not fast as ye do this day to make your voyce to be heard on high CHAP. XL. A Paraphrase upon the Eleven first Chapters of Exodus with usefull Annotations Observations and Parallels ALbeit the Ancient Heathens however they came by them had many excellent Notions and some Exquisite Discourses upon those Notions of A Divine Providence which even to their apprehension did usually over-reach and controll all Politick Projects of greatest Princes Yet such Exquisite Maps or Live-Patterns of the Onely Wise Gods Proceedings in Counter-plotting the subtlest contrivances of mightiest Princes or of the profoundest Professors of mysteries of State or other subordinate Projectors as the Historie of Joseph wherewith Moses concludes the Book of Genesis or the Historie of Pharaoh wherewith the same Moses begins the Book of Exodus the best of the Heathens had none Nor may this present Age expect any equal though every Age in one Kingdom or other afford some matter of Historie like unto them Quoad veritatem licèt non quoad mensuram With the Historie of Joseph I am not at this time to meddle any further then as it may lead me or instruct me to take a more exact survey of Gods Process with Pharaoh or of The manner how or of The means by which He hardened him 2 So long as that great and in his kinde Religious Pharaoh lived whose life and prosperous estate of the kingdom whereof he was Lord Joseph by Gods good Providence and peculiar instructions had both preserved and advanced nothing went amiss with the Stemmes of Jacob All of them from the highest to the lowest fared well for Josephs sake and which was more then all the matter of their well-fare the Egyptians amongst whom they sojourned did not envie or repine at their prosperitie at least they durst not profess any enmity or attempt to wreak their malice if they had conceived any against them The fresh memory of Josephs good deservings at the Kings Princes and Peoples hands did prevent all practises of Hostilitie or repining crueltie though but intended against them so long as that Pharaoh which had so well rewarded Joseph and had him in so great esteem did sway the Scepter of Egypt But it seems that this gracious King dyed about the same time that Joseph did or rather before him For Moses instructs us Exod. 1. 8. There arose a new King which knew not Joseph that is either had no Memorial Record or took no notice how well he had deserved both of the King and Kingdom of Egypt And he said unto his people Behold The people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier then we c. Josephus in his second book of Judaical Antiquities informs us and his information will much advance the true value of the Literal Sense of the Sacred Context according to the Original that this latter Pharaoh or new King mentioned by Moses Chap. 1. vers 3. was of another Line no Son or Heir unlesse by Adoption of that great Pharaoh and Grand Patron of Joseph but at the best of some Collateral Line Now whether it were out of Real Fear or out of Pride of heart or Popularitie This new King to give some Document in the beginning of his Reign of more care and wisdom for maintaining and advancing the welfare of the Natives then his Predecessor had practised who had placed his special favours upon forraigners and strangers thus resolves with himself and proposeth his resolution to his Counsel of State or War Come let us work wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that if there be war they joyn themselves also unto our Enemies and fight against us and get them out of the Land verse 10. The First Project of this new King was to keep the Israelites from Mutinie whereunto their number might as he thought provoke or tempt them by laying the yoke of servitude and hard labour upon them But perceiving that the more he did press them the more they multiplied and grew stronger his second project became more cruel for it was to destroy or put the Males of Israel out of this world as fast and as soon as they came into it Neither of these Two Projects were any part of Gods Ordination or Design Both were suggested to this proud Kingâ— by Gods enemie who is the father of all Bloodie Politicians and chief master of all unhallowed Policies However the entertainment of this Satanical Suggestion and the putting of it in execution by Royal Authoritie and Command was an Inchoation or rather a large measure of that Ordination or Coaptation of this Kingdom and State to that destruction whereof our Apostle speaks Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 3 But that new King which devised all the forementioned evils against the children of Israel The infant killer and Hardned two several Pharaohs was not the Subject of that Obduration mentioned by our Apostle and recorded by Moses from Exod. 7. unto the 11. For that bloodie King which caused all the Males of Israel to be cast into the river dyed before God appeared to Moses in the â—â—sh as is evident from Exod. 2. 23. And it came to pass in process of time that the King of Egypt dyed and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage c. and is expresly avouched by Josephus in his second Book of Jewish Antiquities Chap. 5. However this other Pharaoh becoming Successor to that cruel King mentioned Exod. 1. 8. not in Place onely but in Cruelty and oppression the wickedness and wrongs practised by the former Pharaoh and his subjects are charged upon the Second and his people because they were bound by the Law of God and by the Law of Nature to have given better Satisfaction to the Israelites then they did so much at least as Moses in his First message to Pharaoh Exod. 4. did demand And this Pharaohs heart to whom he was sent was more capable of or rather more fitly disposed to that Obduration which befel him because he could not be ignorant of the ill success which his Predecessors cruel intentions against the Infant-Males had found It was the former Pharaohs main Project to destroy the Hebrew-Males And in the heat of this persecution Moses is born but hid for three months from Pharaohs Firrets or blood-hounds rather by his Parents This providence in his parents was not from secret Instinct of Nature but from True Faith or supernatural Revelation as our Apostle instructs us Heb. 11. 23. By Faith Moses when he was born was hid three months of his parents because they saw that he was a proper child and they not afraid of the Kings commandment 4. Josephus tells us that the Occasion which Pharaoh took to murther all the Hebrew Males was from a constant Fame or Praenotion suggested unto him by a Secretary of state That
AN EXACT COLLECTION OF THE WORKS OF Doctor Iackson P. of C. C. C. Oxon Such as were not Published before CHRIST EXERCISING HIS EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD Mans Freedom from Servitude to Sin effected by Christ sitting at the Right Hand of God and there Officiating as a most Compassionate High-priest in behalf of Sinners OR A TREATISE OF THAT KNOWLEDGE of CHRIST which Consists in the true Estimate or Experimental Valuation of his Death Resurrection and Exercise of his Everlasting Sacerdotal Function in the Heavenly Sanctuarie where he now sitteth at the Right Hand of God the Father THIS ESTIMATE Cannot be rightly made without a Right Understanding of the Primaeval State of Adam Of the Nature of Sin How it first came How it still comes into the World Of Mans Servitude unto Sin Of Free-will How we are sett Free by Christ Of Mortification Election Reprobation All which with other Considerable particulars as of the Use of Reason and Arts in Controversies of Divinitie of Baptism the Lords Supper c. are As an Introduction to Christs Priesthood discoursed on in this Tenth Book of Comments on the Creed AND VSEFVLL TABLES ADDED Verily Verily He that committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin If the Son make you Free then ye shall be Free indeed LONDON Printed by R. Norton for Timothie Garthwait at the little North-Door of S. Pauls Church 1654. THE PREFACE To the Christian and Considerate Reader Grace Mercy c. AS to the Great Richness and Goodly Number of This Author's Writings I shall not here say much having spoken most of what I had to say anent Those two Points in The Account or Preface set before the First Volume of His Workes Printed in Folio the last year And yet Thus much I shall say That I am dayly more and more confirmed in my Judgement There passed upon them being likewise perswaded of This That though it be but the Addition of one Single Unitie to the former Number of his Bookes yet will it prove a Multiplyed Accession of Degrees to the weight and excellency of them I shall perhaps better gratifie The Reader if I can present unto his View any Observables worthy his Notice Concerning the Method and References both of This present and Those his other writings published in His Life-Time And such as I think may be usefull do here follow 1. Of this Great Author's Bookes of Commentaries upon the Creed with their Respective Appendices The Five First I Beleive in God viz. The 1 2 3. Of the Eternal Truth of Scripture c. The 4. Of Justifying Faith The 5. Of the Original of Unbeleif Misbeleif c. Relate unto or Explicate the first Words of the First Article of The Creed 2. His Sixt Book being A Treatise of the Divine Essence and Attributes to which append his Sermons upon 2. God The Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth Chron. 6. 39. upon Jeremie 26. 29. His Treatise of the Signes of The Times and his Sermon upon Luke 21. 1. Referres to the next words of The Creed Now if any shall Object That nigh the One Half of these Treatises and Sermons too are about Divine Providence of which there is no explicit mention in the Creed The Answer is readie and easie So they ought to be it was meet and right they should be so The Good God that made the world with all the comely Ornaments and rich Furniture thereof did neither leave it to it self so soon as it was made nor transmit the Tuition of it to a Guardian or Locum-Tenens but ever did and still doth keep the Government in That Hand which with so great wisdom made the same And His verie Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Son our Saviour's Words Pater meus adhuc operatur teach us to depend upon and trust unto his Constant Providence and support for Conservation And This as a Clew leads or as a Terminus Communis Couples our Faith to his Creative power 3. His Two Sermons the Former of them Call'd Bethlehem and Nazareth upon Jeremie 31. 22. The later upon Galat. 4. 4. enstyled Mankinds Comfort from the weaker sex His Treatise entituled Christ's Answer to Iohn's Question or An Introduction to the Knowledge of Christ His 7. Book of Commentaries upon the Creed Call'd The Knowledge of Christ Jesus Containing The Principles of Christian Theologie And in Jesus Christ his onely Son our Lord which was Conceived by the the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary qua Talis Christ's Eternal Sonship his Conception Birth and Circumcision in the Fulness of Time being if not the intire Subject yet the Main Scope of these last mentioned parcels respectively referre to that Portion of The Creed wherein we avouch our Faith in The Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ incarnate 4. The Subject of this Great Author's Eighth Book of Commentaries upon The Apostles Creed enstyled Suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried The Humiliation of the Son of God is the same God and our Lord who was conceived by The Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Marie And The Scope of it is to shew That HEE according to the Scripture before Extant 5. His ninth Book Of the Consecration of the Son of God to his Everlasting Priesthood whereof His Agonie and Bloody Death His Rest in the Grave and in this Authors private opinion see Book 8. pag. 385 He descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the Dead He ascended into Heaven His descension into Hell His Resurrection and Ascension were Respectively the several Giests or Moments some as preparations others as Continuations some as Accomplishments others as Consequents Lookes back somewhat towards the former and forward somewhat toward these Later particulars of the Creed 6. All the Tracts or Books mentioned in the three last Paragraphs for those be They which Directly Destinately and Immediately treat of Christian Theologie qua Talis make but up The First and more Easie Part of The Knowledge of Christ And This to use the Author 's own words Consists in the display of that most admirable Harmonie which ariseth from the Concent of Prophetical with Evangelical Writings or from the Correspondencie of Parallels between Matters of Fact recorded in the Old Testament and the Events answering in proportion to them in the New 7 This Tenth Book not published till now is addressed to The Second part of The Knowledge of Christ which Consists in the True Experimental Valuation of His Vndertakings for mans Redemption viz. Of His taking upon Himself the Form of a Servant of His Death Resurrection and Ascension Of all which several steps or progresses of His O Economie as also of the whole Volume of His other whether Actings or Sufferings for us The most precious Beneficial Effects and saving Influences are Actually and only Derived unto us by the Continued Acts and Constant Exercise of His Everlasting Priesthood executed dayly in The Heavenly Sanctuarie by Him there Sitting
