that the second death Rev. 2.11 or condemnation inflicted by Christ at the last day is none other then the penalty of the breach of the second Covenant This is the condemnation of the world saith S. John Chap. 3.19 That light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil Which later reason receiveth confirmation from hence That Christ by a most lively embleme in the Parable of the Talents hath declared unto us That God at that day will require no more of any man but according to the Talents of Grace delivered unto them by himself the Mediatour of the new Covenant and will then condemn none but for not well using what they had so received of him whereupon it doth necessarily follow That all men being under the new Covenant whatsoever Grace necessary to Salvation is therein by God promised unto any he being faithfull that hath promised and the Covenant confirmed unto all mankinde by the bloud of Jesus Christ the same must needs be acknowledged to be granted unto all And then forasmuch as we see that all men have not the Law and Fear of God written in them otherwise then was shewed before concerning the Gentiles Rom. 2.14 15. nor their stony hearts taken out of their flesh c. we must not therefore imagine that God hath covenanted absolutely to do these things for any men But there are two things in this Text which thorow want of due consideration mis-lead many men from the right understanding thereof First Because it is said That this Covenant which God promiseth to make with the Iews in the last daies should not be like unto the Covenant that he made with their fathers when he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt the which Covenant they brake c. From whence it is conceived That as the first Covenant could not by any be kept so the later cannot by any that are comprehended therein be broken For the clearing of this mistake I desire that it may be observed That if by these two Covenants here spoken of we must understand the Law and the Gospel Works and Grace which is much questioned by some who conceive them to be particular Covenants proper and peculiar to the Iews only and so nothing at all to the point in hand that they were neither of them unmade untill the time that God brought the Israelites out of the Land of Aegypt And therefore much lesse until the daies of the Prophet Jeremy as this Text seemeth to import That the first Covenant was given unto our first parents in Paradise appeareth from hence That the curse thereof entered into the world by Adam and raigned over all men before the Law was given at mount Sinai Rom. 5.14 For where the curse of the Law is inflicted there the breach of the Law must needs be imputed And seeing as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 5.13 that sin is not imputed where there is no Law given therefore the Law must needs be acknowledged to be given unto Adam and in him to all man-kinde before the punishment thereof death thorow his disobedience did enter into the world and raign therein And like as the Law was given unto Adam before he incurred the punishment thereof So the Gospel or second Covenant must needs be granted immediately to succeed upon his transgression of the first because that otherwise the curse of the Law should forthwith according as it was threatned Gen. 2.17 have seized upon him to have destroied him and in him all man-kinde then in his loins sinning in him the truth whereof is confirmed unto us from hence 1. That the end of Gods patience and forbearance towards sinners is none other then their Repentance and Salvation Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou saith the Apostle speaking to the Gentiles the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to Repentance Again 2 Pet. 3.9 Peter telleth those that scoffed at Gods forbearance towards them in their wickednesse contrary as they supposed to his threats denounced against them That God was not slack concerning his Promise as they counted slacknesse but long-suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance And Paul in Act. 17.26 27. plainly informeth us That the end why God made of one bloud that is to say of Adam all Nations of men to dwell upon the face of the earth was That they should seek the Lord Now forasmuch as seeking of the Lord Repentance and the obtaining of Salvation doth necessarily presuppose the granting and exhibiting of the new Covenant these ends being otherwise impossible to be attained it must needs follow That as God is declared to spare and forbear Adam and all men to the end they might repent c. that in reference to these ends he vouchsafed unto them the Covenant of his Grace whereby they might be enabled to attain thereunto 2. Besides If that God should have spared our first parents and granted unto them the procreation of seed and not in order to the Grace of the new Covenant Redemption from death the curse of the Law and Salvation in the world to come thorow Repentance then there should have been no proportion betwixt the sinne of man-kinde in Adam and the punishment thereof because sinning but in potentia they should be punished in actu which inequality of proceeding is by God in Ezek. 18. disclaimed so that if he had not prepared for man-kinde another life after death and vouchsafed means to make them happy therein they should never personally have suffered death but such as was their sin such should have been their punishment 3. Moreover If that the Covenant of Grace had