work grace in the soules of men to mollifie and soften the hearts of men are vouchsafed and yet all are not softened but some continue in their hardnesse living under the means of softening because the powerful meanes of grace are uneffectual unlesse it please God to put life unto them and to give efficacy by the work of his grace Now the Lord is pleased sometimes to withhold his saving and softening grace from men and to inflict hardnesse upon them as a Judgment and then no marvel it is that they continue in their hardnesse and sins and stiffe-neckednesse And beloved upon this ground the Preachers and Ministers of the Word may stay themselves when they see that after their labour and pains taking with the soules of men they see little or no fruit of their labour he seeth that the profit of the same Word delivered by him to one and the same people is so divers and different that some are bettered by it and yeeld obedience to it and do according to it and some do clean contrary unto it it is a savour of life unto some and a savour of death unto others thus it was in Exod. 9.20 21. with the preaching of Moses those whom God gave grace unto yeelded others yeelded not The Lord is pleased sometimes to withhold his softening grace from men and to leave them to themselves And beloved the Lord commonly dealeth thus with hypocrites and such as come unto the means of grace onely out of form and of fashion and of custome and are asleep when they come unto it they come without any longing desire to profit by the means they have no more desire to profit by it then the seats they sit upon then when they so come without a desire to profit and onely for form and fashion then the Lord suffereth them to go on in blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart that though they hear a hundred Sermons yet they are dull and dead and have no more good by them then the seats in the Church And hereby the Minister may cheer up himself that the Lord hath hardened their hearts and will not suffer them to profit by the means but permits them to post on the way to hell Is this so that Gods will is to harden some amongst the sons of men and Vse 2 inflict hardening upon their hearts how are they then to magnifie the goodnesse of God to them to whom the Lord hath given soft and melting hearts and such as are flexible pliable and yeelding to the will of God in the admonitions and threatenings of it yea such a heart as good Josiah had in 2 Chr. 24.27 that when he heard the Book of the Law read his heart melted and dissolved with tears so dost thou when thou hearest the threatenings and denunciations of the Word against thee tremble and is thy heart humbled when thou hearest the sweet comforts of the Word of God even as the matter is so is thy heart affected if matter of comfort thou rejoycest if matter of threatening thou art humbled yea though it be against a sin thou art not guilty of when thou hearest the threatenings of God against sins thou art not guilty of thou tremblest considering he is a just God thy heart is flexible pliable the text is clear in Ezek. 36.25 26. Here we find that those whom the Lord doth please to justifie and sanctifie and to pour the clean waters upon their soules and to cleanse them from the filthinesse of their sins to them he giveth a heart of flesh this is a work of God vouchsafed to such that God doth cleanse mollifie even a flexible plyable and yeelding heart to the Word of God and the means of grace and of salvation Oh hast thou such a heart blesse God for it this is a special mercy of God for of all the plagues that befall men in this world hardnesse of heart is the worst none worse then that that is the most dreadful so softnesse of heart assuredly is a special blessing of God and given to none but those whom God loveth Oh then labour to have this bowing bending yeelding heart to the good hand of God labour to cheer it up and to have a plyable heart yeelding not stubborn and to that end use these meanes that may mollifie thee more and more namely be frequent and often in hearing and reading of the holy Word of God and when thou hast heard and read it second it by meditation Oh what enemies are they that hear the Word and do not respect to call to mind what they have heard but let it slip away and secondly be often and frequent in thinking upon the sweet and comfortable mercies of God in Jesus Christ that will soften thy heart and keep it soft the heart of the prodigal when it began to relent to yeeld and to be moved and to come to himself and to consider the tendernesse and love of his gracious Father Oh saith he I am a poor wretch here and an outcast but I have a good father I have sinned against heaven and against thee Luke 15.17 18. he will entertain and receive me again so the consideration of the tender mercies of Christ Jesus to consider what the Lord hath done for thee hath he not vouchsafed his mercy in Christ Jesus And last of all be thou earnest above all be earnest with God in prayer that he would be pleased to vouchsafe unto thee the Spirit of grace and of softening and continue in thy breast a soft heart Oh Lord never suffer me to be given over to hardnesse of heart Lord keep this heart of mine soft plyable and yeelding to the Word of God Thus we are to hear it and to read it and to meditate upon it and to pray unto God to keep the heart in us for it is the greatest blessing of God that can befall a man in this world as hardnesse of heart is a great curse so softnesse is a great blessing therefore labour for to get and increase it VERSE 19. Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will OUr Apostle having cleared God from the imputation of inconstancy and of unfaithfulnesse in his promises notwithstanding the rejection of the Jewes for the body of them from the sixth verse of this Chapter to the 14. verse and having proved from the 14 verse to the 19. verse that God is not unjust in that he hath out of his own absolute good will and pleasure chosen some to life and salvation and hath passed by and rejected others and that without respect had to any thing in them or foreseen in them having I say cleared God from this slander He now in this 19. verse falleth upon a new and a further Cavil and reasoning of the flesh namely such a Cavil as doth charge God with no lesse then cruelty and with Tyrannical dealing with some men and from this the Apostle cleareth God also Now
