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word_n	holy_a	spirit_n	trinity_n	2,812	5	9.9722	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
a39328	The great mystery of godlinesse opened being an exposition upon the whole ninth chapter of the epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans / by the late pious faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Edward Elton.	Elton, Edward, d. 1624.	1653 (1653)	Wing E651; ESTC R40205	342,638	246

ignorant person but thou art wrought upon by the Word and Spirit of God and sealed up unto the day of redemption thou art sanctified truly by the Word and Spirit thou are not a formal Professour then thou hast right and title to all the comfortable promises of God both of this life and the life to come and here cometh thy comfort these Promises are most firm and stable they are yea and Amen thou shalt certainly be made partaker of it in health and sicknesse in life and in death be will be thy God and the God of thy seed and blesse thee with all heavenly things and thou shalt certainly attain to happinesse and salvation if the promises of God were uncertain and changeable then thy comfort were little or nothing but know that thou being called to faith and holinesse the promises of God to thee are yea and amen and are as unchangeable as God himself Oh what comfort is this that the Promises of God are so unchangeable as God who cannot lye Titus 1.2 James 1.17 with him there is no shadow of changing or alteration and it cannot be that either thy own sins thy own failings no nor yet Satan nor all the power of hell should ever be able to make it void and of none effect this will be a speciall comfort to thee thou being one to whom the Promise belongeth look unto that that thou be one to whom this promise belongeth lay not foul hands upon it yea the consideration of this the thinking and meditating upon this that the promises of God are firm and stable being layed up in our hearts it will keep us from being swallowed up by the surges of the deepest tryals and temptations even then when we are tempted by Satan to diffidence or distrust consider the Lord hath promised in his Gospel Joh. 3.16 Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but be sure to have everlasting life now this promise of God is firm and stable to him that believeth in Christ Jesus and is able to uphold us from fainting in the middest of the greatest tryals and afflictions for they are firm and stable and cannot be shaken a ground of excellent comfort Notwithstanding it cannot be that the Word of God of should take none effect for all they are not Israel which are of Israel OBserve we here that the Apostle doth not barely affirm thus much That though the Jewes might object that if they were rejected then the promise of God were frustrate and void and of none effect he doth not onely affirm it that this cannot possibly be but he doth further strengthen it with a reason why it cannot so be namely thus because all they are not Israel which are of Israel because all they which came of Abraham of Jacob and of Israel by natural generation all they are not Gods Israel the Israel of God Abrahams chosen seed unto whom alone the Promise was made so that the promise of God is firm and stable so then you see it was from a misconceiving and misapplying of the promise that the Jewes thought that the promise of God was void which was made unto Abraham if they were rejected the Jews applying the promise to the carnal seed of Abraham unto the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and therefore they forced this false conclusion but the Apostle telleth them plainly that all they that came of Israel by carnal generation they are not the true seed of Israel so that their misapplying was the cause of their false collection hence then note we thus much Doctrine That the words of Gods promises being mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not truly comfortable it is not a true ground of comfort to those that so mis-understand it and mis-apply it Or we may put this down in the general thus That the Word of God either promising mercy or threatning judgment or teaching any duty being misunderstood and misapplyed is not the true profitable and comfortable Word of God to those that so misunderstand it and mis-apply it in 2 Tim. 2. we find that the Apostle having exhorted Timothy to a constant undergoing of the labour of the Ministery and to a patient bearing of the Crosses that came by reason of the execution of his office then in the seventh verse he concludeth Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things as if he had said Consider duly what I stirred and exhorted thee unto and the Lord give thee that thou mayest both rightly understand and rightly apply it and so in 2 Pet. 3.16 The Apostle telleth us that the holy Scriptures being wrested and perverted and mis-applyed they are so far from being comfortable that they tend to the destruction of them that mis-understand and mis-apply them they are so far from being comfortable when men do pervert them and turn them which way they list that they tend to their own destruction And indeed though the Scripture be in it self the Will and Wisdome of God revealed unto us and though it be true that God speaketh unto us in and by the same yet the Word of God mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not the word of God neither doth God speak unto us and as One saith well the word of God foolishly perverted and understood it is not the word of God to him that so understandeth it and therefore cannot be truly profitable and comfortable unto him for the Application It concerneth us then in the first place that are Ministers and Messengers Vse 1 of God that take upon us to handle the holy Word of God and to deliver it unto Gods people to be careful of it that we rightly understand and rightly apply the word of God and that we deliver unto our hearers Gods word and out of Gods word Gods mind and meaning that they may say God speaketh in the Preacher 1 Cor. 14.25 so must we deliver the mind and word of God And then onely shall we find the blessing of God upon the Word we handle and then we shall draw men to a holy course of life or at least convince them of their sins if we deliver it so as God may be said to speak in us or by us then we may look for a blessing upon it to the working of grace and to convert them to a holy life for if it be not rightly grounded either upon the Word of God or derived thence surely take it for a truth it is not Gods Word Though it be a sound Orthodox and a true point of Divinity yet if it be not grounded upon the Word of God we handle or by necessary consequence it is mans word and not Gods Word Again this being so That the word of God is not the true profitable Vse 2 and comfortable Word of God being misunderstood and mis-applyed it then concerneth every one of us all that are hearers of the word of God to look unto it that in hearing and reading the holy word of God

example of the Apostle Paul that was changed by the voyce of Christ from heaven and the voyce of the Gospel is as powerful from a bloody and tyrannical persecutor to a famous and renowned Preacher of the Gospel Gal. 1.22 And we read not onely in the primitive stories of the Church but have found also in our own time that the Gospel of God hath been of such force that it hath made many to leave their Fathers their Mothers wives children friends their lands and livings and all their riches and possessions and to lose their lives by fire and sword and faggot and by cruel tortures yea by as cruel torments as their tormentors could lay upon them And is not the voyce of the Gospel now as powerful is not the Gospel able to make thee now to lay aside thy profits or pleasures as thy Carding or Dicing nay not to lay aside a cup of beer or wine not needful for thee is not the Gospel able to make thee to lay aside a needlesse new fangled attire on thy head to make thee cut off thy long shag and ruffian-like hair to make thee leave off thy covetousnesse thy Drunkennesse thy whoring thy common swearing by faith and troth is it not able to do this is the power of the Gospel abated can it not make thee leave off thy darling sin it was wont to do this in former time And the Gospel is as powerful now and as able to throw down the strongest hold of sin and Satan as ever 2 Cor. 10.4 to throw down imaginations and strong holds of corruption if thou live under the Gospel where the Gospel is truly and faithfully preached and assuredly either the Gospel hath thus wrought in thee to the purging out of corruptions and those sins thou once delightedst in or it sealeth up unto thee a heavy and fearful conclusion what is that you will say Take it from the Apostle not from me in 2 Cor. 4.3 mark what he saith The Apostle in the second verse of the Chapter sheweth that he and the rest of the Apostles handled the Word of God not deceitfully but in the declaration of the truth in plain evidence of the Spirit and of power they approved themselves to every mans conscience then mark what he bringeth in by way of inference if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish if the Gospel that hath been so plentifully and powerfully preached and so painfully delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit work not in your hearts and souls It is to be feared you are in the way to destruction and in a fearful condition Oh then let us look that we find the power of the Gospel in our hearts and soules and consider it will nothing at all avail us to know that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation though it were to thousands yea to all the world besides if we find it is not so to us to commend the Gospel and the Doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of it and to say it is a blessed Sermon an excellent Sermon the best sermon that ever I heard it may be worthy to be commended but hath it wrought upon thee thou finding it not powerful to thee it will not be available to take notice of the Gospel to be a Word of power in the general and in the abstract and not find it so in the particular to thy self is the case of the Devil he knoweth the Gospel is a comfortable Word but see what good hast thou gotten by knowing it hath it beat down thy pride thy covetousnesse thy earthly mindednesse happy art thou otherwise it will not be available therefore in the fear of God let us never rest till we find that we living under the sound preaching of the Gospel that hath been effectual to our soules and hearts and hath beaten down our pride our earthly mindednesse and predominant corruptions and hath been of force and efficacy to the conferring upon us the holy Spirit of God and so made us actually Gods Children and heires of grace mercy and salvation then happy art thou Now the second thing that we are to stand upon is this That the children of the promise Doctrine such as are effectually wrought upon by the Word of the Gospel and by that word begotten to the faith and to believe in Christ they are accounted the true seed and the true children of Abraham and they have this honour to be of his seed And all the nobility of Christs Ancestors of Abraham of David is communicated unto them whether they be not of the race of the Jewes but Gentiles as it 's our case if the Gospel hath conferred the Spirit unto thee thou art a son or a daughter of faithful Abraham and all the Nobility of Christs Ancestors is communicated unto thee Gal. 3.7 they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Because Christ himself concerning the flesh came of Abraham Reason as the Apostle speaketh in Ephes 5.30 and they being in Christ they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh they are members with him and therefore partakers with him Oh then what excellent comfort is this to them that are sure of it Vse that the Gospel hath a working upon their hearts and soules that it hath hammered their soules and made them believe in Jesus Christ and though it be so that thou art of mean and base condition in the world yet thou art a child of Abraham an honour far surpassing that to be the sonne or daughter of an Emperour or the greatest Monarch or Potentate in the world all the Nobility of Christ his Ancestours belongeth unto thee if thou be a child of Abraham the friend of God 2 Chr. 20.7 as Jehosaphat calleth him what canst thou want either for thy provision or for thy safety and protection or defence the Lord hath made many sweet gracious and comfortable promises to Abraham that he will be his God his shield his buckler and his exceeding great reward a friend to his friends and an enemy to his enemies and thou hast right and title to all these gracious promises thou being a true believer God is thy shield and buckler a friend to thy friends and an enemy to thy enemies what canst thou want either for thy provision and safety or thy protection And therefore in the fear of God think upon it whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the powerfull Word of the Gospel that it hath beaten down thy pride thy covetousnesse and hath conferred unto thee the Spirit and that Spirit wrought faith in thy heart thou art a child of Abraham and all the Promises of God touching this life and the life to come thou hast right and title to as a child of Abraham VERSE 9. For this is a word of promise In the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son OUr Apostle having delivered this for a certain truth

is alledged though the Book the Chapter or Verse be not cited we should be able to know it was Scripture and not to think as some ignorant persons do that when a Poet is cited that it is Scripture but this was handled in the eighth Chapter vers 36. But onely one thing further You see the Apostle here whose Authority was Divine Apostolical and infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit of God who could not erre in what he taught and delivered to the Church and people of God yet for all this Divine and Apostolical and infallible assistance he followeth the rule of the written Word of God and bringeth testimony of Scripture to prove his Doctrine this was an usual thing with the blessed Apostle in other places of Scripture read Acts 26.22 23. the Apostle there saith that he witnessed to small and great saying no other things then those that Moses and the Prophets did say should come to passe That Christ should suffer death and be the first that should rise again from the dead and shew light to the Gentiles Rom. 1.2 the Apostle affirmeth that the Gospel which he preached was grounded upon the written Word of God and not to amplifie the point the Scripture is of sacred and divine authority as it containeth in it a Divine and heavenly Doctrine yea such a Doctrine that is not subject to the Church or any other thing in heaven or earth but only unto God whose Will and Counsel it is touching things that concern the good of his Church and chosen This for the use of it serveth to discover unto us the shamelesse impudence Vse 1 of that shamelesse strumpet the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome in that that Synagogue taketh upon it an absolute power to judge in all matters of Faith and of Religion and to define of it and that without and besides Scripture yea it taketh upon it a power to judge of Scripture it self and of the sense of Scripture and that without the help of Scripture to fasten a sense upon the written Word of God and to say this is the sense though they have no ground nor warrant for it in all the Book of God besides and that forsooth upon a supposition of the infallible assistance of the Spirit Oh say the Papists our Church and our Teachers are infallibly assisted by the Spirit of God and would ground themselves upon that Text in John 16.13 where Christ saith unto his Disciples when the Spirit of truth should come which he would send it should lead them into all truth Oh say they see Christ promiseth his Spirit to lead them into all truth so that they cannot erre in that which they teach But the Papists are mistaken if so be we consider the place duly and look upon it and examine it we shall find it will bear no such conclusion that the Church and the Teachers of the Church are so led that they cannot erre in whatsoever they teach and that the Church hath power and the teachers of the Church power to judge of the Scripture and the sense of Scripture without the help of it for that place in John it must of necessity be understood with a restraint when he saith it shall lead you into all truth it hath a limitation and restraint to that subject of which it is spoken of all that truth For why I hope the Papists will not deny but easily confesse and yeeld unto it that the time of Christ his second coming to Judgment is a certain truth of God God hath appointed and set it down in Act. 17.31 a day wherein he will judge the whole world in righteousnesse by Jesus Christ yet the time of his coming unto Judgment is not revealed by the Spirit of God to the Church or Teachers of it nay we are not to enquire into the time of his coming Christ forbiddeth it so that speech of truth must admit of a limitation not of all truth for here is a particular truth not revealed but it is to be understood of all truths contained in the will of God in the Scripture that the holy Spirit of God shall lead them into all that truth how may it appear why read the place it self John 16.13 14. Howbeit when he is come which is the Spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth there they stay but mark what followes He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear shall he speak and he will shew unto you the things to come and shall glorifie me Now a special part of the glory of God and Christ what is it but this that the Holy Ghost revealeth unto the people of God the secrets of the Gospel the things that eye of man cannot see nor heart conceive doth the Spirit of God reveal to Gods children and doth teach what Christ is in himself in his nature in his offices and in his person onely these things he shall reveal no new coyned doctrine or new devices of mens brrains not contained in the holy Scripture but such as Christ and the Prophets and Apostles have taught these things shall be brought to the minds of Gods chosen therefore it is monstrous and shamelesse impudencie for the Papists thus to affirm that they have power without and besides Scripture But we are not to believe any without they can say Scriptum est it is written it is the infallible truth of God grounded on Divine authority thus must all Ministers do ground their doctrine on the truth of God As it is written I have loved Jacob and hated Esau COme we now to the testimony of the Apostle it self I have loved Iacob and hated Esau These words we find in Malachy Mal. 1.2 3. And they are here brought to manifest and to shew the reason of the difference that it pleased God to put between the two brethren Jacob and Esau Jacob advanced over Esau because God loved Jacob Esau brought in subjection unto Jacob because God hated Esau Now that we may come to the handling of this testimony Some there be that say this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Iacob and hated Esau concerned onely things appertaining to this life things outward and temporal and not things eternal the Prophet say they shewing wherein Gods love did consist unto Jacob and wherein his hatred unto Esau did consist he saith Gods love did consist in this in giving unto Jacob a fruitful Land flowing with milk and honey and his hatred unto Esau in making Esaus Mountain waste and in giving unto Esau's posterity the Idumeans a barren and a dry Country and a Wildernesse for Dragons as the Prophet speaketh therefore say they the Prophet thus speaking of things appertaining to this life outward and temporal it cannot hence be concluded that our blessed Apostle treateth of eternal election and reprobation as you would make it that this whole Chapter concerneth Predestination Now to this we answer easily 't is true indeed the Prophet in the place alledged

not be ashamed dividing the Word of truth aright and in Titus 1.9 He doth affirm that the Preachers of the Word must hold fast the faithful Word and let none wring it out of their hands and that according to doctrine that he may be able to instruct the people of God by wholsome doctrine and also reprove them that gainsay it and refute them whatsoever they be that gainsay it thus confident ought every Minister of the Word to be This sheweth and discovereth unto us Vse that many are justly to be blamed and taxed that deliver their Doctrines carelesly and loosely and also their Applications without any ground of truth in Gods Word that when any come to object against it they flye from it and say it is the opinion of this or that man of this or that Father of this or that ancient Doctour nay it may be of such or such a Postiller or such a Popish Doctour Oh this doth not agree with the power authority and majestie of the Word of God we ought to deliver the Word of God with such power as we may stand to it and not flye to Fathers or Doctours or Postillers In the next place observe we our Apostle having delivered this holy truth of God grounded upon the truth of God touching Jacob and Esau he knew that some out of their natural reason and understanding would be ready to cavil against it and to make a wrong conclusion of it he knew that some would stagger at it and wrest and pervert the truth of God and would draw from it this conclusion therefore God is unjust so that the Apostle is forced to cry out VVhat shall we say then is God unjust hence the observation is this Doctrine That the holy truth of God it is subject to misconstructions to be perverted and to be wrested and to have false inferences and wrong conclusions and forced opinions wrested from it Mans carnal and corrupt reason doth commonly pervert the holy truth of God the doctrine of piety yea though it be made known to be the holy truth of God yet mans carnal reason and understanding is ready to pervert it and to force wrong conclusions from it And for the farther manifestation of it read Rom. 3.8 there it is said that the Apostle was blamed that he should say that we might do evil that good might come thereby Because the Apostle saith that by our wicked lives God was glorified so we read of the Sadduces Matth. 22.23 they laboured to pervert the truth concerning the resurrection from the dead and to draw from it a grosse absurdity that if there were a resurrection how should a woman that had seven husbands know whose wife she was but Christ telleth them they are deceived not knowing the Scripture so in 2 Pet. 3.16 the Apostle saith some did pervert and wrong the Gospel to their own destruction and in Esay 52.6 the Prophet speaketh of the niggards the niggard will speak like the niggard and in the middle of the verse he saith that he will speak falsly against the Lord he will labour to bring an untruth from the truth of God that thereby he might have some strength to his niggardlinesse that he might make hungry the weary soul and cause the weak to fall And not to adde further testimonies of Scripture common experience doth shew the truth of it for whence come errour and heresies but out of this bitter root that men do abuse and pervert the Scripture and make men believe that God speaketh that in his Word which he speaketh not and make that the purpose of the Holy Ghost which was never his purpose as Papists Anabaptists and Separatists and other erring spirits do whence cometh it but that they fasten their errours upon the Word of God whence cometh it that men go on boldly in their sins but that they draw false conclusions from the Word of God as in that the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 5.8 they that provide not for their own are worse then Infidels and therefore may they upon this ground practice the damnable sin of usury and extortion and of covetousnesse and of hoording up and also use fraud cosening and deceit and all unlawful meanes to enrich themselves so again some out of Exod. 22.25 where the Lord saith thou shalt not oppresse thy brother with usury Oh say they I may practise the sin of usury if I do not oppresse mine is not a biting but a toothlesse usury so that here is a wrong conclusion to imbolden men in sin so some hearing the speech of Christ the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath therefore say they we may upon the Sabbath use our recreations and sports and pastimes and we may walk to Tavernes and Ale-houses Oh what a grosse conclusion is this forced on the truth of God! so I might instance in many more to shew how mans nature is ready to pervert the truth of God Vse 1 First of all this holy truth of God is to be considered by us that are Teachers and Preachers of the Word of God it must teach us our Lesson that we delivering the holy truth of God we are not to think it strange or to stand amazed and wonder at it that men should pervert that truth and wrest wrong conclusions from it yea draw such things as are not thence to be drawn and force such conclusions as we never thought upon Neither are we hereupon to shut our mouthes and resolve with Jeremiah I will speak no more in the name of the Lord my words are wrested and perverted But we must remember that the holy truth of God is subject to be perverted yea it is an argument that the truth we deliver is a sure truth of God because the devil and his instruments rage so much against it and because carnal men and unsanctified hearts and soules do wrangle against it we must not therefore be driven away from delivering the truth of God but we must be comforted in the truth Again this being so that the truth of God is subject to be perverted Vse 2 and to have wrong and false conclusions drawn from it surely then let us take heed how we do either hear or read the Word of God I do not disswade any man from hearing or reading the Word of God but take heed how we read or hear it for the adulterer or the prophane Sabbath-breaker or any other can draw a conclusion from the Word of God but take heed what we conclude from the Word of God And know it is not enough for us that we are taught the Word of God truly and live under a good Preacher a holy and faithful Ministery as many do to increase their deep condemnation but we must remember that so great is the corruption of our hearts and understanding our judgments are so perverted and so out of order that indeed unlesse they be sanctified and renued by grace they are ready to pervert the truth of

God and wrest wrong conclusions especially if that doctrine be applyed home particularly and brought home to our soules if we touch their carelesse bands or the long shaggy hair of their heads then they startle and flye and fume out against the truth of God surely beloved this concerneth us for if the Word did not flye home to our hearts to the particular sins we are guilty of then they would lye still but because it doth Oh what a stir what a striving what a combustion there is about such a matter as the shaggy hair carelesse bands and such like And therefore we must come to the truth of God with holy and sanctified hearts as God saith Luke 8.15 the good ground that receiveth seed receiveth it with an honest and good heart and that thou mayest have it indeed observe these two things First labour to empty thy self of all pride Directions how to hear profitably 1 Pet. 2.1 2. and self-conceit of thy own Judgment of thy own will and come to the hearing and reading of the Word of God with an humble heart with meeknesse of spirit lay aside pride and swelling conceits and lifting up of the mind that thou canst understand it better then the Preacher yea trembling at the holy Word of God for as the Prophet saith Esay 66.2 To this man will I look to him that trembleth at my words not to him that sitteth as a Judge and in Psal 25.9 and the 14 verse The secrets of the Lord shall be revealed to them that stand in fear and reverence of his holy Majestie Sequitur superbos ulter à tergo Deus and for the want of this fear and reverence and awe of this great Majesty of God it is that men do dare to be so bold as to draw such conclusions from the Word of God for then are men onely fit to hear and read the Word of God aright when the pride of their heart is brought down and the swelling of their reason is brought down and humbled when carnal reason and natural affections are laid aside and brought under by some afflictions a man that is under the hand of God in some affliction in some great distresse then he is most tractable and then he will hear you when at another time he will kick and spurn against you in time of health and scorn the Minister and the Word but in time of sicknesse now send for the Minister now call him then they are fitted to receive his counsel therefore learn to lay aside all pride of heart Secondly Direct 2. we must come to the hearing and reading of the Word of God with a heart lift up unto God in prayer as we must come empty of pride so also lifted up in prayer never touch the Book of God but lift up thy heart unto God in prayer to give thee a right understanding of his Word not as many do rush upon the book of God carelesly and never pray unto God to guide them in the truth of it for no man doth know the will of God unlesse God giveth his Spirit the book of God is a sealed book and a book locked up impossible it is to understand it unlesse God by his Spirit open it 1 Cor. 2.11 No man knoweth the mind of man but the spirit of man so no man knoweth Gods spiritual mind but his Spirit a man may be diligent in hearing and reading the Word of God and yet understand it grosly because the Lord doth not guide him and because he prayeth not unto God to be guided and directed in the hearing of it remember to lift up thy heart unto God in prayer for want of which many hear read from time to time and after much reading and hearing are never the better It may be thou art a man of great knowledg and wisdom in the world yet in comparison of Gods wisdom in his Word thou art a fool and must cast away all conceit of thy own righteousnesse and understanding and come trembling to the Word of God and not read it as many do to jest and make themselves merry at it shall the Lyon roar and none of the beasts tremble shall the Word of God be read and we jest at it for our merriment Oh rather labour to come with an humble heart and hearty prayer unto God and then thou shalt be kept from perverting the Word of God VVhat shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God God forbid IN these words our Apostle stoppeth the mouthes of carnal Reasoners VVhat shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God is therefore God unequal and partial is God therefore unjust in his dealing no saith the Apostle far be it from us You see then the Apostle doth utterly disclaim that direful conclusion that because God hated Esau and loved Jacob and that freely without any respect to the one or the other or any thing foreseen in them therefore God is unjust and partial and unequal in his doings with men this the Apostle renounceth and disclaimeth I will not here as some would do run out into the common place of Gods Justice to an extravagant discourse and stand to avouch that God is just holy and righteous and we are so to acknowledge him But keeping my self as near as possibly I can to the Apostles meaning and not to flye out to that which is not pertinent to the text And hence note we thus much Doctrine That God is most just in his free and in his absolute and eternal decree both of election and reprobation The Lord having from everlasting e're the world was freely without respect had to any thing either good or evil purposed and decreed some particular persons amongst men out of his mere good will and pleasure to life and salvation and as freely rejected others for ever he is therein most just and that free and eternal decree of God is also most just and holy and righteous for why we must consider God in this act in this businesse of his decree of salvation and rejection not as a Judge but as a Soveraign Lord as having mere and absolute power over his creatures to do with them what he will and as being not bound to any creature in any kind whatsoever not respecting the fall of man or this or that particular whatsoever no he hath absolute power and authority to choose some and reject others without any injustice or any wrong at all whatsoever flesh and blood or the carnal reason of man doth imagine he hath soveraign power over his creatures and that he holdeth God is God alone and it is his prerogative royal and belongeth to no creature in heaven or earth to do with his own what he will Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own this is Gods prerogative and peculiarly belongeth unto him so in the 15 verse of this Chapter he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy The

