and consider that thou seest in them that so go on in their sins a lively image picture and proportion of thine own former natural estate and miserable condition such a one was I once I took as much delight as they do posted as fast to damnation as they do how much then am I bound to magnifie the goodnesse and mercy of God to me who of his mere goodnesse and mercy hath turned my feet another way even the Lord of his rich and abundant mercy hath put a manifest difference between my self and many others he hath put now a new mind in me and hath given me a delight in good things what shall I render unto the Lord what thanks what glory what honour and obedience shall I render to my God This ought to be the meditation and consideration of thee whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the holy Word of God when thou seest other run on in sin with delight and pleasure to post to destruction as if they meant to come thither with all speed hasting to damnation Oh then lift up thy heart in Serious contemplation upon the free grace and goodnesse of God in calling thee out of that number and electing thee to salvation Further in that God saith here unto Abraham in Isaac shall thy seed be called Isaac being one that belonged unto Gods eternal election I might here stand to shew that God doth effectually call none but such as belong unto Gods election but I stood upon that in the 30 verse of the eight Chapter onely one thing now that is this We are to mark that God here saith not unto Abraham in Isaac will I make good my Covenant in Isaac will I make good my promise but he saith in Isaac shall thy seed be called Isaac shall be called and his seed and so will I make good my Covenant in Isaacs calling The doctrine is this That Gods effectual calling of men out of the state of nature Doctr. into the state of grace by the Word and work of his Spirit Effectual calling is an evidence of a mans being in Covenant with God it is a sure evidence unto them that are so called that they are in Covenant with God and God with them that God is their good and gracious Father yea it doth infallibly evidence unto them that God hath loved them from everlasting God now hath set upon them a seal of his special love and that now they have right and title to the promises of God concerning righteousnesse life and salvation 2 Pet. 1.10 saith the Apostle Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure You see he putteth down calling before election not that it is so in the order of nature but if a man be called he is certainly elected if we be sure of our calling we may be sure of our election we may certainly and infallibly conclude that we are in Covenant with God and have right and title to the promises of God we may so conclude not doubtfully or conjecturally but certainly conclude I have right and title to the Promises of God Know then what an excellent and sweet comfort may this be to them Vse that find themselves effectually called hast thou good evidence of thy effectual calling hath the Word a kindly working hath it wrought upon thee a change and set thee out of the state of nature into the state of grace thou art certainly in a most blessed and happy condition this doth evidence that God did love thee before the world was before it had a being now thou art in Covenant with God and God hath now set his seal upon thee thou art one of his good Isaacs one of his beloved think upon it therefore the meditation of thy effectual calling is more comfortable unto thee then to think upon thy election or redemption by Christ these are matters of great comfort but thy effectual calling is more comfortable unto thee it sealeth up that thou art one of Gods chosen that thou art redeemed by the Blood of Christ look to thy effectual calling or else it appertaineth not unto thee but thou being called here is wonderful comfort for thee VERSE 8. That is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed IN this Verse our Apostle doth deliver by way of Explication that which he put down in the verse foregoing and having in the seventh verse before affirmed that not all they that came of Abraham by the course of nature are the true seed of Abraham because Ishmael was the seed of Abraham but God said he should not inherit the promise but in Isaac should the seed be called he should participate in the promise now this being brought by the Apostle and set down in the verse foregoing In this verse the Apostle explaineth himself and layeth open his meaning a little further shewing what he meaneth by children and by the seed of Abraham here he explaineth his meaning Neither are they all children in the verse before because they are the seed of Abraham but in Isaac shall thy seed be called then he subjoyneth in this eighth verse That is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed And in this eighth verse we have laid before us an opposition between the children of the flesh and the children of the promise First of all denying them to be the children of God who are the children of the flesh and secondly affirming that they onely are accounted the true seed who are the children of the Promise Now for the explication of this verse lesse need it to be stood upon and spoken of if so be some erring spirits did not wrest and pervert it and labour to draw it to a wrong sense I will therefore endeavour to lay open the true sense of it viz. That is my meaning is they which are the children of the flesh The Arminians and the Anabaptists joyn together hand in hand and do understand by children of the flesh those that seek for righteousnesse and salvation by the righteousnesse of the Law and so seek for it by a carnal and fleshly course after the law and the flesh and so such as are Justitiaries and seek to be justified by the Law this say they is meant by children of the flesh this is their conceit But this cannot be the true sense of the phrase flesh though I grant indeed by children of the flesh we note out such as are Justitiaries in some places of Scripture and such as seek for salvation by their own righteousnesse the righteousnesse of the Law and that in and by the Law yet here in this place the literal sense and the literal meaning is to be taken and by children of the flesh we are to understand those that discended of Abraham according to the course of
issued and sprung from that ever springing fountain of the free love of God Exod. 19.4 he carried his people upon Eagles wings he did favour and do them good from time to time and so in Deut. 30.10 he chose Jacob and the seed of Jacob and brought his seed out of Egypt by a mighty power and Deut. 4.37 he turned the curse of Balaam to a blessing Numb 23.5 when Balaam thought to curse the people of God God turned it to a blessing so I might instance in many particulars how the Lord manifested his love unto his people one for all Joh. 3.16 where Christ saith God so loved the world or his chosen in the world that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life the free love of God was it that moved God to send his Son to be a Saviour unto them Indeed I grant that Gods chosen now believing in Christ they have the pardon of their sins and they have all good things vouchsafed unto them for Christ his sake even for Christ his sake God is pleased to vouchsafe unto them pardon of sin and all other dependents thereon for we must know that though God out of his free love decreed to make Christ a means and a Saviour by whom and through whom men should have pardon of their sins conveyed unto them that he should be the conduit and person that they should receive it by yet the fountain and chief ground is Gods eternal love so that the first cause the first ground of all good things that come unto Gods chosen here and hereafter in heaven it is Gods free love and his free good will and pleasure though Christ be the means of conveyance Because God being most free as he is liberrimum agens he will not have Reason 1 any good thing come from any thing out of himself Because no good can be given above the good will and pleasure of God Reason 2 Christ himself saith so that we have nothing but the free and eternal pleasure of God so that this plainly sheweth Gods free love is the ground of all good things First of all this Doctrine doth put down a main difference plain and Vse 1 manifest between Gods love unto us and our love unto others we love others in respect of some good some worth we see some good quality some excellent and worthy thing in them which doth attract and draw our love unto them we see some beauty some wit some learning some strength or the like that draweth our love unto them and knitteth our hearts unto them and indeed we are bound so to do to love others in respect of their beauty wit learning and the Image of God in them in any manner Now with God there is no such matter our love is bounded and grounded and set upon some excellency or worth in the creature even our very enemies but with God there is no such matter his love is not stirred up nor caused by any good worth or excellency in us or any goodnesse in us no not by any thing out of himself Indeed I grant God loveth his own Image being renued in us and the more we are renued of God the more holy the more religious the more pleasing to God and the more dear and pretious to him God loveth his own Image in us actually but the cause of that is his eternal free love so that though the Lord love us we being renued and holy and righteous yet the cause is his eternal free love which proceedeth not from any thing out of himself but onely his free good will and pleasure Is this so that all good things in this life and the life to come do proceed Vse 2 from the good will and pleasure of God Upon this ground we must learn then to indeavour in every good thing we enjoy yea in the good things of this life that we have and possesse to see Gods love unto us in them to see in the bread we eat the apparel we clothe our selves withal and the good things we enjoy to see Gods love unto us It is not sufficient for us to know that the outward good things of this life are good things in themselves blessings of God a man may go so far by the very light of nature to know that meat and drink and maintenance is a blessing of God and there is no comfort in this knowledge no we must be able to know that these good things come out of Gods free and eternal love and to be blessings unto us in particular and that they flow out from Gods free and eternal favour wherewith he had loved us before the world was and that they coming thus we may use the Apostles form of thanksgiving Ephes 1.3 blessed be God our heavenly Father who hath blessed us with all heavenly and with all temporal good things with this health with this wealth this apparel but some may say how is that to be done I answer Labour thou in the first place to get thy part in the blood of Jesus Christ labour thou to apprehend and apply the merits of Christ his death and obedience to thine own soul by a true saving faith and never rest untill thou hast a true and a saving faith to apply and to apprehend the merits of Christ to thy soul for in Christ alone is the spiritual right and title of all good things applyed to Gods chosen Secondly having gotten this labour thou to find that the outward good things of this life they do stirre thee up and provoke thee forward to love God to fear God to walk humbly before the Lord and to be thankful unto his holy Majesty the outward good things of this life thou hast a true right and title unto them and are means to help thee forward in the wayes of God and to walk humbly before the Lord thy meat thy drink thy apparel are means to help thee forward to thy salvation and to further thee in the way of salvation And it is not with thee after the manner of the men of the world to abuse the good things of this life to vanity and pride to set out their hearts in pride of apparel garishnesse of attire riot and excesse as some do that a man may say and easily discern there is a proud person however you will say under a russet coat may be a proud heart yet a man may say where there is smoke there is fire It breaketh out in their foreheads and foretops and in their long shag'd ruffian-like hair and in their exteriour parts a man may say they are clothed with cruelty and pride hangeth as a chain about their necks Psal 73.6 and their houses and lands are priviledged places for all manner of abomination impiety and ungodlinesse and no man may speak against them especially being men of place and authority great men their greatnesse doth priviledge their places and houses for all manner of impious and abominable courses