to the ground and not be accomplished to whom it belongeth it is impossible but that they should be accomplished and made good unto those that have title to them whatsoever standeth in opposition against them or gainsayeth them For the further confirmation of this point read Matth. 5.18 the Lord Jesus speaking of the Law of God and thereby meaning the whole Word of God he maketh it more firm and stable then the whole frame of heaven and earth heaven and earth shall passe away they shall perish but not one jot or tittle of the Law shall escape unfulfilled every tittle of the Word of God whether promise mercy threatning or Judgment and especially the Promises it shall not escape unfulfilled and in 2 Sam. 2.28 we read the Lord having promised to David to build him a house David doth assuredly rest upon the accomplishment of it and he groundeth his assurance thus For why thou are God and thou canst not change thou art most true and Rom. 3.3 4. The Apostle speaketh thus of the Jewes Though some of the Jewes do not believe shall their unbelief make the Word and Promise of God of none effect God forbid Let God be true and every man a lyar God is certainly true and in Josh 23.15 saith Joshua Now all things are come unto you which the Lord your God hath promised so in Act. 13.32 33. Paul saith to the Jewes the promise made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled unto us their children evidence of Scripture might be plentifully brought for the clearing of this truth That all the Promises of God touching good things of this life or that to come they cannot possibly be frustrate but shall come to passe in Gods appointed time The Reasons and grounds of it are these two Reason 1 First from the Nature of God because God himself is unchangeable and therefore this word is proportionable and answerable to himself yea God is truth it self al-sufficient and able to make good his word and to fulfill his promise and to make it good in despight of all oppositions whatsoever whether it be men or devils he is the truth it self the God of truth and he is also infinite in power Reason 2 Secondly because all the promises of God they are made unto his in Christ he is the ground and foundation of all the sweet and comfortable promises unto his in him they are made good unto his children as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.20 In Christ Jesus all the promises are yea and in him amen they are ratified and confirmed in him now Christ Jesus is a most sure and firm foundation all the devils in hell cannot shake this foundation and therefore doubtlesse upon this ground we may resolve that all the promises of God concerning this life and the life to come they are firm and stable and shall certainly in Gods appointed time be fulfilled Object I but say some God promiseth many excellent temporal blessings unto his children we read in the Book of God of abundance of promises that God doth promise unto his children in this life which many of his children never come to see Answ It is true indeed but yet withal know thus much that even these temporal things are fulfilled as they are propounded they are propounded conditionally with the condition of obedience and with the exception of a Crosse if his children do fear and obey him or if otherwise the Lord see it good to exercise them with some crosse or some affliction and therefore if that many of the children of God do not enjoy the Promises it is because the Lord is pleased to chastise them for their sinnes and he is pleased so to do for their good because the Lord seeth it better and fitter for them to be exercised with afflictions and yet the promises of God are fulfilled according to the tenour that it is made unto them so they are fulfilled with condition of obedience and exception of the Crosse Psal 34.10 Gods Children shall want nothing that God hath promised that he seeth to be good concerning their temporall estate or the good estate in the life to come thou shalt want nothing now for the Application of it First of all this truth that you have here delivered That the Promises Vse 1 of God shall certainly be accomplished whatsoever seemeth contradictory unto them this discovereth unto us what a foul sin it is to be discouraged and daunted to be dejected and cast down and to walk uncomfortably heavily sadly and unchearfully either because they be under some great affliction already or because some great tryal is like to come upon them and hereupon they begin to be sad whence cometh this unchearfulnesse in a Child of God that he walketh thus sadly surely from the bitter root of unbelief because Gods Children consider not as they ought to do the truth and the stability of the comfortable promises of God they trusted not God barely on his Promises where God hath promised I will be with thee when thou walkest through the water and passest through the fire Esay 43.2 in the time of their greatest distresse God will be with them they do not believe and trust this promise of God that he will deliver them in all danger to uphold them and assist them he hath made this promise and this they believe not but withdraw their trust and affiance from this promise of God and so they greatly dishonour God for he that resteth upon the bare promise of God and stable word of God when he hath nothing else to rest upon he doth assuredly honour God wonderfully if we rest upon God when we see all things opposite to us then to rest upon the stable promise of God hereby we shew our zeal unto God but he that withdraweth his heart back from trusting on God dishonoureth God and robbeth him of his truth and maketh God no better then a lyar for if we trust not God when means seem to be with us much lesse will we trust him when all things seem to be contrary unto us therefore we ought carefully to avoyd this sinne This truth in the second place That all Gods Promises are certain Vse 2 this truth duly considered and thought upon may afford matter of strong comfort and great consolation to as many of us that find our selves to be such that have right and title to the gratious Promises of God but if we find our selves to be none of those here is no comfort belonging unto us wicked and ungodly persons that go on in a course of evil howsoever the Doctrine is most sweet and comfortable thou that art an ignorant and a gracelesse person if so be thou findest not thy self qualified aright thou hast no right nor title to the gracious Promises of God but if thou findest thy self to be called to faith and holinesse seconded with a holy and godly life and conversation thou findest thy self now believing in Christ thou art not a debauched wretch or
in the 1. of Malachy speaketh of things appertaining to this life it cannot be denyed but yet he speaketh not of those things onely he speaketh of those external things but not onely of those things For the drift of the Apostle in that place was to reprove the Jews for their unthankfulnesse to God In that they did neither honour God nor fear him for saith God Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear who had indeed loved them effectually and testified his love in giving them a fruitful Land even the Land of promise and in the sequel he goeth on in a further matter and sheweth that God was angry with Esau for ever but he would be glorified and magnified in Jacob and in the borders of Israel as appeareth in the fourth and fifth Verses And therefore that testimony of the Prophet is not to be so applyed onely to things outward and temporal for the Lord saith he would be glorified in Jacob and he had hated Esau for ever but it concerneth the matter of eternal election and reprobation of which the Apostle in this Chapter treateth Come we now to the particular unfolding of these words I have loved Iacob and hated Esau Gods love it is essential in God it is of the same Nature with himself God is love saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.16 and so Gods love it is free even as his own blessed Majestie and it being extended and reached out unto man it is the free and eternal motion so I may describe it the free and eternal motion of Gods good will and pleasure the free motion and the eternal motion of Gods good pleasure