in the highest on earth peace good will towards men Luke 2. 10 11-14 And hereby the Apostle Paul doth prove and demonstrate That God our Saviour will have all men to be saved And therefore hath no pleasure in the Destruction of any of them Because there is one Medâ—atour of God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ranson or Price of Redemption for all 1 Tim. 2. 4 5 6. And upon this ground the worst of sinners are exhorted and excited to turn to the Lord Behold saith the Lord I have given him for a Witness to the People even Christ as delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification There called The sure mercies of David Isa 55. 3 4. with Acts 13. 34. And then presently after and upon that account he calleth Sinners to Repentance Seek ye the LORD while he may be found call upon him while he is neer Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts and let him return unto the LORD and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will multiply to pardon Isa 55. 3 4-6 7. This blessed Doctrine the Apostle preached unto the Corinthians when they were carried away unto dumb Idols and were notorious sinners to wit Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate Abusers of themselves with Mankind c. To assure them that God hath no pleasure in their Death And to the end they might be saved He delivered unto them first of all that which he also received How that Christ died for their sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures c. 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4. with Chap. 6. 9 10 11. and Chap. 12. 2. Yea the love of Christ in dying for All and rising again known and believed by his Ambassadors did constrain them to perswade men and where-ever they came thus to pray in Christs stead Be ye reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 11-14 15-19 20 21. and Chap. 6. 1 2. And this is one evident and fundamental Demonstration of the truth of what God here swears to wit That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked Christ is the Amen the faithful and true Witness hereof Rev. 1. 5. and Chap. 3. 14. And as God's commanding Moses to set a Serpent of brass upon a Pole that those who were stung with the fiery Serpents for their despising the Manna might look unto it and live Did plainly evince that it was not his Mind or Will that they should die of their stings Num. 21. Even so God hath herein more brightly manifested That he is not willing that any should perish In that the Son of Man hath been lifted up from the Earth for them and lifted up from the gates of death c. For so God loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son John 3. 14 15 16 17. 2. It is further evident That God hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked in this In that Christ by his Death in the vertue whereof he is raised again is become the Deliverer from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. for thereby he hath obtained the forgiveness of those sins which deserve and bring men under the sentence of Condemnation to the wrath to come Luke 2. 30 31. He who descended into the lower parts of the Earth and who is ascended up on high and hath led captivity captive hath received gifts in the man even for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Psal 68. 18. without blood shedding there is no remission of sins to wit without the Blood-shedding of the Son of God For it was not possible that the blood of Goats and Calves should take away sin If Righteousness could have come by the Law then Christ died in vain Heb 9. 22. and Chap. 10. 1-4 5-9 Gal. 2. 21. And unless he who died for our sins had been raised again for our justification we must have remained necessarily in our sins 1 Cor. 15. 17. But now he who bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree is raised again and saw no corruption Therefore in him is prepared for sinners and in his Name preached to them the forgiveness of those sins from which men could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 32-37-39 He hath obtained eternal Redemption even the forgiveness of our sins by his blood according to the riches of Gods grace Heb. 9. 12. with Ephes 1. 7. forgiveness of the greatest sins and sinners while it is the Day of Gods Grace and Patience And therefore he saith to his Apostles Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day And that Repentance and Forgiveness of sins should be preached in his Name unto all Nations beginning at Jerusalem which had killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent unto them And were afterwards the Betrayers and Murderers of the Lord of Glory Luke 24. 46-48 with Chap. 13. 34. Acts 7. 53. Otherwise indeed I mean If there were no Forgiveness of sins with God in Christ for wicked Ones he might be said to have Pleasure in their Death and Destruction And the House of Israel had rightly supposed what they did as the Words may be read in the Verse immediately preceding that which we are considering to wit O thou Son of Man speak unto the House of Israel rightly ye speak saying If our iniquities and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them If there be no Attonement for them no Forgiveness of them see Num. 15. 30 31. with verse 27 28 29. How should we then live Ezek. 33. 10. Or as the Psamist saith If thou LORD shouldst mark iniquities O LORD who shall stand But there is forgiveness or as the Septuagint renders it There is a propitiation with thee that thou mayst be feared And thence incourages the House of Israel notwithstanding their great and manifold Transgressions yet to hope in his Mercy Let Israel saith he hope in the LORD for with the LORD is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption Psal 130. 3 4-7 The Lord hath proclaimed himself to be gracious and merciful abundant in goodness keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Exod. 34. 6 7. He hath a great Name for pardoning great iniquities Psal 25. 11. For he hath found out a Ransom for our souls an Attonement for our sins Job 33. 24. He hath accepted a sacrifice even that of our Lord Jesus Christ who in the greatness of his love towards us gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice unto God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. And in whom by means thereof we have redemption thorow his blood even the forgiveness of sins Col. 1. 14. As also to the end we may be justified from and receive the forgiveness of our sins
as good as his word unto his Apostles it is therefore also said They went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them c. Mat. 28. 18 19 20. with Mark 16. 15-20 He therefore that rejecteth rejecteth not man but God who hath also given his holy Spirit unto the Ministers of his Word to accompany them 1 Thes 4. 8. And this also shews he hath no pleasure none at all in the death of the wicked while it is called to Day But to this particular I shall not here further enlarge because we shall have apt Occasion to speak somewhat further unto this and the former particulars in what followeth 4. That he is not willing that wicked Ones should perish appears also and is evident hereby In that our Lord Jesus Christ doth by the will of God make Intercession for Transgressors Isa 53. 12. to speak good for them and to turn away Gods wrath from them as Jer. 18. 20. with Chap. 27. 18. He is the Propitiation for their sins who through Grace believe and not for their sins onely but also for the sins of the whole world 1 John 2. 2. The Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World That Judgment may not speedily be executed upon it John 1. 29. And hereby the Apostle doth prove and demonstrate That God will have all men to be saved And therefore hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked Because there is One Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 4 5 6. And while he Intercedes for Sinners and Transgressors God hears him And Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the Day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. He doth by his powerful Intercession prevail as a Prince with God his Father that further Patience and Forbearance might be exercised toward such as deserve to be cut off in their Trespasses And this is an Evidence that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance Because he is long-suffering to them And the Apostle exhorts the Believers to Account or Reckon that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation To wit toward them to whom it is exexercised Their accounting his long-suffering Salvation doth not make it so to be But his Long-suffering being Salvation gives them good ground so to account it for his Long-suffering is a Fruit of his Love and Charity toward them to whom it is vouchsafed 2 Pet. 3. 9. 15. with 1 Cor. 13. 4. while God waits he waits that he may be gracious even towards Rebellious Ones also Isa 30. 8-18 that they might be brought unto God 1 Pet. 3. 18. 20. As it is said concerning Gods professed People in former times many whereof were disobedient and rebellious Yea many years didst thou forbear them that thou mightest bring them again to thy Law Neh. 9. 29 30. And hence also when the Lord is said to be Long-suffering or slow to Anger then very frequently he is affirmed to be merciful and gracious or of great kindness To signifie to us That his Long-suffering is an Evidence and Expression of his Mercy Grace and kindness towards the Sons of Men Exod. 34. 6. Num. 14. 18. Neh. 9. 17. Psal 86. 15. and 145. 8. Joel 2. 13. Jona 4. 2. Rom. 2. 4. Object But against what we are now considering some may object and say Christ would not vouchsafe to pray for the World And then to be sure he did not die for it Nor is it the Will of God that the World should be saved but he hath pleasure in their destruction John 17. 9. Answ This saying of our Saviour's is much abused and wrested by many who are Enemies to the Grace of God in Christ to Mankind And his words are altered to make them serve their evil Design For 1. Our Saviour doth not say He would not pray for the World or that he never did or will pray for it But his words are I pray not to wit at that present time for the World c. Now that doth not at all deny that he might pray for the World at another time As may appear in other sayings of like nature As where our Saviour saith concerning his Apostles I speak not of you all John 13. 18. It would be very false from hence to infer That he would not nor never did speak of them all for other-where it is very evident he did so Matth. 10. 1. John 6. 67. So also he thus speaks in another place concerning his faithful Disciples I do not say that I will pray the Father for you John 16. 