throughout all the earth That is the praise and glory of my power and my Justice appearing in the destruction of thee so mighty a King might be published and might be spread abroad in every part and corner of the world and might be every where spoken of in every part and corner of the world So then thus conceive the meaning of the Apostle in these words as if he had said For God said in his written Word in his holy Scripture unto Pharaoh Exodus 9.16 For this very cause for this very purpose have I with-held my grace and hardned thy heart a fruit following the rejection of thee and I have stirred up my messengers to come to deliver my judgements unto thee and have caused thee not to profit by my judgements and my messengers and I have caused thee to harden thy heart and to exalt thy selfe against me that I might make thee to see and feel the force of my hand and of all my power in the bottome of the Sea and that all other my people and all in the world may see and take notice of thy destruction and my power in destroying so mighty a king Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine and first of all observe the Apostle here he speaketh and alledgeth Scripture as he had done heretofore and as he doth frequently and often in this Chapter to ground the matter that he hath in hand upon the Scriptures hence followeth this conclusion Doctrine That the Scriptures the written Word of God hath sufficient ground touching all fundamental Truths of God It is a sufficient rule and ground to guide us in all things and all matters both of Faith and of good life the holy Scriptures they doe contain in them all things needful to be known to be believed and to be practised of us to life and salvation to this purpose is that in 2 Tim. 3.16 17. where the Apostle Paul saith to Timothy Thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith of Iesus Christ For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to improve to correct in righteousness and to make the man of God absolute and perfect in every good work it is able to make a man intire in godliness I know the Cavil of the Papists against this clear evidence of Scripture for they seek to illude the evidence of this Text in this maner It is true indeed say they the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable but where doe you finde he saith it is sufficient A meer shift and easily answered for the Apostle saith not barely that the Scripture is profitable and there stay himself and goe no further but he doth point out unto us to what use it serveth it is profitable and it is profitable to to teach to instruct and to improve and to make a man absolute and intire in every good work Is it not then sufficient a foolish cavill so in the 15 verse of the same Chapter saith the Apostle the Scripture is able to make a man wise unto salvation Is not the Scripture then sufficient it is able to bring a man unto Heaven and yet say the Papists it is not sufficient certainly it cannot be denied but that the whole Scripture containeth all things needful to life and salvation and to make a man to come to Heaven would any man desire more sufficiencie then this the reason is Reason Because the written Word of God it is the breath of the holy spirit of God so saith the Apostle it is given by inspiration from whom from the Devil No from the holy Spirit of God the holy Ghost And in the Scripture Gods will is made known unto his chosen and as I have often said Gods Word is his Epistle and love-letter sent unto his children to guide them in the way of life and salvation Psalm 119.105 It is a lanthorn to their feet and a light unto their paths to guide them in every step they tread as a lanthorn and light doth guide a man in dark and obscure places so doth Gods Word guide them in the way of life and salvation And hath God bestowed upon his Church and chosen a guide insufficient that is not able to lead them to Life and salvation but to suffer them to wander into by paths of errors and sinnes no it is blasphemous so to think for the holy Scripture doth contain all things needful to be known and practised both for life and manners Wickedly then deal the Papists in this in that they joyne to the written Applicat 1 Word of God their own unwritten traditions their unwritten verities to make up and supplies as they imagine the imperfection in the holy Word of God the Word is not a sufficient rule unless the unwritten verities of the Church be joyned to it what is this but to offer injurious dealing to the great Lord of Heaven and earth and to his Word that we must supply his wisedome as insufficient with something of mans foolish brain Is the Scripture the written Word of God sufficient to guide us in all Vse 2 matters of Faith and good Life and in all things necessarie to be known to salvation learn we then to acknowledge it so to be and learn we to cleave fast unto it as the onely sufficient rule to guide us in the way that leadeth unto Life and salvation in all matters of Faith and good manners and take heed we be not carried away from the Truth of God 2 Thess 2.2.1 either by spirit by letter or by word or to speak plainly take heed we be not deluded neither by vision nor revelation besides the Word of God as the Anabaptists and Familists teach nor by the traditions of Rabbins and great learned men neither by the writings of those that are ancient Fathers and Doctours For this is an ancient device of the Papists to wrest into the Church such and such speeches tenents and bastardly writings and father them upon the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church thereby to draw men to errour and sinne Now we know not how soon we may be tried in this very kind and therefore it concerneth us we had need to look unto it and to hold fast to the written Word of God And take heed we admit not of everie thing whatsoever or whosoever bringeth it under what counterfeit soever they offer it Though a great Rabbine or a great Doctor bringeth it yet if we find him to swerve and dissent from the written Word of God and have no ground nor footing there disclaim it For this is that they triumph in they have they think the great Rabbins and learned men of the world and above all take heed of practising what they teach contrarie to the written Word of God Object I but some will say how shall I be certain that the Scripture is Scripture you tell me that I must

cleave to the holy Word of God but how shall I know that the Scripture is the Book of God Indeed it is a scruple that doth sometimes arise in the minds of men and especially if they be under some great temptation to doubt whether the Word of God be the Word of God or no How shall I know that this is that I must stick unto for all matters of Faith and Religion of Life and Manners Answ If the Papists were to answer this they will tell you by the testimonie and tradition of the Church because the Church speaketh it Indeed this is the mark we know a Church by because it is inferiour to the Scripture and subjecteth to it but it is no mark to know Scripture by the Church but we may know Scripture to be Scripture by these infallible notes such as never will deceive or lead us aside 1. Namely these by the evidence of the holy Spirit of God appearing and shining forth in every sentence and in every word of the holy word of God 2. By the puritie and perfection of the Word 3. By the Majestie of it in the plainness of speech by the power it hath over the Conscience of Man it is able to convert the soul of Man it is clean contrarie to the nature of Man it converteth the soul of Man and doth draw the will of Man to yield obedience unto it It is a Divine word and his power is Divine over the affections and hearts of Men though it be contrarie to mans will yet it captivateth it to its power 4. By the rage of the Devil against it the Devil he cannot indure the publishing and the preaching of it 5. By the constant suffering of the holy Martyrs many millions that have shed their bloud for the Name of Christ and for the Word of his Gospel 6. And lastly and above all by feeling that spirit which appeareth in the written Word of God to be effectual and powerful in our souls if thou find the power of the Word working upon thy soul not onely to thy illumination and inlightning but to the working of holiness and grace in thee Surely though all the men in the world denie Scripture to be Scripture yet thy heart will assent and consent unto it and thy heart seasoned by grace will make thy mouth to confess it though all the world will denie it yet thou confessest it John 7.17 saith Christ If any man will trie whether my Doctrine be of God or Men he may doe it thus If any man doe the will of my Father and be wrought upon by this Doctrine certainly that man knoweth that my Doctrine is of God and not of my self Oh then labour we to find this perswasion in us that Scripture is Scripture upon those grounds but especially by the efficacie of the Word and by the effectual work of it in our hearts and soules and not to cavil against it or to yield to the falshood of deceivers No no say with thy self my heart hath sealed to the eternal Truth of God And thus doing we shall find it to be sufficient to guide us in all matters of godliness and in all matters of good life and manners and also we shall find it able to bring us to salvation For the Scripture said unto Pharaoh even for this very end have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout the earth IN that the Apostle saith for the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh we see here a strong confirmation of that which we noted out of the 15. verse That the written Word of God is a speaking Word And God speaketh to his Church and people by his written Word and therefore the Scripture is not a dead letter or dumb Judge and senceless Juke as the Papists say but passe by that Onely note the Apostle saith the Scripture speaketh concerning Pharaoh it speaketh touching the reprobation of Pharaoh and touching the hardning of his heart which was a manifest signe of his reprobation so that we see the Scripture revealeth unto us the point and matter of Reprobation And we may hence take notice of it The Doctrine of Reprobation a Doctrine revealed in the written Word that the Doctrine of Reprobation is a Doctrine made known unto us in the Scripture and in the written Word of God yea the Doctrine of the Reprobation of some particular persons amongst men it may and it ought to be published in the Church of God It is a part of the holy Word of God and a portion of Scipture written and revealed in the Word And we ought to take notice of it as Moses saith in Deut. 29.29 Things revealed belong to us and to our children secret things belong to God so that the Doctrine of Reprobation and casting off of some particular persons amongst men ought to be taught to the Church and Children of God Some there be that are of opinion that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought to be concealed and not to be published and made known to the Church and people of God And why because of the danger of it say they for as they conceive and imagine it driveth some men from God and it maketh some men to run into desperation therefore say they it is to be concealed and not made known to the Church of God But these that thus think they are deceived For the Alienation and the estranging of mens mind from God and desperation are not the fruits properly following the Doctrine of Reprobation they do not proceed and come from and by that Doctrine properly but they are accidental effects commonly following it and are cursed fruits comming from the hearts of men and so the fault is in themselves and not in the Doctrine of Reprobation the Doctrine it self is holy good and profitable if men doe rightly understand it and savour it aright it is of excellent use and very necessarie For the best Doctrine that is the most comfortable Doctrine that is may be perverted and abused sometimes and become savor of some to their utter destruction as the Doctrine of saving faith in Christ Jesus and his merits is savoured of some to their utter destruction and therefore ought it not to be published It is a weak insufficient argument to prove that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought not to be made known because of these accidental effects because some through their own corruption are caused to run into Alienation from God and Desperation whereas the Doctrine of Reprobation is of necessary use it serveth much to commend and set forth the mercies of God and the riches of his mercy to his chosen children And it stirreth up the Children of God to a great measure of thankfulness for the mercies of God bestowed upon them when they consider that God hath chosen them and refused and rejected others this stirreth them up to magnifie the mercie of God and then doth the soul of a child

in the world wonder not nor be not amazed forr these things must come to passe and be fulfilled And it argueth a true and a sound faith to see through the thick mists of errour and iniquity and abundance of evil the bright resplendant shining beames of the Majestie and purity of the Word of God And therefore we are to be so farre from being offended at the Combustions and Uproares of the world as that we should be strengthened so much the more and settled and grounded in the holy Word of God seeing God hath Revealed it in his Word and foretold it long before As he saith in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved c. COme we now to the words of the Testimonie it selfe in these two verses And herein the Apostle doth invert the Order of the words of the Prophet putting that which is first last yea the Apostle doth something alter and change the words of the Prophet and keepeth not strictly and precisely to the very words of the Prophet citing word for word yet he keepeth the scope sense and meaning of the Prophet sound and intire without any alteration or change hence then note we thus much That it is not alwayes necessarie that the very words of the Scripture Doctrine should be strictly orderly and precisely kept in the preaching of the Word so that the sence and scope and meaning of the place be kept sound and intire without wrong change or alteration The Preachers of the Word must look unto it that they neither deprave nor corrupt the places of Scripture that they doe not cut them off and leave out something needful this was the sinne of the Devil in Matthew 4.6 He shall give his Angels charge over thee and leaveth out to keep thee in all thy wayes Nor that they doe not wrest and wring the places of Scripture to a wrong sence and wrong purpose and make them as a nose of waxe and draw them to a wrong purpose and vex the Holy Word of God which is the dealing of all hereticks and especially such as doe turne the places of Scripture and the plain Stories of the Bible into Allegories and so wrong the sence of the Scripture yet Ministers of the Word they may alledge and cite places of Scripture with some alteration so they keep the sence safe sound and intire John 7.38 He that believeth in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of water Where doth the Scripture say so Surely in no place that we finde in the Old Testament expresly totidem verbis in the very same words yet for the matter and substance of these words they may be collected and gathered out of the holy Prophets as out of Esay 44.3 and 49.10 Joel 3.18 in all which places mention is made of pouring water upon the drie and thirstie ground and of diving into the Waters of Life and of a fountain that should issue out from the house of the Lord. Now the Lord Jesus doth apply these words of the Prophets having respect to Christ who is the Fountain of Life and of all Spiritual graces he doth apply them to all those that truely believe in him that though they were drie and barren yet out of them shall flow the rivers of water of Life so that though he doth not set down the words of the Prophets expresly yet he keepeth the sence and meaning of the words So that it concerneth the Preachers of the Word to be very well acquainted with the scope and drift of the Scriptures that howsoever they may misse of the words yet they must keep the sence intire and see that they doe not swerve from the intent and purpose of the Holy Spirit of God in the Text. And as they must be careful that the places of Scripture be fit and pertinent to the purpose they have in hand so also that the places they doe alledge be truely understood and rightly applied according to the meaning of the Word and then they are the true Word of God and are a notable means to beate down the strong holds of sinne and of Sathan to pass by that Come we now to the Testimonie it self recorded by the Prophet and here alledged by the Apostle I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These words are a plain Text and doe evidence unto us the vocation and calling of the Gentiles which was long agoe foretold and now fulfilled the Gentiles are called the Gentiles embrace the faith of Christ which is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel and of Religion 1 Tim. 3.16 VVithout controversie great is the mysterie of godliness what was that God manifested in the flesh seen of Angels justified in the Spirit preached to the Gentiles a high and excellent mysterie Now touching this mysterie of calling the Gentiles observe the Lord saith I will call them my People which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved Hence appeareth the free mercy and the free grace of God in calling the Gentiles out of the estate of ignorance and unbelief into the estate of true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ into the estate of grace hence then ariseth this point viz. Doctrine That God calleth men effectually out of their natural estate into the estate of grace and doth work grace in them effectually by the power of his Spirit through the preaching of the Word out of his meer good will and free mercy nothing moving him thereunto but onely his free mercy the Lord he is pleased to reveal the Gospel to none but to those who out of his meer good will hee pleaseth to cause to understand it and the light of the Gospel though it shine most clearly and resplendantly yet it doth enlighten none nor worke upon none but onely such as it pleased God to illuminate and enlighten by the preaching of the Word though it fall upon their eyes and sound in their eares and shine about them yet the hearts are shut up of all such unlesse those whom God doth illuminate Eph. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of himselfe and other true believers saith expresiy God hath opened unto us the mysterie of his Word the secrets of his Gospel according to his own good pleasure And in the same Chapter the 17. verse He prayeth that the Ephesians might have the Spirit of Revelation and the Spirit of Wisedome Oh Lord open the eyes of their understanding that they may clearly see the riches of his calling and the sweet comforts of the Gospel And hence it was that the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 4.6 That God by the same Almightie power whereby he brought light out of darkness causeth them to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ yea the Lord doth afford the outward sound and preaching of the Word out of his free mercie where it pleaseth

him He appointeth the drops of rain to fall in this place and not in that so he doth cause the dew of his Word to fall upon the clay the Gentiles in Matth. 10.6 into the Cities of the Samaritans enter not and in Acts 16.6 7 we find that Paul and Timothy they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia Yea when they had a mind to goe to Bythinia the Spirit of God would not suffer them but sent them to Macedonia Acts 16.9 Come over into Macedonia and help us so that the outward preaching of the Word it is vouchsafed to some and not to others as when Christ lived upon the face of the earth the bodily eyes of all men were not opened but onely some and others remaine blind some blind persons were left in their blindness And the dead bodies of all were not raised though some were at the death of Christ so dealeth the Lord with the minds and souls of men he onely out of his gracious pleasure doth open the minds of some men and make them to see know and understand and believe by the preaching of the Word according to his gracious pleasure therefore we may resolve upon it as a certain truth that God doth call men out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace effectually out of his free grace and mercy Vse 1 If this be so it is not then upon foreseen merit that God doth call men effectually and doth work upon them powerfully by his Spirit that is the error of the Papists they hold indeed that the election of God and consequently the revelation of the truth of God it is upon their merit foreseen because God doth foresee some worthiness in them we are to renounce this as a gross Popish errour yea the truth now made known unto us being duely considered and thought upon it beareth strongly against that position that is held by some that redemption wrought by Christ is universal that Christ died for all men universally without any exception of any Now not to stand upon this erroneous position which is a dangerous errour in the ground of it it making the sin of men the sins of the world death and hell to be stronger then Christ that Christ should die for all men and yet some of those men goe to hell a fowl and a gross errour besides this it cannot stand with the truth now delivered that Christ died effectually for all men without exception of any for if so be Christ did die for all men generally and universally then doubtless all are acquainted with it savingly as a benefit belonging to themselves such as are redeemed assuredly God doth bring them to the saving knowledge of their redemption Now this is not so the preaching of the Word and plain experience doth tell the contrarie for God out of his mere good will and pleasure doth call none effectually but such as are redeemed by Christ and so all men are not for then they should savingly be brought to the knowledge of their redemption but all are not so for as in the time of Christ all men that were blinde had not their eyes opened so all have not their minds enlightned and therefore universal redemption wrought by Christ is a meer fancie of the brain of man forged in hell and there is no truth in it to say that Christ died for all and if we rest upon this we shall finde a deceiving ground of comfort Howsoever some will say how shall we comfort a poor soul a prisoner that is to be executed but by telling him Christ died for all upon what ground No Christ died not for all Again is it so that God worketh freely upon the minds and souls of men out of his free grace and mercy Oh then such as find themselves to be in Vse 2 the number of the called of God and throughly wrought upon by the power of the preaching of the Word that are brought to the saving knowledge of God in Christ they are bound to acknowledge the riches of his free grace and mercy and be thankful unto God for the same Consider it thou that hast good evidence of thy effectual calling that art transformed and changed and brought into a new mold and fashion consider with thy self that many are left in their natural ignorance and unbelief yea many are given over to Popish superstitions many living in the same place frequenting the same means hearing the same sermons sitting in the same seat with thee they remain ignorant in their blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart but God hath given thee not onely his Word and Gospel preached but a heart enlightned to receive it therefore thou hast cause to magnifie the mercy of God for this blessing of all blessings And learn thou to break out and say Lord what am I that thou shouldest vouchsafe unto me such a mercie I see thousands in their natural estate and ignorance I was born and brought forth in sinne like other men and have increased and multiplied my sinnes exceedingly my unthankefulnesse is great and my unworthinesse greater and yet thou hast vouchsafed mercy unto me above many thousands Lord thou art gracious and merciful unto me Thus we ought to be stirred up our selves to magnifie the mercie of God in that many thousands are given to Popish superstition and God hath given thee a flexible heart to his Word Oh thou canst not be sufficiently thankful for so great a favour As he saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved COme we now to the very words of the text to enter into the bowels of it In these words as I have shewed you we have a double description of the Gentiles First of their estate before their calling when they were not the people of God by nature Secondly of their condition after their Calling that they were now become the people of God and beloved of the Lord hence then first of all appeareth the estate of man by nature as yet unconverted and not wrought upon by the Spirit of God through the preaching of the Word and Gospel hence the Doctrine is this Doctrine That men who are in their natural estate as yet not effectually called and as yet not wrought upon by the Spirit of grace by the preaching of the Word and Gospel are in a miserable estate and condition they are not the people of God nor beloved of God so saith the Text and we find that that the Scripture setteth out the miserable estate and condition of men in their natural estate by many notable speeches in Rom. 5.6.8 it is said that they were sinners in a high degree ungodly yea enemies unto God and unto Christ such as are in their natural estate they are enemies unto God and there is open defiance between God and them and they may look that the Lord shall deal with them as a professed

thy life and conversation throughly reformed thy corruptions mortified thy graces increased thy love and zeal inflamed and thy soul at last eternally saved let me beg thy prayers for my self in requital of my pains and thy best wishes at the throne of grace in behalf of the Stationer for his labour and his honest care and cost bestowed herein and herein forget not to go to God for his blessing upon thy reading this work and all our endeavors herein that all may tend to his glory In hope whereof I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace and the book once more to thy serious reading and practise heartily taking leave I hasten to write my self Albourn this present March 12 h. 1652. Thine in Christ Jesus William Harrison There is lately Printed Gods holy mind touching matters Moral which himself uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments also Christs Holy Minde touching Prayer which himself taught unto his Disciples discovered by the light of his own holy Writ and delivered by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr Edward Elton B. D. and Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bar monsey near London A true Relation of the murders committed in the Parish of Clunne in the County of Salop by Enoch ap Evan upon the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the causes moving him thereunto by Richard More Esquire Printed by order of a Committee of Parliament The great Mystery of Godlinesse opened Or an Exposition upon the ninth Chapter of the Epistle to the ROMANS Romans 9. Verse 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the the holy Ghost Verse 2. That I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart THis excellent Epistle to the Romans written by that famous Apostle Paul the great Doctor of the Gentiles consisteth of these 3 parts in generall 1. A Proemium or Introduction 2. An Institution of Christian Doctrine 3. A Percration or conclusion Again in the Institution of Christian doctrine the Apostle proceedeth in this manner 1. He handleth the doctrine of Justification in the 5 first Chapters of this Epistle 2. He insisteth in the doctrine of Sanctification in the 6. and 7 th Chapters 3. Matter of sweet consolation flowing from the two former in Chapter the 8 th 4. He propoundeth and prosecuteth the doctrine of Predestination in the 9 th 10 th and 11 th Chapters 5. He proceedeth to matter of Christian exhortation to sundry duties generall and speciall Chapters 12.13 c. Now in this ninth Chapter he beginneth the doctrine of Predestination and openeth that great mystery of godlinesse concerning the rejection of the Jewes and calling of the Gentiles and herein we have 3 parts 1. In the first place we have not onely an insinuation of the Apostles dear and deep affection and a solemne and serious protestation of the truth of it but also a singular manifestation of his most admirable love to the nation of the Jewes notwithstanding the doctrine he was now about to deliver and this is amplified by sundry circumstances as 1. By the particular passion or affection wherein he manifested his dear love to them and that is his grief and sorrow for their casting off 2. The grief he here speaketh of is further amplified by two further circumstances or adjuncts viz. 1. The constancy of it 2. The sinceritie of it 3. This love of the Apostle to them is further illustrated by the great measure or extent of it viz. that he could wish himself accursed and separated from Christ in order to procure their salvation 4. Lastly by the affectionate and honourable mention that he maketh of the Jewish nation describing both fully and affectionately all their priviledges and prerogatives shewing what great cause he had to be so deeply affected with their rejection and thus he doth in the 5 first verses of this Chapter The second part of the Chapter is touching a vindication of the stabilility and constancy of the Lords promises though the Jewes were rejected and the defending of that promise of God for the stability of it against all cavils and all erring spirits and all humane reasonings that may be brought to the contrary and that from the 6. verse to the 24. The third part is a declaration of that wonderfull and deep mystery held from the beginning of the world concerning the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jews which was a thing foretold though men did not understand it before Paul revealed it unto them which was foretold by the Prophets so laid down from the 24. verse to the end of the Chapter so you have the chief materials generall in the Chapter of these in order and first of the first The Apostle being about to propound that which he knew would be taken very harsh and hard and marvellous displeasing and offensive to the Jews to hear of he useth a very patheticall insinuation of his love unto the Jews that he speaks of love expressing that love by his inward and hearty sorrow for their present estate and the care that he had for their good thereby to gain their good will and not exasperate them against him And the Apostle being to lay down their rejection useth a Preface unto it that the thing he spake was the truth and for the more force and efficacy of it he putteth down the contrary and I lie not and he confirmeth it further by an oath he calleth Christ to witnesse I speak the truth in Christ I lie not And secondly he proveth it by the witnesses and testimony of his own conscience his own conscience bearing witnesse with him and this conscience renewed by the holy Ghost mine own conscience bearing witnesse with me in the holy Ghost And then in the second verse he delivereth and putteth down his sorrow and his grief and his heavinesse of heart and thus he setteth out by the continuance and greatnesse of it it was a great sorrow and a continuall sorrow and that in his heart and soul and not a dissembled fained or outside sorrow but in his very heart and soul there he putteth down the desire of their good in the third verse And he doth expresse that by a wonderfull strange speech even by a wish to be separated from Christ for their good their calling and conversion Thereby implying their rejection and not propounding it for otherwise there was no cause of such a wish to be wished to be separated from Christ for their sake if they were not rejected and therefore he desireth to be anathemated and accursed from Christ for their good and then he setteth down reasons why he so wished himself to be separated from Christ First of all because they were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh Secondly a more waightier reason then this because they were the Israelites of God and Gods people and that he maketh further manifest and plain unto

my conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost that I have continual sorrow in my heart c. I have given you the annalysis of these words already Come we now to the general meaning of them I say the truth in Christ The Greek proposition is here a note of an oath the meaning is not I speak in the name of Christ as I am a Christian or by the authority of Christ but by Christ I call Christ to witnesse I speak the truth I lye not These words the Apostle addeth both to signifie the sincerity of his heart that he spake the truth simply and plainly with an honest and sincere heart without either mental reservation or equivocation not speaking one thing and meaning another and secondly to add weight to his speech to make it more ponderous more weighty more powerful and more prevailing to those that hear it after the manner of the Hebrews who for more weight and certainty of speech put down the thing in the affirmative and then denyed the contrary in the negative as it is said in the 1 Sam. 3.18 when Eli bad Samuel tell him what the Lord had said unto him it is said he spake every word and he hid nothing so in John 1.20 it is said of John that he confessed and denyed not but said plainly he was not the Christ so this is added for more weight and ponderousnesse of speech as first he spake it without any colloguing or equivocation and secondly for the weightinesse of his speech my conscience bearing witnesse here the Apostle doth not swear by his Conscience as some would think but sheweth that his conscience was a witnesse and gave testimony to him that he spake without collogueing or dissembling or that his conscience did not smite him nor touch him for it in the holy Ghost that is my conscience renewed by the grace of the holy Spirit of God as if the Apostle had said I speak the truth my conscience bearing me witnesse simply and plainly and that conscience rectified and renewed by the Spirit of God so ordered and guided it witnesseth holily and truly that I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart These words are to be taken in the literal sense as they lye onely the word sorrow is a Metaphorical and is taken from a woman that is in travel with child such sorrow as she hath that travelleth in child-bearing such was the sorrow in the heart of the blessed Apostle and for what his sorrow was he leaveth it to be gathered but it may be added namely for the rejection of the Jewes so then the Apostles meaning is thus plainly I say the truth even by Christ Jesus I speak it simply and plainly and with an honest and upright heart without any manner of doubling or dissembling or lying or any manner of untruth in my speech Christ is my witnesse I lie not and my own conscience beareth me witnesse also and that conscience of mine rectified and rightly ordered by the grace of Gods Spirit my conscience bearing me witnesse and that holily after an holy manner that I am possessed with continual sorrow and that in my heart and soul for the rejection of the Jews even as the sorrow of a woman travelling with child Come we now to the Instruction I say the truth in Christ I lye not The Apostle shewing his sorrow doth not here only say that he speaketh the truth and lyeth not but sweareth by Christ Jesus that he spake the truth for this his particular sorrow the point is thus That a Christian man sometimes may lawfully swear and take an oath Doctrine though it be not in publick and before a Magistrate but in private matters of great weight and importance as this was concerning the glory of God and a private man or woman may take a private oath between themselves so as it be with reverence and with a good conscience and for this we have not only the example of the Apostle but other examples in Scripture as Gen. 24.3 Abrahams servant sware unto his Master that he would take a wife for his son Isaac of his own seed and in Josh 2.12 the Spies that came to see the Land took an oath of the harlot and Jonathan and David 1 Sam. 26.42 made a covenant the one with the other and in Gen. 50.22 Joseph took an oath with his brethren to carry his bones with them out of Egypt And many other examples we have to this purpose clearing and confirming this truth that it is lawful to take an oath in private so as that it be in matters of weight and great importance namely in such a case as concerneth greatly the glory of God our own salvation and the preservation of others such a case as this being doubtfull is to be confirmed by an oath in private so as it be with reverence and a good conscience The Reason Reason is because that to this end an oath is appointed and ordained to be an end of all strife in matters of weight and controversie as the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 6.16 that an oath amongst men for confirmation putteth an end to all strife in matters of great weight and consequence not in every trivial trifling occasion no it must be with rariety and reservednesse First of all this meeteth with the errour of the Anabaptists that deny Vse 1 the use of all Oathes and hold it altogether unlawfull to swear in any case whatsoever either in publick or in private their opinion is false Object they alledge for themselves the Word of Christ in Matth. 5.34 35. Swear not at all but let your communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is else cometh of evil of the Devil Answer Answ Indeed it is true that we may not swear falsely therein it is evil and not in our familiar talk and conference between man and man for whatsoever therein is more cometh of evil of the Devil but to leave them This Truth serveth for the just reproof of those that do take rash Vse 2 Oathes for an oath must be in a just manner and not upon an ordinary occasion in our ordinary communication as such as use common and customary swearing in their ordinary communication they cannot speak a word but an oath is at the end of it a sin that is grown to a fearful height in this Land of ours yea it is rife and common both in the City and Countrey to swear and to rap out an oath at every word to tosse the name of God a sin for which the Land groaneth and mourneth even because of Oathes Jer. 23.10 Oh consider it how the land mourneth and weepeth for this sin you see Sommer is turned to Winter and why because of the Oathes of the land the earth doth not yeeld her fruit as she was wont to do The reason is because what is more common then for men and woto rap out an oath at every word and if they be reproved will

