Oh take heed thou use not thy wealth as they do but the more bountiful the Lord is in pouring his blessings upon thee the more humble thou art the more holy thou art the more thy heart is inlarged with righteousnesse and in walking before God and in all thankfulnesse yea thereby thou art made ready and fit for every good work thy heart is not lock't up to choak the seed of the Word in thy heart but they open thy heart and thy hand and make thee ready to every good work to reflect upon the poor members of Christ the more thou hast the more abundant thou art in good works then certainly thou mayest conclude that God hath blessed thee with thy wealth and they are testimonies of Gods love to thee and God hath manifested his love unto thee which he bare before the world was and thou mayest certainly conclude God loveth thee indeed As it is written I have loved Iacob and hated Esau LEt us now proceed unto farther matter offered unto us from this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here cited by the Apostle and here we see that God did not onely love Jacob for the time present but also loved him from everlasting hence I observe thus much briefly Doctrine That Gods chosen they were alwaies beloved of God there can be no time given wherein Gods chosen were not beloved of God God loved his chosen before they had a being in the world yea before the world was and we cannot possibly prescribe a time when God loved not his chosen or when he began to love his chosen no his love was from everlasting Reason For as all other things were ever present unto God things past things present things to come they were all present unto him from everlasting he did look upon them uno intuitu with one full sight so were his chosen as many as belonged to his election he loved them before the foundations of the world was so that no time can be given wherein God began to love his chosen Object I but some may say doth not the Scriptures point out that though Gods children be now beloved of God yet there was a time when they were enemies of God as in Rom. 5.10 yea doth not the Apostle say in the Ephes 2.3 that they were children of wrath how can it be then that no time can be pointed out when they were hated of God It is true indeed the Scripture doth note out this unto us Answ that they are by nature children of wrath as well as others and we are to believe it to be a truth That Gods chosen before their effectual calling and conversion are enemies to God and God is an enemy unto them before their effectual calling and conversion in respect of sin and because of sin which is opposite and contrary to good and to God himself which is good yet even then Gods chosen are beloved of God in regard of election and even then God loveth his elect before their effectual calling as his elect uncalled and with that degree of his love which he beareth to his elect uncalled yea God maketh it appear manifestly that he loveth them as his elect uncalled in that he giveth unto them in time true repentance for if he did not love them he would not give them repentance and therefore they were then beloved of God as his elect in time to be called and he doth work upon them in time saving grace true conversion true faith and sanctification which are things tending to life and salvation and doth he give these to reprobates as testimonies of his love to them he loveth not no certainly he doth not and therefore certainly we may resolve upon this That God loveth his elect from everlasting and no time can be given when he loved them not Upon this ground it followeth that the Anabaptists and other such Vse 1 erring spirits are deceived in that they hold this as their tenent that God doth purpose and decree the salvation of some before the world was but God doth onely then actually choose them when he seeth faith and repentance in them For if this were true surely then God loveth not any sinner to life and salvation till he seeth repentance in them which is clean contrary to the truth of God now delivered That no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen This being so that no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen Vse 2 surely then upon this ground we may conclude to our comfort we being such that belong to Gods election that Gods love shall be continued unto us for ever as Gods love unto us unto life and salvation hath no beginning but is eternal so also it shall be without end as we cannot point out the time of beginning no more can we of the continuance but as God hath loved us from everlasting so doubtlesse he goeth on not only within his own blessed Majestie but in his love to us he goeth on continually without alteration or shadow of changing Joh. 13.1 whom he loveth he loveth unto the end so that this may be a ground of sweet and excellent comfort to as many as find themselves wrought upon by the Spirit of God and find Gods love shed abroad in their hearts that Gods love is everlasting for the beginning and continuance of it Now proceed we further I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here we see that as Gods love to Jacob was the cause of Jacobs advancement and preheminence so Gods hatred to Esau was the cause of Esau's servitude and subordination hence I might stand to shew that Gods hatred is the soveraign and chief cause of all evils of punishments that befall the wicked in this life and hereafter though sin be the next and subordinate cause yet the soveraign the main the chief the grand and Mother cause is Gods hatred but this I will not stand upon but rather note out the particular application of Gods hatred against Esau and observe we to that purpose it is here said God hated Esau that particular person Esau which being understood as before expounded affordeth unto us this conclusion That God hath from everlasting certainly decreed the rejection of some particular persons among men even of Esau and of such as Esau was Doct as God from everlasting decreed the election of some to life and salvation so hath he also decreed certainly the rejection and refusing of others for even as he loved the one so he hateth the other And this ground of truth hath evidence and proof of it in other places of Scripture in the 1 Thess 5.9 saith the Apostle he hath not appointed us to wrath but that we should obtain salvation by the means of Jesus Christ thereby implying that some are appointed of God to wrath and in his eternal counsel God hath appointed that some shall never come to life and salvation and in 1 Pet. 2.8 the Apostle
up to strong delusions and to believe lies because we receive not the truth in love of the truth For if we do receive the truth out of love unto it we shall find that our love unto the truth will be a strong preservative against the seducing of Antichrist and better arm us against the subtilties of our enemies and their powerful efficacy and working though all the Devils in the world do assist them and this defend us better then all the learning in the world we see great Doctours are seduced because though they have learning yet have no love And therefore let thy heart be set upon the Church of God and the holy Religion of God that we may be sure it is true and hearty love as it ought to be that we are able to say with the Apostle we have continual sorrow for the evils upon the soules or afflictions upon the bodies of Gods Church One thing farther the Apostle putteth down his sorrow with the subject of it in his heart hereby he pointeth out thus much unto us That we are to be grieved for the miseries of others even from the heart we must not rest in an out-side sorrow in a verbal sorrow to say we are sorrowful and grieved for it as St. John saith 1 Joh. 3.18 our love must not be in tongue but in deed and in truth As also our pity must not be a verbal pity to say go thy way fill thy belly James 2.15 16. and yet supply nothing to their wants so that the miseries of others known unto us must be indeed and in truth yea in our very hearts and soules especially for the known miseries of the Church and people of God we must expresse our grief to others by sighes and groans and prayers and tears as any just occasion is offered and thereby manifest that our grief is a grief of the heart and soul when we so reach out our help unto them And know we if so be our grief and sorrow be not in our hearts and soules but verbal and outward it is counterfeit for nature can put on a mourning semblance and counterfeit grief and there may be a glad heart under a mourning gown as a poor man having a black gown at a rich mans funeral mourneth not but is glad that he hath it to cover him but we must have sorrow in our heart for the Church of God And again God hateth the sorrow that is not in the heart Psal 51.6 the Lord loveth truth and soundnesse in the affections when we have cause of joy to rejoyce heartily and when we have cause of sorrow to be grieved heartily Oh then in the fear of God look to this that thy sorrow and grief for the miseries of others especially for the Church of God that it be as it ought to be not in word onely verbal but in truth look that our hearts be dissolved into sorrow and that it shew forth the powerful working of it in sighes in groans and in tears for the poor distressed members of the Church to shed abundance of tears for them that we may say with the Apostle I have sorrow in my heart for my brethren in their Afflictions VERSE 3. For I could wish my self to be separated from Christ for my brethren that are my Kinsmen according to the flesh IN this Verse our Apostle putteth down as a fruit of his love to the Jews and as a manifestation thereof an earnest desire of their good as before he did manifest his sorrow for them so here he doth manifest his love unto them in an earnest desire of their good expressing that in wishing himself to be separated and accursed from Christ for their salvation and conversion then he subjoyneth one special cause of this his earnest desire and of this wish because they were his kinsmen and beloved brethren according to the flesh so we see the generality of these words come we now to the sense of them For I could wish Or I would wish it he saith not I could wish another but he putteth it down with an ego ipse I I my self would wish it to be separated or accursed the Text original anathema is the same we read in the 1 Corinth 16.22 where the Apostle saith If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed an execration Anathema Maranatha yea I my self saith the Apostle could be Anathema Touching this word Expositors make much ado and make divers expositions of it not so pertinent to this place But this word Anathema in the general acceptation of it signifieth any thing that is set apart from the common use of man and is dedicated consecrated and devoted either unto God as in Levit. 27.28 29. They were to set apart certain men and beasts and devote them unto God or it signifieth things dedicated and devoted unto the Devil as those things that were consecrated and devoted unto Idols among the heathen that were devils indeed and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and were hanged up in the Idols temples and so called Anathema or in the third place it signifieth any person or thing that is set apart and devoted unto destruction and hence cometh the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matth. 26.74 Peter beginneth to curse himself and to wish himself to be destroyed if he knew Christ as many wicked persons say would they might be destroyed body and soul Now in this third sense and signification is the word here used by the Apostle not as a thing dedicated to God or the Devil but as a thing dedicated and devoted to destruction as appeareth in that the Apostle wisheth to be anathematized or separated from Christ for to be separated is to be removed and set apart from salvation purchased by Christ and from all hope of it In a word it signifieth to perish and to be utterly condemned for out of Christ there is no hope of salvation that so he might perish in hell and utterly be damned there and feel the pains of the damned in hell And for further Explanation of this phrase some think that this wish of the Apostle was absolute and actual without any condition at all but others are of another mind to whom I rather encline for it was not an absolute wish to be severed from Christ but it is to be understood with a Condition namely he would thus wish to be separated from Christ and damned in hell if it were possible that he being damned the Jews might be saved and God and Christ have the more glory this speech it is like unto that of David in the 2 Sam. 18.33 where David saith Oh Absalon my son my son would God I had dyed for thee Oh Absalon my son my son he wisheth with a condition if it might be possible would I had dyed for thee so the Apostle would wish himself to be separated from Christ for the Jews if it were possible that he being damned the Jewes might be saved that
the great Lord and King of heaven and earth and God hath promised to do good to them and to their posterity for many generations Exod. 20.6 To shew mercy unto thousands to them that love him Psal 112.2 The generation of the righteous shall be blessed yea they are his Jewels Mal. 3.16 Vse 1 See then for the Use of this in the first place see I say and take we notice of the great force of true piety of what account it is with the Lord it 's sufficient to get honour not onely to those that have it with all that are able to judge aright but also to their kindred and to their posterity and such as be of kindred or any way allied unto good and godly men may rejoyce in it and after an holy manner boast of it that they are the kinsmen of such worthy servants of God or that they are the children of such godly parents yet so as that by the example of their kindred they be stirred up to tread in their steps and to become holy and religious themselves otherwise that honour will turn to their shame as Solomon saith Prov. 16.31 Age is a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousnesse so to be descended of good and godly parents is a crown of glory if it be set on the head of such as are godly and religious otherwise it is a dishonour to them and without Gods mercy shall encrease their condemnation and on this ground let parents learn how they may estate their children in that which may be for their honour and best good namely thus they are to labour to bring themselves within the Covenant of grace and to become holy and religious themselves and then though they cannot derive their holinesse to their children because they beget them not as they be holy men but as men simply by the power and strength of nature yet by vertue of the Covenant God will be good to their children Gen. 26. we read of many blessings promised to Isaac and why because saith the text vers 5. Abraham his father obeyed the voyce of the Lord. Holinesse in the Parents seales up Gods favour not onely to themselves but to their children also This cannot raking and scraping together of wealth do it is a common saying but a wicked and cursed saying Happy is the child whose father goes to the Devil It is rather a comfort to the children when they can remember that their parents are or have been godly and in the favour of God they may then say as Jacob said Gen. 32.9 Lord thou hast been or thou art the God of my father good and gracious to him shew thou mercy to me his child according to thine own sweet promise Last of all Is it an honour and dignity to be of the race or kindred of Vse 2 such as have been holy servants of God and to be the children of good and godly Parents what an honour then is it to be the children of God and to be born of God and to be the adopted sons and daughters of God without question that is the highest degree of honour that can be vouchsafed to any worldly men esteem it a great honour to be of the race or kindred of Noble men and great men in the world but alas it is but a shadow or rather not so much as a shadow compared to the true honour of the least or meanest of Gods Saints They are the adopted sonnes and daughters of God the great Lord and King of heaven and earth they are brethren