to be Wiser in our own Conceit than our Lord and Law-giver 4. Whoever fixeth the sin and damnation of the World on the eternal Decree of God and not on mans chosen and willful wickedness as the first just and deserving cause thereof but fathers both the sin and Judgment on the eternal Decree of God as the first cause of both denyeth the Scripture belieth the Lord and believeth a lie Ezek. 33. 11. Joh. 3. 16 19. 1 Tim. 2. 4. Rev. 22. 17. 5. Whoever denyeth the Love God to the world in the gift of his Son affirming that he loved but a few of the Elect only denieth the Scripture and believeth a lye Luk. 2. 10. Joh. 3. 16. 6. Whoever denieth that Jesus Christ gave himself for the life of the World a ransom for all a Propitiation for the sins of the World affirming that he died but for a few the Elect only denieth the Scripture and believeth a lye Joh. 6. 51. 1 Tim. 2. 6. 1 Joh. 2. 2. 7. Whoever affirmeth that men are no more capable to believe and obey the Gospel unto life than Bruit Beasts or Stones or a dead Corps and yet that God will damn them for not believing thereof it being both unscriptural irrational and dishonourable unto God denieth the Scripture and doth open wrong both to God and men and believeth a lye Ro 3. 3 4 5. 8. Whoever believeth and teacheth Salvation by an inconditional Covenant and Justification by faith without works denieth the Scripture and believeth a lye Mar. 16. 15 16. Rev. 22. 14. Jam. 2. 20. Christ Ro. 4 5. Is much made use of to prove Justification by faith without works But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that Justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Min. 1. If we hold Justification without works aâ— must then hold Salvation without works because every Justified person is in a saved state Ro. 8. 30. and so bid a due to works both as to Justification and Salvation 2. So to understand the Apostle in this or any other Scripture is to set him in direct opposition to Christ and all the Apostles which we may in no case do 1. Contrary to Christ Mat. 7. 21 24. and contrary to his Commission for Gospel Preaching and Salvation Mat. 16. 15 16. 2. Contrary to the rest of the Apostles Heb. 5. 9. 10. 36. 12. 14. Contrary to James ch 2. 24. Ye see then how that by works a man is Justified and not by faith only ch 1. 22. 25. Contrary to Peter 2 Pet. 1. 5. to 12. and Contrary to John 1 Joh. 2. 3 4 5 6. v. 17. he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 3. So to understand Paul in that Scripture not only sets Paul against Christ and all the Apostles but against himself and that in the same Epistle who Commonly states Salvation upon Obedience to the Gospel tho not as the deserving cause but as the Terms without which is no Obtaining thereof ch 2. 7 8 9 10. and we may not suppose the Apostle to be so inconsiderate as to contradict himself and that in the same Epistle 4. It 's most Aparent the Apostle intends not Gospel works in that place but the works of the Law as such compared with ch 3. 20 21. By the deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be Justified v. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is Justified by faith without the deeds of the Law but not without the deeds of the Gospel that contradicts the whole Gospel and the design of the Apostle as is most apparent 9. Whoever denieth the danger of believers falling from grace now in this imperfect state and holdeth and teacheth the impossibility thereof doth wrong to meâ— denieth the Scripture and believeth a lie Rom. 8 13 11. 20. Heb. 3. 12 4. 11. 2 Pet. 3. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 10. Whoever denieth the restitution of all things the world to come and the eternal Kingdom and Glory of Christ and his Church therein denyeth the Scripture and believeth a lie Act. 3. 21. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rev. 11. 15 22. 5. Mar. 10. 30. 11. Whoever believeth and teacheth that when Christ the Lord and Judge doth come again from Heaven to judge the world in righteousness Act. 17. 31. that he will â—urn up the world and not make it new and carrry away the saints with him to heaven and send all the world eternally to hell in their sense viz. that none of them shall have any advantage at all by the womans seed denieth the truth and glory of Christs undertaking for the world and a great part if not the whole of his kingdom and glory in the world to come and so denieth the Scripture and believeth a lie the truth of this see cleared in the next chapter 12. Whoever demeth the free operations of the Gospel Spirit in the word and work of Grace or in the ministerial gifts in prophesie and preaching as sufficient thereunto limiting Gospel ministerial gifts and offices in the Church of Christ to human acquired abilities denieth the sufficiency of the Gospel Spirit in the Gospel work introducing the human spirit instead thereof and is in the depth of the Apostacy 1 Cor. 2. 12 12. 4. 7. 13. Whoever setteth up the common light that is in all men instead of Christ and the Spirit of the Gospel is in the Apostacy and believeth a lye Christ Some saâ— that some of these things Especially the 4 5 6 7 8 9 particuars are the great Bulwarks against popery and that to assert such things as these tends to weaken the protestants and to strengthen the hands of the Papists Min. I hope these are not the best Bulwarks and strength of Protestants against Papists if it were it would surely fail in the time of need 2. If these things has been the strength of Protestants against Popery it 's no marvel so little is done for advantage to the Protestant interest and conviction of Papists if we lay the foundation in falshood and build thereupon it 's no marvel we are not blest of God and Popery gain upon us 3. Let Protestants fall in with the truth of the Gospel as it is in Jesus both in principle and practice Especially in these great and fundamental parts thereof and they will have enough to bear up with great authority from Scripture against Popery in all its parts 1. Hold firm to this both in principle and practice that the Scripture is in it self the alone sufficient ground and rule in all matters of Christian faith and Religion and needs not the Churches Authority for it's warrant nor the inventions traditions or additions of men which as it's a Christian so it 's a Protestant principle 2. Let the Express letter plain reason and scope of Scripture united in and with it self without the harsh and contradictory interpretations of men or consequences drawn contrary to and against the express light language and
it 's the same world that God loved to whom the Gospel is by Commission to be Preached and that is to all And such a world as of which many if not most may perish through unbelief which the Elect world in the owners own sense cannot do which clearly contradicteth their notion in this matter 4 It appeareth from v. 17. 19. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world by him might be saved It 's the same world he still speaks of that he was not sent to condemn but to save and that it 's evident that some of this world that God loved and Christ was sent to save as before I said may be condemned v. 19. This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil God loved the world and gave his Son to save the world the world loves darkness rather than this light of Love and Salvation and this is and will be the Condemnation not want of love in God nor want of a Saviour but because they loved the darkness of ignorance and sin more than this light of Love Life and Salvation and surely this is not the Elect world who love Darkness more than Light and be Condemned 5. Not only because the express terms and scope of that Scripture clears it not to intend the Elect only but the whole Scope of the whole Scriptures clears it likewise the design of Love to the world in this matter being included in that promise Gen. 3. 15. The head design of the Serpent being the destruction of Mankind the Fathers design herein being as large for prevention So Gen. 22. 18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and sutable to and answering of these promises with many more to the same effect Ps 72. 17. 22. 27 28. The Lord who best knew his Fathers will and Love herein states his Fathers Love and Good Will to the world sutable to the promises thereof the love and good will was to the world the special Grace and Life is to such as believe and obey the Gospel and sutable to this is the Angels tidings Luk. 2. 10. Behold I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people and surely the Elect be not all People but because the word all doth not always intend all therefore it must not hero but this Foundation of all relating to this matter last mentioned clears it and indeed there is neither Scripture nor right Reason to limit it to a few only it being contrary to the love and design of Gods Grace to the world in the Redemption work made manifest ever since the first sin and fall 2. Of the extent of the Death of Christ and that must be as large as the Fathers Love in sending him into the world or else it answers not his end in sending him for himself saith That he came down from Heaven not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him And that he died for the world is most apparent Joh. 1. 29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same world as was mentioned before which the Father loved in sending of him and this is to be noted that when he is said to take away sin as the Lamb of God it is as he was a Sacrifice for sin the substance of that Type the Paschal Lamb the Passover 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ our Passover was Sacrificed for us Joh. 6. 51. The bread that I will give is my Flesh that I will give for the life of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same world as before 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself a Ransom for all to be Testified in due time 1 Cor. 5. 14 15. If one died for all then were all dead and in that he died for all c. v. 19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Heb. 2. 9. That he by the Grace the love of God should tast death for every man That he by the Grace and Love of God to all should tast death for all 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is a Propitiation for our sin and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same world as ch 5. 19. The whole world lieth in wickedness In all which Scriptures the death of Christ for the world as by a Cloud of Witnesses is asserted and confirmed Christ The Scripture seems wonderful plain and apparent in this matter yet some say that by world and all is not intended all the world but that in all these Scriptures the Elect only are intended Min. What I have already said about the love of God to the world doth in substance clear this matter By which it appears that it intends the world and not the Elect only they being never so called Christ Some say that Joh. 1. 29. cannot intend the sins of the world in general but of the Elect only because the sins of the world are not taken away but the whole world lyeth in wickedness and therefore their sins are not taken away Min. For answer to this I shall refer you to the 3d. particular to be spoken to in this Chapter namely the varieties of the ends of the death of Christ And as for the word all tho it doth not always intend all in many other cases yet in this it does proved not only from the reason before given viz. the design in the Gospel of good will to all which is the Fundation of all the general expressions in the Scriptures about the Redemption work by Christ as world and all but 1 Tim. 2. 6. giveth us further and full light in all such like expressions about the same matter Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time Now the great question is whether all in this Scripture intends the Elect only or all the world I suppose it will be granted by all that it intends one or both of them I say both but that it intends not the Elect only apparently appears Which I shall endevour to clear as followeth Vers 1. Is an Exhortation that first of all Prayers Intercession and giving of Thanks be made for all Men. Vers 2. For Kings and for all that are in Authority This being the Foundation of all that follows to vers 6. as arguments to inforce the Exhortation of Praying for all and if the first all for whom we are to Pray be not the Elect only then the other that follows is not The first argument seems to arise as the reason of the Exhortation of Praying for all in the word therefore I Exhort therefore vers 1. which relates to something spoken before as a reason of the Exhortation and most probably to ch 1. 15. This is a Faithful saying and Worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ
Come Lord Jesus come quickly but such as are prepared for him nor can any assure themselves that they love him if they long not and wait not for his appearing that they may be with him and then when he comes you shall be able to say as Isa 25. 9. Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will rejoyce and be glad in his salvation This has been the long look'd for day by all the Saints instructed therein Tit. 2. 13. Looking for the blessed â—ope 1 Thess 1. 9 10. It will be the day of Marriage to the Saints Now is the day of Espousal 2 Cor. 11. 2. Then will be the day of Marriage Rev. 19. 7. It will be the day of joy and gladness to the Church who shall â—e and reign with him eternally in the World to come â—â—ho that loves him doth not say with John Rev. â— 20. Amen even so come Lord Jesus Does the â—â—ole Creation wait for and groan after this time of â—â—rty and restitution Rom. 8. 22. and shall not those â—o profess to be the Children of that glorious liberty â— shall say no more but this Prepare rightly for it â— always ready love and look for his appearing be â—â—stant therein to the end and you shall inherit the â—ory when the time is come 2 Tim. 4. 8. Christ Some say that if all these things be truth â— they are too high that you exercise your self in â—ings that are too high for you contrary to the sayâ—g of the Prophet Psal 131. 1. he did not exercise â—mself in great matters or in things too high for â—m Min. 1. In one sense it 's true consider we the matâ—ers themselves and consider we our own weakness and â—worthiness they are indeed too high for us even the â—â—h things of God and so is the Gospel in all its â—rts of which these are not the least yet others do â—ddle about the high things of the Gospel without â—uple or offence 2. They being the revealed things of God and in â—s sense they are not too high reâ—ealed things beâ—ging to us and so it 's our concern to inquire thereâ—â—o Deut. 29. 29. And as it was God's end in revealâ—g thereof that we might understand and believe â— so it 's our duty to be humbly inquiring thereinâ—â— 3. The Prophet who spake those words I think I â—â—y safely say pryed into and was exercised about â—â—se very things viz. The Mysteries of the World to come The General Grace and Glory thereof withâ— the Kingdom of Christ therein as much as any if noâ— as all the Prophets besides and obtained as great and â— large an understanding therein and probably God would have it so because his seed and Son was by promise to be the Heir universal King Lord and Governour thereof Psal 72. 1 2 11 17. Heb. 1. 2. CHAP. IX Sheweth That to hold Truth in Vnity is honourable to God and safe for our selves Christ WHat think you of the harmony and unity of the Scriptures do you suppose it to hold unity and harmony with it self without any contradiction if so then whether it do not concern us so to understand it as may hold in unity and not in contradiction Min. The Scripture being the Word of one God given by one Spirit and one Lord Jesus stands in unity and so it concerns us to understand it to hold truth in contradiction being next of kin to holding it in unâ—â—ghteousness If any thing I have herein said or do hold stand not in unity with the body of Scripture or with it self I shall gladly understand it and lay it down as an Error my desire and design being so to â—â—derstand the Scripture and mine own Principles from â—â—â—ce as may stand in unity it being that which is â—â—th honourable to God and satisfactory and safe for â—â— self and accountable to others This is really my â—â—re tho I dare not say or think that I have in all â—â—gs so obtained nor deny or hide what I have through â—â—ce obtained Christ Wherein stands the unity of the things â—â—ursed on with the Scripture and the contradiction â—â— the other notions thereunto I desire to understand â—â— something further about this matter Min. 1. As touching the Sovereign Power and Will â— God so to understand the exercise thereof towards â—â— as is before declared viz according to his own â—â—s in that behalf proved from the Creation to the â—â—gment stands in unity with the whole truth of â—â—ripture and Name of God and to understand it â—â—erwise viz. That God from his own decreed Will â—â—ore the World was determined the greatest part of â—â—n by far to no other end but to sin and be damned â—ttradicteth not only the plain revealed method of â— proceedings in this matter but the substance of his â—â—ealed Will in his Word Ezek. 33. 11. Joh 3. 16. â— 12. 47. 1 Tim. 2. 4. and therefore is not likely to be â—her true or safe 2. To deny the general love of God to the World â—â—d Christ giving himself for the life of the World beâ—â—use the Scripture saith he laid down his life for the â—â—ep for the Church which is in it self a truth conâ—adicteth the whole Scripture in this matter as has been â—â—ly proved and therefore is not likely to be either true â— safe But that he died both for the World and for the â—hurch is the truth of Scripture which being understood holds Scripture and Truth in unity and harmony without any contradiction at all but what men devise from their own heads at a distance from any Scripture ground or right reason the general and special grace of God to men being thereby understood and therefore is most likely to be both true and safe 3 To understand the Scripture so as to render not only the Scripture but the holy Name of God to stand in unity is most likely to be true and safe viz. to understand and believe that he loved the World in the gift of his Son and that Christ died for the World and will save all thaâ— do believe and obey the Gospel and judge and condemn those that obey him not as the just and deserving cause Rom. 6. 23. and not from his decree of reprobation as the first cause of sin and damnation this stands in unity with the whole Name and Word of God without any contradiction at all and therefore most likely to be true and safe But to understand the Scripture so as to limit the love of God to a very few only and the death of Christ to as few and yet that he will damn people for not believing that which was never intended to them nor was it possible for them by any means to obtain being reprobated therefrom is so great a contradiction to the whole Word and Name of God in all his attributes which stand in unity viz. his Goodness Love Truth
cases are any of his sayings denyed or perverted Min. Not only in all the cases before mentioned but 1. That there is no such thing as love in God at all that that which is called love in God is but a meer act of his will as in Death of Death p. 92. That God hath any natural or necessary inclination by his goodness or any other property to do us good we deny every thing that concerns us is an act of his free will p. 201. on Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the World c. he saith Our Adversaries agree that a natural affection and propensity in God to the Creature lost under sin in general is intended by love we on the contrary that by love here is not meant an inclination or propensity of his nature but an act of his will wherein his love is sealed an eternal purpose to do good to men p. 203. If the Lord should not shew mercy and be carried out to the creuture meerly upon his own distinguishing will but should be naturally moved to shew mercy to the miserable he should first be no more merciful to men than to devils nor secondly to those that are saved than to those that are damned for that which is natural must be equal in all its operations and that some look on love in God as an unchangeable â—ffection but the truth is as an affection or passion it hath no place at all in God certainly then in God his love is but a pure act of his will his good pleasure not a natural affection to the creature no such affection is in God If this contradicts not and gives not the lie to all the Scriptures that declare the love of God to men and strikes not a death on them all I know not what does What! no love no affection in God towards men No natural affection propensity or inclination from his goodness or any other property to do good to men That this has no place in God but only will and purpose but no love Had he said so much of the Devil I think he had said right for he has no love no affection or inclination to do good to men and had he power as God to make men he might as the saying is be good to some from his will tho' no propensity or inclination in him moving him thereunto thus the love of God to men is ended and the Scriptures that speaks thereof belyed the Scriptures being so far from this for ever to be rejected Doctrin that it saith Joh. 3. 16. That God so loved the World that he gave his Son c. And Ephes 2. 4. But God who iâ— rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us c. 1 Joh. 4. 9. In this was manifest the love of God c. See v. 10 11. yea and v. 8. 16. God is love he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him And 2 Cor. 13. 11. He is called the God of Love and Peace as the original thereof but this asserts no love at all to be in him either to the World or to his Elect either to Angels or to Men but will save some because he will and damn the rest because he will it 's a hundred to one as I said but that the Devil had he power to have made a World might have done as much as this And doubtless this Gospel-destroying Doctrin was devised to maintain the reprobation of the World by the Eternal Decree for the apprehension of any love to be in God to men would end that Principle it being impossible for one that has any goodness or love in him to bring forth an off-spring on purpose to damn them Act. 17. 26 27 28 29. And this the reasons mentioned to prove it does demonstrate viz. Because then he must love the Devil as well as men and could be no more merciful to those that are saved than to those that are damned because that which is natural must be equal in all its operations Goodly Arguments to end the love of God to men 1. Then doubtless God loved the Devils before they sinned 2. As if God could not from reasons in himself love Men after they had sinned with the love of pity and design to do them good tho' he give us no account of his reasons moving him so to do that he has loved the one and not the other is a great Scripture truth the reasons thereof are in himself and our mercy it is that it is so let us believe it and not deny it lest he deny us and for his love to men that he is capable to love some more than others has been before proved he loved and loveth all with the love of pity and compassion Joh. 3. 16. and such as believe and obey the Gospel with the love of relation and delight Joh. 14. 21 23. And to assert that which is natural must be equal in all its operations is neither Divine nor Rational 1. It 's not Divine or Scriptural for God did and does naturally love his Son and our Saviour or he did not which I am willing to hope that none are so graceless as to deny tho' this Principle does so and then there is natural love in God to his Son and that his love is not equal â—â—d alike tho' natural for he loved and loveth his holy Child and Son Jesus above all and most of all in whom he loves others Matth. 3. 17. John 17. 24. Col. 1. 13. He loved his people of old Deut. 7. 7 8. And he loveth his people now Joh. 14. 21 23. Yet not with the same love for measure as he loved and loveth his Son Joh. 17. 23. And he loved and loveth the World but not with the same love as he loveth those that believe and obey the Gospel but with the love of pity and compassion desiring their spiritual and eternal welfare Joh. 3. 16. Isa 55. 6 7. Rev 22. 17. By all which it appears that it is Divine that God can and does not only love but distinguish in his love and not only so but that he is love it is his nature 1 Joh. 4. 8 16. And this the Scripture assures us of thereby to confirm us in the truth of his love to men to his people and that if we love him his people and all men we are therein most like him who is love 1 Joh. 4. 7 12. Matth. 5. 44 45. And that those who are in the hatred are most like the Devil 1 Joh. 2. 9 11. 2. It 's irrational For it 's natural for Parents to love their own Children yet frequently they love some more than others and often on grounded occasions and likewise to love others and the like in varieties of cases there is a lawful difference in natural love and therefore it 's irrational to affirm that natural love must be equal in all its operations but I think it 's dangerous to be wise above and against
what is written both in the Book of God and in the law of Nature especially when it tends to pervert and overthrow the express Letter and Truth of Scripture and the foundation of all our Faith and comfort God can and doth love and distinguish therein or we are all deceived who have believed his Word 1 Joh. 4. 16. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us But this principle saith in effect John thou art deceived in believing a lie there being no such thing as love in God out I believe he never did nor never will hate any either Angels or Men but for sin Christ This seems to be greatly contrary to Scripture indeed that there is no love in God to men tending to break the hearts of Christians and to destroy their Faith in God and in the truth of his Word but what say you to the truth of his Laws and will to men doth that likewise suffer violence under this abuse Min. It 's a common avowed principle in effect that God commandeth one thing and has Decreed another contrary thereunto which they call his revealed and his secret Will the secret they call his Absolute Decreed Will which must be done he commands men by his Word to believe and repent but Decreed the contrary Death of Death saith about the proffers of Grace pag. 190. If by proffers they understand his commands and promises Who told them that these things were declarations of his will purpose or intentions I thought always that Gods commands and promises had revealed our Duty and not his intentions what God would have us to do and not what he would do And in the same pag. So they think of all that 's new to them viz. That as Gods proffer is so is his intention that he intends what he saith in his Precepts and his Promises And indeed this is new Doctrine and needs some more than ordinary new miracles to confirm it it overthrowing the Doctrine of the Gospel that was confirmed by Miracles if neither his Precepts nor Promises be his purpose or intention but only declare our Duty and not his purpose or intention what he commands us to do not what he will do they being not declarative of his will purpose or intentions then we know not when we have the will or intention of God either in Precept or in Promise a secret will and intention may be contrary thereunto and if this be good and true Doctrine farewell all Scripture and Christian Religion Christ I desire you to proceed to other things wherein you apprehend the truth wronged for I think it 's of weighty concern to believe that God thinketh as he speaketh and that his Precepts and Promises are his intentions and that he will do what he has promised as he expects that we should do what he has commanded and that whoever saith the contrary are liers Rom. 3. 