with thy salvation that I may see the good of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladnesse of thy nation and glory with thine inheritance Psal 106.4 5. Now this love is peculiar to Gods people neither have the elect this love from all eternity nor yet before conversion for Gods anger must be turned away and their backslidings healed and then he wil love them freely Hos 14.4 Saith Christ Hee that keepeth my commandements is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shal be loved of my father and I wil love him and if any man love me he will keepe my words and my father wil love him and I wil manifest my selfe unto him for we wil come unto him and make our abode with him John 14.21 22 23. And if ye keep my commandements ye shal abide in my love even as I kept my fathers commandements and abide in his love John 15.9 10. If ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do them then the Lord thy God shal keepe unto thee the Covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers and hee will love thee Deut. 7.12 13. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee ô Jacob and he that formed thee ô Israel feare not I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine And then after all this it followes Since thou wast pretious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee Isay 43.1.4 And lest any should think Gods love was before the sending of Christ the Apostles seemes purposely to prevent it praying thus The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ putting that in the first place and then the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13.14 Being justified by faith we have grace with God but no peace before faith in Jesus Christ but then follows many priviledges as free accesse into his presence and rejoycing in hope of the glory of God because the love of God is now shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 2.5 So then when Gods love comes then comes saith And when faith comes then comes the holy Ghost and dwels in our hearts Ephes 3.17 Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and bast not denyed my name then it follows They shall know that I have loved thee Rev. 3.8 9. But before the creation there was no word given to be kept not strength to keep it therefore no love before the world was Again saith the Lord Whom I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. 3.19 But did God correct any before the creation if he did let them prove it And he scourgeth every sonne that he receiveth Heb. 12.6 So then if they were adopted the sons of God before the creation they must shew that they were corrected before for the spirit of bondage goes before the spirit of adoption Suppose they say that God commended his love to us in that while we were sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 Therefore say they Christ loved us while we were in our sins I answer it is true Christ dyed for us when we were in oursins and Christ was tendred unto us in that condition as a man may tender his love to a woman whom he would have to be his wife but this wil not hold that she therefore is his wife because hee hath tendred his love to her no she must consent to that motion and then be given to him and then she is his wife so when God tendered Christ unto us and gave us faith whereby we are capable to make a contract and so gives us to Christ then wee have right and a true title to Christ and all his benefits and not before But now because we deny that any can be actually loved or justified before Faith Suppose they like subtill Sophisters shall say that we hold that a man may have true saving Faith some space of time and yet not the man justified because we say that faith justifies by reflecting back and taking hold of the righteousnesse of Christ I answer when we sate in the state of nature we were in darknesse but when we were baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire then wee see a great light Mat. 3.10.4.16 No sooner doth the candle burne but it gives a light saith David Thou wilt lighten my candle the Lord my God will lighten my darknesse Psal 18.28 But as soone as the heart is touched and faith wrought in it by this light immediately it sees Christ then how can it chuse but take hold immediately But for us to distinguish the time betweene the infusing of Faith and the reflecting act of it is beyond our capacity as much as to distinguish whether fire or light comes first to the candle yet in order of nature sire must goe before the light and so faith must goe before the operation But for the time I cannot distinguish if not in naturall things much lesse in spirituall things Againe suppose they say doth not God love them that have faith wrought in their soules before it take hold of Christ to justifie us I answer let what faith will be wrought in the soule till it takes hold of Christ it doth not justifie and therefore for the present Gods love is not to him as to his reall child for saith Mr. Perkins the very seeds of saving faith brings forth groanings and earnest desires of the favour of God in Christ and makes us hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 But if the seeds of faith doe this what will faith it selfe doe Is there any time for it to he idle in the soule before it take hold on Christ to justifie I know none therfore when it is wrought God loves that man as his reall childe but the more they stand upon these nice distractions the more they display their folly But they reply from those words of Ieremiah saith the Lord I have loved thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 This say they being everlasting is from all eternity I answer when God loves his people he loves them for ever Jo. 13.1 His loue neuer faileth 1 Cor. 13.8 No waters can quench this loue Cant. 8.7 He will rest in his love Zeph. 3.17 So his love unto his people is eternall He will neuer leaue them nor forsake them Heb. 13.5 But all this will not prove that God loved them from everlasting although he love them unto everlasting from the time of their being and saith Mr. Perkins on his Exposition on the Creed Page 396. God neither hates them indeed nor loves them indeed before they are and concerning those two Nations that came of Iacob and Esau he saith God did purpose to love one and hate the other Page 374. as also many able Divines have well approved of this booke before it was published So then although God love his people for ever yet if we speake of the time past beyond the Creation or
