An Explicite DECLARATION OF The Testimony OF CHRIST According to the plain Sayings of the Gospel And therein Of the PURPOSES PROMISES and COVENANTS of God as by GOSPEL declared With A Consideration of a QUESTION stated about FAITH By Thomas Moore Senior Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope Printed at London by J. C. for Livâ—â—el Chapman at the Crown in Popes head alley 1656. To such as believe the Testimony of CHRIST GOD having given to all men an object of Faith Act. 17.31 Rom. 16.26 Mar. 16.15 Jam. 1.18 Rom. 10.10 15. 4.5 22 25. and commanded it to be made known by the Scriptures preached to all Nations for the obedience of Faith and that believing it which is begot thereby and closeth therewith so as to rest thereon for that promised being therefore by him called Faith and to such Believers Faith imputed for Righteousness So as it is verily true Heb. 11.6 Eph. 2.17 18. Act. 10.43 13.38 39. Rom. 5.1 2 3 5. Heb. 11.2 Act. 18.26 9.15 Rom. 11.20 Eph. 2.8 1 Cor. 15.1 4. 2 Thess 1.10 1 Job 5.10 By Faith we come and approach to God by Faith we receive remission of sins by Faith we are justified and approved of God by Faith we receive the vertues of the Sacrifice and Blood of Christ by Faith we are sanctified and conformed to the minde of Christ by Faith we stand and are saved by Faith we receive the Testimony of Christ and so come to have that Testimony and therein the holy Spirit testifying and Christ testified of and the Father that is in Christ dwelling in our heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 Gal. 3.26 Hab. 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 1.13 1 Joh. 5.4 5. Heb. 11. all 1 Pet. 1.5 so as by Faith we are the Sons of God and in all trials and temptations by Faith we live yea by Faith we have the victory over the flesh the world and the devil and by Faith may be enabled to do worthily in our generations and be constant in all services of love enduring through all sufferings till we die in the Faith and so in the Resurrection shall receive the kingdom for we are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation I therefore am perswaded it is our best service and fruit of love Jude 20.3 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Eph. 4.4 5. to edifie one another in this most holy Faith yea and to contend for it also against the opposers of it and know this Faith to be one and that there is but one Faith that is Faith indeed though in time past I have conceited divers kindes of Faith and now lately meeting with a Question stated in which are asserted two kindes of Faith each true and real in its kinde by M. John Owen in his Book entituled The Doctrine of the Saints perseverance I was mov'd in my heart to consider the same and to answer some Expressions of his yet leaving the handling of the Controversie to those more fit to whom it may appertain acknowledging all for Truth in his Book that is found in the Testimony of Christ and stands with the Rule proposed by himself also and refuse the rest according to his own counsel direction wherein I have endeavored by plain Testimony and sayings of Scripture to set forth the true Faith in the object of it and Grace of believing with its efficacies and so to encourage men to believe and believers to persevere I desire the plain Testimony of Scripture may be believed and so far as any of us are by the Spirit therein brought to acknowledg Christ and desire the exaltation of his Name and winning in of others thereto and encrease and growth of grace in believers let us keep this unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace that so in all our other differing apprehensions and expressions we may so contend for what the Scripture saith that whatever absurdity thereby we seem to cast upon any expressions of one another it may be without judging or despising of one another taking opposed expressions as consequences of misconception in the fancy and not fruits of the principle of grace in such as acknowledge Jesus the Lord nor judging them graceless or having no principle of grace because of such an expression that so we may do all things in charity seeking the edification of one another and so I hope if any be otherwise minded God will reveal the same to them onely whereto we have attained let us walk by the same rule of Faith and Love and believe what Scripture testifieth and not be waved from that the Scriptures being able to make us wise unto salvation through Faith that is in Jesus Christ And so committing my self and labour to the Lord 's gracious good pleasure and to Believers to be tried and received or refused as they are found to be agreeing or disagreeing with the plain sayings of the Testimony of Christ I rest Wittlesey Oct. 12. 1655. A well-willer of all that love the Lord Jesus Christ Thomas Moore The Contents of the Treatise in seven Parts PART I. An Introduction to the Testimony of Christ Chap. 1. A Direction to discern Truth from Error pag. 1. Chap. 2. Evidences of the Truth and plainness of the Testimony pag. 4. Chap. 3. Of the enmity of Flesh and Satan and their way of opposing pag. 9. Chap. 4. An Assay to remove the Objections of those that pretend Spirit and Inspiration Where what meant by Christ what by Scripture what by Letter and what by Spirit pag. 11. Chap. 5. An Answer to such as seek to trouble by words pag. 20. Chap. 6. Answer to such as pretend Scripture to trouble with pag. 26. Chap. 7. A Conclusion with the consent of a learned man pag. 32. Chap. 8. An Assay to direct the weak to finde the Testimony of Christ in the plain sayings thereof pag. 34. Chap. 9. Of the Creation of Mankinde in the first Adam pag. 41. Chap. 10. Of the fall and misery of him and Mankinde pag. 44. Chap. 11. Of the immutability of God notwithstanding pag. 49. Chap. 12. Of the remedilesness in Mankinde fallen to help himself and the wonderfulness of help in another pag. 55. Chap. 13. Of the similitudes and dissimilitudes between the first now old and the new Creation pag. 60. PART II. A declaration of the testimony of Christ in the branches of it Chap. 1. Of the Testimony of Christ who what a one and whence pag. 67. The first Branch Chap. 2. Of the Oblation of Christ pag. 73. Chap. 3. What that was which was offered up in Sacrifice pag. 75. Chap. 4. Who it was that offered up this Sacrifice pag. 76. Chap. 5. To whom be offered this Sacrifice pag. 83. Chap. 6. For whom and in whose behalf he offered it pag. 86. Chap. 7. For what Christ offered this Sacrifice for men viz. To make
3.4 5 6 7. read and consider the place and see it is the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man it 's not said Joh. 3.16 his special and peculiar Love to some Elect but the pity and love of God to Man-ward that in its appearing saved us not according to works of righteousness which we have done it neither appeared or saveth by any thing in us or done by us Rom. 3.9 25. 5.6 8 9 10. 2 Cor. 5.20 Eph. 2.16 17. in which we were better than others but according to his mercy that is his Love commended to sinners in his giving Christ to die and make peace for them by his Blood when we were Enemies and causing it to appear to us while we were such and no better than others he saved us that is reconciled our hearts and converted us to himself and this saving by the washing of Regeneration that is the vertue and efficaciousness of the Blood and Oblation of Christ by means of his Mediation made known to us and his Love there-through streaming Rom. 5 1-5 1 Pet. 1.2 2 Thes 2.13 Heb. 9.14 being by the Holy Ghost set home to the Heart and so also by the renewing of the Holy Ghost who in such discovery as is said sprinkleth the Blood of Christ in the Heart and thereby speaketh peace and createth or reneweth a new Disposition or Spirit in the Heart Rom. 3.22 24 25 26 27. 4.5 23 24 25. 5 1-11 Which washing of Repentance and renewing of the Holy Ghost he by vertue of his Oblation once offered and his Intercession continued the Divine Love appearing there-through shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord that we being justified by his Grace now mark the last end in which his coming again is intimated we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life 1 Joh. 4.9.10 Thus doth the Love of God to Mankinde appearing through the Oblation of Christ lead to see and enjoy the Ends and Vertues of his Oblation and therein the Benefit of his Mediation and Intercession and therewith and thereby the Hope of the Inheritance and Eternal Life in the coming again of Christ so precious is the word of the beginning of Christ to lead into all that follows to be known of him 2. Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. read the place and minde The Grace of God Tit. 3.4 2 Cor. 3.18 Phil. 3.7 8. which is the same with the kindeness and Love of God to Man-ward saving to all men or bringing Salvation to all Men hath appeared so as in its appearing and saving Operations it teacheth us here is the benefit of his Mediation in extending the Vertues of his Oblation that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world now mark the last looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And all this large Grace appearing in such saving tendency with such teachings and fitness for prevalency therein grounded and bottomed upon the Word of the beginning of Christ vers 14. Who gave himself for us c. with which I began this Discourse of the Oblation Intercession and coming again of Christ and with the same I for this Part end In all that is said of the Testimony of Christ in every Branch and of all together it appears That this Testimony is a Doctrine according to godliness and hath its natural tendency to godliness effecting it in all cordial Believers of it and also that this Testimony of Jesus is The Spirit of Prophesie The Original of all right Understanding The true and so best Enlightner Teacher School-Master and Director to all right understanding and speaking And ignorance and unbelief of this Testimony or any Branch of it specially the first is the cause of all error and mistakes about Scriptures And by this Testimony minded we may discern what true Faith is what the Object what the Medium discovering what the Believing is and how it worketh But I forbear to proceed farther in those things till I have first minded the degrees of the Revelation of Christ in this Testimony of him and how it was revealed evidenced and so made known and taught by degrees till the whole was cleerly manifested to be so now taught and believed An Explicite Declaration of the Testimony of Christ c. PART III. CHAP. I. Of the first Revelation of Christ and Way of making him known THE first Revelation of Jesus Christ was in Paradise thus Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel In which according to Explication since is observed 1. That the first Promulgation of the Gospel as it was immediate from and by God himself so it was done in the denouncing the Curse on the Serpent and his Seed yea Gen. 3.1.14 15. in some measure on the Serpent that was the Devil's Instrument and its Seed but in full and specially on the Devil the old Serpent with his Angels Rev. 12.9 20.2 8.13 9.12 11 14-18 and those by his Temptations become of him and so his Seed even as the compleating of the Exaltation of Christ and those that are his Seed is declared in the denouncing and bringing in the last and great Wo upon the Inhabiters of the Earth which are the Seed of this old Serpent 2. Gen. 3.16 17. Rom. 5.18 Heb. 9.27 That the Seed of the Woman is also so exprest that it may have a double sense one a more remote sense in which it may be carried to all that come of her by a natural conception before whom in the Promise Hope was set and of and from among whom the two Seeds more directly spoken of are and will be drawn And the other sense proper and nigher and that both principal full Gen. 3.15 Psal 49.7 8. Isa 7.14 Mat. 1.22 23. Luk. 1.30 34 35. Gal. 4.4 Mat. 1.1 Rom. 1.3 Gal. 3.16 1 Joh. 3.5 8. Heb. 2.14 and most cleer and direct and that is the Lord Jesus Christ for he saith It shall bruise thy head It was not thus The Woman nor any of her Seed by natural conception which are every way as much the Seed of Adam the Man as of the Woman of which no Man can redeem his Brother or give to God a Ransome for him But it was He even Jesus that was conceived in the Wombe and born of a Woman and a Virgin in a supernatural way without the help or use of Man which Virgin was of the Seed of Abraham and David to whom also the Promise was explicated and so he was the Seed of David of Abraham of the Woman the promised Seed even he that in due time was manifested to take away sins and destroy the works of the Devil And the Holy Ghost hath given us
redeemed from the Curse of the Law Rom. 8.25 and this by Divine power so made known that they so far believe that they receive Remission of sins past and so begin to be reconciled to God and receive the Atonement yet through the remaining flesh in them Gal. 5.17 1 Joh. 2.16 1 Pet. 5.8 Jam. 1.14 15. 3.2 Heb. 3.12 13 19. and the customes lusts fashions and allurements and terrors of the World without them and Satan with his manifold Temptations taking advantage both from the Flesh and the World to fasten his Temptations on them they may be overtaken many times and in many things to offend and if not helped and healed sins against Grace are so heynous they will lead to depart from God and cast into danger of perishing in a second Death Which that we may be preserved from it is needful That there be vertue and value enough in the Blood shed and Sacrifice offered and fulness of provision in the Sacrificer and Offerer that by vertue of his Blood once shed 1 Tim. 2.5 6. Heb. 7.27 19.12 14 15. 10.10 12 14. 12.24 1 Joh. 1.7 9. 2.1 2. Luk. 5.24 2 Tim. 4.10 and Sacrifice once offered he in continual mediation for us may freely forgive and take away our following evils and so preserve our peace with God and send forth following grace and supplies of Spirit to recover and heal us and to cause us to abide and grow in grace and so preserve us from every evil work unto his heavenly Kingdom without which we are liable to miscarry but if this be afforded us with both the former then have we a perfect Saviour a perfect Salvation and shall be perfectly recovered And now though Mankinde had highly offended God and stirred up wrath and displeasure and incurred Death and Curse to be justly executed on them being also Enemies to God yet here is better news for them than for the fallen Angels namely That God though angry with and hating their sinfulness yea so as he could have no delight or well-pleasedness in them nor extend loving kindness to them in that condition they were in yet he did not upon Man's fall turn Enemy to Mankinde 2 Sam. 14.14 but loved Mankinde still so far that in his love and wisdom his bowels of compassion yearning on Mankinde he found out a Ransome and mean of Recovery for Mankinde that for all this Transgression they might not be banished from him but might have a way of coming in again to him and this in his Son Jesus Christ our Lord by whom by vertue of what he hath done received and doeth Psa 75.3 Rom. 2.4 the old Creation is preserved for a time and means and mercies extended to Men in that time that Men might repent and come in to him 1 Cor. 15.45 2 Cor. 5.17 Rev. 21.5 and a new Creation compleat in him that all that come in to him may become new Creatures and have by him a new Creation compleated for them And of the dissimilitudes similitudes between this second and new creation and that first creation a word or two before I come plainly to set forth what the Testimony of Christ is CHAP. 13. Of the dissimilitudes and similitudes between the second or new Creation and the first and now old Creation FIrst The Dissimilitudes between the two Creations are these 1. In the first now old Creation the first Man the publick Man Col. 1.15 16 17 18. Rev. 3.14 21.5 Rom. 11.36 was made last of all the Creatures made for him so as nothing was made by or through him but in the second and new Creation the second publick Man is first made and then all things in the new Creation by and through him as well as for him 2. In the first Creation the first publick Man was made of the Dust and God breathed into him the Breath of Life and Man became a living Soul and being made Male and Female was fitted for multiplication of personal beings of his own kinde in a natural way and was in his perfection at the first Luk. 3.23 38. Mat. 1.1 2 c. Rom. 1.3 Mat. 1.23 Luk. 1.31 35. Gal. 4.4 John 1.14 on the very day he was made But in the new Creation the second and last publick Man was in a supernatural way made of the seed of Adam Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob David c. of a Woman a Virgin he being Male only and so fitted with Spirit to bring in spiritually to himself being a Man in union of Person with and so the Son of God Yet was not the Man Christ in his perfection at the first a Luke 2.40 he was first abased and made perfect through sufferings b Heb. 2.10 5.8 9. and after service and sufferings perfected c Luk. 13.32 24.26 46 47. and so as Man he was first made that which before he was not nor as he was the Word and Son of God could ever Naturally or in a Natural way have been but he who was not Naturally Flesh and Man but God the Son of God in a supernatural way had a Body given him and so was made Flesh of the Seed of David according to the Flesh a very Man d Heb. 10.5 Iob. 1.14 Rom. 1.3 1 Tim. 2.5 he being holy and sinless in our Nature could not naturally have been subject to the infirmities of Hunger Thirst Weariness Sadness Pains and Mortality but this was freely for our sakes made so and so in the likeness of sinful Flesh though altogether sinless e Heb. 2.17 4.15 Rom. 8.3 Isa 53 4. he had the holy Law in his heart and was free even the Son of God and could not Naturally have been a Servant under the Law under which Mankinde was fallen but he was made so that being under the same bond with us our debt might be charged on and required of him f Gal. 4.4 Rom. 3.19 Phil. 2.7 8. he being without sin could not Naturally have been sin or a curse but for us was made so g 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 and he being made all this and accepting it all and so performing all in our Nature dying for our sins the Truth of God is fulfilled according to that Gen. 2.17 and the justice of God is satisfied according to that Deut. 27.26 h Gal. 3.10.13 Deut. 21.23 and Mercy and Truth are met and Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other i Psal 85.10 yet if Christ be not risen again we can have no such Forgiveness and Justification as to come into favour with God again k 1 Cor. 15 14 15 17 18. but he is risen from the dead just as the publick Man for our justification l 1 Cor. 15 4. Rom. 4.25 and hath overcome Death and him that had the power of Death and so hath spoiled Principalities and Powers m Heb. 2.14 Col. 2.12 15. 2 Tim. 1.9 so as Truth is
of them being in him or he any way so obliged to them as it should deserve or engage him to take their Nature and offer Sacrifice for them or that by vertue of being any ways in him they should be so interested in his Death Sacrifice and Righteousness that it should in any sort be theirs yea or counted theirs and they interested in it before by vertue of the compleating of it in and by himself alone he be interested in them and so by Grace bring them in to have interest in him And I hope it will be granted by all that believe in Christ and I am sure it is in Scripture affirmed That by vertue of his Oblation once offered God hath released and given over all Men to him to be disposed by him and hath released over to him the sentence of the first Judgement and Death Joh. 5.22 27. Rom. 14.8 9 10 12. Joh. 17.1 2 5. 1 Joh. 5.11 by and according to the Law as Mankinde at first fell under it so as God will never so judge them by that Law nor cause them to perish for ever in that Death but hath given them over unto the dispose of Jesus Christ and given him to be their Lord and Judge and hath given him power over all flesh and given for Mankinde eternal Life in Christ in whom in the Nature of Man it is put and he hath exalted him and filled him with Spirit to make it known and dispence it in his way and though it was free and undeserved Grace to give him for Mankinde and freeness of Grace to unite the Body given him in union of person with the Son of God yet all this given him by vertue of his death sufferings and sacrifice may in respect of himself be said to be merited and deserved and so called the wages of that one Righteousness of his in his Oblation offered by himself Isa 53.11 12. Phil. 2.10 11. whence it is said Even therefore I will divide him a portion c. and therefore God hath highly exalted him c. yea as rightly thus called in respect of himself only as Death is called the wages of sin in respect of the first Adam and his posterity but now in respect of Mankinde for whom he offered the Oblation or any of them it cannot be said so that their receiving mercies through this Oblation or any of the benefit of it that either it or the benefit of it interest in it or life through it is merited or deserved by them or the wages of any righteous affections or works of theirs or any wayes due to them and descending upon them by vertue of any fore-being in Christ preceding his Oblation but only it comes to Men by the freeness of the Grace of God that freely gave Christ for them and the freeness of the same Grace in Christ that freely gave himself for them and God's gracious acceptance of the gift and sacrifice of Christ for them and so imputing it to them graciously accepting it for them and them for and through it as if they had died and risen and offered the sacrifice and as any in his discovery of this great Grace are found believing in Christ freely giving to them eternal Life through Christ and for his sake Rom. 6.23 5.15 and so it is said The gift of God is eternal Life he saith not unto Christ but through Jesus Christ our Lord and so Rom. 5.15 Much more the grace of God which comprehends his love in the gift of Christ and the whole preparation made in him for Men before any gift through it is extended and the gift by grace and explicating it have by one Man Jesus Christ hath abounded to many that is in respect of release from perishing in the first Judgement and mercies extended unto all men Joh. 1.4.5.9 Rom. 5.17 vers 18. and in respect of the abundance of Grace and eternal Life to all those that in believing receive the same vers 17. so that all the whole offering of the Oblation by Christ and the benefit procured for Men thereby is by the free Grace of Christ and freely done by him and not by debt or fore-engagement unto any there was none in him for him by vertue thereof to be engaged to or in such a sense joyned with him to die suffer and offer with him but he he only he himself Heb. 7.17 9.14 10.12 offered this Oblation and Sacrifice here treated of Oh infinite and unspeakable free and gracious goodness who would entertain any Doctrine that should gain-say or darken this CHAP. 5. 3. To whom it was that he offered this Oblation or Sacrifice TO whom Jesus Christ gave himself is though not expressed plainly yet cleerly and strongly intimated in Tit. 2.14 in that it is not in this place said to us but for us and to whom should it be offered for us but to him against whom we had sinned even God that gave him forth to that end whence it 's also called the grace of God c. vers 11. a like strong intimation we have 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. That gave himself a Ransom for all Men to God that would have all saved therefore found out the Ransom by vertue whereof with God to whom he offered it he mediateth for men But this is seen cleerly in both the former Points also expresly affirmed Eph. 5.2 Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 And so it is said of Jesus Joh. 13.1 3. 16.28 That he knowing all things knew that he was come from God and went to God and that he came forth from the Father into the world and left the world and departed out of the world unto the Father yea all the former typical Priests did offer their Sacrifices to God though they were on Earth Heb. 7.26 27. 8.3 4. 9 9 12 14. and offered on Earth yet it was to God in the Heavens and to whom should our great High-Priest offer up his Sacrifice when he entred into Heaven but to God in the Heavens But I suppose this is not only cleer and evident Heb. 2.17 3.2 6. but also acknowleged by all that believe in Jesus Christ both that he offered his Oblation and Sacrifice to God and also that he was faithful in all his business but that I note this for is that it may be minded That Jesus Christ in the business of his Oblation and Sacrifice-offering he had to deal with God and with none but with God and though for fallen Mankinde yet not with them but with God for them True it is in his after-Mediation of which is after to be spoken as he hath to deal for Men so also both with God and with Men but in his Oblation and Sacrifice-offering though it was for Men
few but as a thing learned believed and known of all that unfeignedly believe in Jesus and we know all we are assured of this That all things work together for good to them c. So that we have here to note for this business is a double or twofold Description of those that are the Sons of God by Faith to whom all things shall work together for good The first Description of the Sons and Heirs forementioned is this They are Lovers of God The second Description is this Vers 15 16 17 They are called according to Purpose The words are plain To them that love God who are the called according to purpose In which words it's plain That none love God but such as are called according to purpose and that such as are called according to purpose do love God and that the Apostle speaketh here in Vers 28.29 30 c. of none but such as love God and are called according to Purpose Let these evident things be minded in these three Verses 1. Those spoken of here are such as do love God Now every Man will be ready to say Pro. 20.6 26.23 26 Gal. 6.3 1 Joh. 3.18 Tit. 1.16 1 Joh. 2.4 Rom. 11.35 1 Joh 4.9 10 16 19 He loveth God but Mens own saying so is no proof of it his own Heart is deceitful and his perswasion and profession no sufficient Testimony for love in conceit and tongue when it 's not in deed declaring it is not love indeed nor is that love indeed that we love God first and so claim right in his love but that he loved us and gave his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins and making that known so as we believing it do therefore love him because he loved us first and so this true love of God is that love 1. 1 Joh. 4 10 16 19 3.16 Tit. 3.4 5 1 Pet. 1.8 Rom. 5.5 6 VVhich springeth from the great love of God to Mankinde appearing in the gift of his Son to be the Saviour of the VVorld believed by us 2. VVhich in this springing floweth upon and is set upon God in his way Joh. 8 4â— Cant. 1.2 Joh. 14.7 10 Rom. 8.32 15.30 Ioh. 14.21 23 Psa 119.97 155 165 Psa 26.8 27.4 that is first on Jesus Christ the Son of God whom he hath given and so loveth God for giving Christ and so loveth him in and through Christ and so loveth the Spirit and whole Government of God that proceedeth from him and therein the Word and Doctrine and Sayings of Christ and so the Ordinances of God in fellowship with his people and so with intire affection and delightfulness the Brethren that believe in and love the Lord Jesus Christ 1 John 4.20 21. and 5.1 2. and with compassion to all those in that Nature in which Christ died 2 Cor. 5.14 15 19 20 Psa 119.127 159 167 1 Joh. 2.4 5 2 Tim. 4.8 and so purchased them with his Blood though not yet corgregated them to himself thereby so as though hating their evil wayes yet pitying them and desiring their Salvation and endeavouring it and in this love of God and Men for his sake loving to walk in his Commandments in exercise of Faith and Love and so loving the appearing and coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ 3. Gal. 5.6 Joh. 14 21 23. 2 Joh. 11 This love so springing and flowing doth work from the Faith and belief of the goodness of God in Christ that bringeth it forth and so Faith worketh through Love to the flying all evil and doing good according to his Commandments And this is the Love of God and they that so love are Lovers of God and such as so love God are the Called according to Purpose which is the next Description of them 2. To them who are the Called according to Purpose minde this well he saith not To them whom God hath or had purposed to call or And so according to his Purpose hath called Eph. 1.11 nor can such meaning be foisted in or tolerated for God worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will and doth nothing beside or contrary to his Purpose Prov. 1.23 24 25 c. Jer. 6.16.30 Hos 11.3 4 7 and yet he hath called and doth call many that perish for refusing to turn at his call though some are of this minde That it is those purposed to be called and so translate the words as nigh as they can called of purpose but that cannot bear out that sense because it crosseth other places of Scripture that saith He calleth all and Isa 45.22 Mat. 22.14 many are called and few are chosen and yet he calleth none that he purposed not to call But the words are plain Them who are the called according to purpose Rev. 17.14 which indeed are none but the Lovers of God that are called and chosen and faithful so that for right understanding the VVords we have three things here to consider what the Scripture will tell us of them 1. What this Purpose of God is that is here meant 2. What the Calling is that is here meant 3. What that is meant here by being called according to Purpose I. The Purpose of God here meant appears in Scripture to be that Purpose of God which was for the good of fallen Mankinde consisting to our apprehension in these four Branches 1. That he purposed Joh. 3.16 17 1 Joh. 3.5.8 4.9 10. 1 Tim. 1.15 2.4 5 6 and so according to his purpose sent forth his only begotten Son in Man's nature to make propitiation for our sins and to be the Saviour of the World that whoever believeth in him might be saved 2. That God in his Purpose farther purposed to give forth such evidences of his goodness through his Son Pro. 1.22 23 9.1 2 3 4 5 6 Isa 45.21 22 55.1 2 3 7 and so to set him forth and lift him up in means using as thereby to call Men and strive with them by his Spirit opening their eyes and moving their Hearts that they might believe and so repent and come in to him and be saved and so to call all in their several Ages according to the means he useth towards them 3. He in this Purpose yet farther purposed Joh. 3.15 16 Isa 45.22 Rom. 10.9 10 13 That whoever according to the means and light he extendeth to them to make known his Son and Grace through him do hear and behold and so believe in him they shall not perish but have everlasting life 4. He in his Purpose yet farther purposed That his Purpose should abide Rom. 9.11 11.4 5 6 7 stand and take place in Men for saving them and investing them with Priviledges of Sons and eternal life according to the prevalency and Election of Grace displayed and believed and not according to the workings of Men. And in all these together is the purpose of God as hath been
before at large shewed and proved in the two former Chapters with the Cautions third and fourth in the second Chapter and are here only contracted to be easily understood Now God according to this his Purpose calleth all Men especially where the Gospel comes as hath plentifully been proved Let this be heeded II. For the Calling that is here meant it appears by that which is said in this Verse Eph. 4.4 and which follows in the next to be a through and double Call for though the Caller be one and the Object discovered and the Medium and Spirit therein by which he calleth be one and the hope set before them to which they are called be one and in that respect the Call one yet in respect of the persons called and that to which for the enjoyment of this hope they are called the Call is double first and following as appears 1. The first or the beginning of the Call is of sinners and unbelievers to repent and believe the Gospel Mar. 1.15 Eph. 2.1 2 3 1 Joh. 5.19 Mat. 9.13 Mar. 2.17 Luk. 5 32 Act. 26.18 such are all men before he call them even dead in trespasses and sins under wrath and the power of darkness and the wicked one and such as these are by the Gospel called to repentance and believing in Christ that so they may receive forgiveness of sins and life in Christ to convert and renew a right disposition in them and so with this Call to this Repentance and Faith Christ calleth sinners and none but sinners and as sinners and such he sent forth his servants in the Ministration of the Gospel Isa 55.5 6 7 52.15 Luk. 24.46 47 48 Act. 13.8 Rom. 10.8 9 10 13 to call to this Repentance and Faith And so it was fore-prophesied of him that by himself and by his Spirit in his servants he should call such and by himself affirmed that so it shall be and such he himself did call in his Ministration and also by his Spirit in the Ministration of his Apostles Mar. 1.14 15. Act. 13.38 47. and 14. c. And in this Call there is discovered and tendered to such sinners mercy and forgiveness in Jesus Christ and the blessed hope of eternal Life to be had in their believing and in this discovery of Christ crucified for our sins and risen for our justification c. and of God's rich and free love graciousness and righteousness therethrough Joh. 16.7 8 9 10 Pro. 1.22 23 Ioh. 6.27 Act. 2.37 38 39 40 is discovered the sinfulness and helplesness that is in Men the vanity of all their wisdom righteousness strength and of all Creatures to help them and so in reproving their evil wayes their wisdom righteousness pride and designs calls to turn at his reproof and so to believe in him that they may receive from him remission of sins wisdom righteousness and life which in their turning he will assuredly give them Now some called thus stumble at his reproof and will not turn Prov. 1.24 25 36 Ier. 6.16 30 Ioh. 3.19 15.22 24 to lay aside their own wisdom designs c. and so refuse to hearken and to turn at his reproof these though called come not at all Joh. 5.40 some others there are that in his Call do begin to believe the Truth and Goodness of the Gospel to the operations whereof if they did yield and abide therein it would save them and make them free but they not abiding in and yielding to the teachings of this Grace they are not yet brought in truly to be his and live to him Ioh. 8.31 32 36 2 Thes 2.13 14 1 Pet. 2. 2 Phil. 3.7 8 9 Rom. 5.8 10 Tit. 3.4 5 6 Ioh. 14.21 23 1 Cor. 8.3 Gal. 4.8 2 Pet. 2.3 5 9. Now both these sorts are called of God according to his Purpose but neither of them the called according to purpose because not prevailed with by his discovered and electing Grace to yield up to the blood of sprinkling to be his and let all go for him to win him live to him But some there have been and are that in hearing and beholding his free and great love to Minkinde discovered through the sufferings of Christ for sinners and the fulness of grace in him are brought in to believe and in believing minding of that grace are so chosen for his love love him and are also now loved of him with love of well pleasedness and so known and approved of him even his elect and chosen and these are the Called according to purpose And so though the word Called be used in both senses for them that are prevailed with and sometimes for them that are not prevailed with yet the word The Called is used but in one sense Rom. 1.6 7 for them that are prevailed with and here for those so prevailed with But when God hath thus approved Believers he farther calleth them 2. The following Call is of Believers and Saints approved and as Believers and Saints he calleth them to service even to conformity to Christ in services of Love and sufferings for his sake and therein to patience meekness and waiting through suffering for the hope of glory Thus Christ called his fore-called Disciples Mar. 9.7 12 Luk. 9. 1 Isa 41. 2 Psa 50.5 1 Tim. 1.11 12 Gal. 1 Rom. 1.1 Mat. 16.24 Eph. 5.1 Rev. 17.14 1 Pet. 2.3 5 9 and chose them and sent them forth to such service and thus God is said to have raised up the righteous Man and called him to his foot which is to such service and so God calls his Saints that have made a Covenant with him by Sacrifice And so Paul being called and couated faithful was then put in the Ministery and so being called to be a Believer was then called to be an Apostle And so all Christ's Disciples were and all unfeigned Believers still are called to be followers of Christ in love services and sufferings yea these are to follow the Lambe wheresoever he goeth and to shew forth his praises And of this Call Jude 1 Jude speaketh to the Saints whom he saith were sanctified by God the Father that was in the first part or degree of the Call in giving them to Christ and preserved in Jesus Christ there was their inward Sanctification and Preservation through grace in which he also approved them and called that is to services of love through sufferings and oppositions To which Jude exhorteth them as the Apostle was here comforting and encouraging these Believers in the same 3. So then to be called according to purpose so as to be of the Called according to purpose Rom. 3.9 20 25 5.8 9 1 Tim. 1.15 Tit. 3.4 Phil. 3.7 8 9 Joh. 15.16 19 1 Thes 2.13 14 15 16. 2 Thes 2.13 appears to be throughly called with this double Call or first and following Call and so to have been by the discovery of God's free-grace in Christ to sinners without
ascended to Heaven and offered the acceptable Sacrifice and obtained eternal Redemption and so is the Propitiation for our sins and Grace is onely by him And Truth that is fulfilling of the Promises he being immeasurably filled with the Holy Ghost in our Nature and the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily he is The Temple of God the High-Priest The Laver of Regeneration the Altar the Sacrifice The Propitiatory The Oracle c. the Truth of all figured by those is in him and so by him and had in having him and this vertuous from the beginning and so even then though in a more hidden way Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. But now he hath come and done his first Work this mystery is manifested and the Spirit hath testified of him and this Testimony is Spirit and Life by which such as are led to believe in Christ do meet with Truth and so are said to worship him in Spirit this gracious Law opposed to that of Works and Types and in Truth acknowledging the Truth in Christ and meeting with him in believing on him as having done his first work for them Job 4.21 22 24. 1 Joh. 5.19 20. and now about the other in them and so they worship God in and through him and that they might thus do God hath done and provided all this in his Son and so made him known And so upon this account of Christ his being so full of Grace and Truth and having been so manifested also in the Nature of Man John Baptist in respect of himself and the first witnesses renders it in these words Joh. 1.14 16 17 vers 17. as the ground of that he affirmed vers 16. For of his fulness have we all received Grace for Grace other profitable senses of this noted before I onely now note this That as Moses received a Law of works and shadows to nurture the people Par. 3. ch 4. that in judging themselves for their sins by one part of the Law and looking to Christ that was to come in their use of the Types the other part of the Law they might through Christ receive Grace as all that so looked did but he having come hath abounded farther to us and we have of him received Grace a Gospel of Grace with a Law of Grace and a Spirit of Grace discovering the Atonement made and forgiveness in the Blood of Christ and Truth fulfilled in him so by the Grace of God in that Cross of Christ he suffered to shew Men the vileness of their sins the vanity of their Righteousness and yet through the same Cross to shew them the great Love Righteousness and Propitiousness of God the pardon of their sins in the Blood of Christ and the fulness of Love and Spirit in Christ to draw them in to believe assuring them in believing they shall receive forgiveness c. and so we have Grace that we may receive and declare Grace and God hath engaged himself that he will so witness of Christ Isa 42.1 8. 55.5 Joh. 3.15 16. Rom. 10.9 10 13 15. Act. 15.9 10 11. Gal. 5.6 1 Joh. 3.23 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. 1 Ioh 1.7 9. and he shall so far proceed with Men where the Gospel comes that they shall have their eyes opened that they may see and believe and hath also engaged himself to all that where the Gospel comes do according to the Light and Power he giveth believe on him he will save pardon and enlive them and write his Law in their Hearts And this Faith working Love he putteth no farther burden or yoke on any but to believe him and love one another and he will preserve them through Faith to the Inheritance and if they fail confess their failing and through the Mediator they shall be forgiven and cleansed And thus far the New Testament is and is to be held forth to all that live under the Gospel and all the baptized in the Name of the Lord have set their Hands to this Engagement and may live in hope of having it personally made with them but yet the personal making of this New Testament with Believers is yet a farther business see how that is exprest in Scripture also 2 Cor. 3.3 Tea are manifestly declared the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart It is express throughout this Chapter That the Apostle speaks here of the New Testament opposed to the Old Testament and so likewise it is evident here That in preaching the Gospel as now come forth they did also therein minister the New Testament 1 Cor. 1.6 7. and so it is here also evident That when Men in believing the Testimony of Christ in the Gospel come to believe on Christ then they receive the New Testament and how they receive it and what it is see here 1. Phil. 3.3 7 8 9 In believing on Christ the Grace believed breaketh the stoniness of the Heart and taketh down the pride and stoutness of it and humbleth and melteth it and enamoreth it with Christ and so makes the Heart fleshy tender flexible fit to receive his Sayings Teachings and Impressions And then 2. His making the New Covenant with them is begun by writing his Minde Heb. 8.10 2 Cor. 4.13 2 Tim. 1.7 his Design his Epistle by his own Spirit in their so prepared Heart giving into their Heart the Spirit of Faith of Love of Power and of a sound Minde so that they have in them a new Heart a new Spirit a new Man an inward living Principle derived from the Fountain in which they believe inclining them to love God and their Brother and to live by Faith and walk in Love and so to seek the farthering of his design in seeking the Honour of God in the Salvation of Men and the Prosperity of his Church so looking and waiting for the coming of the Lord the Spirit herein springing up Love Rom. 8.28 Joy Peace c. And this is a Dispensation of a spiritual first Fruits of the everlasting Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and no otherwise made with any since excepting David about the Kingdom but in such a begun-performance But then minding the words and the Apostles scope in this place with other places speaking of the same business and we shall see That 3. In this Dispensation of Grace by his Spirit there is made a double Engagement on the part of Christ and on the part of the Believers in which respect it is rightly called a New Testament in opposition to the Old Testament given by Moses which also in this Dispensation is written not with Ink as the Old Testament was nor in Tables of Stone as one part of that was nor in Leaves of Parchment or any such thing as another part of that was but even in their Heart that is That Jesus Christ will