to Christ heires to the Kingdom of heaven they have Angels for their guard all things for their good and the whole world is theirs and this honour ought to affect our hearts and we are to be ambitious in seeking this honour above all things in the world Now further it is not to be passed by without noting that the Apostle here saith the Jewes who lived in his time at the time when he writ this Epistle were the posterity of the holy Patriarks and no doubt they were then able to fetch their pedegree from those holy Fathers and to prove themselves to be the seed and children of Abraham and to come of his line as they alledge for themselves and brag of it to Christ Joh. 8.33 VVe be Abrahams seed and verse 39. Abraham is our father yea doubtlesse they could then shew a perpetuall succession of their high Priests from Aaron to the time of Christ yet for all this they were rejected and were not the true Church of God the Jewes now rejecting Christ and refusing to imbrace the faith and doctrine of the Gospel are not the true Church of God though they be descended from Abraham and from the holy Patriarks and though they can derive their pedegree from them See then I note it to this purpose the vanity and weaknesse of that argument that is used by our adversaries the Papists that forsooth the continual succession of Bishops is an evident argument of the true visible Church and they will needs have their Romish Synagogue to be the onely true Church because as they say their Pope is the successour of Peter and they have had a continual ordinary succession of Bishops Pastours and Doctors from the time of the Apostles which indeed is a vain brag and can never be proved it is questionable whether Peter ever sate as Bishop at Rome And the Popish Church hath no succession from the Apostles for many hundred yeares after Christ at the least for five or six hundred years And admit they could shew a continued succession of their Bishops from the time of the Apostles without interruption yet that is but a sandy and a weak ground to build the truth of their Church on unlesse they can also shew a continual succession of true doctrine and that their Church hath succeeded the Apostles in truth of doctrine for indeed they cannot be said to succeed them whose doctrine they renounce An outward succession of persons in any place without succession of true doctrine from the Apostles which the Papists cannot shew is nothing worth It helpeth not the Bishop of Rome to have as they say Peter for their predecessour and that they are his successours so long as they swerve from the true Doctrine of Peter and are become such grosse Idolaters that personal succession if they could prove it can nothing avail them It followeth verse 5. and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came that is of which Jews Christ also descended concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature This is also added as further matter of honour and dignity to the Jewes that Christ came of them concerning the flesh as touching his humane nature that he that was the Sonne of God and that from all eternity should have the same Ancestors and Progenitors with them Whence we see then Doctr. That the Jewes are a very Honourable people having many excellent priviledges and prerogatives
God by nature and by essence God of himself equal to his Father indeed as Christ Jesus is the second Person in the Trinity and in regard of his Sonship he is from his Father begotten of him from all eternity as he is the Son But in respect of his Godhead he is God of himself equal to his Father the Apostle here affirmeth it that he is true God and very God and not onely barely affirmeth it but backeth his affirmation by two special epithets and titles to prove it First he is over all he is over all persons and over all things he being Creator over all Coloss 1.16 By him were all things created visible invisible Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers Secondly he is said to be blessed for ever which is also an epithet title and attribute of God Rom. 1.25 the Gentiles turned the truth of God into a lye and worshipped the creature and forsook the Creator blessed for ever and this holy truth of God hath not only ground and footing here but in other places of Scripture Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and that word was God even before the world was or had a being he was God yea the Evangelist saith that by it all things were made and without it was made nothing that was made he putteth it down both affirmatively and negatively and in Joh. 8.58 Christ saith Before Abraham was I am a title and an attribute proper and peculiar to God alone Exod. 3.14 I am hath sent me unto you not I was before Abraham but I am Philip. 2.6 the Apostle saith that Christ even before his incarnation was in the form of God and he thought it no robbery to be equal with God he knew it to be no wrong nor usurpation to be equal with God It were no hard matter at large to prove this truth as by the predictions and foretellings of the holy Prophets of God which are spoken of Jehovah in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we find applyed to Christ and also by the works that are proper to God and peculiarly appropriated to God and cannot be but of a Divine Nature these are given to Christ as to make the world to know the hearts of men and forgive sins yea by the many and wonderful Miracles that he wrought beyond the power of man man was not able to perform the like which his enemies could not chuse but acknowledge that therein appeared a Divine power all this doth demonstrate unto us the truth of Christs Godhead Yet before I come to make use of it I hold it needful to answer some Cavils which are brought even against this very text that now we have in hand for some wrangling spirits in the world do stretch their wits to wrong this Text and say that Christs Divine Nature is not proved out of this Text which to my understanding is as clear as any in the Book of God Cavil For thus they Reason say they Not every one that is called God in Scripture is therefore the God of heaven and earth for Magistrates are called gods Psal 82.1 God standeth in the assembly of gods and in the sixth verse I have said Ye are gods And again in that it is ascribed unto Christ to be over all that title belongeth unto Christ not by nature but by donation it is a donative given him from his Father in Phil. 2.9 where it is said God hath highly exalted him and given him a name over all names so that blessed for ever is a title given him of his Father and belongeth to God the Father and they alledge Rom. 1.25 and in 2 Cor. 1.3 11.31 where blessed for ever is given to God the Father And therefore this place is no clear evidence and proof of the Godhead of Christ thus they seek to put out the clear light of the truth But they are easily answered Answ First of all it is true indeed Magistrates are gods they are said to be gods not properly but figuratively and by resemblance and by way of similitude they bear the Image of God and stand in the Room of God in regard of their power and authority Note And it is worth our marking we shall find that the name and title of God is never in Scripture given to any one singular person to any one individual I have said you are gods but never said I have said thou art a god or if it be it is with a limitation to a certain sense as God saith to Moses I have made thee a god thou art a made god In my place thou art a god to Pharaoh Again Magistrates in Scripture are never said to be God over all but Christ is here said to be God over all which proveth that he is the great and mighty God the King of heaven and earth he is God over all Oh but they say this title over all it belongeth not to Christ by nature but by donation and guift They are deceived and the ground they build upon is not a good foundation For in Philip. 2. you shall find there that the Apostle speaketh of the exaltation of Christ as he is the Mediatour so he hath a name by guift he hath a name given him over all names according to his humane Nature but he is God over all by Nature and that appeareth in Joh. 3.31 He that is come from on high is above all still the Evangelist saith he is above all and over all so that he hath that properly by nature Now touching the phrase the last thing that they alledge blessed for ever which they say is never given to any but to God the Father it is true it is usually in Scripture given to God the Father yet not by way of exclusion not exclusively not so as that the Son and Holy Ghost are shut to be blessed for when it is given to God the Creator as in Rom. 1.25 it is not onely to God the Father but even therein also is Christ included because by him are all things created Joh. 1.3 Col. 1.16 For the work of Creation is a work of the whole Trinity so that notwithstanding this allegation and Cavil it is still a truth That Christ Jesus is God true God very God God by nature God by being God of himself equal to his Father Come we now to the Application I might bend the force of this truth against the opinions of the Arians Vse and Mahumethists that have along time blasphemed Christ but their old rotten opinions have been sufficiently confuted by the Ancient Divines of our Church But take we notice of this truth to this purpose It serveth to clear the Doctrine of our Church from a vile slander and blot that the Papists seem to blemish it withal The Papists are so impudent and shamelesse that they stick not to charge our Doctrine to be tainted with no lesse then the highest degree of Atheisme in this respect
cleave to the holy Word of God but how shall I know that the Scripture is the Book of God Indeed it is a scruple that doth sometimes arise in the minds of men and especially if they be under some great temptation to doubt whether the Word of God be the Word of God or no How shall I know that this is that I must stick unto for all matters of Faith and Religion of Life and Manners Answ If the Papists were to answer this they will tell you by the testimonie and tradition of the Church because the Church speaketh it Indeed this is the mark we know a Church by because it is inferiour to the Scripture and subjecteth to it but it is no mark to know Scripture by the Church but we may know Scripture to be Scripture by these infallible notes such as never will deceive or lead us aside 1. Namely these by the evidence of the holy Spirit of God appearing and shining forth in every sentence and in every word of the holy word of God 2. By the puritie and perfection of the Word 3. By the Majestie of it in the plainness of speech by the power it hath over the Conscience of Man it is able to convert the soul of Man it is clean contrarie to the nature of Man it converteth the soul of Man and doth draw the will of Man to yield obedience unto it It is a Divine word and his power is Divine over the affections and hearts of Men though it be contrarie to mans will yet it captivateth it to its power 4. By the rage of the Devil against it the Devil he cannot indure the publishing and the preaching of it 5. By the constant suffering of the holy Martyrs many millions that have shed their bloud for the Name of Christ and for the Word of his Gospel 6. And lastly and above all by feeling that spirit which appeareth in the written Word of God to be effectual and powerful in our souls if thou find the power of the Word working upon thy soul not onely to thy illumination and inlightning but to the working of holiness and grace in thee Surely though all the men in the world denie Scripture to be Scripture yet thy heart will assent and consent unto it and thy heart seasoned by grace will make thy mouth to confess it though all the world will denie it yet thou confessest it John 7.17 saith Christ If any man will trie whether my Doctrine be of God or Men he may doe it thus If any man doe the will of my Father and be wrought upon by this Doctrine certainly that man knoweth that my Doctrine is of God and not of my self Oh then labour we to find this perswasion in us that Scripture is Scripture upon those grounds but especially by the efficacie of the Word and by the effectual work of it in our hearts and soules and not to cavil against it or to yield to the falshood of deceivers No no say with thy self my heart hath sealed to the eternal Truth of God And thus doing we shall find it to be sufficient to guide us in all matters of godliness and in all matters of good life and manners and also we shall find it able to bring us to salvation For the Scripture said unto Pharaoh even for this very end have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout the earth IN that the Apostle saith for the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh we see here a strong confirmation of that which we noted out of the 15. verse That the written Word of God is a speaking Word And God speaketh to his Church and people by his written Word and therefore the Scripture is not a dead letter or dumb Judge and senceless Juke as the Papists say but passe by that Onely note the Apostle saith the Scripture speaketh concerning Pharaoh it speaketh touching the reprobation of Pharaoh and touching the hardning of his heart which was a manifest signe of his reprobation so that we see the Scripture revealeth unto us the point and matter of Reprobation And we may hence take notice of it The Doctrine of Reprobation a Doctrine revealed in the written Word that the Doctrine of Reprobation is a Doctrine made known unto us in the Scripture and in the written Word of God yea the Doctrine of the Reprobation of some particular persons amongst men it may and it ought to be published in the Church of God It is a part of the holy Word of God and a portion of Scipture written and revealed in the Word And we ought to take notice of it as Moses saith in Deut. 29.29 Things revealed belong to us and to our children secret things belong to God so that the Doctrine of Reprobation and casting off of some particular persons amongst men ought to be taught to the Church and Children of God Some there be that are of opinion that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought to be concealed and not to be published and made known to the Church and people of God And why because of the danger of it say they for as they conceive and imagine it driveth some men from God and it maketh some men to run into desperation therefore say they it is to be concealed and not made known to the Church of God But these that thus think they are deceived For the Alienation and the estranging of mens mind from God and desperation are not the fruits properly following the Doctrine of Reprobation they do not proceed and come from and by that Doctrine properly but they are accidental effects commonly following it and are cursed fruits comming from the hearts of men and so the fault is in themselves and not in the Doctrine of Reprobation the Doctrine it self is holy good and profitable if men doe rightly understand it and savour it aright it is of excellent use and very necessarie For the best Doctrine that is the most comfortable Doctrine that is may be perverted and abused sometimes and become savor of some to their utter destruction as the Doctrine of saving faith in Christ Jesus and his merits is savoured of some to their utter destruction and therefore ought it not to be published It is a weak insufficient argument to prove that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought not to be made known because of these accidental effects because some through their own corruption are caused to run into Alienation from God and Desperation whereas the Doctrine of Reprobation is of necessary use it serveth much to commend and set forth the mercies of God and the riches of his mercy to his chosen children And it stirreth up the Children of God to a great measure of thankfulness for the mercies of God bestowed upon them when they consider that God hath chosen them and refused and rejected others this stirreth them up to magnifie the mercie of God and then doth the soul of a child
