for no other more than it will follow from Paul's word Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave Himself for me Therefore He did love and gave Himself for no other It is sad that Learned men should so please themselves to shift Arguments for certainly a clear difference may be observed between Pual's saying Christ gave His life for me and between Christs saying I laid down My life for My sheep this doth expresly hold forth Christs differencing of these for whom He was to die and His contradistinguishing of them from others who were not of His Sheep nor given to Him and therefore for them He was not to lay down His life whereas that word of Pauls is not spoken to contradistinguish him from any other Believer but to comfort himself in the application of that truth to himself that Christ who died for His Sheep did also lay down His life for him as one of them Again when Christ speaketh of His People of His Sheep and of His Own in this case He doth particularly to say so consider them as a species or kind of people by themselves and differenced in the respect mentioned from others as the scope cleareth but when Paul speaketh of himself in the application forsaid will any think that he speaketh of himself as differenced from all and not rather as one individuall of the species foresaid Therefore although we may conclude thus God hath made man a reasonable creature according to His own Image Therefore no other creature is such because by this qualification man or that species to say so is differenced from all other creatures on earth yet it will not follow Peter is a reasonable creature according to Gods Image Therefore no other man is so because Peter is but an individualâ— person under the same species with others Just so is it here Christs Sheep Own People c. denote a species as it were differenced by such relations from others whereas Paul is but an individuall Believer comprehended under the same A second Objection is That many other Scriptures do assert Christ to be given and to have laid down His life for the World Therefore it cannot be absurd to say that in some sense Christ hath redeemed all and particularly that place Ioh. 3.16 is urged for our scope suffereth us not to digresse to more to wit God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life In reference to which place we say 1. That the scope is not to shew that Christ was given for all the World taken distributively that is for every person that should be in the World because it is only brought-in here to confirm this generall sum of the Gospel which is laid down vers 15. That whosoever believeth in Christ should not perish but have eternal life Now vers 16. is brought-in as a confirmation of this for saith He God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for this very end That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life Where Gods end in giving of His Son is mentioned to be a ground of quietnesse to all that should believe and will bear that Universal well whosoever believeth are redeemed and may expect the benefits of Christs Redemption because the justifying and saving of such was the end for which God sent His Son and to extend the place any further will not be consistent with the scope thereof If it be said that Gods respect and love to the world indefinitly is mentioned here Be it so yet that will not infer that because He had respect to the world That therefore He intended that Christ should die for all and every individuall person in the world but it will only infer this much at most as if we said in common speach such a Christian King or potent man had such a respect to Christians or to men of such a Nation as to send such a great sum to redeem so many of them as he particularly condescended upon from the bondage of the Turks it may well be said that such a great man had respect to Christians or to such a Nation because he purposed to redeem many of them when he took no thought of others yet it cannot be said that he intended the redeeming of all either absolutely or conditionally seing he did appoint the price given to be paid for such and such as himself thought meet to redeem and not for others Just so is it here in this case at the most and so Gods respect to the world may be opposite to His passing-by of all the fallen Angels Again secondly we say that if World in this place be to be understood of particular persons and an universality of them It must be understood of the Elect World as in the Verse following is clear where Gods purpose of sending His Son is expressed to be that the world through Him might be saved Now there can no other universality be thought to be intended to be saved by God as was formerly cleared but the universality to speak so or the World of the Elect. Neither will the reading be absurd to understand it thus That God so loved the Elect World that He gave His only begotten Son to death for them that by their believing on Him they should not perish but have eternal life And so this place will be interpreted by the parallel thereof 1 Ioh. 4.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him for us and we in the one place are equipollent to world and whosoever will believe in the other That thus it is to be understood appeareth in this that even according to the grounds of this opinion there can none be expected to believe but the Elect and in the Text there are none profited by this fruit of Christs love to the world but the Believers Therefore this love which giveth this gift must be said to respect the Elect only especially considering that it is in a matter which is the evidence of Gods most special love as was formerly said Only it is expressed in this generall whosoever shall believe c. because the extending of it in this indefinit expression doth sure best with the proposed mould of the offer of the Gospel which is not to invite men to believe because they are particularly elected or redeemed but to invite men to believe because God hath promised to save such as believe and because He doth by the outward Ministrie call hearers thereunto And this is the more to be observed because Christ here as a good Minister of the Gospel is preaching to Nicodemus and laying before him the sum of the Gospel and that which must be the object of his faith and therefore it was necessary that He should take that way of preaching these truths to him so
case hath two things in it 1. Her outward afflictions are mentioned 2. Her honesty and integrity under them is taken notice of and approven by Jesus Christ. And this last is a main ground of consolation against the first Her outward afflicted condition is expressed in these three words 1. They were under tribulation that is sad and greatly straitning pressures as the Word signifieth and by this may be understood the afflictions of body name and estate and the sad consequents following thereupon which the Godly are put to by the persecution of wicked men The 2. word is povertie I know thy poverty we take it literally to be understood of such pincheâ— and straits in their outward estates as plundering sequestration finings and other means of that kind use to bring upon men unto this sort of affliction the Christians in the primitive peâ—secutions were exceedingly liable who yet joyfully suffered the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 This is indeed no little part of trial when parents and children are casten loose of all temporal things and have not for the refreshing of themselves and their families The 3. part of their affliction is the reproach of wicked men that wanted not altogether profession I know saith the Lord the blasphemie of thâ—se which say they are Iews and are not but are of the synagogue of Satan Amongst all the Saints crosses there are none more bitter than cruel mockings as they are called Heb. 11.36 and mockings from Iews that pretended to Worship the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob would be more heavie than the reproaches of heathens there were none also more bitter revilers of the Son of God and of His followerâ— than these hardned Iews who having synagogues in considerable Cities did ever with all their might joyn themselves to reproach and persecute the Christians It is like that they had a synagogue in this place pretending to worship God according to the manner of His Law but because of their obstinate maliciousnesse they are by the Lord denied to be Iews and are said to lie and to be of the synagogue of Satan because indeed they looked liker a combination for the devil thâ—n a Congregation for worshipping of God who slew the Lord forbade to speak in His Name and did persecute His Ministers and People as the word is 1 Thess. 2.14 15. From which we may see 1. That the most honest and tender may be liable to most sharp afflictions 2. That often rods and crosses of several kinds are joyned together 3. That reproach is not the least part of affliction of the people of God and the shame thereof being well endured will be accounted honest suffering of a crosse as if it were a bodily affliction 4. There is no person more bitter and invective against those that are sincere than such as have had some engagements to God by profession and have fallen from the same 5. Pretended friends as these Iews were may come to be most grosse enemies which is both their sin and their plague therefore 1 Thess. 2. 16. it is said that wrath was come upon them to the uttermost 6. Gods people may look to be met with and entertained by men as the Lord Jesus useth to be if He be well entertained so will it be with them if He be despised as He was by these Iews let them look to be blasphemed and despised also for it is enough to the servant that he be like his Master The consolation that is proposed against the foresaid affliction is two wayes set down 1. More generally I know thy works which doth not only relate to His Omnisciency as is usuall in these Epistles but here it taketh in His approbation as the word after cleareth Also it is opposed to His taking notice of their enemies malice I know the blasphemy of them that call themselves Iews c. Therefore His knowing of their works must include His respect to their honesty as His knowing of their blasphemy pointeth out His detestation of the same It is no little part of Believers consolation in any strait that the Lord Jesus knoweth how it is with them and can bear testimony to their integrity when they are even almost overwhelmed with reproaches before men It is no little encouragement â—lso that He doth take notice of enemies their malice as here is observed The second way the consolation is expressed is more direct by Christs plain testimony in these words thou art rich that is what ever men think of thee as being most despicable or whatever thou be in thy own estate most poor and desolate yet really and in my estimation thou art rich that is thou art indeed strong in the grace of God well furnished with Promises and Priviledges and abundantly rich in faith and good works Iam. 2. vers 5. 1 Tim. 6.18 In which things true riches do consist This seemeth to be a strange paradox unto the men of the world thou art poor and yet thou art rich yet often have the Saints found this to be a truth as having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 And if this were believed it might allay the fervour that men have in pursuing after temporall riches for the having of them cannot make them rich the greatest men in Smyrna get not this testimony from our Lord Jesus that they are rich and the want of them cannot make them poor and therefore Smyrna even in her poverty is rich This also would make the heavenly Riches to be esteemed of if men believed that their life did not consist in the abundance of the things that they enjoy as it is Luk. 12.15 The future case of Smyrna which is set down vers 10. is also an afflicted condition and hath its encouragements suitable thereto laid down It is 1. generally proposed to be suffering Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer This Church had been suffering and though honest was yet to suffer more Obs. 1. Sufferings when they begin oftentimes are not instantly at a close Yea 2. The Lord will sometimes exercise these that are most tender with one crosse upon the back of another 3. He Himself is notwithstâ—nding still tender of them even when they suffer as may be gathered from this comfortable message to Smyrna 2. These sufferings are more particularly described 1. In the kind of suffering to wit Iâ—prisonment this is not so to be understood as if they were to be tried by no other kind of suffering but it setteth out a main part of their crosse to wit that some of them should be cast in Prison and liberty taken from their persons which it may be heretofore they enjoyed 2. It is described in the principall Agent and Instrument of their suffering The devil shall cast some of you into prison Heathen Emperours wicked Governours and Souldiers were instrumentall therein yet it is ascribed to the devil as if it were immediately acted by him for these reasons 1. To