4. Or else our Faith and Religion is yet in vain it being fixed on God his Truth and Faithfulness in his Word which if it be not his Purpose nor intentions I think our Faith therein is ended Min. There are many things in Scripture affirmed and that God therein affirms of himself of Which men say there is no such thing as not only what has been already mentioned the Scripture not only saith that God is Love and doth Love but that he is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7. 11. And that he was angry with Moses Deut. 1. 37. And very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him Deut. 9. 20. And angry with Solomon 1 King 11. 9. And very angry with his People Psal 79. 5. The Scripture frequently declares God to repent Gen. 6. 6. Exod. 32. 12 13. Jer. 18. 7 10. Joel 2. 14. Jona 3. 9 10. Pittying and bemoaning his People Hos 11. 8. And wishing they had done otherwise when they sinned against him that so it might have been better â—ith them Psal 81. 13. Isa 48. 18. That God does â—â—ar and see that Heaven is his dwelling place and â—hrone with many other like sayings of which men say â—here is no such thing in God but words spoken to our â—pprehensions which if they are not true our appreâ—â—nsions are deluded thereby which we may not â—â—agine Christ Some say that if we apprehend such things â—â— be in God according to the Letter of the Scripture â—â— must then suppose him to be a Man like our selves subâ—â—ct to passions which is dangerous Exod. 15. 3. It 's â—â—d God is a Man of War and take it according to the atter it is not so Min. As for this saying Psal 78. 65. Isa 42. â—â— Explains it viz. He is like to or as a man of â—â—ar doing mighty things and so may Exod. 15. 3. be â—â—ry properly read is being added read as instead â—f is and then you will read it the Lord as a Man of â—â—r the Lord is his Name viz. He has done like a Man â—â— War verse 4. Pharoahs Chariots and his Hosts hath â—â— cast into the Sea And for all those Anthropical expressions in Scrixure with many more of like import it behoves us to â—elieve the truth thereof and not to say it is not so in â—â— doing we give God the lie All which we may betâ—â—â— understand than to suppose him to be a Man yea â—ight we not in all these Anthropical and manlike exâ—essions better understand him than to say it is â—ot so When God is said to love to hate to be angry â—â— repent to be grieved to pity and to bemoan for â—iscarriages to wish it had been otherwise to require â—nd desire that which may never be to hear and see â—â—at Heaven is his dwelling Place and Throne c. And that there is a truth in all and no delusion of our understandings and you does none of all these things as men do them and so be far enough from imagining him to be a man it being his perfection that he can do all these things with many more as God-like properties essential to him and therefore in a God-like way and not as created qualities and passions as in men and tho we cannot understand how it is as indeed is not meet we should yet let us not deny it and say it is not so in so doing we give God the lie Christ What may be the reason that men thus deny alter and change the express Divine and revealed declarations of God in his Word And what may be the danger thereof Min. We may well suppose the cause to be ignorauce and pride not liking to receive or to retain the knowledge of God as he hath made known himself in his Word unto us and to maintain some unscriptural Notions received by Tradition will be wiser than what is written supposing to get up into God to know him in his essential being and so deny him in his own revelation of himself in his Word unto us 2. As for the danger thereof
A Compendious DISCOURSE About some of the greatest matters of Christian Faith propounded and explained between a MINISTER and an enquiring CHRISTIAN designed for clearing the truths of the Gospel the honour of Christ and advantage of men And also may serve for an answer to two books one called The practical Discourse of the Sovereignty of God the other called The Death of Death by the Death of Christ written by J. O. Whereunto is annexed a very brief Appendix Written by T. Collier Gal. 〈…〉 To whom we gave place by subjection no not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel might 〈…〉 tinue with you 1 Tim. 6. 3. 4. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according to godliness he iâ— proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strife of words whereof cometh envie strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destituâ—â— of the truth c. Zec. 8. 19 Therefore love the Truth and Peace London Printed by H. H. for Tho. Fabian at the Sign of the Bible in St. Paul's Church-Yard a Corner sho◠〈◊〉 Châ—â—â—â—â—dâ— 168â— The Authors desire and end in the ensuing Discourse GO forth my Muse take Wings and flee Speak plain and true that all may see For none can see without a light Nor can they see without some sight All have some sight within them so As to discern what light do shew And when discerned to make choice Of what is spoke by the Lights voice But without Light no man can see Nor can in Truth instructed be Most true it is that God is Light The Fountain clear in whom 't is bright And from that Fountain it doth shine In ways of his that are Divine The Eye within in the true sence Has had three Books to learn from thence The Works the Law the Gospel pure The Book of Life that shall endure To turn away from this clear Sun Is the right way to be undone This is the Light discoursed on And calleth for reception It calls aloud and cries to men Let it not be rejected then And if that some do thee traduce That thou returnest with abuse Be not afraid what e're do come Nor yet dismaid for any doom 'T is Gospel Light does in thee shine Therefore none can thee undermine Thy Dress is plain thy Language sharp 'T is that thou mayst speak to the heart If the good end design'd by thee Shall in some part effected be Which is the common good of men Let God have all the glory then And then again my heart shalt sing With joy the praise of Sion's King And this also thy work shall be And that unto Eternity The Epistle DEDICATORY To the Learned Doctors Masters and Students of the two Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and to all the Learned in the Nation Learned SIRS IT 's the saying of the Wise man Prov. 4. 5. Get wisdom get understanding forget it not v. 7. Wisdom is the principle thing therefore get wisdom with all thy gettings get understanding v. 8. Exalt her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her and chap. 16. 16. How much better is it to get wisdom than gold And to understanding rather to be chosen than silver Then surely it is not wisdom to get gold and silver but that which is far above it Which will give to thine head not a Crown of gold and silver but an Ornament of grace a Crown of glory shall she deliver to thee They are the great things of Divine wisdom as revealed in the Scriptures of truth that I have been exercised about and of which it 's said 2 Tim. 3. 15. They are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus And therefore I have no reason to suppose you 'le count it strange or presumption that I present the Dedication of the ensuing discourse to your learned and serious consideration 'T is true it 's a plain English Christian Discourse yet the things discoursed on are the great and high things of God and the Gospel and therefore am not willing to doubt but you will readily grant are such things as concern your most scrious Studies Though with some their Studies may be much if not too much about things of a lower and terrene concern as indeed all things are beneath the glorious Gospel of the blessed God yet I doubt not the lawfulness of endeavours for attainments in human learning and that both as to the Languages â—â— Philosophy both in the rational natural and moral parts thereof though my self have little or none of either in its artificial parts Yet it 's radically in all rational men though it has been and is too much debauched and defaced in most by sensual lusts Your learned and Philosophical studies may tend to make you men of parts and of use among men in things of torrene concern if not abused and if kept subject in its place may prove no hindrance to you but a help in your Divine studies though I acknowledge not Philosophy to be the Mother of Theology as some say Gal. 4. 26. yet this I dare say that without rational Philosophy in its root we could not be rational men and then we could not be Christian men without a miracle indeed as some say it being to the rational understanding part in man that the Gospel comes and by which it 's understood and believed Learned Sirs Whatever ends you design in your studies it concerns you all to take in Theology and the glory of God as the chief and glory of all things of Gospel concern being of highest of best and eternal concern and this I am sure your learning simply considered in it self will not hinder but help you in while you keep humble and improve your acquired Talents for God The blessed Gospel of his grace by Jesus being very much suted to the rational capacities of men or else it were in vain to publish it unto them Though the Gospel in it self being the Ministration of Peace by Jesus properly relating to the general restitution new world new state and life with all its Ordinances of divine worship faith and holy life in order to preparing us for and obtaining of the glory and as so is above the reach of reason and all the human Philosophy in the world without the Divine revelation thereof Rom. 10. 14. 1 Cor. 1. 21. 2. 7 8. but being by the Gospel revealed and brought down and opened 〈◊〉 Rom. 10. 6 7 8 9. to those who believe the Scripture to be the Divine Revelation it 's rational as well as divine to believe God in his word and love and cleave to him therein which is the great and saving Faith of the Gospel though over and above our rational capacities He has of his own grace ordered the Gospel which is the Divine Revelation thereof to be
the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. and to minister the Spirit for our help therein Gal. 3. 2. Rom. 8. 26. yet it s so far from the Gospel to destroy our rational and moral capacities that it tends to help and lighten us therein though in a more Spiritual and sublime way Some talk of losing or laying aside our reason as if Christianity were an irrational thing if we lay aside our reason we must lay aside our humanity and our Christianity too Others talk of reasons being sanctified and that I like well it stands with the truth of the Gospel reason sanctified by the word and spirit of the Gospel Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through the truth thy word is truth chap. 15. 3. Ps 119. 9. and I understand reason then to be sanctified when it understands believes loves and obeys the truth of the Gospel which I take to be regeneration begun here which being persevered in will issue in the perfect Regeneration in the world to come But I am afraid that under the notion of sanctified reason two evils are come in upon Christianity like a torrent even to the spoiling thereof 1. Some under the notion of the Spirit and sanctified reason do out and end the greatest part of the glorious Gospel of the blessed God in the great matters of Faith narrowing and denying thereof in the largeness of its extent contrary to the very letter and scope of Scripture alone from their supposed sanctified reason as will appear in the following discourse 2. And others make additions and change the Ordinances according to their own devices and all by supposed sanctified reason corrupted Philosophy and vain deceit after the will of men and not after Christ The Christian religion in it self as it 's the most divine so it s he mostrational Religion in the world or that ever was in the world being opened to us by the Divine Revelation though there are some things in it above the reach of reason to comprehend even with the Divine Revelation and Teachings of God therein yet we may understand the truth thereof and it 's rational for us to believe it because God has said it to instance in some particulars 1. That God should so love the world as to give his only begotten Son for its redemption and Christ so love the world as to give his Flesh for the life thereof are incomprehensible mysteries of grace Joh. 3. 16. 6. 51. Eph. 3. 17 18 19. 2. The Incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is in it self an incomprehensible mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. 3. The Resurrection Judgment the greatness terribleness righteousness and justice thereof the restitution new world with the diversities of the glories and punishments thereof are all incomprehensible mysteries till the times come of effecting thereof 1 Cor. 13. 9. 10. 1 Joh. 3. 2. Ps 9. 11. yet by the Divine Revelation we may understand the truth of these unsearchable mysteries and it 's very rational as well as divine that we believe the truth thereof So that I say the Christian Faith and Religion is the most rational and to render it unreasonable in any of the parts thereof does open wrong to God Christ the Gospel and to men When in truth in its own simplicity and purity there is nothing irrational in it in this matter we may and must say if we say right as Prov. 8. 8 9. All the words of wisdoms mouth are righteous there is nothing froward or perverse in them they are all plain to him that understandeth and right to them that find knowledge ch 14. 16. a scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not but knowledge is easie to him that hath understanding God having given to men large Capacities that if rightly exercised about the works of God and word of life they might attain to the excellent knowledge of the most holy and to the precious faith and life of the Gospel through the Divine teachings therein which shall not be wanting to those that really desire and seek it Prov. 2. 1. to 6. Luk. 11. 13. Jam. 1. 