touching the eternal and everlasting good of man God freely purposing and determining the everlasting good of man out of his good will and pleasure as the Apostle saith expresly in Ephes 1.5 we are predestinated to be adopted through Christ and that through the good pleasure of his will so then when God saith I have loved Jacob what is his meaning I have freely out of my own good will and pleasure nothing moving me thereunto I have freely and voluntarily from everlasting decreed the everlasting good of Jacob and his eternal salvation And I have hated Esau saith the text Now here some stumble and do think that this was spoken not simply but comparatively not simply I have hated Esau but comparatively and for this they say God indeed loved Jacob and Esau both though he loved not Esau with the same degree of love as he loved Jacob but with a lesse love and therefore it is said I have hated Esau and they instance in Deut. 21.15 where the Lord saith by Moses If a man hath two wives as in the Old Testament many of the Patriarks had the one is loved and the other hated this God speaketh not that a man that hath two wives hateth either but that he loveth the one not so well as the other as Jacob had Rachel and Leah he loved Leah with a lesse love then he did Rachel so that in comparison of Gods love to Jacob Gods love to Esau was a hatred But beloved these are exceedingly deceived for the Apostle calleth those whom God hateth in the 22. verse of this ninth Chapter of the Romans vessels of the wrath of God and his vengeance and therefore they are hated simply being vessels of his wrath to destruction And if we look in that text of Malachy alledged and duly consider it we shall find upon due examination that it will easily appear that God hated Esau simply Mal. 1.2 saith the Lord I have hated Esau and he doth exemplifie and make it appear that he hated Esau in that he laid his Mountain waste and a Wildernesse for Dragons as if he had said I have spoyled Esau of all his goods stripped him and turned him out naked and I have given his fair palaces and goodly houses for to be a den for Dragons if there had been any hope of Esau's coming to his habitation and palace and ancient possession then it may haply seem God did not hate Esau simply but comparatively but go on with the text Mal. 1.4 saith God Though Edom say we are impoverished and cast out and undone but we will return and build the desolate places yet saith the Lord of hosts they shall build but I will destroy and they shall be called The border of wickednesse and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever that is against whom he proceedeth in wrath and Judgment for ever Oh see is this hatred but in comparison the Lord setting himself so purposely and professedly against Esau no it is simply Now for the simple meaning of the words I have hated Esau we must know hatred in Scripture applyed unto God it is not a disordered inveterate and distempered passion as it is in us but hatred applyed unto God in Scripture it signifieth three things First It signifieth a negation a denial of Gods love that God loveth not and chooseth not some to life and salvation that is the first signification of it Secondly hatred in Scripture applyed unto God it signifieth a just decreeing of punishment for sin and an inflicting of punishment for sin yea he hateth the wicked themselves Psal 5.5 thou hatest all the workers of iniquity Thirdly it signifieth Gods utter abhorring and disliking of that which is directly against Gods holy and righteous Law and so God is said to hate iniquity and sin as the breach and transgression of his most holy law so then the meaning of God in these words is this I have loved Jacob and hated Esau as if the Lord had said I have and that out of my good will and pleasure decreed and from everlasting purposed the eternal good of Jacob and his salvation and I have not out of that good will and pleasure of mine from everlasting so purposed and decreed Esau's eternal good nay I have before the world was in my secret counsel rejected him and have cast him off and refused him Come we now to such things as are observeable from hence and first of all observe the Apostle here maketh the ground of the advancement of Jacob over his brother Esau to be Gods love to Jacob in that he was preferred before Esau hence we may gather this conclusion Doct. That Gods free and eternal love is the cause of all the good that cometh unto Gods chosen both here in this world and hereafter in heaven all the good things in this life and the life to come even from a bit of bread to the glory of heaven they come from the good will and pleasure of God Jer. 31.3 the Lord saith unto his people Israel I have loved thee with â— everlasting love then presently he subjoyneth therefore with mercy have I drawn thee And hence it is that the Lord maketh known that the good things he hath bestowed upon his chosen from time to time they have
are not Gods by their faith and troths which are not gods and in Zephan 1.5 The Lord threateneth to cut off all that swear by the Lord and by Malcham by Masse or by Jesse or by Laking it sheweth that they have no grace in their hearts yea it discovereth the cursed corruptions of their hearts and soules and therefore thou that art guilty of this sin think upon it fot thou sinnest fearfully against God and be sure to cry to God for mercy and for pardon of this sin for this sin if thou hadst no more were sufficient to throw thee down to hell Oh but those that swear by faith and troth will say they are no great swearers that swear by such like oathes But I say these sins are weighty enough to plunge thee headlong into hell without repentance for thou mayst not swear at all without a calling and that either before a Magistrate or in private and then it must be with reverence and a good conscience in truth in righteousnesse and in Judgment with deliberation and a Serious consideration of the Name of God in such causes as are lawful namely the great and glorious Name of God or such like particulars I say the truth in Christ and I lye not The Apostle sheweth here the sincerity of his heart that he spake the truth simply and plainly and with an honest and upright heart without any manner of doubling or dissembling I will not here enter into the common place of lying which is not here meant but take the thing naturally and hence observe That truth in word and simplicity of heart must ever go together Doctr. when a man is called to speak a truth either in matter of Religion or Civil causes he must deliver it without equivocation or mental reservation the tongue must agree with the heart and the heart with the tongue a man must not speak the truth deceitfully for so the Devil doth speak the truth with a purpose to deceive the soules of men and if men so do speak the truth falsly with a purpose to deceive they lie in speaking the truth the tongue and heart must agree it is a note of a Child of God one that is a Member of the Church Militant and Triumphant that he speaketh the truth that is in his heart Psal 15.2 But to passe by this onely touching it in a word That the same truth must be in the tongue as in the heart there must be truth in the tongue and simplicity and sincerity in the heart without equivocation or mental reservation My Conscience bearing