same Spirit and Covenant yet there is as much difference between this given and that promised as between a handful or first Fruits of the Corn and the whole fulness of the Harvest which is in this making of the Covenant now treated of in which it appears they shall all be made sinless and righteous perfect in the love of God and one another compleat in all true holiness II. And I will be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 31.33 30.22 32.38 Ezek. 11.20 Exod. 3 4 6 20. Psal 120. And this appears in that which went before in verse 32. and several places to be spoken emphatically to be understood in a higher sense and after a more eminent manner then ever before for he was their God and they his people when they were afflicted in Egypt and in more manifestation when they were in the Wilderness and still more appearingly when they were setled in Canaan and his Worship setled among them and of these remaining while Jeremiah prophesied among them and still more manifestly in special manner Rom. 9.24 25 26. he is our God who believe in Christ and receive of the first Fruits of the Spirit and we his people but here is cleerly more implied to be done after those dayes and here and elsewhere exprest as namely That he will multiply his wonders among them and his favours on them so as he will make himself known to all Nations to be their God Ezek. 36.36 37.28 Isa 60.14 Ezek. 37.26 27. and make them known to all Nations to be his peculiar People when the Heathen shall know That he is the Lord and That he doth sanctifie and build Israel and shall acknowledge them The City of the Lord The Sion of the holy one of Israel yea he will set his Sanctuary in the middest of them for evermere yea he saith My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people And so he hath opened his own meaning And what this Sanctuary and Tabernacle is and from whence it comes and where it shall be he hath told us viz. Jesus Christ The Son of God The Son of Man The Man in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwels bodily he that is in the Father and the Father in him he is the Temple and Sanctuary and no other like the old Temple or new formed Church-Governments under the Gospel in this City for the Lord God Almighty Rev. 21.22 Ezek. 37.22 24 25. 34.23 24 30. and the Lamb are the Temple of it and he the Son of David shall sit on the Throne and be the mighty King and Governour among them and Christ also coming with his Saints those that in Spirit are now in Heaven the Jerusalem that is now above these shall come with their Lord and Master down from Heaven and receiving their Bodies glorified the great City the Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God having the Glory of God upon her Of which it is said I saw the holy City Rev. 21.2 3. new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying The Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them their God Thus we have it cleerly opened so that these Saints this spiritual Seed Dan. 7.14 27. Ezek. 48.35 See Part 2. chap. 18. shall be Princes among the people and sit upon Thrones with Christ raign with him And all the Kingdoms under the whole heavens shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High and all nations shall serve him and the name of the City shall be from that day The Lord is there Thus will God be with them their God and they shall be his people Thus owned by him III. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them Jer. 31.34 saith the Lord. To know the Lord is both to understand and know That he is Jehovah and that he is infinite in Wisdom Power Goodness c. and to know that is acknowledge Jer. 9 24. Joh. 17.3 love and adore him as the Lord as he doth discover himself such a one in and by his Son Christ and thus to know the Lord every Man except Jesus the Son of God that hath lived or doth live upon this Earth in their several Ages have needed and do need to be taught this knowledge and it is the part of every Man Exod. 18.16 Deut. 4.34 39. 6.11 7.9 Joh 5 27. 11.16 1 Chron. 28.9 according to his understanding and Faith to teach and receive teaching from his Brother saying Know the Lord. But because in respect of some this is confest of all I forbear further proof onely because some conceit established Believers past this need since Christ came I shall consider the place alledged for it which is 1 Joh. 2.20 27. Ye have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things The anoynting which ye have received of him abideth in you and you need not that any man teach you but as that anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is noâ—ly and even as it hath taught you you shall abide in him This place being a sweet needful instructing Truth crosseth nothing here foresaid for the Apostle speaks here of a first fruits of that promised spiritually dispensed Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.6 10.1 Joh. 5.20 Rom. 8.22 23 24 25. Heb. 11. 13 40. Heb. 11.1 and not of the Harvest as a pears in his former after-Discourse for as he that receiveth Christ receiveth all things with him but still according to his receiving either by spiritual discerning and believing or by open sight and enjoyment so he that knoweth Christ knoweth all things but still according to the manner of his knowing either through a Glass dimly by Faith or else in open view seeing as he is seen Paul confesseth the first to be now in this life but the later 1 Cor. 13.12 1 Joh. 3.1 2. at the time we are speaking of and so this Apostle confesseth the former to be now but the later not to be enjoyed till the time of the visible appearance of Christ And so he saith not Ye need not that any Man teach you saying Know the Lord for that anoynting teacheth you of all things but that he saith is Ye need not that any man teach you 1 Joh. 2.27 but as that anoynting teacheth you of all things c. that is as the Spirit in the Testimony of Christ in that Doctrine of Christ in which he hath helped you to believe in Christ and by that Doctrine teacheth you of all things do ye
and so he approveth as good and rejoyceth in all his own Works e Gen. 1.31 Job 38.4 7. Psa 104 4.31 Act. 15.18 And so having made not onely Mankinde but the Angels before holy and well-qualified he did approve their Essence which he made and the holy Qualifications he endued them with and the Place or Habitation or Degree he put them in and so loved them their Essence their Persons their Qualifications and in love so placed them as he did Mankinde whom he made Righteous c. And that he loved the Angels as he did Mankinde before they fell is evident by the Spirits Testimony That God is righteous and so both loveth the Righteous f Psal 146.8 and Righteousness g Psal 11.7 and knoweth that is owneth and approveth his own Works h Act. 15.8 and upholdeth the Righteous i Psal 37.17 and preserveth the way of the Saints k Prov. 2.8 Psal 1.6 and blesseth the Righteous and will not suffer them to be removed l Psal 5.12 and in all this God is the same for ever immutable without change or shadow of change in himself or in his minde to such approved and beloved ones Whence also it is evident That God did not first forsake the Angels nor did withhold or withdraw from them any part of that Wisdom Holiness and Strength wherewith he had indued them and by which they might have abode in that righteous happy estate he made and put them in and so have continued righteous and holy still and in acknowledging their supreme Lord have been established for ever m Job 4 7 18. 36.7 Psa 34 15. 37.28 Prov. 8.22.36 with Joh. 14.21 17.5 But those of the Angels that did fall they did voluntarily aspire to a higher degree of Dignity and Equality with their supreme Lord and so did first of themselves forsake God and so sinned and ceased to be Righteous and Saints they kept not their first Estate or Principality but left their own Habitation n Jude 6. and so by their Transgression provoked the Love of God to wrath whose Love is such as it abhorreth and hateth wickedness and so by their sinning they made themselves such that in their Persons Qualifications and Wayes they became the Object of God's hatred and wrath so that the change was in them not in God who because they so sinned and sinned of themselves without any other Tempter and sinned not all in one publick Representative but every one in their own Persons freely against so great Light and Goodness he hath therefore forsaken them and cast them down to Hell and reserved them in Chains of Darkness to the Judgement of the great Day to be then tormented in that Everlasting Fire prepared for them and such as by them are led to such-like personal Transgression o Jude 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 Mat. 25.41 Rev. 20.10 And yet in all this is there no change in God he in his Love is the same still though these sinning Angels be fallen out of his Love under wrath and hatred yea it would rather have implied a change in God if he had continued his Love on such presumptuous Transgressors And this also is written to admonish and warn men yea even Believers That none tempt the Lord by presumptuous sinning crying peace to themselves from the Love Mercy and Goodness of God fore-testified to them and the immutability of God in his Love and purposes which though true yet that argues not the immutability of all that are in any sort loved of him so as though they sin presumptuously his immutability engages him to love such notwithstanding so as those persons once loved cannot by any misdemeanor fall from being under that Love and become under hatred we are warned to take heed of such thoughts for it hath with some and may with others so fall out and yet no alteration in God for he hath shewn his mind to be even so p 2 Pet. 2.1.4 Jude 5 6. Deut. 29.18 19.20 And as for the Soveraignty of God it is one and the same and ever agreeing with his Wisdom Holiness Truth Justice Love and Purpose so that change by presumptuous sinning of Persons from being under Love to be under Hatred argues no change in God And this is clear in the case of the fallen Angels that I say nothing of Mankinde changed from being under well-pleasedness to be under wrath and displeasure though compassions were yet toward them who sinned all in one and by the subtilty of a Tempter yet the change in Man great in God none at all which shews the vanity of the Pleas and Inferences of some about and from the immutability of God in his minde and purposes 1. Pag. 13. p 2. That saying of Mr. Owen's That if God can by his power and Spirit keep them whom he doth not forsake in a state and condition of not forsaking him he doth forsake them before they forsake him is not fit for Argument to build Doctrine on or confirm with for it is neither true nor Scripture-like but is plainly derogatory to God and his Truth and Goodness and far from acknowledging that depth of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God Rom. 11.33 and rather tendeth to lead to fancy a depth of some openly appearing respect of Persons and causeless indignation cruelty and unrighteousness to be though no man can yet see how Righteousness which I hope Mr. Owen will not allow nor will he say His saying is meant of the fallen Angels yet Gods proceeding with them overturneth the truth of his saying so as it can be no ground or proof for him or others to ground any Opinion on or prove it by None in their right mind will say The fallen Angels transgressed not without cause God forsook them first and so free them from that number Psal 25.3 that transgress without cause as if God did first forsake them before they forsook him and so lay the beginning of the blame upon the Almighty whereas is was first wholly in themselves who were the first sinners and sinned from the beginning and so sin still Christ saith not Because there was no Truth in them before the fall but 1 Joh. 3.8 Joh. 8.44 Because he abode not in the Truth and so since the fall there is no Truth in him which reproves this foresaid saying 2. Another saying by this also appears untrue though used by many namely That whom God loves once he loves for ever if it had been What God loves once or such as God loves once he loves ever it would have stood for God loves Righteousness and so the Righteous and so Believers and Saints for ever But to say Whom or what Persons all and Every of them whom God loves once he loves for ever is not true and the surmise of it is grounded on a false conceit as if the unchangableness of God did either depend on or at least argue necessitate
the same things he saith He died for us gave himself for us died for our sins it would easily appear That where there is no distinguishing word in the sentence to limit That All Every the World and Us Our We are of like extent and indifferently used the one for the other but occasion to use these places follows only I shall note here some gracious essicacy appearing in this manner of using the words Us Our and We by the Apostles and unfeigned Believers 1. Luk. 18.11 Isa 65.5 Tit. 3.3 Rom. 7.14 24. Act. 14.15 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15. It shews and keeps them humble and low in their own eyes so as they are far from the pride of those that say I am not as other Men stand aloof from me I am holier than thou but knowing they were as ill as any and have the corrupt disposition still in them troubling them they judge of themselves still as Men Men subject to like passions with others yea as the chief of sinners in respect of themselves And so in relation to Men speaking of God's love to Mankinde can readily without making division say Us We Our including themselves with all Men. 2. They have found and do finde such satisfying peace refreshing Rom. 5.6 8. Phil. 3.3 7 8 9 10. 2 Cor. 5.14 and well-pleasedness in Christ as the Saviour of the World and propitiation for the sins of the whole World as he died for the ungodly and gave himself a ransom for all that they prize not nor take up their rest or glorying in any of their own excellencies in which they appear better than others but have their whole rejoycing and well-pleasedness in Christ yea even glad that the same is in him for others to receive which themselves have received and so speaking of him as the Saviour of the World and so of his Death Resurrection Ransom c. to others they can say without separation making in that respect from such as do not yet believe for us for our c. 3. Act. 14.15 Rom. 2.14 15 16. 2 Cor. 5.14 15 18 19 20. Yea this Grace received engageth them as debters to others yea to all Men they having and being Stewards of that Word and Grace which appertains to them that yet believe not to be declared to them that they might believe and this Grace enflameth them with love and desires that they might know and believe and so receive the same and therefore are ready to declare and in declaration of the Gospel to them to couple together with themselves in setting forth what Christ hath done for all Men and so to say Us Our We so graciously and in such heavenly manner have the Apostles in confession of the Truth of that which is true for all Men used the word Us Our We so Paul in his first preaching to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 12.2 who at that time when he first preached to them were carried about unto dumb idols according as they were led 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. sacrificed to and had fellowship with Devils and so were Idolaters many of them Fornicators Adulterers Effeminate Abusers of themselves with Mankinde Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners 2 Cor. 5. 20 21. yet to these in preaching Christ the propitiation for the sins of the World he coupled himself together with them in shewing for whom Christ hath done this saying 1 Cor. 15.3 I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received 2 Cor. 5.21 how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture he was made sin for us according to that he was delivered for our offences Rom. 4.25 and raised for our justification still declaring the choise benefit received and enjoyed by those that in believing did receive him 1 Cor. 6.11 2 Cor. 5.18 but asserting the Truth thereof in Christ for others that they might believe in which sense Us comprehends all Men and so appears to mean all men Tit. 2.11 14. and yet farther appears 3. By minding and considering some particulars requisite to and included in the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ that it might be fit for us and all minded to us in saying He gave himself for us Tit. 2.14 as his being made flesh Heb. 2.11 14. Luk. 3.38 Act. 17.26 and so having a Body without which he could not have been a fit Sacrifice for us and in this he took the Nature of Mankinde of Abraham of Adam of all Men in this no difference If any would put a difference in his coming of the Jews Rom. 17.5 15.8 and to them it is answered That was to confirm the promises made to the Gentiles And look to the beginning and we shall finde he came not only of Jacob Isaac Abraham Mat. 1.1 the Fathers of all and every of the Jews but of Noah Lamech Methusalah Enoch Jared Malaleel Cainan Enos Seth Luk. 3.36 37 38. the Fathers of all and every both Jew and Gentile and of Adam the Father of all Men and so hath the Nature of Man which is common to every Man alike created in the first Adam alike also being in the Nature of Mankinde he was made under the Law under which Mankinde was fallen Gal. 4.4 Rom. 3.10 11.19 20. 11.32 Gal. 3.22 2 Cor. 5.14 15 10. Rom. 14 9-12 that so the sins that Law so charged with might be charged on him to redeem them that were under the Law and that is expresly all the World and every mouth all men and being under the Law he died for our sins and that is expresly said to be for all men yea even all those that must appear before his Judgement-feat yea he was set in his publick place and glorified in Man's Nature to be a publick Man to do that wonderful business yet to effect it made a little lower than the Angels in being Man mortal all to this end That by the Grace of God he might taste death for every Heb. 2.6 7 14. which can be no less nor other than every of that Nature in taking which he was for a while made lower than the Angels and that is every Man and being risen for our justification he offered up himself a Sacrifice to God and so gave himself a compleat Ransom to God And this is express to be for all Men where it is assirmed God our Saviour will have all Men to be saved c. and this given as the ground and proof of his will For there is one God 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6 7. and one Mediator between God and Men indefinitely and universally Men yea here is God and Men and no Man excepted but one who is Emmanuel and the Mediator between God and Men even the Man Jesus Christ who gave himself a ransom for all this is that by vertue where of he mediateth and so was first given for those for whom he mediateth Heb. 9.15 his mediation being by the vertue
set forth as the Propitiation for sins and the Saviour of the World and so call all Men to him and therein by his Spirit open the eyes of the blinde and the ears of the deaf and give life to such as in seeing see and in hearing hear and so by degrees in this life redeem them from all iniquity by vertue of his Blood so applied to and sprinkled on their Hearts 4. That in this redeeming them from all iniquity he may purifie unto himself a peculiar people c. that is such as in his redeeming work upon them are found believing on him Tit. 2.11.13 Rom. 5.8 10. Col. 1.22 23. Eph. 5.25 26 27. and yielding to the motions and teachings of his Grace he may and doth still by vertue of his Oblation and his Father's Love commended there-through besprinkle them more with his Blood in Gospel-Testimony and so purifie them a peculiar people zealous of good works Phil. 2 7-11 that he may present them in due season spotless to himself and so have the glory of his Oblation in the eternal Salvation of all that have lived and died in the Faith and in his righteous judging of all wilful Opposers and Apostates This his gracious End in offering his Oblation and he being righteous holy faithful his Oblation was so effectual with the Father for all that for which it was offered that he hath granted him all this and every way furnished him for this end as is foreshewn And for the Power and Faithfuluess of our Saviour to pursue this End and so to do all that by which it may be brought about enough hath been said and more will be said in treating of his Mediation and Intercession And indeed he is and will be faithful to his Father 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 2.17 5 1-9 7.25 26. and merciful and faithful to us he is without sin holy unblameable compassionate merciful and able of which after But here in his dealings with Men he meets not onely with weakness and so offences and ill requitals but in some even after their eyes are opened with willing Rebellion closing them again and so the efficacy in Men is not so prevalent as it was with God nor the End so certain of being so accomplished in the blessed part on every Man though in every one that believeth it will but these things I leave to the after-Discourse having now shown concerning the Oblarion of Christ what was offered who offered it to whom it was offered For whom it was offered for what it was offered and to what End in which is an inclusion of his Mediation and of his coming again though not explicated which some Traditions and expressions of Men that darken it being removed will be very useful for our edification a little of which usefulness I shall in that order mention CHAP. 9. An Antidote and Caveat against some unfound Expressions FOr those Expressions about the plain Sayings of the Gospel that are so Serpentine-like first with Queries about the Truth of the plain-appearing Import of God's Sayings Hath God in saying Gen. 3.1 4. said was that his meaning do you think indeed he meant verily and in truth That Christ died for all Men gave himself a Ransom for all that he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole World or that any do indeed deny the Lord that bought them or depart from the Faith or count unholy the Blood of the Covenant wherewith they are sanctified c. and then follow on with plain Contradictions of the Testimony of the Holy Ghost boldly affirming Christ did not die for All Men he did not give himself a Ransom for All Men he is not the propitiation for the sins of the whole World none that are bought by him can deny him none that have true Faith can wholly depart from it none sanctified by the Blood of the Covenant can count it again as a common or unholy thing these are so gross that none that believe the Sayings of the Scripture for the Testimony of the Holy Ghost therein will entertain them and enough is said before to warn of these Part 1. ch 3 4 5 6 7 8. so that I forbear other answer to them But for those Expressions better coloured though having a tendency to the same End I shall instance a few of that learned Mr. Owens 1. That God will give Faith and Repentance to those whom he hath chosen and given to Christ to be saved a Pag. 264. Sect. 6. If this should be meant of Christ his dying and giving himself a Sacrifice to God and by that to save It 's shewn before That there are none given to Christ but upon the account of his Oblation be was given and gave himself for us but none of us given to him Rom. 14.9 but upon the account of his purchasing us also he in giving himself for us hath saved all Men from perishing for ever under the sentence of the Law as Mankinde at first fell under it and in that Death Rom. 5.18 in which thereby we should have perished and for eternal Salvation there are none given unto him to be saved but in the Heavenly call John 6.40 45. and 17.2 6. nor is he the Author of eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 but to those that obey him in believing on him nor can there be any choice but in Christ nor any chosen in him but as by vertue of his Oblation he is a perfect Saviour and so none first chosen for Christ after to die for nor is there any elect in him who are not begun to be saved by him for the Election is through the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Tes 2.13 14. 1 Pet. 2.9 par 1. ch 7. and Belief of the Truth and the Elect are Holy c. but enough is said in treating of the Oblation of Christ to shew the Vanity of this Expression it being also Scriptureless and not according to the Rule by himself approved 2. God purposed to give Eternal Life to his elect Believers and that none of them should ever be lost and committed the accomplishment of this to Christ b Pag. 84 2 Cor. 2.17 3.12 13. 4.1 2. This is no Scripture-Expression nor exprest in the plainness the Spirit in the Scripture useth but with much subtilty so as it might stand with the Doctrine he opposeth for if by Elect Believers he meant only such as believing the Grace testified in the Oblation of Christ are chosen through the Sanctification of the Spirit and the Belief of the Truth unto the Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Christ and so into union and fellowship with him and conformity to him and so being found believing on Christ the Accomplishment of their Salvation is committed to Christ and none such shall be lost Those he opposeth maintain this But if he mean of an elect Company in the Counsels of God preceding the Death
and Oblation of Christ and for him to offer for and so accomplish their Salvation This stands cross to the whole Testimony of Scripture about the Oblation of Christ as foreshewn Par. 1. ch 7. and is answered in the former Answer being no Scripture-saying nor agreeing with the Rule there given and by him approved 3. That the Fruits of the purchase of Christ shall certainly be bestowed on all those for whom he died c In Epist to his Higness p. 2. And again That all the effects and fruits of the Death of Christ antecedent to our believing are deposited in the hand or righteousness and faithfulness of God to whom as a ransom it was payed c. to be made out effectually to them for whom he died in the appointed time and season to which he quotes 1 Tim. 2.5 6. Heb. 2.17 2 Cor. 5.18 19. 1 Cor. 6.19 20. d Pag. 168. None of these places countenancing either of these expressions and some contradicting them cleerly And it 's before shewn how Scripture plainly affirmeth That Jesus Christ as the publick Man is by vertue of his sufferings and Oblation offered to God glorified with the Glory he as the Son of God had with the Father before the World was and That he is made The Christ and The Lord of all The Saviour of the World The Head of the Church The Mediator between God and Men The great High-Priest yea all Power and Authority is given to him yea Power to give Repentance and Remission of sins to open blinde eyes to communicate the Priviledges of sons to raise the Dead and to judge all Men according to the Gospel and to give rewards to his Servants the Saints both small and great to sit on the Throne of David and set his suffering-Saints on Thrones with him and all this the Fruit of the Death Oblation and Purchase of Christ and attained by him and to be believed O let not Believers be so puff'd up to think all this must be bestowed on them all Scripture is against it let none suffer himself by such dangerous Expressions to be occasioned to fall into the Condemnation of the evil Angels that were not content with their place But let this be waved as not intended though the Expression giveth Ground for it and waving this the Expression is waved as false and dangerous but take it in the best sense we can it is a confessed Truth That the Gifts of Apostles Prophets Evangelists The visible descending of the Holy Ghost The Gifts of speaking with divers Tongues The Gifts of Miracles were all fruits and effects of the Death Oblation and Purchase of Christ as hath been shewn in plain Texts and were procured by him into himself to be bestowed as Fruits of his Death before we believed And the Spirit saith That all these are not given not only not to every one for whom Christ died but even not to every Believer and Member of the Church So that this Expression as it's derogatory to Christ so it is contradictory to the plain Testimony of the Spirit in the Scripture But let leave be given to wave this though the Expression will not admit the waving it seeing these are things by some attained to and to be believed But if no more is meant but those Graces necessary to sonship and eternal salvation yet the Expression crosseth the plain sayings of the Gospel still that intimate to us the perishing of some for whom Christ died and hath plainly foretold us That some will deny the Lord that bought them yea the Scripture setteth forth the Death Oblation and Purchase of Christ as the Ground of the Lordship of Christ and of his raising the Dead and of the Equity of his judging according to the Gospel which is all denied by this Expression And yet here is more confusion and darkness in this Expression in a mistake of that for what Christ offered himself a sacrifice to God if not a short coming also in that which he offered surely in his paying the debt he died that is true and yet here is more than simply Death in the Oblation giving or Ransom or Sacrifice even Death Resurrection Ascension and giving himself to God that which he gave and offered to God for us was himself his own Body as is foreshewn And that for which he gave himself was for Men for sinners ungodly c. for us even for our sins to take them away and for our nature and persons to purchase us into his dispose as is fully shewn and proved True if there had been any that God had chosen and given to Christ to die for c. as Mr. Owen intimates in some of his Expressions then they were God's Elect and Christ his peculiar by donation of the Father before his Death and so his Death and Oblation could not be for them to purchase them or that they should be his by vertue of that Oblation and Purchase of his seeing they were his Father's Elect and his by gift before no need to buy after that which was given before therefore it must not be for them but for something else for them And what that is Mr. Owen's Expression hinteth and in other his writings he expresseth as if Christ in giving himself to God did purchase of his Father by his Death and Sacrifice certain Graces of Repentance Faith Love and other spiritual Gifts to be bestowed on some certain persons fore-given him to die for That such gifts are the effects and fruits of the Death and Oblation of Christ is true and granted because he by his Oblation procured that power and furniture when he purchased us and an Inheritance for all that believe on him by which he giveth and worketh these Graces though purchasing such Graces be no Scripture-phrase and yet this is still more unscripture-like in intimating as if all these Graces and Fruits were not in the Hands of Christ to bestow though purchased by him but deposited into the Hands of God c. Very true for they are all deposited in to the Man Christ in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily Col. 2.3 9 10. Isa 42. 1-7 and 61.1 2. And to him it belongs to give Repentance Faith Love and to communicate the Priviledges of sons and this Power and Authority he purchased when he purchased Mankinde to be given into his dispose Par. 1. ch 7. so that this Expression suits not to any plain sayings of Scripture nor to the approved Rule to which he commends us for trial 4. That there was but one type of Christ his intercession principally namely the entrance of the high Priest into the holy of holies e Pag. 216. Sect. 3. Surely he must comprehend a great deal in the High-Priest's entrance into the holy of holies to make that any direct Type of the Intercession of Christ at all much more to make it the principal one for the High-Priest entred into the holy of holies once every yeer
his Life for his Sheep even the Sheep of his Ministration and so how he left the World and is not here but in Heaven and yet how he remaineth here and is with and in his people on Earth and many like things by the discovery of Jesus Christ according to his Oblation offered are answered But they that despise this Use of the Oblation in their Ministration and set light by it because it opens so plain and easie a way of Knowledge and takes away that excessive Honour and as some conceive the necessary use of their great Learning and skill in Philosophy in Logick Rhetorick and School-Arts and so would hinder the Admiration of them both for these and also for some fleshly humility and outside appearing severity and holiness which yet they have in the Hearts of the People and thereby hinder their power of ruling over the Consciences and Faith of the people and so stain the pride of all their Glory Isa 28 9 10 11 12 14 16 17. with c. 29.9 12 12 14 15. and therefore they reject to submit to such use of the Oblation of Christ in their Ministration and yet to colour the evil of their refusal they will use all their skill to have here a line and there a line here a precept and there a precept of the Gospel and with such subtilties carry on the business as if the Vision of All were a sealed Book and whatever is there said of Christ his dying for all and being the Propitiation for the sins of the whole World c. that every one might believe and in believing have life and refreshing and so rest yet that is a thing sealed up it is not to be taken plainly according to the import of the words it belongs to some elect Company which unlearned Men cannot know nor the unlearned neither who they be that are of that number till by some of their studied Demonstrations it come to be manifested and to them you must resort for this Knowledge for the work of their Ministery is to help Men to know who be of that number and as for unlearned Men they must be kept humble and not presume to think themselves able to read the Vision or dare to understand it according to the plain import of the words and sayings in the Vision yea such by their great learning do so garnish over the matter that neither their secret end of self-advancing nor their slighting the Foundation and Vision of all may appear to the people yea they conceive to any for they say Who seeth us Who can accuse us Jer. 5.31 8.8 9. But these want true Wisdom and make false and vain preachings and writings and scorning to stoop to his command in directing the People for rest and refreshng to this appointed rest God sets himself against them Isa 28.12 13 14 16 17. to advance what they despise and cast shame on them and they persisting after warning become drunk with conceits and asleep and full of dreams Isa 29.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Prov. 14.7 19.27 Jer. 23.16 17 28 29 Mat. 15.1 Cor. 1.18 19-24 Rom. 1.16 and so teaching Mens Precepts lead the people to an hypocritical zeal and holiness in worshipping God and God sets himself to blast and punish them and will discover their subtilties that Believers shall know and reprove them and if yet they persist in their way and teaching the documents of Men he warns Believers not to hearken to them but to let them alone and not to regard their dreams assuring us that all devotion and worshipping of God by Mens documents is vain his Word is the Wheat the Rest Chaff his VVord the Hammer that breaketh the Stone the preaching of the Cross the Gospel is the Power of God and that wherein his power goeth forth to save So hath God magnified the word of the Oblation of Christ The second Branch of the Testimony of Christ CHAP. 12. Of the Mediation and Intercession of Christ And first of that general BY the Intercession of Christ I mean also his Mediation but not that part of his Mediation at once made in that one Oblation in his once offering up of himself a Sacrifice to God which is one part and the first part of his Mediation in which the first work and business was compleated but that meant here is his continued Mediation that in which by vertue of his own Oblation once offered and his first work finished he remaineth a Mediator still ever-living mediating and interceding and of this his continual Mediation that is still doing is in this Branch of the Testimony to be considered and it is both general and more special as will appear and so I will treat first of the General The general Mediation and Intercession of Jesus Christ is between God and Men. There is one God 1 Tim. 2.5 6. and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all Men. In which it is plain That Jesus Christ gave himself a Ransom for all Men not That he is giving but Hath given himself a Ransom for all That work is done and finished and yet this is here also evident That notwithstanding the Ransom given and the Purgation and Atonement made and the Redemption thereby obtained and the Love and Mercy shewn through this Ransom given in means to draw Men to God Men are found sinners still upon another account Rom. 2.4 5. even against the Grace that should lead them to Repentance and so not of one minde with God but averse to him and so need a Mediator but yet God in Christ is yet of one minde in his Love to extend Mercy and therefore hath found out and given this his Son and our Kinsman and Saviour the Ransom-Giver to be the Mediator between him and Men. So then this is also plain Gal. 3.20 That this Mediator is he even the same Jesus Christ that gave himself a Ransom for all Men and That his Mediation is with and by vertue of that Ransom given Now a Mediator is more than a Dayes-man or Arbitrator to lay his Hand on two Parties and variance to bring the one to abate some part of the Debt or Trespass and the other to pay and satisfie some part and so to make Friends and at one Joh 9.33 1 Sam. 2.25 such a one would not be sufficient for us nor can such a one be found But this Mediator is one that by an infinitely-unvaluable Sacrifice hath fully payed the Debt we were first run into he gave himself a Ransom and by the farther provision made in that Sacrifice and the over-abundant and infinite value and worth that was in it by vertue thereof he procures free-forgiveness of following evils on a new score and extention of means and Grace to Men to bring them into Repentance and so Peace and oneness with God so dealing with God for Men in procuring for
Application to Men in extension of the Fruits and efficacies to and in Men as to Mens discerning and enjoying the vertne and efficacy of the Mediation and Intercession is first though the Mediation be by vertue of the Oblation first offered to God yet the Mediation fore-running the making of it known and being that which procures the making known the Oblation and vertue of it unto Men and also it is through his Intercession and Dispensation according thereto that the efficaciousness of the Oblation is found in Men yet the efficacy with and in Men is various and in and with no mortal Man so full and compleat as with God and this appears cleerly in the Mediation and Intercession of Christ who there-through prevailing with God procureth and extendeth forth the knowledge of his Oblation and vertue thereof with God for Men in all that he hath suffered and done for us in the Nature of Man and in the means used towards us in the Declaration of his Word and in Ordinances Mercies Chastisements and Motions of Spirit in Convincements and Allurements to break Man off his purpose and subdue him to self-denial and so bring him in to believe on Christ and so to Peace and Life and also herein discovering the Father's Love and rich Grace and gracious Ends in giving him and accepting his Oblation and making him the Mediator and now for his Mediation extending so much patience and so many means all sanctified by his Blood to draw Men from their own ovil designs and wayes in sins or righteousness of their own to receive his Grace and Favour And in this Fruit of his Intercession by vertue of his Oblation he being the Man the Word that was made Flesh and shed his Blood and by vertue thereof is now through these means sprinkling it and his Father being that Fountain of Love and living Waters that sent him and hath filled him with himself his Face shining in his It in all appears not only that his Mediation and Intecession is excellent but also That this Love of the Father in giving him and his Oblation offered and Mediation by vertue thereof and the procuring the extention of the Fruits of God's Love therethrough is the Water and Blood by which he came and the way in which the Spirit beareth witness of him and so also the Water and Spirit of which Believers are born And hence also it is That all those means extended to Men in the Love of God as procured by the Intercession of Christ by vertue of his Oblation to so gracious an end they are the Cords of a Man proceeding from the Man Christ and suited to the needs and capacities of Men to whom extended Hos 11.3 4. With Isa 32.2 3. Joh 33 1-7 13-29 and such as will verily draw Men in to him if not presumptuously resisted and they are also the bands of Love that come from the free-Love of God our Saviour and to gracious Ends for the good of them to whom extended in these being the extention of the Call the spreading of the Curtains the means for the New Birth All which things in this Chapter are shewn and proved before in the 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 and 10 Chapter of this Part 2. Oh presumptuous Transgressors that conspire against the Lord and his anointed saying Psa 2.3 4. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Ah foolish and brutish Pastors that do disgrace these Cords Jer. 10.20 21. Cant. 1.3 Joh. 6.44 45. Col. 3.19 Psa 118.17 86.11 12. and spoil the Church of them Oh blessed they that in these drawings learn of the Father and come to Christ for such shall then finde the benefit of his special Intercession in the same Cords of a Man and Bands of Love to unite them to Christ and so to God in Christ for ever so conforming them to Christ and consolating them in him And so if we well weigh the Mediation and Intercession of Christ by vertue of his Oblation Job 1.29 1 Tim. 2.5 Heb. 9.15 we may perceive how all things are upheld by him and how excellent and prevalent his Mediation is for the good of Men that they might become Believers and Saints and for the good of Saints that they may enjoy the Promises and receive the promised Inheritance And so the Mediation of Christ is for such as are yet unbelievers that they might believe and for Believers that they may persevere in Faith to the Inheritance and by the Grace here-through extended He is Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End in the work of Grace and so the Author Captain and Finisher of Faith and so he mediating for all Men doth also therein and therewith more especially mediate and intercede for Believers his chosen ones that go to God by him CHAP. 15. An Answer to some Aspersions cast on the Professors of this Truth I Having in a former Treatise written That God so loved the world that he gave and sent forth his Son to be the Saviour of the world and That he sends forth his Servants to bear witness of his Son that all men through him might believe And quoting to the later Sentence Joh. 1.7 and 17.21 23. Mr. Owen was pleased to fault me for giving this Honour to Christ that any should by him believe and to fault my quotation of Joh. 1.7 thereto and saith It is my Sophistry learned of the old Serpent thus to apply this to the Son of God the Light witnessed to and saith We are said to believe in Christ and on Christ but not by him 1. I answer To take that Joh. 1.7 That Iohn was sent forth from God and came to bear witness of the light that all men through him that is Joh. 3.26 27 30 31 32-36 5.35 36 Act. 1.5 22. 10.41 42. 18.26 28. through Iohn might believe and not through the light witnessed by Iohn would be a very small All when a witnessing-Light of that true Light so out-shining the Light of Iohn's Ministration came in so suddenly upon it though witnessing still to the same Light that Iohn's Ministration is over And if Mr. Owen feared any disgrace to the Servants Ministration and so to himself hereby it was a causless fear and not occasioned by this quotation of the place which denieth not at all Iohn to be the Minister by whom all those to whom his Line reached that believed did believe even as the Apostles were Ministers by whom the Believers in their Ministration were brought to believe they ministred the Epistle and held forth and witness Christ the Light therein Joh. 3.14 15. and for any farther thing they disclaim it and for that cause witnessed of him and held forth and exalted him that men beholding him might through him believe and be healed But the believing of any Joh. 6.40 1 Cor. 3.4 5 6. 4.1 2 Cor. 3.3 18 Joh. 3 26-36 Mat. 23.8 9 10.