in part be brought to believe the generall truths of the Gospel concerning Christ c. and to his own apprehension be perswaded in himself that he hath received him and so carry within himself as if indeed there were ground to expect what is promised in him This is clear also from the many instances of historicall and temporall faith that are recorded in Scripture and in this respect it is said of the temporary Believer That anone he receiveth the word with joy and goeth forth as if all were well Thus Agrippa is by the force of the Word almost perswaded to be a Christian Act. 26.28 And Isai. 48.1 and 2. some are said to call themselves of the holy city and stay themselves on the Lord God of Israel which supposeth an exercise of faith at least in their account and yet it was not done in truth and in righteousnesse In the seventh place we may instance it in the common operations of the spirit on the affections within we have already hinted something of convictions for sin of fear of wrath and destruction of the soul which certainly may sometimes affect many hypocrites also of grief and worldly sorrow which may seaze upon such and in an high degree who yet may have nothing of God in them upon the other side there may be much of it also in respect of the flashes of joy tendernesse and meltings of heart which hypocrites may have at one time either in some publick Ordinances or possibly in secret or otherwise more than at other times and yet there be nothing but the common operations of the spirit such as were in many of Iohns Hearers who for a srason rejoyced in his light Iob. 5.35 and in the temporary Believer as was formerly cited for the Lord that dispenseth the common gifts of the Spirit as He pleaseth doth also dispense of these common effects of the Spirits operation such as liberty fear joy sorrow and the like according to his Soveraign pleasure without respect to the eternall state good or bad of the person on whom He bestoweth them Now seing these things and such like may be where yet sincerity is not what wonder is there that a person be said to have a name by others or be thought to have reality by himself when yet indeed there is nothing but deadnesse Oftentimes men that are ordinarily admirers of themselves and what is in themselves are brought to think highly of themselves and of the sincerity of their own state and that wâ—th great perswasion upon lesse grounds than these that are laid down as we will find in the Epistle to Laodicea If it be asked supposing such things to be What can further be defective to reality Answ. To say no more all these things may be and yet there may be defect in these three which are simply necessary for the differencing of a sincere person from an hypocrite First There may be a want of the new nature and the person not yet be born again as it is Ioh. 3.3 Secondly All these may be and yet the person not be brought really to deny his own righteousnesse and positively to receive Christ offered in the Gospel and to rest upon Him for the attaining of life through His righteousnesse and satisfaction although they may be convinced it is good to do it and although they may think they have done it being blinded by their own pride and although they may some way comfort themselves as if they had done it in this their presumptuous dream yet really it is never done for so they could not but be saved because of the immutable tearms of Gods Covenant which say Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life Thirdly All these things may be when yet there is defect in the nature of the inward duties to say so and in the manner of performing what is outward that is they may be both without the qualifications required to the constituting of sincerity and sincere acts spoken to Chap. 2. So that still these fruits are but fruits of the old tree and flesh and are not brought forth by faith in Jesus Christ without which nothing can be pleasing to God neither is His glory singly aimed at in them c. without which the most glancing fruits will be but rotten before the Lord. Again Secondly considering this Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead with respect to the Minister it may be enquired 1. What kind of Minister this is who may be said to have a name that he liveth and is dead 2. What may be the reasons that make even Ministers to rest satisfied in the applause of others and in such things as may gain an approbation before men without that which may make him approveable before God To the first we say that in the describing of such a Minister we must 1. look to somethingâ— which he hath that give the ground of his having a name And 2. to something which he hath not the want whereof proveth him to have no more but a name First then A Minister may be in his particular condition such an one as was formerly described with many commendable things in his outward carriage Secondly he may have some good measure of gifts and a pleasing quicknesse and dexterity in Preaching and mannaging of other duties that belong to his Calling This gift it seemeth was in many Church-officers at Corinth which made them appear exceeding eminent Thirdly he may have a frequency and accurate formality in the discharge of all duties as bearing forth much diligence and faithfulnesse in the discharge of them with a seeming fervour and earnestnesse It is like that these who preached Christ out of envy Philip. 1.15 wanted not a good measure of this Fourthly he may have a great plausiblnesse and a familiar kind of humanity and discretion to speak so in his conversation with others which often tendeth to gain applause from them as if it were a speciall sign of humility and an evidence of love and respect whereby men oftentimes are engaged to esteem of such a Minister more upon such an account to wit as being particularly friendly to them than for their works sake as the word is 1 Thess. 5.13 It is like that these false Teachers that got such a name as who but they in Corinth and Galatia had much of this way of insinuation and also these mentioned Philip. 1. cannot well be thought to be free in this respect seing they Preached Christ out of envie and strife vers 15. as minding to gain a name thereby beyond Paul Fifthly Such a Minister may also have seeming countenance in his Ministrie with Authority and respect amongst his people and seeming countenance and fruit in outward things as in the bearing down of Error the suppressing of grosse scandals and out-breakings and the bringing of his people to some conformity in publick and private duties in which respects his Congregation may be more formal than
and thus Faith is the condition thereof Then 2. Suppose him to look to the charge that standeth against him for his former sins in Gods threatned curse and to satisfie this he giveth-in Christs satisfaction which being offered to him for this end that he upon the receiving thereof may be justified he by Faith resting on Gods faithfull Word through Christ repelleth all these charges by presenting that as his defence and by the letter of the Law of Faith which saith He that believeth shall not come into condâ—mnation but hath passed from death to life he is absolved and this is Justification even as he was formerly condemned by the Law of Works Here the only meritorious cause of the absolution and the righteousnesse upon which the sentence passeth is the Cautioners payment yet so as it is Judicially pleaded in which respect we say that Faith is instrumentall And though this pleading of it be necessary and the Law absolveth not but when the ground iâ— instructed yet this pleading or instructing is not the persons righteousnesse properly or the ground of his absolution but that which is pleaded and instructed to wit the Cautioners payment which being according to Law instructed is the ground of absolving the debtor from the charge this is plain even in the dealing of humane Courts And the tennor of the way of Justification being holden forth in the Word with respect to a judiciall procedour in humane Courts as is said it can no other way be more satisfyingly cleared To insist a little more then there is a twofold peculiarity attributed to Faith beside what is given to works and any other Grace 1. That it is the condition of the Covenant properly 2. That it hath an instrumentall causality peculiar to it in our Justification By the first is meaned that believing in Christ and receiving of Him is that which enstates one into the Covenant and giveth him right to what is promised and doth in our having right to Gods promises supplie that room which conditions do in mens mutuall bargains wherein when one promiseth somewhat on such a condition the performance of that condition doth turn the conditionall promise into an absolute right to him that hath performed it and so a condition is that upon which the title to the great promise to wit Gods being our God doth depend And Faith getteth this name in respect of the place God hath put it into in His Covenant and so it floweth from His extrinsick ordination By the second to wit that it is called an instrumentall cause the intrinsick manner of its acting is respected for though it be from the Spirit with other Graces and they be not separated yet hath it a peculiar aptitude to look to Christ receive Him apprehend and â—at Him take hold of and rest on Him c. which no other grace hath For it is in the new Creature and Inner-man someway proportionably as it is in the Outter-man for though there be many members of one body yet all act not in the same manner the hand acteth one way and the ear another c. So it is in the Inner-man there are many Graces which are members thereof yet have they their peculiar way of acting whereof these mentioned are attributed to Faith for which often it is called the eye the hand and the door of the renewed soul because by it Christ is apprehended received and admitted thereunto We conceive this instrumentality is justly attributed to Faith because seing there must be an application of the righteousnesse of Christ and seing Faith doth concur or is made use of as a mids for receiving of Him which is the way by which His Righteousnesse is applied why may it not be called instrumentall in our Justification as it is instrumental in receiving of and resting on His Righteousnesse by which and for which we are justified And thus Faith is not our receiving but the mean by which we receive as the eye is not our seeing nor the hand our gripping of any thing but the organs or means whereby we see and grip Neither doth this give any thing to Faith that derogateth from Christ for it leaveth the praise and vertue to Him but doth infer only an exercising of Faith for attaining of that benefit to wit Iustification Justification it self being an apotelesma to say so or effect both of Christs purchase Gods Grace and our believing and doth flow from them all respectively and doth presuppose the same The dispute about active and passive instruments is needlesse here seing the meaning is clear that for attaining of Justification by Christs Righteousnesse Faith doth peculiarly concur in the apprehending thereof and resting thereon otherwise than other Graces can be said to do And this cannot be denied if we consider 1. That to be justified by Christ and by Faith or by the righteousnesse of Christ and the righteousnesse of Faith are still one in Scripture even then when that concurrence which is allowed to Faith is denied to all other things which saith that Faith concurreth peculiarly and that so as Christ is rested on by it when it justifieth or that it justifieth by obtaining Justification through Him 2. If this be truth that the righteousnesse of Christ is the thing immediatly presented before Gods Justice upon which we are absolved as is said and also if it cannot be denied that Faith hath a peculiar aptitude to act on Christs Righteousnesse and present the same Then it must be granted first that Faith must have a peculiar way of concurring to the attaining of Justification And secondly that this may well be called an instrumental causality in reference to that end otherwise there is no use nor exercise of this its peculiar aptitude which is still acknowledged And if it please better to say that Faith justifieth or concurreth in Justification in respect of its peculiar aptitude to act on Christ and to receive Him than to say it concurreth instrumentally we shall not contend providing it be the same upon the mater with the ordinary doctrine concerning this instrumentality of Faith which we may illustrate and confirm by these considerations and similitudes 1. It is granted that the Word is the external instrument of Justification and that must be because it doth offer the same upon condition of believing or holdeth forth a righteousness by which we may be justified So Faith must be the internal instrument because it receiveth the same that is offered by the Word and receiving is no lesse necessary to Justification than offering and seing that receiving and offering relate so to each other and both to the end there is reason to attribute the same kind of causality to the one that is given to the other respectively 2. We are said to be justified by Faith in Christ as the people were healed by looking to the brazen serpent which was to typifie this Ioh. 3. vers 14. Now they by the vertue of the serpent considering it typically
to say that all are not redeemed c. because it leaveth this stumbling-block before the person that he knoweth not whether he ought to believe or not because he knoweth not whether he be redeemed or not and this thought may also follow him if he be not redeemed can his believing be usefull to him Answ. There are severall mistakes in this Objection Therefore we shall answer several wayes thereunto And first we say that even upon supposition that one doth not believe in Christ this Doctrine asserted is more comfortable than the other because first he hath no lesse warrand to believe in Christ and rest on Him than if the other Doctrine were supposed for it is not Christs dying for any that warranteth him to believe or is the object of his Faith but it is Gods call requiring faith of him and Gods offer and promise knitting life to the performance of that condition of believing called-for These are contained in Gods revealed Will which is the rule of our practice and the ground of our Faith And according to this Doctrine a hearer of the Gospel hath these grounds for his warrand and there can no other be given even upon the contrary supposition Secondly If he be brought to yeeld to His call to receive His offer and to trust himself to His promise he hath then more solid ground of consolation because of the certain connexion that is betwixt Faith and Salvation than he can have by the other Doctrine which by the interwoven Errors concerning Free-wil the falling away of such as sometime have been true Believers c. is wholly brangled And so supposing him not yet to have closed with Christ he hath the more effectuall motives to engage him thereunto because by so doing all is made sure 2. We answer this Doctrine of particular Redemption to call it so doth never make Salvation impossible to any that will receive Christ and rest on Him but on the contrary though it deny that all men are redeemed or shall be saved yet doth it assert this Universal that all whosoever shall believe are redeemed and shall be saved which certainly doth make the expectation of life through faith in Christ to be the more certain and doth lay the more solid ground for a tossed sinner to cast himself upon when it saith there was never a sinner of any rank or quality that did believe or shall believe in Jesus Christ but he shall be saved from which he may conclude Then if I can or shall believe in Christ I also shall be saved which conclusion will not follow from the other Doctrine And seing this is the very expresse letter of the Gospel whosoever believeth shall be saved there is no ground left to question the same without manifest reflecting upon the faithfulnesse of God 3. We answer If any thing follow from this ground all are not redeemed it is