enemy and in Ephes 2.3 the Apostle doth notably describe the estate of the Gentiles before their calling that they are without Christ aliens and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel without God in the world no better then Atheists enemies to God standing subject to the whole wrath of God both in this life and for ever Acts 26.18 and therefore they are in a woful estate and condition And it must needs be so Reason 1 Because that all persons in their natural estate they are without the Covenant severed from God and shut out of his favour and love and such as have not any title or interest in any blessing of God which is indeed a part and beginning of hell torments for the full apprehension of Gods wrath is hell it self and men in their natural estate have a part and portion of hell here Reason 2 Again besides this they are vessels subject to the power of Gods wrath 2 Tim. 2.26 taken in the snare of the devil held of him at his pleasure and led wheresoever he pleaseth and therefore we may resolve upon this as a certain truth That men not effectually called they are in a miserable estate and condition subject to Gods wrath and hell torments and how miserable that is you may easily judge Object But before we come to apply this you may say some there be that are in the estate of nature that belong unto Gods Election are these in a miserable estate and condition certainly no for he loveth his chosen from everlasting before the world was the text is clear to this purpose Jer. 31.3 God saith in particular that he loveth his chosen with an everlasting love through the riches of his great love wherewith he loved us even before our calling therefore all they that are in their natural estate are not in a wretched condition To this I answer Answ It is true God loveth his chosen before their calling with an everlasting love hut we must know that God loveth them onely with that degree of his love that is proper to his chosen uncalled as being in the number of his elect in time to be called but he loveth them not with that degree of his love to his chosen called for howsoever Gods love doth not admit of more or lesse yet Gods love extended and reached out to the chosen of God in respect of them hath different degrees he loveth them uncalled not with that degree of his love as he doth the called then when they are uncalled he loveth them with an act of his love but when they are called effectually he loveth them with a greater degree of his love whereas before their best works are displeasing to God being out of Christ who is the Root and Fountain of all acceptation and in and through him he is the head of the Covenant and so he loveth them to the acceptation of their persons for as the Apostle saith in Rom. 8.8 They that are in the flesh natural men chosen or unchosen elected or not elected of God they cannot please God And being in their natural estate they have no assured evidence to themselves that they are in the number of Gods chosen no the love of God is a secret thing to them unknown and they have no evidence of it untill they be effectually called so that it still remaineth a truth that men in their natural estate and condition not wrought upon by the preaching of the Word certainly they are in a miserable condition This truth being thus cleared first of all it meeteth with the conceit of Vse 1 our professed enemies the Pelagians and Papists who both of them do ascribe a power unto man being yet in the state of nature to will and to work good to do some good thing that may merit at the hands of God indeed say they not through the worthinesse of the work done but ex congruo by a kind of congruity conveniency and fitnesse it is fit and convenient that they should be accepted and that God should reward them for their good works done A most grosse and absurd opinion for what worth can come from such persons as are not yet beloved of God to the acceptation of their persons for the person must first of all be beloved of God before any thing done by him can be pleasing to God now what can be done pleasing unto God or worthy of Gods acceptation of those whose persons are not pleasing to him This discovereth unto us that many in the world are in a most miserable Vse 2 estate and condition and yet will not be brought to acknowledge it and that addeth unto their misery that they are in a miserable estate and yet will not see it nor acknowledge it nor be brought to take notice of it As do not many commonly say that there is no misery but that which is outward and sensible unto a mans body goods or estate and if a man be free from outward troubles and distresses and do enjoy health wealth liberty plenty and abundance of outward good things they blesse themselves and others sooth them up and say they are in a happy and blessed estate and condition and especially if so be they have grace in their soules that is common gifts and common graces of God as wit wisdome learning and power to abstain from foul grosse open and notorious sinnes from drunkennesse whoredome and such abominable sins then they are highly conceited of themselves and their knowledge is marvellous good who can say black is their eye they have health wealth peace abundance wit learning understanding knowledge and the like and they are in a happy estate But O take it to heart and consider it many they have wealth health peace liberty knowledge learning and power to abstain from the things and sins of the world may yet be in the very dregs and puddle and filth of nature yea consider it thou Civil honest person thou that dost rest thy self in a civil and orderly course in the world though some say if these go not to heaven then God help us But certainly and undoubtedly thou civil honest person thou hast no more in thee then in a Pagan an Infidel or a Heathen those that never heard of Christ canst thou then with reason think that thy case is good when assuredly thy case is no better then an Heathen Pagan or Infidel thou livest as thou art guided by natural reason and by the force of nature and thou art not yet beloved of God but in a miserable estate and condition and thy best performances are all but splendida peccata glittering sins a heap of dung painted over with gold they are no better And being not beloved of God the creatures of God and every thing fighteth and conspireth against thee all the Judgments of God hang over thee and thou lyest subject to all plagues and Judgements in this life and to eternal confusion in the life to come yea thou canst not go
thy life and conversation throughly reformed thy corruptions mortified thy graces increased thy love and zeal inflamed and thy soul at last eternally saved let me beg thy prayers for my self in requital of my pains and thy best wishes at the throne of grace in behalf of the Stationer for his labour and his honest care and cost bestowed herein and herein forget not to go to God for his blessing upon thy reading this work and all our endeavors herein that all may tend to his glory In hope whereof I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace and the book once more to thy serious reading and practise heartily taking leave I hasten to write my self Albourn this present March 12 h. 1652. Thine in Christ Jesus William Harrison There is lately Printed Gods holy mind touching matters Moral which himself uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments also Christs Holy Minde touching Prayer which himself taught unto his Disciples discovered by the light of his own holy Writ and delivered by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr Edward Elton B. D. and Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bar monsey near London A true Relation of the murders committed in the Parish of Clunne in the County of Salop by Enoch ap Evan upon the bodies of his Mother and Brother with the causes moving him thereunto by Richard More Esquire Printed by order of a Committee of Parliament The great Mystery of Godlinesse opened Or an Exposition upon the ninth Chapter of the Epistle to the ROMANS Romans 9. Verse 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the the holy Ghost Verse 2. That I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart THis excellent Epistle to the Romans written by that famous Apostle Paul the great Doctor of the Gentiles consisteth of these 3 parts in generall 1. A Proemium or Introduction 2. An Institution of Christian Doctrine 3. A Percration or conclusion Again in the Institution of Christian doctrine the Apostle proceedeth in this manner 1. He handleth the doctrine of Justification in the 5 first Chapters of this Epistle 2. He insisteth in the doctrine of Sanctification in the 6. and 7 th Chapters 3. Matter of sweet consolation flowing from the two former in Chapter the 8 th 4. He propoundeth and prosecuteth the doctrine of Predestination in the 9 th 10 th and 11 th Chapters 5. He proceedeth to matter of Christian exhortation to sundry duties generall and speciall Chapters 12.13 c. Now in this ninth Chapter he beginneth the doctrine of Predestination and openeth that great mystery of godlinesse concerning the rejection of the Jewes and calling of the Gentiles and herein we have 3 parts 1. In the first place we have not onely an insinuation of the Apostles dear and deep affection and a solemne and serious protestation of the truth of it but also a singular manifestation of his most admirable love to the nation of the Jewes notwithstanding the doctrine he was now about to deliver and this is amplified by sundry circumstances as 1. By the particular passion or affection wherein he manifested his dear love to them and that is his grief and sorrow for their casting off 2. The grief he here speaketh of is further amplified by two further circumstances or adjuncts viz. 1. The constancy of it 2. The sinceritie of it 3. This love of the Apostle to them is further illustrated by the great measure or extent of it viz. that he could wish himself accursed and separated from Christ in order to procure their salvation 4. Lastly by the affectionate and honourable mention that he maketh of the Jewish nation describing both fully and affectionately all their priviledges and prerogatives shewing what great cause he had to be so deeply affected with their rejection and thus he doth in the 5 first verses of this Chapter The second part of the Chapter is touching a vindication of the stabilility and constancy of the Lords promises though the Jewes were rejected and the defending of that promise of God for the stability of it against all cavils and all erring spirits and all humane reasonings that may be brought to the contrary and that from the 6. verse to the 24. The third part is a declaration of that wonderfull and deep mystery held from the beginning of the world concerning the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jews which was a thing foretold though men did not understand it before Paul revealed it unto them which was foretold by the Prophets so laid down from the 24. verse to the end of the Chapter so you have the chief materials generall in the Chapter of these in order and first of the first The Apostle being about to propound that which he knew would be taken very harsh and hard and marvellous displeasing and offensive to the Jews to hear of he useth a very patheticall insinuation of his love unto the Jews that he speaks of love expressing that love by his inward and hearty sorrow for their present estate and the care that he had for their good thereby to gain their good will and not exasperate them against him And the Apostle being to lay down their rejection useth a Preface unto it that the thing he spake was the truth and for the more force and efficacy of it he putteth down the contrary and I lie not and he confirmeth it further by an oath he calleth Christ to witnesse I speak the truth in Christ I lie not And secondly he proveth it by the witnesses and testimony of his own conscience his own conscience bearing witnesse with him and this conscience renewed by the holy Ghost mine own conscience bearing witnesse with me in the holy Ghost And then in the second verse he delivereth and putteth down his sorrow and his grief and his heavinesse of heart and thus he setteth out by the continuance and greatnesse of it it was a great sorrow and a continuall sorrow and that in his heart and soul and not a dissembled fained or outside sorrow but in his very heart and soul there he putteth down the desire of their good in the third verse And he doth expresse that by a wonderfull strange speech even by a wish to be separated from Christ for their good their calling and conversion Thereby implying their rejection and not propounding it for otherwise there was no cause of such a wish to be wished to be separated from Christ for their sake if they were not rejected and therefore he desireth to be anathemated and accursed from Christ for their good and then he setteth down reasons why he so wished himself to be separated from Christ First of all because they were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh Secondly a more waightier reason then this because they were the Israelites of God and Gods people and that he maketh further manifest and plain unto