26. Now would not those men who so pervert John 17. 9. exceedingly blame any that should infer herefrom and say Our Saviour never said he would pray for his own Disciples Because he there saith I do not say that I will pray the Father for you And indeed such an Inference would be most untrue and exceedingly condemnable for though he did not there say he would pray the Father for them yet else-where he doth so say for in John 14. 16. he thus assures them I will pray the Father for you c. And the same we may apply to this Scripture objected as will further appear by and by 2. There is this good Reason why the World should then be excluded from his Prayer in that place because he is putting up Requests to his Father for the then Actual Believers and which were onely proper to be petitioned for them and not for the World while in that state to wit That they might be kept in Gods Name that they might be one that they might be sanctified through the truth and sent into the World as Christ was to wit to preach the Gospel c. John 17. 9-19 Now how could our Saviour pray for the World while of the World in these Petitions which were not proper to be presented for them Could he pray That they might be kept in Gods Name that were not in it Or that they might be one in their evil Ways and Designs Or that they might be sent into the World to preach the Gospel who did not believe the Gospel No surely But this doth no more deny that our Saviour ever prayed for the World than Abraham's praying for his Son Ishmael or Isaac denies he ever prayed for Sodom That is to say not in the least for at several times and in divers Petitions he prayed both for the former and the latter 3. Nay it evidently appears in Johâ— 17. That our Saviour prayed for the world though not in verse 9-19 Or the good of the World was one great thing aimed at and designed in his praying for them who were chosen out of the World for that Prayer may be divided into four Parts First Our Saviour prays for himself and therein prays not for the World nor for the Believers directly John 17. 1-5 then he prays for such as were then
actual Believers having an especial and most full Aim therein at his Apostles and not for the World nor directly and fully for such as should after believe verse 6-19 Nextly he prays for future Believers even for all such as should after that time believe on him thorow the Apostles word verse 20 21 22 23 24. And lastly The end of his Prayer for the Apostles and other Believers was for the good of the World As it is said That all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us That the World may believe that thou didst send me Which was that the Believers did believe and in the belief whereof they were rendred and accounted true Believers John 17. 8. And again I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them to wit the sincere Believers as thou hast loved me John 17. 21-23 Like that God be merciful unto us and blâ—ss us and cause his face to shine with us That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health or salvation among all Nations c. Isal 67. 1 2 3. 1 King 8. 59 60. So that this Objection is wholly groundless false and of no force against what hath been said 5. It is also hereby evidenced That God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked In that he sends his Servants to them to testifie against them and to warn them of their sins and of the danger they expose themselves unto thereby As it is said The Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by the hand of his Messengers rising up betimes and sending Because he had compassion on his people 2 Chron. 36. 15. And in this Ezek 33. The Lord saith Son of Man I have set thee a Watch man unto the House of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from me When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die If thou doest not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand Nevertheless if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it If he do not turn from his way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy Soul verse 1-9 whereto he presently adds in the next verse but one I live saith the Lord Ged I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked verse 11. To give us to understand That his sending his Servants to warn the wicked of their evil ways is an Evidence that he delights not in their destruction But that they might take warning live See also Ezek. 3. 17-21 So that good man saith Thou testifiedst against them who were disobedient and rebellious that thou mightest bring them again to thy Law Neh. 9. 26-29 And the Apostle saith We preach Christ warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. And when he thus sends his Servants to warn the wicked he doth not send them alone but accompanies them with the Light and Influence of his blessed Spirit Thus it is said Many years didst thou forbear them and all this while testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in the hand of thy Prophets c. Neh. 9. 29 30. And the Prophet Micah saith Truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgment and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to the House of Israel his sin Micah 3. 8. with Chap. 2. 7. Zech. 7. 12. 1 Thes 4. 1-8 Acts 7. 51. When the Lord is so highly provoked against any as to cast them off then he threatens He will come on them as a thief and they shall not know what hour he will come upon them He will then forbear to give them warning but when they are secure when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction comes upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Rev. 3. 3. 1 Thes 5. 2 3. But while he doth admonish and fore-warn them of their wicked ways and cries unto them O do not this abominable thing that I hate And shews unto them That their continuing in the paths of darkness will be bitterness in the end he doth evidence that he is not willing with their Perdition but would that they should consider their ways and doings and turn there-from unto him who is ready to pardon them and receive them to his mercy Psal 50. 17-21 He doth fore-warn them that they might turn from their wicked ways and so flee from the wrath to come as Mat. 3. 7. 8. Heb. 11. 7. 6. That the Lord God hath no pleasure in the eternal Destruction of the Wicked while they are joyned to all the living appears by his Expostulations and Pleadings with them As What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain Jer. 2. 5-8 Have I been a wilderness unto Israel a land of darkness Wherefore say my people We have dominion we will come no more unto thee Verse 29-31 Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die O House of Israel Ezek 33. 11. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Hos 6. 3-7 Jer 9. 7. O thou that art named the House of Jacob is the Spirit of the Lord straitned are these his doings Micah 2. 7. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherewith have I wearied thee testifie against me c. Micah 6. 2-5 Surely he doth not thus speak to insult over them in their misery or while he secretly delights in their eternal ruine But to signifie he is not pleased they should perish As he saith Why will ye die O House of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn and live ye Ezek 18. 30 31 32. The truth hereof is also further manifested by his pathetical and breathing Votes and Desires concerning them As O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever Deut. 5. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32. 28 29. O that my people had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my ways Psal 81. 13 14. O that thou hadst hearkened unto my Commandments then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea Isa 48. 17 18. Wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Jer 13. 27. If
or O that thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace Luke 19. 42. As also the truth of what the Lord swears to appears in that he speaks as one grieved at the very heart that men have turned a deaf ear to him and scattered their ways unto strangers and obeyed not his Voice As it is said by himself Forty years longer was I grieved with this generation and said it is a people that do err in their hearts and they have not known my ways Psal 95. 10. So he speaks as one grieved in Spirit and saith My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Psal 81. 8-11 And of our Lord Jesus who is the Image of the Invisible God it is said When he beheld the City he wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou c. Luke 19. 41 42. John 13. 21. The truth hereof also is evidenced In his slowness to Anger and loathness to give them up who refused to return unto him but were Idolaters and bent to back-sliding from the Lord. As How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I delivar thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Seboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the holy One in the midst of thee And I will not enter into the City Hos 11. 2-8 9. Mal. 3. 6. And lastly As to this particular That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked is evident and evidenced in his Readiness to Repent him of the Evil threatned by him and justly deserved by them upon their turning to him And readiness to receive unto his Mercy great sinners though their wickedness hath been very great and long continued in Though their wickedness hath been like unto Sodom and Gomorrah and though their sins have been as Scarlet and red like Crimson yea though they have spoken and done evil things as they could As Isa 1. 10-18 Jer. 3. 15. So the Lord saith Turn unto the Lord your God And to move them so to do he adds For he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Joel 2. 12 13. Thus he dealt with Nineveh when he saw their works that they turned from their evil way God repented him of the evil that he said he would do unto them and he did it not But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was very angry and said I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my Country Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil Jonah 3. 8-10 and 4. 1. 2. So when Ephraim repented and smote upon the thigh the Lord saith Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Jer. 31. 18-20 How ready and forward was the Father in the Parable to be reconciled unto and with joy to receive and give entertainment unto his prodigal Son when through his necessity and indigency he though of returning and began so to do When he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and fell on his neck and kissed him c. And I say unto you saith our Saviour That joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance Luke 15. 