this Therefore all shall not be saved or Therefore all will not believe both which are true And it doth only make Salvation impossible to him who doth not believe in Christ for to such it saith if thou believe not thou shall not be saved neither in such a case hast thou ground to think thy self redeemed and what absurditie is in these yea upon the grounds of the other Doctrine there is none without Faith that can promise themselvs life or comfort themselves in their pretended universall Redemption more than upon the grounds which we have laid down therefore it can never be said that believing in Christ is uselesse according to this Doctrine yea it is asserted to be alwayes usefull and profitable whereas by the opposite grounds it may be often without these comfortable effects following thereupon In the fourth place we Answer That this Objection as much more in this controversie doth flow from a mistake of the true nature of justifying Faith for it supponeth it to be the hearts receiving of and closing with this as a truth that Christ hath died for me in particular and that His death was particularly intended for me This is the more dangerous because it hath been entertained by many and hath been the occasion of mistake even to some great men who have laid this for a ground as Cameron doth on this subject Christus mortuus est pro te si tu id factum credas that is Christ hath died for thee if thou believe it so to be now according to that ground it is impossible but to miscarry both in reference to this Doctrine the Doctrine of Justification and severall other most concerning-truths It is to be adverted then that when we are called to believe in Christ we are not called instantly to believe that Christ hath offered up Himself as a satisfaction for us in particular but we are to conceive it in this order First We are called to believe the truth of the Gospel and the way of Salvation laid down therein to wit that there is no name under Heaven by which a sinner can be saved but by the Name of Jesus and that yet all who believe in Him shall be justified and saved c. Thus we may apply that word Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must first believe that He is c. for if this generall truth be not acknowledged saving Faith wanteth the discoverie of a sufficient and fit object to rest itself upon Secondly We are then called to receive this Christ offered to us in the Gospel and by Faith to be take ourselves to Him so discovered and there as on a solid foundation to rest for the obtaining of Justification and life by the vertue of His satisfaction according to the offer that is made in the Gospel This is the main act of saving Faith whereby a sinner cometh to be entituled to Christ and to the benefits of His death Whereupon thirdly followeth our accepting of the forsaid offer being supposed a warrant to look upon Christ as ours upon the benefits purchased by Him as belonging to us and upon ourselves as actually redeemed by Him none of which before that could have been warrantably concluded but this being supposed there is good ground for it because a sinner by receiving of Christ cometh to have interest in Him and so consequently in all that is His for Christ and His benefits are not separated and therefore except there be ground to bear out this title to Christ Himself there is no warrant to believe that any of His benefits do belong to us Now according to this forsaid order no hearer is ever called to believe what is false Because these three are ever true to wit First That life is certain through Faith in Christ and no other wayes Secondly that one who is called to believe on Him ought to obey and that Gods call is a good ground for that obedience Thirdly This is also a truth that one who hath yeelded may look upon himself as accepted of God and redeemed by Christ Jesus because in the
method forsaid there is warrant to believe all these But if any will invert the order and at first perswade himself that the benefits of Christs purchase do belong to him as being particularly redeemed by His death before he actually rest on him by Faith this will prove but strong presumption and never give title to Christ or any thing that is His but on the contrary greatly provoke the Lord because in all the Word of God there is no promise of Justification Life or Salvation or any benefit of Christs Redemption made to any person but to him that believeth and to do otherwayes is as if a woman that were wooed for marriage should fancie her self to have title and right to all the priviledges of such a mans wife before the marriage were actually consummated or before she had given her formall consent thereunto And so according to these grounds we see that all hearers are not simply and instantly called to believe that Christ did die for them But first to receive Him as their Saviour and then to draw such a conclusion which upon the performance of that condition can never fail From this also we may see the fallacie and weakness of that much tossed vain Objection to wit That which every one is obliged to believe that must be truth But every one is obliged to believe that Christ did die for him in particular Therefore that Christ did die for every one in particular must be a truth This Argument I say dependeth only upon the former mistake of Faith and this being denied that all men are instantly called to believe that Christ died for them in particular when they are called to believe in Him for obtaining of life The strength of it will evanish because supposing that many in the Visible Church which experience doth put out of question do never believe in Christ or by Faith rest on Him for the obtaining of life Then it will follow that many even in the Visible Church are never obliged to believe that Christ hath died for them in particular because none hath warrant to make that application but such as have first betaken themselves by Faith unto Christ whereby the assumption of that Argument is palpably false for it must be so assumed Every man that heareth the Gospel and hath received Christ ought to believe that He hath died for him and so the conclusion will be That Christ hath died for all that believe in Him which is true or it must be That every one that heareth the Gospel is obliged to receive Christ and rest upon Him and upon that condition may expect life which will make nothing to the intended purpose This occasion giveth ground to insist a little further in clearing the extent of the merit of Christs death in respect of the effects thereof and though it be neither possible for us to make every thing fully clear nor pertinent to our purpose long to insist on the same yet the former grounds being laid we may enquire shortly in some things and answer to them with a particular respect to this place First It may be enquired What is the proper effect of Christs satisfaction and that which is purchased thereby to sinners Secondly If this purchase extend to the procuring of Faith and the first Grace as it doth to the procuring of Pardon and Justification Thirdly If it may be said that any benefit in any respect doth redound to any Reprobate from Christs death as the proper effect of that purchase And fourthly If there may be an Uuniversal conditionall Redemption admitted as consistent with the former grounds yet so as the effect thereof is made sure to the Elect and to them only To the first to wit What is the native proper and immediat effect of Christs purchase unto the redeemed We Answer That we conceive it to be not only the procuring of Salvation to be possible to them so that now by the interveening of this satisfaction there is a way for the just God to pardon mens sins without wronging of His Justice which without this could not have been and so some say that by Christs death God is made placabilis or to say so put in a capacity to be pleased or made placable but is not actually appeased or placatus which is the assertion of the Arminians Nor yet is it only to make reconciliation with God upon the condition of believing and Faith in Christ possible that is by this intervening satisfaction to give a ground for Faith to rest upon with hope of obtaining Salvation thereby which otherwayes would not have been profitable had not this satisfaction of Christs procured a new Covenant to be made upon that condition Thus according to some Christ by His death hath procured an object to be held forth to all to be by faith rested upon and hath established this general that all who should believe on Him should be saved and that Faith alone should have Salvation annexed to it in whatsoever person it should be found but such do deny that actually and absolutely He hath redeemed any or procured Faith Justification and Salvation to them But we say further that the immediate and proper fruit and effect of Christs purchase to these for whom He suffered is actuall Redemption and the benefits following thereupon to be applied in due order and manner and not the possibility thereof only First This is clear from the 9. vers of this Chapter where they acknowledge and praise for this that Redemption and Justification c. are not only made possible unto them but that absolutely they are purchased by Christs death for them and that they are actually redeemed to God by His bloud Secondly This doth clear it that by His bloud He is said to make them Kings and Priests unto God which cannot be understood of the possibility only of any priviledge but must take-in the absolute purchase and the actuall conferring thereof in due order and time Hence Revel 1.5 washing from our sins in His bloud is mentioned as the proper effect of His purchase and Justification and Salvation are frequently derived from Christs bloud as from their immediat meritorious cause particularly in that place Isa. 53.11 whereof was spoken a little before And if there were no more but a possibility of Salvation flowing from Christs death then Christ might never have seen His seed or never had satisfaction for the travel of His soul. And if by Christs death only Faith and Salvation should be knit together and so Faith made thereby to have an object proposed to it and that indifferently in respect of all Then it will follow that the grounds of the redeemeds Song would not be Thou hast redeemed us by Thy bloud and made us Kings and Priests c. neither could these be accounted the immediate effects of His purchase but that He hath given them a ground to believe upon and made Salvation certain upon condition of believing which would not
be so chearfull a Song to the redeemed neither would it warrant them to say Thou hast redeemed us in a peculiar sense seing these effects are common to others also many might have ground to blesse for these mercies beside these who are made Kings and Priests All which are most inconsistent with the strain and scope of this place It is true if we will consider the way and method how these benefits are applied to the redeemed or the order by which they come to be possessed of them that instantly upon Christs suffering all cannot be said to be actually justified nor glorified more than they can be said all to have really existed because the Lord in His Covenant hath particularly concluded when and by what means such persons and no other should be brought to believe in Christ and actually to be justified even as well as when they should have a being or at what time their life should be brought to an end and they actually be glorified yet if we consider the things purchased in respect of the bargain we will find that they were absolutely and actually bought unto such persons and satisfied-for by the Mediator so as not only in His intention He aimed to make their Justification and Salvation possible but really and simply to make it sure and to procure it to them yet so as in due time and method it is to be applyed And we conceive that it is a dangerous assertion to say that Peter before his believing had no more interest any way in Christs death than Iudas which yet followeth upon the last opinion that was casten and is acknowledged by the Authors thereof See Cameron part 3. pag. 583. Indeed if we will consider Peters own estate as considered in its self without respect to the Covenant of Redemption and if we consider any actuall claim which he might lay to Christs death in that condition for his own peace and comfort there was no difference but if we will consider Christs sufferings as in the bargain of Redemption before the Lord the procuring of Peters Justification and Glorification was really undertaken-for by the Mediator and his debt satisfied-for by His suffering in his name so as it could not fail in reference to him more than if he had actually had a being and had been justified and glorified when that transaction was closed none of all which can be said of Iudas whose name was never in the Covenant of Redemption as Peters was The second thing moved was to consider if Faith and other saving Graces be fruits of Christs purchase so as by His satisfaction He did not only really intend the purchasing of pardon upon condition of believing but also the purchasing of Regeneration Faith c. that so the Elect might come to the obtaining of pardon Arminius and the Patrons of Free-will do deny Faith to be a fruit of Christs purchase So doth Cameron and some others but with this difference that these last do assert that the gift of believing doth not flow from mans free-will or any sufficient grace bestowed upon all but from Gods Soveraign good-wil thinking meet to bestow that gift upon some whom He hath Elected and not upon others and this they say is a meer fruit of His Soveraign good will without respect to the merit of Christs death even as His decree of election was The reason of the denying of this we conceive to be their making of the fruit and effect of Christs death to be common to all and it being clear in experience that all men have not Faith it cannot be consistent with the former ground to account it the fruit of Christs purchase for what He hath purchased cannot but be brought to passe as elsewhere Cameron asserteth and so according to their first ground Faith would be common to all men And to say that Christ hath purchased Faith conditionally as He hath purchased life and Salvation unto all were absurd because there is a clear condition upon which men may expect life to wit believing but there can be no such condition conceived upon which Faith may be said to be purchased But to answer what was moved we say That Conversion Regeneration Faith Repentance c. are no lesse the fruit of Christs purchase than pardon and Justificatioâ— c. because first by His purchase we are made Kings and Priests unto God And wherein do these priviledges consist but in the having and exercising of these inward saving graces of the Spirit whereby the Elect are made in a spirituall sense Kings and Priests Secondly It can not be well understood how Justification and Glorification may be said to be purchased by Him if all the steps by which these are necessarily brought about be not in the same manner procured Thirdly We are said to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus Ephes. 