Righteousness and an bundred years space to Repent in I Answer if they had had a thousand thousand Preachers of Righteousness as good as Noah was and better and had not only a hundred years space to repent in but had had never so many thousand of years this was not enough to Convert one of them without Gods special Grace working a new Heart in them and as to Noah himself he was as bad by nature as the rest But Noah found Grace in the sight of the Lord Gen. 6.8 not only to preserve him and his Family when the Floud came but Noah found Grace in the sight of the Lord to make him a real Saint and to be Righteous before God in that Generation If the rest had found Grace in the sight of the Lord they had been turned to God too 4. You add that you are sure if they had Repented God would not have desiroyed them for he hath taught us so to judge of his threatnings to a sinful Nation I Answer that Repentance is twofold 1. There is such a Repentance as Ahab had A change of mens Thoughts and Conversations meerly out of slavish fear of outward Judgments here or of Hell hereafter and upon such Repentance God may please God doth please sometimes to defer outward Judgments and to bestow outward Mercies and when it is so God purposed to give such Repentance in order to that end for we must by no means admit that there can be any new immanent Acts in God any new purposes and intentions in him with whom there is no variableness There is no mutability in the Divine Majesty from Eternity to Eternity 2. There is saving Repentance or Repentance to Salvation such as Gods Children have given them when God takes away the Heart of Stone and gives them an Heart of Flesh that is Sorrow for Sin accompanied with Faith and Reliance on Gods free Mercy in Christ for pardon of Sin and desire and endeavour to walk so as to please God to be sure such shall never perish in the World to come though they suffer in common Calamities here in this World There is a Connexion between true Repentance and Salvation not for any Merit in our Repentance But so hath the Lord in infinite Wisdom ordained from Eternity and hath in time manifested it in his word that those that he is pleased to bestow glory upon hereafter he bestows upon him them the beginnings of of grace here both were intended eternally to their particular persons and from his meer good pleasure and the exceeding Riches of his Grace Those that God had a purpose of grace to from Eternity them he calls in time according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called v. 30. 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began Others besides the elect are called by the Preaching of the Word yea and may have inlightning and Convictions of the Spirit and God hath Wise and Holy ends in it To Restrain some of them from being Persecutors of the Church and to restrain them from gross Idolatry and such like Sins whereby they are less punished in Hell 2. That his elect may adore for ever his Free Special and Discriminating Grace that they should be savingly Converted when some that lived under the same outward means of Grace and some of them had great Convictions and Enlightning too and exceeded many of them it may be in notional knowledge and such common gifts of the Spirit And yet they are savingly turned to God when others are never so changed Many other Holy ends might be mentioned why God affordeth the Preaching of the Word to many upon whom he never purposed and intended to bestow special and saving Grace But to the Elect God gives special Grace and this the Apostle saith is not according to their works that is not for any worthiness or towardliness in them above others but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given them in Christ Jesus before the World began That is was promised them to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and the Son from Eternity For which purpose and Grace they shall be enabled to praise God to Eternity 2. Then you come to the Jews and say to the Doctor is it possible you should call in question Gods Seriousness to the Jews Did not God say to them Psal 81.13 O that they had hearkned unto me and that Israel had walked in my ways With v. 8. and 10. I answer as to God's Seriousness and being Serious I told you before I do not like that such words should be used when we speak of the most high God but that which the Doctor put you to prove is that God purposed or intended to Convert those Jews that in the Conclusion were not Converted As for these words O that they had hearkened unto me and that Israel had walked in my ways 1. Some observe that the words that we translate O that might be rendered O if so they are rendred by the Septuagint and the Targum and so they only shew the issue of their Obedience if they had obeyed the Law of the Lord. 2. This is spoken of Israel only what is that to all mankind The Jews had some peculiar Promises as to being preserved in the Land of Canaan and to give them plenty of outward things if they continued to worship the True-God and observe his Ordinances tho' but in an outward way tho without Spirituality and Sincerity God had said to them Vers 9. There shall be no strange God in thee neither shalt thou worship any strange God But they fell to Idolatry and so forfeited God's protection to them in the Land of Canaan and so the Lord shews that if they had hearkened unto him to have no strange Gods