both the Iews to whom this Apostle wrote and the Gentiles came in After those dayes Arminians cannot deny but the putting of the law in the minde and writing it in their hearts and this knowing of the Lord not by the ministerie of man but by the inward teaching of the Spirit must be saving conversion and there is no more reason to expound Israel all Israel both Iews and Gentiles of all of every kinde and some few except they flee to our universalitie of the elect in the matter of conversion then in the matter of redemption by Christ when it is said Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2. Bâ—cause it is their constant doctrine to make all and every one of Adams Sonnes as many as Christ died for to be the parties with whom the covenant is made so in the same covenant it is said Ioh. 6. 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall bee all taught of God as Ieremiah saith Chap. 31.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because they shall all know me for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sinne no more except they admit an universalitie of the redeemed of God then as they contend for an universall redemption and all and every one of mankinde in Christ to bee taken in within the covenant of grace for they expound all those of the visible Church there is as good reason that wee prove from the Grammar of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All. An universall Regeneration and an universall justification of all as they can prove an universall redemption so is the same promise Isai. 54.11 and clearly Rom. 11.26 All Israel shall bee saved He meaneth Iews and Gentiles when the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in here is universall salvation of all So by Iohn Baptists ministry all and every one of his hearers must bee converted why As Arminians expound many that Christ died for Matth. 20.28 To bee all and every man without exception 1 Tim. 2 6. Heb. â— 9 1 Ioh. 2.1 so they are debters to us for the same liberty Mal. 4. He shall turne the hearts of the fathers to the children Luke 1.16 Many of the children of Israel shall hee turne to the Lord their God these wee must expound by the Arminian Grammar of the conversion of all and every one that heard â—ohn preach contrary to Luke 7.29.30 for Pharisees and Lawyers were not converted Yea it is said Isai. 40. Every valley shall bee exalted and every mountaine shall bee made low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain and the glory of the Lord shall bee revealed and all flesh shâ—ll see it together Matth 3. expoundeth it of the preaching of repentance and the coming of the kingdome of God by the ministrie of Iohn so doth Mark 2.3 and Iohn 1.2 And the filling of vallâ—yes and making straight crooked things is sure the humbling of the proud and the exalting of the humble and the conversion of the disobedient But who can say that all and every mountaine was made low and by Iohns ministrie or Christ either Was the Gospel preached to all and every man or the heart of every sonne converted to the father or did all flesh see or injoy the salvation of God Then they must flee to our exposition yea the seeing of the salvation of God is no lesse the saving of all which Arminians cannot say Mr. Den saith That the seeing of God is in that when they knew God they glorified him not as God Rom. 1.21 And they liked not to retain God in their knowledge as that is they have both seen and hated both me and my Father and Mat. 13 1â— And seeing they see not but saith he it is not to bee understood of saving knowledge Answ. 1. This is contrary to the scope of the Prophet Isaiah and of the Evangelists who aime at holding forth the fruits of the Gospel in John Baptist his Ministery which was the conversion of soules as Malachy saith and the bringing down the proud and in tuâ—ning many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God and in going before Câ—riâ—t in the Spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the just and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord Luke 1.16 17. Which is a cleer Exposition of laying every proud Mountain levell to Christ and of fitting soules for the Messiah Which no man can say by teaching such a knowledge of Christ as Idolatrous Heathen had of God as Creator or blinde and obstinate Pharisees had of Christ and his Father whom they both saw and hated Joh. 15. Rom. 21. That seeing of the salvation of God is neither conversion nor preparation of a people for Christ. 2. The phrase of seeing God and the salvation of God being set downe as a powerfull fruit of the Gospel hath never in Scripture so low a meaning as is not wanting to naturall men and Atheists and Pharisees But is meant of an effâ—ctuall knowledge of God and the injoying of God as Job 19.25 I shall see God Psal. 106.5 That I may see that is inioy the good of thy chosen Isai. 33.17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty Isai. 52.10 The ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Joh. 3.3 Except a man be born againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God Acts 22.14 Then Ananias said to Saul the God of our Fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldest know his will and see that just one Heb. 12.14 Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. But if Mr. Den and others will contend that this seeing of the salvation of God is the revelation of the literall knowledge of Christ that saving thing which is bestowed on the Nations by the Ministery of John and the coming of the Messiah they must with us confesse a large Synecdoche and figure in this when it is said All flesh shall see the salvation of God because there are thousands that live and die in the region and shadow of death to whom the least taste of literall knowledge of Christ or of his Name nâ—ver came Psal. â—9 9 In his Temple shall every one speak of his glory not every one but converts only can utter the glory of God savingly in the Temple of the Lord otherwise many speak and doe in his Temple to his dishonour Jer. 7.4.10 11. Ezech. 23.38 39. Acts 2.4 They were all filled with the Holy Ghost 17. And it shall come to passe in the last dayes saith GOD I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh Now it is clear This is a prophecying of all flesh within the Church Your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your young men shall dreame dreames c. Now all flesh did never prophecy nor was
hoasts came against Christ Heaven Hell Earth any Adversary but God the enimity of men cannot make me or any man formally miserable There be great edges and Emphasis in these words My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Not a point not a letter of them can be wanting they are so full and Emphatick 1. My God my God the forsaking of Angels is nothing that Men all men friends all my inward friends forsake me is not much they doe more then forsake they abhorre Job their friend Job 19.19 that father and mother and all my mothers sonnes forsake me is hard yet tollerable Psal. 27.10 Psal. 31.11 Psal. 88.18 Yea that mine own heart and flesh forsake me is an ordinary may bee amongst men Psal. 73.26 But Gods forsaking of a man is sad 2. If he bee a God in covenant with me both God and then my God that is a warme word with childe of love if he forsake me it is hard When our owne leave us we forgive all the world to leave us 3. In forsaking there is a great Emphasis any thing but unkindnesse and change of heart and Love is well taken this speaketh against Faith though Christ could not apprehend this the Lord cannot change Christs could not beleeve such a blasphemy yet the extremity of so sad a condition offered so much to the humane and sinnelesse and innocent sense of Christ a change of dispensation 4. Me Why hast thou forsaken me the sonne of thy love thy onely begotten Sonne the Lord of glory who never offended thee but the relation of Christ to God was admirable hee was as the sinner made sinne for us in this contest the enimity of a Lyon and a Leopard is nothing Hos. 13.7.8 the renting of the caule of the webbe that goeth about the heart is but a shaddow of paine to the Lords running on a man as a Giant in furie and indignation 2. Hell and all the powers of darkenesse came against Christ in this houre Col. 2.14 15. 3. All the earth and his dearest friends stood aloofe from his calamity there was no shoare on earth to receive this ship-broken man In regard of that which was taken from Christ it was a sad houre which I desire to be considered thus 1. The most spirituall life that ever was the life of him who saw and enjoyed God in a personall union was vailed and covered 1. Possession in many degrees was lessened but in jure in right and in the foundation not removed 2. The sense and actuall fruition of God in vision was over-clouded but life in the fountaine stood safe in the blessed union 3. The most direfull effects in breaking bruising and grinding the Sonne of God betweene the millstones of Divine wrath were heere Yet the infinite love and heart of God remained the same to Christ without any shaddow of variation or change Gods hand was against Christ his heart was for him 4. Hence his saddest sufferings were by divine dispensation and oeconomy God could not hate the Son of his love in a free dispensation he persued in wrath the surety and loved the Sonne of God 5. It cannot bee determined what that wall of separation that covering and vaile was that went between the two united natures the union personall still remaining intire how the God-head suspended its divine and soule-rejoycing influence and the man Christ suffered to the bottome of the highest and deepest paine to the full satisfaction of divine justice As it is easie to conceive how the body in death falleth to dust and ill smelling clay and yet the soule dieth not but how the soule suffereth not and is not sadned is another thing How a Bird is not killed and doth flee out and escape and sing when a window is broken with a great noise in the cage is conceivable but how the bird should not suffer or be affected with no affrightment is harder to our apprehension and how ship-broken men may swime to the shoare and live when the shippe is dashed in an hundreth pieces is nothing hard but that they should be nothing affrighted not touch the water and yet come living to shoare is not so obvious to our consideration Yea that the soule should remaine united with the body in death and the Ship sinke the passengers remaining in the ship and not bee drowned is a strange thing The Lord suffered and dyed the Ship was broken and did sinke the soule and body seperated and yet the God-head remained in a personall uinion one with the Man-hood as our soule and body remaine together while we live and subsist entire persons Vse 1. Christ hath suffered much in these sad houres for us hee hath drunken Hell drie to the bottome and hath left no Hell behind for us Heb. 12.2 Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith he hath not onely suffered so much of the Crosse but he hath suffered all the crosse he hath endured the crosse despised shame In the originall the words are without any Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is as much as he hath left no crosse no shame at all to be suffered by us and Phil. 2.8 He was obedient to the Father he saith not to the death but to death even death of the Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It holdeth forth to us that Christ suffered so much for us as hee hath taken up to heaven with him the great Crosse and hath carried up with him as it were the great death and hath left us nothing or very little to suffer and indeed Christ never denyed but affirmed he himselfe behoved to dye but for the beleever he expressely denieth hee shall dye and that with two negations Joh. 11.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall never in any sort dye and for our sufferings Paul calleth them Col. 1.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the remnants the leavings the dregs and after-drops of the sufferings of Christ the sips and dew-drops remaining in the bottom of the cup when Christ hath drunken out the whole cup so are our affections and being compared with what Christ suffered they are but bitts fragments and small pieces of death that we suffer for the first death that the Saints suffer is but the halfe and the farre least halfe of death it s but the lips the outer porch of death the second death which Christ suffered for us is onely death and the dominion Lordship and power of death is removed Why doe you then murmur fret repine under aflictions when you beare little wedges pinnes and chips of the Crosse Your Lord Jesus did beare for you the great and onely Crosse that which is death shame and the Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of excellencie so called It is true the Spouse of Christ since the beginning of the world and since Christs time these 1600. Yeares hath been crying as a woman travelling in birth of a Man-childe and the Dragon neare persuing her and is not yet
breath Natures weake leggs in walking up the Mount are good for the adding wind and tyde and high sailes to the praysing of Christ and free Grace Vtile est peccavisse nocâ—t pâ—ccare It is profitable that we have sinned that Grace may be extolled it is ill to sinne Even to the nature of man its good that hee hath dyed and hath beene in the grave yet it s not good but contrary to nature to die and to ly in the grave 6. It s our forgetfulnesse that wee see not the dearest to Christ hath beene kept lowest and most empty in their owne eyes hidden grace extolleth Christ. 2. That often the Saints are kept in a condition of sayling with as much wind as blows with praying and beleeving 3. That yet prayer and the sweating of Faith cannot earne nor promerit the renewed sense of Christ so as Christ returneth to eate his honey-combe and his wine and milke and banquet with the soule rather at the presence of these acts then for them as some have said thouâ—h with no strength of reason that fire burneth not the Sunne enlighteneth not the â—arth doth not send forth floures and herbes but God at the naked presence of these causes doth produce all effects yet in this case it hath a truth that the sweating of all supernaturall industry cannot redeeme the least halfe glimpse of Gods presence in the sense of eternall love when God is pleased for trialâ— to hide himselfe 7 Our great fault heere is merit that we tye the flowings and inundations of Christs love to the becke of our desires whereas we may know 1. That the Sunne doth not shine nor the raine water the earth in order to merit 2. Wee should know that grace and all the acts of grace are almes not debt and that a rich Saviour giveth grace to us as beggars and payeth it not to hirelings as the due or as wages wee can crave for our worke but wee love peny-worth's better then free-gifts But for this cause came I to this houre Christs worke of redemption was a most rationall worke and was full of causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this saith that to redeeme losed sinners was not a rash and reasonlesse worke 1. There was no cause compelling Love cannot be forced John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Grace worketh more from an intrinsecall cause and more spontaneously then nature For Nature often is provoked by contraries for selfe-defence to worke as fire worketh on water as on a contrary the wolfe and the dogge pursue one another as enemies But Grace because grace hath abundance of causality and power in it selfe but hath no cause without it 2. Any necessitie of working from Goodnesse in the Agent as from such a principle is strong 1 Tim. 1.15 It s a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be received that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners If the thing be worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all receipt and embracing then it must bee good an Agent working from a Principle of goodnesse doth in his kind worke necessarily though he may also worke from another principle freely John 10.11 I am the good shepherd the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheepe Luke 19.10 For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to save that which is lost 3. God will seeke reasons or occasions without himselfe to be gracious to sinners When no reason or cause moveth a Physitian to cure but onely sicknesse and extreame misery wee know grace and compassion is the onely cause Ezech. 36.23 I will sanctifie my great name Why Which was prophaned among the heathen and which ye have prophaned in the midst of them then the true cause must bee expressed Vers. 22. Thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Names sake 4. The Lord taketh a cause from the end of his comming Math. 20.28 The Sonne of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many Joh. 18.37 To this end was I borne and for this cause came into the world that I should beare witnesse to the truth Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and have it in aboundance 5. Some thing yea very much of God is in the creation much of God in his common providence but most of all yea whole God in the redemption of man God manifested in the flesh is the matter and subject of it Grace the moving cause most of all his attributes working for the manifestation of the Glory of pardoning mercy revenging justice exact faithfulnesse and truth freest grace omnipotency over hell devils sinne the World patience longanimity to man cooperate as the formall and finall causes it is a peece so rationall and full of causes that as he is happy Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas who can know the causes of things so Angels delight to be Schollers to read and study this mysterious art of free Grace Eph. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 Works without reasons and causes are foolish The cause why we doe not submit to God is because we lye under blind and fatherlesse crosses its true Affliction springs not out of the dust and crosses considered without God are twise crosses Three materiall circumstances in crosses are very considerable Quis quare quomodo 1. Who for what cause and how doth God afflict us Who afflicts is worthy to be known Esai 42.24 Who gave Jaakob for a spoile and Israel to the robbers The highest cause of causes did it Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth good to him 2. For what end God the Lord did this is a circumstance of comfort Why led the Lord Israel through a great and terrible wildernesse wherein were fiery Scorpions and Serpents and drought Deut. 8.16 That he might prove thee to doe thee good at thy latter end 3. And how the Lord correcteth is worthy to be known He correcteth Jaakob in measure Jer. 6.28 Mercy wrapped about the rod and a cup of gall and wormewood honeyed and oyled with free love and a piece of Christs heart and his stirred bowels mixed in with the cup is a mercifull little hell Psal. 6.1 Jer. 31.18 19 20. The Law saith A Bastard hath no father because his father is not knowne The Philistimes are plagued with Emerods but whether that ill was from the Lord or from Chance they know not The crosse to many is a bastard We suffer from Prelats because wee suffered Prelats to persecute the Saints Papists shed our bloud why Our fore-fathers burnt the witnesses of Christ and we never repented Christ and Anti-christ are at bloudy blowes in the camp Anti-christ hath killed many thousands in the three kingdomes for Religion that is the quarrell and
come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ch. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Acts 13.39 And by him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 16.30 The Jaylor saith to Paul and Silas what must I doe to be saved Vers. 31. And they said beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy houshold There is an expresse required of the Jaylor which he must performe if he would be saved And Rom. 10. looke as a condition is required in the Law Vers. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousnesse of the Law that the man that doth these things shall live by them So beleeving is required as a condition of the Gospel Vers. 6. But the righteousnesse which is of Faith c. Ver. 9. Saith that if thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 3.27.28.29.30 ch 4. ch 5. Faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace and the only condition of Justification and of the title right and claime that the Elect have thorow Christ to life eternall Holy walking as a witnesse of faith is the way to the possession of the kingdome As Rom. 2.6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds Vers. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternall life Vers. 8. To them that are contentious Vers. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Matth. 25.34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Ver. 33. For I was hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirstie and ye gave me drink c. And let Antinomians say we are freed from the Law as a rule of holy walking sure the Gospel and the Apostles command the very same duties in the letter of the Gospel that Moses commanded in the letter of the Law as that children obey their parents servants their masters that we abstaine from murther hatred of our brother stealing defrauding lying c. that we keepe our selves from Idols swearing strange gods I doe not say that these duties are commanded in the same way in the Gospel as in the Law For sure we are out of a principle of Evangelike love to render obedience and our obedience now is not Legall as commanded by Moses in strict termes of Law but as perfumed oyled honeyed with the Gospel-sense of remission of sinnes the tender love of God in Christ. So that wee justly challenge two extreme waies both blasphemous as we conceive 1. Arminians object to us that which the Antinomians truely teach to wit that we destroy all precepts commands exhortations and active obedience in the Gospel and render men under the Gospel meere blocks and stones which are immediately acted by the Spirit in all obedience and freed from the Letter of both Law and Gospel as from a Legall bondage This we utterly disclaime and doe obtest and beseech Antinomians as they love Christ and his truth to cleare themselves of this which to us is vilde Libertinisme And by this Arminians turne all the Gospel in literalem gratiam in a Law-Gospel in meere golden letters and sweet-honeyed commandements of Law-precepts and will have the Law possible justification by works conversion by the power of free will and morall suasion really without the mighty power of the Spirit and Gospel-grace and receive the doctrine of merit and set heaven and hell on new Polls to be rolled about as Globes on these two Poles the nilling and willing of free-will and they make grace to be sweet words of silke and gold on the other hand Antinomians doe exclude words letter-perswasions our actions conditions of Grace promises written or preached from the Gospel and make the Spirit and celestiall rapts immediate inspirations the Gospel it selfe and turne men regenerate into blocks and how M. Den can be both an Antinomian and loose us from the Law and an Arminian defending both universall attonement and the resistible working of grace and so subject us to the Law and to the doctrine of Merit and make us lords of our owne faith and conversion to God let him and his followers see to it Wee goe a middle way here and doe judge the Gospel to bee an Evangelike command and a promising and commanding Evangel and that the Holy Ghost graceth us to doe and the Letter of the Gospel obligeth us to doe Pos. 3. The decree of Election to glory may bee said to bee more free and gracious in one respect and justification and glorification and conversion more free in another respect and all the foure of meere free grace For Election as the cause and fountaine-grace is the great mother the wombe the infinite spring the bottomlesse ocean of all grace and wee say effects are more copiously and eminently in the cause then in themselves as water is more in the element and fountaine then in the streames the tree more in the life and sapp of life then in the branches and conversion and justification have more freedome and more of grace by way of extension because good will stayeth within the bowels and heart of God in free election but in conversion and justification infinite love comes out and here the Lord giveth us the great gift even himselfe Christ God the darling the delight the onely onely well-beloved of the Father and he giveth Faith to lay hold on Christ and the life of God and all the meanes of life in which there be many divided acts of grace to speake so which were all one in the wombe of the election of grace Pos. 4. Conversion justification are free for election and therefore election is more free but all these as they are in God are equally free and are one simple good will Though Christ justifie and crowne none but such as are quallified with the grace of beleeving yet beleeving is a condition that removeth nothing of the freedome of grace 1. Because it worketh nothing in the bowels of mercy and the free grace of God as a motive cause or moving condition that doth extract acts of grace out of God only we may conceive this order that Grace of electing to glory stirres another wheele to speak so of free love to give Faith effectuall calling justification and eternall glory 2. It s no hire nor work at all nor doth it justifie as a worke but onely lay hold on the Lord our righteousnesse Object There is more of God in election to glory then in giving of Faith or at least of Christs righteousnesse and eternall glory therfore there must bee more grace in the one then in
infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sinne Christ cannot now sigh but he can feele sighing he cannot weepe he hath a mans heart to compassionate our weeping in such a way as is sutable to his glorrâ—ed condition the head is in heaven but hee hath left his heart in earth with sinners there can bee nothing dearer to Christ then the holy Spirit he hath sent us downe that comforter the Spirit to abidâ— with us Vse 1. O that men would come and look into this Ark and that Christ would draw the curtain Doâ— but hear himself crying to the Cities of Iudah Isai. 40.9 Behold your God Isai. 65.1 I said to a Nation that was not called by any Name Behold me Behold me The doubling of the word saith Christ desires to out his beauty Shall your farme and youâ—â—ve yoak of Oxen keep you from him Men will not be drawn to him to satisfie their love Vse 2. Christ is a drawing and a uniting Spirit then all that are in Christ should be united certainly the divisions now in Britaine cannot be of God The wolfe and the good Shepherd are contrary in this the good Shepherd loves to have the flock gathered in one and to save them that they may find pasture and the flock may be saved The wolfe scatters the flock or if the wolfe would have the flock gathered together it is that they may be destroyed then it would be considered if a bloody intention of warre between two Protestant Kingdomes for carnall ends and upon forced and groundlesse jealousies be from an uniting Spirit and not rather from him who was a Murtherer from the beginning Vse 3. Jewes and Turks and civill men that are but Morall Pagans are not in Christ nor can they have any communion with God nor be drawn to Christ because no man can be in love with God except he see God as opened and made lovely to the soul in Christ Morall civility and Pharisaicall holiness is one of the most heaven-like and whitest wayes to hell that Satan can devise Many morall mâ—n go by theft to hell Satan by open violence pulleth the prophane and openly wicked men to perdition but he stealeth millions of civill Saints honest married men that have whereon to live in the world plenâ—ifully to hell in their whitâ—s as if they were Saints because civill and clean in the Morals of the second Table yet not being borne againe they cannot see the Kingdome of God and most men deceive themselves with countrey Religion and Moralities but such be but civill honest Antichrists and deny there is any need that Christ should come in the flesh to die for sinners for they can live honestly for sinners and save themselves and not be beholding to Christ for heaven or mortification or faith Verse 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men This drawing of sinners to Christ is bottomed on Christs dying on the Crosse and his dying on the Crosse is an act of extream and highest love Joh. 3.16 Joh. 15.13 1 Joh. 4.9 10. Hence let us consider a little further what drawing and alluring power is in the love of God and what way we may come to the sweet fruit of the strongest pull of Christ Which may be consiâ—dered in 1. The revelation of the drawing lovelines of Christs dying 2. The fulnesse of this lovelinesse For the former Christ openeth himselfe to us we cannot discover him first and there be two Acts of this 1. Christ opens the understanding Luke 24.45 and the heart Acts 16.14 He taketh away the thick vail that is over the heart 2 Cor. 3.15 16. and rendereth the Medium the Aire as it were thin cleare visible as when the Sun expelleth night-shadowes and thick clouds so Davids key That openeth and no man shutteth Rev. 3.7 removeth the doore and the seale that the first Adams sin putteth on the heart Joh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him And Christ can show the Father The Lord Jesus cometh out of his depth and Ocean of glory and Yvory chamber as it were and the Son of God revealeth the Son of God as Gal. 1. v. 12. compared with v. 15 16. sheweth He would not say Behâ—ld me behold me Isai. 65.1 and thâ—n get into a thick cloud and hide himself if he had not had a mind to reveal his glory and to show himself The King in his beauty Iâ—ai 33.17 all his lovelinesse the mysteries â—f his love the rosiness whiteness redness comliness of his face Cant 5.10 Nor would the Spouse pray for a noon-day sight of Christ Cant. 1.7 If he could not offer himselfe to be seen in his loveliness of beauty Thus Christ doth make manifest the savour of his knowledge in the Ministery of the Gospell 2 Cor. 2.14 When he letteth out to the soul the smell of Myrrhe Aloes of all the sweet ointments of his death and wounds that the soul seeth smelleth tasteth the Apples of love in the beleived mercy free grace satisfied justice peace reconciled with righteousnesse purchased redemption in his blood and he standeth behind the wall of our flesh and so is called Our wâ—ll Cant. 2.9 Behold â—e standeth behind our wall Or Behold that is he standing behind our wall he looketh forth at the window shewing himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bewraying himselfe through the latâ—esse Yet this is not a perfect vision of God attainable in this life as the Author of the Bright Star dreameth I see a man more distinctly in the field and before the Sun then when he looks out at the grates or lattesse of a window and a window behind a wall for so we but see Christ in this life The compleatnesse of the lovelinesse is 1. In that there is no spot in Christ crucified when he is seen spiritually no blemish no lamenesse no defect for an eternall and infinite Redemption and an absolute righteousnesse more cannot be required nay not by God 2. Nothing that the desiring faculty and appetite can stumble at Paul's determination the last resolved judgement of his minde and his ripest resolution and purpose was to know nothing save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Christs beauty can fill all the corners and emptiness of the wide desires of the soule 3. There is an actuall fulnesse of God spoken of Ephes. 3. Paul praying that the Ephesians may comprehend the great love of God v. 19. saith That yee may know the love of God that passeth knowledge that yee may be filled with all the fulnesse of God This is a satisfying fulness and is an admirable expression To be filled with God must be a soul-delighting fill But 2. To be filled with the fulnâ—sse of God is more for there is unspeakable fulness in God â— The expression is yet higher That ye may be filled
