entring his Kingdom here in its Spiritual State is We cannot enter his Kingdom but by being born of God nor further enter into it to be under the Regiment Power and Priviledges of it then as we are born of God namely of God as objectively discovered to us and looked to or known by us they that know thy Name will trust in thee and as efficiently and efficaciously working by his Power and Spirit in us And so Regeneration contains in it Healing Confirming and Conforming too or they may in the place above quoted be referred to the words after it and denote the time when they should receive their Honour and Reward viz. In the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory that is In the time of the Resurrection and so it signifies That the Regeneration is not compleated till the Resurrection when the Body also shall be changed and be found in the Spirit and Glory of Christ But here I do as usually men do in speaking of Regeneration speak of its First Acts Of making a man in Christ The overcoming of the Heart to close with and believe in God and Christ and depend on him and so the infusing the Spirit and Principles of new and heavenly Life into him And so I distinguish it from healing conforming Operations and it 's sometime included in Conversion as the end or ultimate acts in it as Conversion is usually meant of the Souls first turning to God for otherwise Souls after Regeneration falling into actual Sins or sinful frames must be Converted from them but as I said before it properly follows upon the heart turned to behold or look upon God and Christ as presented in his Gospel and it stands in the framing strengthning and overcoming the heart to close with rest in and rely on God in Christ in and through which his Spirit and Power Framing and Creating it in Christ doth enter into it possess and act it for and towards Christ Ephes 2.10 Numb 21.9 2 King 5.14 And this is by a certain creative Power whence that Phrase We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works Somewhat like the healing of the Israelites in their looking to the Serpent of Brass or the healing of Naaman washing in the waters of Jordan and it hath in it 1. A Spiritual quickening or inlivening of the Soul Psal 36.8 in its listening and looking to Christ to living affection to and likement of him and so desire after him through the presentation of the excellency of him as made known to and apprehended by the Soul as Phil. 3.7 2. A Spiritual quickning and strengthening of the Soul through the same Seed of the knowledge or word of Christ cast into the heart to a fleeing or betaking it self for refuge and rest to him and so to close with and hope in him and in God through him Heb. 6 18 19. Psal 9.10 3. A certain Spiritual inlivening of the Soul in him and upon him his mercy Gal. 2.20 goodness power faithfulness love c. and so to an acting in that life infused and put into it both towards God and towards man which the grace seen and believed by it operates works and begets yea and preserves and carries on in it and it unto and in It is set forth in Ezekiel 36.25 26. By the making the Heart and Spirit new by his Spirit and then putting in his Spirit into the Spirit made new the begetting a new judgment bent and disposition in the Soul and a new heart desire love affection toward God and Christ a new will purpose and resolution for him and then a putting his Word Power and Spirit into that Heart and Spirit renewed to live in it feed act and animate it in and for God according to his mind 4. His healing operations are a kin to those Regenerating operations and may be co-incident with his comforting operations too in part they are spoken of as fruits and consequents to Conversion Matth. 13.15 Least they should be converted and I should heal them but by comparing that with Mark 4.12 It includes or stands in the Remission of Sins at least as the necessary mean to it or womb put of which it proceeds for there for healing it is and their sins should be forgiven them Which by way of Metonomy may signifie and take in the consequents of forgiveness also such as 1. The speaking peace to them c. so the quieting pacifying and comforting of the Heart and Conscience in the sight and view of his goodness and knowledge of his love and favour towards it and of the forgiveness of Sins and hope of Happiness in which the heart-broken and disquieted with convincements reproofs and fears is healed 2. A renewing and rectifying the whole man in mind judgment will and affections and conversation sanctifying of him throughout filling him with right wholsome apprehensions and thoughts of God and Christ and himself and all things with right affections to God healing those distempers before in his heart and affections in their out-running after yanities and doting upon Idols taking offence at God and his Truth hateing what should be loved and loving what should either absolutely or comparatively be hated and so healing the passions fears cares anxieties and griefs of mind c. 3. A removing and taking off Wrath and Judgments that might formerly be inflicted on them for their rebellions or stubbornness against him yea and by degrees and in due time taking off altogether the Disease and Judgment that came upon us in Adam and through his Fall the power of natural Corruption â—nd dominion of Sin and the bodily infirmities and Death too in the Resurrection 5. Comforting Operations are in and through his Word or Truth as it is in Christ and by his hand power and spirit working therein and therewith in shewing help and remedy in Christ and in God and causing the Soul to apprehend and see it even suitable helps to all its needs and Exercises and by begetting lively hope in God and Christ for the receipt of that help both under its afflictions and in due time out of them all and by shewing the gracious and good end of God in his afflicting denying crossing suffering or ordering evils to it the lifting up reviving and chearing of the heart and spirit and maintaining the chearfulness and comfort of it in God as in John 14. He comforted the hearts of his Disciples by and through presenting to them God and his goodness towards them as an object therefore worthy to be believed in by them and himself as a constant lover of them that as well went away from them for their good as came and staid with them even for their helpfulness and salvation that he would send them another Comforter who also and more fully should comfort them by leading them into the Truth causing them to understand the Truths he now spake to them and giving them to
shall satisfie them with the fountains of living water even of even lasting life pure unmixed and everlasting Consolations which the knowledge favour and presence of God and Christ with them shall uncessantly give them 6. Rev. 20.5 6 11 12 13 14 15. Matth. 25.31 46. 1 Cor. 15.27 That after that Reign of a Thousand Years whether properly taken or Figuratively for a far greater time the rest of the Dead shall be Raised and all whose Names are not found Written in the Lambs Book of Life adjudged to a Second Death and they that there found to Eternal Life and Happiness and Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and then God shall be All in All fully and immediately Reigning in the Son and in the Saints for ever and ever in which also Eternal Peace Joy Satisfaction unutterable and unalterable Glory shall be upon them and be their Portion Such the Hope of the Gospel in which are somethings hard to be understood Heb. 5.9 6.13 14 17 18. Rom. 8.17 Gal. 3.29 Tit. 2.13 Heb. 9.28 and not so clearly to be apprehended till seen and enjoyed and this is good also to be propounded to all and every man as we have opportunity and they capacity of Understanding and bearing it being true and certain for all that believe in and obey him they being the Heirs of the Promises of God and of the Covenant made with the Fathers a wonderful great glorious sure and blessed Hope worthy to be considered and looked after by all men and sure and certain to all that do look for him John 3.16 Isa 55.4 28.16 Rom. 5.10 8.32 33 34 35. Heb. 9.15 The Ground Foundation and sure Pledge whereof iâ— the love and faithfulness of God as already testified in Christ in what he hath done for us to and in him The love and grace of Christ to us His Death and Sacrifice and Mediation for all men and Mediation of the New Testament more particularly for the Called that Believe or him that they might have the Content thereof performed to and in them and the Dispensation and Inhabitation of the holy Spirit of God and Christ Eph. 1.14 17 18. 1 Pet. 1 3 4 5. 