te mihi in perpetuum sine ulla interjecta vel penitentiae vel fidei conditione absolutissime ait desponsabo te c. hujusmodi autem absolutissimae promissiones ad solos veros et secundum spirituÌ„ Israelitas i. e. Electos pertinent ergo haec est perfectissima et absolutissima Evangelica promissio Zanch. in Hos 2. v. 21 22. Statuens Dei gratiam eo luculentiorem hominibus explicatam esse quod suis non foedus sed Testamentum dederit quia faedus conditiones mutuas fuisset habiturum quas si altera pars non prestet faedus est irritum Testamentum vero liberalitatis et gratiae citra ullam conditionem instrumentum est ex quo haeredes instituuntur citra contemplationem ullius officii quod ab ipsis proficisci possit Junius in Heb. 8. Sic Amesius Coron de perseverant At ubi quaeso sacrarum literarum quoties nostra renovatio sanctificatio ad paenitentiam revocatio spiritui sancto attribuitur vel levissima mentio fit conditionis Jer. 31. hoc est faedus c. etiam omnem voluntatem Dei esse absolutam nullam autem conditionalem demonstravit variis argumentis Tho. Bradward de causa Dei Lib. 2. Twiss Vindiciae gratiae prefat Sect. 8. not so Zanchy not so Junius not so Dr. Ames not so some of our own And those that do say so say also That Faith and Repentance are also promised in the Covenant which comes to the same in Effect with what I now say They mean also That Faith is that Grace whereby we are justified and that we cannot be saved without Faith and Repentance which I grant * The manner of Expressing the forementioned Promises of the new Covenant is absolute so as God undertaketh to perform them all I wil put my Law into your minds I wil be to them a God All shal know me I wil be merciful unto their sins hereby it is manifest that the Priviledges of the New Covenant are absolutely promised to be performed on Gods part It is God that justifieth Rom. 8.33 Sanctification is absolutely promised Ezek. 36.25 so the parts thereof Mortification Rom. 6.14 Vivification Rom. 8.11 Perseverance 1 Cor. 1.8 Object Is also the condition of Faith and Repentance required by the new Covenant Mark 1.15 Answ He that requireth the condition promiseth also to work it in us Dr. Gonge Heb. 8. Naturae legum et conditionum prescriptarum omnino conveniens est ut voluntatas judicis à conditione postulata et prestita moveatur ad praemium Grevinchovius but they do not say that there is any condition in the Wil of God moving or determining it but a Condition in the thing willed But the Remonstrants make a Condition of the Covenant in reference to the Wil of God which is the thing I deny and have disproved al this while I grant there is a Conditional Promise but then God hath promised that Condition in some other Scripture which they deny I grant that we are justified upon our beleeving but then God hath promised Faith too which they deny I grant a Condition may be rei volitae of the thing willed but nulla est conditio voluntatis Divinae there is no condition of the Divine Wil they affirm it I grant that one benefit of the Death of Christ doth follow another and one may be the cause of the other but our Lord and Savior Christ did not die conditionally nor merit any thing for us conditionally those that he died for he merited Grace and Holiness for to be given out to them without al conditions and therefore if he died for al men he must needs lose his Purchase a thing most unsatisfying to the heart of Christ yet this is the first-born of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption Now therefore as you desire to stand free from al those Opinions that are unsavory to the heart of Christ take heed of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption Yet further Vse 2. Secondly If Christ wil certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied then here you may see the reason why we cannot be satisfied with that Opinion of the Saints Apostacy this also is unsatisfying to the heart of Christ Can a man be satisfied in seeing and feeling one of his own Members torn from his Body Can a man delight in seeing that Leg or Arm which was once the Member of his Body burning in the fire Surely Christ cannot Christs Love is not like to ours Non amat tanquam osurus Those whom he loves once he doth love to the end once in Christ and for ever in Christ once loved by Christ and for ever loved by him Whom God hath called them he hath also justified and whom he hath justified them he hath also glorified Rom. 8. This is the Fathers Will saith Christ John 6.39 that of all that he hath given me I should lose none and verse 37. he saith All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me It seems therefore that there are some whom the Father hath given unto Christ and that before they beleeve their Faith being the Fruit and Consequent of this Gift therefore there is a particular Election of some and that Election is not upon a fore-fight of Faith but a cause thereof 2. Our Savior tels us here That all those that are given him shall come to him that is they shal beleeve therefore it is not in our power to resist the Grace of God with an over-coming resistance the converting Grace of God is irresistible 3. He saith here That al those that are given him shal come to him therefore al his Seed and Children whom he travelled with and died for shal come to him and bâ—leeve on him for those that the Father hath given him are his Children Heb. 2.13 But al the men of the World do not come to him therefore they are not his Seed and Children therefore he never travelled with them therefore he did not die for al particular men 4. Our Savior tels us here plainly that when men do come to him he wil lose none of them but saith he I wil raise them up at the last day verse 39. And lest any should doubt of this Truth he speaks yet more plainly tels us that those who do come are such as beleeve on him and then for more assurance repeats the Promise verse 40. saying This is the Will of him which sent me That every one that seeth the Son and I beleeveth on him may have everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day Surely therefore that Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy is unsound yea al the four Doctrines of the Arminians are by this one Scripture plainly refuted but especially that of the Saints Apostacy It is a Doctrine not only uncomfortable to the Saints but unsatisfying to the heart of Christ For he shal see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied Seeing therefore that he travelled for their Salvation he
the notion of them for there is a knowledg of things in the notion of them which wicked men may have and there is a knowledg of the things themselves which the Saints and People of God have But may not a good mans Eyes Quest be held from this Scripture-Light Answ 1 Yes in somethings But though his Eyes be held it is only quo ad hoc as to this or that Truth in particular When he is converted and brought home to Gâ—d thâ—n are his eyes said to be opened then is he â—nointed with the Unction of the Holy One and doth know al things necessary unto his Salvation yet as Hagars eyes though open were held thâ—m seeing the Fountain of Water that was by her when she said I will not see the death of my Child so a good mans eyâ—s may be open yet they may be held quo ad hoc as to this or that Truth or way but though they be held yet I say it is but quo ad hoc not in regard of all Though a good mans eyes may beheld from some part of this Scripture-Light yet if he be in health and not under some Temptation and Spiritual sickness he doth not shut his own Eyes against any Scripture-Light A sick man wil not endure the opening of the Window or Case yea but if a man be in health Set open the Window saith he that light may come in though some smoak do come in withal I 'le venture and hazard the smoak for light I must have and I cannot be without it So if a man be in health for his â—oul he cal for the opening of the Windows possibly some Errors and Smoak may come in with Light and Truth yet set the Windows open saith he But iâ— sickly and weak he is so afraid of Errors and Smoak that he dares not endure the means of further Light but even turns his back and shuts his Eyes against some Scripture-Light but a good man in health doth not so Though a good mans Eyes may be held from some Scripture-Light and Truth insomuch as he may be in the darkness or some ignorance yet he knows more than he is able to utter and he feels more than he can speak A knowing learned man it may be can utter more of the Scripture than he feels but a good man feels more than he can utter And though some Scripture Truths may be hidden from him somtimes yet he hath his intervals of light As with a man in travel When he comes upon such or such an Hill or Mountain he sees the Steeples and Pinacles of the Town which he is going to then he comes into a Valley and he loseth the sight of them again then he comes again to another Hill and then he sees them again So in our Journey or travel to Heaven we see such and such Truths to day then we come into a Valley and we lose the sight of them then God raises our hearts again and we see them again Thus the Saints have their intervals of sight And though a good man may be in the dark yet God doth not leave him so as it is in the darkness of Fears so in al other darkness Matth. 28. ye read that when Christ rose from the dead the stone was rowled away from the Sepulchre and they that were about it were in great fear There were keepers of the Sepulchre whom the Jews had set to watch the same and there were the Godly women waiting for the Resurrection both were in fear and in great fear But the Angel appears to Mary and the good women saying Fear not ye ye seek Jesus he is risen he is not here fear not ye he did not say so to the wicked Soldiers that kept and watched the Sepulchre they feared and he left them in their fears and in their dark Condition but the good women feared and were in a dark Condition but the Lord did not leave them in it but gave them Scripture-Light to comfort them he is risen as he said So that a good man may be in the dark yet God will not leave him in his Darkness but even then he hath a Light and a sure Light to walk by And that 's the Second thing Thirdly This Scripture-Light is the most excellent safe and sure Light It is the Light of Lights the most excellent Light of al under God in Christ For It is a true Light There are many false Lights in the World but Scripture Light is the true Light The proper work of Light is to make manifest They will not come to the Light saith our Savior lest their deeds be made manifest Now the Light of the Scripture doth manifest things unto us it is by James compared to a Looking-glass When ye look upon a Looking-glass ye see three things the Glass your self and al the other things Persons Stools or Pictures that are in the Room So in looking in the Scripture this great Looking-glass ye see the Truths that are therein contained concerning God and Christ there is God seen especially and Christ seen there also you see your self and your own dirty face there also you see the Creatures that are in the room with you and their emptiness the emptiness of men and of al comforts and Relations This is that manifesting Light under Christ that is true Light indeed As it is a true Light so it is an admirable and wonderful Light for there are the wonderful things of Gods Law whereupon David prayed Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law There is the Light of Christ who is called a marvelous Light and the more ye look into the Scripture and know the more ye wil admire In other Knowledges the more ye know the less ye admire Amor noti admiratio ignoti but in Scripture Knowledg the more Light ye have and the more ye know the more you wil lift up your hands and admire at your own Ignorance and at Gods Grace It is a most admirable Light As it is an admirable Light so it is a safe and a sure Light Other false Lights do lead men into Fens and Bogs but we have a more sure and safe Light and the more of it fals upon your Eye the more is your Eye preserved 'T is not so with outward Lights Vehemens sensiblle destruit sensorium Your Eye is able to bear a moderate Light but if the Light be vehement your sence is not able to bear it but is destroyed by it not so with this Scripture-Light the stronger and more vehement it is the more it doth perfect the Eye of your Soul it 's not destructive but it 's perfective Light Upon which account Austin prayed to God Sint sacrae Scripturae tuae deliciae meae in quibus nec fallere possum nec fulli O Lord said he let thy Holy Scriptures be my delights by which I can neither deceive nor be deceived This is that safe and sure