and to walk in his ways tho' as I said but formally and outwardly God would soon have subdued their Enemies Vers 14. and the Lord saith he would have fed them with the finest of the Wheat and with Honey out of the Rock would he have satisfied them Vers 16. So that this place speaks of Temporal Blessings only Nothing of God's Intention and Pleasure to give Eternal Salvation to all that People and so is nothing to the purpose See what is said of the generality of that People of the Jews Deut. 29.2 3 4. God hath not given you a Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to hear unto this day No doubt God gave to Moses and his Elect amongst them a new Heart but as to the generality of the People God did not give them Hearts to perceive Eyes to see and Ears to hear which he doth infallibly give to them to whom he purposed and intended to do it for them No Text of Scripture must be understood so
the Name of God Gracious and Merciful page 21. And what then are the Turks in a State of Salvation who deny the Trinity deny Christ to be God deny Christ to have dyed but one in his Room and put up Mahomet an Impostor as the great Prophet Indeed your Friend Servetus Conversed much with the Turks and would have had a Reconciliation of the Turkish and Christian Religion It may be this Author doth not understand the danger of these Opinions but they tend to the Subverting of the Christian Religion What if the Turks have a Notion that God is Merciful and Gracious They and all others will find that except they come to God by Christ the Mediator the Sacrifice for Sin they will find God to be a consuming fire to them This Authors mentioning of the Turks puts me in mind of a Discourse I once had with a Quaker one of the most knowing Men that ever I knew of that way and he said the Turks were as good Saints as any were in England Indeed the Arminians and Quakers they run all upon this that there is a sufficient light that God gives to all Mankind that if they do but heed that Light it will bring them to Salvation Ay and so our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the Knowledge of him and Faith in him must be but an indifferent thing and not absolutely necessary that they may maintain their Opinion of Universal Grace What darkness is coming upon this Land that the blind lead the blind after this manner 2. Well then set that question aside for the present what that Mercy and Goodness of God is that if Men accept God from the beginning chose them to Salvation in Christ What is this the Election the Scripture speaks of Here is not a Syllable of Gods purposing of his meer Grace infallibly to give them a new Heart to give them Faith and Repentance and so they must thank themselves if they be saved The Arminians will allow God only to decree that all shall be saved that are so wise and careful as to believe in Christ by improving that common and universal Grace that is afforded to them that are damned as well as those that are saved They will not allow that God hath elected any Persons from Eternity so as that he will certainly call them and that they shall obey that Calling that those Persons from God's special and distinguishing Grace shall be infallibly saved thro' our Lord Jesus Christ If there were no other Election but this there might not one Man or Woman in the World have been saved but blessed be the Name of God for ever God hath from Eternity chosen particular persons to Salvation chosen them so as to give Christ for them and certainly and infallibly to give Christ with all his Benefits to them Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed they were not ordained to Eternal Life because they believed but they believed because they were ordained to Eternal Life there were some of the Hearers that God had from Eternity ordained to Eternal Life that were now to be savingly called and to them God gave a new Heart Faith and Repentance when others contradicted and blasphemed Ephes 1.3 4 5 6. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love having predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved 1. Here we see that those that God blesseth with Spiritual Blessings Justification Sanctification Adoption Grace and Glory it is by Jesus Christ all is communicated through him 2. Those that God doth in time Justifie and Sanctifie he purposeth to do it for those very persons before all Time even from Eternity 't is according as he had chosen them before the Foundation of the World was laid God from Eternity chose Christ to be their Mediator and Head and chose them to be the Members of his Mystical Body He did not choose them upon any foresight of Holiness in them but chose them to make them Holy and without Blame before him in Love 3. If any ask the Question Why God chose those individual persons and not others the Apostle shews that it was the good pleasure of his Will v. 5. to the praise of the Glory of his Grace v. 6. to the praise of the Glory of his Discriminating Distinguishing Grace who will be gracious to whom he will be gracious and will have compassion on whom he will have compassion whatsoever Men and Devils say against it Revel 13.8 And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him that is the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World As Christ the Mediator was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World to be Mediator and was slain in the