2 Cor. 5.5 to and in all that obey him to open the said Hope to them and fill them with the assurance and consolations thereof and keep them by his Power to the injoyment of it in their Believing SECT 2. Of the Obedience of the Gospel WHat we have mentioned about the Faith of the Gospel implies also Rom. 1.5 something due from us which we may call the obedience of the Gospel or as the Apostle calls it the Obedience of Faith which though it be not in the Object of Faith otherwise then to believe such Obedience also to be required of us and due from us as that in which we may meet with the good prepared for us and held forth to us in the Gospel Heb. 5.9 which represents Christ through his Sufferings perfected to be the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him yet forasmuch as the Gospel-Faith mentions it 1 Pet. 1.13 14 15 16. Jam. 1.25 26. and represents it as one Great End of God's calling Men by his Grace and as the way in which we are to look for and meet with the further Blessings of the Gospel We shall take a brief view of some general Heads of it and so the Gospel holds forth 1. Prov. 1.20 21 22 23. That as God and Christ are by his Spirit calling Men and in the manifestations of his Truth and Goodness to them preventing them with Light and Power in which he is reproving their ways hopes delights so they ought to listen to and obey him in falling down before the power of the said Truth and in the grace and strength therein afforded according to the measure thereof let go such false and evil ways hopes and delights as are discovered to be evil to them and turn to him that calls them to the Light that enlightens them and the Power and Spirit that works therein seeking to know the Truth more Luk. 24.47 Heb. 6.2 and so to know God and Christ as represented to them therein not preferring their own thoughts and ways before him and his This is that which is called Repentance and Repentance from dead works in which also it is further required 2. Psal 100.1 2. 62.8 Isa 55.1 2 6 7. Prov. 2.1 2 3. c. 3.3 4 5. That by the Light and Power of the Truth afforded them therein and thereunto they yield up unto God to close with Hope Trust in Worship and Serve him according as in the pourings out of his Spirit further his Words and Mind are made known to them So loving and cleaving to God in their Hearts and Affections and walking with him in their Conversations Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. 2 Cor. 5.11 19 20 21. 6 1 2. 1 John 4.8 11 12. Gal. 5.22 23. 6 7 8. as they are thereto directed and help to perceive they ought and as the grace brought to them is saving strengthning and working in them to enable and frame them And so also walking toward Men with such love pity and charity to All Submission and other duties towards Superiors and Relations such affection toward Delight in and cleaving to those that they discern the Light the Truth and the Power of God in and with such sobriety temperance Psal 2.11 12. Luke 16.1 10 11. Matth. 16.24 25. 1 Pet. 2.4 10 11 12 c. Prov. 4.20 27. and abstemiousness from the things of the World and readiness to part with them for God and Christ and to serve God and Men with them such low thoughts of themselves in all their Wisdom and Righteousness Strength and all injoyments here as the grace of God and his Truth appearing to them doth instruct and strengthen them to not turning aside therefrom to the Right-hand or to the Left but walking in the Integrity of their Hearts before him 3. 1 John 1.7 8 9. 1 Kings 8.33 35 c. That wherein at any time they fail and Sin upon the appearance of it to them they acknowledge they said Failings and Sins and through the grace of God and by Jesus Christ their Advocate and Propitiation for their Sins turn back again to God and keep more close to him and walk more stedfastly with him 4. That in all things they acknowledge Psal 62.2 8 12. John 1.7 12. 3.15 16 18. Psal 2.12 96.7 8 9 10. 105.1 2 3. 50.15 own look to and depend upon God in and through Christ according to the manifestations of God and Christ to them for his help light grace strength and all things needful for them ascribing to him by Faith the Glory of his Name believing and holding for true and certain that he is such a one so powerful wise holy good c. as he manifests
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all namely in all those Spiritual Persons and Gifts and Administrations or also in all toward and unto whom those Gifts and Administrations and Operations are vouchsafed as there are in and by his Gifts and in the exercise and administration of them in some operations of convincement in others of conversion in others of comfort c. all which things one and the same God works in all in whom they are wrought that seems to be plainly the sense of the Apostle and not that God worketh necessitatingly all the good things men act forth so as necessarily to cause them as their going to the places of his Worship their hearing reading c. but all those things effected and wrought in their attending on him in his administrations and by his operations effected in them much less that he works all mens evils evil Thoughts Lusts Blasphemies Adulteries c. as some thence strain which is plain Blasphemy and directly opposite to that of the Apostle James James 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for he is not to be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man And to that in Psalm 5.4 Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness or Thou are a God that willest not iniquity I know that such men as so wrest that passage seek to justifie or excuse God again or themselves for their Blasphemy rather by saying that sin is nothing but a privation Which if so then is it not properly a Work or Operation but rather a ceasing to operate or a removal of his operations as darkness is properly no operation but a removal or bare absence of the operation of the light inlightning nor doth darkness operate any thing though by occasion thereof Creatures may operate amiss or operate something upon themselves as by imagination fears c. but surely sins are more than meer privations yea sins of omission are not simply the not doing but the omitting or willing neglect to do what ought or when a thing ought to be done much more are actual sins of commission operations entities and beings such as the setting the heart upon covetuousness loving the World in which is not only a privation of the love of God but a position of the affections due to God upon the World and so in Adultery Murther Blasphemy which if they be not operations positively than are there no workers of iniquity much less can God be the worker or operator of them but not to insist upon the confutation of a thing so openly repugnant to the Scriptures and to Sense and Experience and of so great a Blasphemy as the making God the Author and Worker of those things the workers where of he hates which affection or disaffection rather is not imaginably possible to be in him towards himself as it must needs be if he be a worker yea the great worker of them all in all Men and Devils too he working all their workings of them as that Blasphemy abominable to be conceived or uttered implies The foresaid passage speaks evidently of the workings of God in all the Members of Christ who are therefore afterward compared to the natural body animated and acted by one spirit of life and it speaks of the spiritual operations in them all that they are wrought of God and not of operations sinful and Diabolical though if we do carry it to all natural and animal operations rightly simply and as regularly such it may truly also be extended so far in a sober sense that they are wrougth by and in the strength power and motion given them of him yet so as that they are either natural or voluntary operations of the creatures too according to the natures that he hath given them and as touching voluntary operations are such and so upon the will of the rational creature as not to necessitate its action or divest it of the power he hath given it and preserves in it for chusing or refusing freely objects propounded to it without his necessitating its determination so as that it 's commendable in its choice and faulty in its refusal of such good objects as are propounded to its choice and election But I shall proceed no further in this Discourse about God's Operations The sum of it is That all the good that is wrought in us it is of God in and by such means and ways as he pleases to afford us and in such a way as seems good to him and to the counsel of his own will yea and all the good wrought by us it is of and in and from him yet so as we are therein acters with and under him free and voluntary agents And all the evil wrought in us is of Sathan and our own Wills contrary to the approvement or likement of God though not without his sufferance which his sufferance is also approved by him and so we may say of all the evil wrought or acted by us yea and that oft-times he doth not only suffer men to do evil and and to have evil things wrought in them but also doth wisely and holily deliver or yield up men to Sathan and their own Lusts either in part for their own correction and others admonition or