us by six priviledges vouchsafed unto them as that unto them was vouchsafed the adoption the glory the covenant the giving of the Law the service of God and the promises Thirdly and lastly he sheweth the reason and ground of his wish because of that people of Israel the fathers came yea Christ Jesus according to the flesh came of them and was of their seed and line of the seed of Abraham even the Lord Jesus the Lord of life and glory whom the Apostle further describeth that he is God over all and blessed for ever unto whom the Apostle assenteth Amen Now before we come to open these words and to handle them particularly I hold it sit one generall thing be observed and that may be thus grounded the Apostle being about to speak of a thing which would be very harsh and hard and odious to the Jewes that they were rejected of God In wisedome he useth as you see a patheticall insinuation of his love unto them it was out of his love and not of hatred he would have them to know and to take notice of it that his speech was from the grief of his heart and soul he had no pleasure in it but with a desire of their good yea he speaketh it with a desire to be severed from Christ for their salvation Now then herein appeareth the wonderfull wisedome of the Apostle to be imitated of the ministers of the Gospell and the observation is this That though Ministers of God must speak such things as they have to speak that are hard and harsh and unpleasing and distasteful to the hearers as just occasion is offered unto them yet it must be with a signification of their love unto them and so as their hearers may discern that those harsh hard things delivered are out of love and to do them good Ministers of the Gospel they must not be men pleasers or daubers to daube with untempered morter and draw a fair skin over a foul ulcer and soothe up men in their sins for if they so demean themselves they are not the servants of Christ Gal. 1.10 saith Paul If I please men I am no true servant of Christ but they must tell men plainly of their sins and of their miserable estate and condition which they are in in regard of their sinnes yea they must set things close unto their hearts and souls and speak such things as be harsh and hard to their hearers yet so as it be with an insinuation of their love and that their hearers may perceive that it cometh of love We read in Luke 19.43 44. Christ Jesus uttereth a very sharp sentence and heavy doom that should befall the City of Hierusalem he telleth them that the time should come when their enemies should cast a trench about the City and compasse it on every side and should lay the City even to the ground and all her children in her and not leave a stone upon a stone a heavy doom yet withal even in the pronouncing of this heavy doom he spake these heavy things how the Evangelist saith in the 41. and 42 verses he spake it with trickling tears in his eyes and shewed his pity and compassion for he wept for them saying Oh I wish that thou hadst known these things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes And in Gal. 3.1 The Apostle uttereth very hard and harsh things he calleth them fooles and bewitched Galathians that they would not obey the truth revealed unto them yet in the 15. verse he sheweth this was out of his love he called them brethren which before he called fooles and bewitched and in Gal. 4.19 he calleth them little children with whom he travelled in birth like a mother and thus are the Ministers of God to do in dispencing of harsh and hard things they are to deal roundly with hearers and to tell them of their sins and to speak unpleasing things to their hearers as just occasion is offered yet so as their hearers may discern that they love them and that it cometh out of the love of the Minister and out of the pity and compassion and tender care that they have of them though they pronounce harshly Ministers must thus do because their hearers being carnal Reason will else take occasion to quarrel with their affection and to carp against them saying they speak out of malice and hatred and spleen and out of a distempered humour unlesse they be mitigated with their love and so they will reject the reproof that may be for their good and not profit by it because it seemeth harsh and displeasing to them We know a wise Physitian when he giveth a bitter pill lappeth it up in sugar that the patient may more willingly receive it and the better retain it in his stomack so must the Ministers of God in this case even in delivering harsh and hard things telling them of their sins and publishing Gods judgments lap them up in the sugared expressions of their love and good will and desire and tender compassion of them that they may be the better received and their hearers profit by the same This concerneth us that are Ministers of the Gospel Vse that we thus deal in dispensing of hard and harsh things such as be displeasing to the eares and hearts of the people with a signification of their love unto them we may and ought to teach hard-hearted impenitent sinners that they are in the way that leadeth to hell and that if they go on in that way without repentance it is not possible for them to escape the damnation of hell they are going on in that way and are sure to come to hell without repentance yet it must be with some insinuation of love and testification of it as we must say I am grieved at the very soul for your miserable estate oh that you had hearts to consider and eyes to see that your miserable estate and fearful condition and the Judgment of God against you and to beseech them earnestly that they would labour to come out of that miserable estate and condition Vse 2 And for you that are Hearers for the use of your part onely to pray unto God and to intreat the Lord for us and to be earnest with God that the Lord would vouchsafe to guide us by his good Spirit that we may shew our selves such as are faithful to the Lord that hath sent us and not such as are studious to speak that which pleaseth men and soothe them up in their sins But that the Lord would give us to shew our studious care and indeavour of the peoples good by a signification of hearty love unto them and tender affection And as the Prophet saith Esay 58.1 We are such as must cry aloud and lift up our voyce like Trumpets this you must pray for us Vers 1 Come we now unto these five Verses as they lye in order I say the truth in Christ I lye not
comfort both in life and in death Let us then never rest untill we be grieved for the miseries that lye on the bodies of others but especially for the evils on the souls of others and such as do appertain unto us that we be not like stocks nor stones but that we mourn for the sinnes on the soules of others Now from these words the Apostle where he saith he grieveth for the rejection of the Jewes some move this question Whether the Apostle might lawfully be grieved for the rejection of the Jews it being according to the appointment of the Lord. But the question Quest arising from hence concerning our selves is this seeing we are to be grieved for the known miseries of others the question may be Whether we may be grieved for such persons as suffer just punishments for their evil deeds brought to the place of execution when the hand of God is in punishing of them for their evil doings or no Now to this I answer Answ That we are to put on tender bowels of pity commiseration and compassion towards all that be in any distresse and under the punishing hand of God in any thing whatsoever they be though never so vile and sinful though they be monsters in regard of the outrage of sin yet as they be the creatures of God as they bear the Image of God and be reasonable creatures and are partakers of the same nature with us so we are to put on tender bowels of pity and commiseration towards them though they be never so vile or wicked Thus we find Samuel mourned for Saul Samuel as a Prophet foreseeing the evil that was like to fall upon Saul both in the losse of his Kingdom and the losse of his life in so desperate a manner he grieved for him as we may read in the 1 Sam. 16.1 The Lord biddeth him no longer to mourn for him yet he did in regard of the miseries that he saw lye upon him thus we are to mourn for all be they never so vile as they bear the image of God and are men and women like unto us but as wicked persons undergo just and deserved punishment for their offences either against God the good estate of the Church or the good estate of Religion we may in that respect be so far from grieving mourning and pitying of them that we may rejoyce and joy in it yet not pleasing our selves in the smart or pains of others be they never so vile but for the manifestation of Gods Justice because we love God and the glory of God is dear unto us therefore we may and ought to magnifie and justifie the Name of God in cuting off of such men as be Jesuites and Seminary Priests we may be so far from sorrowing for them as that we may rejoyce in it and glorifie God in cutting off of such wicked Imps as in Psal 58.10 11. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the revenging hand of God upon such and men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth on the earth God himself desireth not the death of any so he saith I delight not in the death of a sinner yet God was pleased with the punishment of the wicked according to the rule and course of his Justice so we must not delight in the punishment of any as he is a creature of God and beareth the Image of God like unto us but we are to look upon the glory of Gods Justice and to magnifie and to glorifie him in such persons being destroyed that seek the hurt of Gods glory Gods Church or Gods Religion For then we are to rejoyce but not in their punishment as they are men of the like nature with us In the next place we are to mark that the Apostle saith not nakedly and barely that he was grieved and sorrowed for the rejection of the Jewes but doth affirm and say that he had great heavinesse and continual sorrow for the rejection of the Jews his heavinesse and sorrow was not small nor vanishing but it was great and heavy such as is a womans travelling with child for so the word sorrow signifieth a vehement great and heavy sorrow for their rejection Now what was the cause the Apostle grieved for the rejection of the Jews because he loved them for this was a manifestation of his love his sorrow and love held sympathy and proportion hence the observation is thus That true love unto any person Doctr. or thing causeth heavinesse sorrow and grief in the heart upon any known just occasion of grief given from that person or thing so loved and according to the measure of love to any person or thing so is the measure of grief or sorrow upon any known just occasion of grief from that person or thing so loved our grief is answerable and proportionable to our love the more we grieve for any person or thing the more we love them this we see is clear from the example of the Apostle that was grieved for the rejection of the Jews out of his love to them and this is manifest by other places as in Gen. 37.34 we read when good Jacob that holy and just man had just occasion given unto him for sorrow and heavinesse as he thought for his son Joseph he thinking verily his son was devoured by wild beasts as they did give him intelligence though false it is said that he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and sorrowed for him exceedingly yea the Text saith that when his children came about him to comfort him he would not be comforted in regard of the evil he thought had befallen his son Joseph he grieved a long season and would not be comforted so also in 1 Sam. 20.34 Jonathan was very sorrowful and exceeding heavy for David because his Father Saul had reviled him such was his love to David so also we find that the good man Nehemiah had a heart full of sorrow and grief and humbled himself in weeping and fasting when he heard of the evil that was upon the Church and the people of God it made him break out into weeping and humbling his soul Nehem. 1.6 yea his sorrow and heavinesse was so great that he could not dissemble it he could not keep it in his bosome it appeared in his very countenance yea and that so apparantly that the King said What is the matter Nehemiah why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick Sure I perceive that this is nothing else but sorrow of heart Nehem. 2.2 In John 11.36 the Jews said when they saw Jesus weeping for Lazarus Behold how he loved him they could thereby conjecture his love to him so 2 Cor. 2.4 The Apostle saith in great anguish of spirit he wrote to them and in many tears that they might perceive his love unto them his true and hearty love and anguish of his soul went together so that the point is clear That true love unto
vouchsafed unto them as the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants the giving of the Law and the service of God c. that they were the seed of the Patriarks and which is yet more that Christ himself as touching his humane nature was descended from them doubtlesse a matter of great honour Vse Which should teach us Not to hate the Jewes as many do onely because they are Jewes merely for the very name and title of being Iewes which name is amongst many so odious that they think they cannot call a man worse then to call him a Jew but beloved this ought not to be so for we are bound to love and honour the Jews as being the ancient people of God to wish them well and to be earnest in prayer to God for their conversion we are indeed to hate their obstinacy in rejecting of Christ and his faith but ought to love them in respect of their ancient and honourable priviledges especially that they were once the people of God that Christ himself came of their race and line and if we hear of the conversion of any of them we are bound to love them so much the more if they once come to receive and heartily to imbrace the Gospel of Christ for though believing Jews and Gentiles are one body in Christ yet are the Jewes our elder brethren and the Gospel was first offered and preached unto them Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not saith our Saviour in his first Commission granted to his Disciples Matth. 