be a sober Questioning as in 1 Cor. 14. at large And the other Help is Helps in Government which is to be used when and in such times and places as they may be enjoyed And this is to ordain certain Brethren into certain Offices and set them in the same for better carrying on of the Ministration in the several and great Societies and Assemblies and for the comfort and enlargement and more orderly and beautiful proceedings in the Church and of the Affairs in her Assemblies and for convincing and stopping the mouths of unbelievers that may come into their Assemblies to hear them And these Officers chofen into these Offices Tit. 1.5 7. Phil. 7.1 1 Tim. 3.1 2. 5.17 Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3.8 10 12 13. are first Bishops or elders for both these Names are the Names of one and the same Office And secondly Deacons called also Ministers And about these the Gospel affords us many Directions some intimate some express all plain which for understanding I will instance some as 1. Act. 14.23 20.17 28. Col. 1.7 4.12 That these Offices appertain to the Church the Officers are to execute their Office in to the Church in those Assemblies for and in those Assemblies where they are chosen and set Act. 11.19 20 24. 15.22 32 as for their preaching to the World Unbelievers or service they may do in other places or Assemblies it is by vertue of the Gospel in their hearts and the spiritual Gifts received and so with Churches consent their Authority is from Heaven by which any of their Brethren so gifted and according to their Gifts may do the same as well and as approvedly of God as they 2. That there is nothing in these Offices or given therein to these Officers to do Pet. 2.25 Mat. 20.26 27 28. Joh. 13.13 14 15. Act. 1.20 but what was vertually in the Church before it chose them and which she had Authority from Christ and Love in her Heart to lead her to do for Christ himself is the chief Bishop of our Souls and when he was on Earth he was as a Servant Deacon or Minister also and did in that give us example 1 Pet. 5.1 2 Cor. 11.28 Act. 4.35 6.1 2. and so the Apostles by vertue of their commission and the business they were called to were Bishops and their Office a Bishoprick and by vertue of the Grace and heavenly Gifts given them they were Bishops or Elders having the care and oversight of all the Churches yea and they were Deacons or Ministers also yea and those grown in Grace and indued with spiritual Gifts Heb. 11.2 Tit. 2.2 1 Pet. 5.5 Phil. 2.4 5. 1 Thes 5.11 14. Col. 4.17 Eph. 5.21 1 Thes 5.12 Col. 3.12 Jam. 3.17 going as Fathers before others are also Elders and were to be sound in the Faith in Charity and Patience sober grave temperate as well as Elders by Office and to be submitted to by the younger also yea all the Brethren were to oversee and look to the things of one another to exhort comfort and edifie one another to warn them that are unruly to comfort the feeble minded support the weak yea even to admonish those that were Elders by Office and likewise to submit themselves one to another in the Fear of God as well as to those that were in outward Office yea to them all it belonged to visit the sick and releave the poor yea the Liberty for use of all the Ordinances of God belonged to the Church and holy Place yea where two or three of them by his Grace in the belief and love of his Name were met together they have the promise of Christ Mat. 18.15 20. his own presence with them they may preach pray receive in and baptize such as freely offers themselves and theirs to them and when need comples cast out Nor do we read of any of these things limited to Officers of a Church chose for doing them or so as if the Believers cannot with safety have these Officers they should be deprived of use and enjoyment of any of these Ordinances yea 1 Cor. 5.1 5 8. 11.2 23. 14.29 30 40.11.34 it is most probable the Corinthians wanted these outward Officers when Paul wrote his first Epistle to them yet had they all the Ordinances in use yea this Liberty and power continues in the holy Place when by the power of the Gentiles getting into the outward Court they are so kept down Rev. 11.2 3. that they can chuse no Officers in the place of the outward Court So that the chusing and setting such Officers in the Church is not to give or make up the being or true being of the Church which was truely a Church in being before it chose them Act. 14.23 and they were set in the Church which was a Church in being before they were set in it neither do they give the Church the Liberty and power of using the Ordinances of Christ but the Church gives the power of officiating by Office unto them the original of that power remaining in her still Nor are they chosen to infringe the Liberties of the Church or to free any of the Members of the Church from any service of Love Grace obligeth them to but to help forward and promote the same for all Believers are not alike either filled with Grace or Gifts some of them weak all have not like victory over their passions but some will be ready to vent disorderly all that are faithful and well gifted cannot have that Freedom and Liberty to oversee all their Brethren to afford help according to all the needs of the Society by reason of their outward callings and imployments in Domestick and Commonwealth-Affairs and the distance of their habitations and places of imployment though as God by providence opens the door and gives them ability and opportunity they moved with charity do readily and diligently minde how it is with their Brethrens Souls and what their needs are for their Bodies and according to the proportion of Faith given them Rom. 12.3 11. 1 Pet. 4.10 11. do teach exhort rebuke comfort c. and according to the ability given them of God minister to them for their relief which still belongs to all Believers to do even when they have Officers also yet cannot they give themselves wholly to this Ministration so to search the Scriptures and attend the Doctrine of the Gospel and oversee the state of all their Brethren and look into their distresses as need requires and is to be desired Wherefore as the Church or holy place hath power so she may chuse of the Brethren to attend to and give themselves to this Ministration which when so set in Office Rom. 12.7 Col. 4.17 these Officers are to look to their Ministration to fulfil it and the Brethren accordingly to attend and obey them in the Doctrine of the Gospel they teach 1
is convinced and brought off all things to accept of and confide in Jesus and so brought out of the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son and so by his Love believed framed to love him and that this is true Faith indeed none that I know but the deniers of Jesus to be the Christ gainsay yet is this but the farther Efficacies of the same Object of Faith beheld and so one and the same Faith still though in this degree united and made one with the Object so as it was not in the former Degree yet even in this Degree also there are divers Degrees and so some weak Joh. 2.13 14. 2 Thes 1.1 3. Rom. 3.21 22 25 26 27. Act. 6.7 2 Pet. 1.1 some stronger some stablish'd some Babes some young or strong Men some Fathers yea and in every of these Degrees some may be more grown then others and be before others yet all still in one and the same Faith and still also in this one Faith 3. There be divers Acts and Operations of this Faith 1 Thes 2.13 Act. 10.43 Gal. 2.3 5. 2 Tim. 1.7 Joh. 7.38 39. Gal. 5.22 23. Gal. 5.6 Rom. 10.10 Psal â—6 1 10. as to say a receiving Act in which is received the Word or Testimony and therein Remission of sins Justification Sanctification Liberty of access to God the Spirit of Faith Love Power and a sound Minde a springing act raising up prizings of Christ Love of God and Brethren bowels of Mercy c. a streaming Act Faith working through Love and so bringing forth the services of Love in Confession Prayers Praises Works of Mercy and Righteousness yet the Faith it self is still one and the same and so called the same the same Spirit of Faith yea when it produced Miracles 2 Cor. 4.13 Act. 4.10 11 12. the Faith was still the same though the Act extraordinary The belief of the History Rom. 10.8 9. is the belief of the Testimony of Christ which whoso believeth with his heart shall be saved and when through the Grace believed one is brought upon Christ he is justified from all sins past and in that believing receiveth continual justification Rom. 3.25 26 27. Gal. 5.7 Mat. 24.13 and if any depart from the Faith that proves temporary but he that endureth to the end shall be eternally saved the Faith it self being one still and but one Faith III. As Faith is used to express the Object of Faith Heb. 1.1 so it hath been reyealed for the full and cleer Demonstration of it at divers times and by divers parcels and degrees and at last fully and cleerly by Jesus Christ and yet that Object of Faith still one and the same each Revelation agreeing with and opening the former and so still one as hath been shewn in this whole third Part of the Treatise And because there is no Faith by the Holy Spirit called Faith but that which by his Discovery of this Object is drawn towards it in believing that the Believer might so be united to it Therefore the Faith is one yea and this Demonstration to lead us into unity because as it unites Believers in one Foundation to one Head so it makes them of one Heart and Fellowship Eph. 4.4 For there is one Body that is one Mystical Body or Corporation Fellowship and Society though the Members of this Corporation and their Offices be many yet the Corporation and Society in Faith Love and Fellowship of their Priviledges is one and all bear one Name 1 Cor. 12.12 20. Eph. 2.19 22. 1 Joh. 1.3 Cant. 6.9 Gal. 3.16 29. Hos 11.1 Rom. 8.17 Gal. 3.36 Eph. 4.4 1 Joh. 5.6 Joh. 15.26 Eph. 2.17 18. 1 Cor. 12.13 1 Cor. 2.16 Eph. 4.4 sa 45.22 Joh. 3.14 16. 2 Thes 2.14 Eph. 1.18 Eph. 4.5 Rom. 10.6 15. 1 Pet. 1.20 21. 2 Thes 1.10 Joh. 1.12 13. Eph. 4.5 the Name of Christ being called Christians And so there is but one true Church and Sanctuary that is united to Christ and shall be in and with him for ever and by vertue of their Union with Christ they are all in respect of kinde one Seed and one Son though in respect of their several particular Persons Heirs Children and Sons of God by Faith And as there is One Body so there is in it One Spirit even the Spirit of the Father and the Son that beareth forth the Testimony of Christ and enables to believe in Christ and brings to God by Christ and into this Fellowship working the Minde of Christ and so called the Spirit of Faith by whom all he calleth and so all Believers are called in One Hope of their calling The same Grace proclaimed The same looking and believing required and for the same end To be saved and to the same Hope in believing even the obtaining Eternal Life and Glory and so One Lord even the Lord Jesus Christ in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily and so One Faith as one Object so one Manner of believing which is Faith indeed that is produced by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and closeth with Christ the Object of Faith and so also One Baptism one kinde and end of the gracious Operation of the Holy Spirit in Baptizing into Christ and through his Name by all the Mediums of baptizing 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Rom. 6.3 6. Gal. 3.26 27 28. called also Baptisms into conformity to Christ in his Death that they may partake of the vertue of his Resurrection and so into the Fellowship of his body drinking into one Spirit and so becoming of one minde and that the minne of Christ the Son of God even as also there is 1 Cor. 6.11 Phil. 2.1 2 5. Eph. 4.6 Eph. 1.3 17. 1 Cor. 2.6 Mat. 10.40 Rom. 16.20 25 26. 1 Pet. 5.10 â— Psa 138.8 One God and Father of all who is above all and through al and in them all that are Believers he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and in him and shmes forth his Glory through him that Men might believe and so in and through him he is the Father of all that believe in Christ and above all able to overthrow all their Enemies and Opposers and to perfect all that concerneth them all so as all flows from and leads into Union and this Union of the Spirit bringing into the Union of the acknowledgement of the Son of God is that which the Spirit teacheth and to which all the Degrees and Operations tendeth whence we are exhorted to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace 2 Cor 114. Gal. 1.6 7 8. and so but one Faith which the Gospel calleth Faith and he that would finde out another Faith really true and holy in its kinde must first finde out another true Body that is the Church another Spirit another Jesus to be the Christ another Gospel and another Hope to call to and another God all real true and holy in their
Mediator between God and Men 1 Tim. 2.5 Isa 43.1 8 55.4 5 61.1 2 3 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 7.25 9.15 19 the chief and Prime Caller of Men to come to God by him and the special Advocate and Intercessor for all that come to God by him and so the chief Priest Prophet and King Heb. 5 7 8 9 10. 3. That by the means he useth Joh. 3.17 1 Tim. 1.15 Isa 53.10 11 55.5 Joh. 12.26 17 24 Psa 68.18 19 20 24 Rom. 2.16 and Spirit he sendeth forth as it is in earnest to all and hath a sufficiency in it that they might be saved so he shall see his Seed many shall thereby run in to him and so come to God by him and shall be blessed in him and inherit with him and they that persist in willing rebelling against him when by the means he useth they might come in to him and will not he shall judge also justly 4. That he shall have the Kingdom in the new Heaven and new Earth 1 Chron. 17.9 14 Psa 2.6 9 72 Dan 7.13 14 27 Luke 1.32 33 and shall sit on the Throne of David raigning in Jerusalem and over all the Nations under the whole Heaven and all his Seed even all that have believed on him and lived to him in the days of his Grace and Patience shall then have the Kingdom and raign with him and all his Enemies shall be destroyed 5. Isa 52.13 14 15 53.10 11 12 That to bring all this about in making it known and extending Divine Power in giâ—â—â—g forth his Knowledge to bring Men in to Christ and so to God by him that they might not perish but become his Seed and have Eternal Life and so he may see his Seed Isa 45.23 24 Phil. 2.10 11 Joh. 12.32 and of the travel of his Soul and be glorified and satisfied according to that promised him and is dayly fufilling and will be openly and manifestly to all when all shall come before him and confess him Lord to the glory of God Mat. 25.31 46 2 Thes 1.8 9 10 and he gives the Kingdom to all those that believed on him in the Day of Grace whom by his Knowledge he justified and then shall be admired in them and be glorified also in his equitable and righteous judgement on them that in the Day of Grace refused to believe on him by the means he used and so shall see the travel of his Soul and the excellency and acceptableness of his sufferings and Sacrifice with God in both Isa 45.22 Ezek 33.11 Prov. 9.12 to the Glory of God his Will and Pleasure all the dayes of his Patience being that by the means he useth Men should turn to him and live yea rather rest that though he will have his Glory on the scorners and not suffer loss to himself and that all this may be by this Knowledge of him and his Divine Power therein and so he have a numerous Seed and Refusers be altogether excuseless He in his Purpose and choice of the Man Christ did therein also purpose and chuse him Exod. 23.21 with 1 Cor. 10.9 Heb. 1.3 Isa 55.4 5. 1 Pet. 1.21 Joh. 14 15 16 17 and according to his purpose hath put his Name in and upon him to declare and make it known in by and through him and for that cause to make him known to cause him to be lifted up and displayed and in that discovery of him to glorifie him that Men might behold him and in beholding believe in him and so come in to him and to God by him and so be of his Seed and have Eternal Life and for understanding this we may briefly view three things in this 1. Exod. 6.2 3 4 What the Name of God is and that by his own Declaration appears to be himself and his memorial Rev. 1.4 Act. 17.24 25 Psa 105.8 9 10 Exod. 3.6 14 15 Exod. 34.6 Psa 145.8 9 Exod. 34.7 Joh 21.14 17 Psal 81.11 12 Mat. 24.37 38 Pro. 1.24 Ezek. 24.13 Joh. 5.40 Deut. 5.9 Psal 109.2 3 4 Ezek 18.2 20 31 32 Prov. 8.30 Psa 89.8 Gen. 17.1 Psal 66.7 Isa 45.21 22 Psal 9.9 10 Jer. 9.24 or the appearance of him in his Titles Word Works and so he is Jehovah he that is that was that is to come that hath his being of himself and giveth being to all things and to his Word The God of Abraham The God of Isaac and The God of Jacob with whom he made the everlasting Covenant This his Name for ever and his Memorial to all Generations and so The Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and Truth great in mercy good to all and his tender mercies over all his Works keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means cleer the guilty that is such as refuse and rebel against this mercy and goodness when in the means tendered to them and so will not come into him for Life will none of him and his wayes but visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon their Children and upon the Childrens children unto the third and to the fourth generation explicated Exod. 20.5 upon them that hate me that hate me that am so gracious and merciful and so reward me with evil for good and hatred for love on such and no other but such as so hate him will he execute sore punishment He is the Lord God of Hosts All-sufficient that ruleth by his power for ever a just God a Saviour and there is none besides him that calls all the ends of the Earth to look to him and be saved This and much more abundantly explained in many places of the Holy Scriptue is the Name of God which is so excellent glorious and gracious that they that know his Name will put their trust in him and are allowed therein to rejoyce 2. That this his Name even Himself Joh. 14.9 10 1.18 1 Cor. 10.9 Mat. 3.1 Isa 55.4 Exod. 23.21 Isa 7.14 Mat. 1.23 Isa 9.6 Jer. 23.6 Tit. 2.13 Rom. 9.5 1 Joh. 4.14 and his Memorial he hath put in and upon his Son that is The Man Christ he is The Angel that Israel tempted in the Wilderness the Messenger of the Covenant in whom his Name is and he is and is called so that he and his Name is Emmanuel that is God with us in our Nature and for us Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Jehovah our righteousness the mighty God and our Saviour Jesus Christ God over all blessed for ever The Saviour of the World Joh. 4.42 God's Salvation to the ends of the earth Isa 45.22 Phil. 2.7 10 Col. 1 28 Col. 2.9 10 Joh. 1.4 1 Job 5.10 11 Col. 2.3 Isa 42.1 61.1 2 3 4 2 Cor. 3.18 4.6 Isa 55.4 5 Joh. 4.10 Isa 65.1 2 Cor. 3.3 4 Heb. 1.3 Isa 49.6 Act. 1.3.47
interpretation in his gracious account and acceptance they are as Believers and of the Kingdom and he can regenerate them in the very taking away their breath if not before and he will compleat their Regeneration with the reft of the Saints in the Resurrection of the Just and of these he hath an innumerable Seed or Generation But these come not in the number I am to speak of nor was any purpose against these Let this be heeded Again for the Sons of Men as Men fallen and meerly natural and come to the use of understanding yet if no day of gracious visitation hath passed on them so as in some measure to open their eyes and give them to discern and move in their hearts towards convincement and turning these are all yet in blindeness darkness and under the power of sin and Satan corruption in sinful lusts working in them and so are blinde deaf dead in respect of the Life of God in Christ and so are unable to hear see understand and believe the Testimony of Christ yea all that come to the use of understanding till by some light and power from God they be so visited as to be touched in heart somewhat lighted and touched with some convincements in means used are in this evil case and none better then other in that respect And these are not the objects or subjects of the purposes I have to speak of but as there is in the will and purpose of God a Day or Dayes of Visitation for all that are come to the use of understanding 1 Pet. 2.22 especially where the Gospel comes and is preached among them as it is among those I can speak or write to So of such as this Day of Visitation hath passed upon let me be understood namely of those towards whom God in using means doth in the means he useth and by the light and power he therein extendeth open their ears to hear his voice and enlightneth their minde to discern so opening their eyes to see in some measure what is presented to and required of them and moveth in their hearts by his word sounded and grace presented that they might in seeing see in hearing hear and so understand and turn towards him and so he would heal them In all which there is no betterness in one more then in another yea they that in seeing see have nothing to glory in but the Riches of his Grace in giving them such an eye and alluring them with such an object in seeing to see and extending so freely following Grace to heal them But they that in seeing see not when an eye is given them and such an object presented to their view but for the love of any other thing dislike the light and so close their eys stop their ears and harden their hearts have therein willingly made themselves much worse then either themselves or their Fellows forewere and this not through any want on the part of God or Christ but meerly through wilfulness in themselves and siding with the Tempter And of Men thus visited and under this consideration I am now to speak and so in the Scripture I finde 4. God's will and purpose concerning these thus described and under this consideration and so beheld That those who when he hath so opened their ears and eyes and sounded his Word and presented Truth to them and moved in their hearts that they might in hearing hear and in seeing see and they then do in hearing hear or attend his voice and in seeing see and minde what he displayeth and presenteth to them and so in the motion and strength given them are assaying to turn at his reproof he will heal that is save enlive and enable them to believe and so pour our his Spirit and make known his words unto them such his purpose his word his promise But those that when he hath so opened their ears and eyes and is moving in their hearts as hath been said that they having eyes and ears might in seeing see and in hearing hear and then they for the love of any lust or conceited goodly thing or opinion or supposed righteousness close their eyes at the light reproving it and so will not in seeing see c. lest they should understand and be converted these he will blinde and harden so as they cannot believe but stumble at the word discovering Christ and convincing yet will he not altogether give over these at the first repulse but come again with some chastisements and renewed reproofs and strivings and if they abide not still in impenitency and unbelief he will receive and save them but if they still wilfully persist in their rebellion he will reprobate them and then they cannot believe but shall be eternally damned and so eat the fruit he saith not of his decrees but of their own wayes Prov. 1.31 32 Hos 13. 2 Pet. 2.1 Mat. 16.26 so that their destruction is of themselves they have lost their own Souls And these to be the purposes of God and in this manner to be fulfilled is abundantly cleerly revealed and affirmed in the Scripture John 5.25 The dead as all by nature are in sins and trespasses Joh. 5.25 Eph. 2.1 2 3 and that meant here expresly shewn by mentioning that as another manner of death when Men are in their Graves vers 28 29. shall hear the voice of the Son of God and he saith not all they shall live but they that hear shall live Which can be no other but they that in hearing hear he that quickneth whom he will will quicken them and they shall live vers 21-26 the Father and he being one in will and purpose and so our Saviour openeth it himself declaring this to be the way of his Father's and his proceeding according to his purpose and so his purpose when he telleth his Disciples the cause why he spake to the people in Parables Mat. 4.23 to whom it appears in all the three Evangelists he had before preached the Gospel plainly and they had not so received as to become his Disciples he saith to them that in hearing were become his Disciples Mat. 13. Mat. 13. v. 11 vers 11. Becanse it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given 12 now minde the cause or reason for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath And this explicated by himself Therefore speak I to them in parables 13 because they seeing see not and hearing hear not c. which is plain to be They have their eyes opened and their ears opened and by spiritual motion the word sown in their heart And so hath that is hath had given him an eye to see an ear to hear and the Word with motion brought to his Heart and so hath a price put in his hand Pro.