highly favoured Luke 1.28 Being full of faith Acts 6.5 Now it is not God that changeth in his love but the change lies in us for Gods love is infinite in greatnes like himselfe so that no creature being finite is able to containe this infinite love of God it is like the Ocean Seas nothing is able to contain it but himself al the creatures are but as so many vessels of several sizes cast into this Ocean and every one receives his measure but the beasts and sowles are not able to receive so much as men nor men before conversion being dead in sin and having no hand of faith to receive it as he that hath a new life infused into him and the hand of faith given him whereby he is made more capable to receive a greater measure nor he that is but in part sanctified and having the burden of sin upon him as he that is wholly sanctified and freed from all sin and so as faith increaseth wee are more able to receive this infinite love of God and some have fiue Talents some but two now if God make some creatures more capable to receive and then bestowes more of this infinite love upon them this must needs bee agreeable to what God purposed to bestow on them from all Eternity Againe some to whom God hath purposed to bestow lesse yet they may haue it in actuall possession sooner than those to whom God hath purposed to bestow more saith Paul Andronicus and Iunia were in Christ before me Romans 16.7 Yet Paul I suppose did soon exceed them and so the last became first for hee was not behind the very chiefest Apostles he did improve his tallant more then they all yet while he was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious then I say Andronicus and Iunia were more beloved then he because his graces lay in the purpose of God and they had it in actual possession again Christ chides some for their little faith Mat. 14.21 And others he highly commends for their great faith Mat. 8.10.15.28 Some are more carnall then spirituall yet babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.12 But herein is my father glorified when we bear much fruit John 15.8 Rom. 4.20 Christ himself the more he grew in strength and wisedome the more able was hee to perform the work of Mediator-ship therefore as he encreased in strength and wisedome he encreased in favour with God and men Luke 2.52 because then he was able to do more both for God and man Thus the greatest vessel being cast into this ocean recovereth the greatest measure of this infinite love of God Again the love of God is also eternall like himself and God hath made some creatures eternall to keepe their measure that they have received for ever whereas other creatures are mortall and not able to keep that measure of love which they have received for ever because the vessel wil decay and so that love which they received returns back into the â—cean where it was before the creation and for those Angels that were made eternall vessels and yet carelesse to keep their measure of love which they had received They shal suffer eternally the losse of this infinite love of God Jude 5. And the rest that did not sin were established by Christ but for man all sinned and came short of the glory of God the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 All were under the curse and might justly have suffered eternally with the reprobate had not Christ redeemed us from the curse Gal. 3.13 And he prepared this broken vessel to make us meet for our Masters use 2 Tim. 2.20.21 For this is the wil of God even our sanctification and that we should know how to possesse our vessels in sanctification and honour 1 Thes 4.3.4 But God did not impart this infinite love into these vessels before they were and that actually from all eternity Again they alleadg that place in Ezek. 16.6 7 8 9. That the Lord saith When I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine own blood now when I looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love I answer first God doth not say in that time that he looked upon that polluted sinner that he loved her but thus Behold thy time was the time of love that is thy time of effectual calling out of the state of sin into the state of grace by true faith and repentance and reformation Thus not my time when I saw thee polluted but thy time when thou art washed and cleansed that was the time of love for saith the Lord When I saw thee polluted J said unto thee live yea when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live vers 6. Now this was such a powerful voyce as when hee said in the creation let there be light and there was light or such a voice by which Christ raised up dead Lazarus to life Iohn 11.44 For marke I caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field thou art encreased and waxen great and thou art come to excellent ornaments whereas thou wast naked and bare vers 6. This was the time of love vers 7. For those ornaments was the righteousnesse of Christ to justifie her for saith he I spread my skirt over thee to cover thy nakednesse vers 8. Yea she had the grace of faith-wrought in her wherby she was capable to enter into Covenant with God and so saith he thou becamest