deceat quam vivendi ut vult as true a power to will what he ought as to do what he will So much as a man hath of this Freedome so much and no more he hath of true Happinesse Some Philosophers there were which defined Happinesse after the same manner that Tullie defined Libertie Him they accounted Happie which lived according to his own Will But God forbid saith S. Austine Epist 121. ad Probam that we should take this for Gospel Quid si enim nequiter velit vivere for what shall We think if a man were disposed to Live wickedly or naughttly August Epist 121. Nonne tantò miserior esse convincitur quantò facilius mala ejus Volunt as impletur May be not hence be convinced to be so much the more miserable by how much it is more easie for him to accomplish his naughty will And therefore this Opinion as the same Father avoucheth was rejected by such Philosophers or wise-men as were without knowledge of the only wise immortall God For One of those Philosophers or wise men saith the same Father Vir Eloquentissimus whether he meant Cicero or Seneca or some other I know not condemns the former Opinion as an Heresie in Philosophie and gives this Reason for it Velle enim quod non deceat idipsum miserrimum Nec tam miserum est non adipisci quod velis quà m adipscivelle quod non oporteat To will that which a man ought not to will is the greatest misery that can befall a man Nor is it so great a misery not to atchieve what we desire as to desire to atchieve or endeavour to compass that which we ought not to desire 6. Quid tibi videntur haec verba saith the same Father unto his Friend to whom he wrote this Epistle nonne ab ipsâ veritate per quemlibet homin eÌ„ dicta sunt What do you think were not these words derived from the Fountain of Truth by what Conduit or channel soever they have been brought unto us Therefore we may say of this Saying as S. Paul doth of a Prophet or Poet of Creet whose sentence did please him Testimonium hoc verum est this Testimony is true and worthy the receiving And from this saying that Reverend Father concludes Ille igitur beatus est qui omnia que vult habet nec aliquid vult quod non decet He is truly happy that hath all things which he desires to have being disposed to desire nothing which he ought not This Conclusion is as necessarie and true in the Argument whereof we treat He only is a true and perfect Free-man which hath a power or Freedom to desire nothing but what be ought and a power or Freedom to dispose of himself and of his endeavours for attaining or compassing what he thus desires So that this Freedom consists in the service of God And that consists in a submission to his Will and in reliance upon his most absolute Power to accomplish whatsoever he will or whatsoever He shall think fitting for us to will or desire at his hands 7. As absolute Happiness So absolute Freedom is only in God Both are Essential only unto him that is He only cannot be deprived either of Happiness or of Freedom by any other Nor can he be willing to deprive himself of them Non Deus volens iniquitatem Tu es saith the Psalmist Psal 5. Thou art not a God that canst will iniquity as the Gods of the Heathen did It is as impossible for our God to make such Laws or to grant such dispensations with his own Laws as the God of Rome and Roman Catholicks the Pope doth as it is for this God of Rome to make himself the God of Heaven He cannot dispense with the Law forbidding marriage betwixt Uncle and Niece He cannot make Laws to authorize murther It is the First Part of his happinesse to be able to Will only that which is Good Just and Holy the Second in that he hath absolute power to do whatsoever he will in heaven and earth 8. Men and Angels in their first Creation had a true image of this their Creators Happinesse and Freedom And this image of their Freedom did consist in a power or facultie of Willing only such things as were good and pleasing to their Creator Secondly in a power or facultie of Framing their inferior desires or appetities of Sense of squaring all their actions and endeavours acording to the rectitude or Rule of their Reasonable will But this Power or facultie wherewith both Men and Angels at their first Creation were endued was in respect of both its objects or branches as well in respect of willing only that which was Good as of their ability to do what they would mutable or contingent It was not Essential to them as to God Though Man by Right of Creation was truly Free Yet he had a true possibility of losing his Freedom a greater possibility of ceasing to be a Freeman then of ceasing to be a man As he was created after Gods image he was actually and truly indued with Freedom But as he was a man created of nothing he was capable of Servitude And by his folly or wilful presumption he brought himself and his posterity into Bondage unto Satan Who by the like but greater presumption and more wilful abuse of his Free-will or power over himself did bring himself and his Confederate Angels into greater and more desperate Servitude unto sin and wickednesse then he could draw our first Parents unto albeit he drew them into true and proper Servitude and to this day draws all such as seek not to be set Free by Christ in this acceptable time which is allotted here on Earth into absolute compleat and desperate Servitude into such an irrecoverable estate as he and his Angels are in CHAP. XVIII of the several branches of Servitude unto sin 1. THe principal Branches or stems of this our Servitude unto Sin are Four The First an Impotency or want of power of doing that which we would or a necessitie of not doing that which Reason and our own Conscience tels us to be Good The degrees or Latitude of the First Second Third and Fourth Branches of Servitude unto sin or that which the word of God expresly requires at our hands as a due Service unto our Creator and Redeemer The degrees or Latitude of this branch must be taken from the necessity of the duty or precept Commanding obedience and from the degrees of our impotency or want of ability to do what is commanded which sometimes grows into a Necessity of Non-performance The Second branch of our Servitude consists in a necessity of doing what we would not that is of doing that in the Particular which we utterly dislike in the General as being contrary to the Rule of Reason or to the dictate of our Consciences in our sober and retâ—red thoughts or contrary to the expresse word of God which ought to be the Rule
Ambitio vigila cicer ingere largè Rixanti populo Honour of Superiority or Soveraignty over others which sems to be the most Free yet even This as by instance he proves is a hard an imperious and cruel Mistress unto him that entertains her best Not One of an Hundred that hunts after Honour or Preferment but hath more then ten Masters to One for every servant that he keeps As for the inordinate desires of wealth of Lands or inheritance they are no parts of a †Rather of a Mad-man sayes Horace Serm. l. 2. Sat. 3. Dum doceo insanire omnes Vos ordine adite Danda est Hellebori multo pars maxima avaris Nescio an Anticyram ratio illis destinet omnem c. See Hor. Serm. l. 1. Sat. 1. And Juvenal Sat. 10. v. 10 Sed plures nimia congesta pecunia cura Strangulat Freeman but the properties of a base or sluggish Servant But which is worst of all After excessive desires have got the victory over our souls they bring in a new Lord or cruel Master worse then themselves that is Fear or Terror arising from the Consciousness of Sin into which there is no excessive or immoderate desire though it be of things in themselves not unlawful but will in the end plunge our Souls when we shall as one day we must call our Souls unto an Account for our Expence of time and imployments These and the like Paradoxes as Tully himself did foresee they would be esteemed no better were Dogmatically avouched by †Horace his live Characters of true Slaves Serm. l. 2. Sat. 7. See Persius his imitation of Horace in This as he does in other passages very much Sat. 5. v. 85. c. In his Dialogue betwixt Dama a slave lately and a Stoick D. Liber Ego Sto. Unde datum hoc sinnis tot subdite rebus An Dominum ignoras nisi quem vindictarelaxat incus in jecore aegro Nascuntur Domini sc pigritia Avaritia libido Ambitio à quibus Duplici in diversum scinderis hamo Hunccine an hunc sequeris subeas alternus oportet Ancipiti obsequio Dominos alternus obertes Nec tu cum obstiteris semel instantique negaris Parere Imperio Rupi jam vincula dicas Nam luctata Canis nodum abripit at tamen illi Dum fugit à collo trahitur pars longa catenae See his Dialogue there v. 161. between Davus and Chaerestratus taken out of Menander Horace in the Age following under the Person of a Roman slave or Bondman 3 Davus whom this witty Poet brings in Acting the one part of a Satyrical Dialogue with his Master according to the Ancient custome of the Romans by which their Slaves were authorized to use Liberty of speech more then Civil in their Saturnal or December Feasts first taking this General as granted That all men at Least the Romans were true Slaves divides them into Two Sorts or kinds Pars hominum vitiis gaudet constanter urget Propositum pars multa natat modò recta capessens Interdum pravis obnoxia saepe notatus Cum tribus annellis modo laevâ Priscus inani Vixit inaequalis clavum ut mutaret in horas Aedibus ex magnis subitò se conderet undè Mundior exiret vix libertinus honestè Jam maechus Romae jam mallet doctus Athenis Viveâ—e Vertumnis quotquot sunt natus iniquis Scurra Volanerius postquam illi justa Chiragra Contudit arâ—iculos quipro se tolleret atque Mitteret in pyrgum talos mercede diurnâ Conductum pavit Quanto constantior idem In vitiis tanto levius miser ac prior illo Qui jam ontento jam laxo fune laborat c. sinusquam es forte vocatus Ad caenam laudas securum olus ac velut usquam Vinctus eâ—s ita te felicem dicis amasque Quòd nusquam tibi sit potandum Jusserit ad se Mecaenas serum sub lumina prima venire Convivam Nemon ' oleum feret ocyus ecquis Audit cum magno blate as clamore fugisque Milvius scurrae tibi non referenâ—a precati Discedunt Etenim fateor me aixerit ille Duci ventre levem nasum nidore supinor Imbecillus iners si quid vis adde popino c. O toties servus quae Bellua ruptis Cum sâ—mel effugit reddit se prava catenis Túâ—e mihi Dominus rerum impertis hominumque Tot tant sque minor quem ter vindicta quaterque Imposita haud unquam misera formidine privet eripe turpi Colla jugo libâ—r Liber sum Dic age Non quîs Vâ—get enim Dominus mentem non lonis acres Subjectat lasso stimulos versatque negantem Tu mihi qui imperitas aliis servis mâ—ser atque Ducer is ut nervis altenis mobile lignum c. Adde quod idem Non horam tecum esse potes nonotia rectè Ponere teque ipsum vitas fugiâ—ivus erro Jam vino quaerens jam somno fallere curam Frustra Nam comes atra premit sequiturque fugacem 4. The First sort did constantly delight in some one or few vices The other being of better Birth were fluctuant between Vertue or Civil Honestie and base vices Modo recta capessens Interdum pravis obnoxia c. He instanceth in one Priscus who was never Uniform to himself much lesse conformable to any constant Rules of good Life sometimes wearing three Rings on his Left hand with other Cognizances of his Gentility or ingenuous Birth sometimes not so much as one Ring upon either hand nor observing any other Garbe or token of Gentility Oftentimes having touched at some great Senators or Noble-mans House in a Robe befitting his calling would instantly change his Habits and hide himself in such base houses as no cleanly Libertine that is as we say a Free-man of the First Head would willingly be seen to go in or come out of For the other Part of this Slaves division of men he instanceth in one Volanerius an old Sinkanter or Gamester and Scurrilous Companion by profession who was so delighted in this accustomed trade of Life that after the Gout had so hammered and bemaul'd his joynts that he could not so much as finger a Pair of Dice did hire a Slave to take them up and throw them for him This man in this Slaves opinion was so much lesse wretched or base then the former Gentleman Priscus by how much he was more uniform to himself and more constant in his wonted course of Life whereas the other was perpetually tossed between contrary inclinations as if he had been sometimes so hard tied that he could not but stand upright oftner let Loose to fall foul or groveling 5. The Hypothesis or issue of this sawcy Thesis or Generality was this That the Gentleman Priscus did represent his Lord and Master as Volanerius did Davus himself who by his own acknowledgement was constantly addicted to one or two of his Masters bad qualities vet
