing by the word of God but I say have they not heard yes said he verâ—ly their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the end of all the world compare Ps 19.3 with Rom. 10.17 And from this ground hee tells the beleeving Romans at Heathenish Rome that he was not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ First because it was Gods power to salvation Secondly because it revealed the righteousnesse of God from * Wheâ—efore rightly doth the Author to the Hebrewes leade man to receive the world by Faith Heb. 11.3 and not as made out of that which did first appeare namely the Chaos and that perfection which it received because it being lost by the first Adam it was immediatly restored by the second hee being then the first borne in the Promise of every creature from the dead fall of Adam wherefoâ—e Saint Iohn Rev. 4.24 rightly brings in Christ to be Gods faithfull witnesse and the beginning of the Creation of God joyntly together and aluding to the same ground in his Gospell Chapt. 1. hee brings in Christ as Christ to be the maker of all which was made it being involved in darknesse by the justice of the Covenant for Adams fall and that is implyed beâ—â—use he brings in the second Adam personally God man and so the light and life of man enlightning every man which cometh into the world and alluding to this principle iâ— is that God remembers forgetfull man of his six dayes works as involved in Christ the true Arke of rest to God for man and in him to since all daies as tâ—riâ—ed into an eternall Sabbath of rest here by Faith and there by Fruition Faith to Faith that is from Faith implicite as most weake to Faith expressive as most strong Thirdly because that truth which most Gentiles did detaine in unrighteousnesse God rendered the same to them by his workes in nature for saith hee God shewed it them and then shewes us by what namely the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearely seen being understood by the things that are made Rom. 1. from verse 16. to 20. not that Gods workes doth naturally excitively draw man to God in Christ as naturall but as related supernaturally by Christs opening the wombe of all perfection as the second Adam and first borne of every creature from whence ever since the first blessed seventh day morning it travaileth untill now to be pertakers of the supernaturall glory as precedently is proved So much for the second externall meanes in this narrow way leading to eternall life Againe that this meanes was efficacious to bring these Gentiles thus by nature to eternall life is from Scripture proved implicitly and also more expressively First implicitly by Gods bending his mercifull eare to the Idolatrous Mariners praying so confusedly unto him and yet hee gave them a temporall salvation likewise to Abimilech he pleading to God his uprightnesse according to his light God accordingly acknowledged it to be so and gave him a temporall salvation Likewise the Heathenish Ninivites whom hee threatened with vnavoydable destruction * The faith of the Ninivites was a ceâ—taine beliefe of Gods Word for their temporall destruction mingled wâ—th a dependant hope in him for mercy to remove that misery yet they imploring him under the notion of mercy hee removed their misery by giving them a temporall salvation implicitly touching upon the spirits of them all that if they did but by patience in well-doing seeke for immortality according to their light hee would give them an eternall salvation Ionas 1. from verse 5. to 16. Genes 20. from verse 3. to 7. Ionas 3. to verse 9. Secondly the Scriptures speakes more expressively for the Apostle speaking of these Gentiles excluded the Law having it onely written in their hearts by nature saith That God will render to every man according to his works to them who by patience continue in well-doing seeke for glory honour and immortality eternall life verse 6. 7. and verse 10. hee saith Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also t the Gentiles for there is no respect of persons with God as many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law verse 11.12 And the ground of this point is implyed in the first Chapter and 28. verse from the rule of contraries hee speaking of some of these Gentiles which did withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse saith even as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge so God gave them up to a reprobate minde to doe things not convenient being filled with all unrighteousnesse implying on the contrary that if they had carefully retained God in their knowledge according to the truth which they had received of him that then God in mercy would have kept them from the power of their sinnes in this narrow way to life for before the Apostle saith God would render to them eternall life having not the Law as well as to the Iew. Therefore this meanes was efficacious in this narrow way to eternall life to some and might have beene to more of these Gentiles under wrath for the Apostle having thus proved that the uncircumcised Gentiles doing by nature the things contained in the Oracle of God might attaine eternall life as well as the nationall Spouse of Christ hee supposeth that from hence they would imagine that hee made no difference betweene them and the uncircumcised Heathen therefore in the third Chapter saith hee What advantage then
hath the Iew or what profit is there of circumcision that is of all their peculiar and glorious priviledges To this he answers much every way because unto them was committed the Oracles of God for what if some of them did not believe that is Gods Oracle to be true in the seed promised shall their unbeliefe make Gods object of Faith or Gods faithfulnesse to man in that object of none effect God forbid yea let God be true and every man a lyar yet verse 9. he concludes the Iewes by reason of their proud Apostasie to be no better generally then were the Gentiles as it is written saith he there is * This must needs be understood of all for the most part and not that none did understand aright nor that none were righteous for then there was a time when God had no Church nor Christ no Spouse in this world and that is unpossible for Christ till time shall be no more will in this world be a Priest after the order of Milchizedech to continue a Church on earth see ca. 10. none righteeus no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way c. But it will be here objected that the Apostle contradicts himselfe because that as in this Epistle to the Romans he affirmes man by nature doth the things contained in the Law of Christ to eternall life but in his Epistle to the Corinthians he saith the contrary namely that the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Corinth 2. verse 14. Answer There is no contradiction at all for in his Epistle to the Romans by nature hee meanes as not having the Oracle of life as it was among the Iewes but onely the foresaid internall principles in their nature and the voyce of God speaking implicitly by Christ in the creatures but to the Corinthians he meanes men naturallized in the spirit of Satan according to the course of this world for they esteemed the wisedome of God in the creatures as leading to God and especially the Apostles Ministery in the Gospel to be foolishnesse and therefore the Apostle saith to those of Corinth where is the Disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisedome of this world 1 Cor. 1.20 Therefore here 's no contradâ—ction but Gods proceedings also in this narrow way to eternall life is according to the first modell if thou dost well shalâ— thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sinnes lies at the dore Observat 1 The first Observation If the vertues of the best of the Gentiles or Heathens having not the Oracle of life did thus by nature obtaine the circumcision of the heart and spirit hence observe that the vertues of the best Heathens were not shining sinnes but of the same nature and kind as are the most holy men on earth Secondly is it so that when the way of life was so narrow that few did finde it yet some did find it without the Oracle of God by retaining the truth of God in their knowledge consequently so might all the rest Observat 2 Hence observe how just that sentence of the Apostle upon them is namely that they are left without excuse Rom. 1.10 Observat 3 Is it so that when the way to life was thus narrow as is described and yet some of them did finde it and consequently so might all the rest by retaining the truth of God in their knowledge and not having the Oracle of life and light Hence observe how just that other dreadfull sentence is which the Apostle applies to all mankind saying Christ in flâ—ming fire shall come taking vengeance on them which know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thes 1.8 Observat 4 Is it so that by the apostasie of the world of Iâ—wes and Gentiles from the object of life the way to eternall felicity at Christs comming into the world was as it were extinguished Hence observe that well might the Lord of glory then affirme and exhort mankinde saying enter in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Matth. 