thy life and conversation throughly reformed thy corruptions mortified thy graces increased thy love and zeal inflamed and thy soul at last eternally saved let me beg thy prayers for my self in requital of my pains and thy best wishes at the throne of grace in behalf of the Stationer for his labour and his honest care and cost bestowed herein and herein forget not to go to God for his blessing upon thy reading this work and all our endeavors herein that all may tend to his glory In hope whereof I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace and the book once more to thy serious reading and practise heartily taking leave I hasten to write my self Albourn this present March 12 h. 1652. Thine in Christ Jesus William Harrison There is lately Printed Gods holy mind touching matters Moral which himself uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments also Christs Holy Minde touching Prayer which himself taught unto his Disciples discovered by the light of his own holy Writ and delivered by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr Edward Elton B. D. and Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bar monsey near London A true Relation of the murders committed in the Parish of Clunne in the County of Salop by Enoch ap Evan upon the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the causes moving him thereunto by Richard More Esquire Printed by order of a Committee of Parliament The great Mystery of Godlinesse opened Or an Exposition upon the ninth Chapter of the Epistle to the ROMANS Romans 9. Verse 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the the holy Ghost Verse 2. That I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart THis excellent Epistle to the Romans written by that famous Apostle Paul the great Doctor of the Gentiles consisteth of these 3 parts in generall 1. A Proemium or Introduction 2. An Institution of Christian Doctrine 3. A Percration or conclusion Again in the Institution of Christian doctrine the Apostle proceedeth in this manner 1. He handleth the doctrine of Justification in the 5 first Chapters of this Epistle 2. He insisteth in the doctrine of Sanctification in the 6. and 7 th Chapters 3. Matter of sweet consolation flowing from the two former in Chapter the 8 th 4. He propoundeth and prosecuteth the doctrine of Predestination in the 9 th 10 th and 11 th Chapters 5. He proceedeth to matter of Christian exhortation to sundry duties generall and speciall Chapters 12.13 c. Now in this ninth Chapter he beginneth the doctrine of Predestination and openeth that great mystery of godlinesse concerning the rejection of the Jewes and calling of the Gentiles and herein we have 3 parts 1. In the first place we have not onely an insinuation of the Apostles dear and deep affection and a solemne and serious protestation of the truth of it but also a singular manifestation of his most admirable love to the nation of the Jewes notwithstanding the doctrine he was now about to deliver and this is amplified by sundry circumstances as 1. By the particular passion or affection wherein he manifested his dear love to them and that is his grief and sorrow for their casting off 2. The grief he here speaketh of is further amplified by two further circumstances or adjuncts viz. 1. The constancy of it 2. The sinceritie of it 3. This love of the Apostle to them is further illustrated by the great measure or extent of it viz. that he could wish himself accursed and separated from Christ in order to procure their salvation 4. Lastly by the affectionate and honourable mention that he maketh of the Jewish nation describing both fully and affectionately all their priviledges and prerogatives shewing what great cause he had to be so deeply affected with their rejection and thus he doth in the 5 first verses of this Chapter The second part of the Chapter is touching a vindication of the stabilility and constancy of the Lords promises though the Jewes were rejected and the defending of that promise of God for the stability of it against all cavils and all erring spirits and all humane reasonings that may be brought to the contrary and that from the 6. verse to the 24. The third part is a declaration of that wonderfull and deep mystery held from the beginning of the world concerning the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jews which was a thing foretold though men did not understand it before Paul revealed it unto them which was foretold by the Prophets so laid down from the 24. verse to the end of the Chapter so you have the chief materials generall in the Chapter of these in order and first of the first The Apostle being about to propound that which he knew would be taken very harsh and hard and marvellous displeasing and offensive to the Jews to hear of he useth a very patheticall insinuation of his love unto the Jews that he speaks of love expressing that love by his inward and hearty sorrow for their present estate and the care that he had for their good thereby to gain their good will and not exasperate them against him And the Apostle being to lay down their rejection useth a Preface unto it that the thing he spake was the truth and for the more force and efficacy of it he putteth down the contrary and I lie not and he confirmeth it further by an oath he calleth Christ to witnesse I speak the truth in Christ I lie not And secondly he proveth it by the witnesses and testimony of his own conscience his own conscience bearing witnesse with him and this conscience renewed by the holy Ghost mine own conscience bearing witnesse with me in the holy Ghost And then in the second verse he delivereth and putteth down his sorrow and his grief and his heavinesse of heart and thus he setteth out by the continuance and greatnesse of it it was a great sorrow and a continuall sorrow and that in his heart and soul and not a dissembled fained or outside sorrow but in his very heart and soul there he putteth down the desire of their good in the third verse And he doth expresse that by a wonderfull strange speech even by a wish to be separated from Christ for their good their calling and conversion Thereby implying their rejection and not propounding it for otherwise there was no cause of such a wish to be wished to be separated from Christ for their sake if they were not rejected and therefore he desireth to be anathemated and accursed from Christ for their good and then he setteth down reasons why he so wished himself to be separated from Christ First of all because they were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh Secondly a more waightier reason then this because they were the Israelites of God and Gods people and that he maketh further manifest and plain unto
comfort both in life and in death Let us then never rest untill we be grieved for the miseries that lye on the bodies of others but especially for the evils on the souls of others and such as do appertain unto us that we be not like stocks nor stones but that we mourn for the sinnes on the soules of others Now from these words the Apostle where he saith he grieveth for the rejection of the Jewes some move this question Whether the Apostle might lawfully be grieved for the rejection of the Jews it being according to the appointment of the Lord. But the question Quest arising from hence concerning our selves is this seeing we are to be grieved for the known miseries of others the question may be Whether we may be grieved for such persons as suffer just punishments for their evil deeds brought to the place of execution when the hand of God is in punishing of them for their evil doings or no Now to this I answer Answ That we are to put on tender bowels of pity commiseration and compassion towards all that be in any distresse and under the punishing hand of God in any thing whatsoever they be though never so vile and sinful though they be monsters in regard of the outrage of sin yet as they be the creatures of God as they bear the Image of God and be reasonable creatures and are partakers of the same nature with us so we are to put on tender bowels of pity and commiseration towards them though they be never so vile or wicked Thus we find Samuel mourned for Saul Samuel as a Prophet foreseeing the evil that was like to fall upon Saul both in the losse of his Kingdom and the losse of his life in so desperate a manner he grieved for him as we may read in the 1 Sam. 16.1 The Lord biddeth him no longer to mourn for him yet he did in regard of the miseries that he saw lye upon him thus we are to mourn for all be they never so vile as they bear the image of God and are men and women like unto us but as wicked persons undergo just and deserved punishment for their offences either against God the good estate of the Church or the good estate of Religion we may in that respect be so far from grieving mourning and pitying of them that we may rejoyce and joy in it yet not pleasing our selves in the smart or pains of others be they never so vile but for the manifestation of Gods Justice because we love God and the glory of God is dear unto us therefore we may and ought to magnifie and justifie the Name of God in cuting off of such men as be Jesuites and Seminary Priests we may be so far from sorrowing for them as that we may rejoyce in it and glorifie God in cutting off of such wicked Imps as in Psal 58.10 11. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the revenging hand of God upon such and men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth on the earth God himself desireth not the death of any so he saith I delight not in the death of a sinner yet God was pleased with the punishment of the wicked according to the rule and course of his Justice so we must not delight in the punishment of any as he is a creature of God and beareth the Image of God like unto us but we are to look upon the glory of Gods Justice and to magnifie and to glorifie him in such persons being destroyed that seek the hurt of Gods glory Gods Church or Gods Religion For then we are to rejoyce but not in their punishment as they are men of the like nature with us In the next place we are to mark that the Apostle saith not nakedly and barely that he was grieved and sorrowed for the rejection of the Jewes but doth affirm and say that he had great heavinesse and continual sorrow for the rejection of the Jews his heavinesse and sorrow was not small nor vanishing but it was great and heavy such as is a womans travelling with child for so the word sorrow signifieth a vehement great and heavy sorrow for their rejection Now what was the cause the Apostle grieved for the rejection of the Jews because he loved them for this was a manifestation of his love his sorrow and love held sympathy and proportion hence the observation is thus That true love unto any person Doctr. or thing causeth heavinesse sorrow and grief in the heart upon any known just occasion of grief given from that person or thing so loved and according to the measure of love to any person or thing so is the measure of grief or sorrow upon any known just occasion of grief from that person or thing so loved our grief is answerable and proportionable to our love the more we grieve for any person or thing the more we love them this we see is clear from the example of the Apostle that was grieved for the rejection of the Jews out of his love to them and this is manifest by other places as in Gen. 37.34 we read when good Jacob that holy and just man had just occasion given unto him for sorrow and heavinesse as he thought for his son Joseph he thinking verily his son was devoured by wild beasts as they did give him intelligence though false it is said that he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and sorrowed for him exceedingly yea the Text saith that when his children came about him to comfort him he would not be comforted in regard of the evil he thought had befallen his son Joseph he grieved a long season and would not be comforted so also in 1 Sam. 20.34 Jonathan was very sorrowful and exceeding heavy for David because his Father Saul had reviled him such was his love to David so also we find that the good man Nehemiah had a heart full of sorrow and grief and humbled himself in weeping and fasting when he heard of the evil that was upon the Church and the people of God it made him break out into weeping and humbling his soul Nehem. 1.6 yea his sorrow and heavinesse was so great that he could not dissemble it he could not keep it in his bosome it appeared in his very countenance yea and that so apparantly that the King said What is the matter Nehemiah why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick Sure I perceive that this is nothing else but sorrow of heart Nehem. 2.2 In John 11.36 the Jews said when they saw Jesus weeping for Lazarus Behold how he loved him they could thereby conjecture his love to him so 2 Cor. 2.4 The Apostle saith in great anguish of spirit he wrote to them and in many tears that they might perceive his love unto them his true and hearty love and anguish of his soul went together so that the point is clear That true love unto
any person or thing causeth the like sympathy of grief unto that person or thing so loved The Reasons are First from the working and effects of true love it Reason 1 is the nature of love where it is in the heart and soul toward any person or thing to be operative and working and the working of it is to make the heart affected either with joy or sorrow touching the thing that is so loveth and according to the known estate of the person or thing so loved if it go well with the person or thing so loved it causeth joy if it go ill it causeth grief Reason 2 The second Reason is from the nature of grief it self for what is grief surely grief may be thus described A motion of the soul arising from the hurt of the thing that is loved if any hurt or evil be either imminent and ready to fall upon the thing loved or be already fallen the heart that loveth is stirred up to grieve for it and according to the measure of love so is the measure of grief and therefore we may resolve upon this as a certain truth That great love causeth great grief upon any just occasion of grief for the thing or person that we love that is dear unto us for the Application Vse The truth now delivered yeeldeth unto us a ground of tryal and of examination touching the truth of our love and the measure of our love to such persons or things that ought to be loved and respected of us as to draw this to particulars hereby we may try the truth of our love to the Church and people of God and also whether our love be true and sound unto them Doest thou love the Church and people of God in deed and in truth surely then thou art affected either with joy or sorrow according to the estate of the Church or people of God if thou hearest that it go well with the Church and people of God thou rejoycest and art glad of it if so be on the other side thou hearest that it goeth hard with the Church of God thy heart is then oppressed with sorrow and according to the measure of thy love to the Church and people of God so is thy sorrow for any known danger or distresse of the Church and people of God Now then to apply this to the time wherein we live we hear and have often heard that the Church and people of God at this day are in great distresse in forraign Nations even our Neighbour Nations in France and other Nations are in armes and are forced to stand up for the defence of their own lives and liberties and their wives and children stand upon their guatd at home or else to lye in the field to defend their lives and liberties and we have heard and do hear it daily that many of Gods children are in great streights that they are besieged by their cruel and bloody enemies even of such as desire nothing but to suck their blouds yea we hear daily how the Saints and servants of God are Massacred About this time was the Massacre of the poor Protestants in the Valtoline 1620 1621. and murthered yea many of them in going from the assemblies have had their throats cut and are knocked down before they come home yea we hear how that Gods children are forced either to yeeld to the Pope and his Idolatry or to lose their lives now we hear of this are we