is not the time of the Dragon but the red Dragon that is the Heathen Roman Emperor did persecute the Woman Rev. 12. standing before her to devour the man Child the Seed of the Church as soon as she was delivered verse 2 3. Yet this good and holy man thought that that must needs be the meaning of the forty two Months because the Interpretation came to him with such an impression Possibly therefore a good man may be much deceived by Impressions especially when they come with a particular word But where do we find in al the Scripture That we are to judg of Doctrines by Impressions No but by the written Word of God that is the only Rule whereby we must judg comparing Spiritual things Foxus in Apoc. 13. p 216. with Spiritual things and one Scripture with another Though there may be much comfort found in the way of Impressions especially coming with a word yet if the word be not set upon the heart according to the true sense and scope of it we have cause to fear that the Impression is not of God but an illusion of Satan For where do we find in Scripture That ever God did set a Word upon the Soul but in the true sense and scope of it The Devil brought a word to Christ and applied it not according to the true Scope thereof Cast thy self down saies he he shall give his Angels charge over thee this was not according to the Scope of the Scripture But if God set on a Scripture with a deep Impression it was alwaies according to the true sense and scope of the Scripture For example Nehemiah being at Prayer as ye read Chap. 1. God gave him a word with a sweet Impression and it was according to the true sense thereof So Acts 4. the Apostles were at Prayer and God gave a word to them out of Psal 2. and it was according to the true scope thereof Where do we find that ever God did set on a particular Word but according to the true meaning of it Have I therefore an Impression with a Word yet if the Word be not set on my Soul according to the true meaning and scope of it then have I cause to fear that it is rather a delusion of Satan than the Impression of God Though the Impression be of God yet if the Application be beyond the Impression I am stil in an Error There is an Impression of a Word and there is the Application of it the Impression may be Gods and the Application may be mine own The Lord gave Abraham a Word that his Seed should be as the Stars but he made a false Application thereof when he went unto Hagar for the fulfilling of that Word So the Lord gave a Word to Eliphaz Job 4.12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me and mine ear received a little thereof fear came upon me and trembling verse 14. Then a Spirit passed before my face it stood still but I could not discern it then I heard a Voyce saying Shall mortal man be more just than God verse 15. Here was an Impression with a Word and this was from God but he applies this to and against Job Chap. 5.1 the Impression was of God but the Application was his own Possibly then a man may have an Impression from God with a Word yet the Application may be his own but though the Impression be never so â—ul and deep yet if the Application be beyond the Impression he is stil in an Error And therefore seeing that it is an easie thing and usual even for the Children of Abraham to make Application beyond the Impression the safest sure I way is to keep cloâ—e to the written Word of God which is both the Judg of al our Doctrinâ—s and the only Rule of al our Practices and therefore above and beyond al Impressions whether with or without a Word And thus I have done with the Third Instance Instance 4 As for that Light and Law of Grace which is in the Saints the Light of the Scripture is beyond and more excellent than that For The Light and Law within us here is imperfect for we see but in part and know in part 1 Cor. 13.9 Now we see through a Glass darkly And lest any man should think that Paul spake this only of some Babes in Christ he speaketh out yet more expresly putting himself into the number ver 12. Now I know in part and this in part is set in opposition to what is perfect for saies he verse 9. We know in part and prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come c. verse 10. So that whatever Law or Light or Knowledg is within us now is imperfect but the Word of God written the Scripture and the Light thereof is perfect for saies the Psalmist The Law of the Lord is perfect Psal 19. The Law of Grace within and the Light within is not able to convince others If I feel a Light and Law within me and say this must needs be so for I find it thus within me I have a Light within me for it this wil not convince another But the Scripture by the breathing of the Spirit of God with it wil convince another and is able to convince another Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful Word that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince gain-sayers How are gain-sayers to be convinced then what by the Light or Law within No but by sound Doctrine fetched from the faithful Word Quest Is there then no use of the Law and Light and Spirit within us doth not God speak and direct thereby Answ 1 Yea The Spirit of a man saith Solomon is the Candle of the Lord searching al the inward rooms of the Belly When God doth set up a Light or Candle in the Soul he may thereby go into al the inward Chambers of the Soul discovering those heaps of sin that are in the Soul Answ 2 Yea This inward Law and Light doth not only discover evil but it doth incline to good and strongly incline the Soul thereunto therefore it is called a Law not because it is a Rule to us for the body of death and sin is called the Law in your Members but because of its power and force to incline the Soul unto what is good Answ 3 Yea It doth not only incline a man unto what is good but it enables him thereunto It is that Principle upon which al his good actions grow and from whence they spring All true good must proceed from a good Principle and this Law and Light and Spirit within is that Principle whereby a man is enabled unto what is good But Secondly Though the Law and Light and Spirit within us be a Principle of good yet it is not the Rule of our Goodness or Lives For If the Law and Light and Spirit within be our Rule then what need the Scripture or the Word without any longer
But the Scripture and the Word of God written is a Rule stil it is setled in Heaven and doth endure for ever Psal 119. For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven verse 89. And saith Paul to Timothy I charge thee in the sight of God that thou keep this Commandement until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Epist 1. Chap. 6. Ver. 14. Timothy doth not live in person to the appearing of Christ but those that succeed him do and shalâ— unto whom this charge is made And if ye look into Chap. 3. ye find that Paul saith to him These things write I to thee that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God yet Timothy had a Light and Law and Spirit of God within him So that though a man have the Spirit Light and Law within him he is yet to be ruled by the Word of God written the Scripture and the Word written is yet to be a Rule unto him and as many as walk according to this Rule peace shal be upon them Object But if the Spirit that is in me be the same Spirit with that which did write the Scripture what need I wait on or be ruled by the Word without or the Scripture any longer Answ Because when the Spirit comes it takes of the things of Christ and opens them to you it is sent to open the Scripture to you not to take away the Scripture from you it is not sent to be your Rule but to be your help to understand the Rule Because although ye have the same Spirit which did write the Scripture yet you have not the same Inspiration of the Spirit All Beleevers in Pauls time had the same Spirit that Paul had but not the same Inspiration of the Spirit that is very divers 1 Cor. 12.11 the Apostle speaking of diversities of Gifts But saith he all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit dividing to every one as it pleaseth him So that though a man have the same Spirit wherewith the Scripture was written yet he may not have the same Inspiration But because People understand not this therefore they think that if they have the same Spirit they may lay by the Scripture as to their Rule But If the Law and Light and Spirit that is in me be my Rule then I may do any thing without Sin I may whore be drunk steal or any thing without Sin for it 's no sin to do what the Rule commands me and if the Spirit Light and Law within do command me to do it it is no sin to me because my Rule commands me to do it and Sin is a transgression of a Rule but the Law Light and Spirit may command me to do such things as these if it be my Rule for it may command any thing but Sin but it cannot be Sin if the Spirit do command for the very commanding of the Spirit takes off the sin of the Action because the Rule commands it O! what abominable Practices wil this Doctrine lead a man into viz. That the Law Light and Spirit within is his Rule Yea Thirdly If the Law and Light and Spirit that is in me be my Rule then am I my own Rule and so I am God for he that is his own Rule is God But if the Law and Light and Spirit within me be my Rule then am I my own Rule And what is al this but horrid blasphemy Surely therefore the Law and the Word without me is not my Rule Though the Law and Light and Spirit in me be my Principle yet it is not my Rule that is the Word and Scripture only Though the Law and Light and Spirit within be a great help unto us in our way to Life yet it must be tried by the Word written For if it be not tried by the Scripture then it must be tried by nothing But John 1.4 he saith Try the Spirits whether they be of God or no. 2. That Law or Light or Spirit within you is Christ in you but Christ in you is to be tried and examined 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own Souls know ye not that Christ is in you unless ye be Reprobates And if Christ without us Christ in the daies of his Flesh did submit himself to the tryal of the Scriptures Search the Scriptures saith he for they testifie of me then surely the Spirit of Christ in us wil not refuse the same Christ in us is not more priviledged than Christ without us but Christ without was tried by the Scriptures therefore Christ within us much more And if al that Light and Law and Spirit within us be to be tried by the Scripture then surely the Light of the Word written is a more excellent Light than that Light which is within And thus I have now done with the Fourth Instance Instance 5 As for Experience Christian Experience the Word of God written and the Light thereof is more excellent than Experience and the Light of it simply considered For so much Light as there is in Experience is borrowed from the Scripture and the Word of God written It is short of the Scripture for Scripture-Light extendeth unto al our Actions a light unto our Paths there is nothing hid from the Light thereof no Duty incumbent upon us that is hid from the Light thereof But though I have much Experience in this way yet I may have little or none in another my Experience cannot say nothing is hid from me and from my Light Though Experience be a great help to our Faith yet take it alone abstracted from the Word and it cannot heal our Unbelief The Staff that is in a mans hand is a good help to him but it cannot heal his lameness So is this Staff of Experience though it be a good help in my way yet it cannot heal the lameness of my unbeleeving heart but the word can and the Scripture doth Quest Is there then no use of our Experiences Is there no Light therein Answ 1 Yea much for it bâ—ingeth forth Hope Experience worketh Hope Rom. 5. Tribulation worketh Patience Patience Experience and Experience Hope verse 4 5. Here is the Genealogy of Hope but the next Parent of Hope is Experience So the Poor hath Hope Job 5.16 How so He counteth up many Experiments and when he hath done he concludes thus So the poor hath Hope it is Experience then which doth work Hope Answ 2 But though Experience be the Parent of Hope yet it is not the Ground of our Faith it is an Help unto Faith but not the first Ground of our Faith The Scripture and the Promise under Christ is Rom. 15.4 Whatever things were written afore time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope So that the Scripture and the Word of God written is the first Ground of our Faith and Hope And though we