Decree and Purpose of God from Eternity so there were the Names of those he should be slain for in time written in the Book of Life not that God uses Books and Writing as Men do but the Persons of those that were Elected from Eternity were as certain so many and no more as if they had been written in a Book And because they were thus Elected God will not suffer them to be finally deceived to worship the Beast 1 Thessal 1.4 5. Knowing Brethren beloved your Election of God for our Gospel came not to you in Word only but in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance So far as we can know that the Gospel comes with Saving Power upon the Hearts of any so far we know their Election before the Foundation of the World Men are not elected when or because the Gospel comes with saving Power upon their Hearts but because God had elected them to Life from Eternity therefore he sets home the Gospel in due season with Saving Power upon their Hearts 2 Thess 2.13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you Brethren that God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1. God's choosing from the beginning unto Salvation is meant of his choosing them from Eternity to the End viz. to Eternal Salvation 2. Through Sanctification and belief of the Truth shews the way by which God eternally intended to bring them to Salvation 3. The Apostle shews that God did in his eternal choosing of them freely purpose to bring them into this Grace wherein they stood that is he decreed to give them that Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth which he had now actually bestowed upon them Those whom God hath chosen
perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World both Original and Actual They having before asserted the Doctrine of God's Eternal Election of some this Article may fairly be interpreted that Christ is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World of the Elect or of all the Elect in all Ages and of all Nations throughout the whole World and for them only and their words being well considered will constrain such an Interpretation To be sure they did not hold that all Mankind should be saved and therefore saying that Christ is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World they cannot be understood to mean any more than this that there is no other name under Heaven by which Men can be saved but the name of Jesus Christ there is not Salvation in any other It is he alone that is a Perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for Sin so that whoever are saved in any Age or Place throughout the whole World are saved by him only 2. The first Articles of the Church of England being not so explicit and plain about Predestination and Arminianism being broached there was a meeting at Lambeth-house on the 20th Day of November 1595. now almost an hundred Years since There was John Archbishop of Canterbury Richard Bishop of London Richard Elect Bishop of Bangor Dr. Tindal Dean of Ely Dr. Whitaker Professor of Divinity in Cambridge and sundry other Reverend and Learned Divines there present with the concurrent Approbation of of the Right Reverend and Learned Prelate Matthew Archbishop of York for the determining certain Arminian Points of Controversie they composed agreed upon and published these Nine Assertions following 1. Deus ab aeterno praedestinavit quosdam ad vitam quosdam reprobavit ad mortem 1. God from Eternity hath predestinated certain Men to Life he hath reprobated some unto Death 2. Causa movens aut efficiens Praedestinationis ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aut bonorum operum aut ullius rei quae insit in personis praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto Life is not the foresight of Faith or of good Works or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated but only the good Will and Pleasure of God 3. Praedestinatorum praefinitus certus est numerus qui nec augeri nec minui possit 3. There is a predetermined and certain number of the predestinated which can neither be augmented nor diminished 4. Qui non sunt praedestinati ad salutem necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur 4. Those that are not predestinated to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their Sins 5. Vera viva ac justificans fides Spiritus Dei justificantis non extinguitur non excidit non evanescet in electis aut finaliter aut totaliter 5. A true living and justifying Faith is not extinguished it fails not it vanisheth not away in the Elect either finally or totally 6. Homo vere fidelis id est fide justificante praeditus certus est plerophoria fidei de remissione peccatorum suorum salute sempiterna sua per Christum 6. A true believer that is such a one as is endued with a justifying Faith is certain with the full assurance of Faith of the pardon of his Sins and of his Everlasting Salvation by Christ I suppose they did not mean that a true Believer may not have doubts and fears whether he be in Christ or no but that he may have a full assurance of his Justification without such extraordinary Revelation as the Papists speak of This Article is directed especially against the Papists whose Doctrine is that no Believer can attain a full assurance of his Salvation in this Life except he have an extraordinary Revelation from God 7. Gratia Salutaris non tribuitur non communicatur non conceditur universis hominibus