else wholly to their own destruction and other mens warning And lastly That the good he worketh in us he worketh it diversly according to his good pleasure both as to means and power exercised with and by the means for working it as hath more largely been explicated so as in many he certainly and effectually overcometh their hearts to believe in him and abide with him in the Faith when others are not so overcome by his Grace yet so as he neither offers violence or force to the wills of the one nor is defective or wanting to the other but that as the salvation of the one is of him in a way of their willing and free obedience so the destruction of the other is of themselves in and as the just reward of their own voluntary unnecessitated disobedience To which I shall add nothing further but only some brief Conclusions from the whole distinction as thus largely in the several Branches of it spoken to with some Positions about the Grace of God and Freedom of Will in the Conversion of Men And last of all Some brief hints of some Uses naturally resulting from the whole Treatise and the several Heads of Considerations therein which may offer the profit of it to our Minds and Meditations CHAP. XII Concludes this Treatise Byway of 1. Conclusions 2. Positions 3. Heads of Vses briefly laid down therein SECT I. Some brief Conclusions drawn from the Premises in this Distinction as hitherto opened COnclude we at length this large Discourse Conclus 1. and to that purpose first From what we have said about this Distinction and the several Branches of it we shall lay down these following Conclusions 1. That the Truth of the Gospel
the Dispensations of the knowledge of God and his Truth in respect of certain added Appendages to his words in Ordinances and Miracles in sundry Ages in ten sections p. 220 Sect. 1. That God did diversly in sundry ages mind men of and confirm them in his Truth by his Ordinances and Miracles and therein what be the Ordinances and Miracles here to be treated of Ibid. Sect. 2. That Christ was and is the Foundation of all Ordinances appointed to Fallen Man for his worship of God and that Christ and the grace in him are the things mainly Witnessed to by and in them p. 2â—6 Sect. 3. Of the Ordinances appointed before Moses and first of Sacrifice and therein also of God's clothing man and of two several times before the Law in which the Gospel was revealed to all men p. 230 Sect. 4. Of Circumcision given to Abraham and his seed p. 239 Sect. 5. Of the Passover and how that Typedout Christ p. 247 Sect. 6. Of the Sabbaths Festivals Purifications and other Ordinances of the Tabernacle and Temple p. 256 Sect. 7. Of Baptism p. 270 Sect. 8. Of the Lords Supper p. 277 Sect. 9. Of the too general mistake of the mind of God in his Ordinances and the abuse of them in all ages 281 Sect. 10. Of Miracles confirming the Truth of God p. 291 Chap. VIII Of God's Operations and first of those that are in Mercy and directly his in seven sections p. 296 Sect. 1. That the operations of God are many of them very secret and not to be known or discerned by us but by his Word concerning them and therefore to be soberly treated of Ibid. Sect. 2. Of Gods merciful preventing Operations p. 300 Sect. 3. That God afforded them to the Gentiles also with the lesser means p. 304 Sect. 4. The same were afforded also to the Jews and those that have the greater means of Grace p. 309 Sect. 5. Of the concomitant or accompanying operations p. 314 Sect. 6. Of God's consequent or subsequent operations p. 317 Sect. 7. The said gracious operations otherwise distinguished into convincing converting renewing c. p. 320 Chap. IX Of the Operations in Wrath and Judgment Attributed to God as Hardning Binding Deceiving men c. Sect. 1. That the Scriptures attribute these kinds of operations to God yet we are to conceive of him in them and not to think him the Author of mens Sinnings Ibid. Sect. 2. That those operations as ascribed to God are Judiciary acts consequent both to God's preventing grace and mens abuse of it p. 338 Sect. 3. What that saying of the Apostle That God handens whom he will imports and how it is to be understood by us p. 343 Sect. 4. That God in hardning and blinding men doth it by degrees and with such mixture of mercy that till they be totally hardned there may be a remedy p. 357 Sect. 5. How or in what sense the foresaid operations are attributed to God and how he worketh in or unto them Mr. Mollers Judgment therein p. 362 Chap. X. Of the manner of God's working in men by his Grace preventing accompanying and following them in Four sections p. 371 Sect. 1. That God's gracious operations are according to the counsel of his own will and in some sense different and unlike Ibid. Sect. 2. That in this diversity of operation he observeth in some sense an Vniformity and a likeness with men generally p. 374 Sect. 3. That God's operations in men are neither properly Physical nor properly simply Moral but Supernatural having something like either in them 380 Sect. 4. That God so works in men that they also are rightly said to work sometimes the same things though with some formal difference between what is his and what their working p. 387 Chap. XI Some Scriptures considered whence some gather either that God works all things good and bad in men or so works all that 's good as to necessitate mens Willing and Working irresistibly and so as to confound mens Workings with God's therein in seven sections p. 393 Sect. 1. Phil. 2.12 13. Considered and that God's working in men the to will and to do doth not necessitate the working out exhorted to Ibid. Sect. 2. How God works by Exhortations and whether the working in men to will and to do is by and through the Exhortation to work out their Salvation p. 400 Sect. 3. The foresaid Scripture Phil. 2.12 13. briefly opened p. 406 Sect. 4. Isa 43.14 considered and what some collect therefrom p. 414 Sect. 5. Psal 110 3. considered and what some conclude from it p. 417 Sect. 6. 1 Cor. 4.7 considered and some mens Collections from it p. 420 Sect. 7. 1 Cor. 12.6 considered and what some argue from that in which also is touched Whether Sin be onely a privation p. 426 Chap. XII Concludes this Treatise by way of Conclusions Positions and Heads of Uses briefly laid down in Four Sections p. 432 Sect. 1. Some brief Conclusions drawn from the Premises in this distinction here opened p. Ibid Sect. 2. Twelve Positions concerning God's Grace and Mans Will in the Work of Conversion p. 441 Sect. 3. Some brief hints of Vses of the foregoing Treatise and first of the first member of the Distinction p. 449 Sect. 4. Brief hints of usefulness of the other Branch or Member about God's Purposes Dispensations and Operations and the Diversity in them p. 459 Laus Deo Pax gratia mihi a Deo a Domino nostro Jesu Christo Amen A Distinction between or a Distinct consideration of the Object of Divine Faith or Truth to be Preached unto Men and Believed by Men. The Dispensations and Divine purposes for dispensing the knowledge and benefits of the said Truth to Men and the operations of God with it in Men to whom it is dispensed CHAP. I. The Distinction propounded and something of the first member of it Considered SECT 1. The usefulness and needfulness of rightly distinguishing things that differ and particularly of the Distinction here propounded RIghtly to Distinguish between things that differ Qui bene distinguit bene docet is one property of a skilful Teacher commended by the Apostle to Timothy when he wills him rightly to divide the word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 A Point needful to be duly practised for as some by distinguishing too curiously things that differ not run themselves into many Errors and needless fruitless Disputes as the Papists by their distinction of Douleia and Latreia Service and Worship giving this to God and the other to his and their own Creatures And the Dominicans between their next and remote power So by not distinguishing things that do indeed differ and that too according to the difference between them others do run into many no less mistakes and great confusions as they that distinguish not between Christs coming in the weakness of the Flesh or his Spiritual manifestations of himself to mens hearts and consciences and his coming again Personally in the