10.5 6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel so that the Gospel was first preached to the Jews as the Apostle speakes Act. 13.46 and from them it proceeded and descended unto us Gentiles so that all believing Jews are to be honoured and beloved of us as being our elder brethren and the people of God yea we are to wish them well that are yet uncalled and unconverted and earnestly and heartily to pray for their conversion Again In that the Apostle addeth this limitation concerning the flesh or according to the flesh Hence we are plainly taught the truth of Christs Humanity which is an article of our faith and a fundamental truth of God which we are to imbrace upon pain of damnation and from hence the observation is this Doctrine That Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was truly incarnate and truly became man consisting of a body and a reasonable soul in all things like unto us onely without sin The holy Son of God did assume and take upon him the nature of man became true man consisting of a true body and reasonable soul and not imaginary onely yea that he had the properties of a true body as longitude latitude altitude visibility and circumscription as also the properties of a reasonable soul as understanding will and affections Yea further Jesus Christ took upon him the common infirmities of the body and soul of man such infirmities as appertain to the whole nature of man as hunger thirst yea he was subject to be sorrowful angry c. Joh. 1.14 the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us that is the eternal Word of the Father the second person in the Trinity even he was made flesh which plainly sheweth the truth of his humane nature So again Rom. 1.3 where the Apostle speaking of Christ the Son of God saith that he was made of the seed of David concerning the flesh or according to the flesh And in Gal. 4.4 saith the Apostle When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son and that son that is made of a woman even that eternal son of God made of a woman a plain demonstration of Christs humanity so in Phil. 2.7 The Apostle saith that Christ was made like unto man and found in shape as man Now indeed some in ancient time perverted this Scripture and abused it to say that Christ had a heavenly body and imaginary body like unto man he had a body of an imaginary substance but this is contrary to the meaning of the Text as you may gather by the context for the meaning is that Christ Jesus had the same properties of a body and soul as other men as seeing smelling tasting feeling hearing and the like and subject to the like properties and infirmities as we are as to hunger thirst anger yea to death it self as we may see in Philip. 2.8 he became obedient to the death even to the death of the Crosse he did eat and drink and sleep and was subject unto sorrow and heavinesse yea even unto the death so that that place rightly understood is a strong argument to prove the truth of Christs humanity that he was like unto us sin excepted It was needful that Christ Jesus the Son of God should take flesh upon Reason 1 him consisting of a true body and soul like unto us First of all to accomplish the promise of God which he had made in Gen. 3.15 the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head here is a Promise made and for the accomplishment of this promise it was needful that the Son of God should take flesh upon him Secondly it is needful that he might suffer for sinne in his body and Reason 2 soul that which the whole Church of God had deserved by their sinnes so saith the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.9 that he might suffer death which he could not have done had he been onely God and so that he might appease the wrath of God in that same Nature wherein God was offended man had sinned and man must suffer for sinne either by himself or in Christ and therefore needful it was that the eternal Son of God the Mediatour of the Covenant that he should be not onely God but Man also consisting of a true body and soul like unto us excepting sin onely First this being a truth it serveth to discover unto us an errour Vse it serveth for the confutation of some erroneous opinions that are contrary to the truth of Christs humanity for it is an Article of our Faith and must be defended namely that of the Manichees and likewise of the Anabaptists for they affirm that Christ Jesus took his body from heaven and passed through the womb of the Virgin as through a Conduit or Pipe and took not her Nature upon him Beloved this must teach us to renounce this opinion and not onely this which hath been confuted by our Ancient Divines long agone but also the opinion of our adversaries the Papists For howsoever they grant unto Christ a true Natural body they dare not deny that but that he was born of the Virgin Mary yet in truth they overthrow the truth of his body how in that they give unto the body of Christ such properties as cannot agree to a true body what are those why they give to the body of Christ to be invisible to be uncircumscribed to be
in many places at one and the same time properties which cannot agree with a true body for so they hold and teach it is a common Tenent of theirs that the body of Christ is really locally in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper under the form of Bread there is the outward form but under that bread there is the substance of Christ yea that the whole body of Christ is in every part and parcel of their consecrated hoast and yet not seen nor felt onely the accident of bread but the substance of Christ is there what is this but to overthrow the truth of Christ his body and to make the body of Christ to be no true body but rather a spirit and to make it infinite to be in many places at one time for why Christ Jesus took flesh upon him he took our Nature upon him the body of man even a true body and therefore his body cannot possibly have such properties as they fashion Oh but by your leave say they God can make it God is omnipotent and he can make it so what God can do we do not question but what God will do let them shew it in the Will of God revealed that God will do it or and if I should affirm it that God cannot make the body of Christ it still remaining a true and perfect body in many places at one and the same time if I should affirm it they cannot nor never were able to disprove it for this were to make the body of Christ to be no body to be circumscribed and not circumscribed which are contradictories and contradictories can never agree to the Nature of God to make a body to be a body and no body at the same time God cannot do it is contrary to the Nature of God to make contradictories agree together and therefore if I should affirm it they cannot disprove it Again seeing Christ Jesus took our humane Nature upon him the properties of a body and faculties of a soul herein appeareth the infinite love of God unto man whose nature he assumed and took in unity with his Godhead herein appeareth the advancement of mans Nature above all creatures in heaven and in earth yea above the Angels being received into unity of person with the Son of God the second Person in the Trinitie he did assume our Nature and the common infirmities of our nature From hence Gods children such as are true believers members of Christ may gather much comfort for why the Lord Jesus their Head and Saviour will be pitiful and compassionate unto them when they lye under any distresse of body or mind Christ hath as it were his bowels yearning towards them he knoweth the infirmities common to the nature of man and that by experience he hath felt the anguish and the pain that appertain to his members in his blessed body and soul and therefore he is touched with a fellow-feeling of them even a compassionate feeling of them we know a man that hath been under any pain or grief of body or mind will be exceeding pitiful to any that be under the like grief and marvellous compassionate unto them saying Oh I have felt it I know what belongeth unto it I pity him Thus the Lord Jesus having the experience of the common nature of man much more will be compassionate to his poor members in time of their Afflictions and to this purpose is that in Heb. 2.17 18. that in all things he became to be made like unto his brethren that he might be merciful and pitiful and might have a fellow-feeling of their miseries and in the 18. verse For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour and will succour all that are tempted so also the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 4.15 For we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but in all things tempted and tryed like unto us yet without sin Doest thou then that art a believing member of Jesus Christ lye under any affliction or trouble of mind remember this to thy comfort that the Lord Jesus thy Head and Saviour having had experience of the common grief he is compassionate and will put under his hand and support thee in the time of trouble and affliction and give thee ease in his due time it may be thou being under some great Crosse men will pity thee do men pity thee assuredly the Lord Jesus doth much more pity thee that art a true believing member of his body therefore comfort thy self and do not think which may be some scruple in thy mind that Christs advancement into heaven maketh him forget his poor members here on earth no he is touched with a fellow feeling of their misery his advancement cannot make him forget thee no the holy Ghost preventeth this scruple in Hebrewes 4.14 15. We have such an high Priest that is gone into heaven alas may some say he is gone into heaven far away out of my sight and as they say out of sight out of mind he hath no pity nor compassion on me mark what the Holy Ghost saith he preventeth this though this High Priest be gone into heaven yet we have not such an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but what in all things tryed onely without sin though our high Priest be exalted to the highest glory in heaven yet this maketh him not forget his poor members his pity and compassion is nothing at all diminished though he be so great an high Priest and liveth in blisse and in glory yet comfort thy self he is still as compassionate as ever he was although the Lord doth suffer the wicked to ride over their back and to triumph yet he is the King of his Church and will rise in Judgment to execute Justice howsoever he may whip and scourge his children yet he will burn the rod and deliver his So that this may be a matter of excellent comfort to Gods children that Christ is true Man Who is God over all blessed for ever Amen THe Apostle now goeth further on in a description of Christ and having affirmed That Christ came of the Jewes concerning the flesh he presently addeth that he is God over all blessed for ever that is as I formerly shewed you Who is true God very God God by nature God by being God over all persons and over all things yea God eternal to be blessed praised and Magnified and worshipped and glorified of all things and in all ages for ever Amen Here then we have a plain and pregnant proof of the God-head of Christ Jesus which is also a fundamental truth and such a truth as we must believe upon pain of damnation and from hence it is evident that Christ is not onely true man coming and having original from the Jewes concerning the flesh but God also the Doctrine is this That the Son of God Christ Jesus is true God very God Doctrine he is
whatsoever they be Doctrine no not the good works of men have any hand or stroke in Gods election of some to life and glory in heaven and his effectual calling of some in time these two things they are merely and onely of the free grace of God and not of the works of man whatsoever their works be be they never so good or excellent works in themselves And this being the proposition that it may rightly be conceived and that we erre not in the beginning we must know that Gods grace in Scripture hath a threefold acception First it is taken for Gods free favour which is of the nature of God and essential unto him the places of Scripture are obvious and plain unto us Secondly The grace of God in Scripture it is taken for the working of grace so some Divines take it for the operation extending and reaching out that free favour unto others Thirdly it is taken for the gifts of grace whether those gifts be habitual or actual as faith love joy hope peace patience and the like these are stiled by the name of grace now the proposition that we deliver is That Gods election is of his free grace my meaning is it is not the gifts of grace but by grace we are to understand the free grace and favour of God and the reaching and extending of that grace in time so that this being premised the point is to be thus conceived That Gods eternal election of some to life and glory in heaven it is of the free grace and favour of God being extended and reached out to his chosen and not of the works of man be they never so good or excellent though they be the works of grace and for the proof of this it is manifest in Rom. 11.5 The Apostle saith that at this very day there is a certain remnant of the Jews under the election of grace then he subjoyneth in the sixth verse Now if it be of grace then not of works for then were grace no grace and if of works then not of grace for then were works no more works so that the Apostle maketh a flat opposition and a contrariety between works and grace that the one of these being admitted and granted the other cannot stand but must fall grace and works cannot stand together in the same case Ephes 2.8 9. saith the Apostle by grace you are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God and then he subjoyneth not of works lest any man should boast 2 Tim. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of God saith he hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own eternal purpose and grace and Titus 3.4 5. VVhen the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by the righteousnesse that we had done but of his own mere mercy he saved us These and many others do sufficiently evidence unto us the truth of the point That Gods free grace and favour is the cause of eternal election and not the works of men which are but splendida peccatam glittering sins Because God will have all the glory of all the good that cometh to his Reason 1 chosen or is done to them he will not impart his glory unto any other he will have the beginning the increase and consummation of it to come of his free grace and not of the works of man lest any man should take any part of the glory to himself Ephes 2.9 no not of the best works lest they should pride presume and magnifie themselves in their own good works and so detract from the glory of God and so mans mouth might be stopped Reason 2 The Lord will have his chosen to have sound and solid comfort in the certainty of their election and of their effectual calling not a comfort upon a rotten ground but sound comfort when Gods chosen come to be assured of it that they are in the number of Gods elect and have evidence that they are effectually called God will have that evidence and assurance of theirs to be built upon a sure ground namely upon his own free grace which is indeed unchangeable as his own blessed Majestie and essential in him and so a ground immoveable not built upon any works of theirs because they are variable and changeable in their own Nature it is true indeed Faith shall never fall away not by any immutability in faith it self but because grace doth continually support and uphold it but faith and good works of men in their own nature are variable and changeable weak and imperfect corruption cleaving unto them and unchangeablenesse belongeth neither to Saint nor Angel nor any thing but God himself it is his Attribute so that upon these two grounds we may resolve that Gods election and effectual calling is onely of his free grace and not of mans works Vse 1 First of all this truth is of great force and beareth strongly against the merit of good works which is held and taught by the enemies of Gods grace those of the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome whether it be merits of congruity or merits of condignity for this is their tenent the good things done by men before their conversion those do merit ex congruo but such as are done after calling those they magnifie and say they merit ex condigno by a kind of dignity equal to the works of glory that it is just with the Lord to give them salvation for it yea the point now delivered meeteth directly with that Popish conceit that grace and works do concur say they and so make a mingle mangle and hotch-potch grace and works do concur and meet together in the justification and salvation of a sinner they are good friends and at amity in flat opposition to the words of God which do teach that in the matter of justification and salvation these two are at odds in matter of good life faith and good works must be but not in matter of justification or salvation as they teach Again we find that justification and salvation they are by the Apostle derived and fetched from the very same beginning and cause namely the free grace and eternal love of God as well as election and vocation Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified whom he justified them he also glorified so that election vocation justification and glorification come all from the same grounds Object 1 But yet further the Papists do seek to elude and to put out the clear light by many shifts as first of all say they the places alledged in Rom. 11. Ephes 2. and others where the Scripture maketh an Antithesis and opposition between grace and works you must know the meaning of the Holy Ghost his meaning is Ceremonial works not Moral works Ceremonial works have no hand in Justification Answ To this I answer The Apostle speaketh indefinitely shutting out all works whatsoever they
God Now these words our Apostle bringeth to prove that Gods promise of mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation did not nor doth not belong to all that came of Abraham and Isaac by the course of Nature and that all Gods promises appertained not to the Israelites for saith the Apostle before those children which Rebekah had conceived in her womb by Isaac our Father before they were born when they had neither done good nor evil It was thus said unto Rebekah The elder of thy children shall serve the younger therefore those promises of God belong not to all that came of Abraham and Isaac by course of nature Now the words of this verse they are thus to be conceived That it was said unto Rebekah even by God himself that the elder of her children should serve the younger and should be in subjection to the younger and that the younger should rule over the elder And that this should be made good both personally in their persons and also historically in the Idumeans or Edomites which came of Esau and in the Israelites which came of Jacob yea I withal farther shewed you in laying open these words that these words had not onely a respect to a temporal Dominion and servitude the one should be a lord and the other a servant but they had a spiritual meaning and had respect to things concerning salvation and damnation and under these words the elder shall serve the younger we must understand that the one of Rebekahs children was chosen to salvation and the other refused and cast off to damnation so that we are thus to conceive the meaning of these words Now to come to stand upon the verse more particularly you see here our Apostle affirmeth it was thus said unto Rebekah even by God himself who cannot lye the elder of thy children shall serve the younger I will not curiously stand here to search in what manner or how the Lord made this known unto Rebekah touching the different estate of her children whether by dream by vision by Urim or Prophet a certain truth it is she received such an Oracle from God the Apostle affirmeth it that it was thus revealed by God who cannot lye he did manifest and make known thus much unto Rebekah when she was thus with child with her two children that the elder should serve the younger and that the one was received and the other rejected which thing without question when Rebekah heard it no doubt it troubled her much she not being without natural affection for a woman having two children in her womb and receiving this Answer from God consulting with him that the one was received of God and the other rejected and cast off it would be a hard Answer For a woman to consider surely one of my children is an elect child of God and the other a reprobate so doubtlesse it was a very unwelcome and a harsh and a very unpleasing answer unto her and yet we find that this good woman did not once mutter or reason against that Answer which was given unto her we find not one such thing in the Book of God she might have thought alas what one of my children reprobated to be damned in hell but she never uttered a word against this Answer of God but quieted her self in the good will of God revealed unto her and contented her self in the good will and pleasure of God thus delivered unto her Indeed we find that afterwards she set her love upon Jacob chiefly and used means though she failed in it as appeareth in Gen. 27.6 to the 14. she used means to get the special blessing she took away her chief love from Esau and set it upon her son Jacob her youngest son that should be lord over his brother and therein she followed the good will of God yet we find she did not once open her mouth to mutter against the good will of God for her son Esau's rejection Her example is imitable it is to be imitated and followed of us we are according to the example of this holy woman Rebekah to rest and to quiet our selves in the good will of God made known unto us touching the things that concern our selves or our children or those that belong unto us and not answer or open our mouthes to mutter against this good will of God though it seem clean crosse and contrary to our corrupt reason but to quiet our selves in God and not to repine against him for it is a bitter fruit of our cursed corruption for a man or a woman to mutter and reason against the good Will of God in such things as are harsh and hard and unpleasing unto us As to keep to the point if so be a Mother looking upon her little Infant lying in her lap born of her body have thus thought Alas my poor Babe I make much of thee I tender thee I nourish thee I dandle thee and yet it may be thou art a reprobate it may be thou art rejected of God it may be thou shalt one day become a firebrand of hell this is impious and monstrous and not to be thought on for it is a secret and secret things belong to the Lord Deut. 29.29 nay what do I propound this For some women there be that have discovered thus much this hath been their very thought they have thought I nourish thee my child and cherish and dandle thee and yet it may be thou art not a child of God but a reprobate this is wicked and impious and this is to go beyond our compasse to know whether the poor infant belongeth unto God or no for secret things belong unto God Deut. 29.29 and we are not to meddle with them what if the Lord should say unto a mother as he said unto Rebekah this little infant of thine that thou doest make so much of I have cast it out and have refused it it is a reprobate it is out of my love and favour we are then after the example of this woman Rebekah to trust confidently in this Will of God revealed with contentation and not to mutter no not in our very secret thoughts for the Will and Counsel of God though it be many times secret yet assuredly it is ever just yea that that is revealed unto us in the holy Word of God concerning the matters of duty or practise or faith or whatsoever it is we must rest upon it and not mutter against it Come we now to stand upon the speech of God himself the elder shall serve the younger these words being understood as before we have heard they do afford unto us two things of special good use and consequence as first of all it being thus spoken to Rebekah and that according to Gods eternal purpose and unchangeable Decree even of him that cannot lye the Doctrine hence is this Doctrine That not only the everlasting and heavenly estate and condition of men but also the different estates and conditions of men
Oh take heed thou use not thy wealth as they do but the more bountiful the Lord is in pouring his blessings upon thee the more humble thou art the more holy thou art the more thy heart is inlarged with righteousnesse and in walking before God and in all thankfulnesse yea thereby thou art made ready and fit for every good work thy heart is not lock't up to choak the seed of the Word in thy heart but they open thy heart and thy hand and make thee ready to every good work to reflect upon the poor members of Christ the more thou hast the more abundant thou art in good works then certainly thou mayest conclude that God hath blessed thee with thy wealth and they are testimonies of Gods love to thee and God hath manifested his love unto thee which he bare before the world was and thou mayest certainly conclude God loveth thee indeed As it is written I have loved Iacob and hated Esau LEt us now proceed unto farther matter offered unto us from this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here cited by the Apostle and here we see that God did not onely love Jacob for the time present but also loved him from everlasting hence I observe thus much briefly Doctrine That Gods chosen they were alwaies beloved of God there can be no time given wherein Gods chosen were not beloved of God God loved his chosen before they had a being in the world yea before the world was and we cannot possibly prescribe a time when God loved not his chosen or when he began to love his chosen no his love was from everlasting Reason For as all other things were ever present unto God things past things present things to come they were all present unto him from everlasting he did look upon them uno intuitu with one full sight so were his chosen as many as belonged to his election he loved them before the foundations of the world was so that no time can be given wherein God began to love his chosen Object I but some may say doth not the Scriptures point out that though Gods children be now beloved of God yet there was a time when they were enemies of God as in Rom. 5.10 yea doth not the Apostle say in the Ephes 2.3 that they were children of wrath how can it be then that no time can be pointed out when they were hated of God It is true indeed the Scripture doth note out this unto us Answ that they are by nature children of wrath as well as others and we are to believe it to be a truth That Gods chosen before their effectual calling and conversion are enemies to God and God is an enemy unto them before their effectual calling and conversion in respect of sin and because of sin which is opposite and contrary to good and to God himself which is good yet even then Gods chosen are beloved of God in regard of election and even then God loveth his elect before their effectual calling as his elect uncalled and with that degree of his love which he beareth to his elect uncalled yea God maketh it appear manifestly that he loveth them as his elect uncalled in that he giveth unto them in time true repentance for if he did not love them he would not give them repentance and therefore they were then beloved of God as his elect in time to be called and he doth work upon them in time saving grace true conversion true faith and sanctification which are things tending to life and salvation and doth he give these to reprobates as testimonies of his love to them he loveth not no certainly he doth not and therefore certainly we may resolve upon this That God loveth his elect from everlasting and no time can be given when he loved them not Upon this ground it followeth that the Anabaptists and other such Vse 1 erring spirits are deceived in that they hold this as their tenent that God doth purpose and decree the salvation of some before the world was but God doth onely then actually choose them when he seeth faith and repentance in them For if this were true surely then God loveth not any sinner to life and salvation till he seeth repentance in them which is clean contrary to the truth of God now delivered That no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen This being so that no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen Vse 2 surely then upon this ground we may conclude to our comfort we being such that belong to Gods election that Gods love shall be continued unto us