7.13 Againe here observe although God doth visit the sinnes of the fathers upon the children through many generations yet hee doth not extend that visitation to their unavoydable damnation but hee onely shewes his type and just displeasure against their apostate parents for contempt of his gracious mercy by making narrow and strait the way to eternall life to them and theirs yet a way is here we see and those children are not delivered up from Gods universall grace mercy nor from receiving his more speciall mercy to life in that narrow way except for their owne detaining that truth in unrighteousnesse wherefore righteous art thou O Lord in all thy wayes and merciful in all thy workes CHAP. VIII Being an Introduction to the third part of time in which the Gentiles were called to life and glory I Call it an Introduction because as Christ being slaine figuratively in the Lambe in the point of time that Adam fell his righteousnesse being committed or imputed to to the world then made way for all blessednesse to man So now also being slaine in the truth and finished all righteousnesse it being in mercy imputed to the world this second time it then brake downe the partition wall of the Moysaicall Ordinances which before excluded the Gentiles and so made an open way to bring in the Gentiles to inherit with the Iewes the blessing of Abraham Therefore it is requisite I should now first show how the Sonne of God did this great worke of restoring the world and so come to shew the calling of the Gentiles to that blessednesse And first take notice that God not only led Adam before the fall and Christs elect Spouse to Eternall felicity by Allegories but also Christ himselfe For as the first Adam was by God assign'd his place for the improvement of his perfect Excellencies to Gods glory for the Supernaturall felicities of the World namely the Garden of Eden with its prefigurations So likewise the second Adam by God for the Improvement of his perfect excellencies to the said end had his place assign'd him namely the Land of Canaan figured first by Gods assigning the particular Place where Isaack the promised seed in the Type was to be Sacrificed that is onely in the Land of Canaan which God appointed Abraham Secondly It was likewise prefigured in this that the Land of Canaan was entail'd to Isaack the promised Seed in the Tipe Likewise the Intaile descended figuratively to Christ as he was the Sonne of King David therefore
the breadth of this Land is thy Land O Emanuel as saith the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 8. ver 8. Thirdly this was likewise Typified to Christ in that all Sacrifices in the Type were excluded from all places in the world and included only in this Land of Canaan neere the Temple restrictively to expire their lives in the Type Therefore in this Land was the Lord Iesus Christ in the truth Personally to performe the worke of the redemption of the world the which accordingly hee did Againe Christ the Sonne of God as he was man was borne under five relations to this worke First by promise the Sonne of Adam as the seed of the woman immediatly upon the fall and therefore bound by the Law of Nature to relieve his Parents in their Lapsed condition Secondly by promise borne the Sonne of Abraham and therefore bound to the Law of circumcision figuring his cutting off the powers of Satan that is of sinne and the consequences thereof for the Covenant was that all the Sons of Abraham must be circumcis'd in their generations therefore hee was borne in subjection to that Law Thirdly hee was by promise borne the seed of David therefore borne under the Law of the Typicall Mediator as added to the law of circumcision therefore bound to love God with al his heart al his strength his Neighbour as himself in the work of the redemption of the world Fourthly as the Sonne of David so hereditarily to the crowne of the Terrestriall Canaan figuratively leading him by Faith to his eternall Throne in the Celestiall Canaan Fiftly at last all these relations meet in one issue by being borne of the blessed Virgin Mary his Mother for when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman made under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sonnes Gal 4.5 Sixtly he was the Sonne of God also by eternall generation the second person in the sacred Trinity and so personally God man and therefore bound to the fulfilling of all the law and the Prophets to the regaining of Gods glory by restauration of the world by redemption as it was said it shall breake thy head the truth is and so he did for as we first in Adam magnified Satans lies for truths and nullified Gods truth for lyes so likewise at that time when hee came to this worke all the world This definition is an answere to Pilates Question viz. What is truth Ioh. 18.38 For Christ as he was the faithfull and true witnesse against Satans lyes did undoe what he had done and so destroyed the works of the Divell but Satans finall bruise shall be at the day of judgement in â—wo paâ—ticulars first when Satan and all mankinde which from the beginning have refused mercy to adhere to him shall receive by the seed of the woman the sentence of their full damnation in immediate execution to all eâ—ernity Mat. 25.41.46 Secondly by rendring up to God all mankinde from Satans power which from the beginning hath died in infancy and that through all Generations haâ—h adheâ—ed unto Christ in right beliefe of truth and so God by Christs ministeriall ordinance shall be all in all that is fully glorified to all eternity according to the simple and plaine meaning of his truth in the eternall life of the one and in the eternall death of the other and as Christs ministeriall Ordinance shall therein terminate so then shall all Creatures be subjected to him as Iudge of quick and dead and so all knees in Heaven and Earth and under the ea th shall bow and bend to him for ever Rom. 14.10.11 both Jewes and Gentiles generally had made God a lyer as much as in them lay for they were all Apostates from Gods guift of Christ his righteousnesse imputed which came upon all men to the justification of life not believing it but following lying vanities so forsaking their own mercies and the truth is the work of Christ was to witnesse Gods truth which wee thus betrayed wherefore of himselfe hee saith to this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse unto the truth 1 Ioh 3 8. and for this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that hee might destroy the works of the Divell Iohn 18 37. And in briefe that truth which Christ made good as the faithfull and true witnesse against Satans lyes may be thus defin'd namely that God never intended his glory upon mâ—nkinde to all eternity but according to two generall Rules First according to the Covenant made with the first Adam a Covenant of works Secondly but according to the Rules of that Covenant as now it is turned by Gods guift of the second Adam into a Covenant of grace and mercy and to the last Christ is the most proper witnesse in Gods behalfe to his glory by the salvation of mankinde as Iohn 3.16 saith hee God so l ved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting l fe And he saith God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved Also he saith He that believeth is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because hee beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God Implying that although sinne simply as sinne did not at that time of grace condemne them yet their persisting in their precedent Apostasie from that grace now light and life is manifested unto them this would be their Condemnation wherefore he saith This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and Men lâ—ved darkenesse râ—ther then light because their deeds are evill And of himselfe he saith Io. 8.45 I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of selfe but the Father sent me Also Iohn 5.36 he saith The worke which the Father hath given me to finish the same worke that I doe beare witnes that the father hath sent me the which was his witnessing the truth as before is proved And hee did it in these paticulars First against the Spirit of Sathans lies in the Saints Secondly in Sinners Thirdly against Sathan hand to hand Fourthly against Sathan in flames of Faith in love under Gods most flaming and dreadfull wrath of these in their order and first in the Saints as in Nichodemus who in the Spirit of Sathan being averse to his sacred doctrine as declaring this truth Iesus said unto him art thou a Ruler in Israel and understandest not these things Ioh. 3.9 Likewise to the Spirit of unbeliefe of this Truth in his Disciples Iesus answered and said O faithlesse and perverse Generâ—tion how long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you Mat. 7. 17. And to the same Spirit in Peter Hee turned and said unto Peter get thee behind mee Satan thou art an offence unto mee for thou savorest not