me witnesse That is my Conscience witnessing with me that I speak the truth Hereby the Apostle putteth down one special office and act of the Conscience of man that the act and office of the Conscience of man is to bear witnesse to give evidence and testimony so that from hence it is clear Doctrine That God hath placed the Conscience in the soul of man as a witnesse of all his words and deeds yea of his very thoughts and of the motions of his will and of his inward affections how he standeth affected For here the Apostle bringeth it as a witnesse that he was truly sorrowfull which none but himself could tell and therefore he bringeth his Conscience as a witnesse so that the conscience in the soul of man beareth witnesse and giveth testimony of whatsoever a man doth think will affect speak or do and to this purpose the Apostle speaketh in Rom. 2.15 of the Gentiles that had not the Law of God but were led by the glimmering light of Nature these poor Gentiles shewed the effect of the Law written in their hearts their Consciences bearing witnesse and their hearts either accusing or excusing so in Eccle. 7.22 where the Preacher oftentimes thine own heart knoweth that is thy own conscience witnesseth that thou hast cursed others do not regard every idle word thine own conscience witnesseth thou hast cursed others and in 2 Cor. 1.12 our rejoycing is this that we have the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse we have had our conversation c. So that we see by these places God hath placed the Conscience in the soul of man as a witnesse of whatsoever man doth think or will affect like or do The Reason Reason is because God hath put into the conscience of man a power of observing and remembring all things that passe from one man to another and of man himself whether thoughts or speeches or actions either in thought in word or in deed we may see it in Josephs Brethren they remembred what they had done to Joseph even many yeares after they had done it Gen. 42.21 and in Gen. 50.15 their consciences do tell them did not we sin against our Brother it is an observer and remembrancer unto them even of their thoughts words and actions we may see it in our own experience twenty or thirty years ago do not our consciences tell us and witnesse the evil things done then by us And in this respect the Conscience may be fitly compared to a Recorder or Register That as he hath his pen in his hand alwaies ready to set down whatsoever is spoken or done so is the Conscience a register to set down remember and record all our actions and all our words and thoughts many years agone yea to witnesse when it is done as the Register turneth over his book and findeth the act done many years agone so is conscience a witnesse to us Vse This truth yeeldeth unto us a strong argument against the hellish atheists of this time that do open their black mouthes against God himself and stick not to say in plain termes that there is no God this may prove that there is a God and may wring from them this confession that there is a God for why the Conscience is a witnesse of the soul of man and that witnesse not onely of the words and deeds of men for of those men and Angels may take notice but it is a witness of the thoughts of thy heart and of thy inward and secret motions of thy soul now to whom doth that bear record not to man or Angels they cannot take notice of them but to him that hath an al-seeing eye and that is God himself and the witnesse of thy conscience is marvellous secret it is not known to any but is a secret and that secret witnesse neither man nor Angels can hear or receive for neither men nor Angels can tell what is in the heart or soul of man but the secret motion of the soul God onely knoweth for if it were not so the witnesse of the soul were to no purpose unlesse there was one that knew the witnesse of the conscience for the conscience speaketh not properly but onely by way of allusion we say it speaketh and therefore there is no other but God that knoweth the secrets of the heart and therefore let Atheists bark against it as
any person or thing causeth the like sympathy of grief unto that person or thing so loved The Reasons are First from the working and effects of true love it Reason 1 is the nature of love where it is in the heart and soul toward any person or thing to be operative and working and the working of it is to make the heart affected either with joy or sorrow touching the thing that is so loveth and according to the known estate of the person or thing so loved if it go well with the person or thing so loved it causeth joy if it go ill it causeth grief Reason 2 The second Reason is from the nature of grief it self for what is grief surely grief may be thus described A motion of the soul arising from the hurt of the thing that is loved if any hurt or evil be either imminent and ready to fall upon the thing loved or be already fallen the heart that loveth is stirred up to grieve for it and according to the measure of love so is the measure of grief and therefore we may resolve upon this as a certain truth That great love causeth great grief upon any just occasion of grief for the thing or person that we love that is dear unto us for the Application Vse The truth now delivered yeeldeth unto us a ground of tryal and of examination touching the truth of our love and the measure of our love to such persons or things that ought to be loved and respected of us as to draw this to particulars hereby we may try the truth of our love to the Church and people of God and also whether our love be true and sound unto them Doest thou love the Church and people of God in deed and in truth surely then thou art affected either with joy or sorrow according to the estate of the Church or people of God if thou hearest that it go well with the Church and people of God thou rejoycest and art glad of it if so be on the other side thou hearest that it goeth hard with the Church of God thy heart is then oppressed with sorrow and according to the measure of thy love to the Church and people of God so is thy sorrow for any known danger or distresse of the Church and people of God Now then to apply this to the time wherein we live we hear and have often heard that the Church and people of God at this day are in great distresse in forraign Nations even our Neighbour Nations in France and other Nations are in armes and are forced to stand up for the defence of their own lives and liberties and their wives and children stand upon their guatd at home or else to lye in the field to defend their lives and liberties and we have heard and do hear it daily that many of Gods children are in great streights that they are besieged by their cruel and bloody enemies even of such as desire nothing but to suck their blouds yea we hear daily how the Saints and servants of God are Massacred About this time was the Massacre of the poor Protestants in the Valtoline 1620 1621. and murthered yea many of them in going from the assemblies have had their throats cut and are knocked down before they come home yea we hear how that Gods children are forced either to yeeld to the Pope and his Idolatry or to lose their lives now we hear of this are we touched with sorrow and grief according to the measure of their afflictions surely then we have good