5. God having in his wisdom and grace stated the things of the Gospel both in matters of Faith and Worship plain to the rational Capacities of men to the end that they might through a right industry obtain the saving knowledge of his will therein And it s only the irrational devices additions and contrary interpretations of men both in matters of Faith and practice that hath filled the world with irrational errours divisions and confusions which the Scripture if cleaved to in its own light and language which is but reason it should be so as well as divine would be the alone blessed way for us to arrive to unity in the great things of Gospel concern reason misled by Tradition Blind-zeal or captivated by sensual lusts has and doth make bad work in the world See from Scripture how reason and Christian Religion unites 1. It 's both rational as well as Religious that we believe God in the word of his grace 2 Thess 3. 2. where unbelievers are rendred to be unreasonable men as well as irreligious and 1 Pet. 3. 15. we are to give a reason of our hope to every one that shall ask Which can never be if our reason be useless nor can meerly rational men understand it when it is given them 2. It 's rational as well as Religious that we should serve and worship God according to his own revealed will in the Gospel and not after our own wills or the inventions and Traditions of men Rom. 12. 1. 2. the contrary is irrational as well as irreligious 3. The increase of divine grace received by faith in the Gospel is by the rational exercise of our selves therein Mat. 25. 29. with Heb. 5. 14. 4. The holy and honourable terms of the Gospel on which the life and glory thereof is promised and without which we may not expect it renders it to be very rational and credible to men no man in his right reason can conclude that God should seek to save a people in so wonderful away but in the way of holiness the contrary would render the Gospel incredible to all rational men 5. It 's rational as well as Religious that we abhor all moral evils sensual and brutish lusts and to love all moral vertues and duties and the contrary is irrational and immoral as well as irreligious The Moral law or Ten Commands given by Moses is commonly understood to be the same for substance as is written in nature or rational and moral Philosophy in men Rom. 2. 14 15. Which the Gospel destroys not but tends to perfect it in us as it 's administred to us by Christ Rom. 3. 31. and 8. 4. 1 Cor. 9. 21. not as from mount Sinai but as from mount Sion Heb. 2. 18. 22. the sum and substance of the Law and Prophets is to teach men to love God above all and their neighbours as
only from all that has been said but in that he not only saith but sweareth Ezek. 18. 32. 33. 11. That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he should turn from his way and live and 1 Tim. 2. 4. That he will have all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and that he loved the world in the gift of his Son and sent him into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Joh. 3. 16 17. And that he gave his flesh for the life of the world Joh. 6. 51. and gave himself a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. And sent forth the Gospel of this grace to be Preached to all Mar. 16. 15. and calls upon and inviteth all with promise of life to all that believe and obey it Isa 55. 6 7. Rev. 22. 17. all which this Doctrine of the damnation of the world by the Eternal Decree alone from the Sovereign will and power of God turneth into a lie and endeth the truth thereof and therefore is very irreligious to be taught or believed Christ These things seems to me to be of weighty concern and I cannot see how it can stand either with Scripture or reason for God to declare so much love to man and willingness to have all saved and yet to Decree the damnation of the world before he made it and it seems to set the Scriptures at an irreconcileable variance yet there being several Scriptures urged to prove this Doctrine I desire you to speak something to those Scriptures for clearing them in this matter Minist What are those Scriptures you especially desire to be cleared in Christ The first is Rom. 9. 14. to 24. chap. 11. 7. which are much used to prove this Reprobation of the world before they were made so Sovereignty pag. 18. 19. the Sovereignty of God proclaims it self with a yet more astonishing glory in his Eternal dispose of mens Eternal condition to shew or not to shew mercy to persons equally dignified or rather indignified in themselves to make of the same lump one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour is the most sublimest Act and most apparent demonstration of Sovereign power concerning men and that from no other reason but that of right he may do what he will with his own pag. 166. one God was the Maker of all but all was not made for the same use and end he had a peculiar scope in making some which was not common to the whole yea the whole was made for the sake of those some some God raised up to be Monuments of his power and Justice called Vessels of wrath others are called Vessels of mercy whom he formed for himself and are therefore said to be afore-prepared to glory And that Christ died only for this some c. Minist 1. I thought we should find those glorious principles of truth before mention'd by the same Author subjected and contradicted viz. That righteousness is the rule of his will and that he will not command men to do right and not do so himself and that he will punish none without a cause nor more than is deserved and yet now has Eternally disposed of men from his own will made them to be Vessels of wrath in a word to sin and be damned that 's the true sense horrible abuse to God and contradiction of himself 2. He might well call it an astonishing glory were it true enough to astonish and affright all men were it laid to heart out of all their Reason and Religion too but it being not so but a device of men it 's so far from being an astonishing Glory that it 's an astonishing Falshood and to be rejected of all sober men 3. I still thought that God had made all for himself for his own glory and not that he had made the world for the sake of some and when and where he will prove that God made any for the sake of some I do not yet know I suppose you must take his word for it as for all the rest 4. And as to the whole of this matter I have often said enough to it elsewhere viz. that we may not understand one Scripture so as is contrary to the whole Word of God that speaks of the same matter where he saith that he loved the world in the gift of his Son and calleth upon all and inviteth all to accept the grace Rev. 22. 17. That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked That men by sin destroy themselves Hos 13. 9. That he would have all men to be saved 1 Tim. 2. 4. it must needs be irreligious to understand Rom. 9. so as to contradict and give the lie to all those Scriptures and many more this is enough were there no more to be said in this matter Yet further I say that those Scriptures viz. Rom. 9. 11. Chap. contributes nothing at all to that Scriptureless Notion rightly understood but rather strongly confirms the truth of what is by me asserted and this appeareth 1st In that there is nothing said about the Eternal Decrees and Sovereign Will distinct from his Sovereign rule by his own declared Laws the Apostle in the whole Treating about the people of the Jews already made and under his present Sovereign Government who did wilfully sin away their mercy in rejecting the Gospel and as a punishment of this their sin God did or might give them up to blindness and hardness of heart not that he made them for that end by Eternal Decree but in the present exercise of his Sovereign power and Providence as a punishment of their former sins so he might make of the same lump of the Jews one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour and this he has usually done in like case and it 's that which will stand with his Sovereign rule in righteousness viz. to give men up to hardness of heart as a punishment of disobedience rejection or abuse of former mercy thus he did to the same people formerly Psal 81. 11. 12. or it was a Prophecy of what was fulfilled Rom. 9. But my people would not hearken unto my voice Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own Councils So likewise he dealt with the Gentiles Rom. 1. 21. Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were they thankful v. 24. 28. Wherefore God gave them up unto uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts so likewise in the Apostacy fore-told 2 Thes 2. 10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this Cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie Thus God ordinarily punisheth one sin by giving up to another which was the present Case in Rom. 9. they sinned away their mercy in rejecting the Gospel and the
I conclude that God never Elected any with design of wrong to the rest but rather of advantage if rightly improved Christ They say it 's no wrong to any but just and right he might have reprobated all and have been just in so doing and that it's mercy that he hath Elected any and that in this way he hath exalted both Justice and Mercy Min. As held by them it 's the greatest wrong imaginable For 1. They say that God Elected some and reprobated all the rest to Eternal death from his own will without any cause at all in them And 2. That notwithstanding he has by Decree laid a necessity of Perishing upon such yet the Gospel must be Preached to them designedly to damn them the deeper for that which they could not help nor was any Grace thereby intended to them a greater wrong cannot be done to men nor a greater wrong to God and the Gospel of his Grace to men Christ I think you have said enough to this for clearing this matter I have yet only one thing to enquire further viz. How you can clear this of personal Election before time from that which is commonly objected Act. 10. 34 35. That with God there is no respect of Persons Doth not this Election render God to be a respecter of Persons Min. 1. This Scripture in the proper intention thereof intends the breaking down of the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile that now there is no difference on the Gospel account And 2. It stands true and ever did that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted so was Cornelius before he knew the Gospel 3. Particular Election may stand without any contradiction at all to that Scripture or any other of like import whilst God doth notwithstanding accept of every one that doth fear him and work Righteousness for we may understand and must allow this Sovereign liberty in God which men rationally and rightfully claim to themselves viz. a freedom of love and choice whilst none are wronged thereby God had respect unto and loved Abraham and his feed above all the world besides Deut. 7. 6 7. And that rightfully too Yet without wrong or prejudice to any he loved Jacob more than Esau before they were born or had done either good or evil yet without any wrong at all to Esau he did and doth accept of whoever did or do fear him and work Righteousness And Christ loved one Disciple above the rest yet without any wrong or offence to any of the rest men do and Lawfully may fix love on particular objects and while it 's without wrong or hatred to others it 's no unlawful respecting of Persons CHAP. III. Of the extent of the love of God in the gift of his Son and the extent of the death of Christ with the variety of the ends thereof and the certain effecting thereof according to the designs of God therein Christ I Am willing to make some enquiry into those two great yet much controverted points of Religion namely the extent of the Fathers love to and of the death of Christ for the world Min. This is that I have had often occasion of late to speak to elsewhere and therefore may suppose it needless to speak any further to so plain Gospel Truths as these are Christ Yet notwithstanding it being of so weighty concern and that which I conceive on which the whole Gospel depends I desire you to speak something further to it with as much plainness and evidence from the Scripture as you can Min. Tho I have spoken so much of this matter elsewhere yet if meeting with so much opposition and being of so weighty concern it lying at the bottom and being indeed the Foundation of all Christian Faith and Religion I shall at your request make a little further Essay herein 1. Then as to the extent of the Fathers love in the gift of his Son the Son himself who best knew determines with that evidence and plainness that whoso runs may read and understand Joh. 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Christ This seems to be very plain and full to the matter yet those of the contrary opinion say that by world in this place is intended the Elect only or world of the Elect and that the word world as used in the Scripture doth not always intend all the world and in this place the Elect only Min. I know that this is the great plea to end the plain Truth of the Scripture and I could name several of the Persons concerned herein and I do easily grant that the word world doth not always intend all the world but often a part thereof yet when so a great part thereof is intended but that the word world in this place doth not intend the Elect or Church or Believers only is as apparent as the Sun when it shines at Noon and I yet never met with either Scripture or Reason sufficient to contradict it tho I think I have read as learned and able as any that has attempted it and that it does not nor cannot intend the world of Elect only I shall state some weighty grounds to the contrary 1. That the Elect are no where called the world in Scripture that 's not yet proved nor is never like to be but because the wicked are called the world when they are but a part thereof therefore the Elect may be so called and such like arguments to argue out the plain Truth of Scripture but till it can be proved that the Elect are called the world it must remain as a Scriptureless notion that 's the first 2. Because the word world in this place is the common word for the world in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometimes signifieth the Heavens and the Earth or whole Creation Mat. 13. 35. 25. 34. Or a multitude or world of Men Rom. 3. 19 The same as 1 Joh. 5. 19. The whole world lyeth in wickedness and is never applyed to the Elect that 's the second 3. It 's such a world as that whosoever of them do believe shall have Eternal life in which note 1. That it 's the world of unbelievers that he loved that whoever of them do believe might have life After they believe they are not of the world Joh. 15. 19. 2. It 's such a world as of which it's clearly implyed that some of them may perish through unbelief whosoever doth believe shall not perish clearly implying that whosoever of them doth not believe shall perish fully agreeing with the commission Mar. 16. 15 16. Go into all the world Preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned So here he or whosoever doth believe shall not perish i. e. shall not be damned so that it 's apparent