touched with sorrow and grief according to the measure of their afflictions surely then we have good evidence of our love to the people of God but on the contrary are our hearts nothing at all touched with grief and with heavinesse upon the newes of these things which is I fear the case of many to give themselves to jollity and rejoycing and are not touched with the afflictions of Joseph do we hear of these things as matter of news and discourse of them as novelties if so be it be so that now we give our selves to all manner of riot and excesse when you should give your selves to prayer certainly then you have no true love to the people of God So also for the glory of God canst thou hear the Name of God blasphemed and dishonoured by cursing swearing lying rybaldry and use all manner of filthy speaking and prophaning the Sabbath is not thy heart smitten is it not as a dagger in thy soul and a sword in thy heart when thou hearest men blaspheme and fearfully abuse the holy name of God assuredly then thou hast no true love to the glory of God and so also for the truth of Religion canst thou hear the holy Religion of God destroyed and trampled under foot and that Popery Idolatry and Superstition is like to be set up in the room of it and when thou hearest of this doest thou not mourn but art a man indifferent and carest not which end goes forward either Popery or true Religion it is a sure note that thou hast no true love to the Religion of God and thus I might proceed in other particulars but let us learn now to be grieved according to the known just occasion of grief given unto us for the Church and Children of God for the glory of God and pure Religion of God if so be we find no grief at all in our hearts when there is just occasion of grief let us not deceive our selves assuredly we love them not as we ought to do We read in the 1 Sam. 4.18 19. and so on to the end of the Chapter that old Eli was more affected when he heard newes that the Ark of God was taken then with the losse of his two sons and the wife of Phinees the daughter in law of Eli was more affected with the losse of the Ark of God then with the losse of her own dear husband for when she heard the Ark of God was taken she fell in travel and dyed and named her son Jekabod the glory is departed from Israel yea she repeateth it again the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken And when the women laboured to comfort her she would have none for the Ark of God was taken Thus must we when the Religion of God is trodden down we must be affected with it A disgrace done to the name of God or a wrong done to the religion of God must affect our hearts with sorrow if we would have evidence that we truly love the holy Israel of God we must find our hearts affected according to the known estate of it if we have not we have not in us the Spirit nor the Life nor the grace of Gods Children in 2 Thess 2.10 11. if we do not imbrace the Religion of God and that with love and delight and be more then formal professors of it we are in danger to be seduced of Antichrist and to be led some one way and some another we are in danger to be given
the force and strength and vertue of it concerning mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation to all that believe in Christ and repent of their sins In a word the efficacy and force of the Word of the Gospel which indeed is a word of promise it propoundeth to all true believers that are repentant for their sins mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation the observation is this That the Word of Gods saving promise the Word of the Gospel is a most powerful and a most effectual Word it is of a begetting nature it is able as an Instrument to beget children unto God and it doth in Gods appointed time effectually work upon Gods chosen and make them actually the Children of God so that they may be truly called the children of the promise as that special promise in Gen. 18. Sarah thy wife shall have a son as that gave birth and being to Isaac when there was no likelihood or possibility of his being and birth from his parents Abraham and Sarah so the Word of Gods saving promise the words of the Gospel giveth a spiritual being and birth to Gods chosen and make them actually the children of God in his appointed time when there is no likelihood nor possibility in nature Yea when their Nature is in flat opposition and contrariety unto it then doth the Word of the Gospel make them actually the children of God And to this purpose speaketh that holy and Evangelical Prophet the Prophet Esay Esay 11.6 7 8.9 the holy Prophet sheweth that in the dayes of Christ such should be the force and powerful working of the Gospel that it should make men of Wolves to become lambs and of Leopards as meek as kids and men that were as Lions of a Lionish nature to be as meek as a fat beast and as gentle that children should lead them such as were of a wolvish and lionish Nature for so we are by nature fierce and cruel and savage to become meek and gentle and so he goeth on in setting forth the powerful working of the Gospel so in Joh. 5.25 saith the Lord Jesus Verily verily I say unto you the hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the Word of God and they that hear it shall live where by dead ' we shall understand those that are spiritually dead and not corporally dead for of those he speaketh in the 28 verse he saith that the voyce of the Spirit of God shall come to those that are in the graves and they shall arise but hereby those that are dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2.1 and such as are spiritually dead to put the life of grace and of faith and of holinesse into their hearts and soules in the 1. of James 18. saith the Apostle speaking of God of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth by an emphasis or excellency a begetting word the word of the Gospel and not to adde more places this doth sufficiently prove that the Gospel of God is an effectual Word and doth work upon Gods chosen in time and make them to become Gods children actually whereas before they were potentially and may be called the children of the Promise The Reasons and grounds are these First of all the Gospel it is the arm of the Lord so saith the Prophet Reason 1 Esay 53.1 to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is the word of the Gospel yea it is the power of God so the Apostle saith Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 it is the arm of the Lord and the power of God it is a power far passing the power of man or of hell it self and of all the devils it is strong powerful and prevailing there is no opposition whatsoever is able to gainsay it or withstand it but it is able to bear it down to the ground The word of the Gospel it administreth to Gods chosen Gods Spirit Reason 2 whence it is that the Apostle in Gal. 3.2 demandeth of the Galathians What saith he Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or rather by the preaching of the doctrine of Faith the doctrine of the Gospel that is the means of conveying unto you the Spirit namely the Gospel of God which conveyeth it Now the Spirit of God stirreth up the unbelieving that are Gods chosen and inableth them to believe yea it doth beget faith in their hearts and doth certainly and infallibly and that without resistance actually incline their hearts to believe in Christ and so to become actually Gods children thus doth the holy Spirit of God given to Gods chosen bend and bowe their hearts inabling them to believe and make them certainly and infallibly Gods Children such is the power of the Gospel This Doctrine in the first place doth point out unto us one main difference Vse 1 that is between the Law and the Gospel the law doth onely discover sin unto man and what the least sin of man deserveth and is able to go no further it cannot deliver unto a man any means of comfort but seaveth a man liable to the curse of the Law it sheweth them not the means to escape the curse onely as a Schoolmaster it sendeth men to Christ not by teaching and instructing but by whipping and scourging by terrifying upon the sight of sin it sheweth them no pity nor no compassion it driveth them from it self to seek unto a better Schoolmaster and better Physitian to go unto Christ Gal. 3.14 the Law is our Schoolmaster to drive us to Christ But now the Gospel is of force to work upon Gods chosen effectually it is able to confer and to administer unto Gods chosen the Spirit of God which Spirit doth beget faith in their hearts and so they become actually the Children of God this is the efficacy and power of the Gospel Is this so that the Word of Gods promise the Gospel is so powerful Vse 2 and so effectual and able as an Instrument to beget children to God Oh then I beseech you in the fear of God look unto it learn we upon this ground that the Word of the Gospel we living under the preaching of it be thus powerful in our hearts and soules in particular let us never rest untill we find that the preaching of the Gospel hath so wrought upon our hearts and soules that it be so effectual in us to bear down the strength of nature and whatsoever standeth in opposition against it and to cast down the strongest hold of sin and Satan in our hearts and that it hath conferred and conveyed the holy Spirit of God and thereby wrought faith in our hearts Oh let us never rest untill we find this working And consider the Gospel it is the arm of God it hath made some men of wolves to become as lambs of Lions fat beast it hath beaten down the pride of their hearts it hath hammered their hard hearts it hath quelled and overmastered their over-ruling and predominant corruptions take onely the
example of the Apostle Paul that was changed by the voyce of Christ from heaven and the voyce of the Gospel is as powerful from a bloody and tyrannical persecutor to a famous and renowned Preacher of the Gospel Gal. 1.22 And we read not onely in the primitive stories of the Church but have found also in our own time that the Gospel of God hath been of such force that it hath made many to leave their Fathers their Mothers wives children friends their lands and livings and all their riches and possessions and to lose their lives by fire and sword and faggot and by cruel tortures yea by as cruel torments as their tormentors could lay upon them And is not the voyce of the Gospel now as powerful is not the Gospel able to make thee now to lay aside thy profits or pleasures as thy Carding or Dicing nay not to lay aside a cup of beer or wine not needful for thee is not the Gospel able to make thee to lay aside a needlesse new fangled attire on thy head to make thee cut off thy long shag and ruffian-like hair to make thee leave off thy covetousnesse thy Drunkennesse thy whoring thy common swearing by faith and troth is it not able to do this is the power of the Gospel abated can it not make thee leave off thy darling sin it was wont to do this in former time And the Gospel is as powerful now and as able to throw down the strongest hold of sin and Satan as ever 2 Cor. 10.4 to throw down imaginations and strong holds of corruption if thou live under the Gospel where the Gospel is truly and faithfully preached and assuredly either the Gospel hath thus wrought in thee to the purging out of corruptions and those sins thou once delightedst in or it sealeth up unto thee a heavy and fearful conclusion what is that you will say Take it from the Apostle not from me in 2 Cor. 4.3 mark what he saith The Apostle in the second verse of the Chapter sheweth that he and the rest of the Apostles handled the Word of God not deceitfully but in the declaration of the truth in plain evidence of the Spirit and of power they approved themselves to every mans conscience then mark what he bringeth in by way of inference if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish if the Gospel that hath been so plentifully and powerfully preached and so painfully delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit work not in your hearts and souls It is to be feared you are in the way to destruction and in a fearful condition Oh then let us look that we find the power of the Gospel in our hearts and soules and consider it will nothing at all avail us to know that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation though it were to thousands yea to all the world besides if we find it is not so to us to commend the Gospel and the Doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of it and to say it is a blessed Sermon an excellent Sermon the best sermon that ever I heard it may be worthy to be commended but hath it wrought upon thee thou finding it not powerful to thee it will not be available to take notice of the Gospel to be a Word of power in the general and in the abstract and not find it so in the particular to thy self is the case of the Devil he knoweth the Gospel is a comfortable Word but see what good hast thou gotten by knowing it hath it beat down thy pride thy covetousnesse thy earthly mindednesse happy art thou otherwise it will not be available therefore in the fear of God let us never rest till we find that we living under the sound preaching of the Gospel that hath been effectual to our soules and hearts and hath beaten down our pride our earthly mindednesse and predominant corruptions and hath been of force and efficacy to the conferring upon us the holy Spirit of God and so made us actually Gods Children and heires of grace mercy and salvation then happy art thou Now the second thing that we are to stand upon is this That the children of the promise Doctrine such as are effectually wrought upon by the Word of the Gospel and by that word begotten to the faith and to believe in Christ they are accounted the true seed and the true children of Abraham and they have this honour to be of his seed And all the nobility of Christs Ancestors of Abraham of David is communicated unto them whether they be not of the race of the Jewes but Gentiles as it 's our case if the Gospel hath conferred the Spirit unto thee thou art a son or a daughter of faithful Abraham and all the Nobility of Christs Ancestors is communicated unto thee Gal. 3.7 they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Because Christ himself concerning the flesh came of Abraham Reason as the Apostle speaketh in Ephes 5.30 and they being in Christ they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh they are members with him and therefore partakers with him Oh then what excellent comfort is this to them that are sure of it Vse that the Gospel hath a working upon their hearts and soules that it hath hammered their soules and made them believe in Jesus Christ and though it be so that thou art of mean and base condition in the world yet thou art a child of Abraham an honour far surpassing that to be the sonne or daughter of an Emperour or the greatest Monarch or Potentate in the world all the Nobility of Christ his Ancestours belongeth unto thee if thou be a child of Abraham the friend of God 2 Chr. 20.7 as Jehosaphat calleth him what canst thou want either for thy provision or for thy safety and protection or defence the Lord hath made many sweet gracious and comfortable promises to Abraham that he will be his God his shield his buckler and his exceeding great reward a friend to his friends and an enemy to his enemies and thou hast right and title to all these gracious promises thou being a true believer God is thy shield and buckler a friend to thy friends and an enemy to thy enemies what canst thou want either for thy provision and safety or thy protection And therefore in the fear of God think upon it whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the powerfull Word of the Gospel that it hath beaten down thy pride thy covetousnesse and hath conferred unto thee the Spirit and that Spirit wrought faith in thy heart thou art a child of Abraham and all the Promises of God touching this life and the life to come thou hast right and title to as a child of Abraham VERSE 9. For this is a word of promise In the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son OUr Apostle having delivered this for a certain truth