qua Servari possint si velint 7 Saving Grace is not given is not communicated is not granted to all Men by which they may be saved if they will 8. Nemo potest venire ad Christum nisi datum ei fuerit nisi pater eum traxerit Et omnes homines non trahuntur a Patre ut veniant ad filium 8. No Man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him and all Men are not drawn of the Father that they may come unto the Son 9. Non est positum in arbitrio aut potestate unius cujusque hominis servari 9. It is not in the Will and Power of every one to be saved 3. I come to the Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Archbishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in the Convocation holden at Dublin 16.5 Article 11. God from all Eternity did by his unchangeable Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as no Violence is offered to the Wills of the Reasonable Creatures and neither the Liberty nor the Contingency of second causes is taken away but rather Established Article 12. By the same Eternal Counsel God hath predestinated some unto life and reprobated some unto Death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither be encreased nor diminished Article 13. Predestination unto Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly Decreed in his Secret Counsel to deliver from Curse and Condemnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Article 14. The cause moving God to Predestinate unto Life is not the foreseeing of Faith or Perseverance or of good works or of any thing which is in the person Predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself For all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appear both in the works of his mercy and of his justice It seemed good to his Heavenly Wisdom to choose out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved Mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his Justice Article 15. such as are predestinated unto Life be called according to Gods purpose his Spirit working in due Season and through Grace they obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk Religiously in good Works and at length by Gods Mercy they attain to everlasting felicity but such as are not predestinated to Salvation shall finally be condemned for their Sins Article 25. The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we
so as to get Execution against them in Hell seeing they are God's Elect and Christ hath died for them Men know not what they do when they set their Wits on work to deny that God hath set his free and unchangeable Love upon some from Eternity whereby he will certainly and infallibly bring them to Grace here and Eternal Glory hereafter through our Lord Jesus Christ For observe Take away Election and you take away Redemption for Redemption is grounded upon Election Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me Thine they were by Election and therefore thou gavest them me to redeem and bring to Glory Take away God's Eternal Election of a certain number of Persons to Grace and Glory and you take away Effectual Calling and Conversion For if God of his mere Grace and good Pleasure had not so elected them there had never been any Person effectually called 'T is God alone that doth inwardly and effectually call any so as that they are savingly converted and if he had not freely predestinated and elected them he had never called and converted them Whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called Rom. 8.30 Take away God's Eternal Special and Unchangeable Love to a certain Number that he will set them before his Face for ever and if we were in Heaven we could not be sure to continue there What a Multitude of Angels sinned and were thrust down to Hell It was Election that setled the Angels that see God's Face for ever The Angels that stand are called the Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.15 God decreed from Eternity to determine and fix their Wills unto himself for ever It is from this Eternal and Unchangeable Love of God in Election that the Angels and Saints in Heaven are upheld in Love and Praise unto God for ever It hath been an old Objection of Arminians and revived by this Author pag. 26. That many have despaired of Mercy and have laid violent hands upon themselves and many he saith in this City He mentions it that they fall into this Despair because they are told Christ died but for a few 1. I answer This Objection useth to be brought too against Election For my part I do not remember that ever I knew any in my whole Life that laid violent hands upon themselves because they heard that Christ did not die for all Adam's Posterity or that they were not elected The truth is those that make away themselves may sometimes get such things into their Thoughts as that they have committed the Sin against the Holy Ghost and that they are not elected and Christ did not die for them But the true cause of their laying violent hands upon themselves is some extraordinary worldly Sorrow which worketh Death in that sense or Excess of Melancholy whereby they are so distracted that they are not themselves 2. As to Despair of Mercy If God give up a Man to Satan and his own Heart how easily may any Man fall into it though he hold Universal Redemption and deny Election For our Saviour saith plainly Matth. 