well doing should undoubtedly be rewarded according to their Works that all such as continue in impious or ungodly Courses shall treasure up Wrath against the Day of Wrath and bring a Necessity upon themselves of being Everlastingly tormented 2. The Stoicks first and after them the Manichees did oppose this Heavenly Doctrine by maintaining a strange and more then Brutish Opinion which had been hatched before our Saviour Christ was born to wit That all Effects or Events whether contrived by men or otherwise projected by Nature it self did fall out by an Indispensable and Unconquerable Necessity The Necessary Issue of this Doctrine as was apprehended by all Christian Antiquity did amount thus high See S. August 1 Tom. 3. Books de lib. Arb. 7 Tom. L. de lib. Arb. Gra. c. 2. Quomodo jubet Deus si non est Liberum Arbitrium That all those Exhortations to repentance to sanctity or to newness of life and to the practise of Good works Moral or Spiritual whether these were given to us men by our Saviour Christ or by his Apostles had been better directed to Horse or Mule or other more Docile Reasonlesse Creatures then unto the unregenerate Man from whom to take away all Freedom of Will as Fate or Necessity doth were to make him a Degree Lower and place him in an Estate or Condition of life much worse then the most foolish or most noisom Reasonlesse Creatures do by their Creators Bounty enjoy 3. S. Chrys 1. Tom. Hom. 62. Orat. 2. de Fato sayes that A Fatalist cannot be saved The Ancient Fathers of the first and best Ages Justin Martyr Origen Athanasius Nyssen Jerom c. did so zealously intend the Extirpation of this Heresie or rather Heathenish Infidelity which necessarily deprived men whether regenerate or unregenerate of all Freedom of Will in what Action soever that they seldom mentioned the Use or necessity of Grace for performance of Actions truly Good For this as some have well observed was impertinent to the Question then only agitated betwixt Them Gracelesse men Stoicks ☜ I mean or Manichees They only sought to fortifie the Sentence Contradictory unto these Blasphemous Tenents Concerning the Absolute Fatality of Humane Actions whether Good or Bad. Now Pelagius having observed that such of these Reverend Fathers as lived and writ before him did say little or sometimes nothing for Magnifying of Grace but exceeding much and very well for establishing some kind of Free-Will in men more then is to be found in beasts took hence Occasion to exalt Free-will and depresse Grace even whilest the Controversie was about the Concurrence of Gods Free Grace and mans Free-will a Point not thought of amongst Christians in Primitive Times it being then taken as granted by all Tolle Liberum Arbitrium non erit Quod Tolle Gratiam Liberam non erit Quo Salvetur Tolle Liberum Arbitrium quomodo Deus judicabit Tolle Gratiam quomodo Salvabit mundum Epist. 1. ad Valentin Tom. 7. that however Free-Will be Necessary unto salvation a Quality without which a man is neither capable of Reward nor Punishment yet the only Cause of mans Redemption from Servitude to sin or of Salvation by such Redemption was the Free-Grace of God as it issues from the Sole Fountain of Life and Grace The Man Christ Jesus God Incarnate 4. Pelagius having drawn the one Scale of this Dispute so far awry on the one side did provoke certain Monks in Africk whose Founder or principal Benefactor was one Valentinus to wrest the other Scale as far amisse on the otherside and to jump with the Stoicks or Manichees Opinion This stirred up the spirit of that most Learned Father of those times I mean for Rational or Scholastick disputes S. Austin to attempt the drawing of a Middle Line between these Two Extravagancies or Extremities which he oftentimes performed with a steady and constant hand yet sometimes too often if so it had pleased the Lord did faulter Since his death not only the fore-mentioned Difficultie Concerning The Compossibility of Gods Free Grace and mans Free-Will but the very true and punctual meaning of this Learned Moderator hath been by his Followers whether Fathers Schoolmen or Others so meanly Tufted and so unskilfully hunted after as a Man that would take pains to read them may fitly apply that Conceit which a pleasant Wit entertained of a Text forsaken by the Preacher or profest Handler of it to the true State of the main Question Concerning Freedom of Will that is A march Hare might have sit upon it and never have been started for all the barking and bauling of Contrary Factions or opposite Sectaries some Three or Four not so well esteem'd or seconded as they deserved only excepted 5. One Principal Reason of so little Speed and lesse good Successe in this Search hath been because the most of such as have undertaken this Task usually took no more of the main Controversie into due consideration then did lie just under their Level or between them and the Scope at which they aimed And that was if not only yet principally the Confutation of others Errors or Heretical Doctrine an attempt which seldom finds any good Atchievance unlesse it be managed with much discretion with moderation of passions or affections Nor will this suffice unlesse the Party thus qualified be enabled with Good Literature distinctly to set down the true and Positive Grounds of that Truth about whose meaning or extent Questions usually arise or to resolve the several Branches of Controversies moved into their first Stems roots or seeds He that will adventure to write or speak of Election Reprobation or Predestination before he be so well instructed in the Grounds of Philosophy both Natural and Moral as to understand the Nature Properties and several Stems of Free-Will or to make search after all or any of these before he clearly know what Necessity and Contingency are wherein they differ or how they sometimes intermingle or the one of them grow into the other shall as too Many in our times have done so Crosse-shackle himself with Ramistical Pot-Hooks or Dichotomies that he shall be inforced either to stumble or enterfere at every second or third step For avoiding this inconvenience into which I had from my Youth observed many otherwise Learned Writers through want of skill in true and solid Logick but especially in Philosophy to fall I have premised what I hope was rightly conceived concerning the fore-mentioned Fundamental Points of †See His sixt Book of Com. or Attributes part 2. Sect. 2. Fate Necessity and Contingency And by help of those Principles as clearly as the matter would suffer heretofore discuss'd at large I trust I shall be able to treat of this present Argument of Free-Will and hereafter of Predestination so farr as is fitting or shall be permitted me by Authority Consequently to mine own Grounds or Positions without enterfering or stumbling in my course without crossing or trenching upon
mouth in prayer and make Supplication for his Sins When the Great Lord will he shall be filled with the Spirit of Vnderstanding Eccl. â—9 5. 6. Oh how much better had it been for us to have had our hearts filled with this Spirit the Spirit of Comfort than to have our Dwellings as now they are possessed with Grief and Heaviness and the whole People inraged with Jealousies with Furious Zeal and discontent Now all this is come upon Us for no one Sin more more for this one then for all the rest I mean our negligence in frequenting the House of God at those times or our ill imployment of those vacant times which Authoritie had sequestred and set apart for Solemne Prayer and Thanksgiving 10. Put here the Reader will remember and perhaps Challenge me either of Forgetfulnesse or of Breach of Promise for not discussing the Third General proposed Chapt. 28. Number â—2 which was The exact Limitation of these Two Propositions If ye live after the flesh ye shall die If through the Spirit ye do Mortifie the Deedes of the Body ye shall Live My Apologie must be This That haveing taken some more Paines in this Point then in the rest Concerning Mortification I find the Limitation so inwrapt with the true State of the Question Concerning Election and Reprobation that I cannot touch the One but I must handle the Other and for this Reason have Deferrâ—d not Forgotten See the Appendix at the End of this Book the Determination of the Third Point untill I have finished what I have Long Conceived of the Points Concerning Election Reprobation or Predestination Points as I have often intimated in publick Meditations of more easie and facil Resolution then most other Controversies in Divinitie if so we would take these Termes Election Reprobation c. as we ought to do in their Passive or Concrete Sense But if we take them in the Active or Abstract Sense or as they are Acts in God their Determination is to Mankind even to General Councils altogether Impossible yea to Attempt this work is either an undoubted Spice of Phrenetical Pride or an infallible Symptom of Divine Infatuation CHAP. XXXVI Containing the Scope or Summe of what hath been said Concerning Free-Will and the Service of it in the Dutie of Mortification 1. Needlesse Speculations about Free-will c. Chief Occasions of our Negligence in Good Practises THe utmost Ayme or Final Cause of all these former Discussions was to make them an Introduction unto the Second part of the Knowledge of Christ and of him Crucified and of his Resurrection from the dead and Sitting at the right hand of the Father that is in a word How he doth set us Free Indeed from the Servitude of sin and Satan The Second End and most immediatly subordinate to this purpose was to provoke or rouz up our spirits to shake off that slumber which hath possessed a great part of the Christian World specially since those Vnfortunate Controversies betwixt the Jesuits and Dominicans and the like betwixt the Lutherans and the Zwinglians or Calvinists set forth of late in a new dress between the Arminians and the Gomarists have so contentiously been debated The only Issue of which debates amongst the Learned hath been to bring their Auditors or Readers to a Gaze or Stand and to Cause them to make a Sinister use of that Maxim in Law Lite pendente nihil fit whilst the ☜ Controversie has been under debate nothing has been done even in Duties most necessary to their Salvation Both Parties how great soever the disagreement betwixt them hath been have agreed too well in this Resolution aut otiosos esse aut quod pejus est nihil agere either to be altogether Idle or which is worse to take a great deale of paines to no purpose in reading much and resolving to do nothing untill the Controversie betwixt Grace and Nature were fully determined and the Bounds or Meere-Stones betwixt Gods Part and Mans Part be set forth that we might Punctually know what he is willing or would be pleased to do and what we may and ought to do for working out our own