none found amongst you that regard times after the manner of the heathen who did think that the times had an over-ruling and an overswaying in them of the manners and lives of men and the successe of their businesse Oh saith God take heed let there be none such and in Jer. 10.2 the Lord saith expresly you shall not learn the manner of the Heathen and be not afraid of the signes of heaven as the heathen are as if mens dispositions depended upon them and in Gal. 4.10 the Apostle blameth the Galathians for regarding of dayes and times I am afraid of you saith the Apostle you have made a grievous revolt from the truth you observe dayes and times Observation of times is either natural or civil yet there is a lawful observation of dayes and times as when men do observe them by the course of nature as the night to follow the day the day to succeed the night and to observe Summer Winter Harvest and Spring or else the dayes and times Civil namely the observing of dayes and times for our callings and dispatch of our businesse in matters of the world as of setting planting grafting and reaping now neither of these did the Apostle reprove in the Galathians but he reproveth them for doing of it as the Jewes did putting of holinesse in times or the observing of them after a heathenish manner ascribing bad or good successe unto them Now the Lord forbidding this marking of the constellations of the heavens as if the successe of men depended upon the position of the stars and planets it is a plain evidence and confirmeth unto us that the coming of the same blood and of the same parents and being born at the same time under the same constellation of the heavens and stars is not a thing that maketh children of the same mind and like carriage and behaviour Because indeed the Lord hath put no such power nor vertue nor force Reason into the times nor into the constellations of the heavens that they by their influences should over-rule the manners of men and that the doings of men should depend upon the Planets Stars Sun or Moon we find it not in all the book of God that he ordained the Sun Moon or stars to these uses There is a good observation of the stars for differing of times but not for the ordering of men and their affaires No the inclination of the will of man and the motion of mans mind and the successe of things are onely the works of God and do wholly and onely depend upon the good hand and providence of God they depend not upon the influence of the heavens and stars but things come to passe as it pleaseth God to dispose Prov. 16.9 saith Solomon the heart of man purposeth his way but the Lord guideth and directeth his steps man purposeth to guide his feet one way but the Lord directeth his steps as he pleaseth Jer. 10.23 the way of man is not in himself neither is it in man that walketh to order and direct his steps so that the successe of things depend not upon the position of the stars and therefore doubtlesse children coming of the same parents and born under the same position of the heavens are not of the same mind carriage and behaviour This serveth to discover unto us the folly of Nativity-casters Figure-casters Vse 1 Star-gazers Moon-Prophets and Fortune-tellers and such idle persons it sheweth their folly and madnesse that will take upon them to tell what shall be the manners and dispositions of such a child man or woman from their birth or from their Nativity born at such a time upon such a day under such a planet they shall be rich or poor many wives or thus and thus disposed or such and such things shall befall them this Moon prophets and Fortune tellers take upon them to do by the dspositions of the heavens yea herein they do impiously derogate from God and from his providence And notwithstanding this many ignorant persons in the world be of this sort and of this opinion to give too much to these Figure casters Moon prophets Fortune tellers Wise men and wise women as they call them yea they do more believe their words then the holy Word of God Let a Fortune teller or a Figure caster say they were born at an evil time under a direful dismal planet and unfortunate star and constellation they believe it and are wonderfully troubled But let the Preacher of the Word tell them that both they and their children were born under the wrath of God under the curse of God and fire-brands of hell so long as they continue in that estate and are heires of damnation they are little or nothing moved with it herein they discover their blindnesse yea it is a fearful sign that God hath given such persons over into a reprobate sence and then fearful is their condition that so believe these fortune tellers We see here two brethren born at the same time and of the same parents and yet of a different nature and quality so that fortune-tellers in taking upon them to foretell the manners and dispositions of men from their Nativity and birth do cozen and deceive men therefore give not heed unto them they are but dreams and dotages of idle persons and conjectures of fools Esay 44.25 and such as give heed unto them they shew themselves to be fools and wicked gracelesse persons and they make themselves odious in the sight of God Oh mark it you that do give heed to figure-casters and fortune-tellers you make your selves abominable in the sight of God Deut. 18.12 All that regard times and observe times in this manner after the manner of the heathen and those that consult with them are abomination to the Lord and it is a foul shame for any to bear the name of a Christian and to be like unto a heathen darest thou take the name of a Christian and yet like the heathen run to figure casters and fortune tellers and the like wise men and wise women as they call them Vse 2 Is this so that the coming of the same blood and parents and being born at the same time these are not the things that do make men of the same mind or children of the same quality and disposition Surely then parents may learn to stay themselves in consideration of this they may be kept from wondering at it when they see some of their children begotten and born of their bodies not to prove so well as others they have many children and some prove not so well as others though they take the like pains and do endeavour the best they can to train them up in the fear of God and bring them up religiously alike and yet they find not an Answerable successe in all of them but some prove not so well as others they are not too much to be amazed the case is no otherwise with them then it was with these two
persons and not of all generally Reason And the ground of it is only the good will and pleasure of God it hath so pleased him to make this difference to chuse some and to refuse others Ephes 1.5 who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the riches of the glory of his grace Vse This serveth to shew unto us the errour of such Divines and their opinion to be false that do hold that God for his part hath elected all men to salvation and so the Arminians say also and that man is reprobated is from himself for when we do ask them if God hath elected all for his part why are not all saved they answer because they will not it is their own default man is the cause of his reprobation but this is erroneous and false and contrary to the truth yea this opinion of theirs maketh mans will to over-rule Gods eternal counsel and the purpose of God to depend upon the will of man if man will he may be saved if not he may be damned this is like bills of the Chancery but there is no unablenesse in God for the will and counsel of God is the chiefest cause of all causes and we may certainly conclude that because all men are not saved therefore God doth not appoint all men to salvation And upon this ground learn to renounce this also as erroneous that Christ dyed for all universally effectually as some Divines teach universal redemption for Gods eternal election being not universal Christs redemption is not universal for Christ dyed only for the chosen of God only for the elect and he is the Saviour of his body Ephes 5.23 This is a common thing when men are convinced of their sins to say we are sinners but Christ dyed for all this is a staffe of rest to rest upon and will fail in time of tryal thou must have a better ground if thou wilt look for salvation how is that Thus thou must not only find thy self freed by Christ from deserved condemnation but also from thy vain conversation for certainly whomsoever Christ is a Saviour to by the merit of death to them he is also a Saviour by the power of his death and by the works of his Spirit turning them from sin to God Titus 2.14 Christ gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity that he might purge us to be a peculiar people to himself therefore if thou findest not thy self purged from sin from the rottennesse of thy heart thou art not wrought upon by the Spirit of God Therefore rest not upon that ground that Christ dyed for all For the Children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger COme we now to stand upon these two Verses more particularly and in that the Apostle here saith Before the children were born when they had neither done good nor evil it was said unto Rebekah by God himself that cannot lye from his Oracle it was said the elder shall serve the younger thereby implying the words having respect to spiritual things that the one of the children of Rebekah which she had in her womb was elected to life and salvation and the other rejected and refused this being the implication of that speech the Apostle pointeth out unto us thus much That Gods fore-appointing of some particular persons amongst men to life and salvation from everlasting Doctrine and his refusing and rejecting of others it is most free most absolute it dependeth not upon any thing in man or done by man but onely upon the good pleasure of God it dependeth upon nothing out of God himself but upon God merely and onely the Lord from everlasting appointing some to life and salvation and refusing others did it out of the good pleasure of his will merely without respect had to any thing in men themselves any quality good or bad or any thing done by them good or bad as a cause moving him hereunto Indeed to prevent an Objection in the beginning I deny not but I may safely speak it and hold it that there was reason and cause in the general why God would appoint some to life and salvation and why he would refuse and reject others why God would have some to be saved and others to be cast off and refused never to attain salvation I grant that why Because both the mercy of God in pardoning sin and the Justice of God in punishing sin might appear and be glorified God is a just God and a merciful God that these two might be manifested and declared for if all had been saved there is no place for his Justice but that his mercy and justice might appear the one is saved and the other rejected this is the reason in the general but why this or that particular man or woman was appointed to life and salvation and not the other man or woman why Peter and not Judas the onely reason of this is the good will and pleasure of God Gods fore-appointing of some amongst men to life and and salvation it did wholly and onely depend upon the good will and pleasure of God it had respect to nothing in man no difference between man and man arising from men themselves that the one was of a better nature and temper or thus and thus qualified or any thing done by them good or evil but onely in God himself Ephes 1.4 saith the Apostle God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundations of the world was what for any goodnesse or holinesse that was in us or he foresaw would be in us no but that we should be holy and without blame He hath chosen us not for foreseen holinesse but that we should be holy this is the language of Canaan then he subjoyneth in the fifth verse who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Iesus Christ himself according to the good pleasure of his will without respect had to any thing in us or any thing done by us so also in 2 Tim. 1.9 the Apostle speaking of God saith thus he hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works still he renounces that but according to his own promise and grace which was shewed unto us through Iesus Christ when before the world was before Jesus Christ was incarnate yea before there was a world and before we had a being And in Jude 4. verse we read that the Apostle speaking of some which were ordained of old when was that surely from everlasting before the world was or they had a being they were ordained of God to this condemnation these places doth sufficiently evidence unto us the truth of the point that God from everlasting foreappointed some particulars amongst men to life and salvation and refused and
working of a change in him it will alter the corruption of his heart and turn him and make him a new man it will turn him from his stiffnesse and rebellion and make him pliable to the will of God and change him and bring him from the state of ignorance and unbelief rebellion and hardnesse of heart unto the state of saving faith saving knowledge and holy obedience to the will of God yea the Lord hath a time of calling and working upon the souls of men some at one hour some at another converting some at the third hour some at the sixth hour some at the ninth hour yea some at the eleventh hour Matth. 20.3 4 5. so that this must teach us not too rashly to condemn any man unconverted or uncalled Vse 2 Again Is this so that Gods eternal election is so powerful and so effectual as that it altereth the corruption of nature in time surely then upon this ground it followeth necessarily that a man may come to know and to be assured of it that he is one belonging to Gods election and that he is in particular in the number of Gods chosen would any man know it no doubt every man desireth it would any man know he belongeth to Gods election surely a man need not in this case to climb up into heaven and pry into the secret closet of the Lord and search the Court-Rolls of heaven whether he be there written or no no he may take a shorter course let him look into himself and dive into his own heart and soul try and examine how the case and state stands with him in respect of his own soul and if in his own soul he find that upon due tryal and examination this effect is wrought in him that he is now changed from what he was wont to be in his will in his affection in his mind and in the course of his life now not a drunkard or a proud person as he was wont to be now he is set out of the state of Ignorance and unbelief and disobedience to the will of God into the state of saving knowledge saving faith softnesse and pliablenesse to the will of God more particularly if so be now he find that he hath a new light set up in his mind his mind is inlightened with A glorious light by which he is able to understand the will of God and the wayes of God and the things of God which the natural man perceiveth not and he findeth his will disposed otherwise then it was heretofore he was stout and stubborn and disobedient to the will of God revealed in his Word but now he findeth in his heart plyableness yeelding to the Word of God no sooner can the Lord command a duty to be done but his heart answereth Lord this is my duty I ought to do it and I will certainly do it so when God forbiddeth a sin be it what it will be pride covetousnesse Sabbath-breaking he answereth I confesse it is my sin and I will forsake and leave it when the Lord forbiddeth his pride his garishnesse of apparel and long shaggy hair he will leave it off and also he findeth whereas it was odious and hateful for him to recapitulate and repeat the Word of God after publique exercises now he findeth it delightful to him and is made able in some measure he being truly set at liberty to follow the holy will of God or whatsoever the Lord revealeth in his Word he will imbrace the duty and omit and hate the sin be it whatsoever it will be here is a good evidence and upon this ground a man may certainly conclude that he belongeth to Gods election he yeeldeth obedience to all the Commandements of