be determined by some act of Man Ego autem stultus à scientia Dei et vanus c. postea vero videbar mihi videre à longe gratia Dei omnia bona precedentem tempore et natura sicut anima in omnibus motibus primus motor Bradward de causa Dei Lib. 1. cap. 35. pag. 308. But the wil of God as Bradwardin demonstrates is the first Agent Primum liberum primum agens et primum determinans first free the first Mover and the first Determiner the serious consideration whereof was as he professeth the first beginning of his Conversion to the Grace of God from the error of Pelagianism and Manicheism Neither can the Death of Christ be the cause of any such Decree for the Decrees of God are eternal The death of Christ was in time and that which is in time cannot be the cause of that which was from al Eternity Surely therefore this general Decree is none of that Issue wheâ—ewith our Lord and Savior Christ was in Travel Sixtly Some think again That the next and great Effect of Christs Death was to bring al the World into the Covenant of Grace that whereas before they had broken the Covenant of Works by the first Adam now al are brought into a Covenant of Grace by the Second Adam Answ 1 But this cannot be for as the Covenant of Works was made with the first Adam and his Seed only so the Covenant of Grace is made with the Second Adam and his seed only But the whol World are not the Seed of Christ for the Lord promising him to see his Seed doth not promise him to see al the World 2. The Apostle Paul tels us That the Ephesians before their Conversion were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of Promise being without hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 which could not be if al the World were taken into the Covenant of Grace by the Death of Christ 3. If God deal with al Man-kind in a Covenant of Grace then al Man-kind should certainly be saved for if whatever God requires on mans part God doth by that Covenant undertake that man shal perform then al must needs be saved if the Covenant be made with al but whatever by this Covenant God requires on mans part he undertakes to perform Doth God require that we should act from an inward Principle of Grace I will write my Law in your hearts saith he Doth he require of us to know him this he undertakes for us by this Covenant Ye shall all know me from the greatest to the least Heb. 8. Doth he require us to fear him I will put my fear into your hearts Doth he require Faith and Repentance at our hands I wil take away saith he the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh and I wil circumcize thine heart Deut. 30.6 Doth he require Obedience at our hands he undertakes for us also that we shal perform the same Ezek. 36.27 I wil put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my waies So that if God should deal with al the World of Man-kind according to the Covenant of Grace then al the World should be saved but al the World are not saved surely therefore this is none of those effects which our Lord and Savior Christ travelled for Seventhly Some think that Christ by his Death hath obtained a sufficiency of Grace for al men so that al men may or may not beleeve if they wil and this obtainment of this sufficiency of Grace for al they think is the great and next Effect of the Death of Christ But this cannot be for the thing is not true viz. That al men have a sufficiency of Grace by Christ to beleeve on him for if al the men of the World have such a Power from Christ to beleeve on him then 1. The Jews had a Power to abstain from their Unbelief in putting Christ to death and yet they had this Power from the Death of Christ and if so then it was possible that Christ should not have died by the hand of their Unbelief and yet possible by vertue of Christs Death for them to abstain from the putting him to death which is a Contradiction Neither can it be said that they had this Power given them upon the fore-sight of Christs Death for the same fore-sight did fore-see that Christ should be put to death by the hand of their Unbelief 2. If al men have such a Power to beleeve in Christ then either they must have an inward Principle of Grace and Faith or they can act without an inward Principle but they have no inward Principle of Faith and Grace for then they should be Beleevers for it is the inward habit and principle which denominates the man and not this or that act for a man is a Beleever though he be asleep Nor can any Creature put forth an act without an inward Principle suitable to the Act the Eye cannot act in seeing without an inward Principle of sight nor the Ear hear without an inward principle of hearing the Herb cannot grow without an inward principle of growth nor the Beast move without an inward principle of motion nor any Creature act without a precedent inward principle But al the men of the World have not an inward principle of Faith and Grace and therefore al the men of the World have not a power to beleeve 3. The Apostle Paul tels us plainly that a Natural man receiveth not the things of God neither can he 1. Cor. 3 1â— but if he have a power to beleeve then he can receive them for receiving is our beleeving 1 John 12. Neither can it be said that by the Natural man we are to understand the weak Christian for if the weak Christian cannot receive the things of God much less the wicked and the pure Natural man nor doth the Apostle speak of a Natural Man as he is meerly considered in the state of Nature abstracted from al Gospel Grace and the means of Grace for then he should speak to no particular case in the World for according to our Adversaries there is no man in the World but hath some Gospel Grace or means of Grace 4. Our Savior Christ tels the Jews John 10.26 Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my Sheep it seems then that al the world are not the Sheep of Christ for saith he ye are not of my Sheep and the reason why some do beleeve is because they are of Christs Sheep and why others beleeve not is because they are not of his Sheep Now if the reason why some beleeve and others not is because some are of his Sheep and others not then al the world have not a power to beleeve for if al the world have a power to beleeve then those that are not of the Sheep may beleeve and if those that are not of the Sheep can beleeve why doth our
Savior give this as a Reason why they did not beleeve because they were not of his Sheep 5. The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 10.14 How shal they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shal they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent But now al the particular men in the world have not heard of a crucified Christ by the preaching of the Gospel And if it be said Yes but the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ as the Apostle saith in the same Chapter Their sound and words is gone forth into all the Earth I answer It 's true indeed that the Apostle doth here allude to that 19. Psalm where it 's said that the Voyce of the Sun Moon and Stars is gone forth unto al the Earth but the Apostle doth not contradict himself for he saith How can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a Preacher and a Preacher sent If men can hear of Christ by the Preaching of the Sun Moon and Stars then they can hear of Christ without the preaching of one sent which he denies ver 14 15. And if the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ crucified then is the Matter of the Gospel no Divine Revelation And then why might not Adam beleeve in Christ in the state of Innocency the Sun Moon and Stars preach the same Doctrine now that they preached then and then the same that they preach now if therefore they do preach Christ crucified now then also they preached him in the state of Innocency and so Adam in the state of Innocency had a power to beleeve on Christ which the Maintainers of this Opinion deny Neither can it be said That if al men have not a Power to beleeve Quando homo non potest si volit propter voluntatem impossibilitas non imputatur si autem non vult propter impossibilitatem voluntas non excusatur Hugo de St. vict L. 2. de Sacr. part 14. Cap. 6. Cornel. Jansen August lib. 3. de gratia Christi salvatoris then God should be unjust in punishing so many for Unbelief for besides that al had a Power in Adam God doth punish and damn men for their will not for their want of Power for as Hugo observes wel when a man cannot if he wil for the wil the impossibility is not imputed but if he wil not for impossibility the wil is not excused Eightly Some again do think that Christ died to obtain a Power Dominion Smalcius Cateches Racov. de officio Christi Regio Theses Francis Davidis Thes 5. and Lord-ship over al things especially a power to forgive sins which he had not before his Death and that the next Effect of his Death was the obtainment of this Power and Dominion But this cannot be for if Christ had this Dominion Power and Lordship over al by vertue of the Hypostatical Vnion then it was not meri ed by his Death but this he had by that mysterious Union and therefore as soon as he was born the Angel said unto the Shepheards For unto you is born this day in the City of David the Savior which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.11 2. Christ did not merit for himself as the Protestants speak against the Papists for if Christ should merit such a glory and Dominion for himself then the Love of Christ to man in his Death would be much lessened it 's said indeed Dio non causam sed ordinem et consequentiam notat Acts 20.26 Heb. 3.7 2 Pet. 1.10 sic Luc. 24 26. oportuit illum pati et sic intrare sic sancti per multos tribulationes debent regnum ingâ—odi quae tamen hujus non sunt Causae Quistorp Annot. Bibl. in Psal 110. that upon his Suffering as a Consequent thereof or by way of Declaration say some God gave him a Name above every Name c. Phil. 2. but that relates to the former words also Who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet took on him the form of a Servant verse 7. which notes the Hypostatical Union 3. If Christ bought in this Power and Dominion by his Death then he purchased it with his blood but his blood iâ— propitiatory and satisfactory not procuring Lordship and Dominion 4. The Power Lordship and Dominion which Christ hath is either Essential or Dispensatory and â—ediatorian His Essential Power and Lordship was not merited by his Death for he hath that as he is God and he had it before his Incarnation for Esaiah saw his Glory and did see him chap. 6. verse 5. For mine Eyes saith he have seen the King what King Even the Lord of Hosts verse 5. the holy holy holy Lord of Hosts which the Evangelist John doth apply unto Christ and tels us plainly that this Lord whom Esaiah saw was Christ Chap. 12.41 These things said Isaiah when he saw his Glory and spake of him His Mediatorian Power and Lordship could not be merited by his death for he was Mediator before he died and therefore had his Mediatorian Power before his Death 5. We find him actually possessed of this Power and Lordship over al before his death witness his casting out of Devils commanding Winds and Seas which obeyed him and his answer to the Owner of the Ass which he sent for Say the Lord hath need of him And 6. As for his Power to forgive sins as if he would on purpose obviate the Doctrine of the Socinians he doth declare it in so many words But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on Earth to forgive sins c. Matth. 9. Now if he had this Power on Earth then the obtainment of it was not the great and next Effect of his Death no nor any thing which his Soul travelled for in his Death Quest If these things be not the next and immediate Effects and Fruits of Christs Death and Sufferings what are and what is that Issue of his Death which he did presently see and was possessed of Answ Affirmatively Look what the first Adam destroyed that the Second Adam did build up again for his Seed the Second Adam recovered and gained that in a better Edition for his Seed which the first Adam lost from his Seed Therefore First As the first Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did break the Law of God affront his Justice and provoked the Anger and Wrath of God against his Posterity so the Second Adam did by his Obedience and Death satisfie the Law and Justice of God for al his Seed whom he died for which Satisfaction he did perform immediately For 1. When he died our sins were imputed to him and laid and charged on him for he was made sin for us who knew no sin 1 Cor. 5.21 that is the guilt of our sin was imputed to him The meaning of the words is not He was made a Sacrifice for it 's said that he knew