is to say first as a Description of the predestinate with that whereto they are predestinate and for what end secondly a propounding of examples to them of such Saints as have gone before and finished their course and so according to both these let the words be minded First I shall consider those three things as the Description of the Predestination 1. Who they are that God hath thus predestinated enough is said already to shew they are not any of Adam's Sons as fallen in him and naturally come forth from him as so remaining and so beheld but only such as are foreknown fore-owned of God which are onely the Called according to purpose 1 Cor. 8.3 Gal. 4.6 9 Joh. 15.16 Act. 9.15 16. 10.41 42. 1 Tim. 1.11 12 2.7 that through the grace and love of God in Christ believed do love God all these and none but these are known of God these all and onely these elect owned and approved God doth having first or fore-owned them in that very election and owning of them appoint ordain and predestinate them to this conformity 2. That is both intimately hinted what not to or expresly affirmed to what intimately shewed that it is not to make propitiation for sins and to offer the acceptable sacrifice c. for according to purpose Christ onely was to do and hath done that and God hath commended his love to Man-ward through him nor is it to be called as sinners to repentance and to believe in Christ and in believing to receive remission of sins past and so to be framed to love God and by Faith to be the Sons of God and in that Faith in him to have the beginnings of eternal life All which in some good measure they haye already being Lovers of God and called according to purpose and so known and approved of God before this predestinating them but that which they as Sons are predestinated unto is something in which Christ as the prime Son is set forth as a pattern to them and so it is expresly said They are predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Son which must needs be to that likeness of him in which he is set before us for a pattern and example to conform to and that may be comprehended in these three Branches as the Scripture plentifully and plainly shews I. 1 Pet. 2.5 9 Eph. 2.10 Rom. 7.4 5 Joh. 15.16 19 1 Tim. 1.11 12 2.7 2 Tim. 1.11 Act. 10.41 42 In services of love in declaring his Name and shewing forth his praises and vertues in word and conversation to this end were they created in him to good works that they should walk in them yea to this end their marrying and uniting to Christ that they should serve in newness of Spirit so Christ in chusing ordains to go and bring forth fruit so Paul when counted faithful was put in the Ministery and so ordained a Preacher and an Apostle Eph. 1.4 Phil. 2.15 16 Eph. 5.1 2. Joh. 13.15 34 35 15.12 yea all his chosen Witnesses and specially his Apostles were predestinated to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ in their Ministration and all Believers commanded to hold forth the word of life c. and so to be Followers of God as dear Children and to walk in love as Christ hath loved us who tells us he hath given us an example and bids us so to do To this they are predestinated II. In bearing the cross of Christ in this their service 1 Thes 3.3 4 in patient acceptance and indurance of such afflictions as they meet with for the Name of Christ and as God is pleased to try and exercise them withall And this the Apostle speaks of Mat. 20.23 10.22 1 Pet. 4.12 1.6 7 Act. 14.22 2 Tim. 3.12 Heb. 12.6 as a known thing among Believers which he had taught them also speaking of afflictions he saith For your selves know that we are appointed thereunto And Christ told his Disciples That they should indeed drink of his cup and be baptized with his baptism Whence Peter admonisheth not to count the fiery trial strange as if some strange thing hapned to us And the Apostle puts it in as of necessity We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God And Paul puts it down not onely as necessary but general All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and God scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth To this they are predestinated III. Phil. 3.9 10 2 Cor. 4.17 18 Rom. 5.3 4 5 Jam. 1.2 3 1 Pet. 4.14 Heb. 2.10 Luk. 24.26 Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 2.11 12 Mat. 5.11 12 Jam. 1.2 3 4 1 Pet. 4.13 Through these sufferings to be conformed to the Image of Christ in this life in spiritual vertues in meekness patience submission to the will of God experiments of divine power in fortitude constancy c. and after this life in glory and raigning that as it was appointed him through sufferings to be made perfect and to enter into his glory so it is by the same divine appointment that Believers follow him in the same way to enter rest and glory whence that is closed in with our Sonship and being Heirs If so be that we suffer with him that we may be glorified together if we be dead we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also raign with him whence those callings to rejoyce when such sufferings befal us And the predestination is principally to the way means and orderly leading to the purposed end and this that to which God's chosen are predestinated 3. The end for which he hath thus predestinated those he hath owned as unfeigned Believers and lovers of him to be thus conformed to the Image of his Son that is express That he his Son Christ might be the first born among many Brethren Plain it is Col. 1.18 Prov. 8.22 c. Col. 1.17 15 Col. 1.18 Act. 17.31 Mat. 2.18 Ier. 31.16 17 That this great design of God in this predestination of the Believers to such conformity to him still to advance and glorifie his Son that in all things he may have the pre-eminence he was and is without controversie in himself the first-born and before all things yea he is also the first-born of every creature so as they were made by him he is also the first-born from the dead and so the object of Faith for all Men. And more I might say in respect of those dying in infancy but in this it is that he might be the first-born among many brethren even those chosen and predestinated to conformity to him in such services and sufferings to pass therethrough to glory Heb. 12.23 Col. 1.18 Eph. 1.21 23 Ioh. 17.1 whence so believing on him they are called the Congregation of the first born as he is also the Head of the Church all whose excellency and happiness is in being still more conformed to him in that in which for
a pattern he is set forth to them in which as he is glorified so God is glorified in and by him so that predestination here cannot be a predestination of Men to be saved for whom Christ should die and suffer to save them for he then should not be the first-born in such a predestination scarce so the first in order but here he is the first in the choise predestination call justification and glorification and so in the whole pattern above all in excellency and they First believing and chosen in him and then predestinated to be conformed to him that therein he may be the chief and first-born among many Brethren And so we have the meaning in the Apostle's Description Secondly Let all these things in the words be considered as the Apostle here proposeth to the Believers according to his wonted manner the examples of such as had gone before them in the Faith to comfort and encourage them to service and suffering and through sufferings to wait for glory in which examples he also sets forth Christ as the chief to behold and conform to they when chosen were predestinated and then called to it and also justified and glorified and there is no change in God we may be sure believing in him 1 Tim. 1.16 he will even so deal in the same manner with us they are patterns for us that believe And so the Apostle giving a definition of Faith and a description of it and the marvellous effects of it in the whole Chapter Heb. 11.1 vers 13.2 sets forth a Catalogue of the great things done and suffered and their victory and certainty of the promises encourageth them having such a cloud of witnesses Heb. 12.1 2 to lay aside every c. and to run with patience the race set before them but above all looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who c. and so likewise James Take Jam. 5.10 11. my Brethren the Prophets c. for an example of suffering afflection and of patience behold we count them happy which endure ye have heard of the patience of Job and ye have seen the end of the Lord. 1 Pet. 2.5 So that as the purpose and promise of the Lord is They that trust in him shall not be confounded so these examples of his dealing with his beloved Ones Psal 9.10 34.22 Psal 22.4 5 is as a cord let down from Heaven to draw and hold us to trust in him at all times yea this exercise of Faith the Spirit leads Believers to and upholds and fills them with pleas in greatest distresses and that the Apostle propounds examples here of such as have finished their course appears in that the whole here said in 29 and 30 verses in the preterfect Tense not a word of that doing or to be done but all done Hath predestinated called justified glorified and thus taken the whole business is yet more plain And so I proceed 3. To shew what the Calling is that is here meant that foresaid hath done it already It is not the Call of unbelievers and sinners to repent and believe for Christ was never so called and though in that Call Believers are brought in to him yet it 's a following work of grace to conform to him so that the Call here is the Call of those that are Believers to such services and suffering and imitation of Christ in both as that both in the Call and the services of love and suffering they are conformed to him as is already shewn Moreover whom he did predestinate them also he called Rom. 8.30 There hath not been any of those that have been called according to purpose and loved God and were approved of him but as he hath predestinated them so also moreover and besides he hath called them forth to these services and sufferings and so to conformity with Christ therein and he is the same God still and keeps the same course still with all Believers and Lovers of him yet may we be confident and rejoyce in him in all for 4. Whom he called them also he justified The Justification here meant Rom. 4.5 3.25 is farther then simply a Justification of the ungodly believing in Christ and so receiving remission of sins past even such a Justification as in which the justified are conformed to Christ in his justification and what that was is express in the place of the Prophet Isa 50.7 8 9 Isa 43.2 Neh. 13.14 Heb. 11.4 2 Cor. 8.12 6.8 Rev. 12.11 Psal 44.17 18 Rom. 8.36 37 Isa 41.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 37 40 to which the Apostle alludes in this Chapter which Justification includes in it Help and Assistance in all services and sufferings even when they pass through fire and water that they shall not be overthrown or harmed and however condemned and defamed by Men yet he will accept and justifie their services and sufferings and approve of and justifie them believing in him when and while they are exercised in these services and sufferings yea he give them victory so as they shall overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their Testimony yea he hath alwayes done this to his Saints he called hereto he hath justified them and not onely so but Whom he justified Joh. 17.1 Heb. 12.2 Psal 44.17 18 c. Isa 52.2 Rev. 14.13 6.9 10 11. 2 Cor. 5.8 Phil. 1.23 3.20 them he also glorified He hath glorified his Son in the Nature of Man that suffered and finished the work he gave him to do so as he is glorified at his right hand he hath glorified the Saints that followed him with the glory of victory their Bodies at rest in hope and their Spirits with the Lord enjoying glorious rejoycing in the sight of his glorified body and happiness in his presence with infallible assurance of having their glory compleated on Soul and Body at his coming in the Resurrection of the Just and so hath he done to all his Saints before and so will do still and for ever And thus by this Rom. 8.28 29.30 we are led to understand the Purposes of God to be even such and the same that have been set forth in this fourth Part of the Treatise if we consider in the whole three Verses the next two things forenamed it more appears that is 5. What the end and scope of the Apostle here is and that appears plainly 1. Ch. 7.4 7 8.1 4 5 6 12 13 14 To stir them up to abide firm in the Faith and to minde the things of the Spirit and walk after the Spirit in love-services 2. Vers 17 18 23 24 To comfort and support them in the afflictions that came upon them while they walked after the Spirit in the Faith that worketh by love and so encourage them to patience and constancy in the induring of their afflictions persevering in faith and love yea even 3. To lead them to triumphing
c. for it is written Mat. 4.6 with Psal 91.11 12. he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up c. as if he should say If thou be his Son God hath absolutely engaged himself for thy safety and thou canst not mis-carry But he subtilly left out the middle clause in which was the Order of the Purpose and Promise to keep thee in all thy ways too neer which fault they come who asserting Believers kept by the power of God unto Salvation citing the Text 1 Pet. 1.5 leave out the middle clause the way in which he keeps them that is through Faith but our Saviour minded the Promise as it was and depended on his Father in his way and resisted the Devil with It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God so am I by that which is written led to refuse this notion and to imbrace for Truth all that is said 2 Tim. 2.8 11 12 13. according to all which the Apostle also directeth Timothy concerning others and bids him Charge them before the Lord 2 Tim. 2.14 That they strive not about words to no profit as all invention of Purposes or of Election or of any terms or Allegories which are not in Gal. 1.6 7 8. 2 Cor. 11.3 4 5. or are beside the Gospel delivered by Christ and his Apostles are but to the subverting of the hearers amazing and troubling their mindes into wavering and doubting of the Truth And so he chargeth Timothy himself 2 Tim. 2.15 Rev. 19.10 1 Cor. 2.2 3. Luk. 24.47 2 Cor. 5.14 19. Joh. 3.14 17. 2 Tim. 1.11 2.11 12 13. 3.16 17. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a work-man that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth which is the Testimony of Christ and him crucified and Repentance and Remission of sins in his Name Surely this is the Foundation and the right dividing it is with that form of sound Words which in the Gospel he had heard of Paul in Faith and Love And this applying according to the faithful saying here mentioned to every one instruction reproof comfort or terror as need was for which the Scripture did furnish him and then he farther warns Timothy to shun prophane and vain bablings as all their Fables and fancied Allegories 2 Tim. 2.16 foolish and vain Queries and opposition of Science falsly so called are which Peter prosessed was not in his preaching 2 Tim. 2.18 23. 1 Tim. 9.20 2 Pet. 1.16 2 Tim 2.16 3.13 2 Tim. 2.17 and here is a reason given For they such bablings and they that use them will increase unto more ungodliness and their word will cat as doth a canker or gangrene and so he names some of them of whom is Hymene us and Philet us who concerning the truth was not this the Testimony of Christ the Object and Foundation of Faith have erred yea departed and blasphemed or spoken reproachfully of it as is the use of such as turn the Truth into Allegories counting the plain Testimony of the Truth it self but a fleshly thing and the knowledge and belief of it but a fleshly knowledge and Faith but their Allegory a spiritual business 1 Tim. 1.19 20. with 2 Tim. 2 1â— as appears in their saying The resurrection is past already which could be no other then in some dreaming Allegorical Resurrection they pretended to have obtained which so took with the heares that thereby they have overthrown the Faith of some So that we have three here that were sometime of great note and eminency in the Church Hymeneus Alexander and Philetus that putting away a good conscience had made shipwrack of Faith themselves and two of them at least excommunicated yet by their corrupt teaching and vain babling they did also overthrow the Faith of some others And in the first Epistle he warned Timothy by the fall of these to look to his own standing And in this Epistle he warns him by the same to look to others and against all the discouragements that might befal him from the departure of such eminent ones and others also turned from the Faith by them tells them The Foundation of God standeth sure c. which is evident to be such a Foundation as bears forth the Truth of all the former faithful Sayings as he and all Believers are brought to and know and by abiding on may be fafe And this is no other but Jesus Christ And he being so often and plainly affirmed the Foundation and that there is no other given unto Men it may be marvelled why so many Worthies should upon this place say That God's Eternal Purpose and Election is the sure Foundation Let the Words be viewed to see if they import any such thing CHAP. 10. A view of 2 Tim. 2.19 to see what 's there meant by The Foundation NEvertheless 2 Tim. 2.19 the foundation of God standeth sure or steady having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his and let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity Nevertheless Notwithstanding those that turned their eye from Truth slighted the Foundation aspired in a Dream 2 Cor. 11.1 2 3 4 5 6 11 12 13 14 15. defiled their Conscience and so cast away Faith and others in listning to them as Evah did to the Serpent and so not heeding to the Truth or cleaving to the Foundation are overthrown weakned in or broken off from the Faith yet notwithstanding all this the Foundation of God standeth sure Now the chief business for me in this is to demonstrate what is here meant by The Foundation of God and though other places of Scripture have fully and plainly told us already yet we may minde what this place saith in observing three things What the Apostles scope was What was in his view What the words and terms with their several Branches and Distinctions are In all which it appears what the Foundation is and that it is Jesus Christ as set forth in the Gospel consider it well 1. The scope of the Apostle appears in this and the following Chapter to be to stir up Timothy and so others to faithfulness and diligence in the Ministration of the Gospel 2 Tim. 2.1 2 3 14 15 4.2 2.8 16 22 23 24 25 26 Jude 21 22 23. to be strong in the Grace of Christ for it and instant and fervent in it and for this end to endure hardness and avoid such things as might hinder him to flie youthful lusts vain bablings unlearned questions c. and to minde Christ risen from the dead that so he might with tender love and compassion endeavour the preservation and edification of those which did believe and the recovery of such as were departed and taken in the snare of the Devil some with compassion some with fear all with meekness and to encourage him in all this he tells him The Foundation of God standeth
their abode and going in and coming out and rage against him yea he knoweth the proud afar off and therefore he is fit to judge all and this is for the comfort of his Servants also yea he knoweth them and their thoughts and their wayes a good Meditation for them but knoweth in this business signifieth more then all this yea more then to say See part 4. ch 7. The Lord knoweth who they be that are his and who are not for the word here importeth special Grace Favour and Protection as hath been shewn The Lord knoweth that is the Lord owneth approveth chuseth delighteth in protecteth leadeth upholdeth manifesteth himself to and vouchsafeth fellowship with and maketh use of them to shew forth his vertues and praises by and so the word is used Psal 1.6 explained God is in the generation of the righteous God loveth the righteous Psal 14.5 146.8 37.17 112.6 5.12 1.6 146.9 37.17 112.10 The Lord upholdeth the righteous The righteous shall be in ever lasting remembrance For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield And this knowing of the righteous is opposed to the perishing of the way of the wicked his turning of the way of the wicked upside down so as the arms of the wicked shall be broken and the desire of the wicked shall perish yea to this understanding of the word knoweth here we are led by Christ and his Apostles yea the learned and godly Writers with one consent so take the word knoweth importing Approbation and Election The Lord knoweth them that are his These words by the connexion with the precedent and following words and the Apostle's scope appear plainly That By Them that are his are not meant all that are his in any sence as all that he hath right in to dispose of yea and to bring about his own ends by and to judge c. for so Psal 24.1 119.91 Joh 12.16 Psal 2.7 9. Rom. 13.9 Act. 10.36 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Phil. 2.9 10 11. Joh. 5.28 29. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein yea All are his servants The deceived and the deceiver are his yea God hath given to Christ upon the account of his sufferings and sacrifice all Nations of Men yea all Men to be disposed by him and he to be the Lord of them all and they are all obliged to him to live to him and will they nill they they shall all come one day before him and confess him Lord and he shall judge them In which sense all Men are his which though some through unbelief deny and will not acknowledge the Lordship of Christ upon this ground yet will none plead for them that are his to be taken in this sense here and it hath been often proved before That none that live in impenitency and unbelief can be reckoned in the number of those that are here meant by them that are his By Them that are his evidently appeareth here to be meant them that are his peculiar or his in a peculiar manner that is them that in the heavenly Call by the Gospel in discovery of his great Name Joh. 6.44 45. 14.21 23. 17.2 6 7. Rom. 9.24 Heb. 3.1 6. 1 Cor. 1.24 2 Cor. 8 5 Tit. 3.3 7. Rom. 9.8 Gal. 3.29 Rom. 8.28 2 Thes 2.13 2 Pet. 1.2 Hos 2.23 Rom. 9.25 26. 1 Cor. 8.2 3. Gal. 4.8 9. 1 Cor. 6.11 1 Thes 5.4 5. Eph. 2.3 10. that is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and God's love and propitiousness to Mankinde through him are prevailed with to believe in Christ and so through the Grace believed united to him and so wrought up to love God and yield up themselves to trust in him and live to him and in the abounding of this love believed springing up this Faith and Love in them he returning with more discoveries of Love and so approving delighting in and chusing them These are the Children of the Promise that are Christ his peculiar and Heirs according to Promise The Called according to Purpose that love God and Christ The Elect and chosen through Sanctification of the Spirit c. These are them that his his people in such a sense as before this they were not his people and so both knowing God and rather so known of God as before they were not so now in Christ in the light his Children and peculiar people which before they were not And this understanding of these and no other to be his peculiar people and chosen and elect Generation we are fully and plainly taught as all that will read and minde 1 Pet. 2.2 3 5 9 10. may see without interpretation or gloss and so it 's plain these are those here meant by Them that are his And we have the same from our Saviour's own Mouth who is the Foundation and the first sealed known approved and elect Joh. 14.21 23. 16.27 15.16 19. 17.6 10 16. Joh. 3.14 15 16. 16.24 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him c. And The Father himself hath loved you because ye have loved me c. and these he saith He hath chosen out of the world and they are not of the world And these are the Father's and these are Christ's so that it is plain these are The Them so known and owned of which Paul speaks here to Timothy and if any Man would put any into this number that are not of this Them the Scripture is directly against him So that in this 2 Tim. 2.19 according to Scripture-Language we have set forth intimately the Purpose of God and expresly and distinctly The Foundation of God that is laid according to his purpose Isa 28.16 1 Pet. 2.6 and the Election of those that are prevailed with by Grace to believe in and relie on Christ according to his Purpose also the Foundation is first laid and upon the account of the preciousness of this Foundation the owning and election of those that believe on him they shall not be ashamed I know not what can be more plain and evident and yet that which follows confirms all hitherto said 4. And let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity If any will take this as the flourishing of the Seal whereby it is demonstrated to others I hinder him not nor doth it hinder the scope aimed at yet I rather conceive it distinct for it is not said These Seals but this Seal which mentioned what it is he comes in with an and distinctive though not dis-junctive differenced though not divided both distinctive and copulative neither the Foundation nor the Seal yet an instruction and warning taught by the Foundation Tit. 2.11 12. Pro.
forth by our Saviour a Joh. 3.14 15 16 17. affirmed by his Apostle b 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6 7. and also against the Testimony of the Gospel affirming Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World c 1 Joh. 4.14 the propitiation for the sins of the World d 1 Joh. 2.2 to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World e Joh. 1.2 9. to have died for all and for every Man f 2 Cor. 5.14 Heb. 2.9 and to enlighten every Man that cometh into the World and so to be God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth g Joh. 1.9 â—6 â— and it also barks and snaps against God's gracious end in the Gospel preaching to the unbelieving and rebellious even to save h Act. 3.26 26.17 18. and it subtilly devours also in that it takes from Men the key of knowledge by which they might come to the knowledge of the Minde of God and the Mysteries of his Kingdom and shuts the Door to keep them from entring in at that Door to immortality and life which is brought to light by the Gospel and for this end it leads like the Serpent of old to query and put doubts in the plain sayings of God as Hath God in saying said was that his meaning did he mean sinners all men the world No sure he meant but some an unknown elect Company that may be some of all sorts of Men and to maintain this device it leads to change the words and terms of Scripture and for all Men and the World to say some of all sorts and for all every and the World to say of the Elect and call the Seal the foundation as more safe terms then the Holy Ghost useth for his terms confute the fable and it perverts and changes the sayings of Christ and to that end brings in Philosophy and multiplies Questions and strife about words to the subverting many I charge in this and that which follows nothing but the fable it self no Man unless he willingly and professedly make himself guilty But this is not all the mischief this fable doth as many that are delivered out of it can tell for this fable and VVolf being imbraced and taken for Truth or a Sheep and so admired it robbeth and devoureth many wayes as to say some that are inwardly touched and consciencious fearful to deceive themselves or be deceived having nothing demonstrated to them that can truly satisfie them that they are of this elect number are by the thoughts of it driven into a terrible and ungospel-like despair and from thence to hard thoughts of God yea neer if not to blasphemy of him for making Adam and giving him such a Law suffering him to fall and retaining in himself that Purpose to damne the most of men unavoidably without leaving them any means of escape and then to wish Oh that there were no God no Law no Heaven no Hell or that God had never given us being And all the comfort this fable will afford them is but this They may be elected for any thing they know though ten to one it is not so they may be of this smallest number and they must submit to the will of God to be damned if he have so purposed for he will bring them he saveth to this submission and if they submit to this there is hope they are of the elect number Oh! how hardly can they do this and how dreadful are their thoughts and yet so gracious is God that he affords some hints of Mercy to them in the thoughts of Christ his dying for sinners and coming to save sinners so that whoever believe on him shall not perish but have everlasting life and here their drooping Spirits begin to revive But then comes this fable again and tells them 'T is true indeed Christ died for sinners but not for all sinners but onely for such sinners as were elect from eternity and unless they be of that number the Death of Christ and all Faith in him they can attain to shall do them no good And the poor Soul hearkning to this is distracted and east down again and begins to think it must yield to be willing to be damned and they that cannot flatter themselves with conceit of such a willingness whither if the infinite mercy of God prevent not it will lead and whither it hath led some hath been sadly known And for such as can perswade themselves that if God will so they are willing to be damned what an unprofitable flash and vain hope it hath produced from their conceits of being elected and what horror or deadness hath after followed until that mercy of God in Christ that died for sinners as sinners hath recovered them not onely I but others that I have known have born witness with blessing our gracious God for bringing us out of that snare some also there have been and 〈◊〉 that hating prophaneness and prizing highly the righteousness of the works of the Law yet having embraced this fable think that salvation is grounded upon this fore-discovered foundation of God's eternal Election of some of Adam's Sons to eternal salvation and so that Christ died onely for them and so none but those elect can be eternally saved and they holding in this Opinion but not so inwardly afflicted in heart as the former fort unless such as are fallen into deadness which are liable in that deadness to the same snare with these who in words disclaiming to rest on or look to be saved by any righteousness or changes of their own but onely by the Free-Grace of God in his eternal Election and giving Christ to die for his Elect yet for knowledge of their Election that Christ died for them they slyly and subtilly take their inward change their sorrow for sin detestation and shunning of evil wayes their humility desires and prizings of Grace Love Zeal of righteous walking c. as a Fruit and Testimony of their Election before time and Christ his dying for them in time and so conclude that they are elected and that Christ died for them yet this their first consolation going before and raised from something before their belief of the Free-Grace of God in Christ dying for sinners as sinners they hide with a pretence of an acknowledgement of Grace they could not corrupt Nature would not it was Grace onely that wrought this change I think thee O God that I am not as other men are Luk. 18.11 12. c. And they in this magnifie the fable and the fable molesteth them not And so they grow into conceit with themselves and despifing others loving those of their own judgement onely and opposing the Children of the free-Woman Rom. 9.32 33. 10.1 2 3 Gal. 4. Phil. 3.3 7 8 9. that have their birth onely from the grace of God and trust in him onely Such their Confidence and whither such Confidence will lead is expresly told us even
to stumble at Christ And not I onely but many others have cause to bless God that in making Christ known overthrew this Confidence and brought us in to believe in Jesus Christ onely and so delivered us that from snare also But yet some there are Gal. 3.10 13. Tit. 3.4 that heeding the Testimony of Christ in the Gospel see these changes and righteous affections and doings of ones own are very imperfect and too weak to raise such a Conclusion from and not the way in which the Love of God appears to save Men and bring them in to himself and so not to assure Election or trust in for it or for life And that sueâ— Trusters cannot be justified before God but that is onely by the freeness of his Grace discovered to sinners as sinners through the Blood of Christ that died for sinners and so bringing them in to believe in him for Justification yea and Sanctification and all saving Grace through the freeness of his Grace O Grace how freely workest thou O precious Faith thou art now a working But this fable not being yet banished doth secretly suggest All this is true indeed but yet this Death of Christ for sinners as sinners and all this free and rich Grace in and through him is not nor never was intended for all sinners but onely to some of them before the World was the Elect and they onely and no other shall have it And for the reverence so of many holy Men as have affirmed this fable for Truth this Suggestion is received and so in stead of believing what Grace tendereth they are perswaded first to wait for some special and personal Manifestation of their Election from eternity by some supernatural shine and powerful dictate in some speaking to their heart that they are elect sons and so that Christ hath died for them and their sins are forgiven and for want of this many long languish and refuse to believe and to be comforted by the Words of the Gospel and some over-hasty of Consolation snatch at any word that cometh suddenly into their thoughts though left to their own and others Interpretation yet putt up with and boast of them some in this waiting ready to receive any Satanical delusion coming as an Angel of Light and so to be transported with strange dreams and erring fancies yet so merciful is God that to some thus waiting he not laying this their folly to their charge doth for his own Name sake in Christ in some season minde them of his graciousness and love in Christ with some saying or promise in the Gospel put to their heart in which they are drawn through Christ to behold him as a Father and so for the present sweetly comforted and framed yet the Dreams of the old fable not banished Anon after some grow proud of their visits and though foiled with some passions and lusts yet presumptuously confident in their visits They say They cannot by these things miscarry God can as soon cease to be God as cease eternally to save them because of his eternal Purpose corcerning them yet others in minding the great and free love and goodness of God in Christ and their own infirmities are kept more humbly confident in his grace in Christ and stirred up more seriously to acknowledge the failings that appear and to seek in exercise of faith and use of means help preservation and encrease of grace through Christ yet the relicks of the old fable hinders the free stream of their Love to such as are yet in ignorance and their ready declaring Gospel to them and apts them to many lofty Speeches and un-Gospel-like sayings and to judge all that by temptation are turned aside to have been but hypocrites before and to put a stop to weak Brethrens consolation that have not had their visits Yet God being gracious to both these sorts doth yet farther correct and teach them notwithstanding the force the old fable hath with them still and keeps their hearts to himself and out of some backslidings doth recal them and heal them his mercies are greater and his waves above Mans as many of us have cause to confess for by his gracious teachings the Gospel often breathing and shining upon their hearts notwithstanding all the miscarriages before said The Testimony of Jesus That he died for all and is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole VVorld That whoever of them believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life and this the Purpose of God is discerned and believed And so the old fable it self departeth and they are more freely and sweetly drawn upon Jesus Christ and have all their rest and joy in him and the freeness of the grace of God in him and to minde Purpose and Election as it is and appears in and through him and so begin to be united to him and in some measure conformed to him loving delightfully their brethren and with compassion those that are yet in ignorance and unbelief and readily holding forth the word of Life as a word of Truth and Verity to them And yet notwithstanding all this though the old fable be gone some of the dregs of it are left remaining secretly moving in them which they in their fancy are rectifying to a new mould as if though secret yet some such Election there is But God hath purposed and according to his Purpose sent Christ the Saviour of the World and he hath purposed and according to his Purpose hath doth and will use means towards all that they might be saved and especially where the Gospel comes yea so far stretching forth his hand in the means with such sufficiency of light and strength that they might indeed repent and believe in which repenting and believing he will surely save them by Christ and if they in such seasons do not repent and believe it is their own fault and they lose their own Souls all which is verily true But then follows If God should do no more but that which is enough and sufficient to bring Men in to believe then would none believe and so none would come into his rest and be eternally saved but some must enter therefore he hath decreed and purposed to overcome some with an almighty and unresistable power and those onely so purposed and so overcome shall be eternally saved This at first blush would seem to set forth God's Mercy to all Mankinde to free him from all the imputation of hardness and cruelty by the former fable laid upon him to abase Man and magnifie the riches and freeness of his Grace to some and the equity of his Justice to others and leaves room to preach the Gospel as Truth to all which the other fable did not yet in Truth well weighed it is found but a meer Artifice of remaining dregs of the former and if long remaining will have its barking bleat and bring forth many of its Fruits and now it may be more marvelled that the former fable gone