saved yet the Lambe of God taketh away the sinnes of the world So Esai 6.7 Thine iniquity is taken away and thy sinne purged this is no halfe pardon such as Esaiah had before the Lord touched his lips 1 Joh. 3.5 And yee know that he was manifested to take away our sinnes Iohn speaketh of the taking away of the sinnes of us Iohn and the Saints who were loved Vers. 1. with a wonderfull love to bee called the Sonnes of God us whom the World knoweth not vers 2. us who shall be like Christ when he appeareth Arminians are obliged to give us parallel places where the redemption of all and every man and Christs naked power and desire to be friends with all men and to make any covenant of grace or works as he pleaseth is called the taking away the sinnes of the world and yet the whole world may possibly dye in their sinnes and not a man be saved the taking away of the worlds sinnes to us is the compleat pardoning of them Remission of sinnes in his bloud Ephes. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Blotting out of transgressions Esai 4â— 25 as a thicke cloud Esai 44.23 a not remembring of sinnes Isai 43.25 Ier. 31. â—4 Such a taking away of sinnes as is promised in the covenant of grace to the house of Iudah to the Church under the Messiah that heareth the Gospel Ier. 31.34 Hebr. 8.8 9 10 11 12. Rom. 11.26 27. Esai 59.20 This is the taking away of the sinnes of the world a new world in whose inner parts the Lord writeth his Law and with whom the Lord maketh an everlasting covenant never to turne away from them Jer. 31.33 34 5 36 37. in whom the Lord putteth his Spirit and in whose mouth he puteth his Word and in the mouth of their seed and their seeds seede Esai 59.20 21. The Arminian taking away of sins is of all and every one of Adams seed of such as never heard of a Covenant of a Word of a Spirit of a Seed a holy Seed of a new heart Finally the taking away of the sinnes of the world is the removing of them as farre from us as the East is from the West Psal. 103.12 bestowed on these that feare the Lord vers 11. and are pitied of the Lord as the Father pitieth the Sonne and the subduing of our iniquities and the casting of our sinnes in the depths of the Sea Mich. 7.19 â—0 a mercy bestowed only on the remnant of the Lords inheritance The Arminian taking away of sins is a broad pardon of sins to all the world let them shew Scripture for theirs as we doe for ours and cary it with them Object 15. Though Reconciliation bee purchased to all and every one yet it is not necessary that it bee preached to all and every one but onely it is required that God bee willing it bee preached to all now it is free to God before he be willing to make offer of the purchased reconciliation to all to require afore hand such acts of obedience and dueties which being performed hee may publish the Gospel to them or being not performed hee may bee unwilling to publish the Gospel to them Yea though reconciliation be purchased to all yet its free to God to communicate the benefits of his death upon what termes hee thinketh good And Christ died saith Master Moore to obtaine a lordship over all and a power to save beleevers and destroy such as will not have him to raigne over them as wee heard before Answ. 1. We have in this Doctrin that Argument yeelded God commanded to preach to all and every one Ergo Christ died for all and every one For 1. The consequence is true absolutely by the Arminians doctrine Christ absolutely died for all and every one without prescribing any condition to those for whom he dies he saith not my sonne dieth to purchase reconciliation to all upon condition all beleeve or perform some other dutie but beleeve they or beleeve they not the 〈◊〉 is payed and salvation purchased for all without exception but the antecedent is not true but upon condition God is not willing the Gospel bee preached to all but to such as perform such conditions 2. If they perform not the condition Christ should have said preach not the Gospel to all nations nor to every creature but onely to such as yee finde fit hearers of the Gospel and have performed such acts of obedience as I require for conditionall threatnings are set downe in the Gospel as well as conditionall promises he that beleeveth shall be saved he that beleeveth not shall bee damned But in Old or New Testament Arminians never shew us where the preaching of the word of Grace is referred to our free will Doe this O Ammonits O Indians and the glad tyding shall come to you if yee doe not this ye shall never heare the Gospel Arminians say God sendeth his Grace and Gospel both genti minus dignae indigniori negat to the unworthy Nation and denyeth both to the worthier 3. Arminians say in Script Synod Dordr pag. 6. Lex non lata aut non intellecta cum intelligi non possit non obligat a law not made or not understood when it cannot be understood doth not oblige then God cannot deny a salvation and the benefit of a preached Gospel to Indians though both were purchased in Christ if they never heard as hundreths of Nations could by no rumor heare or dreame of Christ and the Gospel of Christ. 4. How can God with the same naturall and half-will equally will that all bee saved when hee absolutly without merit or condition willeth the meanes of salvation to some and denyeth the meanes of salvation to the farre largest part of mankinde for want of a condition unpossible because it neither was nor could be known to them 5. By the Arminian way sinne originall is no sin it bringeth wrath and condemnation on no man God beginneth upon a new score and the reckoning of the covenant of Grace to count with all men and God is so reconciled to all mortall men and transacteth with them in such a way of free grace that hee will punish no man for any new breach except committed actually by such as are come to age as have the use of reason and are obliged to beleeve in Christ. pag. 285 286 287. Dordr scrip Synod Yet hath God decreed never to reveale any such gracious transactions to millions of men that better deserve to heare these secrets of grace then thousands to whom they are proclaimed in their ears ere they can discerne the right hand by the left This Arminians say was Gods dispensation Matth. 11. with Capernaum and Tyrus and Sidon But it will bee found that Arminians deny the prescience and foreknowledge of God 6. Most abominable and comfortlesse must the doctrine of the death of our Lord Iesus be if Christ died onely to bee a Lord and such a Lord as hee might have power without
awed by the Law 576.577 Antinomians oblige not beleevers to personall walking with God 578 The Law leaveth not off to bee a rule of righteousnesse because it giveth not grace 579 Every naturall man under the Law 581.582 A Mystery of Antinomians that all meanes not effectually moving the will are not meanes laying bonds on the conscience 582.583 Antinomians take away all use of teaching and exhorting 584 Faith looseth us not from the Law ibid. Obeying of God because of the direction of Law and Gospel is to Antinomians a controuling of the free Spirit 589 The Law as the Law required perfect obedience but the Law as Evangelized requireth not perfect obedience that we may be justified 589 The Antinomian doctrine propounded by the carnall Libertine Rom. 7. 590.591 The Law is not meerely passive 591.592 How Faith and new obedience are the meanes of our delivery from the body of sin the former from the guilt and that perfectly and at once in justification and the other from the blot and in-dwelling of sinne and that by degrees in Sanctification 593.594 How we are saved without works 594.595 How God accounteth the good works of the justified porfect 595.596.597.598 CHRIST DYING AND Drawing Sinners to himselfe JOHN 12. 27. Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this houre But for this cause came I unto this houre 28. Father glorifie thy Name IT is a question whether these words of our Saviours Soule-trouble be nothing but the same words and prayer which Matthew chap. 26. and Luke 22. relate to wit O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me when his soule was troubled in the garden in his agonie Some think them the same others not It is like they are words of the same matter for first when Christ uttered these words hee was neare his sufferings and on the brink of that hideous and dark sea of his most extreme paine and drew up against hell and the Armies of darknesse as the story sheweth But that the Lord uttered these same words in the garden and not before is not apparent because upon this prayer it is said Then came there a voyce from heaven c. A voyce speaketh to him from heaven now Mat. 26. Luk. 22. no voyce is like to have come from heaven for when hee prayed in his agonie there were no people with him as here because of the voyce the people being present Some said it thundered others said an Angel spake from heaven there being now with Christ in the garden when hee prayed O my Father c. none save Peter James and John the three famous witnesses of his extreme suffering and of his young heaven of his transfiguration on the Mount when hee acted the Preludium and the image and representation of heaven before them as is cleare Mat. 26. vers 37. And he was removed from them also Mat. 26.39 Luk. 22.41 and they were sleeping in his agonie Mat. 26.40 43 45. But now there is a waking people with Christ who heard this voyce But I deny not but it is the same prayer in sense even as suppose it were revealed to a godly man that hee were to suffer an extreme violent and painfull death and withall some fearfull soule-desertion as an image of the second death it should much affright him to remember this and hee might pray that the Lord would either save him from that sad houre or then give him grace with faith and courage in the Lord to endure it so here Christ God and man knowing that hee was to beare the terrors of the first and second death doth act over afore-hand the time being neare the sorrow and anguish of heart that hee was to suffer in his extreme sufferings as it were good ere the crosse come to act it in our mind and take an essay and a lift of Christs crosse ere wee beare it to try how handsomely wee would set back and shoulders under the Lords crosse I doe not intend that wee are to imitate the Martyr who put his hand in the fire the night before hee suffered to try how hee could endure burning-quick but that wee are to lay the supposition what if iâ— so fall out as Christ being perswaded his suffering was to come acted sorrow trouble of soule and prayer before-hand and to resolve the saddest and antedate the crosse and say with our owne hearts Let the worst come or to suffer our feare to prophecy as Job did chap. 3. vers 25. yet suppose the hardest befall me I know what to doe as the unjust Steward resolveth on a way before-hand how to swimmâ— through his necessities Luk. 16.4 The Lord acteth judgement and what they shall pray in the time of their extremity who now spit at all praying and Religion they shall be religious in their kind when they shall cry Revel 6.16 Mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. You cannot beleeve that a Lambe shall chase the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and every bond-man and every free-man into the dennes and the rocks of the mountaines to hide themselves But the Lord acteth wrath and judgement before your eyes Men will not suppose the reall story of hell Say but with thy selfe Oh! shall I weep and gnaw my tongue for paine in a sea of fire and brimstone Doe but fore-fancie I pray you how you shall look on it what thoughts you will have what you shall doe when you shall 2 Thes. 1.9 be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 1. Fore-seen sorrowes have not so sad an impression on the spirit 2. Grace is a well-advised and resolute thing and has the eyes of providence to say in possible events What if my Scarlet embrace the Dunghill and Providence turne the Tables 3. It is like wisedome grace is wise to see afarre-off to fore-act faith and resolve to lie under Gods feet and intend humble yeelding to God as 2 Sam. 15.25 26. In the Complaint wee have 1. the Subject-matter of it The Lords troubled soule 2. The Time Now is my soulâ— troubled 3. Christs Anxiety wrought on him by this trouble What shall I say or which is the sense What shall I doe 4. And a shoare is seen at hand in the storme a present rock in the raging sea What shalt thou say Lord Jesus what shalt thou doe Pray and hee prayeth Father save me from this houre 5. There is a sort of correction or rather a limitation But for this cause came I to this houre The Lord forgetting his paine embraceth this evill houre 6. Going on in his resolution to embrace this sad houre hee prayeth vers 28. Father glorifie thy Name Touching the first the Soule-trouble of Christ wee are to consider 1. How it can consist with
want nothing Mercy be satisfied Peace should kisse righteousnesse and warre goe on in justice against a sinlesse Redeemer Angels bowing and stooping downe to behold the bottome of this depth 1 Pet. 1.12 cannot read the perfect sense of the infinite turnings and foldings of this mysterious love O Love of heaven and fairest of Beloveds the flower of Angels why camest thou so low down as to be-spot and under-rate the spotlesse love of all loves with coming â—igh to black sinners Who could have beleeved that lumps of hell and sinne could be capable of the warmings and sparkles of so high and princely a Love or that there could be place in the brest of the High and lofty One for forlorne and guilty clay But wee may know in whose brest this bred sure none but onely the eternall Love and Delight of the Father could have outed so much love had another done it the wonder had been more But of this more else-where Wee may hence chide our soft nature the Lord Jesus his soule was troubled in our businesse wee start at a troubled body at a scratch in a penny-broad of our hyde First There is in nature a silent impatience if wee be not carried in a chariot of love in Christs bosome to heaven and if wee walk not upon scarlet and purple under our feet wee flinch and murmure Secondly Wee would either have a silken a soft a perfumed crosse sugered and honyed with the consolations of Christ or wee faint and providence must either brew a cup of gall and worm-wood mastered in the mixing with joy and songs else wee cannot be Disciples But Christs Crosse did not smile on him his Crosse was a crosse and his ship sailed in bloud and his blessed soule was sea-sick and heavie even to death Thirdly Wee love to saile in fresh waters within a step to the shoare wee consider not that our Lord though hee afflict not and crush not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his heart Lam. 3.33 yet hee afflicteth not in sport punishing of sinne is in God a serious grave and reall work no reason the crosse should be a play neither Stoicks nor Christians can laugh it over the Crosse cast a sad glowme upon Christ. Fourthly we forget that bloody and sad mercies are good for us the peace that the Lord bringeth out of the wombe of warre is better then the rotten peace that wee had in the superstitious daies of Prelats What a sweet life what a heaven what a salvation is it we have in Christ and we know the death the grave the soule-trouble of the Lord Jesus travelled in paine to bring forth these to us Heaven is the more heaven that to Christ it was a purchase of blood The Crosse to all the Saints must have a bloody bit and Lyons teeth it was like it selfe to Christ gallie and soure it must be so to us Wee cannot have a Paper-crosse except we would take on us to make a golden providence and put the creation in a new frame and take the world and make it a great leaden vessell melt it in the fire and cast a new mould of it Fiftly the more of God in the Crosse the sweeter as that free grace doth budde out of the black rod of God to the soule that seeth not and yet beleeveth and loveth the Crosse of Christ drops honey and sweetest consolations Wee sigh under stroakes and we beleeve The first Adam killed us and buried us in two deaths and sealed our grave in one peece of an houre he concluded all under wrath Now how much of Christ is in this Omnipotencie infinite wisedome when Angels gave us over and stood aloofe at our miserie as changed lovers free Grace boundlesse love deepest and richest mercy in Jesus Christ opened our graves and raised the dead Christ died and rose againe and brought againe from the dead all his buried brethren Sixtly we can wrestle with the Almighty as if we could discipline and governe our selves better then God can do Murmuring fleeth up against a dispensation of an infinite wisdome because its Gods dispensation not our owne as if God had done the fault but the murmuring man onely can make amends and right the slips of infinite Wisdome Why is it thus with mee Lord saith the Wrestler Why doest thou mis-judge Christ he who findeth fault with what the Creator doth let him be man or Angel undoe it and doe better himselfe and carry it with him Seventhly we judge God with sense with the humor of reason not with reason the oare that God rolleth his vessell withall is broken say we because the end of the oare is in the water Providence halteth say we but what if sense and humour say a straight line is a circle The world judged God in person a Samaritane one that had a devill if we mis-judge his person we may mis-judge his providence and wayes Suspend your sense of Gods wayes while you see his ends that are under ground and instead of judging wonder and adore or then beleeve implicitly that the way of God is equall or doe both and submit and be silent Heart-dialogues and heart-speeches against God that arises as smoake in the Chimney are challengings and summons against our highest Landlord for his owne house and land Secondly If Christ gave a soule for us hee had no choiser thing the Father had no nobler and dearer gift then his only begotten sonne the sonne had no thing dearer then himselfe the man Christ had nothing of value comparable to his soule and that must runne a hazzard for man The Father the Sonne the Man Christ gave the excellentest that was theirs for us In this giving and taking world we are hence obliged to give the best and choisest thing we have for Christ. Should wee make a table of Christs acts of love and free grace to us and of ouâ— sinnes and acts of unthankefulnesse to him this would be more evident as there was 1. before time in the breast of Christ an eternall coale of burning love to the sinner this fire of heaven is everlasting and the flames as hot to day as ever our coale of love to him in time hath scarce any fire or warmenesse all fire is hot Oh we cannot warme Christ with our love but his love to us is hotter then death or as the flames of God Wee were enemies in our minds to him by wicked workes Col. 1.21 Heires of wrath by nature Christ began with love to us we begin with hatred to him 2. The Father gave his onely begotten Sonne for us how many Fathers and Elies will not let fall one tough word to all the sonnes and daughters they have for the Lord God spared not his Sonne but gave him to the death for us all Earthly Fathers spare clap their Sonnes Servants Friends Magistrates flattering Pastors their people in their blasphemies for him 3. Christ gave his soule to trouble and to the horrour of the
saved by Faith as we are Heb. 11.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Gal. 3.10 13. Acts 11.16 17. Rom. 9.31 32 33. 5. Yea the Law was no lesse a Letter of condemnation to them then to us Rom. 8.3 Rom. 10.3 Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 13. 2 Cor. 3 7 8.13.14 15. 6. They dranke of the same spirituall Rocke with uâ— and the Rocke was Christ 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Heb. 13.8 and were saved by grace as well as we Acts 15.11 2. It 's true Josiahs tendernesse of heart Davids smiting of heart the Womans weeping even to the washing of Christs fâ—et with teares Peters weeping bitterly for the denying of his Lord as they were woundings and Gospel-affections and commotions of love issuing from the Spirit of adoption of love grace and nothing but the Turtles love-sorrow so it is most false that they were no soule trouble for sinne as if these had beene freed from all Law of God and these soule-commotions were not from any sense of the curse or the Law or any demands of Law to pay what justice may demand of the selfe-condemned sinner yet were they acts of soule-trouble for sin as sin and it shall never follow that the parties were under no transgression and no law because under no obligement to eternall wrath for such an obligation to eternall wrath is no chain which can tye the sons of adoption who are washed justified pardoned and yet if the justified and pardoned say they have no sin and so no reason to complaine under their fetters and sigh as captives in prison as Paul doth Rom. 7.24 nor cause to mourne for in-dwelling of sin they are liars and strangers to their owne heart and doe sleep in deep security as if sin were so fully removed both in guilt and blot as if tears for sin as sin should argue the mourning party to be in the condition of those who weep in hell or that they were no more obliged to weep yea by the contrary to exercise no such affection but joy comfort and perpetuated acts of solace and rejoycing as if Christ had in the threshold of glory with his owne hand wiped all teares from their eyes already 3. Nor see I any reason why any should affirme That the Law is naturally as a party in the soule of the either regenerate and justified or of those who are out of Christ. 1. For the Law 's in-dwelling as a party ingaging by accusing and condemning is not naturally in any sonne of Adam because there is a sleeping conscience both dumbe and silent naturally in the soule and if there be any challenging and accusing in the Gentile-conscience Rom. 2. as stirring is opposed to a silent and dumb conscience that speaketh nothing so the Law-accusing is not naturally in the soule a spirit above nature I doe not meane the Spirit of regeneration must work with the Law else both the Law and sin lie dead in the soule the very law of nature lieth as a dead letter and stirreth not except some wind blow more or lesse on the soule Rom. 7.8 9. 2. That the Law wakeneth any sinner and maketh the drunken and mad sinner see himselfe in the sea and sailing down the river to the chambers of death that hee may but be occasioned to cast an eye on shore on Jesus Christ and wish a landing on Christ is a mercy that no man can father on nature or on himselfe 3. All sense of a sinfull condition to any purpose is a work above nature though it be not ever a fruit of regeneration 4. It s true Christ teacheth a mans soule through the shining of Gospel-light to answer all the enditements of the Law in regard that Christ the Ransomer stops the Law 's mouth with bloud else the sinner can make but a poore and faint advocation for himselfe yet this cannot be made in the conscience without some soule-trouble for sin 5. It s strange that Gods people need more joy after sinne then after affliction and that in some respect they have most joy who have sinned most Sure this is accidentall to sin this joy is not for sin but it s a joy of loving much because much is forgiven Forgivenesse is an act of free grace sin is no work of grace Sin grieves the heart of God as a friend's trouble is trouble to a friend the beleever is made the friend of God Joh. 15.15 and it must be cursed joy that lay in the womb of that which is most against the heart of Christ such as all sin is Yea to be more troubled in soule for sinnes then for afflictions smelleth of a heart that keeps correspondence with the heart and bowels of Christ who wept more for Jerusalems sins then for his owne afflictions and crosse As some ounces of everlasting wrath in the Law with a talent weight of free Gospel-mercy would be contempered together to cure the sinner so is there no rationall way to raise and heighten the price and worth of the soule-Redeemer of sinners and the weight of infinite love so much as to make the sinner know how deep a hell hee was plunged in when the bone aketh exceedingly for that the Gospel-tongue of the Physician Christ should lick the rotten bloud of the soules wound speaketh more then imaginable free-love Nor doe wee say that Gospel-mourning is wrought by the Law 's threatnings then it were servile sorrow but it s wrought by the doctrine of the Law discovering the foulnesse and sinfulnesse of sin and by the doctrine of the Gospel the Spirit of the Gospel shining on both Otherwise sounds breathings letters of either Law or Gospel except the breathings of heaven shine on them and animate them can doâ— no good Asser. 4. Sinnes of youth already pardoned as touching the obligation to eternall wrath may so rise against the childe of God as he hath need to aske the forgivenesse of them as touching the removing of present wrath sense of the want of Gods presence of the influence of his love the cloud of sadnesse and deadnes through the want of the joy of the Holy Ghost and ancient consolations of the dayes of old Psal. 90.7 Wee are consumed in thy wrath and by thy hot displeasure we are terrified Vers. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sinne in the light of thy face This was not a motion of the flesh in Moses the man of God Antinomians may so dreame the furie of the Lord waxed hot against his people so saith the Spirit of God nor is this conceit of theirs to be credited against the Text that Moses speaketh in regard of the reprobate party Moses by immediate inspiration doth not pray for the beauty and glory of the Lord in the sense of his love to be manifested on a reprobate partie Antinomian Preachers in our times confesse sinnes in publike but it s the sinnes of the reprobate and carnall multitude that are in