much as they can the very Conscience that is placed in the heart of man it is a plain evidence that there is a God and so let this suffice to stop their mouthes Is this so that the conscience is thus placed in the soul of man as a Vse 2 witnesse to whatsoever it is that man doth will or think or speak or affect or do surely then it must follow that it cannot possibly be that any man or woman should sin without witnesse though they sin never so secretly though it be in the very secrets and inwards of their own hearts that none can discern but God alone the Conscience discerneth it and seeth it and taketh notice of it and will manifest it in time if they have but an evil thought against God his Church or Children the conscience is a witnesse to that very thought indeed men presume upon it and do account it no sin if they can do it in a secret corner and have a dark place to act it in from the sight of men as Job 24.15 The eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight and then disguiseth himself and saith none eye shall see him Alas though thou couldest hide thy sin from all men and Devils yet thou canst not hide it from God nor from thine own conscience that will one day come in as a witnesse against thee and lay thee open to the sight of men and Angels unlesse God give thee repentance The Conscience of man is a tell-tale it will lay it open and witnesse against thee Indeed I confesse that the mouth of the conscience may be muzzeled and sometimes be choaked and fail in doing the office of it to bear witnesse or a man may lay violent hands upon his own conscience and as it were cut the throat of it for a time his conscience being asleep or benummed for custome in sin taketh away the feeling of the conscience for a time and as One saith well The light of the Conscience may be shadowed because it is not good but quite extinguished it cannot be because it cometh from God and is of him in the heart by the hand of God it may be asleep and benummed but it will awake either in the day of affliction or in the hour of death when the Conscience will be raised and awakened and will then not spare to witnesse against thee or if it be so that thou dost dye without any sense or feeling of sin thou dyest like a senselesse stone as it is said of Nabal his heart dyed within him so it may be thy heart may be so hardened as that in the hour of death it hath no touch of conscience at all yet know this though thou dyest so yet thy conscience dyeth not it is a natural faculty of thy soul it cannot dye and though it touch thee not in the hour of death yet the day will come when the Judgment of the Lord cometh it will come and appear before thee and then it will speak and not spare it will witnesse against thee the sins that thou hast done in hugger-mugger and in secret and thy dissembling and close dealing either with God or man thy Conscience will not then spare to speak against thee And therefore in the fear of God take notice of it and let this ground of truth teach us to take heed of presuming to sin because we are in the dark whether Usurers or those that travel up and down from Ale-houses to Taverns in the night to commit sin their consciences go with them And in this respect take we heed of dissembling of hypocrisie of double dealing in the sight and presence of the Lord thou mayst blear the eyes of men and deceive them but thy own conscience will not be blinded it will bear witnesse even of thy bosome sins and although it may be mute for a time yet it will speak and that aloud too before the Judge of all the world Let this therefore work inward soundnesse and truth in the heart that our Consciences may witnesse good before God of us who knoweth the inwards of thy heart and soul The Apostle addeth further That the Holy Ghost did testifie with his Conscience My Conscience witnesseth with me in the holy Ghost that is as it is rectified and guided by the holy Spirit of God to witnesse with me holily and truly as it is ordered by grace and sanctified to that end and purpose so then the Conclusion is this Doctrine That the Conscience of man doth then onely witnesse with him holily and truly and to his comfort touching the things that is said or done by him when it is rectified and guided by the holy Ghost it is the conscience and the conscience sanctified that is a true a holy and a comfortable witnesse to man when I say with the Apostle the Conscience beareth witnesse in the Holy Ghost it is that conscience that is a true and a holy witnesse touching good thoughts words or actions the Conscience regenerate holy and sanctified is only a conscience that is a comfortable witnesse Reason For why such as the Conscience is such is the witnesse and testimony of it now a natural conscience is impure polluted and defiled Titus 1.15 to the unbelieving and defiled is nothing pure but the mind and conscience is defiled even the conscience of a natural man witnesseth impurely unsound and uncomfortable onely the conscience regenerate and sanctified that is purged and purified by faith Act. 15.9 faith purifieth the heart and that conscience so purged and purified is only a true and a holy witnesse and that Conscience that is so regenerate and sanctified by grace it giveth witnesse and testimony of that righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of the conscience and is ever joyned unto it namely it giveth witnesse of a true and sound and constant purpose in the heart seconded with a holy endeavour and careful use of all good means not wittingly nor willingly to sin against God in any thing but to labour to please God in all things whatsoever this is the witnesse of a pure conscience Heb. 13.18 We are assured that we have a good conscience in all things desiring to live honestly and this was the witnesse of the Conscience of the good King Hezekiah that he was able his conscience being regenerate even upon his death-bed to say Now Lord remember how I have walked before thee-with an honest and a good heart Esay 38.3 he had walked before God with a perfect heart in the truth of his soul here was a regenerate heart that thus testified how he endeavoured not to sin against God but to please him in every thing so that by this it appeareth to be a truth that the Conscience of man then doth only witnesse holily and truly when it is rectified by grace then is it a holy witnesse of our thoughts words and actions Vse This serveth to discover unto us that many deceive themselves even touching this witnesse the

Gods presence amongst them and was their glory who had also the Moral Law written in two Tables by the finger of God himself called the tables of the Covenant And the Judicial Law The Metaphrase for the government of their Common Wealth which was an excellent Law having God the Author of it and full of equity And likewise the Ceremonial Law touching the outward worship of God which was also an excellent Law distinguishing them from all other Nations in the worship of God And they had also the Promises of God touching Gods favour and touching good things temporal and spiritual and the promises Legal and the promises Evangelical many sweet gracious and comfortable Promises Now thus understanding the words of this Verse come we to such things as are hence offered for our further instruction And in that the Apostle makes this a further ground of his wish to be separated or accursed from Christ for the conversion of the Jews because they were the Israelites the ancient people of God I might stand to shew that the Jews are to be respected and that we ought to wish them good spiritual good even because they were the ancient people of God but of that we shall speak more fitly when we come to the next Verse We see the Jewes are here set out by the Apostle as a most honourable people endowed with many excellent and worthy priviledges vouchsafed to them and yet all their priviledges did nothing avail them they did them no good at all in regard of Gods favour towards them and of Gods acceptance of them because they did not imbrace the Gospel and believe in Christ they rejected Christ and refused to imbrace the faith of the Gospel and so their excellent priviledges did nothing profit them to commend them in the sight of God and to make them pleasing to God And therefore the Apostle here wisheth himself to be separated or accursed from Christ that they might come to be converted and to believe in Christ notwithstanding their great priviledges hence then we are given to understand thus much Doctrine That no priviledge whatsoever be it never so great or excellent is available to make a people or a person wanting faith and saving grace accepted of and pleasing to God it is not the greatest priviledge or excellency in the world that is of any force or worth to commend either people or persons wanting faith in Gods sight to make them accepted with God Rom. 2.25 we find that the Apostle reproves the great folly of the Jewes who being breakers of the Law yet held themselves acceptable to God because they were circumcised they stood on the outward priviledges of circumcision who saith the Apostle to the Jew if thou be a transgressour of the Law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision thou art no more pleasing to God then the Gentile without question it was a great priviledge to be of Christ his kindred in respect of the flesh it was more then to be of the Blood Royal of the greatest Monarch in the world yet mark what the Lord Jesus himself speaks of it Matth. 12.48 Who is my mother and who are my brethren as if he had said What is it to be of my kindred according to the flesh is that the thing that makes any one more pleasing to God no no saith he behold my mother and my brethren pointing to his Disciples they are my mother and my brethren that do the Will of my Father which is in heaven Alliance in faith is nearer and dearer to me then that which is in the flesh Who ever had greater honour then was vouchsafed to the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of the Lord Jesus yet as One saith well had not Mary her self carried him in her heart by faith her conceiving and carrying him in her womb had nothing availed her nor made her any thing at all pleasing in Gods sight And the Reason is this Reason Because the best good things in the world without faith are but vanishing and transitory things things common to the Reprobates as well as to the Elect and chosen Children of God they are not things coming from the eternal Spirit of grace and sanctification nor agreeable to the nature of God things that are of esteem with God are spirituall and eternal even things agreeable to the nature of God Vse 1 Now then to make use of this truth first it meets with an errour of the Papists who hold and teach that some outward state and condition of life is of force to commend men in Gods sight and to make them pleasing to God as single life and voluntary poverty yea they say that Virginity and single life is a state of perfection far excelling Marriage and of such worth in it self as it commends a person before the Judgment Seat of God and deserves Gods grace and life eternal a position blasphemous and full of contumelie and derogatory from the blood of Christ and it cannot stand with this truth I leave it and for the use of the point to our selves Vse 2 Is it so that no priviledge or excellency whatsoever be it never so great or excellent is available to make a people or person wanting faith acceptable and pleasing to God Oh then learn we not to bear our selves on any excellency any good thing we enjoy whatsoever nor to trust to it as able to commend us in Gods sight and to make us accepted with God we wanting faith no not on the Word and Gospel and holy Ordinances of God nor on our profession of Religion nor on our good gifts and qualifications as wit memory learning and such like It was the conceit of the people of God the Jewes that they were highly in Gods favour because they had Gods Temple and his outward worship amongst them Jer. 7.4 They cryed out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and is it not the conceit of too many in our dayes do not many blesse themselves and think that they are highly in Gods favour only because they have been baptized and they live in the bosome of the Church and enjoy the Ministery of the Word and they have good preaching amongst them and they are made partakers of the holy Ordinances of God they come to the Church and they partake in the holy things of God in the Word and Sacraments Oh deceive not thy self whosoever thou art these things are excellent priviledges which thou enjoyest and haply others want But alas these things do not make thee pleasing to God or nearer to heaven thou wanting faith in Christ and saving grace in thy soul No thou mayst enjoy these priviledges and yet perish and be damned yea they may be to thee seales of deeper condemnation And indeed know it for a certain truth the better means of salvation thou livest under the heavier shall be thy Judgment and the deeper thy condemnation in hell thou not profiting by them to the working of faith

be rightly affected to the good estate of the Land and true friends to it they delight and much rejoyce in that which is the true happinesse of the Land and the strength and stability of it which is the Gospel and flourishing of the truth and holy Religion of God Now the Papists are so far from this as indeed they envy the truth and hate the holy Religion of God that is amongst us and they cannot abide it they oppose against it what they are able and seek by all means they can to overturn it yea it would do them good at the heart to see the Gospel removed out of the Land and the holy truth and Religion we yet enjoy quite overturned and their abominable Idolatry and superstition set up in the place of it they rejoyce when they see the cause of our holy Religion weakened and when they see such as stand soundly for the maintenance of it disgraced and discountenanced oh how do they exult and rejoyce at it and can they then be good friends to the good estate of the Land who thus envy the true good of the land and that wherein stands the true glory and happinesse and strength and stability of it no no it is not possible let them say what they will to the contrary they pretend and say they are as good subjects as the best and would make the world believe that howsoever they differ from us in Religion yet they wish as well to the State and they are as good friends to the King and to the State as the best of us all thus they prate and thus they would make the world believe but their lying and equivocating is palpable indeed and in truth there is no such matter They that hate Zion as Psal 129.5 They that wish ill to the holy Religion of God that is amongst us and is our glory our happinesse our strength and stability say what they will assuredly they cannot possibly be rightly affected and true friends to the good estate of our Land and Kingdom And we for our parts are to be earnest with the Lord that these enemies of the Gospel may not be too far trusted yea we ought as the Apostle exhorts 2 Thess 3.1 2. to pray and that earnestly that the Gospel may have free passage and be glorified amongst us and that we may be delivered from these perverse and unreasonable men And surely if they do in any sort prevail against the Gospel and the holy Religion we professe we may justly impute it to this as one speciall cause that we are defective in this duty VERSE 5. Of whom are the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen IN this Verse the Apostle puts down a third cause and reason moving him to wish himself separated or accursed from Christ for the conversion of the Jewes namely this because of them were the fathers and of them Christ came according to the flesh who is farther described to be God over all and Blessed for ever To which the Apostle subscribes and gives assent in the word Amen Of whom are the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen I will as briefly as I can open the sense and meaning of the words of this Verse Of whom are the fathers Or whose are the fathers that is of which people were the honourable and holy Patriarks of whom they are descended as of honourable ancestors and progenitors whose praise is in the word which also had the promises of Gods mercy to them and to their posterity Gen. 17.4 7. and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came Of which Israelites Christ descended according to his humane nature and took his humane nature of their stock as we have it Rom. 1.3 he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and Hebrewes 2.16 it is said he took the seed of Abraham VVho is God over all blessed for ever Some do alter and change the reading of these words and do thus read them God who is over all be blessed for ever and so they will not have this clause referred to Christ but think that the Apostle doth here conclude with a general doxology in giving praise to God but this is a violence to the Text. It is plain that the Apostle having made mention of Christ his origen and beginning according to the flesh his purpose was also to make mention of his God-head and that to the praise of the Nation of the Jews that of that nation Christ came who is not onely man but God also even true God and very God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God by Being or Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eternal Over all That is over all persons and over all things blessed for ever That is God eternal and for ever to be praised in all ages and for ever for this is a title attributed and given to God the Creator Rom. 1.25 Amen That is So be it or let it be so Thus then conceive we the meaning of the words of this Verse as if the Apostle had said Of which people the Israelites were the honourable and holy Patriarks of whom they are descended as of most honourable Ancestors and Progenitors and of which Israelites Christ also descended according to his humane nature and took his flesh and humane nature of their stock The Metaphrase which Christ is not onely Man but God also Even true God and very God by nature and God over all persons and over all things yea God eternal to be blessed and praised in all ages and for ever To which I give my assent and say So be it or Let it be so Having now the sense and meaning of the words come we now to some matter of doctrine that this Verse will afford us And first we see it here put down by the Apostle as an honour to the Jewes and as a special priviledge that they were the posterity of the holy Patriarchs Whence note we briefly thus much Doctrine That it is no small honour to be of the race or kindred of such as have been the holy servants of God it is a matter of dignity to be the children of good and godly parents we read Rom. 16. that the Apostle often remembers this as an honour to such and such that they were of his kindred vers 7. Andronicus and Junia my cousens vers 11. Herodian my kinsman vers 21. Lucius and Iason and Sosipater my kinsmen Colos 4.10 the Apostle commends Marcus to the Colossians as a person worthy of respect under this title that he was Barnabas sisters son not to inlarge the point the reason why it is an honour and dignity to be of the race or kindred of such as have been the holy servants of God and to be the children of good and godly parents is Reason Because good men themselves are highly in favour with God

vouchsafed unto them as the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants the giving of the Law and the service of God c. that they were the seed of the Patriarks and which is yet more that Christ himself as touching his humane nature was descended from them doubtlesse a matter of great honour Vse Which should teach us Not to hate the Jewes as many do onely because they are Jewes merely for the very name and title of being Iewes which name is amongst many so odious that they think they cannot call a man worse then to call him a Jew but beloved this ought not to be so for we are bound to love and honour the Jews as being the ancient people of God to wish them well and to be earnest in prayer to God for their conversion we are indeed to hate their obstinacy in rejecting of Christ and his faith but ought to love them in respect of their ancient and honourable priviledges especially that they were once the people of God that Christ himself came of their race and line and if we hear of the conversion of any of them we are bound to love them so much the more if they once come to receive and heartily to imbrace the Gospel of Christ for though believing Jews and Gentiles are one body in Christ yet are the Jewes our elder brethren and the Gospel was first offered and preached unto them Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not saith our Saviour in his first Commission granted to his Disciples Matth. 10.5 6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel so that the Gospel was first preached to the Jews as the Apostle speakes Act. 13.46 and from them it proceeded and descended unto us Gentiles so that all believing Jews are to be honoured and beloved of us as being our elder brethren and the people of God yea we are to wish them well that are yet uncalled and unconverted and earnestly and heartily to pray for their conversion Again In that the Apostle addeth this limitation concerning the flesh or according to the flesh Hence we are plainly taught the truth of Christs Humanity which is an article of our faith and a fundamental truth of God which we are to imbrace upon pain of damnation and from hence the observation is this Doctrine That Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was truly incarnate and truly became man consisting of a body and a reasonable soul in all things like unto us onely without sin The holy Son of God did assume and take upon him the nature of man became true man consisting of a true body and reasonable soul and not imaginary onely yea that he had the properties of a true body as longitude latitude altitude visibility and circumscription as also the properties of a reasonable soul as understanding will and affections Yea further Jesus Christ took upon him the common infirmities of the body and soul of man such infirmities as appertain to the whole nature of man as hunger thirst yea he was subject to be sorrowful angry c. Joh. 1.14 the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us that is the eternal Word of the Father the second person in the Trinity even he was made flesh which plainly sheweth the truth of his humane nature So again Rom. 1.3 where the Apostle speaking of Christ the Son of God saith that he was made of the seed of David concerning the flesh or according to the flesh And in Gal. 4.4 saith the Apostle When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son and that son that is made of a woman even that eternal son of God made of a woman a plain demonstration of Christs humanity so in Phil. 2.7 The Apostle saith that Christ was made like unto man and found in shape as man Now indeed some in ancient time perverted this Scripture and abused it to say that Christ had a heavenly body and imaginary body like unto man he had a body of an imaginary substance but this is contrary to the meaning of the Text as you may gather by the context for the meaning is that Christ Jesus had the same properties of a body and soul as other men as seeing smelling tasting feeling hearing and the like and subject to the like properties and infirmities as we are as to hunger thirst anger yea to death it self as we may see in Philip. 2.8 he became obedient to the death even to the death of the Crosse he did eat and drink and sleep and was subject unto sorrow and heavinesse yea even unto the death so that that place rightly understood is a strong argument to prove the truth of Christs humanity that he was like unto us sin excepted It was needful that Christ Jesus the Son of God should take flesh upon Reason 1 him consisting of a true body and soul like unto us First of all to accomplish the promise of God which he had made in Gen. 3.15 the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head here is a Promise made and for the accomplishment of this promise it was needful that the Son of God should take flesh upon him Secondly it is needful that he might suffer for sinne in his body and Reason 2 soul that which the whole Church of God had deserved by their sinnes so saith the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.9 that he might suffer death which he could not have done had he been onely God and so that he might appease the wrath of God in that same Nature wherein God was offended man had sinned and man must suffer for sinne either by himself or in Christ and therefore needful it was that the eternal Son of God the Mediatour of the Covenant that he should be not onely God but Man also consisting of a true body and soul like unto us excepting sin onely First this being a truth it serveth to discover unto us an errour Vse it serveth for the confutation of some erroneous opinions that are contrary to the truth of Christs humanity for it is an Article of our Faith and must be defended namely that of the Manichees and likewise of the Anabaptists for they affirm that Christ Jesus took his body from heaven and passed through the womb of the Virgin as through a Conduit or Pipe and took not her Nature upon him Beloved this must teach us to renounce this opinion and not onely this which hath been confuted by our Ancient Divines long agone but also the opinion of our adversaries the Papists For howsoever they grant unto Christ a true Natural body they dare not deny that but that he was born of the Virgin Mary yet in truth they overthrow the truth of his body how in that they give unto the body of Christ such properties as cannot agree to a true body what are those why they give to the body of Christ to be invisible to be uncircumscribed to be

God by nature and by essence God of himself equal to his Father indeed as Christ Jesus is the second Person in the Trinity and in regard of his Sonship he is from his Father begotten of him from all eternity as he is the Son But in respect of his Godhead he is God of himself equal to his Father the Apostle here affirmeth it that he is true God and very God and not onely barely affirmeth it but backeth his affirmation by two special epithets and titles to prove it First he is over all he is over all persons and over all things he being Creator over all Coloss 1.16 By him were all things created visible invisible Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers Secondly he is said to be blessed for ever which is also an epithet title and attribute of God Rom. 1.25 the Gentiles turned the truth of God into a lye and worshipped the creature and forsook the Creator blessed for ever and this holy truth of God hath not only ground and footing here but in other places of Scripture Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and that word was God even before the world was or had a being he was God yea the Evangelist saith that by it all things were made and without it was made nothing that was made he putteth it down both affirmatively and negatively and in Joh. 8.58 Christ saith Before Abraham was I am a title and an attribute proper and peculiar to God alone Exod. 3.14 I am hath sent me unto you not I was before Abraham but I am Philip. 2.6 the Apostle saith that Christ even before his incarnation was in the form of God and he thought it no robbery to be equal with God he knew it to be no wrong nor usurpation to be equal with God It were no hard matter at large to prove this truth as by the predictions and foretellings of the holy Prophets of God which are spoken of Jehovah in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we find applyed to Christ and also by the works that are proper to God and peculiarly appropriated to God and cannot be but of a Divine Nature these are given to Christ as to make the world to know the hearts of men and forgive sins yea by the many and wonderful Miracles that he wrought beyond the power of man man was not able to perform the like which his enemies could not chuse but acknowledge that therein appeared a Divine power all this doth demonstrate unto us the truth of Christs Godhead Yet before I come to make use of it I hold it needful to answer some Cavils which are brought even against this very text that now we have in hand for some wrangling spirits in the world do stretch their wits to wrong this Text and say that Christs Divine Nature is not proved out of this Text which to my understanding is as clear as any in the Book of God Cavil For thus they Reason say they Not every one that is called God in Scripture is therefore the God of heaven and earth for Magistrates are called gods Psal 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of gods and in the sixth verse I have said Ye are gods And again in that it is ascribed unto Christ to be over all that title belongeth unto Christ not by nature but by donation it is a donative given him from his Father in Phil. 2.9 where it is said God hath highly exalted him and given him a name over all names so that blessed for ever is a title given him of his Father and belongeth to God the Father and they alledge Rom. 1.25 and in 2 Cor. 1.3 11.31 where blessed for ever is given to God the Father And therefore this place is no clear evidence and proof of the Godhead of Christ thus they seek to put out the clear light of the truth But they are easily answered Answ First of all it is true indeed Magistrates are gods they are said to be gods not properly but figuratively and by resemblance and by way of similitude they bear the Image of God and stand in the Room of God in regard of their power and authority Note And it is worth our marking we shall find that the name and title of God is never in Scripture given to any one singular person to any one individual I have said you are gods but never said I have said thou art a god or if it be it is with a limitation to a certain sense as God saith to Moses I have made thee a god thou art a made god In my place thou art a god to Pharaoh Again Magistrates in Scripture are never said to be God over all but Christ is here said to be God over all which proveth that he is the great and mighty God the King of heaven and earth he is God over all Oh but they say this title over all it belongeth not to Christ by nature but by donation and guift They are deceived and the ground they build upon is not a good foundation For in Philip. 2. you shall find there that the Apostle speaketh of the exaltation of Christ as he is the Mediatour so he hath a name by guift he hath a name given him over all names according to his humane Nature but he is God over all by Nature and that appeareth in Joh. 3.31 He that is come from on high is above all still the Evangelist saith he is above all and over all so that he hath that properly by nature Now touching the phrase the last thing that they alledge blessed for ever which they say is never given to any but to God the Father it is true it is usually in Scripture given to God the Father yet not by way of exclusion not exclusively not so as that the Son and Holy Ghost are shut to be blessed for when it is given to God the Creator as in Rom. 1.25 it is not onely to God the Father but even therein also is Christ included because by him are all things created Joh. 1.3 Col. 1.16 For the work of Creation is a work of the whole Trinity so that notwithstanding this allegation and Cavil it is still a truth That Christ Jesus is God true God very God God by nature God by being God of himself equal to his Father Come we now to the Application I might bend the force of this truth against the opinions of the Arians Vse and Mahumethists that have along time blasphemed Christ but their old rotten opinions have been sufficiently confuted by the Ancient Divines of our Church But take we notice of this truth to this purpose It serveth to clear the Doctrine of our Church from a vile slander and blot that the Papists seem to blemish it withal The Papists are so impudent and shamelesse that they stick not to charge our Doctrine to be tainted with no lesse then the highest degree of Atheisme in this respect

little nearer to our selves Is it so that all that live in the bosome of the Church are not members of the true Church of God Upon this ground learn we to take heed of a strong delusion that deludeth thousands in the world Many in the world have this conceit and are strongly possessed with it that because they have been bred and born in the visible Church they breathe in it and joyn with it and make the same profession that we do they partake in the holy Ordinances of God they come to the Ministery of the Word they have been partakers of the holy things of God the Word the Sacraments they come to the Table of the Lord therefore certainly they are true Members of the Church of God they are Christians true Christians and who shall say to the contrary and yet we shall find these men that thus believe their phantasies they are ignorant of God and of the truth of God and of the Word of God yea many of them though they be old men and women understand not the grounds of Catechisme nor the Fundamental points of Religion their hearts are full of unbelief and of Covetousnesse and of disordered passions of pride of lust of envy and anger they perform good duties in publick carelesly both in publick and in private never care to examine how they thrive in grace and goodnesse no not so much as perform the duty of prayer or if they do they perform it customarily and with dull and dead hearts they are asleep in hearing the Word and very untoward in performing of holy duties and yet they hold themselves to be in very good case they are good Christians why do they not come to the holy Word and Sacraments and yet are ignorant of the grounds of Catechisme The truth now delivered maketh known unto you that you are in the wrong yea in the case of Judas and Saul they were in as good case as thou art men may joyn themselves to the Church even to the visible Church of God and may participate in all the holy Ordinances of God and yet be no true members of the Church of God and therefore take we heed of deceiving our selves and be stirred up to labour not to rest in this formality labour to find your selves not only in the visible Church and professe the same truth but that we find our selves to be true Christians such as know God and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Apostle telleth us 2 Thessal 1.8 that Jesus Christ shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance upon all that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ yea let us never rest untill we find we be such as Nathaniel was Joh. 1.47 that we are true Israelites in whom there was no guile no coverers nor clokers of sinnes but that we are upright hearted both in regard of good things and also in regard of sinne for herein we must shew that we are upright and sound hearted if that in doing of good things we seek not the pleasing of men or of our selves to avoid the danger of the Law and such Sinister and by-respects but in a simple obedience unto God because God commandeth them and with a due respect to the glory of God And also in respect of sinne labour we to be sound hearted that there be no regarding of sinne Psal 66.18 If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me if I cleave unto it so that there must not be in us any regarding of sin and cleaving unto it as by favouring of it either in our selves or in others or by lessening and cloking of sin or a little extenuation of sin oh we are guileful and deceitfull hearted if we do thus extenuate and lessen and cloke sin account some sins little and trifling but to resolve against it accounting them to be vile and odious yea we finding our selves to be guilty to be forward in the acknowledgment of our sin without covering and cloking of sin with God but soundly and freely and throughly acknowledging and confessing our sins and with a resolution to leave it and to break it off and confesse it with grief of heart if we be thus upright hearted we are true Christians and true members of the Church of God without this we can have no assurance that we are in the favour of God we may have a conceit that our sins are done away and that we are in the favour of God but we must labour to be sound hearted therein standeth the assurance of the pardon of our sins Psal 32.1 2. saith David Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven and whose wickednesse is covered and then he subjoyneth as a qualification he is one that hath no guile in his heart Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin and in whose spirit there is no guile whereby we may demonstrate that we are in the number of those blessed people if there be no guile in our hearts Oh then labour we to perform holy duties not to please men or to please our selves but out of obedience to God not to cloke and cover sin and to say for breaking the Sabbath what is it so great a matter to set things in order against the next day On these are not sound hearted therefore if we would have comfort to our soules labour to be true Members of the Church VERSE 7. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called IN this Verse the Apostle maketh a distinction of the seed of Abraham and having affirmed that all they that are of the seed of Israel are not Israelites so here in this seventh Verse he instanceth in Abrahams Family and here the Apostle affirmeth how that not all they that came of Abraham by natural generation are the true seed of Abraham to whom the promise belongeth and this he doth in the first part of the verse Then in the second place the Apostle maketh known by way of opposition and of particular instance who were the true seed of Abraham to whom the promise belongeth namely Isaac which the Apostle putteth down in the words of Scripture alluding to that in Gen. 21.12 where we find the true seed of Abraham that should inherit the promise that God would call it was Isaac so that the reasoning of the Apostle considered with that place in Genesis may be thus illustrated why Ishmael was of Abraham as well as Isaac he was his son yet onely Isaac was the true seed and the true son of Abraham therefore all that are of Abrahams seed by carnal generation are not the true seed of Abraham children of God But now if any should object and say If Ishmael was the seed of Abraham then Ishmael was his child It is true but how according to the flesh the child of the flesh verse the eighth but Isaac onely was the child of the