lâ—e I come to doe thy Will O God Luke 22.15 Heb 10. yet I say the neer approach of this houre and power of darknesse was dreadfull to his apprehension as appeares by his feares sorrow prayer and cryes who as saith the Text In the dayes of his flesh when hee had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him from death was pitied in the thing he feared for there appeared unto him an Angell from heaven yet not to take off his misery but to strengthen him to it and there was need so to doe for his bones were sundred in this agony his spirit waxed hot within him as melted wax and from thence it was that his sweat became as great drops of blood falling down to the ground Hebr. 5 7. Psal 22.14 Luke 22.41 But hee having resolved in beliefe of truth by flaming love to goe on through the apprehension of its neere approach to him to approach to it in resignation of his will to his Fathers Will in the worlds redemption Hee demanded twice of his apprehenders whom seeke yee and affirmes himselfe twice to be the man whom they sought and although they fel backwards before him yet he goes forward with them to encounter this dreadfull wrath which extended to a two-fold separation of God from him First God separated himselfe from him in all naturall good either to soule or body and left him to the contrary evill Secondly God separated himselfe from his soule and body in all supernaturall and celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill and first of the first To his body and so to the anguish of his soule for it was torne with whips pierc'd with thornes his hands and feet pierc'd with nayles and riven or rent with the weight of his body hanging on the crosse sixe houres or thereabouts Likewise to coole his thirst they gave him vinegar and gall to drinke the people and Priest blaspheme him as a man forsaken of God the whole powers of nature as it were rising against him extinguishing from him all things but dread and dolour for darknesse from the sixt houre to the ninth covered him the Temple rent the earth quak't the Rocks rent so that in respect of Gods separating all naturall good from him leaving him to the contrary evill he might truly say in the dolor of his soule All yee that passe by beâ—â—ld and see if there be any sâ—rrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce anger Lam. 1.12 Secondly God likewise separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall and Celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill for because this separation of God from him in all naturall good leaving him to the contrary evill was in this place namely the Land of Canaan this implyed that God also separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall good because this Land in generall was to the second Adam as the garden of Eden was to the first Adam that is a figure by the Terrestriall good of the Celestiall good in the Heaven of Heavens Therefore this figured to him that God shut the Kingdome of Heaven against him rendring him no light in that respect but leaving his soule the only object of eternall darknesse Againe this being at Ierusalem the figure of eternall peace this implyed to him that no peace or consolation at that time was his portion from God but the contrary apprehensions of eternall woe sutable to the damned Spirits of men and Divells Againe this being also in the place of residence of his elect Spouse the Kingdome of grace on Earth this imply'd that he was to God a man cut off from the land of the living in all respects consequently no place left to him by divine justice but the place prepared for the Divell and his Angels for saith the text he was reckoned amongst the transgressors Luk 22 37. Therefore his cry upon the crosse was according to truth My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee which words implyed two things First that this twofold Separation of God from him in his apprehension was more dreadfull then he could reach in his humane comprehension and therefore cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Againe his words further imply that his separation was onely on Gods part never on his for he in this darknesse where was no light and this depth where no humane nature could feele any bottome yet hee kept union in faith and flames of love to God and his Neighbour in a right relation to the worlds redemption and therefore hee said My God my God as never letting him goe So raising his Soule from that depth of death under Gods flaming wrath by Faith and love and so rendred his Soule to God from his body and his body to dust a whole burnt offering saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit therefore this was the first and great Resurrection of the Lord Iesus Christ in which hee raised himselfe by his own power from the depth of infernall death yea the most certaine death that is death in the substance as it was said in the day that thou eatest thou shalt certainely die the death Object It may be here objected Christ knowing his Fathers power to be infinite and therefore all things possible to him consequently Christ in his prayer willed this cup to passe him absolutely Answer Answer It doth not follow for although Christ did know as indeed he did that to God all things were possible in respect of his power yet hee knew this cup could not possibly passe him in respect of Gods justice he being the second Adam and therefore he willed it not absolutely Object Againe it will then be replyed that Christs prayer was vaine and consequently a sinne Answer It doth not follow for if he had not prayed that if it were possible to let that cup passe he had then sinned against the Law of nature which bound him to love himselfe consequently unfeynedly to desire to avoyd the destruction of himselfe But because in respect to Gods justice he submitted in Faith and love in a full resignation of himselfe to his Fathers will therefore he was right in both and wrong in neither Object But it will be againe objected that his prayer on the crosse implyed sâ—me ignorance in this great worke because he saith why hast thou forsaken me consequently he sinned Answer It doth not follow for it is one thing to be ignorant of what a man is not able to know by the perfections proper to his kinde and another thing to be ignorant of what he is bound to know but Christs ignorance was of the first sort because that vast distance of the twofold separation was more then his pure naturalls was able to comprehend as before is explained Againe although he was at the neerest brink of a totall and finall desperation yet hee sinned
his perfect love as naturally an holy man without sinne nor all those manifold works hee did as personally God man even to blood and death but by his righteousnesse that was imputed I meane only this one worke to which all precedently named were but meanes namely his dissolving Satans lyes * Our second Adam and Saviour improved his personall perfections as our suâ—etâ— against the spirit of Satan his lyes in Saints Sinners Divells and under the 2. fold Separation and so made good his fathers truth namely that God really and simply intended Eteâ—nall glory for man with Angels or the contrary according to his revealed will in either estate the which gave full satisfaction to divine Iustice and was accepted in the behalf of the World and therefore imputed to the worlds felicity and mans the cheife part therein by witnssing Gods truth as is described pag. 101.102.111 And the reason why this only was imputed is this because only this is it which all men should set to their seales in this fourth estate of man and was the first Adams worke in the Covenant and then to be imputed to the supernaturall felicity of the world as Chapt. the 2. Therefore the second Adams witnessing Gods truth to the repelling all the lying powers of Satan is only that righteousnesse which by God is imputed to the supernaturall felicity of the world in Generall or to man beleeving truth more speciall as precedently is described CHAP. IX Declaring Gods impartiall proceedings in the third part of time to the Gentiles when by the Gospell he called them to the blessing of Abraham THe call of the Gentiles I will referre to two generall heads First to the extraordinary call for a time Secondly to the ordinary call to continue till time shall be no more And in the first this was extraordinary that upon the promised seed his fulfilling all righteousnesse the partition wall of the Mosaicall Ordinances of God should be abolished by which the uncircumcised Iewes precedently had insulted over the uncircumcised Gentiles and yet those Mosaicall Ordinances witnessed not only the Gentiles exclusion from the oracle of life but also against the Iewes for their own Apostasie from Christ wherefore he saith unto them even Moses in whom you trust doth accuse you Joh. 5.45 But upon Christs fulfilling all righteousnesse this witnesse against the Gentiles was canceld for so Saint Paul writes to the Gentiles remember saith hee that you being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called uncircumcised by that which was called the circumcision in the flesh made with hands that at that time yee were without Christ being aliants from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promises having no hope and without God in the world But now in Christ Jesus yee who sometimes were afarre off are made nye by the blood of Christ for hee is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition betweene us