1.15 1 Pet. 3.22 23. Heb. 7 8 9 10. 1 Ioh. 4. Rom. 1.1 4. 1 Pet. 1.21 25. Ioh. 1.12 13. Gal. 3.7 8 16 26 29. Ioh. 3.14 15 16 17. Tit. 3.3 4 5 6. And these Promises except those as unto Christ even all as unto Mankinde fallen were made to them simply as sinners ungodly and in enmity against God But these Promises are now fulfilled in Christ and so for Men that they might believe and this is expresly affirmed So that Christ is come is the flesh the promised Seed in which is blessing for all Nations Gal. 3.16 the immortal Seed of which all that are born from above have their conception and birth neither is there any other Seed nor any that can be counted his Seed till by the Grace discovered in these Promises fulfilled they be brought in to him and so born again and so any Man in believing may come to be of this Seed and in this discovery of him as these promises are fulfilled in him wonderfully is the Love of God to Mankinde holden forth and displayed that Men might believe as is shewn in the Testimony of Christ and in the last Revelation of him and in the Purposes of God concerning Mankinde before But alas Mankinde fallen are not onely sinners and Enemies to God but therethrough naturally deaf blinde in darkness and dead in sins and trespasses and so unable to discern the grace in these Promises discovered much more unable to believe and turn in to Christ and so come upon this Foundation that they may be quickned and born of this Seed and what hope then to this the following Promises give answer The second Head or Branches of Promises are through Christ that hath thus far finished his work and for his sake to Mankinde the Sons of Men for though in and through the infinite Love and Mercy of God the former Promises might be and were both made and performed to Mankinde simply as fallen and sinners his Truth and Justice not gainsaying yet the Promises now to be spoken of could not be made much less performed if a ransome and Atonement had not been found in which Truth is fulfilled and Justice executed and so satisfied which is onely in the Death Resurrection and Sacrifice of Christ that made the Atonement and wrought Redemption in the Nature of Man Psal 85.10 11. In whom mercy and truth are met righteousness and peace have kissed Truth shall now hath sprung out of the earth and righteousness shall now doth look down from heaven And so it is through him that all the Promises we are in this Branch to view are made to Mankinde and they are also now in doing and performing and these are of three sorts that is to say 1. To Mankinde as lying in ignorance darkness Isa 42.1 2 4 6 7. 49.6 6. 52.10 13 14 15. 61.1 0 3. Mat. 12.18 19. Luk. 2.32 Rom. 15.21 Joh. 1.4 5 7 8 9. blindness and unbelief as that Christ shall be a Light to the Gentiles and shew forth Judgement to them and in Ministration of the Gospel preach glad tidings of peace and salvation to them and so open their blinde eyes and bring them forth of the dark prison to see his light c. in which he is alwayes faithful and according to his Father's will and in his season doth all this And these Promises have for their performance neither dependence on nor reference to the believing of Men but shall in a measure according to the means used by him be performed to Men whether they believe and heed it or not and in more special manner where the Gospel comes for he calleth all the ends of the Earth Isa 45.22 Mat. 4.16 25.24 26. Prov. 1.22 24. Rom. 2.4 5. Joh. 3.18 19. 15.22 24. but maketh light to shine where the Gospel comes yea he doth not condemn Men for impenitency and unbelief to whom he never shewed light nor gave eyes to see nor stretched out his hand that they might repent and believe but upon that very account condemnes the impenitent and unbelieving If it be replied That men are not able to believe that is answered in the next 2. Isa 45.22 55 5 Joh. 5.25 6.45 Mat. 13.12 13 15. Isa 55.1 2 3 4. Joh. 5.37 40. 16.8 2 Thes 2.10 To Mankinde when their eyes are opened and as he opens their eyes when light is not onely given but their eyes opened to see which though before they could not see yet now by the power in the light that hath opened their eyes they do see and while it abideth with them may in seeing see If they now do in hearing hear or hearken to his voice and in seeing see and behold him in this discovered grace he will save them they shall run to Christ and be enabled by him to believe a gracious promise to sinners and lost ones in which Mens unbelief appears to be their own wilful and great sin all which is fore-explained in the Purposes discovered in the Promises 3. Ioh. 3.15 16 36 Mar. 16.16 Isa 28 16. Act. 10.43 13.38 39 Ioh. 11.25 26. Rom. 4 5.23 5.9 To Men believing on Christ that though they were dead even chief of sinners and ungodly ones yet in believing in Christ as held forth in the Gospel and so in his Name in his Blood they shall not perish but receive forgiveness of sins and have eternal life yea thus believing on him that justifieth the ungodly by the Blood of his Son it shall be imputed to them for Righteousness O gracious and alluring Promises in all which the love of God to Mankinde appears it being the Revelation of his Purpose c. And concerning all these Promises with a favourable Interpretation Mr. Owen's Expression may be taken for true where he saith Pag. 114.3 The Promises are made unto sinners as sinners and under no other qualification whatever So he now except but some Promises as made to Christ of which he means not but take all these forenamed as made to Mankinde fallen and those about sending Christ to be a Saviour and those through Christ for extention of means and light to call and open their eyes that Men might repent and believe Rom. 3.9 19 20 23. were all to sinners as sinners and under no other qualification whatever for they were in or under no other qualification but all sinners without difference in that and whatever qualification may be conceived in opening their eyes and moving them to believe yet these two sorts of Promises are still to them as sinners as indeed they are and the Promises made to them without difference as such that in minding and believing they might receive pardon and purgation of their sins and yet though they be no better then sinners in themselves there is in the second publick Man a price paid an Atonement made for them and so they are beheld as Redemption is wrought
these Promises to be spoken of this is taken as granted without question they are Believers and have Faith already to whom these following Promises are made so as here is no condition required to be sought or brought but onely the use and exercise of that which of it self is working and fore-freely given not an ear but the use of an ear to hear given not an eye but the use of an eye to see freely given not a mouth but the use of a mouth given not a hand but the use of a hand given not simply life from death but the exercise of life freely fore-given So that here is fitness capacity and furniture as well as interest to receive these Promises and onely usefulness of that given which apts also to usefulness required for receiving these Promises which are not made to all Men nor to any Men simply as sinners and under no other consideration or qualification yea they are not directly made to any unbelievers upon condition of believing but onely so propounded that whoever believeth in Christ shall in that believing receive that grace which will interest them in them all so as they then appertain to him being a Believer and not before for the Promises to be spoken of are made to Believers the Disciples and Scholars of Christ and these may be ranked into four sorts 1. To Believers in several spiritual frames and exercises 2. To Believers abiding in their Faith Confidence and Love 3. To Believers for their abiding c. 4. To Believers for receiving after they have lived and died in the Faith CHAP. 2. Of Promises to them that are indeed Believers two sorts of Promises 1. THe first sort as I name them of Promises made to Believers are the Promises made to them in spiritual frames fellowship exercises and temptations in spiritual frames of poverty of Spirit mourning Mat. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Luk. 6.20 21. meekness hungring and thirsting after righteousness mercifulness purity of heart gracious promises to every one of the Disciples in all these frames It 's evident these Promises were made onely to Christ his Disciples though in the hearing of the multitude to allure them to become his Disciples that so in becoming his Disciples they might enjoy them but to the Disciples they were expresly made and given neither were they given to those frames and qualifications nor upon a condition of having them but expresly to the Disciples already so framed and under such qualifications though in some sense they were sinners still And this is cleer in comparing the places where they are recorded together though here one of them and there another be in divers places of Scripture beside In spiritual fellowship when Believers are drawn together by and in the Name of Christ for Fellowship in the Gospel and Ordinances thereof there are gracious Promises to them of his presence and blessing * Psal 36.8 9. 65.4 92.12 13. Mat. 18.20 also there are gracious Promises to the Believers in their spiritual exercises as of Meditation a Psa 37.30 31 Prayer b Joh. 16.23 24 hearing reading and preaching of the word c Rev. i. 3. Mat. 28.20 Mar. 16.15 and also gracious Promises are made to Believers in their sufferings for righteousness and the Gospels sake Mat. 5.11 1 Pet. 4.13 14. d 2 Tim. 2.12 Mat. 19.29 Mat. 10.19 20. 1 Cor. 10.13 Isa 43.1 2 3. Heb. 12.5 11. yea even when they are tempted by Men or Satan opposing the Truth that is in them yea though as need is God's own correcting hand be upon them yea even in their bodily death Rev. 14.13 and many-like gracious promises these I onely quote for the Reader to search because I know not of any opposition by Brethren to these 2. The second sort of Promises are to Believers abiding in their faith confidence and love and so persevering in their faith love and noliness to the end and so not to any condition but to them that have faith already and enough in and from the Lord to keep them with him he promiseth them in their abiding in and with him many gracious things to be so received Gen. 31.3 32.9 2 Chron. 15.2 Mat. 28.20 Jer. 42.10 11 12 13 14. Hos 6.2 3 Heb. 3.6 14. 10.35 38. 1 Pet. 2.3 4 5. Eph. 2.22 4.12 16 Joh. 15.4 8 9 10 11. Psal 81.6 8 9 10. Rom. 6.11 14. 8.11 12 13 14. Gal. 5.16 Col. 1.22 23. 2.6 7. Mat. 24.13 Rev. 2.10 2 Tim. 4.7 8. as to instance a few first That the Lord is and will be with them that is on their side to assist and deliver them and do them good much like that to the Apostles an illustration whereof we may have in another business in our types and also That these revived Believers in following on to know shall know the Lord more fully yea also in this fast holding of and abiding in their Faith they are and remain his house and partake more of Christ and shall be built more upon him and grow up more in him unto an holy Temple yea and yet farther in this abiding they shall bring forth much fruit and glorifie God yea they shall abide in the love of Christ and his joy be in them that their joy may be full yea if they attend still to hearken to his voice the Commandments shall be turned into Promises to them so as he will so write his Law in their hearts That they shall have no other God but him and shall open their mouth wide and he will fill it and though they have flesh yet lusting in them yet it shall not have dominion over them nor shall they fulfil the lusts of the flesh but grow rooted and stablished in Christ yea not onely all this but enduring and abiding faithful unto the end even to death they shall be saved with an everlasting Salvation and have the crown of life Are not here gracious Promises Is there not enough in the Promiser and in him in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen And in his spiritual presence and in the Spirit of faith love power and a sound minde given them and the tastes of the first fruits of his graciousness dispensed to them to allure hold and keep them with him yea to make them break forth and say with Peter Joh. 6.68 Lord thou hast the words of eternal life and we know and are sure that thou art the Christ c. whither should we go from thee yea with contentment and hearty desires Psa 73 23 24 25 26. to say as David Lord who have I in heaven but thee c. And whereas the flesh will be bogling Are not all the threats and curses denounced and annexed in the Demonstration of God's Minde against departure a good and gracious help for Believers to view and therewith to oppose terrifie and silence all the reasonings of the flesh And when the Wisdom
and Love of God hath so set them forth even to Believers for their good were it not sinful Jer. 23.16 17 27 32 33 34. by any dreams or colourable pretext to steal away the Word of the Lord in this respect from his People counting this part of his Word a burthen Surely it was not well done of Mr. Owen to alter the Words of the Apostle Heb. 3.14 in stead of For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginnings of our confidence stedfast unto the end Pag. 429. to put in Those onely are made partakers of Christ c. and then to add words of his own viz. And for the rest they are not c. The Apostle not using that Language it is not well done of any to use it to take away the word in the force of the Spirits caution joyned with his consolation from Believers and that is something worse to give out as if that said 1 Sam. 12.22 were not the consolation given to all the people to whom Samuel spake to encourage them to obey his exhortation 1 Sam. 12.20 21. and the threat vers 25. a warning not to them all to deter them from disobedience but the consolation to one part of them as godly and the threatning to another part of them as wicked and that Men might believe this to make the one part of them like those spoke of Jer. 31. which speaks neither to nor of such a peculiar people as was then in being though Mr. Owen would have Men conceive so but of a Generation of that Nation that shall be left of the Sword Jer. 31.1 2 3 4 5 31 32 33 34. and found surviving when the judgements of God have been executed on that Nation that then after those dayes shall be made such a peculiar people so it was wrongfully concluded hence by him that the threatnings such as in that 1 Sam. 12.25 are onely to the wicked and not to the Saints but to acquaint them with the terror of the Lord how he hateth wickedness and the Promises onely to the Saints and not to the residue of the people that the wicked may know his love of goodness how this will stand with his two Sayings before twice mentioned of the Promises made to sinners as sinners c. I need say nothing but of that he saith elsewhere viz. That the Saints are only wrought on and perswaded by the love promises of God but not by the terror of the Lord and that is it they hold forth only to the wicked affirming the same of Paul 2 Cor. 5.11 This is not right neither for the very word in that Text with that went before 2 Cor. 5.8 9 10 11. includes the judgement also in which the terror is as that which was also in the motive of his own and other Believers being perswaded to diligence yea intimates it also to have had some prevalency with the Corinthians And plain it is there also 13 14 15 19 20. That he held forth chiefly and mostly the love of God in Christ even to perswade unbelievers and not the terror without it nor but for the contempt and refusal thereof but no need to strive about that is so cleer who can read that profession of Job so oft expressing it and concluding For destruction from God was a terror to me Iob. 31.1 23. and by reason of his highness I could not endure Psal 119.120 And of David My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements And of Levi that not onely feared the Lord Mal. 2.5 but also was afraid before his Name And of Habakkuk Hab. 3.16 who when he heard the voice of the judgements his belly trembled his lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into his bones and he trembled in himself that he might finde rest in the day of trouble Yea hath not God promised to look to him Isa 66.2 5. 28.13 and appear to his joy that trembleth at his word when shame shall befal those that by devices labour to put it from themselves as not having any thing to do with them yet the Spirit saith expresly Prov. 28.14 Happy is the man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief yea was not Moses thus led for Israel Num. 22.6 15. Iosh 22.15 22. 1 Cor. 9.27 10.1 6 11. and Phinehas yea Paul in respect of himself and also directing all Believers to the same So that this fear in such as believe the Promises is no desperate but a hopeful fear as well standing with confidence as godly sorrow and mourning doth with rejoycing in the Lord as is seen in Job David c. So that this was rashly affirmed and yet worst of all that Affirmation of this Saying Pag. 221. God to be with us while we are with him is a cursed liberty left Men of departing wickedly from God it had not been well so to affirm of that saying of David to Abiathar 1 Sam. 22.2 â— Abide thou with me fear not for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety But when God in Christ Jesus hath called people to himself spoken peace to them in the Blood of his Son free'd them from the charges of the Law from the Accusations of sin and the tyranny of the Devil and terrors of death and filled them with the consolations of his goodness and promised them eternal life and also told them of the malice of Satan and the World and how they seek to devour them giving them this counsel and comfort saying I am with you and for you abide you in me and with me and I will be with you for ever and with me you shall be in safety but if you abide not in me you will be forsaken and lie open to all danger Shall any call this a cursed liberty c Surely Methinks if they could not see the goodness of it yet they should forbear reviling it knowing it to be the very Saying of the Holy Spirit in the Prophet 2 Chron. 15.2 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. to a good King and good People The Lord is with you while you be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you And this they counted not a cursed but a blessed liberty and it had as good a fruit in them Ioh. 15.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. And such-like Language used by our Saviour to his chosen Disciples who surely would have shunned it as blasphemy to call it a cursed liberty left Men of departing wickedly from God they knew it tended and the fruit of it in Believers was to keep Men both humbly and confidently to God If the saying startled and enraged him because it could not be answered yet so odious a censure trenching on God's own words might
in reverence of him have been forborn let become of our Opinions what will let God be True and every one that swerves from his sayings a Liar as for Saints by turning aside to fall depart c. Mr. Owen and all of his Opinion grant a falling may be and a grievous one also yea a departure though not total and final yet such as will be visited with grievous corrections such as may be as fire in their bones And we believe and Mr. Goodwin nowhere denieth Ier. 3.6 14 22. Hosea 14.2 4. Iude 22 23. but that there are Promises for these departed ones still That upon God's correcting recalling and renewed strife with them in which he will not be wanting in repenting and returning they shall be forgiven and received into former favour and renewed to former gracious consolation and hope again What needed then this harsh Censure and what profiteth the Opinion of the infallible certainty of the Saints perseverance When some of the Saints never attain this certainty Pag. 294. and some lose it in whole or in part yea many of the Saints who are not enabled all their dayes to mix the Promise of perseverance with faith and on that account do never all their dayes get free from some bondage c. So saith Mr. Owen whereas all that are justified by faith in Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 2. Gal. 1.1 have peace with God c. What is contended for If it were to help the Saints to persevere and to the Faith thereof then Mr. Goodwin his warning of the danger to avoid it and setting forth the Foundation on which they may safely rest and not be deceived is more farthering that business then the maintaining an impossibilty of final falling and set forth no Foundation for Believers to rest on for it in which they may enjoy it And surely these gracious Promises given to Believers abiding in the Faith with all the Cautions mixt with them are very helpful to Saints perseverance yet seeing there are Promises to help yet farther I will endeavour to quote some of them for the Reader to turn to and mind CHAP. 3. Of Promises to Believers that they may abide in the Faith THe third sort of Promises are to Believers that they may abide in their Faith and holiness Prov. 28.26 and not be left to trust on their own faithfulness for their abiding which would be unsafe for them and folly in them yea if any of them because of their love faithfulness and zeal toward the Lord or any attainments got or resolution made should thence resolve and conclude Isa 50.10 11. Mat. 26.33 35 Rom. 11 18 20. and rest thereon that they shall not depart from him or forsake him this though in the best Saints would certainly presage a fall for their standing and perseverance therefore that it may be by Faith Hab. 2.3 4 Gal. 2.20.1 Pet. 1.5 Gal. 5.5 and so that they may live by Faith and be kept by the power of God through Faith which is the onely way of attaining God in and through Christ hath given many gracious Promises which being mixed with Faith in Believers they will be enabled to follow the Lord fully as Joshua did and so be preserved till they come to the heavenly as he did to the earthly Canaan Psal 125. for the Lord forsaketh none that trust in him they shall be as Mount Sion c. Let us then search the Scripture where these Promises are 1. Psal 84.12 29.11 5.12 Isa 26.3 4. Jer. 17.7 8. They are blessed that believe or trust in the Lord he will bless them with peace and compass them about with favour as with a shield and keep them in perfect peace so as they shall take root and be established be green and fruitful and not wither 2. Deut. 33.3 Ioh. 10.28 29. Psa 18.30 Deut. 23.25 27. Rom. 16.20 Mat. 16.18 They are in the hands and under the wings and protection of the Lord and none can pluck them out of his hands so that he is and will be a Buckler to them and an Enemy to their Enemies and turn them back yea he will tread Satan under their Feet and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them 3. He will preserve and strengthen them he will preserve their souls Psal 31.23 24. 97.10 Prov. 2.8 Deut. 31.6 Heb. 13.5 Psa 37.28 their way their feet in his way 1 Sam. 2.9 yea he will never leave them nor forsake them but preserve them for ever so as they shall be safe through all dangers and set on high c. Psal 91. throughout 4. Isa 57.13 Psal 34.22 They shall possess the promised Land and inherit his holy Mountain and none of them shall be desolate Can any that believe Christ and therethrough trust God in his Word and so believe his Promises but that according to their Faith they are alike perswaded of his graciousness power truth and faithfulness according to these Promises to preserve their Souls in Faith and them in his Grace and way through Faith unto Salvation in his abundant goodness and truth And to help Believers to this believing and confidence these Promises are brought nigher to us Rom. 13.11 2 Tim. 1.9 10. 1 Joh. 1.1 2 3. and made more open and easie to be believ'd then when first made before the first coming of Christ in that now 5. Christ hath come in the flesh and Jesus is the Christ and he The Lord Jesus Christ The Son of God The Son and Saviour of Man The Head and Brother of all Believers who hath suffered for our sins overcome death offered the acceptable Sacrifice and is exalted and immeasurably filled in the Nature of Man with the Holy Ghost and in him all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen all the Promises are his 2 Cor. i. 20. Joh. 1.12.13 Joh. 6.37 38 40 7.2 6. and to him it belongs by vertue of his purchase and the donation of the Father to give the Dignity and Priviledges to be the Sons of God to Believers and to keep raise and give eternal life to those by the Fathers testifying of him drawn in to believe in him as hath been shewn in the Declaration of the Purposes which are opened in the Promises And he the Lord Jesus Christ telleth us plainly That his goodness the choice benefits of all his sufferings and Sacrifice and Mediation extendeth not to the Father to help or add any thing to his perfection but to the Saints that are in the Earth Psa 16.2 3. compassed with infirmities and to the excellent yea even the Spirits of just Men made perfect who have not yet received all their happiness in whom namely those Saints both that live by Faith and that have died in the Faith is all his delight And he communicateth the Priviledges of Sons to all that believe in him and they are born of God and have eternal Life Joh.
1.12 13. 1 Joh. 5.12 13. Gal. 3.29 Ioh. 6.40 45. 10.27 28 29. Ioh. 14.16 17 26. 15.26 27. 16.7 13 14 Rom. 8.26 23 14 15 16. Psal 73.24 and are Abraham's Seed and Heirs according to Promise and he will own them and keep them so as they hear his voice and follow him and he will give them eternal Life and they shall not perish And this he will do by giving forth into their hearts his Spirit in and with his Word to minde them of his Sayings foresaid by himself and by his Spirit in his Prophets and Apostles and so to testifie of him and take of the things of him and shew them and so glorifying him to them he will both enable them to pray to God in his Name and receive Answers from him and also witness with their Spirits that they are the Sons of God and so lead them in his way into all Truth and unto Glory and assures Believers in a plain Affirmation by his Spirit both that there is an incorruptable and undefiled inheritance that fadeth not 1 Pet. 1.4 5. reserved in Heaven for them and also that they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation it 's cleer the power of God here meant is Rom. 1.16 1 Thes The Word of Grace he hath helped them to believe which is the power of God to Salvation in every one that believeth and the Holy Spirit in and with that word which is the Hand Luk. 11.20 Act. 11.21 1 Cor. 3.4 〈…〉 3. 2 〈◊〉 3 4. Ioh. 17.11 12. the Finger and power of God the Divine Power or power of the Divine Nature in and with the Gospel which is his Name this that by which Christ in his Ministration kept those given him and by which the Father and he still keepeth such By this power of God are Believers kept through Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in the last times and how can it be through Faith if the Object of Faith seâ—â—rth in the Word and the influences of that Object be not continued to them that they may continue believing and in believing mix their Faith with these Promises and so be united to and with Christ in the Promises or how can it be through Faith if they also do not in the belief of the Grace Power Truth and Faithfulness of God which they have been helped to see and believe in believing the Testimony of his love in the gift of Christ and in his Blood shed for them when they were Enemies Rom. 5.6 7 8 9 10. Tit. 3.4.5 6 7. Gal. 5.5.6 6.6 Hab. 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 Ioh. 3.36 Rom. 4.13 16. even from thence believe and relie on him for all that Grace and Life which he hath promised and so mix Faith with or be united by Faith to the Promises This being the professed way of the Believers confidence growth expectation and perseverance to the inheritance yea this the way of the Believers living in being justified and so preserved to the enjoyment of the inheritance promised till which time there is no other way for the just to live but by Faith and by Faith they shall live and God hath appointed this to be by Faith even to this end That it may be by Grace and that the Promise may be sure to all the Seed And indeed it can no other way be sure nor is there need of any other assurance of perseverance to the inheritance then the assurance of Faith even the assurance that Faith in the Object giveth and Faith in believing receiveth when through the belief of the Love of God to sinners appeareth Rom. 4.17 25. 5.1 2 5 6. Isa 28.6 1 Pet. 2.6 2 Tim. 1.12 4.18 2 Cor. 5.1 in having given his Son Christ to die for their sins and being therethrough led to believe in God for performing his Promises and so mix Faith with the Promises This the Faith of Abraham of which Faith and assurance of hope therein none that have it will or need to be ashamed for sure here are Promises enough confirmed enough in Christ for Believers to mix with Faith and so trust in God even for keeping and preserving them and as he doth enough to keep them trusting in him so he will never fail or forsake any that trust in him But alas will some say this is comfortable to them that in believing do mix Faith with these Promises for their perseverance and so trust in God but we are not able in and by all we believe to mix Faith with these Promises and so to rest patiently on God for our perseverance yea we are not sure the Faith we have is such but that we may fall from it To whom I answer If thou believe the Testimony of Christ as given in the Gospel thou shalt be saved and in this belief abiding in him thou shalt not miss but finde his Grace enabling thee to mix Faith with these promises for perseverance and to help thee and all that believe Jesus to be the Christ Here is yet farther provision for thee in the precious Promises to lead thee on and so enable thee to mix thy Faith with the Promises and these helps though all to one gracious end yet in some respects they are divers and manifold yet meeting in one to lead thee to unite thy Faith with these Promises onely before I mention them take this Coveat that an Opinion of an impossibility of one that doth once truely and indeed believe to fall away again from the Faith is none of the helps given thee in Scripture nor is this Saying That many of the Saints are not enabled all their dayes to mix the Promises of perseverance with Faith and on that account do never get Freedom from Bondage any of the helps given nor will the holding of an Opinion that all true Believers and Saints shall certainly persevere bring those Saints to the heavenly rest and inheritance which never are united by Faith to the Promises yea even the Promises thereof and so have not their Faith mixed with the Promises The Apostle is plain in this desiâ—ing the Saints That he and the residue that knew this might without offence-taking by the Saints have leave and liberty to fear lest a promise being left of entring into his rest any of those Saints he wrote to should seem to come short of it and the very Ground of his fear was lest this Promise should not be mixed with Faith in every of the Saints that had heard it alleadging That the cause of others falling short and not profiâ—ing because the word heard was not mixed with Faith in them that heard And indeed the Holy Ghost doth not lead his instruments to daub up any with untempered motter as if they may be Saints that shall infallibly persevere and yet never be able all their dayes to nâ—â— Faith with the Promises of perseverance c. But he affordeâ—â— directions
perdition and destruction of ungodly Men yea of all that then will not serve Christ and his people yea all the Saints with him shall have this honor To execute vengeance upon the Heathen to binde their Kings c. as is said 3. Jer. 3.17 18. Ezek. 30.24 37.21 22. Isa 52.8 Jer. 33.7 8 9. Isa 19.24 25. Jer. 48.47 49.6 7. Rom. 11.15 26 27. Psa 126.1 2. Heb. 8.10 11. Jer. 31.31 33 34. 32.38 39 40 41 Ezek. 37.24 28. Yea they shall also be with him and see the natural Seed of Abraham that are at that time found surviving of the whole twelve Tribes of Israel from all the utmost parts of the World come into their own Land yea then will that be fully performed that is promised 2 Sam. 7.10 13. Isa 11.11 16. Jer. 31.8 9. And they shall not onely see this but they shall also see of other Nations come in together with them to worship God as Egypt and Assyria and of Moab and Ammon and Elam yea of all Nations that shall be left living upon the Earth Psal 66.4 and 89.9 O joyful sight what can this be to such as love God less then life from dead and ravishing and satisfying joy and yet this is not all for then also being with the Lord they shall themselves receive of the Lord the full of the Covenant and Testament he in the day of grace was for and to them being the Mediator of that Testament in their behalf the Minister thereof giving in a spiritual first fruits to their Spirits but now openly making it in performance both to Soul and Body and they shall also see it made with the whole house of Israel as it was fore-made for them with their Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob yea in a fuller sense because not to be looked and waited for by Faith then but to be enjoyed in performance both to their Fathers and them so as they shall then all know the Lord and there will be no more any remembrance of their sins by him they shall have no more any hunger thirst pain or any sorrow 4. Then also shall they see Jerusalem that great City Psa 128.5 Isa 33.20 66.13 Jer. 3.17 Isa 9.7 24.23 Luk. 1.32 33 Dan. 7.14 Psa 72.8 9 10 11. 106.5 Isa 65.17 2 Pet. 3.13 Isa 9.6 7. 11.1 9. Psa 72. 75.1 2 3. Heb. 2.8 Psal 8.4 5 9. Rom. 8.21 22. the praise of the Earth the Throne of the Lord a quiet Habitation yea then and there shall they see Jesus Christ in his glorious Body The Son of David The King in his Beauty and Glory sitting upon the Throne of David his Father and ruling before his Ancients gloriously in Jerusalem and over all the Nations and Kingdoms of the Earth under the whole Heavens then shall they see the good of his chosen and rejoyce in the gladness of his Nation and Glory with his Inheritance for then they shall have a new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwells Righteousness the Creation restored to its purity the light of the Sun as the light of seven dayes the Earth bringing forth plentiful encrease and all Creatures at peace among themselves the people among them all righteous and not one suffered to live among all Nations that shall rebel against them all Righteousness and Peace and Prosperity streaming among them through the blessed Restauration by and Government of the Lord Jesus Christ the King 5. The Tabernacle of God Jesus Christ in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily and the holy City Rev. 21.1 5. 1.6 5.10 2 Tim. 2.12 Mat. 19.28 29. Luk. 19.17 19. which are these that have died in the Faith being risen and meeting the Lord in the Air comes down from Heaven in which God then dwelleth with Men having made all things new and now shall these Children of the Resurrection be Kings and Princes and chief Rulers in the Commonwealth of Israel and shall judge or govern the World and rule the Nations and so raign in this flourishing Kingdom with Christ on whom they have believed and with whom they have suffered yea now the Lord Jesus the King of Kings as he hath secured them from any hurt by the second death Rev. 2.11 20.6 3.5.21 2.7 17. 22.14 Mat. 10.41 42. Luk. 14.14 Mat. 29.29 Rev. 7.13 17. 11.18 so he will give unto them to sit with him in white raiment on his Throne and give them a new white Stone with a new Name even of Victory in it and to eat of the hidden Manna and of the Tree of Life yea also Rewards according to all their services and sufferings for his sake yea the Kingdoms under the whole Heavens shall be given to the people of the Saints Dan. 7.27 Rev. 21.24 6. Isa 66.10 23. Psal 72. Their exercise shall be a joyful and continual Sabbath-keeping with the Lord in singing Hallelujahs and new Songs of praise and all Nations shall acknowledge them The beloved and blessed of the Lord Isa 60.3 14. 61.9 1 Joh. 3.2 1 Cor. 13.12 Phil 3.20 Col. 3.4 yea they seeing Christ as he is and as they are seen they shall be like him but how glorious this estate will be is not yet manifested and so beyond our conceptions but onely that we know that we are now Sons and that in a measure we shall be then like him in glory And all these things may be seen more at large before in Part 2. ch 18. III. For the Promises to be performed to them when Christ shall have finished the work of the Davidical Regiment raised and judged all the Serpentine Seed and cast the Devil and his Angels and all the Enemies the wicked into the Lake of Fire and then delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father the Promises to be then performed I finde no other but an Ascension or encrease of this happiness and glory in God being All in all onely this I finde That the Kingdom shall never end Dan. 7.14 27. Isa 9.7 60.19 20. 61.7 Luk. 18.30 1 Cor. 15.28 Psal 16.11 never pass to another people they shall be ever with the Lord and everlasting joy shall be upon them and they shall be in everlasting life for ever and for ever only the administration of the Government is exalted or ascended higher so as God is All in all in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right Hand are pleasures for evermore that this is and that so it shall be is exprest and so most certain and sure but what manner of glory it will be is not yet revealed nor will be till Jesus Christ come and take unto him his great Power and Raign And these be part of the Promises made to Believers to be performed to them 2 Tim. 4.8 after they have finished their course and at the coming of Christ and if Believers do well minde these Promises Rom. 8.18