not been from the beginning then Salvation should not have been from the beginning seeing that it is of Grace only and not of works Ephes 2.8 Whereas therefore the Scriptures enformeth us That remission of sins acceptation with God and consequently Salvation was preached unto Cain Gen. 4.6 7. And that Abel the third man on earth obtained the same Heb. 11.4 it must needs be granted That the Covenant of Grace was vouchsafed unto men from the beginning even from the very time that they stood in any need thereof These two Covenants of Works and Grace then being made and given so long before the time implied by the Prophet Jeremy his words cannot possibly be understood to import the time wherein either the first was or the later should be made with man-kinde but the time wherein the first was and the later should be more clearly made known and demonstrated both unto the Iews and unto others then at any time from the beginning of the world they had been In which respect it is that Christ speaking unto his Disciples saith Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you That many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see these things which
otherwise been according to the saying of Christ though here they had gained the Dominion of the whole World good for them that they had never been born Mat. 16.26 In which regard there cannot possibly be any thing of greater concernment unto men than to be informed what it is that God requireth of them in this World to the aforesaid end and how they may be inabled to the doing thereof because that what a man knoweth not or knoweth not how to performe he can in no wise dispose or apply himselfe to the performance thereof And yet there is not any thing wherein most men are more wanting than in this so necessary knowledge to the great disquietnesse and perplexity of their mindes all their dayes apprehending themselves in the greatest danger and not understanding how or by what meanes they may avoid the same which misery as may justly be supposed happeneth unto them chiefly by reason of their dependance for information in the things of this nature upon those persons only who unduely arrogate unto themselves to be the infallible teachers of the ignorant and dispensers of the Oracles of God appointed and sent into the World for all men to aske counsel of in their Spirituall affaires Whose principals are such as these First That by Adams transgression all men were brought under the guilt of Temporall Spirituall and Eternall death The first consisting in the miseries of this life and the dissolution of mans nature in the end thereof The second in the depravation of the inward man whereby al men are disabled from descerning spirituall things or choosing the things that are good or doing any thing pleasing or acceptable unto God The third in the destruction and perdition of the whole man body and Soul in hell fire for ever and ever Secondly That of man-kinde thus considered God in his eternall counsell was pleased to choose and elect for his sons and daughters onely some few persons in comparison of the whole whom also he decreed to deliver from the fore-said guilt to call them to the knowledge of himselfe to worke in them faith by the effectuall operation of his Spirit and in the end to give them salvation But decreed to leave all the rest of man-kinde in that estate wherein they were fallen and that although by the doctrine of the Gospel he decreed outwardly to cal them to repent believe c. yet to the intent that they might not escape the damnnation of hel whereunto they were design'd by reason of Adams transgression by answering his call giving obedience thereunto he further decreed not onely to deny them the benefit of such meanes which he knew to be necessary to enable them to repent believe c. but he also decreed to blinde their eyes harden their hearts and to make their ears dul of hearing least at any time they should see with their eyes hear with their eares and understand with their hearts come unto him and be healed or be converted and have their sins forgiven them By which opinions pressed received as fundamental points in Divinity men are generally brought to believe that as the damnation of some persons is altogether impossible God having decreed so as of necessity to worke in them faith c. and to bring them to eternall life so on the contray That the salvation of the greatest part of men is as impossible to be obtained God having denyed unto them all necessary meanes for that purpose The evill of which belief so necessarily diverting and disabling all men from the prosecution and obtaining of these ends that God proposeth unto them to wit an exemption from everlasting death and from the enjoyment of eternall life discovereth unto us the errour and false-hood of these doctrines before recited whereby these opinions are begotten and fostred in them in regard that it may not be conceived that God who is truth it self should require all men to believe his love and favour towards them manifestly implyed in his frequent fervent and pathetical exhortations unto them in the Scriptures to hearken unto wisedome to choose his feare to choose life to worke out their own salvation with feare and trembling c. When as in his eternall counsell for Adams offence he hath utterly excluded them from his love and irrecoverably sealed them to everlasting destruction And also although it be a most certaine truth that God before the World did