have procured by our former slightings of him as the Spiritual Manna and food of Life Psal 2.1.6 with Act. 4.27 10.38 John 1.50 2.20 21. Col. 2.9 Luk. 4.18 19. Isa 61.1 2 3. Zech. 4.6 7 9. Eph. 4.5 5.25 26. 1 Pet. 2.5 lifted up by God's Will that whosoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life Yea He is the Anointed of the Lord the King The Temple the Restorer of our Breaches The Returner of our Captivity The Builder of the House of God His hands have laid the Foundation and his hands shall finish it bringing up the Top-stone with shootings and crying grace grace to it Yea He is the orderer of God's House and Service The Master of the Musick the tuner of our Hearts that they might make sweet Melody in the Ears of God Coll. 3.16 being filled with Grace In a Word He is All and in All in the New Creature 7. Nay all the Excellencies of the Creatures as well as All the Ordinances of the Law are but shadows to him Col. 3.9 10. Mal. 4.2 3. Rev. 22.16 Psal 84.11 Rev. 5.5 6. Gen. 22.8 John 1.29 Psal 18.1 2. Deut. 32.4 1 Pet. 2.4 5 6. Isa 28.16 Zech. 3.2 Verse 8. 6.12 Isa 11.1 10 11. Jer. 23.5 6. Cant. 2.2 3 4 5. John 15.1 Psal 52.8 106.2 He is the Son of Righteousness The bright and the Morning Star A Sun and Shield that will give Grace and Glory c. The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The meek and Innocent Lamb even the Lamb of God which he hath found and provided for himself for a Burnt-offering to take away the Sins of the World The Rock the Fortress the Stone of Strength graven by the Lord. The one Stone upon which are seven Eyes graven for the removing of the iniquity of the Earth and laid as a sure Foundation in Sion The Branch The Root of Jesse and Branch of Righteousness and Plant of Renown The Apple Tree amongst the Trees of the Wood full of Fruit and fragrancy and pleasant of Shadow The true Vine The Olive Tree in the House of God always green and flourishing c. Yea who can set forth all his Praises which according to the Gospel and what it asserts as done and suffered by him and received as the reward of his Sufferings to furnish him for our Salvation are to be ascribed to him Isa 55.1.2 Rev. 22.17 Such things the Gospel declares of him as true in themselves and the benefit of them open and free to and for all Men so as that whoever will may come and partake of them in submitting to and believing on him CHAP. III. Of things further contained in the Gospel-Faith and thence observable as implyed and signifyed therein SECT 1. Of the Hope of the Gospel SUch is the Doctrine or Faith of the Gospel as hath been said in the former Chapter and it is true in it self and praedicable as truth to all Men. The Everlasting Gospel of God neither is 〈◊〉 less true for mens not hearing or believing of it nor the more true for their heating and believing it But besides There is something contained in that Doctrine that is called the hope of the Gospel Col. 1.23 As the Covenant and Promises of God so far as yet future to any man Indeed all that is declared in the Gospel as done and accomplished in Christ in his Personal Appearing Sufferings Death Resurrection and Ascension was to the Fathers before Christ as to Abraham Isaac Jacob David with whom he is said to have made his Covenant and so to the Prophets and Holy Men matter of Hope because as then not actually performed but now as accomplished and declared to us they are to us matter of Faith onely and the Foundation of the things to be hoped for which is that of God's Covenant or Promises as yet unaccomplished to any of us which as the Promises partly concern the time of this Life partly and most properly and fully the Life to come I shall instance God assisting in either of them briefly 1. For this Life The Gospel declares as matter of hope 1. That God will so hear and help Christ and through him his Servants making him in their faithful Ministration of and through all means of his appointing so a Light to the Gentiles and God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth that through the dispensations of his Spirit with the means to Men they may be put into a capacity of hearing turning at his reproofs and seeking after him according to God's Promise to Christ Isa 49.7 8 9. And Christ's Prayer for and Promise to his Disciples John 17.9 18 Psal 95.8 Heb. 3.7 20 21 22 23. Matth. 28.19.20 Whence it is said To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as implying That during the day of Grace God in Christ will not be wanting to speak to men so as they may hear him if they will not stop their Ears and harden their Hearts But this is a matter of daily Dispensation from Christ and as well matter of Faith to as of the hope and expectation of his Servants for men therefore I wave it and shall speak to it under that Head of Gods operations in Men. 2. That whosoever in Christs preventing them with his Grace and Calling do hear and turn at his reproofs Prov. 1.22 23. Ezek. 33.16 Act. 10.43 13.37 38 39. John 1.12 Eph. 2.14 18 19 20. 1 Pet. 2.9 and seek and close with him for them the Gospel Promises and accordingly it is matter of hope and expectation by and for them that God will forgive and pardon all former Iniquities and Trespasses to them and graciously receive and own them and put them amongst his Children give them the priviledges and favour of being a people nigh to him of his Houshold yea his Sons and Daughters As the Gospel Preaches The forgiveness or not imputation of Sins through Christ to men as a thing verily true and extended to them before their Believing so far as that them notwithstanding he is Administring his Grace to call and enable them to listen to him that they might Believe 2 Cor. 5.19 20. 6.1 2. Luke 24.45 47. so it also promises and gives well grounded and assured hope of the forgiveness of them in the further sense above mentioned so as to the justifying of them from them accepting and owning of them and making them his Sons and Heirs the Subjects of his special grace and favour in their returning in that grace afforded and believing on him Yea and also that he will have more choice care of theirs Acts 16.31 Gen. 17.5 6 7. than of theirs that reject him till any of them also do reject him 3. To the Believer Prov. 1.23 33 2.1 5 6. Matth. 13.11 12 13 15. yet further the Gospel propounds this as matter of hope and expectation That God in his owning him will further
teach and lead him pour out his Spirit to him make known his Words shew them the Mysteries of his Kingdom which are not for People one or other till they turn at his Reproofs and be in some measure Discipled to him They that reject him wink with the Eye and will not see stop the Ear least they should hear and understand and be converted shall not have his Secrets and Mysteries opened to them for them Christ prays not the Father to give that Dispensation of Spirit for leading them into all Truth filling them with his Consolations and Satisfactions and fitting them to be Lights to others Joh. 17.9 Nor are they yet capable while unturned to him of receiving it of him Psal 25.8 9 12 14 Ezek. 43.10 11. John 14 15 16 17 21 23. Joh. 14.17 But his Secret is promised to be with them that fear him and that he will shew them his Covenant guide them in Judgment teach them his ways give them a farther and more exact knowledge of the Form of his House and the fashion thereof the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof even a more distinct and experimental knowledge for he will manifest himself to them and give them the Spirit of Truth to abide 2 Cor. 6.16 17. John 4.14 and dwell with and in them and so will thereby dwell in them and be a spring of Living Waters by his Spirit and Spiritual Understanding given them 1 Cor. 12.7 springing up in them unto Everlasting life Filling them with his Vertues Matth. 5.13 14 15 16. 1 Pet. 2.10 12. Eph. 4.7 14 15. John 10.2 3 4. Levit. 26.11 12. 2 Cor. 2.14 15 16. and furnishing them with such useful Gifts as by which they may in some way or other be profitable to others both in the World and in the Church as the Salt of the Earth as the Light of the World and as Members in the Body of Christ in their places and capacities useful for the glorifying of God and provoking men to seek and glorifie him too and for furthering the growth of them that believe in their exercise of themselves in which gifts with sobriety and faithfulness and walking in his vertues He also will go forth with them walk in and amongst them direct guide help and bless them in all their out-goings towards God in seeking him praying to him and praising of him trusting in and submitting to him and in all their walkings by his grace amongst men so to bless them and render them a blessing to and amongst them 4. 1 John 1.7 9. Eph. 5.25 26 27. Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. 32.40 41 42. John 8.32 36. 1 Tim. 4.18 That He will cleanse them from their Corruptions and Subdue them in them so as they shall not have Dominion over them nor shall they unless they wilfully chuse it Serve and Obey them Yea in following on to seek and know him He will so mould their wills into his will and put his fear into their hearts as to take away their will of sining and inlarge them to run the ways of righteousness with delight according to the riches of his glorious grace and wisdom so keeping them to the Inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom 5. That to that end Joh. 10.28 29. Ezek. 34.24 25. 