evidence of our love to the people of God but on the contrary are our hearts nothing at all touched with grief and with heavinesse upon the newes of these things which is I fear the case of many to give themselves to jollity and rejoycing and are not touched with the afflictions of Joseph do we hear of these things as matter of news and discourse of them as novelties if so be it be so that now we give our selves to all manner of riot and excesse when you should give your selves to prayer certainly then you have no true love to the people of God So also for the glory of God canst thou hear the Name of God blasphemed and dishonoured by cursing swearing lying rybaldry and use all manner of filthy speaking and prophaning the Sabbath is not thy heart smitten is it not as a dagger in thy soul and a sword in thy heart when thou hearest men blaspheme and fearfully abuse the holy name of God assuredly then thou hast no true love to the glory of God and so also for the truth of Religion canst thou hear the holy Religion of God destroyed and trampled under foot and that Popery Idolatry and Superstition is like to be set up in the room of it and when thou hearest of this doest thou not mourn but art a man indifferent and carest not which end goes forward either Popery or true Religion it is a sure note that thou hast no true love to the Religion of God and thus I might proceed in other particulars but let us learn now to be grieved according to the known just occasion of grief given unto us for the Church and Children of God for the glory of God and pure Religion of God if so be we find no grief at all in our hearts when there is just occasion of grief let us not deceive our selves assuredly we love them not as we ought to do We read in the 1 Sam. 4.18 19. and so on to the end of the Chapter that old Eli was more affected when he heard newes that the Ark of God was taken then with the losse of his two sons and the wife of Phinees the daughter in law of Eli was more affected with the losse of the Ark of God then with the losse of her own dear husband for when she heard the Ark of God was taken she fell in travel and dyed and named her son Jekabod the glory is departed from Israel yea she repeateth it again the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken And when the women laboured to comfort her she would have none for the Ark of God was taken Thus must we when the Religion of God is trodden down we must be affected with it A disgrace done to the name of God or a wrong done to the religion of God must affect our hearts with sorrow if we would have evidence that we truly love the holy Israel of God we must find our hearts affected according to the known estate of it if we have not we have not in us the Spirit nor the Life nor the grace of Gods Children in 2 Thess 2.10 11. if we do not imbrace the Religion of God and that with love and delight and be more then formal professors of it we are in danger to be seduced of Antichrist and to be led some one way and some another we are in danger to be given
Gods presence amongst them and was their glory who had also the Moral Law written in two Tables by the finger of God himself called the tables of the Covenant And the Judicial Law The Metaphrase for the government of their Common Wealth which was an excellent Law having God the Author of it and full of equity And likewise the Ceremonial Law touching the outward worship of God which was also an excellent Law distinguishing them from all other Nations in the worship of God And they had also the Promises of God touching Gods favour and touching good things temporal and spiritual and the promises Legal and the promises Evangelical many sweet gracious and comfortable Promises Now thus understanding the words of this Verse come we to such things as are hence offered for our further instruction And in that the Apostle makes this a further ground of his wish to be separated or accursed from Christ for the conversion of the Jews because they were the Israelites the ancient people of God I might stand to shew that the Jews are to be respected and that we ought to wish them good spiritual good even because they were the ancient people of God but of that we shall speak more fitly when we come to the next Verse We see the Jewes are here set out by the Apostle as a most honourable people endowed with many excellent and worthy priviledges vouchsafed to them and yet all their priviledges did nothing avail them they did them no good at all in regard of Gods favour towards them and of Gods acceptance of them because they did not imbrace the Gospel and believe in Christ they rejected Christ and refused to imbrace the faith of the Gospel and so their excellent priviledges did nothing profit them to commend them in the sight of God and to make them pleasing to God And therefore the Apostle here wisheth himself to be separated or accursed from Christ that they might come to be converted and to believe in Christ notwithstanding their great priviledges hence then we are given to understand thus much Doctrine That no priviledge whatsoever be it never so great or excellent is available to make a people or a person wanting faith and saving grace accepted of and pleasing to God it is not the greatest priviledge or excellency in the world that is of any force or worth to commend either people or persons wanting faith in Gods sight to make them accepted with God Rom. 2.25 we find that the Apostle reproves the great folly of the Jewes who being breakers of the Law yet held themselves acceptable to God because they were circumcised they stood on the outward priviledges of circumcision who saith the Apostle to the Jew if thou be a transgressour of the Law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision thou art no more pleasing to God then the Gentile without question it was a great priviledge to be of Christ his kindred in respect of the flesh it was more then to be of the Blood Royal of the greatest Monarch in the world yet mark what the Lord Jesus himself speaks of it Matth. 12.48 Who is my mother and who are my brethren as if he had said What is it to be of my kindred according to the flesh is that the thing that makes any one more pleasing to God no no saith he behold my mother and my brethren pointing to his Disciples they are my mother and my brethren that do the Will of my Father which is in heaven Alliance in faith is nearer and dearer to me then that which is in the flesh Who ever had greater honour then was vouchsafed to the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of the Lord Jesus yet as One saith well had not Mary her self carried him in her heart by faith her conceiving and carrying him in her womb had nothing availed her nor made her any thing at all pleasing in Gods sight And the Reason is this Reason Because the best good things in the world without faith are but vanishing and transitory things things common to the Reprobates as well as to the Elect and chosen Children of God they are not things coming from the eternal Spirit of grace and sanctification nor agreeable to the nature of God things that are of esteem with God are spirituall and eternal even things agreeable to the nature of God Vse 1 Now then to make use of this truth first it meets with an errour of the Papists who hold and teach that