the Salvation of Man Sin without the Tenders of the Grace of the Gospel could never have appeared so exceeding sinful as by that it both hath and doth If I had not come and spoken unto them saith Christ they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin As sins that oppose the Law are discover'd by the Law that is by the goodness and justness and holiness of the Law so the sins that oppose the Gospel are made manifect by that even by the Love and Mercy and Forgiveness of the Gospel If he that despised Moses Law died without mercy of how much sorer punâ—shment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God Who could have thought that Sin would have opposed that which is just but especially Mercy and Grace had we not seen it with our eyes And how could we have seen it to purpose had not God left some to themselves Here indeed is sin made manifest For all he had done so many miracles amongst them to wit to perswade them to mercy yet they believed him not Sin where it reigneth is a mortal Enemy to the Soul it blinds the Eyes holds the Hands ties the Legs and stops the Ears and makes the Heart implacable to resist the Saviour of Souls That man will neither obey the Law nor the Gospel who is left unto his Sin Which also God is willing should be discovered and made manifest though it cost the damnation of some For this very purpose saith God to Pharaoh have I raised thee up that I might shew in thee my Power and that my Name might be declared in all the Earth For God by raising up Pharaoh to his Kingdom and suffering him to walk to the height according as his Sin did prompt him forward shew'd unto all beholders what a dreadful thing Sin is and that without the special assistance of his holy Spirit Sin would neither be charmed by Law nor Gospel This Reason though it be no profit unto those that are damned yet it is for the honour of God and the good of those he hath chosen Joh. 15.22 Rom. 7. Heb. 10.27 28 29. Joh. 12.37 Exod. 9.16 Rom. 9.17 It is for the honour of God even for the honour of his Power and Mercy for his Power is now discovered indeed when nothing can tame Sin but that and his Mercy is here seen indeed because that doth ingage him to do it Read Rom. 9.22 23. The Fourth REASON Fourthly God commandeth that the Tender of the Gospel and the Grace thereof be in general offered to all that Means thereby might be sufficiently provided for the Elect both to beget them to faith and to maintain it in them to the end in what place or state or condition soever they are God through the operation of his manifold Wisdom hath an end and an end in his Acts and Doings amongst the Children of Men And so in that he commandeth that his Gospel be tender'd to all an end I say to leave the Damned without excuse and to provide sufficiency of means for the gathering all his Elect. O that God would speak saith Zophar and open his mouth against thee and shew thee the secrets of Wisdom that they are double to that which is For though God worketh with and upon the Elect otherwise then with and upon the Reprobate yet he worketh with and upon the Elect with and by the same Word he commandeth should be held forth and offered to the Reprobate Now the Text thus running in most free and universal terms the Elect then hearing thereof do through the mighty Power of God close in with the Tenders therein held forth and are saved Thus that word that was offered to the reprobate Jews and by them most fiercely rejected even that word became yet effectual to the Chosen and they were saved thereby They gladly received the Word and as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed Not as though the Word of God had taken none effect God hath not cast away his People whom he fore-knew The Word shall accomplish the thing for which God hath sent it even the salvation of the few that are chosen when tendred to all though rejected by most through the rebellion of their hearts Ephes. 1. Job 11.5 6. Act. 13.44 to 48. 28.28 Heb. 4.1 2 3. Rom. 9.6 11.12 Object 2. But if God hath elected as you have said what need he lay a Foundation so general for the begetting faith in his chosen Particulars seeing the same Spirit that worketh in them by such means could also work in them by other even by a word excluding the most in the first Tenders thereof amongst men Answ. I told you before that though this be a principal Reason of the general Tenders of the Grace of the Gospel yet it is not all the reason why the Tender should be so general as the three former Reasons shew But again In the Bowels of Gods Decree of Election is contained the means that are also ordained for the effectual bringing of those Elected to that Glory for which they were fore-appointed even to gather together in one all the Children of God Whereunto he called you saith Paul by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. God's Decree of Election then destroyeth not the means which his wisdom hath prepared it rather establisheth yea ordains and establisheth it and maketh that means which in the outward sound is indefinite and general effectual to this and that man through a special and particular application Thus that Christ that in general was offered to all is by a special Act of Faith applied to