understand it as I have said unless they will have the Roman unity to be the matter intended Which such as it is is maintained by persecutions massacres and blood a union more suting brutes than christian men But we shall one day know that the dreadful divisions among profest Christians is not for wans of a mediator but from our own sinful selves Christ I am well satisfied in the truth of what you have said about this matter in all the parts thereof I desire you to give me some further instructions by way of inference for my learning herein Min. 1. You may learn what bad and sad work they make who deny the general grace of God to men and the general sacrifice of Christ for the world casting contempt and reproch thereupon calling and accounting them adversaries that believe and own it when themselves it is that teach a doctrine and lay a foundation the Scripture knows not viz. that God loved but a few only in the gift of his son and that Christ died only for a few and reprobated all the rest to eternal destruction so denying the Scripture and root up the foundation of Gospel faith and salvation 2. Of the impossibility for any person thereby to have any gospel ground of faith and hope of salvation tho they talk high from fancy and imagination but not from Scripture grounds for from that notion no man can have a Scripture ground of hope it being so exceeding contrary to the gospel and saith thereof the saith of the gospel being that to which the promise is made as I shall shew in the next Chapter there can be no grounded hope of salvation out of the faith thereof 3. It justifieth the practice and taketh off the reproach cast upon such as are instructed in the doctrine of the general grace of God to men viz. that they are adversaries to the truth and are all for that doctrins and discourse as if their religion consisted wholly therein I say it 's no marvel it is so being the foundation of all Gospel faith and without it can be none in the truth thereof even those who oppose it are beholding to it if they held to their own principles without contradiction it would appear to be the most irreligious and ridiculous in the world called Christian but they cannot preach to the world without the help of general grace tho they preach it in the highest contradiction to their own principles which if plainly preached to the people as held and printed would affright the people and shame themselves out of their work If they should tell the people that they bring them tidings of great joy to all people that Christ dyed for the World but it was but for a very few the elect World only and that all the rest were reprobated before the world was that they were made to sin and be damned and that they have no more power to believe unto life than brute Beasts than a stock or a stone or a dead corps and yet for all this it 's their duty to believe and they must be damned the deeper in hell if they do not believe and yet if they do believe if they be not Elect they are but Hypocrites and must be damned This being the spirit and life of that principle and of their gospel in the plain truth thereof which if they dealt honestly with their hearers they ought to preach it being their gospel and faith as in Print and discourse is fully manifest so that did they not mix their doctrine with general grace tho not in love thereto standing in direct opposition thereof to make it savory without which it would appear to be loathsome unto all And therefore the doctrine of the general grace of God by Jesus Christ being the alone foundation savory and saving doctrine of the gospel Christians instructed therein have no cause to be ashamed of the reproach thereof but to glorifie God in this behalf and others may learn to be silent for shame and will when they understand the truth and worth of this glorious doctrine 4. You may learn from hence where the difference about salvation and damnation lyeth and why all are not saved a matter it is of great and weighty concern unto all and that is in believing or not believing the gospel it 's faith and unbelief that makes the difference and not the eternal decrees of Election and Reprobation and want of a Saviour as some unjustly and untruly assert to the dishonour of God the Gospel and wrong of men The condemnation will not be for want of love in God or for want of a sacrifice and Saviour â— but for mens wilful and chosen wickedness and that they shall one day know Joh. 3. 16 19. And therefore let the fomenters of this unholy doctrine be ashamed any more to lay the sin and damnation of the World on the holy and righteous God it being so apparent from the word of the God of truth that it's obedience and disobedience to the Gospel that makes the difference and not the want of a sacrifice and Saviour 3. It gives us to understand the vanity of that doctrine that teaches Justification and Salvation by an inconditional Covenant It 's true that the general parts thereof are wholly inconditional both in promise and performance as before has been shewed and that part only that assureth salvation to sinners with Eternal glory is conditional which is alone pleaded for to be inconditional I may safely say there 's no man on Earth can shew any promise of salvation in the Gospel that is wholly inconditional but that the condition iâ— either exprest or implyed Mar. 16. 15 16. which is the commission for gospel preaching and salvation and carryeth in it the sum of the whole according to which all promises may and should be understood and was so by the Apostles Act. 2. 38. 16. 31. Jam. 1. 25. Rev. 2. 7 11 17 26. 3. 5 12 21. 21. 7. 22. 14. so that this inconditional covenant in the sense pleaded for is that which the doctrine of the Gospel is altogether unacquainted with Christ Some will grant that there are conditional promisses in the Gospel but withal there are absolute inconditional promises for performance thereof as Sovereignty Pag. 295. called conditional promises and promises of the condition those named are Ezek. 36. 25. Jer. 31. 32. Ezek. 11. 19. 36. 26. with others of like import Min. I doubt not but fully believe that God grants a sufficiency of power for performance of what he requiers or I must be like that evil servant that said he was a hard Master Math. 25. 24 28. Yet 2. I believe it to be a great mistake in the application of those absolute promises to the present time and state which are all promises to the house of Israel and to be performed at their restitution and redemption in the World to come when they shall all return to the Lord
as I shall fully shew in Chap. 8. to make the promises that are proper to that people and to be performed in their restitution applicable to us gentiles before that time and state as it has been common is dangerous being a perversion of the intent and design of God therein And further it 's ridiculous to apply those promises made to the house of Israel as such to unconverted persons among the gentiles under the notion of Election as promises of conversion So that if any will yet apply those promises to the present time and state which in the largeness thereof cannot truly be yet the persons to whom they are thus applyed must be of the house of Israel viz. true Jews either by nature or grace before any of these promises can be applyed to them they are not to the sinners of the gentiles who by nature before conversion are children of wrath and not of the house of Israel to whom these promises belong nor can they take place according to the true intention of them till the time of Israels redemption is come it 's true they are grounds of faith and consolation to true believers that such a time shall come Christ It 's usually objected that if there is any condition for us to perform on which salvation depends it renders the salvation not to be of grace makes it uncertain tends to destroy free grace and turns the Gospel into a covenant of works Min. 1. We may not to satisfie our own imaginations turn away from the whole and holy word of God in this or any other matter if the Lord has so stated it as is undeniable let men be silent before him and learn to know there duty looking to God for divine assistance in which way the certainty of obtaining is assured Jam. 1. 5. Math. 10. 22. 2. The performance of the holy terms of the Gospel on which salvation is dispensed no whit derogates from the freeness of the grace and salvation thereof it 's a vain if not a prophane imagination so to think What now maketh the difference in all sober mens apprehensions but faith and unbelief obedience and disobedience holiness and unholiness If there are no conditions on which Gospel Grace and life is dispensed Why then are not the unbelieving prophane and unholy as freely and fully enrighted therein as any Which 〈◊〉 contrary to the Scriptures and the common principles of all sober men 3. The holy terms of interest in and obtaining of the salvation of the gospel no whit derogates from the freeness thereof nor renders it to be a covenant of works because there is something for us to do in order to the obtaining thereof and this is fully demonstrated from the parable of the marriage of the Kings son Math. 22. 1 2. c. which is apparent and I think by most is so understood does intend the tenders of the Gospel first to the Jews and their invitation to the Gospel marriage supper with their refusing the invitation Act. 1â— 46. Now the question is 1. Whether God and Christ were real in this invitation or did mock with them Which I suppose none will be so graceless as to deny the one or affirm the other but that if they had accepted the invitation there was life for them and in their wilful refusal they lost it 2. Then whether the life being tendered to them on the terms of their acceptance thereof did any whit derogate from the grace of the Gospel Or cast any cloud thereon Or render it to be a Covenant of works because it was tendered to them on terms of their acceptance thereof It 's a wonderful mistake among men not to allow that to be free grace which the Scripture so calls viz. that which is free for all commerce Rev. 22. 17. whoever will let him come and take of the water of life frely Joh. 7. 37. This is free grace if the Scripture may determine what ever God worketh in some more than in others Is a secret and comes rather under the muchness of grace than the freeness thereof Rom. 5. 17. while he does enough for all and as one saith more 〈◊〉 enough viz. more than men could in reason deâ—â— his grace being open and free to all that will accept 〈◊〉 The holy terms no whit derogate from the freeness â—â—ereof but renders it the more credible to all rational â—ersons It no whit derogates from a Princes grace in â—â—doning Malefactors on terms they accept thereof and become good subjects for time to come so it derogates not from the freeness of the grace of God by Jesus â—â—rough faith and holiness as the terms thereof it being â—â—e holy prudence of God to have it and the contrary would render it irrational and incredible unto men Christ I thing you have spoken fully to this but some 〈◊〉 that your self was sometimes of another mind in these matters Min. 1. It 's easily granted which demonstrates that we are men and liable to failings in the great things of the Gospel 2. We have read and heard of the apostasie from the faith foretold in the Scripture 2. Thes 2. and as it 's our great concern so it will be our great mercy to get see therefrom which is not so easily nor suddenly arrived to as is by some supposed it being learnt by tradition and so is become habitual and natural to us 3. As it 's no loss the change of a bad principal for a â—â—tter and errour for a truth so in it self it 's no shame or dishonour but a virtue and a glory And I am greatly of the mind that there are very many that need such a change and I pray it may be before it is to late if men change not both in principle and practice in these â—â—d the like matters what will be the issue I leave to the Lord and Judge to determine CHAP. IV. What the Gospel is and what is the faith thereof to which the life and glory therein is promised Christ I Desire to make some further enquiry about the Gospel and 1. I desire to know what the Gospel is Min. To this I think I may say it 's generally understood that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intends a joyful message glad or good tidings and so it 's frequently translated as Luk. 2. 10. Rom. 10. 15. from Isa 52. 7. Nah. 1. 15. so Act. 3 33. And we declare unto you glad tidings c. which is commonly translated Gospel i. e. glad or good tidings and the truth is that there is no sad or bad tidings in the Gospel till rejected or neglected or not believed and lived to according to the truth thereof and design of God therein Christ What is the glad tidings of the Gospel and wherein does it consist Min. That God sent his Son in love to the World to all people Joh. 3. 16. Luk. 2. 10. the entrance of this glad tidings lay 1. in promise Gen. 3. 15. 12. 3. 22. 18.