and consider that thou seest in them that so go on in their sins a lively image picture and proportion of thine own former natural estate and miserable condition such a one was I once I took as much delight as they do posted as fast to damnation as they do how much then am I bound to magnifie the goodnesse and mercy of God to me who of his mere goodnesse and mercy hath turned my feet another way even the Lord of his rich and abundant mercy hath put a manifest difference between my self and many others he hath put now a new mind in me and hath given me a delight in good things what shall I render unto the Lord what thanks what glory what honour and obedience shall I render to my God This ought to be the meditation and consideration of thee whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the holy Word of God when thou seest other run on in sin with delight and pleasure to post to destruction as if they meant to come thither with all speed hasting to damnation Oh then lift up thy heart in Serious contemplation upon the free grace and goodnesse of God in calling thee out of that number and electing thee to salvation Further in that God saith here unto Abraham in Isaac shall thy seed be called Isaac being one that belonged unto Gods eternal election I might here stand to shew that God doth effectually call none but such as belong unto Gods election but I stood upon that in the 30 verse of the eight Chapter onely one thing now that is this We are to mark that God here saith not unto Abraham in Isaac will I make good my Covenant in Isaac will I make good my promise but he saith in Isaac shall thy seed be called Isaac shall be called and his seed and so will I make good my Covenant in Isaacs calling The doctrine is this That Gods effectual calling of men out of the state of nature Doctr. into the state of grace by the Word and work of his Spirit Effectual calling is an evidence of a mans being in Covenant with God it is a sure evidence unto them that are so called that they are in Covenant with God and God with them that God is their good and gracious Father yea it doth infallibly evidence unto them that God hath loved them from everlasting God now hath set upon them a seal of his special love and that now they have right and title to the promises of God concerning righteousnesse life and salvation 2 Pet. 1.10 saith the Apostle Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure You see he putteth down calling before election not that it is so in the order of nature but if a man be called he is certainly elected if we be sure of our calling we may be sure of our election we may certainly and infallibly conclude that we are in Covenant with God and have right and title to the promises of God we may so conclude not doubtfully or conjecturally but certainly conclude I have right and title to the Promises of God Know then what an excellent and sweet comfort may this be to them Vse that find themselves effectually called hast thou good evidence of thy effectual calling hath the Word a kindly working hath it wrought upon thee a change and set thee out of the state of nature into the state of grace thou art certainly in a most blessed and happy condition this doth evidence that God did love thee before the world was before it had a being now thou art in Covenant with God and God hath now set his seal upon thee thou art one of his good Isaacs one of his beloved think upon it therefore the meditation of thy effectual calling is more comfortable unto thee then to think upon thy election or redemption by Christ these are matters of great comfort but thy effectual calling is more comfortable unto thee it sealeth up that thou art one of Gods chosen that thou art redeemed by the Blood of Christ look to thy effectual calling or else it appertaineth not unto thee but thou being called here is wonderful comfort for thee VERSE 8. That is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed IN this Verse our Apostle doth deliver by way of Explication that which he put down in the verse foregoing and having in the seventh verse before affirmed that not all they that came of Abraham by the course of nature are the true seed of Abraham because Ishmael was the seed of Abraham but God said he should not inherit the promise but in Isaac should the seed be called he should participate in the promise now this being brought by the Apostle and set down in the verse foregoing In this verse the Apostle explaineth himself and layeth open his meaning a little further shewing what he meaneth by children and by the seed of Abraham here he explaineth his meaning Neither are they all children in the verse before because they are the seed of Abraham but in Isaac shall thy seed be called then he subjoyneth in this eighth verse That is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed And in this eighth verse we have laid before us an opposition between the children of the flesh and the children of the promise First of all denying them to be the children of God who are the children of the flesh and secondly affirming that they onely are accounted the true seed who are the children of the Promise Now for the explication of this verse lesse need it to be stood upon and spoken of if so be some erring spirits did not wrest and pervert it and labour to draw it to a wrong sense I will therefore endeavour to lay open the true sense of it viz. That is my meaning is they which are the children of the flesh The Arminians and the Anabaptists joyn together hand in hand and do understand by children of the flesh those that seek for righteousnesse and salvation by the righteousnesse of the Law and so seek for it by a carnal and fleshly course after the law and the flesh and so such as are Justitiaries and seek to be justified by the Law this say they is meant by children of the flesh this is their conceit But this cannot be the true sense of the phrase flesh though I grant indeed by children of the flesh we note out such as are Justitiaries in some places of Scripture and such as seek for salvation by their own righteousnesse the righteousnesse of the Law and that in and by the Law yet here in this place the literal sense and the literal meaning is to be taken and by children of the flesh we are to understand those that discended of Abraham according to the course of

passe that God giveth them over to strong delusions to believe lyes it may be they come to some understanding of the truth but they have no love unto it and therefore God sendeth them strong delusions that is such delusions as doth deceive them and hold them fast when they are deluded the Lord will not send unto them only such errours that do prevail but shall hold them and keep them and they think themselves in a very good case and in the right way when they are most perverse and so go on in a stubborn rebellion against the truth and their own salvation Therefore let us receive the truth in love to the truth and to testifie our love unto the truth by hating all contrary errours not only thinking indifferently of them and judging well of them but hating of them thus did David Psal 119.104 hate all wayes of falshood and thus it ought to be with us not onely to receive the truth after a slubbering manner but to hate all errours and assuredly it is a worthy speech of One to this purpose Unlesse we hate Atheisme and Irreligion we do not love the truth of God and his holy Religion nor God himself so unlesse we hate Papisme Anabaptisme and Familisme and Brownisme and other separations we do not love the truth as we ought to do we see the Papists can well endure the Familists and the Familists well indure the Papists they can live together quietly Oh say the Familists what need you make such ado against the Papists we can live amongst them and not be tainted I believe them for they both hate the truth But let us testifie our love unto the Gospel while it is amongst us and be well affected with every Sermon every threatening every comfort every promise published and hate all Papisme all Anabaptisme all Familisme all Brownisme all separations though they say we are too hot against the separation no if we love the truth we hate all errours and separations Neither onely this but when Rebekah also had conceived by one even by our father Isaac IN that the Apostle here bringeth an example and instance of Jacob and of Esau being an instance and an example more strong and free from all exception and cavils sufficient to answer the Cavils of the Jewes and to silence them they having nothing to say against it touching their Objection that all that came of Abraham by natural generation are heirs of salvation Hence we may note thus much That the Scripture hath sufficient ground of truth in it self Doctrine it hath evidence of truth and example sufficient for the clearing and resolving of all doubts all difficulties and questions and cases of Conscience and for the convincing of all manner of errours it is sufficient in it self to answer all false conceits and erroneous opinions in respect of the positions and examples of it even to answer all cavils and opinions whatsoever and convince all manner of errours 2 Tim. 3.16 saith the Aposile the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and it is profitable and useful not onely to teach and to instruct in the truth but also to improve and exhort And indeed in the Scripture is found the good acceptable and perfect will of God is revealed in the Scripture even that will in the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.15 which is able to make us wise unto salvation it containeth the perfect will of God that is able to make us wise to our comfort here and salvation hereafter what can we have more Vse Therefore wickedly and most injuriously deal the Papists in this point in that they charge upon the written Word of God imperfection and insufficiency and they say it is not a sufficient ground and rule of truth it is not able to clear all doubts and questions and cases without some addition without we adde some unwritten verities and therefore they joyn unto the Word of God and equal and match with it the Books Apocryphal and their traditions unwritten even the Popes Decretals and the constitutions and Canons of the Church they tender to the people to be received with the same reverence and the same affection as the true and perfect written Word of God is to be received So the Councel of Trent hath thus blasphemously decreed and set it down That they ought to receive upon pain of damnation as well the Decrees of the Pope and Canons of the Church with like love affection and reverence as they do the written and perfect Word of God thus blasphemously they deal But further come we now to consider the example of Jacob and Esau particularly as it is here laid before us And first of all the Apostle maketh known unto us in this tenth verse they being understood as before That Jacob and Esau were the children of the same parents they were begotten of the same Father and born of the same Mother and at one and the same time they were twins yet the holy Word of God doth further make known unto us that there was a large and a wide difference between these two brethren Jacob and Esau he maketh known they were of different dispositions and qualities and of a different life and conversation in other places of Scriptures as that Jacob was a plain man Gen. 25.27 a simple innocent a harmlesse a downright honest man a good man a holy man a man fearing God But the Holy Ghost saith of Esau and setteth this black mark upon him to be a prophane person a vile man one that sold his birth-right for a portion of meat Heb. 12.16 yea the context saith Gen. 25.34 that Esau contemned his birth-right which was a great honour and dignity he contemned it in respect of a portion of meat to satisfie his hunger for the present thus you see a large wide difference between these two men the one holy the other irreligious so that children of the same parents and born at the same time may differ one from another exceeding much and the observation arising hence is this Doctrine That the coming of the same Parents and blood and being born at the same time even under the same position of the heavens and stars and constellations these are not the things that do make children of the same mind and of the same disposition and quality children are not of the like qualities carriage and behaviour because they come of the same parents and blood and are born at the same time and under the same positions of the heavens and constellations and stars as we see in this example of Jacob and of Esau And to adde some further ground for the proof of this point we find that the Lord did forbid his people continually and from time to time to observe times and to mark the constellations of the heavens as if so be that either the manners or dispositions of men and the affaires of men and the successe of things were over-ruled and overswayed by them Deut. 18.10 Let there be

none found amongst you that regard times after the manner of the heathen who did think that the times had an over-ruling and an overswaying in them of the manners and lives of men and the successe of their businesse Oh saith God take heed let there be none such and in Jer. 10.2 the Lord saith expresly you shall not learn the manner of the Heathen and be not afraid of the signes of heaven as the heathen are as if mens dispositions depended upon them and in Gal. 4.10 the Apostle blameth the Galathians for regarding of dayes and times I am afraid of you saith the Apostle you have made a grievous revolt from the truth you observe dayes and times Observation of times is either natural or civil yet there is a lawful observation of dayes and times as when men do observe them by the course of nature as the night to follow the day the day to succeed the night and to observe Summer Winter Harvest and Spring or else the dayes and times Civil namely the observing of dayes and times for our callings and dispatch of our businesse in matters of the world as of setting planting grafting and reaping now neither of these did the Apostle reprove in the Galathians but he reproveth them for doing of it as the Jewes did putting of holinesse in times or the observing of them after a heathenish manner ascribing bad or good successe unto them Now the Lord forbidding this marking of the constellations of the heavens as if the successe of men depended upon the position of the stars and planets it is a plain evidence and confirmeth unto us that the coming of the same blood and of the same parents and being born at the same time under the same constellation of the heavens and stars is not a thing that maketh children of the same mind and like carriage and behaviour Because indeed the Lord hath put no such power nor vertue nor force Reason into the times nor into the constellations of the heavens that they by their influences should over-rule the manners of men and that the doings of men should depend upon the Planets Stars Sun or Moon we find it not in all the book of God that he ordained the Sun Moon or stars to these uses There is a good observation of the stars for differing of times but not for the ordering of men and their affaires No the inclination of the will of man and the motion of mans mind and the successe of things are onely the works of God and do wholly and onely depend upon the good hand and providence of God they depend not upon the influence of the heavens and stars but things come to passe as it pleaseth God to dispose Prov. 16.9 saith Solomon the heart of man purposeth his way but the Lord guideth and directeth his steps man purposeth to guide his feet one way but the Lord directeth his steps as he pleaseth Jer. 10.23 the way of man is not in himself neither is it in man that walketh to order and direct his steps so that the successe of things depend not upon the position of the stars and therefore doubtlesse children coming of the same parents and born under the same position of the heavens are not of the same mind carriage and behaviour This serveth to discover unto us the folly of Nativity-casters Figure-casters Vse 1 Star-gazers Moon-Prophets and Fortune-tellers and such idle persons it sheweth their folly and madnesse that will take upon them to tell what shall be the manners and dispositions of such a child man or woman from their birth or from their Nativity born at such a time upon such a day under such a planet they shall be rich or poor many wives or thus and thus disposed or such and such things shall befall them this Moon prophets and Fortune tellers take upon them to do by the dspositions of the heavens yea herein they do impiously derogate from God and from his providence And notwithstanding this many ignorant persons in the world be of this sort and of this opinion to give too much to these Figure casters Moon prophets Fortune tellers Wise men and wise women as they call them yea they do more believe their words then the holy Word of God Let a Fortune teller or a Figure caster say they were born at an evil time under a direful dismal planet and unfortunate star and constellation they believe it and are wonderfully troubled But let the Preacher of the Word tell them that both they and their children were born under the wrath of God under the curse of God and fire-brands of hell so long as they continue in that estate and are heires of damnation they are little or nothing moved with it herein they discover their blindnesse yea it is a fearful sign that God hath given such persons over into a reprobate sence and then fearful is their condition that so believe these fortune tellers We see here two brethren born at the same time and of the same parents and yet of a different nature and quality so that fortune-tellers in taking upon them to foretell the manners and dispositions of men from their Nativity and birth do cozen and deceive men therefore give not heed unto them they are but dreams and dotages of idle persons and conjectures of fools Esay 44.25 and such as give heed unto them they shew themselves to be fools and wicked gracelesse persons and they make themselves odious in the sight of God Oh mark it you that do give heed to figure-casters and fortune-tellers you make your selves abominable in the sight of God Deut. 18.12 All that regard times and observe times in this manner after the manner of the heathen and those that consult with them are abomination to the Lord and it is a foul shame for any to bear the name of a Christian and to be like unto a heathen darest thou take the name of a Christian and yet like the heathen run to figure casters and fortune tellers and the like wise men and wise women as they call them Vse 2 Is this so that the coming of the same blood and parents and being born at the same time these are not the things that do make men of the same mind or children of the same quality and disposition Surely then parents may learn to stay themselves in consideration of this they may be kept from wondering at it when they see some of their children begotten and born of their bodies not to prove so well as others they have many children and some prove not so well as others though they take the like pains and do endeavour the best they can to train them up in the fear of God and bring them up religiously alike and yet they find not an Answerable successe in all of them but some prove not so well as others they are not too much to be amazed the case is no otherwise with them then it was with these two

reason upon this ground If so be I be appointed of God to life and salvation I shall surely be saved howsoever I live though I live most wickedly and be a a Drunkard a filthy person and a Usurer be I what I will be my sins cannot damn me Gods decree is certain and unchangeable Oh this kind of reasoning is all one in effect as if a man should speak thus why God hath given unto us his holy Word as the rule of holiness and yet hath therein opened unto us a gap for all manner of wickednesse and prophanenesse and lewdnesse which indeed is horrible blasphemy against the infinite wisdom of God we must know as God hath appointed some to life and glory in heaven so hath he appointed the means by which he will bring them to the possession of it what is that the way of Faith the way of holinesse without which no man shall see God to his comfort Heb. 12.14 what a foolish thing is it for men then thus to reason If I be appointed to life and salvation I shall be saved howsoever I live men will not so reason in the matters of the body will a man having received a grievous and sore wound in some part of his body say why if God hath appointed this wound shall be cured and healed it shall be healed though I never apply means salve or medicine to it And if God hath appointed me to live to such a time I shall live so long though I never eat nor drink nor use any thing for the preservation of this life were not this a madnesse and a folly So what madnesse and folly is it for men to reason thus in respect of their soules I am sure a child of God dare not so reason the seed of grace that is in the heart of a child of God will not suffer him and if thou so reason surely it is a fearful sign that God never appointed thee to life and salvation nay it is more then a probable sign though I will not determine of thy final estate that thou art a reprobate and in the estate of reprobation this is the devils logick and his manner of reasoning and used indeed by none but such as are irreligious and prophane Is it so that God hath from everlasting fore-appointed and fore-ordained Vse 2 some amongst men to the inheritance of heaven certainly and infallibly so as that they shall certainly come to the possession of it here is a ground of sweet and excellent comfort to as many as find themselves to be in that number they may assure themselves of it that they shall be eternally saved for God himself is sure with him there is no variablenesse nor shadow of changing Jam. 1.17 and this ought to stirre us up to labour to find our selves to be in that number in the number of Gods chosen and to give all diligence to make our election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 not sure in it self for so it is already but sure unto us in our assured knowledg of it that we know it certainly and infallibly that we appertain to God to give all diligence to this this is a matter of weight if we come near to that assurance that we are in the number of Gods chosen happy are we then though tryals and troubles and persecutions come as we may justly expect for great troubles and persecutions are ready to break in upon us they are at the door in evil and dangerous times we live and we may justly look that the fiery tryal should come upon us in regard of our sins to be bound at the stake now if we be out of the gun-shot in the state of grace and in the number of those that appertain to life and salvation what need we fear it no though our implacable enemies the blood-sucking Papists though they should prevail so far which the Lord avert and turn away from us yet if they should prevail to take away our lives by fire and faggot and most cruel torments we need not fear if we be in the number of Gods chosen then our everlasting good the good of our soules and bodies cometh to us they cannot hurt us our everlasting good of soul and body standeth upon a sure ground Gods foundation not mans foundation which is tottering and wavering and rotten so saith the Apostle the foundation of the Lord remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 and all the devils and powers in hell cannot shake that foundation Quest I but some will say How shall I know and be assured of it that I am built upon this foundation hoc opus hic labor and that my estate is settled hereon and that I am in the number of Gods chosen Answ I answer there be many infallible notes of it onely take this one special note of it Gods eternal election of some to life and glory in heaven doth imprint the very image and stamp of it self in the souls of those that be elected the print and impression of it remaineth there and what is that why surely it worketh in them another Election God hath chosen them for his and it maketh them to choose God in Christ for their God and to choose the Saints of God the houshold of God above all others in the world to be their Companions and to delight in their Communion and society and fellowship Psal 16.2 above all other men in the world these be their darlings try then if thou find this effect in thy heart and soul that thou doest choose God to be thy God the Lord is thy lot and portion and the delight of thy soul Psal 16.5 and thou doest resolve to cleave fast unto God and to keep fast unto the truth and profession of it though all the world divert from it and follow Popery and Antichristianisme Josh 24.17 and to resolve even with good Joshua I and my house will serve the Lord Let all the world run after Baal after the Pope and after whom they will thou art resolved rather to shed thy dearest blood then to shrink from the sound profession of the Gospel yea God assisting thee in the very flames of fire thou wilt imbrace the profession of God and God for thy portion happy art thou then thou mayst certainly conclude thou art in the number of Gods chosen and though they rend and tear thy body in a thousand pieces they cannot pull thee from thy inheritance that is firm and stable therefore comfort thy self upon this evidence Not by works but by him that calleth THese words shew unto us that the purpose of God touching Election and Reprobation might not nor did not depend upon the works of Jacob and Esau but upon the free grace of God calling his elect in time effectually Here then we see the Apostle maketh an opposition and a contrariety and a flat Antithesis between these two things grace and works hence the observation is this That not the works of man

God Now these words our Apostle bringeth to prove that Gods promise of mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation did not nor doth not belong to all that came of Abraham and Isaac by the course of Nature and that all Gods promises appertained not to the Israelites for saith the Apostle before those children which Rebekah had conceived in her womb by Isaac our Father before they were born when they had neither done good nor evil It was thus said unto Rebekah The elder of thy children shall serve the younger therefore those promises of God belong not to all that came of Abraham and Isaac by course of nature Now the words of this verse they are thus to be conceived That it was said unto Rebekah even by God himself that the elder of her children should serve the younger and should be in subjection to the younger and that the younger should rule over the elder And that this should be made good both personally in their persons and also historically in the Idumeans or Edomites which came of Esau and in the Israelites which came of Jacob yea I withal farther shewed you in laying open these words that these words had not onely a respect to a temporal Dominion and servitude the one should be a lord and the other a servant but they had a spiritual meaning and had respect to things concerning salvation and damnation and under these words the elder shall serve the younger we must understand that the one of Rebekahs children was chosen to salvation and the other refused and cast off to damnation so that we are thus to conceive the meaning of these words Now to come to stand upon the verse more particularly you see here our Apostle affirmeth it was thus said unto Rebekah even by God himself who cannot lye the elder of thy children shall serve the younger I will not curiously stand here to search in what manner or how the Lord made this known unto Rebekah touching the different estate of her children whether by dream by vision by Urim or Prophet a certain truth it is she received such an Oracle from God the Apostle affirmeth it that it was thus revealed by God who cannot lye he did manifest and make known thus much unto Rebekah when she was thus with child with her two children that the elder should serve the younger and that the one was received and the other rejected which thing without question when Rebekah heard it no doubt it troubled her much she not being without natural affection for a woman having two children in her womb and receiving this Answer from God consulting with him that the one was received of God and the other rejected and cast off it would be a hard Answer For a woman to consider surely one of my children is an elect child of God and the other a reprobate so doubtlesse it was a very unwelcome and a harsh and a very unpleasing answer unto her and yet we find that this good woman did not once mutter or reason against that Answer which was given unto her we find not one such thing in the Book of God she might have thought alas what one of my children reprobated to be damned in hell but she never uttered a word against this Answer of God but quieted her self in the good will of God revealed unto her and contented her self in the good will and pleasure of God thus delivered unto her Indeed we find that afterwards she set her love upon Jacob chiefly and used means though she failed in it as appeareth in Gen. 27.6 to the 14. she used means to get the special blessing she took away her chief love from Esau and set it upon her son Jacob her youngest son that should be lord over his brother and therein she followed the good will of God yet we find she did not once open her mouth to mutter against the good will of God for her son Esau's rejection Her example is imitable it is to be imitated and followed of us we are according to the example of this holy woman Rebekah to rest and to quiet our selves in the good will of God made known unto us touching the things that concern our selves or our children or those that belong unto us and not answer or open our mouthes to mutter against this good will of God though it seem clean crosse and contrary to our corrupt reason but to quiet our selves in God and not to repine against him for it is a bitter fruit of our cursed corruption for a man or a woman to mutter and reason against the good Will of God in such things as are harsh and hard and unpleasing unto us As to keep to the point if so be a Mother looking upon her little Infant lying in her lap born of her body have thus thought Alas my poor Babe I make much of thee I tender thee I nourish thee I dandle thee and yet it may be thou art a reprobate it may be thou art rejected of God it may be thou shalt one day become a firebrand of hell this is impious and monstrous and not to be thought on for it is a secret and secret things belong to the Lord Deut. 29.29 nay what do I propound this For some women there be that have discovered thus much this hath been their very thought they have thought I nourish thee my child and cherish and dandle thee and yet it may be thou art not a child of God but a reprobate this is wicked and impious and this is to go beyond our compasse to know whether the poor infant belongeth unto God or no for secret things belong unto God Deut. 29.29 and we are not to meddle with them what if the Lord should say unto a mother as he said unto Rebekah this little infant of thine that thou doest make so much of I have cast it out and have refused it it is a reprobate it is out of my love and favour we are then after the example of this woman Rebekah to trust confidently in this Will of God revealed with contentation and not to mutter no not in our very secret thoughts for the Will and Counsel of God though it be many times secret yet assuredly it is ever just yea that that is revealed unto us in the holy Word of God concerning the matters of duty or practise or faith or whatsoever it is we must rest upon it and not mutter against it Come we now to stand upon the speech of God himself the elder shall serve the younger these words being understood as before we have heard they do afford unto us two things of special good use and consequence as first of all it being thus spoken to Rebekah and that according to Gods eternal purpose and unchangeable Decree even of him that cannot lye the Doctrine hence is this Doctrine That not only the everlasting and heavenly estate and condition of men but also the different estates and conditions of men