1.3 which must thus be understood to wit that by His merit we have these communicated to us and Is not Faith and saving Grace to be accounted amongst spirituall blessings Fourthly He is made to us of God not only Righteousnesse but also Wisdom Sanctification and Redemption 1 Corinth 1 30.31 and certainly under these expressions all saving graces needfull to the working out of our Salvation are comprehended And the end of this is that whosoever glorieth may glory alone in Him as having all in Him and nothing but by Him Neither would there be such occasion of glorying in Him if these were not purchased by Him Fifthly The considering of the Covenant of Redemption will also fully clear this for no question that must be a fruit of Christs purchase which the Lord hath promised to the Mediator as a satisfaction to Him for His sufferings Now this is clear that it is not only promised to Christ that many through Faith in Him shall be justified but that certainly He shall see His seed and the fruit of the travel of His soul Isa. 53.10 11. That His people shall be willing in the day of His power Psal. 110.3 That these whom the Father hath given Him shall come unto Him Ioh. 6.37 and that they shall all be taught of God c. and What else can these speciall promises import but this to wit that the Son the Mediator for laying down of His life shall have many given Him and actually by the Spirit drawn to Him and made to believe in Him and to acknowledge Him as the Author of their eternall Salvation without which that promise of seing His seed could never be accomplished Yea must not all the promises of the Covenant have one rise and be derived through one meritorious cause Now these promises of Sanctification such as to take away the stony heart to give a new heart to cleanse us from all our idols and wash us with clean water c. are in one bundle with the promises of His pardoning our iniquity and remembering our sins no more as is clear in Ezek. 36.25 26 c. and
made to God in his name How can it be said that properly any thing is purchased by Christs sufferings to him for this is certain that it is Christs death as it is a satisfaction and price offered in the name of any that doth procure any good to them Beside Christs bearing of the sins of any and their obtaining of Justification are still linked together as was formerly said and therefore seing no Reprobate is justified it cannot be said that Christ hath born their sins and consequently upon that account hath procured any thing to them This difference may be thus illustrated as suppose one having intended out of a number of slaves to relieve so many should therefore covenant a price for them and actually pay the same having withall this included in the bargain that so many other slaves should be appointed to wait on Him till these ransomed ones were safely transported and for that end that they should be for a time freed from some common drudgeries that other slaves are lying under and be someway fitted in their apparell and otherwayes as might become His honour and further Him in the gathering together shipping and transporting of these whom actually He had bought yet still He neither mindeth the relieving of these nor doth for that end pay in the least measure their ransom but only hath this articled to Him as conducing to the good of the main bargain In that case it cannot be said that He had properly bought these whom He minded never to transport or that any price laid down in the principal bargain was laid in their name yet it cannot be denied but that many advantages do follow upon that bargain to such beyond others which yet in the end by reason of their own miscarriages might turn to their greater hurt as suppose they should refuse to obey Him or to put on the cloths bestowed upon them but should abandon him and renounce their present liberty and not wait on to the end c. and so procure themselves justly to be deprived of any favour and to be punished for their ingratitude So may it be said in the present case yet we shall not much contend for words as whether such a thing should be called a consequent or an effect providing Christ be not said to have sustained the room of or by being made sin to have satisfied in lesse or more for any whom He doth not actually redeem and own for His. The fourth Question is If Christ Jesus the only absolute Redeemer of the Elect alone may not yet be said to have redeemed all men conditionally and in the laying down of His life to have intended the purchasing of life to all upon this condition if they should believe in Him This conditionall Redemption is diversly expressed by Learned men who in their Writings do abhor the grosseness of the Socianian and Arminian Doctrines concerning Redemption Some say that Christ died absolutely for none but conditionally for all that is that He purchased life for all upon condition that they should believe that He had died for them and that God by His decree of Election hath decreed to give Faith to some and not to others whereby Christs death becometh effectuall to them and not to others which difference doth yet flow from nothing in Christs death They say also that Christ by His death procured freedom to all from the curse of the Law so that that is removed from all except any by not believing that Christ hath died for them shall make themselves liable to that curse as Cameron asserteth pag. 584. This opinion doth not lay the weight of mens making themselves to differ upon themselves but it doth acknowledge the freedom soveraignity and power of Grace as also the impotencie and corruption of nature yet we conceive it is dangerous and doth directly contradict what hath been asserted from the Text. For 1. it denieth any even the Elect to be absolutely redeemed which though true in some sense to wit in respect of the method and manner of the application of the purchased Redemption yet can it not be said to be true in respect of the purchase and bargain it self or in respect of the parties bargaining in this purchase because Christ did not buy pardon of sin and Salvation to sinners abstractly upon condition that they should believe but did particularly and absolutely purchase the pardon of sin and Salvation to such and such as were proposed to Him And this He did not by buying Salvation to the Elect upon condition they should believe without making both the condition to wit Faith and Salvation sure unto them but He absolutely redeemed Peter Iohn and other Elect persons by purchasing Salvation and every thing needfull for the making of it sure unto them although in due manner these be to be communicated according to the terms of the Covenant 2. It doth deny Faith to be a fruit of Christs purchase which is contrary to what was formerly said 3. This doth assert the Reprobate by Christs death to be freed from the curse of the Law In the day that thou eatest c. which is not to be understood as if upon condition of believing they were to be freed from it if so they did fulfill that condition for that is not controverted but it must be understood of some freedom from the curse of the Law that redoundeth actually to the Reprobate from Christs death And it doth suppone them to have attained some freedom thereby which their after unbelief and ingratitude do make void unto them And so they have not this freedom from the curse offered to them upon condition of their believing but they have it if by their unbelief they do not mar their right to it Now this so understood will infer that Christ was made a curse in the room of all men which is contrary to what is said for they cannot be thought to be freed any way from under the curse except by His sustaining it for them And His bearing of the curse in the stead of any or His taking on their iniquity hath ever their freedom following upon it for whom He did the same as was formerly marked Again there are many of mankind suppose young Children dying before any actuall sin who cannot be liable to any other curse but the curse of the Law yet cannot all these even such as are without the visible Church and the promises be said peremptorily and absolutely to be saved Beside this will infer that either the Reprobate shall not have the breach of the first Covenant imputed to them or that they shall have that debt imputed to them whâ—ch Christ Himself did pay in their name which is inconsistent with the Scriptures formerly mentioned 4. This doth make Christs death considered as to Him and in it self to be equally laid down for Peter and Iudas which the Authors of this opinion will abhor yet doth it necessarily follow thereupon for supposing Christ to die
Covenant seing by His undertaking therein alanerly He becometh liable to death 3. This would infer two Covenants of Redemption whereas the Scripture doth but speak of one And although some speak of a conditionall Covenant with the visible Church yet neither can that be said to be made with all men and so none without the visible Church should be redeemed neither can that be called a Covenant of Redemption distinct from that which is made in reference to the Elect because nothing can be counted a Covenant of Redemption even a conditionall Covenant but that wherein God and the Mediator are parties for no other can determine absolutely or conditionally upon the bussinesse of Redemption Beside what is revealed to the visible Church and hath the form of a conditionall Covenant doth but flow from this as the administration application or execution thereof and therefore cannot be thought to contain any new article concerning the extent or fruit of Christs death but must be regulated by the former and is not to be looked upon as a distinct Covenant in it self The last thing which we have to say is that this mould of a conditionall Redemption of all men doth not bring with it any more solid way to satisfie or remove the difficulties that are pretended to follow the former And indeed the way of grace being a mystery and depth which is unsearchable and the giving of Christ unto death being the most mysterious part of all this mystery what wonder is it that carnall reason cannot reach the grounds of the Lords soveraign proceeding therein and what presumption may it be thought to be to endeavour such a mould of this as may mar the mysteriousnesse thereof and satisfie reason in all its proud Objections Yet we say this will not do it for First it doth not prove any way more conduceable for the glorifying of grace in respect of these who are conditionally redeemed as was formerly shown but rather the contrary Nor doth it conduce any more to the quieting and comforting of wakened Consciences whereof also something was spoken nor doth it any way tend to make Reprobate sinners more inexcusable as if thereby the justice of God were more clearly vindicated for by this Doctrine He did not redeem them absolutely neither did purchase Faith unto them without which even according to this conditionall Covenant they cannot be saved and yet they can no more obtain Faith of themselves except by His purchase than they can by themselves satisfie Divine Justice had He not by His death interposed Now may not carnall reason still cavill here and say that though Christ hath died and purchased them conditionally yet seing He hath not purchased Faith to them their Salvation is no lesse impossible than if there had been no such conditionall Redemption at all Neither can it be ever instanced that this meer conditionall Redemption did profite any person as to life or any saving good more than if it had not been at all and so the matter upon which the pretended cavill doth rise is but altered but no way removed Secondly Seing the asserters of this conditionall Redemption do admit of an absolute Election unto life as we do at least for ought I know then they will have the same cavils to meet with for the connexion betwixt Election Faith and Salvation is no lesse peremptor so that none can believe and be saved but an Elect than the connexion is betwixt Christs dying for one and his obtaining of Salvation yea the connexion is no lesse peremptory and reciprocall to say so betwixt absolute Redemption and life and betwixt meer conditionall Redemption and Damnation to speak of a connexion simply without respect to any causality and that according to their grounds than there is betwixt Redemption and life and non-redemption and death according to the grounds which we maintain yet I suppose that none will account this absolute Election of some few when others are past-by to be any spot upon the soveraign and free grace of God or yet any ground of excuse to such as are not thus Elected by Him and yet without this as to the event it is certain that they can never believe nor attain unto Salvation yea supposing that Election were grounded upon foreseen Faith and supposing Reprobation to be grounded upon foreseen sin and impenitency therein yet now both these Decrees being peremptorily and irrevocably past this is certain that no other will or shall be saved but such as are so Elected and so that all others to whom the offer of the Gospel cometh shall necessarily perish or the former Decree must be cancelled which is impossible and this is true although it be past as they say voluntate consequente Now when the offer of the Gospel cometh may not carnall minds raise the same cavill and say seing the Lord foreknew that such and such would not believe and for that cause did determine to glorifie His Justice upon them to what end then is this offer made to such who are now by a Decree excluded from the same what ever be the ground thereof and indeed there is no end of cavilling if men will give way unto the same for flesh will ask even in reference to this why doth he then find fault and who hath resisted his will for certainly if He had pleased He might have made it otherwise and seing He pleased not to do so Therefore it could not be otherwise as the Apostle hath it Rom. 9.19 unto which he giveth no other answer but Nay O man who art thou that repliâ—st against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power over the clay c. in which also we must acquiesce otherwise no such mould of a conditionall Redemption will give satisfaction Thirdly It can no more warrand the application of the fruits of Christs purchase to any so as to comfort them in this conditionall Redemption more than if there were no such thing at all for if the sinner believe the Doctrine of particular Redemption doth warrand any to make application of Christs purchase if they believe not this Doctrine of conditionall Redemption giveth no more warrand to make application for the comfort of any than if it were not at all Fourthly Neither doth it warrand a person with any greater boldnesse to take hold of Christ or to close with the offer of the Gospel made unto him because that person who is jealouse to close with Christ upon this ground because he knoweth not whether he be redeemed by Him or not seing all are not redeemeâ— may be no lesse jealous upon this account because he knoweth not if by His death he hath procured Faith to him or not and so if he be absolutely redeemed for this is no lesse necessary for his peace and confidence than the former and yet will be as difficult to be known to any that will needs search into what is