mine vers 8. After this she declared her self to be washed with the water of sanctification and adorned with all those graces following vers 9.10.11.12.13.14 Then was she actually loved of Christ but this will not prove that the elect are actually loved of God from all eternity For when God actually loves a man He draws that man by those cords and bands of love to him againe Hos 11.4 We love God because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 Love is a bond of perfectnesse Colos 3.14 But this could not draw us before we were the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the holy Ghost Rem 5.5 But he that hath no bowels of compassion toward his brother how dwelleth the love of God in him Ioh. 3.17 Now keep your selves in the love of God thus of some have compassion and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire Jude 21 22 23. But was Paul such a one before his conversion when he made havock of the Church of God and breathed out threatning and slaughter against the Desciples of the Lord did this love of God dwel in him then our heavenly Father wil give his spirit to them that aske him Lu. 11.13 But can they aske him before they were While Peter was yet speaking the holy Ghost fel on them which heard the word Acts 10.44 Then was this actually done in Gods decree or did the holy Ghost dwel in Paul
before conversion by working or acting grace in his heart or was he then led by the spirit of God into all truth Iohn 16.13 When he persecuted and made havocke and breathed out threatning and slaughter against the Saints of God was the love of God then shed into his soule or did he then love the Saints of God when he so thirsted for their blood it is true he then loved them as the wolfe doth his prey But the true love of God is the infusion of that grace of love into their soul which both knits them to God and to his people but this could not be before their conversion then sure it was not before their being When God infuseth the graces of his spirit into the soule by those graces be sanctifies it and these are not the causes of our salvation but they are a part of it as the first fruits of that harvest Rom. 8.33 Iam. 1.18 And the earnest of that bargain He hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 After that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1.13.14 Meaning the graces of Gods spirit Mat. 7.11 Compared with Luke 11.13 Therefore the promises commonly run and are made to them that are sanctified and seldome or never to them that are justified because the perfecting of sanctification is the last work and brings us into ful happinesse to al eternity then imputed righteousnesse ceaseth and faith ceaseth aad prayer ceaseth and the intercession of Christ ceaseth but the righteousnesse of sanctification that is begun is us here being purchased by Christ also and wrought by his spirit in us that abideth with us to all eternity for it is eternal life begun in us then what a miserable delution is that which speaketh evil of that eternal life that is begun within us saying what have we to do with that dungy durty duties of sanctification we thank God through Jesus Christ we have nothing to do with them these are workes for horne-book Christians but let me tel them that the promise of heaven and happinesse is only made to holinesse Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Mat. 5. And without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Again Heaven is the inheritance of them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 But no unclean thing shall enter into it Rev. 21.27 Now all the persons in Trinity may be said to sanctifie us To them that are sanctified by God the Father Jude 1. I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you Exo. 31.13 Levit. 20.8.21.8 The very God of Peace sanctifie you 1 Thes 5.23 God the father sanctifies us by giving his son to purchase it for us and by sending the holy Ghost to worke it in us and by hearing and granting those petitions which are moved in us by his own spirit Rom. 8.26 Secondly God the Son is said to sanctifie us first by the purchase that he gave for it he hath washed away our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1.5 The blood of Christ doth purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 Secondly by his ordinances the word and Sacraments Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it with the washing of water by the word Ephes 5.26 First by the word in shewing us our sins by it and also our duties and begetting faith in us by it whereby wee have both knowledg of and power to do these duties and to refraine those vices discovered by it and also by the Sacraments by strengthning and encreasing faith all other graces in us Thirdly We are sanctified by the spirit of God 1 Cor. 6.11 2 Thes 2.13 Now as the Father works by the Son and the holy Ghost so the holy Ghost workes both from the Father and the Son therefore it is said Your heavenly father wil give the spirit to them that aske him Lu. 11.13 The Father shal give you another comforter John 14.16 And saith the Son If I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I wil send him unto you John 16.7 Now saith the Apostle He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which is shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.5 6. The spirit of God sanctifies by changing us into the same image from glory to glory that is From the glory of grace begun to the glory of grace perfected 2 Cor. 3.18 And by leading us into all truth John 16.13 This is done by inward motions and comforts encreasing that which he before infused into us Again it is said that faith sanctifies that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith Acts 26.18 Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 When faith takes hold