having ab lâ—shed in his flesh the enmity even the Law of commandements contained in Ordinances for to make in himselfe of twaine one new man so making peace c. Ephes 2.11 Likewise God pouring out his spirit upon all flesh was extraordinary as Acts 2. saith the Apostle this is it which was spoken â—f by the Prophet Joel it shall come to passe in the last days saith God I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and your old men shall dreame dreames c. vers 16. And this powring out of Gods spirit was two-fold that is externall and internall first externall for whereas before God did in his externall call excitively draw the Gentiles to Christ it was but implicit by the voyce of the creatures and as formerly is declared likewise his externall drawing of the Iewes was but by the Gospell as wrapt up in the glorious vaile of Moses therefore the externall way to eternall life to all the world was then but narrow and obscure but now made broad and perspicuous by the naked externall demonstration thereof as in the spirit of prophesie the wonderfull gift of Miracles by the Apostles understanding the Oracles of life more cleare than ever before and divulging the same in burning zeale for the glory of God by the salvation of the world and in the wonderfull gift of tongues by plainnesse of speech excitively drawing the Gentiles or rather God in Christ by them reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes and manifesting to them that their precedent ignorance hee regarded not but now admonishing all men to returne from lying vanities to imbrace their owne mercies that the confused fugitives of Babel tasting the waters of life at Ierusalem cryed out saying How heare wee every man in his owne tongue wherein we were borne Parthiaus Medes and Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopotomia and Iudea and in Cappadocia and in Pontus Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia in Egypt and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene strangers of Rome Iewes and Proselites Cretes and Arabians we doe heare them speake in our tongues the wonderfull works of God and they were all amased Acts 2.8 Thus from Ierusalem as from Paradise or the throne of God now did issue the living streames of eternall life to the families of the earth dead in sinnes and trespasses wherefore precedently Christ said unto his Disciples Yee shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the utmost parts of all the earth and accordingly at Ierusalem they first receiv'd this power from above which they thus divulged Luke 24.49 Luke 2.39 and so God perswaded Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem and in this extraordinary call he was found of them that sought him not nor asked after him all being gone out of the way and become abominable none seeking after God doing good no not one Thus God who keepeth covenant and mercy for thousands according to his purpose as with Abraham he predestinated and prepared them to this glory So now hee called them to it in Christ Jesus externally and so much for the externall powring out of his spirit upon all flesh Secondly the internall powring out of Gods spirit upon all flesh I say powring out because in comparison of his precedent dropping into the hearts of the Gentiles circumcising their spirits as aforesaid and as to the Iewes but sparingly in comparison of this powring out in this day of Salvation and acceptable yeere of the Lord It was but sparingly as by drops and that which the spirit did now internally powre out upon the spirits of all men may be reduced to two generall heads first wheresoever the Oracle of truth manifested Gods gift of Christs righteousnesse imputed as it went from Kingdome to kingdome by the conduct of the spirit like a Chariot of light and life rising upon the nations as the sunne of righteousnesse with health under his wings the first powring into
the spirit of man for health was this namely it did quicken or enliven the originall principle of amity to God and enmity to Satan even as it did upon the fall of Adam by Christs restauration of all in the type then put into the nature of man hereditarily to descend as precedently is proved so now likewise upon Christ his fulfilling all righteousnesse in the truth this infused principle which was now dead in sinnes and trespasses was by the imbreathing of the spirit of God wheresoever the Gospell came it quickened and enlivened man in dispositions to harken to the externall call of Christ in the object of faith to the end they might receive the gift of faith to receive life in Christ wherefore saith Christ If any man will doe Gods Will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Joh. 7.17 18. Likewise he saith Verily verily I say unto you the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live Joh. 5.25 And the last clause where it is said they shall live leades us to the second part namely the spirits internall more speciall powring upon all flesh that is answerably as men did come in the precedent enlivened or renewed dispositions to Christ in the Gospel as being the object of faith held forth by the word of truth as the brazen Serpent from thence by the powring out of the Spirit they should receive the spirit of faith to be able to receive life in the object of faith as before in the precedent P. Hence it is the Apostle saith Awake thou that sleepest that is under those renewed dispositions towards Christ and stand up from the dead that is and rouse up this grace to harken to Gods call to the object of life and Christ shall give thee light that is the light of right beliefe as the truth is in Iesus from strength to strength and so to receive life in him Ephes 5.14.8 Hence it is that at Ephesus the Apostle said of God even when wee were dead in sinnes hath he quickened us together with Christ by grace yee are saved Ephes 2.5 and saith hee not of workes lest any man should boast for wee are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which God hath afore ordained that we should walke in them that is by his fore-ordination with Abraham as before is declared He also saith to those Gentiles Worke out your salvation with feaâ—e and trembling for it is God which worketh in you bâ—th to wiâ—l and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 and the ground why God did thus extraordinarily externally and internally powre out his spirit upon the spirits of the Gentiles dead in sins and trespasses was this That as sinne by their apostasie had raigned unto death even so might his grace raigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 5.21 A second ground was this that unlesse God had so excitively drawne them by powring out his spirit they neither could nor would ever come to him by Christ which is implyed by the words of our Saviour when he rebuked the Iewes in their proud apostacie being dead to live in him he saith no man can come unto me except the Father which sent me draw him Joh. 6.44 Likewise to those Iewes having the power of this enlivening spirit imbreathing upon their spirits and stâ—fled by them he saith Yee will not come unto mee that yee might have life Joh. 5 40. So that we may plainly see even under this extraordinary powring out of Gods spirit upon all flesh his proceedings are equally alike to all without respect of persons for then he sends forth his great Commission into all the world saying to his ambassadors goe yee into all the world and preâ—câ— the Gospell to every creature he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved hee that believeth not shall be damned Marke 16.15 16. Hence Saint Peter saith of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10.34 35. all which is according to the first modell delivered to Caine if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted c. Hence observe by the way that God is a God keeping covenant for as hee ordained these Gentiles to glory by covenant with Abraham he now accordingly called them to receive it wherefore Saint Peter urgeth the Gentiles upon this ground as well as the Iewes to returne to God in Christ saying repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and receive the holy Ghost for saith he the promise is made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts 2.39 Object But it will here be objected because he saith as many as the Lord God shall call therefore God intended not to powre his spirit on all and all alike consequently some were personally reprobated c. Answer The Apostle might well make this restriction yet never have any such intention First because he knew Gods proceedings upon the kindreds and nations of the earth should be by degrees calling some sooner and some later and not all at one time as all on a day as wee use to say therefore hee might well say as many as our Lord God shall call although it be intended personally alike to all Secondly the Apostle might well say as many as the Lord God shall call because hee knew God from the beginning had ordained to deny the efficacie of his call to some sort of men as he did to Cain for when he predestinated both Iewes and Gentiles in Christ Jesus with Abraham hee then gave the same rule of cursednesse to man turning this grace into wantonnesse as well as blessednesse to man submitting to it in the obedience of faith as formerly is declared therefore hee might well say as many as our Lord God shall call c. So likewise our Saviour alluding to this same rule of cursing and blessing to families and cities in the call of these Gentiles hee saith Some are the sonnes of peace and some are not Luke 10.3.5.18 For not onely believers but all mankinde in generall especially at that time of grace were the sonnes of peace that is in a reconcileable condition to God in Christ Jesus as for example although Cain was not a believer as was Abel yet there was a time when hee was a sonne of peace that is reconcileable in Christ his acceptable righteousnesse by Gods owne nterrogative testimony although afterwards hee was not for rejecting the spirits reproofe of sinne and so gracious an incouragement of him to submit to receive life and glory as formerly is proved Likewise our Saviour according to this rule of cursing and blessing in