to pure justice but fire-flashes or flamings of hell on the deserted Saints are medicinall or exploratory corrections though relative to justice and punishments of sin yet is that justice mixed with mercy and exacteth no Law-payment in those afflictions 3. Despaire and blasphemous expostulating and quarrelling divine Justice are the inseparable attendants of the flames and lashings of wrath in reprobates in the godly there is a clearing of justice a submission to God and a silent Psalme of the praise of the glory of this justice in this temporary hell no lesse then there is a new Song of the praise of free grace in the eternall glory of the Saints perfected with the Lamb. Nor should this seem strange that God punisheth the sins of his children with such spirituall plagues of unbeleefe and jealousies and lying mis-judgings of God in their sad desertions more then that the Lord punished the lifted-up heart of Hezekiah with leaving him to fall on his owne weight and Davids idlenesse and security with letting him fall in adultery and Peter's selfe-confidence with a foule denying of his Lord. But it s a sad dispensation when God cleaveth a Saint with a wedge of his own timber and linketh one sinfull mis-judging of God in this feaver of soule-desertion to another and justice seweth in a permissive providence one sin to another to lengthen the chaine if free Grace a linck of Gold did not put a period to the progresse thereof Now wee are not to look at this as an ordinary calamity Job's expressions are very full chap. 6.4 For the arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against me An arrow is a deadly weapon when it s shot by a man or by an Angel but its soft as oyle in comparison of the arrow of the Almighty 1. It s the arrow of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Almighty did frame and mould and whet it in heaven 2. The arrow was dipt in poyson and hath art from hell and divine justice One Devill is stronger then an hoast of men but legions of Devills are mighty strong when such Archers of hell are sent to shoot arrowes that are poysoned with the curse and bloudy indignation of heaven 3. What a sad stroke must it be when the armes of Omnipotency draweth the bow The armes of God can shogge the mountaines and make them tremble and can move the foundation of the earth out of its place and take the globe of heaven and earth and can cast it out of its place more easily then a man casts a slung stone out of his hand When hee putteth forth the strength of Omnipotency against the creature what can the man doe 4. Every arrow is not a drinking arrow the arrowes of divine wrath drinke bloud Suppose a thousand horse-leeches were set on a poore naked man to drink bloud at every part of his body and let them have power and art to suck out the marrow the oyle the sap of life out of bones and joynts say also that one man had in his veins a little sea of bloud and that they were of more then ordinary thirst and power to drink the corpse of the living man as dry as strawes or flaxe what a paine would this be Yea but it were tolerable 5. Arrowes can but drink bloud arrowes are shot against the body the worst they can doe is to drink life out of liver and heart and to pierce the strongest bones but the arrowes of the Almighty are shot against spirits and soules The spirit is a fine subtile immortall thing Isai. 31.3 The horses of Egypt are flesh and not spirit The spirit is a more God-like nature then any thing created of God The Almighty's arrowes kill spirits and soules There 's an arrow that can pierce flesh joynts liver heart bones yea but through the soule also Never an Archer can shoot an arrow at the soule but this the Almighty can doe Say your arrow killed the man yet the soule is saved 6. Many love not their life to death as the Witnesses of Jesus Death is death as clothed with apprehensions of terror no man is wretched actu secundo within and without but hee that beleeveth himselfe to be so here are terrors selfe-terrors Jeremiah could prophesie no harder thing against Pashur The Lord saith hee hath not called thy name Pashur but Magor-missaâ—ib Jer. 20.3 Thou shalt be a terror to thy selfe Compare this with other paines Job would rather chuse strangling or the dark grave and the grave to nature is a sad a black and dreadfull house but a beleever may get beyond the grave What doe the glorified spirits feare a grave now or are they affraid of a coffin and a winding-sheet or of lodging with the wormes and corruption or is burning quick a terror to them No not any of these can run after or over-take them and they know that But selfe-terrors are a hell carried about with the man in his bosome hee cannot run from them Oh! hee lieth down and hell beddeth with him hee sleepeth and hell and hee dreame together he riseth and hell goeth to the fields with him hee goes to his garden there is hell It s observable a Garden is a Paradise by art and Christ was as deep in the agonie and wrestlings of hell for our sins in a garden a place of pleasure as on the crosse a place of torment The man goes to his table O! hee dare not eat hee hath no right to the creature to eat is sin and hell so hell is in every dish To live is sinne hee would faine chuse strangling every act of breathing is sin and hell Hee goes to Church there is a dog as great as a mountaine before his eye Here be terrors But what one or two terrors are not much though too much to a soule spoyled of all comfort 7. The terrors of God God is alwayes in this sad play doe set themselves in battell array against me Or Chap. 16.13 His archers compassed me about round Hebr. his great ones or his bow-men because they are many or because the great ones did fight afarre-off have besieged me So 2 Chron. 17.9 1 Sam. 7.16 Samuel went in a circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mispeh And Josh. 6.3 Yee shall besiege Jericho The wrath of God and an army of terrors blocked up poore Job and stormed him Now here be these sore pressures on the soule 1. The poore man cannot look out â—o any creature-comfort or creature-help Say that an Angel from heaven would stand for him or a good conscience would plead comfort to him it should solace him but the man cannot look out nor can hee look up Psal. 40.12 The enmity of God is a sad thing 2. A battell array is not of one man but of many enemies Say the man had one soule it should be his enemy and that hee had a hundred soules hee should
speaketh of curses and judgement in the by and the Law more kindly and more frequently because of our disobedience and of the preparing of an infant Church under none-age for Christ. But though the Gospel speake lesse of Gods severitie in externall judgements as in killing so many thousands for looking into the Arke for Idolatrie yet the Apostle saith that these things were not meerely Pedagogicall and Jewish so as because the like are not written in the New-Testament it followeth not they belong not to us for saith he 1 Cor. 10.6 Now these things were our examples vers 11. Now all these things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Ergo the like for the like sins do and may befall men under the Gospel Moreover never greater plagues then were threatned by Christs owne mouth never wrath to the full came upon any in such a measure as upon the City of Jerusalem and the people of the Jewes for killing the Lord of glory And though no such dissertions be read of in the Apostles as of Job who yet was not a Jew and yet more disserted then David Heman or any Prophet Ezechiah the Church Lament Chap. 2. and 3. Yet we are not hence to beleeve that there were never such dissertions under the New-Testament For as externall judgements so internall soule-trials are common to both the Saints under the Old and New-Testament as is evident in Paul 2 Cor. 1.8 9. 2 Cor. 5.11 2 Cor. 7.4 5 6. 1 Pet. 1.6 7. and as both were frequent under the Old-Testament so were they written for our learning And if it were to the Jewes meerely Pedagogicall to have terrors without and feares within and to be pressed out of measure or to afflict their soules for sinne were a worke of the law then to be afflicted in conscience were a denying that Christ is come in the flesh And simply unlawfull whereas the Lords absence is a punishment of the Churches not opening to Christ Cant. 5.4 5 6. And Gods act of with-drawing his lovely presence is an act of meere free dispensation in God not our sinne For this would be well considered that the Lords active dissertion in either not co-operating with us when wee are tempted or 2. his not calling or the suspending of his active pulsation and knocking at the doore of our soule or 3. the not returning of a present comfortable answer or 4. the with-drawing of his shining manifestations his comforts and the sense of the presence of Jesus Christ cannot be formally our sinnes indeed our unbeleefe our sinning which resulteth from the Lords non-co-operating with us when wee are tempted our mis-judging of Christ as if it were a fault to him to stand behind the wall which are in our dissertions passive are sinnes Asser. 5. Saddest dissertions are more incident to the godly then to the wicked and naturall men as some moth is most ordinary in excellent timber and a worme rather in a faire rose then in a thorne or thistle And sure though unbeleefe fears doubtings be more proper to naturall men then to the Saints yet unregenerate men are not capable of sinfull jealousies of Christ's love nor of this unbeleefe which is incident to dissertion wee now speak of even as marriage jealousie falleth not on the heart of a Whore but of a lawfull Spouse 2. According to the measure and nature of love so is the jealousie and heart-suspitions for the want of the love whence the jealousie is occasioned The soule which never felt the love of Christ can never be troubled nor jealously displeased for the want of that love And because Christ had the love of God in another measure possibly of another nature then any mortall man his soule-trouble for the want of the sense and actuall influence of that love must be more and of an higher and it may be of another nature then can fall within the compasse of our thoughts never man in his imagination except the man Christ could weigh or take a lift of the burden of Christ's soule-trouble The lightest corner or bit of Christ's satisfactory Crosse should be too heavie for the shoulders of Angels and Men. You may then know how easie it is for many to stand on the shore and censure David in the sea and what an oven and how hot a fire must cause the moisture of his body turne to the drought of summer The Angels Joh. 20. have but a theory and the hear-say of a stander-by when they say Woman why weepest thou Shee had slept little that night and was up by the first glimmering of the dawning and sought her Saviour with teares and an heavie heart and found nothing but an empty grave O they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him And the daughters of Jerusalem stood but at the sick Spouses bed side and not so neare when shee complaines I am sick of love To one whose wanton reason denyed the fire to be hot another said Put your finger in the fire and try if it be hot Some have said All this soule-trouble is but melancholy and imagination Would you try whether the body of an healthy and vigorous man turned as dry as chaffe or a withered halfe-burnt stick through soule-paine be a cold fire or an imagination and what physicke one of the smallest beames of the irradiation of Christ's smiling countenance is to such a soule you would not speake so Asser. 6. Why some of the Saints are carried to Abraham's bosome and to heaven in Christ's bosome and for the most feast upon sweet manifestations all the way and others are oftner in the hell of soule-trouble then in any other condition is amongst the depths of holy Soveraignty 1. Some feed on honey and are carried in Christ's bosome to heaven others are so quailed and kept under water in the flouds of wrath that their first smile of joy is when the one foot is on the shore and when the morning of eternities Sunne dawnes in at the window of the soule Some sing and live on sense all the way others sigh and goe in at heavens gates weeping and Christ's first kisse of glory dryes the tears off their face 2. Christ walkes in a path of unsearchable liberty that some are in the suburbs of heaven and feele the smell of the dainties of the Kings higher house ere they be in heaven and others children of the same Father passengers in the same journey wade through hell darknesse of feares thrones of doubtings have few love-tokens till the marriage-day 3. There be not two sundry wayes to heaven but there are I doubt not in the latitude of Soveraignty hundreds of various dispensations of God in the same way Jerusalem is a great City and hath twelve and many ports and angles and sides to enter at but Christ is the one onely way hee keeps in all
he being the end of the Law as also his passive obedience is ours If this be the intended sense then all our Sanctification is nothing but the Sanctification and holy active obedience of Christ. I yeeld this to be a broad a faire and easie way to heaven Christ doth all for us Christ weeped for my sinnes and that is all the repentance required in me if I beleeve that Christ was mortified and dead to the world for me that is my mortification and if I beleeve that the Change of the whole man was truely in Christ this is my true holinesse then my walking in holinesse cannot bee rewarded with life eternall nor have any influence as a way or meanes leading to the kingdome 2. Christs active obedience imputed to the sinner can be no evidence of justification because it is in Christ not in me any evidence or marke of Justification must bee inherent in the beleever not in Christ. 3. And one and the same thing cannot be a marke and a signe of it selfe Now the active obedience of Christ imputed to the sinner is holden to be a part of Justification 5. The Scripture doth indeed bid you see nothing in your self that can buy the righteousnesse of Christ or be an hire and wages to ransome imputed righteousnesse and Legall Teachers not any Protestant Divines bâ—d you see something a great something of merit and selfe-righteousnesse in your selfe And Antinomians say that the New creature or the New man mentioned in the Gospel is not meant of Grace but of Christ. The Scripture maketh Christ and Justification the cause and Sanctification and the New creature the effect 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ hee is a new creature And this assertion maketh Sanctification as formâ—lly distinguished from Christ and Justification just nothing And Antinomians say that in the regenerate and Saints there is no inherent righteousnesse no grace or graces in the soules of beleevers but in Christ onely And M. Saltmarsh saith the same that our sorrow repentance mortification and change of the whole man are nothing in us but they are in Christ and must be apprehended by faith as things unseen whereas the divine nature is in the Saints 2 Pet. 1.4 Faith dwelleth in us 2 Tim. 1.5 The new creation and image of Christ is in the mind Ephes. 4.23 The seed of God abideth in us 1 Joh. 3.9 The anoynting that teacheth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaineth in you 1 Joh. 2.27 and Ezek. 36. â—6 I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the inner part or in the midst of you Antinomians teach That true poverty of spirit doth kill and take away the sight of grace And Sanctification is so farre from evidencing a good estate that it darkens it rather and a man may more clearly see Christ when hee seeth no sanctification then when hee sees it the darker my sanctification is the brighter is my justification So Saltmarsh The Scriptures bid you see nothing in your selfe or all as nothing these Teachers bid you see something in your selfe And it s a walking by faith and not by sight and a life hid with Christ in God to beleeve more truth in our owne graces then wee see or feel Now its true the Saints out of weaknesse mis-prize the Spirit 's working in them and while they under-value themselves they under-rate the new creation in themselves and tacitely upbraid and â—lander the grace of Christ and lessen the heavenly treasure because it is in an earthen vessell but poverty of spirit and grace will see and doe see grace inherent in it selfe though as the fruit of grace Cant. 1.5 I am black O daughters of Jerusalem but comely as the tents of Kedar Vers. 11. While the King sitteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof The Saints as they make a judgement of Christ and his beauty so also of themselves My heart waked I am sick of love Psal. 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant Psal. 63.1 My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth after thee Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee Psal. 130.6 My soule waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning So Ezekiah Esay 38.3 Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 2 Tim. 4.7 8. 1 Cor. 15.9 10. And others have set out in its colours the image of Christ in it selfe but not as leaving out Christ and taking in merit nor doth the sense of sanctification darken justification or lessen it to nothing except where wee abuse it to merit and selfe-confidence as Peter did who in point of selfe-confidence ought to have forgotten the things that are behind 2. Yea to say wee see justification more clearly when wee seâ— no sanctification is to make the water and the Spirit 1 Joh. 5.8 dumb or false witnesses that either speak nothing or tell lies 3. It is against the office of the Spirit which is to make us know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are freely given us of God such as faith repentance love mortification Act. 5. â— 2 Tim. 2.25 Phil. 1.29 Ephes. 2.8 Rom. 5.5 Gal. 2.20 I grant by accident when sin appeareth to a Saint out of measure sinfull and hee seeth how little good hee hath that hee is blind naked poore and hath no money nor price that hee is sold as a wretched man under a body of sin Rom. 7.14 24. it heighteneth the excellency and worth of the ransome and bloud holden forth in Justâ—fication And white righteousnesse free and glorious set beside black guiltinesse and no sanctification compearing as price or hire maketh Christ appeare to be choycer then gold or rubies Yea when I see no sanctification to buy Christ then justification is more lovely eye-sweet taking and soule-ravishing as the more light the more darknesse is discovered and the more sin the higher is Jesus Christ. And by all this the Saints professing their owne integrity and holy walking before God should see something in themselves not understanding the mystery of the Gospel and erre miserably with Legall Teachers and darken free justification by grace And one grace of God should obscure and destroy another for to see feel and professe sanctification is an act of supernaturall feeling and of grace how then can it darken the faith of the remission of sinnes in Christ But it may be asked When the Saints cannot be assured that God is their Father in regard of sin unbeleefe and present deadnesse what reasons would you use to raise their spirits up to the assurance of their interest and relation to God as to their Father Ans. There is no way of arguing Saints out of their unbeleefe except hee that laboureth to strengthen them being an Interpreter one of a thousand who can shew a man his righteousnesse be so acquainted with
we are heard or not heard yet wee are lesse in praises when wee are heard and our desires fulfilled and in submission when wee are not heard then wee are forward to praise because necessity and straits can more easily obtaine of us to pray and set on moving the wheels of our affections then grace can keep our spirituall affections in heat of motion or limit and border our naturall affections in praising when they take them to their wings David Psal. 22. Psal. 69. O my God I cry night and day till my throat be dry in asking but where doth hee say O my God I praise night and day till my throat be pained in praising and my heart and eyes are wasted and spent in submissive waiting for thee and praising for not hearing mee in some things 6. God is equally gracious to his own in not hearing and granting as in fulfilling their desires 7. No man should take it hard not to be answered at the first when the prime heire Christ was kept knocking at his Fathers doore 8. Heard or not heard the prayers of faith have a gracious issue though the drosse of them be cast away 9 As praises have no issue but to give to God not to our selves so prayers in faith are to be offered to God as God though nothing returne in our bosome that God may be extolled Christ knew deliverance from this hour cannot be granted yet hee prayes 10 Faith is required no lesse to beleeve the good that the Lord mindeth us in not hearing us then the good hee intendeth in hearing and fulfilling our desires No condition of providence can fall wrong to faith which can flie with any wings and saile with every wind so long as Christ liveth Father save me from this houre Christ bottometh his prayer on the sweetest relation of a Father and a Son Father save me So Joh. 17. Father glorifie thy Son Vers. 5. And now Father glorifie me Six times in that prayer hâ—â— useth this stile Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth Mat. 26. O my Father remove this cup. His Father was great in his esteem none like his Father It s a strong argument to Christ to perswade an hearing and a deliverance and hee was heard in that which hee feared Hee had no end in his coming into the world but to doe the will of his Father Joh. 5.30 2. Love is a sweet ingredient in prayer the beloved Disciple John who onely of all the Evâ—ngelists setteth down Christ's love-prayer chap. 17 useth it more frequently then any of the other three Evâ—ngelists 3. Propriety interest and covenant-relation is a sweet bottome and a strong ground for prayer So in praying hath Christ taught us to say Our Father which art in heaven And Psal. 5.2 Hearken unto my voyce my King and my God 2 King 19.19 Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save us out of his hand Ezra bottometh his prayer on this Chap. 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush And Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 O our God wilt thou noâ— judge them In prayer consider what claime and interest you have to God if you be a sonne and hee a Father Bastards cannot pray strangers without the Covenant and Heathen having no right to God as their God and Father may petition God as a subdued people doe their Conqueror or as ravens cry to God for food and as some howle upon their beds for corne and wine Hos. 7.14 but they cannot pray for praying aright to God there is required not onely gracious ingredients in the action but also a new state of adoption and filiation many speake words to God who doe not pray many tell over their sinnes who confesse not their sinnes to God many speake good of God who doe not praise God many sigh and grone in praying and have no deep sense of God or their owne sinfull condition Trees growing together make not alwayes a wood Ah our prayers God knowes are often out of their right wits Many cry Father to God but lie for they are not sonnes and their words are equivocation Thousands claime Father-ship in God where there is no Son-ship nor fundamentum in re no ground in the thing it selfe A new nature is that onely best bottome of praying that taketh it off from being a taking of the Name of God in vaine All creatures speak of God and in their kind to God but onely a sonne can speak to God in prayer as to his Father calling upon God with a pouring out of the soule to him in Christ is essentiall to sonnes Father save me from this houre Christ had no meanes of refuge safer and surer in his trouble when hee knew not what to doe then prayer Christ had never a greater businesse in hand then now hee was to transact with God and divine Justice the Law of God in the weighty bargaine of paying a ransome of dearest and preciousest bloud to open the new way to heaven hee had to doe with devills principalities and powers and hell to subdue devills and death and hell and to redeeme his Catholike Church from the second death and hee was to offer himselfe a Sacrifice to God through the eternall Spirit for the sinnes of the whole elect and hee must use prayer in all this great work The greatest works have been thus effectuated For the dividing of the red sea Moses cryed to the Lord and it was done Hezechiah obtaineth 15. yeares lease of his house of clay from Jehovah his Land-lord and how 2 King 20.2 Hee turned his face to the wall and prayed Jonah broke the prison of hell by prayer Jeremiah had many against him Chap. 20.12 Vnto thee saith hee to the Lord I have opened my cause Daniel in his captivity Ezra when the people were under wrath Ester and her maides when the Churches destruction is warped and in weaving by prayer loose the captive bands and break death's jawes So low a man as Job Chap. 7.20 was What shall I say to thee O preserver of man David looketh back to his prayers Psal. 34.6 and when hee is over-whelmed Psal. 61.2 From the ends of the earth will I cry to thee when my heart is overwhelmed To Elias this is the key that openeth heaven The last great work the perfecting of Mysticall Christ the judgeing of the world the putting crownes on the heads of so many thousand Kings must have prayer to bring it to passe Even so come Lord Jesus The putting and keeping on the crowne on Christs head is by prayer his Sword Crowne and Scepter stand and prosper by this prayer Thy Kingdome come 2. Though Christ knâ—w of his owne deliverance and was sure of it yet hee will not have it but by prayer Christ had Son right to heaven yet he will take a new gift of heaven by prayer-right Christ maketh prayer his new Charter Joh. 17.5 Father glorifie me with the glory which I
because I cannot comprehend infinite Jesus Christ. Rule 11. Christ is not so intent and heart-bended on freedom from death and this black and sad hour but he reverences a higher providence that Gods will be done so are we to look to providence and we are not to stumble at an externall stroake in sad occurences when Iob 9.22 God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked And he furbishes his Sword Ezek. 21.3 and saith I will draw out my sword out of its sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked Then 1. Arise goe downe to the potters house Jer. 18. The earth is Gods work-hâ—use for clay good and bad are equally on the wheeles Christ as punishable for our sinnes though a vessell of burning Gold is under art Soveraignity rolles about three in one wheele the Blaspheming the Repenting Thiefe and Christ who is Uertue Grace yea Glory in the midst An elect and a reprobate man may bee both sewed in the same winding-sheet they may touch others skins in the same grave but they are not rolled in in the same hell Yea Cham is saved in the Arke but as the uncleane beasts are hee is preserved from drowning but reserved to cursing 2. There is a providence of grace as there is in God a speciall love of free-grace the good and the bad figs are not in the same invisible basket there is a Pavilion a Cabinet of silke in Gods privie Chamber seene to no eye Psal. 27.5 And upon all the glory shall be a covering Esai 4.9 Christs free and invisible love is a faire white webbe of gold that a Saint is wrapped in in the ill day Where is he he is hid yet he goes through the sieve and sifted he must be but not a graine of him falles to the earth Amos 9.9 3. There have been questions about the Prerogative of Kings and the Priviledge of Parliaments too but undeniably in the Market-roade of Providence the Lord hath kept a Prerogative Royall of justice to himselfe to cut off the innocent and righteous with the wicked in temporall judgements 2. And of speciall grace of Providence when the godly man is blacked with a death-marke and condemned to die Gods Prerogative sends him a reprievall of grace above the law and current of providence Esai 38.5 Ezechiah saith the high Land-lord is summoned to slit and remove yet he shall dwell in his Farme of clay fifteene yeares 3. This Prerogative dispenseth with fire not to burne with the Sea not to ebbe and flow so long as the soles of the feet of Christs bride are upon the new-found sands in the heart of the Sea Yea with hungry Lyons not to eat their meat when they have no food but the flesh of Daniel beloved of the Lord. Christ here commits himselfe unto an unseen Soveraignty For Abraham to kill his owne onely begotten sonne of promise to reason it s a worke of God but it s a providence of non-sence Neither Law nor Gospel for ought that reason can see shall warrant it yet Soveraignity commands it and that 's enough Afflictions of trialls such as the prosperitie of the wicked and the trying sufferings of the godly seeme more to contradict Gods promises and revealed will in the Word then any other visitations of God therefore beside that they require patience they must have faith in an eminent manner To beleeve infinite wisdome can tye the murthering of Isaak by his owne Father against the Law of Nature as it seemes with the Gospel which cannot command unnaturall blouds must require much faith Rule 12. Christ declares when matters are at the worst there is good will for him in the done will of God it s an objection to sense and to sinlesse Nature in Christ-man O doest thou not see sad and four-faced death is not thy soule thy darling in the power of dogs hath not hell long and bloody teeth is not the furnace the oven of the Lords highest indignation for the sins of all the chosen of God very hot when the flames of it makes thee a troubled soule and causes thee to sweat out blood what blood shall be lâ—ft for scourging for the Iron nails of that sad crosse True saith Christ I have God knowes a heavy soule my strength is dried up like a potsheard This cup casteth a savour of hell and fiery indignation a sight of it would kill a man yet I 'le drinke it the good and just will of my Father be done there I stand further I goe not To be at a stand and to lay silence on our tumultuous thoughts who are compassed with a body of sin and to be satisfied with the will of the Lord is our safest we should not be perswaded by the crosse or all that sense can say far lesse what sin can say from this The will of the Lord be done The friends of Paul hearing what he must suffer say Acts 20.14 When he would not hee perswaded we ceased saying The will of the Lord be done It is grace to cease and say no more when we see the Lord declare his mind to us An holy heart will not goe one haires breadth beyond the Lords revealed will 1. Because love which thinketh not â—ll does not black the spotlesse and faire will of God when it is revealed to be from God though Hell were in that will 2. Faith seeth even in permitting of persecution from Pharaoh and Egypt the Lords good will in the burning bush the very good will by which he saveth his people redeemed in Christ Mat. 11.26 Phil. 1.13 who dwelleth in the bush Deut. 33.16 And it 's considerable that the same good will which is the root of reprobation and of permitting hell and Devils and Devils persecuting instruments to turn his Church into ashes and to a burnt bush and Devils and men to crucifie Christ is free grace and the root of Election to glory and is extended to the Saints Rom. 9.15 16 17. Ephes. 1.11 Faith seeth and readeth free grace in a providence which of it self is extended to Devils and reprobate men though not as extended to them and it is an Argument of true grace if any can say Amen to Hell and the sadest indignation coming from this will though against a particular will of of our owne 3. As we are obliged to adore God so also his Soveraignty and holy will when it s revealed to us and to murmure against it because it crosseth our short-sighted and narrow-witted will is the highest contempt of God and that which is the Soule and Formale of sinne and the determination of a wicked and ill-stated question Whether should my short and pur-blind will stand for eternity or the holy and infinitely-wise will of God which had eternity of duration infinitnesse of wisdome and not seven but millions of eyes to advise what was decreed as fittest to be done 4. Since there is not a Fatum nor an Adamantine destiny and