37.24 25 26. Gen. 15.1 Psal 84.11 48.3 12 13 14. John 16.33 Isa 43.1 2. He will take special care over them as a shepherd over his Flock lead them into Unity with all his Holy Ones and therein also nourish and feed them with Knowledge and Understanding be a Shield to them against Satan and his Temptations and against the World its fury rage and oppositions be with them in all Adversities their God and Guide to and in Death strengthning and supporting them under all their Sufferings and unto all their Services he calls them to Administring to them sweet and seasonable Consolations and Deliverances 6. Yea Matth. 6.33 Psal 34.9 10. John 15.1 3 7 2 Cor. 1.8 9. that He will also feed them with Food convenient for them even with what he sees good for them in the matters of this Life and nurture them with seasonable and faithful Reproofs and Chastisements and be wanting in nothing to them that may make for their good and happiness Such things the Gospel holds forth as matter to be hoped for in and through Christ in listening to and obeying him in this Life 2. For the Life to come it holds forth wholly as matter of Hope 1. That Christ will himself in due time come again from Heaven Coll. 3.4 in the Glory of God and of all his Holy Angels to compleat their Happiness To which end 2. Tit. 2.13 1 Thess 4.14 15 16. Rom. 8.23 Phil. 3.21 Act. 3.19 20. 1 Thess 4.15 16. That he will raise up all such at his Coming as have dyed in the Faith of him and change the then living Believers fashioning their now vile Body into the likeness of his Glorious Body free them from all their Sins Sorrows Fears Dangers and Temptations in a full and perfect Redemption and Salvation 3. Rev. 11.17 Luke 22.28 29 30. 1 Cor. 6.2 Coll. 3.3 4. Rev 5.10 20.4 5 6. That then he will make to himself his great Power and Reign The Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of God and Christ and then also they who have owned and believed on him and followed him in Temptations and Sufferings shall be glorifyed with him and Reign in Glory Judging the World with Christ and as Kings and Priests Reign with him upon Earth a Thousand Years and Minister before him with unspeakable Happiness 4. Isa 66.14 15. a Pet. 3.7 10 12. Act. 3.20 21. Rom. 8.19 20 21.22 That to that end of his Coming He shall destroy all the Wicked of the Earth take away their Power and Glory from them and burn up the Earth with the Works thereof and make all things New A new heaven and a new earth in which dwells righteousness 2 Pet. 3.7 10 11 12 13. Isa 65.17 In which Christ and his Saints and Servanss which have been faithful to him shall Reign together As in Rev. 21. and 22. 1 Cor. 13.10 11 12. 5. That then they shall enjoy Peace and Joy without mixture of Sorrow Oppression or Trouble have a perfect Knowledge of Christ and God in Christ so as not to need to be taught by one another ever injoy the presence and see the face of Christ and God in Christ that Lamb of God that was Slain for them Rev. 5.9 10. Exod. 12. Rev. 21.4 5 6 7. Jer. 31.33 34. Heb. 8.10 11 12. 1 Thess 4.16 17. Rev. 7.16 17. 22.1 2 3 4. and Redeemed them by his Blood unto God from the Kindreds of the Earth by the sprinkling it upon them also as in the Redemption of Israel out of Aegypt that they might serve him and be Kings and Priests unto God and himself And he
men by their outward demeanours and zeal for Ordinances â—dge themselves God's peculiar Portion 〈◊〉 well as the Pharisees of old and are â—ot these the things about which they â—wrangle and Fight and run into Divisions and Factions And are not the fruits of this misplaced Zeal high conceits of Mens selves despising of others and banding against the Doctrine of Jesus Christ against the gracious good will of God to Men Instead of Preaching of which 〈◊〉 all that they might see and believe â—nd be renewed by it and of making all â—en see what is the fellowship of the â—ystery calling and inviting all to â—ait upon God in Christ for the knowledge of Himself in his ways and Ordiances Do they not deny both the Doâ—ine of his Grace and his Ordinances â—nessing it to all that are not so regulated as their Traditions exact And thâ— same folly and deceit is in mens Zeal John 8.32 for and knowing themselves by Opinionâ— of Truth or Contentious for themâ— though the Truth indeed is earnestly 〈◊〉 be contended for against all that would corrupt it because that 's it which being indeed known frees and saves men when men wrest in their Acts about Truth and much more in their Opinâ—ons which are not Truth and reject the love of the Truth by which they should be Saved so as they are not Renewed and Saved by it All their Zeal Contention and Acting will be but in vain to them 〈◊〉 they live yet in the Flesh as others tâ— that spend their Strength and Zeal abouâ— outward Observations The ground 〈◊〉 all which mistaken Zeal is the Heart blindness about and Enmity against thâ— grace of God in Christ and desire to havâ— their rejoycing in themselves yea 〈◊〉 Natural desire to be as God not in conformity to him and his will in Christ but to be our own Saviours and to 〈◊〉 great in our own and others Eyes whicâ— things the Carnal Eye and Heart coâ—ceives it may attain to in its earnest preâ— after and observing outward Acts of â—ligion and Worship they being also mâ— obvious to the Carnal Eye and being 〈◊〉 esteem too because of the Name of Gâ— upon them and godliness supposedly pâ—ced in them whence the power of gâ—liness the Cross of Christ Crucifying 〈◊〉 â—o our selves and the World and the World to us it sees no beauty Rom. 2.29 nor finds â—o relish in it being of that Nature as wholly to lead a man out of himself â—o depend upon God in Christ and â—ory in him laying by and making noâ—ing of Man nor doth it render him â—orious to the World as Zeal for outward matters doth as the Apostle signiâ—es Rom. 2.29 He is a Jew who is one â—wardly and Circumcision is that of the â—eart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of men but of God â—plying That the Circumcision and 〈◊〉 the Religion or Worship that is in the outward is respected or praised by Men which the Natural Self-loving Spiâ—t likes or however to find the Life of â—s own hands that it may have something â—hereof to glory in it self Not but that â—he Ordinances of God and Christ are diâ—ently to be observed but in their place â—ot as the Foundation of the Building but â—s things to be Built thereupon and helps â—r the more close cleaving to it Neither â—ey nor our observations of them are 〈◊〉 be put in the place and stead of Christ 〈◊〉 whole or in part but to be referred 〈◊〉 Christ and he to be eyed in them 〈◊〉 the substance and end of them thence â—at of our Saviour these things ought ye 〈◊〉 have done but not to leave the other â—done Matth. 23.23 But as men too commonly look â—pon them and use them they are endeavouring to heal themselves by their Acts and Exercises about them and make themselves Righteous by them seeking Righteousness as it were by Works Making Christ in effect nothing but an injoyner and a rewarder of such works Rom. 9.31 32 33. 10.2 3. or at most also a mender and maker up of Mens defects in their works setting up those Acts and Works of theirs instead of the Faith of Christ which they should live by yea and their supposed Acts of Faith are too often nothing but a kind of work of theirs a believing through works that is to say to which they are animated and strengthned through the sight oâ— conceit of some good things done by them or found in them not a believing through grace as theirs in Act. 18.27 That is to say begot and sprung up through the hearing and receit of the Free Grace of God to Mankind and so to themselves as and while Sinners without any good thing found in them to difference them from others and give boldness to them to believe in him whence they are the Children of the Bond-woman born of and living in their Works Frames irregulatities and Observances c. And not of the Free-woman the Free-grace and love of God to Mankind and by Christ Jesus and no marvel then if what they have their Birth and Life in they be also Principally Zealous and Contentious for turning that which was appointed as a means of their welfare into a snare to themselves and others and what in their right place was a Table upon which Christ and his â—race was set into a Trap while they take them for their Meat But I shall no further digress about this much to be bewailed Mistake but proceed to the other Branch Of God's Witnessing to his Truth by Miracles and so conclude this Chapter also SECT 10. Of Miracles confirming the Truths of God MIracles I call those Works and Effects of the power of God which are beyond or contrary to the ordinary course of his Providences in which God â—ath at any time more expresly and signally Evidenced his Presence with his People and born Witness to his Truth with them Of which 1. Some were onely signs for Unbelievers to draw them to believe the Truth without any Figure of the thing to be believed Such were the mighty things wrought by Moses before Pharaoh and he Aegyptians and many things wrought â—y Elias and Elisha and those mentioned 〈◊〉 Dan. 3. 6. and the generality of those â—ings wrought by Christs Apostles 2. Others had in them something Tyâ—al or Figurative of Christ and the grace 〈◊〉 him such was the healing the Israelites â—ng with Fiery Serpents by the Brazen â—pent And the deliverance of Jonah 〈◊〉 the Whales belly a signification of the â—th and Resurrection of Christ Such also I conceive Numb 21.9 10. with Joh. 3.14 15. Joh. 1.17 with Matth. 16.4 Joh. 9.7 Joh. 20.31 Act. 2.22 was the curing of Naamans Leprosie by his washing in Jordan 2 King 5. Christs turning Water into Wine at the Wedding Joh. 2. And the opening the Eyes of the man born Blind by the Pool of Siloam which is by Interpretation Sent. Yea the most of