Paul in particular He loved me and gave himself for me Joh. 11.51 52.2 Thes. 2.13 14. Gal. 2.20 21 22. Further As the design of the Heavenly Majesty is to bring his Elect to glory by means so by the means thus universal and general as most behooful and fit if we consider not onely the Way it doth please him to work with some of his Chosen in order to this their glory but also the trials temptations and other calamities they must go thorow thereto 1. Touching his working with some how invisible is it to those in whose Souls it is yet begun How is the Word buried under the Clods of their Hearts for months yea years together Onely thus much is discovered thereof it sheweth the Soul its Sin the which it doth also so aggravate and apply to the Conscience Jesus still refraining like Joseph to make himself known to his Brethren that were there not general Tenders of Mercy and that to the worst of Sinners they would soon miscarry and perish as do the Sons of perdition But by these the Lord upholdeth and helpeth them that they stand when others fall for ever Psal. 119.49 2. And so likewise for their trials temptations and other calamities because God will not bring them to Heaven without but by them
should not be condemned with the World Now Afflictions c. in themselves are not onely fruitless and unprofitable but being unsanctified are destructive I smote him and he went on frowardly But now eternal Mercy working with this or that affliction makes it profitable to the Chosen I have seen his ways and will heal him and will restore comfort to him and to his Mourners as he saith in another place Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest and teachest out of thy Law For eternal Mercy doth not look on those who are the Elect and Chosen of God as poor sinful creatures onely but also as the Generation whom the Lord hath blessed in whom he hath designed to magnifie his mercy to the utmost by pardoning the transgressions of the remnant of his Heritage Having predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself wherein also he hath made us accepted in the Beloved VVherefore I say the Elect as they do also receive that Grace and Mercy that may be sinned away so they have that Grace and Mercy which cannot be lost and that sin cannot deprive them of even mercy that abounds and goeth beyond all sin such mercy as hath engaged the power of God the intercession of Christ and the communication of the blessed Spirit of Adoption which Spirit also engageth the heart directs it into the love of God that it may not depart from God after that rate as the Reprobates do I will make an everlasting Covenant with them saith God that I will not turn away from them to do them good but will put my fear in their heart that they shall not depart from me Rom. 8.28 Psal. 119.71 1 Cor. 11.31 32. Isa. 57.17 18. Psal 94.12 1 Pet. 2.9 Mic. 7.18 19. Ephes 1.5 6 5 29 30. Jer. 32 40. But now I say Gods dealing with the Non-Elect is far otherwise they being under the consideration of eternal Justice even then when in the enjoyment of present Grace and Mercy And hence it is that as to their standing before the God of Heaven they are counted Dogs and Sows and Devils even then when before the Elect of God themselves they are counted Saints and Brethren The Dog is returned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire And the reason is because notwithstanding all their shew before the world their old nature and corruptions do still bear sway Within which in time also according to the ordâ—nary Judgement of God is suffered so to shew it self that they are visible to Saints that are Elect as was the case of Simon Magus and that wicked Apostate Judas who went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they should no doubt have continued with us but they went out from us that it might be manifest they were not all of us They were not Elect as we nor were they sanctified as the Elect of God themselves wherefore eternal Justice counts them the sons of Perdition when under their Profession And I say they being un\der this Eternal Justice it must needs have to do with them in the midst of their Profession and because also it is much offended with them for conniving with their lusts it taketh away from them and that most righteously those Gifts and Graces and Benefits and Priviledges that present Mercy gave them and not only so but cuts them off for their iniquity and layeth them under wrath for ever They have forsaken the right way saith God they have followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor these are Wells without Water Clouds that are carried with a tempest Trees whose fruit withereth without fruit twice dead plucked up by the roots for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever 1 Joh. 2.19 Joh. 17.12 Mat. 13.12 25.29 Mark 4.25 Luk 8.18 2 Pet 2.5 16 17. Jude 11 12 13. These things thus considered you see 1. That there is present Grace and present Mercy eternal Grace and eternal Mercy 2. That the Elect are under eternal Mercy and that when under present Justice and that the Reprobate is under eternal Justice and that when under present Mercy 3. Thus you â—ee again that the Non Elect perâ—sh by reason of SIN notwithstanding present Mercy because of eternal Justice and that the Elect are preserved from the death though they sin and are obnoxious to the strokes of present Justice by reason of eternal MERCY What shall we say then Is there unrighteousness with God God forbid He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion FINIS ERRATA Page 12. iine 23. for finished when yet read fashioned when as yet (a) Rom. 11.10 (b) Rom. 11.7 (c) Act. 13.48 Isa. 1.9 10.22 23. Rom. 9.27 (d) Rom. 9.21 (e) Rom. 9.11 Gen. 15.4 5. 16.4 5 16. 17.25 21.5 (f) Rom. 11.5 (g) 2 Tim. 2.18 19 20. †Jude 4. †Gen. 3.