Ages and from Generations And saith the Psal He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them He doth not say they have not known them as Israel but he saith The Lord hath not dealt so with other Nations as for his Judgments they have not known them neither can it be said that God was ready to have made known this Truth unto al the World but did not because of their sin for then it should have been declared to them that such Truths of the Gospel should be made known to them if they did not sin but that hath not been declared to al the particular men of the World and therefore Christ did not die for al men thus conditionally Seventhly If Christ did die and merit thus conditionally for al men then al the particular men in the world are under a Covenant of Grace for those that he died for are to receive the Blessings of the new covenant upon the performance of the Condition saith this Objection But al the particular men of the World are not under the Covenant of Grace for the Apostle saith of the Ephesians before their Conversion that they were strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 And God wil write his Laws in the hearts of all those that are under the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8. But al the particular men in the World shal not have the Laws of God written in their hearts therefore the Covenant of Grace is not made with them and therefore Christ hath not merited that the Blessings of the Covenant shal be given out unto al the World upon Conditions Eightly If al the Benefits of Christs Death and Blessings of the new Covenant should be given out upon some Condition to be performed by us as Faith and Repentance then our Faith should give us a Right and Title unto al those Blessings and Benefits As if I sel a thing upon Condition that a man pay me so much Money his payment of the Money being the performance of the Condition gives him a Right and Title to the thing Or if I promise to give a man an hundred pound upon condition that he go of such an Errand for me if he go his very going gives him a Right and Title to the hundred pound because he performs the Condition But though Faith be our hand whereby we receive the Benefits of Christs Death and Blessings of the Covenant yet it doth not give us any Right or Title to them al our Right and Title is in Christs Blood his Death his Satisfaction and his Obedience and in that alone Ninthly This Objection doth suppose the Covenant of Grace to be Conditional but the Covenant of Grace is free absolute and without al Conditions to be performed by us For The Lord hath delivered it without al such Conditions We read of the Covenant of Grace in Jer. 31. in Ezek. 36. in Heb. 8. but where do we find any Condition annexed to it And if God make no Conditions why should we Shal I hang my Pad-lock upon Gods Door of Mercy This Covenant saish the Lord is as the Covenant which he made with Noah Did he promise Noah that the World should be drowned no more upon Conditions of our Faith or Obedience No but saith the Lord I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake although the Imaginations of mans heart be evil Gen. 8.21 It may be you wil translate the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because but it comes al to one In the Covenant of Grace the Lord saith He wil write his Laws in our hearts there is Converting mercy promised and that we shal al know him there is enlightening Mercy promised both the Habit and the Act of Grace promised and he gives this reason For I will be merciful to your unrighteousness and your sin and iniquity I will remember no more Heb. 8.11 12. Now if forgiving mercy be the reason of sanctifying Mercy if our forgiveneâ—s be the cause of our holiness then no act of our Grace or Holiness can be the Condition of our forgiveness or of the Covenant The Spirit of God is promised in the Covenant I wil put my Spirit into you saith God but Faith and Repentance are not before the In being or Gift of the Spirit Surely therefore all the Blessings of the Covenant are not given out upon these Conditions If the Covenant of Grace should be thus Conditional then the Covenant of Grace should be harder than the Covenant of Works made with Adam in Paradice for then the Condition was to be performed by our common Person who was strong and free from al sin but now we are weak and ful of al sin and therefore if the performance of the Condition lie upon our hands the terms of this Covenant wil be worse and harder for us than the terms of that Covenant of Works neither can it be said that if al men have a sufficiency of Grace and power to beleeve that the performance of the Condition of this Covenant wil be easier than of that for who doth not know that it is an harder thing for one of us sinful Creatures to beleeve than for Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden Fruit But surely the Covenant of Grace is easier and sweeter than the Covenant of Works and therefore the Condition thereof was performed by Christ our Second Adam and there is now no Condition of the Covenant to be performed by us Yet it is our Duty to beleeve and repent and obey which we are commanded to do by the Gospel but al our Repentance Faith and Obedience is a Fruit of that Covenant not the Condition of it As in case Adam had stood his Seed should have obeyed yet their Obedience should not have been the Condition but the Fruit of the Covenant and as his Posterity could not have had Life unless they had obeyed yet that their Obedience was not the Condition of that Covenant So though we cannot be justified unless we beleeve nor be saved unless we repent and obey yet our Repentance Faith and Obedience is not the Condition but the Fruit of the Covenant Christ and Christ alone our Second Adam did perform the Condition as to us the Covenant of Grace is free absolute and without al Conditions Obj. But all Divines say That Faith and Repentance are the Condition of the Covenants Ans Not all not so Luther Duplices sunt promissiones Dei legales quae nituntur deorsum in nostris operibus sicut illae si feceritis bona terrae comedetis aliae sunt promissiones gratiae sicut Jer 31. scribam legem meam in cordibus eorum hae promissiones non nituntur deorsumsed simpliciter bonitate et gratia Dei quid ipse velit facere Luther in Gen. 4. cap p. 88. Hos 2. Desponsabo
Bethlehem according to the hebrew language but though he sinned not in his desires yet when he had the waters he poured them forth before the Lord and said God forbid that I should drink the bloud of these men and wil you drink the bloud of your own conscience Time was heretofore when you had peace and comfort and by straining and stretching your conscience for your outward comfort now you have lost your inward wil you not then take that outward comfort and pour it forth before the Lord and say God forbid that I should drink the bloud of mine own peace and comfort how can any of you have peace while those stollen and unrestored goods lye by you Quest But alas al my comforts do lye prostrate at the feet of my fears that now I have no peace at al What shal I do that my peace and comfort may be restored Answ 1 By way of direction Three things First Look what you would do if you were to be justifyed and do the same now if I were to be justifyed having a sight of my own sin nature I would through Grace come to the righteousness of Jesus Christ and leave the weight of my poor guilty soul upon it which act of faith would justify me and give me peace for being justifyed by faith saith the Apostle we have peace with God And as faith doth justify and give peace at the first so the renewing of this act of faith doth renew our peace and what is my justifying faith but in time of temptation to leave my self and condition upon Christ alone saying whether Godly or ungodly whether in Christ or not in Christ now I do not dispute but leave my self upon Christ alone this do again and this wil bring peace again Answ 2 Secondly You have now lost your comforts and the shinings of Gods face either God hath withdrawn himself for your sin or not if not for your sin he wil return again and that quickly too if for your sin labor more and more for to find it out and to be humbled for it I know you wil say O! but now in this condition I cannot be humbled But withal remember that in this condition that goes for humbling which doth not before and God wil take that for humiliation now which he would not take before Psal 32. saith David I said I wil confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Dixit non fecit saith Austin he said he would do it but did not do it fully yet thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin God took his humiliation although it was very low Why vers 3.4 we find him under temptation and in much discouragement for saith he My bones waxed old with my roaring al the day long day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer yet how ready was God to receive an acknowledgment and a little humiliation from him at this time O! But what is al this to us this was Davids case Nay saith David this is not my case alone for vers 6. For this shal every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou maiest be found God wil receive a little when you are much discouraged Either therefore God hath withdrawn for your sin or not if not wait but a while he wil return again if for your sin labor more and more to be humbled for it for he wil receive that measure of humiliation now which he wil not do at another time Answ 3 Thirdly Are al your comforts gone and would you have them fain restored Then read and read the scripture much if you cannot read your self get some others for to read them to you When a mans mind is empty as in temptation and want of comfort it is empty of Christ and ful of fear then it doth grind it self as a quern or mil when empty of corn one stone grinds another the more ful a mans mind is the more free from temptations and fears now scripture matter is the most filling matter the more ye see Christ walking in the sweet shades of divine love toward poor sinners the sooner wil your faith revive and your comforts be restored and where can you see Jesus Christ walking and taking his turns with poor sinners under the shades of divine love but in the scriptures stand there a while and you shal see him and your heart wil say and why not one turn of love with me O! my Savior Study read and read much the scriptures Object But if I do read the scriptures and read them much I shal then meet with some promise possibly many and now I cannot apply them being thus discouraged as I am I shal see the promises indeed and say there is such and such an old friend of mine but it is now mine enemy the promise wil not own me and I cannot apply it and so it wil do me no good Answ Ye cannot tel what the promise wil do til you come to apply it the promise never gives down its power and strength til it be applyed it doth then work when it is put to work and not before When Moses saw his rod turned into a Serpent he was afraid of it and fled from it but when he put forth his hand and took it by the tayl it was a rod in his hand again as it was before it may be you look upon such and such a promise at a distance and you say O! ther 's my enemy now it wil not help me it wil sting me it wil undo me but put forth your hand again to it and it wil become a promise a rod in your hand as comfortable as ever it was before And doth not the promise come to you go you to it Somtimes the promise doth come to us somtimes we go to it when the promise doth come to you you have joy when you go to it you have peace and this peace may last longer than the other joy but remember this as an everlasting rule That your very relying upon the promise doth make it yours Object But if I do read the scriptures much in this condition of my discouragement I shal not onely meet with the promise but with a threatening and that wil discourage me more Answ Not so for iâ— a threatening make way to the promise and doth therefore come forth to meet you that it may lead you to the promise have you any hurt thereby now as the law was a Schoolmaster to bring to Christ so somtimes the threatening is a Schoolmaster to bring you to the Promise Yea and God doth therefore somtimes send the threatening that it may lead you to the promise You know how God appeared to Elijah first in a wind that did shake the Mountains and Rocks but God was not there then in an Earthquake but God was not there then in a fire but God was not there then in