secret and not rest upon the revealed offer of God as the sufficient ground and object of their Faith And if only by actuall believing and no otherwise they may be assured that Faith is purchased unto them by the same ground also may they be cleared that they are redeemed by Christ yea and Elected also because there is an equal peremptory connexion betwixt Faith and all these Fifthly Neither doth this way and the grounds thereof give Ministers any more solid ground to make the offer of the Gospel indefinitely in their publick Preaching for by the truth formerly laid down we can assure Hearers that whosoever believeth shall partake of life and of the benefits of Christs Redemption and by vertue of the generall Call and Warrand which we have in the Gospel we may invite them to believe in Christ require Faith of them and upon condition thereof assure them of pardon c. because the nature of the administration of the Covenant of Redemption is such in plain terms to wit that whosoever believeth shall be saved Also the nature of our Commission to preach this Gospel doth fully import the same as it is summed Mark 16.15 16. for Ministers warrand to Preach and offer Salvation is not to Preach and offer the same to the Elect only whom the Lord hath kept secret from them but it is to Preach and make offer of this Gospel to these unto whom the Lord shall send them and whom He shall gather into a visible Church-state Yet this is done for the Elects sake among such whom God hath thought fit to gather out among others by this Preaching of the Gospel without signifiing to the Minister who is Elect and whom He hath designed to believe therefore it is suitable to this manner of administration that the Gospel be preached indefinitly in respect of its call and that indifferently as to these who Preach that so while the call doth reach all particularly the Elect may withall be gripped with the same And upon the grounds of this conditionall Redemption others can do no more but publish the offer of the Gospel indefinitly and assure any who shall believe in Christ that they shall thereby obtain life and pardon It is trueâ— we cannot say that Christ hath died and satisfied for them all to whom we Preach yet that doth not lessen our warrand to call Hearers indifferently on the terms of believing because though Christs Redemption be the ground which hath procured this Gospel to be Preached even in these terms as from that forecited place Ioh. 3.16 may be gathered and though it be that which boundeth the Lords making of Preaching effectual yet our Commission is bounded according to the express terms in which it hath pleased the Lord to draw up the same unto us because the transaction of Redemption as it relateth to the names of the redeemed is a secret betwixt God and the Mediator Therefore the Book of Life is never opened untill the day of Judgement Rev. 20. But a Ministers Commission in his Treating with sinners in the visible Church is a thing which He hath thought good to reveal and therefore hath done it so as the former secret may not be revealed and yet the end be made effectuall to wit the effectuall calling and in-gathering of so many Elect. And upon the other side these who may require Faith of all and plead it of them upon this ground that they are conditionally redeemed yet they cannot say to their Hearers that Christ hath by His death procured Faith to them all and so they leave them still at a losse except they betake them to the externall indefinit call which doth warrand Ministers to require Faith of all Hearers indifferently and that without disputing whether Christ hath redeemed all or not or whether by His Redemption He hath procured Faith to them all or not because Faith is a duty and is called-for warrantably by vertue of that call as is said and this we do in so far acknowledge And so in sum their warrand to Preach the Gospel in definitely and ours is found to be of the same extent and to be founded upon the same general call Therefore there needeth not be much contending for a different Doctrine or as some call it a different method to derive this warrand from which doth so natively flow from the received truth And though the Scripture doth sometimes use this motive indifferently to the members of the visible Church to stir them up to glorifie God to wit that they are bought with a price as 1 Cor. 6.20 Yet will not that infer an universall or conditionall Redemption of them all more than these places immediately going before vers 15 and 19 where it is said that they are members of Christ and temples of the holy Ghost will infer an universall or conditionall regeneration of them all the first whereof is false the second is absurd for so it would be upon the matter that they were renewed sanctified and had the Spirit dwelling in them upon condition that it were so seing Regeneration the Spirit and Faith which is a fruit of the Spirit cannot be separated The like phrases also are Chap. 3. of the same Epistle vers 16.17 c. Beside will any think that when the Apostle saith ye are bought with a price c. that he doth only intend that conditionall Redemption which can never be effectuall but he must be undeâ—stood as having respect to that great mercy in its most peculiar respect because he doth speak of it to the Elect as well as others and that as having with it the greatest obligation that can be Lastly It cannot be thought that this mould of a conditionall Redemption so qualified can be more acceptable to these who plead for an indifferent or equal universall Redemption because this doth not any whit remove their objections whereby they plead for nature against the soveraignity of God nor answer their cavills whereby they reflect upon the Justice of God for condemning men who cannot possibly according to the case they are in be saved Therefore there is still ground for them to plead mans excusablenesse seing his salvation even according to these grounds is still impossible as hath been formerly cleared Neither I suppose will it be instanced that any holding the Socinian Arminian or Lutheran principles in these things have been brought to judge more favourably of that way than of the other But on the contrary may be strengthned or rather stumbled by this to continue in their former errours as finding many orthodox Divines in part to yeeld because of the supposed strength of their Arguments and from such concessions they have some ground given to make their conclusions the more strong for this conditionall Redemption doth alleage that there is need to vindicate Gods Justice and to declare mans inexcusablenesse and to have clearer grounds of dealing with men for bringing them to Faith c. than can be consistent with
their continuance under suffering for a time and therefore must relate to the sufferings mentioned under the former seals as is said 3. That the matter contained here must be understood rather Spiritually as it pointeth at the scope than literally aâ— the words bear for properly souls can neither be seen nor heard and so also in other circumstances but the Spirit maketh use of such expressions for setting forth the reality and certainty of the thing intended More particularly to come to the words in what Iohn saw vers 9. These three are to be considered 1. What he saw the souls of them that were slain to wit of Martyres 2. Where he saw them to wit under the altar 3. We have the properties whereby he describeth these Martyrs and differenceth them from others They were slain for the Word of God and for the testimonie which they held 1. By soul here which elswhere is called Spirit Acts 7.59 Luke 23.46 Eccles. 12.7 is understood that immortall substance which God breathed in mans body when it was made whereby man became a living soul 1 Corinth 15.45 The soul thus understood is contradâ—stinguished from the body as that which cannot be killed when the body is killed Mat. 10.28 In this sense it is taken here where there is a proof given of that which Christ asserteth in that place of Matthew cited and though the soul be not the object of the eye yet are they thus expressed as represented to Iohn to shew the reality of their existence and being even when separated from the body 2. The place where they are seen it is said he saw them under the altar There was then no materiall Temple that of Ierusalem being destroyed So neither by the altar can be understood any materiall altar for in heaven where we must conceive these souls to be there is neither materiall altar nor Temple and to say these souls were under any altar on earth suppose such were were to contradict the scope and overturn the consolation that is intended and would involve many absurdities concerning the nature of the soul its speaking and being under an altar which were also literally to be understood if that concerning the altar were both then must be figuratively understood to set out one or all of these three 1. The happinesse of these souls which not only have a being but exist in a notable safe and comfortable condition in a speciall nearnesse to God as under His altar which was so much delighted in and longed after by the Saints in their life It is like alluding to these places Psal. 31.20.84.3.91 1. For as the Tabernacle was a special signe of Gods presence so the altar was a special part of the furniture of the Tabernacle and it would seem that He looketh on the Martyrs as so many sacrifices offered unto God as Paul speaketh Philip. 2.17 2 Tim. 4.6 thereby to hold out a speciall respect that God putteth upon them 2. More especially this expression pointeth out these souls to be in Heaven the most Holy was a type of Heaven as it is expounded Heb. 9.10 And Heb. 9.12 it is said when Christ entered into Heaven He entered into the most holy The altar was before the most Holy and therefore we conceive this must be understood of the glory of Heaven Heaven being that where Christ is and Christs presence Philip. 1.21 is the company that the souls of Martyrs are to enjoy and therefore it must be where He is which Christ on the Crosse Lâ—k 23. calleth Paradise unto the Thief 3. Most especially by the altar must be understood Christ Jesus by whom we have accesse to God of whom the Tabernacle and all its furniture was typicall and who is called our altar Heb. 13.10 by whom we and all our services yea even the deaths of Martyrs are sanctified and made acceptable to God This we conceive must be understood because other Scriptures hold forth Him and nearnesse with Him to be the happinesse of souls departed and because it is that which made Martyrs so despise suffering that they might be with Christ Philip. 1.21 and because it agreeth best with their own prayers and desires under suffering as in Stephen Act. 7.59 All cometh to this to shew that they enjoyed a most happy condition and Communion with God but is set forth under an expression belonging to the service of the Tabernacle of the Old Testament as many other things of prophesie are The third thing to be considered is the description of these Martyrs which is especially drawn from the cause of their suffering it being an old maxime Non est mors sed causa mortis qua facit Martyrom which is laid down in two expressions the first is for the word of God that is the first character to be adhering to the faith of the Gospel revealed in the Word and to be a conscientious practiser of Righteousnesse according to that same rule and not shunning to suffer any thing rather than to depart from these In this they were led not as to follow their own humours or to propagate their own inventions or any way to seek themselves but out of respect unto God and His will revealed in His Word The second is for the testimony which they held this looketh to the outward profession and confession of that truth which in their heart they believed Christ calleth it Mat. 10. a confessing Him before men And Rom. 10. the Apostle distinguisheth confession with the mouth from believing with the heart which two being put together hold forth a well ordered conversation both in Faith and Practice In Faith that they beleeved right concerning Christ in Practice that they were answereable to it and held forth that word of life by a good example as a witnesse to others and when called unto it they did not shun the testifying of both upon any perill In sum all cometh to this by opening the fifth seal was represented to me the happy condition of the souls of the Martyrs in Heaven who were accounted by God to have lost their lives not for the calumnies and slanders imputed to them by men but for testifying unto His truth This being clearly the meaning of the words the contrary whereof to wit the miserable condition after death of these who seem happy in the world and are not happy in God is joyned with this in the parable of the rich glutton and Lazarus Luk. 16. there is no ground here either of approving of altars under the Gospel or of sanctifying them by burying of the reliques of Martyrs under them which are amongst the superstitions of the Papists It is a poor altar that is sanctified and doth not sanctifie its offerings Beside neither was there Churches or altars in this time neither could the Martyrs who were so numerous be buried under them but they were decently buried together in places called Coemeteria as is plain from the story of these times From this Verse we may Observe 1.