reason is because their mindes by contrary habites were uncapable of a depth or settled reception of the seed of life as is the rocke to retaine any seed to fructification and therefore these could abide no force of triall but fell away and came to nothing Againe the third sort of mens mindes on which fell the seed of life were further disposed for reception of Christ the object of Faith as verse 14. and that which fell amongst thornes which when they have heard goe forth and are choaked with the cares and the pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection implying they went forward in the profession of true Religion yet their fruit fell short of perfection because they came too much in the spirit of Cain glewed to the possessions and pleasures of this world so extinguishing in their soules the operation of Gods spirit in the seed of life and therefore come to nothing Againe the fourth sort of men are further disposed to the object of Faith For they in an honest and good heart from the force of the Gospel which enlivened as in all the rest the principle of amity to God and of enmity to Satan and it being carefully preserved by them came to heare the Oracle of life and so they received the spirit of Faith to receive the object of Faith and so brought forth fruit with patience For verse 15. the Text saith but that on the good ground are they which with an honest and good heart having heard the word keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Now that all this was spoken by Christ with respect to future times in the ordinary course of his ambassadors in the administration of the seed of life is plaine in the 3 next ensuing verses For when he had said that the end of this heavenly light was to be divulged imply'd in the 16. verse and that by it all secrets shall be discovered as in the 17. verse thereupon in the 18. verse hee exhorts saying Take heed therefore bow yee heare for whosoever hath that is his principle of amity and enmity to Satan preserved in dispositions to God to him shall be given that is the power of Faith to receive Christ the object of life and whosoever hath not that is at least his renewed principle or disposition preserved in him from him shall be taken away even that which he seemed to have as wee see in the precedent sorts of ground all was taken away and came to nothing onely in this fourth sort of men the seed of life and glory remained Therefore O man be faithfull in thy little and God which gave thee that to receive more likewise will replenish thee with more as from the first disposition to the power of faith and in it leade thee from degree to degree of an honest and good heart to bring forth fruit with patience for in it is a threefold strength in the object of faith A threefold degree of justifying faith namely of Babes young Men and Fathers in the faith and briefly of these in their order And first of Babes and of them there are two sorts one by backsliding from Christ the object of Faith these I will onely point at as Hebr. 6. verse 4.5 6. is implyed the strength which formerly they had and Hebr. 5.12.13 is expressed their weaknesse into which they were fallen even such as needed milke unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse needing to be taught againe what was the first principles of Religion even Babes saith the Text but these I passe A second sort of Babes are those which for their union by faith in Christ but newly begun have not had time for further growth in Faith and love to such Saint Peter writes as new borne Babes to desire the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 So Saint Paul saith hee could not write unto them as unto spirituall but as unto carnall as unto Babes in that I have fed you with milke 1 Cor. 3.1 So such were the Apostles themselves at their first union with Christ by beliefe of truth as for instance Iames and Iohn esteemed the glory of this world before their sacred function desiring to be chiefe in it but Christ instructed them the contrary Mat 20.26 So likewise Saint Peter childishly esteemes his strength in faith and love to Christ above his fellowes or what indeed it was but Christ informed him to judge better of himselfe and others Ioh. 21 15.17 And in a word at first they in their undergoing their functions or beliefe of the mysteries of Christ were but weaklings for hee saith I have many things to say unto you but you cannot beare them now Joh. 6.12.13 So much for the first degree In the second degree they are more strong as having overcome much of this childishnesse hence Saint Iohn saith I have written to you young men because yee are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome that wicked one the first Epistle of Saint Iohn 2. 14. and in the 15. and 16. verses hee leaves them a rule to preferre this strength as not to love the world neither the things that are in the world c. And hee foreseeing the danger in this second degree of strength in an honest and good heart namely to fall finally from their union with Christ specially when youth in nature and youth in Faith meete in one and the same subject whence S. Paul forbids a young scholler in Christs Schoole to meddle publiquely with the mysteries of Christ or with great warinesse at least and his reason is lest hee be puft up and fall into the condemnation of the Divell so Saint Iohn layeth downe another rule to preserve this strength saith he let that abide therefore in you which you have heard from the beginning if that which you have heard from the beginning remaine in you yee also shall continue in the sonne and in the father 1 Epist 2. ch 14. 24. 1 Tim. 3.6 implying if young men strong in the faith carefully avoyd the reflect acts of Faith as tending to pride and humbly follow the object of life and glory they may attaine to a perfect age in the object of Faith For although in this second degree be more danger to fall by pride then in the former yet here is more strength to presse forward to the sacred object of justification for a continued acception in that righteousnesse imputed also further power to follow it in point of imitation in an honest and good heart to bring forth fruit with patience to a perfect man in Christ and so much for the second degree of justifying Faith In opening the third degree I will first define what this justifying Faith is Secondly define what the perfection of this justifying Faith is Thirdly in the eleventh Chap. following shew how this third degree or this perfection of Faith is attained in men of an honest and
him in Angels glory in as equall a ballance as our fall into misery and God did not onely excitively draw out Adams faith and love to worke up according to the covenant to partake of Angels felicity but also on the contrary in simple and plaine termes told him of the evill namely death certaine death immediatly would ensue if hee did disobey therefore God willed not Adams fall so much as an occasion to the damnation of them that perish It wil be again objected that God if he had pleased could Object 6 have made Adam unremoveably to have repelled Satans temptation to attaine that glory but did not consequently Adam wanting that strength God therefore will'd his fall to the foresaid end I answer hee could Answ but did not yet the inference followes not because God gave him power enough so to will that he might be able if he would have applied himselfe in point of triall as he might and ought therefore he wanted it not for it is one thing not to have a thing and another to want that thing wee have not For example a man not having a sword having no occasion to use it wants it not so the Cedars in Libanus having not the locall motion of the stately Lyon to attaine their perfections nor yet doe they want it because in their kind they attaine their perfections with that power and in that place which is assigned them by their Creator so might Adam in that present condition assign'd him by God as appeareth Chap. 2. therefore God willed not Adams fall to the aforesaid end Againe if Adam had had any more perfections and meanes to attaine the end of the Covenant then what hee had it would have fallen in as a part of his wages for the worke before