elect and choose some men unto salvation appoint others to be punished yet this may justly leade us to conceive that neither the one sort were elected nor the other rejected upon the grounds that these men pretend or upon any other than those grounds whereupon God in the Scriptures promiseth unto men adoption and salvation and denounceth unto them death and reprobation or those where-upon Christ at the last day will graciously reward some men with eternall happinesse and punish others with everlasting paines except we will set the secret and revealed minde of God at an irreconcilable variance or fancy two mindes in God opposite each unto the other one whereby he hateth and abhorreth in time those persons whom he loved and elected before time and the other whereby he loveth in time those persons whom he hated and abhorred before time which may not be imagined And therefore originally or as men were considered under the fall of Adam we are to conceive that God maketh no difference or distinction betwixt them but of his great and abundant grace in Christ Jesus maketh and openeth unto them all a doore of salvation excluding none who through their own wilfull and voluntary disobedience and contempt of his goodnes exclude not themselves nor saving any but those who from a thankfull apprehension of his rich mercy revealed unto them in his Word and workes or both doe chearfully and willingly submit themselves to the obedience of his will known and understood by them For the Probation of which two general heads joyntly discoursed the detection of the contrary opinions exhibited in sundry objections reasons and texts of Scripture the summe of that which followeth is applyed beginning with the first CHAP I. That God being no respecter of persons cannot choose one man in his disobedience and reject another or enforce one man to believe and not another IF that God should necessitate the salvation of some men and not others then he should be a respecter of persons contrary to the Scriptures As will appeare by severall texts thereof As first by Acts 10.34 Where Peter when he perceived that God had received unto adoption Cornelius a Gentile as well as himselfe and others that were Jewes he thus expresseth himselfe Now I perceive of a truth that there is no respect of persons with God but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is eccepted of him Arguing plainly that if God should accept of one person working righteousnesse and not of another as righteous and just as he that
before in the 9. verse as it is pretended he had concluded that God in his eternall purpose had decreed to necessitate and enforce his faith and salvation for where it is known there is no danger of miscarriage there is no ground to exhort to beware or to admonish him to hold fast when both the admonisher and the admonished understand that God hath decreed not to suffer him to let goe his hold if that he would Object If that God doth not inforce men to believe and so inforce their salvation thereby then man is the author of his owne salvation This consequence is badly collected As well might it be said that man is the author of his owne subsistance in this life because the food wherewith his life is mainteyned and preserved is not brought unto his hand minced and violently put into his mouth by the immediate hand of God There are two things required to the Salvation of men viz. Gods Grace in Jesus Christ and mans obedience thereunto as no man is saved by the former without the later so neither can any man be saved by the later without the former That no man can be saved without the Grace of God in Christ appeares in this That no man is able to deliver himself from the curse of the Law raise himselfe from corruption to immortality create and set up that Glorious Fabrick of the World to come or that Heavenly Jerusalem which is to bee possessed therein for these as also for his owne being the meanes of his Salvation the promises of Adoption Justification c. through Faith and obedience every man must acknowledge himselfe to be infinitely engaged to the unspeakable mercy and goodnesse of God in Christ And that no man is saved by the Grace of God without his obedience and conformity thereunto appeareth from hence That men are punished with damnation for turning the Grace of God into wantonnesse Jude 4. For neglecting Salvation Heb. 2.3 And walking in darknesse when light is come into the World John 3.19 Upon which ground it is that Paul to Timothy thus exhorteth 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue therein for in so doing thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that hear thee And yet notwithstanding forasmuch as we our selves the meanes which is improved and the end thereof which is Salvation is all of God we are by the Scriptures instructed to attribute the honour and glory thereof wholly unto him He giveth us saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 6.17 speaking of the things of this life procured no otherwise than through a laborious industry in the use of meanes richly all things to enjoy CHAP. II. That it cannot stand with the love of God unto all to enforce some men to believe and not all IF that God should necessitate the Faith and Salvation of some men and not others it would argue a repugnancy in the Doctrine of his love to man-kinde unto whom he hath expressed an equall affection in giving his Son a Saviour for all and in desiring the salvation of all First