God no Commandement is hard unto him but he intirely yeeldeth to the whole though imperfectly Object Indeed the Papists deny this that a man in the time of this life can come to be assured that hr is in the state of grace and salvation by any ordinary course by Extraordinary course and Revelation they say he may but not by any ordinary course Answ Herein they are deceived for a man may by an ordinary course by secret examination of his own heart and will searching his Illumination Faith and Obedience he may know it infallibly Let us therefore hereby try and examine our selves and not presume that we belong unto God when indeed there is no such matter and never find this alteration and change wrought in our hearts and soules but men are the same to day as they were before still the same Ruffians yesterday the same to day Drunkards yesterday the same to day Sabbath-breakers the last Sabbath and Sabbath-breakers still And onely live as they are led by the light of Reason and the state of Nature to live a civil honest orderly life And for men or women upon this ground to perswade themselves that they thus belong unto Gods election they deceive themselves For there must be a further change wrought it is not thy civil honesty that will serve turn thou must have thy old rotten and corrupt heart taken out of thee Oh what striving will there be before that this be done but this thou must find even an alteration and a change that thou art now changed from the state of ignorance and unbelief into the state of saving knowledg and faith and obedience to the wole Will of God and then thou mayst conclude certainly I am in the number of Gods chosen if thou rest upon thy Civil honesty it is a rotten ground and foundation it will plunge thy soul into the bottom of hell when thou hast most need of comfort labour therefore to find this change wrought in thee Come we now to the thirteenth verse VERSE 13. As it is written Jacob have I loved But Esau have I hated OUr Apostle in this Verse maketh known whence it was that there should be such a great difference between these two brethren Jacob and Esau he giveth this reason of it namely that it was from the love of God to the one and Gods hatred of the other the Apostle citing a Text of Scripture to this purpose Mal. 1.2 3. so that in this verse our Apostle doth explain and expound the place of Genesis the elder shall serve the younger by this place of Malachy shewing the reason of the difference that it pleased God to put between these two brethren proceeding from Gods love and hatred In a word in this thirteenth verse there be two things in general to be considered First the Apostles citing of Scripture As it is written Secondly the testimony of Scripture which he alledgeth in the words following I have loved Iacob and hated Esau First in that he alledgeth Scripture As it is written yet the Apostle doth not cite either Book Chapter or Verse but putteth it down in the general whence I might stand to shew that we ought be so well acquainted with Scripture that when the text of Scripture
first of all from the first act of God that God hath mercy on whom he will the words being understood of the extending and reaching out of Gods mercy Here again the same point is offered unto us which before we handled in the 15. verse namely Doctrine That Gods mercy reached out and extended to his chosen is most free and voluntary it dependeth upon the free will of God and upon nothing else it dependeth upon nothing out of God but upon his meer love yet this point is not to be passed over without some further use and applicacation then heretofore was made Vse And for the Application of it we are to consider it as a guide and rule unto us in our shewing of mercy to our brethren in our reaching and extending of mercy here is a rule and guide to direct us Doth God extend and reach out his mercy to his chosen freely and voluntarily nothing moving him but his own free will and good love surely then we must thus do we must be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6.36 Now how is he merciful freely out of his own free love and mere goodnesse nothing moving him thereunto but his own free love thus must we do we must shew mercy and exercise the works of mercy towards our brethren freely not respecting their merits nor their deservings yea beloved our mercy and doing of good and the comfort we administer and yeeld to any either in word or in deed must proceed from the inward movings of our hearts and the yearning and tendernesse of our bowels towards those to whom we do any good out of pity and compassion towards them even as God doth freely nothing moving us thereunto in Esay 5.10 the Prophet saith if thou pour out thy soul to the hungry mark this you that are fast fisted the Lord doth not onely require the pouring out of food but of our very hearts and soules to feed the poor with the Affections of thy heart And indeed it is not an act of mercy pleasing to God that the Lord delighteth in that cometh either from our abundance and superfluity or else the importunity of those that are in great want and need nor yet from the example of others inviting us thereunto or for the desire of praise and seeking of Commendations amongst men that we would be well thought on no these are not works of mercy pleasing unto the Lord nor yet a work of mercy that is forced from men by some torture and torment to stop the mouth of an accusing and guilty conscience as for example when wicked rich men that are guilty to themselves how they have gotten their goods by evil meanes and have hoarded up abundance of wealth by the damnable sin of Usury by griping and oppressing the poor and such unlawful means And when they lye upon their death-bed gasping for breath then they are forced to bestow something to religious uses they give nothing before they dye but when they lye upon their death-bed and their Consciences flye up in their faces then they will give to an Hospital or an Almes-house or to the poor or Church to stop the mouth of the Conscience But this is no better then Sauls sacrifice of which we read in 1 Sam. 15. when he had transgressed the Commandement of God in reserving the best sheep and oxen he thought he would stop the mouth of the Lord with a Sacrifice so when men have gotten their goods by oppression and usury then when they are upon their death-beds then they will give unto the poor But the shewing of mercy that is pleasing unto God must come out of a tender and free heart as God is free in mercy so we must be free in exercising the works of mercy the works of mercy must come from the tendernesse of our hearts and without that surely all our shewing of mercy and doing of good though we build Hospitals as it is 1 Cor. 13.3 If I feed the poor with all my goods it is nothing without the heart the Lord looketh rather at the inward affections of the heart then the outward actions and duties of love and mercy 2 Cor. 9.7 every one as he is able must give not grudgingly because he is compelled to do it but the Lord loveth a cheerful giver And consider what moved the Lord to have mercy upon me or upon thee or upon any nothing so must we have mercy upon others freely and out of the tendernesse of our bowels pitying and commiserating their estate then thou art like unto God and this will yeeld thee true comfort else thy shewing of mercy is no better then Sauls sacrifice 1 Sam. 13. Again in that the Apostle faith God will have mercy upon whom he will The Apostle sheweth plainly that Gods shewing of mercy is indeed limited and reached out unto some and not unto others even to whomsoever it pleaseth him he hath mercy upon whom he will and not upon all the Apostles speech implyeth a limitation the point hence lyeth plain before us viz. That Gods will it is to extend and reach out his saving mercy Doctrine not to all men generally without exception of any but onely unto some amongst men The Lord out of his own free will and good pleasure doth extend and reach out his saving mercy in the act and exercise of it onely unto some amongst men and not to all men generally without exception And this may appear to be a truth by considering the saving mercies of God the mercies of God that are extended and reached out from the hand of God to men As first of all the saving mercy of Election unto life and glory it is according to the good will and pleasure of God extended and reached out onely unto some the Text is clear Ephesians 1.4 5. where the Apostle saith God hath chosen us not all the world but us in in Christ and hath Elected and Adopted us through Christ himself how according to the good pleasure of his will so also the saving mercy of God touching effectual Vocation and Calling it is according to the good will and pleasure of God extended to some amongst men in Matth. 11.25 I thank thee saith Christ O Father God of heaven and earth I thank thee that thou hast hid these things what things the saving comforts of the Gospel to be called to know thee through me thou hast hid these things from the wise and revealed them unto babes thou hast hid them from some and revealed them unto others and he subjoyneth even so it is O Father because it so pleaseth thee and in 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath called in by an holy calling according to his purpose and grace Rom. 3.24 we are Justified freely by the free grace of God without respect had to any thing in us thus the Holy Ghost speaketh in James 1.18 of Sanctification out of his own free will we are begotten and sanctified and renewed And touching Glorification the
work grace in the soules of men to mollifie and soften the hearts of men are vouchsafed and yet all are not softened but some continue in their hardnesse living under the means of softening because the powerful meanes of grace are uneffectual unlesse it please God to put life unto them and to give efficacy by the work of his grace Now the Lord is pleased sometimes to withhold his saving and softening grace from men and to inflict hardnesse upon them as a Judgment and then no marvel it is that they continue in their hardnesse and sins and stiffe-neckednesse And beloved upon this ground the Preachers and Ministers of the Word may stay themselves when they see that after their labour and pains taking with the soules of men they see little or no fruit of their labour he seeth that the profit of the same Word delivered by him to one and the same people is so divers and different that some are bettered by it and yeeld obedience to it and do according to it and some do clean contrary unto it it is a savour of life unto some and a savour of death unto others thus it was in Exod. 9.20 21. with the preaching of Moses those whom God gave grace unto yeelded others yeelded not The Lord is pleased sometimes to withhold his softening grace from men and to leave them to themselves And beloved the Lord commonly dealeth thus with hypocrites and such as come unto the means of grace onely out of form and of fashion and of custome and are asleep when they come unto it they come without any longing desire to profit by the means they have no more desire to profit by it then the seats they sit upon then when they so come without a desire to profit and onely for form and fashion then the Lord suffereth them to go on in blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart that though they hear a hundred Sermons yet they are dull and dead and have no more good by them then the seats in the Church And hereby the Minister may cheer up himself that the Lord hath hardened their hearts and will not suffer them to profit by the means but permits them to post on the way to hell Is this so that Gods will is to harden some amongst the sons of men and Vse 2 inflict hardening upon their hearts how are they then to magnifie the goodnesse of God to them to whom the Lord hath given soft and melting hearts and such as are flexible pliable and yeelding to the will of God in the admonitions and threatenings of it yea such a heart as good Josiah had in 2 Chr. 24.27 that when he heard the Book of the Law read his heart melted and dissolved with tears so dost thou when thou hearest the threatenings and denunciations of the Word against thee tremble and is thy heart humbled when thou hearest the sweet comforts of the Word of God even as the matter is so is thy heart affected if matter of comfort thou rejoycest if matter of threatening thou art humbled yea though it be against a sin thou art not guilty of when thou hearest the threatenings of God against sins thou art not guilty of thou tremblest considering he is a just God thy heart is flexible pliable the text is clear in Ezek. 36.25 26. Here we find that those whom the Lord doth please to justifie and sanctifie and to pour the clean waters upon their soules and to cleanse them from the filthinesse of their sins to them he giveth a heart of flesh this is a work of God vouchsafed to such that God doth cleanse mollifie even a flexible plyable and yeelding heart to the Word of God and the means of grace and of salvation Oh hast thou such a heart blesse God for it this is a special mercy of God for of all the plagues that befall men in this world hardnesse of heart is the worst none worse then that that is the most dreadful so softnesse of heart assuredly is a special blessing of God and given to none but those whom God loveth Oh then labour to have this bowing bending yeelding heart to the good hand of God labour to cheer it up and to have a plyable heart yeelding not stubborn and to that end use these meanes that may mollifie thee more and more namely be frequent and often in hearing and reading of the holy Word of God and when thou hast heard and read it second it by meditation Oh what enemies are they that hear the Word and do not respect to call to mind what they have heard but let it slip away and secondly be often and frequent in thinking upon the sweet and comfortable mercies of God in Jesus Christ that will soften thy heart and keep it soft the heart of the prodigal when it began to relent to yeeld and to be moved and to come to himself and to consider the tendernesse and love of his gracious Father Oh saith he I am a poor wretch here and an outcast but I have a good father I have sinned against heaven and against thee Luke 15.17 18. he will entertain and receive me again so the consideration of the tender mercies of Christ Jesus to consider what the Lord hath done for thee hath he not vouchsafed his mercy in Christ Jesus And last of all be thou earnest above all be earnest with God in prayer that he would be pleased to vouchsafe unto thee the Spirit of grace and of softening and continue in thy breast a soft heart Oh Lord never suffer me to be given over to hardnesse of heart Lord keep this heart of mine soft plyable and yeelding to the Word of God Thus we are to hear it and to read it and to meditate upon it and to pray unto God to keep the heart in us for it is the greatest blessing of God that can befall a man in this world as hardnesse of heart is a great curse so softnesse is a great blessing therefore labour for to get and increase it VERSE 19. Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will OUr Apostle having cleared God from the imputation of inconstancy and of unfaithfulnesse in his promises notwithstanding the rejection of the Jewes for the body of them from the sixth verse of this Chapter to the 14. verse and having proved from the 14 verse to the 19. verse that God is not unjust in that he hath out of his own absolute good will and pleasure chosen some to life and salvation and hath passed by and rejected others and that without respect had to any thing in them or foreseen in them having I say cleared God from this slander He now in this 19. verse falleth upon a new and a further Cavil and reasoning of the flesh namely such a Cavil as doth charge God with no lesse then cruelty and with Tyrannical dealing with some men and from this the Apostle cleareth God also Now