2-7-12-32 Nay when some such have not turned to him with the whole heart but feignedly how ready hath he been to spare them As it is said Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouths and they lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not Yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath And the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation Psalm 78. 34-36-38 1 King 21. 27-29 Now all these things considered and put together do clearly evince and evidence to us That the Lord hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth How can it once enter into our hearts or be entertained by us That he who so expostulates with wicked Ones and saith Why will ye die That so pathetically desires desires their good that is so grieved at the heart for the hardness of their hearts as Mark 3. 5. That is so loath to give up such as have highly provoked him to anger That is so ready to repent him of the evil and to receive with joy and gladness such as repent and turn unto him from their Iniquities and to spare them who feignedly turn unto him that they might consider their ways and turn their feet unto his Testimonies That he mean time doth secretly delight in and desire their Eternal Ruine O my Soul come not thou into the Secret of them who suffer such wicked thoughts of God to lodge within them Unto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou united as Gen. 49. 5 6. 7. As also it appears That the Lord hath no pleasure in the Eternal Ruine of the Wicked while it is the Day of his Grace and Patience Because he doth not delight in severely correcting here in this World He doth not willingly or from the heart afflict or grieve the children of men To crush under his feet all the Prisoners of the earth the Lord approveth it not Or feeth it not to wit with delight Lam. 3. 33-36 He doth indeed afflict and execute judgments in the Earth on those who contemn his Counsels But he doth not take Pleasure therein nor doth he punish them but when their need requires it for he is slow to anger and his Soul is grieved for their misery who have greatly sinned against him Judg. 10. 16. It is not pleasing to him now to plead with wicked Ones in his furious Rebukes Hence it is said The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim he shall be wroth as in the Valley of Gibeon that he may do his work his strange work so called because it is an unpleasant work to him As Job's breath is said to be strange unpleasant undelightful to his Wife Job 19. 13-17 And bring to pass his Act his strange Act Isa 28. 21. And therefore he doth not bring to pass his strange Act till there be a necessity for it as it were And all more gracious and favourable means and methods have proved unsuccessful and ineffectual Hence the Lord saith I will melt them and try them to
LORD and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will multiply to pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my wayes saith the LORD for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts Isa 55. 6 7 8 9. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live Again when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed and doth that which is lawful and right he shall save his soul alive because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not dye Ezek. 18. 21 22-26 27. Again the Lord saith When I say to the wicked Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right none of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawful and right he shall surely live Ezek. 33. 14-16 19. Thus also he assured Solomon when he answered his Prayer made at the Dedication of the Temple which was a Type of Christ Joh. 2. 21. If saith he my people upon whom my name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin c. 2 Chron. 7. 12-14-16 Nay thus the Lord speaks unto them whom he calls Rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah and whose hands were fuâ—l of blood Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. Come now and let us reason together saith the LORD though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land Isa 1. 4 6-10 15-16-19 1 Kings 8. 47-49 Though evil ones have played the Harlot with many Lovers and spoken and done evil things as they could yet in returning unto him he will take away all their Iniquities and receive them graciously he will heal all their Backslidings and will love them freely Jer. 3. Hos 14. 1-4 And so much is also signified in this Oath of the Lords we are speaking unto namely That wicked ones may turn successfully for he doth not only swear That he hath pleasure that they should turn But That they should turn from their evil ways and live to wit Be forgiven their sins and received into his favour in whose Favour is Life Hose 14. 2. Psal 30. 5. In returning and rest they shall be saved though formerly they have been rebellious People lying Children Children that would not hear the Law of the Lord as Isa 30. 8 9 10 11-15-18 But I shall add no more to this Observation only I shall desire to add somewhat briefly by way of usefulness therefrom As to say 1. In that the wicked may while it is called to day possibly and succesfully turn from their evil ways We may learn from hence as is before said That the Lord God hath no pleasure in their Eternal Ruin and Destruction for therefore he commands and inables them to turn from that in continuing wherein they will wrong and destroy their own Souls And hereby the Lord himself doth signifie to us That he is not willing the wicked should perish In that he encourages and capacitates them to turn from their pernicious ways But if the Wicked will turn saith he from all his sins that he hath committed and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die All his Transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him in his Righteousness that he hath done he shall live Have I any pleasure at all that the Wicked should die saith the Lord GOD Ezek. 18. 21-23 plainly giving us to understand That it is hereby manifested that he hath no pleasure in their Death In that he makes it possible to them to turn from the way of Death and propounds such Encouragements and Motives to prevail with them so to do 2. In that the wicked ones may possibly and successfully even with Encouragement turn from their destructive ways herein appears and hereby we may behold That the ways of the LORD are equal and righteous in the Administration of his Government Thus the Lord evinceth and evidenceth the Equalness and Righteousness of his ways unto the Jews who charged them with Injustice or Inequality Ye say the way of the LORD is not equal Hear now O House of Israel is not my way equal Are not your ways unequal When the wicked turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed and doth that which is lawful and right he shall save his Soul alive Because he considereth and turneth away from all his Transgressions that he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not die Yet saith the House of Israel the way of the LORD is not equal O House of Israel are not my ways equal are not your ways unequal Ezek. 18. 21-25-27-29 and ch 33. 14-17-20 If he should doom them to the vengeance of Eternal Fire for not doing what they cannot do and he gives them not Grace to do or if they should turn from their evil ways and yet not be forgiven and received graciously his ways would not appear to be Just and Equal whereas the Justice and Equalness of them herein clearly appears in that he so impowers and encourages them to forsake their unrighteous ways and thoughts As hath been said before 3. We may from hence also learn That those who continue in their sinful and wicked ways and will not turn there-from until sin be finished and brings forth Death will have none to blame for it but themselves or however they will have no just cause to blame God for it Jam. 1. 13-15 But their sin will appear to be inexcusable and therefore also their Judgment will be very severe and terrible They will be inexcusable who are not led to repentance seeing the goodness of God leadeth them there-unto as Rom. 2. 1 2 3-5 If they had this to plead for themselves That they could not turn themselves from their iniquity and vanities and God gave them no grace so to do this would be a good excuse for themselves But this Plea will not avaiâ— them because one part is false For though we have no power of our selves to turn our selves yet God giveth more grace that we might not follow our own spirit or obey it in the lusts thereof Wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud
The Lord hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked indefinitely considered not in the death of any wicked Ones for he is one with whom is no respect of persons And indeed if he had any pleasure in the death of any wicked ones it might reasonably be conceived and concluded That he hath pleasure in the death of the wicked in his Church Because their wickedness is greater and more inexcusable than that of others Because they have more excellent and choice Advantages Means and gracious Assistances than others have to wash their hearts and feet from wickedness that they may be saved And therefore if they continue sinners or treacherously depart from him he is more highly displeased with them and severe toward them As it is said You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Amos 3. 2. Though indignation wrath tribulation and anguish will be upon every Soul of man that doth evil yet it will be upon the Jew first because he hath much more advantage than the Gentile to be and do better And to whom much is given of them will much be required Rom. 2. 8-11 and Chap. 3. 1 2. Luke 12. 47 48. When in the times of ignorance God winks his eyes are upon all their ways who have choice means of knowledge vouchsafed to them they are not hid from his face neither is their iniquity hid from his eyes And first he will recompense their iniquity and their sin double because they have defiled his land c. Acts 17. 30. with Jer. 16. 16-18 So that these words being directly spoken unto though not confined unto the house of Israel do more powerfully ascertain that he hath no pleasure in the death of any other And are as it were a powerful Argument to evince the truth thereof He who hath no pleasure in the everlasting Ruine and Destruction of such as sin against the clearest Light greatest Grace and choicest Advantages to be sure he hath none in their eternal Perdition who have not such Means and Advantages for knowing and serving him Matth. 11. 