know his Presence with them even while to appearance and in his body absent from them c. His comforting Operations may be many or fewer according as he pleases and as he sees good to give and the conditions of his people require and they are meet for but they are all in and through his goodness and grace in Christ discovered as all his other gracious Operations be while he by his Spirit minds men of and opens to them his Love Power Wisdom Faithfulness his undertakings for them promises to them examples of his goodness and faithfulness to others in like cases and therein also sets before them the inconsiderableness of their Enemies Dangers Sufferings the lightness and momentaniss of them in comparison of the good afforded and promised them he raises up and incourages their hearts and fills them with assured hope and consolation 2 Thess 2.16 17. 2 Cor. 4.15 16 17 c. 6. His strengthning and confirming Operations are many of them of the same import and from the same spring with his comforting and healing Operations they are spoken of 1 Cor. 1 Cor. 1.6 7 8. 16.7 8. Eph. 3.15 16. 1 Pet. 5.10 And they differ little the one from the other and therefore I put them both together as under one Head onely his confirming Operations be such efficacies of his grace and workings of his Spirit as in and by which he opening his Truth more clearly to the heart and therein discovering the weakness of all opposite Principles or otherwise also evidencing his Presence with his Truth People and Ways doth make the heart more firm in belief of his Truth and so in resolution to cleave and adhere to it and to him in it and to his people and ways according to it begetting in the heart more assurance of their Rightness and of good success therein His strengthening Operations besides what hath been hinted of them in the foregoing Operations more respect oppositions resistances and assaults against men in Gods way either by Sin in men or by Satan and men from without them as also Afflictions Pressures and the like from the hand of God to stand under which and against all assaults the grace of God in Christ as it is sufficient to strengthen men so it doth it also by presenting such Motives from Rom. 5.5 6 7 8 9 10 11. and considerations of Gods love and goodness Christ's faithfulness to them and care and watchfulness over them and power and promises to save them the good and gracious ends of God in them and assurance of a good Issue out of them with other Arguments as the Gospel or Truth Revealed affords therethrough putting courage and resolution virtue and man-hood as it were into them so as to stand it out with patience and magnanimity to the end 7. His conforming Operations are of the like nature with his Renewing and healing and by the same means or mediums even the beholding the glory of Christ and of God in Christ as opened to men and by his Spirit effectually and by a certain creative force or power working therein as also by the same Spirit he will conform the body to his own glorious body at his coming onely there is this difference that in conforming the Soul Mind and Spirit to himself he works upon men in a way suitable to men living voluntary agents and in their exercise of themselves in the ways in which he leads them as in beholding his Glory presented by him before them and therefore men are capable of hindring themselves of their own good in that by turning away their minds from him unto vanity As Naaman might have hindred the healing of his Leprosie by coming out of the Waters of Jordan too soon viz. before he had washed the Seventh time though in continuing so to wash he could not hinder it God effecting it in him by a creative power But in the Resurrection and conforming of the Body to Christs glorious Body Christ will work purely Physically or Hyperphysically rather and irresistably as he wrought in creating things that had no voluntary agency in themselves at least none before he had made them or as he works upon natural agents or things as to make the Earth to Bud or the Corn to grow or more irresistibly then so to even as in making Heaven and â—arth But this pertains to the manner 〈◊〉 God's operation in these his gratious Workings before we speak to which we shall as we propounded consider the other kind of operations attributed to God and see what the Scriptures signifie to us concerning them CHAP. IX Of Operations in Wrath and Judgment attributed to God as Hardning Blinding Deceiving Men c. SECT 1. That the Scriptures Attribute these kind of Operations to God and that yet we are so to conceive of him in them as not to make him the Author of mens Sinnings GOd is said in the Scriptures to harden blind and deceive men and therefore that such Operations or Workings as tend to these things are Attributed to him is evident both in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles for God is said by Moses to have hardned Pharaoh's heart and he said to Moâ— when he sent him to him that he wouâ— harden his heart so as he would nâ— let the people go Exod. 4.21 and 7.3 aâ— 9.12 And so he is said to have hardnâ— Sihons Spirit and to have made his heâ— obstinate that he might deliver him inâ— Israels hand Deut. 2.30 And Isaiâ— says by way of Expostulation Lorâ— why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayâ— and hardned our hearts from thy feâ— And Paul saith of God whom he will 〈…〉 hardneth And the Prophet Isaiah 〈…〉 quoted by the Evangelist said God haâ— blinded their eyes and hardned their heartâ— Joh. 12.40 It being God who bade thâ— Prophet go and make the heart of thâ— people fat and their ears heavy and shâ— their eyes lest they see with their eyes anâ— hear with their ears and understand witâ— their hearts and be converted and healed 〈…〉 Isa Zeph. 3.5 Jam. 1.13 17. 6.10 And God said to Ezekiel 〈…〉 If the Prophet be deceived I the Lord have 〈…〉 deceived that Prophet Ezek. 14.9 But 〈…〉 how may these things be looked upon aâ— the works and doings of God seeing the 〈…〉 just Lord will not nor can do iniquity 〈…〉 Let no man say when he is tempted 〈…〉 am tempted of God for God cannot beâ— tempted with evil neither tempteth hâ— any man every good gift and everâ— perfect giving is from above and cometâ— down from the Father of Lights with 〈…〉 whom is no variableness nor shadow oâ— turning Surely those things to deceiveâ— â—nd harden and make men obstinate and â—o blind men are the works of Satan â—nd how then can they be ascribed to God â—e most holy God who is of purer eyes â—en to behold iniquity much less then â—ay he make or impel or stir men up â—o do evil Surely therefore
the Earth But SECT 5. How and in what sense the foresaid operations of hardning blinding c. are Attributed unto God and how he worketh in and unto them LEt us view now how or after what manner God may be said to harden blind deceive men and turn their heart to hate his people as Psal 105.25 tho that might be rendred their heart returned to hate his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Exod. 14.5 Their heart was turned against the People Seeing it is said That God is not a God that hath pleasure in iniquity he hates the workeâ— of it Psal 5.4 5. Ezek. 33.11 and he himself swears that he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked namely that they should continue in their Sins and dye but rather that they should turn and live Surely they are not his operations properly and directly aâ— those of his mercy in drawing men to himself and framing them to his mind 〈◊〉 but by a kind of indirect permissive accidental operation as the Sun may be said to cause darkness by leaving the Horizon or to make men blind that look against it and not by it or the like 〈◊〉 yet they are ascribed to God because against his will setting it self to hindâ— them effectively they could not be wrought or because also it is with 〈◊〉 will as a just and righteous thing that such things as hardness blindness deceâ— should befal them for their punishment by running therethrough upon their own Calamities and because they are occasioned by something properly and directly wrought and done by him we may say that by such ways as these God