Prov. 1.22 23. 9.2 6. Isa 55.2 7. of the Promises of God in the three several Heads or Branches it appears That the Love and Free-Grace of God in all appearing hath enough in it to call and draw in the worst of Men and Unbelievers that hear it Rev. 22.17 Joh. 3.33 Rom. 3.4 1 Joh. 5.10 to repent and believe and to confirm the Faith of Believers and to lead â—em to the assurance of Faith for perseverance Oh that Men would believe God more then Men and not make him a liar to justifie Men and surely the Covenants of God are suitable to the Gospel of God and his Purposes and Promises of which next An Explicite Declaration of the Testimony of Christ c. PART VI. CHAP. I. Of the Covenants of God with the two publick Men. THE Covenants of the Lord are sure and according to his terms of covenanting shall certainly be performed to every Iota but those I am now to consider be such as pertain to life and godliness and so to Salvation And therefore I shall endeavour to set them forth as upon search in and by the Scripture understood according to the Testimony of Christ I finde them either made or promised to be made beginning with those already made and so I shall begin with the two publick Men the first Adam and the second Adam I. What the Covenant made with the first Adam was is not exprest but as it may be gathered by the story and elsewhere in Scripture what such great goodness extended obligeth to and so it cannot be denied but that the Grace of God in the Creation of the Heaven and Earth and a world of Creatures for Man and Man himself in the Image and likeness of God and making him a publick Man and common Father of all Mankinde that were to proceed naturally from him and set him in a place of pleasure and appointed him a service of delight in dressing the Garden making him Lord of all the Creatures below affording him Liberty of Communion with the Creator and a Tree of Life on which eating he might be immortal and live for ever This did oblige him to believe and acknowledge the Word Wisdom Power Truth Love and Goodness of God his Creator and therein to love the Lord his God with all his Minde Heart Soul and Strength and his Neighbour even all Mankinde that was to come of him as himself and so to walk in this belief of God and love of God and his Nieghbour doing whatever God should say unto him from that natural Principle of Righteousness God had implanted in him and though this was to works yet I cannot for all this say God made with him and put him under a Covenant of works to do and live or by doing such things to live not onely because I finde no Record of any such thing imposed by such an Obligation from God on him nor engaged and promised so on the part of Adam but because God in breathing into him the breath of life and making him a living Soul Gen. 2.7 1 Cor. 15.45 Gen. 1.27 Eccles 7.29 Col. 3.10 did so frame him to the likeness of God in Righteousness and Holiness inspiring such a Disposition into his Soul and Aptitude into his Faculties Parts and Members that it was natural to Adam and he freely inclined so to love God and his Neighbour and apted with motion and strength to have walked out in that love yea as natural as for the Sun to give light or the Fire heat or the Earth to bring forth its fruits so as no outward imposed or inforced Law was needed nor was he under the power of any such either to charge or to accuse or excuse If any reply That he was under a Covenant of works because he was set to dress the Garden Gen. 2.8 15. I answer That God put the Man in the Garden to dress it and to keep it is true but That he made that as a Covenant of Works to put Adam under a Covenant of Works it being so easie and delightful it doth no more appear to me then God calling a People out of Darkness and Bondage into Light and Freedom chusing them in and building them on his Son to offer up by him spiritual Sacrifices 1 Pet. 2.5 9. Luk. 1.74 75. and shew forth his praises and serve him in Righteousness and Holiness should be a putting them under a Covenant of Works If it be replied That the Lord commanded the man saying Of every Tree in the Garden eating thou shalt eat or Gen. 2.16 17. thou maist freely eat but of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for c. I answer This implies that Adam knew the Nature of all the Trees and shews the great Liberty that God gave him in his delightful business of dressing the Garden to eat of them all but one and shewed him the danger of eating of that one to keep him from it and therein gave him both the Oportunity and Liberty of exercising the Freedom of his Will in shewing forth his well-pleasedness with and freeness of abiding in the way of his Creator which else he had been in a sort necessitated to and could not have shewn forth that Freedom as now he might And this is not like a Covenant of Works enjoyning Works unless any will have a ceasing from one Work to be the Works to which if any should tempt him he could not plead want fasting Mat. 4.2 hunger all which was on him that overcame to weaken or necessitate him to it and the Truth is 2 Cor. 11.3 See Part 1. ch 9. 10. Had he abode in the belief of the Word of the Lord he had not eaten of it and so fallen So that by all I can finde The first Adam was under a Covenant of Grace Grace obliging and Grace given leading and so at least a gracious Covenant and so was all Mankinde at first in him during his innocency unless one should deny any thing freely from God to be of Grace and free and undeserved Favour but onely forgiveness of sins and that which follows thereupon and so exclude not onely Adam in his innocency but the Holy Angels also from being under Grace or free Favour But Adam in the Female first and then thereby in the Male listened to the Tempter questioning the Truth and meaning of the Import of the plain Saying of the Lord and so let go his Faith or believing of God's Word and so eat and sinned and fell Gen. 3.1 7. Rom. 5.12 18. and so all Mankinde sinned and fell in him and so in this his fall he lost his righteous Disposition and aptitude to love God and his Neigbour the Law of Righteousness was now out of his heart and a contrary Disposition sprung up therein from the poysonous VVord of the Serpent received and so he and all Mankinde in him fell under the Covenant and Law
calleth them that they may turn to him believe and live and that whoever cometh to him in this his Call Joh. 6.35 37 40. he will not cast out but receive them and give them eternal Life and raise them up at the Resurrection of the Just at the last Day 3. Upon the part of the Father again to Christ That he shall sit at his right-Hand till this Ministration be accomplished Psal 110.1 2. Isa 53.10 11. Joh. 3.35 36. 14.21 17.23 and that he will beat down his Foes and Enemies and make them his Foot-stool and he shall see his Seed and the VVork of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands and he will accept and love all his Seed that believe in him and love them even as he loveth him and that though the Devil with all his Serpentine Seed oppose his Ministration and hold out many from coming in to him Psa 2.9 22.27 28. 72. and seek to delude and turn aside such as are coming and raise up Persecution against him in the World yet his Ministration shall be effectual in many and he shall see his Seed and of the travel of his Soul and shal overturn and judge all his Enemies and then all the ends of the Earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord and come and serve and worship him and then he and all his Seed shall have a new Heaven and a new Earth and shall have the Kingdom and be in his presence with everlasting joy for ever and ever as is shewn before in the Testimony of Christ and Purposes and Promises And this is the everlasting Covenant confirmed in Christ for him and all his spiritual Seed Psa 89.19 37. Joh. 6.56 58. Gal. 3.16 17. Rev. 22.16 Mat. 22.43 44. Rev. 1.8 11. 2.8 3.7 14 21.6 7. and stands fast with him for them for evermore This was confirmed in Christ that spiritually was before Abraham before made to Abraham and so before the Covenant made with David for Christ also is the Root and Lord of David and indeed the Covenant made and as made with Christ is the onely original Covenant and that out of which all Covenants are derived that are for the good of Mankinde or Believers yea without this none could have been for the good of fallen Mankinde and the happiness of Believers And for the right understanding of all and every Covenant of God this is first to be understood The differences between the two publick Men the natural and the spiritual The Covenant under which the first fell and under which the second was made and having satisfied upon that account the Covenant both of Grace and Glory made with confirmed in him and so in respect of the business done 1 Cor. 15 21 22 45 46 47 Rom. 5.14 Mr. O. p. 9. the firmness of the Covenant made in viewing the publick Men oppose the second publick Man to the first publick Man and the spiritual Seed come into the second to the natural Seed come forth from the first and so what we have from the one to what we have from the other and not in such business oppose the first Adam to the Saints but to the King of Saints of whom he was a figure But now I will endeavour to say what I finde of Covenants derived from this made with Christ and through him made with Mankinde or with Believers and so to begin next with Mankinde CHAP. 2. Of the Covenant of God made through Christ with Mankinde VVHat that Covenant is That God hath through Christ made with Mankinde was not so cleerly opened in the beginning when first made as since and yet still it is not so cleerly express in any one place of Scripture as to be plainly there read but in searching and comparing divers places together it is to be found and so this we finde 1. Jer. 5.22 24. Job 36.24 33. 37.3 4 24. That the mercies of God extended to Mankinde through Christ the preservation and upholding the Heaven and the Earth and the Creatures in both and ordering all so sweetly by his providence for the good of Men yea the hinting and rumour of a Saviour extended through whom all this mercy is shewn All this doth still and more oblige fallen Mankinde Psal 104. all even all Men to adore and acknowledge this infinite Wisdom Power Mercy and Justice Love and Goodness of God and so to fear love and trust in him with all their Hearts Minde Soul and Strength and to love their Neighbour as themselves and to walk in this fear and love doing whatever the Lord hereby requireth of them and there is no natural Son of Adam Rom. 3.10 11 19. 2.19 that can free himself from being under this Law since the fall of Adam nor yet fulfil it and though God in and by Christ and so Christ doth not set Men free from being under this Law in themselves till his season nor will judge them in justifying or condemning them by it Rom. 2.24 15. 3.19 20 21. 5.20 Act. 14.17 17.26 27 28. yet there is an usefulness of it that is good in his sight and profitable for Men to which his mercy obligeth and that is that by the effects of this Law upon their Hearts requiring and excusing and accusing they see and acknowledge their sinfulness and the vanity of their best doings and so their need of a Saviour and Mercy through him that they may so seek after God and finde Mercy and free-Favour with him and this sense and use of this Law is also a part of his Covenant But to proceed 2. In the rumor of Christ to come at the beginning Gen. 3.15 1 Joh. 3.5 8. Heb. 11.6 Lam. 3.25 26. there was testified the Love Graciousness and Propitiousness of God in providing such a Saviour through whom Remission of sins and Life is to be had so as this engaged to believe him to be gracious a Forgiver of sins and a Giver of Grace and Life to such as seek him 3. Act. 14.17 17.26 27 28. Psa 19.1 6 Rom. 10.18 2.4 Psal 145.8 9 17 18. See Part 3. ch 1. The Mercies of God extended unto Men in his Works of Creation and Providence do witness forth the Truth of that-first rumored namely That there is some Atonement and Propitiation with God and that he that is so true and righteous is therethrough gracious and merciful which witnessing of his Goodness to Men engageth them in acknowledgment of their own short coming and inability to answer that Obligation in which they are naturally bound to love God c. in this acknowledgement to believe his Graciousness and therethrough to believe in him for life and in that Belief as a Testimony of Love and Thanks to him according to Light and Strength given to live to him and wait for his coming By all which considered we may understand That the Covenant of God
follow them Joh. 14.16 17 26. 16.13 15. Joh. 15.4 11. Gal. 5.5 6. in sending his Spirit to teach lead comfort and guide them as hath been shewn in his Purposes and Promises and on their part that they abide in him and so walk in Faith that worketh by Love waiting through the Spirit for the Righteousness of God in all these Promises by Faith In which living by Faith they shall be daily nourished with the Grace Strength and Goodness of the Divine Nature in Christ and so to walk in Love which will fulfil all the Righteousness the Law requires of them and also on their parts in case by any Forgetfulness or Temptation 1 Joh. 1.7 9. they fail in the exercise of their Faith and Love and so be drawn aside to serve some lusts of the flesh that they then confess their sins and crave pardon and healing in his Name and he for his part engageeth to heal them and so to keep them through Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in the last times and for help of their weakness he hath afforded them his Ordinances to attend Mat. 28.20 Joh. 13 14 15 16. 1 Joh. 1.9 1 Ioh. 3.23 1 Ioh. 4.21 Joh. 14.21 Prov. 3 4 6. in which he hath promised to meet with them and bless them all these things are shewn before in the Purposes and Promises The Engagements on Christs part are seen in his Promises of Spirit Healing and the Engagements on Believers parts seen in his command to them affirming such as are his to have his commands in them and these commands they are That Christ in the Name of Wisdom chargeth his Sons to keep in the middest of their Heart And so we may see in these three foresaid points what the New Testament is nor can any thing here required be grievous to any that are in this New Testamental Covenant For 4. Rom. 8.1 2 3 4. There is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit What Consolation is this for such as through believing the Testimony of Christ are brought from under the bondage of the Law and Old Covenant Rom. 7.1 2 4 6. Gal. 5.16 17 18. Rom. 7.14 17 20. into this New Covenant with Christ to bring forth fruit to God and serve in newness of Spirit though they have flesh in them which lusts against the Spirit and much trouble thereby so as many infirmities be found in them and some failings yet if they allow not the same and so yield not to walk after the flesh make not that their Way and Trade but walk after that is allow like and yield up themselves to live sow to and walk after the Spirit the Law of Grace proceeding from the Testimony of Christ believed in their heart if according to the Light Strength and Motion given into their Hearts from this Spirit they do delight in the Law of God and desire and will to walk in it and so yield themselves to walk their wants and weaknesses which they would not are not charged on them there is no reproof no condemnation from God from Law from Conscience that shall wound them nothing that shall break their peace none to them And this the Apostle delivers positively as very Truth and then sets to his Seal rendering his own experience of the same Truth for he also had his flesh his carnality his Law in the Members rebelling against the Law of his Minde and so both disabling him from doing all that good he would and carrying him as a Captive to the Law of sin which discovered his sinfulness and of Death sentencing him to death the beholding of which caused a cry yet believing on Christ he saw and found deliverance so that this Law discovering sin and sentenced to death had not power to fasten its condemnation on him For saith he the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8.2 As if he should have said Though it discover sin in me and sentence death upon me yet it cannot fasten on me to condemn me for I looking to Jesus Christ that hath suffered and made peace for sinners in believing on him The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath made me free Joh. 8.36 c. And this also he builds on the true and sure Foundation that is laid open for all and gives a general Rule saying vers 3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh Rom. 8.3 the Law given by Moses discovering sin and sentencing to death was in it self good and holy and promised life on performance but could not give it because of the weakness of flesh so as Men could neither satisfie in performance nor yet in suffering the punishment but they would have perished in it but God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin or because of sin or by making him a Sacrifice for sin condemned sin in the flesh even executed judgement on the flesh or Nature of Mankinde that sinned in the person of his own Son as the publick Man in the room of Mankinde and that to this farther end that the righteousness of the Law the life it promised and could not give us and the righteous affections and love services it required not affording strength to bring them forth might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8.4 us that believe in Christ and so are in him having received Remission of sins and Spirit with a new inclination that it might by degrees be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh that is delight not in and approve the Wisdom Righteousness Confidence Affections and Lusts of the flesh which were all condemned and crucified in Christ his being condemned and crucified upon the cross for us so that we make not this flesh our Lord and rule and our way to walk after it but after the Spirit In eyeing and believing in this Blood and Cross of Christ and accepting it Rom. 3.25 4.5 23 24. 5.5 8 10. so believing on him of whom the Spirit testifieth admiring the Grace the Spirit commendeth therethrough and according to the Light and Grace thereby given in the inward Man delighting in this Law of God Law of Grace of Faith of Liberty the Law of the Spirit of life and so taking it as our Rule do will incline and yield to make that our trade to walk therein Jam. 1.25 2.12 Rom. 6.14 1 Joh. 1.7 Rom. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.1 13. Gal. 5.13 16 18. 6.8 1 Cor. 9.21 we shall receive forgiveness of sins and healing of victory over them and have assistance and encrease of life and so no condemnation Is not this the language of the Spirit in the Apostle to the Romans and to the Galatians and
other Churches yea doth not the Apostle profess himself not to be without Law to God but under the Law to Christ and doth not the opposition of these two Laws that of Moses and this of Christ in Rom. 8.2 3 4. suit and agree in one with the terms of those two Covenants mentioned Heb. 8.2 6 7 8. and so mentioned as the two Testaments that of the Letter and that of the Spirit the Old and the New in 2 Cor. 3.5 14. and it being a Law of Faith Love Liberty requiring nothing but what it giveth and inclineth to and giving pardon for all weaknesses accepting the will for the deed Surely those that believe his great Love and Faithfulness will confess his Truth Mat. 11.30 1 Joh. 5.3 and say That his yoke is easie and his burthen light and his commandments are not grievous And more I need not say to shew there are Engagements on both parts in the New Testament or what the New Testament is even that Obligation or Covenant made with Believers in and upon the Dispensation of the first Fruits of the everlasting Covenant to them and grounded on the death and sacrifice of Christ and the love of God commended therethrough which known and believed effecteth Faith in him and love to brethren and both obligeth and moveth and affordeth Grace to live by Faith and walk in Love and so to wait for all his Promises and not be offended And surely such as know and taste this Grace will not count harsh nor take offence at or evade as not spoken to them but count good needful and profitable for them whose standing is by Faith that worketh through Love even all those caveats given against departing and all those Exhortations to abiding given in the Gospel nor can they be displeasing or hurtful to any or hindring their Faith and Consolation in Christ that do believe Christ to have died for the ungodly and by his Grace commended to them therethrough to have called them and enabling them to believe and so given them the Spirit of Faith Love Power and a sound minde when he made this Covenant with them In which also is assured assistance from him forgiveness of their failings on confession of their sins and turning to him forgiveness and healing of their backslidings he also by vertue of his own Blood remaining the Mediator of this Testament for them and the Dispensor also to them affording them in all this To ask what they will in his Name Psal 138.8 Phil. 1.5 6. 2 Tim. 4.18 and he will do it yea if it be even to perfect all that concerneth them never forsaking the work of his own Hands but perfecting his begun-good work and delivering them from every evil way and so bring them to his Kingdom Who but those that desire Liberty for the Flesh can desire a better Liberty and Consolation then this or a greater for sure other Liberty to frail Men cannot be good and of the Covenants made I know no more then these already declared and Christ given for a Covenant and this New Covenant thus given by him to Believers the choise of all as made but yet as to be made there is still more or greater CHAP. 4. Of the Everlasting Covenant as remaining to be made IT is evident That the Covenant remaining to be made is no other but a new manner of making of the same everlasting Covenant that was made with and confirmed in Christ at the beginning for him and his spiritual Seed and after declared as confirmed in Christ to Abraham and so immediately made with him and Isaac and Jacob for them and their Seed which should be of the same Seed still and afterward in respect of the King and Kingdom so also made with David for him and his Seed which should be of the same Seed still and so because this Covenant was first opened to and made with Abraham it is called God's Covenant made with Abraham and because it was after in like manner made with Isaac and Jacob Abraham's Sons and so every of all those three being the Fathers of all Israel therefore it is called The Covenant of their Fathers and because in respect of the Kingdom it was after also so made with David it is sometimes called The Covenant made with David and this Covenant still called The everlasting Covenant and The Covenant of the Fathers which was made to these Fathers for them and for their Seed to wait for the performance thereof by Faith the first Testamental Covenant given in the beginning of a literal performance was for nurture of the Seed till Christ came and then to be shaken and pass away and the Second or New Testamental Covenant given in the Dispensation of the spiritual first Fruits of the everlasting Covenant to nurture Sons for walking in Faith and Love till they come to the Inheritance when the fulness of the Everlasting Covenant will be performed to Soul and Body both when though the first Fruits abide in the Harvest Rom. 8.24 1 Cor. 13.9 10 11 12 13. Heb. 12.26 27. yet the Obligation in respect of living and waiting by Faith and use of suitable outward Ordinances will be shaken and pass away also in the coming in of that fulness so that the Everlasting Covenant in the fulness and compleatness of it is that which is waited for and remaineth to be made not to be waited for by Faith in carnal observances as till Christ came nor with the first Fruits of the Spirit to wait for the fulness by Faith in use of spiritual Ordinances as since the giving of Christ for a Covenant to his coming again but to be made in and by a compleat performance of it as all that is said in the Promise of making it doth evidence And of this making the Everlasting Covenant foremade with Abraham for him and his Seed then with him and all his Seed in performance I am now to treat and though in the Revelation of it and Promises of it it be foreshewn yet as it is insured in the Promise as a Covenant to be made I will note a few things about it that are cleerly set forth in the Scripture as 1. The Time when it is to be made 2. The Persons with whom it is to be made and 3. What is to be done in this manner of making it all included and not darkly but cleerly intimated and exprest in that known place Jer. 31.33 Jer. 31.33 34. But this the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother 34 saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and
I will remember their sin no more Minde these words and see That this Covenant was not then made when Jeremiah wrote it he saith neither I have made nor I do make but I will make nor doth he say I will presently make for the old faulted Covenant yet was and for a long time to be in force but After those dayes I will make the last of those dayes being not yet come and so the Covenant yet not so fully made as here is promised to be made and so in them I will view the three things mentioned I. The Time when this Covenant is to be made is cleerly express to be after those dayes he saith not these dayes as speaking of the dayes of his prophecying onely or those neer following after but the dayes of which he prophesied that must first come and the things therein to be done first done and then after those dayes and those things done in them he will make this Covenant it is nowhere said in respect of the fulness That he will make it before as for a dispensation of a spiritual first Fruits and a New Testament made to nurture Sons to wait for the fulness in the making this Covenant to come in its time this was to be and hath been done by Christ at and since his first coming and is here intimated verse 31 c. as is foreshewn But for the fulness before that be done and the Covenant so made the whole House of Israel that are then surviving even Israel and Judah the natural seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob must be first brought into their Land and converted and then Jesus Christ the Son of Abraham and David must visibly descend from Heaven and all the Saints be raised and changed and come with Jesus Christ and break the power of all Oppressors And then when these things are done after those dayes he will thus make this Covenant as is said And this is that said here by this Prophet as elsewhere by the rest of the Prophets This Prophet speaking of all the Families of Israel to whom God will do this saith Behold I will bring them from the North-Country Jer. 31.1 2 3 4 6 7 and gather them from the coasts of the Earth with them the blinde and the lame the woman with childe and her that travelleth with-childe together a great company shall return thither They shall come with weeping 9 and with supplication will I lead them I will cause them to walk in Rivers of waters in a straight way where in they shall not stumble For I am a Father to Israel and Ephraim is my first-born He that scattered Israel 10 will gather him and so on to verse 16. in which he promiseth That the Children of Rachel shall come again from the Land of the Enemy to their own Borders including the Children slain by Herod in and about Bethlehem Mat. 2.17 18. which shall be then also raised and so on to the 27 v. Behold 16 27 the days come saith the Lord that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast 31 33. and so on to verse the 31. saying Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Govenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah And what and when it shall be he sheweth in verses 33 34. and pointing to the time he saith After those dayes that is those dayes as then to come and in the greatest measure and full sense yet also which he prophesied of from the 8 verse to the 30. And this he again after affirms and explains Behold Jer. 32.37 38 39 40 41. 3.14 18. 24.6 7. 30.16 22. Ezek. 11.17 18 19 20. I will gather them out of all Countries whither I have driven them in mine anger and I will bring them again to this place and I will cause them to dwell safely and they shall be my people and I will be their God c. and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them c. And so elsewhere and so other Prophets Thus saith the Lord I will gather you from the people and assemble you out of the Countries where you have been scattered And I will give you the Land of Israel and they shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things and all the abominations thereof from thence and I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within you c. And again For I will take you from among the Heathen Ezek. 36.24 25 26 27 28 38. 34.22 23. 37.22 23 24. Zach. 14.5 and gather you out of all Countries and bring you into your own Land Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean c. A new heart will I give you c. So the Time is cleer and that Christ the Son of David and all the Saints raised must first come with him and then in that time this Covenant be made it is cleer in many places as is shewn Part 2. chap. 17. and chap. 18. part 3. chap. 5. part 5. chap. 5. Now if any demand Why I call not these things the making of the Covenant in performance seeing there is a performance of so gracious and great things in them all I answer Because 1. The Text doth not so call them but speaks of these things to be performed first and of the Covenant to be after-made which is a good answer 2. This Covenant is to be made with the spiritual Seed which all these were not till then so made If any say They were both before the spiritual Seed by Election for as touching Election they were beloved for the Fathers sake That hath been already answered the Election mentioned Rom. 11.28 is not of the persons cast off but of the Fathers whose natural Seed they were for of these scattered it is said I will have mercy on Jacob and will yet chuse Israel Isa 14.1 2 3. Zach. 1.17 Ezek. 20.5 Ier. 2.2 1 Deut. 7.6 8 Rom. 11 26 27 28. and set them in their own Land and strangers shall be joyned with them and they shall cleave to the House of Jacob c. And again The Lord shall yet chuse Jerusalem So as the Lord of old chose Israel by bringing them out of Egypt and giving them his Statutes c. and so planted them a noble Vine wholly a right Seed and this for the love of the Fathers So the Lord will again chuse Israel and make them wholly a right Seed by the personal coming of Christ again who shall come out of Sion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob and then make the Covenant with them and this for the Fathers sakes Which gives farther answer 3. The persormance of those mentioned things Levit. 26.44 45. Deut. 4.30 31. Psal 105.8 are from the remembrance of the Covenant made with
onely on that about which the contest pretends on one side to be and he puts it into two sorts of Faith or that Saints are said to believe and to be holy really and in the Truth of the thing it self The first sort of Believers that have Faith and holiness true in its kinde Page 10. Sect. 17. Hab. 41 1 Sam. 10.10 2 Pet. 2.20 1 King 21.27 2 Chron. 7.10 Mat. 17.3 4. 13.20 Mat. 6.20 2 King 10.16 Hos 6.4 he saith Are such as having received sundry common Gists and Graces of the Spirit as illumination of the minde change of affections and thence amendment of Life with sorrow of the world legal repentance temporary Faith and the like which are all true and real in their kinde and do thereby become vessels in the great house of God being changed as to their use not in their nature continuing wood and stone still though hewed and turned to be serviceable vessels and on that account are frequently termed Saints and Believers On such as these there is a lower and in some subordinate work of the Spirit effectually producing in and upon the faculties of the Soul somewhat that is true good and useful in it self Joh 6.34 Act. 25.28 Mat. 7.26 27. Rev. 3.1 Mar. 4.16 answering in some likeness and suitableness of operation to the great work of regeneration the which faileth not There is in them light love joy faith zeal obedience c. all true in their kinde which makes many of them do worthily in their generation howbeit they attain not to the Faith of God's Elect neither doth Christ live in them nor is the life which they lead by the Faith of the Son of God So far he Though this description of Faith and Saints be not in any Scripture-Expression or Terms Isa 28.12 13. or according to any Scripture-Description but rather like unto that reproved by it yet here is granted a Faith and Holiness true in its kinde that hath in it illumination change of effection amendment of life light love joy faith zeal all effected by the Spirit from which he yieldeth a Man may fall And if that be true he after saith That a man may abide with constancy to the death in this Faith through sufferings surely then it being none of the Faith of God's Elect c. and they wood still c. they must needs perish And were it not better to let such a Faith alone when so great danger in falling away and yet no Salvation but eternal perishing though they continue even through sufferings and die in it But I will not meddle with the controversie but onely the stating the Question And so this Faith acknowledged true in its kinde and of the Spirit 's operation I shall consider three things in it 1. That mentioned here which may be mis-conceived by some and those things which are no part of Faith or Holiness true in its kinde of the Spirits operation 2. I shall acknowledge that which is so to be so indeed 3. I shall consider Heb. 6.1 8. whence all his proofs seem to be fetched CHAP. 2. Of things that may be misconceived and things no part of Faith 1. I Suppose himself by common Gifts and Graces of the Spirit Exod. 31. 35. Isa 28.26 29. Isa 3.2 3. means something higher and more special then that Light Understanding and Skill in Arts for working curious Works given to our Types or those given to Men to fit them for Husbandry or those Gifts given for strengthening a Nation to some Men as Wisdom Prudence c. for the Mighty Joh. 1.9 Joh 35.10 11. Ioh. 1.4 5 9. Rom. 2.4 and Captains of War Judges Prophets Counsellors cunning Artificers and cloquent Orators or onely that common Light wherewith he enlightens every Man that cometh into the World and gives them more understanding then the Beasts or Fowls All which are indeed gracious Gifts given to Men through Christ and for his sake and to gracious ends also having their tendency to lead Men to Repentance yet for these things as the Gospel is now come forth Men are not frequently called Believers and Saints and the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit given in his Testimony of Christ in the Ministration of the Gospel to make him known and call to and unite to him in believing are of a higher Nature even the lowest of them This being his Work Ioh. 15.26 27. 16.7 15. Act. 5.32 14.3 and that of which we speak or we speak nothing at all in this business As for that quoted 1 Sam. 10 11. it doth not prove That Saul had the Gift of Prophesie any more then one that hath no Gift of singing yet coming where some are sweetly singing is taken with the melody and carried on with them to sing or by some extraordinary occasion or motion led to sing a Verse or two tuneably and yet hath neither skill nor ability to do it again at any other times can be said to have the Gift though on such an occasion the act of singing so that Saul did sometimes on an extraordinary occasion and by an extraordinary Motion Prophesie yea and some of his Servants also is true and so by some operations of the Spirit they had an act of Prophesying I believe because it is so written and also 1 Sam. 10.10 11. 19.20 21 23. that they were among the Prophets but that he or they were Prophets and had received the Gift of Prophesie so as to have it I believe not because it is not so written and however this place is not to our business onely this I have noted to avoid mistakes about the Gifts and Graces here meant II. For sorrow of the World that is not according to God it hath no-tendency to any gracious quickning or that Light Love Joy c. but aptly worketh Death 2 Cor. 7.9 10. Grief for worldly shame poverty straights or loss of Honour c. leads to murmuring and evil fruits and so to trouble and estrangement from God and so to death and so is evil one of the lusts of the flesh which though in Believers often anoying them yet resisted by the Spirit of Grace Let no man say when he is tempted to evil Gal. 5.17 Jam. 1.13 16 17. Isa 5.20 21. moved to sorrow of the World I am tempted of God This is one of the lower Works of his Spirit one of the common Graces I have received from him do not so erre do not so dishonour God and his Spirit as if he were the Father of darkness and such evil Gifts came in the flowing of the Spirit from him through Christ not call darkness light and light darkness a sorrow will be in the working of the Spirit but that will be a sorrow according to God suitable to the Grace made known effecting it But this worldly sorrow or sorrow of the World is no part of it hath no union with it and so no part
as the other by worldly Thoughts they remained stony and so became unfruitful so as how much or how long they believed we have no warrant to make them like those fore-mentioned Nor yet of them John 2.23 of whom it 's not affirmed they professed or confessed him There was more danger in that then in believing But I need take no pains in this for Mr. Owen hath excluded these from those mentioned in stating the Question of whom he affirms the Graces given and received to be the works of the Spirit effectually working in all the powers of the Soul and producing Light Love Joy Zeal change of Affections amendment of Life Obedience And going over them again Page 423. Chap. 17. Sect. 27. he saith That in persons thus wrought upon there is or may be such an assent upon Light and Conviction to the Truths professed and preached to them as is true in its kinde not counterfeit giving and affording them in whom it is wrought Profession of the Faith and that sometimes with constancy to the Death or the giving of their Bodies to be burned with perswasions whence they are called Believers of a future enjoyment of a glorious and blessed condition filling them with ravishing affections and rejoycings in Hope which they profess suitable to the expectation they have of such an estate and condition These cannot be said to be Hypocrites in the most proper sense of that Word c. their high Gifts Knowledge Faith change of Affections and Conversation being in their own kinde true as the Faith of Devils So far he In all which it appeareth That other rabble mentioned by him cannot be brought in to be numbred with these which he confesseth may abide and die in the Faith yea and for the Profession of the Faith or they may fall away and of such as do fall away he saith Page 429. That before their falling they were in a fair way for Life and Salvation As for his Parenthesis about the Truth of their Faith As the Faith of Devils he therein intimately granteth this That the Devils have Faith true in its kinde but That the Devils have Faith and true Faith in any kinde as the word Faith is used in the Scripture I believe not because with all my search I finde not one such word there That the Devils in a sense do believe That there is one God I believe because the Scripture saith it But to believe the Devils have Faith I dare not because it is said The simple believeth every word but the prudent Man looketh well to his going Iam. 2.19 Prov. 14.15 Deut. 32.20 Mat. 17.17 Mar. 9.19 Luk. 9.41 2 Thes 3.2 with Rom. 15.30 31. And upon search and pondering I dare not say but many of them did believe there is one God that are affirmed Children in whom is no Faith and likewise of those our Saviour calleth Faithless yea and some of them also of whom the Apostle affirms All Men have not Faith I mean not to justifie that foolish Proverb Seeing is believing yet there is a believing that is from personal knowledge sight and sensible experience and such believing is in the Devils But the believing that is called Faith is a gracious Gift of God Act. 17.31 Rom. 1.5 16.26 Act. 11.21 Rom. 4.24 5.1 10.15 Gal. 3.1 2 3. 2 Thes 1.3 10. in which he hath provided for all Men an Object of Faith and causeth it to be preached to Men for the Obedience of Faith And those that in hearing hear he by his Spirit enlightneth their Mindes and moveth their Hearts that they may believe and believing is no farther called Faith then it closeth with the Object of Faith and so Faith is by hearing and the Spirit also and so in believing receiving the Testimony is in Men Faith But God hath provided no Object of Faith for the Devils and so for believing by Knowledge Sight and Sense they do know that is so believe that the Man Jesus Christ took neither their Nature nor Cause on him and so did not die or work any Redemption for them but took on him the Nature and Cause of Mankinde whom the Devil had overthrown and came to save Men and of Purpose to destroy the works of the Devil and that there is no door of Repentance for them but he hath destroyed his first work already and is about destroying his second and will utterly destroy it in his time shut him up in prison for a time bound and after cast him into a Lake of fire tormenting him for all the mischiefs he hath done to Mankinde and to his People he knows that God in Christ is one and will thus torment him and this certainty of his knowledge and so believing makes him tremble at the minding of his own Damnation Now I hope none will put the Sons of Men in the same species or rank and order with the Devils as that Christ took not their Nature and Cause on him hath wrought no Redemption for them nor opened any Door of Repentance to them but came to aggravate their sins and so to damn them to the same punishment with the Devils If any should believe thus they should believe as falsly as the Devils believe truely But on the contrary if any Man do by hearing the Testimony of Christ as verily believe Jesus Christ to have taken the Nature and Cause of Mankinde on him and so to have died for our sins and offered up the acceptable Sacrifice to God and so to be the Propitiation for the sins of the World and God through him propitious to Mankinde and so a Justifier of sinners that believe in Jesus and all this for the good of Mankinde that they might believe and in believing be saved This will fill a Man with Consolation and Hope as verily as the Devils believing the Truth of all this to be against them doth fill them with trembling and so believing in the Devils is neither having of Faith it makes them averse to it but such believing in a Man as closeth with the Object of Faith and receives influences from it is Faith Hence the Apostle proveth That though a Man believe there is one God yet seeing God is in Christ propitions if that he believeth work not up confidence and love to bring forth Fruits either it is no Faith he hath never yet been united to the Object or if he were he is withdrawn and so hath lost the Spirit and Life of Faith and so his Faith is become dead like the Body of a Man when the Soul and Spirit is departed so that if the Faith in a Man be as real and true in its kinde closing with the Object as the believing of the Devils is true in their kinde filling them with enmity against that believed then that Faith is right and in a Man as verily saving as to the Devils an occasion of trembling V. Whereas he saith They are changed as to their use not in