working of a change in him it will alter the corruption of his heart and turn him and make him a new man it will turn him from his stiffnesse and rebellion and make him pliable to the will of God and change him and bring him from the state of ignorance and unbelief rebellion and hardnesse of heart unto the state of saving faith saving knowledge and holy obedience to the will of God yea the Lord hath a time of calling and working upon the souls of men some at one hour some at another converting some at the third hour some at the sixth hour some at the ninth hour yea some at the eleventh hour Matth. 20.3 4 5. so that this must teach us not too rashly to condemn any man unconverted or uncalled Vse 2 Again Is this so that Gods eternal election is so powerful and so effectual as that it altereth the corruption of nature in time surely then upon this ground it followeth necessarily that a man may come to know and to be assured of it that he is one belonging to Gods election and that he is in particular in the number of Gods chosen would any man know it no doubt every man desireth it would any man know he belongeth to Gods election surely a man need not in this case to climb up into heaven and pry into the secret closet of the Lord and search the Court-Rolls of heaven whether he be there written or no no he may take a shorter course let him look into himself and dive into his own heart and soul try and examine how the case and state stands with him in respect of his own soul and if in his own soul he find that upon due tryal and examination this effect is wrought in him that he is now changed from what he was wont to be in his will in his affection in his mind and in the course of his life now not a drunkard or a proud person as he was wont to be now he is set out of the state of Ignorance and unbelief and disobedience to the will of God into the state of saving knowledge saving faith softnesse and pliablenesse to the will of God more particularly if so be now he find that he hath a new light set up in his mind his mind is inlightened with A glorious light by which he is able to understand the will of God and the wayes of God and the things of God which the natural man perceiveth not and he findeth his will disposed otherwise then it was heretofore he was stout and stubborn and disobedient to the will of God revealed in his Word but now he findeth in his heart plyableness yeelding to the Word of God no sooner can the Lord command a duty to be done but his heart answereth Lord this is my duty I ought to do it and I will certainly do it so when God forbiddeth a sin be it what it will be pride covetousnesse Sabbath-breaking he answereth I confesse it is my sin and I will forsake and leave it when the Lord forbiddeth his pride his garishnesse of apparel and long shaggy hair he will leave it off and also he findeth whereas it was odious and hateful for him to recapitulate and repeat the Word of God after publique exercises now he findeth it delightful to him and is made able in some measure he being truly set at liberty to follow the holy will of God or whatsoever the Lord revealeth in his Word he will imbrace the duty and omit and hate the sin be it whatsoever it will be here is a good evidence and upon this ground a man may certainly conclude that he belongeth to Gods election he yeeldeth obedience to all the Commandements of God no Commandement is hard unto him but he intirely yeeldeth to the whole though imperfectly Object Indeed the Papists deny this that a man in the time of this life can come to be assured that hr is in the state of grace and salvation by any ordinary course by Extraordinary course and Revelation they say he may but not by any ordinary course Answ Herein they are deceived for a man may by an ordinary course by secret examination of his own heart and will searching his Illumination Faith and Obedience he may know it infallibly Let us therefore hereby try and examine our selves and not presume that we belong unto God when indeed there is no such matter and never find this alteration and change wrought in our hearts and soules but men are the same to day as they were before still the same Ruffians yesterday the same to day Drunkards yesterday the same to day Sabbath-breakers the last Sabbath and Sabbath-breakers still And onely live as they are led by the light of Reason and the state of Nature to live a civil honest orderly life And for men or women upon this ground to perswade themselves that they thus belong unto Gods election they deceive themselves For there must be a further change wrought it is not thy civil honesty that will serve turn thou must have thy old rotten and corrupt heart taken out of thee Oh what striving will there be before that this be done but this thou must find even an alteration and a change that thou art now changed from the state of ignorance and unbelief into the state of saving knowledg and faith and obedience to the wole Will of God and then thou mayst conclude certainly I am in the number of Gods chosen if thou rest upon thy Civil honesty it is a rotten ground and foundation it will plunge thy soul into the bottom of hell when thou hast most need of comfort labour therefore to find this change wrought in thee Come we now to the thirteenth verse VERSE 13. As it is written Jacob have I loved But Esau have I hated OUr Apostle in this Verse maketh known whence it was that there should be such a great difference between these two brethren Jacob and Esau he giveth this reason of it namely that it was from the love of God to the one and Gods hatred of the other the Apostle citing a Text of Scripture to this purpose Mal. 1.2 3. so that in this verse our Apostle doth explain and expound the place of Genesis the elder shall serve the younger by this place of Malachy shewing the reason of the difference that it pleased God to put between these two brethren proceeding from Gods love and hatred In a word in this thirteenth verse there be two things in general to be considered First the Apostles citing of Scripture As it is written Secondly the testimony of Scripture which he alledgeth in the words following I have loved Iacob and hated Esau First in that he alledgeth Scripture As it is written yet the Apostle doth not cite either Book Chapter or Verse but putteth it down in the general whence I might stand to shew that we ought be so well acquainted with Scripture that when the text of Scripture

in the 1. of Malachy speaketh of things appertaining to this life it cannot be denyed but yet he speaketh not of those things onely he speaketh of those external things but not onely of those things For the drift of the Apostle in that place was to reprove the Jews for their unthankfulnesse to God In that they did neither honour God nor fear him for saith God Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear who had indeed loved them effectually and testified his love in giving them a fruitful Land even the Land of promise and in the sequel he goeth on in a further matter and sheweth that God was angry with Esau for ever but he would be glorified and magnified in Jacob and in the borders of Israel as appeareth in the fourth and fifth Verses And therefore that testimony of the Prophet is not to be so applyed onely to things outward and temporal for the Lord saith he would be glorified in Jacob and he had hated Esau for ever but it concerneth the matter of eternal election and reprobation of which the Apostle in this Chapter treateth Come we now to the particular unfolding of these words I have loved Iacob and hated Esau Gods love it is essential in God it is of the same Nature with himself God is love saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.16 and so Gods love it is free even as his own blessed Majestie and it being extended and reached out unto man it is the free and eternal motion so I may describe it the free and eternal motion of Gods good will and pleasure the free motion and the eternal motion of Gods good pleasure touching the eternal and everlasting good of man God freely purposing and determining the everlasting good of man out of his good will and pleasure as the Apostle saith expresly in Ephes 1.5 we are predestinated to be adopted through Christ and that through the good pleasure of his will so then when God saith I have loved Jacob what is his meaning I have freely out of my own good will and pleasure nothing moving me thereunto I have freely and voluntarily from everlasting decreed the everlasting good of Jacob and his eternal salvation And I have hated Esau saith the text Now here some stumble and do think that this was spoken not simply but comparatively not simply I have hated Esau but comparatively and for this they say God indeed loved Jacob and Esau both though he loved not Esau with the same degree of love as he loved Jacob but with a lesse love and therefore it is said I have hated Esau and they instance in Deut. 21.15 where the Lord saith by Moses If a man hath two wives as in the Old Testament many of the Patriarks had the one is loved and the other hated this God speaketh not that a man that hath two wives hateth either but that he loveth the one not so well as the other as Jacob had Rachel and Leah he loved Leah with a lesse love then he did Rachel so that in comparison of Gods love to Jacob Gods love to Esau was a hatred But beloved these are exceedingly deceived for the Apostle calleth those whom God hateth in the 22. verse of this ninth Chapter of the Romans vessels of the wrath of God and his vengeance and therefore they are hated simply being vessels of his wrath to destruction And if we look in that text of Malachy alledged and duly consider it we shall find upon due examination that it will easily appear that God hated Esau simply Mal. 1.2 saith the Lord I have hated Esau and he doth exemplifie and make it appear that he hated Esau in that he laid his Mountain waste and a Wildernesse for Dragons as if he had said I have spoyled Esau of all his goods stripped him and turned him out naked and I have given his fair palaces and goodly houses for to be a den for Dragons if there had been any hope of Esau's coming to his habitation and palace and ancient possession then it may haply seem God did not hate Esau simply but comparatively but go on with the text Mal. 1.4 saith God Though Edom say we are impoverished and cast out and undone but we will return and build the desolate places yet saith the Lord of hosts they shall build but I will destroy and they shall be called The border of wickednesse and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever that is against whom he proceedeth in wrath and Judgment for ever Oh see is this hatred but in comparison the Lord setting himself so purposely and professedly against Esau no it is simply Now for the simple meaning of the words I have hated Esau we must know hatred in Scripture applyed unto God it is not a disordered inveterate and distempered passion as it is in us but hatred applyed unto God in Scripture it signifieth three things First It signifieth a negation a denial of Gods love that God loveth not and chooseth not some to life and salvation that is the first signification of it Secondly hatred in Scripture applyed unto God it signifieth a just decreeing of punishment for sin and an inflicting of punishment for sin yea he hateth the wicked themselves Psal 5.5 thou hatest all the workers of iniquity Thirdly it signifieth Gods utter abhorring and disliking of that which is directly against Gods holy and righteous Law and so God is said to hate iniquity and sin as the breach and transgression of his most holy law so then the meaning of God in these words is this I have loved Jacob and hated Esau as if the Lord had said I have and that out of my good will and pleasure decreed and from everlasting purposed the eternal good of Jacob and his salvation and I have not out of that good will and pleasure of mine from everlasting so purposed and decreed Esau's eternal good nay I have before the world was in my secret counsel rejected him and have cast him off and refused him Come we now to such things as are observeable from hence and first of all observe the Apostle here maketh the ground of the advancement of Jacob over his brother Esau to be Gods love to Jacob in that he was preferred before Esau hence we may gather this conclusion Doct. That Gods free and eternal love is the cause of all the good that cometh unto Gods chosen both here in this world and hereafter in heaven all the good things in this life and the life to come even from a bit of bread to the glory of heaven they come from the good will and pleasure of God Jer. 31.3 the Lord saith unto his people Israel I have loved thee with ● everlasting love then presently he subjoyneth therefore with mercy have I drawn thee And hence it is that the Lord maketh known that the good things he hath bestowed upon his chosen from time to time they have

Oh take heed thou use not thy wealth as they do but the more bountiful the Lord is in pouring his blessings upon thee the more humble thou art the more holy thou art the more thy heart is inlarged with righteousnesse and in walking before God and in all thankfulnesse yea thereby thou art made ready and fit for every good work thy heart is not lock't up to choak the seed of the Word in thy heart but they open thy heart and thy hand and make thee ready to every good work to reflect upon the poor members of Christ the more thou hast the more abundant thou art in good works then certainly thou mayest conclude that God hath blessed thee with thy wealth and they are testimonies of Gods love to thee and God hath manifested his love unto thee which he bare before the world was and thou mayest certainly conclude God loveth thee indeed As it is written I have loved Iacob and hated Esau LEt us now proceed unto farther matter offered unto us from this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here cited by the Apostle and here we see that God did not onely love Jacob for the time present but also loved him from everlasting hence I observe thus much briefly Doctrine That Gods chosen they were alwaies beloved of God there can be no time given wherein Gods chosen were not beloved of God God loved his chosen before they had a being in the world yea before the world was and we cannot possibly prescribe a time when God loved not his chosen or when he began to love his chosen no his love was from everlasting Reason For as all other things were ever present unto God things past things present things to come they were all present unto him from everlasting he did look upon them uno intuitu with one full sight so were his chosen as many as belonged to his election he loved them before the foundations of the world was so that no time can be given wherein God began to love his chosen Object I but some may say doth not the Scriptures point out that though Gods children be now beloved of God yet there was a time when they were enemies of God as in Rom. 5.10 yea doth not the Apostle say in the Ephes 2.3 that they were children of wrath how can it be then that no time can be pointed out when they were hated of God It is true indeed the Scripture doth note out this unto us Answ that they are by nature children of wrath as well as others and we are to believe it to be a truth That Gods chosen before their effectual calling and conversion are enemies to God and God is an enemy unto them before their effectual calling and conversion in respect of sin and because of sin which is opposite and contrary to good and to God himself which is good yet even then Gods chosen are beloved of God in regard of election and even then God loveth his elect before their effectual calling as his elect uncalled and with that degree of his love which he beareth to his elect uncalled yea God maketh it appear manifestly that he loveth them as his elect uncalled in that he giveth unto them in time true repentance for if he did not love them he would not give them repentance and therefore they were then beloved of God as his elect in time to be called and he doth work upon them in time saving grace true conversion true faith and sanctification which are things tending to life and salvation and doth he give these to reprobates as testimonies of his love to them he loveth not no certainly he doth not and therefore certainly we may resolve upon this That God loveth his elect from everlasting and no time can be given when he loved them not Upon this ground it followeth that the Anabaptists and other such Vse 1 erring spirits are deceived in that they hold this as their tenent that God doth purpose and decree the salvation of some before the world was but God doth onely then actually choose them when he seeth faith and repentance in them For if this were true surely then God loveth not any sinner to life and salvation till he seeth repentance in them which is clean contrary to the truth of God now delivered That no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen This being so that no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen Vse 2 surely then upon this ground we may conclude to our comfort we being such that belong to Gods election that Gods love shall be continued unto us for ever as Gods love unto us unto life and salvation hath no beginning but is eternal so also it shall be without end as we cannot point out the time of beginning no more can we of the continuance but as God hath loved us from everlasting so doubtlesse he goeth on not only within his own blessed Majestie but in his love to us he goeth on continually without alteration or shadow of changing Joh. 13.1 whom he loveth he loveth unto the end so that this may be a ground of sweet and excellent comfort to as many as find themselves wrought upon by the Spirit of God and find Gods love shed abroad in their hearts that Gods love is everlasting for the beginning and continuance of it Now proceed we further I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here we see that as Gods love to Jacob was the cause of Jacobs advancement and preheminence so Gods hatred to Esau was the cause of Esau's servitude and subordination hence I might stand to shew that Gods hatred is the soveraign and chief cause of all evils of punishments that befall the wicked in this life and hereafter though sin be the next and subordinate cause yet the soveraign the main the chief the grand and Mother cause is Gods hatred but this I will not stand upon but rather note out the particular application of Gods hatred against Esau and observe we to that purpose it is here said God hated Esau that particular person Esau which being understood as before expounded affordeth unto us this conclusion That God hath from everlasting certainly decreed the rejection of some particular persons among men even of Esau and of such as Esau was Doct as God from everlasting decreed the election of some to life and salvation so hath he also decreed certainly the rejection and refusing of others for even as he loved the one so he hateth the other And this ground of truth hath evidence and proof of it in other places of Scripture in the 1 Thess 5.9 saith the Apostle he hath not appointed us to wrath but that we should obtain salvation by the means of Jesus Christ thereby implying that some are appointed of God to wrath and in his eternal counsel God hath appointed that some shall never come to life and salvation and in 1 Pet. 2.8 the Apostle

affirmeth that some there are that stumble at the Word of God which is indeed a common stumbling block Gods children walk evenly with an even foot in the waies of God according to the will of God but some there be that stumble being disobedient unto which before the world was they were appointed and ordained so in Jude 4. verse The Apostle speaketh of some that were of old before the world was ordained to condemnation denying the Lord Jesus the Lord of life and glory Indeed the Scripture is not so plentiful in this matter of reprobation as it is in the matter of election and why so surely because the purpose of the Holy Ghost in the Scripture is principally to make known unto Gods chosen Gods eternal good will and his eternal love to manifest and to signifie Gods good will and good pleasure to his chosen and the main and chief drift of the Holy Ghost in the written Word of God is to bring Gods chosen to certain hope of life and salvation 1 Pet. 1.3 that they may be begotten to a lively hope yet though this be sparingly set down in the matter of rejection and reprobation yet it is set down plainly and sufficiently that God hath certainly refused some and cast them off for ever And beloved this being a high mystery that we may not misconceive or misunderstand it we must know that there is a difference to be put and a distinction to be made between Gods decree of rejecting of some and the execution of his decree God hath decreed absolutely from everlasting and before the world was without respect to any thing in them or any thing he did foresee would be in them their rejection Now the execution of his Decree is with the respect of sin the decree is absolute but the execution is with respect had to sinne and for sin doth God execute his wrath in time upon those that were rejected before time for their infidelity and their sin foregoing which is the proper cause of damnation and no man is damned but for sin Object I but some will say if God hath thus decreed the rejection and casting off of some for ever surely such persons cannot possibly be saved they can never come to heaven and so consequently they must needs sin that they may be damned and therefore they sin of necessity Answ To this I answer Such as are rejected of God they do indeed sin necessarily but how by necessity of consequent not of antecedent by necessity of certainty and infallibility not by necessity of constraint or compulsion they being rejected of God God leaveth them to themselves and to the cursed corruption of their hearts and so they sin willingly and freely by the necessity of infallibility yet Gods decree doth not compell them to sin but it cometh from their own cursed corruption as the proper cause of it And so we are still to clear God that we do not make him the author of sin as the Anabaptists say we do now this being cleared come we to the use of it Vse 1 This being so that God hath from everlasting decreed the rejection of some and casting off for ever In the first place learn we to know this as a holy divine and eternal truth of God and we must be stirred up upon this ground to a holy reverence and holy admiration of the wonderful and unspeakable power of God over his creatures and take heed we cavil and reason not against it and labour not to bring this high mystery and point of divinity within our shallow brains and consider that we are but creatures and we may not presume to prescribe a law of Justice to the Creator we are creatures silly worms we must not take upon us to say Oh it is unjust cruel and hard for God so to do for he is Justice it self and whatsoever we imagine or think to the contrary yet Gods will maketh the thing willed to be good just and holy because it is willed of him who cannot will amisse though it be hard and harsh to our corrupt reason God hath willed the rejection of some and this thing willed by God is good for God cannot will amisse This being a truth Oh then it concerneth us to look unto it and to Vse 2 take heed that we see to our selves whether we stand in the mercy of God or no and have hope of Gods mercy vouchsafed to us Oh labour we to find our selves not in the number of those whom God hath rejected and cast off for ever for some such there are but labour to find that we be in the number of those whom God hath received to mercy And consider howsoever Gods mercy is infinite and endlesse yet Gods mercy admitteth of a limitation and a restraint in respect of man for it shall not be reached out and extended to all men in the world without exception no nor to many that make full account of it in their own imagination and flatter themselves that Gods mercy belongeth unto them And therefore in the fear of God take heed we do not in this case deceive our selves labour we to find our selves to outstrip and go beyond a reprobate and to find in our selves that that cannot possibly be found in a reprobate this is that we should chiefly aym at and intend to reach to and never rest untill you come to find such things in your selves that cannot possibly be in one whom God hath cast off But you will say Quest. What are those things that cannot possibly be found in a Reprobate a needful question Beloved they are many Answ yet I will onely commend unto you two special things that cannot possibly be found in a Reprobate What are those The first is a thorow and true change both of the heart and life Two things which are never found in any Reprobate from evil to good as you heard not long since Gods eternal election bringeth forth an alteration so the first thing must be this a sound thorough and true change wrought in the whole man not in the memory the understanding or the tongue onely but in the rest and throughout not as many that have onely left some sins as the beastly adulterer for want of ability to follow it but they are changed throughout and have the power of grace wrought in them by the means of grace the Word Prayer and the Sacraments they have true grace wrought in every part of their body and power of the soul by the use of the means for howsoever God is not tyed to means he can work without means yet God doth ordinarily work where he vouchsafeth means And they that live under the meanes and have not grace they are in a fearful case The second thing that cannot be found in a Reprobate Psal 38.3 Rom. 7.24 is a groaning under sin and that because it is sin not for fear or shame or by-respects and especially under such sins as no eye of man

can take notice of to see or know but onely God and a mans own heart and conscience a groaning under inward and spiritual sins a groaning under unbelief hardnesse of heart deadnesse and dulnesse in performing holy duties pride of life pride of heart self-love which no man can discern a groaning unto God in secret to remove these things Now then if thou findest these things that thou hast a true and thorough change by the work of Gods Spirit thou art able to stand against thy best pleasing and darling sinnes and the more grace thou hast the more careful thou art to use the meanes thou doest not think the time tedious in hearing the Word or repeating of Sermons the more thy love to the means increaseth and the more thou groanest under such evils and sins as no eye of man can take notice of no not the devil and thou accountest it thy greatest misery to bear the burthen of sin thou couldest endure any torture in thy body rather then sin certainly thereupon thou mayest conclude that thou art one belonging to Gods election and hast outstripped and gone beyond a reprobate Oh then hereby try and examine your selves labour to find this change wrought in thee by the power and means of grace and then this will yeeld thee sweet and heavenly comfort indeed VERSE 14. VVhat shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God no God forbid COme we now unto the 14 Verse Our Apostle having from the sixth verse of this Chapter hitherto cleared God from inconstancy from being inconstant in his Word and Promises notwithstanding the rejection of the Jewes for the body and greatest part of them though they be the seed of Abraham and Isaac and descended of Jacob who was called Israel yet God was not inconstant having cleared God from that imputation now he cometh to clear God from iniquity and injustice and in this argument he continueth from this 14. verse to the 19. verse of this Chapter Now in this 14 verse our Apostle preventeth a false inference and a wrong conclusion that mans corrupt and carnal reason might infer and bring upon that before delivered in the verses foregoing For the Apostle having made known thus much concerning these two brethren that they being equal in birth and neither of them in better or worse estate in regard of nature but both in equal conditions God hated the one and loved the other this may seem very hard to flesh and bloud and the carnal humane reason of man at this might stumble and hereupon be offended and rise up in a complaint against God and charge him with injustice and partiality that therefore because he loved Jacob and hated Esau the Lord is partial in his doings Now this inference and conclusion our Apostle preventeth and meeteth with and sheweth it to be a mere cavil of the flesh and a false and wrong conclusion drawn from the premise unjustly and that on this manner this is his manner of proceeding First of all the Apostle knowing that that which he had delivered was a truth and is confident and bold in it and doth provoke any one that doth cavil against him to tell what they could say against him or infer upon that position VVhat shall we say therefore Say what you can he doth provoke every man to tell him what they can say against this God loved Jacob and hated Esau Then in the second place having made this challenge what can we say and infer against this holy position he delivereth that conclusion which in all likelihood flesh and blood was ready to make and bring in And that by way of interrogation is there therefore unrighteousnesse with God what canst thou say is there unrighteousnesse with God to this he answereth Negatively no and that not barely but answereth it by way of detestation and abhorring such a conclusion as grosse and absurd saith he God forbid Shall we conclude God is unrighteous no and that he denyeth most emphatically and powerfully and thereunto the Apostle subjoyneth a further and more special denyal of that grosse conclusion by a more special refutation in the 15 16 17 and 18. verses but to keep within the compasse of this 14 verse wherein is contained the Apostles challenge the particular conclusion and the powerful denyal And first of all briefly to open the sense of the words VVhat shall we say then These words are to be understood with reference VVhat shall we say therefore in the 13 verse where the Apostle bringeth in God speaking from the testimony of the Prophet I have loved Jacob and hated Esau and they are thus to be conceived VVhat shall we say therefore see what conclusion we shall infer Is there unrighteousnesse with God Shall we hereupon bring and infer this conclusion that therefore there is unrighteousnesse with God because God did from everlasting purpose and decree out of his mere good will and pleasure Jacobs eternal salvation and also before the world was out of his free good will and pleasure nothing moving him Esau's rejection that therefore God is unjust and unequal because he so dealt with equal persons in his Justice and mercy God forbid Oh far be it from us let us never entertain such a thought in our hearts that God should be so unequal and so unjust and that he dealt not according to the rule of equity and Justice So then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle What shall we say what conclusion shall we infer that God did love Jacob and hate Esau shall we thereupon make this conclusion and inference that therefore God is unjust and unequal and that God proceedeth not according to the rule of equity and justice God dealing so unequally with persons that be equal out of his mere good will and pleasure Oh no far be it from us to infer that the Lord keep us from bringing in such a conclusion such an absurd inference the Lord keep us from uttering of such a thought Come we now to such things as may be observed out of the words of this verse and may be for our instruction And first of all note how confident the Apostle is and resolute upon the truth of it that he provoketh any to tell him what he would say against it what shall we infer what inference or what conclusion can any man bring upon this position that God loved Jacob and hated Esau And beloved not to stand upon this Thus confident ought we to be in delivering the holy Word of God and in preaching the truth of God we are so to deliver Gods truth and especially material and fundamentall truths that we may be able to avouch it against all gain-sayers and all that come against us we must be able to challenge and avouch it to any man and say this is the holy and Divine truth of God and to this purpose is that in 2 Tim. 2.15 That every Minister must study to shew himself a workman that needs

will of God is the soveraign cause of all righteousnesse and the primary cause of all things holy just and good because God willeth it though it seem harsh and hard to flesh and blood The things amongst men willed by men must first be good and just and then willed of them but what God willeth it is just and holy and righteous because he willeth it it is far otherwise with God then with men for the decree of God is absolute free and eternal decree is holy just and righteous willed by God because it is the decree and will of God who cannot decree unjustly or will amisse And by this we must learn to acknowledge Vse that God is righteous in all his decrees touching man and we are to reverence Oh take heed of quarrelling we are to reverence and adore the holy and eternal decree of God both of election and reprobation as holy just and righteous whatsoever our corrupted reason doth or can suggest against it we must adore and reverence his free and absolute and eternal decree even that decree by which he decreed the rejection of some without respect to any thing in man or foreseen in man freely he did it whatsoever our carnal affections gain-say it Some Divines there be as Arminius and those that are his followers do say and hold that God did from everlasting decree to save such men as should in time by faith lay hold of his mercy when faith is offered unto them in Christ And that God did decree to cast off others which did cast off Christ and reject his mercy which opinions of the Arminians and Anabaptists also is not onely grosse and erroneous but it doth crosse the drift and purpose of the Apostle in this very Chapter and it maketh the Apostle here to call a needlesse doubt and to take upon him to prevent such an objection which no man of wisdom reason judgment or understanding would make and so make an absurdity in the Apostles speech for what shew of injustice is there in God in mans reason to God no farther if so be this were true that God did decree in time to save such as should truly believe in Christ and reject those that should reject grace and not believe in Christ what shew or semblance of injustice were here if this were true I appeal to your selves any reasonable man let him tell me how is this unjust how is this unequal and partial dealing in God even to the reason of man if this were true it is just with God to save a soul that believeth and reject an unbeliever this is Justice here is no shadow or shew of injustice and then the Apostle needeth not to break out in this pathetical manner VVhat shall we say Is there unrighteousnesse with God and then the matter of election and reprobation would not seem so harsh and hard to flesh and blood And so we should make the Apostle by this kind of reasoning to fight with a shadow and to combate with the ayr and to go about to prevent an objection that no man of reason would make No beloved we need not to make these conclusions or to frame such a lye for the Lord Job 13.7 so to go about to make excuses to clear Gods Justice that God did decree to save such as should believe and to damn such as should not believe But we may safely and boldly affirm it for certain truth that Gods eternal free and absolute decree both of election and reprobation it is just holy and righteous yea though God hath from everlasting and before the world was not from the fall of Adam as some imagine freely out of his mere good will and pleasure purposed and decreed the salvation of some and the rejection of others and their casting off for ever yet we need not seek to find out starting holes to defend Gods Justice for he is the soveraign Lord and may do with his own what he will and no man can call him to account and say Why doest thou so therefore let us still lay aside our carnal reasonings and humble our soules to the truth of God Observ Again Observe we further the Apostle having here said Is God therefore unrighteous because he loved Jacob and hated Esau freely nothing moving him thereunto I say having delivered this the Apostle presently subjoyneth a flat denyal and he saith no God is not herein unjust and he doth not deny it barely but his denyal is with a detestation with an abhorring of it absit God forbid he doth not say Is there unrighteousnesse with God no but he joyneth God forbid Oh far be it from us to infer such a conclusion to bring in such an absurd inference hence then observe we thus much from the Apostles manner of denyal viz. Doct. That we must not onely disclaim errours and erroneous opinions and grosse conclusions that some do force from the holy Word of God especially fundamental errours that are against some fundamental truth we must not onely disclaim them but abhor them yea we must disclaim them with a detestation and abhor them with an hatred and loathing Not onely say I renounce Popery or this or that errour but hate it with an utter detestation And to clear this a little further it is the exhortation of the Apostle Rom. 12.9 abhor that which is evil not only abstain from it but abhor evil that is evil in opinion and also any moral evil whatsoever yea the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very significant and weighty it is as much as if the Apostle had said Let errour evil in opinion or any manner of evil whatsoever be hateful and odious to thee as hell it self so ponderous is the word and in Psal 119.113 saith David I hate vain inventions they are odious and hateful unto me and in verse 128. therefore I esteem all thy precepts to be right and I hate every false way and in Psal 139.21 saith David Do not I hate them that hate thee O Lord yea in the 22. verse he saith he hateth them with a perfect and unfeigned hatred so also in 2 Thess 2.10 Receive the truth with love unto it and by the rule of contraries Detest errours with hatred to them especially those that are against some fundamental truth of God hate them unfeignedly Reason For why errour and sin is hateful and odious to God himself it being contrary unto the truth of God and against the nature of God which is good in it self And we professing our selves to be the children of God we must endeavour to be like our heavenly Father who doth not onely dislike and disapprove sin but he hateth it but he hates and abhors it Prov. 6.16 these six things doth the Lord hate yea seven doth his soul abhor yea it is worth our marking in the 17. and 18. verses God doth not onely hate sin saith Solomon but he hateth the very members of the body which are the instruments of sin