some outward state and condition of life is of force to commend men in Gods sight and to make them pleasing to God as single life and voluntary poverty yea they say that Virginity and single life is a state of perfection far excelling Marriage and of such worth in it self as it commends a person before the Judgment Seat of God and deserves Gods grace and life eternal a position blasphemous and full of contumelie and derogatory from the blood of Christ and it cannot stand with this truth I leave it and for the use of the point to our selves Vse 2 Is it so that no priviledge or excellency whatsoever be it never so great or excellent is available to make a people or person wanting faith acceptable and pleasing to God Oh then learn we not to bear our selves on any excellency any good thing we enjoy whatsoever nor to trust to it as able to commend us in Gods sight and to make us accepted with God we wanting faith no not on the Word and Gospel and holy Ordinances of God nor on our profession of Religion nor on our good gifts and qualifications as wit memory learning and such like It was the conceit of the people of God the Jewes that they were highly in Gods favour because they had Gods Temple and his outward worship amongst them Jer. 7.4 They cryed out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and is it not the conceit of too many in our dayes do not many blesse themselves and think that they are highly in Gods favour only because they have been baptized and they live in the bosome of the Church and enjoy the Ministery of the Word and they have good preaching amongst them and they are made partakers of the holy Ordinances of God they come to the Church and they partake in the holy things of God in the Word and Sacraments Oh deceive not thy self whosoever thou art these things are excellent priviledges which thou enjoyest and haply others want But alas these things do not make thee pleasing to God or nearer to heaven thou wanting faith in Christ and saving grace in thy soul No thou mayst enjoy these priviledges and yet perish and be damned yea they may be to thee seales of deeper condemnation And indeed know it for a certain truth the better means of salvation thou livest under the heavier shall be thy Judgment and the deeper thy condemnation in hell thou not profiting by them to the working of faith
glorified be his name for ever in all ages and all times Amen VERSE 6. Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect for they are not all Israel which are of Israel OUr Apostle having in the Verses foregoing in the five Verses precedent expressed the grief and sorrow of his heart for the Jews rejection who were his brethren according to the flesh yet not expressing their rejection but onely intimating of it and leaving it to be concluded and gathered in this sixth Verse he entreth upon the second part of the Chapter and herein he falleth upon a defence of Gods Promise proving it to be firm and stable though the Jewes be rejected and he defendeth the stability of it both against the Objections of the Iewes and against the humane reasonings of flesh and blood that might be brought to the contrary from the sixth verse to the 24. And first of all the Apostle cleareth the Lord from inconstancy from the sixth verse to the 14. Secondly he cleareth God from iniquity and injustice from the 14 verse to the 19. Thirdly he cleareth God from cruelty from the 19 verse to the 24. Now in this sixth Verse first of all the Apostle putteth down a prevention of an Objection that the Jewes might make in the first words of the Verse for this they might object Object and say If so be we that are the sons of Abraham be rejected and cast off as you Paul seem to intimate and imply in your complaining surely then the Word of God unto Abraham and unto his seed should be voyd and of none effect Answ therefore you are deceived we are not rejected Now this our Apostle preventeth and meeteth withal by denying their consequence and shewing that it maketh not the Word of God voyd and of none effect if the Jews coming of Abraham for the greatest part be rejected no saith the Apostle this is no good consequence though the Jewes for the body of them and generality be rejected to say that the promise of God is frustrate then to this denyal of their consequent he subjoyneth a reason of it why it is so that though the Jewes be rejected yet the Word of God is not void because many of the Israelites of the body of the Israelites and of the seed of Abraham they are not such to whom the Promise belongeth why so because they are not true Israelites they are not the Israel of God they are Israelites by the flesh by carnal generation they descended of the Loynes of Abraham but they are not Gods chosen and elected seed of Abraham and therefore the Word of God is stable notwithstanding and this the Apostle propoundeth in the latter end of the sixth verse for they are not all true Israelites that are of Israel and in the beginning of the seventh verse all they are not the children of God because they are the seed of Abraham and this the Apostle amplifieth to the 14. Verse But come we to the opening of the sixth verse Notwithstanding As if he had said Howsoever the Jews do cavil and object that if they be rejected Gods Word taketh no effect it cannot be it is simply and absolutely impossible though they mutter against it that the word of God By the Word of God here we are to understand not the legal Covenant the word of the Law the Apostle speaketh not here of them as they sought salvation by the works of the Law and the righteousnesse thereof legall they were so rejected in all times even before this kind of rejection did befall them they were rejected by the legal Covenant in all ages and the Apostle speaketh of that in the next Chapter But by the Word of God here we are to understand the word of promise Gen. 17.7 where God saith he would be Abrahams God and the God of his seed In which promise God doth promise a perpetual being with Abraham and his seed for ever and not only with temporal blessings but with blessings belonging unto life and salvation namely the spiritual seed of Abraham the children of Abraham after a spiritual sense meaning the chosen of God them he would be with to guide and direct his elect seed those that should believe in God as Abraham their Father did whether Jewes or Gentiles for we may see in the course and tenour of the Scripture that all that came of Abraham were not blessed with this heavenly blessing as Ishmael and Esau but the elect of God to those the Promise was made should take no effect Or should fall to the ground or fail of the end for which it is appointed for then when a promise is made and not performed it falleth to the ground it is unstable and of none effect it attaineth not the appointed end for all they are not Israelites that are of Israel By Israelites in the first place we are to understand the true Israelites Israelites indeed and not in name only Joh. 1.47 such as was Nathaniel behold a true Israelite one in whom there was no guile so that by Israel is meant the elect of God the true Israelites among the Jewes and by Israel in the second place we are to understand Jacob individually who was the Father of the Patriarks and was called Israel because of his prevailing with God those