God had here stept in he had either added that which had been needless and so had not obtained thankfulness or else had made the strength of Adam useless yea his own workmanship in so creating him superfluous or else by consequence imperfect 3. If he had done so he had taken Adam from his duty which was to trust and believe his Maker he had also made void the end of the Commandment which was to perswade to watchfulness diligence sobriety and contentedness yea and by so doing would not onely himself have tempted Adam to transgression even to lay aside the exercise of that strength that God had already given him but should have become the Pattern or the first Father to all loosness idleness and neglect of duty Which would also not onely have been an ill example to Adam to continue to neglect so reasonable and wholsome Duties but would have been to himself an Argument of defence to retort upon his God when he had come at another time to reckon with him for his misdemeanors Many other weighty Reasons might here be further added for Gods vindication in this particular but at this time let these suffice CHAP. VII Whether any under eternal Reprobation have just cause to quarrel with God for not Electing of them THat the Answer to this Question may be to edification recal again what I have before asserted to wit That for a man to be left out of Gods Election and to be made a Sinner is two things and again For a man to be not Elect and to be condemned to Hell fire is two things also Now I say if non-Election makes no man a Sinner and if it appoints no man to Condemnation neither then what ground hath any Reprobate to quarrel with God for not Electing of him Nay further Reprobation considereth him upright leaveth him upright and so turneth him into the World what wrong doth God do him though he hath not elected him What reason hath he that is left in this case to quarrel against his Maker If thou say Because God hath not chosen them as well as chosen others I answer Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Behold as the Clay is in the hand of the Potter so are ye in my hand O House of Israel saith the Lord God So then if I should say no more but that God is the onely Lord and Creator and that by his Soveraignty he hath power to dispose of them according to his pleasure either to chuse or to refuse according to the counsel of his own Will who could object against him and be guiltless He giveth no account of any of his ways and what his Soul desireth that doth he Rom. 9.20 21. Jer. 18.6 Job 23.13 33.13 Again God is wiser then man and therefore can shew a reason for what he acts and does both when and where at present thou seest none Shall God the onely wise be arraigned at the Bar of thy blind Reason and there be judged and condemned for his Acts done in Eternity Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour Do you not know that he is far more above us then we are above our Horse or Mule that is without understanding Great things doth he that we cannot comprehend great things and unsearchable and marvellous things without number Rom. 11.34 35. Job 5.9 37.5 But I say Should we take it well if our Beast should call us to account for this and the other righteous Act and judge us unrighteous and our Acts ridiculous and all because it sees no reason for our so doing Why we are as Beasts before God Psal. 73.22 But again To come yet more close to the point The Reprobate quarrels with God because he hath not elected him well but is not God the Master of his own Love And is not his Will the only Rule of his Mercy And may he not without he give offence to thee lay hold by electing Love and Mercy on whom himself pleaseth Must thy Reason nay thy Lust be the Ruler Orderer and Disposer of his Grace May I not do what I will with mine own saith he Is thine eye evil because mine is good Matth. 20.15 Further What harm doth God to any Reprobate by not Electing of him He was as hath been said considered Upright so formed in the Act of Creation and so turned into the World Indeed he was not Elected but hath that taken any thing from him No verily but leaveth him in good condition There is good and better and best of all he that is in a good estate though others through free Grace are in a far better hath not any cause to murmur either with him that gave him such a place or at him that is placed above him In a word Reprobation maketh no man personally a Sinner neither doth Election make any man personally Righteous It is the consenting to sin that makes a man a Sinner and the imputation of Grace and Righteousness that makes gospelly and personally Just and Holy But again Seeing it is Gods Act to leave