these Hebrews had The second Principle is Principle 2. Act. 20.21 Rom. 9.5 Joh. 14.6 Eph. 2.17 2 Cor. 4.6 Rom. 1.5 16.26 Prov. 14.15 Jam. 2.19 Rom. 10.17 Col. 1.4 Faith towards God This is the same with that called Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ who is God over all blessed for ever and the only Medium of approaching to God and he in whom the Face of God shineth so that it is in Scripture-Language evident That the Principle here called Faith towards God is the Grace or Gift of Faith to and in a man which closeth with the Object of Faith and so is Obedience to the Faith for as is foreshewn every believing is not Faith the Fool believeth every thing and the Devils believe who yet are nowhere said to have Faith but that Belief which is of the Faith and closeth with the Faith is in Scripture called Faith and so this affirmed here as one of the first Principles taught and begot by the Oracles of God building it on the Foundation is said to be the Faith that cometh by hearing the Word of the Lord and so the Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ And so it is An inward under standing Joh. 6.40 Rom. 10.8 9 10. Gal. 5.6 discerning and minding the gracious Mind of God testified and appearing in Jesus Christ by which one is inwardly perswaded believeth the Truth and Goodness of the same and so with the heart in love desires and confidence imbraceth it whence the Grace believed worketh renewed disposition and that welleth out confession and this exprest in Scripture to be that believing which is called Faith Heb. 11.13 14 15. So that this Faith having imbraced the Word is a Principle within him that believeth for he that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness or Testimony or Record in himself And so likewise 1 Joh. 5.10 we have three things to note in this Faith as it is a Principle 1. Act. 1.20 Rom. 1.5 10.8 9 17. 16.26 1 Cor. 3.5 2 Cor. 3.3 That it is begotten and produced by the Declaration and Ministration of Christ crucified c. and the Love of God commended through him set forth in the Gospel the Word of Faith and the Oracle of God 2. That it is wrought in the truning of the heart unto the Lord whence it here fitly both follows Act. 11.21 15.9 11 15. 26.18 20. 2 Cor. 3.16 and is joyned with Repentance from dead Works according to that promised Prov. 1.23 3. That it is founded and bottomed upon the very Blood and Sacrifice of Christ Rom. 3.25 5.6 8 9 10 11. as the Love of God is commended therethrough And this is the Faith begot by the Oracles of God as one of the first Principles thereof yea this with the Repentance mentioned are oft included both in one or either of the names being ever together and neither of them being where either of them is wanting and so the Faith of and in such turned ones is that Faith by which the Believer standeth and liveth And all the following Principles here named are for the quickning strengthening encreasing exercising and making fruitful this Faith in which the Spirit dwelleth and worketh and so it worketh through Love CHAP. 6. Of Hebrews 6.2 HEb 6.2 Of the Doctrine of Baptisms c. Note well the words he speaks not here of Baptism or Baptisms as before he did of Repentance and Faith and so he speaks not here directly and properly of the Act or Work of Baptizing Rom. 6.3 4 5. Gal. 3.26 27. Mat. 28.19 20. either inwardly which is into the death of Christ and conformity with him therein which is done in this Repentance and Faith formentioned nor yet of that outward act of Baptizing with Water in the Name of c. which is a witness of that done in and by Christ and a Medium having its tendency to that forementioned which is the Baptism indeed Eph. 4.4 5. 1 Pet. 3.21 which for the substance of it and that which is spiritual and saving indeed is one and but one for as there is one Body one Spirit one Lord and one Faith so there is one Baptism and so that he here speaks directly of is not the Work but the Doctrine of Baptisms that is the Teaching and instruction given by the Oracles about and concerning Baptismes which by the term in the Plural Number can be no other but the several wayes and mediums appointed and having their tendency towards Baptizing or for preparing for and effecting that which is Baptism indeed which because of their tendency and use to it are called by that Name each of them Baptism and all together Baptisms And about this Doctrine of Baptisms I shall note three things in the Doctrine I. That these wayes and mediums of Baptizing are four each of them bearing the Name of Baptism as an Instrument used to that end 1. The prime and chief ministerial way of Baptizing is the word of the Gospel opened and applied in preaching Mar. 1.4 Luk. 3.3 Joh. 1.29 Act. 10.25 so John besides his baptizing with Water did preach the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of sins and this was that Apollos knew and taught being called Baptism 2. Baptizing with Water in the Name of c. is that which was first 1 Cor. 1.14 Rom. 2.28 29. Rom. 6.4 5. Gal. 3.25 26. 1 Cor. 10.1 2. and is most frequently called Baptism and as the spiritual Work of Grace in the Heart was never called Circumcision till the outward Ordinance of Circumcision was given from Heaven and then frequently so called as that which is indeed The approved Circumcision so the Work of Grace in the Heart was never called Baptism till the outward Ordinance of Baptism was given from Heaven but since so called so likewise the other mediums that have their tendency to that gracious work are also since upon the same account called Baptisms as follows 3. Afflictions Sufferings for the Name of Christ are also called Baptism Luk. 12.50 Mat. 20.22 23 Mar. 10.38 39. I saith Christ speaking of his Sufferings Have a Baptism to be baptized with and of sufferings also he saith to his Disciples Ye shall be baptized with the Baptism that I am baptized with 4. The inward Inlightnings Breathings and Operations of the Holy Ghost in and with all the former mediums Mat. 3.11 Mar. 1.8 Luk. 3.16 Joh. 1.33 7.38 14.26 is also called Baptism this being the proper work of Christ himself in his promised presence in the Ministration of the Gospel and according to it in all the means he useth for effecting this one gracious and spiritual Baptism Act. 1.5 Mat. 28.20 II. The Gospel in the Doctrine of Baptisms farther teacheth of these mediums 1. That God hath a gracious end in all these in visiting us with his Word in having admitted us into his Family in afflicting us and in extending motions of his Spirit
ever liveth to intercede for us and will come again and raise us 2. That this Principle is onely in those that through believing in Christ and him crucified Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. 2 Tim. 1.9 10 11 12. have been framed to Repentance from dead works and to Faith towards God and therein to some conformity to Christ in his death confidence in him for his Promises of which some experiments in answer of Prayers they have found 3. That this Principle inclines the heart to live by Faith in all conditions and so to walk in the strength of the Lord Gal. 2.20 21. 5.5 2 Cor. 4.13 Phil. 4.4 11 13. 2 Cor. 1.9 10. And this is the Principle begot in the heart by the Doctrine of Resurrection c. CHAP. 9. Of Hebrews 6.2 3. HEb 6.2 And of eternal judgement This also by the connexion of the words appears to be the Doctrine of eternal Judgement and it also appears in that it is coupled and mentioned after the Resurrection of the dead to be that Judgement which shall be after men have died in their Bodies and are raised and made alive again according to that said As it is appointed to men once to die and after this the judgement to which Judgement Heb. 9.27 Joh. 5.27 28 29. 2 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 2.16 Jude 14 15. by the voyce of Christ All that are in their Graves shall come forth and appear before his Judgement-Seat and be judged by him of this our Saviour warneth us Luk. 12.4 5. and 21.34 as did the Preacher of old Eccles 11.9 and 12.14 and the Apostles since 1 Pet. 4.5 2 Tim. 4.1 As for the word Judgement it is used sometime for a right discerning and estimate of Men or things as they are good and bad sometime for Authority Order and Rule given sometime for giving sentence and causing the execution of that sentence and in this sense directly with inclusion of both the former it is meant here and so in this Judgement 2 Tim. 2.10 Heb. 9.15 Mar. 3.29 Rev. 21.8 some shall be sentenced to and possessed of an eternal inheritance with eternal glory and some sentenced to eternal damnation and cast into eternal fire of both which are spoken at large Mat. 25.31 to 46. And this Judgement is called Eternal because the sentence passed shall never be reversed nor the thing sentenced ever be removed nor they on whom the sentence passed ever cease to be but shall remain for ever in everlasting joy or torment according to the sentence and judgement given forth and passed on them and so the Doctrine of Eternal Judgement or that which is in the Gospel by the Oracles of God taught concerning it hath these Instructions in it that is to say 1. That there are some judgements both in sentence and execution in this life â—ccles 9.1 5. both in mercies and corrections in destructions and deliverances and salvations which are but for a time and dure not for ever by which also Rom. 2.4 Joh. 33.29 30. special love or positive hatred are not demonstrated of which I have no cause here to speak any more but this That they both are used in this Day of Grace to lead men to Repentance and turning unto the Lord. 2. That according to the Word of the Lord and in the Ministration thereof a sentence of Life or a sentence of Death may pass on a Man in this Life and yet it may so come to pass that without any alteration of the Minde and Purpose of God the sentence may be so changed as the execution shall not be on that Man on whom it was denounced according to that 1 Sam. 2.30 And so the Lord hath explained his Minde to be Jer. 18.7 19. That when the sentence of death is given out against any if thereby they be smitten and turn from the evil against which it was given forth God will take away the threatned evil And when a sentence of life and good passeth on a man if he take liberty to go on to do evil the Lord will take away the good he said he would do unto them And so again he saith Ezek. 33.13 14. When he saith to the righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity all his righteousness shall not be mentioned to him but for his iniquity c. he shall surely die and likewise when he saith to the wicked Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful c. he shall surely live he shall not die And all this grounded upon this Ezek. 33.10 11. 18.30 31 32. That God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live And therefore he calls and promiseth and threatens and correct and useth means that they might turn and live and on the same ground and from the same and like places Rom. 9.19 20 21. to ch 10. 11.7 10 17 23 11 14 32. the Apostles have taught the same Dectrine to Believers warning the believing Gentiles that were grafted into the true Olive-Tree and partook of the fatness of it That if they abode not in his goodness they also should be cut off and tells them also That the reprobated Jews the branches broken off if they persisted not still in unbelief they shall be grafted in againâ— for God is able to graft them in again yea his mercy shewn to the Gentiles hath such an end and tendency in it yea he hath concluded all under unbelief that he might have mercy on all c. 3. That though through continuance in wilful Rebellion against light and many covincements and warnings a Man may come to that height of sin Prov. 1.24 25 31. Jer. 6.27 28 30. Ezek. 24.13 14. Mar. 3.29 even in this life as to be reprobated and given up to Satan and so left to that eternal Judgment yet to come yet that is so hardly discernable to any in this life that it is not safe for us to judge farther of such then that they are in danger of eternal damnation for though such transgression shall not be so forgiven but that it shall be verily and remarkably punished yet if by the means used with all punishments they be regained to repentance the soul may be saved in the day of the Lord. Whence we are not absolutely forbidden to pray for such a one 1 Joh. 5.16 but that we pray not for such a transgression to be forgiven and taken away so as all punishment be removed for of necessity that must be visibly and sorely punished here or hereafter 1 Cor. 5.5 1 Tim. 1.20 whence the delivery of such a one to Satan hath such an end and tendency while means and life is continued to destroy the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord for while life and means is vouchsafed there is hope
growth and establishment in this Faith not to another faith 3 And were made partakers of the Holy Ghost This as suted to the principle of the Doctrin of Baptisms declares its own meaning to bee not only of those vertues and springs of love joy peace c. Gal. 5.22 effected by the Holy Ghost in the spirit of Beleevers but also together therewith certain spiritual gifts Eph. 4.7 and operations for usefulnesse whereof to every Beleever is given some in some measure And so these in being baptized in to the death of Christ by all the mediums with water word afflictions and spirit extended to them they did also partake of the vertue of his resurrection so as they were also therein indued with such spirituall gifts as whereby they were inabled in exercise of faith and love to speak spiritually in prayer and praises to God and spiritually and profitably in instruction admonition exhortation and consolation to men as appears in comparing the Promise Act. 2.38 39. and 11 15 16 17. and Rom. 6.4 5 6. with the performance to beleevers 1 Cor. 1.4 5 6 7. And not to every one the same usefull gifts or the same measure in the gifts given but to some one to some another to some more to some less Ephe. 4.7.8 12 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 12.2 4 5 6 7 11. 2 Pet. 1.8 2 Tim. 2.21 Rom. 12.3 6 7 8. 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Col. 2.18 1 Tim. 3.6 And so to every one some according to the measure of the gift of Christ in and with which they were fitted to bee fruitfull and in exercise of the same in faith and love according to their measure and the divine vertues in them they should neither bee barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ but Vessels serviceable for their Masters use in the House of God Whence Beleevers are directed in all their speaking and use of spirituall gifts To keep this Rule in going forth according to the proportion of faith given them and the measure of spirituall gifts givenand received by them 1 Cor. 12.7 1 5 6 7. 1 Thes 5.8 He that by any other acquired knowledge or learning presumeth to speak besides or beyond this Rule is like to fall into the condemnation of the Devill that was not content with his place These spirituall gifts being given to profit withall and tending to open and confirm the Testimony of Christ And as of the Romanes ability through these gifts Rom. 15.14 15. so of these Hebrews Hee was perswaded they were also and not like the fallen ones that had deprived themselves thereof but these retainings were capable of that hee indeavoured even to lead them to farther usefulness and fruitfullness They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost 4 Vers 5. And have tasted of the good word of God And this also suited to the Principle of laying on of hands shews its own meaning to be Mat. 7.7 11. Ioh. 16.23 24. that whereas God by his Son had graciously promised to hear their prayers put forth in the name of his Son and to give them his good Spirit and every good thing they should and did so ask of him And this in speciall manner for things of neerest and greatest concernment When two or three of them did assemble together in his name and desired any favour of him Mat. 18.19 20 Hee will bee in the midst of them and it shall bee done in Heaven for them They had tasted that is found sweetness and refreshing in experiments of his truth mercy and goodness in answering their prayers Psal 65.2.4 18.6 7. 10 3.1-10 and manifesting his gracious presence in the assemblie of his people in performing his promises when they have prayed and in confidence lift up hands to him and sometime in that confidence Act. 21 24-3â— as a testimony of it laid hands on parties prayed for And so have had experience of the graciousness of the Lord in his pity towards them and of his truth in his promises and of his infinite love power and faithfullness in hearing of prayers and so not executing deserved threats but freely performing his promises of good whence called the good Word unto them And how this doth comfort sweeten enlarge and oblige the heart to cleave to God and continually to love and call on him Psal 17.4 and keep to the assemblie of the Saints is fully professed by the Prophet in the whole 116 Psalm and else where And in this was set out the greatness of Solomons sin 1 King â—1 9 That hee departed from following the Lord that had in such evident manner appeared to him twice And this shews the greatness of the sin of those fallen in forsaking the assemblies of the Saints Heb. 10.25 26. and crucifying to themselves him from whom they had tasted so much of his graciousness in performing his promises and hearing the prayers and blessing the assemblies of Beleevers And therein shews the great incouragement and obligation these Hebrews had to continue in their faith Heb. 10.19 20 22 23 24 25. and fellowship and approaching to God and provoking one another to love and good works having had so many experiments of the graciousness of the Lord. His drift being to stir them up more hereto in that hee hath farther to say to them who have tasted of the good Word of God Heb. 6.5 and of the powers of the World to come This Word being in the Plurall Number The powers of the World to come doth sute this sentence to the two last Principles That is the Doctrin of the Resurrection of the dead and of eternall Judgement Both being grounded on the Resurrection of Christ and his comming again and both the Resurrection of the dead which is first and the eternall Judgement which follows that Resurrection appertaining to and to be done not in the time of the World that now is but in the World to come at and after the visible appearing of Jesus Christ so that of the powers in the Doctrin of both these and the spirituall efficacies of both these in that Doctrin beleeved and of the power of the Spirit that in that Doctrin doth in some measure present or shew them to the view of faith and assertain their being really done in the due time of these powers of both these hee speaketh and of the same say they have tasted that is they have discerned savoured relished and experimented the efficaciousness of the Divine Power by which these shall bee effected 1. In their new birth even when they were dead in sins Ephes 1.19 20. 2 4 5 6. Rom. 7.9.24 25. cast by the sentence of the Law when sin accused and all their righteousness failed and dispair of all hope in themselves ceised on them And while they were in so great blindness and death The Power of this grace in the Doctrin of Christ raised from the dead 2 Tim. 1.7 8. Rom. 7.6
8 10 11. and being the raiser of men quickened and enlived them 2. In receiving from Christ into their heart an inward living Principle or Spirit of Faith and Life Gal. 5.22 23 24. That without an outward enforcement from law or fears or thoughts of acquiring self-advantages doth from the grace beleeved and hope received spring up love joy childelike affections 2 Cor. 1.8 9 10. 2 Tim. 4.17 18 and so lead to serve in newnesse of spirit and life 3 Since they were quickened in beleeving In raising them out of great deaths Phil. 3.9.14 Heb. 11.25 26. Psal 37. in distresses and temptations in which all seen hopes of help were removed and so far the sentence of death was passed on them yet hee delivered and consolated them 4 In enabling them with willingness to bee conformed to Christ in his death and so to pass through deaths for Christs sake and to bear with patience the wrongs and oppressions of the wicked knowing the certainty of the Resurrection and of eternall Judgement 5 In elivating the Affections to things above Col. 3.1.4 1 Thes 1.10 Tit. 2.14 where Christ is And so moving to hope and long and wait for the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed hope and inheritance then to bee given by him in the resurrection of the just as is shewn in opening the two last Principles Now then put all said in these first five verses together of the Principles with the spirituall operations And minde how Jesus Christ in his oblation is the foundation of all and the oracles of God in discovery of that foundation And those oracles the teacher of these Principles and the holy Spirit of God in this teaching the enlightener of the mind and worker of these Principles in the heart and there through building the Beleever on the same foundation from whence all these flow and so having effected in them repentance from dead works faith towards God and such tasks of the heavenly gift conforming to Christ in his death enduing with spirituall vertues and gifts affording experience of Gods graciousness in performing his Promises with a principle of life in the beginning of confidence to live to God and wait for the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ Surely surely in all this is set forth True Faith and Holiness of the right kind even saving and justifying and here set forth in a great degree and measure also And this the very same-faith that was in these Hebrews to whom this Epistle was written whom he owneth as holy Brethren And yet notwithstanding all this Hee by the same Spirit warneth them to flye all those evills that indanger to departing from this faith and such Principles in which they were fastened on such a foundation where they had so great salvation and such a blessed hope and so warns them of the great danger in case of forgetfullness Heb. 2.1 2 3. Heb. 3.6 7 12 13 14 16-19 Heb. 4.1 and neglect of so great salvaation And to avoid that danger by holding fast the rejoycing of hope and beginning of confidence begot in them firm to the end And to hear his voice and beware of the deceitfullness of sin and departing through unbelief And setteth before them the examples of those that through unbelief did not enter the ripicall rest and craveth leave to fear least any of them should seem to come short of entring the true rest Heb. 5.11 12. Chap. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. 10.25 26 29. Jer. 2.21 22. 1 Ioh. 2 -19 chap. 6.9 10. And these holy Brethren also hee reproves for their dulness and unprofitableness And then minding them of the foundation laid among them and the Oracles of God thereby to them and the Principles they taught which these also had received with the lively operations of the Holy Ghost therein experimented also by them And then hee secretly intimates to them as if some so far brought as they were yet for want of heedfullness to this great salvation were seduced by the Tempter And had wilfully and wickedly departed from this faith and therein from the foundation Oracles and Principles which Apostates hee puts here in the third person Those and they because when fallen away they are no longer of this number And because hee doth not judge nor will sentence any of them to bee such yea hee was better perswaded of them and yet proposeth those as terrible examples to warn them And so the application by way of warning and admonition and even to fear such things as cause such danger is even to Beleevers and that both in the first person wee chap. 2.1.3 10.26 12.25 and also in the second person to them chap. 3 7-13.15 4.1 5.11 12. 12.25 And this the usuall language of Scripture in like cases of departure and the danger thereof Rom. 8.13 1 Cor. 15.12 Gal. 1.6 4.11 5.4 2 Pet. 3.17 And so this great danger being proposed as a warning I shall consider the two next points propounded in these verses CHAP. XI Heb. 6.4 6 7 8. FOr it is impossible for those who were once enlightened c. Heb. 6.4.6 If they fall away to renew them again unto Repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God a fresh and put him to an open shame In which words for shewing the impossibility of renewing such And the reason thereof I shall consider what the Text offers 1 The persons that have and do so highly sin as to renew them is impossible 1 They are not such as do and alwayes hitherto have lived in ignorance and unbeleef and so in prophaneness Ioh. 3.14 16. Act. 13.38 3 47. Rom. 16.26 c. for to such the Gospell declaring the foundation and sounding forth the oracles of God may bee hopefully and is to bee preached to them to bring them from darkness to light 2 They are not such as having heard of the foundation Joh. 2.9 Luk. 24.26 46 Act. 4.18 26. 1 Cor. 15.12 13-23 do beleeve it to bee and yet are not instructed in or acquainted with the oracles of God as in particular related part 2. chap. 10. page 94. 95. for to such as these they are to bee and may bee hopefully taught and opened 3 They are not such Ioh. 8.30 31 -36. 12.42 43-47 2 Cor. 5.20.21 6.1 2. as having heard and beleeved the Testimonies of the Gospel concerning the foundation and Oracles of God And are not yet so prevailed with to heed and yeild up thereto as by spirituall light and evidence to have those forementioned Principles framed in them only have their knowledge and faith in understanding and notion These are to bee and may hopefully by the word of grace bee pressed thereto 4 They are not such 1 Cor. 15. Gal. 3. 4 5. Iude 19 20 21. as being brought as far as the farthest of these yea with some spirituall operations having a tendancy towards the
untrue sentence clearly appearing so For 1 It is as clear as the day that Chap. 5.11 12. he speaks to the same persons that he wrote unto and had before called Heb. 2 1 2 3 1 6 14 4 1 5 11 12 Holy brethren partakers of the heavenly call and to and of them he saith Yee are dull of hearing for when for the time yee ought to be teachers you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Can any thing be more plain to shew he meaneth them 2 It is as clear that his saying in Verses 13 14. are the proof that the Apostle gives of the justness and suitableness of his reproof Heb. 5.13 14. in shewing what such weaklings are to whom in their demeanor they became so like which occasioned their dulness and non proficiency being so like them they should have been teachers of 3 It is as clear That those weaklings and babes to whom he compares them are not the persons put in the supposition of being fallen away and in so great danger in height of sinfulness and of impossibility of recovery and soreness of punishment Heb. 6.4 5.6 8 for they had known the foundation oracles and first principles yea been by them drawn upon the foundation and tasted of the heavenly gift yea the sweetness and power of Christ in all the principles So that now after such knowledge and tastes c. willingly for love or desire of any other thing to depart and crucifie all this of Christ to themselves again there was nothing but they had crucified and were crucifying to restore them with and so they could not be restored But for those weaklings and babes they were not yet skilful in these things and so could not sin at so high a rate but might be both profitably and hopefully yet taught over and over which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and if any of them by temptation were fallen from what they began to have yet there was something of Christ in the foundation oracles principles and efficacies of Spirit therein which they had not clearly known and so not crucified to themselves neither were they crucifying Christ to themselves and so there was that needful to them to be still taught them for their recovery And it is uncharitable to put weaklings and babes under this danger and impossibility of being renewed A rash and sad saying yea cross to his other rash saying speaking of these beleevers mentioned Heb. 6.4 5. of their high gifts of knowledge faith change of affections and conversation light love c. saith afterward every person under these works formerly mentioned of this light gifts c. be capacitated for the sin against the Holy Ghost And now he saith They are the ignorant weaklings and babes that commit it verifying that Prov. 5.6 and 9.13 4 Neither is there any distinguishing of these wrote to or reproved or of those to whom they are compared nor yet of them put in the supposition but when fallen away and found crucifying of Christ and so blotted out of the book of life from them to whom the promises appertain Chap. 6.9 10-14 For the promise mentioned is that made to Abraham which appertained so as by attending to the promise it might be attained and enjoyed Rom. 3.2 9 4 5 11 21 24. Act. 2.38 39 3.25 26. Rom. 4.11 12 16. Gal. 3.7 8 29. by all or any of his natural seed that were under Circumcision in the time of it or his proselited seed either and so Peter preached to them and so where the Gospel comes to all that beleeve in Christ as interested in them and heirs of them and the Apostle was not here in Heb. 6 9-14 making a distinction between those of them to whom and of whom he wrote except in supposal of any fallen away and found crucifying Christ to whom the promises did belong and to whom not but shewing the hopefulness he had for them all of whom he was perswaded they were not so fallen away as to be found crucifying Christ to themselves and upon that account exhorteth every one of them to persevere in shewing the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end c. The edge of and hope in which exhortation is abated and a mist cast upon it by this wresting the words Reason 6. True beleevers are opposed to those lying under a possibility of falling so far as they are cast under it by the conditional discourse upon sundry accounts Answ In the whole Epistle Heb. 2.1 2 3. Heb. 3.7 12 13 12 25. there is not one word of distinguishing the one from the other but in the neglect of so great salvation in hardning the heart by deceitfulnes of sin in departing from the living God through an unbeleeving heart a turning from him that speaks from heaven c. Nor one put in fear of this more than another nor secured without watchfulness and heed taking one more than another Nor doth the Apostle in Heb. 6.4.6 speak one word of the possibility or impossibility of falling or not falling but only in a supposition of those already fallen from such a height and now crucifying Christ to themselves nor doth he in this speak a word of any possibility of the recovery of one of these more than of another Nor doth he in his warning giving apply it to one more than another but in shewing the greatness of the sin if any should fall from such excellency of grace and the danger and therein the equity of Gods proceeding to warn them all alike which this assertion opposeth without the shew of warrant from any one word but because he saith it is upon sundry accounts I will view them Account 1. Their work and labour of love mentioned vers 9 10. Answ Here is no opposition of one to another for he had yet charged none of them to be so departed but only reproved them and shewed them the danger of such departure and falling away and now also mollifying the harshness of his reproofs He is perswaded better things of them than that they are departed or so fallen or that they will bring forth such briars and thorns Gal. 4.14 15 5 4. Heb. 6.10 11 12. and he gives one reason of it from their work and labour of love not onely that they had shewed for that might be affirmed of some in other places that were fallen from grace but also that they did still continue in And he desires their perseverance to the end that they might receive the promises So that he here also speaks to and of them all without difference making so that a line was imperfectly here taken to make up this account not serving for such a business at all Account 2. Their preservation from the righteousness of God Answ Here is no opposition of one to another Vers 10. but hee speaks
of them all in general And wherein had God so freely ingaged himself in his righteousness so as if hee should not preserve men and keep them to eternal life he also should be unrighteous Is not this ingagement first and primely to Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Are not all the promises in him Yea and in him Amen And is it not in and through Christ to Abraham and all the Spiritual seed Isa 28.16 Rom. 4 12 16 Gal. 3.16 29 Act. 10.43 Rom. 4.5 5.1 Act. 26.13 2 Tim. 1.7 1 Pet. 1.5 Heb. 3.6.14 as many as through grace beleeve in Christ And do not they that beleeve in him freely receive forgiveness of sins justification sanctification and a spirit of faith and love And how is this ingagement to keep beleevers Is it not by his power through faith unto salvation suitable to that ingagement held forth to these Hebrews And they now beleeving the Apostle is comforted concerning them and incourageth them with the righteousness of God So then All the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ And sure to them all that beleeve in Christ That their preservation in faith and love is from the freeness of the mercy of God and his righteousness through Christ to continue to them such supplies of grace and spirit that they may persevere in faith and love This I hope is beleeved by us all yea and something more than this namely That as faith worketh through love Gal. 1.6 Mat 10 41 42 Luke 14.14 so every service of love produced by it shall to the beleever be rewarded but then this is without opposition of one beleever to another it is in general alike true to them all But now suppose any after they have known the truth and beleeved and met with such riches and furniture to keep them in and preserve them and have brought forth some fruits of love do after this for some dream or fancy c. turn aside and so fall away from God Is God unrighteous then to forsake them and to blot out all their former services so as not one is remembred on their account Surely not he should not else be righteous Gen. 12.3 2 Chron. 15.2 Ezek. 33.12 13 Joh. 15.1.2 11 according to the tenour of his promise and ingagement to his Son and to men through his Son And in this language speaks the Apostle to these Hebrews Chap. 3 6 14 10 35 38 39 12 25. And that without difference making And I hope none would think the righteousness of God ingaged to the works of men otherwise than in and through Christ to such as live by the faith of Christ so as this line was wrested to a by end to make up this Account and yet will not serve for that purpose Account 3. The immutability of the Counsels of God and his Oath mentioned vers 13-18 Answ Here is no opposition of beleevers under a possibility of falling to beleevers under an impossibility of falling nor is the promise here made to some sort of beleevers opposed to other belevers But to Abraham for himself Gal. 3.6 7 8 13 14. 1 Tim. 2.7 Eph. 3.4 Mat. 22.19 20 Rom. 4.16 and his seed which is Christ and all that through grace beleeve in him And this so that it may be held forth to all men that they may beleeve And to all that do beleeve that abiding in the faith they may be sure of the inheritance And such the counsels and purpose of God as hath been shewn in treating of purposes and promises in which hee is immutable And this the Apostles scope sutable to his exhortation for their diligence and perseverance in faith and love in which so sure consolation but it sutes not at all to the scope of this Account Account 4. Their sure and stedfast Anchor of hope vers 19. Answ Neither is here any difference made between or opposition of one beleever to another but a strong consolation set before all beleevers that have by faith laid hold on Christ who is the seed of Abraham in whom all the promises confirmed with an Oath are Yea and Amen And he having offered up the acceptable sacrifice is now in our nature entred into the heavens appearing there a great high Priest having opened the way for our approach And ever living to intercede for all that come to God by him So as they that by faith do lay hold on him who is our hope and hope fixed in him is as an Anchor surely fixed they by faith and hope enter within the vail cleaving to him that is there for us and so their hope is sure and stedfast which comfort is not for some sort of but for all that are indeed beleevers And so the Apostle enters on his main design to build these beleevers more and more on Christ which evidenceth that to be the right faith and those true beleevers spoken of Heb. 6.1 2 3 4 5. and none of them excepted unless any have so willingly departed that they be found crucifying Christ And as for them they are faulted but the Christ the Spirit the Grace the faith they have departed from and crucifie is not faulted but remaineth the same still in which all abiding are safe So that this place and all Scripture testifie the faith here set forth to be the true justifying and saving faith And Mr. Owen confesseth it wrought by the Spirit and really true in its kinde And that men may abide in it or men may fall away from it And Scripture testifying but one kinde of faith the controversie is ended the cause is yeelded it is not for this faith but some by-opinion to mantain the honour of a party that he contendeth And yet that it seem not so many mixtures were put in here that are no parts of nor ingredients in faith at all To make this appear as not right that so another may be set forth and I shall consider that also CHAP. XIV Of Mr. Owens second kinde of faith as he sets it forth Page 13. 14 Sect. 22. Page 13. Chap. 1. Sect. 22. where he saith 1. THe Saints then or Beleevers of whom alone our Discourse is may be delineated by these few considerable concernments in their Saintship 2. Rom. 8.28 29 Act. 13.48 Eph. 1.4 1 Pet. 1 2 3 4 5. That whereas by Nature they are the children of wrath as well as others and dead in trespasses and sins That faith and holiness which they are in due time invested withall whereby they are made beleevers and Saints and distinguished from all others what ever is an effect and fruit of and flows from Gods eternal purpose concerning their salvation or election Tin 1.1 their faith being as to the manner of its bestowing peculiarly of the operation of God And as to its distinction from every other gift 2 Pet. 1.1 Rom. 8.11 Eph 1.19 20. 2 1-5 6 8 10. Mat. 7.17 12 13 Gal 2 20 1