and receives the blood of Christ and makes it ours so it justifies us as an instrument or a hand laying hold on Christ the justifier But as faith works by love Gal. 5.6 And stirs up all other graces in their lively motion so it sanctifies us when it makes us love God unfainedly and stirs up a lively hope that maketh not ashamed and fear to offend God and care to please him and a zeal for his glory humility self denyall mortifying sin and a chearful walking with God in all holy obedience thus faith may be said to sanctifie and although other graces were infused into us by the spirit of God as wel as faith yet when faith acts them and stirres them up in their lively motion this second working may be called the fruits of faith because they are acted and encreased by it instrumentally although the graces themselves are all the fruits of Gods spirit wrought in us Gal. 5.22 But our Antinomians are strangers to this kind of working for they will have the spirit of God to do his own work and they must be as empty trunks for it and as dead stones without life or motion yea their faith they so much boost of must be but a spectator to look on their love must free them from obedience and their faith is without labour but saith Paul Remembring without ceasing your work of faith labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 Heb. 6.10 Again the Saints are not rewarded according to the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them for then they should bee as high in glory as Christ yet I grant that to be the cause of our salvation but we are saved according to the measure of our sanctification that is wrought in us by the spirit of God neither are the reprobates rewarded according to the imputation and guilt of originall sin although that was the cause of damnation for then all should be tormented alike but they are rewarded according to their actual sins committed in their own persons For he that treasureth sin he treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath
hath given me I should lose nothing And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6.39.40 But when others are left to perish in their sin this also is according to the will of God they were ordained to this condemnation Jude 4. And who hath resisted his will Rom. 9.19 Thus all things come to passe according to the secret will of God a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his will Mat. 10.29 Now it will not follow that God loves all things that comes to passe according to his will for sin it selfe could not be without his permitting will yet I hope they will not say that sin is beloved of God because he permitteth the being of it although his will is good and therefore a good will yet I deny not but God loves his work in the very Devils and Reprobates in the time of their being If this be the love of good will they meane I shall grant as much but yet the creature may perish for all this good will Againe I demaund how there can be any true love without delight here they would measure the love of God by their owne bushell for they say that they beare good will to Christ and the Gospell but they neither love the Father nor his Law but if these men did truly love the Sonne they would love the Father also 1 John 5.1 But let them have what pretence they will they neither delight in the Father nor the Sonne because they abhor all Bonds and Covenants that should ingage them to obedience doe they not rage against God and Christ his anointed saying let us break their bonds asunder and cast their cords from us Psal 2.1.3 Neither will they hazard any thing for the name of Christ but saith Paul I am not onely ready to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21.15 They pretend love to Christ and his Gospell but yet they will not fight nor strive together for the faith of the Gospell Phil. 1.27 Nor contend earnestly for the faith that was once given to the Saints Jude 〈…〉 against sin Heb. 12.4 If they did truly love Christ they would fight against his enemies to rescue his Gospell and his people whom they say they love but this is their love of good will separated from their love of delight But suppose they say if one man purpose to doe good to another this is actuall love So if God purposed from all eternity to doe good to his Elect this is actuall love I answer A man may not onely purpose to doe good but he may also doe it and yet not love him to whom it is done as the unjust Judge did deliver the poore widow because shee troubled him but not through love to her for he neither feared God nor regarded man Luke 18.4.5 And the Pharisees gave Almes but not through love to the poore but to get praise themselves Mat. 6.2 So God may cause the Sun to shine and the raine to fall he gave them a King in his wrath and quailes in the wildernes but not in love But now although men sin when they seeke their owne praise and doe any good worke without love yet God doth not so Againe when one man intends to doe good to another there is an object for his love but before the Creation there was no object for Gods love but himselfe therefore God loved nothing before the Creation but himselfe it was not his love to the Creatures that moved him to create them but it was love to himselfe to set forth his owne glory Ephes 1.12 According us he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should bee holy and without blame before him in love ver 4. Here you see Holinesse goes before Love and not Love before Holinesse and also Obedience goeth before Love Deut. 7.12.13 Iohn 14.21.23 And Reformation goeth before Love Hosea 14.4 They would set forth Gods love to his people by the love of David to Absolom When Absolom fled the soule of King David longed to gee forth unto Absolom 2 Sam. 13.38.39 And in the next Chapter the King said Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face So he dwelt twofull yeares and saw not the Kings face Ver. 24.28 Thus they would have God to love his people from all Eternity although they doe not see his face that is although he doe not manifest himselfe unto them I answer Absolom was Davids naturall Sonne then although he offended his Father yet his Son-ship remained still and Absolom was in present being and an Object fit for his love being his Son But before the Creation we had no being then there was no Object for Gods Love but himselfe Againe then we were neither the Sons of God by Creation nor by Adoption nor nothing in us lovely beyond the Creation hence I conclude that all the Love of God then to his people was but a purpose to make them lovely and then to love them But they will alledge the words of Iohn God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son that whose ever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have 〈◊〉 lasting life John 3.16 Here say they is actuall love going before the senâ—ing of Christ I answer if they look back they may see Christ tendâ—ed before ver 14. As the Serpent was in the wildernes and also it may be supposed that Faith was given to some of them to receive and close with Christ in these words Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have eternall life ver 15 then it followes ver 16. God so loved the world but what is meant by the world here but those beleevers who had Christ tendred before and had Faith given them to receive him As many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.12 And so Mr. Perkins reads it in his Exposition on Iude Page 52. He that believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life But why shall not believers perish Because saith he God so loves the world of Believers So then first God gives his people Faith and makes them lovely and then he loves them with actuall Love and saith he in the same Booke page 104. The proper cause of the Decree of God must be in himselfe because it was before the creatures were he decreed to love one and to hate another this he purposed in himselfe Ephes 1.9 God needs not goe out of himselfe for motives from outward respects to chuse or refuse but because his good pleasure is such Mat. 11.25 Then fore-sight of Faith in some or infidelity in others nor love to some and hatred to others was the cause of chusiug some and refusing others seeing Gods
decree is in order and time before the creature which being the latter cannot be the cause of the former and saith Mr. Calvin Instit 3.22.3 Speaking of those that would have fore-sight of Faith and Holinesse to be the cause of Election but saith he how shall these things agree together that those things which are derived from Election should be the cause of Election We are elected that we may be holy that so God may love us Ephe. 1.4 Not because we are holy so then the cause of Election was in God himselfe Ephes 1.9 Saith he God considered nothing without himselfe whereby he had regard too in his decrees therefore the end of Election tends to the praise of the glory of his grace ver 6. So that it was not actuall love to the people of God from all Eternity that moved God to send them a Saviour the moving cause was then in himselfe Againe I answer from another like place to this Luke 7.47 Many sins were forgiven her for shee loved much Will they say here the womans love went before Gods forgivenesse If they say no then I say they must needs conclude the same from that place in Iohn 3.16 That God did not love them before the sending of Christ and besides if they affirme the contrary they overthrow their first Argument for then they said that they were reconcil'd in Christ before the world was but here they would have all to be done before the sending of Christ but if this were so I demand to what purpose he came if not to reconcile and to adopt us and so to bring us into the love and favour of God the discovery of their owne contradictions might be a sufficient confutation of it Againe the world here with God so loved may be understood more generall and then more speciall First more generall he hath disposed the whole world and then more speciall First more generall he hath disposed the whole world Job 34.13 that is God disposeth of Heaven and Earth and all creatures in them The world is mine meaning all things that ever God made Psal 50. He shall judge the whole world with right Psal 96.13 That is he will doe all his creatures justice and so here God so loved the world John that is God so loued all his creatures and saw them all very good Gen. 1.31 When he had finished them he rested and was refreshed Exo. 31.17 So greatly did God delight in the workes of his hands that he was not willing they should be all destroyed in regard they were all very good therefore he sent mankind a Saviour that so all his creatures might be preserved I mean some of every kind The Elect Angels should be established by Christ that they cannot fall as also the highest Heaven is established that it cannot be moved but the lower heavens and the earth with all the creatures in them are defiled with sin The Heavens are not cleane in his sight Job 15.15 And the Angels that fell he chargeth with folly Job 4.18 And the Earth also is corrupt before God For all flesh had corrupted his way Gen. 6 11.12 So then all the creatures in the two lower heavens and the earth are corrupted by the sin of man and partake with him in punishments but by Christ they that are sound alive at the day of judgment shall be restored agame to their first perfection and so remaine for ever And their earnest expectation is when they shall be delivered Rom. 8. See the Saints Inheritance after the day of judgment this world of creatures God so loved that he sent to mankind a Saviour that some of all the workes of God may be