Salvation or for being made Free Indeed by the son of God 2. The Points useful for clearing this business are but Two And both of them have been handled before The Summe of the Former in Brief was this What Freedome of will may be conceived Compatible with absolute Servitude to sin and Satan The Answer in Brief * was This See chapt 24. That without some Portion of Free-Will even in the natural and unregenerate man all the Admonitions Given by our Saviour in the 8 th of St. Johns Gospel unto the Jewes or afterwards by his Apostles to both Jewes and Gentiles had been much better bestowed on Bruit Beasts whether wilde or tame nay even upon stocks and stones then upon men For the true reason why Bruit Beasts or other Creatures cannot be Servants is because they are not endowed with Reason or which is all one with some Free-Will Everie Civil Servant or Slave hath as Free a Will as his Master hath Sometimes a great * See the notes at the end of this Chapt. deal more Free The Essential Difference betwixt them is this That a Servant hath no Liberum Arbitrium no power or Arbitrement to dispose of his own Actions or imployments according to his own Free-Will or choyce but according to the Free-Will or appointment of his Master Briefly and more Punctually thus It were impossible there should be any such Servum Arbitrium or true Servitude unto sin as Luther contended for where there is not Libera Voluntas such Freedome of Will as we now treat of And this was all that Erasmus did conclude or I take it did intend to make good against him It was an oversight in Luther and in most of his Followers Learned Chemnitius only excepted not to distinguish inter Liberum Arbitrium Liberam Voluntatem Vid. Chem. Comm. in Melan. de Libero Arbit Sive ut Chemnitius agnoscit Luculentiorem esse Titulum de Viribus Humanis 3. The Second usefull Point is to know What Branch of Free-Will either the Natural man before he come to profess Christianity or Christian Children Baptized are bound in the first place to exercise To this The Answer is easie and hath alreadie been given before * Chapt. 25. ch 29. That every Christian Child or other Capable of being Catechized are in the first place bound to exercise that part of Free will whereby mankind is radically and primarily distinguished from bruit beasts that is the Freedom or power of Reflecting upon their own thoughts or Actions or upon Others advice or Counsel for casting off the yoke of Servitude to sin Now the greater Impotencie or want of Power any man finds in himself to sett himself Free or to do well the greater Opportunitie and better Motives he hath to beseech God and the Son of God our
Citie of Edessa where this fell out that all the World may see what we do See St. Greg. Nyssen in vita S. Ephr. els I shall not Consent to your desire The Woman starling at this and answering That it would be an open shame to do such a thing in the sight of men The holy man reply'd if she was afraid of the Eyes of men how much more ought she to fear and shame to do it in the sight of God which Correption of his made such an impression upon the woman that she of a Concubine became a Convert See here a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Live Draught of Vertues The other was only as S. Basil Terms it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet such a shadow as may be to us Beneficiall and Compared to the New light of our Modern Good works is a Pillar of Fire The 2. Note relating to Pag. 3115. Some Actions are required in us that Grace may be Created in us I might save my self the labour of saying any thing to this Point by referring my Reader to this Authors Soul-searching Treatise of Justifying Faith 3. Section p. in quarto 278. where he shews that This belief of ours That Faith is the Sole gift of God wholly infused not in part acquired by us should rather quicken then quell Christian Endeavours for attaining it As this Beliefe that God alone infuses the Soule into the Embryo incourages them that intend to be Parents according to the Tenor of Ps 128. Appointed by our Church to be used at Marriages to enter the Holy estate and ascend the undefiled Bed And the Comparison suits well thus As God who can raise Children from the Rock does not infuse the the Rational Soul into Stones and Statues but into Organiz'd Bodies so doth he not ordinarily bestow Grace on every Reasonable Soul but on such only as have a passive Idonietie thereto And as those Parents upon whose Offspring depends the Nursing of Gods people are tyed to be more Cautious then others Even so they that attribute the most to that Fundamental Grace of Faith none can give enough to it The Solifidian that gives it most in words in deeds takes most from it are most obliged to teach men to use all possible meanes to seek the best Instruments of believing planters waterers helpers of Faith above all to sue to God to give the Increase to Chear men up to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling Philip. 2. 13. because it is God that works both will and deed Yet shall I adde de proprio A word to those that have scarce the patience to hear of any thing prerequired in man unconverted that Grace may be Created in him My Argument with such an Adversarie is this Let us take a Polemo that is pro tempore à Ganeo non tantum illecebris sed ipsa infamia Gaudens Vpon this man we desire the work of the Lord by our Ministery may be prosperous We must either tell him that there is something required of him in this present State unconverted as he is and so set him a Taske or that nothing at all is expected from him These two be Points Contradictorie Diametrally there is no Mean betwixt them I say that of this man Something is required The first minimum quod sic is Reflecting upon his own actions Or I would read to him the 18. of Ezekiel and the Law writ in his Conscience Next I would Apply some of Gods words spoke by the Prophets to some sinfull people or person as Isa 1. 16. Wash you make you clean put away the Evill of your doings Cease to do Evil learn to do Good or that of S. James 4. 8. Draw nigh to God Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purisie your hearts ye double minded And would affirm that these words signify'd something were not Empty noises but Precepts and if Praecepts have some Duty correspondent To be perform'd by hâ—m to whom I layd them which is quod quaerimus that I would have done My Adversarie must say nothing is to be done It 's to no purpose for me to exhort or him to Try nothing can be done to purpose Now what will the poor Patient say men are naturally inclined to believe them that most ease and please their natures best The least Consequent of this Doctrine that he will or can make and that if he were a Good natur'd man too will be This why then I will betake my self to a Negative Idleness wrap my body in my arms sit still and wait the Good howr when Grace shall breath uppon me A 2. will say Go to them I will eat my meat with joy and take my portion of the things of this life till Tasts of a Better drop into my mouth from heaven A 3. may perhaps doe worse Wend to a tavern or worse place and make work for Grace with a Gracelesse Desperate hope that the more he sins the more Grace may when it Comes abound that quò scelerator eò gratiae vicinior If my Adversary says nay he must abstain from Lewd Courses we are half agreed is not that part the same with Esay's Cease to do evill If he maintain his Conclusion I have no more to say but to enter an Appeal to God this protestation to Man according to Sense of this Author That I disclaim all such dispositions preparations Endeavours as Cooperating to the production of Grace after the manner that Temperate behaviour concurreth to produce the Habit of Temperance or that natural qualities do to produce Forms meerly Physical And this will quit me from Pelagianism or Poperie But he shall never be able to free himself from the Errors of the Stoick or Manichees that holds it indifferent what works a man does before he be regenerate The 3. Note referrs to Pag. 3121. As a Heathen * Laert. lib. 6. man Confesseth I conceive he means Plinie Junior and therefore I have caused that 26. Epist of his 7th Book to be inserted here being loth to Charge the Margin with it there C. Plinius Maximo suo S. Nuper me cujusdam amici Languor admonuit Optimos esse nos dum infirmi sumus Quem enim insermum aut avaritia aut Libido sollicitat non amoribus servit non appetit honores opes negligit quantulumcúnque ut relicturus satis habet Tunc Deos tunc hominem esse se meminit Invidet nemini neminem miratur neminem despicit ac ne sermonibus quidem malignis aut attendit aut alitur Balnea imaginatur fontes Innoxiam beatámque destinat vitam Possum ergo quod pluribus verbis pluribus etiam voluminibus Philosophi docere Conantur ipse breviter tibi mihique praecipere ut tales esse Sani perseveremus quales nos futuros profitemur infirmi Vale. 4. Note relates to Pag. 3130. Every Slave hath as Free a Will as his Master Oft a great deal more free Seneca L. 3. de Beneficiis
Embassador Moses to play the After-game with such skill and circumspection that unless Pharaoh would give over in good time he should be sure to lose his own life and the life of his Princes or chief Commanders in War besides the loss of everie First-born Male in Egypt whether of man or beast besides the loss of the greatest part of that years revenew of the whole land of Egypt Pharaoh in all this process demeans himself first like a bold then like a wilful Chafeing Gamester who after once he have begun to Vie upon or provoke his adversarie resolves to Revie upon him and to provoke him further when the game is desperate as will further appear in his Answer to every severall Message delivered unto him from God by Moses and Aaron 11 The Summe or Abstract of the fourth Chapter contains Moses his debate with God or humble entreatie to be spared from this great Service in respect of his slowness of speech and insufficiencie as he took it to be his Embassador And in this mind he continued until God Himself did over aw him by His Authoritie and yet withall gently perswade him by Reason Then the Lord was very angry with Moses and said Do not I know Aaron thy brother the Levite that he himself shall speak for lo he cometh also forth to meet thee and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart Therefore thou shalt speak unto him and put the words in his mouth and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you ought to do And he shall be thy spokes-man unto the people and he shall be even he shalâ— be as thy mouth thou shalt be to him as God Chap. 4. 14 15 16. The Reason which specially moved Moses to undertake this Service is expressed ver 19. For the Lord had said unto Moses in Midian Go return to Egypt for they are all dead which went about to kill thee Then Moses took his Wife and his Sons and turned toward the Land or Egypt c. The instruction For his Embassage undertaken upon these Motives follows ver 21 22 23. And the Lord said unto Moses when thou art entred and come into Egypt again see that thou do all the wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand but I will harden his heart and he shall not let the people goe Then thou shalt say to Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord Israel is my Son even my First-born Wherefore I say to thee let my son go that he may serve me If thou refuse to let him go Behold I will slay thy Son even thy First-born This Passage containes the first mention either of Gods purpose or Prediction to harden the heart of Pharaoh 12. Exod. 4. 27. Upon Moses and Aarons meeting in the Mount of God not by humane compact or contrivance but by Gods special appointment and upon the sight of the miracles which God enabled Moses first to work in private the people of Israel believed that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and had looked down upon their tribulation And upon this Belief they bowed down and worshipped Exod. 4. 31. Now upon this Consent and obedience unto their Proposal Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh like Embassadors of State Let my people go that they may celebrate a feast unto me in the wildernesse And Pharaoh said who is the Lord that I should hear his voice and let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go c. Chap. 5. 