afflicted yet if the Body be well although the Body be afflicted yet if the Spirit be well it is some comfort but where both are down the Condition is sad and seldom doth any great Temptation befall a man but Soul and Body are both down at once though at first it falls upon the Spirit yet it descends into and fires the Body And therefore saith Paul I received a Messenger of Satan a thorn in my flesh buffeting of me As in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost though the Comforts be powred out upon the Soul and Spirit yet they run down upon the Body So in the troubles of Temptation though they seize first upon the inward man yet they â—un upon the skirts of the outward man also And thus you find it with Job Chap. 7.1 God had put Job into Satans hand only with this reserve See that thou spare his life The Devil having the power first he loads him with outward Afflictions and then with inward Temptations while he was under his outward Afflictions how sweetly did he carry it Blessing the Lord saying The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name but when the Volly of Temptations came then see what a sad Condition the good man was in how he was all on fire as if Job could not be found in Job while he was under these Afflictions he rebuked his Wife for saying Curse God and die but now being under Temptations himself he wisheth to die and curseth the day of his Birth In Job 7.15 My Soul chuseth strangling and death rather than my life but had this Temptation any influence upon his Body too It seems his heart and soul and spirit was much disquieted for he saith Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee ver 20. But was his Body fired with it too yes verse 13 14. When I said my Bed shall comsort me my Couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with Dreams and terrifiest me with visions As now we find by Experience many poor souls cannot sleep while they are under their Temptations and if you will see the Sum and up-shot of all read what he saies at verse 20. I am a burden to my self and so many now Why should I live any longer I am a burden to my Family I am a burden to mine Acquaintance a burden to all my Friends I am a burden to my self who knows the burden of a poor tempted soul but he that bears it Heb. 11.37 Temptations are ranked among the greatest Afflictions They were stoned sawn asunder were tempted and in Heb. 2. it is said of our Savior That himself suffered being tempted yet he sinned not under his Temptation So that there is somwhat of a suffering in every Temptation although one be free from Sin And in Revel 12.12 it is said Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath And wherein is his wrath more seen than in his Temptations O! what a sad and woful condition is it then to lie under Temptations Yet let me tel you though there be some suffering in every Temptation and the least temptation is a great Affliction yet the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged or cast down whatever their Temptations be Quest How may that appear Answ 1 Four Demonstrations of it First If Satan do therefore tempt the People of God that he may discourage them then have they no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted by Satan I say if Satans great design end and aim in all the Temptations of the Saints be to discourage them then they have no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted for then they should gratifie Satan and give him his end Now Satan doth tempt that he may tempt he tempts unto one sin that he may tempt unto another he tempteth a man to sin against the Law that he may make him sin against the Gospel and what greater sin against the Gospel than unbeleeving discouragements He knows or thinks such and such a person is gone from his Kingdom and he saith though I cannot hinder his Salvation but he will be saved do what I can yet I will hinder his Comfort and make him draw heavily and if I can but discourage him in his Duty I shall in time make him to cast it off His great design is to discourage and therefore whenever any Godly man is tempted he should say well through the Grace of Christ seeing Satans design is to discourage my design shall be to bear up my heart and spirit against all discouragements Answ 2 Secondly If God our Father doth pity his Children under their Temptations and the more they are tempted by Satan the more they are pitied by God then have they no reason to be discouraged whatever their Temptatioâ—â—â—e How is it with your own Bowels If you had two Childreâ— one that is in your house with you at home and another that is iâ— Spain or Italy abroad Quo gravior incumbit tentatio eo solet indulgentius agere cum suis Deus Brightm Apoc. 2.49 exposed to grâ—at Tempâ—â—tions is not your pity most towards that Child that is abâ—oâ—d and exposed to most Temptations Your Love may be expressed to him that is at home as much anothâ—◠〈◊〉 but your pitying love is most to him that is abroad As in the time of a Storm great Rain or Hail if you have one Child lie in youâ— boâ—om or sitting upon your knee and another that is abroad in the opâ—n fields though your love in one kind may run out to him thâ—t is upon your knee yet doth not your pitying Love run ouâ— more to him that is abroad in the open fields Thus it is with God he hath two sorts of Children Some that are exposed to more temptations and some that are exposâ—d to less though his Grace and Love may run out more in one kind to them that are less tempted yet his pitying Love runs out most unto those that are most tempted And upon this account you will find in Scripture that when God saw any of his Children were to go into any Sad Temptation he did either immediately before in or after more than ordinarily reveal himselâ— unto them the more you are tempted by Satan the more you are pitied by God it matters not whether your Temptation be great or smal if less you have the less pity if more you have the more pity why then should you be discouraged although your temptations be never so great Answ 3 Thirdly If all the Temptations of Gods People be overcome and broken before they do fall on them then have they no reason to be discouraged or cast down because they are tempted Now so it is Christ was a common Person not only in his death but in his life he did act and work and bear as a common person as our Second Adam all
them is wrought by the Spirit and Finger of God in order to mans Salvation yet out of malice do blaspheme the same But why is this Sin above all other Sins Unpardonable Quest 2 Answ Not in regard of Difficulty only or because it is hardly pardoned as some would for many Sins are hardly pardoned and yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost Peccatum dicitur irremissibile septem de causis vide Altissiâ—dorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. for Zanchy doth wel observe if this Sin were only impardon because it is hardly pardoned then a mâ—n might pray for thoâ—â—â—at in this Sin but the Apostle saith There is a Sin unto 〈◊〉 I do not say that ye shall pray for it 1 John 5.16 Theâ—â—ore the impardonableness of it doth not lie here 2. Neither is it impardonable only in regard of event Because in event it shal never be pardoned for thâ—re are many Sins which in event shal never be pardoned which yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost There is many a wicked man that goes to Hel whose Sins in event are not pardoned and yet he did never sin against the Holy Ghost So that this Sin is not impardonable only in regard of event 3. Neither is it impardonable because it is so great as doth exceed the Power and Mercy of God for Gods Mercy and Power in forgiving sins is like himself Infinite If that be a good Argument that David useth Forgive my sin for it is wondrous great then the greatness of the Sin cannot be the only reason of the impardonableness of it There is nothing greater than that which is infinite Nunquam remittetur quod intellige regulatiter nam nec Divina potentia nec Divina miserecordia alligata est ad non remittendum spiritua blasphemiam sed secundum regâ—larem cursum eveniet non remissio quod comitem semper habet obstinationem Cajetan in Matth. 12. Dupliciter dicitur peccatum irremissibile dicitur uno quod nunquam remittetur alio dicitur irremissibile quod remitti non potest et sic non sequitur iste est similiter impenitens ergo habet peccatum irremissibile Holcot de imputabilitate peccati but Gods Mercy is Infinite 4. Neither is it impardonable because it is against the means of Pardon for then the Sin against the free Love of the Father and the Sin against the Son should be impardonable 5. Neither is it impardonable because a man doth not repent thereof for then al Sins unrepented of should be Sins against the Holy Ghost It is true That those who commit this Sin cannot repent as the Apostle speaks It is impossible that they should be renewed to repentance Heb. 6. because God doth give them up to impenitency but we do not find in Scripture that their not repenting is made the reason of the impardonableness of this Sin But the Sin is impardonable because there is no Sacrifice laid out by Gods Appointment for it If any man sin wilfully there remaineth no more Sacrifice Heb. 10. and without blood and Sacrifice there is no remission He that sinned ignorantly Numb 15. was pardoned Why Because there was a Sacrifice laid out for him but if any man sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an high hand he was to bear his own sin Why Because there was no Sacrifice laid out for him But why was there no Sacrifice for that Sin Not because the man did not repent after it but because that in the committing of that Sin he did despise the Commandement of God So now God hath declared That every Sin and Blasphemy against the Father and Son may be forgiven but if men come to that height of Sin as maliciously to oppose and blaspheme that very way and work of Gods Spirit which they have been convinced of by the Spirit then there shal be no Sacrifice for that and so no remission and pardon And thus now ye have seen what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is in what respects it is not and in what respects it is unpardonable and so the Doctrine cleered and proved That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is the impardonable Sin which shal never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come The Application follows Applic. 1 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the Impardonable Sin Then surely the Holy Ghost is God very God true God as the Father is For can it be a greater evil or more dangerous to sin against a Creature than against God the Father It is God that is sin'd against now the Holy Ghost is sin'd against yea the Impardonable Sin is against the Holy Ghost The Socianians say That if he be a Person he must needs be God true God but ye see by this Scripture that he is joyned with the other Person of the Son so also he is joyned with the Father and the Son in Matth. 28. In whose Name we are to baptize he who hath a Name and in whose Name somthing is to be done must needs be a Person And I pray you what is proper and peculiar to a Person is not Understanding Willing and Speaking these are al given to the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 1 Cor. 12.11 and Rom. 8.26.27 Acts 13.2 Acts 20.23 But I need go no further than this Text here the Spirit is joyned with the Son and the Sin against the Holy Spirit is made the impardonable Sin surely therefore he is verily and truly God as the Father is Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true then what a necessity is there upon us al to know and understand what this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for if a man have sinned this Sin we are to forbear praying for him 1 John 5.16 therefore we may know what this Sin is and we may know that another hath committed the same for how can we forbear prayer for him if we do not know and understand what this Sin is the not knowing what this Sin is makes many men fal into it before they are aware When the Laws of a Nation are written in an unknown Tongue the People break them before they are aware because they do not know them So the not knowing what this Sin is makes many a poor soul to fal into it yea the not knowing what this Sin is breeds many scruples doubts and fears in new Converts O! saith one I have sinned that great Sin against the Holy Ghost and I saith another have sinned the impardonable Sin and why but because the man doth not know what this Sin is O! what a necessity therefore is thereupon us al to know and understand what this Sin is and wherein it doth consist Applic. 3 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable Sin what Mercy and what Grace is it that the Lord hath kept us from this great Sin that though ye have fallen into great and hainous sins and the Lord hath suffered you to fall into such sins