7.14 Few there be that find the strait Gate and narrow Way Yea I will maintain that the Doctrine of Eternal Redemption and of Christ's dying only for the Elect and that the Elect whom Christ died for shall certainly and infallibly be saved is an Antidote against Despair if the Lord please to put in with it And that the denying of Election and holding Universal Redemption is the way to bring those that have a deep Sense of their own Sinfulness and Unworthiness is the way to bring such to utter Despair of Mercy I make it out thus Take a Person that is throughly convinced of Sin that sees and is sensible that he hath a Depth of Sin in his Nature that sees himself vile and abominable by reason of the universal Corruption of his Nature as well as actual Sins more than the Hairs of his Head which cannot be numbred You come to this humbled convinced Person with your Arminian Doctrine and tell him that God did not decree any Person to Salvation from Eternity of mere Grace to give them infallibly both Grace and Glory but that Christ died for all Adam's Posterity Saith the convinced humbled Sinner Shall all be infallibly saved that Christ died for You must tell him according to the tenour of your Doctrine No there were many of them in Hell when he died and never shall be set at liberty from their Everlasting Chains of Darkness Yea you can tell them according to your Doctrine that notwithstanding Christ's Death there might not one Man or Woman in the World have been saved Truly this Doctrine is enough to drive Men into Despair Ay but you can tell them that whosoever believeth shall be saved Ay and so can others tell them as well as you though they hold Election and that Christ died only for the Elect For if God gives Faith that is a certain sign of Election and that Christ died for that Person Well Now let us see what those that hold Election and that Christ died only for the Elect can say in a Ministerial and Doctrinal Way to keep a convinced humbled Sinner from Despair of Mercy I say in a Ministerial Doctrinal Way for it is God alone that can do it inwardly and effectually Now therefore our Doctrine can say to such a convinced humbled Sinner that is ready to despair God hath from Eternity decreed of his mere Grace in Christ to give Grace and Glory to certain Persons and some of these Persons that God intended to make everlasting Monuments of his Free Grace are not only by Nature Children of Wrath as well as others but in time are Monsters in respect of Actual Sin as Manasseh the Thief upon the Cross and Paul for persecuting the Church of God but being elected to Life and Christ dying for them they are converted and saved And who knows but that you are of that number There is a May be that you are an Object of this Special Grace and 't is certain if that you being convinced of Sin do venture and trust in God's free Mercy in Christ you shall be saved All that the Father giveth unto Christ to redeem and save shall come to him and he that cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out And if the humbled Sinner says If I should put my Trust in Christ the Arminian tells me that I may be a Child of God to Day and a Child of the Devil to Morrow Therefore why should I that know what a vile Heart I have ever think of any Hope of Salvation but sink in utter Despair Our Doctrine assures them if the Lord be pleased once to unite them to Christ by a true and lively Faith the Lord will give them from time to time such Influences and Supplies of his Spirit as that they shall be kept in the state of Grace until they come to the state of Glory Therefore let all that are wise
Christ for all that If Christ have a few names in a Church that degenerates those shall be safe whatsoever becomes of the rest as to their Church Estate and Eternal-state Revel 3.4 Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white i. e. they shall walk with Christ in the white of Grace here to their lives end and in the white of Glory for ever Tho' the Lord do remove the Candlestick the Church-Estate and will not own a People any longer to be a True Church yet if there be any sound Christians amongst them they shall never be cast off Therefore how vainly doth this Author say from this passage of the Assemblies Confession of Faith here is too much to prove the Point when there is not the least shadow of any thing they say to prove that any True Believer may fall totally and finally Tho' those that were Professors of the Gospel and were in Churches may so degenerate as to lose their Church-estate yet if there were any in those Churches that were True Believers the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them A Degenerate Church may Excommunicate the Sound Members may prosecute them to Death but can never separate them from the Love of Christ The truth is when a Church doth so wofully degenerate as to be accounted no longer a Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan the Lord is pleased many times to stir up those that are Sound Christians amongst them that they are more Lively and Spiritual than ever they were and love not their Lives unto the Death in bearing witness to the Truth Now let us hear this Author declare what his Opinion is about the Saints Perseverance Saith he Pag. 20. For my part tho' I doubt not but there is a State attainable in this Life from which by the Grace of God Christians shall not fall yet I hold it a vanity for any Man to affirm of himself or of any other person