his tryall and that could not be because the covenant for any more good or any evill equivalently contrary was to be as he did obey or disobey therefore God willed not his fall to the foresaid end and if hee did this would follow that God onely pretended that good in the Covenant but never intended it according to the conditions exprest consequently God was in it as the Divell implyed to the woman but an Impostor and the Divell onely the true speaker but this was the Divels lie from the beginning and hee the father of it in all men which now so thinke or speake but Satan and man adhering to him shall be found lyars and God for ever true in his Word keeping promise and covenant simply * Therfore God doth not tender eternall life by his revealed will to man whom he by his secret will hath reprobated to unavoydable damnation and plainly according to the expressions of his minde to mankind without personall respects alike to all It will againe be objected God knew before hee put Object 7 Adam to that triall that he would fall in that worke and yet put him upon it consequently he will'd his fall to the foresaid end Answ Hee did know it yet I deny the inference to be rightly deducted for as God did know what Adam would doe so also hee knew what himselfe would doe namely shew himselfe faithfull in mercy to his faithlesse creature then in misery by his owne default that then by his free gift of righteousnesse imputatively hee would glorifie his grace upon all mankind to justification of life as is described Againe it was needlesse for God to will Adams fall so much as an occasion much lesse as a cause to any mans damnation to the eternall praise of his Justice because as formerly is proved if Adam had kept covenant as hee might hee then had rendred God the eternall praise of his Justice by the everlasting felicity of all mankinde and by Satans just condemnation to all eternity as Chap. 2. pag. 12. and 13. Againe suppose that which I will not grant that by Adams fulfilling the Covenant God had not so received the praise of his Justice eternally yet by the second Adams fulfilling the Covenant I am sure he hath to the full in every respect as Chap. 8. therefore though all men were saved by him as certainly they might if they would but submit to receive that gift of righteousnesse in the power of Gods grace and mercifull supportance as is proved therefore God never intended that which was needlesse that is not Adams fall so much as the occasion of any mans damnation much lesse as a cause thereof Object 8 It will again be objected that all mankind which perish in eternall damnation could not so perish if God had not willed it therefore they perish by the will of God Answer True it is that God doth will the damnation of all that perish eternally as formerly is proved at large by his proceedings without any personall respects in his justice by the distribution of his mercy in Jesus Christ as to Cain the old world and by his rejection of his elect Spouse the Iewes and all Gentiles which to this day turne the grace of salvation to wantonnesse walking after the flesh proudly despising this day of grace as a meanes to receive his free gift of righteousnesse imputed to their salvation and so reject their owne day of eternall glory therefore as saith Christ as before I noted this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light because their deeds were evill that is in winking at the light that so they might the more fully follow their own Lusts for that 's implyed Luk. the 14. 18 Ioh. 3.19 Againe I answere that God so wâ—lâ—'s the damnation of them which perish for ever that yet he would rather glorifie his grace in their blessednesse for ever then his justice in the eternall ruine of his creatures as appeares through all generations of mankinde as is largely proved through this whole Treatise from Gods word of truth yet to his word he hath added his oath to put the point out of doubt because he can sweare by no greater then himselfe therefore hee sweares by himselfe As I live faith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne yee turne yee from your evill waies for why will you die c. Ezek. 33 11. Therefore notwithstanding all these objections the point stands firme that Gods proceedings is without any personall respect intending and extending to mankinde equally and alike to all for life and death eternall and because God from the time hee cast Adam out of Paradise hath proceeded not only in his universall grace in Christ Jesus but also in his most speciaâ—l grace even to the members of Christ without any personall respects consequently he will proceed so to all mankinde till time shall be no more (a) Gods spirit in Paul fore-prophecying mans ungrateful wickednesse and Gods justice to proceed thereupon therefore to this head may be reserâ—ed Gods dealing with Ahab and
the Prophecy that went of Iudas and the like Acts 1.16.20 Wherefore Saint Paul prophecying of future times concerning the Church of the Gentiles saith because they received not the love of the truth that is as conveying to them the object of justification for life and glory therefore God would deliver them up also from his grace and truth to their belief of Satans lies and so leave them to perish in their own corruptions for saith the Text. Antichrist his coming shall be after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish But the ground why Satan thus prevailed is exprest in the Text to be because the (b) Gods justice upoÌ„ the Church of the Gentiles for their ungodlinesse against him in his great mercy toward them was it which gave way to the Machivill an rising of the Beast namely the Roman Antichrist in Christendome therefore although it was against Gods will aâ— willing mans good in the distribution of his mercifull goodnesse yet according to his will in the administration of his justice upon this ungratefull Church for nothing is nor can be directly against Gods will but respectively as in Iudas it was Gods justice to deny him his spirit of grace to keepe him from that treacherous act for denying Gods spirits operations to follow his covetousnesse for faith the Text he was a thiefe and had the bag and to this case is that to be referred Acts 4.28 Gentiles received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Implying that the production of Antichrist was from the Churches owne corrupâ—ion * Therefore it is a daÌ„gerous tenet to make the Primitive Church our patterne for as witnesseth the Apostle in his time the mystery of iniquity began to worke therefore the safest way for Christs Spouse is to keepe close to the sacred Scriptures and Gods Spirit for her guid both for Discipline and Doctrine and Gods justice leaving them for their great ungodlinesse and that to this end that they might perish in their own corruption for saith the Text that they all might be damned which beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse that is under Gods superaboundant mercies for that is implyed and the ground how this great Antichrist became the great scourge of Christendome is this because answerably as he did rise by degrees in the pretence of the Celestiall verity to Satans Throne in his mystery of iniquity so answerably hee did extinguish that sacred mystery which he did but pretend not only by inclosing it in an unknowne tongue and his false glosses in Annotations upon the Remes Testament but most specially by his devised lie of the Doctrine of mans own meritorious works for their justification to their eternall felicity For so hee turned the oracle of life and glory into Satans darknesse as that liar and murtherer from the beginning but this prophecie of Saint Paul gives us a demonstrative description of this great Antichrist in three particulars First by his place of residence Secondly by the height of his aspired Throne Thirdly by what shall remove him from his place by his finall ruine Of these briefly First his place of residence is not within the place of Paganisme or Turcisme where Gods especiall presence is most remote for saith the Text he sitteth in the Temple of God implying his seat is where Gods most speciall presence of grace in Christ is most demonstratively resiant as once it was in the Temple at Ierusalem to his elect Spouse more then in any place of all the world besides the which now is only in the confines of Christendome Gods visible Church of the Gentiles therefore his seate at large is only within Christendome but his most peculiar seate is in the second point following Secondly also he is to be knowne by the height of his Throne who as saith the Text opposeth all that is called God or that is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Implying that the height of his aspired Throne in Satans darknesse is not only demonstratively above the Thrones of Kings and Emperors within Christendome but in the place where God most properly doth demonstrate himselfe in the glory of his grace which is twofold that is in the object and in the Subject namely in the object of justification and in the Subject that is mans beliefe of that object in both which respects Antichrist doth aspire First by extinguishing Gods guift of Christs righteousnesse as