one man had by high Treason procured on himself and all his posterity the sentence of ejection from all his lands and inheritance and of suffering for ever an ignominious and tormenting death being for ever put under the displeasure wrath and hatred of him against whom the treason was committed and yet the execution deferred till the Traytor have twenty children And in the sentence passed this reserve that the third seventh tenth and fifteenth of that mans children shall be freed from the execution of the sentence and be accepted as sons into favour with the King and enjoy the inheritance though these may be born as sinful and ill-deserving as the rest yet can they not be said to be born or by birth to be the children of the wrath and displeasure of the King even as the other seeing even by their very birth the persons so born were appointed to such freedome favour and happiness as the rest were excluded from before they were born but if none so provided for but all alike before their birth excluded then were they alike the children of wrath or else not This Simily illustrates the Text proveth and Mr. Owen confesseth All are by nature the children of wrath one even as another And so as Adams sons none differenced from others by any such election before their being or by a first birth 2 If by Nature be meant the corrupt disposition with which from our first father we are all naturally infected and so according to the lusts of that disposition what ever means were used towards us more than other yet we according to the course of this world and the motions of Satan walked in fulfilling the wills of the flesh And so were by Nature the children of wrath even as others If we take it thus as surely also we may then it still overthrows the forementioned fancy for to be elect to Son-ship and inheritance and to be well-beloved Isa 42.1 with Mat. 12.18 and under well-pleasedness is one and the same by our Saviours opening the word to be under wrath and under compassion may well stand together but to be under wrath and well-pleasedness stands not together nor are any that are without Christ and out of him Rom. 5.4 1 Cor. 15.45 46 47.48 1 Pet. 2.5 9. 1 Thess 5.3.4 Rom. 9 25 26. chosen or elected in him the natural man is first the spiritual afterward as with the head so with the members who are the elect and chosen is fore-declared and they when elect are not children of wrath even as others nor as themselves sometimes were so that in this saying he hath intimately confessed the truth of their beleef he professedly opposeth 2. He saith That faith and holiness which in due time they are invested withall whereby they are made Beleevers and Saints and distinguished from all others what ever is an effect and fruit of and flows from Gods eternal purpose concerning their salvation and election The faith and holiness of those forementioned 1 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 3.16 17. wants nothing of this Was it not the purpose of God in sending forth his Son the Saviour of the world That the world through him might be saved And was it not in the same purpose of God Act. 26.17 18 3.26 Joh. 3.14 15 16. 15.26 16 14 15 1 Pet. 1.20 21 That his Son having in mans nature dyed for our sins and risen for our justification c. should be preached To turn men from darkness to light that whoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Is not this Jesus He of whom the holy Spirit testifieth and the things of whom he sheweth and so in glorifying him draweth men to beleeve in him And are not those so brought to beleeve in him beleevers indeed and Saints by calling And is not this faith produced by the love of God commended in giving his Son to dye for our sins and fastned on Christ the foundation receiving remission of sins Rom 5.8.10 and spiritual quickning through beleeving on him According to the purpose of God Is there any purpose of God for sending his holy Spirit to witness of Christ to work any other kinde of faith than this of the right kinde or is there any faith in Christ of the Spirits working that is not according to the purpose of God doth he speak of himself or work otherwise than as proceeding from the Father and the Son And are not these beleevers in their coming into Christ distinguished thereby from all that are unbeleevers and of the world what ever And who will say It is questionable whether the holy Spirit thus bringing any to beleeve in Christ be an effect and fruit of and flowing from the grace love and purpose of God concerning their salvation even that in beleeving they might be saved But these things have been often at large cleerlyshewn and proved before nor doth Mr. Owen here say This faith is a fruit of election he knows that with more shew of truth it might be said election is a fruit of this faith but yet that is not a good and right expression neither but the testimony of the holy Ghost is That they were chosen through the sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess 2.13 14. and the beleef of the Truth to which they were called c. which is already fore-shewn And here yeelded in this saying concerning their salvation or election making these two terms in a sort signifying the same thing and so election a part of the salvation wrought in them and upon them and so the faith the same set out Heb. 6. 3 He saith Their faith being as to the manner of its bestowing peculiarly of the operation of God This agrees well with that set forth Heb. 6.1 2 4 5. It was God sure that in love gave his Son to do that for us in and by which he is the compleat object of faith And Jesus Christ in and through whom God commendeth his love to us is God even one and the same God blessed for ever And the Holy Ghost that proceedeth from the Father and the Son is one and the same God with the Father and the Son and that the Father and the Son is And he discovering and drawing on Christ the foundation and so illuminating and affording tastes of the heavenly gift as the effects repentance from dead works and faith towards God This is certainly both his peculiar operation and the operation of God And to deny this under any surmise of an unknown purpose or election were to derogate from the grace of God even of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost as if their works in this kind were not truly saving and gracious which I hope none wil say so that this faith abideth still right 4. He saith And as to its distinction from every other gift that upon any account what ever is so called in respect of its fountain termed The faith of Gods
word in them they shall be fruitful and so they shall be good trees and bring forth good fruit For so they shall observe the counsel of our Saviour Mat. 12.33 Make the tree good and his fruit good c. For we can no otherwise make the tree good but in beleeving on him and according to grace given yeelding to the teachings of his Spirit And seeing every good and perfect giving comes from him and that his Spirit is good and his operations and fruits good and that an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit what are all those confessed works of the Spirit and whence flows that faith and holiness really true in its kind upon account whereof men are called Beleevers and Saints What is that change of judgement affection and conversation that light love joy zeal obedience true in its kinde sincere and not hypocritical whence come they to do so worthily in their generation and all acknowledged an effectual work of the Spirit Can there be such rightness even from the Spirit and the tree not good or is there any other trees among beleevers to bring forth good fruit of another nature Surely if we minde the proofs and our Saviours words they shew there is but one kinde of faith to bring forth good fruits and this even it set out Heb. 6 Gal. 2.20 This place doth open that already said The Apostle having spoken of being justified by faith shews how he lived not Gal. 1.6 4.6 7. Gal. 2.13 Rom. 4.4 6 7 9. but Christ lived in him and he by the faith of the Son of God to which he endeavoured to reduce the Galatians whom he testifieth to have received the same faith at the first and so exhorted the Hebrews and shews his manner of obtaining it to be in the same way with others 1 Joh. 3.12 This place hath not one word of two divers kinds of faith or of divers manner of obtaining it nor of any habit of one beleever more than in another Joh. 1.12 but affirms That he that hath the Son that is beleeveth in his name hath life that is in having the Son by faith Joh. 3.36 He hath also that eternal life that is in the Son by faith also which is true of all that by grace beleeve in Christ 2 Cor. 5.17 This is true of all that by faith are in Christ Jesus who as and so far as they are in him are affirmed new creatures as is fore explicated though the fulness and compleatness of it is in the resurrection of the just but no word here of a second kinde of faith or of newness in some true beleevers that is not in other true beleevers the words plain If any man in Christ 1 Thes 5.23 This is not an affirmation of what was yet attained but a prayer for what was desired and hoped for and so not to the purpose for which it was quoted unless to mollifie the expressions of the saying Gal. 5.22.25 This place is a discovery of the fruits of the Spirit that were in the beleeving Galatians that were scarce so far grown as the Hebrews And what was done in beleeving on Christ crucified How the flesh with the wisdome and whole bent of it with the affections and lusts of it were crucified that is made vile condemned and begun to be mortified by the cross of Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed and then an exhortation to walk after the Spirit Gal. 6.14 Rom. 6.6 just as to the Romans Ephesians Collossians and Hebrews And not a word of a peculiar kinde in some beleevers and not in other beleevers that are true in their kinde also 1 Joh 3.9 This place faith not a word of any difference between beleevers some true in one kinde and some in another Nor saith it Some that are born of God Nor saith it He that hath been born of God but having said before Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not And having warned them not to be deceived 1 Joh. 3.6 7 8 9. saith speaking in the present tense He that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous or in his righteousness and as he hath promised And then having given warning against being deceived and going on in sin c. He cometh to mention the abiding in him and doing righteousness Again and hee doth it in a third term comprehending both saying Whesoever is born of God doth not commit sin that is approve and act it See this before â— 414 415. going on so to do And that the word Born of God is first appliable to that sight beleef and acknowledgement of Christ and so that new disposition begot thereby in the heart is clear in this Epistle where this is called That which is born of God 1 Joh. 5.1 2 3 4. Mat. 16 17. Eph. 2.8 Hence both faith and confession are said to be of God and the gift of God and so he that in this revelation and operation of the Spirit in and by the Gospel is prevailed with to beleeve and yeeld up to it and so far become one with it so as he beleeveth Jesus to be the Christ and so beleeving in him confesseth him to be the Lord He also on that account is said to be born of God And so likewise the being prevailed with by this grace To hold fast this confidence 1 Joh. 5.2 Ioh. 1.12 13. Rom. 10. â— 10. and so to abide and go on in the faith of Christ and love of him and one another is the operation of God and hath the same promises to it and so is likewise called a being born of God here in 1 Joh. 4.7 8 3 5-10 And that this is the sense here appears cleerly in that the same thing for the same business expressed here Born of God Heb. 3.1 6 14. is a little before exprest by a perfect continued act Abiding in him 1 Ioh. 3.6 7. and doing righteousness And the same there also affirmed such sin not such are righteous And also this appears to be the sense in that it is opposed to a continued approbation acting of and going on in sin for so the devil committeth sin and sinneth from the beginning without repentance or breaking off his course But who ever is born of God he committeth not sin that is doth not approve and so commits but abideth in and goeth on beleeving in Christ and loving him without repentance of it or breaking off that course And it farther appeareth that born of God is in this place abideth in Christ holding fast confidence in and love of God through Christ because it is said His seed remaineth in him that is the divine influence and Spirit of Christ with divine force and vertue abideth and remaineth in him according to that promise Heb. 3.14 And this the constant language of Christ and the Spirit of Christ Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God He
but turning aside and departing from him they lose their principle and wither that remaineth in Christ from whom they are departed and cannot be retained and found abiding and dwelling in any but by or in beleeving on him so as departing through unbeleef Rom. 11.22 Heb. 3.13.6 14. Rom. 7.2.5 8.2 Prov. 13.13 14 6.21 22 23 14.26 27 brings loss and perishing but in beleeving on him the dwelling in the heart of this principle is enjoyed he is the fountain and he that beleeveth on him receiveth from him The law of Grace which as it comes from him and his Spirit in it is called a fountain of life And so the fear of the Lord effected thereby even the faith in and love of adoration and acknowledgement of God in Christ is a fountain of life and this upon the account of Christ the fountain from whom the streams bearing his name do flow And in beleeving on whom they are received and do operate in the beleever even all those principles mentioned Heb. 6.1 2 5. All which run in one living principle which because of its springing and living efficacies is called a Spring or Well of living waters in which from Christ beleevers act in bringing forth the motions of the Spirit Joh 4.10 14. 7.37.38 39 Psal 68.27 Phil. 4.13 Ioh. 15.4.8 Yet the beleevers being still men and having in them another cross inclination abiding to molest them they need still those admonitions Jam. 3.8 9 10 11 12. Rom. 8 5-13 Gal. 6.8 Heb. 3.13 12.15 17 c. 4 That the spiritual Acts Works and Duties be here rightly understood and distinguished and considered that we confound not the workings of God in the beleever inabling and moving him to work with the workings of the beleever in and through the workings of God Ro. 12.1 2 5. Phil. 2.1 2 12. for so all the exhortations given and obedience called for and disobedience reproved will be made void and null and that we may rightly understand view the place quoted Philip. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to Will and to Do even of his good pleasure He in the former verse intreated them as he did the Romans even by that done by Christ and that now in him and flowing from him in them As they had alwayes obeyed not as in his presence onely but now much more in his absence so now saith he to them Work out your own salvation with fear and prembling 1 Ioh. 5.12 Ioh. 1.12 Minde the words he saith not Work for or to get salvation Nor speaks he onely of salvation as it is by and in Christ wrought for them but of that as it is by Spirit in the Gospel applyed to and by faith received in them and so it is their own Christ and that which is his is made theirs 1 Cor. 1.30 3.22 23. Rom. 5.1 2 3-5 Tit. 4-4 7 Tit. 2.11 12 13. and in beleeving this they are saved or have this salvation working within them like as is said in verse 12. And this salvation within them is teaching and working in them with motions To deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and wait for the blessed hope c. Gal. 5.22 23. Col. 3.9 10 12 13. 1 Thess 5.11 20. Rom. 6.16.19 12.1 2. Gal. 5.16 25. Eph. 4.21.25 5.1 2. Col. 3.9.12 And therein stirring them up to live by faith in God and so to love joy peace patience meekness c. To bowels of mercy kindness c. And so to pray to and praise God to exhort one another c. Now all these are the works of God in his grace bringing salvation And as these mercies of God in this salvation given you works within you so do ye obey yeeld up your selves as servants to righteousness Sow to the Spirit And so work out your own salvation with fear and trembling For it is God which worketh in you It is he which gave his Son for you and made him known to you and so inabled you by him to beleeve in God and so forgave your sins and filled you with this consolation of Christ and comfort of his own love and fellowship of the Spirit which by the same Spirit in the operations of this grace moveth you To Will to live by faith to deny ungodliness c. to live soberly c. to pray c. to shew mercy c. And to Do He doth not say It is God that willeth in you that beleeveth prayeth c. Neither doth he say in any other sense than as expressed by giving light motion or power to Will and to Do That God hath given and wrought the will and the deed But it is he that worketh in you both to Will and to Do of his good will or pleasure so as still to Will and to Do is the beleevers work which he cannot do of himself yer in this gracious season by this preventing grace light motion and divine power of God working within him he may both will and do if he yeeld up to this grace and herein is his obedience which being with a willing minde is accepted according to that he hath And in murmuring and withdrawing from this and so grieving the Spirit and sowing to the flesh is his disobedience that he will be reproved and chastened for And so in this saying is a great and forcible motive and encouragement to obedience it is God that in the operations of this salvation worketh in you to Will and to Dâ— yea he dâ—th it of good will So that entertaining his motions and yeelding up according to his strength given into you sowing to the Spirit in willing and doing according to his motions by his strength afforded you have God on your siâ—e his favour and strength is with you to accept defend assist bless and follow on with more grace and you shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Gal 6.8 And here is a forcible admonition against disobedience It is God that by these operations worketh in you c. If you sleight refuse turn away and disobey Psal 8.11 Heb. 12.25 Eph. 4.30 1 Thess 4.8 5.19 you sleight and refuse God you turn away from God that speaks from heaven and disobey God and grieve and resist his Spirit and so endanger your selves c. Whence suitable to all this follows that exhortation vers 14 15 16. Do all things without murmurings c. Suitable to all said to the Hebrews and like this the other quotation 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfained love of the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently This appears to be an exhortation to stir them up to such love not an affirmation that it would infallibly so be in and with them but an exhortation that it might so be and that neither in vain
by Christ that bought them and had the right to dispose of them even to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost and Instruments for him to use And thereby he shewed the heinousness of their sin if they defiled their bodies with fornication and made or abused The members of Christ to be one with and the members of an harlot Rom. 12.1.2 And so on this ground exhorted them to demean their bodies sutable to the purchase made by Christ and to the relation they now stood in with Christ and to the purity and holiness of the Spirit God had given them having upon the very same ground forewarned them That if any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy 1 Cor. 3.16 17 18. intreating them not to be deceived c. and how doth the Spirit dwell in such for ever then yet after this he both reproveth warneth and exhorteth on the very same ground 2 Cor. 6.15 16.17 18 7.1 2. assuring them from the promises of God of the Spirits continuing and dwelling in them in their yeelding up to his teachings and therefore calls upon them for that even like as to the Hebrews chap. 6. I marvel this was quoted here to such an end which makes for that he opposeth Rom. 5.5 speaks of the operations of Grace beleeved not in some peculiar kinde of but in all true beleevers and so of that which hope in the exercise of faith doth Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5. because of the love of God shed abroad in the heart of beleevers by the holy Ghost given unto them but not a word of the impossibility of any of the Saints by any ill requitals to deprive themselves of that love again and so of that holy Spirit yea he rather warns them to beware of that in the 6. and 8. Chapters following suitable to the warning given the Hebrews chap. 2. 3 4. 6. 1 Joh. 4.4.13 and those that follow speaks of the Spirit in beleevers a thing denied by none but not a word about the infallibility of his ever abiding unless as the former places directing to that in which it may so be but it may be these are quoted for proofs of that which follows in this Concernment which is no part of that contended for or against unless it be to countenance the distinction of two kinds of faith preferring one before another And so I will consider it CHAP. XX. Of the second part of the third Concernment HE saith Vpon the account of which inhabitation of the Spirit of Christ in them they have union with him that is one and the same Spirit dwelling in him the head and them the members Surely this may be truly said of all beleevers that abide in the faith of Christ during the time of their abiding in the faith and so of the faith as mentioned Heb. 6.1 2 4 5. yea the mixtures by him put in which are no parts of faith being taken out as they consist not with the rest even that first kinde of faith set forth by himself who hath not yet produced a better but even the same clad with some unjustifiable expressions so that this saying is true of all true beleevers or that in truth beleeve the testimony of Christ search the Scripture This I hope being granted of all that beleeve the Gospel of Christ that there are not two Spirits in Christ to procced from him to work faith in men and dwell in beleevers but onely one holy Spirit that is in the Father and in the Son the Spirit of the Father and of the Son sent by the Son from the Father and by the Father through the Son and in the name or Gospel of the Son one and the same holy Spirit And so where ever the Father and Son is he is and where ever he is the Father and Son is there with and by him Now minde what the Scripture saith Christ saith Mat. 10 40. Joh. 13.20 Mat 10.41 42. Luke 10.16 1 Joh. 4.6 Rev. 19.10 2 Cor. 5.19 20 Joh. 15.16 27. Act. 5.32 2 Thess 2.8 10 Hee that receiveth you receiveth me And he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me And this also spoken of his sending to preach the Gospel And though this in respect of his gracious acceptation and interpretation be true to all that for his sake receive such as beleeve in him yet it is principally meant of receiving his message by and from them And so he that hath the testimony of Jesus hath the Spirit of Prophesie And the holy Spirit witnesseth together with and in that testimony And Christ will in his time come again to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that beleeve because the Apostles testimony was received by them in the dayes of his patience while it was preached to them so that whoever in hearty beleeving receiveth this testimony It is Spirit and life to him Joh. 6.63 Rom. 1.16 1 Thess 2.13 Joh. 15.4 5 7. 1 Joh 1.3 2.24 yea the power of God to salvation to him and worketh effectually in him And as they abide in this word they abide in Christ and as this word abideth in them Christ by his Spirit abideth in them And they have fellowship with the Father and the Son and continue in both and that is his dwelling in them And so of the Galatians of whom Paul was sore afraid yet he doubteth not to affirm of them Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Gal 4.6 7 8 9. c. and yee have known God or rather are known of him And so 1 Joh. 44.13 speaketh in the very same language not of any peculiar kinde of Spirit that is in Christ and flows from him into some peculiar kinde of true beleevers but of that one holy Spirit which is in Christ and his efficacies which also in a measure is in all true beleevers And so verse 4. he salth 1 Joh. 4.4 Yee are born of God or of God and have overcome them that is the evil spirits in the world because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world where the opposition is not of beleevers to beleevers but of beleevers to the world and this he after expresseth both by the effects and the beleevers in whom it is saying What soever is born of God over cometh the world 1 Joh 5.4 5. And who is he that overcometh the world but he that beleeveth that Jesus is the Son of God this being our victory whereby we overcome the world even our faith So that all the way here is but one spirit and one faith Gal 4.9 1 Cor 8.3 1 Ioh 4.6 7.12 And these beleevers marked out by the same terms with others Hee that knoweth God that loves God and loveth his brother these saith he Are of God born of God and God dwelleth in them And to demonstrate who these are he saith
his sins and judging himself and so again walking after the Spirit And this affirmed by the Apostle in this Rom 8.12 13. therefore the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ who walk not after the flesh though flesh be lusting in them but after the Spirit 1 Cor. 11.31 Gal. 5.6 16 18 1 Joh. 1.7 9. Col. 3.1 2 3 4 5. which worketh by love inclining and yeelding to walk in the teachings and motions of the Spirit confessing and disowning the sinfulness that is in them by the lusts of the flesh and by the Spirit with the cross of Christ mortifying the same yeeld as servants to grace to such not withstanding the weakness molestations and failings thereby Gal. 6.16 18 19 24 25 6.8 Eph. 4 20-31 Col. 3 1-6 there is no condemnation This law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus after which they walk will free them from the power of that law of sin and death and so from all charges of sin and death And they shall not be under the Law but under Grace non yet fulfil the lusts of the flesh but of the Spirit shall reap life everlasting And on this ground are they exhorted To mortifie the flesh by the Spirit and to live in and walk after the Spirit And this is the doctrine of the Apostle as may be seen in all his writings And in this Rom. 8. as well as in Chap. 6. 7. by a general Proposition vers 1. by his own experiment vers 2. compared with 7.25 and by Gods preparation for us in Christ vers 3. and by his gracious end of giving life hereby to them which walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit vers 4. and by his following instructions and exhortations to vers 15. So that how far this quotation serves for that it s quoted for I say nothing but let the next quotation clear it 2 Cor. 5.21 Speaks not a word of any beleevers how far they have yet in this life attained much less of one more than another but directly and expresly shews the preparation God hath made for us in his Son by what way and to what end for the way it is suited to the 14 15 19. verses Him that knew no sin he made to be sin for us This is done not now to do nor yet presented to us in dark figures or parables or allegories but plainly declared to be done And that also to a gracious end suited to vers 15.18.20 Even that we might be made the righteousness of God in him He saith not And we are made as of a thing done But that we might be made as of a thing by the former done in Christ to be after done in us and so layeth here the foundation for repentance and faith Gal. 3.13 14 4.4 5. Tit. 2.14 and so reconcilement of the heart to God and walking after the Spirit that men in beleeving might begin to receive the same so that as any by faith are united to Christ and so made in Christ So is Christ made of God to them wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Phil. 3.12 13 14. 1 Joh. 3 2. and not otherwise And so they begin to be made the righteousness of God in him But fully and compleatly so to be will not be till Christ come again And this is given as the ground of the exhortation following Not to receive the grace of God in vain Chap. 6.1 2. Col. 2.10 Speaks not a word of the attainment of beleevers here in this life but of what they are in Christ sure in Christ as in a publick man that died and rose and gave himself a ransome for them All have dyed and are so given over to him 2 Cor. 5.14 Rom. 14.9 5.18 that to and in him they are discharged and made alive from that first sentence curse and death into which through the first Adam they fell And though this be not yet made over to all men by Christ and unbeleevers know it not yet shall none perish by that first sentence in that first death but be raised out of it 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. Joh. 1.14 16. Col. 1.19 20. Isa 45.22 42 1-7 6.1 4. Col. 1.28 Phil. 3.7 9. 2 Cor. 3.18 Jona 2.8 Mat. 16.26 Yea not only this but God hath given us eternal life in Christ though unbeleevers have it not Yea not onely this but the fulness of grace and truth of wisdome and understanding of divine power and spirit are in him enough to draw any that in hearing behold him to beleeve in him And so the Apostle in preaching endeavoured to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus that so they might see what perfection there is in Christ and that also by Gods gift for them which beleeved and minded would take them off from other things and both draw them into him and conform them by degrees to him although such as heed it not but follow lying vanities forsake their own mercies Joh. â—7 2 3.6 7 8. 6.40 3.16 1.12 13 Rom. 10.10 1. Cor. 3.22 and lose their own souls and so are not so related to him as in which relation he gives to them eternal life and interresseth them so in himself as to interress them in all that is in him and all that is his for this is only given to them that by the heavenly call are given unto him so as they receive his words and beleeve on his name And all that with the heart beleeve unto righteousness are thus related to him and interressed by him Now if we beleeve in him he and all that is his is ours Let us minde what he is even the elect of God the Son of God the Saviour c. And what is his even the Father and Spirit the Promises the Kingdome c. And what is in him Even all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Joh. 1.12.14 16 17. yea in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily so that in him we are compleat and fully furnished Whence also those that in beleeving are united and related to him Do of his fulness receive and grace for grace And what ever may yet be wanting to and in them it is in Christ for them in minding and beleeving in him to be receiving the same so that abiding in the faith of him and walking in him as they have received him in faith and love they shall be rooted in him receive more of his fulness and in due time be compleated by him because the fulness of the God-head dwels in him bodily And they as members and brethren are related to him In whom they are compleat Col. 2.1 2 3 6 9.10 he also being the head of all principality and power that hath the care and charge of all that beleeve in him And this also given as the ground and reason of the Apostles prayer for them vers 2.
works be manifold yet he is but one God he is one and so the Holy Spirit that proceedeth from the Father and the Son and discovereth Christ and God in Christ and beareth forth the Testimony though his Gifts and Operations be manifold yet the Spirit is one in the same yea the Father and Son and Holy Spirit are one and the same God one in Essence Will Design Testimony and Power and God in Christ propitious to Men and having prepared Eternal Life in Christ for Men this is the Object of Faith to be preached and believed and if this were not there could be no such thing as the Gospel calls Faith to be preached obeyed or enjoyed And this is one 2. The Grace of Faith or that believing in the Gospel that is called Faith it is that believing which is begot in the heart by the Discovery and Testimony Heb. 11.13 Joh. 6.40 Act. 6.7 Rom 3.25 10.8 9 10. the Spirit in the means he useth hath given of Christ in which a Man discerneth the Truth and Goodness testified is perswaded of it in his heart And this is one one way and manner of believing that Object of Faith and from thence it is called Faith and so truely still one Faith the Object discovered having drawn to it self a believing 3. So when through the Operation of Grace believed the Heart imbraceth the Object believed Heb. 11.13 Rom. 10.10 and so by Faith is united to it in trust and well-pleasedness c. it is still but one and the same Faith the same Object uniting to it self whence indeed it hath the name of Faith so as still Faith is one and but one II. That as Faith is used for the prevalency of the Object of Faith drawing the Hearer and Beholder to believe and so for the Grace of Faith or Believing though the Faith be one yet there are divers Degrees in and of it and divers Acts and Operarations of it 1. One Degree of Believing which in respect of the Testimony by which it is begot and which it believeth Joh. 2.23 12.42 and which if abiden in it will unite to may be called faith is yet short of a real new-birth it is such a belief of the Gospel-Testimony as according to light seen one believeth Jesus to be the Christ so far as to count his saying true and yet not so overcome by that believed to see and acknowledge his own vileness and the vanity of all his own best righteousness and his sin in not sooner believing by evidences foregiven and so see not yet the fulness and liberty in Christ for them and so are not by the knowledge of the Truth made single to Christ they are sprinkled with water and moved with Spirit but not yet born of VVater and Spirit they believe Righteousness but not yet with the heart unto Righteousness they are by the hearing of Faith so far born of God as to believe Jesus to be the Christ and confess him to be the Lord but not so far born of God as to be emptied of themselves and united to Christ and so are not yet inwardly renewed and regenerated and so though in the outward Court not yet really translated out of the Power of Darkness into the Kingdom of God's dear Son and yet even these Believers if they abide in this Faith of the Testimony of the Gospel and give heed to the plain sayings thereof Rom. 10.9 Joh. 8.30 31. and abide therein they shall be saved shall know the Truth and the Truth will make them free To say these did but pretend or seem and profess to believe and so are said to believe in respect of their seeming and prosession to believe in the judgement of Charity is too much presumption and sawciness and derogation from the Holy Ghost for the Evangelists writ this after Christ was ascended and they indued with the Holy Ghost and so writ by his inspiration so that those sayings such did believe were not the sayings of Men imperfect in knowledge and judging according to the judgement of Charity by conjecture but the sayings of the Holy Ghost that knoweth all things the Spirit of Truth that cannot erre or be deceived And he saith they believed on his Name they believed on him and who will be so proud of his VVisdom and Knowledge as to direct the Spirit of the Lord and undertake to counsel him and teach him to speak more rightly and safely and say they seemed to believe they professed to believe in the judgement of Charity they ought to be counted Believers though in the issue it appears they did not believe That which some bring to help this conceit helps it not Joh. 2.24 25. namely that Christ did not commit himself to them because he knew all Men c. for it is not said Jesus knew they believed not Gen. 6.5 8.21 or that he knew there was no truth in their believing but he knew what was in Man an evil and unfaithful disposition c. and he knew that his Words or Miracles that brought these to believe on him were not so submitted to as that their evil disposition was yet mortified and they made faithful to him and so they might have served him as he did Joh. 5.14 15. but believe the Spirit saith they did And so in the other place the Holy Ghost affirmeth That as Christ spake many believed on him Joh. 8.30 31. and that our Saviour then spake to those Jews that believed on him And again the Holy Ghost faith Among the chief Rulers many believed on him Joh. 12.42 but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him So that these were Believers and therefore so called and not called Believers because they seemed or professed to believe which the Holy Ghost saith they did not nay the praise of Men had that prevalency with them that it kept them from profession of believing though it had not so great prevalency with these as with those Joh. 5.44 whom it kept from believing or yet put them in an incapacity of it so that these pointed to did believe is evident that it was not a feigned but true believing is evident for else in continuance in it they could not be saved that they were yet short of the knowledge of the Truth c. is express that if they continued in his words received by this Faith they were even then his Disciples and they should know the Truth and the Truth should make them free is express so that here is one Degree of Faith yet short of a real New-Birth which yet abiden in is certain to be effected and was after in many of these as appears in comparing John 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 18. and John 7.50 51. with John 19.38 39 40. 2. The other Degree of believing in which by the prevalency of the Light seen Col. 1 12 13. 1 Pet. 2.3 5 9. Phil. 3.7 8 9. and Grace believed the Heart