of his own mercy I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy I will shew this kindnesse unto thee to see the back parts of my glory because I will have mercy on whom I will Now by mercy in this text of the Apostle and the other of Moses we are to understand the act the exercise and work of mercy and by compassion the act the exercise and work of compassion and pity or rather tender love for the word compassion cometh from a radix Dilexit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth to love with such a tender affection as mothers do love their children naturally such love as the woman exprest to her child before Solomon And this mercy and pity being attributed ascribed and given to God it signifieth either a propension a readinesse of his Divine will to help those that be in misery which is the essential and natural property of mercy in God Or else it signifieth the act and exercise and the work of Gods mercy extended and reached out unto his people and so we are to understand it here not the property of mercy which is natural and essential in God but the extent of it to the creature And when the Lord saith I will have mercy and compassion on whom I will his meaning is the act and exercise and work of my mercy and compassion and tender love it is ever by me extended reached out and exercised to those amongst men to whom I will exercise extend and reach it out and that merely and onely of my own free will nothing in man or coming by man moving me to do it so then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in this verse God saith unto Moses in Exod. 33.19 upon Moses request unto him God promising out of his favour to him to shew him his back parts that the act and exercise and work of my mercy is ever by me extended and reached out to those amongst men to whom I will extend and reach it out and that merely and onely of my own good pleasure nothing in man coming from man moving me to reach it out I wil have mercy on whom I will Come we now to matter of Doctrine And beloved I cannot passe it by without noting that the Apostle here alledging a text of Scripture uttered by Moses saith God spake it so saith God to Moses whence it is clear That the Scripture the Word of God the written Word of God Doctrine it is a speaking word of efficacy not a dumb Word and it is Gods Oracle as the Apostle calleth it in Rom. 3.2 yea God speaketh to his people and Church in and by his written Word and in every part and parcel of it so saith the Apostle God saith unto Moses Indeed I grant that God spake all the words of the ten Commandements after a more special and peculiar manner Exod. 20. God spake all these words and said but yet the whole Scripture is Gods speaking Word and Gods Oracle yea his lively Oracle not a dead or dumb Oracle as the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 4.12 the Word of God is lively and mighty in operation sharper then any two edged sword a quickening word and a word of power and hence it is the Prophet Esay sendeth the people of his time to enquire of God Esay 8.19 20. saith he should not a people enquire of their God then presently he adjoyneth To the Law and to the Testimony there you shall hear God speak and know his mind Now if any do object that of the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 7.12 Object where the Apostle saith Reliquis autem ego dicò non Dominus and to the remnant I say and not the Lord It seemeth therefore the Apostle speaketh here and not the Lord I answer the meaning of the place is Answ that the Lord hath not given any such expresse Commandement in any place of his Word as the Apostle doth there deliver it but the Apostle did gather so much by interpretation of the Scripture and he so spake as he was guided by the Spirit of God as he saith in the 40 verse Et ipse Spiritum dei habeam and I have the Spirit of God I speak it in the name of the Lord So then this is a truth that the Scripture is the speaking Word of God it is Gods speaking word he uttereth his voyce his Church in the Word Application Wickedly therefore deal the Papists in this respect Vse In that they fill their mouthes full of bitter and blasphemous speeches against the truth of God in that they term the holy written Word of God to be dead Ink and a dumb Judge say they put a scarlet gown upon an Image and see what it will speak so say they is the Scripture And they set up other Judges in the place of Gods Word as the authority of the Church or a general Convention or the Pope speaking Judicially out of his chair setting him up as a Judge in all matters of controversie refusing the Scripture as insufficient and calling it dead Ink and a dumb Judge Thus they shew themselves to be utter enemies of the holy written Word of God and seek to crush the authority of it and to set up the voyce of a sinfull man the son of perdition the limb of the devil over the Church and to disclaim the voyce of the living God speaking to us in his holy Scripture But we must learn to acknowledge and to reverence the Scripture as Gods speaking Word and the written Word of God to be that which God uttereth to his people and not say as some ignorant people do Oh if God would speak unto us from heaven in his own immediate voyce and if Christ would come upon the earth and preach unto us how attentive would we be we would not fall asleep then at Sermons But if thou wouldest know what God saith to his people then come to the written Word of God It is folly and madnesse in the foolish Familists and others of that sect that they depend upon Revelations besides the written Word of God but not to contend with them to apply it to our selves Vse 2 What is it better then madnesse and folly in us to rest upon the fancies and conceits and Judgments of men touching the events and coming to passe of such and such things Against superstitious observation of dayes because men tell us such a day shall be such and such disasters and such a day such fearful signs and wonders thunderings and lightenings and such and such direful wonders shall come to passe yea there is a day of special note amongst ignorant people now at hand namely St. Swithin's day if it rain on that day it will rain more or lesse fourty dayes after these are dotages of idle braines and are suggested by a lying spirit even by the spirit of the devil whereas the Lord saith Esay 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if men speak not according

to that there is no truth in them they are lying spirits and I may justly say to such as Abraham said to the rich man in hell Luk. 16.29 thy friends have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them so we have the writings and the words of the Apostles and holy Prophets of Jesus Christ and God speaketh unto us therein there is the Oracle of God and we must give leave and liking to them and not upon the fancies of men that say such and such a day shall be great disasters Oh but say some these things sometimes come to passe It may be so in Judgment they come to passe because men give ear unto them what saith the Lord by Moses Deut. 13.1 2 3 4 5. If a lying prophet or a dreamer of dreames do tell you of strange things and they come to passe believe him not for the Lord doth it to try you and it is the just hand of God to bring it upon you because we give ear and liking to them Again observe we the Apostle bringeth these words of Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy to prove that God was not unjust in loving Jacob and hating Esau he having denyed this with a God forbid he subjoyneth presently as a reason to prove it For he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy A man would think this were a strange kind of clearing God from injustice is not God therefore unjust when he loveth Jacob and hateth Esau without cause because he saith I will have mercy because I will hath God no other reason to give But we must learn to acknowledge that this is the soveraign power of the great God of heaven and earth that his will must be reason enough to rest upon and this is the true obedience that is acceptable and pleasing to his holy Majestie Doctr. That Gods will and pleasure and his appointment touching all things that are in the Word and touching the ordering and disposing of all things and coming of all things to passe in this world it is holy just and good and it cannot be taxed as unholy and unjust though we cannot dive into the depth of it the will of God that is holy just and good though we cannot comprehend the depth of it And the reason and ground is Because it is the very nature of the Will of God he doth all things Reason 1 most freely and justly as in Ephes 1.5 He hath predestinated us to be adopted through Christ Jesus in himself nothing out of himself according to the good pleasure of his will Again secondly the will of God is the square and rule of all goodnesse Reason 2 and righteousnesse whatsoever God willeth it is good because he willeth it but whatsoever is in Scripture is agreeable to the will of God is good and whatsoever dissenteth from the will of God it is evil so that upon this ground Gods will and pleasure it is holy just and good and cannot be taxed with evil because he willeth it How is the good will and pleasure of God just and holy in respect of sin for he doth appoint it else it could not be in the world Object It is true sin could not be in the world unlesse God did appoint it Answ and yet Gods appointment is good God willeth the being of sin in the world not simply as it is peccatum sin but as it is a pupishment for some evill foregoing and so he maketh it to serve for the manifestation of the glory of his Justice in this respect the being of sin is good and so God who is able to bring light out of darknesse good out of evil he doth righteously and willingly permit evil Upon this ground we must learn to lay aside all reasonings of the flesh Vse against the will and appointment of God touching all things that come to passe in the world we must learn not onely in our words but thoughts also to justifie the will of God as holy and just in respect of the being and coming to passe of every thing in the world But to apply this a little nearer and to another purpose to teach us that as we must justifie the working will of God so we must justifie his signifying will in his Word whereby he doth signifie his mind to acknowledge that to be holy just and good yea we must learn to esteem and to hold every Commandement of God every denunciation threatening and every promise of God that we find in the holy book of God to be holy just and good Rom. 7.12 And it is a sure sign of grace when we can acknowledge the wisdom of God in his Word and every Commandement of God to be holy and righteous as when a man can justifie the Commandement of the Sabbath the Commandement against uncleannesse usury or any Commandment that doth crosse and thwart and contradict our sins whatsoever that we can say Lord thou art just and upright in thy Commandements howsoever I am sinfull this is a sign of a sanctified soul whereas every worldling will be disputing against every Commandement of God and will pick a quarrel with them at the Commandement of the Sabbath that requireth we should not think our own thoughts speak our own words nor do our own works on that day Esay 58.13 Oh saith the carnal man may I not walk to Taverns and Ale-houses and talk of matters of the world this is too strickt and rigorous And so in the matter of apparel whereas the Lord requireth our apparel should be modest befitting such as fear the Lord Oh say they this is too strict if I should not follow the fashions of the world I should be accounted as an Owl and as no body in the world thus they wrangle and cavil against the Commandements of God but they that do justifie the Word of God as holy and true though it meeteth with our dearest lust yet we subscribe unto Gods Commandements this is a signe of true grace in our hearts Oh therefore labour to subscribe unto the Commands of God if we will be assured of grace For he said to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Object VPon occasion of these words I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy A blasphemous Heretick did hold That mercy was not a natural property in God but an act of the will of God Because that Moses bringeth in the Lord saying I will have mercy upon whom I will And thus he reasoneth God doth alwaie suse his natural properties such as be essential in God they are in exercise and he useth them continually but saith he mercy whereby God doth offer grace unto sinners and pardon of sin unto man is not alwaies exercised and shewed forth as namely to all sinners impenitent And the Apostle affirmeth that God hath mercy upon whom he will And so the Apostle

him that willeth or desireth good so it is not in him that worketh any good thing as David saith Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou hast set my heart at large then when thou hast set my heart free that is pend up by reason of corruption I will do all that is required in thy Lawes and Commandements so by running we are to understand a working of good But in him that sheweth mercy That is in Gods mere mercy and will in vouchsafing and reaching out his gracious hand So then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle as if the Apostle had said So then or So therefore that which we have hitherto spoken of and treated on touching Gods election of Jacob or any particular person to life and salvation in heaven It is not either in Jacob or in any other man that willeth or desireth good or endeavoureth after good by the power and strength of all the powers and faculties of his soul of his mind will and affections and all the rest of his powers neither is it in Jacob or any other man working or doing good things no not in any one's running the right way of Gods Commandements and holinesse neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but it is in Gods mere mercy and free will onely out of Gods reaching out his hand of mercy to any one thus understand we the words Come we now to matter of observation And first of all observe we the Apostle here bringeth in this sixteenth verse as a conclusion upon the fifteenth verse and the Apostle doth here apply that which he had set down in the verse foregoing by way of consequence by way of conclusion and application So therefore having cited that testimony of Scripture of God unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will thereupon in this verse our Apostle draweth out and bringeth in a consequence to that purpose So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but God that sheweth mercy thus you see the Apostles Application so then the Observation is this Doctrine That in preaching of the Word general truths found out in the Word must not onely be made known and delivered but such deductions such consequences such conclusions and applications must be drawn from thence as Gods holy truth will bear the Preachers of the Word must not onely deliver general truths from the holy Word of God but they must also apply them particularly reducing such truths as it will bear and drawing from it matter of exhortation and reproof as that truth will adhere unto and such applications as do flow from such truths necessarily In the 2 Tim. 4.2 the Apostle chargeth Timothy to preach the Word and to open the secrets of the Gospel and not there to rest but to be earnest in reproving and rebuking and exhorting with all long suffering and doctrine not onely preach but so preach the Word as that in preaching he be instant in rebuking reproving and exhorting as occasion is offered And in Titus 2.15 the Apostle having taught Titus how he ought to behave himself in his Ministry and how to carry himself to all people saith Speak these things and not onely so but exhort and rebuke with all long patience and authority And we find this hath been the practice of the sound and faithful Preachers of God in all ages and times yea we have the example of God himself as we may instance in Amos 4.12 you shall find in the verses foregoing the Lord maketh known this for a truth that he would bring his hand upon them and a heavy Judgment to attach them He teacheth them that Doctrine that they shall have a mighty plague he doth not rest there but he laboureth to make Use and Application of that general truth and to bring it home to their hearts and to stirre them to repentance Because saith the Lord I will do this therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel Reason 1 Because God hath appointed the preaching of his Word not onely for the inlightening of their minds to teach them the points of Catechisme for the information of their judgements but also the reformation of their hearts and lives that their hearts may be wrought upon and their affections moved that they may be stirred up to the love of God and the study of good things and that they may be exercised in holy duties Reason 2 The Minister and Preacher of the Word is Gods disposer of his secrets so he is called 2 Cor. 4.1 a steward of the house of God 1 Cor. 4.2 And it is required of these stewards that they be faithful 2 Tim. 2.15 he must divide the Word of truth aright And he must carry himself as a steward and divide to every one his portion he hat power to point out the Word into several shives and not deliver it in a whole lump but distribute unto every one what is meet As Instructions to the ignorant Comfort to the afflicted Conscience sharp rebukes and reprehensions to the dead and senslesse hearted in their sins and Denunciations of Judgments to such as are secure and slightly passe by the Word of God so that it is a certain truth that the Preachers of the Word must not onely deliver general doctrines of the holy Word of God but they must apply it to the hearers particularly by drawing from them matter of Application not forcing it in by head and shoulders but such as naturally and aptly it will bear How far those Preachers are from this duty that onely rest in delivering the general truth and hover aloft in the clouds and never come down to Application to apply it to their hearers A man may discern with half an eye And I might bend my force to reprove them but I passe them by having none of them to speak unto And first of all take we notice of this by way of Application to this Vse 1 end That the Minister and Preacher of the Word ought and may apply the indefinite and general Promises of the Gospel to any one particular believer for their comfort yea he may assure particular persons that they believing shall certainly be saved It is a Cavil of the Papists to the contrary who are enemies to Gods grace and all saving comfort it is their doctrine and Satanical delusion For say they the Ministers and Preachers of the Word know not whether that particular person he speaketh to be in the number of Gods election or no. But beloved this skilleth not it is not material whether the Minister of God doth know it or no he doth not assure any man that he shall be saved because he knoweth he is in the number of Gods chosen but upon condition of believing upon the condition required in the Gospel And a Minister of Christ according to his office is to apply the general Promises of the Word to particular persons and draw from thence

Scripture fetching a particular example to that purpose namely the example of Pharaoh The Scripture saith to Pharaoh And thus our Apostle reasoneth in this place God dealt justly with Pharaoh in with-holding his grace from him in hardening his heart thereby manifesting his Reprobation for God hardeneth none but Reprobates and thereby manifesting his rejecting And why did the Lord deal justly namely for the declaration of his own great power and of his own great name throughout the whole world The Lords hardening of Pharaoh tended to this end to shew and to set forth the power of God and to set forth the great name of the Lord throughout all the world Pharaohs Reprobation tended to the glory of God therefore it is not unjust with God to reject any and to leave them to their own wills his glory being dear unto himself This is the sum and substance of this 17 verse Now the general things laid before us in this 17 verse they are two First a preface unto the testimony alledged by the Apostle in these words For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Wherein we may consider the authority of the testimony a testimony written the Scripture saith it The second general thing is the testimony it self the words of Scripture applyed by the Apostle That I might shew my power in thee and my name might be declared thooughout all the world In which consider two things First Gods act his stirring and raising up Pharaoh And then the end of that act which is the manifestation of Gods power in Pharaoh And the declaration of the great and glorious name of God throughout all the world Come we now to the sense and meaning of the words For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh By Scripture which is a general term we are to understand the holy Scripture the written Word of God Gods speaking in the Scripture for this same purpose have I stirred thee up raised or appointed thee for so it is diversly translated being all one in sense These words we find in Exod. 9.16 Now how the Lord stirred and raised up Pharaoh there is the difficulty And there be different and divers opinions touching the meaning of this phrase and sentence Some do understand it of Pharaohs raising up and advancing to the Kingdom For this cause have I raised thee up to the Kingdome And this is the Annotation of the Remists upon this very text but the Apostle hath a further reach then this And some there be that understand it of the keeping and preserving of Pharaoh alive in the midst of the ten plagues of Egypt that he might drown him into the bottom of the Sea but this cannot be the meaning of the text because many other of the people besides Pharaoh was kept by God from those plagues Divers other opinions there be touching this phrase and form of speech here used by the Apostle I will not trouble you with the variety of them But the best way to find out the right meaning of this place is arightly to consider that place and the Circumstances of it in the ninth of Exodus 13 14 15. verses God bids Moses go unto Pharaoh and to let his people go that they might serve him and withal he bids him say unto Pharaoh that he would send upon him all his plagues and all his punishments even upon thy very heart and soul upon thy servants thy people that thou mayest know there is no God like unto me I will stretch out my hand and smite thee with my pestilence and make thee to perish even from the face of the earth And in the seventeenth verse of the same Chapter Notwithstanding these threatnings of plagues brought against him yet Pharaoh still exalted himself against God and against his people and he would not let them go Now if we mark between these two things between the threatnings of these plagues and the taxing of Pharaoh for his exalting himself against God commeth in this sentence in the 16. verse And indeed for this very cause have I stirred thee up I have sent Moses and threatned my plagues against thee and yet thou wilt not let my people go Now these things being well considered this comming between the menacing of judgement and the taxing of his exalting against God these two well compared yield unto us this signification for this cause this very purpose have I withheld my grace from thee and I have hardned thy heart as a fruit following thy rejection and for this very cause have I cast thee off and made thee a flintie heart even for this very purpose have I caused thee to rebel against my threatning denounced by my servant Moses and have made it come to pass that thou shalt not prosper nor profit by my plagues and judgements and this is the right sence and meaning of the words Now beloved if any think it to harsh and hard to say that God doth stir up the wicked heart of Pharaoh to rebel against God and against Moses sent unto him and that God made him not to profit by his plagues and judgements Let that man that thinketh it too harsh to ascribe this unto God consider that God did not infuse or put any sinful motion to evil into the heart of Pharaoh but he onely inclined that heart of his to rebel and that in his secret and just will James 1.13 God tempteth no man unto evil but in his secret and just Judgment did incline the heart of Pharaoh And withal consider in the second place that the Lord did order that rebellious and trecherous will of Pharaoh to what end he himself had appointed the Lord did incline it to rebel to the glory of his own name and to the setting forth of his power so that this being considered that the Lord inclined his heart so as that his Destruction might be to the glory of his great name and these things will not then be so harsh or hard for the Lord infused no evil into him but his heart being corrupt of himself he did incline and order it and dispose that wicked will of Pharaoh unto the end to which God had appointed namely to his destruction and Gods glory as for example in Jer. 51.11 we read in that Text that the Lord raised up the spirit of the Medes against Babel and it is a certain truth the King of the Medes sinned in that expedition and in that action of his against the King of Babel yet it was done in the vengeance of the Lord. And so this is to be understood that I might shew my power in thy destruction and the force of me and of my power might be expressed in thy destruction both of thee and of thine in the bottom of the Sea And that others also might see and take notice of my power Exod. 14.31 when the Egyptians were drowned in the Sea then Israel saw the mighty power of God It was made apparent unto Israel And that my name might be declared

neither the Word of God which is as a piercing fire and as a sword to divide between the joynts and the marrow Jer. 23.29 cannot humble them Nor the exhortations of the Word of God which are as soft rain and dewe Esay 55.10 11. cannot mollifie them nor afflictions can better them surely then the Lord hath a purpose to destroy and root them out and they are near unto utter destruction when the Lord withdraweth the grace of repentance and of amendment that they are not humbled by the denunciation of the Word of God nor mollified by the exhortations nor bettered by afflictions nor by any means the Lord vouchsafeth unto them surely the Lord maketh it apparant that their destruction is present and at hand and this is to be considered by every one of us It is a point that we have stood upon formerly for the matter and substance of it that those whom God doth harden it is a sign of their reprobation and therefore I passe by it onely upon occasion of this truth some Objections are to be answered Object As happily some may say why the Lord doth not will the death of a sinner he doth so make it manifest by his Prophet Ezechiel in the 18. chapter and the 23. verse Have I any desire that the wicked should die no He rather willeth that they should live if he return from his wickednesse And so in the last verse Have I any delight in the death of the wicked saith the Lord God no cause him to return and live I have no delight nor desire in his death And again the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is given in Scripture to God it sounds forth nothing but Essence and being yea and everlasting being He is called Jehovah because he hath his being of himself and the Nature of God is Essence and being and he giveth Essence and being to all things Now death and destruction make things cease to be that already are death in man utterly overthrowes destroyes and ruinates life how can it then be that God doth purpose to destroy and extirpate any man seeing death and destruction come not from God Answ To answer this first we must know that the Prophet Ezechiel in the place alledged speaketh of penitent sinners mark what is precedent and in the sequel verses and you shall easily see it and then death and destruction God willeth it not neither shall they die eternally And again we must distinguish between the absolute will of God and Gods recompencing will simply God doth not will death for death came by sinne as Rom. 5.12 But God doth will death as a Just judgement for sinne As a Judge simply willeth not the death of an offender as he is a a man but as he hath committed the fault and the offence so God in his just Judgement doth will the death of a sinner as a recompence for their sinne Again it is true that the Name of the Lord doth send forth nothing but essence and being and an absolute subsistence The Lord is life and being of himself and from him every thing hath life and being yet notwithstanding the Lord can withdraw and withhold life and being at his own good will and pleasure Psalm 104.28 29. saith David If thou take away their breath they perish and die life is in thy hand and man returneth to dust again but to passe from that Again For this purpose have I stirred thee up that my name might be declared throughout all the earth That is that the praise and the glory of my Justice appearing in the ruine and Destruction of so mighty a King rebelling against me might be propagated and spread abroad throughout all the Corners of the world and every where spoken of getting my self a name in thy destruction the point hence is this That God will have glory in the confusion of wicked hard hearted Doctrine and impenitent sinners they that live in their blindnesse of mind hard heartednesse and impenitency the Lord will have glory and glorifie himself by them such as go and walk on stifly stubbornly and rebelliously in their sins God will have glory in their everlasting confusion and utter destruction Psal 50.17 Consider this you that hate to be reformed so he describeth them for saith he in the 22. verse he will tear you in pieces he giveth it them as a Caveat and forewarning Consider this you that forget God for he will tear you all to pieces Again in Rom. 2.5 Thou saith the Apostle after thy hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapeth unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and the indignation of the just Judgment of God As if the Apostle had said Thou hard-hearted wretch that goest on and continueth in thy sins thou dost but heap up wrath against the day of wrath when the Lord will revenge himself upon thee and execute his wrath and vengeance to the full thou whose heart is as it is said in Jer. 5. as hard as a stone and as Adament the Lord will get himself glory by thee and in Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his own glory sake yea even the wicked for the day of evil as if he had said howsoever hard-hearted and impenitent sinners do contemptuously rebel and refuse to yeeld glory to the Lord yet even those wicked reprobates are made for the glory of God as well as others and they are appointed to the day of vengeance the Lord will have his glory in their Destruction they will not glorifie God in their lives he will have glory in their confusion and destruction and good reason there is for it Because the good which God aymeth at in the doing of all his actions Reason intentions and purposes is the advancement of his own glory and the Lord doth delight in that as in his chiefest glory yea the Lord can bring good out of evil glory out of shame he can bring glory in the confusion of the wicked and assuredly the Lord will not lose his glory by them he will not lose his chiefest happinesse but he will be glorified one way or other Oh then consider it you that dare go on in your sins and do continue Vse 1 and daily increase in your grosse evils and fearful sins that live in most unnatural and wicked evils as in pride and in swearing their mouthes are full of oathes and of unclean and debauched evil speeches and in their drunkennesse and Sabbath-breaking and usury and the like though they do not say with Pharaoh VVho is the Lord yet they kick against the holy Word of God and they set light by the threatenings of it when they are denounced against their particular evils they make put a pish and a tush of it and so they live in open contempt of the great honour and glory of God and this is the lives of many amongst our selves they hate to be reformed though they hear their sins beaten against and they told of them