in particular that it is impossible for him to fall I hold it far better for the best as well as others to take heed lest they fall I answer This passage is very dark and ambiguous wherein this Author rather hides than declares his Judgment about the Point in hand The word Christian may be taken largely for those that are Christians by Profession only no doubt but they may fall from their Profession or the word Christian may be taken strictly for those who are Christians inwardly in the Heart and in the Spirit as well as outwardly by Profession Now this we maintain from the Scripture as hath been declared before that all such have attained such an Estate by their Vnion with Christ by their Justification Adoption and Regeneration that they shall never fall totally or finally This Author must intend some new Notion if he understand himself which must be that though every one that is Really and Spiritually in Christ is not in such an Estate as that he shall certainly persevere in Grace yet he who hath attained an extraordinary degree of Grace or to an absolute Perfection such as the Quakers talk of may by the Grace of God keep his standing This is a wondrous dark Passage and I shall leave the Author in his Clouds but we maintain 1. That none attain to an absolute perfection in this life Rom. 7. Gal. 5.17 Eccles 7.20 2. That the strongest Saints in the World cannot keep themselves one day but are upheld by the secret Influences and Supplies of the Spirit Phil. 1.13 1 John 5.5 2 Cor. 3.5 3. That the Lord who keeps strong Believers keepeth also the weakest True Believer most certainly and infallibly Phil 1.6 where he hath begun the good work of Special Saving Grace he will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ that the weakest of Christ's Sheep and Lambs shall have Eternal Life and shall never perish John 10.27 28. that Christ will not break nor suffer to be broken the bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flax Matth. 12.20 that is where there is but a little Special Grace that can but smoke though it cannot flame Christ will keep it that it shall never be quenched but shall at last flame out in Love and Praise and singing in Heaven to all Eternity God keeps True Believers in a state of Grace till they come to Glory not because they are strong but because they are his Elect because they are redeemed by the Blood of his Son and at their effectual Calling adopted to be his Children and saith the Apostle If Children then Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 The least Babe in Christ is God's Child as well as the Eldest and strongest Believer and shall infallibly be an Heir of God and joint Heir with Christ For as many as believed to them he gave power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 The same Day and Hour that a Soul truly receiveth Christ the Lord doth actually adopt that Soul though it be a secret thing to the Soul yet it is as if God should say I did predestinate thee to the Adoption of my Child by Christ and now I do adopt thee to be my Child to be an Heir of Eternal Life and such shall certainly be preserved to the Heavenly Kingdom 1 Pet. 1.4 5. The Inheritance is reserved in Heaven for all that are begotten again to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and they are kept whilst they are in this World by the Power of God through Faith till they come to the Heavenly Inheritance 2. This Author saith I hold it a Vanity for any Man to say of himself it is impossible for him to fall I answer 1. It is a Vanity indeed for any Man to say of himself it is impossible for him to fall taking it for falling into Sin at all for there is no Man that liveth and sinneth not yea it would be Vanity Pride and Presumption for the best Saint on Earth to say it is impossible for him to fall into gross Sins seeing David and Peter fell so foully though they were graciously recovered again 2. It would be great Vanity for the best Saint on Earth to say in any the least Confidence in his own Strength that it is impossible for him to fall away totally and finally for indeed if they were left to themselves it is impossible that they should stand in a state of Grace one day if everlasting Arms were not underneath them if they were not kept by the Power of God If Christ did not hold them fast it were impossible that any of the Saints should stand 3. I say That it is no Vanity but a Triumph of Faith and Thankfulness to the God of all Grace for a True Christian when God sheds abroad his Love in his Heart by the Holy Spirit to say Who shall separate me from the Love of Christ Was it Vanity in David to say Surely
Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for ever Psal 23.6 and Psal 73.26 Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterwards bring me to Glory Was it Vanity in the Apostle Paul to say Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge will give unto me and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 I suppose this Author may be of the Judgment of Bellarmine and other Papists that none can have Assurance in this Life of their Eternal Salvation except it be by extraordinary Revelation Then as to what he saith That it is a Vanity to tell any other particular Person that it is impossible for him to fall I answer that if he intends falling totally and finally I suppose it is not ordinary to say to any particular person it is impossible for you to fall away and if one do say so to any particular person it is upon a Supposition that the Person is savingly united to Christ as if a particular Person under desertion saith I once had Hope through Grace but now God will be gracious no more I shall one day fall by the hand of Sin and Satan one may assure him that if e're God hath begun the good Work of Special Saving Grace he will perform it to the Day of Jesus Christ Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Ay but saith this Author It is far better for the best to take heed lest they fall I answer It is very well consistent with the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance to take heed lest they fall and to work out their Salvation with an Holy Fear and Trembling looking diligently lest they fail of the Grace of God 1. They that have the fullest assurance of Salvation are to take heed lest they fall into Sin because Sin is Sin in a Believer as well as in another Man yea in some sence it is more heinous in a Believer than in another Man and tho' there be no Condemnation to those that are in Christ so that God will not cast his Children into Hell for their Sins yet he may sorely chastize them upon Earth both by Inward Terrors of Conscience and outward Afflictions 2. Such Cautions as take heed lest you fall and the like are one means by which God keeps his People from falling God's infallibly keeping his People doth not take them off from their Duty of Watching and Praying but encourageth them to their Duty But still if the Lord did not hold every Believer with a strong hand notwithstanding all their care and taking heed they would fall yea and fall as low as Hell For what the Author adds That good Laws were not made against Traytors and Felons to make Men Traytors and Felons but to keep Men from being Traytors and Feions I answer God's Laws and Precepts were not made to make Men wicked but to restrain Men from Sin and that they do so far as God is pleased to give Men either Common and Restraining Grace or Special and Sanctifying Grace But the aim of this Author is to make his ignorant and unwary Reader think that there are no other Decrees of God but Laws and Precepts set forth to Men as their Duty which is a gross mistake and is such a Vail upon this Author that till it be taken away he will never understand these things God's Eternal Decrees and Purposes are his Intentions what he himself will do for the manifestation of his own Glory God's Laws and Precepts are his Commandments to us as our Sovereign Lord but of these things I spake before in my Vindication of Dr. Collings Before I end this Chapter I would make this Observation which may be of use to his own Soul if the Lord please to put in by his own Spirit however it may be of use to others and it is this that this Author though he talks of a general Love of God to all Adam's Posterity and of God's setting forth good Laws yet he seems to have had such a dark Education that he is not acquainted with the free Covenant of Grace and the free Promises of Grace that are made to some Persons Some Scriptures declare what God requires of us in Precepts and Commands and in other Scriptures he doth freely and absolutely promise to some to all the Elect to all the Spiritual Israel that he will do it for them of his Free Grace in Christ And indeed if the Lord had not freely and absolutely promised to do these things for some there had not there could not have been any of Adam's Posterity saved The first Promise of Grace Gen. 3.15 that the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head doth virtually contain all other Promises set forth afterward This Seed of the Woman is our Lord Jesus Christ who being God by Nature was to take upon him Humane Nature of a Woman It was declared that he should bruise the Serpent's Head give him a mortal Wound for all whose Surety and Mediator he was that he should destroy the Works of the Devil that he should certainly and infallibly bring all the Elect to Glory notwithstanding all that the Devil had done to bring Adam and all his Posterity under the Curse of the Law The Words hold forth no less than a full perfect and eternal Rescue in due time from the Devil and Sin that all whose Surety and Mediator Christ was shall certainly be Partakers of In one Text Deut. 10.16 it is said Circumcise the Fore-skin of your Heart In another Deut. 30.6 it is promised to the Elect The Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart It is commanded in Ezek. 18.31 Cast away from you all your Transgressions and make you a new Heart And it is promised to the Elect that God will do this for them in Ezek. 36.26 27. A new Heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the Heart of Stone and give you an Heart of Flesh Let it be considered how absolutely God undertakes for his Elect in the Covenant of Grace I will and I will So Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People Ver. 34 They shall all know me There are Promises unto Grace and Promises to give Grace to work Grace infallibly in the Elect And if we do not partake of those exceeding great and precious Promises that the Lord will work Grace in our Hearts against all Opposition we cannot be saved Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power Joh. 10.16 Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold Them also I must bring and they shall hear my