imputed to mans (a) Iustification in the object is God th Fathers gift of Ch ists righteousnesse reached unto man by his instrument the word of truth as was the brazen Serpent by an instrument of wood but justification in the Subject is man which by right beliefe of truth doth receive into his minde that object as the eye did the brasen Serpent and in that instant of time this mans sinne is removed from his person as farre as the East is from the West I doe not meane a totall removall of sinne inherently but a totall removall of the guilt and pun shment of sins past present as long as he doth so adhere unto that object actually or virtually but no longer justification and salvation which is the only object in which God sits most properly as in his mercies-seate to the praise of his glorious grace in the salvation of the world Secondly not only by extinguishing this sacred object but also the Subject namely the mindes of mankinde to extinguish that beliefe from them by which God ought to sit as in his inner-most part of the Temple by their beliefe in the object of justification so to receive his worship and glory in their eternall salvation but in Gods owne most proper seate In both these respects hath the great Antichrist set himselfe as God by bringing the mindes of most men to embrace and subject to him by their beliefe of his lying doctrine of their own meritorious works yea of supererogation for their own and others eternall felicity so in a mystery he is worshipped under a pretence of the Celestiall verity having made voyd this object of justification as also all obedience of faith to God in that justifying relation so hath hee subordinated God beneath himselfe and advanced himselfe in a mystery above all that is called God or that is worshipped within the confines of the (b) I meane the Greeke Church with the rest for although they are in the Turks dominions yet they are not of the Turcisme visible Church of the Gentiles So likewise for a continued supply to support his blasphemous Throne he hath fram'd to himselfe severall Religions orders of seeming sanctitie and his purgatory prayers to Saints alive and dead his abounding in superstitious and Idolatrous worship all tending but to the support of his Apostate Chaire of Thronized glory in Satans darknesse under
the pretence of Gods Celestiall verity only to abound in what is Terrestrially sensuall and Divellish Wherefore the Religion of the Papacie is rather after the rules of * Machivells Prince p. 118. 139. 140. Machivell then after the rules of Holinesse from sacred Scriptures and the truth is the whispering Divinity which is in Rome must needs be this that there is no God for if it were not so how durst they thus adulterate the sacred Oracles of the eternall Diety and to send forth that cup of Fornications for the Kingdomes and Kings of the Earth to drink down her poysoned Doctrines And so much for the height of the aspired Throne of this child of perdition Thirdly that which shall be his removall from this place by his finall Ruine in a word is no more but this that as his rising was by lies in all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in the darke mystery of iniquity under pretence of Gods sacred verity so on the contrary his destruction shall come on by an out-breake or bright shining simplicity of the sacred verity to man-kinde and this is it which shall be his ruine for saith the Text that wicked one shall be reveal'd whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his coming 2 Thess 2.8 Likewise as Saint Iohn saw the rising of this great Antichrist by divers visions so also he saw his fall and finall ruine in two particulars sutable to what Saint Paul speaketh in this place First he saw Christ the faithfull and true witnesse fighting against the Nations which did adhere to Antichrist and that with the sword of his mouth or as Saint Paul hath it with the Spirit of his mouth meaning by his word and Spirit Reve. 19. ver 11.20 21. So also in the 17 ver he saw some one speciall instrument or messenger of Christ abiding or standing in the bright demonstration of the simple truth of his sacred Oracle so excitively stirring up Kings and Kingdomes to the destruction of the beast for saith St. Iohn I saw an Angell standing in the Sun implying Christ in the brightnesse of his coming as St. Paul hath it and saith he he cryed with a loud voyed that is so exhorting by way of triumph * For when Christ shal thus replenish his Church by his word and spirit then shall she arise against the Roman Antichrist with fire and sword and so prevaile to the final ruine of the Beast together with the bond and free Captaines and Kings of the Earth which shall perish in the damnation of the great Whore as it is in that 19 Chapt. Wherefore beware O yee Kings and Kingdomes of Christendome that there be not found in you the poysoned cup of the fornications of the Beast for if the eternall Deity do cut off the Spirit of Princes from this day of grace Psal 76.12 Esay 30.33 and the day of glory to sinke them downe into eternall Torments because they regard not his works nor the operation of his hands then whom will he spare in the day of his fierce wrath at the finall damnation of this great whore And so much for what shall be her destruction Yet let no man be so bold to believe or judge that all man-kinde which are within the deluded Papacie as intangled therein that they are all reprobates and certaine to perish in the damnation of the great whore for some mens mindes even of them thirst after truth as truth because Antichrist must make some shew of the sacred verity in some respects even against his will for that as he knowes the shew of truth is his helpe so also he knowes the practise of it in simplicity is his hindrance to his aspired end Yet these mens hearts in that small light in much confusion implicitly desire Christs righteousnesse as imputed wherefore God who is rich in mercy will not breake those (a) These precedently by their error in judgement may be against Christ as apeareth by his truth in his reformed Churches although for Christ in respect of their affections according to that dark light shining in the Papacie and here we may admire and cry out oh the depth of Gods justice mercifull goodnesse in wisdom so interminglingly administred to the children of men bruised reeds nor quench the smoaking flax but even cherish and strengthen their mindes to him for Rev. 18.4 Saint Iohn saith I heard a voyce from Heaven saying come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her Plagues Which words imply seaven particulars First this voyce from Heaven is some out-breake of the Heavenly Doctrine in the purer Churches Secondly when it is said saying unto them it implies it was extended by Gods mercifull â—â—â—d of providence to this people as being intangled in the defilements of the Papacie Thirdly when it calls them to come out it implies they were deluded in her fornications as if they had bin of her Fourthly it implies that this voyce to those people is Gods last warning to come out from her to escape the eminent danger Fiftly when it faith my people it implies this heavenly voyce refresheth their Spirits as from God graciously answering them in their uprightnesse notwithstanding their intanglements in the defilements of Antichrist Sixtly when it is said lest yee be partakers of her sinnes it implies that after this out-breake of light shining to them in that darknesse if they come not out God will then impute those intanglements to be their partaking of the sins of Antichrist Seaventhly when it is said lest you be partakers of her Plagues it implies God will glorifie his justice in the distribution of his mercy to them without all respect of persons and to all alike as is precedently described And if it be so that Gods grace in Christ Jesus is both intended and extended universally to all without respect of persons and to all alike as here you see is proved then hence observe that those odious Aspersions that disgrace this doctrine as false and untrue are unjust as that this doctrine doth usher in Popery into the Church of God and that it is the doctrine of Pelagius or of the Semi-pelagians meaning that it is the doctrine of Arminius for this doctrine of universall Grace is Gods and not mans and without this streight line of this doctrine harmoniously flowing from sacred Scriptures it is impossible to raze out the foundation of Popery understandingly to the capacities of mankinde and the ground of it is this because the sacred Scripture in it selfe hath no uniforme body but in this doctrine of universall grace in Christ Jesus to all mankinde and to all alike by which Christ in the brightnesse of his coming and the spirit of his mouth will consume and destroy the great Antichrist and monster of Christendome as formerly is proved wherefore I must as the rule of truth bindes me thus