9. Joh. 6. 51. to reign over almost all his Subjects in Wrath under eternal torments And how would this render the fifth Kingdom and Monarchy so much spoken of in Scripture and talked of â— men but little understood to be far worse much â—â—e merciless and miserable except to a very few faâ—â—ites only than any of the four that went before it â— figures thereof whereas it shall in times as far exâ—â—d them all as the new World shall exceed the old â—â— as the Lord thereof exceeds all that ever went beâ—â—e him and further If it were not so how should â—â—ey then sing unto him and glorifie his Name as it 's â—â—d they shall Psal 66. 4. 96. 7 13. 98. 4. â—v 5. 13. If the Lord by his blood redeemed them â—â—m death to a new life for no other end but to torâ—â—nt them for ever how shall they then sing his praise â—â—d glorifie his Name The sum of all I say about this matter is 1. That God made all good yea very good and man â— his own Image 2. That man by sin lost himself and all came under the â—â—se and death with him 3. That the great design of God made manifest is â—y the second Nan the Lord from heaven to recover â—â—an and all with him that fell by his sin out of that â—â—ate of curse and death to a new life and world eterâ—ally 4. That all must come to Judgment for the things â—one in the body which Judgment shall be just and â—ighteous according to the various dispensations under which they have lived and against which they have transgressed Rom. 2. 12. Joh. 12. 48. Jam. 2. 12. â—â— 1. 25. Rev. 20. 12. Which Judgment as it will be very great and terrible suitable to the greatness of the Majesty against whom all sin has been so in the true Analogy and sense of Scripture it will be Eternal â—nto all and will be wonderful dreadful and amazing to all that meets with the least portion of penal punishment therein yet in this matter God will not proceed contrary to all rules of Justice he has given to men nor contrary to the method of his own dealings with men in like cases he always having kept and will keep to measure and times in the Judgment which is most righteous Psal 80. 5. Isa 27. 8. Jer. 30. 11. 46. 28. Nor contrary to his Name Nature and Promises at that day Jer. 12. 15. Ezek. 16 61 62 63. Luke 12. 47. 48. And so that mentioned before from Sovereignty will undoubtedly stand true He will not punish without a cause nor more than is deserved but rather less Ezra 9 13. To this righteous proceeding of God See Gen. 18. 25. Deut. 32. 4. Psal 116. 5. 145. 17. Rom. 3. 5 6. It 's true God saith to his people of old That he would punish their iniquity and sin double Jer. 16. 18. But that I taâ—â— to relate to times and not to measure it not standing with the Justice of a righteous God to punish sin double for measure but double may relate to times 1. Then by destruction temporal by their enemies And 2. At the day of Judgment and then will he be pacified towards them Ezek. 16. 63. And afterwards shall they inherit the promises Jer. 16. 14 15. But first he will punish them double Isa 40. 1. 3 Hence you may learn two good Lessons further 1. To be preparing for this great and glorious day O it will be a great and terrible day and it 's your great concern now to be preparing and making ready for it to get right in the saith and life of the Gospel in order thereunto it 's called the great and terrible day of the Lord Joel 2. 31. because the Judgment will be great and very terrible Mal. 3. 2. Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth The terribleness of the Judgment then to be executed â— described under varieties of dreadful Expressions â—ereby to discover the dreadfulness thereof it 's called â—â—ll utter darkness a lake of fire the second death â—erlasting shame and contempt c. attended with â—â—ping and wailing and gnashing of teeth whoever â—â—ets with the least Portion therein both for measure â—â—d time will find it to be of sinking and dreadful â—oncern and therefore deceive not your self with a â—â—in conceit from self-confidence as I fear many do â—â—e those Isa 28. 15. who said they had made a coveâ—â—nt with death and were at agreement with hell â—â—ey feared not the judgment it should not come nâ—gh â—hem v. 18. All their confidence was disannulled and â—â—t to stand it 's true some men talk much of the â—edgment but expect not to come to it themselves tho â—â—e Scripture tells us 2 Cor. 5. 10. That we must all â—ppear before the Judgment-seat of Christ and receive â—â—cording to the things done in our bodies whether it be â—udor bad v. 11. Knowing therefore the terror of the â—ord we persuade men yea believers and the Apostle â— Pet. 3. having declared the Conflagration of the â—orld by fire being reserved thereunto against the day â—f Judgment and perdition of ungodly men v. 7. Which is enough to amaze men in the thoughts thereâ—f were there no other or further Judgment but to â—e burnt up with the World at that day Mal. 4. 1. when â—e lake of fire must be eternal from whence the Aâ—ostle draws this result or conclusion v. 11. Seeing â—hen all these things shall be dissolved what manner of â—rsons ought we to be in all manner of holy conversaâ— and godliness that so we may escape the fire of that â—ay and v. 13 14. from the expectation of the new â—â—eavens and new Earth that shall succeed exhorteth saying Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And it 's the Exhortation of the Lord and Judge himself Luke 21. 36. Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape alâ—â—â—ose things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man And chap. 12. 40. Be ye also ready for the Son of man cometh at an heâ— that ye think not Mat. 25. 10. And they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut O! therefore I say be preparing every day for your Lord 's appearing lest it come upon you as a snare as it will upon all the World and all that are unprepared for it read and ponder well Luke 12. 35 36 37. 2. Being ready look and wait for him love and long for his appearing to such he will appear a second time without sin unto salvation Heb. 9. 28. It is to those that love him and look for his appearing that the crown of righteousness shall be given 2 Tim. 4. 8. And none can really and rightly look for and love his appearing and say
Just and Good a God to make Creatures designedly for so bad an end And whether this Principle of Christian Faith do not destroy the very Foundation of the Gospel Being contrary to the whole manifested design of God therein Quer. 2. Whether to believe that God loved not the World in the gift of his Son but a few only And that Christ gave not himself for the life of the World nor a ransom for all but for a few only iâ— not contrary to the express Letter Reason and Scope of the Scripture Joh. 6. 51. 1 Tim. 2. 6. And whether so to believe do not root up the Foundation of Gospel-Faith 2 Cor. 2. 2. 15. 3 4 11. Quer. 3. Whether we have not sufficient ground to believe that the general love of God to the World in the gift of his Son and the general Sacrifice of Christ for the World is the alone Foundation of the general Commission for Preaching the Gospel to the World If so it being granted by all that the Commission Mar. 16. 15. is general and ought not to be limited then whether to understand the Commission for Preaching the Gospel to be larger than the Foundation and Basis thereof viz. The Fathers Love and the Sons Sacrifice without which could have been no such Commission tends not to null and make void the Commission it self for Gospel Preaching it out-running of and being larger than the Foundation thereof or at least to render the Lord inconsiderate in stating so large a Commission on so narrow a Foundation it behoves those who deny the general Love and Sacrifice to ponder this Quer. 4. Whether to believe that Men have no power to believe and obey the Gospel with its own helps without a mighty miraculous and irresistible power which God does not effect and yet will damn People Eternally for not believing be not contrary to the whole Reason Light and Truth of Scripture and contrary to the whole Name and Nature of God and contrary to the whole Light and Law of Nature and Reason placed in Man by God Then whether these things are not meet to be exploded by all true Christians Quer. 5. Whether to believe any other terms between the Father and the Son about the work of Gospel Redemption and Salvation than what are the exprest terms thereof in the Gospel does not tend to null and make void the Gospel it self Or at least and best render it uncertain if we suppose any other secret terms besides and contrary to what is exprest or a secret will contrary to his revealed Will. Quer. 6. Whether to deny Jesus Christ in his Person to be the Son of God and the Son of David the true Messias promised and as Crucified Raised and Ascended to be the alone Foundation of Gospel-Faith head Lord and Lawgiver to his Church without mens inventions or additions And whether to deny him in Word or Deed in any of these be not deeply dangerous Quer. 7. Whether to assert there is no such thing in God as Love or a natural propensity to do us Good from his Goodness or any other property And that he intends not as he speaketh either in his precepts or his promises that they declare our Duty not his intentions is not wholly contrary to the Scripture And the Right and Reverend thoughts we ought to have of God And whether it does not tend to root up the Foundation of all Christian Faith and Religion of all hope and trust in God And whether it does not really make God a lier if his Commands and promises be not his intentions Quer. 8. Whether to believe that when Christ the Lord and Judge of the World comes again from Heaven to raise and Judge the Quick and the Dead and when that is over will burn up the World so as not to restore it and make it new and carry away the Saints with him to Heaven and send all the World besides to Hell with the Devil there to be tormented Eternally is not contrary to the whole Body of Scripture contradicting the Restitution World to come and the Kingdom and Glory of Christ therein with his Church and the Glory of his great undertaking for the World And if so Whether this Faith be right or vain Quer. 9 Whether those who grant the thousand years reign and limit the Restitution World to come and the Glory of that Estate to the thousand Years are not much mistaken And whether the Kingdom and Glory of Christ and the Saints in the World to come shall not be Eternal Dan. 7. 14 27. Mar. 10. 30. And whether they do well to confine the Eternal Kingdom Life and Glory within the compass of a thousand Years There being no other World Life and Glory promised beyond that in the World to come Quer. 10. Whether those who grant that after the Conflagration of the World by fire that there shall be new Heavens and new Earth follow wherein dwelleth Righteousness after the Judgment according to the Scripture 2 Pet. 3. 13. And yet affirm that Christ will send away all the wicked of the World to Hell with the Devil eternally to be tormented and carry away all the Saints with him to Heaven I say whether they have considered who shall be the inhabitants of this New and Restored World wherein shall dwell Righteousness or whether it shall be the habitation only of Birds and Beasts or of nothing And whether it it does not concern us prudently to consider whether the Traditional Faith of going away to Heaven has not led us besides and so in our Faith lost the true inheritance and heirship promised in the World to come Quer. 11. Whether it is to any sort of Faith that owns Christ in Name to which the promise of Life is made or to the true Faith and Life of the Gospel If to any Faith that owns the Name of Christ then why may not all the World called Christian be saved as well as any If not but that the Life of the Gospel is promised to the true Faith thereof called the Faith of God's Elect. Then whether it does not greatly concern all without delay to endeavour to come right in the Faith and Life of the Gospel to which the promise is made And not to content our selves with any sort of Faith and Life Quer. 12. Whether bad and corrupt Principles of Faith tho attended with a good life be not as dangerous and pernicious as good Principles of Faith attended with a bad life Rom. 10. 2. Phi. 3. 4 5 6. Quer. 13. Whether some of those Principles of Faith before mentioned viz. the reprobation of the World by Eternal Decree both to sin and Judgment does not really tend to render God to be most Cruel most Unholy most Unrighteous and most False c. in Decreeing and so in being the first and Foundation cause of all the Cruelties Unholiness Unrigheousness Falseness and Wickedness either in Devils or Men It being a maxim that the