for ever as Gods love unto us unto life and salvation hath no beginning but is eternal so also it shall be without end as we cannot point out the time of beginning no more can we of the continuance but as God hath loved us from everlasting so doubtlesse he goeth on not only within his own blessed Majestie but in his love to us he goeth on continually without alteration or shadow of changing Joh. 13.1 whom he loveth he loveth unto the end so that this may be a ground of sweet and excellent comfort to as many as find themselves wrought upon by the Spirit of God and find Gods love shed abroad in their hearts that Gods love is everlasting for the beginning and continuance of it Now proceed we further I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here we see that as Gods love to Jacob was the cause of Jacobs advancement and preheminence so Gods hatred to Esau was the cause of Esau's servitude and subordination hence I might stand to shew that Gods hatred is the soveraign and chief cause of all evils of punishments that befall the wicked in this life and hereafter though sin be the next and subordinate cause yet the soveraign the main the chief the grand and Mother cause is Gods hatred but this I will not stand upon but rather note out the particular application of Gods hatred against Esau and observe we to that purpose it is here said God hated Esau that particular person Esau which being understood as before expounded affordeth unto us this conclusion That God hath from everlasting certainly decreed the rejection of some particular persons among men even of Esau and of such as Esau was Doct as God from everlasting decreed the election of some to life and salvation so hath he also decreed certainly the rejection and refusing of others for even as he loved the one so he hateth the other And this ground of truth hath evidence and proof of it in other places of Scripture in the 1 Thess 5.9 saith the Apostle he hath not appointed us to wrath but that we should obtain salvation by the means of Jesus Christ thereby implying that some are appointed of God to wrath and in his eternal counsel God hath appointed that some shall never come to life and salvation and in 1 Pet. 2.8 the Apostle
doth limit and restrain the mercy of God to them to whom the Lord vouchsafeth mercy and therefore mercy is not a natural property in God Answ To this I answer First of all this Cavil is grounded upon a mistaking and misconstruction of the words of the Apostle For the Apostle doth not here intend and mean the natural property and essential attribute of mercy in God but he meaneth the act exercise and work of that property which is extended and reached out unto man and that is ever guided by the holy will of God Again it is false and utterly untrue that this heretick affirmeth that all the natural properties of God are ever in use to us for justice mercy goodnesse and power and the like be essential and natural in God and yet God doth extend and reach them out to whom he pleaseth according to his own purpose when he will and where he will and how it pleaseth him so that it is false and blasphemous to say that mercy is not natural and essential in God for the testimony of Scripture contradicteth it in Exod. 34.6 the Lord there proclaimeth himself in this manner The Lord the Lord strong merciful gratious and abundant in goodnesse and in truth yea this might be illustrated by many testimonies of Scripture but I forbear it in so pregnant and plain a truth And come we then to that which may be truly concluded from these words I will have mercy upon whom I will And compassion upon whom I will These words being understood as heretofore I have explained them That the act the exercise and the work of Gods mercy and pity and compassion it is ever by God extended to them to whom he pleaseth Hence then we are given to understand thus much Doct. That Gods mercy reached out unto his chosen it is most free and voluntary it dependeth upon nothing out of God but cometh onely and merely out of his own good will and pleasure That the Lord is merciful unto any or that he sheweth any fruit of his love or mercy to any one it is merely from his own good will and pleasure and not depending upon any thing out of his holy and blessed Majestie the Lord being the author of mercy pity and compassion he extendeth his mercy pity and compassion to those to whom he will Or more briefly thus The reason why the Lord doth extend and reach out mercy unto any is his mere will and nothing else And to clear this a little further mark what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1.3 the Apostle there calleth God Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies shewing that God is the Father and begetter of mercy and that mercy and love are as it were his children coming from him and in Joh. 1.15 saith the Evangelist of him we receive grace for grace one grace to another And Christ Jesus saith Luke 10.12 Father I confesse Lord of heaven and earth thou hast hid these things even the things of thy Gospel from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes even so because it pleased thee It was so of thy good will and pleasure nothing moving thee thereunto so that the reason why the Lord doth vouchsafe mercy unto any it is the free will and favour of God nothing else moving him But haply then some may say to me It seemeth not to be true Object that God vouchsafeth mercy unto his chosen and pardon for their sins for the sake of Christ if he shew mercy of his own free will then not for the sufferings of Christ which were a grosse errour to conclude To this I answer that these two things are subordinate Answ as we speak in schooles they do and may well agree and stand together God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ and merely out of his own will how can these two stand together yes very well for why God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ the will of God is that his chosen should have the pardon of their sins through Jesus Christ and that pardon of sin should not come without Christ as Christ affirmeth John 6.40 for this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the son and believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Now if any do object that of the Prophet Esay 43.25 Object I am he that hath put away all thine iniquities for mine own sake therefore it seemeth it is not for Christs sake but for his own sake as the Lord professeth I answer Answ God doth therefore pardon the sins of his chosen for his own sake because he doth it for Christs sake for all the works of every person is the work of the whole Trinity that which the Son worketh the Father and Holy Ghost worketh in Unity of Godhead so that mercy cometh only from God the Father And the reason why God vouchsafeth mercy to any is nothing else but Gods free will This first meeteth with a false conclusion of Arminius and of the Arminians Vse 1 that say God may decree to shew mercy unto such as believe and repent and such as persevere in grace and sanctification Now this is to restrain Gods shewing of mercy to mens qualification And to make something in man to be the cause and reason of Gods shewing mercy Where as these two stand together never they can possibly agree being contraria contraria sine medio That Gods will is the cause of his mercy to man and that God sheweth mercy because of their faith vertue and qualification in good things they are two opposites but to leave them Farther this being so That Gods mere Will is the cause of his mercy Vse 2 unto us and nothing else hereby then we must learn to magnifie the mercy of God vouchsafed unto us in any kind whatsoever hath God vouchsafed mercy unto us in regard of our bodies but especially in respect of our soules hath he converted our sinful soules from wickednesse to himself hath he reached out his mercy so far as that he hath extended his saving grace unto our soules Oh then learn we to acknowledge that it is most free and that it hath been vouchsafed merely from God himself nothing in us as a reason or cause to move him why he should shew us the least mercy And thus meditate and think with thy self whosoever thou art that hast found Gods mercy and his saving grace reached out unto thy sinful soul Oh consider surely I was in the common estate and condition of all men I was guilty of damnation by reason of the sin committed by Adam I was begotten and brought forth in sin and lived therein in a miserable estate and condition and I had no feeling of my misery no desire to be saved and when God sought me I desired him not I closed mine eyes against him and would not see the light I stopped mine eares and would not hear his voyce But the
Objection in the beginning For the Papists they say eluding the evidence of this text in this manner It is not in him that willeth or runneth after the flesh and according to Nature but by your leave say they it is in him that willeth and runneth by Faith which is grounded upon Gods mercy may agree with Gods mercy A poor shift and thus they seek to shift off the Evidence of this text directly contrary to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place For the opposition here is not between man willing and running after the flesh and mans willing and running by faith they are not here opposed But mark the opposition it standeth thus Between mans willing and running and Gods shewing mercy these are the things that be here opposed and set in Contradiction one to the other mans willing and running in a good way and in the way of sanctification and salvation and the Lords shewing of mercy so that neither the willing of good nor the working of good by any though a regenerate person is the thing that is available to election or salvation As in 2 Tim. 1.9 The Apostle there denyeth that either himself or any other true believer and regenerate person that they were either called or saved by their own works for saith he He hath called and saved us Not according to our own works but according to his own grace whether they were works natural or supernatural so also in Titus 3.4 5. verses he saith in the fourth verse when the bountifulnesse and love of God appeareth then in the fifth verse he subjoyneth not according to the works of righteousnesse which we have done but of his own mere mercy he saved us so that the willing or working of good is not the cause of any mans election or salvation The Reason is Because the goodnesse which is in the will of man Reason and the goodnesse which is in the works of man it proceedeth from Gods election it is an effect and a fruit of it It proceedeth from that root and so is the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse as the Apostle saith expresly in Ephes 1.4 God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world was laid that we should be holy so that holinesse followeth Gods eternal election And therefore the willing or working of good by regenerate persons cannot possibly be the cause of Gods eternal election it being the effect for it is not possible that the same thing can be the cause of the same thing and the effect in one and the self-same thing For Application First of all this meeteth with that opinion which Vse 1 some do hold That it is of God a man may be saved But that men are saved That particular persons amongst men come to be saved that is of themselves This do some hold and affirm And it is their tenent That the possibility of the salvation of man that it is possible for men to be saved that is of God But that this possibility becometh profitable and effectual to some men that is of their own free will A foul and a grosse errour directly contrary to the truth now handled and delivered unto us if it be so that the possibility of the salvation of man becometh profitable to some particular persons amongst men from the freedom of their own will surely then it must needs be from the goodnesse of their own will and from their well-willing And then a believing soul a soul that shall be saved and now is in the state of grace and of salvation hath ground to boast of in himself And may lift up himself even against God himself in ostentation and may thus magnifie himself say unto God Lord that there was any possibility for me to be saved it was of thee I freely confess it but that this possibility proveth not an impossibility to me as it doth to many thousands in the world that was my own doing I did that of my self That I could be saved the thanks of that belongeth to thee Lord but that I am now in the state of grace and salvation And that I am sure to be saved the thanks of that belongeth to me my self For thy love to me was no more then to them that are damned till my willingnesse to receive grace and faith put a difference between me and them till the inclination of my soul made me thine I might for all thy love have been damned eternally as well as Cain Judas Saul or any other Reprobate had not I out of the righteousnesse and freenesse of the freedom of my own will chosen grace it was not of thee Lord but of my self that I chose grace And damnation had been mine had I not of my own free and voluntary will chosen and used grace Oh beloved is not this intolerable and monstrous pride and ambition thus in ostentation for a man to lift up himself against God Is this a thought to come into any Christians heart no it is to be renounced For this boasting and ostentation doth naturally follow upon this their tenent that they teach the possibility of salvation cometh from God but that that possibility cometh into Act is of mans free will And this ought by every Christian to be abjured renounced and cast away as blasphemous erroneous and false Vse 2 Again This being a truth that no mans willing or doing of good is the cause of election or salvation Then let this teach us to take heed that we ground not our salvation upon any thing willed or done by us be it never so good yea though it proceed from the root and radix of true sanctifying grace It is mere madnesse in the Papists enemies to Gods grace to ground their hope of salvation as they do upon the performance of those good things that God requireth of them so far forth as they are able to perform them thus they ground their hope of salvation Now they so grounding their hopes they have no reason in the world to hope for any good at the hands of God for who seeth not unlesse he be wilfully blinded and blindfolded by his own self-love self-will and self-conceit who seeth not I say how far short we come of doing those good things we ought to do either in the state of nature or in the state of grace And the Papists themselves to joyn with them when they deal against that comfortable and holy truth of God that is held and taught in our Church That a Child of God may in time of this life be infallibly assured of our own salvation the Papists when they deal against this holy and comfortable truth then they plead and say alas we are frail and we are weak creatures and we fail in the manner of doing good duties and therefore we cannot assure our selves of salvation What say they do you say we may be assured of our salvation upon our faith and doing good duties Alas we are full of imbecillity