of this by vindicating in an extraordinary manner some of his eminent servants who were not only overwhelmed with the reproaches of adulteries murders witchcraft c. but by malice stirring up false accusers witnesses and Judges were condemned judicially or in hazard to be so of such crimes especially by the Arrians means untill God by terrour on the consciences of accusers and witnesses or other extraordinary wayes brought truth to light to the greater credit of His servants as in the case of Eustachius Bishop of Nicomedia and Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria with diverse others wonderfully vindicated by God in their estimations before men is clear The other part of the consolation is contained in that which was said unto them comprehending four Arguments of comfort to quiet them under the delay of Gods finall judgement on the persecuters beside what is already said It was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled The first and principal reason of the delay may be thus conceived Gods time of finall judging is not come He hath moe sufferers to perfit a certain number are enrolled for suffering as well as for Heaven many of which especially these who are to suffer under Antichrist have not yet obtained their crown though these who cryed had obtained theirs and therefore in respect of Gods purpose and decree there is a necessity that that suit of theirs should be suspended This is the force of the reason which goeth upon these grounds as is hinted 1. That there is a determinate roll of sufferers particularly condescended on by God 2. That suffering hath in it a speciall dignity and honour unto the sufferers It is a gift bestowed by God on some and not on all yea to some of these whom He loveth and not to all Phil. 1.29 3. That Gods purpose and decree must stand nothing can alter that known unto Him are all His works from the beginning and in time He hath no new counsell to take concerning any of these things Therefore must that appointment concerning the number of sufferers and manner and circumstance of their suffering be fulfilled 4. That all Gods decrees even these which seem hardest to flesh as this of suffering doth are wisely and graciously levelled at His own Glory and the good of His People and therefore ought and may be quietly and contentedly submitted unto by them The particular motives which the Lord addeth to satisfie them to be quiet though His Soveraignity were enough are these four as is said 1. That for the time their rest was not suspended untill the fulfilling of His purpose but that good ground was given to them of acquiescing in the happinesse bestowed on them They shall rest c. 2. The time of that suspension was not long but for a little season therefore it might be the better born all the time of suffering though seeming long to sufferers yet being compared with eternity is but short and for a moment 3. That little whiles suspension is not in vain but for good ends even then God is promoving His design of perfecting His Saints and making ready for that finall judgement upon His adversaries and their cup is filling up for that end A fourth Argument is from the persons who are thus to be dignified with suffering they are brethren and fellow-servants Sons of that same Father imployed in the service of that same Master with them and therefore they out of respect to them might quietly wait for the fulfilling of Gods purpose of crowning them and making them partake of the same dignity with themselves These reasons are expressed not so much for the comforting of Saints in Heaven as for the clearing satisfying and encourageing of Saints on earth against the continuance of sufferings that they might patiently under them wait for Gods finall vindicating of them and judgeing of their enemies From this seal we may gather 1. That there hath been much suffering of Gods people before this time and therefore that the former seals which implyed sufferings must be understood of the Churches sufferings this cry How long c. being brought-in here as the result of these 2. That these sufferings were such as proceeded from men sinfully acting therein by which they became liable to Gods vengeance and were not to be understood of Famine Pestilence c. or such judgements as do immediately flow from Gods hand These could not have procured a cry of vengeance against the men of the earth as is in this seal if they had not been actors in these evils 3. We may gather that the Churches condition hath been generally suffering before this time and that there hath not been any solemn and universal judgement on persecuters before this The cry How long O Lord c. implyeth so much and therefore this seal as it expresseth suffering must relate unto the time of the Church before Constantine at which time God gave a visible testimony of His owning His Church and of His indignation against persecuters as we will see in the following seal 4. It expresseth the Churches extremity and that immediately going before her change from outward persecution to externall peace the vehemency of the cry the comfortablenesse of the answer compared with the matter contained in the following seal do confirm this as if this were the very crisis and turn of that condition 5. That the following seal is not to be looked on as a description of the day of Judgement seing that day which is by this seal for a time suspended doth not immediately succeed to Heathenish persecution beside the reason given here of the suspension of that day to wit that all their enrolled number of Martyrs must be fulfilled which in a great part is to be accomplished in the time of Antichrists tyrannie will confirm this there being no possibility of including that persecution of Antichrist before the terrible events mentioned in the following seal In the opening of the words we have hinted at severall Doctrines which now we shall not resume but shall shortly point at these observations further 1. That there is no sin that more effectually pleadeth for vengeance from God or more certainly and severely shall be punished by Him than the sin of persecuting and wronging of the Saints Wrongs done to any innocent men in the world have their cry before God and God is the avenger of these but wrongs done to His Saints cry lowder than the wrongs of any even though Kings God cannot as it were but hear and avenge as is clear from the parable Luke 18.7 And from experience this hath been found that persecuters even often in this life have been remarkably plagued of God as Cain Pharaoh Babylon Antiochus Herod the great who was horribly plagued of God before his death Pontius Pilate who was degraded and banished Herod the Tetrarch miserably perished Acts 12. Nero
heat of persecution no violence nor cry in these straits no complaint of plundering or oppression no sequestration no quarterings there no poverty not a poor person among all that company entry into heaven putteth a close to all these none of them are admitted to follow a Believer further than the ports of the City It must then certainly be good to be there The Lamb His sweet companie and the enjoyment of Him compleateth all we hold both Grace and Glory of Him we have a speciall relation to Him He is in our own nature there God-man in one Person the greatest glimpse of the God-head will probably be attained in Him and all tears will be wiped way whatever may comfort a Believer will be given and what disquiets a Believer will be removed There are three things that disquiet a Believer that will not be in heaven 1. Sinning and interrupting of Gods service and neither â—in nor tentation will be there no devils nor corrupt nature flesh and bloud enter not there 2. The interruption of the sense of Gods favour which is now but at starts as He is pleased to let it out but no interruption of favour there as they serve Him day and night so He dwelleth among them the communion is constant And by the way Obs. That an uninterrupted serving of God and an uninterrupted communion with God and enjoying of Him go together 3. Outward persecutions and wants pinches and straits none of these do follow the Saints into heaven and in opposition to all these they enjoy God in a most excellent way and the companie of the Lamb and are feasted by living fountains of water and if any thing be more delectable than another they have it and that in abundance freshly flowing for ever Vse 1. Long in a holy and warrantable way to share and have experience of this happy condition and labour to entertain clearnesse of right and interest in it 2. Back your longings with endeavours to be at it It is to be feared that many of us when we shall yeeld our breath and soul do find that we have looked on Heaven as a story 3. Mortifie your members which are upon the earth what are all Idols when they are laid in the ballance for-against this happinesse in its highest degree with its soul-sweetning circumstances What happinesse so desirable as this or to be compared with the enjoying of God wherein there is perfect holinesse without sin and compleat happinesse without stop or interruption 4. Be comforting your selves from and confirming your selves in the hope of this happinesse all ye who are fled to Christ for refuge suppose ye be under tribulation now there is a time coming when ye will get out of it and though a body of death trouble you and wants oppression poverty hunger nakednesse c. keep you at under yet when ye come to Heaven ye shall be troubled with none of these things none are poor but all are rich there none are naked but all are cloathed with white robes none are hungry but all feasted and well fed and suppose ye have a heartlesse time here yet then there is no fear no sin nor sorrow nor cause nor occasion of it The result of all this is to commend to you these two directions 1. Seing all this happinesse cometh through washing in the Lambs bloud Think much of Believing make that knot sure it is that upon which Heaven hangeth loose that knot and Heaven will fall by from you This carnall security that is among the most part of you is not believing search and try your condition make sure your calling and election and seek to know that it is sure and out of question 2. Seing Heaven is such a happy life and there is a resemblance of it here aime at the beginning of it and we will find something of it in these words as they relate to the Church-militant 1. By serving God and by holinesse ceasing from sin They that serve God most uninterruptedly are likest Heaven count it your happinesse to be worshipping and serving God without intermission The more spirituall constant and immediate our service is the more it is like Heaven thus we enter in Gods rest Heb. 4.10 when we cease from our own works and do His. 2. To be enjoying Gods company though not in that immediate way as in Heaven yet by Faith in Him and by His Spirit in us and by the having our conversation lift up to him Col. 3.1 2. This is the earnest and first fruits of Glory much nearnesse and communion with God maketh us like Heaven the likest thing to it in the world is to dwell in Him and with Him 3. To be in Christs Flock under His care and tutory fed by Him and led by Him and feeding on Him and yeelding our selves up to Him 4. A contentednesse with our present condition and lot in the world as He is pleased to carve it out to us to learn in every estate to be content Philip. 4. in the enjoying of God and Christs care of us 5. Wainednesse of affection from carnall and worldly delights not engageing in nor thirsting after these Paul opposeth a heavenly conversation to this Phil. 3.19 20. In a word study to reach a further length in holinesse and endeavour after a more full communion with God and in all other things give him His will There might be some more fore-taste of happinesse had in these things Lord make us serious in seeking after them LECTURE I. CHAP. VIII Vers. 1. ANd when he had opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour 2. And I saw the seven Angels which stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets 3. And another Angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne 4. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand WE have heard how under the former six seals the Lord hath been revealing and foreshewing the state of the Church here on earth till that first great change of bringing Christianity in request publickly and making it to be owned and countenanced by Authority in the world by reason whereof Idolaters and persecuterâ— should be disowned and discountenanced so far the sixth seal came to foreshew and hold out the shaking and overturning of that Idolatrous world and bringing horrour and trembling on persecuters Before he came to prosecute the opening of the seventh seal which bringeth the history of the Church that continueth to the end of the world in two periods one of the trumpets another of the vials he hinted in the former Chapter at this sad storm which was coming on the Church from all airths and at our Lords stepping in to hold these winds from