Lavamini mundi estote Esa 1. Lavatur et mundus est qui et preterrita plangit et iterum non admittit lavatur et non est mundus qui plangit quod gessit nec descrit sed post lachrimas stenda haec quae sleverat repetit August Ser 66. de tempore and then fall into that very sin which they repented of they do sin against Light yea it is a kind of repenting of ones Repentance for as when a man hath gone on iâ— a sinful way and doth return unto God he doth then repent of his sin so when a man hath gone on in a good way and doth return to his sin then he doth as it were repent of his Repentance when God pardoneth a man he saith Go and sin no more do I therefore return unto the same sin then am I most unthankful dis-ingenuous and disobedient yea it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord for a man to fal into the same sin again and again ye shal observe therefore That although the Lord pardoned the Children of Israel that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calf yet in reference to the Land of Promise he did not pardon their Unbelief and murmuring for they entered not into Canaan Why Because of their Unbelief saith the Apostle Now if you look into Numb 14.19 you shal find that Moses prayed Pardon I beseech thee O Lord the iniquity of this People according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this People from Egypt even till now And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word But as truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord. At ver 22. Because all these men which have seen my Glory and my Miracles which I did in Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkened to my voyce surely they shal not see the Land which I sware to give unto their Fathers Though I pardon them saith God they shal never come into Canaan the Land of Rest that I have promised Why Because they have sinned these ten times murmuring again and again and again so that it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord for a man to fal into the same sin again and again But yet I say it is possible that a good man and true Disciple of Christ may fal into the same sin again and again It was a sin for them thus to sleep when our Savior had commanded them to watch and pray but they slept again and again Look I pray you it to Job 19. and see what Job saith concerning his friends These ten times saith bâ— at verse 3. have ye reproached me yet are ye not ashamed It is an evil thing to reproach a man it is worser to reproach a godly man it is yet worser to reproach a godly man under Affliction and to afflict the afflicted but to reproach a man ten times this is evil indeed yet saith Job These ten times have ye reproached me and yet Job's Friends were godly Possibly then a good man may fal into the same sin again and again ten times that is very often And you know how it was with Abraham the Father of the Faithful you read in Genesis 12. that when he was driven by reason of Famine into Egypt he desired his Wife Sarah to say that she was his Sister which indeed was no lye but his sin of Unbelief and very evil for thereby he put his Wife upon a great Temptation he was reproved for it as you read in the Chapter yet if you look into the 20. Chapter you shal find that he was at the same work again And Abraham journeyed towards the South Country and Abraham said at ver 2. of Sarah his Wife she is my Sister And so also if you look into 2. Chron. 19. you shal find it was thus with that good King Jehosaphat complying too much with the King of Israel for which he is reproved at verse 2. And Jehu went out to meet him and said to King Jehosaphat shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therfore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord yet if you look into the 20. Chapter you shal find that he fals into the same sin again And Eliazar prophesied against Jehosaphat saying at the last verse Because thou hast joyned thy self with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy works and the Ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarshish Jehosaphat a good man yet he fals into the same sin again So that I shal not need to spend longer time in this it is too apparent Possibly a good man a true Disciple of Christ may fal into the same Sin again and again That is the First Secondly Though a man do fall into the same Sin again and again yet it may be but an Infirmity For the opening and cleering of this we must consider what a Sin of Infirmity is and what is the true notion of it which being cleered the Truth proposed wil Naturally fal into your bosom Properly therefore a Sin of Infirmity is that sin which doth rather arise from want of strength to resist than from wil to commit else it should be wickedness and not weakness But in Scripture Phrase it is called a weakness as here in this Chapter The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak and Rom. 6.19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity or weakness of your flesh And therefore It must be in one that hath Spiritual Life You do not say that a stone is infirm or weak Why Because a stone hath no life in it infirmity is a defect in one that hath life And I say it doth arise not from wilfulness but want of strength to resist Now this want of strength to resist doth either arise from some Natural cause which one cannot avoid of which Paul speaks in Rom. 7.19 The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do and why so he gives the reason at verse 21. I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me and verse 23. I find a Law in my Members fighting against the Law of my Mind and leading me captive c. Or else it doth arise from some present distemper and that either in the Mind and Judgment and then it is called an Error Who knoweth the Errors of his Life Psal 19. Heb. 3.2 Or else this distemper doth arise from some present passion fear or the like whereby a man is hurried into evil and then he is said to be overtaken Gal. 6.1 So that when a man is alive unto God and doth commit a Sin for want of strength to resist then he is said to sin out of infirmity First Therfore if you ask The sins whereinto the godly falleth are not presumptuous but are ordinarily of weakness
of God that are unsetled in the Truth These things write I unto thee saith Paul to Timothy that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Yea every Member of a Church should be a Pillar in the House of God So the Lord promiseth to the Church of Philadelphia Surely therefore it is matter of great Importance for a Church and people of God to be setled and established But Thirdly and especially It is a great Mercy and Blessing for a particular soul to be setled in the Truth and established in the good Waies of God It 's a good thing saith the Apostle that the heart be established with Grace not with Meats which have not profited them that have been exercised therein Possibly a mans heart may be comforted and strengthâ—ned with Meats Psal 104.15 it 's said And Wine that maketh glad the heart of man and Bread which strengtheneth mans heart Where the same word is used by the Septuagint that is here used in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag But the Apostle Paul doth relate to the Ceremonial Law for the Jews converted to Christ Judaei ad Christum conversi supâ—â—stitiosius inhaerebant observationi legalium ceremoniarum cumprimis discriâ—â—ini ciborum a Moyse prescripto illis haec sententià est opposita Gerrard in loc were too superstitiously addicted to the observation of Legal Ceremonies especially those which concerned Meats and difference of Meats Rom. 14.2 Col. 2.16 and to those is this Speech opposed It is good that the heart be established with Grace as if he should say some think to find Establishment in the observation of Meats and Doctrines for the Jewish Ceremonies but the best Establishment is in the Doctrine of the Gospel Quidam in genere intelligunt interna et Spiritualia Dei dona quibus homines sanctificantur quidam doctrinam Christianam side susceptam Gratiam Christianismi ut sit sensus firmitatem et stabilimentum cordis quaerendum esse in gratia Dei quam N. T. mediator Christus attulit non in observatione ciborum quam Moses tradidit Ibid. and the Grace of God revealed in the Gospel Some think that by Grace here we are to understand Holiness and those Spiritual Gifts whereby men are Sanctified But having said in the former words Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines these words seâ—m to comply and correspond better with them if by Grace we understand the Doctrine of the New Testament from which the Galatians are said to fall Ye are fallen from Grace when they returned to the Law But in both respects it is a good or beautiful thing that the heart be established with Grace For It is the ground of all our Fruitfulness Ye know how it is with a Tree or Plant thâ—ugh in it self it be never so good yet if it be not setled in the Earth it bringeth forth no Fruit If the Plant be good and the Soyl good it may bring forth good Fruit but if you be alwaies removing it from one place to another it cannot bring forth Fruit. And what is the reason that many are so unfruitful in their lives but because they are so unsetled in their hearts and Judgments The Tree that is planted by the Waters side brings forth Fruit in its season Psal 1. But as for the Ungodly it is not so with them They are as the Chaff that brings forth no Fruit whom the wind drives to and fro And the Truth is an unsetled man is neither fit to receive good nor to do good So long as the Vessel is moved up and down ye cannot pour the Liquor into it and who can write exactly when his arm is jogged Can any man walk exactly in a crowd which one while carrieth him this way and anoâ—her while that way No surely Neither can an unsetled unestablished heart walk exactly with the Lord his God It is the bottom of al our Praises The Birds do not ordinarily sing til they be set they do not usually sing flying but when they are fixed then they begin to sing So saith David My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed and what then then saith he I will sing and give praise but not til then and what is the reason that many pass â—o many yeers of their lives in doubtings and fears never praising God for any love or Mercy to them but because they are unsetled in their Spiritual Estate and Condition It is the beginning of our Perseverance Then I begin to persevere when I begin to settle and to established as Instability is the beginning of Apostacy so Settledness is the beginning of Perseverance It is that good thing which pleaseth God exceedingly God was so pleased with Jehosaphat upon that account that he passed by and winked at al his Infirmities even because his heart was fixed and established 2 Chron. 19.2 the Prophet reproves him for joyning with the Ungodly Nevertheless saith he there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the Groves out of the Land and hast prepared thine heart So ye read it but I think rather And hast fixed established or set thine heart to seek God On the contrary it 's said of Rehoboam though he did many good things That he did evil in the sight of the Lord because he prepared not or because he fixed not established not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niphal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paratus sâ—mus stabilis qui nec everti nec impediri qucat in Pirl et Hiphil paravit preparavit sinnavit confirmavit stabilivit includit firmitatem et certitudinem Shindlerg set not his heart to seek God 2 Chron. 12.14 it is the same word which we translate Establish in other Scriptures as Psal 40.2 He hath set my feet upon a Rock and established my goings and it notes such a fixation and settlement whereby a man doth so continue in his way and course that he wil not be put out of it This Rehoboam wanted for he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a soft hearted man naturally and though he did many things that were right and good yet he was led by the Counsel of his yong men and his heart was not set and fixed to seek the Lord but Jehosaphat was of a stedfast Spirit and would not be put out of his way and therefore though he did some things amiss yet the Lord commends him and accepts of him So that although a man do many good things yet if his heart be not fixed and established the Lord will pass by and not regard the same But though a man do commit great evils yet if his heart be set to seek the Lord God wil pardon and pass by al his Failâ—ngs O! Cur quaeso in tanta multitudine valoâ—um ne naum quidem vitreum reperituâ— diâ—â—s quod cum facile frangâ—tur est symbolum inconstantiae quam