work grace in the soules of men to mollifie and soften the hearts of men are vouchsafed and yet all are not softened but some continue in their hardnesse living under the means of softening because the powerful meanes of grace are uneffectual unlesse it please God to put life unto them and to give efficacy by the work of his grace Now the Lord is pleased sometimes to withhold his saving and softening grace from men and to inflict hardnesse upon them as a Judgment and then no marvel it is that they continue in their hardnesse and sins and stiffe-neckednesse And beloved upon this ground the Preachers and Ministers of the Word may stay themselves when they see that after their labour and pains taking with the soules of men they see little or no fruit of their labour he seeth that the profit of the same Word delivered by him to one and the same people is so divers and different that some are bettered by it and yeeld obedience to it and do according to it and some do clean contrary unto it it is a savour of life unto some and a savour of death unto others thus it was in Exod. 9.20 21. with the preaching of Moses those whom God gave grace unto yeelded others yeelded not The Lord is pleased sometimes to withhold his softening grace from men and to leave them to themselves And beloved the Lord commonly dealeth thus with hypocrites and such as come unto the means of grace onely out of form and of fashion and of custome and are asleep when they come unto it they come without any longing desire to profit by the means they have no more desire to profit by it then the seats they sit upon then when they so come without a desire to profit and onely for form and fashion then the Lord suffereth them to go on in blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart that though they hear a hundred Sermons yet they are dull and dead and have no more good by them then the seats in the Church And hereby the Minister may cheer up himself that the Lord hath hardened their hearts and will not suffer them to profit by the means but permits them to post on the way to hell Is this so that Gods will is to harden some amongst the sons of men and Vse 2 inflict hardening upon their hearts how are they then to magnifie the goodnesse of God to them to whom the Lord hath given soft and melting hearts and such as are flexible pliable and yeelding to the will of God in the admonitions and threatenings of it yea such a heart as good Josiah had in 2 Chr. 24.27 that when he heard the Book of the Law read his heart melted and dissolved with tears so dost thou when thou hearest the threatenings and denunciations of the Word against thee tremble and is thy heart humbled when thou hearest the sweet comforts of the Word of God even as the matter is so is thy heart affected if matter of comfort thou rejoycest if matter of threatening thou art humbled yea though it be against a sin thou art not guilty of when thou hearest the threatenings of God against sins thou art not guilty of thou tremblest considering he is a just God thy heart is flexible pliable the text is clear in Ezek. 36.25 26. Here we find that those whom the Lord doth please to justifie and sanctifie and to pour the clean waters upon their soules and to cleanse them from the filthinesse of their sins to them he giveth a heart of flesh this is a work of God vouchsafed to such that God doth cleanse mollifie even a flexible plyable and yeelding heart to the Word of God and the means of grace and of salvation Oh hast thou such a heart blesse God for it this is a special mercy of God for of all the plagues that befall men in this world hardnesse of heart is the worst none worse then that that is the most dreadful so softnesse of heart assuredly is a special blessing of God and given to none but those whom God loveth Oh then labour to have this bowing bending yeelding heart to the good hand of God labour to cheer it up and to have a plyable heart yeelding not stubborn and to that end use these meanes that may mollifie thee more and more namely be frequent and often in hearing and reading of the holy Word of God and when thou hast heard and read it second it by meditation Oh what enemies are they that hear the Word and do not respect to call to mind what they have heard but let it slip away and secondly be often and frequent in thinking upon the sweet and comfortable mercies of God in Jesus Christ that will soften thy heart and keep it soft the heart of the prodigal when it began to relent to yeeld and to be moved and to come to himself and to consider the tendernesse and love of his gracious Father Oh saith he I am a poor wretch here and an outcast but I have a good father I have sinned against heaven and against thee Luke 15.17 18. he will entertain and receive me again so the consideration of the tender mercies of Christ Jesus to consider what the Lord hath done for thee hath he not vouchsafed his mercy in Christ Jesus And last of all be thou earnest above all be earnest with God in prayer that he would be pleased to vouchsafe unto thee the Spirit of grace and of softening and continue in thy breast a soft heart Oh Lord never suffer me to be given over to hardnesse of heart Lord keep this heart of mine soft plyable and yeelding to the Word of God Thus we are to hear it and to read it and to meditate upon it and to pray unto God to keep the heart in us for it is the greatest blessing of God that can befall a man in this world as hardnesse of heart is a great curse so softnesse is a great blessing therefore labour for to get and increase it VERSE 19. Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will OUr Apostle having cleared God from the imputation of inconstancy and of unfaithfulnesse in his promises notwithstanding the rejection of the Jewes for the body of them from the sixth verse of this Chapter to the 14. verse and having proved from the 14 verse to the 19. verse that God is not unjust in that he hath out of his own absolute good will and pleasure chosen some to life and salvation and hath passed by and rejected others and that without respect had to any thing in them or foreseen in them having I say cleared God from this slander He now in this 19. verse falleth upon a new and a further Cavil and reasoning of the flesh namely such a Cavil as doth charge God with no lesse then cruelty and with Tyrannical dealing with some men and from this the Apostle cleareth God also Now

sticketh in the rine barke and outside of Spiritual and divine Truths it cannot find out the pith and marrow of it carnal reason sticketh in the very letter of the truth and never looketh to the Divine mysterie of it so that it is no marvel that carnal reason is sticking in the rine and outside of truths because it is blind Hence then take we notice of it whence it is that erring spirits do commonly Vse 1 fasten foul and false conclusions upon the Holy and Divine truths of God because they look upon them with a carnal eye As from that sound and Holy Doctrine of God touching his absolute Decree to life and salvation of some and his rejection to damnation of others hereupon some erring spirits do conclude and they think it followeth necessarily that therefoe God is a Tirant and dealeth tirannically with his people So again some hearing this Holy Truth of God that God hath a hand in every act of man that cometh to passe and in the act of every creature that Gods providence is in every thing that cometh to passe in the world then the carnal reasoner bringeth in this false conclusion that then God is the authour of sinne and he thinketh in his judgement it followeth necessarily that God is the authour of sinne because sin is an act And beloved do not the Papists deal thus in the matter of Justification of a sinner in the sight of God They hearing that a sinner is justified in the sight of God onely by faith then say the Papists this Doctrine hath a foule taile coming after it for it doth dispossesse mans heart from all care and indevour of good works and hereupon slanderously they give out this false report of us that in this Doctrine that men are justified onely by Faith they say we are utter enemies to God utter enemies to Gods Law and utter enemies to all good works this they think they may lawfully charge upon us Thus these and many others doe wrest false conclusions from the Holy Truth of God and why Because they look upon them by the rule of natural reason which is the ground of all Atheistical conclusions there catching and snatching and carping against the Divine Truths and mysteries of God because they stick in the rinde and dive not into the depth of them Again beloved is this so that carnal reason doth wrest false conclusions Vse 2 from the holy and Divine truths of God Then this must teach every one of us our dutie to take heed that we measure not divine Truths by the meatyard and rule of our own carnal reason especially such holy Truths of God as are of a high nature and strain such as are transcendent such as goe beyond and extend the compasse of natural reason such truths as are matters of Faith and above reason Oh take heed of measuring these by the rule of natural reason For if we seek to bring these Truths within the model scantling and rule of our natural reason we shall run into many by-paths and erroneous conceits and opinions as he must needs lose his way that knoweth not the way and followeth blinde guides So Fides est oculus animi Faith is the eye of the soul and if we in matters of Divinitie and high points of God follow your own blind reason we shall assuredly run into many gross errours yea beloved let me tell you it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal understanding and an unsanctified wit for if we so doe we shall abuse the holy word of God and wrest from it such conclusions as are not there to be found doth yet experience shew it to be true Are there not some who looking upon that place of the Apostle in 1 Timothy 5.8 where he saith He that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his Family is worse then an Infidel doe not some I say looking upon this with a shut eye and carnal understanding gather and conclude that therefore they may pinch and spare and scrape together by all means and live a base and sordid life and not part with a farthing token to the poore or to any good use but niggardly utter these words they must provide for themselves and they may come to live by the almes of the Parish themselves and will not spare a pennie more then by the Law they are enforced and compelled and so pervert the Scripture Again some others looking upon that place in Ezekiel 16.11 12 13. verses where the Lord saith He decked Hierusalem with Ornaments with Bracelets with goodly Jewels with golden Crowns and with Gold and silver and Imbroydered works Doe not some hereupon gather that therefore they may be vain in their Apparel and may follow every new fashion and may goe like ruffians in their long haire and foretop and think this is their warrant whereas they are deceived for the Lord there speaketh by way of similitude tropically that the Lord had blessed them with all good things and so expresseth it after that manner figuratively and they would have him speak properly and so they draw a false conclusion from the holy word of God Thus I might instance in many particulars that it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal eye yea I dare boldly affirm that we shall never rightly conclude from any part of the Word of God whether touching manners or touching heavenly things if we consult with flesh and bloud unlesse our eyes be annointed with the eye salve of the spirit of God Therefore to conclude learn we in reading the word of God to lay aside our own reasons to come with the eyes of the minde shut and to look with the eye of Faith and of the Spirit of God lay aside thy owne reason yea thy owne wisedome for the wisedome of man is enmitie to God Romans 8.7 Yea the best act and exercise of the mind of man not sanctified it is enmitie to the will of God therefore let us yeeld our selves to be guided onely by the will of God and then we shall certainly tread the paths that lead to true happinesse and salvation Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will IN these words Why doth he yet complain is something to be observed generally For they being considered as an Objection of carnal persons they make directly against that opinion of the Arminians who hold that God did decree to reject some amongst men upon a foresight of their wilful obstinacy in sin and their wilful rebellion against him Now beloved if this were a true Position and a truth of God then God justly complaineth of such as were hardened and that in the Reason of man for though God did decree their rejection and consequently their hardening yet the reason and the cause of Gods decree was his foresight of their wilful obstinacy and rebellion in a course of evil

reason and to argue the case with God for disposing of thee according to his will Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine Observ And first of all observe we that our Apostle making answer to the carnal Reasoner laboureth to bring him to a consideration of his own vilenesse thereby checking his presumption in taking upon him to quarrel with the Lord O man saith he who art thou a prophane wretch a worthlesse thing a worm lesse then a worm nothing in comparison of God Hence then the observation is plain before us That the due consideration of what we are Doctrine being compared to what God is is a notable means to beat down insolency presumption and pride in us we entring in a due and serious consideration of our own basenesse and our own vilenesse and indeed of our own nothingnesse in comparison of the infinite greatnesse and glory of God it is a special means to humble us to beat down and throw down the swelling pride of our own hearts and that this is so it is farther clear unto us we find it so to be in the practise and lives of the Saints and holy servants of God that the nearer they have approached to the presence of the Lord the more they have been humbled and the more have they abased themselves in consideration of their own vilenesse and basenesse in comparison of God they drawing near to the great Omnipotency and Omnisciency of God thus did holy Abraham in Gen. 18.22 he drawing near to the Lord in praying for the Sodomites was brought into an humble conceit of himself and thereupon he broke out in the 27. verse of the same Chapter Behold I have begun to speak unto my Lord and I am but dust and ashes he breaketh out into this perturbation acknowledging he is but dust and ashes who am I that I should open my mouth to the great holy and glorious God even as nothing in comparison of him as it is said of all Nations in the world that that in respect of God they are vanity and lesse then nothing Esay 40.15 17. the drop of a bucket vanity and lesse then nothing And to the same purpose we find the servants of God have been wonderfully troubled cast down and affrighted and brought to a great astonishment in consideration of their own basenesse and vilenesse yea they have even trembled and shaken when they have had but a glympse of him Thus did Manoah Judges 13.22 who having seen but an Angel of God cryed out alas we shall surely dye we have seen God And the Prophet saith Esay 6.5 VVoe is me I am undone I am undone why what is the matter I am a man of polluted lips and I dwell among a people of polluted lips and mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts I have seen the great God of heaven and earth so that we see this hath been made good unto us by evidence and testimony of Scripture that the due consideration of our vilenesse together with Gods mightinesse is the onely meanes to work humility in us Because as the due consideration of our own meannesse and basenesse Reason in comparison of man himself in regard of some greatnesse some excellency in gifts it is a notable means to bring us to an humble conceit of our selves as in David David comparing himself with the magnificence of Saul who was a wicked man he saith VVho am I or what is my fathers house the least of all the Tribes of Israel in the 1 Sam. 18.18 Then to argue à minore ad majus we considering the basenesse of us in regard of the mightinesse of God of his greatnesse and his glory should be a means to beat down the pride of our hearts hereby we come to see our own vilenesse and nothingnesse more clearly Contraria juxta se posita magis illucescunt which is in direct opposition and contrariety unto it According to the ground of Logick Contraries opposed one against the other maketh them appear more clearly in their true natures Vse 1 This may shew whence it is that men do swell in their pride and in their conceit of themselves thinking as Simon Magus did Acts 8.9 that they are something nay give it out to others that they are something when they are nothing this is the cause because they measure themselves by a false rule either they compare themselves with themselves or they compare themselves with others inferiour unto them saying I am not so bad as such a one they look to such that are baser then themselves never look to such that are better then themselves in grace and goodnesse unlesse it be to despise and to hate them but comparing themselves with such as are vile and debauched in themselves but they never have a due and serious consideration of their basenesse and vilenesse and nothingnesse in regard of the infinite Majesty of God which if they did it would pull down their peacocks feathers and make them not to be so haughty and proud would you have a rule how to order your selves here is a rule compare your selves with God your vilenesse and nothingnesse in regard of God and it will make your peacocks plumes to fall down Vse 2 If this be so that we are to compare our selves to God Oh then let us labour to get to our selves a dejected estimation of our selves for this is the lesson of Christ Learn of me for I am meek and lowly and therefore we must get into our selves an humble conceit of our selves and to this end we must often think upon and enter into a serious consideration of our own basenesse vilenesse and nothingnesse in comparison of God walk with God draw near unto God compare your basenesse and vilenesse to the glory of God and this we are to do especially when we come near unto God as when we either think or speak of God or when we hear his name mentioned or when we draw near to God in his holy Ordinances in hearing his Word in prayer in performing holy duties for when we come to the holy Ordinance of God we come into the Chamber of the presence of God and we draw near unto God and then consider what am I or who are we and what is the Lord who do we come before and hereupon we shall be kept from our pride in coming to the house of God and then we shall be kept from gaping and staring when we come to the house of God at this or that mans apparel or at this or that womans attire and never give attention to the Word of God this is for want of considering what we are and what God is Oh then learn we in the fear of God in drawing near unto God either in publike or in private to consider what a dreadful and great Majesty he is and to hear him with trembling and fear and then we shall find comfort as the Psalmist saith Psal 25.17 the Lord

teacheth the humble but he resisteth the proud James 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 he doth professe himself to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemy to those that are proud but he is a friend to the humble Oh then labour we to humble our selves before God if we mean to gain comfort from God But O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it VVhy hast thou made me thus IT is not here to be passed by that the Apostle here dealeth roundly against the Caviller and taketh him up sharply he saith not unto him Observ thou oughtest not thus to reason against God and to cavil with him or thou dost not well in so doing or be better advised he useth not these gentle speeches but he taketh him up roundly and saith O man what art thou thou lesse then a worm that takest upon thee to reply against God Note The Ministers ought to put on a holy boldness against all cavillers and carnal reasoners Thus may and thus ought the Preachers of the Gospel to deal with Cavillers and carnal Reasoners and such as quarrel against the holy truth of God the Ministers and Preachers of the Word ought to put upon them the Spirit of the Apostles even a holy boldnesse to stand out against the holy faces of all that contradict and quarrel against the holy truth of God which they have delivered They are to deal roundly with wrangling spirits not to adulate and flatter but to tell them their own so it be without any personal bitternesse they may say as the Apostle saith who art thou that pleadest against God and dost contradict the holy truth of God so as they be not bitter against their persons but not to stand upon this Again observe we in the next place what is the fault Observ that the carnall reasoner is reproved for by the Apostle surely it is this viz. Cavilling and pleading against God here is the fault in that he doth plead and reply against the Lord and it is as if the Apostle had said how darest thou question the Lord oh man To argue with him and to call the will of the Lord into question Darest thou be so impudent and so bold as to examine the will of the Lord by the rule of thy blinde and carnal reason Is not this a saucinesse and an impudent boldnesse in thee art thou not ashamed of it so that from this speech of the Apostle ariseth this conclusion viz. That it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question Doctrine 2 God to cavil against his will or to seek to bring the secret will of the Lord within the compasse of mans blind beggerly and carnal reason When men doe goe about to compasse Gods secret within the compasse of their own understanding and reason it is a great and a bold impudencie and presumption in them when men seek to compasse Gods counsel in their reason And to this purpose we finde that Job though he were a holy man one that had Gods letters testimonial for his pious integritie Yet having herein gone too far in the time of his great afflictions he having gone too farre in reprehending of him See how the Lord taketh him up in Job 39.35 Is this to learn to strive with the Almightie doest thou profess thy self to be my scholler and yet doest thou reprehend the Lord He that doth reprove the Lord let him answer it Then he crieth out Ecce peccavi behold I have offended what shall I say unto thee thou great Lord of Heaven and Earth I have been too bold to question thee And in Esay 6.2 We reade of the Seraphins That they cover their faces before the Throne of God in a vision which the Prophet saw They hide their faces as not daring once to peep or looke upon the holy and great Majestie of God The holy Saints the holy Angels the Cherubins and Seraphins dare not once look thorough their wings to looke upon the Majestie of God thereby to teach us modestie that we are not once to seek to prie into the secrets of God or to bring it within the compasse of our base weak and beggerly reason and understanding and if we so doe we are bold impudent and sawcie and the reasons are two 1. Because as Moses saith Deuter. 29 29. Secret things belong unto Reason 1 God secret things are Gods several and peculiar he hath hedged and kept them severally unto himself they are his inclosure and God hath kept them in so as we may not leap over the pale and thrust our selves into the searching of secrets by our blind and sordid reason Reason 2 2. Because there is no proportion between your own weak and shallow reason and Gods secret will and hidden counsel no our understanding and reason is not able to conceive the reason of many things that fall out in the course of this life as Solomon saith Eccles 8.17 Man knoweth not man cannot finde out the workes that are wrought under the Sunne No though he be a man of the best wit and understanding he cannot finde even the things that fall out in the course of this life as the same Preacher saith in Eccles 11.5 Oh man thou knowest not how the bones doe grow in the womb of a woman with childe thou art not able to conceive the reason of such an ordinarie thing as falleth out in the ordinary course of the procreation of man in the world how much lesse then can we comprehend the secret counsel of the Lord. No beloved the more we labour to finde out the secrets of God by the dint of our wit and the strength of our reason the more are we confounded in our selves and overwhelmed running over head and ears before we are aware yea we are wrapt up in such incumbrances as we cannot finde the way out yea into such a labyrint of doubts and difficulties that we are past recovery again and the deeper we think to goe in searching of them the further off are we from finding of them and therefore we may resolve it is great impudencie and wicked boldnesse for men to question and to cavil with the Lord and to seek to bring the hidden things of God within the compasse of their base will and reason both because secret things belong unto God and also in regard there is no comparison between Gods will and our reason Applic. This in the first place discovereth unto us that such persons are exceeding Vse 1 impudent and shamelesse yea most wickedly bold in that they dare busie themselves in questioning the things that appertain to Gods secret Counsel those things that God never revealed As they doe that question why the Lord made the world no sooner What God did before he made the world Why the Lord would not appoint all men to be saved Why the Lord suffered Adam to fal when he had power to keep him from sinning What

art a foole in so doing thou doest not inquire wisely concerning this But if we will be quick-sighted and searching let us be so in regard of our sinnes and the corruption of our hearts for who can understand his faults Psalme 19.12 The heart of Man is deceitfull who can know it Be curious in searching out thy sinnes and hidden corruptions and in searching out the subtle devices of the Devil here is a matter of just search and inquirie and by this thou shalt gain comfort but by diving into the secrets of God nothing but terrour and danger is to be found But oh man saith the Apostle Who art thou BEfore I leave this Verse it is needful to remove an imputation and slander laid upon us by the Church of Rome the Papists upon that which we have now delivered bend the face of this truth and seem to beat the edge of it against us in this manner An impudent cavil of the Papists answered If this be so that men are to be held and accounted impudent and shamelesse and wickedly bold that dare seek into Gods secrets is this your Doctrine that men are not to prie into those things that God hath not revealed then say they you your selves may be justly charged to be such impudent and shamelesse persons you cannot avoid the same it falleth flat upon your heads and doth convince you of wicked boldnesse Because say they you take upon you to know it and that infallibly that you are in the number of Gods chosen and of them that shall be saved not by conjecture or hope but to know it infallibly Now say they this is a bold presumption for you to prie into Gods secret closet and to step up into Heaven and to make your selves of the privie Councel of God to affirm and aver that you are in the number of Gods chosen for you have no Word nor special Revelation to that purpose as Paul had and some other holy servants of God and therefore the blessed Apostle Paul may say as he said in Romans 8.38 39. I am sure that neither Principalities nor Powers Angels nor things to come shall remove him from Christ But where is your special Revelation and special Word to this purpose that you shall certainly be saved and therefore say they you are wicked impudent shamelesse and bold in so doing Answer To this I answer Though the Word of God in Scripture doe not say unto thee in particular beleeve thou John or Thomas or any other particular name and thou shalt be saved in particular yet the Word of God puts down a general promise and the Word saith John 3.16 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God shall never perish but shall have everlasting life Who is so simple he knoweth not but that the general comprehendeth a special and especially where there is a word of Commandment joyned unto it to apply the promise particularly and where the Minister standeth in the place of Christ 2 Corinthians 5.20 As his Embassadour to assure as many as believe the promise and repent of their sins that they in particular shall be saved even thou whatsoever thy name is thou believing in Christ shalt certainly be saved Oh but say they the Minister may misse the mark and mistake and he may assure a man that he belongeth to God and shall certainly be saved when there is no such matter Answ It is true indeed if so be the Minister take upon him to speak absolutely that this particular man or woman shall be saved But if he speak upon the condition of faith and repentance he cannot mistake he may say to this or that particular man Thou John or Thomas believe thou in Christ and repent truly and unfeignedly of thy sins and thou shalt certainly be saved upon this ground he may assure him of salvation It s no boldnesse to search into that we are commanded so to do 2 Cor. 3.10 Therefore it is not any matter of boldnesse to search into it yea we are bound to search whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no nay we may and we ought to search into that matter whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no so as we do it by ordinary and direct means by diving and searching into our own hearts and there labouring to find the witnesse of the Spirit and the fruits of true saving faith answerable to the Spirit for by this means we may and we ought to search and try into it whether we be in the estate of faith and of salvation or no nay we have the warrant of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 prove your selves whether you are in the faith or no know you not your selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Therefore it is a mere imputation laid upon us by the enemies of the holy truths of God Come we now to the Apostles Amplification of it in the reproof of the Carnal Reasoner replying against God The Apostles Amplification Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus in which the Apostle sayeth open the absurdity and the grossenesse of the Carnal Reasoner in pleading against God and that by a Comparison and similitude and it is as if so be a peece of Wood or Iron wrought by some Artificer a Smith or Carpenter should say unto him thou art a bungler why hast thou made me of this fashion which were a Monster in Nature And hereby our Apostle implyeth that it is as absurd and grosse for men to quarrel with the Lord and to argue and reason the case with God that is the Creator and Maker why he made them to this or that end or in this or that manner Now this being the drift of the Apostle in this Amplification to shew the absurdity of it hence ariseth this Conclusion That it is a most unmeet thing and a thing odious and hateful monstrous Doctrine 3 and abominable for man the creature to quarrel with God the Creator and to find fault with him touching his will in making and framing and disposing of him this way or that way those persons are odious and hateful to God and monsters amongst men whosoever they be that so dare quarrel with God and reason the cause with him touching his will and decree And to clear and confirm this truth unto us we find in Esay 45.9 10. the Prophet denounceth a woe against such as contend with God their Maker Shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it why hast thou made me of this or that form thou hast no hands thou art a bungler to make me And woe to the child that saith unto his father why hast thou begotten me or to his mother why hast thou brought me forth and in Numb 14.3 we find that the people of Israel they quarrelled and found fault with God and broke out into high and vile terms with God standing out with him saying VVherefore

in particular Ministers in preaching of the Word must bring similitudes of things known to their hearers not of strange uncouth and far fetcht it may be of such things as never were in the world or at the least never know● to their hearers and first of all in regard of the comparison which is brought from a thing that is easie and ordinarie obvious things the potter and the pots before a mans eyes ordinarily And this we shall find hath been usual with the holy Messengers and Ministers of God in preaching and publishing the word they have brought examples and similitudes not rare and far fetched but things that are known to the people Thus did the Lord Jesus in Matth. 13. He compared the Kingdome of Heaven to many obvious things well knowne To seed sown in the ground to a grain of Mustardseed to a Leaven hid in three pecks of meal which every common huswife knowes And this therefore may bee reprofe to such Preachers that doe in preaching to a common populous Auditorie they fetch comparisons from things beyond the Moon from Celestial bodies and orbes Centrivals and Concentrivals I know not what and also from things beyond sea from Histories out of Plinie beasts aad creatures that vulgar people know not Vse and so they make the poore people who understand them not to gaze and and wonder at them and in stead of explaining they make things more hard and difficult Again We see man is compared to an earthen vessel and a pot of clay here we are put in mind of our framing and making and what we are in respect of our matter and substance and hence the observation is this That man is as an earthen vessel as a pot of clay Doctrine the best and the strongest man in the world in respect of his body is but a vessel of earth a compound of clay made of the dust of the earth this speaketh the Holy Ghost in Gen. 2.7 Man was made of the dust of the ground and in Gen. 3.19 The Lord saith unto man after his fall Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Thou art immortal in respect of thy first making but now thou art but dust Gen. 18.27 Abraham acknowledgeth himself to be but dust and ashes A man of excellent parts and endowments And in the 2 Cor. 5.1 The Apostle calleth our bodies Earthly houses tents and tabernacles made of earth and clay The Scripture is plain and plentiful in expressing this to be a Truth that man yea the strongest man is but an earthen vessel and a compound of clay and we may see this to be a truth in common experience the soul being removed from the body by death the body falleth flat upon the ground it rots putrifies and is soon dissolved to the Elements and materials of which it was made and lieth like a stinking carrion if not buried and turns to the earth of which it was Eccle. 12.7 Dust returneth to the earth as it was For the Application the consideration of this truth that our bodies are Vse 1 but clay serveth as a notable means to work in us humilitie and to frame in every one of us an humble conceit of our selves why should dust and clay be proud and lifted up in conceit of its own worthinesse in decking and garnishing the body What art thou A lump of earth a clod of clay and if this were truely considered it would abate the pride of these proud Peacocks that spend almost a whole day in tricking and trimming themselves nay in setting of a band they would then say what do I in tricking and trimming up a pot of clay an earthen vessel But grant this to be true that thou excellest others in beautie and in comely proportion yet remember thy making thy mettal whereof thou art made of the same earth with others and for all thy beautie and comely proportion a little cold a little sicknesse a fit of an ague or feaver will shake thee and make the shrink and goe shaking and quaking and as David saith Psalme 39.11 When God rebuketh and chasticeth man for his sinne his beautie consumeth and turneth to nothing the red cheeks beauty and comely propotion at one blast of sicknesse commeth to nothing And consider we are but potsheards and a potsheard is but a potsheard overlaid with silver clay is but clay gilded with gold and if thou hast these endowments of thy body above others it commeth not from thy bodie which is but clay but it is put upon thy body by the good hand of thy God and therefore be not proud of it but learn we to be humble and to walke humbly before the Lord of Heaven and Earth we are but earthen vessels before the Lord he may even quash us and beat us in pieces yea as the Psalmist saith in Psalme 2.9 The Lord hath a rod of Iron and we know the stroake of an Iron rod upon an earthen pot shattereth it all to pieces The Lord hath an Iron rod to smite the men of the world that goe on in their sinnes of riot and excesse especially now at this time of the yeare If they did but consider that the Lord hath an Iron rod and can breake them in pieces in the very middest of their mirth we see it sometimes in many merrie meetings the body is thrown on the ground and the breath taken from it for can the earthen pot indure the stroke of the Iron rod no it dasheth it all to pieces not so much as a sheard left to take fire out of the earth and can many a poore silly earthen vessel endure the stroke of the Iron rod of God therefore learne we to walke humbly before the sight of the great and glorious God remember thy making whereof thou art made Vse 2 This being so that man is an earthen vessel and a pot of Clay upon this ground all Gods Children are to know to their comfort that the Lord doth tender them as earthen vessels as weak frail and brittle vessels according to their weaknesse and tendernesse and according to their infirmities As we know the Potter he knoweth that his pot of earth cannot endure a hard knocke and stroake and therefore he handleth them very nicely and gently and according to the tendernesse of it so dealeth the gracious God of Heaven and Earth with his own Children he knowes whereof they are made he knowes they are but dust Psalme 103.13 14. He is a pittifull Father and hath compassion of his Children because he knoweth whereof they are made and that they are but dust and ashes as the Prophet Esay saith Esay 27.16 of the Lord I will not be alwayes angry with my People for then the Spirit would fail before me I will not alwayes strive and contend with them lest they should be destroyed so that this may be a comfort to Gods Children that the Lord esteemeth of them as they are dust and ashes and so pittieth them Hath not the