20-24 If he be so compassionate towards the greatest Transgressors and be altogether unwilling that they should die how can we suppose but that he is loath and unwilling they should perish who are not such hainous Offenders even as the Apostle signifies to us that he who was the chief of sinners obtained mercy that in him first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a Pattern to such as were not such great sinners even to them that should delay to believe on him unto life everlasting 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. So we may also here understand it But what is said may suffice to the second Inquiry and we shall desire to proceed unto the next namely 3. What are we to understand by this Phrase no pleasure And to that we say hereby is meant and signified That it is not at all delightful or well-pleasing unto him that such as are wicked Ones should be destroyed with an everlasting Destruction As he is a God that hath no pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with him Psal 5. 4-6 And as he hath no pleasure in fools or wicked ones Eccl. 5. 4. So also he hath no delight or pleasure in the death of the wicked As he here swears unto us he hath no pleasure none at all That is to say 1. He hath no Revealed Pleasure in the Death of the wicked that Revelation he hath given of his heart and mind in the holy Scriptures declares no such will or well-pleasedness in him or affection to any such thing but the contrary thereto As plainly appears in that Scripture we are considering 2. Nor hath he any secret pleasure will or delight therein As appears by this Revelation of his Will which he hath given forth to the Sons of Men He speaks thus to us and by his Oath assures us of the truth of it who onely perfectly knows himself which we do not for we cannot by searching find out God we cannot find out the Almighty to perfection Job 11. 7-9 But he who is perfect in the knowledge of himself and all things as Job 36. 4. And perfectly knows his own Mind and Will saith and swears that he hath no pleasure And his mouth herein in all things speaks truth for it is impossible for him to lye Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. Yea let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. 4. And indeed the word here translated Pleasure signifies inward intention delight affection well pleasedness And oh let us not be faithless but believing let us give glory to him in believing him when he thus solemnly swears I live saith the Lord God if I will or be well-pleased in the Death of the wicked That is as it is rendred with us and suitable to such like manner of speakings in other places I have no pleasure in their death So what is thus expressed in one place I sware in my wrath if they should enter into my rest Is thus exprest and explained in another by the holy Spirit He sware that they should not enter into his rest Compare Psal 95. 11. and Heb. 3. 11. with verse 18. Mark 8. 12. with Mat. 16. 4. And what hath been now said may in some measure deliver us from entertaining a very corrupt and pernicious Gloss which too many have put upon this Scripture and others that are like unto it namely Some say It is true indeed God hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked That is say they He hath no Revealed Will or Pleasure therein his Revealed Will is That all men should be saved But his Secret Pleasure or the Will of his good Pleasure is that the most of men should perish and be eternally miserable and therefore he reprobated them or past them by before they were born so as in conclusion they must unavoidably have their Portion in that everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And in thus speaking they plainly signifie That his Revealed and Secret Will are contrary the one to the other Answ Now for Answer thereto and to discover a little the Evil and Perniciousness of that Distinction or Division rather of the Will of God consider we diligently these things To wit 1. It savours of high Presumption and Daringness of Spirit to give out that God hath a Secret Will contrary to his Revealed Will For if his Will be Secret how come they to know it or ro know that it is contrary to that Revelation of his Mind and Will he hath vouchsafed to us Or why may not others as well know that secret Will they speak of as themselves For in truth none knows what his Will is any further than it is Revealed nor doth it appertain to any to know it And they who would be prying there-into intrude into things they have not seen being vainly
Christ and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness 1 Tim 6. 3 4 5. 5. This unworthy and unreasonable Distinction tends to over-throw the Faith and gives men ground to believe God in nothing he Asserts or Promises For if he hath a Secret Will and a Revealed Will in one thing Repugnant the one to the other then why not in every thing And whatever be propounded to us ftom the Scriptures to encourage us to believe and hope in God may presently be repelled and rejected with this Distinction As to say when with the Apostle we say God our Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3 4. Yes say some He wills this with his Revealed Will but not with his Secret And why may not others make use of this Distinction else-where As when our Saviour saith He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned May not this Distinction of Gods two Wills be here brought in by some as rationally as where it is And may they not say This is his Revealed Will but his Secret Will agrees not therewith Mark 16. 16. Or where our Saviour saith This is the Will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 40. Very true may some also here say This is his Revealed Will but this is not his Secret Will And by this latter such may perish and not have everlasting life were this Distinction good and right Whereas indeed it is most corrupt and pernicious and to be abominated by us for it makes the Pen of the Scribe in vain By this Tradition the Word of God is made of none effect as to all therein Asserted or Assured as Jer. 8. 8 9. Mark 7. 9-13 Object If any should say But God hath engaged himself by his Oath unto the Heirs of Promise to wit to all hearty Believers that they shall be happy and blessed for ever to the end they might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them as Heb. 6. 17 18. Answ To that I say Doth not God here also bind himself with an Oath of Confirmation as is before said that he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked And is not his Oath as valid and authentick here as there Yes doubtless and if by the force of the Distinction we are disproving and opposing his Oath may be frustrated in one place why may it not also be so in another and in a third and in all those places and cases wherein he hath interposed himself by his Oath Let this be duly minded and considered by us 6. And lastly as to this Our Lord Jesus who is in the Bosom of the Father and who knows the Father as the Father knows him who knows his Mind and Will and hath declared him and it to us in these last Ages more plainly than he was made known in former times He I say doth assure us That his Fathers Secret Will is a Gracious Will toward the worst of men while it is to day And that as he hath said and sworn That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked which is as they speak his Revealed Will So also his Secret Will perfectly accords therewith and by this also he is not willing that any should perish To this purpose our Lord spake while he was on the Earth The Son of Man saith he is come to save that which was lost How think ye If a man have an hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray doth he not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray And if so be that he find it verily I say unto you he rejoyceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not astray Which Parable our Lord in another Evangelist speaks concerning the Publicans and Sinners who were and were lookt upon to be notorious sinners And then it is added as the Application of the former Even so it is not the will of your Father which is â—â—â—m Heaven that one of these little Ones called before lost should perish Or rather as the words should be read Even so there is not a will before your Father which is in the Heavens that one of these little Ones should perish Which is in substance the same as to have said Your Father hath no secret will or pleasure in the death of lost Ones of Publicans of notorious sinners Nay he hath no secret will in their death not onely as indefinitely and generally considered but also he hath no pleasure in their death individually considered I mean not in the death of any One of them There is not a Will before him that One of them should be lost Let this be seriously considered Matth. 18. 11-14 with Luke 15. 1-7-24 Now here our Saviour who perfectly knows what his Fathers Secret Will is and who onely doth so for none knows the Father save the Son Matt. 11. 27. Luke 10. 24. plainly assures us that Gods Secret Will or that Will which is before him in the Heavens is good-will towards every sinful lost Creature of Mankind as Luke 2. 10-14 And we are required to hear him in all things whatsoever he speaks unto us And saith the Apostle Peter It shall come to pass that every Soul which will not hear this Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Matth. 17. 5. with 2 Pet. 1. 17. Acts 3. 22 23. Oh! let us then give this Honour to our Lord Jesus and unto his Father to hear his Word and believe on him that sent him According to that Revelation he hath given of his Father and so we shall have everlasting life and not come into condemnation c. John 5. 23 24. And in so doing we shall be led to reject and abominate this ungodly Distinction and be assured That Gods Secret Will is as Gracious towards sinful wicked Ones as is his Revealed Will Yea let me say his Secret Will is more Gracious than is contained in any Revelation of it For as his Power Wisdom Truth and Holiness are infinite and unsearchable so as they are not fully Revealed and manifested to us in any Revelation vouchsafed Rom. 11. 33. 1 Cor. 13. 9. So his Merciful-kindness is greater toward poor sinners than is exprest in any Revelation given to us Or then that it can be conceived much more exprest by finite Creatures The Love of Christ who is One with the Father passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. Hence we see how the Psalmist magnifies the Mercy of God and saith It is great unto the Heavens Psal 57. 10. In the Heavens Psal 36. 1-5 Nay It is above the Heavens great above the Heavens And therefore he resolved to sing Praises unto him among