tumbleth down into them Hence it is that the Lord Jesus in Acts 9.15 speaking of Saul afterwards called Paul saith unto Ananias that his purpose was to send him unto the Gentiles and he calleth him a chosen vessel a vessel fit to receive grace and to bear the Name of Christ to all Nations And of the reprobate Heathen the Apostle saith in Romans 1.29 God gave them up to a reprobate sence to receive the fulnesse of all uncleannesse when the Lord did poure out the tokens of his wrath they were full of all uncleannesse And also the Apostle speaketh of the reprobate Jewes in 1 Thess 2.15 16. That they killed the Lord Jesus and their owne Prophets persecuted us and they are contrarie to all men and they forbid us to preach to the Gentiles and they fill up the measure of their sins because the wrath of God is come upon them unto the uttermost Vse Vessels of mercie how known This being so that Gods Elect are Vessels fit to receive mercy and the reprobate vessels to reeeive all manner of filthinesse and uncleannesse then learn we to trie our selves whether we be the vessels of mercie or no I conceive well of you and every one conceiveth well of himself then trie whether we be in the number of Gods vessels of mercie or no looke to thy own heart and soul If thou finde the Heavenly liquour the Heavenly moysture of Faith Repentance Love to God love to his Children a care to please God a desire to feare God Humilitie Patience and all other adorning Graces here then is comfort but if thou find thou art an ignorant person ignorant of the wayes of God hard hearted thou art full of Pride Hypocrisie self love a desire of earthly things thou art a vessel of wrath and fitted to destruction and if thou goe on and remain unreclaimed though I will not determine of thy final estate if thou so live and die thou art appointed unto everlasting destruction trie then thy selfe which of these thou art deal truely with thy selfe and by that which floweth from thee thou maiest know it as a bottle of sweet water sendeth forth a sweet savour so if thou have this heavenly moisture of grace and of sanctification in thee it sendeth forth holy and gracious words thou canst speak comfort to those that are sick it sendeth forth sweet Actions of love to God mercie and justice to men thou art readie to every good work Now then to conclude If we have these sweet graces in our hearts it shall spring up to everlasting life as in John 4.14 It will ever be ejaculating and casting up and springing unto life and as a stream of water will rise as high as the fountains so will grace now the head of this fountain where is it in Heaven thither will thy grace climbe and thou shalt certainly bee saved but if otherwise woe bee unto thee thou art in a miserable estate What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known indured with long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction COme we now to the proposition What if God willing to suffer the wicked for a long time to escape his punishing hand and thus forbearing towards men what if the Lord be thus patient when he might strike them suddenly down and send them unto Hell Now then this propoposition laid down thus before us by way of interrogation What if the Lord would thus spare them doth note unto us this position or conclusion viz. That God is very patient toward sinners yea even towards the Reprobates Doct. 2 God is not onely patient in forbearing as we have it in 1 Pet. 3.9 But he also beareth with wicked and ungodly persons though they goe on adding sinne unto sinne provoking him to wrath and to their destruction daily when he might suddenly send them to the pit of Hell And for proofe of this we have not onely evidence here but in Psalme 50. The Psalmist bringeth in God speaking to the wicked and ungodly and expressing their wicked and lewd behaviour from the 16. verse to the 21. verse in this manner that they hate to be reformed cast the Word of God behind them run with the adulterer and the theefe sit with the slanderer and joyn hands with all manner of wicked persons and no sinne came amisse unto them And then he subjoyneth these things hast thou done and I held my peace forbearing to punish thee and was patient towards thee while thou rannest on in all manner of sinnes thus patient and thus forbearing was the Lord toward Cain that wicked reprobate who as the Text saith in 1 John 3.1 Was of that evil one the Devil that slew his brother yet he having done this vile act and villanie in shedding of innocent bloud the Lord was patient with him and suffered him still to live the Lord suffered him to grow rich and wealthie to beget children and to be the father of a great Nation thus patient was the Lord with him and thus patient was the Lord with Saul to Judas to Herod though they were branded and marked for Reprobates the Lord suffered them to live a long time and as we have it in Acts 14.16 saith the Lord he suffered the Gentiles to walke in their own wayes and that for many thousand yeares together and yet the Lord was patient with them in their grosse idolatrie and did suffer them many thousand yeares to continue in their sinnes and in Acts 13.18 Paul saith that the Lord suffered the evil manners of the people of Israel fourtie yeares in the Wildernesse together And beloved the Lord doth not onely forbear to punish wicked and ungodly persons and reprobates whilest they are sinning against him and provoking him but so abundant in mercie and goodnesse is the Lord that he suffereth them to enjoy many outward good things as we see in Esau the Lord permitted him to enjoy many outward good things yea he was the father of many sonnes of many Dukes many great and mightie men in the world yea wicked Ahab who sold himselfe to work wickednesse in the fight of the Lord 1 Kings 21. Of whom the Text saith in 1 Kings 16.30 He did worse then all that were before him and in the 33. verse it is said he provoked the Lord God of Israel more to anger then all the Kings of the people that had been before him he sold himself to work wickednesse yet the Lord suffered him to enjoy a flourishing Kingdome for a long time in the 29. verse He was the King of Israel two and twentie yeares together yea come but to our own experience and we may see it many wicked vile abominable sinners are advanced to high dignitie and worldly promotion and the Lord powred upon them an overflowing cup of worldly glorie and they have good successe in everie thing they put their hands unto and they enjoy an overflowing cup though they be gracelesse and wicked persons
every one will say so we are therefore to look unto it that we be thankful unto him indeed how shall we know that we may know it by this if so be we find that we are truly thankful unto God for his mercy unto us in outward good things and thereby we are moved to walk humbly before the Lord and the more the Lord openeth his hand and giveth good things unto us the more we do prove thankful unto him and walk before him humbly Mich. 6.8 and then we may assure our selves we are truly thankfull But on the contrary part if so be we find that we are not thankfull unto God for the things of this life but after the manner of the world the more the Lord doth open his hand unto us and give them riches the more they increase in pride in vanity in scorn in disdain and contempt of others because we are richer then others therefore we will be prouder then others and disdain and scorn our brethren let us pretend what we will we can never make it good that we are thankful unto God as David in 2 Sam. 7.18 considering the mercy of God in advancing him to the Kingdom saith O what am I that the Lord should vouchsafe such a mercy unto me so where that spirit is that was in David it will cause thee to be thankful unto God for every bit of bread and not to be proud and scornful considering it cometh from the free mercy of God so that this doctrine is not a doctrine of liberty but it is a special means of thankfulnesse to stirre us up to be truly thankful unto God VERSE 24. Even us whom he hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles OUr Apostle in this Verse entreth upon the third and last part of this Chapter and the sum and substance of this part is a declaration of that great work of calling the Gentiles and refusing and rejecting the Jewes which was foretold by the Prophets and this from the 24 verse to the end of the Chapter and the Apostle falleth upon this matter upon occasion of that which he put down in the Verse foregoing that the vessels of mercy are prepared of God unto glory now he descendeth from the general to the particular and that which he had before spoken in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the general he applyeth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the particular and he sheweth who they are that he had ordained to mercy and they are the called of God the elect of God calling being an effect of Gods predestination and a fruit and effect of Gods eternal election and the Apostle doth appropriate this to the particulars Even us whom he hath called and he reduceth it to the subjects of it Jewes and Gentiles and he putteth down that distribution touching the subjects of Gods calling not barely but if you mark it very cautelously and very warily that his distribution might be free from all manner of exception for he saith not us whom he hath called Jewes and Gentiles but even us whom he hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles and now because Gods calling of the Gentiles it was a thing odious and hateful to the Jewes a thing seeming very absurd and incredible the calling of such as were dogs and without therefore the Apostle dwelleth upon this point and confirmeth it by a double testimony out of the Prophet Hosea in the 25. and 26. verses and then after this the Apostle doth further amplifie the calling of the Gentiles by an Antithesis by the rejection of the Jewes and that not of the body of the Jewes but a remnant of the Jewes onely and this our Apostle also confirmeth by a double Testimony out of the Prophet Isaiah in the 27 28 and 29. verses And last of all the Apostle maketh a Collection and he putteth it down by way of Answer to an Objection that might be made touching the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jewes from the 30. verse to the end of the Chapter Now then to come to the particular handling of the 24. verse In this verse for the general matter contained in it we may observe two things First an instance given by the Apostle touching the persons that are vessels of mercy prepared of God unto glory he instanceth in himself and others who are called even us And secondly a distribution of the subjects of this calling Jewes and Gentiles the Apostle ranging the subjects of Gods calling into these two sorts Jewes and Gentiles and he putteth it down so warily and so cautelously that no Objection might be made against it not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles There is no great difficulty in the words Even us whom he hath called Or according to the text Original those whom he hath called namely us whom he hath called that is whom God hath called now Gods calling it is an act of his eternal love whereby he doth please to call and invite men to salvation this is the definition of Gods calling in the notion and generality For when men are called by the preaching of the Word and the Ministry thereof and they hear it onely with the ears of their body that is the external and outward calling they are called to come to hear and obey and they hear it and answer not as Christ speaketh Matth. 16.20 many are called but few are chosen or else Gods calling is inward and effectual namely this when men are called by the voyce of God and the preaching of it and they answer to it their hearts answer they are called effectually by the working of the holy Spirit which bringeth them from Ignorance and unbelief to true knowledge and faith in Christ and they are called out of darknesse into a marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 the holy Spirit of God doth bend their hearts to yeeld to the call of the Lord to receive the promise of mercy offered unto them and he doth cause them to yeeld to the will of God revealed in their hearts and lives this is Gods effectual calling and this is the calling here meant not of the Jewes onely That is not those onely who are descended of the line of Abraham of Jacob and of Israel but of the Gentiles also Which was indeed a hard thing for the Jewes to believe that is even us who are descended of another line and come of another nation of the world and are termed Gentiles and are aliens from the Common wealth of Israel even us who are strangers from God Ephes 1.12 so that we may easily conceive the purpose of the Apostle here to be this viz. Even us whom God hath called effectually and by the work of his Spirit brought from ignorance and unbelief even us whom he hath wrought upon by the preaching of his Word and made it effectual for our calling to believe in him even us not onely us who have descended according
as Conscience doth enlighten them that will bring to Life and Salvation no Familist or Anabaptist can have any assurance that they shall have Salvation But if we would have assured Evidence that cannot deceive us we must seek for the proofe of it in our hearts and soules in our effectual Calling see here what evidence of grace we have then we need not in this case to climbe up unto Heaven to search the Court-Rols of Heaven but we may take a shorter cut looke into thy owne Charter drawne out with the bloud of Christ in thy heart and therein looke to Gods effectual Calling to the Evidence of grace in thine own soul and that wil Evidence thee of thy Election and that thou art in the number of those that are Gods Chosen and herein I desire that everie one wil deale truely with his owne heart and soul Haste thou answered the voyce of God God calleth upon thee in his Word to come out of thy Ignorance and thy unbeliefe and other known sinnes tel me and deale faithfully Art thou wrought upon by the Word of God Doest thou come out of thy ignorance and thy blindenesse of minde by a through change from evil to good is the course of thy sinnes broken off thy pride thy drunkennesse thy usurie Hast thou thus answered the Call of God and hath the Word had a kindely workeing upon thy soule Romans 6.17 Doest thou finde sweetnesse in the Consolations of the Word of God and doest thou yield obedience to it in all things in one thing as well as in another Not onely in some things but in all things that God requireth yea in those things that doe most of all crosse thy owne humour Doest thou finde that the lusts of thy owne heart are curbed and ordered and doest thot finde that thou art now brought to love God to love his Children to love his Messengers to love the instrument of thy Calling If thou hast these things in thee thou art effectually called and being effectually called thou art a man or a woman that shall certainly be saved my soule for thine thou shalt come to Heaven all the Devils in Hell cannot deprive thee of it Oh then let every one trie above all things their effectual Calling which will assure them of salvation and be an infallible Evidence for their Election Even us whom he hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles Vse 2 IS it so that effectual Vocation doth prove unto men infallibly their Election and salvation in Heaven doubtless then effectual calling must needs be a ground of sweet and excellent and heavenly comfort unto the soules of all those that are indeed effectually Called Hast thou then good Evidence of thy effectual Calling Art thou sure that God hath wrought upon thee by the power of his Spirit That he hath brought thee by the preaching of the Word out of thy natural estate of ignorance and unbelief to true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ Oh then comfort thy self thou hast cause to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Peter 1.8 For this sealeth up unto thee this comfort that thou art one whom God loved from everlasting from all Eternitie before this world was that thou art one redeemed by Jesus Christ that thou art justified in the sight of God and acquitted and freed from the guilt and punishment of all thy sins and that they shal never be laid to thy charge for effectual calling