preserved for ever For the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remaine before me saith the Lord Isaiâ—h 66.22 The second exception of this word world is more specially to be taken for the world of believers that is all the beleevers from the first to the last in the time of their being and this world was never without beleivers since Christ was promised to Adam and Eve they having a justifying Faith wrought in them they should not perish nor any true beleevers that discended of them For God so loved the world of believers that he sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world 1 John 4.14 And Christ gave his life unto the world John 6.33 And bee taketh away the sins of the world John 1.29 But these places must needs bee understood to be the world of believers they shall never perish but have everlasting life for God so loved the world of believers is to take away their sinnes They are his people children that wil not lye So he was their Saviour Isa 63.8 When Israel was a child saith the Lord then I loved him Hosea 11.1 But all this will not prove that God loved him before he was a Child from all Eternity before they were adopted or sanctified by the Spirit But they will say God loved Iacob and hated Esau before they were borne because the Apostle quoting Malachi saith It is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Rom. 9. I answer the Prophet wrote this a long time after their death now if he say after their death that God loved one and hated the other in the time of their being wil that prove that God either loved or hated before they were all that the Apostle saith was done before they were born is this that the elder should serve the younger this was the purpose of God according to election Rom. 9.11 12. And Gen. 25.23 Yet this was not to be understood of their persons but the elder nation should serve the younger which was also fulfilled 2 Sam 8.14 Where it is said that al they of Edom became servants to David K. of Israel Then they alleadg these words of Moses Deu. 7 6 7 8. That God loved them before they were but in the text there is no such matter but is plainly spoken to those that were then in present being saying Thou art a holy people the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a speciall people Now the reason why God chose this people and loved them was not because they were more in number then other people but because the Lord would keep the oath which he had sworn to their fathers vers 7 8. But here is nothing to prove that God loved them before they were if we would speak of Gods love before their being then it is this The Lord loved their fathers in the time of their being and therefore he chose their seed Deut. 4.37 Again if they say God sees all things at once both past present and to come and therefore the elect that are to be justified he ever saw them justified and therefore they were alwaies beloved from all eternity I answer by this rule that God once saw David commit adultery and murther for it was done in his sight Psal 51.4 Therefore hee sees
beyond their actuall being it was but intentionall or a purpose to loue them When God built this great Fabrick of Heauen and Earth with all the variety of creatures in them his first thought was on himselfe delighting himselfe in his owne Attributes and in the manifestation of them to his creatures as his power and wisedome in the workes of Creation and his works of love and mercy and goodnes in the workes of his providence and his holinesse and justice in the punishment of sin and shewing mercy and forgivenes to whom he pleaseth Thus he made all things for himselfe Prov. 16.4 To set forth the glory of his Attributes then the love of God to himselfe was the first moving cause to bring all things about to his owne glory as Nebuchadnezzar built Babell the great house of his Kindome to shew forth his power and might and for the honour of his Majesty Dan. 4.30 These were his first thoughts then to accomplish this he thought of Timber and Stones and such materials as he was to use in the worke but although these second thoughts came into his mind before the worke was done yet it was not his love to the stones and timber that moved him to build that great Fabrick but it was the love to his owne honour and Majesty that moved him to doe it So it was not Gods actuall love to the Saints that moued him from all eternity to doe all his great works but the love to his own honour and glory that was the mouing cause of all his workes and as a man may have the modell or frame of his house in his mind before he begin to build it So had the Lord the modell or frame of the whole world in his mind before he began to create them and as mans affections are no more to one stone than to another before they be squared and fitted for the building and then he actually loves them So when the Lord finds us all mixed together with the wicked There is no difference Rom. 3.22 Acts 15.9 till wee are squared and fitted and made living stones for his spirituall Temple and then he loves us and though God saw all things from all eternity in the thoughts of his heart yet not as being actually then created and perfectly finished but they were in the thoughts of his heart how they should be and where they should be he seeth all things that are not as if they were not that they are really so indeed no not in his sight God sees all the travels of men out of one Kingdome into another and their birth and death and their soules departure either to Heaven or Hell but not as if he saw them in many places at once this were to make the creature Omni-present to be in many places at once and to say God sees our birth and death all at once would seeme to repute him uncapable of the passage of time here with us so they would make him unable to performe his promise at