when England had often before and have now opportunity they will not lift Christ up on his throne nor put his Crowne Royall on his head but doe put it on their owne head but the judgement is not yet at an end Scotland hath not walked worthy of the Gospel but have fallen from their first love We take not a deliberate list of every limbe thigh legge and member of this nationall wrath and we neither see wherefore we are afflicted nor how For this cause came I to this houre There is some peculiar act of Christs will here holden forth and that is Christs peculiar intention to die for his people in which we are to consider the activenesse of Christs will in dying for man which may be seene 1. In his free offering of himselfe and his service to the Father Psalm 40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine eares hast thou opened Heb. 10.5 A body that is the office house and instrumentall subject of obedience to the death as the eare is of hearing and obeying the commandements of God thou hast prepared me Vers. 7. Then said I loe I come in the volumne of thy booke it is written of me to doe thy will ô God In these words Christ is brought in as a servant with three excellent quallities 1. Physically he is fitted with a body and a soule to offer to God for us as in a servant there are required strong limbs and armes to endure drudgery in this he was borne of his mother for this sad service his Master furnished him for this even the seed of mans flesh and bloud for suffering 2. There were morall habilities in him promptitude of of will So the Lord is brought in as a Lord and Master in justice crying servant O Sonne and servant Jesus I have a businesse for thee of great concernment At the first word as all good servants doe Christ takes him to his feet and compeares before his God his Master and Lord Loe I come here am I so servants of old answered their Master What service wilt thou command so hard which I will not undergoe Master here 's a body for thy worke here be cheekes for the nippers a face for those that will plucke off the haire a backe for smiting a body for the crosse and the grave Christ as a servant uncovered standing on feet would say Lord send mee thy seruant to the Garden to worke under the burden of thy wrath till I sweat blood bid me goe to shame to scourging and spitting is it thy will I goe up on the cursed crosse and bee made a curse for sinners that I be crucified and die that I goe lower in to the utter halfe of hell the grave which is a sad journey loe here am I willing to obey all 3. There was in Christ not onely willingnesse but delight Psal. 40.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My God I delight to doe thy will every servant cannot say this to his Master thy Law is in the midst of my heart 2. His willingnesse to die was a part of his Testament and last Will he dyed with good will and left in Legacy his death and the fruits of it his blessing his heart his love his peace his life to his bride in Testament confirmed by Law to all his poore brethren and friends Heb. 9 17. and John 14.27 Peace I leave in testament with you But the Orphane and the poore friend gets not all that his dying Father and friend leaves in Testament but Christ gives possession himselfe ere he die My peace I give to you but to the point His latter Will was willingnesse to die 3. No externall force could take his life from him against his will John 10.18 No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and I have power to take it againe Yet lest it should seeme a will-action in Christ and â—o not obedience he addeth This Commandement that is the will of a Superiour have I received of my Father Compelled obedience is no obedience exact willingnesse was a substantiall and essentiall ingredient in Christs obedience Acts of Grace cannot be extorted can yee teare a shoure of raine from God in an extreame drouth or bread from him in your hunger against his will Farre lesse since Christs dying was an act of pure grace can any compell him to dye for man Love arrested his holy will and that made him runne apace to dye for us O blessed be his good will who burned himselfe in the Bush in a fire of free love 4. Though dying be a passion yet Christs dying was both a passion and an action Will added as much perfume and strength of obedience as nature and paine shard-ship shame and abasement could doe his life was not so much plucked from him as out of his owne hand As an Agent he offered his bloud and soule yea himselfe to God through the eternall Spirit Hebr. 9.14 Love was the coard the chaine that did bind Christ to the Altar 5. Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on this intention came to this houre so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often in Scripture Not onely his will but the floure of his will his intention was to die for Christs eye and his heart and his love was on his Bride the intention is the most eminent act that Love can put forth Christs eye and his heart being upon his Spouse he made our salvation his end and measure of his love to compasse this end the Lord laid many Oares in the water his rising earely his night watching his toyling his sweating his soare and hard Soule-travell as being heavy with Child of this end O might I have a redeemed people was all his care and his soule was eased when dying bleeding crying he went thorough hell and death and slept in deaths blacke and cold prison and his Redeemed ones in his armes When hee came to the end of this sad journey and found his Ramsomed ones he said I have sought you with a heavie heart faire and foule way sad and weary and all is well bestowed since I have gained you Let us up together to the hill of Spices to our Fathers house to the highest mountaine of Frankincense All that Christ did was for this end That he might deliver us from this present evill world Galat. 1.4 That he might be a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 That we might have life and have it more abundantly Joh. 10.10 That he might seeke and save the lost Luke 19.10 That he might present his wife a glorious Church to himselfe not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she should bee holy and without blemish Ephes. 5.26 27. that wee being dead to sinne should live to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Christ came to seeke and travelled ever till he found his desire a redeemed and saved people and then hee rested Even as hee journyed through
cannot determine the will of an inferiour as hee himselfe can doe Sure my knowledge and will are inferiour powers in comparison of Angels 1 Cor. 13.1 Yet have I greater dominion over my owne understanding and will then thâ— Angels have over my understanding and will and can know my owne actuall thoughts and determine mine owne will by grace which no superiour powers of Angels or any els save the Almighty can doe I rather conceive that the outward and inward senses humors imagination fancie memory bâ—ing naturall agents and Scripture clearely shewing that Angels and Devils can and doe worke upon naturall agents have a power over all our dispositions temperature senses fancie imagination memory therefore what is naturall in the acts of understanding and memory not morall Angels doe and may know What heart-secrets Devils know from the disposition of body palenesse rednesse trembling dejected countenance are good conjectures and surer it may be then wee can apprehend but no certaine knowledge God onely knowes all the thoughts of man and his secrets 1 King 8.39 For thou even thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men Prov. 15.11 Hâ—ll and distruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts of the children of men He that can read hell and destruction and all the secrets of darknesse can also read as a booke opened at noone-day the midnight-thoughts of all the children of men Psal. 44.21 Jerem. 17. Rom. 8.27 1 Thess. 2.4 Rev. 2.23 Acts 1.24 Prov. 17.3 Prov. 21.2 Joh. 2.24 25. Yea to know the present thoughts is propâ—r to God Matth. 19. â— And Jesus knowing their thoughts said wherefore think yee evill in your heart Nor can Angels see the present thoughts come out in action for otherwise the man himselfe knoweth his owne thoughts when he actually thinketh them 1 Cor. 2.11 els he could not be convinced of the sinnefulnâ—sse of them nor comforted in the spiritualnesse and preciousnesse of them It s a fond opinion of some who say Angels can see the thoughts of the heart when they are but not what they are whether they he good or bad love or hatred for that is non-sense to see Morall acts and not bee able to passe any judgement on them or that Angels see our thoughts but not whether they be intense and vehement or cold and remisse for its proper to God as the searcher of hearts to know the secrets of the heart and all the qualities of it that he may accordingly judge them And if Angels see them as Morall acts they must know the vehemencie or slownesse of them the Scripture placeth also the difficultie of knowing the thoughts and the distance and remotenesse of them from the understanding of men or Angels in the thoughts themselves not in the vehemencie or slownesse of the thoughts and it s but an evasion that some have that Angels may know the thoughts and acts of the will in themselves but not know to what end they are directed and that the intention of the minde is the great secret that God hath reserved to himselfe because 1. The Scripture placeth the secrecie of the free acts of will and understanding in the acts themselves and not in the intention for so most of the actions of Men and Angels their speaking this not that their walking to this Citie their eating sleeping now not another time their praying hearing reading shall be secrets known to God onely not to Angels or Men just as the acts of understanding the will are because the particular intention whether wee doe these sincerely for a good or bad end yea often for what end we doe them is amongst the secrets of the heart as farre distant from the understanding of Men or Angels as any secret can be 2. The intention of all our elicite acts that issueth from wâ—ll and understanding are also acts of the heart and reines that fall under the present question and the greatest secrets in man Hebr. 4.12 Neither see I any reason from the disproportion betweene the knowing faculty and the understanding of Angels why Angels may not know the thoughts of my heart aswell as I may know them my selfe nor can the reason bee as Suarez saith Because Angels though they have sufficient power in the facuâ—ty of understanding to know these things yet have not in their understanding the species the babies images and representations of heart-secrets but with his good leave this is Petitio principij For the question is how commeth it to passe that Angels who have the species of higher and more profound things as of the naturall knowledge that there is a God that hee is infinite eternall yet have not the species of an object farre inferiour and yet intelligible to wit of the heart-actions of a man 2. When I aske how commeth it that an Angel or a Man knoweth not this I aske indeed how cometh it to passe that an Angel or a Man wanteth such a species of such a thing so Suarez saith in effect Angels know not heart-secrets because they know not heart-secrets I conceive God hath laid a covering over the hearts of Men and Angels from his own free and wise will and reserved that secret to himselfe For God gave speech to men and a way how Angels should communicate their thoughts to Angels and Men which is Angel-speaking and this gift had bin uselesse if Angels and Men could intuitively read and behold the thoughts of one anothers hearts nor is it usefull for the end of reasonable nature for love and societie that we know the secrets of one anothers hearts for the author of nature giveth not that by nature which with lesse impeachment of love and not without danger of contention and hatred may by industrie be acquired And we should take heed what is written in the booke of our heart when such a searching eye readeth it as God and will one day read out to the hearing of Men and Angels all these secrets Eccles. 12.14 except we bee pardoned in Christ many state-secrets many foule contrivances may come out to our everlasting shame And for this cause we are to blesse the Lord who hath reserved from Satans Princedome and left out of his charter any power to compell our will It s true Satan hath a bordering or as it were some out-land Prince-dome over Sauls will in that he can sit and ride on his melancholie so as he is moved to throw a Javeling at Jonathan and to seeke to kill David yet so as he that is so acted by an evill Spirit is blame-worthy and then it must be presumed he hath some dominion over his will Acts 5.2 Peter saith to Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the holy Ghost Here the Holy Ghost arraigneth not Satan but Ananias for a lye which yet came from the Father of lyes Which is 1. Because there was fewell and powder in the harth before and Satan did but blow the
glory Now there is much debt in heaven more then on earth but no merit at all in either heaven or earth except Christ for all Merit cannot grow in a land of grace 3. Grace is the sinners gaine but no gaine to Christ Is it gaine to the Sunne that all the earth borrowes light and Summer from it Or to the clouds that they give raine to the earth Or to the Fountaines that they yeeld water to men and beasts Can yee make infinite Jesus Christ rich Yee may adde to the Sea though very litle The Creator could have made a fairer Sunne then that which shines in the firmament though it be faire enough But the Mediator Christ is a Saviour so moulded and contrived that its unpossible to adde to his beauty excellency lovelinesse Man or Angels could not wish a choiser Redeemer then Christ if your wages could adde to him he should bee needy as you are Pos. 5. Free Grace is the loveliest piece in heaven or earth it makes us partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 And though the creature graced of God keep an infinite distance from God and be not Goded nor Christed as some doe blasphemously say Yet it is considerable that there is a shaddow though but a shaddow of proportion betweene that expression of Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the grace of God I am that I am and that which the Lord saith of himselfe Exod. 3.14 speaking to Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am that I am Grace is but a borrowed accident of the creature not heritage not his essence But Paul would say all his excellencie was from free grace Were any indifferent beholder up in the highest Jerusalem after the day of judgement to see the company of the Lambe and his court so many thousand pieces of clay then clothed with highest grace smiling on the face of him that sits on the throne made eternall Kings that for glory and robes of grace and the weighty crowne you cannot see a bit of clay and yet originally all these are but glistering bits of clay and graced dust it should tyre the beholder with admiration O but the second Creation is a rare piece of workmanship But againe come and see that heaven of wonders the Man-Christ who as man hath 1. Flesh and bloud and a mans soule as we have but O so incomparably wonderfull as the grace of God without merit hath made the man Christ. Grace hath exalted this man to a high throne the God head in person dwelleth in this clay tent of endlesse glory and God speakes personally out of this man and this Emmanuel is God and the man is so weighted with glory as all that are there and they be a faire and numerous company are upon one continued act of admiring injoying praysing loving him for no lesse date then endlesse eternity and they can never be able to pull their eyes off him And then grace seene enjoyed as it groweth at the Well-head up in Emmanuels highest and newest land is of an other straine sweeter and more glorious then downe here in the earth which is not the element of grace they are but glympses borrowed shaddowes chips and drops of grace that are heere That is a world of nothing but Graoe all which I speake to let us see how farre free Grace is from base hire and that we may not dare to make Christ who is an absolute free King an hireling Pos. 6. Grace is not educed or extracted out of the potency of any created nature Grace is borne in heaven and came from the inmost of the heart of Christ it hath neither seed nor parent on earth therefore the Lord challengeth it as his owne 2 Cor. 12.9 The Lord said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Tim. 2.1 The grace that is in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 15.10 The grace of God 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 1.15 He called me by his grace If we could engage the grace of God or prevent it then should grace be our birth but grace is not essentiall to Angels It s a doubt if any creature can be capable by nature of any possibilitie naturall not to sin it is much to know the just owner of grace who begot it It came out of the eternall wombe and bowels of Jesus Christ. Quest. But are there no preparations either of nature or at least of grace going before saving grace and the soules being drawn to Christ Ans. That we may come to consider preparations or previous qualifications to conversion Let us consider whether Christ coming to the soule hath need of an Usher Asser. 1. Dispositions going before conversion come under a four-fold consideration 1. As â—fficient causes so some imagine them to be 2. As materially and subjectively they dispose the soule to receive grace 3. Formally or morally either as parts of conversion or morall preparations having a promise of conversion annexed to them 4. As meanes in reference to the finall cause or to the Lords end in sending these before and what is said of these may have some truth proportionably in a Churches low condition or humiliation before they be delivered We may also speak here of dispositions going before the Lords renewed drawing of sinners al-ready converted after a fall or under desertion Cant. 1. Draw me we will run Asser. 2. No man but Pelagians Arminians and such do teach if any shall improve their naturall habilities to the uttermost and stirre up themselves in good earnest to seeke the grace of conversion and Christ the wisdome of God they shall certainly and without miscarrying find what they seeke 1. Because no man not the finest and sweetest nature can ingage the grace of Christ or with his penny or sweating earne either the kingdome of grace or glory whether by way of merit of condignitie or congruity Rom. 9.16 So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercie 1 Tim. 1 9â— Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began So Ephes. 2.1 2 â— 4 5. Tit. 3.3 4 5. Ezech. 16.4 5 6 7 8 9 10. 2. Because there is no shaddow of any ingagement of promise on Gods part or any word for it Doe this by the strength of nature and grace shall bee given to you 3. Nor are wee ashamed to say with the Scripture it s as unpossible to storme heaven or make purchase of Christ by the strength of nature as for the dead man to take his grave in his two armes and rise and lay death by him and walke Nor does this impossibility free the sinner from guiltinesse and rebukes 1. Because it is a sinfully contracted inability except we would deny originall sinne 2. It s
their own sparks Answ. If to bid men abstaine from flagitious sinnes and from seeking glory of men that are both neck-breakes of faith Joh. 5.44 and bring men under eternall displeasure both before and after we beleeve be to walk in the light of our own Sparks then when the Lord forbids these in his Law and commandeth both the beleever and unbeleever the contrary vertues he must counsell the same with us To beleeve and not be humbled and despaire of salvation in your selfe is to presume he that beleeveth right is cast on that broaken board like a ship-broken man either must I cast my self on the Rock Christ or then drown eternally and perish The unjust Steward was at what shall I doe ere he came to a wise resolution to goe the road way that Christ leades all beleevers is not to walke in the light of our own sparks It s one thing to seeke qualifications of our selves trusting in them and another thing to seek qualifications in our selves as preparatory duties wrought by Christs grace the former we disclaime not the latter Object 7. I will relate mine own experience First when I was minded to make away my selfe for my sinne the Lord sent into my minde this word I have loved thee with an everlasting love Ah thought I then hath God loved me with such an everlasting love and shall I sin against such a God 2. Many doubts and feares arose from the examination of my self I was afraid of being deluded 3. The Promise Esai 55.1 did sweetly stay my heart Christ in his ordinances witnessed to me that he was mine 4. I went on for some time full of joy 5. I was in feares againe that I could not pray but I had a promise I will fulfill the desires of them that feare me c. Answ. The method of the conversion of a deluded Antinomian is no rule to others 2. Nor doe I thinke that Gâ—d keeps one way with all especially when this mâ—â—s â—â—st stâ—p is from nature and thoughts of selfe-murther up to the Lambs booke of life the secret of eternall election in the bâ—â—ast of God I have loved thee with an eternal love How knew the Author this to bee Gods voice from a qualification in his soule It kept him from selfe-murther Yee see qualifications in our selfe which the Author saith is the way of Legall Preachers are required in any that beleeve 2. It is utterly false that the Gospel-faith commanded to all the Elect and Reprobate is the apprehention of Gods eternall love to me in particular the Scripture saith no such thing Experience contrary to Scripture can be no leading rule So the Antinomian way of conversion is that every soule-troubled for sinne Elect or Reprobate is immediatly without any foregoing preparations or humiliation or worke of the law to beleeve that God loved him with an everlasting love A manifest lie for so Reprobats are to beleeve a ly as the first Gospel-truth This is I confesse a honey-way and so Evangelike that all the damned are to beleeve that God did beare to them the same everlasting good will and love he had in heart toward Jacob. 2. All Reprobates may abstaine from selfe-murther out of this principle of the Lords everlasting love of election revealed immediately at first without any previous signes or qualifications going before 3. The Gospel wee teach saith eternall election is that secret in the heart of the Lambe called his booke so as really God first loves and chooses the sinner to salvation and we are blacked with hell lying amongst the pots till Christ take us up and wash and lick the Leopard Spots off us but to our sense and apprehension wee first love and choose him as our onely liking and then by our faith and his love on us we know he hath first loved us with an everlasting love but there be many turnings windings ups and and downes ere it come to this I have not heard of such an experience that at the first without any more adoe forthwith the Lord saith Come up hither I will cause thee read thy name in the Lambs booke of life The same Author saith Election is the secret of God and belongeth to the Lord. Pag. 104. and shall the beleeving of the love of election to glory bee the first Medicine that you give to all troubled consciences Elect and Reprobate This is to quench the fire by casting in oyle but if Antinomians take two wayes one with the unconverted Elect troubled in conscience another with unconverted Reprobats so troubled we should bee glad to heare these two new wayes 4. In the second place he is so well acquainted with the way of the Spirit as if through the casement of the Cabinet-counsell of God he had seene and reckoned on his fingers all the steps of the staires he saith He had many doubts and feares to be deluded that is hee doubted if his faith was true and saving for this is all the delusion to be feared upon self-examination So Pag. 24. c. 2. But you may read his words chap. 5. pag. 93. I find not any saith the same Author in the whole course of Christs preaching or the Disciples when they preached to them to beleeve asking the question whether they beleeved or no. then it is like this experience finds no warrant or precedent in the Saints to whom Christ and the Apostles preached 5. The sweet witnessing of the Spirit from Esai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsts come to the waters is Gospel-honey but consider if there were no law-worke preparing no needle making a hole before Christ should sew together the sides of the wound It s but a delusion 1. Because Esai 61.1 no whole-hearted sinners meet with Christ none come at first laughing to Christ all that come to Jesus for helpe come with the teare in their eye 2. To come dry and withered to the waters Esai 55.1 is the required preparation 3. The gold in a beggars purse in great abundance is to be suspected for stollen gold because he laboured not for it This I say not because preparations and sweatings and running that goe before conversion are merits or such as deserve conversion or that conversion is due to them Antinomians impute this to us but unjustly I humbly conceive it not to be the doctrine of Luther Calvine or Protestants which Libertines charge us with that I may cleare us in this let these propositions speake for us Propos. 1. We cannot receive the Spirit by the preaching of the Law and covenant of Works but by the hearing of the promises of the Gospel Gal. 3. The Law its alone can chase men from Christ but never make a new creature nor can the letter of the Gospel without the Spirit doe it Propos. 2. when we looke for any thing in our selves or thinke that an unrenewed man is a confiding person to purchase Christ we bewilder our selves and vanish in foolishnesse This wrong
destroyed and made to cease Yea saith the Bright Starre cap. â— pag. 20. The naked influence of God annihilates all the acts of the soule Cap. 4. pag. 28. Boyling desires after Christ savours too much of action hindereth the soule to be perfectly illuminated and to arise to the rosie kisses and chaste embraces of her Bridegrome See Theolog. German cap. 5. pag. 9 10. and In place of them the Holy Ghost works And this Author saith The Spirit of adoption works not freely when men are in bondage to some outward circumstances of worship as time place or persons that thâ—y cannot pray but at such houres or in such places c. Protestant Divines teach no such thing But his aime is to set on foot the Familists Doctrine That wee are not bound to keep a constant course of prayer in our Families or privately unlesse the Spirit stirre us up thereunto Saltmarsh saith hee thought hee could have spent a whole night in prayer but 1. whether hee did so or no hee expresseth not lest hee should contradict his Brethren the Familists of New-England who teach That to take delight in the service of God is to goe a whoring from God 2. It would be asked Whether this sit was on him before or after his conversion To say before would seeme a delusion or a preparation of eminency if after conversion it s to no purpose except to be a mark of a converted man And Antinomians have no stomack to Marks nor belongs it to the way of his conversion which hee relates It is true wee cannot tye the Spirit to our houres but then all the Lords-day-worship all set houres at morn or at night in private or in families set times and houres for the Churches praying preaching heating conference reading were unlawfull for wee cannot stint the Spirit to a set time nor are wee tyed to time except to the Christian Sabbath Some may say It s no charity to impute Familists errors of New-England to Antinomians here Answ. Seeing Saltmarsh and others here doe openly owne Antinomian Doctrine as the way of Free grace they are to be charged with all those till they cleare themselves or refute those blasphemies which they have never done to this day Object 9. I seldome desired pardon of sin till I were fitted for mercies but now I see wee are pardoned freely O rest not in your owne duties Answ. To desire pardon of sin before we be sitted for pardon by no Divinity is contrary to free pardon though such desires be fruitlesse as coming from no gracious principles Asser. 8. To beleeve and take Christ because I am a needy sinner is one thing and to beleeve because I am fitted for mercy and humbled is another thing This latter wee disclaime Preparations are no righteousnesse of ours nor is it our Doctrine to desire any to rest on preparations or to make them causes foundations or formalia media formall meanes of faith they hold forth the meere order and method of graces working not to desire pardon but in Gods way of fore-going humiliation is nothing contrary but sweetly subordinate to free pardon And to cure too suddenly wounds and to honey secure and proud sinners and sweeten and oyle a Pharisee and to reach the Mediators bloud to an unhumbled soule is but to turne the Gospel into a charme and when by Magick you have drawne all the bloud out of the sick mans veines then to mixe his bloud with sweet poyson and cause him drinke and swell and say you have made him healthie and fat Now Peter Act. 2. poured vinâ—ger and wine at first on the wounds of his hearers when hee said Yee murthered the Lord of glory and they were pricked in their heart This is the Law 's work Rom. 3. to condemne and stop the sinners mouth And you cannot say that Peter failed in curing too suddenly because hee preached first the Law to wound and prick them for that they crucified the Lord of glory before hee preached the Gospel of beleefe and Baptisme And the Lord rebuking Saul from heaven convincing him of persecution casting him downe to the ground striking him blind while hee trembled And the Lords dealing with the Jayler was fourer work then proposing and pouring the Gospel oyle and honey of freâ—ly imputed righteousnesse in their wounds at the first and a close unbottoming them of their own righteousnesse And the Lords way of justifying Jews and Gentiles is a Law-way as touching the order Rom. 3. Having proved all to be under sin Vers. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. hee saith Vers. 19. Now wee know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Indeed if they be convinced of sin by the Spirit and so converted and yet under trouble of mind a pound of the Gospel for one ounce weight of the Law is fit for them But Antinomians erre not knowing the Scriptures in dreaming that converted soules are so from under the Law that they have no more to doe with the Law no more then Angels and glorified Saints so as the letter of the Gospel doth not lead them but some immediate acting of the Spirit And that 2. there is no commandement under the Gospel but to beleeve onely That 3. mortification and new obedience as M. Town and others say is but faith in Christ and not abstinence from worldly lusts that warre against the soule 4. That the Gospâ—l commandeth nothing but perswadeth rather that we may be Libertines and serve the flesh and beleeve and be saved 5. That God hath made no covenant with us under the Gospel the Gospel is all promise that wee shall be carried as meere patients to heaven in a chariot of love 6. That the way is not strait and narrow but Christ hath done all to our hands 7. That its Legall not Gospel-conversion to keep the soule so long under the Law for humiliation contrition and confession and then bring them to the Gospel whereas wee teach that the Law purely and unmixed without all Gospel is not to be used as a dyet-potion onely to purge never to let the unconverted heare one Gospel-promise It is true Peter preached not Law to Cornelius nor Philip to the Eunuch nor Ananias to Paul but these were all converted afore-hand Wee think the unconverted man knowes neither contrition nor confession aright But I was more confirmed that the way of Antinomians is for the flesh not for the Gospel when I read that M. Crispe expounding Confession 1. Joh. 1. maketh it no humble acknowledging that the sinner in person hath sinned and so is under wrath eternall if God should judge him but hee maketh it a part of faith by which a sinner beleeveth and confesseth that Christ payed for his sin and hee is pardoned in him Sure Confession in Scripture is no such thing