some out of the bounds of his Election it must needs be therefore positively good Is that then which is good in it self made sin unto thee God forbid God doth not evil by leaving this or that man out of his Electing Grace though he chuse others to Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Wherefore there is not a Reprobate that hath any Cause and therefore no just Cause to quarrel with his Maker for not electing of him And that besides what hath been spoken if you consider 1. For God to Elect is an Act of Soveraign Grace but to pass by or to refuse so to do is an Act of Soveraign Power not of Injustice 2. God might therefore have chose whether he would have Elected any or so many or few and also which and where he would 3. Seeing then that all things are at his dispose he may fasten Electing Mercy where he pleaseth and other Mercy if he will to whom and when he will 4. Seeing also that the least of Mercies are not deserved by the best of Sinners men instead of quarreling against the God of Grace because they have not what they list should acknowledge they are unworthy of their breath and also should confess that God may give Mercy where he pleaseth and that too both which or what as also to whom and when he will and yet be good and just and very gracious still Nay Job saith He taketh away who can hinder him Or who will say unto him What doest thou Job 9.12 The Will of God is the Rule of all Righteousness neither knoweth he any other way by which he governeth and ordereth any of his Actions Whatsoever God doth it is good because he doth it whether it be to give Grace or to detain it whether in chusing or
But now the Preacher offering mercy in the Gospel to Sinners as they are Sinners here is way made for the Word to be spoke in faith because his Hearers are Sinners yea and incouragement also for the People to receive and close therewith they understanding they are Sinners Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners Luk. 24.46 47. Fourthly The Gospel must be preached to Sinners as they are Sinners without distinction of Elector Reprobate because neither the one not yet the other as considered under these simple Acts are fit subjects to embrace the Gospel for neither the one Act nor yet the other doth make either of them Sinners but the Gospel is to be tender'd to men as they are Sinners and personally under the curse of God for sin Wherefore to profer Grace to the Elect because they are Elect it is to profer Grace and Mercy to them as not considering them as Sinners And I say to deny it to the Reprobate because he is not Elected it is not only a denyal of Grace to them that have no need thereof but also before occasion is given on their part for such a Dispensation And I say again therefore to offer Christ and Grace to man Elect as simply so considered this administers to him no comfort at all he being here no Sinner and so engageth not the heart at all to Jesus Christ for that comes in and is effected on them as they are Sinners Yea to deny the Gospel also to the Reprobate because he is not Elect it will not trouble him at all for saith he So I am not a Sinner and so do not need a Saviour But now because the Elect have no need of Grace in Christ by the Gospel but as they are Sinners nor the Reprobates cause to refuse it as they are Sinners therefore Christ by the Word of the Gospel is to be profered to both without considering Elect or Reprobate even as they are Sinners The whole have no need of the Physitian but those that are sick I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Luk. 7.46 47. Mark 2.17 Thus you see the Gospel is to be tendred to all in general as well to the Reprobate as to the Elect to Sinners as Sinners and so are they to receive it and to close with the Tenders thereof CHAP. X. Seeing then that the Grace of God in the Gospel is by that to be profered to Sinners as Sinners as well to the Reprobate as the Elect Is it possible for those who indeed are not Elect to receive it and be saved TO this Question I shall answer several things But first I shall shew you what that Grace is that is tendred in the Gospel and secondly what it is to receive it and be saved First then The Grace that is offered to Sinners as Sinners without respect to this or that Person it is a sufficiency of Righteousness pardoning Grace and Life laid up in the Person of Christ held forth in the Exhortation and Word of the Gospel and promised to be theirs that receive it yea I say in so universal a Tender that not one is by it excluded or checked in the least but rather incouraged if he hath the least desire to Life yea it is held forth to beget both Desires and Longings after the Life thus laid up in Christ and held forth by the Gospel Joh. 1.16 Col. 1.19 1 John 5.11 12. Act. 13.38 39. Col. 1.23 Rom. 10.12 13 14 16.25 26. Secondly To receive this Grace thus tender'd by the Gospel it is 1. To believe it is true 2. To receive it heartily and unfeignedly through Faith And 3. To let it have its natural sway course and authority in the Soul and that in that measure as to bring forth the fruits of good living in Heart Word and Life both before God and Man Now then to the Question Is it possible that this Tender thus offered to the