the time appointed But God is able to keepe his promise to a thousand Generations Psal 105.8 And performe it the selfe-same day Exod. 12.41 The Lord bid the people write the self-same day and shall we thinke that hee doth not keepe a strict account of time till time bee no more yet in Heaven I grant there is no account of time by houres daies and yeares but wee having the account of time and according to our account God did see one thing comming after another into execution and not all being actually done from all eternity therefore he is faithfull to performe every promise made unto his people in the very instant of time promised he sees the way and meanes which he hath decreed to bring about all things to their appointed ends So God from all eternity saw his people in his purpose to give them a being and when they have a being he sees them as having a being but since the fall he sees his Elect in their bloud before conversion and after conversion as his owne children yet as having sin in them and in the world to come as without sin now if they should say that Gods love to the creatures before they were moved him to doe all that is done to them then I demand what moved God towards them when all mankind fell out of this loue of God in that sin of Adam was it not his purpose to doe them good now if they say that God alwaies actually loued them then I reply that if this be true Christ died in vaine but the truth is When we were enemies to God we were again reconciled by the bloud of his Son Rom. 5.10 see Col. 1.21 And to say that God actually loved them before they had any being is all one as to say God loved them before his owne Image was stamped upon them which every creature hath some resemblance more or leste by Creation therefore being made they were all very good but not before Againe if God should actually love his Elect from all eternity then on the contrary he must actually hate the Reprobate before they have any sin and if God should actually love the Elect from all eternity then this love was fruitlesse till the time of Creation Againe we are all borne children of wrath even as others and slaves of the Devill now doth God love any more in us at that time than what we had left off the worke of God by Creation and so he loves the Divell as to owne his workeman-ship in him then here is the difference God is purposed to doe good to his Elect although for the present they lie in the guilt of Adams sin but God hath no purpose to doe good unto the Divels that sinned Againe if God loved slaves of the Divell then what doth hinder but such may be saved and goe to Heaven in that condition but if this be true what need is there of the new Birth nay it matters not in what condition we are if God love us But yee have not so learned Christ If so be yee have been taught as the truth is in Iesus Then put off the former conversation the old man which is corrupt Ephes 4.20 21 22. Yet God loveth the least measure of grace that he hath wrought in his people Hee hath wrought in us that which is well pleasing in his sight Heb. 13.21 Let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably Chap. 12.28 I exhort you by the Lord Iesus that as yee have received of us how yee ought to walke and to please God so you would abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 You please God now labour to please him better walke as Christ walked 1 John 2.6 So shall you grow in favour with God and man as he did and be able daily to doe his will more and more as strength and wisedome increaseth Luke 2.52 And at length with Daniel be a man greatly beloved Dan. 10.11 And with Mary
your other letter yet you afresh master up your affections to fight against your owne conscience and will maintaine against it that you were justified before you had either faith or calling your reason is because the purchase of it was paid 1600 yeares agon although no surrender of that righteousnesse was ever made unto you by Christ the purchaser of it nor ever yet received by you but to confirme this you say That Christ was made sin for us that wee might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 And so the just suffered for the uâ—just 1 Pet. 3.18 But is Christ made sinne in the abstract how then was he just when he suffered for the unjust and if he was a lump of sin by moulding or infusing our sin into him or if Christ tooke away the being of sin as Simon the Cyrenian tooke the substance and being of the Crosse clearly from his shoulders and laid it upon his owne then we should be just before he suffered and so by consequence hee died not for us but for himselfe being made a lump of sin in the abstract But if Christ were made sin it selfe how then could God love him before he suffered and say This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased my beloved in whom my soule is well pleased this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare him Mat. 3.17.12 18.15 Doth God love sin Oh damnable blasphemy Againe if Christ were made sin how came he into Heaven where no uncleane thing shall enter Revel 21.27 And how came he to Gods right hand Surely God hath no pleasure in wickednes neither shall evill dwell with him Ps 5.4 5. To say that Christ was made sin in the abstract is to make him worse than the Divell or any reprobate for they are the creatures of God and some good things are in them but so is not sin then you must be constrained to say Christ is not in Heaven or forced to say that although our sins were imputed to him yet was he the Lambe without spot of sin 1 Pet. 1.19 If the least sin had entred into his righteous soule the whole worke of Redemption had miscarried Then Iesus was onely made a surety for our sins Heb. 7.22 But still they remaine in us and are not in hiâ— as I have told you in my Booke Page 2 neither did Christ part with