it was a great matter she did Why Because she did it by Faith And so the Woman of Sarepta when the Prophet said give me a Cake first it was no great matter that her Faith was imployed about a Cake and a little that she did but a great matter in giving him first So that I say Faith may do great things although it be not imployed about great matters O! but I do great things and therefore I hope I have this true saving Faith I do great things that is wel But I pray only consider this Those things are great which are great in their own present Generation that which was a great matter heretofore may be a smal matter now and that which was a smal matter heretofore may be a great matter now In the times of the Bishops it was a smal matter then to keep the Doctrine of Religion and a great matter to oppose the Ceremonies Now it is a smal matter to oppose the Ceremonies and a great matter to keep the Truth and the Doctrine of Religion I say that which was a great matter before may be a smal matter now and that which was but a smal matter heretofore may be a great matter now But if your Faith be true you wil do great things there wil be some great thing or other found in your Life and such as are great indeed Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true In case Christians that you have any great work to do cal in for Faith cal in for Faith In case ye have a great outward imployment you wil send to the most skilful man in that Faculty If it be to build a House or go to Law you wil cal in for the most skilful Agent True saving Faith is a great Agent a great Worker and therefore if you have any great work to do cal in Faith look to your Faith It is said of Mr. Tyndal in the Story of his Life there being a Conjurer in the Low Countries where he lived that would undertake to fetch a Dish of Meat off any Princes Table and make a great Dinner for his Friends and it being reported he had often done it they being met together to behold this Skil Mr. Tyndal would go in among them and he sets himself to beleeve that this Fellow should not be able to do it and when al his Company was met together he could not do it saith he There sits the man that hinders me O! Faith can do more than al the Conjurers in the World Have you any great matter to do Christians Cal in for Faith And certainly there are yet great things to do Antichrist to fal the Jews to be called great things to be done for this Land God hath done great things yet greater things are to be done God hath done great things for your and my Family there are yet greater things to be done God hath done great things for your Soul there are yet greater things to be done When any great thing is to be done Christians Christians Cal in for Faith set Faith a work now Quest You wil say What shall we do and bow shall we so improve our Faith as we may do great things thereby Answ 1 First of al Study much the greatness of God for the more you study the greatness of God the more wil your mind be grandeur'd greatened and your Faith strengthened Children do little things because their minds are not upon great things Kings and Princes are the great men of the Earth they do great things for their minds are great they have great minds Why Because their minds are exercised about great things Saith Solomon I wil build a House a great House Why For it is to the great God Would you do great things study much the Greatness of God Thus wil your mind be great and your Faith strengthened to do great things Secondly If you would to improve your Faith as you may do great things thereby keep close to the Ordinances of God Faith lives upon God in the Ordinances Those that cast off the Ordinances do not live by Faith What then By Experiences by Revelations Impressions and Visions I had almost said by Fancies they do not live by Faith Faith lives upon God in the use of Ordinances and it gathers strength thereby Look I pray again into 2 Chron. 13. and you shal see how Abijah's Faith was raised by Faith he overcame Jeroboam and slew five hundred thousand of them together but I pray how did he strengthen his Faith Mark the words And Jeroboam came out against him and Abijah stood upon a Mountain and said Hear ye me Jeroboam and all Israel verse 4. Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the Kingdom of Israel to David for ever And verse 9. Have ye not cast out the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other Lands So that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a yong Bullock and seven Rams the same may be a Priest of them that are no Gods But as for us see how he strengthens his Faith the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which Minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt Sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of God with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the Charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him and behold God himself is with us for our Captain c. He argues God had not forsaken him because they had not forsaken the Ordinances Would you therefore so improve your Faith as you may do great things thereby keep close to Ordinances Thirdly If you would so improve your Faith as you may do great things thereby do not check your Faith do not rate off your heart from beleeving do not chide off your heart from beleeving let your heart beleeve to the utmost Our Lord and Savior Christ hath given us a very good encouragement in this respect for saith he I say unto you Whatsoever things ye desire when ye pray beleeve that ye shall receive them and ye shall have them Do but beleeve it saith our Savior Christ I charge you saith he do not doubt do not chide off your Faith do not check your Faith do not rate off your heart from beleeving there are many do so they check their Faith by doubting and rate off their Faith by Unbelief Fourthly If you would so improve your Faith that you may do great things thereby use your Faith to do smal things put your Faith to work every day use your Faith to do smal things It is a good Rule Do not commit any sin because it is smal do not neglect any Duty because it is not
unto the special Protection of God though not to free yet to sanctifie and sweeten your Affliction That day you were converted and brought home to God you had a Right and Title given you unto al the Ordinances Jus ad rem though not in re they are your Fathers Plate and as a Child you may drink out of your Fathers Plate That day thou wert converted and brought home to God thou hadst a special Right and Title given thee unto al the Creatures you may look up to Heaven and see the Stars and say these are my Fathers Candles and when you hear the Thunder you may say this is my Fathers Voyce and when you see the Sea you may say this is my Fathers Fish-pond and when you see the Godly men of the World you may say these are my Fathers Children and when you see wicked men you may say these are my Fathers Dish-clouts to make his Children clean and when you consider of the Devils you may say these are my Fathers Hang-men his Executioners and when you see the Gold and Riches and Wealth of the World you may say this is my Fathers Dung-hil I say that day thou art converted and brought home to God God doth great things for you in that moment Now the more that you consider what great things God hath done for you the more your heart is engaged to God and the more your heart is engaged the more willing and able you wil be to suffer Secondly If you would strengthen your Faith to suffer great and hard things study much the Book of the Revelation which is a standing Cordial for the relief of the Saints in suffering in Anti-christian times and study and read and commend to your Children the Book of Martyrs where you have Examples to the Life of the People of God dying for the Faith but above al things study much the Sufferings of Christ Faith true saving Faith it loves to dwel in the Wounds of Christ and beleeve it the sight of a suffering Christ wil teach one to suffer nothing like it the example of Christ especially the sight of Christs Sufferings wil not only teach you to suffer but wil sanctifie your heart by the Suffering and wil provoke you to suffer What! shal the Lord Christ suffer such great things for me and shal I suffer nothing for him Study the Sufferings of Christ Thirdly If you would so strengthen your Faith as you may be able to suffer hard things consider much and frequently the great gains of Suffering possess your heart therewithal Beloved Suffering times are gaining times and if your heart and mind were but possest with that Truth it would not be a hard thing to suffer hard things and that by Faith I shal therefore spend a little time to make out this for the strengthening of your Faith that suffering times are gaining times Suffering times are Teaching times Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest correctest and teachest out of thy Law Schola Crucis Schola Lucis The Cross is Gods free School where we learn much Suffering times are teaching times As Suffering times are teaching times so suffering times are sin-discovering times Afflictions recal sins past and prevent sin to come Afflictions shew us the emptiness of the Creature the fulness of God the vileness of sin When Adonibezek had his Thumbs and Toes cut off he could remember his own sin You see how it is in Winter when the Leaves are off the Hedges you can see where the Birds Nests were when the Leaves were on in Summer time you could not see those Nests And so in prosperous times men do not see the Nests of their hearts and lives but when their Leaves are off then their Nests are seen Suffering times are sin-discovering times As Suffering times are sin-discovering times so Suffering times are Self-bethinking times You see many a man run on in the day of his Prosperity and never bethinks himself When the Prodigal was pinched then he bethought himself and Manasses in Prison then he bethought himself and saith Solomon praying for the People in Adversity If then they shal bethink themselves There is many a man that I may say doth owe his Convertion to his Affliction and can say If I had not been afflicted I had never been converted Suffering times are Self-bethinking times As Suffering times are Self-bethinking times so Suffering times are fruitful and growing times Every Branch in me he pruneth that it may bring forth more Fruit. Suffering times then are growing times As Suffering times are growing times so Suffering times are Truth-advancing times In the time of Prosperity we lose Truth in time of Adversity we find Truth and bear our Testimony for Truth then Truth is advanced It is a good Observation that Marloret hath upon Dan. 8. to shew that Truths were advanced by Suffering verse 11. it is said of the little Horn He hath magnified himself even to the Prince of the Host and by him the dayly sacrifice was taken away and the place of the Sanctuary was cast down And an Host was given him against the dayly Sacrifice by reason of Transgression it cast down the Truth to the ground and it practiced prospered That is saith he not the Horn as it is ordinarily carried for it is in the Feminine Gender which only can relate to the word Truth not to the Horn he cast down the Tru h and the Truth practiced and prevailed So that Suffering times are Truth-advancing Times As Suffering times are Truth-advancing Times so Suffering times are uniting times In times of Prosperity Professors they wrangle fal out divide but when the Shepheards Dog comes then the Sheep run together Suffering times are uniting times As Suffering times are uniting times so Suffering times are Praying times He that wil pray we say let him go to Sea there he wil be sick and that wil make him pray that is the meaning In their affliction they will seek me early Suffering times are praying times As Suffering times are praying times so Suffering times are Soul-assuring times There is many a man or woman goes up and down many years doubâ—ing and hath no assurance and when they grow sick God doth send in his Evidence for Heaven by the hand of that sickness and he hath Assurance for Heaven that never had it before according to that in Hos 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak to her heart Comfort ye comfort ye my People saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem because her Iniquity is pardoned When In the day of her Warfare for her Warfare is accomplished her Iniquity is pardoned for she hath received double from the hand of the Lord. Suffering times are Soul-assuring times As Suffering times are Soul-assuring times so Suffering times are Weaning times when this Mustard is laid upon the Breast of the World then are we Weaned Suffering times are Weaning times Lastly Suffering times are Heavenly times and