That God sent his Sonne into the World to save the World appeareth by severall plaine Texts of Scripture as John 3.17 God sent not his Son in to the World to condemne the World but that the World through him might be saved and John 6.11 I am saith Christ the living Bread which came down from Heaven If any man eate of this Bread he shall live for ever And the bread that I shall give is my Flesh which I will give for the life of the World Againe in John 12.47 If any man saith he heare my words and believe not I judge him nor for I came not into the world to judge the world but to save the world And in the 1 Tim. 2.5 6. the Apostle saith There is one God and one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himselfe a Ransome for all And whereas it is by some objected That by the World here spoken of is not to be understood the whole lumpe of man-kinde but only the Elect a part thereof and that by this terme all is not meant every particular man and woman in the world but only some of all sorts c. The Scripture as it were foreseeing this objection addeth in Hebr. 2.9 That Christ tasted death for every man And in the 2 Pet. 2.1 That as there were false prophets among the people even so there shall be false teachers amongst you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And Rom. 14.15 Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ dyed And 1 Cor. 8.11 Through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish for whom Christ dyed Plainly intimating that Christ dyed not only for the Elect as they use to say but for every man for those that deny him are destroyed perish and are damned And furthermore whereas it is objected That the persons here spoken of were not really of the number of those for whom Christ dyed only in the judgement of charity were so reputed The Scriptures affordeth unto us divers evident grounds to prove that Christ came into the World to save every particular person therein without exception As First the Gospel is declared to be glad tydings unto all Luke 2.10 And Secondly is commanded therefore to be preached unto all Matth. 28.19 Marke 16.15 And Thirdly all men to whom it is preached are required to believe it Marke 16.16 Matth. 11.20 And Fourthly Such as doe not believe and give obedience unto it are threatned with damnation Mat. 10.4 Joh. 3.8 And Fiftly those that have had it preached unto them and refused to give obedience thereunto are declared to judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 and to neglect Salvation Hebr. 2.3 Now forasmuch as the Gospel in generall is none other than the fruits of Christs death that Salvation in particular is otherwise altogether impossible it could not in the nature thereof be glad tydings unto all nor in equity or justice be proclamed unto all nor the obedience thereof be required of all nor disobedience thereunto be punishable in all nor could it truly be said That those that are damned for their disobedience unto it have neglected Salvation if that Christ had not shed his Bloud for all And furthermore whereas it is replyed by some That although Christ dyed for all yet his death was intended only to save the Elect. It is by God declared that he sent his Son into the world forth of his love to man-kinde to the end that thereby they might be saved for so saith the Scripture God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son c. John 3.16 And for the further confirmation of all mens Faith in this behalfe he most solemnly professeth yea and having no other to swear by he sweareth by Himselfe That he desireth nor only the Salvation of those
means of salvation is 2 Cor. 3.5 The words whereof are these Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 1. To which I answer first That this Scripture is least of all to the purpose for which it is alleadged seeing that it is not pleaded that of our selves as of our selves or as we are men simply considered without either having the Law vvritten in our hearts or some discovery made unto us of our deliverance from mortality and happinesse in the vvorld to come to thinke any good thought either towards God or of reforming our selves according to the rules of vertue or Christianity It being according to the testimony of the Apostle if that the dead vvere not raised and consequently no felicity to be expected after death our only vvisdome to eat and drink to free and acquit our selves from all manner of troubles and sufferings vvhatsoever in this vvorld as for conscience sake 1 Cor. 15.32 with the 19.31 32. To fill our selves with costly wine and ointments and to let no flower of the spring passe by us to crown our selves vvith Rose-buds before they be vvithered and to leave tokens of our joyfulnesse in every place it being our portion and only lot Wisd 2.7 8 9. It s thorow Faith only in the Resurrection and eternal Salvation that we overcome the vvorld 1 Iohn 5.4 The crosse of Christ crucifieth us to the vvorld Gal. 6.14 The bloud of Christ or the bloud of the Covenant sanctifieth us in the world Heb. 16.29 And vve love God and keep his Commandments because he hath commended his love unto us by sending his Son into the world that we might live thorow him 1 Ioh. 4.19 with v. 9 10. cap. 5.3 But the intent of the Apostle in this place doth manifestly appear to be only this viz. That neither he himself nor any other of the Apostles vvere of themselves sufficient to think or conceive that glorious Ministery that was committed unto them For