the meanes of our Lord Jesus Christ So then thus conceive we the meaning of the Apostle as if he had said And in like sort that God might make it known to all the world both to men and Angels his exceeding great and abundant grace and mercy toward and upon his Elect who are vessels as capable of mercy as any vessel to receive water the Lord having from everlasting ordained and appointed them to the Kingdom of glory Now the words being thus understood I will onely point at one thing briefly We see here the Apostle maketh it apparent and known that God sheweth his Justice and maketh his power known upon the Reprobates thereby to amplifie and to set forth the greatnesse of his mercy toward his chosen and make known the riches of his mercy upon the vessels of mercy This is the ground of the Observation And the Doctrine hence arising is this viz. Doctrine That Gods mercy vouchsafed to his Children in any kind whatsoever whether concerning soul or body it appeareth the greater and is felt the sweeter by considering Gods wrath and punishment in the same kind inflicted upon the wicked The riches and the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward any of his children is more evident more apparent and more conspicuous and the better discerned by comparing it with his just punishing hand that he layeth upon others And to this purpose we have many evidences of Scripture the mercy of God in saving Noah and his Family in the Ark when the flood was upon the earth being considered with the Lords wrath and vengeance upon the whole world besides it made the mercy of God to be more conspicuous and better discerned of Noah So the freedome that the people of Israel had in the Land of Goshen in Egypt from the plagues of Egypt when the heavy hand of God was upon the Egyptians being considered with those heavy plagues did exceedingly set forth the riches of Gods mercy to his Children that they should be saved and the other punished in the same land and in Exod. 14.30 31. the Text saith of the Israelites they saw the Egyptians dead upon the bank and saw their final overthrow and no doubt that Gods Justice in their overthrow made the mercy of the Lord in their deliverance appear the better and thereupon they were stirred up to praise God after an extraordinary manner for an extraordinary blessing in the 15. Chapter And to these places I might adde many more all expressing that the mercy of God vouchsafed to his Children feeleth sweeter and the more comfortable Considered together with Gods wrath in punishing the wicked and reprobate yea it doth ravish the soul of a Child of God and maketh it more comfortable The Reason Reason and ground of it is from that Logical rule Contra juxta se posita c. Contraries set in opposition maketh them the better to appear black and white set together it maketh white more resplendant and appear the clearer so Gods mercy opposed to Gods Justice maketh his mercy appear more conspicuous And for the Application Vse let this teach us to consider the mercy of God to us that are his Children in comparison of his Judgment to others as for example thou being a Child of God consider God hath given thee sanctification in thy heart and soul a feeling of thy sins and groaning under it then consider this thy Illumination and sanctification together with the Ignorance and obdurancy of others and it will make thee to praise and set forth the greatnesse of Gods mercy so again in outward mercies the Lord hath given thee abundance thou hast strength and ability of body thou hast liberty and freedom from imprisonment and thou seest others that are blind sick lame and under the heavy hand of God in some Affliction they are weak and poor And in this hard time that now is upon us thou seest others wanting firing wanting lodging wanting means to defend them from the injury of the weather surely the Lord setteth these before thee not onely that thou shouldest be pitifull unto them and help and relieve them but herein also to see the greatnesse and goodnesse of Gods mercy towards thee Lay not out so much upon thy pride in excesse of Apparel but extend some to the poor and praise the Lord for his greatnesse and goodnesse that hath made thee rich and healthfull and others lye up and down ready to be famished Oh consider this what the Lord hath done for thy body and soul he hath inlarged his hand to thee inlarge thou thy hand in giving to others and inlarge thy heart in praising of God and let it stirre thee up to great thankfulnesse unto God for this his mercy to thee And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto glory ANd in the next place observe that the Apostle here saith not barely God will extend and reach out his abundant mercy toward his Children or that he might shew his mercy upon them abundantly but mark the manner of his speech he putteth down his mind and meaning in these tearms that God might declare the riches of his glorie upon his I hil dren every word is very emphatical and full of weight and the meaning is that God might make known to all the world to men and Angels his exceeding great and abundant grace and mercy upon his Elect and toward his Children Hence then we may easily gather this conclusion Doctrine That God will one day manifest his exceeding great and abundant mercy toward his chosen and he will one day make it appear to all the World to Men and Angels that he is a most wonderful and gracious God unto his Chosen indeed God is exceeding gracious and abundantly merciful unto his Chosen at all times especially after their effectual Calling and Conversion and turning from sinne unto him from the estate of Nature unto the estate of Grace then giving unto them the pardon of all their sinnes sealing his love unto them in Christ as it is in Romans 10.5 Then giving unto his Children libertie to approach and come near unto his holy presence with comfort and thankesgiving then beautifying their soules with many excellent gifts of his Spirit with Faith with Zeale and with Humilitie so that God is exceeding great and abundantly merciful unto his Chosen yet let me tell you that his abundant grace and mercie to his Elect is not so apparent to the eyes of men It lieth hid and obscured either under that excellent grace of Humilitie or under their afflictions so as that the world seeth it not yet the time shall come that howsoever it is now darkned it shall appear to men and Angels yea men and Angels shall admire at the wonderful mercie of God to his Chosen and to this purpose is that of the Apostle in the 2 Thessalonians 1.10 where the Apostle saith that Christ Jesus at the day of
of Justice and of mercy it is as possible that God should be merciful to a man that he sendeth to hell as to be just to a man that he giveth salvation unto these two can never stand together revenging Justice and saving mercy for the Lord vouchsafeth salvation that his mercy may be glorified and not his justice so that mercy cometh not from the hand of Justice but of mercy Again in that the Apostle saith that God declareth the riches of his mercy to the Elect hence I might note That Gods grace and mercy vouchsafed unto his chosen it is full and perfect fulnesse of mercy and perfect mercy when God forgiveth the sins of his chosen he forgiveth them not in part or by the halves as the Papists teach that God forgiveth the sinnes of his chosen in respect of the eternal punishment but he leaveth the Temporal punishment for them to do penance for in the time of Lent whereas God doth give unto his children full and perfect remission full and perfect Justification full and perfect glorification Heb. 7.25 He is able perfectly to save all that come unto him saith the Author to the Hebrewes not to give a half salvation but a full salvation but to passe from that And in the last place observe we that the Apostle affirmeth it of Gods chosen that they are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory that is God in his eternal decree hath ordained them to everlasting glory so that hence I might shew that some particular persons amongst men are appointed of God to salvation in heaven but that I have often met withal and therefore passe by it but hence we may truly take up this Observation That life and glory and happinesse in heaven it cometh unto Gods chosen in time Doctrine most freely from the free grace and mercy of God without any merit or desert of theirs at all it was prepared for them and they for it before they had a being and before the world was Matth. 25.34 Come you blessed inherit a Kingdome prepared for you before the world was or from the beginning of the world saith our Saviour and this truth the Scripture saith in Ephes 2.8 by grace yau are saved and that not of your selves it is the gift of God and in Titus 3.5 Not according to the works of righteousnesse that we have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us still running upon the free grace and mercy of God in Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock saith Christ it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome it is the free gift of your Father without any of your deserts And also in Rom. 6.23 the Apostle having said the wages of sin is death then presently he subjoyneth unto it not as the sequel of the Text doth require as the Remists themselves do confesse in their Annotations he saith not the wages of sin is death and the wages of holinesse is salvation but he changeth the term saith he the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life thereby evidencing that the eternal life and salvation of the godly in heaven it cometh freely without any merit or deserts of theirs at all and hence it is that eternal life in heaven it is called in Scripture an inheritance in Coloss 1.12 giving thanks that he hath provided for us an inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 an inheritance immortal and undefiled Now who knoweth not this that an inheritance cometh to a child from the father out of the mere love of the father when the child it may be is not born and cannot do any thing to merit it so the inheritance of heaven being prepared for the godly and they for it it must needs come from the grace of God And the Reason Reason and ground of this is because that the whole glory of this may be unto the Lord the Lord will have the glory in the salvation of his chosen in Ephes 2.9 you are saved by grace through faith not of works lest any man should boast and brag of it that he brought something to his salvation Now this being so it meeteth directly with the opinion of our adversaries the Papists Vse those of the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome it quite over turneth their opinion in that they hold teach that life and glory in heaven belong to such as are first of all justified by Christ as admitted for the merit and desert of their own good works and it belongeth to them for the merit of their own good workes Now this errour besides the errour in the ground of it supposing a two-fold Justification in the sight of God which can never be proved in the Book of God when God justifieth he justifieth once for all besides this errour in the ground it cannot stand with the truth of God now delivered for if so be life and glory come unto Gods chosen in time most freely then not for their deserts for free gift and due debt cannot stand together with relation to the same subject But say the Papists life and glory in heaven it is called a reward therefore merited To this I answer The Holy Ghost hath taught us to distinguish of reward as two-fold in Rom. 4.4 and that is either of favour or of debt now eternal life is a reward indeed not of debt but of favour But whereas the Papists further reply Christ hath merited that the good works of his Chosen should be meritorious to life and salvation A mere idle shift we find in the Book of God that Christ hath merited for his chosen and died for their sins but we never find he died for their good works to make them meritorious no it is a thing altogether impossible that the best works of Gods chosen should have in them the true and whole nature of merit because they be imperfect and they are stained with sin the best work that a man can do when he hath striven to do his best he must go to God to crave pardon for his imbecility now these two cannot possibly stand together to stand in need of mercy and yet be meritorious Yea let me tell you we must take heed we do not abuse this Doctrine of Vse 2 God and savour it to our destruction and hereupon do as many do cast off all care of good works because they do not merit yet it is our duty to shew unto God our thankfulnesse for his mercy unto us in giving us right and title to heaven and to expresse our thankfulnesse unto him in all holy obedience yea without question we are bound to thankfulnesse for external and temporal good things because we find that the use and comfort of it cometh from God Oh much more are we then to be thankful unto God for heaven and in giving us hope of inheritance in heaven And now because every one will be ready to sooth up himself and to say I hope I shall come to heaven and I am thankful for it