the Emperours Authority in the west the Bishops of Rome grew so that what pride covetousnesse and usurpation this age brought forth in them may be seen at large in Plessâ—us mysterie pag. 4.44 Câ—ntur Magdeburg Câ—nt 4. by all which they did winde themselves someway in to be Umpires or Arbitrators of differences in other Churches which afterward they drew to a debt and obligation on them 4. At that time he being desired did interpose brotherly by his Commiâ—â—ioners with other Bishops and Churches which being for a cause upon the matter good and from an eminent Bishop had much weight with it and was much esteemed and regarded though not as Authoritative which his successours abused in after timâ—s So then the Churches estate betwâ—xt the 300. and 400. years and thereabout will be found as it s here foretold to be Inwardly the Church undone by Hereticks heresies contentions backed with pretended Authority Civil and Ecclesiastick The Bishops of Rome working their Supremacy in all these troubles and he taking occasion to insinuate himself as Moderator among them though yet under ground and that but on the earth and low Doctrine began even then to be in many things corrupted by speciall men in the Church especially concerning freewill ceremonies c. By which may be gathered what great storm this was and how answerable to this type so that its easily applied to it Observe 1. In general what a terrible thing it is to have error heresie division and contention letten louse on a Church it is terrible as fire hail and bloud and terrible in the effects a third part of the trees and grasse are burnt up few believe thisâ— yet these plagues are lesse terrible to bodies than error and the effects of it are to souls 2. See the nature of heresie 1. It is violent cooling love and obstructing practice whereby the soul is kept in life but in contentions for it self and things belonging to it self firy bloudy and cruell The first word looketh at the impurity of the Doctrine striking at the very foundation â—ail The second word fire looketh at the breaking of unity The third word bloud looketh at the destroying of lives such were the false teachers of old such were they in Christs time and after His time 2. It spreadeth on many for number on great men and good men sometime for quality all green grasse and a third part of trees Who would have thought so many famous able men would have been carried away with it that as we said before it became a proverb the world is become Ariaâ— many Bishops and Synods many eminent in parts partly through terrour partly through weaknesse came to verball acknowledgement of the error and to condemn some honest men that spoke for truth This should make us be watchfull and humble would aâ—y think that the God-head of Christ or of the holy Ghost should be denied and yet this is of late revived for the Sâ—câ—nian error is the same in substance and hath many followers 3. Many trees are spared partly as a testimony against others partly to give themselves time to repent they are not taken away altogether Let us arm against such a storm and become more warrie and watchfull LECTURE III. Vers. 8. And the second Angel sounded and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became bloud 9. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third part of the ships were destroyed YE may remember when we began to speak of this prophesie of the trumpets we told you that in them was contained the story of the Church from the intâ—rrupting of the peace that it enjoyed under Constantine till Antichrist was at his height and God by pouring out of the vials came to demolish his Kingdom The prophesie of theâ—e trumpets is divided in smaller and greater woes the last three being the greatest The first four do continue the History of the Church from the peace it enjoyed under the sixth seal unto the discovery of Antichrist upon his seat and throne Ye heard in the former trumpet how hard the condition of the Christian Church was and by what means it was weakened 1. By outward inbreaking of cruel barbarous Nations mercilesse enemies to the defacing of it 2. By enemies from within such as Arians Macedonians Nâ—storians and also Schismaticks as Luciferians Novatians Aâ—daeans c. that would not keep unity as the former would not keep purity 3. By corrupting of the Doctrine many unsafe and unsound Doctrines attended with pernicious practices were creeping in amongst famous men in the Church 4. It was also weakened by contentionâ— and ambition amongst Bishops and Ministers for their precedency out of all which Satans designe of raising Rome and bringing in Antâ—christ was woâ—king and took rooting springing and spreading it self more and more till it came to the height We shall say no more of the first trumpet but proceed to the rest This second trumpet advanceth and carrieth on the same scope and if any ask why these trumpets blow not together and yet one succeedeth another I answer there is some interim to see how the former may work and if any will repent God taketh that time of triall 2. When it worketh not a greater cometh then He plagueth seven times more there are degrees even of spiritual judgements Rom. 1. When alarms work not there are worse coming For opening the meaning of this sad judgement we must consider in it these three things 1. The mean made use of or the rise of the judgement it was as a mountain burning 2. It s object it is cast into the sea 3. The effects that follow upon it the waters became bloud and many ships are destroyed Generally it sheweth that this judgement extended further than the former 1. The former was on the land only this taketh in the sea 2. It altereth quite the nature of these seas the former destroyed but trees and grasse that were growing This is more infectious 1. It is said as it were a great mountain to shew it was something figuratively to be understood and not properly like a hill such as Aetna in Sicilie or Hecla in Island are which burneth within it self and dissolveth it self By mountains in Scripture are understood figuratively Powers or Authorities Zech. 4.7 Who art thou O great mountain before Zâ—rubbabel thou shalt become a plain He meaneth the opposition of that Monarchie which then oppressed them Ier. 51.25 Babylon is called a destroyed mountain and a mountain that shall be made a burnt mountain So by mountain here we understand eminent men in the Church and her Authority or these placed in Authority in her who by their place are eminent above others it being the Church here that especially is spoken of this mountain must be their Judicatories and these in power Therefore the Disciples and in them Ministers are said
is fully happy freed from all miserie and enjoying fully unchangeably and eternally what may make them compleatly happy even God Himself Matth. 5.8 Or the words contain a great end men naturally aim at to wit Blessednesse and 2. the compendious clear way of attaining it by dying in Christ implying 1. a being in Him 2 Corinth 5.17 which is to be a Believer by Faith united to Him 2. to live in Him this is presupposed also for death followeth life Gal. 2.24 that is an exercising of Faith not only for attaining spirituall life but for the fruits and acts of it also living like one in Christ and by vertue of that life bringing forth fruits Iob. 15.4 3. To die then in Him is the adding to these faith exercising itself on Christ in reference to death when it cometh chearfully willingly boldly and confidently in the Faith of Gods promise committing it self to Him 2 Tim. 1.12 as Stephen Acts 7. and carrying with it the sense of its own naughtinesse even to death notwithstanding whereof it resteth it self over upon His gracious promise and like David 2 Sam. 23.5 dieth there contentedly These are blessed This in generall of dying in Him If it be applyed to such in particular who suffering for Him keep faith in Him to the end it will suit with the scope as if he said these that suffer for Christ rightly by persecution under Antichrist and thus to die for Him is to die in Him shall be blessed as if he had suffered under Heathens although the world think there is a great difference The third is the qualification added with its confirmation yea saith the Spirit from henceforth c. which doth not imply that these who die in Christ are from the time of their death blessed as freed from that fancied Purgatory and all labours which certainly is Truth otherwise neither could they from the instant of their death be called Blessed nor yet said to be at rest from their labours For 1. the blessednesse here is brought in as something peculiarly encouraging the Godly against these coming trials 2. The word from henceforth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from now looketh to the instant the prophesie relateth unto as when Christ saith Matth. 26. from henceforth I will not drink of the fruit of the vine it is as if He had said from this time forth so here otherwise it would be from thenceforth if it related to death simply beside the connexion here will not agree that they may rest it is not for they shall rest for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is causally to be understood If it be asked then what peculiar happinesse or encouragement is holden out to the Godly under Antichrists troubles now Answ. 1. It strengtheneth them against the many calumnies of persecuters reckoning them not Martyrs but ill doers for now they suffer from Christians not from Heathens as Martyrs did formerly The Spirit saith not only before this but from henceforth shall they be fully blessed that die in Christ even under Popes as well as Heathen Emperours 2. They are now blessed because freed from many great troubles crosses and tentations that were coming on the world for rejecting the Gospel now preached in which outward troubles the Godly living are involved Isa. 57.1 2. 3. Their blessednesse is the more now because hell groweth hoter as vers 9 10. and it is more mercy to be freed of it 4. They have this use and advantage of their pains as to have peace and clearnesse at their death no fear of Purgatory and clearnesse of salvation now after the Popish uncertainty is banished giveth them quiet which is a great advantage in this time yea whatever the world think of them who in zeal for Christ do suffer under Antichrist God will esteem and reward of Grace their suffering Matth. 5.16 and take speciall notice of what testimonie is given for Him The words yea saith the Spirit are to confirm this Truth to be divine because the world would not believe it The fourth thing confirmeth these reasons to wit why from henceforth they are blessed 1. They are freed from their labours which is supposed in their life they suffered 2. Their works do follow them for these labours they have joy These sufferings work to them a far more exceeding and eternall weight of Glory and there is a proportionablenesse in their glory to their suffering 2 Corinth 4.17 suitable to it though not deserved by it Rom. 8.17 Therefore are these works said to follow in respect of the fruits of them but not to go before as causes to procure an entry In a word God remembereth their good works and in heaven they have the fruits of them Isa. 3.10 Vers. 14. We come now to the last part of the Chapter which setteth forth Gods executing His judgements against Antichrist and his kingdom in deeds when words do not the businesse It is set out in two similitudes one of an harvest whereby the world is compared to a field the wicked to corn and the execution of judgement to reaping like as in the other similitude of a vintage Both of them set out 1. the multitude of wicked men that are like fields of corn and clusters of grapes good men like Berries here and there 2. A growth of sin and an height of ripenesse that it cometh unto as corns at harvest 3. A readinesse of judgement and easinesse of executing it as with a sickle both which similitudes are borrowed from Ioel 3.13 Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the presse is full that is for the wickednesse is great and Ier. 51.33 the like is spoken of Babylon For understanding of this obscure place as soberly we ought to search in what is apparently to come for the most part if not for all we would consider and observe these four things concerning it 1. That both these similitudes hold forth wrath and sad judgements to come 1. Concerning the last it is certain for what is gathered is cast in the wine-presse of Gods wrath and the similitudes are every way alike harvest and vintage sharp sickles are the instruments and they are both ripe Beside these places Ioel 3.13 and Ier. 51.33 hold out an harvest of wrath when wickednesse is ripe which similitudes may well be made use of here when there is clearly an allusion to Babylon So they seem to be of one nature though different in degree Again the scope here cleareth it for it is the fulfilling of these former threatenings of the preceeding Angels and the summary expression of what followeth in the vials which are degrees of the same judgement which ascendeth from the lesse to the greater as the exposition will clear 2. Consider that though both hold out judgements yet apparently different judgements not in kind or object But 1. in degree the vintage is a greater judgement as the close of all 2. In time as it is greater so it is after as
answer to the second if there shall then be any of Gods people de facto in Rome â— or quo jure may they be there till then Ans. In these Conclusions having distinguished Gods people 1. In elected regenerated and called and elected but un-called 1. Many un-called have been and may be in Rome yea even of it and these are called to separate for experience telleth us God hath called many who have been members of her and may do so still 2. Many of Gods called people have been in Rome locally but not of it and have continued long so in her bosome There are true worshippers in the Temple Chap. 11. even when the outter court is trod on by heathenish Papists then the Prophets prophesie even in the great city and God hath a Temple and Church even where Antichrist sitteth though His Congregation be not that Church even as the Lord had His Word Prophets and People at old Babylon captive when the face of Worship was overturned in Iudah so in this Babylon He keepeth still His Word Baptism as in the former He did Circumcision and a Ministery that was never lost but all the fourty two moneths of Antichrists reign the Prophets prophesie though in sackcloth Hence in all the Universall expressions of Antichrists dominion still they are excepted Chap. 13. and 17. whose names are written in the Book of life and Chap. 7. an hundred fourty and four thousand are sealed who Chap. 14. are found on mount Zion even before light in Luthers time brake forth And it may possibly be that some sinfully as some of the people in Babylon did have not made a secession from Rome and these parts though they have formerly separated from her communion or otherwayes by their callings as Obadiah was engaged with Ahab being intangled to live still This voice putteth them to it not to lodge a night in it for they know not when Gods judgement may seize upon it yet she is Babel and these in her are Gods people even then but now when the Gospel breaketh out and her judgement approacheth they are called not only to separate from her but to remove out of her and expect her judgement For the third the necessity or warrant of separating it is grounded on these 1. She is Babel and ye are My People and there is no communion between light and darknesse Christ and Antichrist this giveth the great ground she is but your oppressor Babylon not your Mother the Church 2. Ye cannot shun her sins if ye stay not only should ye own Me in separating your selves when ye are called which belongeth to the first ground that is to confesse with the mouth by profession as well as to believe with the heart but if ye stay ye are still in danger of snares yea sometimes in lesse or more are partaking of them as Ioseph did in swearing by Pharaoh's life at the Court of Egypt And by this it may also appear that many living in such places are engaged and ensnared in many things that at a greater distance they would be liberated of If any ask May not one abide in Rome now and not be a partaker of her sins more than before Answ. The hazard is greater now 1. They have a retiring place and a standard for Truth set up that they should now follow 2. They have Gods call and invitation to come out and though He was a Sanctuary to them in their wildernesse-state while the set time of their captivity lasted yet when He openeth the door that is not to be expected so confidently from Him 3. Babel groweth still more corrupt and never more than since Trent added to all her former abominations 4. Because Romes judgement hasteneth and though they keep themselves free of many of her sins yet they may share of her temporall wrath as Lot's family was in hazard had not the Lord removed it from Sodom A third reason of secession is the coming great plague so that God who had long spared was by judging her to make it appear He had forgotten nothing and now her sins being come to an height her judgment shall delay no longer and this presseth a locall secession Hence it followeth 1. That it is no schism to quit fellowship with Rome she being no wife to the Lamb is therefore no mother to His Children she giveth them poyson for sincere milk by corrupting the truth of the Gospel and not suffering them to feed upon the Truth She hath been condemning persecuting and destroying the