and justification joyn hands together it giveth thee assurance thou art acquitted from all thy sinnes both past present and to come and shalt as certainly goe to Heaven as if thou wert already in Heaven and all the power of hell shal never be able to prevail against thee therefore thou art in a most happie condition Object But here happily some may say here is a sweet ground of excellent comfort we must needs confess if so be a man be effectually called and truely believe in Christ but alas say the Papists a man cannot know whether he hath the Spirit of God working in him or no he may have a false spirit neither can a man tell whether he doth truely believe in Christ or no. Now therefore to remove this stumbling stock of the Papists Answ we must consider that the Spirit of God is compared to fire Matthew 3.11 He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire and it is compared to the blowing of the wind Joh 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth c. So are all that be born of the Spirit thereby giving us to understand that as sensibly as a living man may perceive the burning of the fire and feel the blowing of the winde so sensibly may a Child of God perceiue in himself the working of the holy Spirit of God And indeed it is the very office of the Spirit of God to teach Gods Children to know the things of God so saith the Apostle expresly 1 Cor. 2.12 We saith the Apostle have not received the spirit of the world but we have received the Spirit of God whereby we know the good things that are given us of God He teacheth us to know our Hope our Faith and a good life it is the office of the Spirit and he will certainly perform his Office And beloved did not the Apostle know on whom he had believed 1. Tim. 2.12 I know on whom I have believed and cannot a Childe of God know assuredly that he truely believeth in Christ by the works and fruits of his faith purifying his heart working in him a love to God and his Children Gal. 5.6 because they bear his Image may not he certainly conclude true faith worketh by love Object Oh but say the Papists for all this a man cannot know whether he truly love God or no Do you say they prove your faith by your love Answ This is more foolish then the other for if one man love another he knoweth it and in what measure he loveth him and cannot a Child of God that layeth aside all earthly pleasures and denieth himself and standeth for Christ and his Gospel to the shedding of his bloud and yet not know whether he loveth God or no surely then Christ did ask of Peter a very idle and frivolous question which were blasphemie to think in John 21.15 Peter lovest thou me Peter might have said Lord thou knowest no man can tel whether he love thee or no but Peter saith Lord thou knowest that I love thee so that a man may truely know whether he loveth God or no and so be assured of his effectual calling I but say the Papists grant this Object that a Childe of God may know the good things given him of God and may know Gods love for the present and know himself in the state of grace yet here is a point you littlc think of sc he cannot be sure of his salvation unless he hold out unto the end And herein they contradict the plain
to God by prayer as thy Father which is in heaven but as a God ready to pour out his wrath and vengeance clothed with Justice and Judgement yea thou canst not hear the voyce of God against thee Oh that Civil honest persons would but consider this their miserable estate and condition thou wouldest be so far from being pleased with thy self in respect of thy estate and so far from blessing thy self therein that thou wouldest fall a bewailing of thy miserable estate and condition in considering thy case is miserable and damnable Again in that the Apostle saith I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved hence we may observe thus much viz. Doctrine That the called of God such as are wrought upon by the Spirit of God and the preaching of the Word hath a kindly working upon their soules they are in a most happy peaceable and blessed condition besides this the Scripture setteth their estate out in many notable places in Ephes 2. saith the Apostle they are made near unto God whereas before God was an angry Judge now they are at peace with God yea at peace with all the creatures of God yea the very stones in the streets and beasts in the field are at peace with them yea such as are in the estate of grace they may have accesse to the Throne of grace to see the face and favour of God with boldnesse they may come into the house of God with comfort and joy and rejoycing they may eat bread at the Lords Table and feed on the Gospel yea they may praise God for assurance of happinesse hereafter yea the Scripture maketh known that they are dear unto the Lord of heaven and he maketh special account and reckoning of them they are a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.9 yea they are the sheep of his pasture the Saints of God and of his Family they are of Gods Houshold Ephes 2.19 they are dear and tender to him as the apple of his eye he that toucheth them toucheth the very apple of his eye Zach 2.8 yea they are the Lords own proper inheritance Deut. 32.9 all the world is the Lords but his people are his inheritance Vse If this be so how ought we to seek and labour to find our selves in this estate out of the estate of Nature if we find our selves in this estate we are beloved of God to the acceptation of our persons our good works and services yea our weak and imperfect service are pleasing unto God through Christ yea we are in such a blessed estate and condition that nothing can make us miserable how should this affect our hearts for if a child of God were in hell and within the compasse of Gods love he were in a blessed estate whereas otherwise though they were in heaven and yet not beloved of God thy case would be miserable Oh what a blessed condition is a Child of God in And as the Heathen man saith If thou didst see the beauty of vertue thou wouldest desire it above all so if thou didst but see the beauty and lustre of Gods love it would make thee admire it and to labour to get out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace and then happy art thou for thou hast right and title to everlasting happinesse and assured possession of heaven As he saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved And it shall come to passe in the place where it was said unto them You are not my people There shall they be called the Children of the living God WE are now to come to stand upon the last of these two verses the 26. verse where we see the Apostle doth double his testimony and doth bring two places both of them to one and the same purpose one of them had been sufficient but he bringeth two and indeed doubling of speeches in Scripture is not idle nor superfluous but it is of excellent use and purpose it serveth both for more certainty and for more plainnesse and perspicuity in Gen. 41.32 Joseph said unto Pharaoh his dream was doubled and why because the thing should certainly come to passe so likewise it maketh things more evident plain and perspicuous as in Phil. 3.1 The Apostle saith It grieveth not me to write unto you the same things again for they are sure and certain The point needs not to be inlarged onely I note it to teach us that we must double our regard and our respect of things that are often repeated and often beaten upon in the holy Scripture God having a mouth to speak we must have an ear to hear a mind to attend and a heart to yeeld obedience unto him and the Lord doubling his speech and repeating the same things again we must double our hearing double our apprehension and double our care to profit by it and make use accordingly As in particular Doth the Lord double his threats against thy sins hast thou often heard of thy particular sinnes thy drunkennesse thy whoredome thy pride thy Sabbath-breaking thy Usury hast thou heard of it again and again hath the Lord directed his Ministers to denounce his Judgements often against thee for thy sinnes Oh then it behoveth thee to double thy care and respect in reforming of thy sinnes hath the Lord often threatned thee for thy pride thy garishnesse in apparel and is it not amended certainly the Lord will deal with thee proportionably thou resistest the holy Spirit of God that hath doubled his threatenings against thee for thy sinnes and thou not amending but going on he will certainly one day double his plagues and Judgments upon thee without reformation Now touching the matter of the Apostles speech And it shall be in the place where it was said they are not my people there they shall be called my people Here we see the Lord doth set forth the Calling of the Gentiles by the circumstance of the place the meaning is as if the Lord had said In those Nations those Kingdoms those Countries of the world where I have none that do fear nor worship me nor are called by the name of my people but are Heathen and Pagans there will I raise up some to call upon me and to offer unto me So that we may see that Gods calling of men to the estate of grace it respecteth no place but in any place in any Countrey of the World the Lord will call them in due time but this point for the substance we have formerly handled But hence we may gather briefly thus much viz. That distinction of place in regard of holinesse Doctrine is now taken away in the time of the New Testament it is now abolished one place is not now holier then another but in every nation in every place God will have people to worship him neither is the worship of God now
the Lord would bring these people to a smal number He decreeth that this consumption which God hath determined he will bring upon them for their sinnes shall overflow them and they shal be as unable to stand against them as a poore thinne weake bridge is unable to stand against a stiffe stream and a strong runing swelling water it shal overthrow them as a river overflowing the bankes doth bear all things before it Now the Apostle following the Translation of the Septuagint with which the Romans were best acquainted expresseth it in these words That hc will make vp his account and draw it to a short summe in righteousnesse that is by making account and drawing it to a short summe we are to understand that the Lord would bring that consumption which he had decreed and that speedily and make a short worke and a short businesse of the matter for the word Logon may as well signifie a short work as a short word for hee will make a short worke of the businesse and we are also here to consider the extent of this consumption that as it shall be speedy and swift and they shal be soon wasted so that few of them should be left that they should be as trees in a grove which a Childe may tell Esay 10.19 For the Lord will make a short account in the earth hereby we are to understand that the Lord would bring this consumption and finish this work in the very midst of the earth in the very bowels and chiefest part of the Kingdome Esay 10.25 Now then thus receive we briefly the meaning of the words of these two verses Esaias the Prophet he also speaketh plainly and boldly concerning the people of Israel in this manner that though the Number of the Children of Israel were an exceeding great Number a Numberlesse Multitude yet but a few of them should return from the Captivitie of Babilon and return to God and repent of their sinnes and be saved eternally for so saith the Prophet The Lore he hath purposed and decreed and appointed to bring that sinneful Nation of the Jewes to a very small remnant and Number Yea finishing the great work of their Consumption speedily and extending it so farre as that a smal Number shal be left for the Lord will finish his work in the very heart and midst and principal part of the Land thus we are to conceive the meaning of the Prophet scited by the Apostle Come we now to instructions First of all observe we that the Apostle here bringeth in the Prophet Esayias speaking not barely of the rejection of the Jewes but also crying of it speaking with the extension of his voice he speaketh boldly plainly and to the purpose proclaiming it to the purpose that though their number were never so great even as the sand upon the Sea shore he would destroy them though doubtlesse this was a very harsh and unpleasing message yea the delivering of it was like to bring many about his eares what Esaias shall few of us be saved yet we see the Prophet Esaias uttereth it boldly without fear or fainting I tell you to your faces that though your number were as the Sea shore yet but a few of you shall be saved see how bold and plain the Prophet is in delivering this message so harsh and hard Hence we may observe this instruction viz. Doct. That Ministers and Preachers of the Word in executing their Office and Ministery with plainnesse and boldnesse must deliver the Messages of God to the people though they seem never so harsh or hard or rather thus That it is the part and duetie of Ministers to be plain That it is the part and duetie of Ministers to be plain and bold with their hearers and to tell them of the estate and danger that they see and discern them to be in upon good grounds without feare or fainting though their hearers fret and storme and flie in their faces yet they must be bold and plain as in Esay 58.1 Crie aloud saith the Lord spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet tell my people of their transgressions and the House of Israel their sinnes See how earnest the Lord is Be thou bold crie out and tell my people of their transgressions and the danger which they are in by reason of their sinnes though they be never so much incensed And in Matthew 3. from the seventh to the thirteenth you shall finde that John the Baptist dealt thus roundly with the people Oh generation of Vipers a viperous brood how will ye escape the damnation of Hell and flie from the danger to come And he telleth them unlesse they did repent and bring forth fruits worthie amendment of their lives and had better footing and ground for their comfort then this that they were the Children of Abraham by Nature he telleth them that they should be as rotten and fruitlesse trees and should be hewen down with the Axe of Gods vengeance and throwne into the fire Nay they should be as chaffe burnt with unquenchable fire thus also dealt the Apostle Peter with Simon Magus Acts 8.22 23. Simon Magus would by the power of conferring the Holy Ghost upon others with money but Peter saith unto him Oh repent of this and pray God if it be possible that the very thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee for I say thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie and thy case is fearful and damnable and thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this work and thus Ministers of the Word are to do in their preaching of the Word with their hearers and people and to tell them plainly and boldly the estate and danger in which they discern them to be upon good ground though their hearers be incensed and inraged against them Because God requireth it and the Office of the Ministry it self calleth Reason 1 for this duty for God hath made his Ministers Watch-men and given them the oversight of his people Heb. 5.17 And also in Ezek. 33.7 the Lord saith unto his Prophet O Son of man I have made thee a watch-man thou shalt receive the word at my mouth and admonish my people And if I say unto a wicked man O wicked man thou shalt dye the death and if the watch-man do not give him warning and admonish him of the danger he shall dye in his iniquity but his blood shall be required at thy hands Because plain and bold dealing in the preaching of the Word is of excellent use it stirreth up and quickeneth mens attention it helps the understanding and maketh them the sooner understand and the better perceive yea with the blessing of God this plain and bold dealing it hammereth the heart and worketh upon the Conscience it doth leave a wonderful deep impression in the soules of men and it stoppeth the mouthes of men that they have nothing to say for themselves so that it is the duty of Ministers to