12. Unless the former Bent of Pharaohs Pride and avarice had taken occasion to enlarge and stiffen it self from this fair Message delivered unto him he would not have returned that haughtie supercilious Answer unto Moses Gods Embassador and Aaron his Interpreter Moses and Aaron why cause ye the people to cease from their works get you to your burdens Chap. 5. ver 4. Nor was his Choler or Superciliousness only against Moses and Aaron but against the whole People of Israel on whose behalf God had made them his Embassadors For Pharaoh said furthermore behold much people is now in the Land and ye make them leave their burdens Therefore Pharaoh gave commandement the same day unto the Task-masters of the people and to their Officers saying Ye shall give the people no more straw to make brick as in time past but let them go and gather them straw themselves Notwithstanding lay upon them the number of brick which they made in time past diminish nothing thereof for they be Idle therefore they cry saying Let us go to offer sacrifice unto our God Lay more work upon the men and cause them to do it and let them not regard vain words Chapt. 5. ver 5 6 7 8 9. 13. That which did most discourage Moses from having any more to deal with Pharaoh was his Experience of his uninclineable disposition to any good Motion which he could make on the behalf of Gods People And this diffidence or backwardnesse in Moses received Nutriment from the wayward and grumbling disposition of the Israelitish People against him and Aaron after Pharaoh had given them a peremptory charge to perform the same task which they had done before when they had allowance of straw from the Egyptians Then the Officers of the children of Israel saw themselves in an evil case because it was said Ye shall diminish nothing of your brick nor of every daies task And they met Moses and Aaron who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh And they said unto them The Lord look upon you and judge because you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants to put a sword in their hand to slay us verse 19 20 21. After the Lord had given Moses more Special Instructions and new Encouragements Chapt. 6. vers 1. and laid a stronger Tie upon him and Aaron to deliver his Message unto Pharaoh then he did upon Pharaoh to obey it And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Go in speak unto Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel go out of his land And Moses spake before the Lord saying Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall Pharaoh hear me who am of uncircumcised lips And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel and unto Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt vers 10 11 12 13. Yet this Charge doth not altogether charm Moses his muttering for he takes up as it seems the same Note again vers 30. Then Moses said before the Lord Behold I am of uncircumcised lips and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me But perhaps this last Clause might be a meer Repetition of the former interserted by Moses the writer of this Storie rather then a Reiteration or resumption of
the former Complaint or matter of grievance Unto this Conjecture I should the more incline had not the Lord given Moses a Second Encouragement much different from the former immediately after the Repetition or Resumption mentioned Chap. 6. verse last For so it follows in the next words Chapt. 7. vers 1 2. Then the Lord said to Moses Behold I have made thee Pharaohs God and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send the children of Israel out of his land Here was a great Incouragement to undertake so hard a Service But what Incouragement could either Moses or Aaron take from the next passage of Gods Instructions or Declaration of His Will unto them verse 3 But I will harden Pharaohs heart and multiply my miracles and my wonders in the land of Egypt This is a Question worth the asking and the Resolution of it worth considering For that which most discouraged Moses from obeying the Lords commands was his suspicion or presumption that Pharaoh would not hearken to him nor regard his Signs as Aequivalent to Letters of Credence How then should he take heart and courage by knowing that perfectly which before he did but suspect or fear to wit that Pharaoh would not or that he could not hearken unto him Now thus much Moses could not but know from Gods own Declaration of his purpose to harden the heart of Pharaoh verse 3 4 c. And this Question will beget a Second on whose Resolution the clearing of the main Difficultie wil most depend This Second Question or Quaerie is What manner of Hardening the Lord meant in the fore-cited 3. verse Whether he meant a Positive and direct Hardening by way of Necessary Causalitie See Chapt. 42. Numb 4. or Physical Determination of Pharaohs Will or Spirit unto obstinacie or unrelenting stubbornnesse at least from the Date of Gods fore-mentioned Declaration of his will unto this purpose or a Privative or some other way 14 This Question is so Captious that it is uncapable of any One Punctual Answer whether Affirmative or Negative The best is that the whole Knot may be clearly dissolved by distinguishing the Differences of Times or several Treaties between Moses and Pharaoh In respect of the three or foure last Signes and the Treaties upon them This Affirmative Answer is Punctual Pharaohs heart was Positively hardened by God or rather infatuated by means extraordinary and altogether unusual unless in two or three like extraordinary Cases In respect of the Five or six first signs or miracles wrought by Moses and Aaron in the sight of Pharaoh This Negative Answer is as punctual Pharaohs heart was not hardened by God either Positively or directly much less Irresistibly The Means or manner how his heart became hardened were but Ordinarie only by Moses his Proposal of such Conditions unto him as his proud heart was naturally averse from and by pressing him to grant them in such a manner as would Provoke his avaritious mind to resist or deny them The true Tenor of Gods former Speech to Moses is but this This is the Answer to the former Question propounded in the 13. Paragraph What incouragement could either Moses If Pharaoh will not hearken unto thee nor let my people go upon the sight of the first signs and wonders which thou shalt be enabled to work before him and his people let not this dismay thee or make thee give over thy Charge for the longer he is or shall be in yeilding the greater will be thy victorie and his Case the harder For assure thy self in the end he shall be willing to let you go both he and his people shall intreat you to be gone out of their Coasts I will multiply my Signs so fast upon them that Egypt and all other Nations shall be taught to know who is the Lord even the Lord God of the Hebrewes and of Israel 15. All the Discouragements that Moses had either from Pharaoh from the Egyptians or from the Israelites are cured by This that God would break through all difficulties He would lay his hand on Egypt and bring forth his Armies and make the Egyptians c. know that He was the Lord. See Exod. 7. ver 4. 5. But more particularly to revise the Characters of Mosaical Expressions How Pharaohs heart upon the sight of Moses his signes and miracles became hardened by several degrees Upon the exhibition of the First Wonder which was the Turning of Aarons Rod into a Serpent it is thus written Chapt. 7. ver 13. So Pharaohs heart was hardened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he haâ—kened not to them as the Lord had said This Phrase Pharaohs heart was hardned may referre more properly to Aaron then unto God as the Agent if the speech be to be construed Personally or otherwise to Aarons Rod or to the Sign or Wonder it self in which to speak with due reverence unto the truth there was no such extraordinary force as would have inclined an unregenerate mans heart though by nature and habit no way so stubborn as Pharaohs was to have yeilded forthwith to Moses's requests or demands seeing the Magicians of Egypt did the like This only may be said and it is all that can be said to the contrary that the devouring of the Magicians rods turn â— d into serpents by Aaronâ— rod first so turnd was very ominous so ominous as the observation of it could not but either mollify or harden Pharaohs heart as perhaps it did both according to the several times or vicissitudes of reflecting upon it For his heart and desires being once drawn a little from their natural Bent by the sight of this Wonder but not fully broken must either stand at the Point to which they were drawn or return with greater violence to their former station The Lord speaking in His own Person to Moses ver 14. saith not I have hardened Pharaohs heart but Pharaohs heart is hardened he refâ—seth to let the people go which can imply no other hardening then such as did result or rebound upon the sight or consideration of the wonder Upon the exhibition of the second Sign to wit the turning of the waters of Pooles and Rivers into bloud which was somewhat more fearful then the former Moses his expression of Pharaohs disposition is Impersonal ver 22. And Pharaohs heart was hardened And it was no extraordinarie wonder that his hart should be hardned again in such a sense or after such a manner as it was upon the sight of the first Wonder seeing the Magicians or sorcerers did the like Thus much only may seem extraordinarie or to carrie a great deal of odds on Moses and Aarons behalf in that this plague could not be removed by any Magicians Spell or skill in sorcerie but onely by Mose's prayers unto God This might well have wrought relentance in any ordinarie Heathen Prince which had but the
patience to take the circumstances into consideration But the Holy Ghost to my apprehension gives the true reason why and by what means Pharaohs heart was at this time hardened verse 23. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house neither did he set his heart to this also And his not setting his heart to This Wonder with its circumstances did bring a necessitie upon him to have his heart hardened in some further degree then it had been with the First wonder But Pharaoh as we read was more terrified with the sight of the Froggs which notwithstanding the Egyptian Magicians did by sorcerie produce or at least which Pharaoh their Master was perswaded that they did produce But the Production could not be without his help nor the Perswasion but by his permission or sufferance who had enabled Moses to do this strange work In which This is most remarkable that Pharaoh should so earnestly entreat Moses and Aaron to remove this plague or to confine the Froggs unto the River onely verse 8. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Intreat the Lord that he may take away the froggs from me and from my people and I will let the people go that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord. And Moses is as readie to grant as Pharaoh was earnest to request this Favour of him verse 9 10 11. And Moses said unto Pharaoh Glorie over me that is you shall command me When shall I intreat for thee and for thy servants and for thy people to destroy the froggs from thee and thy houses that they may remain in the river onely And he said Tomorrow And he said Be it according to thy word that thou mayst know that there is none like unto the Lord our God And the froggs shall depart from thee and from thy houses and from thy servants and from thy people they shall remain in the river onely But this relentance in Pharaoh was but like the Divels vow to turn Monk in a languishing Fit but as soon as the Fit was off him as the Fable is he turned to his wonted Byas and became and so continues an erranter knave then he was before For so it follows verse 15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said This cannot be understood save onely of such an Indirect or Concomitant Obduration as hath before been expressed that is a Resumption of his former proud and avaritious Resolutions the Resultance of which could be no other but a measure of Induration so much greater then the former that had befallen him by how much the sight of the Froggs had mollified his heart more then the two former wonders had done Yet doth not Pharaoh upon the sight of any of these three bewray such a stubborn wilfull disposition as he did upon the exhibition of the Fourth Miracle which his Enchanters did plainly confess surpassed their skill Chapt. 