the Saints that denominates them gracious 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am that I am Galat. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me c. There is a great deceitfulnesse in our heart in the matter of performed conditions so soone as we have performed a condition though wrought in us by meere grace we hold out our hand and cry pay me Lord my wages for I have done my worke so neere of kin to our corrupt hearts is the conceit of merit 2. A second deceit is when an obligation of obedience presseth us we overlooke the condition and fix our eyes on the promise when we should eye the precept and when it commeth to the reward when we should most looke to the promise of free grace then we eye the precept and challenge debt and forget grace 3. When we are pressed with the supernaturall dutie of beleeving and should looke onely to free grace which onely must inable us to that high worke of beleeving wee looke to our selves and complaine oh I am not weary and laden and therefore not qualified for Christ and so we turne wickedly and proudly wise to shift our selves of Christ when we should looke to our selves we looke away from our selves to a promise of our wages but our bad deservings if looked to would turne our eyes on our abominations that wee might eye free grace and when we should eye free grace we looke to our sinnefull unfitnesse to beleeve and come to Christ. Vse Beware of false preparations that yee take them not for preparations or for grace For 1. discretion Mar. 12.34 is not grace but wings and sailes to carry you to hell 2. Profession is a deceiving preparation it blossomes and laughs and deludes under formes 3. Victorious strugglings against lusts upon naturall motives look like mortification and are but bastard dispositions 4. Education if civill and externally religious and civill strained holinesse from feare of eternall wrath or worldly shame are not to be rested on When the man is sick and between the mil-stones of divine wrath in heavie afflictions his lusts may be sick and not mortified The strongest man living under a feaver can make no use of his strength and bones yet hee hath not lost it It may be a querie whether the Lord in-stamps something of Christ on Preparations in the elect that are converted which is not in all the Legall dejections of Saul Cain and Judas 2. It may be a querie Whether this be any thing really inherent in these Preparations or only which is more probable an intentionall relation in God to raise these to the highest end proposed in the Lords eternall election Vse If God bestow saving-grace freely on us without hire and price then temporall deliverances may be bestowed on the Church when they are not yet humbled It s true 1. The people of God are low and their strength is gone before the Lord delivereth Deut. 32.36 2. Hee delivereth his people when then they are humbled Levit. 26.41 42. But 3. God keeps not alwayes this method nor is it like hee will observe it with Scotland and England first to humble and then deliver but contrarily hee first delivers and then humbles As Ezek. 20.42 And yee shall know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you unto the land of Israel unto the countrey for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers Vers. 43. And there in that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when yee are delivered yee shall remember your wayes and all your doings wherein yee have been defiled and yee shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all your evills that yee have committed Ezek. 36.33 And I will sanctifie my great Name which was prophaned among the heathen which yee have prophaned in the midst of the heathen Then they were not humbled before they were delivered Vers. 24. For I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all countreys and bring you unto your own land So when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt were they humbled nay their murmuring against Moses and Aaron Exod. 5.20 21 22. testifieth their pride and in that miraculous deliverance and greatest danger when they were betweene Satan and the deep sea they were not humbled but Psal. 106.7 They provoked him at the sea even at the red sea Exod. 14.11 12. The Lord must also now first deliver us and shame and confound us in Scotland with mercy and so humble us for mercy hath more strength to melt hearts of iron and brasse then the furnace of fire hath or a sea of bloud or a destroying pestilence Vse The third particular Use is Wee have no gracious disposition to Christ Every man hath a fore-stall'd opinion and a prejudice against Christ and our humiliation before conversion should humble us The merit of decency devised of late by Jesuites of congruity formed of old or of condignity to buy grace or glory are all but counterfeit mettall Grace the onely seed of our salvation is the freest thing in the world and least tyed to causes without 1. That of two equall matches in nature two borne brethren in one wombe the Lord chuseth one and refuseth another 2. Of two sinners of which one hath one devill another hath seven devils hee sheweth mercy upon one that hath seven devils and forsaketh the other 3. Of two equally disposed and fitted for conversion though none be fitted aright hee calleth one of meere grace and not the other 4. Grace is so great that Revel 5.11 when ten thousand times ten thousand and thousand of thousands are set on work to sing Vers. 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and strength Yea and to help them every creature that is in heaven and earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea cry Blessing and honour and power be to him that sits on the throne and to the Lamb. And they have been since the Creation upon this Song and shall be for all eternity upon it but all of them for ever and ever shall never out-sing these praises to the bottome there is more yet and more yet to be said of Christ and ever shall be What wonder then that we have no leasure to praise grace being of so little strength and being clothed with time Can you out-bottome the Song of Free grace or can any soule say so much of Christs love but there is a world more and another world yet more to be said And when will yee end or come to an height I know not O be in Graces debt and take the debt to eternity with you III. Of the third Article Touching the forme and nature and manner of drawing 1. It s a question Whether this drawing be Justification or Sanctification Antinomians say its both But withall both is one
amenity and lovelinesse of his nature and all infinite perfections as this pleasantnesse offers it selfe to his owne understanding and the understanding of men and Angels and as bodily beauty satisfies the eies and so acts on the heart to win love to beauty so the truth of the Lords nature and all his Attributes offered to the understanding and mind and drawing from them admiration or wondering and love is the beauty of God David maketh this his one thing Psal. 27.4 That saith he I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his Temple See then as white and red excellently contempered maketh pleasure and delectation to the eies and through these windowes to the mind and heart so there ariseth from the nature of God and his Attributes a sweet intelligibility as David desires no other life but to stand beside God and behold with his mind and faiths eyes God in his Nature and Attributes as he reveales himself to the creature The Queen of Sheba came a far journey to see Salomon because of his perfection some common people desire to see the King the Lord is a fair and pleasant object to the understanding 2. There is in beautie a due proportion of members 1. quantity 2. situation 3. stature Let a person have a most pleasant colour yet if the eares and nose be as little as an Ant or as big as an ordinary mans leg he is not beautifull 2. If members be not right seated if the one eye be two inches lower in the face then the other it mars the beautie or if the head be in the breast it is a monster Or 3. if the stature be not due as if the person be the stature of ten men and too big or the stature of an infant or a Dove had he all other things for colour and proportion his beauty is no beauty but an error of nature he is not as he should be now the Lord is beautifull because infinitnesse and sweetnesse of order is so spread over his nature and Attributes nothing can be added to him nothing taken from him and hee is not all mercy only but infinitely just were God infinitely true yet not meek and gracious he should not be beautifull had he all perfections but weak mortall not omnipotent not eternall his beauty should be marâ—ed then one attribute does not over-top out-border or limit another were he infinite in power but finite in mercy the lustre and amenity of God were defaced 3. There is integrity of parts in beauty Were a person fairer then Absolom and wanted a nose or an arme the beauty should be lame The Lord is compleat and absolutely perfect in his blessed nature and attributes 4. All these required in beauty must be naturall and truely and really there Borrowed colours and painting and fair-ding of the face as Jezabel did are not beauty the Lord in all his perfections is truely that which he seemes to bee Now as there is in Roses gardens creatures that are faire something plâ—â—sant that ravisheth eye and heart so there are in God so many faire and pleasant truths to take the minde and God is so capatious and so comprehensive a truth and so lovely such a bottomlesse Sea of wonders and to the understanding that beholds Gods beauty there is an amenity goodlinesse a splendor an irradiation of brightnesse a lovelinesse and drawing sweetnesse of excellencie diffused through the Lords nature Hence heaven is a seeing of God face to face Revel 22.4 Matth. 18.10 Now God hath not a face but the face of a man is the most heavenly visible part in man there is majestie and gravitie in it much of the art and goodlinesse of the creature is in his face To see Gods face is to behold Gods blessed essence so farre as the creature can see God Now as we may be said to see the Sunnes face when we see the Sunne as we are able to behold it but there is beauty and such vehemency of visibility in it as it exceedeth our faculty of seeing so do we see Gods face when we neerely behold him not by heare-say but immediately Let us imagine that millions of Sunnes in the firmament were all massed and framed in one Sunne and that the sense of seeing that is in all men that ever hath been or may be yet this Sun should far excell this faculty of seeing so suppose that the Lord should create an understanding facultie of man or Angels millions of degrees more vigorous and apprehensive then if all the men and Angels that are or possibly may be created were contemperated in one yet could not this understanding so see Gods transcendent and superexcellent beauty but there should remaine unseene treasures of lovelinesse never seene yea it involves an eternall contradiction that the creature can see to the bottome of the Creator All this bounty of God is holden forth to us in Christ. Psal. 45.10 He is fairer then the Sonnes of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is of a double forme to note a double excellencie Cant. 1.16 Behold thou art faire my beloved yea pleasant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth lovely amiable acceptable The Seventy render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 146. It is pleasant and sweet 2 Sam. 1.26 Thou wast very pleasant to me Cant. 5.10 He is white and ruddie Vers. 15. His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars Rev. 1.16 His countenance as when the Sunne shineth in his 〈◊〉 strength All the beauty of God is put forth in Christ. Esai 33.17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty Hebr. 1.3 Christ is the brightnesse of his Fathers glorie The light of the Sunne in the ayre is the accidentall reflection of the Suns beames Christ is the substantiall reflection of the Fathers light and glory for he is God equall with the Father and the same God 3. This beauty to Men and Angels is an high beauty Angels have eyes within and without Revel 4.6 to behold the beautie of the Lord and it takes up their eyes alwayes to behold his face and there is no beautie of truth they desire more to behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.12 as to stoope downe and to looke into a darke and veiled thing with the bowing of the head and bending of the necke the Seventy use for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 2.9 Where Christ is said to stand behind the wall and looke out at the casements with great attention of minde It is to looke downe over a window bending the head Exod. 25.18 19 20. Joh. 20.5 They stooped downe and saw the linnen clothes Luk. 24.12 Angels are not curious but they must see exceeding great beauty and wonder much at the excellency of Christ when they cannot get their eyes pulled off Jesus Christ. 2. There is a beauty of Christ in a communion with God which is a ravishing thing When
the soule comes to Christ he seeth a beauty of holynesse and Christ is taken with this beauty Psalm 110.3 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Psalm 45.11 Thou hast ravished my heart saith Christ to his Spouse Cant. 4.9 my sister my Spouse Vers. 10. How faire is thy love my Sister my Spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thine oyntments then all spices Vers. 11. Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-combe honey and milke are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is as the smell of Lebanon Sion is the perfection of beauty Psal. 50.2 All this beauty and sweetnesse commeth from Christ there is no such thing in the people of God as they are sinnefull men considered in their naturall condition and therefore it must be fountaine-beauty in him as in the cause and originall of beauty 2. There is a delâ—ctâ—tlon in a communion with God This is one generall Prov. 3.17 All Wisdomes waies are waies of pleasure to the spirituall soule every step to heaven is a paradice 1. What sweetnesse is in the sense of the love of Christ to delight all the spirituall senses 1. The smell of Christs Spicknurd his Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia his Yvorie chambers smâ—ll of heaven the oyntment of his garments bring God to the Sense Psalm 45.8 All thy garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia out of the yvorie palaces there have they made thâ—e glad Cant. 1.13 A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved to me he shall lye all night between my breasts 2. To the sight Christ is a delightfull thing To behold God in Christ is a changing sight 2 Cor. 3.18 But wee all with open face-beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord Ephes. 1.17 Math. 16.17 1 Joh. 2.37 To see the King in his beautie is a thing full of ravishing delight 3. It taketh the third spirituall sense of hearing the Spouse Cant. 2.8 is so taken with the sweetnesse of Christs tongue that for joy she can but speake broken and unperfect words The voyce of my beloved It is not a perfect speech but for joy she can speake no more It s the voice of joy and gladnesse that with the very sound can heale broken bones Psal. 51.8 and which David desired to heare O if you heard Christ speake Cant. 5.13 His lips are like Lilies dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe Heavens musick the honey of the new Land is in his tongue the Church cheereth her soule with tâ—is Cant. 2.10 My beloved spake and said unto mee Rise up my love my faire one and come away Christs piping in the joyfull Gospel-tiding Vers. 5. should make us dance Matth. 11.17 Christ harping and singing sinners with joyfull promises out of heâ—l to heaven must have a drawing sweetnesse to move stones if the sinner have eares to heare and what heat and warmnesse of love must it bring when Christ is heard say Esai 54.11 O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphirs He doubles his words hee desires Jerusalems eares may owne this cry Esai 40.1 Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith the Lord speake to the heart of Jerusalem 4. Christ is sweet to the spirituall taste Cant. 2.3 I sate downe under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet in my mouth Psal. 34.8 O taste and see that the Lord is good Christ is a curious banquet the Wine the Milk the Honey and the fatted calfe killed are all but shaddowes to Christs excellent Gospel-dainties 5. The sense of touching which is the most spirituall is the heavenly feelings sense and experience of Gods consolations and this sense is fed with the kisses of Christs mouth Cant. 1.3 With the hid Manna the White stone the new Name 3. Joy is a drawing delight Psal. 16.11 In his face there is fulnesse of joy Look how farre Gods face casts downe from heaven sparkles of joy on us as farre goes our joy and wee are said in beleeving 1 Pet. 1.8 to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 4. There is particularly delectation Psal. 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drinke of the rivers of thy pleasures Should not this draw men to Christ And there must be abundance of pleasures where there is a river of pleasures as Psalm 46.4 There is a river the streames whereof make glad the City of God What a Sea of Seas must God himselfe bee His full and bright face his white throne his harpers and heavenly troopes that surround the throne the Lambe the heaven of heavens it selfe the tree of life eternally greene eternally adorned both at once with soule-delighting blossomes and loaden with twelve manner of fruit every month Peace of conscience from the sense of reconciliation the first fruits of Emmanuels land that lyes beyond Time and Death must all be above expression There is a second drawing motive in Christ and this is from gaine which is eminently in Christ. 1. The drawne soule hath bread by the covenant of grace his yearely rent is written in the New Testament Christ is his rentall booke and heritage Esai 33.16 He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks for his lodging he shall not lye in the fields Bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure or faithfull bread and drinke are unfaithfull uncertaine and winged to naturall men 1 Tim. 6.17 Riches hath an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an uncertainty like Ghosts or Spirits that yee see but they evanish out of your sight and disappeare or like cloudes or fire-lightnings in the ayre that come and goe suddenly but bread is faithfull and sure to the soule drawn to Christ when the covenanted people are so drawn that they receive a new heart then God saith Ezech. 36.29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesse What then And I will call for the corne and will increase it and lay no famine upon you Vers. 34. And the land shall be tilled Does the New Testament provide for the plowing of your land Yea it doth Yea know Wisdoms attendants and allacays Prâ— 3.16 On her right hand is length of dayes and on her left hand riches and honour Eternity hath the honour and the right hand Riches is the left hand blessing of wisdome 2. It should draw us in the owne kind to Christ in regard Christ is more then gain Pro. 3.14 Wisdomes merchandise is better then silver and her gaine then fine gold Vers. 15. Shee is more precious then Rubies 2 Job 28.1 Wisdome cannot bee gotten for gold 3 Is there not some worth in Gold Vers. 16. Wisdome cannot be valued with the gold of Ophyre with the precious Onix with
honourable being come of the bloud-royall of the Princely seed Joh. 1.13 1 Joh. 3.1 9. And the Church is a spirituall Monarchy The Plant of renowne their Head said of her Isai. 62.3 Thou shalt be a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall diadem in the hand of thy God Asser. 6. The other particular manner of drawing sinners to Christ is reall In which wee are to consider these two 1. Gods fit application of his drawing of the will 2. His irresistible pull of omnipotency In the former way of working I desire that notice be taken for Doctrines cause rather then for Art of Logicall method of these foure wayes 1. God worketh by measure and proportion 2. By condiscension 3. By fit internall application 4. By externall providentiall accommodation of outward meanes 1. In works of omnipotency without God we see hee keeps proportion with that which hee works upon When God waters the earth hee opens not all the windowes of heaven as hee did in the Deluge to poure on mountaines and valleyes all his waters in one heap for hee should then not refresh but drown the earth therefore hee makes the clouds like a sieve and divides the raine in hoasts and millions of drops of dew that every single flower and inch of earth may receive moistening according to its proportion If the sun were as low down as the câ—ouds it should with heat burn up every green herb tree rose flower and our bodies and if it were the highest of Planets all vegetables on earth should perish through extreme cold It may be a question though the omnipotent power of God move the will invincibly and irresistibly Whether Omnipotency puts forth all its strength on the will or whether the will be able to beare the swing of Omnipotency in its full strength If the Fowler should apply all his force and strength to catch the bird alive hee should strangle and kill it Divines say that Christs dominion in turning the will is Dominium forte sed suave strong but sweet and alluring No wonder if hee carry the lambs in his bosome Isai. 40.11 the warmnesse and heat of his bosome must sweetly allure the will Drive a Chariot as swiftly as an Eagle flieth and yee fire and break the wheels Knock Chrystall glasses with hammers as if yee were cleaving wood and yee can make no vessels of them This is not to deny that Gods omnipotent power must turne the will but to shew how sweetly hee leadeth the inclinations 2. The Lord by wiles and art works upon the will Hos. 2.14 I will allure her and bring her to the wildernesse and speak to her heart The word of alluring is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seductus deceptus fuit to be beguiled and the Hebrew is I will beguile or deceive her as Deut 11.26 Take heed to your selves that your heart be not deceived So Pethi is the simple man that is facile and easily perswaded Psal. 116.6 The Lord preserveth the simple Then hee saith hee will speak to her heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super secundum hee will speak friendly to her not according to the renewed heart for it was not yet renewed not according to the corrupt and unrenewed heart for nothing that the Lord speaketh according to sinners is sutable but contrary to the renewed heart and to internall perswading but hee speaketh all reason according to the temper and naturall frame of the heart to convince and perswade that there is more reason in turning to God then that the wit or engine of man can speak against it Grace is pia fraus a holy deceit that ere the soule be aware it is catched and though that be spoken of Christ Cant. 6.12 Ere ever I was aware my soule made me like the chariots of Amminadab yet it hath truth in this that 1. No unconverted man intends to be converted till God convert him because spirituall intention is a vitall act of the soule living to God No living man can put forth a vitall act of life till the Lord be pleased to give him a new life 2. That spirituall love alluring the soule worketh by such art as cannot be resisted Hence conversion and being drawn to Christ is termed by the name of charming even as turning off Christ is a bewitching or killing with an evill eye as wee say Gal. 3.1 And so being drawne to God is called a charming And the wicked are rebuked for this Psal. 58.4 5. that being strangers to God they are like the deafe adder that stoppeth her eare and will not hearken to the voyce of Charmers or Singers who sing as Witches and Inchanters doe charming wisely There be two words that signifieâ—inchanting the former is to mutter with a low voyce as they doe to serpents to take and kill them the other is to conjoyne and associate in one as Witches doe things most contrary Conversion to God is to be allured bewitched overcome with the art of heaven that changeth the heart And the Lord made Peter and the Apostles fishers of men Christ layeth out hooks and lines in the Gospel Luk. 5.10 to catch men with hope as fishes are taken Christ so condiscendeth to work upon the will as with art and unawares the will is taken and made sick of love for Christ and the man intended no such thing as sicknesse cometh on men beside their knowledge or intention So Christ maketh himselfe and heaven so lovely and such a proportion and similitude between the soule and his beauty as hee appâ—ares most desirable taking and alluring Gal. 4.20 I desire to be present among you saith Paul and to change my voyce I desire not to speak roughly and with asperity as I have written but as a mother speaketh to her children to allure you The word of God is an arrow that kills afarre off and ere yee see it There is a great difficulty to perswade a man who is in another element and without the sphere of the Gospels activity as Christ and the naturall man are in two contrary elements There is required art for a man on the earth to take a bird flying in the aire or for a man in a ship or on the bank of the river to catch a fish swimming in the element of the water Christ layes out the wit the art and the wiles of free grace to charme the sinner but the sinner stops his eare there is need of the witch-craft of heaven to doe this The love of Christ and his tongue is a great Inchantresse Ezek. 16.8 I said unto thee when thou wast dying in thy bloud Live 3. Christ knoweth how to apply himselfe internally to the will Suppose one were to perswade a stiffe and inexorable man and knew what argument would win his heart hee would use that The will is like a great curious engine of a water-work consisting of an hundred wheels of which one being moved it moveth all the