every one will say so we are therefore to look unto it that we be thankful unto him indeed how shall we know that we may know it by this if so be we find that we are truly thankful unto God for his mercy unto us in outward good things and thereby we are moved to walk humbly before the Lord and the more the Lord openeth his hand and giveth good things unto us the more we do prove thankful unto him and walk before him humbly Mich. 6.8 and then we may assure our selves we are truly thankfull But on the contrary part if so be we find that we are not thankfull unto God for the things of this life but after the manner of the world the more the Lord doth open his hand unto us and give them riches the more they increase in pride in vanity in scorn in disdain and contempt of others because we are richer then others therefore we will be prouder then others and disdain and scorn our brethren let us pretend what we will we can never make it good that we are thankful unto God as David in 2 Sam. 7.18 considering the mercy of God in advancing him to the Kingdom saith O what am I that the Lord should vouchsafe such a mercy unto me so where that spirit is that was in David it will cause thee to be thankful unto God for every bit of bread and not to be proud and scornful considering it cometh from the free mercy of God so that this doctrine is not a doctrine of liberty but it is a special means of thankfulnesse to stirre us up to be truly thankful unto God VERSE 24. Even us whom he hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles OUr Apostle in this Verse entreth upon the third and last part of this Chapter and the sum and substance of this part is a declaration of that great work of calling the Gentiles and refusing and rejecting the Jewes which was foretold by the Prophets and this from the 24 verse to the end of the Chapter and the Apostle falleth upon this matter upon occasion of that which he put down in the Verse foregoing that the vessels of mercy are prepared of God unto glory now he descendeth from the general to the particular and that which he had before spoken in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the general he applyeth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the particular and he sheweth who they are that he had ordained to mercy and they are the called of God the elect of God calling being an effect of Gods predestination and a fruit and effect of Gods eternal election and the Apostle doth appropriate this to the particulars Even us whom he hath called and he reduceth it to the subjects of it Jewes and Gentiles and he putteth down that distribution touching the subjects of Gods calling not barely but if you mark it very cautelously and very warily that his distribution might be free from all manner of exception for he saith not us whom he hath called Jewes and Gentiles but even us whom he hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles and now because Gods calling of the Gentiles it was a thing odious and hateful to the Jewes a thing seeming very absurd and incredible the calling of such as were dogs and without therefore the Apostle dwelleth upon this point and confirmeth it by a double testimony out of the Prophet Hosea in the 25. and 26. verses and then after this the Apostle doth further amplifie the calling of the Gentiles by an Antithesis by the rejection of the Jewes and that not of the body of the Jewes but a remnant of the Jewes onely and this our Apostle also confirmeth by a double Testimony out of the Prophet Isaiah in the 27 28 and 29. verses And last of all the Apostle maketh a Collection and he putteth it down by way of Answer to an Objection that might be made touching the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jewes from the 30. verse to the end of the Chapter Now then to come to the particular handling of the 24. verse In this verse for the general matter contained in it we may observe two things First an instance given by the Apostle touching the persons that are vessels of mercy prepared of God unto glory he instanceth in himself and others who are called even us And secondly a distribution of the subjects of this calling Jewes and Gentiles the Apostle ranging the subjects of Gods calling into these two sorts Jewes and Gentiles and he putteth it down so warily and so cautelously that no Objection might be made against it not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles There is no great difficulty in the words Even us whom he hath called Or according to the text Original those whom he hath called namely us whom he hath called that is whom God hath called now Gods calling it is an act of his eternal love whereby he doth please to call and invite men to salvation this is the definition of Gods calling in the notion and generality For when men are called by the preaching of the Word and the Ministry thereof and they hear it onely with the ears of their body that is the external and outward calling they are called to come to hear and obey and they hear it and answer not as Christ speaketh Matth. 16.20 many are called but few are chosen or else Gods calling is inward and effectual namely this when men are called by the voyce of God and the preaching of it and they answer to it their hearts answer they are called effectually by the working of the holy Spirit which bringeth them from Ignorance and unbelief to true knowledge and faith in Christ and they are called out of darknesse into a marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 the holy Spirit of God doth bend their hearts to yeeld to the call of the Lord to receive the promise of mercy offered unto them and he doth cause them to yeeld to the will of God revealed in their hearts and lives this is Gods effectual calling and this is the calling here meant not of the Jewes onely That is not those onely who are descended of the line of Abraham of Jacob and of Israel but of the Gentiles also Which was indeed a hard thing for the Jewes to believe that is even us who are descended of another line and come of another nation of the world and are termed Gentiles and are aliens from the Common wealth of Israel even us who are strangers from God Ephes 1.12 so that we may easily conceive the purpose of the Apostle here to be this viz. Even us whom God hath called effectually and by the work of his Spirit brought from ignorance and unbelief even us whom he hath wrought upon by the preaching of his Word and made it effectual for our calling to believe in him even us not onely us who have descended according
Gentiles into the estate of grace and salvation and that by the Testimony of the Prophet Hoseah by his predictions and foretellings of their calling many years before and because the calling of the Gentiles was a thing harsh and hard to the Jewes they could not endure to hear of it what dogs base people called as you may see in Act. 11.28 The text saith that they of the Circumcision the Jewes wrangled with the Apostle and were angry because he went to the Gentiles to Dogs therefore the Apostle taketh the more pains and confirmeth it by a double Testimony of the Prophet though with some alteration of the words The Apostle setting that in the last place which is in the first place The first Testimony is out of Hosea 2.23 and the second Testimony out of Hosea 1.10 and he doth alter the words of the Prophet both for brevity sake and the better to fit his purpose and yet the Apostle keepeth the sence of the Prophet entire and whole without any alteration or change And the general matter of the Apostle citing these two Testimonies in this he proveth that that which he had said was nothing else but that which God himself had spoken by his Prophet Hosea should come to passe recorded in holy Writ as he saith also I have shewed you God calleth some among the Gentiles and what is that a new invention no such matter He also saith it in Hosea Now in these words in this 25. and 26. verses we may observe two general things First of all a bringing in of the Lord speaking a speech being recorded by the holy Prophet and cited by the Apostle Secondly the words that the Lord uttered I will call them my people which were not my people c. And in these words thus uttered we may obseve a double description of the Gentiles for of them the Apostle and Prophet speaketh first a describing of them by their estate before their conversion they were then not beloved not pitied and secondly a description of their estate after their calling then they were the people of God the beloved his Children a great alteration from no people to be a people from not beloved to be beloved from no children to be children and this their estate is amplified by three things First by the free mercy of God toward them in their calling Secondly by the place where it is said they are not my people Thirdly their excellent dignity being called they shall be styled the children of the living God which epithet and title is given to distinguish him from the Heathen gods who were dead and dumb Idols Now come we to the Exposition As he saith also You may easily conceive the person here meant to be God As God saith also the word also is not a word that is idly and superfluously put down but a word of special force and great emphasis as if the Apostle had said That which I say of the Gentiles it is no fained thing but it is the same thing that the Prophet hath spoken and that the Lord himself delivered to his Prophet I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These are the words of the Prophet here cited by the Apostle and here is a difficulty to be unfolded for he maketh here his application to the Gentiles But if you look in Hosea 1.10 the 2.23 you shall find them spoken directly to the Jewes for their comfort after their dispersing and scattering abroad they should be called again so the context doth plainly expresse to the Comfort of the Jewes how then can the Apostle apply these words to the calling of the Gentiles for the clearing of this doubt we must consider that the Apostle Paul had the infallible assistance and guidance of the Spirit of God he did what he did by the guiding of the Spirit so that he could not erre either in his allegation or application of Scripture And again though this be directed to the Jewes that were now scattered abroad for their sins and telleth them to their comfort that the time shall come when they shall be gathered together again and that the Lord would restore the Elect among the Jewes meaning spiritually by the preaching voyce and call of the Gospel in the Kingdome of the Messiah though this be directed to the Jewes yet under these termes are also the Gentiles signified and understood and indeed the Gentiles were properly not the people of God it was never properly spoken to the Jewes but to the Gentiles they were not the people of God properly so that these words are properly spoken to the Gentiles and accidentally to the Jewes by reason of their impiety and Idolatry And we shall find it a marvellous usual thing that when the Prophets do speak of the defection of the Jews and their dejection and falling from God then they make a transition a passage from that to the Kingdome of the Messiah And they promise that under the coming of the Messiah a greater number of the people should be aggregated and joyned to the Jewes and so concopulated and made one body Ephes 2.16 Now you are made one body through Jesus Christ God hath made one body both of the Jewes and Gentiles Come we now to the Explication and I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved I will onely descant upon these words and the meaning is thus Those that were strangers from the Covenant of grace those that were in their natural estate and condition and are none of my people that have not me for a God and Father to them even those that were aliens from the Common wealth of Israel these will I call effectually and through the preaching of the Word and Gospel bring them to the state of faith and grace in Jesus Christ and within the compasse of my special love and favour and mercy and I will make them to be within the number of my peculiar people and I will be a living and gracious Father unto them A paralel place unto this we have in 1 Pet. 2.10 where the Apostle speaketh thus which in times past had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy which is an expressing of what is meant by being called the people of God And in the place where it is said that they were not my people By place is meant the Countries the Nations the Kingdomes of the Gentiles which were without the pale of Jewry the Precincts and limits of Canaan now saith the Lord them will I call also my children even those that are without in those places will I cause men to know me to worship me and to fear me as in Mal. 1. and they shall be called and styled by that worthy title the Children of God the living God who is the Authour and giver of all life I will not stand to draw them into a narrower compasse for you may