the people and among the heathen Psalm 108. 3 4. And when he thus saith Thy Righteousness is like the great Mountains or Mountains of God thy Judgments are a great deep He presently adds thereto by way of Admiration How excellent is thy Loving-kindness O God! To wit toward the Children of Men As if he would intimate to us and to our shallow Capacities That though he could compare Gods Righteousness and Judgments to somewhat yet his Mercy or Merciful-kindness is admirably inconceivably incomparably Great so as he knew not what to compare that unto Psal 36. 6 7. and 144. 3 4. and 145. 8 9. And doth not our Blessed Saviour speak also after such a rate when he saith So God loved the World c. John 3. 16. 1 John 4. 11. So that from what hath been said we do and may safely conclude That the LORD GOD hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked none at all Not onely no Revealed pleasure therein But also no Secret or hidden Will or Pleasure therein as he swears unto us And what hath been said about this Third Enquiry meets with and gives Answer unto another evil Distinction and Opposition of some against the Current of the Gospel Namely say some It is true indeed God hath no delight or pleasure in the death of the wicked simply considered But he hath pleasure therein Respectively to wit in order to the manifestation of the Glory of his Justice Answer Now to this I say briefly If he hath pleasure in their Death or in the Death of some of them in order to the manifestation of the Glory of his Righteousness or Justice then he hath some pleasure in their Death for as is usually said He that wills the End wills the Means conducing thereto And so also it is in this particular if their evil Distinction were true as indeed it is not But in their so saying they contradict this Text and deny the truth of Gods Oath who swears by himself by his life That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked And besides God needs not the Destruction of any of Mankind for the Glory of his Justice for the Glory of his Righteousness is manifested in giving to every One according to his works And so in Acts of Grace and Mercy toward men that they might Repent and towards such as do turn to him from their Iniquities Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful Ps 116. 5. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 9. 2 Thes 1. 5. And his Mercy is magnified in destroying implacable and impenitent sinners As it is said He over-threw or shaked off Pharaoh and his Host in the Red-Sea for his mercy endureth for ever Who smote great Kings for his mercy endureth for ever And slew famous Kings for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136. 15-20 But we shall add no more unto the Third Enquiry but consider the next namely 4. When or during what time hath he no pleasure none at all neither Revealed nor Secret in the Death and everlasting Destruction of the wicked Indefinitely considered And to that we may say It is plainly intimated to us in the Words as they are rendred with us During what time he hath no Will Pleasure or Delight in their Death namely Now in this present Day of his Grace and Patience As it is here expressed I have no pleasure c. To wit while it is called to Day As the Holy Gost saith To Day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation c. Heb. 3. 7 8. and Ch. 4. 7. All the time Christ is interceding for Transgressors in Heaven and that is while he is vouchsafing Gracious Means to them on Earth Behold now is the accepted time Behold now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 5. 20. with Chap 6. 1 2. According to what the Apostle Peter saith The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. Indeed this time or season will not last always his Spirit will not always strive with men as Gen. 6. 3. When once the Day of Grace is fully ended he that now swears he hath no pleasure in their Death will swear in his wrath that they shall not enter into his rest as Heb. 3. 7-11 He will then have pleasure in their Destruction As it is said Because ye have set at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord They would none of my counsel they depised all my reproof Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own devices Prov. 1. 24-26-31 Then He that made them will not have mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour as Isa 27. 11. And when he pleases he can put an end to that Day and to mens Lives for their times are in his Hand to continue or cut off as is good before him The Consideration whereof is proper and powerful to excite us all to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is near Isa 55. 6. To make haste and not delay to keep Gods Commandments For if he cut off or shut up or gather together then who can hinder him No man hath power over the Spirit his own or God's to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of Death And there is no casting of Weapons in that War neither shall wickedness deliver them that are given to it Eccl. 8. 8. Now therefore in the opportune season turn we from our Iniquities that we may understand his truth For in the Grave whither we are a going there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom Eccles 9. 10. Then there will be a great Gulf fixed so as there will be no possibility of passing from one state to another What-ever our hand therefore finds to do let us do it with our might in the present opportunity To this purpose and upon this account our Lord thus instructs and counsels Strive saith he to wit in the present time to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in namely when it is too late and shall not be able When once the Master of the house is risen up and shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open unto us
wit throw them into the Furnace of affliction as Isa 48. 10. For how shall I do for the daughter of my people As if he should say What other course can I take for the reclaiming them from their evil ways All those more-mild means he had been making use of had proved in vain toward them and therefore he would thus proceed against them in doing this strange and undelightful work amongst them Jer. 9. 7. Unto Acts of Mercy and Grace he is very forward and exercises himself therein preventingly without and before mens desires And notwithstanding their demerits He giveth liberally to all men and upbraideth not John 3. 16 17. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Jam. 1. 5. But unto Acts of severity towards wicked Ones he is very backward while it is to Day And some of his holy Servants have seemed to think him too backward and unready thereto and therefore have they earnestly imprecated Judgments upon great Offenders before he hath executed them Jer. 11. 20-23 and Chap. 18. 20-23 And thus pleaded with him Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look upon Iniquity or Grievance Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he And makest men as the fishes of the sea c. Ha. 1. 2-4 13-17 Ps 35. 17. Yea when that eminent Prophet Elijah made intercession to God against Israel saying They have killed thy Prophets and digged down thine Altars c. So gracious was the Lord and so slow to anger that he excepts against the Prophets Charge and as it were pleads for them Rom. 11. 2 3 4. Now then to Argue from the Less to the Greater and from the Shorter to that which is Perpetual If God had no Pleasure to inflict tolerable and comparavely light Afflictions upon evil men surely then much rather we may conceive and conclude That he doth not delight in laying upon them such Judgments and Torments as are even intollerable and unsupportable And again if it be not pleasing to him that Sinners and evil Doers should be severely afflicted in this life with momentany and short Afflictions much more unwilling is he that they should go into that everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and therein he destroyed wth everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power And doth not the Lord himself lead us thus to Reason for the holy Spirit directs the Prophets thus to Assert and say The Lord will not cast off for ever But though he cause grief he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies But what doth he bring to prove and evince that he will not cast off for ever It presently follows For he doth not willingly afflict c. As if he should say He who now doth not from his heart or with delight afflict for a moment is more unwilling to cast off to all eternity Lam. 3. 31 32 33. Thou shalt consider in thy heart saith Moses that as a man chasteneth his Son the Lord thy God chasteneth thee Deut. 8. 5. Now how doth a tender-hearted Parent chasten his froward and stubborn Son Surely with a great deal of loathness and reluctancy It is not the Work of his Delight so to do Even so our Gracious Father who is so pitiful and of such tender mercies that the most prudently indulgent Parent here is but evil in comparison of him as our Saviour gives us to understand Matth. 7. 11. doth not delight to afflict his Sons and Daughters as all men are by Creation and Redemption Mal. 2. 10. Deut. 32. 6. 19. when they provoke him to anger but is very slow and backward thereto And as we may be confident and safely conclude that no tender-hearted Parent who hath no Pleasure to whip his Son hath much less any Pleasure to kill him and to bereave himself of him for ever So likewise we may more confidently perswade our selves That the God and Father of all who now chastens not Sinners for his Pleasure hath much more no Pleasure to cast them into Hell-fire where their worm dieth not and their fire is not quenched Heb. 12. 10. And they that will entertain and hold fast such thoughts of God as these That though he doth not willingly afflict the Sons of Men yet he hath a secret Delight or Pleasure in their endless and eternal Ruine and Misery must turn their Reason out of the Doors of their Souls that they may keep their unreasonable groundless and absurd Opinion in possession But the Apostle tells us That such as consent not to wholsom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ they are fools knowing nothing as they ought to know but doting about Questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings c. And he therefore thus counsels from such with-draw thyself 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. 8. And lastly It also appears and is hereby evidenced That the Lord God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked By the Afflictions and Judgments which he now executes and infflicts upon them for though he doth not willingly afflict as hath been said before yet he doth afflict Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth He forms the Light and creates Darkness He makes Peace and creates Evil To wit Evil of Affliction and Judgment Isa 45. 7. Amos. 3. 8. And this doth evince and evidence to us That he hath no delight in their destruction in that he makes use of such Methods for their Amendment as are strange and grievous to him which will yet further also appear if we duly consider these two things Namely 1. The Reason or Motive of his Afflicting and Judging them and that is His love and merciful kindness towards them towards their Immortal Souls Indeed we are apt to look upon Afflictions as Tokens and Testimonies of his hatred towards us But in so doing we judge according to outward Appearance and do not judge righteous Judgment for his love moves him to correct us when our need requires it and so it doth towards the righteous And his trying them is opposed to his hatred Psal 11. 5. Hence the Apostle saith My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Prov. 3. 11 12. with Heb. 12. 5-7 Yea and it is out of love towards men generally that he doth try them and correct them for their Faults and Follies Hence Job breaks forth into Admiration and saith What is man that thou shouldst magnifie him that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him to wit thy love and affection that thou shouldst visit him to wit with Afflictions and Corrections as Ps 89. 32. every morning and try him every moment Job 7. 17-19 And when the Angel and Church of Laodicea were become
