Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
earth_n creature_n heaven_n world_n 8,020 5 4.5844 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A30198 Reprobation asserted, or, The doctrine of eternal election & reprobation promiscuously handled in eleven chapters wherein the most material objections made by the opposers of this doctrine are fully answered, several doubts removed, and sundry cases of conscience resolved / by John Bunyan. Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. 1674 (1674) Wing B5588; ESTC R30870 43,018 51

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

not at all necessitate the Creature to sin that he might be damned Object But how is this similitude pertinent For God did not onely fore-see sin would be the destruction of the Creature but let it come into the world and so destroy the Creature If you as you fore-see the fruitlesness of your Tree should withal see that which makes it so and that too before it makes it so and yet let the imp●diment come and make it so are not you now the cause of the unfruitfulness of that Tree which you have before condemned to the sue to be burned For God might have chose whether he would have let Adam sin and so sin to have got into the world by him Answ. Similitudes never answer every way if they be pertinent to that for which they are intended 't is enough and to that it answereth well being brought to prove no more but the natural consequence of a true and infallible fore-sight And now as to what is objected further As that God might have chose whether Sin should have come into the World by Adam to the destruction of so many To that I shall answer 1. That Sin could not have come into the World without Gods permission it is evident both from the perfection of his fore-sight power 2. Therefore all the means motives and inducements thereunto must also by him be not onely fore-seen but permitted 3. Yet so that God will have the timing proceeding bounding and ordering thereof at his dispose Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain 1 Kings 22.20 21 22. John 8.20 Luk. 22.51 52. Psal. 76.10 4. Therefore it must needs come into the world not without but by the knowledge of God not in despite of him but by his suffering of it Object But how then is he clear from having a hand in the death of him that perisheth Answ. Nothing is more sure then that God could have kept Sin out of the world if it had been his will and this is also as true that it never came into the world with his liking and compliance And for this you must consider that Sin came into the world by two steps 1. By being offered 2. By prevailing Touching the first of these God without the least injury to any Creature in Heaven or Earth might not onely suffer it but so far countenance the same that is so far forth as for trial onely As it is said of Abraham God tempted Abraham to slay his onely Son and led Christ by the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil This is done without any harm at all nay it rather produceth good for it tends to discover Sincerity to exercise Faith in and Love to his Creator also to put him in mind of the continual need he hath of depending on his God for the continuation of help and strength and to provoke to Prayers to God when ever so engaged Gen. 22.1 2. Mark 1.12 Luke 4.1 Deut. 8.1 2 3. 1 Pet. 1.7 8. Heb. 5.7 Matth. 26.41 Object But God did not onely admit that Sin should be offered for trial and there to stay but did suffer it to prevail and overcome the World Answ. Well this is granted But yet consider 1. God did neither suffer it nor yet consent it should but under this consideration If Adam upright Adam gave way thereto by forsaking his Command In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Which Adam did not because God did compel him or perswade him to it but voluntarily of his own mind contrary to his God's Command So then God by suffering sin to break into the World did it rather in Judgement as disliking Adam's Act and as a punishment to man for listening to the Tempter and as a discovery of his anger at mans disobedience then to prove that he is guilty of the misery of his Creature Gen. 2.17 3.3 2. Consider also that when God permitted Sin for trial it was when offered first to them onely who were upright and had sufficient strength to resist it 3. They were by Gods Command to the contrary driven to no strait to tempt them to encline to Satan Of every Tree of the Garden thou mayst freely eat saith God onely let this alone 4. As touching the beauty and goodness that was in the Object unto which they were allured What was it Was it better then God Yea was it better then the Tree of Life for from that they were not exempted till after they had sinned Did not God know best what was best to do them good 5. Touching him that perswaded them to do this wicked Act Was his word more to be valued for truth more to be ventured on for safety or more to be honoured for the worthiness of him that spake then was his that had forbad it The one being the Devil with a Lie and to kill them the other being God with his Truth and to preserve them safe Quest. But was not Adam unexpectedly suprized Had he notice before-hand and warning of the danger for God foresaw the business Answ. Doubtless God was fair and faithful to his Creature in this thing also as clearly doth appear from these considerations 1. The very Commandment that God gave him fore-bespake him well to look about him and did indeed insinuate that he was likely to be tempted 2. It is yet more evident because God doth even tell him of the danger In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die 3. Nay God by speaking to him of the very Tree that was to be forborn telling him also where it stood that he might the better know it did in effect expresly say unto him Adam If thou be tempted it will be about that Tree and the fruit thereof wherefore if thou findest the Tempter there then beware thy life To conclude then Though Sin did not come into the World without Gods sufferance yet it did without his liking God suffered also Cain to kill his Brother and Ishmael to mock at Isaac but he did not like the same Gen. 4.9 10 11. Gal. 4.30 Secondly Therefore though God was first in concluding Sin should be offered to the World yet man was the first that consented to a being overcome thereby Thirdly then Though God did fore-determine that Sin should enter yet it was not but with respect to certain terms and conditions which yet was not to be enforced by vertue of the determination but permitted to be compleated by the voluntary inclination of a perfect and upright man And in that the determination was most perfectly infallible it was thorow the foresight of the undoubted inclination of this good and Upright Person Quest. But might not God have kept Adam from inclining if he would Answ. What more certain But yet consider 1. Adam being now an upright man he was able to have kept himself had he but looked to it as he should and might 2. This being so if