ninety nine beside because this is the Master wheele that stirreth all the rest Now the Lord knoweth how to reach down his hand to the bottome of the elective faculty and that wheele being moved without more adoe it drawes all the affections as subordinate wheels If the key be not so fitted in the work wards and turnings of it as to remove the crosse-barre it cannot open the doore Omnipotency of grace is so framed and accommodated by infinite wisdome as that it can shoot aside the dissenting power without any violence and get open the doore If free will be the workmanship of God as wee must confesse it is a needlesse arguing of Arminians and Jesuites to say that free will is essentially a power absolutely loosed from predeterminating Providence so as whatever God doth on the contrary it may doe or not doe it may nill will chuse refuse or suspend its action for such a creature so absolute so soveraigne and independent as hee that made it cannot without violence to nature turn move bow determine and master it in all its elective power for his own ends and as seemeth good to the Potter for the manifestation of mercy and justice is to say Hee that made the free will cannot have mercy on it hee that framed the clay-vessel cannot use it for honour or dishonour as hee pleaseth hee that moulded and created the horologe and all the pins pieces and parts hath not power to turn the wheels as hee pleaseth 4. Christ in externall meanes accommodates himselfe so in the revealing of himselfe as hee thinks good 1. In accommodating his influence with his word 2. With externalls of providence The breathings of the Holy Ghost goe so along with the word as the word and the Spirit are united as if they were one Agent as sweet smells are carried through the aire to the nose The word is the chariot the vehiculum the horse the Spirit the Rider The word the arrow the Spirit steeleth and sharpeneth the arrow The word the sword the Spirit the steel-mouth and edge that cutteth and divideth asunder the soule and the spirit the marrow and the joynts Heb. 4.12 It is the same Christ in all his lovelinesse and sweetnesse that is preached in the word and conveyed to the soule not God or Christ as abstracted from the word as Enthusiasts dreame And though the Preacher adde a Ministeriall spirit to the word to cause Felix tremble yet hee is not Master of the saving and converting Spirit Golden words though all Gospel and honeyed with heaven and glory planting and watering without the Spirit are nothing In externals of providence God chuseth 1. Meanes 2. Time 3. Disposition 4. Anticipation of the sinners intention 5. Fit words 1. In meanes God appeares to Moses acquainted with mountaines and woods in a bush which burnt with fire to the Wisemen skilled in the motions of the heaven in a new starre to Peter a fisher in a draught of fishes 2. He setteth a time and takes the sinner in his month Jer. 2.24 In his time of love Ezech. 16.8 When he is ripe like the first ripe in the figge-tree Hos. 9.10 3. Often he chuseth in the furnace Hos. 5. Last verse I will returne to my place Hebrew till they make defection or be guilty for the most part man is not guilty in his owne eyes while hee bee as Manasseh was in the bryars the fire melting the silver portrait of a horse causes it losse the figure of head feet leggs and turnes all in liquid white water and then the metall is ready to receive a farre other shape of a man or any other thing the man is ductill and bowable and â—npartiall when God seales and stamps the rodd he is not so wedded to himselfe as before it may be also that mercies and great deliverances and favours melt the man and bring him to some gracious capacity to be wrought on by Christ. 4. Christ anticipates the current of the heart and intention When Saul is on a banquet of blood Christ out-runnes him and turnes him all men are converted contrary to their intentions thousands are in a channell and current of high provocations and they are in the fury of swelling over the banks and Christ gets before them to turne the current to another channell Christ is swift and they are all chased men that are converted Sure Mathew that morning he came to the receipt of custome minded nothing but money and his count book and had not a forset purpose of Christ and because intentions purposes counsels are as it were essentiall to rationall men as men and the refined'st acts of reason and their noblest and most Angel-like works and Christ catcheth sinners contrary to their intentions and in this sense saves the sinner blesses him and gives him Christ and heaven against his will whether he will or not that is whether he spiritually will or no or whether he savingly intend his owne conversion or not 5. There is one golden word and God is in the word one good word that is fit and dexterous hic nunc Prov. 25.11 A word fitly spoken Heb. a word spoken on his wheeles is like apples of gold in pictures of silver Sure Christs words to a sinner ripe for conversion moves on wheeles that is in such order as two wheeles in one cart they answer most friendly one to another in their motion because Christ observeth due circumstances of time place person congruency with the will and disposition As Hos. 2.14 and Salomons Ecoles 12.10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words Hebr. words of will or of good will Christ was greater then Salomon and is a higher Preacher then he and seeks out words to the heart that burns the heart Luk. 24.32 Sure there is more of heaven more life and fire in these words to Mathew Follow me and to dying Jerusalem Live then in ordinary words the Hebrews call vaine words Esai 36.5 A word of lips Prov. 14.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these be words of winde that are empty and have no fruit the words of the Lord fitted for converting are words of the heart and words of power which want not the effect they are words fit for the heart Esai 40.2 Hos. 2.14 Such words as teach the heart Esai 54.13 Joh. 6.45 there is an uncreated word sutable for the heart that goes along with the word spoken and that meets with all the byases turnings and contradictions of the heart and takes the man and no word but that onely can doe the businesse there is a word that is with child of love a word commeth from God and its a coale from the Altar that is before the Lords throne and it fires up all yron locks in the soule that the will must yeeld The woman of Samaria heareth but these words I am he that talketh with thee and her will is burnt with a strong necessity of love
such hazard or lotterie as such imaginary dispositions oâ— good humours thousands being brought in to Christ in chaines in saddest afflictions Nor is grace being a plant of heaven a flower that grows out of such clay ground Asser. 7. Christ drawes by such a power and this is the last point in the drawing That it is not in the power of man to resist him 1. He drawes by the pull of that same arme and power by which he commanded light to shine out of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.6 by which he raised the dead out of the graves Ephes. 1.18 19. by the exceeding greatnes of his power and the mighty power by which he raised Christ from the death Arminians answer this was omnipotency of working miracles but what was it to the salvation of the Ephesians and to the hope of their glory to know with opened eyes such a power as Judas knew and can the dead chuse but be quickned and come out of the grave when God raiseth them Joh. 5.25 That Vaga necessitas the strong morall necessity talked of by Jesuites when strong morall motives work is a dream there for it may come short a man quickned in the grave and put to his feet as Lazarus was of necessity must come out he will not lie down in the grave again and kill himselfe A man starving for hunger when meat is set before him on any termes he desires if he be in his right wits will necessarily eat and not kill himself but the necessity of saving soules in the tender and loving mind of God in Christ is much stronger and if we consider the corruption of will this fancied vaging necessity cannot so bow the will but it is necessary that corrupt will dissent rather then consent to Christ. 2. God taketh away all resisting and the vitious and wicked power of resisting hee removeth the stony heart openeth blind eyes removeth the vail that is over the heart in hearing or reading the Scriptures Ezek. 36.26 2 Cor. â— 16 17. Deut. 30.6 Col. 2.11 takes the mans sword and armour from him cuts off his armes so as he cannot fight or resist you It is true Christ taketh not from David Abraham Prophet Apostle or from any Men or Angels that are to be saved the natural created power of nilling and willing purum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posse nolle Christo trahente but he taketh away the morall wicked and godlesse power hic nunc and vitious and corrupt disposition of resisting 3. God layeth bonds on himself by 1. Promise 2. Covenant 3 Oath to circumcise the heart of his chosen ones Deut. 30.6 to put his Law in their inward parts Jer. 31.32 33. To give them one heart to fear God for ever not to depart from God Jer. 32.39 40. Heb. 8.6 7 c. to blesse them Heb. 6.16 17 18. Gen. 22.16 17. Psal. 89.33 34 35 36 37. Heb. 1.5 6. We cannot imagine that God will keep Covenant promise and oath upon a condition and with a reserve that we give him leave so to doe that is as much as the Creator will be faithfull if the creature will be faithfull And there is nothing glorious in the Gospel and second Covenant above the Law and first Covenant if God promise not to remove the power of resisting for if God doe not promise to work our obedience absolutely without any condition depending on our free will then must free will be so absolutely indifferent as it can suspend God from fulfilling his oath Now the Law had a promise of life If yee doe this ye live eternally but God neither did work nor was tyed by the tenour of that Covenant to work in us to doe to will to continue to abide in all written in the Law of God to the end and therefore it was a broken Covenant Nor can Arminians make the Covenant Gospel-promise and oath of God so conditionall as the Law of works or as the promise of giving the holy Land to the seed of Abraham upon condition of faith because many could not enter in because of unbeliefe except Arminians and Jesuites prove 1. That all that entred in to the holy Land yong and old did beleeve and were elected to salvation redeemed and saved as Caleb and Joshua were as all that enter in to the true promised Land are beleevers otherwise they die are condemned and can never see God John 3.18.36 v. 16. Joh. 11.26 and 5.24 Mark 16.16 Acts 15.11 Acts 11.17.18 but the former is most evidently false in the History of Joshua and Judges multitudes entred in who never beleeved as multitudes entred not in who beleeved as Moses and many others And therefore from this that many entred not in because of unbeliefe The Arminians shall never prove that as God makes a promise of life eternall that beleevers infallibly and only shall be saved and unbeleevers excluded so God made a covenant and promise that all these of Abrahams seed infallibly and all these onely should enter into the holy Land who should beleeve as did Caleb and Ioshua I put all Arminians and Papists and Patrons of universall atonement to prove any such covenant or promise 2. Let Arminians prove that faith and a new heart was promised to all Abrahams seed who were to enter in tâ— the holy Land as it is promised to all the Elect who are saved and to enter in the Kingdome of Heaven Ezek. 36.26 Jer. 31.32 3â— Jer. 32.39 40. 3. That the promise of eternall rest in heaven was typified by conversion to Christ and conversion upon condition of faith as they say but without ground the holy Land was promised to all Abrahams seed upon condition of Faith the like we say to all oâ—her conditionall promises of God made in Scripture that are as the legs of the lame unequally paraleld with the Covenant of Grace Because this is the only answer Adversaries can give though it be as a parable in a fooles mouth Let it be considered 1. The difference between the first Covenant which was broken Jer. 31 32 33 34. and the better Covenant which is everlasting and cannot be broken Jer. 31.35 36 37. and 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 11. Isai. 59.19 20. Heb. 8.6 7 c. is expresly holden forth to make the new Covenant better then the Old But it s close removed for both are broken Covenants by this reasoning 2. When God promiseth the removing of an old and stony heart and to give a new heart he promiseth to take away resisting in us for nothing can resist Christs drawing but the stony and old heart 3. The Apostles reason Heb. 6.13 14 15 16. of the Lords two immutable things his oath and promise is That wee might have strong consolation and hope Now this makes undeniably the consolation though never so strong the hope never so sure to depend on our free will if the sinner brue well he drinks well if he resist not grace as he may or accept it
wicked for the ill day and for whose pleasure all things are Revel 4.11 must be such an Efficient and Author such a finall cause of all as shapeth a particular being to things actions and every creature as their determinate being must be from him If the being of the actions of free will rather then their not-being be from free will not from God but in a generall universall or disjunctive influence that is in such a way as whatever God decreed from eternity touching Peters acts of willing or nilling embracing or repudiating Christ or what way soever the Lord shape and mould his influence and concurrence in time either the one or the other may fall out and Peter may embrace Christ or not embrace him and so may Judas and all Men and Angels then shall I say The Kings heart and his nilling and willing is in the hand of his owne heart so the King turnes his owne heart whither soever hee determines his owne will and not as Solomon saith Pro. 21.1 in the hands of the Lord and the creature is master of worke Angels Men free and contingent necessary and naturall causes are Mint-masters to coyne what actions they will this or this election and reprobation vessels of mercy and of wrath beleeving or not-beleeving are in the hands of Angels and Men the creature shall be both Potter and clay The great Lord and former of all things and the vessel for Gods conditionall decree his collaterall and universall his disjunctive and dependent influence hath no force to cast the scale of free will to willing and so to salvation election inscription in the book of life more then to nilling damnation and blotting out or not-inrolling in the book of life but is indifferent to either is determined and bowed by the free will of man to which of the two shall seeme good to lord will and the Lord cannot turne the heart whither soever hee will Which close sets up fortune independent and absolute contingency and a supremacy and principality of working every effect and event on both sides of the sun and above the sun in order of nature by the creature before and without the efficiency of the cause of causes and the intention or counsell of God yea it involves the Lord in a fatall chaine hee must either concurre or the creature disposeth of the militia lawes and affaires of heaven and earth without the King of ages 1. I cannot make prayers to the Lord to determine my will to his obedience not to lead me into temptation 2. I cannot thank his free grace for either 3. I cannot intrust God with working in me to will and to doe Nor 4. comfort my selfe in the Lord 5. Nor be patiently submissive to God under all my calamities that befall me by the hand of men devils or creatures Why The Lord can doe no more then hee can hee had no more will nor counsell before time nor hand and disposing of the businesse in time for all these then for the just contradicent of these say the lord-patrones of indifferent and so absolute a free will 6. How doth Jacob pray that the Lord would give his sonnes favour with the Governour of Egypt whom hee beleeved to be a heathen and pray that God would change his brother Esau's heart and Esther and her maids pray that God would grant her favour in the eyes of Ahashuerus if God have not in his hand power to turne their hearts from hatred to favour as pleaseth him 7. The Lord takes on him to turne mens free will in mercy or judgement as pleaseth him Pro. 3. My sonne forget not my law so shalt thou find favour Vers. 4. with God and man The Lord gave Joseph favour in the eyes of Potiphar Gen. 39.21 God brought Daniel in favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuches Dan. 1.9 The Lord made his people to be pittied of all those that carried them captives Psal. 106.46 The Lord turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people Psal. 105.25 Warre and peace are from the free wills of men as second causes yet the Lord saith according to his absolute dominion Isai. 45.7 I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill And Isai. 7.8 The Lord shall hisse for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the river of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria and they shall come and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys Isai. 10.6 I will send the Assyrian against an hypocriticall nation So Jer. 1.15 16. Isai. 13.1 2 3. Chap. 15.1 2 â— 17.1 2 3. 19.1 2 3 4. Now God could not be the Author of warre and peace as God and Soveraigne all-Disposer if it were in the indifferent arbitriment and free election of men that warre should freely issue from mans free will so as God could neither decree command ordaine it in his providence threaten it in his justice fore-see it in his wisdome and fore-tell it by his Prophets determine it by his free grace except the free will of nations and men first passe an act in this poore low Court of clay in the heads and brests of little lords free-will-men and make sure work on earth of its coming to passe and so the Almighty Soveraigne of all things should have the second conditionall vote of an after-game in heaven of all actions contingent and managed by free will of Angels and Men such as peace warre honour infamy riches poverty health sicknesse life or violent death by sword gibbet poyson c. hatred favour learning ignorance faith unbeleefe obedience to God disobedience salvation damnation long or short life sailing selling buying eating speaking joying weeping building planting praying praising cursing Christs coming of the seed of David the use of Prophets prophecying c. Object Is it not contrary to the nature of freedome to be determined by a forraigne and externall agent and that by a power stronger then the free will can resist or master If yee with a stronger power tye a sword to my arme and strongly and irresistibly throw my arme and sword both to kill a man can I be the murtherer of this man Answ. All the question here is Whether the Lords freedome and dominion in these actions of clay-vessels or mens must stand Wee had rather contend for the Lord and grace than for the creature and free will 2. It is contrary to the nature of freedome to be determined with one sort of determination not with another 1. With such a determination naturall as is in the stone to fall down the sun to give light its true but now the assumption is false 2. Should wee suppose that hee who tyes the sword to your arme so as hee carries along with him in that motion your reason judgement elective power so as you joyne in your arbitrary and free election yea and with delight and joy which is
complaining would be examined Seldome or never is it seen that a reprobate man can be in sad earnest heavie in heart touching his deadnesse of heart and fruitlesse hearing of the word of God thirty or fourty yeares and withall if there be a dram of sincerity the least graine of Christ as if the soule doe but look afarre-off with halfe an eye yet greedily after the Lord Jesus it s a sweet beginning It s true a talent weight of iron or sand is as weighty as a talent weight of gold but in a Saint an ounce weight of grace hath more weight then a pound of corruption It is no Gospel-truth that Antinomians teach That God loves no man lesse for sin or no man more for inherent holinesse It s true of the love of election and reconciliation in the work of justification but most false of the love of divine manifestation in the work of sanctification as is cleare Joh. 14.21 23. Nor are men by this taught to seek righteousnesse in themselves because they are commanded to try and examine themselves as 1 Cor. 11.28 2 Cor. 13.5 4. Such soules would upon any termes be brought to reason and debate the question with Christ that as the Law may stop their mouth before God so mercy may stop the mouth of the Law and sin and it may convincingly be cleared that though scarlet or crimson can by no art be made white yet Christ who is above art can make them white Isai. 1.18 as wooll and snow And therefore such would be brought in an high esteeme and deep judgement of Christs fairnesse beauty excellency incompatable and transcendent worth and though a soule have a too high esteeme of his sins yet say that hee dies with an high esteeme of Jesus Chriâ—t hee is in no danger for faith is but a swelled an high and broad opinion and thought of the incomparable excellency and sweetnesse of Jesus Christ. Vse 8. This powerfull drawing teacheth humble thankefulnesse 1. The most harmelesse and innocent sinner must bee in Christs book for the debt of ten thousand Talents 2. The sense of drawing grace is mighty ingaging every act of thankfull obedience should come out of this wombe as the birth and child of the felt love of God Christ did bid such a man battell 2. He was Christs enemy when he took him 3. It cost Christ blood he died to conquer an enemie Rom. 5.10 4. He kept the taken enemy alive he might have killed him he gave him more then quarters he made a captive a King Rev. 1.6 Suppose we Christ should in his own person come locally down to hell and look upon so many thousands scorching and flaming in that unsufferable lake of fire and brimstone if he should cull out by the head and name so many thousands of them even while they were spitting on Christ blaspheming his name and scratching his face and should loose off the fetters of everlasting vengeance and draw them from amongst millions of damned Spirits lay them in his bosome carry them to heaven set them on Thrones of glory crown them as Kings to raigne with him for evermore Would they not be shamed and overcome with this love kisse and adore so free a Redeemer and thus really hath Christ dealt with sinners look on your debts written in Christs grace-book would not such a redeemed one praise his Ransomer and say O if every finger every inch of a bone every lith every drop of blood of my body every hair of my head were in an Angels perfection to praise Iesus Christ O the weight of the debt of love O the gold Mynes and the depths of Christs free love 3. Consider what expressions vessels of grace have used of free grace how far below grace Paul sets himself lo here Eph. 3.8 To me who am 1. Lesse then a Saint 2. Not that only but lesse then the least 3. Lesse then the least of Saints But 4. yet a little lower lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Gospell riches is grace and mercy but there is a great abundance of it it s a speech from quick-sented hounds who have neither footstep nor trace nor sent left them of the game they pursue Christ defies men and Angels to trace him in the wayes of grace So Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an injurious person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I was be-mercied as if dipt in a river in a Sea of mercy Vers. 14. And the grace of the Lord Jesus to me was abundant No that is to low a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his grace was more or over-abundant one Paul obtained as much grace even so whole and compleat a ransome without diminishing as would have saved a world Rom. 5.15 If through the offence of one many bee dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is exceedingly to abound and borrowed from fountaines and rivers which have flowed with waters since the creation but there is a higher word Vers. 12. Where sinne abounded grace farre more or exceedingly over-abounded or more then over-abounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Vers. 21. Sin reigned unto death that grace might reigne unto life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christs grace might play the King The saving knowledge of God under the Kingdome of the Messiah Esai 11.9 fills the earth as the Sea is covered with waters A Sea of Faith and a Earthfull of the grace of saving light and a Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes Esai 30.26 hold forth to us a large measure of grace and righteousnessâ— and peace like a river and the waves of the sea Esai 48.18 All these say Christ is no niggard of grace And 4. can they not weare and out-spend their harps who fall downe before the Lambe Revel 14. and Revel 5.8 Who with a loude voice praise the grace of God Vers. 12. For ever and ever Consider if it must not be a loud voice when ten thousand times ten thousand and thousand thousands all joyne in one song to extoll grace if we be not in word and deed obliged to expresse the vertues and praises of him who hath called us from darkenesse to his marveilous light Vers. 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men to me Article II. The next thing we consider is the person that drawes I sayes Christ I will draw all men to me There is a peculiar aptitude in Jesus Christ to drawe sinners to himselfe 1. As concerning his person he is fit for neither is the Father nor the Holy Ghost in person Lord Redeemer but Christ as in the deep of Gods wisdome the Sonne was thought fittest to make Sonnes Galat. 4.4 the heire to communicate the right of heire-ship
the Holy Ghost on Ananias and Saphira Rom. 4. Abraham is called the father of us all A spirituall father by faith he is to those that are of the faith of Abraham Now Arminians will not suffer us to expound us all in the matter of Redemption of us all the elect of God and beleevers but of all and every one within the visible Church Joh. 1.16 And of his fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace There is as good ground for saving grace given to all in Christ as for Universall Redemption except the words be restricted For Arminians have ground from the words to alledge All we among whom Christ dwelt have received grace all we who saw his glory as the only begotten Son of God v. 14. which sight is the sight of saving faith not given to all and every Son of Adam 14. And he dwelt personally in the flesh and nature of all Adams Sons So is it said 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Jewes or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink unto one Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How can Arminians decourt from a spirituall communion in both Sacraments all Jewes and Gentiles in the visible body of Christ except they restrict all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we doe And 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Now Paul speaketh of all under the Gospel and under the glorious ministration of the Spirit opposite to the condition of the children of Israel who were under the Law which was the ministration of death v. 6 7 8. Whose minds are blinded through the vaile that was and yet is over the hearts of that stiffenecked people in reading of the Old Testament whereas this vail is taken away in Christ and wee all under the Gospel have the Spirit and are free and see the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same glory being in the Suburbs of Heaven all of us having our faces shining with the rayes and beames of the glory of the Gospel in the face of God in a more glorious manner then the face of Moses did shine when he came downe from the Mount with a glory that was to be done away whereas this is eternall v. 9 10 11 12. compared with v. 17 18. Now let Arminians speak if they thinke all and every one that heareth the Gospel are partakers of this vision of God in the Kingdome of Grace And Ephes 4. Christ ascending on high gifted his Church with a Ministery v. 13. Till we all come in the unitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God into a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ. When we to decline the absolute universality of the redemption of all and every one doe say We all and he tasted death for all men and Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all All must be restricted according to the Scope the antecedent and consequent of the Text we cannot be heard Master Moore saith we make the Holy Ghost to speake untruth because we expound all men to be few men yet must they either use the same restriction and acknowledge an universality of converted and saved men and so expound All to be few as we doe or they can no more decline the universall salvation of all and every one then we can decline the Catholike redemption of all and every one So they must say that the number of the perfected Saints that attaine to the fulnesse of grace and glory and to a perfect man in Christ is equall to that visible body the Church gifted with Apostles Evangelists Prophets and Pastors and Teachers For all the like places Arminians expound of the body of the whole body of the visible Church externally called now this is most absurd that all and every one should bee saved to whom Apostles and Pastors were sent to preach the Gospel then need force All must be restricted to the chosen flocke only So Luk. 16.16 The kingdome of God is preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and every man presseth violently to it The meaning is not as Master Denne saith that every one is pressed by command and Gospell-exhortation to repent For 1. from John Baptists time all and every one heareth not the Gospel Matth. 10.5 2 Matth. 11. ver 2. is clearely expounded by an Active verbe these that take heaven violenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take it by force but doe all and every Sonne of Adam take heaven by force No then there must be an All and a Catholicke company of converted and saved persons by this conceit And 1 Thess. 5.5 Yea are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the children of light and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of the darknesse these All that are called the children of the day are opposed in the foregoing Verses to the children of darkenesse on whom the last day commeth suddenly as child-birth paines on a woman 2. All these are the children of light who are exhorted to be sober not to sleep Vers. 6 7 8. And whom God hath not appointed for wrath but for salvation by the meanes of our Lord Jesus But these bee all the visible Church of Thessalonica Ergo there were no children of darkenesse among them which is absurd and will be denyed by Arminians When Christ speaketh to the multitude he saith Matth. 25.8 All yee are brethren they must be brethren by the new birth Vers. 8. Call no man your Father on earth c. Philip. 1.7 Yee are all partakers of my grace Now he speaketh of these in whom Christ had begunne the good worke and would perfect it into the day of Christ Vers. 6. Such the Arminians doe say were all the visible Saints at Philippi Then by this all and every one of them were converted 1 Cor. 11.4 The head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every man is Christ of every man without exception No these of whom Christ is hâ—ad these are his body the Church that have life from him and are knit to him by the Spirit and among themselves by spirituall ligatures Ephes. 1.22.23 and Christs fulnesse Ephes. 4 â—6 Col. 1.18 Gen. 21.6 All that heares shall laugh with me Sarah meaneth the laughter of faith then must all that heare of Sarahs bearing oâ— Isaak in her old age beleeve in Christ as Sarah did Psalm 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come a figure there must be in the word flâ—sh and if there be no figure in the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then must all flesh and all Adams Sonnes put up prayers to God contrary to experience and to Scripture Psalm 14.4 Psal. 53.4 Jer. 10.25 So Psal.