thing mistaken I would gladly be informed therein from Scripture light and right reason Isa 8. 20. the things being of great if not of greatest concern and if I mistake not are all of them the revealed things of Divine wisdom and therefore it belongs to us to be enquiring thereinto and on these grounds I am not willing to doubt your ready and inoffensive reception of my poor endeavours in these great matters with this my Dedication Considering first that you know though all men are not skilled in the Langudges nor in artificial Philosophy yet it is radically in all rational men without which they could not be capable either of artificial attainments or of Divine teachings 2 That you know God is at liberty in his teaching and always has been so and therefore may as formerly he has done led the unlearned into truth asson as the learned and sometimes before them Luke 10. 21. 1 Cor. 1. 26. to 29. Therefore let not the Learned despise the unlearned nor the unlearned judge the learned but prize and own the teachings of God in each other let us be humble and self denying let us own truth and reject error where ere we find it and thus it will be where Christ and Grace rules O that none of us all may give the Lord cause to say of us as of his people of old Hos 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law and they were counted as a strange thing I desire that none of the great things God has written to us in his Gospel law of grace may be accounted strange by us And thus not to detain you any longer in this Dedication I commit the ensuing Discourse to your most serious considerations and the like unto all into whose hands it may come if any thing therein carry not Scripture authority in it let it not be credited but if it do take heed and beware how you contradict it this and no other is expected by him who longeth for the manifestation of the Gospel in its truth purity and power the glory of God and the good of all men Fare ye well T. C. THE PREFACE TO THE READER Christian Reader THis ensuing Treatise or Christian discourse as it s brought forth by special occasion so it s really designed for thy special profiting and spiritual advantage the name of God and Christ the truth of the Gospel the spiritual and Eternal good of men being greatly concerned in the matters discoursed on altho its true that by reason of the Apostacy and other occasions we may truly say that darkness yea gross darkness hath covered us and the vail and covering spread over all Nations hath very much bewildred us and that in the great things of the glorious Gospel of the blessed God And that which is most of all to be lamented is that we are willing to have it so if any glimmerings of light but begin to appear out of the darkness we cry out upon it as if some prodigious Comet or foul spirit had appeared and that it may be before we so much as admit of a serious search and due consideration whether it be true or false A wonderful perverse spirit seems to be in us on this account Many I am perswaded crying out on that they never saw and others on that they never read with deliberation and judgment seriously pondering it in the balance of the sanctuary and so speak evil of the things they understand not which necessarily may tend to bring under that wo. Isa 5 20. Wo to them that call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness If we are so averse in our minds as not to have patience to ponder ought but what our selves indulge be it right or wrong and cry down all that seems contrary thereunto we may cry down truth for errour and cry up errour instead of truth it s an old and known proverb the burnt child dreads the fire the sence of which laid to heart would tend to make us more wise For help and cure in this matter I shall premise a few things to serious consideration 1. That its a matter of highest concern to us all to understand believe and obey the truth to love the truth and peace it being truth that must intrest us in Gospel freedom and without the saving knowledge thereof we may not expect to obtain it Joh. 8 31 32. 2. That we all come short in our knowledge and understanding of the great things of the Gospel and may and must say if we say right even in this very matter that in many things we offend all and need the mercy of God in our Lord Jesus to pardon and cover our ignorances if not our wilfulness which on our repentance he is ready to do 3. That notwithstanding this vail of darkness and ignorance too much of wilfulness yet in the due and true sence thereof and as it s our great concern if we be duely and diligently searching and enquiring after the knowledg of the mind and will of God as revealed in the word of his Grace and that in all things relating to matters both of Faith and practice it s his promise that in this way knowledge shall be increased And then shall they know if they follow on to know the Lord. Dan. 12 4. Hos 6 3. 4. And as an encouragement herein and as it s generally in word acknowledged that matters of fundamental concern are plainly and not darkly stated in the Scriptures which is or should be of encouragement to us all to be enquiring thereinto and to strike dead that spirit and practice of putting harsh interpretations on the plain revealed will of God in the Gospel so darkening if not outing and ending even the fundamental truths thereof the divine revelation being the alone ground and rule of our faith and practice in all matters of Gospel concern 5. And yet that we are moderate in our notions and not impose our apprehensions and supposed light on others no otherwise than the apprehended truth thereof takes place in the understanding and conscience imposition any other ways being the Babylonish apostatised spirit and is far from the spirit of the Gospel where is most of Gospel light and truth obtained such are furthest from an imposing spirit on others 2 Cor. 1. 24. Phil. 3. 15 16. 1 Pet. 5. 3. and those who are most in the flesh and involved in darkness are ordinarily the greatest imposers of their supposed light upon others Joh. 16. 2. Gal. 4. 29. 2 Thes 2. 3 4. 6. And yet it concerns the children of light as to concrete in so earnestly to contend for the faith as it was once delivered to the Saints Jude v. 3. Tho all should be done in the Gospel spirit of love and peace which I hope I can say has been my design in all and would be my joy to see more of love and peace among all profest Christians as
any impartial person may understand in my healing Word or endeavour for peace annexed to my additional word tho hitherto I may truely say as the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 15. the more I love the less am I loved and as Ps 120. 7. I am for peace but when I speak thereof they are for War I think I may safely say that those manifold divisions and by reason thereof through pride enmities and contentions for only by pride cometh contentions Pro. 13 10. ariseth from mens being wiser than what is written not submitting to the plain testimony of the Divine record but make human and harsh interpretations and inventions both in matters of faith and practise and then quarrel with those who in conscience to God dare not believe and do as they would impose upon them I think I may safely say that this has been and is the cause of almost all the contentions divisions enmities and persecutions among profest Christians ofttimes self-interest viz. profit honour and applause concurring therewith attended with pride and an itching desire after domination And the alone way for Christians to obtain more unity love and peace is humbly to submit themselves to the plain and express terms of the Divine record especially in all fundamental matters of faith and life without human inventions and interpretations in which way they might easily come to unite and if in any thing they conscientiously differ to bear with each other in love allowing the same liberty to each other as every one for himself rightfully claims the contrary being irreligious irrational and brutish My method in the ensuing discourse is in dialogue wise by way of Question and Answer as it were between a minister and an enquiring Christian the reason thereunto moving me is because as the things are in themselves of weighty if not of weightiest concern and that which many are inquiring into so in this method I have had the advantage to make things plain and familiar to the weakest capacity as likewise to answer such questions and objections about these maâ—ters as are most usual among men And my humble and earnest desire is that you kick not nor winch either at the instrument or the matter for the instruments sake God being at liberty to make use of whom he pleases in his work if the instrument has been running to and fro it may be more than some others and has been it may be sometimes out and sometimes in don't reproach it may be his industry has been blest of God with increase and may judge those who lie still being full as if they had obtained all judging and passing the sentence of Heresie on all that 's new to them tho it may be the good old truths of the Gospel My dâ—sign in the plainness and closeness of the ensuing discourse is not reproach to any but to ingage all concerned herein to search and trie and where they find just cause to turn from their errours to the truth Its Scripture light I have been prying into and that not dark harsh and forced interpretations nor from any single text of Scripture but the plain testimony of Divine record compared and united in the true harmony and unity of it self as I am yet greatly satisfied Yet notwithstanding I shall readily and thankfully imbrace any sober offers of information of any mistake if any be or of further light in these or any matters of Gospel concern and so I commit it to the judicious Reader praying the Lord he may not sin in rejecting truth nor in receiving errour desiring the God of all light and grace to lead into all needful truth Amen The things discoursed on in the ensuing treatise are as followeth Chap. 1. OF the sovereign power of God as exercised over men opened and cleared in opposition to the dishonourable abuses thereof Ch. 2. Treateth of Election Ch. 3. Of the Extent of the love of God to and death of Christ for the World Ch. 4. What the Gospel is and what is the faith of the Gospel to which the life thereof is promised Ch. 5. Of the power and will of Man to believe the Gospel Ch. 6. Of the Nature of man and the original defilement thereof and whether it brought us under the first death only or under the second death also as some affirm Ch. 7. Of the Apostasie from the Faith what it is and wherein it consists Ch. 8. Treateth of the General restitution and Salvation in the World to come and of the Kingdom of Christ therein Ch. 9. Sheweth that to hold truth in unity is honourable to God and safe for our selves Ch. 10. That God intendeth what he speaketh and will perform it and that its greatly dishonourable to him for any to speak or think the contrary Some of the greatest matters of Christian Faith propounded and explained by way of Question and Answer as it were between a Minister and an enquiring Christian CHAP. I. Of the Sovereignty of God as exercised over the World ever since the creation opened and cleared in opposition to the dishonourable abuses thereof Christ HAving this opportunity I desire to be enquiring into some of the great things of Christianity and matters of Faith that concerns the glory of God and our own eternal welfare if your time and opportunity will admit a discourse about such things as are of weighty concern Min. As for time and opportunity I think we cannot improve it better than for the glory of God and our own eternal welfare that being the great end of our Creation and Redemption and therefore I freely imbrace your motion What are the things you desire to enquire into Christ The things I desire to enquire into I think are of weightiest concern and yet are differingly understood and believed by men into which I desire to enquire really for satisfaction it being in my understanding of so great and weighty concern as that without steering right therein we can neither honour God nor be safe our selves Min. If it be so as its worthy our time which cannot be better spent so according to the best of my understanding in the word of lâ—ght and truth I shall endeavour your satisfaction what is the first thing you desire to enquire into Christ The first thing is about the Sovereignty of God over mankind whether it be a truth that God has Sovereign power over all and does dispose of all according to the counsel of his own will Min. That Sovereign power belongeth to God i e that the great God bleâ—sed for ever the great Creator of all hath the absolute right and power over all his creatures to determine and dispose of them as seemeth him good is without all juâ—â— ground of doubt that as he is the great Creator and God alone so he must needs have the Sovereign right and power to dispose of all according to the Counsel of his own will Isa 46. 9 10. Christ As for the Sovereign right and power in God