luke-warm and so loathsom and offensive to Christ as that he threatens to spue them out of his mouth yet then he sends this Message to them As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. 3. 15-19 And indeed hereby also it appears that while he is judging men in this World he loves them And that his Corrections proceed from his Love because he signifies it to be a most high Expression of severe Displeasure when he threatens to cease or forbear taking any longer such pains with them because they have been incorrigible under his Afflicting-hand To this purpose he many times speaks as Why should ye be smitten any more Isa 1. 5. I will not punish your Daughters when they commit Whoredom nor your Spouses when they commit Adultery Hos 4. 14. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone ver 17. And that he doth Correct and Chastise the Sons of Men while it is called to Day out of Love and therefore is not willing with their Perdition will yet further appear if we consider 2. The end of the Lord in his Rebuking and Judging of them yea of his threatnings and judgments and that is Their eternal good and welfare that is the thing ultimately designed by him therein As Elihu saith Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with Man to bring back his Soul from the Pit to be enlightned with the light of the living Mark well O Job saith Elihu Hearken unto me c. Job 33. 27-29-31 The end of the Lord in the liftings up of his hand and threatnings is that men might cease to do evil and learn to do well That he may repent him of the evil threatned to them and be gracious unto them At what instant saith the Lord I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil which is the thing designed therein by him I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them Now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem saying Thus saith the Lord behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return you now every one from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good Jer. 18. 7-11 And to the same purpose the Lord commands the same Prophet To take a Roll of a Book and write therein all the words that he had spoken unto him against Israel and against Judah c. And then adds It may be that the House of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin Jer. 36. 2 3. Ezek. 12. 2 3. Jonah 3. 4-9 10. and Chap. 4. 1 2. Psal 7. 12 13. And so also his Design and end in executing Jugments in the Earth while it is called to Day is not the Destruction of Evil-doers but the Correction and Amendment of them That when his judgments are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world might learn righteousness Isa 26. 9. He therefore orders occasions of sadness and heaviness to them that by the sadness of their countenances their hearts might be made better Eccl. 7. 2 3. And therefore he looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not he will deliver his Soul from going down into the pit and his life shall see the light Job 33. 27-30 When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. And that he doth aim at and design the good of men in his Correcting and Punishing them appears from what hath been said immediately before Namely That he doth chasten them out of love For love worketh no ill to another but designs his good and benefit Ro. 13. 9. And he that charges Parents not to with-hold Correction from their Children but to beat them with the Rod and so deliver their Souls from Hell Doubtless he intends the same in his Judgings of Men while they are joyned to all the living Prov. 23. 13 14. with Job 33. 29 30. and Psal 94. 10-12 And not onely is this his Gracious End in those Chastisements and Afflictions which are more moderate and common to Man But also in his more severe and furious Judgments and Rebukes when he causes men to sit in darkness and in the shadow of Death being bound in affliction and iron Because they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the Counsel of the most High c. And whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord Psal 107. 10-22-39-43 When none can stand before his indignation and none can abide in the fierceness of his anger his fury being poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him Yet then the Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble c. Nah. 1. 2-6 7. So the Apostle signifies That the heavy and spiritual Judgments executed upon the unbelieving and disobedient Israelites according to those Imprecations of the Psalmist against them were not inflicted upon them for their destruction but for the amendment of them while it was the Day of Gods Grace towards them According as it is written God hath given them the Spirit of slumber or remorse eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear And David saith Let their table be made a snare and a trap and a stumbling-block and a recompence unto them Let their eyes be darkned that they may not see and bow down their back alway These were most severe Judgments in which God in some measure gave them up to a Reprobate Mind And it might therefore be readily concluded by some That God by inflicting these upon them designed their Eternal Ruine But the Apostle gives us cause otherwise to believe and judge for he immediately subjoyns to the former I say then have they not stumbled that they might fall God forbid far be it from us so to conceive but through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them these Jews to jealousie Rom. 11. 8 9 10 11. And again he saith God hath concluded them all in unbelief taken away his Gospel and Kingdom from them and deprived them of those choice and spiritual Priviledges and Advantages they were formerly favoured with that he might have mercy upon all That he might have mercy upon us Gentiles for through their unbelief and rejection the Gospel and its Priviledges were vouchsafed unto us And that he might this way have mercy upon them also That through our mercy they might also obtain mercy The Consideration whereof caused the Apostle to break forth into Admiration and say O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
it from us or from any thus to turn the truth of God into a lye as we are too forward to do How shall we that are dead to sin to wit by the Death of Christ live any longer therein Rom. 6. 1 2 3. See also Rom. 3. 3-8 Gal. 5. 13. But now to rhe end we may not think that what God swears to the truth of is in favour to our sins but in love to our Souls Therefore he not only swears Negatively I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked But also Affirmatively But I have pleasure that the wicked turn from his way and live In which he plainly intimates to us his Abhorrency of Sin while he assures us of his love to Sinners and of his no-pleasure in their everlasting misery and perdition That none of us should wrest his Sayings to our own destruction as 2 Pet. 3. 16. But to this we may have further occasion to speak somewhat in what follows and therefore shall here add no more to it 2. In that this is also contained in what the Lord God swears to to wit That the wicked turn from his way and live Herein is also intimated to us That the wicked may turâ— while it is called to Day from his wicked ways and live He may turn there-from possibly and successfully This is also implied and supposed in this Oath For we cannot reasonably believe that this most Excellent One would so solemnly swear that he hath pleasure in that which is utterly impossible for his Creatures to do or which he doth not render or make possible unto them as we may afterwards further shew But that such may turn appears 1. In that he hath opened a Door of Repentance for poor sinful wicked Ones in and by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. We were indeed Gods banished Ones 2 Sam. 14. 14. And no man could by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a Ransom for him Psal 49. 7. But God hath prepared himself a Lamb for a Burnt-Offering and hath accepted a Sacrifice He that was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation without controversie or confessedly Great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh Gods own Son was made of a Woman and so became our Goâ— our Kinsman and Redeemer Thereby the Right of Redemption appertained to him Lev. 25 48 49. And He by the Charity of God tasted death for every man and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and gave himself a Ransom or Price of Redemption for all men whereby he hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us And hath opened away for our being brought back to God He hath broken the Gates of Brass and cut the Bars of Iron asunder Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of Men. Psal 107. 15 16. Christ once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. The Law opened no Door of Repentance but it clapt the Curse upon every one that did not perfectly and constantly keep and observe it As the Apostle saith As many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. But Christ hath opened a way and is the way by which any sinful One may come unto God John 14. 6. He is the Door by which any one may enter into the Fold because he died for All yea rather is risen again without which we had been necessarily left in our sins there had been no Repentance from them nor Forgiveness of them John 10. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 15-17 Heb. 9. 22. And in his Name there is preached Repentance unto all Nations even unto the greatest and most notorious Sinners while men are joyned to all the living And our Lord Jesus was sent and came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And answerably did so even the greatest Sinners while he was upon the Earth Matth. 9. 11-13 Mark 1. 14 15 And sent forth his Apostles to preach not the Law but the Gospel that men might repent Matth. 10. 7. with Mark 6. 12. So when he was Raised again from the Dead he enlarged their Commission and commanded them to go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature of all the Nations of Mankind and there-with to call to Repentance to repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentanee Mark 16. 15. with Luke 24. 46 47 48. Acts 26. 17 18-20-23 God now commandeth all men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained having given or exhibited faith unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Acts 17. 30 31. Rev. 14. 6 7. And upon this ground the Wicked and Ungodly are expresly called upon to turn from their Iniquities because Christ who was delivered for their Offences is raised again As it is said Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thought and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him Isa 55. 3 4-7 with Acts 13. 34. 2. It further appears also That the wicked may turn from their evil and wicked ways while it is to day not only because they are called to Repentance and commanded to Repent as is said But also because he who thus calls and commands them doth also enable them so to do especially where the Scriptures are vouchsafed and the Gospel is plainly preached to men The wisdom of God doth not only call unto such as have long loved simplicity delighted in scorning and hated knowledge and saith Turn ye at my reproof But to encourage and enable them so to do she adds Behold mind and consider this well I will pour out my spirit unto you to wit to strengthen them to what she requires of them she doth not call them to repentance simply but also stretcheth forth her hand to help their Infirmity and relieve their Impotency Prov. 1. 22 23 24. In saying That the wicked may turn from their wicked ways we do not suppose nor believe that they have any sufficiency of themselves so to do as of themselves or that they have naturally any freedom of will or power to turn themselves for in them there dwelleth no good thing but they are carnal and sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. But we are assured from the testimony of the Lord that he who sent his Son into the world to be the Saviour of the world hath also exalted him to his right
which notwithstanding any thing there said may yet be done 1 Joh. 5. 16. Joh. 16. 26. Now what hath been said to this Objection is not said That men might continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid But to the end That such as conclude against themselves that there is no hope for them might not be discouraged from turning from their evil ways unto God For when God saith in any place of Scripture to the wicked Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin c. he shall surely live he shall not die Ezek. 33. 11-13-16 Nay when the Lord said unto Jeremiah Though Moses and Samuel stood before me my mind could not be toward this people c. Jer. 15. 1-3 and Ch. 16. And The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond c. for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger which shall burn for ever Chap. 17. 1 2 3. Yet after all this he thus commands the Prophet Now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying Behold I frame evil and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good Jer. 18. 1-6-8-11 Oh then however you have sinned do not say as Cain did that your iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven Gen. 4. 13. Do not so dishonour the Father of Mercies as to conclude he cannot redeem you from your iniquities or deliver you from your transgressions as Isa 50. 1 2 3 4. but return unto him and he will return unto you Mal. 3. 7. And consider thereto that God hath reserved this to himself as his Prerogative To shew mercy to such sinners as unto whom men cannot lawfully shew mercy They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shall he return unto her again Shall not that land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the LORD Jer. 3. 1. Oh then though thou art in the belly of hell as it were yet cry unto the God of Mercy Though thou sayest thou art cast out of his sight yet look again toward his holy Temple And when thy soul faints within thee then remember the LORD and let thy prayer come in unto him into his holy Temple even Christ in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily and who came into the world to save sinners sinners indefinitely and the chief and most notorious sinners Jonah 2. 2-4-7 8. with Col. 2. 9 10. and 1 Tim. 1. 13-15 And him that cometh unto him in this day of grace he will in no wise cast out what-ever he hath been or done Joh. 6. 37. Matth. 11. 27 28. 3. Let me proceed on and say Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die Why will we die May another generation say Why the pleasures of sin are so sweet and delightful to us that we know not how on that Account to turn from them Stollen waters are sweet and bread of secrecies is pleasant We cannot deny but that God calleth us to repentance and there-with inables us to turn from our iniquities But the ways of sin are so grateful and pleasing that it is as the cutting off our right hand or the plucking out of our right eye to bid adieu thereto and turn our backs thereon Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the Leopard his spots Then may we also do good that are accustomed to do evil Jer. 13. 23. Answ Now to this generation I might say many things but having much exceeded mine intention at first already shall therefore be the briefer and propound to these Objectors that saying of the Apostle Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end or reward of those things is death Here the Apostle propounds three weighty Considerations to take men off from their sinful courses namely They are unfruitful shameful and eternally hurtful and pernicious 1. What fruit had ye then Even when you did commit sin and were servants of it And so what fruit have you now therein who sow to the flesh and serve sin What fruit may you say We have said already Sin is most sweet and delightful to us Well but yet let me say to you 1. Though the ways of sin are delightful or as the Apostle expresses it though you count it pleasure to riot in the day-time 2 Pet. 2. 13. yet sin is not delightful and satisfactory to the whole man It may appear so to the Body and to the Bruitish and Sensual Appetite but not so to the Superiour Eaculties of the Soul which are not delighted with these low and carnal things 1 Joh. 2. 16. They will not satisfie mens souls for they are the stumbling-blocks of their iniquity Ezek. 7. 19. The most noble part of man as Psal 22. 20. is not delighted herewith but contrariwise sadned and filled with horror and dread thereby while mens Consciences are not so seared as to be past feeling and when they consider and lay these things to heart To this purpose speaks the holy Scripture Though wickedness saith Zophar be sweet in his mouth though he hide it under his tongue though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still in the midst of his palate yet his meat in his bowels is turned it is the gall of Aspes within him That is Wickedness is the very quintessence of bitterness to his soul how sweet soever it be oâ— appear to be in his mouth Surely he shall not know or feel quietness in his belly to wit in the spirit of his mind Job 20. 12 13 14-20 The wicked man travelleth with pain all his dayes and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor a sound of fears is in his ears In prosperity or peace the destroyer shall come upon him Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid they shall prevail against him as a King ready to the battle because he stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty Joh. 15. 20-25 c. And though such may appear very merry and jocund yet as the crackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of fools Eccl. 2. 2. and Chap. 7. 6. Nay even in their laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness however to the soul Their soul within them shall mourn Prov 14. 13. with Joh 14. 22. How oft do terrors make them afraid on every side and even drive them to their feet as Job 18. 11. and Ch. 20. 23-25 How doth their heart smite them 2 Sam. 24 10. And how are they pricked in their reins when God is reproving them and setting their sins in order before them Now how can any considerate and sober-minded person call or count that truly delightful which doth so wound
in wisdoms ways whilest thou remainest a stranger and enemy thereto But instead of listening to thine own deceived deceitful and desperately wicked heart hearken what God the Lord saith unto thee for his mouth speaketh truth and wickedness is the abomination of his lips He tells thee that in hearkening diligently unto him thy soul shall delight it self in fatness Isa 55. 1 2 3. and mind well what account the holy onâ—â— of God have given of the sweetness of the ways of uprightness who have walked therein and they will teach thee and tell thee that a day in his courts is better than a thousand elsewhere that Blessed are the undefiled in the way that Great peace have they which love God's law and nothing shall offend them Oh then Taste and see that the LORD is gracious Blessed is the man that trusteth in him Psal 34. 8 Come eat of wisdoms bread and drink of the wine she hath mingled forsake the foolish and live and go in the way of understanding for he that cometh unto Christ the bread of life shall never hunger and he that believeth on him shall never thirst Prov. 9. 1-6 with Joh. 4. 14. and Chap. 6. 32-35 Thus saith the LORD stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls Jer. 6. 16. 2. But not only are the ways of sin and wickedness unfruitful but also they are shameful in themselves and unto them who judge righteous judgment And that consideration might somewhat take men off from continuing therein Eph. 5. 11 12. Indeed thorow mens continuance in them and hardening their hearts from Gods fear they make themselves in an high degree shameless the unjust knoweth no shame Jer. 6. 15. and Ch. 8. 12. Zeph. 3. 5. Yea some there are that glory in their shame Pnil 3. 