Canaan by oath because of their unbeliefe Heb. 3.1.8.9 and therefore in the next Chapter the Apostle applyes the figure namely that Canaan was to them a figure of their supernaturall rest in the kingdome of grace by faith and the kingdome of glory by fruition Heb. 4.1.2.3.10.14 so that the Apostle implyes they were and wee are bound to beliefe it was so to them though it was never declared in plainnesse of speech So neither in the old Testament in plainnesse of speech to the ten Fathers before the flood neither by the Prophets after the flood was it made knowne that hee intended the heavenly glory to mankind but figured that hee intended it to man submitting to him in the obedience of faith by the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype as in the first world by Enoch who in the obedience of Faith walked with God and was received into the highest heavens soule and body joyntly So likewise by Elias in the time of the Prophets Genes 5.24 Heb. 11.5 2 King 2.5.11.12 So likewise the particular place in which Christ should finish the worke of raising the world to what it travels till now was no more exprest by Moses to man in plainnesse of speech for that end then was the garden of Eden for the same end to Adam but onely by the agreeablenâ—sse of the Type with the antitype as by Abraham offering Christ in Isaac within the Land of Canaan upon the mountaine assigned him by God as is further amplified in the 8. Chapter of this Treatise Likewise the garden of Edens glory as Gods terrestriall Throne before the fall prefigured to Adam the eternall glory of God so in the land of Canaan Salomons thronized glory from the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype by the Psalmist is brought in as a figure of Christs eternall throne of glory and not in plainnesse of speech Psalm 45.6 Heb. 1.8 Likewise when Christ by the brightnesse of his comming and the spirit of his mouth shall have consumed the mysterie of iniquity now maintained by the great Roman Antichrist so as that the (a) This is Gods fouâ—th extraoâ—dinary me cy in Christ extended to the world the other three are in pag. 120. fulnesse of the Gentiles and the miserable Iewes shall heare the spirit and the Bride say come in the outbreake of the purity of the celestiall doctrine and that most simple godlinesse universally shall abound as the most immediate embleme in the kingdome of grace of the Saints in glory that ever the world did yet containe Then that Church or the city of the living God or the heavenly Ierusalem issuing the streams of this celestiall doctrine and so convey Christ the object of Faith to the health of the nations is likened to Adams first originall paterne in the garden of Eden for saith the Text Rev. 22.17 the 1. 2. he shewed me a pure river of water of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb and in the midst of the (b) Whe eaâ— Rev. 20. this most transcendent in largement of Christs visible Church is called the Saints raignâ— with Christ 1000 yeeres and it implyeth no more but this that this glory shall certainly he and that it shall have a time of duâ—ation although since the world began the Saints successively did onely in faith and love with Christ remaine but with him in this world they did never raign for the g ound of the point is this because till now Christ did never sway the utmost end of the earth for his possession by his Scepter of truth for aâ— Satan in the old world and so to the time of Christs comming swayed the greatest part of mankind in his lying operations so after Christs rising as the Sun of righteousnesse to the nations by the Scepter of his truth and then Satan extinguished the Saints raigne with Christ by the Heathen Emperours and the abundance of heresies and by the Roman Antichrist in the confines of Christendome and so Satans throne was advanced and the Saints then onely remained with Christ witnessing that of right Christ should raigne but did not but this raigne of the Saints with Christ shall revive that cause of the martyrs and so they shall now live in the glory of that cause for which they then died and by the force of divine truth in that transcendent raigne shall Satans lying operations in the prevalencie thereof be extinguished and so shall Satan be imprisoned in the said duration for 1000. yeeres that is a certaine number put for an uncertaine See pag. 14 15. and pag. 104 105. street of it and of either side of it was the tree of life Likewise to this alludes the Lord Iesus Christ Rev. 2.7 saying I will give to eate f the tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God All plainly proving that this last and greatest splendor of grace by the second Adam was with reference to the paterne of the first Adam in the Covenant and that the eternall felicity by faith and fruition was intended therein though not in plainesse of speech And heere observe two things from this Chap. Rev. 22. First that the Apostasie of mankind from Christ in that purity of the celestiall Church on earth at the most immediate embleme of the glory of God in heaven God will therefore expresse more severe justice upon the world for their apostasie from that then ever before The first is that God will never more extraordinarily raise man out of his filthy apostasie from his grace in Christ Iesus but will leave him to perish in his owne corruptâ—on And this is implied in the 11. vers when it is said he that is unjust let him be unjust still be that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy lâ—t him be holy still The second thing is this that their apostasie from this greatest light and grace shall bring on the greatest demonstration of Gods righteous judgement upon the world that ever was namely the last day of the worlds generall judgement implied in the 12. verse where the Lord Iesus saith and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his worke shall be I am Alpha Omega the beginning and the end I am the first and the last whereupon saith S. Iohn Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that they may have right to the tree of life verse 14.15 So much for the third part of time of Gods impartiall proceedings intending and extending eternall life and death to all and all alike without respect of persons from the time of Christs comming in the flesh to the time of his comming at the day of judgement in flames of fire And from the whole Treatise take this generall observation consisting of five particulars namely what Gods decree was Observat after the counsell of his owne will before the world was As first Gods decree before the world was that God purposed in himselfe to create this world perfect in all it's parts and man the chiefe thereof as appeares in Chap. 1. That then God also purpos'd in himselfe for the eternall praise of his communicative goodnesse and justice to raise this world by Adams improvement of his perfections being the chiefe part therin to a celestiall perfection or to sinke it downe to an evill equivalently contrary to the glory of his Iustice as is described in Chap. 2. Thirdly then also God purposed in himselfe that the knowledge of evill which he in time pronounced to Adam that in the day he did eate the forbidden fruit then that sentence should passe to immediate execution for the eternall praise of his justice as appeares in Chap. 3 Fourthly God then also purposed in himselfe that by Adams most ungratefull fall hee would glorifie the riches of his mercy and his communicative gâ—odnesse and justice and therefore before the world was God covenanted with the second person in sacred Trinity Tit. 1.2 2. Tim. 1 9. Ephes 1.4 being essentially the one God and sonne of God to assume in time the nature of Adam as the chiefe part of this creation not onely to be ready in point of time as the Male Lamb in the bush but also that then the execution of divine justice should and did immediatly upon Adams eating of the forbidden fruit passe upon Christ to the fall praise of Gods justice to all eternity and so brought in the glory of his mercy by restoring the fallen world to the promulgation of his communicative goodnesse as first in the beginning of time in the type and secondly in the fulnesse of time in the truth in the redemption of the world as is proved Chap. 4. 8. Fifthly God then purposed in himselfe to glorifie his mercy communicative goodnesse and justice by the distribution of that mercy individually upon every of mankind first by giving to all and all alike in Christ Iesus both the meanes and end namely to eternall glory I doe not say he gave any thing to them to attaine eternall life but onely as a meanes to receive his gift of eternall life as attained by Christ the second Adam and Saviour of the world and so to glorifie his gracious goodnesse and mercy in their salvation Or on the contrary to glorifie his justice on them which abuse his grace by a proud persisting in obstinacy for terrestriall trifles to reject his gift of Christ and his righteousnesse the onely ground of mans felicity And that God doth thus impartially glorifie his Iustice and mercy individually upon mankind is proved in the threefold parts of time as from Adams casting out of Paradise to Abraham from Abraham to Christ from Christs comming in the flesh to his comming in flames of fire at the end of time as Chap. 6.7 9 10 11 12. And as for any other decree of God then this concerning the eternall state of mankinde the Scripture speakes it not Glory be to God in the highest heavens on the earth peace and good will to men FINIS