and numerous off-spring of children and when they are gathered together they are a faire beloved world In the Hebrew many and great are often one and the same As one Rubie is worth ten hundreth one Saphir worth thousands of common stones so one Saint is more then ten thousand wicked men then all together they must be an All a world a whole world of ransomed ones hidden ones Psal. 83.4 of the Lords Jewels Mal. 3.17 and of Christs precious ones Isai. 43.4 they are the floure and the choise of mankinde 2. Christ is willing to take away all heart-exceptions of unbeliefe from men As. 1. Can God bee borne of a woman to save men not Angels Beleeve it saith the Lords Spirit with a sort of oath Heb. 2.16 Verily hee tooke on him the seede of Abraham not the nature of Angels Halt not at Christs man-kindnesse and not Angel-love to the excellenter childe by nature the Angel when he fell and it s to remove our doubts that God is brought in promising and swearing the covenant Christ is a sworne covenanter Heb. 6.12 When God made promise to Abraham because hee could sweare by no greater he sware by himselfe Ezech. 33. The people slandred the Lord he delighted so to have the people pine away in their iniquities that hee would punish them for no fault but the childrens teeth should be set on edge for the sinnes of the father and the grapes that they eate not themselves The Lord answers that calumnie Ezech. 18. And here as I live I delight not so so as you slanderously and blasphemously say in the death of a sinner by my life I desire you may repent and live nor have I pleasure to punish innocent men for no sinne at all And the second Exception is But Christs heart is not ingaged with a heart-burning purpose or desire to save man the purpose of saving came upon him but yesterday yea but saith Christ it was not a yesterdayes businesse but was contrived from eternity Proverb 8. before the Lord made Sea or Land vers 30. I was by him as one brought up as a sonne nourished with him I was daily when there was neither night nor day his delights rejoycing in the habitable earth and my delighâ—s were with the sonnes of men Two words expresse Christ old and eternall love to men his delights was with the sonnes of men as Christ was his Fathers delight from eternitie so was Christ feasting himselfe on the thoughts of love delight and free grace to men sure not to Pharoah Judas and all the race of the wicked and with such a love as if free will please should never injoy one sonne of Adam 2. I was saith Christ playing and sporting in the habitable earth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to play in a dance it is 2 Sam. 6.21 spoken of Davids dancing before the Ark and 1 Sam. 18.7 The women in Israel playing answered one another in their songs It holds forth this that it resolves the question that Augustine loosed to a curious head asking what the Lord was doing before the world was he was delighting in his sonne Christ and the thoughts of the Lord Iesus in that long and endlesse age were solacing him and they were skipping and passing time in loving and longing for the fellowship of lost men and since God was God O boundlesse duration the Lord Iesus in a manner was loving and longing for the dawning of the day of Creation and his second coming againe to judgement the marriage day of union with sinners Christ was as it were from eternity with childe of infinite love to man and in time in the fulnesse of time it blossomed forth and the birth came out in a high expression of love the man-childe the love of Christ was borne and saw the light Gal. 4.4 Tit. 3.4 when Christ was ripe of love to bring forth free salvation glory glory to the Wombe and the Birth And a third Exception is But sinners dis-obliged Christ and provoked him as his enemies can it be that in time seeing how undeserving we were he could heartily and seriously die for man offer himselfe to all God may have mercy on the work of his hand but he cannot have mercy on sinners Answ. 1. It s true the Gospel is contrary to nature and not one Article more thwarteth and crosseth carnall wisedome then that of imputed righteousnesse That crosseth Morall Phylosophy so much as we can more easily beleeve the rising of the dead or any the greatest miracle the drying up of the red Sea then beleeve the Gospel for we beleeve the Gospel for miracles as motives not as causes of Faith not Miracles for the Gospel and if at the first we beleeve the Gospel for Miracles then we naturally rather beleeve Miracles and the dividing of the Red Sea and the raising of the dead then we can beleeve that Christ came to die for sinners 2. Consider with what a strong good will Christ died Luke 9.51 And it came to passe when his time was come that he should be received up he stedfastly set his face to goe to Jerusalem He hardned his face he emboldned himself to goe to Jerusalem to suffer he mended his pace and went more swiftly with a strong fire of love to expend his blood Luke 12.50 I have a baptisme to be baptized with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how am I fettered or besieged as the word is used Luke 19.43 till it be perfected 3. What could move Christ to lie and fancie were his weeping and tears counterfeit were his dying bleeding sweating pain sorrow shame but all shewes for the market and to take the people Isai. 53.44 Surely really he bare our sorrowes 4. His offer must be reall Joh. 7.37 for with vehemency he speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He stood and shouted in the Temple if any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Here is a dear fountain to all thirsty soules and most free Christ thirsteth and longeth to have thirsty sinners come gratis and drink But I doubt he beares not me in particular at good will are the promises made for me Did he love me before the world was Did Christ dying intend salvation for me This doubt draweth us to the fift particular that so I may hasten to the uses which is what sort of Faith it is that God requireth of all within the visible Church for the want whereof Reprobates are condemned Assertion 1. Saving Faith required of all within the visible Church is not as Antinomians conceive the apprehension of Gods everlasting love of Election to glory of all and every one that are charged to beleeve Saltmarsh in an ignorant and confused Treatise tells us To beleeve now is the only worke of the Gospel that is that ye be perswaded of such a thing that Christ was crucified for sins and for your sins so as salvation is not a businesse of
is chosen to salvation from eternity so Election is neither precept nor promise but a truth of Gods gracious good will and pleasure hid in Gods mind till he be pleased to reveal it by the fruits thereof There can bee no such imaginable double dealing in the world as Arminians lay upon God For they make the Lord to say thus as imagine a King should speak to twenty thousand captives I have a good will purpose hearty intention and earnest desire to make you all and every one free Princes and pray wish obtest and beseech you subscribe such a Writ of grace for that end but I only can lead your hand at the Pen and give you eyes to see and a willing heart to consent to your own happinesse and if you refuse to signe the Bill of grace you shall be tormented for ever and ever in a river of fire and brimstone Again I have a like good will to my own justice and purpose so to carry on the designe as that sixteen thousand of you shall not have the benefit of my hand or of one finger to lead your hand at the pen nor any efficacious motion to act upon your will to obtain your consent to subscribe the Writ yea by the contrary though I of exceeding great free love will intend decree and purpose you bee all Princes of glory yet I purpose that these sixtâ—eâ— thousand whose salvation and happinesse I extreamly desire shall for their former rebellion which I with the like desire of spirit could and I only might have removed never be moâ—od to consent to this Bill of grace Now were not this the outside of a good will aâ—d should not this Prince bee said rather to will and desire the destruction of these sixteen thousand and not their honour and happinesse Asser. 3. This is the mystery of the Gospel in which I must professe ignorance and that the Lords thoughts are not as our thoughts nor his wayes as ourwayes he hath by the preaching of the gospel ingaged thousand thousands within the visible Church to the duty of their fidutiall adherence and heart resting on Christ as they would be saved and yet hath the Lord never purposâ—d to work their hearts and he only can do it to this heart-resting on Christ by faith nor hath he purchased either remission of sinnes or pardon for them If any object how can Christ in equitie judge and condemne them for not beleeving pardon and salvation in his blood when as neither pardon nor salvation are purchased in this blood to them nor purposeth he to give them faith Yet we may plead for the Lord we conceive of the decree of God as of a deep policie and a stratagem and snare laid for us whereas the Lord lies not in wait for our ruine nor carries he on a secret designe in the gospel to destroy men If Christ should say in the Gospel-precepts promises or threatnings I decree purpose and intend to redeeme all and every man but I purpose to carry on the designs so as the far greatest part of mankinde inevitably shall be lost it should be a stratagem but the gospel as the gospel revealeth not any decree or intention of God touching the salvation or damnation of men intended from eternitie Indeed the gospel as obeyed or disâ—beyed reveals Gods intentions and decrees the gospel revealeth nothing but the Lords complacencie approbation and good-liking of the sweet connexion between faith and salvation the just concatenation between unbeliefe disobedience and eternall damnation so the gospel reveals duties but not the persons saved or damned the Lords working with the gospel or the efficacie of the gospel which is a far other thing reveals the persons Now the difficulty is how the Lord can command the reprobate to beleeve life and salvation in Christ when there is no life and salvation either intended to them or purchased for them To which I answer 1. God gave a law to all the angels created in the truth If ye abide in the truth ye shall be eternally happy ye cannot say that the devils in that instant were to beleeve that God intended and decâ—eed them for eternall happines and to give them â—fficacious grace by which they should abide in the truth as their fellow-Angels did Gods command and promise did reveal no such intention of God So the Lord said to Adam and to all his seed If ye keep the law perfectly ye shall have life eternall according to that Do this and live yet was not Adam then far lesse these that are now under the Law to beleeve that God ordained them from eternitie to eternall life legally purchased or that any flesh should be justified by the works of the Law Arminians tell us that there be numbers judicially blinded and hardned within the visible Church who cannot beleeve and whom the Lord hath destined for destruction yet the word is preached to them they hear and read the promises of the gospel and the precepts Whither are they to beleeve that God intended from eternitie to them salvation and grace to beleeve I think not For they teach that Christ neither prayeth for nor intendeth to die for the unbeleeving and obstinate world as such nor decreed their salvation and except men may fancie sences on the words of Gods Spirit where learned they to expound the word World when it makes for them for all and every one of mankinde and when it makes against them for the least part of mankinde and that eâ—ther within the visible Church only or yet without the visible Church for in both Satans world of disobedient ones is the far greatest part sâ—eing the whole world lyes in sinne as John saith Let it be also remembred when Arminians say the Lamb of God taketh away the sinnes of the world that is of all and every mortall man they mean Christ takes not away nor sheddeth he his blood for the sinnes of the rebellious world so the worlds rebellion contuâ—â—acie and infidelitie against Christ must be pardoned without shedding of blood and if Christ did bear all the sinnes of the world on the crosse conditionally and none of them absolutely â—hen our act of beleeving must be the onely neerest cause of satisfaction for sinnes but why then if Christ satisfied on the crosse for the finall impenitencie and unbeliâ—fe of the rebellious world conditionally so they beleeve and be not rebellious but Arminians should say right downe Christ died for the rebellious and contumatious world and he prayes for the contumacious world as such but conditionally for he prays and dieth for the not rebellious world of all mortall men not absolutelie but conditionally so they beleeve in Christ if they beleeve not neither the prayers of Christ nor his death are more effectuall for them then for Devils To all these wee may adde that the Lord in commanding reprobates to rest on Christ for salvation though no salvation be purchased for them
deals sincerely candidly with them for first he commands them to beleeve no intention in God to save them by the death of his Son nor saith he any such thing to them but only commandeth them to rely on Christ as an alsufficient Saviour Secondly God commands all the reprobate even by their way to beleeve that Christ in his death intended their salvation justification conversion and yet whereas God taketh wayes effectuall and such as he foreseeth shall be effectuall for the efficacious working of justification and conversion and actuall glorification of some few yet he taketh wayes which he knoweth shall be utterly ineffectuall for the salvation justification and conversion of all these reprobates and yet commandeth thâ—m to beleeve that he decree and intendeth their salvation and conversion with no lesse ardency and vehemency of serious affection then he doth intend the salvation and conversion of all that shall bee glorified Sure this we would call double dealing in men and the Scripture saith he is a God of truth Deut. 32. and the Lord who cannot lie Object If a rich Inne-keeper should dig a Fountain in his Field for all passengers thirsty and diseased which were able to cure them and quench their thirst and invite them all to come and drink and be cured upon condition they come and beleeve the vertue of the water to be such and yeâ— should intend and decree absolutely and irresistibly the tenth man invited should never be cured this Innekeeper should not deal sincerely with them So you make God to deal with sinners in the Gospel He doth all in inviting sâ—ck sinners to come and drinâ— life and salvation at Christ the Fountain of life which expresseth with men who speak as they think their sincere intention but he intendeth no such thing Answ. Make the comparison runne as it should doe and it maketh more against Arminians say that this Inne-keeper had dominion over the heart and will as the Lord hath Prov. 21.1 Psal. 119.36 37. Hebr. 13.20 21. Matth. 6.13 and that he could and doth without straining of the heart work in all the passengers a sense of their disease grace actually to come and drink and yet hee taketh a dealing with the soules of some few and causeth them come to the waters and drink and healeth them and he useth such meanes and so acts upon the will of the farre most part that they shall never come never be sensible of their disease and yet he invites them to come to the waters and drink its clear this Inne-keeper never intended the health of all and every one of the passengers but only of these few that come and drink nor doth invitations with men upon condition which the party invited is obliged to perform but doth never perform and which the inviter only of grace can work in the invited but doth not work them as being not obliged thereunto speak any such intention Again let it be considered that here 1 God lies in wait for no mans destruction 2 God is not obliged to reveal his eternall purpose and intentions touching mens salvation and damnation but in the way and manner seemes best to him 3 God never saith in all the Gospel that from eternity he hath passed a resolve to save all mankinde if they will and to yeeld them the bridle on their own necks that they may bee indifferent and absolute Lords of Heaven and Hell 4 Nor should the Gospel be framed in such wisdomâ— if the Lord had set down particularly the names of all the Elect and Reprobate in the world and have proponed salvation upon condition of obedience and faith to some few it should evidently have raysed a hard opinion in the mindes of thousands touching Christ. Asser. 4. The third object of Faith is the sufficiency and power of Christ to save 1 The Scripture maketh the object of comming which is beleeving Ioh. 5.40 Ioh. 6.35 Matth. 11.27 to be Christs ability and power Hebr. 7.25 to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them What the Scripture presseth us to beleeve savingly that we must be inclined to misbeleeve and for the misbeleeving thereof the reprobates are condemned and not because they beleeve not the Lords intention to save all or his decrees of election and reprobation But the Scripture presseth faith in the power of mercy Rom. 4.21 Abraham staggered not but was strong in the faith giving glory to God being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Now Abraham is commended for that he savingly and for his justification beleeved the power of God in the Gospell promise that God was able of his mercy to give him the sonne of promise in his old age otherwise to beleeve simply the power of God to give a child to a mother who is passed the naturall date of bearing children is but the faith of miracles which of it selfe is not sâ—ving and may bee in workers of iniquity Matth. 7.21 22. so this power then is the power of saving conjoyned with the mercy and good will of Christ. 2 The Scripture holds forth to our faith the power of God to graffe in the Jewes again in Christ Rom. 11.23 to make a weak beleever stand Rom. 14.4 to keep the Saints from falling and to present them faultlesse bâ—fore the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Iude v. 24. 3 The good Land was a type of the heavenly rest Heb 4.1 and Heb. 3.19 some entred not in through unbeleefe why what unbeleefe the Story sheweth us Psal· 93.7 Num. 14.9 Num. 13.28 they doubted of the power of God and beleeved the report of the unbeleeving Spies who said The people be strong that dwell in the Land the Cities are walled and very great and moreover we saw the childâ—en of Anak there Joshua and Caleb chap. 14.9 said they should not be bread for them and their strength was gone then the question was whether God was able to give them that good Land So then men enter not into the heavenly rest because they beleeve not that Iesus is able to save to the uttermost those that come through him to God Heb. 7.23 4 The Scripture is as much in proving the alsufficiency power and perfection of Christ our Saviour to save as in demonstrating his tendernesse of mercy and goodwill to save as in the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Apostle laboureth much for to prove the Godhead of Christ his excellency above Angels and that the Angels were to adore him his dignity and greatnesse above Moses and all the mortall and dying Priests the vertue of his blood above all the bloods of Buls and Goats to purge the conscience from dead works to expiate sinne to sanctifie his people to open a way a new and living way to the holy of holiest by his blood that we with full assurance may draw near to God that he with one Sacrifâ—ce
or drawing grace therefore am I compelled as a Merchant who against his will casts his goods in the Sea to save his own life because the winds and stormes â—ver-master his desire to take a second course contrary to my naturall dâ—sire and gâ—acious and mild inclination to mâ—rcy to decree and ordain that all who before the acts also of my middle science free decree and just will were finally to resist my calling shall eternally perish and to will that Pharoah should not at the first or second command obey my will and let my people goe and therefore with a consequent or constrained will to suffer sinne to be to appoint death and hell and the eternall destruction of the greatest part of mankinde to be in the world for the declaration of my revenging justice because I could not hinder the entrance of sin into the world not Master free will as free if my dispensation of the first covenant made with Adam in Paradise should stand Whereupon I was compelled to take a second herbrie and a second winde like a Sea-man who is with a stronger crosse winde driven from his first wished port and to send my Sonne Iesus Christ into the world to die for sinners for that I could not better doe and out of love to save all offer him to all one way or other though I did foresee my desire and naturall kindnesse to save all should be far more thwarted and crossed by this way because force my consequent will must needs prepare a far hotter furnance in hell for the greatest part of mankinde since thousands of them must reject Christ in resisting the light of nature and the universall sufficient grace given to all which if free will should use well would have procured to them more grace and the benefit of the preached Gospel But a heavier plague of hardnes of heart and farre greater torments of fire then these I foresee must be the doome of such within the visible Church as resist my calling or having once obeyed may according to the liberty of independent free-will persevere if they will notwithstanding of the power of God by which they are kept to salvation the promises of the eternall covenant the efficacie of Christs perpetuall intercession of the in-dwelling of the holy Ghost that everlasting fountain of life c. may fully and finally fall away and turne Apostats and therefore all their hope of eternall life their assurance of glory their joy their consolation and comforts in any claim to life eternall and the state of adoption is not bottomed on my power to keep them my eternall covenant my Sons intercession I can do no more then I can but upon their own free will if they please and it s too pleasant to many they may all fall away and perish eternally and leave my Son a widdow without a wife a head without members a king without subjects And if Arminians will be so liberall or lavish of the comforts of God proper to the lords people Esa. 40.1 c. 49.13 the proper work of the holy Ghost the comforter Ioh. 14.16 c. 15.26 c. 16.7 the consolations of Christ Phil. 2.1 the everlasting the strong consolations 2. Thess. 2.16 Heb. 6.18 the heart comforts Col. 2.2 wherewith the Apostles and Saintâ— are comforted 2. Cor. 1.4.6.7 coming from the God of all comfort the Lord that comforteth Zion Esai 51.3 2. Cor. 1.3 Esai 51.12 blâ—ssing promised to the mourners Matth. 5.4 We desire Mr. Moore and other Arminians to injoy them but for us we a loâ—â—v neiâ—her assurance courage hope nor comforts in Christ or hâ—s death but on the regenerate and beleevers and this makes the doctrine of universall redemption more suspitious to us as not coming from God that they allow to all even dogs and swine the holy Ghost and the precious priviledge of the Saints Therefore thirdly we answer that the assumption is not ours but theirs let the assumpâ—â—on be But I beleeve and he proposition be corrected thus These for whom Christ laid down his life are some few choâ—en beleevers Bâ—t I am chosen and a beleeveâ— Ergo c. and we grant all so the assumption be made sure But I have no assurance hope nor comfort to rest on a generall good will that God beareth to all to Iudas Pharaoh Cain and to all mankinde no lesse then to me For I am of the same very mettall and by nature am heir of wrath as well as they 2. That far-off Good will that all be saved and that all obey the Lord from eternity did bear it to the fallen devils as well as to me O cold comfort and it works nothing in order to my actuâ—ll salvation more then to the aâ—â—uâ—ll salvation of Iudas the Traitor it 〈◊〉 on moving no wheels no câ—uses no effectuall means to pâ—ocure the powerfull apâ—licaâ—ion oâ— the purchased Redemption to mâ— more then to all tâ—aâ— are now spitting out blasphemie against eternall justâ—ce and are in fiâ—â—e chains of wrath cursing this Lord and his generall good will to save them But the fountain good will of God to save the elect runneth in another channel of free grace that separates person frâ—m person Iacob from Esau and sets the heart of God from eternitie and the tender bowels of Christ both from eveâ—lastiâ—g and as touching the execution of this good will and in time upon this man not this man without hire monâ—y or price 1. because Angels or Men can never answer that of Rom. 9.13.14.15 as it is written I have loved Iacob and have hated Esau and that before the one or the other had done good or evil Then the naturall Arminian objecteth what our Arminian does this day that must be unrighteousnesse to hate men absolutely and cast them off when they are not born and have neither done good nor evill Paul answereth it followeth in no sort that there is unrighteousnesse with God because verse 15. all is resolved on the will of God because it is his will for hee saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassiâ—n and upon this hâ—e infeâ—ies then the businesse of sepâ—â—ating Iaakob from Esau â—unnes not upon such wheeles as â—unning and willing swâ—ating and hunting by good endeavours Iaakob dâ—d here lesse and Eâ—au more but all goes on this on Gods free goodnesse and mercy all the difference between person and person is God has mercy because he will not because men will Now because Arminians say thâ—s is not meanâ— of election and reprobation but of temporary savours bestowed on Iaakob nor on Esau he aâ—eadgeth the example of Pharaoh a cruell Atheâ—st and a Tyrant who never sought justification by the works of the Law the reason why Pharaoh obtained not the mercy that others obtained I saith the Lord verse 17. told Pharaoh to his face for this purpose I raised thee up that I might make an
such a temple and seat of Majesty mâ—ght be named it should not be above every name nor a glory above every glory that can be named either in this world or in the world to come To me Conversion is the drawing of a sinner to Christ it s a supernaturall journey it s not a common way to come to this eternall wisdome of God as saith Iob 28.7 A path which no fowle knoweth and the vultures eye hath not seen where is the place of understanding ver 21. seeing it is hid from all living and kept close from the fowls of the aire v. 22. destruction and death say weâ— have heard the fame thereof with our â—ares ver 23. where is it then Natures dark candle cannot show it ver 23. God undâ—rstandeth the way thereof and he knoweth the place thereof Prov. 15.24 The way of life is on high the way of the life of all excellent lives is an high and an exalted way every man knows it not 2. Christ saith by way of exclusion that hee getteth not one soule to him but by strong hand and violence never man comes to Christ on his owne clay-leggs and with the strength of his owne good-will Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 3. There be other acts of God of an high reach in these that come to Christ as there must be resigning over a making over of the Father to the Sonne v. 39. All that the Fatheâ— giveth me shall come The Fathers making over of any soule or his giving one to Christ is not by way of alienation as if the man belonged no more to the Father or were no more under the tutorie and guidance of the Father but under the sonne Familists teach us That there be distinct seasons of the working of the severall persons of the Trinitie so as the soule may bee said to be so long under the fathers and not the Sonnes and so long under the Sonnes work and not the Spirits Wee know no such destinct posts to heaven nor such shifting from hand to hand the Saints have many bouts in their way to glory but all the three joyntly at the same season help at the lifting of the dead out of the graves Ioh. 6.39.44.45 Ioh. 5 24.25 All the three in one dead list openeth blinde eyes and converteth lost sinners Matth. 11.25.26.27 Eph. 1.17.18 Mat. 16.17 Ioh. 12.32 2 Cor. 3.14.15.16.17 Ioh. 14.23 Ioh. 16.7 8.9.10 Ioh. 14.16 Eph. 2.1.2.3.4 1 Iâ—â— 2.27 1 Ioh. 5.6.7 Grace mercy and peace cometh that the same season to the seven Chuâ—ches from all the three From him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits that is before the throne and from Ieâ—us Christ who is the faithfull witnesse c. 2 Cor. 13.14 Revel 1.45 Then the Father so giveth the elect to the sonne as I should not desiâ—e to be out from under the care and tutory of the Father the Father maketh them over and keepeth them in his own bowels and in the truth Ioh. 17.2.10.11 So there is the Fathers teaching and the hearing and learning from the Father Ioh. 6.15 It is written in the Prophets and they shall all be taughâ— of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to mee In the uses of the doctrine I have three things to speak of 1. What a sinne they bee under who resist the right arm of the Father 2. What free-will and morall honestie can do or how nothing they are to work a communion with God 3. These are to be refuted who think we are neiâ—her to pâ—ay nor to doe nor to work out our salvation in fear and trembling but when the Lord by saving Grace acteth in us and draweth irresistibly Now to the end that this common Gospel-sinne may be the better seene in all its spots consider 1. What is in Christ the drawer 2. What is in Grace by which sinners are drawn 1. In Christ the drawer There bee many drawers suiting us the world is the taile of the great red Dragon and his taile drew the third part of the starres of heaven and did cast them downe to the earth Revel 12.4 Glorious professours like glistering starres up in heaven are drawn away after the dirty world should there bee more power in Sathans taile to draw down stars from heaven then there is beauty and sweetnesse in Christs face to ravish hearts and Deut. 30.17 Some turn away their hearts and are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them yet they are but bastard gods Christ has a true reall God-head in himselfe Why will you not be drawne after the smell of his precious ointments and Act. 5.37 Iudas of Galilee arose and drew away much people after him and they were destroyed and Iam. 1.14 every tempted man and who is not tempted is drawn away of his own lust and this is a mother with child of death and hell supposed goodnesse is an angle a vast net that drawes millions of souls to eternall perdition every man has a soule-drawer about him divels and false teachers are pulling at and hailing soules O bee drawn by Christ he is the rose without a thorne the Sunne without a cloud the beauty of the Godhâ—ad without a spot hee drawes his Fathers heart to love him and delight in him Christs love and the art of free grace are good at drawing of soules there is not a soule-drawer comparable to him Ah our hearts are as heavy as hell suppose that hell were of the bignesse of ten worlds all of Sand yron or the heaviest stones in the world nay all fancies that pretend lovelinesse are but lyes and Christ true every peece of fair clay is hell and Christ heaven every beauty blacknesse and he all loves Cant. 5.16 2. For alluring souls in a morall way nothing like Christ in the Gospel David is called by the holy Ghost the sweet singer of Israel when Christ speaketh to hearts he sings like heaven and like the glory of a new unseen world Deut. 3â— 16 Ioseph was blessed of the Lord for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush It s most alluring in Christ that he is the bird in the bush the bird of Paradise the Turtle in our Land Can. 2.12 that singeth the sweet Gospel-hymnes and Psalms of good tidings from Sion peace peace from heaven to the broken-hearted mourners in Sion all the Gospel is a love-song of Christ dying for love to enjoy sinners of clay and to have them with him in heaven are not these love-songs of the bird whose nest was in the bush If any man thirst saith Christ let him come to me and drink and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely if this cannot draw to Christ the law curses rewards cannot draw Christ pipeth a spring of joyfull newes but few dance Matth. 11.16 3. The lower
Christ see what expâ—â—ssion is put on the last judgement that same is on the judgemâ—nt of Ierusalems destruction for resisting Christ For 1. It s hell-like when mothers shall wish their children had never been born and when they shall as damned in the day of judgement pray Mountaines fall on us and Hils cover us Luk. 23.29.30 Vse 2. If Christ draw all men to him then they are farre wide who think that free-will and morall honesty can bring men to heaven there be no Moralists in heaven who were pure Moralists on Earth and had nothing of the Gospel-drawing and of supernaturall work in them civill Saints can never be glorified Saints thousands are deceived with this they think their lamp can shew them light to know the Bride-grooms chamber-doore but taâ—e these for marks of deluded men 1. Such men will shoot and cry at adultery as he that took Abrahams Wife from him and a Cain may be madded with murthering his brother but was Cain touched for Gospel sins is Judas wakened in conscience for that which is the speciall condemning gospel-sinne the cause of condemnation and dying in sin Ioh. 3.36 Ioh. 16.9 chap. 8.24 No but for murthering his Master it s the light of the Spirit that seeth spirituall sins spiritually 2. Profession looketh like Paradise and the raine-Bow its big in its own eyes and the fairest for variety of coulors but it s a self-plague and doth carry millions of souls to hell without din and noise of feet its Christ acting judicially on the hypocrite within pistoll shot of a besieged soule making fire-works under the earth and when all within are sleeping Christ springeth a powder-Mine and burneth up all forward Gospel-fire-works maketh more then ordinary fury in the soule open open to Christ multiplyed fastings and taking Christs crown from him are dreadfull 3. They had never a sick-night for the want of Christ Gospel profession is a light to let men see to sinne a candle to let men see to goe to hell and lye down in sorrow with art Ah what comfort is it that I goe to hell no man seeing me and by stealth and my back to the Pit What a poore comfort to goe to eternall perdition fasting and praying monthly multiplying dayes of thanksgiving and withall plundering Christ of his Royall Crown following the sinnes of Prelates whom God cast out before us exercising rapine and unjustice giving new lawes to Christ and planting plants which God will root out The manner of perishing is a poor accâ—dâ—nt of death O but heart-boyling of love a faint pulse a pale and a lean sinner dying for the absence of Christ no man but the Spirit and Physitian knowing what ails hâ—m are sweet diseases let the love of Christ absâ—nt be in the mans soule a deep river how sweet were it to be drowned in â—hat river and to die an hundreth deaths in one day because he whom the soule loves is gone away O watchmen know you not where he is O daughters of Ierusalem can you tel him that I am sick of love O shepheards where is Christs Tent where dwels he what is profession to this a shadow a straw nothing vanity 4 What a decitfull thing is it make free-will the great Idoll and to hire an house in heaven for the income and rent of merit can it be imagined that the love of Christ can be hired so much as it should have of hire so much it should want of free-love how can the heart of God be taken with the merit of man grace is the floure and the freenesse of grace like the beautifull bloome of the floure and this freenesse is so taking that it layes bands and chaines on the heart were there a good deserving in the man to buy grace the cord should be as a single and untwisted thred Vse 3. Christ so drawes all men to him that drawn mans will is not forced as we have seene and therefore Libertines erre fouly who make the drawn partie blocks and stones and meere patients hence these positions of Familists and Libertines 1. In the saving and gracious conversion of a sinner thâ— faculties of the soule and working thereof in things pertaining to God are destroyed and made to cease 2. And instead of these the holy Ghost doth come and take place and doth all the works of these naturall faculties as tâ—e faculties of the humane nature of Christ doe 3. The new creature or the new man mentioned in scripture is not meant of grace but of Christ. 4. Christ worketh in the regenerate as in those that are dead and not as in those that are alive or the regenerate after conversion are altogether dead to spirituall acts 5. There is no inherent righteousnâ—sse in the Saints or grace or graces are not in the soules of beleevers but grace is Christ himselfe working in us who are meere patients in all supernaturall works 6. Faith repentance new obedience are gifts not graces all the elect are saved and receive the Kingdome as little children doe their fathers inheritance passively Mr Towne saith in Sanctification as well as in justification we are meere patients and can doe nothing at all Assertion of grace p. 11.68 7. The Spirit doth not work in Hypocrites by gifts and graces but in Gods children immediatly 8. We may not pray for gifts and graces but onely for Christ. 9. The efficacy of Chirsts death is to kill all activity of Graces in his members that he might act all in all 10. All the activity of a beleever is to act sinne 11. We are not bound to keep a constant course of prayer in our families or privately unlesse the Spirit stirre us thereunto 12. If Christ will let me sinne let him look to it upon his honour be it 13. The new heart and the walking in Gods commandements are no conditions of the Covenant of Grace where is there one word that God saith to man thou shâ—ll doe this if God had put man upon these things then they were conditions indeed but when God takes all upon himselfe where are then the conditions on mans part If there be a condition he that vndertaketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault if the Lord work not in us a cleane heart and cause us not walk in his commandements it s then the Lords fault absâ—t blasphemia if we sinne against the covenant 14. The blessednesse of a man is onely passive not active in his holy and unblameable walking To the end that these errors may the more fully bee discovered we are to enquire in these Assertions what activitie wee have in works of grace Asser. 1. In the first moment of our conversion called actus primus conversionis we are meer patients 1. Because the infusion of the new heart Ezech. 36.26 the pouring of the Spirit of Grace and supplication on the familie of David Zach.