that came of his race and line according to the flesh and according to the course of Nature that is to be of Israel then thus conceive we the Apostles meaning Howsoever the Jews mutter and murmur and object against it and seem to be much discontented that they are rejected and that if they be rejected the Word of God unto Abraham faileth and cometh to no effect yet saith the Apostle it cannot be it is altogether impossible and can never so be that the Word of promise made unto Abraham and unto his seed wherein God did promise to blesse Abraham perpetually temporally spiritually and eternally that this word of promise made to the spiritual seed of Abraham to the elect should be frustrate and not performed it is impossible saith the Apostle For saith he I must tell you that the Promise was not made unto all Israel which came of Israel by natural generation they are not all true Israelites but to the elect of God true believers those that believe in God as Abraham did so that though they be rejected for the body of them yet the promise is effectual Come we now to the Doctrines And first of all in that the Apostle saith notwithstanding it cannot be that the Word of God should be of no effect it is altogether impossible that the Word of God should be void and of none effect Now then from hence the observation is this Doctrine That the Promises of God unto us they are most firm they cannot possibly be frustrate and unstable and of none effect it cannot be that any promise of God either concerning good things of this life or of the life to come should fall
Patriarks Abraham and Isaac we see Isaac had two sons Jacob and Esau the one good and the other gracelesse and though parents desire to do good to all their children that they have begotten and are of their flesh and blood and indeavour alike to do them good yet if they find not the same answerable successe and answerable fruit of their pains they must do as Christ saith Consider the wind bloweth where it listeth as in Joh. 3.8 the Lord worketh by his Spirit where it pleaseth him all the pains we can take notwithstanding the wind bloweth where it listeth and so they may rest in Gods counsel which may be hidden and secret but assuredly never unjust God is just in all his providences and administrations all men may take notice of it and though it be harsh and hard yet it is never unjust and so rest contented in the good will and pleasure of God VERSE 11 12. For the children being not yet born and when they had neither done good nor evil that the purpose of God might remain according to election not by works but by him that calleth It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger IN these two Verses our Apostle bringeth proof to that point and position put down in the verses foregoing and the thing delivered was that it appeared plainly in the two children of Isaac and Rebekah That the Promise of God touching mercy grace righteousness life and salvation did not belong to all that came of Abraham and Isaac by the course of Nature this was the Conclusion which the Apostle proveth in these two verses and he proveth it from the voyce of God himself In that God saith to Rebekah that the Elder of her children should serve the Younger Gen. 25.23 she coming to consult with the Oracle It was told her that two Nations strove in her womb and the elder should serve the younger And this the Apostle amplifieth by the circumstance of the time before the children were born when they had neither done good nor evil And this is further enlarged by the end of it to what end namely that the purpose of God might remain and abide firm and stable and unmoveable according to election and that not by works but by him that called Now this being the general drift of these two Verses Come we to the sense and meaning of them which are full of difficulty For before the children were born It is most plain by the context that the Apostle meaneth Jacob and Esau for they are specified in the context were born that is while these two children were in the womb of Rebekah their Mother and not yet brought forth and had done neither good nor evil That is actually sinned for here Original corruption is not specified for originally they were guilty before the Lord and in their typical consideration Original corruption is excluded they being considered as types of the Elect and of the Reprobate and in that consideration they are laid before us as having done neither good nor evil That the purpose of God might remain according to election Or rather thus That the purpose of God according to election might remain So that by the purpose of God in this place we are to understand Gods eternal decree that which he purposed from everlasting within his own blessed Majestie out of the good pleasure of his Will or according to the counsel of his Will Ephes 1.11 that which God in himself from everlasting purposed freely according to election Or concerning election that is touching his free choice of some to grace and glory and his rejecting of others for under election is included the contrary namely reprobation that purpose which was touching free grace and glory according to election according to the act of election and reprobation that it might remain Or rather might be firm and stable and might abide unshaken not by works but by him that calleth That is say the Arminians and the Anabaptists if you will believe them not by the works of the Law but by faith obeying him that calleth not by seeking righteousnesse and salvation by the works of the Law but by faith obeying him that calleth And upon this they would ground their grosse errour and false conclusion that Esau was a type of those that are rejected of God because they seek righteousnesse and salvation by the works of the Law and Jacob was a type of such that are then chosen of God when God doth see faith in them with perseverance and are then chosen of God actually God purposeth to choose them upon foreseen faith and doth actually choose them upon the faith that he seeth in them with perseverance But this is a misconstruction for consider how could Esau be a type of such as are rejected of God Esau considered without works either good or evil as he was being in the womb how could he be a type of such that seek righteousness by the works of the Law Again how could Jacob being considered without faith as he was when he was chosen before he was born how could he be a type of those that are then chosen of God when God seeth faith in them with perseverance Can these things possibly agree and jump together that are contraries unlesse they will have that there is no analogy no resemblance or proportion between types and the things typified how could Jacob be a type of those that are chosen upon their faith with perseverance he then having no faith or how could Esau be a type of those that seek salvation by the works of the Law he having no works neither done good nor evil this cannot be there must be an analogy between types and the thing typified But the meaning of the word is not by works that is not any thing depending upon the works of these two brethren but upon him that calleth That is upon the free grace of God calling his elect in time effectually It was said unto her That is it was said unto her by God himself Gen. 25.23 The elder shall serve the younger That is the Elder shall be under the Younger shall be in subjection to the younger and the younger shall rule over the elder Now this being the meaning of the words we must consider that this is to be understood of Esau and Jacob first personally that this oracle of God should be fulfilled in Jacob and Esau's persons that Esau should be subject to the person of Jacob. And also it is to be understood Historically in their posterity the Edomites and Israelites which were indeed the children and off-spring of Jacob and Esau so that it is to be understood both personally and historically Object Now if any say unto me in the speech of God to Rebekah Gen. 25.23 two Nations are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be divided out of thy bowels the one shall be mightier then the other and the elder shall serve the younger therefore these words are