may be said to do them 1. By permitting leaving and giving to men to themselves and to their own imaginations and lusts to be hardned by them not giving forth his grace any further as to such and such a particular or in a total hardning not at all to hinder and keep them back from such hardness and blindness but letting them have their wills and liberty to follow after their â—wn devices and purposes and so to run themselves into desperate stiffness of heart against God and his counsels as in Psal 81.11.14 Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels And so the Gentiles becoming vain in their own imaginations and not likeing to retain or have God in their Knowledge God give them up to vile affections and to a mind void of Judgment Rom. 1.21 25 26 28. And so as the Sun going from us causes darkness so Christ who is the Light of the World hiding himself from a people it follows upon it Joh. 12.39 40 42. that their â—ryes are blinded and he hath blinded their eyes namely by taking away his Light from them not by imparting or â—utting malice into them but by withdrawing his mercy from them as Augustine well says Non impartiendo malitiam sed non impertiendo misericordiam 2. By giving leave and commission permissively to Satan to enter into them as it were and possess them with lying and false imaginations hopes and fears and so to deceive Job 1. and blind and harden them So the Lord took away all that Job had by permitting 2 Sam. 24.11 with 1 Chron. 21.1 1 King 22.20 21 22 23. and giving leave to Satan to do it And he is said to have moved David against Israel to say Go number the people in letting Satan provoke David to it So he hardned Ahabs heart by giving leave or commission to a lying Spirit to intice him to go to Ramoth Gilead by promising him by the mouth of his false Prophets success and prosperity in his so doing And he may be said to have deceived those Prophets not by his Spirit dictating any deceit to them far be it from us so to Blaspheme him but by giving way and leave to the False Spirit to enter into them and deceive them as in the same way he is said to send men strong Delusions that they may believe a lye c. namely by letting Satan who is forward to such work 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. if permitted bring strong Delusions to men and insinuate them into their sancies as he might be said to * Mark 5.12 13. with Math. 8.31 32. Luk. 8.32 33. send the unclean Spirit into the Herd of Swine when upon their desire of it he gave them leave to go 3. By ordering such good and holy Providences to men as by which their hearts especially if left to themselves and Satan will take occasion to harden â—lind and stiffen themselves in their resolutions for Sin and against God So his very suffering the Magicians to do such â—ings by their Inchantments as Moses and â—aron did by his Finger or ordering Moses and Aaron to do such things as they could do the like occasion'd Pharaoh to 〈◊〉 light by those Judgments yea his gradous readiness to remove the Judgment and give respite to Pharaoh so easily at his promise of doing better and intreaty of Moses to pray for him hardned â—baraoh ' heart or rather as the Apostle says Rom. 2.4 5. He after his hardness and impenitency despising or looking overly upon God's easiness to be intreated and so upon his goodness and long-suffering which should have moved him to Repentance hardned his heart against God and treaâ—red up wrath to himself against a day of Wrath according to that in Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a me as thy self c. And that in Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil doer is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of Men is fully set that is is hardned and made obstinate in them to do evil So that accidentally and eventually God's goodness and forbearance to them hardens them and blinds them because they take boldness thence-through their wickedness to presume to Sin yet more and becoming 〈◊〉 in their imaginations blind themselves and are made uncertain whither God dislike their ways or not or whither there be any God or providence of God because he doth not punish the evil of their ways Again by ordering Israel to march through the Wilderness where according to probability it might be thought they would be intangled and so by ordering a kind of Tryal to Pharaoh whether by all his fore-past Judgments he would yet stand in awe of him seeing he would yet hold fast his covetous design of enriching himself by their bondage He also permitted Satan to put into his heart such a thought that now he might have a good advantage to force them back and so he was strengthned and animated to pursue after them to his Destruction And so God turned the hearts of the Aegyptians to hate his people by ordering such blessings and multiplication to his People as provoked them being evil to envy and fear them and then permitting them
to Satan and their own hearts to stir up envy and hatred against them Thus we find too God threatning obstinate people that refuse to walk in his ways or be warned by the sound of his Trumpet that he will lay stumbling blocks before them and the Father and Son shall fall together upon them Jer. 6.17 Isa 8.13 14. Rom. 9.33 18 21. Such was Christ's weakness Cross and abasement and the Fathers withdrawing from him 1 Cor. 1 2â— on the Cross to the Jews and Pharisees who out of envy put him to Death and the Preaching of the Cross to the generality of them 4. Yea we may add if we can conceive otherwise of it then as included in what is said By cursing his Blessings and even his own Ordinances to Men as Mal. 2.1 2. That they should be made as snares and traps to them for their abuse of them as in Psal 69.22 23 24 25. Let their table become a snare and that which was for their welfare a trap c. Yet this is so accidentally as it were by reason of their pride covetousness c. which apts them to take offence and boggle at the Word of God which altogether speaks in such was against them vexing galling and inraging them they loving their deeds that are evil and so becoming a Savour of Death unto Death to them Yea the very Spirit of God may work such Discoveries of their resisting and rejecting them to their very hearts as may occasion the heart retaining its love to iniquity to exert its wickedness and so occasionally harden it to desperate Rebellion and so may his Judgment too as in Rev. 16 8 9. And thus I conceive of God's hardening Operations or such Operations as attributed to him I shall close up this Chapter with Mr. Mallers Exposition of those Words in Psal 105.25 He turned their hearts to hate his people Not that God saith he was the Author of Pharaohs and the Aegyptians evil Counsels or that he put those crafty and wicked counsels into their minds For God is a God that wills not Iniquity c. Which sentence is repeared often in the Scriptures as in Deut. 32. Hos 11. Psal 92. Ezek. 33. Which with both hands or rather with our whole Soul is to be held fast by us that we may know that God is not the cause of any Sin nor doth he will effect or approve of the wickedness and obstinacy of the Wicked but the cause of Sin is the corrupt will of Man and the suggestion of the Devil but God is said to have perverted or turned Pharaâ—hs and the Aegyptians hearts in that he forsaking them left their preverse hearts such as they were naturally that they might pour out their hatred conceived against Israel which hatred was not of God but of their inbred malice pride covetuousness which because God did not correct or take away by his Grace he is said to have perverted or turned their hearts that the Godly might understand that those things which happen to them from such evil men come not unto them without his will This says he is the most sincere meaning of it and most consonant to the Scriptures To which agrees Aug. Tom. 2. contra Pelag. p. 300. God hardens not by putting Malice into men but by withdrawing his mercy from them And in his First Book against the 2 Epist of Pelag. chap. 18. No man is compelled by the power of God against his will either to good or evil but God forsaking men deservedly they go into evil and helping them undeservedly they are converted to good That Phrase of perverting them and hardning them used sixteen times in Exodus is not to be understood of any efficacious action of God but of his permission and forsaking as Aust Lib. 5. contrae Julianum For it is usual in the Hebrew Tongue that Verbs or words signifying Actions are put for the causes of Actions either truly such or such as without which they would not be which seeing they are the Will Power Permission it often falls out that they are to be expounded by I will I can I suffer or permit and by their own infinitive as Gal. 5. So many as are justified by the Law that is desire to be justified 1 Cor. 10. I please all men that is desire or endeavour it Luk. 8. Hearing they bear not