close the doore in the lowest roome so I see the throne and him that sits on it it is enough to me 2. Arg. All the tie of the covenant lyeth on God not any on man as bond or obligation for the fulfilling of the covenant or partaking of the benefits thereof Heb. 8.10 Ezech. 36.25.26 Jer. 1. the Lord promiseth to doe all and the new heart is but a consequent of the covenant where is thee in all this covenant one Word that God sayes to man Thou must do this If God had put man on these conditions then they were conditions indeed But when God takes all upon himself where are then the conditions on Mans part Give me leave suppose there should be a fault of performing in this covenant whose were the fault must not the fault or failing be in him who is tyed and bound to every thing in the covenant and saith he will do it If there bee a condition and there should be a failing in the condition he that undertaketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault God saith not make your selves cleane get you the Law of God in your mind get you power to walk in my Statutes and when you doe this then I will be your God and enter in Covenant with you Answ. 1. We never teach that the making to our selves a new heart is an antecedent condition required before the Lord can make the New-Covenant with us as this mâ—n would charge Protestant Divines but that it is a condition required in the party covenanting which is conditio federatorum nonfederis and such a condition without which its unpossible they can fulfill the other condition which is to believe and so lay hold on the Covenant but it is clear Antinomians think the new heart no inherent grace in us but that Christ is grace working immediately in us as in stones and the new heart is justification without us in Christ only let Crispe shew where the making of a new heart is commanded to us as a consequent and an effect of the Covenant surely the new heart the washing of us with cleane water be it an antecedent or be it a consequent of the Covenant of Grace it is a promise that God doth freely and of meere grace undertake to perform in us Ezech. 36.26 A new heart will I give you so Ier. 32.39 40. Ier. 31.33 Eâ—ech 11.19.20 Esa. 54.13 Ioh. 6.45 Ezech. 36.32 Not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel ver 22. I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy names sake which yee have prophaned amongst the heathen whether ye went and Crispe saith the Covenant in the old Testament had annexed to it divers conditions of legall washing and sacrifices whereas the New Covenant under the New Testament is every way of free grace He is farre wide conditions wrought in us by grace such as we assert take not one jot or title of the freedome of Grace away and though there be major gratia a larger measure of grace under the New Testament yet there is not magis gratia there is no more of the essence of free-grace in the one then in the other for all was free grace to them as to us why did the Lord enter in Covenant wâ—th the Iewes more then with other Nations Deut. 7.7 The Lord loved you because he loved you Was Ierusalem Ezech. 16. holier then the Ephesians Eph. 2. No their nativity was of the land of Canaan their Father an Amorite their Mother an Hittiâ—e Ezech. 16.5 Thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast borne ver 6. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said to thee in thy blood live And to cause grace have a deeper impression and sinking down into the hearts bottome he repeateth it againe I said unto thee in thy blood live And will Crispe say that this iâ— not a history of free grace as farre from bribe or hire of meritâ— as in the world or will he say it was Gods meaning First wash you with holy water and sacrifice to me and performe all these legall conditions to me while you are Amorites and Hittites by kinde and that being done He enter in Covenant with you when yee have done your work He pay your wages and be your God 2. This Argument militateth strongly against every Gospel duty and the whole course of Sanctification God must so be the cause only cause of all our sinfull omissions sins under the Covenant of grace in that he promiseth to work in us to will and to do to give us grace to abstain froÌ„ sin but does not stand to his word as Antinomians teach which is an Argument unanswerable to me that its the minde of Antinomians that no justified person can sinne but that they omit good or commit ill God is in the fault not they and that the justified are meer blocks in all the course of their sanctification in all the sins they doe they are patients God should more carefully see to his own honour and not suffer them to sinne so they and the old Libertines goe on together For say that the new heart that to will and to doe to persevere stedfastly in the Grace of God were no conditions of the Covenant sure believing in the Lord Iesus is clearly a condition of the righteousnesse of faith as doing is of the righteousnesse which is of the Law Rom. 10.3 4 5 6 7 8. Gal. 4.22 23 24 25 26 27 28 say that to repent pray love God and serve him were not from God through the tye of the New-Covenant yet Gods promise his single word when he saith he will doe such and such things is as strong a tye as his Covenant and oath when he knoweth its unpossible these things that he saith he will doe can be done except he of his meer grace work them in us Now the Lord clearely promiseth that he will give repentance Act. 5.31 Sorrow for sinne the Spirit of grace and supplication Zach. 12.10 a circumcised heart to love and serve the Lord Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 36.26 perseverance in Grace Ier. 32.40 41. Esai 54.10 chap. 59.20.21 Psal. 1.3 Joh. 4.14 chap. 10.28 Phil. 1.6 Ephes. 5.26.27 1 Ioh. 2.1 Then let D. Crispe or any Libertine say when the Saints sinne in not praying in not sorrowing for sin in not willing and doing in their sinnes and falls in their Christian race to heaven let me speak in the words of Crisp whos fault is it or failing not to perform the word or promise of God God undertaketh by promise yea by his simple word to fulfill what he promiseth and saith he will work all these in us yea to will and to doe Ergo if it be not done the fault cannot
be mans but it must be which I abhorre to writ or speak the Lords 3. God takes all upon himselfe in genere causae gratiosae Liberrimae independentis primae non obligatae ad agendum ex ullae lege in the kind of a cause that worketh by meer grace freely Indepdenently without any Law above him to obliege him to doe otherwise with his own then he freely willeth decreeth promiseth for men carnally divide Gods decree which is most free from his promise which is as free as his decreeâ— but it followeth in no sort as Arminians and Jesuites object to us therefore men who doe not believe pray walk holily are not in the fault being under a Law to obey for sinnefull inability to obey can ransome no man from the obligation of obedience and most blasphemous it is that because God undertaketh in the Covenant that we shall walk in his commandements as he doth promise Ezech. 36.27 and that we shall feare him Ier. 32.39.40 That God should therefore be in the fault and we free of all fault when in many particulars we offend all Iam. 3.2 and we fear not God in this or this sinne as is possible and may be gathered from Iosephs speech to his brethren who sayes he would not wrong them for he feared God and Iobs word that he durst not dispise the cause of his servant because he was affraid of God Yet God promiseth that he will keep Ioseph Iob and all the elect in the way of Gods Commandements that they shall not fully fall away from him God never by promise covenant oath or word undertaketh o keep his elect from this or this particular breach and act of unbeliefe against the Covenant of grace 4. The fault against the Gospel or any sin in a believer must justly be imputed to him because he is tyed by the Evangelick Law not to sinne in any thing the Gospel granteth pardons but not dispensations in any sins and it can in no sort bee imputed to God because if any believer fall in a particulaâ— sin or act of unbeliefe against the covenant of grace the Lord neither decreed nor did ever undertake by Covenant or promise to keep him by his effectuall grace from falling in that sinne for the Lord would then certainly have keeped him as he did Peter and doth all the Elect that are effectually called that in mighty temptations their faith faile them noâ— Nor is the act of believâ—ng that is wanting in that particular fall such a condition of the Covenant as Christ either promised to work or the necessary condition of the Covenant of Grace or such a condition the want whereof doth annull and make voyde the eternall Covenant of grace 5. I here smell in Antinomians that God must bee in fault as the author of our unbelief our stony hearts our walking in our fleshly wayes because God hath promised to give us faith and a heart of flesh to walk in his wayes as the old Libertines said God was the principall and chief cause of sin and that God did all things both good and ill the Creatures did nothing So Calvine in insâ—itut adversus Libertines chap. 14. in opus pag. 446. Mr. Archer down right saith God is the authour of sin what end is there of erâ—ing if God leave us It is true the tie and all the tie of giving a new heart and the Spirit of grace and supplication lieth on the Lord who promised so to do Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 11.19.20 chap. â—6 26.27 Ier. 31.33 34.35.36 But yet so that we are under the obligation of divine precepts to doe our part Ezech. 18.31 make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel Ier. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skinne of your heart Ephes. 4.23 be renewed in the Spirit of your mind Rom. 12.2 Rom. 13.14 and 1 Thessal 5.17 pray without ceasing Psal. 50.15 Call upon mee Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray Therefore all the tie and obligation of what ever kâ—nd cannot so free us from sinfull omissions nor can the tye ly on God evangelick commandments are accompanied with grace to obey grace layeth a tie on us also to yeeld obedience 6. It s a foule and ignorant mistake in Crispe to make the Covenant nothing but that love of God to man which hee cast on man before the Children had done good or evill Rom. 9.1 That love is eternall and hath no respect to faith as to a condition but it s not the covenant it selfe because it is the cause of the covenant 2. To the love of election there is no love no work no act of beleeving required on our part Yea no mediator no shedding of blood wee are loved with an everlasting love before all these but the covenant though as decreed of God it be everlasting as all the works of creation and divine providence which fall out in time and have beginning and end are so everlasting for God decreed from eternity that they should be yet it is not in being formally while it bee preached to Adam after his fall and there is required faith on all the Saints part to lay hold on the Covenant Esai 56.4 and to make it a covenant of peace to the Saints in particular 2. Faith is the condition of the covenant 3. Christ the mediator of it 4. Christs blood the seal of it 5. The Spirit must write it in our heart But the love of election is a compleat free full love before our faith or shedding of blood or a mediator be at all Object We are not saved nor justified nor taken in Covenant by faith as a work saith Crispe for then we should not bee saved by grace and grace should not be grace but wee are justified by faith that is by that Christ which faith knoweth according to that by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many therefore faith is no condition of this covenant Answ. The contrary rather followeth 1. Seeing Crisp doth say none under heaven can bee saved till they have believed We are not taken in covenant by faith neither wee nor scripture speak so taking us in covenant is before wee can beleeve but we lay hold on Christ and righteousnes by faith not as a work but a necessary condition required of us 2. I leave it to the consideration of the Godly if beleeving in him who justâ—fieth the ungodlâ— be no condition a work justifying I do not think it but onely I beleeve and know that Christ justified me before I beleeved from eternity as some say when I was conceived in the womb â—s Crispe saiâ—h and that the threatning he that believeth not iâ— condemned already carries this sence he that believeth not that he is not condemâ—â—d hee is already condemned Who can believe such toyes 2. Beleeving is a receiving of Christ Ioh. 〈…〉 Christs dwelling in the heart Ephes. 3.17 Then to 〈◊〉 must bee to
of our own 3. Wee are to beleeve in the generall we being within the covenant the Lord will keep his promise Deut. â—0 6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heaâ—t and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest live Ezech. 11.19 And I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within you 20. that they may walke in my Statutes Ezech. 36.27 then are we so to set to these duties of waâ—king in the Lords way as wee are to beleeve he will nor deny actuall grace necessary for our perseverance because it is his expresse promise Ier. 31.33.34.35.36 Ier. 32.39 â—0 Esai 59.19 20 21. Esai 54 10.11 Ezech. 36.26.27 1 Ioh 2.1.2 Matth. 16.18 Luk. 2â— 3â—.32 though in acts not fundamentall and simply nâ—cessary for our being in the state of grace the Lord hath reserved a latitude of independent Sovâ—raigntie to act the soule in these and these particular aâ—ts as seemeth good to him that every new breathing of the Spirit of â—esus may bee a new debt and obligation of free grace to Christ. We are absolutely to pâ—ay for the breathings of Christs Spirit to goe aâ—ong wiâ—h us in all the particular acts of a gracious and spirituall walking but we know the Lords absolute good pleasure is his rule hee walks by so here our desires may bee absolute in seeking where the Lord gives upon condition of â—is owne good will nor are our desiâ—es in prayer to bee conformable to Gods decree or free pleasure but to his revealed will Grace is the culours of the inhabitants and citizâ—ns of the house of the lower and higher roomes of the new Ierusalem all the way and all the home the Sainâ—s walk in this white Christ keeps not his Spouse in a close chamber it is not one great act of free grace onely when all were in one day redeemed on the crosse but dayly Christ weareth his Church as a bracelet about his neck as a seal on his heart as his Royall diadem and a crowne of glory on his â—ead as his love-ring on his hand this day grace to morrow new and fresh supply of grace the next houre grace hee has strowed all the way to heaven with new grace every day new wine new Spiknard new peâ—fume new ointments When will Christ grow old and gray-haired Never Will his heart evâ—r grow cold of love No Will hee tyre of love will he weare out of delight in the Spouse that lyeth for eternity betweene his breasts No no The love of â—hrist is alwaies greenâ— as young-like as fair and white today as from eternity this rose is not altered a whit Who knowes how grace and love in Christs breast solaced themselves in these infinite revolutions of ages before the creation how Christs heart was cheering it selfe and rejoycing to have the first day of the creation dawning that he might enjoy the love of the sonnes of men not then created Proverb 8 3â—.31 as if grace and love had thought long to finde a channell with wide banks to flow in as if Christ having infinite love within him in that long long age to borrow that expression should say when shall time begin and sinfull men and my mysticall body and desired spouse my Church have being in the world that I may out that grâ—ce on her I have love within me and lying beside me I rejoyce to have a lover as if grace in Chriâ—t hâ—d been in too naâ—row banks in the inâ—â—nite acts of the infinite minde of God and the heart of Christ and longed to have Men and Angels to give a vent to his love And that long avum the ages that were before the world was brought it green to us that long long endlesse and vast duration when time shall bee no more cannot make Christs love change the colour or grow lesse or root one Saint out of his heart When God leaveth off to bee God â—râ—ce will leave off to bee Grace Make Christ repent of Grace if you can as Christ has washen his Spouse and in regard of the guilt of sin has made her all fair and spotlesse so doth he dayly lick and purge and cleanse her in regard of the inherent bâ—ot while shee bee faire as the Sunne and all a new heaven Asser. 7. In the third consideration from this suspension of divine influence cometh our sinne as a necessary consequent and result yet so as the Lords suspension and our transgression fall both in the bosome of divine providence The Lord knoweth why be withdraweth his grace that we mâ—ght know how weighty a thiâ—g grâ—at heaven is laid upon our poor shoulders and that we would make foule woâ—k out of all wee have received and the flock the second Adam has given is if we had not Christ to stirre the ship to lead the minors to heaven to keepe the inheritance to the little heirs of Christ should evanish to nothing Poâ—tion 9. If wee consider the Lords denyall of Christ from wicked men they câ—nnot turne to God but that impotency lay in the womb of will it is not weaknesse onely but also wilfulnesse Matth. 23. verse 37. I would have gathered you saith Christ yee would not Ioh. 5.6 Christ saith to the sick man wilt thou bee made whole Then there was a stop in his will as well as in his weaknesse er 44.16 As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not heaâ—ken to thee 2. Love and delight to do ill is from the strength and marrow of the will not from weaknes only the seruant that would not leave his master because he loved him is a slave for ever through love to slavery rather then through impotency to bee free In those that dâ—light to doe eâ—il Will hath a strong influence in the evil they doe every sinner esteemes his prison of hell a heaven hiâ— fetters of sinne on his legs as a gold chain about his neck 3. It is a journey of a hundreth miles to Christ it is unpossible to the naturall man to compasse it yet he may walk two of these hundreth miles though not as a part of the way he will not so much as cast a sad look after Christ the will not bestow one sigh after Christ nor know his own weaknesse nor dâ—spair of his own hability nor lie at the water-side and câ—y Lord Iesus come carry me over he positively hates Christ were it possible that the unrenewed man had the two eyes of a renewed man to see the beauty and high excellenâ—y of Iesus though he had still his own lame legs he would weep out his eyes for a Chariot to carry him to Christ hee would send sad love-challenges after Christ could these that ' are scortched in hell-fire and hear the howling of their fellow prisoners and see the ugly Devils the bloody Scorpions with which
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame and the Saints are persâ—cuted reviled and men speak all manner of evill against them falsly for the name of Christ Matth. 5.11 12. and yet are so farre from the boyling and rising of sinfull lusts in them that as if choir lusts were dead they rejoyce under the hope of glory then are they mortified to these lusts and the like I say of fleshly pleasures of unlawfull gaine 2. Mortification is when the heart runnes not out wantonly and whoorishly upon the pleasures of the creature we are too ready to take the creature in our bosome but mortification is when the heart stands at a distance from creatures as Iob saith of himselfe Chap. 31.24 If I have made gold my hope or said to the fine gold thou art my confidence ver 25. if I rejoyced because my wealth was great 3. It s to be from under the power or bondage to the creature or the world the believer is above the creature and the world is under his feet as a drudge or servant they have no Dominion over the heart he has a wife as if he had no wife the man buys and possesseth not because when he has bought houses gardens lands they are no more in the center heart of his love then if they were the houses lands of an other man mortification is a Lord over the creature But there is nothing more contrary to the Gospel and the grace of Christ then that the Apostles rejoycing when they weâ—e scourged shamed for Christ had nothing of realty of scourging of shame nor of reall joy deadnesse to the world in their persons only they believed and apprehended that Christ was scourged shamed crucified for their sinnes this is but opinative not reall mortification The Scripture knoweth nothing of imputed mortification as contra-distinguished from reall personall and inherent mortification 3. When Paul saith Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordâ—nate affection evill concupiscence for which things the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience hâ—s sense must be believe and apprehâ—nd that fornication uncleannesse are mortified to your hand and that Christ has slaine the body of sin on the crosse and theâ—e is an end now this is to annihilate sanctification and to make justification all whereas justification it alone is no justification being separated from sanctification as Libertines doe and the Popish sanctification or the morall acquiring of a new habit of holinesse and the infusion of supernaturall habits is not justification at all yea nor true sanctification for they separate it from the free imputation of Christs righteousnesse to a believing sinner The Libertine takes away sanctification and makes justification all the Papist takes away justification by faith and the free grace of God and in the place thereof substitutes a supposed morall or civill sanctification which to him is all in all further if this Mortifie your members and the body of sinne be nothing but believe that Christ has mortified the body of sin already then as we are justified from eternity as some Libertines say or as all say before we believe remission of sins in Christs blood so to be mortified to our lusts must he to believe we are mortified to our lusts long before we believe Paul thinks not so of the Colossians set he saith v. 7. chap. 3. In which also yee walked some time when yee lived in them v. 8. But now also put off all these wrath malice c. Then before they were converted and did believe they weâ—e not mortified nor freed from uncleannesse fornication because then they walked in these except Libertines say that they were mortified and did not walk in uncleannesse before they believed but were delivered in themselves from walking in these lusts only they were not in their own sense delivered but in their own sense though not really they did walk in fornication and uncleannesse this is not sober divinity for they say before we believe wee are justified though not to or in our own sense and feeling till we believe and why are we not also sanctified and effectually called before we believe for whom he called and predestinated them also be justified Rom. 8 3â— And the Scripture never shewes us of a man in time justified before hee bee sanctified and mortified in some measure 4. When Paul saith Col. 2.6 As yee have therefore received Christ so walk in him hee meanes so mortifie your lusts then he must intend this walk in Christ that is believe that Christ walked in Christ for you and put on love and brotherly-kindnesse and pray continually in all things give thanks abstaine from worldly lusts love one another keep your selves from Idols seeke the thinks that are above c. must have no other meaning but believe that Christ has put on love for you that he abstaines from fornication for you gives thanks abstains from wordly lusts for you keeps himselfe from Idols seeks the things that are above mortifies his members that are on earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection for you all which are blasphemies or they can have this sense at the best love one another that is believe that Christ hath satisfied for your hating one another and then yee love one another and keep your selves from Idods that is apprehend and believe that Christ hath died for your Idolatry Now this is a mocking of sanctification not a commanding of it Then to doe all these and abstaine from fornication must be commanded and forbidden in souâ—â— other Gospel otherwise we performe will-worship and will-obedience to God without warrant of his word and the grace of God in the Gospel doth not teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts in our owne person but onely to beleeve that Iesus Christ has aâ—d doth deny â—ngodlinesse and worldly lusts and performe active and personall obedience for us and to our hand for Libertines cannot expound one Gospel charge one way and another Gospel command another way and that wee are obliged to personall active obedience in one precept and to imputed active or fidei jussory or mediatory obedience in Christ in another yea when we are in the Gospel to beleeve with a promise of â—ife and righteousnesse and that damnation is threatned if we believe not so are wee commanded to mortifie our lusts and seek the things that are above with promises and forbidden to walk after our lusts because for these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience then I may with equall strength of reason say that the sense of these passages Beleeve in Iâ—sus Christ who justifies the ungodly and beleeve the immediate testimonie of the holy Ghost witnessing to your hearts that ye are the sonnes of God must bee not to beleeve in your owne persons but beleeve that â—esus Christ beleeveth for you on Christ that justifieth sinners and beleeve that the Spiritâ— witnesseth
and committing of fornication 2. Because for not mortifying of fornication the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience ver 6 Now wrath comâ—s not on wicked men because they believe not that Christ abstained from fornication for them many walk in uncleannesse covetousnesse who are therefore under wrath who are not obliged to believe that because they never â—eard the Gospel 3. Such an abstinence from fornication is here commanded as the Colossians and other Gentiles walked in ver 7. and which they had now put off with the old man ver 8. But the Colossians while they were Gentiles and heard not of the Gospel did not walk in this as in a sin that they believed not that Christ abstained from fornication for them and satisfied divine justice for their fornication but their sin was that in person they committed these sinnes 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearely beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from flâ—sâ—ly lusts that warre against the soule ver 24. Who his own self bare our sinnes in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sinnes should live to righteousnesse Rom. 8.11 And if the Spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall alsâ— quicken your mortall bodies ver 12. Therefore brethren we are debters not to thâ— flesh to live after the flâ—sh vers 13. for if yee live after the flâ—sh yee shall die But if yee through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live ver 10. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections lusts Gal. 2 1â— For I through the Law am dâ—ad to the Law that I might live unto God all Gospel-commands to subdue the lusts of flesh not to serve the flesh as debters paying rent thereunâ—o to mortifie the deeds of the body not to live to our selves c. were meer precepts for justification not for sanctification and mortification of lusts and should â—urn the Saints into meere Solifidians Gnosticks empty Professors and fruitlesse trees if ouâ— mortification were not in the weakning of lusts â—bstinence from sin service and living to him who is our ransomner There is nothing more false then that ever our Divines taught to mortifie sinnes by vowes promises strictnesse and severity oâ— duties watchfulnesse scarce rising so high for mortification as Christ For its Christ and faith in his death that is the spring and fountaine of mortification yet is mortification formally in holy walking and not formally in belâ—eving for then should we be justified by mortification for sure we are justified by faith 2. Faith is a duty of the first Table respecting God in Christ as its object mortification to uncleannesse vaine-glory or the like is a duty of the second Table respecting men Asser. 4. The living of the just by faith is as well the life of sanctification as of justification its true the life of justification is the cause more compleat and perfect and the other the effect and unperfect but our spirituall condition is not only in sanctification but also in justification And only enemies of free-grace separate the one from the other and highten the one to feed men on the East wind and lessen the other as if sanctification were an accident and some indifferent Ceremony that men walk after the flâ—sh and believe that Christ for them walked after the Spirit and that is enough nor doe wee teach men to weigh their state of Grace in the scales of mortification or simple not acting of sin as mortification commeth from morall and naturall principles but as it floweth from faith apprehending Christ crucified and from the Spirit of the Father and the Son drawing the sinner to Christ and our blessednesse is no lesse in that corruption is subdued and the dominion removed then in that the curse is taken away Saltmarsh when he willeth the sinner as a sinner a Parricide a Man-slayer a slave to his lusts to beâ—ieve and apply Christ as his Redeemer without any sense of sin or humiliation at all and then saith the mans blessednesse is more to have the curse of sin then the corruption of sinne removed clearly concludeth that a man that walks after his lusts in actuall lusting against the Lord Iesus and the Gospel proud vaine selfe-righteous is as such a man to believe and so blessed and may promise to himselfe peace though he walk after the imaginations of his own heart Nor is arguing against the tentation with spirituall reason frâ—m the word as Ioseph did Gen. 39.8.9 and Job ch 2.9.10 and David 2 Sam. 16.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. our own power or contrary to the fighting by the shield of faith the Word of God as Saltmarsh imagineth Assert 5. It is to be reputed as a most blasphemous assertion that we know we are Christs not because we crucifie the lusts of the flesh but because we do not câ—ucifie them Pet 1. Crucifying of our lusts is a mark of our being in â—hrisâ— Gal. â— 24 Rom. 8.13 This maketh walking afâ—er the Spirit and a parting from iniquity and being pure in Spirit and dying to an 〈◊〉 of no interest in Christ contrary to Rom. 8.1 2. 2 Tim. 2.19 Math. 5.8 1 Pet. 24. Gal. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.18 and contrary to the whole Gospel which was that blasphemy of David George who taught mortification was to act all uncleannesse without shame or sense of sinne â—nd the more men are vâ—yd of the common passion that follows sin the more mortified and spirituall they are and this is very like â—â—e Libertines way who teach That to take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whooring from God and that they are legally biassed that would mortifie the flâ—sh by watchfulnesse and strictnesse of walking whereas to put our duties on the Throne with Christ and to put Christs crown on our mortification as if we were thereby justified is the Idolatry But the delighting in the Law of the Lord and taking of the Lords testimonines for our heritage a serving the Lord with chearefulnesse and fervor of Spirit Psal. 1.2 Psal. 119.111.262 Isai. 58.13 Psal. 112.1 Rom. 7.22 Rom. 12.8 2 Cor. 9.7 Phil. 4.4 Act. 20.24 Iaem 1.2 are marks of a blessed condition If any teach that wee mortifie the flesh by watchfulnesse and strictnesse of walking as if these did merit mortification we judge it cursed doctrine but if Libertines deny as they doe that acts of mortification doe formally consist in watchfull strict and accurate walking with God in being not taken nor madly drunken with the lusts of sin but dead to pleasures as these acts flow from the Spirit of Christ we curse their fleshly doctrine also It s no consequent to say because Regeneration is not a work of nature but of the Spirit of God and the way of the