true worshippers for many generations together and would have no fellowship with any without the beast's character therefore is there a necessity of separating as was said to the Witnesses Chap. 11. Come up hither and here Come out of her 2. It followeth also that folks not only may quit Rome but of duty they should do it in obedience to Christ's call and they would try their warrant that go there for curiosity seing here is a command to quit it Who are they that know what night or day this horrible judgement will be executed it were dreadfull curiosity to be found there then 3. It followeth that where God warranteth separation it is from a company that is no Church and must be supposed a Babel and therefore there is no separation allowed by Him from a true Church seing this is a proof of His disclaiming her to be a Church to command them to separate from her Therefore here is Babylon contradistinguished from His People who are called to come out of her which supposeth that He calleth none of His to separate from such as are His. It 's one thing to withdraw from civil conversing with particular wicked men another thing to separate from Gods Church for its defects There is therefore this observable in separating and withdrawing that we are to keep lesse fellowship in civill things with a Brother that is a Church member and is grosse than with one that is without and not a member as the Apostle writeth 2 Cor. 5.10 But we may and should on the other side keep Church-fellowship with a true Church though in many things faulty and corrupt whereas we may not at all with an idolatrous company in their worship Hence in that same Epistle to the Corinthians going to and eating in Idols temples or at their feasts was so much condemned yet communicating with the Church of Corinth or living as a member of it though corrupt both in doctrine and practice was never found fault-with as to worship for it is clear that that of not eating with an offending Brother looketh only to civil fellowship because it is such a fellowship that is condemned with them as is allowed to Heathens which certainly is such If our Churches therefore be Christs Churches as sometimes the favourers of separation grant There can be no separation from them without turning to a schism The second exhortation may be read by way of prophesie or because the former is by way
grace and of a like nature with its rise even as it is grace here grace and works are opposed if of grace then not of works yea according to works so understood as causal is opposed to this purpose of God or His election as 2 Tim. 1.8 who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to His purpose and grace in Christ Iesus Where 1. he joyneth saving which taketh in all and Gods purpose together and maketh the one grace as the other is 2. In both he opposeth works to grace which cannot be understood simply but as they look to merit otherwise both take-in works and what reason can there be given here why this Book is so often mentioned in this judgement but to shew that this last step of salvation is of the same nature with the first which certainly as to election can be called no other than of grace 3. Consider that when Christ speaketh more fully to this sentence Matth. 25. He mentioneth some works as visiting clothing c. which certainly as to the condignity of merit can have no proportionablenesse to heaven and glory And if any say he so accounteth them though they be not worthy Answ. 1. Then that is improperly merit whereas the other properly deserveth hell Therefore the expression is not alike on both sides 2. Then it followeth it is grace that maketh the sentence passe on them and not strict justice as on the other 4. Consider here that all small and great are judged infants possibly never breathing out of their mothers belly and can any say that such cannot be written in the Lamb's book of life or that they have done any thing to deserve this last absolving sentence It must therefore not be understood to infer merit to them To say by Baptism their sin is taken away Answ. 1. That is contrary to Graces way and the nature of Gods Covenant to Believers and their seed baptized or not for it condemneth all unbaptized or the argument will hold in them 2. In Baptism children are passive it is not their deed if childrens Baptism deserve any thing it must be here accounted on their score who performed it not on the childrens who must be judged according to their own works and not to the works either of Parent or Minister yet if it be considered that the judgement passeth according to the Book of life there is clear ground to lay it on grace and not on themselves or others and the rule is one to all the Elect. 5. Consider that these works and books take-in all the Elect many of whom have many sinfull actions and few good and even those few are much corrupted and imperfect Now it must either be said 1. that no Elect cometh here to be judged but he hath more good at least to deserve heaven than evil to deserve hell which will seem hard to be said of profane men converted possibly an hour before death or we must say there are different rules to proceed by in judging the Elect some by grace and some by works which is contrary to the text that maketh one rule for all and certainly any that is well versed in these books will see no cause to plead thus and all others shall see it when these books shall be opened It is the ignorance of these that maketh men so plead So this according then importeth a suitablenesse and connexion as is said but no merit Inst. But it is deserving to the wicked therefore to the righteous Answ. 1. This word here may import no deserving that being as to the wicked elsewhere clear but a connexion with and suitablenesse of one of these to the other to wit wicked living and impenitent dying with damnation This is enough to vindicate justice that he thus proceedeth 2. Although it do imply merit in them yet it will not follow that it doth so in the Elect not only for the former reasons but 1. because the sins of wicked men are perfectly sins the good actions of the Godly are not so 2. Because with the one God proccedeth according to the Covenant of works punishing for want of perfect holinesse aggravated also in some by their unbelief who heard the Gospel but God proceedeth not by that Covenant with the Elect but by the book of like that hath the Covenant of grace depending on it 3. Because any sin deserveth wrath even the least being a transgression of the Law but many good works will not deserve heaven because they are debts and cannot plead the performance of that Covenant except they be alwayes and in every thing perfect for life dependeth not on living well this year or two years or for this good work or that but on a perfect righteousnesse which is marred by one sin even original sin though there be never more for bonum non est nisi ex omnibus malum ab unoquoque defectu If any ask why works are mentioned here and not faith Answ. 1. Faith and repentance are certainly included not as works deserving but as fruits of the Spirit in the Regenerate and the want of them is sinfull in the reprobate who heard and believed not And certainly according to this they who heard are more severely judged and therefore works here must be understood generally as it setteth out ones condition good or evil according to which the judgement proceedeth especially as they believed or not 2. Faith is not expressly mentioned because it is implyed in Gods purpose of grace under the book of life which taketh-in faith as a midse that it may be of grace Rom. 4.16 3. Because it is not justification from sin before God that is here recorded that is past but the manifestation of that before men and it is one thing to justifie before God and another to save one that is justified and declare them to be so and works contribute most directly to this 4. Works are especially mentioned in opposition to the wicked who are condemned for their sins and want of good works this stoppeth their mouth and sheweth the justice of the difference even before men yet upon the matter Chap. 21.8 unbelieving is reckoned to the wicked even as murder and adultery is and so among the works of the Elect must be comprehended their fleeing to Christ by faith whereby merit is overturned Vers. 13. By clearing an objection he openeth further what was said which may be many are rotten in the grave called here hell are drowned in the sea eaten with fishes c. under which are comprehended all desperate-like deaths as burning sowing in ashes rotten heaps of dead bodies together it may be said how can these dead be said to be raised and judged It is shown that even these same bodies by Gods power are judged with these that live in the flesh by which that which looketh most impossibleâ—like is brought about even as if willingly the sea and the grave had given up these
things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Iesus 21. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen BEfore the Spirit close this Book much is spent of that part which is the Conclusion on these two 1. in confirming the truth of what is delivered in the prophesie 2. In the commending of the excellency of it After ver 10. He hath given direction by the Angel not to seal these sayings and having removed an objection that stood in the way ver 11. He confirmeth and commendeth these sayings 1. By Christs approaching coming to reckon with folks how they made use of this Scripture and warning ver 12. 2. From the soveraignity of Him who asserted it it was not an Angel but the eternal God ver 13. 3. He commendeth it from the happinesse of these that rightly maketh use of these words ver 14. which verse is answerable to ver 3. of Chap. 1. Then 4. He commendeth this Scripture from the contrary misery that shall come on all who shall by their own fault be excluded from this happinesse ver 15. These are done by several witnesses sometimes by Iohn sometimes by Jesus Christ sometimes by the Spirit sometimes by the Angel He goeth on to confirm the truth of what hath been delivered and the first confirmation is ver 13. which as it relateth to all the prophesie so doth it especially to the former of Christs coming quickly I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last I that speak and have sent this Book to my Church am God and will perform what I have spoken The words hold out Christs eternity not only as being before and after all things but as giving all things a being and ordering all things to their ends and to His own glory as the great end of all He is the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 This commendation is prosecuted ver 14. and 15. from the happinesse of them that so make right use of all the Word of God and especially of the words contained in this Book The happinesse and the persons to whom it belongeth are first set down ver 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments Blessednesse is the most desirable thing that is looked for and thus blessed are they that keep His Word and obey it And though this general be true yet considering ver 3. of Chap. 1 and ver 7. of this Chapter and the scope here to be one with these to commend this prophesie we take the commandments spoken of here especially to look to the sayings of this prophesie And so it is Blessed are they that keep the sayings of this Book the Lord foreseeing that this Book was to meet with more opposition than other Books of holy Scripture and there being a general reluctancy in all to make use of it therefore though but six or seven times blessednesse be spoken of in it yet it is thrice applied to them that keep the sayings of this prophesie particularly these which relate to the keeping of clean garments from the corruptions of Antichrist and of the time and to the putting of us in a posture of waiting for His coming This blessednesse is branched out several wayes more particularly 1. that they may have right to the tree of life that is to the happinesse the Saints have in glory and especially to Jesus Christ the objective and fountain-happinesse of the Saints as ver 2. of this Chapter and Chap. 2. The meaning is they shall have right to Jesus Christ and glory in heaven with Him Not that doing of the commandments is the meritorious cause of this or that which giveth Believers right to it But for clearing it consider Christ two wayes holden out in the Word 1. As He is the ground and purchaser of Salvation to Believers in Him and so believing is that which giveth right to Him and all that is in Him according to the offer which is the ground of our faith 2. Consider Him as the object in whom Believers happinesse consisteth and in the enjoying of whom there is life as Col. 3.4 Christ being thus looked on as the object of their happinesse keeping of the commandments is the way wherein we come to enjoy Him and this agreeth well with that word Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holynesse without which no man shall see the Lord. And hereby the necessity of holinesse and obedience to His commandments is holden forth without which Col. 1.12 we are not meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light for though holinesse and obedience be not the way unto or causa sinè qua non of our justification or to Christ considered as the meritorious cause of it who is thus to be closed with by faith alone yet are they to our glorification and to the immediate enjoying of Him in heaven The second branch of their happinesse is They shall enter in thorow the gates into the city that is into the new Ierusalem and the glory that the Saints have to look for in heaven Chap. 21. and beginning of Chap. 22. their holinesse endeth in happinesse and glory there is no coming to heaven but by this door no climbing over the walls for the Angels are porters The meaning is the studier of holinesse shall have fair accesse into heaven like a man that hath a passe and getteth liberty to enter in the city when the sentinel keepeth others back and they are not admitted 2 Pet. 1.11 So an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord whereby it is clear that this city is heaven and the way to it is holinesse and to hope to come to heaven and to live in profanenesse is as if folks would think to climb over the walls and not enter by the ports into it We may well say that though holinesse be not the cause of our entry yet it is our passe by which it is known who are to be admitted or have right to enter and who not The third way how this happinesse is set out is by holding out the misery of all that are profane ver 15. for without are dogs and sorcerers c. This is given as a reason why they are happy that shall have accesse into the city because without are such and such vile persons and as a reason why they are blessed that are holy because profane ones are shut out under which we comprehend all that are disobedient and such as cast the Word and Commandments of God And it letteth us see how God esteemeth of all that give not themselves up to the obedience of the Truth Of these sorts of sinners we spoke Chap. 21.8 Only dogs are added here that is 1. Such as are profane in conversation and will not take reproofs such as amend not Matth. 7.6 Give not that which is holy to dogs 2. These that are opposit to Truth in doctrine and vent