Reprobate should by him be thus received and embraced and he live thereby To which I answer in the Negative Nor yet for the Elect themselves I mean as considered dead in trespasses and sins which is the state of all men Elect as well as Reprobate So then though there be a sufficiencie of Life and Righteousness laid up in Christ for all men and this tender'd by the Gospel to them without exception yet sin coming in between the Soul and the Tender of this Grace it hath in truth disabled all men and so notwithstanding this Tender they continue to be dead For the Gospel I say coming in word onely saveth no man because of mans impediment wherefore those that indeed are saved by this Gospel the Word comes not to them in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost is mixed with Faith even with the Faith of the operation of God by whose exceeding great and mighty Power they are raised from this death of sin and inabled to embrace the Gospel Doubtless all men being dead in trespasses and sins and so captivated under the power of the Devil the Curse of the Law and shut up in unbelief it must be the Power of God yea the exceeding greatness of that Power that raiseth the Soul from this condition to receive the holy Gospel Ephes. 2.1 2 3. 1 Thess. 1.5 6. Col. 2.12 Heb. 4.1 2. Ephes. 1.18 19 c. For man by nature consider him at best can see no more nor do no more then what the Principles of Nature understands and helps to do which Nature being below the discerning of things truly spiritually and savingly good it must needs fall short of receiving loving and delighting in them The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Now I say If the natural man at best for the Elect before Conversion are no more if quite so much cannot do this how shall they attain thereto being now not onely corrupted and infected but depraved bewitched and dead swallowed up of unbelief ignorance confusion hardness of heart hatred of God and the like When a Thorn by nature beareth Grapes and a Thistle beareth Figs then may this thing be To lay hold of and receive the Gospel by a true and saving Faith it is an Act of the Soul as made a New Creature which is the workmanship of God Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God For a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit Can the Ethiopian change his skin 1 Cor. 2.11 14. Mat. 7.16 17 18. Luk. 6.43 44 45. Jer. 13.23 But yet the Cause of this impossibility 1. Lieth not in Reprobation the Elect themselves being as much unable to receive it as the other 2. Neither is it because the Reprobate is excluded in the Tender for that is universal 3. Neither is it because there wanteth Arguments in the Tenders of the Gospel
God and seeing also that God hath before-hand determined to suffer it so to be yet I shall shew you it is requisite yea very requisite that he should both will and command that the Gospel and so Grace in the general Tenders thereof should be profered unto them The First REASON And that first To shew that this Reprobation doth not in its self make any man absolutely uncapable of salvation for if God had intended that by the Act of Reprobation the persons therein concerned should also by that only Act have been made incapable of everlasting Life then this Act must also have tied up all the means from them that tendeth to that end or at least have debarred the Gospels being offered to them by Gods Command for that intent otherwise who is there but would have charged the Holy One as guilty of guile and worthy of blame for commanding that the Gospel of Grace and Salvation should be offered unto this or that man whom yet he hath made uncapable to receive it by his Act of Reprobation Wherefore this very thing to wit that the Gospel is yet to be tender'd to those eternally reprobated sheweth that it is not simply the Act of Gods Reprobation but Sin that incapacitateth the Creature of Life everlasting Which Sin is no branch of this Reprobation as is evident because the Elect and Reprobate are both alike defiled therewith The Second REASON Secondly God also sheweth by this that the Reprobate doth not perish for want of the offers of Salvation though he hath offended God and that upon most righteous terms according to what is written As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth but that the wicked turn from his wicked way and live Turn unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts So then here lieth the point between God and the Reprobate I mean the Reprobate since he hath sinned God is willing to save him upon reasonable terms but not not upon terms above reason but no reasonable terms will down with the Reprobate therefore he must perish for his unreasonableness Ezek. 18.31 32. 