in this sense say they God is said to be wroth with Christ But I rather chuse to say that Christ is considered two waies 1. Either in regard of his own Person or as he did stand for us being our Surety 2. There is a difference between the affection of Gods Wrath and the Dispensation of it Now Christ standing for us and in our room and stead did suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God that is the Vindicative Dispensation of it for he was made a Curse for us and a Curse is a Vindicative Dispensation of Wrath. It may be the Socinians and their Friends wil say that he was made a Curse for us because he died that cursed Death on the Cross for our good but if ye look into the words ye shal find that he was made a Curse for us so as that there was a Translation of the Curse from us unto him which Curse was due for our Sin for saies rhe Apostle Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree for it is written again verse 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written the Book of the Law to do them verse 10. Which Curse saith the Apostle Christ is made for us we being thereby redeemed from it verse 13. Now is it possible that Christ should thus be made a Curse for us but he must suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God which was due to us and if he were smitten of the Father then did he bear the Dispensation of the Fathers Wrath and Anger Now it is said expresly in Isaiah 53. It pleased the Father to bruise him verse 10. He was smitten of God and afflicted verse 4. Prop. 4 As our Lord and Savior Christ did suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God so he did endure the torments of Hell whilst he was in this Life Christus mortem gehennalem pro nobis sustinuit Calvin in Matth. 26. ver 39. in cap. 27.46 Institut Lib. 2. 16. Chamier Tom. 2. l. 5. Cap. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Sib. Lubbertus contra Socinum lib. 1. c. 1. Jon. Piscator contra vorstium notae ad Amic duplicat Sect. 1. 24. Amos Bellarm. enervat Lib. 2. de Christo Maccovius de Mediator Disp 17. Willet Synops part 4. quest 3. Cartwright Harmon pag. 985. 988. Nico. Arnold Relig. Socinian pag. 502. I do not say with the Papists that he descended into Hell after his death nor that whilst he lived here he was damned for us that were Blasphemy for a man is said to be damned that doth for ever bear the weight of his own sins nor do I say that Christ did bear al that misery of Hel which we should have born and which the Reprobates do and shal bear in Hel for they lie blaspheming and despairing But though Christ was in a great Agony yet he did not despair for said he My God my God and though God did forsake him yet that was not in regard of Vnion as it is with the damned in Hel but only in regard of Vision yet he did endure and suffer for us the very torments and misery of Hel for there are two things concurrent to the misery of Hel the punishment of loss and the punishment of Sence now both these did our Savior bear whilst he was in this Travel The punishment of Loss for he did lose Est genus paenarum quod patiuntur damnati in inferno qui omni solatio carent quidam huic simile Redemptor noster sustinere dignatus est qui omni à se solatium et consolationis remedium in passione abdicavit Medina in Thom. part 3. q. 46. a. 6. and was for a time suspended from that sweet and comfortable Vision and Fruition of God therefore he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me which cannot be understood of his outward Afflictions as being left to the violence of men for saies Paul 2 Cor. 4.9 We are persecuted but not forsaken they were left to the violence of men and persecutors yet they were not forsaken and therefore when Christ saith Why hast thou forsaken me Videmus alios homines non tamen sine dolore et motu sed etiam cum magno gaudio et laetitia mortem obire ex quo sequitur aut Christum qui est Dominus caeli et terras minus animi minus roboris minus fiduciae minus fortudinis et minus constantiae tabuisse quam gregarios homines aut sustinuisse mortem multo acerbiorem et hoâ—â—ihiliorem quam quâ—mvis martyrum sed illud dicere est impium sustinuit itaque aliud genus mortis quam alii homines et atrocius et sita fuit illa atrocitas in sensu irae Dei in propossione execrationis Sib. Lubbert contra Socinum Lib. 2. Cap. 1. p. 115. he doth not mean so as to be left to the Persecution of men for thus saies the Apostle We may be and yet not forsaken And as he did bear the punishment of Loss so of Sense also for he sweat drops of blood not Blood only but drops of Blood nor a few drops only but many insomuch as they fel to the ground in so great a quantity as ran through his Cloathes as some conceive to the ground Now can we imagine that he should be in this Agony sweating these drops of Blood heavy in his Soul unto death and to sore amazement crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me only from the fear of death what was our Savior more afraid of death than the Martyrs They went triumphing and some of them singing to their more cruâ—l death and clapped their hands in their flames had they more Courage Faith or Resolution than our Savior If it were only a Corporal Death that Christ thus feared then they should suffer with more boldness and courage than our Savior but come Gerard Harm Quod autem ad pios attinet sciendum est longe alia in arena versari quam Christus nam rem habent cum morte et inferis devicti et profligatis Christus autem cum illis jam vegetis et armatis ira divina luctatus est Cartw. Harm p. 985. saies Gerard and I wil tel you what is the Reason that our Savior was thus afraid and they so bold Our Savior saith he drunk of the Brook in the way but their drink was sweetened with his Death Christ did conflict with Sin Satan Death and Hel Enemies whose force was never broken before but the Martyrs only grappled with death a broken Troop of Sorrows that rallied again but was broken and overcome before Christ did sustain the Malediction and Curse of the Law There was a Curse in his Death but the Curse was taken out of the death of Martyrs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in mortibus suis Esai
53.9 Christ did not only conflict with a temporal but Eternal Death but the Martyrs knew that they were free from eternal Death Christ bare al their sins But when they came to suffer the sting of Death which is sin was taken out and upon this account one of the Martyrs said Christus dolebat ut ego esse hilaris et laetus ille habebat mea peccata et ego vere illius merita et Justitiam Essen de Satis Christi p. 56. when he came to suffer Christ grieved at his Death that I might rejoyce in mine he had my sin on him and I have his Righteousness and Merits on me Yea he did then endure the torments of Hel in his sufferings that by our sufferings we might go to Heaven Quest But is it possible that one may endure the very torments of Hell in this Life Answ Yes For as a man may have a tast of Heaven before he come there so possibly a man may have a tast of Hell even in this Life also The Wrath of God in Scripture is compared to and called Fire Psal 84.46 And if ye look into the Parable of Dives and Lazarus ye shal find that Dives cries out to Abraham to send one with a drop of water to cool his Tongue Why but saies Austin the body of Dives is not yet in Hel what fire therefore is this that doth so torment him to which he answers Quali◠lingua talis flamma as the Eyes wherewith he sees Abraham afar off such is the Fire and as his Tongue such is the Fire that he is tormented in the fire of the Wrath of God this Fire of Gods Wrath was our dear Savior scorched with whilst he was in his Arg. 1 Travel For by way of Reason and Argument whereby the former Propositions also shal be the more fully proved if Christ did bear our Griefs then whatever miseries were inflicted upon us and our Nature by vertue of the Threatening it self under which we were those Christ did bear and endure for us But he did bear our Griefs I do not say that he did bear and endure al that we should have done Whatever misery or punishment we should have born or the Reprobates do or shal bear in Hel doth either proceed from the Threatening it self as the proper effect thereof or it doth proceed from the disposition and condition of the Person whom the execution of the Threatening doth fal upon the threatening it self doth produce death The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Therefore death evil and the Wrath of God for sin doth proceed from the Threatening it self Now when this fals upon man he despairs and blasphemes and lies under the Wrath of God for ever yet despair and eternal blasphemy is not the punishment of the Threatening it self proceeding from the Threat in it self considered but proceeds from the disposition of Man upon whom the execution of the Curse fals for no sin comes from Gods Threatening in it self considered Punishment properly is satisfaction for injury done but sin is a continuing of the injury Desperatio non est de essentia paenae infernalis paenae author est Deus Diabolus et peccator desperationis paena est hominis passio desperatio est hominis actio Ames Bellar. enervat Lib. 2. de Christo cap. 2. Despair Blasphemy and death in sin is an action the action of man but punishment is the passion and suffering of man so that death in sin despair and blasphemy are not of the essence of the Punishment threatened but the wrath of God death and Gods withdrawing of himself from man are of the essence of the Punishment proceeding from the Threatening in it self considered Now look what the Threatening in it self doth produce that Christ suffered for us but it wil not therefore follow that he should despair blaspheme or die in sin because these do proceed from the condition and disposition of our Persons that the Curse of the Threatning fals upon as ye see it is with the beams of the Sun if they fal on Wax they soften that but if they fal on the Clay they harden that So the wrath of God and his withdrawance falling upon us there doth ensue despair blasphemy and dying in sin but falling on Christ it is not so Why because these do not proceed from the threatning in it self considered Now I say look what we should have born as due to us from the threatening it self that Christ did bear for us For saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 53. Quod enim nos pro nostris debebamus sceleribus sustinere ille pro nobis passus est c. Ut quod propter imbecillitatem virium ferre non poteramus pro nobis ille portaret Hieron in Esai cap. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidam codices in plurali legunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut sit castigatio retributionum nostrarum uti illud plurale nomen usurpatur Psal 69.23 h. e. castigatio quae peccatorum nostrorum est justa retributio seu quae justae retributionis ac paenae loco ob peccata nostra-super nos venire debebat venit super eum scil Christum Glass philolog sact Lib. 3. tr 1. p. 107. Disciplina retributionis nostrae super eum id est supplicium quod nos retribuere ac rependere debuimus pro peccatis nostris super eum imposuit Deus id est quicquid paenarum Deus à nobis exigere debuit pro peccatis id ab innocente Filio Pater exegit Sanctius in Esai 53.5 He hath born our Griefs that is those griefs that were due to us from the threatening in it self considered But if we had perished and gone to Hel our selves we should have suffered in our Souls and in our Souls immediately the wrath of God and the very torments of Hel upon the account of the Threatning and therefore al these things did Christ suffer for us Arg. 2. Look what Christ delivered us from that he endured for us for he delivered us by suffering he delivered us from death and he endured that he delivered us from Satan and his Temptations therefore he endured them he delivered us from the Law therefore he was made under the Law he delivered us from sin and he bare our sin he delivered us from the wrath of God therefore he did conflict with that and from the torments of Hel therefore he did suffer them Arg. 3. Our Lord and Savior Christ did establish the Law by his Death So saies the Apostle speaking of Christs death in his being made a propitiation for sin We do establish the Law Rom. 3.31 Look therefore whatever the Law did require of us for whom he died that hath Christ done and performed and suffered for us but according to the Law we were to suffer in our Souls and that immediately yea the wrath of God with the torments of Hel and therefore herein and thus hath Christ suffered for us Arg. 4