having in the 3. verse declared That the Corinthians were the Epistle of Christ ministred by them not written with inke but with the Spirit of God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of their hearts least that they should think of them above that which vvas meet 1 Cor. 4.6 And ascribe the honour of this ministration unto them as if that they had not received it 1 Cor. 4.6 7. In the fifth and sixth verses he addeth these vvords Not that vve are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit And therefore in 1 Cor. 4.1 desireth that they should account of them only as Ministers and Stewards of these things So that all that can rationally be inferr'd from hence is only this That like as the Apostles of themselves vvere not sufficient to conceive that Ministerie that vvas given unto them nor to accomplish any such things as vvere effected in men thereby So neither are any men sufficient of themselves to conceive or believe the things declared therein or to purifie their hearts thereby unlesse that the same be revealed unto them Faith herein and the effects thereof being by hearing and hearing by the vvord of God Rom. 10.17 Some other Scriptures there are of this nature but the answers to these duly considered may be sufficient to enlighten any indifferent mans understanding therin And therefore I shall proceed to answer to the second main Objection and to such principal Scriptures vvhich belong thereunto CHAP. IX Containing severall Answers for the clearing of such Scriptures which seem to import faith to be necessitated in men by the irresistable power of God THe Scriptures alleadged in favour of the second main Objection are such as these Rom. 8.28 29 30. Phil. 2.13 Phil. 1.19 2 Tim. 2.25 Rom. 11.5 6. Jer. 31.33 1. From the first of which the words whereof are these And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the chosen according to his purpose for whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he justified c. It s conceived that of man-kinde fallen in Adam God in that estate before the world chose a certain number thereof unto himself for his sons and daughters And that in reference thereunto in time begetteth them to faith in his Son justifieth them c. 1. To which I answer first That none are chosen to Adoption or Salvation before the world otherwise then in relation to their obedience to those duties which God in the Scriptures by Iesus Christ and his Apostles requireth of men unto those ends 2 Tim. 1.9 with the 10. Tit. 1.1 2. with the 3. 2. Secondly The Scriptures doe positively declare That election is only in Iesus Christ Ephes 1.5 with the 2 Thess 2.13 God hath chosen you to Salvation from the beginning through sanctification and belief of the truth 3. If that God should choose men to Adoption and Salvation before the world otherwise then in relation to their obedience to his will made known unto them Then the will of God in this respect should be two-fold and contradictions in it self The one whereby he chooseth and accepteth to Adoption and Salvation the wicked disobedient and impenitent The other whereby he will not choose nor receive to adoption or Salvation any other then the godly Philip. 4.3 the rich in faith Jam. 2.5 The penitent 2 Cor. 6.17 18. And obedient Matth. 22. the third to the fourteenth which contradiction is impossible to be in God 4. Nor doth the words of the Text prove the contrary Wherein first is laid down the happy estate of those that are called according to purpose ver 28. And 2. the ground thereof which in ver 29. is declared to be this viz. That all those whom God fore-knew that is to say before the world beheld in his Sonne through obedience unto him who are therefore in verse the 28. described to be such as love God least that we should conceive that God knew the workers of iniquity before time whom he refuseth to own or know in time Mat. 7.23 those he predestinated that they should be conformable to the Image of his Sonne in glory Phil. 3.21 For the accomplishment whereof he administreth unto them the means for their calling and upon their obedience thereunto receiveth them to justification and in the end to glory The second text is Phil. 2.13 the words are these For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure From whence it is conceived That whatsoever any man willeth or doth acceptable unto God and tending to his Salvation he is necessarily enforced thereunto by God Answ For the
ye see and have not seen them and to hear these things which you hear and have not heard them Mat. 13.16 17. And hence are the words of the Apostle in Ephes 3.8 9 10 11 Unto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should preach amongst the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdome of God according to the eternall purpose which he purposed in Christ Iesus our Lord. And hereunto also is the words of the same Apostle in Rom. 16.25 26. to be applied Which considered the emphasis contained in the words of the Prophets before rehearsed are to be understood only as if the Lord should have said I exhibited unto your fathers the Covenant of works when he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt not to the intent that they should seek righteousnesse and life by it Gal. 3 7-18 Rom. 10.3 but to shew them their impurity and weaknesse Gal. 3.19 Rom. 7.7 Gal. 3.22 And that they should seek Salvation only thorow the promise preached unto Abraham their father four hundred years before