absurd thing for men to quarrel with God as for example it is as if a piece of clay in the hand of the Potter should rise up and find fault with the potter for making one vessel to a better use and another to a baser use why because the Potter hath full power and authority over the clay to make what he will Now the particular implication of this verse that which is herein implyed is thus God is the Potter and man is the clay and as it is lawful for the Potter to make of the clay one vessel for service at the Table and another for baser service in the kitchin or Chamber so much more is it lawful for God to make of man one for honour and another for dishonour the Apostles reasoning is à minore ad majus from the lesser to the greater and if the Potter who is but a creature hath power over the clay which is a creature also to make one vessel to an excellent use and the other to a baser use surely then the authority of God over all and every creature is far greater the Lord hath absolute power to dispose of all as it pleaseth him this way or that way that is the general drift and purpose of the Apostle Now the words of this verse being taken as the first part of the Comparison of the Potter the clay there is no hardnesse in them for the sense and meaning of them Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An non habet potestatem figulus Luti Explication of the words of verse 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex eadem massa Divers opinions concerning the sence and meaning of these words onely they are put down by way of interrogation which is of greater force and not by way of position and the affirmation of this Interrogation is thus much That the Potter hath power and lawfull authoritie over the clay for so the word in the Original signifieth But being taken in the Application as that which they doe imply as namely implying God to be the Potter and man to be the Clay then there is something in them very needful to be explained and there is difficultie in them Hath not the Potter power over the Clay That is in the implication of them Hath not God power and lawful authoritie over Man as the Potter hath over his Clay Yea much more hath the Lord power over Man to make to ordain and to appoint of the same lump Some doe understand of the same lump to be meant the sinne of Idolatrie in which the Children of Israel were in Egypt That the Lord out of that same lump of Idolatrie in which the Children of Israel were with the Egyptians saved the Israelites and destroyed the Egyptians but this is too scantie too narrow and not large enough for to expresse the Apostles meaning for the Apostles drift is not here of inflicting of punishment for that man can give a reason of but the Apostle speaketh of Gods ordaining and appointing And again some Divines doe by this word lump understand the masse of corruption mans fall mans corrupting by Adams transgression Adam being wrapped in sinne Alludens inquit ad Adami creationem humanum genus umdum conditum nisi in opificis mente comparat massae Luti ex qua Deus postea prout ab aeterno decreverat condiderit quotidie condat tum eligendos tum reprobandos qui etiam declarat verbum faciendi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Objection of the Anabaptiste propounded and answered But though this be the opinion of many reverent Divines yet it cannot be the Apostles meaning because as saith Reverend Beza in this sence the Lord cannot be said to make men vessels of dishonour but to finde men alreadie in their estate vessels of dishonour Again the comparison it self seems to exclude and shut out all respect to corruption that there is no respect had to the corruption of man from everlasting for you see here God is compared to a Potter that taketh a piece of clay not stained with any pollution corruption spot or tincture for then the Potter might have some excuse to make a base vessel of it because it was a spotted and tainted piece of Clay so God taketh man as in himself not corrupted for then there was some cause why the Lord should cast away this man and not that man therefore we are here to understand not man corrupted but mankind generally taken One vessel to honour and another to dishonour that is to make one vessel to his Glory to honour everlasting and another to be vessels of wrath to shame and confusion I know what the Anabaptists object against this for they say it is very impious grosse and absurd thus to expound this comparison this maketh God to have no wisdome For what Potter is so foolish to make his pots to break them and to throw them away purposely shall we say then God made man to destroy him to throw him to utter confusion so that say they this is a very impious Exposition of the comparisons But herein they shew their foolishness and weakness I answer we affirme no such matter either of the Potter or of God that God makes man to destroy him for what is it for God to destroy a man It is when he confounds and turneth man to nothing when he doth annihilate and dissolve him to nothing but for God to finde a man in his corruption to throw him into Reprobation this is no destroying of a man Again beloved the Potter is a Creature and hath received a Law from God his Creatour that he must carrie himself toward his workmanship according to his Law that he may prove profitable either to the Church or to the Common-wealth Now this he doth not if he make his Pots with a purpose to break them then he liveth idlely and is a vain foolish fellow But God the great Lord of Heaven and Earth who hath made the world he is not bound to any such law will the Anabaptists in their foolerie bring God under a Law he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and he hath the Prerogative Royal and he is bound to no Law no more to preserve them being made then to make them of nothing when they were not will they bring God under their girdle and under their law therefore notwithstanding their cavil the meaning remaineth a truth and it is as if the Apostle had said Sence and meaning of the words Hath not God power and absolute lawful authoritie over man and as the Potter hath over the Clay even out of the same lump and mass of mankind taken generally to appoint and to ordain one man to be his vessel of mercy in life and glory in Heaven and to another to be a vessel of his wrath in the destruction of hell And thus much for the Apostles meaning Come we now to stand upon the words