those who do not believe and obey him therein shall be damned these being the great parts of the Gospel faith therein and obedience thereto must needs be the faith of the Gospel to which the salvation thereof is promised More distinctly as to the restitution world to come and the eternal kingdom of Christ therein tho all founded in that one sacrifice is so great and fundamental a part of the Gospel as that short of it without it is no Gospel nor glad tidings at all 1 Cor. 15. 19. all the promises both of grace and glory Issuing here and as it is the great doctrine of the Gospel so it sometimes was the common faith of saints tho through the Apostasie now almost lost out of the world that it was the common faith appeareth from these following grounds 1. It was the faith of Abraham the father of the faithful and very probably so called from his believing this general promise to the world denoting that our faith must be the same or else we are not his children that this was his faith see Rom. 4. 13. the promise that he â—â—ould be the heir of the world was not to Abraham and his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith This his heirship to the world to come was through his faith in the promise which faith he had before he was circumcised v. 10 11. and on this faith it was he became the heir of the world and father of all that do believe We may well suppose that if he had not believed God in his promise of a Son and Seed in whom all the Families of the Earth should be Blessed he had not arrived to that Blessing and Dignity of being the Heir of the World and Father of all that Believe Which must likewise be our Faith if we will prove our selves to be his Children and Heirs with him of the same World according to promise Rom. 4. 16. Gal. 3. 29. viz. To believe the truth of the promise relative to the World to come and that the Son and Seed is come by whom all shall be effected 3. It was the common Faith of the Prophets the Restitution of all things was spoken of by all the Holy Prophets since the World began Act. 3. 1. And as I understand by the Learned Readers of the Jewish Rabbies that the Restitution and World to come was the common Faith of the Jews expected to be effected by their Messias 3. It 's apparent that in the Primitive time of the Gospel it was the Faith of all both Ministers and People Ministers according to the Commission Preached it Act. 3. 21. Rom. 8. 19 20 21. Eph. 1. 10. And the People believed it this is plain and apparent 2 Pet. 3. 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for a new Heavens and Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Vers 14. Wherefore Beloved seeing ye look for such things c. Here is all both Ministers and People we and ye all looked for this new World and they could not look for what they did not Believe 4. It 's the Faith that 's stated by our Lord in the Commission for Preaching the glad tidings Mar. 16. 15 16. Go ye into all the World Preach the glad tidings to all the Creation So the word is tho some be so bold as to make a mock thereof and yet would be accounted Gospel Preachers it 's to all the Creation And dare any to conclude there is nothing of Divine Wisdom in the Lords Words or to charge him with having so little respect to his Church as to state the Gospel Commission both for Preaching Faith and Salvation in so dark and dubious terms as to need their help to alter or amend it and so making themselves Wiser than the Lord. Christ Can you demonstrate this kind of Preaching to all the Creation from the Scripture viz. That to Preach and speak thereof is a true Preaching of the Universal Restitution and glad tidings to all the Creation and that to which Christ in his Commission had relation to if you can I desire it that Men may learn not to mock Min. As the whole Gospel is and shall be the fulfilling of the Prophets Joh. 4. 38 Act. 3. 31. Rev. 1. 7 10. It 's all stated by the Prophets Act. 26. 22. So the Commission for publishing thereof must be as large as the Prophesies that went before thereof and a substance very near the same expressions the promise was that in him all Nations of the Earth should be blessed Gen. 22. 18. Which includes the whole Restitution and World to come Rom. 4. 13. The promises made to Abraham being the Basis and Foundation of all the Prophesies and Promises that followed about this matter and the Commission of Christ sutes this Promise i. e. Of glad tidings to all the Nations of the Earth See Ps 96. 98. calling to the whole Creation to rejoice in the Lambs Restitution and Rev. 5. 13. is in Vision the effecting thereof to John as it shall be done when the time comes So Ezek. 36. 1. to 15. Which relates to the same time and state tho more distinctly to the Restitution of the Tribes of Israel and of the Land of Canaan their promised Inheritance where the Prophet is commanded to Prophesie unto the Mountains and to the Hills c. Not that he was to speak to the Mountains and Hills but to the People and this is called a speaking to the Mountains and Hills And Act. 3. 21. asserts That the Restitution of all things was spoken of by all the Holy Prophets since the World began and the sutableness of the Commission of Christ hereunto is most plain to Preach the Gospel to all the Creation that Men might understand and believe it and be saved and the Practice of the Apostles was sutable to the Commission which should be our Practice likewise Act. 3. 21. Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22. In all four Verses in the Greek it is the Creation vers 19. The expectation of the Creation vers 20. The Creation was made subject to vanity vers 21. The Creation it self shall be delivered c. Vers 22. The whole Creation groaneth c. See Eph. 1. 10. Rev. 5. 13. And as this was the Doctrine of glad tidings by the Commission from the Lord thereof to be Preached them what must be the Faith but to believe the Doctrine He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Believeth what The Doctrine of the Commission the glad tidinge to all the Creation the Restitution of all things by Jesus Christ Rev. 21. 5. So that in the Commission we have the Doctrine and Faith of the Gospel to which the life thereof is promised which is the general Restitution and glad tidings to all the Creation this being the Doctrine and Faith that was once delivered to the Saints and for which we ought garnestly to contend Jude vers 3. The sum of all is to believe That Jesus is
the Christ the seed of Abraham in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed The Son of God and the Son of David the true Messias promised that God in love sent him and that he in love gave himself a Sacrifice for the life of the World and is Raised and Ascended into Heaven in performance of his Mediatory office for Men and shall come again from thence to judg the quick and the dead and to perfect the Restitution of all things and to bring in the New and Restored World in and over which shall be his Eternal Kingdom and Glory and that whoever do sincerely believe and obey him in this his Grace shall Live and Reign with him in his Glory Mar. 16. 15 16. Heb. 5. 9. This is the substance of the Doctrine and Faith of the Gospel to which the Salvation thereof is promised which was once delivered to the Saints which Doctrine and Faith should be more precious to us than our Lives Or more briefly thus Whoever comes right in the Faith and Life of the Gospel shall be saved this is the sum of all I seek or plead for it being that which deeply concerns every one to come right in which life is called a life of Faith Heb. 10. 38. A life of holiness 1 Pet. 1. 15. A life of Humility 1 Pet. 5. 5. A life of love both to God and Men 1 Joh. 4. 16 20 21. Mat. â— 44 to 48. Which Faith and Life shall certainly issue a Glory CHAP. V. Of the Power and Will of Man to believe and obey the Gospel of this Grace and of Regeneration and whether there be any possibility of falling from Faith and Grace after Believing Christ IN as much as there are differing Apprehensions about the Power and Will of Man to believe and obey the Gospel some affirming a Power to â—e in Man to believe and some denying thereof I desire your apprehension therein it being I suppose of weighty concern to be rightly understood Min. In as much as there are differing Apprehensions about the Power and Will of Man tho I think I have said enough to it elsewhere yet it being a matter of weighty concern I shall on this occasion say something further to it 2. Touching the Power that there is a power in Man to believe with the common helps by God afforded especially where the Doctrine of the Gospel comes I â—â—â—ert as a great Truth tho in this me-thinks should be â—o room for a difference in this I think all agree that all Power is of God that it 's in him we live move and have our being Act. 17. 28. We cannot live nor act think nor speak without him all Natural and all Spiritual Power both of Motion and Action being of him and from him in and by Jesus Christ there being but one Holy Spirit Eph. 4. 4. Who had his Operation and Work in the Creation Gen. 1. 1 2. Job 26. 13. Ps 104. 30. And is the influencer thereof still by Jesus Christ the Redeemer 1 Cor. 8. 6. And the same Spirit it is that Influenceth the Gospel to the work of Regeneration and impowers Man thereunto Joh. 3. 3 5. And so the Gospel is truly the Power of God to Salvation to all that do believe Rom 1. 16. And in this I suppose that all agree that there is no Power but is of God Christ I suppose that the great question about this matter is whether God in the Gospel affords a sufficiency of Power where it 's published in the truth thereof to believe and obey it unto Life Min. To this I say That we have sufficient grounds so to believe excepting Infants Idiots and distracted Persons who have not the use and exercise of Reason tho no Scripture saith it in express terms yet the Reason and Truth of the Scripture speaks it in fulness and plainness as appeareth 1. From the constant converse of God with Men ever since the Creation not only in the perfect but in the fallen state in making known his Will and giving Laws to Men both Precepts and Promises especially under the Gospel which is most to our case and for us to imagine Men not to be sutably Influenced by him with understanding and Power to answer his will therein no more than Brutes as some affirm I think are Brutish thoughts of God as well as of Men it would be greatly dishonorable to Men to give Laws to Brutes of which they are not capable much more dishonorable is it to God to affirm that he gives Laws to Men that are by him made no more capable to perform them than Brutes 2. It appeareth in that he blameth and punisheth and will punish those that wilfully transgress his Will and pittieth and bemoaneth those that Rebel against him Psal 81. 13. Luk. 13. 34. And has made great promises to those that believe and obey him all which are rendred to be incredible if Persons be not capacitated by him to answer his will therein 3. The contrary renders God to be unjust and unrighteous in the Judgment to punish Men for not doing what they could not possibly do through impotency and weakness which are hard and untrue thoughts of the Righteous and Holy God Impossible commands constituting no Duty nor can the not performance thereof justly incur any punishment either from God or Man Christ But you know what is usually said in this matter viz. That Men had once a power in Adam and list it by transgression so that tho Man hath lost his power to obey yet God hath not lost his right to command Min. This I know is a common Plea but hath nothing at all of weight in it For 1. Tho Adam had a power to have yielded perfect obedience to the Law of his maker in his first and sinless estate yet he had not power then to believe and obey the Gospel which is our command neither was he capable thereof having no need of a Saviour it being no part of the Law given to him neither could he obey it therefore he could not lose that which he had not nor we in him but indeed after his sin and fall and the promise of a Saviour it being sutable to his fallen needy Estate he had power to believe the truth thereof so that it 's a vain pretence of Adams loss of what he had nor and if we must needs have our power in him to believe and obey the Gospel at all it must be after his sin and fall when he needed a Saviour and if so let it be proved when he lost it and that we lost it in him 2. If this suffice not let it be proved that since the first sin and fall God has given or giveth his commands to the lost power and that he will Judge and Condemn Men for not improving a power which they had not but as they say was lost long before When this is done it will be of weight but not till then 3.