that is will not hear Why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and hardned our hearts from thy fear that is Why hast thou left us and suffered us to erre c. And not rather drawn us back and governed us by thy Spirit that by our negligence malice or wickedness we rush not into evil c. Thus he which soberly construed and looked upon as the Judicial acts of God after Grace extended and rejected I conceive to be very right and Orthodox For which cause I have thus noted and transcribed it as worthy to be credited and received And thus much for the kinds of God's operations in which also we have shewed the manner of God's working in operations of this latter kind which respect the working of men to Sin or rather in what sense such operations may be Attributed to God I might have noted also That the same sentence of Truth or providence of God may have diverse operations in divers men as that saying of Christ to the Jews Joh. 8.32 If ye continue in my words then are ye my Disciples indeed and Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free As it occasionally offended and inraged those Jews so it might comfort others and instruct others in the way to obtain freedome and admonish others of and cause them to fear departing from his words and as the same cloud that protected the Israelites blew the Aegyptians into the Sea But I pass it and come to what remains viz. The manner of God's working in his Gracious Operations which are more properly directly and effectively his CHAP. X. Of the manner of God's working in Men by his grace preventing accompanying and following them SECT 1. That God's gracious operations are according to the counsel of his will and in some sense different and unlike IT is most certain that God as the Apostle says Ephes 1.11 worketh all things according to the counsel of his will All things namely that he worketh or we may not say That he worketh â—ens Sins and Evils in them or the works of the Devil which he came to destroy 〈◊〉 all things that he worketh he worketh according as his most infinitely wise â—nderstanding directeth and his will â—herein determineth without asking advice of or submitting himself to the guiâ—ance of any Creature whatsoever â—hough yet heither doth the Apostle thereâ— mean that he worketh nothing with respect to our wills and works for sureâ—y that is not so but in all his punishments and rewards as properly such he hath respect to the wills and workings of Men and so the counsel of his will
8.10 11. and to do or to be operative and effectual of good or of his good pleasure may be thus understood viz. 1. With reference to his preventing Operations if we should apply it also to them as there are Operations preventing believers in what they are to do as well as to other men to bring them to believe but to oary it even to those that respect mens first closing with Christ also though the Apostle writs not to such here as were yet first to close with him we might understand such a saying applicable to such persons Thus 1. God by his preventing grace in the means afforded is operating and working or drawing your hearts to mind and listen to him and to Christ as set forth by him and to be not only willing but actual and effectual doers of his word in yielding up to attend upon him in the means vouchsafed Therefore seeing it is God that is moving and working in you to will and to do those things and he doth so work of Good-pleasure it s his love to you leads him so to work and he is at liberty to cease so to work and may do it if provoked by your resistances and then you can do nothing to purpose therefore in his inclining your wills to himself do you yield up to him and in his exciting stirring and inwardly working you to do and walk forth in his ways in which he is waiting to be gracious to you do ye yield up your Members to obey him And this with fear and trembling least you provoke him that worketh in you these things to withdraw his Operations and then ye can do nothing that will avail you Or 2. It s God that is working or works in you the to will and to be operative or to do It s he that frames the heart to believe and love and to be full of Spiritual inward Motions and efficacies and to walk forth in them Men can do none of these things of themselves but God doth work these things in mens hearing and learning of him in such means as he doth afford in his Church or Sion every one that hears and learns of the of the Father comes to Christ to him he gives the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power and act of believing frames the heart to trust in him and fills him with effectual operations but he doth it in their attention to God in the means directed to by him such as is listening to the Apostles Doctrine and obeying their wholesome Counsels Therefore be ye obedient to those outward instructions and yield up to follow him in such ways as in which he so works Be swift to hear Slow to speak Jam. 1.18 1â— c. seeing God willing begets men by the word of Truth And as our Saviour says Murmur not lift not up yourselves in your own Wisdom and strength of reason to oppose him or to wave and wind out from his teachings seeing no man can come to Christ but by the Fathers drawing him in and by his teachings afforded in the Ordinances and ways of instruction vouchsafed in Sion especially he that hears and learns comes to him So the Apostle afterward do all things without murmuring or disputing vers 14. and this with fear and trembling least ye fail of the grace of God and deprive you selves of that work of Regeneration without which no Salvation and so I labour in vain in respect of you as vers 16. But 2. With reference to his working in believers already in some measure pertakers of his grace and so that have it working in them as it is as I said before properly directed to such The Apostle then instructs them that what that Grace or Salvation working in them wrought it was God that wrought it either for making them willing or operative and effectual and therefore he would have them act that forth with fear and trembling and so work out their Salvation As if ye should say quench not nor grieve the Spirit of God that is working in you the will to do good and then assisting and working the act when ye are willing withdraw not your selves or members from it for it is God who is a consuming fire and working of good pleasure is so much the more to be awfully obeyed least his love provoked to anger and jealousie it go ill with you He that hath made his Son Lord of all is of his good pleasure working in you to be obedient willingly to this Lord even by that Grace received and believed by you See then that with reverence and trembling ye submit to him and work out your salvation The Apostle in all this implies that God so works in men the will and deed as that the men may put a stop to his working by withdrawing or consulting with their carnal reason and affections and so grieving of him As also the Apostle John supposes the same in 1 John 3.17 He that hath this Worlds Goods and seeth his Brother have need and shall shut up the bowels of his compassion how dwells the love of God in him where he implies that the love of God dwelling in the heart will upon sight of a Brothers need move the bowels of compassion and open them in a man that hath wherewith to relieve him will be working upon his will to be willing and put him forward to do what it moves to i. e. to relieve him yet that man imprisoning that love of God and not letting it dwell richly in him and as the ruler over him may shut up the bowels of his compassion and do little or nothing for him contrary to which the Apostle exhorts here to work out and do what that salvation and grace leads to because it 's God that moves and works in its operations Object But now some stand much upon the Article the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it signifies properly the very act of the will and the outward work as effectually and inavoidably wrought of God But he that will consider what the Apostle writes to the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 8.10 11 c. Answ will see little force in that for there the Apostle says that they had begun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only the to do then but also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the to will about a year before and â—et writes to them to finish the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the to do was it not God that wrought in them the to will and the do there as much as is supposed here and yet he so wrought it in them that they themselves are said to have begun them and are exhorted to finish them yea and the Apostle sent a Letter to them to stir them up to it yea and intreated Titus too to come with it to them to provoke and further them in it and as he had begun so to finish in them the same Grace vers 6. yea and another Brother with him