8. 18 19. And the Magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice but they could not so there were lice upon man and upon beast Then the Magicians said unto Pharaoh This is THE FINGER OF GOD And Pharaohs heart was hardened and he hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said The finger of God then was remarkable in Working the Miracle which the Magicians could not but no way remarkable in hardning Pharaoh Nor is it either said or intimated that the Finger of God did harden Pharaohs heart but Pharaohs heart remained obstinate and he hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said verse 19. His not hearkening unto them was the cause of his Induration 16. But this Miracle of the lice was to Pharaoh more loathsome then terrible And for this reason haply he did not either so fairly or so earnestly intreat Moses and Aaron to pray for him as he had done upon the sight of the Froggs and as he straight way after did upon the noysome experience of the miraculous swarmes of Flies ver 21 22 23 24. And ver 25. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Go do Sacrifice unto your God in this Land The offer is so niggardly that Moses disdains to accept of it cannot so much as hear it without such Indignation as is exprest ver 26. It is not meet to do so for then we should offer unto the Lord our God that which is an abomination unto the Egyptians Lo can we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and they not stone us Notwithstanding all the former Documents of Gods power and wisedom in still over-reaching Pharaohs skill or Potencie Yet the Caitiffe out of covetousnesse seeks to drive his bargain as low as may be For when Moses was peremptory to go three dayes journey into the wildernesse to sacrifice Pharaoh yeilded somewhat more then he had done in the former Gâ—ant to witt that they might go into the wildernesse but as if he had known neither what to say nor what to do he instantly limits his Commission ver 28. And Pharaoh said I will let you go that you may sacrifice unto the Lord your God in the wildernesse But go not farr away And as if that had been the least part of his present intentions he adds immediately and as it were with the same breath Pray or Intreat for me And so Moses did as it follows ver 29. but with this Canonical and peremptorie Monition But let Pharaoh from henceforth deceive no more in not suffering the people to sacrifice unto the Lord. Upon his fraudulent contempt of this Peremptory monition the Lord begins to deale more severely with him and to proceed unto sentence and that a more dreadful one then had befallen him if he had not dealt so deceitfully as he did at this turn also for it follows ver 32. Yet Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also and did not let the people go Moses in his next Treatie repeates the summe of his first Embassage unto him and presseth him by thronging new plagues upon him to come to his tryal Chap. 9. ver 1 2 3. Then the Lord said unto Moses Go in unto Pharaoh and tel him Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews let my people go that they may serve me for if thou refuse to let them go and wilt hold them still Behold the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattel c. This word Ecce as in most other places is here a special Character of the speedy execution of the Plague that was threatened and of the remarkable manner how it was executed ver 4. And the Lord shall sever between the cattel of Israel and the cattel of Egypt and there shall nothing dye of all that is the Childrens of Israel And the Lord appointed a set time saying To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the Land And the Lord did that thing on the morrow and the cattel of Egypt died but of the cattel of the
after the same manner some good Writers maintain the universal Negative God never hardens positively but privatively only only by substracting or not granting Grace or other means of repentance or by leaving nature to the Bent of its inbred corruption Vide Lorinum in vers 51. cap. 7. Act. Apost pag. 322. Colum. 1. Others of as good note and greater desert in Reformed Churches better refute this defective Extreme than they express the Mean between it and the contrary extreme in excesse with the maintenance whereof they are deeply charged not by Papists only but by their brethren How often have Calvin and Beza c been accused by Lutherans as if they taught That God did directly harden mens hearts by infusion of bad qualities or That the production of a reprobate or impenitent temper were such an immediate or formal Term of his positive action as heat is of calefaction or drought of heat But if we take Privative and Positive Induration in this sense and set them so farr asunder the Division is altogether imperfect the former member comes as farr short of the Truth as the Latter overreacheth it God sometimes hardens some men neither the one way nor the other that is as we say in Schooles datur medium abnegationis between them And perhaps it may be as questionable whether God at any time hardens any man merè privativè as it is whether there can be Peccatum purae omissionis any sin of meer Omission without all mixture of Commission But with this question here or elsewhere we are not disposed to meddle God sometimes hardens privatively only being rather willing to grant what is confessed by all or most That he sometimes hardens privativè if not by meer substraction of Grace or utter denyal of other meanes of repentance yet so especially by these meanes as may suffice to verifie the truth of the Proposition usually received or to give the denomination of Privative hardning But many times he hardens Positivè not by infusion of bad qualities God usually hardens positively but not by his Irresistible Will but by disposing or inclining the Heart to goodness that is by communication of his favours and exhibition of motives more than ordinarie to repentance not that he exhibits these with purpose to harden but rather to mollifie and organize mens hearts for the receiving of Grace The natural effect or purposed issue of the Riches of Gods Bounty is to draw men to repentance But the very attempt or sway of meanes offered provokes hearts fastned to their sinnes The manner of Gods positive hardening to greater stubborness in the Rebound Hearts thus affected treasure up wrath against the day of wrath in a proportioned measure to the riches of bountie offered but not entertained by them And such a Cause as God is of their treasuring up of wrath he is likewise of their hardening no direct no necessary Cause of either yet a Cause of both more than privative a positive cause by Consequence or Resultance not necessary or necessary only ex Hypothesi Meanes of repentance sincerely offered by God but wilfully rejected by man concurre as positively to induration of heart as the heating of water doth to the quick freezing of it when it is taken off the fire and set in the cold aire Both these Actions or rather both these qualities of heat and cold have their proper influence into this effect If a Physician should minister some physical drink unto his patient and heap clothes upon him with purpose to prevent some disease by a kindly sweat and the Patient throughly heated wilfully throw them off both may be said positive causes of the cold which would necessarily ensue from both actions albeit the Patient only were the true moral Cause or the only blame-worthy Cause of his own death or danger following Iust according to the importance of this supposition or similitude is the cause of hardening in many cases to be divided betwixt God and man The Israelites did harden their own hearts in the wilderness and yet their hearts had not been so hardened unless the Lord had done so many wonders in their sight In every wonder his purpose was to beget Beleife but through their wilfull unbeleife the best effect of his greatest wonders was induration and impenitencie Now as it suits not with the Rules of good manners for Physicians to tie a mans hands of discretion or place lest he may use them to his owne harm so neither was it consonant to the Rules of eternal equitie that God should necessitate the Israelites Wills to a true Beleif of his wonders or mollifie their hearts against their will that is He neither hardens nor mollifies their hearts by his Irresistible Will nor did he at all will their hardning but rather mollification 5. All this is true of Gods ordinary manner of hardning men or of the first degrees of hardning any man But Pharaohs Case is Extraordinary Pharaoh was hardned by Gods Irresistible Will Beza rightly inferrs against Origen and his followers that this hardening whereof the Apostle here speaketh was Irresistible that the party thus hardened was uncapable of repentance that God did shew signes and wonders in Egypt not with purpose to reclaim but to harden Pharaoh to drive him headlong into the snare prepared for him from everlasting All these Inferences are plain First that Interrogation Who hath resisted his Will is equivalent to the universal negative No man no creature can at any time resist his will That is according to the interpretation premised Whatsoever particular Gods Will is to have necessary or so to be as the Contrary or Contradictorie to it shall not be the Existence of it cannot be prevented or avoyded Now that God did in this peremptory manner will Pharaohs hardening is evident from the Emphasis of that message delivered unto him by Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen for this very purpose and for no other end in the world possible have I raised thee up that I might shew in thee my power and his power was to be shewed in his hardening For from the Tenor of this message the Apostle inferres the latter part of this Conclusion in the Text Whom he will he hardneth yea he so hardneth as it is impossible they should escape it Whether Pharaoh were an absolute reprobate or created to be Hardened or his judgments due unto it In all these collections Beza doth not erre Yet was Beza with reverence be it spoken more fowly to blame then this filthy Writer for so it pleaseth him to entitle Origen in that he referres these threatnings For this very purpose have I raised thee up that I may shew my power in thee not only unto Pharaohs Exaltation to the crown of Egypt as I think Origen did but we need not we may not grant but to his Extraction out of the womb yea to his first Creation out of the dust as if the Almighty had moulded him by his