19. But however sin is a loathsom shameful thing and when God reproves sinners and sets their sins in order before them they shall then see and be ashamed thereof Psal 50. 21. with Isa 26. 11. Ezek. 43. 10 11. Yea indeed persons who walk in evil ways do signifie them to be shameful in that they walk in them in the dark And the light is unto them as the shadow of death Job 24. 13-17 Joh. 3. 20. And even such as walk in crooked ways themselves will laugh at and shame their companions in evil for committing the same wickedness which their own heart knows they themselves are guilty of Rom. 2. 1 2 3. which shews unto us that they when they consider things cannot but acknowledge that wickedness is a filthy detestable thing Prov. 13. 5. And the consideration thereof is very powerful to cause men to relinquish that whereof they are ashamed Shame hath this effect upon many men too frequently as with respect to that which is not shameful but truly honourable and highly valuable how many turn their backs upon Christ and his Gospel ways and people because of the reproach of men Isa 51. 7 8. Mark 8. 38. yea such like effect it had like to have had upon some pillars in the Church as to their making mention of Gods righteousness Hence the Prophet saith I am in derision daily every one mocketh me And again The word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me and a derision daily Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name c. Jer. 20. 7 8 9. 10. Psal 39. 1 2 3. But would men but come to the light by which all things that are reproved are made manifest in their right and proper colours and would they thereby commune with their own hearts upon their beds and be still how would the loathsomness and shamefulness of iniquity appear to them so as to cause them to loath themselves in their own sight and even to abhor themselves and repent in dust and ashes that they have so oft and so much polluted themselves with that filthy nasty thing Eph. 5. 11-13-15 c. Ezek. 20. 43. 3. Yea not only are the ways of impiety and profaneness unfruitful and shameful but also destructive and deadly yea endlesly and eternally so if still continued in the end of those things is death Rom. 6. 21 23. And therefore were sin at present never so delightful and pleasurable as in truth it is not as hath been shewn yet seeing it will be bitterness in the end and that without end who would for the enjoyment of the pleasures of sin which are but for a season be cast into the lake hereafter where their worm dieth not and their fire is not quenched Mark 9. 43-48 Knowest thou not this saith Job that the triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment Job 20. 4 5. But the doleful and dismal reward of wickedness will be eternal when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thess 1. 7 8 9. The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night c. Rev. 14. 9-11 He that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be counted worthy who hath trodden under-foot the Son of God c Why what sorer punishment shall such an one undergo than to die without mercy He shall live without mercy in endless torment and that is unconceivably greater Punishment than to die without mercy Heb. 10. 28-31 Now consider this ye that forget God! Is it not the greatest folly and madness imaginable for the enjoyment of the seeming sweetness of a moment to deprive ones self of the real pleasure and to undergo the unmixed torture and torment of Eternity What man in his right mind would buy imaginary contentment and delight at so dear a rate Surely Did men seriously ponder this that the things that are seen and sensibly enjoyed are temporal but the things that are not seen both the glory and wrath to be revealed are eternal it would imbitter that which appears so sweet and grateful to them and cause them to give no rest to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-lids until they turned themselves unto God from their vanities to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus who is the deliverer from the wrath to come as 1 Thess 1. 9 10. And though through thy custom in sin it be very difficult yea impossible for thee to leave thine evils in any strength of thine own and like to the making a Blackamore white yet the grace of God is sufficient for
of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out Rom. 11. 30 31 32 33 34. The Consideration whereof might preserve us from being censorious or rashly judging any when God is inflicting his most severe Judgments upon them For who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellor Verse 34 35. Yea he sometimes gives up wicked Ones in his Church unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that they might learn not to blaspheme And that their Spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5. 4 5-13 with 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. And this is not onely his End in those severe and dismal Judgments which he executes upon them that were in his Church and of his people professedly But also as with respect to such as were never joyned thereto or of the number thereof Hence the Psalmist thus Imprecates as with respect to such as were without the Pale of the Church O my God make them like a wheel as the stubble before the wind So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy Name O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever to wit in their evil Designs and Enterprizes yea let them be put to shame and perish That they may know that thou whose Name alone is Jehovah art the most High over all the Earth Ps 83. 13-16-18 And hereby also it appears That God is not willing that any should perish in that he doth Afflict and Judge the Sons of Men though not willingly or delightfully so And doth in all the Afflictions and Chastisements which he is inflicting on them and chastening them withal even in the greatest and more severe also Design their purging from their Iniquity and Conformity to his Mind and Will And so their Eternal Good and Benefit And as is also said before the two Particulars under this last-mentioned Head do mutually evidence the truth of each other That is to say In that he Chastens and Corrects out of love this shews That his End in all his Rebukings is good towards men And in that his Design and End is good and gracious towards Men in his now Judgings of them therein we may see that his Love towards them moves and prevails with him to make use of the Rod of Correction that he might thereby purge out of the Hearts of the Children of Men that Folly that is bound up in them 2 Chron. 33. 10 11 12 13. Isa 9. 12 13. His judgments are as the light that goeth forth for he desireth mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings Hos 5. 14 15 and Chap. 6. 1-5 6. Amos 4. 6-9-12 Jer. 4. 13 14. Psal 9. 19 20. 3. But now having I conceive sufficiently evidenced and demonstrated the truth of what the Lord God here swears to namely That he hath no pleasure none at all neither Revealed nor Secret in the Death of the wicked in the Eternal Destruction of him that dieth according to the Explication fore-given I shall now with the Assistance of the good Spirit of God note and infer from what hath been said some Instructions that may be of usefulness unto us As to say 1. If the Lord God hath no pleasure in the Death and Eternal misery of the Wicked Then we may be confident that he had no Pleasure in the Death of the Righteous as all Men were as they were Created of God in the first Publick Man And before he did eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil whereof God commanded him he should not eat For All were then Innocent and Righteous God created Man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him To wit In Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness of Truth Gen. 1. 26 27 with Eph. 4. 23 24. Col. 3. 10. God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Gen. 1. 31. This onely have I found saith the Preacher that God made Man upright Eccl. 7. 29. Yet some there are that say The greatest part of Mankind was Reprobated of God before the World had a beginning and while all Men were Righteous and in the pure mass This is so directly contrary to what we have said and to the whole Current of the Holy Scriptures that nothing can lightly be invented or devised by the wit of man more blasphemously opposite thereto and is therefore to be abominated by us For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and therefore also he loveth the righteous his Countenance doth behold the upright Psal 11. 7. and 146. 8. The righteous shall never be removed Prov. 10. 30. Behold saith Bildad God will not cast away Reject or Reprobate as the word signifies a perfect man Job 8. 20. He will not doom them to everlasting Destruction that is far from him Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right as Abraham saith Gen. 18. 25. God forbid that we should entertain or suffer to lodge within us such vain and wicked thoughts of him who hath now no pleasure in the death of the wicked that he should hate the righteous And yet after this rate they speak who say That he Reprobated the most of men before the Fall for the manifestation of the Glory of his Justice For Reprobation in Scripture always signifies an Act of Hatred in God towards the Persons Reprobated a Judicial Act of Hatred for some Iniquity committed and continued in by those who are so Reprobated Jer. 6. 16-30 Rom. 1. 23 24-28 But the naming this dreadful and ungodly Opinion is sufficient to discover its odiousness unto those that give Glory to God in believing the Truth of what he Affirms by his Word and Confirms by his most solemn and Indubitable Oath And therefore I shall add no more to that 2. If the Lord God hath no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked Then we may assuredly know believe and conclude that he hath no Pleasure in the Everlasting Destruction of such as are onely necessarily polluted and defiled as all men since the Fall are in partaking of the Nature of Man Christ onely excepted who was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and so knew no sin But as with respect unto all others in partaking of the Nature of Man they unavoidably partake of the filth of sin They are shapen in iniquity and in sin did their Mother warm them Psal 51. 5. How can Man be justified with God Or how can he be clean that is born of a Woman Job 14. 4. and 25. 4. Now I say If God hath no Pleasure in the Death of them who add rebellion to their sin as Job 34. 37. And in whose filthiness is lewdness as Ezek. 24. 13. We may be confident he hath none in their Ruine and Perdition who could no more prevent their being sinners in this respect than they could prevent their being Creatures or the