tumbleth down into them Hence it is that the Lord Jesus in Acts 9.15 speaking of Saul afterwards called Paul saith unto Ananias that his purpose was to send him unto the Gentiles and he calleth him a chosen vessel a vessel fit to receive grace and to bear the Name of Christ to all Nations And of the reprobate Heathen the Apostle saith in Romans 1.29 God gave them up to a reprobate sence to receive the fulnesse of all uncleannesse when the Lord did poure out the tokens of his wrath they were full of all uncleannesse And also the Apostle speaketh of the reprobate Jewes in 1 Thess 2.15 16. That they killed the Lord Jesus and their owne Prophets persecuted us and they are contrarie to all men and they forbid us to preach to the Gentiles and they fill up the measure of their sins because the wrath of God is come upon them unto the uttermost Vse Vessels of mercie how known This being so that Gods Elect are Vessels fit to receive mercy and the reprobate vessels to reeeive all manner of filthinesse and uncleannesse then learn we to trie our selves whether we be the vessels of mercie or no I conceive well of you and every one conceiveth well of himself then trie whether we be in the number of Gods vessels of mercie or no looke to thy own heart and soul If thou finde the Heavenly liquour the Heavenly moysture of Faith Repentance Love to God love to his Children a care to please God a desire to feare God Humilitie Patience and all other adorning Graces here then is comfort but if thou find thou art an ignorant person ignorant of the wayes of God hard hearted thou art full of Pride Hypocrisie self love a desire of earthly things thou art a vessel of wrath and fitted to destruction and if thou goe on and remain unreclaimed though I will not determine of thy final estate if thou so live and die thou art appointed unto everlasting destruction trie then thy selfe which of these thou art deal truely with thy selfe and by that which floweth from thee thou maiest know it as a bottle of sweet water sendeth forth a sweet savour so if thou have this heavenly moisture of grace and of sanctification in thee it sendeth forth holy and gracious words thou canst speak comfort to those that are sick it sendeth forth sweet Actions of love to God mercie and justice to men thou art readie to every good work Now then to conclude If we have these sweet graces in our hearts it shall spring up to everlasting life as in John 4.14 It will ever be ejaculating and casting up and springing unto life and as a stream of water will rise as high as the fountains so will grace now the head of this fountain where is it in Heaven thither will thy grace climbe and thou shalt certainly bee saved but if otherwise woe bee unto thee thou art in a miserable estate What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known indured with long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction COme we now to the proposition What if God willing to suffer the wicked for a long time to escape his punishing hand and thus forbearing towards men what if the Lord be thus patient when he might strike them suddenly down and send them unto Hell Now then this propoposition laid down thus before us by way of interrogation What if the Lord would thus spare them doth note unto us this position or conclusion viz. That God is very patient toward sinners yea even towards the Reprobates Doct. 2 God is not onely patient in forbearing as we have it in 1 Pet. 3.9 But he also beareth with wicked and ungodly persons though they goe on adding sinne unto sinne provoking him to wrath and to their destruction daily when he might suddenly send them to the pit of Hell And for proofe of this we have not onely evidence here but in Psalme 50. The Psalmist bringeth in God speaking to the wicked and ungodly and expressing their wicked and lewd behaviour from the 16. verse to the 21. verse in this manner that they hate to be reformed cast the Word of God behind them run with the adulterer and the theefe sit with the slanderer and joyn hands with all manner of wicked persons and no sinne came amisse unto them And then he subjoyneth these things hast thou done and I held my peace forbearing to punish thee and was patient towards thee while thou rannest on in all manner of sinnes thus patient and thus forbearing was the Lord toward Cain that wicked reprobate who as the Text saith in 1 John 3.1 Was of that evil one the Devil that slew his brother yet he having done this vile act and villanie in shedding of innocent bloud the Lord was patient with him and suffered him still to live the Lord suffered him to grow rich and wealthie to beget children and to be the father of a great Nation thus patient was the Lord with him and thus patient was the Lord with Saul to Judas to Herod though they were branded and marked for Reprobates the Lord suffered them to live a long time and as we have it in Acts 14.16 saith the Lord he suffered the Gentiles to walke in their own wayes and that for many thousand yeares together and yet the Lord was patient with them in their grosse idolatrie and did suffer them many thousand yeares to continue in their sinnes and in Acts 13.18 Paul saith that the Lord suffered the evil manners of the people of Israel fourtie yeares in the Wildernesse together And beloved the Lord doth not onely forbear to punish wicked and ungodly persons and reprobates whilest they are sinning against him and provoking him but so abundant in mercie and goodnesse is the Lord that he suffereth them to enjoy many outward good things as we see in Esau the Lord permitted him to enjoy many outward good things yea he was the father of many sonnes of many Dukes many great and mightie men in the world yea wicked Ahab who sold himselfe to work wickednesse in the fight of the Lord 1 Kings 21. Of whom the Text saith in 1 Kings 16.30 He did worse then all that were before him and in the 33. verse it is said he provoked the Lord God of Israel more to anger then all the Kings of the people that had been before him he sold himself to work wickednesse yet the Lord suffered him to enjoy a flourishing Kingdome for a long time in the 29. verse He was the King of Israel two and twentie yeares together yea come but to our own experience and we may see it many wicked vile abominable sinners are advanced to high dignitie and worldly promotion and the Lord powred upon them an overflowing cup of worldly glorie and they have good successe in everie thing they put their hands unto and they enjoy an overflowing cup though they be gracelesse and wicked persons

Gentiles into the estate of grace and salvation and that by the Testimony of the Prophet Hoseah by his predictions and foretellings of their calling many years before and because the calling of the Gentiles was a thing harsh and hard to the Jewes they could not endure to hear of it what dogs base people called as you may see in Act. 11.28 The text saith that they of the Circumcision the Jewes wrangled with the Apostle and were angry because he went to the Gentiles to Dogs therefore the Apostle taketh the more pains and confirmeth it by a double Testimony of the Prophet though with some alteration of the words The Apostle setting that in the last place which is in the first place The first Testimony is out of Hosea 2.23 and the second Testimony out of Hosea 1.10 and he doth alter the words of the Prophet both for brevity sake and the better to fit his purpose and yet the Apostle keepeth the sence of the Prophet entire and whole without any alteration or change And the general matter of the Apostle citing these two Testimonies in this he proveth that that which he had said was nothing else but that which God himself had spoken by his Prophet Hosea should come to passe recorded in holy Writ as he saith also I have shewed you God calleth some among the Gentiles and what is that a new invention no such matter He also saith it in Hosea Now in these words in this 25. and 26. verses we may observe two general things First of all a bringing in of the Lord speaking a speech being recorded by the holy Prophet and cited by the Apostle Secondly the words that the Lord uttered I will call them my people which were not my people c. And in these words thus uttered we may obseve a double description of the Gentiles for of them the Apostle and Prophet speaketh first a describing of them by their estate before their conversion they were then not beloved not pitied and secondly a description of their estate after their calling then they were the people of God the beloved his Children a great alteration from no people to be a people from not beloved to be beloved from no children to be children and this their estate is amplified by three things First by the free mercy of God toward them in their calling Secondly by the place where it is said they are not my people Thirdly their excellent dignity being called they shall be styled the children of the living God which epithet and title is given to distinguish him from the Heathen gods who were dead and dumb Idols Now come we to the Exposition As he saith also You may easily conceive the person here meant to be God As God saith also the word also is not a word that is idly and superfluously put down but a word of special force and great emphasis as if the Apostle had said That which I say of the Gentiles it is no fained thing but it is the same thing that the Prophet hath spoken and that the Lord himself delivered to his Prophet I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These are the words of the Prophet here cited by the Apostle and here is a difficulty to be unfolded for he maketh here his application to the Gentiles But if you look in Hosea 1.10 the 2.23 you shall find them spoken directly to the Jewes for their comfort after their dispersing and scattering abroad they should be called again so the context doth plainly expresse to the Comfort of the Jewes how then can the Apostle apply these words to the calling of the Gentiles for the clearing of this doubt we must consider that the Apostle Paul had the infallible assistance and guidance of the Spirit of God he did what he did by the guiding of the Spirit so that he could not erre either in his allegation or application of Scripture And again though this be directed to the Jewes that were now scattered abroad for their sins and telleth them to their comfort that the time shall come when they shall be gathered together again and that the Lord would restore the Elect among the Jewes meaning spiritually by the preaching voyce and call of the Gospel in the Kingdome of the Messiah though this be directed to the Jewes yet under these termes are also the Gentiles signified and understood and indeed the Gentiles were properly not the people of God it was never properly spoken to the Jewes but to the Gentiles they were not the people of God properly so that these words are properly spoken to the Gentiles and accidentally to the Jewes by reason of their impiety and Idolatry And we shall find it a marvellous usual thing that when the Prophets do speak of the defection of the Jews and their dejection and falling from God then they make a transition a passage from that to the Kingdome of the Messiah And they promise that under the coming of the Messiah a greater number of the people should be aggregated and joyned to the Jewes and so concopulated and made one body Ephes 2.16 Now you are made one body through Jesus Christ God hath made one body both of the Jewes and Gentiles Come we now to the Explication and I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved I will onely descant upon these words and the meaning is thus Those that were strangers from the Covenant of grace those that were in their natural estate and condition and are none of my people that have not me for a God and Father to them even those that were aliens from the Common wealth of Israel these will I call effectually and through the preaching of the Word and Gospel bring them to the state of faith and grace in Jesus Christ and within the compasse of my special love and favour and mercy and I will make them to be within the number of my peculiar people and I will be a living and gracious Father unto them A paralel place unto this we have in 1 Pet. 2.10 where the Apostle speaketh thus which in times past had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy which is an expressing of what is meant by being called the people of God And in the place where it is said that they were not my people By place is meant the Countries the Nations the Kingdomes of the Gentiles which were without the pale of Jewry the Precincts and limits of Canaan now saith the Lord them will I call also my children even those that are without in those places will I cause men to know me to worship me and to fear me as in Mal. 1. and they shall be called and styled by that worthy title the Children of God the living God who is the Authour and giver of all life I will not stand to draw them into a narrower compasse for you may

easily conceive them Come we now to matter of Instruction and first of all from these words in the 25. verse As he saith also that is as God saith also from hence note we first Doctrine That God spake by his Prophets and Apostles The holy Prophets of God and the holy Apostles they were but Gods mouth to deliver his mind and message to his people they were not the inventers of it but onely the Writers Pen-men and Revealers of it The text is clear to this purpose 2 Pet. 1.20 21. The Apostle saith that no interpretation of Scripture is of any private invention of man but prophecie in old time it came not by the will of man but by the Holy Ghost they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and in Gal. 1.11 Brethren the Gospel that I preach it was not after the manner of men neither received I it from men but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven The Prophets and Apostles in the execution of their Ministry it was no invention of man but it was the holy mind and holy will of God which it pleaseth him to open unto him that they might dispense it to his people Vse And therefore the words of the Prophets and Apostles are so to be received as the mind and will of God and to apply this to another purpose the words of the holy Prophets and Apostles they are to be spoken of and to be reverently handled by those that take upon them to handle the words of God as the word of God not as mans word they are to be handled as the Apostle saith in 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the word of God if any man in the publick Ministry speak the Word of God let him see that he speak not onely the word of God but as the word of God which indeed are holy and pure and powerful and are so to be spoken and so to be uttered by those that do take upon them to dispense it to Gods people it is not sufficient for them to utter the bare words but to utter them with power and authority and as the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 2.4 they are to be delivered in the demonstration and evidence of the Spirit of God yea they are so to be handled with such evidence of the Spirit and power that men may discern the power and Majestie of it 1 Cor. 4.25 and may say without question God is in that Preacher now the everliving God speaketh And do they thus that do handle the words of the holy Prophets and Apostle loosly carelesly and after a carnal manner in the inticing words of mans wisdome in frothy idle and ink-horn tearmes such as are humane eloquence or those that mingle the holy word of God and the holy Prophets with their own inventions and their own devices with the sayings of such a Poet such a Philosopher do these deliver it purely Jer. 23.28 He that hath my words let him speak my words faithfully what do those then that come into the Pulpit and do speak idly and foolishly and do take the name of God in vain do these speak it in the demonstration of the Spirit No a Preacher that speaketh unto the people must consider now am I to speak not onely Gods Word but Gods Word after a holy manner and if God were here would God speak thus vainly thus idly and frivolously and feed the people with chaffe instead of Wheat they must remember they are in the place of God yea whosoever they be that doe draw such Conclusions from the Word of God that are not there found though they be sound and Orthodoxal if they are not agreeable to the will of God in that place they are not Gods word but the words of man howsoever they may say men will not hear the word of God yet they are not the words of God though sound and good if they be not natural from the place and so by this means the Word of God doth work just nothing upon the hearers therefore it is no easie matter to handle the words of the Prophets and Apostles as they ought to be handled it requireth great study great prayer great meditation even watching and striving studying and praying to deliver that which is agreeable to the Word it is an easie matter to hear the Word formally but the hardest thing in the world to preach it soundly Now observe we further from this preface As he saith also that is that which I deliver touching the calling of the Gentiles it is no strange thing newly invented but it is the very same that God himself delivereth and forespeaketh long since and now it is fulfilled and accomplished the Gentiles are called and that is no new thing neither ought you to stumble at it because it is the voyce of God hence note we Doctrine That the coming to passe of things foretold by the Word of God though they be hard and harsh to flesh and blood we are to be so far from stumbling at them that they ought to strengthen our faith the more touching the truth of the word of God the event coming to passe of things though they be very grievous to carnal Reason yet they ought to strengthen our faith and make us more certainly to believe the Word of God Joh. 16.1 These things have I told you that you be not offended what are those things they are very harsh viz. the time shall come when they shall excommunicate you and cast you out and he that killeth you shall think he doth God good service These things have I told you that when you see these predictions come to passe you may be strengthened Remembring I told you Vse Many there be that are much troubled and much offended and exceedingly puzzeled because they see many errours and heresies in the world that they cannot tell what religion to cleave too they consider not that this was foretold by the holy Apostle 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies even among you in the Church of God Anabaptistical opinions and others that they that belong unto God may be tryed so also many there are that stand amazed to see some that have made a great profession of the Gospel eminent persons to fall away and imbrace the world but the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4.1 that in the latter dayes there should be a departing from the faith and giving heed to the spirit of errours and doctrines of Devils that men shall be mockers and scoffers and hence it is that the Apostle bringeth in the Atheist in 2 Pet. 3.3 saying Where is the day of his coming and that men should be mockers disobedient such as make a shew of godlinesse but deny the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 5. Now when we see these things we should subscribe unto the truth of God in our hearts and be confirmed in it Matth. 24.6 saith Christ When you hear of Warres and Combustions and Rumours

Act. 13.3 6. Advantage of Afflictions Hos 5.15 Mr. Hookers Faithful Covenanter on Deut. 25 24 25. Hudsons Essence and unity of the Church-Catholick Vindication of it in answer to Mr. Hooker M. Cotton and others History of the Anabaptists of Germany Mr. Jenkins Self-seeking discovered on Philip. 20 21. Reformations Remora on Hag. 1.1 2. Sleeping-sicknesse on Isa 29.10 Busie Bishop both in answer to John Goodwin The blinde Guide both in answer to John Goodwin M. Ley's Fury of Warre on Jer. 4.21 22. Monitor of Mortality first part on Jam. 4.14 Second part on Gen. 44.3 Answer to M. Saltmarsh's Query about the Presbyterial Government Light for Smoak a Reply to M. Saltmarsh An After-reckoning with M. Saltmarsh M. Mockets Churches Troubles Several Sermons on Gen. 22.14 Covenanters Looking-glasse on Deuter. 29.9 Gospel-Duty and Dignity on Matth. 13.46 and his Catechisme M. Mewes spoiling of Jacob and Israel on Isa 42.24 25. Moulins Buckler of Faith against Popery 4 o. M. Newcomens craft and cruelty of the Churches adversaries Neh. 4.11 Jerusalems Watchmen Isa 62.6 7. Use of disasters Josh 7.10 11. Against Toleration Phil. 1.27 All-seeing eye of God on Heb. 4.13 Popes deadly wound tending to resolve all men in the chief and principal Points now in controversie between the Papists and us by J. Burges of Sutton-coldfield in Warwick shire Dr. Potter of the Number 666. Parkers Altar Dispute Bewailing of the Peace of Germany and Prague M. Profits Englands Impenitency on Isaiah 9.14 M. Reyners Babylons Earthquake on Haggai 2.6 7. Randal on the 8th of the Romans with other Sermons Rutherford of Church-Goverment and excomunication M. Salwaies halting stigmatized 1 Kings 18.21 Dr. Stantons Rupes Israelis Deut 32 31. Phinehas Zeal Psal 106.30 Dr. Smith Psal 107.6 Stalham against the Anabaptists against General Redemption his Catechism Dr. Sclater on Malachy on the 4th to the Romans Mr. Thorowgood Moderation justified Phil. 4.5 M. Vdall's Good of Peace and Ill of Warre Psal 29.11 Udal on the Lamentations of Jeremiah Vindication of the Presbyterial Government and Ministery by the London Ministers Mr. Wards God judging among the gods Psalm 82.1 Good will of him that dwelt in the bush Mr. Woodcocks Christs warning Rev. 16.15 Lex Talionis 1 Sam. 2.30 Joseph paralleled Gen. 49.23 24. Mr. Whittaker Christ the Settlement on Haggai 2.7 D. Wilkinsons Babylons ruine on Zech. 1.18 19 20 21. Gainful Cost 1 Chron. 21.24 Miranda stupenda Num. 23.23 Whatelys New Birth Woodward on the Covenant 8º Large M. Abbot against Brownists wherein is justified against them that the Church of England 1. Is a true Church 2. Hath a true Ministery 3. Hath a true worship Bruens holy Life and happy Death Cholmlys Vindication of Bishop Hall against Burton Herodians History Gr. Lat. with Paraeus Notes Mastersons Arithmetick Wingates Arithmetick Logarithmes Mr. Hierons Manuel of Meditations on most of the Heads of Divinity 8º and 12 o. M. Robert Abbots 5. Sermons Angiers Help to better Hearts for better Times removing hinderances in the instant worshipping of God Belks Scripture Enquiry or Helps for memory in Duties of Piety Bakers Arithmetick Bifields Principles Bayns Christian Letters Directions for a Godly life Browns Catechisme Catelyns Catechisme Cottons None but Christ Dents Pastime for Parents Gregorius Magnus de cura Pastorali Dr. James Index Generalis viz. Sanctorum patrum Lawson for the Sabbath Jemmats settled Heart in unsetled Times Moulins Christian Combat Moors Relation of Enoch ap Evan. Rogers Catechisme Saltmarshes Practise of Christian Pollicy Major Gen. Skippons Treatise of the Promises of Vowes of Obedience to God Observations Advises and Resolutions Sweet Posie for Gods Saints Spira's Life and death Teppings Eternity and the fathers Counsel to his son Elegies on the Lord Veere by sundry Scholars Votiers Catechisme Ward de Magnete Welwood of the Sea-Laws Willis Meditations serving for a dayly practice of the life of Faith Yarrows Comforts for a troubled Conscience School Books Pueriles Confabulatiunculae translated by Brinsley Dux Grammaticus Farnabies Phrases on Martials Epigrams on Senecacs Tragedies on Juvenal and Persius on Ovids Metamorphosis Select Epigrams Gr. Lat. Index Poeticus Latine Syntaxis Greek Table Geers Rhetorick Scickards Hebrew Grammer Stockwoods Disputations Vicars Manuductio ad artem Rhetoricam Four necessary Cases of Conscience of daily use resolved by Mr. Thomas Shepheard of New England viz. First how a man may be rid of an Earthly Carnal heart sold to the contentment of the Creature Secondly of a proud heart which is unwilling to seek after to wait upon or to stoop unto the commands of God Thirdy of a self-seeking heart that eyes it self especially in the best of Duties Fourthly of a slighty heart under Gods hand in mercies and judgements The state of the Saints departed Gods Cordial to comfort the Saints remaining alive in a Sermon Preached at the Funeral of Mrs. Smithee Harlakenden late wife of William Harlakenden Esq by R. Josselin The Angel of the Church of Ephesus no Bishop of Ephesus distinguished in order from and superior in power to a Presbyter as it was lately delivered in a Collation before the Reverend Assembly of Divines by Constant Jessop Minister of the word Twenty nine Lectures of the Church very necessary for the Consolation and support of Gods Church especially in these times wherein is handled First in general concerning First the Name Secondly the Titles Thirdly the Nature Fourthly the Division of the Church Secondly of the visible Church First the Definition Secondly the Causes Thirdly the Members Fourthly the Marks and Notes Fiftly the Government Sixthly the Priviledges Seventhly the adversaries Eightly the Authority And Lastly the Application of it to all Churches in the world so far as they are known to us by John Randal B. D. late Pastor of Andrews Hubbart in little East cheap London Paralipomena Orthographiae Etymologiae Prosodiae una cum Scholiis ad Canones de genere substantivorum de Anomalis praeterito supinis verborum Syntaxi Carminum ratione figuris ex optimis authoribus Grammaticorum Coryphaeis Collecta asserta in 4. Libros distributa studiis industrià Joannis Danesii Gods holy mind touching matters Moral which himself uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments also Christs Holy Minde touching Prayer delivered in that most holy prayer which himself taught unto his Disciples discovered by the light of his own holy Writ and delivered by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr. Edward Elton B. D. and Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Barmonsey near London Also An explanation of the whole seventh eight and ninth Chapters of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans The Christian conflict a Treatise shewing the Difficulties and Duties of this Conflict with the Armor and special graces to be exercised by Christian Souldiers particularly applyed to Magistrates Ministers Husbands Wives Parents Children Masters Servants by Joseph Bentham A Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdom An Attestation to the

to the ground and not be accomplished to whom it belongeth it is impossible but that they should be accomplished and made good unto those that have title to them whatsoever standeth in opposition against them or gainsayeth them For the further confirmation of this point read Matth. 5.18 the Lord Jesus speaking of the Law of God and thereby meaning the whole Word of God he maketh it more firm and stable then the whole frame of heaven and earth heaven and earth shall passe away they shall perish but not one jot or tittle of the Law shall escape unfulfilled every tittle of the Word of God whether promise mercy threatning or Judgment and especially the Promises it shall not escape unfulfilled and in 2 Sam. 2.28 we read the Lord having promised to David to build him a house David doth assuredly rest upon the accomplishment of it and he groundeth his assurance thus For why thou are God and thou canst not change thou art most true and Rom. 3.3 4. The Apostle speaketh thus of the Jewes Though some of the Jewes do not believe shall their unbelief make the Word and Promise of God of none effect God forbid Let God be true and every man a lyar God is certainly true and in Josh 23.15 saith Joshua Now all things are come unto you which the Lord your God hath promised so in Act. 13.32 33. Paul saith to the Jewes the promise made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled unto us their children evidence of Scripture might be plentifully brought for the clearing of this truth That all the Promises of God touching good things of this life or that to come they cannot possibly be frustrate but shall come to passe in Gods appointed time The Reasons and grounds of it are these two Reason 1 First from the Nature of God because God himself is unchangeable and therefore this word is proportionable and answerable to himself yea God is truth it self al-sufficient and able to make good his word and to fulfill his promise and to make it good in despight of all oppositions whatsoever whether it be men or devils he is the truth it self the God of truth and he is also infinite in power Reason 2 Secondly because all the promises of God they are made unto his in Christ he is the ground and foundation of all the sweet and comfortable promises unto his in him they are made good unto his children as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.20 In Christ Jesus all the promises are yea and in him amen they are ratified and confirmed in him now Christ Jesus is a most sure and firm foundation all the devils in hell cannot shake this foundation and therefore doubtlesse upon this ground we may resolve that all the promises of God concerning this life and the life to come they are firm and stable and shall certainly in Gods appointed time be fulfilled Object I but say some God promiseth many excellent temporal blessings unto his children we read in the Book of God of abundance of promises that God doth promise unto his children in this life which many of his children never come to see Answ It is true indeed but yet withal know thus much that even these temporal things are fulfilled as they are propounded they are propounded conditionally with the condition of obedience and with the exception of a Crosse if his children do fear and obey him or if otherwise the Lord see it good to exercise them with some crosse or some affliction and therefore if that many of the children of God do not enjoy the Promises it is because the Lord is pleased to chastise them for their sinnes and he is pleased so to do for their good because the Lord seeth it better and fitter for them to be exercised with afflictions and yet the promises of God are fulfilled according to the tenour that it is made unto them so they are fulfilled with condition of obedience and exception of the Crosse Psal 34.10 Gods Children shall want nothing that God hath promised that he seeth to be good concerning their temporall estate or the good estate in the life to come thou shalt want nothing now for the Application of it First of all this truth that you have here delivered That the Promises Vse 1 of God shall certainly be accomplished whatsoever seemeth contradictory unto them this discovereth unto us what a foul sin it is to be discouraged and daunted to be dejected and cast down and to walk uncomfortably heavily sadly and unchearfully either because they be under some great affliction already or because some great tryal is like to come upon them and hereupon they begin to be sad whence cometh this unchearfulnesse in a Child of God that he walketh thus sadly surely from the bitter root of unbelief because Gods Children consider not as they ought to do the truth and the stability of the comfortable promises of God they trusted not God barely on his Promises where God hath promised I will be with thee when thou walkest through the water and passest through the fire Esay 43.2 in the time of their greatest distresse God will be with them they do not believe and trust this promise of God that he will deliver them in all danger to uphold them and assist them he hath made this promise and this they believe not but withdraw their trust and affiance from this promise of God and so they greatly dishonour God for he that resteth upon the bare promise of God and stable word of God when he hath nothing else to rest upon he doth assuredly honour God wonderfully if we rest upon God when we see all things opposite to us then to rest upon the stable promise of God hereby we shew our zeal unto God but he that withdraweth his heart back from trusting on God dishonoureth God and robbeth him of his truth and maketh God no better then a lyar for if we trust not God when means seem to be with us much lesse will we trust him when all things seem to be contrary unto us therefore we ought carefully to avoyd this sinne This truth in the second place That all Gods Promises are certain Vse 2 this truth duly considered and thought upon may afford matter of strong comfort and great consolation to as many of us that find our selves to be such that have right and title to the gratious Promises of God but if we find our selves to be none of those here is no comfort belonging unto us wicked and ungodly persons that go on in a course of evil howsoever the Doctrine is most sweet and comfortable thou that art an ignorant and a gracelesse person if so be thou findest not thy self qualified aright thou hast no right nor title to the gracious Promises of God but if thou findest thy self to be called to faith and holinesse seconded with a holy and godly life and conversation thou findest thy self now believing in Christ thou art not a debauched wretch or