was now by Gods decree irrevocable I have heard of a Malepert Courtier who being rated of his Soveraign Lord for committing the third murther after he had been graciously pardoned for two made this saucy Reply One man indeed I killed and if the Law might have had its course that had been all For the death of the second and of the third your Highness is to answer God and the Law Our Apostle being better acquainted then we are with the forementioned Circumstances of time and with the manner of Pharaohs hardening foresaw the malepert Jew or Hypocrite especially when Pharaohs Case came in a manner to be their own would make this or the like saucie Answer to God If Pharaoh after the time wherein by the ordinary course of justice he was to dye were by Gods special appointment not only reprived but suffered to be more out-ragious than before yea imboldened to contemn Gods Messengers the ensuing evils committed by him and the miseries which by his stubbornness befall the Egyptians may seem to be more justly imputed unto God than unto him at least the former expostulation might seem now altogether unseasonable 9. The Apostles first Answer to the former Objection explicated To this Objection our Apostle opposeth a two-fold Answer First he checks the sauciness of the Replicant Nay but O man who art thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui Deo respondes saith the Vulgar Beza as he thinks more fully qui responsas Deo our English better than both that replyest against God The just and natural Value of the Original doubly compounded word will best appear from the circumstances specified First God by Moses admonisheth Pharaoh to let his people go But he refuseth Then God expostulateth with him As yet exaltest thou thy self against my people that thou wilt not them go The Objection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made by the Hypocrite is as a Rejoynder upon Gods Reply to Pharaoh for his wonted stubbornness or as an Answer made on his behalf or others in his Case unto the former Expostulations For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Respondenti respondere to Rejoyn upon a Reply or Answer Now this Rejoynder to speak according to the Rules of modestie and good manners was too saucie out of what mans mouth soever it had proceeded For what is man in respect of God any better than an artificial body in respect of the Artificer that makes it or then an earthen vessel in respect of the Potter Now if we might imagine a base vessel could speak as Fables suppose beasts in old time did and thus expostulate with the Potter When I was spoiled in the making why didst thou rather reserve me to such base and ignominious uses than throw me away especially when others of the same lump are fitted for commendable uses it would deserve to be appointed yet to more base or homely uses For a By-stander that had no skill in this facultie for the Potters Boy or Apprentise thus to expostulate on the Vessels behalf with his father or Master would argue ignorance and indiscretion The Potter at least would take so much authority on him as to reply I will appoint every vessel to what use I think fit not to such use as every idle fellow or malepert Boy would have it appointed Now all that our Apostle in this similitude intends is that we must attribute more unto the Creators skill and wisdom in dispensing mercy and judgment or in preparing vessels of wrath and vessels of honour than we do unto the Potters judgment in discerning clay or fitting every part of his matter to it 's right and most commodious use Yet in all these The Potter is judge saith the Author of the Book of Wisdom Wisdom 15. 7 That very vessel which ministred the matter of this similitude to our Apostle Jer. 18. 4. was so marred in the Potters hand as he was inforced to fashion it again to another use than it was first intended for That it marred in the first making was the fault of the clay So to fashion it anew as neither stuffe nor former labour should be altogether lost was the Potters skill And shall we think our Apostle did intend any other Inference from this Similitude then the Prophet from whom he borrowes it had made to his hand O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel Jer. 18. 6. 10. The true and full Implication is thus much and no more Albeit God sought to prepare them to glorie yet had they a possibilitie or libertie utterly to spoile themselves in the making Howbeit if so they did he was able to form them again to an end quite contrary unto that whereto he first intended them So the Prophet explicates himself vers 9 10. And here we must request our Reader alwaies to remember that the Apostle compares God not to a Phrantick or Phantastick Potter delighted to play tricks to his losse as to make a vessel scarce worth a grâ—at of that piece which with the same ease and cost might be made worth a shilling only to shew his Imperial Authoritie over a piece of clay He Imagineth such a Potter as the Wise man did that knowes a reason why he makes one vessel of this fashion another of that why he appoints this to a base use that to a better albeit an unskilful By-stander could perhaps discern no difference in the stuff or matter whereof they are made The summe then of our Apostles intended Inference is this As it is an unmannerly point for any man to contest or wrangle with a skilfull Artificer in his own facultie of whom he should rather desire to learn with submission so it is damnable presumption for any creature to dispute with his Creator in matters of Providence or of the worlds regiment or to debate his own case with him thus Seeing all of us were made of the same Masse I might have been graced as others have been with wealth with honour with strength with wisdom unless thou hadst been more favourable to them then to me Yet that which must quell all inclination to such secret murmurings or presumptuous debates is it our stedfast Belief of his Omnipotent Power or absolute Will No but of his infinite Wisdom Equitie and Mercie by which he disposeth all things even mens infirmities or greatest crosses to a better end in respect of them so they will patiently submit their wils to his than they could hope by any other meanes to atchieve 11. In what sense Gods Will is said to be the absoulte infallible Rule of equitie or justice Gods Will to have mercie on some and to harden others or howsoever otherwise to deal with men is in this sense most absolute Whatsoever we certainly know to be willed by him we must acknowledge without examination to be truly good Whomsoever we assuredly believe
the ninth Book Sect. 6. Chap. 39. the Manner of his sitting there being no Article of our Faith nor any of the most useful Appertenances as I conceive it to that Grand Mysterie of his exaltation as Man above all Powers and Principalities St. Austins answer unto Dardanus who as farr as my reading serves me first moved that Curious Question which of late hath much troubled the Church Whether Christs sitting at the Right hand of God the Father include any VBIQVITARIE PRESENCE of his Humanitie doth very well satisfie me and I intreat the Ingenuous Reader it may for this time suffice him till it please God that he see more * In the 11. Book not yet printed The Summe of this Reverend Fathers Answer is That the Session of Jesus Christ the Son of God at the Right hand of the Throne of Majestie is to be extended neither further nor shorter then to the place or heavenly places whence he shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead From much better Authoritie then St. Austin's or any Visible Church Representative here on Earth either in or since his time we are taught and enjoyned to believe That the Son of God by whom the world was made sitteth now in Our Nature at the right hand of the Almighty Creator and that this his Seat is in the Heavenly Sanctuaries which are not made with hands as the first Tabernacle in the wildernesse and as the Temple at Jerusalem were that He sitts there as the High Priest of our Soules continually exercising his Function for accomplishing the Redemption or Freedom of all such as are Capable of it giving all men a Competent Time the definite extent whereof is only known to God and to himself for their Repentance and Conversion unto him Only thus much we know indefinitely that there he shall Sitt as our High Priest untill the Enemies of his Gospel and despisers of his Priesthood be made his Footstoole that is untill the Iniquitie of the retchless part of Mankind and the number of such as are Predestinated unto Eternal life be accomplished This Glass being runne he will appear as King to give Royall Sentence upon all such as shall be alive at his coming or have been dead before and render to every man according to his Works Thus much we may learn from our Apostle in the eighth and ninth Chapters of that Divine Epistle to the Hebrews which I have proposed as my Guide or Mapp for my safe Conduct through this Treatise Concerning the Power and continual Exercise of Christs Priesthood in his heavenly Sanctuary CHAP. XLIV The Coherence of the eighth Chapter to the Hebrews with the seven preceding and two following The Exact Proportions or Parallels Betwixt the Mundane Tabernacle with the two Sanctuaries therein and the Coelestial with those in it betwixt the Manner or Rites in the Consecration of the One and the other Betwixt the High Priests of the Old Testament and Christ our only High Priest of the New intimated in This explicated in the following Chapters HEBR. CHAP. VIII Verse 1. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Summe we have such an High Priest who is sett on the Right hand of the throne of Majestie in the Heavens Verse 2. A minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man 1. THese words have a double Reference The One unto that which he had said in the seven Chapters Precedent The Other unto some Passages following in this eighth ninth tenth c Of the Doctrinal Parts of the seven Chapters precedent and of the Mysteries contained in them it hath been my Lot to treat in former Bookes of these Commentaries and as the matters handled in them did minister occasion upon a great part of the first Chapter upon some principal passages in the second and third upon the most part of the fifth sixth and seventh the Reader may find what I did conceive to be most usefull for his instruction or meditation in the seventh eighth and ninth Bookes of these Commentaries 2. The Places whereunto the First Verse of this Eighth Chapter hath more special Reference are the foure first verses of the First Chapter God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his son whom be hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds c. Who when he had by himself purged our sinnes sate down on the right hand of the Majestie on high being made so much better then the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they c. But unto which of the Angels said he at any time sit on my right hand untill I make thine enimies thy footstool ver 13. Another place whereunto the same words Chap. 8. 1. referre most to be observed as a principal Pillar of our Beleife concerning the heavenly Sanctuary wherein Christ sits on the right hand of God is that Chap. 6. ver 19. 20. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus made an High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck 3. With this last passage of Chap. 6 the Mysteries contained in the in the 8 9 and tenth chapters do most immediatly accord Mysteries I am bold to style them though some interpreters make them no more then Metaphors or unhandsom Rhetorical Tropes because the matters contained in them are expressd in Divine Allegories which as hath been observed before do herein farre exceed Allegories meerely Rhetorical or concerning matters Secular in that they alwayes afford Concludent Proof that is true Arguments of Real Proportions The Principal Termes or Real Subjects of Proportions in the 8 and ninth chapters of this Epistle are these following The Earthly or mundan Tabernacle and the Coelestial The Two Sanctuaries contein'd in the Earthly Tabernacle and the Two Heavenly Sanctuaries which in proportion answer to them The several manner of Dedication or Consecration of all these Sanctuaries The several manner or Rites used in the Dedication of all these Sanctuaries The distinct Offices of the High-Priest and Ordinary Priests of the old Testament or Covenant and of the Onely High-Priest of the New 4. In the earthly Tabernacle framed and pitched by Moses and so likewise in the Temple of Ierusalem projected by David but finished and consecrated by Salomon his son there were Two Sanctuaries or Holy Places One into which the Ordinary Priests were by precept to enter every day The Other into which it was lawful for none save for the High-Priest alone to enter and that but Once every Year Now this earthly or mundane Tabernacle which contained these two Sanctuaries being erected by Gods special Command unto Moses according to the Patern which had been shewed him in the