33.10 Zech. 1.3 That God is willing to save even those that perish for ever is apparent both from the consideration of the goodness of his Nature of Mans being his Creature and indeed in a miserable state But I say as I have also said already there is a great difference between his being willing to save them through their complying with these his reasonable terms and his being resolved to save them whether they as men will close therewith or no So onely he saveth the Elect themselves even according to the riches of his G 〈…〉 eâ—en according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus working effectuaâ—â—◠〈◊〉 them what the Gospel as a condition calleth for from them A 〈…〉 nce it is that he is said to give Faith yea the most holy Faith for thâ—â— is the Faith of Gods Elect to give Repentance to give a new Heart to give his Fear even that Fear that may keep them for ever from everlasting Ruine still ingaging his Mercy and Goodness to follow them all the days of their lives that they may dwell in the House of the Lord for ever And as another Scripture saith Now he that hath wrought 〈◊〉 the self-same thing is God Psal. 145.9 Job 14.15 Joh. 3.16 Ephes. 1.4 7. Phil. 1.29 4.19 Act. 5.30 31. Ezek. 36.26 27 Jer. 32 40. Psal. 23.6 Rom. 8.26 c. 2 Cor. 5.5 c. But I say His denying to do thus for every man in the World cannot properly be said to be because he is not heartily willing they should close with the Tenders of the Grace held forth in the Gospel and live Wherefore you must consider that there is a distinction to be put between God's denying Grace on reasonable terms and denying it absolutely and also that there is a difference between his with-holding further Grace and of hindring men from closing with the Grace at present offered also that God may with-hold much when he taketh away nothing yea take away much when once abused and yet be just and righteous still Further God may deny to do this or that absolutely when yet he hath promised to do not onely that but more conditionally Which things considered you may with ease conclude that he may be willing to save those not Elect upon reasonable terms though not without them It is no unrighteousness in God to offer Grace unto the World though but on those terms onely that they are also foreseen by him infallibly to reject both because to reject it is unreasonable especially the terms being so reasonable as to believe the truth and live and also because it is Grace and Mercy in God so much as once to offer means of Reconciliation to a Sinner he being the offender but the Lord the God offended they being but Dust and Ashes He the Heavenly Majesty If God when man had broke the Law had yet with all severity kept the World to the utmost condition of it had he then been unjust had he injured man at all Was not every tittle of the Law reasonable both in the first and second Table How much more then is he merciful and gracious even in but mentioning terms of Reconciliation Especially seeing he is also willing so to condescend if they will believe his Word and receive the love of the Truth Though the Reprobate then doth voluntarily and against all strength of reason fun himself upon the Rocks of eternal Misery and split himself thereon he perisheth in his own corruption by rejecting terms of Life 2 Thess. 2.10 2 Pet. 2.12 13. Object 1. But the Reprobate is not now in a capacity to fulfill these reasonable terms Answ. But I say suppose it should be granted is it because Reprobation made him uncapable or Sin Not Reprobation but Sin If Sin then before he quarrel let him consider the case aright where in the result he will find Sin being consented to by his voluntary mind hath thus disabled him And because I say it was Sin by his voluntary consent that did it let him quarrel with himself for consenting so as to make himself incapable to close with reasonable terms yea with those terms because reasonable therefore most suitable as terms for him notwithstanding his wickedness And I say again Forasmuch as these reasonable terms have annexed unto them as their inseparable companions such wonderful Mercy and Grace as indeed there is let even them that perish yet justifie God yea cry His goodness endureth for ever though they through the wretchedness of their hearts get no benefit by it The Third REASON Thirdly God may will and command that his Gospel and so the Grace thereof be tender'd to those that shall never be saved besides what hath been said to shew to all Spectators what an Enemy Sin being once embraced is to
also as true that the Elect are blessed with more Grace It is the Priviledge onely of those that are Chosen to be blessed with ALL spiritual Blessings and to have ALL the good pleasure of the goodness of God fulfilled in and upon them Those who are blessed with all spiritual Blessings must needs be blessed with Eternal Life and those in whom the Lord not onely works all his good pleasure but fulfilleth aâ—l the good pleasure of his goodness upon them they must needs be preserved to his Heavenly Kingdom But none of the Non-Elect have these things conferred upon them therefore the Grace bestowed upon the one doth differ both in nature and degree from the other Ephes. 