that righteousnes whereby we are justified and leave himselfe nothing but sin that righteousnes that makes us just remaines in him still else if you had stripped him and gotten all his righteousnes from him and left him to be nothing but a lump of sin how then could he be saved But is this your love to Christ you boast so much of to reproach and villefie him thus to be nothing but a lump of sin and so unjustly take the righteousnesse of the righteous from him and as Iob did so doe you condemne God that you may be righteous Job 40.8 In so doing yee degrade Christ of his God-Head and of his righteousnesse and all this to deifie your selves and then you say God sees no sin in you because that all your sins are put into Christ and so you have none for he is made sin for you in the abstract and you have gotten his righteousnesse and so you are righteousnes it selfe in the abstract oh cursed and hellish blasphemy you might have observed my Booke better and been convinced of this your errour for although Christ hath given to believers his righteousnes yet it remaines in him still and not in us and although our fins are given or charged upon him yet they remain in us still not in him Page 2. Then you would father soâ—e of your abhominable lies upon me in saying it were a foolish thing to think that the holy spirit of God should dwell where the Divel â—eignes and leads them Captive at his will yet that I should say such are all the Elect mincing my words as the Divell did when he tempted Christ leaving out a sentence and so doe you for you leave out till they are recovered out of the snare of the Divell 2 Tim. 2.26 But not afterwards God be thanked Yee were the servants of sin but now yee are the servants of righteousnesse Rom. 6.17.18 Then you belch out another damnable lie saying that I should affirme that all the Elect are made the righteousnes of God in Christ 1600 yeares agon although they were not borne but you are ashamed to name the page because you cannot yet such is your Sophistry to make contradictions where none is and double dealing in the sincerest heart and because that I say the guilt of originall sin is done away by Christ page 2 line 4 from this the spider sucks poyson and saith that I affirme that the being of sin is taken away when I onely say that the guilt is taken away but you not onely belie me but you belye David a man after Gods owne heart and Moses who was faithfull in all his house when they say I have sinned in the sight of God and my foolishnesse is not hid from thee all our iniquities are in the light of thy countenance Psal 51.4 69.5 90.8 Although they speake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Yet you say them that say God sees the sin of his people such belie the spirit of God but take heed how you give up your selfe to lying and blaspheaning the holy spirit of God lest your sin bee found unpardonable Then you say that you are not corrected for sin but this I have answered already in my other letter and that you know your condition from a bare testimony of the spirit of God this also I have answered already and to my Booke I refer you if you be not satisfied onely you say when two witnesses come together you must heare but one of them like some partiall Judge although God bid you to try all spirits aswell his owne as any other 1 John 4.1 Yet you like that branded reprobate King Ahaz you will not tempt the Lord to aske a signe this you say is to mistrust him but in this that you despise markes and signes you doe not onely weary men but you saith the Prophet weary my God also Isa 7.11 12 13. But if you weary him He wil ease him of his adversaries and avenge him of his enemies Isa 1 24. see Amos 2.13 14. Then you say that I affirme that the judiciall Law was ended in Christ which is another abominable lie see page 14. And because I say from the curse of the Law and from the reigne of sin wee are freed by Christ Rom. 8.1 Gal. 3.13 From this the spider sucks poyson and saith that I affirme that we are not under the commanding power of the Law of God but under grace but read page 14 a little better Then you conclude saying if you could speake with me which is no extraordinary matter to doe then you could shew me some downe-right lies and nothing but contradictions and Scriptures most barborously racked and misapplied but not so much as one of them is named no not so much as that one that was brought in stead of forty in your other letter but it seemes that your conscience hath whipped you for setching that one that now you dare write none at all yet you encourage your self as the Syrians did when they were beaten by the God of Israel on the hills but they thought to beat him in the vallies but they were mistaken 1 Kings 20.23.28 So your conscience beats you now in your writing that you dare not set down those down-right lies but you think to be too hard for conscience and in spight of it you will tell me them when you come to speak with me But if your conscience condemne you God is greater than your conscience and knowes all things 1 John 3.20 Take heed of the judgment of God upon lyars 2 Kings 5.25.27 Acts 5.4.5.8.9 Revel 21.8 22.15 Then knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manisest in your consciences 2 Cor. 5.11.12 If they may but freely speake The Errata P. 1. l. 9. for the r. this p. 3 l. 9. for his r. and his p. 6. l. 20. for us r. as p. 9. l. 19. for low r. not l. 36. for as r. or p. 12. l. 2. for grace r. peace p. 13. l. 9. for distractions r. distinctions p. 14. l. 21 for people r. Prophet p 16 l. 15. for recovereth r. receiveth p 18. l 8. for tho r. the. p. â—2 l. 31. for proves r. grows p. 27. l. 10. for did mercy r. did it in mercy p. â—â— l 14. for every r. any l. 15. for ni r. â—n for ge r. age l. 20. for his r. this p. 32. l. 31 for Aypocâ— itâ— â— Hipocrites FINIS