And in this sense that of St. Ambrose with whose Expressions of this Mysterie many in our times have been altogether causelesly much offended when thou hadest overcome the sharpness of death thou didest open the kingdom of heaven to all Believers ought to be taken Nothing can be more plain or more Concludently proved from our Saviours own words and his Apostles Comments on them than this That The Kingdom of Heaven it self was not Erected was not established untill that Jesus whom the Jews had Crucifyed was made both Lord and Christ and placed as Man at the Right Hand of his Father 3. To dilate further upon this Point for this Present I dare not lest I should lose my way or forget to return to the other Parallel proposed to wit What heavenly Mansion or Sanctuary the first Part of the earthly Tabernacle or Court whereinto the ordinary Priests went every day did represent or foreshaddow I shall not trespass against any Article of Faith or Rule of interpreting Scriptures nor I hope offend any ingenuous Conscience by delivering my Opinion in a Point wherein the Scripture as I conceive is silent or which can neither be enforced upon Us as any part of Christian Belief nor be refuted by any Rule of Faith To my apprehension of our Apostles meaning Heb. 8. ver 5. That place or Mansion in the heavenly Tabernacle wherein Abraham Lazarus c. did rest before The Kingdom of heaven was set open to all Beleivers was That Place or Court which Atrium Sacerdotum the Court of the Priests in the first Tabernacle or in Salomons Temple did Picture out unto us Or if the soules of the Faithful were not admitted into That Place before Christs death we cannot allot a Lower or Outermer Mansion in heaven it self than that which Atrium Congregation is that is the Court of the Congregation in Salomons Temple whereinto the Congregation of Israel which were no Priests were admitted and taught by the Priests did represent However it be That heavenly Mansion or Sanctuary which in proportion truly answered to the Sanctuary or Court of Priests in the material Temple was no such happy Seat of Bliss before Christs Death as it was made by it For by his Bloud it was finally Consecrated or dedicated to be what now it is a True Temple which was the Second Parallel proposed CHAP. XLVI A Parallel betwixt the Rites of Dedicating the Tabernacle the Vessels c. with Bloud of Beasts And of Consecrating the Heavenly Places with the most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ 1. THe Place or Station for drawing this Parallel aright is Hebr. 9. Neither was the first Testament dedicated without Bloud For when Moses had spoken every Praecept to all the People according to the Law he took the bloud of Calves and of Goates with water and Scarlet wooll and Hyssop and sprinkled both the Book and all the people saying This is the bloud of the Testament which God hath enjoined unto you Moreover he sprinkled with bloud both the Tabernacâ— and all the vessels of the Ministerie And almost all things are by the Law purged with Bloud and without shedding of bloud is no Remission Ver. 18 19 20 21 22. All this he speakes according to the plain Litteral Sense of the Law concerning the Purifying or Consecrating of the Earthly Tabernacle with its Vessels or Implements The Mystical Sense or meaning of the Matters of Fact or Practises performed by Moses and Aaron when they consecrated the first Tabernacle with the bloud of Bullocks and Goates c. is litterally explained unto us by this our Apostle in the verses following It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purifyed with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these ver 23. These words admit no Metaphors or Tropes but have their proper and Real Logical Sense The Argument is most punctually Concludent The Similitude or paterns of heavenly things were purified with bloud therefore the heavenly things themselves that is the Caelestial Tabernacles were to be purged and consecrated with the bloud of Christ our high Priest which is now entred into them for our Sanctification and final Redemption To inquire what should become of all our Saviours bloud whether shed in his Agonie or upon the Cross will seem I know A Curious Question specially to slothful Students in Divinitie On the otherside it would argue a drowsie Fancie either voluntarily to imagine or to be by others perswaded That his most Precious bloud being shed in such abundance should be like water spilt upon the ground either swallowed up by the dry earth or mingled with dust or dispersed by the heat of the Sun and resolved into vapours Seeing every drop of it was truly The bloud of God It can be no Sin to suppose nay to believe that All of it was by his death made as his Body now is Immortal that All of it was preserved entire and sincere and brought either by his own immediate power or by the Ministery of his holy Angels into those heavenly Sanctuaries which were to be CONSECRATED by it to be the Seats or Mansions of everlasting bliss unto all true Believers and thus brought in at the time of his Entrance into Paradise in soule though not in Body which was immediately after he had commended his Spirit unto his heavenly Father 2. If unto all that hath been said in this Argument I should further adde That the most precious bloud of the Son of God which was shed for the Ransom of our Sins in the Garden or upon the Cross and brought into the Celestial Tabernacle upon his death whether reunited to his Glorified Body or glorified in it self and preserved apart from his body doth still retain an everlasting Efficacy for the daily Purifying of our hearts and working Sanctification in us I presume the Intelligent or ingenuous Reader will interpret this Assertion rather for a Point of speculation not much thought upon by others than any Paradox or Heterodoxal Doctrine of my own Invention But of the true Vertual presence or Real Operation of the Body and Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ upon our Soules in so great distance as is between the most high and most holy Celestial Sanctuary and these material Temples here on earth wherein we Celebrate and Solemnize the memorie of his Death and passion more punctually and more fully if God shall be pleased to give leave In the 11. Book hereafter All which I have here affirmed or intimated will uncontrollably follow from our Apostles Doctrine in this Epistle and from other Passages of his Fellow Apostles To begin with that of Heb. 9. 11 c. Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by the bloud of Goates and Calves but by his own bloud he entred in once into the holy place
those whose doctrin they Follow My purpose is onely to request my Brethren of the Church of England however for the present they stand affected in these poynts to take it into more deep and Logical Consideration then hitherto it hath been taken by English Preachers or Writers Whether According to Forrain Rigid Tenets of Predestination or of Gods absolute irrespective Decree for Election and Reprobation which came to us English at the third hand as from Zwinglius c. which They had at the first from some antient Romish Schoolemen it be possible for us or them to maintain by any rational way That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ either now is or hath been a true Priest or Sacrificer rather then a meer Sacrifice predestinated from eternitie for takeing away the sinnes of the Elect onely Or whether such as They Term Elect from Eternitie needed any Priest at all besides God the Father who did destinate his Onely Son to be a Sacrifice or a mean necessary though subordinate for effecting the principal or utmost end of his Decree to wit his own Glory by the salvation of the Elect My poor Capacitie for these 34. yeares wherein I have lived a Minister or Priest of the Church of England could never nor yet can find any tolerable answer or Evasion to free such as maintaine the often-mentioned Rigid Decree from these Two Imputations The One That they cannot truely or by any rational way acknowledge Christ to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedec The Other That they cannot acknowledge him to be properly instyled such a Judge as in our Creed we profess him to be They will at length be enforced to borrow a more fit expression of his Office from our Sister-Nation and instyle him to be the Doomester or Doomesman of the Quick and of the Dead that is an Inferior Officer which hath no hand or Vote in the course of Justice for Life and Death but onely a power or delegated authoritie to read or pronounce the sentence which the Judge or Cheif Officer of State had written before though not so long before or in such indeleble Characters as the Doom which our Saviour Christ shall pronounce upon Every man at the Great day of his appearance was written in the Life-books of life and death everlasting My exhortation unto every man amongst us which beleive in his name shall be that of the Learned and pious Hemingius That we seek not our assurance of Faith or hope in Parcarum Tabulis which were irreversibly written before any part of the world was made if we may beleive some heathen poets or Stoicks but in Gods promises made to Abraham and to be performed by Jesus Christ as he is now our High-Priest and King and as the Supream Judge of Quick and Dead 3. Having thus farr endeavoured to sever the dross or wipe off the Aspersions or such meaner stuffe as have been cast upon or mingled themselves with that Golden Foundation layd by our Apostle Hebr. 9. My next Addressment must be to Dilate or Diduct the Precious Metal contained in it or in the Third Parallel proposed The Parallel was between the anniversarie Sacrifices of Attonement the Sacrifices of the Red Cow and the One Sacrifice offered Once for all by our Everlasting High-Priest His Sacrifice is truely instyled Everlasting not for this reason alone that it was of Infinite Value or a full price for purchasing the Everlasting Redemption of man-kind but in this respect also that it hath an Everlasting Efficacie for the dayly remission of actual sinnes for purifying the Hearts and Consciences of all such as in Faith dayly pray unto the Father in the name and mediation of his only Son who is likewise rightly instyled an Everlasting Priest not in regard onely that he is now altogether immortal but more especially in that he Perpetually executeth the Office of the High Priesthood by making Continual Intercession for us by accomplishing our Reconciliation unto the Godhead All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministerie of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath commited unto Vs the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. This Reconciliation Quâ Deus nos sibi reconciliavit was wrought by Christ whilest he went about on earth doing good and by his sufferings upon the Cross c. The Other part of our Reconciliation or reconciliation taken in the Passive Sense Quâ nos Deo reconciliamur is dayly wrought in true Beleivers by this our High-Priest and so wrought by the continuated participation of his Spirit by the interposed renovations or nourishments of that Grace which immediatly descendes to us from the sweet influence of this Sun of righteousness now sitting more Glorious by much in his heavenly Tabernacle then the visible Sun in its Sphere And of This Part of Reconciliation or of Reconciliation in the Passive Sense must that of our Apostle be understood Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 20 21. 4. He that desires to guesse aright at the Eminencie of Christs Priest-hood and Sacrifice in respect of the Aaronical or Legal Services or to take such an indefinite Estimate of both as may advance his Meditations upon The knowledge of Christ crucified and ascended into the heaven of heavens may follow the Scale set by Astronomers betwixt the space of Local distances on earth and the space of the highest Coelestial Orbes or Spheres which answer in proportion to them alwaies allowing a greater Excesse of Proportion between the Excellencie of Christs Priesthood beyond Aarons or Melchisedecks then Astronomers allot betwixt the space of so many Degrees in the heavens and so many miles on earth 5. The Legal Priests or sacrificers were at the same time and by succession Many their Sacrifices or Services were both for their kinds or matter and for the solemn manner of their offerings More The several kinds of their sacrifices and Solemnities I leave unto the Readers search this being an Argument whereof many have written copiously enough in most modern Churches It will be enough for me to observe or call thus much to the Readers Remembrance that all the Offices or Services of Legal Priests were fully accomplished in the Consecration of the Son of God to be our Everlasting High Priest That all their Offerings and Sacrifices whether bloudy or unbloudy whether of Vegetables as of herbs or green Eares of Corn of meal of Loaves whether anniversary or upon special occasions were more then accomplished in his Own Once offering of himself The All-sufficiencie of this his Oblation of himself will best appear from