1.4 5 1 Thes. 1.11 Thirdly There is a difference as to the management also The Reprobate is principal for the management of the Grace he receiveth but Jesus Christ is principal for the management of the Grace the Elect receiveth VVhen I say principal I mean chief for though the Reprobate is to have the greatest hand in the management of what Mercy and Goodness the Lord bestoweth on him yet not so as that the Lord will not help him at all nay contrariwise he wiâ—l if first the Reprobate do truly the duty that lieth on him If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted but if not well behold Sin lieth at the door Thus it was also with Saul who was rejected of God upon this account And I say as to the Elect themselves though Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour be chief as to the management of the Grace bestowed on his Chosen yet not so as that he quite excludeth them from striving according to his working which worketh in them mightily nay contrariwise if those who in truth are Elect shall yet he remiss and do wickedly they shall feel the stroke of Gods Rod it may be till their Bones do break But because the work doth not lie at their door to manage as chief but at Christs therefore though he may perform his work with much bitterness and grief to them yet he being engaged as the Principal will perform that which concerneth them even until the day the coming of Jesus Christ. Gen. 4.7 1 Sam. 13.11 12 13 14. 15 26. Col. 1.29 Psal. 138.8 Phil. 1.6 Fom what hath been said there ariseth this Conclusion The Elect are always under Eternal Mercy but those not Elect always under Eternal Justice For you must consider this There is eternal Mercy and eternal Justice and there is present Mercy and present Justice So then for a man to be in a state of Mercy it may be either a state of Mercy present or both present and eternal also And so again for a man to be in a state under Justice it may be understood either of present Juâ—â—ice onely or of both pâ—esent and eternal also That this may yet further be opened I shall somewhat enlarge I begin with present Mercy and present Justice That which I call present Mercy is that Faith Light Knowledge and taste of the good VVord of God that a man may have and perish This is called in Scripture Believing for a while during for a while and rejoycing in the Light for a season Now I call this Mercy both because none as men can deserve it and also because the proper end thereof is to do good to those that have it But I call it present Mercy because those that are only blessed with that may sin it away and perish as did some of the Galatians Hebrews Alexandrians with the Asians and others But yet observe again I do not call this present Mercy because God hath determined it shall last but a while absolutely but because it is possible for man to lose it yea determined he shall conditionalâ—y Heb. 6.4 5. 2 Pet. 2.20 Mat. 13.22 Luk. 8.13 Joh. 5.35 1 Cor. 12.7 Gal. 5.4 Heb. 12.15 16. 1 Tim. 1 20. 2 Tim. 2.18 1.15 Heb. 12.25 Again As to present Justice it is that which lasteth but a while also and as present Mercy is properly the portion of those left out of Gods Election so present Justice chiefly hath to do with Gods Beloved who yet at that time are also under eternal Mercy This is that Justice that afflicted Job David Heman and the godly who notwithstanding do infallibly attain by vertue of this mercy eternal Life and Glory I call this Justice because in some sence God dealeth with his Chilâ—ren according to the quality of their transgressions and I call it also present Justice because though the hand of God for the present be never so heavy on those that are his by Election yet it lasteth but a while wherefore though this indeed be called Wrath yet is but a little wrath wrath for a moment time or season In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Job 6.4 Psal. 88. 38.3 Amos 3.2 1 Cor. 11.30 31. Isa. 54.7 8. Psal. 30.5 103.9 1 Pet. 1.6 Thus you see there is present Mercy and present Justice also that the Elect may be under present Justice when the Rest may be under present Mercy Again As there is present Mercy and present Justice so there is eternal Mercy and eternal Justice and I say As the Elect may be under present Justice when the Non-Elect may be under present Mercy so the Elect at that time are also under eternal Mercy but the other under eternal Justice That the Elect are under eternal Mercy and that when under present Justice is evident from what hath been said before namely from their being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world as also from the consideration of their sound conversion and safe preservation quite through this wicked world even safe unto eternal Life as he also saith by the Prophet Jeremiah Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with loving kindness have I draâ—n thee And hence it is that he calleth the Elect his Sheep his Children and People and that before Conversion for though none of them as yet were his Children by Calling yet were they his according to Election Jer 31.3 Joh. 10.16 11.52 Act 18.9 10. Now the Elect being under this eternal Grace and Mercy they must needs be under it both before present Justice seizeth upon them while it seizeth them and also continueth with them longer then present Justice can it being from everlasting to everlasting This being so here is the reason why no sin nor yet temptation of the Enemy with any other evil can hurt or destroy those thus Elect of God Yea this is that which maketh even those things that in themselves are the very bane of men yet prove very much for good to those within this purpose and as David saith It is good for me that I have been afflicted and again For when we are judged of the Lord we are chastened that we