they do Wherefore discouragement comes from want of Light because they are not skilful in the Word of Righteousness for had the discouragement at first been true which yet it could not be unless the person knew by name himself under eternal Reprobation which is indeed impossible then his Light would have pinched him harder Light would rather have fastened this his fear then at all have rid him of it Heb. 5.12 13 14. Indeed the Scripture saith the Word is to some the savour of Death unto Death when to others the savour of Life unto Life But mark it is not this Doctrine in particular if so much as some other that doth destroy the Reprobate It was Respit at which Pharaoh hardened his heart and the Grace of God that the Reprobates of old did turn into Lasciviousness Yea Christ the Saviour of the World is a stumbling-Block unto some and a Rock of Offence unto others But yet again Consider that neither He nor any of Gods Doctrines are so simply and in their own true natural force and drift for They beget no unbelief They provoke to no wantonness neither do They in the least in courage to impenitency all this comes from that Ignorance and Wickedness that came by the Fall Wherefore it is by reason of That also that they stumble and fall and grow weak and are discouraged and split themselves either at the Doctrine of Reprobation or at any other Truth of God Exod. 8.15 Jude 4. 1 Pet. 2. Lastly To conclude as I began There is no man while in this World that doth certainly know that he is left out of the Electing Love of the great God neither hath he any word in the whole Bible to perswade him so to conclude and believe for the Scriptures hold forth Salvation to the greatest of Sinners Wherefore though the Act of Reprobation were far more harsh and its Doctrine also more sharp and severe yet it cannot properly be said to hinder any It is a foolish thing in any to be troubled with those things which they have no ground to believe concerns themselves especially when the latitude of their discouragement is touching their own persons onely The secret things belong unto the Lord our God Indeed every one of the Words of God ought to put us upon examination and into a serious inquiry of our present state and condition and how we now do stand for Eternity to wit whether we are ready to meet the Lord or how it is with us Yet when search is fully made and the worst come unto the worst the party can find himself no more then the chief of Sinners not excluded from the Grace of God tendred in the Gospel not from an Invitation nay a Promise to be imbraced and blest if he comes to Jesus Christ. Wherefore he hath no ground to be discouraged by the Doctrine of Reprobation 1 Tim. 15. Act. 19.19 2 Chron. 33. Deut. 29.29 Joh. 7.37 6.37 Mark 2.17 CHAP. IX Whether God would indeed and in truth that the Gospel with the Grace thereof should be tendred to those that yet he hath bound up under eternal Reprobation TO this Question I shall Answer First In the Language of our Lord Go preach the Gospel unto every Creature and again Look unto me all ye Ends of the Earth and be ye saved And whosoever will let him take the Water of Life freely And the reason is because Christ died for all tasted death for every man is the Saviour of the World and the Propitiation for the sins of the whole World Mark 16.15 Isa. 45.22 Rev. 22.17 Hebr. 2.9 2 Cor. 5.15 1 John 4.14 2.1 2 3. Secondly I gather it from those several censures that even every one goeth under that doth not receive Christ when offered in the general Tenders of the Gospel He that believeth not shall be damned He that believeth not makes God a Lyar because he believeth not the Record that God hath given of his Son and Wo unto thee Capernaum wo unto thee Coraxin wo unto thee Bethsaida with many other sayings All which words with many other of the same nature carry in them a very great argument to this very purpose For if those that perish in the days of the Gospel shall have at least their damnation heightened because they have neglected and refused to receive the Gospel it must needs be that the Gospel was with all faithfulness to be tendred unto them the which it could not be unless the death of Christ did extend it self unto them for the offer of the Gospel cannot with Gods allowance be offered any further then the death of Jesus Christ doth go because if that be taken away there is indeed no Gospel nor Grace to be extended Besides if by every Creature and the like should be meant onely the Elect then are all the perswasions of the Gospel to no effect at all for still the Unconverted who are here condemned for refusing of it they return it as fast again I do not know I am Elect and therefore dare not come to Jesus Christ for if the Death of Jesus Christ and so the general Tender of the Gospel concern the Elect alone I not knowing my self to be one of that number am at a mighty plunge nor know I whether is the greater sin to Believe or to Despair for I say again If Christ died onely for the Elect c. then I not knowing my self to be one of that number dare not believe the Gospel that holds forth his Blood to save me nay I think with safety may not until I first do know I am Elect of God and appointed thereunto Joh. 3.16 Mark 16.16 1 Joh. 5.8 9 10. Matth. 11.21 22. Heb. 2.3 Thirdly God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son would have all men whatever invited by the Gospel to lay hold of Life by Christ whether Elect or Reprobate for though it be true that there is such a thing as Election and Reprobation yet God by the Tenders of the Gospel in the Ministry of his Word looks upon men under another Consideration to wit as Sinners and as Sinners invites them to believe lay hold of and embrace the same He saith not to his Ministers Go preach to the Elect because they are Elect and shut out others because they are not so But Go preach the Gospel to Sinners as Sinners and as they are such Go bid them come to me and live And it must needs be so otherwise the Preacher could neither speak in faith nor the People hear in faith first the Preacher could not speak in faith because he knoweth not the Elect from the Reprobate nor they again hear in faith because as unconverted they would be always ignorant of that also So then the Minister neither knowing whom he should offer Life unto nor yet the People which of them are to receive it how could the Word now be preached in faith with power And how could the People believe and embrace it