the Law was given Gal. 3.17 The which Covenant they brake though that I was a husband unto them But the Covenant of my Grace preached unto you by all the Prophets since the world began Luke 1.70 Act. 43.26.22 23. and which in the later daies I will more clearly demonstrate unto your children by the Ministery of my Son is not like unto that Covenant being established upon better promises wherby I shall so abundantly commend my love unto them That although possibly they may despise the same and turn my Grace therein manifested unto them into wantonnesse yet surely or in all reason they will not but will reverence my Sonne when they see him receive my word from him into their hearts and become obedient unto me For God having made men rationall in reference whereunto only he treateth with them by arguments different from all other his creatures and naturally disposed to their own happinesse whensoever more clearly then ordinary he openeth unto them a way thereunto and useth Arguments extraordinary to endear them unto him for his goodnesse towards them therein in the Scriptures he often taketh it for granted That then more especially they will be induced to the love and perpetual Obedience of him as is shewed in Isa 63.7 8 9. where from the consideration of the goodnesse that he had vouchsafed to the house of Israel the mercies and multitude of loving kindenesses that he had bestowed upon them in saving them by the Angel of his presence redeeming them in his love and pity carrying them thorow the wildernesse and in all their afflictions being afflicted with them c. he concludeth them to be his people in such sort that they would never deal untruly with him because that although possibly they might as in vers 10. it appeareth they were yet rationally they could not be unthankfull unto him nor disobedient against him after such extraordinary mercies received from him From whence also it is that S. Paul stileth those men that refused and opposed the Gospel of Salvation when it was preached unto them unreasonable men 2 Thes 3.2 degenerated from men into brute beasts 1 Cor. 15.32 because that reason cannot oppose it self And therefore seeing that it teacheth and directeth all men endued therewith to seek their own happinesse and felicity as it must needs prohibit them the rejection thereof and the abuse of the means leading thereunto So on the contrary it must needs engage them to sincerity of love and hearty affection towards God by how much the more he discovereth himself in Love Mercy and Goodnesse towards them in that nature And hereupon it is that God considering how abundantly the riches of his grace Fatherly affection and bowels of compassion towards all men should by the Ministery of Iesus Christ at his appearance be revealed and by signs and wonders confirmed beyond all contradiction to the Iews especially to whom most immediately he was sent Joh. 1.11 Mat. 15.24 more than at any time from the beginning of the world it had been insomuch that hearing and beholding the same and not rejecting reason and humanity and judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life they could not possibly but rejoyce therein be humbled for their former disobedience against so merciful a God receive with thankfulnes his holy instructions delivered unto them and ever afterwards become obedient unto him he concludeth therefore that they would be converted and united unto him for ever although that through savage and brutish folly unto which men may possibly degenerate Isa 46.6 7 8. they both might and did reject and despise his unspeakable goodnesse towards them All which is most clearly and plainly demonstrated by the words of Christ himself in Mat. 21. from the 33. to the 39. Mark 10. from the first to the ninth And Luke 20. from the 9. to the 15. Hear a Parable saith Christ speaking to the Iews to whom the promise in Ier. 31. hath the most especial relation There was a certain housholder which planted a Vineyard and hedged it round about and digged a wine-presse in it and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a farre countrey and when the time of fruit drew near he sent his servants that he might receive from the husbandmen the fruit of the vineyard c. But the husbandman took his servants and beat one and killed another and stoned another Again he sent other servants more then the first and they did unto them likewise 2 Chron. 38.15 16. Acts 7.51 52. Luke 9.49 50. Whereupon to the end that he might to the admiration of all men and Angels expresse his patience goodnesse and hearty affection to the Salvation of the very worst of men the Lord of the Vineyard saith Luke said unto himself What shall I doe I will send my beloved Sonne my only and well-beloved Sonne Mark 12.6 saying THEY WILL note Reverence my Sonne when they see him Mar. 12.6 Mat. 21.37 But what followeth when the husbandmen saw his Son they reasoned among themselves saying This is the heir come let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours and they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him Secondly The mistake concerning the sence of this Scripture is grounded upon these words viz. I will put my laws into their mindes and write them in their hearts c. From whence it is conceived that God hath promised unavoidably to beget the Love Fear and Obedience of himself in some particular persons not in others 1. For the clearing whereof it is to be remembred that the reason why God promised